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Quill & Quire review raves about Song of the Sword
I was pleasantly--very pleasantly, as you'll see--surprised to discover a review, the first I've seen, of Shards of Excalibur: Song of the Sword in the September issue of Quill & Quire, Canada's magazine of book news and reviews. The review, by author Robert J. Wiersema, almost gave me a heart attack with the first sentence, though. It begins: Authors who incorporate, interpret, or subvert Arthurian legends in works of contemporary fantasy take a huge risk: the failure rate of such books is staggeringly high. Gulp. Fortunately, he continues with: Every so often, though, a writer is skilled enough to utilize the stories of King Arthur and Camelot to significant effect. ...Download a free bookmark for Song of the Sword!
Lobster Press has created a great bookmark for Shards of Excalibur: Song of the Sword, which I'm pleased to offer for free downloading. There's a JPG version at left, or you can download the full PDF version. Be the first on your block to have one! Get it now!I’ll be teaching a speculative fiction writing workshop this fall…
...through the University of Regina's Centre for Continuing Education, and you can sign up for it now! Here's how it's described: Speculative Fiction Workshop Aurora Award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Edward Willett leads a six-week workshop for writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Students bring new or revised work to each session and prepare to read it aloud for critiquing by the instructor and other class members. Each student will receive a one-on-one session with the instructor to discuss his or her work in detail. Instructor: Edward Willett Mon, Sep 13-Oct 25, 6:30-8:30pm $145 + GST You can find the entire fall catalogue for the U of R's Continuing Education program here. Hope to see you there!Lobster Press Fall/Winter 2010 catalogue released, Song of the Sword gets pride of place
Lobster Press has just made its Fall/Winter 2010 catalogue available, and my new YA fantasy Song of the Sword gets pride of place as the first book listed. Guess I'd better get busy and write the second book...Electronic galley of Song of the Sword available to reviewers
I now have an electronic version of Song of the Sword, Book 1 in The Shards of Excalibur, my new YA fantasy coming out this fall from Lobster Press, available to send to any bona fide book reviewers (for online sites or print) interested in reading and reviewing the novel leading up to its October release. If you review books and you'd like a copy, send me an email or just leave a comment on this post.Here’s the cover art for Song of the Sword
I'm pleased to finally be able to show off the cover art for my upcoming YA fantasy, Song of the Sword, Book 1 of five-book series The Shards of Excalibur, coming out in mid-October from Lobster Press. The art work is by Allen Douglas, and I like it a lot. Here's the blurb from the Amazon.ca page (where you can already pre-order the book...and where, obviously, some people have, because it has a remarkably high rating for not actually being in print yet): Before the Lady called her, Ariane's life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different ...A writing update: one book launches, one moves toward publication, one waits in the wings
It's been a busy week, writing-wise. My latest adult nonfiction book, with the admittedly not-very-sexy title of Land Surveying in Saskatchewan: Laying the Groundwork for Property Rights and Development, has now been released by the Saskatchewan Land Surveyor's Association. The release coincides with the SLSA's annual general meeting (at which I'll be making a speech tomorrow for the Past President's Luncheon), and the launch was held at Government House with the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan, the Hon. Dr. Gordon Barnhart, in attendance. Dr. Barnhart gave a very nice speech, there were a few other remarks, and then I helped unveil a giant poster showing off the cover of the book. I ...I’ve sold another novel!
Specifically, I've sold The Singing Water, a modern-day YA fantasy with Arthurian elements, set mostly in Saskatchewan, to Montreal's Lobster Press, a Canadian publisher of award-winning children's books. Best of all, they're planning to bring out the entire five-book series I've got planned, collectively entitled Excalibur Reforged. The Singing Water is scheduled to kick things off next fall; which means my first couple of months of 2010 will be spent on revising it. I'm very excited to be returning to YA fantasy and looking forward to working with Lobster Press. With this sale, I'll have at least five books coming out next year: my history of Saskatchewan surveyors, my biographies of Johnny Cash and Andy Warhol for Enslow Publishers, ...I’ll be teaching a course in writing SF for the University of Regina in March…
...for the Centre for Continuing Education Writing Series. The eight-hour course, which runs Tuesday evenings from March 6 to April 8, is described this way: Students will receive an overview of the genres included in the umbrella term speculative fiction—science fiction, fantasy and horror—plus hands-on experience in the crafting of stories within these genres. Topics will include idea development, character development, world building and story structure. Information about speculative fiction markets, workshops, writers’ organizations, websites and conventions will also be provided. Students will be expected to produce work to be critiqued and to critique others’ work. The tuition fee is $99; registration form is online here.My blogger went to Banff, and I all I got was this lousy post
Yes, I'm in Banff, enjoying a Self-Directed Writing Residency at the Banff Centre. And, no, I haven't posted anything about it because...well, mainly because I kind of got out of the posting habit while on a long vacation in August and then I promptly became very very busy getting through my editing tasks for Fine Lifestyles Regina magazine. But, hey! I'm here! And here's a post! Which would be even better if I had a photo to upload, but the only couple of photos I've taken were with my cellphone and I didn't bring the cable allowing me to transfer that to my netbook, so, sorry. I may have been a failure as a blogger at Banff thus ...
Edward Willett is a The Shards of Excalibur, Book 1: Song of the Sword
My new YA fantasy novel, coming in October from Lobster Press
Before the Lady called her, Ariane’s life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different foster homes until her aunt finally took her in. The meanest clique at her new high school has decided to make Ariane their prime target. And to top it all off, she is having frightening premonitions, and they are becoming more intense. The moment water touches her skin, she sees visions of a lake, a lady, and a sword. When a staircase opens up in the middle of Wascana Lake and the water begins singing to her, she has no choice but to answer the call….
Marseguro
Winner of the 2009 Prix Aurora Award for Best Long-Form Work in English
Water world Marseguro is home to the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from human DNA. When an unmodified human seeks revenge on a Selkie by activating a distress beacon taken from the remains of the original colony ship, a strikeforce is sent from Earth to eradicate the genetic abomination. Yet Marseguro will not prove as easy to conquer as the Earth force anticipates…
Terra Insegura
Finalist for the 2010 Prix Aurora Award for Best Novel in English
Marseguro, a water world far from Earth, is home to a colony of humans and the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from modified human DNA. For seventy years the colony has lived in peace. Then Earth discovers Marseguro, and a strike force is sent to eradicate this “abomination.” But Marseguro has created a genetically tailored plague to use against Earth’s Holy Warriors. With the enemy defeated, the people of Marseguro feel they are safe. But Chris Keating, the traitor who signaled Marseguro’s location to the Holy Warriors, has fled to Earth, unknowingly carrying the deadly plague within him. The people of Marseguro feel they must send a ship to Earth with a life-saving vaccine. Only time will tell what awaits them when they reach their destination.
Lost in Translation
Kathryn was a human empath whose world and life had been destroyed when the alien S’sinn slaughtered her parents before her very eyes. Jarrikk was a young S’sinn, an unproven warrior who’d seen his flight mates slaughtered by the humans who’d sought to colonize his world.
As humans and S’sinn found themselves on the brink of war, these two Translators had to work together to find a common ground and avert catastrophe. But whether their Translators’ oath and training could overcome the enemies leagued against them was very much in doubt…
Archives
Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw
Ten walks to points of historic and architectural interest in the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw (eight walks for Regina, two for Moose Jaw).
Disease-Hunting Scientist
The true stories of six real disease hunters. Epidemiologists travel the world trying to keep us safe from deadly diseases—from high-tech labs in Canada to remote villages in Africa. Learn how these “disease detectives” are coming up with new ways to fight disease, and find out if you have what it takes to become an epidemiologist, too!
The Bounty Mutiny
The Bounty was a British ship visiting Tahiti in 1789 when some of the crew overthrew the captain, William Bligh, and set him adrift in a tiny boat with sailors loyal to him. The mutiny resulted in a number of trials–both of the men who mutinied and of Bligh for losing command of his ship. These fascinating events have been the source for numerous Hollywood movies, most recently The Bounty. The Bounty Mutiny: From the Court Case to the Movie explores the famous case and the movies it inspired.
