Let's sing a big round of "Happy Birthday" for F. Scott Fitzgerald! He was born on September 24, 1896, and would therefore be turning 113 today, if he were still around to raise a bottle or two (or three, or four) with us. And yes, I am one of those English-majory types who actually likes The Great Gatsby.

Happy Birthday, H.G. Wells! The "Father of Science Fiction" and author of such classics as The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds was born 143 years ago today, on September 21, 1866.

My book club is meeting at 8 p.m this evening in Alexandria, Virginia. We'll be discussing Barack Obama's memoir, Dreams From My Father. If you live nearby, feel free to join us. Contact me for information on our meeting place.

I had a plan for my Stargate book outline. I was going to pick up the crystal skull story where it left off in the SG1 series. That was the episode that ended with Daniel's grandfather Nick staying behind on the planet with the enormous cavern where they found the crystal skull, so he can learn about the giant aliens and bring back what he discovers. I was starting to work out some plot details, though I didn't have anything down on paper yet. And then, last night, I was reading through descriptions of the SG1 books that I haven't read yet — and somebody else has already done it! Rats. Back to the drawing board. I'll have to pick one of my other ideas to develop into an outline.

As a YA author, I was thrilled at the Hugo Awards ceremony tonight to notice that two of the five finalists for best novel were YA books. Neil Gaiman was nominated for The Graveyard Book, and Cory Doctorow was nominated for Little Brother. Cory did not wear the Ducky necklace with his tux.

The Graveyard Book won. I suspect this is the first time that the same book has won both the Hugo and the Newberry. Does anyone in the LJ Collective Mind know for sure?



 

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This afternoon my computer suddenly warned me that the battery was low, and then shut off. It was plugged into an outlet in the hotel room at the time, as it's been for the last couple days, so I was confused by this. But I couldn't get it to come back on. As it turns out, I had no way of knowing it, but the outlet it was plugged into is dead. I didn't realize it until I plugged it in elsewhere and it switched on just fine. Unfortunately it shut down abruptly when the battery died, so I've had some start-up problems. But I think they're resolved now.

This morning I moderated a panel on Paranormal Teen Romance novels. Finally, I had a room in which every microphone on the stage was actually working. Unfortunately, we had four panelists and two audience members. None of whom were the teenagers the program was primarily aimed at. Who thought it would be a good idea to schedule a program for teens at 10 a.m. on a Sunday? At 10 this morning, I'm guessing that all of the teenagers here either were still in bed in their hotel rooms, or were being dragged, protesting, by their parents to church or to family brunches.

Sitting in a row on the stage and speaking into microphones seemed a bit silly with an audience of two, so I decided we'd move the chairs into a circle and have a real discussion, rather than a presentation. We had a conversation that was entertaining and thought-provoking, and I think everyone felt it was a success, despite our low numbers.

My Book Club meets tomorrow night, and I really hope we get a good turnout this time. This month, we're discussing Jodi Picoult's novel, The Pact. Here's the opening set-up (no spoilers here).

The Pact is about two families, The Hartes and the Golds, who have been neighbors and best friends for 18 years. As the kids grow up, teenagers Chris and Emily find their friendship turning into something else. Chris and Emily are both great students. Chris is the star of the school swim team; Emily is already gaining a reputation as a extraordinary artist. Both seem to be smart, responsible teens, destined for top colleges and successful futures. Everyone they know is impressed at the maturity of their relationship.

One night, both sets of parents are summoned to the hospital. Chris is injured, and Emily is dead of a gunshot wound. Even more shocking, Chris says her death was part of an unfinished suicide pact, and that he passed out before he could fire the other bullet, the one intended for himself. Both sets of parents are heartbroken. Nobody noticed any signs of depression in either teen. Most of the book deals with the anguish of the families, the effects on their friendship, and the search for the truth about what really happened that night. It culminates in a gripping courtroom drama that had me on the edge of my seat.

We're meeting at 8 p.m. Tuesday night in Alexandria; all are welcome to come. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll send you details on the location.

