Sunday, December 30, 2012

Old year

ends year 2012, seems to be necessary to go back and list the events that happened in my professional writer`s life:

- wrote two science fiction novel
- the first book of the series TECHNOTMA in German
- the series of TECHNOTMA also bought Spanish

And finally the most important - Memoria. Corporation of Lies issued in English and is currently sold on Amazon.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Sales Ranking Chart

It`s very interesting information for Indies from Theresa Ragan: Sales Ranking Chart: The numbers below are based on MY experiences... I'm sure you can find other authors whose numbers are different from these...but the follo...

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Report from the set

Today arrived in Moscow Jackie Chan. Yesterday I reported on his visit an old friend, who was twelve years ago and introduced me to Jackie. SMS sent late at night, phoned and talked, reminisce first meeting...

In the late eighties, in the era of video clubs, it was difficult to find peers who have not heard about Jackie Chan. I've also been a fan of his movies, watched a few times, which is already there, and was looking forward to the premiere. Collected articles about him from magazines and newspapers (internet then do not have). Frankly, when I came on leave from the army learned that JC-Team spent shooting in Moscow in 1995, and there was Jackie. I learned about it at the time, knocked to AWOL from the military unit))). But no luck. But in October 2000 I met with him after all. He's an amazing person, cheerful, full of energy and strength. We talked for five minutes, and I thought I knew him a long time.I am grateful and thankful to the fate of the people who organized a meeting with Jackie. One was 15 years old, his name is Andrew Evgrafov. Second, Nadir Mamedov, an employee of CASCADE-FILM capture at JC-Team in 95th and Jackie accompanied during his visit in 2000. Nadir courtesy of some unique shots Jackie and told interesting facts from the life of a movie star.
Jackie Chan on the set. Red Square (1995)

Monday, November 19, 2012

Autumn reading (short review #2)

A Rush to Violence (The Top 100 Best-Selling Thriller) (The Fifth Avenue Series) by Christopher Smith

You have to face it: Mr. Christopher Smith is one heck of a storyteller. I have to admit that after From Manhattan with Love: A Novella (The Fifth Avenue Series) I had my doubts... the author seemed to dispose of his heroes all too lightly. That's why I really dug for his new MC, Detective Marty, and his family. In A Rush to Violence, Mr. Smith shows he's not only a fine wordsmith but also a passionate and conscientious person who desperately wants good to win - in his books if not in reality. His new heroes - Marty and his wife Jennifer, Camille the assassin and her daughter Emma - are described with so much love and understanding that you find it hard to finish the book because you don't want to part with them!

A Rush to Violence is a fine thriller in every respect. The author's timing is perfect resulting in scene after scene of unputdownable reading. Mr. Smith is a fine writer with a lot of attention for detail that makes the story literally jump off the page. He does tend to go a bit over the top in places but he does it with so much panache and describes even the most implausible events so realistically that you have to agree that truth can be stranger than fiction. Honestly, I'm quite happy he's so prolific so I can look forward to more of the same.

I'd recommend this book to all lovers of dark, gritty, noir fiction inhabited by larger-than-life characters doing incredible things in the name of love and justice.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Autumn reading (short review #1)

From Manhattan with Love: A Novella (The Fifth Avenue Series) by Christopher Smith

This is indeed a novella: as others have said, an appetizer for the rest of the series. It is expertly written and I found the main characters of Carmen and Alex likeable and really vulnerable in their feelings for each other. The action scenes are well-executed and reminded me a lot of the film, The Towering Inferno. Overall, an entertaining read that offers some food for thought.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Interview with Elephant (e-science fiction) Magazine, October 2012


(translated from Russian by I. Woodhead)

E. Our readers know and love Memoria. A Corporation of Lies, your most recent bestselling novel. What they don't know though is the amount of hard work you've invested in the popular S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and TechnoTma novel series for which you've written quite a few wonderful books. Now tell me, have you ever disregarded the computer in order to write your science fiction with ink on paper?

   A.  B. Oh yes I have, albeit a long time ago. When I was young I tried my hand at a screen play (or so I thought as in fact I wrote not a script but a rather decent novel outline). I filled two fat notebooks before I lay my hands on a typewriter and typed it all down having changed many scenes in the process.

