Wonderful news! SOJOURN is a Pluto Award winner! This award is given by Yellow30 Sci-Fi in recognition of the Best New Voice in Science Fiction 2007. This is the first year for this award and I'm thrilled to receive it. As a New Voice, it's sometimes hard to get heard in the hurley burly that is publishing. So I send my thanks to the fine folks at Yellow30 Sci-Fi!!!!About that Second Book, Ms. Oliver --
I've been doing a lot of fidgeting lately. It's been because of VIRTUAL EVIL, the second book in my series. It's that second book thing, you see. Since the current story arc is three books, book #2 better rock or you've lost the readers. As I've mentioned before in my blogs, I agonized over VE, rewriting and rewriting even before it reached my editor. Then she grabbed me by the lapels and we redid the book over twice more. I worried over this book like a dog with a bone. The effort was worth it.
I'm thrilled (and relieved) to announce that VE (and SOJOURN for that matter) earned Romantic Times Book Review's 4-1/2 Star Top Picks in Science Fiction & Fantasy. It's probably the only time I'll have books earn a higher rating than those of Jim Butcher, Mercedes Lackey and George R.R. Martin. VE also earned 5 Angels from Fallen Angel Reviews and praise from Coffee Time Romance and ParaNormalRomance .
Romantic Times: "Readers are in for a gripping adventure!"
Fallen Angel: "This book is one of the most creative, imaginative, and exciting stories I've picked up in a long time."
ParaNormalRomance: "A rollicking good read!"
The one complaint? My cliffhanger ending. Now I don't like those myself, but no matter how I tried to write the ending in a different way, it just didn't work. That's the way VE was supposed to end. I pretty much know the ending for MADMAN'S DANCE (the next book) and it's not a cliffhanger. I won't do that to my readers two times in a row (or I'd probably be hung from the closest gas lamp).
And lest some of you are not romance readers and note that so far the reviews are all from that part of the world, not to fear. There is a strong romantic subplot weaving through the entire series, but these books also include mystery, suspense, paranormal elements and a good dose of 1888 London. I like to mix genres and see what happens. The mystery and science fiction/fantasy reviews are in the pipeline. I'm hoping they like the book as much as the romance reviewers. (fingers crossed).
So there is rejoicing on this end because of all the good news. And the sobering reality that MADMAN'S DANCE is due March 1st to my glorious publisher. That's 120 days from now. You know, I think I'll go type some words now...
5 comments:
No my friend...YOU ROCK!!! I've run out of ways to say it, you deserve it all. Congrats once again!!!
It is certainly a long way from writing drivel for a certain retailer (cough) who shall remain nameless. Lots more challenging. And I don't have water globes stacked ten deep on my desk anymore. That's worth every moment of butt in chair.
I've traded water globes for candle holders. Not sure which is worse but at least in HK I had a Fosters in hand while being reamed by the big guy for an hour! The "good ol days", almost makes you miss them.....I said almost! HA!
Jana,
Sojourn deserves all the awards it has received, and perhaps a few that it didn't. I'm looking forward to reading Virtual Evil. The last time I saw you (I think), you were in nursing school--not something that would normally lead to a career in writing. I know you're deep into 1888 London again, but curious about what you plan for after the Time Rovers Trilogy.
I have an Urban Fantasy I'm working on that has a homeless guy as the hero and I'd still love to do that Victorian murder mystery series. I'm also getting flack about not finishing off the Dragon Fire Fantasy series, so I'd best go back, re-work those books and give the readers a satisfying ending.
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