Category: The Providence Rider

Things on the Robert McCammon front have been really busy of late, so we thought we’d offer a quick guide to what’s going on.

Baal

  • Limited Edition: All copies shipped and en route to customers or already in their hands.
  • Deluxe Limited: Waiting on slipcases. Projected to ship in Jan/Feb.
  • Lettered Edition: Waiting on traycases. Projected to ship in Jan/Feb.
  • Ebook: Now available for Kindle and Nook.

The Hunter from the Woods

  • Limited Edition: All copies shipped an en route to customers or already in their hands.
  • Lettered Edition: Waiting on traycases. Projected to ship in Feb/Mar.
  • Ebook: Now available for Kindle and Nook.

The Providence Rider

We’ve just approved the rough sketches for the five black-and-white interior illustrations that will appear in all editions of the book. In addition, we’ve given Vincent Chong the okay for the two color plates exclusive to the limited and lettered editions, and the full-color endsheets (about which, see more below). The bonus novella—the first time Matthew encounters the supernatural—has been dropped into the limited edition and is being proofed. The Providence Rider is likely to be our most attractive McCammon production yet, and one hell of a thrill ride of a novel. We expect it to land on many fans’ lists of favorites of 2012, so don’t miss out.

We’ve decided to add the full-color endsheets to the signed trade copies (but not the unsigned trade edition), to make them an even better value to collectors. There are only 1000 of these, unlike the nearly 2000 copies that Robert McCammon signed for The Five, so please get your order in soon.

Two McCammon limiteds that aren’t on our immediate schedule, Bethany’s Sin and Stinger, have already been fully designed, and are working their way through the production process. 2012 is really going to be the year of McCammon here at SubPress.

Feel free to head over to our site to order all but the ebooks, where Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal are accepted.

From Subterranean Press:

 

This is our big one for 2012. Robert McCammon’s latest Matthew Corbett historical thriller, The Providence Rider.

For the first time in the Corbett novels, the signed, limited hardcover will feature a long additional story about Matthew, one that cannot be reprinted for two years following its debut in our edition. We’ll also have signed copies of the trade hardcover available, though not nearly so many as we did for his last novel, The Five.

Here are the full details:

The Providence Rider is the fourth standalone installment in the extraordinary series of historical thrillers featuring Matthew Corbett, professional problem solver. The narrative begins in the winter of 1703, with Matthew still haunted by his lethal encounter with notorious mass murderer Tyranthus Slaughter. When an unexplained series of explosions rocks his Manhattan neighborhood, Matthew finds himself forced to confront a new and unexpected problem. Someone is trying-and trying very hard-to get his attention. That someone is a shadowy figure from out of Matthew’s past: the elusive Professor Fell. The professor, it turns out, has a problem of his own, one that requires the exclusive services of Matthew Corbett.

The ensuing narrative moves swiftly and gracefully from the emerging metropolis of New York City to Pendulum Island in the remote Bermudas. In the course of his journey, Matthew encounters a truly Dickensian assortment of memorable, often grotesque, antagonists. These include Sirki, the giant, deceptively soft-spoken East Indian killer, Dr. Jonathan Gentry, an expert in exotic potions with a substance abuse problem of his own, the beautiful but murderous Aria Chillany, and, of course, the master manipulator and “Emperor of Crime” on two continents, Professor Fell himself. The result is both an exquisitely constructed novel of suspense and a meticulous recreation of a bygone era.

This signed, limited edition of this generous volume also contains a new, utterly compelling Matthew Corbett adventure, “Death Comes for the Rich Man.” This 11,500-word novella, which has never before been published and will not be reprinted anywhere else for at least two years, takes place between the events of Mister Slaughter and The Providence Rider. In the course of this startling tale, Matthew is approached by a wealthy, dying man with an urgent, if impossible, request: to keep Death itself at bay. Filled with danger, mystery, and an almost tangible sense of place, these superbly crafted narratives represent Robert McCammon at his best and historical fiction at its finest and most developed.

Important note: We had a great time hosting Rick McCammon here at the SubPress warehouse, where he signed the better part of 2000 copies of The Five. For The Providence Rider, we wanted to make signed copies available to his fans once again, but make it a bit easier on Rick, both travel- and wrist-wise. There will only be 1000 signed (uninscribed) trade copies of The Providence Rider available. Please get your order in early if you’d like to snag one.

Lettered: 26 signed, deluxe bound copies, housed in a custom traycase
Limited: 474 signed numbered copies, bound in leather, with the bonus novella, artwork not in the trade hardcover, and bound in a custom slipcase
Trade (unsigned): Fully cloth bound hardcover copies
Trade (signed): Fully cloth bound hardcover copies, signed by the author

Hi, everyone! Summer has passed, the chill has begun here in the South, the leaves are falling…must be autumn, and maybe time to talk a little bit about where I am and my future projects before the onslaught of winter.

I got back not long ago from the Surrey International Writer’s Conference, held in Surrey, British Columbia, toward the end of October every year. This was my third visit. One of the great pleasures this conference gives me is ‘teaching’ or really rather ‘guiding’ a couple of seminars. The ones I did this year were on the importance and power of names and how to write accents in dialogue. Very much fun. Got to see a lot of old friends and make some new ones. The conference is really worthwhile, because beginning writers get to sit across a table from more established writers at what are called “Blue Pencil” sessions, to show three or four pages of a manuscript and get immediate feedback on their work. So…a little scary for both people involved in that exchange, but again…very rewarding.

I would suggest that if you’re at all interested in learning more about the art and craft of writing, you seriously consider attending the Surrey International Writer’s Conference in October of 2012. I can guarantee you will enjoy it AND take something valuable away with you. Plus Surrey is not very far from Vancouver, which in itself is worth a few extra days. A most beautiful area in a great country.

The website you should take a look at, if you’re interested in this, is http://www.siwc.ca/.

On to other things…

Yes, autumn has arrived and that means intense worktime for me. Before I talk about what I’m working on next, let me say that The Hunter from the Woods is nearing publication and also the fourth Matthew Corbett adventure, The Providence Rider, will be released in (I think) March. I’ll tell you that in this one we leave New York for a while to visit a mysterious island in the Bermudas, and that Matthew comes face-to-face (?) with Professor Fell.

A note also on the title. I have a book that lists all the inhabitants of New York during the timeframe I’m writing about. Some of the names of the townspeople I use are real. So I’m looking through the names and one jumps out at me…Providence Ryder. Is that a great name, or what???

Anyway, that name started my thought process. And the book came out of that, of course. So that kinda goes back to my seminar on the importance and power of names at the Surrey conference, huh?

Speaking of names…let’s touch on Michael Gallatin for a minute. I am so proud and excited about the imminent publication of The Hunter from the Woods. It goes back and forth in time from the Wolf’s Hour period to document several episodes in Michael’s life. It hopefully adds to the character and also answers a few questions that some have posed to me over the years. Does it raise more questions? Of course! I wouldn’t be worth much as a writer if I didn’t leave the “soulcage” open for more of Michael’s adventures. So I have…and we’ll see what the future holds there.

Ah, yes. The future.

I am entering a period where I’ll be writing about the future, as opposed to the era of World War II and of course Matthew’s colonial era. Next up for me is a novella I’m doing for Sub Press, entitled Lawson. It’s set about seventy-something years in the future (though I never say the exact year) and involves a mercenary assassin in a megacity in a world run by corporations. The corporations are always at some level of warfare with each other, thus the need for men like Lawson who will go anywhere and kill any man, woman or child for a few extra “credits”. Lawson’s only friend and companion is his sex-doll robot, and he really doesn’t have much reason to live. Until…he meets the target of his next mission…

Lot more to Lawson, and to Lawson, than I’m telling, naturally. This will have a lot of action in it and I think will emphasize a new, more spare writing style I’m trying to develop. Do not fear…this “new” style will not affect the Matthew books…

Okay…onward to my next “big” project.

Many reviewers of The Five have mentioned that the supernatural element is very low-key and muted. That was done on purpose, to make the human element stronger. I recall I was telling someone I could always have gone the route of having a scene where a guitar comes to evil life and wraps around the player’s throat like a python. I was kidding, but this person’s eyes got huge with delight.

No, no, and no! The Five was not meant to be a special-effects showcase. It was a solid story, and I wanted to keep the book grounded in reality while having a supernatural undertone. But the next big project will be a Hell-On-Wheels extravaganza (I hope!!!).

Next up is a science-fiction/horror novel with a huge scope and I am planning to go over the top with this one. Tastefully, of course! But yes, it’ll have some scenes that I hope will both terrify and haunt and creep-out and resonate and all that good stuff. I may have mentioned the title before. I won’t mention it again, though…just let it sit, and trust that this will be worth the wait. Actually, I’m hoping to finish it up around April/May.

Other things…for all five or six of you who seem to enjoy them, I’m going back to doing Radio 678 shows. Why, you ask? Why should I be doing radio shows when I should be writing? Because I like doing them and I get to use some of my special-effects music equipment. So there you go…Radio 678 is fun for me, so that’s the bottom line.

I will offer you this: the next Matthew Corbett book after Providence Rider will be titled The River of Souls and is set in the Carolina colony. I think it will be two books in one, in a way, with the ideas coming together to form a single story…sort of like streams merging to form a river, yes? So I’ll be working on that when I finish the sci-fi/horror tome.

I get a lot of this: that people think I am a slow writer. Guys! It’s always been the publisher who’s been slow. I’ve always had things sitting on the shelf waiting for publication, or things in the pipeline. I think it’s because I do so many “different” things…I don’t know. But I can tell you that I am working full-speed ahead now, so when I hear somebody say I’m a slow writer…well…let’s just say I try to be “exact” in what I want to say, but usually the projects are stacked up and ready to go.

Okay…this autumn’s tale is nearly concluded. This is where I am and where I’m going. As always, I am pleased and honored to have you along for the ride. I have years of good stuff ahead…can hardly wait to get at some of the ideas, but everything has to “cook” at its own time and temperature.

And speaking of temperature…it’s cold outside. Light the fire and pull up the blanket, get something tasty to drink and lose yourself in an engrossing and involving book…there’s nothing better!

Cheers!

Robert McCammon

 

From Subterranean Press:

We have a few great bits of Robert McCammon news to share with you today.

  • We’ve just reached agreement to publish his next Matthew Corbett novel, The Providence Rider. As the novel opens, Matthew is a problem-solver having difficulty negotiating the consequences of his encounter with Mister Slaughter. Readers are going to be thrilled at the Dickensian cast of grotesques and characters in The Providence Rider, from stout friend Hudson Greathouse, to the ever in shadows Professor Fell, to new characters such as Mother Deare, Madame Chillany, the Thacker Brothers, and the turbaned, deadly, Sirki. Perhaps best of all, the signed limited and lettered editions will feature a story from Matthew Corbett’s world available nowhere else. Sign up for our newsletter for more details, due soon.
  • After a bit of delay, the signed limited edition of The Five is in stock and shipping, with the lettered edition due soon. Thanks to everyone for their patience, while we sorted out some difficulties with the slipcases. The limited edition may be sold out, but you can still pick up a signed copy of the first trade hardcover.
  • We’re in the homestretch on The Hunter from the Woods, McCammon’s new collection of linked stories and novellas that features Michael Gallatin, the lycanthropic hero of his classic novel, The Wolf’s Hour. Be sure to check out the long novella from the collection, “The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs”, available on Hunter’s page.
  • All of the work is done on the classic novel, Baal, virtually unobtainable in hardcover at a reasonable price, until now. Our edition of Rick’s first novel is just waiting its place in our production queue.
  • On Friday, July 29, 2011, Robert McCammon tweeted the following from his Twitter account:

    Robert McCammon

    MacCammon Robert McCammon

    THE PROVIDENCE RIDER (Corbett 4) is done and off to my agent. It was an epic all-nighter, fueled by Kona coffee and cigar breaks on my balcony. The sun came up and the birds sang. The doc file was sent through the electric god. I rest ’til Monday, seeing HP tonight.

  • The Five is now available in ebook format for the Kindle and the NOOK! Other formats will be coming soon.

  • A new Chinese edition of Boy’s Life has been published by Yilin Press in China.  The cover can be seen below; it has been added to the Book Cover Gallery.

Hi, everyone. Thank you for checking in on the website and Facebook. I’m so glad to have you as readers and fans because, as I’ve said before, what would a writer be without readers. Unread, is what! So thank you again.

I realize that in the course of a year I’ve written over a thousand pages. That includes THE FIVE, THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS, and THE PROVIDENCE RIDER. Way over a thousand pages, really. At this point I have about another hundred pages to go on RIDER, so this book should be finished pretty soon. I think you’ll find it’s very different from MISTER SLAUGHTER and from the other episodes in Matthew’s ongoing career, but my plan was always to make each book “different”, so there you have it.

I wanted to talk a little bit about THE FIVE and why I wrote it. I’ve always loved music, of course—as you might be able to tell from the podcasts—but I was sitting in a California Pizza Kitchen restaurant one day for lunch and I heard a song being played through the sound system. As I listened, I realized…that song is speaking to me. There were things going on in my life at that time that this particular song seemed to be zeroing in on. I thought…wow, this is for me. This is speaking to me in a way that possibly no one else in the restaurant could understand. That song was “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve.

So I started thinking…what is it about music that touches a person? And why suddenly can you hear a song and believe it is speaking, for some mystic reason, directly to you? I don’t know the answers to those questions, but I began framing THE FIVE right there in the CPK. A band down on its luck, having suffered many hardships, struggling from one gig to another trying to make ends meet…and suddenly they are part of a larger picture they can’t understand, but they are presented with an opportunity and a path they come to feel they need to follow.

I hope THE FIVE finds a large readership. I do believe it’s the best book I’ve ever written, because it has so much of “me” in it. Not to sound big-headed about that, but THE FIVE was written from a very personal place. So I do hope the emotions and passion in it—and my love for music—translate well to other people.

Let me also talk a little bit about RIDER. Wow, what a journey this has been from SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD! In RIDER, we leave a cold and snowy New York for a trip to a mysterious island in the Bermudas, where Matthew meets…

Yes, you got it. Matthew meets Professor Fell, face to…face?

I will tell you that Professor Fell has summoned—another word for ‘kidnapped’—Matthew for the purpose of solving a problem. The professor needs, as he puts it, a ‘providence rider’—a scout, to seek out a trail—so in essence Matthew is the providence rider of the title, working for Professor Fell among a conference of very colorful and deadly criminals.

The next book I’m working on?

Okay.

It’s going to be a big science fiction/horror novel. I’ve been convinced that readers are eager for my return to doing some kind of contemporary ‘horror’ novel, but I want it to be big and different and have a worldwide scale. I want it to have meaning beyond being a simple scarefest or pot of gore. So…I’ve come up with the idea and the theme and I’ll begin work on that in October. Well…as you can tell, I’ve already started work on it, putting the characters and the scenes together. But the actual writing will begin in October.

After that, Matthew returns. That next book is put together—mostly—and takes place in the hot and swampy Carolina colony in the summer. So get your tarsoap ready to keep the mosquitoes off, make sure your torch is burning bright, and beware the creature that—

Teasers are such a bitch, aren’t they? Heh.

I do have a lot more work to do. As I’ve said before, I write books I want to read. I am blessed that others want to read them too, and get something from them. I have been really blessed to know that many readers feel connected to me through my work, not only in the States but around the world, and so we come back to the idea of a work of ideas speaking to someone, giving them a message or a pat on the back or a word of encouragement as well as—hopefully—a good story to be enjoyed.

There are changes in the works regarding the website and my Facebook page. I’m going to become more involved with both. All praise, of course, goes to Hunter Goatley for keeping things going and for being such a vital presence in my career. Also…for being such an excellent friend. Hunter has really gone the distance for me, and every day he shows his value as a cheerleader and supporter of my work. Thank you, Hunter!

