Tag Archives: Venusian Gambit

October 27, 2015 · 5:15 pm

The Daedalus Incident on sale for the Kindle

TDI-bigcoverWhy do things go on sale all of a sudden? Who sets the price? When does it end? When it comes to my things (i.e. books), I kind of wish I had answers, but in the grand scheme of things I guess it’s a good deal for you, the reader, so I won’t complain.

All of this is to say that The Daedalus Incident, the first book in the Daedalus trilogy and one of the best SF/F books of the year according to Library Journal and BuzzFeed, is going for just $5.59 on the Kindle, and the Kindle only. Given that it tends to sell for $9.99, that’s a decent 45% cut, give or take. (Don’t ask me to commit mathematics.)

I have no idea when this started, and no idea if/when it will end. But if you haven’t given the series a shot yet, now’s a good time to do so. And if you have — and I thank you for it! — this isn’t a bad time to nudge your pals about that weird, quirky Napoleonic Era space opera you enjoyed.

Sorry, The Enceladus Crisis and The Venusian Gambit remain at full price…for now.

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October 21, 2015 · 5:30 pm

New podcast interview: Hanging out with TJ Redig on Scrivener’s Soapbox

Just a quick note: I did a interview recently with author and podcaster TJ Redig, proprietor of the Scrivener’s Soapbox podcast, which is now live and available for your listening pleasure. In it, I discuss the Daedalus trilogy, my short fiction, and the upcoming MAJESTIC-12 series. We also talk about homebrewing, and I am duly chastened for not upgrading my brewery game beyond the basics.

It was a fun interview, and if you’re interested, there’s some new MAJESTIC-12 tidbits in there that haven’t been revealed anywhere else. I also had a cold when I did this one, so I apologize for coughing in your ear from time to time. If memory serves, there’s also an awkward pause where I had to hit mute so I could give my wife some money for our daughter’s lunch for the week.

Real life, man. Raw and unfiltered.

My thanks to TJ for having me on. You can listen to it right here on this site, surf on over to TJ’s site, or head to iTunes and download it.

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October 12, 2015 · 5:45 pm

Guest post at Locus Magazine: Leaving one series, starting another

It’s been pretty heartening to have folks ask me about the further adventures of Thomas Weatherby, Shaila Jain and the rest of the Daedalus trilogy crew — there are fans, and they like the stories. This is truly awesome and humbling.

And while one never says never, I do feel that the story that wrapped up in The Venusian Gambit was a good end-point, which is why we announced last week that I’ve been working on a new series: MAJESTIC-12.

That doesn’t mean I won’t miss Weatherby and Shaila, though.

I had the privilege of posting at Locus Magazine’s Roundtable blog today about what it’s like to wrap one series and start another. It’s from a very writer-centric point of view, as you can imagine, and to my surprise, it reads a bit more wistful than I thought.

But that said, I’m excited about the first book in the MAJESTIC-12 series, MJ-12: Inception, which I handed in to my editors on Friday. (Woot!) And the Locus post drops a few more details on that series, so surf on over and check it out.

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September 14, 2015 · 5:15 pm

Donate to help refugees and win a signed Daedalus trilogy

Kevin Hearne is good people. Seriously, he’s the absolute best. He writes absolutely fantastic books, he’s the Tacopope of the Holy Taco Church, and he always seems to bring joy wherever he goes. No, really. Hang with him some time. Real, honest-to-God joy seems to follow in his wake.

This is probably why his effort to help with the European refugee crisis has attracted so many authors, including myself. Kevin goes forth, we help. It’s what we do.

So here’s the deal. Donate to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, or to the Worldbuilders effort to fund the Mercy Corps, helpfully linked right here. Then send Kevin an e-mail (kevin at kevinhearne dot com, but with all the appropriate formatting) telling him that you did so, and boom — you’re entered to win books. There are a ton up for grabs, including all three of mine — The Daedalus Incident, The Enceladus Crisis and The Venusian Gambit, each signed by me.

In addition to my books, there are tomes from such upstanding people as Stephen Blackmoore, ML Brennan, Peter V. Brett, Beth Cato, Adam Christopher, Myke Cole, Harry Connolly, Karina Cooper, Delilah S. Dawson, Leanna Renee Hieber, C.A. Higgins, Jason M. Hough, Mario Kloos, Brian McClellan, Nicole Peeler, Andrea Philips, Jay Posey, Alan Smale, Michael J. Sullivan, Jaye Wells and Chuck Wendig.

I mean, wow. That’s a lot of books from a lot of great authors.

Now, technically and legally, you don’t have to donate to win. You can just e-mail Kevin. But seriously, it would be exceptionally good karma if you did. Folks out there need your help. Be good to one another. Help out.

