…as you can tell by the word count.
Something odd has happened. Before the book’s story really starts, Bren has gotten into his computer and started reading some notes Geigi gave him and this looks as if it is going to be a prologue. I haven’t done a prologue since book i. But this is kind of an interesting take—the whole train of events recapped from the Landing upward, in Geigi’s words, with Geigi’s behind-the-scenes knowledge of events from the atevi point of view, interspersed with Bren’s as he adds commentary of things he knows that Geigi might not. Sort of the Cliff’s Notes version of Foreigner with the things you didn’t know tucked into it. Talk about your book starting to talk to you…
OOOOOOH! Keep that bannik well bribed…
Oh! This sounds fascinating! I can’t wait to read it!
I finished the first draft of my current novel, Water/Stone/Light. Now, as a reward, I get to read Intruder! Yay!
Congrats!
My apologies—I’m the wrench in the gears—I got so behind I couldn’t write my Seeking North segment—it’s been stuck at half done since Jane got sick.
OTOH, Lynn’s working on hers,and I am going to have to see to mine and get it out.
Gotta update the website.
Sigh. I’m feeling like the White Rabbit.
My feeling is that you should work on what calls ot you. We’ll be happpy to read anything! Just enjoy the work.
As much as I’d love to see new Seeking North, and asked about it, I agree with Zette. You have to write what calls to you and what pays the bills, albeit those two are not always mutually harmonic conditions. Though we fans clamor for more of what we like, ultimately, you can only do what you can do. Please don’t feel, any of the three of you, that you’ve somehow let anyone down or are obliged. The fans cannot run the show. Only the authors (actors, etc.) can create the show. To create, the fan has to become an author, actor, etc., and then it’s either a shared world or a new work, independent and original, one would hope. So…yes, I’d love to see more of Seeking North, but not at the expense of what you all have that’s going so well. You’ll find time for things as it suits you. (Also, one does not wish to upset banniks, especially ones of friendly and generous nature.)
Ooo! Doesn’t that sound like the perfect book title? “The Wench iin the Gears”. 😀
🙂
I think it will be a nice way to hearken back to the details we might have forgotten as the series has gone on. There have quite a few books in this series after all. 🙂
— badger
Great, CJ! Any insight from the Atevi perspective is a delight! And I’m with ready… keep that bannick bribed!
What I think would be great is if you did short stories as background and fillers. Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have done that in their Leiden universe. They sell them on line for about $2.99. They use secondary characters, expansion of viewpoint in various books and even characters not mentioned in the series but that portray the culture and different levels of society. Michele Sagara/West has done this also. Between the two of them I have 24 of these background pieces. After I reread the series I go to the short stories and it is like having another couple of books.
I for one would love to get filled in on:
Tano’s and Algani’s background.
How did Tabini and Damiri get together with their associations not on friendly terms?
Banichi & Jago’s back ground i.e. did he encourage her, did they always work together or did something bring them together. Was there conflict, do they have other family?
Cajeriri’s adventures on the ship.
Go way back in time and tell of a defining incident in Llsidi life.
How Bren’s staff organized the rescue of his apartment and keep the office out of rebel hands.
Saidins background.
Perhaps a story of smuggling or illegal trade between the island and mainland.
Some stories from Malguri’s guest book.
Maybe one of the tourist that meet Bren at Malguri went home and changed.
How Ginny maneuvered in the politics of Mospheira
It would also bring in some extra cash!
Oh YES!! I absolutely love the short stories in the Liaden Universe … the Space at Tinsori Light comes to mind, Miri’s adventures on Klamath, and how Val Con captured an Yxtrang and became brother to a 10 foot tall turtle.
YEAH for you… it’s so NICE when can can “get the bug” and it just flows. Doesn’t happen to me often enough. 🙂 But as a loyal fan, sooo looking forward to it.
This idea sounds very exciting – especially in light of Geigi’s conversation with Bren regarding that word “friend”. One important and valuable aspect of this series is how the characters are developed and I would love to learn more about all the members of Bresn’s aishid -their backgrounds and how they came to the assassins guild. Who is Jago’s mother for example and I am feeling very sympathetic toward Damiri’s status now. She made a hard but necessary choice and it is lonely for her with a birth due any time and no women associates present. So – I like kerryk’s ideas regarding back stories but maybe they could be incorporated into the coming books.
Boing Boing Boing!
It is my secret suspicion that Geigi is writing a book. ;)He’s the type.
Why not Bindanda’s recipes? Narani’s “how-to” book on kabiu arrangements to be used in the very best of households?
You might want to limit the recipes book to the ones that Bren likes – or at least can eat 🙂 Probably best to stay away from those delicious atevi alkaloids…
Thank you for sharing this with us! It sounds wonderful.
I like Geigi; he, along with Ilisidi, are the voices of atevi ‘reason’. I will be very interested to hear his take on the last few years! *sits on hands to keep from hopping madly about*
The mooted suggestion of short stories is a great idea.. please consider it 🙂
Another benefit of shorts and flash-fiction is it lets you write into canon and use/publish parts of your notes and backstory that might otherwise go unused outside of your notebooks.
I’ve seen Mercedes Lackey has been putting out shorts from her backlist as individual low-priced ($3 and under) ebook pieces.
While my personal taste would welcome anthologies or collections of short pieces, I would not turn down the chance to get a shigle short for a low price either.
Offering individual shorts (such as backstory and filler as others have suggested) might also be done via blog post (perhaps at Closed Circle) with an ebook copy available for purchase so fans could have a keeper of their own. 😉
Or shorts could be bonus materials as a way of, well, advertising for other books/series, included in an ebook for some other book/series, much like a sample chapter. That has the potential to boost both books’ or series’ sales.
Hmm…. Another “for instance,” an ebook by one Closed Circle author could include a sample chapter or short from each of the three authors, as a way to boost everyone’s sales.
Er, not that sales are the paramount consideration, but they do put food on the table. The readers (and fans) are going to be motivated to buy anyway. If we readers see something we like, we’re likely to buy. If we see something extra to try, we’re likely to try that too. Consider it an appetizer, dessert, à la carte, smorgasbord. (With apologies that I don’t have the original accent marks on smorgasbord.)
While I’m spouting off — I miss “Seeking North.” It was going quickly there for a while, but got bogged down due to real life troubles for all three authors. It’d be nice to see it move along again. I wouldn’t want it to distract from other work, especially current contracts pending, but it might be fun to have more than one iron in the fire at once, writing-wise, to give each of you a break and some creative flexibility, Totally inconsequential that it feeds the fans’ interest, heheheh. 😉
Oh, I suppose that’s another plus for shorts: they act as hush puppies for the fans. 😆
OTOH, did I mention Audible.com has started to work on the Foreigner series, Downbelow Station, and Chanur?
That’s great news, some of my favorites; I’ll be eagerly awaiting those. I signed up for Audible and got Cyteen. 🙂 There was a glitch in their signup process, but I was persistent and got it sorted out.
Audible is unfriendly to the Linux set, though 🙁
Now that’s exciting news!
That is really good news. Especially the fact that it is coming from Geigi’s point of view. How many more books lie between the one you are working on now and Intruder?
It’s wonderful to read that you’ve got your mojo back! Best wishes on Peacemaker. Given the difficult 2011 you both had, this is doubly welcome news.
I know that marketing issues have driven the length of the Foreigner series, namely, they sell! Still, my wistful daydreams are of a new Chanur novel. I’d dearly love to see you flesh out the methane breather culture and the mysteries of knnn involvement in oxy affairs. It would be a challenge to one of your strengths: invention of truly alien cultures.
I know. I know. You can’t make any commitments, even if you wanted to. But an ebook “short” perhaps, sometime?
But please, please, bear in mind that not everyone is buying ebooks and audio books (me included), and many people (in the UK, anyway), tend to favour hardback books and like to collect them. I have a whole collection of CJ books in hardback (as well as paperbacks to carry around with me).
Will Peacemaker still continue the story of Bren and his aishid? That to me is the core of the overall story and the part that I am most interested in. In particular I’d like to see a bit more about Algini, Tano, Banichi and Jago’s backgrounds (though there should always be mystery surrounding them, and all Atevi). I’d also like to see continued development of their relationship with Bren. I miss Banichi’s sense of humour, for instance. For me, Tabini, Ilisidi and Machigi are also particularly interesting characters…
As long as I’m here thinking about it: what are folks’ opinions about the best place to purchase DRM-free ebooks of CJ’s current and major works? E.g., where should I go to buy Intruder? (in pdf or epub format, preferably.)
What Kerryk said! Yes! Yes!
Oh, and you should provide a “contribute to Bannik upkeep” button on Closed Circle to offset your booze bill . . .