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Heya, folks. While travel budget (or lack thereof) is limiting my con attendance this year, I will be participating rather substantially in ArmadilloCon, here in Austin. This year, that’s July 25th-27th. Really hope to see some of you there.

You can see the total programming schedule here, but my specific schedule is as follows:

Friday, July 25

6:00 PM, Conference Center: Required Fantasy panel

9:00 PM, Room F: 40 Years of D&D panel

10:00 PM. Conference Center: "If Only They’d Consulted Me" panel

Saturday, July 26

4:00 PM, Dealers Room: Signing*

10:00 PM, Room D: Evil Characters panel

Sunday, July 27

12:00 PM, Room E: Sub-genres of Fantasy panel

*Note: While there are book vendors in the Dealers Room, and they usually have some of my novels available, I absolutely cannot guarantee that any particular work will be there. If there are specific books that you’d like to have signed, I strongly recommend that you purchase them in advance and bring them with you.

Ladies and gentlemen–or, if you prefer, guys and dames–it’s time.

Today marks the launch of Hot Lead, Cold Iron, published by Titan Books. This is the first Mick Oberon novel, a book unlike anything I’ve written before. Urban fantasy, set in gangland Chicago in the last days of Prohibition.

Magic. Mobsters. The Seelie and the Unseelie Courts. Occult conspiracies. Gang wars. Wands. Tommy guns.

And warm milk.

You can read a plot blurb and find links to the book at various online vendors by clicking here.

It’s a good book, one of my best so far–but of course I’d say that. I wrote it. So don’t take my word for it:

"The potent mix of gangsters, magic, Fae politics, and a strega on the warpath makes for a ride that never touches the brakes." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The conclusion strongly hints that there will be another Mick Oberon case and if it’s as fun and entertaining as this one, then Ari Marmell will soon be crowned the foremost purveyor of Macabre Noir." —Starburst Magazine

"Fae magic, witchcraft, and even the hint of other supernatural creatures, combined with the 30s setting, give this book it’s considerable charm. Add a hero like Mick Oberon, and you’ve got a winner." —My Bookish Ways

"The story’s skillful blend of fantasy and crime will also appeal to the mass audiences of popular TV shows Supernatural and Grimm." —The Cult Den

"All in all, Ari Marmell has written an absolutely brilliant mash up novel that mixes loads of different styles yet manages to make them all mesh so well that I was actually sorry when the book ended." —The Curiosity of a Social Misfit

"The book does a nice job of never tipping its hand, with a climax that delivers on all aspects." —Bookgasm

"The author leaves the door wide open for the sequel, and that’s just fine: the book is thoroughly entertaining, and Mick is a likable guy we’d like to spend some more time with. Urban fantasy fans should be all over this one." –Booklist, starred review (requires membership, so I can’t link to it)

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Give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed.

Almost time. This coming Tuesday, Hot Lead, Cold Iron–the first in a new urban fantasy series set not in today’s world, but in gangland Chicago of the 1930s–hits shelves!

And I’m giving away three signed copies. 😀

All you have to do is check out the book’s cover, and then–knowing only that it’s set in gangland Chicago, and what you see on the cover–make up a translation of the runes shown in the wand’s magic aura.

Be funny. Be creative. Be wacky. Or be thoughtful. Poetic. Whatever the heck you want. Think of this basically like the caption on a one-panel comic, so anything goes.

I will be choosing three winners, as follows:

1) Winner one will simply be chosen from among the translations I find most interesting/amusing. You will receive a signed copy of Hot Lead, Cold Iron.

2) Winner two will be someone whose translation I find to be among the most interesting/amusing, but who also posted a tweet/Facebook entry/blog entry/anything else of that sort linking other people to this contest. Yes, that means if you help spread the word, your odds of winning improve. When you e-mail in your contest entry, also include a link (or links, if multiple) to where you linked people back here, so I can see it. (Make sure it’s publicly visible.) This winner receives not only a signed copy of HLCI, but, as a special bonus, a signed copy of Dreams and Shadows, another fey-oriented novel from friend and fellow author C. Robert Cargill.

3) Finally, the third winner will be someone whose translation I find to be among the most interesting/amusing, but whose translation includes a reference to actual fey mythology. (Of any nation/culture.) Obviously, it needs to fit smoothly into the translation; you can’t just give me an unrelated line and then add, “Also, firbolgs.” 😉 This third winner receives the signed HLCI, and their bonus prize is a signed copy of both of Cargill’s fey-oriented books, the aforementioned Dreams and Shadows, and its sequel, Queen of the Dark Things.

E-mail your entries (and links, if applicable) to ari AT mouseferatu DOT com. Please put [Translation] in your subject line. No attachments. You may enter more than once, if you have more than one idea.

Entries must be received by 10 PM Central on Monday, May 12th. Feel free to e-mail or reply here with any questions.

Good luck. 😀

Hey, folks. Welcome to “Crossing the Streams 2014,” a flippin’ huge, multi-author book giveaway! Some of you are familiar with this concept, as we’ve run this once before; for others, this’ll be the first time.

I, and roughly twenty other speculative fiction writers (give or take)–mostly novelists, but some short story and comic writers as well–have thrown in together to create something huge for you guys.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CONTEST PAGE!

And it’s ready!

Strange New Words, my novel-length collection of short fiction, is finally available. Thirteen tales–some of which are reprints, some of which are brand new to this collection–ready and waiting for you!

Right now, it’s available at Amazon, for Kindle, and at Smashwords, in multiple formats including PDF and EPUB. All for what I dare say is quite a reasonable cost. 😉 Although not ready yet, it will also eventually be available as a softcover print book through Amazon, and as a PDF, a softcover, or a hardcover through Drive Thru Fiction.

I appreciate the support of each and every one of you; I couldn’t have gotten this out alone. I’m really proud of how this came together, and I’m looking forward to hearing what you all think.

(And yes, I’ll be doing a formal catalog page for this book; just haven’t gotten to it yet.) 🙂

Don’t forget to pick up Lost Covenant while you’re at it. 😉