Tag Archives: Tad Williams

Published: November 28, 2016

So Many Books From DAW

DAW was one of the first publishers to contribute to Worldbuilders. Which probably isn’t *hugely* surprising, as DAW is my publisher. They’re the folks that made The Name of the Wind a for-real book.

Every year, Worldbuilders has gotten bigger, and DAW has stuck with us, continuing to give us more and more lovely books to give away.

This year, they’ve sent us nearly 300 lottery prizes, many of them entire series of books (or significant chunks of a series.) More than six hundred books in total. Most of these are going into the lottery where you get a chance to win for every ten bucks you donate to Worldbuilders. But there’s a few up in the auctions as well.

I also feel the need to mention that this year Worldbuilders has access to matching money, so if you jump in and donate, or win an auction, the money you’re putting into the fundraiser is doubled.

(These are just SOME of the Books)

Now, here’s the thing, I know that picture is going to drive the OCD among you kinda crazy. The books are both horizontal and vertical. They’re not in any proper sort of order…. Honestly, it makes *my* fingers itch a little just to look at that.

But here’s the thing. We’re giving away so many books this year that we simply can’t fit all the books on the shelves if we stack them the normal way on the shelf.

Seriously. Here’s just some of what we’re giving away:

And that doesn’t include *any* of the games….

So yeah, there’s a lot to show off. If you want to peruse all of it on your own, you can check out the Lottery Library on the Worldbuilders website. But I’ll get into as much of it as I can fit below…

A truly ridiculous number of ARCs

(There were more to the left, but you get the idea.)

ARCs are awesome, and often really collectible. They’re the copies of the books that get sent out for review and promotion purposes. Sometimes the book goes through revisions after the ARC is produced, so the text is different when it’s published. Sometimes they have different covers. There’s usually SOMETHING different, and we’ve always been pretty excited to share them with you guys.

This year, DAW sent us over 90 ARCs we’re putting into the lottery. Every $10 you donate gets you a chance to win, so be sure to donate.

Copies of The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood. Doodled ARC up in Auction.

Todd Lockwood is not just an amazing author. Before he wrote, he was a professional artist, doing work for book covers, Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, and more.

(Click to embiggen, You won’t regret it.)

He did his own book cover, and there are illustrations in here that you’d have to see to believe. DAW sent us a bunch of beautiful hardcovers of his debut, as well as half a dozen ARCs, three of which were signed and doodled.

There’s one doodled ARC up in an auction, that you can bid on right here. The others are Lottery prizes, because of course they are.

10 Sets of the Green Rider series by Kristin Britain.

“Karigan is an engaging protagonist, and the scenes of magic and/or combat rise to a high standard.” – Publishers Weekly

10 copies of of Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn.

“Smart, sexy, and filled with beautifully fleshed-out/kick-ass women, Heroine Complex is the kind of read that sticks in your brain like a fanged cupcake…. I adored it.” —Amber Benson

5 sets of Impulse and Starbound by Dave Bara.

“This energetic mélange of tried-and-true elements—futuristic jargon, military and romantic tactics, and multiple levels of skullduggery—easily grabs the reader’s attention; more impressive is that Bara’s story holds that attention all the way to the end.” –Publishers Weekly

10 sets of Twelve Kings of Sharakhai and Of Sand and Malice Made by Bradley P. Beaulieu.

Twelve Kings has become an office favorite here at Worldbuilders, and for good reason. Brad Beaulieu is a long-time supporter of Worldbuilders (as evidenced by his stretch goal of reading the Hobbit to his kids in the snow), and a really great guy. To top it all off, he’s a fantastic author, and I’m glad to have him in the DAW family.

11 copies of Winterwood by Jacey Bedford.

“Bedford adeptly weaves together romance, action, and fantastical elements, all set against a richly realized series of far-flung locations.” –Publishers Weekly

10 sets of the Magic Ex Libris series by Jim C. Hines.

