Diana Gabaldon Fans

[Rindy]

DR your so very luck to know her. I hope you enjoy seeing her. I really like that photo of you and her in your signature.

Let us know how the signing goes. Have fun.

Slainte

[CelticRoz]

I will indeed! Hopefully I will be able to get a new photo with Herself and me!

[Leelee]

DesertRose, you are a very lucky lady indeed I picked up a copy of Echo in the Bone on Sept. 22 I too was looking for the soft cover, but I guess they don't issue those until later

I am in the process of reading the entire series before I crack open the book (can't wait). I am reading the Fiery Cross right now. I'll have to stay away from this Forum until I'm finished the book (Echo in the Bone).

[CelticRoz]

Hey! No worries, Leelee! I have yet to finish A Breath of Snow and Ashes! [I] What kind of a Diana fan is that? I just have been too busy with other things in my life to sit down and read a good book.

Will keep you all posted when I see Herself on Saturday and hope to get a new pic of me and Diana!

FYI, there are no soft covers available at this time. They don't usually come out till a year after the book has been released, especially a book as popular as this new one.

[CelticRoz]

Saw Diana Gabaldon last Saturday for the book signing, "Echo in the Bone." So I have my own copy now!

I felt very badly for Herself though as she was very sick with the flu. I am amazed she even showed up! Her husband drove her down to Tucson. The people with her were trying to get her out of there asap after she graciously gave an hour talk and book signing after wards. I had one of the gals take two photos of me but they were bad and I ended up having to delete them...boo hoo.

Oh well. I hope she will be able to attend the Phoenix Highland games in February. She wasn't sure at this time due to all the book tours she is doing all over the world.

Have any of your started or finished the new book? I have to finish ABOSAA yet. I am working on it!

[flora]

I am reading Echo. It has been quite awhile since I read the previous books so when I come across a character it is like seeing an old friend.

I am also rationing my time spent on the book or I will never get all my projects done.

Flora

[Rindy]

Hi DessertRose I've been looking at it. It's a big one I will say that! I know once I get started I agree with flora I will be compelled to finish and things won't get done. So I am trying to figure out when to begin. lol

I am glad I got the hard cover. So sorry you photos didn't turn out. I still like the one you have. I hope Diana is feeling better now. I hope you'll keep us informed as time allows.

Slainte

[flora]

I want to be careful what I write so I don't take away the surprises Diana has for her fans. I read quite a bit and there have been numerous sequels from other authors that I have followed. Usually there are a few chapters in the beginning to get the groundwork from the previous books. Diana has you wondering "OMG what is going to happen now" from Chapter 2. I have also polished off books in 24 hours. Not so with Diana's. This one I am savoring with a shot of fine whiskey.

Flora

[CelticRoz]

Hey Flora! Thanks for sharing! I am embarrassed to say that I am still reading ABOSSA.

A friend of mine wrote a novel titled "The Journey" set in the Rev War period and involved in that at this time.

I really need to finish ABOSSA and get into "Echo" though...bad me!

[CelticRoz]

Just had to share this from Diana's blog.

HOW Long 'til the next book?!?
I have, as you might suppose, been getting a certain amount of agitated mail following publication of ECHO, [g] all centering on one question: HOW long is it until the next book will be out?!? (This accompanied by various pleas of increasing age or senility on the part of some readers. It's not that I'm not sympathetic, and I _am_ flattered--but the fact that you think you might not live long enough to read the next book really can't make me write any faster. Look, just exercise and take your vitamins; you'll be fine.) As to the question...

It wouldn't do much good to speculate; I'm always wrong. The books are invariably longer and more complex than I think they'll be, and _always_ take longer to finish than I think they will. Sufficiently so, that anyone who's had the misfortune to work production on one of the OUTLANDER books emerges from the experience with several new white hairs and trembling visibly in every limb.

General observation is that in terms of actual research/writing/etc., it takes me _about_ two to two-and-a-half years to write one of the big novels of the main series. That's baseline. However...

