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A conversation with award-winning authors Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam J. Miller about the new Saga Double containing their science fiction novels Apprehension and Red Star Hustle, back-to-back.

Websites
maryrobinettekowal.com
samjmiller.com

Facebook
@maryrobinettekowal
@sentencebender

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@maryrobinettekowal
@sam.j.miller

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@maryrobinettekowal.com
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About the book

Two expertly crafted crime stories set in a far-future science fiction universe, from two award-winning authors known for their gripping plots and unforgettable characters—a short novel and a long novella that will thrill fans of space adventures, mystery, and intergalactic intrigue in this Saga Double

Apprehension
A family vacation arranged by Bonnyjean, a grieving mother, her son-in-law Jax, and her six-year-old grandson Tristan, quickly becomes disastrous as Tristan is kidnapped by a terrorist operation that is hoping to affect the planet’s upcoming elections between rival parties. They believe Bonnyjean was given a secret by the double agent who died in her arms. However, not only is this a deadly misunderstanding, but it’s also a dangerous one as Bonnyjean was last on Nahatanau when she was a special forces operative. Unfortunately, that was over thirty years ago, but she won’t let the years nor her bad hip get in the way of rescuing her grandson. Beloved Hugo Award–winning author Mary Robinette Kowal has crafted an intricate mystery of mistaken identity on an alien planet.

Red Star Hustle
Aran, a happy-go-lucky high-class escort, is on the run after he’s framed for the assassination of his famous filmmaker client. The last thing he needs is to fall for the studly and noble clone of a murderous puppet monarch while he’s trying to stay one step ahead of an ace bounty hunter, who is trying to keep a fatal secret from her toxic boss/mom, which means she can’t stop to worry about a little thing like whether her target might actually be innocent. Set within a universe of epic mech battles, and billions of human-made wormholes that make traveling to a distant star as easy as walking through a door or scheduling car service. This science fiction thriller by Nebula Award–winning author Sam J. Miller is a crisscross of heartbreak, addiction struggles, queer messiness, and resisting evil empires, coming together in a space-hopping fight with the whole damn galaxy.

About Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal is the USA Today bestselling author of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award winning alternate history novel The Calculating Stars, the first book in the Lady Astronaut series. She is also the author of The Glamourist Histories series, Ghost Talkers, The Spare Man, and Molly on the Moon, and has received the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, four Hugo awards, the Nebula and Locus awards. Her stories appear in Asimov’s, Uncanny, and several Year’s Best anthologies. Mary Robinette has also worked as a professional puppeteer, is a member of the award-winning podcast Writing Excuses, and performs as a voice actor (SAG/AFTRA), recording fiction for authors including Seanan McGuire, Cory Doctorow, and Neal Stephenson. She lives in Denver with her husband Robert, their dog Guppy, and their “talking” cat Elsie.

About Sam J. Miller

Sam J. Miller‘s books have been called “must reads” and “bests of the year” by USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, and O: The Oprah Magazine, among others, and have been translated into nine languages. They’ve also been banned in Florida, and stolen by AI.  His work has won the Nebula, Locus, Shirley Jackson, and Subjective Chaos Kind of Awards, as well as the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He’s also the last in a long line of butchers. Sam lives in New York City.

A long chat with internationally bestselling author Alan Bradley about his Flavia de Luce mystery series, which is now up to Book 11: What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust.

Websites
Penguin Random House
alanbradleyauthor.com

About What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER 

One of the best mystery novels of 2024, The Washington Post

Amateur sleuth Flavia de Luce, along with her pestilent younger cousin, investigates the murder of a former public hangman and uncovers secrets that bring the greatest shock of her life.

Flavia de Luce has taken on the mentorship of her odious, moon-faced cousin Undine who has come to live at Buckshaw following the death of her mother. Undine’s main talent, aside from cultivating disgusting habits, seems to be raising Flavia’s hackles, although in her best moments she shows potential for trespassing, trickery, and other assorted mayhem.

When Major Greyleigh, a local recluse and former hangman, is found dead after a breakfast of poisonous mushrooms, suspicion falls on the de Luce family’s longtime cook, Mrs. Mullet. After all, wasn’t it she who’d picked the mushrooms, cooked the omlette, and served it to Greyleigh in the moments before his death? “I have to admit,” says Flavia, an expert in the chemical nature of poisons, “that I’d been praying to God for a jolly good old-fashioned mushroom poisoning. Not that I wanted anyone to die, but why give a girl a gift such as mine without giving her the opportunity to use it?”

But Flavia knows the beloved Mrs. Mullet is innocent. Together with Dogger, estate gardener and partner-in-crime, and the obnoxious Undine, Flavia sets out to find the real killer and clear Mrs. Mullet’s good name. Little does she know that following the case’s twists and turns will lead her to a most surprising discovery—one with the power to upend her entire life.

Praise for What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust

“Anyone who’s read Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series knows that the author’s superpowers are creating the pitch-perfect emotional vulnerability and mental prowess of his prococious pre-teen heroine, as well as depicting the sometimes-silly antics and logical deductions of this amazing girl. We’re ecstatic that Flavia has returned.” —Canadian Living

“I love the Flavia de Luce novels! I identify, though I unfortunately didn’t have an Uncle Tarquin and was forced to make do with a Christmas chemistry set from the Sears catalog. Flavia is the best female detective I’ve ever read, full of realism, self-confidence and emotion (in roughly equal parts), and her tales are hilarious, engaging and occasionally heart-breaking.” —Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series

“To say I am overjoyed by the return of the magnificent Flavia is a massive understatement. It is a great day when we have her back in our lives with a new, and riveting, crime to solve. Brava Flavia. Bravo Alan!” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Gamache series 

