Super proud and excited to announce that Kate Elliott’s BLACK WOLVES won RT’s 2015 Reviewer’s Choice award for Epic Fantasy Novel!
This year’s RT Booklovers Convention took place in Las Vegas, NV from April 12-17, with over 200 workshops and other parties and events attended by authors, readers, bloggers, and reviewers. You can read more about the Awards Night and the RT Convention events at RT Book Review’s blog. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees alike!
Yes, 2015 was an exceptionally busy year for me. It’s not that I write quite that fast but that I had no fiction released in 2014 with the exception of The Courtship, a Spiritwalker-related short story posted on my blog. Due to scheduling, two novels, a short fiction collection, a novella, a short story, and several long non-fiction pieces appeared this past year. I also attended four conventions.
Here is the 2015 rundown of professional (money-making) pieces [and a quick comment about when the piece was actually produced]. I don’t list blog posts on my blog or as guest posts elsewhere although I wrote several I thought were pretty ace.
January:
A review of The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein appears in Cascadia Subduction Zone.
[I wrote this in 2014.]
February:
The Very Best of Kate Elliott, a short fiction collection by Tachyon Publications, is released to quite good reviews and with an exceptionally excellent Julie Dillon-illustrated cover.
[All the stories in this collection were written prior to 2014. The introduction was written in 2014.]
March:
An essay titled Writing Women Characters as Human Beings published at Tor.com.
[An ongoing project that went through multiple revisions, I finished this in 2015. I hope to finish a companion piece in 2016.]
April:
A reprint of my novelette “On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New” appears in Lightspeed Magazine (the story appeared for the first time in the short fiction collection). It is set in the Crossroads universe.
[This piece has been around some years but the final revisions were done in 2014.]
May:
I wrote the foreword for Speculative Fiction 2014: The Year’s Best Online Reviews, Essays and Commentary, edited by Renee Williams and Shaun Duke and published by The Book Smugglers Publishing.
[Written in 2014? I think? Or early 2015?]
Guest of Honor at SFeraKon in Croatia. I tell you this: The Croatians are THE BEST.
I’m already exhausted and we aren’t even halfway through the year.
July:
San Diego Comicon, panel and signings. BIG. REALLY BIG.
August:
My Young Adult debut novel, Court of Fives, is published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The audiobook (narrated by the wonderful George Dolenz) is published by Hachette Audio. Among other things, CoF was listed as one of NPR’s Best Books 2015.
[First draft written Winter 2012/13, revisions 2013 into early 2014]
Sasquan/Worldcon, in Spokane, Washington. Fun for me. Bad forest fires for the people in Eastern Washington.
October:
Guest of Honor at Sirens Conference together with Rae Carson and Yoon Ha Lee. Wow, this was grand. You should come in 2016.
This month I also turned in final revisions for Poisoned Blade, Court of Fives 2, scheduled for publication in August 2016. I wrote the first draft and completed three revision passes, all in 2015.
November:
And then, yes, volume one of a long-awaited (by me if by no one else!) new adult epic fantasy, Black Wolves, published by Orbit Books.
[First draft written 2013-2014, revisions 2014/early 2015]
Black Wolves has an audiobook narrated by the fabulous Richard Ferrone, and published by Recorded Books.
December:
The year rounds off with two final pieces of short fiction.
Night Flower is an ebook only novella, a prequel set in the Court of Fives world.
[Written and revised in 2015.]
The Beatriceid is a short fiction feminist retelling of the Aeneid, in verse, set in the Spiritwalker universe and published by The Book Smugglers.
[Written and revised in 2014.]
Whew. What was I thinking?
Tomorrow: 2016 Prospective & maybe a resolution or three.
In case you missed it, here’s a roundup of Kate Elliott’s recent online appearances:
Nov 5 – John Scalzi’s Whatever Blog Guest Post: The Big Idea
“Change always happens, but as Kate Elliott explains in this Big Idea for Black Wolves, the opening novel in a new fantasy trilogy, not all change happens at once.”
Nov. 13 – Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog Guest Post: 10 Fantasy Novels Whose Depictions of Women Did Not Make Me Smash Things
“Long ago, in a galaxy far far away, […] it [was] almost impossible to find fantasy novels that gave me a fresh, provocative, innovative landscape without simply replicating the same dull and retrograde roles for women. Fortunately these days it’s new world dawning and I, for one, am thrilled.”
