The Book Plank

Author interview with John Connors  Hi John, welcome over at The Book Plank and for taking your time to answer these few questions for us BP: First off, could you give us a short introduction as to who John Connor is? What are your hobbies, likes and dislikes? JC: Hey, how are you? I live in Liverpool, UK a stone ’ s throw from Penny Lane! I ’ ve got a full time job and apart from obviously writing I do quite a bit of gardening and I ’ m interested in politics and films. I also review things on my blog thiswayup ( www.thiswayup.blogspot.co.uk ) BP: Elemental is your debut into the fantasy fiction, when and where did you decide that you wanted to become an author? JC: Probably about ten years ago. I ’ d forgotten children ’ s books after I grew up but when the Harry Potter books started to become widely talked about I did an article about them and ended up reading them and then likewise with the Dark Materials books and it reconnected with my childhood some...

Media Alert: Tor UK has pre-empted World English Language rights for False Hearts by Laura Lam For immediate release 23/07/14 Julie Crisp, at Tor UK has pre-empted World English Language rights for False Hearts and an untitled novel by Laura Lam from Juliet Mushens at The Agency Group in a six figure deal. Julie Crisp, Editorial Director at Pan Macmillan said: ‘I was completely hooked from the first page by Laura’s writing. To me it was like reading Hunger Games meets Blade Runner meets The Shining Girls . Thrilling, addictive and completely page-turning. Laura’s an amazing storyteller and I’m thrilled to be working with her and Juliet on this exciting novel’ Raised in Mana’s Hearth, a retreat that’s closed off from the rest of society; denied access to technology or modern medicine, twin sisters Taema and Tila dream of a life beyond the walls of the compound. When their lives are threatened they finally manage escape to San Francisco and a life that’s b...

Author interview with William C. Dietz Author bio:    William C. Dietz grew up in the Seattle area, spent time with the Navy and Marine Corps as a corpsman, graduated from the University of Washington and worked as a surgical technician, college instructor, and news writer. Later he worked for US West in a number of different marketing communications and public relations related positions, before leaving to accept a job as Director of Public Relations and Marketing for international telephone company edge2net. Dietz has been a full-time writer since 2002. Among the works from Dietz is also the novel adaptation of the highly rated computer and video game Halo: the book was titled The Flood and released in 2003. Dietz and his wife Marjorie live near the city of Gig Harbor in Washington State.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi William, welcome over at The Book Plank and for taking your time to ...

Book Review: The Shadow Throne by Django Wexler, The Shadow Campaigns #2 The King of Vordan is dying, and his daughter, Raesinia, is destined to become the first Queen in centuries. But politics knows no loyalties, especially for Duke Orlanko, Minister of Information and spymaster of the empire. The most feared man in the Vordan will bow his knee to no Queen, unless she is firmly under his influence. Freshly returned from their recent victories in the colonies, Colonel Janus, Marcus and Winter must play a new and far deadlier game than the open warfare of the front, using all their talents, earthly or supernatural. Last year Django Wexler was one of the authors to lead the flintlock fantasy campaign together with Brian McClellan. In The Thousand Names , the first book in The Shadow Campaigns, Django Wexler showed that he was one of the debuting authors to watch out for. The Thousand Names had a lot of cool things working in its favor that brought you from the first pag...

THE HOUSE OF THE FOUR WINDS Book One of One Dozen Daughters Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory Tor Books 1 FAREWELL TO SWANSGAARDE THE EARLY-MORNING  sunlight shone through the French doors that led out to the balcony of Princess Clarice’s tower bedroom. From the balcony was the sweeping vista of the Borogny Mountains, spreading their pristine robes for admiration, their high peaks crowned in clouds and their slopes robed in snow year-round. They were the first thing Princess Clarice saw each morning as the sun rose over the Swanscrown. I shall miss this.  The thought came before Clarice quite realized she was awake. There was no point now in trying to convince herself she was asleep. Throwing back the covers, she shrugged into her wrapper, tucked her feet into her slippers, and padded over to the French doors. Taking a deep anticipatory breath, she flung them open and stepped out onto the balcony. As always, the dawn chill made her catch her breath, b...