Brandon Sanderson's Blog, page 93
December 3, 2010
Alcatraz Four Release + Michael Whelan Prints
One important bit of news is that the fourth Alcatraz book, ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE SHATTERED LENS, was released officially in stores this week. I had reports of it being found on store shelves as early as last week, maybe even the week before. So it's around.
I'm very proud of this book. I think it's the best in the series so far. You may remember a tweet from me a while back about a book where the dialogue in one chapter is entirely quotes from Shakespeare. That's this book. It's off-the-wall, crazy, funny, and yet (hopefully) still has a moving story. They are fantasy books about a family where everyone has ridiculous magical powers. (Think MYSTERY MEN crossed with a quick-paced adventure fantasy.)
If you've never tried one of the Alcatraz books, they all stand pretty much on their own. There is an overarching story, but you could launch into this one if you want. (Alcatraz might make fun of you for it, though.)
These books have been kind of a tough sell to bookstores. They've been classified as middle grade, targeted at those around ten years old or so, so you usually won't find them on the shelf next to my adult fantasy books. However, the humor is very broadly based, and scales much older. They've found a dedicated following, but it's not an enormous one. Because of that, finding them in bookstores can be tough. I don't think Borders is carrying them at all, though Barnes & Noble took a small order. (I'd say any given B&N has a 50/50 chance of having the book in stock, in the children's fiction section.)
So, I'd like to suggest that if you haven't looked into them, you consider giving this one a read. (Or the first one, which is out in paperback.) Call your local bookstore first to find out if they have copies. I think most would be happy to order them in for you.
I'll be doing local signings starting tomorrow, but I know attending one of those is not an option for many readers. Some stores I know that carry the books, and are willing to ship them, are as follows:
Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, (858) 268-4747. (They probably have signed copies of the first three, and are an awesome, awesome store. They'll ship you signed first printings of most of the books, though they won't have the fourth signed yet.
The Barnes & Noble in Idaho Falls, (208) 552-1452, has hardcovers in stock of the first three, maybe the fourth now. They're willing to ship to you, so if you've had trouble finding them, give the store a call and ask for Marybeth's voicemail. She'll call you back and take care of you.
The BYU Bookstore, (800) 253-2578, always has a nice, large stock of Alcatraz books. You can ask for a signed copy for most of them.
And, of course, there's always online retailers.
Thank you for considering the books. I've got some sample chapters of the first novel right here. Also, here are some for the new book.
Tomorrow I'm going to be signing in Eagle Mountain at the Dragons & Fairy Tales bookstore. They have 20 copies of ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE SHATTERED LENS, and the first one I sign will be numbered #1. I'll number up through the first 50 copies that people ask me to sign, even if that happens after tomorrow. I'll be in Murray next weekend and in Bountiful the weekend after that, so each stop will provide another chance for you to pick it up.
By the way, Dan Wells will also be signing there at Dragons & Fairy Tales at the same time. We'll even both sign Writing Excuses CDs if you have them. (Um, there won't be any of those available at the signing.)
On a different topic, people have been asking for months how they can buy prints of Michael Whelan's gorgeous cover art for THE WAY OF KINGS. Well, Mr. Whelan has now put up fine art prints for sale in his online store.
The fine art prints come in two versions: a signed open edition, and a signed limited edition of twelve with remarque. (That's a small unique drawing to the side, I believe.) The twelve limited edition prints will also be signed by me. Both versions have an art size of 19 1/2" x 32 1/2" and a total size of 24" x 36 1/2".
I've posted my thoughts before on the incredible honor of getting a Michael Whelan cover; now, the idea of my signature being near his on a piece of artwork is rather mind-boggling. I can't wait to see this print in person.
More Blog Posts at Brandonsanderson.com
December 1, 2010
Tweets November 21-30
BrandonSandrson Sun Nov 21
It occurs to me that I need a new acronym for the new Mistborn book. Otherwise, my next two books could be MAoL and AMoL . . .
egonegative Fri Nov 19
@BrandonSandrson Wikipedia says WoK is going to be a 10 book series. Is that true?
@egonegative Yes, that is true.
staceydroach Fri Nov 19
Just finished #TofM @BrandonSandrson it was awesome!
@staceydroach Thanks!
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 22
If you reported typos for Way of Kings at the TWG forums, and still have a copy of your list, could you repost at Stormblessed or 17thShard?
