Wednesday, August 05, 2009

When the Books come In

Dance to the daddy,
Sing to the mummy,
Dance to the daddy,
To the mummy sing!

It's been excitement all round in our house, today, because the first copies of "Blood Pact" arrived hot off the press: one perfect UK Edition and one perfect US Edition. Very lovely they are too. It's a special something to actually get the printed work in your hands after all the time it took to produce it (especially in the case of Blood Pact). Huzzah!

October is going to be a busy time for me as Blood Pact and Triumff are both officially on the shelves that month. I can see there are going to be a lot of signings and interviews and stuff to do. In the next couple of weeks, I hope to be writing blogs specifically about the books to give you a taster, and maybe dreaming up some other inventive ways to fire your imaginations about them.

Talking of which, I have now sent out PDFs of Triumff to the English contingent (you know who you are), and I intend to send PDFs to eager American test-readers (it's like being a test pilot) in the very near future.

The cover of Triumff is coming together, and I was distracted for quite a long time this afternoon by the reading copy PDF, because it is the first time I've seen my text properly typeset with lovely Elizabethan fonts for the chapter headings etc. I started reading a chunk of it, and a) It made me laugh, and b) It got me jolly excited about it, all over again. I probably shouldn't admit either of those things out loud, but it's amazing how something as simple as typesetting can de-familiarise a piece of writing, so that you see it with fresh eyes. I can't wait for Triumff to come out. I can't wait for as many people as possible to read it.

In other news, bear in mind that we're in the middle of Perseid season. The nights of the eleventh and twelfth will be the busiest in the UK, with up to one a minute. This is shooting stars I'm talking about. On those nights, try to get out somewhere away from town light, and somewhere you can minimise the light of the moon (which will be a little bit of an interference this year. And then... make a wish.

32 comments:

Labrat said...

ZING! HA TAKE THAT

Blitzspear said...

Gotta love that new book smell hmmmmmmm. Please please please come somewhere near East anglia to do a book signing. It's that lump on the side of the UK that people seem to forget about.

Xhalax said...

I've only ever seen one shooting star....I nearly blinked and missed it.

Dukeleto said...

great news, will have to get them both obviously.
Triumff looks lovely, I imagine :D
btw, Blitzspear, great name!

Roar said...

I saw a shooting star when i was 7. Never seen one since, Was a good night that too.

Im really excited at these two books. Todays been a good day, got my exam results, started a new job and found out Dans doing lots of signings around the UK.

WIN WIN WIN!

McKennsy said...

Whats the difference between the UK editions and the US ones?

Rob Rath said...

McKennsy-

Usually it's just spelling differences, since we Yankee Barbarians have committed such atrocities as removing the "u" from honour and colour, and not spelling practice with an "s" as in "practise."

And don't get me started on the pronunciation of "aluminum."

Matthew Churchill said...

Look forward to seeing you in October, Dan.

M

Big said...

Finally Blood Pact i have serious withdrawls
Cant wait for Triumff either ive been looking forward to some independant goodness for a while now ,more power to ya!

Anonymous said...

In the next couple of weeks, I hope to be writing blogs specifically about the books to give you a taster, and maybe dreaming up some other inventive ways to fire your imaginations about them.

Oh-yea! I really hope you do! And if you please let it be something action packed, with the glimpse of Chaos, not like the pdf sample on the Black Library for Blood Pact!
And what about new youtube interviews that you promised?

Adelie High said...

Anon - You have to ask yourself whether you'd rather have Dan sitting writing or Dan sitting answering questions on film. I know, tricky isn't it... The interviews are scheduled, I promise, and Dan will announce them here. Not much longer... honestly.

Boom said...

Just got done reading the sample extract of Blood Pact and let me say that it was badass!!! Totally took me back to First and Only. Great work Dan, can't wait to get my yankee hands on it.

frieslander said...

Hmmm, not one but two Abnett books in one month. Must be blessed or some thing.
Can't wait to see what you going to do with Chaos this time around, I don't know how you'll top what you did for them in Traitor General though.

Xhalax said...

