Ooookay. THIS weekend (August 26-28) is Bubonicon, which takes place in Albuquerque, NM, at the Airport Sheraton Hotel. I’ll be there from Friday evening through Sunday, and will be doing several different appearances:
8:30 PM on Friday night—a panel on “Beyond Goddess/Whore”
1:00 PM Saturday–a panel on Jules Verne
4:00 PM – Mass Autographing (with other authors) – I _think_ this is open to the public, but can’t swear to it, and
10:00 AM Sunday – a 70-minute talk/reading (with Sam Sykes)
I’ll also be taking part in the Sunday afternoon tea, and will just be generally around most of the time. See you there!
Or if not at Bubonicon….
NEXT weekend (Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-4), I’ll be at DragonCon in Atlanta. I’m doing two appearances there:
Title: Whiskey, Haggis, & Madmen: Myths & Reality of the Scottish Highlands
Time: Sat 08:30 pm Location: International BC – Westin (Length: 1)
Description: The stories that made Scotland famous: why kilts, why Braveheart was an inspiring fairy tale, and how the Scots invented everything. Yes, everything.
Title: An Hour with Diana Gabaldon
Time: Sun 07:00 pm Location: International BC – Westin (Length: 1)
Description: The best-selling author discusses her time-traveling Outlander series, and more!
Now, I’m _not_ doing the Decatur Book Festival this year, but with due regard for Atlanta-area folk who might want to see me and get a signed book, but don’t want to fight their way through the DragonCon zoo {g} (or pay for the privilege of doing so)….I _will_ be doing a talk/reading/signing event in Decatur (about three miles from downtown Atlanta):
3 PM Sunday – Talk/reading/Q&A/signing
Eagle Eye Book Shop
2076 N. Decatur Road
Decatur, GA 30033
404-486-0307
www.eagleeyebooks.com
This is a free public event, so for any of y’all that can’t make it to DragonCon (or turn pale at the thought {g})—I’ll see you in Decatur!
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Righto. Now, with business out of the way, I did promise to post the excerpt that made tents full of people gasp in Fergus last week. {g}
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WARNING/WARNING/WARNING/WARNING/WARNING/WARNING
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE SPOILERS FROM BOOK EIGHT
DON’T READ THIS!!!
(still with me?)
(OK, then….)
Excerpt, Book Eight: Roger in the Past
Copyright 2011 Diana Gabaldon
[You may recall that at the end of AN ECHO IN THE BONE, we left Roger embarked on a quest through the stones to find his son Jem, whom he believed had been taken into the past. From Craigh na Dun, Roger goes immediately to Lallybroch, figuring that if Jem had managed to escape from his captor, he’d head for home.]
His heart rose in spite of his anxiety, when he came to the top of the pass and saw Lallybroch below him, its white-harled buildings glowing in the fading light. Everything lay peaceful before him; late cabbages and turnips in orderly rows within the kailyard walls, safe from grazing sheep—there was a small flock in the far meadow, already bedding for the night, like so many wooly eggs in a nest of bright green grass, like a kid’s Easter-basket.
The thought caught at his throat, with memories of the horrible cellophane grass that got everywhere, Mandy with her face—and everything else within six feet of her—smeared with chocolate, Jem carefully writing “Dad” on a hardboiled egg with a white crayon, then frowning over the array of dye-cups, trying to decide whether blue or purple was more Dad-like.
“Lord, let him be here!” he muttered under his breath, and hurried down the rutted trail, half-sliding on loose rocks.
The dooryard was tidy, the big yellow rose brier trimmed back for the winter, and the step swept clean. He had the sudden notion that if he were simply to open the door and walk in, he would find himself in his own lobby, Mandy’s tiny red galoshes flung helter-skelter under the hall-tree where Brianna’s disreputable duffel-coat hung, crusty with dried mud and smelling of its wearer, soap and musk and the faint smell of her motherhood: sour milk, fresh bread, and peanut butter.
“Bloody hell,” he muttered, “be weeping on the step, next thing.” He hammered at the door, and a huge dog came galloping round the corner of the house, baying like the bloody hound of the Baskervilles. It slid to a stop in front of him but went on barking, weaving its huge head to and fro like a snake, ears cocked in case he might make a false move that would let it devour him with a clear conscience.
