Theoretically, THE SCOTTISH PRISONER was released in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand today (well…December 1. I haven’t gone to bed yet, so it’s still Dec. 1 for me). I _know_ it was released November 29th in the US, because we had a delightful launch party for it, and people have apparently been enjoying it ever since. Hope y’all enjoy it!
I did hear from several people that they had received emails from Barnes and Noble, informing them that their books hadn’t shipped yet, “because the release date had changed.” {ahem} Far be it from me to say that a respectable large bookstore chain lies like a rug, but I also have a number of photos sent me by readers, proudly showing off their new books–not a few of which sport B&N “20% Off Bestseller” stickers.
Now, they may possibly not have ordered _enough_ copies, and thus be trying to prevent people canceling their orders and buying the book elsewhere while they scramble to get more–I’m sure couldn’t say as to their possible motives–but I _can_ say that the book is out.
Hope you enjoy it whenever and however you get it!
And Many, Many Thanks to Elenna Loughlin, who provided the beautiful author’s photo–which I include here, because the UK readers tell me it isn’t on the trade paperback edition that they mostly get, and they should get to enjoy it, too.
Now, for those of you who’ve already reached the Author’s Notes, there is a note there to the effect that we have sound files of the Gaelic bits, _and_ phonetic pronunciations, and those will be available here. They _will_, but probably not before the end of the weekend–I’m madly finishing a novella (“The Space Between”) and the wonderful Cathy MacGregor is working on the pronunciations in the interstitces of her own work. But they _will_ be up here, as soon as we can manage it!
Got mine this afternoon in NC from Amazon via US mail, tracking all the way. Oooh. Minnie!
Diana, congratulations on the release of the Scottish Prisoner! I just finished it…loved it..and can’t wait for book 8 in the Outlander series. I hate to bring the topic up…but the world as we know it is supposed to end in 2012. (hee hee) Get with it gal, I need to know what happens to Jamie, Claire, William, Jemmy, Roger, Bree and Fergus before we all go up in flames!
Got mine from Amazon today. It was shipped on the release date.
What a fantastic book! The previews from Book 8 are just icing on the cake.
Ordered from Amazon, it arrived on the 30th. I hold it in my hands but i have not started reading it yet. Once I do, I know I will not put it down until I finish it! Then what do I do? I want to savor having it for awhile (I am an addict delaying my fix). Will there be an audio version coming out? I am listening to Dragonfly in Amber in my car right now (going through the series for the fourth time – takes about a year to get through all of them, depending on traffic to work).
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, so I will get to it soon! Better hurry and finish the next book so I will not go into withdrawl.
Dear Irene–
Yes, there’s an audio version; both Amazon.com and Audible.com have it.
–Diana
Thanks for using lovely Elenna’s picture. She did a spectacular job with your photo! (Course it always help to have a beautiful subject.) All her Ladies of Lallybroch buddies are SO proud of/for her and the picture’s inclusion! “Savoring” my way through S.P. and loving it! Thanks for all you do to entertain us! With affection!!!
I’m still waiting for my copy from Amazon — very impatiently, I might add!!! If it was not so cold outside, I’d go stand and wait beside the mailbox.
Your picture is lovely — and — blue is certainly your color!!!
That is a beautiful picture of you Diana, and a special shout for Elenna for taking it.
I ordered my signed copy from the Poisoned Pen, do you know if they have shipped yet?
Diana,
Congrats!! I hope to get the book soon! Thank you so much for your books… and thanks to Judie for the LOL website! Through those, I met Elenna about 3 yrs ago online. We have become close friends! I have yet to meet her in person, but it is my dream to do so one day!!
Vicki (aka Piper Mom)
I was so pleased to see the photo on the back of the book–Elenna had told us to look out for it–she is quite the photographer as well as being a truly lovely person! I got to meet her in 2009 at the Inverness Games (and we both ended up in your promo video!)
I’ve had SP since the 29th (thanks to Amazon) but have been restraining myself.
I hope to crack the cover tonight and not surface until sometime on Monday.
Thank you, Diana!
I ordered my copy from Amazon.com & recievied it on the 29th. I had it read in 3 days, loved it. I love that John & Jamie were both main characters great job!! Keep them coming .
Love the book so far. Taking my time reading this one as I usually power through them and end up rereading them as soon as I’ve finished and find new things that I missed the first read through!
Got my copy from Amazon.com Thursday (Dec. 1) and finished it this morning! Very rich and satisfying treat. I always think that it is so terrible for we readers to devour a book in days when it takes a writer months to write it, somehow it doesn’t seem fair. Love the history of your books in addition to the characters and places…and a new country in this one. Your picture is fantastic. Are you sure you don’t have a portrait painting in your attic?
Looking forward to the next one!
MMMMM, that was an excellent read. I cheated and read the book eight excerpt first. Thanks for including that too.
The photo on the back is of a lovely lady, in a lovely garden wearing amazing clothing….or is that an amazing lady in a gorgeous garden wearing lovely apparel….all the adjectives are interchangeable!
I have a feeling this book hit #1 on the best seller list on the 30th of November.
Cheers
Vicki
Diana, and All –
Thank you each so much for your kind words, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the photo, and its inclusion on the cover of The Scottish Prisoner. It was a delight and honour to serve as photographer that day at Culloden House, and a number of very lovely photos resulted (with such an amazing subject, and setting, how could they not!), from which this one really is the gem. Besides its own appeal, it just suits the cover art so well, creating a completely gorgeous book!!
All that aside, I Know the story is going to be as excellent as always, and I’m hoping to be able to dive into it soon!
