Michael J. Sullivan's Blog, page 40

Unbound Worlds Cage Match Round 2: Suri Vs. Miriam Black

I'm so pleased that Suri and Minna made it to round 2 of Unbound World's Cage Match 2017.  After a come-from-behind victory over Alix Nico, Suri and Minna will now face off against Miriam Black. Its a wolf verses bird match! For this matchup Unbound Worlds asked me to write a short story with how I think this encounter would play out.  You can read it here, and don't forget to vote!

Unbound Worlds Cage Match: Suri Vs Alix Nico

I've been so busy reviewing the final proofs for Age of Swords that I totally forgot Suri and Minna are in a fight for their lives against a heavily armed assassin!  Yes, it's my first cage match and it's going to be a nail biter. When last I looked, Suri was down but not yet out:


Have no idea what I'm talking about?  Well, each year there is a match up between various fictional characters held in a kind of Final Four bracket where they go head to head and the winner advances to the next round.  None of my characters have ever been in a cage match before, and I'm hoping Suri isn't over her head.  Here's the match up.



You can read G.T. Almasi's account to see how he thinks things will play out. If Suri advances to the next round, I'll be able to do a write up for her against her next opponent.  But as I said, right now it's still too close to call!

There are just 2 days left to vote, and you can do so here .  Let's hope the mystic and her wolf makes it out alive!

15 Fantasy Book Giveaways at Goodreads

Right now there are more than 300 giveaways on Goodreads in the Fantasy category. That's a lot of giveaways!! Since I have one of them running right now, I thought it would be a good idea to narrow the field a bit and pick 15 that I think my readers my interested in. So here they are:






























To make it easy to sign up for them I'm including links to each giveaway along with a bit of information about each:

• Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan | Legends of the First Empire | ends: 3/15/17

• Red Sister by Mark Lawrence | Book of the Ancestor | ends: 1 3/12/17

• The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley | Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne | ends: 3/7/17

• A Crucible of Souls by Mitchel Hogan | Sorcery Ascendant Sequence | ends: 3/5/17

• Sins of Empireby Brian McClellan | Gods of Blood and Powder | ends: 3/7/17

• Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton | Rebel of the Sands | ends: 2/14/17

• The Eye of the Worldby Robert Jordan | Wheel of Time | ends: 3/7/17

• A Natural History of Dargons by Marie Brennan | Memoirs of Lady Trent | ends: 3/7/17

• Inheritance by Christopher Paolini | Inheritance Cycle | ends: 2/27/17

• The Rook by Daniel O'Malley ends: 3/7/17

• Brimstone by Cherie Priest ends: 3/3/17

• Islet by Daniel O'Malley | The Checquy Files | ends: 3/7/17

• Woolby Hugh Howey | Silo Series | ends: 3/21/17

• Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab | Monsters of Verity | ends: 3/22/17

• Ghost Writer in the Sky by Piers Anthony ends: 3/12/17

Take a look, enter some giveaways, and I wish you good luck in the drawings!

Huge Audible Sale for First Books in a Series: Including 2 of mine!

Huge sale at Audible.com for books that are "First in a Series." Click here to check it out! Over 140 titles all priced from $1.99 to $8.95, including two of mine.
The Crown Tower (Riyria Chronicle #1) - $4.95 rather than $27.99Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations #1 & #2) - $8.95 rather than $41.99Besides my books, there are some of the biggest names in the industry including: Joe Abercrombie | Patrick Rothfuss | Terrry Brooks | Daniel Abraham | Terry Goodkind | Robin Hobb and dozens of more. Here's the full list:

• Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron narrated by: Vikas Adam
• Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
• The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie narrated by: Steven Pacey
• Best Served Cold First by Joe Abercrombie narrated by: Steven Pacey
• Half a King by Joe Abercrombie narrated by: John Keating
• The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham narrated by: Pete Bradbury
• Dragonvein by Brian D Anderson narrated by: Derek Perkins
• On the Edge by Ilona Andrews narrated by: Renée Raudman
• On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony narrated by: George Guidall
• Dark Intelligence by Neal Asher narrated by: Jonathan Yen
• A Warrior's Path by Davis Ashura narrated by: Nick Podehl
• Dust and Light by Carol Berg narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
• Daughter of Blood by Anne Bishop narrated by: John Sharian
• The Warded Man by Peter V Brett narrated by: Pete Bradbury
• Masques by Patricia Brigs narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
• Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks narrated by: Dick Hill
• Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks narrated by: Phil Gigante
• Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
• The High Druig's Blade by Terry Brooks narrated by: Simon Vance
• The Scions of Shannara by Terry Brooks narrated by: John Lee
• The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks narrated by: Scott Brick
• Jarka Ruus by Terry Brooks narrated by: Scott Brick
• Storm Front by Jim Butcher narrated by: James Marsters
• The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher narrated by: Euan Morton
• Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine narrated by: Julian Elfer
• The Red Knight by Miles Cameron narrated by: Matthew Wolf
• The Dragons of Dorcastle by Jack Campbell narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
• The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan narrated by: Richard Aspel
• The Ambasssador's Mission by Trudi Canavan narrated by: Richard Aspel
• Thief's Magic by Trudi Canavan narrated by: Grant Cartwright & Hannah Norris
• The Devil You Know by Mike Carey narrated by: Michael Kramer
• Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey narrated by: Anne Flosnik
• Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines narrated by: Jay Snyder & Khristine Hvam
• The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman narrated by: Susan Duerden
• God Touched by John Conroe narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
• The Black Company by Glen Cook narrated by: Marc Vietor
• Hard Magic by Larry Correia narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
• Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
• Into the Storm by Larry Correia narrated by: Ray Porter
• Son of the Black Sword Saga by Larry Correia narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
• Grunge Monster by Larry Correia narrated by: Oliver Wyman
• On Silver Wings by Evan Currie narrated by: Dina Pearlman
• Skyborn Seraphim by David Dalglish narrated by: Joe Knezeich
• The Strain by Guillemo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan narrated by: Ron Perlman
• The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham narrated by: Dick Hill
• The Diamond Throne by David Eddings narrated by: Greg Abby
• Domes of Fire by Eddings narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
• Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
• Brimstone Angels by Erin M Evans narrated by: Dina Pearlman
• The Sum of All Men by David Farland narrated by: Ray Porter
• Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling narrated by: Raymond Todd
• Chainfire by Terry Goodkind narrated by: Jim BondTerry Goodkind
• The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind narrated by: Sam Tsoutsouvas
• Something from the Nightside by Simon R Green narrated by: Marc Vietor
• The Atlantis Ship by AC Hadfield narrated by: Alexander Cendese
• The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
• Mage's Blood by David Har narrated by: Nick Podehl
• Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness narrated by Jennifer Ikeda
• Iron Axe by Steven Harper narrated by PJ Ochlan
• Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes narrated by Kyle McCarley
• NPCs by Drew Hayes narrated by Roger Wayne
• Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn narrated by Keving Gray
• Libriomancer Magic by Jim C Hines narrated by: David DeVries
• Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb narrated by: John Keating
• Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb arrated by Anne Flosnik
• Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb narrated by: Anne Flosnik
• Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb narrated by: Paul Boehmer
• Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb narrated by: Elliot Hill
• Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb narrated by: James Langton
• The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled by Mark Hodder narrated by: Gerard Doyle
• A Crucible of Souls by Mitchell Hogan narrated by: Oliver Wyman
• Building from Ashes by Elizabeth Hunter narrated by: Dina Pearlman
• A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter narrated by: Dina Pearlman
• Fated by Benedict Jacka narrated by: Gildart Jackson
• Charming by Elliott James narrated by: Roger Wayne
• The Fifth Season by N K Jemisin narrated by: Robin Miles
• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N K Jemisin narrated by: Casaundra Freeman
• Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older narrated by: Daniel José Older
• Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
• Dragon Champion by EE Knight narrated by: David Drummond
• The Outstetched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory narrated by: Susan Ericksen
• Foundation by Mercedes Lackey narrated by: Nick Podehl
• Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey narrated by: Nick Podehl
• Tallesin by Stephen R Lawhead narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
• Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence narrated by: James Clamp
• Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
• Predator - Incursion by Tim Lebbbon narrated by: John Chancer
• Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber narrated by: Jonathan Davis &Neil Gaiman
• Grace of Kings by Ken Liu narrated by: Michael Kramer
• Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko narrated by: Paul Michael
• The Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley narrated by: Simon Vance
• The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch narrated by: Michael Page
• Wicked by Gregory Maguire narrated by: John McDonough
• The Blacksmith's Son by Michael G Manning narrated by: Todd McLaren
• Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier narrated by: Nick Sullivan
• Wild Cards by Multiple authors narrated by: Luke Daniels
• Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey narrated by: Sally Darling
• Draongflight by Anne McCaffrey narrated by: Dick Hill
• The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
• Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
• The Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey narrated by: Aasne Vegas
• Imager by L E Modesitte Jr narrated by: William Dufris
• The Magic of Recluce by L E Modesitte Jr narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
• Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
• Oath of Fealty by Elizabeth Moon narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
• Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore narrated by: Oliver Wyman
• Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore narrated by: Susan Bennett
• The Steel Remains by Richard K Morgan narrated by: Simon Vance
• His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik narrated by: Simon Vance
• Child of the Daystar by Bryce O'Connor narrated by: Mikael Naramore
• Demon Hunter by Richard Parks narrated by: Brian Nishii
• Tesser by James Foster narrated by: James Foster
• The Wrath of the Orphans by Chris Philbrook narrated by: Kevin T Collins
• Black Blade Blues by Sarah Jane narrated by: Beauhall J A Pitts Erin Bennett
• Grave Witch by Kalayna Price narrated by: Emily Durante
• Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice narrated by: Simon Vance
• The Witching Hour by Anne Rice narrated by: Kate Reading
• Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss narrated by: Nick Podehl
• The Orc King by R A Salvatore narrated by: Mark Bramhall
• Archmage by R A Salvatore narrated by: Victor Bevine
• The Demon Awakens by R A Salvatore narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
• Homeland by R A Salvatore narrated by: Victor Bevine
• The Companions by R A Salvatore narrated by: Victor Bevine
• Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab narrated by: Steven Crossley
• Damoren by Seth Skorkowsky narrated by: R C Bray
• Tinker by Wen Spencer Tnarrated by: Tanya Eby
• The Emperor's Blade by Brian Staveley narrated by: Simon Vance
• Starship Mage by Glynn Stewart narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
• The Crown Tower by Michael J Sullivan narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
• Theft of Swords by Michael J Sullivan narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
• A Fairy Tale by Swendson narrated by: Suzy Jackson
• Rise of the Werewolf by Mark Tufo narrated by: Sean Runnette
• When the Heavens Fall by Marc Turner narrated by: Oliver Wyman
• The Just City by Jo Walton narrated by: Noah Michael Levine
• Oath of Swords by David Weber narrated by: Nick Sullivan
• Dragons of Autumn by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman narrated by: Paul Boehme
• The Hidden City by Michelle West narrated by: Eva Wilhelm
• Updraft by Fran Wilde narrated by: Khristine Hvam
• The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams narrated by: George Newbern
• The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams narrated by: Andrew Wincott
• Shadowmarch by Tad Williams narrated by: Dick Hill
• City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams narrated by: George Newbern
• The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe narrated by: Jonathan Davis
• The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley narrated by: Davinia Porter