He wasn’t risking any moves; he’d plastered himself against the door when the dog appeared, and now shouted, “Help! Come call your beast!”
He heard footsteps within, and an instant later, the door opened, nearly decanting him into the hall.
“Hauld your wheesht, dog,” a dark man said, in a tolerant tone. “Come in, sir, and dinna be minding him. He wouldna eat you; he’s had his dinner.”
“I’m pleased to hear it, sir, and thank ye kindly.” Roger pulled off his hat and followed the man into the shadows of the hall. It was his own familiar hall, the slates of the floor just the same, though not nearly as worn, the dark wood paneling shining with beeswax and polishing. There was a halltree in the corner, though of course different to his; this one was a sturdy affair of wrought iron, and a good thing, too, as it was supporting a massive burden of jackets, shawls, cloaks and hats that would have crumpled a flimsier piece of furniture.
He smiled at it, nonetheless, and then stopped dead, feeling as though he’d been punched in the chest.
The wood paneling behind the halltree shone serene, unblemished. No sign of the saber-slashes left by frustrated redcoat soldiers, searching for the outlawed laird of Lallybroch after Culloden. Those slashes had been carefully preserved for centuries, were still there, darkened by age but still distinct, when he had owned—would own, he corrected mechanically—this place.
“We keep it so for the children,” Bree had quoted her uncle Ian as saying. “We tell them, ‘This is what the English are.””
He had no time to deal with the shock; the dark man had shut the door with a firm Gaelic adjuration to the dog, and now turned to him, smiling.
“Welcome, sir. Ye’ll sup wi’ us? The lass has it nearly ready.”
“Aye, I will, and thanks to ye,” Roger bowed slightly, groping for his 18th-century manners. “I—my name is Roger MacKenzie. Of Lochalsh,” he added, for no respectable man would omit to note his origins, and Lochalsh was far enough away that the chances of this man—who was he? He hadn’t the bearing of a servant—knowing its inhabitants in any detail was remote.
He’d hoped that the immediate response would be, “MacKenzie? Why, you must be the father of wee Jem!” It wasn’t, though; the man returned his bow and offered his hand.
“Brian Fraser of Lallybroch, your servant, sir.”
[end section]
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!!!!!!! That definitly puts a spin on the story to say the least. Oh cant wait for book 8 to be out. Have any titles in mind for it yet DG?
Diana-
You are the best. I am so excited! Now I have to hurry through my re-reading of the series to be ready for 8!! Thanks.
Oh oh
I’m so much waiting for the next book now, if not before XD
I’m surprised Roger didn’t spot the Fraser blue eyes right away XD
Holy Cow! I did not expect that! This is going to be an awesome storyline!
Fantastic! Shocking!! I am truly on the edge of my seat waiting for the roller coaster to start! Thank you, Diana! Now hurry up, we are all waiting patiently!
OMG!!!!! Diana, YOU ARE KILLING ME!!!! Please pleaseplease post some more of this! I simply can’t wait one more year!
I work in a bookstore, where I periodically check the blog… I caught a few customers off guard when I read this excerpt with my very audible “whoa…” Am excited to read on and hoping Roger is able to reunite with his family sometime soon…
Thank you so much for that! Any updates on when any new books are going to be coming out? Sorry, this makes me just get more excited for the next one.
Oh, hell…
I can’t wait! Will the Eagle Eye Bookshop be your only signing stop in Atlanta? Or will you be doings signings at DragonCon as well?
@ @ OH…MY…GOD!! Wow.
Oh, not another book narrated by Roger!! Others may not agree, but I’ve never cared for him, don’t understand how Brianna puts up with him (other than for the reason that he is taller than she) and find him an all-around wuss. Wasn’t it enough that we had to be inside Willie’s head in Echo and left with so many balls in the air when that book ended…..
I’m just hoping that Diana may be using this to venture into the “back story” novels of Brian and Ellen that she said she would write when the Outlander saga wrapped up. It’s very surreal to be now because the first book came out while I was pregnant with my daughter, who just turned 20 this past week, and now she has her own set of the books too!!
