Thursday, December 31, 2015

Voting Open for Best Fantasy Novel of the Year on Reddit


Well, it's that time of year again, reddit's /r/Fantasy voting is open for a number of rewards and The Death of Dulgath has been nominated for Best Fantasy Fiction of 2015 and the cover design that was created by the amazing Marc Simonetti is nominated for Best Artwork Released in 2015.   To vote, click on the picture below or on this link.

Now, I don't expect to win, and this isn't a plea to vote for my book, I'm just letting people know the competition is open so you can weigh in on your favorite. To be honest, I'm just hoping not to embarrass myself by coming in last place.

Here are the nominees:


And for those who want a text list of the nominations here you go:
  • Aeronaut's Windlass, The by Jim Butcher
  • Ash and Silver by Carol Berg
  • Autumn Republic,The by Brian McClellan
  • Beyond Redemption by Michael R Fletcher
  • Black Wolves by Kate Elliott
  • Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
  • Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
  • Crooked by Austin Grossman
  • Crown for Cold Silver, A  by Alex Marshall
  • Darker Shade of Magic, A by V.E. Schwab
  • Death of Dulgath, The by Michael J. Sullivan
  • Devil's Only Friend, The by Dan Wells
  • Dread Wyrm, The by Miles Cameron
  • Fifth Season, The by N. K. Jemisin
  • Firefight by Brandon Sanderson
  • Fool's Quest by Robin Hobb
  • Gameshouse, The by Claire North
  • Grace of Kings, The by Ken Liu
  • Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  • Half a War by Joe Abercrombie
  • Half The World by Joe Abercrombie
  • Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear
  • Knight's Shadow by Sebastien de Castell
  • Last First Snow by Max Gladstone
  • Letters to Zell by Camille Grip
  • Liar's Key, The by Mark Lawrence
  • Library at Mount Char, The by Scott Hawkins
  • Long Black Curl by Alex Bledsoe
  • Malus Domestica by SA Hunt
  • Mechanical, The by Ian Tregillis
  • Price of Valor, The by Django Weller
  • Providence of Fire, The by Brian Stanley
  • Radiance by Catherynne Valiant
  • Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson
  • Skull Throne , The by Peter V. Brett
  • Son of the Black Sword by Larry Corey
  • Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
  • The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
  • Touch by Claire North
  • Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier
  • Traitor Baru Cormorant, The by Seth Dickinson
  • Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. Beaulieu
  • Updraft by Fran Wilde
  • Uprooted by Naomi Novik
  • Vagrant, The by Peter Newman
  • Watchmaker of Filigree Street, The by Natasha Pulley
I have been fortunate enough to win a Stabby in the past. The nice thing about this competition is how cool the trophy is... a beautiful engraved dagger. Here I am showing off my prior Stabby win.


I was also nominated in two other categories - but asked to remove myself.  The first was Best Self-Published Book of 2015.  While it is true that The Death of Dulgath is a self-published novel, I didn't want to steal the spotlight from those that self-publish and don't have the marketing support of a big traditional publisher.  The other category I pulled myself from contention was the Most Active Author nomination.  The reason for pulling my name from that one was because it's essentially what I won the Stabby for last time. I say essentially because the best contributor in the forum award used to be just one category but now it's been split into author and non-author categories.  So, again, I wanted to step aside and give others who haven't won this amazing award a chance to get their own Stabby.



In any case, I truly feel that it's an honor just to be nominated, and I encourage you go vote for whichever book you enjoyed the most in 2015.  Cheers!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

The Death of Dulgath is a December Customer Favorite



Just got a notification from Audible.com that The Death of Dulgath was named a December Customer Favorite.  Want to see the other 19 books on the list?  Here's a link.

In the email they explained:
"The books featured on this list are those which debuted on Audible in December, and received the best (and most) ratings from our customers."
So thanks, everyone who has been listening, rating, and enjoying the books - I'm so glad you are enjoying them!