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 22
And now, my favorite thing in the world. Spellchecking. (On Mistborn AofL.) Yay.
jemron_mcb Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson Yeah . . . I pointed that out to you a few days ago ;-)
@jemron_mcb Yeah, a lot of people pointed it out, only I wasn't paying enough attention.
stormblessed Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson @PeterAhlstrom our TWoK typo thread http://ow.ly/1rFnAY
@stormblessed Thanks, guys!
17thshard Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson We've now made a WoK typo thread for you. http://bit.ly/b98BA6
@17thshard Great! Thank you.
Jason_JW Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson your fingers must be tired from tying up all these loose ends in The Wheel of Time: Towers of Midnight
@Jason_JW Trying to tie them up with Weaves, instead of fingers, when possible . . . :)
Jason_JW Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson Where are you having us report Towers of Midnight typos? I found two.
@Jason_JW Send them via email, for now. Thanks!
PeterAhlstrom Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson TOWERS typos can go to Dragonmount or Theoryland forums. Maria watches those threads.
imagechaos Mon Nov 22
completely forgot I was following @brandonsandrson
@imagechaos I'll try to scream louder on occasion to keep you from forgetting in the future . . .
BDGallof Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson Halfway through Way Of Kings. Great job! Really growing in your writing and structure.
@BDGallof Thank you!
dwilk87 Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson does the new mistborn book come out in the uk also?
@dwilk87 Yes, it should. They've already asked regarding it, I think.
crugus10 Mon Nov 22
Join Twitter. Follow @BrandonSandrson . Thank him for aGS and ToM, which were simply awesome. First tweet complete.
@crugus10 Reply to @crugus10, thank them for their thanks. Wish them well in their future tweets. Response complete.
McFrankline Mon Nov 22
#NowReading Tower of Midnight By Robert Jordan and @BrandonSandrson #Tofm #WoT
@Lord_Carfax Hope you enjoy it.
Nephlimus Mon Nov 22
Introducing people to @BrandonSandrson The Way of Kings, now they wont stop asking me when book 2 is coming out!
@Nephlimus This is my devious plan to drive all of my readers crazy.
shawnp0wers Mon Nov 22
@Squish42 do you like fantasy? I just read Elantris by @brandonsandrson, really good. For scifi, I'm currently reading "Altered Carbon"
@shawnp0wers Thanks for the kind words.
Graendal Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson Is there a difference between severing and being burned out in regards to one's connection to the power?
@Graendal Yes, there is a difference. I cannot say yet whether the other can be healed or not.
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 22
Have I mentioned that Mistborn:AofL includes Mistings who burn two of the metals unkown at the end of HofA?
DeNomad_ca Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson Just finished WoT13:ToM. Great book, you've done Robert Jordan proud! Wish there was more written about the tower of Genji.
@DeNomad_ca Thank you.
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 22
I think I might have mentioned it. But if I didn't . . . now I have. And if I did, those who didn't see before now might. Huzzah!
EricLake Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson In M:AoL, will bendalloy's time dilation result in redshifting of light going in/out of the bubble? #weescience
@EricLake I've been working on the science of it. Basically, I've been treating it as a gravitational time dilation.
@EricLake But only focused inward, and equally, on those inside the bubble. It's making my brain hurt a bit, but I think I've got it working
EricLake Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson In M:AoL, will bendalloy's time dilation result in redshifting of light going in/out of the bubble? #weescience
@EricLake I think this means yes to a gravitational redshift. But . . . it gets wacky. Trying to decide just what it would do is tough.
HeatherMMuir Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson Are you trying to send us a secret message at the beginning of Writing Excuses when you make the typing noises?
@HeatherMMuir Yes. It means "Go write!" :)
BCoultrup Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson My new kitten named Kaladin : ) he's a fighter. Already got scratches on both arms within an hour. http://yfrog.com/5g1hhnj
@BCoultrup Keep him away from your infused gemstones :)
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 22
Draft of the new Mistborn novel just went to Isaac and Inkthinker for visual art/maps input and thoughts.
sgroman5674 Mon Nov 22
@BrandonSandrson how long does it usually take?
@sgroman5674 It can take hours, depending on the book. This one only took about two.
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 23
Decided it was time for a change of my Twitter icon. Fear the Llama!
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 23
Blog post: Some more on the Superstars Writing Seminar, plus my interview with @PeterOrullian. http://3.ly/mHkq
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 23
All: Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lense (Fourth in my children's series) has been spotted in the wild at a B&N on the east coast.
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 23
The official release date is December, but they always hit shelves early. Feel free to call your local bookstore and see if they have it.