Limited Edition Early Copies of Age of Swords

Do you want to read Age of Swords two months before it's official release date? Do you want to be one of just a handful of people to receive a limited edition copy? Well then, you'll want to sign up for the Goodreads Giveaway!

Now that the book is "locked down" (all the copy edits have been made), Robin is printing up 15 Limited Edition Advanced Reading Copies to be given out to a lucky few. As these are Limited Editions, they'll have a different cover than those printed and distributed for the official release. Also, since they are advanced copies there may be some slight variations from the final version (if proofreaders find errors), but that makes them even more valuable.

We'll be doing several promotions to give these few limited edition versions away and the first one starts  today!


Goodreads Book Giveaway Age of Swords (The Legends of the First Empire, #2) - ARC by Michael J. Sullivan Giveaway ends March 15, 2017. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway
























Here are a few specifics about the giveaway.

• It's open to people from all countries
• Winners will be drawn at random by the folks at Goodreads
• Copies will be shipped March 16th - two months before the official release
• Three copies are available to win

Not a member of Goodreads? No problem. It's free to join, and a great site for book lovers. Just sign up and enter to win.

One last thing to mention...while you are entering the contest, be sure to add the book to your to be read shelf. It's one of the metrics that gets books nominated for the Goodread Choice Awards. Age of Myth was a nominee in 2016, and we are hoping for Age of Swords to get selected for 2017.

As always, thanks for your support, and good luck on being one of the lucky few!

Home Alone

It's official. I'm now a 100% certified hermit. Today at breakfast, Robin asked me if she could schedule some afternoon time this week to go to the "bee store." Apparently the queens will be ready in a few weeks, and she wanted to pick out various supporting "stuff." She thought it would be a "nice drive." I kept trying to convince her to do  all that online. I think she's now planning on going by herself...or maybe our dog, Tobi, will go with her.

This weekend, Robin had left the cabin and went back to civilization (Washington DC) because she was doing a few free lectures for aspiring authors: one on audiobooks the other on agents. While she was gone I cranked up the music, had a bit of Irish whiskey, and spent several days talking to myself as I paced around the cabin. I was trying to brainstorm the rest of the outline for my current novel The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter (Riyria Chronicle #4). It worked beautifully. Not only did I get past the minor roadblock that was stumping me, but I have a whole new outline and the book should come together in no time.

When the cabin was made, it was intended to be a little getaway, but now I don't want to leave it at all. Heck, even going to the grocery store seems uncomfortable. Why can't I just stay here?  Well, I guess I can.  Now, that's not to say I don't enjoy people's company, and the two extra bedrooms were made for people to come visit. But I must say I'm enjoying being locked away and writing the book. Here's hoping to get a lot done before the weather gets warm in which case I'll want to be out in the garden.