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

The Death of Dulgath debuts in a big way


I'll probably never be a New York Times Bestseller.  Nor do I expect to make the USA Today's Bestselling list. For those that don't know, such lists are compiled on a weekly basis to show what books sold the most over the past seven days.  There are plenty of books on these lists that had one good week, and then faltered from there.  I'll always take a consistent seller over a one-week break out.

Still, I can't help but be thrilled that I finally have a book on one of the major Top 10 Weekly Lists.  In this case it was hitting Audible Bestseller for Fiction list.  Last week saw the release of a bunch of Harry Potter books on audible, so the competition was tough, but The Death of Dulgath still carved out a spot. Here's the complete list.


1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster, narrated by Marc Thompson (Random House Audio)
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)
4. The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein, narrated by Tom Weiner (Blackstone Audio, Inc.)
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)
6. The Martian by Andy Weir, narrated by R.C. Bray (Podium Publishing)
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)
8. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, narrated by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey and India Fisher (Penguin Audio)
9. The Death of Dulgath: The Riyria Chronicles, Book 3 by Michael J. Sullivan, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds and the author (Audible Studios)
10. The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore, narrated by Euan Morton (HarperAudio)

The really cool thing about hitting this list is all the various papers that publish it. Here's some of the places I've seen it posted so far:
I want to thank Tim Gerard Reynolds for his amazing narration, Audible.com for producing a fabulous recording, and all you listeners out there who helped make it's debut such a big success.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Appreciate success when it comes


The publishing business isn't an easy one, and I'm always anxious in the days around a books release. Will it fall into oblivion?  Will people notice it exists? I have no illusions about my place in the "fantasy genre." I consider myself a scrappy up-and-comer, who just might make it one day (if I keep working really hard). Still, from time to time I do break into an area I never expected to be...like sandwiched between George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien on the Amazon Bestseller List for Epic fantasy books.


I've been there before...even made the number one spot on occasion (but that was due to a daily deal, and so it doesn't feel nearly as satisfying). The Death of Dulgath is hitting it without deep discounting, which is very rewarding. Yes, as my daughter was so quick to point out it's shiny and new, and the other books are better because they are always at the top of the charts.  Thanks, Sarah, you can always keep your ole dad grounded.  Still, I'll take it. After all, you have to appreciate any success as it comes. 

A hearty thank you to all the people who are giving the book a try. I hope you enjoy the read!

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

The Death of Dulgath is a Bestseller!


Thanks to all the amazing listeners supporting the release I just found this nice little best-seller icon next to The Death of Dulgath.


It's so great seeing everyone's enthusiasm for this release, and the 4.9 rating is an indication that I and Tim are doing our jobs well. Tim hitting it out of the park was a given...but I'm grateful that I seem to be holding up my end as well.

Audible is certainly doing their part as well. It's currently have one of the 4 spots on the main page - a very coveted piece of marketing.


I know it will be fleeting, but it's still fun to beat out the reigning king of Fantasy, George R.R. Martin.


Oh, and if you aren't sure if you want to give it a try, here are the first 30 minutes of the book provided free by audible.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

At long last, The Death of Dulgath is out on audio!


Oh, you lucky, lucky listeners!  Today The Death of Dulgath is available in it's audio version.  I've had the pleasure of hearing it sometime ago...both in studio and by reviewing the "dailys." And it is sublime...but if you've listened to Tim Gerard Reynolds narrations before, you knew it would be. Seriously, he makes me sound so much better than I am, and I couldn't be happier about having a new release from him available.  If you don't have a spare credit, no worries, Audible is running a 50% off sale, so go ahead and buy a copy. It's just $12 and change.

Here's a link to get your own copy - and please, let me know what you think of it!

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

It's Book Launch Time Again, this time for The Death of Dulgath!



If you've not discovered One More Page Books, you really need to. It is by far my favorite indie bookstore and this Wednesday at 7:00 PM we'll be there celebrating the release of The Death of Dulgath!  This will be my fourth book launch with them and I'm hoping they have a successful night. 

