Tag Archives: Peter V. Brett

Published: November 23, 2010

A Plenitude of Signed Books

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

While I was busy gathering more books and getting these blogs ready, Worldbuilders topped 25,000 dollars in donations. Rumor has it this makes us unspeakably cool.

I’ve raised the bar to 50,000 dollars. I’m pretty sure we can beat this one fairly quickly. Tell your friends. Spread the word.

Today we have another wealth of donated books. Many of these sent in by fans and readers who wanted to help make worldbuilders a success.

All of these have been signed by the authors. Many of them are first editions. And several of them are limited editions, numbered and slipcased and all manner of cool.

Enjoy.

  • A hardcover first edition of Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan. Signed by the Author. 


Includes a picture of Robert Jordan signing this book.

You don’t need me to tell you about the Wheel of Time.

“The battle scenes have the breathless urgency of firsthand experience, and the . . . evil laced into the forces of good, the dangers latent in any promised salvation, the sense of the unavoidable onslaught of unpredictable events bear the marks of American national experience during the last three decades.” – The New York Times on The Wheel of Time.

“The complex philosophy behind The Wheel of Time series is expounded so simply the reader often gives a start of surprise at returning to the real world. Rand’s adventures are not finished and neither is this thinking person’s fantasy series.” – Bruswick Sentinel (Australia).

  • Four UK copies of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon. Signed by the author.

Note that these are UK editions of Gabaldon’s books. That means they’re written with an English accent, making them 25% cooler.

“All you’ve come to expect from Gabaldon . . . adventure, history, romance, fantasy.” — The Arizona Republic

  • A copy of Grave Peril by Jim Butcher. Signed by the Author.

“A fun new occult mystery series. Unusually well crafted.” – Locus

“The Warded Man works not only as a great adventure novel but also as a reflection on the nature of heroism.”—Charlaine Harris

  • Two copies of Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes. Signed by the author.

“Monstrous, murderous, psychotic, deranged, possessed and insane – the only question is what our heroes hate more: the demons they’re fighting, each other or themselves” – Stephen Deas, author of The Adanamtine Palace

  • Two first edition hardcover copies of Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes. Signed by the author.

“Wildly descriptive Slaughter-fest fantasy with a surprising pathos” – Stephen Deas.

“Feist is back on top form, and really delivering the goods. The characters are in place, the scenes are set, and on the evidence of Rides A Dread Legion, it’s going to be a wild ride.” – SF Site Featured Review.

  • A copy of of Bec by Darren Shan. Limited edition. Signed by the author.

“All the spells, severed body parts and horror you expect from Shan, with a nail-biting and shocking finish.” – Waterstone’s Books Quarterly.

“One of the most affecting and subtly profound novels of the year. … For such a peculiar, stripped-down tale, it’s fantastically evocative… Not too cute, not too weirdly precocious, not a fey mouthpiece for the author’s profundities, Jack expresses a poignant mixture of wisdom, love and naivete that will make you ache to save him — whatever that would mean.” – Washington Post Book World.

  • A copy of The Empty Family by Colm Toibin. Signed by the author.

“[The Empty Family] reconfirms his mastery of the short story…. ToÍbÍn raised his profile with the exquisitely bittersweet Brooklyn, and this collection is every bit as rich… Likely to rank with the best story collections of the year.” — Kirkus (starred review)

  • A copy of What I Didn’t See and Other Stories by Karen Joy Fowler. Signed by author.

“Arresting… each piece puts us on notice in its own way that an intriguing intelligence is at work.” –The Boston Globe.

The book is published by Quirk Books, the same publisher that brought us Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Among other things, the book tells you which signer was murdered by his own nephew, which signers ended up imprisoned by the British, and which were locked up because of their own greed and stupidity.

“With this work, Kiernan and D’Agnese present readers with astonishing individual portraits of all the signers in an attempt both to dispel some of the mythology surrounding the document as well as to establish a place in the historical discourse for those men not named Jefferson, Hancock, Franklin, or Adams.” – School Library Journal, starred review.

  • A copy of Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament by S. G. Browne. Signed by the author.

“A terrific comedy about the perils and joys of life beyond death… A zombie comedy with brains” – Kirkus.

