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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Interview with Barbara Ashford & Giveaway - May 30, 2012

Please welcome Barbara Ashford to The Qwillery. Barbara is the author of the Crossroads Theatre series. Spellcrossed, the 2nd book in the series, will be published on June 5, 2012.


TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Barbara:  When I’m working on a scene, I sit on the sofa and improvise dialogue between the characters. Definitely a legacy of my years as an actress. It’s amazing how many times the conversation goes in unexpected directions, which changes my original concept of the scene and deepens the emotional conflicts between characters.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Barbara:  I guess I’m a plontser! I work from a synopsis, but I’ve found that outlining every chapter just sucks the life – and the creativity – out of me. I like to leave room for surprises. Those are often the best moments in a book.

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Barbara:  Adhering to a schedule. It’s either feast or famine with me. When I’m on a roll, I can write twelve hours a day. When I’m not on a roll…oy, you don’t want to know how much time I waste playing computer games.

TQ:  What inspired you to write the Crossroads Theatre novels - Spellcast and Spellcrossed?

Barbara:  I wanted to write a fantasy that drew on my theatre background. Theatre IS fantasy. Bringing a truly fantastic element into the mix seemed like a natural.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for novels?

Barbara:  I relied on my experience as an actress to create the backstage world of the Crossroads, but I did a lot of research on the actual musicals so that the onstage moments would be as detailed and authentic as possible. Although I knew most of the shows, I still needed to read the script; you can’t rely on the movie version or on memory. I sat down with the scores so I knew which instruments were used in the musical numbers. I also looked at set designs and clips from productions on YouTube to get inspiration for the sets.

TQ:  Describe Spellcrossed (Crossroads Theatre 2) in 140 characters or less.

Barbara:  Maggie’s life is thrown into chaos by a blast from her past that makes her question what she wants and how far she’s prepared to go to get it.

TQ:  In Spellcrossed who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Barbara:  Maggie was the easiest AND the hardest. Easiest because I knew her so well. Hardest at the beginning of the book. I had to bring readers up to speed on what had happened since the end of Spellcast. I needed to show that Maggie could survive – as a woman and as director – without Rowan. And I wanted her to discover things about herself and her new cast before that blast from the past comes in at the end of Act One.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Spellcrossed?

Barbara:  Well, I did enjoy writing some of the sex scenes. But my favorite is probably Chapter 11 – the moment when Maggie’s life gets turned upside down. It’s such an emotional roller coaster for her.

TQ:  Which character from Spellcast and Spellcrossed surprised you the most?

Barbara:  In Spellcast, it was definitely Reinhard. Although Hal claims that Reinhard is “a pussycat,” Reinhard starts off as the gruff, dictatorial stage manager. In the course of writing the book, he morphed into a kind of father figure for Maggie. I had picked Alex (the music director) for that role, but it’s much more surprising – and interesting – when Reinhard steps up to the plate. I guess Hal knew what he was talking about!

TQ:  The cover for Spellcrossed is radically different than Spellcast's. Do you believe that the Spellcrossed cover more accurately reflects the novel than the cover for Spellcast did?


Barbara:  Absolutely! My original concept for Spellcast was much more like the cover of Spellcrossed: a close-up of the stage, a mysterious figure surrounded in light. I wanted something that hinted at fantasy and mystery and romance. Instead I got a barn.

A lot of reviews of Spellcast had some variation of: “Ignore the cover. It’s what inside that counts!” (I especially liked the one that began: “I picked up this book because I felt sorry for it. Why? Look at the cover!) I think that’s why so many readers were surprised by Spellcast – the cover gave them no idea what to expect.

TQ:  What's next?

Barbara:  I’m working on two different novels and revising one of my musicals for a production in New York City. Still not sure which of the novels I want to concentrate on first; maybe I’ll try writing both at the same time!

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Barbara:  Thank you, Sally. Always fun to visit. And for any readers who live in the New York City area, the Spellcrossed release party will be held Sunday, June 24, in New Rochelle. (Details on my website.) I’d love to have you drop by!


About Crossroads Theatre

Spellcrossed
Crossroads Theatre 2
DAW, June 5, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 448 pages

IT’S NOT EASY LOSING THE MAGIC IN YOUR LIFE…

But when Maggie Graham freed Rowan Mackenzie to return to Faerie, she took the first step toward her new life as director of the Crossroads Theatre. A hectic new season of summer stock leaves her little time to moon over the past. She has to balance the demands of her interfering board president and a company of actors that includes bewildered amateurs, disdainful professionals, a horde of children, and an arthritic dog. And while Maggie yearns to give others the kind of healing she found at the Crossroads, even she recognizes that magic must take a back seat to ticket sales.

But magic is hard to banish from the old white barn. Memories lurk like ghosts in the shadowy wings and the unexpected is as time-honored a tradition as the curtain call. And when the tangled spells of Maggie’s past turn her life upside down, it will take more than faery magic to ensure the happy-ever-after ending she longs for….


Spellcast
Crossroads Theatre 1
DAW, May 3, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 448 pages

When Maggie Graham lost her job and her apartment fell to pieces, she decided to flee New York City for a while and hide in Vermont, at the Crossroads Theatre. She hadn't planned to audition, yet soon found herself part of the summer stock cast. But her previous acting experiences couldn't prepare her for the theater's unusual staff-and its handsome, almost otherworldly director.


About Barbara

Barbara Ashford wrote her first “novel” Cherokee the Wild Pinto when she was eight years old and prepared the final manuscript on her Tom Thumb typewriter. She abandoned a career in educational administration to pursue a life in the theatre, first as an actress and later as a lyricist and librettist. Many of her experiences ended up in Spellcast and Spellcrossed. Barbara lives in New Rochelle, New York with her husband whom she met while performing in summer stock. For more on the Crossroads Theatre series, visit www.barbara-ashford.com.





The Giveaway

THE RULES

What: One commenter will win a copy of Spellcrossed (Crossroads Theatre 2) from The Qwillery.

How: Leave a comment answering the following question:

Which cover do you like better - Spellcast's or Spellcrossed's?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

There are a total of 3 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), and Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook and Twitter. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Thursday, June 7, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

June 2012 Book Releases

Here is The Qwillery's list of books being published in June 2012. If there is something that I've missed, please leave a comment below. Any genre mistakes are mine. Leave a comment below if you feel that the genre is wrong. Also note that this list is always under revision. Publication dates change. I try to keep this as accurate as possible. The most accurate lists can be found for each week in The View From Monday posts.

