Saturday, December 26, 2009

Urban Fantasy Weekend Report

INTERVIEWS and EVENTS at SciFiGuy.ca: 

Whew! A little quiet here at SciFiGuy as the year winds down. The report is a little briefer than most as you would expect as everyone gets caught up in the excitement and bustle of the holiday season.

Confirmed guests for January 2010 include Melina Morel (Smolder),  Nancy Holzner (Deadtown), Helen Scott Taylor (The Phoenix Charm), Charlene Teglia (Claimed by the Wolf) and Jill Myles (Gentlemen Prefer Succubi ). Remember to check my Author Events and Interviews schedule posted on my left sidebar for the most recent updates and additions.

I guest posted at the fabulous Book Smugglers in their Smugglivus Event yesterday where I talked about a few of my favorite books of the year and did a quick look forward to 2010.

AUTHOR and BOOK NEWS:

FREE READS:
INTERVIEWS:
The "G" indicates there is a giveaway or contest associated with the interview.
If you are looking to add to your TBR pile Tez Says has a list of January 2010 releases, RKCharron covers some pre-Christmas releases, Anna's Book Blog has young adult releases for 2010 and Patricia's Vampire Notes focusses on December vampire releases.

Book Trailer for First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost.


Alyxandra Harvey's Drake Chronicles website is now live with new content.

Marjorie Liu reports that the title for the Star-crossed Lovers anthology has changed -
Gardner Dozois and I are very close to delivering our original cross-genre anthology STAR-CROSSED LOVERS, to Pocket Books. We’re waiting for some minor revisions from one writer. Once those are in hand, the book will be delivered. Only it’s not STAR-CROSSED LOVERS any longer. Pocket’s sales force did not like that title, so the anthology has now been rechristened SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH. Got a great line up of writers for that one, including Diana Gabaldon, Jim Butcher, M.L.N. Hanover, Peter S. Beagle, Marjorie Liu, Jacqueline Carey, Carrie Vaughn, Robin Hobb, Neil Gaiman, and many more.
Bloody Bookaholic tracked down the book blurb for the forthcoming Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris. MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.
If you think your family relationships are complicated, think again: you haven't seen anything like the ones in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being who arrives with Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment. And Sookie's tracking down a distant relation of her ailing neighbour (and ex), Vampire Bill Compton. In addition to the multitude of family issues complicating her life, the werewolf pack of Shreveport has asked Sookie for a special favour, and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favour for the wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still recovering from the trauma of her abduction during the Fairy War.

CONTESTS:

WORLDWIDE:
  • Meljean Brook is having a contest to giveaway a complete set of her Guardian books plus the Must Love Hellhounds anthology over at The Oddshots. This is a flash contest and ends tomorrow night.
CHECK FOR DETAILS:
  • Dark Faerie Tales has a giveaway for a copy of Fallen by Lauren Kate and a writing journal. Ends December 27.
  • Jill Myles has a contest for signed copies of Gentlemen Prefer Succubi. Open until December 29.
  • Mari Mancusi has a hhuge young adult book giveaway. Ends January 15.
Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy has a veritable explosion of contests and giveaways listed - count 'em 62!!!

MEDIA:

Individual Avatar reviews by Carrie Vaughn, John Scalzi, Jordan Summers, John Evans (at Tor.com)

Chris Marie Green guest posts on Supernatural at Selena Illyria's blog.

Rebeccas at Dirty Sexy Books has a Massive Movie Mash-up where she talks about her favourite romantic fantasy movies and upcoming holiday movies.including her take on Avatar.

John Scalzi discusses the most memorable scifi movies of the year at the AMC blog.

Here is the trailer for the forthcoming The Sorceror's Apprentice with Nicholas Cage. All I can think of when I watch this is that I wished the short-lived Harry Dresden series had had effects like these.


COVERS and ART:

Tez Says has been scouting again and has 10 new covers, domestic and international for the following books: Kylie Chan: Red Phoenix (US); Sara Creasy: Song of Scarabaeus; Vicki Pettersson: Cheat the Grave; Kim Harrison: Black Magic Sanction (US); Susan Beth Pfeffer: Life As We Knew It (UK); Susan Beth Pfeffer: The Dead and the Gone (UK); Jennifer Armintrout: Possession (UK); Kelley Armstrong: Bitten (UK); Kelley Armstrong: Stolen (UK) and M. J. Rose: The Hypnotist. Tez also rounded up the UK cover for Black Magic Sanction, the UK cover for Rachel Caine’s Kiss of Death.and the cover for Jes Battis’s Inhuman Resources.

On his blog Jes Battis says -
Inhuman Resources is Book 3 in the OSI series and  includes: More goblins, Baroque art, Cats, Interrogation scenes, Something wicked (and winged) shambling towards Vancouver....


Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings has the cover for The Evil Within by Nancy Holder, the second book in her Possessions series.

Angela at Dark Faerie Tales interviews one of my favourite cover artists - Tony Mauro.



Angry Robot Books unveiled the cover art for King Maker by Maurice Broaddus which is the first book in his urban fantasy Knights of Breton Court trilogy. March 2010 (UK/Australia), September 2010 (US/Canada). The other two books are King’s Justice – November 2010 (UK/Australia), December 2010 (US/Canada) and King’s War – Spring 2011 (everywhere). The art is by the talented Steve Stone who does the new Steven Boyett covers.


These books, if you recall, are a retelling of the King Arthur myths, set amongst the inner city gangs of Indianapolis. It’s dark, vicious and totally of the moment: like The Wire meets Excalibur.
Ilona Andrews does more humourous cover magic on The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook and Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles over at The Oddshots blog.

Cover art featured here this past week at SciFiGuy.ca included:
AROUND the BLOGOSPHERE:

Have your say at Lurv a la Mode's Supernatural Kitchen Sink poll.

Derek Tatum at Mondo Vampire gives us an interesting retrospective with The Vampire Decade in Review - Books

Heather Massey from The Galaxy Express gives us a Science Fiction Romance Linkfest Extra

RKCharron compiles some helpful advice from authors to aspiring-to-be-published writers.

2009 and 2010 Reading Lists:

CANDID CAMERA:

Diana Rowland and daughter earning blue and yellow kenpo belts


Maggie Stiefvater - what werewolf authors do when it snows


C.E. Murphy in her natural element


Leanna Renee Hieber (Photo by Steven Rosen Photography, taken at the Dances of Vice Halloween Party, 2009)


Rachel Vincent's delicious looking gingerbread house. Candy used: mini-candy canes, cherry Andes mints, wingergreen Lifesavers, Twizzlers pull-n-peel, Holiday M&Ms, little round red and green peppermint hard candies, and yogurt-covered pretzels.
Posted by at 12:32 PM
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9 comments:

  1. Holy cats....long post but awesome information. Love the trailer for The Sorceror's Apprentice!

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  2. This is your brief report? I agree about the Nic Cage movie, Dresden Files would have made better use of the effects budget. And thanks for the link!

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  3. Great post as always and here's hoping you are having a great Boxing Day!

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  4. 2010 looks pretty rockin' for books and flicks. I really look forward to The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I will be on the lookout for the inner city Arthurian legend series to add to the keeper shelf.

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  5. OMG! So much information...where do I start! Thank you!

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  6. Merry Christmas belated Doug! At least we had good weather ;) And holy awesome and scary costume!

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  7. Sheila yeah the Nick Cage movie looks pretty exciting. Finally some real UF on the big screen.

    Abigail, yep this my short holiday version :) Maybe Dresden will still come to the big screen.

    Thanks for the wishes Cybercliper - all the best to you too!

    Vicki 2010 books are going to break my book budget. Not only do I have to keep up with all the ongoing series but all the new ones too!

    My pleasure Orannia.

    Natasha thanks and best of the holidays to you. It was nice having a white Christmas without too much snow (and no polar bears).

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  8. Thanks for all the links and tips! Wouldn't call it short, either.

    The Sorceror's Apprentice looks pretty good, despite Nicholas Cage...

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  9. Alex, Nick Cage seems to be taking a few knocks lately starring in a few good pictures but a lot of stinkers too. I do like the look of Sorceror's Apprentice though.

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