Lou Anders's Blog, page 14

World Building the Thrones and Bones Series

I am a guest today on Elizabeth O. Dulemba's blog talking specifically about world building for the
Thrones & Bones series.

"When I started the manuscript that would become Frostborn, the first book in the Thrones & Bones series, I began with the setting. I had an idea that I was going to write about a half-human, half-giant girl struggling with her dual heritage, but I really didn’t have much beyond that."

[Read more...] 

Thrones and Bones Fate Accelerated Character Creation and Live Play

I've mentioned before that the incredible podcast, the RPG Gamer Dad Podcast, was working on a series of episodes featuring a game of Evil Hat's wonderful Fate Accelerated role playing game system rules set in the world of my Thrones & Bones novels.

Well, it debuted this week! Episode 35 features the character generation, in which RPG Gamer Dad and RPG Gamer Boy stat out Karn and Thianna from my novel Frostborn and a three-headed troll. Then we get to listen to the first part of the actual play, in which RPG Gamer Boy plays Karn and RPG Gamer Uncle plays Thianna. 
I cannot tell you how honored I am by all this, nor how smart and cute RPG Gamer Boy is! 
But if that weren't enough, the episode also features a great interview with Chris Hanrahan of Evil Hat Productions!!!
Please check it out. 

Happy Sigurdsblot!

Happy Sigurdsblot!

In celebration of this Viking holiday, we're giving away a copy of the just-released paperback edition of Frostborn!

Sigurdsblot commemorates Sigurd, the Norse hero who slayed the dragon Fafnir!

Click here for details. (Sorry, US only).

Update: The contest is now over, but YA Book Central is now hosting a contest to give away five copies of the forthcoming  Nightborn  hardcover!

Frostborn and Nightborn News and Reviews

The paperback edition of Frostborn came out this week, and right on cue, the internet has lit up with a flurry of reviews for both it and the forthcoming sequel Nightborn.I've also been a guest blogger on a few websites. Here are some of the week's highlights.

Lawrence M. Schoen was kind enough to let me talk about some of my most memorable meals on his series Eating Authors.

I talk about my commitment to realistic monster ecologies on Mind Ventures in a piece called "Trolls, Dragon, and Draug...Oh My!"

The website Downright Dystopian says of Nightborn, "Nightborn was even better than Frostborn, which I didn't think would be possible! ....I really hope that there's another book in this series, because I'm not ready to say goodbye to all of these wonderful characters!"

Chapter by Chapter likes Nightborn too. They say, "I thoroughly enjoyed both the books in these series, and am positive that young middle grade readers everywhere will get caught up in this action filled adventure. With characters that are easily likeable (or easy to hate), and a storyline that will grip you from the very beginning, there is a little bit of something for everyone!" They also call the writing "witty and addictive."

"I absolutely adored Nightborn," says WinterHaven Books . "I really loved the rich world that Anders has created.  Just when I think he can't possibly throw anything else in he does and it fits like a glove!  He has created a huge world that has so many possibilities and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!"

"All in all, Nightborn is an excellent addition to the series," says Short & Sweet Reviews. "I enjoyed it way more than I expected and in my opinion it was just as good, if not better than the first book...I highly recommend Nightborn to everyone and can't wait to read the next book!"

I love Seeing Double in Neverland 's review: "I went into reading this book thinking it would be a great read for my kids and I would pass it on. Little did I realize that I would fall in love with it myself. This book had everything a fantasy lover could want in a book."

Word Bookstore, who named Frostborn a Staff Pick last year, gave it a second endorsement, saying, “Karn is a smart and cunning human boy. Thianna is a confident and fearless half-giant girl. Together they share an adventure of a lifetime! It is a refreshing world based on Norse Mythology, ideal for anyone who has enjoyed the Percy Jackson series of books and are looking for another fantastic read.”

Meanwhile, Fantastic Book Review is holding a Contest to win an arc of Nightborn.

And of course there is the Frostborn Paperback Trailer which debuted this week as well:

Frostborn Debuts in Paperback Today! Watch the Trailer!

Today, May 26th, is the day that the paperback edition of my middle reader fantasy adventure novel, Frostborn, debuts! To celebrate, we've made an awesome book trailer. The trailer appeared this morning on SciFiChick.com (thank you!), but is now public on YouTube for viewing and sharing. Please check out the awesome trailer!




There is a lot of talent reflected in this. Book cover artwork is by the awesome Justin Gerard, character and scene work by Andrew Bosley, map by Robert Lazzaretti, vocals by RPG Gamer Dad and RPG Gamer Mum, and music by Red Audio UK. Thank you all!

Meanwhile, I'll be signing and rune-stamping the paperback this coming Saturday, May 30th, at 2:00 PM at the Books-A-Million at Brookwood village!

I'll have a set of Thrones & Bones on hand to demonstrate game play and be giving out shrink-wrapped packages of sets of 5 Trading Cards to everyone who wants one!

If you're in the area, come by!

Pelham Writing Workshop: How to Write Novel

Every Thursday from June 4th to August 6th, Anita Saxena is going to be teaching a free course entitled "Pelham Writing Workshop: How to Write  Novel" at the Pelham Civic Center, 500 Amphitheater Road, Pelham, AL 35124. I and author Irene Latham will be guest instructors on one night each of the course. I'm going to give my ScripTips outlining/structure talk on Thursday, June 18th, at 4:00 PM. Again, attendance is free, but you must be registered for the entire workshop, not just my day. To do so, or to inquire with questions, email pelhamwritingworkshop at gmail.com. (And copies of Frostborn will be on sale at the event.)

Read an Excerpt from Nightborn

Thanks to the generosity of Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, today you can read an excerpt from my forthcoming novel, Nightborn (Thrones and Bones 2). I should point out that this is a scene from the middle of Chapter Two, so it differs from the content that will be shared as a preview on online merchant sites when the book is available for sale.

Nightborn will be released July 14th from Penguin Random House's Crown Books for Young Readers. Meanwhile, please check it out.

Nightborn: Testament to Surly Dragons!

Kirkus has reviewed Nightborn,the forthcoming second book in the Thrones & Bones series. It's a fantastic review, especially for the second book of a series. They say:

"Whereas the first book was characterized by a fair amount of adult guidance, this tale is primarily propelled by young protagonists and antagonists (an enthralling doppelgänger dark elf pair also seeks the horn). In turn, Karn and Thianna are more defiant, less naïve, and have more to lose this time around—namely each other—but they refuse to lose themselves. A winning testament to the value of friendship and to a surly dragon’s power of persuasion."

Nightborn: The First Review

The first review for Nightborn is out!  It's actually a joint review of Frostborn  and Nightborn from All About Romance's Blog, who calls the Thrones & Bones series, "My latest young reader obsession." It's a good review but spoiler without a lot of quotables.

They do say, "I loved meeting the new character Desstra, seeing new parts of the realm and watching Thiana and Karn grow as characters."

Imagination Soup: 5th Grade Summer Reading List

Yay! Imagination Soup has included Frostborn in its 5th Grade Summer Reading List, in the category of "If you like fantasy adventures, you’ll love:" and alongside some heady company!

Here's the full list:

Chronicles of Narnia
Odd and the Frost Giants
Starcatchers
Five Kingdoms
Thrones of Bones Frostborn
Sea of Trolls
The Secret Zoo
The Land of Stories
Erec Rex
Legacy of the Claw (Animas #1)
Dragon Slippers