Oops! Sorry I didn't make this clearer!

The Deryni Roleplaying Game is scheduled for release in November 2001. We'll be debuting it at the Darkover convention. :-)

The poster map will probably be released at the same time.

We don't have a firm schedule for the other books yet ("Deryni Magic" and the "Atlas of the Eleven Kingdoms") but they'll *probably* be published at 2-month intervals (January and March of 2002).

For more info, please bookmark http://www.fudgerpg.com/deryni -- I'll post updates there as they occur.

And if you're interested in the roleplaying game, please consider becoming a playtester for it. Playtesters get early access to the manuscript, and playtesters who send in useful comments, suggestions, feedback, and/or act as proofreaders of the final manuscript get a free copy of the product. :-)

To become a Fudge playtester, please register at http://www.fudgerpg.com/playtest_register.html.

To ensure I don't get absolute floods of playtesters, I only announce that registration url in special venues (like fan newsgroups and e-mail lists) :-).

--
Best regards,

Ann Dupuis (ghostgames@fudgerpg.com)
Grey Ghost Press, Inc. (http://www.fudgerpg.com)

Subject: Another possible minor spoiler
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 03:42:55 GMT
From: shiral@my-deja.com
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
Newsgroups: alt.books.deryni

One more little tidbit from Darkover below. I'll drop down a few lines
to be safe.

Far enough?

Little farther maybe?

This ought to do it.

On Sunday afternoon after the Q&A session at Darkover, Linda, Rebecca, Susan and her mother and I were discussing Hannah's painting of Kelson and Dhugal which lucky Kristy now owns. Katherine mentioned that she thought Kelson looked a bit Asian, but that she thought Dhugal was just right. We mentioned that we thought Dhugal looked a little solemn. I've always pictured Dhugal as someone who was serious when necessary, but not someone to sit around brooding.

"His best friend HAS just got married," Katherine pointed out. "There are going to have to be some adjustments to his relationship with Kelson in the future."

So....a mere adjustment that will change their friendship only temporarily, or is it possible that trouble will arise between Kelson and Dhugal in the future? What do you all think?

Speaking of changing friendships though, one thing that struck me about the assassination attempt on Kelson and Liam in KKB was how calmly Morgan seemed to take it. He's the King's Champion after all, and has known Kelson since he was born. I would have thought he'd have been much more upset about the whole thing, both at the time and afterwards. And I would have thought that he'd have insisted on tending to Kelson's injury himself if only to reassure himself that it wasn't serious. But instead, Alaric wanders off to have a bath and a nap in his own room, and didn't seem at all worried that Dhugal was serving the King in the ways that HE used to do. What do the rest of you think?

Melissa

Subject: Re: Fudge Deryni RPG
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 16:30:50 GMT
From: Ann Dupuis <ghostgames@fudgerpg.com>
Organization: Grey Ghost Press, Inc.
Newsgroups: alt.books.deryni

Rebecca Davis wrote:
>
> "Questions" <rhorim@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >Will the map and atlas be available for sale independent of the rest?
> >
> >MQ
> >
> >
>
> Yes, Katherine said they plan on selling the map independently, so us
> deryni fans who aren't into roleplaying, but want a nice wall map,
> will be able to have one at last.

The Atlas of the Eleven Kingdoms will also be available seperately, and will probably be available in bookstores (not just game stores). It will have some role-playing-game related information in it, but not a lot.... Mostly it will be maps and descriptions of the Eleven Kingdoms and various places within it.

About the poster map -- it will be available separately, but it may be expensive, especially if you want it shipped in a tube rather than in a much-easier-to-deal-with folded package.... I'm looking into various ways to produce and store and ship these, and will probably end up selling poster-map-in-a-shipping-tube via direct sales only (not in game stores or bookstores). A folded-up version will be more readily available, possibly with the Atlas, possibly in a deluxe boxed set for the roleplaying game, possibly both....

--
Best regards,

Ann Dupuis (ghostgames@fudgerpg.com)
Grey Ghost Press, Inc. (http://www.fudgerpg.com)

Subject: Re: *Spoiler Warning* Childe Morgan Information
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 08:54:36 -0800
From: Artemis OakGrove <oakgrove@ix.netcom.com>
Organization: MindSpring Enterprises
Newsgroups: alt.books.deryni

shiral@my-deja.com wrote:

> **********************POSSIBLE SPOILER INFORMATION BELOW!!*********
>
> Spoiler Space
>
> And a little More....
>
> Couple more lines of space
>

> Okay, here it is!
>

> Katherine also said that either Jehana’s mother or grandmother had
> committed suicide. The reason for this was that she was a Deryni, and
> highly receptive to picking up the moods and thoughts of those around
> her. This constant input which she could neither control, nor stop nor
> block out drove this woman to despair in the end, and she jumped either
> from a tower or a high wall.

