Get a first look at book 3--Dark Haven!
Current mood: happy

Dark Haven: Book Three in The Chronicles of the Necromancer won't be available until February, 2009, but you can get a first look right now!

You'll find the awesome cover art by Michael Komarck, plus two different excerpts, interviews with me, Tris Drayke and Jonmarc Vahanian, web audio of me reading from one of the excerpts, a special video, a new Ghost in the Machine podcast, and giveaways!  Also new—signed bookplates for those who can't make it to a live signing and book club discussion guides for libraries and reading circles.
 

Find the goodies on www.ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer as well as partner sites  SolarisBooks.com (UK) and ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer.com (US), Bookloons.com (Canada), SciFiChick.com, FantasyBookCritic.Blogspot.com (Canada), and SFSignal.com (US)! Different sites have different giveaways and downloads.
 

Check out the new Dark Haven page at http://www.chroniclesofthenecromancer.com/page/page/4571270.htm

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ConCarolinas was a blast!
Current mood: awake

Last weekend, I attended ConCarolinas for the first time as a guest author.  What a great weekend!  To kick things off early, Misty Massey (Mad Kestrel) and Faith Hunter (Host, Seraph) and I had a joint signing at a local bookstore.  Misty, Faith and David B. Coe were all guests on my Ghost in the Machine podcast as a pre-ConCarolinas kick-off.  They returned the favor by having me as a guest on their blog. You can listen to the interviews on my homepage, along with my newest June interview with Jeffrey Thomas (Deadstock).

Having done RavenCon, BaltiCon and ConCarolinas in a row, it was beginning to be like old home week.  I saw many of the same authors at two out of the three events, and some at all three.  Tony Ruggiero, Davey Bauchamp, Michael D'Ambrosio, David B. Coe, Stuart Jaffe, the PodioBooks crew and podcasters Mur Lafferty, Stephen Euin Cobb, and author Danielle Ackley-McPhail were just some of the folks I had the chance to hang out with on several of the weekends.  You'll recognize some of the other folks from the Ghost in the Machine podcast—Sabrina Luna, James Maxey, Ed Schubert and David Talon.  I met John C. Wright at BaltiCon and RavenCon, and Mike Resnick at ConCarolinas.  And Elaine Cordivae and I had to travel all the way from the outskirts of Charlotte, NC where we both live to Baltimore to reconnect!

The panels at ConCarolinas were a lot of fun—a good thing, since I was on nine of them!  Some of the titles included Podcasting 101 and Vampires, and on Sunday, gamer Charles White and I ended up on two panels about using myth and religion in writing and gaming, and I was on a large panel about the paranormal along with several ghost hunters and psychics.  And of course, there were the great costumes, the dealer room, and a fun con suite.  Check out my interview with Stephen Euin Cobb on "The Future and You" podcast:  http://www.thefutureandyou.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=346310 

I was also reminded about one of the things I truly love about conventions—the enormous generosity and compassion of fandom.  Author Lynn Hardy was soliciting books from all of the ConCarolinas authors for the project she founded called DedicatedToOurDefenders.org.  Lynn's program sends SciFi and fantasy books to the troops overseas—a good book can be read by up to 200 military personnel who often have few other ways to spend their free time.  Davey Bauchamp had his "Writers for Relief" edition available—a compilation of short fiction from a variety of well-known authors to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  Fandom has always had a big heart.  I am also so moved by the compassion in action I see at every con in terms of inclusiveness and creating a space where everyone can be valued for his or her contributions.  Con volunteers—and especially the dedicated folks who run the con suite—are a rare and wonderful breed.  For many people, fandom is a family.  That's true magic.

