Interesting Things on the Internet

I'm laying low this week and next due to massive day job deadlines. Love the day job, but there are occasionally weeks that put all the stress of the publishing industry to shame.  To survive, I slouch about muttering NIN lyrics and reminding myself that this is why they pay engineers the big bucks.  So, no deep thoughts or even cool pictures this week.  (Haha, I know, as if I ever have the time and/or brainpower to write deep thinky blog posts.  But you know.  Hope springs eternal.)  Instead, I shall share a few interesting things I've stumbled over in the past week while procrastinating taking brain breaks.  Because other people *do* have time to write deep thinky blog posts, thank goodness!

• Joe Abercrombie on the value of grit in fantasy
• Foz Meadows responds, digging into some problematic aspects of the current "grimdark" trend in fantasy: On Grittiness and Grimdark
• Chuck Wendig tackles the plethora of misinformation on publishing by asking writers to share their personal experiences: Writers and Misinformation, or "How Did You Publish?"
• Teresa Frohock shares her top 10 tips for the debut author
• There's a pretty neat "Fantasy gift exchange" about to happen at Reddit: I and a bunch of other authors have all signed up, along with many other fantasy fans, artists, etc.  

Oh, and The Whitefire Crossing has gotten a few new reviews lately - nice to see people are still discovering the book!

• A review at Worlds Without End for their Women in Genre Fiction Month (check out all the other reviews of female-authored fantasy! Loads of excellent new books to discover.)
• A review at the blog Adventures in Vanaheim
• I'd rather have a detailed, thought-provoking mixed review than a super-short glowing one any day of the week. (Unless the super-short one is from an editor saying, "I want to buy your next 10 books," haha!)  As proof, I offer you this review at Ladybusiness, which is probably the longest and most conflicted review that Whitefire will ever get.  Also, it has hilarious gifs. Seriously, I love this reviewer for taking the time to discuss the book in such detail, both good and bad!