  • A Clash of Kings and Part 2 of A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. Signed by the Author.

“I read my eyes out. I couldn’t stop until I’d finished and it was dawn.” – Anne McCaffrey.

  • A hardcover copy of Omega by Christopher Evans. Numbered, limited edition in a protective slipcase. Signed by the author.

“Christopher Evans is, to my mind, one of the great lost voices of British science fiction… now there is another novel, one that combines the bold and brutal alternate history of Aztec Century with the subtle and disturbing unpicking of identity of In Limbo… We can only hope that Evans’s triumphant return to science fiction is a harbinger of yet another revival in his writing.” – Strange Horizons Reviews.

  • A hardcover copy of Banquet for the Damned by Adam L.G. Nevill with an introduction by Ramsey Campbell. Numbered, limited edition in a protective slipcase. Signed by both Nevill and Campbell.

“Banquet for the Damned…  brings together the graphic and the subtle, supernatural and human horror, and makes them play their parts to the best effect.” – SF Site Featured Review.

  • A harcover copy of Nowhere Near an Angel by Mark Morris. Numbered, limited edition in a protective slipcase. Signed by the author.

“Mark Morris is one of the finest horror writers at work today.” – Clive Barker.

  • Signed, numbered, slipcased limited hardcover edition of Random Walk by Lawrence Block. Numbered, limited edition in a protective slipcase. Signed by the author.

“If there is one crime writer currently capable of matching the noirish legacies of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, it’s Lawrence Block.” San Francisco Chronicle

  • A hardcover first edition of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson with a Way of Kings bag and bookmark. Signed by the author.

I’ve talked about this book in a previous blog.

But if you don’t want to read all of that, this blurb sums things up pretty well: “This book is cool, and Brandon Sanderson smells like fresh-baked cookies.” – Patrick Rothfuss.

*     *     *

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.

Don’t forget, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations. So why not head over to the Team Heifer page and chip in. C’mon. All the cool kids are doing it…

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

Posted in fan coolness, Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat14 Responses
Published: November 18, 2010

Books from Del Rey and Spectra

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

This year, Del Rey and Spectra were nice enough to send along some books for the fundraiser.

This is kind of a big deal. You see, Del Rey and Spectra are the first big New York imprints to donate to Worldbuilders even though I don’t have any sort of direct business relationship with them.

Now don’t get me wrong. Publishers like DAW, Bad Moon, and Subterranean Press  have been with Worldbuilders from the beginning. Their support has been invaluable and lavish. I love them with a fierce love, and appreciate them more than I can say.

But it’s always been my hope that Worldbuilders would become more than just a fundraiser I run on my blog with donations I mostly wrangle up myself.

My dream, you see, is that Worldbuilders will grow beyond that. I hope it will eventually become an organization where geeks of all creeds and affiliations come together in order to make the world a better place.

This is a big step in that direction, and it warms my bitter old heart.

  • A hardcover copy of The Conqueror’s Shadow and an ARC of The Warlord’s Legacy by Ari Marmell. Hardcover signed by the author.

For those of you that don’t know.  ARC stands for Advance Reader’s Copy. ARC’s are books publishers put out early to promote upcoming books.

This particular ARC is especially cool, as Warlord’s Legacy won’t be released until January 2011. So if you win these books, you get to read it long before it hits the shelves. Then you can gloat about it to your friends.

The fabulous Robin Hobb says, “ Twists of humor leaven this story of desperate people in dangerous times, as a conqueror discovers that perhaps those who live by the sword are sometimes doomed to face the business end of one.  A great mix of character and action.”

  • A set of Three Days to Dead and As Lie the Dead by Kelly Meding.

“Three Days to Dead is one of the best books I’ve read. Ever. Evy Stone is a heroine’s heroine, and I rooted for her from the moment I met her. Kelly Meding has written a phenomenal story, one that’s fast-paced, gritty, and utterly addictive. Brava! More! More! More!”— Jackie Kessler, co-author of Black and White.

“As vivid an evocation of England during World War II as anyone has ever written . . . You’ll find here a novelist who can plot like Agatha Christie and whose books possess a bounce and stylishness that Preston Sturges might envy.” — The Washington Post.

