Next update postponed to October 24!
I’ve got my schedule for New York Comic Con!
Before I get to my NYCC appearances, however, let’s talk a little about what’s been going on since my last update. Children of Fire has now been out for several weeks in both North America and the UK. Early sales numbers are promising, but as I’ve mentioned before, I’m trying to keep my expectations realistic – it’s going to take time to build up to an audience the size of Star Wars or Mass Effect.
One comment I’ve heard from many people on my Twitter feed or on Goodreads or through various other social media sites is that they aren’t sure about jumping into a series before the author has finished it. I understand this – if you like the book, you want to read the next one right away; it’s tough waiting. And in the fantasy genre, there are instances of authors taking several years between books, or stretching a 3 or 5 book series out seemingly indefinitely.
But I promise that isn’t the case here. I’ve planned out the Chaos Born trilogy carefully – it’s going to be three books, not four or more. And I’ve already finished writing the second novel in the series – The Scorched Earth – and submitted it to my editors. In fact, I just recently got back from celebrating that milestone in Vegas. (Yes, I finished up for the trip – thanks for asking!)
So I understand the impulse to wait, but if you’re on the fence I urge you to take the plunge. Children of Fire is a deep, layered novel that I think gets better on subsequent reads, so I think you’ll find there’s a lot of value in reading it now and then, if you want, re-reading it when the second novel comes out next year.
I’ll admit, Children of Fire is a more challenging read than my other books. Things that seem simple and straightforward are revealed to be more complex and involved than they first appear. The multiple points of view can be a bit jarring for some readers at first, but once you’ve wrapped your head around the characters I think it’s easier to appreciate the ways the stories overlap and interconnect. You can obviously enjoy Children of Fire with a single read, but for many fans I think they’ll enjoy it even more if they read it a second time.
If you haven’t picked up Children of Fire yet, you’ll get another chance to get your hands on signed copies at New York Comic Con, October 10-13. I’m going to be speaking on a panel with several other authors and doing some book signings at the show. There’s even rumors that we’ll have some special giveaways of Children of Fire copies for select fans… be sure to follow my Twitter feed to stay on top of that!
Here’s my schedule for NYCC so far:
Friday, October 11
11:00 am-12:00 noon
PANEL: The Wheel of Time Turns… and Epic Fantasy remains epic!
Room 1A17
Panel: Brian Stavely, Drew Karpyshyn, Elizabeth Bear, Maryelizabeth Hart, Michael J. Sullivan, Peter Brett, Scott Lynch
Description: Stamp down the hobbit weed in that Churchwarden pipe. Throw out your invitation to Robb Stark’s red wedding (although we hear that it’s a killer affair). Join authors Elizabeth Bear (The Eternal Sky trilogy), Drew Karpyshyn (Children of Fire), Scott Lynch (The Republic of Thieves), Brian Stavely (The Emperor’s Blades) and Michael J. Sullivan (Riyria Chronicles), along with moderator Maryelizabeth Hart (Mysterious Galaxy), for an absolutely epic panel on high fantasy. In order to complete your quest to conquer this realm, you must learn what sets epic fantasy apart from other works of literary swords and sorcery. But beware of the Dark One, for lies are his dominion!
Friday, October 11
12:15-1:15pm
SIGNING
Autographing Area, Table 21 *with other panelists on Epic Fantasy panel
Saturday, October 12—New York
12:00-1:00pm
SIGNING
Del Rey/Random House booth #2205
There’s also a chance I’ll also be appearing at various Random House or maybe even BioWare meet and greets or functions over the weekend. I’ll be sure to keep everyone up to date on my Twitter feed with new appearances, as well as details on how to get free signed copies of my book. And, as with all my signings, there is no charge and I will happily sign any Star Wars, Mass Effect and BioWare stuff as well!
Hope to see you all in New York in a couple weeks!