Nov 20 – Fangirl Happy Hour Ep. 27: “That Darn Internet”
“This week on Fangirl Happy Hour, Renay and Ana welcome Kate Elliott back to the show to discuss H.P. Lovecraft, the World Fantasy Award, fandom, rec the best pigeon dating game you will ever play, and answer some listener questions.”
Nov. 23 – Tor. Com’s Rocket Talk Ep. 69: Kate Elliott & Emma Newman
“This week’s episode features fantasy and science fiction authors Kate Elliott and Emma Newman on their recent novels, what it’s like to write aged characters and what kinds of resistance exists in society to hearing those stories. They also discuss the rarity of anxiety disorders in fiction.”
Dec. 2 – Lady Business Guest Post: The Call to Adventure
“Kate Elliott shares the old opening to her new novel, Black Wolves, which came out November 3.”
E.P. Beaumont Interview: The Muse of Research with Kate Elliott
“Kate Elliott took time from a very busy schedule of writing, revising, and promoting her work to grant this interview. As reader, I’m entertained; as writer, I’m taking notes.”
Happy reading!
More good news! Kate Elliott’s latest fantasy novel, Black Wolves, is now a finalist for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards for Best Epic Fantasy Novel!
Other honorable finalists in the Best Epic Fantasy Novel category include Cecilia Holland’s Dragon Heart, Erin Lindsey’s The Bloodforged, and Juliet Marillier’s Tower of Thorns. Congratulations to all the nominees in all of the categories!
PS – You can also read RT Book Reviews’ review of Black Wolves here.
Excited to announce that Kate Elliott’s Black Wolves has received a starred review from Library Journal:
“Elliott sketches in a delightfully complex landscape full of court intrigue, religious upheaval, culture clashes, and the mysterious demons who seem to be pulling many of the strings in play. . . . Elliott’s strong narrative will keep readers engaged.”
You can read more quotes, reviews, and more about the new epic fantasy at Kate Elliott’s main page. If you haven’t already, you can pick up your copy of Black Wolves at your local independent bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other online and bricks and mortar stores!
If you have any comments, questions, or requests for clarification you wish to address to me, or if you just wish to chat with me or other readers about Black Wolves, here is a space you can do so.
Get your copy of Kate Elliott’s BLACK WOLVES today! Set in the same world as her Crossroads trilogy, but the first of a stand-alone series, Black Wolves is available at your local independent bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other online and bricks and mortar stores!
DESCRIPTION:
An exiled captain returns to help the son of the king who died under his protection in this rich and multi-layered first book in an action-packed new series.
Twenty two years have passed since Kellas, once Captain of the legendary Black Wolves, lost his King and with him his honor. With the King murdered and the Black Wolves disbanded, Kellas lives as an exile far from the palace he once guarded with his life.
Until Marshal Dannarah, sister to the dead King, comes to him with a plea-rejoin the palace guard and save her nephew, King Jehosh, before he meets his father’s fate.
Combining the best of Shogun and Netflix’s Marco Polo, Black Wolves is an unmissable treat for epic fantasy lovers everywhere.
“Black Wolves is a sweeping tale of loyalty and betrayal, ambition and intrigue, impelled by the mysteries that lie at its heart.”―Jacqueline Carey, bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Kushiel’s Legacy series
“Intricate, fascinating worldbuilding, twisty political intrigue, vivid characters to love and hate — this is Kate Elliott at the top of her epic fantasy game.”―Karen Miller, author of The Tarnished Crown series and Rogue Agent series
“On a vast, colorful canvas, Kate Elliott has drawn dozens of characters who act and react with poetry and grit. Lush and textured, by turns moving, exciting, playful, and contemplative, Black Wolves is a masterpiece that soars with an epic soul.”―Ken Liu, Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy award-winning author of the Grace of Kings
“With this book, Kate Elliott has leveled up. It’s a formidable fantasy…exceptionally plotted and filled to bursting with the politics and drama that makes all of her work so memorable. If you’re seeking epic fantasy that remembers women exist—that they matter—Black Wolves is not to be missed.” –Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog
“This is a novel about politics. It’s politics all the way down. It’s about families of blood and families of choice, families of chance and family secrets and betrayals. It’s about heritage and inheritance in all senses. It’s also an argument about law, justice, and what happens on the edges of empire. It’s about consequences. All about consequences.” –Tor.com
You can now pre-order the first book in Kate Elliott’s new epic fantasy, BLACK WOLVES at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. (Official release date is 3 NOV. 2015 by Orbit US.)