You can print a PDF of all of the June 2012 releases by clicking HERE. Click the printer image to print.  Please note that list is only accurate as of the day it is posted.


June 1, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Devil's Graveyard (ri) Anonymous ST - Bourbon Kid 3
Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010 Damien Broderick Literary Criticism
Lord of the Black Isle Elaine Coffman PNR - Mackinnon-Douglas 3
Blackout Mira Grant SF/H/Z - Newsflesh Trilogy 3
Thoroughly Kissed (ri) Kristine Grayson PNR
Fluke (ri) James Herbert H
Chase Me Tamara Hogan PNR - Underbelly Chronicles 2
Seduced by the Vampire King (e) Laura Kaye PNR - Vampire Warrior Kings
Alexander Outland: Space Pirate G.J. Koch SF
The Frenzy War Gregory Lamberson H/M -  Frenzy Cycle 2
The Secret Queen Mark Miller F - Empyrical Tales 3
Night of the Cougar (e) Caridad Pineiro PNR
The Islanders Christopher Priest SF
Must Be Magic (ri) Patricia Rice PNR - Magic 2
The Bandit King (e) Lilith Saintcrow PNR - Romance of the Arquitaine 2
Veteran Gavin Smith SF - Veteran 1
Classic Black Magic from Dennis Wheatley: The Devil Rides Out, To the Devil a Daughter, Gateway to Hell Dennis Wheatley H - Omnibus



June 4, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Postmodern Science Fiction and Temporal Imagination Elana Gomel Literary Criticism
Finding Magic (e) Stacia Kane UF - Downside Novella



June 5, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Spirit War Rachel Aaron F - Legend of Eli Monpress 4
Spellcrossed Barbara Ashford F - Crossroads Theater 2
His Dark Embrace Amanda Ashley PNR
Mother of Storms (ri) John Barnes SF
When Shadows Call (e) Amanda Bonilla UF - Shaede Assassin Novellas
Fury of Ice Coreene Callahan PNR - Dragonfury 2
Accidentally Dead, Again Dakota Cassidy PNR - Accidentals 6
Ready Player One (h2tp) Ernest Cline SF
Chaos Burning Lauren Dane PNR Bound by Magick 2
Blood of Innocence Tami Dane UF - Sloan Skye 2
Undead and Unstable MaryJanice Davidson PNR - Undead / Queen Betsy 11
Fascinated Marissa Day PNR
A Caress of Wings (e) Sylvia Day PNR - Renegade Angels Novella
Mortals Ted Dekker
Tosca Lee
SF/AH - Mortals 2
How to Build an Android: The True Story of Philip K. Dick's Robotic Resurrection David F. Dufty SF
After Life (ri) Rhian Ellis S/M
Hex Appeal P. N. Elrod (ed) Anthology
1636: The Kremlin Games Eric Flint SF - Ring of Fire 14
Beneath the Shadows (US d) Sara Foster GS
All That Falls Kimberly Frost PNR - Etherlin 2
For Heaven's Eyes Only (h2mm) Simon R. Green UF - Secret Histories 5
Live and Let Drood Simon R. Green UF - Secret Histories 6
Bury Elminster Deep (h2mm) Ed Greenwood F - Sage of Shadowdale 3
Kiss the Dead Laurell K. Hamilton UF - Anita Blake Vampire Hunter 21
KOP Killer Warren Hammond SF - Kop 3
Devil's Gate (e) Thea Harrison PNR - Elder Races Novella
Visions of Chains Regan Hastings PNR - Awakening 3
Silver (d) Rhiannon Held UF
The Last Four Things (h2tp) Paul Hoffman F - Left Hand of God 2
Sworn in Steel Douglas Hulick F - Tale of the Kin 2
The Mage (ri) Jean Johnson PNR - Sons of Destiny 8
The Great Hunt (ri) Robert Jordan F - Wheel of Time 2
The Zombie Tarot: An Oracle of the Undead with Deck and Instructions Paul Kepple Zombies / Tarot Cards
Messenger's Angel Heather Killough-Walden PNR - Lost Angels 2
Rise of The Governor (h2tp) Robert Kirkman
Jay Bonansinga
H/Z - Walking Dead
Cold Fire (ri) Dean Koontz H
Home From the Sea Mercedes Lackey F - Elemental Masters 8
Unnatural Issue (h2mm) Mercedes Lackey F - Elemental Masters 7
Genesis of Evil Nile J. Limbaugh H
The Girl Who Heard Dragons (ri) Anne McCaffrey F - Dragonriders of Pern
The Broken Universe Paul Melko SF - Walls of the Universe 2
Ghost Soldiers Keith Melton UF - The Nightfall Syndicate 2
Who Fears Death Nnedi Okorafor F
Samantha Moon J.R. Rain PNR - Vampire for Hire 1 - 4
Disappearing Nightly (ri) Laura Resnick UF - Esther Diamond 1
Blue Remembered Earth Alastair Reynolds SF - Poseidon's Children 1
Vengeance Moon Lee Roland PNR - Earth Witches 2
Incarnate A. C. Ruttan PNR - Portal Keepers 1
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas John Scalzi SF
Blood Kin M.J. Scott F - Half-Light City 2
B-Movie Reels Alan Spencer H
The Craving Jason Starr UF/H - Pack 2
Osiris (d) E.J. Swift SF - The Osiris Project 1
Prepare to Die! Paul Tobin F
Corpse in the Crystal Ball Kari Lee Townsend PCM - Fortune Teller 2
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk Sean Wallace (ed) SP - Anthology
Amped Daniel H. Wilson SF
Moondogs (h2tp) Alexander Yates SF
Judgment at Proteus Timothy Zahn SF - Quadrail 5



June 6, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Obsession: Tales of Irresistible Desire Paula Guran (ed) F - Anthology
Dead as a Doornail (show tie-in) Charlaine Harris UF - Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire 5
Worldsoul Liz Williams F - Worldsoul Trilogy  1



