Author Archive

Epic Fantasy at its Best – VALOR is out today!

Gwynne_Valor_TPBEpic fantasy fans exult! Today we are thrilled to release John Gwynne’s Valor, the sequel to his acclaimed debut Malice, winner of the David Gemmell Morningstar Award.

If you love fantasy teaming with rich characters, riveting battles and a vivid world, this is a series that will enthrall you. If you’re going through Game of Thrones withdrawal there is no better cure.

Here’s a selection of amazing praise for Malice:

“A series that promises the same degree of complexity and depth found in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books and George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series.” – Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Influenced by Gemmell’s Rigante and George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones….Hell of a debut.” – Conn Iggulden

“Middle Earth–ish extravaganza with all the usual thrills, chills, spills and frills….there’s plenty of action.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Three-dimensional characters, a gripping plot, and a world that became real to me….this is the type of fantasy I love to read and I truly can’t wait to read the next volume in The Faith and the Fallen!” – Fantasy Book Critic

“John Gwynne hits all the right spots in his epic tale of good versus evil….there’s a lot of pleasure to be had in is debut novel; Gwynne is definitely one to watch.” – SFX

“Warring clans, sleeping giants, Banished Lands and omens and portents… a strong contender for ‘if you like Game of Thrones, why not try this?’ award.” – Independent (UK)

Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski – On Shelves Now!

For those of you craving something new and exciting now that E3 is over, Orbit has the answer. Baptism of Fire, the latest book in the Witcher series and the basis for the popular video games, is on shelves now!  Do not miss this epic adventure featuring Geralt’s latest quest.

The Wizards Guild has been shattered by a coup and, in the uproar, Geralt was seriously injured. The Witcher is supposed to be a guardian of the innocent, a protector of those in need, a defender against powerful and dangerous monsters that prey on men in dark times.

But now that dark times have fallen upon the world, Geralt is helpless until he has recovered from his injuries.

While war rages across all of the lands, the future of magic is under threat and those sorcerers who survive are determined to protect  it. It’s an impossible situation in which to find one girl – Ciri, the heiress to the throne of Cintra, has vanished – until a rumor places her in the Niflgaard court, preparing to marry the Emperor.

Injured or not, Geralt has a rescue mission on his hands.

Praise for The Witcher series:

“The character interplay is complex, unsentimental and anchored in brutal shared history. All bodes well for twisty plotting to come.”  — SFX

“Like Mieville and Gaiman, Sapkowski takes the old and makes it new.”  — Foundation (UK)

“Sapkowski revitalizes the genre with energetic and compelling writing. A breath of fresh air in a well-worn genre.  Don’t miss it!”  — Dreamwatch (UK)

This is the third of the Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. And if you haven’t yet, make sure to check out where it all started with The Last Wish, Blood of Elves, and The Time of Contempt available now.

House of the Rising Sun – Out This Week!

The Trouble with New Orleans

Just say the words New Orleans and you probably think of jazz music, cobblestone streets, cemeteries filled with monuments, and scrolling iron balconies. You might also think about vampires, ghosts and who knows what else that might be lurking in the shadows. The Big Easy has a certain reputation for the mysterious. And indeed, it is definitely a place filled with a special kind of magic. The tales that surround this city are part truth, part legend, part good old fashioned story telling.

As a writer, it’s hard not to be mesmerized by this place. I’ve been to New Orleans more times than I can count and it never fails to enchant me in some new way. There are moments when I could easily believe I’ve crossed a threshold where all the creatures of my imagination could truly exist. Maybe it has something to do with the city’s own sense of immortality. Very little changes here, whether it’s the architecture, the colorful presence of art and music, the tantalizing aroma of chicory-laced coffee, or the ever-present sense that an undercurrent of something dark and magic thrums just below the surface.

I promise it’s nothing to be intimidated by. The locals are friendly and the tourist even more so, perhaps helped by the loose liquor laws. Whatever the reason, the city welcomes everyone and has become a favorite for so many authors, myself included.

In my new Crescent City series, it became the perfect setting for my fae characters. A place where mortals and othernaturals could indulge in food, drink, music, love, and war, all while fully aware of each others’ existence.

If you find yourself in New Orleans and want to check out some of the places where the lines between this world and the supernatural seem to blur, take this list with you. A few of these spots show up in my series.

The cemeteries of New Orleans

Sometimes called the Cities of the Dead because their towering crypts and monuments create mini-skylines, a stroll through any one of these final resting places is something you’ll always remember. My favorite is Lafayette Cemetery No. One in the Garden District and conveniently located across from Commander’s Palace restaurant. Both spots make an appearance in, HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN (US | UK |AUS), but the cemetery gets top billing as it’s also the location of the fae’s underground headquarters (via a secret entry through one of its crypts). (more…)

Loving the Old, but Bring on the New!

