The Shifter hits US Bookshelves!

Today's the big day for my friend Janice Hardy. Her book, The Shifter, officially releases today! Thus I've included the photo above to help entice you. I'm going to be going to pick up my copy later today, and I encourage you to do the same.

If you find you want to talk to Janice about the book, you can find her on her book blog, or you can also talk to her about writing process at her writing blog. Since I know a lot of visitors here at TalkToYoUniverse are interested in writing issues, I particularly recommend her writing blog, The Other Side of the Story. She has lots of great advice about structure, revisions, plot, worldbuilding, etc. all delivered with a great sense of humor and excellent sensitivity to the interests and questions of her visitors.

If you're one of my UK readers...

There's a great new book out, by my best friend Janice Hardy, called The Pain Merchants. Those in the US will have to wait until October 6th to find it under the title The Shifter. Just a few more days! Here's a micro-blurb...

Sister. Healer. Deadly Weapon.

Nya has a secret she must never share.
A gift she must never use. A world she
must never question...and a sister whose
life depends on her doing all three.

I've talked about this book before, but now you can see it for yourself! Janice takes healing, usually a benign and virtually costless activity, and turns it into the engine of an entire economy - and one with a very dark side. You've never seen healers look like this; I guarantee it.

Nya is a girl living on the street in a city under occupation. She can't get a job, because instead of having the ordinary healer's talent - to pull pain from the sick and injured into her own body and then push it into enchanted metal - she can only put it into other people. She's smart, funny, and a realist, but only ever one step away from complete disaster. Which of her principles will she have to sell to get out of it? Pick up a copy of The Shifter and find out!

Janice Hardy's new website

Here's some fun news: my friend Janice Hardy has just launched her new website, where you can find out all kinds of great stuff about her, about her forthcoming debut novel, The Shifter (known as The Pain Merchants in the UK), and even about chickens! Seriously, the hidden chicken factoids are awesome.

Here it is: http://www.janicehardy.com/

An awesome book to look out for...

It's official! My friend Janice Hardy's book, The Shifter, is coming out on October 6th. I'm totally excited about it, especially since I got to read her early drafts.

Here's a description of the book:

Nya is an orphan, struggling for survival in a city ravaged by war. She's also a Taker - someone who can heal injuries by drawing that pain into her own body. But unlike her sister Tali and other Takers, Nya can't push the pain into pynvium, an enchanted metal used to store it. All she can do is shift it from person to person - a dangerous skill she must conceal or risk being used as a human weapon.
One fateful morning, Nya's secret is exposed to a pain merchant eager to use her ability for his sinister purposes. At first she refuses, but when Tali mysteriously disappears, Nya must decide how far she's willing to go to save her sister.

I'm not just going to give you a list of adjectives for this book, but to tell you from my own perspective why I love it.

The main character, Nya, is not only spunky and clever but has a nuanced sense of morality that is totally world-grounded. She has a distinctive voice and her backstory vibrates through her actions.

The world of Geveg and its surrounding territories has its own special flavor - and the unique economy of healing and pain looms behind every aspect of the people's life, showing through the judgments, actions and decisions of even minor characters.

It's a fascinating world. You want to go there, and meet Nya. So look out for The Shifter by Janice Hardy this October.

By the way, I'm also planning to put up a Ridiculously Close Look at the book later this year when it comes out...