Jim Hines is also a huge supporter of Worldbuilders, and his books are fantastic. But don’t take our word for it…

“Hines’s writing is lyrical and fluid as it unsubtly echoes America’s past and present struggles with discrimination. Urban fantasy fans with a bent for social and historical commentary will find this provocative novel thoroughly entertaining.” –Publishers Weekly

Or, you could take MY word for it:

“I picked up the book meaning to read a few pages. My first thought was, ‘This is a cool concept.’ The second thing I thought was, ‘This is really, really clever.’ The third thing I thought was, ‘I should have gone to sleep three hours ago.'”—Patrick Rothfuss

10 sets of The Courier and The Operative by Gerald Brandt.

“Brandt has created a fully-fleshed universe, filled with high tension, memorable villains, and plot twists by the dozen.” ―Barnes & Noble

10 sets of This Gulf of Time and Stars and The Gate of Futures Past by Julie E. Czerneda.

“Czerneda excels at creating sympathetic characters and building intricate and fascinating worlds. Fans who have missed her Clan Chronicles will welcome this revival of a setting that still has much to offer” –Publishers Weekly

5 sets of The Dreamwalker Chronicles by C. S. Friedman.

“Friedman launches a series with this dimension-hopping, genre-bending adventure that will appeal to both adults and teens…. Friedman skillfully blends science fiction and fantasy elements, tying them together with fairy tales and solid worldbuilding.” —Publishers Weekly

10 sets of The Maradaine Novels and The Maradaine Constabulary by Marshall Ryan Maresca.

“Maresca’s debut is smart, fast, and engaging fantasy crime in the mold of Brent Weeks and Harry Harrison. Just perfect.” —Kat Richardson

5 sets of the Dragon series by S. Andrew Swan.

I have to say. I really love these covers. I know you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and all that. But these remind me of my childhood. They look like the books I loved to read when I was a kid. You don’t often see fun, colorful covers like this, and I’m going to read them just because of that.

5 sets of the Renshai Saga by Mickey Zucker Reichert.

“[Reichert] draws her characters realistically and uses the wizards believably. She has created a very real world…. Readers who love sword-and-war-type fantasy will keep turning the pages, spellbound.” —Voya

10 sets of the House War Series by Michelle West.

“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.” –The Maine Edge

5 sets of The Ley series by Joshua Palmatier.

“Palmatier kicks off an epic fantasy series with this complex tale set in a world where wonders are accomplished by manipulating the magical energy of ley lines…. Palmatier lets the story build slowly, introducing a sprawling cast and fascinating setting, before explosively upsetting the status quo.” —Publishers Weekly

Copies of Nova by Margaret Fortune, The Crow of Connemara by Stephen Leigh, and The Transferrence Engine by Julia Verne St. John.

For Nova: “This book definitely scratched my kick-ass teen heroine itch, and it did it in SPACE. That’s a perfect combo if I’ve seen one.” ―BookRiot

For The Crow: “An intriguing mix of old Celtic Fae mythology and a contemporary drama of finding yourself….Leigh is a master at building an entire world, not just the bare bones required by the plot.” —RT Reviews

For Transferrence Engine: “It’s oddly delightful to read a ripping Victorian, steam-powered yarn set in a world where Byron, Shelley, Polidori, etc., are mostly known…as depraved necromancers and mad scientists.” —RT Reviews

5 sets of the first 3 books in the Alien series by Gini Koch.

“This delightful romp has many interesting twists and turns as it glances at racism, politics, and religion en route. It will have fanciers of cinematic sf parodies referencing Men in Black, Ghost Busters, and X-Men.” —Booklist

5 sets of The Birthgrave Trilogy by Tanith Lee.

“An exciting, feverish, obsession-laden sword and sorcery epic, unlike anything then current—or, arguably, since.” —LOCUS

Guys. Tanith Lee. She was one of fantasy’s heavy-hitters for a reason, and we lost her last year because cancer is a heartless bastard. Luckily, her writing (and there’s a ton of it) lives on.

Copies of Jerusalem Fire and 5 sets of the Tour of the Merrimack series by R.M. Meluch.

“Meluch shows particular skill in creating memorable characters while exhibiting a refreshing ruthlessness in subordinating them to the logical ramifications of the plot.” —Publishers Weekly

“Enough action and suspense for three novels. Meluch’s wry, realistic wit finds the ludicrous in the military, sex in the military, and a dozen other matters. A treat for military sf buffs.” —Booklist

10 sets of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn Series by Tad Williams.

