Tag Archives: C.J. Cherryh

Published: January 8, 2014

Even More Books from DAW

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This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today’s blog is once again being brought to you by the Worldbuilders Team.  It’s gone so well the last few times, we thought we’d keep it up. Besides, Pat having more time to spend playing with his kids, catch up on email, and write is something I think we all can get behind.

We got so many books from DAW this year that, even though we already had a blog full of books from them, we’ve got another one just as full here.

This time around is extra cool, because almost every prize is a collection of books in a series.  DAW went out of their way to send along a bunch of these, so folks can have either the entire currently-published series, or at least a good start to it.  There are also a couple of ARCs for books that haven’t been released yet, for those of you who are interested.

Let’s get to it.

  • Sets of the Species Imperative series and Stratification series. All signed by Julie E. Czerneda.

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“Czerneda is a masterful storyteller and one of the best of the recent voices in science fiction. Her books deserve a place in just about any young adult collection.” – VOYA

Julie Czerneda’s writing has been praised across the board for her solid world building and believable alien biology. These sets are chock full of both.

  • Sets of the Cloudmages Series and the Nessantico Cycle series. All signed by S.L. Farrell.

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“S.L. Farrell makes magic real with a story that encompasses the highest of classical high fantasy and the grittiest of real-world situations, told with never a misstep and never a pause. I read this in one sitting, breathing optional. It’s wonderful!” – Holly Lisle

  • Auction: Set of the Nessantico Cycle series.  All signed by S.L. Farrell.

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Since DAW was kind enough to send a couple of these sets, and get them signed none the less, we thought it’d be great to put up a set for auction, for someone who really wants it.

If that someone is you, be sure to go over here to bid.

  • Auction: An ARC of Immortal Muse.  Signed by Stephen Leigh. Due to be released in March 2014.

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S.L. Farrell is actually a pseudonym for Stephen Leigh, so we thought we’d show you some of his other work as well. This one looks pretty dark, but you have to love the concept–a couple manages to crack the code for immortality, but it comes with a hefty price tag that pits them against each other for centuries.

This signed ARC is for a novel that won’t be released until March, so head over here and bid on it if you want to read it early.

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[About the Willow Tate series] “In fine, small-town mystery fashion, Paumanok Harbor is full of quirky people, many with odd little magic talents…. [A] charming series.” – Locus

“Fans of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series will appreciate [the Esther Diamond] series’ lively heroine and the appealing combination of humor, mystery, and romance.” – Library Journal

These two series meet the criteria for “fun mysteries with a supernatural bend and interesting characters.”  A little mystery, a quirky supporting cast, some creepy set pieces and baddies…and maybe a little romance. Because nothing brings people together like combustible bugs.

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“Veteran sf/fantasy author Cherryh plays her strongest suit in this exploration of human/alien contact, producing an incisive study-in-contrast of what it means to be human in a world where trust is nonexistent. A good purchase for most sf collections.” – Library Journal

The Foreigner series is an epic undertaking that explores politics, diplomacy and the day-to-day culture shock between radically different species as they grow, explore, and evolve (as people, you know, like you do). Cherryh’s exploration of the different cultures is so detailed and in-depth that we’re thinking if this stuff actually happens some time in the future, it’ll unfold exactly as it’s plotted out in these 14 books.  Prepare to have your mind expanded.

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[About the Collegium Chronicles] “A real page-turner…. Outstanding characters, especially Mags, will greatly please Valdemar fans.” – Booklist

[About the House War series] “This is a compelling story with riveting and finely wrought characters that will keep you up well into the night. This story will go down as one of the best novels in its genre, propelling West into the ranks of Robin Hobb and George R.R. Martin. It’s simply a great read; don’t miss it.” – The Maine Edge

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This bundle of books was recommended by the folks over at DAW, and are a good sampler of a few new series you should consider picking up.  Pat reviewed Libriomancer over on Goodreads  back before it came out, which should be interesting enough, but the other two books are awesome as well.

All of the books in the bundle are signed, so they’re extra cool.  If it interests you, head over to the auction and bid.

AlienSeries

“Deliberately silly and derivative, the story turns into a hilarious romp in the vein of Men in Black or Ghostbusters.” – VOYA

Brett just started reading this series and said the concept is pretty slick, the dialogue (almost banter) is quick and witty, and it should be a fun ride.  That was enough to convince most of the rest of the office.

  • Sets of the Kara Gillian series and the White Trash Zombie series. Both by Diana Rowland.

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The first two Kara Gillian books (Mark of the Demon and Blood of the Demon) haven’t arrived yet, but don’t worry – they’ll be included as well.

[About the Kara Gillian Series] “Rowland’s world of arcane magic and demons is fresh and original…[and her] characters are well-developed and distinct…. Dark, fast-paced, and gripping.” – SciFiChick

[About the White Trash Zombie series] “Not to be missed—all that’s required is a high tolerance for gray matter. For true zombiephiles, of course, that’s a no brainer.” – Library Journal

Brett also read the White Trash Zombie series and said he really enjoyed it: “Angel’s a strong, flawed, and completely endearing main character with a keen mind and an unfortunate knack for making bad decisions. You are always rooting for her.  The whole series works really well largely because it stays grounded–there’s something delightful about a zombie narrator doing battle with a zombie conspiracy while trying to hold down a job and earn her GED.”

