And along with the covers for the Zombie Therapy series, I’ve whipped up some zombie valentines to send to your tasty best sweetheart. Go to jessepetersen.net and you can automatically share them on facebook.
Cover design for the Fall 2010 – Winter 2011 is progressing feverishly, but I have an early launch for you guys. Well, actually, editor Devi kind of already leaked the first Zombie Therapy book by Jesse Petersen, but here I have the first TWO covers in the series for you to feast your eyes on! (Get it, “feast”? I know, Groan. Sorry.)
As usual I read a bunch of the first book before I started designing, and Married With Zombies is hilarious. Think Shaun of the Dead for zombie humor, plus a really good snarky madcap romantic comedy. I’m not a big chick lit/romantic comedy gal myself, and I still thought the story was great fun and very fast moving – both in adventure and sarcastic comebacks. So don’t let the pink scare you away, trust me. (more…)
I have the distinct pleasure of introducing a brand new author to the list, Jesse Petersen. Orbit US has bought three books — the first of which, MARRIED WITH ZOMBIES, we will be publishing in mass market in September 2010.
The book is about two unlikely heroes — a couple on the verge of divorce. On their way to marriage counseling, they notice a few odd things: a missing guard, a lack of cars on the freeway, and their counselor ripping out the throat of her previous client.
Now it’s up to David and Sarah to work together, save their marriage — and survive in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. (more…)
It’s time for the next instalment in Jeff Somers’ ingeniously speedy recap of the Avery Cates series so far. Presenting: ‘The Digital Plague in One Minute’. OK, so as pointed out on the previous video, maybe it’s just a little longer than a minute, but I guess Jeff figured that ‘The Digital Plague in One Minute and Forty-Two Seconds’ isn’t nearly as catchy . . .
***SPOILER ALERT!***
Disclaimer: As Jeff’s publisher we cannot *quite* back up the veracity of his final statement…
We’ve just had in the most gorgeous visual for Celia Friedman’s Wings of Wrath, in mass market paperback, out in August in the UK. This is the second book in Friedman’s masterful Magister trilogy, and I am just loving the bold design and glowing colours of these covers. Book One, Feast of Souls (UK I ANZ) is already out in mass market and you can still get Wings of Wrath (UK I ANZ) in its trade paperback size too (the same, but bigger, with less glow-y colours).
The author also had some really nice things to say, always appreciated: ‘I think the British books are GORGEOUS, especially the WoW. Your artist got the flavor of the Souleaters beautifully — I was thrilled! — and the color and composition of the design are breathtaking … a real delight for me. Can’t wait to get the last one to you and see what you do with it!’
And take a look at these reasons why you should read, with this praise for the Magister trilogy:
Author Marc Laidlaw has been giving thought to trailers for books lately. And he has some problems with the way they’ve been done. And, he has some ideas for how they could be done differently.
Accordingly, he tries his skills on Jesse Bullington’s THE SAD TALE OF THE BROTHERS GROSSBART. See what you think.
What would you want to see, in a book trailer? (Besides a refreshing absence of spoilers….)
As well as some tempting frontlist books, January also brings Orbit UK some very handsome reissues of K. J. Parker’s Engineer trilogy. And free extracts are available here for all three books: Devices and Desires (click here for extract), Evil for Evil (extract here) and The Escapement (extract here). The reissues will also be available via Orbit Australia from March. It’s great to see this trilogy getting a new lease of life as it’s received so much critical acclaim since its first publication. SFX deservedly called it ‘One of the finest fantasy trilogies of recent years,’ and I’ll leave you with a quote from Locus to further whet the appetite:
‘I was hooked from the very first scene … The whole thing is brilliant – disturbingly so, since these fantasies (without a whit of magic) explore the human condition and reveal it all, brain, heart, guns and bowels, with a starting precision. Parker gets back to basics, the things that drive the oldest tales: love and war, hope and betrayal’
The date is drawing closer for the UK release of The Eternal Prison (UK/US/ANZ), the third novel in Jeff Somers’ fast and furious techno-thriller series, the Avery Cates sequence. By putting his genius video-making skills to use, Jeff has provided us with two handy bite-size films to remind you of the series so far in speedy fashion. Here we present the first: ‘The Electric Church in One Minute.’ (And for those poor misguided individuals who haven’t sampled the sheer awesomeness of Avery Cates yet – no fear! Doesn’t feature too many spoilers…)
Stay tuned for ‘The Digital Plague in One Minute’!
Fantastic news just in: The Magician’s Apprentice (AUS / UK / US) has won the 2010 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel!
Many congratulations to Trudi – and, indeed, to all of the shortlisted authors in what was a very strong field.
Click on the image above to read an extract.
I wanted to direct you art fans out there over to an interview that the blog DarkFaerieTales.com did with one of my favorite Orbit illustrators, Sharon Tancredi. You’ll recognize Sharon’s work immediately if you’ve seen Nicole Peeler’s Jane True series. I’ve just received the art from Sharon for Jane True #3 and it’s fantastic! We’ll be launching the cover here soon. But for now, check out the interview and some of Sharon’s other work. (I love her fine art pieces.) (more…)
