Showing posts with label Frank Creed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frank Creed. Show all posts

11/30/2010

News Post 562

The first review for Frank Creed's new release, War of Attrition, has been posted at: http://www.amazon.com/War-Attrition-Frank-Creed/dp/1934284068/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290826112&sr=1-3

Karina Fabian talks about her stories in Infinite Space, Infinite God II:

http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-stories-in-infinite-space-infinite.html
And here's a book review of the same from Fred Warren.

Also: don't miss the video trailer for Karina's other new book, Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8798Iyubocw 

Check out this video interview of Marcher Lord Press author Marc Schooley, hosted by Cathi-Lyn Dyck:
http://scitascienda.com/2010/11/26/marc-schooley-video-interview/

Sarah Sawyer is doing a giveaway of The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers.

11/26/2010

New approach - lots of news!

Hi guys, and here we are back again by popular request. But it's not going to be the same-old same-old we've had before. I'll be moving back to one post a week with all the news, and hopefully some commentary on it as well rather than just dry links.

Without further ado, here is the amazing new trailer for To Darkness Fled by Jill Williamson - put together by several of her readers and members of the LGG. Well done guys!


Other news this week includes the release of the long-awaited Tales of the Dim Knight by Adam and Andrea Graham. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one. Check out their post on Top 10 Reasons to Love Tales of the Dim Knight. And be aware of the beverage ban, for your own safety!







Also newly appeared lately is War of Attrition by the legendary Frank Creed. This is an amazing book for sure, continuing right on from his award-winning debut Flashpoint. Plenty of heart-pounding action and heartfelt raw emotion in this one. Here's the link to grab it on Amazon.




Facebook News: Both the Lost Genre Guild and Speculative Faith have taken a new run at FB pages this week. The LGG one is here (or use the box at the left of the blog) and the Spec Faith one is here.
Both promise to be useful sources of updates and places to hang out and talk. Be sure you go over and "Like" them both - note that in the case of the LGG, this is a new page because the old one got overrun with spam and we couldn't remember who was the admin!

Diane Graham of the New Authors Fellowship has created an Anvil Review and Interview for Fred Warren, author of The Muse. Comment on either post for a chance to win one of two signed copies.

Bill McGrath announces the release of his novel Eretzel on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Eretzel-Sword-Fire-ebook/dp/B0046LU8II


Sherry Thompson also got a review of Earthbow Vol. 2 at http://vantiltool.blogspot.com/2010/11/review-of-earthbow-volume-2.html by Forrest Schultz.


Guest Post, anyone?

If you'd like to write something for this blog, please get in touch! Make use of our wide readership and get yourself some exposure.

9/06/2010

News for September 6th 2010

Greg Mitchell interviews Frank Creed:
http://thecomingevil.blogspot.com/2010/09/cyberpunk-just-got-biblical.html

Marcher Lord Press announces its fifth set of releases:
http://www.marcherlordpress.com/MLP_Books.htm

The New Authors' Fellowship is doing a book giveaway of P.A. Baines' new release Alpha Redemption.  Find out about it here... http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/alpha-redemption-book-giveaway/  

Mike Duran reveals the cover for his upcoming novel The Resurrection:
http://mikeduran.com/?p=9233

Sarah Sawyer gives us a rundown of new Christian Fantasy releases for September:
http://www.sarahsawyer.com/2010/09/christian-fantasy-news-and-releases-september-2010/

11/11/2009

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.

10/09/2009

News for October 9th, 2009

Hello again from your LGG newsgatherer, this time reporting in from Dublin, Ireland - a place close to my heart, today also because I can actually get a wireless connection here! Blogging in France is a very difficult thing to do unless you actually want to try and do it with a cellphone, which is also a little beyond my technical skills.

So today there'll be a round-up of news from the past couple of weeks that I haven't been able to post before now. Please excuse the delay but I think it's better late than not at all.

The CSFF Blog Tour for September focused on The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul, and you can read the tour's top review here, written by Rachel Starr Thomson.

Lyndon Perry is continuing his series of short interviews at Residential Aliens, check out the latest additions:
2 Questions for Frank Creed
2 Questions for Rachel Starr Thomson
2 Questions for Sue Dent

And LGG member Terri Main has been interviewed by Bryan Polivka here: http://www.polivkavox.com/2009/09/confessions-of-twitter-prof.html


For writers:

Creative Trust’s Kevin Kaiser (Ted Dekker’s agent) is opening up his agency for one day to unsolicited submissions.

You can read more about it here: http://kevinskaiser.com/2009/09/15/are-you-the-next-ted-dekker-part-2/

You should only submit a query, synopsis, and sample if suspense is a big part of your novel.

Submitted by Robert Treskillard (aspiring author of the Merlin Spiral Trilogy — http://robert.epictales.org

7/13/2009

News for July 13th, 2009

Frank Creed says:

Becky Miller of the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy blog tour, friend and co-activist for our genre, wonders if there's enough interest to hold a readers award. Be sure her poll gets an overwhelming result by voting at the end of Becky's Christian Worldview of Fiction blog:

Rebecca Miller's Christian Worldview of Fiction blog (vote here):
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/thoughts-on-the-clive-staples-award/

Site for the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction: http://clivestaplesaward.wordpress.com/


Karina Fabian says:

My book trailer for Magic, Mensa and Mayhem is up for the covey awards. Please take a moment to check out the candidates and if you like MM&M (#12), vote for it? Thanks.

http://thenewcoveytrailerawards.blogspot.com/2009/07/entry-12-magic-mensa-and-mayhem.html


Check out this Examiner.com interview with Eric Wilson:
http://www.examiner.com/x-5640-Nashville-Authors-Examiner~y2009m5d19-Spotlighting-local-author-Eric-Wilson-Part-1-of-2





6/22/2009

News for June 22nd, 2009

Check out Derek Gilbert's new radio show, View From The Bunker!

In this first edition, Derek's guest is none other than our own Frank Creed:

CHRISTIAN and cyberpunk are two words that don’t usually appear in the same sentence. Thanks to author Frank Creed, we may soon see them together on a regular basis.

Frank is the author of the startlingly inventive speculative fiction novel FlashPoint: Book 1 of the Underground, described by some as The Matrix with a Christian worldview. That’s not quite accurate, but it gives you an idea of the attitude and action in Flashpoint.

We talked about Frank’s background, his vision, why he writes, and for whom.

Listen to the show here: http://www.pidradio.com/?p=434

6/10/2009

News for June 10th, 2009

Brandon Barr says:
"Digital Dragon is a new Christian sci-fi/fantasy magazine, and I'm pleased to announce that my 1,400 word short story, "The Seeker" is one of the featured stories in their premiere issue."
See Brandon's whole post here.

Fred Warren wrote a new review of Flashpoint by Frank Creed:
"An adrenalin-saturated cyberpunk adventure that grabbed me by the lapels in the first few pages and didn’t let go..."
Read Fred's review here.

This week the CFRB is touring Angel of Wrath by Bill Myers, a supernatural thriller.
Click here to go to the main tour posts with links to all participants.

6/08/2009

News for June 8th, 2009

Frank Creed recommends this article by Brenda Nixon: "An author with whom I worked a book signing in Ohio. Brenda's a Facebook friend and super-hard-workin' lady." Check it out here: Selling Books - The Difference between Marketing and Promotion

A review by Grace Bridges about the new Star Trek movie has been posted at TitleTrakk.com: "Star Trek is a movie that delivers the fun and the action, and all the characters we love."



Jeremy Robinson says:
Feels like this day took forever in coming, but PULSE is finally here and available everywhere books are sold! This is my first major release and you should be able to find the book on Amazon and in Barnes&Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks, Books-A-Million, etc, along with most indie bookstores.
PULSE is my most action-packed and science based thriller to date, but is also jam packed with archeology, mythology and special ops craziness. Below is more information about the book, including the summary, author endorsements and links to the trailer and audio ad. PLEASE forwar
d this to any thriller reader you know and help spread the word!

Click here for more information about Pulse by Jeremy Robinson!


5/27/2009

Guild Member Lands Screenwriting Job for Apocalypse V!

Frank Creed reports:
The screenwriter for Apocalypse V has been chosen--and he’s one of us. The Lost Genre Guild is a community of Christian sci-fi, horror, and fantasy (speculative fiction), writers, and Mr. Mitchell’s been an active member for years. The end-of-days film saga will be influenced by a talented Christian artist. Greg’s Christian near future science-fiction short story Ex-Communicator will also be included in the upcoming Underground Anthology (The Writer’s Café Press).

Greg Mitchell himself says:
Well, I've been sitting on this news for awhile (since Christmas, when all this started) and I'm near ecstatic to finally be able to share it all with you.
I am officially writing "Apocalypse V" for Cloud Ten Pictures!!
Wait.
"What's Apocalypse?" you ask. For shame. For. Shame.
Allow me to educate thee.

Learn more from Greg Mitchell’s Apocalypse V announcement at:
http://thecomingevil.blogspot.com/2009/05/apocalypse-v-cat-is-out-of-bag.html

5/15/2009

News for May 15th 2009

In member news: Flashpoint by Frank Creed has reached the #1 spot in its category on Amazon, blazing past Peretti, Jenkins, Dekker and, well, everyone else! Check its current status here - or view the whole screenshot here!

Read the brand new press release at Christian Newswire! "I nearly fell off my chair..." ~ Creed


While you're at it, check out this new review of Flashpoint:
"An adrenaline infused, roller-coaster ride into a future where a belief can cost you a brain-washing and even your life, this science-fiction novel reminds me most of the best of the "Indiana Jones" movies in its pacing and level of excitement."~Michael G. Lail

The Dark Man by Marc Schooley - Reviewed by Eric Wilson: "In the middle of this Ted-Dekker-type action, Schooley engages our hearts with some relational moments, and our minds with some sly, often humorous, jabs about politics and faith."

Reposted at Splashdown Reviews:
Raising the Past by Jeremy Robinson
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck

News from member Paulette Harris:
This was a book signing in Denver, Colorado for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hanson and LeAnn Thieman. These book series sell well over 33,000 each time one comes out. In this case, it was Living Catholic Faith.

Talk about faith. I wrote a story about a miscarried son of Jim and mine. I submitted it three years ago to Guidepost and the story was loved by the editor but the newly hired Jr. editor didn't think it quite fit. I put it in the file drawer and continued on my third novel at the time.

Then, last fall out of the blue, the editor and publisher called me for a contract on this story! I did not ever send this story out to them for consideration, I asked them where they had gotten wind of this and they said they didn't know! Just that they had a copy and wanted to know if I was the author. Well, of course I signed a contract because this publishing company has far more reaching (international) buyers than the previous so I consider this pretty much a miracle and an answer to my writing. One thing I learned.....trust God more that he is in control of my writing and where it goes! And...to keep writing.

Pictured above: LeAnn Thieman, Nancy Noonan, Shirley Dino, Ben Lager, Linda Osmundson, Helen Colella and Paulette Harris of the LGG (front right)

4/17/2009

Mission Statement


Let's not forget what we're here for, folks - time for a revisit of our mission statement:


The Lost Genre Guild

For Christian Speculative Fiction

One Tiny Cell In the Body of Christ

Mission Statement & Purpose

The Lost Genre Guild's mission is to raise the awareness and respect for Biblical speculative fiction, and to encourage, educate and support the writers of such fiction.

Our Vision . . .

Welcome to the literary home for artists, editors, agents, promoters, and fans of Christian sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural thrillers. Spec-fic is the best selling secular genre, but few Christian authors have been connecting with fans. Demographics show that many Christian genre fans are online. The Lost Genre Guild's been laying infrastructure for Viral Marketing, or, word-of-mouth buzz to promote our lost genre.

We're a tiny cell in the Body of Christ for other writers or groups to plug-into, for networking and teamwork for the Boss' glory.

We've been privately developing some hi-tech toys, like podcasting audio files & shows, virtual-reality meetings in secondlife.com at:

Terri Marathon's Town Square: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_world

The Lost Genre Guild has also been publicly promoting through the Latest in Spec newsletter, CFBA, CSSF, CFRB, Speculative Faith, and the Lost Genre Guild blog. Check out the discussion boards & forums at arjaybb.com, wherethemapends.com, doubleedgedpublishing.com's project page, and http://www.christianscififantasycentral.com/

Some links and places of interest related to the Lost Genre Guild

First is our private Yahoo group. If you'd like to join this list, let me know and I can send you an invite. The list can be crazy-busy with great email discussions and at other times slow. You can receive the emails in one of two ways: individual emails or the daily digest. Choose the best option for you at the Yahoo group page once you've been added.