Every vampire has heard rumor of the mythical place where their kind can daywalk. But what no vampire knows is that this City of Eternal Night actually exists.

And its name is New Orleans.

For centuries, the fae have protected the city from vampire infestation. But when the bloodsuckers return, the fragile peace in New Orleans begins to crumble.

Carefree playboy Augustine, and Harlow, a woman searching for answers about her absent father, are dragged into the war.  The fate of the city rests on them — and their fae blood that can no longer be denied.

There is nothing as heart wrenching for readers and authors alike as concluding a series and leaving a whole world behind.  But just as all good things must come to an end, new and fabulous things begin!  Kristen Painter, author of the beloved House of Comarré novels, knows this process well as she heads into her second series — Crescent City.  Book one, House of the Rising Sun, debuts next week, and in preparation, Kristen stopped by to talk about the transition process from an author point of view:

Top Five Reasons Ending an Existing Series is Hard

  1. Worldbuilding – Building worlds is tons of fun. But when you pour extensive amounts of gray matter into a world that’s spanned five novels and one novella, you’re pretty stuck in. You know the place intimately and you can navigate better than Google Maps. Ending the series means you don’t get to play there anymore.
  2. Characters – After a series run, your characters can feel like an extended part of your family. In some cases, you may have spent more time with them than your actual family. Throughout the books, your characters have grown and changed and those that have survived may have even become better people because of things they overcame along the way. You know them like you know yourself. When the series ends, there’s not a lot of chance to see them again.
  3. Readers – Readers get even more invested in a series than the author does sometimes, so for me, I’m always thinking about them when I write. My goal with every book is to entertain, so leaving a series makes me cringe. What if the readers aren’t happy with the ending? What if they still want more? What if the readers don’t like the new books? What if they hate the new hero/heroine?
  4. The New Book – All of a sudden you realize you have to come up with a new series – new worldbuilding, new characters, new conflicts, new plots. That can be daunting when you feel like you put everything you had into the series you just finished.
  5. The Final Book – The last book in a series carries a lot of weight. Writing it means shouldering the burdens of every unanswered thread you’ve created thus far. And some authors *coughmyselfcough* tend to create a lot of threads. All of them have to be wrapped up neatly and you’ve still got to have a conclusion that leaves the reader feeling satisfied. Oh, the pressure! It’s enough to make a writer drink. Or binge eat Swedish fish.

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Mayhem in Minneapolis!

DARK DESCENT, book two in Marlene Perez’s Nyx Fortuna series, launches this week! If you enjoyed Nyx’s wry humor and non-stop action life, you will love what Perez has in store for you next.

Nyx, still reeling from Elizabeth’s betrayalhas no time to rest. His cousin Claire has gone missing and his aunts, the three Fates, are threatening that if he doesn’t find her, Elizabeth will suffer.

Now, despite how he may feel, Nyx must venture into the underworld of Minneapolis to find his wayward cousin, lost to the thrall of Hecate’s dark magic.  But releasing Claire is not without its consequences. While it might fulfill the prophecy foretelling the fall of the Fates that have plagued him for so long, it would also mean releasing Hecate from her dark prison… and into our world. Nyx must now decide. How far would he go to save the woman he loves…. the woman who betrayed him?

Praise for the Nyx Fortuna series:

“Skillfully rendered in crisp, edgy prose, STRANGE FATES offers an exciting start to what’s sure to be a winning new series. I can’t wait to follow the sexy-as-heck Nyx Fortuna into the next installment!”
— Alyson Noël, #1 New York Timesbestselling author

“An intriguing protagonist, snappy dialogue, and a fast-paced plot.”
— Publisher’s Weekly

“Nyx is a likable hero and provides a refreshing change from the usual urban fantasy fare.”
— Library Journal

To start from the beginning of this awesome series, check out STRANGE FATES and read an excerpt here.

COLD BLOODED releases today!

For all you urban fantasy fans out there, your week just got a whole lot better.  The wait is over — COLD BLOODED (US | UK | AUS) by Amanda Carlson releases today!

If you read urban fantasy and you haven’t checked out the Jessica McClain series, I know the perfect book for the top of your “to read” pile.  FULL BLOODED (US | UK | AUS)  kicked off the series last year and the action has not stopped since.  Jessica McClain proves that it’s not easy being a girl.  It’s even harder when you’re the only girl in a family of werewolves.  But it’s next to impossible when your very existence spells out the doom of your race… Meet Jessica McClain — she just became part of the pack.

The third book in the series, COLD BLOODED, takes Jessica to new heights, and combines all of the best of the genre.  There are vampires, witches, and a really hot guy (oh my!). It will keep you on your toes and leave you guessing — by the end, you won’t know which way is up and you’ll be loving it the whole way!

Jessica McClain is on the run… again.

Finally reunited with Rourke, Jessica arrives home to find that her best friend has been kidnapped, her father has vanished, and the supernatural Sects — witches, demons, and sorcerers — don’t even have the courtesy to wait until she is unpacked to attack.

Now, mastering her powers as the sole female werewolf might not be enough to save them.  Thrown together in a shaky truce with the Vampire Queen, Jessica must show all the different Sects what the true meaning of “the enemy of my enemy” is or her father will die…

All three books are out and available now in your local bookstores.  And if that isn’t enough good news for this week, I am very excited to share that the Jessica McClain series will be continuing for two more books starting in 2014! Get a jump on the series now because I can guarantee you… you won’t want to miss what’s next.

 

 

Urban Fantasy with a Twist of Fate

PrintI am extremely excited to announce the publication of STRANGE FATES by Marlene Perez, out today as an Orbit e-only original!  This is Marlene’s first foray into the adult urban fantasy realm, and with its fast pace, forbidden romance, and unique mix of Greek mythology and Fates, you will not be able to put it down.

About STRANGE FATES: Brooding, leather jacket-wearing Nyx Fortuna looks like a 20-something, and has for centuries now. As the son of the forgotten fourth Fate, Lady Fortuna, he has been hunted his entire life by the three Sisters of Fate that murdered his mother. Fed up and out for revenge, Nyx comes to Minneapolis following a tip that his aunts have set up a business there. His goal– ­to bring down his mother’s killers and retrieve the thread of fate that has trapped him in the body of a twenty year old unable to age or die. But when a chance meeting with the mysterious, dangerous and very mortal Elizabeth Abernathy throws off his plans, he must reconcile his humanity and his immortality.

Also, check out the book trailer on USAToday’s Happy Ever After blog. Screen Shot 2013-03-05 at 2.25.06 PM

SPIRIT’S END – The Epic Conclusion to the Eli Monpress Series

 THE SPIRIT WAR by Rachel Aaron  

One of my greatest privileges since coming to work at Orbit has been working on the Eli Monpress series by Rachel Aaron. Following Eli on his fantastic journeys was always hilarious, entertaining, and unexpected. So it is with great pleasure (and a bit of sadness) that we release the final Eli Monpress novel, SPIRIT’S END (US | UK | AUS).

Eli Monpress is clever, he’s determined, and he’s in way over his head.

First rule of thievery: don’t be a hero. When Eli broke the rules and saved the Council Kingdoms, he thought he knew the price, but resuming his place as the Shepherdess’s favorite isn’t as simple as bowing his head. Now that she has her darling back, Benehime is setting in motion a plan that could destroy everything she was created to protect, and even Eli’s charm might not be enough to stop her. But Eli Monpress always has a plan, and with disaster rapidly approaching, he’s pulling in every favor he can think of to make it work, including the grudging help of the Spirit Court’s new Rector, Miranda Lyonette.

But with the world in panic, the demon stirring, and the Lord of Storms back on the hunt, it’s going to take more than luck and charm to pull Eli through this time. He’s going to have to break a few more rules and work with some old enemies if he’s going to survive.

Praise for the Eli Monpress series:

“Fans of Scott Lynch’s Lies of Locke Lamora(2006) will be thrilled with Eli Monpress.” –Booklist (Starred Review)

“A romp of a lighthearted fantasy starring an absolutely darling rogue.”  — Publishers Weekly

SPIRIT’S END is available in  the US in a stand-alone edition, and in the UK and Australia as the second book in THE REVENGE OF ELI MONPRESS omnibus edition.  

OUT FOR BLOOD – The Wait is Over!!

OUT FOR BLOOD by Kristen Painter4After the first three explosive books in the House of Comarré series were released three months in a row, waiting a whole ten months for the next installment was pure TORTURE. But the time has finally come! Orbit is very excited to be releasing OUT FOR BLOOD (UK | US | AUS) this fall, book four in the House of Comarré series by Kristen Painter.

After nearly dying at the hands of the Aurelian, Chrysabelle finds new determination to move beyond life as a comarré. That is until the Kubai Mata bring a new task to her doorstep: rescue the child Tatiana has kidnapped, or Mal becomes enemy number one.

Magic, trouble, loss, and love (and of course the verydelectable Mal) await you in this fabulous next installment from Kristen Painter.  Enjoy and then join me in the count down (eight months until book five, eight months until book five, eight months until book five!)

Praise for the House of Comarré:

“Prophecy, curses, and devilish machination combine for a spellbinding debut of dark romance and pulse-pounding adventure.” — Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Painter scores with this one.  Passion and murder, vampires and courtesans — original and un-put-downable.  Do yourself a favor and read this one.” — Patricia Briggs, New York Times bestselling author

“Kristen Painter brings a sultry new voice to the vampire genre, one that beckons with quiet passion and intrigue.” — L.A. Banks, New York Times bestselling author of The Vampire Huntress Legends series

Check out the rest of the series!