If you are coming to World Con and you’d like to share a coffee with me, or any of the fabulous authors who are there, here is the link to the World Con KoffeeKlatsche page. It’s a chance to talk about books, the publishing industry, writing and anything that interests you.
Coffee makes the World go Around … the World go Around … sung to the tune of Money Makes the World go Around from Cabaret!
Filed under Fantasy books, Fun Stuff, Genre, Publishing Industry, Writing craft
Over at the SOLARIS blog they are doing a give-away.
‘In honour of the releases of Paul Kearney‘s The Monarchies of God omnibuses (Hawkwood and the Kings, out now, and Century of the Soldier, due out next month) and Rowena Cory Daniells‘ The Chronicles of King Rolen’s Kin trilogy (The King’s Bastard and The Uncrowned King, out now, and The Usurper, due out next month), we’re holding an all-kings-themed competition.’
All you have to do is name your favourite king. So drop over and try your luck!
Filed under Book Giveaway, Fantasy books, Fun Stuff, Genre, Promoting Friend's Books
This is Sassy cat inspecting my advance copies of KRK book two.
The Uncrowned King – I love this cover
Now I’m doing the happy dance. KRK book 2 – The Uncrowned King is number 6 on Galaxy Books Best seller list.
This is Sydney’s specialist spec fic bookstore, so I’m over the moon. Thanks to the guys at Galaxy!
Filed under Covers, Fantasy books
Came home from work yesterday to find a big package. Advance copies of KRK book two have arrived. YAY!
Naturally, Sassy cat had to investigate.
Of all the KRK books this cover is my favourite. It’s so rich and lush. Exotic. Kudos to Clint Langley for the excellent job he did on the whole series.
I have a couple of friend who I’ve promised copies, so now I can pass these along.
Meanwhile, you’ve heard of the cat in the hat, well, meet the cat in the bag. She likes to climb inside things and curl up asleep. I’ve gone to clear a shopping bag off the table only to discover her curled up inside asleep!
Filed under Covers, Fantasy books, Fun Stuff, The World in all its Absurdity
You know how writers labour away for years in back rooms writing books, throwing their whole heart into these series, never knowing if anyone will read their stories?
Well, every once in while the fates of publishing smile on the struggling author and these series do sell. This is one of those days. So I’m definitely Doing the Happy Dance!
Solaris have bought my First T’En trilogy.
Book one:
This series follows the fate of a tribe of mystics, the T’Enatuath. Vastly outnumbered by people without magical abilities, the mystics are persecuted because ordinary people fear their gifts.
This persecution culminates in a bloody pogrom sanctioned by the King who lays siege to the Celestial City, last bastion of the T’Enatuath.
A fantasy-family saga, the characters are linked by blood, love and vows as they struggle with misplaced loyalties, over-riding ambition and hidden secrets which could destroy them. Some make desperate alliances only to suffer betrayal from those they trust, and some discover great personal strength in times of adversity.
You know how to fall in love with your characters? I fell in love with these people. I’m over the moon now that the trilogy has sold!
Filed under creativity, Fantasy books, Nourish the Writer, Publishing Industry, Story Arc
I love reading.
But I can just remember a time when I couldn’t read. I was two and my mother had a picture in the bathroom. It contained a children’s nursery rhyme about cleaning up the bathroom. And after the bath, she’d point to it and read it and say, now you can’t leave the bathroom before you clean it up. So we’d put the toys away and hang up the bathmat.
I hated that picture because it had power over me and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t see where the power came from.
I started school at four and I don’t remember learning to read. It was the time of Dick and Dora and their dog Spot. (See Spot run. See Dick run. See Dora run. Riveting stuff). I remember being pages ahead of the class because listening to them read was painful. When it came to my turn I had no idea where they were and the teacher thought I couldn’t read.
So reading is like breathing to me. I can’t help it. Conversely coming up with stories is also like breathing. There have always been stories in my head. I’d pester my poor grandfather for stories. And wonder why he couldn’t come up with dozens of them. His stories tended to be practical snippets like. You grab a snake behind the head real quick, and crack him like a whip to break his back. Grandfather was from the bush.
