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Never have I felt as profoundly and perfectly grateful as I do today.

To those who know me best, this will seem an odd statement, for I have been blessed by a lifetime full of grateful moments.

I have a brother whom I thought for many years would never come to me, yet in the end I did not grow up alone. I have seen both my mother and my father survive terrifying ordeals, returning to me though I feared to the very depths of my soul that they would not. My own life has been spared not once but at least three times from events that could easily have led to tragedy.

Each of these moments left me soaring in gratitude, it is true. I have known more than once the relief of the heart that has been unexpectedly spared the gallows.

But this gratitude I feel now is greater than all of these because it took no terrible dread to bring it about. I endured no doubt; I witnessed no horrifying specter of foreshadowed loss; I suffered no fear.

That which has inspired my gratitude today—and so many days lately—is the simple joy of wonder, the simple love of story.

If you are reading this letter, then chances are good you know exactly what I mean. For you, too, have reveled in the worlds of imagination. You have lost yourself in the pages of a book so deeply that for a while, all you knew was the rush of wind across a dragon's back, the surge of magic flowing through your veins, the awe of an infinite universe.

This is the power of the human mind when it is explored to the very limits of its potential and then shared with others.

I am grateful today, not just to Elizabeth Bear and her profoundly provocative Undertow, to Sandy Lender and her seductively epic Choices Meant for Gods, to Rowena Cherry and her hilariously racy Forced Mate and Insufficient Mating Material, but to all the wonderful authors of speculative fiction who weave their stories from the tendrils of impossibility and make us, nonetheless, believe.

I am grateful to Simon Haynes and Jim C. Hines and Sam Cheever and Jacki Bentley and Patrick Rothfuss and Orson Scott Card and Anne McCaffrey and Catherine Asaro and Ursula K. LeGuin and David Brin and Piers Anthony and Jacqueline Carey and Joe Haldeman and Tanith Lee and Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis and R. A. Salvatore and Terry Brooks and so many, many others...

Thank you for your stories. They have inspired my heart. They have touched my soul.

EM Sky
Peachtree City, GA
August 1, 2007

Patrick Rothfuss Interview!
My interview with Patrick Rothfuss was a smashing success. So much so that the interview spilled over into two weeks instead of one! Part I went live on July 16, followed by Part II on July 23. If you haven't already read them, be sure to stop by. Find out what Mr. Rothfuss has to say about fantasy worldbuilding, about sexism and racism in fantasy novels, and about changing a car tire.

Interview with Astra Q. Phelps!
Demon huntress extraordinaire Astra Q. Phelps was kind enough to stop by the café and chat with me for a while on July 30. Drop by the post to see what she has to say about her partner, about her leading man, and about working with speculative romance author Sam Cheever!

Coming Up in the Cobblestone Café!
Be sure to stay tuned to the blog for new author and character interviews every Monday morning! Over the next few weeks we'll be seeing Jig the Goblin from Jim Hines' Goblin Adventure series, Simon Haynes of the Hal Spacejock series, and Sandy Lender, author of Choices Meant for Gods.

All this and more will be popping up on the Cobblestone Café through August and September, so stop by Monday mornings and ease into the week with a cup of your favorite whatever and some great conversation!

Elizabeth Bear's Undertow
Title: Undertow
Author: Elizabeth Bear
Publisher: Spectra
Date: July 31, 2007
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages
ISBN-10: 0553589059
ISBN-13: 978-0553589054

In this intelligent sci-fi action thriller, humanity has colonized the stars. The precious natural resources of the outer Rim planets are mined and sent back to Earth via the instantaneous quantum Slide, providing a steady stream of wealth and raw materials for the "civilized" worlds of the Core.

When one frontier planet is discovered to be a rich source of tangled pairs—the basis for Slide technology—those who stand to profit will go to any lengths to protect that secret, including the brutal exploitation of the planet's sentient, amphibious natives.

Caught in the middle of this interplanetary intrigue is André Deschênes, a contract killer who couldn't care less about the inhumane practices of the Charter Trade Company. All he wants to do is to study the art of conjuring—the quantum-based science of manipulating probabilities and determining the future.

