Croatian Rights for Rod Rees and Totally Tor News
Got some news for you from John Jarrold and news from Irene Gallo. 
::
John Jarrold’s Corner: PRESS RELEASE – CROATIAN RIGHTS DEAL FOR ROD REES
Following last week’s deals with Jota in the Czech Republic and Infodar in Bulgaria Flora McMichael, Rights Manager at Quercus, has sold Croatian rights in the four-novel DEMI-MONDE series by UK novelist Rod Rees to Fraktura, after receiving offers from two houses.
World rights in Rod’s series were acquired pre-emptively by Quercus (who publish the first volume in January 2011) from agent John Jarrold for a major advance in 2009. Rights have now been sold in eight territories, also including the US, Germany, Russia, Poland and Italy.
THE DEMI-MONDE is set in a wonderfully imagined virtual world – the Demi-Monde of the title. Originally conceived by the US military as a training ground for their troops in the twenty-first century facing street fighting and enemies who use guerrilla tactics, rather than modern technology-based armies, the Demi-Monde was created by the world’s first quantum computer. Young singer Ella Thomas is sent there to rescue a VIP (she ticks all the boxes to blend into the world, which has a late-Victorian technology base) and discovers the world and its thirty million inhabitants, or ‘avatars’, are all too real. Especially those who run the world’s city-states, based on famous human monsters such as Reinhard Heydrich, Shaka Zulu, Empress Wu, Godfrey de Bouillon, Selim the Grim and Lavrentii Beria, with whom the world was seeded to make it more of a test…and that is only the beginning. There is already a fascinating website at www.thedemi-monde.com
::
Seems like Rod is well on the way to taking over Europe! Let’s hope there’ll be more announcements soon. Congrats to Rod and all the SFF readers in Croatia!
Next up, Totally Tor:
Tor.com released an excerpt of Orson Scott Card‘s latest Fantasy novel, The Lost Gate (read it here), here’s the press release for you:
::
From The LOST GATE editor, Beth Meacham:
One of the delights of my working life is watching writers like Orson Scott Card create a new world and new characters to populate it. So when I first saw the synopsis for this new series, The Mither Mages, I was thrilled. And as the first of the trilogy, THE LOST GATE, emerged from Card’s mind and word processor, I was enthralled. Card is creating not one magical world for this series, but two – an Earth where the exiles of Westil have lived in isolation for almost 1500 years, and Westil itself, also cut off from the power of the Great Gates, dwindling but holding the memory of a time when greater magic was possible. For this first book, the two worlds remain separate – but there is a promise implicit in the birth or rebirth of a gatemage in each world. It starts small, one boy in the hills of Virginia. It won’t stay that way.
Danny North thought he was drekka, a child of the Families of Westil who has no magical talent. Even though he was the son of Odin, the current chief of the North Family, he showed no ability at all – he formed no clant , he worked no stone, he had no affinity for beast or plant. All he could do was run and hide, and try to stay out of the way of his grandfather, who thought that drekka should be culled from the family. But Danny is not drekka. He is something far more dangerous…dangerous to himself, and dangerous to his family. Danny is a gatemage, the forbidden talent. All the Families are sworn to kill any child who proves to be a gatemage, as part of the treaty that ended the wars between them hundreds of years ago. Danny’s discovery of his talent has doomed him to death, more surely than any lack of talent ever could have….
From the Press Release:
Orson Scott Card needs no introduction . . . One of the true stars of science fiction and fantasy writing, Card is an international bestselling author best known for the beloved classic Ender’s Game, which was widely read by millions of adults and young readers.
Card’s work has won multiple awards. His novel Ender’s Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986), both won the coveted Hugo and the Nebula Awards—making Card the only author to win both of America’s science fiction’s top prizes in consecutive years. He’s also won four Locus Awards and a Hugo for the short story “Eye for An Eye.” And now the award-winning New York Times bestselling author launches the first book in a new fantasy series with THE LOST GATE (A Tor Hardcover; January 4, 2011; $24.99).
All of this is why I’m thrilled to reveal Tor.com’s exclusive first excerpt, along with a note from the editor Beth Meacham, which goes live NOVEMBER 30th at noon! With free registration, Tor.com users will have first access to Chapter 2. To view this early, special preview of THE LOST GATE, please click on the following link: http://www.tor.com/lostgate/register. There will be lots more to come between now and January 4th – additional excerpts, blog posts, tour dates and other exciting materials – but for now this should whet a few appetites for this amazing original fantasy epic.
