Hank Garner's Blog, page 40
December 14, 2015
Episode Seventy Four | Wesley Chu Interview
Author Wesley Chu joins me this week. Wesley is the author of The Lives of Tao and Time Salvager.
In 2015, Wesley Chu won the John W. Campbell Best New Writer Award. Chu’s debut novel from Angry Robot Books, The Lives of Tao, earned him a Young Adult Library Services Association Alex Award and a Science Fiction Goodreads Choice Award Finalist slot.
His new series, Time Salvager, published by Tor Books, was released on July 7th, featuring an energy stealing time traveler with addiction issues.
Wesley’s work has been translated into Germany, Hebrew, Hungary, Chinese (Taiwan & China).
Subscribe to Author Stories here
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December 11, 2015
Tails of the Apocalypse Audiobook Giveaway
Last month Tails of the Apocalypse launched to great acclaim. This project is one that I am most happy to be a part of. Now to accompany the Kindle and Paperback formats, we also have the audiobook. Want to hear these stories come alive? Thanks to the fantastic narration by Maxwell Zener, you can. To celebrate the launch, I am giving away a free copy of the audiobook to someone Sunday morning, Decemeber 13. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me the name of you first pet. Additional entries will be added for telling me a story about that pet, and you can increase your odds yet again by sharing this on social media and then commenting that you did so.
Thanks to everyone for supporting this project, and seriously, hearing my story Keena’s Lament brought to life is worth it all. 
December 8, 2015
Episode Seventy Three | Longmire Author Craig Johnson Interview
The Walt Longmire Mystery series author Craig Johnson is my guest this week. I became a fan of the TV show Longmire and was exited to find out that the hit TV series (Now on Netflix) was based on a series of books. I reached out to Craig Johnson and he graciously agreed to join me on the show. What followed was what I believe is one of the best interviews I’ve had on the show.
In this episode we talk about writing mystery, believable characters, keeping a sense of place and culture, tackling tough subjects, translating from page to screen and much more.
Craig Johnson is the author of eight novels in the Walt Longmire mystery series, which has garnered popular and critical acclaim. The Cold Dish was a Dilys Award finalist and the French edition won Le Prix du Polar Nouvel Observateur/BibliObs. Death Without Company, the Wyoming State Historical Association’s Book of the Year, won France’s Le Prix 813. Another Man’s Moccasins was the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award winner and the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers’ Book of the Year, and The Dark Horse, the fifth in the series, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Junkyard Dogs won the Watson Award for a mystery novel with the best sidekick, and Hell Is Empty, selected by Library Journal as the Best Mystery of the Year, was a New York Times best seller, as was As the Crow Flies. The Walt Longmire series is the basis for the hit A&E drama, Longmire, starring Robert Taylor, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Katee Sackoff.
Johnson lives in Ucross, Wyoming, population twenty-five.
Help support the show by shopping Amazon for all of Craig’s books.
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December 4, 2015
Two Book Nerds and a Microphone Episode Five | It All Began With The Aurochs
In which we catch up after the Thanksgiving holiday and Ian tries his level best to persuade you to read his favorite book.
Also mentioned in the show:
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
Patrick Rothfuss on Author Stories
and more
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December 1, 2015
Holiday Book Deals
It’s December and than means it’s the gift giving season, and what’s better than books as presents??? I will keep updating this post all month to reflect changing deals.
The Sandman: Overture Deluxe Edition Hardcover – Deluxe Editionby Neil Gaiman (Author), JH Williams III (Illustrator)
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Twenty-five years since THE SANDMAN first changed the landscape of modern comics, Neil Gaiman’s legendary series is back in a deluxe edition!
THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE heralds New York Times best-selling writer Neil Gaiman’s return to the art form that made him famous, ably abetted by artistic luminary JH Williams III (BATWOMAN, PROMETHEA), whose lush, widescreen images provide an epic scope to The Sandman’s origin story. From the birth of a galaxy to the moment that Morpheus is captured, THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE will feature cameo appearances by fan-favorite characters such as The Corinthian, Merv Pumpkinhead and, of course, the Dream King’s siblings: Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny.
The Martian Paperback by Andy Weir
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Ready Player One: A Novel Paperback by Ernest Cline
In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.
But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.
Amazon.com Gift Cards – E-mail DeliveryAmazon gift cards are always a great idea.
Mistborn: The Final Empire (Book No. 1) Mass Market Paperback – July 31, 2007
by Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson, fantasy’s newest master tale spinner, author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails? What kind of world results when the Dark Lord is in charge? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises and magical martial-arts action that begins in Mistborn.
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the “Sliver of Infinity,” reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler’s most hellish prison. Kelsier “snapped” and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.
Kelsier recruited the underworld’s elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.
But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel’s plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.
Readers of Elantris thought they’d discovered someone special in Brandon Sanderson. Mistbornproves they were right.
Assassin’s Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) Mass Market Paperback by Robin Hobb
Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill—and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family.
As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.
Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin’s Apprentice
“Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin
“A gleaming debut in the crowded field of epic fantasies . . . a delightful take on the powers and politics behind the throne.”—Publishers Weekly
“This is the kind of book you fall into, and start reading slower as you get to the end, because you don’t want it to be over.”—Steven Brust
The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicle) Mass Market Paperbackby Patrick Rothfuss
The riveting first-person narrative of a young man who grows to be the most notorious magician his world has ever seen. From his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime- ridden city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that transports readers into the body and mind of a wizard. It is a high-action novel written with a poet’s hand, a powerful coming-of-age story of a magically gifted young man, told through his eyes: to read this book is to be the hero.
The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastards) Mass Market Paperbackby Scott Lynch
“Remarkable . . . Scott Lynch’s first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, exports the suspense and wit of a cleverly constructed crime caper into an exotic realm of fantasy, and the result is engagingly entertaining.”—The Times (London)
An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying.
Praise for The Lies of Locke Lamora
“Fresh, original, and engrossing . . . gorgeously realized.”—George R. R. Martin
“Right now, in the full flush of a second reading, I think The Lies of Locke Lamora is probably in my top ten favorite books ever. Maybe my top five. If you haven’t read it, you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again.”—Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind
“A unique fantasy milieu peopled by absorbing, colorful characters . . . Locke’s wit and audacity endear him to victims and bystanders alike.”—The Seattle Times
“A true genre bender, at home on almost any kind of fiction shelf . . . Lynch immediately establishes himself as a gifted and fearless storyteller, unafraid of comparisons to Silverberg and Jordan, not to mention David Liss and even Dickens.”—Booklist (starred review)
“High-octane fantasy . . . a great swashbuckling yarn of a novel.”—Richard Morgan
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Episode Seventy Two | Joanna Penn Interview
My guest this week is fiction and non-fiction writer, educator, and podcaster Joanna Penn.
Joanna Penn is an author, international speaker and entrepreneur based in Bath, England. She was voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013.
Joanna is a travel junkie, weaving her adventures into her books. She’s a cat person and enjoys a nice G&T.
Joanna’s site, www.TheCreativePenn.com helps authors with writing and creative entrepreneurship. She has a popular podcast on iTunes and a YouTube Channel.
Joanna is also a New York Times and USA Today bestselling fiction author as J.F.Penn. www.JFPenn.com
Her books include the ARKANE conspiracy thriller series, the London Psychic crime thrillers and Risen Gods, a dark fantasy thriller.
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November 23, 2015
Episode Seventy One | Patrick Rothfuss Interview
This week I’m joined by Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear. Patrick and I discuss Worldbuilders and geeks doing good in the world. We also chat about the third book in The Kingkiller Chronicle, dealing with reader’s expectations, his new film/television/game deal and much more.
Find Worldbuilders here and get involved today.
About Patrick:
Patrick Rothfuss was born in Madison, Wisconsin to awesome parents who encouraged him to read and create through reading to him, gentle boosts of self-esteem, and deprivation of cable television. During his formative years, he read extensively and wrote terrible short stories and poetry to teach himself what not to do.
Patrick matriculated at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, initially studying chemical engineering which led to a revelation that chemical engineering is boring. He then spent the next nine years jumping from major to major, taking semesters off, enjoying semesters at part-time, and generally rocking the college student experience before being kindly asked to graduate already. Surprisingly enough, he had enough credits to graduate with an English major, and he did so grudgingly.
Patrick then went to grad school. He’d rather not talk about it.
All this time Patrick was working on “The Book,” as he and his friends lovingly titled it. When he returned to Stevens Point he began teaching half-time while trying to sell The Book to publishers. In the process, he disguised a chapter of The Book as a short story and won the Writers of the Future competition in 2002. This put him into contact with all the right people, and after deciding to split The Book into three installments, DAW agreed to publish it. In March 2007, The Name of the Wind was published to great acclaim, winning the Quill Award and making the New York Times Bestseller list.
All this success was wonderful. Patrick eventually had to stop teaching in order to focus on writing, though he screwed that up by having an adorable baby with his adorable girlfriend. He started a charity fundraiser called Worldbuilders and published a not-for-children children’s book called The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle in July of 2010 through Subterranean Press, which was adorable, and seriously isn’t for children.
After a great deal of work and a few cleared throats and raised eyebrows from his patient editor, Wise Man’s Fear came out in March 2011 to even more acclaim, making #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Life continues to rock for him, and he’s working hard on writing the final installment of the series.
***This episode is rated pg-13 for some language.***
If you’re looking for other ways to do some good this holiday season, remember that through the end of the year, $1 from the sale of every copy of Tails of the Apocalypse will be donated to Pets for Vets. Find it here and buy a few copies for gifts.
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November 21, 2015
Episode Seventy | Tails of the Apocalypse Author Roundtable
Tails of the Apocalypse is now LIVE! Buy your copy here.
This special episode is all about the fantastic new anthology Tails of the Apocalypse. I am joined by:
Clarissa Black from Pets for Vets
E. J. Smith with the Military Family Advisory Network
Chris Pourteau
Jennifer Ellis
Harlow Fallon
and David Bruns.
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November 16, 2015
Episode Sixty Nine | Bernard Cornwell Interview
Bernard Cornwell joins me this week to talk historical fiction, his writing process, and much more.
Bernard Cornwell was born in London in 1944 – a ‘warbaby’ – whose father was a Canadian airman and mother in Britain’s Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted by a family in Essex who belonged to a religious sect called the Peculiar People (and they were), but escaped to London University and, after a stint as a teacher, he joined BBC Television where he worked for the next 10 years. He began as a researcher on the Nationwide programme and ended as Head of Current Affairs Television for the BBC in Northern Ireland. It was while working in Belfast that he met Judy, a visiting American, and fell in love. Judy was unable to move to Britain for family reasons so Bernard went to the States where he was refused a Green Card. He decided to earn a living by writing, a job that did not need a permit from the US government – and for some years he had been wanting to write the adventures of a British soldier in the Napoleonic wars – and so the Sharpe series was born. Bernard and Judy married in 1980, are still married, still live in the States and he is still writing Sharpe.
The Last Kingdom is now a television show on BBC America. Watch the trailer here.
*** Correction: Tails of the Apocalypse releases Friday November 20, 2015, not October 20. ***
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November 15, 2015
Two Book Nerds and a Microphone Episode Four | The Nerd-Dom Rises
This week we talk film adaptations. A few we mention are:
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