Book two of the Zenn Scarlett series launches into the star-sequined cosmos in April. And the banner above proves it. Details on the tour stops to follow. Excited. And very. So, can you pre-order this electrifying little package of off-world wonderment right this second at your fave bookseller to avoid needless grabby-hands and suspense-related stress? Yes indeed. Clickety.
Since I decided early on in the writing process to tag my book’s heroine Zenn as an exoveterinarian (as opposed to a xenovet), I was musing about this topic long ago in another post, but didn’t see the entry below from Wikipedia. Turns out xenobiology, at least as technically defined by scientists, deals exclusively with lab-designed Earthly life forms. And, while I made my initial exovet decision on the basis of NASA’s hiring exobiologists (not xeno…) and just extrapolated, this wiki entry makes me glad I didn’t go the other way. And no, I never considered astrovet; too retro.The wiki sez:
Difference between xeno-, exo-, and astro-biology
Astro means star and exo means outside. Both exo- and astrobiology deal with the search for naturally evolved life in the Universe, mostly on other planets in Goldilocks zones. Whereas astrobiologists are concerned with the detection and analysis of (hypothetically) existing life elsewhere in the Universe, xenobiology attempts to design forms of life with a different biochemistry or different genetic code on planet Earth.[4]
Not to be confused with Astrobiology.
Xenobiology (XB) is a subfield of synthetic biology, the study of synthesizing and manipulating biological devices and systems. Xenobiology derives from the term xenos (Greek) and means “stranger, guest”. So XB describes a form of biology that is not (yet) familiar to science and is not found in nature. In practice it describes novel biological systems and biochemistries that differ from the canonial DNA–RNA-20 amino acid system (see the classical central dogma in molecular biology). For example, instead of DNA or RNA, XB explores nucleic acid analogues, termed Xeno Nucleic Acid (XNA) as information carriers.[1] It also focuses on an expanded genetic code [2] and the incorporation of non-proteinogenic amino acids into proteins.[3]
Ref: Schmidt M. Xenobiology: a new form of life as the ultimate biosafety tool Bioessays Vol 32(4):322-331
What can I say? Seriously. This was epic-ness on a epic-ly epic scale. Stories from the word-cratered battlefields of the publishing universe? Mr. Haldeman got stories. And his wife Gay can match him. OK, done fan-boying. For now. The signing was set up for an assortment of local and national genre authors at our Cedar Rapids Barnes & Noble by the awesome crew of the ICON 38 convention, which followed over the weekend. Big thanks to both B&N (Amanda!) and the ICON gang (Dana & Mitch & many many others!). Kudos to all involved for making my first con (yowzah!) such a total mind-meltingly grand blast. Cheers!
Zenn Scarlett’s novice year of exoveterinarian training on Mars isn’t quite going to plan…
After barely surviving a plot to destroy her school and its menagerie of alien patients, could things at the Ciscan cloister get any worse? Yes, they could… Zenn’s absent father Warra Scarlett has suddenly ceased all communication with her. Desperate to learn what’s become of him, Zenn stows away aboard the Helen of Troy, a starliner powered by one of the immense, dimension-jumping beasts known as Indra.
With her is Liam Tucker, a Martian boy who is either very fond of her, very dangerous to her, or both. On the verge of learning the truth about her dad, Zenn’s quest suddenly catapults her and Liam thousands of light years beyond known space, and into the dark heart of a monstrous conspiracy. Braving a gauntlet of lethal environments and unearthly life forms, Zenn’s courage and exovet skills will now be tested as never before.
With the fate of entire worlds hanging in the balance, Zenn is racing headlong into trouble… again.
And ya know what? You can Pre-Order UNDER NAMELESS STARS right this second at these fine purveyors of quality wordage: (Zenn sez “Thanx, Earther!”)
North American Print & Ebook
Random House Books Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | BarnesandNoble.com | IndieBound.org
UK Print & Ebook
Amazon.co.uk | Book Depository | Waterstones | WHSmith
Global DRM-Free Epub Ebook
On-sale 1st April 2014 from the Robot Trading Company
The Chemistry Set: Cover art for the titles currently on offer by Strange Chemistry.
The author wowing the crowds at his most recent event.
Here’s what’s on the schedule so far this summer in the way of Zenn Scarlett book readings/signings/author-sitting-around-looking-authorial events:
June 29th, 1:00 PM – New Bo Books, Cedar Rapids – Reading/Signing
August 3rd, 2 PM – Barnes & Noble, Cedar Rapids – Book Signing
August 10th, 9Am – 1 PM – Marion Public Library, Marion – Authors Panel Discussion
August 17th, 2 PM – Barnes & Noble, Jordan Creek Mall, Des Moines – Book Signing
If you’re in the area, stop in and experience the Zenn of it all.
Zenn Scarlett: Lets you have your Sci Fi Fantasy adventure and eat it too.
The fabulous book blogging mavens over at ItWasLovelyReadingYou are celebrating summer’s emergence in an entirely appropriate manner by giving away a free copy of what should probably be your next on-the-beach-with-feet-thrust-into-Martian-like-hot-sand read: Zenn Scarlett.
