Interview with Warren Murphy and Jim Mullaney

It's finally here! The members of DestroyerClub had sent the two Destroyer authors questions. I think they held off until they could announce the name of the new publisher. It was put up on the site at midnight. You can read the interview here

I'm also going to copy Brian Murphy's announcement about the new publisher here. Some of that info (except for the name) had been known by Dclub members prior to the interview, but will be news to anyone who hasn't been checking the site.

Brian's announcement:

Warren Murphy announced today the signing of a multi-book contract with Tor Books, part of the St. Martin's publishing group, for the publication beginning in 2007 of the long-running Destroyer series.

The books will be written and bylined by Murphy and by James Mullaney who has written some twenty books in the series.

Murphy said the new contract is a departure from the past Destroyer contracts which generally called for four new paperbacks each year. "This contract," Murphy said, "calls for paperback and hardcover books and also plans on the release in trade paperback form of some of the earlier Destroyer novels."

"As such," Murphy added, "it's something new for us and for the Destroyer series. But it's a far different publishing world out there than the one we started out with and you either grow or go away. We've decided to grow. That'll no doubt entail startup pains and getting used to a whole new set of systems and procedures but Jim Mullaney are I are looking forward to the challenge."

The Destroyer series was begun by Richard Sapir and Murphy back in 1971. Its first publisher was Pinnacle Books, followed by N.A.L. Signet and then, for the last ten years, by Harlequin Gold Eagle of Canada. During that period, Destroyer sales reached 45 million copies worldwide and at its height, the series was published in fifteen different countries. In addition, the books are now under option in Hollywood for a new feature film.

Gold Eagle sought a book contract renewal from Murphy but he declined because, he said, "I didn't like the direction the books were taking."

The final Gold Eagle Destroyer, #145, is due out in October. The first Tor book is scheduled for release in April 2007. "We're still working on scheduling and other details but the goal is to maintain our publishing frequency as much as possible."

Murphy called himself "highly delighted" over the new contract with Tor which he called "one of the serious big-time publishers. We've been doing the Destroyers for thirty-five years and who knows? Now, as part of the Tor family, we might be doing them for another thirty-five years."


For questions or to comment on the state of the series, please utilize our forums @ www.warrenmurphy.com and www.DestroyerClub.com.

Happy Fourth

A happy Fourth of July to everyone in the U.S. A happy summer to those in the Northern hemisphere. And for anyone down below the equator? Well, warm weather's coming.

This should be an eventful week. I finally ordered DSL, after complaining about dial up and my ISP for over a year. Though I've been having trouble with the phone lines, hopefully DSL will be speedy enough even if the line crackles now and again. The installation package came today, but I'm going to hold off connecting until after the holiday. It should be easy and uncomplicated, but you never know. My friend got the same thing last month and their older computer didn't have the ethernet card to support it. They didn't have Internet access until her nephew could buy and install it. My computer is less than a year old, and I remember when I got it the booklet said it was DSL ready. I'm just hoping they meant the card as well as the connection port.

This isn't the week to lose the Internet for an extended period. The web master at DestroyerClub mailed our questions to Warren Murphy and Jim Mullaney on the 13th and I'm hoping this will be the week we get the answers. I'm guessing that maybe they've taken this long to return them for one (or both) of two reasons.

They may be writing the first new Destroyer book for the new publisher. Second, since there have been delays with the contract signing, maybe they are waiting until that's settled to return them. Some of the questions did have answers that depend on Warren being able to divulge the name of the publisher; he's already stated he doesn't want to do that until the signatures are on the dotted line.

It's a difficult wait. The next-to-last Gold Eagle Destroyer is coming out this month. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'll still buy and and try to get a little enjoyment. Even though it's like seeing old friends through a warped mirror.

Dreams and nonsense

It's July already. And I was just getting used to June. The lengthening days (now on the wane again, though not noticeably yet), the cold, the copious rain. Summer in New England! Now we'll probably get searing heat and sunny days. A good thing, but it's such an abrupt turnaround.

Another silly thing:

I am The Hierophant The Hierophant often represents learning with experts or knowledgeable teachers. This card also stands for institutions and their values. The Hierophant is a symbol of the need to conform to rules or fixed situations. His appearance in a reading can show that you are struggling with a force that is not innovative, free-spirited or individual. Groups can be enriching or stifling, depending on circumstances. Sometimes we need to follow a program or embrace tradition, other times, we need to trust ourselves.

Because everyone born on my birthday and year has exactly the same personality, intellect and struggles with the same issues.

I did have a dream the other night. I know I dream more than I can recall when I wake up. This one must have happened right on waking, which is why I remember it.

My mother and I were going to see a movie. It probably had a title, but I can only remember that Angelina Jolie was in it. Must have heard the name recently. We were in this big, modern movie megaplex, full of glass and chrome and escalators (it was seven stories). There were no signs outside the theaters to tell us what was playing, and I guess there was nobody around to ask, because we kept going into them to check. Inside, they had the name of the movie on the wall, but it was down in front on the side and was small enough that you had to go almost down to the screen to see it.

I remember in one of the theaters I left my mom at the back while I walked up front to check out the name. When I returned, she had started talking with another older women who was saying she was trying to find her movie too, and wasn't it a shame how confusing this place was. Next thing, we were on the escalator leading down to the lobby. Not sure who we asked or how we found out, but the movie we wanted to see was on the floor we had been on, but we had to go back down to the lobby to get there. Seems the megaplex was bisected down the middle, with theaters on both sides, but you could only get to the other side through the lobby. I was thinking how the architect was a sadist for making the design so awkward. Then I woke up.

Meaning? I don't know. At least it's better than my grandmother's dreams. She's always cleaning a big house.