  • Auction: An ARC of Dreamwalker by C.S. Friedman.  Due to be released in February 2014.

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Fans of C.S. Friedman’s work should pay attention here.  This ARC is for the first book in a new series, which won’t be released for another month. It’s Friedman’s first foray into young adult fiction, and she’s bringing her entire arsenal with her. The buzz so far is that it’s darker and more mature than your average YA fiction, which tends to gets pretty dark and mature already.

We’re auctioning this one off so that the winner can still get it and read it before the book comes out, feeling all warm and special inside as they do so.  If you’d like that person to be you, head over here and bid.

IndaSeries

“A fantasy world fit for the most discriminating medieval partisan.” – Publishers Weekly

Our auction for this series last month went really well.  If you were as bummed as some of us were at missing out on it, we hope that this second set (sans awesome, hand stitched tapestry) being thrown into the lottery will raise your spirits. After all, since every $10 chipped in to the Team Page gets you another chance of getting it, it won’t take a huge investment.

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“Rejoice…. Ross’s literary strength [is] her sensitivity to human needs and talents.” – Publishers Weekly

“Malan’s fantasy debut straddles two worlds, each detailed in vibrant colors and images. Believable characters and graceful storytelling make this a good addition to most fantasy collections.” – Library Journal

Tour of Merrimack - Karavans - COMBO

“[The Tour of the Merrimack series] is an amalgam of subgenres: military science fiction, space opera, time paradox, and alternate history…. This novel will prove thoroughly enjoyable to fans of military science fiction authors like David Weber and David Drake.” – The B&N Review

“What starts out as a simple tale of refugees escaping a war-torn land quickly becomes something more…. All the characters are beautifully drawn, and Roberson has uncannily lyrical phrasing.” – Book Critic

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“Radford’s considerable gifts as a mesmerizing storyteller shine with undeniable luster.” – RT Book Reviews

[About the Princess series] “…will appeal anyone who yearns for the heroines of their childhood-or just a witty, well-constructed adventure tale about powerful women stepping up with skill and cleverness. ” – Publishers Weekly

MagicExLibris - BobbyDollar - COMBO

“This quirky urban fantasy would appeal to science-fiction/fantasy readers, fans of the Dresden Files and the Inkheart series, or anyone looking for an adventure featuring a quirky cast.” – VOYA

“Part urban fantasy, part spy thriller, part hard-boiled adventure, The Dirty Streets of Heaven is a worthwhile and entertaining new addition to the genre.” – TOR.com

*  *  *

There you have it.  Another extraordinarily full blog of awesome books, the vast majority of which are all winnable by making a donation to the Team Page.

In case you’ve missed any of them, you should really check out our Stretch Goals to see what’s been achieved, and what’s on its way.  We just crossed a super cool one from Peter Orullian, and the next bunch of them look pretty awesome…

As usual, you can find more information about Worldbuilders at our website or in Pat’s blog.

If you want to see any of the other auctions we have going, you can check out our ebay page.

And if you’re curious about what other stuff we’ve posted so far, you can see it all in the Lottery Library.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2013 | By Amanda2 Responses
Published: December 13, 2013

Tons of Books from DAW

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This is a Worldbuilders blog.

I love DAW with a powerful love. Not only are they the folks that took a risk on The Name of The Wind back when nobody else was much interested. But back when Worldbuilders was all fresh and dewy, they were quick to jump on board. Ever since our first year, they’ve made it a habit to shower us with lovely books.

This year is no exception. We have, quite literally, hundreds and hundreds of books from DAW this year.

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(This is not my best picture ever. My smartphone is a fairly dumb camera…)

They’ve sent us so many books, in fact, that we’re grouping them together into bundles to give them away, because doing it singly would just be unmanageable….

We’ve also got a few items we’re auctioning off at the end of the blog. Make sure to take a peek at them, too.

  • The Big Book Bundle

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DAW has never been bashful about publishing big books. Tad Williams alone is proof of that, but as you can see  from the above image, he’s in good company.

Here are nine of DAW’s delightfully hefty books, gathered together for your enjoyment, featuring Tad Williams, along with Michelle West, Irene Radford, Julie Czerneda, Sherwood Smith, Deborah J Ross, Terry A. Adams, Tanya Huff, and me.

All of them are either stand-alone or first books in a series, so you’ll be able to pick any one up and read it without being confused. It’s like a big book Whitman’s sampler.

  •  The Omnibus Collection

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This is a collection of Omnibuses (Omnibi?) by authors Mickey Zucker Reichert, Stephen Leigh, Sean Russell, Terry A. Adams, RM Meluch, S. Andrew Swann, Emily Drake, and Marjorie B. Kellogg.

Why is this awesome? Because you don’t have to worry that you’re only getting part of a series. These Omnibus editions contain *all* of the books. And since this particular prize includes every book in the picture above, it’s like you’re winning 18 books.

To read about each individual title, check out the Lottery Library on the Worldbuilders website.

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“For sheer skill in storytelling and world building, for wit, for strikingly intelligent development of the concept of telepathy, above all, for continuous concern for people, Bradley has put some more famous sagas in the shade.” – Chicago Sun-Times

This is a metric ton of Darkover books. If you’re new to the world, it might be a little daunting. Fans have two opinions about where newcomers should start: either The Bloody Sun or The Forbidden Tower, both of which are represented in this set, so either way you’re covered.

  • Set of Downbelow Station, Regenesis, and Alien Space by C.J. Cherryh.

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I really enjoyed Downbelow Station. It’s a classic. I’m kinda ashamed I haven’t read the others. I’m probably going to have to fix that…

“Cherryh tantalizes our minds…captures our hearts and involves us completely…a consistently thoughtful and entertaining writer.” – Publisher’s Weekly

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This is another set that looks smaller than it is. The D’neeran Factor actually contains the novels Sentience and Master of Chaos, with Battleground being the third book in the series. DAW’s got you covered.

“Adams writes with an elaborate, intricate prose … [and] weaves an elegant tale that makes for fascinating reading.” – Locus

  • Set of Green Rider novels Kristen Britain.  Includes Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, The High King’s Tomb, and Blackveil.

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“A fresh, well-organized fantasy debut, with a spirited heroine and a reliable supporting cast.” – Kirkus Reviews

  • Sets of Blood Price and Blood Trail by Tanya Huff.

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Did you know these books are a TV show now? If you like “Blood Ties,” treat yourself to the source material.

“An entertaining blend of warmly idiosyncratic characters, cinematic pacing and sharp-fanged humour.” – Locus

  • Set of Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, Artifical Night, and Discount Armaggedon by Seanan McGuire.

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This collection has the first three novels in the October Daye series, as well as the first novel in the Incryptid series (Discount Armageddon).  Just enough to give you a taste, and see if you’d be interested in the sequels.

“[McGuire] tells her story with energy and charm…. It’s all so much fun.” – SF Signal

  • Sets of The Four Forges and The Dark Ferryman by Jenna Rhodes.

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“The intricately plotted, character-driven saga of the Vaelinar’s desperate struggles finds anchors in folklore and legend, appealing to fans of slower pacing and detailed world building.” – Publishers Weekly

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“Roberson doesn’t take the easy way out…she has the courage and the writing ability to let her characters be true to themselves, and the result is a taut and breathless novel.” – American Fantasy

  • Starter bundles of books from DAW.

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This is a cool group of books that are either stand-alone novels, or first in a series. They were hand-picked by some of the awesome people at DAW, so you know you’re getting started with a bunch of great books.

This bundle has Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed, Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore, The Silent Dragon by Irene Radford, and Silence by Michelle Sagara. And if you like Silence, its sequel, Touch, is coming up in January. Or, just a thought, you can bid on Silence and the ARC for Touch right now at our eBay auction and read it before it comes out. If you’re into that sort of thing.

  • More starter books from DAW

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Here is a second, equally cool set of books that you can just pick up and read – either stand alone novels or first in a series.

This one contains: Elisha Barber by EC Ambrose, The City of the Lost by Stephen Blackmoore, Masks by EC Blake, and A  Turn of the Light by Julie Czerneda.

  • Copies of The Legend of Jig Dragonslayer Omnibus by Jim C. Hines, The Complete Keeper Chornicles Omnibus by Tanya Huff Omnibus, and The Complete Hoorka Trilogy Omnibus by Stephen Leigh.

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These are all awesome collections of great work.  I’m particularly excited to see Jim Hines in there, because not only do we have his fascinating Year of the Poser calendar in the store, but he’s also our $75,000 stretch goal….

Remember folks, we’ve got a lot of these bundles and much more to give away. And every $10 you donate through our Team Heifer page nets you a chance to win one.

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This is particularly cool, because Touch won’t be out until January.  If you win this auction, you’ll have the chance not only to read book one (Silence), but also read and finish book two (Touch) before it’s even released.

If that thought makes you all tingly inside, feel free to go bid on it.

  • Auction: One of Everything Published by DAW in 2013.

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DAW has a tradition of publishing some of the best sci-fi and fantasy in the industry. They’re good to their supporters and to their authors, in every way.

This has got a great mix of books – hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and mass market paperbacks. For example, even though The Wise Man’s Fear came out a while ago, the mass market paperback came out this year, so there’s a copy of that in there.

Don’t miss out on your chance at this many books.  Wander over and bid to your heart’s content.

* * *

If these lottery prizes look wonderful (and they do), all you have to do is donate to the Team Heifer Page for a chance to win. Feel free to swing by the Lottery Library to see all the prizes currently included.

There are also a couple of DAW-specific auctions (and some of my stuff) that will be ending on Sunday night that you can see on our eBay page.

We’re all pretty proud of our new Worldbuilders website, if you want to see why we’re strutting around a little more than usual lately.

Or, if you’re into text, there’s a lot of details about this year’s fundraiser on my blog.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2013 | By Pat19 Responses
Published: January 18, 2013

Even More DAW Books

This is a Worldbuilders Blog.

A few announcements before we get to the goods.

Firstly:  Since the blog went up yesterday, we’ve gone from $328,000 to over $363,000.  We blew past the Lockless Box stretch goal and are steadily climbing our way toward the extra $100,000 for Heifer.  That’s the true power you folks have, right there.

Secondly: Our True Dungeon game auctions end tonight (along with many others).  Mary Robinette Kowal and Jim Hines had already agreed to play with us, but we’d like to reveal one more player: John Scalzi.

