Tag Archives: Kristen Britain

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
Published: December 14, 2010

Books from DAW, Penguin, and The Book Scouts.

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we’ve got dozens and dozens of books. Signed books, sets of books, and Advance Reading Copies of books that won’t be published for months.

Let’s start with the ones donated by DAW. They’ve sent so many books that we’re going to start grouping a lot of them together, because listing them separately will take too long.

Some of these are obviously grouped together as books in a series. Others are grouped together by theme.

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

“Impressive… packed with intriguing plot twists, this surreal fantasy takes the reader on a thrill ride… The author’s richly detailed world will enchant established fans and win new converts.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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

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

  • A set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, The High King’s Tomb and an ARC of the latest book Blackveil by Kristen Britain. Set includes a signed bookplate.

The ARC of blackveil in this set is really cool, as that book won’t be hitting the shelves until Februar, 2011.

“A fresh fantasy.” – Kirkus Reviews

“This outstanding speculative novel is action-packed and fast-moving, and Duane’s lavish, expansive world building already seems eerily prescient.” –  Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“…one of the finest current writers of speculative fiction.” – Kirkus Reviews

Nnedi was one of the authors I interviewed last year. And Who Fears Death is one of the few books I’ve actually blurbed.

“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…. She is in the passing lane now, and she is starting to pull away. Catch her now.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, bestselling author of The Hummingbird’s Daughter and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

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

“History aficionado and champion fencer Aurelia Kim Murray investigates her taciturn grandmother’s European roots and her own identity in Smith’s sweeping, feminist Ruritanian romance. […] a lively heroine, mysterious ghosts, and a complex and intricate plot always get the action going.” – Publishers Weekly

“Brilliantly detailed worldbuilding and complicated characters makes this an engrossing read.” – Laura Anne Gilman

Here’s a group of three flavors of fantasy novel ranging from demons to Norse sword fighters to ghosts and haunts.

  • An urban-modern fantasy paperback set: The Enchanted Emporium by Tanya Huff and Trolls in the Hamptons by Celia Jerome.

Two modern fantasy books of actual fantasies: running a curiosity shop in a local community which includes the odd witch or dragon, and having one’s character come to life (pretty cool even if your character happens to be a giant red troll…)

Here we’ve got Sci-Fi that runs the gamut from genetically altered humans battling to control their planet, aliens visiting earth, or explorations into the furthest reaches of space.

Yeah. I said ‘gamut.’ You want to make something of it?

Personally, I love the title “Touched by an Alien.”

  • A copy of The Stepsister Scheme and an ARC of Red Hood’s Revenge by Jim C. Hines.

Jim Hines already donated a signed book earlier in the fundraiser. But this set is another chance to be reintroduced to fairy tale characters: warrior princess Talia (Sleeping Beauty), fellow princess-adventurers Danielle (Cinderella) and Snow (Snow White) and the shape-shifting assassin Roudette (Red Riding Hood).


A threesome of detective/gangster novels with more magic, demons and faeries than you can shake a stick at. *

*(Given certain pre-set standards for stick-size and shaking frequency.)

  • A set of sci-fi ARCs:  Conspirator by  C. J. Cherryh and The Wilding by C. S. Friedman. Set includes signed bookplates by C. J. Cherryh and C. S. Friedman.

A winning combination: C. J. and C. S. with two stories of war and diplomacy between races in a grand setting of powerful civilizations spanning worlds.

  • A Valdemar ARCs: Intrigues and Finding the Way by Mercedes Lackey. Set includes signed bookplate 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

*     *     *

Next we have some lovely books and ARC’s donated by Penguin books.

I hadn’t heard of this book before, but now that I’ve read a little about it, I’m going to have to check it out. I like it when someone takes tired fantasy cliches and puts a clever, thoughtful spin on them…

“Turner’s debut is a massively entertaining and seriously revisionist zombie novel. How revisionist? Well, her characters communicate with each other eloquently (although, to humans, it sounds like a lot of grunts). They remember their past lives. They have thoughts and emotions, and when a new kind of creature, a sort of human-zombie hybrid, appears out of nowhere, they feel fear. The author has taken the familiar zombie clichés and given them a good shake. ” – David Pitt from Booklist (starred review)

This is an ARC for a book that won’t be hitting the shelves until the end of the year. Since the book isn’t out yet, there aren’t many reviews available. But I’m willing to go out on a limb and guess that there’s a griffin in the book….

