Martha Wells's Blog, page 112
August 7, 2014
Links and Older Women
I thought I was well yesterday, but my fever came back last night. So, ugh, basically. I'm sick, but not sick enough to feel justified in not getting stuff done. I don't think that's helping.
The new (fourth) season of Vera is on acorn.tv now. They only put notices of the new stuff up on their revolving splash page so you have to keep an eye on it. Also, brand new Poirot coming up on Monday.
Couple of links:
* Ten Things I Never Knew About Publishing by Amanda Rutter
As you all know, I was a book blogger for a few years before taking up a position in publishing, and so I went into the process of publishing novels with rather naive eyes. I learnt a lot. And I learnt quickly. And there were some things I learnt that I just had no idea about, so here I present them to you.
This one is going on my section of
Publishing Information Sites for Beginning Authors when I get a chance.
* A Dribble of Ink: Women Made of Chrome by Teresa Frohock
I wish there were more Jane Navios in fantasy. Oh, you see them in science fiction and horror, but not in fantasy. There is an unwritten code that women in fantasy novels must not be older than thirty, or they’re all the grandmotherly types over sixty, but rarely are there any in the forty to fifty range. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but since the 1990s, female characters over forty seem to have faded into the background scenery, and very few are protagonists.
It's been so long since I wrote Wheel of the Infinite that I've forgotten exactly how old Maskelle was. I was definitely thinking late 40s-early 50s at least, and she had children who were now adults.
There was also Ravenna in The Element of Fire, who was in her early 50s, though she was a major character but not the main POV character. (when I was first workshopping the early manuscript, two of the male readers revealed that they thought of Ravenna as ugly, like the caricatures of the elderly Queen Victoria. I pointed out the description of her in chapter 2, which is "Her graying red hair was tucked up into a lace cap and she wore a dark informal morning gown. She was over fifty now, and the years hadn't diminished her beauty, but transformed and refined it. Only the faint laugh lines around her mouth and the shadow of strain at the corners of her eyes betrayed her age." (I based her looks on Katherine Hepburn, around The Lion in Winter time period.) They insisted that I had changed that description after they read it. I hadn't, but they were reading about a powerful older woman and they couldn't help but picture her as harsh and ugly.)
I feel like I'm forgetting some characters. There's Karima, in The Fall of Ile-Rien, who is Giliead's mother. She's not a main character, but she has a lot of effect on the plot.
There are a lot of older Raksuran women in The Books of the Raksura who are major and minor characters. Flower and Pearl mainly, then later Malachite of Opal Night and Ice of Emerald Twilight. I always thought of Blossom as being in the human equivalent of her 40s, too. In "The Tale of Indigo and Cloud" (one of the novellas out this September) Cerise is an older mature queen.
The new (fourth) season of Vera is on acorn.tv now. They only put notices of the new stuff up on their revolving splash page so you have to keep an eye on it. Also, brand new Poirot coming up on Monday.
Couple of links:
* Ten Things I Never Knew About Publishing by Amanda Rutter
As you all know, I was a book blogger for a few years before taking up a position in publishing, and so I went into the process of publishing novels with rather naive eyes. I learnt a lot. And I learnt quickly. And there were some things I learnt that I just had no idea about, so here I present them to you.
This one is going on my section of
Publishing Information Sites for Beginning Authors when I get a chance.
* A Dribble of Ink: Women Made of Chrome by Teresa Frohock
I wish there were more Jane Navios in fantasy. Oh, you see them in science fiction and horror, but not in fantasy. There is an unwritten code that women in fantasy novels must not be older than thirty, or they’re all the grandmotherly types over sixty, but rarely are there any in the forty to fifty range. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but since the 1990s, female characters over forty seem to have faded into the background scenery, and very few are protagonists.
It's been so long since I wrote Wheel of the Infinite that I've forgotten exactly how old Maskelle was. I was definitely thinking late 40s-early 50s at least, and she had children who were now adults.
There was also Ravenna in The Element of Fire, who was in her early 50s, though she was a major character but not the main POV character. (when I was first workshopping the early manuscript, two of the male readers revealed that they thought of Ravenna as ugly, like the caricatures of the elderly Queen Victoria. I pointed out the description of her in chapter 2, which is "Her graying red hair was tucked up into a lace cap and she wore a dark informal morning gown. She was over fifty now, and the years hadn't diminished her beauty, but transformed and refined it. Only the faint laugh lines around her mouth and the shadow of strain at the corners of her eyes betrayed her age." (I based her looks on Katherine Hepburn, around The Lion in Winter time period.) They insisted that I had changed that description after they read it. I hadn't, but they were reading about a powerful older woman and they couldn't help but picture her as harsh and ugly.)
I feel like I'm forgetting some characters. There's Karima, in The Fall of Ile-Rien, who is Giliead's mother. She's not a main character, but she has a lot of effect on the plot.
There are a lot of older Raksuran women in The Books of the Raksura who are major and minor characters. Flower and Pearl mainly, then later Malachite of Opal Night and Ice of Emerald Twilight. I always thought of Blossom as being in the human equivalent of her 40s, too. In "The Tale of Indigo and Cloud" (one of the novellas out this September) Cerise is an older mature queen.
