mercedeslackeyblog - Tumblr blog

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I wish to Apologize

On a panel at the 2022 Nebulas, I had the chance to celebrate authors who wrote positive gay characters long before me.

Chip Delany is obviously a major player in that game. Because there are two Samuel Delanys--there's one from Texas--I wanted to make sure people got hold of the right one. So, in my excitement, I got caught in a mental/verbal stumble between "black" and "person of color," and as best I can remember, what came stuttering out was something like "spcolored." I'm not an amazing speaker. I stammer, I freeze up, & I get things wrong. I am sorry that I bungled a modern term while bringing attention to an amazing black creator. Too often, I am called a pioneer, but I'm not--I'm just who some readers heard of first. I wanted to make sure Delany got all the proper credit that he is more than due, and maybe new readers would be inspired to read his work. A note from Chip Delany:

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Well Iowa banned Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley Yes, you read that right. Schools in Iowa can't read my latest book because... Well, I don't know. I'd ask them, but I don't think they have read it. Must be some other reason. Still, My fans might like a free bumper sticker.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

Spy, Spy Again comes out today!

I hope you enjoy it.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

Awwww! Thank You!

Don't Panic

With Apologies to Theodore Geisel

by Mercedes Lackey

You cannot get it from a box

You cannot get it from a fox

You cannot get it from a cat

You cannot get it from a rat

You cannot get it from a dog

You cannot get it from a log

You cannot get it from a veg

Or sitting on a window ledge

You cannot get it from a fruit

Or from a mouse, however cute

Or get it from someone Chinese*

You sure can get it from a sneeze

Or touching things and then your face

Or any contaminated place

A face-mask will not help you, Sam

And you don’t want it, Sam-I-Am

So wash your hands at every chance

Instead of touching things, just glance

And do not panic, jeez, that’s dumb.

Cause panic will not help you, chum.

*And quit lumping every East Asian into the category of “Chinese” because they have epicanthal folds.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

Don't Panic

With Apologies to Theodore Geisel

by Mercedes Lackey

You cannot get it from a box

You cannot get it from a fox

You cannot get it from a cat

You cannot get it from a rat

You cannot get it from a dog

You cannot get it from a log

You cannot get it from a veg

Or sitting on a window ledge

You cannot get it from a fruit

Or from a mouse, however cute

Or get it from someone Chinese*

You sure can get it from a sneeze

Or touching things and then your face

Or any contaminated place

A face-mask will not help you, Sam

And you don’t want it, Sam-I-Am

So wash your hands at every chance

Instead of touching things, just glance

And do not panic, jeez, that’s dumb.

Cause panic will not help you, chum.

*And quit lumping every East Asian into the category of “Chinese” because they have epicanthal folds.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

DAMN YOU CS LEWIS!

Turkish Delight tastes of roses and disappointment!

[mercedeslackeyblog]

@backwardsandinhighheels​

Isn't CoNZ in Wellington? Asking as I'm volunteering!

OOPS!  Yes, Wellington

Dear Misty. Another huge fan of Valdemar here. Really looking forward to Eye Spy this summer. I was wondering if you would ever consider coming to England on a tour/Con? Thanks for writing such great books, that you can start from (almost) anywhere in the network and fall in head first They are wonderful comfortable reads.

If a con invites us and pays our way we will certainly come! 

This year the big one is ConZealand, the Worldcon in Auckland.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

Dear Misty. Another huge fan of Valdemar here. Really looking forward to Eye Spy this summer. I was wondering if you would ever consider coming to England on a tour/Con? Thanks for writing such great books, that you can start from (almost) anywhere in the network and fall in head first They are wonderful comfortable reads.

If a con invites us and pays our way we will certainly come! 

This year the big one is ConZealand, the Worldcon in Auckland.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

So my grandmother and I have a question, about a couple of the latest Elemental Masters books? We can’t quite pin down the fairy tales A Study in Sable and A Scandal in Battersea are based on. We recognized The Two Sisters in the former, but we weren’t sure if that was the only tale for that one? And neither of us have any clue for the latter (there’s a sort of Lovecraftian vibe, but that’s not a fairy tale)

A Scandal in Battersea is Bluebeard. 

You are correct about the Two Sisters in Study in Sable

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I should be sleeping but, as is usual with your books, I stayed up to finish Closer to the Chest (thank you for starting Valdenar, again!). A question has been plagueing me since the moment it was suggested Dallen was alive at the same time as Vanyel--who was he? Was he Tantras' Companion, or another Herald? If you wish to maintain the mystery I will understand, but I hope you will share. Thank you for EVERYTHING.

Your Welcome!

He was just another herald.

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Hi! First I just wanted to let you know I love your writing so much. My mum and I are big fans of you and we've read and reread all your books a million times. Second, and sorry if you've already answered this previously, what are your thoughts on fanfiction of your work?

Enjoy writing fanfiction!

Just two things:

I can't and won't read it for legal purposes

don't try to make any money from it, or my Great White Shark agent will come after you.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

Does sheet music (or even just lyrics with chords) exist online, or purchasable, for any of the songs from Shadow Stalker? I would absolutely love to be able to play and sing them with my brother, but neither of us is a skilled enough musician to transcribe chords from the recording.

I don't think so. 

There was a songbook at one time, but the company is out of business as far as I can tell.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

Hi! Long time fan here, absolutely love everything you do. I've been wondering - is there any chance we'll ever learn more about Kethry's other children or the founding of Iftel? Just areas I'd love to know more about that are touched on but not fully explored. Thanks!

Well all I can say is that I never plan more than one contract ahead.

The next one is about the Founding of Valdemar.  However there are some interesting reveals in Spy, Spy Again coming out in June.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

Okay so this is just random rambling but I LOVE your books!! I found them in a weird way, by first being introduced to filk in Worldcon 2017, then spending a lot of time on youtube digging up what filk people have uploaded there. Which caused me to stumble upon some of your songs. Which led me to your amazing books, and now I'm absolutely in love and obsessed with them (and 90% of my friends and family wish I wasn't lol) and gosh I just.... damnit why doesn't the library have more of your books!

Thanks! Try inter-library loan!  Ask your librarian about it.  They have interlibrary loan for e-books too!

[mercedeslackeyblog]

Question on Kyree and gender: I have noticed that when you write pronouns for the neuter Kyree in your stories, they are referred to as "he"; is there a biological basis for this distinction or is it a word preference over "it" or "they/them"?

Biological basis.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

So, I just now discovered you had a Tumblr, so I'm taking the chance to tell you the impact your books had on me growing up. I was an odd fish growing up in a very small pond. You can imagine how rough that made school. Two of the first books my mom let me read out of her collection were The Lark and The Wren and By The Sword. Rune and Kero became my role models. Your books have made such an impact on my life. I even named my daughter Ria! As for a question, what is your fav DnD race/class?

I'm very partial to Druids.  I used to play a lot of elves, but I've taken to playing more humans these days.

[mercedeslackeyblog]

I've just gotten my hands on Eye Spy and so far I'm loving it! You've done a really amazing job as a writer making Abi's engineering work fascinating. Question! I did a little nosing about trying to find what her bridge would look like so I can better visualize what she's talking about- is it anything like the Great Stone Bridge that spans River Chiao Shui in China? If not, what style of bridge did she design with her rediscovered arches?

Good sleuthing!  That is, in fact the exact bridge I used to model Abi's on!