  • A set of Destroyermen: Into the Storm, Maelstrom, and Distant Thunders by Taylor Anderson.

‘”Taylor Anderson and his patched-up four-stackers have steamed to the forefront of alternative history. All aboard for a cracking great read!” – E. E. Knight, Author of Fall with Honor

“I dipped my toe into Destroyerman: Into the Storm and when I looked up, it was two in the morning.” – S. M. Stirling

*     *     *

This year a few bookstores were cool enough to help out by donating to Worldbuilders too. Here we have a bunch of lovely signed books from The Book Scouts.

  • A hardcover first edition of Worldbinder by David Farland. Signed by the author.

“The Runelords is a first rate tale, an epic fantasy that more than delivers on its promise. Read it soon and treat yourself to an adventure you won’t forget.”–Terry Brooks

  • A hardcover first edition of The Lair of Bones by David Farland. Signed by the author.

“David Farland’s Runelords books are among the best fantasies on the market today. Great characters, a fascinating concept, and some really nasty monsters make each novel a pleasure to read.” – Kevin J. Anderson

  • A hardcover first edition of Five Odd Honors: Breaking the Wall by Jane Lindskold. Signed by the author.

I like this one because it has a golden monkey on the cover. I have simple tastes. That’s all it takes to win me over: golden monkey.

“Fans of Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher will enjoy this intricate, beautifully written urban fantasy and will wait impatiently for the next installment.” – VOYA

  • A set of hardcover copies of Harbingers and Ground Zero, Repairman Jack Novels by Paul Wilson. Both signed by the author.

“Part hard-boiled detective novel, part “Matrix”and all fun, Wilson’s latest and, perhaps, greatest kept me up all night.  A pulse-pounding novel that grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go even when it’s over.” – Eric Van Lustbader, author of The Testament

  • A hardcover copy of The Dark-Eyes’ War by David B. Coe. Signed by the author.

“Coe manages to take several serious, weighty issues, approach them from distinctly different points of view and make you sympathetic toward characters who sometimes act selfishly or viciously.  He absolutely nails the plot and sequencing.” – Romantic Times 

  • A hardcover copy of Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe. Signed by the author.

“This sword and sorcery epic gathers momentum like a runaway moving van.” –  Publishers Weekly

“The consistent excellence of L.E. Modesitt makes him by far the most entertaining of today’s fantasy writers.” – Romantic Times

  • A hardcover copy of To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts. Signed by the author.

“Janny Wurts writes with astonishing energy… it ought to be illegal for one person to have so much talent.” – Stephen R. Donaldson

  • A copy of Traitor’s Knot by Janny Wurts. Signed by the author.

“Wurts is in fine form here, providing endless twists and turns of plot and an artful complexity that is marvelous to behold.”  – Booklist

  • A hardcover copy of Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber. Signed by the author.

“Altogether, there is enough conflict to allow a natural storyteller like Weber to make a large, splendid novel that opens another saga. The saga being Weber’s form of choice and high achievement, hopes for the rest of it are definitely elevated.” – Roland Green from Booklist (starred review)

*     *     *

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.

In addition to that, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations made on our Team Heifer page.

For more details, or to see the other books you can win, you can head over to the main page HERE.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat13 Responses
Published: December 29, 2009

More books from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Okay folks, time for the rest of the DAW books. This blog has mostly ARCs. (Advance reading copies)

ARCs are cool because sometimes they’re different from the original published book, and quite frequently they’re “Uncorrected” which means that you can find typos in them. Remember, nothing makes you feel more superior than catching an author using “it’s” when it should be “its.”


From Kirkus Reviews, “This smoky mix of magic, legend, people both mythic and real, and the ancient savageries of war supplies a chronological link between Bradley’s The Forest House, set in first-century Britain, and her Arthurian saga, The Mists of Avalon. […] The prose is as smooth as those sacred stones on which so many interesting things take place.”


From Kirkus Reviews, “Bradley poses her heroine a fine set of problems and supplies satisfying answers.”


From Library Journal, “Coauthors Bradley and Lackey combine their considerable talents to illuminate a seminal event in Darkover’s long histroy from both the Terran and Darkovan perspectives. Series fans will welcome this title.”



From VOYA, “As her health declined, Bradley invited coauthor Ross to join her, not in a continuation of her ‘modern’ Darkover novels, but in a return to the Ages of Chaos in The Clingfire Trilogy. This riveting page-turner, full of action and suspense, fleshes out the characters introduced in previous books. Bradley, who died in 1999, could not have left her Darkover creation in better hands. Fans will be pleased, and those new to the world of Darkover have a treat in store for them.”


Booklist calls it, “a high-class addition to Bradley’s Darkover saga.”

  • An ARC of The Burning Heart of Night by Ivan Cat.


SFsite says, “The Burning Heart of Night is a classic-style space opera, with plenty of suspense, sympathetic characters both human and alien, and interesting world building […] It’s entertaining, and the various concepts — the biology of the fugueship, the ecology of New Ascension, the pathology of Scourge — are credibly integrated into the plot.”


Library Journal says, “From Ray Bradbury’s gentle tale of love’s conquest of fear (“The Love Affair”), never before published in the United States, to Michael Moorcock’s ebullient homage to the Mars fiction of Leigh Brackett (“The Lost Sorceress of the Silent Citadel”), the 16 original stories in this collection capture the eternal fascination with the red planet. Including tales by Ian McDonald, Gene Wolfe, and other veteran sf authors, the stories in this volume range from science fantasy to high-tech adventure and belong in most libraries’ sf collections.”


From the back of the book: “What does the future hold for humankind? When we finally break free of this planet to launch ourselves into space on a more permanent basis, what will the classifieds of tomorrow read like? What will be the hottest jobs? Which positions will offer the chance for adventure, advancement, discovery, travel to distant worlds, and the accumulation of wealth?

Here are fourteen stories that answer these questions, tales of the challenges, perils, and responsibilities that workers of the future may have to face – from a librarian who could determine the fate of an alien race … to a pair of space mechanics assigned a repair job for a species that despises humankind … to a ballet instructor who must find a way to tailor human dance forms for a multilimbed sentient being …”


Booklist gave this one a Starred Review, saying, “Farrell’s smashing series outdoes itself with each new volume. This one constitutes a wonderful tale of transformations, personal for Sevei and Kayne, global for the evolving consciousness of two species in conflict. Good enough to be cast in gold.”


From Booklist, “Gilligan’s adventure-romance begins a new series, Silken Magic, set in an alternate seventeenth-century Europe […] Gilligan creates an interesting world and develops it well, fills it with well-constructed characters, and engages them in a plot that definitely keeps one turning pages.”


“these excellent newly made legends are as entertaining and imaginative.” – Booklist


SFsite review by Rich Horton, “Past Imperfect is a themed original anthology on the subject of time travel. The dozen stories included ring some mostly familiar changes on the time travel idea: variations of visiting yourself in the past and fixing things, of falling in love with someone in the past, of visiting the past to collect something valuable when it is still cheap, and of tangling past events into paradoxical knots that seem cleverly resolved to the reader even as the participants are confused.”


VOYA reviews the book, saying that “this futuristic tale, set in the year 2158, is more of a thriller than a sci-fi adventure.[…] Interesting characters, many of them teenagers, populate the story. The dialogue is quite realistic, and Greeno makes good use of romance, humor, and action to keep the story fast paced. The violent action is graphic. Young readers might get bogged down by political intrigue involving the pope and the ayatollah (don’t ask). But the book is exciting, and each chapter’s log entry format-date, time, location-is enjoyable.”


“Fresh, witty and amusing. Great reading for a hot summer night.” -Science Fiction Chronicle


VOYA, “This collection of original short stories about dragons, unicorns, and other legendary creatures finds well-established fantasy authors, such as Jody Lynn Nye, alongside others, including Pamela Luzier McCutcheon, who have never published fantasy fiction. This book will appeal to teens who read fantasy fiction, and it has the potential to be popular with mature Harry Potter fans.”

Includes all-new, original stories by Jody Lynn Nye, Michelle West, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Josepha Sherman, P.N. Elrod, Rosemary Edghill, Gary A. Braunbeck and others.”


