15 June, 2009

Back from the USA, and back to work!  It was a terrific trip, and I want to thank all the people who made an effort to attend the various events in Seattle, Orcas Island, and Nebraska. I was delighted to meet so many of you and I look forward with great anticipation to getting on the road again very soon to meet some more new and old friends. Meanwhile, it is back to work on the new novel and racing towards the deadline. Meetings with the publisher and editors went very well and they're already beginning to gear up for the launch of the new series even though it is some time away. Stay tuned . . .

Back to the USA

I'm travelling to the States in a few days and will be doing a few author appearances while I'm there. If anyone is in the area, I'd love to meet you. Here's where I'll be

Friday, May 29, 7:00pm 

Readings and Music event with Jeff Johnson (www.arkmusic.com)

Author interview with Assoc. Professor Jeff Keuss

Questions and Answers; Book Signing

Demary Hall 150

Seattle Pacific University

3307 - 3rd Ave. West

Seattle Washington

Sunday, May 31

Readings and Music event with Jeff Johnson (www.arkmusic.com)

Orcas Island Community Church,

176 Madrona Street

Eastsound, WA

Monday, June 8, 700 pm

Readings, Interview, and Book Signing

Kearney Public Library

2020 1st Avenue

Kearney, Nebraska

Christmas Bookplates Done and Dusted

The 'Free Bookplate' giveaway was a roaring success. I hope everyone who took advantage of the  publisher's largess recieves their bookplates before Christmas. It's all up to the mail carriers now. I personally signed over 500 bookplates, many personalized and with dedications (space and time allowing -- some were a little unrealistic about what could be fitted into such a small area.) If anyone didn't get exactly what they requested, please know that I did my best.  Will we do this again? Keep watching the website and I'll keep you posted.

 The release of KingRaven III: Tuck is being finalized as I write. The cover design has been chosen, and all the last-minute details nailed down. The plan as it stands now is for the book to ship to stores on or before January 15th. That means it will be available anytime after that -- depending on the bookstore and how quickly they introduce new stock. For the incorrigibly curious, Titletrack.com has a review already up and posted on their site. Thanks to all who have waited so long and patiently, your patience is about to be rewarded.

Tuck Finished ... Again!

The previously mentioned Edinburgh Book Festival was a splendid affair, and the holiday in  Scotland a very pleasant and much-needed break. I returned from the Highlands to find the final draft of Tuck on my desk -- back from the editors. I've now completed the final edit and sent the manuscript back for copy editing. So far, we're still on schedule for a January release. I will announce the official release date as soon as it has been finalized. In the meantime, I'm turning my attention to my new project -- an idea which has been steeping for a few years now, and I'm keen to begin working on it in earnest.

Tuck Finished!

The hard work of the last two months (twelve months?) came to an end this last week when I wrote 'The End' on Tuck and turned in the manuscript. It is now off my desk and on the editors'. Hooray! The release date is still somewhat up in the air, but it looks like I've been able to preserve an early 2009 release. I will keep you posted when the publishing date has been determined. Until then . . . I'm taking a bit of holiday in Scotland, and then it's back to work. Stay tuned.....

Edinburgh Book Festival Announced

The EBF is a big deal in the UK and this year it's going to be even bigger -- because I'm going to be there! For the first time, I've been invited to appear and talk about folklore and legend as used in my work. My appearance is scheduled for Saturday, August 16th -- so, if you're going to be in the area, why not take in the festival? Or, fancy a trip to Scotland? Come on! I'd love to meet you. See you there!

Happy New Year

I am heartily glad to see the back of 2007, which will surely rank as one of my least favourite years of all time. At least, I hope so. Nevertheless, it is over and not to be repeated, thank God. And now it is on to 2008 and all that it has in store. I'm expecting good things. One of which is a visit to what has become the premier literary event in the British calendar: the Edinburgh Book Fair. For the first time, I've been invited to attend the EBF as a guest author/participant. It's a genuine honour and I feel genuinely honoured to be asked. I don't have all the details yet, but I'll post them as and when I get more information. In the meantime, here's wishing you a Great 2008!

Patience Rewarded !

The broken link supplying the vital email bridge between author and reader has been fixed! Why not try it out? As always, feel free to write me about anything at anytime. (A note posted to steve(at)stephenlawhead.com  will reach me as well.)  I look forward to hearing from you.

On other fronts:  I just heard from my editor at HarperCollins that they're planning to re-release the entire Pendragon Cycle in a new edition with new covers sometime in the next year. I'll pass along more info as it comes in. Also, Hood has been nominated for Book of the Year by the city of Leicester (pronounced Lester) which hosts an annual ceremonial award dinner for lucky authors. The competition is pretty steep,but I figure we're in with a chance..

Patience will be rewarded . . ..

Technology moves on, and after nine years with the old webhost, this website is undergoing a transfer to a new webhost which will allow me to update quicker and easier than ever before. There are some teething problems, however, and so I ask for your patience as we get the bugs worked out. My hope is that it will become more reader-friendly, too, as we're anticipating adding a mailing list and a contest page very soon. Keep watching this space! In the meantime, if you'd like to drop me a note you can use this email address: feedback(at)stephenlawhead.com to reach me.

Tuck begins. . . .

With Scarlet well and truly released, I've turned my attention to book 3, Tuck, at last. It's early days yet, but already the story has taken an unexpected turn. I always like it when that happens -- even though it usually means a whole lot more work! I'll keep you posted.

Scarlet arrives!

The FedEx man just delivered my first copy of the US edition of King Raven II: Scarlet. It looks great. They'll be in the bookstores in a week or two. Don't know about the UK release -- that might be a little later. First copies of the DRAGON KING books were also in the box. They're being re-released in the US along with Scarlet. Those are the first fiction books I wrote (early '80s): unemployed, pregnant wife, wolf at door. Now they're in yet another edition. Who knew?

Off to the Greenbelt festival on Saturday to sign books and enjoy some good weather, at last.

Scarlet is now completely edited, proofed, and off to the printers. September pub date anticipated, right on schedule. Tuck is next.

Starting to get interested in facebook -- especially since hearing that there is a 'Stephen Lawhead is the greatest author of the 21st century' group. Ah, shucks. Really, it's too much. I don't know what to say...

Back in England, and contemplating the final KING RAVEN volume: Tuck. Work delayed due to what turned out to be a lengthy illness -- now over, I hope (no cards, thanks), but as always Oxford is evocative and a good environment for any writer. I can twist my ankle on the same paving stones that tripped up Sayers, Lewis, and Tolkein -- not to mention Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey -- which can't help but put one in a creative mood.

Anyone who has had the experience of waiting way, way too long to send a thank-you note to Auntie Dot for that birthday gift card -- so long it's now embarrassing to do so -- can appreciate my chagrin at promising, at one point, weekly updates to this web site and then keeping it more or less static since the autumn. I do apologise.

A year-plus sabbatical in the Pacific Northwest is now coming to an end, and I am moving back to Britain, where I have lived off-and-on since the mid-eighties. The past months have been difficult in ways that I could not have foreseen, and might explain later. For now, though, a word from the late, great Oswald Chambers, that is interesting to conte