Want to see more of ConCarolinas?  Take a look at my day-by-day videoblog--Day 1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3x5_-UICLU ; Day 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp1YAuymN1E ; and Day 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExD281qlU9A

Coming up next!  June 21 is the sneak peek for Dark Haven.  Two excerpts, web audio readings, a special videoblog, interviews with me (and with Tris and Jonmarc) and best of all—a first look at the amazing cover art by Michael Komarck.  Giveaways, my latest interview ..onPage radio and other good stuff will be spread out over a number of SF/F web sites, so check back here to get all the details.  And on June 30, fantasy author Mark Chadbourn (Lord of Silence) is my next Ghost in the Machine guest.

I'm also now on Facebook and Squidoo (www.squidoo.com/summoner), so be sure to friend me. 

Next up—making final edits to Dark Haven so that I can start writing book 4! 

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I survived Balticon 42!
Current mood: fascinated

I spent Memorial Day Weekend in Baltimore, MD for my first Balticon, and it was a great experience!  Lots of old friends like Tony Ruggiero, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Elaine Corvidae, Jean Marie Ward, Mur Lafferty and Jeri Smith-Ready, plus new friends you can meet in my videoblog like John C. Wright, the PodioBooks crew and Ghost of Honor Douglas Adams--and a Rapid Fire Reading from The Summoner for Broad Universe.

It's been a whirlwind, with late-night conversations about ghosts and the supernatural, fun discussions over food and drinks, and more exciting panels to attend than there are hours in a day.  That doesn't even begin to describe the fantastic dealer's room, the anime track and the art show. 

Day One started late on Friday evening.  I'd arrived on Thursday, so I spent the time trying to be helpful.  Jean Marie Ward and I stuffed program bags until after midnight, and Friday morning, I put my admittedly limited culinary skills to work chopping vegetables in the kitchen for the con suite.  Had a great conversation with the other volunteers over red peppers and Swiss cheese as we worked our way through the mountain of fresh produce for hungry con-goers.

Of course the heart of any con is the lounge and the con suite.  After Opening Ceremonies and the "Meet the Guests" reception Friday night, we spent several hours catching up with friends old and new over dinner and munchies.  Then it was on to more panels to discover the secrets of podcasting and ghostbusting.

Day Two began with the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading, which was a blast (you can see clips on my videoblog).  I was on a panel about building web sites (a nod to the Chronicles of the Necromancer site!) and on another panel about the "golden age" of sci fi (interesting, but not really sure how I ended up there!).

Of course the highlight of Day Two was the masquerade—I have video of some of my favorite costumes on the third vlog.  We finished up with a midnight panel on Vampires featuring Tony Ruggiero and Jeri Smith-Ready.  Day Three was a short one for me—I headed home for some family time over the holiday.  Of course I'd loaded up on new books and great finds in the dealer room! 

Starting May 30, I'm at ConCarolinas along with friends and Ghost in the Machine podcast guests David B. Coe, Faith Hunter and Misty Massey!  And you can bet I'll bring along my camera.

Click on the videoblog links and get a peak at what I've been up to!

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Ravencon 2008--Day 3
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Writing and Poetry

After an 11 pm panel on whether the remakes of old movies and TV shows are better or worse than the originals, I was up early on Sunday for a 9 am session on podcasting and a 10 am Koffee Klatch.  Then only a few more hours before it's time to catch the flight home.

It's been a good convention.  I've enjoyed meeting many other authors and indulging in the kinds of great conversations you only usually get at a convention.  And while there's never time to get to all of the discussions and entertainment you'd like to see, I made it to most of them.  Videoblogging the con was also a new experience and a great way to meet people.  So if you're in Richmond next year in April, make sure Ravencon is on your list of must-dos.

I'll be vlogging at Balticon in May, so I hope to see you there, and if not, you can come along via the vlog and see the highlights!

http://www.audioacrobat.com/playv/WB7Lmfh4

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Ravencon--Day 2
Current mood: exhausted
Category: Writing and Poetry

Another great day at Ravencon!  Today was full of fun conversations,  more experimental videoblogging and general con mayhem.  I had a signing and was on a panel about the Tolkien legacy, and hung out with friends during their signings and Koffee Klatches.  Didn't get to see some of the musical entertainment or all of the masquerade.  Can't be in two places at once!

The art show was very nice, with a small but expert group of guest artists.  And the gaming room, which was open 24/7, looked busy whenever I walked by.

Ravencon is a very well-organized convention, and all the hard work of the staff really shows.  While there are always last-minute adjustments, there's none of the chaos that often happens when you combine hundreds of people and dozens of programming choices.  So kudos to the Ravencon staff and volunteers!

This weekend has been full of great conversations with folks like David B. Coe,  Dennis Danvers, Michael D'Ambrosio, Stuart Jaffe, Alexis Gilliland, Phillip McCall II, James Maxey, Ed Schubert, Jeri Smith-Ready, Jean Marie Ward, Teri Smith, Allen Wold and Bryan Prindiville, among many others!  After all, that's the real reason for conventions—a meeting of folks who share a common passion.  Want more details?  Watch the video!http://www.audioacrobat.com/playv/WNTsBD64

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Ravencon 2008--Day 1

Day 1 was a blast.  I was on a panel about podcasting for authors and got to be part of a Quick Write, which is where you put several teams of authors together in groups of 3,  give them absurd story prompts and have each person on the team write either a beginning, middle or end with each person having less than 3 minutes.  The results were amusingly bad, notwithstanding the fact that we had a number of major awardwinning writers on the teams, but that's half the fun.  After all, what kind of story would YOU come up with given the prompt to write something about a four-legged starfish in the coliseum with a statue of a punk centaur and an atomic waffle iron?  (OK, it was at 10 p.m. after a long day...maybe you had to be there.)

The vendor room was fun--fellow Broad Universe member Danielle Ackley-McPhail and her Bad-Ass Faries collection was there--go Danny!  The sessions ranged from serious (13 ways to end the world and world building) to silly (see above), but everyone was in great form.

As with any con, the fun went way late as people sat up talking and having a good time.  But don't take my word for it--watch the video!  http://www.audioacrobat.com/playv/WZ1m0XG4

Day 2 coming up!

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Hello from Ravencon!
Current mood: inquisitive
Category: Writing and Poetry

I'm at Ravencon at Richmond VA!  It's fun being here, because I used to live inm Richmond and I've already driven past my old house and through my old neighborhood.  It's been a while, so things have changed!

Anyhow, things are just getting started here.  I'm on some fun panels--today I'm on the Intro to Podcasting panel, helping with Opening Ceremonies and the Quick Write and trying to connect with author friends Tony Ruggiero, James Maxey and Ed Schubert who are all here too!

Check out my new videoblog here--I'll add more from the show floor, and I'll tell you all about the excitement as it happens!

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On the Road to Dark haven
Category: Writing and Poetry

 I’m back from Arizona and hard at work tying up the loose ends to finish Dark Haven (book 3) on time for an early April deadline.  It’s been great hearing from people I met in Arizona and at the many bookstores during my February/March book tour for The Blood King.  It’s exciting to hear back from readers who have just finished the book.

Aside from writing, the Ghost in the Machine podcast rolls on.  In April, my guests are paranormal romance author Sabrina Luna (Midnight Encounters) and mystery author Terry Hoover (Double Dead).  There’s more in common between fantasy and their genres than you might expect.  Have a listen! http://gzmartin.audioacrobat.com/rss/gailzmartinpodcast.xml 

The folks over at Speculative Horizons wanted to know who my favorite SF/F character is (other than the ones I write about).  Here’s what I said:  http://speculativehorizons.blogspot.com/2008/03/character-of-week-gail-z-martin.html

And I’ve been on the radio.  Tony Tellado and I had a great conversation on SciFi Talks http://media.libsyn.com/media/scifitalk/GailMartin08.mp3

I was also on Geekerati radio talking about the fun and frustration of writing fantasy fiction: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/bc/Geekerati/2008/03/04/Gail-Z-Martin-Discusses-THE-BLOOD-KING-and-THE-SUMMONER

And on Today’s Author, with more about the future of the Winter Kingdoms and the sci/fi fantasy genre: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ewenprime/2008/02/20/Todays-Author-hosted-by-David-K-Ewen-MEd

I’ve also got a guest comment from Ghost in the Machine podcast guest author Pamela Cable:

"I was really honored when Gail asked me to be interviewed in a her podcast on her website.   I had a ball talking to her about creatures that go bump in the night, and why writers and readers can’t seem to get enough of them. 

I’m also a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy, and  have been for years.  True, I write romance, but I also love having my  imagination and sense of wonder challenged.  That’s something Gail does with flair!

Urban fantasy is another genre that really speaks to me.  I’m hooked on Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, along with Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake and Merry Gentry books.  I adore the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, as well as Pat Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series.  Other keepers include anything by Wen Spencer and Lois McMaster Bujold, who is simply wonderful.

As a writer, I’ve recently begun work on a new science fiction romance series called TIME HUNTERS.  The heroes are genetically engineered cyborgs who leap through time in pursuit of time traveling criminals.  I just finished the first book of the series, Time Hunters: WARRIOR.  Look for it in July."-- Pamela King Cable (www.southernfriedwoman.blogspot.com)

That’s it for now—more to come!

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Arizona--Day 2
Current mood: animated
Category: Writing and Poetry

Back again for another day in the Arizona sun.  Ran into one guy who had just finished The Summoner the night before and had no idea I'd be at the festival—boy, was he surprised to see me there!  Of course the real fun with a signing is getting to talk with other people who also love fantasy fiction.

So I had some great conversations with folks about what we love about the genre, who are favorite authors are and all kinds of related topics.
 

Got to know the greyhound rescue people who have the "king's dogs" at the festival.  They are really beautiful dogs and very sweet.  I made sure to stop by and pet the dogs every time I passed by!
 

One of the things I love about Renaissance festivals is the way it brings the whole fantasy ambiance to life.  It's easier to envision the music, the dress and some of the elements of daily life after hanging out at the festival.  I suspect that some of the cast costumes were opulent enough to have put to shame the garb of real kings and queens in their day.  Whenever I could steal away from the signing, I really enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and especially lovedthe music.
 

Headed back home after a great weekend—I've got the regular time difference plus the daylight savings change to contend with, so I'll be wiped next week, but it was well worth it!  And of course, I'm working on the manuscript for Dark Haven on the plane!

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Hello from Arizona
Current mood: bouncy

Arizona Renaissance Festival—Day 1

Here I am at the Arizona Renaissance Festival in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains.  This is a fabulous festival—20 years old and very large.  I was very happy to be able to do a weekend of signings here.  Many of my friends from the Carolina Renaissance Festival—both performers and cast members—are also at the AZ festival.

My hunch proved right that Renaissance Festival folks are also often fantasy readers.  We went through more than half of the weekend's stock of books on the first day, and I was thrilled to run into a number of people who had already read The Summoner and were looking for The Blood King.  

In between signings, I got the chance to explore.  I almost got lost the first day—it's that big!  Check out my photos for some great shots of me with some of my friends.  If you've never been to a Renaissance Festival before, it's really something to consider, especially if you really like medieval fantasy.  It's a very comfortable, tolerant and creative atmosphere, with a lot of cheeky fun.  I had the chance to reconnect with some of my friends—Riki (Raphael) with the Tortuga Twins (www.tortugatwins.com), Terry Foy (Zilch the Torysteller—torysteller.com), Ruth Thompson (Tarnished Images.com) and make some new friends.  

All of these folks tour with the festivals all year long throughout the U.S., and Ruth is a DragonCon vendor, so please check out their performances and Ruth's artwork. 

The costumes are always a highlight at a festival—not just the amazing costumes from the cast and performers, but the elaborate and theatre-quality costumes created over time by dedicated festival-goers.  It's what DragonCon would have been had it been held 400 years ago!  Then there's the food—decadent and plentiful.  Most of all, it's the high spirits and the humor that really make it fun. 

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