Category Archives: Heifer International

Published: November 25, 2010

Giving Thanks

One of my best thanksgiving memories is from 2003, back when I was still living my old student lifestyle.

To be completely honest, I wasn’t really a student at that point in my life. But the only real difference between 2003 and 2000 was that I was teaching classes rather than taking them. My habits, hobbies, and income hadn’t really changed from my student days, and I still felt like a student at heart.

A couple days before the real Thanksgiving, my friend Ian said to me: “We should get people together and have Thanksgiving tonight.”

“My stove doesn’t work,” I said. “And I don’t know how to make stuffing.”

He shook his head. “No. We should all go to the store and buy some kind of food we’re thankful for. Then we get together and share it.”

And that’s what we did. That night we ate taco dip and poppin fresh biscuits. We had fried mushrooms and shrimp and mountain dew. We had nutty bars and ice cream and a bunch of other things I can’t even remember.

We gathered round, ate these wonderful things, enjoyed each other’s company, and watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Times have changed since then. These days, most of my friend have left town. I miss them terribly, but I have a different sort of family now. More specifically, I have a baby.

I’m going to post up a picture of him. Because it’s my blog and I can do whatever I want.

Apparently megalomania is genetic.

Today I’m taking a break from copyediting and posting more Worldbuilders books. That means I have time to do one of my favorite things. I get to have lunch with Sarah and Oot at the Olympic.

The Olympic is a restaurant I’ve been eating at for years. Sarah and I had one of our first dates there. And she tells me that once, years before we met, she watched me from a nearby booth, eavesdropping, lust simmering in her innocent young heart.

These days going to the Olympic is fun for me because I get to feed little Oot.

For months I had nothing to do with this. Sarah breastfeeds, and because she’s stay-at-home Oot can get a snack pretty much whenever he wants, straight from the tap. But now he’s over a year old, and while he still loves the boob, he’s eating solid foods too.

I order the chicken soup and give him parts of it. A noodle. A little chicken. A bit of celery. A little piece of carrot that’s soft enough for me to cut up with my spoon.

Oot investigates these things. He pokes them with a finger, then crams them into his mouth. It is not unlike the way his daddy eats, though his daddy tries to be more genteel in public.

I have a lot to be thankful for. My first book has met with stupefying success. I have an understanding editor who has given me the time to turn my second book into something I can be proud of. My work is being translated into thirty languages. I have awards. I have money in the bank.

But none of that makes me as happy as lunch with Oot. I give him a piece of lettuce from my sandwich. A piece of tomato that I bite in half for him. A little bit of turkey. He moves them around on his little plastic mat, then pokes them happily into his drooly little baby maw.

I was a fan of Heifer International long before I ever considered having a kid. I donated money. I got weepy when I read Beatrice’s Goat.  I gave goats and chickens and sheep as Christmas presents.

But now that I have a baby, it’s something else entirely. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I couldn’t get enough food for my baby.

Actually, that’s not true. I have a very good imagination. I can imagine exactly what it would be like to not have enough food for my baby. It’s a horrifying feeling. It’s a huge feeling. When I think about not being able to feed my baby, my mind brushes up against the edge of something very big and dark in my head. Like nighttime swimmer who feels something firmly bump against his foot.

They say any civilization is three meals away from barbarism. And now, having a child, I believe it’s true. If I couldn’t get Oot the food he needed, I think I would do monstrous things. Barring that, I think some part of me would break and never, ever be right again. Not ever.

Still at the Olympic, I give Oot my whole deli pickle mostly out of curiosity. He pokes it, then picks the whole thing up and bites off the end. He makes an indescribable face. Then he takes another bite. At first it looks like he’s going to eat the whole thing. Then he holds it out to me, and I take a bite. I made a face and he laughs. He takes another bite, then holds it out for me again.

I am very lucky. I think this all the time. I have a warm house. I have a healthy baby. Not only do I have food for him, but we have food enough so that eating it can be a form of play.

This is why I started Worldbuilders.

When I started making serious money off my first book, it was nice. I paid off my credit card. I earned enough so I could get a mortgage on a house. But other than ordering a slightly better brand of frozen burrito, my lifestyle hasn’t changed that much. It’s nice to be able to order Chinese takeout whenever I want. But really, money hasn’t made me noticeably happier.

Matching donations through Worldbuilders makes me happy. It’s my new hobby. I look forward to it all year long.

Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes I see the donation thermometer jump up by a thousand dollars and I flinch a bit.

Then I remember that 120 dollars buys a family a goat. I think about children drinking milk. Not just one morning. Every morning. I think about children eating eggs. I think about mothers and fathers selling the extra milk and wool and eggs to buy things they need to have a better life.

And then I’m happy.

After we finish up at the Olympic, I run some errands. At Shopko, I see a little bath set. It’s got a little comb, and some bubble stuff, and a yellow sponge duck.

Oot loves ducks. It’s one of his favorite words. We could play with this in the bathtub.