August 5, 2014
Another Post
I got tagged in Jessica Reisman's post here (and you should all go read Jessica's work because she is fabulous), so I'm answering some questions:
What Am I Working On?
Two things:
One: a new Raksura novel set after The Siren Depths and the novellas, trying to get the Raksura out of the Reaches for a bit and exploring more of the Three Worlds. It's not very far along yet, I'm still in the first 20,000 words, working out the beginning.
Two: Something that may be a weird combo of coming of age/contemporary fantasy/secondary world fantasy/ and possibly portal fantasy, called The Dark Year. It's about 40,000 words along, close to halfway done, but the beginning needs to be reworked a bit.
Note that neither of these two has a publisher, so. There you go.
How Does My Work Differ From Others In Its Genre?
I don't think it differs by a huge amount. I like characters with a sense of humor even when bad things have happened to them. I like adventure and mystery plots in my fantasy. But when I teach writing I tell people that if you're writing genre a lot of times we're all working with the same concepts and sorts of ideas, so what really makes your writing different is you. Your life, your experience, your individual take on these similar ideas. Which is one of the reasons why it's really important for you to write what you want to write, what's important to you, the story that excites you, and not to chase trends and try to figure out what the market wants.
Why Do I Write What I Do?
Because I hate attention and I like being poor and unknown? Considering how things generally go for my career, I'm beginning to think every book idea I come up with is an elaborate attempt at self-sabotage.
How Does My Writing Process Work?
There was a good line in one of the new Poirots, where Ariadne Oliver is talking about a talk she has to give on writing, and how really all she has to say is that you come up with an idea and then force yourself to write it. That's pretty much my writing process.
This is my second post today, which I don't normally do, so don't miss this new books post or autographed books giveaway post.
What Am I Working On?
Two things:
One: a new Raksura novel set after The Siren Depths and the novellas, trying to get the Raksura out of the Reaches for a bit and exploring more of the Three Worlds. It's not very far along yet, I'm still in the first 20,000 words, working out the beginning.
Two: Something that may be a weird combo of coming of age/contemporary fantasy/secondary world fantasy/ and possibly portal fantasy, called The Dark Year. It's about 40,000 words along, close to halfway done, but the beginning needs to be reworked a bit.
Note that neither of these two has a publisher, so. There you go.
How Does My Work Differ From Others In Its Genre?
I don't think it differs by a huge amount. I like characters with a sense of humor even when bad things have happened to them. I like adventure and mystery plots in my fantasy. But when I teach writing I tell people that if you're writing genre a lot of times we're all working with the same concepts and sorts of ideas, so what really makes your writing different is you. Your life, your experience, your individual take on these similar ideas. Which is one of the reasons why it's really important for you to write what you want to write, what's important to you, the story that excites you, and not to chase trends and try to figure out what the market wants.
Why Do I Write What I Do?
Because I hate attention and I like being poor and unknown? Considering how things generally go for my career, I'm beginning to think every book idea I come up with is an elaborate attempt at self-sabotage.
How Does My Writing Process Work?
There was a good line in one of the new Poirots, where Ariadne Oliver is talking about a talk she has to give on writing, and how really all she has to say is that you come up with an idea and then force yourself to write it. That's pretty much my writing process.
This is my second post today, which I don't normally do, so don't miss this new books post or autographed books giveaway post.
New Books
New books out today:
* Revenant: A Greywalker Novel by Kat Richardson
Harper Blaine was your average small-time PI until she died—for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker, treading the thin line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And these abilities are landing her all sorts of “strange” cases....
* Dust and Light by Carol Berg
National bestselling author Carol Berg returns to the world of her award-winning Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone with an all-new tale of magic, mystery, and corruption....
* The Widow's House by Daniel Abraham
Fourth book in the Dagger and the Coin series.
Book Links:
* We Need Diverse Books official site
* Kickstarter: Uncanny Magazine Year One.
Three-time Hugo Award-winner Lynne M. Thomas (Apex Magazine, Chicks Dig Time Lords, Glitter & Mayhem) and three-time Hugo Award nominee Michael Damian Thomas (Apex Magazine, Queers Dig Time Lords) are launching year one of a new professional online SF/F magazine: Uncanny: A Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy.
* And if you missed it, I'm doing an autographed books giveaway.
* Revenant: A Greywalker Novel by Kat Richardson
Harper Blaine was your average small-time PI until she died—for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker, treading the thin line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And these abilities are landing her all sorts of “strange” cases....
* Dust and Light by Carol Berg
National bestselling author Carol Berg returns to the world of her award-winning Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone with an all-new tale of magic, mystery, and corruption....
* The Widow's House by Daniel Abraham
Fourth book in the Dagger and the Coin series.
Book Links:
* We Need Diverse Books official site
* Kickstarter: Uncanny Magazine Year One.
Three-time Hugo Award-winner Lynne M. Thomas (Apex Magazine, Chicks Dig Time Lords, Glitter & Mayhem) and three-time Hugo Award nominee Michael Damian Thomas (Apex Magazine, Queers Dig Time Lords) are launching year one of a new professional online SF/F magazine: Uncanny: A Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy.
