Shout-Out: Kojiki by Keith Yatsuhashi

I came across this book a while back on Net Galley.  It's an ebook original by Musa Publishing.  I really love the cover art.  It reminds me of Spirited Away.

Every civilization has its myths. Only one is true.

When eighteen-year-old Keiko Yamada’s father dies unexpectedly, he leaves behind a one way ticket to Japan, an unintelligible death poem about powerful Japanese spirits and their gigantic, beast-like Guardians, and the cryptic words: “Go to Japan in my place. Find the Gate. My camera will show you the way.”

Alone and afraid, Keiko travels to Tokyo, determined to fulfill her father’s dying wish. There, beneath glittering neon signs, her father’s death poem comes to life. Ancient spirits spring from the shadows. Chaos envelops the city, and as Keiko flees its burning streets, her guide, the beautiful Yui Akiko, makes a stunning confession--that she, Yui, is one of a handful of spirits left behind to defend the world against the most powerful among them: a once noble spirit now insane. Keiko must decide if she will honor her father’s heritage and take her rightful place among the gods.

Book Review: Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Pros: interesting premise, fast-paced mystery, good set up for series

Cons: protagonists show little emotion, paranormal elements are light

Twenty-four year old socialite Olivia Taylor-Jones's life is turned upside down when she discovers that not only is she adopted, her birth parents are notorious serial killers.  Running to avoid the media and protect her mother and fiancee, Olivia ends up in Cainsville, a small town outside Chicago.  While trying to get by on her own she starts investigating the murder case that put her parents behind bars.  And her superstition about omens seems to be giving her good guidance lately.

There's a lot going on in this novel.  There's Olivia's coming of age, as she's forced from her home and social expectations and allowed to find what she wants out of life.  There's the murder mystery, long gone cold with few leads that haven't been followed by others.  And there's the town, with it's unique mixture of people, many of whom have some connection to Britain's folkloric past - though Olivia's mostly unaware of this and the reader's only given hints.  This book is primarily grounding for the new series.  We're introduced to the main players, including the town itself, with its numerous gargoyles and mysterious happenings.  

I loved the plot, that this girl discovers she's the kid of serial killers and how she deals with it.  And she deals with it remarkably well.  Despite the many things she learns, sees and does, she never breaks down.  Which is surprising, because she sees and does some horrific things.  It was strange not seeing her deal with the grief and shock that would have accompanied some of what she does/encounters.  But it certainly set her up as a strong character - much like Ripley from the Alien franchise.  Kick-ass and capable, but not always right.  In many ways she's well complemented by Gabriel Walsh, the lawyer who offers his aid - for a fee - who also displays little emotion.  I liked that the groundwork of a romance between them was set up, but that it's being allowed to develop naturally - assuming that's the direction the author is taking their relationship.

It's a quick, entertaining read and a good set up for what sounds like an interesting series.

Out August 20th.

Author Interview: Jenn Bennett

Novels:
Kindling the Moon
Summoning the Night
Leashing the Tempest (ebook original novella)
Binding the Shadows

Website: www.jennbennett.net

> What is your Arcadia Bell series about?

Arcadia "Cady" Bell is a mage who runs a Tiki bar in Central California. She's been living under an alias because her family is wanted by the FBI for allegedly murdering the leaders of several occult organizations. She also has the rare ability to identify Earthbound demons—humans on the outside, demons on the inside—which leads her to partner with an Earthbound demon named Lon Butler.

> You were born in Germany and have lived and travelled to a number of places and now live in the U.S.  What's the coolest place you've been and why?

Probably Hong Kong. It's dense and energetic, easy for English speakers to navigate, and surrounded by lush beauty.

> Have your travels influenced your writing at all?

Absolutely. Traveling not only opens you up to a variety of locales, but a variety of people and experiences, as well. You can't get falling-down drunk in a Taipei karaoke bar surrounded by drag queens and "working girls" with rooms in the back without some of that leeching into your well of inspiration.

> What made you want to be a writer?

My college background is in art and painting, but I ended up doing the 9-to-5 corporate office thing (marketing and product development), which made me ridiculously unhappy. One day, my then-boss asked me what I'd do if I wasn't working there. I immediately blurted out, "I'd write a novel." I'd never really thought seriously about writing before that moment. A few months later, I gave into temptation and wrote my first book.

> Why did you choose to make your protagonist a renegade magician bartender?

Urban fantasy already had its fair share of detectives, bounty hunters, and generic monster slayers. I suppose I wanted to do something a little outside the box. I've always had a fascination with the occult, and I’m rather fond of the retro kitsch vibe of the Tiki scene. But the heart of my series is the characters and their relationships—not the setting or the world building.

> What were your literary influences for the Arcadia Bellseries?

Neil Gaiman, the Brothers Grimm, Diana Gabaldon, Anaïs Nin, Philip Pullman, Laura Kinsale, Loretta Chase, Mary Shelley.

> What are you working on now?

I have a new paranormal romance series set in 1920s San Francisco coming from Berkley/Penguin in January 2014: bootlegging, fog, ghosts, Chinatown, magical hexes, bawdy humor, and steamy romance. Huzzah!

> What's the first novel (published or unpublished) that you wrote and how long did it take to write it?

The first novel I wrote centered on portals into a fantasy realm. It was awful. I had zero idea what I was doing—I just flailed around in the dark and hammered it out in a month. KINDLING THE MOON was the third book I wrote. It snagged me a literary agent, who sold it to one of the Big 6 New York publishing houses in five weeks. From the time I wrote my first word until I sold my first book: 1 1/2 years. That was two years ago. I’ve since sold six books and one novella.

> What was the hardest scene for you to write?

The final two scenes in BINDING THE SHADOWS. I shed a few tears putting those words together. I knew that they were scenes that had to be written, because that was the story that needed to be told, but it was physically painful to do it.

> When and where do you write?

Surrounded by clutter in my home office. I write best when there are no distractions: either in the middle of the night when everyone's asleep, or really early in the morning when everyone's asleep. Basically, as long as everyone else is sleeping (including my pugs), I'm good to go!

> What’s the best/worst thing about writing?

Best? Creating characters than readers love. Worst? The famously s-l-o-w machine that is the traditional publishing house. By the time a book comes out, I’ve already written three more.

> Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

Learn how to do things the right way (grammar, plotting, page count, genre expectations), then have the guts to break a few rules and forge your own path.

> Any tips against writers block?

Walk around outside. Take a drive in a place you don't visit often. Play a video game. Read a book in a new-to-you genre. Do something that flexes your mental muscles in a way that isn't explicitly related to writing—one that requires you to look at things differently.

New Author Spotlight: Steve Bein

New Author Spotlight is a series designed to introduce authors with up to 3 books in the different SF/F subgenres.

 Today's spotlight shines on Steve Bein!

He's written and published several short stories and his debut novel is:

Here's the cover copy:

As the only female detective in Tokyo's most elite police unit, Mariko Oshiro has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. But when he gives her the least promising case possible—the attempted theft of an old samurai sword—it proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined.

The owner of the sword, Professor Yasuo Yamada, says it was crafted by the legendary Master Inazuma, a sword smith whose blades are rumored to have magical qualities. The man trying to steal it already owns another Inazuma—one whose deadly power eventually comes to control all who wield it.

Mariko's investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she learns to wield could turn against her.

Mr. Bein's book is pretty unique, but I found some comparison titles going a bit outside traditional SF/F channels.  So if you like his book you might enjoy some of the following.

Crossfire by Miyuki Miyabe (Kodansha International)
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (Riverhead)
Deathnote, Volume 1 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata (Viz Media)
The Ring by Koji Suzuki (Vertical Inc.)

Author Interview: Kerry Schafer

Novel: Between

Website: www.kerryschafer.com

> What is Between about?

Vivian's life is finally on track. She has a job she loves as an ER doctor and has just met – literally – the man of her dreams. But when her eccentric grandfather is murdered and designates her as his next of kin, she discovers that she is the last of a race of beings known as dreamshifters. It is her task to guard the doorways between waking and dreaming, which have already begun to unravel, spilling dangerous creatures from dream into the waking world. When she sets out to close the open doors and protect her town and the people she loves, Vivian confronts dragons, intrigue, and the dark secrets of her own family history. In the end, she comes face to face with a sorceress seeking eternal life and ultimate power. Vivian must find a way to stop her, or reality will be forever altered.




> Where did your idea for dreamshifters come from?

My main character, Vivian, came up with it. I'm not kidding! I had explored several different alternate realities for her. One night I was journaling in her voice, and came up with the words, "dreamworld, wakeworld, and between." And that's when I really figured out the idea of a dreamshifter. 

> You were a nurse and now work as a mental health counselor.  Did making your protagonist an ER doctor require any research?  If so, how much?

There was some research required, because most of my nursing experience was in Labor and Delivery, which wasn't exactly relevant. I spent a lot of time in the ER as a mental health crisis specialist, so I had a pretty good idea about the environment, but I had to research specific details related to the medical needs of my characters. I used Google for some things, and then found an experienced ER nurse who was willing to clarify details and check my work for accuracy. 




> What made you want to be a writer?

I fell in love with words - there was nothing else to be done. 

> If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

Nope. Part of writing an interesting book means making life hard for your characters. My reality is a much safer place to be.




> What was the hardest scene for you to write?

Probably one of the ones I ended up cutting. As for the scenes in the book - maybe the dragon fight at the end. Action scenes are tricky, because you have to be able to do choreography in your head. I struggle with that.




> When and where do you write?

Wherever and whenever I can find the time. I have a laptop, and it travels around with me.  




> What’s the best/worst thing about writing?

Best thing: when the story hands you things you could never have dreamed up for yourself. Worst thing: days when it feels like every word you write totally sucks

> Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

Never give up on trying to get your work published, but while you're at it keep writing new (and better) things.

> Any tips against writers block?

Write anyway. If you truly can't get any work done on your current project, then switch to a journal. Write in your character's voice or your own. Write something. Write anything. If it's bad you can always throw it away later, but sometimes you have to write some really rotten stuff before getting to the gold.




> How do you discipline yourself to write?

I'm bad at self discipline, so I use other people. I'll throw something out on Twitter about my word goal and ask people to kick my butt if I keep wasting time. Or, better yet, I like to set up a sprint with friends. We choose a time to start and end, then write like crazy to see who can get the most words in. 

> How many rejection letters did you get for your first novel?

I lost count. Thirty maybe? There were a lot. 

Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Coming in March, 2013

As always this list was compiled from the Indigo and Carina websites.  They reflect Canadian release dates for the books.  I made the 50th Anniversary Dr. Who collection a separate category so they'd all be together.  Terry Pratchett's stuff is being reprinted as trade paperbacks again, but I chose not to mention those titles in the list as they're all in print already in several formats.

