First time I saw this I just grinned and grinned. I love that tag line. What’s really cool, though, is this photo was sent to me by my former assistant at Stackpole Books, Ryan Masteller, who now lives in England with his lovely wife, Julie.

My folks have continued to foray out to let bookstores know about the upcoming books, and I continue to be incredibly appreciative of everything they’ve done. In the last few days they’ve visited a couple of local libraries and a couple stores. I also found a great photo from their travels and thought I’d put it up. I can’t make out what exactly mom was going for with this, but I suppose it does represent their being on the road…

Many thanks to Nick at University of Western Ontario Books + in London; Louise at the Thamesford Library; Kathryn Suffoletta at the Middlesex Country Library in Dorchester; Manager Jackie Noels at Coles/Smiths Books in St. Thomas

Sorry for the low tech presentation, but I just wanted to let everyone know that A Darkness Forged in Fire will be available this coming Tuesday, May 26. I’ve already heard it’s appeared in some stores. You can’t miss it, it looks like a brick (but don’t try building anything above seven stories with it). As I mentioned in the subject line, it contains chapter one of The Light of Burning Shadows. I’ll have that excerpt up on my website in the not too distant future, but for now I shot a photo of the cover page for it…which I guess qualifies as a teaser for the teaser.

I woke up yesterday to a very nice surprise, and no, it wasn’t the Terminator boot. A panel of 21 booksellers (clearly some very fine and wonderful people) at Waterstones, the big UK book chain, read and then vote on books every month with the purpose of choosing a few to promote. I really am thrilled to say they voted A Darkness Forged in Fire their Booksellers Choice for the month of July in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category. The edition they’ll be promoting is the A Format version of Darkness as seen a few posts below in my blog.

Thank you, Waterstones!

Me before seeing the orthopedic surgeon:

Me after seeing the orthopedic surgeon:

The good news is I won’t have to be put down. My days of running the Preakness, however, are over. Nope, it’s out to stud for me…

The really crazy thing is I potentially have stress fractures in both legs, but as the left one is worse that gets the boot, although I can switch over to the right if it starts to hurt more. I’m actually relieved that they’re getting to the bottom of what’s going on. I love running and don’t want to lose it. Next up are some NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) MRI scans and no running at all. The doctor was very adamant about that and I know why. My brain is already craving the endorphins from going out on a run and the need is trying to overwhelm my logic.

The part that’s a little freaky, though, is that Private Alwyn Renwar lost his left leg in book one. I wonder if my subconscious was channeling that?

And I have some really spectacular news I want to share with everyone, but I’ll save that for tomorrow and just wallow in my pain and misery tonight 🙂

Friend, historian, and fellow author CC Finlay’s second volume in his Traitor to the Crown series goes on sale today. I was planning to show a cover image, but I can’t figure out how to load the .pdf I have. In the meantime, you can find it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Traitor-Crown-Revolution-C-Finlay/dp/0345503910/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242738865&sr=1-3

This is brilliantly realized history shot through with deft touches of magic giving a new luster to the American Revolution and the creation of a more perfect union where not only are you guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but also the odd spell.