Category Archives: appearances

Pat’s Far Travels: Emerald City Comicon

Hey everyone, Amanda here!

Pat’s off on another grand adventure, this time to Emerald City Comicon, and I thought you’d probably like to know where he’ll be and when while he’s there.

As an added bonus, 2 of the panels will be available to watch live on Twitch, so you don’t even have to be there.

Additionally, there’s a table full of our Kingkiller merch in writer’s alley, number W-05. If you want to pick up something like Pairs, copies of The Princess and Mr. Whiffle, Boss Monster, or other cool things, be sure to swing by and say hi!

If you have the time to volunteer, we’d love to get some extra hands at the table; you can contact @Therajill on Twitter if you want to help out.

Here’s Pat’s full schedule:

Thursday, April 7

  • 3-4pm: Signing at the University Bookstore Booth, #5100

Friday, April 8th

  • 1:30pm-2:30pm: Patrick Rothfuss Spotlight, Main Stage – W4A

I honestly have no idea what Pat’s going to be doing on this panel, but previous events like this have included reading poetry, singing songs with the attendees, and extolled the virtues of combining tea with cup-a-noodle. So I can promise you won’t be bored.

Even better, this is going to be livestreamed on Emerald City’s Twitch channel, on the Main Stage channel, so anyone who has an internet connection and an hour free can see whatever Pat ends up doing. Remember that it’s 1:30-2:30 PACIFIC time, and adjust accordingly to your time zone.

  • 2:45-4pm: Signing at the Level 6 Autographing Area, Table 27
  • 4:15-5:15pm: The Girl Genius Radio Plays, T304

Saturday, April 9th

  • 11am-12pm: Talk about Tak with James Ernest, W611

TakFPBanner1

This panel is going to be a lot of fun. Pat and James are going to play and talk about Tak, the game from Wise Man’s Fear. There’s a Kickstarter in the works that you should be keeping an eye out for in the next couple of weeks, but in the meantime, this is a great way to learn about the game.

This panel is going to be livestreamed as well, this time on the Stage 2.0 portion of Emerald City’s twitch channel. It’s going to be a cool way to learn about Tak, so I highly suggest you check it out.

  • 3:30-4:30: Signing at Badali Jewelry’s Booth, #111

Free time tickets are required for this, but you can pick them up at Badali’s booth anytime after the show opens. Since it’s only an hour, though, there won’t be a ton of them, so pick them up earlier if you can.

This is going to be a great event. It’s being organized by Greg Bilsland and Elyssa Grant, who are members of the Dungeons & Dragons team at Wizards of the Coast, and we’re super grateful to them for putting on this shindig.

Lots of authors, game designers, musicians, and other awesome folks are getting together to play games and hang out, all while raising money for Worldbuilders. This is one of the biggest collaborations we’ve done, and we’re really excited to see it doing so well already.

Unfortunately the tickets for this event are all sold out, but you can check out their website or the Facebook event for more information, and to put yourself on the wait list.

Sunday, April 10th

  • 12pm-1pm: Crafting Characters in Sci-Fi and Fantasy, W603

There’s a serious powerhouse of authors on this panel, including Peter Orullian, Seanan McGuire, Peter V. Brett, and Bob Proehl. If you’ve ever wanted to hear what goes into crafting good characters, this is going to be a great place to do it.

  • 1:15pm-2:15pm: Signing at the Level 6 Autographing Area, Table 29

You may have noticed there’s a signing set up every day, and that was pretty intentional, so even if you get a one-day pass, you should have a chance to see Pat and get something signed. Be sure to get there early, though, because they’ll cut off the lines to make sure Pat can get through everyone in his alloted time.

* * *

And that’s the whole of it. Remember that you can watch some of these events on Twitch, even if you can’t make it to the con. I know I will be, partly just to see what crazy thing Pat gets everyone to do this time.

Have fun out there, folks…

Amanda

Also posted in conventions | By Amanda11 Responses

Welcome to Nightvale: The Novel

It shouldn’t surprise any of you that I read a lot.

Similarly, I’m guessing most of you won’t be hugely shocked to discover that I have strong opinions about books. When I like a book, I share it around with near-missionary zeal. And when I’m not fond of one…

… well, when I’m not fond of one. I mostly keep my mouth shut. Because life is too short. Plus it’s rude to shit on another author’s book in public. Plus I’d usually rather spend my time reading good books than bitching about bad ones.

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(There are, of course, rare exceptions to this rule.)

But simply said, reading books is one of my greatest joys. Followed closely by sharing good books and talking about good books.

Which is why I have a profile over on Goodreads, where I constantly talk about books I’ve read.

To call what I do over there “reviewing” books really isn’t accurate. The truth is, I’ve never really read reviews of any sort, so I wouldn’t have the first clue as to how to write one.

Instead, I mostly talk about how I feel about the books. Sometimes as a writer. Sometimes as a reader, or a parent, or as a straight-up irrational fan. Quite frequently as an untidy mash comprised of all of the above.

But over the years, I’ve discovered an odd problem.

If I read a book and like it, writing up a little blurb on goodreads is the easiest thing in the world for me. Takes me 10-15 minutes. Tops.

Mind you, I don’t always do that. A lot of times I don’t have 10-15 minutes to spare, or I’m away from a computer when I finish a book, and by the time I think of entering it on Goodreads, the details have faded from my memory.

But what I’ve discovered is that a lot of times, if I really *really* like a book. If it absolutely knocks me over. If it has a huge emotional impact, I won’t write a review at all.

Oh I’ll *intend* to write a review. I’ll want to write one. But trying to put into words how much I adore certain books ends up being prohibitively daunting. I can think of three books like this off the top of my head. For more than a year I’ve been meaning to review: Gone Girl, A Fault in Our Stars, and The Sculptor.

And a newer book. A book that just came out, but that I’ve been meaning to write a review about for months now. A book that delighted and amazed me in a way no other book has done for years.

This book:

welcome_to_night_vale_hc_c

(This beautiful, stunning, delightful goddamn book.)

I’ve been a fan of Nightvale for a couple years now. And I’ll admit, I pulled favors so get an Advance Reading Copy. I was excited to read it. And I was terrified of what it might be like.

For those of you who don’t know, Welcome to Nightvale is a twice-monthly podcast. It’s like Tales from Lake Woebegone and The Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath had a hot, drunken make-out session, then had a beautiful baby together. It’s a great show, unlike anything else I’ve ever run into.

But that’s just it. It’s a radio show. And there’s a HUGE difference between writing a series of 25 minute radio episodes, and writing a 150,000 word novel. Novels are immeasurably more complex in their narrative and character, plus you don’t get to use a lot of the tools that audio production gives you.

So yeah. I was worried they might not be able to pull it off. Not because they weren’t good writers. But because writing your first novel is a whole different game.

Did they pull it off? Here’s the short answer.

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(Click to embiggen if you’d like to read my blurb.)

While I review many books, I blurb very few. The reason for this is that when I’m reviewing a book, I can explain in detail why exactly I like a book. I can talk about what the upsides and downsides are. I can make comparisons to other books.

In short, when I’m writing about a book on goodreads, I have enough space to say things like, “If you don’t like the level of violence in Martin’s books, this will be too much for you.” Or “If your kids have read Harry Potter, they should be fine reading this, too.”

But a blurb is different. When I give a blurb, I’m effectively offering my imprimatur. No matter what the blurb actually says, me having my name on the cover for promotional purposes equates to me saying, “My name is Patrick Rothfuss, and I’m saying you should try this book.”

So yeah. That’s what I’m saying here. This book is amazing and you should read it.

In fact, I’m such a fan of the book, that I’m going to help out with Joseph and Jeffrey’s Book Tour. When they swing through Milwaukee on November 10th, I’m going to chat with them about writing and stuff. Deserts and Dogparks. It should be a good time.

11.10_Milwaukee

You can get more details about their book tour and buy tickets to the Milwaukee event over here. (Note that the ticket price includes a copy of the book, so it’s actually a bargain.)

If you’d like more details about why exactly I liked this book so much, you can check out the review I wrote on Goodreads.

Later folks,

pat

Also posted in recommendations | By Pat30 Responses

Pontificating on True Monsters

A while back, the some folks contacted me and asked if I’d like to talk about monsters and stories and mythology and stuff for a show they were putting together for the History Channel.

(I’m paraphrasing, of course.)

It wasn’t a hard decision. I’m all about talking about stories and mythology. Stuff is right up my alley, too.

And… Ah… who are we kidding? I just like to talk. If I didn’t have access to the internet, I’d constantly be pulling Ancient Mariner bullshit on people.

Anyway, the first episode went up last week Friday. Here’s a little teaser.

You can watch the entire episode right here. Brandon Sanderson is there too, better dressed and more articulate than me.

Before you rush over there and get your hopes up, I’m not in much of the episode. Part of this is because I didn’t have much to say about things like the Jersey Devil or Hel (The Norse Hel).

But a contributing factor is the fact that I have trouble talking in soundbites. Anyone who has seen me on panels at conventions knows this. When I’m asked a question, your best case scenario is that I’m going to talk a paragraph at you. More often my answer will probably be a little story of its own with its own distinct narrative arc. It’s the only way I really know how to talk. That doesn’t translate well onto camera.

Super impressed with my shiny name

Also, I was so impressed with how shiny my name was that I wore this expression all the way through the interview.

Seriously though, I spent most of my interview telling stories, making jokes, and cussing with extravagant flamboyance. Which, in retrospect, probably wasn’t what they were looking for. Though I do remember getting good laughs off the camera crew…

There are going to be 3 more episodes. I’m particularly curious about how #3 turned out: Gods and Monsters. I remember talking at some length about Loki fucking a horse. Which… now that I’m thinking of it… they might not put that in the episode either.

Blowing it off 2

Anyway, here’s the schedule:

  • Cannibals and Killers – Friday, October 16th, 2015 at 10pm EST / 9pm CST
  • Gods and Monsters – Friday, October 23rd, 2015 at 10pm EST / 9pm CST
  • Giants and Beasts – Friday, October 30th, 2015 at 10pm EST / 9pm CST

You could make a drinking game out of it. Every time they put me on the screen – take a drink. Every time I give a Midwestern pause in the middle of a statement – two drinks. Every time I laugh at one of my own jokes – three drinks. Every time they have to bleep me – do a shot.

That’s all for now, folks. Share and enjoy.

pat

Also posted in Achievement Unlocked!, Interviews, videos | By Pat23 Responses

San Diego Comic Con

Hey everybody, Amanda here! Pat’s out at San Diego Comic Con, running around like a mad man. He’s had a lot of stuff to do out there, and he asked me to post up his schedule here, because if we wait for him to have time, the convention will be over.

When in doubt, you’ll probably find Pat hanging out at the Horton Grand Hotel with the folks from Geek Chic, who are set up a seriously cool off-site hangout they’re calling Geek Chic XP.

It’s like a sanctuary from the usual craziness that is SDCC. There’s great food and drinks, and they’ll all be available to be delivered to you while you game on Geek Chic’s epic gaming tables.

Geek-Chic-Tables

It’s going to be a pretty cool place to be.

Pat will be spending lots of his time there, and you don’t need a badge to get in. Be sure to check out their website for details.

Here’s what’s on the schedule otherwise:

  • Fri, July 10

1pm-2pm: Signing at Badali’s Booth, #532

  • Sat, July 11

12pm: Sci-fi vs Fantasy Family Feud, Room: 7AB

1:30-2:30pm Signing, Table AA09

7-9pm: Meet & Greet at Geek Chic XP

Grand Horton Hotel
311 Island Avenue,
San Diego CA 92101

This is two hours (minimum) where Pat will be at Geek Chic XP, hanging out and gaming with whoever shows up, and eating some of the awesome food, including the Eolian Burger they’ve got on the menu…

eolian burger

It’s gonna be a casual, fun environment that isn’t usually available at cons like this, so if it sounds cool to you, you should definitely check it out.

  • Sun, July 12

12pm-1pm: Signing, Table AA18

* * *

So there you have it. If you have a badge, there are signings and panels you can attend. Even if you don’t, there’s fun to be had elsewhere, especially at Geek Chic XP. Be sure to swing by if you’ve got the chance, and tell Pat hi from me if you see him…

Also posted in conventions, Geek Chic | By Amanda19 Responses

C2E2, Collectibles, and Charity

Last year I gave C2E2 a try and was kinda surprised how much I liked it. As conventions go, it’s a nice mix of fandoms, with a lot of different stuff going on. It’s busy, but nowhere near as crowded as San Diego or New York Comic Cons.

Plus, it’s in Chicago, so I can pretty much throw a rock and hit it. The more I travel, the less I enjoy traveling. So that’s a big factor for me…

So I’ve decided to head back there again this year. I’ll be doing panels, signing books, and just generally nosing around and enjoying myself. I even get to interview Jim Butcher (details on that below) so I’m thinking I’m going to enjoy this year’s convention even more than I did last year.

At this particular convention, I’m also trying out something new (also below, but not as far).

Something New:

When I go to conventions, I always make a point of doing a signing or two. But this last year or so, the lines for my signings have been *really* long. As a result, they have to cap the lines, which means that after X number of people are lined up, they just won’t let any more people in.

So I try to sign books faster, but that means I can’t spend as much time talking with people as I’d like. And even then people have to stand in line for a long time, and the lines *still* get capped, and some folks can’t get their books signed.

Fast forward to about a month ago, I was contacted by the folks at Gemr. They’re a new company that’s starting up a website that’s…. well… it’s kinda like Goodreads, but for collectibles instead of books. Baseball cards, action figures, rare books…

Pretty much whatever you collect, you can use their service for it. You can show off your stuff, catalog your collections, have folks comment on your items, or even sell your stuff if you’re interested….

Anyway, they contacted me, and were looking to get the word out to people about their new website. They offered to donate money to Worldbuilders if we could help them spread the word.

So we wandered over to their site and mucked around a little. One of the more rare and limited things we’ve ever had was the Cealdish Currency from Shire Post Mint.

Master Set - Blog

(True-Ringing Cealdish Coin….)

So we decided to try it out. We created a profile and entered all the info about the coins: how many there were, what they were made of, all of the relevant information, and then uploaded all of that info into the website.

Okay. I’ll be honest here. Amanda did it all. I was busy doing other things, like writing books.

The good news was that Amanda said it was delightfully easy, and now all the information about the Cealdish currency is out in the world for those of you who are curious about that sort of thing.

Since their site seems pretty cool, and because I like doing stuff for charity, here’s what we’re doing with Gemr:

  • First: For every person who signs up for an account USING THIS LINK, Gemr will donate $3 to Worldbuiders.

This means, effectively, that if you go in and create an account on their site, *you* are donating three bucks to Worldbuilders.

That means if 100 of you create accounts, it’s enough money for Heifer International to provide a whole community with clean water. If 500 of you create accounts, it’s enough for Worldbuilders to give struggling families trees that will prevent soil erosion while producing fruits and nuts. If 1000 of you create accounts, we can give 100 families a flock of baby chicks, as well as the training, tools, and materials to house and care for the chickens so they can eat and sell eggs and raise *more* chickens.

And let’s be honest here, I know a *lot* more than 1000 of you read this blog….

But you need to make sure you USE THIS LINK so they know we sent you.

  • Second: I’m going to be doing three extra signings at the Gemr Booth at C2E2.

This will give me more time to sign books, take with folks pictures, and meet y’all at the convention. Which is a good thing.

What’s more, if you decide to sign up for their site while you’re in line at Gemr’s booth (#619) Worldbuilders will get credit for those sign-ups too….

The Gemr booth (#619) will have time slot tickets available for my signings there for anyone who wants them. That way you don’t have to waste a bunch of time standing in line, so make sure to swing by and pick one up.

Now, here’s my full schedule at C2E2:

Friday, April 24

1:00 PM-2:00 PM: Signing at the Gemr Booth, #619
2:45 PM-3:45 PM: Cinder Spires Panel (With Jim Butcher) Room S401
4:00 PM-6:00 PM: After Panel Signing with Jim Butcher, Table 18

Saturday, April 25

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Geek Geek Revolution, Room S403
1:00 PM-2:00 PM: Signing at the Gemr Booth, #619
3:00 PM-4:00 PM: Authors of Epic Fantasy, Room S402
4:15 PM-5:15PM: After Panel Signing, Table 18

11:00 PM-1:00 AM: Cards After Dark, 1917 N Elston Ave

The last of these is kind of a new thing, but I think it’s going to be cool.

It’s a ticketed event, since the venue has limited capacity, but the tickets are only $5, so if you want one, grab one over here.

