Hard Sci-Fi & Time Travel in Leaps of Faith

In this, the final installment of our feature on Leaps of Faith, we focus on two more types of science fiction: time travel and hard SF.

Click on the links to take you to excerpts from some great science fiction stories that are respectful of Christian beliefs.

Hard Science Fiction:

An astrophysicist finds the face of God in the stars of the universe in “The Smile.” (Greg Beatty)

God is a proven fact in “The Faith Equation,” leaving the question of the role of belief. (Peter Bell)

“The Relics of Venice” combines genetic engineering and love to create a miracle. (Leslie Brown)


Time travel:

In “Tampering with God’s Time,” time travelers find they cannot change the timeline, but are themselves changed as they encounter Christ personally. (Karina Fabian)

In “Moses Disposes,” King Solomon deliberately uses time travelers to bring the Bible to future generations in an idiom they can understand. (Frank C. Gunderloy)

Encountering Alien Life: Leaps of Faith

Part II of our focus on Leaps of Faith looks at another aspect of science fiction: encountering alien life.

Of course, the whole concept of Christian novelists including aliens or sentient non-humans (that/ who aren't later discovered to be demons) in their fiction is controversial.

Just last week the topic was discussed at Speculative Faith: E. Stephen Burnett summarizes the arguments around the existence of extra-terrestrial life, as related to Christian belief, and concludes: Thus, any speculation outside of Scripture needs to be clearly disclaimed for what it is. But I would argue that even Christians speculating — even in fiction — must conform to God’s Word.

Given that many Christians agree that scripture based- and Biblical based-logic argues against the existence of aliens or Christian non-sentient beings, the concepts explored in several of the stories in Leaps of Faith appear controversial.

In “Lost Rythar,” evangelists seek to bring the Word of God to long-forgotten human colonies. (Colleen Drippé)

In “Sometimes We Lie,” evangelism takes a bizarre turn when a native-born being tries to spread an ancient human faith. (Barton Paul Levenson)

Fr. Wren wonders if a sentient tree-creature can marry into the Catholic Faith in “The Convert.” (Susanne Marie Knight)

Fr. Travener faces persecution by ministering to sentient androids in “Comprehending It Not.” (Cherith Baldry)

Why not read these stories for yourself before dismissing the possibility that Christian fiction can speculate about sentient non-human life and conform to God's word?

Space Exploration: Leaps of Faith

In both Christian and mainstream science fiction, either religion or science always seems to take a back seat.

In mainstream SF, religion may be portrayed as something mankind has outgrown or that has become as alien as the worlds visited; or only one faith is represented, as if the great tapestry of Judeo-Christian faiths has been bleached into a colorless whole. By the same token, in Christian fiction, accurate, plausible science may be downplayed to the point of device rather than vital story element.

Yet, in reality, faith and science have always nurtured each other.

Mendel, the father of genetics, was a monk, and some physicists have said the more they delve into quantum mechanics, the more they are convinced in a higher power as Creator.

Where is the SF to reflect the truer relationship between faith and science?

Here, in Leaps of Faith.

The stories in Leaps of Faith cover the entire spectrum of the SF genre, showing the positive relationship between science and religion.

Beginning this week, TWCP Authors site will be featuring excerpts from the anthology Leaps of Faith.

Today we start with the space exploration stories.

In "High Hopes for The Dead" we see Christian evangelism though the faithful example of Luke "High Hopes" Kittery, a member of a band of space explorers for whom every trip is potential suicide. (author: Alex Lobdell)

"Quantum Express" examines the status of one's soul when the body is destroyed and reassembled through teleportation. (author: Vincent Malzahn)

"God's Gift:" faith is the key to preventing insanity brought on by a new method of interstellar travel. (author: Greg Beatty)

"Leap of Faith" highlights the new industry of space search and rescue though the intrepid nuns of Our Lady of the Rescue. (Karina & Robert Fabian)

In "Confirmation" harvesters of an exotic space fuel suspect they're harvesting intelligent life—or perhaps the angels themselves. (author: Michael S. Poteet)

A FRANK REVIEW: Cyberpunk Frank or Frankpunk?

A FRANK REVIEW: Cyberpunk Frank or Frankpunk?

Second chance to win Forever Richard!

Okay, here's the second, and one of the few chances, you'll have to win Forever Richard. Lena Nelson Dooley has posted her interview with me on her blog. If you post a comment, you go into the hat to win a copy of Forever Richard (that is your name goes into a hat. I know, takes all the fun out of it. But trust me, getting into a hat yourself is some trick.)

Please drop by and say hello. You'll definitely have to say hello if you're an ACFW member as I know longer am one and I can't access the boards to say hello myself. Like everyone else, I have to watch my money and could only afford to belong to very few organizations. I had to stick with the Horror Writers Association because they support horror writing. Perhaps someone will feel sorry for me and let me into the ACFW anyway. :)

But do go check out Lena's blog!

2008 Bram Stoker Preliminary Ballot is out!

The Horror Writers Association, of which I am a member, has released the preliminary ballot for the 2008 Bram Stoker Awards (to be announced this May!)

Some grand writers of horror, who happen to be Christians ;) are on this list. Legitimate horror stories written by Christians! How cool is that! I've put in bold those authors I know for a fact profess to be Christians. Actually, most authors on this list are Christians but I'm just pointing out the ones I know for a fact are.

Please note, while what these authors write as Christians can legitimately be called Christian Horror it isn't. Most books labeled Christian Horror describe work put out by the larger Christian houses who don't write horror. According to these publishers, the specific audience of Christians they serve doesn't want to read this type of story. They must be right because none of those authors are on this ballot.

2008 Preliminary Stoker Ballot

Superior Achievement in a Novel
Coffin County by Gary Braunbeck (Leisure)comment added by Sue - Someone else wrote "The mythology contains a Christian basis, but no sermons."
The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford (William Morrow)
Ghost Walk by Brian Keene (Leisure)
The Reach by Nate Kenyon (Leisure)
Duma Key by Stephen King (Scribner)
Johnny Gruesome by Gregory Lamberson (Bad Moon/Medallion)
Water Witch by Deborah Leblanc (Dorchester/Leisure)
Bad Moon Rising by Jonathan Maberry (Pinnacle)
Dead and Gone by Harry Shannon (Delirium Books)
The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff (St. Martins)
The Man on the Ceiling by Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem (Wizards of the Coast)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel
Bestial: Werewolf Apocalypse by William D. Carl (Permuted Press)
Apricot Brandy by Lynn César (Juno Books)
Midnight On Mourn Street by Christopher Conlon (Earthling Publications)
Veins by Lawrence C. Connolly (Fantasist Enterprises)
Eternal Vigilance by Gabrielle S. Faust (Immanion Press)
The Gentling Box by Lisa Mannetti (Dark Hart Press)
Monster Behind the Wheel by Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin (Delirium Books)
Frozen Blood by Joel A. Sutherland (Lachesis Publishing)
Crimson Orgy by Austin Williams (Borderlands Press)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
"The Lagerstatte" by Laird Barron (The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy)
The Shallow End of the Pool by Adam-Troy Castro (Creeping Hemlock)
Miranda by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books)
Redemption Roadshow by Weston Ochse (Burning Effigy)
The Confessions of St. Zach by Gene O'Neill (Bad Moon Books)
Orpheus and the Pearl by Kim Paffenroth comment added by Sue: Kim is a theologian and teaches theology at a Christian University. (Magus Press)
"Behold the Child" by Harry Shannon (Brimstone Turnpike)
Just Like Hell by Nate Southard (Thunderstorm Books)
Population Zero by Wrath James White (Cargo Cult Press)
Orgy of Souls by Wrath James White, and Maurice Broaddus (Apex Book Company)comment added by Sue: Maurice is a pastor.


Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
"The Last Word" by Maria Alexander (Sins of the Sirens)
"Mama Strangelove's Remedies for Afterlife Disorders, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Mother Death" by C. Dean Andersson (Brutarian)
"Consumed" by Michael Louis Calvillo (Horror Library Volume 3)
"Petrified" by Scott Edelman (Desolate Souls)
"Mechanix" by Christopher Fulbright (Bound for Evil)
The Lost by Sarah Langan (Cemetery Dance Publications)
"The Dude Who Collected Lovecraft" by Nick Mamatas, and Tim Pratt (Chizine)
"The Haven" by John Palisano (Horror Library Vol. 3)
"Turtle" by Lee Thomas (Doorways)
"The Blog at the End of the World" by Paul Tremblay (Chizine)
"Those Eyes" by Mark W. Worthen (Thinner Than Mist)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology
The Undead: Headshot Quartet edited by Christina Bivins and Lane Adamson (Permuted Press)
Like a Chinese Tattoo edited by Bill Breedlove (Dark Arts Books)
Horror Library, Vol. 3 edited by R. J. Cavender (Cutting Block Press)
Abominations edited by Tim Deal (Shroud Publishing)
Beneath the Surface edited by Tim Deal (Shroud Publishing)
Unspeakable Horrors edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helder (Dark Scribe Press)

Superior Achievement in a Collection
The Number 121 to Pennsylvania by Kealan Patrick Burke (Cemetery Dance Publications)
Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales by Fran Friel (Apex Publications)
Just After Sunset by Stephen King (Scribner)
Little Creatures by Michael McCarty (Sam's Dot Publishing)
Other Gods by Stephen Mark Rainey (Dark Regions Press)
The Autopsy and Other Tales by Michael Shea (Centipede)
Sheep and Wolves by Jeremy C. Shipp (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
Fourtold by Michael Stone (Baysgarth Publications)
Gleefully Macabre Tales by Jeff Strand (Delirium)
Ennui and Other States of Madness by David Niall Wilson (Dark Regions Press)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction
Shadows Over New England by David Goudsward, and Scott T. Goudsward (BearManor Media)
Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula by Robert Eighteen-Bisang and Elizabeth Miller (McFarland)
Spirits and Death in Niagara by Marcy Italiano (Schiffer Publishing)
The New Annotated Dracula by Leslie S. Klinger (W. W. Norton)
Beauty and Dynamite by Alethea Kontis (Apex Publications)
Cheap Scares by Gregory Lamberson (McFarland)
Zombie CSU by Jonathan Maberry (Citadel)
Modern Mythmakers by Michael McCarty (McFarland)
A Hallowe'en Anthology by Lisa Morton (McFarland)
The Book of Lists: Horror by Amy Wallace, Del Howison, and Scott Bradley (Harper)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
The Nightmare Collection by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions Press)
The Phantom World by Gary William Crawford (Sam's Dot)
Virgin of the Apocalypse by Corrine De Winter (Sam's Dot Publishing)
The Flayed Man and Other Poems by Phillip A. Ellis (Gothic Press)
Attack Of The Two-Headed Poetry Monster by Mark McLaughlin and Michael McCarty (Skullvines Press)
Ghosts of Past and Future by Darrell Schweitzer (Borgo)

CONGRATS ALL!

HALF!

Since it' about selling books, I thought I'd share.

Half!

That's what part of the retail price Amazon gets when a book sells from their site EVEN if that book is sold by someone other than Amazon. That's right, HALF!

That's why I'm suspicious about Amazon-USA changing the status of Forever Richard, released 01/05/09, from "out of print" to "available from these sellers" instead of also showing that the book is available through amazon-USA as well.

Forever Richard is available EVERYWHERE on the planet (and maybe even on some other planets.) Why would Amazon-USA not show that they can get the book when they can? Hmmmm . . . maybe they can make just as much money letting others simply sell it for them. That would be might guess anyway.

Please don't forget you can get an autographed copy from the publisher at www.thewriterscafe.com for retail all day long. *gasp*

Perish the thought!


Oh yes, I'm ecstatic Amazon-USA no longer shows Forever Richard as "out of print" a status they randomly selected out of the air. Now they can finally get the money they don't deserve for not selling a book they supposedly don't carry (even though they do carry it. :)


Impressive.

A Frank Review of Forever Richard, by Sue Dent

By Frank Creed

Horror newcomer Sue Dent’s 2006 vampire and werewolf novel, Never Ceese, nailed down a few accolades of which you may have heard: short listed for the coveted Bram Stoker award, and named American Christian Fiction Writers book club choice of the month in May of 2007. How does a novelist top that?

By writing a superior sequel. Everyone knows that sequels have a bad reputation for falling short of an original concept. Especially for a new novelist, proving you’re not a fluke, that you can do it again, is a load on one’s back. Truly talented authors start strong and get even better, of which J.K. Rowling is a case study. Sue Dent is one of those writers. Never Ceese showcased her natural gifts for fun characters and suspenseful plot. Forever Richard is all that and more.

Synopsis without spoilers . . .
The saga of redemption and spiritual triumph that readers enjoyed in Never Ceese continues in Forever Richard. Cassie Felts, graduate student and reluctant believer of such things as vampires and werewolves, couldn't be happier for Richard and Ceese Porter. Their curses lifted and after hundreds of years apart, they can now celebrate being brother and sister once more. Even Rodney, Cassie's college roommate and former nemesis, shares Cassie’s relief. But will the faith that saved Richard and Ceese be enough to defeat the new evil that threatens them all?
Cassie learns that Dr. Clayton Henderson, the corrupt stem-cell researcher, has acquired the vampire's curse and has managed to transfer it to Rodney's troubled, drug-addicted buddy Josh. Addict or vampire, Cassie can see Josh isn't handling his new cravings for blood any better than he did his old habit. Their best hope seems to be taking Josh to Richard's isolated country estate in England. There, Josh can learn to temper his desire to curse another while they try to figure out how to deal with the impossible-to-kill Dr. Henderson.
Plans twist when they find a new vampire inhabiting Richard's castle, and a malevolent werewolf stalking Ceese. A long-lost relative shows up packing a sawed-off shotgun and an ancient knife which he claims has supernatural powers. Will the faith that redeemed two lost souls before be enough to overcome the wicked forces that now threaten to destroy them all?

Sue Dent’s creativity and sense of humor sparkle in Forever Richard. The plot twists and turns, surprises popping at readers from around corners. Items and people are usually not as they appear. Sue should be proud of having crafted a fun and entertaining read for all levels of readers that is still fully a horror novel.

Forever Richard’s bio-ethics theme is strong. What humankind can do always runs in advance of what we ought to do, and stem-cell researcher Dr. Clayton Henderson leaps moral bounds quick as a buck clearing a picket fence. His breaches of ethics aren’t about curing sick people at the expense of others’ lives, but the black-and-white mad scientist type of villainy. Henderson is an antagonist without depth, but is a common enemy whom many can unite to oppose—the kind of bad-guy a reader hopes to see destroyed as quickly as Parkinson’s disease.

Like Dracula, Forever Richard is respectful of the Christian worldview, and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t drive stakes through the hearts of even more literary awards than did Never Ceese.

Christian Cyberpunk Novelist to Speak

For Immediate Release:


Award-winning Christian Cyberpunk author Frank Creed will be appearing in Second Life, Tuesday, January 20 at 7 p.m. For Second Life residents the direct link to the location is slurl.com/secondlife/North%20Bound%20Marina/226/25/24 (or you can become a Second Life resident by going to www.secondlife.com and downloading the software).

This will be an informal discussion in which Creed will share about his writing, his life and the state of Christian speculative fiction. Questions will be entertained by Creed. Afterwards, plans include virtual surfing and socializing.

Creed is the founder of the Lost Genre Guild, a group of writers, editors and publishers of different types of speculative fiction with a Christian worldview.

"Christians own the copyright to demons and angels and spiritual warfare," notes Creed. "Yet, the bookshelves of Christian bookstores are almost totally devoid of speculative fiction except for some fairly sanitized young adult fantasies. Nevertheless, there is a small, but growing, group of writers and independent publishers using modern technology to make quality Christian speculative fiction available."

Creed is the author of Flashpoint and War of Attrition, both published by Writer's Café Press. Set in a future where fundamentalist Christians are considered terrorists, these books follow the exploits of a group of supernaturally cyber-enhanced resistance fighters using nonlethal weapons in an attempt to protect members of the underground church from the "Neros" or agents of the government seeking to crush the resistance and "re-educate" their members.

"I guess I created the first Christian Cyberpunk novel identified as such," says Creed. "There was a series of books published in the 1990s which might qualify as the first, but they were never marketed as cyberpunk."

In addition to writing the novels, Creed also helped co-author a role playing game based on the stories.

"I'm a gamer from way back. So, it was only natural for me to want to create an RPG where my readers could enter the world of The Underground," Creed explains.

Flashpoint has received critical acclaim and won several awards including: Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year (Elfwood 2006), CFRB Impress Award for best novel toured (2007), finalist for the Pluto Award for the Best Science Fiction Novel Reviewed, and was nominated for the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Clive Staples award.

"Jesus understood the power of the story to communicate in his world. We are creating the parables of a new generation," says Creed.

For more information email Terri Main at webservant2003@ yahoo.com

Looking for Forever Richard and can't find it?

Well, did I stutter when I said the first print run was destined to sell out fast? :) Pre-orders are filled first and then on-line stores and bookstores and everyone else gets what's left. I suggest you get your order as soon as possible though. I will drop a little helpful information in your ear. Amazon-USA doesn't have a clue what's going on and shows Forever Richard as "Out of Print" with "limited availability," randomly pulling this status out of the air because TWCP is a small publisher and Amazon-USA is only in it for the money from the bigger publishers. They don't give a rip about smaller publishers and never have. Amazon-Canada is spot on as is Amazon-UK and every other branch of Amazon. Oh Amazon-USA, I bow to your immense knowledge.

So if you actually want a book in a timely manner, might I suggest you order through my publisher where you'll also get an autographed copy. Here's the link:

Order autographed copy here!

Also Lena Dooley on shoutlife.com (I'll post a link when the interview is up) will have another coveted copy of Forever Richard to win when she post her interview with me this coming week. I'd take advantage if I were you but do remember this free book comes from my author copies and I don't even have those yet! Pre-orders baby, they've got to be filled.

Sorry if you missed out on that . . . NOT! LOL

A banner for your blog?

You won't see the entire image here but if you right click then save, you can see the banner in all it's *ahem* glory?

You can link it to my website at www.foreverrichard.com or my publishers website at www.thewriterscafe.com

Thanks to anyone who feels inclined to post it! There will be more to choose from. :)

Oi! Am FINALLY done with conference work for the night. Love the Catholic Writers Conference Online; hate the nitnoid work of setting it up.

Time to stop adding spices to the chili. Must remember Pot of 1989.

:P Three conference letters done. Hopefully people will read them so they can handle the chat rooms and forums with east. CWCO rocks!

Great article for writers new to Twitter--who to follow! Good for others, too. http://ping.fm/Zg6mO

Just loaded the bookstore for the Catholic Writers Conference Online. Now I need to send letters to presenters and registrants. SQUEE!

talking writing on the writers chat room. join us! http://ping.fm/gWDfq

getting interviewed on internet radio in 30 minutes: http://ping.fm/1qFVT
call in at (646) 929-1455
7 pm est

Thirsting for Blood series - Book 2 Forever Richard

Forever Richard, book two in my Thristing for Blood series hit my doorstep yesterday and so I am doing a happy dance!! *please note this is physically challenging and shouldn't be done unless furniture is pushed out of the way - ow* Yes a box of Forever Richard for me to sign and send back to the publisher to start sending out to those who've ordered already. These aren't my author copies though so the very few copies I'll be sending out to reviewers (Jake Chism, British Fantasy Society (hardcopy) etc . . .) won't be headed out today.

But yes! Do the happy dance with me but do be careful. :)

MORE PETA: Seakittens? How about riverkittens, lakekittens, swampkittens... Do seakittens chase swamprats? http://ping.fm/v41HZ

Join me Jan 14, 7-9 PM EST at the Writers Jungle. I talk editing & DragonEye. Phone in 646-929-1455
http://ping.fm/1qFVT

Take 2: Fall ends, birds take flight/duties fulfilled, scarecrow rests/on the frigid drift
I'll put a photo up on my blog Thursday

Minot haiku: lone scarecrow reposed/on frigid drift, awaiting death/it's winter all right
Ending could be more profound...nah

Minot ditty: half hour of sun/grab the shovel and run!/more snow to come

Minot Haiku: billowing snow arches/bare the cold sidewalk below/i love snowblowers

Haiku for Rob: Walk a missile site/sinking waist deep in the snow/who put a ditch there?

Final scrub of Magic Mensa and Mayhem sent to Swimming Kangaroo. How do those typos sneak back in?

At my crit group in NYC--Got to love telecommunting!

Christianbook.com - following the trend.

*note: general market readers need not bore yourself with this blog. You'll have no trouble finding my books. :)*

Nothing is more rewarding to an author than when their work appeals to a market they didn't write for. Nothing is more frustrating than when the the exclusiveness of that market prevents them from taking advantage of well deserved sales.

Never Ceese and Forever Richard, my vampire/werewolf series, written for the general market reader have been overwhelmingly accepted by a very specific market of Christian readers. Christianbook.com is one of the larger bookselling sites that these readers visit to buy books. I'm asked quite frequently if my books can be purchased through Christianbook.com and so I solicted CBD about why my books weren't listed already. Afterall, my publisher produces Christian-friendly fiction. :)

Here's what I was told:

. . . product discussions would take place between your publisher and the buyer with whom they already have contact . . . direct your publisher to make the inquiry on your behalf.

Sounds reasonable except that my publisher's distributor (clearly on my publisher's behalf) has already contacted CBD at some point as some of their titles are already listed. So it seems that a publisher or their distributor must contact CBD for each title they'd like considered. A little tedious and a bit confusing. If a few books from a publisher are accepted and that publisher serves the market you sell books to, why not list all of their books especially when they distribute through Ingram's Christian arm, Spring Arbor? Just an odd way to do business IMO.

The above was a recently recieved response and directly contradicts a response I got when I asked if Never Ceese could be listed in 2007. A portion of that response read:

. . . If there is interest in your product, we will contact the publisher or manufacturer directly. Independent products (that is, items being marketed by either the author or a small publisher) may be sent to Christian Book Distributors for review . . .

So there you have it. CBD calls for books produced by small publishers, Christian or otherwise, to be reviewed suggesting that small publishers fall into the same category as self=published authors, the same lingo a larger Christian blog tour uses as the rule for selecting books they want to tour. The larger Christian publishers (Thomas Nelson, Waterbrook, Tyndale etc . . .) books tend to go up automatically without question.

It is a trend in Christian publishing and I suppose it will be a while before readers become aware, to accept that the larger Christian publishers are the only ones capable of producing Christian fiction. The distinction is never made that the books produced are specific to a particular brand of faith and that the work doesn't appeal to the broader market of Christians.

Until the word is out, just know that Christianbook.com does seem to be following that trend. A book that isn't put out by the larger Christian houses won't go up for pre-order and won't be listed until sales sky rocket or enough of you call to say you want to see it there.

It's a market issue and a very specific one at that.

Last for the night: Hey, PETA: I just got a new seakittening rod! http://ping.fm/v41HZ

Vern: If PETA tries to change my species name to "cavebunny," can I flame them? http://ping.fm/v41HZ

Will PETA next lobby to have all seakittens spade and neutered?

PETA: Giving cat haters a reason to live since 2009. http://ping.fm/v41HZ

Alex's addition: No--Octopus Prime!

PETA: the Fish are petitioning for the name Sub Optimus Prime or Sea-World of Warcraft. http://ping.fm/v41HZ

bah! wrote myself into a corner again!

PETA Primer: Seakittens! Seakittens swim. Swim, kittens, swim...no, uh, wait... http://ping.fm/v41HZ

PETA does Shakespeare: What's in a name? A fish by any other name would smell as...no, wait... http://ping.fm/v41HZ

PETA wants to rename fish, "seakittens." http://ping.fm/v41HZ It's open season on PETA--comment now!

Please vote Leaps of Faith for best antho in the P&E poll: http://ping.fm/ckWd2 Book Info: www.leapsoffaithsf.com

Winter Haiku: Cold flakes fall foot deep/Drifts tower over my head/Shovel on, Minot!

Karina's Take on Newsletters and Her Experiment

One thing I'm hearing more and more about as a publicity tool is to have a newsletter. I think this can be both good and bad--I've seen newsletters that are little more than organized blogs; some that are All About Me; and some the pretend to be useful but are all a big ad. (They give you a tease of a topic then tell you to buy the book, buy the class, etc. in order to get real information.)

It's also harder for the fiction writer. I really don't think a newsletter is useful unless you are either wildly popular--in which case, why are you putting that work into a newsletter instead of your next novel?--or you don't have enough material to sustain a newsletter; in which case it's the All About Me/Ads thing again.

