the immortal conquistador

December 8, 2020

It’s our model year blowout. Get all Tachyon books published in 2020 for 20% off! #20for20sale

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Throughout 2020, Tachyon Publications took readers on many adventures and to familiar and strange worlds with the unknown beginnings of beloved characters (OF MICE AND MINESTRONE – HAP AND LEONARD: THE EARLY YEARS by Joe R. Lansdale and THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR by Carrie Vaughn), the boundaries of science (SEA CHANGE by Nancy Kress and NUCLEATION by Kimberly Unger), fantastic uncharted realities (DRIFTWOOD by Marie Brennan and THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES by R. B. Lemberg), werewolves and other creepy imaginings (KITTY’S MIX-TAPE by Carrie Vaughn and THE MIDNIGHT CIRCUS by Jane Yolen), and inexplicable journeys (ADVENTURES OF A DWERGISH GIRL by Daniel Pinkwater).

All these amazing, acclaimed titles are currently 20% off!

(And as always, free Media Mail shipping on U. S. orders)

Get yours now before they’re all gone!

And watch for these exciting titles, coming your way in 2021!

October 9, 2020

Join Nancy Kress, James Morrow, and Carrie Vaughn for Capclave 2020

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Tachyon authors Nancy Kress, James Morrow, and Carrie Vaughn will participate in the virtual Capclave 2020, October 17-18.

Sponsored by the Washington Science Fiction Association, Capclave is a small relaxed literary convention with a program that usually focuses on the short fiction form. Guests of Honor and other notable authors, editors, artists, and fans of the short fiction form will explore the creation and enjoyment of short fantasy and science fiction genre stories.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the novel coronavirus, the Capclave team has made the decision to be virtual this year. We will be holding Capclave October 17-18. Yes, this is two days, but we will run longer on Sunday than is typical. We will be focused on presentations, panels, and small group activities such as author readings or discussions.

Going virtual does present the opportunity to include people who would likely not be able to participate in a normal year. Keep an eye on our website and social media for news regarding new participants.

We plan to use Zoom for most activities, but we are looking at adding a text chat area via Discord as well. We will be updating our Code of Conduct to reflect the online nature of the convention. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact chair@capclave.org.

As a special deal, if you purchase a full membership for $55, you will be able to attend both Virtual Capclave 2020 and next year’s Capclave, to be held October 1-3, 2021. For those of you who can’t attend in 2021, we are offering a $10 Capclave 2020 only membership as well. Memberships can be purchased on our registration page.
Bill Lawhorn
Capclave 2020 Chair

Capclave offers a large selection of readings, signings, and panels including several with the Tachyon authors.

Saturday, October 17

10:30 am ET

Overused Mistakes in Hard SF (Ends at: 11:25 am)
Participants: Charles Gannon, Inge Heyer (M), Nancy Kress, Bud Sparhawk
Hard SF is all about accurate science. So why do authors frequently fall into clichés and outright errors. The same writer who works out elaborate orbits can have FTL drives, lag-free interstellar communications, temperatures below absolute zero, and so on. How can writers tell their story without without breaking the laws of physics along the way? Are some exceptions to scientific plausibility “grandfathered” into hard sf? What can be done to encourage greater plausibility?

Noon ET

Carrie Vaughn discussion with Connie Willis (Ends at: 12:55 pm)
Participants: Carrie Vaughn, Connie Willis
Two of Colorado’s finest authors, Carrie Vaughn and Connie Willis, discuss anything and everything.

Laughter with Bite: Satire and Other Funny Stuff (Ends at: 12:55 pm)
Participants: Charlotte Honigman, James Morrow, Alex Shvartsman (M), Michael Alan Ventrella
What is the difference between satire and other forms of humor? Is satire just humor with a purpose? Is all political humor satire? What is the difference between satire and mocking something? What can you do in satire that you cannot do in other humor? Is satire always funny (or at least trying to be funny)? Why or why not? What are some satires that worked and ones that have failed?

1:30 pm ET

Connie Willis and Nancy Kress Discussion (Ends at: 2:25 pm)
Participants: Nancy Kress, Connie Willis
Past Guests of honor Connie Willis and Nancy Kress discuss a little bit of everything.

Magic – Obvious or Mysterious? (Ends at: 2:25 pm)
Participants: Sarah Beth Durst, Charlotte Honigman, Jon Skovron, Carrie Vaughn, Jean Marie Ward (M)
Some modern fantasy settings have the existence of magic and magical creatures known to the public – think True Blood, or Poul Anderson’s Operation Chaos. Others have the magic secret, such as Incryptid or Supernatural. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach? Why might an author choose one or the other? Are some authors better at one than the other?

