Category Archives: Books

by Gail Z. Martin

I read a lot of urban fantasy, and I’ll have my own urban fantasy series coming out from Solaris Books in 2014, and I’ve been wondering: Where’s the line between horror and urban fantasy?

I suspect it’s been shifting around.  (And I’d love to hear your opinions, so please comment!)  After all, Laurell K. Hamilton started out shelved in horror, then became her own brand of urban fantasy, took a detour into erotica, and seems to have come back to something in between urban fantasy and suspense.  And yet, most of the usual tropes in urban fantasy were standard horror themes not too very long ago.

Remember when vampires were the bad guys?  They’ve made such a thorough transition to becoming the sexy love interest that I suspect they hired a Madison Avenue PR firm to do some reputation management.  Ditto werewolves and demons.  We’ve even seen the softer side of zombies and the soulful side (pun intended) of ghosts.

I’m only partly kidding when I say that horror now seems to be focused on people as monsters, and urban fantasy seems to be focused on monsters as people.  I suspect there’s some deep commentary on society today hidden in there, but I don’t know what it is.

Here’s where I see the divide between horror and urban fantasy–feel free to disagree.  In horror, whether the “monster” is human or some kind of creature, the monster has the upper hand for nearly the entire story.  There’s a sense of helplessness that seems to be essential to horror, a creeping sense of inevitable death. Even though the main character in horror might find a way to survive and vanquish the big bad at the very end, he or she is less a hero than a survivor.

In urban fantasy, whether you’re human, non-human, mortal or undead, it’s the thought that counts.  In other words, do you intend to be the hero or the villain?  Urban fantasy looks beyond the stereotypes to create characters that retain their volition and morality regardless of whether they’re alive, dead or something in between.  As I’m fond of saying, being dead doesn’t automatically make you a bad person.  Urban fantasy also has a clear hero who emerges, and while things may get grim, the lack of control and helplessness that helps to create the atmosphere of a horror story is either absent or brief.  The main character is a hero, not just a survivor.

Everything’s gotten grittier, but I’d also say that while urban fantasy can certainly have its share of blood and gore, it’s less over-the-top than horror and exists to make a point instead of being its own point.  And finally, in urban fantasy, when the book ends there’s the feeling of “we won!” as opposed to “we made it out alive.”

That’s my 2-cents, and I’d love to know your thoughts.  Thanks for reading.

Reign of Ash, book two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga launches in April, 2014 from Orbit Books.  My new urban fantasy, Deadly Curiosities, comes out in July, 2014 from Solaris Books. I bring out two series of ebook short stories with a new story every month for just .99 on Kindle, Kobo and Nook—check out the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures or the Deadly Curiosities Adventures.

by Gail Z. Martin

I’ve been writing epic fantasy all my life, and had seven epic fantasy novels published, with more in the pipeline.  I write big, fat fantasy books with plenty of sword and sorcery, with sweeping plotlines (that’s the epic part) that consume kingdoms and dynasties.

I also write urban fantasy, both in short stories and with a new novel coming out in 2014.  Magic, modern times, supernatural creatures and a first-person narrative.

So why, when Joshua asked me to be part of a Steampunk anthology, did I jump up and down and squeal like a little girl? (Ok, I exaggerate on the squeal but I think I did hop a bit.)

As a writer, I’ve found that while a certain amount of familiarity with a topic breeds proficiency, staying only with that topic starts to make fresh ideas flow more slowly.  I was a little concerned initially when I started to write a monthly ebook short story, whether or not I would get “tired” of writing so much, on top of my book commitments.  The answer turned out to be, I had a bigger flow of new ideas because I was doing new things.

Writing something in a different genre makes you look at the world a different way.  Writing in a different style, like moving from third-person narrative to first-person, stretches different creative muscles.  It’s like switching exercise routines or weight machines at the gym.  All of a sudden, you realize that you’ve got a whole new goal to strive for.  It makes it fun and puts a little mystery back in the process.

