Celebrating #FearlessWomen with TOR and Robyn Bennis

At Fantasy Literature, we love fearless women!

Women are shining in every genre of speculative fiction, and it is no longer enough to say “Women are here.” Instead, #FearlessWomen everywhere are taking a stand to say “Women will thrive here.”

Highlighting major titles from bestselling authors V.E. Schwab, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jacqueline Carey as well as titles from acclaimed and debut authors such as Mary Robinette Kowal, Tessa Gratton, Sam Hawke, and Robyn Bennis, #FearlessWomen is a coordinated social media celebration encouraging fans to start a dialogue about women in publishing, their worlds, their voices, and their unique stories.

Tor Books’ handles across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@torbooks) are using the hashtags #FearlessWomen (and #FearlessFantasy and #FearlessSF) to promote excerpts, exclusive content, quizzes and giveaways. There will also be exclusive giveaways at BookCon, San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. Follow Tor Books online, join the conversation — and get reading!

The next book in the #FearlessWomen campaign is By Fire Above, the sequel to The Guns Above, and the rip-roaring new adventure in Robyn Bennis’s SIGNAL AIRSHIP military fantasy series that Patricia Briggs hails as “full of sass and terrific characters.” I reviewed By Fire Above here.

“All’s fair in love and war,” according to airship captain Josette Dupre, until her hometown of Durum becomes occupied by the enemy and her mother a prisoner of war. Then it becomes, “Nothing’s fair except bombing those Vins to high hell.”

Before she can rescue her town, however, Josette must maneuver her way through the nest of overstuffed vipers that make up Garnia’s military and royal leaders in order to drum up support. The foppish and mostly tolerated Mistral crew member Lord Bernat steps in to advise her, along with his very attractive older brother.

Between noble scheming, under-trained recruits, and supply shortages, Josette and the crew of the Mistral figure out a way to return to Durum — only to discover that when the homefront turns into the frontlines, things are more dangerous than they seem.

And now, for the Fantasy Literature exclusive excerpt of By Fire Above…

He skipped and trotted his way along the length of the ship, rounded the tailfin, and then came to a dead stop. He recognized, just outside the shed, the most insipid man he’d ever met. He tried to duck back, but it was too late. He’d already been made. Even as he groaned inwardly, he put on a smile and walked over the twit, saying, “Hello Roland.”

 

The muttonhead smiled back and said, “Hello, little brother.” Instead of taking Bernat’s outstretched hand, Roland put his arms around him and wrapped him up in a tight embrace.

 

“Oh good, hugging,” Bernat said, his voice a study in polite resignation. When Roland finally let him go, he added, “I don’t suppose Mother is about?”

 

Roland shook his head. “No. When she found out you were coming, she left town in a rush, cursing your name and the day you were born.”

 

“I’m sure she was talking about someone else.”

 

Beaming a false smile at him, Roland said, “Yes, I’m sure she was referring to an entirely different ‘scheming, goony-eyed, sap-headed mollycoddle.’”

 

Robyn Bennis

Bernat smiled fondly. “I miss her.” 

About Robyn Bennis:

Robyn Bennis has done research and development involving human gene expression, neural connectomics, cancer diagnostics, rapid flu testing, gene synthesis, genome sequencing, and systems integration. She wrote most of The Guns Above within sight of Hangar One at Moffett Airfield, which was once the West Coast home to one of America’s largest airships, the USS Macon. She currently resides in Madison, WI, where she has one cat, two careers, and an apartment full of dreams. You can find her online at according2robyn.blogspot.com or on Twitter at @According2Robyn.

And if you’re interested in seeing the exclusive excerpts featured at other blogs participating in the #FearlessWomen campaign, you can find their links here: This is a Metaphor, Dark Faerie Tales, Cherry Blossoms & Maple Syrup, SciFiChick, Books, Bones, & Buffy, The BiblioSanctum, Tenacious Reader, Itching for Books, and Across the Words.