Philippa Ballantine - Author

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

Pip news

Times like this…

…I fantasize about having a PA. Someone to write witty blogposts, and let people know I am still around, just working really hard.

But since I don’t, and I still have to travel, write, do laundry, write, and scoop kitty litter, this will have to be my wave from deep in the writing waters. Yes…I am waving, not calling for help.

Back to back deadlines are hitting me hard and all those fun blogpost things have had to be set aside, along with podcasting. Yet I wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you I am indeed still here, just with my head down.

Hopefully, in the next two weeks I will be back on deck, breathing deeply, and very proud of myself for handing in two books in as many months. And then I will have hopefully some news I will be cleared to share with you. It’s been so full on this year.

As you all gear up for Nano, think of me…I am planning a No Nano this year. Yep, not working on a novel at all. Just short fiction, and polishing up a couple of new series proposals for my agent of awesome Laurie McLean to shop around.

On the game plan are some blogposts about what I have learned in these last madcap two years. (Yep, it is only two years since Geist came out!)

Until then…let me share with you my new friend. A lucky tiki I found at Goodwill. He was only 99c, but is a little battered, and lost his friend. I imagine he and his friend were bought from New Zealand by some holidaying Americans, as souvenir salt and pepper shakers. So, we found each other. Ex-pat kiwis, far from New Zealand, and no we are traveling companions. I plan on taking him to all my conventions, and maybe even back to New Zealand some time soon—just for a visit.

His new name, thanks to the unlikely event of us finding each other, is now #luckytiki

More stories from him when I return!

Another May celebration

May 2009- sold the Book of the Order series to Ace Books

May 2010- sold the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series to Harper Collins.

 

Pretty good average for May. I joked to someone around Christmas “what could possibly happen in May 2011?” Be very careful what you wish for.

It is with considerable delight that I can tell you that Pyr Books will be publishing my book Hunter & Fox (though the name may change in edits) in 2012 (tentatively summer), with the sequel to follow.

If you don’t know Pyr, you should. Under Lou Anders, who has been nominated for Hugos, Nebulas and every other award that a editor can be, Pyr has quickly become one of the leading names in speculative fiction. They have Joe Abercrombie, Alan Dean Foster, Michael Moorcock and Sean Williams to name just a few.

I’ve been watching Lou with a keen eye, and he seems to have a good grasp on the developments in this emerging publishing worlds, as well as very podcast friendly. In short, I am super excited to work with him, and bring this tale of dark lands and conflicted heroes to the world.

Here’s my blurb…I am sure Pyr will come up with something more wonderful

In a world of chaos, there are heroes turned villain, and villains whose motives are not necessarily dark.
Talis is the Hunter for the Caisah, and a wreck of a once proud person. She has lost her people, and her soul. Salvation though is looking for her, and it wears the face of gentleness and strength. A tale of redemption in a land of darkness, where determination is not always a positive attribute.

Writers lend a hand

In the first few months of 2011 many parts of the world were struck by devastation; my home country New Zealand, and then Japan. Both of these places are hotspots of seismic activity, and both nations have sent support to the other.

The images on the news have tapered off, but there are still thousands of people dealing with the after-effects of the devastation. Often such huge events can leave us, scattered all over the world, feeling helpless. But if we all did just a few small things it would make a huge difference.

In the community of writers there are people who have decided to step up and do something.

First of all is the Tales for Canterbury. An anthology of short stories by national and international authors. The complete list is available here and is a veritable embarrassment of riches. There will even be a short story by me in there. This is a never before seen story, and the only non genre short I have ever written. It’s called the Straw Garden and is a bit like Weather Child, intensely personal.

Pre-orders are available now, with ebook and paper versions available.

The second effort is Genre for Japan. There are some ridiculously cool offerings on the site. My contribution is not up yet, but I’ll let you know when it is. Here’s a sample of what you can bid on right now, for all those George RR Martin fans out there…

Don’t forget to check the complete list, there are offerings for both writers and readers to bid on.

Remember it feels good to do good and together we can do incredible things.

So long and thanks for all the fish 2010

Every writer/podcaster needs cat supervisionSeldom has a year been so much of a roller coaster. At various times in the past twelve months I have felt like I am on a bronco that is alternatively trying to buck me off and lick my face.

I made some professional and personal jumps this year that I would never have imagined making, but in a lot of ways 2010 was the year I have been waiting for. On a personal level I packed up my stuff and have made a commitment to America of at least six months…maybe more. This included selling my beloved convertible, moving my even more beloved cats to another hemisphere and quitting the day job that has sustained me since 1997.

Professionally, it has been more awesome. Podcasting wise I made good progress on Digital Magic (now only 2 episodes shy of finishing), got invited as a regular guest on Litopia After Dark, and mostly kept up with Erotica a la Carte. However I confess while my love of podcasting is still as large as it ever was my available time to spend on it has gone down.

This has been necessitated by the leap in my writing career. In late October Geist was released- my first book with a New York publishing house. So I had to support that as best I could with a marketing plan that didn’t involve me digging myself a financial hole. So I hit the blog circuit, worked on a book trailer for Geist with Tee Morris, corralled some friends into working on a podcast anthology, and increased the number of cons I went to.

If that had been the pinnacle of my writing year, that would have been amazing, but 2010 was also the year I signed not one, but contracts for another four books. In April Tee Morris and I signed off on Phoenix Rising; a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel and its sequel Of Cogs and Corsets. Then in November I signed another two book contract with Ace for two more books after Geist and Spectyr. Then Tee and I got the news that the Ministry books will be getting releases in three countries; Australia, New Zealand and Germany.

This is so beyond what my hopes were that I feel like I dare not look at it too closely least it blow away in the wind.

I attended for the first time, both Balticon and WorldCon. I utterly enjoyed Balticon…WorldCon was a bit more problematic for me- though I was grateful to get a chance to read, and be on a couple of panels there.

It’s been a year of change, but also a year of growth.

Now looking forward to 2011, I feel even more invigorated. Still, for accountability’s sake, let me break it down.

Writing work

Late April will be the release of Phoenix Rising, and late June the release of Spectyr. Both projects I love and enjoy doing. In between there I have to write Of Cogs and Corsets (the second Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel) with Tee and Wrayth (the third book of the Order). Once those are delivered I will have only the fourth book for Ace to do- though I do hope for more Ministry books. This of course, depends on the reception they get.

My plans for a YA title are thus on the backburner at least until the last half of the year, but I do plan to take some time to go back and rework Weather Child to where it is ready to submit to publishers.

Indie work

Chasing the Bard and Digital Magic will be available in various eformats.

Conventions

I have a long list of places I want to get to, but there are several first in my mind.

Balticon- as the New Media Guest of Honor. This is my very first foray into GoH territory and I am really excited.

Steampunk WorldFair- premiering Phoenix Rising there. Oh so much tea and fun.

WorldCon in Reno. Hey, it’s WorldCon, and this time I’ll be ready for it.

Podcasting

Erotica a la carte will spin on. I am enjoying practising two forms that I sometimes struggle with; erotica and short stories. Digital Magic will finish in January, and I have no real plans to podcast a novel for a bit- I need a break! Chronicles of the Order should finish in February, just in time for Phoenix Rising podcast to start. This will also be a series of short stories. Finally there is a writing podcast Tee and I will be working on. Episode zero should drop in January and it’ll give you an idea of format. It’ll be fun, but also be a peek inside a writer’s life, collaboration, as well as the cultural divide between America and New Zealand.

So there- that’s it. Life behind and ahead in a nutshell. Thanks for all your support dear readers. Everyone who has reviewed, supported, told a friend, or sent me a kindly email. You can’t really know how much it has all meant to me.

I hope we all have a successful and enjoyable year. Giddy up 2011!

Another first- Special Guest

Yes, more news I have been sitting on for weeks (It’s dang uncomfortable I can tell you!)

I will be New Media Special Guest as Balticon – May 27-30 2011!

It’s my first big Guest role, and I plan to bring the A game to town. I’ll be reading from Spectyr- Geist’s sequel not out until June- and co-hosting with the charming Tee Morris, the release party for Phoenix Rising; a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel.

If you don’t know about Balticon- let me fill you in. It is the Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, and it has quickly become the default con to attend if you want to see podcast novelists. It has plenty of other tracks to interest people as well such as Writing and Gaming. So all in all, a well rounded convention.

It’s held at the Marriott’s Hunt Valley Inn, just outside of Baltimore- and I can attest that this year I had a blast and next year is going to be even better. Not just cos I am going to be the Special Guest…but also a little bird has told me plenty of other podcast novelists will be in town. As an example, last year there was Tee Morris, Phil Rossi, PG Holyfield, Dan Sawyer, PC Haring, Nathan Lowell- and that’s just a taste.

So if you are craving some fun and frolics with podcasters, writers and readers then this is the con for you.

Looking forward to meeting you all next year.