News for September 1st 2010

Terri Main is featured in her local paper to talk about her upcoming novel Dark Side of the Moon:
http://reedleyexponent.com/articles/2010/08/25/community/doc4c75a0e0ac8e8924944140.txt

Steve Rzasa is up this week at Operation Encourage an Author - and you can win a copy of The Word Reclaimed. BUT there has to be 20 encouraging comments for the giveaway to kick in, so head on over!
http://encourageanauthor.blogspot.com/2010/08/author-spotlight-steve-rzasa.html

Sarah Sawyer begins an in-depth look at the origins of The Beauty and the Beast fairytale:
http://bit.ly/aymgLT

Fred Warren is interviewed at WhereTheMapEnds.com:
http://www.wherethemapends.com/Interviews/current_interview.htm

And P.A. Baines is interviewed at Scita > Scienda in connection with today's release of his debut novel, Alpha Redemption:
http://scitascienda.com/2010/09/01/interview-p-a-baines-part-1

News for August 30th, 2010

Tosca Lee's "Demon: A Memoir" is now free to download from Lifeway:
http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/tosca_lee.asp

C.L. Dyck gives a very personal reaction to Marc Schooley's "The Dark Man":
http://scitascienda.com/2010/08/30/the-day-marc-schooley-died/

Caprice Hokstad is interviewed at Janalyn Voigt's Book Readers Central, and you have a chance to win a copy of "The Duke's Handmaid":
http://bookreaderscentral.blogspot.com/2010/08/meet-and-greet-monday-caprice-hokstad.html

And on a slight tangent, Mike Duran has a nice rant about so-called "edgy" fiction:
http://mikeduran.com/?p=8680

News for May 31st, 2010

Here is an in-depth interview with Kerry Nietz, author of A Star Curiously Singing and The Superlative Stream, at Cathi-Lyn Dyck's blog Scita > Scienda. There is also a draw to win a set of the books, so go and add your comment to the discussion:
http://scitascienda.com/2010/05/27/interview-kerry-nietz-author-of-the-superlative-stream/


An article on the symbolism and parallels of Jeffrey Overstreet's work has been published at Cardus by Robert Joustra. Check out "Here there be Dragons":
http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2015/

Steve Rzasa has been interviewed by Jennifer AlLee, and there's a giveaway there of his book The Word Unleashed:
http://jenniferallee.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-and-giveaway-with-science.html

News for May 14th, 2010

It's that time again - nominations are open for the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction. To read the conditions and judging criteria, and nominate your favourite release of 2009, go here:
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/clive-staples-award-2010-accepting-nominations/

The latest issue of Ray Gun Revival is out now and awaiting your reading pleasure: 
http://www.scribd.com/doc/30956784/Ray-Gun-Revival-magazine-Issue-55#fullscreen:on


The pace is stepping up in "Deactivation" - Part 10 of The Moonborn Code by C.L. Dyck: http://scitascienda.com/2010/05/08/the-moonborn-code-part-10/

Here's a new review at Yellow30 Sci-Fi: Future Imperfect by F.S. Vander Meer http://yellow30scifi.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/future-imperfect/

News for May 12th, 2010

Lyndon Perry is posting a free flash fiction "superhero" story at Feedbooks called, "Even Superheroes!" - do me a favor, download it free (pick your own e-reader format) and give me some feedback about the site and process. Thanks! http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/12197

Karina Fabian announced the sale of her novel Mind Over Mind to Dragon Moon - read all about the good news here: http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/2010/05/perseverance-pays-mind-over-mind.html

Kat Heckenbach's short horror--"Clay's Fire--can now be found in the newly-released "The Four Horsemen: An Anthology of Conquest, War, Famine & Death" by Pill Hill Press. It can be purchased through Amazon in either paperback or hardcover. http://www.amazon.com/Four-Horsemen-Anthology-Conquest-Famine/dp/0984261036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273068479&sr=1-1

A new story at Mindflights: "Wish Seeker"
 by Alaena HaiLing (A Student Contributor) - One precious thing in exchange for a wish, that is how it has always worked for the people of her city, but her pursuit of the rare tree of pearls is making Rulei wonder if she’s never understood at all.