::
And here’s the cover:
The novel will be released on the 11th of January and you can pre-order your copies here.
Next up, Tor.com will be posting Ellen Kushner‘s The Man with Knives – that should be up soon, so keep an eye on the site. Here’s the artwork, from Tom Canty:
Tor.com are also running a giveaway for ARCs of John Scalzi’s Fuzzy Nation on Facebook and Twitter; I know I’m taking my chances and entering!
And finally, next week Wednesday Tor.com will be posting an original story by Abby Mei Ottis titled ‘Sweetheart’; I’ll have an excerpt from ‘Sweetheart’ for you later this week. Here’s the cover by Greg Ruth:
Until next time,
Be EPIC!
Stephen Zimmer’s Dream of Legends – Book Trailer and Pre-Order Info
Some great info from Stephen Zimmer! The second novel in his Fires of Eden series in on the way, and I’ve got some awesome material for you; but first, here’s the book trailer for Dream of Legends:
And here’s the awesome cover (artwork by Matthew Perry):
I’ve also got some artwork for you from the novel, also done by the incredible Matthew Perry:
Awesome suff! Dream of Legends is available for pre-order, and there are Limited Edition hardcover copies available for collectors as well as trade paperback editions; check out all the info you need at this link.
For those who would like to catch up on Stephen’s work on their eReaders, here’s the link you need.
Stephen will be sending me a copy of Dream of Legends and I’ll be reading and reviewing it as soon as I’ve finished Crown of Vengeance. If you’d like to check out my review of Stephen’s first novel, The Exodus Gate, follow this link; I highly recommend Stephen’s work, that’s for sure. And for more info about Stephen and his work (he’s a film-maker, too), check out his website.
Be EPIC!
BookEx: The Science Fiction / Horror Panel
Hey Everyone, hope you’ve been having a great weekend so far.
I just wanted to let you know one last time about the SF/Horror panel that will be taking place at 4 tomorrow afternoon at BookEx:
I’ll be chairing the panel and the authors who’ll be sitting with me are Lauren Beukes, Louis Greenberg and Sarah Lotz.
Lauren, Louis and Sarah are all based in Cape Town, so it’s really awesome to have them come out all this way.
Lauren, as you all probably know, is the author of Maverick: Extraordinary Women from South Africa’s Past; Moxyland (US / UK / SA), and Zoo City (US 25 December / UK / SA)
Louis Greenberg has written The Beggars Signwriters and also edited the 24-story collection, Home Away; he is also collaborating with another author on the horror novel, The Mall.
Sarah Lotz is the author of Pompidou Posse, Exhibit A and Tooth and Nailed; she is the other author collaborating with Louis Greenberg on the horror novel, The Mall.
And since Sarah and Louis are collaborating on The Mall, it’s only far to feature their combined author-persona, too: SL Grey
We’ll be talking about Science Fiction and Horror, the growing industry for both genres in South Africa, as well as Louis and Sarah’s collaboration as SL Grey for The Mall, as well as anything else that takes our fancy.
We hope you’ll come through and join us!
R30 will get you in and our panel starts at 4, but there are plenty of events throughout the day, so do check out the program.
Hope to see you there!
Be EPIC!
John Jarrold’s Corner: European Rights for Rod Rees
Hey everyone, more great news from John Jarrold regarding Rod Rees!
PRESS RELEASE – EUROPEAN RIGHTS DEALS FOR ROD REES
Flora McMichael, Rights Manager at Quercus, has sold rights in the four-novel DEMI-MONDE series by UK novelist Rod Rees to Jota in the Czech Republic and Infodar in Bulgaria (the latter via Kalina Stefanova at ELST Agency).
World rights in Rod’s series were acquired pre-emptively by Quercus (who publish the first volume in January 2011) from agent John Jarrold for a major advance in 2009. Rights have also been sold in the US, Germany, Russia, Poland and Italy.
THE DEMI-MONDE is set in a wonderfully imagined virtual world – the Demi-Monde of the title. Originally conceived by the US military as a training ground for their troops in the twenty-first century facing street fighting and enemies who use guerrilla tactics, rather than modern technology-based armies, the Demi-Monde was created by the world’s first quantum computer. Young singer Ella Thomas is sent there to rescue a VIP (she ticks all the boxes to blend into the world, which has a late-Victorian technology base) and discovers the world and its thirty million inhabitants, or ‘avatars’, are all too real. Especially those who run the world’s city-states, based on famous human monsters such as Reinhard Heydrich, Shaka Zulu, Empress Wu, Godfrey de Bouillon, Selim the Grim and Lavrentii Beria, with whom the world was seeded to make it more of a test…and that is only the beginning. There is already a fascinating website at www.thedemi-monde.com
This is great news! Rod only needs rights for China and India and he’s taken over most of the continent! Congrats to all involved!
