Site Announcements 2009
This page archives the announcements that Diana sent in 2009, which were originally posted on the home page.
19 September 2009
Congratulations!!
To the lucky people who won cartons of Outlander paperbacks, or pre-publication copies of An Echo in the Bone, courtesy of Random House. I'm thrilled that Random House thought of doing this, and hope y'all will have great fun spreading the word! (As my first editor used to say, "These have to be word-of-mouth books, because they're too weird to describe to anybody.")
Late-Night Sex Scenes
8PM, August 26th
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, Scottsdale, AZ
I don't know how I get talked into these things, I really don't. But I'll be there. Wear your best frillies!
Echo Launch Party – 6-ish PM, September 22!
I suppose you don't even need to mark your calendars, what with the nice little countdown widget supplied by Random House. But I thought you might like a few details—the nice people at The Poisoned Pen have outdone themselves!
Locale – The classic Arizona Biltmore Hotel is very kindly donating the use of their ballroom for the occasion, in celebration of their joint anniversary with the bookstore: the hotel turns 80 this year, while The Poisoned Pen celebrates its 20th anniversary this October. See the Biltmore website for directions. Parking is free and there's lots of it—though customary to tip the valet parkers a dollar or two.
Dress – Wear anything you like. The Biltmore is a snazzy place—designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and gorgeous—but it's also a Scottsdale resort, which means that people wearing plaid Bermuda shorts and cowboy hats (not usually plaid) are commonly seen there (I've seen them. Many times. To say nothing of the lady in the…but I digress. Like I said, wear anything you like). On the other hand, if you'd like to show off your party gear, you'll add greatly to the festivity of the occasion.
Logistics - OK, this part is important: To get your copy of Echo signed at the party, you must buy it from The Poisoned Pen. Not only are they putting on the party and making the arrangements—they report their sales results to the New York Times list. Costco and Amazon don't. Ergo…
You can call ahead to the store to pay for the book (480-947-2974), order from the website and pick it up at the party, or you can get one at the party—there will be plenty on hand. All of the backlist titles will be available for sale at the party, too—in hardcover, trade paper, or mass-market, so you have the perfect opportunity to complete your own collection and get your Christmas shopping done early!
Purchase of a book entitles you to one free ticket for the party, and if you like, you can get one companion ticket for someone who wants to come but isn't buying a book, for $2.00. There will be a "Will Call" facility at the ballroom entrance for people to pick up their tickets (much easier than trucking down to the bookstore for them). You don't have to buy tickets/books ahead of time; they'll be available at the event.
So What Goes on at This Party?!? - Well….that would mostly be me. [cough]. I'll be around to mix and mingle with folks between 6 and 7 (to let everyone have time to get there, get parked, and get inside with their books), and then at 7, I'll talk. Also read a bit from An Echo in the Bone, possibly give you a peek at the new art for the graphic novel (a Jamie and Claire story that isn't quite a straight adaptation of Outlander), answer any burning questions you may have (NO, it isn't the last book!), and…well, we're not serving alcohol, so I probably won't sing the Star-Spangled Banner, but I'm amenable to other suggestions.
And then I'll sign books.
While I'm doing that (and while we're mixing in the early part, for that matter), There Will Be Refreshments. The Biltmore is providing a cash Coffee/Dessert bar for your delectation, which we hope you'll patronize as a thank-you to the hotel.
See you there!
NO,no,no,no,no….
NO, Echo is not the last book. There's certainly one more after it.
NO, I'm not going to update The Companion. I'm going to write a second Volume, that encompasses the rest of the series (and probably the Lord John books, too). That seemed more sensible than trying to update the first volume; if I did, it would be immense (more immense, I mean [g]), and I'd have to keep doing it, every time a new book was published. This way, Interested Parties only have to buy a book once.
NO, I don't have any new movie news. As of the last I heard, a script had been written, and the producer was shopping for a director. If and when I hear any more, I'll be sure to let y'all know.
(NO, I still don't have anything to say about casting. A Whole Lot of you do, though [g], and we've collected as many casting videos as we could find on my brand-new YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/voyagesoftheartemis - as well as a few choice hand-held bits of me doing a "Late Night Sex-Scene Reading" at The Poisoned Pen last week, in my nightwear. ("You're going out in public in that?!?" my husband said.)