But when his lover wants to recruit him for the underground rebel movement, and Charter Trade wants to hire him to take the rebels out, he finds himself stuck in the middle of a probability storm of terrifying proportions, as opposing forces battle to control his destiny.

Now his finely-tuned instincts and his "knack" for luck are the only things keeping André alive from one minute to the next, and a professional assassin may hold the key that could either save or doom an entire sentient race.

On the surface, Undertow is a mesmerizing thriller, submerging the reader in a rising tide of conspiracies and entanglements that is sure to impress even the most demanding science fiction enthusiast. But beneath the pulse-pounding action, Undertow is also a profoundly revealing novel, contrasting humanity's competitive "nature" against an alien species that thrives on cooperation.

The irony Ms. Bear so elegantly exposes is that human beings are as fundamentally social as her enchanting aliens. We are driven to band together—despite our competitive tendencies—implying that every aspect of the aliens' cooperative nature ought to be found in humanity as well.

And it is discovered there, at least under the right circumstances, which may be the message lying beneath the proverbial waves.

Undertow will appeal to fans of both "hard" and "soft" science fiction alike, employing futuristic technology to challenge the characters and advance the plot, while relying on sociological explorations to draw the reader into a very human story.

This combination is one of the most difficult to achieve in the world of science fiction, but Elizabeth Bear pulls it off brilliantly. Undertow is at once both thought-provoking and highly entertaining, a true gem among this summer's science fiction releases.

(While it isn't by any means necessary, some familiarity with quantum phenomena will enhance a reader's appreciation of the hard science in the novel. For a fun and easy-to-follow introduction to the field, I highly recommend Gary Zukav's The Dancing Wu Li Masters.)

Sandy Lender's Choices Meant for Gods
Title: Choices Meant for Gods
Author: Sandy Lender
Publisher: ArcheBooks Publishing
Date: March 20, 2007
Format: Hardcover, 428 pages
ISBN-10: 1595071652
ISBN-13: 978-1595071651

Twenty-year-old Amanda Chariss Derdriu has been running for as long as she can remember. Jamieson Drake, the tyrant who intends to conquer all of Onweald, wants her dead and buried, and now he is coming after her with two armies and the very incarnation of evil at his side.

But Chariss is a force to be reckoned with.

Not only is she guarded by the great wizard, Hrazon, she is watched over by the immortal gods of Mahriket. And even they may not understand the true extent of her power.

Born with the geasa, the mystical ability to draw energy from the natural world and harness it to her own uses, Chariss is beginning to manifest a potential that even her own mentor could not have dreamed possible.

When Chariss is sheltered by Kora Taiman, daughter of the greatest god in all of Mahriket, she is introduced to a realm in which gods walk the mortal earth, and she finds among the Taiman clan the last things she expected: a home, and the love of Nigel Taiman, Kora's oldest son.

But visions and prophecies converge on the young woman, pointing her toward a higher purpose. Now Chariss may have to set aside a budding romance and the promise of a home she has never known in order to face her destiny—to protect even the gods themselves.

Over the first few chapters, Choices Meant for Gods interlaces high action with a rich historical background, introducing the reader to this sweeping saga of war and ancient divination. But once the story's essential elements have been set in place, the novel resolves into a steady, seductive rhythm, drawing the reader ever more deeply into the lives of Ms. Lender's remarkably alluring characters.

The heroine is lovably flawed, marked by the impulsivity and brazenness of youth, but she is also daring and compassionate, strong-willed and noble-hearted beyond her years. Her intricate blend of strength and sensitivity brings to mind echoes of Anne McCaffrey or Catherine Asaro.

The leading man adds his own complexity to the picture, complementing his lady perfectly. Nigel Taiman is wonderfully genuine in both his affections and his depth of character, and Lender paints him as she does all her creations, with thoughtful style and grace.

While Choices Meant for Gods deals primarily with the growing relationship between hero and heroine, later books in the series promise even more action as the suspense continues to build and the decidedly epic nature of the story comes to the fore. As in any trilogy, this first book leaves several questions unanswered, but one thing is certain: Sandy Lender is a notable addition to the realms of fantasy literature, and she's here to stay.