And what’s more, the book may have brought a new fan into the sci-fi-fantasy corral. Here’s their kindly lead-in: “OK, so i have to admit the cover drew me in – i mean seriously. IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COVERS OF THE YEAR. but when i started reading it…it was just awesome. and i’m not really a fan of fantasy||sci-fi stories…”
So c’mon. Go do your entry-clicking-thing pronto. And score a copy of the young adult adventure that has the deeply-insightful editor and author Norine Dorman (Inkarna) saying: “I really enjoyed the ride… Zenn Scareltt… is kind of like a Star Wars bestiary with a bit of SF James Herriot thrown in for good measure.”
Thanks and good luck!
Hi all. First, thanks to EVERYONE who entered the Zenn Scarlett book giveaway with the “Name a Star” prize package. You people are grand. And the blog posts that many of you left were, frankly, inspiring and simply wonderful to see. I wish I had prizes for ya all. Seriously, this was my first raffle and I come away feeling like you all deserve more than my humble thanks, but I’m afraid that’ll have to do for now. So please know how much I appreciated your time and know that I can’t thank you enough for your thoughts/posts/entries.
And without further ado-ness, our winner is… *snazzy snare drum/high-hat kicker* “Snellopy,” a teacher working in exotic SE Asia who recently spent some class time getting his students interested in the subject of terraforming on Mars. A cool subject and a noble effort; kudos for that, Snellopy, and I hope you enjoy the book and the cosmic prize assortment.
Again, thanks to all for entering. This was so much fun I may have to do it again before too long. Please keep an eye out and come back when I do! Cheers!
Hey, how’d you like to be able to name your very own, actual, up-in-the-sky star? Plus: have your star’s totally cool new name launched into space? Plus-extra-plus: win a print or eBook copy of Zenn Scarlett? (That would be the new sci fi adventure that Melissa West, author of GRAVITY and HOVER calls: “Utterly imaginative, Zenn Scarlett is sci-fi at its best. Fantastic world-building. Deep characters. .. I couldn’t put it down!”) Oh yeah. You want this prize package. All of it!
Note: Entry deadline: May 30 (So act NOW!) Name a Star Pkg. valid thru June 5, 2013. Just scroll down, leave a comment telling us all why you’re the perfect Earthling to win this stellar prize assortment and then use the Rafflecopter widget to enter.
Here’s what’s in the lucky winner’s future:
One shiny new print or eBook copy of Zenn Scarlett, from Strange Chemistry Books
Plus:
The Name A Star Live Instant Gift Set* Premium with Virtual Planetarium™
Including:
Your Star’s Name Recorded and registered with Space Services, Inc. You even get to select the constellation your star is in!
Downloadable Star Certificate prominently displaying the star’s name and registration details
Downloadable Star Chart to help locate your star in the night sky
Downloadable Photo Of Your Star and its constellation
Virtual Planetarium™ downloadable Software — your portal to the latest images and video from NASA. Compatible with Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6
Exclusive Launch Certificate — downloadable after your star name and dedication message have been launched into space aboard a real rocket
Lavishly illustrated Astronomy E-book
Want more details on the Name a Star prize? Check it out here.
Contest open internationally. Contest entry deadline: May 30, 2013. Winner announced: May 31,2013.
*Name a Star Live coupon code valid until June 5, 2013. Available as online download only.
The blogs have been blogged, the reviews posted (see some below), the finished books shipped, the warehouses alerted, and racks of ‘puter servers and legions of postal workers everywhere are trembling in terror at the coming tsunami of bookish downloading-and-snail-mailing pandemonium. Yup. Zenn Scarlett’s exoveterinary epic launched into the wilds of the US and Canadian markets this past May 7. (It was out in the UK on May 2).
Just for reference, here’s what some of my own fave authors had to say about the book:
Zenn, pondering the brave new world of print and ebook sales as she prepares for release into the wilds on May 7.
E.C. Myers, Nebula’s Andre Norton YA SF & F Award-winning author calls Zenn Scarlett “thrilling…refreshing… defies expectations. The breathtaking conclusion will leave you desperate for more!” Temple Grandin (ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION) says “All future vets will want to read Zenn Scarlett and her adventures with veterinary medicine on alien animals.” Melissa West, author of GRAVITY and HOVER: “Utterly imaginative, Zenn Scarlett is sci-fi at its best. Fantastic world-building. Deep characters. .. I couldn’t put it down!” Phoebe North (STARGLASS): “… a debut to remember. Highly recommended!” ” And Mike Mullin (ASHFALL, ASHEN WINTER) finds it “…delightful, bizarre, and occasionally terrifying.”
Need more? Read an excerpt now over at Tor.com!
Plus, find more reviews over at Goodreads and, when you’re darn good n’ ready to part with a few of your hard-earned holo-credits, click on over to find:
Zenn Scarlett for your very own at: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Indiebound|Powell’s
Or, of course, feel free to track down Zenn in paper or digi-form at your favorite book-hunting location online or off. Thanks for dropping by!
