Hey, we’re putting out a graphic novel treating the Rapture irreverently — we’re damned anyway, might as well get the word out about Sword of My Mouth! First up — science-fiction powerhouse io9.com is running a contest where you can win a copy of the print edition by rewriting my dialogue. It’s had a hundred entries in the first six hours, but there’s 18 hours left!

Secondly — what with the urban farming theme and spring being here and all, we figured it’d be fun to make seed packets marketed for the post-Rapture world — ones that don’t need the light of God to grow. (The first twenty people to buy a copy of Sword of My Mouth at the Toronto launch get one.) So Scott made a nice design and Shannon went to take some pictures “in context” as it were at a garden centre. The photo and the altercation that followed with the manager follows below.

Manager: Do you have permission to take these?
Shannon: I sure do!
Manager: I don’t understand. Do you have permission to take these photos?
Shannon: Yes, I do.
Manager: From who?
Shannon: That guy who is in charge of everything. What’s his name again?
Manager: Can you please stop?
Shannon: Peter. That’s his name. Peter gave me permission.
Manager: If you don’t stop taking pictures, I will have to confiscate your camera.
Shannon: (laughing my head off) No, you will not.
Manager: Hmm, well…you have to stop. Please.
Shannon: Hang on, I need one more with the macro setting…

And the guerrilla photography is only this week’s promotional gambit — last week Shannon spent a ton of time redrawing people’s faces for their Facebook profiles in her signature style, in exchange for them linking to the launch or the book.

Over a hundred people have had their Faces Gerardified, but she’s still up for doing a few more (she’s doing the same thing for the Detroit launch) if you want to send a hi-res jpeg to shannon AT shannongerard DOT org.

UPDATE: Check out this neat interview with Shannon at Annalemma.