Lost Genre Guild official website at lostgenreguild.com where you'll find links to LGG members' books (Bookshelves), the most recent LGG catalogue of fiction and resources, etc.

The Guild Review: an editorial review site for Christian and Biblical speculative fiction only.

The guild mentor and critique forums at lostgenreguild.com/phpBB3

The LGG blog at blog.lostgenreguild.com where industry news is posted several times per week, with the focus on guild members. You can signup to receive updates in your email box.

We have groups at both Shoutlife.com and MySpace.com

You may also like to signup for Frank Creed's Underground newsletter/ ezine (6 times per year): got to Frankcreed.com and there is a link on the front page (you can read the archived issues). It is filled with industry information, articles, writing tips, etc.

Marketing

The number-one reason people buy books is because they're recommended by family or friends. Publishers know the market is out there, which is why publishers have now been throwing the dice on spec-fic. Publisher's traditional shotgun marketing isn't hitting the target market.

Why?

Christian genre fans gave-up on Christian bookstore shelves. Shotgun marketing aims inside the box, and our readership isn't in the box. Nobody home. According to the 80-20 rule of marketing, 80% of sales comes from 20% of efforts. The trick is identifying and focusing on that 20%.

If we work as the Body of Christ, each contributing with our talents, His will shall be done for our genre.

Faith,

Frank Creed

novelist, manuscript critique, and founder of the Lost Genre Guild

thefinishers.biz

lostgenreguild.com

frankcreed.com/

afrankreview.blogspot.com/

War of Attrition: Book Two of the Underground

Into the Underground: The Role Playing Game


3/16/2009

It's Sci-Fi Monday!

I hope you've got plenty of spare time this week, because there's a truckload of great stuff for you to read...if science fiction is your thing!

First up we have the release party for Karina Fabian's new book Magic, Mensa and Mayhem featuring Vern the dragon detective! Don't miss the celebration, which will be held in the Swimming Kangaroo chat room on March 17, 7-9 EST.

Then, another read at Wayfarer's Journal you should definitely check out for the very best in cyberpunk: Natalia, a new short story by Frank Creed - legendary founder of the Lost Genre Guild. The story's set in the Underground world of his award-winning novel, Flashpoint.

Member Tony Lavoie celebrates his first publication with Moon Dust at Mindflights Magazine. Could a big ball of rock be the punchline of God's ultimate joke? Get along to Mindflights and find out.

And don't forget to download the latest issue of Raygun Revival here. Check out the awesome cover design!

Finally, if the classics inspire you, take a look at Gutenberg's Science Fiction Bookshelf. Here you can download a large number of titles for free, in various formats.

2/04/2009

Mindflights print edition; Frank Creed and Steve Rice reviews

The print edition for MindFlights' fourth quarter is now available for sale through Lulu.com. It contains select works from online issues from October through December plus one print-only story. Get your copy!

This issue includes:
"Gaming Real Life" by K.C. Shaw
"The Minstrel Addresses Her Audience" by Megan Arkenberg
"Dragonsaint" by D. G. D. Davidson
"Over the Edge" by Stephanie Green
"Unplugged" by Kristal M. Johnson
"The Void Test" by Therese L. Arkenberg
"The Book Signing" by Valerie L. Smith
Cover: "Winter Fantasy" by Anne Stokes


A new review for Frank Creed's Flashpoint has been posted at Associated Content by Kathryn Darden. Check it out here! She says: "The book is loaded with images and slang which will appeal to teens..."

And Leslie Sowell posted a new review for League of Superheroes by Stephen L. Rice, check it out here. She says: "The humor in this novel is wry, witty, and wise-cracking..."

1/26/2009

News from Online Worlds...

First up today we have the new-look Underground update - brought to you by Frank Creed and Cynthia MacKinnon of The Writers' Café Press - reborn as an e-zine! Content in this issue includes interviews with Jeremy Robinson and Karina Fabian (which you may have seen already if you are a regular at this blog), new reviews, articles and news items. You'll also find an Archives section with all the news from prior editions.

Spirit Blade Productions is looking for participants in their Christian Sci-Fi podcasts - are you an actor, artist, designer or musician? Maybe you'd like to be involved. Check out the Spirit Blade Operations page here.

