I'm going to be self-centered and post a couple of personal updates this week:
Got approval for Darkyn book #5, which will be a story about Jayr, Byrne and Locksley. They liked my choice for the title, too, so this one is hereby permanently dubbed Evermore.
I'm finalizing plans for the next two StarDoc novels, tentatively titled Drednoc (book #8) and Crystal Healer (book #9) for my editor's approval. From there I turn it over to the agent and they hopefully hash out a deal. Nothing is absolute yet, but at present it's looking very good.
New cover art for Night Lost, Gabriel Seran's story and Darkyn book #4, is imminent. I'll also be including a brand-new, exclusive excerpt from NL in Midnight Blues my e-book for the challenge next week (which is a ham-handed hint for the rest of you pubbed folks joining in the challenge to do the same.)
I also promised to give away a copy of the mass market edition of Afterburn this week, so I will pick one name at random from everyone who leaves a comment to this post (you can ask a question as usual, or just throw your name in the hat) by midnight EST tonight (Friday, October 27, 2006.) I'll send the winner a signed copy of Afterburn the paperback, along with a signed mass market edition of Bio Rescue so you have a matching pair.
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Allow me to take a moment to express my pure, unadulterated excitement.
ReplyDeleteWHOOOOOOO!!!
Have I mentioned how many times I've read Bio Rescue? And how ragged the spine looks? And how much grovelling I would do to receive a signed copy of the paperback Afterburn? I could do grovelling, I'm very good at grovelling...
Squealing Fangirl Question: Are you going to write a book about Emily Kim and that steamin' hot stud muffin of an Omorr doctor of hers? Or better yet, Mercy and Cat and their intergallactic brothel?
Please... be self-centred and let us know what's coming up, we'll only love you for it.
ReplyDeleteOf course, what we want to know is when these books will be coming out? January still seems like a long way away...sigh
Congrats on the Darkyn news! and also, "I'm finalizing plans for the next two StarDoc novels, tentatively titled Drednoc (book #8) and Crystal Healer (book #9) for my editor's approval"
ReplyDeleteI'll be sending up prayers to the book gods. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment. Please let us know when you hear something.
(I've already got the HB versions of both AB and BR so I'll opt out of the contest. Just wanted to say WTG! on the good news)
You must be a time management wizard. Congrats on the book news!
ReplyDeleteOooh a contest! I love them :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the upcoming books. I know it's exciting! And thanks for creating the e-book challenge ... I plan to send you my link this weekend.
Take care!
YAY!! That's great, PBW. My question - that I'm SURE I already asked some time ago, ha - is how do you make time to write around other things? Having half an hour here or there is rough, especially because I'm one of those people who needs to block out chunks of time (I prefer an hour at a time) and it always seems like till I set myself up to write my time's gone! Any ideas? :)
ReplyDeleteMy low-stress project has really helped calm me down and I've found a project idea to keep me excited, so I'll start writing my next novel sometime next month, yay.
Jess
Ooh, new Stardoc books! I'm eagerly awaiting Plague of Memory...
ReplyDelete*unashamingly throwing my name into the hat*
ReplyDeleteI'm really, really glad to hear more about the StarDoc deal. And of course the Darkyn deal too, although my first love is still the StarDoc. I absolutely love this series.
Allow me to say that after one of the worst weeks on record at work - this was absolutely the best news I heard all week - more books!!! Yah. I'll also keep my fingers and toes crossed at they are able to get a deal for more StarDoc books - that's a double YAH!!!!!!!! Can't wait for January.
ReplyDeleteMarie in RI
*throws name in hat*
ReplyDeleteName, meet hat. :)
ReplyDelete(Can't wait for more StarDoc, by the way!)
Excellent news, PBW. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI'm a little slower than the rest of the group in catching up on the Stardoc series. But I'm proud to report that I'm moving along--slightly out of order due to availability in my area. I just finished 'Endurance'. I don't know how many times I've read the opening scene now, but boy, I love it. I use it like a manual on how to grab your reader by the throat. I'm a happy little noodle to find more Stardoc stories are in the works.
ReplyDeleteGenuine delight and my name in the pot.
Karen, the lurker
Love the title of the new Darkyn!
ReplyDeleteMy library of course, only has books 2,3,4 of StarDoc. Do I have to start reading with book 1 or can I jump right in?
ReplyDeleteI totally want a copy of Afterburn. :)
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else made that sort of experience? I started writing in 2001, and first was a novel (a vewwy sucky one, lol). Then, while working on another novel, I also wrote a bunch of short stories, mostly in 2003. But since then, all my plotbunnies come as novels. I'd really like to write a few short stories again, but I just don't get any usable ideas. And it's not that Historical Fiction only lends to novels, two of my shorts were hist fic (the others Fantasy and Horror).
lleo wrote: Are you going to write a book about Emily Kim and that steamin' hot stud muffin of an Omorr doctor of hers? Or better yet, Mercy and Cat and their intergallactic brothel?
ReplyDeleteEmily and Hkyrim probably won't get their own book, but their story will continue, possibly as a subplot or a standalone short story. If all goes well with the plans for the new StarDoc novels, Cherijo and Reever will be meeting Mercy and Cat in Drednoc.
Jaye wrote: Of course, what we want to know is when these books will be coming out?
ReplyDeleteMe, too. I think Night Lost has been scheduled for a May 2007 release (will check on that.) I don't have a release date scheduled for Evermore, but I'm rooting for it to hit the shelves in late 2007/early 2008. The two StarDocs aren't officially sold yet, and I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm currently on a one-book-a-year schedule with my current SF publisher, so you can speculate from there.
Is that how it works for you? I mean the comment about a one book a year thing. I know you write multiple genres. Would it be, in your case, one book for every genre a year?
ReplyDeleteI believe you've said you did a few work for hire projects as well. I guess I'm curious about how you schedule yourself for books as far as the year goal is concerned. Do you say in your mind, "One book in each genre and three work for hire projects and that's it for me this year." ?
What is the scoop on the January StarDoc - besides us StarDoc fans jittering like an over-caffienated computer programmer waiting for it? :-) LOL!
ReplyDeleteThis serves two purposes: ONE - I asked a question and TWO - I'm putting my name in for the book giveaway!
Yay for Friday!
~PJ~
First of all, you are incredibly generous and I'm just amazed.
ReplyDeleteSecond- the "Probably too personal and inappropriate question:"
Are you still considered an eidetiker, or has that begun to fade? And how is your daughter handling it as she continues to grow and mature?
Forgive me if I'm out of line and feel free to not answer, I definitely won't feel snubbed.
Congrats and please add my name in the hat ;o).
ReplyDeleteBest,
Pencilone
More Stardoc?! Sweeeeeeet.
ReplyDeleteOne question, and you may have answered a variant before; what do you do to minimize/ignore/avoid distraction. Some days when I sit down, it seems like the whole world suddenly needs attention. Aside from obvious 'I'm bleeding here, people' occurrences, what's your trick, if any?
Throwing my hat in, and I love the titles!
ReplyDeleteJess wrote: ...how do you make time to write around other things?
ReplyDeleteI compromise with my life whenever possible. I always try to put the family firest, which means writing before everyone wakes up, while the kids are at school and my guy is at work, and editing late at night when the kids are sleeping and my guy is doing his computer work. If I'm under deadline, they return the favor by making meals, giving me some space to work some extra hours, and whatever else they can to make my deadline week a little easier. It's definitely a group effort.
I also give up things that aren't as important to me as my writing. I don't watch television except for the occasional weather or traffic report in the mornings. I don't talk on the phone. I rarely socialize. That frees up a lot of time for writing.
Having half an hour here or there is rough, especially because I'm one of those people who needs to block out chunks of time (I prefer an hour at a time) and it always seems like till I set myself up to write my time's gone! Any ideas? :)
I'd suggest looking at your schedule, and seeing if there are some blocks of time you can rearrange. If you usually do most of your household chores on the weekends, for example, you might instead knock out a little of the housework done every day and giving yourself the time you would have spent doing that on the weekend for your writing.
Combining other-than-writing tasks and doing them all at once also helps. When I need to run an errand, I try to take care of at least two or three other things I need to do in town (this also saves on gas.) When I cook a meal, I always try to make extra to freeze and have for meals on other nights. I send out packages once a week versus going to the post office every other day. I probably save a couple of hours each week by creatively combining tasks.
My low-stress project has really helped calm me down and I've found a project idea to keep me excited, so I'll start writing my next novel sometime next month, yay.
Outstanding. Good luck with it. :)
Diane wrote: When are the new books going to be released? I keep a list of books coming out by month.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment I only have a tentative release date for Night Lost, May 2007. I know the excerpt in the back of Dark Need says April 2007, but my publisher rarely gives me accurate release dates, so for the moment I'm going with the sale date the booksellers are listing, which is May 1st.
Word Nerd wrote: Do I have to start reading with book 1 or can I jump right in?
ReplyDeleteI think I covered the backstory pretty well in book 2, so you're probably safe jumping in. A different, shorter version of book 1, told in the POV of another character, is Illumination, which you can download in .pdf format from my sidebar over there to the right.
STARDOC!! *jumps up and down* *crosses fingers for numbers 8 and 9*
ReplyDelete....Is it January yet? *wink*
Pixel Faerie: Is that how it works for you? I mean the comment about a one book a year thing. I know you write multiple genres. Would it be, in your case, one book for every genre a year?
ReplyDeleteThey're all a bit different, depending on genre and publisher demand. SF is once a year, dark fantasy was every eight months (that schedule has shifted a bit, and I don't know what it will be now) and WFH work can come in at any time under any sort of schedule. I can't really count on anything to follow a logical schedule.
I believe you've said you did a few work for hire projects as well. I guess I'm curious about how you schedule yourself for books as far as the year goal is concerned. Do you say in your mind, "One book in each genre and three work for hire projects and that's it for me this year." ?
The most I will write is eight or nine books in a calendar year, and that's exhausting. Ideally I'd like to write four novels a year. Most years I end up writing somewhere between 4 to 9 books. My decisions are based on the market, what's being offered by the publisher or client and what I feel I can do. Every genre is a bit different, too, in regard to research time, idea development, how long it takes to work out a novel with the respective editor, etc.
Congrats on the upcoming books! :D
ReplyDeletePJ wrote: What is the scoop on the January StarDoc - besides us StarDoc fans jittering like an over-caffienated computer programmer waiting for it?
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously flattered, for one thing; by both the nice compliments and you jittery fans making it possible for me to continue writing the series. Not one of the StarDoc books has gone out of print yet, and that I credit to the loyal readers out there and their unwavering support.
As for a scoop, let's see, how not to spolier my own novel....Plague of Memory returns to the style of the previous books in the series, as it's told in first person from Cherijo's POV, has a couple of big surprises, and will give you some insight into Hsktskt society and politics, as it takes place mainly on the Hsktskt homeworld.
I really do appreciate you and everyone who posted the generous words for StarDoc. :)
Congrats PBW! You rock!
ReplyDeleteArthur wrote: Are you still considered an eidetiker, or has that begun to fade?
ReplyDeleteI go see the neurologist once a year because I'm at risk for epilepsy and other neuorological conditions. So far I've had no deterioration or impairment. I rarely talk about it because it's been one of the most unpleasant parts of my life, especially when I was being "studied."
And how is your daughter handling it as she continues to grow and mature?
We also have my daughter tested for epilepsy every six months because she's at the most dangerous age for developing it. Her social life is normal, and she has no academic problems. She seems to channeling her gift into music and computer programming, which I consider a huge blessing and support wholeheartedly. Now if I can just keep the academic morons away from her, she might have a chance to grow up like every other normal little girl.
Congrats!
ReplyDelete(don't enter me in the contest, PBW, I've 5 signed books and counting, LOL)
Great Stardoc vibes sent, so as to not jinx anything.
ReplyDeleteI am an eidetiker, too, although I had to look that up. However, after chemo, it's not as reliable as it was. I still have the recall ability, but when I'm tired, the recall won't happen.
I have a question: The five genres referenced at the top of the blog - what are they? I'm curious as to the variety of the work that you do.
WOOT - great news about Evermore in particular but I am in awe over your ability to keep all this straight!
ReplyDeleteCongrats PBW! Wow, I'm just amazed at how much you get done!!! :)
ReplyDeleteBlogeois said...
ReplyDeleteCongrats on everything! Please put my name in the hat!
Rowan wrote: One question, and you may have answered a variant before; what do you do to minimize/ignore/avoid distraction.
ReplyDeleteWriting when no one else is home or awake, and unplugging the phone, help a lot. :) At the moment I do most of my writing in a corner of our spare bedroom. I put my writing space on wheels (my work computer sits on a rolling station) so I can easily relocate to virtually any spot in the house.
Sometimes I take my PDA and folding keyboard and go to one of my favorite parks or the town library. Writing outdoors is great, especially at this time of year when it's sunny and cool but not yet cold.
Some days when I sit down, it seems like the whole world suddenly needs attention. Aside from obvious 'I'm bleeding here, people' occurrences, what's your trick, if any?
Usually before I start my nightly edit, I make family rounds, i.e. I check with everyone to see if they need me for anything, and remind them I'm going to be working before I go off to edit. Usually that pre-empts 99% of the interruptions and distractions.
If by chance it doesn't, I remind the interrupter that I do have a full-time job, and any work time I miss will have to be made up the next night. Also, the person responsible will have to take care of my chores while I work overtime (this is an iron-clad house rule.) Everyone hates doing laundry and dishes, so that always works.
Kaplooey Mom wrote: I have a question: The five genres referenced at the top of the blog - what are they?
ReplyDeleteFantasy, historical fiction, inspirational fiction, romance, and science fiction. I write nonfiction and a few sub-genres, but I don't count those separately.
Thanks for sharing the good news, and congratulations.
ReplyDeleteCan you reveal who you write as in fantasy, historical fiction, or inspirational fiction? I think I've lost track of them if they're publicly available -- the ones I remember are SL Viehl, Lynn Viehl, Jessica Hall, and Gena Hale. Or is the Darkyn series fantasy?
Drawing entry optional -- I have hard covers of both books (one signed and one unsigned of Afterburn). While I love getting your autograph, I'd rather the books went to someone who doesn't already have them.
I'll "shut up" now. ;)
Very exciting news and great to hear. Looking forward to the new books. I'm excited!
ReplyDeleteJean wrote: Can you reveal who you write as in fantasy, historical fiction, or inspirational fiction?
ReplyDeleteI've got a partial backlist here that lists everything I am permitted to publicize (and I need to update the links and a couple of titles, which I will do this weekend.)