Hardcover:

The Necromancer's Grimoire – Annmarie Banks

Halo: Silentium – Greg Bear

Shattered Pillars – Elizabeth Bear

Written in Red – Anne Bishop

Children of Kings – Marion Zimmer Bradley & Deborah Ross

Frost Burned – Patricia Briggs

Bloodfire Quest – Terry Brooks

The Gate Thief – Orson Scott Card

Deep Down – Deborah Coates

Hellhole Awakening – Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson

Wolfhound Century – Peter Higgins

No Return – Zachary Jernigan

Rebel Angels – Michele Lang

Forgotten Realms: The Last Threshold – R. A. Salvatore

Red Planet Blues – Robert Sawyer

A Conspiracy of Alchemists – Liesel Schwarz

A Wolf From the Outlands – Richard Taylor

Quintessence – David Walton

Shadow of Freedom – David Weber

Trade Paperback:

Cyberpunk: Stories of Hardware, Software, Wetware, Evolution and Revolution – Victoria Blake, Ed.

The Scourge – Roberto Calas

Seven Kinds of Hell – Dana Cameron

The Shape Stealer – Lee Carroll

The Age Atomic – Adam Christopher

Garrett For Hire – Glen Cook (omnibus)

A Turn of the Light – Julie Czerneda

Queen Victoria's Book of Spells – Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling Ed.

Under My Skin – Charles de Lint

Freaks in a Box: The Myths of Media – Paul Di Fillippo

The Wind Whales of Ishmael – Philip Jose Farmer (reprint)

Warhammer 40K: Fire Caste - Peter Fehervari

The Wreck of the River of Stars – Michael Flynn

Dead Reckoning – Charlaine Harris

Doughnut – Tom Holt

A Few Good Men – Sarah Hoyt

Revenge of Frankenstein – Shaun Hutson

Rebellion – Ian Irvine

Warhammer: Gothrek & Felix the 3rd Omnibus – William King

Warhammer: Gotrek & Felix the 4th Omnibus – Nathan Long

The Human Front – Ken MacLeod

The Scrivener's Tale – Fiona McIntosh

Star Trek TNG: On Board the U.S.S. Enterprise – Michael Okuda

The Lost – Vicki Pettersson

Knuckleduster – Andrew Post

Pathfinder Tales: Liar's Blade – Tim Pratt

Ashes of Candesce – Karl Schroeder

Goldenland Past Dark – Chandler Klang Smith

Hope Returns – S. M. Stirling & David Drake

Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 7 – Jonathan Strahan

The Air War – Adrian Tchaikovsky

Farthing – Jo Walton (reprint)

Mass Market Paperback:

The Good, The Bad and the Infernal – Guy Adams

Agave Kiss – Ann Aguire

Marching Dead – Lee Battersby

Bridge of Dreams – Anne Bishop

Galactic Courier – A. Bertram Chandler

Intruder – C. J. Cherryh

Star Trek: The Weight of Worlds – Greg Cox

Black Feathers – Joseph D'Lacey

Deadly Sting – Jennifer Estep

1636: The Kremlin Games - Eric Flint, Gorg Huff & Paula Goodlett

Dog and Dragon – Dave Freer

Deadlocked – Charlaine Harris

A Dance With Dragons – George R. R. Martin  [My apologies, the publisher has pushed back the publication of this book yet again.  It's now slated for the end of October]

Freedom's Landing – Anne McCaffrey (reprint)

Midnight Blue Light Special – Seanan McGuire

Princeps – L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

The Gift of Fire / On the Head of a Pin – Walter Mosley

The Books of Barakhal – Mickey Zucker Reichert

Triggers – Robert Sawyer

Of Shadows Born – Dianne Sylvan 

Slashback – Rob Thurman

Kitty Rocks the House – Carrie Vaughn

Solaris Rising 2 – Ian Whated, Ed.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection

Remembrance of the Daleks – Ben Aaronovitch

The Silent Stars Go By – Dan Abnett

Fear of the Dark – Trevor Baxendale

Ten Little Aliens – Stephen Cole

Players – Terrance Dicks

Last of the Gaderene – Mark Gatiss

Festival of Death – Jonathan Morris

Earthworld – Jacqueline Rayner

Dreams of Empire – Justin Richards

Only Human – Gareth Roberts

Beautiful Chaos – Gary Russell

Carina ebooks

The League of Illusion: Prophecy – Vivi Anna

Hunger Awakened – Dee Carney

Soul of Kandrith – Nicole Luiken

Pooka in my Pantry – R. L. Naquin

Magick by Moonrise – Laura Navarre

Cards and Caravans – Cindy Spencer Pape

Author Interview: Allison Pang

Novels: 

A Brush of Darkness
A Sliver of Shadow
A Trace of Moonlight

Website: www.heartofthedreaming.com


> What is A Brush of Darknessabout?

It’s the story of Abby Sinclair, who is pretty much a normal girl, essentially tossed into this mystical world that overlaps our own. Everything she does has political repercussions, but directions are hard to come by and she finds herself struggling to figure out how to manage. When her Faery boss goes missing, Abby is forced to try to find her, joined by a perverted unicorn and a sexy incubus, who may or may not be setting her up.

> How did you go from marine biology to writing urban fantasy?

That’s actually a pretty long story. I ended up in a few science based internships after graduation that were sponsored by grants. After getting laid off a few times because a grant wasn’t renewed, I got tired of living that way, so I ended up in the tech industry (which is my “real” job, atm.) I had taken a few English classes in college, but was fairly discouraged in them. (Mostly because I didn’t fit in. I wasn’t a literary writer and I felt really looked down on.) So I didn’t write anything for about 12 years after college. It wasn’t until I started a gaming forum for women and got involved in playing Play By Post D&D games that I decided I really like writing and I started looking into what I needed to do to get published.

> You do a webcomic called Fox& Willow with Irma 'Aimo' Ahmed. How did that get started?

I had actually hired Aimo to do some character design and sketch cards for a different project. I was a huge fan of her Bioware fan art, and through our discussions we found out we had a lot in common. I’d always wanted to try my hand at writing for comics, so I asked her if she’d be interested in doing some sort of collaboration. Turns out, she wanted to do some more original work as well, and thus we formed Sad Sausage Dogs. So far it’s been a great partnership.

As far as the comic itself goes, we both developed the overall story arc, though I’m doing the actual writing. I let her decide on the pages – how many panels, etc. I’m really happy with how it’s turning out. Our only real obstacle is that she lives in Malaysia, so we’ve had to get creative in our communication efforts!

> Abby Sinclair has a miniature unicorn in your novel. Is that a pet you'd like too?

Oh yeah.

> If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

Probably not. It would definitely be cool to interact with the OtherFolk in some way, but I don’t think I’d want to have to face any of the issues most of them have!

> When you're not writing, what kinds of books do you like to read?

High fantasy, mostly? I’ll read just about anything, but I’m definitely more of a fantasy/sci fi person.

> What's the first novel (published or unpublished) that you wrote and how long did it take to write it?

A Brush of Darkness, actually. Started it in June 2008, finished it in April 2009. Sold it in Jan of 2010.

> What was the hardest scene for you to write?

Most of the scenes involving Abby’s mother. My own mother died in 2002 and I was in denial for a very long time about it. A lot of Abby’s mom issues are mine – they were basically just leaking out of me at that point and writing it was the only way I could deal with it. (Though my mother died of cancer.)

> When and where do you write?

Mostly at night, after work and the kids are in bed. I usually write at a desk in my office, but honestly, I

have a netbook I bring with me everywhere – any time I can slip in some writing (the doctor’s office, for example) I try to do so.

> What’s the best/worst thing about writing?

Well writing in general is just fun for me – it’s a lot of hard work, but there’s something very satisfying

about it. Knowing that I’m able to entertain people as a result of that work is just the most fabulous

thing imaginable. The only bad thing is balancing a day job and my family. The kids have to come first, so...

> What is something you didn’t know about the publishing industry before you had your first book published?

How slow it is? Traditional publishing moves at its own pace.

> Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

Just keep writing. Workshops and how-to books are fabulous, but they don’t mean anything unless you’re actually writing. That’s the only real way to learn. Also, take advantage of all the great resources

out there – how to write query letters, what agents are looking for, what publishers to avoid, etc. Do

your due diligence up front to avoid disappointment later.

> Any tips against writers block?

It depends on the writer. I’m a panster so sometimes I’ll hit a wall where I’m not sure where I want to go in the plot. I tend to take a lot of hot showers at that point – I tend to think better under the hot water

for some reason. I’ll also sketch out notes on a sheet of paper – that tends to loosen things up. If I’m

really stuck, I’ll do something else for a few days – write something fun, game, read. But you can’t let

that go on too long or you fall out of the writing habit. So, I have to do that sparingly.

> How do you discipline yourself to write?

I don’t know if I discipline myself, but it’s more a question of balancing my time. I do try to write every day, but some days it doesn’t happen. I don’t beat myself up over that, but I think in the end, it’s my responsibility to do the writing. I don’t HAVE to, but if I don’t? Nothing’s going to happen.

> How many rejection letters did you get for your first novel or story?

Less than 10. I was really lucky.

Book Review: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone

Pros: fascinating and unique blend of technology, religion and magic; interesting and personable characters; subtle humour; self-contained novel; brilliant ending

Cons: *misuse of some big words

Tara Abernathy has been cast out by the Hidden Schools, but not before she graduated as a Craftswoman, able to use soulstuff to perform God-like tasks.  She's hired by Ms. Kevarian of the firm of Kelethras, Albrecht, and Ao, to help with a delicate legal case.

In the city of Alt Coulumb the God, Kos Everburning, has died.  Ms. Kevarian, hired by the clergy to oversee his resurrection, must contend against her former associate, and Tara's former professor and the reason she was kicked out of school, Alexander Donovo.

Helping the two women in their investigation of why Kos died, is the last person to see Him alive, Novice Technician Abelard.  

This is a novel with a lot going on.  There are several interconnected plots set up by various people for various reasons.  They take place in a city that's a fascinating mix of technology, religion and magic.  The city, for example, has trains and elevators that run off steam produced by Kos.  The Craft is an attempt by humans to recreate the power of the Gods by using the stars and soulstuff, either their own or that stolen from others.  Use of the Craft is centered around dealing with legal contracts regarding the use of the power of the Gods for different purposes (like powering elevators) and for raising the dead. But it can also be used for protection and myriad other things.  It's never fully explained and while it has limits, the limits are not examined in much detail.

The book has been marketed as an urban fantasy novel, probably because it takes place in a city - though a fantasy one (a throwaway line in the book implies that this world is in an alternate dimension).  But the tone, feel and use of magic are all traditional fantasy, if fantasy with a heavy mystery slant.  The complex ending reminded me of James Knapp's Revivors books, with several seemingly unimportant details actually being crucial to the story.  And for those looking for fantasy novels that aren't parts of giant series, this book is entirely self-contained.  There's plenty of room for the author to continue the story, but readers get a finished plot arc in this volume. 

Tara's a great character, strong but still learning and always looking for approval from her Boss.  My only complaint with her is that she's quite smart and yet does something remarkably stupid at the beginning of the book.  She hides the fact that she's a Craftswoman, but then uses craft in a major way that was bound to cause trouble for her.  I liked that she was a dark-skinned character, though, beyond the occasional descriptions there was nothing that indicated she was different from the others (which could just be because this world doesn't have the same cultural/racial divisions our world has).  It was nice to see a POC protagonist without being a stereotype of one kind or another.  Tara was definitely her own woman.

All of the characters in this novel feel three dimensional.  They each have failings, though Ms. Kevarian is more of an enigma than the others up to the end.  I really liked Cat and her addiction, and how that played out in the novel at large.  

I really enjoyed Gladstone's writing style, with its occasional bouts of subtle humour and subversion of expectations.  It seems petty to mention, but there was one thing I noticed a few times which disturbed me a little.  He threw in 'big words' occasionally, not often enough to be irksome if you don't know what they mean, but he used two words (one I knew, one I had to look up) incorrectly.  It's fine if you want to sound erudite to throw in big words now and then, but if you're an author you've got to understand the words you're using.  Calling someone who's cutting up a cadaver a 'vivisectionist'* isn't going to impress those who know (or look up) the word.  Vivi means life, so she's only a vivisectionist if her subject is still alive when she starts cutting (thanks Island of Doctor Moreau).  Thankfully it only happened a few times, but readers do pick up on these things, and it doesn't look good for an author to have their words questioned.  I specifically looked up the next few big words I encountered, just to see if the author was using them correctly (one he didn't - caesura **, the other he did - palimpsest).

If you're not nitpicky, the big words are easy to pass over as their meanings (or, what the author intends them to mean) are easily gleaned from context.  This book is well worth reading for the plot and characters.  It has one of the most brilliantly tied up endings I've read in quite some time.  If you're looking for a different kind of fantasy, one with excellent world building and a complex mystery, here's your book.

[* I got an email from the author explaining that he knew vivisectionist was wrong, but used it because it's a prettier word than the alternatives.  I can understand that.
** He also mentioned that caesura can mean a pause in work - ie, that the character is putting the books down for now and picking them up again later.  The definition I saw only mentioned that it is "a complete pause in a line of poetry or in a musical composition".  I'm willing to accept that there is more than one definition of the word and that I found the wrong one.
As I said, these were nitpicky points and no dictionaries are needed to understand or enjoy the story.  On the plus side, I learned 2 new words. :)  ]

Author Interview: Benedict Jacka

Novels: 
Fated
Cursed 
Taken

To Be A Ninja / Ninja: The Beginning
Ninja: The Battle

Website: benedictjacka.co.uk

> What is your Alex Verus series about? 

Fated, Cursed, and Takenare the first three books of an urban fantasy series set in London. Magic is real but most people don't know about it, and the rulers of the magical world are the Light and Dark mages, human beings who can use one particular type of magic like air or life or fire. The protagonist is Alex Verus, an ex-Dark mage who runs a magic shop in Camden. He's a diviner, able to see the future, which makes him very good with information but not so good at brute force, which is a problem given his habit of getting into difficulties with other mages, who usually have access to a very large amount of brute force which they're more than happy to use.   

> What drew you to writing about a diviner and is this an ability you'd like to have?

Basically it was a writing decision.  I'd written four previous novels in the Alex Verus setting, but the main characters in all of those books used elemental magic like air or ice.  A problem I kept running into was that I found it difficult to write interesting conflicts using elemental magic:  too much of it just came to force on force.  So at some point (I'm not sure how) I came up with the idea of a character who's magic couldn't affect the physical world at all, but could only provide information.  It kind of snowballed from there.  

I've never thought about whether I'd like to have the ability or not.  Different perspective I guess.  :)

> What made you want to be a writer?

I never particularly wanted to be a writer.  I just started doing it one day!  

> If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

But then who'd write the stories for them?

> What were your literary influences for the Alex Verus series?

Jim Butcher, Diane Duane, and Agatha Christie, along with lots of less literary influences like RPGs, movies, and video games.  

> What's the first novel (published or unpublished) that you wrote and how long did it take to write it?

A children's fantasy story set in Cornwall with a Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe feel.  Took about a year and ended up over 100,000 words long.  I haven't looked at it in the best part of a decade because I'm sure I'd find it cringe-inducingly terrible.  First novels always suck.  

> What was the hardest scene for you to write?

For which book – Fated, Cursed, or Taken?  Can't remember – writer's block-inducing scenes occupy me completely while I'm doing them but I forget about them afterwards.  I can tell you which scenes have been the hardest for the book I'm working on right now though (which is Alex Verus #4) – it's the ones set in Elsewhere.  They've been driving me crazy.

> When and where do you write?

On my bed, and irregularly.  

> What is something you didn’t know about the publishing industry before you had your first book published?

How slow it is!  Don't expect anything to be done quickly, ever.

> Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

The first thing to understand is that it's very unlikely that you'll ever make a living as an author (as in VERY VERY unlikely – we're talking 1000-to-1 odds against).  Do it because you love it, not because you're expecting to make your fortune.  

> Any tips against writers block?

It happens and there's not much you can do about it.  Either you just force yourself to write anyway, or you do something else until you figure out a way through the problem (in which case you'll need to work twice as fast later to pick up the slack).  

> How do you discipline yourself to write?

Having bills to pay is a pretty good motivator.  :)

> How many rejection letters did you get for your first novel or story?

Surprisingly few – I think only 4.  This was because I only sent it to 4 agencies.  By the time I started taking submissions seriously I'd finished writing my second book, so I was sending that out instead. That one got more like 40 rejections.

Book Review: Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines

Pros: fantastic premise, interesting protagonists, magic had rules and limits

Cons: conflicted 'romance', Isaac makes life hard for himself, Gutenburg is too powerful

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, able to pull objects out of books.  Due to a mistake two years ago, he's been taken off of active Porter duty and now works at a library, forbidden to use his magic.  That changes when three vampires attack him at work.  Only the arrival of a powerful dryad, Lena, saves him and together they must figure out why the vampires are attacking and what's happening to the Porters, several of whom have recently been killed or kidnapped.

The premise of magic that allows certain people to pull objects from books is fantastic.  I liked how the magic was described and that there were rules that dictated its use and real limits to what you could do with it.  I also liked the idea that some items were too dangerous to use, so their books are locked.

Both Isaac and Lena are interesting characters.  I liked that Lena wasn't tall and thin, as dryad's are generally portrayed, but that she was very powerful both physically and magically.  I thought her back story was tragic and her way of dealing with it refreshing (I can't change who/what I am so I'll just live with it).  

As for Isaac, it's complicated.  I liked the fact that he's not perfect.  He takes things too far at times, pushing himself and others farther than seems prudent, but accepting the consequences of his actions.  He's a sensitive guy, questioning whether a relationship with Lena would work or is even moral given her circumstances.  He discovers hidden abilities of magic and somehow survives quite a number of dangerous situations.  The complicated part is that, by taking things too far in every encounter, you start to wonder how he's still alive.  He narrowly escapes death several times in this book alone and are given to understand he acted similarly two years ago, prompting his removal from the active Porter duty.

Smudge the fire spider just rocks. 

Talking about the negatives of a book is difficult without giving spoilers so I've put more detailed responses below.  I found the potential romance between Lena and Isaac difficult.  I wanted to root for them becoming a couple, but Lena's backstory - and Isaac's reaction to it - made that hard.  I felt that Isaac dwelled too long on her backstory given the choices she makes in the book.  

I also felt that Gutenberg, when we finally meet him, is simply too powerful and not held accountable for any of the things Isaac discovers about him (in this book - I'm hoping some of the questions regarding his power and accountability are brought up in book 2).

As a reader who doesn't care much for urban fantasy, I found this book refreshing in some ways.  The focus wasn't on the romance (which was a bit of a catch 22 here), and the magic use was unique.  I've really found myself conflicted over this book, not quite sure where I stand on it.  What I liked about it I liked a lot.  What I didn't like about it really bothered me to the point that I can't stop thinking about the book and the choices the characters made.

*** Spoiler Alert ***

Let's talk about the 'romance'.  Lena's backstory is that she's a magical entity and part of her magical make-up is to become the perfect lover for whoever she's with.  Once he learns this, Isaac wonders if, by accepting her as a lover, he's denying her free will.  By the time he's solved this dilema to his satisfaction it's a moot point as her previous lover's reentered the story.

First, when her lover disappeared Lena made a choice.  She knows she'll become the perfect lover of whoever 'takes' her, so she DECIDES FOR HERSELF who she wants her next lover to be.  Note, part of her magic states that she must have a lover, so if she's to exert any power over her own fate she has to decide fast.  And she does.  She immediately chooses Isaac and seeks him out.  

When thinking about her situation Isaac never considers that she has made a choice.  The only thing he needs to decide is whether he can be part of a long term relationship.  He can deny her or accept her.  And it is an important decision as it will affect the rest of his life.  But anything else is him trying to mess with the one decision she's able to make in her circumstances.  His agonizing over whether he'd be taking advantage of her if he sleeps with her lessens the importance of the decision she has already made for herself.

While I liked the final conclusion of this love triangle, Isaac joined in rather quickly.  This didn't fit with his earlier waffling over the complex issue.  His obvious discomfort seeing Lena with Shah shows that he should have taken a few days to think things over before deciding.  Given how things ended here, I have trouble picturing a happy relationship between the three of them.

Going to another part of the book, when Isaac wakes up in the house of his Porter boss to the news that they're retiring him again because what he's doing is making things worse, his response is to quit.  Despite believing him a loose canon, his boss lets him go.  What?  Why?  He doesn't agree to not use magic (and indeed, uses quite a lot of it over the next day or so), nor does he agree to stop looking for the bad guy.  And yet they just let him walk out to continue the investigation they're afraid is making the vampires angrier and causing more problems.

Jumping to the end of the novel, I found Gutenberg way too powerful.  Yes, he had limitations, but look at what he was capable of; picking up a book and automatically pulling out what he needed without looking at the title or the page, siphoning magic from other objects (Smudge, his Automatons) in order to perform spells, etc.  He also seems to have no regards for the limits the other Libriomancers work under, for example putting magic items away asap (he gives Isaac a suit from a book, knowing he'll have to wear it for some time).  Even before Gutenberg woke up I was thinking that Isaac should probably drain his magic.  Someone who's willing to wipe minds and lock people in books and automatons on his own authority is a very dangerous person indeed.  And yet, somehow he's shown to be a decent person - stopping the war with the Vampires, etc.  As if his previous crimes don't matter.  And no mention is made of Isaac wanting to make him accountable in the future, if not for the things he's done in the past.  

Author Interview: James R. Tuck

Deacon Chalk Novels/E-Novellas:
That Thing at the Zoo (e-novella)
Blood and Bullets
Spider's Lullaby  (e-novella)
Blood and Silver

Stories:
Hired Gun (collection)
"He Stopped Loving Her Today" in One Buck Zombies
"Shop 'Til You Drop"
"Twas the Fright Before Christmas"

Website: jamesrtuck.com

> What can readers expect from your Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter novels?

Guns, monsters, heroes, action, thrills, chills, spills, sacrifice, a new look at a supernatural world, a different kind of hero, action AND adventure.

The Deacon Chalk books are a rollicking, thrill-ride of kickass. They are dark, and scary, and violent, and apparently funny too.

I would recommend my books for someone who is looking for something different in the urban fantasy genre. I wrote them from the idea of: "If these things existed, if monsters were real, then what kind of man would hunt them for a living?" The answer is a man like Deacon. He's damaged, dangerous, and deadly. He has a laundry list of issues inside himself from the loss of his family five years ago at the hands of a monster, his choice of lifestyle which drives him to do horrible things to keep humanity safe, and his personal desire to die and be with his family but his religious conviction that he cannot kill himself or he will be separated from them for eternity. He's a complicated hero.

> What did you chose to write dark urban fantasy?

I love the genre of urban fantasy so when I decided to write a book it was the genre I wanted to start with. I write dark urban fantasy because I was tired of reading books where everyone is safe and you know they will be safe at the end of the book. Most urban fantasies you read almost have a Happily Ever After, and they pull back from truly putting the characters in any danger. Not my books. In my books all bets are off and NO ONE is safe. It's a dangerous world in the Deaconverse. Here there be monsters and the monsters are vicious and cruel and powerful. My characters get hurt, things change drastically for them, people die. Don't become attached to anyone because they are soldiers in a deadly war and there will be casualties. I write these as if the events were real and give them the consequences that would happen in the world if they were.

> Why did you decide to epublish several novellas, both in and out of the Deaconverse?

The novellas are a great way to put story in the hands of the readers for a VERY affordable price. Plus the books happen about 6 months apart from each other on the timeline and the novellas really help to bridge that gap. Each one of them is a nice stand-alone story, you can read them in any order or alone and they are complete from beginning to end, however if you read from THAT THING AT THE ZOO (e-novella 1) then follow straight through to the end of book 3 next year then you will have one long story that will be like the first season of a really kick ass urban fantasy television show. And let me tell you, the character you meet in THAT THING AT THE ZOO is not the same man you find at the end of BLOOD AND MAGICK (novel 3 March 2013)

> What made you want to be a writer?

A really terrible urban fantasy that was supposed to be an awesome, dark, violent, gritty urban fantasy. I read it, put it down, and said out loud "I can write better crap than THAT." Then I looked into how to write a novel and found Lilith Saintcrow's writing advice blogs, read them all, and realized that I could write a novel. So I did. That became BLOOD AND BULLETS (novel 1).

> Who is you favourite character from the Deacon Chalk universe and why?  

I love them all. There is a lot of me in Deacon. He is closest to my voice and my viewpoints on the world. But I love the supporting cast. Charlotte the Were-spider is a scene stealer. She is a huge fan favorite. She is both terrific and creepy when she is in full-on spider lady mode. I like Tiff a LOT. You get to see her as she transforms from a fairly immature young woman into someone who not only knows who she is but also what she wants. And her being human means she interacts with the craziness of the Deaconverse much differently than Deacon or any of the other supernatural cast and crew. And what's not to love about Father Mulcahy? The foul-mouthed, chain smoking, coffee-swilling, whiskey drinking Catholic priest that is mentor and father figure to Deacon. I love writing him because I am not writing him as a joke. A lot of people add a priest into a book that is as dark and supernatural as this one and they either go for the funny or make him some sort of comment on the Catholic church. In my books he is a real character. He is a man with a dark, terrible past who is honestly working to atone for his sins and truly is a convicted religious man. His faith is grounded in the reality of the world he lives in, monsters and all. And in this new book you get to meet some NEW characters that I think readers are going to really enjoy.

> If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

NO. Absolutely not. All my characters have suffered great tragedy and loss. They have to give so much, sacrifice sometimes everything they hold dear because of the world I have put them in. I would not want to be them, not even for a moment. I will stick to my quiet life with my wife and children. :)

> What were your literary influences for BLOOD AND SILVER?

My early influences are Robert E. Howard who wrote the Conan stories, and Don Pendleton who wrote the Mack Bolan stories. You can see both of those in my writing. I am also pretty heavily influenced by Lilith Saintcrow. She writes nice, dark characters and NOBODY writes an action scene that reads so much like poetry like she does in her Jill Kismetseries. I love the Sonja Blue series by Nancy A. Collins and think she is one of the early pioneers in the genre of urban fantasy. Simon R. Green, Steve Niles, Richard Kadrey. I am a HUGE Laurell K. Hamilton fan. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files are on my must read list. I get every new one.

