Boy howdy - things have been a little crazy here since DragonCon, and I’m very sorry I haven’t been updating! News before we get to the podcast:

• Playing For Keeps won the Parsec Award for Best Novel! What a shock and honor! Congrats to the other nominees and winners!
• I now have an agent; I’m being represented by Byrd Leavell of The Waxman Agency.
• Playing For Keeps remains in the top 1% of books on Amazon.com.
• Playing For Keeps is now available on the Amazon Kindle (and the free - and DRM-free - PDF is still available as well - the Kindle Version is formatted for that platform).

This episode of Stories of the Third Wave is a report of a football game from - heh - Lafferty Field. Unfortunately the game is interrupted… Thanks to Randy Hinckley from The Naked Bootleg Podcast for this fun piece!

 

 Stories of the Third Wave #18 [8:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4324)

The one hitch of the launch day fun was the failure to put out the videos I had planned. I have five, only got two into the feed, they were too large, it took too long to save, etc. I ended up tossing everything onto YouTube, so they’re all now there, compressed, and happy. the missing fifth video is one I haven’t had a chance to compress… someday…

Scott Sigler, author of violent and bloody podiobooks Earthcore, Infected, Ancestor, The Rookie, Nocturnal, and Patty’s Wonderful Day at Play Park, has created a Stories of the Third Wave about a different “hero.” The Torpdeo is a strong Third Wave man who has decided to screw anyone who says he can’t be a hero. He bucks the system. He thumbs his nose at authority. He, well, you’ll see.

DragonCon is today. Hence the disjointed intro.

 

 Stories of the Third Wave #17 [21:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4876)

As of 11:00pm Eastern Time, Playing For Keeps reached:

#1 in Hot New Releases
#1 in Movers and Shakers
#1 in Science Fiction
#1 in Action/Adventure
#2 in Science Fiction & Fantasy
#2 in Genre Fiction
#3 in Literature & Fiction
#16 in Books

To say I’m stunned, humbled and grateful is an understatement. I expected to break the top 100. I hoped to break the top 50. This amazing thing i did not expect.

The people who waited until today to buy a copy, even though Amazon had it available much earlier, people who helped promote this by blogging and tweeting and just buying multiple copies to give away, went above and beyond what I could ever ask from a listener/reader. And I got reports in from people who bought it from their local indie bookstore, which I wholeheartedly support.

This new media thang is experimental. At times it’s controversial. But I had faith in it, that giving my work away would pay off. And you guys have proven it. This is not a solo career anymore. For me, anyway, this writing thing is not a lone movement. I have my community behind me, which is a stunning and amazing thing. The force of new media is thrilling and I’m so glad to be part of it.

Thank you. Everyone who purchased, listened, blogged, told someone. Everyone who believed in this little book.Come up to me at DragonCon, or at a local signing (more on that later) and I’ll be happy to shake your hand and say thank you. (and, you know, sign the book. )

Thank you.

[video didn't turn out like I'd hoped. More tomorrow!]

No, I’m not keeping up with Amazon. blame final cut. Blame it too for the dropped frames. BLAME EVERYONE BUT ME.

And it’s not Fidgert introducing the podcast (which is what the credits say), it’s Podcasting’s Rich Sigfrit. Sorry, guys. the Fidgert video died.

Wheee. This is a rush. Latest Amazon rank- #20 in books.

 

 Launch Day Video 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4797)

Ursula Vernon recorded some video of me, ah, waking up. We had some issues with video and sound, but dammit, it’s time to launch these vids. Special “good luck!” note from Scott Sigler.

Opening animation by Earl Newton!

 

 Launch Day Video 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3828)

Here it is. August 25. This is the day I need you to go to Amazon and purchase Playing For Keeps- you’re all doing it at once so we can attract the interest of people who perhaps do not listen to podcasts, or read blogs. This is the last move to attract other readers.

What else can you do? Glad you asked! Review the book. Tag the book. Blog it. Tweet it. (I’m @mightymur on Twitter). And know you have my utmost appreciation.

I’m scared. I’m excited. Let’s do this thing.

I have been excited about this one for a while. Many months ago, Matt Wallace approached me to write the history of Seventh City’s most famous hero and villain, and the birth of the Academy. We talked at length about what I had in my story bible, and Matt created this fabulous epic out of it. It’s long, but so worth it. Matt, author of The Next Fix, is a fine author and a good friend. (and we share a birthday, so he’s got to be good people)

But he is my nemesis and someday I will destroy him. Just not today.

