Not entirely sure why I've been so quiet on the LJ front recently, but I'm guessing it's because life's just been rather quiet of late. Good time at Fantasycon marred by a hotel room that was unfit for purpose (and the Royal Albion's attitude being one of "fuck you nerd, we don't need to offer good service to keep making money") and then a trip up to Dundee, which seems to have resulted in us buying a car, as you do….
But anyways: all subject to contract of course (but given my day job is negotiating contracts I'm pretty sure I can make sure it happens in spite of making a demanding pain of myself in the process) but I think I can now reveal that Gollancz have signed me up for a couple more books! Specifically, two new novels and a collection of Twilight Reign short stories, which is nice as I've had most those for a long time and never really known whether they would see the light of day in any significant format.
Now publishing plans are vague at the moment, but I believe it's intended for the short stories to come out not long after the finale of the Twilight Reign – currently scheduled for July 2012. They're not a vital part of the series, that's something I do want to make clear – the whole thing will be tied up and ended in Dusk Watchman and that will most likely be the last Twilight Reign novel I ever write, unless I can be persuaded on a story that doesn't feel inconsequential in comparison to the world-changing events of the main series. So the short stories are a bonus feature to the series, many of them focused on Emin's secret war with Azaer that started years before Stormcaller and following one such thread as it touches on various lives – a thread that's alluded to in several of the novels, but probably only made any sense to me at the time!
Onto the new novels and what you can expect there. Well the provisional titles are Moon's Artifice and Old Man's Ghosts – OMG (heh, not intentional that…) following on fairly soon after the events of MA and focused on the same set of characters. I'm thinking of them as fantasy action thrillers currently – my publisher might have a better way to describe them to the trade but that's my starting point. Not the same scale as the Twilight Reign, they'll be set in one city only – the capital of a vast empire that's creaking at the seams, as innovation and progress are stifled by a rigid and oppressive structure of castes and noble houses. The main character is part of the emperor's own police force and he stumbles across a conspiracy with far-reaching implications for the rest of the empire; kick starting a whole load of mayhem as everyone's dangerous secrets start to emerge into the light of day.
Provisional delivery date is Jan 2013 I believe, so not long after Dusk Watchman is published really. I'll be trying to make the books just a bit shorter, but me being me they're not going to be 50k word volumes with only subtle, hinted-at violence… But at the same time, I'm aiming for shorter than Stormcaller, which was 175k, rather than looking to match Dusk Watchman which, pre-edit, is 235k! We'll see how it all works out, but I'm certainly aiming for a shorter book that's a little less dark than the Twilight Reign.
So, in summary – Woohoo! I get to continue to buy food over the next year or two!
Congratulations! That is no mean feat in the current climate.
Thank you! Yes, it’s a bit of a scary environment for everyone at the moment and probably any future contracts will involve handing my soul to Amazon as they’ll be the only bookseller in the country. Still, not as if I’m trying to buy a house in this uncertain climate! oh, wait…
Congratulations! That is no mean feat in the current climate.
Thank you! Yes, it’s a bit of a scary environment for everyone at the moment and probably any future contracts will involve handing my soul to Amazon as they’ll be the only bookseller in the country. Still, not as if I’m trying to buy a house in this uncertain climate! oh, wait…
Congrats!
Congrats!
Glad to hear on both fronts!
The new series sounds like good stuff. I always liked the political stuff in Twilight Reign.
cheers – am hoping to strike a happy balance so there’s interesting plots but not off-puttingly complicated ones, as many readers of the Twilight Reign have found. Will of course still be writing the book that it demands it will be, but hopefully with a bit of direction to it! ;0)
Glad to hear on both fronts!
The new series sounds like good stuff. I always liked the political stuff in Twilight Reign.
cheers – am hoping to strike a happy balance so there’s interesting plots but not off-puttingly complicated ones, as many readers of the Twilight Reign have found. Will of course still be writing the book that it demands it will be, but hopefully with a bit of direction to it! ;0)
Congratulations! (Also selfish joy at having more books to read and review, hehe…) ‘Creaking empire falls over’ sounds fun, too – too few fantasy novels se policemen, dammit. :P Really looking forward to these, and congrats on getting another deal!
Well, so far we have a straightforward correlation between A) travelling to Dundee and B) car puchase. But let’s be scientific: pop up to Dundee again, and keep detailed track of EXACTLY how many cars you get. Then we can write a paper on it…
Cheers – fully supportive of anyone wanting to read more! and by supporting i of course mean pathetically grateful!
let’s hope the correlation isn’t so tight as that, I’m heading back up for Christmas then again for mid-Jan…
Well, bring your notebook. :P I think we need to find out…
Congratulations! (Also selfish joy at having more books to read and review, hehe…) ‘Creaking empire falls over’ sounds fun, too – too few fantasy novels se policemen, dammit. :P Really looking forward to these, and congrats on getting another deal!
Well, so far we have a straightforward correlation between A) travelling to Dundee and B) car puchase. But let’s be scientific: pop up to Dundee again, and keep detailed track of EXACTLY how many cars you get. Then we can write a paper on it…
Cheers – fully supportive of anyone wanting to read more! and by supporting i of course mean pathetically grateful!
let’s hope the correlation isn’t so tight as that, I’m heading back up for Christmas then again for mid-Jan…
Well, bring your notebook. :P I think we need to find out…
Congrats on the new book deal, Tom.
Thanks Jane! And drinks on me next time I see you I think, that’s the standard convention no?!
You’ll get to argument from me.
Or even *no* argument.
;0)
Congrats on the new book deal, Tom.
Thanks Jane! And drinks on me next time I see you I think, that’s the standard convention no?!
You’ll get to argument from me.
Or even *no* argument.
;0)
Congratulations!! I’m saving my pennies up, as I’m sure your work will demand a higher price commensurate with your growing fame.
Well it looks like Gollancz are putting their standard prices up so you could be right there!
Still saving my pennies…as I said…”I’m going to buy extra copies for my friends, and just wait till they go to boxsets….Woooo Hooooo !!!!! I really would like, if possible to get one of those proof copies….. Are you permitted to sell them privately?
No ONE is permitted to sell proofs privately, folk who do so on ebay are thieving as far as I’m concerned because neither the publisher nor myself get any money from the sales.
However, giving away proof copies in a competition before publication, I’ll certainly be doing!
Please keep me up to date on how and when. I would love own a collectors piece…..Thanks
No probs, I’ll be announcing it here and on facebook for certain!
Congratulations!! I’m saving my pennies up, as I’m sure your work will demand a higher price commensurate with your growing fame.
Well it looks like Gollancz are putting their standard prices up so you could be right there!
Still saving my pennies…as I said…”I’m going to buy extra copies for my friends, and just wait till they go to boxsets….Woooo Hooooo !!!!! I really would like, if possible to get one of those proof copies….. Are you permitted to sell them privately?
No ONE is permitted to sell proofs privately, folk who do so on ebay are thieving as far as I’m concerned because neither the publisher nor myself get any money from the sales.
However, giving away proof copies in a competition before publication, I’ll certainly be doing!
Please keep me up to date on how and when. I would love own a collectors piece…..Thanks
No probs, I’ll be announcing it here and on facebook for certain!