 

As you can see from his debonair hat and sweet uke, he’s going to be our bard.  If you’re at all interested in hunting lycans while being serenaded by John Scalzi, it would be in your best interest to go bid.

Thirdly: Pat isn’t writing this blog.

I (that is, Amanda) often help Pat out here on the blog.  I help answer a lot of the questions in the comments, and if there’s ever a typo or other error that gets fixed, I most likely did that, too.  When we extended the deadline of the fundraiser, it meant some blogs had to go up while Pat is out at ConFusion.  He’s booked pretty solidly while he’s there, and won’t be able to hole himself up in the hotel to write blogs.  So, he told me it was my turn.

Be gentle.

*     *     *

Our previous DAW blog had tons of books in it.  It had so many books that even they admitted they may have gone overboard – overboard in the most awesome way possible.  So, here in this second blog, you’d think we wouldn’t have very much.  In fact, we struggled to squeeze everything in without it getting unwieldy.  They truly went above and beyond for their donation this year.

No more preamble.  Let’s get right to the books.

  • 7 hardcover sets of Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines, The Silvered by Tanya Huff, and The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams.  All copies of Libriomancer and The Dirty Streets of Heaven are signed.

“This enchanting, suspenseful urban fantasy should grab fans of Charles de Lint, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and Jim Butcher.” – Booklist (starred review) about The Silvered.

  • 6 ARC copies of The Dirty Streets of Heaven.  Signed by Tad Williams.

Just to add to the awesome, DAW sent along some great ARCs, including this one.  Pat has a pretty lengthy review over on Goodreads where he gushes about how great it is, and this prize is extra awesome because they’re all signed.

  • A set of The Book of Ler and The Transformer Trillogy by M.A. Foster.

“Foster will be ranked among the greats…”  – Library Journal

Just so you know, these are both collections of M.A. Foster’s two cornerstone trilogies. That’s right, you get two books that actually contain a total of six novels–you don’t have to hunt for the rest of them.

“Cherryh has created her strongest character and her best novel in a story of space exploration, colonization and war.” – Questar, about Downbelow Station.

“Violette Malan has accomplished that most difficult fusions – she’s given a complex, high fantasy world a very readable contemporary voice.” – Tanya Huff

ARCs have always been cool to me.  I feel like I’m holding something secret, that only really special people ever get to have.  Almost every one I’ve ever held have been for Worldbuilders, or to give to Pat, so I don’t get to be one of those special people.  But now you might.

This is an ARC of a book that doesn’t come out until February.  In case you just can’t wait for the two in the lottery, we’ve decided to auction one off, too.

To bid on this, go to the auction here.

Here’s another ARC which doesn’t come out until March, and they’re all signed to boot.  I was beyond convinced by this review:

“I was captivated by Julie Czerneda’s A Turn of Light. Yep, she used her writerly powers and sucked me right in. Many fantasy novels out there are *about* magic. Few, like Julie’s, embody it.” – Kristen Britain

Six will go into the lottery, but we’re auctioning the seventh over here.

“The settings are well drawn and creative… The characters possess substance, emotions and realistic motivations… Most important, the action and surprises keep coming… this book is almost impossible to put down.” – SCI FI Weekly, about The Helix War.

I’m not going to lie – this might be my favorite prize in this blog just for the all of the cover art.  I mean, I used to tell my students all the time not to judge books by their covers, but… you can when they’re *really* nice.

“With this volume, bestseller Hickman (The Immortals) creates memorable characters and realms of immense richness, while holding the reader enthralled with exhilarating action.” – Publishers Weekly, about Song of the Dragon

“… a terrific entry into the wonderful swashbuckling fantasy world of Mickey Zucker Reichert.” – Midwest Book Review, about Flight of  the Renshai

“I love the way Nnedi Okorafor writes, the precise, steely short sentences like blows to the body, the accumulation of experiences that lean to inspired insights, and the strangeness and beauty of an Africa both imagined and real. Perception, courage, and grace illuminate Who Fears Death.” – Peter Straub

  • Plus, all of these ARCs down here:

(Click to embiggen and read all the titles)

That’s right.  Every single one of those books is an advance reader copy.  You may not realize this, but some publishers are moving away from ARCs.  In this digital age, sometimes it’s not worth it to do an expensive not-even-for-sale print run of a book that may not end up doing well.

But not DAW.  They produce a lot of ARCs.  A lot of *really* nice ARCs.  They really go the extra mile to do right by their authors.

There are a ton of ARCs this year, so simply bask in the glory that is many, many books you can win just by donating via the Team Page.

*     *     *

You only have until Monday, January 21st to donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page. For every $10 you pitch in, you get another chance to win one of these books, as well as thousands of others.

There are a bunch of awesome auctions ending tonight, including tickets to PAX East, two different ways to game with Pat, and some awesome books and art. You can view all of them on our current auctions page here.

If you want to see the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or learn more about the fundraiser itself, you can head over to our main page.

Posted in a billion links, Worldbuilders 2012 | By Amanda7 Responses
Published: January 8, 2013

So Many Signed Books from DAW

I’ve always been fond of DAW.

When I was a kid, DAW was one of the few publishers I recognized. I thought their logo was cool, and I remember spending an embarrassing amount of time time trying to get the initials of my name to fit together in some sort of artistic way….