  • A set of Wolfbreed and Wolf’s Cross by S. A. Swann.

A lot of people have been saying a lot of good things about these books. But rather than list all of them, let’s leap directly to the top of the heap:

“Vivid and visceral, dark and delicious, this one kept me turning pages from start to finish.” – George R.R. Martin.

  • A copy of The Warded Man and a hardcover copy of The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett.

I won’t go all gushy about how much I enjoy Peter Brett’s books. Instead, I’ll just link to the interview I did with him last year. He’s a lovely guy, and I’m not saying that just because he’s cool enough to chip to help match donations for Worldbuilders.

“I enjoyed The Warded Man immensely. There is much to admire in Peter Brett’s writing, and his concept is brilliant. There’s action and suspense all the way.”—Terry Brooks .

I had someone accost me in a bookstore less than a week ago and gush about this book. Such was their intensity that I’ve moved it near the top of my to-be-read-when-I-finally-get-a-moment pile.

“The Native Star is engaging, atmospheric, and lovely. I was quite taken by the concept of an Old West built on a foundation of magic and zombie slave labor. Oh, and giant raccoons. Bring on the coons! And how spectacular is the name Dreadnought Stanton? This book utterly absorbed me from start to finish—these days you have no idea how rare that is. You have something special in your hands—no pun intended.” —Gail Carriger, New York Times bestselling author of Soulless.

“Lebbon’s work is infused with the contemporary realism of Stephen King and the lyricism of Ray Bradbury.”— Fangoria

“You want this book…It’s the kind of book that leaves you breathless haunted and in awe. It makes me think of Little Brother meets Lord of the Flies meets Heart of Darkness meets Mad Max and the Road Warrior meets Letham. … It’s a powerful fast read of a gut punch of a novel. In other words–you want this book.” –Paul Jessup, author of Werewolves.

  • A set of a hardcover copy of Star Wars Death Troopers and an ARC of Star Wars Red Harvest by Joe Schreiber.

Okay. I lose some geek points for not knowing about these books. How can I not have heard about zombie star-wars books? Seriously. Why hasn’t anyone clued me in?

As you can see by the picture, Red Harvest is an ARC. It won’t be out until late December. So if you win, this will be a great opportunity to tease that super geeky star-wars friend in your peer group until he cries.

Or, if you’re a nicer person than I am, you could always give it to him for Christmas. Either way.

Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies says, “This is the Star Wars of every horror fan’s dreams—gory, funny, and brimming with a blood-spattered cast of swashbucklers and space-zombies.”

*     *     *

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.

Don’t forget, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to the Team Heifer page and chip in. Trust me. You’ll feel great afterward.

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

But first, everyone say, “Thank you Del Rey and Spectra.”

Posted in Subterranean Press, Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat17 Responses
Published: November 13, 2010

Hundreds of Books From Subterranean Press

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Once again the lovely folks at Subterranean Press have sent us hundreds of books. Many of them rare or out of print, and all of them are gorgeous and lovingly crafted.

Let’s take a look….

You all know who Ray Bradbury is, right? We don’t need to talk about that.

And if you’re reading this blog, you have to already understand how big a deal Fahrenheit 451 is. I’m sure of that, too.

This book brings together 16 vintage Bradbury stories and novellas that “chart the evolution of the images, ideas, and social concerns that found their purest, most potent expression in Fahrenheit 451. […]  it is both an invaluable Bradbury sourcebook and a unique, intimate glimpse into the mysteries of the creative process.”

From Publishers Weekly (Pick of the Week, Starred Review): “An essential addition to the bookshelf of every Bradbury fan, the collection is also accessible to curious readers with a taste for the dark, the strange, and the macabre.”

I’ll admit that I didn’t know about this book (and the one directly below) before they were donated, but now I’m going to have to have to read them as soon as I have time. Sooner maybe.

These books are *very* new, so there aren’t many reviews yet. Instead, here’s a brief description from Sub Press:

“In paired novellas, award-winning authors Tobias Buckell and Paolo Bacigalupi explore a shared world where magic is forbidden and its use is rewarded with the axe. A world of glittering memories and a desperate present, where everyone uses a little magic, and someone else always pays the price.”

