Philippa Ballantine - Author

Award-winning Author of fantasy, science fiction, and steampunk

Geist

It’s just around the corner…

These are the months when all sorts of goodies are landing in my mailbox. Today it was these lovelies. Apparently they are called cover flats, and contain information to entice the bookseller.

I found three interesting things

  • They mention my podcast history- quoting the number of podcast downloads. (So keep that in mind podiobook authors)
  • Apparently I am ‘a promising Ace author’
  • And they list Author Home ‘New Zealand’

There’s only one more thing to come… a box of books.

I have also revealed the first of my competitions over on booksoftheorder.com

If you want a chance to have your name appear in the sequel to Geist, Spectyr, a signed (by me and Jason Chan) print of the book’s cover, and plenty of chances to win a signed copy, then you’ll want to check it out.

Also Geist is now available to preorder on the ibook store, as well as massmarket and Kindle versions on Amazon.

This thing is really happening. Either that or I am having a really, really vivid dream!

Trailer for Geist

Swimming with the big fish still means I need to get the word out about Geist, and this has pretty much been consuming my life for the last month.

One of the things I wanted to do was create a book trailer- but there was one big problem- yeah… my lack of video skills.

Luckily Tee Morris rode to the rescue, and you can find the result on my homepage, and scattered around the internet. I think it gives a pretty good idea of the tone of Geist.

So if you want to help spread the word, please feel free to imbed the video from youtube.com where ever you feel like it.

Silence is the killer for a book… and silence scares me.

The first Geist review…and it’s a Harriet!

This is a bit of a nerve wracking time for me. My first big New York City book, and I am gearing up for the reviews.

So when my Google Alert told me that someone had reviewed Geist, I was excited and nervous… and then I found out it was from Harriet Klausner

The key to this great horror-fantasy is the belief in the magical world of Philippa Ballantine summed up by the Guardian and the Pretender when she says “If wishes were horses,” and he finishes with “I would never have to walk again.” Little touches like this bring alive the prime element of the Bond, which make the realm of Geist seem genuine. Sorcha and her two comrades are terrific characters who keep the story line focused even as the plot entertainingly switches from fantasy to horror. This is a wonderful thriller.
And if you don’t know who she is- have a read here

All I can say is, thanks Harriet. I feel like I have already arrived, and it was a nice start to the month of October!

Blogging all around the world

I arrived home from a very fun, very informative, very useful WorldCon in Melbourne (blogpost to come on that), to find the uncorrected proofs of Geist. These are not the final product, but still being able to actually hold my bound words was quite the moment, and one more step towards the novel in stores.

Once it is, the market will decide its worth, but my aim is to make people aware of it. Yes, with all the books being published, getting yours noticed is the real battle.

So, as part of that effort I am doing a blogtour for three months. I’ll be talking about all sorts of things, but the first is an interview with Odin1Eye over at View from Valhalla. There were some pretty probing questions that made me think hard, and I hope you find it interesting.

Check it out here and see what other places I will be hitting.

In addition I have some beautiful Geist postcards to distribute- so if you can think of a place to put them where they would attract interest, then please email me motherabbey@booksoftheorder.com – I’ll send you a sweet treat to go along with it 🙂

Needing the Order

I’ve been working hard of the site Books of the Order which is where I am putting all Geist related content

You can subscribe right here so you don’t miss out- especially for the release of Chronicles of the Order. This short story podcast is turning out to be such fun, with writers such as Tee Morris, Sandra Wickam, Nobilis, Laurie McLean and more!

Shortly there will be a couple of contests, where you can win a signed galley of Geist, and a box of New Zealand goodies. So.. another reason to subscribe.

Another feature of Books of the Order is a feature called ‘Need the Order’. I have been asking people to send in their experiences with the supernatural. As a storyteller I find these tales fascinating, and have a couple from within my own family. I also find it interesting that most people have asked for anonymity–apparently talking about these things can draw derision. As a storyteller I find it sad. If we cannot share our stories, then what is the point of being a community of human beings. We all have our own beliefs and experiences and that is what I find fascinating.

So if you want to share your experience then email motherabbey@booksoftheorder.com and let me know if you want to reveal your name or not.

Stories told around the campfire matter, and I hope you will share yours with me and the world.