David B. Coe's Blog, page 15

The Summer 2012 THIEFTAKER Blog Tour Is Underway!

The D.B. Jackson Summer 2012 THIEFTAKER Blog Tour is now fully underway.  Yesterday I wrote about "What Authors of Historical Fiction Owe to History" at "A Dribble of Ink," the wonderful blog site of Aidan Moher.  Today the tour continues with a post I've written for the blog of my friend Barbara Ashford, a terrific writer with whom I share not only a passion for history, but also personal roots in the New York area.  Barbara writes as both Barbara Ashford and Barbara Campbell, and so my post, which is on blending fantasy with history, can be found here or here. 

I hope you enjoy both posts.

THIEFTAKER Gets 5 Gravestones from Bitten By Books!!

Calling Thieftaker (my upcoming novel under the name D.B. Jackson) “fabulous” and “a rousing mix of fantasy and history,” Bitten By Books has given the book 5 Gravestones (out of 5), which, for those who are unfamiliar with the site, is the same as a 5 star review.  The full review can be found here.  And for those who would like to see what others have said about Thieftaker, I have gathered reviews and quotes here for your convenience.

I am walking on air.  Have a good weekend.

There is a New THIEFTAKER Short Story Out!

"A Spell of Vengeance," the newest Thieftaker short story is now out and available at Tor. com.  Just click here.  There is no charge to read the story.  That's right:  It's free!

Here is the introduction to the story that appears at the Tor website:

Ethan Kaille is a thieftaker in Colonial Boston, scratching out a living by restoring stolen property to its rightful owners. But unlike others in his profession, Ethan relies on magical spells as well as his wits to track down thieves. Being a conjurer doesn’t make him popular with the law in Boston, so Ethan is taken aback when the sheriff seeks his help in settling a dispute between a pair of wealthy merchants and a ship’s captain who has threatened their lives. Ethan knows the captain can back up his threats with magic of his own. But there is more to this matter than the merchants have let on, and Ethan soon discovers that what he doesn’t know might actually kill him.

The illustration from the story was done by the wonderful Chris McGrath, the same artist who did the jacket art for Thieftaker.

I hope you will check out the story, and, of course, I hope you enjoy it!

A Guest Post from Barbara Ashford

Today, I welcome to my blogsite Barbara Ashford, one of my friends from the SFNovelists online group.  Barbara has a new book out his month.  Spellcrossed is the second novel in her Crossroads Theater series.  She and I have found that we have far more in common than we ever imagined, including a love of historical research and a passion for writing fantasy.  Please welcome her.
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On the surface, David and I don’t seem to have a lot in common. He lives in Tennessee. I live outside New York City. He listens to jazz and bluegrass. I sing show tunes. He writes epic fantasy. I write…well, people are still trying to decide exactly how to categorize Spellcast and Spellcrossed. They have fantasy, mystery, a paranormal romance. They’re about people trying to find their paths in life. The families we’re given and the families we find. The bonds of community. And musical theatre.

Yes, I’m a double dose of geekiness – a lover of musical theatre and fantasy. Writing the Crossroads Theatre series allowed me to play in both worlds and draw on my years as an actress to create a fantasy set in a magical summer stock theatre.

To my surprise, another of my passions came into play while writing Spellcast: a passion for history that David and I share.

Spellcast and Spellcrossed are structured like a musical with an overture, a finale, and entr’actes separating the three acts. While the main narrative belongs to Maggie Graham, a young woman trying to get her life in order, the entr’actes showcase Rowan Mackenzie, the theatre director with uncanny powers and a mysterious past.

Originally, I wanted to use snippets from Rowan’s autobiographical musical as the entr’actes in Spellcast. I got so excited about the idea that instead of just writing the snippets, I started writing the show itself.

Since it took place over the course of a century, I quickly realized I needed to do some research on American history in general and Vermont history in particular. How did farming change during the nineteenth century? What financial upheavals would have impelled the characters to leave the family farm? To sell the timber rights to their land? What songs were popular during the American Revolution? The Civil War? Which Vermont regiments fought at Gettysburg? When was the first edition of the McGuffey Reader published? What books would this farm family read? Which ones would give Rowan a view of the world beyond the few acres to which he was bound by a curse?