And I almost buy it before I realize how stupid this is. We have combs at home. We have stuff that makes bubbles. I would be paying twenty bucks for a bunch of plastic packaging and a sponge duck. For twenty bucks, I could get a flock of chicks from Heifer.

And once I think of it in these terms, it’s easy not to buy this useless piece of crass commercial shit. Oot is deliriously happy playing with a cardboard tube or one of the rubber ducks that we already have in the house. He doesn’t need this.

When I get home from errands, the first thing I do is check the donation totals. I’m really hoping we can get the thermometer up to 130,000 dollars again this year. Maybe more. It would be great if we could beat last year’s total.

The thermometer has gone up another 500 bucks. That’s good. That’s another $250 I’ll be kicking into the pot. That’s six goats and a bunch of chickens.

That’s a lot to be thankful for.

Have a good turkey day everyone,

pat

P.S. Just in case you want to wander over to the Worldbuilders donation page, here’s the link…

Also posted in Oot, day in the life, musings, my student days
|posted by Pat 30 Comments
Published: December 16, 2009

A Plethora of Signed Books

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

That’s right. I said plethora. You want to make something of it?

Today we have even more delicious books as prizes for the fundraiser. All of these have been donated by the authors themselves. This means two things:

1. All these books are signed.
2. These authors are cool as hell.

Oh sure, I know. You’re thinking that ALL fantasy and Sci-Fi authors are cool as hell. And yeah, that’s pretty much true. But these folks have taken it to the next level. They’re doubleplus good. They’re hoopy. They’re, like, Fonzie cool.

Alright, on to the books:

  • Two copies of The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche and Other Odd Acquaintances by Peter S. Beagle. Signed by the author.


Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge fan of Peter S. Beagle. This is a collection of some of his short fiction, including one of my favorite short stories of all time, “The Rhinoceros who Quoted Nietzsche.” Man, just thinking of that story makes me want to go and read it right now….

Locus describes this book as, “a definite must for Beagle fans and lovers of fine fantasy.”


This collection includes the Hugo Award-Winning story “Two Hearts,” which is a sequel to The Last Unicorn. If you haven’t read it, you don’t know what you’re missing.

I’m not the only one that’s gushy over Beagle. Ursula K LeGuin herself says that he’s “…An expert on those heart’s reasons that reason does not know.”

  • Two copies of We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter S. Beagle. Signed by the author.


Want a few more Beagle Quotes? Fine. Here you go…

“Peter S. Beagle has both opulence of imagination and mastery of style.” – New York Times Book Review

“At his best, Peter S. Beagle outshines the moon, the sun, the stars, the entire galaxy.” – Seattle Times

If all that doesn’t convince you to give him a read, I don’t know what will…


I’ve known David for a while, and talked about him and his first book at some length in a blog called, How David Anthony Durham Saved my Life.

But if you don’t care what I think, (and why should you, really?) then you can trust Kirkus when they say that The Other Lands “boggles the mind and transcends genre.”


I’ve gotten to know Jean Rabe pretty well over the last couple years. In addition to being a truly prolific writer, she runs the writer-track programming at Gen-Con in Indianapolis. There’s some great programming there with some authors that I’ve really come to love over the years.

This book is something special, as it’s Andre Norton’s last book. Jean and Andre were frequent collaborators, and Jean says “This was an honor–to finish Andre Norton’s last manuscript.”

  • A copy of When the Husband is the Suspect by F. Lee Bailey with Jean Rabe. First edition hardcover signed by Jean Rabe.


Something a little outside our normal Fantasy and Sci-fi bounds here. Jean notes that “This was my first true-crime endeavor with F. Lee Bailey!”


Jean Rabe says, “I had great fun plotting this with Andre. I picked the Wisconsin place-she picked the historical setting.”

  • A set of Martha Wells‘ series, The Fall of Ile-Rien: The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air, and The Gate of Gods. First edition hardcovers, signed by the author.


Locus says that Martha Well’s books are, “Fascinating…A vastly entertaining and refreshingly different fantasy adventure with a surprisingly satisfying conclusion.”

  • A copy of The Words of Their Roaring by Matthew Smith. Signed by the author.


From the back of the book: “London is now a city overrun by the zombie hordes. Most of the human survivors live from day to day, scraping together an existence among the ruins, avoiding the shambling, flesh-hungry undead that still stalk the streets. But for others this gruesome situation is an opportunity, a chance to establish a power base within the capital, now that authority has collapsed. For gang lord Harry Flowers, the plague is his chance to finally rule the city unopposed.”

  • A set of Wanderlust and Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre. Signed by the author.


National bestselling author Sharon Shinn says that these books are, “An irresistible blend of action and attitude…”

  • Two copies of the Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon. First and second edition copies, both are signed by the author.


I met Cindy out at Comic Con this year. And she was very helpful during this year’s fundraiser, helping me to spread the word to other authors who then donated books. Silver Phoenix is her first book, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.