Look out for my review of The Demi-Monde: Winter in time for it’s January release; pre-order your copies here (Hardcover & Trade Paperback).
Be EPIC!
Totally Tor:Songs of the Dying Earth
Got some more news for you from Irene Gallo about the going’s on over at Tor.com.
First off, I’d love to get my hands on this! (Yes, that’s a hint! 
)
The book will be available on the 7th of December (Pre-order from Amazon US here), and Tor is hosting a very special story from the anthology: Kage Baker’s ‘The Green Bird’
Here’s an excerpt of the story for you:
It amused Justice Rhabdion of Kaiin to dispose of malefactors by dropping them down a certain chasm located at the edge of his palace gardens.
Deep and steep-sided the chasm was, bottomed with soft sand, so that more often than not the objects of Justice Rhabdion’s displeasure survived the fall. This was all to the good, as far as Rhabdion was concerned, since it provided him with further subject for mirth. On claret-colored summer afternoons, he used to have his Chair of Office moved out on the balcony that overlooked his garden pleasaunce, and which, incidentally, gave him an excellent view into the chasm as well. There he would smile to watch the antics of the enchasmates, as they fruitlessly sought to escape or quarreled with one another.
I really need to read Kage’s work. 
On December 1st, Tor.com will be posting Ellen Kushner’s, “The Man with Knives”, which continues on from the events in her novel, Swordpoint.
That’s all for now, hope you all have an awesome day!
Be EPIC!
The Angry Robot Short Story Store
Still haven’t tried any of the titles available from Angry Robot? Well, now you don’t have an excuse! Here are the details:
PRESS RELEASE
22nd November 2010 ~ For Immediate Release
ANGRY ROBOT ANNOUNCES DIGITAL SHORT STORY STORE
On December 1st 2010, Angry Robot will be launching “Nano Editions”. Exclusive to the publisher’s own webstore at angryrobotstore.com, Nanos are digital short stories by Angry Robot novelists, sold at sensible prices in ePub format, ready to load onto the world’s most popular eBook readers.
Most Nanos will be in the 5,000 – 15,000 word range. Shorter works than that will be automatically bundled with another story to ensure value for money.
Talking of which – stories will cost just 59p each (approximately US $0.95). Readers can bundle a collection of any 10 by any combination of authors, for only £3.49 (US$5.59). The files will be DRM-free and available worldwide. If demand for the stories takes off, AR plan to also sell them via eBook retailers.
Angry Robot Editor Lee Harris said, “Publishing is changing, but our role as publishers remains the same – to find cool stories and bring them to readers. This is another step in Angry Robot’s ongoing plan to embrace the new opportunities digital formats provide – and an excellent way for readers to sample unfamiliar authors, without breaking the bank.”
Authors included in the Nanos series include multi-million-selling novelist Dan Abnett and award-winning short fiction authors Kaaron Warren and Aliette de Bodard, along with many others. We will have at least 30 Nanos available for the December 1st launch, with more added at regular intervals.
Lee Harris
Editor, Angry Robot
Awesome stuff, huh? Here’s the news on Angry Robot’s website, and here’s the link you need to follow – the Angry Robot Store. Plenty more available there, so do have a look around.
Be EPIC!
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King – Book Trailer
For those who don’t know it, the King has got a new novella collection out, titled Full Dark, No Stars.
I should be getting my copy within the next couple of weeks, and as soon as I do I’ll get stuck in. I absolutely loved Under The Dome and even though I’m really looking forward to Stephen’s bigger upcoming projects (a sequel to his absolutely terrifying The Shining and another Dark Tower book), I’m gonna dive into Full Dark, No Stars ASAP.
Here’s the book trailer for you:
And if you’d like to get a taste of what you can expect from the book, check out the following excerpts:
(Just click on the story-names; you’ll be taken through to the excerpt-page on the website)
1922; Big Driver; Fair Extension; A Good Marriage.
The book is on shelves across the world (including South Africa), right now, so use the following links to order your copies: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Exclusive Books.
