Book Giveaway: Goblins or Libriomancer
About two weeks ago, I received my author copies of the Science Fiction Book Club editions of Libriomancer and The Legend of Jig Dragonslayer.
This makes me happy for lots of reasons. Many of the books on my shelves came from the SFBC, back when I was younger and there was no way I could afford full-priced hardcovers. And then I found the SFBC. Five free books at sign-up? Reduced-price omnibus editions? Sweet! This is how I first discovered authors like Robert Asprin, Fred Saberhagan, Anne McCaffrey, Ursula LeGuin, even Asimov and his Foundation Trilogy.
So I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate this milestone, my first books to make it into the club, with a giveaway. And since the stress-o-meter has been running rather high lately, I’m gonna go with something happy and hopefully simple for this one.
All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me about one of the best things that happened to you in 2012.
I’ll pick one commenter at random next week and send them an autographed copy of the SFBC edition of either Libriomancer or The Legend of Jig Dragonslayer. Their choice.
This isn’t a U.S.-only contest, so anyone can enter.
Mark Siegal
January 25, 2013 @ 9:46 am
On the morning of New Year’s Eve, I found out this essay of mine would be published in The Magazine: http://the-magazine.org/8/fits-you-to-a-t
Noah Sturdevant
January 25, 2013 @ 9:47 am
The best thing that happened to me in 2012 was moving to China to teach English.
Teresa
January 25, 2013 @ 9:48 am
I married my best friend last year! 🙂
Sara Gunderson
January 25, 2013 @ 9:52 am
The best thing to happen to me in 2012 was that I managed to engage in creative writing nearly every day, and the writing gaps that occurred were measured in days, not months. That, or The Avengers. Take your pick. 🙂
Julie Frost
January 25, 2013 @ 9:54 am
What, I have to pick one thing?
Okay: Two of my short stories were accepted by semi-pro publications. One should be up Feb 1, and the other on Feb 5, if all goes well.
M. Fenn
January 25, 2013 @ 9:56 am
Best thing that happened to me in 2012? That would be getting published for the first time and having another story accepted that’ll be out this year. Very exciting!
Saira Ali
January 25, 2013 @ 10:03 am
So many wonderful things happened in 2012 it’s hard picking just one, but I guess things like “landed an awesome job” and “took a vacation with my partner” couldn’t have happened without “finished my motherfucking thesis and got my degree.” So that would be it!
Eric J. Ehlers
January 25, 2013 @ 10:04 am
I was going to say that Disney bought Lucasfilm. But that happened to all of us. So more sincerely, it was super exciting to be able to organize and release the first issue of Quantum Fairy Tales in less than a month. So invigorating.
Jeri Lynn
January 25, 2013 @ 10:04 am
My best part of 2012 was 2 fold. My husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, and then we really celebrated by going in our first cruise (up to Alaska)!
C. Heck
January 25, 2013 @ 10:06 am
The best thing that happened to me last year was me deciding to not let my anxiety disorder ruin my life, to go back to college despite the fear, and make something out of my life.
Jasmine Stairs
January 25, 2013 @ 10:14 am
I went to asia for two months, and then I came HOME to family and friends.
Taffer
January 25, 2013 @ 10:20 am
I did great at a very challenging online Cryptography class (from Stanford, via the awesome Coursera) and managed to survive the difficult math despite being many, many years out from highschool/university math courses.
Huey
January 25, 2013 @ 10:27 am
I got kissed by someone who meant it.
Jay Dalziel
January 25, 2013 @ 10:28 am
Receiving a signed hardcover copy of the _very_ out of print Finder by Emma Bull mailed by the lady herself.
My favourite novel of all time, signed by the author, purchased as part of the auction for http://con-or-bust.org/? Made for one hell of a good day, that did.
Leslie
January 25, 2013 @ 10:41 am
Finally got my master’s degree.
Stephen A. Watkins
January 25, 2013 @ 10:42 am
Best thing in 2012? Probably that we finished moving into a great new house (and sold our first house in record time). Those were some pretty good things.
David Crampton
January 25, 2013 @ 10:46 am
The best thing that happened in 2012 was realizing that my wife and I work really well as a writer/editor team. Like, REALLY well.
sandyg265
January 25, 2013 @ 10:46 am
Went on a nice vacation to Vermont with my boyfriend
Anemone Flynn
January 25, 2013 @ 10:54 am
The best thing that happened to me in 2012 is that I finished NaNoWriMo for the first time with 63,000 words of a new novel. It rocked my world!
