Today is the official release day for WALKING DEAD, book four of the Walker Papers! As far as I can tell, everybody I know bought it two weeks ago, but still, today is the official release day!
Seattle’s a great place to live…if it weren’t for the undead.
For once, Joanne Walker’s not out to save the world. She’s come to terms with the host of shamanic powers she’s been given, her job as a police detective has been relatively calm, and she’s got a love life for the first time in memory. Not bad for a woman who started out the year mostly dead.
But it’s Halloween, and the undead have just crashed Joanne’s party. Now she has to figure out how to break the spell that lets ghosts, zombies and even the Wild Hunt come back. Unfortunately, there’s no shamanic handbook explaining how to deal with the walking dead.
And if they have anything to say about it–which they do–
No one’s getting out of there alive.
To go along with WALKING DEAD’s release, my web guru, Laura Denson, recently did a recording of “Rabbit Tricks”, the Walker Papers short story that fits chronologically between COYOTE DREAMS and WALKING DEAD.
My longtime friend and writing partner Sarah Palmero did a two-minute voice recording from THE QUEEN’S BASTARD. I think both of these are pretty damned cool (if utterly bizarre, because wow, really weird to hear someone else reading my words!), and would like to thank them both profusely for doing these and letting me post them publicly!
Fifth, I’m terribly smug to show off the (tiny–if you want to see it full sized you’ll have to buy the story) cover for “Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight”, which was painted by manga artist Lanny Liu.
Along those same lines, “Hot Time” has debuted amongst its patrons today. (I wasn’t thinking, when I changed its due date to September 1st, that that was also the release date for WALKING DEAD. Oh well, everybody got WD early anyway, so “Hot Time” still gets to be a little bit special.) For those who didn’t join the fundable commission the first time through, the novella will be available to purchase in February 2010, after which it’ll go off the market permanently until it finds a traditional publisher.
And I just noticed several of my books have been nominated as contenders for 101 Best Fantasy novels. I have to admit that given some of the company (which ranges from Lloyd Alexander to Diana Wynne Jones with all points between), I feel my presence there is a bit ludicrous, but also quite wonderful and I wouldn’t mind making it onto somebody’s top 100 list, so if you wanted, you could go vote. :) And my thanks to whomever nominated me, how cool of you. :)
Posted: September 1st, 2009
at 2:45pm by ce_murphy
Categories: commissions, inheritors' cycle, negotiator trilogy, old races, promotional news, release day, short stories, walker papers, writing
Comments: 27 comments
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Congrats on the nomination. Good luck. Got the audio version of Walking Dead today, can’t wait to hear it.
Jerika
2 Sep 09 at 2:41 am
I finished Walking Dead last night. It was wonderful! Thanks for another great story.
AnnB
3 Sep 09 at 9:05 pm
Congratulations! I can’t wait to crack open Walking Dead but I need to re read Coyote Dreams before I start this one (its a habit to make sure my brain misses none of the fun xD)
biki
9 Sep 09 at 6:04 pm
I just barely finished Walking Dead. It was AMAZING!! When do you think the next volume will come out? And do you know what you are going to write about in the fifth book? You are an awesome writer and thanks for Walking Dead and volume five that, hopeful, will be out soon.
Kat
12 Sep 09 at 8:49 pm
Book five, DEMON HUNTS, will be out in June 2010. And I certainly do know what it’s about, since it’s finished and awaiting final revisions, but I’m not gonna tell you. :) I’m glad you enjoyed WALKING DEAD! :)
-Catie
ce_murphy
12 Sep 09 at 8:57 pm
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!
ce_murphy
12 Sep 09 at 8:57 pm
Oh, I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know!
ce_murphy
12 Sep 09 at 8:59 pm
Re-reading’s half the fun, right? :)
-Catie
ce_murphy
12 Sep 09 at 9:06 pm
Yeah, I’m a fanficcer, so you are about to be hit with a fanfic type review.
Just finished WALKING DEAD and wanted to drop a note on how much I enjoyed it, although you might want to go thump the copy editor people — there were a handful of mistakes in the copy (missing/wrong words and such). Not that it kept me from enjoying the story.
I really like Morrison. In fact, with each book I become more attached to him which is kind of odd since we don’t get a lot of Morrison in the books, although we got more of him in this last installment than the others. I think my liking is more in how Joanne defines and sees herself in relation to Morrison and that ’seeing’ is becoming more complicated with each book. Makes me wish sometimes while reading that we could get a peek into Morrison’s head the way we do Joanne’s. I’d love to have his take on her and the supernatural world he’s been thrust into to see if it really matches with how Joanne ‘thinks’ he feels. If fact, if you ever get the wild urge to do a Morrison POV outtake on your site, I’ll be first in line to read.
And any mention of Morrison brings us to Thor. I admit that I was conflicted with Thor. [Mean Author Cuts Some Of This Comment To Avoid Spoilers, But Promises *She's* Read It! --CEM :)] But that is what makes Author surprises such a surprise, I suppose. :-)
I have to say that the way you write Joanne makes me laugh. Like many people, I have my own internal snarky voice so reading about hers always makes laugh. I also really enjoy her thought processes, especially those times when she backtracks in her own thinking: Billy rode on the river, one of many in a long flat boat poled by a man with coins for eyes. I caught his shoulders — Billy’s not the boatman’s — and he turned an uninterested gaze on me. Her oft-times irreverent and rambling internal life never fail to keep me amused and I find that I really enjoy those touches of her humor.
So, thanks for the new book – it kept me completely hooked on a long flight. I’m looking forward to the next one and, you know, if you do get that Morrison POV itch, feel free to scratch it.
