Review Copies and Other Codex Born Updates
There are 26 days until the official release of Codex Born [Amazon | B&N | Mysterious Galaxy], not to mention the mass market paperback of Libriomancer [Amazon | B&N | Mysterious Galaxy], which means it’s time for me to start the Official Author Fidget-Dance of Anxiety!
The Cool Stuff Summary: Book-based magic, kick-ass dryad, flaming spider, wendigos, septuagenarian werewolves, a magical organization thought to have been wiped out more than five hundred years ago, and one random Spider-Man quote.
Review Copies: If you are a reviewer who hasn’t received a copy (and, you know, would like to have one), please contact my publicist at BerkleyNALpublicity -at- us.penguingroup.com. Please include your mailing address and where you do your book reviews. Unfortunately, due to the cost of books and shipping and such, reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and personal blogs without a good-sized readership don’t generally qualify.
Upcoming Events:
- July 26 at 6 p.m. Reading and booksigning with Mary Robinette Kowal at Schuler Books, Eastwood Location. Lansing, Michigan. (This is part of the conference kickoff for the MSU Young Authors Conference, and they will have copies of Codex Born for sale.)
- August 6 at 7 p.m. Booksigning at Schuler Books, Eastwood Location. Lansing, Michigan.
- August 10 at 2 p.m. Booksigning at Kazoo Books, Parkview Location. Kalamazoo, Michigan.
- August 15-18. Gencon. Indianapolis, Indiana. (I will have books for sale.)
Giveaways: I’m hoping to give away a few free books between now and August 6. I haven’t worked out the details yet, but I’ll let folks know as soon as I come up with a suitably entertaining way to do it.
Advance Reviews: Publishers Weekly and Romantic Times have both said nice things about the book. I hear rumors that Library Journal and Locus will both be reviewing it as well. But I think my favorite and most reassuring review so far comes from Kate over on Goodreads, who picked up a copy at ALA and says, “…this was an even stronger read than the first book.”
Also, Seanan McGuire read it and started sending me rude emails about having to wait for book three, so that’s a good thing, right?
Preview: The first chapter is available in both .pdf and .epub format.
State of the Author: Nervous, impatient, grateful, and excited. The Magic ex Libris series is the most ambitious story I’ve written so far. The first few reviews have helped me — somewhat — to get past the initial bout of imposter syndrome, and mostly now I’m just really looking forward to being able to finally share this one with everybody!
#SFWApro
Paul (@princejvstin)
July 11, 2013 @ 9:46 am
Wow, and look, you can do the pose Lena does on the cover without injuring yourself!
Martin
July 11, 2013 @ 9:57 am
Do you plan a tour in Germany sometime in the future?
Jason
July 11, 2013 @ 10:51 am
Can’t wait, will definitely be picking up the ebook on Kobo soon after release.
Jim C. Hines
July 11, 2013 @ 11:01 am
I would love to, but probably not any time soon. Time and budget, I’m afraid.
Jim C. Hines
July 11, 2013 @ 11:01 am
Thank you!
Teresa
July 11, 2013 @ 11:28 am
I’m re-reading Libriomancer right now, can’t wait! (And waiting on my Smudge plushie from Graphic Audio, squee!)
I told my husband last night that, if my character in our current D&D archmage game dies, my next character will be a Libriomancer with a fire-spider familiar. 😉
Jim C. Hines
July 11, 2013 @ 11:35 am
This is from 2006, but might still be of interest…
Fire Spider Monster Sheet for D&D.
Jaime
July 11, 2013 @ 11:41 am
I CAN’T WAIT. I want Codex Born in my hot little hands now.
My husband is going to GenCon (lucky duck) and I’m making him take both of my copies of Libriomancer (HC and ARC) to get them signed by you. When you spot a red haired & beared Viking, that’ll be him.
Teresa
July 11, 2013 @ 11:43 am
YOU. ARE. THE. BESTEST! *Squee!*
Liari
July 11, 2013 @ 12:40 pm
My vote for the giveaway contest: pictures of Smudge in various random locations.
Also, EEEEEEEE, NEW JIM HINES BOOK COMING, I can’t wait for more booky goodness, gosh.
Jim C. Hines
July 11, 2013 @ 1:25 pm
Red-haired viking. Got it. I’ll keep an eye out 🙂
Jim C. Hines
July 11, 2013 @ 1:26 pm
Me posting pictures of Smudge for folks to find, or people sending in pictures they’ve taken or Photoshopped?