I’ve talked before about what an inspiration Tad Williams was to Young Pat – if Tad could sell his giant tomes, then Young Pat could too. These are beautiful new editions of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, and all three of these could be yours with a $10 donation.

“Readers who delight in losing themselves in long complex tales of epic fantasy will be in their element here, and there is the promise of much more to come in future volumes.” —Locus

10 sets of books from the InCryptid Series by Seanan McGuire.

“Mixing mythology and monster lore (plus a good helping of snark), Discount Armageddon is fast-paced, funny and boasts a salty-sweet heroine who can cha-cha, foxtrot, and kick ass––or any combination thereof––while she sprints her way across the rooftops of Manhattan, policing and protecting the denizens of New York City’s supernatural community.” —Amber Benson

DAW sent us the first two books (of seven!) in Seanan’s series, and we’ll be bundling them together in the lottery to give you that extra boost.

Auction: ARC copies of InCryptid books: Midnight Blue-Light Special, Pocket Apocalypse, Chaos Choreography. All SIGNED by Seanan McGuire.

For the collectors out there, or those of you who just love Seanan McGuire’s work (which you should), we got a set of 3 of her InCryptid books, and we’ve thrown them up just for you in an auction. These are books two, four, and five, but if you’re lusting after signed books, you probably knew that already.

If you’ll love these rare books with a fierce love, you can bid right here. If you don’t love them, I’m assuming you haven’t read them.

Auction: Signed ARC copy of Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire.

We’ve also thrown up this ARC of book 7 in the October Daye series. If you’re a fan of that series, we’ve taken the chance out of getting this awesome book. Or maybe you have a friend who loves the series. It’d make a pretty great holiday gift…

If that sounds good to you, then bid here.

Auction: One of everything DAW published in 2016

This is one hefty prize.

The auction is for 52 individual titles. Some are new series, some are new installments in ongoing series, some are hardcover, some paperback, but all came from DAW in 2016.

As you can see, they keep pretty busy.

It’s the best way I can think of to expand your library if you’re in desperate need of new sci-fi and fantasy books. If you want to have this excellent collection, you can bid on it here.

And last but not least….

ARCs of The Heart of What Was Lost, coming out in January, by Tad Williams. One for Auction.

This is a big deal, folks. We have seven copies of Tad William’s new book. And we’re going to be giving them away (with DAW’s permission) before the publication date.

Six of them are going out with the lottery items, and we’ll be shipping them out with all the other prizes. But if you *really* want to get your grubby little hands on one soon, we’ve put one up in an auction you can bid on here.

***

It’s a ton of books, y’all. And I didn’t even manage to showcase ALL of them. If you want to check the rest out, be sure to look over at the Lottery Library.

Also, a reminder that tomorrow is the first day of our Overwatch tournament. Check out the Tournament Website to see the different team standings, and watch the matches as they happen, and see what sort of embarrassing handicaps your team will have to suffer through if they don’t raise as must money as their competition…

Be good to each other,

pat

Posted in Worldbuilders 2016 | By Pat2 Responses

Published: November 23, 2015

So Many Books from DAW….

We just finished our second week of Worldbuilders, and as I type this we’ve raised $375,000. That’s an amazing amount of money that will help improve the lives of people all over the world.

“But Pat!” I hear you cry. “Exactly *how* will this money make people’s lives better? For someone willing to spend eight pages describing how someone makes soap, it seems like you’re being pretty vague here….”

Fair enough.

Let’s say you donate $60. That’s enough for Heifer to go into an area and provide education, support, and seedlings. That’s everything a family needs to plant some trees.

If you’re running a small farm, or even a garden, trees are more important than most people think. They provide shade for animals and prevent soil erosion. Many poverty stricken parts of the world have been deforested to a disastrous degree. And you can’t maintain a farm or pasture if the ground itself keeps washing away….

Even better? That cute little girl up there gets to supplement her diet with fresh fruit or protein-rich nuts. The nuts or fruit the family doesn’t use can be sold. Giving a family a small orchard or grove of nut trees is effectively the same as giving them a small business.

