From: daw-request@listserv.penguinputnam.com on behalf of PPI Online [Online@penguin.com] Sent: Monday, October 05, 1998 1:32 PM To: daw@listserv.headland-media.com Subject: October edition of DAW newsletter ************************************************************ This e-mail message is sent only to visitors of the Penguin-Putnam web site who have asked to receive it. If you no longer wish to be on this mailing list, see the instructions for removing your name at the end of this message. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. ************************************************************ INTRODUCTION Boo! It's that time of year again - a bloated harvest moon hangs in the sky, jack-o-lanterns are flickering in windows, costumed children shake you down for candy, there's a glut of teen slasher movies down at the multiplex, and, of course, there's always that one drunken idiot at your Halloween party who keeps on annoyingly mispronouncing Samhain-hey, it's just too dangerous out there! You should stay in, turn off the porch light, settle down by the fire and read the newest releases from DAW. We've got all the info right here on our latest Science Fiction/Fantasy titles in this October '98 edition of the DAW Books Newsletter. Plus, you'll get previews of future releases, special features, news & announcements, a recipe for sure-fire ghost repellent, and so much much more. This month we have all of the following: New releases from Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon, Julie E. Czerneda, Kristen Britain, Gayle Greeno, and others. Some scary and spooky books from DAW to liven (or deaden!) your Halloween. An interview with debut fantasy novelist Kristen Britain, author of the brand-new hardcover Green Rider. Visit DAW website at http://www.dawbooks.com Stayed tuned for more each month! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [New Releases] Now in stores... Owlsight Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon 0-88677-802-6 $24.95 Darian has been living in the temporary encampment of the Tayledras Hawkpeople for nearly four years, working as a liaison between them and the survivors of his own ravaged village. But as he is about to return with the Tayledras back to their home Vale to continue his magician's apprenticeship, Darian suddenly learns that his parents, missing for five years, are alive-trapped inside the borders of the treacherous Eastern Empire. Owlflight Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon 0-88677-804-2 $6.99 Apprenticed to a venerable wizard when his hunter and trapper parents disappear into the forest never to be seen again, Darian is difficult and strong-willed-much to the dismay of his kindly master. But a sudden twist of fate will change his life forever, when the ransacking of his village forces him to flee into the great mystical forest. It is here in the dark forest that he meets his destiny, as the terrifying and mysterious Hawkpeople lead him on the path to maturity. And now they must lead the assault on his besieged home in a desperate attempt to save his people from certain death! Beholder's Eye Julie E. Czerneda 0-88677-818-2 $5.99 They are the last survivors of their race, beings who live on and communicate through energy, capable of assuming the shape of any other species. When their youngest member is assigned to a world considered safe to explore, she is captured by the natives. To escape, she must violate the most important rule of her kind, and reveal the existence of her species to a fellow prisoner-a human being. Now her race is in danger of extinction, for even if the human does not betray her, the Enemy who has long searched for her people may finally discover their location.... Battle Magic edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Larry Segriff 0-88677-820-4 $5.99 From vast armies to single champions, from legions of wizards to sorcerous duels, the original tales included in this volume are the very heart of fantasy. Includes stories by such masterful conjurers of the fantastic as John DeChancie, Josepha Sherman, Rosemary Edghill, Jane Lindskold, Mickey Zucker Reichert, and Julie E. Czerneda. Coming to stores in October... Green Rider by Kristen Britain 0-88677-824-7 $23.95 Karigan G'ladheon has fled from school following a fight which would surely lead to her expulsion. As she makes her way through the deep forest, a galloping horse plunges out of the brush, its rider impaled by two black arrows. With his dying breath, he tells her he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary magical messengers of the King. Giving her his green coat with its symbolic brooch of office, he makes Karigan swear to deliver the message he was carrying. This promise given to a dying man changes Karigan's life forever. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only the messenger's horse seems to know, she unwittingly finds herself in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she does not yet understand.... Sunderlies Seeking by Gayle Greeno 0-88677-805-0 $6.99 The Sunderlies-for the sixteen-year-old twins, Jenneth and Diccon, the very name is a summons to exotic adventure. So when their parents propose taking the family along a business trip there, the twins can hardly contain their excitement. The only things more thrilling are the newfound Bonds Jenneth has made with the ghatten Pw'eek and Diccon has made with her sister ghatten Kwee. Yet, almost from he start, the journey seems overshadowed with bad luck-or evil intent. Real disaster strikes at sea, when a storm sweeps Jenneth and Pw'eek overboard. Desperate to find his lost twin, Diccon has no way of knowing that the worst for all of them still lies ahead.... The Way of the Spider by W. Michael Gear 0-88677-438-1 $6.99 For centuries, the Directorate had ruled over countless star systems-but now, as rebellion fueled by advanced technology and a madman's dream spreads across the galaxy, the warriors of Spider, descendants of humans stranded centuries ago on an untamed world, could prove the vital key to the survival of human civilization.... Mob Magic edited by Brian Thompsen and Martin H. Greenberg 0-88677-821-2 $5.99 From the big screen to the bookstore, the Mob has remained a topic of intense interest. Now, some of the finest authors of the fantasy genre come together with mystery's most adept crime busters to give the rackets a whole new twist-a magical one. Includes stories by P.N. Elrod, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Max Allan Collins, Mike Resnick, and more. Coming to stores later this fall and winter... Spirit Fox by Mickey Zucker Reichert and Jennifer Wingert an enthralling, stand-alone fantasy collaboration by the author of the Renshai novels and a talented newcomer Daughter of Darkness by Ed Gorman a gripping thriller by an award-winning mystery and suspense writer The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones the long-awaited American publication of the essential reference for any tour of Fantasyland Traitor's Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley a brand-new Darkover novel The Shadow Matrix by Marion Zimmer Bradley a new Darkover novel, now available in paperback Wizard of the Grove by Tanya Huff her early novels Child of the Grove and The Last Wizard finally available in one volume ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [News & Features] DAW News: Thinking about next summer yet? Well, here at DAW, we've got to in order to bring you the newest books from some of your favorite authors (and not just because we're already missing those long Friday afternoons at the beach). DAW's summer of 1999 will see the release of: Catfantastic V, edited by Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg, for all you fans of the feline; Precursor by C.J. Cherryh, the beginning of a new trilogy in her atevi universe; The Shining Court by Michelle West, the final installment of her Sun Sword trilogy; Sword And Sorceress XVI, edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley; and OTHERLAND, Volume Three: Mountain of Black Glass by Tad Williams. Among other stuff. Can't you just smell the suntan lotion? DAW Features: To raise a few shivers on your spine this Halloween, we've compiled a list of some of DAW's scariest: The Blood series by Tanya Huff, which features a nearly 500 year old vampire son of Henry VIII, a tough-talking Toronto P.I. named Vicki Nelson, and more vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and mummies than you can shake a crucifix at! Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff - when Claire the Keeper moved into the Elysian Fields guesthouse with her talking cat, she didn't expect to find a French-Canadian ghost and a gate to Hell in her basement.... Anything from Elizabeth Forrest - try Retribution, the story of a tortured artist and the serial killer who can read her dreams, or Killjoy, where voodoo, virtual reality, a runaway boy, a former gang girl, and an escaped convicted murderer come together for a final showdown during a New Orleans hurricane. Raven & The Flesh, the Blood, and the Fire by S. A. Swinarski. Dark vampiric thrillers with a gritty bite. In Raven, a man with no memory must find out who, or what, has suddenly changed him into a vampire. And The Flesh, the Blood, and The Fire: Eliot Ness couldn't solve Cleveland's notorious Torso killings. But one police detective who wouldn't let go of the case may have found those responsible for the dozen decapitated, mutilated, bloodless bodies.... Anthologies: How about Black Cats and Broken Mirrors, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and John Helfers, The Fortune Teller and Tarot Fantastic, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Lawrence Schimel, or Adventures in the Twilight Zone, edited by Carol Serling? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DAW's October Feature: An interview with Kristen Britain, whose debut novel, Green Rider, is hitting stores this month. By Debra Euler, DAW assistant editor. DAW: Where did you get the idea for Green Rider? How about the idea for the Green Rider messenger corps, which is not a standard fantasy element? KCB: The idea for Green Rider sprang from an earlier book I had been working on. In that story, there was a minor character who served as a messenger. In the course of writing, I decided to give him a new name, a sex change, and a special cadre of king's messengers to belong to. This retrofitted character jumped right off the page, tweaked my nose, and hit the ground running. She quite literally stole the show. I began writing anew, focusing on the adventures of Karigan G'ladheon, and Green Rider was born. As for the Green Rider messenger corps, I had always been intrigued by the notion of "killing the messenger because of the message." "Ah," I thought to myself, "this sounds like a dangerous occupation." Thus, fun to write. I enjoy throwing my characters to the proverbial lions, and watching them fight their way out. This is, as the Romans intended, very entertaining for the audience, though definitely not for those who are face to face with the lions. DAW: Green Rider isn't set in the standard "medieval" fantasy period, but just before the Industrial Revolution, as new political ideas are spreading across the land. Why did you choose this period? KCB: I'm glad you asked. I have felt, now and then, that I've got one foot stuck in the 14th century and the other in the 25th. This lands me somewhere near the 19th, and makes using computers interesting for me. The 19th century, which I'm pretty familiar with from an historical angle, was rife with religious fervor and social change: evangelism, women's rights, unions, abolition, temperance, dress reform, health issues, etc. etc. We often see our ancestors in black and white, and being rather staid and puritanical, but some of them had some rather radical and "contemporary" ideas. Ideas and change are interesting, and this may have filtered into the fabric of Green Rider. I wanted to build a world that was not only pre-industrial, but pre-gunpowder. Yet, I felt that for developing the "personality" of the world, I didn't want to stick with the typical medieval setting. If my characters use telescopes or protest the concept of a monarchy, this helps create a world unto itself with its own unique details, political unrest, sense of time, and social structure. You will also notice that I do not use a European model for the natural landscape as traditional fantasy often does. One reason is that I'm not intimately familiar with the European landscape, and natural settings are important to me and the story, and the second reason is that I can give the setting its own texture and character unique from others. DAW: We've already got the sequel on our long-range schedule, but do you see more Rider books in the future? And tell us a little about the sequel. KCB: How many Rider books? Hmmm. Well, I don't want to think in terms of quantity or try to read into the future. I want to focus on the here and now, which is the sequel. My goal is to write the best book I can, and projecting future plotlines is distracting. The ideas will still be there if I want them at a later time. I suppose I'll write Rider stories so long as they stay fresh and original, for both me and readers, and the story permits it. The sequel is currently titled Mirror of the Moon. It carries on the adventures of Karigan G'ladheon and the Green Riders, with complex interweavings of character, intrigue, and magic. And danger, of course! It is founded on the premise of having to destroy something of great beauty for an even greater good. We will even learn more about the origins of the apparent intelligence of messenger horses. This is going to be a rather thick book. DAW: How does being a ranger for the National Park Service affect your writing? Do you have to wrestle moose for computer time? KCB: The moose can have the computer if he wants it! I'm more likely to wrestle other rangers for the mouse. There is, I must say, something disconcerting about walking into headquarters and seeing rangers in every office glued to their computers. A sign of the times, I guess. Being a park ranger has influenced my writing in numerous ways. I have spent time in national treasures that many people only get to read about or see pictures of. I have crawled around in dark, dusty buildings of the Industrial Revolution, with old cranks, gears, shafts, and wheels draped with cobwebs and stuck in time; I know what it is like to stand in the absolute black and silence of a cave; and I've patrolled old carriage roads via mountain bike through forests thick with the scent of pine and cedar. Being a park ranger can be very experiential, and I draw from those experiences in so many ways. Some influences are less esoteric: bureaucracy in action, how it feels to wear a uniform on a daily basis, and the sense of esprit de corps which still exists on some level in the National Park Service, even in days such as these. DAW: And for all the aspiring writers out there, how does it feel to finally hold your finished, bound book? KCB: It is quite literally a lifelong dream fulfilled. I was so thrilled, I wanted to take the book to bed with me, but I decided that the hard corners might prove injurious even as I slept. -- If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, simply send a single email message to daw-request@listserv.penguinputnam.com containing the word "unsubscribe" as the first and only line in the body of your message.