E. Can you name a book that inspires you to write? In other words, one that recharges your writing batteries and creates that writing itch that makes you plant your butt in a chair now?

A.  B. So many questions in one. Such an inspiring book has to be interesting otherwise I just won't read it. Characters have to be vivid and the events, colorful- in other words, the author has to submerge me into his world and suspend any disbelief from the very first page.

I can't give you one particular title - there're just too many of them. When I was young, I was tremendously affected by the books of the Russian authors, such as Strugatsky Bros and Robert Stillmark, and also Rafael Sabatini, Robert Sheckley and Ray Bradbury. Various sci fi flicks added their two cents, of course - literally, because in those days I had to go to half-legal underground video shops to watch bad copies with very approximate bootleg translations. But they allowed me to discover many new worlds and come up with a few of my own.

E. And as a reader, what particular SF genre do you like most? What kind of films and games do you prefer? In a role game, whose part do you usually take?

A.  B. I'm a grateful and omnivorous reader. I like dark fantasy, hard science fiction, post apocalyptic, techno thrillers, space opera... I honestly can't remember what a computer game looks like: about fifteen years ago or so, I was really into "strategy" and "quake", but now I just can't tell you.

E. Scandal-mongers accuse you of using ghostwriters, eight to fifteen in total. Is it true what they say that you subject them to corporal punishments for missing their deadlines?
Continent Anomalous
cover art was by A. Rudenko

A.  B. Can I have their names, please? Where did you hear this? Had I released ten books a year, then these rumors of my evil-lordly nature would have probably had some substance (laughs). In fact, I do take my time over my projects. At the moment, I'm finishing my last stand-alone novel, Continent Anomalous, that has taken me over a year to write. By the way, the idea belonged to Andrei Levitsky and we even started writing together, until Andrei got sidetracked by another project and I had my hands full releasing and promoting the English version of Memoria on Amazon. The best I can do is four books a year. With a little help from my ghostwriters , I might improve my turnaround in the future (laughs some more).

E. Can you tell us about any prospects concerning the TechnoTma series? In two words: is it curtailed, or are we to expect new novels in the series, and yours in particular?

A.  B. At the moment, this multiple-author series features new novels by Victor Glumov, Victor Nichkin, and Roman Kulikov, as well as a story anthology. My co-writer (that is, Andrei Levitsky) and myself don't plan any future installments. At least not in the next few years, because I've developed too many other ideas that I can't wait to write about.

E. Is there a book world you'd like to move to and live in? Your own, or maybe by another author. Or are you happy enough with the world we all live in?

A.  B. I think I'd rather hang out here for a while. This world offers a life full of travel and the joy of discoveries, and I'd love to know it better. As it is now, I keep writing till I drop, and have no time left to travel. As for other fictitious worlds, I can go there at a moment's notice. All I need to do is open a book and start reading it.

E. What do you think about all these Apocalypse scenarios? Have you stocked up on vodka, ammo and first-aid kits?

A.  B. Honestly, I don't care. I have to admit though I can't be happy about what's going on in the world.

E. And what kind of advice would you give to those seriously preparing for Armageddon? Which forecasts should they dismiss and which ones would you consider more realistic?

A.  B. The current state of the world economy is the Armageddon scenario that seriously worries me. And still, I try not to think about it. I'd rather move forward and trust my luck. Some seem to do the same while yet some others will hopefully follow our suit. All you need to do is believe in yourself.

E. An interview with Alex wouldn't be complete without asking him about Andrei. Are we to expect any new projects from the two of you? Or have you gone your separate ways for good?

A.  B. That's right, we do have a project. I've just sent Andrei a publishing contract to discuss. But until it's signed, I can't tell you anything about it. All I can say is that it has some connection to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game. Its readers and fans can follow my VKontakte page for more news. Once the contract is signed, I'll tell them all about it.

E. Did you ever dream of becoming a writer and Levitsky's co-author when you were little? What was the little Alex Bobl like at school and in kindergarten? What did his teachers say about you - especially your literature teacher?

