Blog Ring of Power--Gail Z. Martin

Two weeks ago, Gail Z. Martin wrote a special guest post for my blog. She's back today to tell us about her current work, Ice Forged, for a Blog Ring of Power interview. You can find the first three parts of the interview here:

Terri--About You
Theresa--The Writing Life
Emily--The Creative Process

Dean will conclude the interview tomorrow with Gail's Words of Wisdom.



Tell us about your new book—what is it about—and when it is out? Where can people purchase it?

Ice Forged comes out from Orbit Books on January 8.  It will be available in stores and online booksellers worldwide and also on Kindle, Kobo and Nook.

Here’s the story: Condemned as a murderer for killing the man who dishonored his sister, Blaine “Mick” McFadden has spent the last six years in Velant, a penal colony in the frigid northern wastelands of Edgeland. Harsh military discipline and the oppressive magic of the governor’s mages keep a fragile peace as colonists struggle against a hostile environment. But the supply ships from Dondareth have stopped coming, boding ill for the kingdom that banished the colonists.

Now, McFadden and the people of Velant decide their fate. They can remain in their icy prison, removed from the devastation of the outside world, but facing a subsistence-level existence, or they can return to the ruins of the kingdom that they once called home. Either way, destruction lies ahead…

Is there anything new, unusual, or interesting about your book? How is it different from other books on the same subject?

There are a lot of post-apocalyptic books based in modern or post-modern times, but not a lot in a medieval setting, which was something that intrigued me.  I also wanted to play with the idea of a society that depended on magic the way we depend on the power grid, and then take that magic away as part of a devastating war.  Then I asked, “What if the only person who might be able to restore the magic was a convict who had been exiled to the end of the world?”

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

I think the hardest part of any book is the first chapter.  Once you get going, I find that the book becomes easier, but getting past those first blank screens is the tough spot!

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

As difficult as the beginning of a new book is, I think that with Ice Forged I particularly like the first couple of chapters, since I’m pleased with the way it introduces readers to the characters and the situation.

Tell us about your book’s cover – where did the design come from and what was the design process like?

When you work with a big publisher, you have very little input on the cover, so you cross your fingers and pray.  I had a chance to see the cover once the art was drafted, but at that point, there really wasn’t anything that could have been changed.  Fortunately, I liked the cover art, which has been the case for all of my books.  I’ve been very lucky to have some amazing cover artists.  I do get a little more input on the back blurb and tag line, but again, I’m lucky to have a team of talented people at Orbit working on that so I can focus on writing.








Gail Z. Martin’s newest book, Ice Forged: Book One in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), launched in January 2013.  Gail is also the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series (Solaris Books) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (Orbit Books).  For more about Gail’s books and short stories, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com. Be sure to “like” Gail’s Winter Kingdoms Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @GailZMartin, and join her for frequent discussions on Goodreads.
Read an excerpt from Ice Forged here:

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