Until tomorrow,
Be EPIC!
Announcing a new SA Book Fair: BookEx!
Hey guys and girls, I’ve got some great news for those of you living in Pretoria or Jo’burg. There’s a brand new book fair coming and it promises to be quite the kickass event!
Taken from the Book Ex website:
Gauteng is the economic powerhouse of the nation and Johannesburg its financial heart. Therefore it is only fitting that a sizeable book event should eventually find its home here. From November 2010 that home will be BookEx.
Initiated by Estoril Books, BookEx will be a book extravaganza where the public can find plenty of titles for sale under one roof and publishers can exhibit their ranges and parade their authors.
Here’s the full press release:
BookEx JHB 26-28 November
Powered by Estoril Books
‘It’s an initiative well worth supporting…see all you book lovers there!’ – Mandla Langa, 17 October 2010
Gauteng is the economic powerhouse of the nation and Johannesburg its financial heart. Therefore it is only fitting that a sizeable book event should eventually find its home here.
From November 2010 that home will be BookEx. Initiated by Estoril Books, BookEx will be a book extravaganza where the public can find plenty of titles for sale under one roof and publishers can exhibit their ranges and parade their authors.
Set to take place from 26 – 28 November at The Sandton Convention centre, BookEx will incorporate both a large sales to the public and exhibitions from large and small publishers. It will also feature special events such as the mini crime-writing festival, “CrimeWrite.”
BookEx is the brainchild of Mohan Kanjee of Estoril Books, who said that, “Our aim is to create a hub of book shopping ahead of the summer holidays and Christmas together with author participation. In addition we will be hosting a two day Crime Writer’s Fest “CrimeWrite” within BookEx that has been developed by Mike Nicol, Margie Orford and a number of other crime writers.”
Other specific platforms are also being developed to make this not just a glorified book sale but an all encompassing book event of epic proportions. There will be a large children’s section complete with child-minders and activities such as storytelling, face painting and colouring in etc.
There will also be a strong emphasis on local, independent authors and publishers to give them a huge opportunity to promote themselves alongside the big guns of the business.
While a central exhibition space will be open to the public (entrance is only R30.00 for adults), sales will take place in one place, upon exit. Special shopping trolleys will be available and qualified sales staff will be manning the sales points.
Mike Nicol – ‘BookEx Johannesburg is underway amid much excitement after a bad year for book sales. CrimeWrite – showcasing the best krimi writers we have on offer – will be part of the scene. See you there: November 26 – 28 at the Sandton Convention – 16 October 2010
This fair is looking to be one of the best events of its kind, with panels on practically all genres and subjects (see the full program here) – including Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.
That panel will have Louis Greenberg, Sarah Lotz and Lauren Beukes talking about SF/F/Horror, and I’ve been asked to chair the panel. It’s the first time I’ll be chairing a panel on SFF/H and I’m really looking forward to it!
There will also be a Crime Writing workshop, the first-ever at an event of this kind; here are the details:
CrimeWrite At BookEx 2010
A very different and exciting component of BookEx 2010, powered by Estoril Books, will be the two day CrimeWrite festival developed by Mike Nicol, Margie Orford and other South African crime writers.
In a full two day programme of events, South Africa’s top crime writers will take their audience through how they do what they do, why they do it and the difference between their fiction and reality. In a series of shorter presentations, writers will also discuss smaller aspects of the genre and their own work.
BookEx attendees who register with CrimeWrite are then eligible to enter the CrimeWrite short story competition. Details will be given at the sessions. The grand prize includes books, a feature on Mike Nicol’s Crime Beat and the BookEx Website.
CrimeWrite takes place on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November and includes live Skype interviews with South African authors abroad Deon Meyer, Roger Smith and Richard Kunzmann.
CrimeWrite is part of the inaugural BookEx event taking place at the Sandton Convention centre from 26-28 November 2010. BookEx is a book extravaganza where the public can find plenty of titles for sale under one roof and publishers can exhibit their ranges and parade their authors. Check out all the details at the BookEx site!
So scrap whatever plans you’ve made for Sunday the 28th, or for that entire weekend; if you’re a book-lover and are looking to spend the some well-spent time in the company of publishers and writers, come join us at BookEx.
Remember to check out the BookEx website for all the info you need (GPS co-ords included), and I hope to see you there!
Be EPIC!
