Over at Cold Moon Violet Books, Cat and Andevai as My Little Pony fictional characters. You know you want to go look.
I had not until today realized the great gaping chasm in my life because of the lack of MLPonies versions of all my main characters.
To read my post on “The Big Idea” that led to Cold Fire, go to John Scalzi’s always excellent Whatever blog.
A brief excerpt:
You know how teenagers are: Always coming to their mom and saying, “MOM! We’re making up a world with our FRIENDS! Want to WORLD BUILD with us?”
Periodically I like to open up a post specifically to invite people to ask me questions. They can be about anything, really, although I don’t guarantee to answer a question if I absolutely don’t want to . . .
I tend to answer the questions each in a separate post (as I tend to be long-winded).
Questions about the books, about characters, about writing, about outrigger canoe paddling, and so on are all welcome.
If you ask a question which could be construed to have spoilers, go ahead and ask, just FLAG it please for those readers who might prefer to avoid spoilers, forex (doesn’t need to follow this exact pattern):
My question (with SPOILERS) is about something that happens in Cold Fire (etc).
Finally, I hope to post a short review of Sherwood Smith’s duology Coronets & Steel, and Blood Spirits, this week, as well as an (overdue) installment of my Avatar: The Last Airbender watch. Next up is episode 7, I think. And I am thinking of running a contest as well because I got a box of books in.
Today I wrote about 2700 words on COLD STEEL. Not much detail to report although I’m not quite to the scene I’m desperately scrabbling toward. I hate that bit where you keep writing toward a specific moment and yet can’t quite get there, while meanwhile knowing that you’ll be cutting and revising most of the words you’re slapping down. But I don’t mean to complain: It’s moving forward.
I also heard last week that the Orbit UK division is reprinting COLD FIRE, so thanks to all you lot in the UK, Australia, NZ, and other points where that edition is sold. You are awesome!
Some people have asked if there will be a fourth Spiritwalker book or other novels set in this universe, but that will naturally depend on sales. Sales depend, of course, on people wanting to read a book and knowing that the book is out there.
Speaking of which, there are a couple of new books out I want to enthusiastically mention.
Michelle Sagara’s CAST IN RUIN is out, the next in her Chronicles of Elantra series. I love how these books are both similar to and quite different from her Hunter’s Universe books (which is what I call them, since the sequence starts with HUNTER’S OATH).
David Anthony Durham completes his Acacia Trilogy with THE SACRED BAND, released today. This is a fine epic fantasy story with heft, depth, and powerful characterizations.
Not quite out yet but arriving at the end of the month is Madeleine Robins’ THE SLEEPING PARTNER, the next in her alternate Regency England mystery series featuring Sarah Tolerance. I gulped this down in three evenings while on the road. A really engaging style, a compelling plot, and I adore Miss Tolerance.
N.K. Jemisin’s KINGDOM OF GODS is evidently shipping now although not officially due until later in the month. I read this as a beta reader, and I just want to say that it is a provocative choice of point of view character, which she totally pulls off. Another final volume in a trilogy. I expect this to be on many awards ballots next year.
ETA: Another trilogy finale! On Oct 18, Laura Anne Gilman’s THE SHATTERED VINE closes up The Vineart War. I haven’t read book 3 yet, but this is an unusual and powerfully drawn world with lots of interest to say about power, faith, and — of course — wine.
It’s late, and I’m missing a couple of titles I wanted to mention, but I’ll catch up with them later. Or you can tell me about what you’re reading right now that’s caught your interest.
First, a question: How many of you subscribe to author (email or online) newsletters? Do you like them? Think they’re useful? Have other thoughts on them? If you’re a writer who has one, how is it working for you?
1) The bonus chapter for COLD FIRE is available on the Extras page on this site (on my WordPress site, for those reading this on livejournal).
2) I will be attending World Fantasy Convention in San Diego October 27 – 30 this year.
Additionally, I will be part of the Open House (signing) at Mysterious Galaxy Books (San Diego) on Wednesday 26 October from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. You do not have to be a member of the convention to attend. I will have paper-pamphlet copies of the bonus chapter at that event AND at WFC, which I am more than willing to sign and hand over to you.
IF you don’t live in the area or can’t attend, AND you want a signed copy of COLD FIRE (with the bonus chapter included) OR any of my other books, for that matter, I believe you can preorder such a thing through Mysterious Galaxy and they’ll have me sign it there.
Because I’ll be at WFC, I can sign books in the dealers’ room there as well, so you could theoretically contact Borderlands Books or Larry Smith, Bookseller with the same request. They both do mail order.
3) I am working on COLD STEEL. It’s been an extremely difficult book to write, but I am pressing forward in my stubborn way although not without a fair degree of whining to certain of my compatriots who are patient enough to listen.
4) I’m actually fairly close to being done with the Rory short story. Keep bugging me about it. That helps. Or at least it makes me feel even more guilty than I usually do. If I get a reading slot at WFC, I will consider debuting the story there.
