Category Archives: Writing

New Trilogy Announcement

I have been sitting on this news for so long, it darn near killed me!

I am super excited to announce the sale of a science fiction trilogy to Sheila Gilbert at DAW Books, by Sara Megibow at kt Literary. Film rights represented by Jerry Kalajian of IPG.

Threader Origins – Book One of the Quantum Empirica is complete and will hopefully be on the schedule for a 2020 release. Threader War and Threader God (tentative titles) will most likely be out in 2021.

The Quantum Empirica trilogy follows Darwin Lloyd as he is thrown into an alternate universe, and discovers that his father’s experiments with quantum power has changed the way the world works. He must learn to survive and use the mysterious threads created by his dad’s machine to find a way back home before the same thing happens in his world. It would all be so easy, if only the Qabal didn’t want him dead and he hadn’t fallen in love with the first woman he met.

The Rebel is a Finalist for Best Novel for the Aurora Awards

I am absolutely stoked to be able to tell you that The Rebel (Book 3 in the San Angeles Series) is on the ballot for The Aurora Award for Best Novel.

The Aurora Awards are Canada’s premier  non-juried awards in the speculative fiction field. To have The Rebel chosen as one of the top six speculative fiction novels in Canada for 2017 is an absolute honor.

This years Best Novel ballot is:

Best Novel
All Those Explosions Were Someone Else’s Fault, by James Alan Gardner, Tor Books
Jade City by Fonda Lee, Orbit
Light of a Distant Sun by Brent Nichols, Bundoran Press
The Rebel (Book 3 of the San Angeles Series) by Gerald Brandt, DAW Books
RecipeArium by Costi Gurgu, White Cat Publications
To Guard Against the Dark by Julie E. Czerneda, DAW Books

What an incredible list to be part of. Thank you to everyone that nominated The Rebel, and don’t forget to vote!

Any Canadian can vote for the Aurora Awards. There is a $10.00 fee to become a member, but as an incentive, most of the novels, short stories, etc, will be made available as a voters package at no cost. You’ll be able to read almost every story on the list. For more information, go here: http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/

Release Day for THE REBEL

Today is the official release day for The Rebel, book three in the San Angeles Series!

So many people help me create these books, and their support, encouragement, and reviews have been greatly appreciated. I don’t think I could have done any of the series without their support. Check out the acknowledgements at the beginning of each novel for specifics.

The Rebel is currently available in hard cover, ebook, and audio. The mass market paperback should be out in a year or so.

I’ll have an excerpt available shortly.

Here’s some praise for the San Angeles series:

“The Courier is lean and mean as Kris’s rugged ride, ripping through plot and world-building at a relentless pace… Brandt has created a darkly gripping vision of the future,” ―B&N Sci-fi Fantasy Blog

“Brandt’s supercharged sequel to The Courier continues the cyberpunk fun of the San Angeles series…. Brandt fleshes out an all-too-possible future of crushing poverty and corporate control, and the complex heroine who will lead us through to a better future.” —Tor.com

“Brandt has created a fully-fleshed universe, filled with high tension, memorable villains, and plot twists by the dozen.” ―Barnes & Noble

“It felt a lot like the Bourne Identity movie except with a sci-fi setting and a relatable young girl as the protagonist. The Courier is a fast paced science fiction thriller, with a heroine you can really root for and a world you can’t wait to learn more about.” ―The Heroine Bookstore

“Gerald Brandt tells an impossible-to-put-down tale and introduces us to an exciting heroine I’d love to see more of.” ―University City Review

“The action does not let up. Brandt writes in a way that keeps the tale clear, and easy to follow…. Quick and violent, engaging and intense.” —On a Dark Stormy Review

My 2017 Can*Con Schedule

I’ll be at Can*Con in Ottawa for the first time this year. If you’re interested in meeting up with, feel free to stop me in the hallway and say hi!

