As you may have gathered from the preceding post, the Australian Voyager edition of Song of the Shiver Barrens, book 3 of the Mirage Makers, will be out soon: July. And just to cheer those of you over in UK, book 1, Heart of the Mirage is coming out August 2nd, with a fabulous Orbit cover. [What is it about their art/design department? They produce the best covers in the business!] And I see some of you have been pre-ordering too – thanks for having faith in me!
This will be my seventh published book. There is obviously a finality to the last book of a trilogy, and I have mixed feelings. This marks the close of something close to my heart for more than fifteen years. I started this trilogy when I was living in Tunisia, in my study with a view across the city to Carthage, continued it in Kuala Lumpur, and Perth Australia, and Virginia USA, and then finished it in Borneo. I am a little sad that, as far as I am concerned, the journey is over. And happy too, that I have had the opportunity to share it with you – this vision of a world and characters that have been so long part of my inner world.
For those of you who haven’t read any of it: what is the trilogy about? Well, it’s about a woman who was born into a time of upheaval, was betrayed horribly as a child, and yet who manages to build a successful life – only to have that life overset by the truth. That’s the beginning anyway. It’s also about a slave who wants to be a free man and yet who chooses servitude. It’s about a boy becoming a man in a time of war, and having to learn what heroism really is.
There’s war and passion and heroism and evil and mystery and magic and love. It will entertain you (I hope) and perhaps make you think, because that’s the kind of books I write.
For Oz readers, just to tantalize you, here’s the opening paragraph of Song of the Shiver Barrens:
Wind gusted and obliterated her whisper, but not before it was overheard. Ligea Gayed may not have seen the man standing behind her rolling his eyes, but she felt his exasperation. ‘It’s true,’ she growled without turning around. ‘I was the worst mother in the world.’
I love your books: I like them because they are not ‘happy’. This is not a bad thing: people do not have happy lives all the time, people die, people betray and are betrayed, people make compromises that they find difficult. Only 4 weeks to wait now!! I shall start to haunt my bookshop- or better still I will ask them to pre-order it I think!!!
Coming soon, yay!
dance dance dance dance dance
I love Ligea Gayed. She tries so hard, beats herself up when she can’t be perfect at everything – maybe she reminds me of me, heh.
Can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to reading this final installment. This has been a fantastic trilogy. You should be so proud of yourself. I can’t wait to see you make a big splash again in the UK.
And I’ve got a little plan up my sleeve, too. Will tell you all about it in Melbourne!
Thanks 2paw and Hrugaar – I love it when readers are soooo enthusiastic!
But I am now sure I should be very afraid of going to Convergence… Karen Has Plans.
And btw, just in case you all didn’t know, Karen’s Kingmaker, Kingbreaker duology is now a bestseller in UK – and the second book isn’t even out yet.
I just about hyper-ventilated when I saw the paragraph. I think I like the releases of your books just that little bit more because they either come out a few days before or after my birthday!
But really, though. This is a fantastic achievement. You should be proud of yourself – the rest of us are!
And the publisher is sending a copy to Karen to bring to me in Melbourne – when I heard that, I was the one hyperventilating!