Bacigalupi is already well-known for his award winning novel The Windup Girl which was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, and also won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards.

In short, he pretty much won everything with that book. Personally, I think he’s probably a witch.


While he might not be a witch, Buckell has his share of accolades as well. He’s a Writers of The Future winner and a Campbell Award finalist. Reviewers have called Buckell “a dazzling new voice” (Robert J. Sawyer) and “an exciting new writer” (Cory Doctorow.)

From the description of The Executioness by Sub Press:

“Magic has a price.

In Khaim, that price is your head if you’re found using it. For the use of magic comes with a side effect: it creates bramble. The bramble is a creeping, choking menace that has covered majestic ancient cities, and felled civilizations. In order to prevent the spread of the bramble, many lose their heads to the cloaked executioners of Khaim.”

It’s been forever since I’ve seen two authors writing in a shared world. This is cool stuff, and I’m excited to read it.

This is one of those books I’m tempted to steal from the fundraiser. I’m a big fan of Brett’s work, and I missed my chance to buy this from Sub Press. Now it’s sold out and would cost me hundreds of dollars.

From Blood of the Muse:

“If The Painted Man was a Director’s Cut DVD, The Great Bazaar and Other Stories would be the second disc filled with all the Extras. More story, deleted scenes, a ward grimoire; it’s all here. […] Fans of The Painted Man will love The Great Bazaar and Other Stories. People not familiar with Brett’s work will find this a great introduction.”

This book isn’t published yet, which means y’all can still pre-order it from Sub Press. If you want a copy, that might be a good idea, as I’m expecting it to sell out like the book up above.

From Sub Press:

“Return to the world of The Warded Man and The Desert Spear in an illustrated new novella by Peter V. Brett. […]  Arlen Bales is seventeen, an apprentice Messenger in brand new armor, about to go out for the first time alongside a trained Messenger on a simple overnight trip. Instead Arlen finds himself alone on a frozen mountainside, carrying a dangerous cargo to Count Brayan’s gold mine, one of the furthest points in the duchy.”

Here’s another out-of-print treasure from Sub Press. These signed, leather-bound, numbered books are worth hundreds of bucks on the collector’s market.

I love Butcher’s Dresden Files and really enjoyed this story. I was surprised, but pleased, when I discovered it wasn’t from Harry’s point of view. The story follows Thomas Raith instead, and gives cool insight into his character.

Rob H. Bedford for SFFWorld says, “Backup is a solid entry to the background of the Dresden Files, a terrific story in and of itself, and the book itself looks to be a great collector’s item for both fans of Butcher’s Dresden Files or of good storytelling matched up with terrific art. Obviously from what my review says, I’d highly recommend Backup.”

This was nominated for an Eisner award, so you know it’s got some mojo.

Publishers Weekly says, “This first of hopefully several volumes delivers on all counts, boasting a solid story bolstered by exceptional work from Chilean artist Rodriguez….”

From Subterranean Press:

“The three Locke children–survivors of a horrific home invasion that claimed their father–have just begun to rebuild their lives when little Bode discovers a key with an incredible power. […] Written by Hill and featuring the mind-bending art of Gabriel Rodriguez, the second installment of Locke & Key is one head-trip you won’t forget.”

Now out-of-print, A Fantasy Medley features stories by Kelley Armstrong, Kate Elliott, C.E. Murphy, and Robin Hobb.

From Publishers Weekly (Starred Review): “Four fantasy heavyweights contribute original tales featuring intriguing female protagonists to this enthralling anthology.”

From The Agony Column: “Deadman’s Road is generously illustrated by the incredibly talented Glen Chadbourne with lots of his ultra-detailed pen-and-ink drawings. [….] There’s a real sense of class and detail and craft combined with truly disturbing horror and, ever present, Lansdale’s unmatched sense of fun. Stepping into this book is like stepping into an old theater, running a black and white film you’ve never seen before.”

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover…. but damn, that’s a really nice cover.

Jay Lake is one of those writers that makes me look like a chump, turning out one quality book after another.