 

 Stories of the Third Wave #16 [63:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3724)

I was on vacation all last week, and I’ve gotten a lot of questions. What follows is a FAQ to cover them all:

1. Your book is listed as available on Amazon. Did I miss the launch?

No! Amazon made it available earlier than I expected, but since I’d already been spreading the word about August 25, I decided to keep that the launch day and have been asking people to please wait, if they can. The big official launch is TOMORROW.

2. Does my purchasing it on amazon.co.uk, or .ca, or .de, or .au, or [insert other country here] count toward the big Amazon assault?

Sadly, no, only amazon.com purchases will count. If the shipping is not much different, I’d ask you to buy at the US site, otherwise, don’t spend extra money on the rankings push.

3. I bought the POD version. Is this one different?

Nope. This one has professional editing and a new cover, but nothing different inside. But if you send me a picture of yourself with the new book AND the old book, I might put you in the next book!

4. What time should we buy?

I’m not sure if it’s important that everyone buy at the same time. I’m just suggesting any time after 8am Eastern Time.

5. Your book is listed out of stock! (This likely will happen, but hasn’t happened yet.)

My publisher uses POD technology, so this is meaningless. You’ll get your book in a timely manner, I promise. Ignore this.

Thanks so much for your support. Any other questions will be answered in the comments! One day to go.

Congrats to Christiana Ellis for winning the Podcast Peer Award for her podcast Shallow Thoughts! Her content is amazing, and I recommend all of her stuff. She brings us a look at Seventh City with plenty of… pathos…

 

 Stories of the Third Wave #14 [40:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3536)

Grant Baciocco managed to do this amazing piece for me in the middle of doing The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, the music of Throwing Toasters, and umpteen other projects! It’s more Garrison Kellior parody here, plus music! Be sure to watch for the PDF in the feed later today!

 

 Stories of the Third Wave #15 [11:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3546)

Thanks to everyone who helped out with this, especially Paul Fischer and Martha Holloway!

This is the full book, including a new short story, Parasite Awakens.

He likes Pallas. He likes who he is when he experiences her life out of her eyes. And now he looks through her eyes at his own sleeping brown face as she peers at him through the crystal porthole in his stasis chamber.

After twenty years, Parasite will wake up.

 Playing For Keeps - the full novel: Download (42981)

[Distribute as you like!]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 25 Release Date for Mur Lafferty’s Playing for Keeps

Swarm Press is pleased to announce the upcoming release of breakthrough podcaster and author Mur Lafferty’s newest novel of superheroic action Playing for Keeps. Originally a self-released “podiobook,” this new printed version of Lafferty’s novel is due to hit shelves on August 25, 2008.

Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty.

Welcome to Seventh City, the birthplace of super powers. The First Wave heroes are jerks, but they have the best gifts: flight, super strength, telepathy, genius, fire. The Third Wavers, like bar-owner Keepsie Branson and her friends, are stuck with the leftovers: the ability to instantly make someone sober, the power to smell the past, absolute control… over elevators.  They just aren’t powerful enough to make a difference… at least that’s what they’ve always been told. But when the villain Doodad slips Keepsie a mysterious metal sphere, the Third Wavers become caught in the middle of a battle between egotistical heroes and manipulative villains.

“Playing for Keeps grabbed me and kept me reading straight through when I should have been plotting a new fantasy series for Tor Books. Mur, thank you. Tor, however, does not thank you.” – David Drake, author, Hammer’s Slammers.

Mur Lafferty is an American podcaster and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated with a degree in English. Her nonfiction work has appeared at www.SuicideGirls.com, as well as in the magazines Knights of the Dinner Table, PC Gamer, Computer Games, Scrye, and SciFi Magazine. Her short fiction has appeared in Hub, Escape Pod, and Scrybe. She was, until July, 2007, the host and co-editor of Pseudopod, and is currently the host and creator of the podcasts Geek Fu Action Grip and I Should be Writing. Visit Mur online at www.murverse.com

###

Media: to schedule an interview with Mur or to request a review copy of Playing for Keeps, contact publicist Matt Staggs at mattormeg@gmail.com.

We dont have a winner yet, but we do have a fantastic video! Thanks to everyone!

 

 Playing For Keeps Video!: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (2568)

The Academy opening a TV studio? What are they thinking? Find out exactly what on Block Party, by Jason Block.

 

 Stories of the Third Wave #13 [4:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3301)