3:00 pm ET

Writing Time Travel and Paradoxes (Ends at: 3:55 pm)
Participants: Iver Cooper, Aliza Greenblatt, James Morrow, Ian Randal Strock
Time travel stories date to the 19th century. How can you make your type of time travel unique, or have all the twists already been mined? How do writers keep everything (relatively) straight for the writer and readers, even while the characters are facing convolutions? How can you explain worldbuilding challenges, such as why time travellers don’t mob every historical event? Panelists will discuss what makes some time travel stories work and which ones do not.

4:30 pm ET

Author Reading – Carrie Vaughn (Ends at: 4:55 pm)
Participants: Carrie Vaughn (M)
Author Carrie Vaughn reads from their recent and upcoming work.

7:30 pm ET

Sharing a Universe (Ends at: 8:25 pm)
Participants: Iver Cooper, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Carrie Vaughn, Jean Marie Ward
Shared universes have been around years. 1632 is its own cottage industry these days and WildCards has experienced rebirth. Panelists will discuss the advantage, disadvantages and what it take to work in this type of writing. What is the appeal to authors and readers? Why do some shared universes work while others produced a handful of volumes and vanished? What caused Thieves’ World to turn dark and toxic and how can other shared worlds escape this?

Sunday, October 18

10:30 am ET

Biology – the other hard SF (Ends at: 11:25 am)
Participants: Charles Gannon, Nancy Kress, Seanan McGuire, Ted Weber (M)
It’s not all spaceships and physics. Where’s the love for the genetically altered and the killer viruses? Why is biology seen as less hard than FTL drives? Which stories rigorously explore the science of biology and its implications? Where can writers go to get good insights on using biology in their stories?

Noon ET

Book Launch – Carrie Vaughn (Ends at: 1:55 pm)
Participants: Carrie Vaughn
Join Carrie Vaughn to celebrate the launch of her collection KITTY’S MIX-TAPE from Tachyon Publications.

James Morrow Returning GoH Interview (Ends at: 12:55 pm)
Participants: Jim Freund, James Morrow
James Morrow interviewed by Jim Freund.

It’s the End of the World and I Feel Fine (Ends at: 12:55 pm)
Participants: Sarah Avery, Tom Doyle (M), Juliet Kemp, Nancy Kress
Alien invasions, giant meteors, nuclear war, global pandemics. The end of the world usually does not sound like a fun time. But in fiction, and real history too, there are frequently people who want to cause the Apocalypse or bring on the end of days. Others want anarchy so they can punish everyone who looks at them funny. What works does this the best and what falls short? What are some humorous approaches to the end of everything?

1:30 pm ET

Kaffeeklatsch – Nancy Kress (Ends at: 2:25 pm)
Participants: Nancy Kress (M)
Join Nancy Kress for a small-group discussion on anything of interest. Limited spaces, advanced sign-up required.

3:00 pm ET

Kaffeeklatsch – Carrie Vaughn (Ends at: 3:55 pm)
Participants: Carrie Vaughn (M)
Join Carrie Vaughn for a small-group discussion on anything of interest. Limited spaces, advanced sign-up required.

October 7, 2020

Heighten the thrills and chills of this Halloween with The Tachyon Scare Package: Spooky Books at 50% Off!

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This Halloween season, dare to curl up with some of Tachyon’s spookiest books, now at 50% off! Selected by our own Scary Rhino, here are truly (well, mostly) terrifying tales: horror movie survivors in group therapy; a tyrant with hypnosis rallying the troops; a vampire who stalks famous poets; and of course, fast, slow, and even kinda smart zombies — because who doesn’t love zombies? Authors in the Scare Package include Joe R. Lansdale, Peter Straub, Carrie Vaughn, Kelly Link, Daryl Gregory, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Peter Straub, Lisa Goldstein, Neil Gaiman, and many more.