The San Francisco Book Review says, “Jay Lake is a first-class wordsmith, an author who relishes the possibilities of language, utilizing words to their utmost to craft incredibly detailed worlds both hauntingly familiar and mind-bogglingly different.”

The Library Journal says, “The author of The Engineer Trilogy has written a mesmerizing short novel that combines fictional autobiography with political intrigue and the art of the confidence man… History rewrites itself at every turn in this tale of an alchemist whose own base metal becomes, at last, pure gold.”

From Subterranean Press:

“Featuring new stories from the bestselling and brightest writers working in the genre, including: New York Times bestselling authors Scott Lynch and Garth Nix; genre greats Michael Moorcock (with an all-new Elric novella), Michael Shea (with a fully authorized new Cugel the Clever adventure), Robert Silverberg (with an all-new Majipoor tale), Glen Cook (with an all-new Black Company story), Gene Wolfe, and C. J. Cherryh; and hot new writers who’ve been re-inventing swords and sorcery like Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, Tim Lebbon, and many more.”

This book should look familiar to many of you.

You can’t trust me to be objective about my own book, so here’s a quote from the San Francisco Book Review:

“In what is by far the funniest and most original book of the year (so far), Rothfuss shows off his ability to think and create outside of the expected. The story is pure comic genius that will be fun and funny for parents and children. The illustrations, not to be outdone, offer subtle little quirks that, after reading the book multiple times, shine through and give it lasting re-read incentive.”

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 Worldbuilders, you can click HERE.

Posted in Subterranean Press, The Adventures of The Princess and Mr. Whiffle, Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat10 Responses
Published: January 14, 2010

Books from Peter V. Brett – Plus an Interview

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Well folks, here’s the last of the prizes, and the last of the author interviews.

Read on, and find out why Peter V. Brett is my new best friend.

*****

Heya Brett. Before we start, could you give us some of the details about how awesome you are? Y’know, awards, how many foreign countries your books have sold in. Stuff like that. Dazzle us.

Awesome, right. Let’s see… The Warded Man (AKA The Painted Man) was written on my cellphone during my subway commute to work. In many circles, I am more famous for that than the book itself.

No, seriously:

(You can read articles about it: here, here or here.)

Despite having been written with my thumbs, it was named one of Amazon UK’s 10 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2008, and has since sold in 18 countries and 17 languages so far (closed a deal in Turkey just a couple of days ago. Very excited about that for multiple reasons). It has been a bestseller in the US, UK, Poland, and Germany that I know of.

The series has been optioned for film by Hollywood director Paul WS Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt, who have done such movies as Event Horizon, Death Race, Pandorum, and the Resident Evil franchise.

Er… I am also devastatingly handsome, and make babies with the kind of auburn hair I am told women pay vast amounts of money to their colorists for. I drew the little chapter avatars in the US version of The Warded Man myself.

And he also makes julienne fries ladies and gentlemen. Order yours today!

Let’s start with an easy question. If you were a cake, what sort of cake would you be?

The kind that’s been sitting on the counter a long time and is sort of stale so you don’t really want to eat it right this second but keep it around in case you suddenly wake up desperate for cake in the middle of the night.

What are you reading right now?

I just got over the flu, so I got a lot of reading done, including Brandon Sanderson’s new Wheel of Time book, The Gathering Storm, which I admit I really enjoyed even though Brandon is my nemesis. I think Jordan’s spirit is pleased. I also read Shadow’s Edge by Brent Weeks and Legend by David Gemmell. I’m trying to decide between starting Mistborn by Sanderson or Acacia by David Anthony Durham next. In the meantime I am reading a bunch of comic books I’ve accumulated over the last few weeks.

All this reading feels good. For the last couple of years I’ve been too focused on my own writing to read much else, and I think that was unhealthy. I also had trouble turning off my internal editor, which sucks a lot of the fun out of reading.

If you had to pick your favorite book of all time, what would it be?

Ugh. Hard. Favorites shift with my moods. Let’s broaden a bit. My Personal Top 5:

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin
The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
Shogun by James Clavell

You’re relatively new to the publishing world. How has getting your book published changed your life?

Man, you have no idea…

Oh, wait. Yes you do.