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 23
If you're looking for Alcatraz 4, please do call the bookstore before driving over. Not all will have it yet, and some won't carry it at all
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 23
A report on my trip to France, plus past and future conventions elsewhere. http://3.ly/QQDE
bmoorebooks Wed Nov 24
@BrandonSandrson Meander and Ozzy approve of your new avatar. Fear the llama. Buttersby says it wouldn't win any ribbons.
@bmoorebooks Lol. Did I tell you congrats on the book deal yet? I think I did. But Congrats again.
johncleaver Tue Nov 23
My new proposed title for my schizophrenia book: The Hollow City. I'm digging it. We'll see what the agent and editors think.
@johncleaver That's an awesome title.
BrandonSandrson Wed Nov 24
Limeboy gets the words "Accident" and "Excellent" mixed up. In most cases, this creates a much more awesome life for him.
BrandonSandrson Wed Nov 24
For example, this morning, when he didn't quite make it to the potty: "I went on the floor. It was a EXCELLENT, Daddy."
evaneekelen Wed Nov 24
@BrandonSandrson while you're spellchecking, you might want to check "bescarved".I've been asking around, but no consensus! #notindictionary
@evaneekelen ;)
honorless Wed Nov 24
50% off coupon at Borders?! HELL TO THE YES. Think I'll snag @BrandonSandrson's Mistborn trilogy since the 1-volume Bone GN seems to be OOS.
@honorless I'm somewhat fond of the colorized Bone volumes Scholastic put out. :)
tordotcom Wed Nov 24
Does an author's online personality affect whether you want to read their books or not? Why?
cryptographite Wed Nov 24
@tordotcom If they're unfriendly, I feel they have less of a connection with their readers. I prefer the @brandonsandrson/@cmpriest type.
@cryptographite Yes, but if they're REALLY unfriendly, then they connect with their readers more—by way of punches and the occasional kick.
lioneldavoust Wed Nov 24
Enregistrement du d
November 29, 2010
Updates + Writing Seminar
In this week's Writing Excuses podcast episode, Howard Tayler and I are joined by Scott Westerfeld to discuss visual components of novels. And in the most recent WARBREAKER annotations I talk about Vivenna's plottings with Denth and Susebron's spelling, among other things.
In January I'll be teaching at the Superstars Writing Seminar in Salt Lake City. Here's how Kevin J. Anderson describes it:
If you are ready for a full-blown "boot camp" of the things you need to know to be a career professional writer, consider attending the second Superstars Writing Seminar, which will be held this January 13–15 in Salt Lake City (Thursday–Saturday, the weekend before the national holiday of Martin Luther King Day).
Three days of intensive instruction taught by six international bestselling authors, Brandon Sanderson, Dave Wolverton, Rebecca Moesta, Eric Flint, and special guest instructor Sherrilyn Kenyon. Topics include:
Economics of Commercial Publishing
How Editors Look at Manuscripts, Novels, and Short Fiction
Dissecting a Book Contract
How to Read and Understand a Royalty Statement
Dirty Secrets: What You Need to Know About Being a Professional Author
How to Leverage Your Intellectual Property
Balancing Acts: Writing World and Real World
Agents
Networking and Self-Promotion for Authors
Understanding E-Books
Pitching the Big Proposal
Two Heads Are Better than One: Collaborations
How to Get an Edge with New Media
Movies, TV, and Authors
—and more, including open Q&A sessions, a special limited-seating VIP banquet to get to know the instructors, and plenty of networking opportunities among the teachers, other writers, and fellow students.
The Superstars Writing Seminar is a practical, no-nonsense course on business topics for the professional writer. We don't teach you how to write; we teach you how to be a writer.
Prices increase by $50 on December 1. For more information and to sign up, go to SuperstarsWritingSeminars.com.
INSTRUCTORS:
Kevin J. Anderson—award-winning, international bestselling author of the new Dune series (with Brian Herbert), the Terra Incognita and Saga of Seven Suns series, X-Files, Star Wars, and numerous comics; he has published 100 books, with more than 21 million copies in print in 30 languages.
Eric Flint—A master of military science fiction and alternate history, Eric is best known for his 1632 and Belisarius series (with David Drake). An expert in electronic publishing, he was also the founder and editor of Jim Baen's Universe online magazine.
Rebecca Moesta—Award-winning and New York Times bestselling Young Adult author of Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Star Challengers, the Crystal Doors series, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Little Things. She also holds a Masters of Science in Business Administration from Boston University and is the CEO and business manager for WordFire, Inc.