Okay, if Jehana's mother is going to be Deryni, then that's going to cause problems with statements made in HD about Lionel being one of the full humans that the CC was according protection to. Jehana's mother and Lionel's mother are sisters. AO

Subject: *Spoiler Warning* Childe Morgan Information
Date: 12/03/2000
Author: shiral <shiral@my-deja.com>

Fair warning here, folks. If you dislike spoilers or any kind of advance information, please do not read this post regarding the information Katherine divulged about the Child Morgan Trilogy at Darkover. If you read what comes below, it will be assumed that your curiousity was greater than your moral indignation concerning spoilers. <G>

**********************POSSIBLE SPOILER INFORMATION BELOW!!*********

Spoiler Space

And a little More....

Couple more lines of space


Okay, here it is!
Now that the mundane affairs of the Con have been related, here’s the dirt on Childe Morgan. Katherine hasn’t actually started writing the first book, but she’s most definitely in the planning stages. At the moment, she’s working on organizational matters. One of the things she says she has to work out is “Why is the CC (and everyone else) so clueless by the time Kelson ascends to the throne?” Part of the problem she said is circling back to the point at which she began the series thirty years ago, not having had any idea then where the Deryni universe would lead her over the next decades.

I asked her on Saturday night in which year the first book would begin, and she said possibly as early as 1089 and will end at about the time of Lady Alyce de Morgan’s death in 1095. Volume two will cover Alaric and Duncan’s childhood and youth, and will probably include Duncan’s affair with Maryse, and his ordination. Volume three will end shortly before Deryni Rising begins. HOW shortly exactly I don’t know. The working titles are as follows:

I. In the Service of the King
II. Childe Morgan
III. Duke Alaric


Do remember that these are working titles and subject to change before the novels
actually hit the shelf.

Volume one will feature King Donal Blaine who sounds like a very interesting man. It does look as if he is going to be Alaric’s father, folks. I know some of you will be disappointed to hear this. But do remember, Katherine almost always does things for important reasons even if we don’t always agree with her choices. So I assume this will be an intrinsic part of the plot. And well, they ARE her stories to tell. According to Katherine, Donal had a much more open and accepting attitude toward Deryni magic than did Brion. Childe Morgan will talk about Donal and his children, both legitimate and “extracurricular.” Including the mysterious child who was supposed to fill the role of magical supporter to Brion that Alaric ended up taking over. This earlier child was was Donal Blaine’s son by a court lady who was secretly Deryni (and may still be alive for all I know.) Donal chose her since she could give their child the two requirements he needed to be a Royal Magical counselor; Deryni blood, and sufficient social standing to be considered a suitable companion for Brion. This child’s mother evidently agreed with Donal’s reasons and his aims and was a willing participant in their liason. We asked Katherine if we had met her or at least members of her family, and she said “Oh possibly.” She refused to identify her more definitely, but looked as if she were enjoying our speculations. <G> The child WAS born, and he was about seven or eight years old at the time of his death. Katherine hinted that his death was not an accident although foul play couldn’t be proven after the fact. It may also be that members of the Camberian Council were involved with bringing about the child’s death for various reasons. Katherine says she’s pretty sure there was a fairly cataclysmic shakeup in the Camberian Council at some point before the start of Deryni Rising which explains why they’re such pains in the neck now. <G> Michon de Courcy will appear at least in this first volume, and possibly a little bit in the second. I gather we’ll also see Jamyl Arilan, too.

Postings in November 2000

Codex Derynianus II is completely revised and updated from the original, including material from KKB, interpolations for the intervening three and one-half years in the chronology (from 1125 to the beginning of 1129), and some entirely new entries (on "Healers," for example).

Rob
(Nov 14th 2000)

Subject: Dark Haired Men Books
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2000 14:39:04 -0600
From: "Questions" <rhorim@yahoo.com>
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
Newsgroups: alt.books.deryni

Since the childe Morgan books aren't going to the publisher until late 2001 and since Codex II will be late 2001 -- in the meantime -- so we can all get out deryni fix-- how about the books by Robert Reginald that menbers of this newsgroup have been raving about. -- ACE could maybe work them into thei schedule so that there would be alternative deryni books for we derni addicts to read???

