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Monday, November 10, 2008
Yes! I finally got the darn thing to work!
And here are the results. Two lovely .gif files for your posting pleasure and/or viewing pleasure . . . I hope. :)
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http://www.thewriterscafe.com/faith.gif
Editors Karina and Robert Fabian Talk About Leaps of Faith
Leaps of Faith is not skepticism of Theology, but rather a new Christian sci-fi anthology of short fiction, edited by close personal friends Karina and Robert Fabian. Here, in this six minute Grace Bridges video (from Graces video blog across the US), the Fabians talk about the project:
If you want to learn more about Leaps of Faith, go to the official website
To purchase the book, you can go to the publisher's site The Writers Cafe Press, or Barnes & Noble (or amazon, if you must!).
If you want to learn more about Leaps of Faith, go to the official website
To purchase the book, you can go to the publisher's site The Writers Cafe Press, or Barnes & Noble (or amazon, if you must!).
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Christian Faiths and NOT Writing Just What You Know
I've had some interesting comments on Rob's and my latest anthology, Leaps of Faith. This is a collection of 14 stories of Christian science fiction. While I didn't fully itemize each faith represented, there are Anglican, Catholic and Christian stories and one Old Testament Biblical.
However, I've gotten a couple of comments to the effect that Leaps is a Catholic exclusive book. "written by Catholic writers" "a Catholic anthology" "I'm not Catholic but I enjoyed it." And the one that, frankly, insults the non-Catholic Christian contributors, the Christian publisher and my husband and me: "My only problem with this anthology is that uncomfortable feeling that the Catholics are the only people of God."
I'm not going to argue that here--you can check out the reviews on Amazon to see what people think about the mix of Christian and Catholic themes. What I want to talk about today is the ironic fact that many of the "Catholic" stories in Leaps--and some in Infinite Space, Infinite God, for that matter--were written by non-Catholics. In fact, we never asked anyone their denomination when we read the stories, and sometimes have been surprised ourselves to find out who practices what faith.
I'm always ticked at how that amazes and even scandalizes some people, even fellow writers. We think nothing of a housewife writing a detective novel or a computer technician writing a chick lit. Guys write romance with female protagonists while women write military sci-fi with predominantly male characters. Yet a person writes honestly about a particular faith, and people immediately assume the author practices that faith. Why is that?
I'm sure some people believe that to do anything different is to blaspheme in some way. I don't agree. To me, writing the faith that is right for the story is staying true to the creative talent God gave me. As long as I'm not glorifying a heresy or encouraging a sin, I feel safe in exploring other ideas, whether it's an atheist being pursued by a vampire or nuns living in outer space.
So what about writing what you know? I think writers that limit themselves to that do not go very far. There's such a wealth of adventure out there, some of which we will never know about first-hand. But we learn. I don't know asteroid mining--but I'm learning about it as I write Discovery. I didn't know Norse mythology until I started writing Live and Let Fly--and as I learned more, I had to change the story. That's what I love about writing. That's why I do it, even when I don't make the big bucks or get yet another rejection letter.
One person e-mailed me that he believed I preferred Catholic stories because that's what I'm more "comfortable" with. That's not true, not for me, not for a lot of writers I know. I'll stick with me, however. First off, I don't read a lot of Catholic fiction. (Yes, my fellow Guildies, I have not yet read Chesterson or Flannery O'Connor. They're on my list.) I read about wizards and aliens and serial killers and all kinds of non-comfortable things. I've written a story about a psychic teen who was mentally tortured. I've tortured one of my favorite characters while her best friend was forced to watch, and I have a scene for an upcoming book where the main character has to fight off a rapist. Think these were comfortable? Not at all, but they were disturbingly interesting to write and necessary to the story.
If I were to write what I "know" and what is "comfortable," I'd be putting out stories about how my kid didn't want to wear his jacket in the blizzard. That's about as much angst as I get in my life and believe me, I like it that way!