Besides, I’ve loved Steampunk since before it had a name.  As a kid, I watched Wild Wild West, full of James Bond gadgets during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant.  I loved Jules Verne and any movie based on his books.  The idea of gears and gadgets instead of rockets and ray guns made sense to me.  So when Joshua asked if I’d be interested, the answer was a fan-girl squee.

What Joshua didn’t know was that I’d already begun working on a concept for a Steampunk novel.  That project is still in development, but the short story for Steampunk vs. Aliens will be a little sneak peek.  And it’s fun working on the short story because it helps me develop some of the ideas better that might find their way into the novel.  Creativity works on a winding, circuitous route.  I’m having fun.

See you in the Clockwork Universe!

Reign of Ash, book two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga launches in April, 2014 from Orbit Books.  My new urban fantasy, Deadly Curiosities, comes out in July, 2014 from Solaris Books. I bring out two series of ebook short stories with a new story every month for just .99 on Kindle, Kobo and Nook—check out the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures or the Deadly Curiosities Adventures.

By Gail Z. Martin

I’ve been posting a lot on social media about the Dance Like a Monkey anthology on Indiegogo. We’re coming down to the last 8 days of the funding campaign, so I wanted to explain why this is so important.

The anthology is a charity benefit to help out fellow author CJ Henderson. He’s battling cancer for the second time and the fight to stay alive has racked up major medical bills as well as taking him offline for writing and for selling his books at conventions, which is his source of income. So a bunch of CJ’s friends rallied together to put out an anthology where all the proceeds (except for shipping/printing and Indiegogo’s fee) go to help CJ with his medical expenses. None of the participating authors are getting paid, and neither is publisher Silence in the Library.

CJ was one of the first people I met when I began doing conventions as a pro after The Summoner came out. He is a loveable curmudgeon, and he is also a fantastic encourager, good friend and a mentor to many beginning authors (although he hides it well beneath a crusty manner). I always knew that whenever I was at a convention with CJ, I had a friend close at hand. He’s been a positive influence on a lot of people, which is why his friends are doing this book to help him out.

Everyone who funds at $10 or more gets an AWESOME collection of stories by 31 authors including Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, Maggie Allen, Jack Dann, Ed Greenwood, Joe Haldeman, Nancy and Belle Holder, Tanya Huff, Gail Z. Martin, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jean Rabe, Mike Resnik, Hildy Silverman, Janine Spendlove, Michael A. Stackpole, Anton Strout, Kelly Swails, Robert E. Vardeman, Elizabeth A. Vaughan, Bryan Young, Jean Marie Ward, Gene Wolfe, Tera Fulbright and Timothy Zahn. And, of course, CJ Henderson.

Every stretch goal we reach adds more goodies—either additional authors to the anthology or free ebooks, e-short stories and other loot.

So please, check out the Indiegogo campaign before May 1. Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/1l0t4nk.   If you like it, please toss in your ten-spot for an awesome antho. And please, help us add funding and extras to the anthology by passing the link along to your friends on social media.

Because in the end, we’re just Monkeying Around for a Good Cause!

by Gail Z. Martin

Sci-fi conventions are part of the fun of being a fan or a writer, and every con I go to offers the opportunity to learn something new, meet fantastic people, hang out with other authors, and see new places.  That’s why I’m a con-going writer.

Writing is a fairly solitary affair.  Once in a while you come up for air to connect with beta readers, agents and publishers, but most of them time is spent inside your own head.  My dogs make sure I get exercise, having an uncanny ability to smell the exact moment when I have gotten a great idea, at which point they need to go out to the back yard.  But on the whole, writing isn’t a social activity.

Genre conventions are a way for me to include that social piece into my writing life and not get thrown wholly off track.  I’ve attended many panel discussions on historical or scientific topics and come away with new ideas for plots, characters or story twists.  I’ve learned a lot about the industry by sitting down for coffee or a drink with other authors and listening to what they’re working on, how their relationship with a publisher or agent is going, or what new project they’re developing.  In the new world of hybrid careers and professional self-publishing, I’ve learned a lot about how other folks are successfully creating their own ebooks or print runs, sourcing artwork, and finding the best software.

Talking with readers is just as instructional.  It’s good to hear from the other side of the desk, to find out what people are reading and why, what they’re tired of, what they want more of.  Yes, it’s anecdotal, but it’s still outside input, and if you go to enough cons in a year (and I do), all that anecdotal information sifts together to form trends.

Cons are also places to get contracts.  I’ve come home from many a convention with a contract or an invitation for a short story in an anthology, and I enjoy talking with editors and publishers of all sizes of publishing houses because I learn something from every conversation.  Good relationships eventually open doors.  Besides, it’s nice to talk shop with other people in the business who actually understand the highs and lows–writing is a strange occupation.

Going to cons also gives me plenty of grist for the social media mill, with photos to post on Facebook, bon mots to tweet on Twitter, and new ideas for blog posts.  Sometimes, I end up tagged in someone else’s post, which is cool too.  And on many occasion, I’ve landed a magazine, blog or podcast invitation just by showing up.

Most of all, cons are an opportunity to reconnect with friends and meet new ones, talk about the fan stuff other people don’t understand, shop the dealer room, and stretch your creative muscles.  All the more reason to be a con-going writer!

Reign of Ash, book two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga launches in April, 2014 from Orbit Books.  My new urban fantasy, Deadly Curiosities, comes out in July, 2014 from Solaris Books. I bring out two series of ebook short stories with a new story every month for just .99 on Kindle, Kobo and Nook—check out the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures or the Deadly Curiosities Adventures.

by Danielle Ackley-McPhail

I have a secret for you. I…am the Queen of the Outcasts.

No…really. With a few, rare exceptions I fit nowhere in society. Not at work, not at church, not among my family. Always I have been that awkward figure on the fringes wanting to be embraced and brought in to the crowd. Always. This doesn’t mean I wasn’t welcome or loved, just that in general the world—yes, even my family—doesn’t get me and can’t relate.

Halfway through my life I found my exception to this rule.

Fandom. From the moment I entered my first convention I was greeted with open arms, with smiles, with understanding. A heady experience, I can tell you! I think this, more than anything else, keeps me doing what I do, no matter that it often feels more work than reward. When I walk among the community I am at peace and I am comfortable. When things go wrong, I find support without even asking.

What does this have to do with Tell Me? Well…let me tell you…

Things have gone wrong. Very wrong. Not for me, but for an icon of the community, CJ Henderson. He has cancer. Again. Twice in less than six months’ time he is fighting for his life and losing his livelihood. With the first course of treatments unsuccessful CJ is now subjected to 96 hours of continues chemotherapy every two weeks. He can’t write. He can’t go to conventions. In short, he can’t make the money vital to his family’s continued well-being.

Here is where the community comes in. Within two days of learning of the reoccurrence of CJ’s lymphoma plans were already in place for a charity anthology, Dance Like a Monkey. From stories to artwork, to publisher and administrative and marketing staff not only was everyone on board, but everything was in place and ready to go. Jean Rabe got on board as editor. Gail Z. Martin stepped in as Promoter. Silence in the Library Press agreed to not only fund this anthology, but also run the crowdfunding campaign that would make it possible. Authors Timothy Zahn, Joe Haldeman, Gene Wolfe, Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Jack Dann, Jonathan Maberry…I could keep going, but soon I’ll be running out of words. But in short, over sixty authors have pledged short stories, artwork, and music with absolutely no compensation to them. Before word even got out, fandom was lifting CJ up and helping to bear his burden.

Since then we have gone live with our campaign, Monkeying Around for a Good Cause. Unfortunately, due to Kickstarter’s policy against charity projects we have had to take this to another platform, Indiegogo, which is equally as able, but not nearly as frequented. Support has been heartening with over 220 donors getting behind the project, and whole legions of people helping us to spread the word via social media and news websites, professional organizations and fan bases. The love being shown to CJ heartens me every day. But sadly, it still is not enough. You would think something as inconsequential as a platform would not make a difference to such a worthy cause. Nearly ten days in and we still have not funded, let alone started to work our way through the many fabulous stretch goals that have been donated. But we have time and we have the support, so now it is up to us to spread the word. And that word is…

Help!

We aren’t asking for a handout. Really. Despite our purpose we are not asking you to GIVE us anything. No. We are offering you an amazing collection of fiction in either DRM-Free ebook or in print (depending on your donation choice), plus plenty of awesome pledge rewards and potential stretch goals—ALL donated—we offer you value that well exceeds any contribution we are requesting, and all the money save the platform fees, print costs, and shipping, go directly to CJ Henderson so he can stop worrying about bills and focus on kicking cancer’s ass.

Between his years of fiction writing, mentorship, advice, and general jocularity, CJ has given so much to fandom. Let’s give him something back. And not just something, but the very best we can manage. I have seen what that looks like and we aren’t even close yet. If you can’t participate in the crowdfunding please help us spread the word to those who might be in a better position to.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/monkeying-around-for-a-good-cause/x/6753223

by Gail Z. Martin

Sometimes, it gets crowded inside my head.

I currently write the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga for Orbit Books, which is epic fantasy, and next summer, I’ll launch the first book in the Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy series from Solaris Books.  My original epic fantasy series was the Chronicles of the Necromancer.  And I write two series of ebook short stories, the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Adventures.  That means at any time, I’ve got several different worlds, time periods and sets of characters running around my imagination, vying for attention. It gets interesting.

When I was working on just one series, keeping everyone straight wasn’t a big challenge.  It’s still not so much an issue of mixing up people or places–that’s not really the problem.  The issue sometimes becomes giving everyone the attention they want–or demand.  If you’ve ever tried to juggle several different committee causes, you’ll understand.  Or just tried to keep several different groups of friends and family happy, when there’s only one of you.

See, characters are greedy. They want ALL of a writer’s time, because they’re only “real” when someone is actively thinking about them.  And they only get to do new things when one person in particular is thinking about them–me.  So there’s a constant whisper from one crew or the other, “Hey, write about us. We’re doing something interesting.”

Now sometimes, that’s exactly what I want to hear, because I’m on deadline.  Often, the crew whose deadline is coming up decides to go off and sulk and not tell me about anything they’re doing, and another crew, whose book isn’t due for months or who doesn’t have an active project, they’ll come up with an amazing idea.  It’s such a good idea, I want to dive in on it right away.  But I can’t, because of that deadline–for the other guys.

The best I can do is offer to take notes, and once the deadline gets met, I can come back and work on the other story.  The note taking part is essential, because no matter how awesome the idea is and how certain I am that I won’t ever forget it, if I don’t write it down, it’s gone when I go to look for it.

The best way I’ve found to keep all those characters happy is to spell out who gets what.  It’s like breaking up squabbling kids.  I’ll sit down and figure out a writing calendar of what I will be working on for the next several months, looking at deadlines first.  Once the deadlines are accounted for, the other projects go in order of which ideas take firmest root in my imagination.  That lets some projects percolate a little longer while I jump on those that already seem clear.  Eventually, everyone gets their time in the sun.

All those characters make my brain a crowded place, but it’s nice when they keep it down to a dull roar instead of bickering over who gets to go first.  On the bright side, there’s never a dull moment!

Reign of Ash, book two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga launches in April, 2014 from Orbit Books.  My new urban fantasy, Deadly Curiosities, comes out in July, 2014 from Solaris Books. I bring out two series of ebook short stories with a new story every month for just .99 on Kindle, Kobo and Nook—check out the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures or the Deadly Curiosities Adventures.

by Gail Z. Martin

Maybe you’ve heard about Kickstarter. It’s one of several sites that are part of the crowdfunding trend that’s hot right now. Why should you pay attention? Because Kickstarter and crowdfunding are becoming an important part of publishing in today’s online world.

Kickstarter is a site where inventors, authors, video game designers, product developers and people with a great idea can pitch it to the world and ask for funding. It’s the democritization of venture capital, making angel investors of us all, often for sums as low as one to five dollars.

It’s interesting that Kickstarter and similar sites have catapulted to popularity during a recession, when credit is tighter than usual and publishing is struggling to reinvent itself.  Publishing houses are worried about the bottom line, and that’s making it harder for authors to get contracts to continue midlist series or launch new projects.  Small presses are picking up some of the slack, but they usually can’t offer much (if any) of an advance, and some authors need the security of money in hand before investing the work necessary to bring a book to life.

Enter Kickstarter. If an author has a loyal following, even if that following isn’t huge, he or she can put together a Kickstarter project to write the next book in a series dropped by a publisher, start a new series deemed too risky by conventional publishers, or bring an anthology to market.

Crowdfunding lets the market decide–and fund–what it wants. While this is a big change from the way things have been done in the last fifty or seventy years, in some ways, it’s a return to the way business has been done for thousands of years, with the help of patrons who underwrite expenses. Except that now, instead of finding a wealthy individual or a powerful institution, the average person can kick in a buck or five and maybe be part of the next big thing.

Recently, I’ve been part of three Kickstarter publishing projects. Two of the projects raised substantially more money than their original goal, enabling them to add extra features. One project is still underway, but making great strides towards its goals.  The first two projects were anthologies, and the third is a graphic novel.  What’s important to remember is that each of these projects succeeds because it has made a direct connection with customers who want exactly that type of product, and aren’t finding what they want in the “regular” marketplace.

Thinking about using Kickstarter for your next publishing project? There are some things you need to know.

Kickstarter projects ultimately rise or fall on three key points: 1) the strength of the concept; 2) the social media energy of the product’s supporters; and 3) how well the concept originator communicates both the core concept and the specific benefits funders will receive for every funding goal met.  In this sense, Kickstarter success is a quintessential exercise in marketing.

For example, the second Kickstarter anthology in which I participated (Athena’s Daughters) was an anthology of science fiction/fantasy short stories with adventurous female characters written by women writers. The authors on the roster ranged from established pros to lesser-known but published professionals to new authors. The Kickstarter outlined what rewards backers would receive every time the project reached a new milestone. Rewards included free ebooks, e-short stories, paper books and artwork, music CDs, professional services and recognition as a patron in the book. In addition, eight more authors were eventually added, making the original anthology a larger book, a second related anthology was funded, and a sequel was funded. All three books received enough funding to produce a trade paperback edition and a limited hard cover edition.

In this case, the Kickstarter project had an original funding goal of $8,500, and in its 29 day run, 1907 individual contributors raised over $44,000 to bring the project to life. In exchange, backers got the entertainment value of watching the tally rise day by day (including a white-knuckle last half hour to hit the final goal that rivals any sporting match for drama), eight free ebooks (in addition to the original anthology), thirteen free e-short stories, a free music CD, free original artwork, and recognition for being part of the process. In addition, the project will donate a portion of the proceeds to charity. That’s a lot of value for a $5 contribution!

The concept’s strength and originality is a key point in attracting backers. If you’re thinking of doing a Kickstarter, make sure you can clearly explain what your project is all about, why it’s different, and who is the intended audience. Here’s where marketing comes into play. Successful Kickstarters incorporate video to share their message, include lots of photos of the project, and go into great details about features and benefits.

Likewise, they provide copy that outlines exactly what backers receive for their specific dollar-level contribution as the project reaches funding milestones encourages readers to invest. By including everyone in the rewards that are unlocked milestone after milestone, investors have a reason to help you spread the word, effectively marketing your project for you.

Social media plays a key role in funding a successful Kickstarter. That’s one reason anthologies do well, because they are a team effort and appeal to the readership of a dozen or more authors. On the other hand, I’ve seen individual authors and product developers also successfully Kickstart their projects by reaching out to their personal networks through social media and encouraging friends to tell friends.

Friends telling friends is really the secret to funding a Kickstarter, and it’s the essence of viral or word-of-mouth marketing. The more friends you can connect with early and often on social media, the more active you and they are in spreading the word, and the more interconnected interested parties are in talking up the project, the more buzz is in the marketplace and the more people find the project and contribute.

