Watching ATLA, Cold Fire the First Chapter, & Comfort Food

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Later this week, I will begin a series of posts in which I describe my reactions to watching Avatar: The Last Airbender (the animated series). I haven’t seen the series before, my children were in high school when it came out, and we didn’t have cable anyway, so Nickelodeon was inaccessible to us at the time regardless. My goal is to post once a week, late on Wednesday night my time, and I hope interested parties will join in a discussion. I was put up to this by a person on Twitter. He knows who he is.

The first post will cover episodes 1 and 2, since together they comprise a single introductory story. Join me!

 

Orbit Books has posted the first chapter of COLD FIRE and you can find it HERE.

 

I’ve contacted the winners of the Cold Fire giveaway but I won’t announce until I’ve heard back from all of them.

I really want to thank everyone who entered, because I have to say that reading your descriptions of comfort food was some of the best reading I’ve done this year. Also, it made me hungry and contented at the same time, no small feat.

Of course no discussion of comfort food is complete without a photo, this one courtesy of Melanie Ujimori.

The Queen Lili’uokalani Race & our koa canoe, Kupa’a

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The outrigger canoe race held in honor of the birthday of Queen Lili’uokalani runs on Labor Day Weekend. This year was the 40th Queen’s race and had a record number of entrants: 137 women’s crews and 142 men’s crews. 40% of the entering crews were international crews, from places as far afield as Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Japan, and the UK.

Here is the beach before the start, with a very few of the six-seat canoes rigged and ready to go. Note the difference between the koa (wood) canoes and the colorful (fiberglass) canoes.

There are actually three days worth of various races, but the main race is on Saturday. To quote the Honolulu Star-Advertiser article (which I can’t link to because it is behind a firewall):

The main race goes between two historic landmarks: Kamakahonu Bay, King Kamehameha’s capital for Hawaii in 1812-1819; and Pu’uhonua O Honaunau Natural Park, 18 miles away. Six-man crews may either paddle the race “iron” with six paddlers for the entire distance, or nine paddlers, who change out form an accompanying escort boat.

As an aside, if you ever visit the Big Island, I strongly recommend you visit Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Park (aka The Place of Refuge), because it is stunningly beautiful, historically significant, and with enough information to give the visitor a basic sense of what it is and why it matters in Hawaiian history and indeed in the history of humankind.

Na wahine o Manu o Ke Kai (the women of the canoe club Manu o Ke Kai) took two nine-paddler (change)  crews, one Masters 40 (all paddlers over 40) and one Senior Masters 50 (all paddlers over 50). Our Masters 40 crew won their division; we came in third in ours. Two Manu men’s crews, Open and Grand Masters (over 60) also participated as “iron”- Our Men’s Open crew had a phenomenal finish, coming in 10th overall out of 142 men’s crews. Also, most crews in this race go iron. We go changes because we just like the water too much; the water off the Kona coast is clear, warm, and lovely.

This is not a hard race if you’re doing changes. The water (waves, currents, winds) is not usually challenging, the distance is not long compared to most races with changes (like the Molokai’i-Oahu race, at 42 miles), and the weather is usually cooperative.

What made it particularly special for our crew this year was our opportunity to paddle the race in a koa canoe. Again, I’ll quote from the Star-Advertiser article:

The race has a high number of traditional koa canoes attending, because the generally calm waters of the Kona Coast are safe for the prized treasures.

Here is Kupa’a (strength, steadfast), in the water during the race with Karen, Gloria, Yolie, Jane, Julie, and Faith (Cindy, Manu, & I are in the escort boat). [Hmm: our timing is a little off, that happens sometimes, but usually we’re totally in sync.]

Most canoes these days are made of fiberglass. They’re “light” (350-400 pounds) and have a certain way of gliding on the waves. Koa canoes are different; you have to stroke them differently (our race coach said, “You have to caress her to get her going.”)

Here is a view of Kupa’a before the race, before she went in the water. You can see the beautiful grain and the personality of the canoe. This photo is taken from the front of the canoe.

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!

Continue reading →

Seeing New Covers Never Gets Old (Crown of Stars in Poland)

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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.

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.

Between a rock and a hard place

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Thanks to all who entered the contest to win an early copy of COLD FIRE.

There were many fine guesses of where the photo in the header of this blog was taken. I can only wish I had been in Mongolia to take any photos, but alas I have not (yet) been there. I can dream!

I’ve emailed the two winners but until I hear back from them I’m not going to announce any names.

Here is the original uncropped photo from which the cropped version shown on the header was taken. I’m sure it is fairly obvious I am facing (relatively) east and taking the photo as the sun comes up. The photo was taken in mid July.

 

All of you who guessed England were correct (although there were a lot of very reasonable guesses based on the flat terrain and fog). As the sun continued to rise, one might have turned around, as I did, and seen this scene:

 

Yes, it’s Stonehenge.

My children and I had taken advantage of a program in which one can pay extra to enter the area very early in the morning before regular hours. Only a dozen people are allowed in at a time, and they are allowed to walk in among the stones.

I know Stonehenge is not physically large compared to its huge reputation as an iconic stone circle of great antiquity and spiritual, astronomical, and cultural significance. But I gotta say, all four of us were utterly blown away by the weight, if you will, of its presence.

 

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).