2011 was a good year for books. Not only did my own novel Prometheus, later renamed Skyggespinneren, win an award and become slated for publishing by one of the large Norwegian publishers, I also read through 24 books by 13 different authors, with a total of 9,274 pages. That’s a 44 % increase compared to 2010.

Many of these books were very good, and choosing one winner was difficult. Surprisingly no book reached the top score (10), but three books scored a 9. The winner is Neal Asher with The Line of Polity. And my reasoning for this is:

In this hard sci-fi novel Asher takes the term mad scientist to a whole new level, at the same time introducing a very fascinating planet (Masada), and the Polity dreadnought Occam Razor. The action is riveting and the thrills just keep coming. This book kept my interest the whole way and was almost unputdownable.

The other niners are: Slaughterhouse-Five and Empire of Silver.

My own novel—Skyggespinneren—will be released in hardcover here in Norway this spring. The English title will be The Shadowmaker. It’s the first book in a series written for young adults and adults with imagination.

Sorry about the long wait, good people, but finally I found time to update the blog. Having said that—you should follow me on Twitter—for regular updates. Anyway, I’m most def alive. In Vegas right now, as a matter of fact, doing some of the things I love the most: traveling, shopping, discovering (and buying) gadgets, and just soaking up that good Vegas feeling.

Yes, good people, of course I’m visiting the famous 2012 International CES. Gotta love those gadgets! My first time in Vegas was in 2006. That was back when the HME still existed, Home Media Expo. (I won’t even bother looking for the website. The recession killed that show dead after 2008.) Twice I visited that show in Sin City, and before that back in LA when they still called it the VSDA. Now I’m at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) for the fourth time. Yes, Sherlock, that means this is my sixth time in Vegas, and I never stay at the same hotel twice. Read more »

Autumn is here, and the starship Prometheus has been launched on its long journey toward the bookstores. The path leads through uncharted territory, and like the colossal dreadnoughts of Neal Asher’s universe, it will change form along the way. The mission, however, will remain the same, but the title will change. E-mails have been flying through cyberspace between my editor and I, and we have agreed on some necessary changes.

The title will remain secret for a little while longer. I don’t want Ridley Scott or James Cameron to ruin this one!

As for the changes, some weight will be shed, and some chapters rearranged. The kids, Davi and Lieta, are moved up in the story to better accommodate young adult readers, as was my intention. Title in place, cover illustrations process initiated, synopsis and marketing teasers launched. All that remains is for me to rearrange all pages, to deconstruct and redeploy all the might of this galactic behemoth. Of course, that isn’t the end of it, but it’s a good beginning.

And yes, this is only the first book of a series.

Thanks for all the support, you guys! And don’t forget to follow my tweets for frequent updates.

The last few days have been a rollercoaster ride for me, and I mean that in a positive manner—as I love rollercoasters. Even when in the dumps, they are fun! Got a phonecall from Schibsted Forlag—a major Norwegian publishing house—telling me I was one of the finalists in their grand competition. So I went to Oslo on Sunday, June 12 and presented myself on Tuesday, June 14, at the publisher, talked to the press, and received the Special Award of the Jury (in Norwegian: Juryens spesialpris) for the novel Prometheus.

On that note, friends and followers, it’s as good as it gets. Prometheus will be published, on paper, and maybe later as an e-book, by the fourth largest publishing house in Norway. And the award? 50,000 NOK prepaid, not a fortune but a very decent start of things to come (I hope). Read more »

Happy May 17, friends and followers! It’s our National Day, and what better opportunity to update the blog? My science fiction novel Prometheus is still under consideration, as it was submitted to Schibsted Forlag March 1. It has received great reviews from my test readers, and I am hoping the same goes for the good gentlemen and ladies at the publisher. Only time will tell. I should receive an answer in the near future. Read more »