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New Releases: 7/12/16

Here’s what went on sale today!

Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine

Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine When William III of England commissioned Capt. William Kidd to command the first expedition to Mars in the late 1600s, he proved that space travel was both possible and profitable. Now, one century later, a plantation in a flourishing British colony on Mars is home to Arabella Ashby, a young woman who is perfectly content growing up in the untamed frontier. But days spent working on complex automata with her father or stalking her brother Michael with her Martian nanny is not the proper behavior of an English lady. That is something her mother plans to remedy with a move to an exotic world Arabella has never seen: London, England.

However, when events transpire that threaten her home on Mars, Arabella decides that sometimes doing the right thing is far more important than behaving as expected. She disguises herself as a boy and joins the crew of the Diana. Now Arabella just has to weather the naval war currently raging between Britain and France, learn how to sail, and deal with a mutinous crew…if she hopes to save her family remaining on Mars.

Clear to Lift by Anne A. Wilson

Clear to Lift by Anne A. Wilson Navy helicopter pilot Lt. Alison Malone has been assigned to a search and rescue team based at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, near the rugged peaks of the Sierra Nevada, and far from her former elite H-60 squadron. Alison is desperate to be transferred out of the boonies, where careers stagnate, and back to her life and fiancé in San Diego. Alison’s defenses start to slip when she meets mountain guide Will Cavanaugh during a particularly dicey mission. Will introduces her to a wild, beautiful world of adventure that she has never known before. Stranded on a mountain during a sudden dangerous blizzard, Alison questions every truth she thought she knew about herself. When Will braves the storm to save her life, she must confront the fact that she has been living a lie. But is it too late to change course?

The Monster War by Alan Gratz

The Monster War by Alan GratzThe Monster War is the third book in the action-packed, steampunk League of Seven series by acclaimed author Alan Gratz. Having discovered the monstrous secret of his origins, Archie Dent is no longer certain that he is worthy to be a member of the League of Seven. But with new enemies to face, he realizes that he may not have the luxury of questioning his destiny. Wielding the Dragon Lantern, the maniacal Philomena Moffett has turned her back on the Septemberist Society, creating her own Shadow League and unleashing a monster army on the American continent. Archie and his friends must race to find the last two members of their league in time to thwart Moffett’s plan and rescue humanity once more.

Necessity by Jo Walton

Necessity by Jo WaltonMore than sixty-five years ago, Pallas Athena founded the Just City on an island in the eastern Mediterranean, placing it centuries before the Trojan WarAmong the City’s children was Pytheas, secretly the god Apollo in human form. Sixty years ago, the Just City schismed into five cities, each devoted to a different version of the original vision. Forty years ago, the five cities managed to bring their squabbles to a close. But in consequence of their struggle, their existence finally came to the attention of Zeus, who can’t allow them to remain in deep antiquity, changing the course of human history. Convinced by Apollo to spare the Cities, Zeus instead moved everything on the island to the planet Plato, circling its own distant sun. Now, more than a generation has passed.

The Cities are flourishing on Plato, and even trading with multiple alien species. Then, on the same day, two things happen. Pytheas dies as a human, returning immediately as Apollo in his full glory. And there’s suddenly a human ship in orbit around Plato–a ship from Earth.

Rebellion by J. A. Souders

Rebellion by J. A. SoudersIn this conclusion to J. A. Souders’s thrilling, twist-filled Elysium Chronicles series, Evie Winters and Gavin Hunter return to the isolated, dangerous underwater city that they fought so hard to escape. Back in Elysium at last, Evie has finally found her true self hidden under layers and layers of false memories implanted by the woman she knew as Mother. Thanks to the intervention of her father, she knows the horrible truth about Mother and her insidious plans for the city. With the help of the love of her life, Gavin, and her best friend, Asher St. James, Evie is determined to free her people from the cruel dictatorship of Mother’s laws. But how do you free people who don’t know they need rescuing?

The Stars Askew by Rjurik Davidson

The Stars Askew by Rjurik DavidsonThe Stars Askew is the highly anticipated sequel to the New Weird adventure begun by talented young author Rjurik Davidson. With the seditionists in power, Caeli-Amur has begun a new age. Or has it? The escaped House officials no longer send food, and the city is starving. When the moderate leader Aceline is murdered, the trail leads Kata to a mysterious book that explains how to control the fabled Prism of Alerion. But when the last person to possess the book is found dead, it becomes clear that a conspiracy is afoot. At its center is former House Officiate Armand, who has hidden the Prism. Meanwhile, Maximilian is sharing his mind with another being: the joker-god Aya.

