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Multiverse Podcasts

3/14/2016

In case you missed it... David Weber and I have been having a lot of fun talking with podcast hosts about our newest book The Road To Hell (Multiverse 3). Here are links to the shows all in one place. Enjoy!

Credit: Baen Books

Baen Free Radio Hour

The Baen Free Radio Hour offers a weekly dose of Baen news, contests, suggestions for developing writers and readers, and, above all, lively discussion with a galaxy of authors, artists, and scientists all around the Baen Books universe. Plus: great audio adaptations of Baen author works, and professional readings of the science fiction and fantasy you love.

Name: BFRH 2016 03 11: David Weber and Joelle Presby on The Road to Hell, Part 1 of 2; and John Ringo's Under a Graveyard Sky Part 40

Description: David Weber and Joelle Presby discuss their new entry in the Multiverse series, The Road to Hell. This novel is set in a world where magic meets steampunk science across several universe-spanning portals, part 1 of 2; also part 40 of the complete audiobook serialization of John Ringo's Under a Graveyard Sky. http://www.baen.com/podcastfiles/mp3/Baen-Free-Radio-Hour-2016-03-11-Weber-Presby-Graveyard-40.mp3

Name: BFRH 2016 03 18: David Weber and Joelle Presby on The Road to Hell, Part 2 of 2; and John Ringo's Under a Graveyard Sky Part 41

Description: David Weber and Joelle Presby discuss their new entry in the Multiverse series, The Road to Hell. This novel is set in a world where magic meets steampunk science across several universe-spanning portals, part 2 of 2; also part 41 of the complete audiobook serialization of John Ringo's Under a Graveyard Sky. http://www.baen.com/podcastfiles/mp3/Baen-Free-Radio-Hour-2016-03-18-Weber-Presby-2-Graveyard-41.mp3

The Three Hoarsemen (Episode 31) - Down on the Collaboration Farm with Joelle Presby and David Weber - Part One

John E. O. Stevens, Fred Kiesche and Jeff Patterson convene with Joelle Presby and David Weber to talk about the collaboration process on their new book The Road to Hell. The talk was substantive enough to necessitate splitting it across two episodes.Part one of the discussion includes the challenges of stepping into an existing franchise, playing in another author’s sandbox, the difference between art vs. craft, editorial hindsight, working with Jim Baen, and meeting Andre Norton.

Run time: 1 hour 23 minutes. http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2016/02/three-hoarsemen-episode-31-collaboration-farm-joelle-presby-david-weber-part-one/

The Three Hoarsemen (Episode 32) - An Interview with Joelle Presby and David Weber - Part Two

In Part Two, John E. O. Stevens, Fred Kiesche and Jeff Patterson continue their talk with Joelle Presby and David Weber about The Road to Hell.The discussion covers killing characters, the cost of war, and wrapping up franchises.
The Hoarsemen also talk about culture consumed, the state of Marvel, revisiting Watership Down, and their reading plans for the rest of 2016.

Running time 1 hour 25 minutes. http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2016/03/three-hoarsemen-episode-32-joelle-presby-david-weber-part-two/

Book Signing for THE ROAD TO HELL in Greenville, SC

3/7/2016

David Weber and I are doing a book signing for THE ROAD TO HELL this weekend. Come see us!

Saturday, March 12th
Starting at 2 PM

Barnes & Noble
735 Haywood Rd
Greenville, SC 29607

We look forward to seeing you!

We are also doing stock signings at the following four stores. That means there will be signed copies available there starting March 13th. If you can't make the in person signing you might try ordering your signed books from these booksellers.

Barnes & Noble
1125 Woodruff Road
Greenville, SC 29607

Barnes & Noble
735 Haywood Road
Greenville, SC 29607

As the Page Turns
21 Plaza Drive
Travelers Rest, SC 29690

2nd & Charles
2465 Laurens Road
Greenville, SC 29607

Multiverse Book Giveaway Contest

1/19/2016

Hi World!

I’m celebrating the upcoming March 2016 release of The Road To Hell (Multiverse #3) by David Weber and yours truly.

I'm giving away a few advance reader copies which are normally only made available to book reviewers and professionals in the publishing industry. But to make it extra special, I decided to include copies of Hell’s Gate (Multiverse #1) and Hell Hath No Fury (Multiverse #2) as well.

Here are the contest rules. You can win by chance or you can win by skill.

WINNING BY CHANCE:
Respond to this to get yourself entered for one random chance to win. You can get additional random chances by responding at each of the other places I’ve posted this. Those places are: my website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter.

WINNING BY SKILL:
Guess the final page count for THE ROAD TO HELL. You may enter one guess per person per site. Responding to this contest with a page count guess will automatically give you an entry in the winning by chance side of the Multiverse book giveaway. If several people have the same closest guess, the one who posted first wins.