A.  B.  never thought in a million years that I would be a writer. The first notion of the idea I got when I was about twenty-five, and then it disappeared, suppressed by the more urgent needs of a successful career and an upcoming promotion. And co-writing anything - the thought never entered my mind.

At kindergarten, I was this kid in a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt who spent all his time drawing. I could murder a whole drawing book in under an hour, and our teacher didn't praise me for that. At school, I wasn't an A-student but a typical B-grader. And as for our literature teacher, she, of all people, used to say that I wasn't going to get anywhere in life. I met her recently at our 20-year school reunion, and she's still none the wiser.

E. I bet you expect this next question! Which of your novels could work best for a screen adaptation, and why?

A.  B. I'd love to see film versions of Memoria. A Corporation of Lies, and also The Wasteland Clans.

E. Let's look into the future, as far as we can. Alex Bobl is sixty. What kind of everyday problems do you envision for him?

A.  B. None whatsoever. I'm at the wheel of my own pleasure boat on the wide ocean, sailing her into the sunset.

E. Let your imagination run wild. Imagine there's no corruption in Russia any more, no officials stealing funds, so that even the Sochi Olympic builds are completed on schedule. All the get-rich-quick Russian oligarchs have repented, willingly gone to jail and given every Russian back his or her share of the oil bucks they pilfered. What problems would such an ideal society face?

A.  B. Did you understand what you've just said? (Laughs) Life will be boring.

E. Now can you tell me in all honesty: is Russian science fiction publishing already dead or does it still have another couple of years in it? Strictly your humble opinion.

A.  B. Oh yes it does - more than a couple, that's for sure. Doubtful it'll die at all. The market has this tendency of self-redressment. The publishing industry is undergoing some serious changes which at the moment happen aggressively fast, and it's a shame that our publishers can't keep up.

E. What changes does the Internet bring to a writer, considering the reader is now closer than ever before, and the hard copy is being replaced by online cloud reading?

A.  B. I can only be happy. Distances don't matter any longer: we can exchange messages really fast which means we can get readers' feedback and watch the audience's reaction to new Internet releases in real time. Also, I save a lot of time doing research on the Internet (although naturally I double-check it all when I work on a book).

E. Can you say something about e-book promotion and whether it works better than traditional promotion? Have you mastered e-sales or are you still an apprentice?
cover art was by V. Manukhin

  A.  B. In Russia, official ebook stores have limited content while piracy abounds. I can't see us earning any money from web publishing for a while: this model takes its time to develop in Russia. In the West, though, it routinely works fine. There's Amazon and its competitors where anyone can try to get a book out and seek his or her share of audience in their genre. Russian authors, however, have quite a few hurdles along this route. First, e-readers such as Kindle, Nook and others aren't officially available in Russia therefore they don't support the Cyrilic alphabet. Which leaves us with books translated into English, and that's the route I've taken. Memoria was the first to come out in English, soon to be followed by Continent Anomalous and hopefully, other books I'm about to start working on this winter. The second hurdle is receiving Amazon's royalties which they send to their overseas authors by check, a big pain. And finally, the translation itself. You need to find a professional translator and invest some serious money in it, then try to make the book pay it back and bring some profit.

E. Do you have many fans? Female fans, in particular (something I wouldn't say no to myself). Are you already trying to escape their attentions hiding in tax offices?

A.  B. Fans I have many - unexpectedly so, and it makes me very happy. You won't believe the letter I received through VKontakte social media site the other day: a boy, one of my readers, was writing an essay about my book! Can you imagine? You just can't believe how it made me feel as a writer... I had no idea my books could affect anyone that much.

No, I've never hidden from my fans in a tax office. I prefer to meet them at book shows and fairs. I've only been to the tax office twice in my life, both times to receive a deduction.

E. Jerzy Tumanovsky is known for his addiction to his oxygen mask - he even has his pictures taken in it like Dart Vader. Do you have any professional phobias?  Do you carry a handful of bolts in your pocket, or some laser-sword batteries, or do you beam yourself up to places instead of driving there?

A.  B. No phobias, no. Wish I had more time so I could put out more books.

E. Any advice you could give the Inkpot readers? Apart from writing and editing their work, of course, because they're up to their ears in it as it is.

