'In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.
Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal …
This time, it’s personal.'
This is a book I'm so looking forward to reading - great cover art, a wonderful heroine and vampires - what more could any fang-fan want?
So you know those conversations that you think you've imagined? The ones where you wake up and breathe a sigh of relief that they probably happened in some sort of alternate reality where you're the Rock Chick who Can. Do. Music. And. Other. Such. Cool. Stuff ?
I've never played Rock Band, in fact I think the last computer game I played was space invaders!!! *panicked phone call to nephew!* eekk!
Then it turns out twittering can get you into even more trouble . . .
@Suzanne: Enjoyed Evolution, Wrath of God and Death yesterday at the OLF! @Big_Jim: You enjoyed evolving!? Have you become some sort of superhero Suzanne? @Suzanne: Superhero? Of course, I can fly . . . *jumps up, flaps arms, doesn't leave ground* oh wait, umm, maybe not, so it's back to the amoeba stage for now . . . @Big_Jim: Ahh! You evolved but didn't get the features you wanted? So you're going to start again! See you in 6 billion years . . . also, in 6 billion years, I expect to see you with glorious wings! How would you see yourself, with bird wings? Butterfly? Suzanne: *ponders* *Googles* *tweets* @Suzanne: In 6 billion years - I might just manage this!
But for two weeks time for Eastercon? As promised by Danie Ware
*headesk*
So if you're going to Eastercon, come and see if I can squeeze 6 billion years of evolution into two weeks *desperately Googles angel wings* and join in the Forbidden Planet Rock Band fun, and Win. Wonderful. Fantastic. Prizes!!!
I've had the abject terror pleasure of being interviewed at Horror Reanimated by Joseph D'Lacey - author of Meat and Garbage Man - Read all about the horrrrrrific torture wonderful hospitality he offered me, find out *WHO* I nominated for the Sword of the Ultimate Darkness and why my (expensively painted) toenails will never be the same again!
Plea for blog followers - come and keep Gail Carriger, my one and only [and rather wonderful] follower company and make me look less sad . . . please ;)
I 'met' Gail through the rather convoulted method of chancing upon the cover for her new book - Souless- and thinking WOW!
Then I read the blurb! and thought DOUBLE WOW!
Soulless, book the first in the Parasol Protectorate Series, is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of vampires, dirigibles, and tea.
Blurb
Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she is being rudely attacked by a vampire to whom she has not been properly introduced!
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire, and the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible.
Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society?
Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing?
Who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?
It is either Jane Austen does paranormal, or PG Wodehouse does steampunk and will be released by Orbit US October 1, 2009.
See what I mean??!!?? This is a book I want to read!
And then she has links to 'Vampire Hunters' on her website courtesy of marc17 [check out his LJ for more!] TRIPLE WOW!
So please, click to 'follow me', and keep her company and make me feel less Souless and sad ;)
ETA: Yay! Not feeling quite so lonely now, a big thank you to my newest blogger friends :-)
The Adamantine Palace lies at the centre of an empire that grew out of ashes. Once dragons ruled the world and man was little more than prey. Then a way of subduing the dragons alchemicly was discovered and now the dragons are bred to be little more than mounts for knights and highly valued tokens in the diplomatic power-players that underpin the rule of the competing aristocratic houses. The Empire has grown fat.
And now one man wants it for himself. A man prepared to poison the king just as he has poisoned his own father. A man prepared to murder his lover and bed her daughter. A man fit to be king?
But uknown to him there are flames on the way. A single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon on the loose, unsubdued, returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could spell disaster for the Empire. But because of the actions of one unscrupulous mercenary the rivals for the throne could soon be facing hundreds of dragons . . . Stephen Deas has written a fast moving and action-fuelled fantasy laced with irony, a razor sharp way with characters, dialogue to die for and dragons to die by.
Not so long ago, Amber of amberkatze.blogspot.com was kind enough to grill interview me about writing and research and what type of paranormal creature I'd like to be!
She also asked me which actor I'd take with me on a desert island - check out the interview to find out my answer to that [go on, you know you want to LOL! ] and all the other questions.
And if you leave a comment telling her which actor/actress *you* would take to a desert island, then you could win a signed copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood.
Writing progress
Emerging from the edit cave to say that the latest round of tweaks and changes and copy-edits on The Cold Kiss of Death [Spellcrackers.com book 2] have been delivered back to my editor - here's hoping she likes them *crosses fingers*. And of course, after I'd pressed that *send* button I had this fantastic high, thinking that Yay! I'd passed another milestone for Cold Kiss. Then of course, five minutes later, I'm back in the usual panic zone ... But a walk in the sunshine - and a good talking to from my BFF who quite rightly tells me I'm much too close to the screen to actually see it objectively and I'm feeling more optimistic. I love this book, Genny has some great adventures, and a lot to deal with personally, as well as a murder to solve, and a good few surprises along the way. [some which surprised me while I was writing; always a fantastic moment when that happens ;-)]
Not only that, The Sweet Scent of Blood comes out on the 30th April in mass market paperback and Gollancz have given it a wonderful new cover! Yay! Not that I didn't love the original, but squeeee!