Kevin’s gonna be doing this until Sunday, Sept. 20, and picking winners on Monday, Sept. 21. Please donate, and let Kevin know. Thanks.

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September 5, 2015 · 8:00 am

The last of The Daedalus Incident giveaways at DragonCon, plus what I’m up to today

So here I am thinking that 100 copies of The Daedalus Incident would be enough of a substantial giveaway to last the entire weekend here at DragonCon.

Silly me. I’m gonna have to bring more of the Secret Project books next year…

…wait. I’ve said too much. Anyway.

The Daedalus Incident went fast yesterday — in fact, we burned through nearly our entire shipment at the SFWA booth, and it’s only the first day of the con! Thanks to everyone at DragonCon who showed such interest in the book. If you grabbed one and enjoyed it, I’d mightly appreciate it if you took the time to tell your friends and/or put up reviews on social media, Goodreads, Amazon, etc.

And of course, if you really liked it, I hope you’ll think about buying the second and third books!

If you didn’t get one at the SFWA booth, your last chance for a free copy will be today at 1 p.m. at the University room at the Hyatt. I’m doing a reading and I have two copies to give out there. After that, they’re gone.

Today’s another day, so here’s where I’ll be at DragonCon if you want to hunt me down…er…as in hunt me down to say hello, get a book signed or buy me beer. You know, no actual hunting.

  • 9-10 a.m., Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America booth, Exhibit level, Hyatt. Just doing my part for SFWA. Come learn about what the organization does, get free books from great authors like Naomi Novik and Jason M. Hough, and hey, there’s a cookbook for sale, too!
  • 1 p.m., Michael J. Martinez reading, University room, Conference level (one floor below the Art Show), Hyatt. I’ll read from The Venusian Gambit, possibly from Cthulhu Fhtagn! and maybe even talk about the Secret Project. Also, it’s your chance to grab those last two freebies.
  • 8:30 p.m., Alternate Armed Conflicts panel, Augusta 3, Westin. A look at the various wars and conflicts throughout history, seen through alt-history authors’ warped lenses.
  • 11:30 p.m., The Steampunk’s Guide to Home Brewing and Distilling panel, Augusta 1-2, Westin. Aww, yeah. Stay up late with us as we talk brewing and distilling for the Steampunk crowd.

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August 19, 2015 · 5:45 pm

My schedule for DragonCon

In just a few short weeks, I’ll be heading down to Atlanta for my second DragonCon. Last year was absolutely fantastic, and I’m looking forward to this year even more. Here’s my schedule, still tentative, for this year’s festivities.

Note: We’ve already had one update, with the brewing/distilling panel moved from Friday to Saturday night, as reflected below.

  • Beginner’s Guide to Alternate History, Steampunk & Other Subgenres panel, Friday Sept. 4, 11:30 a.m, Augusta 1-2, Westin — This will be a great intro to everything alt-history and historical fantasy have to offer.
  • Cthulhu: New Spins on Old Mythos panel, Friday Sept. 4, 7 p.m., Peachtree 1-2, Westin — Yay, Cthulhu! We’ll be talking about keeping the roots of the Cthulhu Mythos relevant for today’s audiences, and there’s some awesome folks with me on the panel.
  • Reading: Michael J. Martinez, Saturday Sept. 5, 1 p.m., University, Hyatt — This one’s all me, all the time. Well, for an hour at least. I’ll read from The Venusian Gambit and possibly from “On a Kansas Plain” from the Cthulhu Fhtagn! anthology or even my Secret Project. And y’all can ask me whatever you like. It’ll be fun!
  • Alternate Armed Conflicts panel, Saturday Sept. 5, 8:30 p.m., Augusta 3, Westin — Looking at various conflicts through the lens of alternate history. Eric Flint is with me on this one, and I’m stoked to meet him.
  • The Steampunk’s Guide to Home Brewing and Distilling panel, Saturday, Sept. 5, 11:30 p.m., Augusta 3, Westin — You know I had to do this one. Let’s talk about brewing and distilling and my great-grandmother’s Prohibition still.
  • World Building, Part 2: The Multicultural Multiverse panel, Sunday Sept. 6, 7 p.m., Augusta 1-2, Westin — This panel goes beyond Britannia to talk about alt-history in other times and places.

Other than that, I expect I’ll be hanging out at the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America booth, where there very well may be a rather large-ish giveaway of my work. I’ll post more as the time gets closer on that. And when not doing that, I’ll be roaming and Tweeting and hanging out with fellow scribes. Hope to see you there!

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August 17, 2015 · 7:30 pm

Greetings from San Francisco!