Brandon Sanderson—A New York Times bestselling author in his own right for his Mistborn series, Brandon was selected to complete Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time. The first volume, The Gathering Storm, immediately reached #1 on the bestseller lists. He also writes successful Young Adult fiction and lectures on creative writing for BYU.
Dave Wolverton—Author of 50 novels, Guinness World Record holder for the largest single-author signing, multiple New York Times bestselling author (under the names Dave Wolverton and David Farland). Dave worked for nearly a decade as coordinating judge for one of the world's largest writing contests.
Sherrilyn Kenyon—Bestselling author of the Dark Hunter series, The League, and the Chronicles of Nick. In the past two years, Sherri's books have hit the #1 New York Times bestseller spot an amazing 14 times.
More Blog Posts at Brandonsanderson.com
November 23, 2010
France & Conventions
As you may know I spent little over a week in France this month as a guest of the Utopiales convention in Nantes and of my publisher, Orbit France. This was, unequivacably, an awesome experience. Pemberly and I thourougly enjoyed our time meeting with French fans, and my publisher certainly took good care of us.
It's difficult to boil the experience down into a few short paragraphs. Fun times involved lots of cheese, some excllent interviews, and the pleasure of winning the Elbakin.net award. (Pictured below—is it not awesome? Each one is a hand-made leather book jacket built to fit the book that won the award.)
At one point, Scott Westerfeld bought me a ticket to see a giant steampunk squid. At another (on a panel) I got into a healthy argument with one of France's most respected editors and genre experts regarding accounts of Alexander the Great's showdown with Darius III, king of Persia.
I got to meet Peter Watts, who was one of the most engaging conversationalists I've ever known, and a French friend actually told me (when I was boarding a train) "Don't worry having to talk to the stranger next to you. We're all French, and therefore all obnoxious, so nobody bothers!" (A note of correction on my part; I've been to France now twice in my life, the trips separated by almost twenty years, and I've never found the French people to be anything other than charming, friendly, and encouraging.)
I was pleased to eat my fill of croissants, baguettes, cheese, and French desserts. I did have to search a little bit to find a glass of ice water, though.
Anyway, the experience reminded me that I really needed to a special post regarding the other wonderful conventions that have had me visit this year. It was an honor to be among the first to ever attend ConStellation in Nebraska, as Nebraska fandom had a hand in strongly encouraging me as a new writer during my youth. This is a new convention, but very vibrant, and I hope it has many years ahead of it.
On the other side, we had Minicon—a long-running and venerable convention that was beyond awesome. I've attended a lot of conventions in a lot of places, and it makes me wonder if those who go to Minicon realize just how special that place is. Well-organized, well-managed, and a pleasure to visit. (Even if a young man named Rand did beat me at Magic while I was there.) That con treated me like a king—you should have seen my suite in the hotel. I could have packed an entire circus's worth of elephants in there and still had room left over.
This was all in addition to the cons I frequently visit. (LTUE in Provo, CONduit in Salt Lake, Dragon*Con in Atlanta, and—of course—JordanCon.) It was a busy con-going year for me, particularly since I hit two Comic-Cons as well. (San Diego and New York.)
A big thank you to all who hosted me. I came to fandom relatively late—I didn't attend a real local sf convention until my senior year of high school, and didn't manage to make a national convention until World Fantasy in 2000, when I was 25. (Just realized that was ten years ago. Wow.) And even though these last ten years have been full of con-going, I feel I've got a lot of catching up to do.
As such, I'll be attending a swath of conventions next year. Some as a guest, others as a participant. The confirmed list includes:
ConDFW X, Dallas, February 18–20
TarValon.net 10th Anniversary, Charleston, March 4–6
Vericon 11, Harvard University, March 18–20
JordanCon III, Atlanta, April 15–17
Penguicon 2011, Detroit, April 29–May 1
CONduit XXI, Salt Lake City, May 28
Polaris 25, Toronto, July 15–17
Renovation, the 69th Worldcon, Reno, August 17–21
And an early notice on a 2012 convention: Swancon 37, Perth, Australia, April 6–9, 2012
I'll probably also be doing another France trip in May. Watch my events page (there's a link gem on the front page) for the most up-to-date information about where I'll be and when.
More Blog Posts at Brandonsanderson.com
November 22, 2010
Interviews, Superstars Writing Seminar & Updates
This past week's WARBREAKER annotations cover the writing rule that characters who do things are more interesting than those who don't, who followed Vasher into the palace, naked athletic competitions, and Lightsong's indolence.