A.  B. Just keep reading. Read lots of good and interesting books.
And good luck!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Book Of The Month on www.e-thriller.com

www.e-thriller.com

You guessed it, it will be about Memoria. A Corporation of Lies, thanks a lot e-thriller.com and Charlotte Waller for great review.


A Thought Provoking Dystopian - Review by Charlotte Waller
In a futuristic world where the option to have traumatic memories erased often becomes a necessity, Frank has even more to deal with than just his past. Memoria by Alex Bobl is easily described as a dystopian action novel, with tons of secrets and speculations entwined within the story. It starts off with Frank heading home to his girlfriend, who he soon finds out has been murdered. Not only does he have to deal with this traumatic event, he is forced to go on the run when he becomes the main suspect. Finding out the truth and clearing his name is almost an impossible task with Memoria in his way.This was a really well written and action packed book that I enjoyed thoroughly. I loved the concept of Memoria. Messing with memories is a scary thing to think about.
 The characters really made this book for me though. I really liked Frank the most, and followed his journey with eager eyes. His growing chemistry with the other characters allowed me to get to know him. Overall, a very well thought out and exciting novel.
Rating: Excitingly Thrilling

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Reviews

All reviews to Memoria. A Coroporation of Lies at amazon.com since June 2012

Book description:

In the bombed-out streets of New York, the corrupt bosses of Memoria Corporation make billions by erasing people's traumatic memories. But their bubble bursts when a humble citizen Frank Shelby becomes a murder suspect on the run. Betrayed by his friends and hunted down by mysterious killers, Frank has to penetrate Memoria and find evidence of their real plans before it's too late for all of us.

Monday, September 3, 2012

summer reading (short review #4)

The Remaining by D.J. Molles


This is a great action-packed read although not without a glitch or two. I could really appreciate all the fine details of the author's research into the military. In this respect, I found both the author's writing and his characters very believable indeed. Yes, the protagonist makes some "stupid" (read: human) decisions but how can we be sure we wouldn't have done the same thing? A few plot holes actually left me wanting for more - hopefully, for a sequel. Overall, good writing (although not without its glitches, either) and a good entertaining story.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

summer reading (short review #3)

This Shattered Land (Surviving the Dead) by James N. Cook


As somebody with a military background, I could really appreciate this book. There've been too many zombie books just lately - the market is over over oversaturated - and quite a few are written by people who don't know the difference between a gun and their own backside. The author's remarkable attention to detail makes the story spring to life - this is a mature, intelligent take on the zombie apocalypse theme that makes it sound too real -prophetic, even (touch wood!). Overall, an excellent novel worth every minute of your time.


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

summer reading (short review #2)

No Easy Hope (Surviving the Dead) by James N. Cook


Funnily enough, I read the second book first (This Shattered Land), not even knowing it was a sequel. So now I got this book and stared at it long and hard realizing my mistake. I'm a firm believer in the theory that sequels normally turn out better: after all, the author gains a certain experiance and usually becomes a better writer by the time he or she start their second book. But here, I found it hard to tell which one of the two was better.

The adventures of Gabe and Eric belong to the domain of good old men's books of action and adventure, and for some reason reminded me of Wilbur Smith - one of my favorite authors. As someone with a military background,I could really appreciate all the fine details of weapons and physical training: Mr. Cook definitely writes what he knows! A gripping, exciting read. Shame I've already read the second one.

Monday, August 27, 2012

summer reading (short review #1)

The voice of waterfalls (supernatural/psychological thriller) by Natasha A. Salnikova

A fellow writer myself, I knew I could work out all the plot turns in The Voice of Waterfalls if I really wanted to, and still the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I knew of course that the two protagonists, Inga and Anton, were bound to meet in the end, but watching them overcome all the hardships and second-guessing their inner choices - each with his or her own skeletons in the closet - was for me the best and most intriguing part of this book.

I would like to wish the author every success with her work.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Memoria pre-launch party on Amazon!

And it's going really well! I'd like to thank all our supporters and Goodread friends for their kind words about the book. You guys are awesome! It's an honor to write for you.

#38 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > High Tech


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Cover for STALKER book

As you know very soon will come a new book STALKER. And now we need your help in choosing the cover. Choose and like on my FB page.





