Wednesday, March 23, 2016

You have questions? I'd like to know what they are.




My publisher, Del Rey, and I are creating bonus material in preparation for the Age of Myth release. One of the things we didn't have a chance to put together for the book itself is a Q & A section (which has been quite popular in my Orbit releases). Apparently people like learning about my writing experience, publishing, and also enjoy asking questions about my past or future works. We have a number of questions already, but thought it would be nice to open it up to readers and writers who might have their own inquires. So, here's your chance!

Just go to this link before March 31st and ask away. If you submit a question, then you'll get a copy of the finished ebook and you can even have your name added to the acknowledgements (if you wish). I'm game for anything so don't be afraid. After all, I'm a big believer in there is no such thing as a stupid question. Hopefully I won't give any stupid answers ;-)

Friday, March 18, 2016

Legends of the First Recording


Meant to post this earlier, but it's been a busy week...


We met in a tiny Italian restaurant in the East Village. Robin and I had walked down  from our hotel near Central Park. We maneuvered by the trendy dog walkers, through the mobs of midtown, past the student- and art-laden NYU campus, down into the Village to this quiet unassuming little place at the end of a nondescript block. There, in a dimly lit booth was Tim Reynolds waving us over. 

For those of you who don’t know Tim, you should. He is the voice of Riyria having narrated all the Riyria books and nominated for several Audie Awards—one of those for his work with Royce and Hadrian. The success of the audio versions of my novels is a testament to Tim’s talent and skill as both a narrator and actor. 

This last Sunday evening, I met with him the night before he was slated to begin recording my new series: Legends of the First Empire. He had already read the first book Age of Myth, and I wanted to make certain he didn’t have any questions about the characters, but I also just wanted to take him out to dinner to say thank you. 

We chatted about many things and Robin and I gave him some necessary spoilers. So right now, Tim knows more about the new series than anyone on the planet besides my wife. As lovely as it was, we couldn’t stay out late. Tim as it turns out, is a very busy man, and narrators need their rest. 

The next morning we met him at the studio where Tim’s wife, Abby, was set to direct his session. 



Robin and I sat in the back listening and monitoring. According to Abby, we were also directors, so I’m going to hangon to that title. 



As Tim read, we followed along and stopped him when he mis-pronounced a word. This strikes me as utterly ridiculous given the words are made up. At one point Tim read the phrase Gula-Rhune. He said “Gulla-Rhune” instead of “Ghoula-Rhune” and I stopped him. I explained how I wanted him to change the pronunciation, and he actually looked at me through the booth glass and said, “Oh, of course.” As if he’d made an actual mistake, as if I hadn’t both, made up the word, and its pronunciation. Things like this mess with my mind. 

People speak of Royce and Hadrian as if they are real people, going so far as to argue with me that, “Hadrian would never do such or such a thing.” I find it interesting how people adopt characters as real people, although perhaps I shouldn’t. Characters in books have just as much evidence of existence as people who we learn about second hand. 

The character profiles I sent Tim were—at least in one case—misleading and I found myself uncomfortable with his interpretation of one character. After a whole scene I had to mention it, and Tim was wonderful about it. He understood the problem and went back and did the whole scene over again. I hate imposing like that, but the voice and the dialog didn’t fit for me. The rework was so much better. That alone was worth the train ticket to New York.

The remaining crucial characters, Tim nailed on his first try. Like Riyria, there are certain beloved characters (beloved I discovered during the taping is three syllables: be-love-ed, rather than two: be-loved) that need to be perfect, and I am confident now that they are. It’s amazing what Tim can do with the most subtle change in his voice. 

Abby is amazing as well. She verbally slaps Tim around for mistakes while complimenting and reassuring him at the same time. She does all this smiling and slipping from an Irish to Scottish accent—neither of which are hers—and singing the opening guitar riff from the 1963 Surfaris hit single Wipeout, and handling the engineering audio board with fluid ease while eating cereal from a bag. 


The two are a great team. 

I did my Author’s Note on Tuesday morning. 


Abby was very patient with all my mistakes. I am getting better. I went through four pages and it was still morning when I finished! And everyone insisted afterward that I did not sound like a chipmunk caught in the a wood chipper. So that’s—you know—good. The bad side is that those of you who listen to the audio version of Age of Myth, will be forced to hear me talk at you again. My apologies for that and I should remind you about skipping to the next chapter.

We had to leave to catch our train Tuesday afternoon, but by then Tim was rolling along and didn’t need our meddling. 

Having heard the first five-and-a-half chapters, I can say you’re in for an audio treat this summer. My only regret is that they didn’t save the outtakes. One in particular  amused me. Tim had trouble reading a passage, not because he stumbled, or lost track, but because he started laughing. 

“What’s wrong?” Abby asked. 

“Nothing,” Tim replied. “It’s just—I know what’s coming next.”

He tried again, and laughed again. 

“Sorry,” he said. “I just find this part so funny.”

Since it was supposed to be funny, I couldn’t help smiling. Making your narrator unable to read your work because you made him laugh is only beaten by making it impossible to read because they have tears in their eyes. Maybe I did that too, but we couldn’t stick around for that part of the book. 

Thanks Tim and Abby, until next time. 

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Blowing into the Windy City - my C2E2 Schedule



It's a busy travel week for Robin and I. We JUST got back from New York (where we were sitting in on the recording for the audiobook of Age of Myth and tomorrow we set off for Chicago for the C2E2. Del Rey books is going to be giving away around 600 Advanced Reading Copies over the three day event, so please stop by the booth to pick up a copy.  Also, I'll be on a number of panels and will of course sign any book put before my face -- even those by other authors ;-)

So what's my C2E2 Schedule?

 Day 
Time
Type
Details
Fri 
 2:30 - 3:30 PM
  Signing DelRey Booth #417 - Age of Myth ARC 
Sat 
 11:00 AM - Noon 
  Signing DelRey Booth #417 - Age of Myth ARC
 Sat 
 1:45 - 2:45 PM
   Panel What's New from Del Rey Books S402
 Sat 
3:00 - 4:00 PM
   Panel Deleted Scenes S405A
 Sat 
4:15 - 5:15 PM
   Signing Autogaphing Table #21 S405A
 Sun
11:00 AM - Noon
  Signing   DelRey Booth #417 - Age of Myth ARC

Here's some further details on the panels:

  • WHAT'S NEW FROM DELREY: Join Michael J. Sullivan (author, Age of Myth), Claudia Gray (author, Star Wars: Bloodline), Tricia Narwani (Editorial Director, Del Rey) and Elizabeth Schaefer (Senior Editor, Del Rey) as they discuss upcoming novels and answer questions about writing and publishing.
  • DELETED SCENES: The process of writing a book may seem like magic, but it involves a lot of hard work behind the scenes. Join a panel of SFF authors as they share some of their favorite deleted scenes from their works, and discuss why they decided to edit their work in such a way. Participants: Bishop O’Connell, Mark Tompkins, Bradley Beaulieu, Michael J. Sullivan, Steve Bein, Rachel Dunne
We wil be arriving on Friday and leaving on Monday so if anyone wants to get together, even if you don't have tickets to C2E2, drop me a line and we'll see what we can do.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

The Rise of Tim Gerard Reynolds

In six days, I'll be one of the happiest people in the world, because I'll be sitting in a recording studio in New York, listening to Tim Gerard Reynolds bring the characters of my new series, The Legends of the First Empire to life. Being the first to hear the narration makes me a very fortunate person and one of the best perks about this whole "being an author" thing.

