Tag archives for In the News

In the News: Three Wishes…

split-worlds-button

My week is totally not going as planned. I was going to post a review every day and do some extra reading on top, but of course I should have learned by now not to plan to tightly, as there are two little girls in my house who are apt to mess up my carefully laid plans. However, I will have a review up tomorrow, as it’s part of a blog tour, so I really have to get that written, but before I start in on that, I saw an announcement floating around my timeline on Facebook and I really wanted to share it with you guys.

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By Mieneke Published 7 May, 2013 Posted in article Tagged: , | 1 Comment

In The News: Q&A with Clifford Beal

cliffordbeal-gideonsangelI’ve been a little spotty in my blogging lately, mostly due to sick kids, a weekend away, and a really busy week at work. As a result I also have stuff I’ve been meaning to post about for a while tucked away in Evernote and I decided to pull one out today because if I don’t post this now, it will really be too random. Anyway, last February I reviewed Clifford Beal’s Gideon’s Angel, which I enjoyed very much and last month Solaris released a short video shot at the official launch event for Gideon’s Angel. It featured a Q&A with the author where he among other things talks about why he chose to write a historical fantasy and about the historical figures he included in the book.

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By Mieneke Published 21 March, 2013 Posted in article, fantasy, historical fiction Tagged: , , | 1 Comment

In The News: Ben Galley’s The Written Graphic Novel Kickstarter

bengalley-thewrittenI usually don’t post about Kickstarters and other such news items, in fact I don’t post news items often in general. However, Ben contacted me and asked whether I’d post about his Kickstarter project and I know I have several graphic novel enthusiasts in my readership, so I thought I’d post it as a heads-up for them. I reviewed The Written in novel format earlier this month and while I had some mixed reactions, I did really enjoy the story. So without further ado, here’s Ben’s press release about the Kickstarter!

The Kickstarter project to turn my epic fantasy novel ‘The Written’ into a graphic novel has now launched and is very much live.

Launched on Friday the 11th of January, already the project has raised 42% of its £5,000 goal, and still has 45 days to go before its deadline. But the project still needs help to raise that other 58%. This email is a call for assistance in raising the awareness of the project, and meeting my goal in the next 45 days. Here’s how you can help me:
- Simply forward this email to a friend or colleague
- Share the news on Facebook
- Share or retweet it on Twitter (using the hashtag #EmaneskaGN)
- Or, pledging whatever you can towards the project.

All help is very much appreciated. There are some great rewards on offer. Don’t forget – I’m offering pledgers the chance to actually BE IN the graphic novel. Interested? Have a look below at the rewards.

You can find the project on Kickstarter under “Emaneska – The First Graphic Novel” or at the following link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emaneska/emaneska-the-first-graphic-novel

As always, you can find me at www.bengalley.com. You can also follow the news and updates on Twitter (@BenGalley) and Facebook (/BenGalleyAuthor). More information below!

The £5000 I’m trying to raise will go towards the graphic novel’s design, publishing, global release, initial print run, distribution, and also rewarding those kind people who have pledged towards the project. It will also go towards building and releasing an enhanced eBook app that will be launched as well, transform the reading experience.

The rewards for pledging to the project range from exclusive prints and artwork, free signed copies of the novel and the original Emaneska Series books, exclusive merchandise, to eBooks. Everybody who pledges will see their name in the dedication of the graphic novel, and on www.bengalley.com. That’s quite a reward, considering the proposed level of distribution.

This Kickstarter also offers pledgers the chance to actually feature in the novel. This reward allows pledgers to send in pictures of themselves, and have their likenesses rendered into artwork. It will then be placed in the novel itself, as a minor or background character. It’s a reward that allows those pledging to rub shoulders with the main characters of “The Written” and the Emaneska Series, and be a very integral part of the project indeed. There are only 50 spaces available, so it’s first come, first served!

The artwork for the graphic novel and the app construction will be done by artist Mike Shipley, renowned landscape painter, graphic artist, and also winner of the Churchill Award.

By Mieneke Published 26 January, 2013 Posted in article Tagged: | Leave a comment

In The News: Solaris snares Audrey Niffenegger

One of the big sore points for many genre enthusiasts is the way in which our beloved SFF genre is perceived by the mainstream. Every year when the Booker nominations are made public, there’s grumbling on how SFF, Crime and other genres are snubbed and even now people are celebrating the inclusion of several SFF works in the World Book Night selection. With this in mind, today’s announcement by Solaris that they’ve signed Audrey Niffenegger to be part of Jonathan Oliver’s third anthology titled Magic is a sure win for the genre. Ms Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry are very popular not just in the genre community but even more so in the mainstream media. As you’d expect, Solaris is justly proud of this coup. Her story sounds very cool and I’m looking forward to checking out the anthology!

Here’s the full press release:

Audrey Niffenegger comes to Solaris for Magic anthology
International best-selling author Audrey Niffenegger is to pen her first ever story for a commercial trade anthology, after signing to Solaris’ forthcoming short story collection, Magic.
Solaris are proud to announce that Niffenegger, whose novel The Time Traveller’s Wife has sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, is to produce a story for the themed anthology of the occult and arcane, due for release in November 2012 in North America and the UK, in both paperback and ebook.
The story marks Audrey’s first ever appearance in any commercial trade anthology and is the third themed collection from Solaris editor-in-chief Jonathan Oliver. The previous critically-acclaimed anthologies include The End of the Line, which featured stories set on the Underground, and House of Fear, which rebooted the haunted house for the 21st Century. The titles garnered ecstatic reviews, with The Times describing End of the Line’s stories as “exceptionally good”.
“I’m delighted to be involved in this project,” said Audrey Niffenegger. “My story is called The Wrong Fairie and is about Charles Altamont Doyle. He was a Victorian artist who was institutionalized for alcoholism. He was also the father of Arthur Conan Doyle, and he believed in fairies.”
Niffenegger became a publishing sensation thanks to The Time Traveller’s Wife, published in 2003 and made into a Hollywood movie in 2009, and her subsequent novel was the subject of intense bidding by publishing houses.
“It’s really very exciting to be working with Audrey, whose novels The Time Traveller’s Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry show an author with a great talent for subverting genre norms and delivering the unexpected,” said Jonathan Oliver. “Audrey’s story is sure to make a great addition to Magic.”
The line-up for Magic: An Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane is set to include other high profile authors, including Richard and Judy Book Club-choice Alison Littlewood, NYT Bestseller Dan Abnett, and celebrated authors such as Christopher Fowler, Storm Constantine, Robert Shearman, Paul Meloy, Sophia McDougall, Will Hill, Gemma Files, along with new writers such as Sarah Lotz, Lou Morgan and Thana Niveau and more.
For all press enquires please contact Michael Molcher
Phone 01865 792 201 • Email press@rebellion.co.uk
By Mieneke Published 24 January, 2012 Posted in article Tagged: , | 1 Comment

In The News: Simon Spurrier makes nice

Last year saw the release of Simon Spurrier’s second novel A Serpent Uncoiled, which I loved, so much so that it made my top ten of books published in 2011. A Serpent Uncoiled drew a lot of great reviews and praise, but as the author explains in this rather wonderful blog post – in which Simon again demonstrates he really has a way with words – it didn’t translate into mass-stockage of his book on the shelves of many brick-and-mortar bookstores. This week sees the release of the paperback edition of A Serpent Uncoiled and to draw attention to this, Simon has made a hilarious video to publicise the book. It had me cracking up after a few seconds and I really wanted to share it with my readers, not just for the laughs, but also because I believe A Serpent Uncoiled deserves all the readers it can get, it’s that awesome. So, I’ve embedded the video below – with Mr Spurrier’s permission – I hope it makes you laugh as much as it did me and if it does and you haven’t read it yet, go out and buy A Serpent Uncoiled! It’s a unique read you won’t quickly forget. Be warned, there is creative profanity in the video, so it might not be totally safe for work. Now excuse me, I’ve got to go and learn some of those most eloquent phrases by heart.

By Mieneke Published 19 January, 2012 Posted in article Tagged: | Leave a comment

In The News: Angry Robot brews up a YA imprint

Today brought the news that Angry Robot is launching a sister imprint, called Strange Chemistry, which will focus on YA genre fiction. To me this is super exciting news, because AR publishes some of the best genre fiction around and I’m thrilled to see what they come up with in the YA field. But what’s even more exciting is that one of my best blogging buddies is heading up the imprint. Yes, that’s right, Amanda from Floor to Ceiling Books will be leading Strange Chemistry. I’m so pleased and excited for Amanda! I know she’ll do a great job and bring us some stunning titles. So congrats Amanda and good luck on the move to Angry Robot HQ. Just make sure to look out for those creeping cables along the ground. I understand they’re meant to help with the ‘assimilation’! You can find the full press release below.

Angry Robot announces new YA imprint, Strange Chemistry

Angry Robot, the award-winning publisher of SF, F and WTF are pleased to announce their newest venture – a sister imprint, Strange Chemistry, which will publish Young Adult genre fiction.

The imprint will launch in September 2012, with five titles appearing before the end of that year, before settling down to one book each month. Strange Chemistry will follow AR’s strategy of co-publishing its books simultaneously in the US and UK, in both eBook and paperback formats. Subject matter will include fantasy, science fiction, supernatural and horror, and as with Angry Robot the lines between those genres are likely to be very blurry at times.

Running the imprint will be Amanda Rutter, until recently best known as the tireless blogger behind genre review site, Floor-to-Ceiling Books. She takes up her position in Angry Robot’s headquarters in Nottingham on December 12th.

Angry Robot’s managing director Marc Gascoigne said: “The key to any truly successful genre imprint is the personality of its editors. In Amanda we’ve found the perfect mix of editing skills and wild, wild enthusiasm for the subject. Her first signings are already making us jump up and down in excitement. We’re beyond delighted to welcome her to the team.”

Amanda Rutter commented, “Angry Robot have quickly become one of the most exciting and challenging genre publishers around, and I have so much admiration for the types of novels that the guys are bringing to the world of speculative fiction. I’m absolutely thrilled that I have the opportunity to join the team, and create a list full of Young Adult novels that share the same sharpness and passion as those in the AR list.”

More information can be found at strangechemistrybooks.com and angryrobotbooks.com. You can meet Amanda at floor-to-ceilingbooks.blogspot.com.

By Mieneke Published 17 November, 2011 Posted in article Tagged: , , | 2 Comments

In the News: Angry Robot recruits from their Open Door Month

So earlier this year Angry Robot Books had an Open Door Month. During the month of March everyone could submit their manuscript to AR and they’d take a look at them, whether the authors were agented or not. Amanda, she of Floor to Ceiling Books fame, was one of the slush readers and she said there were some gems in the pile! Now finally some of these gems have been revealed and here is the press release fresh from my inbox:

** ANGRY ROBOT SIGNS TWO NEW “OPEN DOOR MONTH” AUTHORS **

Like most successful publishers, Angry Robot generally only accepts submissions through literary agencies. Earlier this year, however, the company ran a pilot
programme to see how many unpublished – but talented – authors there were without representation. During March, Angry Robot invited all un-agented authors to submit completed manuscripts as part of an “Open Door Month”. Over 990 novels were submitted during that period.

Today, Angry Robot are delighted to announce the first acquisitions from the first
Open Door Month. Two new authors, each with a minimum two book deal, have now joined the Angry Robot family.

Cassandra Rose Clarke was the first signing to come through this process. Her two novels for Angry Robot show the versatility of this important new talent.

‘The Mad Scientist’s Daughter’ is the heartbreaking story of the journey from
childhood to adulthood, with an intriguing science fictional twist. And ‘The
Assassin’s Curse’ is a fantastical romp, starring Ananna, a no-nonsense lady pirate, born into pirate royalty.

Clarke said: “I’m beyond excited to have Angry Robot publishing my first-ever novel, and not only because of the delightful coincidence that my novel involves a robot who is, on occasion, angry. Angry Robot’s reputation is stellar and their author list incredibly impressive – I’m humbled to be included amongst their ranks!”

We take a somewhat darker turn with a pair of books from Lee Collins – ‘The Dead of Winter’ and ‘She Returns From War’. Both novels follow Cora Oglesby, a bounty hunter with a reputation for working supernatural cases.

Collins said: “As excited as I am at the prospect of rubbing shoulders with Angry
Robot’s outstanding authors, publication was really a secondary goal of my
submitting to them. My primary reason was the hope, however slim, of cybernetic
augmentation.”

Both deals were negotiated by Angry Robot’s editor, Lee Harris, who stated: “There is an enormous amount of talent out there, waiting to be discovered, and I am thrilled we have found two great new talents as part of our search.”

Both authors’ debut novels will be published by Angry Robot in autumn 2012, with
their second books scheduled for spring 2013.

Following the success of the project, Angry Robot expects to run a similar Open Door period in spring 2013, details of which are to be confirmed at a later date.

The books sound very interesting, and a book that makes Lee Harris cry rain drops? That has to be a must read!! So what do you think of these new Angry Robot Recruits?

By Mieneke Published 15 November, 2011 Posted in review Tagged: , | 2 Comments

In The News: In My Inbox

So I had a lot of press releases and stuff in my inbox, so I thought I’d do a quick catch up post on those! To start off with, I wanted to give you a heads up on this coming week on A Fantastical Librarian. I’m having my first theme week. And it’s Dracula! On Monday, though this could slip to Tuesday depending on whether I manage to finish the book tomorrow morning, there will be a review of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, followed on Wednesday by a guest post by Steven P. Unger, the author of In the Footsteps of Dracula and on Friday I’m posting a review of his book. I hope you enjoy Dracula week! Now for the other press releases in my inbox:

The David Gemmell Awards
Voting is open on the short lists for the David Gemell Awards. There are some amazing nominees and I can’t wait to see who wins. The nominees are as follows:

Legend Award
The Alchemist in the Shadows – Pierre Pevel (Gollancz)
The Desert Spear – Peter V Brett (Voyager)
The Black Prism – Brent Weeks (Orbit)
The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson (Gollancz/Tor US)
Towers of Midnight – Brandon Sanderson & Robert Jordan (Orbit/Tor US)
The War of the Dwarves – Markus Heitz (Orbit)

Morningstar (Best Fantasy Debut)
Shadow Prowler – Alexey Pehov (Tor US)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms – N K Jemisin (Orbit)
Warrior Priest – Darius Hinks (Black Library)
Spellwright – Blake Charlton (Tor US)
Tymon’s Flight – Mary Victoria (Harper Collins Australia)

Ravenheart (Best Fantasy Artwork)
Todd Lockwood for The Ragged Man (Pyr edition)
Frank Victoria for Tymon’s Flight (Harper Collins Australia)
Jon Sullivan for Shadow King (Black Library)
Cliff Nielsen for The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Orbit)
Olof Erla Einarsdottir for Power & Majesty (Harper Collins Australia)

If you live close to London, you might be interested to know that the awards ceremony is open to the public. Tickets are costed at £20 and all ticket enquiries can be sent to christineharrison_007@hotmail.com. The prestigious ceremony is taking place on 17th June at the Magic Circle in London, and will be an awesome event! Alas, I won’t be able to attend, as I’ll have long flown back home after my London trip by then, so those of you who can go will have to have fun for me as well! Meanwhile there are some interesting discussions going on about the Awards, you can check some of them out over at Amanda’s and Sarah’s.

Abaddon Books
Abaddon has had an exciting few weeks. Not only will this Tuesday see the release of the latest Pax Britannica book, Anno Frankenstein by Jonathan Green, but one of their novels was also optioned to be made into a film! Scott Andrews School’s Out was optioned by Multistory Films to be adapted for the big screen. Part of the Afterblight Chronicles, the book is elevator-pitched in the press release as ‘Attack the Block meets Lord of the Flies in a post-apocalyptic landscape where pupils at a public school grow up fast or they don’t grow up at all’. This is the second Abaddon title to be optioned for film and goes to show that SFF and horror is alive and kicking on the big screen!

Solaris Books
Abaddon’s sister imprint, Solaris also has a new title out. It’s the sequel to Ian Whates’ highly acclaimed The Noise Within and is titled The Noise Revealed. The book sounds very exciting, though I haven’t read the first book. In fact I’ve only ever encountered one story by Mr. Whates, The Gift of Joy as podcasted by StarShipSofa. I really liked that story, so I guess that in my quest to widen my SF reading I should add these two titles to my ever-lengthening to-read list.

Knighttime
Speaking of podcasts, I was contacted by one of the Hazardous Players about their cross-medial online fantasy project Knighttime. They’re creating a fantasy adventure about the knights Sir Cottington and Sir Bratwurst through writing, audio performance, art and video, to be a full on fantasy experience for both children and adults. While the story isn’t my cup of tea, I did enjoy the episode I listened to and if you enjoy traditional quest fantasy laced with a quirky sense of humour, I think this would be worth checking out. In any case I think this kind of cross-medial approach to storytelling is very cool and I wanted to give the Hazardous Players some more exposure, so I thought I’d mention them in this inbox post.

Well, that’s all of my inbox cleared and I’d best get back to Mina and Lucy in Whitby, if I’m to post that review tomorrow!

By Mieneke Published 15 May, 2011 Posted in article Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment

In the News: Genre for Japan – Bids Are Open

Bidding started for the wonderful lots over at Genre for Japan. Last total given so far was £6,216.33!!! And that after less than 48 hours. Bad news for me is that I’ve been outbid on one of my items, but then again that’s only good news for the cause! Here’s the full press release:

Press Release: Bids Are Now Open!
Genre for Japan is a charity auction designed to raise money for the victims of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We are using JustGiving to donate money to the British Red Cross Japanese Tsunami Appeal.

Responses to our plea for donations have been more generous than we could have hoped – we now have over one hundred fantastic items up for auction!

Now all we need is for you to get your wallets out and bid, bid, bid! There is a full list of the items here, or you can browse the items by categories on our front page (see picture) such as artwork or signed copies.

The auctions will close at midnight on Sunday 3rd April. Bidding will take place in the comment boxes on the website. Winning bidders will be notified by e-mail after bidding closes. A full list of auction rules has been posted on the website.

Some of the prizes include:-

  • One year’s supply of books from Tor!
  • Editing/critiques from professional authors and editors!
  • A character named after you in soon-to-be-published novels by Al Ewing, Adam Christopher, Suzanne McLeod or Jon Courtney Grimwood!
  • Limited-edition cover art from Solaris Books and Gollancz!
  • Custom sketches from comic artists and manga artists!
  • Signed books from Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett!

Find out more information on our website: http://genreforjapan.wordpress.com/
Follow us on twitter: @genreforjapan
E-mail us: genreforjapan@gmail.com

Genre for Japan is organised by:-
Amanda Rutter: reviewer and webmistress at Floor to Ceiling Books
Jenni Hill: editor for science fiction, fantasy and horror publishers Solaris Books
Louise Morgan: author and interviewer for the British Fantasy Society
Ro Smith: writer and reviewer; blogger at In Search of the Happiness Max
Alasdair Stuart: editor-in-chief at Hub magazine

The Genre for Japan logo was designed by Robert Mulligan

By Mieneke Published 29 March, 2011 Posted in article Tagged: , | Leave a comment

In the News: Announcing Genre for Japan

What an amazing initiative to raise funds for the victims in Japan!

Press Release: Time to Donate Prizes!

We’ve all heard the news and seen the horrific pictures coming from Japan in the aftermath of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami – and no doubt we’ve all wondered how to help.

Following the example of Authors for Japan, where bids are now closed, we’d like to introduce Genre for Japan, a chance for the comics, science fiction, fantasy and horror communities to unite and show our generosity to those who need it right now.

We are planning to run auctions for genre-themed prizes and we need YOU to donate. We are looking for really fantastic prizes: examples might include signed first editions, coaching sessions with agents for that perfect submission letter or original artwork!

Some of the prizes already donated include a year’s supply of books from Tor, signed artwork from Solaris Books and editing/critiques from professional authors and editors. The prizes will be auctioned on our website, through JustGiving, in aid of the British Red Cross Tsunami Appeal.

If you have something really special to donate, please drop us a line at genreforjapan@gmail.com including information such as a starting bid amount, a sentence or two about the item, and whether you wish to send the prize to a central collecting point or would be willing to post it to the winning bidder. Photos would also help us to list the item, if relevant.

The deadline to receive offers of prizes is 25th March, with the auction set to begin on 28th March.

Find out more information on our website: http://genreforjapan.wordpress.com/
Follow us on twitter: @genreforjapan
E-mail us: genreforjapan@gmail.com

Genre for Japan is organised by:
Amanda Rutter: reviewer and webmistress at Floor to Ceiling Books
Jenni Hill: editor for science fiction, fantasy and horror publishers Solaris Books
Louise Morgan: author and interviewer for the British Fantasy Society
Ro Smith: writer and reviewer; blogger at In Search of the Happiness Max
Alasdair Stuart is the editor of Hub magazine.

By Mieneke Published 21 March, 2011 Posted in article Tagged: , | 1 Comment

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