In January 2000 my first published novel, StarDoc, was released. Naturally people made a lot of predictions about the book; none of them were particularly optimistic. I was informed upfront that StarDoc would never make a bestseller list, or turn a profit, or stay in print; I would be phenomenally fortunate if I earned back half my advance. I don't think I've ever had my hopes so repeatedly or thoroughly stomped by others as I did that last six months before the book hit the shelves. It was so dreadful that by the time the release date came I wanted to call the whole thing off. Understandably I was confused when StarDoc made runner-up (#11) on the Locus bestseller list. This was not supposed to be happening, I'd been told, by very experienced people. So I thought it was a fluke until the sequel, Beyond Varallan, did a little better.
Today StarDoc turns ten years old, and despite all the predictions of failure and doom, is still in print and is still selling (the last new copy I saw for sale was a tenth printing.) Whatever other people think of it, this novel is the only book I display like a trophy, in a little case on my wall. It reminds me of what's important, and what isn't. More than anything, this one novel is an ongoing tribute to my StarDoc readership, most of whom have been with me since the beginning. You guys are the reason this book and the series is still around; for that I am astounded and deeply grateful.
In keeping with the anniversary, I have ten copies of StarDoc to give away today. If you'd like a chance to win one, in comments to this post tell me about a memory you have of reading StarDoc, or about an author you've been reading for ten years or more (or if you can't think of anyone, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Friday, January 8, 2010. I'll draw ten names at random from everyone who participates and send the winners a signed copy of StarDoc with a tenth anniversary notation. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Stephen King. He was my second love, the first being Dean Koontz.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I've only read your Incarnatio e-Book and adored it. I didn't know you did something like Stardoc. I'm a lurker, hi. I'd love the chance to check out your original baby.
Congrats on 10 years and making a popular series out of a book no one thought would sell! That's inspirational. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been reading the Harry Potter Series since a year or two after the first book came out. I went back and read all the previous books every time a new one was going to come out, and I did the same thing with new movies up until the last 2 (college life is busy!).
Also, I look for a copy of StarDoc every time I go to the bookstore, but they never have the first one in stock. I *really* want to read this series, just so you know haha, and as soon as I can, I'm going to find me a copy even if I have to order it online (which is something I don't particularly care for for some reason)! :)
Congrats again!
I vividly remember picking that book up at the indie book store ( alas no more) and going "this could be interesting". It was right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteThat book store also had the delightful quality of having books tumble down on you when shows were on upstairs, and the crowd got stomping. The better the show, the more books a flyin.
One of the best random book purchases I ever made.:D
-Nico
I'm tossing my name in the hat. The only author I have come close to reading for ten years is David Eddings (with the occasional book penned along with his wife Leigh).
ReplyDeleteLynn I've searched our bookstores here in Oz for StarDoc but haven't found it. One author I re-read every year and have been a huge fan of is Terry Pratchett, I love the way he combines scifi/fantasy/mystery/historical genres into a workable flat planet.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on Ten years in print! Awesome achievement. And thanks for all your freebies from Scribd. I've downloaded The Novel Notebook again to work on my next plot outline.
I would like to toss my name in the hat.
ReplyDeleteFirst book I bought "all on my own" in 6th grade was The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. 15+ years later I still read his books on a regular basis.
For an author that produces new stuff - Terry Brooks. (I am a fan of the Magic Kingdom of Landover series.)
Stardoc inspired me to write...so thanks Lynn
ReplyDeleteHmm. An author I've been reading for over ten years. Let's go for Anne McCaffrey - I first picked up her dragon books in my early teens and got sucked in. Although I don't admire them as much as I did then, I still have them and re-read occasionally.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday STARDOC!!! Although I only read Stardoc for the first time last year I really love it. It is in my top 5 books of all time. I have already re-read it a number of times and spent a lot of time and money hunting down the next 8 so that I could read them - this is the problem of living down under! Nice beaches but it is hard to get some books! Don't get me wrong I would have spent 10 times the money to get them - they are worth every cent. But back to Stardoc, I love the story, the setting, the characters, the twists and turns and the space travel! It makes me laugh and it makes me cry each time I read it. In my family we have a saying when we love something we would marry it. Well Stardoc - I would marry you!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy 10th birthday, Stardoc! I read it in early 2006, having discovered PBW the blog in 2005 I think. And that was the year my first book won a nice award and St. Martin's offered me a contract. : ) Good year. Oh, and I warn everybody who tells me they picked it up to get Beyond Valloran and Endurance TOGETHER, you sadist.
ReplyDeleteLeave me out of the drawing, but I remember hearing about Stardoc from a friend in law school (now she's a great attorney in New Mexico) who LOVED your books. So I drove down to Borders one day after classes (I practically lived there anyway, and the grocery store was right across the street), marched in, and there it was! I fell in love with the first page, and the rest is history. I've been a huge fan ever since.
ReplyDeleteSince I haven't read Star Doc (yet) I don't think I should be included in the draw.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of keepers, I've re-read this decade... Norton for one.
What I would like to know is if these trampling nay-sayers were trying to protect you from disappointment or were just yowling out of spite.
Congratulations!! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been reading Jonathan Carroll's books for... *thinks* about 20 years now. I adore his dark & magical worlds.
I'd love a chance to read a (hopefully) signed copy of the first StarDoc. I've read a later book in the series & need to star catching up!
Cheers & Happy New Year,
Karen
Congratulations! I can't wait for the next one in August. I love series and have many that I've been reading for years - Elizabeth Peters, Jane Haddam,etc., and of course SL Viehl under all her many names. Happy Birthday StarDoc!
ReplyDeleteMarie
I picked up StarDoc on a whim (along with 4 or 5 other books). I tore through it, googled and learned there were more books out there. One fast trip to B&N later, I had the next four books and a week of non-stop reading. I was crushed when I finished the 5th (?) book because the story arc appeared to tie up a lot of the loose ends and it felt like the series might be done. Could this be true? Another google search brought me to your blog. Since then I've been a daily reader with an eagle-eye who counts the days to the next one. Knowing the next one is the last one is difficult.
ReplyDeleteI originally saved the first book for a book exchange I have with a close friend. She's out of luck! I decided not to share because I can't bear to let them go. But since I really can't keep books (simply no space), once I've re-read the entire series, she'll get the gift of a complete series and the joy of discovering this amazing journey of love and self-discovery. Thank you for a great adventure!
Kathleen
Congratulations. I like this series quite a bit. I'm slowly working through it in order and a couple months ago finished Shockball. Nice job indeed.
ReplyDeleteI already own the book, so no name in the hat for me. I just wanted to congrats and also thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteLynn,
ReplyDeleteSomeone already mentioned her, but Anne McCaffrey was the first "adult" author I remember reading at the young age of 11. I rummaged through my step-mom's books and liked the cover picture (a rider and dragon of course). It was a huge book (actually 3 books in one), but I finished it that summer. If I didn't understand something, I would save up my questions until my step-mom would get home and pump her for answers. She had, at that time, every piece of work by Anne McCaffrey. I continued reading her books throughout my teenage years, bought them with my first pay check, took them overseas to Guam and Iceland with me and they are proudly on my book shelf now. Just a few months ago I re-read The Dragonriders of Pern. I'm now 35 and it's been 24 years of reading her works. I will be re-reading the Stardoc series after the last book comes out this summer. I hope I have a child who loves reading as much as I do and will read my copies of your books someday.
Tami
Jacksonville
Bernita wrote: Since I haven't read Star Doc (yet) I don't think I should be included in the draw.
ReplyDeleteBut if you win, that would give you the chance to read it (writes the pushy author.)
What I would like to know is if these trampling nay-sayers were trying to protect you from disappointment or were just yowling out of spite.
At the time I thought most of them were trying to prepare me for the inevitable disappointment (a few were too transparent with their dislike to pull it off, though.) I also knew absolutely zero about Publishing when I sold my first two books so I expect it was fun for a few of them to mess with me.
There's always plenty of spite to go around in this business, but I think I know why I was squashed so often in those days. An uneducated housewife and stay-at-home mom who never read SF but who publishes a SF series and becomes a genre bestseller when so many college-educated, multiple award-winning writers have failed to do the same must seem like an unbearable insult.
Don't enter me in the contest either, because I was fortunate enough to win the whole series from you back in July. :) But congrats on everything, and most especially for succeeding and helping others to do the same. You're a great voice for all of us discouraged, pre-published authors out here, and we adore you and what you stand for!
ReplyDeleteBefore I won the StarDoc books from you, I'd been trying to find them in used book stores. I'd been laid off and my husband had the nerve to tell me 'no more new books'. Can you imagine? Anyways, I and my mom scavenged bookstores for them, but between us and 5 used book stores, we only managed to find 3 of the books in the series. Apparently people in my region do not release your books lightly. Then I won the books, all signed by you, and it was fabulous! I tore through the first three, and then called my mom. I told her to start buying them immediately, because I had to talk to her about them and didn't have time to wait for her to borrow mine and catch up. We've had to stretch the series out, because I'm re-employed now and she has commitments too, and we both agree that we tend to ignore things like jobs and kids once we crack open one of your books. ;) I've got a couple more left to read, and she just finished #5. We're loving every minute of it.
Stay strong and keep going, Lynn!
I read my first Dick Francis novel when I was 18--I'm 52 now--and have read almost every book he's ever written. Although I've been reading many of my favorite authors--James Lee Burke, Carl Hiaasen, Donald Westlake, and others--for more than 10 years, I can't think of any author I've followed as consistently and for as long as I have Dick Francis.
ReplyDeleteI am not old/mature enough to be reading the same people for 10 years, unless you count my every-other-year re-read of Les Miserables since I was 13?
ReplyDeleteThough since I have become a more cognizant reader, I follow you, Joshilyn Jackson, C. E. Murphy, and now Lilith Saintcrow.
Happy Birthday, StarDoc!!
I only read StarDoc for this first time this past year. Now I'm addicted. I can't believe I found those books so late in the game. (Crystal Healer was awesome, btw.)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you didn't let those awful people talk you into giving up, Lynn. If I win, I'm going to gift StarDoc to the library - so a whole new set of readers can become addicted to your writing. =o)
That's awesome! Happy 10 years!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading C.J. Cherryh for the last 10 years... every time a new Foreigner book comes out, I'm a happy reader.
Had I been reading Michael Connelly 10 years ago, I'd be through his whole backlist by now, but as it is, I'm definitely catching up on his work over the last decade.
I love Star Doc which is still in my keeper boxes. One of the other authors I've been reading forever is David Weber and Lois McMaster Bujold (Miles Rules!),
ReplyDeleteI only discovered StarDoc last year. Several of the books in the series sit in my ToBeReadPile.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the success! And way to show 'em.
I frequently give new writers a try, saw the synopsis in the PBA at an independent bookstore thought is sounded interesting and ordered it. It lived up to my expectations and you have continued to do so in all of your aliases. I'm happy to say that I have been with you since the beginning and am looking forward to many more enjoybable reading experiences from you in the future.
ReplyDeleteEdie
No need to enter my name, as I have these also. But it was funny you mention someone you have been reading for 10 years-- just this week I picked up a new title by Jude Deveraux (sp?)-- I am sure I have been reading her, on and off, for that long.
ReplyDeleteI found Stardoc when I was in Chapters in Canada and I was looking for Star Trek books to buy. It turned out I had a bit more money left on my gift card, and I spotted Stardoc. I had seen it advertised in the back of another Star Trek book, and so I decided, "Why not?"
ReplyDeleteI was only about 16 then, I think, so I was quite surprised with some of the more adult content, and so was my mother when she found out! She ripped out the first section of adult content and I don't remember if I have replaced my copy since then. I still haven't forgiven my mother for defacing a book!
Stardoc was how I first found PBW and now I have all her books save the Grace Chapel Inn series. I love the first person perspective of Stardoc and all the characters, even the evil ones. I'm sad that the series is ending, but I hope that you write more in the universe you created, PBW!
Congrats. Happy Anniversary. I’ve suck with Sharon Kay Penman, she a great author.
ReplyDeleteI want to think of somebody, I do, but until I do, put my name in the hat please. And if I do, I'll come back and tell you about their wonderfulness.
ReplyDeleteI started reading Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone when I was 13. I just turned 30 this year and am still a devoted fan. Some of my fondest memories are of staying with my grandmother during my summer vacations. I would finish reading one of the books and passing it to her. When she finished we'd discuss the whole book. We had our own private book club. There are other authors I've stayed with over the years, but Grafton is the only one that my grandmother and I bonded over.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on Stardoc's 10th! It must feel good to be able to say nanny nanny boo boo to those doomsayers (even if it is only in private).
ReplyDeleteMy HeartAunt Pat introduced me to StarDoc. She and I both love sci-fi and briefly co-administered an Anne McCaffrey fan site together. She waxed lyrical about the book (and the whole StarDoc series)...and against all principle, I ordered the book online without having read any previous "S.L. Viehl" books. When it finally arrived, I was disappointed to see it was first-person narrated (I usually avoid first person altogether)...but I was still hooked inside of 3 pages. I made two exceptions in my usual book-buying and book-reading habits for StarDoc - at the urgent behest of a fan...and I haven't looked back. It led directly to me exploring other books that were not part of my usual reading routine (Vampire Romance, which opened the door for other "soft" fiction")...so in a way it was instrumental in expanding my horizons. Not to mention its a great book in its own right. So yeah. I'll always have fond memories of it. :-)
ReplyDeleteLynn,
ReplyDeleteI had a question - I was going through some of your old posts and this one from January 2009, the Kyn Poll, jumped out at me.
"Last year you all were kind enough to vote for which characters you wanted to see in my 2008 free e-book, which ended up being Lucan, Sam and Jamys. As before I'd like to write new stories about existing characters and story lines, but now that the series is concluded I thought you all might want to see a new set of characters ala the Juliana trilogy. "
What's the "Juliana trilogy"?
The reason I ask is because I thought this was really cool because my name is Juliana so I just wanted to know what that was!
Thanks!
P.S. I'm on Night Lost in the series and I'm loving the books!
I've read Norton and LeGuin since my earliest days reading science fiction. I found SF when I was 11 and read almost exclusively that for years and years. Haven't read your series yet but would love to.
ReplyDeleteI unfortunately haven't read Stardoc yet but I have read your Darkyn books and Shadowlight---and I love them! I am so glad that you did not stop writing or give up on Stardoc when all those negative nellies were putting your book down.
ReplyDeleteI have followed Anne Rice, JK Rowling, Gena Showalter and many more more recently.
Congratulations and continued success. An author who has captivated me for over ten years has been Mary doria Russell.
ReplyDeleteI have not had the chance yet to read Stardoc. I've searched book stores up and down in my area, and they may carry a few books in the series, but never that first one.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on ten years. That's a very inspiring story. As for authors I've read for ten years...I think it'd have to be J.K. Rowling and Stephen King. I started reading King in middle school, and when I read Sorcerer's stone I was the same age as Harry.
Please place my name...Debra Saturday ...in the hat. I have not read Stardoc yet.
ReplyDelete1. Anne McCaffery way over 10 years!!
2. Arthur C. Clarke since early teen years.
3. I read "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madelene L'Engle every 3 years since I was twelve years old.
4. I would have read your books sooner had I known you and they existed...now that I do am hooked.*smiles*
Happy Birthday "Stardoc" and in a way Happy Birthday to you Lynn..to the birth of a new career and a new era in your life.
Cheers,
Debra Saturday
Wow, I can't think of a writer whose work I've read for 10 years or more but I can come close. I've been reading Kathy Reichs crime books since 2002. She is an auto buy for me.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you did not let the doomsayers turn you away from writting!
Congrats "Star Doc"
When I was 12 or 13, I saw a book in the Library by Tamora Pierce. I think it was Alanna. I picked it up, and was hooked.
ReplyDeleteTamora Pierce is a YA author, but her books are interesting enough, and imaginative enough, that I'm still reading her books even though I'm 30 now.
I love Stardoc too, but only found it last early last year.
I've been reading Robert B Parker for a long time. Since the 70's.
ReplyDeleteAlso King and Koontz. Nora Roberts. My foray into scifi, fantasy and PNR has been more recent, the last 8 years or so.
Happy Birthday to StarDoc! I first read it between 8-9 years ago. My best friend at the time was six years older than me and frequently loaned me books to read. I was on a major ScFi kick then, reading all of the Star Wars and Star Trek books and so a book titled "StarDoc" fit right in.
ReplyDeleteI've never actually owned a copy for very long, they always get lost or borrowed or something, but I will say I enjoy this book enough to go out and either buy a new copy or find it at the library every year or so to read it again.
Unlike many of your readers here I would suspect, I've never actually read any of your romance books, just the sci/fi-fantasy. I enjoy your writing style enough that I have considered picked up one of the other genres though, and I've been following your blog for the past few months because I'm an assistant to an author and I appreciate your insight into the writing process.
Congrats to the 10th anniversary! I actually found you through the Darkyn novels but I've been curious about your Stardoc novels for sure.
ReplyDeleteTen years???? Wow. Don't enter me... I've already got the book, but you might already know that.
ReplyDelete*G*
I love this book. I adore this series. And you're ending it... sob. Sniffle. Cry.
Star Doc was a pretty recent discovery for me. I think I posted when I first read it how much I enjoyed it. So much that I've already recommended it to several people. One guy even snapped a pic of the cover with his iphone to look it up when he got home.
ReplyDeleteIsn't technology grand?
I have not had the opportunity to read your work yet, but I do own all of the Darkyn books, and am looking forward to reading them as soon as possible! I would love the opportunity to win and enter a whole new world, I have never read science fiction before, but something tells me I'm going to love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
Hello Ms. Viehl :)
ReplyDeleteHappy 10th Birthday to StarDoc! Thank you for sharing your story of success.
I have enjoyed a number of authors for a long time.....Mary Higgens Clark and Nora Roberts come to mind now. I haven't finished my morning coffee so I am caffeine impaired. lol
As a sidenote thank you for a wonderful blog. I have enjoyed reading your blog for some time now. Wishing you great success - here's to another 10 years for StarDoc and beyond!!!
:) Abigail
Ah! That comment on LeGuin triggered it for me.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading both Madeleine L'engle and Ursula K. LeGuin since I was knee-high to a grasshopper (about seven years old), and I can truly say they were the ones that propelled me firmly in the direction of being an SFF writer/reader for the rest of my life.
I have continued to return to their books and stories and watch to see where my favorite characters have grown and gone on to do. I continue to seek out the ones I haven't read and dive in and find out what I've missed. Their books will always have a treasured spot in my shelves.
Goodness! Your own personal story is very inspiring, I have not read anything by you but I am certainly looking forward to it. Please add my name to the hat as well. :)
ReplyDeleteI have been reading Tom Clancy for years now & think it must be over 10 years now. I just love his Jack Ryan books and can read them over & over again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for running this giveaway, i would be so thrilled if i was a lucky winner.
Good Luck Everyone xx
Congratulations Lynn! Better this way than to really have tanked. I bet it tastes that much sweeter after the initial sourness.
ReplyDeleteHarry Harrison and Barry Hughart. With our son just turned ten, those are the two authors I'm subtly pushing on him, one sf and one fantasy. Just to be balanced.
And may the next 10 years be even better for you than the last! :)
I love StarDoc!! I got turned off Sci-Fi many years ago and that all changed when I read StarDoc for the first time. Wow - Sci-Fi with cool characters and a great story! I loved it! Thank you for persevering - the world just wouldn't be the same if you hadn't!
ReplyDeleteHere's to another ten years!
Congrats on 10 years! That's awesome. The StarDoc series is next on my read list so I don't have a memory of them...yet!
ReplyDelete1. Anne McCaffery, way over 10 years.
2. Diana Gabaldon, again over 10 years.
3. Karen Marie Moning since her first book, think she just celebrated 10 years in 2009.
There's likely more but I'd have to run upstairs to my book shelf, LOL.
Happy Birthday StarDoc and Congratulations Lynn
ReplyDeleteI would also like to thank my vanity (thank you vanity) which upon reading my name on the back of the book forced me to buy that book
It turned out that the book and series were awesome
Must be the smartly named protagonist
10 years ago, I was 15 (o_O)...
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, growing up, I remember reading YA books by Christopher Pike. He wrote a lot of teen horror/sci-fi and I enjoyed every single one of them. I have a few favorites I could list from his line of work, but I think "The Last Vampire" series was probably one of the best. The heroine was one kick-ass vampire. I love reading about strong, courageous, characters--CP created that in every book.
Happy Birthday StarDoc! So,I've never read any of the StarDoc books(hides under chair). I guess I've been reading JD Robb books for at least 10 years. I found the In Death series not long after the first book came out(didn't even know they were written by Nora Roberts when I read the first books).
ReplyDeleteWell would Dr. Suess count?? LOL There's many I have adored over the years....but I would have to say Bram Stoker sparked my love of vampires and in turn I have been hunting for page turning novels about vampires. Which in turn I found the wonderful Lynn Viehl. Fell in love with the style of writing so now I am buying my first Star Doc novel! :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 10 years Lynn!!
Thank goodness you didn't listen to all that gloom & doom! As a (still relatively) new author, this post is definitely inspiring. I'd be thrilled to have my own copy of StarDoc, so please consider my name thrown into the hat.
ReplyDelete~DeAnna
Congratulations - I finally picked up a copy of StarDoc and am looking forward to finishing the two books queued up before I start.
ReplyDeleteYour story (and trophy) warm my heart on this cold winter's day.
My memory is of youth spent picking out Andre Norton science fiction and fantasy at the bookstore. To this day, music or an image will occasionally evoke the feeling I used to have with a pocket full of book money--just enough for one or two!--and the smell of the Andre Norton paperbacks on the shelves. The evocation carries the memory of wonder and desire to be left alone so I could read her work and a brief melancholy, about 1/4 way into the book because I realized it would end.
- mrloco
Happy Birthday, Stardoc!
ReplyDeleteA dear friend of mine from high school gave me a copy of Stardoc for my birthday in 2001 or 2002, and I became totally hooked. She has very good taste in books and also introduced me to Patricia Briggs! (I need more friends like that, lol)
One author that I have been reading forever is Anne McCaffrey, she seems to be a favorite in these comments! I was introduced to her by my grandma, she would have absolutely loved your books. She had me reading the ElfQuest comic at 7 or so. :-)Good stuff, and great memories. Thanks for doing what you do!
I picked up If Angels Burn and thought "this is not my style at all", then I couldn't read your subsequent Darkyn novels fast enough and am dying to get my hands on your recent Kindred. So when I look at StarDoc and think "this isn't my style.." I think I should probably try one...
ReplyDeleteI actually just picked this up to read, but a signed copy would be awesome.
ReplyDelete10 years ago was right about the time I was introduced to Tanya Huff, and am still reading (and re-reading) her books now
Congratulations! Don't you just love it when you prove them all wrong without meaning to?!
ReplyDeleteI read a lot when I was a kid, all the way through high school. Then college happened and because my degree was in literature, I didn't get to read much on my own terms. While I love literature, I feel listing one of those authors would be cheating (unless you count Austen, because I do re-read her work on occasion). Then I did the employment thing and slowly worked back into the world of fiction for me, not school - and I exploded into a dangerously obsessive habit of reading and writing. (and I don't want to go back, so don't make me).
Considering my personal reading revolution has only been about 5 years long, I can't quite give what you're looking for. But I can tell you that Gena Showalter, Cindy Gerard, and Sherrilyn Kenyon/Kinley MacGregor are my best friends when I need something safe and new or safe and loved.
I've been eyeing your work since I stumbled upon your blog about two years (!) ago... but I hate starting in the middle of a series and I can't decide exactly where to start. I think I might just go with StarDoc, as it was your first book baby after all. :)
~Elisa
what_ever_for @ cox.net
I started trying to expand my horizons when I started blogging. I have always preferred to stick to authors that I know.
ReplyDeleteI found Holly Lisle, Wen Spencer, you and several others at that time. I decided to start buying the StarDoc series after reading the stories you posted on your old website. I was quite sad when James White passed, but was over-the-moon to find a replacement for that particular subset of SF.
I have had to replace copies of StarDoc, Talyn, Tinker, Moon Called and other titles from authors that I found on the net.
In my roundabout way, I'm saying that the authors I will keep buying in the future are those interested in their fans. I think the time you and others (cough, Holly, cough) put into giving back is what keeps me coming back.
On a side note, I am thinking about switching to digital books. I've heard that ebook sales are more profitable for authors. Is that true? If so, I may have my decision made for me. I may also have to save up for a Nook.
Ten years...hm. I don't feel like I was reading anything ten years ago. Maybe I was too busy making games?
ReplyDeleteSo I'll just throw my name in the hat, because I've always wanted to read STARDOC!
Happy Birthday Stardoc! And congrats Lynn, you rock! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been rereading Tolkien since I was 10, discovered Mercedes Lackey in the early 90s, and have been inundated with new (to me) authors since I started my blog (and more importantly- found yours).
So thanks.
Christopher Pike and L. J. Smith are the two authors I've been reading the longest. I found both of them in elementary school, and can still remember sitting in the library during recess with The Vampire Diaries, or The Weekend, and getting in trouble for not coming back early enough. They definitely sparked my love for reading.
ReplyDeleteoh, dear. I'm not old enough to do apply for the ten year memory thing for anyone. Unless one counts reading nearly everything in print that I could get my hands on by or on J.R.R. Tolkien in the past ten years.
ReplyDeleteI'm posting anonymously because I already have two copies of your series and I want to give others a chance to win.
ReplyDeleteBut in terms of a memory...
I picked up StarDoc from the library when I was a teenager, it was right before going on a family camping trip. Well, I became so engrossed in the novel that my parents had to, literally, rip the book from my hands and then bribe me with it to do any chores! I simply didn't want to put the book down!
I, like others, will be sad to see it end, but I am so very glad that I found the book and discovered you because you've been a pleasure to read.
So, Congratulations to you!
And Happy Birthday StarDoc!
Happy Anniversary. I've been reading Nelson DeMille and Julie Garwood for over ten years.
ReplyDeleteSince I've been reading for many, many years, there are quite a few authors that I've been reading for 10 years or more. Anne McCaffrey, Dara Joy, Nina Bangs, Nora Roberts are a few.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read StarDoc yet, but I'd love to win a copy so I can get started on the series. Congrats on the 10 year anniversary of your first book, sounds like all the naysayers were so very wrong.
Decloaking, I mean delurking to ask to be entered in your contest. One of many authors I have been reading for over a quarter century (when did I get so old?) is Marion Zimmer Bradley and her Darkover stories. Many of my other longtime favorites such as Madeline L'engle, Anne McCaffrey and Issac Asimov have already been mentioned by others.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the 10th anniversary of "StarDoc"!
ReplyDeleteNo need to enter me in the contest, I just wanted to join the celebration. :)
I've been reading quite a few authors for 10 years or more, including Dean Koontz, Nora Roberts, and James Michener.
Crikey! Ten years? Really? Excellent! Here's to another ten years - don't groan like that, I know you don't mean it.
ReplyDeleteI started reading Stardoc because the author was involved in the Forward Motion site. Picked up Holly Lisle then, too.
Other constants have been David Weber, Elizabeth Moon, Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner and Nora Roberts.
Don't put me in the draw, I have 'em all. And continue to re-read them.
Well, it's still Wednesday here...
