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). Les mer »

For some reason I didn’t read more than 14 books last year (2010), and that’s pretty low. I guess I must’ve been busy. 14 books compared to 33 the year before (2009). That’s 6,430 pages (2010) compared to 12,410 pages (2009). Average page count for 2010 is 459 pages per book. That’s pretty decent.

Let’s look at the stats for the long haul. Since I started chronicling my readings, way back in 1994, I’ve read 363 books. The page count is a dazzling 149,981. I’ve been as low as five books in a year (1999) and as high as 52 (2005). The record-breaking page count of 20,562 from that same year, still stands.

Why? You ask. Why read so much, and why keep score?

As Stephen King told us in his book On Writing: It’s important to read if you’re gonna write. For me, reading both collects and creates ideas. The books are my ammo cache. That’s where I go to refuel and better myself. As for keeping score: It’s mostly for fun. Les mer »

On this eve of the new year—a brand new decade, in fact—I allow myself to look back and reflect on the past twelve months. And as I sip at the Quarter Cask Laphroaig in my crystal tumbler, while listening to Klaus Doldinger’s masterpiece, Das Boot, I look up at the mountains where a splendid fireworks display is outshining the city lights, and I think of the past, with gladness in my heart, and with hope for the future. Les mer »

I’m happy to inform you all that there has been some progress regarding my upcoming novel Prometheus. It has been a work long overdue, and I can only apologize for the delay. The book is actually done. What I’m doing now is the final finish, the polish, so to speak. It’s not a major rewrite, but a few details have been changed or added. I’m putting more detail into the character development and I have added another subplot. My personal deadline is at the end of this year. In January I will be concentrating on my fantasy novel, which is written in English, while the publisher makes a decision on my novel. I have not decided on a publishing house yet. I have a few ideas, though. Les mer »

Hva har Ann Arbor til felles med Tromsø?

Jo, de er begge studentbyer. Førstnevnte i Michigan, USA, sistnevnte i Troms fylke, Norge, men hva har denne amerikanske byen med Dune å gjøre? Les mer »