Lois McMaster Bujold's Blog, page 14
May 10, 2022
new Bujold interview
...here:
https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...
From time to time, I get interviews that can only use a portion of my reply. It belatedly occurred to me that I have a slot right here on Goodreads where I can stash them in a linkable public view, so I don't have to waste all that writing.
Given the questions (the interviewer was asking about my early fannish experiences) I thought that old photo Ron Miller took of me about 1968 would make a great illo, so I put it in the inviting slot for "cover".
Ta, L.
Later: link for my interviews on the Vorkosigan Wiki is here: https://vorkosigan.fandom.com/wiki/Au...
https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...
From time to time, I get interviews that can only use a portion of my reply. It belatedly occurred to me that I have a slot right here on Goodreads where I can stash them in a linkable public view, so I don't have to waste all that writing.
Given the questions (the interviewer was asking about my early fannish experiences) I thought that old photo Ron Miller took of me about 1968 would make a great illo, so I put it in the inviting slot for "cover".
Ta, L.
Later: link for my interviews on the Vorkosigan Wiki is here: https://vorkosigan.fandom.com/wiki/Au...
May 5, 2022
Publishers Weekly reviews Assassins of Thasalon
...here:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781...
Nice review, though very spoilery for the first half or more of the book. This won't matter to either folks here who've already read it, or purchasing librarians or store stockers who won't have time, but might to newbies, so be careful how you share.
To be published June 30th (or thereabouts) which, I realize, is not as far off as it was.
https://subterraneanpress.com/assassi... for direct orders from the publisher, or pre-order/mail order from Uncle Hugo's or Dreamhaven here in Minneapolis.
(This is a signed limited edition of 1250 numbered copies, so supplies of this hardcover are finite.)
I took a snapshot of the foot-high stack of signed signature pages, but they don't seem to have ported over to my new phone. I am this week signing the ones for "Knot of Shadows" (which will have a spiffy cover art by Lauren Saint-Onge again); I'll try to remember to get a shot of them, which will look about identical.
Ta, L.
Later: Aha, it also got a *starred review in Library Journal, and slightly less spoilery, even better. I don't have a link, but if someone does, toss it into the comments.
Later still: a commenter came through: www.libraryjournal.com/review/the-ass...
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781...
Nice review, though very spoilery for the first half or more of the book. This won't matter to either folks here who've already read it, or purchasing librarians or store stockers who won't have time, but might to newbies, so be careful how you share.
To be published June 30th (or thereabouts) which, I realize, is not as far off as it was.
https://subterraneanpress.com/assassi... for direct orders from the publisher, or pre-order/mail order from Uncle Hugo's or Dreamhaven here in Minneapolis.
(This is a signed limited edition of 1250 numbered copies, so supplies of this hardcover are finite.)
I took a snapshot of the foot-high stack of signed signature pages, but they don't seem to have ported over to my new phone. I am this week signing the ones for "Knot of Shadows" (which will have a spiffy cover art by Lauren Saint-Onge again); I'll try to remember to get a shot of them, which will look about identical.
Ta, L.
Later: Aha, it also got a *starred review in Library Journal, and slightly less spoilery, even better. I don't have a link, but if someone does, toss it into the comments.
Later still: a commenter came through: www.libraryjournal.com/review/the-ass...
May 4, 2022
Miller & Music
My artist friend Ron Miller passed along this link -- he supplied astronomical art to the composer for presentation with the piece.
https://www.moons-symphony.com/
Should be of general interest here...
Also speaking of Ron, after the The Spirit Ring e-cover re-do earlier this year, we've been working on cover art updates for five of my earliest e-published novellas. I'll have sneak peeks soon.
Ta, L.
https://www.moons-symphony.com/
Should be of general interest here...
Also speaking of Ron, after the The Spirit Ring e-cover re-do earlier this year, we've been working on cover art updates for five of my earliest e-published novellas. I'll have sneak peeks soon.
Ta, L.
April 4, 2022
Shards of Honor audiobook in Spanish
...is coming out from Audible:
https://www.amazon.com/Fragmentos-hon...
It would be interesting to know if it appears on any other vendors -- it may be an exclusive.
Fragmentos de Honor, if anyone's looking for the title in that language.
Many of my Vorkosigan books are now widely available as ebooks in Spanish translation:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
I like their unified content-and-theme-appropriate cover treatments.
Ta, L.
https://www.amazon.com/Fragmentos-hon...
It would be interesting to know if it appears on any other vendors -- it may be an exclusive.
Fragmentos de Honor, if anyone's looking for the title in that language.
Many of my Vorkosigan books are now widely available as ebooks in Spanish translation:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
I like their unified content-and-theme-appropriate cover treatments.
Ta, L.
March 17, 2022
SubPress Thasalon note
...popped up here this morning:
https://subterraneanpress.com/news/as...
The page also has handy links to those Penric titles still in stock there.
The excerpt is very short indeed, but the next paragraph goes off into scene setting, so. One can get a longer peek on the ebook vendor pages look-inside features.
I see SubPress again notes they won't be selling this edition through "large online retailers", by which I'd guess they mean Amazon and others. Hugo's and Dreamhaven here in Minneapolis will have it, though, come June.
I finished and sent back the "tip sheets" (signature pages) for it a couple weeks ago. For the curious, writers don't sign pallet loads of finished books for signed editions. Instead, more efficiently for everyone, the publisher just sends a carton of the actual pages, which after the sign & return are cut to size and inserted in the volumes at the printing plant. The old term for this hand process was "tipping in", hence the lingering nickname.
Ta, L.
(SubPress's cover for the upcoming Pen & Des novella "Knot of Shadows" was recently finalized, for publication later this year. Artist Lauren Saint-Onge has done another really lovely Penric figure. I look forward to showing it off after SubPress does their eventual reveal. I don't expect to see tip sheets for that for a few more months, though.)
https://subterraneanpress.com/news/as...
The page also has handy links to those Penric titles still in stock there.
The excerpt is very short indeed, but the next paragraph goes off into scene setting, so. One can get a longer peek on the ebook vendor pages look-inside features.
I see SubPress again notes they won't be selling this edition through "large online retailers", by which I'd guess they mean Amazon and others. Hugo's and Dreamhaven here in Minneapolis will have it, though, come June.
I finished and sent back the "tip sheets" (signature pages) for it a couple weeks ago. For the curious, writers don't sign pallet loads of finished books for signed editions. Instead, more efficiently for everyone, the publisher just sends a carton of the actual pages, which after the sign & return are cut to size and inserted in the volumes at the printing plant. The old term for this hand process was "tipping in", hence the lingering nickname.
Ta, L.
(SubPress's cover for the upcoming Pen & Des novella "Knot of Shadows" was recently finalized, for publication later this year. Artist Lauren Saint-Onge has done another really lovely Penric figure. I look forward to showing it off after SubPress does their eventual reveal. I don't expect to see tip sheets for that for a few more months, though.)
March 6, 2022
new e-cover for The Spirit Ring
Coming soon to a vendor near your reading device. Just in time for its 30th anniversary of publication, I note.
Art again by Ron Miller, http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
And I finally have an in-spec Fiametta on the cover of her own book! (And bonus Thur.)
The Spirit Ring has long been my lab rat for publishing experiments, in part for its lack of series entanglements. I'd held it back from renewal one cycle due to an idea of trying it on a YA publisher, but alas, they didn't want a lone book, only if it were to be followed up with six more, which I wasn't going to do. So it was still sitting around in inventory in late 2010 when my agent in NYC attended a seminar given by Amazon to agents to introduce them to this new thing, Kindle publication, and learned the how of it.
Looking over what I had on hand to try out, it was this and a few stray novellas, so we got them up. Our first covers were pretty home-baked, using public domain art off the internet and available design programs my Spectrum e-wangler had access to. We got better with practice, but it gradually became evident the e-pubs were going to make enough money to justify buying professional art, and I happened to know an artist...
Persons much into the indie pub scene claim it's a good idea to re-cover older work about every five or ten years, to keep it from looking too dated. This may be a holdover habit from print publishing, but who knows. Five years seems unfrugal to me, but I can see ten.
Ta, L.
Later: Some poking around discovers that the Japanese edition has also had a reissue with new art.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/%E3%83%...
That is not the original cover art for the original Japanese printing (2001, I think) which I have on my shelf. (It had Fiametta sitting looking pensive, and Japanese, with the lion ring.)
Lower on that page are pics of the two Penric volumes. Amazon.jp can give one a tour of many of my other Japanese covers, which tend to be good art.
L
Art again by Ron Miller, http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
And I finally have an in-spec Fiametta on the cover of her own book! (And bonus Thur.)
The Spirit Ring has long been my lab rat for publishing experiments, in part for its lack of series entanglements. I'd held it back from renewal one cycle due to an idea of trying it on a YA publisher, but alas, they didn't want a lone book, only if it were to be followed up with six more, which I wasn't going to do. So it was still sitting around in inventory in late 2010 when my agent in NYC attended a seminar given by Amazon to agents to introduce them to this new thing, Kindle publication, and learned the how of it.
Looking over what I had on hand to try out, it was this and a few stray novellas, so we got them up. Our first covers were pretty home-baked, using public domain art off the internet and available design programs my Spectrum e-wangler had access to. We got better with practice, but it gradually became evident the e-pubs were going to make enough money to justify buying professional art, and I happened to know an artist...
Persons much into the indie pub scene claim it's a good idea to re-cover older work about every five or ten years, to keep it from looking too dated. This may be a holdover habit from print publishing, but who knows. Five years seems unfrugal to me, but I can see ten.
Ta, L.
Later: Some poking around discovers that the Japanese edition has also had a reissue with new art.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/%E3%83%...
That is not the original cover art for the original Japanese printing (2001, I think) which I have on my shelf. (It had Fiametta sitting looking pensive, and Japanese, with the lion ring.)
Lower on that page are pics of the two Penric volumes. Amazon.jp can give one a tour of many of my other Japanese covers, which tend to be good art.
L
February 20, 2022
Assassins of Thasalon upcoming this summer from SubPress
Subterranean Press just posted their page for it, pub date June, so I can show you the lovely cover art at last. By Lauren Saint-Onge, again.
https://subterraneanpress.com/assassi...
It WILL be available at Uncle Hugo's and Dreamhaven, when the time comes. I'm sure they'd appreciate preorders, too.
I'm very pleased with this rendition of Penric, very in-spec for the character (admittedly a somewhat fuzzy set) both in terms of features and expression. Also a nice dramatic scene from the book, so bonus points for that.
The 1300 sheets to sign for it should be arriving soon, which will give me a nice dead-brained task for a while.
Ta, L.
https://subterraneanpress.com/assassi...
It WILL be available at Uncle Hugo's and Dreamhaven, when the time comes. I'm sure they'd appreciate preorders, too.
I'm very pleased with this rendition of Penric, very in-spec for the character (admittedly a somewhat fuzzy set) both in terms of features and expression. Also a nice dramatic scene from the book, so bonus points for that.
The 1300 sheets to sign for it should be arriving soon, which will give me a nice dead-brained task for a while.
Ta, L.
February 3, 2022
January 24, 2022
Italian Ivan upcoming
My sometime-Italian publisher Urania is coming out with an Italian translation of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. (I'm not sure of the pub date. ) It's described as "the kiosk edition with La Gazzetta", a term which someone more up on Italian publishing is invited to interpret for me.
Visual aid just in:
Ciao, L.
Visual aid just in:
Ciao, L.
January 11, 2022
Bujold reading-order guide, again
My periodic post of my suggested reading-order guide for all my books, useful to new folks just wondering whether, and how, to dive in, and to those who wish to help them do so. Feel free to repost the link wherever those questions occur. Updated to the current latest work.
https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...
For an added bonus, here's a link to my compact awards bibliography, likewise useful as an answer to the oft-encountered question "Louis who?"
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
My Goodreads "Ask the Author" column is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/1609...
Ta, L.
https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...
For an added bonus, here's a link to my compact awards bibliography, likewise useful as an answer to the oft-encountered question "Louis who?"
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
My Goodreads "Ask the Author" column is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/1609...
Ta, L.
