Neve Maslakovic's Blog, page 6

Finally some nice weather here in the Twin Cities - sixty degrees and (partly, but we'll take it) sunny. The flowers aren't blooming yet, but there's hope.

There are various May promotions going on for my series starter, The Far Time Incident, so if you're in the mood for a time-travel mystery, it's a great time to pick up the audiobook (wonderfully narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal and $6.95 for Audible customers until May 10) or the ebook ($1.99 on Kindle until Memorial Day) or...

Today I welcome fellow 47North author Melissa F. Olson to the blog! Melissa writes urban fantasy -- her short story Sell-By Date, an introduction to her Scarlett Bernard series, releases today. Read on:




Neve: Tell me about your books, Melissa – what drew you to writing an urban fantasy series?
Melissa: I’ve been an urban fantasy reader since I was twenty-three and my baby sister first passed me a copy of Rob Thurman’s Nightlife. As I was beginning to write, however, I told myself that I wo...

Uncle Hugo's is a science fiction bookstore here in Minneapolis. They've just celebrated their 40th anniversary, which makes Uncle Hugo's the "oldest independent science fiction bookstore" in the U.S.! Needless to say, forty years is a long time to be in business, especially in the publishing business, so a big congrats to Don Blyly--you can read his take on How's Business? in this store newsletter. The store is next door to its mystery twin, Uncle Edgar's, and is packed from floor...

It's finally here -- release day for The Runestone Incident! This is the second book in the Incident series (and my third book in all). You might think that the long wait between the final proofs (mid-October) and release day (today!) would get easier with each successive book… but it doesn't. It's always the same mix of nervous anticipation and itchy impatience. But that's now over and Book 2 is out and available in these formats: trade paperback, ebook for your Kindle, tablet, or iPad, and ...

Hope everyone is having a merry and relaxing holiday season. Look what landed on my doorstep, like a Christmas present from my publisher -- the advance copies of The Runestone Incident (Book 2 of the Incident series)! Here are the ARCs, looking all snug in their box:


Half of the books have been slated for a Goodreads giveaway, but the other ten are up for grabs. If you'd like one, let me know within the next couple of days! Remember, the ARC is the next-to-last version of the bo...

I'm very pleased to welcome Kate Danley to the blog today. She's a USA Today bestselling author, an actor, and a playwright. She shares sage advice about the business of publishing, including why being a writer can be easier than being an actor. Read on: 


Kate, tell me about Queen Mab.Queen Mab is the story of Romeo & Juliet told from the viewpoint of Queen Mab. There have been a lot of fantasy authors recently who have been getting Mab (the fairy queen o...

Just a quick reminder that I will be at the at the Galaxie Library in Apple Valley this Saturday (November 16), from 1-4 pm. It's an author fair, so if you have some free time on what promises to be a gray autumn weekend, drop by to say hello or get a book signed or enter the book raffle. There will be a guest speaker, Lorna Landvik, and four free Loft workshops to choose from: Writing Children's Books, Novel Writing, Writing & Illustrating Children's Books, and So You Want...

The great 47North blog swap of 2013 continues! I'm on Jeff Wheeler's blog today (talking about History's Mysteries, or where to look for the story) and he is here to tell us how maps help shape his books. Read on:

There is something essential about having a map in a fantasy world. Back during medieval times, a cartographer would reach the edge of their known world and often draw a picture of a dragon or a sea serpent with the label, “Here There Be Dragons”—meaning, in short, “I have...

Today I chat with Anne Charnock, author of A Calculated Life, a Dystopian vision of corporate life in 21st century, which releases this week. We conversed about her switch from journalism to fiction and the ups and downs of the writing life. Without further ado:


Neve:  Anne, congrats on your debut novel -- I'm looking forward to reading it! What prompted the switch from science journalism to science fiction? Was fiction writing something you had always wanted to try, or di...

Today I interview fellow 47North author Steve McHugh. Steve writes fantasy, lives in England, and self-published his first two books before they were picked up by 47North. Read on:

Q: Tell me about your books, Steve – what drew you to writing a dark urban fantasy series?


A: My books are Crimes Against Magic and Born of Hatred, the first 2 books in the Hellequin Chronicles. They’re about the life of Nathan (Nate) Garrett, a 1600 year old sorcerer who used to work for Merlin. Each book has f...