Dave Duncan's Blog, page 13

Kudos!

I  learned this morning that I had been elected a lifetime member of SFCanada (a long-time association of writers, editors, and academics).  Not having read the agenda for the AGM, I hadn’t even known that this was being considered, so the surprise was even greater than it would have been.  Recognition by one’s peers is the highest form of praise there is, and I am very grateful for this honour.

I’m back!

What has been happening?  Lots, some nice some not.  Back in early April, I discovered that my web-page had been hacked and the host had shut it down—for the second time in five months, I might add.  It would have been nice of the host to tell me, since I pay plenty for the service.  My webmaster needed a few days to get everything put back together again, and meanwhile Janet and I left on an extended vacation, a three-week cruise from Florida, through the Panama Canal, and back here to Victoria, BC.  We disembarked just yesterday, and certainly we had the holiday of a lifetime.  Even when I wasn’t eating, drinking, or touristing, I couldn’t do any posting, because I was struggling with both satellite internet (which is about equivalent to a 1990′s dial-up, only much more pricey) and an i-Pad, which has some good features but is a three-legged mule when it comes to the internet.  So now I am back in the real world.  I apologize for the long silence, and will try to do better in future.

Award news

My SF novel Wildcatter (Edge Books, 2012) has been nominated for ForeWord Magazines’ Book of the Year Award. Please keep all fingers crossed.

 

Promotion

This month Amazon Kindle is offering Against the Light for $0.96: not bad for a four-star book!  Many of my other books are also listed at reduced prices: check them out!

After last year’s frenetic three new books, 2013 seems positively restful (=boring) but King of Swords is now confirmed for September publication.  I spent last week working with the editor on the final MS.

Sun break

As of Saturday (Feb 9) I am off to Puerto Vallarta for a week.  This will be my first visit to this side of Mexico and I am eagerly looking forward to exposing more of me to the incident ultraviolet than BC weather allows at this time of year.  I shan’t go anywhere near whatever limits the PV city ordinances ordain, though.

 

More on Magnuses

A natural-born blogger I am not, and I apologize for not writing more often.  If I have to make things up, though, I might as well put them in a novel.  Today I am inspired to report that Tor has reduced the e-book price for Speak to the Devil and When the Saints to $10.64 (US Kindle price).  Still no word on a mass market edition, but perhaps this change will make the series available to more readers.  The two books do deserve better readership than they have had so far.  Believe me!  You read it here.

 

“The Brothers Magnus”

Tor continues to dither as to when and how to publish mass market editions of my Speak to the Devil and When the Saints.  Both books continue to be available in hardcover and e-book form, but the e-books were still priced at the “hardcover” price of $18.73.  I politely pointed out to my editor, Liz Gorinsky, that this was ridiculous and suggested they try $4.99.  Liz agreed in principle and the price has now dropped all the way to $13.49.  That’s better, but my Against the Light, which is two years younger but published by Amazon (47North), is priced at $3.99 and the sales rankings show that it must be selling at least ten times as many copies.  On that assumption, which would you rather have: $13.49, or $39.90?  Some people haven’t cottoned on to the digital thing yet.

Tall tales and short ones

I seem to be downsizing these days.  I used to write four-volume series, sometimes expanding them into 8 or 9. No more.  Last year I started what I thought would be a YA book, and it stalled at about 1/4 the size it should be.  Stories do insist on being their own length, as any writer will tell you.  I put that one away, but eventually I realized that it stood on its own. I tried it on my fourteen-year-old grandson, who said it was a great story and kept him turning the pages: obviously he has inherited a fine taste in literature.  I offered it to Robert Runte and Lorina Stephens at Five Rivers Publishing.  Read all about it here.

Egg on my windshield

You know those moments when you wish that life had a reset button?  Janet I planned a few days on the Oregon coast on our way to Orycon.  The scenery and hospitality were as great as ever, and the weather cooperated beautifully.  BUT six inches of rain had fallen just before we got there.  On the first day we went through some water on the highway.  Next day it was obviously deeper, but everyone else seemed to be going through safely enough.  Alas, our Mini Cooper rides a little closer to the pavement than most…  We stalled.  Where was the UNDO icon?

A Department of Highway pushed us out and we got an AAA tow to a mechanic who said he could fix it.  To cut a sad story short, he couldn’t.  The car is presently still there, in a hotel yard, waiting for the insurance company to get it fixed, except that they seem to have been waiting on me.  And so on.  We were a day late arriving at the con, and thus missed the Endeavor Award ceremony that we were going there for.  (Hearty congratulations to Kristine Rausch for winning with City of Ruins.)  Janet and I returned north by rental car.  But we are safe and sound, which is what matters.

Orycon

No, I am not going to World Fantasy Convention on the Halloween weekend, Janet and I are going to OryCon, in Portland, Oregon.  I have nothing against WFC, you understand, but OryCon is nearer and has done me the honor of shortlisting one of my books for the coveted Endeavour Award , so that is that.  Besides, it gives us the excuse to spend a couple of nights at Cannon Beach, one of our all-time favorite places. If any of you are anywhere in the area, I’d love to meet you.