Indie bookstores are a dying breed but One More Page knows how to do be successful in this competitive marketplace. One look at their calendar and you'll see 18 events for this January alone!  And that is not an unusual month for them.  They are always having someone coming in and something going on. I love this about them. Not only are they selling books but they are a leader in their community and  it's little wonder that they have such an avid following. We've arranged for them to be able to sell several different versions of The Death of Dulgath including: trade paperback, hardcover, and even a limited edition version. I'm sure they'll also have past Riyria books (both Revelations and Chronicles).

So what will be going on at the party?  We'll we'll have cake...everyone likes cake.  A few door prizes - like Riyria coffee mugs and there will also be Death of Dulgath posters - which have the incredible artwork of Marc Simonetti.


We'll even bring a few Hollow World posters (also done by the Amazing Marc Simonetti).


Sound like fun?  I hope so.  So here is all the specifics:
  • Where: One More Page Books: 2200 N Westmoreland Street #101 Arlington VA  22213
  • Date: Wednesday December 9, 2015
  • Time: 7:00 PM 
  • Phone: 703.300.9746 
Hope to see you there! Oh, and here are some picture from past signings.

 







Oh, one last thing. If you have existing copies of books, feel free to bring them for signing as well.

Monday, November 30, 2015

Cyber Monday - Multiple Author Book Sale!



I'll admit, I'm not a "Black Friday" shopper. I like spending my holiday with friends and family, and I certainly don't want to deal with traffic, parking, or fighting someone for limited quantities of deeply discounted merchandise.

I am, however, a big fan of Cyber Monday.  And do almost all of my Christmas Shopping from the comfort of my computer.  This year, I and a few fellow authors, decided to to provide a bunch of books at holiday savings. So, what better time to let you know about this then...Cyber Monday!

I should note that since all of these authors are selling direct from their website, this is the way you can make sure they receive the highest income from their books. You see we're cutting one of the many organizations out of the chain - namely the retailer and distributors, and that means more of your hard earned dollars goes to the people who worked hard to produce the work in the first place.

So, what's for sale?  Let's take a look:
  • Brad Beaulieu - The Lays of Anuskaya and 12 Kings in Sharakhai
  • Brian McClellan - The Powder Mage novels and novellas.
  • Jason Hough - The Dire Earth Trilogy and Zero World.
  • Michael J Sullivan - The Riyria Revelations, Riyria Chronicles,  and Hollow World and t-shirts and coffee cups
  • Wesley Chu - The Tao Trilogy and Timesalvager (with coupon code "DABLIGHTDAY")
The savings are set by each author, so they vary from site to site. All of my items are at a 15% and some come with free shipping. I even have some LIMITED EDITION copies of The Death of Dulgath which is releasing in print in just a few days.

So, if you've been thinking about starting any of the great series of these authors, click on their name and go to their sale site. You can get stuff for yourself and gifts for loved ones.  

Happy Cyber Monday!

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Authors Helping Authors: SFFWorld Anthology Kickstarter


I love sffworld: an amazing site for fans of fantasy and science fiction to talk about their favorite speculative fiction. For the last four years, they've been producing some mighty fine anthologies edited by N.E. White.

The way they create these anthologies is pretty interesting. Generally, they have a few "anchor stories" from established authors, and then hold a contest to pick some up-and-coming authors to shine a spotlight on. I was pleased to be an anchor author for the 2012 anthology and they are currently working on the 2015 version.  Here's a bit about the projects:
 
  • The End - Visions of Apocalypse - featuring Michael J. Sullivan and Hugh Howey
  • Lucky or Unlucky? Thirteen Stories of Fate - featuring Mark Lawrence
  • Wars to End All Wars - Alternate Tales from The Trenches - featuring Elizabeth Moon
  • Ecotones - Ecological Stories - featuring Tobias S. Buckell, Ken Liu, and Lauren Beukes 



  • This year, they are using Kickstarter to raise the funds for the anthology and they have just a few days left to raise another $142 to reach full funding.  

    If you want to check it out, just click here, on the Kickstarter logo, or the main picture. I backed it and I hope it gets the last 10% because I really want to read this stories.

    Friday, November 20, 2015

    Theft of Swords Paperback on Sale



    I'm not sure if any other sites are matching this price but I saw that Amazon US has the paperback version of Theft of Swords for sale at $8.989. That's 44% off, so a huge discount.  Just wanted to let people know. If you have a friend or family member who has been thinking about starting Revelations...or if you need to stock on Christmas gifts.  Now is a great time to do so. I don't think the sale will be going for long.

    Thursday, November 19, 2015

    Riyria is dominating the Top 100 Epic Fantasy Listens



    The Riyria stories are dominating the heck out of the Top 100 Epic Fantasy Listens on Audible right now.  Here's what we have:
    • # 14 - Professional Integrity (Free short story)
    • # 24 - The Jester (Free short story)
    • # 37 - Heir of Novron (Riyria Revelations #5 & #6)
    • # 38 - Rise of Empire (Riyria Revelations #3 & #4)
    • # 56 - The Death of Dulgath (Riyria Chronicles #3) - preorder releasing mid-December
    • # 59 - Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations #1 & #2)
    • # 78 - The Crown Tower (Riyria Chronicles #1)
    • #100- The Rose and the Thorn (Riyria Chronicles #2)
    That's all the Riyria novels and two out of three of the short stories. Pretty amazing.  It's all due to the narration by the amazing Tim Gerard Reynolds. Early this week I went up to Audible headquarters in Newark and hung out with Tim in SoHo for dinner and in studio while he started recording The Death of Dulgath. It was a lot of fun.  

    In other news.  The hardcovers are printed and I'm just waiting for them to be picked up and delivered.  The shipment weighs 15,000 lbs so obviously a pretty big truck is needed.  Also, for those who haven read Theft of Swords Amazon has the paperback on sale right now for $9 and change - that's 41% off the list price. At that amount I don't think it'll be on sale for long, so grab your copy while you can. 

    Tuesday, November 3, 2015

    2015 Goodreads Choice Awards Fantasy


    Well, it was a long shot...The Death of Dulgath has only been out for a few weeks, so it doesn't have nearly enough reviews to make the first round nominations  Still, I'm hopeful it can get a few write-in nominees so it might yet make the list.  I was thrilled that Hollow World got in last year through that process.  In any case, congratulations to the 15 first round nominees!


    For myself, I did a write-in for Twelve Kings by Bradley P. Beaulieu. This is the first book in a new series for Brad, and I really enjoyed it.  Here's a button for voting or adding your own write-in.


    And here is a list of the first 15 nominees:

    Title
    Author
     Rating 
     Reviews/Ratings 
    Aeronauts Windlass
    Jim Butcher
    4.28
    4,651
    Autumn Republic, The
    Brian McClellan
    4.35
    6,074
    Boundary Crossed
    Melissa F. Olson
    4.01
    4,426
     Darker Shade of Magic, A  
    V.E. Schwab
    4.05
    16,067
    Dead Heat
    Patricia Briggs
    4.25
    12,219
    Fifth Season, The
    N.K. Jemisin
    4.40
    1,863
    Fool's Quest
    Robin Hobb
    4.57
    5,452
    Liar's Key, the
    Mark Lawrence
    4.36
    2,936
    Magic Shifts
    Ilona Andrews
    4.51
    9,655
    Recurve
    Shannon Mayer
    3.98
    2,477
    Shadows of Self
    Brandon Sanderson  
    4.39
    4,711
    Skull Throne
    Peter V. Brett
    4.10
    9,695
    Trigger Warning
    Neil Gaiman
    3.95
    15,696
    ision in Silver
    Anne Bishop
    4.30
    9,773
    Yield the Night
    Annette Marie
    4.45
    1,928


    Monday, November 2, 2015

    Unbound: Tales by Masters of Fantasy


    I'm honored to have a short story included in the latest anthology by Grim Oak Press (edited by the amazing Shawn Speakman).  The subtitle of book is "Tales by the Masters of Fantasy" and while I won't presume to put myself in that category, I'm glad that Shawn sees me fit for such inclusion.