Thanks
Caeria
Caeria
15 Sep 09 at 5:00 pm
*amused* I’m glad you enjoyed the book. :)
There will, I’m afraid, never be a Morrison POV within the context of the Walker Papers novels themselves. Maybe a short story someday, but don’t hold your breath. I’d hate for you to pass out in the waiting. :)
-Catie
ce_murphy
15 Sep 09 at 7:14 pm
*Drat!* Figured Morrison POV would never make it into the novels but I wouldn’t object to something on the side like “Rabbit Tricks.” Sooo, no holding my breath . . . guess that ruins that whole threat about stomping my feet and turning blue. :-) -C
Caeria
15 Sep 09 at 8:31 pm
Maybe someday. :) But if you hold your breath til you turn blue you’ll just pass out anyway, and that’ll get you nowhere. :)
-Catie
ce_murphy
15 Sep 09 at 8:33 pm
Hi!
I just wanted to let you know how much I loved Walking Dead! I totally cracked up at Morrison’s and Joanne’s Halloween costumes! And I loved the whole dancing/turned ankle scene! You tease and appease us with the tension and conflict between Joanne/Morrison. I adore the progression of their relationship! My husband kept looking at me like I was crazy (more so than usual) because I would alternately gasp, groan in shared embarassment or laugh out loud every 10 minutes.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Morrison spoke to [Mean Author Cuts Some Of This Comment To Avoid Spoilers, But Promises *She's* Read It! --CEM :)] They must have had quite the conversation. Prior to the ride, I mean. They probably didn’t speak much while traveling…did they?
I tried to force myself to read slowly and savor it, but I’m a greedy fool and all too quickly I was finished. Now, I am left to gleefully anticipate the next book and imagine what may befall Joanne Walker next.
I’ve got a question, well, I actually have quite a few, but I’ll only ask the one. What happens with the insurance guy? I’m worried about Petite!
Anyway, I’m babbling now, but thanks for an awesome new book!
Oh, and I created a Joanne Walker Fan Club on Facebook today…I think I’m done gushing now.
Thanks, again!
Juliana Schmidt
22 Sep 09 at 4:16 am
*laughs* No, they probably didn’t talk much while riding. I’d have liked to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation, too!
All I can say about Petite is You Will Have To Wait And See. :)
Glad you liked the book so much! *laughs* And YAY for a Joanne Walker Fan Club! <3
-Catie
ce_murphy
22 Sep 09 at 8:40 am
Hi,
I just wanted to say that I love the Joanne Walker Books. I enjoyed how in each release we got more information and interaction with Joanne and Morrison. I have to agree I was also conflicted with Thor. However, I am PRAYING that Morrison and Joanne will get together. Should I stop praying and start begging for that to happen? LOL.
Wishing it was June 2010 now for the next book…..Thank you for all your stories.
Angela
6 Oct 09 at 5:01 pm
*laughs out loud* I’m glad you’re enjoying the books! They’re great fun to write. :) And neither praying nor begging will change the outcome of the story, but I love that people are so invested in the characters and their lives. :) :) :)
-Catie
ce_murphy
6 Oct 09 at 6:13 pm
Can’t wait for Hot Time to go back up for sale. :D After reading comments I may go back and re-listen to the audio of Walking Dead.
Any news on The Negotiator series in audio format? I can’t find it anywhere.
Vinity
10 Oct 09 at 10:44 pm
They’re all available from audible.com: Here’s HEART OF STONE.
ce_murphy
11 Oct 09 at 8:17 pm
I’m in the middle of reading your new book, and I love your writing style. Plus, I’m very familiar with the Seattle area so it’s great to see how you play with the setting. Off to read some more…
Kristine
14 Oct 09 at 2:18 am
How did I miss those? I got all the Walker Papers. I swear I searched. Gah!
Vinity
14 Oct 09 at 2:57 am
I don’t know whether to feel more stupid or less stupid. I went and searched CE Murphy at audible and only the first 3 Walker Papers comes up. I had just figured the 4th hadn’t been added to the search engine yet. If you search C. E. Murphy The Negotiator comes up also. Teach me to be less lazy.
Vinity
14 Oct 09 at 3:05 am
Yeah, it was the CE Murphy vs. C. E. Murphy thing that threw me too. Which was why I decided to just link to them for you instead of trying to explain the stupid initials. *Most* places seem to come up with the C.E. or C. E. Murphy titles if you put in CE Murphy, but audible failed on that one. There must be something specific in the database there for initials. But now you can order them! :)
-Catie
ce_murphy
14 Oct 09 at 9:16 am
I’ve taken a few liberties with Seattle (the North Precinct building is in the right place, for example, but my Seattle has a whole street of shops next door that don’t exist in the real world), but I figure it’s a Seattle with shamans and witches and demons, oh my, so probably the landscape isn’t quite identical. :) Glad you’re enjoying the books!
-Catie
ce_murphy
14 Oct 09 at 9:17 am
Hi! um, can I ask you what exactly is HOt time in old town tonight? Do any of the stories have to do with the Old Races/Negotiator? Heh, I got hopeful and thought of Janx looking at the cover. How would you buy it?
Mariel
15 Dec 09 at 9:47 pm
“Hot Time” is a novella about Janx and Daisani, indeed. It’ll be for sale again through this website as a $10 download in February 2010, so that’ll be your next (and last!) chance to buy it!
-Catie
ce_murphy
15 Dec 09 at 9:49 pm
XD ty for telling me that, looks like I found that series in the nick of time
Mariel
16 Dec 09 at 6:27 pm
Have just finished ‘Walking Dead’. Loved it.
Also loved the reference to ROUSs. Hee!
Then Inigo Montoya and the six-fingered man! Yay! One of my favourite movies.
I love the way Joanne Walker thinks. Thanks for bringing her into the world!
Snowfrosch
25 Feb 10 at 12:03 pm