Archive for Orbit UK

Orbit acquires three more novels from the author of THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST

Photo of Claire North, author of THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST and the Gameshouse novellasPlease see below for a press release which has just been sent out:

Orbit has acquired three new novels from Claire North, the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed novels THE FIFST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST and TOUCH. Senior Editor Anna Jackson acquired World rights from Meg Davis at the Ki Agency.

Claire North is a pseudonym for British author Catherine Webb. THE FIFST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST was her first novel published under the Claire North name, and was one of the fastest-selling new SFF titles of the last ten years. It is the tale of a man who lives his life over and over again with the knowledge of the previous lives he has lived, and was one of the few titles ever to be selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club, the Radio 2 Book Club and the Waterstones Book Club promotions. Her next novel TOUCH was published in 2015 to widespread critical acclaim and was described by the Independent as “little short of a masterpiece”.

Acquiring editor Anna Jackson said: “The reaction to THE FIFST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST was astounding, and it was truly a break-out point in Catherine’s career. We’re incredibly excited about her future too, starting with the release of three digital novellas this week entitled THE SERPENT  (UK|US|ANZ), THE THIEF (UK|US|ANZ) and THE MASTER (UK|US|ANZ), which can be read separately but also fit together to make a complete, intricately woven tale. The next Claire North novel to be released in print will be THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF HOPE in May 2016. And I’m delighted to have now acquired three further novels from Catherine, who is truly one of the most exciting and imaginative writers in modern fiction.”

Covers for the Gameshouse novellas The Serpent, The Thief and The Master by Claire North, author of thw First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

‘The Wheel of Time Companion is a Robert Jordan Fan’s Best Friend’

That quote was courtesy of Barnes and Noble’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog, taken from their glowing review of THE WHEEL OF TIME COMPANION. Naturally, we couldn’t agree more.

This book is the definitive guide to the Wheel of Time. Despite the length and breadth of the series (15 novels, over four million words – remember that for future pub quizzes) many more of Robert Jordan’s extraordinary imaginings didn’t make it on to the page. The rest were locked away in his personal files, where – in the manner of a dark lord –  they remained hidden for many years, waiting to be unleashed on the world.

Now, the full extent of Jordan’s stunning imagination has been revealed in THE WHEEL OF TIME COMPANION: over 800 pages featuring a wealth of new information about the characters and cultures of this global fantasy phenomenon.

So if you want to learn Asmodean’s strength level, the exact size of the city of Caemlyn, or over a thousand words of the Old Tongue, you’ll find all that and a lot more in this invaluable guide. For Wheel of Time fans, this really is unmissable reading.

THE WHEEL OF TIME COMPANION is released today, in hardback, trade format and ebook.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time!

 

Orbit to Publish Thriller about the Untimely Demise of a Social Media Star

Please see below for a press release which has just been sent out:

Orbit UK has acquired at auction two titles by Jason Arnopp, an author, script-writer and journalist who has previously written fiction for Doctor Who and Friday the 13th, comedy for Radio 4, and who has worked as a journalist for publications such as Heat, Q, The Word, Kerrang! and SFX. The main edition of the first book, entitled THE LAST DAYS OF JACK SPARKS (UK|ANZ) , will be released in July 2016.

THE LAST DAYS OF JACK SPARKS claims to be an account of the untimely demise of Jack Sparks – a controversial journalist and social media star who died during the course of researching his new book on the occult.

The majority of the book is said to be written by Jack Sparks himself – compiled from files found after his death – but it also includes interview transcripts, emails and additional material from those who came into contact with the journalist at the time of his passing.

Anna Jackson, Senior Editor at Orbit UK, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Oli Munson at A M Heath in an auction involving three other publishers.  Jackson says ‘I’m so excited to be working with Jason Arnopp on THE LAST DAYS OF JACK SPARKS – a chilling, addictive and razor-sharp tale about the downfall of a highly provocative figure in the world of social media. Whatever your thoughts about Jack Sparks himself, the world will be gripped to read about the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death. Whilst many questions will be answered, ultimately the reader will be invited to decide for themselves exactly what happened to Jack.’

