they must need bears

Some reasonably awesome news on the overseas front.

Blood & Iron is going to be a graphic novel in France, brought out by Soleil Productions. Or more precisely, three graphic novels--volume 1 is forthcoming in January '09 (tentatively), and a second and third volume should follow on a yearly schedule.

It will be a French translation, obviously. No word yet if or when there may be an English version, but as Soleil does work with Marvel, there is hope. (It may wind up being a little like that classic Late Night With David Letterman bit where he had a team of translators take the Beatles' "Yesterday" from English through six other languages and back again, but then again, that might be an improvement! You never know!)

This pleases me no end. As some of you know, B&I started life as a graphic novel script, so in a way it's come full circle. And I get to fulfull my twenty-year ambition of seeing the Kelpie on a splash page.*

So here's to a glorious future for Sang et Fer, yah?

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*::puts a quarter in the pun jar without even being ordered::

56 pages into the proofs for Hell & Earth, which, with the slush I did this morning, is being declared Enough Work For The Day. (Six corrections so far, two of them word rep and one a repetitive gesture.) How does the damned word rep make it all the way to the page proofs? You know, you would think by now I would have it out of this thing. And yet no.

And I can guarantee I will have missed some still, and the book will go to press with it.

Just found a scene that I actually like, though. This book is better than I remembered.

Speaking of which, I have the MMPB proofs for A Companion to Wolves here, so if anybody noticed any typos in the hardback, now would be a great time to mention it!

In other news, my latest column for Storytellers Unplugged is up here, and Laser Books has announced that the Czech version of Hammered will be available in December.

I am much less stressed.

Had a dream last night in which my subconscious assured me that I had done the right thing in bailing on trying to write Chill right this second, so I'm feeling more assured that I did the right thing there. This is especially significant as I almost never remember my dreams, so it's a big deal when one shows up and makes itself Important.

The cat seems glad I'm home; she's just gotten off my lap for the first time since 5 pm yesterday.

Now, I get to take some naproxen for my neck, and practice guitar until it's time to go climb.

[14:56] matociquala: Okay, seven different versions of this sentence and finally I have one I like.
[14:56] matociquala: Maybe I can write the scene now.
[14:57] matociquala: (first version: "It is not that the wolf is particularly concerned with dying.")
[14:57] matociquala: (last version: "The threat of death is not what baffles the wolf.")
[14:57] matociquala: You wouldn't think that would take four hours, two snacks, and a trip to the gym, would you?
[14:58] cristalia: Nah, writing is hard.
[14:58] matociquala: At least it's a better sentence. :-P

In other news, Bragelonne is picking up French translation rights for Carnival. Woot! A few more foreign-rights sals, and I can cut back to two books a year when the current contracts are up.

Or maybe even a book every nine months. Crikey. Luxury. *

In other news, I just got three bottles of Noodler's fountain pen ink from Swisher Pens. Ordered 'em Saturday. These guys kind of rock.

I highly recommend the Green Marine: it is the tourmaline green I have been looking for all my life. A little browner than jade green, but not as olice as pine green or actual Marine Green.

Actually, the color it is? Is rifle green. Almost exactly.**

Good ink is love. And since this damned book, like Carnival, is determined that it wants in large part to be drafted in longhand, pretty ink is nice to have.

The Ottoman Azure is nice, too. Not as nice as the Ottoman Rose, and it could be a bit darker, but I understand on some intellectual level that New England skies are a different color from most other skies, and I can't judge other azures by the azure we have here at home.

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*We used to live in a hole in the road....

**Now I just need Sean Bean....***

***Or Jenny.

Hayakawa Publishing in Japan has just purchased the translation rights for Hammered, Scardown, and Worldwired.

You shall know me by the trail of Japanese people who are very confused by the franglish.