NO, I'm sorry that I'm probably not coming to your town on the book-tour for Echo. Alas, I can't be everywhere, is what it boils down to. I don't choose the places I go—the publisher (who is paying for me to go places) decides the itinerary. As it is, I'll be gone from home, hearth and husband for two solid months, and….well, you know, that's kind of enough.
NO, I very much appreciate your many kind invitations to have lunch, meet your book-club, visit your ranch, or come hang out in your sweat lodge and listen to your poetry and songs while I'm touring, but the unfortunate fact is that I rarely have time to eat lunch at all, and am lucky to find half an hour in a tour-day to take a brief walk in order to keep from expiring of deep-vein thrombosis. As I said, the publisher(s) is/are paying for this, and they expect to get their money's worth. [wry g]
NO, I don't yet have a publication date for the graphic novel, though it will be out sometime in 2010. It's coming along beautifully—Hoang is more than three-quarters done with the artwork, and it's absolutely gorgeous!
But on a More Positive Note….!!
YES, I do now have actual locations and tour dates for both the US and the Canadian tours. (Not yet for New Zealand and Australia, bar the list of cities, but I'm sure those will be up in good time.) See the Tours page in a day or so for the complete list.
YES, we do now have a firm publication date for Warriors. That's a cross-genre anthology, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, which includes a new 30,000-ish word Lord John story, "The Custom of the Army." This one is set in 1760, in England and Quebec, and begins with an electric-eel party.
YES, there are other interesting stories in that anthology. [g] Here's the complete lineup:
Introduction: "Stories from the Spinner Rack," by George R.R. Martin
"The King of Norway," by Cecilia Holland
"Forever Bound," by Joe Haldeman
"The Triumph," by Robin Hobb
"Clean Slate," by Lawrence Block
"And Ministers of Grace," by Tad Williams
"Soldierin'," by Joe Lansdale
"Dirae," by Peter S. Beagle
"The Eagle and the Rabbit," by Steven Saylor
"Seven Years from Home," by Naomi Novik
"The Custom of the Army," by Diana Gabaldon
"The Pit," by James Rollins
"Out of the Dark," by David Weber
"The Girls from Avenger," by Carrie Vaughn
"Ancient Ways," by S.M. Stirling
"Ninieslando" by Howard Waldrop
"Recidivist" by Gardner Dozois
"My Name is Legion," by David Morrell
"Defenders of the Frontier," by Robert Silverberg
"The Scroll," by David Ball
"The Mystery Knight," by George R.R. Martin
OH, and it would probably help if I told you what the publication date actually is, wouldn't it? March 16, 2010. Mark your calendars! [g]
YES!! I just this minute got the first hot-off-the-press printed-bound-and-dust-jacketed copy of An Echo in the Bone! Totally coolio. So we will indeed have lots of them on September 22nd, which is a relief to a number of people, I'm sure.
Aaaaaannnnnd…
YES! I have permission to post two new pages from the graphic novel for you, courtesy of Hoang Nguyen (artist) and Betsy Mitchell (editor).
24 August 2009
Late-Night Sex Scenes – 8PM, August 26th
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, Scottsdale, AZ
I don't know how I get talked into these things, I really don't. But I'll be there. Wear your best frillies!
Echo Launch Party
6-ish PM, Sep 22!
I suppose you don't even need to mark your calendars, what with the nice little countdown widget supplied by Random House. But I thought you might like a few details—the nice people at The Poisoned Pen have outdone themselves!
Locale
The classic Arizona Biltmore Hotel is very kindly donating the use of their ballroom for the occasion, in celebration of their joint anniversary with the bookstore: the hotel turns 80 this year, while The Poisoned Pen celebrates its 20th anniversary this October. See the Biltmore website http://www.arizonabiltmore.com/ for directions. Parking is free and there's lots of it—though customary to tip the valet parkers a dollar or two.
Dress
Wear anything you like. The Biltmore is a snazzy place—designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and gorgeous—but it's also a Scottsdale resort, which means that people wearing plaid Bermuda shorts and cowboy hats (not usually plaid) are commonly seen there (I've seen them. Many times. To say nothing of the lady in the…but I digress. Like I said, wear anything you like). On the other hand, if you'd like to show off your party gear, you'll add greatly to the festivity of the occasion.
