Teaser Tuesday: More Art and Strangely Beautiful Musical News!

Today I shine the spotlight on another wonderful example of reader art I have received through the years! This amazing rendition of Miss Percy Parker, replete with a line from my Strangely Beautiful series, is by the talented artist and writer Cas Johnstone. 

Have a favourite literary character you’d like to see transformed and interpreted? Cas takes commissions! I bid you:
Follow Cas on Tumblr 
On Facebook 
Cas' fabulous Etsy shop and art commission page

STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL NEWS! 

I am so thrilled to report that The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, the musical, has been accepted into Goodspeed Musical’s Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony program this year! My fabulous team of Kenny Seymour, Nicholas Roman Lewis and I take off for Connecticut next week to work under Goodspeed’s encouragement and care as we develop the show further. Revised, new editions of the Strangely Beautiful saga novels 1-3 will be available for pre-order from Tor/Forge some time this year, so we ask that you stay tuned for more information on that front.
 
About the Writer’s Colony at Goodspeed, from the Johnny Mercer Foundation website:

"The Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals is the first of its kind in the country dedicated solely to the creation of new musicals. In partnership with Goodspeed Musicals, in East Haddam Connecticut, the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony offers established and emerging writers the unique opportunity to research, develop, and create new musicals in a long term residency program devoted exclusively to musical theatre writing.

In keeping with Johnny Mercer’s lifelong commitment to and legacy of collaboration and nurturance of fellow songwriters, the Writers Colony will provide a sanctuary for composers, lyricists, and librettists to embark on new musical theatre work or to devote a substantial amount of time to a work-in-progress in an environment rich with creative energy. For four weeks each year, 14 to 20 writers will be immersed in this stimulating environment with the singular purpose of allowing the writers to write. JMF board member, Jonathan Brielle, serves as Producing Writer in Residence for the Writers Colony."

We're so thrilled to be a part of this! 

- About Strangely Beautiful, The Musical

- Listen to music from the show 

- Like the show on Facebook

- Follow the show on Twitter

Next week’s Teaser Tuesday will report live from the Writer’s Colony with an excerpt from the show!

Cheers and happy haunting!

Reader Art and Queen Victoria's Book of Spells' STARRED Reviews!

You know what I love? When readers are inspired by my books or stories and make art. There is no finer compliment in the world. It makes my heart soar and validates why I do what I do. It brings my beloved characters to life in a whole new way. Take a look at this particular beauty from artist Nancy Lee. Here's a take on Miss Percy Parker from the Strangely Beautiful saga (which remains currently out of print but I promise I'll have updates on that front soon). In the meantime, enjoy Miss Parker:

And enjoy this good news:

QUEEN VICTORIA'S BOOK OF SPELLS: An Anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy (Tor 3/13), the upcoming anthology features my short story "Charged" that stars an Eterna Files character, received a STARRED REVIEW in both Publishers' Weekly AND in Kirkus Reviews! I am so honoured to be in this anthology with such great writers I've admired for years. So thrilling! Here's the full text of the Kirkus review:

QUEEN VICTORIA ' S BOOK OF SPELLS [STARRED REVIEW!] - KIRKUS REVIEWS
Editor: Ellen Datlow
Editor: Terri Windling

Eighteen tales of Gaslamp Fantasy, that is, historical fantasy set in an alternate 19th century where magic worked or supernatural events occurred, together with an extensive and informative introduction from editor Windling tracing historical roots and adding context. A majority of the tales here use historical events or biography as their foundation. Delia Sherman, then, portrays Queen Victoria as a highly effective wizard. Genevieve Valentine probes a highly unsavory aspect of London ’s 1851 Great Exhibition. Elizabeth Wein spins a tale of writer-designer William Morris and artist Edward Burne-Jones. Kaaron Warren writes movingly of a house where unwanted women are confined and how they gain revenge. Dale Bailey takes an actual case of spiritualism and fakery and demonstrates how it is not always clear which is which. Veronica Schanoes strikes sparks both real and figurative in her account of the unionization of the all-female workforce at a lucifer-match factory. And Jane Yolen reimagines the relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and Queen Victoria. Other tales take their inspiration from Victorian literature. Catherynne M. Valente, for instance, revisits the fantasies of the Brontë children. Tanith Lee offers a steampunk variant on the Frankenstein’s Monster theme. In Gregory Maguire’s continuation of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge marries and has children, and Tiny Tim’s life takes an unexpected turn. And Theodora Goss offers up an existential literary-games scenario à la Jasper Fforde. Elsewhere (via Jeffrey Ford, Ellen Kushner and Caroline Stevermer , Maureen McHugh, Kathe Koja, Elizabeth Bear, James P. Blaylock and Leanna Renee Hieber), the fiction is purer, the surprises no less welcome. Splendid tales that illuminate a bygone era’s darker corners. - Kirkus

You can pre-order a Hardcover copy at a pre-order sale price, or a paperback copy at a pre-order sale price, or pre-order the book to your Nook or Kindle! Barnes & Noble is linked here, and Amazon here.

 

Natalie and Jonathon star in DARKER STILL art!

Those who follow this blog know how much I love art from readers; when readers befriend my characters and are compelled to create visual representations of them, it's such a compliment, I love seeing what artistic readers come up with. I was treated to my first art received in the Magic Most Foul world this weekend from fellow Victorian era enthusiast, artist and talented writer Katrina Bender, ( @KatBender on Twitter ) who made this picture of Natalie and Jonathon. Isn't it wonderful?

Thanks Katrina!

Soon, I'll have some teasers and links for the Magic Most Foul sequel, THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART, releasing this November, so stay tuned!


Cheers!