It seems the seditionists’ hopes for a new age of peace and prosperity in Caeli-Amur have come to naught, and every attempt to improve the situation makes it worse. The question now is not just whether Kata, Max, and Armand can do anything to stop the bloody battle in the city, but if they can escape with their lives.

Time Siege by Wesley Chu

Time Siege by Wesley ChuHaving been haunted by the past and enslaved by the present, James Griffin-Mars is taking control of the future. Earth is a toxic, sparsely inhabited wasteland–the perfect hiding place for a fugitive ex-chronman to hide from the authorities. James has allies, scientists he rescued from previous centuries, as well as the Elfreth, a population of downtrodden humans who want desperately to believe that James and his friends will heal their ailing home world. James also has enemies. They include the full military might of benighted solar system ruled by corporate greed and a desperate fear of what James will do next. At the forefront of their efforts to stop him is Kuo, the ruthless security head, who wants James’s head on a pike and will stop at nothing to obtain it.

NEW FROM TOR.COM:

The Ghoul King by Guy Haley

The Ghoul King by Guy HaleyQuinn returns in The Ghoul King, another story of the Dreaming Cities by Guy Haley. The Knight, Quinn, is down on his luck, and he travels to the very edge of the civilized world – whatever that means, any more – to restock his small but essential inventory. After fighting a series of gladiatorial bouts against the dead, he finds himself in the employ of a woman on a quest to find the secret to repairing her semi-functional robot. But the technological secret it guards may be one truth too many…

NOW IN PAPERBACK:

The Iron Assassin by Ed Greenwood

The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett

Revelations by J. A. Souders

NEW IN MANGA:

Magical Girl Apocalypse Vol. 8 by Kentaro Sato

Monster Musume: I Heart Monster Girls Vol. 2 by OKAYADO

Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn Vol. 5 by Masamune Shirow

See upcoming releases.

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Building the World of a Series

Building the World of a Series

Written by Mindee Arnett

When I started writing the first book in my Arkwell Academy series, The Nightmare Affair, I had no idea what the prevailing themes of the series would be. Like most writers, I simply took my idea and ran with it. But by the time I finished the first book and started on the sequel, I began to recognize one of the major, underlying themes at work. And imagine my surprise when I realized that I’d laid the foundation for this theme all the way back in chapter two and quite without realizing it.

Even more surprising is that the theme centers on racial identity and racism—kind of weird for a story about magic and murder. But then again, maybe not. You see, when I was first figuring out the mechanics of my world and how my main character, Dusty, fit into it as a half-human, half-Nightmare, it made perfect sense to create a classification system for all the various types of magical creatures based on shared characteristics. I mean, that’s how the real world works, right? It seems every other day we’re asked to fill out an ethnicity/race data collection form. Self-identification is important to us as human beings (for reasons best not explored here), and I didn’t think magical creatures would be any different.

So I decided that the magickind of my story would identify themselves into one of three main groups based on the way they fuel their magic. There are Witchkinds, including wizards, witches, and psychics whose power is self-fueled; Naturekinds, such as fairies, dryads, and mermaids who derive power from nature; and Darkkinds, such as demons, werewolves, sirens, and Nightmares who draw their magic from other living creatures.

At first, this organization seemed rather harmless and downright useful from a storytelling standpoint. I soon discovered that the various groups feel pretty strongly about their identity and have historically harbored deep-rooted prejudices toward one another. Witchkinds tend to think they’re superior because their magic comes from within themselves, while Naturekinds think they’re better because nature and the elements are so ancient and powerful. And of course everybody looks down on Darkkinds because their magic is predatory. You can imagine the resentments such divisions have created.

Although I never had any intention of grappling with such a major theme as racism, as I move forward with the series, I’m very happy to have this source of external conflict and upheaval. It’s provided me with ways to layer my story and to put plenty of obstacles and challenges in Dusty’s way. And as a writer, it’s given me a path to follow as I traverse the dark and mysterious journey of crafting a series.

Buy the Arkwell Academy series from:

Amazon Image Placeholder of bn- 23 ibooks2 93 indiebound powells

Follow Mindee on Twitter at @MindeeArnett, on Facebook, or visit her website.