Logistics
OK, this part is important: To get your copy of Echo signed at the party, you must buy it from the Poisoned Pen. Not only are they putting on the party and making the arrangements—they report their sales results to the New York Times list. Costco and Amazon don't. Ergo…
You can call ahead to the store to pay for the book (480-947-2974), order from the website and pick it up at the party, or you can get one at the party—there will be plenty on hand. All of the backlist titles will be available for sale at the party, too—in hardcover, trade paper, or mass-market, so you have the perfect opportunity to complete your own collection and get your Christmas shopping done early!
Purchase of a book entitles you to one free ticket for the party, and if you like, you can get one companion ticket for someone who wants to come but isn't buying a book, for $2.00. There will be a Will Call facility at the ballroom entrance for people to pick up their tickets (much easier than trucking down to the bookstore for them). You don't have to buy tickets/books ahead of time; they'll be available at the event.
So what goes on at this party?
Well….that would mostly be me. [cough]. I'll be around to mix and mingle with folks between 6 and 7 (to let everyone have time to get there, get parked, and get inside with their books), and then at 7, I'll talk. Also read a bit from An Echo in the Bone, possibly give you a peek at the new art for the graphic novel (a Jamie and Claire story that isn't quite a straight adaptation of Outlander), answer any burning questions you may have (NO, it isn't the last book!), and…well, we're not serving alcohol, so I probably won't sing the Star-Spangled Banner, but I'm amenable to other suggestions.
And then I'll sign books.
While I'm doing that (and while we're mixing in the early part, for that matter), There Will Be Refreshments.The Biltmore is providing a cash Coffee/Dessert bar for your delectation, which we hope you'll patronize as a thank-you to the hotel.
See you there!
6 August 2009
Get the An Echo in the Bone Countdown widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox
You’ve gotta love reader enthusiasm! Thanks to everyone (all 8,648 of you!) who signed up to receive a carton of the special Outlander editions, and who promised to help spread the word about this series. 100 winners have been selected and will receive their books soon.
Everyone who entered by 11:59 pm on July 31st is eligible to win a pre-publication copy of An Echo in the Bone. Winners will be notified by 9/1.
24 July 2009
My publisher asked me to post this message:
If you’re here, you’re an Outlander fan. The seventh book in the series, An Echo in the Bone, is coming out 9/22 (really!!).
Help us spread the word about this amazing series with FREE copies of Outlander. We all know it’s a book that you tell everyone they have to read, so let’s get more people reading it!
And it’s Outlander as you’ve never seen it before—with a cover just for the uninitiated.
Here’s how it works: We’ll randomly select 100 winners from those who fill out an entry form on or before 7/31.
Each winner will be sent a carton with 24 copies of Outlander. Your mission is to give them away for free: to your friends, family, colleagues, the people you see at the gym, the bus stop, the supermarket. You get it. Hand them one. You know you’ll be giving them an amazing novel, and people love to get free books.
And, we’ll randomly select 20 people from all of those who offer to participate, to receive a pre-publication copy of Echo.
What are you waiting for? Here’s the link to that form again.
13 July 2009
A Special Offer for UK readers!
A couple of weeks ago, UK readers were distressed to hear that the hardcover release of An Echo in the Bone won't happen until early 2010. I mentioned this to my editor at Orion—and so did a lot of distressed UK readers. Publishers don't really like readers to be distressed, though, and the kindly folk at Orion have derived a solution to the problem.
In their own words:
‘Orion, Diana’s publishers in the UK, are happy to make the following offer so that all her UK fans can enjoy An Echo in the Bone at the earliest opportunity. If you pre-order the Orion hardcover edition (publishing on 21 January 2010) from Amazon, Play.com or Waterstone’s.com and send the invoice/receipt, which includes your delivery address, to dianagabaldonorders@orionbooks.co.uk, we will then send you a copy of our export trade paperback edition absolutely free on 22 September, the first date the book is available anywhere in the world.’
Yay, Orion!
