Results tagged “a princess of landover”

One of the best things about going to conventions and writing retreats is watching how authors interact with one another.

It can be quite a thing to watch and listen to.

I’ve witnessed authors become the best of friends over drinks; I’ve watched authors sit on panels and absolutely hate on each other like crazed wild cats. I’ve seen authors embarrassed to approach a colleague because they were a fan. I’ve listened to authors sing praises about others in their profession; I’ve heard authors talk shyte behind other authors’ backs.

As I said, it can be quite entertaining to sit on the sidelines and just watch and listen.

I am happy to report authors Terry Brooks and Christopher Paolini, the two authors for our Wednesday chat next week, have only great things to say about one another. They have been friends a long time now. Terry has a wealth of experience after 30 years of writingn and uses it every day; Christopher is coming into his own and handling his bestsellerdom with savvy and composure beyond his years.

It is great, therefore, that these two writers have a chance to chat with their fans together next week on Wednesday, October 14th!

Wanna enter a cool contest? It’s easy! Sign up for a Suvudu Live Christopher Paolini and Terry Brooks Chat Reminder by using the above widget between 12:01 AM EDT October 8, 2009 and midnight on October 14, 2009 and be entered into a random drawing to win one (1) of five (5) prize packs containing a signed edition of Brisingr by Christopher Paolini and a copy of The World of Shannara by Terry Brooks! Read the Rules For Entry.

Signing up for the chat reminder costs you nothing but not doing so could cost you a fun late afternoon / evening with two of the bestselling fantasy writers ever!

And visit the Chat Page for Terry and Christopher! As well as visit a list of books by both of them.

Come with questions or submit them early in the comments field below!

See you next Wednesday!

Yesterday was a huge release day for Terry Brooks fans!

A Princess of Landover, the long-awaited sixth book in the Landover series, is now published.

It was also the release day for the two omnibuses collecting the previous five books in the Magic Kingdom of Landover series (The Magic Kingdom of Landover Volume 1 and Volume 2), as well as the updated and revised The World of Shannara, which now includes sections on the Word & Void, Genesis of Shannara and High Druid of Shannara trilogies.

In other words, yesterday was a great day to be a Terry Brooks fan!

So is today!

And not because A Princess of Landover is dedicated to me—although that’s very cool!

Release days are always enjoyable for me but for a very different reason than readers might think. Having been Terry’s webmaster now for almost ten years, it is great fun watching fans’ excitement grow as a release day approaches, knowing they are about to sit in their favorite reading spot to crack open the new book and read the first sentence of a new magical tale.

The biggest reason I love release days is because my gag order not to discuss the new book becomes vapor!

As I’ve said before, I get to read a book almost from the moment Terry finishes it. It is part of the perks of working for him. For instance, Terry is always a year ahead of his publishing schedule and he just gave me the completed, unedited fourth book in the Genesis of Shannara series. But while I get to read his books early, there comes the very real responsibility of withholding their contents to the fans. I actively take part in fan discussion every day on the Forum and yet cannot talk about what I read in any way, shape or form.

As an example of what I can’t talk about, I know two possible titles for the fourth Genesis of Shannara book.

Can I say anything to anyone and discuss their possibilities? Noooo….

*Shawn takes a piece of paper and rips it to shreds in undisguised aggravation*

*Shawn calms down and begins to type again*

I am almost recovered from the San Diego Comic Con!

Almost.

Next year I think I am going to wear a mile counter on my ankle and find out how many miles I walk per day over the same ground—back and forth, back and forth.

At any rate, I still have a bit of news to bring to you all, and this one is about Terry Brooks. Like many authors who attend a Comic Con, Terry had a panel, had a signing or two and then had some meetings. The panels are always fun. They are made up of a large room filled with people from different backgrounds and reading experiences, and often their questions are even those I have not heard in my ten years as his webmaster.

Suvudu was there to tape the panel.

It comes to you in seven YouTube videos. The opening of the panel is Terry talking about Landover with his editor in chief, Betsy Mitchell, among other things. Later, after Betsy and editor Anne Groell talk briefly about what is coming from Del Rey/Bantam, Terry answers more questions from his fans.

Due to a down microphone, Betsy’s voice is a bit low, but you can hear Terry perfectly.

Hope you enjoy! And remember! A Princess of Landover comes out on August 18th!

Continue onward for the rest of the panel!

Almost two months ago, Suvudu updated its Free Library with Magic Kingdom For Sale–Sold! by Terry Brooks.

Ever since that time the book has been #1 on Amazon’s Terry Brooks rankings, with the second book, The Black Unicorn, suddenly fluctuating between #2-4. That means a lot of people are reading the first Landover novel and picking up The Black Unicorn!

On Monday I will be updating the Free Library with three new titles, one of which is easily one of my favorite novels. Until then, download Magic Kingdom For Sale–Sold! over the weekend—or whenever!—as a FREE eBook and try it out.

At the end of August, Terry will be doing a short tour for A Princess of Landover, Book Six in the Landover series. I will be posting that tour soon. In the meantime, get acquainted with Landover.

Because one of the books I will be posting for FREE on Monday is also one of Terry’s favorites.

Know the writer before you know the critic!

Terry Brooks went to the San Diego Comic Con to speak on a panel about his forthcoming book A Princess of Landover and hold an autograph session for his numerous fans.

I wasn’t going to let him get away with such an easy time of it!

Terry joined me for an interview early Friday morning at the convention center to talk about the sixth installment in the Landover series, how his convention was going, what he has planned for the next two years of writing, and a hint or two about Book #4 in the Genesis of Shannara series.

Here is that interview.

Disregard the bald man on the right. He doesn’t know what he is talking about!

A Princess of Landoer will be published on August 18th, along with two Landover omnibuses and the newly revised The World of Shannara guide.

And to read an excerpt from A Princess of Landover, click HERE!

I’ve been fortunate to know author Terry Brooks for almost ten years and in that time we have a mutual understanding.

I maintain his website and update it whenever he desires.

As payment, I get to read his books the moment they are written.

The best of deals for a big fan!

Yes, I am very lucky to get the opportunity to read his books early, well before they are published. Usually Terry finishes a book a year in advance of it being published, so I am privy to what is going on in his multiples series long before the readers find out.

The sad part is I have to keep my mouth shut about what I’ve read!

Anyway, it always makes me happy to share early excerpts with Terry’s fans of whatever book is forthcoming. Terry has some of the best fans around and watching them gleefully post their thoughts on his Forums of a released and read excerpt is always fun.

Here is the summary to A Princess of Landover:

After fourteen years, New York Times bestselling fantasy master Terry Brooks has returned to the magic kingdom of Landover. The remarkable realm of dragons, demons, wizards, and wonders that wove an irresistible spell in five classic novels throws open its gates at long last for a brand-new adventure featuring a dazzling cast of characters and creatures.

So begins an eventful odyssey peppered with a formidable dragon, recalcitrant gnomes, an inscrutable magic cat, a handsome librarian, a sinister sorcerer, and more than a few narrow escapes as fate draws Landover’s intrepid princess to the last place she expected to go, and into the thick of a mystery that will put her mettle to the test—and might bring the kingdom to its knees.

Want to read Chapter One of A Princess of Landover?

Here you go—Chapter One!

A Princess of Landover will be published on August 18th in the US and a week later in the UK!

Enjoy the excerpt!

PS: Terry will also be at the San Diego Comic Con in a few days! If you are going, be sure to stop by the Del Rey booth and tell him hello!

The creative process differs for everyone.

Who would have thought my creative process would be, however, the same for writing a book and developing a website.

I began working in this business as a web developer in 1996. The internet(s) had not broken as a tidal wave yet and no tutorials or books existed for people wanting to learn how to build a website. I didn’t take classes; I didn’t have a teacher. I had to learn everything on my own and that meant creating my creative process from the foundation up.

It took several years—and many website designs—to feel comfortable with it.

The website that took the brunt of my learning curve was a dedication website to Terry Brooks. At that time my work was not official and Terry had no idea who Shawn Speakman was. Once we began to work professionally, I took it upon myself to keep learning. To me, website design is an art form, the process fun. Every year I redesign the front page of the Terry Brooks site because I love the process as much now as I did then. I also feel as though if he can write a book a year the least I can do is keep the site—and more importantly the fans—updated.

For the last week I have been redesigning Terry’s website. I spent a week before I began, thinking how I wanted this particular front page to look, letting ideas percolate into a solid idea. It came relatively quickly this time. Some do not. Despite keeping a similar style I do alter the look—to become complacent is to be bored. Since A Princess of Landover is the first Landover book in 14 years, I decided to strictly feature that series on the front page, highlighting the new book, the two new omnibus volumes and the August 18th date of release.

Here it is:

I realized upon finishing the initial new site design today that the process mirrors my craft of writing:

Here is the US cover for the forthcoming Terry Brooks book, A Princess of Landover!

A Summary:

Princess Mistaya Holiday hasn’t been fitting in too well at Carrington Women’s Preparatory. People don’t seem to appreciate her using her magic to settle matters in the human world. So when she summons a dragon to teach a lesson to the snotty school bully, she finds herself suspended.

But Mistaya couldn’t care less—she wants nothing more than to continue her studies under Questor the court magician and Abernathy the court scribe. However, her father Ben Holiday, the King of Landover, has rather different plans in mind for her. He thinks he’ll teach her about perseverance and compromise by sending her to renovate Libiris, the long-abandoned royal library.

How horribly dull.

But before long, Mistaya will long for the boredom of cataloguing an unfeasible number of derelict books—for deep within the library there lies a secret so dangerous that it threatens the future of Landover itself…

A Princess of Landover will be released August 18, 2009!

As promised last month, here is the cover to the forthcoming Terry Brooks book, A Princess of Landover!

Del Rey Books has released the new cover, featuring the stunning and very talented Paris Hilton! Hilton, who has starred in several low budget films, has signed on for what will be her break out performance to play the role of Mistaya Holiday in the upcoming Universal Pictures movie A Princess of Landover.

You may ask how did Paris Hilton become involved in this movie? She is an heiress who has no need for money.

Turns out she is a fanatic fan of Terry Brooks and has been since she was a little girl reading about Abernathy and Elizabeth in Wizard At Large. The beautiful waif will play the role of a teenage Mistaya, who must confront a hellish library before it destroys Landover.

Terry Brooks couldn’t be happier.

“Having an actress the caliber of Paris Hilton will bring this project to fruition, finally, after almost two decades of being in development limbo,” Terry says of the choice. “I think Paris will bring a whole new teenage girl readership to my novels!”

As Terry’s webmaster and longtime friend, I’m just happy that Universal Pictures picked such a talented actress to play the important role! And I’m even more happy that Del Rey decided to put her on the cover!

I mean, after all, it’s about time Terry got some great cover art!

A Princess of Landover will be released on August 18th in the US and September 3rd in the UK!

Here is the United Kingdom cover for A Princess of Landover, the forthcoming new Magic Kingdom novel by Terry Brooks.

From Amazon.co.uk:

A Princess of Landover is the sixth book in the series and will be published in the US on August 18th and in the UK on September 3rd!

Click to Enlarge

Terry Brooks has long been one of the foundational authors of the fantasy genre.

With his 1977 bestselling The Sword of Shannara, he helped publishers realize there was a massive base of readers out there who craved fantasy. From that time, Terry has written numerous Shannara books, each exploring something different, each growing that foundation he helped originally to create.

But the Shannara series is not his only series, and many fantasy readers overlook Magic Kingdom of Landover!

Magic Kingdom For Sale—Sold! began a new bestselling series for Terry in 1986. The novel was a vast departure from the three sprawling epic fantasies he had written before it, the story of Chicago lawyer Ben Holiday and his purchasing of a real magic kingdom. Right from the start Terry told his readers Ben Holiday was an alter ego of sorts, as Terry used the fictional character to discuss his transition from lawyer to full-time writer. Terry wrote five volumes about Ben Holiday, his magic kingdom of Landover, and a whole cast of unique characters—the last novel, Witches’ Brew, published in 1995.

After 14 years, Terry has returned to the Magic Kingdom of Landover series with the forthcoming novel, A Princess of Landover!

To celebrate Terry’s August 2009 return to The Magic Kingdom of Landover, Del Rey Books asked artist Steve Stone to create two new pieces of artwork to be used on collected omnibuses of the first five books in the series. The first omnibus, The Magic Kingdom of Landover: Volume I, contains the three novels Magic Kingdom For Sale—Sold!, The Black Unicorn and Wizard At Large. Volume II contains the two novels The Tangle Box and Witches’ Brew.

Today is March 1st. I decided to showcase the first cover, posted above.

On April 1st, Del Rey Books and I will send out the first of a new series of monthly Terry Brooks newsletters. The April newsletter will include the covers to Volume II and the new book, A Princess of Landover. Additional newsletters will contain more information, interviews with Terry, several fun contests, excerpts from all the books—and some other surprises!

Not signed up for Terry’s newsletter? Visit www.TerryBrooks.net and use the sign-up form at the bottom of the front page. It’s that easy.

The return to Landover has begun!