Though part of that was Tolkien’s fault too.

Later in my life, after working on my fantasy trilogy for years and years, I was beginning to despair. My book was so big. Really big. Really kind of insanely big. Who would read this bloated monstrosity? Did anyone even print books this big?

Then I read The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. My first real exposure to the genre I now think of as BFF (Big Fat Fantasy.) It was a long fantasy book. It was huge.

And there, right on the spine, was DAW’s logo.

Since then my fondness for DAW has only grown. Not only do they publish some of my favorite authors. Not only do they publish some of my favorite books. They publish my books. Call me old fashioned, but I really appreciate that sort of behavior.

The cherry on top of my adoration sundae is the fact that DAW has always been a big supporter of Worldbuilders.

This year, when we announced Worldbuilders was taking on official sponsors, DAW jumped in with both feet. They sent us hundreds of books. So many books we can’t fit them into a single blog.

Today we’re showing off the series they’ve sent us, as you can see in the pictures below, most of these have signed bookplates.

We’re running a few auctions, but the vast majority of these are going into our  lottery where you can win them (and thousands of others) by donating directly to Heifer International over on our Worldbuilders Team Page.

Why would you want to donate to Heifer International, I hear you ask?

Because this.

Heifer International isn’t just about giving people goats and cows. They also train farmers to improve their crop yields, provide clean water to communities, and help little kids get an education.

That’s right folks. Your donation does all that *plus* you get a chance to win free books.

Let’s take a look….

  • Discount Armageddon and an ARC of Midnight Blue-Light Special. With bookplates from by Seanan Maguire.

Seanan Maguire won the Hugo award this year, so you know she’s cool.

What’s more, these copies of Midnight Blue-Light Special that DAW sent us are ARCs. They’re early copies. The book won’t be hitting the shelf until March…

That means if you win it, you get to read the book before your friends and gloat about it on Goodreads. Not that I condone that sort of behavior.

“Discount Armageddon is ultimately entertaining, light and fun. I don’t read a lot of urban fantasy, but given McGuire’s popularity, I couldn’t resist trying this for myself and despite my reservations, was pleasantly surprised.” – SF Signal

We’ve one one of these in the lottery, and one in an auction. To bid head over here.

  • The October Daye series.  With bookplates signed by Seanan Maguire.

“Well researched, sharply told, highly atmospheric and as brutal as any pulp detective tale, this promising start to a new urban fantasy series is sure to appeal to fans of Jim Butcher or Kim Harrison.” – Publishers Weekly

  • Renevant Eve, Blood Spirits, and Coronets and Steel by Sherwood Smith.

“Recalling The Count of Monte Cristo and The Prisoner of Zenda in plot and theme, this cross-world fantasy/romance should appeal to YA and adult fans of the genre.” – Library Journal

Y’all may recall the beautiful hand-drawn map Sherwood sent along with her own donation of these books earlier.  She’s clearly willing to go the extra mile for the fundraiser, and that alone makes her cool.

“A fantasy world fit for the most discriminating medieval partisan.” – Publishers Weekly

  • My Life as a White  Trash Zombie and Even White  Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland.  

Pat’s note: This has to be one of my favorite titles for a book ever.

“I highly recommend this series for those looking for something different in that jam-packed field. I think you’ll love the character and the detail of the zombie worldbuilding.” – Joshua Palmatier

We’ve got one set of these in the lottery, and one in an auction. To bid click here.

  • The Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliott.  One set in the lottery, one set (with signed bookplates) in an auction.

“Elliott demonstrates her talent for combining magic and intrigue.” – Library Journal

To bid on the set with the bookplates, head over here.

  • The Foreigner Series.  With signed bookplates by C.J. Cherryh.

“The Foreigner series is about as good as it gets… so finely and densely wrought that you may end up dreaming of sable-skinned giants with gold eyes, and the silver spun delicacy of interstellar politics.” – SF Site

“Messiah is an excellent conclusion to a consistently good series and proves that S. Andrew Swann is one of science fiction’s most underrated authors.” – SF Signal

“This is a book that you would want on your shelf, as it is a story that is both captivating, intelligent, and excellently wrought in the telling.” – Fantasy Book Review

We’ve put one of these in the lottery, and one in an auction over here.

“Gleeful, clever… [Resnick] spins a witty, fast-paced mystery around her convincingly self-absorbed chorus-girl heroine.” – Publishers Weekly

Fun fact: Jennifer Roberson is also a breeder of Cardigan Welsh Corgis.

And now you know.

“Some say Michelle West has been propelled into the ranks of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb—I say that she’s been there all along and it’s about time she was noticed as such.” – Night Owl Reviews

  • The Mirror Lands series.  With signed bookplates by Violette Malan.

“Violette Malan has accomplished that most difficult fusions – she’s given a complex, high fantasy world a very readable contemporary voice.” – Tanya Huff

We’ve one one of these in the lottery, and one in an auction. Bidding happens over here.

  • The Magister Trilogy, the Braxi/Azea duology, The Madness Season, and This Alien Shore, by C.S. Friedman.

“This is space opera in the best sense: a combination of high-stakes adventure with a strong focus on ideas and characters whose fate an intelligent reader can care about.” – New York Newsday

  • The Elemental Masters series.  With signed bookplates by Mercedes Lackey.