June 12, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Third Gate Lincoln Child ST Supernatural Thriller
Serpent's Kiss Melissa de la Cruz F - Witches of East End 2
Time's Last Gift (ri) Philip Jose Farmer SF
The Lies of Solace John French H - Arkham Horror
American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Novel (h2tp) Neil Gaiman F
Shadow's Edge J.T. Geissinger PNR - Night Prowler 1
The Shadowed Sun N. K. Jemisin F - Dreamblood 2
Rising Sun, Falling Shadows Robert Jeschonek SF/AH - Tannhauser
Arthur Machen Arthur Machen H - Masters of the Weird Tale
America Pacifica Anna North SF/AH
The Taken Vicki Pettersson UF - Celestial Blues 1
Queen of Swords Katee Robert SFR - Sanctify 1
Was Geoff Ryman F
City of the Snakes (h2tp) Darren Shan F/Th - City Trilogy  3
Niceville Carsten Stroud H/Th/O



June 15, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Abolition of Species Dietmar Dath SF
Inkarna Nerine Dorman F/O/H
Green Light Delivery Anne E. Johnson SF



June 17, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Writers of the Future Volume 28 L. Ron Hubbard SF/F - Anthology



June 19, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Existence David Brin SF
Lothaire (h2mm) Kresley Cole PNR - Immortals after Dark 12
The Devil Delivered and Other Tales Steven Erikson F - Novelettes
Wicked Business Janet Evanovich M/PE - Lizzy and Diesel 2
The Vampire Narcise (tp2mm) Colleen Gleason PNR - Regency Draculia 3
Vacation with a Vampire Michele Hauf
Kendra Leigh Castle
Lisa Childs
PNR
The Reckoning Alma Katsu ST - Taker Trilogy 2
Midnight (h2tp) Stephen Leather SF - Nightingale 2
Dragon's Curse Denise Lynn PNR
Forged in Fire J. A. Pitts UF - Sarah Beauhall 3
The Long Earth Terry Pratchett
Steven Baxter
SF
Survivors Z.A. Recht H/Z - Morningstar Strain 3
Terminal Point: A Strykers Syndicate Novel K.M. Ruiz SF - Strykers Syndicate 2
The Sorceress of Belmair Bertrice Small FR - World of Hetar 4



June 23, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Beyond Cyberpunk: New Critical Perspectives (h2tp) Graham J. Murphy
Sherryl Vint (eds)
Literary Criticism



June 25, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Sphinx of the Ice Realm: Newly Translated, With the Complete Text of the Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe Jules Verne SF



June 26, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, From A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons Daniel Abraham Literary Criticism
The Key to Creation (tp2mm) Kevin J. Anderson F - Terra Incognita 3
Suited Jo Anderton SF/A - Veiled Worlds 2
Spell Bound (h2emm) Kelley Armstrong UF - Women of the Otherworld 12
Darkness Devours Keri Arthur PNR - Dark Angels 2
Hunter and Fox Philippa Ballantine F - Shifted World 1
When Darkness Hungers J.K. Beck PNR - Shadow Keepers 6
Obsidian and Blood Aliette de Bodard F/M -  Obsidian and Blood Trilogy Omnibus
Valkia the Bloody Sarah Cawkwell F - Warhammer 40,000 : Space Marine Battles
Tarnished Karina Cooper HUF - St. Croix Chronicles 1
Caliban's War James S.A. Corey SF - Expanse 2
Besieged Rowena Cory Daniells F - Outcast Chronicles 1
Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet (ri) Gerry Davis SF - Doctor Who
The Night Eternal (h2emm) Guillermo Del Toro
Chuck Hogan
H - Strain Trilogy 3
Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks (ri) Terrance Dicks SF - Doctor Who
Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster (ri) Terrance Dicks SF - Doctor Who
Doctor Who and The Three Doctors (ri) Terrance Dicks SF - Doctor Who
Dream Bound Kate Douglas PER - Dream Catchers 1
Talulla Rising Glen Duncan H - Last Werewolf 2
The Best of Hammer and Bolter: Volume I Christian Dunn SF - Warhammer
Angel Betrayed Cynthia Eden PNR - Fallen 2
The Stranger's Woes (h2tp) Max Frei F - Labyrinth of Echo 2
Once Burned Jeaniene Frost PNR - Night Prince 1
Secret of the Wolf Cynthia Garner PNR - Warriors of the Rift 2
7th Sigma (h2mm) Steven Gould SF
Heaven's Shadow (h2emm) David S. Goyer
Michael Cassutt
SF - Heaven's Shadow 1
The Unholy Heather Graham PRS - Krewe of Hunters
Midnight's Lover Donna Grant PNR - Dark Warriors 2
Doctor Who and the Ice Warriors (ri) Brian Hayles SF - Doctor Who
Wayne of Gotham Tracy Hickman SF (Comic Book Tie-in)
Star Trek: Typhon Pact: Raise the Dawn David R. George III SF - Star Trek: The Next Generation
Waterborne Katherine Irons PNR - Seaborne 3
Steelhands (h2mm) Jaida Jones
Danielle Bennett
F - Havemercy 4
The Mammoth Book of Body Horror Paul Kane
Marie O'Regan (eds)
H - Anthology
Chasing Magic Stacia Kane UF - Downside 5
The Hammer and the Blade Paul S. Kemp F - Egil and Nix 1
The Shining (ri) Stephen King H
Angel of Fire William King SF - Warhammer 40,000 : Macharian Crusade 1
Dark Rivers of the Heart (ri) Dean Koontz H/PS
False Memory (ri) Dean Koontz H/Suspense
The Good Guy (ri) Dean Koontz H/Suspense
The Husband (ri) Dean Koontz H/PS
Velocity (ri) Dean Koontz H/PS
So Cold the River (h2mm) Michael Koryta H
Blackhearted Betrayal Kasey Mackenzie UF - Shades of Fury 3
Doctor Who and the Ark in Space (ri) Ian Marter SF
Wild Cards I George R.R. Martin SF - Wild Cards 1
Hush James Maxey F - Dragon Apocalypse 2
Bared Blade Kelly McCullough F -  Fallen Blade 2
Changeling Kelly Meding UF - MetaWars 2
The Tempering of Men (h2mm) Sarah Monette
Elizabeth Bear
F - Iskryne World 2
The Wild Side (tp2mm) Mark L. Van Name (ed) EUF - Anthology
Eyes to See (h2mm) Joseph Nassise UF - Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle 1
Rasputin's Bastards David Nickle F
The Map of Time (h2mm) Felix J. Palma F - Map of Time 1
Tempest's Fury Nicole Peeler UF - Jane True 5
Shada: The Lost Adventure by Douglas Adams Gareth Roberts SF - Doctor Who
Rapture (h2mm) John Shirley SF - BioShock
Wicked Nights Gena Showalter PNR - Angels of the Dark 1
Flashback (h2tp) Dan Simmons SF
Exiled S.M. Stirling
Harry Turtledove
Jody Lynn Nye
John Ringo
Michael Z. Williamson
F / AH - Clan of the Claw 1 (linked novellas)
Rule 34 (h2mm) Charles Stross SF
Edge Koji Suzuki H
The Big Switch (h2mm) Harry Turtledove AH - War That Came Early 3
The Age of Miracles (d) Karen Thompson Walker Dystopian
Midsummer Night (h2mm) Freda Warrington F - Aetherial Tales 2
Rogue (h2mm) Michael Z. Williamson SF - Freehold 1
An Evil Guest (h2mm) Gene Wolfe H
Choices of One (h2mm) Timothy Zahn SF - Star Wars