Sunday, April 26

1:00 PM-2:00 PM: Signing at the Gemr Booth, #619
2:30 PM-4:30PM: Signing with Jim Butcher, Table 18

I’ll be seeing a lot of you soon, and thanks to Gemr you’ll have a much better chance of catching me if you’re in the area.

And don’t forget, if you sign up using our special link, Worldbuilders gets $3.

Later Space Cowboys….

pat

Also posted in conventions, cool things, signing books, Worldbuilders | By Pat40 Responses

Suvudu Cage Match: Felurian vs Death

Last month I made a blog post about Felurian being in the Suvudu cage match this year. Since then, she’s defeated Johana Mason and Sabriel.

Last week’s match up was against Susan Sto-Helit from Discworld. The voting was pretty insane, and for the vast majority of the time it was closer than a percentage point.

Cage Match2

(A lot of times the gap was was less than two-tenths of a percent.)

In my first blog, I mentioned that I wanted to write the scene where Felurian went up against Death. But honestly, the more I thought of it, the more I appreciated the thought of Felurian going up against Susan, Death’s granddaughter.

I knew I could probably win the match by posting about it on social media, but I wanted to see who would win the vote without my interference. If I won, I wanted to it to be an honest victory.

Days passed, the voting went back and forth. Then I had an idea. Several ideas. Several ideas that fit together in an interesting way.

The technical term for this series of interlocking ideas is called “Story.”

But to write that story, I had to be in control of things, so I made a Facebook post letting people know we only had a few hours, and that I knew what I wanted to write. Suddenly, things changed.  And by the next morning…

CageMatchFinal

So I won by brute force. But I got to have my way. I now had the right to write the final match.

But to do that, I needed to write the Felurian Vs. Susan match so that it turned out the way I wanted it. It’s a prolouge to the final match.

And here it is:

*     *     *

Imagine, if you will, nothing. An endless expanse of void. A swath of blackness that cannot help but boggle the mind with how huge and cold and empty it is.

Now, in this vasty nothing, imagine a turtle. It moves through the emptiness with slow grace. A lonely swimmer in an endless star-flecked sea.

Atop that turtle’s ancient, comet-pocked shell stand four elephants. They are huge as moons. On their broad and patient backs they carry an entire world.

These things exist. They are as real as you and I. In many ways, they are more real.

Atop the elephants’ backs rests a world that is flat and round as a disc. All round its edge oceans pour endlessly out into the empty dark of space.

It is magic that renews the endlessly falling oceans. But it is science that catches the tumbling water, fans it out. It forms droplets. It evaporates. Sublimates.

It’s here, where science and magic rub shoulders with each other that something ordinary and wonderful happens. The slow, heavy sunlight of this unlikely world touches the falling water. And this world, these elephants, this turtle, (whose name is A’Tuin) are all gilded with a crown of rainbows.

This is just as it should be. It has always been this way. It will always be this way.

*     *     *

It was night on the surface of the Discworld. Under the stars there was a hill, on the hill, a clearing, and in the clearing, a single standing stone.

The hill wasn’t particularly remarkable, neither was the clearing. The standing stone was remarkable, but only so long as the remark was something along the lines of, “Why can’t I count that stone when it’s obviously the only stone there?”

Aside from this, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about this time or place. The crescent moon provided a thin, silvery light. It hung slender in the sky, just above the horizon. That, at least, lent a bit of drama to the scene. It was a nice effect, if you went in for that sort of thing.

Susan Sto Helit stood at the edge of the clearing. She did not go in for this sort of thing. She had been standing there for the better part of an hour, half-hidden in the shadows. Her feet hurt, and the moon was increasingly irritating to her.

It was, she had decided, a little too slender, a little too foreboding. It hung the perfect distance off the horizon. Nice enough at first glance, but when you spent some time looking at it, you couldn’t help but feel like it was trying a little too hard.

It was a portentous moon. It was perilously close to being mythic. You couldn’t trust a moon like that….

*     *     *

Felurian stepped out from behind the standing stone and walked into the clearing. She was pale and slender. Her hair was long and dark, and it fell as sharply as a shadow or a knife.

You could say she was skyclad. That is the sort of thing that people tend to say. But perhaps it would be better to say that she was as naked as the moon, and just as bashful, which is to say she seemed perfectly comfortable where she was, as she was. She stood in the clearing as if she owned it, as if it were her home.