Theft of Swords on Sale for $2.99

I find it odd that I often don't hear about a price reduction on my books until after it happens, but I'm always glad when I do find out. It means a lot of people might be giving my books a try who wouldn't normally do so.  Well, now is one of those times.

Thanks to the folks at reddit's /r/fantasy sub I found out that Theft of Swords is on sale for $2.99. I did a bit of digging and it looks like that price is good for all the US ebook retail sites (I didn't check overseas). Here are some links to help you get to your favorite:

Amazon
Apple
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Google Play

It's a well-loved book (based on ratings/reviews) on sites such as Amazon (738), Goodreads (33,772), Audible (13,552). It has just shy of 24,000 5-star and 17,000 4-star so I think that bodes pretty well for it.

A long time ago someone asked me to "pitch them" on why they should read Riyria...and my response was:

 I really don't want to try to sell you - check out the book for yourself and if looks interesting read the free sample. If that looks good, then pick up a copy of the book. I think that advice still holds true.But if I "were" going to pitch it - I'd throw together a "Top 10" reason to buy Riyria and so I did. Here goes. A traditional fantasy that’s not a Tolkien clone, but also isn’t morbid to the point of having to down a pair of Prozac to get through.All six books were written before the first was ever published, enabling the weaving of threads and planting of clues about ongoing mysteries, allowing readers the added pleasure of trying to unravel the plot twists.Unforgettable characters that provide scenes both heartwarming and heart-wrenching that will make you cry in the end—not because they die a horrible deaths (although some do), but because you don’t want to leave them.A story that is gritty to the point of killing off half the cast, and yet always leaves the reader feeling people are basically good and heroes can and do exist.A finished series with a designed arc that ties up all loose ends and as such provides a truly satisfying conclusion.Written for adults, but without gruesome violence, sex, or profanity so that it can be read by people of all ages and shared with the whole family.Lacking the overly grim portrayal of some fantasy worlds, it is infused with humor including witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments even during dire and serious moments.Designed such that each book is better than the one that came before, so if you like the first, you won’t be disappointed with the last.Written to be an “easy read” it lacks the intimidating wall-of-world-building-information, utilizes modern dialog rather than archaic speech, and is paced like a thriller to keep the pages turning.Written with an emphasis on character and plot it packs an emotional punch focusing on reading entertainment rather than intellectual allegory.So, there you have it - and today I'd add an #11 which is It's under $3 so what do you really risk by giving it a try. Certainly cheaper than a Mocha at your favorite coffee shop.

German Edition of Age of Myth: Rebellion

I'm pretty heads-down with writing The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter (Riyria Chronicle #4), but Robin just shot me an email with the cover of the German edition of Age of Myth. It's called Rebellion and it releases April 3, 2017.  Just thought I would share.

Age of Sword Audio Book Pre-order

I've had a lot of people inquiring when the audio book for Age of Swords is going to be released. I think there is some concern that it'll follow the hardcover and ebook release by some amount of time. I can certainly see why people might think that. After all, the Riyria Revelation audio books weren't on the market until 4 months after their initial release.
The plan has always been to do a simultaneous release for the audiobook, but with no pre-order up, I can see why people would have some concerns.  Well, it's now official.  The pre-order for Age of Swords is posted on Audible.com , and yes it will be released on June 20th...the same day as the hardcover and print editions. And the good news, is that even though it's only now being officially announced, we are already seeing orders coming in. Currently Age of Swords is the third most popular Recorded Books release in the "coming soon" category (and in the top 150 of all pre-releases!

Anyway, if you are as excited as I am for book #2 in this series, stop over and spend your next credit on it. June will be here before we know it!  And as always, thank you for your support.

Age of Myth paperback release day

Today the premium mass market paperback version of Age of Myth is released.

































This means two things:

• The ebook price has come down. It's now under $10, which is important for those who have the "never above $10 for an ebook" rule.

• The print copy is much cheaper. Instead of paying $26 for the hardcover you can get the book in print for less than $10.  

The book is available for sale at bookstores everywhere, and of course you can pick up a copy from my site to get one signed. I also still have hardcovers, which will be going out or print soonish. So you can choose either one. 

This is the first time I'm released in the mass market paperback. Originally Del Rey wanted to do the trade paperbacks (like my Orbit books) and those tend to run $16 - $17 a pop. For myself, I preferred to have the smaller/less expensive size in the hopes that it will make it affordable for more people. I'm hoping this will help to spread the word on a debut book I'm already very happy with the sales. 

If you like paperbacks rather than hardcovers - now is the time to get your copy. And as always, thanks for your support.