And here's Part 9 of Cathi-Lyn Dyck's serial The Moonborn Code: Departure.

News for May 10th, 2010

A.P. Fuchs says:  Just a friendly reminder that my free serial novel, Zomtropolis: A Record of Life in a Dead City, has a new installment posted every Friday. It's a story about zombies, a desolate city and that little thing called love.
Go here for the complete Table of Contents and start the book from the beginning: http://apfuchs.wordpress.com/zomtropolis/ Hope you check it out.



Fred Warren says: My short story, "Come You Back to Mandalay," in which a big-game hunter and his loyal retainer pursue a legendary beast in the jungles of Burma, is online now in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Allegory. Check it out! http://www.allegoryezine.com/comeyoubacktomandalay.htm



Here's a new review of Kerry Nietz's A Star Curiously Singing in the Afictionado ezine: http://www.acfw.com/cgi-bin/ezine/may10.pl?record=6


And Lyndon Perry says: Here it is May and I forgot to tell you about April's features:
http://www.resaliens.com/category/volume-4-issue-4/ Check it out this weekend before you go on to May's issue. You'll find 4 short stories and an artist interview. I think you'll like the medieval style artwork of Richard H. Fay, and the entertaining stories of Stoney M. Setzer, Kat Heckenbach, Walt Staples, and George Page. They represent quite a variety of fiction, in fact, from angel visitation to spiritual thriller, theological flash fiction to SF military with a twist of humor. I'll let you figure out which one is which. As always, thanks for reading! Your fellow alien, Lyn Perry

News for May 3rd, 2010

C. L. Dyck has posted Part 8 of The Moonborn Code: Counterintelligence http://scitascienda.com/2010/04/24/the-moonborn-code-part-8/
To read all the episodes, go here: http://scitascienda.com/category/loci-litterae/the-moonborn-code/

Krystine Kercher has posted part 2 and 3 of P'olleeaster: http://krystisbooks.blogspot.com/2010/04/polleeaster-part-2-of-5.html and http://krystisbooks.blogspot.com/2010/04/polleeaster-part-3-of-3.html

Sherry Thompson says: Last week, I posted 3 linked extracts from Earthbow Volume 1, beginning at: http://tree-lady.livejournal.com/95027.html I just added three more in another linked set, which completes a second scene. Please check them out when you have a chance. If they pique your curiosity, remember that Earthbow Vol.1 is on sale via Amazon. I'm currently working on the final draft of vol.2. Gryphonwood should be publishing it in a couple of months.

Rick Copple says: John Ottinger has graciously agreed to have me as a guest blogger. http://www.graspingforthewind.com/2010/05/03/guest-post-more-sin-please-by-r-l-copple/ There is a giveaway of two copies of Infinite Realities running that week as well: http://www.graspingforthewind.com/2010/05/03/giveaway-two-signed-copies-of-infinite-realities-by-r-l-copple/
And no, the article isn't a plea for people to sin more. To find out what I'm really talking about, you'll have to read the post. :)

News for April 21st, 2010

New fiction at Mindflights: "Tumbling Parasol"  by Stelios Touchtidis - When a disaster thrusts a Chinese astronaut into deep space with a shrinking window for rescue, what chance will he have against the cold equations of expediency and national ambition?

Stuart Stockton wrote a guest post at Peg Phifer's blog for her genre focus month: http://goaheadandwearthepurple.blogspot.com/2010/04/genre-stuart-vaughn-stockton.html

And he wasn't the only one: Here's Fred Warren on fantasy:
http://goaheadandwearthepurple.blogspot.com/2010/04/genre-fred-warren.html


The next instalment of C. L. Dyck's online serial is now up:
The Moonborn Code, Part 7: Agent



C.S. Lakin says: 
Announcing--The Gates of Heaven Series of fairy tales Book One:
The Wolf of Tebron is now available for pre-order by following these links:
Christianbook.com (less expensive and we like to support them!):
http://www.christianbook.com/wolf-tebron-book-gates-heaven-series/c-s-lakin/9780899578880/pd/578880?item_code=WW&netp_id=800671&event=ESRCN&view=details
or Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Tebron-Book1-Gates-Heaven/dp/0899578888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271543007&sr=8-1
Please come check out our new improved site: www.gatesofheavenseries.com
Read the prologue! Comment on the blog! See why fairy tales are powerful and add your thoughts!