GRAND PRIZE:
Multiverse #1: HELL’S GATE in trade paperback
Multiverse #2: HELL HATH NO FURY in trade paperback
Multiverse #3: THE ROAD TO HELL in advance reader copy format

RUNNER-UP PRIZE:
Multiverse #1: HELL’S GATE in trade paperback
Multiverse #2: HELL HATH NO FURY in trade paperback

There will be at least one Grand Prize won by skill and at least one won by chance. I reserve the right to allocate the Runner-Up Prizes as seems good to me. There will be at least three Runner-Up Prizes.

1/27/2016 Update: The first of many Runner-Up Prizes has been won by Sonja Thiede. Sonja's books will be in the mail shortly. Everyone's entries here and on social media sites remain in the pool for the next drawing. Sonja is not eligible to win another Runner-Up Prize but remains eligible for an upgrade to Grand Prize winner. The Grand Prize by Skill has not yet been won. If the exact page count is not guessed by March 1st, the prize will be awarded to the closest guess so far.

2/3/2016 Update: Today's Runner-Up Prize winner is Erich Maybaum. Next week a Grand Prize Winner will be selected.

2/11/2016 Update: The Grand Prize by Skill has been won by Henry Brown with a guess of 701 pages.

Photographic evidence of the final book provided. For those wondering, I don't know why Amazon's description says 720 either. David and I had a last minute rewrite of a few chapters between the ARC and the final manuscript, so that might have had something to do with it.

I salute all the entrants. The rest of you are owed several more By Chance drawings for Runner-Up Prizes and the other Grand Prize.

2/24/2016 Update: Congratulations to the winners!

Grand Prize by Skill - Henry Brown
Grand Prize by Chance - Tera Fulbright
Grand Prize the Third - Sean Boyle (Yes, yes. I know I only promised two grand prizes, but I also never identified whether the page count guess was for the ARC or the hardcover. Sean Boyle's guess was the closest to the ARC's final page count, so you could say he won by Sort Of Skill.)
Runner-Up Prize Winners: Sonja Thiede, Eric Maybaum, Becca Hendershot, Anita Allen, Leon Jester, and Alicia Washkevich (Again so maybe I only promised three runner-up prizes, but in my defense I did use the wiggle phrase "at least.")

The contest is now closed. Thank you. Have a wonderful day.

THE ROAD TO HELL is available for preorder and will be on bookshelves on March 8th.

MarsCon Sweet Sixteen

1/7/2016

Art Credit: MarsCon 2016

I'm delighted to be a guest at MarsCon in Williamsburg, Virginia again this year. The convention is next weekend, January 15-17, at the Williamsburg Doubletree. The overflow hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Williamsburg, still has rooms available.

Here's my schedule.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Writing in Shared Worlds - 5 PM - Room 8
Opening Ceremonies - 6 PM - Auditorium
Radium Girls & Radiation Empowerment - 10 PM - Harrison 3

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Baen Books Traveling Road Show - 4:30 PM - Harrison 1
Women in Military Fiction - 6 PM - Room 8
Sci-Fi’s Effects on Gender Perception - 8 PM - Harrison 1

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Space Opera Explodes Gender Barriers - 11 AM - Harrison 3
Star Maps and Alternate Earths - 12 PM - Harrison 3

I hope to see you there!

The Road To Hell, my new Multiverse book co-written with David Weber, is available for preorder right now. I'll be running a Multiverse book giveaway contest very soon, be sure to ask me about it at the convention.

-Joelle Presby

The eARC is out!

12/15/2015

Hooray! The Road To Hell eARC is out!

http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2918-the-road-to-hell-earc.aspx

Bacon: A Personal Tale of Loss

11/17/2015

Half my bacon fell on the floor. I only had two strips of bacon-y-goodness to start with so it was only the one piece, but even so, it was half!*

At moments like this, one is forced to consider a host of karmic possibilities. Was this divine punishment for having chosen to order breakfast while awaiting my car repairs** instead of opening up my shiny new laptop and writing? Was this one of my hopefully-not-really-present gremlin fans attempting to ensure writerly long life and good health by reducing my red meat consumption?*** Am I just a klutz who should have downed the Diet Pepsi to reduce my caffeine shakes before attempting such complexities as cutting bacon on a slippery plate near the edge of the table?**** And most importantly, does IHOP provide replacement bacon? Would it help if I cried?*****

*Behold my mathematical genius. Yup, get a masters degree in applied math and you too can think in fractions. Or failing that, attend second grade.

**It would be entirely illogical to suggest that fixing a printer caused mythological gremlins to drain a car battery. When in the course of human events a car belongs to a person who works from home and who also forgets to turn on said car, it results in significant chemical wear and tear on the car battery. Such a battery stops holding a charge and requires increasingly frequent jumps. Replacing said battery of course would not be the cause of a laptop failing. After six years of almost everyday use, even the most trusty of laptops eventually apply for machine retirement. Replacing said laptop does not make another car’s tail light go out. Gremlins could not possibly be involved.^

^But if they were, one could ask one's Facebook friends list for advice on ethical gremlin removal. Many people have exceptionally exceptional advice to offer. But be warned: chicken blood will reduce the trade-in value of a six-year-old laptop that might otherwise have generated a sizable Amazon ebook credit.

***Have you seen that horrible news? Bacon: bad for you! It’s almost as if humans were supposed to eat a variety of foods (mostly plants) and adding a single leaf of spinach to a plate of fried bacon did not make a thing a salad.

****Yes.

*****No and no. One should only cry if all the bacon falls on the floor; dignity should be worth at least $1.99. Also, go ahead and spring for the replacement bacon order. Let the lost bacon be considered a gremlin appeasement offering.

Multiverse #3: The Road To Hell - Available for Pre-Order

9/30/2015

Hi World!

I have a book coming out! David Weber and I have completed the third book in the Multiverse series started with Linda Evans many years ago. The Road To Hell is available for pre-order now at Barnes & Noble and Amazon and will be coming to bookstores near you on March 1st.

For those of you who can’t wait until March, Baen Books is hard at work on the copyedits for the reviewers’ advance reader copies. I’ve heard rumors that the eARC* may be available from Baen as early as December 15th.

Happy reading,
Joelle Presby

*An eARC is the ebook version of an advance reader copy. These are early versions of the book given to book reviewers and purchased directly from the publisher by those eager fans who want to read the story before the hardcover release date. A fully proofed ebook version will be available from book retailers on March 1st along with the hardcover.

New Year's Resolutions! (Yes, in August!)

8/18/2015

***DRUM ROLL PLEASE***

I have completed writing my 2015 New Year’s Resolutions!

What? Yes, you read that right. No, no, I haven’t finished my resolutions, I just wrote them down. And no, I did not mean to say that I've written an advance draft for the 2016 resolutions. Yes, I do know that it's August and that 2015 started eight months ago. Yes, I do know that we are on day 230 of the year 2015. Yes, I understand this means that 2015 is therefore 230/365ths or 63% complete already.

Look at it this way: tomorrow is a new day. The beginning of the rest of my life. Surely you’ve seen the bumper stickers?

Also, I needed this post for evidence. I've been threatened with a life ban from the Procrastinators' Club (which of course has yet to be formally established but will be finalized any day now), and I had to do something about it immediately!

Hmm. That might have been part of their point. Perhaps I'll send a note saying that I have rebuttal evidence here somewhere and if they'll just give me an extension, I'm sure I'll get to it...

So anyway, how are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along?

If you didn’t write any, it’s not too late. Specific measurable goals make you more likely to achieve things you want to achieve. And! Since the year is 63% complete, it's totally cool to make at least 63% of your resolutions be stuff you’ve already done.

In case of Alien Abduction, steal the spaceship. #planning

6/29/2015

Huh. June is almost over. Where did it go?

For myself, I discovered the TV series Supernatural and perhaps perversely (given the show’s insistence that everything *except* aliens are real), began to ponder Alien Abduction at length.

You are probably aware of the potential for a zombie apocalypse (the CDC even has a guide for that), and thanks to shows like Supernatural, most people know quite a bit about various fantastic terrestrial beasties (at least as commonly portrayed). Thanks to Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris, and Stephenie Meyer (plus many others still), vampires also are now quite commonly discussed.

But aliens, do you really know much about aliens? If one of your loved ones were abducted by aliens, do you have a plan for what to do while you wait for your plucky abductee to gather comrades, take over the spaceship, and swing back by Earth to take you on a whirlwind tour of the galaxy? Well, do you?

(Yes, this is indeed the kind of justification I use on myself for why I should plan for the future.)

So, how does one plan for the possibility of a writer supporting spouse being abducted by aliens?

One practices self sufficiency. It sucks.

This month my darling husband, maker of pancakes and other glorious foods, has been deployed. The US Navy objects to being accused of abducting sailors, but the experience from the left behind side has a lot in common with a short-term alien abduction.

My triumphs of the past month include:

Feeding of self. Yes, I cheated and used a lot of Soylent. Whatever. It is a complete food. The package says so.
Hiring of people to keep the roof from crashing down on my head. (No indoor rain is a win.)
Writing. It is entirely possible that I’d go insane if I didn’t.

I hope you had a good June. I hope no one you liked was abducted by aliens this month.

Ah, What a Convention!