Tim's career has really taken off in recent years, I'd like to think I had something to do with it, but the reality is Tim did it all on his own by providing some amazing narration of some wonderful properties.  And the listeners agree.  On audible.com's Top 100 Best-selling Epic Fantasy list he currently has 8 titles...and that includes spots #1 and #2!! But Tim has also made his mark in Science Fiction and has 4 titles on the Top 100 Best-selling Contemporary Science Fiction list including two in the top 10.


Here's a little bit about the books on those best-selling lists.  Just look at those ratings and reviews!

Genre
Rank
Book
Author
Series
Book #
Length
 Rating 
Reviews
 Fantasy 
1
Son of the Black Sword
Larry Correia
Forgotten Warrior
1
16 hrs and 26 mins
4.6
2,646
Fantasy
2
Theft of Swords
Michael J. Sullivan
Riyria Revelations
1 & 2
22 hrs and 37 mins
4.5
8,738
Fantasy
4
Dawn of Wonder
Jonathan Renshaw
The Wakening
1
29 hrs and 51 mins
4.7
331
Fantasy
16
Arawn Omnibus
Edward W. Robertson
Cycle of Arawn
1 - 3
66 hrs and 1 min
4.3
3,497
Fantasy
20
FREE: The Jester 
Michael J. Sullivan
Riyria Chronicles
2.1
54 mins
4.0
4,053
Fantasy
22
The Red Sea
Edward W. Robertson
Cycle of Galand
1
16 hrs and 55 mins
4.7
619
Fantasy 
23
Professional Integrity
Michael J. Sullivan
Riyria Chronicles
2.2
1 hr 18 mins
4.5
2,192
Fantasy
58
The Death of Dulgath
Michael J. Sullivan
Riyria Chronicles
3
13 hrs and 57 mins
4.6
1,185
 Fantasy 
68
Heir of Novron 
Michael J. Sullivan
Riyria Revelations
5 & 6
31 hrs and 49 mins
4.7
6,544
 Fantasy 
72
Rise of Empire
Michael J. Sullivan
Riyria Revelations
3 & 4
26 hrs and 30 mins
4.6
6,635
Sci-Fi
4
Morning Star
Pierce Brown
Red Rising
3
21 hrs and 50 mins
4.8
3,651
Sci-Fi
6
Red Rising
Pierce Brown
Red Rising
1
16 hrs and 12 mins
4.6
9,153
Sci-Fi
11
Golden Son
Pierce Brown
Red Rising
2
19 hrs and 2 mins
4.7
6,812
Sci-Fi
91
Shift
Hugh Howey
Silo Series
2
18 hrs and 22 mins
4.3
2,556

And those are just a few of Tim's body of work. Consider some of his other notable speculative fiction titles:

  • The Crown Tower (Riyria Chronicles #1) by Michael J. Sullivan
  • Dust (Silo Saga #3) by Hugh Howey
  • The Rose and the Thorn (Riyria Chronicles #2) by Michael J. Sullivan
  • Age of Myth (Legends of the First Empire #1) by Michael J. Sullivan
  • The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles 1.5) by Michael J. Sullivan
  • Barbarians at the Gates (The Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire #1) by Christopher G. Nuttall
  • The Liar's Key (Red Queen's War #2) by Mark Lawrence
  • The Shadow of Cincinnatus (The Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire #2 by Christopher G. Nuttall
  • Prince of Fools (Red Queen's War #1) by Mark Lawrence
  • Dawn (Legend of the Galactic Heroes #1) by Yoshiki Tanaka
  • Against All Things (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant #3) by Stephen R. Donaldson
  • The Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore
  • The Secret (A Broken Empire Tale) by Mark Lawrence
  • Ice Forged (Ascendant Kingdoms Saga #1) by Gail Z. Martin
  • Otherworld Nights by Kelley Armstrong
  • A Song for No Man's Land by Andy Remic
  • War of Shadows by Gail Z. Martin
  • The Hurricane by Hugh Howey
  • The Infernals by John Connolly
  • Domnall and the Borrowed Child by Sylvia Spruck Wigley
  • Forces from Beyond (Ghostfinders #6) by Simon R. Green
  • Spirits from Beyond (Ghostfinders #4) by Simon R. Green
  • The Creeps by John Connolly
  • Enki (Lord of Earth #1) by V.R.R. Richards
  • Hell Ship by Phillip Palmer
  • Patchwork by David Tallerman
  • A Taste of Agony by Tim Marquitz
As you can see, Tim has been a pretty busy guy. In fact, he recently told me that his success has made it so that he can do narration full-time. Something that is VERY good for all of us ;-)

So, if you are looking for a good listen, please consider checking out one of these Tim Gerard Reynold's titles. I'm sure you'll find something you'll enjoy. I know I always do!

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Readers Helping Authors: Unfettered Auction to benefit Grim Oak Shield

As some of you may know, Shawn Speakman recently dug himself out of a huge (more than $200,000) medical debt that he amassed during his second fight with cancer.  It was due to an incredible anthology called Unfettered that a bunch of authors (including yours truly) donated stories to.

Well, Shawn Speakman is paying it forward by starting Grim Oak Shield, a non-profit foundation similar to Stephen King's Haven Foundation. It works a safety net for authors who find themselves in dire straights due to high medical bills.

500 copies of a truly special edition were created and signed by all the contributing authors. They holdout almost immediately, but Shawn kept a few back so he could auction them off from time to time to benefit Grim Oak Shield.  The first action is running now. And if you want to get your hands on one of these amazing books, you can bid on it here. But you better hurry - there are only 5 days left! Can't afford to beat the bid price?  No problem, consider buying an ebook copy of Unfettered. It's only $7.99 and all proceeds from it go to Grim Oak Shield as well, so you'll be helping authors with medical debt even if you can't get your hands on the special limited edition copy.

As for the book itself, let me tell you a bit about it. There are twenty-three tales in this incredible collection (and a few bonus stories in the limited edition copy). Ss the title suggests, the writers were free to contribute whatever they wished. Here is the table of contents:
  • Foreword by Patrick Rothfuss
  • Introduction: On Becoming Unfettered
  • Imaginary Friends by Terry Brooks
  • How Old Holly Came To Be by Patrick Rothfuss
  • The Old Scale Game by Tad Williams
  • Game of Chance by Carrie Vaughn
  • The Martyr of the Roses by Jacqueline Carey
  • Mudboy by Peter V. Brett
  • The Sound of Broken Absolutes by Peter Orullian
  • The Coach with Big Teeth by R.A. Salvatore
  • Keeper of Memory by Todd Lockwood
  • Heaven in a Wild Flower by Blake Charlton
  • Dogs by Daniel Abraham
  • The Chapel Perilous by Kevin Hearne
  • Select Mode by Mark Lawrence
  • All the Girls Love Michael Stein by David Anthony Durham
  • Strange Rain by Jennifer Bosworth
  • Nocturne by Robert V.S. Redick
  • Unbowed by Eldon Thompson
  • In Favour with Their Stars by Naomi Novik
  • River of Souls by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
  • The Jester by Michael J. Sullivan
  • The Duel by Lev Grossman
  • Walker and the Shade of Allanon by Terry Brooks
  • The Unfettered Knight by Shawn Speakman


As for the piece I contributed, it is indeed a Royce and Hadrian short story and I'm very proud of  how it came out. Here is the introduction to it:
The characters of Royce and Hadrian came to me during my self-imposed ten-year hiatus from writing. After crafting twelve novels and spending a decade getting nowhere, I had determined that publication was hopeless, and I had vowed never to write creatively again. But they kept invading my mind, and as hard as I tried to silence them, I finally gave in, on one condition: that I would write a book that I wanted to read and forgo any thoughts of publication. What a fun time I had bringing these two rogues to life. My wife decided to circumvent my plans and got the books published, and hence Riyria was born.

The six books of The Riyria Revelations were released by Orbit in three two-book omnibus volumes, and while I thought that would be the end of Royce and Hadrian, readers clamored for more. Because I didn’t want to “tack on” to a carefully choreographed ending, The Riyria Chronicles were born to explore adventures that occurred during the twelve years the pair were together before Revelations began.
The short story I’ve provided is a Chronicles tale. It takes place after the events of The Rose and the Thorn and before those of Theft of Swords. Even so, it’s a stand-alone story and no prior experience with any of my books is required to enjoy it to its fullest.

Crafting a work for Unfettered was quite a daunting experience. I wanted to help Shawn and his cause, but how could I not be intimidated by the esteem of the authors I’d be sharing the pages with? Like Riyria, I hope that I rose to the challenge, and that you’ll be entertained by “The Jester,” a story of adventure, bonds of friendship, and a recognition that the choices we make dictates the future we find.



If you're a fan of Riyria, or any of the amazing authors I encourage you to go get an ebook copy. If you have some money in your pocket and want to get a truly special book, then by all means place a bid.  You'll get a great read and Shawn's charity will get some additional cash to do good works with. Seems like a win-win for all involved!

Friday, March 4, 2016

Theft of Swords Audiobook just $5.95 for 3 days!


Audible has put a few hundred of their best-selling, top-rated books on sale including 35 Sci-fi and fantasy titles. I'm pleased that the sale includes Theft of Swords.

The sale is available to current Audible customers and all books in the sale are just $5.95.  Plus, since Theft of Swords is actually an omnibus edition containing two full-length novels (The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha),  that's and even better deal. In total you'll get more than 22 hours of listening bliss.

I say listening bliss because the books are expertly narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds.  And if you've not heard Tim, you're in for a real treat. He's become "the voice" of Riyria and not only does he do the voice for the eight Riyria novels, but he also has recorded three short stories, two of which are available for free on Audible right now.  So if you're not sure if you'd like Theft of Swords  checkout The Jester or Professional Integrity. They are both under one hour and absolutely free. Just click on the covers below to get your own copy.



If you are looking for even more savings, here's a complete list of the titles in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Category. I listed them based on number of reviews and you can see their ratings and regular prices. I hope you find something that's a perfect fit for you.

Book
Series
#
Author
Narrator
Length
Rating
Reviews
Reg Price
Theft of Swords
Riyria Revelations
1 & 2
Michael J. Sullivan
Tim Gerard Reynolds
22 hrs and 37 mins
4.5
8,698
$41.99
Lock In
N/A
N/A
John Scalzi
Wil Wheaton
10 hrs 0 mins
4.3
5,240
$19.95
Spider's Bite
Elemental Assassin
1
Jennifer Estep
Lauren Fortgang
11 hrs and 59 mins
3.9
3,339
$24.95
Ark Royal
Ark Royal
1
Christopher G. Nuttall
Ralph Lister
13 hrs and 55 mins
3.9
3,067
$24.95
Rendezvous with Rama
N/A
N/A
Arthur C. Clarke
Peter Ganim , Robert J. Sawyer
9 hrs and 4 mins
4.2
3,011
$24.29
On Basilisk Station
Honor Harrington
1
David Weber
Allyson Johnson
15 hrs and 40 mins
4.1
3,007
$24.95
Into the Storm
Destroyermen
1
Taylor Anderson
William Dufris
16 hrs and 16 mins
4.1
2,840
$29.99
Son of the Black Sword
Saga of the Forgotten Warrior
1
Larry Correia
Tim Gerard Reynolds
16 hrs and 26 mins
4.6
2,574
$29.95
The Second Ship
The Rho Agenda
1
Richard Phillips
MacLeod Andrews
11 hrs and 39 mins
4.1
2,512
$13.99
Death World
Undying Mercenaries
5
B. V. Larson
Mark Boyett
12 hrs and 58 mins
4.6
2,172
$24.95
Jumper
Jumper
1
Steven Gould
MacLeod Andrews
10 hrs and 49 mins
4.2
1,697
$24.95
A Canticle for Leibowitz
N/A
N/A
Walter M. Miller
Tom Weiner
10 hrs and 59 mins
3.9
1,604
$23.07
Rise of the Werewolf
Lycan Fallout
1
Mark Tufo
Sean Runnette
11 hrs and 23 mins
4.4
1,566
$24.95
Wormhole
The Rho Agenda
3
Richard Phillips
MacLeod Andrews
13 hrs and 11 mins
4.4
1,516
$13.99
The Dragon's Path
Dagger and Coin
1
Daniel Abraham
Pete Bradbury
17 hrs and 22 mins
3.9
1,468
34.99
Three
Legends of the Duskwalker
1
Jay Posey
Luke Daniels
13 hrs and 1 min
4.2
1,436
$13.99
The End of All Things
Old Man's War
6
John Scalzi
Multiple
11 hrs and 24 mins
4.2
1,268
$24.95
A Wizard of Earthsea
The Earthsea Cycle
1
Ursula K. Le Guin
Rob Inglis
7 hrs and 16 mins
4.0
1,198
$25.87
Necronomicon
N/A
N/A
H. P. Lovecraft
Multiple
21 hrs and 1 min
4.3
1,176
$45.47
Gatefather
The Mithermages
3
Orson Scott Card
Emily Rankin , Stefan Rudnicki
11 hrs and 26 mins
4.0
1,165
$24.47
Circle of Reign
The Dying Lands Chronicle
1
Jacob Cooper
Michael Kramer
20 hrs and 13 mins
4.3
1,129
$29.95
Mark of the Demon
Kara Gillian
1
Diana Rowland
Liv Anderson
12 hrs and 26 mins
4.1
1,126
$21.95
Bloodfire
Blood Destiny
1
Helen Harper
Saskia Maarleveld
9 hrs and 6 mins
4.1
1,123
$27.99
Nexus
Nexus(Naam),
1
Ramez Naam
Luke Daniels
13 hrs and 12 mins
4.1
1,102
$13.99
Under a Graveyard Sky
Black Tide Rising
1
John Ringo
Tristan Morris
13 hrs and 49 mins
4.3
990
$24.95
War Crimes
World of Warcraft
Unk
Christie Golden
Scott Brick
13 hrs and 31 mins
4.5
947
$22.67
Dead Spots
Scarlett Bernard
1
Melissa F. Olson
Amy McFadden
9 hrs 0 min
4.1
903
$13.99
Aurora
N/A
N/A
Kim Stanley Robinson
Ali Ahn
16 hrs and 55 mins
3.9
876
$28.33
Destroyermen
Straits of Hell
10
Taylor Anderson
William Dufris
17 hrs and 34 mins
4.5
688
$27.99
The Last American Vampire
N/A
N/A
Seth Grahame-Smith
MacLeod Andrews
14 hrs and 17 mins
4.4
663
$24.50
Have Space Suit - Will Travel
N/A
N/A
Robert A. Heinlein
Mark Turetsky
8 hrs and 53 mins
4.0
634
$20.97
The Fifth Season
The Broken Earth
1
N. K. Jemisin
Robin Miles
15 hrs and 31 mins
4.2
529
$23.60
The Mechanical
The Alchemy Wars
1
Ian Tregillis
Chris Kayser
15 hrs and 45 mins
4.2
431
$24.55
The Grace of Kings
The Dandelion Dynasty
1
Ken Liu
Michael Kramer
21 hrs and 37 mins
4.0
241
$28.34
Cast in Honor
The Chronicles of Elantra
11
Michelle Sagara
Khristine Hvam
16 hrs and 43 mins
4.4
241
$33.07