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I always planned the Twelve Houses series to be one long, overarching storyline contained in four books. But while I was writing the fourth installment, Reader and Raelynx, I had an idea for a fifth book that would take place in the same world but revolve around a different set of characters. I wanted to set the story a few years after the war that would be centerpiece of Reader and Raelynx, and I wanted to follow a King's Rider who felt the need to seek personal redemption. My automatic first thought was that this Rider would be a man, but in previous books I had often mentioned that there were a handful of women among the Riders. When I considered this story from a woman's point of view, many of the other details fell in place.

So I created the character of Wen, a scrappy, stoic Rider who nurses an unrequited affection for the Rider Justin. I gave her a few minor scenes within Reader and Raelynx-and a reason to ride away from the royal city as R&R closes. When the new book opens, Wen is riding aimlessly around Gillengaria, trying to atone for her past failings by randomly performing good deeds, such as rescuing abducted serramarra and protecting orphaned children. I confess I was thinking a little about the movie "Shane" when I was developing her story.

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Alternate History is a subgenre of both science fiction and history both, the area where they overlap and author's ask: What would the world be like if..? What would the world be like today if the Axis had won WWII? If Napoleon had not been defeated at Waterloo, or if aliens had made first contact during the Industrial Revolution?

Harry Turtledove (1949)

Harry Turtledove was born in Las Angeles, California, in 1949. After flunking out of Caltech, he graduated from UCLA with a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977. He published his first two novels in 1979 under a Nordic sounding pseudonym, explaining later that his editor didn't think the public would believe that his last name was ‘Turtledove'. He began writing professional in 1991, and has been dubbed the ‘Master of Alternate History'. A recurring theme in his novels--whether they be about the survival of the Byzantine Empire or the South winning during the Civil War-is the realistic depiction of war from the point of view of simple soldiers, with both the heroes and villains being cast in complex lights. He has been nominated numerous times for the Nebula Award, he has won the Hugo, Sidewise, and John Esthen Cook Awards. He lives with his wife and children in California.

Good things keep happening to Gotham author Diablo Cody, author of last year's novel Candy Girl.

"Juno", the hit comedy starring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, one of which is for Diablo Cody's screenplay. The other two categories are Best Motion Picture - Comedy, and Best Actress (Ellen Page).

Even more excitingly, Diablo Cody has been selected to write the backpage entertainment column for Entertainment Weekly, alternating each week with Stephen King. This will be in addition to Cody's forthcoming second novel, which will be released by Gotham Books.

The Golden Globe nominations have been announced, and "There Will Be Blood" has been nominated for ‘Best Motion Picture – Drama’ and ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama' for Daniel Day-Lewis' hypnotic performance.

Based on Upton Sinclair's acclaimed novel Oil!, "There Will Be Blood" is slated to be released in January 2008, and has earned an astounding 100% fresh rating at RottenTomatoes.com.

Watch a trailer for "There Will Be Blood" below:

View other great works by Upton Sinclair here.