Booklist gave her a starred review, and said: “If the cover image of a fearless Chinese heroine reminds readers of such films as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that’s intentional; the story inside will too. Pon’s writing, both fluid and exhilarating, shines whether she’s describing a dinner delicacy or what it feels like to stab an evil spirit in the gut.”

  • A set of The Onyx Court series: Midnight Never Come and Ashes Lie by Marie Brennan. Signed by the author.


I haven’t read these, but after checking out these two blurbs, I think I might wander over to Amazon…

“Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved… Brennan’s myriad fantastical creations ring as true as her ear for Elizabethan and faerie dialogue” – Publishers Weekly

“…firmly rooted in real history, set in a convincingly-constructed Elizabethan England, but with a secret faerie court existing beneath London … a political thriller, with conspiracies, spies and shady machinations…” – SFX Magazine, four-star review

  • A set of the series Doppelganger: Witch and Warrior by Marie Brennan. Signed by the author.


Dave Duncan says, “Doppelganger is a great read. The characters are admirable people, the magic is unconventional and unobtrusive, the pace never flags, and the plot will keep you turning pages right to the wholly satisfying finale.”

  • A copy of The Clockwork King of Orl by Mike Wild. Signed by the author.


From the back of the book: “There’s a whole world out there, and it isn’t ours! The words of her mentor inspire Kali Hooper to explore the lost places of Twilight, unearth the secrets of the past, and discover the fate of the vanished Old Races. Including the mysterious construct known as the Clockwork King of Orl.”


Child of Fire was on Publishers Weekly “Best 100 Books of 2009″ list. And Sherwood Smith says that, “Harry Connolly’s story jets from 0 to 60 in five pages and never lets you brake for safety. He’s a fantastic new voice.”

  • A copy of Terribly Twisted Tales edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg. Signed by author Kelly Swails.


Kelly is one of the authors I know from the Gen-Con writer’s track. Notw only is she a complete sweetheart, but Tor.com has called her writing “ingenious” and “thoroughly inventive.”

  • A set of the Blue Kingdoms anthologies: Shades & Specters, Buxom Buccaneers and Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms. Signed by Kelly Swails.


How can you not want a book with the word Buxom in the title? It’s just a fun word. Say it. “Buxom.”

These Blue Kingdom anthologies are full of award-winning fantasy authors like Lorelei Shannon, Robert E. Vardeman, Kathleen Watness, Marc Tassin, Paul Genesse, Jean Rabe, Stephen D. Sullivan…. and, of course, Kelly Swails herself.


Publishers Weekly weekly says that Kessler and Kittredge, “create a dark world where the narrow line between hero and vigilante is defined by corporate interests [...] Jet and Iridium’s multifaceted relationship will appeal to all who have come to want more from their superheroes than good vs. evil and mindless battles.”

  • A set of Doctrine of Labyrinths: Melusine, The Virtu, The Mirador and Corambis by Sarah Monette. Hardcover first editions signed by the author.


Jacqueline Carey says that Malusine is, “A lush novel, rife with decadent magic, dehibilitating madness, and dubious deeds.”

And in a starred review, Publishers Weekly speaks highly of Monette, calling her, “…a highly original writer with her own unique voice.”


From Publishers Weekly: “Monette reconstructs the traditional English ghost story—insinuated horror, no gratuitous sex or violence—with a decidedly modern-day approach in this laudable collection of 10 necromantic mystery stories featuring introverted museum archivist Kyle Murchison Booth. [...] Cerebral, ethereal and stylishly understated, this entrancing collection will appeal to fans of literary horror, dark fantasy and supernatural mystery.”

And remember, if you like Monette’s stories, she’s donated a signed manuscript of four uncollected Booth stories to the fundraiser. The auction is over later today, so if you don’t bid soon you’re out of luck…

  • A set of Kristen Britain’s series: Green Rider, Rider’s First Call and The High King’s Tomb. Signed by the author.


In addition to donating a handwritten page of her fourth book’s manuscript to the auctions, Kristen has given us a signed set of the first three Green Rider books. (The auction ends later today [Dec 16th] so if you’re interested you’d better hurry…)

Anne McCaffrey called GREEN RIDER “a stunning first novel,” and this trade edition of Green Rider features a 10th Anniversary introduction by the author.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them. Plus there’s the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That’s nice too.

And don’t forget, I’m matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You’ll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser and read all the details, you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(Did I mention Subterranean is printing a new book of mine? I think I did…)

Also posted in Worldbuilders 2009
|posted by Pat 11 Comments
Published: December 15, 2009

Bad Moon Books

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Imagine my delight when, for the second year, we received several hefty boxes of donations from Bad Moon Books.

Want to see them? Of course you do…

You’ll forgive me if I’m not my normal verbose self today. Little Oot is sick, and I’ve got a lot of Christmas-is-coming things going on right now. Next year, I’m definitely starting the fundraiser earlier….

  • Three signed limited editions, one in traycase cover, of The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Travelling Circus by Clive Barker.