News for April 12th, 2010

There's a new edition of Digital Dragon Magazine up: check out the loooooong list of stories at http://www.digitaldragonmagazine.net/ - and be sure to look at the editorial, http://www.digitaldragonmagazine.net/ambrose-april10letter.php which announces the stories which won the vote to be included in the first Digital Dragon anthology.

Tannia Ortiz-Lopes is featuring author "Compasse" and his end-times novels, billed as an "alternative" to the ubiquitous interpretations of Revelation. You can check that out here with a chance to win some of his work: http://timewithtannia.tripod.com/id6.html

Amy Deardon has posted some very interesting (and mathematical) thoughts on the nature of time, which should prove interesting to readers and writers of time travel stories. http://amydeardon.blogspot.com/2010/04/time-solid.html

Cathi-Lyn Dyck has posted Episode 6 of The Moonborn Code: Baffin Base, at http://scitascienda.com/2010/04/05/the-moonborn-code-part-6/. 

Fred Warren announces yet another story sale :) http://bit.ly/bk3g6c.

News for March 26th, 2010

Read Part 4 of The Moonborn Code by C.L. Dyck here: http://scitascienda.com/2010/03/22/the-moonborn-code-part-4/


The Diplodocus Effect, a new fantasy humour story by Rob Hunter, is now up at Residential Aliens: http://www.resaliens.com/2010/03/the-diplodocus-effect/ - Includes a link to a podcast version read by the author.


The CSFF Blog Tour this month is focusing on Faery Rebels: Spellhunter by R. J. Anderson. Here is the first post by Rebecca LuElla Miller: http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/csff-blog-tour-%E2%80%93-faery-rebels-day-1/
and another by Fred Warren: http://frederation.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/march-csff-blog-tour-day-1-faery-rebels-spellhunter-by-r-j-anderson/
and Amanda Barr: http://christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-of-faery-rebels-spell-hunter.html

News for March 22nd, 2010

Maurice Broaddus is celebrating the UK and Australian release of his novel King Makers, and it's already garnering great reviews: here's the first one - http://www.sciencefictionandfantasy.co.uk/king-maker.htm - no doubt the first of many, by the sounds of it.

C.L. Dyck has published Midwife, Part 3 of her online serial The Moonborn Code at  http://scitascienda.com/2010/03/15/the-moonborn-code-part-3/.


Tor.com has an interesting article on the place of religion in science fiction. The perspective is not from inside the church but is definitely worth a read: Religion and Science Fiction: Asking the Right Questions

The Restorer's Journey by Sharon Hinck: new evaluation at Splashdown Reviews http://splashdownreviews.blogspot.com/2010/03/restorers-journey-by-sharon-hinck.html

News for March 17th, 2010

Karina Fabian got a great new review for her book Magic, Mensa & Mayhem at the Midwest Book Review. You can read it here: http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/mar_10.htm#janie

Members Cathi-Lyn Dyck and Grace Bridges are also members of a group called International Christian Fiction Writers, which operates a group blog.
Cathi-Lyn wrote there recently on What is Literature, with some insights on speculative fiction: http://internationalchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-is-literature.html
And Grace Bridges republished The Night of the Gift, a short story from a few years ago which is both international and speculative:

Keven Newsome at The New Authors' Fellowship has written two articles useful for writers when planning a novel:
The Hero's Journey http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/the-heros-journey/
and The Villain's Quest http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/the-villains-quest/

Jeremy Robinson has released Part 9 of his free audiobook Beneath. You can catch all the parts so far at http://www.podiobooks.com/title/beneath

News for March 9th, 2010

Kat Heckenbach's short story Jordan's River is now published at Digital Dragon: check it out at http://www.digitaldragonmagazine.net/heckenbach-jordansriver.php

C.L. Dyck has published part 2 of her online serial The Moonborn Code at http://scitascienda.com/2010/03/08/the-moonborn-code-part-2/. If you missed the beginning, you'll want to go back and start here: http://scitascienda.com/2010/03/01/the-moonborn-code/

Two new reviews for Faith Awakened by Grace Bridges - one by Kat Heckenbach at http://kat-findingangel.blogspot.com/2010/03/there-are-some-books-i-read-and-can.html and the other by Fred Warren at http://frederation.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/book-review-faith-awakened-by-grace-bridges/. Thanks guys!