Just a quick note here. I’m working out of my company’s San Francisco office this week and part of next, and it’s pretty fantastic — killer views of the Ferry Building, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz…skyscrapers are awesome. And we got a HomeAway by Golden Gate Park, which is cool.

The reading at Borderlands Books on Sunday was great fun, and I had the distinct pleasure of sharing the stage with Taiyo Fujii, who’s a fine gentleman indeed; we even swapped signed books. I look forward to diving into my signed copy of Gene Mapper very soon — well, as soon as I get more words down on my next novel.

What next novel? Well, I’ve been leaving some breadcrumbs here and there — check out the Secret Project page for more, and this Tweet:

Sorry if you missed the reading, because I did let some things drop there. The business dealings on the project are dealt with; we’re merely waiting for the opportune moment to talk about it more. Soon, I promise.

In terms of other book stuff, I now have my tentative schedule for DragonCon, which I’ll probably blog about soon. Cthulhu Fhtagn! is out, and it’s awesome — go get a copy! And again, there’s other stuff I can’t quite talk about yet, but I’m super excited. Super. Excited.

Otherwise, we’re just enjoying our time here. Someone already offered me “sweet green buds” on the street in the Haight, and no fewer than four people have asked me for directions since I’ve been in town. Do I look like a San Franciscan? That would be cool, as it’s a fantastic city. The food is great, the beer is even better, and the sights are unparalleled.

Oh, and we were greeted early this morning with a mild earthquake that shook the apartment for a moment. At first, I just thought a big truck went by. Not so bad, but honestly, I’m good on earthquakes now, thanks.

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August 14, 2015 · 6:30 pm

Reminder: Reading/signing Sunday at 3 p.m. at Borderlands! Plus Cthulhu Fhtagn! is coming!

So I’m back at home for a solid 18 hours before heading off to San Francisco in the morning. This is a good thing, as San Francisco is awesome. And on Sunday, I’ll be at Borderlands Books at 3 p.m. for a joint reading/signing with Taiyo Fujii, author of Gene Mapper. I’ll likely read from The Venusian Gambit and perhaps from something else, too. If you’re around, I’d love to see you there!

Also, I got this:

It’s so pretty, in a dark and creepy way. Very excited about this one. The anthology got a nice review at Fantasy Literature and a “future treasures” mention at Black Gate. It’s available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and at Word Horde, and comes out tomorrow, Aug. 15.

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August 6, 2015 · 5:45 pm

In praise of editing and editors

There are a lot of writers out there today. The Internet has made it easy for folks to get their words out their for consumption — there’s an insatiable demand for “content” (ugh…it’s writing, dammit!) on any number of sites, for one. Blogs can be set up in mere minutes. And self-publishing has made it relatively simple for an author to get his or her work out there.

These are all good things, mind you. I’m not going to complain about this one whit, nor am I gonna pass judgment on this new influx of post-Internet writers. They’re either good or they’re not, but judge them on the merits, not how they got there.

Yet if there’s one thing that kind of irks/concerns me, it’s the seemingly not-insignificant number of writers who relish putting their words out there without an editor. “I don’t need an editor.” “Editors will only mess up what I’m trying to do here.” “I already know how to write.”

*stares boggle-eyed*

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August 2, 2015 · 12:00 pm

Reading at Borderlands Books in San Francisco in two weeks

Another handy event reminder for you: Two weeks from today, on Aug. 16,  I’ll be at Borderlands Books in beautiful San Francisco to do a reading alongside Japanese science fiction author Taiyo Fujii. The gig starts at 3 p.m., and given this fantastic store, you’ll want to hang out the rest of the afternoon.

It’s certainly an odd but interesting pairing, as Taiyo writes near future, cutting-edge science fiction. He self-pubbed in Japan a few years ago and saw his debut Gene Mapper shoot to the top of the Amazon charts there. That led to a publishing deal and now the English translation in the U.S. I’ve not read Gene Mapper, but I hear tell it’s a pretty intense, awesome thriller, and you can bet I’m picking up a copy.

As for me, of course, I’ll be talking about the Daedalus trilogy and likely reading a bit from The Venusian Gambit. It’s also worth noting that Cthulhu Fhtagn! comes out the day before the reading, so I may talk that up and read a bit from “On a Kansas Plain” to celebrate that, too.

So if you’re in San Francisco or the Bay Area in general, I’d absolutely love to see you. And if you can’t make it, I urge you to please patronize Borderlands Books and consider becoming a member. It’s a fantastic store and a wonderful focus for the local SF/F community. If you’re not in the area, never fear — they ship! Check ’em out and help the store thrive; alternatively, be sure to buy from your own local booksellers.

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