Not exactly new, but perhaps new to some of our readers: the Anglican Cathedral in Second Life! Its leader is Reverend Mark Brown of New Zealand, with the blessing of the real life church. To read more see this article about the Cathedral; for Second Life users, click here to visit the Cathedral directly.

1/21/2009

Online Madness - the Guild is busy!

The Web's going mad lately. Here are just a few of the mind-boggling things that are going on. Why not get along and join in?

Virtual Book Signing at Variance Publishing
Jeremy Robinson offers a world premiere - buy a book online, then meet the author via webcam and chat while he signs your book! Events are scheduled for January 22 and 24. See the site for details.

Over at Shoutlife, Terri Main and Frank Creed have opened a forum to discuss how best to go about ministry and book promotion in Second Life. Using one network to discuss the use of another - it's so crazy it might just work! Check out "Ministry in Second Life".

Steve Doyle has created a webpage for Bill McGrath's Sword of Fire series. Here you'll find video trailers, audio segments, and sample chapters.

Karina Fabian is thrilled to announce the discovery of a cover artist for her upcoming novel, Magic, Mensa and Mayhem. Check out some preliminary sketches - and some of the other finalists!

Last but most definitely not least: Alisha Paige delivers an incredibly rich in-depth interview with Sherry Thompson of the Guild, concerning her novel Seabird and the ongoing Narentan Tumults.

Phew! Enough for today...happy reading!

1/19/2009

The Weird and the Wonderful

Looks like Monday's becoming our day to dig out some of the more quirky archives of our genre. What better to perk up the first day of the week?

Today there's more from C.S. Lewis. First, an excerpt from a lecture he gave; then a modern mash-up movie trailer for Out of the Silent Planet; and for the same book, part 1 of an animated version. If you don't know the book, this makes a good intro, and if you do know it... well, have fun!

The Everyday Invaded by the Marvellous


Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis: A Modern Movie Trailer


Out of the Silent Planet: Animated Version Part 1


Finally today we have an article that's surely of interest to sci-fi and fantasy folks. In this article about scientific experiments in Germany, it is proposed that the world as we know it could be a hologram controlled by another dimension. Sounds like great story fodder...

Don't forget the rendezvous in Second Life on Tuesday night! Pop in here at 7pm PST or see the previous post for more details.

New to this blog? Read Welcome to our world to find what we're all about.
News to submit? Yes please! Check out the Submission Guidelines.

1/18/2009

Cyberpunk Novelist Frank Creed to Appear at Second Life

For Immediate Release:


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1/05/2009

Stuff to read - Sci-fi ezines galore!

Wayfarer's Journal has a new edition out and includes the following stories: Code Seven by Karina and Robert Fabian, The Death Experiment by Vincent Scarsella, Blueprints by A. G. Elrod; plus new poetry by Cindy Emmet Smith and Jack Willard. Also look out for Brandon Barr's essay The Masters: Walter Miller.

Then, just in case you missed it, there's Issue 49 of Raygun Revival with the usual wide range of stories from many authors.

And Frank Creed takes you behind the scenes for a personal introduction to Adam and Andrea Graham, publishers of the Laser & Sword ezine.

I reckon these folks deserve a rousing round of applause for all their hard work putting together these amazing collections of terrific stories for the reading public. Yay for ezines!

New to this blog? Read Welcome to our world to find what we're all about.
News to submit? Yes please! Check out the Submission Guidelines.

1/02/2009

Why the Genre is "Lost"? Part 2 of the LGG Tour Wrap-Up

During the three-day CSFF tour of the Lost Genre Guild, I was pleased to see so many positive responses to the guild and its mission. Grace has done a fine job of highlighting these responses in her "Blogger Buzz on the LGG" and "Quotable Quotes"

I'd like to take a couple of quotes:
Terri Main responded to Keanan Brand's post on Adventures in Fiction by saying,
[The LGG] has also been an inspiration to Christian writers who's stories didn't always fit into the Christian romance or contemporary "mainstream" fiction of traditional Christian publishing.

Genie (aka Steve Rice) noted at his blog Back to the Mountains,
So it's accurate to say that the status quo hinders new writers. The Lost Genre Guild helps new writers get noticed and read, even though it isn't a publisher itself.