LLindsay
January 25, 2013 @ 11:07 am
Best thing of 2012? Watching my daughter fall head over heels in love with one of my all time favorite kid series The Song of the Lioness quartet, by Tamora Pierce. My kiddo is dyslexic, and as a result has historically been a reluctant reader. Not anymore. Now she reads anything she can get her hands on. SOTL was the key that finally turned the rusty lock on her resistance to reading and I could not be happier.
Andrew Zimmerman Jones
January 25, 2013 @ 11:14 am
I had two articles published on the NOVA Physics blog The Nature of Reality: Can String Theory Be Tested? and Writing a Bold Future, Together. Having been a longtime fan of NOVA, that was a pretty cool experience, to be published on a blog that’s published Nobel Prize winners!
Lise Andreasen
January 25, 2013 @ 11:17 am
This year my boyfriend (fan guest of honor at Eurocon ’07) and I have our 5th anniversary. Last year we decided to celebrate that with a party. That decision made a happy day.
Carol S
January 25, 2013 @ 11:17 am
My daughter was born. Best thing that ever happened to me, since she brings me joy (and laughter and frustration and a whole range of emotions and experiences) every day.
Stefan
January 25, 2013 @ 11:20 am
The best thing that happened in 2012? I graduated and got my BA. 🙂
Tric
January 25, 2013 @ 11:22 am
In 2012, I finally graduated with a BA in Celtic languages and culture. It was pretty big for me! Next step is starting an MA in translation come September.
Readsalot81
January 25, 2013 @ 11:25 am
The greatest thing to happen to me in 2012 was realizing what a wonderful, loving, supportive family I have after losing my job early on in the year. Helping me with going back to school and not letting me sink into a funk about it has been a wonderful thing 🙂
Rebe
January 25, 2013 @ 11:29 am
The best thing that happened to me was that I started running and kept it up! Finished several 5Ks and one 10K, proving to myself that I really could do anything if I set my mind to it. Now to apply that lesson of slogging along every day to my writing…
Bryon Quertermous
January 25, 2013 @ 11:34 am
I’m hoping to get my books signed in person at Penguicon so I’ll let others enter the contest. But this post was a good reminder to chat about the good things that happened in 2012 so I blather on about my wife and kids over at my blog today.
mattw
January 25, 2013 @ 11:35 am
I started working on my MLIS.
Meagen Voss
January 25, 2013 @ 11:42 am
The very best thing that happened to me in 2012 was that I got a new job–one with a boss who believes life exists beyond the office and loves that I write fiction.
Alan DeHaan
January 25, 2013 @ 11:43 am
The absolute best thing that happened to me was the birth of my first son in August.
Christina Vasilevski
January 25, 2013 @ 11:45 am
One of the best things that happened to me in 2012 was attending the World Fantasy Convention in Toronto. So many books! So many authors! (So many injuries to my wallet!)
checarina
January 25, 2013 @ 11:57 am
Started medication that, combined with therapy, is changing my life for the better.
Colleen Hickey
January 25, 2013 @ 11:58 am
I got to see Rise of the Guardians and imagine some magic for my stories
Brienne Wright
January 25, 2013 @ 12:00 pm
The best thing that happened to me in 2012 was quitting my job.
Bryon Quertermous
January 25, 2013 @ 12:00 pm
http://bryonquertermous.com/2013/01/25/a-note-on-my-happiness-from-2012/
tina
January 25, 2013 @ 12:06 pm
2012 was a rough year for me. But the best thing that happened was all the new things i learned and experience by spending time with friends and family
Sarah
January 25, 2013 @ 12:07 pm
I’ve gotten healthy in the past year. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Celiac disease. I was sick for a long time – I feel like I am getting a second chance for things; I have energy and now I feel like I could take on the world. The contrast between last winter and this winter is astonishing.
Tereza Stovickova
January 25, 2013 @ 12:10 pm
Well, this is not what happened exactly to me but I was so happy and excited about it. After nine months, my friend gave a birth to her lovely daughter Regina! And what more, this little queen was born on Summer Solstice, 21st of June! My friend also couldn’t have child for a long time so this is our little magical miracle of 2012. 🙂
New magical life started, time to celebrate. 🙂
Kenneth A O'Shaughnessy
January 25, 2013 @ 12:12 pm
I completed writing my first chapter book for kids.
Nicole Mine
January 25, 2013 @ 12:13 pm
So, Honestly, The best thing to happen to me in 2012 was really just getting to spend any time that I could with my sister or Friends. Since my mom died in 2011 and I inherited her house and bills, I have been pretty much focused on Working to try to keep up. Oh. I also finally turned 21! (Though, I still have never gone drinking)
Michelle D
January 25, 2013 @ 12:13 pm
After getting a job in a book store, I decided to start my own genre fiction website!
