Do you want to read Rhune before Summer 2016?

Well, some lucky people will be able to.  I printed up a few copies of the "beta" version of Rhune and these signed, numbered, and limited edition copies will be available through a  number of giveaways.

The contest is open to people from all countries and there are a number of ways to win.

• 2 copies from goodreads
• 1 copy to members of the "Dark Room"
• 1 copy from the Facebook Pages: Michael J. Sullivan & The Riyria Revelations
• 1 copy from my blog

Most of these are pretty straight-forward, but I should explain "The Dark Room" a bit.  This is a secret and private group on goodreads for fans of my writing. Because it's secret, it doesn't show up on your group list, and any posts you make in it don't appear in your friend feeds.  The fact that it is private means you have to be invited and approved...which I'll do as part of this giveaway.

So what goes on in the Dark Room?  Well, all kinds of things such as:

• This is where I pull beta readers from
• I can leak information that isn't public yet
• We can talk about books
• You can ask me questions
• I can giveaway stuff not available to the general public
• Other cool things but you have to join to see them

It's a really cool group, and I hope you'll join us there.

Now, about the copies that I'm giving away.  These are NOT the final version of the book.  What we have here is essentially the version that went to the second beta group (with a few fixed typos). There will definitely be changes, such as:

• Feedback from the second beta test
• Some things that need to be adjusted once I finish the last book
• Editorial feedback from my editor at Del Rey
• Copy edits, line edits, and final proof reading

So yes, the final book will be different, and yes, you will find typos and grammar issues, but it's still "pretty clean." For the winners, they'll be able to see the difference between an interim and the final version that won't come out until the summer of 2016.  So what is the book about?  Well, here's the initial "back of the book blurb."

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF THE GODS CAN BE KILLED? In the land of the Rhune, trees can tell the future; raow can’t sleep before adding more human bones to their beds; crimbals steal children through secret doors in the forest, and the gods are beyond reproach. But Raithe does the unthinkable when his father is slain…he fights back. From this act of aggression rises the legend of the God Killer, the seeds of rebellion, and the question of whether the Fhrey are truly gods, after all.  Before the Dark Ages, there was the age of Myth and Legend. Before kings and castles, there were mystics and heroes. Before Riyria, mankind lived in the shadow of the Fhrey, but that is about to change. Discover a new world by Michael J. Sullivan, the best-selling author of The Riyria Revelations and The Riyria Chronicles.  The First Empire is a standalone series, and all five books were written before the first one was published. While set in the same world as the Riyria books, it takes place thousands of years in the past. As such, no prior knowledge is required to enjoy the book to its fullest. For those who have read Riyria, you’ll discover certain details about Elan’s past weren't entirely accurate—the difference between myth and reality. Now you can learn the true story of how Novron/Nyphron saved mankind from extinction and founded the First Empire alongside Persephone, the love of his life. Books in the First Empire include Rhune, Dherg, Rhist, Phyre, and Fhrey. Note: Covers and titles are interim only, and final versions will be produced by Random House's Del Rey design team.