(This is a rerun of a post that originally ran on March 4, 2013.)

On the Road: Tor/Forge Author Events in August

The End of All Things by John ScalziChasing the Phoenix by Michael SwanwickHover by Anne A. Wilson

Tor/Forge authors are on the road in August! Once a month, we’re collecting info about all of our upcoming author events. Check and see who’ll be coming to a city near you:

Mindee Arnett, The Nightmare Charade

Tuesday, August 11
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
Cincinnati, OH
7:00 PM

Wednesday, August 12
Books & Co
Beavercreek, OH
7:00 PM

Carrie Bebris, The Suspicion at Sanditon

Thursday, August 6
Murder by the Book
Houston, TX
6:30 PM

Saturday, August 8
Ann Arbor District Library
Also with Susanna Calkins, Anna Lee Huber, and Sam Thomas, hosted by Aunt Agatha’s.
Ann Arbor, MI
2:00 PM

Monday, August 17
Mystery One Bookshop
Milwaukee, WI
7:00 PM

Wednesday, August 19
Mystery to Me Books
Madison, WI
7:00 PM

R. S. Belcher, Nightwise

Saturday, August 22
Barnes & Noble
Roanoke, VA
1:00 PM

W. Bruce Cameron, The Dog Master

Thursday, August 20
Roscommon Area District Library
Books provided by Saturn Booksellers
Roscommon, MI
4:30 PM

Saturday, August 22
Horizon Books
Traverse City, MI
10:00 AM

Cathy Clamp, Forbidden

Saturday, August 22
Hastings Entertainment
Stephenville, TX
12:00 PM

Saturday, August 29
Barnes & Noble
Harker Heights, TX
12:00 PM

Tom Doyle, The Left-Hand Way

Saturday, August 8
Barnes & Noble
Hackensack, NJ
7:00 PM

Wednesday, August 26
Petworth Neighborhood Library
Washington, DC
7:00 PM

Carolyn Ives Gilman, Dark Orbit

Thursday, August 6
Politics and Prose
Washington, D.C.
7:00 PM

Saturday, August 8
Dreamhaven Books
Minneapolis, MN
2:00 PM

Neal Griffin, Benefit of the Doubt

Wednesday, August 26
The Reader’s Loft
Green Bay, WI
7:00 PM

Friday, August 28
Mystery to Me Books
Madison, WI
7:00 PM

Del Howison and Joseph Nassise, Midian Unmade

Saturday, August 1
Dark Delicacies
Burbank, CA
2:00 PM

Sunday, August 2
Mysterious Galaxy
San Diego, CA
2:00 PM

Mary Pat Kelly, Of Irish Blood

Friday, August 14
Boswell Book Company
An Irish Fest Preview!
Milwaukee, WI
2:00 PM

 

Victor Milán, The Dinosaur Lords

Monday, August 3
Jean Cocteau Cinema
Santa Fe, NM
7:00 PM

Saturday, August 8
Page One Bookstore
With Melinda Snodgrass
Albuquerque, NM
4:00 PM

Wednesday, August 12
Mysterious Galaxy
With Melinda Snodgrass
San Diego, CA
7:30 PM

Tim Pratt, Pathfinder Tales: Liar’s Island

Tuesday, August 25
Copperfield’s Books
In conversation with Ross Lockhart
Petaluma, CA
7:00 PM

John Scalzi, The End of All Things

Tuesday, August 11
Booksellers at Laurelwood
Memphis, TN
6:30 PM

Wednesday, August 12
Quail Ridge Books and Music
Raleigh, NC
7:00 PM

Thursday, August 13
Avid Bookshop
Athens, GA
6:30 PM

Friday, August 14
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
Lexington, KY
7:00 PM

Saturday, August 15
Barnes & Noble
Westlake, OH
2:00 PM

Sunday, August 16
Schuler Books and Music
Lansing, MI
4:00 PM

Monday, August 17
Madison Public Library
Books provided by A Room of One’s Own
Madison, WI
7:00 PM

Tuesday, August 18
Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
Beaverton, OR
7:00 PM

Wednesday, August 19
Seattle Public Library
Books provided by Elliott Bay Books
Seattle, WA
7:00 PM

Thursday, August 20
Boise Public Library
Books provided by Rediscovered Books
Boise, ID
7:00 PM

