Confluence 2011

This weekend was my first time at Confluence, a small-but-mighty SFF convention held in Pittsburgh, PA, but I've vowed to return next year and for the foreseeable future. The answer why is simple: Confluence has a powerful sense of community. At most conventions, the organizers are nebulous figures scarcely glimpsed in the background as they hurry from place to place. At Confluence I ran into the Kevin Hayes and Karen Yun-Lutz several times, and they both made time to just shoot the breeze with me.

The authors invited are very approachable. This year's Guest of Honor was the uber-SF writer Robert J. Sawyer, who was as personable and friendly as he is accomplished (and that's saying something).

I did three panels, a book signing, and a reading, and I think I made a good showing at them all. Still not used to reading out loud in public, but I'm slowly getting more comofortable.

If you live anywhere close to PA, I suggest living Confluence a look next year.

UK Version of Lure

I got a special delivery from the U.K. today. Copies of Shadow's Lure (in both paperback and hardcover) fresh off the press!

Thank you to the fine people at Gollancz.

Bricks and Mortar

Hey folks,

Just wanted to talk about bookstores, the real ones you can walk into and browse without a monitor or a mouse (we hope). I've loved going to my local bookstores since as long as I can remember. I like to walk through the aisles and see all the cover art, pick up the books and read the back cover. To me, that is book buying.

I understand we live in a new age where it's easier to shop online, and I don't begrudge anyone that convenience. But if you're a reader--a true lover of books--you need to consider what life would be like if our physical bookstores closed down. Sure, you could still find the works of your favorite big-name authors online, but what about the new voices just emerging? Can you trust web browsers to pick out the next GRR Martin, Joe Abercrombie, or Stephen King?

And for authors, book stores represent a great way to connect with our readers. It's a little difficult to do a book signing online.

Just something to think about the next time you're looking for a book.

My new book, Shadow's Lure, can be found at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Aaron's Books (Lititz, PA), Between Books (Claymont, DE), and other fine bookstores.

Progress Report

Hey gang,

Now that Shadow's Lure is out, I am splitting my time between promotion and working on the third book. You can check my website (www.jonsprunk.com) for a list of places I'll be visiting.

Progress on book 3 is going well. The writing went very smoothly, but now I'm up to my ass in revisions. The way things are shaping up, I don't think I'll have a problem making my September deadline, but there is a ton of work to do before then, much moreso than with the first two books in the series. Anyway, it's a labor of love.

--Jon