Friday, June 1, 2012

Post Apocalyptic art: more TechnoTma illustrations

art by I. Khivrenko
When we created the TechnoTma SF adventure series, we relied a lot on our amazing team of illustrators who helped us bring the books to life. I've already posted quite a few of the pictures here, but there're still plenty left, all from our wonderful post-apocalyptic artists: Ivan Khivrenko, Andrei Didenko and Alexander Rudenko.
Enjoy!
art by I. Khivrenko
 art by A. Rudenko 
 art by A. Didenko 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

"Russian Apocalyptic" - Russell1200 speaks of new Russian novels in Reflexiones Finales

A great article from a great critic and post apocalyptic aficionado: russell1200 writes in his Reflexiones Finales - the PA blog discussing apocalyptic books and philosophy - about the latest developments in the Russian PA fiction, with a generous mention of yours truly.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

He Glows in the Dark… with Ideas


If you think it's a funny title wait till you see my co-author and you'll have to agree with me. His name is Andrei Levitski, and the post-apocalyptic novel series Technotma is entirely our baby: we've conceived and written it together, the two of us. But in Russia and Eastern Europe Andrei is best known as the most popular author of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. post-apocalyptic series. At some point, S.T.A.L.K.E.R  even made it into the Guinness book of Records for its then-largest print run.

But I'd rather show not tell, so let Andrei Levitski speak for himself in this little interview for my  Obviously Incredible readers:

art by I. Khivrenko


Me: Andrei, from what I hear, you have some rather unique childhood memories?

A.L.: I do indeed. My Gran used to live in Chernobyl, of all places, and when I was little, I used to stay at her place a lot. I spent a lot of time doing things all boys do: roaming around, investigating the woods and fishing in the Prypiat. We did venture out to the nuclear power station, too, keeping our heads down, of course, because in the Soviet times it was heavily guarded. Then the disaster struck, and we became refugees overnight... and had to move to Kiev.






art by I. Khivrenko
Me: And you lived happily ever after?

A.L.: No, I didn't. I always craved a complete change so, once I started to earn enough as a writer, I bought a house in a Bulgarian village high in the mountains, and moved there. You can call me a hermit if you want (laughs). 

Me: Have you ever been back to Chernobyl?

A.L.: A few times, yes. It's so totally different there these days. I simply couldn't recognize any of the old familiar streets or landmarks. If you can imagine a city overgrown with trees, silent buildings with gaping paneless windows, brambles bursting up through concrete pavements...

Me: A perfect post-apocalyptic setting, isn't it? So this is where you find inspiration for your books?


art by I. Khivrenko


A.L.: Absolutely! First, for S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and later, for TechnoTma. You remember, don't you?

Me: How can I forget!

A.L.: Some of the TechnoTma books have just come out in German. The English translation shouldn't take long, either.

Me: Readers keep asking me questions about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. novels. Is it the same with you?

A.L.: They do indeed. The series had some decent print runs. I still get emails almost every day from people wanting to know when they should expect a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. book.



art by I. Khivrenko
Me: What do you do when you don't work? 

A.L.: I don't. A writer has no nine-to-five job to go to. He works twenty four-seven. If you don't write, you think what to write next. You never stop thinking about your current work in progress: you just keep rolling ideas around in your head. (Me: Didn't I tell you he'd soon start glowing in the dark with ideas?) I do love traveling, though. Recently, I took nine days off and traveled around the Balkans, visiting Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro. I like watching good old movies - not too old, but nothing too modern as today's blockbusters leave me cold. I also read quite a bit.







art by I. Khivrenko
Me: Good for you! Well, thanks a lot for the interview. Anything you'd like to say to our readers?

A.L.: If you want a book to read, buy one, don't be tempted to download a free pirated copy. Piracy's bad for your karma!

Me: Thank you very much! Good luck with your new books!

A.L.: Likewise!

The English translation of Memoria.A Corporation of Lies is finished! With any luck, the book will be available on Amazon early this summer.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Who is he - John Mason or Balazs Pataki?

He is the first author who wrote Stalkers novels on English. Real Name Balazs Pataki, pen-name John Mason.

