I just heard that Solaris are having a 25% off all Epic Fantasy.
So if you were thinking of trying a new author or you’ve read one of my books and want to pick up the rest, drop over here.
I was trying to get a screen shot of my books, but it looks like they are all mixed up with other books, not sure why. Here’s they are in very good company!
Filed under Fantasy books
I only discovered this because I saw the Helen Lowe (who I interviewed here when she won the Morning Star Award with her first book) was on the short list for the Gemmell Award with her new book The Gathering of the Lost. Congratulations, Helen!
Then I thought I’d drop by the Ravenheart Award page to see which covers had made it to the short list and to my delight Clint Langley’s wonderful cover of Besieged is on the short list!
Congratulations Clint and kudos to Solaris for appointing Clint to do the covers.
So here I am madly scrambling to get through the day with work, family commitments and writing then I come home from a course and find good news on the Twitterverse.
A big congratulations to Marianne Delacourt (de Pierres), Narrelle Harris, Rhonda Roberts and me, we’re on the Long List for the Davitt Award. The Davitt Awards are run by Sisters In Crime. The award is named in honour of Ellen Davitt (1812-1879) who wrote Australia’s first mystery novel, Force and Fraud in 1865.
And another big Whoohoo because ‘The Price of Fame’ has made it onto the Long List for the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction (since this is my first foray into crime!). The Ned Kelly Awards are run by the Australian Crime Writers Association. The awards began in 1995 and they say ‘When it came to deciding on a name, co-opting the nation’s most infamous villain seemed a natural fit.’ The awards are known affectionately as the ‘Neds’. Lovely to see so many fellow female authors in the running for a Ned.
So this has been a good week, with the Long Listing of all three books from The Outcast Chronicles on the Gemmell Awards for their covers (thanks to Clint Langley!) and for the books themselves. And now the Long Listing of ‘The Price of Fame’. With 5 books published last year, (the 5th book was ‘The King’s Man’, an e-book exclusive), last year is all a bit of a blur for me, but it does feel nice now to come home to find four of the books are Long Listed for awards.
Now, if only I didn’t have to work to earn a living or sleep. I could get much more writing done!
Call me unworldly, call me out of touch, or perhaps more accurate, call me over-worked…
But I didn’t realise The Outcast Chronicles was on the Long List for the Gemmell Legend Award. Many thanks to Nerdalicious for the heads-up.
It’s wonderful to see so many of my fellow Aussie authors on the long list. The Gemmell Legend Award is the ‘Reader’s Choice’ award for their favourite fantasy book of 2012/2013. It’s an honour to find my books on a list with these great authors. Having a bit of a Big Girl Squee here.
So if you enjoyed my trilogy please drop by and vote. (voting closes July 31st). Since all three books are on the list I’m not sure if they add up the votes for all three of my books or if the individual books of the trilogy are competing with each other. At any rate, I voted for Besieged.
At this point I’d like to thank the readers who voted for Clint Langley’s wonderful covers, which are on the long list for the Ravenheart (fantasy cover) Award.
All very exciting. Now back to editing KRK 4 for Solaris!
Last week Cheryse Durant tagged me on her blog, as part of a chain of author recommendations called The Next Big Thing. Today it’s my turn to reciprocate and to pass on the torch. I’m going to answer questions about my new project King Rolen’s Kin Book Four . Then I’m going to tag some wonderful authors who will tell you about their Next Big Thing on Wednesday 12th of December. (Here are the other authors who are blogging today on their Next Big Thing: LJ Smith, Kallee Buchanan, Chris McMahon and Keren K)
PS. Regarding my Next Big Thing. I really had trouble deciding between the book that will be released tomorrow, The King’s Man and the book I’m currently writing. In the end I decided to talk about how writing The King’s Man influenced writing KRK4.
PPS. This blog post contains spoilers if you haven’t read the first KRK trilogy.
Q: What is the working title of your next book?
At this point Solaris Press want to call KRK4 King Breaker (or maybe King-breaker). I wanted to use words associated with kings and royalty, since this was the title theme of the King Rolen’s Kin trilogy.
Q: Where did the idea for the book come from?
I always knew there was going to be more KRK because when book three of the trilogy ended Byren had dealt with one of the Big Bads (as they’d say on Buffy) but the other villain still lived and sat on his father’s throne.
The problem was, I didn’t know how any of this was going to unfold. Then a friend* who had read KRK said to me, ‘Garzik can’t be dead. He just can’t.’ And I realised he wasn’t. And just like that I had the premise for The King’s Man ebook, released 6th December.
*The King’s Man is dedicated to: Leanne, who refused to believe that Garzik was dead.
Q: How did writing a book about Garzik help you write KRK4?
In the writing of The King’s Man I explored the larger world and having a richer world opened up more narrative possibilities. I am a voracious reader, which helps with world building.
I’ve always been fascinated by how societies evolve. What seems perfectly normal to us would be unthinkable to people at some other time, in some other place.
For instance, in Tibet they practice a much more varied form of marriage than we do. Two or more brothers* will marry one woman. All the children the woman has will be regarded as the children of the marriage. Because of the harsh conditions people need a certain amount of land to survive. If each of the brothers took a wife for themselves and had children, the family land would be broken up in the following generation and become non-viable. This would cause rivalry within the extended family. Their society evolved these customs over time to survive and it all seems perfectly normal to them because, for them, it is.
*This is a simple example. For more detail read Stratification, Polyandry, and Family Structure in Central Tibet by Melvin Goldstien.
Q: Speaking of world building, you explored a very differently structured society in The Outcast Chronicles and in KRK one of the central characters is gay. Were you worried that people would be offended? And why write about sexuality?
Some people were offended. There was one reviewer who said they refused to read KRK book one once they realized Orrade was gay. So far the reviews of OC have been positive, but I’m sure some people will find the way the mystics live in sisterhoods and brotherhoods confronting but just like the people of Tibet, the mystics’ society is logical for them.
And I write about sexuality (among other things) because I write about the human condition. I believe that fantasy can take a mirror and hold it to the world to make us question our assumptions.
Our world is a lot larger and more amazing than people realize, and I do my research. Things are never as simple as they first appear. For instance there are straight men go in search of gay sex* for various reasons. For one thing it is much easier than chatting up a woman, as there are no complications since both parties know what they want. For another, some men rationalize it as not cheating on their wife or girlfriend.
Sexuality and the search for love is one of our primal drives. If I avoided it, I would not be writing honestly. I would be skimming over the surface and the act of writing would feel unsatisfying for me. Besides, sometimes it is good for us to be confronted.
*For more information on this see Dr Joe Kort’s articles here.
Q: There are some confronting things in The King’s Man. How has this book been received?
The book will be officially released tomorrow but the first review is already up. I have a beta reader in one of my adult sons. He is a keen fantasy reader and he’s my target audience. If he doesn’t understand something or he wants to know more about it, I will elaborate. He reads most of my books before I send them to my publisher.
Q: After all that serious stuff, here’s a fun question. If you found yourself in a lift with a movie director you admire and had the chance to pitch your book to them, what would you say and who would that director be?
I’d say: I write rollicking fantasy that keeps readers up all night. But underneath all that adventure and fun King Breaker is about the price we are willing to pay to achieve our ambition and asks is it worth it?
And my dream director would be Allan Ball because of his wicked sense of humour in True Blood and Six Feet Under, or Peter Jackson because he is a consummate story teller, or Guillermo de Toro because of his lyrical vision in Pan’s Labyrinth.
Q: It’s been a busy year for you with four books coming out. How do you find the time to write?
Actually, it’s been five books this year – The Outcast Chronicles trilogy and The King’s Man, (both fantasy) and my paranormal crime, The Price of Fame. Plus I’ve been cleaning up my original trilogy, (new title The Fall of Fair Isle) to re-release it some time next year. (When I get the chance).
I’m an Associate Lecturer, we’ve been madly renovating, we have six children (the last one just finished high school) so it has been a really hectic couple of years. But the thing that keeps me sane is writing. This is what fascinates me, exploring worlds via character. If you took this person and put them in this situation what would they do? What would they learn about themselves? That is the core of why I write.
Q: When will we see King Breaker? And what will be your Next Big Thing?
I’ll hand the book into Solaris in May and it is scheduled for release late in 2013.
As to my Next Big Thing… there have been a lot of comments on my blog asking for more Outcast Chronicles and I find this series compulsive, so I will probably dive back into the OC.
And here are the authors I’d like to introduce. They will be blogging next Wednesday (12th December), when they talk about their Next Big Thing:
Lee Battersby, author of The Corpse-Rat King and its sequel Marching Dead, lives in Western Australia. He has had over 70 short stories published and won numerous awards.
AA Bell, author of the Diamond Eyes trilogy of SF & Fantasy thrillers. Twice winner of the prestigious Hemming Award for Excellence… Website and blog.
Glenda Larke is an Australian living in Malaysia, an rainforest environmentalist who has worked in avifaunal conservation. She’s also author of three fantasy trilogies and a standalone fantasy novel, seven of which have been shortlisted for the Aurealis Best Fantasy Novel of the Year.
Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in her new The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen ) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn and The Dread). Gail blogs at www.DisquietingVisions.com, and her web site in www.AscendantKingdoms.com.
Just one more blog post…
Here’s a round up of recent posts.
Fantasy Book Critic: The Power of Story
Louise Cusack’s Workshop Wednesday: Worldbuilding – you need a flypaper mind.
Over on Book Chick City: Writing, Parting Inspiration, Part Perspiration
On the Galaxy blog I ask: Is Fantasy Evolving?
On Narrelle Harris (The Daggy Vamp) I’m interviewed about The Price of Fame, Punk Rock, Street Kids and Music.
Mervi’s Book Reviews: Are we Hardwired for Violence?
Guest post Falcata Times: Setting Stories Free of Genre
Those Hip Young Dudes at Solaris Press tweeted: To win a copy of Rowena Cory Daniells’ Outcast Chronicles trilogy, tell your followers what magical power you would like to possess!
I came back with: Asked Teenage son what magical power he’d like. He wants 2 be able to convince people to do things. (Should be a politician!)
Here are some responses.
@SolarisBooks my magical power would be the ability to split myself into multiple entities; everything gets done, and fast, too!
@Solarisbooks The ability to break things down into their constituent atoms and reassemble them as I saw fit.
@SolarisBooks Would Love and Save count, or is that basically Rewinding Time? Whatever it is, that would be epic :))
@SolarisBooks The ability, at any time and merely by clicking my fingers, to transport myself and my wife instantly to our bedroom. Naked.
@SolarisBooks The power to ensure all that stuff you loved as a kid stayed true when you became an adult. Not just the memories.
@SolarisBooks The ability to answer other people’s questions five seconds before they answer them. Just to see their disbelief.
@SolarisBooks I’d like the ability to absorb any knowledge and skills instantly.
@Solarisbooks the ability to destroy fifty shades of grey just by sayings its name, thus ending its tyranny.
@solarisbooks the power to grow wings like a dragon and fly
And one smart guy said:
@SolarisBooks asks what magical power I’d like to possess. Well, it’s simple: I just want to HAVE a magical power, doesn’t matter what!! 🙂
Don’t know who the winner was, but I’d like to thank them all for entering!
The magical power I’d like? to be able to download stories straight from my brain without having to spend hours sitting at the keyboard!
Such a nerdy writer thing to say.
Filed under Australian Writers, Fantasy books, Fun Stuff, Nourish the Writer, Readers
The Outcast Chronicles have been released into the wild – I always think of the movie Born Free and the young lions being released into the African plans – and I should have copies of The Price of Fame next week so I have been really busy. Have also been battling the ‘flu which is going around (still teaching because it is the end of trimester and I don’t want to leave the students in the lurch) and writing guest posts/interviews.
Just one more blog post…
Cheryse Durrant’s blog where I talk about writing craft
Helen Lowe’s Blog: Fantasy, the poor cousin of science fiction.
Fantasy & Scifi Lovin’ News & reviews: Why is fantasy so popular?
James Maxey’s Blog: Powerful Women Factual and Fictional
Booky Monster guest post: Confessions of a Speculative Fiction Fan
Beauty in Ruins guest post: Why I love the world Wide Web (or How the WWW set me Free)
I came home from marking assignments all day to discover my books had arrived. Now I have boxes of books, including Exile! I was unpacking them and putting them on the shelf and when I turned around I discovered Monnie had climbed into one of the boxes. You know how cats love boxes.
So, all I am waiting on now, is book three and I’ll have the set!
My copies of Beseiged have arrived!
Why is it that books only seem real when you hold them in your hand? Besieged is bigger than I expected. The cover looks lovely. Solaris have done something with the figure on the front so that it is shiny on a matt background.
Here are the books on the kitchen bench, leaning up against the retro toaster and kettle, the kids bought me for my birthday. The ‘ghost who walks’ is Monie. He’s part Russian blue and and likes to inspect things. Just as I took the picture he heard a noise by the door.
And here are the books on my office shelf with King Rolen’s Kin. But I think I’ll move them down a row,when I get the other two Outcast Chronicle books, so I can put all three books in a line.
That’s my news for today. Now I have to package up the books to send off to reviewers and people who have won give-away competitions. In no time at all they’ll be gone – hopefully to people who will enjoy them!