ReplyDeleteI've been reading the blog for a while and while on a short vacation in Santa Barbara this summer I picked up StarDoc at a bookstore, started reading it and was hooked into Cherijo's story right away. Posted a review on my blog and my 12 year old daughter gave me Crystal Healer for Christmas.
An autographed copy would be great, but book 2 would be better!
Congratulations on the book staying in print for ten years. Cheers!
Hi Lynn! Toss my name into the hat as well please.
ReplyDeleteI stumbled upon a hardcover copy of Blade Dancer at a used bookstore in my country (Philippines)last month, and I looked you up in google. I am now hunting down used copies of the Darkyn books as a result. I was reading J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood books before I discovered the Darkyn series, and now the BDB boys have been put on hold at book 4 due to your endearingly courtly (well, most of them are, at any rate) Kyn lords.
I know I should probably buy new copies so you'll get your royalties from the publisher, but since none of the book stores in Metro Manila seem to carry your books, I've actually had better luck with sellers on ebay.ph for now. I've already emailed the three biggest bookstore chains here asking them to stock you books though, so as soon as I see them on the shelves I'm snapping up the entire series and the Kyndred books as well. *keeps fingers crossed*
Anyway, for writers I've been following for more than 10 years, I guess the honors would go to Robin McKinley (I read The Blue Sword and Outlaws of Sherwood first, and ended up buying her entire backlist and most of her new releases as they came out) and Patricia McKillip. I do believe that I was a bit of a literary snob back then, considering that I was reading works by these two authors (and Tolkien, Le Guin, Susan Cooper and other fantasy writers) while most of my female classmates were busy reading Sweet Valley High books. Ah, the follies of the young... ^^;;
Toss me in. Would love to read StarDoc, been following the blog and Darkyn series for years!
ReplyDeleteHmm, I've read Anne Rice for 20 years. Congrats on 10 years in the biz!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI've only rad your Way of the Cheetah book as bought from Holly Lisle's shop when it first came out. Great writing advice. Can't find any of your novels here in Scotland. Would love to read one.
TOny
Big congrats on the anniversary!
ReplyDeleteMy must-read author is Stephen King. I don't recall a time when I didn't love his stories.
Happy Birthday, Stardoc!
ReplyDeleteTwo authors come immediately to mind as ones I've been reading for ten years (and whose books I buy immediately whenever a new one comes out)- Lois McMaster-Bujold and Tamora Pierce.
There are many, many other authors I love, and many I've read for ten years or more, but none that have been on the buy-anything-they-write-and-buy-it-now! list for a decade plus.
Of course, I've only read one of your books thus far (Blade Dancer - good stuff!), and I never mind finding new must-have authors.
Congrats!!!
ReplyDeleteI saw this book on paperbackswap.com and from the second I saw the cover I knew I was going to love it. I read the first one in June of '09 in about two sittings and finished the ninth book in August. I just could not put these books down! I particularly remember reading Rebel Ice by firelight while camping with my family. The Stardoc series has quickly become one of my favorite series and I am quick to reccomend it to anyone looking for a book to read.
Congratulations again! I would love to win a signed copy of this amazing book!
Kurt
Congratulations. I have read each and every one of the Stardoc series more than once- some I have read at least 6 times. It is my most favorite series of all time. I enjoy all of your books. BladeDancer is the one I go back to time and time again to re-read when I am waiting for a new book to be in paperback. I would love to see a new book to follow Afterburn. My regret is that I heard the next Stardoc is the last one- I hope you change you mind
ReplyDeleteI first heard about StarDoc in college from a new friend who has since become my best friend. I had never been a fan of "sci-fi" but she raved about the book and lent it to me. Mentally rolling my eyes, I read it anyway in the name of friendship. I devoured the book in about 4 hours and after that I called myself a fan of the genre and the author. I've enjoyed this series and the others over the past 10 year.
ReplyDelete*glances at the clock*
ReplyDeleteI just saw this. I think I'm right under the wire if my math is right.
I've been reading Crusie and Evanovich for ten years.