Archive for Orbit US

Cover launch: THE FALL OF THE DAGGER by Glenda Larke

THE FALL OF THE DAGGER by Glenda Larke

THE FALL OF THE DAGGER is the third and final novel in the Forsaken Lands trilogy, a fantasy epic full of scheming, spying, action and adventure.

We’re excited to launch the final cover in this trilogy today, with design by Tracey Winwood and image by Steve Stone.

A king corrupted, a sorcerer on the throne, a land in peril…

Excommunicated cleric Saker returns from exile in the Spice Islands to find his homeland in chaos.
A dark sorcerer controls the ear of the King, turning him against his own son and heir, while a corrupted army gathers in the shadows.
With the illusionist Sorrel and islander Ardhi, armed with magic from Ardhi’s homeland, Saker now must stand between his city and the corruption that threatens to cripple it, before it is too late . . .

The first two books in the series are available now, check out THE LASCAR’S DAGGER and THE DAGGER’S PATH, or read the first chapters on the Orbit site today.

The Forsaken Lands: epic fantasy by Glenda Larke

Praise for this series:

“Outstanding all the way to the last word”
Elizabeth Moon

“Breathtaking adventure, exotic world-building and fabulous characters”
Karen Miller

 

Cover Launch: BITE by K. S. Merbeth

Hungry for a great new read? Check out BITE, the stark and darkly comedic story of a young girl who joins a crew of bandits in a lawless, post-nuclear world. Bite is out internationally in July 2016 from Orbit and we’ve got an early look at the brilliant cover below, designed by Lauren Panepinto.

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“Need a ride?”

Kid has no name, no family and no survival skills whatsoever. But that hasn’t stopped her from striking out on her own in the wasteland that the world has become.

When Kid accepts a ride from two strangers, she suddenly becomes the newest member of a bloodthirsty raider crew. Propelled on a messy chase, through shootouts and severed limbs, the group must outrun everyone they’ve wronged. In a world that’s lost its humanity, not everything is as it seems and this time it isn’t the monsters that crave flesh…

Cover Launch: THE RULE OF LUCK by Catherine Cerveny

Take a peek at THE RULE OF LUCK and fall in love with Felicia and Alexei, in this exhilarating science fiction romance from our sister imprint Redhook. It’s out in January, and you can pre-order your copy now. To tempt you, we’re proud to reveal Wendy Chan’s sexy cover design right here.

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“A fascinating premise. Cerveny’s future world is richly drawn, and Felicia’s and Alexei’s adventure is definitely an edge-of-your-seat ride.” — Linnea Sinclair, award-winning author of the Dock Five Universe series

As a famed tarot card reader, all is well in luck and love for Felicia Sevigny, until Russian crime leader Alexei Petriv walks into her shop and demands a reading.

Petriv’s future looks dark and full of danger, which wouldn’t be Felicia’s problem, except that it’s also aligned with hers. Felicia discovers she is the key pawn in Petriv’s plot to overthrow the all-knowing government, and she must decide if she will trust with him with her heart, body and soul, before the future of the entire human race collapses around her.

Orbit US Announces Expansion

ORBIT LOGOOrbit, the SF and Fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group, announces a major expansion plan starting from Fall 2016. The imprint will increase the number of titles it publishes by 50% to approximately 90 titles each year. Additional staff, including editorial, marketing, and design, will be recruited to support the expansion.

Tim Holman, Orbit Publisher and Hachette Book Group SVP, said: “There is a huge and diverse audience for SF and Fantasy out there, and it’s the perfect time to be expanding the list. Orbit is currently the fastest growing SF and Fantasy imprint in the U.S. with an increasing number of New York Times bestsellers – most recently Ann Leckie, whose debut ANCILLARY JUSTICE was also the first novel to win every major SF award. Since our launch in 2008, we have been committed to publishing the most exciting authors in the field and looking for creative ways to connect with new readers. We’re very much looking forward to building on the success we’ve had, expanding the publishing team, and welcoming more authors to the list.”

Cover launch: FELLSIDE by M. R. Carey, author of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

Orbit is very pleased to reveal the cover for the haunting and heartbreaking new thriller from M. R. Carey, author of the word-of-mouth bestseller THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS (UK | US | ANZ). FELLSIDE will be released worldwide in hardback, ebook and audiobook in April 2016.

FELLSIDE by M R Carey author of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

Fellside is a maximum security prison on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors. It’s not the kind of place you’d want to end up. But it’s where Jess Moulson could be spending the rest of her life.

It’s a place where even the walls whisper.

And one voice belongs to a little boy with a message for Jess.

Will she listen?

Praise for THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS:

‘Original, thrilling and powerful’ – Guardian

‘Haunting, heartbreaking’ – Vogue

‘A great read that takes hold of you and doesn´t let go’ – John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of Let the Right One In

‘Scary, tense and fast-paced . . . but with a heart-warming tenderness’ – Marie Claire

‘So surprising, so warm and yet so chilling . . . As fresh as it is terrifying’ – Joss Whedon

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

Cover Launch: IN SHINING ARMOR by Elliott James

We’re very excited to share the cover for Elliott James’s latest novel in the Pax Arcana series, IN SHINING ARMOR, which will be out in April 2016.

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This fairy godmother’s got claws. 

When someone kidnaps the last surviving descendant of the Grandmaster of the Knights Templar, it’s bad news. When the baby is the key to the tenuous alliance between a large werewolf pack and the knights, it’s even worse news. They’re at each other’s throats before they’ve even begun to look for baby Constance. 

But whoever kidnapped Constance didn’t count on one thing: she’s also the goddaughter of John Charming. Modern-day descendant of a long line of famous dragon slayers, witch finders, and wrong righters. John may not have any experience being a parent, but someone is about to find out that he can be one mean mother…

IN SHINING ARMOR is the fourth book in the Pax Arcana series, which gives a new twist to the Prince Charming tale. The first three novels are Charming, Daring, and Fearless. If you haven’t had the chance to meet John Charming yet, you’ll fall in love with him from page one of this free sample of Charming. 

Charming_2strip_TYPESee what some of your other favorite authors are saying about Charming:

“The Pax Arcana books are seriously good reads. Action, humor, and heart with unexpected twists and turns. If you are (like me) waiting for the next Butcher or Hearne — pick up Elliot James. Then you can bite your nails waiting for the next James, too.” —  Patricia Briggs, New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series

“Loved it! Charming is a giant gift basket of mythology and lore delivered by a brilliant new voice in urban fantasy. Elliott James tells stories that are action-packed, often amusing, and always entertaining.” —  Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of Hounded 

“I loved this book from start to finish.  Exciting and innovative, Charming is a great introduction to a world I look forward to spending a lot more time in.”
— Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of the October Daye series

“James’s world is rich and complex and well worth diving into.” — Richard Kadrey, New York Times bestselling author of Sandman Slim

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