Review: The Invisible Order – Book 1: Rise of the Darklings by Paul Crilley
Paul was kind enough to post an ARC to me, and to sign it, too. Rise of the Darklings was released in September, so my review is a bit late. Anyway, let’s dive in, shall we?
Rise of the Darklings tells the story of Emily Snow and how she becomes involved in a war that she had no idea was being fought. Here’s the blurb:
Emily Snow is twelve years old, supporting herself and her younger brother on the streets of Victorian England by selling watercress. One early winter morning on her way to buy supplies, she encounters a piskie–a small but very sarcastic fey creature that has been cornered by a group of the Black Sidhe, piskies from an opposing clan. She rescues him and unknowingly becomes involved in a war between the Seelie and the Unseelie, two opposing factions of fairies that have been battling each other throughout the long centuries of human history, with London–and England itself–as the ultimate prize.
When the Invisible Order–a centuries-old secret society of humans that has protected mankind from the fey’s interference–gets involved, things really start to get complicated.
Now she is the central figure in this ancient war that could permanently change Earth. With no one to trust, Emily must rely on her own instincts and guile to make the right choices that could save her family and all of mankind.
Emily is introduced in the first chapter, and right from the get-go she held my attention: Emily and her brother don’t live in the best of circumstances and Emily does all that she can to make sure that they have food to eat and a roof over their heads; she impressed me with her strength and resolve, and that strength gives her all that she needs to face the many threats and situations that come up in the novel. She didn’t once come across as overbearing, too intelligent, or whiney, and I’m pretty sure that plenty of young readers out there will fall in love with Emily and her honest and forthright personality.
There are plenty of other characters in the novel (and one major surprise that was well-portrayed and fit perfectly into the story), such as Emily’s brother, William, Jack (on the cover with Emily), and a host of non-human characters; I most enjoyed Corrigan – his personality could fill a warehouse, he’s brave and dedicated, and he also had me chuckling quite merrily along in places; his interaction with Jack, specifically was thoroughly entertaining.
In terms of the story, Paul weaves and misdirects like a master. At one point I thought I had it all figured out, only to be proven -pleasantly- wrong, and it was clear to me that Paul did plenty of research for this series -creatures from myths and legends abound in the novel, and some of them creeped me out (well-written and described, wouldn’t wanna meet them in a dark alleyway, that’s for sure!) but all of them were interesting, so much so that I really hope to see more of them in Book 2.
I’m pretty damned impressed with Paul for managing to paint a gloomy, oppressive London that still manages to be colourful and memorable, too, and I’ve got high hopes for the London we’ll be visiting in Book 2!
Now, I’m a guy who usually reads Epic Fantasy and SF, and I also dabble in Horror and Urban Fantasy; the kinds of subjects and themes dealt with are adult in nature, and since I’ve been getting into YA fiction more and more I’ve been impressed with the way that authors manage to include themes and subjects that can still resonate with older readers. Paul is no exception, and I got an almost Pixar-impression of the novel – Hear me out! When you watch a Pixar movie, there’re writing and dialogue and scenes that kids go nuts about and the same kind of stuff that adults laugh at but for different reasons. This is the kind of thing that I felt Paul pulled off wonderfully here and I’m sure that older readers will be as entertained as younger readers.
The resolutions at the end of the novel -and some throughout the novel, in fact- point to a large story unfolding, especially when taking into account what a certain character says, and I’m really looking forward to what’s in store for us in Book 2 – The Fire King.
All in all, Rise of the Darklings was thoroughly entertaining, fast-paced and memorable, with wonderful characters, thrilling action and weird and wonderful creatures; I highly recommend this!
9 / 10
To find out more about Paul and his work (he’s from Scotland but lives here in South Africa, by the way!), head on over to his website; to order your copies of Rise of the Darklings, click here for Amazon US and here for Amazon UK; it looks like the book might be available in South Africa soon, too, but I’ll have that info for you when it comes to me.
Have a wonderful weekend, and
Be EPIC!
Book Trailer: The Immortals: Night Star by Alyson Noel
Hey Guys and Girls, got a new book trailer for you.
This time, it’s the trailer to Alyson Noël’s Night Star, the latest novel in her Immortals series!
There are 3 covers, so I’m posting them all for you:
If you haven’t read the series yet, head over to the Immortals website for all the info you’ll need, and you can also become a fan of the series on Facebook.
Night Star was released on the 16th of November, so order your copies here (Amazon US) and here (Amazon UK – releasing on 4 March 2011).
Be EPIC!
