<p>This might be old news, but I happened upon Diana Gabaldon's web site, and she is predicting an early 2013 release of her latest Outlander series book. It is entitled Written in My Own Heart's Blood, and you can read some teaser excerpts of the book on her web site.</p>
<p>Additionally, she recently published the latest in her Lord Grey series. This book, The Scottish Prisoner, is written about Jamie Fraser and how his and Lord Grey's relationship developed prior to Claire's return. I haven't read any of the Lord Grey novels, but supposedly this one is actually the next best thing to a new *Outlander *book.</p>
<p>I got hooked on the Outlander series last summer and was really annoyed how the last book "ended" (it seemed like she just quit writing it rather than actually ending it). I decided I probably wouldn't bother reading any more of the books, but that's probably an empty threat. :)</p>
<p>Anyway, if this is all old news, I apologize.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link Nrdsb4. I love this series and can’t wait to read the next book. I agree with you about the last book. I was also disappointed. It doesn’t matter, though, because I love the characters and have to read what happens next.</p>
<p>Hugcheck - A Breath of Snow and Ashes was great. The last book was An Echo in the Bone.</p>
<p>I recently read The Scottish Prisoner. I wasn’t crazy about the first two Lord John books, but I really liked The Scottish Prisoner.</p>
<p>Ooh BU I might be one book behind - the last one I read had a silver cover. That might mean I can read the next and the next and no annoying wait! Trying to activate memory (what me, remember something?) as to an Echo in the Bone. I think the last one I read had them in North Carolina and the house burned down…no wait…the last one I read started after the house burned down…oh fogoonesssake I think I read the last one what color was it shall i press the post button and admit to my inability to remember from one moment to the next let alone something i read a year or two ago? Sheesh.</p>
<p>I’m with you Consolation. Have read every one of them and enjoyed them. But some of the plot points begin to annoy (eg., her fixation with sadomasochistic sex).</p>
<p>I read (devoured might be an apt description) them all up to Echo in the Bone. I didn’t read that one because CC’ers said it wasn’t that great. Will I need to read Echo in the Bone before reading the next one to come?</p>
<p>Honestly, yes. But I think it was a fine book. It just didn’t have an "ending " in my opinion. It seemed that she just decided to quit writing at that point. But if you time it right, it will be fine. </p>
<p>It’s definitely not a bad book and I don’t see how you can skip it and really catch up well with the next installment.</p>
<p>I am currently reading The Scottish Prisoner; I happen to like the Lord John Grey books but SP has so much Jamie in it that it doesn’t feel like the others in the JG series.</p>
<p>I haven’t yet read Echo in the Bone. I find that I like her odd # books in the series and the even ones are full of details to set up the movement and plot in the next installment.</p>
<p>In addition to her recent books mentioned here, An Echo in the Bone and The Scottish Prisoner, there’s another fairly recent story from Songs of Love and Death, a Gabaldon short story, A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows. It filled in a lot of blanks about Roger and could have been a stand alone short book. I wasn’t interested in reading the other short stories, but Leaf was well worth it. It went into more detail regarding Roger’s past, including a riveting story about his father, as well as more about Frank. Then, we were treated to a jaw dropping cliff hanger about modern day Roger. </p>
<p>I have a love hate relationship with Gabaldon’s books. She can drag story on until I’m numb with boredom (for instance, the gathering…ack), but then she bounces back with a story so compelling, I’ll stay up all night reading. No series of novels have ever grabbed me and sucked me in like the Outlander series. As much as I like John Grey, I don’t find that series as interesting, but I did enjoy A Scottish Prisoner. </p>
<p>I did find the first part of Echo a bit grinding, but there’s a lot not to be missed in the second half. If you have the time, I’d fast forward through the first part of the book, while savoring the second half. I also felt that it had an abrupt ending. The story was very good, but the ending didn’t feel so much a cliff hanger as just a boom/stop.</p>
<p>I LOVE the Outlander series! I think Gabaldon has a gift with creating her characters and feel like I know Claire and Jamie so well. I missed them when I finished with her books. Can’t wait for another one.</p>
<p>I read, and listened to the series a few winters ago. It’s an excellent series to read in the winter IMHO and the audio version is superb. However, I finished with A Breath of Snow and Ashes a couple of years ago and I thought she wrapped everything up. Then she came out with Echo in the Bone, and I found that I had forgotten some of the plot lines and characters. I also found her sex ramblings a bit too much. I didn’t really need to know of the continuing lust between Jamie and Claire, what they did or how they did it.</p>
<p>I think this would make a great few movies, especially Outlander.</p>
<p>I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I really enjoyed The Scottish Prisoner. I originally fell in love with Jamie and Claire, but now enjoy reading about Lord John just as much. I have reread the first book a ridiculous amount of times.</p>
<p>I also love this series and obsessively recommend it to people–it combines the best of my two favorite fiction genres, historical fiction and fantasy/science fiction. However, I have no patience for re-reading books, which may be a bit of a problem since I’ve probably forgotten so much between the last book and whenever the next one comes out!</p>
<p>Re: the short stories in anthologies. She has quite a few in all kinds of publications, some of which I’d have no interest in otherwise. However, she has promised that she’ll put out a volume combining all of those sometime in the future. She just blogged about that recently, I’ll have to find the link.</p>
<p>I agree with this, thecheckbook. LOVED the first book so much, #2 quite good, #3 OK, and way downhill from there. I quit on book #4 or 5. </p>
<p>I went to hear her speak once at a small bookstore and she gave a wonderful presentation. There was a tall, handsome guy in a kilt to open the door for us! (Didn’t have red hair, though.)</p>