Seven of Nine, Thraxas Noir

The re-issuing of Thraxas and the Dance of Death as an ebook means that there are now seven of nine available. Aha. I loved Seven of Nine. I think she's the only character that has ever made me watch I show I didn't really like. I never thought Star Trek Voyager was all that great, but when Seven of Nine was introduced, I liked it a lot more.

But apart from that, Thraxas and the Dance of Death, which is book six in the series, is now in electronic bookshops everywhere. With book nine already being published, that only leaves seven and eight to come - Thraxas at War, and Thraxas Under Siege. They will be available soon.

Here is part of the introduction to Thraxas and the Dance of Death - 

'When I began writing Thraxas, I planned for it to be rather darker. More noirish. Sort of Dashiell Hammett meets sword and Sorcery. Thraxas does share some elements often associated with the hardboiled school of American detective fiction. He's a solo investigator who's tough, and ready to defend himself. He drinks a lot and he's poor. He exists in a corrupt urban environment where he comes up against organised crime. He distrusts the police and tends to be hostile towards authority. He's loyal to his clients, and prepared to go a long way to defend them.

Despite these elements, Thraxas didn't turn out very noirish at all. Partly because Thraxas's huge appetites for food and drink can drag him out any prolonged burst of soul searching. Thraxas can be affected by the poverty and corruption which surrounds him, but a good bowl of stew, and five or six beers, will usually make him view the world in a more optimistic light.

And also, I think, because Thraxas and Makri turned out to be something of a comedy double-act. At times their relationship seems to consist mainly of bickering and mutual insults, but really, Thraxas is rescued from a potentially bleak world by the presence of the young female warrior. Makri is too spirited and intelligent to be intimidated by Thraxas's blustering. She gives as good as she gets, and consequently they become friends, quite quickly. Thraxas is still walking down unfriendly streets, but he's no longer on his own.'

Thraxas and the Dance of Death now available at:

Amazon(US) Amazon(UK) Amazon(CA) iTunes Kobo Copia

Thraxas, Hobbits, Exhausting Debauchery

As Thraxas and the Sorcerers arrived in shops, or rather, at ebook distributors, I lay on the couch, watching The Hobbit. Various thoughts floated though my head -  I'm enjoying this film - I wish someone would bring me a cup of tea - Where did I put my comfy slippers?- Could you really have eagles that big? - What else can I steal from Tolkien? - that sort of thing. So, I've now seen the Hobbit, long after everyone else, as always. Good film, though making the book into a trilogy seems to be pushing it a bit. But I will no doubt watch the next two just as keenly. I have always loved the Hobbit. When I first read it, there would have seemed no prospect that it would ever be made into a film.

So. Thraxas and the Sorcerers now available for sale, meaning that six Thraxas ebooks have now appeared since December. Which is a good effort by anyone's standards, and I have no hesitation in heartily congratulating myself for getting this done. There are now only three left to publish, and they will be out soon, making the full set available as ebooks, including the new one, Thraxas and the Ice Dragon.

Thraxas and the Sorcerers on sale here - 

Kindle (US), Kindle (UK), iTunes, Kobo

The ebook publishing has been going very well, though it has left me quite weary. I am obliged, as a member of the Ancient Secret Society of Lascivious Authors, to host a debauched sex party whenever I have a book released. Of course, this is usually only once every couple of years. But with the rapid re-issuing of all my Thraxas books, the sex parties have been much more frequent. So with the energetic young models pouring into my modest flat and partying through the night, re-enactments of 100 days of Sodom being staged in the kitchen and so on, well, I'm becoming quite fatigued. I'll be pleased when it's over.