Shadow's Lure Nominated

Hey folks,

Shadow's Lure has been nominated for this year's David Gemmell Award. Anyone can vote (just takes a mouse click), so please check out the site.

http://www.gemmellaward.com/page/the-legend-award

Only the Best Top 5 Pick

Hey gang,

Shadow's Lure nabbed a spot on the Top 5 of 2011 list on Only the Best.

The monkey approves.

Shadow's Lure On Kindle

Hey folks,

You can now get Shadow's Lure on your Kindle.
Or in the U.K..

Yay!!!

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

Lure out in Stores

Hey folks,

At long last, Shadow's Lure is out in stores. I took this photo in my local Borders. As you can see, they also have a few copies of Son.

I hope you enjoy the sequel as much I loved writing it. I'm working hard on book three.


--Jon

Guest Post and Podcast

Hey folks,

Here's the link to a guest post I wrote for the SF Signal website. It features the two maps to be found in Shadow's Lure.

And here is the link to my podcast interview with John Anealio on the Functional Nerds site.

Enjoy!

Shadow's Lure is Here

Looks like some stores are receiving copies of Shadow's Lure.

This is the sequel to Shadow's Son, continuing the story of Caim the Knife and his ethereal friend, Kit.

"Searching for the truth behind the murder and disappearance of his parents, Caim discovers a land in thrall to the Shadow. But there are some things a son of the Shadow cannot ignore, and some fights from which he can’t run. In this battle, all of Caim’s strength and skill won’t be enough. For none can resist the Shadow’s Lure."

Happy Shadow Day

Happy Shadow Day!

To celebrate, I have a treat for you: the world premiere of the first-ever book trailer for my upcoming book, Shadow’s Lure. This beautiful video was created by the multi-talented Susan Griffith, co-author of The Greyfriar (Pyr Books).

But first let me explain the concept behind Shadow Day. Simply put, my goal is to encourage as many people as possible to pre-order Shadow’s Lure. How well a book does in its first couple weeks is very important, and pre-orders are an important part of that. We want to make a big splash that sends ripples throughout the literary world!

And it starts with you. If you’ve already pre-ordered Shadow’s Lure from an online source (like Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble) or from your local bookstore, then I thank you from the bottom of my evil little heart. But don’t let it end there. Tell your friends and family about the book, your co-workers and classmates. If you have your own website or you’re on a social site like Facebook, spread the word. Everybody has a cousin or a brother or an aunt who reads voraciously. Clue them in. Or order them a copy as a gift. Nothing says love like an assassin bent on revenge.

Thank you all very much. And now, without further ado, the video trailer for book two of the Shadow Saga. . .

Lure Cover

Here's the finished cover for Shadow's Lure. Special thanks to Lou Anders for his art direction, Nicole Sommer-Lecht for the cool design work, and Michael Komarck for another fabulous piece of art.

March Update

Hey folks,

It feels like I haven't touched base in a while.

The manuscript for Shadow's Lure (book 2 of the Shadow Saga) has passed the copyedit phase and should be in the final production phase, which is the actual printing. I've been told that we're shooting for a mid-June release. I have some plans for the time around release, but I'll wait until closer to June to reveal just what they are.

The manuscript for Shadow's Master, book 3, is progressing well. I figure I'm about halfway through the first draft. Lots of ideas flowing (good ones, I hope).

As far as conventions, my strategy this year is to hit a lot of local ones, rather than one big con. This weekend I'm headed to Pittsbugh for the Steel City Con (with special guest Adam West). And next month I'll be attending the Pittsburgh ComiCon. My website (www.jonsprunk.com) has the full list. Hope to see some of you.

New Lure Bookmarks

I just received some bookmarks for Shadow's Lure to take to signings and conventions. Big thanks to the staff over at Prometheus/Pyr Books. They look outstanding (again).

(Sorry the picture appears sideways. Blogger is acting weird.)

Shadow's Lure Available for Pre-Order

Hey folks,

Just an FYI that Shadow's Lure, the second book in the Shadow Saga, is available for pre-order on Amazon. You might also be able to pre-order it from your local bookstore.

Thanks for your support.

UK Cover for Shadow's Lure

This is how the UK cover will look. Again, this is by the always excellent Chris McGrath, who seems like a very awesome dude.

Cover for Shadow's Lure

Here is the cover art for my next book, Shadow's Lure. I want to thank artist-supreme Michael Komarck for another outstanding cover. I've been told this is still a work in progress, which blows my mind because it's so terrific already.

Writing Update

Hey folks,

Just a quick update of my writing progress to date. I'm finishing the final tweaks of Shadow's Lure and should finish them this week, depending on how I feel. (I've been fighting a cold for the past couple days.)

And the groundwork for Book 3, Shadow's Master, is picking up. I finally have a solid frame for the middle of the novel, which is the hardest part for me. Next I need to lock down the ending.

All in all, things are progessing well.

I don't have any conventions planned for 2011 yet. I applied for Guest Status at next year's Dragon*Con, but haven't heard back yet. I'd also like to hit some of the local cons, like BaltiCon and PhilCon.

Finished

I just turned in the manuscript for Shadow's Lure to my agent today. I'm sure he'll have some things to say about it, and I have a couple sections I want to polish a bit more, but for all intents it is done.

Then again, "done" only means it is ready for several rounds of editing by the publisher...