Is ACE interested in your books Rob??? Let us know.

Carolyn has asked Ace about when the paper back version on KKB will be released and had this reply:

I got a reply from John Morgan at Ace today and he says:

"It's currently scheduled for July 2001. While that may change, it's probably pretty solid at this point."

So there you have it;-)

Carolyn with pax
(Nov 6th 2000)

Dear Folks,

As you may already have heard, Ace Books will not be publishing Codex Derynianus II. They may change their mind at some point in the future, but for the next year or three, at the least, no version of this work will be available through bookstores.

However, Katherine Kurtz has agreed to allow Mary and I to produce a 8.5 x 11" paperbound edition of C2 for direct sale to the newsgroup, under our Millefleurs imprint. We hope to publish it in time for Christmas 2001, with a cover price in the range of $20-25.

We'll be starting a mailing list of interested parties, but we won't actually be accepting orders or money until the middle of next year, when we're closer to actual production.

In the meantime, we'd appreciate a show of hands. How many of you would be interested in purchasing the new volume? Your response will help us gauge the potential market for the book.

All best:

Robert Reginald
Mary Burgess
(Nov 6th 2000)

Postings before 23 Mar 2000

Just received the flier in the mail for Darkover 2000.

KK will be Special Guest again. GOH will be Diane Duane and Peter Morewood.

I see membership rates have gone up $5.00 and special hotel rates $3.00.

Hey, and they DO have a website! www.darkovercon.com. Still has last year's info on it though (I checked)!

Rebecca

The signing tour will start after Dragoncon which is in Atlanta Georgia, as you probably all already know. I think she'll get at least as far north as Virginia, but I'm sorry to say I don't know anything more than that.

Melissa

I've recently been offered a monthly review column and, since it will start in June, decided that King Kelson's Bride would be one of the first books reviewed.

I contacted the Ace publicity department about getting a copy to review. I was told it would be sent out to me as soon as they arrived. Since I have a deadline coming up, I contacted them again today. They had lost my request. When I explained what I needed, they informed me that the book wouldn't not be in their hands until late May. I pointed out that my deadline was in April and, if they wanted the review (which would definitely be favorable), I would need a copy by then. They explained again that the book wouldn't be ready until late May. I asked if they had any review copies (galleys, Advanced Reader's Copies, proofs, the sort of things that are generally circulated to reviewers). Eventually they discovered that yes they did and maybe it would be a good idea to send them out to reviewers.

I certainly hope they can push the book after it is published, because it appears that they will only have a few reviews if they can't get the copies out to reviewers ahead of time.

Steven

Postings before 10 Jan 2000

Dear Marion,

I think you would find most Torenthi magic very different indeed, both in scope and style; we get a small taste of this in KKB, during Liam Lajos's killijalay ceremony, when something goes frightfully awry. For the top echelon of society, there has never been a period in Torenthi history when magic has not been an integral part of the power structure. For a prince of the Furstani royal family, magic would become almost ordinary, part of one's essential being. I suspect you wouldn't even see rituals employed for most ordinary workings, as you would in Gwynedd. Instead, such actions would become almost routine. Only a major ceremony, like the installation of the king, would require something special.

In DHM there's a scene on the Isle of Loryuppa, one of the fragments remaining of Cćriesse, in which "Alpha," the leader of the Brotherhood of Furstan, sets in motion the "evacuator" to cleanse the Enneaphon (a chamber carved from solid stone) of an aural blackness that has infected the atmosphere. He stands in the center of the nine-sided room, and begins to twirl, beams of healing light emanating from his fingertips, running up the bare stone as they scour away the madness. He no longer even looks human to the departing observer.

There's another scene in which the great astrologer Melanthrix, whom the Deryni at court are wholly unable to fathom, draws a red triangle in the air with his alabaster finger, and brings forth from it visions and creatures fantastical.

And that's but a small taste of The Dark-Haired Man.

Rob

Dear Mark,

Actually, LC has at least seen a galley of KKB, since they've already issued CIP data (cataloging-in-publication). Check the Library of Congress website, and get into the on-line catalog. The publisher submits a photocopy of the ms., or sometimes page proofs, along with a form, in order to get the cataloging information to run on the copyright page of the hardcover edition. The data are used by libraries to catalog the book. Normally, however, LC discards the pages once they've issued the CIP slip. So if you hurry on back to the trashbin, real fast now....