Russia has published over fifty books about stalkers - rangers of the Chernobyl exclusion Zone (I also wrote two books). Within one year Russia got its own subculture, a living world of the Stalker game. But all the novels were published only in Russian. Today I met the author of two Stalker novels published in English. His books you can buy on Amazon.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Southern Comfort
To outsiders, the former USSR is always been a place where everything is strangely different. All the more so in the Exclusion Zone around the ill-fated Chernobyl power plant, where after a secret experiment went wrong in 2006, the laws of physics are bent and mysterious phenomena manifest. In 2011, another Zone is apparently created after Al-Qaeda detonated nukes in Afghanistan. Ukrainian authorities send a research team to verify the claims. The scientists go missing and a search and rescue operation is launched. For Mikhailo Tarasov, officer in the armed forces who desperately try to contain the Exclusion Zone, this mutant-infested wilderness is his home turf. But when he sets out on his mission into the New Zone, he soon finds himself facing perils he has never encountered before. His mission becomes a struggle against evil permeating the wastelands, confronted with the shadows of the country’s troubled history at each step. Tarasov is aided by unlikely allies – outcasts, adventurers, renegade US Marines and a mysterious woman who appears to be the keeper of dark secrets. But beyond all the perils, the ultimate danger awaits: betrayal. The noir, post-apocalyptic narrative of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Southern Comfort goes is a contemporary voyage into the heart of darkness, where not only the laws of physics are bent but the rules of the outside world as well. This is an alternative reality where outcasts prevail, the oppressed take revenge and the faithful revolt.


S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Northern Passage The sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Southern Comfort

Stalkers and the Zone still decides over the fate of souls living within its wild frontiers. Behind the scenes, the Ukrainian Secret Service is forcing a fallen hero to betray a friend.

In the New Zone, the Exclusion Zone’s vast twin phenomenon and apparently created after nuclear warheads devastated Afghanistan in 2011, renegade US Marines calling themselves the Tribe patrol the mountain ranges, Stalkers try to establish themselves in ruins of Bagram Air Base and mutated predators migrate to the anomaly-infested plains. All these dangers can not dissuade those hardy souls who brave the New Zone. But whatever their motives, however great their courage, a new power is arising and its vicious plan threatens to destroy them all.

Major Tarasov, a Spetsnaz commander turned renegade, knows the New Zone’s darkest secrets. While in a land far away, he receives alarming messages from the Exclusion Zone. Is an old friend in danger? Does someone else know the secrets he discovered? Or could it be a trap set by his former masters to lure him back?

Read Russian Books in English: The Savior - a psychological thriller by Natasha S...

Read Russian Books in English: The Savior - a psychological thriller by Natasha S...: I absolutely have to feature this book even though a week ago I didn't even know it existed. I knew that Natasha Salnikova - a renowned...

Monday, May 14, 2012

Post Apocalyptic Art in Russia: Vladimir Manyukhin

art by V. Manyukhin
It's high time I introduce Vladimir Manyukhin, Russia's leading graphic artist working in the post apocalyptic genre and incidentally, a very good friend of mine. Vladimir has a very special talent for converting existing images of popular landmarks to barren landscapes devoid of any traces of civilization. Recently, Vladimir has been getting some very positive feedback in the international media, so let's hope his works get the appreciation they deserve!

art by V. Manyukhin



By the way, Vladimir Manyukhin has also created the cover art for both the Russian and English versions of Memoria. A Corporation of Lies - my last novel set in a futuristic post-war USA. Below you can see the English cover as well as some of Vladimir's more inspired work. Enjoy!

    

Friday, May 4, 2012

German translations of TechnoTma books available on Amazon.de!

Great news: two of the TechnoTma books, Password Eternity and The Wasteland Clans, have come out in German and are now available on Amazon.de. If you read German (I don't :)) you can pre-order both if you follow this link. Not sure about the cover of the first one, renamed Zeit der Dunkelheit, but it's up to the publisher, really. He sure knows what appeals to German readers. 
The second book, The Wasteland Clans, or Das Wüste Land, is available for pre-order and is expected to come out on March 11 2013.

I'm very excited and curious to see the German readers' reactions... and hopefully, reviews. If I'm not mistaken, the German book market is second to USA alone... so we'll see!