I sold in mid 2007, and since then, pretty much EVERYTHING in my life has changed. One minute I was begging someone, anyone, to please read my book, and the next I’m answering fan mail from Australia and Japan. In addition to selling and deciding to write full time, my wife lost her job, we had a baby, and bought a new apartment.

Even though it’s mostly been great stuff that I always dreamed about, I really felt like the rug was pulled out from under me, as all the constants in my life up to that point vanished. I didn’t know which way was up, and felt an incredible pressure to write a sequel that wouldn’t let down the readers who loved the first book. It was doubly hard because I was doing much of it as a zombie on the baby’s bi-hourly feeding schedule while we fretted over money, the cost of health insurance, etc.

Your blog helped me a lot as I adjusted to the change. Seeing someone else going through many of the same things (and coming out the other end of it) made it a little easier for me.

That’s nice to hear. Sometimes I would write some of those blogs and then think, “Why am I telling people this? Why am I burdening people with my emo bullshit?”

I know that feeling well, but the people who would feel burdened by hearing about your life probably don’t read your blog. I’ve found that blogging about my life helps me order my thoughts and keep things in perspective.

How often do you check your amazon sales rank?

Far too often. It is a sick, sick obsession. I also have google scour the internets and read every single review, no matter how nut-crunching.

Oh man. Google Alerts? I’ve avoided that particular madness by the clever application of my own ignorance. I don’t know how to set it up. I just trust that if something important enough happens, someone will e-mail me.

That is probably wise of you. Google alerts takes about 3 seconds and the internet know-how of a shoe to set up, but it’s probably best you never open that door.

How many copies of your own books do you currently own?

I have two shelves of my own books. One has two copies of each version/translation for my personal collection. So far that is 16 distinct volumes, so there are 32 books in my personal collection. These books are precious to me, and I guard them like my young.

The other shelf has books I am free to give away, and I try to run contests and things on my blog to keep those moving. That shelf has another 47 books at the moment, in various languages.

Wow. Specific numbers. Nobody else has been that forthcoming yet.

What are they hiding, do you think? Secret bunkers of their books in case of apocalypse?

Absolutely. I assume everyone buys their own first book obsessively, usually in conjunction with checking their Amazon sales rank.

Okay. Before this interview goes any farther, I have a confession to make.

You were one of the first people to send your books into the fundraiser, and while I was sitting up with my baby one night, I didn’t have anything to read. Your books were sitting right there…. So I read one. That’s not something I normally do with donations, but it was just sitting there. Taunting me.

Admission of guilt is the first step towards absolution, my friend. I think if you put a note in the front of the book saying “I read this one; the cookie crumbs and coffee stains are mine. Love, Pat” whoever wins the book will forgive the fact that it is second-hand, since they will probably get a lot more for it on eBay.

Boy, are you sure? I never write in books other than when I sign my own for people. I think it’s a sin, isn’t it?

This is a special case. Anyone who wins it in the Heifer fundraiser will probably be more a fan of yours than mine, anyway, and I give you leave to illuminate my book with your delicate cursive… or deface it with your chicken-scratch, if your handwriting is anything like mine. (Thank goodness we live in the computer age.)

Okay. If you’re sure…

  • A copy of The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett. Signed by the author… and another author who read it.

Feel free to add “It didn’t suck” to your note…

Man, way better than that. I have to say, your book was really fucking good.

!! Do go on…

Okay, to be completely honest with you, I was really ready to dislike it. I’m not proud of this… but, I’d heard you’d already got a movie deal going, so I was a little jealous. And you wrote it on the subway, so I was ready to be all snarky about that, too.

I was kinda expecting you to be Paolini of the F-train. His book got popular because he was so young, and I assumed yours just got attention because of the subway gimmick.

I should know better than jump to conclusions like that, of course. But I can be just as ignorant and petty as the next guy… And I was totally wrong, your book is, like .5 of a Whedon on the coolness scale.

Firefly Whedon or Dollhouse Whedon?

There is only one Whedon, and I am his prophet.

Did you see that time in Astonishing X-Men when he made xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx xxxxxxxx? That was AWESOME.

That was awesome. He caught me off guard like he always does. That’s one of his gifts, in my opinion. He’s exceptionally good at coming at any sort of story from a fresh direction.

