This is a Worldbuilders blog.
Happy new year, everyone. We hope you all had a night filled with love, laughter, warmth, and joy. It’s time to start anew, and we’re happy to be a part of that for you.
Even though we took a break over the holidays, the donations kept rolling in. We hit more than a few stretch goals that we’ll be making available soon. What’s more, we’re already on the cusp of raising a quarter million dollars. We’re *way* ahead of last year, and we’ve got a lot of amazing stuff still to come.
If you can’t already tell, today’s blog is being merrily brought to you by the Worldbuilders team. Pat’s getting some writing done and spending time with his family, and we’re perfectly happy to be the ones gushing about today’s fundraiser items.
As you may have guessed from the title, this blog contains tons more books from some incredibly generous authors:
- Auction: Awesome leather bound copy of Eulogy. Signed by D.T. Conklin.
“Conklin writes with a poet’s flair, using minimal words to deliver maximum dramatic impact. Visceral, shocking, and deeply imaginative, Eulogy pushes to the edge . . . and then dives right over it. An unapologetic, no-holds-barred descent into madness—yet there is method in it. Readers with the fortitude to take the plunge stand to be rewarded with what may go down as one of the most ambitious, redefining forays into epic fantasy of all time.” – Eldon Thompson, author of The Divine Talisman
We had a few copies of this in the lottery last year, but this is a special treat: a one-of-a-kind, leather bound copy. There were twelve made total, but each one was hand-covered and bound. It’s going up in an auction, so if it tickles your fancy, you should head over here and bid.
- Set of Holder of Lightning, Mage of Clouds, and Heir of Stone. All are first editions, signed by S.L. Farrell.
“Farrell continues to shine as one of the strongest voices in the Celtic fantasy subgenre.” – Publishers Weekly
These are really awesome books, made all the more awesome by the fact that it includes the entire trilogy, and they’re all signed first editions.
- Set of A Magic of Twilight, A Magic of Nightfall, and A Magic of Dawn. All are first editions, signed by S.L. Farrell.
“Intriguing characters and a complex socio-political background make this a strong addition to most fantasy collections.” – Library Journal
Farrell also sent along his more-recent trilogy, the Nessantico Cycle. This is another complete set, and again all signed first editions.
- Copies of Ready Player One. Signed by Ernest Cline.
“Ridiculously fun and large-hearted, and you don’t have to remember the Reagan administration to love it…[Cline] takes a far-out premise and engages the reader instantly…You’ll wish you could make it go on and on.” – NPR.org
This book will make geeks everywhere happy, and Ernest Cline has been donating copies for a few years now. We’re throwing all of the copies that came into the lottery to help spread the geeky love.
- Copy of Myths of Origin: Four Short Novels. Signed by Catherynne M. Valente.
“Readers who luxuriate in the telling of a tale and savor phrases where every word has significance will enjoy the challenge of this fantasy.” – Publishers Weekly
- Copy of Delia’s Shadow. First edition, includes promotional postcard. Signed by Jaime Lee Moyer.
“Moyer creates a hauntingly real San Francisco, full of characters you can’t wait to get to know better. Delia’s Shadow is an engaging debut novel, one that cost me a good night’s sleep.” – Jim C. Hines
Jamie Lee Moyer is one of the awesome folks who has donated a critique of a manuscript this year and in the past. This first edition copy of her first novel is going to be a great addition to one lucky lottery winner’s collection. And if that’s too much chance for you…
- Auction: Copy of Delia’s Shadow. First edition, includes promotional postcard. Signed by Jaime Lee Moyer.
We’ve got two of these, so for those of you who would rather be sure, you can bid on it here.
- Set of Heart of Briar and Soul of Fire. Signed by Laura Anne Gilman.
“[Readers] will be seduced and enthralled by Gilman’s metaphysical thriller about wicked elves, shape-shifting supernaturals and portals to another dimension….melds magic with mayhem for a tale of bravery, friendship and devotion.” – Publishers Weekly
Laura Anne Gilman also donates a critique every year, and of your entire submission packet to boot. We were all too excited to get some of her books in for this year’s fundraiser.
- Set of Collared and Fixed. Signed by L.A. Korntesky.
“Vivid descriptions of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood are a plus in a cozy tale that will draw in even those normally skeptical of animal-centered stories.” – Publishers Weekly
L.A. Korntesky is a psudonym for Laura Anne Gillman, so you know these will be good. They’re in a series called The Gin and Tonic Mysteries, and have an amazing number of pet-related puns on the covers alone.
- Copy of Chicks Unravel Time anthology. Signed by Martha Wells.
“It’s truly a delight to read smart words from smart people on a subject beloved and important to them. Chicks Unravel Time is a fantastic read that delves into why Doctor Whoholds such a dear place in the hearts of so many, and how it has impacted them.” – The Nerdist
Martha Wells is a great supporter of Worldbuidlers, and she kicked in this Dr. Who anthology for one lucky Whovian to get their hands on in the lottery.
- Copy of Star Wars: Razor’s Edge. First edition, signed by Martha Wells.
EMPIRE AND REBELLION is the title for a trio of stand alone Star Wars novels focusing on Leia, Han, and Luke. Martha Wells wrote the Leia novel, James S. A. Corey is writing the Han Solo novel (Honor Among Thieves, coming out in March), and Kevin Hearne is writing the Luke novel (untitled).
- Copy of Wheel of the Infinite. First edition, signed by Martha Wells.
“Wells spices her latest fantasy with exotic textures and colors reminiscent of India and the Far East, while mystery and court intrigue add depth to this tale of love and risk. Highly recommended for most fantasy collections.” – Library Journal
Martha sent along a huge sampling of her books. This is one of her stand-alone fantasy novels, but she’s also got a couple of different fantasy series sets in here as well…
- Set of The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea, and The Siren Depths. Signed by Martha Wells.
“The Cloud Roads has wildly original worldbuilding, diverse and engaging characters, and a thrilling adventure plot. It’s that rarest of fantasies: fresh and surprising, with a story that doesn’t go where ten thousand others have gone before. I can’t wait for my next chance to visit the Three Worlds!” – N.K. Jemisin
Here we have a set of The Books of Raksura, lovingly signed and donated. The most recent novel, The Siren Depths, came out a year ago, so the winner of these will be completely up to date.
- Set of The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air, and The Gate of Gods. First is an audiobook. Last two are hardcovers, signed by Martha Wells.
(Not picured: The Ships of Air, which is on its way)
“Wells’ first volume in this new trilogy features fine storytelling and a unique mixture of magic and early 20th century science. Her memorable tale is a good addition to most fantasy collections.” – Library Journal
This is the complete Fall of Ile-Rien Trilogy, including an audiobook copy of the first book. I love listening to audiobooks, so if you haven’t tried before, this could be your opportunity to give them a chance.
- Set of The Element of Fire and The Death of the Necromancer audiobooks by Martha Wells.
“A rich fantasy debut . . . Skillfully blending the fantastical and the mundane, Wells delights with deft and sympathetic characterization while demonstrating a fine touch for adventure.” – Publishers Weekly
These are two stand-alone novels from Ile-Rien, the world of the previous series. You don’t have to have read the other series to enjoy them, so the love is spread for more people to discover Martha’s coolness.
- Copy of Emilie and the Hollow World. Signed by Martha Wells.
“A swashbuckling escape for avid readers that trades buttoned-up boundaries for unbridled adventure.” – Kirkus Reviews
This is the first book in Martha’s YA series. It has a little bit of something for everyone, and the first chapter is available on Martha’s website. If it intrigues you, be sure to head over to the Team Page and chip in what you can – as little as $10 will give you a chance to win this, or any of the other cool books listed.
Auction: An ARC of an ARC of Cast in Flame. Signed by Michelle Sagara.
This is ridiculously cool, and incredibly one-of-a-kind. Michelle wrote up a good description of it herself, so I’m just going to quote her directly:
“I am just finishing CAST IN FLAME, the novel I owe HLQ for July 2014.
I asked my editor if it would be okay to offer an advanced, advanced ARC for Worldbuilders; as long as it’s printed (I’d print it), that would be more than fine with her. Given the end of the fundraising drive, this would be pre-editorial requested revisions, but in general, what this means for my Luna novels is: pre the 5k words we have to find to cut >.<.
Since the actual novel won’t be published until July 2014, this would be the only chance to actually read it before then. But it would *also* be the submission draft.”
Yeah. Ridiculously cool. If you want a super-early read of Michelle’s next novel, head over and bid on it here.
Awesome edit:
Michelle nudged us with a little bit more information about this auction:
“As an added bonus: I will dedicate the book to whoever is generous enough to win the auction (with a mention of Worldbuilders). I will dedicate the book to the person of your choice if you win and you don’t want your name in the dedication – but I reserve the right to refuse to dedicate the book to, say, myself or someone equally “funny” (I.e., no Hitler, no obvious political swipes). I would need this information by the end of January, 2014, in order to fulfill this part of the auction, because the front matter information (of which the dedication is part) is due in to production by the 31st of January.”
Yeah. A book could be dedicated to you. If that doesn’t push you over the edge into bidding on it, I don’t know what will.
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Thanks for all the kind words lately, everyone. You warm our hearts and make all of us feel like we’re doing something really awesome with you.
We took a break from auctions over the holidays, but the auctions from this and the next couple of blogs are up. If you want to get in on them early, head over to our eBay page to start bidding.
Be sure to keep up with the fundraiser on the blog, and get details about how to win thousands of lovely books donated by authors and publishers.
Want to see what other things you can win in the lottery? Head over to the Lottery Library page to see everything we’ve posted so far.