Tag Archives: books

Genevieve Cogman: The Invisible Library – For your reading pleasure

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

This is the first in an ongoing series, and a terrific starting point. As an ex librarian I have a fondness for anything library-oriented so I wanted to like this a lot – and I did. Genevieve Cogman’s debut novel … Continue reading →

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How to Write a Speculative Fiction Book

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

I’m not going to be able to teach you how to write a book in the twelve hundred or so words in this blog post – even presuming I have the skills. Yes I’ve written books, seven published so far … Continue reading →

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Space Opera

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

I write science fiction. I’m pretty sure my sub-genre is (so far) space opera. I’m happy with that definition. I grew up reading my dad’s Lensman books and the distinctive Gollancz yellow jacketed SF which (sadly) I only have a … Continue reading →

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Brave New Worlds

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

Brave New Worlds I’ve been invited to be an anchor author in the upcoming anthology Brave New Worlds, to be published by Zombies Need Brains Press in 2022. I’m looking forward to writing a story for it, and my first … Continue reading →

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Sherwood Smith – Rondo Allegro – For Your Reading Pleasure

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

I’ve always enjoyed reading Sherwood Smith’s fantasies, in particular the Inda sequence, and I just realised there are more books in her bibliography that I misse4d, so I can see I’m going to have to spend some time catching up. … Continue reading →

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Brent Weeks – The Way of Shadows – The Night Angel Trilogy #1 – For your reading pleasure

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

I discovered Tanya Huff in 2003, Lois McMaster Bujold was a couple of years after that and Patricia Briggs in 2008. Brent Weeks become my discovery of the year in 2009. His Night Angel trilogy is riveting. Having bought the … Continue reading →

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Lisa Shearin’s Raine Benares books – for your reading pleasure.

Posted on December 8, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

I’ll be perfectly honest, though I liked the first Raine Benares book, Magic Lost, Trouble Found I wasn’t 100% in love with it. Luckily I liked it enough to get the second book, Armed and Magical, which picks up just … Continue reading →

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Books etc. for Christmas

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

2020 has not been the year it was supposed to be. (Not fit for purpose. Can I get a refund?) I didn’t get anywhere as much writing done as I could have, but I read, and re-read an awful lot. … Continue reading →

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Scott Lynch: The Lies of Locke Lamora – for your reading pleasure

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

Thoroughly absorbing, interesting characters who are changed by events that happen to them, great backstory, twisty plot in the front-story leading to nail-biting tension. Highly recommended. Trying not to give away too many spoilers we get to see the formation … Continue reading →

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Boy Wizards on the Lam. Three series beginnings – for your reading pleasure

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

This is the first of my new alternate Tuesday reading posts, so I thought I’d dip back in time to tell you about three books that are each the first in their own well-loved series. They all owe something to … Continue reading →

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How Much is Too Much History? – A guest post by David Tallerman

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

Though I’ve gone on to write a couple of things since, my novel To End All Wars, out last week from publisher Aethon, was my first stab at writing historical fiction.  It was a dramatic about-turn for me after years … Continue reading →

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2019 – Retrospective

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Jacey Bedford

2019 has been a pretty good year. I did a few conventions, read a lot of books, finished editing a couple of my own, saw a lot of movies, kept up with the day job, organised (and attended) a couple … Continue reading →

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Book Browsing

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Jacey Bedford

This is a revamp of a post from 2013, updated The tor.com blog had a feature on book browsing back in September 2013 and it prompted this original post, reminding me that I so very rarely got to browse real … Continue reading →

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What I Like to Read, and Why

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Jacey Bedford

Though I have a large collection of paper books, some of them from my childhood, I mostly read fiction on Kindle these days. It’s not that I prefer electronic to dead tree books, but books are books and it’s the … Continue reading →

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My 2018 Reading

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Jacey Bedford

It’s getting towards the end of the year and this is the time I usually post a summary of my reading. I’ve kept a booklog since 2009, and oh, how I wish I’d started decades ago. I post my booklog … Continue reading →

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Winterwood Chapter One – Read it Here

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Jacey Bedford

In anticipation of the publication of Rowankind, due on 27th November, the third book in my Rowankind Trilogy, I offer for your delectation, the first chapter of Winterwood. It’s the beginning of the trilogy, Rowankind is the finale – with … Continue reading →

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Dropping a Pebble in the Pond

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Jacey Bedford

I used to think that if I could only get one book published by a major publisher I would be able to die happy (though I did not necessarily plan that particular event soon). Now I have five books published … Continue reading →

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Writing New Series Vs. Sequels – A guest blog by Gail Z. Martin

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Jacey Bedford

Readers ask, “What do you like better, starting a new series or writing another book in an existing series?” That’s like asking, “What do you like more, going to visit old friends or taking a trip somewhere you’ve never been … Continue reading →

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Bladdered or Shitfaced? The gentle art of word choice and the bogglement of page-proofing.

