MANY thanks to the Lowell Observatory (in Flagstaff, Arizona) for including me in their wonderful “I (heart) Pluto” Festival this weekend! Everyone had a wonderful time, including State Representative Justin Wilmoth, who is introducing a bill to the Legislature declaring that “Pluto is the State Planet of Arizona.” (As the Representative noted in his remarks, “No other state has discovered a planet!”) (Yes, we know that Pluto is dismissed as a “planetoid” by the uninformed; (most of) the good people of Flagstaff decline to accept that designation.) The text and image below shows (most of) the certificate the Observatory folks gave me, commemorating their naming one of “their” (as in, they discovered and registered it) asteroids after me. Quite an honor! (28890) Gabaldon = 2000 KY65 Discovery: 2000-05-27 / LONEOS / Anderson Mesa / 699 Diana J. Gabaldon (b. 1952) is an American author. After earning a PhD in behavioral ecology and working as a university professor, she became a full time writer and is known for her bestselling Outlander […]
Archive for 2024
An Excess of Eyes
Well. First, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! I hope you all had plenty of chocolate, and a nice day filled with warm breezes and spring flowers! Weirdly enough, today was also Ash Wednesday—some of you will likely have seen the occasional person going about their business with a smeary black thumbprint in the middle of their forehead; this is the application of ashes, which Catholics take as a sign of the beginning of Lent, a season of penitence and preparation for Easter. The combination of Ash Wednesday (when Catholics commonly fast) and Valentine’s Day (when people commonly eat chocolate) is a trifle disconcerting. I thought I’d offer you a small, non-food-related valentine, to mark the day: A few days ago, a writer friend asked (in the LitForum) what to do about an excess of eyes. <g> She explained that she’d noticed, reading some of her work, that there seemed to be eyes and mouths all over the place — eyes narrowing, lips pressing together, etc. — and asked if there was a […]
Prequel TV Series Begins Production
Annnnndddd….ACTION! The Outlander Prequel tv series, “Blood of My Blood” (aka “BOB” for short…) is underway! Filming began on January 22nd (and I”m liking everything I’m seeing!), with Episode 101, and here is a quick look at four main characters: Curious about Jamie’s parents? Click here to read “A Bird In The Hand,” the first excerpt I released from my prequel novel.
Recent Interview Podcast – Storycentric
Just for general interest…(if you have any, I mean <g>)… here’s the an interview/podcast (in two parts) that I did with/for Andrew Buckley (The Storycentric Podcast): Thanks, Andrew! -Diana There are multiple ways to listen to podcasts, on different apps/services, so choose whichever you prefer below. Don”t subscribe to any of them? Well, some of these services apparently will allow you to listen to a podcast or two on a trial basis without signing up and paying for a new subscription. Part 1 of Interview with Diana Gabaldon – Episode 24 of The Storycentric Podcast: Andrew’s Description: “This week, I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming to the show Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander series! We talk about the Outlander prequel show, Diana’s origin story in Arizona, the art of voracious reading, Diana the scientist, non-linear writing, character driven storytelling, and more! Don your kilt, and join us for this glorious conversation!” Click on your choice to listen to Part 1 of Andrew’s Storycentric interview podcast (will open […]
February 2024 Events in Arizona!
Oooookay….moving right along here… EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY! EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY Well, February looks pretty interesting, event-wise. It has our 47th wedding anniversary, but beyond that…. Monday, Feb. 5th – The Poisoned Pen – 7:00-8:30 PM (Ticketed Event – $35 to $45, which includes a copy of FOURTEEN DAYS signed by myself and Doug Preston. See below for buy links.) I’ll be doing a live (but also available online) event with Doug Preston (half of the Preston and Child team that produces the Very Entertaining (if slightly gruesome…) Pendergast suspense novels, among others, and the writer of the non-fiction LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD. We’ll be promoting (and signing) a Truly Weird Book called FOURTEEN DAYS, on February 5th at the Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona. Click here to buy a $35 ticket for this event, which admits one person and includes one signed hardcover copy of FOURTEEN DAYS. Or… if you’re coming with someone… Click here to buy a $45 ticket for this event, which admits two persons […]
Outlander Cocktails, Arby’s Ears, & Excerpt
HAPPY 11th of January! Aside from the (no doubt) universal rejoicing at the fact that it’s my birthday <cough>—Penguin Random House would like to announce a couple of Really Entertaining new items. To wit: THE OUTLANDER COCKTAILS BOOK – I wasn’t sure what this would be like, but it’s really gorgeous; the photography is fabulous! (The editor emailed me in great excitement, saying, “The cover looks so great I want a drink, and it’s only 9 AM!!”) I agree, and I really only drink wine…. well, and the occasional wee snort of whisky, for medicinal purposes… Whether you enjoy cocktails yourself, entertain a lot, or just know people who might enjoy a drink called “Rum, Sodomy and the Lash” before dinner—this is the perfect followup to a Dry January.* https://bit.ly/outlandercocktails And what is the perfect thing to accompany a great cocktail? <think, think, think…> Why, OUTLANDER TRIVIA, of course! (I’m not saying you can’t play this game sober, but it might be even more entertaining after a round of inventive […]
“Frog-legs … and a lot of beer.”
Happy New Year! Good wishes in abundance toward everyone, all the time, everywhere. <g> And here is a small New Year’s treat: EXCERPT FROM BOOK TEN (UNTITLED), Copyright © 2024 Diana Gabaldon [NB to readers unfamiliar with copyright notices; your material is copyrighted by you the moment you put it into a concrete form (i.e., words on page or screen), and unless you’re quoting from an already-published book (in which case, it has a fixed copyright; the year of publication), the copyright notice bears the current year. Some people in the past have leapt to the conclusion that the year date in the copyright notice is the year of publication, and then get very bent when they see the year change when I post a new excerpt and go around Chicken-Littling about “OMG the book’s been DELAYED!!”. I assure y’all, it hasn’t.] [YES, THERE ARE SPOILERS IN HERE!! If you wish to proceed anyway, scroll down to read…] . . . . . . . . . . . . […]
Happy New Year – 2024!
Happy New Year to one and all! ‘Tis the season for new resolutions and perhaps the odd spot of bibulousness…. So it’s New Year’s Eve— a time to sit down and breathe, sip something to aid contemplation (be that hot tea or cold gin…) and let the peaceful night surround you. (Unless you’re a party animal, in which case I don’t need to suggest anything to you…) Do you look to the past and see what the last year has held—and what you did or thought about it? Or to the future, with hopes and dreams—and possibly a few more concrete plans? My own list for the New Year is fairly short: Take care of husband, family, dogs, friends, etc. Prune deadwood from the four citrus trees that didn’t get done last winter. Fertilize ALL the citrus, as well as the ancient pomegranate tree out back (I did manage to saw all the dead limbs off that one over the last two or three months. Vide previous replies to questions […]