    Like Unfettered, Shawn's previous anthology, this one has a pretty amazing line up.  Just how amazing?  Well take a look at the authors who have stories in this book: Joe Abercrombie,  Terry Brooks, Kristen Britain, Jim Butcher,  Rachel Caine, Harry Connolly, Delilah Dawson, David Anthony Durham, Jason M. Hough, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mark Lawrence, John Marco, Tim Marquitz, Brian McClellan, Seanan McGuire, Peter Orullian, Kat Richardson, Anthony Ryan, Shawn Speakman, Brian Staveley, Michael J. Sullivan, Sam Sykes, and Mazarkis Williams

    Also like Unfettered, the writers were able to explore whatever theme or story idea they thought would make a good story.  A nice way to compile an anthology (in my opinion). As for myself, my entry has nothing to do with either Riyria or The First Empire. It's a completely standalone story that combines my love of computer games and some existential musings. It's called "The Game" and here's what I wrote in the way of an introduction for the piece.
    I admit it, I’m a long-time gaming geek. When I started back in 1984, I played on a Compaq DeskPro outfitted with an 8 MHz 8086 CPU and an awesome monochrome display adapter. I said I was a geek, remember? During the golden age of computer gam- ing, otherwise known as the 1990s, each month brought quantum innovations, spurring a host of inventive game designs. For me, the pinnacle was reached with the invention of the MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role-playing game), and my wife and I became lost in the world of EverQuest from 1999 to 2001. 
    In the land of Norrath, we made many friends as we rose from a pair of pathetic magic users to guild legends, and I saw how the lines blurred between reality and the virtual world. People speak of how computer games are a waste of time. But a great many good things grew out of those days. One of them was a fertile seed of an idea that I pondered well over a decade ago . . . and still do. This story is the result.
    And to give you a taste, here is the first page, courtesy Shawn Speakman at Grim Oak Press.


     I hope you are interested, and if you would like to pre-order a copy of Unbound, you can do so from Grim Oak Press.



    Monday, October 26, 2015

    Penguin Random House Coffee Klutch - better late than never




    Okay, really late in getting this post out...sorry for the delay. I've been busy doing the last changes to Age of Myth before it goes to production (copy editing) and this, along with printer proofs for The Death of Dulgath has kept me and Robin busy.  I actually wrote this right after returning form New York, but I wanted Robin to look it over so I didn't embarrass myself. In any case...here goes.

    A few weekends ago I got to pretend to be an author. I know. I know. You're probably thinking that I AM an author. Still, it rarely feels like it...for the most part I live in an isolated bubble. I don’t see people beyond my family and a handful of folks at my local pub and coffee shop who know me well enough not to look up at my arrival. This is partially why I have problems with the idea that I am an author, rather than a guy who wrote some books. Probably a good thing.

    Okay, so about the event...whenever she is visiting, Robin Hobb has a habit of going to public places and telling her fans to come invade a local restaurant or coffee house to see her. While in New York last year, instead of bringing the local Denny’s to a standstill, her publisher, Random House (Del Rey), hosted the meet-and-greet in their offices. They did the same this year with two distinct differences: I was there and Robin Hobb was not.

    Wasn’t just me, there were a lot of authors in attendance including: Bradley P. Beaulieu, C.A. Higgins, Alan Smale, Terry Brooks, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Shawn Speakman, Myke Cole, Sylvain Neuvel, Alis Franklin, Naomi Novik, Erin Tettensor, Melissa Grey, Daniel Jose Older, Judd Winick, Susan Griffith, and Bill Schweigart were there too. We all came to see each other, readers, and to give away books provided by our publishers (very nice of them.) What it meant is that for forty-eight hours I was able to step into a Nora Ephron movie. I wandered Manhattan in the fall with an over-sized scarf and talked about the book business. Just to psyche ourselves, Robin and I watched You’ve Got Mail the day before and were whistling the Puppy Song as we arrived in Manhattan.



    I’m pretty sure Nora Ephron’s vision of New York does not include a cramped five hour bus ride through Philly and Jersey. Usually we like to take the train from DC to Midtown, which is significantly shorter and far more comfortable, but the bus has the advantage of being within walking distance to our house, and a lot cheaper on short notice—which this was.