Because I hate jumping into a series in the middle, I couldn't read Rowena Cherry's Insufficient Mating Material without first reading Forced Mate. So this month brings you two speculative romance reviews. Happy reading!

Rowena Cherry's Forced Mate
Title: Forced Mate
Author: Rowena Cherry
Publisher: Love Spell
Date: November 2, 2004
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 326 pages
ISBN-10: 0505526018
ISBN-13: 978-0505526014

How do I sum up this delightful novel? Okay, here's the Hollywood pitch: think Beauty and the Beast meets James Bond, only funnier, and with aliens.

Meet Tarrant-Arragon, heir-apparent to the interplanetary Tigron Empire. His "Great Djinn" royal family is on the verge of alien extinction, and the poor seven-foot-tall "beast" is hard-pressed to find a suitable mate.

Enter Djinni-vera. She's half-Djinn and half-human, hidden on Earth by her father, the Saurian Dragon and mortal enemy of the Emperor, to protect her from the "bad" side of the family. Thus the romance begins.

It's a timeless "beast meets girl" tale. Alien prince beast kidnaps his father's enemy's half-alien royal daughter. Alien prince beast must woo the lady without revealing his true identity because said half-alien princess is also a Saurian Knight, trained from birth to kill alien prince beast and overthrow his empire.

Mayhem ensues.

Meanwhile, the lady's clandestine fiancé is a spy within the imperial ranks and one of alien prince beast's most trusted officers. Commander Jason will stop at nothing to get his promised half-alien princess back.

And the princess is one of the last royals to possess the famous psychic abilities of the ancient line, making it all the more difficult for alien prince beast to hide his identity, not to mention his emerging feelings for this feisty, head-strong captive.

As our hero becomes more and more desperate either to prove himself to the princess or to trick her into marrying him, whichever he can manage first, time is running out.

The Saurian Knights are plotting against him, the fiancé is closing in, his own valet is pulling for the girl, and the girl is meeting his every heavy-handed demand with the negotiating savvy of a UN ambassador.

What's a seven-foot alien prince beast to do?

This delightful romp has everything a romantic heart could hope for: a powerful but tender prince, a wily warrior princess, enough imperial intrigue to confuse even the CIA, and a British mercenary valet who ranks among the funniest characters ever to grace the written page.

Better yet, it has a sequel...

Book Two: Insufficient Mating Material
Title: Insufficient Mating Material
Author: Rowena Cherry
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing Co.
Date: January 31, 2007
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 324 pages
ISBN: 0505527111
ISBN: 978-0505527110

Insufficient Mating Material is another frolicking foray into the Tigron Empire and the saga of the Great Djinn. This time it is Tarrant-Arragon's sister, the Princess Martia-Djulia, who plays the role of the reluctant bride, with a few new twists.

For one thing, the man she refuses to marry is the very man she refuses him for.

Huh? (In the immortal words of Inigo Montoya, "Let me 'splain. [thoughtful pause] No, there is too much. Let me sum up.")

Martia-Djulia is madly in love with an officer in the Tigron imperial forces. After a single passionate tryst, she is more than prepared to make their match a permanent arrangement. But her officer has managed to make himself a liability to the Empire.

Fortunately for him, this particular officer has friends in high places. A little misinformation here, a bit of cosmetic surgery there, and he is summarily reborn to his original birthright, the Great Djinn Prince Djetthro-Jason.

Same guy, same gal, only he knows it and she doesn't.

Pining away for her lost love, Martia-Djulia refuses to marry her princely substitute, turning up her nose at the very man she swears she loves. Add a little Rowena Cherry and you can guess where this is heading.

Right you are. Mayhem ensues.

The disgruntled royal couple is stranded on a deserted island, left to their own devices to sort the thing out. Prince Djetthro-Jason must convince his royal sweetheart to forget the memory of... well... himself, and marry... uh... him, instead...

Meanwhile, on the pleasure moon of Eurydyce, this most befuddling royal family is turning up a few well-hidden secrets of its own. Not all is as it appears to be—nothing ever is with these Great Djinn—and it's up to a couple of crafty royal matriarchs to solve a murder and make sure a certain dastardly individual gets his due.

