Dex and Annabelle have a night on the town.
[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/TheBeautyOfOurWeapons1/PB-Weapons-08.mp3]Archives for March 2012
Episode 7
The past comes back to haunt Dex.
[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/TheBeautyOfOurWeapons1/PB-Weapons-07.mp3]Editing (Unlike Math) Is Hard
One of the complaints self-publishers get is that their work isn’t well edited. Sometimes that’s true, and sometimes it’s not, and sometimes it’s something in between. There are plenty of ways to get a better final version (many eyes make light work), but the truth of the matter is that typos, grammar whammies and other bogglers get through. They just do.
As a fantastic example of this, I was reading crime author extraordinaire Lawrence Block‘s blog post about a pretty bad editing error he just discovered in one of his books. After the book’s been in print by several publishers for over 20 years.
I did find a few typos I’d somehow missed. Well for wall, means for meant, a word or two left out. And then, remarkably, I found this paragraph:
I nodded. “And Lynn London’s been married and divorced, and half the neighbors on Wyckoff Street have moved somewhere or other. It’s as though every wind on earth’s been busy blowing sand on top of her grave. I know Americans lead mobile lives. I read somewhere that every year twenty percent of the country changes its place of residence. Even so, it’s as though every wind on earth’s been busy blowing sand on top of her grave. It’s like digging for Troy.”
…
Could some gremlin had added it since my last reading? I checked the eBook version, and saw that I’d somehow failed to notice it in either of my two passes over the text… I studied the paragraph, and it seemed clear to me that the first wind-and-sand line was the one to cut. But why not make sure? So I went and hauled out my copy of the Arbor House hardcover first edition and checked.
And there was the full paragraph, just as I quoted it above, with both sentences about the wind blowing the sand on Barbara Ettinger’s grave. That, evidently, is how I wrote it over thirty years ago. And that’s how it’s been ever since, sailing past Jared Kieling, my editor at Arbor House, and their copy editor, and their proofreader, and everybody else who’s been involved with the book over the years.
It happens to the best of us.
Episode 6
Things go from bad to worse for Stella Bish and Dex runs into someone at the bar.
[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/TheBeautyOfOurWeapons1/PB-Weapons-06.mp3]Hard Copies Out the Door
For those who contributed to the IndieGoGo campaign for the release of The Beauty of Our Weapons, and got a hard copy of the book as one of your perks, good news!
I posted the books today, so watch your postboxes over the next two weeks.
Attn: Paperback Lovers
In my survey* of readers, I’ve learned that there are a lot of you who prefer reading dead tree books. So for all of you, there’s a cool offer on Amazon right now.
Apparently, if you buy three things, you can get the fourth thing free. Not everything on Amazon is a qualifying thing, but my books are. So, if you want to pick up some things at Amazon, you can get one or more of my books included in the deal.
And coincidentally, I have four books available on Amazon. So, for $30, you could get the whole bibliography in snazzy paperback goodness. If you’re shipping to the US, my books all qualify for free shipping for orders over $25.
Just thought you might want to know.
* You can still fill out the survey and let me know about how you read. It really helps me make it easier for readers to find and get my work.
Episode 5
Dex follows up on a couple of hunches.
[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/TheBeautyOfOurWeapons1/PB-Weapons-05.mp3]Episode 4
Mack Larsen horns in on the cases and Annabelle analyzes the data.
[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/TheBeautyOfOurWeapons1/PB-Weapons-04.mp3]Attn: Ebook Lovers
It’s Read an Ebook Week, and to that end I’ve got deals going over at Smashwords on all my books: 50% off everything, except Beautiful Red, which is free.
Use the coupon code REW50 when you check out at Smashwords to get the savings. Read an Ebook Week ends on March 10, so if you’re going to take advantage of the sale, better get on it.
If you’re new to Smashwords, you can get ebook formats for any device, including pdf, rtf and plain text. No special reader required!
Review of The Beauty of Our Weapons
Fantasy author A.F. Stewart has written a lovely review of The Beauty of Our Weapons.
As usual Ms. Wehm has created a story you can jump into and characters to embrace, with interesting insights on society; her books reflect on today’s current state and probe any possible future. The Beauty of Our Weapons is an easy recommend, as is the entire series.
Episode 3
Annabelle wonders if the cause of the trouble in M City is evidence of a bigger problem.
[audio:http://www.archive.org/download/TheBeautyOfOurWeapons1/PB-Weapons-03.mp3]