Sarah Ash – fantasy author

I was so thrilled to learn that talented artist and illustrator Marcelle Natisin has set up a new site on deviantart dedicated to fan art linked to my stories. I’m still smiling with pleasure as I sit here, typing this. The last months haven’t been so easy on the writing front (I still would love to do that sequel…) but a venture like this is really cheering for me – and, I hope, fun for artists and others interested in the world of Artamon to visit and enjoy.

http://the-serpent-gate.deviantart.com/

Joyeux Anniversaire to Bragelonne, the ground-breaking publishers who created the breakthrough French fantasy and science fiction list ten years ago – and who gave me my own breakthrough into the French market. It’s been a great privilege to be part of such an exciting and innovative list and I send my thanks and best wishes to the whole team.

It’s also the end of Elbakin.com’s month of celebrations marking their first ten years as The internet site to visit for all news and reviews connected with fantasy. Their coverage is amazingly wide and if ever I need to know what’s going on, whether in genre TV, films or books, it’s the site I always visit first. http://www.elbakin.net/Les-10-ans-d-Elbakin-net/12750-Le-petit-mot-de-Sarah-Ash

And, last but not least, a big word of thanks to Livre de Poche for the eye-catching new covers they’ve produced for all the Artamon novels in mass market. With amazing artwork by Dider Graffet, do check them out!

http://www.livredepoche.com/livre-de-poche-3003423-sarah-ash-seigneur-des-neiges-et-des-ombres-les-larmes-d-artamon-tome-1.html

Celebrate 25 Years of Spectra!

One of my most treasured moments as a writer was learning that Bantam Spectra had made an offer to publish ‘Lord of Snow and Shadows.’ So I was really thrilled when my editor Anne Groell contacted me to say that LOSAS (as we affectionately call it now) was one of the novels chosen to represent the year 2003 in Spectra’s month-long celebration of twenty-five years of delighting readers with fabulous science fiction and fantasy. I was a (crazy!) keen reader long before I became a published writer and checking through the starry collection of authors and titles that Spectra has published over the last twenty-five years has reminded me what an inspiring and astounding variety of speculative fiction we’ve been treated to.

‘Lord of Snow and Shadows’ will be up on July 1^st.

http://www.suvudu.com/

http://www.suvudu.com/2010/07/25-years-of-spectra-lord-of-snow-and-shadows-2003-by-sarah-ash.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spectra-Pulse/5674967431

I love illustrated books! As a child, I would spend hours studying the pictures by my favourite artists: E.H. Shepherd; Pauline Diana Baynes; Charles Keeping… That’s why I always get really excited when I learn that an artist has created some artwork after reading one of my stories – and why I was so excited to hear from Marcelle Natisin recently. I’ve linked to Marcelle’s wonderful paintings before and I still cherish the hope that we might embark on a project together one day. She has a very distinctive style that’s all her own and I just love her vivid use of colour and movement.

Her three latest works were inspired by chapters 11-13 of ‘Tracing the Shadow’ – and if I had to choose a personal favourite, it would probably be (by a whisker) ‘Light and Sound’ http://mnat.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2q2pa2 although ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’  http://mnat.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2q5zd3 and Rieuk Mordiern: Character Sheet http://mnat.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2o8ili are very special as well.

Check them out for yourselves and see which ones you like the best! I’ve provided links to two other Artamon-related works – but there are also paintings inspired by fantasy authors such as Meredith Ann Pierce and Naomi Novik to enjoy.

The Price of His Power http://mnat.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2114t6  An Ecstasy of Shadows http://mnat.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d14dx14

And how could I leave out one of my own personal favourites?  Songspinners http://mnat.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d20xqot

Saturday at St Hilda’s proved a really enjoyable day, in spite of the dreary weather. Four fascinating panels touching on everything from starting out in publishing and producing the first novel, to reflections on a life in writing, provided much to think and talk about. There was even an impromptu reading by Ian Watson when the local pub was overwhelmed by hungry writers and readers and lunch overran!

The Anthology was duly launched to the clinking of teacups as The Write Fantastic celebrated five years (five years!) of spreading the word about the pleasures of reading and writing fantasy and science fiction.