Limited to 10 packages only

Available in the U.S. only

Retail value: $124.60
Care Package, 50% off: $62.00

$7.50 for shipping and handling

This pack includes:

PROMISES TO KEEP by Charles de Lint
THE STRESS OF HER REGARD by Tim Powers
UNCERTAIN PLACES by Lisa Goldstein
WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE by Daryl Gregory
THE ASYLUM OF DR. CALIGARI by James Morrow
DEADMAN’S ROAD by Joe R. Lansdale
HAUNTINGS edited by Ellen Datlow
THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR by Carrie Vaughn

2017 Shirley Jackson Award nominee

B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy blog: The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of June 2017
Amazon Best Books of the Month: Editor’s Picks (June 2017)
io9 Summer Reading List Best Summer Books,
Campus Circle Feature,
Barnes & Noble.com Week’s New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books

If you think today’s profiteers are diabolical, blink again. In this witty, satiric tour de force, James Morrow (The Last Witchfinder) offers a provocative take on a film classic.

1990 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winner
1990 World Fantasy Award nominee
1990 Locus Award runner-up

“Good serious fantasy doesn’t come much better than The Stress of Her Regard.”
—Oxford Times

Michael Crawford is forced to flee when he discovers his bride brutally murdered in their wedding bed, trapped by the embrace of the malignant spirit claiming him as her bridegroom. Telling a secret history of passion and terror, Tim Powers masterfully recasts the tragic lives of the Romantic poets.

2012 Mythopoeic Award Winner

“An exquisitely beautiful, eerily compelling modern fairy tale.”
—Library Journal, starred review

This haunting tale of an ages-old family secret breaches the boundaries between reality and magic, revealing the places between them. It is the story of the Feierabend women, whose luck is so good that it is as though they are living in a fairy tale without a dark side.

World Fantasy Award Winner
Shirley Jackson Award Winner
Nebula Award, Locus Award, and Theodore Sturgeon Award Nominees

“[Gregory’s] plotting, characterisations, and yes, the writing itself, is all that good. In short, this one completely blew me away.”
—Horror After Dark

What happens when five seemingly-insane outcasts—survivors of horror movie scenarios—form a support group? Together they must discover which monsters they face are within…and which are lurking in plain sight.

Cover art by Travis J. Elston
Cover design by Elizabeth Story

“Deadman’s Road is a delightfully pulpy, wickedly funny, satisfying read. Saddle up, because you are in for one helluva ride!”
—The Grimdragon

When renegade author Kameron Hurley (The Light Brigade; The Stars Are Legion) takes you to the future, be prepared for the unexpected. It will be dangerous, frequently brutal, and often devastating. But also, savagely funny and deliciously strange. In these edgy, unexpected tales, a body-hopping mercenary avenges his pet elephant, an orphan falls in love with a sentient starship, and a swamp-dwelling introvert tries to save the world—from her plague-casting former wife.

“Datlow once again proves herself as a master editor. Her mission to broaden readers’ concepts of what a haunting can be is nothing short of a success, and the twenty-four stories on display run the gamut from explicitly terrifying to eerily familiar. Readers who wish to be haunted themselves should not miss this one. Highly recommended.”
—Arkham Digest

This spine-tingling anthology—complied by the horror genre’s most acclaimed editor—collects a chilling array of ghost stories from the past twenty-five years. Authors include Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, Peter Straub, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Connie Willis, Jeffrey Ford, and more.

Cover art by Rebecca Harp
Design by Elizabeth Story

“A must-have for Kitty Norville fans, but also an excellent standalone for readers new to Vaughn’s worlds.”
—Kelley Armstrong

From the author of the beloved Kitty Norville werewolf talk-show host series, comes the vampire origin story of Kitty’s famed ally, Rick—and his sudden turn to darkness in the seventeenth century. More than 500 years before his friendship with Kitty, noble Ricardo de Avila’s life met a fate-changing twist, and his morally-complex, blood-soaked existence as an immortal began.

Cover art by Mike Dringenberg
Design by Elizabeth Story

“De Lint returns to Newford and Jilly Coppercorn’s youth . . . de Lint presents Jilly’s choices, the memories impelling them, and the solution to the riddle of Donna in his characteristic powerful yet intimate style. Jilly’s reader friends, including those first meeting her, will be more than delighted.”
—Booklist

Jilly Coppercorn of Newford is back. With the help of a mentor and an anonymous benefactor, the talented young artist has overcome her troubled past and is enrolled in art school. The future is full of bright promise.

Suddenly, when a tempting opportunity roars into town, Jilly’s life takes a turn for the supernatural.

September 1, 2020

Carrie Vaughn reveals that the final Kitty Norville book, KITTY’S MIX-TAPE, will include lots of fun snippets and easter eggs that fans will enjoy

Rick Klaw blog Carrie Vaughn, civilian reader, curious fictions, gnomequeen-tonkatoylegs, hilary mantel, interview, kitty norville, ricardo de avila, short story, the immortal conquistador, tor.com, wolf hall 0

CIVILIAN READER interviews Carrie Vaughn about the forthcoming KITTY’S MIX-TAPE (not due until October but currently available for pre-order from your favorite bookseller or direct from Tachyon and for reviewers via EDELWEISS and NETGALLEY).

