In which a long silence is broken and a novelette is released.

[seanan_mcguire]

I live! I write, I cry, I write again!

The move, its associated complications, and my own unavoidable commitments continue to conspire to keep me hopping, hence my current scarceness: I promise I'm not dead, and am still reasonably active on Twitter, even if I'm not managing to keep up with my blog. I'm really hoping that will change soon. I'm sliding toward normalcy one day at a time, I swear. Please let me swearing to something true.

Ahem. But! The disclaimer is not the reason I finally managed to break my silence. No, it's this: the first-ever Quentin-narrated story has been released today! "Full of Briars" is available now from an e-book retailer near you. (US-only at this time. I'm really sorry about that. I don't control the foreign rights, and unlike a story I've released myself, for free, this one I got paid for, and that means the publisher calls the shots.) I am super excited about it, both because a) this fills in a gap that's always bothered me, between Chimes at Midnight and The Winter Long, and b) this is the first time DAW has directly commissioned an e-original from me. IMAGINE HOW MUCH TOBY I COULD WRITE IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL. The mind boggles, the fingers weep, and the heart rejoices.

A steal at only two dollars, please consider picking up "Full of Briars," if you haven't already, and find out what happened when we weren't looking.

This will serve as your discussion post: please be aware that there will almost certainly be spoilers in the comments.

Whee!

Comments

[cgbookcat1.livejournal.com]

I bought it at midnight and the squeeing began almost immediately. It was lovely and I look forward to re-reading it!

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Hooray!

[-dante-sparda-.livejournal.com]

*wails pitifully at DAW from Canada*

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry. :( Try @dawbooks, maybe? They're very responsive.

[anne_d]

I just finished reading. That was lovely, and it fit perfectly into the space for it. Thank you, again.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Yay!

You're very welcome.

[jenk]

I <3 "my being a prince didn't make my silverware any less in need of scrubbing"

It's a pity the Luidaeg didn't drop by. DID Quentin mention her to his parents?

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I can only imagine. All the Sollyses needed was a legendary sea witch with a longstanding, not positive history with the Daoine Sidhe to tell them they shouldn't take Quentin away because he always brought her donuts.

Personally, I hope they meet her later, at some very dramatic and difficult moment.

[reedrover]

I'm glad that you are still alive and kicking! I have the novelette sitting here on my iPad waiting until the work-paying-for-my-cats is completed. I sincerely hope that this is a financial success for you and for DAW so that we can all enjoy more Toby-verse. Thanks and good luck!

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Hooray, and thank you!

[bree-ramsey314.livejournal.com]

Full of Briars is wonderful! I enjoyed getting to know Quentin's parents, and I really like them. Throughout the series we have seen a lot of the dark side of Faerie, and it's nice to see that the light still burns strong. Quentin will make a fine king one day, strong and just, and that will be due in no small part to Toby's influence.

I loved every word of this gem, right down to the wonderfully sweet moment with Dean at the end. This was perfection, and I can't thank you enough for giving it to us.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I am so very glad you enjoyed it.

[geekhyena.livejournal.com]

I read it over breakfast and just.....wow. That was perfect, it fit in perfectly, I loved seeing it from Quentin's POV, and Raj is as always wonderful. And it explains stuff really well. Just the right mix of humor and right-in-the-feels. Thank you!

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Glee!

Very welcome.

[professor_mirror]

I pre-ordered it a couple weeks ago and it showed up in my inbox at a little after 11pm last night (so just after midnight Eastern). It was a great treat to read just before bed. I love all the non-Toby narrated stuff so much for how it adds detail and fleshes out the world you've so lovingly crafted.

Can't wait for Once Broken Faith! Glad the move is over and you can concentrate on settling in.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I am still so tired, but I'm recovering.

[lazzchan.livejournal.com]

*swears at you* (No really, I love you and adore you and you're the best)

I will forgo my sweet treat this week to have this book. *makes grabby hands and hunts it down*

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[offcntr.livejournal.com]

Amazon pre-order delivered it promptly this morning. I am being a good bear and not starting to read it until i finish sorting pottery and packing the van for an art show in Anacortes. (Overnighting in Seattle on the way up. We'll wave in your general direction...)

But it's really hard.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Good luck at the art show!

[museclio]

I don't laugh at text easily. The line about Raj sitting on Quentin cracked me up. And I adore the Dean crush.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

"That is not the way we talk to royalty"
"Yes it is"
"Yes, but not when we want something from them"

[sorchasilver.livejournal.com]

Thanks for confirming it's US-only. I've been optimistically checking AmazonUK. At least I can stop now.

[carina erk (from livejournal.com)]

...*cough* apparently, amazon.de didn't quite get the memo, which made me very happy :D

[bookblather.livejournal.com]

YEEEEEES QUENTIN

brb purchasing right now

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[marziek.livejournal.com]

Loved it. Loved the backstory about Dean!

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Hooray!

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

I'm loving it though I keep getting thrown, because I'm used to first person stories in this universe to be told by Toby. Still, I love his perspective on things.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Have you not seen the Tybalt stories?

I'm glad you're enjoying it.

[silvainshadows.livejournal.com]

I preordered it as soon as Amazon would let me, because QUENTIN, so seeing the email from Amazon that I could download & read it now was pure delight.

I loved everything about this, but especially everything about Raj, including the acknowledgment of the Quentin/Raj chemistry even as Quentin says that, no, it won't happen, they have commitments that make it impossible. (I am, of course, pretty intensely shipping it regardless, but I do love it when an author manages to make it clear why something won't be canon without suggesting that people shipping it are being absurd for seeing chemistry there... so thank you.)

Quentin/Dean is pretty cute, I'm enjoying that, and Quentin's parents were interesting, though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about his father (his mom is delightful though- I'd love to see more of her at some point, she's cool). I'm now super curious about Penthea, too, she seems like she's probably pretty interesting herself...

My favorite bit, though, was Raj draping himself over Quentin as though he really could keep him from leaving by sitting on him. Classic cat move, absolutely delightful.


...now I need to go reread it about four more times, at least.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Oh, there's absolutely chemistry there, and I applaud the shippers, even as I have to acknowledge that in canon, it can't happen without one of them abdicating (which is not currently on the table).

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Already got it! But I have to wait to read because I'm still working on the series. :)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Legit.

[beasting-quest.livejournal.com]

I'm in Germany, and I was actually able to pre-order it via the local amazon site. Got it on the first of August (but haven't had time to read it yet).

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Well, yay!

[runiechica.livejournal.com]

so much SQUEEE

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[stillwordgirl.livejournal.com]

I adored it! "I have a continent" ... "Ah, but I have cats" Ha!

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

"That is not the way we talk to royalty"
"Yes it is"
"Yes, but not when we want something from them"

[danceswithlife]

So. Very. Good. *sigh of contentment*

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[sarah holland (from livejournal.com)]

In Canada; pre- ordered through Google play books, appeared on my android as of release date and promptly read. Thank you, it was lovely.

I do want to know more about Quentin's mother and her face, though. Just so you know. Need to know more. Tantalizing bits of info....

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Oh, awesome. Really glad that worked for you.

[kitan.livejournal.com]

Pre-ordered it and it delivered last night - stayed up reading in bed. YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Oh Raj. Classic cat. :D

It's nice to see from Quentin's perspective just WHY he keeps following Toby into Peril Dire.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

He's a complicated kid.

[leapersonata.livejournal.com]

Raj draping himself over Quentin was glorious and perfect. Cats.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Cats are best.

[archangelbeth]

SO MANY GOOD LINES FOR EVERYONE!

Sorry, cannot be more coherent. Am happy.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Good.