From Booklist, “Although the emphasis is on humor throughout the collection, there is enough variety in it to please a broad range of fantasy readers.”


From Booklist, “Given the career of an English boy named Harry, the creation of an American school for magic-workers was inevitable. Not inevitable was that the place be a fount of intelligent, if sometimes lightweight, entertainment.”

“This entertaining blend of fantasy and history…invites comparison with Mary Stewart and Marion Zimmer Bradley.” – Publishers Weekly

  • An ARC of Women Writing Science Fiction as Men edited by Mike Resnick.


Cynthia Ward says, “When an anthology is titled Women Writing Science Fiction as Men, readers expect either stories on the cutting edge of feminist/gender theory, or a tribute to the late James Tiptree, Jr., the female author everyone thought was male. However, the anthology meets neither expectation. It has a different mandate. […] Ccontributors include some big names and hot up-and-comers, among them Kay Kenyon, Mercedes Lackey, Susan R. Matthews, Terry McGarry, Severna Park, Laura Resnick, Jennifer Roberson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Karen E. Taylor, and singer-songwriter Janis Ian.”


From the back of the book: “In the fifth novel of the Sun Sword series, acclaimed author Michelle West returns to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed…”


I actually read this one a couple years ago and really enjoyed it…

“Fast-paced, witty and shrewd … futuristic pulp for the thinking reader … No one who got two paragraphs into this dark, droll, downright irresistible novel could ever bear to put it down until the last heart pounding moment.”- SF Site

“A tongue-in-cheek hardboiled attitude .. good fun for those who can handle the concentrated doses of humor.” – Locus



“Terrific! It’s going to be classic…” – Marion Zimmer Bradley

This is the second blog with DAW’s donations. You can find the first one HERE and the third one HERE.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books like these. Some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. 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 you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Posted in Subterranean Press, Worldbuilders 2009 | By Pat3 Responses
Published: December 28, 2009

Signed books from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

It should come as no surprise that DAW has a special place in my heart. They are my publisher, after all. And without my lovely editor Betsy, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Continuing a long chain of generosity and kindness, the folks at DAW have donated boxes and boxes of books to Worldbuilders this year: signed books, out of print books, ARC’s….

The truth is, they sent so many books that I can’t fit them all into one blog. So this first one will just be the signed copies.

  • Hardcover copies of City of Golden Shadow, River Blue Fire, and Sea of Silver Light by Tad Williams. Signed by the author.




Back in the day, when I was toiling away on an early version of my book, reading Tad’s stuff gave me hope. I knew my book was going to be Big, and it reassured me that big, thick fantasy novels like The Dragonbone Chair had a place in the publishing world.

These days, Tad Williams and I share both an agent and an editor. In the publishing world, that makes us the equivalent of half-brothers. I met him one week before my own book hit the shelves, and I wrote one of my very first blogs about it. Here’s a link, if you’re interested.

Suffice to say that I’m fond of Tad for all sorts of reasons, so you really shouldn’t trust my opinion about his books. I’m biased.

Instead why don’t you trust the San Fransisco Chronicle when they describe the Otherland books as, “The ultimate virtual-reality saga, borrowing motifs from cyberpunk, mythology, and world history.”

  • A hardcover copy of Tad Williams‘ Shadowmarch with signed bookplate.


“Packed with intriguing plot twists, this surreal fantasy takes the reader on a thrill ride.” – Publishers Weekly

  • A hardcover copy of Tad Williams‘ The War of the Flowers with signed bookplate.


A modern faerie tale. Reviewing this book, Publishers Weekly said, “Williams’s imagination is boundless…”

  • A hardcover copy of The Hidden City by Michelle West with signed bookplate.


Michelle West is another person that I’m hopelessly biased toward. Not only did she write my favorite review ever for my book, but she’s a profoundly lovely person on top of it.

So instead you should listen to John Ottinger when he says that Hidden City…”is a worthy addition to the fantasy canon, both for its unusual nature, and its deep meanderings into the human psyche on the subjects of pain, loss, and hope in adversity.”


SF Signal says, “A perfectly balanced combination of political intrigue, fast action and meticulous world building […] never fails to involve the reader.”


