The fan art contest deadline is December 1st. If you wish to participate, please email me a .jpg of your art at brent[dot]a[dot]weeks[at]gmail[dot]com. You can submit as many pieces as you wish. The winner will receive signed copies of the Night Angel Trilogy, and your art will be posted on this webpage for a billion fans to adore. (That is, if you tell 999,998,000 of your friends to come look.)
I’m really looking forward to seeing what you all can do!
Both Orbit and I have been surprised and delighted by the number of comments I’ve been getting. Thank you. It’s important to me that I communicate with readers, and we noticed that the blog-style comment system was making that harder than it should have been. Sometimes people would accidentally comment on an old post where few others would see it, and I wouldn’t know whether I should respond to that comment under the old post where it might not be seen or under the newest post where it would be out of place. Soo…
Orbit has been kind enough to set up a forum for me HERE. Not only will you be able to ask me questions–or see if someone else has already asked your question–but you will also be able to chat about each of the book without worrying about spoiling surprises for others. The forum will start very basic and adapt to your needs, and I will read every post and be an active participant.
So within the next few days, the comments on this page will be disabled–but I want to stress that this is to facilitate communication, not to curtail it. Everything else will continue as before. And thanks for wanting to talk!
Good news 1: The Way of Shadows has already gone back to press in both the US and the UK. This means they’re selling better than expected (or at least better than they feared). So, thank you to YOU, because this leads to…
Good news 2: Orbit has offered–and I have accepted–another three book deal! I’m not a one hit wonder! (Err, three hit wonder? Err, three pretty-well-performing midlister?) Regardless, I’m going to be writing a new trilogy (I think) set in a completely new world, new magic, with great conflict and impossible dilemmas, and characters that will keep surprising you (I hope). I do plan to return to Midcyru after this series. I just decided that I’m not ready as a writer to pull off the ambitious project I envision there. So if your favorite character is still alive by the end of Beyond the Shadows (muhahah), you MIGHT get to see them again…
So, thank you!
Despite that the official pub date is still two weeks away, Beyond the Shadows is now on shelves in some bookstores. I haven’t received my own copies–but the little bookstore down the street has. This left me in a quandary. Is it gauche to buy your own book? I decided that if I was going to pad my sales numbers, I’d at least do it on Amazon, so I could see the little sales rank counter jump… but then I’d have to wait anyway, so I just stared at my own book longingly a while and made comments to passersby like “Wow, this book looks great. Heard this guy is real talented. Look, a blurb from Terry Brooks!” Finally, I walked out of the store empty-handed. (But the manager says I can come back if I promise to stop harassing the customers.)
I will be taking part in a group book signing in Beaverton, Oregon at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing on November 20. Check the link for lots of details and directions. Look for the guy with the short line. I haven’t been to this event before, but I heard it was a wild success last year (its inaugural year), and with twelve sci-fi/fantasy authors and artists including Timothy Zahn, Lilith Saintcrow, Eldon Thompson, and Jay Lake, I’m just really excited to have been invited. The only thing that makes me nervous? The line that concludes the event announcement:
“The Cloud City garrison of the 501st Imperial Legion will also be in attendance.”
Does that mean what I think it means?
Fantasy Book Critic has a giveaway of the entire Night Angel Trilogy HERE. There are six complete sets up for grabs, three of US version and three of the UK version, which is fatter, and may spell words like “color” funny. 😉 Looks like it’s open to anyone.
Also, I will be posting the winner of the Halloween costume contest tomorrow. I’ve got it down to two finalists, and it’s killing me to choose between them, so check in tomorrow to see who won a signed copy of the book of their choice. (Uh, that is, out of my books. If you ask for a signed copy of the 24 volume Oxford English Dictionary, I’ll just hurt you.)
Should I reward madness?
Well, I’m going to. I know of at least one fan who intends to go to a Halloween party as Durzo Blint or Kylar Stern. So I have a VERY short notice Halloween Contest, wherein whomever has the best Night Angel Trilogy costume gets a signed copy of The Way of Shadows. I may–or may not if the winner goes as Vi–post the winning photograph. Send your entries to brent dot a dot weeks at gmail dot com. (Make appropriate substitutions for dots and the ampersand.) If there’s only one entry, well, he wins. If the winner wishes to have a signed copy of Shadow’s Edge or Beyond the Shadows instead, I will be happy to oblige. (Though I can only send Beyond the Shadows once I get it.)
Second, I have recently seen some pretty amazing fan art. Check HERE and HERE by Ajahli. Her blog HERE. So here’s a contest that already has a strong front-runner. Whoever submits the best fan art by November 30 will get signed copies of the entire trilogy, made out to whomever they wish, and mailed to them. Because I have no artistic talent myself, I have to confess I’m thrilled. Soo cool.
Please entitle your email “Costume Contest” or “Fan Art Contest” so I can sort them easily. Thanks.
Oh, I’ve also updated the Reviews page. If I’ve missed reviews on the intarwebs that are helpful, please post or shoot me an email. I’ll flag reviews that have too many spoilers.
Got an email telling me that some Borders bookstores ALREADY have Shadow’s Edge in stock. (What? I haven’t even got MY copies yet!) So if you really can’t wait for book two, give your local Borders a call. Heck, you could call Barnes and Noble, and Powells, and Waldenbooks (and Blackwell and Waterstones if you’re across the pond), just to build buzz, but if you’re not looking to be part of a nefarious grass-roots marketing effort, thanks, you just want the stupid book…well, call Borders. Sheesh. Sorry.
You do realize, however, that if you get Shadow’s Edge early, you’re still going to have to wait a full month for Beyond the Shadows, right? And that’s assuming that your Borders also gets book three in early, which they may not. So you may have to wait SIX weeks while the cool kids laugh at you because they only have to wait four weeks. Well, Mom always said patience is a virtue. (Yeah, I hated that too.)
I have been nominated for the David Gemmell Legend Award for Fantasy. When December 26th rolls around, fans will get to vote for finalists. Judges will then pick the winner. More info HERE. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you. I’d say vote early, vote often–but I might have some haxors as fans, and that would be wrong. (So just vote often.)
And while doing a good old-fashioned vanity googling, I found my best review ever HERE. Thanks, Wolfgirl20.
Release dates for the Night Angel Trilogy:
The Way of Shadows (Oct 1 US, Oct 2 UK)
Shadow’s Edge (Oct 28 US, Nov 6 UK)
Beyond the Shadows (Nov 25 US, Dec 4 UK)
There are no firm street dates, so if you’re dying for the next book, some stores may stock the titles up to a week early. Borders in several parts of the U.S. has done so.
The Science Fiction Book Club just bought the rights to publish an 3-in-1 hardcover omnibus edition! It will be entitled Night Angel: A Trilogy. Publication date and more details, including cover art once I get permission.
The Night Angel Trilogy will be published in English (Orbit US, Orbit UK), French (Bragelonne), German (Blanvalet), and Dutch (Mynx).
