Well - if you've been watching the updates on all the various websites
and blogs etc. that pertain the ALma Alexander and her doings, you
will know that Worldweavers 1:Gift of the Unmage is officially out on
the streets. So far the reviews have been pretty cool - Kirkus
Reviews, the one with the curmudgeonly reputation, called it
"Suspenseful and engossing" (it also called it a mix of Carlos
Castaneda and Orson Scott Card in his Alvin Maker period - hey, I'll
take it...). Booklist called it "an exquisite job". Kliatt and VOYA
(and it has a starred review in the latter) both told the people who
liked Harry Potter to go get this book - which is really cool. Oh, and
by the way - there's a new site, dedicated to the Worldweavers books.
You can get there through my official website, or directly at
www.worldweaversweb.com (they named my cats on the back flap of the
hardcover dustjacket, so I thought it would be fun, amonst other
things, to feature my cats on one part of the page...)

APPEARANCES
I'm doing a reading in Bellingham, at Village Books in Fairhaven, on
April 5 at 7:30, for anyone who is within shouting distance. The store
has 34 copies of the book in stock, something that makes me feel all
warm and fuzzy - they really DO have confidence in me, my friends at
Village Books, and I appreciate it! I'm still working on the local
Barnes and Noble, perhaps in May. In the meantime, I've received
invitations to be a part of an event at the Redmond Borders in June
(date still to be confirmed, and will be announced) and also to join a
teachers' conference in Leavenworth WA in early May and then to lead a
YA writing workshop there at a Writing Camp on May 13.  And then I'll
be off th Wiscon, end of May. But more about all that later.

Just returned from Lunacon, and a visit with my publisher and my agent
in New York. I did a bit of research for Worldweavers 3 - in the
process of being written right now, and a lot of fun so far - and my
lovely agent and I discussed details of a brand new project, the
proposal for which will be going off to various publishers very
shortly and the research for which I will be starting when I'm done
with the YA books. You can read about that outing on my blog, which is
at http://anghara.livejournal.com if you haven't been there yet.

IN OTHER NEWS
Just did an interview for a German fantasy magazine, which I am told
might appear as soon as this summer - and the German edition of "Jin
Shei" is now out, and looks great. I"m still awaiting author copies of
the Lithuianian and the Czech editions, which will both be fun - and
the Brazilian edition, which I am told is also out. I've yet to see
the author copies of the Dutch "Embers" edition, too, so there will be
a lot of new book parcels coming home to roost soon.

I"ve got new reviews due soon at SFSite, so keep an eye on that place
over the next few issues if you want to know my opinion of a bunch of
new books, including Mary Gentle's "Ilario" - and I might also be
starting to write reviews for IROSF soon, too. Lots to do, lots to do,
busy and happy...

Happy spring, wherever you are. Keep an eye on my appearances list on
the main webiste, and if you're anywhere near where I might be come
and say hello.

And if you've read "Gift of the Unmage" and feel like posting a review
on Amazon - please do! I'd muchly appreciate it...

Until next time -

Alma
www.AlmaAlexander.com