Jason Arnopp comments: ‘I’m very pleased that the story of Jack’s final days will be revealed to the world, and I’m overwhelmed to see the reaction the book has had so far. It explores many questions about Jack’s life – why was he so convinced the exorcism he observed was fake? Who really created that terrifying video that appeared on his YouTube channel? This book will provide some answers. But I warn you now: this is a deeply unsettling read…’

For the release of THE LAST DAYS OF JACK SPARKS, a campaign is starting this Halloween, intended to raise questions over the truth behind the life and death of the notorious Jack Sparks.  Find out more at www.JackSparks.co.uk

Cover launch: ZERO-G by Rob Boffard

We’re very proud to present the cover for ZERO-G (UK | US | ANZ) by Rob Boffard. It’s a totally edge-of-your-seat thriller set in space, and it really shows that Rob is a force to be reckoned with in the world of science fiction.

This is the second book in the Outer Earth series, which started with TRACER (UK | US | ANZ). To say that this series is addictive and explosive is an understatement.

The action takes place on a giant space station orbiting Earth, which contains the last surviving members of humanity. Meanwhile, 300 miles below, our planet lies in ruins.

Our main character is Riley Hale – a tracer, or courier. If you need something taken from one part of Outer Earth to another, she’ll get it there – and fast.

In book one, Riley gets caught in a conspiracy which threatens the future of the space station and humanity itself. And now in ZERO-G, she really has nowhere left to run. Not only is she being blackmailed and being forced to break just about every law that exists on Outer Earth, but a lethal virus has also broken out, and is tearing its way through the station. It really seems like this could be the end for human kind – unless Riley can move fast enough.

We’re going to have a rather out-of-this-world campaign happening for ZERO-G nearer to January 2016, when the book releases.

In the meantime, you can catch up on all the action with the first book TRACER. Check out the impressive list of reviews below!

Tracer by Rob Boffard‘TRACER sets a new standard for all-action SF’ – Ken MacLeod

‘TRACER is the literary equivalent of a base jump: fast, exhilarating and unforgettable, and once you start it you can’t stop. I loved it’ Sarah Lotz, author of THE THREE

‘A stunning debut by Rob Boffard that never lets up, from the nerve-jangling beginning to the explosive end‘ – James Douglas, author of THE DOOMSDAY TESTAMENT

‘Relentlessly fast pace…Vivid action scenes’ – SFX;

‘Compelling, compulsive…Thoroughly entertaining – this one’s worth picking up if you’re in the mood for some sci-fi action’ – SCIFI AND FANTASY REVIEWS

‘If you’re after a fast-paced, action-packed, cinematic space adventure, then Tracer is absolutely for you . . . A promising debut, I think Rob Boffard is an author to watch’ – CIVILIAN READER

‘A hugely enjoyable and exciting space dystopia . . . I loved this. I’ll definitely be looking out for the next book in the series’ – NUDGE BOOK

(See below for the ZERO-G cover in its full glory…) (more…)

Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop – the results…

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Orbit Fantasy Workshop with Karen MillerThis summer, we ran our first ever Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop. It was led by the million-copy bestselling author Karen Miller, and we’re pleased to say it was a great success. We had an enthusiastic response from writers taking up the challenge to write 2,000 words of a fantasy novel in one week, and a large number of these participants also submitted their sample to our writing competition at the end of the week.

We were superbly impressed with the quality of submissions we received. All of them showed promise, and we can honestly say that we enjoyed every sample we read. The judging process proved very tricky, but the Orbit Editorial Team and Karen Miller have now picked their winner.

Congratulations to S. M. White from Louisville, Kentucky, who has won the competition with his submission “The Broken Door”.

We were all thoroughly captivated by this sample. It tells the tale of Kirren – a soldier who has been set to watch over the gates of his city and guard against the demons that wait outside. When a battle-worn stranger appears at the walls, demanding to be let in, Kirren refuses – as he has been ordered to open the gates to no one. But when the stranger outside is attacked by a demon, Kirren must decide whether to obey his orders, or give into his compassion by aiding his fellow man…

This sample fulfilled the writing challenge that Karen had set of writing about a moral dilemma – and it did it in style.

The Falcon Throne, a new epic fantasy novel from Karen MillerThe prize S. M. White will receive is a number of editorial consultations with an Orbit editor and Karen Miller herself on this sample and further sections of his complete novel.

