Kameron Hurley Signing at Bakka Phoenix Books

Yesterday I headed to downtown Toronto to see Kameron Hurley, author of, among other things, God's War, The Mirror Empire, and The Stars are Legion.

I wasn't sure if she was doing a reading so I got there a few minutes late. So I missed the opening of the passage she read from her upcoming novel, The Light Brigade. The book sounds awesome.

After the reading she took questions and then signed copies of her books. Her novels aren't for everyone (they're pretty brutal), but she writes fantastic essays and does a podcast that details the writing life - and its many trials. 

It was a fun event. I've missed going to things like this.

Mississauga Science Fiction Spectacular

If you're in the Toronto area, you might be interested in attending this day of SF fun.  I heard about this event via Lloyd Penny's Pubnites and other events email newsletter and copied the info from Robert Sawyer's website.

Mississauga Science Fiction Spectacular

Mississauga Central Library in the Noel Ryan Auditorium, 301 Burnhamthorpe Rd. West, adjacent to City Hall  Mississauga, Ontario
Saturday, October 18, 2014, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Free — but space is limited. Please register in advance with the Central Library's "Readers' Den" Department: Phone 905-615-3200, extension 3544.

In honour of Mississauga resident ROBERT J. SAWYER's receipt of the Lifetime Achievement Aurora Award from the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, the Mississauga Public Library is pleased to present a FREE one-day science-fiction festival.
Rob asked us to get his "dream team" to join him at this event, and we did. Speaking and reading will be:
• Marie Bilodeau, Aurora Award-nominated author of Destiny's Blood
• Tanya Huff, Aurora Award-winning author of The Silvered
• Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Hominids
• Robert Charles Wilson, Hugo Award-winning author of Spin

10:00 a.m.: Keynote address by Robert J. Sawyer on "The Canadian Science-Fiction Experience"
11:00 a.m.: "Differences Between Writing Science Fiction and Writing Fantasy" — Marie Bilodeau and Tanya Huff in conversation
Noon: lunch break
1:00 p.m.: Author Readings #1: Marie Bilodeau and Robert Charles Wilson
2:00 p.m.: "Science Fiction and the Science of the Mind" — Robert J. Sawyer and Robert Charles Wilson in conversation
3:00 p.m.: Author Readings #2: Tanya Huff and Robert J. Sawyer
4:00 p.m.: "The Future of Science Fiction Publishing" — Marie Bilodeau, Tanya Huff, Robert J. Sawyer, and Robert Charles Wilson

 (subject to refinement as the date approaches)

In Toronto? Come see Michael Rowe

Enter, Night author Michael Rowe's new book, Wild Fell, is coming out and he's doing some events for it.

Here's a synopsis for the book:

The crumbling summerhouse called Wild Fell, soaring above the desolate shores of Blackmore Island, has weathered the violence of the seasons for more than a century. Built for his family by a 19th-century politician of impeccable rectitude, the house has kept its terrible secrets and its darkness sealed within its walls. For a hundred years, the townspeople of Alvina have prayed that the darkness inside Wild Fell would stay there, locked away from the light.

Jameson Browning, a man well acquainted with suffering, has purchased Wild Fell with the intention of beginning a new life, of letting in the light. But what waits for him at the house is devoted to its darkness and guards it jealously. It has been waiting for Jameson his whole life . . . or even longer. and now, at long last, it has found him.

He's doing a signing at the World's Biggest Bookstore (20 Edward Street) on Sunday December 1st, from 12 - 3 PM.  He's also doing a book launch on Monday December 2nd at The Red Bull Lounge / Fly Nightclub (1 Gloucester Street) from 7 - 11 PM.

See Brandon Sandersin, James Dashner and Christopher Paolini talk in NYC - or online

If you're in New York City, there's an awesome YA author event coming up this Saturday.  Here are the details from the email I got:

Random House Children’s Books is pleased to announce that three of the biggest name authors in science fiction and fantasy are coming together for an afternoon panel hosted by the 92nd Street Y in New York City on November 16th. James Dashner (The Eye of Minds), Christopher Paolini (Eragon: 10th Anniversary Edition), and Brandon Sanderson (Steelheart) will entertain their fans via an interactive panel discussion moderated by Alexander Zalben of MTV News. One of the first YA events that the 92nd Street Y has hosted, the panel will be livestreamed to viewers across the globe who won’t be able to make it to the New York area to see the event in person. The link for the livestream will be found here: http://92yondemand.org/livecast/

Dashner, Paolini, and Sanderson are all forces to be reckoned with in the children’s literature world. Dashner, best known for his Maze Runner series, has sold over 2.4 million copies of his books in North America alone. Fall 2014 will see the feature film debut of The Maze Runner (20th Century Fox). With a loyal fanbase that has dubbed itself the “Dashner Army” (#DashnerArmy) as well as the publication of The Eye of Minds, the first book in his new Mortality Doctrine series, Dashner continues to gain in popularity amongst both teenagers and adults.
...

To purchase tickets to this one-of-a-kind event, visit http://www.92y.org/Event/Paolini-Dashner-Sanderson.aspx. A discounted ticket price is offered to attendees under 35 years of age. The authors’ newest titles—Eragon: 10th Anniversary Edition, Steelheart, and The Eye of Minds—will be available for purchase, and to be signed by the authors, at the event.

Here are all the important details for those who wish to attend in person:

Date: Sat, Nov 16, 2013, 3 pm
Location: Lexington Avenue at 92nd St
Venue: Buttenwieser Hall
Price: from $22.00

And remember, the free live webcast will be available here.

R. A. Salvatore Signing at the World's Biggest Bookstore, part 2

As promised, here are more videos for your enjoyment. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone!

This isn't advice most aspiring authors will want to hear, but it's better to know what you're in for if you want to be a career writer.



I missed recording the question on this one. Salvatore's basically explaining that racism in books (where are are distinctly different races) is different from racism among humans.

A longer video, Salvatore touches on several things - how the internet has changed, how he used to feel about criticism and what helps him ignore critics now.

He really is a great public speaker and a friendly guy. If he's coming to a city near you, go see him.

R. A. Salvatore Signing at the World's Biggest Bookstore

We had a fabulous event on Thursday when R. A. Salvatore came to the World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto to talk about and sign books. If you want to see more pictures, click this link. I spent yesterday editing clips from the Q&A. Fellow Forgotten Realms author, Ed Greenwood, was in the crowd. Here's a video of them, holding each others newest release, answering the question, "What's the best thing about being an author?"


And some other videos that relate. I'll be posting more videos next week. So stay tuned.

Meet R. A. Salvatore in Toronto October 7th, 7pm

Just a reminder, R. A. Salvatore will be meeting fans and signing books at the World's Biggest Bookstore on Thursday October 7th, at 7 pm. Here's a book trailer for his newest release, Gauntlgrym.

From his site:

When one of his oldest friends, Bruenor Battlehammer, chooses to spend his final days searching for the fabled dwarf kingdom of Gauntlgrym, Drizzt readily agrees. Drizzt joins Bruenor on his quest for the fabled dwarven kingdom of Gauntlgrym: ruins said to be rich with ancient treasure and arcane lore. Unfortunately, the more they uncover about the secret of Gauntlgrym, the more it looks like they can’t stop it on their own.

Not in Toronto? He'll be visiting numerous cities, so check out his tour list either on facebook or his website (which also mentions his online tour - in case he's not coming to a city near you).

Winds of Dune Event - Toronto

For those of you who will be in the Toronto area next week, here's an H.B. Fenn event you won't want to miss:

"The Winds of Dune Event

Attention fans of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson! The authors will be in Toronto to promote their new book The Winds of Dune on August 18th. Details are below. Tuesday August 18th @7PM Launch at the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation, and Fantasy 239 College Street, 3rd Floor Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R5 Hope to see you there!"

Note, the Merril collection is on the top floor of the Lillian H. Smith Library.

(notice copied from a posting made on an Indigo group site)