Steve
January 25, 2013 @ 12:13 pm
You know you’ve really arrived when your books have SFBC editions. Congrats. 🙂
Michelle D
January 25, 2013 @ 12:14 pm
After starting a job in a book store, I decided to start my genre fiction website!
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
January 25, 2013 @ 12:14 pm
Well, the best thing that happened in 2012 was that I sold my first anthology to a major publisher. I can’t announce who yet as the contract is currently being finalized but it made for a hell of a Christmas.
Rachel A Olson
January 25, 2013 @ 12:16 pm
I’d say the #1 best thing that happened in 2012 was that I got to go to California (I’m from Nebraska) and watch my best friend of 21 years get married! I think I was more of a wreck than anyone else.
BTW, I seriously want Libriomancer! I participated in a Facebook giveaway awhile back, but I never win anything. Never hurts to keep trying!
Mariann Asanuma
January 25, 2013 @ 12:19 pm
One of the best things that happened to me last year was that I was paid to go to Florida and build a 4ft long LEGO McDonald’s building, got to see a free concert with several big name singers (Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Seal), and then went to eight theme parks (all 4 DisneyWorld parks, LEGOLAND, SeaWorld, and both Universal parks) for free! And the best part — it was my birthday and the 5th anniversary of my business!!!
When I started my LEGO Art business five years ago I never would have imagined that I would be doing something like that.
J.A. Campbell
January 25, 2013 @ 12:20 pm
Congrats!!!
The best thing was probably either meeting all the great authors at Anomaly con and becoming more involved in the local writing community, which allowed me to go to Mile Hi Con as a panelist, or maybe Kira, my Border Collie’s great strides in herding, or my short story, Brown, Ghost-Hunting Dog, getting accepted into a horror anthology, which allowed me to join the HWA as an associate member. Lots of good stuff last year 🙂
Julie
Victoria
January 25, 2013 @ 12:21 pm
My partner moved in with me in 2012. And now we’re moving to a new place that’s actually big enough for the both of us!
Aimee Kuzenski
January 25, 2013 @ 12:24 pm
I was declared cancer-free. Also, got the funds through Kickstarter to publish my first novel.
Joseph
January 25, 2013 @ 12:26 pm
Best thing to happen to me in 2012: I bought my first house, and I have dedicated a room to being my library! Having my own library is a dream come true!
A.J.
January 25, 2013 @ 12:26 pm
One of the best things that happened to me in 2012 was summer, where I was able to take my 3-old son swimming almost every day.
Congrats on the SFBC! 🙂
Sandra
January 25, 2013 @ 12:26 pm
I got my very first book cover–a photo that I took of my most favorite place in the entire world. And it’s gorgeous.
Melissa Ewing
January 25, 2013 @ 12:28 pm
The best thing that happened in 2012 was my summer vacation. It started in Chicago with my best friend from High School where we saw Marillion http://marillion.com/ play two nights at Park West and ended in a tent on the the other side of Lake Michigan (Muskegon State Park) with my husband and son.
Tess Lecuyer
January 25, 2013 @ 12:31 pm
Ostriches.
Kevin S.
January 25, 2013 @ 12:37 pm
Got my dream job at the red cross!!!! (then got laid off lol)
Mary Bertke
January 25, 2013 @ 12:39 pm
I was braiding hair in the dealer’s room at Millennicon when, from across the room, I saw a man that I was pretty sure was Christopher Stasheff. I had been a huge fan of Stasheff in my teens and early 20s, and even wrote a song about one of his books a year before it was published. (My speculation tuned out to be fairly accurate.) I had gotten to sing this song for him at a convention in 1996, but had not seen or had any contact with him since.
I wandered over to say hello, and he looked at me and said, “Aren’t you the young woman who wrote that song about Geoffrey? We have a website now – could we get a recording of it to put in the fan section?”
Sixteen years. He remembered my song for sixteen years. And a recording we made in the filk room that night is now posted on the media page of his website.
Gerald Ward
January 25, 2013 @ 12:41 pm
The high point of 2012 for me was the birth of my sweet, happy, and healthy second daughter, Enid Amelia.
Firyar
January 25, 2013 @ 12:42 pm
I found an awesome RPG group 🙂
Rachel
January 25, 2013 @ 12:43 pm
We got a new place! We no longer live with three cats in a single car converted garage! Yaaaay!
