FORTUNE'S PAWN - book giveaway, early reviews, and the official word on why I changed my name

First up, Goodreads and Orbit Books are doing a giveaway for my new book! Go check it out and enter to win yourself one of twenty-five free copies (US residents only)!

I've been pretty busy lately getting everything ready for new book, FORTUNE'S PAWN, to launch in November. There's a lot more involved with setting up for a new series than I expected: updating Amazon/Goodreads/Social Media to reflect my new pen name, a new website to support the addition of an entire new name, obsessively searching for reviews, etc.

All of this was made more complicated by the fact that the name on my new book is "Rachel Bach" not "Rachel Aaron," a decision I've gotten a lot of questions about, so I though I'd go ahead and give an official explanation...

Why my new Paradox Science Fiction novels are listed under "Rachel Bach" and not "Rachel Aaron" -- the long answer.
I am very very proud of my work in The Legend of Eli Monpress. To this day, I still consider SPIRIT'S END to be one of the best books I ever wrote. That said, FORTUNE'S PAWN is most decidedly not an Eli book, and I don't just mean it's Science Fiction and not Fantasy. Devi's story is told first person in the head of a very blunt, very violent space marine. Sex, cursing, booze, and violence are all present front and center (though it's not a dark or gritty series by any stretch. This is still me we're talking about.) That said, since my Eli Monpress books enjoy a younger audience, my publisher decided right off the bat that I'd need a new name/brand for this new series. And so I became Rachel Bach, Science Fiction author to the stars!

There were other reasons for the required name switch on my publisher's end (mostly having to do with marketing and sales), but branding was what sold the decision to me. Do I wish I'd gotten to keep my Rachel Aaron name? Well, yes, but I can understand why the decision was made to change my name, and part of working with a publisher means listening and trusting when they say "we need you to do this."

So does this mean Rachel Aaron is retired?
Absolutely not! Rachel Aaron is still my name for all new fantasy projects, including the (AWESOME) one I just finished and will be telling you all about as soon as I can!

So you're just writing books under two names then? And both names mention you write books under the other name? That seems kind of silly.
Yes, yes it is. Welcome to publishing!

I loved your Eli books, do you think I'll like the new series?
I certainly hope so! They are very different, but they've both got the same light, semi-humorous feel. Think of it as two meals made by the same chef. If you like one, chances are, you'll like the other, even if Science Fiction isn't usually your dish of choice. In any case, I sincerely hope you'll give my new series a try. I loved writing it a lot, and I think people are going to get a real kick out of Devi.

Speaking of! Here are some early reviews!

Felicia Day gave me a 5 star review and I just about died - " I JUST LOVED IT! Perfect light sci-fi."

That said, this review by Lexie is probably my favorite yet - "Devi is AWESOME. She's stubborn, impractical and justifiably arrogant and I love her to pieces. I want to hang out with her (even if I'd probably wind up dead). I want to hire her to protect me (even though I would likely wind up in debt to my ears AND dead). And I really want to go drinking with her (even though I would likely wind up with alcohol poisoning then dead)."

A few other links to round out the picture:
The Lazarus Project calls Devi "Samus done right," which is about as good a complement as I could ask for.

Sporadic Reviews loved it! "If you like Firefly/Serenity, Mecha Corps, or Alexander Outland: Space Pirate - Fortune's Pawn won't disappoint!"

While Tolerably Smart didn't care for the romance portions of the book, he liked the rest. - "If you’re in the mood for science-fiction promising epicness and love kickass heroines, give a Fortune’s Pawn a try." 

And finally Romantic Times gave it 4 and 1/2 stars! The review is only for subscribers at the moment, but here's a quote, "Bach's space opera is a fantastic, action-packed and accessible exploration of deep space. Devi is hands down one of the best sci-fi heroines I've read in a long time...Fans of Douglas Adams, Scalzi and Forde will absolutely devour Fortune's Pawn."

There are more of course, but that's plenty to get you started. And if you want to try the book for yourself, go over to Goodreads and enter to win a copy! The contest is open all month to US residents (sorry, rest of the world ): ).

FORTUNE'S PAWN comes out November 5, and I sincerely hope you'll try it. Until then, I remain your author of two names, Rachel Aaron/Bach.