“This is Lackey at her best, mixing whimsy and magic with a fast-paced plot.” – Publishers Weekly

  • The Collegium Chronicles series.  With signed bookplates by Mercedes Lackey.

“Lackey is a spellbinding storyteller who keeps your heart in your mouth as she spins her intricate webs of magical adventure.”  – Rave Reviews

  • A set of every single book released by DAW in 2012.

(If you click to embiggen, you can read every title)

This is something cool DAW came up with all on their own. They sent us one of every book that they published this year.

I *wish* we would have thought of something like that.

This is all one prize, folks. 52 books. One for every week of this next year. And we’re throwing it into the lottery, because we love you.

And remember, DAW loves you too.

*     *     *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on our Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and many, many more.

We have some auctions going on, including those here, so go over to the Worldbuilders eBay page and check them out.

Or, if you want to see the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or learn more about the fundraiser itself, you can head over to the main page here.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2012 | By Pat17 Responses
Published: December 30, 2011

Still More Books from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

So while I was away at my extended family Christmas, we managed to hit $100,000.

We did more than hit it, in fact. We knocked it down and then kicked it rudely while it was on the ground.

I’ll be getting the 100K bonus blog up early next week. I didn’t expect to need it this soon….

This is our third blog full of books from DAW, my lovely US publisher.

In addition to these books, and the one’s they’ve already sent, when DAW heard we needed Mercedes Lackey’s Unnatural Issue and The Gates of Sleep to have a complete set of the Elemental Masters series (we posted up a partial set in a previous blog) they sent us two lovely hardcover copies.  Likewise for Kristen Britain’s Blackveil from her Green Rider series.

Pat’s Note: As I mentioned in the last blog, Nnedi won the World Fantasy Award for this book just a couple months back. She wasn’t at the ceremony, but I was.

I felt like a proud grampa when the book won. Or maybe some sort of benevolent fairy god-uncle or something. Not only have I known Nnedi since back when we were both newbie writers. Not just because Who Fears Death is one of the few books I’ve actually blurbed. But I kinda helped this book get published, because I introduced Nnedi to Betsy, my editor at DAW.

So yeah. Good book. Enough said.

“Nnedi Okorafor continues her epic journey into literary greatness. She manages to create worlds within worlds, stories that feel timeless, in language and settings we have not seen before.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

  • A first edition hardcover set of: Joust, Alta, and Aerie by Mercedes Lackey.

“It’s fun to see a different spin on dragons…and as usual Lackey makes it all compelling.” – Locus

  • A hardcover set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, The High King’s Tomb, and Blackveil by Kristen Britain.

“Kristen Britain’s Blackveil has everything that Green Rider fans could hope for including romance, adventure, humor, time travel, dark magic, entertaining drama, ghosts, prophetic visions, and much more.” – Fantasy Book Critic

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

“Britain has written, what I think is, a series which not only compels you to keep reading, but leaves you thinking about it once you’ve finished.” – Fantasy Book Review

  • A first edition hardcover copy of The Diviner by Melanie Rawn. Includes a bookplate signed by the author.

“Melanie Rawn is an amazingly talented writer who is capable of some of the most direct and clearest fantasy writing I’ve had the pleasure of reading in quite some time.” – Book Critics

  • A trade paperback set of: Dragon Prince, The Star Scroll, and Sunrunner’s Fire by Melanie Rawn

“Rawn’s lush world of princes of dragons, sun-born magic, and tangled politics comes to life in this romantic fantasy saga.” – Library Journal

Pat’s Note: Because we’ve got so many books this year, we’re going to start grouping some of them into collections. For example, we’re bundling the next several sets of books together because they’re all first books of series. It’s like a Whitman’s sampler of starter books.

“Easily one of my favorite books of the year.” – Charles de Lint about The Enchantment Emporium

This set has everything: princesses, magic, trolls and aliens. Really, what else could you ever ask for?

Pat’s Note: I really want to read “White Trash Zombie.” You should really click the picture up there to embiggen it so you can get a better look at the cover.

  • A first edition hardcover set of Foreigner series: Foreigner, Invader, Inheritor, Precursor, Defender, Explorer by C.J. Cherryh.

“A seriously probing, thoughtful, intelligent piece of work, with more insight in half a dozen pages than most authors manage in half a hundred.” – Kirkus Reviews

  • An out of print, non-mass market edition of The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee.

Pat’s Note: This is an older, out of print edition of the book.

“This is quite simply the best sci-fi romance I’ve read in ages.” – New York Daily News

Pat’s Note: This is a beautiful copy of one of Dick’s classic stories. Better yet, it’s one of the old, yellow-spine, vintage DAW paperbacks.  It’s a lovely book….

“… a masterpiece of sorts, full of demonic intensity.” – Robert Silverberg

  • A numbered, two-volume hardcover edition of 30th Anniversary DAW Fantasy and 30th Anniversary DAW Science Fiction Edited by Elizabeth R. Wollheim and Sheila E. Gilbert. This set is numbered 52 out of 350.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of DAW Books, editors Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert asked each and every author published by DAW thoughout its history if they would like to contribute a new story for a special commemorative anthology.

This is the special edition printing of that collection.