In the most recent Writing Excuses episode, Dan Wells, Howard Tayler, and I are again joined by John Brown to discuss writing the second book. We cover both writing your second book ever and writing the second book in a series.
There's a new interview with me in the New Zealand Herald here. I did this interview when THE WAY OF KINGS was coming out, and it talks about that book as well as how I got into writing, plus other questions such as how I became involved in the Wheel of Time.
During my TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT tour, I sat down for a video interview with fellow Tor writer Peter Orullian, whose debut novel THE UNREMEMBERED comes out in April. We discuss a bunch of topics including the following:
My work ethic
How my writing has evolved and how the field has changed
The future of the Stormlight Archive anmd the ELANTRIS world
Defining epic fantasy
Fantasy as one of the last great genres to explore the dichotomy of good and evil
The familiar vs. the new
Self-censorship and whether there are certain topics that I won't write about
Whose books I rush out to buy and books I've read that I wished I had written
The degree to which fiction writing is autobiographical
Music I listen to while writing or driving
Simple advice to aspiring writers
What color I play in Magic: The Gathering
Finally, a note on the upcoming Superstars Writing Seminar that I'm helping teach in January. Last year, I'll admit I didn't know how I felt about this. Were we really offering something worthwhile? Particularly at the somewhat high cost?
I have to say that after doing it once, I was blown away by how awesome an experience it was. It was an all-around incredible mixing of creativity, information, and fun. I think it was not only worthwhile, but a bargain. Dave, Kevin, Rebecca, and Eric know a ton about this business. And having only broken in a few years ago, I was able to add a bit of unique information. I think this will be an extremely helpful event for anyone aspiring to break into publishing.
At last year's conference some of the attendees recorded these testimonials about their experiences there.
Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl
Clancy Metzger, Claudia Kimmerer, and Blair Christensen
Ann Cooney
More Blog Posts at Brandonsanderson.com
November 19, 2010
Tweets November 12-19
BrandonSandrson Fri Nov 12
France has been awesome so far. Onward to day two of the Utopiales convention. Thanks to all who have come to see me.
BrandonSandrson Sat Nov 13
Day three of Utopiales is done. I have decided that French people are extremely nice. And extremely bescarved.
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 15
Mistborn Short Novel first draft is finished. 85k long. Out next fall. Blog post coming. Huzzah!
BrandonSandrson Wed Nov 17
Guys, I don't know if you've heard, but France is REALLY far away. That flight was looooooooooong. (One 'o' for each hour.)
scalzi Wed Nov 17
OH HELL NO: The Web page for the MFA program at UC Irvine has the phrase "centers around" on it. #GrammarHeadSmack
@scalzi I got rejected by Irvine MFA. & Columbia. & NYU. Iowa too. Was sending Elantris, which eventually sold to Tor
@BrandonSandrson Ever get the urge to mail your No. 1 NYT best seller ranking to them and go "Love, NOT your donation-providing alumnus"?
tobiasbuckell Wed Nov 17
@scalzi @BrandonSandrson lol, I was bumped from BGSU of all places. I should totally do that
BrandonSandrson Thu Nov 18
New Mistborn novel has a title. Mistborn: The Alloy of Law. Doing a quick revision here before sending it to my agent/editor.
skatter Thu Nov 18
@BrandonSandrson Brandon, just curious. A twitterless friend just asked where the new book fits in the Mistborn timeline?
@skatter 300 years after Hero of Ages. Technology is Edwardian, mostly. Guns, the advent of electricity, skyscrapers being built.
HolyJaw Thu Nov 18
@BrandonSandrson BRANDON. I DONT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THIS HABIT.
@HolyJaw Lol. Well, it won't be out for a year or so . . .
theprawn Thu Nov 18
@BrandonSandrson Wait, I thought Mistborn was a trilogy?
@theprawn Mistborn is both. The new book is set many years later, deals with new characters, etc.
@theprawn All of my worlds have other stories planned. If I say something is a trilogy/stand alone, I'm talking about those characters.
rayners Fri Nov 19
Finished @BrandonSandrson's The Way of Kings last night. Wow! That book was profoundly awesome in ways I cannot even begin to articulate.
@rayners Thank you very much. :)
wolven74 Fri Nov 19
@BrandonSandrson Just finished ToM. Well done sir. Well done indeed.
@wolven74 It has been an honor to work on them. Thank you.
caseyfreeland Fri Nov 19
@BrandonSandrson Have TGS signed hardcover and Audiobook. Downloading Towers now. Bliss! Thanks for your work.