Sorry I xxx-ed out your potential spoiler, by the way. I have issues.

Back to the point though. I really dug your book even though I didn’t want to like it at first…

I understand completely. So long as we’re being honest, I felt the same way about you at first. When my book first came out last year, it seemed like every other review was referring to it as “The best new fantasy since The Name of the Wind”. I know it was meant as a compliment, but after it happened a few times, it started to stick in my craw. My inner insecurity began translating that as “this is a good book, but TNotW is a better one.” Grr.

I didn’t know anything about you or TNotW at the time, so I picked up a copy to see what all the fuss was about. Admittedly, I went in with more than a little bias, ready to pounce on any flaws I could find just to make myself feel better.

Of course, I ended up utterly charmed, and when I started reading your blog and saw what a nice guy you were, I realized I was being a bit of a dick.

Heh. The same thing happened with me when my book came out. Everyone was like, “Pat Rothfuss is the next Scott Lynch!” I remember thinking, “Can’t I just be the first Pat Rothfuss? I’ve got a lot more experience being that.”

Ha. I just feel sorry for the poor schmo who gets saddled with being the next Peter Brett. That’s no prize.

So…. Now that we’re friends and all, is there any chance I could get an early look at Desert Spear? I’ll do just about anything to get a copy. I’m not joking here. I’d choke a nun.

Hrm. Well, here’s the thing. I only have 4 advance read copies, and two of them have been promised to fans as prizes in an ongoing contest on my blog. The other two are my personal copies, on the aforementioned “precious” shelf. They are so beautiful, the paired books on that shelf, like a little Noah’s Ark of books. Even my mom doesn’t have a Desert Spear ARC.

But that said, maybe if there were a way to make the copy eventually go to charity…

I wouldn’t want to steal one of your personal copies. Like I said, I understand the book-hoarding impulse….

Actually, I made a plea to Del Rey, and they shook loose another copy for me to send you. You know. For charity.

Muahahahaha! Witness my power! No. Wait. I mean… that will be a great addition to the fundraiser. This is all about charity you know…

Just put it and The Warded Man in a plain brown box labeled “Pat’s used books” and add it to the lottery.

Done:

What’s the most shameful self-promotional thing you’ve ever done?

I brought chocolate cake with icing wards to a signing at ComicCon just to entice people over. In my defense, it was my birthday.

You were at Comic-Con this year?

New York, not San Diego. I usually go to SDCC, but my daughter was born on that exact weekend in 2008, so I think I may miss it until she is old enough for me to convince her that an airplane hanger full of 200,000 cosplayers is a birthday treat.

If you play your cards right, you should be able to convince her that it’s a special birthday party just for her.

That’s the plan.

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Milla Jovovich hugged me and told me she loved my book.

Oh man. Now I’m filled with terrible rage and jealousy. I think I might hate you again….

Uh-oh.

What’s the most hurtful thing someone has ever said in a review of your book?

A lot of readers try to pinpoint my personal morality and politics from the book. Sometimes they are wrong and say terrible things about my beliefs that are really upsetting. A few times I have tried to engage those critics in a polite, calm, and non-confrontational manner, just to set the record straight. Sometimes that helps. Sometimes it is a clusterfuck.

Two extra points for use of the word ‘clusterfuck.’ Do you have a particular piece of grammar that you screw up regularly?

I grew reading a lot of British fantasy (Tolkien, CS Lewis, Lewis Carroll, etc.) so there are a lot of Britishisms I use without realizing it. My copyeditors hate me.

If you could punch one literary figure in the face, who would it be?

I challenged Brent Weeks to a knife fight at the World Fantasy Convention this year, Beat It style, but he’d left his switchblade in his room so we just drank scotch instead.

Rumor has it that Voltaire wrote on the naked backs of his lovers. Do you have any little rituals that help you write?

I write very long books, so I would need many lovers.

That’s what I keep telling Sarah, but she isn’t buying it. How long was the Warded Man, anyway? It didn’t feel very long at all….

The Warded Man was 163,000 words, give or take. The first draft was closer to 180,000, but I cut a lot in the final editing pass. The Desert Spear, however, weighs in at a hefty 240,000 words, and that’s AFTER the heavy cutting. It’s no Wise Man’s Fear, but the hardcover will still make an effective bludgeon.

