My Afflation

New Zealand is at it again ... new steampunk anthology with Philippa Ballantine as a contributor. I'm excited and might be reading works from the other authors as I wait for this one to come out. Angels and Automatons is a shared-world steampunk anthology set in the town of Angelston on New Zealand’s rugged and remote West Coast. The team of authors contributing to the project includes established names as well as those at the early stages of their careers, with folks from New Zealand and around the world. They will all be collaborating on the creation of a shared world in which their interconnected stories will be set – all of the authors will play an equal role, and the world will be unique to this anthology. The resulting book will be approximately 300 pages (longer, if our stretch goals are met) and together, the stories will tell a thrilling and distinctly New Zealand tale of exploration, invention, and destruction. Be aware that the NZD has a higher value than USD. ...

Tweet Phoenix Rising. Book 1 in the  Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series Being on a budget I was hoping to get this from NetGalley , but after watching Tee run, then stop and set his watch (excellent editing by the way Tee), trying not to burst into giggles around my coworkers, I have put the book on pre-order. April 26, 2011 can't come soon enough! Watch the video below the jump.

SQUEEEE!!! A few weeks ago I was perusing Podiobooker and saw someone mention The Prince of Hazel and Oak , the sequel to Shadowmagic ( read my first impression here ). Boy was I excited! I added that puppy to my Google Listen account immediately. Prior to listening obsessively on a regular basis to Prince of Hazel and Oak I was catching up on Podcastle , various podcasts by Philippa Ballantine , and reading a lot more (still need to post those book reviews *sigh*). Right now I am regretting that I didn’t wait until the book was complete (to savor it all at once), but after listening to ep.24 (SPOILER ALERT!) I know that we are halfway through and that I can expect much more enjoyment. And a third book!! Congrats John! Truly, John Lenahan’s voice, inflection, and delivery always leave me smiling and in a good mood. Conor is as much a smart-alec as he is in Shadowmagic , though maybe a little more mature. If you’re looking for a good great family–friendly fantasy podcast, I ca...

As many of my long time readers know, I am a huge fan of Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine . One reason for this is their incredible podiobooks . Another is that they are accessible to fans on twitter. (Yes, I know, I'm practically a techno-vangelist for the site). This morning Tee announced on his site TeeMorris.com : "While you all know that the dwarf detective is one for the low-tech solutions like Beatrice and a good battle-axe, you may not know that the award-winning The Case of The Singing Sword: A Billibub Baddings Mystery is now available for the iPhone! Sure you can download Billi on the iPhone and iPod Touch in audio but now you can pick up a copy of Billi’s first big case as an iPhone application. Along with The Case of The Singing Sword, the Fey Trickster is also causing (double) trouble at the iTunes Store with Chasing the Bard also available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Take a look and show the love. Let iPhone and iPod Touch users know that Double Troub...