Merlinscribe: The Journal of James P. Mallory

https://merlinscribe.dreamwidth.org/file/200x200/302.jpg

The link above goes to a thumbnail of the cover. I'm sorry the image is so small; I cannot think of any way to embiggen it. But: News! Tor did not ask for a revision cycle, so I have done the copyedit (in which the CE wonders whether Vieliessar would actually LIE to anyone, and the author falls about laughing) and we're still on track for a May release.

Dear Friends:

This is not an email I wanted to write. But I have always promised I would keep you "in the loop", as it were, and not simply retreat into a mystifying silence when things happened.

So.

About a month ago, around the time I was expecting my revision letter for The Art of War, what I got instead was an email from my agent that Tor was rejecting the book. This is a fairly rare occurrence, especially for the ninth book in a series. They said they required major changes before they would consider accepting the book.

Since they would not specify what these changes should be, aside from "a better ending", there is a bit of a scramble going on, especially when working within the constraints of eight previous books of lore and canon.

I have one in mind, and it should certainly work, since Ancaladar told Vestakia about it all the way back in the first trilogy, but right now you know as much as I do about the state of play. Negotiations, as they say, are ongoing.

I am currently, and off my own bat, revising the manuscript so that I can add on the sort of ending Tor may be thinking of. As it stands right now, The Art of War is more like a book report on the book I actually wanted to write—and I have to find room for another rather large chunk of story. Somehow.

I am very sorry. I did not expect anything like this to happen, and I apologize.

TL;DR: The Art of War will not be out this year because editor.

No matter what Amazon may say, "The House of the Four Winds" is NOT the next DRAGON PROPHECY book. That would be "Dragon Prophecy #2: Blade of Empire"...

Meanwhile, "The House of the Four Winds" is another collaboration between me and Mercedes Lackey, and we hope you enjoy it. Details to come.

A reader writes:

"Dear Mr. Mallory,

Do you and Mercedes Lackey have plans for more books set in the World of Obsidian?

All the Best,

A. Reader"

I am pleased to announce that Ms. Lackey and I have just delivered to our publisher The Dragon Prophecy: Book One: Crown Of Vengeance. Tor has not scheduled it as of yet, but it is likely to be a Fall 2011 or Spring 2012 release.

The Dragon Prophecy Trilogy is set long before the events of The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy. It tells the story of the first war fought between the Children of Light and the Endarkened, of the Elves in a time millennia before they had the race of Men to aid in their fight, from a time before the Wild Magic -- and long before the High Magic had been thought of.
( Vielissiar Farcarinon, Great Queen, victor of a thousand battles... )