Tales of Damasco: Update 2

As I post this, the second 'Tale of Easie Damasco', Crown Thief, is more or less finished, with just the final chapter in need of a third draft tidy-up.  Of course, that's finished in my usual, heavily-qualified sense, since I'm bound to want to do another quick polish draft, and I plan to keep more of an eye on the copy-editing and proof-editing side of things this time - not to mention that Angry Robot may well request changes of their own.

Still, that's a slightly depressing way of looking at things when I am, to all intents and purposes, about to type (well, retype) THE END on my third finished novel.  Especially given that I'm distinctly happy with this one, and beginning to suspect that it might be the best thing I've done.  Perhaps there's always the urge to think like that on finishing a project of this size, but the feedback I've had on the second draft, not to mention the things Giant Thief readers have been saying they'd like to see in a sequel, make me hopeful that I've at least nailed down a solid second adventure for Damasco.

Mind you, I'd probably be feeling more relieved if finishing Crown Thief didn't mean rolling straight into (a very brief) planning period for Prince Thief, and then seeing if I can't get started on it somewhere around the middle of March.  Yes, I've become a regular 'Tales of Damasco' factory ... but then, there are plenty worse things I could be manufacturing, like landmines or Pokemon sex toys, so I'm not going to feel too bad about that.

Meanwhile, the Giant Thief news continued to tumble in.  On the left is a photo from the World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto*, arranged by the marvellous Jessica Strider, who approached me with the opportunity of some serious display space and a list of interview questions (poised, to either side, complete with answers) that can also be found here.

There have also been a few more reviews, though the flood seems to be tailing off a little now.  Still, both Cybermage and the Falcata Times have nice things to say, so I shouldn't complain.  Comments from The Some Smart Book Database - an invaluable resource for those who like to have every detail of a book's plot up to and including the ending laid out before they even consider buying it - are less favourable, although Scott's review does end on the suprising suggestion that "...if you like fast-paced fantasy that doesn't rely on magic to solve every problem, definitely give Giant Thief a read."  Also, it has plot radar, which is oddly great, and reveals Giant Thief to be light on Epic and Modernity but well stocked in the Humour and Action departments.

Last up, and thanks to John DeNardo and Sally Janin, I've done my first ever guest blog posts.  Up to read at SF Signal, and borrowing somewhat from Ed Brubaker for its title, is The Not-So-Secret Ingredient in Crime, a ramble about how in my head Giant Thief is actually just as much a crime novel as a fantasy one.  Meanwhile over at The Quillery - where I was recently interviewed - there's Pieces of Cake: Where Giant Thief meets Labyrinth, where I lengthily accuse myself of plaguarising the possibly-greatest fantasy film of all time and then get scared and back down at the last minute.


* Yes!  Absolutely the same World's Biggest Bookstore that appeared in Short Circuit 2!