How many authors does it take to design a rail line?

[pbray]

Over time the weekly meetings of the Hard Lemonade Science Fiction Society have morphed into game night, as we spend less time reading and critiquing each other's work, and more time talking about publishers, contracts, figuring out pre-book publicity and the like. Last night we got together at jennifer_dunne's since she has airconditioning. To return to the spirit of our group I brought hard lemonade to go with the pizza, and we played two rounds of the train game (aka "Ticket to Ride European Edition"). I lost both times.

Came home and was excited to find my author copies of Farscape Forever! Sex, Drugs and Killer Muppets! had arrived. Read Jim Butcher and PN Elrod's essays this morning with my coffee, and they reminded me again why I miss this series. Hard to believe that it was five years ago that I discovered Farscape. Five years seems like no time at all, and yet a lifetime ago. It was before I'd sold my first fantasy, and before I started going to SF conventions, something I hadn't done since college. Now, five years later, Farscape has come and gone, I'm in the middle of my second fantasy trilogy for Bantam, and SF cons are once again a part of my life.

Wonder what the next five years will bring?

Comments

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

Do you play dominoes? That's a great game for chatting while placing tiles.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Hmm, dominoes. I haven't played those since I was a kid. I'll have to see if someone has a set.

My preference is for card games, particularly cribbage or Rummy 500, or I can often be convinced to play word games, such as Quibbler or Scrabble.

My game playing friends are both math geeks, however, so they are now on a strategy game kick. Ticket to Ride (both North America and European editions), Carcassonne (sp?), Puerto Rico, Lost Cities, etc. They can be a tad scary sometimes, but as long as I get snacks, I'm good.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

Those are great games, too. I was only recently re-introduced to dominoes, and it was addictive. I think what's going on now with the dominoes resurgence isn't the same as what we played as kids. Well, as a kid, I mostly stood them up in patterns and knocked the first one over.

[jennifer-dunne.livejournal.com]

Wonder what the next five years will bring?

More killer muppets?

[pbray.livejournal.com]

I should be so lucky.

Ive read your first book

[(Anonymous)]

Sword Of change Book 1..
Im 13
I found your book at my Library..
I found it very interesting and that it is amazing that somwon can write so good. Did you write at childhood as well or....Did you just read... Other peoples books?

Re: Ive read your first book

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Always good to hear from someone who likes my work.

I wrote on and off from when I was a child, but it wasn't till I was 30 that I sat down and put serious effort into writing my first novel. I like to think that each book I've written since then has been better, as I learn more about my craft, and how to engage the reader.

[storytellersjem.livejournal.com]

What's your take on all those cons?

[pbray.livejournal.com]

When I go to cons, it's a chance to meet readers and hang out with fellow writers. Online communities are great, but there's nothing like being able to sit down in a bar with a half-dozen other likeminded souls, and discuss the truly essential questions such as why Hollywood is convinced that in the future everyone will wear leather :-)

When I've had a good time at a con, I leave energized about the genre and can't wait to get back to my keyboard.