The Muse by Fred Warren and Flashpoint by Frank Creed on Kindle

Splashdown Books announces its second title, The Muse by Fred Warren. Meet Stan, a wannabe fantasy author struggling with writer's block - until an uncanny solution sweeps him to the head of a ragtag army in an alternate world. Find out more at www.splashdownbooks.com/themuse.

The Muse is now available at all the usual locations. There's going to be a launch party chat with the author and publisher on Sunday November 15th from 7-9pm US Central time - come along to http://tinychat.com/splashdown and join in the fun!

Delightful from start to finish. A story of three friends with writer’s block soon turns into a tale of everyday magic and real danger. Fast-paced chapters, great dialog, a fantastically magical climax, and a soulful inner journey—Warren does a bang-up job of keeping these themes consistent and tight...the result is a heart-warming ending that will have you reminiscing about it for days. A truly impressive debut novel.
~ Kirk Outerbridge, author of Eternity Falls, a Rick Macey Cyberthriller

A breath of fresh air: crisp, sharp and to the point, as creativity becomes a two-edged sword. The Muse is definitely a good first novel—a book to muse about—and a sign that Mr. Warren is an author to watch.
~ Walt Staples, Radio Playwright and author of Crossways comics

The Muse is great fun. Engaging, quirky characters, snappy dialog, unexpected twists, and the thrills and woes of every writer—a story that is quite possibly in itself a cure for writer’s block. A very true-to-spirit yet atypical Christian fantasy.
~ Kasey L. Heinly, Book Reviewer

An excellent read that keeps the focus throughout, with colorful descriptions and smooth dialog to open the imagination. Warren has outdone the norm...definitely a good read for any fantasy buff.
~ “Jesus Puppy,” Book Reviewer

What would you do to fulfill your artistic dreams? The Muse is unique and imaginative, a humorous yet mysterious twist on the journey to success that warns: if the deal is too good to be true, it likely is. I got caught up in the story of love and Divine inspiration, which totally took me by surprise. I loved the idea that you shouldn’t rush creativity, that it takes time to build art that entertains and gets people to think. A well-written delight, The Muse will inspire readers to enjoy their own artistic gifts and the time it takes to create them.
~ Jill Williamson, author of By Darkness Hid

A light-hearted, family-friendly page-turner, my only complaint is that I now have to start the wait for Fred Warren’s next book. The Muse does for writers what Superman did for men wearing tights.
~ T.W. Ambrose, Editor, Digital Dragon Magazine

The Muse is a heart-warming tale of friendship and family that takes an unexpected twist into an otherworldly adventure. This is a story every aspiring novelist can relate to—the struggle for inspiration.
~ Steve Rzasa, author of The Word Reclaimed

This is an engaging, slightly twisted tale of a trio of aspiring speculative fiction authors who do battle with that most dreaded foe—writer’s block. Although this may sound like something to appeal only to authors, that is far from the truth. Fred Warren’s deftly-designed characters and well-developed scenes will draw in a variety of readers and carry them along for the ride. I laughed and cried out loud and found myself wishing for certain denouements, most of which were different than the actual outcomes. Reality and fantasy blur then clear in this kaleidoscope of action.
~ Cathi Hassan, Book Reviewer, Editor at TeenAge Magazine


Flashpoint by Frank Creed is now available in Kindle format for $4.99 at
http://www.amazon.com/Flashpoint-Book-UNDERGROUND-Books-ebook/dp/B002U829UE/ref=ed_oe_k

Plus, its sequel War of Attrition is due out in December!

"Flashpoint delivers an action-packed, shocking look into a possible future while bringing to life spiritual truths in a battle between good and evil that is guaranteed to keep your head spinning."
—MaryLu Tyndall, author of Legacy of the King’s Pirates series
"A thriller that touches the soul, Flashpoint by Frank Creed hits the ground running when a father's love for the Lord thrusts his children into a run-for-your-life adventure riddled
with action, suspense, and a quick lesson in what it means to serve the Lord in times of severe persecution."
—Donna Sundblad, author of Pumping Your Muse, Windwalker and short stories published in a variety of anthologies. Fantasy editor at Inspired Author
"Ever heard of ground-breaking fiction? This is it. Hot stuff!"
—Grace Bridges, author of Faith Awakened
I haven’t had this much fun with a book in a long, long time. Creed is a gutsy writer who gets you into the story at light speed, builds a believable futuristic world that keeps you wanting to find out more.
—Steven Macon, Y-30 Staff www.yellow30scifi.com

To read more, visit the Flashpoint media page.

Guild Member Spotlight: Rebecca Ellen Kurtz

Welcome to our ongoing series of conversations with Lost Genre Guild members. Catch them here on Mondays!

Rebecca Ellen Kurtz

When did you join the LGG? How did you make the connection?

I found LGG when I was researching for a genre for my own book. I began reading about the LGG and thought, "Wow, these are the books I would like to read." I didn't even know what speculative fiction was, but finally realized that is what I was writing. I was going between Mythic Fiction, Supernatural Thriller, Action/Adventure/Romance (what the film script was listed as), and then Amazon put it under Horror/Occult for the demons, vampires, and exorcisms. I joined....well, definitely less than a year ago. I'm thinking last spring.

What's the first thing you remember that happened in the Guild?

I remembered thinking, "Wow, these people communicate a lot."

Tell us some good things that have transpired from belonging.

Some excellent connections have been made with people who write stories like mine. It has helped me find books to review for my blog: Godly Goth. It's wonderful to know that there are others out there that enjoy and write speculative fiction. Authors understand promotion and marketing, and some of the authors on LGG have reached out to help new authors in promoting and marketing their novels.

What's your genre and subgenre? Why do you think that is?

Supernatural Thriller/Mythic Fiction/Romance. Well, we have angels, demons, Nephilm and mortals caught up preparing for the final battle of Armageddon. Raechev and Caleb (Nephilim/ brother and sister) return to their home town of Nineveh where an archaeological dig has stirred up some mysterious supernatural deaths. They get caught up in their fallen brethren's plans and are hunted by some mysterious archaeologists who seek out supernatural entities.
The premise of Sons of God is that the N'filim, the descendants of angels and mortals, are the basis of all world mythology. The novel series includes Thor, Loki, Nimrod, Sekhmet, Osiris, Sokar, Mithras, Ishtar, and several more. Of course, some serve Elohim while others plot to rebuild a strong N'filim army before the Battle of Armageddon to defeat God. Scholars acknowledge that the Greek gods closely resemble what the Hebrews would call fallen angels living amongst and having children with mortal women. We still hear tales of Hercules, Medusa, Thor and other half divine heros and villains who survived a great flood. In Norse mythology, great battles were fought between the gods (fallen angels) and cannibalistic giants before a flood wiped out the giants for the humans to repopulate the earth. Celtic mythology of the Tuatha de Danaan continues this trend and has documentation for their ancestors originally hailing from the Middle East where tales of the N'filim were first recorded. In almost every ancient religion there are tales of angel-like/divine creatures mating with humans and/or animals to create their god-kings or a superior semi-divine race worshipped by humans.

Do you like to read the same genre as you write? What other genres interest you? Favorite authors?
Pretty much, but I also greatly enjoy romances. Although each of my novels has some romance in it, the novel itself is not a romance. Favorite authors include Lynn Kurland, Francine Rivers, Frank Peretti, Stephanie Meyers, and Dan Brown (not for his "facts"). I am still searching for authors to love though now that I know where supernatural thriller authors have been hiding - LGG & Where the Map Ends.

Tell us about your published work, and where we can go to find out more.

Sons of God: Supernatural Thriller/Mythic Fiction/Nephilim/Vampires/

Romance/Messianic Judaic Author

According to the Christian Fantasy Review, when thinking of Sons of God, "one should think of Twilight, the Mummy movies or Indiana Jones full of paranormal activity. But this one has a Biblical worldview....In fact, it is a romance at heart."

Sons of God tells the tale of a 3,000-year-old half-angelic, half-human female warrior who disguises herself as a treasure hunter for mythic items while hunting down her fallen brethren who've committed atrocities against mankind. But now, in the present day, some mysterious murders begin occurring at the archaeological dig at Nineveh, and she must return to face her worst mistake. The most fascinating aspect of this mythic thriller is research from the Old Testament on this supernatural race and historical accounts of these blood-drinking tribes, which introduces an alternate vampire theory. It raises the question - is this semi-supernatural race mythical or not? Sons of God has been dubbed the Da Vinci Code for Twilight, Hancock, & Indiana Jones fans.