@caseyfreeland Thank you for the kind words.
Machiknight Fri Nov 19
@BrandonSandrson how long does the editorial process take?
@Machiknight Depends on the book. As long as a year for some novels, much faster for other novels.
[image error]Andrewcyr Fri Nov 19
@brandonsandrson What kind of release schedule are you shooting for with WoK? Bi-yearly releases? Every few years?
@Andrewcyr Two every three years.
kushieda_minori Fri Nov 19
@BrandonSandrson When will Alcatraz Versus The Knights Of Crystallia be available in softcover?
@kushieda_minori I'm not sure, honestly. We keep asking, and get no firm answer from Scholastic. I was hoping this month.
egonegative Fri Nov 19
@BrandonSandrson How do you write so much? Do you not sleep? Or have these epic stories been bouncing about your brain for decades?
@egonegative Kings has indeed been bouncing around for decades. For the new Mistborn novel, it's more of a free-write experiment.
jamesbigler Thu Nov 18
@BrandonSandrson Were you able to take the direct flight from Paris to SLC? That can take quite a lot time off the whole flight time.
@jamesbigler Yes, we did take the direct flight, which is nice. Still 11 hours, though.
GrahamChops Thu Nov 18
@BrandonSandrson @PeterAhlstrom Maybe it's too early to know, but the new MB book will be hardcover right?
@GrahamChops Should be hardcover.
FitzChivalry_ Thu Nov 18
I miss Robert Jordan. As appreciative as I am of @BrandonSandrson it's just not the same. #WoT #Books #WritingTilTheyNailYourCoffinShut
@FitzChivalry_ I agree.
BrandonSandrson Fri Nov 19
NaNo isn't looking good for me this year, I'm afraid. Wasn't in a place to start a new book Nov 1st. Continued M:AofL instead.
BrandonSandrson Fri Nov 19
In Canada, the Kindle version of MISTBORN: THE HERO OF AGES has been unavailable due to an error. Now you can buy it. http://amzn.to/cfJK4K
BrandonSandrson Fri Nov 19
The Mistborn trilogy holiday bundle with the Steel Alphabet Medallion thrown in is back! Only 30 in stock. http://3.ly/N5XE
More Blog Posts at Brandonsanderson.com
November 18, 2010
Order a personalized THE GATHERING STORM + Holiday shipping deadlines
Peter here. Brandon got back from his book tour yesterday, but Pemberly told me that he went right to bed and slept for 15 hours straight. Anyway, the result of this is that Brandon is no longer out flying from state to state or country to country, so unless you're in Utah or Idaho he won't be signing books near you anytime soon. Well, that's why Brandon sells signed books in his store here—so you don't have to come to him!
Since Brandon doesn't want to compete with local bookstores, he only sells hardcovers after they've been out for at least a year. THE GATHERING STORM has now been out for over a year, so as of today you can start picking it up from Brandon's store. Brandon will be signing books at his house this Saturday, so if you order before then you could have a signed copy of THE GATHERING STORM in a matter of days. He also might be throwing in a Wheel of Time bumper sticker left over from the tour, like a Tai'shar Malkier or Sly as an Eelfinn sticker, while supplies last. (I'll bug him and make sure something like this happens . . . or if it can't happen, I'll come back and edit this post . . .)
If you want to give the gift of a signed Brandon Sanderson book (or two, or six) this holiday season, now is a very good time to order, especially if you need international shipping. Since Brandon is out of town next weekend for Thanksgiving (he's going to Idaho Falls and will be signing books there), the next chance he'll get to sign books for shipping out will be December 4th, which is also the deadline for international orders if you want them to arrive by December 24th. Plus international shipping can be flaky, so getting your order in right away is a good idea. The deadline for U.S. orders is December 6th, or December 12th if you choose Priority Mail shipping.
All of Brandon's other books (besides THE WAY OF KINGS and TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT, which you might find here) are available, and there are convenient bundles too. Plus you can grab some Mistborn and Elantris jewelry and the Mistborn Table of Allomantic Metals poster. So check it out.
I should also mention that you can get Mistborn and Stormlight Archive shirts and hoodies at InkWing.com. And Garden Ninja Studios has a few more Vin and Kelsier miniatures left (unfortunately, they sold out of the awesome koloss and inquisitor minis . . . but they also have a special on Schlock Mercenary minis).