Dùrachdan dhuibhse!
Dear Elenna–
Thank you again for the beautiful photo! People have been praising it all over the place. (See, when I have my picture taken by a professional photographer and makeup by a stylist, I come out looking like I’ve been inexpertly mummified. Always!)
–Diana
*looong laugh* Aye well, you are more than welcome to come back anytime, and let this amateur with the mediocre camera (and a wee bit of a knack) have another go…and I promise to only adorn you with sunshine on your face and the wind in your hair, and I think it will be well enough. :o)
E.
*ahem* That was supposed to be
!!
Hi Diana,
After reading all of these posts it makes me want to cry. My family has absolutely made me promise not to buy myself a SINGLE thing until after Christmas, and I would guess a Diana Gabaldon book would be at the top of the list. sniff….ah well, if I waited this long I guess I can wait another 3 weeks, but believe me when I say that I am counting the days until Christmas like one of my little grandchildren.
” How long until Christmas Nana? “….”Just 20 more sleeps sweetheart, then Santa will come”.
How can 20 more sleeps sound so much like an eternity? But all kidding aside Diana, you have made me look forward to Christmas as much as Santa ever did a lifetime ago.
Thank you……(((Hugs))) Fran
Diana,
I also had a bit of a snafu with Barnes and Noble. I went to my local store to pick up a copy on the 29th and they hadn’t even put it on the Octagon yet! I had to have a very frazzled employee go to the back and grab a copy for me. This isn’t the first time they’ve had to do that for one of your books. Not sure what is wrong with that chain but they need to Get It Together I think next time I’ll have to go farther afield to find a bookstore that cares to stock your books the day they come out.
I finished the novel today: it was absolutely lovely as always and gave me enough of a Lord John and Jamie fix to last me until Book Eight.
Sliante!
Chelsea
Hello Diana!
German reader here. I found my copy (after hunting through several bookstores since the day before) on the 30th and have already devoured the whole thing. Wouldn’t have minded if it had a couple (thousand) more pages. *g* (Your novels are so incredibly addictive, I barely remember to eat or sleep while reading and fidget through my unbearably long and book-less hours at work.) It’s now been handed over to my grandma, who decided she couldn’t wait till Christmas, after all. Now I’m waiting for the German edition to come out so I can discuss it with the Outlander-loving among my friends as well.
Apparently, Germany gets the UK edition, since we were sadly deprived of your beautiful author’s photo as well — thank you for providing it here!
As to the contents… Not to spoil anything for the blog-readers who haven’t read the book yet, but I have to say, I loved it so very much!
So many great moments of joy and heartbreak alike — and your writing is always a delight, of course! And much as I love Claire’s POV, I’ve come to relate to John so much that I find I’m actually a tiny little bit more excited for his books these days. The shared POV between him and Jamie works a charm, too. And I’ve long felt the two of them need more “screen”-time together — they make a great team.
Perhaps the aspect of the book I loved most (besides the puppy, because well, puppy!, and John and Jamie’s amazing chemistry) was the constant tension between the roles of Jamie-the-laird and Jamie-the-parolled-prisoner, internally, as well as to the outside world.
Well, to cut my happy ramblings short, I’ve waited for this book a long time and it was worth every minute. Thank you for sharing!
Sincerely, Julia
Loved it! This is my first time with a “new” book, having discovered and devoured your entire library (a few times over) during the past year.
It is such a delightful experience to read and listen to your books! Thank you for adding so much pleasure (and history) to our lives. Love, love, LOVE having this experience as part of my life.
Will you also someday do backstory on Claire/Brianna/Frank during J & C’s time apart? Med school, motherhood, teen years, (Brianna) learning guns, shooting and horseback riding, Disney, etc? And Claire’s grief and mourning and Jamie being always with her? Was she still “hot pants” with Frank anyway? Will we see him as the good man that Claire says he was?
I love Claire (as we all do) and would love more of her story, feelings, experiences.
Thank you, congratulations and big hug!
Vickie
I had a dream last night that we were all in a large theater watching “Outlander” and Diana got up to leave so I followed her out and asked her for a ride home. She said “sure!”. She took several of us to her home (which happened to be in my home town, which is not where she lives) and from there we had other drivers take us where we needed to go. One person lived in Washington DC, one in Florida, and one in my state, but farther west. I thought, what an amazing person Diana is– giving all these people free rides all over the country. Diana said she would have done the driving, but had to get her makeup done (!???)
Anyway, I’m half through the Scottish Prisoner and enjoying it immensely. After being raised on Davina Porter, I don’t like the the reader for Jamie on this one.
No one can better Davina Porter’s renditions.
Davina’s brilliant British, Scottish, French, Latin, female, male, accents and delivery are peerless.
Davina doesn’t’ simply read the words quickly in an single accented monotone, she acts the dialogue; bringing it to life.
I do hope that Davina can be contracted to do MOBY. I would be heartbroken otherwise.
Warmest regards
Janet
P.S. Reading kindle version of Scottish Prisoner at present because I can’t wait for my pre-ordered books from the fabulous ‘Poisoned Pen’ to arrive. Loving and savouring every word. Sigh…..
A few months ago I dreamed that Davina was not available to do MOBY and I woke up heartbroken. Ruined my day.
Fingers and toes crossed that she can not only do MOBY but the next one as well (if…)
Vick
Dear Diana–Thank you for another glorious book! I’m one of the lucky ones , I live abroad and so got SP early.
Its infinitely touching and yet hilarious — who can forget “lucky fish”???
A truly great storyteller makes her character so real that you find yourself inhabiting their world; welcome to the 18th century!
cornelia