Trudi Canavan

Just bringing together list of favourite authors that we're gonna stock. My personal fave is Trudi Canavan http://www.trudicanavan.com/ . Her world Kyralia is High Saga with a rich,detailed view of society from thieves to Lords. Sorcery and spells, fights and thieves and ultimately good versus evil are themes throughout her work.

The really fantastic news is that at this very moment she's in the middle of more to come:

The Magician’s Apprentice(Prequel to the Black Magician Trilogy)

Kyralia is home to many magicians and their apprentices. Tessia dreams only of following in her father's footsteps, but women do not become Healers and all she can hope for is to become an assistant. When her father is visiting their town’s Magician, Tessia is cornered by a visiting Sachakan magician who assumes he can treat Kyralian servants like the women slaves of his homeland. In fighting him off, she manifests a natural magical ability.

Tessia must become an apprentice magician or she will be exiled to protect the village from her uncontrolled powers. As she learns, Sachakan magicians intent on reclaiming the lands their empire once ruled make increasingly vicious attacks on Kyralian and Elyne villages, and Tessia finds both her skills as a magician and healer are in demand. And as the Magicians of Kyralia come together to defend their land, all wonder how they can possibly win a war against the powerful and ancient Sachakan Empire.

The Traitor Spy Trilogy(Sequel to the Black Magician Trilogy)

Book 1: The Ambassadors’ Mission

Book 2: The Rogue

Book 3: The Traitor Queen

Sonea is horrified when her son, a year past graduation, volunteers to join a group of Guild Ambassadors traveling to Sachaka. When word comes that he has gone missing she is desperate to search for him, but she cannot leave without breaking the law that prevents black magicians from leaving Imardin.

When Cery comes to her for help after most of his family has been murdered, she learns that the Thieves have been waging a deadly underworld war for several years. Suspicious deaths have the Guild worrying that rogue magicians may be involved.

Gillia, a novice from the servant class, is mostly ignored in the wars between low and high class novices. She and her best friend are more interested in hidden knowledge. When her friend finds books on black magic they both can’t resist experimenting.

And Lorkin, Sonea and Akkarin’s son, learns that the black magicians of Sachaka are not the only dangerous and secretive power within that ancient and wasted land.

In terms of publication dates we're looking at a submission deadline of March 08 for The Magician's apprentice. Publication late 08?
The Traitor Spy Trilogy: The Ambassador's Mission: Due to start writing book 1 March 07. Submission deadline March 08. Publication late 08? The Rogue: Due to start writing book 2 March 08. Submission deadline March 09. Publication late 09? The Traitor Queen: Due to start writing book 3 March 09. Submission deadline March 10. Publication late 10?

Much to look forward to then.

Chris