Head straight over there now, why don’t you? Below is an example of the kind of content that will be posted there, along with Mike’s  varied and insightful thoughts on whatever takes his fancy, and – most importantly – news about his novels, short stories and public appearances. Enjoy!

Lavie’s been in touch to let us know that he’s revamped and updated his web sote – it’s now a rather smart WordPress affair, not dissimilar to this one!

• Visit Lavie’s new web site

• Additionally – and I slap my own wrist for taking so long to post this here – Lavie’s anthology, THE APEX  BOOK OF WORLD SF has now been published  – see this interview with Lavie to find out more.
  
  • Visit Lavie’s WORLD SF web site

• A new story by Lavie, ‘Jews in Antarctica’ is now online at Fantasy Magazine.

• Lavie is nominated for one of Ann and Jeff Vandermeer’s Last Drink Bird Head Awards! He is up for the International Activism prize, given ‘In recognition of those who work to bring writers from other literary traditions and countries to the attention of readers in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia…’ The winners will be announced at the World Fantasy Convention in San José and the lucky recipient will receive a bird head figurine, a certificate, and chocolate. Fingers crossed (Lavie LOVES chocolate!)

• And finally, we’re delighted to announce the sale of Lavie’s novella MARTIAN SANDS, to Jason Sizemore at Apex Publications, a long time supporter and advocate of Lavie’s work. The novella will appear some time next year or in early 2011.

What’s a day in the life of Lavie Tidhar like?

I’m practising the old Indian Bead Trick at the moment – you might know it better as the Needle Swallowing Trick that Houdini made popular. It’s when you swallow needles and thread and then bring them back out with the needles all threaded together. Wonderful illusion. I’m too chicken to put needles in my mouth though, so I’ve been using safety pins! Ha! Definitely not as glamorous.

Which is to say, very dull, really. I get excited if I go across the border to Thailand because they actually have supermarkets there! I think heaven is a supermarket, all clean and shiny and bright. And they have a Mister Donut!

I’m easily pleased.

• Read the rest of the interview here.

You just signed a three-book deal with Angry Robot. What can you tell us about that?

Well, this was totally a case of serendipity. Last year, I was rather miffed when British Airways cancelled my flight home from World Fantasy, leaving me stuck in a shabby hotel with not much in the way of distraction. By sheer luck, there were also two people in the hotel: John Berlyne, who was setting up a new agency in the UK, and Marc Gascoigne, editor of the new HarperCollins Angry Robot. Together, they cajoled me into pitching the novel I had completed at the time (and which I’d had no intention of pitching at all, making for a rather flustered few seconds while I got my sentences under control).

And, as it turned out, the first became my agent, and negotiated a three-book deal with the second, for the novel in question and two sequels. It all feels very surreal, but there you have it.

The novel is called Servant of the Underworld, and is a fantasy-mystery set in Aztec times, featuring death-priest-cum-investigator Acatl (and ghostly jaguars, bloodthirsty gods and fingernail-eating monsters). It’s a wild, fast-paced ride through a blood-soaked land where the old gods are manifest, and quick to demand their due in all kinds of unpleasant ways. It’s due in print Spring 2010.

• Read the whole interview here.

“It’s an irresistible question, because truly comprehending what goes on in someone else’s mind is impossible, intangible, and all the more fascinating for it. Truth is, I don’t always know where my own ideas come from. They seldom arrive fully formed, but tend to develop in a tree-like fashion, usually in need of considered pruning. But what makes us want to write in the first place?”

Freda’s novel Elfland, published by Tor Books is due for release mid-August.

“No definite plans for another TristopolisWhite Bones. So it’ll happen at some point, I hope. book, though I’ve created an outline for one, called

Well, I thought I’d been ambitious with some of my previous books, but I’m really going for it this time. The book in progress is called Absorption, being book 1 of the Ragnarok trilogy. The trilogy ends a million years after the earliest storyline begins.

All right, for most of the story, the different timelines only span a couple of dozen centuries…

It’s set in the Pilots future history, but totally subsumes the previous four books in that setting, and you can read Absorption with or without knowledge of the other books.“

“WARBREAKER by Brandon Sanderson is #24 on the NY Times Hardcover Fiction list for the week ending June 13, 2009.

This is the second straight book from Brandon’s to make the NY Times list following THE HERO OF AGES (Mistborn #3) which was #21 in November.  The performance of WARBREAKER is in some ways more impressive because it’s a single-volume stand-alone fantasy in a series dominated market, while the previous book was the concluding and eagerly-awaited final volume of a trilogy.

WARBREAKER is published by Tor in the US.  It is a Main Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club and is forthcoming in audio from both Recorded (unabridged non-dramatic) and Graphic Audio (abridged dramatic).  It sold in the Czech Republic (Talpress) and Poland (MAG) ahead of publication, and with other books by Brandon selling in some 16 languages we look forward to many more sales for WARBREAKER in upcoming months.

Warbreaker received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly (‘extraordinary and highly entertaining’) and Library Journal (‘essential reading for fantasy fans’) and was a 4 1/2* Top Pick for Romantic Times (‘compelling, superb, highly entertaining’) and other good reviews have come in from Booklist, The Onion/AV Club, The Deseret News and all the major sf review sites.”

We hope to have some news on Brandon’s UK dealing before too long! Watch this space!! And watch the space  underneath to see Brandon discussing WARBREAKER and hinting about his nest solo project (via SFSignal).

Conducted by Jeff Vandermeer, the interview has Ian discussing his work in general, Song of Time in particular and even mentions his work in progress, entitled Wake Up and Dream…

“It’s set in an alternate version of Golden Age Hollywood. The main character is a seedy unlicensed matrimonial private eye called Clark Gable. Forget the talkies — this is about the feelies.”

More about this in due course!

Ellen Datlow

The book is to be published by M Press in October and features a fantastic line up of authors – including Michael Chabon, Joyce Carole Oates and our own rising star Lavie Tidhar. His story is entitled One Day, Soon and was previously mentioned by the author in this interview that appeared on the Apex Book Company web site last October.

For those of you on Facebook, here is the event page.