We have also informed a small number of competition entrants about being on the final shortlist, and they will all be receiving free copies of Karen Miller’s novel THE FALCON THRONE (US |UK | AUS).

For all those who took part but didn’t win – please don’t be disheartened. The quality of everything we received was high, and we hope that you’re going to keep plugging away, because writing is all about sticking at it!

We’re hoping to run another Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop in future, so please do look out for that. In the meantime, for more writing inspiration, follow Karen Miller on her site at www.karenmiller.net

Cover Launch: ROADSIDE MAGIC by Lilith Saintcrow

Yesterday, Barnes & Noble’s Sci-Fi & Fantasy blog released the cover of ROADSIDE MAGIC by Lilith Saintcrow, which will be out in January 2016. This is this second novel in the Robin and Gallow series by Lilith Saintcrow in which the faery world inhabits diners, dive bars and trailer parks. If you were fan of the first novel, Trailer Park Fae, we know you’ll be blown away by this one! ROADSIDE MAGIC (US | UK | AUS) was designed by Lauren Panepinto with art by Dos Santos.

 Saintcrow_RoadsideMagic-TP

Robin Ragged has revenge to wreak and redemption to steal. As for Jeremiah Gallow, the poison in his wound is slowly killing him, while old friends turn traitor and long-lost enemies return to haunt him.

In the dive bars and trailer parks, the sidhe are hunting. War looms, and on a rooftop in the heart of the city, the most dangerous sidhe of all is given new life. This new hunter has only one thought: Where is the Ragged?

Saintcrow_TrailerParkFae-TP

Praise for TRAILER PARK FAE (US | UK | AUS):  

“Beautiful and bloodcurdling. Honestly, I wish I’d written it.”  — Chuck Wendig

“Creepy and heroic by turns. I could not put it down.” — Patricia Briggs

“Painfully honest, beautifully strange…. Don’t miss this.” — Seanan McGuire

Cover Launch – RISE: A Newsflesh Collection by Mira Grant

Couldn’t get enough of George and Shaun? Neither could we — which is why we’re bringing out a collection of novellas set in the Newsflesh universe! Rise collects for the first time every piece of short fiction from Mira Grant’s acclaimed Newsflesh series, with two new never-before-published novellas. Rise will be publishing next summer in hardcover, e-book, and audio formats.

Creative Director Lauren Panepinto has worked on the the Newsflesh series since the beginning, and each cover has been more chilling than the last. We’re sure you’ll agree that Rise is a feast for the eyes. Now without further ad0, we present Rise in all its gritty, gory majesty.

Grant_Rise-HC

“Mira Grant’s books are some of the hardest for me to design covers for, because I’m such a fangirl of the books. I know you’re not supposed to have favorite children, but let’s just say I’d be a fan of her books even if I had never worked for Orbit. And I love talking to her about her stories and the thought process behind them. The author said she cried (happy tears) when she first saw the Feed cover, and you know, that’s a hard act to follow. Clearly I’m piling the pressure on myself. Add that to the fact that her series style is all about design, which is just me, without any artist or photographer to share the spotlight (or hide behind). To this stress layer cake add the fact that I’m really proud of how Feed, Deadline, and Blackout came out, and I was very happy we were able to keep the theme strong through all three covers. Those covers have become pretty iconic for the genre, and I was very happy to have them safely squared away and move on to her next trilogy — which was also stressful because I felt like I had to one-up myself. Now, to go back and reopen the Newsflesh look was scarier than a pack of zombies (see what I did there?), but I really like how the cover for Rise has come out, and how it fits in with the rest of the series. It’s a little bit different – and it’s in hardcover, which affects the look too — but I’ve had a cover mockup on my shelf for a while next to the Newsflesh books and they seem to be getting along pretty well. It was really important to keep things really graphic and really simple, with a little bit of an off note. I think we achieved that. I can’t wait to have the final book in my hands!”―Lauren Panepinto 

Don’t think you can wait that long? Pre-order Chimera today: 

CHIMERARemember Mira Grant fans, we’re only a few short weeks away from publication of Chimera, the third and final book in the Parasitology trilogy. Chimera releases on November 24th. Pre-order your copy today so you can dive right in over the Thanksgiving holiday and avoid the Black Friday shopping madness, which I hear is…killer.

