VP, the emotional side

I’m just getting back to normalcy, so I’m almost ready to start talking about it.
First rule of VP, what happens at VP stays at VP. It’s just like Vegas, but without the strippers. Or at least I didn’t see any strippers, I was working a lot. I did get to see jellyfish though. Glowing [...]

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This Needs a Title

Writerly to-do list:
1. Critique five manuscripts for the RWA On the Far Side contest, official deadline October 9 (personal deadline October 1).
2. Write the distillation lecture for MITG/PFAI  inaugural online class Practical Chemistry for Writers, which starts Oct. 1.
3. Finish reading Who Dares Wins before Nov. 15 Warrior Writers Workshop w/Bob Mayer.
4. Create Yahoo/Google group [...]

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Blade’s Edge

Local Boise author, and all around awesome person, Valerie Robertson’s debut novel is out today in ebook format. Blade’s Edge from Samhain Publishing is ready for purchasing. I’ve got my copy, do you have yours? Actually, I think this may be my first ebook, and romance novel. Go me.

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Mad Scientist Tells Secrets of Chemistry without Math!

I’m teaching Practical Chemistry for Writers as the first Murder in the Grove online class. This is a reprise of the class I taught through RWA KOD’s COFFIN program last year (with a couple of easter eggs they didn’t get). It’s also probably the last time I’ll teach this class for the foreseeable future.
Practical [...]

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Not Even Published and Already an Orphan

Well, it’s official, my editor has resigned her position to move to a new publisher, three weeks before my debut novel’s publication date: http://quartetpress.com/
Either I’ve been deserted like a bride at the altar, or I’m developing an industry network across multiple publishers in preparation for launching a powerhouse career in the next big genre.
Snort.
Either way, [...]

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Everything I needed to know I learned in 6 years of college (except everything else), Part 1

Okay, well let’s start with a meta lesson I learned in college. It’s not to late to change your mind and switch directions. And if you do, there is a price to be paid.
My first major in college was Computer Programing, Math Option (that’s the hard one). I was pretty good at both (programming [...]

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Writerly Linkee-poo

Really, I had a fabulous weekend at Confluence. There was awesome to be had by the pickup-truck load. Good friends, good meets, good revelations (some of which I can’t talk about, sworn to secrecy in fact), and plenty of “keep your mouth shut while the adults talk about business” moments. All good stuff.
And driving back [...]

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Cross Pollination of Concepts

In one of the latest posts on writing advice I had a link showing what to put in and what to leave out to make a successful picture. As I said, this was helpful with creation of scene in a story (prior experience coming in). Now, Jay Lake (man, I’ve been grooving on his Link [...]

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Where are All the Genre Benders? I’ve got a cover!

Hello? Anyone? Okay, I’ll post something. I have a cover for my debut novel, Blade’s Edge. Look–
This almost makes up for the skin cancer surgery last week. Happy sigh.
–Val

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PFAI’s Master Class Weekend was Fabulous

I’m the president of the Popular Fiction Association of Idaho, Inc., which almost sounds impressive until you find out that it’s a teeny, tiny non-profit corporation that was created in 2004 for a half-dozen people who wanted to put on a mystery literature conference, specifically, Murder in the Grove, in Boise, Idaho.
Honestly, planning and executing [...]

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