You'll find plenty of romance, intrigue and tongue-in-cheek humor in this second installment of the Great Djinn series. The original cast is back, joined by a new face or two, and of course Grievous, the former British mercenary, is still laugh-out-loud funny.

I just love Grievous.

Now if only the royal family could stay out of trouble long enough for the poor man to settle down...

Terry Brooks E-signing!!! The Elves of Cintra, the second book in The Genesis of Shannara series, will be released on August 28. You can order the book on Amazon, but don't forget that you can still order an autographed copy through The Signed Page. (The signing is on the 27th, so you can even request a personalization if you order before then.)

No news yet on The Elfstones of Shannara movie project, but I'll keep you posted. (Visit the official Terry Brooks website for the full report.)

R.A. Salvatore E-signing!!! After three long years, Drizzt is back! The brand new Transitions trilogy begins this fall with The Orc King. It's due to be released on September 25th, but RASalvatore.com is now taking pre-orders for signed and personalized editions!

I ordered my own copy of The Silent Blade through the last e-signing, and the book arrived in mint condition, personalized exactly as I had asked. Whether you're an old fan or a new one, don't miss this wonderful opportunity to own an autographed piece of Drizzt history.

His Dark materials - Deluxe Hardcover Editions!
Philip Pullman fans of all ages will be thrilled over the 10th anniversary deluxe hardcover editions being released on August 28th. These special editions of The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass will finally complete the gorgeous set that began with The Golden Compass.

The Golden Compass (Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition)
The Subtle Knife (Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition)
The Amber Spyglass (Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition)

New Edition of Ivory by Mike Resnick!
August 8th sees a brand new release of Mike Resnick's original 1988 Ivory: A Legend of Past and Future.

"In the year 6303, when earth is bare of anything larger than an insect or a mouse and most people have left for the stars, Duncan Rojas receives a most unusual visitor. His name is Bukoba Mandaka, and he is the last of the Maasai.

"Mandaka wants Rojas, senior researcher for Braxton's Records of Big Game, to find the tusks of the Kilimanjaro Elephant, tusks that weigh over 200 lb. each. Why? Mandaka will not say, but he will pay enormous sums for them. And Rojas cannot resist the challenge of tracing something lost for 3000 years.

"Back and forth through time, in card games, wars, and rivalries, Rojas searches. But as he begins to glimpse the elusive, lost power of ancient Africa, he is seduced, and before long the quest has become his own. With Ivory, Mike Resnick has created a powerful novel spanning worlds and centuries, an exploration of the nature of history and legend, and a riveting parable for our times."

Writing Science Fiction: Volume One—First Contact
Released on August 1st, this first volume of Dragon Moon Press'
The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction looks like a great read.

It's a follow-up to Dragon Moon's The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy, about which Jacqueline Carey says: "The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy is a broad compendium of advice and resource material developed and compiled by writers who understand the struggle involved in mastering the craft."

This first science fiction volume "leads the writer from the pitfalls and clichés of a first story to selling and promoting a novel, and the writing life beyond. Topics in this guide range from the history of SF to alien creation, world building, space travel, and future medicine—a perfect reference and writing guide for someone wishing to write science fiction."

Words of Wonder: Conversations with the Greatest Science Fiction Authors of the Last Eight Decades!
Published on Augut 25th, Words of Wonder promises to be an interesting read. The book touts "in-depth, all-new interviews with the genre's greatest writers, going all the back to the Grand Old Men of the Pulps, and finishing with the hottest SF writers of today."

I haven't received an ARC on this one, so I can't tell you any more about it. While I'm sorry that the advertising seems to ignore the Grand Old Women of the early sci-fi years, I'll still be flipping through this one once it arrives on the physical shelves to see who's been included—and who hasn't. But if the selection of authors spans a decent range, there's a good chance I'll be picking it up for my own collection.

And Don't Forget... Dragon-Con 2007!

I'll be there with bells on (figuratively), so if you're planning on attending, drop me a line at blog (at) mindunbound (dot) com. (Remember to include the words "Wet Ink" in the subject line to avoid the spam filter.)