And what if you want to grow your business? You actually, literally, grow it. Using the education and tools Heifer provides, people can plant part of what they harvest, not only improving their own lives, but the lives of their friends and neighbors.

That’s what sixty bucks does, folks. It changes people’s lives. Forever.

And when you donate directly to Heifer on the Worldbuilders team page you also get the chance to win thousands upon thousands of books like the ones that DAW has sent us.

Did I mention that DAW sent us a bunch of books? They did. They very did.

* * *

DAW is one of the few publishers that has been involved in Worldbuilders from the very beginning. But this year they’ve outdone themselves…

Set of the first 8 books of the October Daye series. All signed by Seanan McGuire.

“Action, intrigue, and a dash of romance.” —Jim Hines

All 8 of these are signed, and they’ll get you a really good start on the series. Collectors could love it, and people looking for new books in the name of charity could love it.

20 ARCs of Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. Beaulieu.

“A memorable heroine, a poetically told tale of revenge, and superb worldbuilding make Twelve Kings in Sharakhai a splendid read.” –John Marco

Brad supports us on his own, but as I mentioned before, he’s part of the DAW family now, and everyone at DAW is really excited about his book. So much so that they sent us fully 20 ARCs of it to share with all of you in the lottery.

32 copies of The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor.

“This is a horrifying, inspiring, painful, joyous book.” —io9

I love Nnedi. She and I were winners in the same Writers of the Future contest, and I’ve always enjoyed her writing. Enough that they put my quote about her books right on the cover here.

I hope the 32 people who win this love it as much as I do.

20 copies of An Ancient Peace by Tanya Huff.

“The action is solid, and the marines are an entertaining mix of oddballs.” –Locus

24 copies of Nova by Margaret Fortune.

“NOVA grabbed me from the first chapter, and never let go. What a ride! Unforgettable, fast-paced and original, this book kept me guessing to the end” –Amie Kaufman

This is a new one, and the author is actually a fellow Wisconsinite. Over the summer my editor, Betsy, came to visit and told me all about her, so I’m happy to see that there are so many copies available in the lottery for all of you lovely people to enjoy.

48 copies of The Thorn of Dentonhill by Marshall Ryan Maresca.

“Maresca’s debut is smart, fast, and engaging fantasy crime in the mold of Brent Weeks and Harry Harrison. Just perfect.” —Kat Richardson

11 copies of Empire of Dust by Jacey Bedford.

“Bedford mixes romance and intrigue in this promising debut, which opens the Psi-tech space opera series…. Readers who crave high adventure and tense plots will enjoy this voyage into the future.” —Publishers Weekly

24 copies of The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams.

“Sprawling, spellbinding…weaves together a multitude of intricate strands, building to a suitably apocalyptic confrontation between good and evil.”—Publishers Weekly

Let me tell you a story. Just a short one, I promise.

Back in the summer of 1995, I’d been writing my novel for a couple of years. And, to be completely honest, I was feeling a little hopeless. I wasn’t anywhere done with the story I was trying to tell, but my book was already *really* long. (I hadn’t yet realized it would need to be more than one novel.)

Then I read The Dragonbone Chair and it gave me hope. I knew someone out there was publishing big fantasy books. So maybe I had a chance….

Needless to say, this book has a special place in my heart.

And Many, Many More!

DAW moved offices recently, and in that move, a lot of the staff finally got around to reorganizing their office libraries, which led to boxes upon boxes of books getting donated to Worldbuilders on top of the already substantial traditional DAW donation.

There’s a lot of stuff here, folks. Hundreds of books making up more than 160 prizes. There are standalones, first-in-a-series, new books, old books, and everything in between. And they’re all going into the lottery.

That means anyone who donates at least $10 dollars on our page has a chance to win them. If you were to donate more, say… 60 dollars (enough for some tree seedlings) you’d have six chances to win one of the over 1,000 prizes we currently have in the lottery.

Yeah, we’re giving away a lot of stuff here, and we haven’t even reached the halfway point yet…

Here’s one more link to the donation page if you need it.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2015 | By Pat8 Responses

Published: November 25, 2014

Art Galore

As I type this, our donation total sits at $275,000. Considering that this is only the beginning of our third week, we are absolutely blowing the doors off this year.

So far we’ve talked a lot about the good work Heifer does by supplying animals to families. But we haven’t talked about the fact that Heifer does a lot to improve the lives of women all over the world too.

Pictured here is Maria Elsa Castellanos Rios, who started the Southern Cashew Enterprise Association in Honduras with the other women who wanted to contribute to the local economy through help from Heifer International.

Heifer knows they need to invest in the entire community, and that means investing in women. According to Economist.com “In emerging markets, women reinvest 90% of their earnings in their families and communities—which means that investing in women is an investment in our collective future.”

Guys, I hate to break it to you. But our numbers aren’t nearly that good. All the research shows that in a similar situation, men typically reinvest only 30-40% of their earnings in the household.

Because Heifer is playing the long game, looking to make families and communities self-sufficient, independent, and sustainable, Heifer typically works with women. In many communities, they form women’s self-help groups. Later, those groups go on to help other women in other communities. And so on. And so on.

And that’s an awesome thing.

* * *

We’re always happy to feature some of the cool art that comes into the fundraiser. This year we’ve got crafts, original art, and jewelry, along with some more traditional signed prints. They’re all going up for auction for those who will love them, so jump in if you see something you need.

Auction: Limited edition 2014 Beyond Words calendar. Signed by all 14 featured authors.

This calendar features the authors Holly Black, Gail Carriger, Cassandra Clare, Tessa Gratton, Lauren Kate, Gregory Maguire, Brandon Mull, Lauren Oliver, Christopher Paolini, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Maggie Stiefvater, Tad Williams, and Brenna Yovanoff. There were only 100 of these signed callendars produced, so they’re are extremely limited and rare.

If you want one of these collectors items, head over here and bid.

Auction: A full set of 8×10 prints from the 2014 Beyond Words calendar. Each signed by the author.

We also have a full set of the photo prints from the calendar. Each photo is signed by its author (or authors, in the case of Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton).

These are printed on high quality photo paper, and the full bundle of 12 photos can be yours if you bid over here.

If you’d rather only have one or two of these pictures, you can buy them individually over in The Tinker’s Packs.

Auction: A Kingkiller Chronicle sterling silver charm bracelet. Featuring over 40 charms.

(Click to embiggen. Seriously.)

A fan named Noël spent some serious time and money (and time, did we mention that?) assembling so much Kingkiller symbolism your head will spin. There are over 40 charms on this sterling silver bracelet, most of them are sterling as well, a few are silver plate, and some of them are pewter.

(This is only about a *third* of the charms. Seriously.)

The list of all of the charms is viewable on the auction, and honestly? It’s a little staggering. Even if you’re not looking to bid, you should head over o the auction and check out some of the other pictures we have of this truly one-of-a-kind piece of art.

Auction: Limited Edition “In Relig Oran” Poster. Signed by Neil Gaiman and artist Michael Zulli.

This was donated by Neil for our IndieGoGo fundraiser this summer, and the person who purchased it immediately emailed us and said to keep it and use it for another fundraiser. I don’t know what it is with Neil Gaiman’s stuff, but it has a tendency to come back to us over and over again…

There were only 750 of this poster produced, and this one is number 210. If you want it, head over here and bid on it.

Auction: Map of Yggdrasil from the Iron Druid Chronicles. Signed by Kevin Hearne and artist Priscilla Spencer.

Priscilla Spencer is very talented at drawing maps, and she lovingly donated this one to us. If you’re at all a fan of the Iron Druid Chronicles, then you’ll know how nice it’d be to have this map nearby while reading Trapped. Plus, it’s really beautiful.

If you want this all for your own, bid here.

Auction: Map from Shadow Ops. Signed by Myke Cole and Priscilla Spencer.

Priscilla donated three maps total, and the second is the map from Myke Cole’s Shadow Ops series. It has beautiful detail, including detailed sketches of monsters and other creatures.

If you’re a big geeky fan for Myke Cole and/or Priscilla, you should probably bid on this over here.

Auction: Map of the Realm of Alera. Signed by Jim Butcher and Priscilla Spencer.

Our third map from Priscilla is a beautifully detailed depiction of Alera from Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera.

If you want this one, be sure to bid on it.

Auction: A copy of The Fairy-Tale Princess by Wendy Jones. Signed by illustrator Su Blackwell.

This is a beautiful, hardcover book that collects seven classic fairy tales. Beyond the stories, though, is the detailed papercut sculptures that are the illustrations.

This book deserves a loving home. If you want that home to be yours, bid here.

Auction: Set of Copper Goat Paperweights from Esoteric Garage.

Tait from Esoteric Garage has sent over a lot of copper goodies over the years, and this year’s donation is a set of hefty copper goats based on the Worldbuilders logo. There’s a large goat as well as two smaller ones, and they come with a signed card of authenticity from Tait.

If you want your own little piece of Worldbuilders ephemera, bid over here.

Auction: Original Iron Woman mixed-media artwork. Signed by Karen Hallion.

Karen Hallion gave us the art behind our beautiful calendar this year, and she’s incredibly well known for her princess/police box mashups. But she does a lot more than that, including this Iron Woman series, where she pens and paints a steampunk character over the pages of a book.

The series is amazing, and Brett in particular is hoping our next calendar can feature this art. This is the original, hand drawn-and-painted art, on a wood panel. If you want your hands on this beautiful piece, bid on it here.

Auction: Two tickets to Cabaret on Broadway. Includes a backstage tour after the show.

Last year, actor Bill Heck donated two premium seat tickets to see Cabaret, and he’s happily done so again. The show stars Bill Heck, Alan Cumming, and Emma Stone in the leading roles, and you’ll get an exclusive backstage tour after the fact, maybe even a drink or two with Bill afterwards.

If you want this incredible experience, bid on it over here.

* * *

There’s some seriously cool stuff up for auction now, and if you look at the Worldbuilders eBay page you’ll even get a sneak peek of some items we haven’t even announced on the blog yet.

If you’re not into auctions, remember that if you donate directly to Heifer International on the Worldbuilders team page, you’re automatically entered into our prize drawing where you can win over $100,000 worth of cool swag, books, and games.

We’ve got more awesome stuff going up in the store tomorrow, so be sure to come back and check it out.

Published: January 8, 2014

Even More Books from DAW

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.

“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.

“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.

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.

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.

Sets of the Willow Tate series by Celia Jerome, and the Esther Diamond series by Laura Resnick.

[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.

Sets of the Foreigner series 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. 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.

Sets of the Collegium Chronicles by Mercedes Lackey and the House War Series by Michelle West.

[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

Auction: A First Books of a Series Bundle: A Turn of the Light, by Julie E. Czerneda, Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines, and Silence by Michelle Sagara. All are signed.

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.

Sets of the Alien series by Gini Koch.

“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.

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.

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.

Set of the Inda series by Sherwood Smith.

“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.

Sets of The Seven-Petaled Shield books by Deborah J. Ross and Mirror Lands books by Violette Malan.

“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

Sets of the Tour of the Merrimack series by R.M. Meluch, and the Karavans series by Jennifer Roberson.

“[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

Sets of the Dragon Nimbus series by Irene Radford, and the Princess series, signed by Jim C. Hines.

“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

Sets of the Magic ex Libris series by Jim C. Hines, and the Bobby Dollar Novels by Tad Williams.

“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

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.

(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

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

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.

Full Set of Seven Darkover Omnibus editions by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

“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.

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

Set of The D’neeran Factor and Battleground by Terry A. Adams.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

“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

Sets of The Novels of Tiger and Del Volumes 1-3 by Jennifer Roberson.

“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.

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

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.

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.

Auction: Silence and an ARC of Touch by Michelle Sagara.

Auction-P1050380

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.

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: October 21, 2013

2014 Calendars – Fantasy and Philantropy

So for the last couple of years, Worldbuidlers has put out a calendar to help raise money for charity.

This year, we decided to up our game and put out TWO calendars:

The first one we put together with help from Heifer International itself to showcase the good work they do all over the world:

The second is filled with joyful geekery, featuring a bunch of cool fantasy authors… and me.

Right now, both of these calendars are up for sale in our online store, The Tinker’s Packs.

