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Latest Books: As Deborah J. Miller:  Swarmthief's Dance - Swarmthief Trilogy #1 As Miller Lau:  Talisker - Last Clansman #1  Dark Thane - Last Clansman #2  Lore Bringer - Last Clansman #3 Please see the Books section of the site for more info on all these titles. |
Latest News
I will be appearing twice at this year's Edinburgh Book Festival: Wednesday 15th August: Fantasy Writing: Wednesday 22nd August: Fantasy Writing (Workshop) To book tickets go the the Festival website: www.edbookfest.co.uk or call, 0845 373 5888 Deborah J. Miller has accepted an invitation to join The Write Fantastic, a collective of UK fantasy authors. The Write Fantastic comprises Sarah Ash, James Barclay, Chaz Brenchley, Mark Chadbourn, Juliet McKenna and Stan Nicholls. It is an initiative to introduce fantasy fiction to readers who have never tried the genre, and to show those who have drifted away the breadth and depth in current fantasy writing. The group's regular events include appearances at literary festivals, libraries, conventions and bookshops to conduct panels, readings, Q & As and workshops. In the last few months, the Write Fantastic has appeared at literary festivals in Sheffield, Lincoln and Derby, the Tolkien Fesitval in Birmingham, Fantasycon and Heffers Bookshop, Cambridge, Science Fiction and Fantasy event. Founding member Jessica Rydill has now opted for associate status and will no longer be appearing at events. Deborah is delighted to have been invited to join 'The Write Fantastic'. "I have known most of the writers for some time - especially Jessica Rydill-Saunders, whose lovely wedding I attended this summer. Our paths cross often at events and conventions etc, and they are all such great people & of course, talented authors, so I was thrilled when I got the call to ask if I would like to join their group. I certainly share their commitment to bringing the fantasy genre to a wider audience. "I look forward to working with them all & I hope I can persuade them to come 'up North' more often!" Swarmthief's Dance has been positively reviewed on SFRevu by Fantasy author, Juliet E. McKenna. It's always great to hear positive feedback, especially nice from a fellow author! • COMPETITION! Win a signed copy of Swarmthief's Dance To celebrate the launch of the Mass Market Paperback Edition of Swarmthief's Dance on the 9th September, I am giving away 10 SIGNED copies of the large format edition which was released last year! In order to enter, just answer this simple question:
Send your answer to Swarmthief@googlemail.com Don't forget to include your name and address so that we can post your prize if you win! The closing date for the competition is 5th October 2006. Winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries received by this date. Usual competition rules apply: one entry per person please, etc.. • Sunday Times interview, April 9th I have been interviewed and extensively photographed for the Sunday Times! The article will appear this week (April 9th). We will try and provide a link once it appears online on the Times Online. I'm very interested (and slightly nervous) to see what the journalist – Eva Langlands - has taken from our interview which lasted three hours! We had an interesting discussion about people's perceptions and misconceptions of genre fiction. UPDATE 09.04.06 - Click here to read the interview at The Times Online. You'll need a an edition with the 'Ecosse' supplement if you want to keep a paper copy for posterity... ;) The following weekend, I will be at Concussion – the Eastercon – in Glasgow, where I will be doing a couple of discussion panels and the 'Mass Signing' event on the Friday night. Please come along and say "hi". And check out the writing section of the site, where I've posted a piece I first wrote for my Amazon page called 'Vivreki - Three Kinds of Magic'. • Edinburgh Fantasy Release for Book Aid International...
"I wanted to do a special release for a number of reasons: firstly, I missed out on doing one for World Book Day earlier in the year in support of Book Aid; I didn't have anything current to put out, and I guess that was what planted the idea in my mind. Also, I've done a few releases from my own book collection & although I've only had one 'hit' it was such a thrill - I love the whole ethos of Book Crossing. As an author I don't think it does any harm to have people read free copies of my fiction after all, it's much better than a book being un-read and un-loved in a box in the basement!" So, Scottish BC'ers September should be ready for a Feast of Fantasy! Look out for clues and comment on BC when the First Editions are registered... • Tribute to a Fan. Teresa (Terri) Spalding. We writers dream of having fans - and don't let any writer tell you any differently! But I met my "Number 1 Fan" in exceptional circumstances. As many of my readers already know I was treated for breast cancer in 2001-2002 (this being the main reason for the extra year gap between Dark Thane and Lore Bringer) and during that time became part of a virtual community, the Breast Cancer Support Board (UK): www.breastcancersupport.co.uk. 
