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Books, News, Projects

Six Wakes and Bookburners Launch Day! Plus Appearances Updates

Two days ago saw the launch of Six Wakes and Bookburners, the projects I spent most of last year on. It was weird coincidence that they launched the same day. But the reviews for both are both really good, and I’m thrilled at the response. And thanks to everyone who posted a review online, anywhere! Spreading the word is HUGE help.

I got to do the John Scalzi Big Idea on Tuesday! And here are some quotes from reviews for Six Wakes!

“A taut, nerve-tingling murder mystery with a deeply human heart.”

— NPR Books

“An interstellar page-turner with an innovative twist on cloning tropes.”

— B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“A great book with so much going for it: clever structure, wonderful characters,

and a fiendishly clever puzzle that you’ll roll over in your mind

for months after you close the covers.”

— Boing Boing

“[The] coolest murder mystery you’ll read.”

— bestselling author Chuck Wendig

Unfortunately I won’t be doing my bookstore event in Greenville, SC tonight. We had to reschedule. We’re still hammering out when we will be doing it but it looks tentatively like February 21 will be the new date. And I’m working on a local event in March at Flyleaf books, will post when that gets confirmed.

I’m completely knackered, as the Brits say, from book launches and turning in the first draft of I Should Be Writing, the book. (Yeah, that was yesterday, whoo hoo book done! Now body must zzzzz…) But now that the books are out and the other book is turned in, I can focus more on my podcasts and my dear Patreon supporters.

OH, and thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway! All slots are filled!

Books, News, Projects

January 31: two books! Huge giveaway!

TL;DR: Send me receipts in email and get signed books. Details at bottom.

This January 31, I am in the wonderfully strange situation of having TWO books coming out at once.

First, from Orbit books, I have Six Wakes, my clone murder mystery in space, the book that made James Patrick Kelly say, “Lafferty does for clones what Asimov did for robots.”

Six Wakes also got starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and has appeared on several “January books to look for” lists.

Then from Saga and Serial Box comes my collaboration (with Max Gladstone, Brian Francis Slattery, and Margaret Dunlap) Bookburners. It’s a horror/urban fantasy story about a Vatican team who chase down magical books and contain them before terrible things happen. (Usually right when terrible things are happening, otherwise the story wouldn’t be interesting.) Naomi Novik says “Bookburners is sheer enormous fun!” It’s also appeared on several “January books to look for” lists!

While this is SUPER exciting, I was wondering how I could promote two books at once. I don’t want my readers/listeners to get Lafferty fatigue at me saying, “Buy my book! Now buy my other book! Did you buy the first one yet? Well, go do that!” And so on.

So I figured out a plan: the first five people to send me their receipts for Six Wakes will receive signed (by me) copies of the Bookburners ARC, and the first five to send me copies of their Bookburners receipts will receive signed copies of Six Wakes.

UPDATE: All books spoken for! Thanks!

Now, my die hard fans who’ve already bought both should get some kind of reward too. If you show such dedication, then I will reward you with a secret letter and a present. (You may want to indicate which of my books you do not own, that will help me decide presents.)

To sum up! Starting today:

Send me your Six Wakes preorder receipt and your address: get a copy of Bookburners (ARC). (Limit 5 people)
Send me your Bookburners preorder receipt and your address: get a copy of Six Wakes. (Limit 5 people)
Send me the receipt for both and your address, and you’ll get a secret letter and a present. (Limit 5 people)
And yes, I will ship worldwide. Gawd help me.
My email address is mightymur at gmail dot com.

PLEASE put “GIVEAWAY” in your subject line so I will spot the entries. I will edit this blog post and mention on twitter when all of the books are spoken for.

Books, Consuming media, Games, News, Projects

STORIUM, News, and Skyrim tales

The amazing storytelling site I’ve been involved with, Storium, has launched an awesome interactive demo to help new players. It’s free and doesn’t require a signup. You literally have nothing to lose except for 5 minutes of your time. Check it out!

Storium turns creative writing into an online game. Learn how to play in just 5 minutes w/ our new interactive demo! https://t.co/Jmx8Bm3ux1 pic.twitter.com/FZ0PYoVLQ2

— Storium (@Storium) December 9, 2016

Library Journal just gave Six Wakes and Bookburners some love as well! And Six Wakes got a star! (You DO know that you can really help a book out by pre-ordering, right? Get Bookburners here. Get Six Wakes here.

We’ve gotten the new shiny Skyrim with mod support and better graphics and we’re all playing it with great glee. It helped to kill things during the month when we saw our nation crumble in a dumpster fire.

There are still interesting bugs with a game so intricate. The latest one I encountered had my adopted son begging for a present when I got home. I had a shirt for him, so I gave it to him. He was then immediately naked (with undies, natch) and ran around playing in the rain. Then he went to sit under a tree. In the rain. With no clothes on.

I followed him and tried to talk to him, but “get your damn clothes back on, you fool child” was nowhere in the dialogue tree. So I decided it was my housecarl’s problem and went on adventuring. (I just discovered others have noticed this bug.)

Then there was the time I was being chased by a wolf, ran into a bear, and then a dragon landed on all of us. But that’s another tale.

Books, News, Projects

New book news!

I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that I signed a contract to produce an I Should Be Writing nonfiction book. I’ll be taking the things that I’ve learned in the eleven years of doing the show and putting it into an attractive book that will hit the stores next August!