For our curious readers, the Lost Genre Guild also promotes and represents authors whose novels do not fit into the big Christian publishers' mold (or is that "molt"? see Ansric's post "Deep Enough, Let's Try to Get Back Out").

To again quote Frank Creed:
Major Christian publishing houses have experimented with trials in the young adult fantasy market and signed a handful of authors. (Unfortunately, the major houses have yet to venture further-the adult fantasy market remains largely untapped.) The independent houses are taking the lead, and the risks, to get good Christian speculative fiction to readers but their efforts are blocked in several ways.

Horror, disguised on Christian bookshelves with spiritual thriller or chiller labels, has been accepted since the late 1980s with Frank Peretti's first novels. T.L. Hines and Ted Dekker carry on today with their supernatural thrillers.

That leaves science fiction. Thought Probes: Philosophy Through Science Fiction Literature, a college textbook, describes sci-fi as "the handmaiden of worldviews." For over a decade, Christian sci-fi authors have seized this opportunity as the perfect vehicle for the Christian worldview. The genre, alas, remains virtually nonexistent in Christian bookstores.

Christendom has always been suspicious of and slow to accept new things. Science fiction, horror and fantasy stories of faith have long been marginalized by believers. Not just believers who once said that rock music was of the Devil and could never glorify God, but even by actual genre fans. (
Christian Spec-Fic in the Publishing Industry, July 2008)


While it is apparent, and understandable, that many Christian readers and lovers of our genre don't know about the state of the publishing industry where spec-fic is concerned, writers know this all to well. It is one reason why they approach independent and small publishing houses or even self-publish. The Big Christian houses won't touch what they write.

Rebecca Miller, in her post on Speculative Faith, hits the nail on the head: "My thinking has been that many writers have grown frustrated with waiting for changes in Christian publishing."

However, she goes on to wonder, "I'm not sure why those writers haven't pursued publication with general market presses. Maybe they have, with no success."

It could well be the lack of facial expression and voice intonation that comes with internet correspondance, but I would like to address these statements as I interpreted them.

Dear readers, please do not ever assume that all the best in Christian fiction comes solely from the large Christian publishing houses.

Yes, there are some mainstream publishers now taking on Christian fiction in their imprints, but these places primarily market to the Christian Booksellers Association-affliated bookstores. Point is that whether they are Christian or General market publishers, they will still not readily offer some types of fiction (same old, different name).

And, there are excellent offerings from the small traditional houses, the independent traditional houses and from self-publishers. It is from these places that you will find that which the big boys won't touch and it has nothing to do with quality.

How do I know this, you might ask?

Well, first of all, look around your local bookstore, whether Christian or Barnes & Noble. Do you see Christian sci-fi? Have you ever seen the label Christian horror? I am here to say that these subgenres do exist but not in great numbers nor are they published by the big houses.

Consider these comments:
Jeff Gerke who wrote and worked for Strang Communications, NavPress, and Multnomah said,
"After twelve years of beating my head against the wall, it dawned on me that the entire CBA fiction industry is set up to service a demographic that is not interested in speculative fiction. Nothing against the CBA or that wonderful demographic. But no matter what I tried, so long as this was the demographic those publishers reached, Christian speculative fiction would never become a beloved genre." ("One-of-a-Kind Christian Publishing Company," May 2008)

An acquisitions editor for a major Christian publishing house responded to a post on a popular speculative fiction group blog. The editor publicly stated that more genre fiction would be published if only submitted manuscripts were of a higher-quality. His message was: go out and learn the craft.

Just a few months after the interview, a guild member spoke with the same editor on the phone. The editor (who asked that his name be kept private) admitted that of the five or six excellent science fiction projects that had been pitched to the company's board, all were rejected outright; not because of quality, but simply because they were sci-fi.


Another editor for a different "large" press made this statement:
The ECPA [Evangelical Christian Publishers Association] houses will never publish a book about vampires, or should I say, that contains the word "vampire."


I'd say that these are good enough reasons for novelists of adult fantasy (not the XXX variety!), horror and science fiction (respectful of Christian beliefs) to bypass the big boys. For anyone to suggest these writers should have more patience and wait for large press publication (or that they've been turned down from, as if their work didn't have the quality necessary) is naive, in my opinion.

Christian readers of speculative fiction: look to the small presses as well as the larger ones for your reading selections. And, please read further than the publisher labels.