Ferrrrr real?!!!!!!!! Not_care_for_Roger?!!!! I’m shaking my head at you. And not like Willies insight to the story? Tsk tsk madame.
Poor Roger…he is the most beat up in this series and you don’t see what Brianna see’s in him? Sigh….But we all have our likes and dislikes about characters and there are times that Claire makes me bat sh*t crazy!
Agree totally…love Roger, feel bad for him…and occasionally so tired of Claire (and Bree). The theme seems to be that modern women can travel back in time and be VERY useful, while the modern man is only a burden in the past. Not sure I can agree with that as I imagine if I were to travel back, I would be completely (ok, maybe not COMPLETLY) useless. And I think Roger is the most “relatable” of the time travelers.
I like Roger but it’s Brianna I can’t stand! I’m rereading the series, just finished DOA and she was so irritating!! Now I’m on FC and with her impending marriage to Roger, she’s becoming tolerable!
Oh crap! Sitting here gasping…happy to read it and mad that i did…cuz now the wait is even longer! sigh…love your twists and turns! Was honestly worried about where he would end up, and of the places…with Jamie’s dad is probably the best!
Since you don’t seem to tour south to where I live and my chances of meeting you are slim…I vote for more writing and less signing! lol have a great trip…can’t wait for #8!!
“Oh crap! Sitting here gasping…happy to read it and mad that i did…cuz now the wait is even longer! sigh…love your twists and turns!”
COULDN’T AGREE MORE!!!!
Will you be doing a signing at Dragon*Con? I don’t see you listed in the autograph section with D*C’s information, but it may not be up to date. Thank you!! See you there
Thanks for the great info dog I owe you bgigtiy.
O..Emmm…Geee!!
Oh, but then, oh my, this excerpt has been going round and round in my head, and i just thought… what about Rogers so-many-times great grandfather, he went through with him as well. did he not make it and die, did he go to some other time… im sure he went through, coz bree gave them both some of the brooch she chopped up, WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM? Jesus Christ on a peice of toast, you know how to keep us hanging! This is going to haunt my every thought for a while now, but GOSH i love it
They both made it through. In Diana’s short story, “A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows”, there is a brief segment about Roger and Buccleigh. It’s really a very sweet story, and answers a few questions related to Roger and his parents. The usual Gabaldon mix of sighs and gasps!
Hello Amy,
You have to get a hold of ‘Songs of Love and Death’ an anthology.
In Diana’s included short story ‘A Leaf on the Wind of All Saints’ somethings that happened as a consequence of Roger and his G.G.G.Grandfather passing through the stones are explained.
Now if that poignant story doesn’t haunt you I don’t know what will…….
Warmest regards from
Antipodean Janet
Where do you get these short stories..?? I need moere to read!!
Grazi!!
Ooooh Thank you, will have to order it over the net, my local bookstores are cr@p, so they dont stock ANYTHING besides the series! Fishpond or Amazon here i come!
I love your writing and have seen trailers of a forthcoming movie is there a movie due soon
You know what, I’m very much icnielnd to agree.
O.M.G! That one I didn’t see coming. What a great twist! And now I really can’t wait anymore…
Wow!! Something to look forward to.
The excerpt threw me for a loop and I’m amazed at the comments of those who saw it coming. I love Barbie’s theory of introducing a young Willie and giving us a glimpse of a young Jamie and Jenny, but I think that’s too much to hope for. I do hope the lass doing the cooking is Ellen though, and you did say you wanted to tell Brian and Ellen’s story, so does it follow that it will appear in this book? The wait has become even longer. Nevertheless, I love the little teasers and look forward to reading more while we anticipate the outcome of all those cliffhangers from EITB.
Ah, the Big question (other than will Roger get back to the time he left), is–Will Roger blab to Brian after all and swear him to secrecy (maybe let B see him go Through), or will Roger keep his trap shut and think up something plausible and get the you-know-what out of “Dodge?”
OMG! Can’t wait to read the rest. I was so left hanging in so many areas after Echo.