I met many women there - some who I am sure will remain lifelong friends - amongst them, Terri. I felt faintly embarrassed when, having discovered I am a writer, many of them went out and bought the books even though they had never previously read fantasy. Terri was one of those ladies & she immediately became hooked on Talisker and co! We finally met in the flesh last summer during a party hosted by another gem from the support board - Pam. Terri was pretty ill by then - she had secondary cancers to her lungs - but that didn't stop her from staying up all night to watch the dawn come up over Barnsley. I meanwhile had lapsed into whimpy unconciousness on the sofa. I learned on that weekend that we had other things in common too - the same surgical team, oncologist, and, a love of parrots! Both of us had had African Greys... I'm not really sure when she first read Talisker - perhaps after that first meeting - but we chatted 'virtually' about the books and she began to describe herself online as my "number one fan" - I was of course, extremely flattered by this & truly gratified to learn what huge enjoyment my writing had brought into her life, which was fast becoming a constant battle against the 'bastard disease.' Last year Terri was hospitalized by pneumonia just after I had finished Lore Bringer and it was with my editors. I sent her the first couple of chapters to read - partly for kind of selfish reasons I guess - I so wanted her to read it because I was sure she was going to like one of my new characters - Effie Morgan. Effie has the same kind of true grit Terri had and I wondered if she might recognise her own influence. She said it "made her smile" to know she was privvy to the first draft & I didn't push for her opinions but was glad to have brought a smile to her face. Anyway, Terri recovered from that setback much to everyone's delight. She read Lore Bringer in its entirety as I sent her my first copy - she was thrilled to be mentioned in the acknowledgements. However, she was going through turmoil at the time and her health was beginning to fail... 
A few weeks ago I did a promotional evening at Ottakars in Edinburgh to celebrate the launch of Lore Bringer - my friend, Mike Cobley, another Earthlight writer was also celebrating the release of his book Shadowgod - It was a great evening with a lovely atmosphere, I was signing away and chatting, when I heard this voice say; "You don't recognise me, do you?" But even as the words left her mouth I realised who it was! Terri had come all the way from Newark - a 400 mile round trip - to be there! She did look different; when I last saw her she was bald from chemo and had a rather nice brunette wig but now she had her own hair - and I think she had dyed it red! (I know everyone else's came back grey!) Well, I was overwhelmed by her effort and her courage. Her brother had organized the trip for her and she had come up by train. She knew she was dying and, deep down (although we desperately wanted it to be otherwise) so did we, her friends. I later learned that Terri had made a special list of things she wanted to do before she passed away - and making it to my signing was on the list. I cannot tell you how humbled that makes me feel. Terri passed away just over a week later. Much as these things are sometimes expected, we never see the day, or the phone call, coming. Myself, Pam and Kim from the support board were invited to attend her funeral and it was a difficult day for all of us. The sun had the audacity to shine as we said goodbye to our friend... This weekend Pam, Kim and me, were supposed to be visiting Terri in the new little bungalow the hospice had arranged for her. It was strange waking up and knowing why our plans were askew - but with the strange sycronicity of such things, a letter arrived instead from Terri's daughter, Rachel. It seems Terri had written a review of Lore Bringer and was planning to put it on Amazon - Rachel very kindly sent me the pages of handwritten notes from Terri's pad. I attach the text below because I would like Terri's family to read it here rather than have to go to Amazon but I will (by sneaky means) make sure it is posted on Amazon as she intended. God bless Terri. You will always be my number one fan in every sense - and I yours. I am proud to have had you as my friend & I will strive to be worthy of your admiration in all my future works. xxxxx Review of Miller Lau's Lore Bringer, by Terri Spalding Being an ardent fan of Miller Lau’s I couldn’t wait for the final book of her trilogy to be published. Lore Bringer was every bit as good as the other two, keeping my interest right through to the last page - I couldn’t put it down. Miller introduces her new characters in original ways and you learn to love them and empathise with each character, yet at the same time the established characters - Talisker and Malky - play an exceptional part, as throughout the trilogy, adding