Susan stepped out of the shadows at the edge of the trees and walked to meet her. She wore a long dress and sensible boots. Her hair was pulled back tight against her head. The white of it shone silver in the moonlight, save for a single stripe of black. She carried a fireplace poker loosely in one hand, the dark iron of it almost invisible against the dark of the night.

Felurian nodded to Susan politely. “you received My message,” she said. Her voice oddly muted, oddly soft, but clear, as if spoken close to Susan’s ear. “and you have come. My thanks.”

“I have,” Susan said. “Though why you would pick this place is beyond me. It’s the end of nowhere.”

Felurian gave an odd smile, her head tilting to one side, “what are time and space to creatures such as you and I?”

Susan pursed her lips at this, as if she wanted to take issue with the word creature, then let it pass. She sighed instead. “Very well. If we’re going to fight, let’s get it over with. It’s chilly out, and I have a class to teach tomorrow morning.”

Felurian gently shook her head, her long hair spilling over one shoulder as she did so. “that is not what I came for,” she said. “that is not what I desire.”

Susan gave an indelicate sniff at that. “I am not here for your desire,” she said with a bit of an edge to her voice.

It was quiet for a moment in the clearing. Felurian’s dark eyes narrowed briefly before she spoke again. “I have heard tell of you,” she said, her tone slow and measured.  “it is said you have a knack for seeing truth beneath the surface of a thing.”

Susan’s head lifted a little at that. Her expression wasn’t proud, exactly. But there was something close to pride there. A self-certainty as hard and practical as… well, as a fireplace poker. “I do,” she said.

“and thus I come to you.” Felurian said, “I leave the safety of my forest glade. I come before you all unarmed and unafraid.”

“And naked.”

Felurian looked down at herself, then up again, her expression blithe. “even so,” she said politely, as if Susan had made a particularly dull observation about the weather. “is that all that you can see? is what I heard so wrong?”

Susan felt her face go hot at the reproach.

“if you have skill at seeing, look at Me,” Felurian said, spreading her arms wide to her sides. “am I some tawdry thing? am I a beast consumed with nothing more than lust? am I mere brightness with no spark beneath?”

Susan’s expression grew serious, and she went still. No… it wasn’t that she was motionless. It’s more that she seemed to be more present than before. As if she were more there. As if, compared to her, nothing else was quite real.

She turned to look at Felurian, her eyes like distant stars. “NO,” she said thoughtfully. “YOU ARE MUCH MORE THAN THAT.””indeed,” Felurian said. If she were at all discomfited by the change that had come over Susan she did not show it. “if it were mere advantage that I sought, there are many things I could have brought. I could pull the very sky around me like a mantle and grasp the crescent moon as if it were a sickle blade.”

Susan watched as Felurian spoke in her gentle, edgeless voice. She said the words without any particular emphasis. Without any threat or menace. Honestly, Susan would have preferred if the faerie woman had put a little thunder in her voice. She knew what to do when mythic creatures started grandstanding. Nine times out of ten a ding round the ear with a poker set everything to rights, and most of the rest you could safely ignore.

“so.” Felurian’s tone was infuriating, and it took Susan a moment to realize why. It was the same tone Susan herself used with her students when they were being particularly slow. “what do you see? why would I come thus to your lands? all unadorned with nothing in my hands?”

Susan drew a breath and let it out again. Pushing her irritation aside, the answer was blindingly clear. “Because you are not here to fight,” she said. She did not say the rest of what she thought: Because you are not afraid of me.

“just so,” Felurian said, smiling.

Susan looked down at the iron poker in her hand, feeling oddly embarrassed for bringing it along. She almost tossed it aside, then stopped herself. There was a big difference between feeling foolish and being a fool. “What are you here for then, if not to fight?” she asked.

“discourse,” Felurian said with a playful smile. “if we two fight, there will be a victor, and the victor will move on to fight the lady Death.”

“I know a few things about death,” Susan said dryly.

“Then you know it will not be an easy fight for either of us to win,” Felurian said.

Susan looked for a moment as if she might protest, then she seemed to think better of it and nodded instead.

“there is a different way,” Felurian said. “it is my area of expertise.”

Susan bit back her first response to this. “And what expertise is that?” she asked, doing her best to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Felurian smiled then for the first time. A wide, delighted smile. It was white and sharp and slender as the moon.