More Blog Posts at Brandonsanderson.com
November 15, 2010
Signing Tuesday in Paris
Peter here again, since Brandon is still in France. There's a new Writing Excuses podcast episode up where Brandon, Dan, and Howard answer five mostly unrelated questions about writing. The questions they answered are listed here. And there's a new WARBREAKER annotation up covering chapter twenty-five, largely about religion.
Brandon will be signing tomorrow in Paris, so if you're nearby, stop in and see him! The full details are below. There are also some November/December Idaho/Utah signings listed on the events page. There will probably also be a signing somewhere in Utah County on December 4th but it's still being arranged.
WHSmith, Paris, France
Date: 11.16.10 Time: 7:00 pm–9:00 pm
Place: WH Smith
Address: 248, Rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris Mo Concorde
Phone: 01 44 77 88 99
Type: Signing
Notes: WHSmith says: To ensure proper set-up for our events,
we kindly request that you RSVP. To RSVP, please send an email with the number of guests and your contact information to books (at) whsmith (dot) fr with 'Brandon Sanderson Event RSVP' as the object of the message. You will not receive a confirmation, but your name will be registered on our guest list.
More Blog Posts at Brandonsanderson.com
November 11, 2010
Tweets November 5-11 part 2
alSeen14 Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson Anyone tell you they named their kid after a wot char? I named my daughter Avienda &wonder if there are others #portalstone
@alSeen14 I have met Aviendhas (one on this tour) Perrins (two on this tour) and Rands. I think Aviendha is a beautiful name. #portalstone
WinesprngBrothr Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson will save a lot of theorising if RAFO'ed :D (not that I mind theorising, of course!) Is Taim a darkfriend? #portalstone
@WinesprngBrothr Wow. I could really blow things up with that one, eh? I'll be safe and RAFO. #portalstone
[image error]MyHousePlans Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson #portalstone Thx 4 being so awesome! I'd never read any of the WoT series, but I'm loving them now - all cuz of Mistborn.
@MyHousePlans I try to be awesome at all times, when possible. :) #portalstone
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08
Okay, I have to call an end here for my involvement in the tweetup. I will answer the questions sent before this point. #portalstone
Apy12 Mon Nov 08
@brandonsandrson Going back to blademasters where would Rand come on the list with Lan Galad Gawyn (before he lost his hand) #portalstone
@Apy12 I'm going to have to look back at the notes, but I *Think* he was right around Gawyn level. #portalstone
Theoryland Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson - Was Asmodean killed with balefire? And when will additional details regarding his death be released? #portalstone
@Theoryland I will see if I can give additional details. I'll ask Maria and Harriet for their read. #portalstone
sonjamree Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson #portalstone Shout out to your wife who I'm sure misses you very much. We realize your family makes sacrifices. She rocks!
@sonjamree I will tell her you mentioned her. Thank you. She has been very forgiving with all of this. #portalstone
thedustywheel Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson - How often does Demandred contemplate killing Moridin? #portalstone
@thedustywheel Less than the other Chosen. He is focused on Rand. He contemplates Moridin, but mostly he wants Rand. #portalstone
finberg42 Mon Nov 08
@PeterAhlstrom @Brandonsandrson when can we expect to see NYT bestseller info for #ToM #portalstone
@finberg42 Wednesday. Grisham is going to give us a run for our money. #portalstone
tritlo Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson Also, who is your favorite character, and why? #portalstone
@tritlo Perrin, because I feel most like him most of the time. #portalstone
alSeen14 Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson Are the prophecies competing ala Belgariad, or are the complementary? #portalstone
@alSeen14 Not competing like Belgariad, and certainly not intelligent like in Belgariad. #portalstone
@alSeen14 Some may be interpreted wrong, others may be recorded wrong, but there is not a this/that nature to them. #portalstone
tritlo Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson Another question from Iceland here. Will we see more from Shara or the Land of the Madmen? #portalstone
@tritlo RJ said there would be no major action in Shara. He was uncertain on Madmen. #portalstone
OAFaye Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson What's a MAFO? #portalstone
@OAFaye It means "Maria and find out." :) It means I need to go to the notes. #portalstone
pmisir Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson Awesome! :) Re: AMoL, I hope there'll be tons more Tuon/Seanchan? #portalstone
@pmisir There will be more than there was in TofM. #portalstone
gardenrosephoto Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson One thing our family is looking forward to is the compendium when the story ends. Will you be helping? #portalstone
@gardenrosephoto It is mostly Harriet/Maria. But I have some requests I plan to put in. :) #portalstone