Well, its attractiveness isn’t my job, but the writing is, and I’ll be doing my best.

Thanks to all the listeners who made it worth it to get this far into the show and not stop. I love y’all.

More info when I have it! Published by the fine folks at Quarto Publishing Group!

(pst- if you subscribed to my mailing list over there on the right, you’d have gotten this information already.) —->

Books, News, Personal, Projects, Travel

Star Wars, Storium, Travel, and More!

Here is where being an infrequent blogger is a bad thing. I have many, many things to talk about “all of a sudden” – all of a sudden wouldn’t come around if I blogged more often. Oops.

STAR WARS, BABY!
I can finally talk about it, as it was announced over July 15th weekend at Star Wars Celebration: I’m writing a short story in the Star Wars universe for the magazine Star Wars Insider! It’s only a short story, but it’ll be canon. It will come out this December, and tie into the Rogue One movie. And that’s all I can say.

But damn. Star Wars. Mind. Blown.

HEAVEN STORIUM IS LIVE
I adapted my Afterlife world to Storium, and now you can playt hrough Heaven with the Storium platform! I was honored to be part of the Storium Kickstarter, and I’m so excited that my world is live at last!

UPCOMING TRAVEL
August is a super-busy month. In a week I leave for GenCon, my first time to the huge gaming convention where I will participate in the Writer’s Symposium (and be part of two live podcasts and a live Storium event). Then comes WorldCon in Kansas City, where Matt and I will be doing a live Ditch Diggers Event on Thursday night. I’ll get the schedules up closer to each event, but if you’re in town for either event, let me know!

MORE
The release of Six Wakes has moved to January 31, 2017. I’m sorry to have to report it, but I know this will allow production and marketing to work even more magic than they were doing before, and I hope the launch will be awesome. I’ll keep you updated regarding any launch events.

And yesterday I turned 43.

Hullo, 43.

Hullo, Mur.

You know, your sibling, 42, wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be. I don’t know if Douglas Adams lied, or 42 lied, or what, but damn. The world is on fire!

Things aren’t all good in the world, no. But you have to admit, things went your way more than most peoples’ this year. You’re fitter. You’ve got a fucking Star Wars story coming out. Things may not be coming up roses and daffodils, but at least maybe pansies and dandelions?

Dandelions are a weed, 43. Ask anyone who does lawn work.

You’re pedantic when you’re cranky.

I’m not cranky. Babies are cranky. I’m just looking at the state of the world and publishing and my own career and my daughter’s future and it’s scary.

You clean your own house, Lafferty, that’s all you’re responsible for. You write your stories and raise your kid and vote and tell your representatives you won’t stand for their shit. You do what you can.

Yeah. You’re right.

Fuck, does every year have to tell you to grow a goddamn spine and start finally adulting?

Yep. Pretty much.

Fine. Then I’ll clean my own mess, too.

You do that.

You’re part of that mess, you know. Your shitty ego and lack of confidence. I’mma clean it right the fuck up.

I know that, 43.

Good.

Good.

News, Podcasts, Projects

ISBW #363: Movie Option, plus TWO interviews! Mike Carey and Brenda Cooper!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (57.4MB)

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

I announced it a few days ago that Netflix purchased the option for The Shambling Guides, and I talk more about it here. Then I put two interviews in one show since I’m behind, so you get to hear from Mike Carey and Brenda Cooper!

(affiliate links)
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Books, News, Projects

Bookburners Season 2 Launches!

Last year I was so honored to be part of the amazing team that brought you Serial Box’s first release, BookBurners. I’m very excited to say that last Wednesday, Season Two launched! Be sure to subscribe, and check out Season One if you haven’t already! (Or you could preorder the physical book!)

Magic is real and some books have teeth. Join Detective Sal Brooks, newest recruit to a black-ops magic hunting team, as she travels the world to keep the supernatural in check. Just remember: watch your back and don’t touch anything.

This season we brought in Andrea Phillips and guest writer Amal El-Mohtar to join us!

News

Just Announced: Netflix acquires rights to THE SHAMBLING GUIDES

I’ve talked a lot in podcasts about the frustration of having to sit on news, and boy howdy, I’ve been sitting on this one a long time. But it was announced yesterday: Netflix has purchased the option for The Shambling Guide to NYC and Ghost Train to New Orleans!

The Tracking Board had the exclusive and Tor.com did a great post about it this morning. [EDIT- it appeared on BoingBoing this afternoon! Thanks, Cory Doctorow!]

A few FAQs:

Does this mean the series will continue?
Orbit did not wish to continue the series, but I may write some follow-up novellas and self publish them.
When will we get to see it?
This is a movie option, which means Netflix has the rights to make a movie of the story if they so choose. It’s no guarantee that a movie will be made. That said, we had to hold onto the information for a very long time so it’s possible that this announcement means they’re moving forward now. I’ve heard nothing either way, and I’m trying not to get my hopes up; that way lies madness and obsession.
Will it be a movie or a TV show like OITNB?
They indicate they want to make it a movie, but they have the rights to change their minds and make it a TV show if they decide to go that way.
Are you involved with the writing/casting/key gripping/best boying?
Alas, no. But if they want to put Daveed Diggs in the movie as Arthur, I wouldn’t say no.

Regardless, I’m so grateful I can finally talk about this! Be ready for the next podcast!