DAVID NIALL WILSON on Barker’s new book: “From the first story, in which Indigo Murphy, the best bird handler in the world leaves the show to join in matrimony with the Duke Lorenzo de Medici, to the fabled court of Kubla Khan, the magic never stops. You will meet a young apple thief named Angelo with magic eyes, an orang-outang named Bathsheba, and a host of other amazing characters with names and personas cut like a patchwork quilt from the mythologies and dreams of the world. Though written forty years ago, these pages are littered with the same magical side steps that have always been woven into Clive Barker’s fiction.”

  • An uncorrected proof of The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Travelling Circus by Clive Barker. Signed by the author.


As above, but in sexy ARC form.

  • A signed, numbered, limited edition of Shadow of the Dark Angel by Gene O’Neill.


“When is a serial killer novel about much more than just the murders? When the psychopath is in the skilled hands of a master storyteller. In Shadow Of The Dark Angel Gene O’Neill has crafted yet another multi-genre, mind blowing adventure into the dark heart of humanity. Part horror, part psychological thriller, and part police procedural, Shadow is sure to thrill his growing legion of fans. Highly recommended.” – Gord Rollo, author of The Jigsaw Man

  • A signed numbered limited edition of Doc Good’s Traveling Show by Gene O’Neill.


“Listen up. I’ve been a Gene O’Neill fan since reading his daring and disturbing ‘The Burden of Indigo’ several years back. Gene is not just a good writer, he’s a student of good writing, and has the kind of talent that just gets better with age and exposure to the elements.” -Harry Shannon, author of Dead and Gone.

  • A signed, PC limited edition of Plague Monkey Spam by Steve Vernon.


How can you not want to read a book called Plauge Monkey Spam? The title alone says it all…

“Steve Vernon has tapped the strange fiction vein like never before.” – Hellnotes

  • A signed, illustrated, limited edition of The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs and the Currently Accepted Habits of Nature by David Niall Wilson.


Description from Bad Moon Books: “From the moment Cletus and Sheriff Bob drag the corpse from the fishing hole to the final moments of terror, the action is non-stop, tense, and filled with surprises. Between the Reverend Dozier and his church, the swamp witch, the albino twins, and the local lodge’s well-hidden secrets, the strange events in Old Mill, NC are pretty much out of control.” Featuring illustrations by Zach McCain.

  • Two signed, limited editions of Wings of the Butterfly by John Urbancik.


“With Wings of the Butterfly, John Urbancik infuses his tale of shapeshifters, romance and pack rivalry with some unexpected and welcome surprises. Fluid prose, gore galore and all-too human characters make this unusual, fast-paced novella a must for fans who like their horror served blood-rare.” – Bram Stoker Award winner Kealan Patrick Burke.


Promo copy: “In the great city of the dead, a dollar coin might buy your dearest wish. A photographer might capture her own heart. A breeze might reveal a raven. Listen to the sounds of the flute, listen to the soundless fireflies, listen to the ravensong. It’s not only ghosts that wander the Necropolis.”

  • Two signed, limited edition copes of House of Shadow & Ash by John Urbancik.


When his shadow cuts itself free, Philip discovers he absolutely needs his shadow to survive.

One reviewer says the book has “…subtle allusions to Shaherazade, some Ray Harrhausen skeltonic scenarios, and a tinge of Edgar Rice Burroughs…”

  • Two copies of The Day Before by John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow


“The end of civilization has never been so much fun.” – Sarah Langan

  • A signed, numbered, limited edition of Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way by Weston Ochse.


Brian Keene says: “Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way is what would happen if Ray Bradbury and Lin Carter got together to write a space opera. Only Weston Ochse could write something like this. In lesser hands, it would fall apart. Weston is one of the best authors of our generation.”

  • Two signed, limited editions of The Lucid Dreaming by Lisa Morton.


“A cold, calculating nightmare. Sharp as a finely honed blade. ‘The Lucid Dreaming’ cuts, separating the flesh before you even know you’ve been injured. It makes you bleed as a reader.” – Del Howison, Bram Stoker Award-winning editor.


Horror Mall says this book is “A haunting tale of troubled youth, love gone bad, and demons both real and perceived.”


Gene O’Neil says this book has, “slow but efficient creation of mood and unsettling spooky plot developments just out of clear sight, in many ways reminiscent of the 20th century classical stories… Do yourself a favor and read The Watching.”


From the Bram Stoker award winning author of Miranda comes this new novella of love and terror and the mysteries of time.


Bram Stoker Award winner Kealan Patrick Burke says “Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll are back, in the Death Mobile drivin’, leather jacket-clad corpse of Johnny Gruesome, a man who lives up to his name in every sense of the word. The reader is advised to put some Alice Cooper on high volume, crack open a can of beer and dive right in.”

  • A signed, numbered, limited edition of The Scrubs by Simon Janus.


“The Scrubs is one merciless piece of work, and in both the setting of the Wormwood Scrubs Prison and its colorful, even tragic, inmates, Simon Janus has created a terse, tense, and powerful novella [...] An excellent achievement, and a real milestone in Janus’ career.” -Bram Stoker Award-winner Gary A. Braunbeck.

  • Two signed, limited editions of Restore from Backup by J.F. Gonzalez & Michael Oliveri.


Restore From Backup is a cautionary tale of the careful balances that exist between nature, magic, and technology… and the forces that bring them together.


“The Bitchfight is like a nesting doll of depravity–every time you think Arnzen has maxed-out the possible weirdness level, he pops open another doll and there’s something even more fucked up inside. [...] Another twisted classic from one of my all-time favorite authors.” -Jeff Strand, author of PRESSURE

  • A signed, numbered, limited edition of The Hunger of Empty Vessels by Scott Edelman.


“Like some creature out of Star Trek, Scott Edelman projects a zone of distortion that elevates all existence within its influence to the realm of the surreal.” – Adam-Troy Castro

  • Five signed, limited editions of This Ghosting Tide by Simon Clark.


Richard Laymon calls Simon Clark, “a master of eerie thrills.”


“…one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror.” – Booklist

  • A signed, limited edition of Little Graveyard on the Prairie by Steven E. Wedel.


“Little Graveyard on the Prairie begins with a kind of homespun and cuddly feel–a father playing with his young daughter on a farm. But something isn’t quite right out there in the Oklahoma boondocks at night. A nerve begins to twitch near the reader’s left eye. The creepy feeling spreads, becomes more unsettling as one suspects something bad is going on. The slowly revealed reality of what is actually happening is truly chilling, but at the same time heart rending.” – Gene O’Neill


Adam Groves says the book is, “…dark, and extremely so, but also oddly revelatory, literate and provocative.”

That’s all for today, folks. We’ll be bringing you more donated books tomorrow.

If you want to head back to the main Worldbuilders page, click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Also posted in Worldbuilders 2009, book prizes, cool things
|posted by Pat 9 Comments
Published: December 3, 2009

A Plenitude of Signed Books

Here’s the first batch of books donated by my brethren and sistren fantasy authors. Lovely books donated by lovely people.

If you don’t know about the Worldbuilders fundraiser yet and want to know how you can win these delicious prizes, you can head over here for the details.


I’ve talked about Lev’s lovely book before on the blog. So rather than repeat myself, I think I’ll just put up a link to that blog if you’re curious about what I had to say.

But really, do you need to listen to me when George RR Martin is slinging around praise like this? “The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish Whiskey is to a glass of weak tea.”


Katharine Kerr donated some lovely things to the fundraiser this year. You’ll be seeing one of her manuscripts in the first round of auctions this weekend.

Kirkus Reviews says, “In this hefty tome, Kerr turns from Celtic-tinged fantasy to sweepingly far-future adventure on an alien world. The plot is built around Jezro Khan, the exiled brother of the corrupt ruler of Kazrajistan, an Islamic society… ”


Booklist says that Snares is, “..set on the borderline between sf and fantasy. It deals with Maggie Cory and the ups and downs of her and her descendants through five generations in an alternative San Francisco in which the 1960s were the prelude to a revolution… The novel has more northern California literary flavor than Kerr’s previous work, but it also features most of her superior skills at characterization, world building, and graceful language.”


From Booklist, “Kerr has written it up to her usual standard, which is among the highest for Celtic-derived fantasy sagas currently in progress. Faithful fans will be gratified, and any newcomers intrigued by this tale can retreat to its predecessors without fear of being disappointed.”

  • A hardcover set of The Iron Dragon Series: The Golden Cord and The Dragon Hunters by Paul Genesse. Signed by the author.


New York Times Bestseller Michael Stackpole says, “Taut suspense and fantastic imagery make The Dragon Hunters a tale no fantasy fan will want to miss.”


Here we have a bit of a treat. Not only is this a signed ARC of a book (Advanced Reading Copy.) But this book isn’t even out on the shelves yet. That’s right, you can use it to taunt your friends and make your enemies jealous. You can read it before it even hits the shelves, and with a blurb like the one below, you know you want to….

“SILVER is a wild combination of Indiana Jones, The Da Vinci Code, and The Omen. Read this book…before the world ends.” — Kevin J Anderson

  • A hardcover set of The Crossroads Trilogy: Spirit Gate, Shadow Gate, and Traitors’ Gate by Kate Elliott. Signed by the author.


One of my fellow DAW authors, Kate has donated a full hardcover set of her Crossroads trilogy. Fantasy Book Critic calls it “…Elliott’s best work and is highly recommended to both fans of the author and any readers who appreciate fantasy in the vein of Robin Hobb, Jacqueline Carey, and J.V. Jones…”


Publisher’s Weekly gave this one a starred review, saying, “Editor Scalzi and four well-known writers thoughtfully postulate the evolution of cities, transcending post-apocalyptic cliches to envision genuinely new communities and relationships. [...] Each story shines on its own; as a group they reinforce one another, building a multifaceted view of a realistic and hopeful urban future.”


Romantic times says How Not to Make a Wish is, “Fresh and often hysterically funny, this story also has a solid emotional core. Heroine Kira’s first-person perspective keeps it all real for the reader.”

  • A copy of the uncorrected proof for Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire. Signed by the author.


Another one of those sexy ARC’s. I’ve heard good things about this one, and it’s in my own personal to-read pile. I’ve heard it referred to as fairy tale noir. I wish I could come up with a sexy description like that for my book.

Publisher’s weekly says, “Singer-songwriter McGuire adeptly infuses her debut with hardboiled sensibilities and a wide array of mythological influences, set against a moody San Francisco backdrop. October Toby Daye is half-human, half-faerie, a changeling PI with a foot in both worlds.”


Romantic Times says nightlife is: “Tightly plotted and fast-paced, this book is full of twists and turns that take the reader for one heck of a ride.”

I’ve heard this book described as, “A comedy of errors with mistaken identities ambiguous sexuality, skate god stage geeks, … and true love.” What more really needs to be said?

Well, maybe this blurb from Publisher’s weekly: “Evocative of Boy Meets Boy and Dramarama, this makes for fun, thought-provoking reading.”


“Displaying an enviable gift for pacing and action, Battles’s debut novel is a page-turner that may remind some readers of the cult TV spy series Alias… Admirers of quality espionage fiction can look forward to a new series worth following.” – Publishers Weekly

  • A hardcover copy of The Deceived by Brett Battles. Signed by the author.


BookList says, this is is a “tightly written page-turner, filled with tradecraft and offering as much action as a James Bond film… a wild ride.”

  • Three ARCs of the The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas. US release date: February 2010.


Stephen Deas is a hell of a nice guy. We had dinner when I was in London a while back, and the fact that I haven’t gotten around to reading his book fills me with constant shame.

Stephen also send along some of the new ARC’s for the US version of the book, as it’s not out here in the states yet. He’s also sent along a couple copies of the UK version. For people who like their color spelled colour.

  • One trade and one hardcover of The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas. Signed by the author.


Wait, what? He’s got a Joe Abercrombie blurb on his book? Man…. I don’t have an Abercrombie quote. Now I only feel half as guilty…

If an Abercrombie quote isn’t enough for you, Brent Weeks says it’s, “A stirring debut. Stephen Deas’s dragons are inscrutable, beautiful, magical, unstoppable… and really, really pissed off.”

Remember, every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International gives you a chance to win these books and hundreds of others, so head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in.

Or, if you want to go back to main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser, you can click HERE.

With special thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(Woo!)

Also posted in Worldbuilders 2009, recommendations
|posted by Pat 23 Comments
Published: December 1, 2009

Subterranean Press Prizes

This blog lists generous donations made to the Worldbuilders fundraiser by:


If you want details about the fundraiser itself, you should read the blog HERE.

I’ve known the folks at Subterranean Press for a long while. Bill Schafer contacted me barely two weeks after The Name of the Wind hit the shelves and asked if I’d like to contribute a story to an anthology. It was one of the first clues I had that I might have done something right with my first book.

Subterranean Press publishes gorgeous books. Beautiful paper. Beautiful bindings. Stuff by great authors. Stuff that’s out of print. Stuff by Neil Gaiman, Tim Powers, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury….

The last time I bought stuff off their website, I looked at my shopping cart and found myself thinking, “Next time I sell them a story, I should just negotiate my contract in store credit and save them the trouble of sending me a check.”

Last year Bill stunned me with his generosity, donating over $8,000 in books to the fundraiser. This year, he stunned me again, donating almost three times as many books. Beautiful hardcovers. Many of them limited editions. Many of them signed.

What’s more, he’s helping Worldbuilders match donations this year. That’s right, Subterranean Press will be providing funds to match 50% of the first 10,000 dollars donated this year.

This has earned him an eternal place in my heart, because it makes it much less likely that I’ll have to sell my house to match the donations this year.

Alright. Enough ebullience. Let’s look at some books.

(Are these cool covers or what?)

I’m a huge Tim Powers fan. Last Call was the book that really convinced me how brilliant he was, and the sequels are just as good.

I have it on good authority that owning these books will give you the strength of ten men, cure any illness afflicting you, and grant you eternal youth.

If you don’t believe me, then how about trusting the Los Angeles Daily News when they say Last Call is “Riveting…lyrical and brutal…a thrilling tale of gambling, fate and fantastic adventure.”




Subterranean Press describes The Terror as “a rigorously researched historical novel and a compelling homage to one of the seminal SF/Horror films of the 1950s. It is popular fiction of the highest order, the kind of intense, wholly absorbing epic only Dan Simmons could have written.”



Joe Hill’s a new writer who already has more than a few accolades to his name, including beating me out for Best Debut Novel in the Locus Awards last year.

I really enjoyed his book Heart Shaped Box, and while I haven’t read Locke and Key, Publisher’s Weekly says that it “…delivers on all counts, boasting a solid story bolstered by exceptional work from Chilean artist Rodriguez.”