“Cozy mystery fans will love this latest installment featuring Flavia de Luce, Alan Bradley’s plucky and spirited protagonist. Delightful!” —Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid

“The enchanting 12th installment of Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series. . . . Flavia’s characteristic quirky humor and unorthodox thinking are on full display, and the ending finds her taking a well-earned step forward in her maturity. This series is as fresh as ever.” —Publishers Weekly

“Flavia De Luce is in top form. . . . Bradley gives his loyal readers a story that will more than satisfy their expectations while also inviting new readers to discover an endlessly entertaining amateur young sleuth who has much to teach her elders.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Bradley’s intrepid amateur sleuth is witty and whip smart as ever, and Bishop’s Lacey remains both a colourful backdrop and a microcosm of a nation in transition, paralleling Flavia’s own trepidation at entering adulthood. A layered plot rife with dastardly deeds and shocking revelations makes for an intriguing and entertaining read, and nicely tees up the (one hopes) next installment in the irresistible Flavia de Luce series.” —BookPage 

“Rejoice, fans of fiction’s youngest franchise detective: Flavia de Luce is back after a five-year hiatus, and she hasn’t aged a bit. . . . Nobody could possibly unite intelligence work, mythological monsters and village gossip as adroitly as Bradley’s heroine.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A lively and welcome 11th instalment [to the series].” —Toronto Star  

“Watching Flavia grow emotionally is one of the keener pleasures of Mr. Bradley’s inimitable series. Her ego remains undimmed (“It is not always easy being blessed with a superior brain”), but she keeps getting better at working with (and for) others to ensure that justice is delivered.” —Wall Street Journal

About Alan Bradley

Alan Bradley is the Globe and Mail and New York Times bestselling author of eleven Flavia de Luce mystery novels and the memoir The Shoebox Bible. His first Flavia novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, received the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award, the Dilys Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award, and was nominated for the Anthony Award. His other Flavia de Luce novels are The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Speaking from Among the Bones, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d, The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place, and The Golden Tresses of the Dead, as well as the ebook short story “The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse.”

Alan was born in Toronto, Ont. and grew up in the pleasant lakeside town of Cobourg, Ont. After a long career in television broadcasting, he took early retirement from the University of Saskatchewan to write full-time. He has published many children’s stories as well as lifestyle and arts columns in Canadian newspapers. His adult stories have been broadcast on CBC radio and published in various literary journals. He has also written several screenplays and taught university-level courses in screenwriting. He was the recipient of the first Saskatchewan Writers Guild Award for Children’s Literature.

After writing for several years on the Maltese island of Gozo, Alan Bradley now lives on an island in the middle of the Irish Sea.

A conversation with brothers Lawrence C. Connolly and Christopher Connolly about Minute Men: Execute and Run, a science fiction novel written by Lawrence from a concept by Christopher, with a film script, graphic novel, and much more in the works.

Websites
minutemennovel.com
lawrenceconnolly.com

Substack
concomentertainment.substack.com

Facebook
@LawrenceCConnolly

Instagram
@lawrence_c_connolly

About Minute Men: Execute and Run

Mission Impossible meets X-Men—with a twist: You only have 60 seconds to save the day

Currently being considered for a major Hollywood production.

U.S. Marine Daniel Hayes returns from the Middle East in a wheelchair. The only survivor of his team, he’s haunted by more than his physical scars. His survivor’s guilt keeps him trapped on the porch of his childhood home, watching the rust belt crumble around him.

In Africa, Dr. Christian Chase’s once-fearless hands are now useless. Blinded in a rebel ambush, she replays the life she couldn’t save as if torturing herself with endless flashbacks could change the past.

In Ukraine, kickboxer Zoya Zynchenko wakes in a cold hospital bed. Her family gone, her legs paralyzed, a missile strike leaving her a forgotten victim of war.

And bounty hunter Max “Jaxx” Jaquez hides his crippling pain behind false bravado. Drowning in guilt for letting a dangerous predator escape, he hates himself more than the criminal he failed to apprehend.

Enter Norman Blackwell, a brilliant but reclusive biotech engineer. His cutting-edge treatment transforms these broken heroes into something extraordinary. Hayes gains superhuman strength. Chase’s gaze becomes deadly. Zoya moves with lightning reflexes. Jaxx’s intellect explodes into genius.

But there’s a cost: These powers last for only 60 seconds at a time, then pain and incapacitation hits.

Together, they become the Minute-Men, a team of wounded warriors turned reluctant heroes. Their first mission: Stop a ruthless corporate warlord from weaponizing life-saving nanotechnology, turning hope into tools of control and destruction. To succeed, they must master their fleeting powers, trust each other, and find strength in their shared scars. Because in a world where everything can change in a heartbeat, 60 seconds is all they’ve got to save the day—and each other.

About Lawrence C. Connolly

Lawrence C. Connolly’s books include the collections This Way to Egress, whose titular tale of psychological horror was adapted for the Mick Garris film Nightmare Cinema; and the Bram-Stoker-nominated Voices, which features Connolly’s best stories from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Twilight Zone, Year’s Best Horror, and other top magazines and anthologies of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. A third collection, Visions, was praised by Publishers Weekly for featuring an eclectic mix of “entertaining and satisfying” SF.

His novels include the eco-thrillers Veins, Vipers, and Vortex. World Fantasy Award winner T. E. D. Klein called Veins “a crime thriller as intense and fast-moving as a Tarantino movie.”

He is also the writer of Mystery Theatre, a podcast produced by Prime Stage Theatre, who premiered his adaptation of Frankenstein in 2022. His newset commission, a play based on the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe, opens in November 2025 at Pittsburgh’s New Hazelett Theatre.