These are gorgeous books that I seriously covet. They’re slipcased, leatherbound, and numbered. Gold leaf and everything. I was thinking of auctioning this off. But I like to keep cool things in the general lottery so anyone can win them, not just folks with the most money….

Thanks for all the lovely books, DAW.

*   *   *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, 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, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations until January 31st. So there’s several good reasons why you’d want to head over to our Team Heifer page and chip in.

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

Share and enjoy….

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat13 Responses
Published: December 28, 2011

ARCs from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we’ve got some more prized donated by DAW, my publisher.

All of these books are ARCs. ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. They’re the books that publishers print *before* they print the book. They send them to reviewers, bookstores, and other Very Important People in the publishing world in order to give them an early taste of what’s coming out.

They usually don’t print very many of them, and because of that, a lot of times ARCs are actually much rarer than first edition books.

Also, because they’re printed earlier in the editorial process,  they’re almost always based on the uncorrected proofs of the books. So when you read them, you get to laugh up your sleeve at all the author’s typos and generally feel superior.

Some ARCs are have more substantial differences. In the black-bound ARC of The Name of the Wind, for example, there are several chapters that are dramatically different than what showed up in the finished book.

Best of all, some of these ARCs are for books haven’t actually hit the shelves yet. Which means if you win them, you get to be one of the cool kids and read the book before all your friends.

So here we go: ARCs.

“The plot gallops, the mysteries matter, and the secret at the heart of it all just whets my appetite for more.” – Kate Elliott, author of Crown of Stars

“Katharine Kerr creates a host of interesting characters… The setting is fun; Kerr makes great use of San Francisco landmarks… the reader feels like he or she is right there in the city with the characters.” – FantasyLiterature.com

Pat’s note: This one caught my eye when it showed up, and I really wanted to read it. Because the official version won’t be out until March. Not because of short pink skirt. Mostly.

“Seanan McGuire’s Discount Armageddon is an urban fantasy triple threat – smart and sexy and funny. The Aeslin mice alone are worth the price of the book, so consider a cast of truly ORIGINAL characters, a plot where weird never overwhelms logic, and some serious kickass world-building as a bonus.” – Tanya Huff, author of The Wild Ways

“The Gales are an amazing family, the aunts will strike fear into your heart, and the characters Allie meets are both charming and terrifying.” – #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Charlaine Harris

“City of the Lost is the best kind of paranormal noir: gritty, breakneck- paced, and impossible to put down. Joe Sunday is a new antihero to watch, and the next installment can’t come soon enough.” – Caitlin Kittredge, author of The Iron Thorn

“The Ninth Circle is an immensely readable book that flows very quickly and draws you in with sharp little hooks that demand you finish the book before you dream of beginning any other.” – Blog Critic

“Lackey combines the intensity of a young man’s agonized coming of age with a tale of love, honor, and sacrifice. Essential for series fans, this title belongs in most fantasy collections.” – Library Journal

“Lackey’s talent for evoking the youthful passions of her heroes and heroines brings life to this creation. Recommended.” – Library Journal

“A nifty combination of police procedural and urban fantasy.” – Charlaine Harris, New York Times Bestselling Author

  • Two ARCs of Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch.

“…great fun, with lots of quirky characters, witty dialogue, a bit of romance, some hot sex, and oodles of action.” – Booklist

One ARC of The Compass of the Soul by Sean Russell. Includes a signed blookplate.

“A strange and beautiful book that offers an unusual depth and nuance of character, set forth in lustrous dialogue and prose the texture of honeyed silk.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Three hundred years in the future, the Tyr, a hivelike alien race, have subjugated the peoples of Earth. Daetrin, an ancient vampiric shapechanger, uses his unique talents to battle the aliens while trying to understand and accept himself. Intriguing plot and excellent characterization combined with good writing … make for an original science fiction romp.” – School Library Journal

“Hauntingly memorable protagonists, high drama, and vivid world-building mark the beginning of what promises to be a magnum opus of the imagination. A priority purchase for fantasy or sf collections.” – Library Journal

“A wonderfully captivating heroic fantasy adventure.” —Terry Goodkind

“This promising debut offers a glimpse of a dusty and wonderful fantasy city through the eyes of three engaging, unconventional protagonists.” – Elizabeth Bear, Hugo Award-winning author

Two ARCs of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh.

“Veteran sf/fantasy author Cherryh plays her strongest suit in this exploration of human/alien contact, producing an incisive study-in-contrast of what it means to be human in a world where trust is nonexistent.” – Library Journal

Pat’s Note: Not only is this a great book, but Who Fears Death won the World Fantasy Award in October, so this one is extra cool….

“Both wondrously magical and terribly realistic.” – The Washington Post

*   *   *

Remember, you for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win everything here, not to mention the hundreds of other books that have already been donated.

What’s more, if you donate before January 31st of 2012, Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donation.

Also, every dollar donated brings us closer to $100,000. Once we hit that, I’ll post up another blog with more personal additions to the fundraiser.

Spread the word…

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat17 Responses
Published: December 12, 2011

Books From DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

DAW is my publisher, and understandably close to my heart. They’re the ones that took a risk on me back in the day, and decided to print The Name of the Wind. That also means, in a roundabout way, that if not for DAW, Worldbuilders wouldn’t exist, either.

As if that weren’t enough, they’ve also donated boxes of lovely books to the fundraiser as well….

  • A first edition, hardcover set of Shadowmarch by Tad Williams: Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, Shadowrise and Shadowheart.

“Tad Williams is already regarded as one of fantasy’s most skilled practitioners, and this latest work more than confirms that status.” – Amazing Stories

  • Two sets of Sorrow, Memory and Thorn by Tad Williams: The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, and To Green Angel Tower.

Pat’s Note: Back when I was working on the early drafts of what would become the Kingkiller Chronicle, these books had a huge impact on me. They were huge, complex books, and seeing them in print gave me hope that someday I might actually be able to publish my book too….

“Epic fantasy you can get lost in for days, not just hours” – Locus

  • One first edition hardcover copy of This Alien Shore by C. S. Friedman.

“C. S. Friedman makes fantastic things — and frightening things — seem very real. Her characters are people, not just place-holders, and the worlds she creates are as tangible as a live feed from the battlefront or a crash-landing in a savage and unfamiliar wilderness. ” – Tad Williams

“Space opera with brains.” – Locus

  • A first edition hardcover set of Fool’s Gold by Jude Fisher: Sorcery Rising, Wild Magic, and The Rose of the World.

“The nerve-wracking, intoxicating conclusion of the Fool’s Gold series is the fabulous, multilayered, poetic story of a world, full of complex, painfully real, endearingly vulnerable characters, on the very brink of either enlightenment or extinction.” – Booklist (starred Review)

  • A first edition hardcover set of The Elemental Masters by Mercedes Lackey: The Serpent’s Shadow, Phoenix and Ashes, The Wizard of London, and Reserved for the Cat.

“Lackey is a spellbinding storyteller who keeps your heart in your mouth as she spins her intricate webs of magical adventure.” – Rave Reviews

“… blends historical fiction with folklore and mythology to create a fantasy suitable for all ages.” – The Barnes & Noble Review

  • A hardcover set of The Mage Winds Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey: Winds of Fate, Winds of Change, and Winds of Fury.

“Lackey’s talent for world building comes to the fore in her vivid description of the Hawkbrothers’ culture, while her strength of characterization remains constant. Fans of the popular Valdemar series will create a demand for this solid fantasy.” – Library Journal

  • A first edition hardcover set of Valdemar: Darian’s Tale by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon: Owlsight, Owlflight and Owlknight.

“[Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon are] an unbeatable team in fantastic magic and adventure.” – Kliatt

“Prolific writer Lackey tackles the complex legend of King Arthur’s queens in this compelling and heart-wrenching retelling… Lackey reweaves old tales to create something new and powerful, with a compelling and sympathetic heroine, is this retelling’s strength.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Made with the active assistance of Mercedes Lackey, creator of the fantasy kingdom of Valdemar, and DAW editor Betsy Wollheim, this is about as official a companion as there could be. It is high time, too, since Valdemar is beginning to rival Darkover in the number of stories set there and in the multitude of its fans. ” – Booklist

  • A set of the collected volumes of The Novels of Tiger and Del by Jennifer Roberson: Sword-Dancer & Sword-Singer, Sword-Maker & Sword-Breaker, and Sword-Born & Sword-Sworn.

“Sword-Dancer is an admirable introduction to the six-volume adventures of Tiger and Del, one of fantasy’s more popular and appealing odd couples…. Roberson comes out swinging and delivers some dramatically powerful sequences.” – SF Reviews.net

Original Stories Based on the Song of Janis Ian.

“This dazzling, highly original anthology, ignited by the meeting of songwriter Ian and a host of SF writers affected by her music at the 2001 Worldcon, showcases 30 mostly superior stories, each based on one of her songs.” – Publisher’s Weekly

  • One first edition hardcover set and one trade paperback set of the Coldfire trilogy by C. S. Friedman: Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls and Crown of Shadows.

“Some of the best writing I have seen in quite a while, and the ending is excellent. Very highly recommended.” – Science Fiction Review

  • One first edition hardcover copy of The Collected Short Fiction of C. J. Cherryh.

“This massive and valuable collection reprints all of Cherryh’s short fiction, beginning with the contents of two out-of-print theme collections […] Cherryh crafts even less impressive stories well enough to verify her reputation for brilliance and versatility.” – Booklist

“Lackey’s latest juices up the plot of the ballet Swan Lake… This is well-crafted Lackey, which means well-crafted period, fully appreciable without any prior knowledge… Heartily recommended.” – Booklist

  • A hardcover set of the Smoke series  by Tanya Huff: Smoke and Shadows, Smoke and Mirrors, and Smoke and Ashes.

“A wild romp, full of dark humor, a delightfully twisted version of the usual haunted house story.” – Locus

“A master of urban fantasy.” – Library Journal.

  • A hardcover set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call and The High King’s Tomb by Kristen Britain.

“Green Rider is a stunning first novel for what I hope will be a long career of story-telling and suspenseful intrigue. You’ve a really talented new writer here.” – Anne McCaffrey

*     *     *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others.

What’s more, Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donations. So if you chip in before January 31st of 2012, you get a bigger bang for your buck.

To see the other books folks have donated, as well as our auctions, and the items we’re selling in the store, you can head over to our main page HERE.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat21 Responses

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