BRCayen Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson I can't figure it out. . . . what was the "little thing" that was missed at the start of the series? #portalstone
@BRCayen End of chapter 55. #portalstone
Apy12 Mon Nov 08
@brandonsandrson Who on earth is Nakioma (should check name . . . ) #portalstone
@Apy12 RAFO. :) I'm leaving that one open to interpretation. #portalstone
stanism Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson Any advice for writers trying to create their own fantasy epic series? #portalstone
@stanism Yes. Start by making the first book stand on its own, and keep the viewpoints down for the first one. #portalstone
alSeen14 Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson I'm assuming we can do spoilers now. What did we miss that would have told us who killed Asmo? #portalstone
@alSeen14 I don't think people missed it. RJ said it was obvious, and many guessed it correctly. So I'd say they got it. #portalstone
@alSeen14 If you ask on a fan site, they can get you the 'Sherlock Holmes' style investigation of the subject. It is right. #portalstone
Gigalew Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson Where those fellas in red veils human or shadowspawn? #portalstone
@Gigalew RAFO. :) #portalstone
elektrotal Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson do you think you'll actually be able to wrap up the story in aMoL? seems like a lot of endgame threads still #portalstone
@elektrotal I have no plans to split the book again. I am 2/3 through the outline. Anything can happen, but it looks like one. #portalstone
taloncarde Mon Nov 08
@brandonSandrson Trying to not be spoiler, but the addition of a mystery to the glossary intended? is that all we get there? #portalstone
@taloncarde Not sure which one you mean. #portalstone
Blindillusion13 Mon Nov 08
@BrandonSandrson Will AMoL be centered on Mat? Rand had tGS and Perrin had ToM. sigh #portalstone
@Blindillusion13 It will be pretty equal. #portalstone
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08
That was fun, all! I'm off to get ready for my NYC signing tonight. Thank you for the fun time with #portalstone.
BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08
Note that an archive will go up on my website eventually. There are minor spoilers for TofM, I believe. See you New Yorkers tonight!
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
Tonight's signing is not at the same store as last time. But it seems to be a ticketed event. You have to buy the book here.
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
I am not pleased to find that they are turning people away, but there is very little space.
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
I'm going to France, the Utopiales convention in Nantes and signing at WHSmith in Paris. Here's my schedule. http://3.ly/RD5z
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
Custom wheel of time action figures. http://twitpic.com/357p0b
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
More wot action figures. http://twitpic.com/357p97
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
Custom Thom action figure close up. http://twitpic.com/357pnk
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
And now . . . off to France. Flight out in two and a half hours.
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
By the way, Tor really wants my Mistborn short novel. And so, it is official. New Mistborn novel in stores next year.
BrandonSandrson Tue Nov 09
I feel bad, not having Stormlight 2 for you. But there was no way I could do that and AMOL. It is this or nothing. (And this is awesome.)
BrandonSandrson Wed Nov 10
Am safely at my hotel in France. Scott Westerfeld is here, unexpectedly. I haven't seen him in . . . oh . . . two weeks. In Utah. (Odd coincidence)
BrandonSandrson Thu Nov 11
Well, folks, we did it. Towers of Midnight takes the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list. Thank you all for your support. :)
BrandonSandrson Thu Nov 11
Guys, just so you know, Peter Watts is here at the convention and he is AWESOME.
BrandonSandrson Thu Nov 11
I'll be doing my main Utopiales Q&A in 15 min, and I'm set up for 8 (!) signings over 4 days. If you live in France, please consider coming.
More Blog Posts at Brandonsanderson.com
November 8, 2010
Nantes, France Utopiales Convention Schedule + Signing in Paris
There's a new Writing Excuses podcast episode up where John Brown joins Howard, Dan, and me to discuss the creative process. Give it a listen.
Tomorrow I'm flying to France to attend the Utopialies science fiction convention in Nantes. My schedule is below. (It seems to be rather signing-heavy; I don't know how well attended these will be, so I'll probably have lots of chances to talk to readers or play Magic or something.) After the con I'll be going to Paris, where I will have a signing at the WH Smith bookstore on November 16th at 7:00 p.m. Details are at the end of the post.
Date: 11.10.10 Time: 6:30 pm-1:13 pm
Place: Utopiales, Festival International de Science-Fiction de Nantes
Address: La Cité Nantes Events Center
5 Rue de Valmy
44041 Nantes, France
Type: Convention
schedule: November 10th through 14th.
MERCREDI 10/11
18:30–19:30 Soirée d'inauguration
JEUDI 11/11
13:00–14:00 Panel:
