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Signing in Albuquerque

June 3, 2011 at 9:51 pm
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Just a reminder for the New Mexicans out there (and any Arizonans, Coloradons, and Texans who don’t mind driving a few hours ) — I’ll be at Hastings Books in Albuquerque tomorrow afternoon, signing copies of my new DOORWAYS graphic novel from IDW and whatever other works of mine the store happens to have on hand.

The signing starts at 1:00 pm at

HASTINGS BOOKS
6051 WINTER HAVEN ROAD, NW
ALBUQUERQUE
(505) 898-9227
(505) 898-5019

See you there!

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Sneak Peeks

June 3, 2011 at 9:47 am
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For a sneak peek at the Hound from the 2012 ICE & FIRE calendar, check out John Picacio’s blog at http://picacio.blogspot.com/2011/06/2012-asoiaf-calendar-hound-preview.html

John has other sneaks up there as well, and will be giving more peeks in the future.

The calendar will debut at the San Diego Comicon in July, and can be preordered right now from Amazon or your favorite local bookstore.

Oh, and Valyrian Steel has sent me pictures of the prototype of King Robert’s warhammer, just received. Here, have a look:

Please note, this is a prototype. Further adjustments will be made before the hammer goes into production. For future details, or to weigh in with your own thoughts and suggestions, go to the Valyrian Steel website at http://www.valyriansteel.com/

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Monkeys On My Back

June 1, 2011 at 12:42 pm
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Now that Kong has fallen, all the smaller monkeys who were hiding in his fur have come out and began to howl and chatter and beat me about the head and shoulders.

I got one off my back yesterday (though not one that most of you will care much about): my bloody taxes. At least, I got them to my accountant, so he can file my returns by the June 15 deadline. I had to take an extension back in April, since I was deep in the throes of wrestling Kong and did not have the time to deal with all those little bits of paper. I try not to bitch about taxes too much, mind you. As a good liberal, I don’t actually mind paying taxes. (And I pay a LOT of taxes). I know taxes are the price of a civilized society. That being said, I hate DOING taxes. It has gotten easier in recent years, with Ty doing a lot of the prep work and my accountant doing the final prep and filing the return… but somehow it still always seems to come down to me at three in the morning, zonked on coffee and staring at a faded receipt for $8.17 and trying to figure out what it is, where it’s from, and whether it’s deductible.

Anyway, that’s done. For one more year, at least.

Which is not to say that my back is without monkeys.

Here’s the stuff I am dealing with right now:
— reviewing pitch proposals and putting together the overplot for the new Wild Cards mosaic novel, LOWBALL,
— writing the first draft of my script for episode nine of season two of the HBO series GAME OF THRONES, “Blackwater,” and damn, but this one is a bitch of an adaptation, the original author made the damn battle way too big and too expensive,
— working on a Nicholas van Rijn story for the Poul Anderson tribute anthology Gardner Dozois and Greg Bear are editing (an especially noisy monkey, since the deadline was today and the story is a long way from being done),
— getting back into THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE, the long-promised concordance I am doing with Elio and Linda, which is almost three years late at this point, and needs to be finished and delivered by year’s end,
— roughing out the next Dunk and Egg novella, the next story in the queue after I finished the “Blackwater” script and the Poul Anderson story,
— planning for a long summer of travel: the visit to Poland and Slovenia, the book tour, San Diego comicon, worldcon in Reno, Bubonicon, and maybe another trip overseas in the fall for the HBO show, depending,
— working on a complete redesign of my website, much needed and long potsponed,
— supervising and reviewing and approving materials for the games, the cards, the video games, the comic books, the replica swords, the miniatures, etc, etc.

I am exhausted just typing about it.

And behind all that, of course, lurks Son of Kong: the WINDS OF WINTER.

Why am I writing this damned post??? I need to get to WORK!

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Painted Miniatures

May 29, 2011 at 3:09 pm
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Dark Sword Miniatures has posted lovely pictures of some painted versions of their latest crop of Ice & Fire miniatures over to their website. Gorgeous stuff. I thought I’d share them.

Here’s Varys the Spider, painted by the amazing Jen Haley.


And here’s Bronn, son of no one in particular, again by Jen Haley.


And this one is Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night’s Watch, painted by Marike Reimer.


These figures, and the rest of the range, are all available (unpainted) from the Dark Sword website at http://darkswordminiatures.com Lots more pictures there as well… including the two latest additions to the range, sculpted by the incomparable Tom Meier — King Robert I Baratheon, and Lord Tywin Lannister.

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Casting?

May 29, 2011 at 2:57 pm
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I may have been guilty of premature froggery in the “Hiya, Kids” post below.

Second season casting is in full swing, yes.

And we’re close on a few roles. Choices made, that is to say, but now we wait on HBO approval, and then of course we have to make a deal. Not all deals close, much as you would like them to. There’s budget to consider, scheduling, all sorts of things.

On other roles, well, we’ve seen a lot of readings, but we’re not in love yet. So the auditions continue. In Ireland, in London, even in LA.

Bottom line: no one has been cast yet, so stop holding your breath.

When we do sign some new cast, Froggy will give you the hints.

(Unless someone else breaks the news first).

((Or unless it’s after June 13. That’s the day I leave for Poland. I’ll be out of the loop while overseas, so after that date, the announcements are more like to come from elsewhere)).

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We’re Number One! (This Week)

May 26, 2011 at 3:15 pm
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The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER has GAME OF THRONES on the top spot in their “power rankings.” Which I guess means we’re the most powerful show on television!

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/power-rankings-returns-a-king-192363

Here’s a taste of this week’s episode, “You Win or You Die.”

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As for the post below… ah, sorry about the Horatio/ Oliver foul-up, just a brain burp on my part… explanation can be found in the comment from Amy-Joyce Hastings, for those of you who are still baffled.

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Just For the Record…

May 26, 2011 at 11:05 am
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… I am not Horatio King. {Or Oliver either}

I did, however, inspire him.

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Come Visit FORT FREAK

May 25, 2011 at 12:26 am
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Good news for all my Wild Cards readers. FORT FREAK, volume twenty-one in the series, will be out in hardcover on June 21, Tor tells me.

The cover is once again by the amazing Michael Komarck, who just keeps getting better and better. You really should nominate him for a Hugo some year, he’s way overdue.

After the wide-ranging global storylines of the Committee triad, FORT FREAK returns to New York City, the epicenter of the Wild Cards universe, to tell the stories of the cops and crooks of the historic 5th precinct of the NYPD !” the Jokertown precinct.

The lineup this time around includes stories by Wild Cards veterans Melinda Snodgrass, Stephen Leigh, John Jos. Miller, Kevin Andrew Murphy, and Victor Milan, and introduces newcomers (new to Wild Cards, at least) Cherie Priest, David Anthony Durham, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Ty Franck, and Paul Cornell. You can check out a sample of Cherie’s interstitial, the literary mortar that holds all the bricks together, on my website.

So mark June 21 on your calendars, and place your preorder now with Amazon or your favorite local bookstore. Come meet Ramshead, the Rook, Tabby, SlimJim, Abigail the understudy, Sgt. Squinch, Ratboy and Flipper, Tinkerbill, the Infamous Black Tongue, Natya, Maggie Graves, Puff, Beastie, Dr. Dildo, and the other colorful denizens of Fort Freak and environs. Old-timers like Father Squid, the Sleeper, and the Oddity are also expected to turn up to enliven the proceedings.

And while you’re reading, we’ll be working on LOWBALL.

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Have Gel Pen, Will Travel

May 24, 2011 at 4:03 pm
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We have added two more appearances to the schedule for my DANCE WITH DRAGONS signing tour.

I will be at:

Sunday, July 24
2:00pm
Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

and

Tuesday, August 2
7:00pm
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
161 Lexington Green Cir.
Lexington, KY 40503

And that’s it. I know, I know, there are a lot of other wonderful cities out there, and I wish I could visit and sign at all of them… but, alas, there’s only one of me, and I only have so much time and energy.

If I’m not coming to a city near you, please remember that I attend conventions as well. In the next couple of months I will be hitting the San Diego Comicon, the World SF Convention in Reno, Nevada, and Bubonicon in Albuquerque. There will be ample opportunity to have me sign stuff at all three events. And a lot more time to hang around and talk at any of ’em. Bubonicon is especially good for that, since it’s very small and friendly.

Speaking of Albuquerque… I will also be appearing at Hastings Books on Saturday, June 4, at 1:00pm.

HASTINGS BOOKS
6051 WINTER HAVEN ROAD, NW
ALBUQUERQUE
NM
87120
(505) 898-9227
(505) 898-5019

You won’t be able to get your copy of DANCE autographed there, alas, since the book will still be a month in the future… this event is to promote the release of the DOORWAYS graphic novel, a hardcover from IDW.

Hastings will likely have copies of my other stuff on sale as well — the first four Ice & Fire books, the recent Wild Cards volumes, maybe more — and I’d be glad to sign that as well for my New Mexifans.

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Hiya, Kids, Hiya, Hiya

May 21, 2011 at 4:30 pm
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I’ll be back soon, I will, I will.

Watch this space.

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