Archive for October, 2011


Transcript: SFFWRTCHT 10/26/11 With Author/Editor Phil Athans

Filed under: Interview, Transcript by admin — Leave a comment
October 26, 2011
BryanThomasS: Upcoming guests: 11/2 @brentweeks 11/9 @tobiasbuckell 11/16 @gailcarriger 11/23 Special Guest 11/30 @davidleesummers #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 00:56:52 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: On 12/7 we will have a special anniversry show with lots of giveaways, interviews with our regulars about their writing and more. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 00:57:15 +0000 2011)
Jaleta_Clegg: RT @sffwrtcht: Upcoming guests: 11/2 @brentweeks 11/9 @tobiasbuckell 11/16 @gailcarriger 11/23 Special Guest 11/30 @davidleesummers #sff … (Thu Oct 27 00:58:55 +0000 2011)
shadowflame1974: #sffwrtcht hey wait! we have a chat on my birthday? 11-30 whohoo!(Thu Oct 27 00:59:52 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer´s Chat. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:00:13 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer´s Chat. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:00:14 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our goal is to talk w/ writers, editors, & others abt the craft of writing, specifically related to writing speculative fiction. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:00:24 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our format is round table discussion. Please restrict ?s to writing craft, business of writing & the specific works of the guest. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:00:32 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Please wait until your question gets answered to ask another & use the hashtag #sffwrtcht for all questions and comments. (Thu Oct 27 01:00:47 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: It´s up to the guest whether the question time will run longer than our allotted hour slot. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:00:58 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Tonight´s guest published his own magazine: Alternative Fiction & Poetry, before he ever sold a story. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:01:07 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: In its short, five-issue life span went from complete obscurity to semi-obscurity. sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:01:21 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: In 1995 he became the newest editor for TSR Books, one of the premiere publishers of fantasy fiction in the world. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:01:37 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: His editing job moved to Seattle two years later when TSR merged with Wizards of the Coast. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:01:50 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: The FORGOTTEN REALMS novel line made great leaps forward under his care working with authors like R.A. Salvatore #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:01:58 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: His own novels include Baldur´s Gate, Annihilation, The Watercourse Trilogy and The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:02:05 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Welcome to #sffwrtcht, @PhilAthans! (Thu Oct 27 01:02:16 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: Welcome to #sffwrtcht, @PhilAthans! (Thu Oct 27 01:02:17 +0000 2011)
shadowflame1974: welcome @PhilAthans #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:02:35 +0000 2011)
PhilAthans: @BryanThomasS Thanks for having me! I#sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 27 01:02:41 +0000 2011)

View full article »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

The SFFWRTCHT Interview: Author Rebecca P. Minor

Filed under: Interview by admin — 4 Comments
October 25, 2011

Rebecca Minor draws narrative experience from a BFA in animation from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Since her graduation in 1997, she has worked as a game animator, freelance artist, full-time mom, teacher, and sheet music customer service representative. She is the author of The Windrider Saga, serial fantasy fiction from Diminished Media Group. She blogs at http://callofthecreator.blogspot.com on anything from fantasy reading and writing to the life of mother and wife. In addition to writing, Rebecca also creates occasional illustrations, three of which will appear in Port Yonder Press’s The Book of Silvari: An Anthology of Elves. Rebecca resides outside Philadelphia, PA with her husband and three sons, whom she is slowly infusing with a love of fantasy, one member at a time.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

SFFWRTCHT: Where’d your interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy come from?

Rebecca P. Minor: I think I have always been interested in the not-so-beaten path, and when it comes to reading, speculative fiction fits this tendency well. I have enough “believable” in my everyday life. I’m happy to escape to worlds where the unimagined happens whenever I have the chance. I guess my interest is just an outgrowth of my personality.
View full article »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

YA Report: “Lightbringer,” by K. D. McEntire

Filed under: Book Review by MrsMica — Leave a comment
October 24, 2011
Review by Michelle Ristuccia

 

“Lightbringer” by K. D. McEntire is a YA urban fantasy about a teenager, Wendy, who does much more than just “see” ghosts after the death of her best friend’s father in a car wreck. As a Lightbringer, Wendy has the power to send spirits wandering the Never into the light, but this power comes at a cost. For each ghost sent into the Light, Wendy gives up a bit of her own life. Yet, if a soul remains in the Never, it risks fading into nothing. This fate-worse-than-death is what Wendy fears lays in store for her comatose mother, whose soul has inexplicably vanished during a strange accident involving the Lost, child souls in limbo. After bringing herself to the point of exhaustion searching for her mother’s soul every night, Wendy meets a dead boy whose presence might be the key to this mystery and more.The first two scenes plunge us straight into Lightbringer’s plot, first by introducing us to Wendy and Eddie in the living world, and then Piotr and his lost in the Never. Wendy’s search for her mother provides Wendy’s character motivation while the the Riders’ protection of their Lost against the White Lady provides a firm sense of urgency, and both drive us on to discover the end. Scenes from Wendy’s point of view, such as the car accident and the funeral, are interspersed in rapid non-linear succession with scenes of the Never from Piotr’s point of view in an artful release of information to the reader. Like the half-trained Wendy, the reader must learn the complicated rules of the Never as they are revealed through dialogue and circumstantial evidence. Underlying these mysteries is the implication that Wendy’s lack of knowledge threatens her own soul because, until she learns what caused her mother’s soul to disappear, the same thing could happen to her.
View full article »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

Podcast Purview: Dragonlance Canticle and Fullcast Podcast

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin — Leave a comment
October 21, 2011

by Timothy C. Ward, SFFWRTCHT Columnist

This post will stretch beyond my comfort zone a little by highlighting two podcasts I haven’t listened to as closely: The Fullcast Podcast and Dragonlance Canticle.

Dragonlance Canticle is a show about the world of Dragonlance, ranging from the novels to the RPG. I’ve listened to this podcast a little over time, but since I’ve only read the first few Dragonlance novels, I’ve avoided this show to keep from hearing spoilers. For fans of the series, this is a great show. I’ve heard some fun discussions on themes within Dragonlance, and the most recent episode, #46 “Essentials of Dragonlance,” upholds this standard.

Even if you don’t play the Dragonlance RPG, or RPGs at all, there is still content here for fans of Fantasy. As a Fantasy lover, and fan of nostalgic memories of Dragonlance and its inspiration for my Fantasy fandom, I enjoyed their discussion of what elements are essential to a Dragonlance “story.” They veered off a little towards campaigns for RPGs, but I was able to mold their discussion to fit my desire to build Fantasy worlds for novels.

Orson Scott Card’s How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy is one of many platforms where people have discussed what elements are essential for distinguishing Fantasy from Science Fiction – be it magic or ray guns. Well, in this podcast, they discuss whether dragons and lances are essential for a Dragonlance setting. I’ve got to say, writing that makes me laugh, because those two words are in the title of the series, but I don’t think they are necessary. In fact, they discuss how the lance is like the easy idea for killing the dragons, and it makes sense to try and find new ways to slay the dragon – if you even choose to make dragons essential to the plot. This plays on the value of messing with tropes and reader expectation. As soon as your reader guesses your solution correctly, you’ve bored them. Keep your ideas fresh and you’ll keep your readers.
View full article »

Tags: , , ,
Read More & Comment

Transcript: SFFWRTCHT 10/19/11 with Bruce Cordell

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin — Leave a comment
October 19, 2011

sffwrtcht: 5 4-star rvws THE WORKER PRINCE $3.99 Kindle http://t.co/8LP0s5da or Nookhttp://t.co/y07trSJU $14.99 tpb http://t.co/5svB8QEJ #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 20 00:58:10 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Upcoming guests10/26 @philathans 11/2 @brentweeks 11/9 @tobiasbuckell 11/16 @gailcarriger 11/23 KevinBreaux 11/30 @davidleesummers #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 20 00:59:00 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer´s Chat. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 20 01:00:40 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer´s Chat. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 20 01:00:41 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our goal is to talk w/ writers, editors, & others abt the craft of writing, specifically related to writing speculative fiction. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 20 01:01:12 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our format is round table discussion. Please restrict ?s to writing craft, business of writing & the specific works of the guest. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 20 01:01:21 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Please wait until your question gets answered to ask another & use the hashtag #sffwrtcht for all questions and comments. (Thu Oct 20 01:01:30 +0000 2011)

View full article »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

Check out Jaye Wells’ Great Urban Fantasy Contest!

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin — Leave a comment
October 18, 2011

http://jayewells.com/2011/10/18/urban-fantasy-month-contest/

Urban Fantasy Month Contest!

So, it’s October and there’s only two weeks left until the highest of holy holidays for lovers of the arcane everywhere–Halloween. I got thinking about how Halloween is also the perfect holiday for lovers of urban fantasy. These two thoughts collided into an idea so epic, so awesome that my brain exploded.

I am hereby declaring October International Urban Fantasy Month!

Yes, yes, we only have two weeks left. But I think we put our evil minds to it, we can really blow this out. Naturally, my first thought was to hold a contest to celebrate. But I didn’t want to do just any contest. I wanted to do something that celebrates the genre but also brings new fans into the fold.

