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Naomi Chats With Her Fans Tomorrow!
Now that Naomi is home from her tour and the San Diego Comic Con, she gets to finally relax, right?
Wrong!
While she may be home, she is still extremely busy promoting her new book, Tongues of Serpents, and will be conducting a chat via B&N's Facebook page tomorrow beginning at 6:30pm EDT!
Do you have a question you've simply been dying to ask Naomi? Or want to tell her how much her work means to you? Here is your chance! Visit the B&N Facebook page MEET NAMOI NOVIK, let them know you are attending, prepare your questions, carve out some time tomorrow beginning at 6:30pm EDT, and that's it! It's that simple. Hope to see some of you there!
July 27, 2010
From the Road: Day 6 Drabble!
In Seattle, Tristan totally got her drabble prompt to the head of the line by bringing me awesome Temeraire loot — it is super-cool and I cannot wait to show it off, but my iphone photos are inadequate, so you are going to have to wait until I get home for pictures. :D *is a tease*
Her prompt was "Tharkay and name":
His father called him George, determinedly; his mother made no demur, but she did not need to: the weight of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents were ranged with her, and all their society. At the age of five, Tenzing thought the other only a pet name, and English a private language for two; he was conscious of the greatest indignation when the British envoy visited and with his loud voice intruded.
She died, two years later, and his world was altered; but the change ensured her victory: he could not resist being taken away, but he refused to answer to George.
Sniffle. :(
Day two of Comic-Con was, uh, mostly spent by the pool watching other people stand in very very long lines (bad fan). Sadly, I have acquired a brilliantly red nose despite carefully staying under an umbrella ALL DAY, which does not seem fair, so I now have a cheap and ugly pink San Diego baseball cap on. :P There were also fun interviews with Annalee Newitz of io9.com (in awesome Jaenelle Monae cosplay) and Adam Rogers of wired.com, and the day ended in a lovely dinner with (lj user=whitearrow) and awesome writers Gillian Horvath, Melinda Snodgrass, and Nancy Holder. \o/
July 26, 2010
From the Road: Day 5 Drabble!
I unashamedly played hooky from posting in Seattle to hang out with friends and eat Molly Moon's ice cream (Cherry Chunk, omnomnom) and yesterday to wander the floor at San Diego Comic-Con on the (well, comparatively) uncrowded Thursday. I am kind of scared of venturing there again. D:
Had a fun panel yesterday with a slew of other sf writers about Twisting Genres, in which China Mieville uttered heresies against the UNQUESTIONED AWESOMENESS of Reeses Peanut Butter cups, and Scott Westerfeld and artist Keith Thompson totally cheated by showing off the enormously spiffy steampunk art from Leviathan. We then all tromped over to sign books and subsequently migrated over to the most excellent Random House party over at Jolt'n Joes, where I got to see Yishan Li, my awesome artist on the Liberty Vocational manga coming out next summer — which, er, is now no longer Liberty Vocational but whose new name is TOP SECRET (read: we haven't decided on it yet), and also met up again with Karen Healey and Ali Wilgus from the Fandom-Trained Writers panel at Infinitus, among many other fab people. :D
And now, next drabble! I am sorry to say I forgot to get the prompter's name for this one from Portland, so wave if you are the one who suggested, heee, "Temeraire vs the zombie cows":
It was a hideous waste, all of it; Temeraire could hardlykeep his countenance when he first understood that the cows had not only to be killed but also all burnt up, and not eaten, although the smell which rose from the carcasses shortly reconciled him to the necessity of this measure.
It did not greatly shore up his equanimity to find that he was not even to be of much use in this dreadful operation, and the Longwings and Iskierka to take the lead, but the divine wind had a distressing tendency to cause the diseased cattle to explode.
Tune in tomorrow for the Seattle drabble and (if my phone cooperatees) pictures of awesome Temeraire loot. And if you're at Comic-Con, I'll be doing one more signing at the Del Rey booth on Saturday at 4pm!
