originally posted by Catherine Wilson
Dear Janny:
I just finished STORMED FORTRESS last night. (Thank God for Amazon UK - since it's one of the limited options we folks on this side of the pond are going to get the book!) FANTASTIC! You really ended this arc with a bang! I wish I could have focused on it in a concentrated period instead of over the whole month of November (and a very stressful month, at that!) but it provided the perfect antidote. (Thank you!) Now I'm going to play in the "spoiler" section. I look forward to the new arc.
Catherine
originally posted by Arend Sluis
How did I miss this? (That was rhetorical; 2007 was a year of many changes for me.)
Remedied, however, by ordering the book. Nice to have something to anticipate!
Excitement!
Hi Arend Sluis - welcome here! Have a fun ride, when the book arrives - and I think you are very nicely in time.
originally posted by DarthJazy
I just got my copy and am off to start reading thanx again to Hannah shes awsome can't wait
originally posted by Arend
Thank you, Janny, I've been around for a while though 
Anyway, can't wait to read the book and start reading the speculations. It's tough to have to avoid spoilers!
originally posted by Lester Fyshe
New face, long time fan.
Since my friend in London didn't get the hint may have to go to Amazon.UK because the wait is killing me.
Hi Lester - welcome!
originally posted by Angela Bawden
I'm just curious, why did the US publishers suddenly decide to not publish your book? Is it related to the constant flux of publishing houses buying eachother out? Or were US sales dropping? or is it one of those mystery "because" reasons?
The raw, SIMPLISTIC, brutally abbreviated answer:
HarperCollins merged with Avon. All the current Harper editorial staff was dumped, except for one editor, absentee, on maternity leave - and by the time Peril's Gate was released, that one was gone, too…the two lines merged - and a yearly list of 40 titles in hardback was cut back to 12, decision from On High, no exceptions heard. MANY HarperCollins authors are downright gone…I think Carolyn Cherry's Fortress series was the sole survivor…
My series failed to find an editor in the new mix imported from Avon who was willing to read it kindly - or fight - and at that instant of crux, the latest book was not earning enough to make the "cut" in top twelve out of forty, to pass through as a wave by, without any "champion" to step up to go to bat for it. If that could even have been possible…(?)…in that difficult marketing moment in time. These were long books, expensive to produce, and had no marketing plan in place to grow them (nor had for three volumes). The inbound crew from Avon had 18 of those 40 authors, and it's not one BIT shameful that they may have chosen to retain their own authors, given that they had to sacrifice six of theirs also, in the brutality of the bloodbath.
It was one of the most acute disappointments I've ever been asked to shoulder - one moves on, and lives through it, and strives to triumph over and despite it.
The series will outlast this. It's gonna take some work, yes, and time, and God willing, a new editor who will (someday, when the strategy and timing is RIGHT) be presented with a HUGE heap of reading.
originally posted by Angela Bawden
Wow, what a mess. Thanks for answering my question with such detail. that's exactly what I wanted to know. K, now to go onto Amazon and try to order Stormed Fortress (stupid pounds to dollar conversion. grar!)
originally posted by Laurence J Johnson
Hello, one and all, I have started reading Stormed Fortress, it looks promising!
The first edition of Stormed Fortress has sold out at the Publisher's - this does not necessarily mean you are out of luck if you have not gotten a copy yet…some bookshops and online sellers will still have the title on the shelves…and some copies that are on the shelves may wind up returned, and so, become available.
In the tight economy and times, it may be that the publisher will not choose to reprint until the mass market edition - the more demand and clamor for the title, the more attention will be drawn to the issue at meetings.
It's great to be celebrating the success - but even better if, based on the strength of this book, the rest of the series can grow as a whole.
