Harper Voyager Books

SNEAK PEAKS

One of the things we're most excited about in this blog is the chance to give you sneak peaks of some of our upcoming titles, along with excerpts from current and backlist titles.  Yeah, it would be wonderful if you fell in love with them and rushed out to buy them and converted all of your friends.  But we also like being able to read early parts of books by authors we love, and we figure you do too. And hey, we've got all these books coming out, so why not?

So one thing we'll be doing in the future is a featured book of the day (or more likely week), where we'll show the book, give an excerpt, and ideally some tidbits behind the book that you might find interesting.  There will be sneak peaks of upcoming titles, of course, and also looks at some backlist books as well. 

Look for the first one in a day or so.  Also, please note that posts will be a bit slow this week, as KATE is in Africa, and WILL is moving to another job within Morrow, so DIANA is interviewing assistants and is even more crazed than usual.  Thanks for your patience!

-- Eos

MORE AUTHOR APPEARANCES

I missed a few appearances--sorry! (This is what happens without enough caffeine).

Eldon Thompson will sign The Crimson Sword and The Obsidian Key at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego on Sunday, July 30th at 2:00pm.  For more information and directions, etc., click here.

Elaine Isaak will sign The Singer's Crown at Mysterious Galaxy on Saturday, August 5th at 2:00pm. More info is here. She'll also sign at Borderlands Books in SF on Sunday August 6th at 3:00pm. (Peter Beagle will be there earlier in the day as well).  For more info, go here.

-- Diana

UPCOMING AUTHOR APPEARANCES

It's hard to believe it's already the end of July, but here's where some of our authors will be in the next couple of weeks.

Kim Harrison will be at the Romance Writers of America convention, July 26-28th.

Lois McMaster Bujold is Guest of Honor at Mythcon, August 4-7th. N.B., THE HALLOWED HUNT and ANANSI BOYS by Neil Gaiman are both up for the Mythopoeic Award, so we have both hands crossed. Lois also has a new interview here.

I will be the Editor Guest of Honor at ArmadilloCon, August 11-13th.

Yrs truly, Jennifer Brehl, Jack Womack and a number of authors will be at Worldcon in LA, August 24-28th.  We'll have a separate post on that with more info (including our upcoming books panel, etc.) closer to the date.

We'll post upcoming author appearances every couple of weeks, with special announcements as needed, but you can also go to AuthorTracker.com for more info on all HarperCollins authors.

(If you also think time is passing WAY TOO FAST, I suggest Alien loves Predator. Admittedly, it's more of an aide to same than an antidote, but it's also hard to be pissed about things moving too quickly/getting old/etc. while howling with laughter. Depending on your taste and/or insulin tolerance,there's Cute Overload, though I continually think of it as Cute Overlord. There are many other sites I also recommend, but I'll save those for a later post when I've figured out a good justification. Really. <g> )

-- Diana

BLOOD AND MEMORY

In July we're also excited to publish the mass market edition of

BLOOD AND MEMORY, The Quickening Book Two, Fiona McIntosh

General Wyl Thirsk, cursed with a sorcery on his soul, has seen his best friend slain, his sister tortured, and his mentor sent to certain death, all at the hands of his sovereign, the cruel and manipulative King Celimus.  Now Celimus hungrily eyes the neighboring realm, Briavel, and its inexperienced Queen Valentyna, pressuring her into a doomed political marriage.

Though Wyl wants to save the women he loves from her hideous fate, destiny will send him in another direction. Even as war threatens from the north, where the hated King of the Barbarians plots against Celimus, Wyl must find the bestower of the sinister "blessing" that has thrown his life into chaos...and is intricately and terrifyingly woven into the future of the three realms.

Also available now in trade paperback! BRIDGE OF SOULS, The Quickening Book Three, which sees Wyl's journey to its powerful, shocking conclusion.

-- Kate

ACORNA'S CHILDREN: FIRST WARNING

July also brings the mass-market edition of

ACORNA'S CHILDREN: FIRST WARNING, Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

It is difficult growing up in the shadow of heroes revered throughout the galaxy. Daughter of the legendary Acorna and her lifemate Aari, Khorii knows this all too well. But an encounter with a derelict spacecraft floating aimlessly among the stars, its crew dead in their seats turns . into a terrifying race against time as a deadly plague spreads relentlessly across the universe. Even the healing powers of the Linyaari cannot slow its horrific advance. And now Khorii, one of the few unaffected by the outbreak, must find an antidote -- before the scourge consumes everyone and everything in its path . . . including those she loves above all others.

ACORNA'S CHILDREN: SECOND WAVE will be out in hardcover in August.  Look for an article from the authors on the blog soon.

-- Diana

A FISTFUL OF CHARMS

In July we also published A FISTFUL OF CHARMS by Kim Harrison.  The instant New York Times bestseller is the fourth novel of the Hollows, featuring the adventures of Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty-hunter (and general spazz).   

I absolutely adore these books--they're filled with magic, adventure, supernatural intrigue, and all-too-real characters.  When FISTFUL first appeared on my desk, I opened it 'just to read a chapter,' and then it was four hours later. Oops.

Kim will also be appearing at the RWA convention, including a couple of signings on July 26th and 27th.  More information is here.

-- Diana

HONORED ENEMY

The first of four posts on our July Eos books.

HONORED ENEMY, Raymond E. Feist and William Fortschen                                                             

Never before available in the US, the Legends of the Riftwar trilogy reveals the hidden adventures of the Riftwar--the untold stories behind the Midkemia's epic battle.  In HONORED ENEMY, sworn enemies must band together in the frozen northlands of Midkemia and fight as one to survive a terrifying foe. But can their hatred for their mutual enemy overcome their distrust of each other? And, with both sides carrying painful scars from past wars, what is more important: one’s life or one’s honor?

-- Kate

Who Are We?

So, just who is Eos?  Classically, Eos is the goddess of the dawn.  But here's who we are in our less-divine aspects (including posting here).

Eos is the science fiction and fantasy imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Senior Editor DIANA GILL has been with Eos for eight years, since she fled from editing science textbooks. She oversees Eos, and has worked with authors including Trudi Canavan, Sara Douglass, New York Times bestseller author Kim Harrison, Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Mary Stewart, Steph Swainston, and Karen Traviss, among others. When she's not working or editing, she travels obsessively and is in more traditional, less-brutal version of fight club.

Vice President and Director of Editorial Development JENNIFER BREHL began at Doubleday, where she worked with Isaac Asimov, among others, and moved to Morrow in 1995.  Her authors include Ray Bradbury, Lois McMaster Bujold, John Crowley, Jeffrey Ford, Raymond E. Feist, Neil Gaiman, Robin Hobb, Christopher Moore, Tim Powers and Terry Pratchett.

JACK WOMACK has been the publicist extraordinaire for Eos since 2001. In his other hat as an author, he writes brilliant novels including Ambient, Terraplane, Heathern, Elvissey, Random Acts of Senseless Violence, Let's Put the Future Behind Us, and Going Going Gone. He is currently at work on his next novel, Lying to Children.

Assistant Editor KATE NINTZEL's titles include the trade paperback reissue of Guy Gavriel Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan and the upcoming Legends of the Riftwar trilogy written by Raymond E. Feist, William Fortshen, Joel Rosenberg, and S. M. Stirling. She edits Fiona McIntosh, works with Jennifer Brehl and is known for her unflappable calm when the rest of us are cursing up a storm.   

Assistant Editor WILL HINTON writes Inside Eos, the online Eos newsletter, and handles a number of titles in various subjects, including the trade paperback edition of FAR HORIZONS, edited by Robert Silverberg, and the upcoming Kill Bill Diary by David Carradine. (If he's learned any kung-fu secrets from the star, he isn't telling.)

Marketing Manager KEVIN CALLAHAN prefers to remain an international man of mystery.  We get him to drop the aliases with alcohol and Eos galleys.

There are also many other people who help make Eos what it is who aren't profiled here--sales reps, marketing, managing editors, copywriters, designers, proofreaders, copyeditors, art directors, artists, online people, ad/promo people, our publishers, and more.  Without them, there wouldn't be an imprint, much less the actual books, and we're grateful every day for their support and contributions.  So while the names above are the people who will be blogging, please do remember that we're only the tip of the iceberg.  (Sort of like those Verizon commercials, but much less inane and annoying). Thanks.

-- Eos

Where it all began...

52 years ago today, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING was first published in England by some guy named J. R. R. Tolkien.  (Apparently it's about elves and a ring and some creatures named hobbits who have furry feet, or something. <g>)  THE HOBBIT was published in 1937, but it then took another 17 years for FELLOWSHIP to see print.

FELLOWSHIP was a major gateway drug for me, like so many people--I'd tried THE HOBBIT and thought it was okay. But then I tried FELLOWSHIP, and was absolutely hooked. 

I can't remember what the first science fiction or fantasy book I read was though. The library in my elementary school had an entire bookcase full of fairy tales--African fairy tales, English fairy tales, Irish fairy tales, Japanese fairy tales, Russian fairy tales (Baba Yaga is seriously scary), French fairy tales, Chinese fairy tales, etc.--and I devoured every one of them.  From there, I read THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH, THE WIZARD OF OZ, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, (plus every Walter Farley and Marguerite Henry in existence, among others), and it just went from there.

The first sf/f book I bought with my very own money (remember what a major distinction that was, versus your parents or someone else buying the book for you?  Or was that just me?) was THE YEAR OF THE UNICORN by Andre Norton.   I haven't read it in many years, and I don't know if it would still hold up, but boy, did I love it then.  And that introduced me to High Hallack and the Witch World, and from there to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Roger Heinlein and Piers Anthony and onwards.

If anyone feels like commenting--what was the first sf/f book you read? The first sf/f book you bought?

-- Diana

GREAT NEWS!

Kim Harrison's newest book, A FISTFUL OF CHARMS, has debuted at #14 on The New York Times and #15 on USA Today bestseller lists!  It's also #6 on Bookscan and the Washington Post and #7 on Publishers Weekly, and we couldn't be happier.

CONGRATULATIONS KIM!!!!!!

-- Diana