* And if you missed it, I'm doing an autographed books giveaway.
August 3, 2014
Autographed Book Giveaway to Mark Two Occasions
Next month in the first week of September, two things will happen: I'll turn fifty years old, and Stories of the Raksura: Volume I
The Falling World and The Tale of Indigo and Cloud, my sixteenth book, will be published. (in trade paper, ebook, and audiobook)
To mark these occasions, I'm going to do a book giveaway. (This is also partly to help crowding issues in my book storage closet.) To enter, all you do is:
comment to this post on LJ, DW, or GoodReads (If you're on Tumblr, you can reblog or comment on the Tumblr post) AND tell me which book you're entering for, because there are 9 books available.
If only one person comments for a particular book, you're the winner. And there will be multiple winners for the books with multiple copies.
All books will be signed, and personalized with your name (or someone else's name, if it's a gift) if you want. (You'll have to send me your mailing address. Non-US entries are fine.)
This contest will run at least a week (beginning today August 3), to give people time to find it and enter. (Plus I'm sick and have a fever and want to wait until next week to go to the post office.)
The books available are:
The Gate of Gods in hardcover. 7 copies.
The Ships of Air in hardcover. 2 copies.
The Siren Depths in trade paper. 2 copies.
Star Wars: Razor's Edge in hardcover. 1 copy.
Wheel of the Infinite in hardcover (second edition with non-whitewashed cover) 2 copies.
Emilie and the Hollow World trade paper. 2 copies.
non-English editions:
Wheel of the Infinite in Russian small hardcover (cover seems to be original, but Maskelle is whitewashed) 1 copy.
The Element of Fire in French trade paper. 1 copy.
The Death of the Necromancer in German trade paper. 1 copy.
The Death of the Necromancer in French mass market (not trade paper). 2 copies.
The Falling World and The Tale of Indigo and Cloud, my sixteenth book, will be published. (in trade paper, ebook, and audiobook)
To mark these occasions, I'm going to do a book giveaway. (This is also partly to help crowding issues in my book storage closet.) To enter, all you do is:
comment to this post on LJ, DW, or GoodReads (If you're on Tumblr, you can reblog or comment on the Tumblr post) AND tell me which book you're entering for, because there are 9 books available.
If only one person comments for a particular book, you're the winner. And there will be multiple winners for the books with multiple copies.
All books will be signed, and personalized with your name (or someone else's name, if it's a gift) if you want. (You'll have to send me your mailing address. Non-US entries are fine.)
This contest will run at least a week (beginning today August 3), to give people time to find it and enter. (Plus I'm sick and have a fever and want to wait until next week to go to the post office.)
The books available are:
The Gate of Gods in hardcover. 7 copies.
The Ships of Air in hardcover. 2 copies.
The Siren Depths in trade paper. 2 copies.
Star Wars: Razor's Edge in hardcover. 1 copy.
Wheel of the Infinite in hardcover (second edition with non-whitewashed cover) 2 copies.
Emilie and the Hollow World trade paper. 2 copies.
non-English editions:
Wheel of the Infinite in Russian small hardcover (cover seems to be original, but Maskelle is whitewashed) 1 copy.
The Element of Fire in French trade paper. 1 copy.
The Death of the Necromancer in German trade paper. 1 copy.
The Death of the Necromancer in French mass market (not trade paper). 2 copies.
July 31, 2014
News, Links, Book Recs
News:
The audiobook of Stories of the Raksura I: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud is up for preorder.
And if you missed it, the Publishers Weekly review:
Two novellas and two short stories expand the setting of Wells’s dreamlike fantasy novels. In “The Falling World,” a vanished envoy triggers a diplomatic crisis between two courts, and investigation reveals a long-forgotten tragedy. “The Tale of Indigo and Cloud” sets two queens against each other, with an unhappy consort as the prize. Familiar characters appear in “The Forest Boy,” a prequel to The Cloud Roads that examines a brief encounter between Moon and forest dwellers, and “Adaptation,” in which Chime deals with an unwanted transformation and its disquieting implications. Wells is adept at suggesting a long, complex history for her world with economy, and, while her protagonists may not be human as we understand it, they are definitely people, sympathetic figures constrained but not defeated by their environments. Longtime fans and new readers alike will enjoy Wells’s deft touch with characterization and the fantastic. (Sept.)
Links:
NASA Probes Record Sounds In Space – And It’s Terrifying. This isn't scary, it's the coolest thing ever.
Kickstarter: Uncanny Magazine: Year One
Three-time Hugo Award-winner Lynne M. Thomas (Apex Magazine, Chicks Dig Time Lords, Glitter & Mayhem) and three-time Hugo Award nominee Michael Damian Thomas (Apex Magazine, Queers Dig Time Lords) are launching year one of a new professional online SF/F magazine: Uncanny: A Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy.
Each issue will contain new and classic speculative fiction, fiction podcasts, poetry, essays, art, and interviews.
