A blurring of fact and fiction

By David Larsen the New Zealand Herald

Having received his professional education from Tolkien, Kay decided to make his first work of fiction – his graduate project, so to speak – a tribute to the master: a heroic fantasy trilogy very much in the vein of The Lord of the Rings.

Likewise, when Christopher Tolkien, JRR Tolkien’s son, came looking for an assistant to help him edit his father’s posthumous manuscripts into book form, Kay was pleased to take the job – “Who in their right mind would not have been interested?” – but he didn’t take it as a stepping stone towards anything in particular. Kay’s parents were friends of Baillie Tolkien, Christopher’s wife; Kay was studying philosophy at the University of Manitoba, in his native Canada, and was thrilled to be asked to move to Oxford for a year. “I learned a great deal in that year, but one of the things I learned was not to rely on writing as a career.”

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Feed Your Reader, revisited

Patrick Nielsen Hayden at Tor

Twelve of the first thirteen original stories published on Tor.com will be available on a bunch of e-book platforms, including the Kindle store, Apple’s iBooks store, Barnes & Noble’s e-bookstore, the Kobo store, and the Sony Reader store, for 99 cents each. These are in effect little e-chapbooks, complete with the original Tor.com art on their “covers,” designed to work properly with the current generation of e-book devices and reading programs.

A thirteenth story, Cory Doctorow’s “The Things That Make Me Weak And Strange Get Engineered Away,” will join these soon on several of these platforms. As these stories become available for sale, they’ll remain freely available on Tor.com.

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In Praise of ‘Chaos’: A Profile of Patrick Ness

By Sue Corbett at Publisher’s Weekly

Many people who now consider themselves evangelists for Patrick Ness’s “Chaos Walking” trilogy initially resisted the first book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, which is narrated by the illiterate but lovable Todd Hewitt, the last boy in a frontier town on a colonized planet, and features a talking dog. Grammar is incorrect, spellings are phonetic, and there are intermittent passages of scrawled gibberish in various typefaces meant to convey the town’s “Noise.” A virus on Todd’s planet has made everyone’s thoughts (including the animals’) audible to everyone else—except the women. They are all dead.

“The idea was that the world is already a pretty noisy place,” Ness says via telephone from his home in Bromley, on the outskirts of London, “with cellphones, texts, the Internet, but I didn’t start writing until I had an idea for Todd’s voice, and it emerged slowly.” Todd has been called science fiction’s Huck Finn, with his endearing naïveté and creative vernacular, a sort of pidgin English that Ness says he struggled with initially.

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A Peek at Creative Space of Maggie Stiefvater

by Jennifer Bertman

This week we’re stepping into the creative space of author Maggie Stiefvater (pronounced Steve Otter). Maggie is the NYT bestselling author of Shiver, the wildly popular first novel of the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. Linger, the sequel, was published this month from Scholastic. (Officially this week, although it was spotted in many stores earlier in the month.) The final installment in the trilogy, Forever, will be published in July 2011.

Describe a typical workday.

I don’t think I have a typical workday. Is that bad? It really depends on the project and that’s one of the things that I love about this job. I guess the only usual thing is that I will start the day by answering emails for about an hour, maybe poking my head into some writing forums I belong to, generally being sluggish. Then I get down to work, which might be actual writing, or may be answering interviews, working on book trailers, blogging, etc.

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Shana Abé – interview

Elena Nola at BSC Review

Shana Abé is a bestselling author normally found in the Romance section, but whose latest books are fantasy (or at least fairy tale) crossovers.  She’s also a personal favorite of mine–verify on our favorites page, if you doubt–and has just finished up her fabulous historical-fiction shapeshifter series that started with 2006’s The Smoke Thief and continued through five books to last month’s The Time Weaver.  I was beyond pleased when she agreed to an interview and completed my trifecta of conversations with my favorite writers.

Elena Nola: I want to talk mostly about your current series, but before we jump into that I wanted to start with its genesis, which means going back to your last book before the series, The Last Mermaid.  It seemed to me that you were playing with the fairy tale motif somewhat in those three novellas…did that have an influence on the creation of the drákon, or the way you chose to tell their story?

Shana Abé:  The truth is, I had a wonderful time creating a world where mermaids could exist, and I wanted to explore that creative freedom even more deeply. As a child I was entranced with fairy tales—the consequences of both light and dark magics, the notion of destiny and all manner of mystical possibilities—so I suppose it’s become a natural part of my voice as an author.

Read More here

I started reading The Knife of Never Letting Go and was loving it…but I quit because the lead character (Todd) did something that mad me SO mad I refused to read anymore. But I still like the style of it, and would recommend it to anyone who likes dystopian books.

Do you like reading historical fantasy? What did you think of the author interviews?

Linger (Book 2, The Wolves of Mercy Falls)
Maggie Stiefvater

“This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one. Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies…”

Grace and Sam are finally together, both human, after Sam is cured. Sam still feels vulnerable being human, and is struggling to adjust to his new body and the idea of being head of the human pack. Grace is friends with Isabel, and dealing with her parent’s sudden interest in her life. Plus, one of Beck’s “recruits”, a wolf named Cole, is causing trouble.

My expectations for this book were SO high because I loved Shiver so much (I still say it’s the most romantic book I’ve ever read). As much as you want Sam and Grace to be ok, a sequel where everything is happy would be boring.

I kept thinking of The Empire Strikes Back. Because this is the second story of a trilogy, and you just know something bad is going to happen to one of the characters you love and you’re just dreading it. But what you think is going to happen doesn’t exactly happen like you thought it would and you’re left thinking “oh holy crap!” When is Forever coming out again?

We see Grace and Sam apart more this time around, because of the way life is pulling at them. There are still those beautiful moments that prove how much Grace and Sam love each other, need each other, without being over the top, but there is so much more going on this time around. Cole and Isabel both narrate as well.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as Shiver, but I think that has more to do with not liking seeing these characters suffer. I did love seeing them grow, and will be re-reading it again very soon. My only real caveat was I wanted to hear more about how the rest of the wolves were doing. There isn’t as much wolf-brain action in this one, and there was one wolf in particular (who I won’t mention for spoiler reasons) that I really wanted to see more of.

Overall, this is the perfect sequel; it has everything that’s great about the first one, taken to another level.

P.S. According to Maggie (via her blog) Sam actually sings on the audio book. Just thought you might want to know

TOP 10 YA Reads THIS summer: by Chris

1. Dark Flame by Alyson Noel – 4th installment of the Immortals Series

2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – 3rd and final book of The Hunger Games Series (August 24th)

3. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer – A short story about a newborn in Eclipse

4. The Clockwork Angels by Cassandra Clare – the first novel in The Infernal Devices series (August 31st)

5. Burned by P.C Cast & Kristen Cast – 7th book in the House of Night series

6. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater – 2nd book in the Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls) series (July 20th)

7. Keys to Repository by Melissa De La Cruz – Newest novel in the Blue Bloods series

8. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson – 3rd and finale installment of The Millennium Trilogy

9. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr - 4th book in the Wicked Lovely series

10. Torment by Lauren Kate – 2nd book in the Fallen series (September 28th)

Top 5 reasons to read Evermore by Alyson Noel: by Chris

1. If you are tired of the same ol’ Vampire, Zombie or Wolf story than “The Immortals” series will be like a breath of fresh air.

2. The series has the always intriguing ‘love triangle’ – with two irresistible male characters

3. Alyson Noel took a lot of time to research all the facts. In the novels, she introduces aura’s, mind-reading, physic powers, spell casting, manifesting and more! All of which is based on the facts, and how they are all truly practiced..nothing phony here!

4. The characters of Miles, Romie & Rayne, and Roman are very entertaining and keep this dark story, very comical and interesting. You are always on the edge of your seat, guessing what is going to happen next!

5. Hello! Immortals are awesome, even better is the past lives of all the characters and how the entwine.

Brought to you by OBS Staff member Staar84

Werewolves: the Basics

The name “werewolf” comes from the Germanic/Old English “were” meaning “man” and “wolf” meaning…wolf. A werewolf then, is a man who can change into wolf form, most commonly once a month during the full moon. The moon has been considered the second most powerful object in the sky (after the sun), and the full moon is especially associated with wild behavior (hence “lunacy” from the latin “luna”).

True werewolves are often mixed up with shapeshifters, especially in fiction today, but there are key differences. Werewolves change into wolves after being bitten or scratched and their change is dictated by the moon—usually during the full moon. Shapeshifters, on the other hand, can take the form of the wolf, and usually have more control over the transformation, although most still feel the influence of the moon. Shapeshifting is often genetic, being passed through generations.

In recent years, the way someone becomes a werewolf has become more flexible, and the term is used interchangeably with shapeshifters. Depending on the story, a person can change at will, or during the entire week of the full moon, or based on temperature. Becoming a werewolf is just as varied now too. Where once you had to be bitten or scratched, it can now be transferred by birth or even magical spell. Werewolves were once considered only to be male, but now female werewolves are nearly as common.

Werewolves are often immortal in that they will not die of old age, but can usually be killed by silver bullets. Some can be killed by decapitation or mercury, but silver seems to be the most popular. Crosses are used occasionally, but they were never as popular against werewolves as they are for vampires.

History of the Myth

Wolves are an important part of every culture that they live in, though their influence differs depending on the civilization. According to legend, the founder of Rome, Romulus, and his brother Remus, were abandoned at birth, but saved and suckled by a female wolf. The Egyptians had many head of an animal, body of a man type gods, including the jackel (a wild African dog) headed god of the Underworld, Anubis. Werewolves myths exist everywhere wolves do, but the most well known legends are from Europe and North America. Native Americans respected the wolves presence (although they were cautious) while the Europeans feared and actively hunted them.

The oldest recorded myth is the story of the Greek Lycaon, who refused to worship Zeus. When Zeus came to confront the man, Lycaon slaughtered a slave (some stories report that it was a child) and tried to serve the flesh to Zeus for dinner (cannibalism was a horrible sin), and then attempted to murder the god in his sleep to disprove his immortality. Zeus punished him by changing his form, and every month during the full moon he became a blood-thirsty wolf.

The Native American myths are more fluid than their European counterparts. Some tribes believe they are decended from wolves, and their shapeshifters are not malevolent. Other stories range from general shapeshifters that can be malicious; they include skinwalkers, Rougarou (which is also a term for a more Bigfoot-like creature, depending on which part of North America you’re in) to Loup Garou in Louisiana, to people who change only into wolves and eat humans.

Fear of werewolves reached a fever pitch during the middle ages, culminating in werewolf hunting and trials in Germany and France, especially. The time period followed right on the heels of the European witch trials. Nearly 30,000 people were tried and killed in France alone. Even after the hysteria and trials ended, the myth persisted. From 1764 to 1767, a vicious animal attacked and killed 102 villagers in the French village of Gevaudan. The victims, mostly women and children, were mauled and decapitated, their naked bodies all bearing the bite marks of a non-human creature. The killings mark the largest number of alleged werewolf attacks in history and are the basis of the Hollywood Wolfman legend. The History Channel even sent a Cryptozoologist and a Criminal Profiler to the area in the documentary “The Real Wolfman”, which aired in 2009.

Scientific Origins?

Like vampires, the possible origins of werewolf myths are varied. They could have originated to explain mysterious deaths or early serial killings; to keep people from venturing out at night (when the elements were the most serious threat), or to scare children into behaving. Werewolves were also an explanation for sickly children born to strong parents–usually because of a curse or sins the parents must have committed. Other theories include rabies (both in humans and wolves—although wolves with rabies usually die within a matter of days) and the disease hypertrichosis, which causes excessive hair growth that in some cases can cover the entire body. Fear of wolves was obviously a huge factor as well.

As humans began to cut down forests for agricultural reasons, they began to have run-ins with wolves. Wolves were often demonized because they would attack livestock or hunt in the areas occupied by humans. Unlike other wild animals (bears, for instance) wolves usually show curiosity rather than fear in the face of other predators (like people). Humans noticed parallels between themselves and wolves, including their intelligence and social habits, giving the leap to human-wolf myths credibility. Add to that fear of the unknown and harshness of the wilderness without competition for food between the two species, and it is no wonder that wolves have been given a bloodthirsty (however undeserved) reputation.

Modern Reincarnations

Some people believe that werewolves truly exist in some form or another today. The most well known in America is the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin, which has been investigated on television in episodes of Monster Quest and Destination: Truth.

Werewolves have had a resurgence in popular fiction in recent years as well. The most popular seem to be the movie series Underworld (they’re called Lycans here), the movie The Wolfman with Benicio Del Toro, the Harry Potter Series (Professor Lupin), and the books Blood and Chocolate (Loup Garou), The Twilight Saga (shapeshifters) and Shiver (the Wolves of Mercy Falls series—also shapeshifters). The biggest change has been the shift from horrific monster, to romantic protagonist. However you like you’re werewolves, there’s something for everyone.

What do you think of werewolves? What is your favorite werewolf movie? Join us in the discussion!

Linger Playlist, Texas Dates & Happy Germans

via Maggie Stiefvater’s Blog

Okay, it’s Friday, and it’s before Linger’s coming out, so more Linger music (are you guys tired of this yet?) It’s now five-ish weeks until Linger’s release and it’s starting to feel really close. As such, I now have my full tour schedule for this summer. Here tis’.

July 20th: Barnes & Noble, Williamsburg, VA, launch event where a Sharpie guitar will be given away.
July 23rd: Keplers, Menlo Park, CA.
July 24th: Copperfield’s, Santa Rosa, CA
July 25th: Barnes & Noble, El Cerrito, CA
July 26th: Borders, Glendale, CA
July 27th: Once Upon a Time, Montrose, CA
July 28th: Barnes & Noble, The Woodlands, TX
July 28th: Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX
July 29th: Book People, Austin, TX

Details and International Dates here

HUNGER GAMES: TRAINING DAYS STRATEGY GAME

from Lindsey at The Mockingjay (livejournal)

Hunger Games game!
No, really, it’s an actual board/card game.

From the best-selling book comes The Hunger Games: Training Days Strategy Game! Coinciding with the release of the third book in the Hunger Games saga this fall, Training Days allows 2-6 players to follow in the footsteps of their favorite Tributes as they compete in the days leading up to the arena.

Read More here

I am so freakin excited for Linger! The Hunger Games game seems cool, but it looks like it’s a limited edition; the site says it won’t be available for purchase after July 4th.

What do you think of the board game? Will you be attending a Linger release event?

Trailer for Linger

Linger, the sequel to the Bestselling Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater comes out July 20th. Check out the trailer below (created by the author)!

In Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. (description via amazon.com)

Check out Maggie Stiefvater’s site here

Author Alex Bledsoe resurrects his vampire in Memphis

by Raelynn Coombs at The Examiner

Author Alex Bledsoe grew up in Tennessee just an hour north of Memphis. He  is a stay at home dad and has been a reporter, editor, photographer and a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman.  Although he now lives in Wisconsin, his vampire novel Blood Groove resurrects his Memphis roots. If you love all things vampire, read Blood Groove and its soon to be released sequel, The Girls with Games of Blood.

What is Blood Groove about?

It’s about Baron Rudolfo Zginski, a Continental vampire who’s staked in 1915 Wales and resurrects in 1975 Memphis.  The book also deals with race and gender issues of its time, as manifested in both the humans and vampires.

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Design: Don’t judge a book by its cover, particularly in France

Tom Lamont at The Observer

Albums are sold across the world inside a universal sleeve, blockbuster films branded in a singular style. But novels, by a convention that nobody in the publishing industry seems fully able to explain, must be re-jacketed from territory to territory. It inspires all kinds of illustrative madness, and makes browsing foreign bookshelves a fascinating – often bewildering – experience.

“What you are trying to get across on a cover is the essence of a book, quite an ambiguous thing,” says Nathan Burton, a British designer who created the striking cover for Ali Smith’s The Accidental, based on an image of a dead woman. “Designers in different countries read and interpret the fiction in different ways.”

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I am SO excited for Linger. Shiver is one of my favorite books, Young Adult or otherwise. I’ve always wondered why book covers change when they go over seas, since movie posters usually don’t. But they change the covers when they reprint books into paperback too, so who knows.

What did you think of the trailer? Do you agree that book covers should change by country?