Nicole Crampton
January 25, 2013 @ 12:46 pm
The best thing that happened to me in 2012, was being able to sit down as a team with my husband, David Crampton, and work on editing his first novel to make it worthy of professional publishing. We were scared it wouldn’t work out and we would end up hating each other, but instead we have a great time throwing ideas around and listening to me scream at the paper “Why, why did you put that there?!”
Beth
January 25, 2013 @ 12:49 pm
My second child was born and almost immediately began sleeping through the night.
Talitha Lee
January 25, 2013 @ 12:49 pm
The best thing to happen in 2012 for me was getting to take my kids to meet 2 authors that they had been reading for a while. Watching them interact with the authors was great and now they constantly ask me if there are any author signings going on so they can meet more. While I know it’s not the most amazing, wonderful, super fantastic best thing to happen to someone in 2012 it was a really awesome for a house full of voracious bibliomaniacs. Authors are our super heroes.
Abby
January 25, 2013 @ 12:51 pm
In 2012, I finished the first big project that I was in charge of at my new job. I jumped up and down with the final, printed copy!
Sandra
January 25, 2013 @ 1:00 pm
Had my daughter. Nuf said
Aaron
January 25, 2013 @ 1:01 pm
Many good things happened to me in 2012 and very few bad things, so that in itself is very good, but the best thing of all was buying my first house with my splendid wife.
Cathy
January 25, 2013 @ 1:01 pm
The best thing that happened in 2012 is that I bought a new bicycle.
Susan
January 25, 2013 @ 1:02 pm
After being unemployed for a year, I finally got a job! It was nice to realize I wasn’t going to lose my house.
Dusty
January 25, 2013 @ 1:04 pm
There were a lot of good things, but the best thing that happened to me in 2012 was being reunited with my childhood sweetheart & finding out that we still like each other – a lot 🙂
Frances Silversmith
January 25, 2013 @ 1:09 pm
I made my first SFWA-qualifying short story sale in 2012.
I still have this tendency to start floating around the house whenever I think of it. 😀
Samantha Nelson
January 25, 2013 @ 1:11 pm
Thanks for the Inspiration to write my own twisted Fairy tails.
Sage
January 25, 2013 @ 1:11 pm
Trite as it may sound… the guy. Things clicked into place faster than could ever be imagined, and loving him is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
Eric J. Krause
January 25, 2013 @ 1:14 pm
Best thing that happened this year is that I found a publisher, Hunt Press, for my book, Dragon Guard. Should be out in February.
Dave
January 25, 2013 @ 1:14 pm
The best thing that happened to me in 2012 was strengthening the friendship with an old high school friend after a few long talks.
Genny C
January 25, 2013 @ 1:16 pm
The best thing that happened in 2012? The birth of my son and watching my daughter grow. And thinking about all the books I can’t wait to share with them!
America
January 25, 2013 @ 1:16 pm
I wanted to have something awesome to say here, but maybe I am not optimistic enough to find the best thing. The best I can think of is that, after the deaths of 4 pets, my great grandmother and a close family friend in the last four months of 2012, is that I managed a year without buriels. Not precisely cheery, and maybe very selfish, but I am overwhelmingly glad that death doesn’t seem to be chasing my loved ones around anymore.
Hannah
January 25, 2013 @ 1:17 pm
I started writing short stories of my own after being encouraged by a friend-author who writes one every week. Getting started on my own writing has been freeing and exciting.
Meredith
January 25, 2013 @ 1:17 pm
So much happy news! Yay!
I got to go on a fabulous vacation with my mom and sister, and someone I love marked one year of sobriety. 🙂
Samantha Jean
January 25, 2013 @ 1:18 pm
I really, truly don’t know what the best thing was that happened to me last year. Lots of good things, but nothing sticks out as the best. I guess, if you’ll count it, 13 minutes into the new year this year, I finished the 5th complete rewrite of my first novel.
Mecca
January 25, 2013 @ 1:20 pm
My husband and I started a gift shop in the shopping strip where he is the demonstrating blacksmith.
Paul
January 25, 2013 @ 1:22 pm
Twins arrived in June! One of them looks like my wife’s side of the family, one looks like mine, so everybody’s happy.
Sarah Cassill
January 25, 2013 @ 1:25 pm
I had weight loss surgery
Stephanie
January 25, 2013 @ 1:26 pm
In January of 2012, I gathered my courage and asked out the geeky guy I’d been crushing on. We had the best first date either of us had ever experienced, and will be celebrating our one year anniversary this weekend. I’ve never met someone who shares as much love for science fiction and fantasy as I do, and it has been one of the best years of my life. Yay, 2012!
