Hey Pyr-ites!

I'm so proud to share that i09, one of the premier SFF sites, has selected my new epic fantasy, Blood and Iron, as one of their can't miss books for March!

Special thanks to Lou Anders and the good people at Pyr Books and Prometheus Books for all their hard work and faith.

--Jon

Can't wait for Game of Thrones?

I know it's only January, but everyone can't wait until April 6 because...well that's when Season 4 of Game of Thrones finally starts! The recently-released trailer shows plenty of awesome scenes and brings up a lot of questions, but it mostly just leaves us eager for the show to start.  If you've already burned through Seasons 1-3 and books 1-5 of A Song of Fire and Ice and still need some more Stark blood, then you might need to look into therapy.

But if you've gone through all the above and really just need to get your hands on a good epic story with all the action, blood and sensuality that George R. R. Martin offers without waiting until you're gray to do so, then listen up!

March is much closer on the horizon than April, and on March 4th Mark Smylie's epic debut finally hits shelves.  The Barrow brings you everything Martin's stories promise and more in a tightly written tome of excellence.  And you won't lose track of who's been killed yet.

When a small crew of scoundrels, would-be heroes and deviants discover a map leading to a fabled sword of a long-dead wizard, they think they've struck it rich. But their hopes are dashed when the cursed map is destroyed in a magical ritual, leaving them dreaming of what might have been. That is, until the map reappears in a most unusual and unexpected place.

Led by Stjepan Black-Heart, suspected murderer and renegade royal cartographer, they form a cross-section of the Middle Kingdoms of the Known World on a quest that will either get them all in the history books, or get them all killed.

Visit the Sword & Barrow website to learn more about the world and characters, then preorder your copy today. You'll thank me later.

Barnes & Noble - IndieBound - Amazon - Books-A-Million

Authors call out their favorite reads of 2013

The new year is a great time to look ahead, but also the perfect time to think back on all the awesome things you accomplished throughout the past year.  Finally took that dream vacation? Check! Watched all three seasons of Game of Thones in one week? Check! Read more books than you purchased? Well...made a bigger dent in your "to be read pile" at least?

And from that pile there are always one or two books that stick out above the rest.  We asked a couple of our authors to tell us their favorite book (or books) that they read in 2013. Here's what they had to say:

Mike Resnick, author of The Doctor and the Dinosaurs, the newest Wild West Tale.

It's a close call, but I think my favorite novel (read, not published) in 2013 was Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, followed by Big Fish by Daniel Wallace, and The Dirty Parts of the Bible by Sam Torode.

Ari Marmell, author of Lost Covenant and In Thunder Forged.

I haven't read as much this year as I'd have liked, and I'm having trouble remembering what I read early in the year. But so far as my rickety memory allows... My actual favorite book is one that an author friend of mine wrote, that hasn't yet been picked up. But beyond that, I think I have to go with Chuck Wendig's Blackbirds. It's a bit darker/uglier than my usual urban fantasy fare, but it's absolutely gripping, extremely well written, and has a great combination of humor, horror, mystery, and drama.




Tim Lebbon, author of The Toxic City trilogy: London Eye, Reaper's Legacy, and Contagion.

Stonemouth by Iain Banks was the best book I read in 2013.  I'm a long-time fan of Banks, both in his with-M and without-M guise, but this one just blew me away.  The story of a man returning to his hometown after several years in exile, it's filled with the sort of sharp characterisation, cutting wit, and deep emotion that raises Banks's writing way above most of the competition.  The humour is always well placed and unforced, and it's often the soul and heart of any Banks book.  He always manages to find meaning in the ridiculous, and nonsense in the sublime.  In short, his writing is always very real.

Several weeks after I finished Stonemouth, I read about Iain Banks's terminal illness.  Not so many weeks after that, he died.  I felt almost as bereft as if I'd lost a close friend, such is the impression his work has had on my life, and the influence it had on my own writing.  I've been reading him since I was a teen and now, in my mid-forties, I know that I'll treasure his books forever.  Stonemouth is as good as anything he's ever written, and although I'll always associate that book with the sadness of his death, it remains one of my favourite novels.

Mandy Hager, author of The Crossing and Into the Wilderness, the first two books in her Blood of the Lamb trilogy.

My top book for the year is Mal Peet’s Exposure. This retelling of the story of Othello, set in the world of celebrity South American football, gives a brilliant insight into the cut-throat celebrity world, with a nod to racism, poverty and corruption. Peet uses shifting point of view to bring together a diverse cast of characters, including street kids, a sports reporter, corrupt public officials and elite sportsmen (and their hangers-on) – and somehow manages to bring all their stories together in a way that feels natural and totally believable, while staying true to the original themes and plotline of Othello. By presenting such a diverse range of characters, the contrasts between those with power and those without, and also the good and bad in human beings, is powerfully made. The language is beautiful, the emotional resonance strong and perfectly depicted. I love the underlying politics – the little jabs at topics popped in through the text. In awe.

Tom Lloyd, author of The God Tattoo and the novels of the Twilight Reign.

My best read of the year was Osama by Lavie Tidhar. I know what you’re thinking, a weird literary/SF novel (sort of) about one of the more hated men in recent history, that’s a hard sell. It could have been one of the more awful self-published novels of the year instead, but it’s masterfully done. The prose is beautiful – it reminded me of Paul Auster’s works with plot in the place of narcissism, while the subject matter is sensitively and intelligently handled – there’s no agenda being pushed, just questions being posed. It’s different, it’s interesting, it’s enjoyable – go read it.

Steampunk Jurassic Park? Sign me up!

Christmas is only a week away, and that means everyone except that oh-so-perfect neighbor of yours is frantically shopping for last minute gifts. So what about those people on your list who always have you stumped? Well, everyone loves to be entertained and everyone loves to relax, so how about you give them something awesomely entertaining to waste the hours away?

Enter the fantastic Mike Resnick and his just-released book The Doctor and the Dinosaurs: A Weird West Tale. There's just something awesome about the good ol' Wild West. Who wouldn't want to start a gunfight in a dusty bar over a bad game of cards?  And no one will argue that dinosaurs are cool, what with their colossal stature and a bite force of up to 12,800 lbs. Yikes. This book is the perfect blend of Western and steampunk with Doc Holliday (yes, THE Doc Holliday) taking the lead in a very unusual adventure.

The Doctor and the Dinosaurs is the perfect last minute gift for almost anyone on your list.  Take a break from gorging on Christmas cookies to run down to your local bookstore for a copy. No time to shop?  Does that special person have an ereader? Online retailers let you buy and send the book as a gift with just a couple clicks! You can even have it sent on December 25 so the "no peeking" rule is guaranteed.

Now go finish those lists before it's too late.  And by "too late" I mean trying to drive and sign that card you just bought at the same time before running inside and yelling "Merry Christmas everybody!" I wouldn't suggest it.

Giveaway alert!

WHO LIKES FREE STUFF??

Ahem, now that I've got your attention, I wanted to let you know about an awesome offer in this month's Pyr-a-zine! Our monthly enewsletter has all sorts of info on new releases, exclusive interviews with our favorite authors, and behind-the-scenes looks at different titles we're excited about.  This month we're giving away a copy of Tom Lloyd's newest book The God Tattoo: Untold Tales From the Twilight Reign.

If you love fantasies but just can't find the time (especially around the holidays) to commit to a series, this one is for you.  This awesome collection of short stories takes place in the same world as Lloyd's Twilight Reign series, so if you're familiar with any of those then you're going to want to take a look at this new release.

Head to our Pyr-a-zine archive to sign up for the enewsletter and enter for a chance to win a copy of The God Tattoo. Only subscribers are eligible for this contest, but as long as you sign up before next Friday (Black Friday!) you're in the clear.  If this book doesn't sound like your cup of tea (pfft...it's a book, silly, not a beverage) you should still sign up. Who knows what kind of cool stuff we'll be offering next month...?

See Catching Fire. Then read these.

If you’re one of the millions of people who read The Hunger Games series, chances are you’ve thought about heading to the theaters this weekend.  Tonight is the official release of the second movie, Catching Fire, guaranteed to be one of the biggest movies of 2013.

The Hunger Games books are fun, we can’t argue that, but what comes next? What if you don’t like seeing your favorite reads blown up and on fire on the big screen?  What if you've read the books and are hungry (pun totally intended) for more dystopias?

We’ve got a couple awesome, high energy, fast paced series for all you Hunger Game fans who are just dying to get your hands on another book.  If you like action and destruction, then you need to check out Tim Lebbon’s Toxic City trilogy.  In London Eye, the first book in the series, London has been cut off from the rest of the world after a devastating terrorist attack. The government claims it’s now a toxic wasteland, but Jack and his friends know otherwise.   Determined to prove themselves and find their missing families, they risk their lives to sneak inside the city.  They find survivors alright, but they may no longer be human.  They're changing, developing strange powers - evolving. One thing's for sure, if the secrets aren't revealed to the outside world, every one inside may die.

The pulse-pounding conclusion, Contagion, just came out last week.  Check out a sample chapter from London Eye and see what you’re missing!




How about something a little different? Something, a little darker? In Mandy Hager's Blood of the Lamb series, the world has been destroyed by the deadly Tribulation. On the small island of Onewēre in the Pacific, Maryam lives for the day she'll enter adulthood and move to the Holy City.  But once inside, life is not as she had dreamed, and she is quickly faced with the unthinkable: obey the Apostles and very likely die, or turn her back on every belief she once held dear.

Click here to read a sample chapter from the first book, The Crossing, and look for Into the Wilderness in stores this January!

It's that time of year...

Ah, November.  Our bellies haven’t yet recovered from the sugar-rush of Halloween and we’re shoved headfirst past Thanksgiving into the holiday season.  While the stores are busy cramming bright lights and “seasons greetings” down our throats, a little voice in our head starts to speak up.  What’s that, you say? Haven’t started shopping, you say? Ah yes, it’s time to panic.

 

Before you start to hyperventilate, take a second to think about the people on your shopping lists. Got any friends and family that like to relax with a good book? Do they like a little wit with their adventure? A little snark with their…um…swords? That last one doesn't really work, but what does work is Ari Marmell’s perfect blend of dark humor, high action, and impeccable world-building.  Lost Covenant, the latest Widdershins Adventure, comes out December 3…with just enough time to wrap before the last nights of Hanukkah!  And of course, whoever invented stockings was clearly thinking about books.

Marmell’s writing style is top-notch, guaranteed to have you laughing, crying, and holding on to the edge of your seat right through the end.  His main character Widdershins is a thief on the run, traveling only with the god living in her head.  A family traitor, mad alchemist, and infatuated young nobleman make unraveling the twisted plot surrounding her distant family anything but easy.

Any teen that just can’t handle more high school drama and angst and (totally) needs something more mature will love this one. Adults wanting an epic story in something short enough to actually be able to carry (no doorstops here) are sure to gobble this up. 

Gobble? See, I didn't forget about Thanksgiving after all.

Lost Covenant is available in print and ebook December 3. Avoid the rush and preorder your copies online today!

September's Pyr-a-zine

Hot off the press!

Ok...so technically this is a couple weeks late (and our newsletter doesn't require an actual printing press), but we're still excited about this month's Pyr-a-zine. Joel Shepherd brings back his high-tech human Cassandra Kresnov in 23 Years on Fire, the first in a new series, and we've got an exclusive Q&A with him about his favorite kick-ass heroine.  You don't have to be familiar with Cassandra to enjoy this sci-fi thriller, check out this sample chapter to see how you can jump in now and enjoy the ride!

Didn't know we had a newsletter? Sign up today to enjoy behind-the-scenes looks at our hottest titles and exclusive chats with some of our favorite authors. Check out the Pyr-a-zine archive to catch up on the latest issues, from Mark Hodder's steampunk awesomeness to Brenda Cooper's generation ships, and everything in between.

Dragon Con: Whirlwind Edition

This year, Pyr’s DragonCon experience was a bit different than usual. We did not have a booth, but plan to return as an exhibitor next year. And while our editorial director Lou Anders went to Lone Star Con in San Antonio, I--intrepid Pyr editorial assistant Rene Sears--went to Atlanta to host the annual all-Pyr panel in Lou’s place.

 

First slide of the slideshow

I drove up Friday morning and breezed through the on-site registration process with the help of the efficient DragonCon volunteer staff. On the way to the room the panel was in I ran into Clay and Susan Griffith. By the time the panel started, we were joined by Mike Resnick, E.C. Myers, copyeditor extraordinaire Gabrielle Harbowy, and Joel Shepherd, who, for the first time joined us from Australia. The panel was a look at some of the books we have out now and a glimpse at what's upcoming, including some spectacular cover art. The authors talked about their books, and Gabrielle and I got to talk about the books whose authors weren't able to be there. Mike Resnick had high praise for Lou both as an editor and for the work he does as art director for Pyr. The audience asked some great questions, discussion ranging from YA to the nature of humanity. Thank you to everyone who came.

E.C. Myers, Susan and Clay Griffith, Joel Shepherd,
Mike Resnick, Gabrielle Harbowy, and me

After the panel, the Pyr family made our annual pilgrimage to Max Lager's for dinner, and then dispersed for more panels and a look at the costumes of DragonCon. There's an amazing energy to DragonCon--all those people in downtown Atlanta because they love genre. The costumes are amazing, both those that reproduce a character in meticulous detail and those that riff on a character, playfully blending two (or more!) things to make an awesome third.   

Poor Robb Stark.

Although I had to leave Saturday morning, I tried to take a weekend's worth of pictures. More costumes below, and thanks again to our wonderful authors, and everyone who attended the panel. See you next year!

El Diablo Robotico

Evil Disney Queens

Epic!

For the Honor of Greyskull!

Me and Jean Grey

Cat Gabrielle and the Evil Unicorn

Rap Star Wars

Disco Star Wars

Athena

Stargate

Detailed Schedule: Pyr authors at Dragon*Con 2013 (and the Decatur Book Festival)

Additional info may be forthcoming, but here's a schedule of Pyr author panels, readings, and signings this coming long-weekend in the Atlanta, GA area during Dragon*Con plus one event at the Decatur Book Festival: 

Friday, August 30, Dragon*Con

Panel: The Perfect Blend: The Mixing of Genres Within Urban Fantasy

Time: Fri 10:00 am Location: International BC - Westin (Clay and Susan Griffith)

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Panel: Crossovers

Time: Fri 11:30 am Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1)

Description: Adult SF for the discriminating teen. YA SF for the "adult" SF fan (E.C. Myers)

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Panel: PYR RISING

Time: Fri 4:00 pm Location: Regency V - Hyatt (Rene Sears with Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith, Gabrielle Harbowy, E.C. Myers, Mike Resnick, Joel Shepherd)

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Panel: That’s Write, Pardner: Collaborations, Writing with a partner, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Time: Fri 8:30 pm Location: Embassy - Hyatt (Susan Griffith)

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Panel: Vampires vs. Werewolves

Time: Fri 8:30 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Clay Griffith)

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Panel: Totally Retro Toons

Time: Fri 08:30 pm Location: A708 - Marriott (Length: 1)

Description: Do today's cartoons gag you with a spoon? This discussion of '80s kids shows will be totally tubular. (E.C. Myers)

Saturday, August 31

Reading - Clay and Susan Griffith

Time: Sat 11:30 am Location: Roswell - Hyatt

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Book Signing - Clay and Susan Griffith

Time: Sat 1:00 pm Location: The Missing Volume - AmericasMart Fl. 2 2604 2505 2507

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Panel: Book Club: Fair Coin by E.C. Myers

Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1)

Description: A discussion with the author of Fair Coin, which won the Andre Norton Award for Best YA Book of 2013.

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Panel: Space Opera Then…Military SF Now

Time: 1:00 pm Saturday Location: Centennial I - Hyatt

Description: Space opera in the fifties was rousing space battles and epic adventure.  Military SF now is much the same.  Or is it? (Mike Resnick)

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Book Signing – Mike Resnick

Time: Sat 4 pm Location: The Missing Volume - AmericasMart Fl. 2,  2604 2505 2507

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Reading - E.C. Myers

Time: Sat 05:30 pm Location: University - Hyatt (Length: 1)

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Panel: Dragon*Con Guest of Honor Awards Banquet

Time: Sat 07:00 pm Location: Regency VI - VII – Hyatt (Mike Resnick)

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Plus> DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL EVENT:

Panel: Dragon*Con Comes to the Book Festival: A Panel of Pyr Authors

Time: Sat 5:30 pm - 6:15 pm 
Location: Marriott Conference Center, Ballroom A, Decatur, GA (Joel Shepherd, Clay and Susan Griffith)

Sunday, Sept 1, Dragon*Con

Book Signing – Clay and Susan Griffith

Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: International Hall South - Marriott

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Book Signing – Joel Shepherd

Time: Sun 10:30 am Location: The Missing Volume - AmericasMart Fl. 2,  2604 2505 2507

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Panel: Father Knows Best: Dads in Harry Potter

Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: Regency V - Hyatt (Length: 1)

Description: A discussion of the fathers and father figures in the Potterverse. (E.C. Myers)

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Panel: Okay you sold it, now what? (Joel Shepherd)

Time: 1:00 pm Location: Embassy D-F - Hyatt
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Panel: Vampires in YA

Time: Sun 4:00 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Clay and Susan Griffith)

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Panel: Monster to Lover: Vampire Variations in Urban Fantasy

Time: Sun 7:00 pm Location: International BC - Westin (Clay and Susan Griffith)

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Panel: Hey, Hollywood! Here's My Screenplay

Time: Sun 8:30 pm ; Location: Embassy D-F - Hyatt

Description: How to get your screenplay, book or story noticed in Hollywood. Or, how to go about producing your own movie. (Mike Resnick)