A note from Diana's editor at Orion: The dianagabaldonorders address wasn’t functioning properly when it was first set up (it is now) so I’m worried that some people may have sent emails that we didn’t receive. We are sending a reply to each email, so anyone who sent one but didn’t get a reply should email us again to make sure we have their order.
23 April 2009
Radio Interview - April 24th
As part of the promotion for the Alachua County Library Gala that I'll be doing in Gainesville on May 17th, I'll be doing a half-hour interview on Hank Conner's "Conner Calling" radio show this Friday, April 24.
It'll be a live interview, at 1 PM (EDT), on WUFT/WJUF FM. If you have an internet connection (and we certainly hope you do, if you're reading this), you can listen at http://www.wuftfm.org. (I'm told that questions can be phone in or submitted by email, but I don't have details on that. You might check the WUFT site.) Here also is the homepage for Conner's show:
http://www.jou.ufl.edu/faculty/hconner/conner_calling_schedule.htm
This page apparently also has recordings of previous interviews, so you may be able to listen to mine ex post facto, [g] if you're busy at 1 PM Friday.
Yes Thanks, the Final Frenzy is Proceeding as Expected
(With Notes on
Appearances in Michigan and New York, and Book Tours Down Under)
"Final Frenzy" is how I describe the last few months of a book's writing. I have immense amounts written, know Almost Everything—and am horrified at how many holes there still are to be filled (you were wondering why the books are long? Because they need to be. Why else? [g])-but everything does in fact get done, even though I personally am doing nothing much aside from writing. Minimal eating and sleeping, though the fact that I recently acquired a second young dachshund insures that I'm getting enough exercise. I got Homer on New Year's Day, and have just acquired his brother JJ (who was destined for stardom as a show-dog, but unfortunately—or not, depending how you look at it—turned out to be slightly too small). There are Dachshund Races through the house six or seven times a day, interspersed by a sort of mobile Tae Kwon Do tournament, as The Boys tackle each other with earth-shaking thuds, throw each other through the air, and try out all their best badger-killing moves. It's a wonder either one of them still has an ear attached to his head.
But I digress (yes, actually, that is why the books are so long; I like digressions). We do indeed have a pub date (September 22, in the US, Canada, and doubtless a few other places; November in Germany (no date yet)), which we are all looking forward to, and a bit more information on book-touring, to wit:
Orion Publishing, my UK publisher, has asked me to go to New Zealand and Australia, which I'm happy to do. I don't yet have dates to match to cities, but I'm leaving Oct. 31st, arriving in Auckland Nov. 1, and will be doing appearances/signings in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, before zipping off to Australia on the 7th, for two weeks. In Australia, we have a much more ambitious schedule than on previous visits. I'll be in (no particular order here): Perth, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. See y'all there!
Now, one of the things that aggravates the Final Frenzy stage a bit is that all of the expectant publishers naturally need to begin planning their promotions and schedules now, in spite of the fact that I am still writing the book. This means that I have to stop every other day or so in order to do an interview, answer emails asking if I can appear here or there, make arrangements for traveling to the various heres and theres I've already agreed to, say no to the several dozen kind invitations that I unfortunately can't accept, and engage in the odd bit of Unusual Correspondence.
Under this last heading comes Sheffield-Hallam University. Not that they are particularly odd in themselves, I don't think—but they did pop up last week with an unexpected invitation. Now, I'm Hispanic on my father's side-hence the last name; it's my name, btw, not my husband's (I don't really mind people calling me "Mrs. Gabaldon" as a sign of respect, but if you really insist on that degree of formality, it's actually [cough] Dr. Gabaldon. Most folk just call me Diana, and you're certainly welcome to, as well)—but mostly straight English (with one strange Swiss/German branch of mercenaries) on my mother's side, and among my great-great-grandparents was one Godfrey Sykes. (You'd think one would be enough, but nooo…."Godfrey" is an old family name, and there's been one in almost every generation for some seven hundred years, so far as I can tell.)
Anyway, this particular Godfrey Sykes was a Royal Artist during Queen Victoria's time, and particularly well-known for his architectural friezes and elements. He had a long-standing association with Sheffield-Hallam University, and they've decided to hold an exhibition of some of his work this year, with an affiliated lecture program, featuring various person of differing degrees of celebrity. Well, they'd cleverly ferreted me out of the woodwork, and asked if I'd come do one such lecture. I said I'd love to, but explained that I couldn't engage to do anything between early September and the end of November, what with the usual sort of bedlam that happens when a new book comes out.
They kindly said that actually, December would suit them very well, and so we're going to talk about it when I meet them in Edinburgh at the Gathering at the end of July (see Tours page). Meanwhile, a nice playwright/composer also popped up to invite meto his current musical—in Edinburgh—with an eye to discussions regarding the feasibility of doing a musical stage production of Outlander (the mind boggles, and NO, there aren't any "plans" to do such a thing. He just wants to talk to me about it.). But whatImeantosay is, this is the sort of thing that happens All the Time around here, and fascinating as it is, it does cut into the available frenzying time. Still, can't complain. [g]
Anyway, a final Note regarding my appearance at the Word Wise library event in Jackson, Michigan next month. This will be May 8th and 9th, at the Carnegie Library—and while there are details on the "Tours" page, the organizers have also kindly sent me along their official brochure and New Improved website for the event. Here is the brochure, and here isthe website is here: www.myjdl.com
Oh, not quite final, after all, I was forgetting BEA. This is Book Expo America (I think that's what it stands for) and it's the giant trade show in the US for booksellers and publishers. It's being held in New York this year, and seeing as I have a book coming out in the fall, the US publisher asked me to a) select excerpts for an exclusive giveaway booklet ("exclusive" means the excerpts haven't been posted here), and b) come for a day to address a lot of librarians as a special breakfast and then c) sign said booklets in their booth at the BEA. It isn't that the BEA isn't open to the public—here's their website-- http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/ - but it is a trade show for the book world, and admission is probably rather expensive. If you happen to be connected with the book world, though, and will be at the Expo—come by the Random House booth between 10 and 11 AM on May 29th and say hi! (No, I'm sorry, I'm not doing a public signing in New York. The new book won't be out yet, and I do have to keep writing it here…
22 March 2009
YES, we do have a pub date!!
An Echo in the Bone will be published (always assuming that I finish writing the dang thing one of these days Right Soon Now) on September 22, 2009! Or at least that's what Random House says in their catalog copy (see below).
"The eagerly anticipated seventh novel in Diana Gabaldon's worldwide bestselling Outlander saga (seventeen million copies in print!) is a masterpiece of historical fiction from one of the most popular authors of our time! [modest cough. Look, I didn't write the headline, OK?]
Jamie Fraser, erstwhile Jacobite and reluctant rebel, knows three things about the American rebellion: The Americans will win, unlikely as that seems in 1777; being on the winning side is no guarantee of survival; and he'd rather die than face his illegitimate son—a young lieutenant in the British army—across the barrel of a gun.
His time-traveling wife, Claire, knows that the Americans will win, but not what the ultimate price may be. That price won't include Jamie's life or happiness, though—not if she has anything to say about it.
And in the relative safety of the 20th century, their daughter Brianna and her husband, Roger, watch the unfolding of her parents story in the past—a past that may be sneaking up behind their own family."
[yes, yes, yes, Young Ian is in the book. So is Rollo, the White Sow, and all kinds of other interesting people, but they only gave me 120 words to write a synopsis with.]
All Things Scottish – read Panalba!
Well, I was just sitting here quietly tapping away, a few months back, when one Lord Jamie Sempill popped up to say that he was setting up a "Scottish social-networking website" called Panalba—and would I like to write a regular blog for it?
"Why not?" I said (this being my usual response to people asking me to do unusual things, which I must say leads to a very interesting life), and did.
Panalba has just gone public—it's free, and open to everyone—and so I would like to invite you to drop by. In addition to my own deathless prose on the subject of Men in Kilts, Scottish accents, and Why You Do Not Want to Order "Fudge" in Scotland, there are a number of other fascinating blogs and features on whisky, food, the Edinburgh "Gathering" (taking place this July), and other subjects of great interest to Albaphiles.
Go to Panalba and see!
12 February 2009
New Excerpt from An Echo in the Bone
Phoenix Scottish Festival and Highland Games - Update!
