New "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" Novel by Paul Kearney

I just heard from Adam (The Wertzone) that Paul Kearney is writing a Spartacus: Blood and Sand novel.

A quick Web search reveals that Amazon's Kindle Store has already had an entry for the e-book version, simply entitled Spartacus Novel: #2. The publisher is Titan Books and the publishing date is March 6, 2012.

Paul Kearney is a very talented author (one of my favourites) and I think the setting of Spartacus would fit very well his style. The recent success Kearney has enjoyed with his The Ten Thousand and Corvus proves this very well.

After hearing such a news, I just rub my hands and wait for the book to be published.

Two New Acquisitions for Seventh Star Press

June 13, 2011

Seventh Star Press Acquires H. David Blalock's New Urban Fantasy Series, The Angelkiller Triad

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce the acquisition of The Angelkiller Triad, a provocative new urban fantasy series, as H. David Blalock becomes a member of the publishing company's growing family of authors.

The acquisition comes right on the heels of the addition of D.A Adams' fantasy series, The Brotherhood of Dwarves, and follows a strong run of releases that has seen titles such as Jackie Gamber's Redheart (YA fantasy) and Steven Shrewsbury's Thrall (heroic fantasy) meet with a very warm reception from reviewers and readers alike. It is yet another strong testament to Seventh Star Press's committment to releasing quality titles exhibiting many facets of speculative fiction.

H. David Blalock commented on his recent partnership with SSP. "I am excited about doing the Angelkiller series with Seventh Star, and honored to be in such talented company. I just hope I can keep up with this high-energy group!"

The first book introduces Jonah Mason, the oldest, and most experienced of the Angelkillers, an elite force in the Army of Light. They are fighting an ancient war, one in which the Darkness achieved a great triumph long ago that has had profound influence on the fabric of life as we know it. It is the simple answer as to why bad things happen to good people. The great battle may have been lost, but the war continues in a modern age, pitting Jonah against the Enemy in a way even he had never faced. A provocative mixture of the supernatural and technological, Angelkiller is a very special, thought-provoking tale, one that shines forth in the upper realms of urban fantasy literature.

Based out of the Memphis area, H. David Blalock has an impressive writing career of 35 years and counting that has achieved numerous publishing credits in print and online mediums. He is most known for his fantasy novel Ascendant (Sam's Dot Publishing), which was the basis for a twenty minute short film produced in 2010 that featured former WWE wrestler Al Snow. The sequel to Ascendant, Emperor (Sam's Dot Publishing), was released in March of 2011. David is also the founder of Imagicopter, an author-driven organization that creates an array of event opportunities for small press authors and artists, while also publishing the highly-regarded Imagyro magazine.

“I was a fan of H. David Blalock since I read Ascendant, which is one of the true gems in fantasy out of the small press world,” fellow Seventh Star Press author Stephen Zimmer commented. “Angelkiller represents something that is compelling, thought-provoking, and highly relevant. With David's mastery of narrative and character, this series is going to be a force to be reckoned with in urban fantasy.”

The projected release date window for Angelkiller is fall of 2011, in limited hardcover, trade paperback, and several eBook formats, for readers with the Kindle, the iPad, the Nook, Sony eReaders, and other electronic reading devices.

Book 2, Traitor Angel, and Book 3, Doom Angel, will be released over the course of 2012 and early 2013.

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site for Seventh Star Press, at www.seventhstarpress.com, or at the author's site at www.thrankeep.com.

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June 2, 2011

Seventh Star Press Proudly Announces the Acquisition of Fantasy Author D.A. Adams' The Brotherhood of Dwarves Series

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce the addition of fantasy author D.A. Adams to its family of writers, with the acquisition of The Brotherhood of Dwarves series.

The Brotherhood of Dwarves and Red Sky at Dawn, the first and second books of the series, were originally released by Third Axe Media. The two installments received excellent reviews, and sold very strongly on the convention circuit. Planned for five books total, the third title in the series, The Fall of Dorkuhn, will be released in its first edition by Seventh Star Press. The series is known for its fresh approach to an iconic fantasy race, blending traditional lore with all-new twists.

“With their outstanding marketing and promotional campaigns, Seventh Star can provide *The Brotherhood of Dwarves* with the exposure it deserves. I'm excited and proud to be the newest addition to their stable of talented writers, ” commented D.A. Adams, regarding his relationship with the Lexington, Kentucky-based publisher.

The Fall of Dorkuhn continues the story of the dwarf Roskin. In the newest adventure of the series, Roskin returns home to a kingdom divided by war with the ogres. On one side, his father desires to restore peace, but on the other, Master Sondious, seeking revenge for having been crippled, seeks to escalate the offensive aggression. Roskin and his friends make a desperate attempt to resolve the growing rift, but unknown to the dwarves, new and powerful menaces threaten to destroy the entire kingdom...

Living and working in East Tennessee, D. A. Adams is an established novelist, a farmer, a professor of English, and has contributed writing to literary as well as fine art publications. He also maintains an active blog, entitled "The Ramblings of D. A. Adams".

“D.A. Adams is an outstanding addition to our group of authors,” fellow Seventh Star Press author Stephen Zimmer commented. “The Brotherhood of Dwarves series is well-crafted storytelling with compelling characters, set within a richly developed fantasy setting. It has very strong appeal to those who like character-driven stories, as well as to fans of epic fantasy. For those who love seeing dwarves in fantasy literature, it is immensely rewarding.”

The projected release date window for The Fall of Dorkuhn is late summer of 2011, in limited hardcover, trade paperback, and several eBook formats, covering owners of the Kindle, the iPad, the Nook, Sony eReaders, and other electronic reading devices.

The Seventh Star Press editions of The Brotherhood of Dwarves and Red Sky at Dawn will receive trade paperback and eBook releases in late summer of 2011, with a hardcover edition of each to follow shortly afterwards.

Books four and five in The Brotherhood of Dwarves series are slated for tentative releases in late 2012 and 2013.

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site for Seventh Star Press, at www.seventhstarpress.com, or at the author's site at www.brotherhoodofdwarves.com.

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Contact: C.C. James
Public Relations, Seventh Star Press
ccjames@seventhstarpress.com
Seventh Star Press Mailing Address:
3801 Dylan Place Suite 116, #7
Lexington, Ky. 40514-1062

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher of speculative fiction located in Lexington Kentucky.

Book Review: Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick

Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
Publishing Information: Paperback; 384 pages
Publisher: Tor (1 April 2011)
ISBN 10: 0330536206
ISBN 13: 978-0330536202

"Drothe is a Nose, an informant who finds and takes care of trouble inside the criminal organization he’s a part of. He also smuggles imperial relics on the side.

When his boss sends him to Ten Ways to track down who’s been leaning on his organization’s people, Drothe discovers hints of a much bigger mystery. Someone is trying to stir up trouble between lower-level criminal organizations, including the one Drothe belongs to. And there’s a book rumored to contain imperial glimmer (or magic) that a lot of very dangerous people seem to be looking for - including two crime bosses known as the Gray Princes.

When Drothe discovers the book, he finds himself holding a bit of swag that can bring down emperors, shatter the criminal underworld, and unlock forbidden magic…that's if he can survive long enough to use it."

Please find the rest of the review on Speculative Book Review...

Cover Art: Ashes of Candesce by Karl Schroeder

I know! We shouldn't judge a book by its cover. However, some cover arts are so exceptionally impressive that I can't help but buying a copy of the book in question immediately.

This is the case with the cover art of Karl Schroeder's next Virga novel, Ashes of Candesce. What an amazing cover! Stephan Martiniere is the talent who created it and I invite you to check the on-line gallery of his amazing work.

Ashes of Candesce is the award-winning Canadian author Karl Schroeder's new book in his Virga series. It follows Sun of Suns (2006), Queen of Candesce (2007), Pirate Sun (2008) and The Sunless Countries (2009). The first two books are also published in a single volume called Virga: Cities of the Air (2010).

HBO's "Game of Thrones" And Its 2nd Season

Just like many other fantasy fans I eagerly sat in front of my TV and watched the first episode of HBO's Game of Thrones. I had to pause regularly to give my wife some background information about the characters and the setting.

I thought the setting was pretty well realized. Winterfell gave the impression that HBO spent enough money to make the setting look nice. I really liked the way the Wall and the North in general looked.

I also liked the casting. I thought the characters were pretty well chosen. There was nothing major that surprised me. I can even say that the few characters who I really wanted to punch in the face while I was reading the book looked like they could do with a few punches too.

I guess, for someone who read and who really thinks very highly of G.R.R. Martin's book, it is impossible not to compare the TV show with the book. That's the reason why I'm relying on my wife's reaction to say that HBO's Game of Thrones seemed to display the potential to be a very successful show. I wasn't surprised at all when I heard the news that they were going to start to film the second season.

Excerpt: The Unremembered by Peter Orullian

Peter Orullian's The Unremembered is without a doubt one of this year's most popular debut novels. I haven't read it yet but it's hard to resist this amazing cover by Kekai Kotaki so I'll end up ordering my copy soon. In the meantime, Tor.com has generously shared with us an excerpt from The Unremembered.

The gods, makers of worlds, seek to create balance—between matter and energy; and between mortals who strive toward the transcendent, and the natural perils they must tame or overcome. But one of the gods fashions a world filled with hellish creatures far too powerful to allow balance; he is condemned to live for eternity with his most hateful creations in that world’s distant Bourne, restrained by a magical veil kept vital by the power of song.

Millennia pass, awareness of the hidden danger fades to legend, and both song and veil weaken. And the most remote cities are laid waste by fell, nightmarish troops escaped from the Bourne. Some people dismiss the attacks as mere rumor. Instead of standing against the real threat, they persecute those with the knowledge, magic and power to fight these abominations, denying the inevitability of war and annihilation. And the evil from the Bourne swells….

The troubles of the world seem far from the Hollows where Tahn Junell struggles to remember his lost childhood and to understand words he feels compelled to utter each time he draws his bow. Trouble arrives when two strangers—an enigmatic man wearing the sigil of the feared Order of Sheason and a beautiful woman of the legendary Far—come, to take Tahn, his sister and his two best friends on a dangerous, secret journey.

Tahn knows neither why nor where they will go. He knows only that terrible forces have been unleashed upon mankind and he has been called to stand up and face that which most daunts him—his own forgotten secrets and the darkness that would destroy him and his world.

Free Reading - The Lunatics by Kim Stanley Robinson

You can read Kim Stanley Robinson's dystopian SF tale The Lunatics on Tor.com.

At the end of the nineteenth century, coal mining had become one of the biggest, meanest industries in the United States. Unhealthy working conditions and a reliance on child labor caused accidents and blackened men’s lungs. Crooked business practices like debt bondage and wage-cheating were just part of the misery. But it was dangerous to stand up against the mining companies. Miners didn’t just face losing their jobs—their lives were often at stake, as mining companies fought against unionizing with violence.

The coal miners’ struggles for better conditions were captured in photos and songs that have become a warning for the workers of the world. But in the future, miners might not be so lucky.

What could be worse than working deep beneath the ground, never seeing the light of day? What could be worse than knowing the money in your paycheck was a token worthless outside the company’s store?

[“The Lunatics”] gives us a vision of a mine worse than anything in Pennsylvania. Powered by slavery and jump-started by torment, this mine might as well be hell. - John Joseph Adams