So it is with writing faith--not all my stories are Catholic. In one trilogy, the alien planet is Deist, and the other has its own odd mix of faith. They each had their own salvation stories, too. My Faerie world has what is called a Catholic Church, but "catholic" means "universal" and while it's similar to the Roman Catholic, there are enough differences that it is a unique religious organization. I could have (and maybe should have) called it the Faerie Church; I'm betting I take some heat from both Catholics and non-Catholics for it as time goes on. But if I do, I know it's because I've written a convincing world.
I'm starting to ramble here, but my point is that writers with real talent do not need to be limited by their current knowledge or beliefs. Imagination can take us to many exciting--and sometimes uncomfortable--worlds, and writing talent can help us share those worlds convincingly with others.
That's what the writers of Leaps of Faith and Infinite Space, Infinite God did. That's why I'm proud to have edited these anthologies.
However, I've gotten a couple of comments to the effect that Leaps is a Catholic exclusive book. "written by Catholic writers" "a Catholic anthology" "I'm not Catholic but I enjoyed it." And the one that, frankly, insults the non-Catholic Christian contributors, the Christian publisher and my husband and me: "My only problem with this anthology is that uncomfortable feeling that the Catholics are the only people of God."
I'm not going to argue that here--you can check out the reviews on Amazon to see what people think about the mix of Christian and Catholic themes. What I want to talk about today is the ironic fact that many of the "Catholic" stories in Leaps--and some in Infinite Space, Infinite God, for that matter--were written by non-Catholics. In fact, we never asked anyone their denomination when we read the stories, and sometimes have been surprised ourselves to find out who practices what faith.
I'm always ticked at how that amazes and even scandalizes some people, even fellow writers. We think nothing of a housewife writing a detective novel or a computer technician writing a chick lit. Guys write romance with female protagonists while women write military sci-fi with predominantly male characters. Yet a person writes honestly about a particular faith, and people immediately assume the author practices that faith. Why is that?
I'm sure some people believe that to do anything different is to blaspheme in some way. I don't agree. To me, writing the faith that is right for the story is staying true to the creative talent God gave me. As long as I'm not glorifying a heresy or encouraging a sin, I feel safe in exploring other ideas, whether it's an atheist being pursued by a vampire or nuns living in outer space.
So what about writing what you know? I think writers that limit themselves to that do not go very far. There's such a wealth of adventure out there, some of which we will never know about first-hand. But we learn. I don't know asteroid mining--but I'm learning about it as I write Discovery. I didn't know Norse mythology until I started writing Live and Let Fly--and as I learned more, I had to change the story. That's what I love about writing. That's why I do it, even when I don't make the big bucks or get yet another rejection letter.
One person e-mailed me that he believed I preferred Catholic stories because that's what I'm more "comfortable" with. That's not true, not for me, not for a lot of writers I know. I'll stick with me, however. First off, I don't read a lot of Catholic fiction. (Yes, my fellow Guildies, I have not yet read Chesterson or Flannery O'Connor. They're on my list.) I read about wizards and aliens and serial killers and all kinds of non-comfortable things. I've written a story about a psychic teen who was mentally tortured. I've tortured one of my favorite characters while her best friend was forced to watch, and I have a scene for an upcoming book where the main character has to fight off a rapist. Think these were comfortable? Not at all, but they were disturbingly interesting to write and necessary to the story.
If I were to write what I "know" and what is "comfortable," I'd be putting out stories about how my kid didn't want to wear his jacket in the blizzard. That's about as much angst as I get in my life and believe me, I like it that way!
So it is with writing faith--not all my stories are Catholic. In one trilogy, the alien planet is Deist, and the other has its own odd mix of faith. They each had their own salvation stories, too. My Faerie world has what is called a Catholic Church, but "catholic" means "universal" and while it's similar to the Roman Catholic, there are enough differences that it is a unique religious organization. I could have (and maybe should have) called it the Faerie Church; I'm betting I take some heat from both Catholics and non-Catholics for it as time goes on. But if I do, I know it's because I've written a convincing world.