Library Journal says the Onion Girl is “set in a modern world that borders on a dimension of myth and legend, de Lint highlights the life of one of his most popular characters. A master storyteller, he blends Celtic, Native American, and other cultures into a seamless mythology that resonates with magic and truth.”

This is a collection of five stories written by King and adapted to film: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (film version: The Shawshank Redemption), 1408, Children of the Corn, The Mangler and Low Men in Yellow Coats (film version: Hearts in Atlantis). Each story includes an introduction and commentary by King himself.

I’m sure many of you already know about John Scalzi through his blog Whatever. If not, I’d suggest you read this book to get to know him, but you might not have enough light to make out the text where you live, under what is undoubtedly a heavy, heavy rock.

Publisher’s Weekly says: “If J. G. Ballard and H. P. Lovecraft had ever collaborated on a space opera, the results might have been like this: ferociously inventive, painfully vivid, dispassionately bleak and dreadfully memorable.”


Bookslist reports that, “Dahlquist’s sequel to The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters (2007) is dark indeed… fans of Tobsha Learner’s Soul (2008) and Jonathan Barnes’ Somnambulist (2008) will enjoy this surreal Victorian journey into the nightmarish possibilities of mind swapping”


Where Everything Ends is a collection of three of Ray Bradbury’s classical detective stories: Death is a Lonely Business, A Graveyard for Lunatics, and Let’s All Kill Constance.

On a personal note, I have to tell you that when I read Death is a Lonely Business ten years ago, it rocked my world. I grew up reading Bradbury, and I expect a lot from his work. Even so, it still knocked me over.

I didn’t even know about the third book in this series right now. Is it legal for me to donate money to my own fundraiser with the hopes that I’ll win something? Probably not. I’m kinda dodgy, and I’d probably rig things so I’d win.

Anyway, you don’t have to take my word that this is an awesome book. Green Man Review says that it’s “a trio of fine detective novels (together with the short story that provided the starting point) from Bradbury in his inimitable style. He plays with the conventions, but since he so obviously loves the genre, this is easily forgiven — embraced, even — because the end results are, simply put, fine additions to the canon.”

Remember, every 10 dollars you donate gives you a chance to win these and hundreds of other cool prizes, so head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in.

Want more details about how it all works? Check out the Worldbuilder’s blog HERE.

Also posted in Worldbuilders 2009, recommendations
|posted by Pat 15 Comments
Published: December 1, 2009

Worldbuilders 2009

What’s that you say? You’d like to make the world a better place while simultaneously winning fabulous prizes?

Well today is your lucky day.

Heifer International is my favorite charity. It helps people raise themselves up out of poverty and starvation. All over the world Heifer promotes education, sustainable agriculture, and local industry.

They don’t just keep kids from starving, they make it so families can take care of themselves. They give goats, sheep, and chickens to families so their children have milk to drink, warm clothes to wear, and eggs to eat.

(Are you ready? I’m so ready. Let’s do it.)

This year we’ve got a couple different options for donating.

Option 1 – The Lottery.

This is the option most people will want. It’s simple. You hop directly over to the page I’ve set up at Team Heifer, and donate.

When you donate using my page at team Heifer, two things happen.

1. Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donation. That means your ten-dollar donation becomes fifteen dollars. If you donate two goats, it becomes three goats. And so on.

2. You’ll be entered in the lottery.

After the fundraiser is over on January 15th, we’ll have random drawing for all the swag that’s been donated by authors and publishers over the last couple months. More than a thousand books, DVD’s and CD’s.

For every 10 bucks you donate, your name will get entered into the drawing once. If you donate thirty bucks, your name goes in three times. Think of it as buying tickets, if you like.

We’ve had *way* too many books donated for me to post them all up at once. It’s a prize-rich environment, with over a thousand books.

So I’ll be putting up a new blog full of donated books pretty much every day or so, just to keep people from being overwhelmed with all the awesome. Make sure to check back often.

Last year we raised 114,000 dollars for Heifer International. I’m hoping this year we can do even better.

Dec 1st – Fundraiser begins.
Dec 3rd – 10,000 dollars raised.
Dec 10th – 25,000 dollars raised.
Dec 25th – 50,000 dollars raised.
Jan 1st – 76,000 dollars raised. [Last year's total beaten! Woo!]
Jan 6th – 90,000 dollars raised.
Jan 10th – 100,000 dollars raised.

Well folks, we’ve got about five days left to the fundraiser, and I’ve re-set the thermometer for what I’m guessing is going to be the last time.

$106836.28 may seem like kind of a strange target, but I assure you it’s significant. It’s exactly twice the amount that people donated last year. If we can raise it, I think we’ll have pretty conclusive proof for the stunning awesomeness of us.

Personally, I think we can make it. But remember, the fundraiser is over at the end of January 15th. So if you’re been waiting to chip in, now’s the time.

Option Two: The Sure Thing.

Or, as I like to think of it, the Christmas Present option.