To one Christian Barnes & Noble manager, Sons of God is a perfect gift for any teen who is being drawn into the rapidly growing genre of Twilight, House of Night, and other YA books in the horror/occult genre. Blessedly, the Sons of God series is pro-God and anti-occult. Although just getting into several B&N stores, Sons of God has already made it to the Amazon Best-Seller List several times.

If you wish to read the article based on the research found in Sons of God "Are the Hebrew N'filim the foundational element of all world mythologies and vampire lore?" please scroll to the bottom of the spotlight interview. Other sites that have reviews, interviews, etc are also at the bottom.

What are you working on right now? How's progress?

I'm reviewing editors' comments for book 2, Nimrod, in the Sons of God series, and I'm writing book 4, Caleb.

What are your dreams for the future of Christian speculative fiction, and for yourself within that?

For authors to be able to write realistically. Oftentimes, the guidelines for Christian fiction is too goody two-shoes. It's unrealistic, and you can't connect with the too-perfect protagonist.

Your best writing tip?

Write with all five senses.

What else are you up to that our readers would find interesting?

I am also a screenwriter and producer. I've written and produced various television shows and am awaiting feedback from one of my scripts currently in script competitions. I just received notification today that 1636 has made it through the second judging round at CWA. From 2000 down to 75 scripts. I also have a couple of producers requesting the script for Aryan State which I need to finish soon, and I'm helping some Messianic rabbis organize a pastor's convention for those wanting to know and understand more of the Hebraic roots of Christianity.

Something you reckon not many people know about you?

Uh, I perform exorcisms? Also, I'm one of Elohim's seers.

Your website or social media profile?

On the Facebook Fan Page, I give out free prizes, interesting tidbits, and sneak peeks at upcoming novels in the Sons of God series, and I really need to update my IMDB page.
Author Site: http://www.rebeccaellenkurtz.com/index.html
Ephesus LLC Site: http://www.ephesusmedia.com/
Supernatural Blog: http://rebeccaellenkurtz.com/blog/
Godly Goth: http://rebeccaellenkurtz.com/GodlyGoth/
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1982238/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/REKurtz
Myspace: www.myspace.com/reksonsofgod
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sons-of-God-Messianic-Fiction-Novel-Series/163712519464

"Are the Hebrew N'filim the foundational element of all world mythologies and vampire lore?" E-zine article by Rebecca Ellen Kurtz, best-selling author of Sons of God.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-the-Hebrew-Nfilim-the-Foundational-Element-of-All-World-Mythologies-and-Vampire-Lore?&id=2460249
http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=577907
http://www.articlealley.com/article_932312_51.html
http://www.easyarticles.com/article-346932.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/religion/article_918.shtml
http://www.a1articles.com/article_932312_51.html
http://vampiresweaters.com/articles.php
http://geniusfind.com/gfanswers/Zeus.html

Interviews
Rebecca Ellen Kurtz, author of best selling novel Sons of God, by Karina Fabian at Virtual Book Tour de `Net
http://virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/2009/06/sons-of-god-by-rebecca-ellen-kurtz.html

Podcasts or Web Chats
Rebecca Ellen Kurtz on the Author's Insight (podcast)
http://www.emeraldbookcompany.com/authors/kurtz/
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9bd904284f9d8228694e

Reviews
Sons of God by Phyllis Wheeler at The Christian Fantasy Review
http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/2009/04/27/sons-of-god-by-rebecca-ellen-kurtz-a-review/
Amazon Reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Sons-God-Rebecca-Kurtz/dp/0982313500/ref=pd_rhf_p_img_1

