Author Archive

How I Wrote Rebellion

Rebellion
The war is lost. The stone mage wakes. One slave will defy him . . .

The second book in a trilogy is always tricky to write. Unless the author is very careful it can be the weakest of the three books, because it’s neither the beginning of the beginning nor the end of the end.

The way I solve this critical problem is to give each book its own driving storyline, with a powerful beginning and an even stronger ending, both of which dovetail neatly into the overarching story of the trilogy. It’s easy to say that, of course, but not so easy to do, and it takes a lot of planning and rewriting to get right.

What’s Rebellion about?

REBELLION (US | UK | AUS), book 2 of my epic fantasy trilogy The Tainted Realm, is set in an isolated island nation, once Cython but now called Hightspall, which is forever tainted by the brutal way it was colonised two thousand years ago. But now the conquered land is fighting back with one natural disaster after another, the Cythonians’ long-dead alchymist-king Lyf is rising again, and they know it’s time to take back their country.

Only one person can prevent Hightspall from running with blood – Tali, a slave in Cython who, as an eight-year-old girl, saw her mother murdered for the magical ebony pearl secretly cultured inside her head. Tali, now 18, is determined to bring the killers to justice, but discovers that she too bears an ebony pearl – the master pearl, in fact. And every villain in the land wants to hack it out of her head, including the killers.

In Book 1, VENGEANCE, Tali pursued the killers, and was hunted by them, through a land at war. To avenge her murdered mother she, a timid slave, had to take on the wizard-king, Lyf, who first died two thousand years ago.

(more…)

Infographic: The Decidedly Delectable DOUGHNUT

Doughnut

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether that is true or not, clearly the doughnut is the superior choice over all other breakfast options. Don’t feed me any of that nonsense about muffins or bagels being better: the doughnut is the clear winner.

Through the process of publishing Tom Holt’s new novel, DOUGHNUT (US |UK |AUS), we’ve become experts on the subject –  unlocking the many mysteries of the delectable doughnut. What secrets lie beneath that glazed exterior?

Click to find out more than you ever thought possible about mankind’s greatest contribution to breakfast.

Doughnut Infogrpahic

Read an excerpt from REBELLION by Ian Irvine

Rebellion

This week, the follow-up to VENGEANCE (US | UK | AUS) releases everywhere.  Magic is failing and there are dark days ahead for the land of Hightspall . . .

If you haven’t picked up the first book of The Tainted Realm series, you can check our the first chapter here or find out what fans are already saying about it on Ian’s Facebook page.

The action does not let up in the latest novel, REBELLION (US | UK | AUS). From the first pages you’ll be caught up in the epic struggle as Rix and Tali fight against a villain hellbent on destroying the world in order to rebuild it according to his desires. Read an excerpt below.

Chapter 1

“Lord Rixium?” Her voice was desperate. “You gotta get up now. The enemy are coming. Coming fast.”

Rix’s right wrist throbbed abominably, and so did the back of his head. He groaned, rolled over and cracked his ear on a stone edge. His cheek and chest were numb, as if he’d been lying on ice.

“What . . . ?” he mumbled. “Where . . . ?” His eyes were gummed shut and he didn’t want to open them. Didn’t want to see.

“Chancellor’s stolen Tali and Rannilt away, to milk their healing blood.”

Click to continue reading.

 

Wallpaper: THE CURVE OF THE EARTH by Simon Morden

THE CURVE OF THE EARTH by Simon MordenWhat do you think, is the sun rising or setting over the Metrozone in this gorgeous cover illustration by Tigaer Design? Whatever the case may be, we just love the cover of Simon Morden’s new novel THE CURVE OF THE EARTH (US | UK | AUS).

Grab a copy of one of these wallpapers and get ready for a wild ride alongside the Russian anti-hero Samuil Petrovitch through the streets of a post-apocalyptic London of the Future. THE CURVE OF THE EARTH will be out at the end of the month.

If you need another size for your computer or electronic devices let us know.

1024 x 768  | 1280 x 800 | 1280 x 1024 | 1440 x 900 | 1680 x 1050 | 1920 x 1200 | iPhone | iPad | Facebook

 

In Alternate Soviet Russia, Magic Rules You

In exactly one month from today, Peter Higgins’s brilliant debut WOLFHOUND CENTURY will be published here in the US.  “Sentient water, censored artists, mechanical constructs, old-fashioned detective work, and the secret police are all woven together in this rich and fascinating tapestry,” wrote Publishers Weekly, and that’s only the beginning of the wonderful praise we’ve received for this novel.

Watch the trailer on our website and pre-order your copy  of WOLFHOUND CENTURY today! You can also read the first five chapters on io9 right away.

WOLFHOUND CENTURY by Peter Higgins

 

 

Emperor Mollusk Versus The Sinister Brain: Now in Paperback!

Martinez_Emperor Mollusk-TP

Intergalactic Menace. Destroyer of Worlds. Conqueror of Other Worlds. Mad Genius. Ex-Warlord of Earth.  That’s our Emperor Mollusk for you.

Unfortunately, retirement is not all it’s cracked up to be, and it’s not just the boredom  When one has spent as much time as he has conquering systems, you make a lot of enemies. Venusians, mutant insects, evil clones – there is no rest for the retired.  At least this time, it’s a challenge worthy of the galaxy’s most infamous super-villain. EMPEROR MOLLUSK VERSUS THE SINISTER BRAIN (US | UK | AUS) will be out in paperback this month. It’s a wild-and-wacky adventure through an unbelievably fun future Earth rebuilt according to the will of its squishy Overlord. Check out the first chapter below!

Chapter One

There’s no sound in space, but my saucer cannons simulated a shriek with every blast. A swoosh followed every barrel roll. And when my autogunner scored a hit, a sophisticated program supplied the appropriate level of response, ranging from a simple ping to a full-fledged explosion. I could have programmed it to provide an explosion every time, but that would’ve cheapened the experience.

The atmosphere burst with color as the cannons belched their staccato rhythm. My ship blasted the enemy fighters to scrap, but an impressive fleet stood between my target and me. The shields were holding, but I had only a few moments before I was disabled.

I’d gone over my exo options before mission. Neptunons might have been the smartest race in the galaxy, but outside of our exoskeletons, we couldn’t do much more than flop around. We could drag ourselves across the floor, a means of mobility both embarrassing and ineffective. Our brains had grown too fast, and we just hadn’t possessed the patience to wait around for nature to bestow what we could give ourselves. Over the centuries, we’d only grown smarter and squishier.

Read the rest of the excerpt here.

 

Become a fan of The Powder Mage Trilogy on Facebook!

promise-of-blood“The age of kings is dead and I have killed it.”  I just get goose bumps every time I see that line gracing the marvelous cover of PROMISE OF BLOOD (US | UK | AUS).   It won’t be much longer now before this new epic fantasy series begins hitting shelves. (April 16th!) In the meantime, we’ve just launched The Powder Mage Trilogy Facebook fanpage as way of introducing you to this explosive debut.  “Like” the page and you’ll get access to the first chapter of PROMISE OF BLOOD  and be eligible to receive other exclusive content as it becomes available.

A little about the book in case this is the first time you’re hearing about it.

It’s a bloody business overthrowing a king…
Field Marshal Tamas’ coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and the greedy to scramble for money and power by Tamas’s supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces.

It’s up to a few…
Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail.

But when gods are involved…
Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should…

Sounds good right? Check it out for yourself by becoming a fan of The Powder Mage Trilogy on Facebook. Believe us, you don’t want to miss a minute of the action.

 

Welcome to Wink – where the sky touches the earth!

Bennet_AmericanElsewhere_TPWink, New Mexico, population 1,243, is a town unlike any other. Sure on the surface  everything appears mostly normal, but what town doesn’t have its oddities and urban legends?

Mona Bright wants to make a change in her life – a break from the endless chain of cheap motels and constant wandering.  When she discovers that she’s inherited a house in Wink from her deceased mother, Mona decides to take a chance on this small town. But a house is not all that awaits her in Wink and the mysteries she uncovers there are both twisted and strange.  “We, like Mona, feel the town closing in on us, trying to take us over. A beautifully written, claustrophobic, and deeply memorable horror novel” wrote Booklist in their review of this book. You do not want to miss this chilling novel from Edgar Award winning author Robert JacksonBennett.

Check out some of the other great reviews that AMERICAN ELSEWHERE has received or read the first chapter here.

Praise for AMERICAN ELSEWHERE (US | UK |AUS)

“Through sharp empathetic detail, the horrific becomes both achingly poignant and comic; a wholesome diner where no one can ever order just one piece of pie shares space with a harsh alien landscape where a quivering blue imp cowers in terror while pleading for his life. Readers will be captivated from start to finish.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“You’ll want to linger over this riveting and scary novel that straddles sf and suspense to startling effect. This wonderful offering is perfect for fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.” Library Journal (starred review)

“THE TROUPE (US | UK | AUS), Robert Jackson Bennett’s wonderful 2012 novel was one of my favorites of the year, so I had high expectations for American Elsewhere. Luckily it far exceeded those expectations. From the moment I was introduced to Mona Bright, I was hooked.” My Bookish Ways

Interview: Francis Knight on FADE TO BLACK

Fade to BlackRojan Dizon doesn’t mind staying in the shadows, because he’s got things to hide. Things like being a pain-mage, with the forbidden power to draw magic from pain. But he can’t hide for ever.

Because when Rojan stumbles upon the secrets lurking in the depths of the Pit, the fate of Mahala will depend on him using his magic. And unlucky for Rojan – this is going to hurt.

Only two more weeks until FADE TO BLACK (US | UK | AUS) releases online and in stores. Here’s an interview with Francis Knight. Find out how the city of Mahla came to be and more about the magic system employed by Knight’s pain mages.

Have you always known that you wanted to be a writer?

No, I can’t say that I have, probably because it never occurred to me to write down all the stories in my head. I’ve always read, and always made up little stories but it was only when I was struck down with ME that I started to write—I was housebound, and it was almost a defence against day- time TV. So I wrote one of my little stories and found I was addicted to writing.

Did the idea for the Rojan Dizon books come to you fully realised or did you have one particular starting point from which it grew?

As with most of my ideas, it came a piece at a time, each piece from a different direction. The idea really takes hold when they gang up on me. The theme came from one direction, Jake from another, whereas Rojan came as I was writing. He was kind of an experiment—I’d never writ- ten in first before, and he is polar opposite to me in many areas (though we do share a trait or two), so he was almost a challenge I set myself, to see if I could do it. I splurged out fifty thousand words in a month—at this stage it was a future dystopia world, but then my writers’ group pointed out, quite fairly, that I am horrible at making up future tech. One member suggested, “Why not make it a dark fantasy?” which kind of fed into a separate idea I’d had for a world where magic lived with technology. I dabbled a bit then left it on my hard drive for a few years, tinkering with it every now and again in between other projects. It was only when I decided to actually knuckle down and do something with it, when I started with the idea of pain magic in fact, that it really came to life. It was waiting for me to have the right idea to make it work, I think.

Read the full interview here.