If you want, you could hop over right now and buy them. But if you’d like more details first….

The Heifer Calendar:

One of the things that’s always bothered me about charity fundraisers is that they frequently center around guilt and pity.

We’ve all seen the TV commercials. They show you starving, desperate children and say, “For the price of a cup of coffee, you can feed this child. Not even fancy coffee. We’re talking shitty truck-stop coffee with powdered creamer in it. Not that you would ever drink that. Today you had a half-decaf mocha with blueberry syrup and extra whip that cost you six bucks, you fat, disgusting American bastard.”

I’m paraphrasing, of course. But you know what I’m talking about. You see one of those commercials and if you have any empathy at all… well… it’s just crushing. Whenever I saw one, it always made me feel helpless and hopeless.

The first time I ever saw something different was Sarah Mclachlan’s video, World On Fire. Way back in 2004.

The premise for the video was this: They took the $150,000 a video normally costs, and put that money toward different charitable causes instead.

After all these years, I still remember one moment in the video where they said they’d helped send kids to school. Then they showed a picture of this little girl sitting in a classroom. And she was *so* fucking happy to be going to school and learning things. She was beaming with joy.

A screw it, I’ll just post the video here so you can see it yourself if you want….

The part I’m talking about is right at the 1 minute mark.

I remember watching that video, and thinking “This. Is. Awesome. What Sarah McLachlin has done here is Awesome.”

Then, after a moment, I remember thinking, “I want to be awesome too.”

What’s my point? Here’s my point.

When we decided to put together our own Heifer International themed calendar, that’s the feeling I wanted to replicate. I didn’t want people to feel guilty or sad or depressed at the state of the world.

I wanted you to look at this calendar and think: This is Awesome. What Heifer is doing is Awesome.

So our calendar is full of stories of people that Heifer has helped over the years. People who got a little help, then used those resources to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.

Stuff like this:

After working on their own for 21 years, the women in Azacualpa village saw things begin to change in 2005 when 22 families received heifers from Heifer International.

Four years later, in 2009, they received chickens and completed two rounds of Passing on the Gift, sharing chickens with other families in their community. Seeing the positive results from these first two projects, the women wanted to try something a bit more ambitious.

“We wanted something more to do to generate more income,” said Maria Elsa (bottom left, with her husband and grandchildren). From this, the Southern Cashew Enterprise Association was born, with Maria serving as president.

Heifer provided the materials and hired builders to construct the storage rooms and ovens for this cashew enterprise. They also provided 200 cashew tree seedlings.

In 2012, a drought destroyed most of the area’s corn harvest. The cashew business, however, along with the ability to sell eggs and milk from their livestock, still provided income for the families in Maria’s village.

Maria gets almost four gallons of milk a day; she uses one gallon for her family and sells the rest.

Victoriano Gonzalez, Maria’s husband, said, “I never expected to see a cow in my yard and now we have four.” While the women work, their husbands have taken over more of the household chores.

“Now our husbands bring us food while we are working,” Maria said.

This! This is what it’s all about. Heifer helps people, then those people help themselves. Then they help *other* people help themselves.

And you *don’t* have to shell out 60 cents a day, every day, forever, just to keep some poor kid from starving. When I did that, I felt like I was throwing stones into a well. I felt like it would never *really* make things better.

But here’s the thing: you send some money to Heifer, and they use it to help people make significant, long-term changes in their lives. Now when I donate money, it feels like I’m throwing a stone and Heifer is making sure that stone lands in *just* the right place so that it triggers an avalanche of awesome that will go on for decades, improving the lives of thousands of people.

If you buy this calendar, you are throwing a stone too. I hope that every day you look at it and think: That is awesome. And I am awesome too because I helped.

The Beyond Words Fantasy Calendar:

The second calendar we’re doing this year is fantasy-themed. But unlike last year’s calendar that focused on fantasy characters. This calendar focuses on the authors themselves.

For example, Brandon Sanderson:

Or Lauren Oliver:

(It’s worth it to embiggen this.)

Or Gregory Maquire:

As you can see, the point wasn’t to dress up the authors as something out of their own books. (Gregory isn’t dressed up as someone from Wicked, for example.) This was a chance to… well… to do something fun and cool.

There are a lot of cool authors involved in this project, including:

If you’d like to see more of the pictures, you can peek at some more over in The Tinker’s Packs.

A special offer:

Now I can hear many of you out there howling, “How can I possibly choose between these two awesome calendars? I love Heifer, but I’m also a big geeky fan of [insert author name here]!!”

First off, rest assured that if you buy *either* of these calendars, money will go toward supporting Heifer International.

But really, why buy only one calendar? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a calendar in your office AND in your kitchen? A calendar at home *and* a calendar at work?

And what about Christmas presents? Think of those older relatives that are hard to shop for. Do you really want to give them another kitten calendar? A scented candle? No. You really don’t.

But if you give them a Heifer Calendar, you can explain to them how the money went to a *really* good cause. Then they get to feel awesome, too.

So here’s the deal we’re offering. If you buy more than one calendar, we’ll give you a break on the price.

If you buy two calendars, you get $5 off.
If you buy three calendars, you get $10 off.

You can mix and match to your heart’s content. Here’s the link the the calendar combo deals on The Tinker’s Packs.

The fine details:

A few other things you might want to know:

1. If you buy the Beyond Words calendar, your money will support First Book as well as Worldbuilders.

2. The Beyond Words calendar isn’t *quite* back from the printer yet.

It should be finished in a week or so. And we’ll be shipping it soon after. That’s why it’s listed in the store as a pre-order.

So if you order a calendar bundle including Beyond Worlds, we’ll wait until *all* your calendars are ready before we mail them. It will take a little longer, but shipping is much cheaper that way.

3. Last year, a lot of people complained that while the calendar was attractive, it was hard to use.

The reason for this was that the re was little functional space for writing down doctor’s appointments, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

We’ve fixed that this year. Both our calendars have nice, big colored boxes for you to write in.

Being in the Loop:

As you all know, I end up being really busy. That means I don’t always get to write blogs as quickly as I’d like.

This blog is a great example of that. I’ve been working on it for days.

But the people who follow The Tinker’s Packs on Facebook and Twitter heard about the calendars almost a week ago. That means they’ve already had a chance to place their orders, and in some cases have already received their calendars, giving them the chance to be very smug among their geek friends.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss stuff like this, it would be a good idea to follow those accounts. Especially as I don’t always blog about everything we put up in the store, and a lot of time, items are limited….

More cool things happening soon. Really soon. Stay tuned.

pat

P.S. If you’d like to sell some of our calendars in your store, or just buy in bulk, drop us a line at [email protected].

P.P.S. If you’d like to help out Worldbuilders in some other way, drop us a line at [email protected].

Posted in being awesome, Heifer International, The Tinker's Packs, Warm Fuzzies, Worldbuilders 2013 | By Pat24 Responses

Published: October 8, 2012

Pre-Order of Unfettered

So, to cut right to the chase here, I’ve got a story coming out in an anthology next spring.

The anthology is called Unfettered. I’m in there with Terry Brooks, Brandon Sanderson, Tad Williams, Naomi Novik….

Well… a lot of cool people, basically. If you click to embiggen the cover, you can read the whole list of authors for yourself.

You can go pre-order copies over here.

My advice? If you want one of the limited-edition copies, signed by all the authors, you should probably hop over there sooner rather than later. They aren’t going to last long.

And to answer the question before anyone asks it in the comments below: Yes, my story is set in the Four Corners world.

It’s called, “How Old Holly Came To Be.”

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you might actually remember me talking about how I wrote it in a single day about a year ago.

I’m excited about this anthology for a couple reasons.

First and most obviously, because there are a lot of really good writers in there. I’m actually really excited to read it.

Second, when you write kinda slowly, like I do. And you revise obsessively, like I do. And you write books that are really long, like I do. It means there are long gaps in between your published books. It’s been more than a year since I’ve had anything new to show y’all. So I’m glad this is coming out to help give y’all something new of mine to read….

Lastly, the proceeds from the book go to a good cause. You can read more about that over here if you want.

More news soon,

pat

Posted in being awesome, book covers, cool things, upcoming publications | By Pat51 Responses

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