This is my schedule:

Saturday @ 11:00 AM in Salon E – Science Fiction of DAW
Saturday @ 12:00 PM in Salon F – Economics of Traditional Publishing
Saturday @ 1:30 PM in Dealers Room – Signing
Saturday @ 2:00 PM in Salon B – Reading (theoretically from The Rebel)

Science Fiction of DAW – Editor Guest of Honour Sheila Gilbert discusses DAW Books’ history of science fiction with contributing authors. From space opera to near-future and everything in between, our panelists dig into a critical analysis of DAW and its contributions to the world of science fiction.

Economics of Traditional Publishing – What are the economics around traditional publishing? Small press, mid-sized and Big 5 publishing houses have very different advances, print runs and sell throughs, but traditional publishing can open up opportunities with secondary sales like Audible and translations.

Signings at Can*Con! – On Saturday, various authors will be available at the Chapters table in the dealer’s room to sign their books. Titles will be available for sale by Chapters, but no purchase is necessary – feel free to bring something with you to sign, or just chat with your favorite authors! (see schedule for more details)

 

The Courier nominated for Best Novel for the Aurora Awards

I’ve been sitting on this information for weeks, and its been painful not being able to talk about.

The Courier is on the ballot for the Aurora Awards, Canada’s premier non-juried award in the speculative fiction field. What a thrill and an honor.

If you would have asked me what my chances were when The Courier first came out, I would have told you it was near 0%. I was, and still am, a small fish in a very, very big pond. To be recognized as one of the top six speculative fiction novels in Canada in 2016 is a feeling that is difficult to put into words… which is a strange thing for a writer to admit.

The Best Novel category is typically a who’s who list of Canadian speculative fiction authors, and the last thing I expected was to be included amongst them.

This years Best Novel ballot is:

  • Children of Earth and Sky – Guy Gavriel Kay (Viking Canada)
  • Company Town – Madeline Ashby (Tor Books)
  • The Courier – Gerald Brandt (DAW Books)
  • The Nature of a Pirate – A.M. Dellamonica (Tor Books)
  • Quantum Night – Robert J. Sawyer (Penguin Canada)
  • Stars Like Cold Fire – Brent Nichols (Bundoran Press)

What a fantastic list to be part of. Thank you to everyone that nominated The Courier.

Any Canadian can vote for the Aurora Awards. There is a $10.00 fee to become a member, but as an incentive, most of the novels, short stories, etc, will be made available as a voters package at no cost. You’ll be able to read almost every story on the list. You’ll also be enter to win a Kobo e-reader. For more information, go here: http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/

My Keycon 2017 Schedule

I’ll be at KeyCon in Winnipeg May 19th to 22nd. Here’s my panel list:

 Friday 9-10 PM    Reading - I'll be reading from The Operative BoardRoom
 Saturday 12-1 PM Suspension of Disbelief                       Ambassador C
 Saturday 2-3 PM  Autograph Session                             Ambassador B
 Saturday 5-6 PM  Point of View                                 Ambassador D
 Sunday 10-11 AM  What Makes a Good Story                       Ambassador C
 Sunday 3-4 PM    How Do Writers Read Books?                    Ambassador H

Canadian Blood Services will be in the Dealers Room with a raffle of attending author’s books. I’ve donated hardcovers of THE COURIER and THE OPERATIVE. If you win, find me, I’ll sign them for you.

Book Reading in Boardroom with Gerald Brandt and Ronald Hore: Gerald Brandt reads from The Operative, and Ronald Hore reads from his fantasy detective series, “The Housetrap Chronicles.”. A question and answer session follows the readings. Stay until the end to receive a free ticket for a chance to win $40.00 in Dealers Room Dollars. One ticket, per person, per Reading Session. Draw to be held Sunday at noon.

Suspension of Disbelief in Ambassador C with Gerald Brandt and Craig Russell; All things are possible if you can imagine it, but how do you keep it plausible when writing it? Is writing near future and urban fantasy easier than far future and high fantasy? What are some things that break the suspension of disbelief?

Suspension of Disbelief in Ambassador C with Gerald Brandt and Craig Russell; All things are possible if you can imagine it, but how do you keep it plausible when writing it? Is writing near future and urban fantasy easier than far future and high fantasy? What are some things that break the suspension of disbelief?

What Makes a Good Story in Ambassador C with Gerald Brandt and M.C. Joudrey: What matters most in written storytelling? Style? Pacing? Does it need to be character driven or full of action and adventure? Just what goes into making a really good story?