continuity to the storylines. Effie is no exception to a strong cast - this unexpected addition to the group is like a breath of fresh air but, she is not without her own problems & demons. She is interesting from the first time you meet her. This is a wonderful trilogy in the SF/Fantasy genre and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a book with a bit of everything! Well done Miller Lau - I am starting the trilogy again... • Appearance News... Miller Lau and Michael Cobley will be reading and signing at Ottakars Bookshop, George Street, Edinburgh, on Wednesday 28th April. The event begins at 7pm - free refreshments! Tickets on the door or from Ottakars in advance. Please come along and support Scottish Fantasy at its best! Any enquiries please call Ottakars on: 0131 2254495. • A Happy New Year to all my readers! Firstly, my apologies for mot updating my website sooner - this is entirely my fault and no reflection on my wonderful webmaster, Ariel. To make amends for my tardieness I am posting the Prologue and Chapter One of the new book - Lore Bringer - which will be available from 1st April this year. This is the final book of the Last Clansman series for the moment and I feel happy to have brought the adventures of Talisker et al to a satisfying conclusion. Look out for my favourite newbies - Effie Morgan and Lake Mackinnon... Some of you may have heard about the sad demise of Simon & Schuster's SFF list, Earthlight. It was a big shock to all of us Earthlight writers and the repercussions have certainly impacted on many careers. It does mean that Lore Bringer will be on the Pocket Books imprint rather than Earthlight - marketed along with Jackie Collins and Dr Atkins' Diet Revolution! Perhaps I will loose three stone by association! Finally, just before he left S&S, my wonderful Editor, Darren Nash commissoned a new jacket artwork for Talisker - this means that all three books do now appear as a rather spiffing set! The new artist is Steve Stone who also did the marvellous cover art for Michael Cobley's Shadowkings series. I'll post all three below for your admiration! (By the way, this does mean that the old "pink cameo" cover for Talisker is now something of a rarity so, do snap it up if you see any loitering in your local bookshop! Slange!
• New Writing Article - Pink Month - A View from the Frontline This article is dedicated to Juana Medoris and my friends on the iVillage BC discussion board - truly inspirational women. Please read on in the Writing section. • New Writing Article - In the Shadow of a Star… OR… The Wind Beneath My Wings! I recently enjoyed the aforementioned appearance with Ray Feist and Pat Cadigan at Borders Bookstore - please see the Writing section for all the details, and photos... • Competition Results The competition is now CLOSED. The Answer was, of course, C/ Malky. Many thanks to all who entered... and CONGRATULATIONS to the following, who were duly plucked from the hat at the weekend: Will Craven - from Berkshire Books and prizes in the post asap!
Miller will be appearing at Borders Bookshop SF/F evening on the 9th of September with one (mega-star!) RAYMOND FEIST! It promises to be a great evening with readings and discussion. It's a FREE event so please come along and swell the ranks. Miller would be extremely happy if you were to mention that you heard of the evening via the website... • Win one of Ten copies of Talisker If you would like to get your hands on a free, signed copy of Talisker - Book One of the Last Clansman to see what all the fuss is about, enter the following sweepstake competition to be put in the prize draw. I have 10 copies of Talisker to give away, plus some rather fetching Earthlight tee-shirts. Simply answer the question below and email me with the answer, and your postal address. The winning entry will be drawn at random from all those received on or before the closing date of June 30th. Good luck! Question: What is the name of Duncan Talisker's ghostly companion? A/ Mavis
Miller will be attending the Arthur C. Clarke Awards on the 18th of May at the Science Museum in London. It promises to be a great day with readings from the short-listed nominees: Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Peter F. Hamilton, Gwyneth Jones, Paul McAuley, Justina Robson and Connie Willis. There will be a couple of discussion panels during the afternoon and Miller will on one of the panels (hopefully!) contributing a fantasy perspective to the discussion. • Dark Thane and Talisker have been reviewed in 'The Times' newspaper's T2 section, and the following nice things were said by Tim Cadman.
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On the 2nd of September, author Deborah J. Miller (a.k.a. Miller Lau!) will release 5 First Edition copies of her new Fantasy novel, Swarmthief's Dance (TOR UK) into the wilds of Edinburgh. Each copy will be numbered, hand-stamped and signed by the author.