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Jacey Bedford

No, I’m neither bladdered not shitfaced – that’s one of my characters. I’m sober as the proverbial judge, and doing page proofs. Five hundred and thirty four pages of closely printed text – almost one hundred and seventy thousand words. … Continue reading →

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Corwen Silverwolf Speaks

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Jacey Bedford

Denby Hall, September 1801 I don’t usually get the opportunity to say much. It’s not that I’m henpecked, you understand, but—well—my author is female and she lets my beloved, Rossalinde, tell the story. So it’s nice, for once, to be … Continue reading →

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Cover Reveal: Nimbus

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Jacey Bedford

Nimbus isn’t due until October 2017, but I just got the cover and permission to let you all see it. So here it is: Nimbus, the third in the Psi-Tech trilogy. Cover by the fabulously talented Stephan Martiniere. In a … Continue reading →

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Pitfalls of Publishing, or Lest I Forget

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

I’m now in the fortunate position of having three books published by DAW, with two more due out in January 2017 and October 2017, but achieving a novel publishing deal took years from my first short story sale to a … Continue reading →

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What’s in a name?

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

When writing historical fiction it’s sometimes difficult to pin down names. Things change and sometimes the change is gradual. For instance I live in a tiny Yorkshire village called Birdsedge, or maybe it’s Birds Edge. No one really seems to … Continue reading →

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Fantasycon-By-The-Sea, 2016

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

Grand Hotel, Scarborough, 23rd – 25th September , 2016 Fantasycon was… interesting. It remains the most writerly of cons with most panels aimed at writers and peopled by writers and industry professionals. Its progamme is hard to fault and there … Continue reading →

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Editing Anthologies – A Guest Post by Joshua Palmatier

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

I’m often asked what it’s like to edit anthologies.  What’s the process, why do I do it, etc.?  The answer to why I do it is easy:  because it’s fun! Patricia Bray and I started editing anthologies for DAW Books … Continue reading →

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Silverwolf

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

I’m in that weird space inbetween finishing a book and sending it to my editor. I’m giving myself a few days and then going to have one final read-through. My eagle-eyed friend, H., is checking it for typos because no … Continue reading →

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Winterwood Cover

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

Winterwood has barely hit the shops, but  I’ve just seen the potential cover for Silverwolf, the sequel which I’ve been writing since last September. Everything works so far ahead in the publishing industry that you always feel as though you … Continue reading →

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Winterwood Interviews and Reviews

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

Winterwood (and Crossways) recent interviews and reviews 13th February Thanks to Sherwood Smith for the nice mention for Crossways in her article on Book View Cafe entitled ‘My Genre is Growing Up.’ 10th February Interview here at Civilian Reader. 8th … Continue reading →

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Happy Book Day To Me: Winterwood Published Today

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

Yay! Tuesday 2nd February 2016 and my third novel, Winterwood, is published today by DAW in the USA and Canada. It’s available in the UK as an import from that well known company named after a South American river. Winterwood … Continue reading →

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Fan mail

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Jacey Bedford

I just received this from Hugh, a friend in Canada, who is currently in the middle of reading Crossways. I think it may constitute genuine fan mail even though we do know each other personally. Hugh McMillan is a very … Continue reading →

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My Writing Year – 2015

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

It’s been a pretty good year in the word-mines with my second book, Crossways released in August to some decent reviews – though not many of them, which I understand is pretty normal for a second book in a series. … Continue reading →

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Guest Blog: Toby Venables Answers Five Questions

Posted on December 20, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

Q1: Tell us your biography and background in three sentences or fewer.  I was born with one hand up by the side of my head, like I was raising it to ask something – so, questioning from the start, but … Continue reading →

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What did I say about good reviews?

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

So there you have it. The RT review, and a Top Pick at that! The second encouraging review for Winterwood and it’s not even out until 2nd February! Whoo-hoo! Widen the doors I need to get my head through! But … Continue reading →

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You never get Blasé About… a Good Review

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

From Publishers Weekly Winterwood Jacey Bedford, Author Swashbuckling adventure collides with mystical mayhem on land and at sea in this rousing historical fantasy series launch set in a magic-infused England in 1800. Rossalinde Tremayne has done well for herself as … Continue reading →

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So Many Books, So Little Time.

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

A TARDIS or a Time-Turner would be a great help. My bookshelves groan under the weight of unread books and my Kindles are bursting at the seams. Yes I have more than one Kindle – three to be precise, a … Continue reading →

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Gail Z Martin – Five Questions – Guest Post

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

I’d like to welcome Gail Z Martin to the guest spot on Tales from the Typeface. She’s an American author who writes epic and urban fantasy as well as science fiction. She’s also been kind enough to offer some downloadable … Continue reading →

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Winterwood Cover Revealed at Fantasy Book Cafe

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

I’ll be putting the cover of Winterwood up here in a few days but in the meantime there’s an exclusive cover reveal at Fantasy Book Cafe.

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What has NaNoWriMo Ever Done for Us?

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month is an annual write-a-thon-fest which takes place in November. You sign up to the site and commit to writing 50,000 words in a month. There are various incentives. For starters, just having someone acknowledge … Continue reading →

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CROSSWAYS is OUT TODAY!

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

It’s BOOK DAY! Crossways, my second novel, is out today.  What starts out as a search for survivors turns into a battle for survival. Space stations, corrupt corporations, telepathy, relationships and something moving in the depths of foldspace. Not read … Continue reading →

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SFSF Social #3 – 27th June 2015

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

I have been invited to be a guest at the upcoming SF social in Sheffield. This is what they have to say about it on their blog. I hope to see some of you there. SFSF Social #3 – 27th … Continue reading →

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On Delivering the Second Book

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

Empire of Dust came out in November 2014 and yesterday I delivered the final version of Crossways. Second books are difficult, mind bogglingly, scarily difficult. For starters, you never quite know how much backstory to filter in from the first … Continue reading →

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Goodreads Starry Update

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

Five stars to Goodreads for their customer service. Yesterday I queried the ‘unstarred reviews equals zero stars reviews problem’ and today got this email. “We did recently migrate our database to bigger servers, and that change did cause some unexpected … Continue reading →

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Stars in your Reviews – The Goodreads Conundrum

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

Authors appreciate your honest reviews. They appreciate you talking about their book, recommending it to others, tweeting about it, blogging about it, sharing on Facebook, signing up to mailing lists and groups, including it in lists. In fact, if you … Continue reading →

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Crossways Cover Reveal

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

I got the illustration for my new novel Crossways a few months ago, but until yesterday’s SF Signal featured it in their ‘Coming Soon’ section I hadn’t seen it complete with titles. So here it is. The cover illustration is … Continue reading →

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Ten Favourite Children’s Books

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

My Top Ten Children’s Books Last week I posted  Ten Books I couldn’t Put Down, and when compiling my long list I realised some of them were children’s books. I used to be a children’s librarian (way back) and I’ve … Continue reading →

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Listen to Good Advice, but Trust Yourself

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

I’m a great advocate of writers’ critique groups, either face to face or online, but every person you show your writing to will have a different opinion: “You over-explain.” “I don’t understand X, could you unpack it a little more?” … Continue reading →

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2014 – Looking Backwards and Forwards – 2015

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Jacey Bedford

Looking back to 2014 2014 is the year I achieved my ambition and officially became a novelist with the publication of Empire of Dust in November. I’m still slightly surprised – even though I’ve known since mid 2013 that it … Continue reading →

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Mind melding

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Jacey Bedford

In which I take part in SF Signal’s Mind Meld on The Best Book openings. I’m in great company with other writers and readers. http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014/11/mind-meld-the-best-book-openings/

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Order Books For the Holidays

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Jacey Bedford

This is all about other people’s books because–well–BOOKS! We’re coming up to the gift-giving season, so don’t forget books. My mum, who will be 90 in January, is trying to read her way through all the Wilbur Smith back catalogue, … Continue reading →

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Guest Interview on Diabolical plots

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Jacey Bedford

There’s a guest interview with me on the Diabolocal Plots Website which hosts the excellent Submission Grinder story nmarkets discovery tool. http://www.diabolicalplots.com/?p=12558

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