December 2002

Hallo!

Update on two items - in both cases an update of delay, unfortunately.

Womens Press, who were due to reissue my short story collection, Women as Demons have, due to work pressure, had to relocate it to late next year... I'll let you know the date when I do.

Secondly, Overlook have made a decision to publish next, instead of the fourth Venus book (last in the quartet) an entirely different and unrelated novel of mine, which I've mentioned on this site: Mortal Suns. Obviously I love Mortal Suns (I am the parent) but personally don't agree with what they've done - even though it is for sound enough business reasons. For one thing, I feel it may be confusing. So basically, the next book from Overlook of mine is NOT Book Four of the Venus Quartet, but an entirely other novel. Mortal Suns is a kind of parallel Greek world. The heroine is gorgeous, but is born without feet. I, as I say, love the book (there is other information on it further back on this site). Meanwhile, Book 4 of the V.Q. does come out probably late next year. It has a fairly signposting name: Venus Preserved.

Finally, for now.

Meanwhile - till next -

Best as ever,

September 2002

And hallo again - and about time too, you will have every right to say.

As I explained in my last short note, I've been totally immersed in work. This is good, VERY good - but in future I'll really try not to leave my newscast so
l-o-n-g.

Anyway. First of all, the most startling news is that Miramax have bought the movie rights for Silver Metal Lover!!! Needless to say, I'm delighted. More than that, at this point, I don't know - but will keep you posted on all developments.

Meanwhile, let me fill you in, if I may, on short stories. I still don't quite know when Moon Wolf will be out from Asimov's - it may have appeared already. I do have a story though in the fine Daw anthology, which celebrates their so-far 30 years of publishing; mine is callled Persian Eyes. It's in the Fantasy volume. You probably know, Donald. A. Wollheim, the father of Daw, gave me my true start.I was very happy to be in this antho. Daw have also asked me to participate in an anthology of stories inspired by the singer-musician-songwriter Janis Ian. My only problem with this was that her music inspired me so much, I wanted to write about 90 stories - finally restricted myself to a sort of double...Still in the States, Blood Chess, a short, weird (well, it's a first for me to write something weird, isn't it?) vampire tale, is coming out soonish from, appropriately, Weird Tales. A werewolf tale/tail will be coming end of this year or early next in Realms of Fantasy, title: Moonblind. One more coming 'event' in the States is with Wildside Press, who will be releasing 2 volumed of Lee collected short stories - no fixed date or title on this one yet. They are also reissuing the novels Volkhavaar and Kill the Dead.

I've also done quite a few shorts for UK anthos - will let you have the details as they come out. Additionally my French vampire collection, 2 volumes probably, is starting to appear (in France) from the excellent l'Oxymore. and back in England, my collection Women as Demons is due soon from Women's Press.

Which brings me up to the novels.

A Bed of Earth (number 3 in the Venus quartet) should be appearing from Overlook this September in the USA. (And, oh, yes, there is indeed a flamingo in it...). The fourth Claidi book - Wolf Wing - is due out here in England in November. The 3rd in this series meanwhile is out from Dutton - release being August, title in the States: Wolf Queen. They have number 4 scheduled for Autumn 2002.

Now, however, we come to the real cause of most of the trouble, i.e., my grand excuse for not having put proper amount recently into this site. It is Book One of a Trilogy, which I have so far sold to Pan Macmillan in the UK. The overall trilogy title is Lionwolf. Book one, the first novel - which I have just finished (in long-hand, still has to be typed) is Cast a Bright Shadow. Set in an entirely strange Ice Age, where the High Tech needed for survival is Magic with a capital M, it begins with the series of apparent accidents, plots and bizarre coincidences which bring about the mating of a beautiful young woman and a partly insane god...The result of this pairing is - Lionwolf. (I met him around page 60 of the handwrite - but you do actually meet him earlier...before his is born...)

In ten years he is a grown man. Half mortal, half deity, he is a creature of fire and dark, a war-leader of peerless courage and skill, charismatic, irresistible - a casual seducer of women, primal unstoppable force - a lost child.

The first book is packed with love, murder, intrigue and secrets, with gods and elementals, colossal sorceries and world-shaking magic, shape-changing, battle - and questions. As for Lionwolf, he engaged my time and thought much as he subjugated characters in the book. perhaps not since The Birthgrave or the Flat Earth have I been so enmeshed in a fantasy world, or with an epic hero. As for him, well, the close of Book One sees him in a hell of a situation. Even so, I offer the quote from my own notes: Lionwolf - Son to god and mortal, his destiny can only be death - or power everlasting.

Aside from my intense involvement with this - and other work - I took time to have a very enjoyable interview with the Dracula Society in London. The ambience of the cellar (!) bar where they meet, and the splendid gear some of them were wearing, added to the fun. I'm also going to be doing an interview for a small magazine over here called Scheherazade, for which too I've written a piece. Though small, this is a stylish publication.

Last news: The childrens novel Piratica is the next major candidate for writing. Then I'll be setting off with that sequel to The Silver Metal Lover.

And so, for now, that's it. Again, I'll try really hard not to 'vanish' for so long. And, as always, thank you for looking in. Have a great last-of-summer.

P.S. As you know, I write longhand, then type my own work, as very few can understand my handwriting - not to mention spelling. You might just be interested to see a sample of an actual Lee handwritten novel page, pre typing and personal editing. If you're really brave enough, click the thumbnail at right for a closer view of the horror.

The sample is from a fairly recent novel, not yet bought for publication and is copyright Tanith Lee. If you like my books, try not to let it put you off.