Sign up for my email list to get the latest newsletter!

1 Buck Promo Expanded

Fictionwise, Stanza, and Ereader have ironed out their issues, and will be selling The Way of Shadows for $1, but only until the end of the month! (Joining Amazon and Sony — where I’ve got the #1 best seller!

So yes, this means you can now read my book on your iPhone. Just read fast. That battery dies quick.

Oh, and if it helps… A fan writes in, “The Way of Shadows was written in Oregon! And you know how they write quality books in Oregon!” [Insert more breathless shilling here.]

Russian Book Deal & What’s Next

I’m happy to announce I’ve signed a deal with Eksmo Publishing (Эксмо) to publish The Way of Shadows and Shadow’s Edge. And of course I hope we sell well enough that they’ll buy Beyond the Shadows as well. I’d hate for a reader to never get to read Beyond after SE’s ending. It’s just cruel. (But it’s not a cliff-hanger. Really. There’s a satisfying ending. It’s just that there’s a big twist in the epilogue. Don’t peek!)

I’ve also had lots of queries about what’s next. I’ve addressed this on the forum, but you don’t want to pick through posts on some forum, your mouse-clicking finger is tired, you just want the deets, man. Fair ’nuff.

I’ve signed a new three book deal with Orbit. I submitted an outline, and so much happened in the story, they were like, “Looks like three books to us, but do what you think is best. We just want your next three books.” Sweet. “And we want them fast. Your deadline is a book each November.” Gulp. So the trilogy is (extremely) tentatively titled Black Prism. I’m working as fast as I can, and I’m really excited about what’s forming. It’s set in a new world. Think more 1500 Mediterrean Sea, rudimentary fire arms and magic together. Woot. But don’t worry, it’s not a pirates-and-their-peg-legged-mateys book. Cross my heart. But there are awesome characters, lots of action, much cooler magic this time out, secrets, lies, betrayal, and butt-kicking. You know, the good stuff. After this trilogy (if it is indeed a trilogy), I will be returning to Midcyru with a new series. And yes, numerous of the important characters who actually survived the end of the Night Angel Trilogy will show up. 🙂

Next week, I hope to be able to announce another foreign deal, announce the pub dates of the foreign deals we’ve already got, and maybe post a cover or two…

Long Live New Media

So, I still haven’t been mentioned by the New York Times or Oprah. Go figure. But, I now have my reviews and interviews page totally up-to-date with a total of 57 reviews and 8 interviews. If you think that people who don’t live in New York City and don’t have an eight-figure income might have something worthwhile to say about books, you can CHECK IT OUT. Or click on the big “Reviews” tab to the left.   —————->

No! The other left.

<—————- ?

That’s right. Doh! Nevermind.

The Best-selling SFF Debut of 2008 is…

Complicated. No, really. According to Bookscan (the most accurate measure of book sales available), the best-selling fantasy debut of 2008 in the United States was Russell Kirkpatrick, with Across the Face of the World (excerpt HERE). I came in at #2 with The Way of Shadows–not bad for a book that’s only been out three months! Congratulations, Russell.

In the UK, however, I did grab the big chihuahua. #1 in the land of Shakespeare and Scary Spice, baby. Brilliant!

I have to confess to being particularly pleased by this tidbit from the press release: “Tim Holman said, ‘This year has also got off to a great start for Brent: this week, the three books in the Night Angel Trilogy are the first, second, and third bestselling mass-market paperbacks in the UK SFF market.'” Aside from the obvious (it’s great to be selling well), I like to think that means something. You can fool a reader with a great cover, and I do have great covers. But if what’s between the covers stinks, most people aren’t going to come back for more punishment.  Right? Unless people in the UK are such art-lovers that they decided that the covers alone are worth eight pounds. Which is possible. Crap.

In other news, the Great Arbiter of All Things Worth Knowing (Wikipedia, natch), now lists your humble correspondent. (Thanks to you fans who took it upon yourselves to make sure the world knows I exist.)

My Book… for a Buck

Rejoice, all e-book readers. If you read books through the Amazon Kindle, Mobipocket or Sony, during the month of January, you can get The Way of Shadows for $1.

That’s right, for the same price you spent in a moment of weakness on that last shamefully lip-synched song by an over-produced Disney boyband from iTunes, you can get the first book of the Night Angel Trilogy.

Have a fear of commitment? Hey, it’s only a dollar! Poor because you spent $359 to read $8 books? Hey, it’s only a dollar!

Technophiles, this is what you’ve been waiting for. Here’s your line: “Look how cheap the books are on this, honey. In the long run, we’ll save money.”

A fancy new Kindle (sold separately),  none of the guilt that comes from supporting a boyband–and for a limited time, this special offer even comes with a halfway decent book! And hey, it’s only a dollar! If it were any cooler, we’d have to hire that guy from the Sham-Wow! commercials.

And even if you want to pass on my book, Orbit will be running the same promotion with different authors every month. Check it out HERE.

(Wow, being a breathless shill is tiring. I think I’ll go back to being a nerdy novelist, and I promise my next post will contain no more than one exclamation point.)

UPDATE: Due to sad “territoriality issues,” Mobipocket has bailed from this cool promo. Good news–well, for me–is that The Way of Shadows has been #1 in the Sony e-store for the past week. Good news for all Sony readers is that Sony has finally got book 3 (Beyond the Shadows) into its store. (A mere two months and dozens of emails later!) Sorry for the extra snark this morning–I haven’t had my coffee yet.

The Best Kylar Stern Costume…Ever

Too late for Halloween costume contest–breathe a sigh of relief everyone else–Sam writes in, “This is me being Kylar. I reckon my costume smashes yours. =D

(Click to enlarge.)

(I’m standing in the corner next to the window, opposite the camera.)”

Uh, no arguments here. Sir.

Gemmell Award Voting is Open

The David Gemmell Legend Award is now open for voting. I have been nominated to the long list. “The award will be given to a work written in the ‘spirit’ of the late, great David Gemmell, a true Master of Heroic Fantasy.” From the website (and Gemmell’s obituary): “Characterisation is acknowledged as one of Gemmell’s major skills, and… themes that remained pivotal to his work [included] the lone hero, often tortured by loss or doubt; the battle against advancing dotage; the pursuit of seemingly lost causes; complex villains, and the inclusion of elite, usually mystical, groups. A consistent thread in Gemmell’s fiction, and one which reflected his Christian beliefs, was the conviction that redemption was possible for even the most corrupt.”

If you think that sounds like my work, please VOTE HERE. It only takes two or three clicks, and you don’t have to register. Although if you’re already part of my Ning forum, you’ll find they’re using the same platform, so it should be a snap. Then you can take part in the Gemmell discussions, or tell people why they should check me out. 🙂 It’s also a good place to find other great work published this year. I’m up against some huge talents, and making the short list would make my year.

The Best-of-the-Year Lists Begin…

Civilian Reader has selected its annual 10 Best Fiction Releases of 2008 (in all genres), and I’m delighted to report that they have chosen my books. Thrice. For spots 3, 2, and yes, #1. Woo hoo!

The Night Angel books “take the top spot because they fulfill every criteria that goes into making an excellent read: plotting, characterization, pacing, interest, style, imagination and originality…. A stunning achievement for a first time author.”

And as before, I’d like to publicly affirm that I do not engage in payola to get on these lists. Not that I’m above it. It’s just that bloggers haven’t figured out that payola isn’t just for DJ’s any more. (C’mon, people, innovate.)

Fan Art Contest Winner

The winner of the Fan Art Contest is Meaghan Beninati with this cool rendition of Vi in Caernarvon:

 

(Click to enlarge)

Congratulations, Meaghan. (Check her website for other cool stuff.) Great work. I wish I had half of your talent. You will be receiving a signed set of the Night Angel Trilogy, made out to whomever you want. (Check someone off that Christmas list!)

I got lots of cool entries for this contest, (and hated having to choose just one winner) so I will be posting all of the fan art (of those entrants who give me permission) into the pictures area of the forum. So give that a day or so for people to tell me yes or no, and then you should be able to find some more great fan art all in one place.

Indie Next Pick

Indie Bound is a site organized by independent booksellers to help them better compete with the biggies, and foster all the independent-bookstore goodness you can imagine. I just learned learned recently that I was selected as an Indie Next Pick of the Month. (For November, but hey, I just found out.) Peeps in the industry tell me this is a semi-big deal.

Book-industry-person quote: “Oh, yeah, biiig deal. Just last year, Virginia/Brad Shake’s book ‘Billions of Small Pieces, No–Make that Trillions of Tiny Pieces, Microscopic Pieces, Nano-Pieces Really’ was selected. Two months later, she-he got The Call. Ya know? From Oprah. Instant millionaire.”

Really, I was most excited that I wasn’t a fantasy pick… just a pick. I feel like an unruly nerd inadvertently released from the ghetto.

Still waiting by the phone, though. Ya know. For The Call.

(p.s. I’ll be posting the Art Contest results tomorrow…sorry, buried.)