When I had my secondhand bookshop I’d read a book before lunch, a book after lunch and a book after dinner. (This was in the days when books were 60,000 words). Soon I’d read every book that interested me in my shop. I’d prowl the shelves searching for anything that piqued my interest. When ever someone bought in books to sell I’d put aside any that I found interesting and devour them.
But before long there were days when I could not find anything to read. Or I would start books and get annoyed with them. So I just had to write to feed my reading habit. That’s how I started writing.
Are all dedicated readers aspiring writers? Over at the ROR blog the Sunday Writing Craft post is a Checklist for Aspiring Writers.
I suppose it is different now that we can buy the DVD of our choice, surf the net and play computer games. But sometimes, only a book will do. What do you do when you can’t find a book to read?
Copies of KRK book one are presently winging their away across the globe to the US, the UK, but also, Malta, Romania and Sweden!
So far there’s this post, which isn’t exactly a review, more reflection on the book.
She says:
‘Some mornings you have a dream that’s so wonderful you don’t want to wake up. It’s full of unanswered questions and ideas that need to be followed. The remnants of those thoughts cling to every moment of your day, but dreaming once more brings no relief. Ah, the dream is lost forever!
The ending to The King’s Bastard reminded me of this feeling. ‘
You can read the rest of the post here.
I find it interesting because it isn’t about the plot or the writing. It’s about one person’s reaction to the book.
As a writer, I’m reaching out, sharing my dreams with readers. It’s nice to know I reached someone.
Filed under Fantasy books, Readers
It is always a thrill when someone you’ve known for years gets published. Here is the cover of Nicole Murphy’s new book, first of a series. They are dark urban fantasy.
Over on the ROR blog Nicole is talking about the process of getting published and there’s a giveaway!
The Dream of Asarlai is an urban fantasy trilogy being published in Australia by HarperVoyager. The first book, Secret Ones, is due to hit the shelves in July, with the other two books appearing next year.
Here’s the blurb.
She′s from an ancient clan. He has no family. Can they save the world … together?
Maggie Shaunessy is used to keeping secrets. She′s a fantastic teacher, but she′s also gadda, part of a hidden, powerful race – and she has a habit of annoying the wrong people.
Until Lucas Valeroso meets Maggie, he had no idea what awaited him: super-human powers, a smart and beautiful woman interested in more than unlocking his new abilities and, above all, a sense of belonging.
But dark ambition and dangerous bigotry are emerging in the gadda ranks. Lucas′s new family might cast him out before he′s even truly found his place. And Maggie must work with new allies to find and retrieve a missing artefact before the entire world is changed for all time.
′fresh and interesting approach to an urban fantasy series′ Bookseller+Publisher’
Support Aussie authors not only becaue they’re Australian, but because they write damn fine books!
Just when you thought you’d seen all the permutations you possible could in the Dark Urban Fantasy genre along comes something fresh.
Power and Majesty by Tansy Rayner Roberts.
Of course I am biased. I read Tansy’s book in draft form before it was published as part of a ROR writers retreat. And I’ve been hanging out for the next instalment ever since.
She takes the decadence and frivolity of Ancient Rome, combines it with the Roaring Twenties, Sky Battles and Seriously Sexy Shape-shifters. Impossible you say?
But don’t listen to me. See here and here for what the reviewers are saying.
And if that doesn’t convince you, go here for a podcast reading.
And the best thing is that we RORees are on a countdown for another ROR right before World Con in September, so I get to read book two of the Creature Court!
Over HERE at the Solaris Blog, also known as When Gravity Fails, they have announced the first chapter of KRK book one is available for download.
Hope you enjoy.
And of course the good thing is that books two and three will be released in August and September. No waiting, for you fantasy junkies.
I know I would much rather buy a whole series so I don’t have to wait for the next book. In fact, if I find an author I like, I buy all their books and read them in chronolgical order to see how they develop as a writer.
But not everyone is as obsessed as me.
Filed under Book Giveaway, Fantasy books, Genre, Readers