So there are many new things coming, as well as some changes and some surprises. We’ll have some new videos coming up soon and some other cool stuff. Please keep checking back in to see what’s going on.

It’s almost summer! Time to put on the shades, because the future is awesomely bright!

Take care, everyone, and happy reading!

Best Wishes,

Robert McCammon

Where I’m “At”

Hi everyone, and as always thank you for taking the time to check in, see what’s going on and make comments on my work. Your input is always appreciated.

I’d like to talk about a few subjects near and dear to me this time out. First up: work-in-progress. I’m very excited about what’s coming up in the future, namely the really beautiful edition of The Wolf’s Hour and of course The Five, which I believe (or would like to believe) is the best book I’ve ever written. So I personally am “stoked” about what’s ahead.

I guess you know by now about the new Michael Gallatin novelette, The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs. Well, I had a lot of fun writing that and I started thinking…you know, Michael’s story is far from being told.

So…while The Wolf’s Hour is fresh on my mind, I’m doing a new book of short stories about Michael Gallatin. The reason (well, one reason) I never went back to do a Wolf’s Hour sequel is that I figured I’d said everything that needed to be said. I mean, really, The Wolf’s Hour is packed with just about every World War II situation I could think of. What else could I write that wouldn’t be repeating myself?

I started thinking…maybe short stories would be the way to go. And I’m not usually into writing short stories because I prefer the longer form, but in this case I was thinking I could do some different things in different (and experimental) ways and see what happens. So right now I’m doing this book of Gallatin short stories and including probably another novelette. I hope also in this book to answer some of the questions that have been posed about…well…about a lot of Michael Gallatin’s past and future.

Okay. That said, I’m working hard also on the next Matthew book. So don’t worry, The Providence Rider is trotting along.

Now…another thing near and dear to me. The podcasts.

Oh, the humanity! Also…listen to all that silence in the room.

Guys, the podcasts are really mostly for me because I enjoy doing them. If I hadn’t become a writer (and I didn’t have much of a choice on that one), I probably would have gone into sound production and become a recording engineer. I really, really do enjoy working with music and sound. Also, for me it’s a bigtime stress reliever and I do need that.

So…I’m going to do two more Psycho 60s podcasts (the last one being our time machine trip to the Northern Soul dance club in July) and then shift the format to what I call Radio 678. I’ll be broadening the focus of the show to include songs from the 70s and 80s. I plan to do one of these a month.

Guys…I’m not taking any time away from my writing. I know you don’t necessarily want to hear music or hear me talking about music on the website, but this is all for the good, believe me. So I hope you give them a listen and I hope you enjoy them and…you know what?…you might glean from them some better understanding of me and why I write what I do.

Now, I have to address a comment that was made by an Irish gentleman on Facebook. The comment being that I am arrogant because I don’t want the first four (actually, I believe it’s the first three) books I wrote to be re-published. The idea is that I’m arrogant because I say they’re not good enough to be published again and I supposedly should let the readers decide that.

Well, the books are available. They’re on eBay and other places, I’m sure. They’re in used book stores, yes they are. I’m not trying to destroy all the old copies of those books. They’re out there. I just think my writing has progressed over time and I don’t think those books need to be published in large quantities with my name on them saying I’m the writer of the Matthew Corbett series or The Five or some future novel. Those books are starter novels. They got me going, but I’d like to think I’ve come a long way since. In essence, they’ve done their job.

Am I arrogant for this? For deciding that readers should not buy those early books expecting the quality of the new work? I’m trying to save people some money! Is that arrogant?

Gee, I kinda got my feelings hurt over this one.

If deciding that I require excellence in my work now, and that if someone sees my name on a book they know they will hopefully get as close to an excellent experience as I can give them…yeah, I’m as arrogant as I can be.

And I guess I’m proud to be arrogant.

See, I made the decision that these books are not up to my current standards so you guys wouldn’t have to.

Sir, when I come visit Ireland you owe me a brew.

Onward.

Summer’s here! Have fun and keep reading!

Best Wishes,
Robert McCammon