Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Using the Audiobook to edit Series




I'm thoroughly enjoying the audiobook of The Hunchback Assignments (downloaded it off iTunes! Geek heaven). Jayne Entwistle does a lovely job of narrating the story. But as I listen again to the novel, I'm also madly at work on the second book in the series, The Dark Deeps. I am finding that the audio book is reminding me of little quirks I'd forgotten about my characters and is helping me to recapture the "style" I used in the first book. I never really dreamed that an audiobook would be an editing tool, but it has become quite helpful. In fact, I think I might listen to is some more right now!

Art

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Launch Addendum

Forgot to mention that 15 minutes before showtime I realized I'd left my reader's copy of my book at home. It has all my edits and notes! Ooops. Quick trip there and back, nearly had an accident, but made it.

Oooh and also had a twitter book birthday party on Tuesday! Which was sooo much virtual fun. Join here to find out about book releases and bookbday parties...

Web: http://twitterbookparties.com
Twitter: twitter.com/bookbday

Launch of The Hunchback Assignments

It's officially launched! The book is on it's way to the moon. Or maybe to Mars. It all happened on Tuesday, Sept. 22nd, 2009 at Mcnally Robinson Booksellers in Saskatoon, SK, Canada. One hundred and ten or so people showed up. And not all of them were my relatives!
?I'm doing my fancy Keynote presentation, complete with sfx. And no glitches!
?I'm standing there with my "what should I say next?" look.


You can watch a short video about it:

The voices that I used on the Keynote presentation were from the radio plays on the Hunchback website.
?Signing books!
?A pile of my books for sale.
?Smiling away as I try to remember people's names.
?
On The bestseller list already!

All in all it was a great night. And there were free cookies, too.


Art

Friday, September 18, 2009

Odd Victorian Factoid #27: Queen Victoria's Burial

Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria died on the 22nd of January, 1901, at the age of 81. She was buried in a white dress (she had worn black since the death of her husband 40 years earlier) and her wedding veil. She also had rings, bracelets, her husband's dressing gown, a photo of her servant John Brown (who predeceased her), a lock of John Brown's hair, shawls, handkerchiefs, and plaster casts of the hands of some of her favourite people stuffed into the coffin with her. She loved clutter!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Dark Deeps Cover Concept

? Here's a clipping from the cover concept for The Dark Deeps, the second book in The Hunchback Assignments series. Alas, that's all I can show you...

Art

Monday, September 14, 2009

A Whole Box of American Version Hunchback Assignments...

?

This is what authors find exciting. A whole box of books arriving! At my door. I have all my author's copies now. And only a week and a day until the book is released in the U.S.

? They popped out o' there like a spring heeled Jack! Err, several Spring Heeled Jacks, that is.

? And now the traditional authorial pose with the books....

Gosh, life is grand...

Art

Thursday, September 10, 2009

American Hunchback Books Are Here!

?Yes, they've arrived. Blue and bold and ready to take on the world. Just the first two copies are here--extra bonus Random House sent me the library binding. I like library bindings. They're so sure of themselves. Sturdy, too. Now to wait by the door for the rest of my author copies. I'll set them up like dominoes. Or I'll re-enact the final battle in the Lord of the Rings using the American and the Canadian versions. Hmmm, which one is Frodo? And was it clever of me to name my character Modo? It rhymes with Frodo, that must be clever.

Modo lives!

Art

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

The Hunchback Assignments Documentary PT 2

The BOOKED Hunchback Documentary Part 2: Who is Modo?


Tuesday, September 08, 2009

The Hunchback Website is alive!

Okay, put on your goggles. Strap down your top hat. Pick up your extra terrestrial walking stick. The Hunchback Assignments Website is officially live. Travel back to Victorian times. Read on a steam powered iPod! Discover Odd Victorian facts. It's all there.
It was designed by Derek Mah with input from myself (Derek designed my arthurslade.com website and more of his work is available at attoboy.com).
Blue website
One of the problems we had to solve was that there are two different covers--one for Canada and Australia and the other for The United States. So there's a little button on the upper right that you can click and it will change the background. That's right, the visitors to the site pick which cover they want in the background. It's democracy in action.
Brass website
Cookies will keep it blue until you change it. This was how we solved the problem of having different covers.

On the "Play" page you'll find various videos and audio. I'm especially pleased with the "radio" plays at the bottom left. They feature voices of a variety of actors who brought the story to life.


The "Steamtrunk" page is where all the extra goodies go on the site. Right now it features The Hunchback Half Hour contest for teachers, the Facebook fan page, and Victorian factoids. Look for Victorian swear words in the future. Wouldn't you love to swear along with Dickens?

All in all I'm pumped about the website,

Art

Friday, September 04, 2009

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Pigs sell

pig cover
The new cover for the Canadian paperback of Jolted, out in fall of 2010. Cute, eh?

Art