July 25, 2010
From the Road: Day 4 Drabble!
Sorry for the delay on this one, have been wrestling with hotel internet. Hope to see some of you at the Portland signing tonight at the Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, and at University Bookstore in Seattle tomorrow! :D
From Jen in Boston, the prompt "Jane Roland and prohibition":
"No, thank you," Jane said firmly. "It don't make any sense to me either, and I would like a glass of port after my dinner as much as anyone else, but that isn't my business; keeping the law is. And if I did incline to let you fellows off for the liquor-smuggling, bribe or no, I wouldn't for the low sneaking murderous way you go about it, anyway. Now put down those guns on top of the barrels, and come over here and put yourselves into the jail-box; unless you care to stay down there while Excidium sees to the lot."
More soon from Portland and Seattle! Stay tuned!
July 20, 2010
From the Road: Day 3 Drabble!
From Veronica via Kathryn at Infinitus in Orlando came the prompt "in the forties" with no elaboration, so here you get a fusion crossover, with credit to Charles for the line. You'll know which line when you read it. ;)
Laurence paced in controlled impatience while the diggers worked under the sinking sun; he would have gladly taken a shovel himself if it were not inappropriate to the dignity of an officer.
Metal rang on stone. "Sir, I believe we've found the seal," Riley called.
Crowbars heaved up the enormous weight of the capping stone, a gush of fetid air escaping the chamber below. A torch was flung down, illuminating the shining curve of eggshell, and around it the tangled and mummified mass of an enormous scaled body.
"Dragons," Laurence said in dismay. "Why did it have to be dragons?"
Infinitus was heaps of fun! Hope to see a bunch of you tonight at Pandemonium in Boston! :D
July 17, 2010
From the Road: Day 2 Drabble!
From Emily at the Borders at Bailey's Crossroads event near Washington DC comes the prompt "Maximus and virgins" (this prompt may be more understandable if you know that I am reading my Team Unicorn short story from the upcoming anthology Zombies vs Unicorns while on tour).
This one's an AU. :D
"First of all, I don't want to eat any of you lot," Maximus said, "and if I did, I don't see how that would make any difference to the taste."
He felt rather injured at the suggestion; he had only meant to snatch the horse and had not seen the fellow on its back at all until the armor had squeaked unpleasantly under his teeth. "And now I think of it," he added, with indignation, "I suppose they wouldn't like to be et anymore than you would, so I don't see what you are about, offering: I call it cowardly."
I will be in Boston, Saturday, July 17th at Pandemonium Books. Stop on by and say hi!
July 16, 2010
From the Road: Day 1 Drabble!
Quick update for anyone who'd like to see me in Orlando — I'll be doing signings open to the public in the vendor room at the con on Friday at 10:30-11am and approximately 1:30-2:30pm (second signing will start whenever the lunch panel lets out). I'll also be doing a reading at 10am, but due to con security they can't have that room open to the public, so you'll have to be a member of the con to attend.
To celebrate the launch of Tongues of Serpents, I'm taking drabble prompts on my tour and will be posting a new one every day. For anyone who doesn't know, a drabble is a short-short of exactly 100 words, which produces a fun little niblet of a story. :D I've already done a few of these from twitter prompts which will be showing up soon on Amazon and BN.com, and one already posted on suvudu.com for the prompt "Iskierka and poetry".
The first tour drabble prompt comes from Brandon at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble event in NYC:
"Perscitia and Parliament"
"Well, if the building cannot be enlarged — which does not seem to me so difficult as you would have it; we would be perfectly willing to help, and it is not as though I were as large as Requiescat — then you may knock a few windows together, and I will sit outside them," Perscitia said, feeling this suggestion at least must be irreproachable.
It transpired that the other members did not agree, but when Requiescat began to take an interest and interjected, "I don't see why I shouldn't be able to get inside, either," they grew more reasonable.
I'm waiting for the plane to Orlando for Infinitus right now — another drabble coming tomorrow from my DC event! Thanks to all of you who have come out, it is really amazing to meet you all. :D
July 15, 2010
Happy ToS Release Day!
Today is the day!
Tongues of Serpents, Book Six in the Temeraire series, has been published in the United States and is available in bookstores!
Want to know how Capt. Will Laurence and Temeraire fare in the wilds of Australia? Tongues of Serpents is the answer to that question!
Naomi also begins her US tour today, which culminates in her appearance at the San Diego Comic Con. Here is a listing of her tour again:
Tuesday, July 13 - NEW YORK, NY
Time: 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble
97 Warren St. (at Greenwich St.)
New York, NY 10007
Wednesday, July 14 - WASHINGTON, DC
Time: 7:30pm
Borders Books & Music
5871 Crossroads Center Way
Baileys Crossroads, VA 22041
Saturday, July 17 - BOSTON, MA
Time: 7:00pm
Pandemonium Books
4 Pleasant St.
Cambridge, MA 02139
Tuesday, July 20 - PORTLAND, OR
Time: 7:00 pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
Wednesday, July 21 - SEATTLE, WA
Time: 7:00 pm
University Bookstore
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
Friday, July 23 & Saturday, July 24 - SAN DIEGO, CA
Comic-Con International
Naomi hopes to see some of you out on the road! If you can't see her on tour but want a signed or personalized copy of Tongues of Serpents for cover price, contact any of the bookstores listed above or order a copy from The Signed Page!
Again, Tongues of Serpents is published and in fine US bookstores right now! Enjoy!
July 13, 2010
A Contest of Draconic Proportions!
Naomi is super excited about this contest! To celebrate the launch of Tongues of Serpents tomorrow, she has teamed up with the awesome Subterranean Press to run a fanart contest where she will write stories to go with the winning entries—and it all goes into a super-spiffy limited edition chapbook to support the OTW! Here is the official announcement:
Contest
Submit your art inspired by Naomi Novik's New York Times Best-Selling Temeraire series for a chance to be published in a limited-edition chapbook from Subterranean Press. The author will choose her five favorite works and ten runners-up and write a short original piece of fiction to go with each.
The Temeraire series is a six-volume (so far!) historical fantasy series that reimagines the Napoleonic Wars fought with the aid of dragons. Captain William Laurence and his dragon Temeraire fight to protect England, and in the course of their adventures travel the world, discover the wide variety of human and dragon societies, and confront danger of every description. The newest book in the series, Tongues of Serpents, is out on July 13.
Contest Rules
1. Your artwork may feature any scene, character, or characters from any of the six Temeraire books, in any medium you choose. Alternate universe settings, chibi, and parody entries are welcome, or anything else you come up with. Feel free to let your imagination run wild!
2. Entries may be in color or in black-and-white, but note that, if selected, color entries may be reproduced in black-and-white in the chapbook.
3. To enter, send an image of your artwork to the contest email address: temerairefanart@gmail.com. Please include your name, phone number, and email address.
4. The deadline for submitting artwork is August 31, 2010.
5. You may enter as many times as you like.
6. Contest entries will be judged by Naomi, Del Rey editor-in-chief Betsy Mitchell, and Del Rey art director David Stevenson.
7. Kids are welcome to participate with permission of their parent/guardian, just be aware Naomi will be writing the chapbook at the same maturity level as the books.
8. The contest is open to artists worldwide! (and btw please feel free to translate and repost the announcement anywhere you like)
9. Collaborations are welcome! Just include both your names/emails when submitting.
The creators of the fifteen pieces of art selected by the author will see their work published, each with a piece of original fiction by Naomi Novik inspired by the illustration (short stories for the five winners, drabble-length for the runners-up), and will all receive a free copy of the chapbook.
Naomi's proceeds from the chapbook will go to support the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), a nonprofit run by and for fans which works to protect the rights of fan creators and access to fan creations.
Thanks to all prospective participants and good luck!
Naomi is figuring she will probably write about a 5000-word story for the top winner, 1000-word stories for the four other finalists, and drabblish things for the ten runners-up, so the chapbook will be about 10,000 words of fic. And yes, you can totally do Laurence and Temeraire in space, or fighting demons, or something else out-there. She is up for the challenge!
July 12, 2010
A Whole Lot of Reviews!
Tongues of Serpents, Book Six in the Temeraire series, is one quick week away from hitting bookstores. You know what that means, right? Lots of reviews are coming out!
Here are what some book reviewers are saying about Tongues of Serpents:BOOKLIST
The sixth installment of Novik's fantastic series introduces Temeraire and former captain Laurence to New South Wales. Laurence, technically a transported prisoner, is escorting three eggs to form a covert in the colony there. The eggs are destined for such second-rate officers willing to make the long trip to the remote colony, including Captain Rankin, whose cruelty killed his former dragon. On arrival, the ship is met by former governor William Bligh, deposed through mutiny by the New South Wales Corps. Bligh wants the dragons to reinstate him in his post; the mutineers are determined to retain the upper hand. Discipline is lax and quarrels are the order of the day, including those between Temeraire and Iskerria, a snobbish beast. To escape all this, Laurence and Temeraire take a mission to find a way through the Blue Mountains and explore the interior of the continent. But one of the dragon eggs is stolen, and the exploration turns into a desperate rescue mission. Temeraire fans have waited two years for this book but should find themselves richly rewarded. The characters are as riveting as ever, the setting is new but convincing, and the plot, with its first-class balancing of Laurence's and Temeraire's internal and external struggles, shows Novik's continued excellence as a novelist. — Frieda Murray
KIRKUS
Novik delivers the sixth book in her alternate-history fantasy series, this time bringing its dragon-centered story to early-1800s Australia.
The Temeraire series, which began with His Majesty's Dragon (2006), is set during the era of the Napoleonic Wars, and armies use sentient, flying, fire-breathing dragons for aerial warfare. In this latest installment, Captain Will Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, have been sent away to a new locale—a British penal colony in Australia , where Laurence meets with such real-life local historical figures as Governor William Bligh. The story revolves mainly around a quest to find a stolen dragon egg, which sends Laurence, Temeraire and their human and dragon comrades traveling across the Australian continent—finally leading to a violent battle involving flying dragons, sea serpents and British naval vessels. The plot advances at a rather leisurely pace, but Novik keeps things engaging by spending much of the book expounding on the care, feeding and behavior of dragons, and readers who appreciate such world-building detail will enjoy these sections greatly.
An effective chapter in the popular series, featuring well-developed dragon characters that are often more entertaining than their human counterparts.
LIBRARY JOURNAL
Stripped of his rank, and privileges, Will Laurence and his similarly exiled dragon, Temeraire, sail to their new home, the prison colony of Botany Bay on the distant continent of Australia. Once there, Laurence and Temeraire suffer the hardships of exile and encounter the colony's former governor, the notorious Captain Bligh, as well as the current ruler and the many disgruntled officers who covet this position. The latest addition to Novik's popular series set in an alternate Napoleonic era takes its heroes to a brave and harsh new world in which men—and dragons—are pushed to their limits but never broken. VERDICT: Strong writing, engaging characters, and unforgettable dragons make this a sure bet for fans of period literature such as Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey novels, and of course, lovers of fantasies featuring dragons.
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
Thanks to her semi-alternate history series set in Napoleonic times and featuring the dual protagonists William Laurence and the dragon Temeraire, Naomi Novik is now one of those authors asked to praise newcomers—and justifiably so. She's developed into an assured writer, and Tongues of Serpents (Del Rey, $25, 274 pages) might just be the best of the six novels.
It's set in Australia, and there are fewer battles and bloodshed than in most of the books, and less inexplicable loyalty on the part of the occasionally stiff-necked Laurence, a British officer all the way from his feet toeing the line to his stiffening upper lip. Novik is also adding layers to her world, which originally was just the turn of the 19th century with dragons. Now, though, history has shifted, and the fantasy elements are becoming more prominent.
There was a point, halfway through the series or so, when I thought I was pretty much done with Laurence and Temeraire, but after Tongues of Serpents, I'm more excited about Novik's series than I ever have been. — Clay Kallam
More reviews to come, I have no doubt! Stay tuned!
July 6, 2010
Download Naomi's Free App!
Technology keeps getting cooler for writers!
Got an iPhone? iTouch? iPad? Del Rey Books and Naomi have partnered to create an author app for her writing endeavors!
Fans can download it (for free) through iTunes HERE!
De Rey loaded it with information on Naomi's books, links back to her various sites and social network pages, and with her tour information. As time goes on, the app will be updated with additional information when it becomes available.
So if you want to add an app, here is the one for you!
July 2, 2010
Forthcoming Online Chat w/ Naomi!
In support of the forthcoming Tongues of Serpents release, Naomi will be conducting an online chat with Barnes & Noble on July 28th!
Since so many of her fans do not have the chance to meet her while on tour, this is the next best thing. Definitely mark your calendars! When we know a specific time and a specific format for chat, we'll post that news here immediately. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, think up some great questions to ask Naomi!
June 22, 2010
UK Cover - The Tongues of Serpents!
Here is the cover artwork for The Tongues of Serpents (note the additional "The" in the title). It will be published in the UK on September 2nd, 2010.
If you would like to take a gander at a larger image of it, head on over to Naomi's new Facebook page or click HERE!
And no, before anyone asks, there won't be a tiny image of a Curious George-looking red monkey on the final published cover. It's the first scan we have and we simply can't wait for an unmarked cover to show it off!
June 15, 2010
Another Book Giveaway!
Thanks to everyone who suggested a friend for the His Majesty's Dragon Send-To-A-Friend giveaway offer! The number of responses were overwhelming, but copies will arrive soon for the first 500 folks whose friends suggested them!
Were not able to participate in the Send-To-A-Friend giveaway? Never fear! Naomi and Del Rey Books have made His Majesty's Dragon available as a free downloadable ebook—on the Kindle, Nook, iPad (with the Kindle app), Sony Reader, and PDF! Haven't read His Majesty's Dragon? Here is your chance! Know of someone who hasn't but might be interested? Here is their chance! Visit the Free Library on Suvudu for details!
June 5, 2010
Forthcoming Tour!
Suvudu has posted the forthcoming Tongues of Serpents tour that will see Naomi hit the road to visit her fans!
Here are the dates, cities, and details:
Tuesday, July 13 - NEW YORK, NY
Time: 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble
97 Warren St. (at Greenwich St.)
New York, NY 10007
Wednesday, July 14 - WASHINGTON, DC
Time: 7:30pm
Borders Books & Music
5871 Crossroads Center Way
Baileys Crossroads, VA 22041
Saturday, July 17 - BOSTON, MA
Time: 7:00pm
Pandemonium Books
4 Pleasant St.
Cambridge, MA 02139
Tuesday, July 20 - PORTLAND, OR
Time: 7:00 pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
Wednesday, July 21 - SEATTLE, WA
Time: 7:00 pm
University Bookstore
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
Friday, July 23 & Saturday, July 24 - SAN DIEGO, CA
Comic-Con International
Naomi hopes to see some of you out on the road! If you can't see her on tour but want a signed or personalized copy of Tongues of Serpents for cover price, contact any of the bookstores listed above or order a copy from The Signed Page!
May 24, 2010
Tongues of Serpents Preview
Tongues of Serpents, the sixth volume in the Temeraire series, will be released on July 13, 2010. Read the preview here!
January 4, 2010
In His Majesty's Service Omnibus Released
In His Majesty's Service, a beautiful hardcover omnibus of the first three volumes in the Temeraire series, is available in the US. Look for it in your local bookstore, and read the preview here!
November 27, 2009
Suvudu chat
Naomi and Scott Westerfeld recently did a live chat on Suvudu.com, talking with readers about their respective works. Read the transcript!
November 16, 2009
Victory of Eagles Preview
Victory of Eagles, the fifth volume in the Temeraire series, will be released July 8 throughout the US. Look for it in your local bookstore, and read the preview here!
June 10, 2008
Empire of Ivory on the NY Times Bestseller list
Empire of Ivory, the fourth volume in the Temeraire series, has made the New York Times bestseller list! \o/
September 30, 2007
Empire of Ivory Release Date
Empire of Ivory, the fourth volume in the Temeraire series, will be released September 25 throughout the US. Look for it in your local bookstore!
September 21, 2007
Campbell Award
Naomi has won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer at Worldcon 2007 in Yokohama, Japan.
September 1, 2007
Japanese excerpt available
Villagebooks, the Japanese publisher of the Temeraire series, has made available the first chapter of their upcoming translation of His Majesty's Dragon. (PDF file, 422K)
July 18, 2007
Compton Crook and Locus Awards
His Majesty's Dragon (UK Temeraire) has won the Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel, and the Locus Awards for Best First Novel.
July 17, 2007
Award Nominations for Temeraire
His Majesty's Dragon (UK Temeraire) has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel, as well as the Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel, and the Locus Awards for Best First Novel. Naomi has also been nominated for the Campbell Award for Best New Writer.
March 29, 2007
Temeraire Wiki
The fan-created Temeraire Wiki, a Wikipedia-style guide to the world of the books, has been added to the website.
January 9, 2007
AICN interview
An interview with Quint about the Temeraire movie deal has been published on Ain't It Cool News.
January 8, 2007
NY Times article
Julie Bosman of the NY Times has written an article on the Temeraire books and the movie deal, "A New Writer Is Soaring On the Wings of a Dragon." (TimesSelect subscription required to read.)
October 11, 2006
Temeraire Movie Deal
The Temeraire series has been optioned by none other than Peter Jackson, the director of The Lord of the Rings. "As I was reading these books, I could see them coming to life in my mind's eye," Jackson said. "These are beautifully written novels, not only fresh, original and fast-paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart." Full story at the Hollywood Reporter.
September 12, 2006
New Short Story
Feast or Famine, a Temeraire-universe short story set between His Majesty's Dragon and Throne of Jade, has been added to the website.
June 6, 2006
Black Powder War Release Date
Black Powder War has been released throughout the US. Look for it in your local bookstore!
May 30, 2006
More foreign sales
Foreign rights have now been sold in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Russia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Poland. UK cover art and pub dates are available on the writing page; information on other editions will be coming soon.
April 26, 2006
Throne of Jade Release Date
Throne of Jade has been released throughout the US. Look for it in your local bookstore!
April 25, 2006
Artwork gallery
A new gallery of artwork has been added to the galleries section, with cover art and interior art from all the editions.
April 21, 2006
Entertainment Weekly review
His Majesty's Dragon is the Editor's Choice in this week's Entertainment Weekly, with a grade of A, just in time for the release date. See more reviews for the books.
March 24, 2006
His Majesty's Dragon Release Date
His Majesty's Dragon will be released on March 28, 2006, throughout the US. Look for it in your local bookstore!
March 19, 2006
New Website
The new and improved official website is up at long last! See the credits page for interesting technical details.
March 19, 2006
SFBC Omnibus
The Science Fiction Book Club is doing a special hardcover omnibus edition of the first three Temeraire books.
March 1, 2006