OK, we're all arranged with the Poisoned Pen; they'll have a booth with books at the Phoenix Highland Games (Saturday, February 20th, Margaret Hance Park, Phoenix), and I'll be there to sign said books from 11 AM to 4 PM. We'll try to have a banner on the booth, as well as one by the entrance, but as I haven't been to these Games since they moved them to the new venue, I'm not sure what the physical setup may be like.
I will be there Saturday Only (I do need to finish writing An Echo in the Bone).
Since the Poisoned Pen is supplying books, btw--if you want a particular book or format (a hardcover Dragonfly, for instance, or a trade paper of Brotherhood of the Blade), you can email Patrick at the Poisoned Pen and ask him to reserve a copy for you--I can then sign and personalize it when you pick it up at the Games.
See you there!
Well, yes, I do know….
But many thanks to the many helpful
souls who've lately written to inform me that yes, I do have a publication
date for An Echo in the Bone—Amazon.com lists it as September 29th!
Mm. Yeah. They do. The thing is…Amazon.com does not actually have the
faintest idea when the pub date is, until the publisher tells them (at which time,
the publisher presumably would also tell me, and I would tell you). This does
not stop them from listing a date; they seem to think it encourages people to
place pre-orders if the listing looks more official. They are, however, pulling
these dates out of their collective rear end, for the most part.
(BTW,
the fact that you can pre-order a book on Amazon.com also does not indicate that
they have a pub date. For years, they were happily taking pre-orders for several
books (under my name) that didn't actually exist. You can, btw, usually order
or pre-order any book from a major publishing house through any bookstore. (For
instance, Barnes and Noble rarely shelves hardcover editions of my books, thinking
that nobody's likely to want a hardcover of a 17-year-old book [g]--but the
B&N Customer Service counter can in fact order any of the hardcovers for you,
if you want one; they're all still in print, and the publisher assures me
that they'll continue to be.*)
* NB: Amazon also goes around blithely
stating that various books are "out of print or unavailable," when what
they mean is merely that they don't have one available for shipping right
this minute. They've been listing a paperback edition of The Outlandish
Companion, for instance, with the "out of print or unavailable"
notation. In fact, there is no paperback edition of this book; it's never
been printed in anything other than the hardcover edition. And the hardcover edition—which
they were likewise claiming to be OP/UN—is certainly in print and available—just
not from them, right this minute.
28 January 2009
Book-touring Season
So far as I know at present, I'll be going to Canada and Australia (possibly New Zealand? They haven't told me yet) as well as zipping around the US to some unspecified degree (no idea what effect the current economic climate will have on publishers' willingness to finance book-tours). (Visit the Tours section to see the details of what Diana has right now.)
Now, we don't yet have a publication date for An Echo in the Bone, so I don't know at what point this all breaks loose. However, I have been invited to take part in the Atlanta-Decatur Book Festival, which takes place over Labor Day weekend (Sept. 4-6). It's not a firm date, yet, but I'd like to do this, and assuming it doesn't interfere with any other plans the publisher might have, I'll be there.
Beyond that…no telling. But I'll post any details, as soon as we get them. (Mind, we don't usually have anything resembling an itinerary until really close to the pub date, so don't hold your breath there.)
N.B. I know from experience that the mere mention of book-touring causes a flood of kind invitations from bookstores and hospitable persons wanting to invite me to stay with them and spend several days sight-seeing.
Alas, sight-seeing is not allowed for in the average book-tour, which involves changing cities Every Single Day, and moving pretty dang rapidly from Point A to Points B, C, D…etc. from about 4 AM to 11 PM or so. That sort of schedule is not conducive to house-guesting either, I'm afraid-but I do appreciate the kind thought!
Likewise, publishers don't really send authors anywhere (nice though that would be [g]). They usually have a short list of large cities, because these contain Large Bookstores (both independent and chain) and reasonable access to media for interviews and other coverage. In other words, much as I'd like to come visit a small used bookstore in Oyster Bay, that's probably not happening.
On the other hand, if you're affiliated with a bookstore near a reasonably-sized city, and are interested in having me for an event, you actually don't ask me; you ask the publicity department at Random House (US), Random House (Canada), or Orion (UK, Australia, New Zealand). I'll ask the various publicity persons if they mind my posting their contact info [g]; if they don't, I'll put it up here.