Your new story collection, KITTY’S MIX-TAPE, is due to be published by Tachyon in October. It’s the final instalment in your Kitty Norville series: how would you introduce the series to a potential reader, and what can fans of the series expect from this book?

The series is about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. She has lots of adventures along the way. Kitty’s Mix Tape collects most of the short stories related to the series I wrote after about 2010 — plus four brand-new, never before seen stories. As usual with the Kitty-related short stories, they often feature the supporting cast, revealing their secret back stories, and including lots of other fun snippets and easter eggs that fans will enjoy.

What inspired you to write the novel and series? And where do you draw your inspiration from in general?

I realized that vampires and werewolves and other supernatural creatures living in the modern world would need their own advice shows, because Dr. Laura and Dr. Phil just wouldn’t know what to do with their problems. From that small beginning, the idea blew up, since Kitty and her show gave me a chance to write just about any kind of story I wanted, with lots of great supporting characters. As far as inspiration in general… everywhere, really. A piece of music, a piece of art, a news story. Not liking the way some other story or movie turns out and wanting to tell my own version. My own obsessions and demons.

CURIOUS FICTIONS publishes “Dirt and Destiny: A Regency Tale,” Vaughn’s Jane Austen and Robert E. Howard mashup.

After the briefest of searches, Lydia Blythe-Jones-Forrester made the discovery that her brother Reginald had once again been conducting occult experiments in the gazebo behind the hedge maze.

It wasn’t that Reginald was evil, or even particularly mischievous. Rather, he was one of those bright young men who, despite possessing an intellect bordering on the level of genius, was constantly forgetting where he set his spectacles. Or that someone other than his own self might chance through the gazebo during the course of one of his habitual experiments.

So, let us state from the first that Reginald did not intend for what subsequently befell Lydia to actually happen. Nevertheless. . .

GNOMEQUEEN-TONKATOYLEGS showcases Ricardo de Avila and THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR in their series of favorite fictional vampires.

https://gnomequeen-tonkatoylegs.tumblr.com/post/627432709270192128/favourite-fictional-vampires-ricardo-de-avila

At TOR.COM, Vaughn shares what she is reading right now.

I’ve felt fortunate during this summer of Covid that I haven’t lost the focus to read. In fact, I’ve been burning up my local library’s Overdrive e-book lending account, maxing out my holds and then having new books suddenly appear on my tablet with no effort on my part. What will I read next? Whatever shows up! I don’t even have to think about it, I just have to read it before it vanishes off my device on the due date. It’s magic.

I’m also reading a lot of non-fiction, as I hunker down with some new ideas for historical pieces. So my current reading reflects a pattern of bouncing back and forth between comfort reads, exciting new books, and research. It keeps me on my toes. Here’s a selection:

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
I’ve read a lot of Tudor history, and Thomas Cromwell is never presented as the hero of the story. He’s usually portrayed as another ruthless social climbing politician doomed to fall hard, yet another victim of Henry VIII’s temper. So it’s fascinating to see him in Wolf Hall as the sympathetic protagonist, a man who rises from nothing to become one of the most powerful politicians in England, master of a close-knit household, who uses his power and influence to help those in his care as much as he can. I also appreciate the almost stream-of-consciousness, present-tense style. It’s immersive and riveting. Alas, I know this story doesn’t end well. But I’m still looking forward to the sequel, Bring Up the Bodies.

July 28, 2020

Celebrate Tachyon’s 25th anniversary with Carrie Vaughn

Rick Klaw blog 25th anniversary, carrrie vaughn, kitty's mix tape, the immortal conquistador 0

“The Peter Beagle collections that Tachyon has published have meant a lot to me. I love The Last Unicorn of course, but to be able to read Peter’s many varied and wonderful short stories is divine. The steampunk anthologies edited by Jeff VanderMeer and Ann VanderMeer have also been important, a capsule look at a whole genre. And, well. . .so many anthologies and collections, I could go on. I’ll just close by saying how very pleased I am to now be part of the Tachyon catalog.”
— Carrie Vaughn

July 16, 2020

Carrie Vaughn’s KITTY’S MIX TAPE delivers a delicious final taste of Kitty’s complicated life

Rick Klaw blog ama, Carrie Vaughn, kitty norville, Publishers Weekly, r/books, reddit, review, the immortal conquistador, the rustic reading gal 0

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY offers some of the first praise for Carrie Vaughn’s forthcoming KITTY’S MIX TAPE (not due until October but currently available for pre-order from your favorite bookseller or direct from Tachyon).