Update from Marcher Lord Press

Greetings, friend of Marcher Lord Press! Well, the third set of original Christian speculative fiction from Marcher Lord Press has been out for a full month now and is doing famously. Once again, the titles are being snapped up by eager readers--and then the positive reviews from what they've read begin to pour in. I fully expect the awards programs that honor speculative novels published in 2009 to become well acquainted with the name Marcher Lord Press in a few months. The big news for this update is the official launch of Marcher Lord Select, my bold (foolhardy?) experiment in fiction acquisitions. I'm naming you to my editorial board and relying on you to tell me what book I should publish next. May heaven have mercy on us all. ;-) Jeff Gerke Publisher Marcher Lord Press

Marcher Lord Select: The Game Is On! This summer a man named Henry Reyenga pitched to me an idea about an original way of doing fiction acquisitions. He described an American Idol-style system in which "the people" got to vote and discuss and ultimately decide which book I published. It was beyond radical, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Now, just four months later, I'm putting the idea into a state of play. Marcher Lord Select is scheduled to run from November through January, with winners being announced on January 31. There are two main arms of the experiment: the one that will result in the winner being published and the "premise contest" that will result in the winners receiving priority acquisitions reading by me. The heart of Marcher Lord Select is the full manuscript contest. (But no, you won't have to read lots of full manuscripts to participate!) The first phase of this portion of the contest will have you voting on the "front matter" of more than 30 novels: the premise, back cover copy/blurb, and 1-page synopsis. That phase will cut the number of entrants in half. Subsequent rounds will have you reading the first 500 words of each book, the first 30 pages, and (in the last round of three finalists) the first 60 pages. The winning entry will be published in the Spring 2010 list from Marcher Lord Press. I really hope you catch the vision for this. How cool for you to be able to help dictate in a substantive way what book a publishing company produces next. The other portion of Marcher Lord Select is what I'm calling the premise contest. You will vote to narrow a list of entrants from nearly 50 down to three. You'll vote first on just the book's 20-word premise, then on the back cover copy, then on the synopsis, and last (for the 10 finalists), the first 500 words. The three winners will win the prize of having me read their full manuscripts at my earliest opportunity. A few participants have voiced the concern that this could end up being nothing more than a popularity contest, that the most outgoing author or the author with the most FaceBook friends will win, and someone with perhaps superior writing skills will not. To some, it feels like high school all over again! I have taken some steps to minimize this, but the best way to make sure this doesn't happen is if I have a large voter base. Yes, one author might bring in 25 friends, but if my voter base is over 1,000 strong, it won't sway the vote. So you see how much I need you to participate! Please come on out to The Anomaly forums, where all the fun will take place. And if you'd like to read (and possibly forward or post) the press release, I've included it below. Thank you, and let's see if this experiment might really work! Jeff Gerke Publisher Marcher Lord Press

Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction & Ted Dekker Interview

Voting is now open for the Readers’ Choice – Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction: http://clivestaplesaward.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/readers-choice-%E2%80%93-the-2009-clive-staples-award-for-christian-speculative-fiction/

------Heads up, our own Steve Rice's League of Superheroes is up in the running; also Donita Paul's Dragon Light.

This week at TitleTrakk:

Ted Dekker Interview
by Todd Agnew

"If you don't cringe at darkness, you are essentially becoming complicit with it. Darkness's greatest objective is to masquerade itself as a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Christian recording artist Todd Agnew sits down and chats with best-selling author Ted Dekker on Green, the Circle series, and why Ted writes so much darkness into his books.

Read Interview here.

Guild Member Spotlight: Greg Mitchell

Welcome to our series of ongoing conversations with Lost Genre Guild members. Catch them here on Mondays!

Greg Mitchell

When did you join the LGG? How did you make the connection?
I joined in 2007 after self-publishing my first novel The Coming Evil, Book One: The Strange Man. I was looking to get the word out on it and always considered it kind of weird because it’s a self-described “Christian Horror” novel. I sought out Sue Dent because she, too, writes horror and is a Christian and she, along with Kevin Lucia, another horror writer who’s a believer, said I should check out the LGG. I did, and here I am.

What's the first thing you remember that happened in the Guild?
I think just hearing all the different creative voices. Everybody is trying to serve the Lord through their writing and it was just really neat to see how these people interpreted their gifts and their ministry.

Tell us some good things that have transpired from belonging.
Well, *meeting* Frank Creed was really neat, and getting to know more about his Underground series of books and getting a chance to contribute a story in the upcoming Underground anthology. I think we’re on the same wavelength as far as showing a really dynamic “action movie” version of the Christian faith and it was a lot of fun working on that with him and just meeting someone else with similar tastes. I’ve met a lot of really supportive people in the Guild, and I really feel like, if I ever needed anything, they’d be there for me. That’s a nice feeling.

What's your genre and subgenre? Why do you think that is?
I say “Christian Horror”, but I think it’s probably more accurately “Christian Monster”. I love monsters. I love that sort of 1980s campy “creature feature” vibe like Fright Night and Gremlins and—“The King”—The Monster Squad. Plus Ghostbusters (1 and 2), Lost Boys, I could go on and on. I’m not into Saw and the sort of gritty “realistic” horror. I like movies that have gravity and emotion and heart, sure, but I also like car chases, shotguns, and a one-liner now and again. That sort of fun, Saturday afternoon vibe is really missing from most horror movies these days (except for Drag Me To Hell, which was a much-needed breath of fresh air) but I hope to bring that fun back—only in the Christian genre. Growing up, I watched these movies and saw people running and screaming from these monsters, but every once in a while, a priest or some other “person of faith” would brandish a cross and send the vampire fleeing. That always excited me because, when they started talking about God and Christ, I—as a young Christian—completely related. That started me thinking, what if all of these monsters attacked a whole group of Christian believers? That sounded like a lot of fun to me. It opened up a lot of possibilities to explore faith and how we respond to evil and to God. From that, the heart of The Coming Evil was born.

Do you like to read the same genre as you write? What other genres interest you? Favourite authors?
As you can tell, I’m a total geek when it comes to my monster movies. Apart from that, I like a good war movie and I’m completely absorbed in the Star Wars mythology and Back to the Future—perhaps the greatest trilogy of all time (that’s some tight plotting!). As far as favorite authors, it’d sound completely typical to say Stephen King, so I won’t say it.

Tell us about your published work, and where we can go to find out more.
My first writing cred was the novelization of the movie Time Changer for writer/director Rich Christiano. Other than that, I’ve had “Flowers for Shelly” published in the 2^nd Edition of Coach’s Midnight Diner (another LGGer, there, folks), a story called “White Ghost” on the Halloween Comics website in conjunction with a series of comics based on the quite awesome John Carpenter movie Halloween, and a short piece for the Official Star Wars website about an orphaned smuggler, the hapless bounty hunter she’s in love with, and a broken-down ship called the Dusty Duck.

What are you working on right now? How's progress?
I just finished working up a draft for the novelization of The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry. It’s a family-friendly, feel-good Christian film done by my old collaborator Rich Christiano. It’s got a good message, lots of heartwarming and funny moments (though, sadly, nary a monster in sight :p) and it was really fun diving below the surface of what you see on the screen and fleshing out the inner workings of those characters. It was a nice challenge. I believe the plan is to release the novel when the DVD comes out early next spring. Apart from that, I’m working on getting the Revised and Expanded Edition of The Coming Evil, Book One: The Strange Man picked up by a traditional publisher and out to a wider audience. I’ve had the trilogy planned for the last ten years now, and I’m ready for it to see the light of day. I’m also writing the script for Cloud Ten Pictures’ Apocalypse V and I’m always trying to break into the comic book business. So, yeah, pretty busy.

How has the LGG helped you in your work?
It’s given me new perspectives. As with any group, we don’t always agree on various topics, such as how “in your face” to be with the message, or writing style, or even doctrine, or whatever. It can get pretty heated sometimes, but that’s just because we’re all passionate. When I don’t agree with someone, it causes me to ask myself “Why don’t I agree with them?” And that helps me define for myself my beliefs and views and why I hold them. So, it’s all beneficial. Sort of an “iron sharpening iron” effect, I suppose.

What are your dreams for the future of Christian speculative fiction, and for yourself within that?
I think my biggest dream for the future of Christian Spec-Fic is for the walls to come down. Today, I see a lot of division in the camp. There are those who write from a very evangelical standpoint, there are others who like to be a little more “low key” with how they present God and the faith, and then there are others who don’t really include anything obvious at all, but just sort of have this subtle understanding that the God of the Bible exists in a particular story. Behind those decisions are very valid points concerning the nature of how to communicate God to a lost world—which I believe is the call of all Christians, whether they’re writers or not. We all want to do our part to share Christ with the world, but we don’t always agree on how to do that. I see a lot of cutting down and animosity between these camps and I don’t think it has to be there. I think people should just write the stories God has for them to tell and leave it up to Him to use them and to get the stories into the hands of the people who will benefit the most from them. There are people who are going to read The Coming Evil (I hope, anyway) who will “get it” and it will really speak to them. There are others who are going to read it and think it’s “preachy, Christian propaganda”. But they might go read another book by another LGGer and feel really moved to consider God. Isn’t that what it’s ultimately all about? Yeah, I’d love it if everybody loved The Coming Evil, but that’s a human vanity. It’s more important from where God’s standing that they just get fed somewhere. Be it in my corner of the Christian Spec-Fic spectrum, or somewhere else. So, yeah, in the future, I’d like to see less division and just more “write what God’s called you to write”.

Your best writing tip?
Again, “write what God’s called you to write”. It’s gotta start there. Yeah, you’ve got to have technique and craft and yada yada. But you could take twenty years off from your life and devote it to nothing but workshops and studying under wise mentors, and if you don’t have a passion—a heart—for the story you’re trying to communicate, it’s just words on paper.

What else are you up to that our readers would find interesting?
Between all the writing projects, and taking time to spend with my wife and our 3-year-old daughter, there’s not a whole lot of time to do anything else, ha ha.

Something you reckon not many people know about you? (such as a quirky hobby or ability)
What, liking 80s monster movies isn’t enough quirk?

Your website or social media profile?

You can keep up with all that I’m doing and also read FREE short stories set in my The Coming Evil universe on my blog at http://www.thecomingevil.blogspot.com

Guild Member Spotlight: Kimberli Reneé Campbell

Welcome to our ongoing series of conversations with Lost Genre Guild members. Catch them here on Mondays!

Kimberli Reneé Campbell

When did you join the LGG? How did you make the connection?

I joined the group in September 2006. I found out about the LGG when a member sent out an invitation to another writing group I belong to.

What's the first thing you remember that happened in the Guild?

Um…my memory stinks. Sorry. I can’t remember that far back. I’m lucky if I can remember what I did five minutes ago.

What's your genre and subgenre? Why do you think that is?

If I have to choose, I’d say Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery. I believe the Lord had me write in this genre because there are tons of secular stories in this genre that do not bring glory to his name. Yet, our children swarm to them. This must change.

Do you like to read the same genre as you write? What other genres interest you? Favourite authors?

I do enjoy reading fantasy. But I’d pretty much read any genre that has clean romance in it.

Tell us about your published work, and where we can go to find out more.

I published my first book in November 2008 called – The Sword of Light: Shayia’s Adventures Book One. It is an easy to read children’s chapter book. You can find it on www.amazon.com, www.target.com, and www.theswordoflight.com (we’re working on the site).

What are you working on right now? How's progress?

At this time, I’m working on the sequel to The Sword of Light. How’s progress? Well, I have a three-year-old son (and a fifteen-year-old son) who keeps me busy ALL day long. He’s going through a phase where he wants me to play with him 24/7. In addition, I care for my father, who suffered a stroke this year. So, although things are not going as quickly as I’d like, I know the Lord will help me get the story done.

How has the LGG helped you in your work?

They have truly opened my eyes to genres (horror, supernatural, vampires, etc.) that I did not know existed in the “Christian” world. It’s exiting to see the Lord glorified in ALL genres.

What are your dreams for the future of Christian speculative fiction, and for yourself within that?

I would like us to continue to write stories which contain scripture and draw us closer to the Lord, even if the story is just to entertain.

Your best writing tip?

If the Lord has called you to write, then you write no matter what!

What else are you up to that our readers would find interesting?

I hope to work on a screenplay the Lord had given me many years ago to submit to Disney.

Something you reckon not many people know about you?

I love to dance and took lessons only as an adult – tap, ballet, and hip hop. I’m 45-years-old.

