Category: shameless self-promotion.

books. capitalism. shameless self-promotion.

frontlines UK sale.

If you live in the UK, you may be interested in the current Amazon UK deal, which has forty novels discounted to one of your English pounds of currency. Terms of Enlistment and Lines of Departure are included in that deal, so if you don’t have your own copies yet, here’s a chance to get them at half the regular price. One measly pound! Why that won’t buy you a…. uh, whatever it is that costs two quid over there. The sale will go on through the month of February.

Also, I’ll have some EXCITING NEWS to share regarding the Frontlines series pretty soon. (No, not a movie deal. No, not a Literature Nobel nomination.) I’ll need to let the ink dry and get the official word before I blab, though.

 

books. capitalism. family. friends. new hampshah. shameless self-promotion. writing.

obligatory 2014 recap.

I really like it when I type up an end-of-year retrospective blog post and find that I really didn’t have a damn thing to complain about in the past twelve months.

2013 was great. 2014 was even better by every measurable metric except for the fact that I didn’t get to see my family in person again this past year. Other than that, things have continued to go swimmingly here at the Castle Frostbite Magic Daycare & Novel Factory. I had a novel published in January (Lines of Departure), and both Frontlines novels have continued to sell exceedingly well all year. Robin quit her job in the spring to stay at home and be my support staff full-time, and we find that we both really enjoy this arrangement, because MY GOD WHO WOULDN’T. I am keenly aware just how damn lucky I am that my writing can support a family of four when most writers I know have day jobs and often spouses with day jobs. THANK YOU, old and new readers, for buying all these books, because it means I don’t have to do anything else to fill the pantry, and I’ll get to crank out more books more often.

I got to do a writing retreat with friends for a week down in North Carolina, which was a booze-soaked week of fun and a nice tribal gathering of sorts. I went to Boskone in February and Readercon in August, both local cons where I get to hang out with friends and recharge the social capacitors. Then I got to do my first ComicCon in October in NYC, which was a lot of fun and also a little overwhelming, but mostly awesome. I signed books, met new fans, and connected with old and new friends.

(Side note: sipping cocktails on your publisher’s dime while chatting with your writer pals at midnight just a few blocks away from Times Square will definitely serve to make you feel like a REEL WRITUR for a little while.)

Also in October, I got to hold a little talk at the Army Chief of Staff’s Strategic Studies Group down in Washington, D.C., and that was certainly a novel experience. It went very well, the SSG fellows seemed to enjoy my stay, and I found that a.) I’m not bad at talking to a room full of people for a few hours, and b.) I want to do this sort of stuff more often. Like a reading or a signing, it’s a public performance of sorts, and even though I am an introvert, I enjoy having to switch on the performing persona for a limited and predictable amount of time. My convention dance card isn’t full yet for 2015, but I am leaving myself room on the schedule for a BEEG EEMPORTANT RESEARCH TREEP sometime in the second half of 2015. I will, however, be at Readercon in Burlington, MA in July just like every year, and I’ll be an adjunct instructor at the Paradise Lost workshop in San Antonio in April.

So, yeah–2014 was all sorts of sweet, especially on the professional front. I hope 2015 continues the trend. I’ll have another novel out on April 21, and there’s enough stuff in the works right now that it’s possible you may see another novel from me in 2015. Let’s see how it goes.

I hope your 2014 was a good one, and if it wasn’t, may 2015 crank the Awesome to 11 for you. Happy New Year to all of you.

books. capitalism. shameless self-promotion. writing.

invasion! der! sterne!

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There’s a cover for the German-language edition of Terms of Enlistment! And a release date: June 15, 2015, from Heyne. Here’s the link to the German Amazon page.)

They shortened Andrew’s name to “Andy” and took some creative license with the title. (“Invasion of the Stars”, presumably to sound Star Wars-y. The German name for the Star Wars franchise is “Krieg der Sterne”.) The blurb for the book is also a little fuzzy on some of the plot details unless the translator did some major surgery on the story. But hey–German translation, from one of the major names in German publishing. This is sort of a big deal for me.

(In other news, I still really dig Marc Simonetti’s capital ship design on the cover of Terms of Enlistment. It’s not quite the way I had pictured any of the ships in my head, but it’s so cool that I find this design popping up in my head when I write about the NAC warships now.)

books. capitalism. shameless self-promotion. writing.

“angles of attack” has an official cover.

Hey, you! Yes, you!

Wanna see the cover for Frontlines #3, “Angles of Attack”? OF COURSE YOU DO.

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I am biased, of course, but I think it’s a pretty bad-ass cover, and probably my favorite Frontlines cover yet.

“Angles of Attack” will be out on April 21st in Kindle, paperback, and audio formats.

books. capitalism. shameless self-promotion. writing.

audiobook review: “terms of enlistment”.

There’s a pretty sweet review of the audio version of Terms of Enlistment over at Audio Book Reviewer. You should go check it out.

The audio version of the third Frontlines book is currently in production, from what I hear. I am really happy with the work of Luke Daniels, who read the first two books for Audible, and I hope they managed to rope him in for the third book as well.

(I’ve also seen some of the preliminary cover images for Angles of Attack, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that they look pretty frickin’ sweet. I think this cover may turn out to be the coolest in the series yet. I’ll share as soon as I am allowed.)

I’m always happy when I turn in a finished book, but it’s also kind of a sucky phase–I’ve done all the work, and now I have to wait for everyone else to do their magic, and things are out of my hands and no longer in my control until the book is released. Luckily, I can keep myself busy by going full speed ahead on the next book.

books. shameless self-promotion. writing.

“lines of departure”, the goodreads choice awards, and you.

Last year, TERMS OF ENLISTMENT made the SF shortlist in the 2013 Goodreads Choice Awards. This year, LINES OF DEPARTURE has managed the same trick in the 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards, which is nice.

If you read the book and liked it enough (if you in fact LIKED IT BETTER THAN THE OTHERS), then by all means please head over to Goodreads and vote for it. But even if you vote for someone else on the shortlist, that’s quite all right, because I am in pretty good company this year.

It’s nice to be recognized, but it’s nicer still when the recognition comes from reader-driven awards. Let’s hope I can keep the streak going with ANGLES OF ATTACK.

books. capitalism. shameless self-promotion. writing.

angles of attack release date.

It appears that Frontlines #3, ANGLES OF ATTACK, has an official release date: April 28. Here is the Amazon product page, where you can pre-order the book if you are so inclined. There’s no cover art yet, but I’m sure 47North will update the product page as soon as there’s an official cover.

In the meantime, I can promise you a new novella in the Frontlines universe before the end of the year. I’m also officially at work on Frontlines novel #4, which doesn’t have a firm title yet. 

It’s a cruel and inconvenient fact that it takes months or years to write what takes days or weeks to read…

books. capitalism. shameless self-promotion.

my birthday, and also the audible deal of the day.

Hey, kids!

For my 43rd birthday (which is, incidentally, TODAY AND RIGHT NOW), Audible got me a nice surprise:

LINES OF DEPARTURE is the Audible Deal of the Day!

So if you like taking in your fiction through the sound-holes in your skull, you may want to head over there and pick up a copy. It’s cheaper than a latte, will keep you busy longer, and they won’t write the wrong name on the outside. Also, the Frontlines audiobooks are read by Luke Daniels, who does a stellar job.

I’m out running errands today, and there’s a kid birthday party/Halloween bash later this afternoon, so I’ll be occupied most of the day, but I think there’ll be a cocktail or two waiting for me at home this evening.

 

shameless self-promotion. writing.

october things, and paradise lost (which isn’t in october).

It’s October, which is my birth month and also the very best of all the months, especially in New England. I vote that we rename this month to “Halloween”, which is also the very best of all holidays. I mean, how can you not like it the best? There’s costumes, hot mulled cider, candy, and ghost stories. No other holiday can compete.

I’ll be up in New York City later this week to do a thing or two at NY ComicCon. I’ll be doing a signing at the 47North booth, which is #860, at 4:00 on Friday, so please show up so I don’t look like a chump, pen in hand and a faltering smile on my face as I contemplate my UTTER LONELINESS.

Hope you’re all having a good October. Mine’s going to be busy, but fun.

Oh, I forgot to mention this on the blog: I’ll be an adjunct lecturer at the Paradise Lost V workshop down in San Antonio in April, corrupting the minds of up-and-coming writers with BLATANT MISINFORMATION alongside Chuck Wendig, Delilah S. Dawson, and Robert Jackson Bennett. Paradise Lost is open to graduates of Viable Paradise and Taos Toolbox, and members of the Codex Writers Group. Some of my old Viable Paradise XII friends will be in attendance at Paradise Lost V, so I am greatly looking forward to it. Also, I’ve never been to Texas except for a two-hour layover at DFW, which clearly doesn’t count as a visit to the state, so that will be a big bonus. I hear they have decent barbecue down there.

More news on the Fictional Novel Product front later. Now it’s back to the word mines so I can take a three-day break with a clear conscience.

books. shameless self-promotion. writing.

new york comic con schedule.

Going to New York Comic Con in October? What a coincidence–me too!

I’ll be there doing HIGHLY AUTHORIAL stuff for 47North. I’ll sign copies of TERMS OF ENLISTMENT at the 47North booth on Friday, October 10th, from 4-4:30PM, so if you are going to be there, stop by and say hi so I don’t feel like a goober sitting in front of a stack of books and looking longingly at the three-mile signing line for that Diary of a Wimpy Kid guy. And I’ll be part of the 47North author panel Meet the SciFi & Fantasy Authors of 47North Friday evening from 8-8:45PM, so by all means come and heckle me there.