Nancy Fulda's Blog, page 3
October 31, 2014
The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
I picked this up expecting a Mistborn gangster story, or possibly Mistborn steampunk. Turns out it’s a western, complete with a train heist, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have expected myself to if I’d known what I was getting into. Westerns aren’t particularly my style, but Sanderson plays with the tropes enough, and does enough cool things with bullets and steelpushing, that the book worked for me.
Lots of cool action sequences in this one, which I’ve come to expect from Sanderson, and plenty plenty of interesting worldbuilding. The Hero of Ages from the original Mistborn trilogy, still very much alive although never onscreen, plays a tangential role in the plot, and I like what Sanderson’s done with that. Especially the prayer earring, which is just so obviously appropriate given the worldbuilding from previous trilogy.
I especially appreciated Sanderson’s handling of the romantic thread, which doesn’t play out at all like the tropes would prescribe. The final resolution was a tricky one to pull off, and it worked extremely well for me, although I suppose other readers might have been disappointed.
Overall, a delightful read and money I do not regret spending. I’m still waiting for backstory on why, precisely, Harmony appears to have altered the genetic inheritance of allomancy and feruchemy. Presumably subsequent books will provide the answers.
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cross-posted from nancyfulda.com
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October 29, 2014
I am giving away a Halloween Kitty.
No, really. See that cute little stuffed cat just above this text? I will send one anywhere in the continental US (or outside it, for that matter, as long as we can agree on a shipping fee).
Why? Because I love cuddly kittens, and because I want people to know about the (said with all humility) extremely awesome ebook Hexes and Haunts, which is on sale at a steep discount in honor of Halloween.
How to Play:
There are three ways to enter the contest.
(1) Retweet or share this post.
(2) Post your own link to the Hexes and Haunts ebook
(3) Grab a real, live person standing next to you and say, “Aw, wook at the cute widdle kitty!”
Don’t forget to let me know that you’re playing! Twitter and facebook will automatically message me if you tag my username in the post. For other social networks, you may have to get in touch via my contact form.
I will select a random winner shortly after the witching hour on October 31st.
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cross-posted from nancyfulda.com
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September 22, 2014
Variations of Villany: Available now on the SFWA Blog
I love digging into the nuts and bolts of writing. It’s fun to analyze why things work, which things don’t, and what writers can do to increase their effectiveness. And it’s twice as fun when I get to showcase my analysis on a high-traffic site like SFWA’s.
I therefore present with pleasure Variations of Villainy, a brief analysis of several basic character types.
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cross-posted from nancyfulda.com
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September 12, 2014
Oh, I wants it!
My niece, who long ago surpassed me in any skill related to the visual arts, has opened up an etsy shop full of beautiful things. I'm drooling at all of them, but most especially at the image linked in this post. I could wax poetic about the aesthetic brilliance of the medium and the personal metaphor of the blond winged girl looking upon a landscape of boundless possibilities... but I'll spare you this time.
I can't stand the thought of shipping art internationally, so I'll wait until I'm in the US to pick up a copy. With my luck, by then the shop will have acquired, like, five other equally irresistible items. (Be still, my beating pocketbook!)
Keliana does commissions and has a slew of delightful image samples at deviant art. You'll recognize the covers from several of my ebooks in there. She's great to work with and full of innovative ideas. And she does it all in between a full load of college classes.
I really like being related to awesome people.
July 30, 2014
Lost pennies
I looked up to see my youngest daughter, thrilled with her discovery, holding a shiny copper penny in her hand. She'd found it on the ground outside, and as per usual my children's usual protocol, she'd come to check with me before claiming it as her personal property.
I smiled and told her she could have it. Two hours later my older daughter made an excited noise and lifted something shiny from my computer desk. "Mommy, can I have this penny?"
Primed by the day's earlier events, I answered yes without looking up from the screen. I finished the sentence I was working on, turned to admire my daughter's acquisition, and discovered that it was the same penny I'd been petitioned for earlier. My youngest daughter, instead of tucking the penny into her wallet, had left it lying on the desk and wandered off to play. The same penny had now been discovered and claimed twice.
I briefly considered reclaiming the penny, then shrugged and let it be. There is no shortage of pennies in this household. If the original owner came back to look for it (an unlikely proposition, in my experience) I'd produce a replacement and send her off cheerfully.
Fast forward three hours. I finished my day's work, shut down the laptop, and paused as something caught the light at the edge of my desk. I scooped up the penny absentmindedly, intending to collect it into my wallet, where lost coins generally belong. Halfway to my purse I paused, realizing that it was the exact same penny my two daughters had collected, then forgotten.
I smiled and contemplated the penny's gleaming surface. Then, gently, I lowered it to the kitchen table.
There's a lesson there somewhere, although I haven't quite figured out how to verbalize it. Regardless, I expect it won't be long before someone new wanders past the table and asks me for permission to claim the penny.
June 25, 2014
New Audible Book
When Marguerite Kenner narrated Movement for Escape Pod, she brought a depth and subtlety to the story that I had never imagined. Her reading of Hannah emphasized aspects of the character that I had not previously considered. It was like… meeting my characters all over again. I’ve often wondered whether Marguerite’s narration played a role in the story’s eventual nomination for the Hugo and Nebula awards.
I’m pleased to report that Marguerite is back, narrating a three-story sampler pack called The Breath of Heaven. The stories inside represent some of my older – but arguably superior – work. One was a WOTF finalist, the others were originally published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies and Jim Baen’s Universe. They’ve been available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords for a while, but this is the first time the sampler pack has been offered in audio format.
And here’s the happy part: new Audible users can get the book for free as part of a 30-day trial membership.
[Addendum: For those who have already collected large quantities of my fiction (I adore you. Have I mentioned how much I adore you?) the sampler pack includes THE BREATH OF HEAVEN, KNOWING NEITHER KIN NOR FOE, and IN THE HALLS OF THE SKY-PALACE.]
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cross-posted from nancyfulda.com
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June 20, 2014
Reviews and Pre-orders
Kathy at Shelf Full of Books has kindly posted a review of The Death and Rebirth of Anne Bonny.
“This was an excellent book of short stories. Written over a wide variety of topics the stories bring encouragement, enlightenment, and evoke a wide range of emotions. The stories are thought-provoking and can be taken on several different levels from superficial to something deeper.”
Also, pre-orders are open for:
Shattered Shields (BAEN)
and
Carbide Tipped Pens: Seventeen Tales of Hard Science Fiction
.
Both anthologies have a strong showing of contributing authors, and both sets of editors were delightful to work with. If I had to guess, I’d say Shattered Shields will sell more copies and Carbide Tipped Pens will get more award nominations. But hey: it’s not like I haven’t been wrong before…
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cross-posted from nancyfulda.com
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