Here’s where you come in. Everyone who writes a love letter to Urban Fantasy on their own blogs (be sure to track back to this one so you’re counted) or here in comments if you don’t have a blog of your own, will be entered for a chance to win an epic prize pack of Urban Fantasy novels (with a couple of paranormal romances thrown in for spice).

So what constitutes an urban fantasy love letter? Talk about your favorite books or characters. Talk about what you love about the genre in general. Write a snarky haiku, romantic sonnet or dirty limerick. Anything goes as long as its about UF and how awesome it is.

So what will the winners get?

Brace yourselves. This big, bad collection of tricks and treats is so awesome its scary!
View full article »

Tags: , , ,
Read More & Comment

Edge Of The City: Urban Fantasy – The All-around Genre?

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin — Leave a comment
October 18, 2011


 A New SFFWRTCHT Column by Sarah Hendrix

When you scope out the science fiction and fantasy aisles, often you find books with hot women and men, vehicles, weapons and sometimes monsters. These books attract the eyes with bright bold titles and well crafted book covers. The blurbs are intriguing; with fascinating glimpses into the lives of these heroes and mentions of the monsters they live with, fight and even love. But a lot of people get confused as to what genre Urban Fantasy really is.
View full article »

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

Transcript: SFFWRTCHT 10/12/11 with Ann (A.C.) Crispin

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin — Leave a comment
October 12, 2011
BryanThomasS: Upcoming guests: 10/19 @brucecordell 10/26 @philathans 11/2 @brentweeks 11/9 @tobiasbuckell 11/16 @gailcarriger 11/23 Kevin Breaux #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 00:57:39 +0000 2011)
anncrispin: I was admiring the list of guests you’ve had on this chat. Some very well known writers in the field. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 00:57:41 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: Yes, I’ve been very lucky. And grateful for so much support from people like you. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 00:58:01 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @anncrispin I am drinking root beer too. Now that we have our beers, are we ready? LOL #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 00:58:28 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer´s Chat. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 00:59:24 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our goal is to talk w/ writers, editors, & others abt the craft of writing, specifically related to writing speculative fiction. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 00:59:38 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our format is round table discussion. Please restrict ?s to writing craft, business of writing & the specific works of the guest. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 00:59:45 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Please wait until your question gets answered to ask another & use the hashtag #sffwrtcht for all questions and comments. (Thu Oct 13 00:59:52 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: It´s up to the guest whether the question time will run longer than our allotted hour slot. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:00:00 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Tonight´s guest is the author of many books, including Star Trek Yesterday´s Son & a sequel, V tie-in novels, The Starbridge bks #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:00:22 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: She wrote about Han Solo’s non-Brian Daley early years. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:00:41 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Her latest is the first Pirates Of The Caribbean tie-in novel, a prequel to the movies, The Price Of Freedom. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:00:43 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: She also works with a partner as part of Writers Beware, warning authors of scams and other issues. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:00:54 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Welcome to #sffwrtcht, AC Crispin @anncrispin! (Thu Oct 13 01:01:02 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: This is a chat years in the making for me. I’ve been a fan of yours since 1984! #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:01:34 +0000 2011)
anncrispin: Hi, Bryan, thanks for having me here as a guest! BTW, it’s WRITER BEWARE, singular. :-) #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:01:34 +0000 2011)
shadowflame1974: Welcome to the chat @ancrispin #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:01:39 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @anncrispin Ah. Sorry about that. Let’s start with basics: where did your interest in SFF come from? #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 13 01:02:09 +0000 2011)

View full article »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

Podcast Purview: September’s Marketing Wrapup

Filed under: Marketing by admin — 4 Comments
October 8, 2011

The last two weeks of September had even more power-packed podcasts on marketing. Check out my last Podcast Purview for a few more.
View full article »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

Transcript: SFFWRTCHT 10/05/11 With Ari Marmell

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin — Leave a comment
October 5, 2011
mouseferatu: @BryanThomasS You’ve got @anncrispin following me?! Geez, no pressure on me or anything… #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 06 01:00:18 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @mouseferatu Ha ha. She’s a very nice lady. @anncrispin is supportive of all of us up and comers ;) #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 06 01:00:54 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer´s Chat. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 06 01:01:03 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our goal is to talk w/ writers, editors, & others abt the craft of writing, specifically related to writing speculative fiction. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 06 01:01:13 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our format is round table discussion. Please restrict ?s to writing craft, business of writing & the specific works of the guest. #sffwrtcht (Thu Oct 06 01:01:21 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Please wait until your question gets answered to ask another & use the hashtag #sffwrtcht for all questions and comments. (Thu Oct 06 01:01:28 +0000 2011)

View full article »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment