Helen Lowe's Blog, page 264
March 30, 2012
Last Chance to Dance: The Gemmell Awards & the Sir Julius Vogels Both Close Today!
The Heir of Night UK--nominated for the Gemmell Awards
Which means, in fact, that it is the last chance to vote and nominate respectively–but you can dance too if you want too. 
I'll certainly be doing a happy dance if I make it to the next round of either category in the Gemmell Awards!
About the Gemmell Awards
If you don't know about the Gemmell Awards yet, here's the deal. The awards were established to honour heroic fantasy author David Gemmell and celebrate excellence in the heroic/epic...
March 29, 2012
The Blog Tour: I Stop By "Trentonomicon"
UK/AUS/NZ cover
I did say there was more Blog Tour goodness to come, didn't I—and in fact the Australian leg of the Blog Tour is in full swing today as well.
Right now I'm visiting fellow author Trent Jamieson on Trentonomicon — with a guest post on "Romance vs Reality: War & Conflict in Epic Fantasy and 'The Gathering of the Lost.'"
Click here to find out more—and while you're there, say hi to Trent: do leave a comment!
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And I'm also visiting John Scalzi's "Whatever" blog in the US to...
The Big Idea & "The Gathering of the Lost"—Today on John Scalzi's Whatever
Although the USA, Australia and New Zealand release dayis now behind us, there's still UK release day coming up on the 5th April, just under a week away.
And meanwhile, the Blog Tour is in full swing with a The Gathering of the Lost giveaway (international) current on SF Signal, here — and today I'm onto the next USA leg of the tour (although I suspect it's fairly international too) with a Big Idea post on John Scalzi's Whatever.
The Big Idea is an opportunity SF author John Scalzi offers...
The "Gathering of the Lost" Has Its First US Review
I have tweeted about this already, but I feel it's only right to mention it here as well: The Gathering of the Lost has it's first review—from Katherine Petersen on SF Site and it's good.
Check out the goodness here.
March 28, 2012
Grand Giveaway Result Announced!
US cover
AU/NZ Cover
A big thank you to all of you for sharing in the fun for the US, Australia and New Zealand release of The Gathering of the Lost — and here is the result for the book prize and cover flat/bookplate giveaways, which were drawn by Random Number Integer.
(Note: Your entries for the 'Name/Character' draw remain valid as this will resume on April 5 for the UK release day–and in fact you may enter your name a second time then if you wish. The result of that draw will be announced r...
March 27, 2012
It's Still Launch Day in the USA! :)
US cover
That's the amazing thing about timezones—it's still the 27th in most (or all?) of the northern hemisphere! But "downunder" in New Zealand and Australia we rolled over into the 28th a few hours back now.
So because of the time zones I am keeping the launch day post and giveaways very much open until the close of play today (that's midnight) NZ time. But in the meantime, here's the links to the interviews and Blog Tour gigs that's happened over the past 24 hours to kick off the launch...
March 26, 2012
It's Publication Day for New Zealand, Australia & the USA: Welcome to "The Gathering of the Lost"
UK/AUS/NZ cover
We've survived earthquakes and liquefaction, we've counted down with excerpts from the book and finally the first 100 pages, we've talked celebrations and blog tours—and now finally, it's The Day.
Today I'm welcoming The Gathering of the Lost, the second novel in The Wall of Night series, fully into the public arena right here in New Zealand, over the Tasman in Australia (it's official my books are now Tasmanauts! — waves out to Joanna Preston) and in the USA and Canada. (And...
March 25, 2012
Blog Tour Schedule for "The Gathering of the Lost"
US cover
UK/AUS/NZ cover
When The Heir of Night (The Wall of Night Book One) was published in 2010, I celebrated with a Fantasy SciFi Guest Author series here on the blog, which was great fun. (You can read all the posts here.) But every book and launch should be a little different, right—so this time I'm off on a two hemispheres, at-least-three country tour of friend and fellow authors' blogs.
The tour will be a mix of guest blog posts and Q&A, and in the posts I'll be reflecting/discussing...
March 24, 2012
Nearly Tuesday 27 March: Advance Notice of Release Day Festivities
US cover
UK/AUS/NZ cover
Next Tuesday, 27 March, is Publication Day for The Gathering of the Lost and on Thursday (22nd), I posted, here, indicating that I intended to mark the occasion on my blog, as well as having a real-time launch event on 23 April. And I threat— I mean promised that there would be "celebratory goodness" to go with the on-blog launch.
I then mentioned the possibility of a book giveaway to mark the occasion, plus a competition for blog readers to comment and go into a draw...
March 23, 2012
Counting Down To "The Gathering of the Lost" — Now Only 3 Days To Go!
UK/AUS/NZ cover
US cover
Only three days now until The Gathering of the Lost is finally here so I thought I'd add in another excerpt. But first I'd like to particularly mention SFFANZ stalwart and avid FSF reader, Jan Butterworth, who texted me last night that she was in hospital getting her " … heart checked out so couldn't email or comment on blog" but that she was "still counting down 2 Gathering."
For those of you who may not know, Jan was also the reader who won the contest when The Heir...
