First Look at The Gypsy Morph!
Aidan over at A Dribble of Ink has flagged the first chapter of Terry Brooks’ The Gypsy Morph, available this September from Orbit. You can see the full post here or head straight over to Terry’s site here.
Calling all Facebookers: Win a copy of Brian Ruckley’s new novel ‘Bloodheir’
Want to win a signed, personalised, hardback copy of Bloodheir [UK/US], Brian Ruckley‘s brand new novel of The Godless World? Of course you do. Here’s how:
Every Friday lunchtime between now and the end of June (so that’s the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th) we’ll be randomly selecting one fully signed-up Fan of Brian’s ‘Winterbirth’ Facebook page to receive a hardback copy of Bloodheir. What’s more, Brian has very kindly agreed to sign and personalise the book as per the wishes of the lucky winners.
To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is head over to the Winterbirth page on Facebook and click the ‘Become a Fan’ link, (as well as performing all the necessary confirmations etc.), which means that the sooner you sign up as a Fan, the more chances you have of winning a copy of the book. And if you’re signed up as a Fan already then you’ll automatically be entered into the draws throughout June, which gives you four chances of winning…
The only exceptions to the general rule-of-thumb detailed above are employees of Orbit (or its parent companies, Little, Brown and the Hachette Book Group) who can darn well buy their own copy, or anyone who wins a copy of the book during the competition; they won’t then be eligible for future rounds, which we think is fair enough and gives everyone else a better chance of winning. And yes, you do have to be a Facebook member to participate in this one, otherwise you won’t be able to sign up as a Fan.
So, what are you waiting for? Head on over and declare your Winterbirth / Bloodheir / Brian Ruckley Fan-hood! The first draw takes place on Friday…
Orbit Links for May 30 2008
Our weekly round-up of links of interest featuring Orbit authors that we’ve found (or have been pointed in the direction of) out there on T’Internet:
- Gav over at Next Read has put Glenda Larke’s Song of the Shiver Barrens and Marie Brennan’s Midnight Never Come (UK/US) on his selected releases for May.
- There’s a fantastic interview with Charlie Huston, author of the Joe Pitt series, who’s on the spot over at Fantasy Book Spot. They also have an extract from Already Dead, the first in the series, which you can read here.
- Neth Space takes an interesting look at book buying and what makes us buy books and where, something that we’re unsurprisingly curious about. . .
- Jennifer Rardin interviewed Lilith Saintcrow…
- …and Fantasy Debut interviewed Jennifer Rardin.
- Robert Buettner describes the long road from finishing a book to publishing a book.
- Over at A Dribble of Ink, Aidan’s excited about the newly released prologue from Brian Ruckley’s Bloodheir which you can read here and listen to here.
- Jo Graham is writing a “commentary track” for her novel Black Ships.
- And finally, for some Friday flash fun check out Duel Mail, a free online game based on the work of author Andrzej Sapkowski
If you see any online articles, reviews or interviews that feature an Orbit author, please feel free to drop us a line and let us know!
BEA Schwag!
If you’re going to BEA in Los Angeles, stop by the Orbit booth (number 1720) to pick up advance reading copies of Orcs by Stan Nicholls, and The Company, by K.J. Parker. And be sure to drop off a business card to sign up for our new bookseller enewsletter.
Jennifer Rardin Interview at Fantasy Debut
Jennifer Rardin, author of the Jaz Parks series, is over at Fantasy Debut talking about life, writing and camel tipping (seriously). You can read the whole interview here and check out Jennifer’s latest Jaz Parks novel, Biting the Bullet (UK/US), in stores now.
Bloodheir: News and Reviews!
Over at Grasping for Wind, there’s a great review of Brian Ruckley’s Bloodheir (UK/US), including this fantastic bit on how Brian avoids ‘Middle Book Syndrome’:
Often, the second book in a trilogy is accused of something called “Middle Book Syndrome”. The idea is that the second book in most trilogies is mostly filler and very little plot movement really happens. And often it is true. But if anyone accuses Brian Ruckley’s second book in The Godless World trilogy, Bloodheir of suffering from middle book syndrome, I’m afraid I will have to scoff in his face. Read the rest
You can find Bloodheir in all good bookstores this June or win a copy over at Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review now. You can also listen to Brian read from Bloodheir here.
Update: The Book Swede is running a contest for his ARC of Bloodheir. You can enter here.
Lilith Saintcrow chats with Jennifer Rardin
Lilith Saintcrow visits Jennifer Rardin’s blog to talk about her upcoming urban fantasy series, Night Shift.
To be honest I never knew I was writing urban fantasy until my agent told me so. I was just writing this thing I liked–ordinary fantasy didn’t have enough guns OR fast cars, and I’m a big fan of morally and ethically ambiguous heroes and characters. (It’s the noir I read/watched at a very tender age. Scarred me for life.)
Visit jenniferrardin.com for more.
If You’re Going to Wiscon…
If you’re going to Wiscon, look out for Orbit author Pamela Freeman. She’ll be there talking about her new book, Blood Ties, and reading from her academic work (If you get a chance to chat, be sure to ask her about her thoughts on science in fantasy fiction.)
Pamela’s Wiscon Schedule (check the site for up-to-date details.)
Saturday, 10:00-11:15 A.M: Reading from Blood Ties.
Sunday, 11:30 P.M. to 12:45 A.M. Imagination as Resistance, panel.
Monday, 10:00-11:15 A.M: Kings. What a Good Idea: Monarchy in Epic Fantasy Fiction.
Competition: win a copy of Lilith Saintcrow’s ‘Night Shift’
Another online competition for you folks to enter – we know you love your competitions – this time with a rather interesting twist; one that Lilith Saintcrow fans will love, and that might just require the use of your best thinking caps…
Over at My Favourite Books, blogger Liz has set a Dante Valentine-themed crossword puzzle. Five successful puzzle solvers will win a copy of Lilith Saintcrow‘s new novel, Night Shift [UK / US], the first in a new series starring demon slayer Jill Kismet, which we’ll be publishing in the US and UK in July.
Hmmm. Eight letters, “devilishly tricky”? That would make it ‘fiendish’, then…
Orbit Links for May 23 2008
Another weekly round-up of links of interest featuring Orbit authors that we’ve found (or have been pointed in the direction of) out there on T’Internet:
- The sad news that Robert Asprin has passed away has come as a shock to everyone here at Orbit.
- Marie Brennan has been visiting the UK recently, and blogged a diary of her travels and adventures – everything from navigating London to meeting the Orbit crew, to living off supermarket microwave dinners – in eight installments, starting here.
- Michael Cobley (whose Orbit debut will be appearing early in 2009) was extremely impressed with Ian McDonald’s Brasyl.
- Laurell K Hamilton will be on the radio next week, as a guest of The John Carney Show and KMOX AM Radio.
- Charlie Huston is on the spot over at Fantasy Book Spot. He’s also posted a piece of micro-fiction on his own blog: ‘Pachuco Dave wants to dance’, as well as the maps for his next Joe Pitt novel, Every Last Drop.
- Glenda Larke was impressed with a Deathray magazine review of The Shadow of Tyr.
- Ken MacLeod is pleased to report that his story ‘The Vorkuta Event’ is appearing in new Cthulu / Singularity themed short fiction anthology The Cthulian Singularity.
- Lilith Saintcrow is offering her US-based readers a chance to win an ARC of her new novel, Night Shift.
If you see any online articles, reviews or interviews that feature an Orbit author, please feel free to drop us a line and let us know!