For example, the Kickstarter anthology project included seventeen original authors. Most were already active on Facebook or Twitter. The authors immediately liked, friended and followed each other so they could retweet, share, like and comment on each other’s posts about the project. The Kickstarter also had a Facebook fan page, a Facebook event page, a Tumblr page, Twitter hashtags, Pinterest posts, a YouTube video and a Goodreads event. Authors and their friends talked it up on all those social media sites plus others like Reddit and Google+, and reached out to bloggers, podcasters and book review sites. They kept up a constant flow of commentary, banter, witty repartee and flat-out asking for funding for 29 days, often interacting with each other in real-time on multiple platforms at once.  (And should you think the authors were all twenty-somethings, the average age was 40+).   Kickstarter needs constant buzz.  It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it medium.

Kickstarter creates an exciting opportunity to reach what pundits call the “Long Tail” of customers. The “long tail” refers to the trail of a comet, which stretches on for a long, long time beyond the comet itself. The marketing theory around the “long tail” holds that there are viable niche markets that often go untapped because they are too small to be profitable for the business models of very large companies, but which can provide a very nice living for entrepreneurs or small, efficient companies that can tap that niche and provide a desired outcome.

Thinking about bringing your product to market but stymied on funding? Take a look at Kickstarter. But remember, what appears to be just a funding mechanism is really an endeavor that requires a lively network, a clear concept, a niche audience and a lot of marketing mojo.

by Gail Z. Martin

If you like graphic novels and comics, please check out Silence in the Library’s newest Kickstarter project, Icarus: A Graphic Novel.

The book is by Gregory A. Wilson, with art by MARVEL artist Matt Slay, and it’s pretty awesome. You can see by the cover, it’s got some eye-popping art.

Icarus follows the adventures of Icarus and Jellinek, two beings who are, on the surface, as different from one another as they can possibly be. Icarus is a tall, fair-skinned young man with wings, incredible powers, and no memory of anything other than his name. Jellinek is a short, flamepetal prospector with tough red skin, a general dislike of everyone around him, and a major attitude. Together, they must defeat a race of tyrants that has enslaved the world of Vol. Through the course of the story they find out that they are more alike than they can possibly imagine.

I’m one of the stretch goal authors for the Kickstarter, and if we reach my funding goal, LucasArts artist Joe Corroney will illustrate by story (along with colorist Brian Miller)!  I really hope we make it to my goal, because I’ve always wanted to be part of a graphic novel!

Some of the other stretch goals include illustrated short stories written by authors like Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood, Michael A. Stackpole, Jean Rabe, Maxwell Alexander Drake, and Aaron Rosenberg. Illustration for these stories will be done by artists like Cyril Van der Haegen and Jason Engle.

There’s even an absolutely free 3d Icarus RPG at the highest stretch goals.  Plus, there are cool rewards at a number of affordable pledge levels.

$10 and up gets the graphic novel plus most of the stretch goals, so if this is up your alley, please consider chipping in to make a cool project happen!  And thanks to all the funders so far, who have gotten us past the first several goals! But hurry: Kickstarter ends Feb. 12

Here’s that link, so you can check it out: https://www.tinyurl.com/IcarusComic

by Gail Z. Martin

Lots of good stuff coming up in 2014!

April 1, Reign of Ash comes out from Orbit Books.  It’s the immediate sequel to Ice Forged, so it picks up right where the action left off.

Then June 25, my new urban fantasy series launches with Deadly Curiosities, a new novel from Solaris Books.  Deadly Curiosities (the novel) takes place in modern-day Charleston, SC and introduces you to Cassidy Kincaide, owner of Trifles & Folly, an antique and curio shop that exists to get magically dangerous items out of circulation.  If you’ve read any of my Deadly Curiosities Adventures short stories, you’ll know that Cassidy is the latest in a long line of Trifles & Folly owners with a dangerous supernatural history.

I love the new cover, by artist Chris McGrath, who also does the Dresden Files covers.