I'm starting to ramble here, but my point is that writers with real talent do not need to be limited by their current knowledge or beliefs. Imagination can take us to many exciting--and sometimes uncomfortable--worlds, and writing talent can help us share those worlds convincingly with others.
That's what the writers of Leaps of Faith and Infinite Space, Infinite God did. That's why I'm proud to have edited these anthologies.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Have you visited www.shoutlife.com?
Well you should. It's free to join and it's the official book launch site for The Writers Cafe Press' soon to be released,
Forever Richard
They will be displaying something each day until the release date of
January 5th, 2009
You know, so you don't miss it! :)
I'm still dazed myself but don't let that stop you from checking the site out.
And while you're there don't forget to visit all your other favorite TWCP authors.
Karina Fabian
Steve Rice
Frank Creed
Susan Kirkland
Mike Roop
TWCP even has their own page!
They will be displaying something each day until the release date of
January 5th, 2009
You know, so you don't miss it! :)
I'm still dazed myself but don't let that stop you from checking the site out.
And while you're there don't forget to visit all your other favorite TWCP authors.
Karina Fabian
Steve Rice
Frank Creed
Susan Kirkland
Mike Roop
TWCP even has their own page!
Leaps of Faith on a virtual book tour
Leaps of Faith is on a virtual book tour for the month of November! Find out what folks are saying about this new anthology of Christian sci-fi from The Writers Cafe Press.
For more information, check out www.leapsoffaithsf.com.
1( Book Info and Interview with Editors) Free Spirit http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/
1 (Author's Interview and Book Info) Time with Tannia http://timewithtannia.tripod.com
3-9 (information, reviews, interviews) Christian Fiction Review Blog Roll www.cfrblog.blogspot.com
2 (Book Information) Tree-lady http://tree-lady.livejournal.com/
2 (synopsis of some of stories) Cathi's Chatter http://cathischatter.blogspot.com
3 (Interview with Karina) Bibliophile's Retreat http://bibliophilesretreat.com
3 (book trailer) Cathi's Chatter http://cathischatter.blogspot.com
4 (Interview with Susanne) Bibliophile's Retreat http://bibliophilesretreat.com
5 (review) Cathi's Chatter http://cathischatter.blogspot.com
5 (Information, Interview) Joy in the Journey www.teresaslack.blogspot.com
7 (Review) Bibliophile's Retreat http://bibliophilesretreat.com
12 (Interviews) Review Hutch http://reviewhutch.blogspot.com
13 (Interviews) The Book Connection http://www.thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/
14 (Interviews) The Book Connection http://www.thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/
Support Rice's Habit
World need saving?
This looks like a job for . . .
Geeks?
Yeah, geeks. I mean, who else is going to figure out how to use a super suit? Not some jock!
I'm Tom Reilly, a language geek; Rod Davies is the math and physics genius, the smartest guy in high school; Allen is our hacker; and Charlie is our doctor wannabe. Then there's Clarice, Allen's little sister. You know how kids are. And Genie, of course—the self-described "little girl" we know only from chat rooms. She's the smartest person in history—and probably the most endangered.
We've got to save her and the world. I hope we don't get grounded.
For anyone who enjoys superheroes, this is your book! Not only does the author present a compelling story full of action and excitement, the dialogue is so much fun with the League bantering back and forth. LOS reminds me of an adult version of Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio books. But, this book isn't all about laughs and guffaws, the LOS tackle some pretty serious subjects along the way, and the action is real.
Support Stephen Rice's habit of telling bad jokes, purchase copies of LOS today!
--at Barnes & Noble, OR
--you can purchase an autographed copy from the publisher TWCP
--or at a bunch of other online stores or ask for your local bookstore to order it in . . .
or if you must, you can buy it from amazon (boo amazon).
League of Superheroes
Stephen Leon Rice
Category: Christian science fiction
ISBN: 978-1-934284-05-6
Pub. Date: October 1, 2008
Retail Price: $9.95
Pages: 168
Pub: TWCP
Monday, October 27, 2008
Oh the Horror!
Yes it's that time of the year! *Sue tingles with anticipation* Fall, leaves changing colors, those wonderful horror elements of writing lore-vampires, werewolves, zombies and ghouls brought to the fore front!
As one who writes in the horror genere and is a Christian, I'd just like to say thank-you. Without ever marketing or meaning to, Never Ceese garnished a wonderful following from a market whose two gatekeeper affiliations won't allow for the kind of writing I do. (in other words, their demographic is notorious for avoiding and yes looking very badly on anything horror related or with strong horror elements.
This week I had the distinct pleasure of being mentioned on a few blogs related to recommended Christian Horror books!
How cool is that?
The bloggers were mostly strong CBA and ECPA core market readers and mentioned my name and my book. Of course, I had to correct them right away to let them know I write for the broader general market (which BTW includes a huge conglomerate of readers who are Christian) and to please make sure they share that as well as I'm not here to confuse or "scare" anyone with my work. LOL
So as someone who wouldn't normally get the following I've gotten from those guys who are looking for writing quite a bit more spiritual than what I offer I have to say thank-you.
Just remember there are tons and tons of other horror writers out there who don't write for the demographic CBA and ECPA authors serve but who are Christian. And they're waiting to thrill you with a good story that won't offend.
Quite a few indeed whom you'll never see at events advertised as Christian or winning awards for Christian literature. You will see them appealing to the larger number of Christian readers though and you will love their work and they aren't any less Christian either.
Awwww, but you already knew that.
Happy Halloween!
A few Halloween reads to check out.
Light at the edge of Darkness. Published by The Writers Cafe Press
Dying to Live by Bram Stoker Award winning author Kim Paffenroth
God Bless,
Sue Dent
As one who writes in the horror genere and is a Christian, I'd just like to say thank-you. Without ever marketing or meaning to, Never Ceese garnished a wonderful following from a market whose two gatekeeper affiliations won't allow for the kind of writing I do. (in other words, their demographic is notorious for avoiding and yes looking very badly on anything horror related or with strong horror elements.
This week I had the distinct pleasure of being mentioned on a few blogs related to recommended Christian Horror books!
How cool is that?
The bloggers were mostly strong CBA and ECPA core market readers and mentioned my name and my book. Of course, I had to correct them right away to let them know I write for the broader general market (which BTW includes a huge conglomerate of readers who are Christian) and to please make sure they share that as well as I'm not here to confuse or "scare" anyone with my work. LOL
So as someone who wouldn't normally get the following I've gotten from those guys who are looking for writing quite a bit more spiritual than what I offer I have to say thank-you.
Just remember there are tons and tons of other horror writers out there who don't write for the demographic CBA and ECPA authors serve but who are Christian. And they're waiting to thrill you with a good story that won't offend.
Quite a few indeed whom you'll never see at events advertised as Christian or winning awards for Christian literature. You will see them appealing to the larger number of Christian readers though and you will love their work and they aren't any less Christian either.
Awwww, but you already knew that.
Happy Halloween!
A few Halloween reads to check out.
Light at the edge of Darkness. Published by The Writers Cafe Press
Dying to Live by Bram Stoker Award winning author Kim Paffenroth
God Bless,
Sue Dent
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Beach Read Blogs and Sue Dent
Hop like a bunny over to Beach Read Blogs where Ms. Rhonda mentions me along with a few other notable authors, albeit CBA affiliated ones but authors none the less.
Thanks you Ms. Rhonda.
You made my day!
Thanks you Ms. Rhonda.
You made my day!
Friday, October 24, 2008
The UNDERGROUND October '08
If anyone is interested in reading October '08's The UNDERGROUND newsletter/ ezine, I now place it directly on my website (no downloads or pdfs). You can get to it either by clicking the link above or going to FrankCreed.com and clicking on the Ezine banner.
This month:
Writing tips (using metaphors, word count, locating "geek" specialists to help research sci-fi stories, and creating book titles);
This Fall in Spec-Fic: Lost Genre Guild authors release 4 new books;
How to Get Book Reviews: Tips and submissions guidelines to the top journal reviewers plus a link to a nice list of on-line review sites (with links);
Spec-Fic Genres and Sub-genres: a pretty comprehensive list of everything spec-fic
and more . . .
Feedback is welcomed and you can post your thoughts in the October '08 UNDERGROUND board at FrankCreed.Proboards52.com.
Faith,
f
This month:
Writing tips (using metaphors, word count, locating "geek" specialists to help research sci-fi stories, and creating book titles);
This Fall in Spec-Fic: Lost Genre Guild authors release 4 new books;
How to Get Book Reviews: Tips and submissions guidelines to the top journal reviewers plus a link to a nice list of on-line review sites (with links);
Spec-Fic Genres and Sub-genres: a pretty comprehensive list of everything spec-fic
and more . . .
Feedback is welcomed and you can post your thoughts in the October '08 UNDERGROUND board at FrankCreed.Proboards52.com.
Faith,
f
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Christian Horror - Slow train coming!
And I'm beginning to wonder if it'll ever get her. Especially here in the US. Here's a fine example of the confusion that still plagues this market.
Just recently a list went up on that trustworthy site Amazon. *hold up. Let me pull my tongue out of my cheek* It was titled Christian Horror. The list author says: Here's a list of books most of which you won't find in your local Christian bookstore. You know, because they're horror! (okay, that's a loose interpretation but you can go read it yourself to get the exact words.)
Of the books listed only 2 (I think)were not published by a CBA or ECPA publisher. This means that most of the books would indeed be found in a Christian bookstore, at least, here in the US because the authors are affiliated. Ted Dekker, Frank Perriti, John Olsen and Eric Wilson all write for CBA affiliated publishers and they were the other authors on the list.
It seems CBA has latched onto the term Christian Horror just like they have Christian Fiction and leading everyone down the merry path of "if it's not CBA or ECPA published then it can't be written by a Christian."
Well, it can be and there are tons of Christian horror authors you won't see on list for made up for Christian Horror. Just keep that in mind while you're looking. :)
My work won't be in a Christian bookstore because my publisher is not CBA or ECPA affiliated. That demomgraphic doesn't want or read horror and so they don't readily allow it in to their stores unless one of their affiliated publishers puts it out. Rest assured, if it's published by a CBA or ECPA affiliated publisher, it won't appeal to the broader market Christian but rather a very specific niche of readers.
Just recently a list went up on that trustworthy site Amazon. *hold up. Let me pull my tongue out of my cheek* It was titled Christian Horror. The list author says: Here's a list of books most of which you won't find in your local Christian bookstore. You know, because they're horror! (okay, that's a loose interpretation but you can go read it yourself to get the exact words.)
Of the books listed only 2 (I think)were not published by a CBA or ECPA publisher. This means that most of the books would indeed be found in a Christian bookstore, at least, here in the US because the authors are affiliated. Ted Dekker, Frank Perriti, John Olsen and Eric Wilson all write for CBA affiliated publishers and they were the other authors on the list.
It seems CBA has latched onto the term Christian Horror just like they have Christian Fiction and leading everyone down the merry path of "if it's not CBA or ECPA published then it can't be written by a Christian."
Well, it can be and there are tons of Christian horror authors you won't see on list for made up for Christian Horror. Just keep that in mind while you're looking. :)
My work won't be in a Christian bookstore because my publisher is not CBA or ECPA affiliated. That demomgraphic doesn't want or read horror and so they don't readily allow it in to their stores unless one of their affiliated publishers puts it out. Rest assured, if it's published by a CBA or ECPA affiliated publisher, it won't appeal to the broader market Christian but rather a very specific niche of readers.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Tagged by Becky and the Cap
*
*
Another game of tag in the blogosphere?
DrAt! I’m IT!
DrAt! I’m IT!
Christian spec-fic associate-compadres of mine, Caprice Hokstead and Rebecca Miller, who blog at Queen of Convolution and A Christian Worldview of Fiction respectively, picked on a slow-moving handicapped guy, and tagged me.
8-/
Here are the rules for those I’m tagging. Check the list after my 6 GROOVY HIFALUTIN' THINGS to see if you’ve been tagged.
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six-ish people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
As sans tech-savvy as they come, methinks even I can manage six Random things.
1. I married my sweetheart of an editor whom I met ONLINE! (The secret is out, Frank Creed mosied on into the 21st century and became a really hip guy)
2. My twelve-year old daughter is the most adorable kid on the planet. Don’t even think about debating this point.
3. I’m founder of the Lost Genre Guild for fans and writers of Christian and Biblical spec-fic, and head literary critic at The Finishers.
4. I’m convinced that the USA is currently like the British Empire in its decline, and that we’ve had, since the 1960s counter-culture, all five signs of a failing culture noted by Edward Gibbon in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
5. We have six cats, and are currently feeding and attempting to cat-burgle a large white neighborhood stray.
6. A rabid Packer fan of 32 years, I’m really angry with the IdIoT mopes in the front office of my beloved Green Bay Packer’s front office who let the NFL’s greatest QB ever go for a FOURTH ROUND DRAFT PICK!!! Therefore, I’m now a New York Jets fan until the aforementioned mopes (president and personnel director), have either been assassinated, spindled, and/ or mutilated.
Here are the bloggers too slow to outrun a tagged cripple:
1) M.L. Tyndall Cross and Cutlass But I refuse to take up my favorite living author’s fiction time with silliness, so I’m not notifying MaryLu, and I need a seventh.
2) Grace Bridges Graces' Blog Sweet mother of squirrel, Grace has already been tagged—I need eight!
3) Karina Fabian DragonEye PI Dang, Karina’s been tagged too, I need an NINTH! Grrrr . . .
4) Robi Ley Robi's Blog
5) Sherry Thompson) Narentantales
6) Deb Kinnard) Just Tell the Story
7) Terri Main Wayfarers Journal
8) Paulette Harris Writing by Faith
9) Karri Compton Fiction Fanatics Only!
10) Scott Sandridge A Work in Progress
11) Jeff Gerke Where the Map Ends boards
Oops—too many. ShUtUp: I’m a writer not a mathematician.
8D
8-/
Here are the rules for those I’m tagging. Check the list after my 6 GROOVY HIFALUTIN' THINGS to see if you’ve been tagged.
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six-ish people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
As sans tech-savvy as they come, methinks even I can manage six Random things.
1. I married my sweetheart of an editor whom I met ONLINE! (The secret is out, Frank Creed mosied on into the 21st century and became a really hip guy)
2. My twelve-year old daughter is the most adorable kid on the planet. Don’t even think about debating this point.
3. I’m founder of the Lost Genre Guild for fans and writers of Christian and Biblical spec-fic, and head literary critic at The Finishers.
4. I’m convinced that the USA is currently like the British Empire in its decline, and that we’ve had, since the 1960s counter-culture, all five signs of a failing culture noted by Edward Gibbon in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
5. We have six cats, and are currently feeding and attempting to cat-burgle a large white neighborhood stray.
6. A rabid Packer fan of 32 years, I’m really angry with the IdIoT mopes in the front office of my beloved Green Bay Packer’s front office who let the NFL’s greatest QB ever go for a FOURTH ROUND DRAFT PICK!!! Therefore, I’m now a New York Jets fan until the aforementioned mopes (president and personnel director), have either been assassinated, spindled, and/ or mutilated.
Here are the bloggers too slow to outrun a tagged cripple:
1) M.L. Tyndall Cross and Cutlass But I refuse to take up my favorite living author’s fiction time with silliness, so I’m not notifying MaryLu, and I need a seventh.
2) Grace Bridges Graces' Blog Sweet mother of squirrel, Grace has already been tagged—I need eight!
3) Karina Fabian DragonEye PI Dang, Karina’s been tagged too, I need an NINTH! Grrrr . . .
4) Robi Ley Robi's Blog
5) Sherry Thompson) Narentantales
6) Deb Kinnard) Just Tell the Story
7) Terri Main Wayfarers Journal
8) Paulette Harris Writing by Faith
9) Karri Compton Fiction Fanatics Only!
10) Scott Sandridge A Work in Progress
11) Jeff Gerke Where the Map Ends boards
Oops—too many. ShUtUp: I’m a writer not a mathematician.
8D
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Book Signing Mt Vernon, OH
Grab your babies and kittens, Mt Vernon, Ohio
Frank Creed and Flashpoint are coming to town.
Frank Creed and Flashpoint are coming to town.
If you happen to be near or in or around Mt Vernon
Saturday, October 4, from 11AM (man that is EARLY) to 3 PM,
mosey on over to Sips Coffee House and
Meet the Authors:
Brenda Nixon
Stephanie Reed
Cindy Thompson
Janice McCament
and
me!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Flashpoint: Pluto Award Finalist
Alas, Flashpoint, Book one of the Underground didn't win the 2008 Pluto award, but I am still chuffed that it finaled. Congratulations goes to Jana Oliver for her book Virtual Evil.
Read the press release below for more details.
Source: PRLog.Org - Global Press Release Distribution
By KitchenSink Entertainment Group
Dated: Sep 02, 2008
Jana G. Oliver's Virtual Evil made the cut to become the winner of the 2008 Pluto Award given out by Yellow30 Sci-Fi Review of Books
RADFORD, VA-Yellow30 Sci-Fi, an online speculative fiction review, is proud to announce the winner of the second annual Pluto Award. This year's award goes to the second book in the Time Rovers Series by Jana G. Oliver. Ms. Oliver's Virtual Evil is a masterfully crafted book about time travel that intertwines a good gothic mystery thread throughout.
Mark Randell, the new editor at Yellow30 Sci-Fi, states the award committee had a hard time this year as the contenders for the award were some of the best books reviewed in the past year. Frank Creed's Flashpoint and Christopher Hopper's The Lion Vrie made the judges job very difficult to say the least.
Ms. Oliver can be proud of the fact that this is the second time she's won the Pluto Award. Perhaps we're seeing the rising of a new star in the science fiction writer's world.
Virtual Evil won an Honorable Mention in the ForeWord Awards for science fiction and tied for the Gold Medal in the Independent Publishers Award for science fiction.
###
Y30 Sci-fi is a speculative fiction review site that highlights books respectful of Christian values, and their authors. The online journal emphasizes new names in the publishing world, but it also reviews works from established authors.
Category Entertainment, Publishing, Books
Email Click to email author
Phone 540-921-7619
Address 203 Berkley Street
Radford, VA 24141
City/Town Radford
State/Province Virginia
Zip 24141
Country United States
Read the press release below for more details.
Source: PRLog.Org - Global Press Release Distribution
Jana G. Oliver Wins 2008 Pluto Award
By KitchenSink Entertainment Group
Dated: Sep 02, 2008
Jana G. Oliver's Virtual Evil made the cut to become the winner of the 2008 Pluto Award given out by Yellow30 Sci-Fi Review of Books
RADFORD, VA-Yellow30 Sci-Fi, an online speculative fiction review, is proud to announce the winner of the second annual Pluto Award. This year's award goes to the second book in the Time Rovers Series by Jana G. Oliver. Ms. Oliver's Virtual Evil is a masterfully crafted book about time travel that intertwines a good gothic mystery thread throughout.
Mark Randell, the new editor at Yellow30 Sci-Fi, states the award committee had a hard time this year as the contenders for the award were some of the best books reviewed in the past year. Frank Creed's Flashpoint and Christopher Hopper's The Lion Vrie made the judges job very difficult to say the least.
Ms. Oliver can be proud of the fact that this is the second time she's won the Pluto Award. Perhaps we're seeing the rising of a new star in the science fiction writer's world.
Virtual Evil won an Honorable Mention in the ForeWord Awards for science fiction and tied for the Gold Medal in the Independent Publishers Award for science fiction.
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Y30 Sci-fi is a speculative fiction review site that highlights books respectful of Christian values, and their authors. The online journal emphasizes new names in the publishing world, but it also reviews works from established authors.
Category Entertainment, Publishing, Books
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Address 203 Berkley Street
Radford, VA 24141
City/Town Radford
State/Province Virginia
Zip 24141
Country United States
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Steampunk, Hmmm?
The Junkbots of Stéphane Halleux*
I’m a lifelong cyberpunk fan and those novelists who have influenced my own writing are the likes of Nyx Smith, Mel Odum, and Michael Stackpole. Of course, the gaming I’ve done over the years has informed my writing as well. Following last year's publication of FLASHPOINT: Book One of the Underground, I’ve just finished the second book of the Underground (War of Attrition, due for release sometime in 2009) and already have the outline of book three. Cyberpunk and its possibilities fascinate me, however, recently I’ve considered writing Steampunk or clockpunk.
Steampunk, for anyone unfamiliar with the genre, is essentially cyberpunk that takes place in the past and utilizes technology available at the time but not used to its potential—what an article at wired. com refers to as retro-futuristic. As the name indicates, the technological inventions use steam-power.** The punkish attitudes of the protaganists towards authority are evident in Steampunk while the stories are set in less-extreme dystopian societies (—though a trend has developed to set Steampunk in utopias).
Some well known examples of Steampunk: H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, Jules Verne’s 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, William Gibson and Bruce Sterling’s The Difference Machine, Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the Will Smith movie, The Wild Wild West (previously a tv series).
The whole premise of steampunk is fascinating—and certainly worth more research and consideration for a new novel or series.
* The Junkbots of Stéphane Halleux
The work of Belgian sculptor Stéphane Halleux gets described as "Tim Burton meets Jules Verne." Halleux uses lots of found objects and pieces of junk to create exquisitely detailed, surrealist mashups of organics and machinery that are simultaneously humorous, dark and filled with fairy-tale charm.
Steampunk, for anyone unfamiliar with the genre, is essentially cyberpunk that takes place in the past and utilizes technology available at the time but not used to its potential—what an article at wired. com refers to as retro-futuristic. As the name indicates, the technological inventions use steam-power.** The punkish attitudes of the protaganists towards authority are evident in Steampunk while the stories are set in less-extreme dystopian societies (—though a trend has developed to set Steampunk in utopias).
Some well known examples of Steampunk: H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, Jules Verne’s 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, William Gibson and Bruce Sterling’s The Difference Machine, Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the Will Smith movie, The Wild Wild West (previously a tv series).
The whole premise of steampunk is fascinating—and certainly worth more research and consideration for a new novel or series.
* The Junkbots of Stéphane Halleux
The work of Belgian sculptor Stéphane Halleux gets described as "Tim Burton meets Jules Verne." Halleux uses lots of found objects and pieces of junk to create exquisitely detailed, surrealist mashups of organics and machinery that are simultaneously humorous, dark and filled with fairy-tale charm.
**Although many people include inventions using clock mechanism within the SteamPunk subgenre, purists set it apart as ClockPunk.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Castle pictures up for Richard's Castle!
Drop in over at www.foreverrichard.com and click on the link that says Visit Richard's castle.
Richard does like to show his place off so don't disappoint him and not take a look. There are only a few pics now but more to come! :)
Richard does like to show his place off so don't disappoint him and not take a look. There are only a few pics now but more to come! :)
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