I hear you about the cutting. Over the years I’m guessing I cut over 100,000 words out of The Name of the Wind.

Speaking of which, I had an idea when I was interviewing Weeks a while back. It turns out he cuts a lot of stuff too. I’m thinking it would be cool to collect some deleted scenes from some other fantasy authors, put them into an anthology along with some commentary by the authors.

We could call it Worldbuilders, and some of the money it made could go to help match funds for the Worldbuilders fundraiser. I’ll admit it’s just a pipe dream so far, but what do you think?

It’s a good dream.

I saw that interview, where you both were talking about having cut the first sections from your books. I don’t know if this is just the case for all new writers, but the Prologue to The Warded Man was cut just prior to publication as well. I have a whole page of my website devoted to excised material, along with essays as to why things were cut. If you ever want to do a Worldbuilders anthology, I will be happy to contribute.

Rock. On. I’m so going to make this happen.

In the meantime, I still need to make a donation to Worldbuilders for this year. I don’t feel right about entering the lottery, though. Would it be possible for me to made a modest addition to the pool helping to match donations?

Oh merciful Buddha, are you serious? Some cash to help match donations would be the best thing ever.

Last year the fundraiser really tapped me out financially, so I was trying to be more careful this year when I said I’d only match 50%. But we’ve ended up raising WAY more than I expected. We’re already over 115,000 dollars. Even with Subterranean Press matching the first 10,000, that still leaves me stretched really thin.

I never planned on Worldbuilders being a one-man show. I’d always hoped some other folks would offer to help match donations, or maybe do fundraisers or auctions of their own to help Worldbuilders raise funds to match donations….

But you’re the first to actually offer.

Anyway, the short answer is “Yes.” I’d love to have you onboard helping to match donations.

You are now officially my new best friend.

*Ahem.* Anyway… back to the pre-tangent question. Do you have any weird writing habits?

Sometimes when I have writer’s block I will sync whatever chapter I am working on to my phone and write on the subway. For some odd reason, that always clears the block. No idea why.

That’s another reason the Voltaire thing wouldn’t work for you. It’d be hard to get properly intimate on the F-Train. People would complain about how many seats you were taking up.

You’d be surprised what you can get away with on the F…

I recently made a joke about “transition putty” on my blog. That being, of course, what we writers buy at Home Depot to smooth out our rough transitions. If you could have some sort of handyman tool like that, something like Plot Spackle or a Character Level. What would it be?

I wish I could go buy a box of minor character names like I can a box of nails. Look at all the trouble it’s causing you. You had to start a whole contest to get some ideas.

Heh. You detected my clever scheme, did you? Keep quiet about it and I’ll cut you in for 10% of the names.

Mum’s the word.

Those are all the questions I have. Thanks much for the interview, and double thanks for being willing to help out Worldbuilders as our first official author Sponsor. I can’t thank you enough for that.

Oh, and next time you see Milla, give her a hug for me….

Will do. Thanks so much for having me on the blog, and for all the great work you’re doing with Heifer. I’m glad I could do my own little part to help.

*****

Personally, I can’t think of a better way to end the last post of the fundraiser: our first author sponsor. Hopefully the first of many.

  • Four copies of The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett. Signed by the Author.

Not only is Brett’s debut novel a smashing good read, but owning a copy will bring you good luck, protect you from the swine flu, and make you roughly 33% more attractive to the opposite sex.Plus Brett has hugged Milla Jovovich. That means if you win one of these books that he’s touched with his own hands, it’s like you’re getting to hug her too, albeit twice removed.Well folks, this is the last of the prizes. You have until midnight on January 15th to get in on the action. For every $10 you donate on my Team Heifer page you get a chance to win books like these and many, many others.

If you want to know more about what you can win, or if you’d like more info about Worldbuilders itself, you can head over here for all the details.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(Ahhh… Last post of the fundraiser. Now can relax a bit….)
Posted in cool things, Me Interviewing Other Folks, Subterranean Press, Worldbuilders 2009 | By Pat50 Responses

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