Nichole Anne
January 25, 2013 @ 1:29 pm
I finally got a job teaching preschoolers.
Jessica Whitlatch
January 25, 2013 @ 1:32 pm
The best thing this year was being able to loose 10lbs for the first time in 12yrs! 🙂 And I’m keeping it off!!
Laura
January 25, 2013 @ 1:33 pm
One of the best things to happen to me last year? After ten years of being out of school, I finally decided to go back to college and get my degree. After ten years of being unhappy that I never finished, things fell into place and I have managed to get back into it!
Gerard
January 25, 2013 @ 1:34 pm
My wife and I paid off our house
Mary Alice Kropp
January 25, 2013 @ 1:40 pm
The best thing that happened to me in 2012 was finding out that our oldest daughter, her fiance, and our one year old grandson will be moving back to New England!
Lark
January 25, 2013 @ 1:44 pm
My best of 2012 was our 3-week family road trip to the Canadian Rockies. The mountains were spectacularly beautiful. We rented an RV; walked some lovely trails; saw 10 bears (grizzly and brown), a mountain goat, a wolf (probably, though it might have been a coyote), and a bunch of waterfalls; went up two mountains by gondola; and took a river raft trip, a boat tour of a gorgeous lake, and an expedition out onto the Athabasca Glacier. But the absolutely best part? Three uninterrupted weeks with my husband and daughter, having a wonderful time together.
Gina X. Grant
January 25, 2013 @ 1:46 pm
After years of working towards a writing career, I got a 3-book (ebook) deal with Simon & Schuster. Go, 2012!
Allison
January 25, 2013 @ 1:46 pm
The best thing that happened to me in 2012 was that I got to spend three weeks in South Africa working with some of their amazing animals, which has been a dream of mine since childhood!
Amit
January 25, 2013 @ 1:46 pm
Four years after losing my job, I finally found a new one!
Aurora Koch
January 25, 2013 @ 1:47 pm
Woe that is totally awesome of you! Course, you are a totally awesome guy!! Thanks for the chance!
I’d have to say the best thing that happened I me is that my sister and I were able to start our business based on our family recipe of natural soap. It has been a wonderful experience. I couldn’t be happier!!!
HurogGirl
January 25, 2013 @ 1:58 pm
Got job, found new apartment, short story selected for small anthology.
Tracy Cembor
January 25, 2013 @ 2:16 pm
My daughter, who was 2 months premature and has developmental delays, finally walked at 22 months.
Also, finished the rough draft of The Dreamless City, a YA steampunk urban fantasy about a girl and her imaginary horse.
Brittney Hargraves
January 25, 2013 @ 2:19 pm
The best thing that happened to me this year…That would have to be becoming homeless. I know that is such a strange thing to say, but this year has been so chaotic. Between the loos of my grandmother Bea, and various other struggles I have begun to see the beauty in the simplicity of life. Without the horrible, horrible things I have gone through this year, things would seem quite as vibrant and splendid as they do now. You can’t know sweet without tasting something bitter, but you’d never expect it to change your entire views on life. My best and favorite thing that happened in 2012 was learning to live again, to love again. Seeing this world isn’t really such an awful place if you refuse to let it be. Even in the darkest of times, somewhere in the universe there is a candle waiting for you to see its flame. But you have to want to see it, the wickedness will seem infinite at times, but it never is. Eventually something has to happen to change it, be it a simple gesture from a stranger, or even simply their words. This year at Disney World I saw a young girl with cancer in the Bippity Boppity boutique where girls get hair and make-up done. This sweet child had no hair and her and her mother were reduced to tears when the make a wish people brought her a real hair wig and park quality princess dress. To see ow much joy that little girl got, from one day with her hair back made a huge impact in my life. Yet another example of a small joy amidst and even bigger disaster…In 2012 I learned life is short, and if you blink you miss it. I learned to be free, and enjoy the world and I hope one day everyone will.
Brittney Hargraves
January 25, 2013 @ 2:21 pm
*loss, *wouldn’t seem as vibrant, *how much joy
Galena
January 25, 2013 @ 2:25 pm
Buying our house 🙂
Jessica
January 25, 2013 @ 2:26 pm
The best things to happen in 2012: Finally getting my University degree (the actual, genuine article, piece of paper that says I’m SHMART now) and doing NaNo with a completely original story (not something hashed up or reheated from the past).
fractal
January 25, 2013 @ 2:28 pm
I had a baby girl. It changed everything! Also, now there is someone to inherit my library.