And here we have it. The end of the contest. The entry so awesome that I cannot even post it on the blog. I dare only reflect its infinite glory with a simple link.

When you get to their page, make sure that you click on the first page first. (It's the one that says "Chasing the Wind.") Then click through to follow the storyline. Yes. There's a storyline.

Wow. I just looked at it again. It made my honest-to-god tingly.

You know what? I'm not even going to talk about it right now. I don't want to distract you. You should just go, check it out, then come back here and leave a comment that tells them how unspeakably cool they are.

Go. Seriously.

pat

Labels: contests, cool things, costumes, fan coolness, photo contest

Well folks, we're almost at the end of the photos. I hope you've had as much fun as I have.

Our final category is: "Best Cosplay." But before we get to that, there was a small subcategory of photos that I haven't included yet: photos commenting about the covers of the book itself.





This is the real hot-button question, of course. How much naked man chest do you prefer?





A lot of people weighed in on the subject.





Even to the point of dressing up as their preferred cover.




And here you see my clever segue into the "Best Cosplay" category. Look like anyone you know?





Maybe this will help. When I started this contest up on Facebook, someone else took young Kvothe's posed picture and photoshopped him onto the cover. I think both the model and the photoshopper deserve an honorable mention prize.





Some of the pictures people took told a story.




Or not.

Interesting side note: this is the look that women have been consistently giving me for the last 15 years. Admittedly, they usually have a pretty good reason....





I was especially tickled by the people who staged scenes from the book. This one is subtle, and the reference is easier to catch in the following version:








This is hot. The best part? Kvothe's drawn-on abs.





Winner. Such a sweet picture. I'm guessing most of you can identify this scene too.

We have a good degree of accuracy here too. Denna is all, "You're so dreamy." And Kvothe is thinking, "I wish Denna liked me.... Hey, are those cumulus or cirrus clouds.?"

Congrats. Both Kvothe and Denna can have a fabulous prize of their choosing.





This is so not cannon. Still, it's nice to see poor Kvothe get a little love...

Remember, if you've won, you need to follow the guidelines I laid down at the beginning of the contest in order to claim your swag. Now that all the winners are finally posted, I'm going to go through and start packaging and mailing things out.

Well.... I shouldn't say that ALL the winners are posted. There was one entry so amazing that I had to give it a post all its own. We'll see that next week, so stay tuned.

pat

Labels: book covers, contests, costumes, fan coolness, photo contest

One of the original categories I proposed for this contest was "Most Sexy." This was, of course, a shameless attempt to get young ladies to send me pictures of themselves all scantily clad.

As with all of my nefarious schemes, this one met with varying degrees of success.




Oh. I remember when I had abs. *Sigh.* A decade of sitting in front of a computer writing a novel has not been good for my physique. I hope y'all appreciate what I gave up for this novel....

Similarly, as the pictures started to roll in, I realized that that "sexy" was too narrow a term for this category. I needed to broaden the field a bit, but I can't think of a single way to describe them. "Most Lovely" isn't quite right either. Perhaps what we need is not a single broad term, but a group of more specific ones....

The ancient Greeks were wise enough to have three words for love: Filius, Eros, and Agape. Filius was family love, what you feel for your mom. Eros was sweaty love of the sort that you feel for best friend's hot mom. Agape is profound and elevated. A sort of soul love, like what you feel for your PlayStation, or Natalie Portman, or Joss Whedon.

Let's do it that way, let us divide and conquer.




Some people made blatant attempts to appeal to my prurient interests. But these heavy-handed photoshoppings were the exception to the rule.





Some photos, in fact, were very high-class. Elegant, even.





Here we have the flirtation that comes at the beginning of the relationship....





.... and the romance that comes later. You sure know how to treat a book, Captain Joe.





Awwww.... the sweetest picture.





Here, apparently my book has just competed in some manner of sexual Olympics. I'm pretty sure that low score up on the board is from the East German judge....





Only rarely in my life have I been looked at with this degree of adoration. This is an agape look.





Awwww... Filius.





And there was a fair share of straight-up sexy too. Good old-fashioned Eros never goes out of style.





We've got librarian sexy.





Hip-wader sexy. (Don't judge me.)




And some bad-boy sexy. Can you feel the sheer damn manliness rolling off this? Not a lot of guys seemed interested in sending in pictures of this sort, so I think it's worth the runner-up position.





Our winner. So lovely. (I assume this was before the duck showed up...)






And the picture that stunned me. The extra-winner. Winner plus. The ladies who sent this in were careful to point out that they were reading Chapter 69: Wind or Women's Fancy.

Ladies, for going to such lengths, each of you may have whatever prizes you like. Plus, I'd like to send along something special. Would you have any interest in a couple copies of the ARC I've been hording? It only seems fair that you would each get one, as this was clearly a team effort.

This picture. I... I just don't know what to say. Part of me feels like I should try to be suave here. I feel like I should pretend...

Here's the deal. I think when we're young, we all dream of being famous. We see actors or rock stars on the news, and we want some of that for ourselves. It's a dream of power. It's a childish fantasy.

I'm a grown-up. Partly. And that grown-up part of me says, "You should be mature about this. Assuming an attitude of careful appreciation to this picture. Be calm and complimentary, but don't overdo it. Remember, you don't want to seem like some immature git. Or worse, an old pervert."

I'm also a feminist. Hell, I spent years as the ADVISOR to the local feminist group. That part of me is grumbling about women's bodies as objects, and... y'know... patriarchy and stuff.

These are just a few of the ways my superego is trying to assert itself. Trying to make me feel guilty. Trying to crush my joy thin and lifeless as a dry, brown leaf.

But no. I'm going to shrug off all that responsible-minded bullshit for a moment and tell you the truth. This is cool. This is the coolest thing ever. I look at this picture and I feel like a goofy teenager again. When I first saw it, I laughed with delight and joy. I told everyone about it.

I wish I could go back in time and talk to my poor, lonely, confused teenage self and say, "Pat, things are not going to go smoothly for you over the next couple years. You will make terrible mistakes. You will spend a decade getting your college degree and writing a unmarketable behemoth of a fantasy novel. Most people, even the ones that love and support you, will think that this is a pretty stupid thing to do, and they will be right in thinking that."

Then I would lean forward and say, "But if you keep writing, you will finish that book. And if you keep revising it, a publisher will buy it. They will pay you money for the story that came out of your head. And once that book is in print, there are people who will love your book. They will love it beyond all reason and expectation. They will love your book to such a degree that beautiful young women will strip naked and adorn their bodies with the image of your book, and then they will send you a picture of it!"

In my mind's eye, I can see the smile on the face of that teenage Pat. It is the smile I am wearing now. It goes deep down into my chest, and it feels good. It feels like being a stupid kid again.

Tomorrow it will probably fade. I'll probably feel a little embarrassed about the fuss I made over this picture. But for now, I am happy in a very non-mature, non-responsible way.

For now, I know that I am very lucky. Thank you all.

pat

Labels: contests, fan coolness, joy, photo contest, sexy

When I started the contest, I really didn't expect there to be so much drama involved.




Not only is this shot very well composed, but her expression here is priceless. It's halfway between "Alas!" and "Whatev."





Captain Joe, suspiciously without pants in this photo, includes the following caption:

"Why?" begs Captain Joe of the blood-red sky. "Take me too!"

"No," replied the Sky.

"But NOTW is too powerful for this world, too awesome - it hurts us."

"You have a pointy chin, Captain Joe, and I find your beard lacking."

Overcome with anguish and poor dialogue, Captain Joe despairs of ever finding true happiness again.

Or emanating what can only be considered a holy light.





Here we have holy light AND drama. A word of advice, if you ever see a glowing book outside your window at night. Don't follow it into the woods. I don't think that's safe at all.

Some pictures told stories. Bizarre stories. Captions are theirs, not mine.

"Enough of your bitch-bitch about carry three rocket *and* book. Everybody carry book. Everybody look for Chandrian. We find them - you be glad you have three rocket."

Before the gentle caress of Rothfuss, this poor soul was lost in self doubt, alcoholism and perhaps mental retardation....

After the gentle caress of Rothfuss, this man has become a success. He is now prepared for the trials and tribulations of everyday nerdom.

A lot of people obviously feel that the book will protect them from harm.





I'm guessing it would stop a sword thrust, now that I'm thinking of it.





Best. Fort. Ever. You'll totally be safe there. At least until one of the Borders staff shows up, bitches you out, and makes you put them back on the shelf....





When I first saw this picture, I really didn't know what to think. Vague threat? Dada art? My editor telling me that I needed to quit blogging and get to work on book two?




Then I realized it was a two-parter meant to demonstrate yet another way that The Name of the Wind can improve your lifestyle. I'm going to give this guy an honorable mention prize if for no other reason than he put my book in his pants.

However, the book is not merely a protective device. Apparently, it's a bit of an ass kicker too.




While I don't condone this sort of violence, I'm willing to bet that those peeps had it coming.

More often than not, my book seemed to get into fights with other books, rather than with sugary confections.



Joe's caption:

The release of the paperback edition of The Name of the Wind sparked a literary war - the Last Great Literary War. It scoured libraries, bookstores, and personal book collections alike. We lost - everyone lost - the world burned. No one saw the sheer awesomeness of a mass-market edition coming. In the end, there could be only one...

A lot of photos set up an antagonistic relationship between The Name of the Wind and another more firmly established fantasy series.




Others were more passive aggressive.





But this one was my favorite. Runner-up, mostly because of the caption.

Lute-Playing, Wind-Naming, Dragon-Slayer: 7
Boy Wizard With Angst Issues: 0

Really, he never stood a chance.

Notice: No books were harmed in the taking of this photograph. Except for HP2, which had to be emergency rolly-carted out of the area. Trauma Librarians expect a full recovery.

On a side note, if I can't hack it as an author, I think I might try to be a trauma librarian next. That's a job I think I'd enjoy....




And the winner.

Undoubtedly this is the goriest book battle ever. It is fair to point out that this was more a battle royal, as opposed to The Name of the Wind taking on all comers. Honestly, I'm just glad that Mists of Avalon took out Dark Tower early on. If not for that, I don't think I would have had much of a chance.

Two categories left. My two favorite categories: "Most Sexy" and "Best Cosplay."

Stay tuned.

pat

Labels: contests, fan coolness, photo contest

Apparently, the book has been doing a lot of traveling lately, forcing me to add a new category. "Best Transportational Photo."




This shows a degree of loving care that I appreciate.




Here, I can see my book isn't entirely safe.... But it's certainly having an adventure. That's a fair trade-off.



This shot shot gave me flashbacks to Microsoft's flight simulator. At the time I played it, the simulator was so accurate that you could count hours spent playing toward your total flying hours when applying for a pilot's licence. It was so accurate that the manual was thicker than your average college history text. So accurate that I never, ever, managed to successfully land a plane without crashing.




Please do not read my book while driving.




Please do not read my book while driving. Even if you have the ability to steer with your freakish monkey feet.





Please do not read the book while driving. Even if you're impatient for the audiobook. Runner-up.




Please do not.... Okay. Here's the deal. If you don't drive while reading the book, you two can have the win for this category. Fair?



A lot of people sent in pictures of themselves reading the book.




A lot of people.





A lot.



Of people.




There were several pictures of the book triumphing over homework.




If you look closely at this one, you can see that my book is also the wallpaper on the computer in the background.




You might recognise this lovely lady from before. She's the dancer we saw back in part three of the contest.





Runner-up. I love the smile here, she's obviously enjoying herself. If you're ever trapped on a desert island, we all know what you should bring.

The book, I mean. Not a pretty young lady in a dress. Though now that I'm thinking about it....





Winner. The staging here is great. It's also interesting to note that the book she's reading from is the promotional galley. That's the first version of the book that they ever printed. Don't feel too jealous if you don't have one though. I made about five thousand small changes and re-wrote several chapters between that version and when the hardcover came out.


Lastly, we have the "Book with Animals" category. Where, oddly enough, there were an disproportionately large number of bird-related entries.








I view my inability to come up with a funny caption for this picture a personal failing on my part. If anyone can come up with something worthwhile in the comments section, I'd really appreciate it.



Awww....




Creepy.




Creepier.





Runner up.




Rest assured that in these last two photos, the animals were handled well and set free in the end. Here are the two photographers (both of whom you've already seen at this point) saying goodbye to the turtle, who they had nicknamed "Diogenes."

Remember, if you're a winner or a runner-up, you get fabulous prizes. For details head over here.


I'm sorry for the weak ending to this post, and the lack of wit in the captioning. But as I started to enter the photos for the final category, I began to feel... profoundly.

I was at Wiscon this weekend, and there was a stomach flu getting spread around. I thought I'd dodged it, but, given that I feel a painful rumbling in my guts and I'm beginning to sweat, apparently not.

I was looking forward to working on more revisions to book two after I posted this, but I fear I'm in for a very unpleasant night instead.

Pray for me.

pat

Labels: contests, fan coolness, photo contest

People have been taking pictures of the book all over the place.




Based on some of the other photos that were included with this one, I'm guessing this is actually an honest-to-goodness desert-y area. As opposed to a beach or a gravel quarry.




This one was, apparently, taken on Mount Hood.