For those of you who aren’t interested in the lottery, I have some stuff you can just buy. All the proceeds will go directly to Heifer International.

  • Worldbuilders T-shirts. [Sorry, not this year.]
Option Three: Auctions.

This year we’ve decided to auction off some of the rarer items and specialized services people have donated.

We’ve got industry professionals willing to read your fledgling manuscript and give you feedback. We’ve got a limited edition Stardust ARC signed by Neil Gaiman and a copy of The Gathering Storm signed by Brandon Sanderson and the production team at Tor. We’ve got original manuscripts, software, and a rockstar’s guitar. Stay tuned for details.

A Quick Plea For Sanity

Lastly, I’d like to ask everyone to please read the instructions/directions carefully before they donate.

I know you’re excited. I’m excited too. We’re going to raise some money, make the world a better place, and end up with big warm fuzzy feelings.

But here’s the problem. If you’re *too* excited, you’ll end up clicking buttons all higgledy-piggledy, forgetting vital steps and leaving things out. (Especially when buying things with Paypal) Then you’ll send me an e-mail that says something like: “I’m sorry, but I forgot to include my shipping address/t-shirt size/signing instructions. Could you please fix it for me?”

I know I’m bound to get one or two e-mails like this. No biggie. But each one is like a cold drop of water eroding my warm fuzzy feeling. If I get, say, a hundred, I’ll have no warm fuzzy left at all. I’ll be left with nothing but a cold prickly feeling.

You don’t want to give me a cold prickly, do you?

I’m sure you don’t. And I’m sure that you’ll read the instructions carefully.

FAQ.

Have questions about the fundraiser? Most of them are probably answered over in the FAQ. Even if your question isn’t answered, I talk about Batman a bit, so it won’t be a complete waste of your time.

And, just in case you missed it, here’s the link to the Team Heifer donation page.

Rock on,

pat

Special thanks to our sponsor: Subterranean Press.

(Huzzah for Subterranean Press! Double Huzzah!)

http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2010/01/seven-stories-concerning-joss-whedon-or/
Also posted in Worldbuilders 2009
|posted by Pat 49 Comments
Published: November 25, 2009

Worldbuilders

Those of you who have been following the blog for a while probably remember last year’s fundraiser.

For those of you that are new to the blog, here’s the short version: Last year I thought I’d try to raise a couple thousand dollars for my favorite charity. However I underestimated the awesomeness of my fans and the geek community at large. Things quickly spiraled out of control, and in the end we raised over $110,000 for Heifer International.

(If you want the long version of the story, you can read the blogs from last year.)

While last year’s fundraiser was a success, it wasn’t very well organized. I was just too overwhelmed. I told myself the next time I did something like this, I’d make it better, more streamlined. I might even have a name for the fundraiser other than “The Heifer Fundraiser.”

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, without any further ado, I’d like to introduce you to Worldbuilders.

(We even have a logo. How cool is that?)

Last year, in less than a month, a bunch of fantasy and sci-fi geeks raised over 100,000 dollars to help people all over the world improve their lives.

This year, things will be even better.

How is this year going to be different? Well I’m glad you asked….

Way more prizes.

Last year we had hundreds of books to give away as prizes. This year we have way more. Way way more. Over a thousand. Maybe close to two thousand.

Auctions.

Last year, all the prizes were given out in a big raffle. This year, you’ll have the chance to bid on certain special items and services.

Want a professional agent to read your fledgling manuscript and give you feedback? No problem. Want a rare signed book or a manuscript? We’ve got those too.

We’re going to be auctioning off signed, limited edition stuff from Neil Gaiman, a piece of iron that fell from the sky, and a rockstar’s guitar. I’m not even kidding.

An official sponsor.

One of our best donors from last year, Subterranean Press, has stepped up to the plate with gusto for the launch of Worldbuilders. Not only are they donating over 10,000 dollars of gorgeous signed and limited edition books as prizes, but they’re also going to be helping me match donations.

This is really nice, as it means I won’t have to sell my house.

More stuff available for sale.

For those of you looking for Christmas presents, I’ll be offering some stuff directly for sale. You can get copies of the Name of the Wind, or rare copies of the out-of-print College Survival Guide or Tales of Dark Fantasy. All of them signed however you like.

Maps. Gorgeous posters. Worldbuilders t-shirts. All manner of things I’m just dying to show you…

The official launch of the fundraiser will be on Monday. I’ll be giving all the details then. I just couldn’t let thanksgiving go by without giving y’all a little peek at what’s to come.

The truth is, last year’s fundraiser was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I’m thankful that I get to do it again this year. With your help, I’m hoping it can be even bigger and better than before.

Have a good Turkey Day, and remember: We are the music-makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.

pat

P.S. More news about the raffle winners soon. I’m still getting in touch with people and working out the details.

P.P.S. If you just can’t wait until Monday, you can donate a little early on my Heifer page over here.

Also posted in Worldbuilders 2009, cool things
|posted by Pat 34 Comments

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