Today Rob and I headed out to have lunch at the La Mariana Sailing Club, which is one of my favorite things. It is this charming old school spot, tucked way back in a corner in a heavily industrial area. You drive past metal buildings and chain link fences, then suddenly there’s a wall of trees in front of you, through which you can catch bright glimpses of a bay.  Walk through the trees and the sailing club awaits. It is decorated in high tiki from the 40s or 50s and is a place of rattan and breezes.

There is nothing pretentious about the menu or the service, and the decorating is in earnest, not an ironic hipster nod. I adore it.

After that we went to the Bishop Museum. I hadn’t been there before and was astounded by the building.  The exhibits were also quite lovely and remind one that the native culture of Hawaii is a living one.  Also reminded me that the U.S. illegally annexed Hawaii which is easy to forget, living on the mainland.

I also got an idea for a novel, which I’ll have to poke at for a bit to see if it’s viable.

From there we went to Baldwin’s Sweet Shop for shave ice. I got lychee and green tea.  We picked up some crack seed while there which I’ve learned to like — some of them — while married to Rob.  He talked story with one of the owners who could tell that he wasn’t a tourist despite the fact that he’s been away for so long.

Then we came home and I napped.

A very satisfying day.

Hawaii continues to be lovely.  Yesterday Rob made Taro waffles and papaya with lime for breakfast. We chatted. I napped. We went for a walk. I napped. I wrote a little and then napped… you see how stressful it is to be here.

Meanwhile, in Portland, I understand that there are winter weather warnings.  I might take a nap and think about that.

Amal El-Mohtar has a very sweet post about what it was like to get “The Phone Call” that her story “The Green Book” was nominated for a Nebula.  I got to be the one who called her. She was adorable. It is one of the things I love most about working with SFWA is getting to be one of the people who make those calls.

Let me tell you, an astonishing number of writers lose their use of language.

Go read Voices on the Midnight Air – Nebula Nomination: The Phone Call.  I think she really captures exactly what that moment is like.

Why do we call people? Two reasons: The practical is in case someone wants to decline a nomination — which does happen. The one I think is more important is so that someone can share that moment and prolong it. With an email, you get it and have the wave of disbelief, but unless someone is in the room with you, that moment is very transitory. You already shift into how you are going to tell someone else your exciting news.

But a phone call.  Back when I performing regularly, I got a phone call from the president of UNIMA-USA (the American Branch of the international puppeteers organization) to let me know that we’d received a Citation of Excellence for one of our shows.

I had the exact loss of language that Amal describes but there was someone there to bear witness and let me expand the sheer joy into the world.

So, I was very happy to be able to call Amal and let her have that moment.

So, the exciting news is… that I need a new evening gown!

In all seriousness though, Shades of Milk and Honey has been nominated for a Nebula, which is an incredible honor.  Particularly when you look at the ballot this year.

• The Native Star, M.K. Hobson (Spectra)
• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit UK; Orbit US)
• Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)
• Echo, Jack McDevitt (Ace)
• Who Fears Death, Nnedi Okorafor (DAW)
• Blackout/All Clear, Connie Willis (Spectra)

The full list of nominees is on the SFWA site. It’s a very exciting year.

We had no travel problems worth mentioning on the way here.  Rob’s folks picked us up at the airport. I’m wearing a lei.

Among the many bonuses of being married to Rob, comes the fact that I like his parents.  I would like them even if they didn’t live in Hawaii.

We are off to visit for the week.  Try not to feel sorry for me.

I’m home safely from Radcon.  It was a fun con and I get to see a lot of people I like. As a bonus, my 5:45 am train was delayed. Normally, one does not count a delay as a bonus, but since Amtrak let me know the day before that it was running behind schedule, it meant that I got to sleep in.

I got up, had breakfast with some folks, and then headed to the train station. I managed to get about 3000 words written on the trip back and wrap a chapter. That’s a nice feeling.

Tomorrow… Tomorrow, Rob and I are going on vacation.

I’m at RadCon! This is my first time and so far it looks like it will be a load of fun. Lots of people that I know and like, which is always good.  I got in tonight, but am really only here tomorrow.

Here’s my schedule.

• 9:00 The Healthy Hero — Emerald
• 10:00 SFWA Regional Meeting — Sage
• 13:00 The Muddle in the Middle — Ruby
• 17:00 What Writers Mean — Ruby

In travel news, because I know you are curious, I took the train. We left on time and had a delay waiting for a freight train to pass just outside of Pasco. I think we got in about forty-five minutes late.  I don’t mind train delays because I can get up and walk around. I also got a lot of writing done. Yay.

The bonus was that Amtrak stays at the Red Lion so I was able to catch a ride with the shuttle from the train station instead of needing to find my own way.  that makes life easier, eh?  I think that balances out the late arrival so travel karma wise, this worked out even.

I’ve just posted the draft of Chapter 4 of The Transfigured Lady, for those of you reading along. The lovely thing that has happened this past week, while working on the novel, was that I got to make a trip to the North Portland Library and spend the day in the Black Resources Center perusing the Fisk University Collection.

Actually, the part that was really great was talking with Patricia Welch, the manager of the library.  I had called the library earlier in the week to ask if there were a reference librarian that I could meet with.  I’d been doing research on my own for the past year, but was running into some trouble as I started to get more specific in the things that I needed to know.  To my surprise, Ms. Welch agreed to be the librarian helping me with this project.

Not only did she spend a chunk of time just asking me about the story, she also found books which were exactly what I needed.

Writers: Reference librarians are your best friends.

In part because they know their material and they are trained in how to search for other items. Don’t expect them to do your homework for you, but when you need help finding that one key piece of information, they are the first place to turn.  I know it seems wacky, but the internet does not hold all knowledge.

I’m lucky in that Multnomah County has an excellent collection overall and an enthusiastic staff.

Dear SFWA members:

I’m running again for the position of Vice President. For the last three years, I’ve been privileged to work with a extremely active and committed board, first Secretary of SFWA and for the last year as Vice President. I believe that SFWA is an important organization and that volunteering for it is a way that we can each help to pay it forward by making the field stronger. The past three years have been rewarding and exciting times.

There are still things that I want to accomplish, such as trying to find affordable health care for our members, and things that I want to see through, such as reincorporating in California under the new bylaws. I would very much like to continue helping SFWA regain solid footing so that it can continue to inform, support, promote, defend and advocate for our members.

During the next year, I plan to continue the work that we have begun. Part of the work that we have in front of us is the Operations Policy and Procedure Manual (OPPM) which, I believe, will make the work of running SFWA easier and clearer.

This will be my last term on the board. I mention this because I think it is important to understand that if you vote for me, you will be voting for a vice presidential candidate who will not run for President next year. In addition to the points that John Scalzi makes in his platform, I also want to encourage candidates, now, to think about running next year for the board of directors. SFWA is important. As a group we can improve things within the industry in ways that individuals cannot, but we are dependent on our volunteers. We are dependent on you.

For those of you that I have not yet met, here is a little about me personally.

• I have been an Active member of SFWA since 2007 and served on the board since 2008.
• In addition to my Board duties, I have also supervised the team which built your new website, sourced and manage the new membership management software, and researched options for health insurance.
• I was the 2008 Campbell Award Winner for Best New Writer.
• I’ve sold two fantasy novels to Tor, and my debut novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, appeared last summer.
• In addition, I’ve sold over 40 short stories to markets such as Asimov’s, Strange Horizons and Clarkesworld as well as appearing in several Year’s Best. In 2009 my short story, “Evil Robot Monkey” was on the Hugo ballot.
• Besides writing, I am a professional puppeteer and voice actor and have worked in the arts for the last twenty years. I served on the Board of Directors and as the Vice President of UNIMA-USA, the American branch of the international puppetry organization.
• My work in the arts has give me experience in how effective non-profits function, as well as grant-writing and volunteer management.
• I live with my husband, Rob, in Portland, OR.

