Wicked Awesome Author Wednesday

Wow, the best laid plans of mice and chicks...  It's been a while but here we are again with WAAW (pronounced wow - because I said so).  The last time we were here, I was chatting up my buddy, JB Lynn - who btw is having an awesome Twitter event from 3-5pm today (hashtag #neurotic).

This week, I thought I'd change it up a little and go with an author I have a big huge writer crush on.

I've never met this person.  Hell, we've barely even chatted online.  But I love her like I love the sound of geese flying over the house, the smell of lilacs on a spring morning, and a brilliant sunrise.  She inspires me and makes me want to be a better writer.  I'm talking about Seanan McGuire.

Under the Seanan McGuire name, she's written countless short stories and, of course, the reason I discovered her in the first place, the October 'Toby' Daye urban fantasy series.  From the first few chapters of Rosemary and Rue, I knew I was in deep authorly love.  With every subsequent page I read, I fell deeper.  And then I read FEED published under her pseudonym, Mira Grant - the first in her Newsflesh Trilogy - and knew what I felt before was puppy-love.

I mean, OMFG.  You ever read something that makes you simultaneously a) question why you ever thought you could write anything and b) light a fire under you to get as close as you can to writing with that level of awesomeness.

Aside from being a WAA, Ms. McGuire is also a furparent to some awesome kitty-babies, and she's an accomplished musician.  (Although to be honest, I'd never listened to any of her Wicked Girls stuff until this morning when I found this video.  If you watch the video, I think that's her third from the left.)

ETA: I totally forgot about her brand new series - InCryptid.  The first book - Discount Armageddon - releases on March 6th.  (And I'm not linking to where to buy it because Seanan is having some issues with certain sales outlets shipping early, which kills her first week sales figures.  Please buy her books, but don't buy them early.)  PS.  Isn't that a wicked awesome cover?? 

We may not always have the same viewpoints, but as far as her writing goes, she's Wicked Awesome in my book.

*Disclaimer: I don't know Seanan.  In fact, she doesn't even know I'm doing this post.  She didn't ask me to, she never gave me any goodies, and all of the above is my opinion alone.  (Seriously, though, if you aren't loving her already, why not? She defines 'wicked awesome'.)