June 27
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Wrath of Iron Chris Wraight SF - Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Battle



June 28, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Stranger's Magic Max Frei F - Labyrinth of Echo 3



June 29, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Legacy of Blood T. S. Church F - RuneScape 3



June 30, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Kwaidan: Weird Tales from Japan (ri) Lafcadio Hearn H - Collection
Noctuary Thomas Ligotti H
Flesh-Ripping Ghouls of London: Murder, Madness & Gore from the Penny Bloods JM Rymer
Thomas Peckett Prest
and others
H
A Stark and Wormy Knight Tad Williams F - Collection



d - Debut
e - eBook
h2emm - Hardcover to Enhanced Mass Market Paperback
      (larger than a Mass Market Paperback)
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - Reissue or Reprint
tp2mm - Trade to Mass Market Paperback


A - Adventure
AH - Alternate History
EUF - Erotic Urban Fantasy
F - Fantasy
FR - Fantasy Romance
GS - Gothic Suspense
H - Horror
HUF - Historical Urban Fantasy
M - Mystery
O - Occult
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PE - Paranormal Elements
PER - Paranoraml Erotic Romance
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PRS - Paranormal Romantic Suspense
PS - Psychological Suspense
S - Supernatural
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SP - Steampunk
ST - Supernatural Thriller
Th - Thriller
UF - Urban Fantasy
Z - Zombies

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

An Interview with Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris & a Giveaway - May 30, 2012

Please welcome to The Qwillery Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, authors of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. The Janus Affair, the 2nd Ministry novel, was published yesterday.


Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris - NYCC 2011


TQ:  Pip, what is Tee's most interesting writing quirk?

Pip:  We all have our little writing crutches, so I bet I can guess what Tee will say about me. Tee however likes to make people huff during dialogue.

Tee:  No, my characters don't huff. They scoff!


TQ:  Tee, what is Pip's most interesting writing quirk?

Tee:  Hmmm...Pip's most interesting quirks in writing? I think Pip is an embodiment of "grace under pressure." She tends to procrastinate a bit in her writing, then when a deadline looms ahead, Pip kick it into overdrive and will launch a salvo of choice words. Her word count is almost superhuman then, and what she comes up with is awesome!

Pip:  Yeah, procrastination...I'll get around to procrastinating eventually.


TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Pip:  When I write by myself I am definately a panster (though I prefer organic writer ;) When Tee and I write together, totally pantsing it isn't really an option, since we need to have some idea where we are going, or we will crash into each other. We are currently working on book three of the Ministry series, and we actually have a whole synopsis laid out—which is kind of a first for us.

Tee:  Writing solo, I tend to be organic as well in my writing, and so having a synopsis for the third Ministry book is unheard of for me. However, I recall the last time I had an outline and it served as a classic road map. Unlike a GPS which plots origin-to-destination, a road map shows you what's off the beaten path and alternative routes, and that is what a synopsis or outline is to me. I have a path to follow, but I can always take a different route.


TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Tee:  Getting the book into people's hands. There's a lot for readers to choose from, and the readers I want are not attending the steampunk expos or science fiction conventions (although I love those audiences, too). I want the people who have never read steampunk. I want my books to find their way into the hands of readers who have never tried steampunk, have never read fantasy, or even considered science fiction. I don't really look at what I write as science fiction or fantasy. I look at my works like solid stories that happen to be steampunk, epic fantasy, or otherwise. Reaching the audience outside of my immediate circles — that is the hardest part.

Pip:  Getting myself into the chair. In this day and age there are so many distractions, and social media is at the head of them. However marketing must be done, and also word counts hit.


TQ:  What inspired you to write the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series?

Pip:  It was Tee who first came to me about writing a book with him (though I had pestered him about writing with him for awhile). However that book we originally planned has yet to be written. Phoenix Rising was a spin-off of a book that has yet to be born into the world. It was also meant to be a podcast for pay. However the inspiration for me was the adventure novels I read as a kid in my grandmother's house. She always had plenty of British rip-roaring adventures on her bookshelves, and I think that has always been percolating in my head. When Tee and I started writing together we just had so much fun it was like setting out on one of those adventures.


TQ:  What sort of research did you do for series?

Tee: A great deal of the research for this series comes from understanding what the politics and climate were at this point of the British Empire, then taking what we accept as history and considering small changes made throughout. The alterations were have made to historic England, Queen Vic, and her Empire are small right now, but if all goes as planned in our series, we may have some larger changes to contend with.

Something I have found fascinating in the research is politics of the 19th Century really don't differ that greatly from that of the present climate. Change, it seems to show in history, terrifies people. That is what is happening in our own government, and that change has revealed a lot of good and bad in people. When I researched what was going on back then, it was a bit surprising.


TQ:  Do you each write a particular character in the series?

Pip:  I wrote Eliza, and Tee wrote Wellington. We shared out the interlude characters between us. Editing, of course, smoothed out things. We went back and edited and embroidered each others work, and even now there are portions I read in our books and can't work out or recall who wrote that piece. It is actually pretty delicious for an author.


TQ:  Describe The Janus Affair (A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences 2) in 140 characters or less.

Tee:  Steampunk Suffragists standing against an enemy dedicated to silencing their collected voice, one at a time. (You even have room for a #TheJanusAffair hashtag.)