I spent happy hours discovering the answers and working that information into the scenes that would chart Rowan’s emotional growth. I built his first friendships, his first grudging steps into the rural Vermont community. I laid the foundations for what would eventually become the Crossroads Theatre. And I wrote the entire show in three days.

It was a wild and exhilarating ride. By the end, I had a one-act musical that could stand on its own. But when I used one of those scenes as the first entr’acte in Spellcast, my editor and I agreed that the shift from narrative to play script was just too jarring. So I fell back on the convention of journal entries to give readers insight into Rowan’s past and his feelings for Maggie.

Disappointing? A little. But I don’t consider it wasted time. Whether or not the play is ever published or performed, writing By Iron Bound helped me dig deeper into Rowan’s character and the events that shaped his life. It recharged my creativity to write in a different art form. And it gave me the opportunity to combine all of my loves in one project. Hard to beat that.

One final piece of history. After I sent this post to David, we discovered that we have something else in common: he grew up in the same Westchester County town that I lived in during the early years of my marriage. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Thanks for playing host today, David. Now turn on some music and write!

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Visit www.barbara-ashford.com to learn more about the world of the Crossroads Theatre and find out how to win a free copy of Spellcast or Spellcrossed.

A New Post About THIEFTAKER, and a Contest!

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, C.E. Murphy, and Kalayna Price, among others. The post is called “THIEFTAKER Promo Kickoff and a Contest Giveaway,” and it’s about how I came to write THIEFTAKER. And it also includes a chance to win a Thieftaker t-shirt! All you need to do is preorder THIEFTAKER, which you really ought to do anyway.... I hope you enjoy it.

Interview With Lynn Flewelling!!

Lynn Flewelling has been publishing novels since 1996, to worldwide acclaim.  She is the author of the Tamir Trilogy -- which happens to be one of my favorite works of fantasy by anyone, anywhere in the galaxy, ever.  She is also the author of the critically acclaimed Nightrunner series, the newest installment of which, Casket of Souls, has just been released by Ballantine Spectra.  Finally, she is one of my favorite people and a good friend. Recently, Lynn graciously agreed to sit down with me and answer a few questions.
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DBC:  Thanks for joining us Lynn.  Why don’t you begin by telling us a bit about the new book?  Maybe give a brief description of the Nightrunner concept for those who have yet to start the series, and then tell us where this newest novel fits in.

LBF: Thanks for having me, David. We don't have nearly enough chances to chat!

I'm terrible at describing my own work, but I'll give it a go. The Nightrunner Series is a collection of interrelated stories revolving around two main characters. Seregil is a brilliant, roguish (and sexy, I'm told) spy and know-it-all with a dark past. a wounded heart, and plenty of flaws. I created him as a mix of Sherlock Holmes, Odysseus, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and Coyote.  Alec, the young man he literally picks up in a dungeon, was meant to be his Watson. Seregil quickly discovers Alec has a lot more potential than that. Alec is first his apprentice, then much more, including lover. He's is a country boy with a quick mind, dangerous talent with a bow, and a reckless taste for danger that matches Seregil's. Between the two of them, and with the occasional help of friends, they save the world, various smaller pieces of it, and the lives of friends and crowned heads -- when not getting into trouble at taverns and brothels. Both of them have hidden pasts that gradually are revealed from book to book, and it is the characters that lie at the heart of all the stories. I write character-driven fiction, and there is a large cast who people the books.

Structurally, the series is episodic, rather than one long arc. I was inspired by the Sherlock Holmes canon (in more ways that one) which includes both short stories and novels. Nightrunner is a collection of two- and one-book arcs. There is a history that develops through the books, so jumping in in the middle of the series has some disadvantages, but it can be done.

Casket of Souls is the sixth in the series, and a free standing story. The main characters begin by investigating what appears to be rival factions trying to control the throne, but stumble across an entirely different threat. In the poor quarters people are being found in a catatonic state, eyes open and breathing, but otherwise lifeless. After a week or so, they die. As the "sleeping death" plague spreads, they delve into that, with very serious consequences.

DBC:  This is your sixth Nightrunner book.  Did you envision a series of this length from the beginning, or has the story grown in complexity as you’ve gone along?

LBF: I started out to write one book, years ago. That manuscript turned into the first duology, Luck in the Shadows and Stalking Darkness. Then I had an idea for a third, free standing book, Traitor's Moon. I took a break after than and wrote the Tamír Trilogy, then went back with a new duology, Shadows Return and White Road. Casket of Souls is a stand alone, and the seventh and last Nightrunner book I'm working on, is another stand alone.

The fun thing about a long series with different story lines is how they develop and carry along their own history. I've had to flesh out whole countries, keep track of who has scars where, the impact of losing friends, the birth of children, political changes. The list goes on. It's been tremendous fun doing it that way. It's always new, always fresh. When I start a new book, I think "Well, what awful things can I do to the boys this time?"


DBC:  Can you tell us a little more about that seventh Nightrunner book?

LBF: The next, and last, book, tentatively titled Shards of Time, takes our heroes to the sacred island of Korous, which has been mentioned here and there over the years. Historically, it is where the first white settlers, the Hierophantic migration, established themselves a thousand years ago. Later they spread around the Inner Sea and founded three of the principal countries I work with: Skala, Plenimar, and Mycena. Skala and Plenimar are frequently at war, with Mycena caught in the middle like Belgium. Control of the sacred island is always an issue and it's changed hands many times over the centuries. At the end of Casket of Souls, Skala regains control, and Shards of Time picks up with the grisly and mysterious murder of the new Skala governor of Korous. Seregil and Alec are sent to investigate and get into all sorts of wonderful trouble. And there are ghosts.


DBC:  You are known for creating memorable characters and spinning wonderful tales. But you are also known for populating your stories with characters who challenge traditional notions of gender and sexuality.  Can you tell us why you have followed this path?  What is it about challenging these social and cultural “norms” that you find compelling?

LBF: In my own life I've always been deeply concerned with and fascinated by real world issues of gender identity, sexuality, and equality. I guess I work that out in my writing. There are things I want to say about the way things could or should be. It's not the central theme of the Nightrunner series, though the relationship between Seregil and Alec is certainly an important aspect, but it's not what the story's about. When I conceived of these characters back in the 80s, most of the gay characters I saw in fiction were either victims or villains. But author Mary Renault made some of her fictional heroes gay, or drew on historical fact, as with her Alexander books. I really admire those books, and she inspired me to try my hand at creating gay heroes that a mainstream audience could appreciate, as well as gay readers.

On the other hand gender identity plays a very central role in the Tamír Trilogy as poor Tobin/Tamír is yanked unwillingly between genders. Where does personhood end, and gender begin? That, to me, is a very important question.

DBC:  Not too long ago, you published Glimpses, a collection of short stories set in the Nightrunner universe.  Not all novelists feel comfortable shifting back and forth between short fiction and novels.  Personally, I have been writing a lot more short fiction recently and finding that it has helped me hone my craft for all forms of fiction.  What do you enjoy about writing short form, and how do you feel it has influenced your writing?

LBF: I'm not much of a short story writer. I usually like a larger canvas. But there were bits and pieces of history about various characters that I wanted to explore, and short stories were the best way to do that. I used to write for newspapers and the byword there was "Write right. Write tight." The same goes for short fiction. You can carry that over into long form fiction, by tightening the writing, making careful choices, and only using elements that advance the plot. It's a good exercise in disciplined writing.


DBC:  With all you do, you probably don’t have a ton of time for recreational reading, but what is on your to-read pile right now?  Do you tend to read more in the fantasy/SF genre or outside of it?