“partnership,” Felurian said.

*     *     *

First off, can I just mention how absolutely terrifying it was to write something like this?

I’ve been sweating blood over these two scenes for almost a week now. When I first thought of the idea for this story, I thought it would be fun. And honestly, it was fun. But it was also amazingly nerve-wracking. Writing something that even lightly touches Pratchett and Gaiman’s work and worlds… I feel like a little kid putting on his daddy’s shoes and clomping around the house.

But it was fun. It’s something I probably never would have dared if the timing had turned out differently and Terry Pratchett hadn’t passed away recently. I hope people realize I don’t write this lightly, or with anything resembling mockery. Writing these was an act of love, and therefore terrifying and embarassing in various degrees.

To see the second, somewhat longer piece, you can head over to the Suvudu website. And after you read it, you can vote on who you think should be the final winner.

Later everyone,

pat

Also posted in fanfic | By Pat107 Responses

Shows in Portland and Seattle & Emerald City Comic Con

Heya folks,

I’m currently in Germany, having a grand ole time. It’s a real sausage party around here.

And I mean that in a good way. I brought the family with me to Germany, and during one of our first meals here, we ordered Oot a meal called “The Sausage Pan” which had four different types of German sausage.

Personally, I was just playing the odds. I figured that if there were four different types of sausage there, the odd were good that he’d like one of them. And I would eat the rest. Because I’m the dad, and that’s one of the perks of being the dad.

But they showed up skewered on a tiny miniature sword, which Oot thought was pretty cool. And it turns out he liked *all* the sausages, which shouldn’t surprise me, as to him they were pretty much all different types of hot dog.

Halfway through the meal he said, “This is the best meal I’ve ever eaten in my entire life.”

So there you go.

*     *     *

I’ve got a couple cool events coming up in the near future, and while I’ve posted them up on facebook and twitter, I’ve been remis about putting them up here on the blog.

First and best, I’ve got two shows coming up with the ever-awesome Paul and Storm.

PandS-classy

I’ve done events with them before, and I enjoy it more and more every time.

But this time there’s something extra cool included in the show. We’re having a superhero team up with Joel Hodgson, best known for Mystery Science Theater 3000, but also an inventor, comedian, and all-around cool guy.

joel_top

I’m really excited to do a show with him. And by “excited” I mean “kind of intimidated because I’ve been watching his work for more than a decade.”

So yeah, it’s going to be a great show. It will probably be worth the price of admission just to watch me actively repress my freak-out at sharing a stage with Joel.

Nerds-and-Music-Poster-Final

Here’s he deets, my peeps…

  • Portland.

March 26, 2015
8:00 PM

Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave
Portland, OR 97202
Tickets Here
Facebook Event 

In Portland, in an attempt to keep things from becoming a true sausage party, we’ll be having the delightful Doubleclicks as special guests.

  • Seattle.

March 27, 2015
8:00 PM

The Showbox
1426 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
Tickets Here
Facebook Event

On the first night of And the second will be in Seattle, on the first night of Emerald City Comic Con, we’ll have Molly Lewis, Marian Call, and Jason Finn with us.

So yeah. When I say superhero teamup, I’m not just mincing words. We’re going to be epic. We’re pretty much having a full-blown crossover event here.

*     *     *

And as many of you already know, I’m going to be hitting Emerald City Comic Con too. Here’s a list of my scheduled events at the con…

March 27, 2015:

4:30PM – 5:20PM: Preventing Magical McGuffins, Room: Hall B (WSCC 602-603)

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Signing at booth JJ-08 *Note: This is a very short signing and there are many other opportunities throughout the con. If possible, try to catch one of the others.

March 28, 2015:

1:00 – 2:00 PM: Signing at Badali’s table, Booth 111

3:30PM – 4:20PM: Defense Against the Dark ARCs: Dealing With Trolls, Controversy and Criticism, Room: Hall B (WSCC 602-603)

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Signing at booth JJ-08

March 29, 2015:

1:30PM – 2:20PM: What Makes Fantasy Epic?, Room: Hall B (WSCC 602-603)

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Signing at booth JJ-08

I hope to see many of you soon….

pat

 

Posted in appearances | By Pat16 Responses
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