A) The books get increasingly popular. While this is, generally speaking, A Good Thing, it has side-effects. There's a HUGE demand on my time, in terms both of physical travel and in-person appearances, and the smaller drag created by endless email, propositions, invitations, cover quote pleas, and now--with the upsurge of online venues available--the demand to create TONS more subsidiary material for blogs, online chats, interviews, phone apps (don't even ask about that one; the publisher just suggested it and I have _no_ idea), enhanced e-books, viral animated videos, etc. I lose at least two/three months a year, if not more, to this kind of stuff (much more, in years when a new book is out and several different countries want me to come and tour. So far this year, I've done Scotland, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia--for a total of two and a half months _just on the road_--and will be doing the UK in January, Germany in March, and some miscellaneous Scottish stuff [g] in August. Three European trips in one year? It has its fun aspects, but man, it eats up your work time.

I don't work on one project exclusively, for the most part. I never have. Being able to switch mental tracks keeps me from ever having writer's block, and it's good for the separate projects, insofar as pushing one off the front burner while I deal with something else lets the first one simmer peacefully on the subconscious's lower heat--so the result has _lots_ more flavor and subtlety than it would if I cooked it at a furious boil and splashed it scalding into people's bowls (cf. James Patterson, if you want to know what _that_ looks like).

So (for instance), while the pub date for ECHO was four years after that for ABOSA, it doesn't mean that I spent four years tapping away on ECHO without cease or respite. I also wrote (and published) two other books in that time (LORD JOHN AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE, which was a complete novel, and LORD JOHN AND THE HAND OF DEVILS, a collection of novellas), wrote the complete script for THE EXILE (the first "Outlandish" graphic novel), did work on a contemporary crime novel (about half-done at present), worked on THE OUTLANDISH COMPANION, Volume II (rudimentary stuff, but still work), consulted on a film script, and poked around in the research material, coming up with bits and pieces of other, future books (like the first Master Raymond) that I haven't started working on in any focused way, but that are waiting on the sideboard for their turn.

So I have no idea when Book Eight'll be up. Not for at least two and a half years (the publisher does need _some_ lead time to actually print the book), but that's _all_ I could tell you for sure.

Now, I _can_ say what I plan to be working on during 2010 (putting aside all the roaming around the world stuff, promotion for the graphic novel, and Eldest Daughter's upcoming wedding): I'll be feeling my way into Book Eight, working in a serious way on LORD JOHN AND THE SCOTTISH PRISONER, ditto the OC II (because I'd like to have that one done before the end of the year), and seeing if I can pull together the contemporary crime novel (which is about half-done, and I think I know where the other half _is_, more or less).

You will get a couple of things in 2010, though: 1) THE EXILE. This is the much-talked-about graphic novel, due out September 28!, 2) a new Lord John novella, "The Custom of the Army" (due in March from Tor books, in an anthology titled WARRIORS), and (probably) 3) "A Leaf on the Wind," a short story in a Penguin anthology titled STAR-CROSSED LOVERS. This one tells the story of what really happened to Roger's father, for those with a particular interest either in MacKenzie family history and/or time-travel. [g]

So you will get something to read, and fairly soon. As for Jem...don't worry about him; he's a pretty resourceful little guy.

Speaking of that, though--which is the storyline _you_ most want to see addressed Right Up Front in Book Eight?
Posted by Diana Gabaldon at 1:13 AM

[Emmalou]

Love..love...love her books..I understand how long it takes to write books of the length that she writes takes but still am very impatient for the next one. 3 years??? oh how long that seems to wait to find out what happens next with these wonderful characters. I will have to spend my time re-reading all of the rest of the series.

[CelticRoz]

Sorry I have been away so long. I just discovered today that there is an Outlander musical. Here is the link. Love the music!

http://www.youtube.com/user/outlandermusical

[Robert Phoenix]

The graphic novel is now out. I just saw it in our local bookstore today. $25 hardcover.

[Robert Phoenix]

So has anyone picked up the Anninversary edition of Outlander yet? It comes with a CD that has songs from the musical. I've seen it for as low as $30 at target.

[leenie]

I was very happy to recently be added as a Diana Gabaldon ambassador. I received a case of Outlander to hand out to people I knew that might be interested in her books. It was easy to hand them out but have found that people don't have a lot of extra time to read. I love all her books and can't wait for the next one to be published.