DESCRIPTION:
An exiled captain returns to help the son of the king who died under his protection in this rich and multi-layered first book in an action-packed new series.
Twenty two years have passed since Kellas, once Captain of the legendary Black Wolves, lost his King and with him his honor. With the King murdered and the Black Wolves disbanded, Kellas lives as an exile far from the palace he once guarded with his life.
Until Marshal Dannarah, sister to the dead King, comes to him with a plea-rejoin the palace guard and save her nephew, King Jehosh, before he meets his father’s fate.
Combining the best of Shogun and Netflix’s Marco Polo, Black Wolves is an unmissable treat for epic fantasy lovers everywhere.
“Black Wolves is a sweeping tale of loyalty and betrayal, ambition and intrigue, impelled by the mysteries that lie at its heart.”―Jacqueline Carey, bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Kushiel’s Legacy series
“Intricate, fascinating worldbuilding, twisty political intrigue, vivid characters to love and hate — this is Kate Elliott at the top of her epic fantasy game.”―Karen Miller, author of The Tarnished Crown series and Rogue Agent series
“On a vast, colorful canvas, Kate Elliott has drawn dozens of characters who act and react with poetry and grit. Lush and textured, by turns moving, exciting, playful, and contemplative, Black Wolves is a masterpiece that soars with an epic soul.”―Ken Liu, Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy award-winning author of the Grace of Kings
I am giving away TWO copies of the ARC (Advance Reviewer Copy) of BLACK WOLVES. Official publication date in the US/Canada/UK/Australia/NZ is 3 November 2015. Rules below!
ABOUT BLACK WOLVES:
An exiled captain returns to help the son of the king who died under his protection in this rich and multi-layered first book in an action-packed new series.
Set in the same universe as the Crossroads Trilogy, Black Wolves begins a new, standalone trilogy in which two old people have to find and face the truth about their past, and three young people get caught up in the unexpected repercussions from a long-ago act of violence.
One early reader calls it: “a murder mystery at the heart of a political thriller wrapped up in an epic fantasy setting.”
Another likened the book to “Jane Austen’s Persuasion meets Dragon Age, played in family saga mode.”
3 November 2015
Orbit US, Hachette Book Group
“Sophisticated, multifaceted worldbuilding sparked by original flourishes, populated by characters we quickly come to care about and whose motivations drive intricate, absorbing conspiracies.” -Kirkus Review
“Black Wolves is a sweeping tale of loyalty and betrayal, ambition and intrigue, impelled by the mysteries that lie at its heart.”―Jacqueline Carey, bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Kushiel’s Legacy series
“Intricate, fascinating worldbuilding, twisty political intrigue, vivid characters to love and hate — this is Kate Elliott at the top of her epic fantasy game.”―Karen Miller, author of The Tarnished Crown series and Rogue Agent series
“On a vast, colorful canvas, Kate Elliott has drawn dozens of characters who act and react with poetry and grit. Lush and textured, by turns moving, exciting, playful, and contemplative, Black Wolves is a masterpiece that soars with an epic soul.”―Ken Liu, Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy award-winning author of the Grace of Kings
TO ENTER:
1. Leave a comment telling me about your favorite villain, either from one of my books or from another work of fiction (any medium).
2. PLEASE INCLUDE whether you are USA or International.
3. I will pick one USA and one International winner using a random number generator.
4. Giveaway ends 20 Sept., 10 PM Hawaii Time.
Good luck!
My story “On the Dying Winds of the Old Year, On the Birthing Winds of the New” appears in the April 2015 Lightspeed Magazine as part of the exclusive print/ebook content (as opposed to the free online content).
“On the Dying Winds of the Old Year, On the Birthing Winds of the New” stands alone, but will be of particular interest to people who have read the Crossroads Trilogy since it is written by the point of view of Mai, some years after the end of the trilogy.
You can find the Table of Contents and more information here.