A few of you have done a nice job to help - thank you! Positively, your efforts have contributed.
originally posted by Auna
I experienced this just the other week. A friend of mine had a car accident (deer ran right in front of him) and landed in the hospital with a broken collar bone. He's a huge fan of Janny (created a WoW char called Janniver in honor of her!) so I sent him the entire series, scrounging up books from all over the country. I think there were only a couple of early books I couldn't find new at a sane price.
originally posted by Cory Rawdon
Any chance we can get Stormed Fortress as an ebook? And how do ebooks effect the Author? I have bought ebooks on the day of the hard cover release, at hard cover prices, does the presumed higher profit in anyway transfer to the author? I have been worried that I am short changing the author by purchasing ebooks.
Hi Cory Rawdon - welcome here.
The terms of the royalty for an e version will depend (individually) on an author's contract with the publisher.
E versions for these books (War of Light and Shadow series) are in the works in London - I don't know when they will become available. I will make an announcement - though, if somebody sees something ahead of my information curve, let me know. Be assured, when the books do become available in this format, you won't need to worry, in my case - provided it's a legitimate purchase (not pirated) everybody's happy, the terms do allow for the decrease in overhead. I do not know how they will be priced, in relationship to the paper formats.
originally posted by Mark Stephen Kominski
Just a note to add that I was finally successful at getting a book club copy of Stormed Fortress (they're the only hardbacks I'm aware of) off Amazon UK thru a friend who lives in London (Amazon UK wouldn't ship to the states for some reason, at least not to any address I could give). Thanks for all the input everyone on the site gave me back in February!
Oh, and btw, for anyone else considering this path to Stormed Fortress, be advised that the book club copy's print is significantly smaller typeset than all of the previous hard copies of WoLaS…makes for eyes that tire quickly!
To repeat some info, but, since rumor has replicated some erroneous DATES - I'd like to correct the record.
Stormed Fortress, first printing, is out of stock at the publishers, but Galaxy Bookshop in Australia has copies available, and a few other venues may - check online.
The MASS MARKET (small paperback edition) will come out in Britain, on NOVEMBER 3, 08! That is November THIS year, with on sale dates in Australia and New Zealand somewhere close, if not the same timing. I have been informed that play.com has an advance order page, but that you may have to look up Alliance of Light, and click on that to access the title. (If anyone notices it's corrected, since, give a yell)
NORTH AMERICA will see Stormed Fortress – and all of the rest of the series – available in April of 09. Exact details forthcoming.
Initiate's Trial, Book 1 of Sword of the Canon - which is the contracted sequel - has no FIRM pub date announced, yet. I am still writing it, with a target deadline in mind, but though progress is good, "target intent" is not a finished draft of the manuscript. It is necessary to realize that, consistently as I lay out the work SCHEDULE, creativity and flow can be anything but. The content on the page has to be GOOD, and that criterion is being met with due care. Start of an Arc, AND, beginning the roll to send this whole series INTO THE FINALE - and ramp the tension for that - is alot of tinkery poke until the dramatic window I choose to show sings at just the right pitch and tension. Not Simple. Fun, yes, but at times, a challenge and a half — to NOT run over the same old tired venues you've seen already…characters will NOT walk in their tracks, or solve their challenges the same old way!! end rant. I am seeking to deliver a whole lot beyond the book you hope for, and expect! (the usual sighted intent, let's top the last book by a mile, and then some! If not exceed the launch speed, and truly fly to new heights of amazement.)
originally posted by Trys
Amazon.co.uk also has a listing for Stormed Fortress paperback though they show an incorrect release date (that I won't list here to avoid confusion) and I have asked them to correct it. Play.com is still listing the title incorrectly but I have contacted them regarding this as they have an incorrect release date as well. Hopefully this will get corrected soon.
originally posted by Trys
I've received confirmation from amazon.co.uk regarding my requested release date change and they've indicated it will be made and should appear in a couple of days or so.
I should have added - the London editions of Curse of the Mistwraith and Ships of Merior have already been back to press - they ought to reach distribution in a few weeks, as the system moves the books.
Yay and thanks to the Gryphon, for doing correct-a-sleuth, with pinpoint accuracy.