There's a fair part of me that wishes people would stop talking about Blood Pact as I'm not sure I cam handle this much excitement without rupturing something. As much fun as I'm having distracting myself with other books, the mention of those two words make me nearly explode.

Big said...

Thout shall ave a fishy,
on a little dishy
Thout shalt ave a fishy,
when the boat comes in......

Anonymous said...

Xhalax - if the words Blood and Pact are enough to give you apoplexy, what happens when I say Ban, followed by Daur?

Nik

Xhalax said...

Those words induce giggling and big grins and running around in circles. 'tis terrifying to witness.

Matthew Churchill said...

I've heard them giggles up close. It's like the mating call of a bull grox.

M

Xhalax said...

Matthew - That was simply because you were there.

Big said...

.....LOL!

HiWayRobry said...

I was also wondering about the difference between the UK and the US versions. Thanks for the info Rob. So I assume Centre and Theatre will be changed to center and theater :)
Dan, really looking forward to Triumff (almost as much as I'm looking forward to Blood Pact. Almost)!
Maybe you should have it released before October cuz I'm not sure Xhalax can survive that long without spontaneously combusting :)

Xhalax said...

HiwayRobry - I'm going to Games Day, and someone I know has asked me to get them a copy....one which I will read on the bus home from GD, so there's a good chance I'll be finished it before September is over.

Owning my own copy of Blood Pact is going to be a loooooooooooong wait since I'll only just be getting my own copy of The Lost (hardback omnibus) in the September releases.....all the books have to match.

Rob Rath said...

Xhalax-

Oh dear lord you're one of THOSE.

Of course, I'm not one to talk, since I have been known to sort Skittles by color before eating them...

Benny Boy said...

So I read the sample extract of Blood Pact on BlackLibrary and........Why do you do these things to me Dan? Now I will not even be able to sit still until I read the whole thing. In short....it was effing awsome and the rest of it will be super effing awsome. Obviously i didnt read the rest of it haha, but I am sure its fantastic. GREAT JOB

Big said...

HELLL YESSS....the Ghosts are back
I like where this book is going,
back to the old school!
I have just read the exert on the Black Libary website and already its kicking ass.For all new readers if wanna start reading Gaunts Ghosts but you feel a little behind nows the time to join in because its all starting again by the looks of it.

Hurrah for the Hussar said...

Have now passed through the spewing torrents of giddy excitement and am in the softly lulled pools of calm patience.

Can none of you wait till you have it in your laps? Reading the Blood Pact excerpt is like peeking at christmas presents in November-for shame!
Stop tying those rubber straps and tapping your veins it will only make things worse!
Until I get that beautiful hardback copy of Blood Pact with a smooth finish paper cover (which I'll remove immediateley to stroke the hardcover binding) i'm not ready to hear any content, though speculation is fine by me.

Gaunt on a Segway and Mkvenner in a Warhound? Bring it!

Big said...

Huss- i am normaly so like that
But for some reason its seems such a long time since i got my last fix...and yes im clucking..lol

Xhalax said...

I have to admit that the greedy Ghost fan within me hoped the extract would be something shiny and new, but at least it killed some time while waiting to see the doctor.

HiWayRobry said...

LOL, that's hilarious Xhalax!

I will not be reading any excerpts cuz it'll just spoil the fun of reading it when it comes out. I'm one of those that never reads the jacket of a book cuz I don't want to know anything about it. I also avoid any trailers of movies that I know will interest me. Does that make me weird? (Well, besides the fact that I AM weird!)

Benny Boy said...

huss-i have been tied off and ready to jab now for about a year. cmon, you can say that your not fiending for this book. haha

Anonymous said...

Fantastic sounding plan for the collection of Eisenhorn/Ravenor shorts (and also I thoroughly enjoy the Q&A videos, Adelie High)! I do hope to see a wee bit more of Uber Aemos, he remains one of the most endearing characters I think. Not *too* deep or complex a character but, deary me, he was damn enjoyable.

Sounds like a very promising year or so ahead.

Oisok Estuvel said...
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