Books
Trace of Magic: 1 (A Diamond City Magic Novel) by Diana Pharaoh Francis
One Night in Sixes by Arianne Thompson
When young Sil Halfwick’s attempt to sell horses ends in abject failure, he dreads the long trek back to Hell’s Acre to admit defeat to Boss Calvert. Instead, Sil heads west toward Sixes, near the border of lands emptied of white settlers by war and invasion. It falls to Appaloosa Elim—a mixed-race man who’s older, wiser, and scorned by Sil—to try to keep the ambitious young idiot alive. Elim is experienced enough to suspect that Sil is wandering into a hive of treachery, deceit, and dark magic, but he’s quickly out of his depth when a demigod is killed and he’s accused of the murder.
Paul Kearney author of The Ten Thousand: “This author can really write. If you loved Stephen King’s Dark Tower series – or even if you’re a hardened Cormac McCarthy fan – you will find this book right inside your wheelhouse. Living, witty dialogue, and a familiar-yet-strange world inhabited by vivid characters. I loved it. And I don’t say that about a book very often.”
The audiobook of Stories of the Raksura I: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud is up for preorder.
And if you missed it, the Publishers Weekly review:
Two novellas and two short stories expand the setting of Wells’s dreamlike fantasy novels. In “The Falling World,” a vanished envoy triggers a diplomatic crisis between two courts, and investigation reveals a long-forgotten tragedy. “The Tale of Indigo and Cloud” sets two queens against each other, with an unhappy consort as the prize. Familiar characters appear in “The Forest Boy,” a prequel to The Cloud Roads that examines a brief encounter between Moon and forest dwellers, and “Adaptation,” in which Chime deals with an unwanted transformation and its disquieting implications. Wells is adept at suggesting a long, complex history for her world with economy, and, while her protagonists may not be human as we understand it, they are definitely people, sympathetic figures constrained but not defeated by their environments. Longtime fans and new readers alike will enjoy Wells’s deft touch with characterization and the fantastic. (Sept.)
Links:
NASA Probes Record Sounds In Space – And It’s Terrifying. This isn't scary, it's the coolest thing ever.
Kickstarter: Uncanny Magazine: Year One
Three-time Hugo Award-winner Lynne M. Thomas (Apex Magazine, Chicks Dig Time Lords, Glitter & Mayhem) and three-time Hugo Award nominee Michael Damian Thomas (Apex Magazine, Queers Dig Time Lords) are launching year one of a new professional online SF/F magazine: Uncanny: A Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy.
Each issue will contain new and classic speculative fiction, fiction podcasts, poetry, essays, art, and interviews.
Books
Trace of Magic: 1 (A Diamond City Magic Novel) by Diana Pharaoh Francis
One Night in Sixes by Arianne Thompson
When young Sil Halfwick’s attempt to sell horses ends in abject failure, he dreads the long trek back to Hell’s Acre to admit defeat to Boss Calvert. Instead, Sil heads west toward Sixes, near the border of lands emptied of white settlers by war and invasion. It falls to Appaloosa Elim—a mixed-race man who’s older, wiser, and scorned by Sil—to try to keep the ambitious young idiot alive. Elim is experienced enough to suspect that Sil is wandering into a hive of treachery, deceit, and dark magic, but he’s quickly out of his depth when a demigod is killed and he’s accused of the murder.
Paul Kearney author of The Ten Thousand: “This author can really write. If you loved Stephen King’s Dark Tower series – or even if you’re a hardened Cormac McCarthy fan – you will find this book right inside your wheelhouse. Living, witty dialogue, and a familiar-yet-strange world inhabited by vivid characters. I loved it. And I don’t say that about a book very often.”
July 30, 2014
Mystery Guide Part III
See Mystery Guide Part II
Again, this is just my opinion, YMMV, and if you're concerned about violence or other triggering elements, you should probably check with someone who has seen the show recently and can answer your questions more accurately.
Martha's Guide to TV Mysteries Part III
The Last Detective stars Peter Davison (the fifth Doctor) and is based on a series of novel by Leslie Thomas, set in modern day UK. Davison plays "Dangerous" Davies, who basically got reduced in rank for being too honest, and now has to work in the crappiest police department ever, and just tries to solve crimes without being a jerk. I liked this series a lot, and especially the fact that while we see Davies' life get progressively worse for a while, we do also see it get better, and the series did end on a high note.
Vera is from a book series by Ann Cleeves, about an older woman DCI. Bonus in the first season is Wunmi Mosaku as a young DC. The stories are nicely complex and Vera is still dealing with issues from the death of her father, who was kind of a jerk. It's got beautiful scenery, including Vera's DS Joe Ashworth. And it's just nice to see an older woman playing the gruff experienced DCI with issues for a change. The first three seasons are on acorn.tv
Ripper Street is set in Victorian London post-Jack the Ripper, and I have a love/hate relationship with it. One problem is that BBC America chops shows to bits to add in more commercials, and Ripper Street suffers pretty dramatically from this. Another is that it doesn't do a great job of realistically portraying Victorian London, and there are a lot of things involving the costumes, sets, and language that throw me out of the story. Other than that, the characters can be pretty interesting and sometimes the stories are really good. It does get gross at times with blood and violence, which didn't bother me, but might bother some people.
Campion is another Peter Davison series (Peter Davison has done a lot of series, basically) based on the Margery Allingham books, set in the 1930s UK. I've read the books, and basically like the series much better. Davison is always engaging, and the relationship between Campion and Lugg (criminal turned manservant) is consistently hilarious.
Mrs. Bradley Mysteries is another period piece starring Diana Rigg, set in the 1920s. Mrs. Bradley is an older, sexually liberated woman who travels with her chauffeur George (they are very close) and solves mysteries. (This is also from a book, but I enjoyed the series a lot more.) This one deals with some pretty serious issues, but the relationship between Mrs. Bradley and George is great, and I love Diana Rigg as a sexy older woman who doesn't take crap.
Hamish MacBeth is about a village policeman in Scotland in modern day, and it's one of my favorite shows. It manages to be quirky and warm while also being darkly, dark, very darkly funny (in one episode, the villagers accidentally eat a guy), and it is definitely not a cozy, as the characters deal with murder, spousal abuse, attempted suicide, and major character death. (There is an episode where Hamish's dog is run over, and this actually didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, because it was handled in a very sensitive way and treated very seriously, and also Hamish went off to hunt down the people who had done it and kill them, and there was a lot of cathartic wish-fulfillment in that.) There are sexy bits, unconventional relationships, and supernatural elements, like one character who has precognitive visions, a couple of episodes where ghosts are a factor. Basically, you never know what's going to happen because the show might do anything. It's completely nuts, and I loved it. (It's also from a book series, but the books are very different and I really disliked them. (If the show is warm but dark, the books are just cold and dark.)
Rosemary and Thyme is set in modern day UK (with occasional trips to France, Italy, etc), about two older women (one a horticulturist and the other a former policewoman turned gardener) who travel around and solve mysteries and work as landscape gardeners. They go to some places with beautiful scenery. I like this one a lot too, and it's fairly cozy, violence is offscreen, though it does deal with serious issues sometimes. Again, it's nice to see a series with older women actually getting to do stuff.
Again, this is just my opinion, YMMV, and if you're concerned about violence or other triggering elements, you should probably check with someone who has seen the show recently and can answer your questions more accurately.
Martha's Guide to TV Mysteries Part III
The Last Detective stars Peter Davison (the fifth Doctor) and is based on a series of novel by Leslie Thomas, set in modern day UK. Davison plays "Dangerous" Davies, who basically got reduced in rank for being too honest, and now has to work in the crappiest police department ever, and just tries to solve crimes without being a jerk. I liked this series a lot, and especially the fact that while we see Davies' life get progressively worse for a while, we do also see it get better, and the series did end on a high note.
Vera is from a book series by Ann Cleeves, about an older woman DCI. Bonus in the first season is Wunmi Mosaku as a young DC. The stories are nicely complex and Vera is still dealing with issues from the death of her father, who was kind of a jerk. It's got beautiful scenery, including Vera's DS Joe Ashworth. And it's just nice to see an older woman playing the gruff experienced DCI with issues for a change. The first three seasons are on acorn.tv
Ripper Street is set in Victorian London post-Jack the Ripper, and I have a love/hate relationship with it. One problem is that BBC America chops shows to bits to add in more commercials, and Ripper Street suffers pretty dramatically from this. Another is that it doesn't do a great job of realistically portraying Victorian London, and there are a lot of things involving the costumes, sets, and language that throw me out of the story. Other than that, the characters can be pretty interesting and sometimes the stories are really good. It does get gross at times with blood and violence, which didn't bother me, but might bother some people.
Campion is another Peter Davison series (Peter Davison has done a lot of series, basically) based on the Margery Allingham books, set in the 1930s UK. I've read the books, and basically like the series much better. Davison is always engaging, and the relationship between Campion and Lugg (criminal turned manservant) is consistently hilarious.
Mrs. Bradley Mysteries is another period piece starring Diana Rigg, set in the 1920s. Mrs. Bradley is an older, sexually liberated woman who travels with her chauffeur George (they are very close) and solves mysteries. (This is also from a book, but I enjoyed the series a lot more.) This one deals with some pretty serious issues, but the relationship between Mrs. Bradley and George is great, and I love Diana Rigg as a sexy older woman who doesn't take crap.
Hamish MacBeth is about a village policeman in Scotland in modern day, and it's one of my favorite shows. It manages to be quirky and warm while also being darkly, dark, very darkly funny (in one episode, the villagers accidentally eat a guy), and it is definitely not a cozy, as the characters deal with murder, spousal abuse, attempted suicide, and major character death. (There is an episode where Hamish's dog is run over, and this actually didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, because it was handled in a very sensitive way and treated very seriously, and also Hamish went off to hunt down the people who had done it and kill them, and there was a lot of cathartic wish-fulfillment in that.) There are sexy bits, unconventional relationships, and supernatural elements, like one character who has precognitive visions, a couple of episodes where ghosts are a factor. Basically, you never know what's going to happen because the show might do anything. It's completely nuts, and I loved it. (It's also from a book series, but the books are very different and I really disliked them. (If the show is warm but dark, the books are just cold and dark.)
Rosemary and Thyme is set in modern day UK (with occasional trips to France, Italy, etc), about two older women (one a horticulturist and the other a former policewoman turned gardener) who travel around and solve mysteries and work as landscape gardeners. They go to some places with beautiful scenery. I like this one a lot too, and it's fairly cozy, violence is offscreen, though it does deal with serious issues sometimes. Again, it's nice to see a series with older women actually getting to do stuff.
July 28, 2014
ArmadilloCon and The Cloud Roads
First, after being out of print for most of this year, the trade paperback of The Cloud Roads is now back in stock or available for ordering at many outlets, including:
Barnes and Noble, Chapters Indigo, Amazon US, Powell's, Mysterious Galaxy, The Tattered Cover, Books-a-Million, Book Depository.com, Waterstones UK, Book Depository.uk, Amazon UK, Amazon.ca, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, Amazon Spain, (and all the other Amazons), or look for it it at an independent book store in the US through IndieBound.
It's also been, and still is, available in:
ebook: Amazon Kindle Edition, Baen Webscription eBook (DRM-Free, and cheap), Barnes & Noble NookBook, Kobo, Waterstones UK, Kindle UK, Kindle Germany, Kindle France, Kindle Spain, Kindle Italy, Books-a-Million ebook.
ebook bundle of the Books of the Raksura: Kindle, Nook, and Kobo.
Audiobook: Audible.com, Audible UK, and Amazon.com, narrated by Christopher Kipiniak.
eBook and AudioBook also available on iTunes
ArmadilloCon:
I had a great time at ArmadilloCon, as usual, though Friday and Saturday were basically two eight hour work days plus socializing.
We got to Austin on Thursday night, and I had the writers workshop from 9:00 am to 4:00, then a panel. I got to critique with Kat Richardson who is awesome, and we had a really good group. After that we went out with a friend for Mexican food at Curra's, which was excellent.
One bad thing that did happen is that while my husband was out driving around on Friday, he was on Lamar Street and heard a loud impact. He looked in the rearview mirror in time to see a car spinning in the air, and then it landed in the median. So that was a big shock. We never found anything on the news about it, so we're just assuming that no one was killed, hopefully.
Saturday was mostly panels, a signing, a reading, and signing the kickstarter copies of Blade Singer. I had a good crowd of about 9 or 10 people for my reading, even though it was at 5:00. I read from "The Dead City" which is one of the Raksura novellas coming out in April 2015. (The cover copy for it is probably going to be: “The Dead City” is a tale of Moon before he came to the Indigo Cloud Court. As Moon is fleeing the ruins of Saraseil, a groundling city destroyed by the Fell, he flies right into another potential disaster when a friendly caravanserai finds itself under attack by a strange force.)
After the reading was done, we went out with a group of friends to a Thai restaurant, that was crowded and noisy, but not very expensive, and the food was incredible. Sunday I didn't have anything to do, so I just hung out and talked to people while my husband was on an astronomy panel. Then we went out to lunch with a friend, and started the drive back home.
Barnes and Noble, Chapters Indigo, Amazon US, Powell's, Mysterious Galaxy, The Tattered Cover, Books-a-Million, Book Depository.com, Waterstones UK, Book Depository.uk, Amazon UK, Amazon.ca, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, Amazon Spain, (and all the other Amazons), or look for it it at an independent book store in the US through IndieBound.
It's also been, and still is, available in:
ebook: Amazon Kindle Edition, Baen Webscription eBook (DRM-Free, and cheap), Barnes & Noble NookBook, Kobo, Waterstones UK, Kindle UK, Kindle Germany, Kindle France, Kindle Spain, Kindle Italy, Books-a-Million ebook.
ebook bundle of the Books of the Raksura: Kindle, Nook, and Kobo.
Audiobook: Audible.com, Audible UK, and Amazon.com, narrated by Christopher Kipiniak.
eBook and AudioBook also available on iTunes
ArmadilloCon:
I had a great time at ArmadilloCon, as usual, though Friday and Saturday were basically two eight hour work days plus socializing.
We got to Austin on Thursday night, and I had the writers workshop from 9:00 am to 4:00, then a panel. I got to critique with Kat Richardson who is awesome, and we had a really good group. After that we went out with a friend for Mexican food at Curra's, which was excellent.
One bad thing that did happen is that while my husband was out driving around on Friday, he was on Lamar Street and heard a loud impact. He looked in the rearview mirror in time to see a car spinning in the air, and then it landed in the median. So that was a big shock. We never found anything on the news about it, so we're just assuming that no one was killed, hopefully.
Saturday was mostly panels, a signing, a reading, and signing the kickstarter copies of Blade Singer. I had a good crowd of about 9 or 10 people for my reading, even though it was at 5:00. I read from "The Dead City" which is one of the Raksura novellas coming out in April 2015. (The cover copy for it is probably going to be: “The Dead City” is a tale of Moon before he came to the Indigo Cloud Court. As Moon is fleeing the ruins of Saraseil, a groundling city destroyed by the Fell, he flies right into another potential disaster when a friendly caravanserai finds itself under attack by a strange force.)
After the reading was done, we went out with a group of friends to a Thai restaurant, that was crowded and noisy, but not very expensive, and the food was incredible. Sunday I didn't have anything to do, so I just hung out and talked to people while my husband was on an astronomy panel. Then we went out to lunch with a friend, and started the drive back home.
July 23, 2014
New books:* Doghouse by L.A. KornetskyEven though she’s u...
New books:
* Doghouse by L.A. Kornetsky
Even though she’s unlicensed as an investigator, the infamously nosy Ginny Mallard has begun to make a name for herself as an unofficial champion of the tongue-tied. When a mysterious stranger comes to her with landlord trouble, she convinces her bartender friend Teddy Tonica to help her once more.
* Dust and Light by Carol Berg is up for preorder
How much must one pay for an hour of youthful folly? The Pureblood Registry accused Lucian de Remeni-Masson of “unseemly involvement with ordinaries,” which meant only that he spoke with a young woman not of his own kind, allowed her to see his face unmasked, worked a bit of magic for her....After that one mistake, Lucian’s grandsire excised half his magic and savage Harrowers massacred his family. Now the Registry has contracted his art to a common coroner. His extraordinary gift for portraiture is restricted to dead ordinaries—beggars or starvelings hauled from the streets.
* Shattering the Ley by Joshua Palmatier
Erenthrall—sprawling city of light and magic, whose streets are packed with traders from a dozen lands and whose buildings and towers are grown and shaped in the space of a day. At the heart of the city is the Nexus, the hub of a magical ley line system that powers Erenthrall. This ley line also links the city and the Baronial plains to rest of the continent and the world beyond. The Prime Wielders control the Nexus with secrecy and lies, but it is the Baron who controls the Wielders. The Baron also controls the rest of the Baronies through a web of brutal intimidation enforced by his bloodthirsty guardsmen and unnatural assassins.
* A Plunder of Souls by D.B. Jackson
Boston, 1769: Ethan Kaille, a Boston thieftaker who uses his conjuring to catch criminals, has snared villains and defeated magic that would have daunted a lesser man. What starts out as a mysterious phenomenon that has local ministers confused becomes something far more serious.
* The Seat of Magic by J. Kathleen Cheney
agical beings have been banned from the Golden City for decades, though many live there in secret. Now humans and nonhumans alike are in danger as evil stalks the streets, growing more powerful with every kill. It’s been two weeks since Oriana Paredes was banished from the Golden City. Police consultant Duilio Ferreira, who himself has a talent he must keep secret, can’t escape the feeling that, though she’s supposedly returned home to her people, Oriana is in danger. Adding to Duilio’s concerns is a string of recent murders in the city. Three victims have already been found, each without a mark upon her body. When a selkie under his brother’s protection goes missing, Duilio fears the killer is also targeting nonhuman prey.
* And there's a half-price ebook sale at Book View Cafe. The books on sale are here.
* Doghouse by L.A. Kornetsky
Even though she’s unlicensed as an investigator, the infamously nosy Ginny Mallard has begun to make a name for herself as an unofficial champion of the tongue-tied. When a mysterious stranger comes to her with landlord trouble, she convinces her bartender friend Teddy Tonica to help her once more.
* Dust and Light by Carol Berg is up for preorder
How much must one pay for an hour of youthful folly? The Pureblood Registry accused Lucian de Remeni-Masson of “unseemly involvement with ordinaries,” which meant only that he spoke with a young woman not of his own kind, allowed her to see his face unmasked, worked a bit of magic for her....After that one mistake, Lucian’s grandsire excised half his magic and savage Harrowers massacred his family. Now the Registry has contracted his art to a common coroner. His extraordinary gift for portraiture is restricted to dead ordinaries—beggars or starvelings hauled from the streets.
* Shattering the Ley by Joshua Palmatier
Erenthrall—sprawling city of light and magic, whose streets are packed with traders from a dozen lands and whose buildings and towers are grown and shaped in the space of a day. At the heart of the city is the Nexus, the hub of a magical ley line system that powers Erenthrall. This ley line also links the city and the Baronial plains to rest of the continent and the world beyond. The Prime Wielders control the Nexus with secrecy and lies, but it is the Baron who controls the Wielders. The Baron also controls the rest of the Baronies through a web of brutal intimidation enforced by his bloodthirsty guardsmen and unnatural assassins.
* A Plunder of Souls by D.B. Jackson
Boston, 1769: Ethan Kaille, a Boston thieftaker who uses his conjuring to catch criminals, has snared villains and defeated magic that would have daunted a lesser man. What starts out as a mysterious phenomenon that has local ministers confused becomes something far more serious.
* The Seat of Magic by J. Kathleen Cheney
agical beings have been banned from the Golden City for decades, though many live there in secret. Now humans and nonhumans alike are in danger as evil stalks the streets, growing more powerful with every kill. It’s been two weeks since Oriana Paredes was banished from the Golden City. Police consultant Duilio Ferreira, who himself has a talent he must keep secret, can’t escape the feeling that, though she’s supposedly returned home to her people, Oriana is in danger. Adding to Duilio’s concerns is a string of recent murders in the city. Three victims have already been found, each without a mark upon her body. When a selkie under his brother’s protection goes missing, Duilio fears the killer is also targeting nonhuman prey.
* And there's a half-price ebook sale at Book View Cafe. The books on sale are here.
July 22, 2014
Audiobook News
Some great news! The audiobook narrator for Stories of the Raksura Vol I will be Christopher Kipiniak, who did the first three Books of the Raksura.
If you like audiobooks and are new here, all my fantasy novels plus the Star Wars novel are available in audiobook at Audible.com, Tantor Audio, Audible UK, iTunes, and other audiobook retailers.
A note about conventions, because this comes up occasionally: authors and artists (who are not in the top 4-5 or so headlining guests) do not get paid to go to SF/F conventions, to do panels or workshops, even all day long workshops. We pay our own travel, hotel, food, etc, and usually all we get is a free membership (the same thing volunteers who work on the convention get). For large conventions like World Fantasy and WorldCon, we have to buy our own membership. (Often, if a WorldCon makes enough money to pay its expenses and has money left over, it will reimburse panelists for their memberships. But that's never guaranteed.)
Couple of links:
Kickstarter: Imagined Realms: Book 1 - New Fantasy Art by Julie Dillon
Aliette de Bodard: Some thoughts on the Hugo nominees
If you like audiobooks and are new here, all my fantasy novels plus the Star Wars novel are available in audiobook at Audible.com, Tantor Audio, Audible UK, iTunes, and other audiobook retailers.
A note about conventions, because this comes up occasionally: authors and artists (who are not in the top 4-5 or so headlining guests) do not get paid to go to SF/F conventions, to do panels or workshops, even all day long workshops. We pay our own travel, hotel, food, etc, and usually all we get is a free membership (the same thing volunteers who work on the convention get). For large conventions like World Fantasy and WorldCon, we have to buy our own membership. (Often, if a WorldCon makes enough money to pay its expenses and has money left over, it will reimburse panelists for their memberships. But that's never guaranteed.)
Couple of links:
Kickstarter: Imagined Realms: Book 1 - New Fantasy Art by Julie Dillon
Aliette de Bodard: Some thoughts on the Hugo nominees
July 21, 2014
ArmadilloCon and Not WorldCon
This weekend I'm going to be at ArmadilloCon 36 in Austin, Texas. Major guests are: Ian McDonald, Ted Chiang, Jacob Weisman, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, Sigrid Close, Michael Walsh, and Mario Acevedo.
Here's my schedule. (I'm also one of the teachers for the all day writers' workshop on Friday.) For my reading I'll be doing a section of one of the upcoming Raksura novellas.
Fr1600E Tree Creatures
Fri 4:00 PM-5:00 PM Room E
Wells*, Clarke, Oliver, Stanley
Ents, nymphs dryads and more. Discussion regarding the various kinds of tree creatures from myth and legend.
Sa1000D Elemental Magic
Sat 10:00 AM-11:00 AM Room D
Kimbriel*, Pedersen, Wells, Wilson
What is elemental magic and which stories use it the best?
Sa1300DR Autographing
Sat 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Dealers' Room
Blaschke, Wells
Sa1400E Where Are They Now?
Sat 2:00 PM-3:00 PM Room E
Carl*, Antonelli, Wells
Authors read short snippets from their early, critique and discuss what they learned.
Sa1700SB Reading
Sat 5:00 PM-6:00 PM Southpark B
Wells
The WorldCon is in London in early August, and I really wish I could be there, but I won't, because I just couldn't afford it this year. If you want to angst along with me, you can look at my previous worldcon tag, where I have photos and reports from the WorldCons in San Antonio and Chicago etc. (In the Chicago one, there's a favorite moment where a physicist who insisted he wasn't there helped us fix a tea urn.)
Here's my schedule. (I'm also one of the teachers for the all day writers' workshop on Friday.) For my reading I'll be doing a section of one of the upcoming Raksura novellas.
Fr1600E Tree Creatures
Fri 4:00 PM-5:00 PM Room E
Wells*, Clarke, Oliver, Stanley
Ents, nymphs dryads and more. Discussion regarding the various kinds of tree creatures from myth and legend.
Sa1000D Elemental Magic
Sat 10:00 AM-11:00 AM Room D
Kimbriel*, Pedersen, Wells, Wilson
What is elemental magic and which stories use it the best?
Sa1300DR Autographing
Sat 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Dealers' Room
Blaschke, Wells
Sa1400E Where Are They Now?
Sat 2:00 PM-3:00 PM Room E
Carl*, Antonelli, Wells
Authors read short snippets from their early, critique and discuss what they learned.
Sa1700SB Reading
Sat 5:00 PM-6:00 PM Southpark B
Wells
The WorldCon is in London in early August, and I really wish I could be there, but I won't, because I just couldn't afford it this year. If you want to angst along with me, you can look at my previous worldcon tag, where I have photos and reports from the WorldCons in San Antonio and Chicago etc. (In the Chicago one, there's a favorite moment where a physicist who insisted he wasn't there helped us fix a tea urn.)