Sunday, August 23
Midtown Arts Center
Books provided by Old Firehouse Books
Fort Collins, CO
3:00 PM

Monday, August 24
Borderlands Cafe
San Francisco, CA
12:00 PM

Tuesday, August 25
The Last Bookstore
Los Angeles, CA
7:30 PM

Wednesday, August 26
Poisoned Pen
Scottsdale, AZ
7:00 PM

Melinda Snodgrass, The Edge of Dawn

Saturday, August 8
Page One Bookstore
With Victor Milán
Albuquerque, NM
4:00 PM

Wednesday, August 12
Mysterious Galaxy
With Victor Milán
San Diego, CA
7:30 PM

Michael Swanwick, Chasing the Phoenix

Tuesday, August 11
Main Point Books
Bryn Mawr, PA
7:00 PM

Saturday, August 15
Quail Ridge Books
Raleigh, NC
7:00 PM

Sunday, August 16
Oak City Comic Show
North Raleigh Hilton
Wake Forest Road
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Monday, August 17
Flyleaf Books
Chapel Hill, NC
7:00 PM

Tuesday, August 18
Malaprop’s Bookstore and Cafe
Asheville, NC
7:00 PM

David Thurlo, Looking Through Darkness

Saturday, August 1
Bloomfield City Public Library
Bloomfield, NM
7:00 PM

Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Saves the World

Wednesday, August 5
Tattered Cover
East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO
7:00 PM

Jo Walton, The Philosopher Kings

Sunday, August 9
Borderlands Books
San Francisco, CA
3:00 PM

Monday, August 17
Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
Beaverton, OR
7:00 PM

Anne A. Wilson, Hover

Wednesday, August 12
RJ Julia Booksellers
Madison, CT
7:00 PM

Saturday, August 15
Midshipman Store
Annapolis, MD
10:00 AM

Sunday, August 16
Fountain Bookstore
Richmond, VA
2:00 PM

Monday, August 31
Warwick’s Books
San Diego, CA
7:00 PM

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Sneak Peek: The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett

The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett16-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds on human dreams.

Mindee Arnett thrills again in The Nightmare Charade, the stunning final installment in the Arkwell Academy series. We hope you enjoy this excerpt.

Chapter One: Last Kiss

I had no idea that the first kiss would be the last.

The last free one that was, the only one Eli and I didn’t have to steal or keep hidden like some terrible secret.

No, I had no idea what was coming as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and reapplied my cherry lip gloss for the fourth time.

(more…)

YA Sweepstakes

YA Sweepstakes
Looking for a great YA read? Here’s your chance to get started on two awesome series! We’ve got five copies each of Article 5 and The Nightmare Affair to give away.

Comment below to enter for a chance to win .

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of 50 United States, D.C., and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 or older as of the date of entry. To enter, leave a comment here beginning at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (ET) May 18, 2015. Sweepstakes ends at 12:00 PM ET May 22, 2015. Void outside the United States and Canada and where prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules here. Sponsor: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010.

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The Sequel Dilemma

The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett

Written by Mindee Arnett

With the pending release of my second book in the Arkwell Academy series, The Nightmare Dilemma, I’ve been thinking a lot about sequels. You know, the basic questions, like what makes a good one and what doesn’t. I suppose one could argue that the simplest way to ensure a good sequel is to not set the bar too high with the first story. Take Star Trek: The Motion Picture, for example. After that snoozefest, The Wrath of Khan could’ve been about Kirk and his crew battling it out with rabid, zombie Tribbles and it would’ve been successful. However, setting the bar low isn’t something any storyteller—filmmaker or novelist—would do on purpose. (Unless you happen to be Uwe Boll, but we won’t go there.)

No, the real answer, I’m afraid, is that there is no definitive answer. Instead there seem to be some common ingredients in good sequels.

The first of these is what I like to call The Domino Effect. This is where the events of the first story inevitably cause the events of the second. One of my favorite film examples of this is the way the events in The Wrath of Kahn led to The Search for Spock, which in turn led to The Voyage Home. Granted, The Search for Spock is an overall suck fest, one involving Christopher Lloyd playing a Klingon, no less, but the Klingon flea trap of a ship the crew ends up on for The Voyage Home is a brilliant idea that supplies at least half of the plot. Watching the three movies in succession makes for a satisfying experience. By the end I feel like I’ve lived the life of these characters I know and love.

Another key ingredient for a successful sequel is the feeling that the sequel must exist because the story just isn’t done yet. It hardly seems necessary to give examples here, but if you need some, look no further than The Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars Trilogy. Leaving a story-goer with unresolved conflicts almost always leads to satisfaction when they are finally resolved. For good book examples of “essentialness,” look no further than The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer and the The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.

On a side note, I think a complete lack of essentialness is the single biggest cause of sequel disaster. My favorite (read: most hated) movie example of this is the Pirates of the Caribbean. The Curse of the Black Pearl was good. The story felt complete. I want Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann to have that ending forever.

Speaking of characters, this leads me to the final ingredient for a successful sequel—taking the characters to a new place. I want to see them face a new challenge, like Batman taking on the Joker in The Dark Knight. I want to see them grow stronger, like Sarah Conner transforming from bad-perm-rocking wimpy girl into chin-up-queen badass. I sometimes even want to watch them regress, like Michael Corleone’s downward slide into corruption in The Godfather Part II.

Of course as I said before, these are just ingredients for a good sequel, not the recipe. Putting them all together is on the storyteller. These ingredients are doubly important when it comes to books, where you can’t hide plot holes and poor character development behind stunning visual effects and action scenes. For my own sequel, all I can say is that these ingredients are there, and it’s up to the reader to determine if it’s up to tastes. Here’s to hoping so.

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From the Tor/Forge February 17th newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter via email.

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More from the February 3rd Tor/Forge newsletter:

YA Grab Bag Sweepstakes

Sign up for the Tor/Forge Newsletter for a chance to win this collection of advance reading copies:

YA Grab Bag Prize Pack

About our newsletter: Every issue of Tor’s email newsletter features original writing by, and interviews with, Tor authors and editors about upcoming new titles from all Tor and Forge imprints. In addition, we occasionally send out “special edition” newsletters to highlight particularly exciting new projects, programs, or events. Read a sample here >>

If you’re already a newsletter subscriber, you can enter too. We do not automatically enter subscribers into sweepstakes. We promise we won’t send you duplicate copies of the newsletter if you sign up for the newsletter more than once.

Sign up for your chance to win today!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of 50 United States, D.C., and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 or older as of the date of entry. To enter, complete entry here beginning at 12:00 AM Eastern Time (ET) February 3, 2014. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59 PM ET February 28, 2014. Void outside the United States and Canada and where prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules here. Sponsor: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010.

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Waiting on Wednesday: The Nightmare Dilemma Sweepstakes

The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee ArnettMindee Arnett’s The Nightmare Dilemma doesn’t hit shelves until March 4th, but we have a chance for you to win a copy now!

We have two copies to give away. To enter for the chance to win one, comment below and tell us what your Waiting on Wednesday pick is this week.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of 50 United States, D.C., and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 or older as of the date of entry. To enter, complete entry here beginning at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (ET) January 29, 2014. Sweepstakes ends at 12:00 PM ET February 4, 2014. Void outside the United States and Canada and where prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules here. Sponsor: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010.

Three Nightmares You Can’t Resist

Three by Kristen Simmons The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett Resistance by Jenna Black

Heat up your winter by joining three exciting Tor Teen authors for special bookstore events this March!

Tor Books is thrilled to announce the THREE NIGHTMARES YOU CAN’T RESIST tour, featuring three amazing YA titles: Kristen Simmons’ Three, Mindee Arnett’s The Nightmare Dilemma, and Jenna Black’s Resistance. The three authors will be speaking and signing books as they take to the road on a week-long tour.

Join them, and Tor Teen to see the wide variety of young adult fiction that even the most reluctant reader won’t be able to put down.

Three Nightmares You Can’t Resist Tour

Tuesday, March 11: Lexington – Joseph-Beth

Wednesday, March 12: Cincinnati – Joseph-Beth

Thursday, March 13: Dayton – Books & Co

Friday, March 14: Louisville – Carmichael’s

Monday, March 17: Chapel Hill – Flyleaf

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About the Books and Their Authors
Three
Kristen Simmons
Tor Teen Hardcover ▪ ISBN: 978-0-7653-2960-8 ▪ E-book ISBN: 978-1-4299-4803-6 ▪ On-sale: February 11, 2014

The thrilling conclusion to Kristen Simmons’s post-apocalyptic YA trilogy (Article 5, Breaking Point), set in a future American in which the Bill-of-Rights has been replaced by the Moral Statutes, and young Ember and her boyfriend have been branded criminals. Now, joined up with the resistance movement, they are trying to find a safe place to settle—but they may be coming closer to facing the notorious organization known only as Three. The CW Atlanta has dubbed Simmons: “A true dystopian force.”

Kristen Simmons has a master’s degree in social work and is an advocate for mental health. She lives with her husband, Jason, and their precious greyhound Rudy in Tampa, Florida. She is the author of Article 5, Breaking Point, and Three.

The Nightmare Dilemma
Mindee Arnett
Tor Teen Hardcover ▪ ISBN: 978-0-7653-3334-6 ▪ E-book ISBN: 978-1-4668-0068-7▪ On-sale: March 4, 2014

The second in the new fantastical mystery series that began with The Nightmare Affair, this thrilling series isn’t your typical paranormal YA thanks to the incredible writing chops of author Mindee Arnett and her talents for weaving a riveting story with a cast of compelling and highly-relatable teens. She takes us once again into the world of Nightmares, Sirens, Wizards and Demons at Arkwell Academy—a place very wondrous and strange, but where teens still struggle with some of the same problems as in the real world.

Mindee Arnett lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. She’s addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic and the macabre. Her short stories have appeared in various magazines. Arnett has a Master of Arts in English literature with an emphasis in Creative Writing. She blogs and tweets, and is hard at work on the next novel in the Arkwell Academy series.

Resistance
Jenna Black
Tor Teen Trade Paperback ▪ ISBN: 978-0-7653-3372-8 ▪ E-book ISBN: 978-1-4668-0490-6 ▪ On-sale: March 11, 2014

Resistance is the second installment in acclaimed author of the Faeriewalker series Jenna Black’s new SF romance series, which started with Replica. Black has created a unique near-future world, controlled by corporations, where the rich have technology to return to life as synthetic replicas of themselves. A young man who found himself murdered and reborn as a replica now begins to work with a rebellion movement to overthrow the classist system.

Jenna Black received her Bachelor of Arts in physical anthropology and French from Duke University. She is the author of the Faeriewalker series for teens as well as the Morgan Kingsley urban fantasy series.

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Building the World of a Series

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Written by Mindee Arnett

When I started writing the first book in my Arkwell Academy series, The Nightmare Affair, I had no idea what the prevailing themes of the series would be. Like most writers, I simply took my idea and ran with it. But by the time I finished the first book and started on the sequel, I began to recognize one of the major, underlying themes at work. And imagine my surprise when I realized that I’d laid the foundation for this theme all the way back in chapter two and quite without realizing it.

Even more surprising is that the theme centers on racial identity and racism—kind of weird for a story about magic and murder. But then again, maybe not. You see, when I was first figuring out the mechanics of my world and how my main character, Dusty, fit into it as a half-human, half-Nightmare, it made perfect sense to create a classification system for all the various types of magical creatures based on shared characteristics. I mean, that’s how the real world works, right? It seems every other day we’re asked to fill out an ethnicity/race data collection form. Self-identification is important to us as human beings (for reasons best not explored here), and I didn’t think magical creatures would be any different.

So I decided that the magickind of my story would identify themselves into one of three main groups based on the way they fuel their magic. There are Witchkinds, including wizards, witches, and psychics whose power is self-fueled; Naturekinds, such as fairies, dryads, and mermaids who derive power from nature; and Darkkinds, such as demons, werewolves, sirens, and Nightmares who draw their magic from other living creatures.

At first, this organization seemed rather harmless and downright useful from a storytelling standpoint. I soon discovered that the various groups feel pretty strongly about their identity and have historically harbored deep-rooted prejudices toward one another. Witchkinds tend to think they’re superior because their magic comes from within themselves, while Naturekinds think they’re better because nature and the elements are so ancient and powerful. And of course everybody looks down on Darkkinds because their magic is predatory. You can imagine the resentments such divisions have created.

Although I never had any intention of grappling with such a major theme as racism, as I move forward with the series, I’m very happy to have this source of external conflict and upheaval. It’s provided me with ways to layer my story and to put plenty of obstacles and challenges in Dusty’s way. And as a writer, it’s given me a path to follow as I traverse the dark and mysterious journey of crafting a series.

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From the Tor/Forge March newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter via email.

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More from the March Tor/Forge newsletter:

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