     The weather was gorgeous. I was wearing my author uniform of sports jacket, sweater, jeans, cap, and afore mentioned enormous scarf that was wholly unnecessary. We carried all our luggage in a small courier bag. I never pack heavy or wear fancy shoes when going to Manhattan because we walk everywhere. My wife has a Fitbit.

    We ate at a pleasant French Bistro, then hiked to our hotel. Nice one. Robin booked it. After checking out the Apple Glass Cube just down the street, and the creepy storefront windows of Bergdorf Goodman (they’re doing a Crimson Peak theme), we collapsed in our room. Rumor has it we logged just shy of 10,000 steps.



    Next day we ate breakfast at a little packed diner where I watched the people passing on the street thinking about stories set in an urban jungle. Something about New York has that effect. Probably the fact that so many movies depict it and get it right. Walking down any street I see people doing things like hauling a luggage rack along the sidewalk, or walking five dogs while smoking and drinking a latte, or a woman in a stunning black and white 1940’s dress with red lipstick leaning seductively against a building, or a doorman in an old-fashioned uniform and think, This is staged, right? It’s hard not to dream up characters and tales, but it is like drinking from a fire hose. It becomes a blur.

    After breakfast, which like everything in New York is fast and efficient and all business, we hoofed our way to Random House. The day got warm—mid-seventies in mid-October—and I started to sweat. Great, I’ll smell like I just came from the gym. Not that I belong to a gym, but I can imagine—I’m a fantasy author after all. The good news is that my coffee breath will likely overwhelm the body odor.

    Random House is lodged in the first fourteen floors of a giant glass building. In a stark lobby that could have been the setting from a Ayn Rand story if she had written 2001 Space Odyssey. They have glass cases of significant books they’ve published up on the walls well out of the reach of mortals. My favorite was Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer.

     

    Security at all buildings in Manhattan is strangulation tight, and always leaves you feeling that publishing books is just a front for something else. I’m positive that if you push the lowest button on the elevator it will take you to MIB headquarters. Alas, I wasn’t allowed near the elevator panel, so we’ll never know for sure.

    Tom, my editor’s assistant, came down to rescue Robin and I from the barren bench in the lobby and provide escort. I thought of calling him Strider, but figured that was too geeky. I soon realized such a thing was impossible. One does not simply walking into Del Rey. One needs to have credentials to work there. Now you might think that would entail diplomas and signed letters of recommendation, and I’m certain they have those too, but first and foremost, their geeks. They have to be. They read fantasy books all day and have life size cut-outs of George Martin in their cubicles. That’s right…Del Rey is geek heaven.

    After meeting and chatting with my editor, Trisha Nawani, who works beneath a threat-of-death-by-fantasy-book-avalanche shelf (seriously, I hope you have literary insurance and a hard hat). She alone in Del Rey has an iMac, which made me smile and think she might be the queen of the Del Rey Geek Realm. When I found out she was deeply into Magic the Gathering, I began looking for her crown.

    Then Trisha led Robin and I to the event, a large room where the other authors had begun to gather. Right now you’re imagining a dark room with no descernable walls and a blue light coming up from the illuminated floor casting everyone’s face in sinister shadows like the judges at the start of the Christopher Reeve version of Superman. We’re all in cloaks, most with hoods up, except Shawn who looks cooler without it. Sorry to say that you’re imagination—or rather mine—is a tiny bit off. We were in a well lit event space not unlike a high end hotel conference hall, except with books. Books on shelves, book on tables, some were mine. Smile.

    The first author I ran into was a wild, bearded man who gave me a bear hug. The rest of you might know him as Myke Cole. If you’re wondering if you’ve ever met Myke—you haven’t. No one forgets Myke Cole. He’s a cross between Hemingway and Peter Jackson’s stand in for Gimli. He’s the one in the pictures below with the Fahrenheit 451 T-shirt, and the bicep with the tattoo that is big enough to write a novel on. I already knew Myke, but the next author I’d never met and was anxious to as I’d read her most recent book—Uprooted—a few months ago and loved it. I’m certain Naomi Novik had no idea who I was. I’m pretty sure she still doesn’t.