Not only are there some wonderful books that have been chosen, such as
No. 7
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
No. 5
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman [a fab, fab book and one which I'm lucky enough to have a signed copy of with both Neil Gaiman's and Dave McKean's signatures! Yay!
but I'm overwhelmed and delighted that The Sweet Scent of Blood [SF Site's review here] has received a mention in the honourable and near misses!! A big thank you to SF Site and all those that voted.
Karen Mahoney is generously giving away a signed copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood - but be quick it ends [today] in a flash - all you have to do is leave a comment here
Left to right: Tom Lloyd, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Jaine Fenn, Joe Abercrombie, James Swallow, Suzanne McLeod, Alex Bell, Mark Chadbourn, David Devereux
What can I say; this was so cool on so many levels that I’m just going to list them :-)
1. David Devereux’s got a head full of fab, fantastic and original ideas, [read his books and you’ll see!] but the group author signing/mini-con has to top them all, both for its concept and his generosity in persuading threatening with unspeakable tortures* his fellow authors** to take part.
2. Readers brought [and bought] my book for me to sign! Whoo hoo! A big, big thank you from my heart to all of them.
3. I got to chat to old friends [among them Liz of My Favourite Books – check out her blog for more photos] and new about books, SFF and writing. To finally meet online friends in the real world instead of just cyberspace. The two hours of mixing it up with everyone flew by I was enjoying the company so much.
4. Forbidden Planet is awesome, a veritable bookshop heaven for SFF readers; the shelves are full of books!! [Okay, it’s a bookshop, I know, but these are shelves full of books by authors I love and those authors who are on my reading wishlist and are usually ones I have to order to get. I just don’t see their books on shelves all together like that in real life, let alone pick them up and stroke look at them, so FP is a SFF fans’ wonderland, a place to get lost in – literally at times *g* – and of course, there’s not just books, but all sorts!]
5. I got to buy new books and have them signed by some of my favourite authors!! Major squeeee time!
6. There’s was live footage by Nik of Loudmouthman and podcasts by David of GeekSyndicate – so it will be possible to watch/listen to us authors as we roamed free and uncaged by signing tables in the basement depths of FP – watch this space for further details.
7. And a mega thank you to Danie at Forbidden Planet, [Danie's photos here] for organising [this woman would be a world champion at herding cats after the practice she’s had on all us authors LOL!] and those at FP, London for hosting the event, and may there be many more like it. [Check out Danie's photos to find out who the mystery author in attendance was!]
I'm excited and delighted to say that on Thursday 22nd January, starting at 5:00pm, Forbidden Planet will be hosting a mass signing/mix-it-up with the following authors: -
And this isn't going to be your traditional signing; danacea of Forbidden Planet describes it as book-buffet-party/wacky miniCon where the tables will be shifted to one side and the authors can mix it up with their fans. So if you're in and about Forbidden Planet, London* on the 22nd, come and check it out and say hello/ask questions/keep us from feeling lonely/chat to all of us :-)
I was extremely lucky to win an ARC of Need; it’s a book I'd long been wanting to read [seriously, the cover alone sold it to me *goes green with cover envy* never mind the Amazon blurb …]
“Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.”
I’m not going to review the book, [reviews are something I’ve decided not to do] but just to say I thoroughly enjoyed the read; it more than held my attention
Sophie here – yes, walkies were *late* that day!!!
And I could feel the book calling out to me to come back and finish it – always a sign of absorbing characters and a great story when you *have* to find out what’s going to happen next ;)
This is a young adult book [and if you want to read all the latest on YA books check out Carrie Ryan’s blog] The back of the book states – ‘Now fans of Stephenie Meyer and Melissa Marr have a new author to devour…’ I’ve read both authors and agree wholeheartedly with this. I also think that Zara’s interest in Amnesty International [an interest which is shown as part of her character, and the story, but in no way is it *preached*] is an aspect of this book that leaves you with thoughts and questions long after the book is finished.
Phil Rickman explores the attraction of horror and nouveau-gothic fiction with authors Suzanne McLeod (The Sweet Scent of Blood) and Peter Luther (The Mourning Vessels). Listen here until the 20.12.08.
*
Phil Rickman [a best-selling crime writer] does a radio show where he interviews published authors about their books. [A very nervous me in this particular one!] Not only does he talk to Peter and myself, but also to Anne Rice!
At the same time he also invites aspiring authors to send in the start of their novel, along with a synopsis, which he then forwards to a relevant publisher for their comments. In this episode two aspiring horror authors have sent in their novels and Jo Fletcher* [my editor at Gollancz] gives advice to them about their submissions. John Jarrold [my agent]also talks about the current market for fantasy and horror.
*
Ever wondered what a radio studio looks like?
Via the wonders of technology, I was able to sit in my local radio studio for the show, which despite the fact I was on my own [and did I mention nervous!] and not much larger than a broom cupboard [the show's producer's description, not mine] was really pretty cool.
* no prizes for guessing that it was thanks to my editor that I was interviewed for the show *g*