Your website or social media profile?

You can find me on Facebook and Twitter (soon). You can also see a trailer of my book at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g24buPdbSX8

Thank you!!!!

News for October 23rd, 2009: ResAliens

Lyn Perry on the new edition of Residential Aliens:

It’s that time of month again! Hmm, that doesn’t sound right. But it does mean that 5 new stories have magicamally appeared here at ResAliens – 4 by new-to-this-zine “freshman” authors and 1 returning “zine-ior” (get it?), Fred Warren. Let’s start with his SF piece, a thrilling, and up-lifting, space adventure. But then hold on, the stories following Fred’s get increasingly dark and disturbing, concluding with a subversive bit of fiction by Jeff Parish.

Ready? Okay!

Headlining this month’s issue is Fred Warren’s excellent science fiction novelet, “Of All Things, Seen and Unseen,” based on the Rescue Sisters Universe created by Robert and Karina Fabian and featured in their anthologies, Infinite Space, Infinite God and Leaps of Faith. The stories in the anthologies are about a future order of Catholic nuns who provide search and rescue services to space workers and travelers throughout our solar system’s asteroid belt. “Of All Things” is a very imaginative and superbly written piece of speculative fiction that I commend to you.

Next up is “The Bee Stone,” a seemingly innocent little magical story by Jasmine Giacomo. This fantasy – told in the fairy-tale tradition – is more than a morality tale, so be careful.

Meghan McVey’s mystical Dune-esque science fiction novelet follows. “The Bottled City” is a stand-alone tale but feels like the first episode in an epic cycle of far-future Saharan stories. Maybe it will be.

One of the darker pieces ResAliens has published is Kristen Lee Knapp’s science fiction, “The Assassin, The Star, and The Steel-Faced Man.” This PG-13′ish tale is filled with intrigue, sexual tension, and betrayal. If you like gritty space thrillers, this is for you.

Finally, that subversive bit of fiction I was telling you about. Jeff Parish fuses fantasy, SF, and horror into a disturbingly humorous piece, “Where the Sun Don’t Shine.” Yes, that’s the title. It is an experiment in stretching the boundaries for ResAliens and isn’t particularly “spiritually themed” (as per my guidelines) but is intriguing, and speaks to the human experience of death in light of eternal truths. In other words, it had me thinking about the story long after I finished reading it.

Thanks for reading and thinking with me.
Your Fellow Alien, Lyn
http://www.resaliens.com

News for October 21st, 2009

There's a new source for short stories in the Lost Genre - it has been up and running for several weeks now. From the creative team around Jeff Gerke at Marcher Lord Press and Where The Map Ends, we now have Anomalous Fiction. I believe it is still in beta, but all you writers be sure and take a look at this new and different concept. My apologies for not bringing it to your attention sooner - I'm now in deepest darkest Bavaria!

There's an interview and giveaway with Steve Rsaza, author of the new book The Word Reclaimed, at Jenniffer Allee's blog. The giveaway will be drawn this Friday so don't delay!

And check out Greg Mitchell's thoughtful and in-depth look at the question "Christian Horror - is that even possible?" at his blog, The Coming Evil.

Guild Member Spotlight: R.L. Copple

Welcome to our series of ongoing conversations with Lost Genre Guild members. Catch them here on Mondays!


Rick Copple - byline, R. L. Copple

When did you join the LGG? How did you make the connection?

October 22, 2008. I'd seen Frank Creed on forums and kept hearing about Lost Genre Guild. I finally asked him what it was about and decided it was something I would like to be a part of.

What's the first thing you remember that happened in the Guild?

When I jumped in, there was a discussion on short fiction, flashes. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I challenged everyone to write a 100 word or less flash. Only Alice and myself participated that I recall, but it was fun.

Tell us some good things that have transpired from belonging.

Mostly support and help with marketing. Plus some interesting discussions from time to time. But it is great to have others in the same boat as yourself, who can not only help you, but you can help them.

What's your genre and subgenre? Why do you think that is?

I've done fantasy and soft science fiction, mostly space opera type. I also have a partiality to super hero stories.

I think it is because I find the unusual interesting. Maybe I'm just bored with real life. lol. But I experience that myself, I would rather read about life I can't experience. So, I tend to want to write that kind of story as well.

Do you like to read the same genre as you write? What other genres interest you? Favourite authors?

Yes, I like to read the same genres that I write in. About the only other type of story that interest me is comedy in general, and I tend to like spoofs in particular, but anything that can make me laugh and in good taste is fun to read, watch, or write.

I guess that's why my first published short story was a fantasy comedy: Dragon Stew.

Favorite authors are mostly in past years. Lester Del Ray, Asimov, Tolkien, Lewis.

Tell us about your published work, and where we can go to find out more.

I have a central place on my web site that list all my published works.

http://www.rlcopple.com/published.php

You'll find there several short stories, flashes, and poetry that's been published on-line. You'll also be able to see the blurbs, reviews, and where to buy my two published books, /Infinite Realities/ (Nov. 2007), and /Transforming Realities/ (Mar 2009).

What are you working on right now? How's progress?

Several projects. One, the final book in the Reality Series, /The Reality/, is in the editing stages. I'm hoping that one will be ready to come out in 2010.

Mind Game - is a space opera story in the polishing stages. I'm hoping to start finding a publisher for it soon. Jeremy and Mickey end up trapped along many others from Earth into a realistic virtual reality game which is really designed to trick them into fighting an real alien world's war.

Hero Game - is the planned sequel to that, which if I can come up with a good plot, will be the novel I write at his year's National Novel Writing Month.

Worlds Apart - a space opera style novel. This is the first novel I wrote in 2005 which started me down this writing road. I'm currently rewriting it fresh since there are so many problems with the original that I felt it would be easier to simply rewrite it than edit it.

On short stories, seems 2009 has been my rewrite year. I have about four rewrite request on short stories that I'm finding hard to get to with my focus on my novels. Unlike previous years, I've published no short stories or flashes to date. Not much time left!

How has the LGG helped you in your work?

The writing and discussions have been good, but I think the biggest thing is help with marketing and publicity. I don't take full advantage of everything, but the help with reviews and getting info on blogs has been a big help. And making contacts in the business is half the struggle. What better place to make friends that who can help each other get published and then to get the word out?

What are your dreams for the future of Christian speculative fiction, and for yourself within that?

As has been noted before by people higher up than me, the industry is changing. I think Christian speculative fiction is certainly going through an Internet/small indie press renaissance of sorts. The success of those efforts will open up opportunities in the more established CBA as well who have traditionally not been very keen on this type of fiction, suggesting Christians wouldn't buy it. I think we're proving them wrong.

I'm hoping that over time, I can carve my own nitch into this movement. Ideally, I would love to write full time. I know that is a dream, but dreams do come true, and while not easy, it is possible. Until then, I'll keep writing and selling. I figure at a minimum, it will be something in my retirement years to keep my mind active. And who knows, something I write could positively affect someone else's life. Actually, I believe it already has, so in my book that is a win-win situation.

Your best writing tip?

My *best* one. Hum. Probably this. Write. Don't expect to get rich. Write anyway. Don't expect to become an overnight sensation. Write anyway. Don't expect to become an expert writer on your first story/book. Write anyway. Expect to struggle with this for a few years before you really get noticed. Write anyway. If you love to write, do it because there's a story that has to get out. If you are writing, are open to learning, but always keep writing, you'll eventually find your voice, style, and stories that work for you. But you never will unless you keep on writing.

What else are you up to that our readers would find interesting?

Our regional National Novel Writing Month coordinator has asked me to manage a workshop on preparing/planning on writing your novel. It is scheduled to take place at the Pflugerville Public Library (north edge of Austin, TX) on Oct. 21st, at 7:00 pm Central Time. I think there is talk of the library recording it and putting it on the web as a podcast.

Something you reckon not many people know about you?

I used to draw comics and record stories on a tape recorded when I was a teen. Three of those comics that I still have are on my published page listed above. Free bonus material.

I also wrote a Shakespearian style comedy play in High School English class once. I wish I still had that, would be fun to read now.

Your website or social media profile?

http://www.rlcopple.com
http://www.twitter.com/rlcopple
http://www.shoutlife.com/rlcopple