Martin Millar's Blog, page 2

'Scenes From Author's Life.' New book, an old translation, and work that was terrible but paid well. Plus Japanese alcohol. OK, this isn't holding together very well. Never mind, carry on. The books are Supercute Second Future, just published, a nice German translation of Dreams of Sex and Stage Diving from around 1996 and Tank Girl, novelisation of the Film from 1994. With a bottle of Sakura Sarasara which is cherry blossom liqueur. Writing the novelisation of the Tank Girl film was an awful job. By the time they'd sorted out the contracts I had ten days to do it. Really. Still, it was lucrative so I wasn't complaining that much.

If things aren't going well, just disappear into Supercute World. Life is much happier there.

Supercute Futures: Amazon UK : Amazon US : Apple Books

Supercute Second Future: Amazon UK : Amazon US : Apple Books

 

My new book Supercute Second Future has now been published. This is the sequel to Supercute Futures.
Paperback is here on Amazon UK  and here on Amazon US.
Ebook is here on Amazon UK and here on Amazon US.

I recently received a grant from the Royal Literary Fund. I was very pleased about this. Like many other people, I've been struggling recently. Also, although my writing career has now spanned thirty-five years, it's probably the only time any British literary institution has acknowledged my existence. Major literary events are not clamouring for my participation. So I sort of felt validated by the award. I suppose I shouldn't need to feel validated but I did anyway. The Royal Literary Fund doesn't require you to make any grant they give you public knowledge but I'm mentioning it anyway because I'm grateful to them, and they were nice to deal with. Also, to let any struggling authors known that they're an institution who are worth applying to if you could use some help.

Supercute Second Future, sequel to my last book, Supercute Futures, will be published soon. Around a month from now.
'Mox and Mitsu, owners of Supercute, have millions of dedicated fans all over the world. Supercute has grown into one of the world's largest and most powerful conglomerates. They now own their own weapons company and their London headquarters is protected by an advanced array of drones and missiles. Despite this, they're in danger again. An international force of hostile consortiums, armed mercenaries and artificial intelligences is conspiring to bring them down. Mox and Mitsu would much rather concentrate on their cute clothes and toys but once more they're obliged to fight to survive in their ruined, flooded, irradiated future.'

Thraxas Meets His Enemies, book 12 in the series, has been going well since publication a few months ago. Here are some good customer reviews from Amazon.

This is the cover for Supercute Second Future, sequel to my last novel Supercute Futures, which will be published fairly soon. Drawn by Simon Fraser who, a long time ago, illustrated the Lux and Alby graphic novel.

The ebook for Thraxas Meets His Enemies – Thraxas Book 12 – is now on sale, after a slight delay. Thraxas is back in his home city of Turai.

Amazon UK   Amazon US   Amazon DE

Apple Books   Kobo   Nook

'Sources at the Palace indicate that a very large sum of money in the form of gold bullion has disappeared from the Palace vaults. This was earmarked for the purchase of food and is a terrible loss to a city already on the brink of starvation. The whole affair smacks of corruption at the highest levels. Our revered War Leader Lisutaris, Mistress of the Sky, is of course beyond suspicion but the sad truth is she's surrounded by a coterie of very dubious characters including assassins, degenerate sorcerers, half-Orcish ruffians and several shady figures from the lower depths of Turanian society. Our readers will be amazed to learn that among these figures is Thraxas, about whom the Chronicle has had reason to warn the city before. As the food intended for our starving population disappears to the Simnian, Samsarinan and Niojan encampments, many curious glances will be cast towards the Mistress of the Sky, wondering why her most trusted companions all seem to be characters of the very lowest repute…'

Some delay in the ebook of Thraxas Meets His Enemies, due to an error in the supplier's copy. They've corrected that now and it should be arriving at ebook sellers in the next few days. Meanwhile here are some notes on Thraxas.
1) I should have planned more before I started. My total thought process before writing the first Thraxas book was 'How about having a detective in some sort of Tolkien-like world?' That was my entire planning. I really should have thought about it more.2) At first I imagined the books as more noir. I have enjoyed Raymond Chandler. That didn't last long, probably because Thraxas and Makri became quite funny together.3) Madeline Rae Mason, photographer and model, is the model on all the covers, and went above and beyond in her efforts. The work she put in to make herself look like that and take the pics was worth more than I paid her. Thanks Madeline.3) Thraxas is now surrounded by women, in an odd, unplanned way. Many of them giving him a hard time. Makri, savage fighter and companion, Lisutaris, most powerful sorcerer, Tanrose, valued provider of pies, Hanama, cold-hearted assassin, Tirini, fashionable sorcerer, Anumaris, eager young sorcerer, Droo, enthusiastic young Elf, and Deeziz, orcish enemy sorcerer. Even Dandelions, dolphin-friend and barmaid. He seems to have only one male friend, Gurd. I don't know why this happened.4) Thraxas shares his impressive girth with Falstaff, and his appetites for food, drink and bragging. Importantly, however, Thraxas is brave. The underdog detective does not run away from a fight, and neither does Thraxas.5) Orbit Publisher. They supported Thraxas for the first eight books before pulling out. Not so bad, I suppose, though they were never any good at promoting them.