TQ:  Tell us something about The Janus Affair that is not in the book description or back cover copy.

Pip:  We learn a little more about every character in the book. We see quite a bit more of Alice, Eliza's rather staunch maid, and discover what lies under her skirts.

Tee:  We also get a look at how Wellington and Eliza are getting along after Phoenix Rising. Their own relationship isn't as prickly as once before, and this means Wellington's comfort level with her is far higher. We also get a glimpse of Eliza's past in the appearance of her old boyfriend and world-reknown adventurer, Douglas Shepard. I think to hit all of these details, we'd need a book jacket for the book jacket!


TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in The Janus Affair?

Tee:  There's an "A-ha!" moment of Wellington's that, I wholeheartedly admit, was an inspiration from a Brian dePalma film called Blow Out. (I will also attest that movie is what got me interested in the art of sound and Foley.) It's a favorite scene of mine that involved that inspiration, a bit of steampunk design, and some fast writing on my part. I'll be interested if anyone catches the film-inspired moment.


TQ:  Steampunk seems more popular than ever. Do you think it's because it's become more well-known or because it's become more mainstream, both, or something else?


Pip:  Steampunk is certainly becoming popular, and I think we are only beginning to see how far and in how many directions it can go. Mainstream is not quite there yet, though the awareness is growing. I think once I can tell my Mum 'it's steampunk' and she knows what I am talking about we will have reached saturation point. However many people are working hard on it; the League of STEAM are making some great steampunk monster hunter videos and Brute Force Studios is pumping out gadgets that television is starting to take notice of. It's not just the writers doing great things; steampunk is a wider movement that (excuse the pun) is building up a good head of steam.


TQ: What's next?

Tee:  After The Janus Affair launches, Pip and I continue with production of Tales from the Archives, a free audio anthology we offer through ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com. This podcast serves a good amount of purposes. First, it introduces people to the Ministry universe for free. Second, for people who read our books, this podcast takes some ideas and concepts to the next level. Remember those jars that made the map to El Dorado? How about what got Eliza kicked out of New Zealand and stationed in England? And did you ever wonder what happened after Operation: Dark Water? All these concepts (and more) are explored, and the world itself is expanded through these short stories.

Then there are the titles and ideas Pip and I want to get started work on, along with completing the next two books in the Ministry series. We've got a lot on our plate, so I'll be happy if I get a chance to catch my breath.


TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery!



About The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences

The Janus Affair
Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences 2
Harper Voyager, May 29, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 432 pages

Evildoers beware! Retribution is at hand, thanks to Britain's best-kept secret agents!!

Certainly no strangers to peculiar occurrences, agents Wellington Books and Eliza Braun are nonetheless stunned to observe a fellow passenger aboard Britain's latest hypersteam train suddenly vanish in a dazzling bolt of lightning. They soon discover this is not the only such disappearance . . . with each case going inexplicably unexamined by the Crown.

The fate of England is once again in the hands of an ingenious archivist paired with a beautiful, fearless lady of adventure. And though their foe be fiendishly clever, so then is Mr. Books . . . and Miss Braun still has a number of useful and unusual devices hidden beneath her petticoats.


Phoenix Rising
Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences 1
Harper Voyager, April 26, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 416 pages

Evil is most assuredly afoot—and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade . . . and a librarian.

These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences—the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwick is the strange and unsettling—will not allow its agents to investigate. Fearless and exceedingly lovely Eliza D. Braun, however, with her bulletproof corset and a disturbing fondness for dynamite, refuses to let the matter rest . . . and she’s prepared to drag her timorous new partner, Wellington Books, along with her into the perilous fray.

For a malevolent brotherhood is operating in the deepening London shadows, intent upon the enslavement of all Britons. And Books and Braun—he with his encyclopedic brain and she with her remarkable devices—must get to the twisted roots of a most nefarious plot . . . or see England fall to the Phoenix!



About Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

Philippa (Pip) Ballantine

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Philippa has always had her head in a book. For this she blames her father who thought Lord of the Rings was suitable bedtime reading for an eight year old. At the age of thirteen she began writing fantasy stories for herself.

She first earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science and then a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. So soon enough she found herself working in the magical world of libraries where she stayed for over a decade

Her first professional sale was in 1997, and since then she has gone on to produce mostly novel length fiction. In 2006 she became New Zealand’s first podcast novelist, and she has voiced and produced Weaver’s Web, Chasing the Bard, Weather Child and Digital Magic as podiobooks. Her podcasts have been short listed for the Parsec Awards, and won a Sir Julius Vogel award.

Philippa is the author of the Books of the Order series with Ace- Geist and Spectyr out now, and Wrayth (2012) and Harbinger to follow. She is also the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series with Tee Morris. Phoenix Rising debuted in May 2011 and The Janus Affair will be out in May 2012. She also has the Shifted World series with Pyr Books, with the first book Hunter and Fox coming in June 2012.

When not writing or podcasting, Philippa loves reading, gardening, and whenever possible traveling. With her husband Tee and her daughter, she is looked after by a mighty clowder of five cats.


Tee Morris

Tee Morris began his writing career with his 2002 historical epic fantasy, MOREVI The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. In 2005 Tee took MOREVI into the then-unknown podosphere, making his novel the first book podcast in its entirety. That experience led to the founding of Podiobooks.com and collaborating with Evo Terra and Chuck Tomasi on Podcasting for Dummies and its follow-up, Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies. He won acclaim and accolades for his cross-genre fantasy-detective Billibub Baddings Mysteries, the podcast of The Case of the Singing Sword winning him the 2008 Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama. Along with those titles, Tee has written articles and short stories for BenBella Books’s Farscape Forever: Sex, Drugs, and Killer Muppets, the podcast anthology VOICES: New Media Fiction, BenBella Books’ So Say We All: Collected Thoughts and Opinions of Battlestar Galactica, and Dragon Moon Press’ Podthology: The Pod Complex.

When he is not writing, Tee enjoys life in Virginia alongside Philippa Ballantine, his daughter, and five cats (3 female, 2 males). Considering the male-to-female ratio in his house, Tee understands how General Custer felt near his end.



The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a copy of Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences 1) signed by Pip and Tee.

How:  Leave a comment answering ONE of the following question:

Who is/are your favorite secret agent(s)?
or
What is one of your favorite Steampunk novels, stories, etc.?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

There are a total of 3 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), and Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook and Twitter. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Jess Haines - The Gang from the H&W Investigations Series Stops By!

Hello there! Jess Haines here. I’m the author of the urban fantasy H&W Investigations series (HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, TAKEN BY THE OTHERS, DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, and the upcoming STALKING THE OTHERS).

Shiarra has been having a pretty bad time of things lately. She’s here with some of her friends (and otherwise) to tell you about it. Over to you, Shia!

____________________

Arnold: We’re talking about if we’re… what? We’re Other, but we wish we could be some other kind of Other?

Sara: I guess so.

Shiarra: I’m not Other.

Royce: Nobody said you were.

Arnold: Yeah, but she thinks she might be turning—

Sara: Honey, no. Sensitive subject, remember?

Arnold: Sorry.

Shiarra: This topic doesn’t really apply to me or Sara. You guys should be fielding this one.

Chaz: I like being a werewolf. Nobody messes with me.

Sara: Yeah, but it must suck having to sign a contract just to get close to somebody you care about. No hanky-panky without one, right?

Chaz: Err…

Shiarra: He never said anything about that before we—you know what? Never mind.

Royce: Well. Seems the dog is in more hot water than I had previously guessed. I cannot say I’m surprised.

Chaz: Shut your facehole.

Arnold: Sorry to say it, but I’m with the vampire. Not surprised at all.

Sara: Me neither.

Chaz: Are you kidding me? Whose side are you on?

Shiarra: Any side but yours. Seriously, am I the only one who didn’t see it coming? For God’s sake, I was the one dating him!

Sara: Shia, I hate to break it to you, but sometimes you turn a blind eye to the obvious.

Royce: Clearly.

Shiarra: Hey. You. Tall, dark, and scary. Not your business.

Royce: On the contrary, as you are contracted to me, anything which involves your health or wellbeing is my business.

Sara: So where were you when all the trouble went down?

Royce: Being thrust away, as seems to be Ms. Waynest’s normal mode of operation when it comes to things which might assist her.

Shiarra: You mean the help that comes with a price tag? Because, last time I checked, it’s always been a shady practice to back someone into a corner and give them offers they can’t refuse.

Chaz: You never had to accept his offer. You could have come to me.

Shiarra: Oh, please.

Arnold: Maybe you should start a new business. Give consultations to normal people about how manipulative the dangerous Others can be before they end up signing contracts.

Royce: Is that an attempt to be clever? I don’t find that amusing, spark. Just because you don’t have to have people sign contracts to interact with you doesn’t mean you pose no danger to normal people.

Arnold: You’re right. I might incite the kiddies to play D&D or start watching anime.

Sara: Oh, the horror.

Chaz: You know you’re dating a monster even more dangerous than me, right?

Sara: The only thing that’s dangerous is his infectious obsession with gaming. It’s been rubbing off on me.

Shiarra: Don’t tell me you’re turning to the geek side?

Sara: It’s not so bad. They have cookies.

Chaz: …what?

Royce: I’ve always wondered why none of you take these conversations seriously. Magi are some of the most dangerous Others there are. They may not drink blood to survive, or change their form into some bestial creature, but they can manipulate the very fabric of reality to suit their whims. That’s not something to take lightly.

Shiarra: I take it that’s what you’d rather be, then?

Royce: Excuse me?

Sara: You sound almost envious. You’d rather be a mage than a vampire?

Royce: Absolutely not. I may have to entice and manipulate people to sign contracts in order to feed and continue my own existence, but there is no limit to how long I may live to acquire wealth, knowledge, and power.

Arnold: I could probably dig up a spell to become immortal if I really wanted to, but that sounds boring.

Shiarra: …seriously?

Chaz: I’ve heard of magic-users who lived hundreds of years. That’s pretty impressive.

Arnold: Every spell we cast has its price. You haven’t heard what they had to do to live that long.

Sara: Judging by your tone, that’s nothing I want to hear about.

Arnold: Yeah, probably not. The form of every supernatural creature has its benefits and drawbacks.

Royce: Some more so than others.

Chaz: Don’t look at me when you say that.

Shiarra: So when you’re a mage, you can use magic, but you have to pay for it. When you’re a vampire, you get immortality at the cost of surviving on blood, losing your humanity, and living in the dark. When you’re a werewolf, you get incredible speed and strength, and can change your physical shape, but at the cost of… what? A problem even Nair can’t fix?

Chaz: Decreased lifespan. Has something to do with our metabolism.

Shiarra: Okay, decrea—what?!

Arnold: Sucks to be you.

Chaz: Shut it.

Shiarra: Anybody else feel like Weres got the short end of the supernatural stick? Show of hands.

____________________


You can learn more about Shiarra and the rest of her friends in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS. For the next stop on the blog tour, be sure to visit the official STALKING THE OTHERS blog tour calendar!


Thanks again for having me and the gang over, Sally!


About H&W Investigations

Stalking the Others
H&W Investigations 4
Zebra, July 3, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Vampires, werewolves, mages—the Others are very real, and wreaking havoc in Shiarra Waynest’s life. But now, she’s returning the favor…

Once, she was one of the good guys—or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda. And Shia’s recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon…

Of course, with all the threats against her, Shia’s not sure she’ll live long enough to find out. The enigmatic vampire Royce wants her back in his clutches, as do two powerful werewolf packs, along with the police. Instead of going into hiding, Shia is enlisting the aid of her enchanted hunter’s belt and every dirty P.I. trick she knows. If she’s going down, she’ll take out as many of her enemies as she can—and hope that in the process, she keeps whatever humanity she has left…
Pre-order


Deceived by the Others
H&W Investigations 3
Zebra, July 1, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

They’re here, and they’re real…werewolves, vampires, mages, and other creatures of the night. For New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest, taking care of Others business started out as a way to stay solvent. But now business is getting very, very complicated…

Shiarra’s relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family—or in this case, bringing Chaz’s entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it’s the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack’s hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that’s even closer than she knows…


Taken by the Others
H&W Investigations 2
Zebra, January 4, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Jess Haines draws readers deep into the mesmerizing world of the Others—werewolves, vampires, and mages who make their home among humans, and are turning Shiarra Waynest’s life upside down…

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest’s most pressing problem was keeping her agency afloat. Now she’s dealing with two dangerous, seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia—for very different reasons.

Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing his progeny, while Royce’s interest is a lot more personal. That’s not sitting well with Shia’s werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction is urging Shia to join their side. Shia has always believed vamps were the bad guys, but she’s discovering unexpected shades of grey that are about to redefine her friends, her loyalties—and even her desires…


Hunted by the Others
H&W Investigations 1
Zebra, May 4, 2010
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

They are the Others—the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again…

In A Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder

Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm—if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend—a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing—and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil—whether she likes it or not…


About Jess

Jess Haines, author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, is a displaced New Yorker who writes about vampires, werewolves, and other bitey creatures of the night from her home in Southern California. She's best known for the H&W Investigations series (starting with HUNTED BY THE OTHERS).

You can also visit Jess on the web:

Websitewww.JessHaines.com
Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/JessHainesAuthor
Twitterhttp://twitter.com/#%21/Jess_Haines
Goodreadshttp://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines









THE TOUR GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, May 28, 2012

Guest Blog by Michael R. Underwood - Geekomancy’s Official Unofficial Soundtrack

Please welcome Michael R. Underwood to The Qwillery as part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Guest Blogs.  Geekomancy, Michael's debut, will be published on July 10, 2012 by Pocket Star.



Geekomancy’s Official Unofficial Soundtrack

I make soundtracks for pretty much every story I write, be it a flash piece, a short story, screenplay or novel. The practice started years ago, when I was writing my first novel (which now lives in a digital trunk, only to be looked upon to steal ideas away and put to use with better prose). I tend toward instrumental pieces, since the lyrics can sometimes get in the way. However, songs that I’ve heard more than 50 times stop distracting me with their lyrics, because I know them well enough that they can just be background noise in my mind.

Geekomancy wouldn’t be the book it is without Florence + the Machine. You’d think that for a comedic geeky urban fantasy, I’d be listening to They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Coulton, maybe even MC Frontalot. But it was the British fiery faerie ringleader Florence Welch and her band that served as my musical fast-track to the part of my brain that is labeled Geekomancy.

I started writing Geekomancy in November of 2010, and at that time, I was deep in my compulsive listening to Florence + the Machine’s album Lungs. Like many, I was blown away by the strength of Florence Welch’s voice, the haunting quality of the lyrics, and the awesomeness of having a harp in a pop/rock band.


I immediately connected with “Dog Days Are Over,” but as I started thinking through the plot for the novel, I latched onto “Rabbit Heart,” due to the emotional punch of some of the lyrics.

This is a gift, it comes with a price // Who is the lamb and who is the knife? // Midas is king and he holds me so tight // And turns me to gold in the sunlight (“Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” Florence Welch and Paul Epworth

Without giving away spoilers, those lines hit home for me in terms of the main characters and the action of the middle and end of the novel as I had them outlined in my head. The lyrics don’t directly line up with the plot and the characters, but the emotions that the song evoked for me were fantastic fuel for my mind as I channeled geekiness and tried to figuratively bleed all over the page.

When I got into the middle of the novel, I wanted to find some music to convey another feel, something solidly distinct from the Florence + the Machine of Ree’s normal world. I decided on Daft Punk’s wonderful score for Tron: Legacy, since I drew on some Tron imagery for that section of the novel and because I knew from personal experience that techno makes my brain happy in action sequences.

I had to take a break in writing the first draft during the summer of 2011, since summer is one of my busy seasons. So by the time I came back to the novel, Ceremonials, Florence + the Machine’s second studio album, was coming out. And it’s good that I waited, because I would have been lost on how to create the novel’s grace notes in the epilogue without “Shake it Out.”

“Shake it Out,” for me, is a song for a grown woman, with girlhood in her rear-view mirror. It’s a song for a woman who has gone through the Bad Times, found herself, and emerged stronger. When Welch holds the note leading into the last set of chorus repeats, I feel the energy of a defiant survivor, someone who knows themselves better and is ready to face the world. That’s the kind of feel I wanted to give the epilogue, and I hope it shows through for the readers.

Florence + the Machine features strongly in the soundtrack for the sequel to Geekomancy (tentatively titled Celebromancy), but I’ve added some other artists for variation, to make them feel different in my mind as I’m working. But when I hear “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”, “Shake It Out,” or nearly any song from Lungs, I will always think of Rhiannon Anna Maria Reyes, aka Ree, and the joy of taking the journey of Geekomancy with her.


About Geekomancy

Geekomancy
Pocket Star, July 10, 2012
eBook, 400 pages

Clerks meets Buffy the Vampire the Slayer in this original urban fantasy eBook about Geekomancers—humans that derive supernatural powers from pop culture.

Ree Reyes’s life was easier when all she had to worry about was scraping together tips from her gig as a barista and comicshop slave to pursue her ambitions as a screenwriter.

When a scruffy-looking guy storms into the shop looking for a comic like his life depends on it, Ree writes it off as just another day in the land of the geeks. Until a gigantic “BOOM!” echoes from the alley a minute later, and Ree follows the rabbit hole down into her town’s magical flip-side. Here, astral cowboy hackers fight trolls, rubber-suited werewolves, and elegant Gothic Lolita witches while wielding nostalgia-powered props.

Ree joins Eastwood (aka Scruffy Guy), investigating a mysterious string of teen suicides as she tries to recover from her own drag-your-heart-through-jagged-glass breakup. But as she digs deeper, Ree discovers Eastwood may not be the knight-in-cardboard armor she thought. Will Ree be able to stop the suicides, save Eastwood from himself, and somehow keep her job?
Pre-order


About Michael

Michael R. Underwood grew up devouring stories in all forms: movies, comics, TV, video games, and novels. He holds a B.A. in Creative Mythology and East Asian Studies from Indiana University and an M.A. in Folklore Studies from the University of Oregon, which have been great preparation for writing speculative fiction. Michael went straight from his M.A. to the Clarion West Writers Workshop and then landed in Bloomington, Indiana, where he remains. When not writing or selling books across the Midwest as an independent book representative, Michael dances Argentine Tango and studies renaissance martial arts.

You can find him at http://MichaelRUnderwood.com or @MikeRUnderwood on Twitter. Geekomancy is coming July 10th from Pocket Star.

