Recovery

So, last week was Launch Week, culminating in the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego. I flew out there on Thursday, came back yesterday on a redeye, and will probably be feeling the aftereffects for many, many days.

Because I had a little party, while I was there:

The SLEEPOVER OF THE GODS (it’s supposed to be capitalized; imagine it in a Movie Announcer Voice) party was a hit and a blast. In keeping with its theme of slightly warped childhood (to honor our God of Childhood Sieh, protag of The Kingdom of Gods), guests were invited to wear pajamas and play silly kiddie games. Hungry Hungry Hippos proved to be an unexpected hit — people are serious about getting those marbles, man. And for those who wore jammies, they got special prizes including a free copy of the book, a badge ribbon (“Planets make great toys” or “GODS RULE”), and a drink served in a sippy cup. The sippy cups proved to be more aggravating than cute. Hey, I haven’t used one for 30-something years; not exactly something I remembered. And although I did attempt Twister, it was nearly a disaster, because I am not flexible enough to do a split, and yet I did one. Then couldn’t get up, because my footie pajamas had no traction. I wasn’t hungover the next day, just really, really sore. As one should be, after playing drunken Twister on a balcony, in pajamas.

I also fully expect some karmic fallout because while New York was gripped by an early freak snowstorm, I woke up every morning to this:

There were cabana boys, you guys. Cabana boys.

I considered this party to be not just the launch of a book, but a farewell to the Inheritance Trilogy, which is now complete. In token of which, when I did my reading at WFC, I actually read the first chapter of The Killing Moon, first book of the Dreamblood duology, because it’s about time for me to start promoting that. Still, the Inheritance books were my first opus — not the magnum, because I’ve got lots more left in me — and that deserves a little celebration. So thanks to everyone who came to the party, and helped me say goodbye to my gods.

Also, many, many thanks to the members of Altered Fluid who were at the con, who a) helped me advertise the party, and b) saved my bacon when at the last minute my plans for going on a groceries/liquor run fell through. And many thanks to Orbit US, who helped me throw the party, and the WFC fellow congoers, who were remarkably tolerant of a group of noisy people in pajamas having a pillowfight above their heads.

No, I didn’t win the World Fantasy Award for The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I’m OK with that; I think Who Fears Death is a fantastic book and I’m happy to lose to Nnedi Okorafor, who’s a friend. The launch was my main concern this weekend, and it went perfectly — and I’m stupendously happy about that.