Here are the sessions I'm currently scheduled for at WorldCon in Montreal next month. If you're planning to attend the con, please come to some of my sessions!

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FRIDAY, AUG. 7

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (565; P-511D)
The Golden Duck Awards for Children's and YA Science Fiction
This award is designed to encourage people to write books that
capture future SF fans. Lindalee Stuckey introduces the award, and is
joined by a number of current authors for children and young adults
for discussion.
Ben Jeapes, Catherine Petrini, Cecil Castellucci, Henry
Melton, Janet McNaughton, S.C. Butler, Michèle Laframboise,
Jean-Pierre Guillet, Lindalee Stuckley (M)

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SATURDAY, AUG. 8

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. (241; P-512AE)
Author Reading
Catherine Petrini, Chandra Rooney, Melanie Fletcher


3:30 - 5:00 p.m. (586; P-516AB)
How to Pitch Your Novel...And How Not To
You're an aspiring writer, you've run into an editor or agent in a
bar. After buying them a drink, what's the next thing to do?
Talk about your just-completed novel? Thrust the printout into
their hands? Or...something else? Some advice from those
who know.
Catherine Petrini (M), Jetse de Vries, Mike Resnick, Sean
Wallace, Ginjer Buchanan

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SUNDAY, AUG. 9

10:00 - 11:00 a.m. (855; P-524A)
Paranormal Romance for Teens
Who knew romance could be so weird? Meet an author of
many of the "Sweet Valley High" books, and other writers who like
to romanticize vampires, werewolves, and zombies. (Teen
programming track.)
Anne Harris, Carole Ann Moleti, Cathy Petrini (M),
Kerrie Hughes, Victoria Janssen

6:00 p.m. (1455)
Author Book Signing
I'm autographing books! Please come. If you don't want to
buy a book, you're still welcome to hang out and keep me
company.
Catherine Petrini

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I just learned that some of my books are listed on a South African book site. How cool is that?!

I know it's not Thursday anymore. I really did compile most of this list on Thursday, and even typed it in on Thursday. But my computer froze up on me, and I gave in and turned off the darn thing. So, now that it's Friday, here is this week's Thursday 13. These are 13 book clubs that my book club is either scheduled to read or that I'm considering adding to the club's book list for future months. Comments on any of these books are welcome.

1. The Pact, by Jodi Picoult

2. Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama

3. The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs

4. Quantico, by Greg Bear

5. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver

6. The Reader, by Bernard Schlinke

7. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by J.K. Rowling

8. A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway

9. The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory

10. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia, by Elizabeth Gilbert

11. The Boy In the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne

12. A Sundog Moment, by Sharon Baldacci

13. Fledgling, by Octavia Butler

 

 

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

 

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and it's fun!

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View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I never said much about my trip to Balticon, but I had a great time and made some great contacts. The most interesting news I learned is that a publisher is putting out Stargate SG1 books, and has been for several years. I hadn't heard this before because it's a British publisher, and the books are not widely available in the United States. But I would really, really love to write one.

This could solve my dilemma over my next project. I keep trying to work on my two back-burner novels and the occasional short story, but when I do, I feel guilty because I don't have publishers for them, so I'm not making any money. So I start thinking I should contact my nonfiction editors again to get another nonfiction book contract. Except that I don't want to be writring nonfiction right now. I want to write fiction. I'm a longtime Stargate fan, so this could be a great option.
 
I e-mailed the editors today. Fingers crossed.

I haven't done a Thursday Thirteen in a while. Remember those? Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. Any kind of things.
 
So here it goes. What follows is a list of 13 of the many books I have read so far this year. They're in no particular order. Feel free to comment on any of these.

1. Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
3. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, by Daniel H. Pink
4. A Land As God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America, by James Horn
5. Before I Die, by Jenny Downham
6. Journey to Nowhere, by Mary Jane Auch
7. The Great Fetish, by L. Sprague de Camp
8. The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon
9. Stephen Fair, by Tim Wynne-Jones
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini
11. Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083, by Andrea White
12. The Girl Who Owned a City, by O.T. Nelson
13. The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood
 

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
 The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants