A special message from Parris (George’s partner, Mud Clerk, and maker of the Magic Coffee):
I wanted to let GRRM’s fans know that A Feast for Crows has been nominated for the Quill awards.
Now, the Quill award is not your average hoity- toity literary award, given by literary critics and English Lit profs. Nor is it a ‘members/peers’ award like the Hugos or the Nebulas.
Nope, the Quill award is sponsored by NBC and others:
The Quills, an initiative launched with the support of Reed Business Information, is designed to be an industry qualified "consumers choice" awards program for books, honoring the current titles readers deem most entertaining and enlightening.
You can read about the Quill awards here:
http://www.thequills.org/2005.html
And for fans of GRRM, you can VOTE for the Quill awards here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737551/
A Feast for Crows is eligible in 2 categories, best SF/F and for Book of the Year. There’s a lot of other categories that one can vote in as well, I was delighted to be able to vote for ‘Elizabeth Peters’ in the Mystery category, and cast my vote in several other categories as well, because, guess what, I’d actually read 3 or more of the titles in that category because they were popular titles I was able to find and enjoy in the last year.
What qualifications are needed to vote?
You need to have access to a computer with an internet connection.
That’s it, nothing else, no membership fees, no admittance to a professional organization, no having to attend soirees with literary critics and book publishers all hustling to get their titles on the ballot while devouring the last of crab puffs, just a computer with a internet connection.
Balloting ends on September 30th, so take a couple of minutes today to cruise over to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737551/
and vote for you favorite books of the year.
Do you have a friend who first turned you on to GRRM or Peters or one of the other nominees? Why don’t you forward them this note and urge them to vote too? You have a young reader in your family who loved a YA book this year that’s on the list? Involve them by encouraging them to look at the Quills list, see if there’s other titles they should give a try since their in the same category as a beloved book.
The Quills are only in their second year of existence. If they receive a lot of attention and participation from readers that vote for the awards, they will continue, and perhaps even grow in their importance. Maybe in a few years they’ll have cash awards, a goody basket like the Oscars hand out (Although I think a goody basket for writers would consist of various forms of caffeine and chocolate, a new chair for the writing desk and a big sign that reads "GO AWAY, I’M WRITING’ and not free spa treatments, engraved iPods and Ugg boots).
So go on, do the right thing, and participate in choosing the Quill awards for 2006. You’ll be glad you did. If George wins you’ll see pictures of him in a tux accepting the award, and isn’t that enough to send your browser to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737551/
Thanks, and as we always said in old Baltimore,
vote early! vote often!!!
GRRM’s official site has been updated with a news update regarding the Hugo awards, a new letter from a fan in “From My Readers”, a brief discussion of the current book he’s reading in “What I’m Reading”, and a longer discussion of the beginning of the American professional footbal season in his Not a Blog.
GRRM’s official site has been updated with the Quill Awards nomination for A Feast for Crows we reported on while at the WorldCon, as well as the news of the World of Ice and Fire, the forthcoming companion book for the series that we will be co-authoring with GRRM.
As GRRM points out in his update, any suggestions for what you would like to see in this book should be posted on the board. As soon as we get a chance to get settled in (we just returned from Las Vegas today), we will make available a sticky topic (or perhaps even a dedicated subforum) for the purpose of posting such suggestions, and we may also add a couple of polls.
GRRM’s official site has updated its “Life & Times” section, as well as “Cover Art” featuring foreign edition covers of the Hedge Knight graphic novel.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “From My Readers” section featuring some new fan art, and a new entry in “Not a Blog” noting some of GRRM’s travel and appearance plans in the coming months.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “News” section reminding fans of the forthcoming The Ice Dragon (UK) that will be on shelves in October. He has also updated his “From My Readers Section” with a couple of new pictures and comments.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “News” section confirming the demise of Guardians of Order, which published the A Game of Thrones roleplaying game (PDF). George discusses the future of the RPG in the update.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “Not A Blog” entry concerning his recent visit to the San Diego Comic-Con.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “Not A Blog” entry concerning the on-going renovations of his home, his trip to the San Diego Comic-Con, his decision to allow comments on his posts, and (perhaps most interestingly) his statement that there are three significant projects in the works that he can’t yet talk about in detail.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “Ice and Fire Update” section catching up fans on the status of A Dance with Dragons, as well as an updated “What I’m Watching” entry, an updated “News” entry regarding the Fevre Dream comic book adaption by Avatar Press, and a new entry in the “Covers” section featuring a cover from that adaption.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “From My Readers” section featuring a new picture, as well as a new (and amusing) fan letter and response. GRRM’s “Not A Blog” has also been updated with news of GRRM’s doings since his last entry.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “Cover Art” section featuring a new foreign edition cover for A Storm of Swords, as well as a sample from the new Wild Cards novel, Inside Straight, in the brand new “Wild Cards Sample” section.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “From My Readers” section featuring more fan art and pictures and an update to “News” noting that Subterranean Press has now sent its limited edition A Storm of Swords (with illustrations by Charles Vess) to the printer, with an expected ship date to customers of August or September.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “News” section, discussing the forthcoming release of Dreamsongs, the retitled GRRM: A Rretrospective in a new edition, sans interior art but otherwise massively complete and at a new low, low price. The “Cover Art” section has also been updated with several new pieces, as has the the “What I’m Reading” section with a brief review of the book Cinderella Man.
GRRM’s official site has an updated “From My Readers” section featuring some fan art, an updated “Appearances” section noting George’s forthcoming appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con in July, and an update to “News” revealing that a contract for three new Wild Cards books have been signed with Tor. The first of the books is planned, Inside Straight as a 2007 hardcover release. The “Covers” section has also been updated.