PW Review

Part of the deal with being a quarterfinalist in the ABNA contest is you get a Publisher's Weekly review. I'm really pleased with mine.

From Publishers Weekly
Combining religious and secular elements, history with mystery, and plenty of internal conflict, this agreeably suspenseful story centers on the Romanesque Basilica of St. Mary Magdelene in the quaint French village of Vezelay, once a major medieval pilgrimage site. Eight hundred years later, Abbot Michel Dubay has uncovered a jewel-like stained glass depiction of Mary Magdelene, which must be repaired in time for the millennial celebrations for her feast day just weeks away. Jonas Flycatcher, an expert in stained glass repair but as damaged as the medieval artifact, embodies the oft-merited stereotype of an earthy, foul-mouthed American in contrast to the elegant French Abbot and retired medieval academic Marie-Laure. Meanwhile, Meredith, a US expatriate with plenty of mental scars of her own, has returned to the town and remains guiltily immersed in her past, heightened by strange unrecognizable visions. All four suffer the revelations of a beautiful woman whose connection to the glass forces them to face their demons. Throughout the manuscript, a consistent smattering of French and vivid descriptions of the architecture heighten the authenticity of the setting and together with the fast pace creates a highly enjoyable French mystery.

The Pilgrim Glass interview and reading

Special podcast: THE PILGRIM GLASS on KFJC.

As I mentioned in my last post, I read an excerpt of THE PILGRIM GLASS on KFJC this morning - and I got the news that it advanced to the ABNA semifinals, on-air! It's a rather long file - about 30 minutes - and I sound like a total dork :)

Ann asked me to bring in a CD with a music bed, so I thought I'd share that info with you here. They're all Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd from After Night Falls.

1. How Distant Your Heart
2. Avenue of Shapes
3. She Is My Strength
4. Open Book
5. And Then I Turned Away
6. The Girl With Colorful Thoughts

Last, I must emphasize that the broadcast and this recording are copyright KFJC.

The Pilgrim Glass advances to ABNA Semifinals!

Wow, I'm still shaking. I just got back from reading my excerpt on KJFC here in the Bay Area (on "Unbedtime Stories") and when I was done, the host (Ann) had a big ole grin on her face - and she told me THE PILGRIM GLASS has made to to the semifinals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards - only 100 MS were chosen.

I'm just thrilled. Finalists are announced on May 15.

[Updated 12/13/10: The Pilgrim Glass is now available! Check out the link in the right sidebar, where you can also listen to this KFJC reading.]

Interview About The Pilgrim Glass

As I've mentioned before, The Pilgrim Glass (my first novel) is a quarterfinalist in this year's Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition. Heather Domin (she of the fantastic Valerian's Legion: The Soldier of Raetia) interviewed me about the book and the process of writing it. The interview was a ton of fun to do - check it out!

Updated website and new short stories

I redesigned my website (it was high time after four years) and in the process, I've added to the fiction section three previously unpublished short stories:

The Raven Girl

The Spitfire

A Kind of Homecoming

I want to point out the last in particular, because my dear friend and brilliant artist Catrina Horsfield created two amazing pieces of watercolor art to go along with the story. Check it out, if only for her beautiful artwork.

And, if you're so inclined, leave a review on the excerpt of The Pilgrim Glass over at the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. According to the contest rules, customer reviews do hold some weight in terms of who gets selected for the semifinals (to be announced April 15).

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

The Pilgrim Glass is a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novels Award for 2009.

Can I get a WOOT?

I figured, what the hell. There were 10,000 entries, and 500 quarterfinalists - which were selected based only on the pitch letter and the first 50 pages. The two reviews there are rather divergent - well, you can't please everyone.

So what happens next is Amazon customers read and review the excerpts, then folks from Penguin cut it down to 100 semifinalists in mid-April, and then a group of 10 finalists by early May, I think. From there, a group of experts (Sue Monk Kidd, Sue Grafton, a Penguin Editor, and an agent) choose the final 3, and there's an event in NYC to pick the final winner (who gets a publishing contract with Penguin).

I'm under no illusion that I'll make it to the finals, but it's still kinda good for my ego (and my muse). If you're bored, take a moment to download the excerpt and write a review. Thanks!