I look forward to continuing my work for SFWA as part of the 2011-2012 Board of Directors.

While I was in Utah at the Superstars Writing Seminar, I did a very fast version of my “How to Give an Effective Reading” workshop.  I do this talk at conventions when I get the chance and have the text of the longer version here on the site.

BUT while I was there Stephen Nelson offered to film my presentation. Here’s part one and part two.

This evening I participated in my first twitter chat. It makes for an interesting interview format because it was a conversation but in 140 character bursts.  Byran Thomas Schmidt is the charming host and he opened the evening with this simple mission statement:

“Our goal is to talk with writers, editors, and others about the craft of writing, specifically related to writing speculative fiction.”

We talked about Shades of Milk and Honey, my writing process, puppetry, and SFWA.

You can follow next week’s chat with Jay Lake by using the hastag #sffwrtcht on twitter.  If you didn’t catch the chat with me tonight, you can read a transcript via bryanthomasschmidt: Science Fiction And Fantasy Writer’s Chat 2/16/11 with Mary Robinette Kowal.

Are you a SFWA active or associate member? You have cast your ballot for the Nebula Nomination Period, haven’t you? I mean, the deadline is tonight.

The biggest reason I hear from people who haven’t is that they just haven’t read much this year. I understand that. But here’s the thing, if you read anything that you really liked this year you should put that on your ballot. Maybe it won’t make the final ballot but maybe your nod will be the one vote needed to push it into the running.

Did you know that last year there was a five-way tie leading up to the final day? Your vote. Yes, yours, could have been the deciding vote.

The way I figure it, if you didn’t have time to read much this year there must be something extraordinary about the things that you did make time to read.  So vote for them or it.

And if you’re the only one who votes for a work? It will make that author’s day just to have the story on the long list.

So, participate. Please?

Online Ballot: http://sfwa.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=1728

You must cast your nomination ballot by tonight, Feburary 15th, 23:59 PST.

To login, you’ll need Your Name, with spaces, as it appears in the SFWA Directory.

If you need your password you may reset it here:
http://www.sfwa.org/forum/ucp.php?mode=sendpassword

If you have already participated, thank you. Now please, guilt one other person into doing it too

Hurrah! I sold a story to the DAW anthology Courts of the Fey, edited by Russell Davis and Martin H. Greenburg.  Here’s a little bit about the anthology.

In the world of the faerie, there are two courts – the Seelie and the Unseelie. According to legend, the Seelie Court, also called The Blessed Ones, are those faeries representing light and goodness. They are the heroes, judges, and they serve the Queen of Air & Light. The Unseelie Court is the opposite: dark, malign, and often evil. They are the riders in the dark clouds of a storm, travelers on the night winds. In COURTS OF THE FEY, talented authors will tell brand new stories of happenings in the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, from the highest of royals to the lowest of rogues.

Clearly, I am delighted by this!

For Valentine’s Day, allow me to introduce you to the budding love story between our cat and the dog upstairs.

Our neighbors were going out of town so we offered to take care of their pets while they were on their trip. Two cats, one dog. Our neighbor stopped by with Nick, the dog, to ask us a question and we invited them in. We were a little curious about how Harriet would behave with a dog, since we’d never seen her with one. She’s a friendly animal, but we did not expect her response. Not by any measure.

She was curled up on the couch and when Nick came through the door, Harriet jumped down and ran up to him, mewing like he was her long lost best friend. She rubbed against him. Followed him. And the purring…

The video below is the third time they’ve met.

Love at first sight. It’s so hard. Every time she’s thrown herself at him, begging for attention. Poor cat. He doesn’t even know she exists.