How Do Writers Read Books? in Ambassador H With Kelley Armstrong, Gerald Brandt, Timothy Gwyn and Den Valdron: Can a writer read a book for pure enjoyment without critiquing the writing? Can genre writers read books within their own field without being overly influenced by those books? What books do writers read? What books do writers recommend aspiring writers to read?

 

Nebula Recommended Reading List and Locus Bestsellers List

I’ve had a couple of good news items in the past month. The first was that The Courier made the Nebula Awards recommended reading list.

The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States during the previous year. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers.

The suggested reading list isn’t an official nomination for the award – rather it’s a curated list of best SF/F stories from the year. Please check out the whole list here and happy reading to all! I’m not sure if you’ll be able to follow this link if you are not an SFWA member, but here it is Nebula Suggested Reading List.

The second item that came just this week was the Locus Bestsellers List. Locus Magazine has been covering the science fiction and fantasy field since 1968. Locus publishes news of the Science Fiction publishing field with extensive reviews and listings of new science fiction books and magazines.

The Courier hit the Locus list back in June for the hardcover edition. It has made the list again at #4 for mass market paperback.

The Operative made the hardcover list at #8.

In both cases, I am the second science fiction novel on the lists. Woohoo! The February 2017 issue covers the data period of November 2016.

Both The Courier and The Operative hit the McNally Robertson Bestsellers List at position #2. The Courier made that list twice.

 

My When Words Collide 2016 Schedule

I’ll be at When Words Collide again this year. This is my schedule:

Friday @ 2 PM in Parkland – Blending Genres
Friday @ 5 PM in Kananaskis 2 – Time Management or Hat Juggling for Authors
Saturday @ 4PM in Fireside – Science Fiction Book Social with Robert J. Sawyer
Saturday @ 8PM in Parkland – Autograph Session
Sunday @ 1PM in Banavista – Writing Trilogies

Blending Genres
We all know that authors like to hop from one genre to the next, but what about taking said passion for various genres and turning them into a veritable
smoothie of genre tropes? Come talk about blending genres together, and the challenges these kinds of endeavours (might) face.

Time Management or Hat Juggling for Authors
To succeed, authors have to treat their writing like a business, even if they don’t want to or feel they aren’t suited for it. With more work and less time,
everyone wants to know how to do it well and still make time for writing.

Writing Trilogies
Writing a trilogy is the writing equivalent of running a marathon. What are the pros and cons of embarking on such a creative endeavour? Four writers discuss
their experiences, focusing on the challenges and benefits from creative, timely, and business perspectives.

I’ll be around the convention all weekend, feel free to say ‘hi’!

** NOTE – All times and places subject change! Check the cons Program Guide.

The Courier makes the Locus Bestsellers Lists

Locus Magazine has covered the Science Fiction and Fantasy field since 1968, and is the industries trade magazine. They do extensive reviews, interviews, and listings of new books and magazines every month, putting out a wonderful 8 1/2 x 11″ magazine.

This month, I was super stoked to be on their bestsellers list, and to share that list with some wonderful books and authors.

locus-bestseller

Ad Astra 2016 Schedule

This is the first time I’ll be attending Ad Astra, and they’ve done a great job! I’ve already got my programming schedule. I’m really looking forward to meeting people I’ve only seen on Facebook and Twitter!

When I’m not wandering the halls, this is where you’ll find me:

 

Saturday 11:00 AM – Science Fiction Reading (OakRidge)
Andrew Barton, Gerald Brandt, JD Deluzio, MJ Moores

Saturday 1:00 PM – Finding a Literary Agent (Newmarket)
Amanda Sun, Andrew Barton, Gerald Brandt, Mary Fan, Matt Bin

Saturday 6:00 PM – Does Diversity Sell (Markham B)
Cathy Hird, Gerald Brandt, James Alan Gardner, Mary Fan

Sunday 1:00 PM – NaNoWriMo 101 (Richmond B)
Gerald Brandt, Stephanie Bedwell-Grime, Suzanne Church, Vanessa Ricci-Thode