However, I have a universe that I call DragonEye, PI. the main characters are a dragon detective, Vern, and his mage/nun partner, Sister Grace. They solve mysteries, battle evil, save the universes... It's a ton of fun to write in, so I have several stories and two novels coming out so far. However, I am working with a small press, so the chances of my being "discovered" and becoming a smash hit without a lot of effort are slim to none. I'll need to develop my following, and I have a well-established enduring world to pull from. I think I have the right ingredients for a newsletter.

Thus, I've started a newsletter about my DragonEye, PI universe that I love to write about. A Dragon's Eye View comes out bi-monthly and includes a short article from me, a rant from Vern, Faerie Facts and special offers. It's available to DragonEye, PI members, so sign up today.

In the inaugural issue:

* How Karina came up with the idea for DragonEye, PI
* Vern rants about human misconceptions regarding dragons
* Vern's explanation of the Faerie World (from Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, coming March 2009 from Swimming Kangaroo)
* Special offers and events

Sneak Peak:

* I am not a fire hazard. I can control my fire better than you can control your bowels, thank you very much. Also, it took me over 800 years of service to earn my fire back--I am not going to lose it because you annoyed me, forgot the title of my book, called me a dinosaur, whatever. I can deal with you in other ways.

I'll try to let you know how successful the newsletter is in drawing readers, generating feedback, etc. In the meantime, I hope you'll check it out.

Dimensions in Our Universe

On a serious note, in A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking says that quantum physicists know of eleven dimensions to our universe, and others theorize twelve. The more we learn about science, the more we find God's fingerprints.

For example it’s easier to believe in places like Heaven and Hell than skeptics would have one think.

The Bible claims that the spiritual may not be apprehended with our own sensory perceptions. Such places may exist on a sub-microscopic level within the universe around us. Are there extra-dimensional beings? We know of at least angels, and the Boss himself.

On a less-taxing note, novelist Bryn T. Jones (The Next Chapter) asked me, "Just for fun--what would eight dimensions be? We have height, width, depth, time..."

Before we knew that time was part of the universe’s fabric, humankind only knew of our three dimensions of space. The Fifth Dimension (Up Up and Away in my Beautiful Balloon), thought the name of their musical group was all cutting-edge. Not!

So just for fun, we need four more dimensions. Any suggestions?

My own very very finite brain has apprehended one terrestrial dimension that humankind did not immediately recognize.

S.T.I.N.K.: Mom was bed-bound for fifteen years—that I get. But, ever been around a healthy able-body with hygiene issues? There ya’ go.

Just Google: olfactory perceptions of space and you’ll find what I like to call: Superdimensional Transuniversal Intuitive Nasal Knowledge, AKA, S.T.I.N.K.). 8D

Gotta go. I’m callin’ the Nobel Prize peeps.

Did so much e-mailing, my server has locked me out! With 8 msgs in the outbox! Wah!

A FRANK REVIEW: New Release, Another Blog Tour & Conference Pitch Sessions

A FRANK REVIEW: New Release, Another Blog Tour & Conference Pitch Sessions

Catholic Writers Conference--online and FREE! All welcome; respect our faith. Feb 2-9 www.catholicwritersconference.com Register by Jan 15

January, 5th is HERE! Buy Forever Richard IF

Buy Forever Richard if:

1. you want to read a good story with vampires and werewolves in it.

2. you enjoy a good story with vampires and werewolves in it.

3. you like a good fantasy with vampires and werewolves in it.

4. you enjoy stories written by Christian authors that aren't specific to a particular brand of faith.

5. you enjoy reading work that appeals to a very broad audience.

6. you enjoy vampire and werewolf lore pretty much as it is with only very, very slight variances. (sort of like sparkly vampires but not quite! That's already been done and quite well I might add! :)

7. you like the hunk on the cover! :D Hey, that's a good reason to buy any book in my neck of the woods!

8. enjoy books written, according to reviewers, in the style of Rowlings and King (I don't get that last comparison myself but someone else said it noted The Stand specifically.)

Check back for more reasons later!

Oh and did I say buy Forever Richard and preferably from The Writers Cafe Press so you can get an autographed copy.