5/27/2015

Photo credit: The Royal Manticoran Navy.

MantiCon 2015 was one heck of a convention. It's hard to believe it, but this year was the first year for this con. The organizers did a fantastic job. The guests were fun, the attendees were fun, and a great time was had by all.

Without particularly planning to do so, I live tweeted the convention. So without further ado, I present for your entertainment: my #MantiCon2015 Twitter feed.

One day to #MantiCon2015. See you soon Minneapolis/Mall of America/Airport hotel! Hilton had trouble deciding on the name & went with yes.
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 21, 2015

I get suspicious when the airline asks me to take a flight credit and then follows up with "see agent" instead of an assigned seat. #travel
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

Seat assignment achievement unlocked! #MantiCon2015 or bust!
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

United is considering stealing my husband and sending me on to Chicago without him. I'm suspicious. Very suspicious. #MantiCon2015
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

Thus always to traitors! (The fate of the seat which was supposed to carry Andy to #MantiCon2015.) pic.twitter.com/pkanDtMHXu
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

#United dragon airlines removed a less fortunate mortal from the manifest to grant Andy a seat on dragon Canadair. To #MantiCon2015, we fly!
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

Great metal dragon Canadair has flown us to Chicago. His smaller United kin-beast GoJet is to carry us the rest of the way. #MantiCon2015
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

The Dragon GoJet is uncommonly fond of sardines. As I am not a small fish, I find the close quarters in this metal belly uncomfortable.
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

Wisdom from Tiny Dragon GoJet: if your ✈️ ticket is cheap, there's a reason. Speak not of legroom. My seat mates & I took turns breathing.
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

Successful arrival at #MantiCon2015! Off to find rooms, opening ceremonies, and the party! pic.twitter.com/eoQFy5hk4e
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

Friday at #MantiCon2015: 1600 Opening Ceremonies 1700 Starships 101 1800 Combat Systems 101 food & parties 2200 Military Rivalry More party!
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 22, 2015

Saturday schedule at #MantiCon2015: 1000 Strange Lands 1100 Navies of Earth 1200 Building a Navy in the Honorverse <break for food> (1/2)
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 23, 2015

Saturday schedule at #MantiCon2015: (2/2) 1430 Baen Roadshow 1500 Women in SF <set up> 1700 Star Maps & Alternate Earths <food & parties>
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 23, 2015

#MantiCon2015 - @davidweber1 & @BureauNine discuss Building a Navy in the Honorverse. pic.twitter.com/ny7htr4Ccz
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 23, 2015

#MantiCon2015 has treecats & I got to meet one! (Thanks @PDalek!) pic.twitter.com/k9Htbs6q7F
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 23, 2015

Saturday at #MantiCon2015 - Only one more programming event to go. Up next: Star Maps & Alternate Earths! (Soon I get to visit the parties!)
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 23, 2015

Catching the end of @chrisweuve's What the U.S. Navy Taught Me About Starfleet. #MantiCon2015 treecats attending. pic.twitter.com/mwF5BI6bZ3
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 23, 2015

Star Maps & Alternate Earths - tool information - as requested by the attendees. #MantiCon2015 pic.twitter.com/SODCRc0BP3
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 23, 2015

Convention banquet at #MantiCon2015. #TRMN represents. #Honorverse #GeekFun pic.twitter.com/AZfwkhuCc7
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 24, 2015

#MantiCon2015 now, Bill Edwards presents Tactical Astronomy. Bring on the rocket fuel strength coffee! @WHEbe60165 pic.twitter.com/erh4lw7zdm
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 24, 2015

Tea with the Duchess @sharonriceweber! #MantiCon2015 #honorverse pic.twitter.com/w5ECGZ4ZBQ
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 24, 2015

The Royal Manticoran Navy fan club is spoiling me at #MantiCon2015. I don't mind. pic.twitter.com/m2Brg8FoxU
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 24, 2015

USAirways upgraded us. Very pleasantly surprised. Three cheers for leg room!
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 25, 2015

Day 4 of #MantiCon2015 - Layover at PHL with David Weber & Sharon Rice-Weber. Life is good. @sharonriceweber @davidweber1
— Joelle Presby (@JoellePresby) May 25, 2015

Since apparently MantiCon is the convention I just never want to leave, I started a Day 5+ of MantiCon2015 online-only panel on my Facebook wall. It's a repeat of the always popular: "Quitting for Fun & Profit - day jobs, dream jobs, and getting from one to the other."

Feel free to join in there or comment here.

A quick word about my social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, & Pinterest: I only decline friend requests from poorly programmed bots. All humans and well designed bots welcome! (I object to bots-presenting-as-humans, but as a science fiction writer I find the good ones strangely compelling. That, and I don't want to irritate our coming robotic overlords.)

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