    The clock struck 11:00am and the doors were opened. I didn’t know this at first as I was talking to Shawn Spearman (who I know very well in the Narnia-quese world of inter-webs, but have never met in real life). But when I spotted someone with a copy of Theft of Swords, I got clued into the start of the event and I walked to a table to sign it. By the time I did a line had formed at my table. Some brought bags carrying books of mine.



    One fellow had a complete set of my original self-published works. Another fellow who goes by the name Kevin, presented me with a Fritz Leiber book as my Riyria novels have often been compared to them, but I am famous for never having read anything by Mr. Leiber.

    Orbit sent over a stack of Rise of Empire as my addition to the Robin Hobb Coffee Klutch. (I’m still calling it that even though she wasn’t there.) In the midst of all this I spotted a familiar face over my shoulder. Tim Gerard Reynolds, the voice of my audiobooks had taken time from his ever busy schedule to say hello.

     

    The man is now an ‘A-lister’ in the audiobook world, and still remembers my name. Squee! I never get enough time to speak to this man who gave voice to Royce and Hadrian, and once again he was gone before I could say much. He had places to go and I had people to meet.

    Robin got her own celebrity moment when a pair of women approached her. They wanted to thank her for all her hard work on the Kickstarter (that they just loved) and for pushing me to write more Riyria stories. The three of them spent more than half an hour swapping favorite "Riyria stories" and Robin dished with them about some behind the scenes stuff.

    As things wound down I met Terry Brooks when Shawn told me to stand next to him (or at least his wife) for this photo.

     

    He explained how he had outlived everyone at his publisher. I replied that he shouldn’t let that get him down, and that if he kept at it I was certain one day he’d make a go of this ‘writing thing.’



    After the event my editor treated us to lunch. It was there that  I learned about Tom’s computer game and movie addiction and Trisha’s affection for Magic the Gathering. So there you have it, publishers are in fact human, and oddly normal people with ordinary lives. Sort of. Well, as ordinary as people can be who have a life size cut-out of George Martin in their offices.

    By the time we got back to the Port Authority bus station, we’d walked 12,984 steps. I had a beer at the bar beside the bus station and discussed the Mets with a fan on the bar stool next to me. Born a Tigers fan, I adopted the Nationals when they were born right about the time I moved to DC. That had to be a sign or something. But as Hadrian says, ‘Your enemy is only your enemy until he hits the ground’—or in this case, you do.

    A long five hours later we were home. The dream was over, and once again I was just a guy who wrote some books, in a townhouse that needs cleaning. Then I saw the boxes.

    The Death of Dulgath proofs were back! But that’s another story.

    Sunday, October 25, 2015

    Authors Helping Publishers: Kickstarter Card Game

    I really like the guys & gals over at Ragnarok Publications.  They released my short story "Professional Integrity" in the Blackguards Anthology they Kickstarted last August, and they produced a beautiful book with stories from almost two dozen amazing authors.

    Now, they're running a Kickstarter to produce a card game dreamed up by fellow fantasy author Mark Lawrence (author of The Broken Empire Series and The Red Queen's War). It looks like a lot of fun.




    I backed as soon as I heard about it, and they are already 100% funded. But more funding means more perks through stretch goals.  They've even asked me to pen a few snarky quotes for the game, so there's that to look forward to. In any case, check it out and if looks like something you think you'd enjoy why not back it as well?  Click on the graphic below (or this link) to learn more.




    Sunday, October 18, 2015

    Authors Helping Musicians: Mama Dragon


    Got a really nice email today from someone who wanted to let me know how much they enjoyed The Death of Dulgath. At the bottom of it was their signature which had a link to this YouTube. I'm not sure if the person who wrote the email, and the one who created this song (and video) are the same, but I thought it was cute and decided to share it. Enjoy!

    Saturday, October 17, 2015

    Authors Helping Authors: Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Book 5


    I've known Pip and Tee for a while now. They are talented writers and incredibly hardworking. They also have a heck of a fun steampunk series featuring Agents Books and Braun.  Think of it as a witty version of Avengers in a steampunk world.



    The books have been published by Harper Voyager (first 2 books) and Ace (second 2 books) and now the fifth book, The Ghost Rebellion, will be self-published with help from...


    The books have won a number of awards including:
    • 2014 Best Steampunk from RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award
    • 2012 Steampunk Chronicle Readers' Choice for Best Literature
    • 2011 Airship Award for Best Steampunk Literature
    So, check it out (click on the video or the Kickstarter logo above to go straight to the project), and if it looks interesting to you, please join me in backing this incredibly exciting project.


    Thursday, October 15, 2015

    Release Day: The Death of Dulgath (ebook edition)




    It's been a whirlwind, to be sure. But the ebook version of the next Royce and Hadrian adventure is now live! You can find copies at the following places:


    As for the print copies, the files have been sent to the printer and we are waiting on the proofs to roll the presses, so it shouldn't be too much longer on that front.  As for the audio, Tim Gerard Reynolds had to make a hole in his recording schedule (can't NOT have him) and that will be sometime between middle November and Thanksgiving.  Right now it is scheduled to come out December 15th and preorders have been going well.

    The Kickstarter and Beta readers got their copies a few days ago, and so far the response has been quite positive.  I hope you'll check it out.

    Oh, and if you haven't read the other two Riyria Chronicles, you can pick this one up independent of them. It's written as a standalone book, so don't let that hold you back.

    Sunday, October 4, 2015

    Can't Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2016

    One of the really cool things about goodreads is it's ability to create lists. The bad side of this is they are often not accurate ;-(. The Can't Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2016 list has (at the time of this writing), been voted on by 423 people. Currently it contains 129 books - but as you'll see some of the most highly anticipated won't be coming out in 2016. Here's what I know about the top 10.
    1. Patrick Rothfuss: - doubtful for 2016. Patrick is no longer saying much about books until they are "close" to release and given how much post-production work is involved I doubt we'll see this in 2016.
    2. George R.R. Martin: - rumor has it that George is trying to be more concentrated on writing since the series is getting a head the books. I'm not sure this will make 2016.  I think 2017 is more likely, time will tell.
    3. Brandon Sanderson: - only at 21% complete at the moment, but Brandon does write quickly. He's said that if he can get the first draft done by March November 2016 is possible. I think it will probably slip into 2017, but we'll know more by April 1.
    4. Scott Lynch:   - This was originally targeted for 2015 and so I think the the chances for 2016 are pretty good. Scott, has been notorious for missing deadlines in the past, he suffers from bouts of depression that effects his ability to write, but I think in general he's been better on that front in recent years.
    5. Brandon Sanderson: - pretty much a done deal, the release date is early int he year, pre-orders are live, and the manuscript is 100% through the final draft. This will hit 2016.
    6. Mark Lawrence: - I'm sure this will hit 2016. Mark tends to write ahead of schedule on his books and has a good track record of on-time releases. 
    7. Michael J. Sullian: - No question this will come out in 2016. My editor received the book in April 2015 and it's already been through structural editing with not much in the way of changes required. 
    8. Brandon Sanderson: - Again I think this is a pretty "done deal" for 2016. 100% through the rough draft so it should be good to go.
    9. Robin Hobb:  - A mid-year release from an author with a good track record for on-time delivery - I think this will hit on schedule.
    10. Brent Weeks:  - No pre-order page on Amazon and no listing in Nielsen's Bookscan, which surprises me. Brent tends to do books on a 2-year schedule so I do think he'll hit 2016.  Also, initial chapters are already circulating and so this bodes well so I give it a 90% chance of hitting 2016.
    Okay, so that's the list I'll summarize my "guesses about release here."
    • Unlikely: Doors of Stone & Winds of Winter
    • Potential Risk: Oathbringer & Thorn of Emberlain
    • High Probability: Assassin's Fate, The Blood Mirror
    • Sure things: Bands of Mourning, The Wheel of Osheim, Age of Myth, Calamity