Not all of the locations were exotic. This one was taken at Uncle Hugos, a bookstore that deals exclusively in fantasy/science fiction. In an interesting side note, the guy who runs Uncle Hugos was one of the very first people to get excited about the book after reading a galley copy, and to ask me to come out for a signing. So this bookstore has a special place in my heart.




I've had several photos where the book was shown with famous landmarks. This one brings back some memories. I haven't been out to the statue of liberty since I had to fetch that shipment of Ambrosia for UNATCO all those years ago....




Not all the landmarks that people used were universally well known. But anyone who has spent any significant amount of time in Madison knows exactly where this photo was shot.




Here we are above the clouds....




And here we are below the ground, in a New York city subway.




Here's another by the same photographer. Can you guess where it is?

I have to say, I really like the composition of these shots. Even if it didn't say, BITTER Photography I'd have a strong suspicion that they were taken by a pro.




Here's the runner up in "Most Foreign." This was taken in the catacombs in Italy. Apparently, the photographer got yelled at because taking pictures in there is, well, forbidden. The fact remains that it's a pretty awesome shot.



But this has to be the winner. Not only was this the photo that gave me the idea for this contest, you can't get much more foreign than this. The photographer told me that it was balmy out when he took this - a mere 60 degrees below.






And, because I admire ingenuity, an honorable mention for the photo of my book at the West Pole. Let me know which prize you'd like too.


Another thing I didn't anticipate when I started this contest was the celebrity angle. A lot of folks sent in pictures of the book with famous people.

Of course, sometimes the celebrities weren't really willing participants in this activity....




Other times the celebrities involved were completely fictional....




Or both.



Generally speaking though, the celebrities in question were desirous of the book....







Even Indiana Jones...



...and Benito Juarez.




Some celebrities were forced to make difficult choices....





Here's Captain Joe again. Looking to help out the allied powers. As we all know, the hardcover will stop a bullet.




Here's one obviously taken by a fellow Buffy Fan.





The caption to this one read: "The lute?... bah! A _real_ hero would have played the accordion."





The runner-up does a nice job of illustrating why I like Batman better than Superman. Superman obviously can't be bothered with the book. He's obviously too busy flexing and reciting the pledge of allegiance in his head.

Batman, on the other hand, is obviously into it. I could see him appreciating Kvothe's character.





And here's the Winner of the celebrity category. On one hand, this picture can't help but make me happy, as it is packed with all sorts of awesome: a beautiful woman, my book, and a Boba Fett made entirely out of Lego. But on the other hand, this picture makes me sad, as I'm guessing it's probably the closest thing to a three-way that I'll ever have.

Still, in terms of a three-way, you have to admit that's pretty hot.



There's more to come. And rest assured, I'm saving some of the best for last.

pat

Labels: buffy, contests, fan coolness, photo contest

Lots of pictures today. Let's get right to it, shall we?

First category: Most Athletic




Here's Captain Joe again, making me feel better about the fact that I still play on the springy horses too. The name of his mighty steed? Captain Joe dubbed him "Thunderplum."



I don't know what sport is being invented here. But I'm reasonably sure that 1) It kicks the ass off Polo. And 2) I really don't want to play without some serious protective gear.





I love this one for many reasons, not the least of which is that it led to me learning an awesome new word: arabesque.





I don't know the word for this pose, but I wish I did. I like to think that if I knew the word, I could make use of it at some future point in my life and be better off for it.





Why is this photo listed in "Most Athletic?" Well, apparently it was shot while running away from security on the set of Johnny Depp's new movie, "Public Enemies."





Someone might need a lesson about sharing. And about keeping his center of gravity low during a bout....




See? Apparently three people can read the book at once.




I really appreciate it when people are careful with the book. Since they have someone there whose express purpose is to catch the paperback if it falls, they get the runner-up position. Since it's a group shot, they each get a prize.




I love the pointy toes here....




Another item for my long list of Fun Stuff I Would Hurt Myself Doing.

Also, I would like everyone to appreciate the degree of restraint I'm showing by not making a swinger joke right now.



Next: Most Anthropomorphic

Another thing I didn't expect when I started this competition was that folks might dress up my books or to put them into people-ish situations. Such as this...




The caption for this photo was something along the lines of, "A great book, but does it cuddle?"

And yes, that is canned frosting and a pair of fuzzy handcuffs. It appears my book is continuing in the fine tradition of getting more action than me.

...or should that be "more action that I?" Meh. Witness the deep wellspring of my not really giving a damn.

Moving on.



This is my book reading a magazine. Some flights are so long that even your leisure reading can get bored.




This one is bound to screw with your perspective a little bit.....




... especially combined with the runner-up. Who knew my book was such a rebel?




But this is the unabashed winner. The caption:

Old Grandpa muses on the new addition to the family..."It's sure a good thing the little whippersnapper looks so much like my daughter. Look at that husband of hers - using a length of rope to hold up his pants. In my day, I had a rippling naked man chest - but I had to cast that vanity aside. Now days all you need is daisies to woo a woman and she'll ignore your ridiculous pants!"

Every time I look at this picture I find something new to love. But even before I read the caption, I was marveling at the pants.

The next time I'm at some convention, and there's a group of new authors hanging around at the bar trying to out-awesome each other, I'm going to sit back until everyone else has bragged their biggest brag. Then I'll pull out my trump card: "Someone made pants for my book," I'll say, "And then they took a picture of it."

So I declare this a double win. I'll send the genius behind it a couple of prizes of her choice. She deserves them.

Later all,

pat

Labels: contests, cool things, fan coolness, pants, photo contest

Over the last year, I've given a lot of interviews. I haven't counted, but I'm guessing there have been somewhere between thirty and forty.

Generally speaking, I enjoy them. I have a strong oracular element in my personality, which means that when people ask me questions, I feel moved, compelled even, to answer them.

But that's only half the story. I'm also a big asker of questions. I have a vast curiosity about all manner of things.

Combine this with my profound geekery, and you can understand why, when I got the opportunity to interview the fabulous and talented Felicia Day, I jumped at the chance.

Behold the result....





So tell us a little bit about yourself....

I'm a professional actor (meaning I pay the bills solely with acting work, cross fingers) and I've lived in Los Angeles for almost 8 years now. I moved here after going to the University of Texas at Austin and getting Mathematics and Violin degrees. Natural progression to acting, don't you think?

I consider myself a "Jennifer of all trades" meaning I do a LOT of things PRETTY well. It's not a good long-term plan, but it's my personality.


Okay, I'll take the bait. If you started as a mathematician and violinist, what prompted you to make the transition into acting?

I got a bad tendentious in my left pinky during college which caused me a lot of pain when I played. I had to get cortisone shots in the joint to keep playing. (It actually hurts when I play too much Guitar Hero now, LOL). That, combined with the narrow reality of a professional classical musician's career choices, made me decide to focus on the other thing that brought me joy after college: Acting!

I also feel obliged to mention for all my fellow geeks out there, that one of your acting gigs was in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Felicia here played Vi in season seven.

So what have you been up to lately?

Recently my focus has been on creating web content. I'm the creator of the web series called "The Guild," which is about a group of online gamers.


It's awesome on toast, and I'm not the only one who thinks so, as it recently won a bunch of fabulous awards, too. How did you get involved in working on that?

I created the show as a half-hour television pilot after I shook a two year addiction to World of Warcraft. People read the script, thought it was funny, but thought it was too "niche" for TV because it's about a group of online gamers. My friend and producing partner Kim Evey had just had fabulous success with her own YouTube videos, so after reading my script, she suggested we do it for the internet. We shot the first two episodes with our producer, Jane Selle Morgan, on our own dime, and after that we've been wholly supported by viewer donations through Paypal! It's pretty cool. Like PBS for online web series.


Hold on. You actually quit WOW? You don't play at all anymore?

Well, up until a month or so I did. I actually re-upped my account to see if I could play a normal amount of time (and to do some "research" for the show, haha). I had to quit cold turkey in the beginning though, it was consuming my life. I would move any WOW related tasks to the front of the queue, over career and family even. It got bad. Thankfully, my experience playing now is much more casual. I've only logged on a few times in a the whole month and it was easy to log off again after a few hours, keeping it short and sweet and playing with friends. Cross fingers I can sustain that!


In addition to playing the female lead in The Guild (Codex) you also write the script. Is this your first experience with screenwriting? Is it something that you're interested in pursuing more of in the future?

I have 4 or 5 scripts written... halfway. The Guild was the first one I actually finished and rewrote and polished. It took an amazing amount of sheer will to get it on the page because I haven't been writing since I was a kid like most accomplished writers. I absolutely admire writers more because of the whole process. I can't believe YOU got through so many HUNDRED pages with your book! Phenomenal!!


Well... I didn't write the whole book straight through, you know. I stopped around page 450 to get a sandwich and use the bathroom.
How do you go about your own writing?

The key for me was letting myself write badly at first in order to have something to rewrite and make better later on. I constantly have to beat down a perfectionist voice in my head. It holds me back in a lot of areas. Thankfully, the success (and fun) of writing the Guild has encouraged me to start writing other things and pursuing writing more seriously. I have several projects in the works now for TV and film. Getting them done is my main goal this summer!


Ooooh. I'm all tantalized. Can you tell us anything about your other projects?

They're still in the development stages, but one is a half-hour comedy, and the other is my ATTEMPT to add more fantasy into the hour-long genre. We'll see if it works!


One of the hardest parts of being a writer is actually trying to sell the book. A lot of authors spend years racking up rejections. Is the auditioning process similar to that?

Ooooh yes. It's even worse (well, from my perspective!) After you send in your book and get rejected, at least you get your book back and can take it other places. As an actor, you go in and do your interpretation of a role, and when you're rejected, they give it to someone else. It's not a judgment that you're necessarily bad, you just aren't what they're looking for, but it's hard not to take it personally. The mechanics of the actor's audition process is grueling, and I never ever will get to the point where I'm not anxious and nervous when I go in to read for a part.


Though it fills me with shame, I constantly check my Amazon Sales rank to see how well my book is selling. Most authors admit to doing the same thing. Is there anything similar that actors do?

Of course! Ratings are a #1 topic of conversation with anyone in the industry! Personally, I check my hits on YouTube a lot, especially the first few days after we post a video. The immediate feedback of the internet is pretty gratifying (and horrific depending on the comments : ) ) I have Google Alerts set up on my name and the show name and other phrases to constantly update me on what the web is saying about me/the show. After a while you get a much thicker skin, haha.


What sorts of things have people said over the years? Can you give us an example of something that's really gotten under your skin?

I really hate the racist comments against my cast members, I remove all those comments immediately. It's surprising how many they actually are, especially after we get featured on the front page of YouTube.

I also am irritated when people make fun of us for only putting out an episode a month, implying we're lazy or something. It touches on the part of me that is frustrated we don't have the budget or means to do them any quicker, but also shows that a lot of people don't understand what it takes to make a 5 minute short that looks much better than the average video. We don't just have one guy holding the camera, we have a real crew, who are all professionals, and who are working for free or near free. Hopefully for the next season that will not be an issue, as we're talking with several people who are interested in financing the show.


What's the weirdest fan moment you've ever had?

Well, I actually interact with fans on an everyday basis because I'm so wedded to the internet, so fan communication is actually a two way street with me and I generally ask fans for more stuff than they do of me! But the best experience I've had recently is when I visited Austin, and my brother and Dad and I went to Bed Bath and Beyond together to get a bath mat of all things, and a guy who worked there came up and asked me if I was Codex. Right in front of my Dad, which was so cool because not only did I create that character myself from scratch, my Dad got to see the reality that what I'm doing is "known". It was a great feeling.


You recently got to work with Joss Whedon on "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." What can you tell us about that?

I can tell you that it's going to be make a lot of people want to sing after hearing the music. Joss and his brothers Zack and Jed and Jed's fiance Maurissa wrote the show together to go on the internet in three parts. Joss had seen The Guild and had been percolating the idea of an internet musical for a while, and he said that watching the Guild was a part of the inspiration to get it done; that and the strike.


Hold on. You inspired Joss Whedon?

He said it was a PART of what spurred the work on Dr. Horrible. Don't make it seem like I'm claiming too much credit for it!! I worked with him on Buffy a few years ago and was crazy lucky enough for him to hire me for the part of Penny. I can't tell you what a fabulous experience it was working on it, the script and songs are fantastic! For someone in Joss' position to do something this experimental is great because not only is it going to be a huge success, it's going to make people look at internet content in a new way. I can't wait for it to be released!


Do you have a date for that?

I believe he said it will be released on the internet before Comicon.


Okay. I have to ask. Is Joss Whedon as cool as I think he is?

Yes, he's worthy of every kind of crush you could develop, I hate to say it. He's one of the most creative people I've ever met and he has a good and true heart. A real gentleman and a pleasure to be around.


Oh good. I have such a crush. I'm one tiny step away from setting up a little shrine in my house. It's only through a supreme effort of will that I've kept myself from doing something extreme to get him a copy of my book. I don't want to be that guy....

Let's say the impossible happens and The Name of the Wind gets made into a movie. We both agree it would be dreamy if Joss Whedon wrote or directed it, but what would your ideal cast be if you got your pick?

OMG that's hard, I'd have to read it again to refresh (the paperback is by my bed just for that purpose actually, haha!!)

Kvothe = Damien Lewis or a young version of him. (Life cop show, Band of Brothers) Jesse Tyler Ferguson also came to mind? (The Class)

Bast = the guy from American Beauty, Wes Bentley (What happened to him?)

Denna = Kiera Knightly or Natalie Portman definitely. Or the girl from Serenity: Morena Baccarin?


Oooh. Good picks. I hadn't ever thought of Morena Baccarin as Denna....

Would you have any interest in playing a part yourself?

My dream role would be Auri. I like playing damaged goods, haha.


So you live in LA, where everyone is beautiful. What happens when you take a trip to somewhere like Wisconsin. Is it traumatic looking at us regular folks?

That's funny! It is true that LA is filled with freakily beautiful people. I feel a lot prettier when I go out of town because the bar is set SOO high here! In LA I'm considered for the "plain" or "homely" characters mostly, I get called in for every one of those roles. They end up being more fun to play in the end, so I definitely don't mind. But going back to Austin and dressing up and getting head turns, that's pretty fun too, haha!


What's the worst part of the whole actor gig?

Auditioning. It's the most important part of the career, but you don't know that going into it. You have to consider auditioning the sole (unpaid) function of an acting career. When you actually get hired, that's the exception. And it's the thing that keeps you going, of course: Those moments when you're on set and working. There's nothing like it!


Any advice for aspiring actors and actresses out there?

Don't expect someone to pick you up off the street and make you a star: That's like winning the lottery. Make your own work. It will fill your hours with fulfillment and also lead to things you'd never expect.


Like with The Guild?

Yes! Like me with "The Guild"!




In a gesture of inspiring largess, Felicia has said that she's willing to give away 10 autographed photos to folks out there that would like one. Well, eleven pictures, if you're counting mine....

If you'd like to be part of the random drawing for one of those pictures, why don't you send me an e-mail at paperback.contest {swirly at symbol} gmail.com with your mailing address. We'll leave the drawing open until... say... May 12th.

Lastly, today marks the end of the paperback photo contest. I have to say that the response has been beyond anything I could have reasonably expected. There have been so many submissions that it's going to take me at least a week just to sort them out, judge the best of them, and award some prizes.

That means if you spaced out and forgot to send your entry in, you can probably sneak it in tomorrow and I'll pretend to be too busy sorting to notice....

Later all,

pat

Labels: Amazon, contests, Interview, Joss Whedon, the craft of writing

A couple weeks ago I had the delightful experience of doing my taxes. It was extra exciting this year, because most of my money came from writery stuff. That means for the most part, I'm self-employed.

I've always thought "self-employed" had a nice ring to it. It's sort of Firefly-esque. Wear a gun, take jobs as they come, and never be under the heel of nobody ever again....

But then I found out that if you're self employed, you get to pay super double-fun bonus taxes. Because, apparently, the government hates you.

Up until this year, I've always gotten money back because I've lived well below the poverty line. This year, I got to give them money. It was, as they say, more fun than getting kicked in the throat. Mostly.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against taxes. Everyone loves to bitch about them, but taxes pay for schools, and roads, and snowplows, and sewage treatment plants. My friends have a son who is autistic, and the government helps them by bringing in well-trained people.

These things are important. If that's all my taxes went toward, I would pay them gladly. I would sing a song while writing out the check.

However, we all know that's not the case.

So, under the advice of several wise people, I've decided to start a corporation. This is supposed to prevent the government from taking quite as big a bite out of my ass for next year's taxes.

It doesn't seem right, honestly. The corporation is just me: I own it. And this corporation (let's call it Me-corp) will be employing me. That, apparently, is different from being actually self-employed. Sorry? What? How does that work?

I guess what it comes down to is that the government is really, really dumb. Dumb enough so that if I put on sock on one of my hands and use it as a puppet, it will be convinced that the puppet is actually paying the taxes, not me.

But I'm not above exploiting a loophole in the system. So all that remains is to figure out what to call this corporation. I having trouble picking a name. Names are important things, you know. They tell you a great deal about a... a corporation.

So far, the only names that I can come up with are goofy ones, like Puppet-Co. Because the thought of owning a corporation is just silly to me, I keep thinking of cheesy names and slogans. Things like:

Rothco: Our Future is Your Tomorrow....

The Badassery: Crushing Your Hopes and Dreams Since 1998


Another part of me wants to just geek out and name the corporation after something in my book. I could call it "Elodin Enterprises" Or "The Valaritas Consortium."

If y'all have any clever ideas, please feel free to list them below....

Also of note:

• Today my book is going to be listed in the New York Times print edition at #11. It's probably not such a big deal for you, but I've been excited to see it....

• I've been really surprised by the response I've had to The Contest. I've already received over a hundred entries, and decided to push back the deadline because some people heard about it late and asked for more time. New deadline is May 4th. Clever readers will realize that this opens up the possibility of taking pictures on Beltane.... I'm just sayin'.

Later all,

pat

Labels: contests, geeking out, new york times, the business of writing

In the interest of being fair, I've decided to make the little contest I'm having on Facebook available to everyone.

This will also keep people from joining Facebook just to participate. I don't want to encourage that kind of behavior. Seriously. Facebook is like a deep well that you throw all of your available free time into. I wouldn't wish it on any of you...

So here's the deal.

You take a picture of your brand-new shiny paperback. Your picture reflects your deep, innermost feelings for the book. Maybe it's funny. Maybe it tells a story. Maybe it's full of blatant, tawdry sexiness in an attempt to appeal to my base desires.

At the end of the month, I will look at all the pictures, post the best of them in a blog, and give out fabulous prizes. Trust me. They'll be fabulous. I have some full-color promotional maps here that have never seen the light of day. Galley copies of the book. Some first edition copies of the UK edition. Maybe I'll even give out one of the old manuscript copies of the book I have laying around....

Anyway, here are the rules.

1. The picture doesn't need to include you, but it does need to include the paperback.

2. Photo manipulation is legal, but by no means required.

3. Multiple entries are allowed.

4. Pictures will be judged on their general coolness. Categories may include: "Most Awesome," "Most Funny." "Most Sexy" "Most Dramatic" and "Most Best."

4b. I reserve the right to add extra categories. That way, if your picture delights me, but it doesn't fit into any pre-determined category, I can still give you a prize.

4c. Since the international readers won't have access to the US paperback, I've created a new category to allow them to use their own native copies of the book: "Most Foreign." This will be the one category you don't have to use the paperback for.

For example:




You can post your photos up in the appropriate facebook group, or e-mail them to the following address: paperback.contest {swirly at sign} gmail.com.


If you send a picture to that e-mail address, make sure to include:

• The photo(s). (duh.)

• Your name.

• How you want the photo to be credited, if it's different than your name.

• Your mailing address. (Where to send your fabulous prize.)

Contest is over at the end of the month.

pat

Labels: contests, fan coolness

As most of you could probably tell from my last post, I wasn't really too coherent after I got the news about making the bestseller list.

Now that I've collected my wits, I figured I'd clarify a few things. Some of which I only recently became aware of myself....

First you'll note that the date of the list I posted is from April 20th. This doesn't mean that I know someone with a TARDIS. They make the list available before publication so that industry folks get an early clue-in.

Second, I feel obliged to point out that the list I'm on is the "Paperback Best Sellers EXPANDED list." The regular NYT list only goes down to 20, and as you can see, I'm at #24.

What's the difference? Well, if you look in the Sunday edition of the New York Times, you'll find that they don't print the expanded list. Also, bookstores tend to only stock the regular list of books. Truth is, I'm not entirely sure if I technically qualify as a "New York Times Bestselling Author" or not.

While I admit I'm hoping to climb those last few places, simply making it onto the list at all is extraordinary. A lot of authors never make it, especially not with their first book.

And the reason I'm on there is you. You bought the book. You told your friends and family about it. You nominated me for awards. You voted for me online. You read it at the library and then posted good reviews on AMAZON or Barnes and Noble. You wrote about it in your blog. You bugged your school librarian to order it. You listed it on your facebook profile. You drew fanart. You visited the website and read the blog....

In short, you helped to spread the word. Thank you all so much.

Lastly, in related news, I started a contest over on FACEBOOK to celebrate the release of the paperback. I thought I'd already mentioned it on here, but looking back on my previous blogs, I see that I haven't. You've got until the end of the month if you're interested in participating...

Later all,

pat

Labels: contests, cool news, facebook, Things I didn't know about publishing

Part two of the Peter Hodges interview is now live over HERE, for those of you who are into that sort of thing....

Also, for those of you that are hanging around here in Central Wisconsin, I'll be at a little one-day convention in Wausau tomorrow. You can find some details HERE.


And lastly, for those of you on Facebook, we're having a bit of a shindig to celebrate the paperback release of the book. There will be cake* and fabulous prizes for people who are interested in participating. So stop on by if you're interested.

pat



* (The cake is a lie.)

Labels: appearances, contests, conventions, facebook, Interview