Though the uninitiated won’t want to start with this, the insights into Kitty’s supporting cast and illumination of previously unseen moments from the series will delight longtime readers. For those devoted fans, this will be a delicious final taste of Kitty’s complicated life.

THE RUSTIC READING GAL enjoys THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR.

It was an absolutely fascinating read.

[…]

It’s a must read for fans of Kitty Norville, but even if you haven’t read the series yet, this book stands alone just fine.

Five Stars

At REDDIT, Vaughn participated in a r/books AMA.

ferretkona
I know Kitty’s story is over but I miss her. Any chance on returning to her someday?

CarrieVaughn AMA Author

Thank you for reading! While I don’t have any more novels about Kitty planned, I’ve been writing a lot of shorter works set in the same world — last year I released a pair of novellas about Cormac and Amelia (“Dark Divide” and “Badlands Witch”), and this year I had a collection starring stories about Rick (THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR).

This fall I have a new collection, KITTY’S MIX TAPE, that’s mostly reprints but also has a few totally new stories starring Kitty. I know it’s not a novel but I hope these will satisfy! I have a lot of fun dipping into her world now and then.

June 10, 2020

Carrie Vaughn’s THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR is fantastic

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Both on their microblog RANDOM (NOT REALLY) and blog RANDOM READING, Michelle Klishis praises Carrie Vaughn’s THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR.

THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR by Carrie Vaughn was fantastic. It’s the backstory of Rick the Vampire, and has one of my favorite short stories embedded in it.
RANDOM (NOT REALLY)

What I love most about Rick / Ricardo is he is quite unlike any other vampire I’ve read. He never wanted to be a vampire, and refused to allow his changing to turn him into a monster.

Rating: 9/10
RANDOM READING

ONE BOOK TWO felt much the same about the audio edition.

I think I would read any story set in Kitty’s world, whether it was about Kitty or her many interesting acquaintances. Vaughn has created a rich world full of magic and mayhem that could support thousands of stories. Sign me up for all of them!

May 20, 2020

Tachyon tidbits featuring Nancy Kress, Carrie Vaughn, Kameron Hurley, and SF in SF

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The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles and authors from around the web.

At POLYGON, Andrew Liptak includes SEA CHANGE by Nancy Kress among 15 new science fiction and fantasy books to check out in May.

Locus Magazine says that “the science-fictional side is not that far-out, either: a hard-edged 21st-century cautionary tale of unintended consequences and the fragile, interlocking complexities of climate, biosphere, agricultural systems, and civilization,” and that the “the book kicks harder because we see and feel the impact of these processes on a whole life, close-up.”

In a five star review, WORDS I WRITE CRAZY loves Carrie Vaughn’s THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR.

Part of being a vampire if living a long time. And he sees some losses along the way, and has many adventures. The one where he met Doc Holliday was an entertaining read, as well as when he became Master of Santa Fe for a month. So many adventures! And there was one part of the story, which Rick finds great delight in, because of the ramifications, and I’m so glad for him, that he has that validation!

This was a fantastic read, I enjoyed it so much, and yeah that we’re getting more from this series with Kitty’s Mix Tape!

Cover art by Rebecca Harp
Cover design by Elizabeth Story

The Colombian blog RAPSODIA LITERARIA praises Kameron Hurley’s MEET ME IN THE FUTURE.

Without a doubt, if you are already a fan of the author’s work, this collection of stories is very worthwhile. I still think the Hurley’s work is interesting and powerful, and I hope to read more of it.
Translation from Spanish courtesy of Google.

Cover by Carl Sutton
Design by Elizabeth Story

SF IN SF has announced the cancellation of all events for the rest of the year.

Please note that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, SF in SF will not be holding any events for the remainder of 2020.

Please email Rina Weisman directly, at sfinsfevents@gmail.com, should you have any questions.

We hope to return in January, 2021! Thank you for your support, past, present, and future.

April 28, 2020

Carrie Vaughn’s entertaining THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR will be enjoyed by both Kitty Norville fans and those who have never read that series

Rick Klaw blog ama, Carrie Vaughn, Elitist Book Reviews, h. c. newton, kitty norville, r/fantasy, reddit, review, the immortal conquistador, the irresponsible reader 0

ELITIST BOOK REVIEWS enjoys Carrie Vaughn’s THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR.

If you haven’t read any of the Kitty Norville books, you could probably read THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR without any trouble following along. It’s a quick and entertaining read with an interesting take on vampire lore and what it means to be different. But be warned, if you do read this book, you’ll probably want to read Kitty’s series and it’s a 14 book commitment. But if you like IMMORTAL you’ll have lots of fun with Kitty, too.

H. C. Newton at THE IRRESPONSIBLE READER feels much the same.

A cool bonus of this—you can read it totally independent of the Kitty Norville series. It’s not dependent at all on the events or people of the series (there are references to certain antagonists, but not in any way that makes familiarity with the series necessary for understanding).

I do have to wonder about the timing of this—the series ended almost five years ago, so I’m not sure I get why we’re getting this material in this format now. But that’s just me being curious, not complaining. Did I (or the series) need THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR? No. But I’m very glad I got it.

For REDDIT r/Fantasy, Carrie Vaughn participated in an AMA.

vortex_F10
What are you knitting (and/or cross-stitching) right now?
^{(Hi, it’s Nicole in Boulder – long time no see! 😀})

CarrieVaughn
Hey there! I watched you in roller derby a couple months ago!

I’m currently knitting a pair of elbow-length fingerless gloves with some yarn my friend brought from Paris. It’s a lace weight intricate pattern, which is really frustrating, so I’m also knitting a scarf that doesn’t require nearly as much thought.

I’m trying to finish those before I start on the next cross stitch projects, which come from this pattern designer: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NightSpiritStudio

I keep wanting to start new projects before finishing the old, which I’m blaming on my attention span being completely shot right now.

vortex_F10
Oh, those are wonderful cross-stitches! *bookmarks*

Those gloves sound lovely. Good luck finishing them–can I hope to see pictures when they are done?

Also crossing my fingers for MileHiCon, whenever we can have one again!

Tigrari
Those Plague Doctor patterns!

CarrieVaughn
Yeah, I got one of those before all this came down on us. Feeling a little ironic now.

March 18, 2020

Highly recommended, THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR delivers the fascinating backstory to Carrie Vaughn’s beloved vampire Rick

Rick Klaw blog Carrie Vaughn, female first, genine tyson, in my humble opinion, review, the immortal conquistador, tor.com

Carrie Vaughn’s THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR continues to light up the internet.

Genine Tyson at TOR.COM recommends the book.

THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR is Carrie Vaughn’s fan service for one of the most beloved yet mysterious characters of her popular Kitty Norville Series, Ricardo De Avila, otherwise known as Rick. The novella serves as the fascinating backstory of this character and answers a lot of questions both readers and Kitty herself have about this enigmatic vampire

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION wants more stories featuring Rick.

THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR takes us back to the world of werewolf Kitty Norville and her favorite vampire. Rick is an unusual vampire and through a series of vignettes we find out why he is the way he is and it only makes us love him more. This book looks like it is the beginning of a spin-off series and I’ve got my fingers crossed that it is so.

For FEMALE FIRST, Vaughn offers “Seven things I had to research to make my story come alive“.

Rick started out as a supporting character in my Kitty Norville urban fantasy series – a standoffish vampire who is still happy to help when he’s needed. He quickly grew into so much more, mostly due to a couple of throwaway lines I used to quickly fill in his backstory. See what I mean about not coming up with these ideas on purpose? One line in one novel and suddenly I’m developing an entire 500 year backstory for this one character.

It’s a pretty good backstory, and I’m excited for people to read it. Here are seven things I had to research to make Rick’s story come alive.

1. Coronado’s search for the Cities of Gold in sixteenth century colonial Mexico. This was the throwaway line that started it all, when Rick reveals his age by stating that he was part of Coronado’s expedition in 1540. To figure out the details of Rick’s history, I had to learn a whole lot about the conquistadors and colonial Mexico.

Vaughn is interviewed on the podcasts THE WORLDSHAPERS and NBN.

1 2 3 4

the immortal conquistador

All these amazing, acclaimed titles are currently 20% off!

And watch for these exciting titles, coming your way in 2021!

Saturday, October 17

10:30 am ET

Noon ET

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7:30 pm ET

Sunday, October 18

10:30 am ET

Noon ET

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Limited to 10 packages only

Available in the U.S. only

Retail value: $124.60Care Package, 50% off: $62.00

Retail value: $124.60
Care Package, 50% off: $62.00