> Beyond the matter of length, do you find it easier writing short stories, novellas or novels?

I am a huge novella fan. I like the length of them and think they give you just enough room to hit your stride as a storyteller but are short enough to keep you on task. I like the way a novel gives you the ability to really flesh out your story and character, but a novella is a clean, sharp cut.

> What's the first novel (published or unpublished) that you wrote and how long did it take to write it?

BLOOD AND BULLETS was my first novel. It took me about 9 months to write and revise. I was writing by the seat of my pants for some dumb reason, just letting the story flow. Now I outline and I have really picked up my pace. I just wrote book 3 and e-novella 3 in about 2 months.

> What was the hardest scene for you to write?

There is a scene in the new book BLOOD AND SILVER that I wrote with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I certainly hope it affects the reader the same way.

> When and where do you write?

I am pretty mobile. I write on my laptop, the desktop at work, the desktop at home, just wherever I am and have time.  I also write at different times. Lots of late night writing sessions and a lot of writing between 2 and 7 pm at the tattoo shop I own. I just go in my station between customers and write.

> What's the neatest tattoo you've done for a customer?

The neatest tattoo...hmmmm. I've been a professional tattoo artist for over 16 years now and I have done a ton of really cool tattoos. I am blessed with a clientele that does let me do a lot of my original artwork on them. I've done big tattoos and small tattoos and a LOT of tattoos that I didn't care about at all. (Sometimes you are making art, sometimes you are paying the electric bill.) But my neatest? I think that would be a small star with the face of Andre the Giant in it. It's the Obey star by artist Shepard Fairey. About nine years ago a gorgeous woman came into the shop I was working at and wanted that tattooed on her arm. We talked during the process. It was small, took only 20 minutes, but she was charming and funny and intriguing. Plus, as I mentioned before, she was a knockout. One thing led to another and at the end of the tattoo I got her phone number. We've been married now for over 8 years. So that would be the neatest tattoo I ever did.

> What’s the best/worst thing about writing?

I love everything about writing. I really do. I enjoy writing the first draft, coming up with all the ideas. I even enjoy revision and copy editing. Most writers find copy editing to be tedious and nightmarish, but I truly look forward to it. I also love being a writer. Going to a convention and meeting a reader, talking to other authors, discussing publishing with industry professionals, meeting bloggers and reviewers, it's all a blast.

The worst thing is trying to remember character's eye colors. lol.

> What is something you didn’t know about the publishing industry before you had your first book published?

How LONG everything takes. Publishing moves really slow. Write a book and sell it and it might hit the shelves a year later. You have to be patient in this gig. Write your ass off and bring your long game.

> Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

Four words: HEAD DOWN, MAKE WORDS. You have to consistently write. If anything is more important then just go do that. You may find you need a certain time, a certain word count, a schedule, you may free form it...whatever works for you, but you cannot let more than a few days go by without writing. A lot of writing is just having the disciple or stubbornness to simply put your ass in a chair and type.

Oh, and go read Lilith Saintcrow's writing advice on her blog and pick up THANKS BUT THIS ISN'T FOR US by Jessica Page Morrell. It is HANDS DOWN the best book on writing I have ever read (and I have read a LOT). Lilith Saintcrow taught me I could write a book. Jessica Page Morrell taught me how to write it well. I do credit that book for my series selling. And remember kids, I sold the FIRST book I ever wrote to a major publisher in a 3 book deal without an agent. I credit that book as the reason why. I cannot overstate this. If you only buy one book on writing ever it should be that book.

> Any tips against writers block?

Realize it doesn't exist. Okay, it does exist. If you get in an accident or a barfight and break all the fingers on both hands THEN you can claim writers block. Other than that you have the ability to write. You may have STORY block, especially if you are a "seat of your pants" writer. If you are just letting your story come to you without an outline or a synopsis then you will probably suffer from story block. When that happens change your game. Get up, move around, motion creates emotion. Go for a walk WITHOUT headphones, go for a drive without the stereo on. Don't clutter up your head with distraction and lyrics and music. Make your body move in a way that your mind doesn't need to think and then it will disengage and feed on what you put there last which will be the story you are working on. It won't take long for your brain, that wonderful chemical super computer that God stuffed between your ears, to do some calculating and spit you out a new way to go in the story.

> How do you discipline yourself to write?

I sit down in front of a computer that is on, open up the document, make a few notes about what I want to accomplish in the next chapter, and then BANG! KAPOW! ZOOM! I am off and typing.

Oh, and turn off the internet. It is nothing but a waste of time. You do not need that devilspawn timesuck up and running seductively in the background with it's siren call of "it's been 2 minutes you should check your email or see what your friends are doing online".

> How many rejection letters did you get for your first novel or story?

I emailed about fifty queries to different literary agents seeking representation. I had some requests for partials but all of them came back with a rejection or no response at all. Even after my publisher made the offer I still got rejected by agents. Contract in hand I had no one say yes. So, I am proof that it can be done on your own if you work hard and try to be smart. Persevere. Keep writing. Keep submitting. You will get there. Chase your dreams and when you catch them you handcuff your self to them so they can't get away!