The View From Monday - May 28, 2012

I can't believe that this is the last Monday in May. We're rapidly heading into the 6th month of the year.  And it's another busy week at The Qwillery:

Monday - 2012 Debut Author Challenge Guest Blog by Michael R. Underwood. Geekomancy will be published on July 10, 2012.

Tuesday - Guest Blog by Jess Haines as part of The STALKING THE OTHERS Blog Tour Stalking the Others (H&W Investigation 4) will be published on July 3, 2012.

Wednesday - Interview with Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris. The Janus Affair (A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences 2) will be published on May 29, 2012.

Thursday - Interview with Barbara Ashford. Spellcrossed (Crossroads Theater 2) will be published on June 5, 2012.

Friday - Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interview with Kelly Meding. Changeling (MetaWars 2) will be published on June 26, 2012.

Saturday - Interview with Nancy Gideon. Seeker of Shadows (Moonlight 6) will be published on May 29, 2012.

Sunday - Interview with Jaime Rush. Darkness Becomes Her (Offspring 6) will be published on May 29, 2012.


There are a lot of books out this week! Wow!  A book shopping list in PDF format may be found by clicking HERE. Click "File" on the left and then "Print (PDF).


May 28, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Closed Horizon
Peter Lantos SF



May 29, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Blood Lite III: Aftertaste
Kevin J. Anderson (ed) H - Anthology
Flandry's Legacy
Poul Anderson SF - The Technic Civilization Omnibus
The White-Luck Warrior (h2tp)
R. Scott Bakker F - Aspect-Emperor 2
The Janus Affair
Pip Ballantine F/SP - Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences 2
Bleeding Out
Jes Battis UF - OSI 5
The Science of Avatar
Stephen Baxter Science/SF
When Passion Lies
J.K. Beck PNR - Shadow Keepers 4
Harmony
Keith Brooke SF
The Devil's Nebula
Eric Brown SF - Weird Space 1
Charmed By His Love
Janet Chapman PNR - Spellbound Falls 2
Year's Best SF 17
David G. Hartwell
Kathryn Cramer
SF - Anthology
The Emperor's Gift
Aaron Dembski-Bowden SF - Warhammer 40,000 : Grey Knights
The Primarchs
Christian Dunn SF - Warhammer : Horus Heresy 20
Casket of Souls
Lynn Flewelling F - Nightrunner 6
The Scottish Prisoner (h2tp)
Diana Gabaldon HF - Lord John Grey 3
Seeker of Shadows
Nancy Gideon PNR - Moonlight 6
The Magician King (h2tp)
Lev Grossman F - Magician 2
Hit List (h2mm)
Laurell K. Hamilton UF - Anita Blake Vampire Hunter 20
The Nano Flower (h2tp)
Peter F. Hamilton SF/M - The Mandel Files. Vol. 2
Typhon Pact: Plagues of Night
David R. George III SF - Star Trek
Cursed
Benedict Jacka UF - Alex Verus 2
Night's Engines
Trent Jamieson F - Nightbound Land 2
Deceived (h2mm)
Paul S. Kemp SF - Star Wars: The Old Republic 2
Wolfheart (h2mm)
Richard A. Knaak F - World of Warcraft
By the Light of the Moon (ri)
Dean Koontz H/Th
The Darkest Evening of the Year (ri)
Dean Koontz H/Th
From the Corner of His Eye (ri)
Dean Koontz H/Th
Life Expectancy (ri)
Dean Koontz H/Th
One Door Away from Heaven (ri)
Dean Koontz H/Th
Bloodsworn
Nathan Long F - Ulrika the Vampire 3
Devilishly Sexy
Kathy Love PNR - Devilishly 2
Ninja Versus Pirate Featuring Zombies
James Marshall H
Dragon's Time (h2mm)
Anne McCaffrey and Tom McCaffrey F - Dragonriders of Pern
Going Interstellar
Les Johnson
Jack McDevitt
SF - Anthology
A Blood Seduction
Pamela Palmer PNR - Vamp City 1
Toxicity
Andy Remic SF - Books of the Anarchy 2
A Brief Guide to Star Trek
Brian J. Robb
Darkness Becomes Her
Jaime Rush PNR - Offspring 6
All Spell Breaks Loose
Lisa Shearin F - Raine Benares 6
The Road to Bedlam (ri)
Mike Shevdon UF - The Courts of the Feyre 2
Sixty-One Nails (ri)
Mike Shevdon UF - The Courts of the Feyre 1
Strangeness and Charm
Mike Shevdon UF - The Courts of the Feyre 3
Tangle of Need
Nalini Singh PNR - Psy-Changelings 11
Threshold (h2mm)
Eric Flint
Ryk E. Spoor
SF - Boundary 2
The Watchers
Jon Steele ST
No Going Back
Mark L. Van Name SF - Jon and Lobo 5



May 31, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Damnation for Beginners
Alan Campbell F
Crawling Chaos Volume One: Selected Weird Fiction 1917-1927
H.P. Lovecraft H
The Providence Rider
Robert McCammon ST - Matthew Corbett 4
The Dragon Griaule
Lucius Shepard F - Short Stories



June 1, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Devil's Graveyard (ri)
Anonymous ST - 3
Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010
Damien Broderick Literary Criticism
Lord of the Black Isle
Elaine Coffman PNR - Mackinnon-Douglas 3
Thoroughly Kissed (ri)
Kristine Grayson PNR
Fluke (ri)
James Herbert H
Chase Me
Tamara Hogan PNR - Underbelly Chronicles 2
Seduced by the Vampire King (e)
Laura Kaye PNR - Vampire Warrior Kings
Alexander Outland: Space Pirate
G.J. Koch SF
The Frenzy War
Gregory Lamberson H/M -  Frenzy Cycle 2
The Secret Queen
Mark Miller F - Empyrical Tales 3
Night of the Cougar (e)
Caridad Pineiro PNR
The Islanders
Christopher Priest SF
Must Be Magic (ri)
Patricia Rice PNR - Magic 2
Veteran
Gavin Smith SF - Veteran 1
Classic Black Magic from Dennis Wheatley: The Devil Rides Out, To the Devil a Daughter, Gateway to Hell
Dennis Wheatley H - Omnibus



e - eBook
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - Reissue or Reprint


F - Fantasy
H - Horror
HF - Historical Fantasy
M - Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SP - Steampunk
ST - Supernatural Thriller
Th - Thriller
UF - Urban Fantasy