Kickstarters have opened up some additional anthology fun. Through Feb. 12, I’m part of the Icarus: A Graphic Novel Kickstarter for Silence in the Library Publishing.  The graphic novel is written by Gregory A. Wilson and illustrated by Matt Slay. I’m a stretch goal author, meaning that if we reach my stretch goal with funding, LucasArts artist Joe Corroney will illustrate my story! Please consider funding: https://www.tinyurl.com/IcarusComic

The Athena’s Daughters Kickstarter anthology, which features my story “Retribution” (also for Silence in the Library Publishing) funded at over 500%, meaning we blew through 30 stretch goals, added a bunch of additional short stories to the anthology, and rewarded funders with a ton of e-stories, ebooks, music CDs, art and other goodies.  Athena’s Daughters is all about adventurous female characters written by kick-ass women authors. The Kickstarter even spawned a companion volume, Apollo’s Daughters! While the Kickstarter is over, you can still order the ebook and trade paperback here for both anthologies: https://www.silenceinthelibrarypublishing.com/store/

Speaking of short stories, I’ll be continuing to bring out a new short story on ebook every month.  Look for more in the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures as Jonmarc heads toward Principality and a chance to join up with the mercenaries.  In the Deadly Curiosities Adventures, expect more about Sorren, Dante, Coltt and Cassidy across the centuries as they battle magically malicious heirlooms.

I’m excited to be in seven new anthologies in 2014, with some storytelling that is going in totally different directions!  I’m in the British Fantasy Society’s “Unexpected Journeys,” and “Athena’s Daughters,” as well as “Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens” for Zombies Need Brains Press, and a superhero story for “With Great Power.”  Plus I’ve just promised a new steampunk story and an urban fantasy story to Dark Oak Press, and a monster story to Big Bad2!

And stay tuned, because I’ve got some surprises coming up that I can’t talk about just yet!

Expect to see a lot of me at conventions in 2014!  Here’s the list of cons plus book signings for the two new novels:

•            Jan 10-12 Illogicon, Cary, NC

•            Jan 17-20 Arisia, Boston, MA

•            Feb 21-23 Mysticon, Roanoke, VA

•            March 23-24 Arizona Renaissance Festival, Apache Junction, AZ

•            Apr. 5 Book signing at Barnes & Noble, Birkdale Huntersville, NC

•            Apr. 12 Book signing at Barnes & Noble Morrison (South Park), Charlotte, NC

•            Reddit Featured author set up for April

•            Reddit Ask Me Anything for April pending

•            Apr. 18 – 20 Awesomecon, Washington, DC

•            April 25-27  Ravencon, Richmond VA

•            May 3 Book signing Books A Million, Concord Mills

•            May 10 Book signing Books A Million, Carolina Mall, Concord, NC

•            May 21-23  Book Expo, New York City

•            May 23 – 25 Balticon, Hunt Valley, MC

•            May 30 – Jun 1  ConCarolinas, Charlotte, NC

•            June 21 Hawthorn Moon Online Event

•            Jun 27-29 LibertyCon, Chattanooga, TN

•            Reddit Featured author set up for July

•            Reddit Ask Me Anything for July pending

•            Book signings in stores July/Aug.

•            Jul 11-13 Congregate, Winston-Salem, NC

•            Labor Day Weekend DragonCon Atlanta, GA

•            Oct. Carolina Renaissance Festival, Charlotte, NC (dates TBD)

•            Oct. ContraFlow, New Orleans, LA

•            October  Days of the Dead Online Event

•            Nov. 7-9  World Fantasy

•            Nov. 14-16 Atomacon, Charleston SC

Please join me on Twitter @GailZMartin, and on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms.

I also host a live Meetup group every month in the north Charlotte area where we talk about writing and publishing.  It’s free and lots of fun—come join us!  https://www.meetup.com/Thrifty-Author-Publishing-Success-Network/

If you don’t like to drive or don’t live near Charlotte, I host a monthly discussion on Goodreads that lurches from fandom to fantasy and sometimes into writing and publishing—always something new!  https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin

If Pinterest is more your style, I’ve got a couple of boards you might like: Sci Fi Convention Memories with the photos I take in my travels (https://www.pinterest.com/gzmartin/sci-fi-convention-memories/) and Abandoned Places https://www.pinterest.com/gzmartin/abandoned-places/

And look for excerpts and maybe an original full-length piece or two on Wattpad: https://wattpad.com/GailZMartin