And she's off...

Obligatory announcements first:

1. The Dead-Tossed Waves paperback out in four days.  Be there.  And by "there" I mean you can purchase a copy from the following places: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Personalized Copy from my local indie, Park Road Books.
2. SciFiNow had their third annual awards and the gave The Dead-Tossed Waves the "Potter Award for Adaptation Potential" saying, "Given the current zombie fever, and the taste for romance in the genre, we'd be amazed if Ryan hasn't had discussions with film studios.  Her first novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, was practically built for film and the follow-up is cinematic too."  Thanks SciFiNow!  Also, yes, I have been in talks -- we sold the option in 2009 and they renewed it in 2010!
3. SciFiNow also reviewed The Dead-Tossed Waves as a "must read now!" and said it "maintains the same bold characterizations as its predecessor," and "with great world building and cinematic form, this is a high quality novel."  This makes me very very happy!
4. Thanks again, everyone, for indulging me as I play with QR codes.  I've pasted below the first paragraph of The Dark and Hollow Places (which, astute readers may notice on Tuesday, is slightly different from the one in the back of The Dead-Tossed Waves... these things change).

This city used to be something once.  I've seen pictures of the way it gleamed -- sun so bright off windows it could burn your eyes.  At night lights shouted from steel like catcalls, loud and lewd, while all day long white-gloved men rushed to open doors for women who tottered about on skyscraper heels.

So as it turns out, I've got a lot of traveling in my future.  Tomorrow I leave for a writing retreat in Branson, MO.  I hear there may be some live BlogTV where you can ask questions of the authors there but I don't know when it is or how it works (deadline brain means I haven't paid attention to much else, I'm just glad I actually remembered to buy my plane ticket!).  When I know anything I'll likely post it to my twitter feed.

Then when I get back I turn around and go to Williamsburg, VA with JP.  This is a tradition we started the first year we began dating and we've only missed one year!  I truly TRULY love this trip: we forget about the internet and work and modern day and just get to daydream and relax and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist.  In fact, JP proposed to me in Williamsburg three years ago!

A few days after that I'm heading up to my Alma Mater, Williams College, for a panel on jobs in the creative industry.  If any of you are in the area and want more info, just leave me a comment and I'll post it!  I'm pretty sure I've forgotten just how cold Massachusetts can be in February.

After that it's home for a bit and then off on a family trip to Reno with my mom to visit my aunt.  I've been told this will be a Very Fun Trip.

AND THEN... The Dark and Hollow Places tour!  Wahoo!  I don't have all the details but here's what I know so far: I'll be heading to Cincinnati, Miami, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Chicago and then Los Angeles in conjunction with the RT Convention and Austin in conjunction with TLA and the Writer's League of Texas YA A to Z conference.  I can't wait!!

So yes, lots of travel which means... perhaps I should get packing!