Category Archives: Spiritwalker

The short story featuring Rory: Update

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Back when COLD MAGIC was a contestant in DABWAHA, an astonishingly fabulous book tournament held at the same time as March Madness (NCAA basketball tournament), I pledged in the second round (I believe) to write a short story about the character Rory should I win.

I won that round (and one or two others before my inevitable defeat to an opponent with a better inside game and stronger dribbling).

I did begin the story, since I knew when it had to take place. But revisions for COLD FIRE took precedence, and my natural disinclination to write short distracted me away, and then my continuing efforts with COLD STEEL made me feel that I must write COLD STEEL rather than work on anything else even if COLD STEEL was not going well.

I just never seem to learn that if one project is going poorly, it really is okay, and even makes sense, to work on something else just to keep the writing flow going.

Water under the bridge.

Yesterday when I mentioned on Twitter that it would likely be easier for me to finish the story if I had a hard deadline, N.K. Jemisin said she wanted the story tomorrow, which means today. Then my daughter solved the last niggling plot problem that remains.

I wrote 1000 words today to bring it up to 5000 words and have a precise outline of what happens in the rest of the story, which should run perhaps 2500 more words. My goal is to finish the first draft by Monday evening, although since I’m traveling that may be problematic. But that’s my goal. And I feel that I’m closing in. So if you actually want the story — which I hasten to assure you has no redeeming social value whatsoever — feel free to encourage me. Because I do not find short story writing easy or natural.

Cold Fire is now available in the USA

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Unexpectedly, I woke up this morning to find COLD FIRE shipping in the USA from Barnes & Noble and Amazon (the only two places I checked). That’s for the paper version. The lay-down date (date it was originally scheduled to be placed on shelves for sale) is Sept 26, and indeed the e-book versions will evidently not release until that date.

As for other bookstores, like the wonderful independent bookstores I love to give business to, I just don’t know, but you can call or visit and check.

This does preempt my once-generous offer to sign pre-release copies at the Sept 20 signing at Powells Bookstore (Cedar Hills branch) in Portland, Oregon, but life is full of these sorts of surprises. I mean, I’ll still lovingly sign mail-ordered copies at Powells and enclose a physical copy of the bonus chapter with each book ordered from there. And it is still the only place I’m doing a signing for Cold Fire (as of now, although I will be in San Diego for World Fantasy Convention at the end of October).

So I guess this is by default some manner of book release day.

I hope you guys enjoy the novel. I did a massive amount of revision on this novel, and as much research as I could manage, although I have to say that I literally could not have written the book it became without the help of Dr. Fragano Ledgister and Dr. Kurtis Nishimura (as well as my son Alexander and my other beta readers, the list of whom is too extensive to list here, but I love all you guys).

I have two favorite lines in the book, both of which only work in context, so I won’t quote them here except to say that one includes the word “cow” and the other includes the word “goose.”

Oh, hey, I’m going to add a link to one of my favorite lovely and generous songs and its beautiful video, Balance (by Sara Tavares). I would embed it here from YouTube if I knew how (haven’t done that yet), but meanwhile, the link leads to the fabulosity.

Balance by Sara Tavares

Cold Fire Giveaway: I had never in my life been too stunned to eat.

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My author’s copies of the UK/Aus/NZ edition of COLD FIRE arrived today. It’s visually a striking book, and I feel I can safely say that since I had nothing to do with the illustration or design (although I did help write the back cover copy).

In celebration I want to do another giveaway, this time for a  SIGNED copy of the book (it can be personalized if you so desire but doesn’t need to be).

The theme of this contest relates to the Cold Fire sentence I quote in the title of this post.

I had never in my life been too stunned to eat.

Cat spends a lot of COLD MAGIC thinking about food and wishing she had food and finding food to eat and relishing the food she does have to eat.

Food plays an important role in COLD FIRE as well, as the people who have read it already know. Yes, the photo below is of a papaya tree. You know why, and the rest of you (those who read the book) will find out.

Continue reading →

How to acquire a signed (by me!) copy of the US edition of COLD FIRE

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Because I live in an out of the way place, I do very few signings.

I plan to attend World Fantasy Convention in San Diego the last weekend of October (27 – 30) this year, but other than that (and any potential signing I might do in the area then) I am as of now only doing a single signing for the release of COLD FIRE.

Blake Charlton (SPELLBOUND) and I will be reading and signing at Powells Bookstore (the Cedar Hills/Beaverton branch) on September 20 at 7 pm.

Although the official release date for COLD FIRE is Sept 26, I have been assured by my publisher that there will be pre-release copies available at the signing.

If you want a signed copy of COLD FIRE but can’t make it to the signing, you can pre-order a signed copy at Powells via this link.

I should note that I have written a bonus chapter that fits within the storyline of COLD FIRE but which is not in the published book because it is not written from Cat’s point of view and because it contains more explicit sexual content than I normally write (fair warning).

Copies pre-ordered at Powells before the signing will receive, with the signed book, a copy of the bonus chapter (in the form of a very short pamphlet that can be tucked inside the pages of the book in the appropriate spot). If you order because of reading about it in this post, best to note that you would like (or do not want) the bonus chapter.

If you can make it to the signing, Blake and I would love to see you there.

And, yes, those of you who are actually paying attention will see this signing flagged at least 3 more times before Sept 20, so my apologies in advance.

Cold Fire (Spiritwalker 2)

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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!

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First review of COLD FIRE (Publishers Weekly)

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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.

Cold Fire: Giveaway

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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]

Trying to Write Non-Colonial Alternate-History in a Fantasy Context

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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).