My official publication date for Child of Fire is five weeks away, but reviews are already popping up online, thanks to the bound galleys that were sent out.
They’re mostly good (yes, I’ve been reading them), but not all. And no I never expected all of them to be flattering, but come on, how could they not be 100% raves? Really? How could they not?
Of course they’re not. Mostly, they’re very good and very flattering.
I should stop reading them.
“It is advantageous to an author that his book should be attacked as well as praised. Fame is a shuttlecock. If it be struck only at one end of the room, it will soon fall to the ground. To keep it up, it must be struck at both ends.”
–Dr. Samuel Johnson
(Just putting this here for future reference)
I guess I’m a real boy author now: I have a Harriet Klausner review.
The review contains spoilers, several of them for the book I actually wrote. If you like, though, I can quote the only parts you truly need to read:
“… exciting story line.”
“… an exhilarating High Noon paranormal thriller.”
Still, as much as I joke, I’m grateful that she took the time.
I also have a bunch of reviews on Good Reads now. It’s kind of exciting, but I’m going to have to stop reading them soon.
Let’s say you’ve got Reggie Jackson willing to give away hitting tips, answer questions about breaking into the Major Leagues. And someone says, “Hey, Reg! I want to be a pro ballplayer — but my local Thrifty doesn’t carry batting gloves. Where can I buy a pair?” I think most people would recognize that question as a waste of time for all parties involved.
— Quote from here.
I wasn’t really planning to write this post, but my editor suggested it. (Or did she? I remember that she did, but I was getting a lot of input at the time, so maybe I misremember.) Here’s the story behind that suggestion:
I had just finished the “Escapist Fantasy” panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and I knew I had stammered and lost the thread once or twice, but I’d also made a decent point or two. While I’d been up there at that long, long table, I’d seen my editor out in the audience. We’d never met, but thanks to the power of Google, I knew what she looked like. Hey, no pressure, right?
Also, during the panel, the moderator mentioned her by name, saying something like: “We have Betsy Mitchell, editor-in-chief at Del Rey, in the audience today. What do you think, Betsy, about…” and outed her to the whole room.
After the panel ended, I thanked folks and made my way down to the floor. I was meeting my editor face-to-face for the first time–and I hadn’t done as well as I’d have liked on the panel, so I was all set to apologize, plus I was on my way to my first signing, and I was trying not to be a complete goof–but before we could get past the pleasantries, a guy butted in to say “Hi, I’m an aspiring writer and I’d really like to be published with your company. I’d really appreciate any advice you could give me.” Or whatever.
Now, I was sorta annoyed by this, because that was not the conversation I needed to be having at the moment. Betsy gave him a brief answer, stating that they only accept agented submissions, then she turned to me and said: “You broke into publishing recently. Do you have any advice?” Continue reading
I realize that I buried this in a previous post, so let me repost it here:
If you want to get a free signed ARC of Child of Fire, Suvudu is giving one away–along with a bunch of other books–in a sweepstakes. You have until August 21st to enter.
If you’ve read the Sample Chapter and can’t wait for the rest, well, here’s your chance to get an early copy.
(Okay. That’s as much hucksterism as I can manage. Too much?)
I have a post about breaking in to professional publishing (at least, how I did it) and why I’m writing about it, but I finished it so late that I knew it was an ugly first draft and would have to read it again before I posted it.
In the meantime, Suvudu.com is giving away a signed copy of Child of Fire as part of their sweepstakes promo. Lots of other books there. Check it out.
Also: the online press kit. I’m going to get me one of these, and I’ve already sent a couple notes to my PR person at Random House to see what he thinks I should include. Seen via LJ user marthawells.
1) For those who missed it, I posted the first chapter of Child of Fire on my site yesterday. You can read it here. If you like it, tell your friends. If you hate it, tell your enemies.
2) Woman getting married to fairground ride. According to the article, she says she has “objectum sexuality, a condition that makes sufferers attracted to inanimate objects.” I avert my gaze as I hurry past the obvious joke there.
3) “Nurse of the Year” in Connecticut, who gave injections and dispensed medical advice, not actually a nurse. Remember, all failures of private industry are individual cases, but all failures within a government program reflect badly on every government program.
4) Drug buyers call the cops on their own dealers. Not because they were ripped off or because the drugs were bad. It was because the dealers were setting up squirrel traps in the park where they operated, and taking the fresh meat home at the end of the day. The drug buyers didn’t like that and dropped the dime on them. Fun note: When I first moved to Seattle, I lived very, very close to that park. It’s a beautiful place. via matt-ruff
5) I’ve always had trouble remembering faces and recognizing people, but man, I have nothing on Ryan O’Neal.
Here is the first chapter of Child of Fire. It’s under 5K words, and I’ll put the bulk of it under a cut to spare the sensitive and uninterested.
CHAPTER ONE
It felt good to sit behind the wheel again, even the wheel of a battered Dodge Sprinter. Even with this passenger beside me.
The van rumbled like a garbage truck, handled like a refrigerator box, and needed a full minute to reach highway speeds. I’d driven better, but I’m a guy who has to take what I can get while I’m still alive to get it.
The passenger beside me was Annalise Powliss. She stood about five foot nothing, was as thin as a mop handle, and was covered with tattoos from the neck down. Her hair was the same dark red as the circled F’s I used to get on my book reports, and she wore it cropped close to her scalp. It was an ugly cut, but she never seemed to care how she looked. I suspected she cut it herself.
She was my boss, and she had been forbidden to kill me, although that’s what she most wanted to do.
Child of Fire just got a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. Here it is, reprinted via them.
—————-
STARRED REVIEW: Child of Fire Harry Connolly. Del Rey, $7.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-345-50889-8
Connolly’s gritty urban fantasy debut is not so urban: it takes place in Hammer Bay, Wash., where residents are thankful for the toy factory that stimulates their economy and are apparently oblivious to the frequent magical immolations of local children. Convicted felon Ray Lilly works for the mysterious Annalise Powliss and the Twenty Palace Society, hunting down people who use magic and the otherworldly predators whose power they channel. Callous Annalise and hard-nosed Ray have a complicated personal history that gradually comes to light as the Society faces off against factory employees, local law enforcement and other corrupt forces in the town. Unique magical concepts, a tough and pragmatic protagonist and a high casualty rate for innocent bystanders will enthrall readers who like explosive action and magic that comes at a serious cost. (Oct.)
—————-
Holy crap, what a tremendous relief that is. Please do well, little book! Find lots of readers!
Finished today’s work and yesterday’s, too. The book wants to be written now, and is helping me push it along.
I also “finished” some promotional stuff Del Rey asked me to do for Child of Fire, for certain values of “finished” that involve another read-through to polish it up.
I was supposed to also work on Cool Thing That Would Be Awesome If It Worked Out, but time has already left, and so must I.