LBF: As you say, my recreational reading time is at a premium. But I do read inside and outside the genre. As far as sf/f, I usually read books of friends and writers I know. Most recently: Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, and Saladin Ahmed's Throne of the Crescent Moon. And of course, your wonderful Thieftaker [written under the name D.B. Jackson]! I also read a lot of non fiction, much of which is grist for the writing mill. What's on my reading pile right now? Thich Nhat Hanh's Old Paths, White Clouds, his biography of the Buddha; a Josh Lanyon mystery; Christopher Isherwood's book on writing; a soon to be published sf novel by a friend, which I'm blurbing; and my worn and much loved collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. Those are my number one comfort read, and I'm going back to old favorites to sustain me between episodes of the second season of the BBC's Sherlock series.


DBC:  You have guest posted several times at the Magical Words blogsite  writing about the craft and business of writing.  What simple advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to break into the fantasy market right now?

LBF: Be aware of what's out there, but write your own story, the one that moves and excites you. If you try to "write for market" you'll probably fail and not have as much fun doing it. If you love urban fantasy, or steampunk, or post apocalyptic giant centipede stories, then try your hand at that. But do what you love, not what you think you should do.


DBC:  Last question:  If you could spend a single day as any character you’ve ever read, who would it be and why?

LBF: Hmm. There are a lot. But off the top of my head, Will Halloway from Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. That's one of my all time favorite books, one of the most beautiful I've ever read. I love it in part because it captures a great deal of my own small town childhood. Will and his friend Jim are not far off from me and mine. The story is like my childhood intermingled with my own fantasies come to light. I remember those yearly carnivals that would roll into town with their stock of babies in jars and tired hoochie coochie dancers trying to entice the local men into a tent to see something they couldn't see at home. They were dark and seedy and exotic, those carnivals, and a little wicked around the edges. There is a delicious taste for darkness in that book, one that I share. And Will is a hero. He saves his friend and his town.


DBC:  Thanks so much for taking the time with us today.

LBF: Thanks for having me and asking such great questions!

A Post About Self-Promotion

Today’s post can be found at http://www.sfnovelists.com, the group blog on speculative fiction that I maintain along with a group of over one hundred published authors of fantasy and science fiction.  It is called “A Post In Which YOU Tell ME About Self-Promotion,” and it’s about self-promotion for novels and the things that you as readers find effective.  I hope you enjoy it.

A Post About Quirky Writer Stuff

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, C.E. Murphy, and Kalayna Price, among others. The post is called “Writers Do the Strangest Things,” and it is about some of the odd, quirky things that this writer does. I hope you enjoy it.

Check Out the THIEFTAKER T-Shirt!

Here it is, all! The official THIEFTAKER t-shirt! (Pay no attention to the red line down that middle. That’s a graphic tool used to center the image on the shirt — the actual t-shirts won’t have it.) In case the image isn’t clear enough on your browser, the front reads: “Boston Thieftakers Guild” and then at the bottom “Est. 1765,” which happens to be the year in which the first Thieftaker book takes place. On the back it says “THIEFTAKER, by D.B. Jackson www.DBJackson-Author.com.”



The design was done by a friend of mine. I wanted something that would look just like one of the old-time guild insignias — authentic, hand-drawn, but also official enough to be convincing — and he really came through for me.

I don’t know yet what I will be selling them for — that will depend on what my final cost per shirt comes out to. I would think that for regular sizes the absolute maximum price will be $15 (2x and 3x sizes will be $2.00 more than the base price); I am hoping that I can go lower than that. My goal is to get people wearing them.

So, do you like the design? Who wants one?

Weary and Heavy

Some days are harder than others.  Sometimes we feel older than our years.  At some point the routine weighs more heavily, the responsibilities seem more onerous.  Bad news arrives from a distance of both years and space, little moments that remind us of our own mortality catch us off our guard, the slog of the day-to-day seems unrelenting.

I am weary tonight, and my heart is heavy.  I could write more, but really that's what it comes down to.  And tonight of all nights, I feel that my time would be better spent playing my guitar, seeing to my girls, sitting with my wife.

If you love someone, tonight would be a good night to tell him or her so, be it with words, or with a kiss, or with the simple act of taking a moment to sit and say or do nothing at all.