Harriet Klausner says Flight of this book is, “a terrific entry into the wonderful swashbuckling fantasy world of Mickey Zucker Reichert.”

  • A copy of Stronghold by Melanie Rawn with signed bookplate.


According to The Midwest Book Review, Stronghold “will delight any enthusiast of dragon fantasies and complex fantasy worlds […] a stunning world replete with romance, power struggles, unexpected controntations between individuals and beasts, and political intrigue.”


“This novel grips the reader with a swift-moving tale of political intrigue and economic survival in a world where the most dangerous secrets are never forgotten.” – Publishers Weekly


“Owlsight will bring new fans into the fold, and please those who already love the land of Valdemar.”-Starlog

  • A copy of Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey with signed insert.


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

  • A copy of the ARC for Foundation by Mercedes Lackey with signed bookplate.


From Booklist, ” Thanks to court intrigues and an attempt by foreign infiltrators to trick Valdemar to its disadvantage, Lackey makes a real page-turner out of Mags’ and the collegia’s development […] this book’s outstanding characters, especially Mags, will greatly please Valdemar fans.”

  • ARCs of the first two books in C. S. Friedman‘s Magister Trilogy: Feast of Souls and Wings of Wrath, both with signed bookplates.


“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 tangible as a live feed from the battlefront of a crash-landing in a savage and unfamiliar wilderness. She also writes bright, clear prose taht can shine like gemstones or cut like broken glass. If you haven’t read her work you need to do something about that right now.” – Tad Williams, bestselling author of Shadowmarch, Otherland and Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.

  • A copy of the ARC of The Wilding by C. S. Friedman with signed bookplate.


The Barnes & Noble Review, “ richly detailed characters; complex, emotionally absorbing themes; and singularly original settings. In a genre where the inundation of mediocre story lines is like so much white noise, Friedman is a unique voice singing out loudly and clearly above the din.”

  • A hardcover copy of King’s Dragon by Kate Elliott. Signed by the author.


From Booklist, “The first volume of Crown of Stars, another complex fantasy saga of political and magical intrigue, bodes extremely well […] The saga’s world is exceedingly well built (including a working economy, for instance), its pacing is brisk enough to keep the pages fluttering, and its characters are, at this stage, at least archetypes who may develop into more. This certainly could become one of the best multivolume fantasies–fans, take note!”

  • A hardcover copy of The Burning Stone by Kate Elliott. Signed by the author.


From Kirkus Reviews, “Third entry in the Crown of Stars series following Prince of Dogs (1998) and King’s Dragon (1997). The kingdoms of Wendar and Varre are riven by sorcery and strife […] A solid addition to this respectable series. And, at this whopping length, it should keep the most avid fans happy for a few days.”

  • A copy of the ARC for Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott with signed bookplate.


Library Journal says, “Continuing her epic tale of kings and common folk, warriors and priests, Elliott demonstrates her talent for combining magic and intrigue with grand-scale storytelling.”

Publishers Weekly says, “Czerneda’s world-building flair and fascinating characters set this intricate story well above most SF series prequels.”

  • A copy of the ARC for Conspirator by C. J. Cherryh with signed bookplate.


“A large new Cherryh novel is always welcome […] a return to the anthropological science fiction in which she has made such a name is a double pleasure […] superlatively drawn aliens and characterization.” – Chicago Sun-Times

  • A copy of the ARC for The High King’s Tomb by Kristen Britain with signed bookplate.


“Kristen Britain is a very talented author who appears destined to be one of the genre’s superstars.” – Midwest Book Review


From Booklist, “This three-way collaboration is original in concept and superior in execution, notably better than anything any of its authors, which include Jennifer Roberson and Kate Elliott as well as Rawn, has produced on her own. […] Characterizations and world-building are finely realized, Rawn and company have done their homework on art, the pacing is respectable, and overall, the romance justifies every one of its nearly 800 pages and demands its place in most fantasy collections.”

There are two more blogs full of books that DAW has donated to Worldbuilders. Here’s the second and third one. if you’re interested.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books: some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. 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.

Posted in Subterranean Press, Worldbuilders 2009 | By Pat12 Responses
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…)

Posted in Heifer International, Subterranean Press, Worldbuilders 2009 | By Pat11 Responses
Published: December 11, 2009

Auctions from Doodled Books



This is a Worldbuilders blog.




Normally I like to wait at least a day between posts here on the blog so that one post doesn’t accidentally bury another.

Fair warning, I’m breaking that rule today. That means if you’re not careful you might miss yesterday’s post that shows all the lovely books my UK publisher donated.

Okay. On to the new stuff. The time-sensitive stuff, we’ve got some auctions and they’ve only got five days left….

Last year when we ran the fundraiser, we had a few donations outside the realm of the free book.

My thought is this, everyone likes winning a free book. Even if it’s not a book you’d ordinarily read, it’s still nice to have. Maybe you try something new and expand your horizons a little. You can give it to a friend, donate it to the library, or sell it on e-bay. If nothing else, you can just put it on a prominent shelf so the world will think you look one book smarter.

But other donations aren’t as universally cool. Manuscripts, for example. If you’re a collector, or a huge fan of the author, odds are you’d love Love LOVE to have one. But if you aren’t one of those things, winning a manuscript is going to leave you with a profound “meh” feeling.

Last year I just threw everything into the lottery because I didn’t have time to figure out anything better. But this year I’ve decided to try a few auctions to see how they work out. Claire Main who runs Doodled Books over in the UK is handling the auctions for me, so I have one less thing to worry about.

This first batch of auctions will be some rare manuscripts and books. In a little while we’ll be posting up some specialized services, like getting your own manuscript read and critiqued by industry professionals.

I’m mostly going to be putting up links and some very brief descriptions here. More detailed information and more pictures are available over on e-bay.

Keep in mind that the auction prices are all in pounds, since Doodled books is based in England.

  • An amazing signed original manuscript from Katharine Kerr. The Black Raven, a Deverry novel.



Katharine has already donated some lovely books to the fundraiser, but this is a real treat: the original editorial manuscript of The Black Raven. As you can see if you click on any of the above pages, it’s full of the original copyedits, notes and changes.

There’s only one of these in existence, folks.

To bid and see more pictures you can head over to the auction HERE.


This story has only been e-published so far, and it hasn’t been collected into a print volume yet. So a print copy, let alone a signed one, is a bit of a rarity.

A great gift for the Star Wars geek in your life, you can see more pictures and bid on it HERE.


Thanks again to John for donating another signed manuscript copy of one of his Lost Tribe of the Sith stories. Remember, these have only been e-published so far, so a signed print copy is a bit of a rarity.

A great gift for the Star Wars geek in your life, you can see more pictures and bid on it HERE.

  • A signed hardcover of the illustrated Finnish version of George RR Martin’s A Game Of Thrones. Signed by the Author.



When I was out at Worldcon this year, I ran into my Finnish publisher and we started to talk about my plans for the upcoming fundraiser. They were nice enough to donate one of their new illustrated copies of Martin’s A Game of Thrones. And even tracked him down to get him to sign it.

Just to be clear, this book is in Finnish. But on the plus side, it has some really cool pictures. So even if you can’t read it, you can still enjoy it.

For more pictures or to bid in the auction, click HERE.

  • Signed manuscript collection of four Booth stories by Sarah Monette.


These are signed manuscript copies of the four published but uncollected Booth stories by Sarah Monette, including The Replacement. If you’re a fan of her books and haven’t had a chance to get hold of these stories yet, you’ve got a rare chance here.

For more details and pictures, you can head over HERE.

(Click to Embiggen and read Kristen’s note yourself.)

Kristen describes the page thusly:

One handwritten, messy, doodled-upon page of draft from the manuscript of Green Rider #4: Blackveil, by Kristen Britain.

Will this snippet of timeless prose make it into the final book? That’s up to the Great Editor. In the meantime, enjoy a sneak preview, *if* you’re the highest bidder.

Link to the ebay auction is HERE.

The clock is ticking on all these auctions, folks. So if you know of anyone that might be interested I’d tell them soon. By next Thursday it will be too late.

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

As always, with special thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(I’m proud I haven’t misspelled Subterranean yet. It’s a tricky word.)

Posted in Subterranean Press, Worldbuilders 2009 | By Pat16 Responses

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