Robert Reginald

The Library of Congress Online Catalog entry for KKB is here

Postings before 5 Jan 2000

Hi folks!

I e-mailed Julianne inquiring about back issues of Deryni Archives (DA), and she asked me to let the list know that she is proceeding with the editing of the current version of DA. She and Frank were away during the holidays, so she didn't have time to work on it then.

The back issues are available if anyone is interested. The prices are listed below (minus shipping): > Issues 1 - 6, 9, 12 $6.00 > Issues 7, 8, 13 $4.00 > Issue 11 $5.00 > Issues 10, 14 $7.00 > Please note that back issue prices do not include mailing prices. > Contact Julianne Toomey-Kautz for further information on back issues, > either via email (Juliant9@idt.net) or by including a SASE.

That concludes this public service announcement :-)

Take care,

Sianny

Dear Ken,

In a word, no. This is the same ghost listing from Ballantine Books that has been rolled over and over again for years. Ballantine will NOT be publishing any edition of the Codex, and there is still no indication from Ace whether or not they will buy the book. Right now, all they've got is King Kelson's Bride, and I strongly suspect they are going to want to see some indication of how well that novel will do before committing to anything else. If I hear anything firm, I'll let the group know right away. Meanwhile, those of you having copies of the limited edition of the Codex should probably increase your insurance!

All best:

Robert Reginald

Merry Christmas to all friends on the a.b.d. Newsgroup! I've had a siege of preparation and haven't had much time to post lately. And indeed, I don't have much time now as I'm due at my mother's house for Breakfast and the Annual Orgy of Opening. But It's been a better, jollier year for knowing all of you, and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet a large number of you in person at Darkover!

But here is the Christmas Greeting from Katherine, who is the true "Herself" in the subject line:

Dear Friends,

Outside, the wind is howling and the rain is lashing down, with record-high flooding expected along the south coast, but inside, all is snug and warm as Scott and I send our Christmas greetings to friends and loved ones scattered all across the globe. May this blessed season of the coming of the Prince of Peace bring you happiness, health, and prosperity in abundance, with time together with those you love and who love you. And may the new century be twice as good as the one we're just leaving.

Drive safely, don't eat or drink too much (well, maybe just a *little* too much, especially if it's chocolate!), remember those less fortunate, and thank God for all our manifest blessings.

With all love and blessings, Katherine & Scott

Here in California, it's cool and sunny, and promises to be a very nice Christmas Day indeed. But enjoy the snow all of you in colder climes!

Jingle them bells,

Melissa

I did one draft of DHM in the summer of '97, which Katherine will edit should the novel actually sell. I suspect this will depend ultimately on the sales of KKB. The book is 162,000 words in length, and encompasses one entire year, from Jan. 1, 1025 to Jan. 1, 1026, with a Prologue beginning in 986, and an Epilogue ending in 1038. The central chapter relates the story of the Battle of Killingford, as the Torenthis remember it. We also catch a distant glimpse of the Battle of the Cleyde, in which the Mearans are massacred. If the sequels (The Three Demoiselles and The Uncrown'd King) are ever written, we will see distinctly different versions of these actions, told from the Mearan and the Gwyneddan povs. There's lots of magic here, of a type and style that you've never seen before, and there are a number of interesting, mmm, plot developments, such as.... Arrrrrgh, I'm being surrounded and lambasted by Melissa and Susan's infant codices!!! They tell me just one thing: I have to ZZZZIIIIIPPPPP. Sorry, Matt, I have no choice here. You'll just have to read some of my short stories instead.

In KKB, we meet characters from all over the bloody place, including a number of the southern folks, and we hear about many others (including several marriage prospects), but we actually only visit two places outside Gwynedd: the Ile d'Orsal (twice) and Beldour in Torenth (quite a lengthy stay, that). There's a glimpse of Count Berrhones and his grandson, Lord Raduslav, both quite upstanding gentlemen, but we also see some others who are not nearly so honorable. Létald Hort of Orsal and Sovereign Prince of Tralia plays a significant role in the development of the tale, and his family, of course, is closely related both to the House of Haldane and the House of Furstán, many times over. You'd be surprised!

The second Codex, which now racks up 300,000 words, will reveal more of these interlocking connections between the royal houses of the West. Oh yes, you'll all be surprised! (Laughs wickedly, while Beethoven's Ninth reaches a climax in the background.)

But remember, it's an ode to joy.

Till the nearest tomorrow: