Writing Year in Review 2012

[catherineldf]

It's been a very, very full year. :-)
As part of or related to the launch of my first novel, Silver Moon, I did the following:

• I did readings and panels at 7 science fiction conventions - Marscon, WisCon, 4th Street Fantasy, CONvergence, Diversicon, Worldcon and Gaylaxicon.
• I moderated and participated a panel on lesbian shapeshifters at the Golden Crown Literary Convention.
  
• I did 5 bookstore/event readings - DreamHaven Books, Comics and Art; Quatrefoil Library; Women and Children First Bookstore; Outwords Books and Cafe; Magers & Quinn Booksellers
  
• I was a featured author at the Raintaxi Twin Cities Book Festival.
  
• I was a writer guest on KFAI's Write on! Radio show.
  
• I wrote the following guest blogs:
  

1. "Do's and Don'ts of Author Self-Promotion" - on Morgen Bailey's writing blog.
   
2. Lesbian Fiction Appreciation Event I did a guest post on host author K.T. Grant's blog on lesbian protagonists in science fiction and fantasy.
   
3. Whatever: The Big Idea: Silver Moon
   
4. "Writing Silver Moon and Menopausal Werewolves" at the Skiffy and Fanty Show Blog
   
5. Good Lesbian Books - post on my favorite "starter" books with lesbian protagonists/themes.
   
6. "Adventures in Marketing: Promoting My First Novel" on author and editor Deborah J. Ross' blog.
   
7. "The Highs and Lows of Promoting Lesbian Fiction" on The Scarlet Letter ezine.
   
8. "Genre and Border Crossings" at Lisabet Sarai's Beyond Romance
   
9. SF Signal Mind Meld - "Directions that SF Hasn't Taken" (with Kelly McCullough, David J. Schwartz, Michael D. Thomas/Damien Taylor and Ayleen the Peacemaker)
   
10. "Depictions of Aging in SF/F" - Clarion Foundation's Writer's Craft blog

• I did the following interviews
  

1. Menopause and The Single Werewolf: Ten Questions with Catherine Lundoff, author of Silver Moon on author Tracy S. Morris' blog.
   
2. Author Gavin Atlas interviewed me at Out in Print on my recent work.
   
3. Werewolf blogger extraordinaire David Jon Fuller interviewed me about Silver Moon at his blog, As You Were: Metal, Monsters, Mayhem.
4. Author Roxanne Bland interviewed me at Of Werewolves and Other Strangers
   
5. Tom Muzyka interviewed me for Outlook Columbus
   

• I was a guest on the following podcasts:
  

1. Skiffy and Fanty Show - "Influences on Modern Fantasy"
   
2. Reading from Silver Moon, Broad Universe Broadpod Podcast for Pride Month.
   
3. Alternate History - Broad Universe Broadpod Podcast, includes a reading from my collection A Day at the Inn, A Night at the Palace and Other Stories.
   
4. Readings Goes to the Wolves - multi-author interview and reading on lesbian werewolves, includes a short reading from Silver Moon
   
5. "Exploring Beyond the Borders: Breaking the Conventions of Genre in SF/F/H." Broadly Speaking Podcast with Larissa Niec, Julia Rios and Kris McDermott.
   
6. Episode 49 of the Cocktail Hour - "Catherine Lundoff and Silver Moon"
   

• Some of the reviews: She-Wolf blog, Rainbow Reader, Out in Print, Lambda Literary
• An excerpt from Silver Moon ran on SheWired, The Advocate's feed

Not surprisingly, I wrote very little new short fiction (3 new stories). I saw reprints of my stories "Diplomacy" (in a new edition of Periphery: Erotic Lesbian SF from Untreed Reads) and "At the Roots of the World Tree" (in Sky-Tinted Waters: A Minnspec Anthology from Sam's Dot Press). Hellebore and Rue: Tales of Queer Women and Magic was a finalist for a Goldie Award and was released in an ebook edition from Lethe Press. And I did make some headway on a new erotic science fiction novel and on Blood Moon, Silver Moon's sequel.

Writer "bucket" list items achieved in 2012: saw my first novel published, saw it get a positive review in Publisher's Weekly, received an invitation to be a Special Guest at a 2013 con (Diversicon 21) and was a featured author at the TC Books Festival. While 2012 has had its ups and downs, overall, it's been an amazing year. Many, many thanks to everyone who encouraged and supported and hosted me this year! Your help and kind words (and book purchases) have made all the difference. I look forward to working with many of you in 2013 and years to come.

No real resolutions for next year yet, except to write more words, meet more readers and embrace new challenges. :-)

Here's wishing everyone a lovely New Year's and terrific 2013!