MATCHUP anthology is now available in paperback!
Diana Gabaldon's latest story, "Past Prologue", co-written with Steve Berry, is now available in paperback, in an anthology called MATCHUP, edited by Lee Child.
This story features both Steve Berry's character Cotton Malone, and....Jamie Fraser!
Without getting into spoilers at all, let me just say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I think it's a must-read for OUTLANDER fans! Just like "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows", this story packs a lot of action and a great deal of intriguing fodder for speculation into a small space, and I thought it was a very entertaining ride. Highly recommended!
If you're a little nervous about the fact that this story was co-written with another author, really, don't worry about it! From the very first lines of "Past Prologue", Diana Gabaldon's "voice" comes through very clearly.
I was wondering how much of the story Diana Gabaldon actually wrote, so I asked her for more details. As she explained on Facebook on June 13, 2017:
Steve and I brainstormed a bit over the phone as to what kind of scenario might work as the general premise and circumstance of the story. Then I actually wrote it, engineering the plot and action, defining/creating all the minor characters, and doing all of the dialogue involving Jamie. (For Cotton Malone, I roughed in dialogue and/or put in things in square brackets, like "[witty remark indicating that he doesn't believe her but is sexually attracted to her.]".) Understanding being that Steve would adjust any of Cotton's dialogue or action in accordance with the character--so essentially, we each did our own character's dialogue. I did the original dialogue for the other characters, and Steve tweaked it where necessary.
So I drafted the whole story, then Steve went through and refined/tightened the plot, did Cotton's dialogue and action, and moved the narrative writing slightly more toward a thriller style (though you'll still see my voice throughout).
I went through Steve's version and tweaked a few things, and then he did the final pass--in which he decided to shift the whole thing into the present tense. I'm fine with that--but it's probably the biggest change people will see from my style, as I don't think I've ever written anything in present tense.
But you'll see Jamie as written by me alone (bar the tense <g>), and Cotton as per Steve. (Now, I will warn you that we constructed the story with Cotton as the main protagonist, because Jamie doesn't time-travel, so you'll see more of him--but you will get an interesting addition to Jamie's part of the Outlander story.)
For more information about the other stories in this anthology, look here.
You can order MATCHUP from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and it's also available from Amazon UK for those of you who live outside the US. If you want an autographed copy, you can order the book from the Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Poisoned Pen is Diana Gabaldon's local independent bookstore; they stock all of her books, and they ship all over the world.
The audio version of MATCHUP is available for download on audible.com here.
And no, in case you're wondering, the fact that Diana Gabaldon has a story in this anthology is not slowing down her progress on GO TELL THE BEES THAT I AM GONE, Book 9 of the OUTLANDER series! For one thing, this story was completed more than a year ago. Also, Diana often says that she likes to work on multiple projects at once, to keep from getting writer's block.
Have you read "Past Prologue" or the other stories in this anthology? If so, please leave a comment here or on my Outlandish Observations Facebook page, and let us know what you think.
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