Martha Wells's Blog, page 88
April 29, 2016
Books!
* Los Neflim by T. Frohock
This is a collected paperback edition of the three ebook novellas:
Diago Alvarez, a singular being of daimonic and angelic descent, is pulled into the ranks of Los Nefilim in order to protect his newly-found son. As an angelic war brews in the numinous realms, and Spain marches closer to civil war, the destiny of two worlds hangs on Diago’s actions. Yet it is the combined fates of his lover, Miquel, and his young son, Rafael, that weighs most heavily on his soul.
* Icarus by Gregory Wilson
This epic fantasy graphic novel, written by Gregory A. Wilson, with illustrations by Matt Slay and Mark Dos Santos, follows the story of Icarus and Jellinek, an unlikely pair of heroes.
* Barbara Hambly has put up a couple of new stories on Amazon and Smashwords. She has a whole series of short works featuring characters and worlds from her previous books, including the Benjamin January mystery series.
* Whisper of Shadows by Diana Pharaoh Francis
When the FBI uses an anti-magic law to arrest and torture Riley's boyfriend, they have no idea what hell they are about to unleash. If Riley can't rescue Clay before he breaks, the result will be a disaster of epic proportions. Newest book in the Diamond City Magic series.
* Eastern Tide by Juliet E. McKenna
This is the fourth book in the The Aldabreshin Compass series.
The Archipelago is still plagued by dragons and its peoples live in terror of their coming. Kheda, Risala and Velindre chase rumours of a water dragon, as they alone have gathered secrets of how to repel these fearsome beasts. Yet this has won them no friends as they are forced to travel incognito, their lives at risk.
This is a collected paperback edition of the three ebook novellas:
Diago Alvarez, a singular being of daimonic and angelic descent, is pulled into the ranks of Los Nefilim in order to protect his newly-found son. As an angelic war brews in the numinous realms, and Spain marches closer to civil war, the destiny of two worlds hangs on Diago’s actions. Yet it is the combined fates of his lover, Miquel, and his young son, Rafael, that weighs most heavily on his soul.
* Icarus by Gregory Wilson
This epic fantasy graphic novel, written by Gregory A. Wilson, with illustrations by Matt Slay and Mark Dos Santos, follows the story of Icarus and Jellinek, an unlikely pair of heroes.
* Barbara Hambly has put up a couple of new stories on Amazon and Smashwords. She has a whole series of short works featuring characters and worlds from her previous books, including the Benjamin January mystery series.
* Whisper of Shadows by Diana Pharaoh Francis
When the FBI uses an anti-magic law to arrest and torture Riley's boyfriend, they have no idea what hell they are about to unleash. If Riley can't rescue Clay before he breaks, the result will be a disaster of epic proportions. Newest book in the Diamond City Magic series.
* Eastern Tide by Juliet E. McKenna
This is the fourth book in the The Aldabreshin Compass series.
The Archipelago is still plagued by dragons and its peoples live in terror of their coming. Kheda, Risala and Velindre chase rumours of a water dragon, as they alone have gathered secrets of how to repel these fearsome beasts. Yet this has won them no friends as they are forced to travel incognito, their lives at risk.
April 28, 2016
It's Thursday already
I'm sorry I haven't been posting here more often, but I've been working on the last couple chapters of The Harbors of the Sun, plus the Patreon, plus promo stuff for The Edge of Worlds, plus the usual house stuff, plus feeling kind of crappy. Hopefully I can catch up on answering comments and questions soon.
In the meantime, I have a post at Tor.com on Five Books about Unusual Methods of Travel: http://www.tor.com/2016/04/27/five-books-with-unusual-methods-of-travel/
And I'll put my con schedule below. I wish I could afford more than one out of state con, but except for WorldCon (which is fortunately a cheap flight) right now I only have money to get to places I can drive to.
(Unless writers are guests of honor, we don't get paid for or reimbursed for hotel or travel or food during cons, no matter how much programming we do. Usually we do get a free membership to the con, but that's about it. (And for WorldCon and World Fantasy, we have to buy our own memberships, though WorldCon is generally able to reimburse participant memberships a few months after the convention.))
June 16-19, 2016. Comicpalooza in Houston, TX.
July 29-31, 2016. ArmadilloCon in Austin, TX.
August 17-21, 2016. 74th WorldCon - MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, MO.
In the meantime, I have a post at Tor.com on Five Books about Unusual Methods of Travel: http://www.tor.com/2016/04/27/five-books-with-unusual-methods-of-travel/
And I'll put my con schedule below. I wish I could afford more than one out of state con, but except for WorldCon (which is fortunately a cheap flight) right now I only have money to get to places I can drive to.
(Unless writers are guests of honor, we don't get paid for or reimbursed for hotel or travel or food during cons, no matter how much programming we do. Usually we do get a free membership to the con, but that's about it. (And for WorldCon and World Fantasy, we have to buy our own memberships, though WorldCon is generally able to reimburse participant memberships a few months after the convention.))
June 16-19, 2016. Comicpalooza in Houston, TX.
July 29-31, 2016. ArmadilloCon in Austin, TX.
August 17-21, 2016. 74th WorldCon - MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, MO.
April 24, 2016
Sunday Edition
The paper copy. In the actual paper.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/24/books/review/review-the-edge-of-worlds-by-martha-wells-and-more.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=Moth-Visible&moduleDetail=inside-nyt-region-3&module=inside-nyt-region®ion=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region&_r=2)
April 21, 2016
Memories
Facebook does a thing where they show you posts that you made on this date however many years ago, as a "Facebook Memory" (and yes, this goes horribly wrong when it reminds you of terrible things that happened). Today my memory post was:
April 21, 2010 ·
started writing another new book today, because hope seems to spring eternal.
The book I'm talking about there is actually The Siren Depths. At this point, I'd already written The Cloud Roads and The Serpent Sea, as well as Emilie and the Hollow World, and none of them had sold. (I'd also written the beginnings of a handful of novels that all died on the vine.) The Cloud Roads had been making the rounds of publishers since around August of 2008 and was being rejected because they couldn't understand it or couldn't sell it because it was weird or because my last book (The Gate of Gods in 2005 hadn't sold well enough) or just no reason in particular. Emilie and the Hollow World was also starting to collect its share of rejections.
On April 21, 2010 and I was still writing, but also in the process of winding down my career, refusing invites to local conventions and trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. On June 25, 2010, I got word that Night Shade Books had offered for The Cloud Roads.
April 21, 2010 ·
started writing another new book today, because hope seems to spring eternal.
The book I'm talking about there is actually The Siren Depths. At this point, I'd already written The Cloud Roads and The Serpent Sea, as well as Emilie and the Hollow World, and none of them had sold. (I'd also written the beginnings of a handful of novels that all died on the vine.) The Cloud Roads had been making the rounds of publishers since around August of 2008 and was being rejected because they couldn't understand it or couldn't sell it because it was weird or because my last book (The Gate of Gods in 2005 hadn't sold well enough) or just no reason in particular. Emilie and the Hollow World was also starting to collect its share of rejections.
On April 21, 2010 and I was still writing, but also in the process of winding down my career, refusing invites to local conventions and trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. On June 25, 2010, I got word that Night Shade Books had offered for The Cloud Roads.
April 20, 2016
Wednesday and Books
News of me
So yesterday this happened. I'm hoping we can find an actual copy of the paper on Sunday when the print edition comes out. There are a couple of bookstores in town that carry it.
Plus this is going on. I have a story in it that's set in the Three Worlds, though it's about different characters, not Raksura. (It's about Jai and the crew of the wind-ship Escarpment.)
Plus we've gotten a ton of rain in the past couple of days. We're mostly okay here, but Houston has flooded to the point of cars floating down freeways and rivers where there weren't any before. Murder by the Book, where we did the signing a couple of weeks ago, got water inside and has had to close temporarily to tear up the carpets.
New Books
* Castles in Spain 25 Years of Spanish Fantasy and Science Fiction
(also available in Spanish)
An exceptional chance to get the stories by Spain's top authors that changed the direction of its speculative fiction.
* Short story: Lily, With Clouds by Theodora Goss
* The Door at the Crossroads by Zetta Elliott
One summer night, Genna Colon makes a fateful wish that sends her and her boyfriend Judah spiraling through time. They land hours apart in the city of Brooklyn—and in the middle of the Civil War.
* Will Do Magic for Small Change by Andrea Hairston
Cinnamon Jones dreams of stepping on stage and acting her heart out like her famous grandparents, Redwood and Wildfire. But at 5'10'' and 180 pounds, she's theatrically challenged. Her family life is a tangle of mystery and deadly secrets, and nobody is telling Cinnamon the whole truth. Before her older brother died, he gave Cinnamon The Chronicles of the Great Wanderer, a tale of a Dahomean warrior woman and an alien from another dimension who perform in Paris and at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The Chronicles may be magic or alien science, but the story is definitely connected to Cinnamon's family secrets. When an act of violence wounds her family, Cinnamon and her theatre squad determine to solve the mysteries and bring her worlds together.
* Preorder: Enemy by Betsy Dornbusch. Book Three of the Seven Eyes.
The last time Draken traveled Akrasia, he was the highest lord in the land. His journey before that was eased by royal favor and the grace of the gods. This time is different. His adopted country buckling under attack from religious fanatics and his Queen presumed dead, Draken must flee a deadly coup by an upstart lord. Bitter from fighting an insurmountable war and losing the life he’s built, he lets the ghosts of past mistakes drive him into vigilante revenge. But Draken is about to learn gods and wars have a way of catching up to a man.
* Hard Light by Elizabeth Hand
Punk photographer Cass Neary, "one of noir’s great anti-heroes" (Katherine Dunn, author of Geek Love), rages back in the series that began with the award-winning novels Generation Loss and Available Dark. Fleeing Reykjavik and a cluster of cult murders, Cass lands in London to rendezvous with her longtime lover Quinn, a person of interest to both Interpol and the Russian mob.
* Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge by Ovidia Yu
This is the next book in one of my new favorite mystery series.
So yesterday this happened. I'm hoping we can find an actual copy of the paper on Sunday when the print edition comes out. There are a couple of bookstores in town that carry it.
Plus this is going on. I have a story in it that's set in the Three Worlds, though it's about different characters, not Raksura. (It's about Jai and the crew of the wind-ship Escarpment.)
Plus we've gotten a ton of rain in the past couple of days. We're mostly okay here, but Houston has flooded to the point of cars floating down freeways and rivers where there weren't any before. Murder by the Book, where we did the signing a couple of weeks ago, got water inside and has had to close temporarily to tear up the carpets.
New Books
* Castles in Spain 25 Years of Spanish Fantasy and Science Fiction
(also available in Spanish)
An exceptional chance to get the stories by Spain's top authors that changed the direction of its speculative fiction.
* Short story: Lily, With Clouds by Theodora Goss
* The Door at the Crossroads by Zetta Elliott
One summer night, Genna Colon makes a fateful wish that sends her and her boyfriend Judah spiraling through time. They land hours apart in the city of Brooklyn—and in the middle of the Civil War.
* Will Do Magic for Small Change by Andrea Hairston
Cinnamon Jones dreams of stepping on stage and acting her heart out like her famous grandparents, Redwood and Wildfire. But at 5'10'' and 180 pounds, she's theatrically challenged. Her family life is a tangle of mystery and deadly secrets, and nobody is telling Cinnamon the whole truth. Before her older brother died, he gave Cinnamon The Chronicles of the Great Wanderer, a tale of a Dahomean warrior woman and an alien from another dimension who perform in Paris and at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The Chronicles may be magic or alien science, but the story is definitely connected to Cinnamon's family secrets. When an act of violence wounds her family, Cinnamon and her theatre squad determine to solve the mysteries and bring her worlds together.
* Preorder: Enemy by Betsy Dornbusch. Book Three of the Seven Eyes.
The last time Draken traveled Akrasia, he was the highest lord in the land. His journey before that was eased by royal favor and the grace of the gods. This time is different. His adopted country buckling under attack from religious fanatics and his Queen presumed dead, Draken must flee a deadly coup by an upstart lord. Bitter from fighting an insurmountable war and losing the life he’s built, he lets the ghosts of past mistakes drive him into vigilante revenge. But Draken is about to learn gods and wars have a way of catching up to a man.
* Hard Light by Elizabeth Hand
Punk photographer Cass Neary, "one of noir’s great anti-heroes" (Katherine Dunn, author of Geek Love), rages back in the series that began with the award-winning novels Generation Loss and Available Dark. Fleeing Reykjavik and a cluster of cult murders, Cass lands in London to rendezvous with her longtime lover Quinn, a person of interest to both Interpol and the Russian mob.
* Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge by Ovidia Yu
This is the next book in one of my new favorite mystery series.
April 19, 2016
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, this is AWESOME: The Edge of Worlds is reviewed in N.K. Jemisin's New York Times book review column.
The venerated pulp spirit in science fiction and fantasy has dwindled since the golden age of the 1920s to ’50s. Yet an atavistic craving for adventure remains, and it is this need that Wells’s books in general and the Raksura books in particular satisfy. The stories are straightforward adventure, but what makes Wells’s “new pulp” feel fresh is its refusal to take the easier storytelling routes of its forebears. Rather than thinly veil an existing human society as alien others, for example, Wells — a master world builder — creates a multicultural world of humanized monsters.
So obviously, I've never been reviewed in the NYT before, and I'm so excited I'm freaking out. I'm trying to get the Raksura Patreon story posted today, and that might be the only thing I get done.
The venerated pulp spirit in science fiction and fantasy has dwindled since the golden age of the 1920s to ’50s. Yet an atavistic craving for adventure remains, and it is this need that Wells’s books in general and the Raksura books in particular satisfy. The stories are straightforward adventure, but what makes Wells’s “new pulp” feel fresh is its refusal to take the easier storytelling routes of its forebears. Rather than thinly veil an existing human society as alien others, for example, Wells — a master world builder — creates a multicultural world of humanized monsters.
So obviously, I've never been reviewed in the NYT before, and I'm so excited I'm freaking out. I'm trying to get the Raksura Patreon story posted today, and that might be the only thing I get done.
April 14, 2016
Kickstarter
I have a story in this Kickstarter anthology: Mech: Age of Steel
It's a Three Worlds story, though about different characters, not Raksura. In one of the reward levels, the Head in the Clouds level, one backer can get a signed copy of The Cloud Roads. (It was three but now it's down to one.) (If the kickstarter funds, I get paid!)
That's about it. I'm working on finishing The Harbors of the Sun which is the sequel to The Edge of Worlds and probably the last Raksura book.
And the $1.99 ebook Tax Day sale is still going on!
I also wanted to thank everybody who has left reviews on The Edge of Worlds so far, on Amazon or GoodReads or wherever. It helps a lot, and I appreciate it so much.
It's a Three Worlds story, though about different characters, not Raksura. In one of the reward levels, the Head in the Clouds level, one backer can get a signed copy of The Cloud Roads. (It was three but now it's down to one.) (If the kickstarter funds, I get paid!)
That's about it. I'm working on finishing The Harbors of the Sun which is the sequel to The Edge of Worlds and probably the last Raksura book.
And the $1.99 ebook Tax Day sale is still going on!
I also wanted to thank everybody who has left reviews on The Edge of Worlds so far, on Amazon or GoodReads or wherever. It helps a lot, and I appreciate it so much.
April 13, 2016
Various News
Good News:
More good news about the audiobook of The Edge of Worlds: Christopher Kipiniak is going to be doing the narration again!
Also, the signing at Murder by the Book went really well. There were about 20-25 people there, and with that and preorders the store sold out of The Edge of Worlds. Plus people ate a lot of the cookies. And then we went to Amazon Grill and had delicious South American and Cuban food.
The Tax Day sale is still going on until Saturday. My two books in the sale are:
Wheel of the Infinite (DRM-free ebook) is on sale for $1.99
at Barnes and Noble NookBook, Kobo, Amazon Kindle.
(It's also available in audiobook, narrated by Lisa Reneé Pitts (who was one of the stars in Straight Outta Compton), at Tantor Audio, Amazon, Audible, iTunes)
City of Bones (DRM-free ebook) is on sale for $1.99
at Barnes and Noble ebook, Kobo, Amazon US Kindle.
(Audiobook, narrated by Kyle McCarley, at Tantor Audio, Amazon, Audible, and iTunes.)
All the other sale books are listed here.
***
Book recs
* Tale of Yin by Joyce Chng
The duology of both "Of Oysters, Pearls & Magic" and "The Path of Kindness", in a whole ebook.
* Short Story: The Rainbow Flame by Shveta Thakrar
* Atlantis Fallen by C.E. Murphy
Lorhen, oldest and most ruthless of the immortal Timeless, put aside the sword long ago for a quiet life. But peace doesn't last forever, especially for a man whose age can be counted in epochs, and the mortal life he's built unravels as the Keepers, a society of historians who record Timeless lives, learn that he's been hiding in their midst.
* Short Story: Storm Crow by Rachel Caine
More good news about the audiobook of The Edge of Worlds: Christopher Kipiniak is going to be doing the narration again!
Also, the signing at Murder by the Book went really well. There were about 20-25 people there, and with that and preorders the store sold out of The Edge of Worlds. Plus people ate a lot of the cookies. And then we went to Amazon Grill and had delicious South American and Cuban food.
The Tax Day sale is still going on until Saturday. My two books in the sale are:
Wheel of the Infinite (DRM-free ebook) is on sale for $1.99
at Barnes and Noble NookBook, Kobo, Amazon Kindle.
(It's also available in audiobook, narrated by Lisa Reneé Pitts (who was one of the stars in Straight Outta Compton), at Tantor Audio, Amazon, Audible, iTunes)
City of Bones (DRM-free ebook) is on sale for $1.99
at Barnes and Noble ebook, Kobo, Amazon US Kindle.
(Audiobook, narrated by Kyle McCarley, at Tantor Audio, Amazon, Audible, and iTunes.)
All the other sale books are listed here.
***
Book recs
* Tale of Yin by Joyce Chng
The duology of both "Of Oysters, Pearls & Magic" and "The Path of Kindness", in a whole ebook.
* Short Story: The Rainbow Flame by Shveta Thakrar
* Atlantis Fallen by C.E. Murphy
Lorhen, oldest and most ruthless of the immortal Timeless, put aside the sword long ago for a quiet life. But peace doesn't last forever, especially for a man whose age can be counted in epochs, and the mortal life he's built unravels as the Keepers, a society of historians who record Timeless lives, learn that he's been hiding in their midst.
* Short Story: Storm Crow by Rachel Caine
April 12, 2016
Multi-Author Multi-Book Sale!
I'm joining in on this multi-author multi-book sale. These are all books that the authors own the rights to, that are self-published or reprints, and (in my case) that are sold so we can get money to pay monthly bills like utilities, phone, etc. So we’d really appreciate you spreading the word.
Here's the official post:
Tax season is officially upon us, and what better way to escape that bitter, bitter pain than by nabbing a few sweet books on the cheap? From April 12th – 16th, you can get any of the 21 books the participating authors are offering at steep discounts, some at up to 70% off! A few of our books are even FREE!
Here's a rundown of what everyone's offering:
Bradley P. Beaulieu
To the Towers of Tulandan , a Lays of Anuskaya novella – FREE!
The Winds of Khalakovo (ebook) – $1.99
The Straits of Galahesh (ebook) – $2.99
The Flames of Shadam Khoreh (ebook) – $2.99
Also offering 25% off of the trade paperback and limited edition versions
Gwenda Bond
The Woken Gods (ebook) – $2.99
Jeff Carlson
Plague Year (ebook) – $1.99
Plague War (ebook) – $1.99
Plague Zone (ebook) – $1.99
Long Eyes (ebook) – $1.99
Matt Forbeck
Brave New World: Revolution (ebook) – $2.99
Hard Times in Dragon City (ebook) – $2.99
Dangerous Games: How to Play (ebook) – $2.99
Brian McClellan
Murder at the Kinnen Hotel , a Powder Mage novella (ebook) – FREE!
Ghosts of the Tristan Basin , a Powder Mage novella (ebook) – $1.99
Forsworn , a Powder Mage novella (ebook) – $1.99
Servant of the Crown , a Powder Mage Novella (ebook) – $1.99
The Powder Mage Novella Collection #1 (ebook) – $5.99
Michael J. Sullivan
The Death of Dulgath (ebook) – $2.99
Also offering 30% off the paperback, hardcover, and limited edition versions
Martha Wells
Wheel of the Infinite (ebook) – $1.99
City of Bones (ebook) – $1.99
Chuck Wendig
Blue Blazes (ebook) – $2.99
Hellsblood Bride (ebook) – $2.99
That’s a killer set of books, y’all. Surely you’ll findsomething you like, yes? Be sure to nab them quick, because in only a few days they’ll be gone.
And if you know anyone who might like to take advantage of these great deals before they’re gone, please pass along the word. A quick mention on Twitter or Facebook wouldn’t hurt either.</i>
April 8, 2016
Raksura Release Week Almost Done
I wanted to thank everybody who participated in my AMA, there were a ton of good questions. (you can still read it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/4dr12p/hi_im_fantasy_writer_martha_wells_ama/ )
I also wanted to thank everybody who has already left reviews on The Edge of Worlds. You guys are awesome and I appreciate it so much.
I have the signing tomorrow at Murder by the Book with J. Kathleen Cheney. (It's not too late to order a book to get signed.)
Oh, and Razor's Edge made this list http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/7-star-wars-books-to-read-while-you-wait-for-rogue-one/
I also wanted to thank everybody who has already left reviews on The Edge of Worlds. You guys are awesome and I appreciate it so much.
I have the signing tomorrow at Murder by the Book with J. Kathleen Cheney. (It's not too late to order a book to get signed.)
Oh, and Razor's Edge made this list http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/7-star-wars-books-to-read-while-you-wait-for-rogue-one/
