Gails Yarns, Hooks & Needles

This morning I got an email from Ridan Publishing, here it is plus all the links:

Thank you for registering for notification on the release of Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell. Ridan is please to have this talented author and we’re excited to be able to announce that Quarter Share is now on press and books will be delivered to Nathan in the next few days. You can buy copies direct which will provide the highest revenue to Nathan by using [this link] for ordering.

Nathan’s official release party will be during Balticon at the end of May. To mark Nathan’s first release with Ridan we have produced special T-shirts. For those that will not be able to attend the show you can order your own from the link provided.

P.S. We’ve not told Nathan about the T-shirts and are hoping to surprise him – so if you happen to speak with Nathan through email, twitter, or other social sites – we’d appreciate you not mentioning them until after Balticon.  Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

We thank you for supporting Nathan. He is a fine writer that we’re proud to be able to bring to you in the printed form.

You can get a Limited Edition Hardcover Version, Signed & Numbered—Only 250 Available! OR you can get a softcover, signed or unsigned. I really wanted a Limited Edition, but remembered in time that I will want at least one of each as they roll out. I got two softcovers.

The most exciting thing about the published edition is that Nathan is so pleased with the editing process. Working with his editor produced hard copy that sounded more like what he wanted it to be. (I heard this in a podcast interview, probably The Dead Robots’ Society episode 74 or 85. Both were late last year, both were great shows.)

Then the tee-shirts. How cool will it be for Nathan to get to Balticon and see people wearing his Quarter Share tee-shirt? This is going to be extreme fun.

So there you are. If you’re not a fan yet, visit Podiobooks. Also linked in the sidebar, under Splendid Podiobooks, Nathan Lowell’s Quarter Share.

A few weeks ago I realized I was reading and rereading Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon, companion novels of the Liaden Unverse, which tell the beginnings of Clan Korval. I really enjoyed the stories, but more than that, I enjoy the way they are told. I took steps to get more.

Today the mail brought the two books I ordered from SRM Publishing: Partners in Necessity and Liaden Universe® Companion Volume One, both by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. I am so pleased. Beautiful books. I’m writing a blog post because I don’t know which one to start reading.

Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, and Carpe Diem are the first three published Liaden novels, and all are included in Partners in Necessity. The other, smaller volume has twelve short stories set in the Lianden Universe. One is Balance of Trade, which I have read in novel length. This story is the original form, which was later expanded to a novel.

I’ve made up my mind. Excuse me, I have a new book to read.

My boy Seth Harwood just sent around an email this morning to let me know about his new project. He’s good to me that way.

Seth is the author of Jack Wakes Up, which made its debut on Podiobooks way back in August 2006! It became and continues to be a popular title there. By 2008, Jack Wakes Up was available in paperback from a Small Publishing house, and Seth was encouraging all fans to buy the book from Amazon on ‘Palms’ Sunday. Fans did, the book went very high in the Amazon rankings that day, and Large Publishing sat up and took notice. WIN!

Now, in Jack Wakes Up, there is a character named Junius Ponds and a lot of fans were interested in him. They like Junius Ponds. They ask Seth where he got the name, and tell him please to write more about Junius. Seth couldn’t remember where the name came from, but it wasn’t long before he wrote “Young Junius.”

[FYI: Seth has written several other books, including a couple of sequels to Jack Wakes Up, all of which are available at Podiobooks.com.]

Now Seth tells me (and hundreds of his other close friends/fans) that “Young Junius” will be IN PRINT this fall from Tyrus Books, and gives us a head’s up about the special signed, numbered, special-edition, bonus content copies available for pre-sale starting May 5. I told him I’d mark it on my calendar. You know I want a copy: Junius Ponds has a mother and her name is the same as mine. That’s my boy!

Visit Seth Harwood’s website and get the news as he makes it known, starting next Sunday, March 28. View the email on the main page at sethharwood.com.

That’s right, the “beta” notation has been removed from the Ravelry logo. Casey said he’d been meaning to do it for months but didn’t want to create a rush, so one day he just quietly removed it, and then briefly mentioned it in the Site Announcements in the For Love of Ravelry forum.

Casey also pointed out that it makes no real difference, there is always something to add or improve on the site.

But still a milestone!

I started a group on Ravelry, I’ve never done that before. It was easy. Thanks Code Monkey!

The group is called Gail’s Yarns Fan Club, which seems kind of presumptuous now but it is a good indicator of what I hope the comments will be.

I’m assured that the store itself will soon have the ability to show comments, but this was faster and I could do it myself.

A terrific ending to an interesting week.

Bless you all.