Hi Reader,

It's been a busy month!

I'm getting some great reviews on Explosive Chemistry, but the numbers on them are pretty low. If you've been meaning to write a review, I can sure use it!

Writing News

LOTS of new promotional stuff out on the web by me, mostly interviews, but also a Liliana prequel story! And a cool article.

• Motherhood Moment published an interview.
• The Reading Nook published an interview.
• The Frumious Consortium published an Explosive Chemistry excerpt.
• The Table Read has published an interview.
• Listed in Texas Lifestyle Magazine’s “Books For Everyone on Your Gift List”​

This is the cool article:

• The Table Read has published a guest article.

That's not the coolest thing, though. John Scalzi's blog, Whatever, has a series of posts called "The Big Idea," where various authors discuss the big idea underlying their books. John Scalzi introduced my guest article with a great tagline: “Fayetteville may not have been on your radar as a hotbed of Fae activity, but as Paige E. Ewing is here to tell you, it’s the place to be…” Solifu's Choice is a prequel story about Liliana's parents and childhood that points at the big idea underlying Explosive Chemistry.

I'm really proud of that story. It's super short, though. Be sure to check it out.

Book reviewers on Instagram and some other places are doing their best to spread the word. Every person who can add their voice will help me get the word out. So, please, tell a friend, post on socials, whatever you can. If you like the books, please make sure folks buy them so the publisher lets me keep publishing them!

The signing at Dragon's Lair was fun! They've also got copies of my out of print superhero books, the Damson Dragon Diary and The Protectors, on the shelves now, which you can't get anywhere else. They've also got signed copies of Precise Oaths and Explosive Chemistry on the shelves! If you couldn't make it to the signing, be sure to swing by Dragon's Lair and pick one up.

I caught up with a few old friends while I was there.

My friend, Shlomi (aka Sol Sharp) and my brother, Keith, went out to eat with me before I left Austin. I'm headed back to Austin right after Christmas to do a radio interview KOOP "Writing on the Air" with Mindy Reed. I'll let you know more about that closer to then.

Almost forgot! For those of you who have read Precise Oaths and Explosive Chemistry, I just put a little bridge story that takes place just before book 3 starts. Just a little Liliana vignette. Click here to get it. The link will take you to the page like you're signing up for this list again. Since you're already on it, that won't make a difference, but it will download the new story for you when you go through the motions like you're signing up.

Enjoy!

AI - Real and Fictional and Not Really Real

Watch for the "Learning to be Human" book of short stories coming out next month from Flametree Press. It will have my story about an AI so perfect it does everything, including art and music, and the people have nothing left. Sometimes, it sucks to be a bit too right about the direction things are going.

FYI, if you see an awesome video of Google's new AI doing amazing things (starts with a duck drawing), the video is faked. Google says it's "aspirational" meaning it's what they eventually want their AI to be able to do, but it can't right now. So, don't be fooled.

Happy Holidays!

I've been getting tapped by a lot of folks for signed copies of my books for Christmas presents. If you're in Austin, easiest way to do that is to go by Dragon's Lair and pick a signed book up there.

If you don't live in Austin, you can order books off Amazon, and have them sent to my house with a gift note that says where you want them sent, and how you want them signed. Reply to this email to let me know what you want, and I'll send you my mailing address.

Life Stuff

With all this writing of articles and interviews and short stories, I haven't had much time to write book 3 of the Liliana series. It's almost finished, though. And, in the meantime, I'm also writing a technical book for O'Reilly, so that's taking up some of my writing time. But, I always have my faithful writing buddies at my side, including my 16-year-old kitty.

Believe it or not, I've still got butterflies in my backyard, stubborn things. We've had a night or two dip below freezing temperatures, but it doesn't seem to have stopped them.

My husband and I have started running an SCA archery practice again, about an hour away from our house in Kempner, Texas, on a friend's land, first and third Sundays of the month, and fifth in months where there is one. I set up a thrown weapons target and we've been doing that beside the archery. It feels good to be out with other people practicing again. And ever since I got back from my vacation, my shooting and throwing have been way better. Feels like I'm getting my mojo back.

I'm still not hitting exactly where I want to, but at least with the axes, I'm hitting nearly every shot. Yay! And not doing half bad with knives either, way better than I have been for a while.

Between all this, and reviews that say things like "best urban fantasy I've read this year" and "even better than the first one," I'm feeling pretty good about life. I really needed that vacation.

Catch you next time.

Cheers,

Paige

Alis volat propriis

​https://paigeewing.com/