Pre-order in the US: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Google Play | Indiebound | iBooks | Kobo | Indigo (Canada)

Pre-order in the UK: Amazon | Waterstones | iBooks | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play | Little Brown UK

All Hail the Glow Cloud – the WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE Novel is finally here!

After two UK tours*, appearances at Comic Con, an online scavenger hunt and more sinister pronouncements about the dog park than you can ever imagine, WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: A NOVEL is released into the wild today. The City Council advises that you run, do not walk, to your nearest bookshop immediately.

If you’re quick you can still get a copy of the Waterstones exclusive edition, and Amazon has also chosen Night Vale as their Deal of the Week. Bookshops across the UK and Australia will be hanging these ritual adornments in their windows and making the traditional stone circle sacrifices, so our oracles predict that Night Vale will be welcoming lots of new visitors today.

Night Vale window display, Waterstones Grimsby

Night Vale event pack

Our oracles offer no information on whether said new visitors will ever be allowed to leave.

Here you can listen to a sample of the audiobook (out now!) which is read by no less than Night Vale’s own signature voice actor Cecil Baldwin, plus a host of guest stars and co-conspirators:

The authors were interviewed by the New York Times yesterday and also talked about the book on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last week. Although it’s not aired in the UK or Australia, you can watch the clip here:

Colbert

You can buy WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: A NOVEL in ebook, audiobook and print today.

*ANZ fans will be pleased to hear that an Australia/New Zealand tour is planned for February 2016.

Meet the author: Julia Knight, author of the Duellists novels

Julia Knight, author of Swords and Scoundrels, book one in the Duellists trilogyWe interviewed Julia Knight, author of the Duellists trilogy. The first book, SWORDS AND SCOUNDRELS (UK|US|ANZ) is out this month. It’s a fast and furious fantasy adventure about two siblings, Kacha and Vocho, who are known for the finest swordplay in their kingdom – until they are dishonoured and forced to become reluctant highwaymen. The sequels LEGENDS AND LIARS  (UK|US|ANZ) and WARLORDS AND WASTRELS  (UK|US|ANZ) will follow in November and December 2015.

What was the inspiration behind SWORDS AND SCOUNDRELS?

Lots of things! I was reading a lot about post-Moorish Spain – which was inspiration for the fallen empire in the book – and Renaissance Italy, which inspired all the city states that are at each other’s throats. Then add to this a re-reading of the Musketeers, and my happening across a video for an architect’s design for a clockwork city and….hey presto!

Swords and Scoundrels, Legends and Liarsa and Warlords and Wastrels - the Duellists Trilogy by Julia Knight

Which was your favourite character to write?

That is a really hard question, as I love them all in different ways. Vocho was a blast to write, because he’s just so vain and unintentionally funny but he does have a heart too (when he remembers). I like Kacha because she takes no crap from anyone, especially Vocho. Petri was supposed to be the bad guy . .  . but I found I rather felt for his predicament . . .

Who really is the better duellist – Kacha or Vocho?!

Depends on who you ask . . . As Vocho says, she’s better at technique, but he has an advantage in strength and reach. Both are devious as required. I’d say they both have their strengths but that balances out so they are actually fairly evenly matched.

Where’s your favourite bookshop?

I’m going to cheat and say it’s a toss up between Forbidden Planet in London and my local Waterstones in Horsham, West Sussex. Forbidden Planet because I cannot leave without buying *something* and it is just so very cool. And my local Waterstones because it’s got everything – a café, squishy sofas, staff that really know their books (and are more than happy to chat about them, or help me find something). It also has a decent SFF section which brings me on to the next question…

When you walk into a bookshop which section do you gravitate to first?

I always gravitate to the SFF section first in any bookshop. However I do have a soft spot for other genres – historical (both fiction and non-fiction) and crime in particular, so once I’ve mined the SFF I tend to browse there too. Frankly I’ll read almost anything!

What we can expect from the next Duellists novel LEGENDS AND LIARS?

Dastardly magicians, dashing duellists and warring cities. It gets deeper into the characters, and darker too, though it’s still got plenty of light-hearted moments . . .