Liari
July 11, 2013 @ 1:29 pm
I was thinking readers taking or Photoshopping pictures. Smudge replicas made of all kinds of things!
Pam Adams
July 11, 2013 @ 2:43 pm
septuagenarian werewolves Do werewolves, like dogs, age seven years for every calendar year?
Sally
July 11, 2013 @ 4:23 pm
THERE ARE SMUDGE PLUSHIES?!
Avilyn
July 11, 2013 @ 5:37 pm
Squee! Looking forward to the new book. *bounce* *bounce* *bounce* *bounce*
Ken
July 11, 2013 @ 5:54 pm
Oh man, wish I saw about the Young Authors Conference sooner! My daughter would love something like that, but we’re on vacation now and can’t apply. Ah well, guess we will have to catch you and Mary on the 26th at least!
Being on vacation, I FINALLY got around to reading Libriomancer and am definitely looking forward to Codex Born now. Great book! (Although I’m not going to look at the MSU Library the same way again.)
Good luck on surviving the nervous time until your book release!
Jim C. Hines
July 11, 2013 @ 6:46 pm
They were a special giveaway that Graphic Audio did last month. Not sure they’re still doing it – the plushies were hand-made, and it sounds like they were pretty time- and cost-intensive.
Jim C. Hines
July 11, 2013 @ 6:47 pm
Thanks, Ken! Enjoy your vacation, and see you in a few weeks!
Michael
July 11, 2013 @ 9:25 pm
Awesome first chapter! Can’t wait to read more! Sadly I have one very tiny nit pick. Aluminum does not rust (corrode would be correct). Only Iron based alloys rust, as rust is Iron Oxide. But seriously other than that I’m going to go nuts the next 26 days waiting to find out what happens! Then my wife and I will have to work an agreement on sharing the book.
David Youngs
July 11, 2013 @ 9:31 pm
Why are you doing appearances in the Deep South (of Michigan) when we’re vacationing in the Northwest?
Jim C. Hines
July 12, 2013 @ 7:30 am
Well, shoot. Looks like it’s time to start making a list of things to fix when the paperback comes out.
Jim C. Hines
July 12, 2013 @ 7:30 am
Because I like to torment you!
Dana
July 12, 2013 @ 12:21 pm
Ack! I missed the plushies!
Very much looking forward to the book. Good luck!
Jimmy
July 12, 2013 @ 4:46 pm
Woo hoo can’t wait for the book! I have already preordered it from my local bookstore. I still think a smudge shaped lighter or candle holder would be really cool.
Bryn
July 13, 2013 @ 9:47 pm
You know, Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon is a fine, fine place for a book-signing. Or so I’m told. And it’s only about 110 miles from my home…. *big, pleading puppy-dog eyes*
Jim C. Hines
July 13, 2013 @ 9:51 pm
I would love to! I’ve heard great things about Powell’s Books.
Unfortunately, it’s about 2300 miles from my home…
Bryn
July 13, 2013 @ 10:47 pm
But…but… Micro-brew beer? Great PNW fish? A chance to go crazy in a multi-storied, full-city-block-sized bookstore? Polite Northwesterners who don’t honk their car horns? *grasping at straws, but going down fighting* 🙂 I will buy your book, regardless–signed, unsigned, however I can get my hands on one.
But I’ll still hope you wander this way someday.
Lindsay
July 14, 2013 @ 6:37 pm
Oh boy, I can’t wait to meet you at GenCon! Naturally I’ll be super shy, but new book PLUS meeting you is going to totally rock. I really enjoyed Libriomancer (and your other books!) so can’t wait to read Codex Born.
This makes my week. I think I’m going to wind up carting around 50lbs of books for signings again this year, plus all the ones I’ll pick up there — so excited.
Leslie
July 15, 2013 @ 1:28 pm
So excited for this book! It’s all preordered and everything and I can’t wait for it to show up in my mailbox. Squeeeee!
Jim C. Hines
July 17, 2013 @ 10:15 am
Thanks, Lindsay! See you at GenCon!
Jim C. Hines
July 17, 2013 @ 10:15 am
🙂
Kate K.F.
July 25, 2013 @ 10:15 pm
Thank you for linking my review. I was so happy to grab a copy at ALA and started reading it that same day.
Jim C. Hines
July 26, 2013 @ 9:16 am
And thank you for writing it 🙂