Although I’m posting this on 31 August my time, in the parts of the world where it is already 1 September, it is official release day for Cold Fire (Spiritwalker 2). That means you, UK/Australia/NZ and other English language/bookstore areas served by the Orbit UK and Orbit Australia divisions.
Some friendly Australians have already emailed me to let me know they have seen it in stores there (and in a couple of cases have purchased it–what fine people they are, and they know who they are!)
IMPORTANT: There is a bonus chapter that takes place within the timeline of the book but which is not in the published version. I will post it online AFTER the USA/NA release (it contains spoilers). If you are in the UK/Aus/NZ/etc market and want to read this bonus chapter NOW, please email me at Kate.Elliott at sff.net.
Gosh, are you going to get sick of this cover, or what? I’ll post it again on 26 September, which is the official release date for the book in the USA/NA market.
I describe book 1, Cold Magic, as an Afro-Celtic post-Roman icepunk Regency fantasy adventure, with airships, Phoenician spies, the intelligent descendents of troodons, and a dash of steampunk.
I spent a while trying to figure out a similar description for book 2, which I posted some weeks ago, but all things considered, I think I’ll just go with this one:
Sharks! Kisses! Sword-fights!
I got a box in the mail.
In it I found copies of the new Zysk (Poland) translation of Child of Flame, titled Dziecko Plomienia (there’s a slash through the ‘l’ but I don’t know how to get those letters on WordPress yet). I’m not quite sure what the cover has to do with the book, but I quite like the colors and design, and I’m delighted at the slightly larger paperback (the original versions of the first three books were regular mass market size).
Zysk also reissued King’s Dragon — Krolewski Smok — with a new cover.
Here’s the old cover, from the 2000 edition. Admire its 70s cheesy glory. Yes, she is bare-breasted. And don’t even think about how she is managing to sit on the dragon with its spiky spine ridge.
The new cover fits the design of book four, and I think it is quite wonderful:
I’m hoping Zysk may be re-releasing #2 and #3 with the new design and images as well, because they will make a striking set if they do. Stay tuned.
NOTE: These don’t embiggen. I grabbed them off the internets.
I will endeavor not to bombard this blog with quotes from or links to reviews of COLD FIRE as they begin to appear (UK/Oz/NZ release is 1 Sept; US/NA release is Sept 26) .
However, it’s difficult not to get excited about the first review that appears in the wild, in this case, the forthcoming (Monday’s issue) Publishers Weekly.
I’m chuffed because the review (which can be found in its entirety here) mentions two things I am very glad to see highlighted:
The setting:
Elliott’s second Spiritwalker novel (after Cold Magic) explores a magical alternate Earth in all its intricate and colorful glory.
And the mix of action and emotion that characterizes this particular story:
Elliott skillfully blends intrigue and romance in this lively series about strong women caught among powerful and deadly forces.
Orbit UK has copies in the office of COLD FIRE (release date in the UK market is 1 September, while release date in the US/NA market is Sept. 26), and have generously offered to supply a copy for a giveaway. They’ve also sent me advance copies (which should be arriving any day now).
So with a new wordpress blog and a new release, it is time for a giveaway.
This one is easy to enter.
1) Anyone can enter internationally, no region restrictions.
2) One entry per person, please.
3) Just make your guess, in the comments below, of where the photo in the header was taken (I took it). Personally, I think you should just guess without checking to see what other people have already said, because
There will be two winners:
3a) One drawn randomly from all people who commented below.
3b) One drawn randomly from that subset of people who guessed correctly. If no one guesses correctly, I’ll simply do another random drawing from the entire set.
4) Comments will be open from NOW until Friday midnight HT (Hawaiian Time) 26 August.
Your COLD FIRE sentence of the day:
With a snarl of rage, Rory dropped the bags. In a blur of gold too bright to be fully seen, he melted from man into huge, deadly saber- toothed cat, and sprang at the . . . [cut for spoiler]
The Spiritwalker Trilogy (starting with COLD MAGIC) is my attempt to write “an Afro-Celtic post-Roman icepunk Regency fantasy adventure with airships, Phoenician spies, and the intelligent descendents of troodons.”
There’s a quite interesting discussion of colonialism and post colonialism (specifically with regard to fantasy and science fiction and her own work) in N.K. Jemisin’s post Considering Colonialism. In the comments, Jemisin mentions that she thinks Spiritwalker might be a non-colonial narrative.
I suspect it is difficult if not impossible to write non-colonial narratives in our colonial and post-colonial world when writing from the perspective of a culture that has done its share of colonizing. However, I believe the point is to examine other ways the world could be (and is, outside a certain narrow range of vision) and open a window onto them.
Here is the map for COLD FIRE, Spiritwalker #2 (click to embiggen)
Map drawn by Jeffrey Ward from an original by me (assisted by A’ndrea Messer).