Fred Warren continues his reviewing with a balanced look at the (in)famous Angels and Demons by Dan Brown: http://frederation.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/book-review-angels-and-demons-by-dan-brown/

And a bonus for writers today on a topic in need of a spotlight: Athol Dickson on the poetry of language in his article Forgotten Beauty at Novel Journey - http://noveljourney.blogspot.com/2010/03/forgotten-beauty.html

Guild Member Spotlight: Cathi-Lyn Dyck

Welcome to the second in our ongoing series of conversations with Lost Genre Guild Members! Catch them here on Mondays! Your name, please?

Cathi-Lyn Dyck, last time I checked.

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

Well, I joined ShoutLife (which I'm not on anymore), and lo and behold, this wild character with a do-rag and an account-hacking cat who has ties to rogue editors--anyway, this guy tracked me down and informed me that I must join LGG because the world is ending, and it's safer underground. No, wait. That's totally not it. But there really was a guy with a do-rag, a cat and a standing invitation to Christian S-F writers.

Tell us some good things that have transpired from belonging.

I love the wacky discussions this group gets into. They're knowledgeable and passionate about all kinds of things. The rabbit trails can be hilarious, weird and brilliant all at once. It's interesting to get to know people.

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

Sci-fi/fantasy crossover, often historical. I'm interested in exploring biblical history and worldviews, and also the mesh of God's presence with some of the wilder, weirder features of human existence, like brain dysfunction.

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

I'll read just about anything in limited doses. No particular genre affiliation that way. I've enjoyed Maeve Binchy, Angela Hunt, Beverly Lewis, Asimov, Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, the Marcher Lord Press authors, international fiction.

The list of what I'm not interested in is much shorter to describe, longer to avoid on a bookstore shelf: formula American worldview, in novels where the plot and characters are forced into a two-dimensional mold by any given genre's pulp formula requirements. That's too many formulas. I'm not into math.

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

I've done some hardcopy pub credits and freelance editing in homeschooling circles, but I'm incredibly lazy in fiction. I have one short story up at Mindflights from like two years ago. However, I blog about exploring the world and thinky things, including doing the occasional review of other people's spec-fic, at ScitaScienda.wordpress.com.

One of my goals there is to make a semi-regular tour of the Christian S-F online short story world, and provide reviews and links whenever something particularly interesting or unique pops up. Once a week would be nice; a couple of Mondays a month is how it's working out. I'd like to see the short fiction realm built up.

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

Right now...I'm working on a project about Norse myth come to life after the fall of Troy, stolen antediluvian "magic" passed down from the Age of Nimrod, and the struggle for control of this magic which is controlled by a God-fearing underdog. Thor's Kingdom is the reality; the biblical Creator is the disputed myth. Kinda like nowadays that way.

After 6 years of research, world-building and scene-sketching, I have a draft I'm happy with on multiple levels. Now: to tune it up.

How has the LGG helped you in your work?

LGG has helped me find resources to study up on the ancient military-secrets angle. I have a fair bit to wade through yet, actually, and some decision-making about what's realistic. I trust the forum to answer all kinds of weird questions that might be called stupid or laughable elsewhere, but not here. The people are great, and so diverse. I think I could ask just about anything and find an answer, and that's important as a relative newcomer to the genre.

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

I hope the genre grows and gains even more strength in illuminating biblical thinking with truly magnificent storytelling. I remain pessimistic about the chances of that, but optimistic about community strength growing, even if community size is a slow slog.

For myself, I'd be happy with a book or two out, or even just to establish a regular habit of participating in the for-the-love and token Christian S-F short-story market.

Your best writing tip?

Don't quit NOW!

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

I'm a Christian unschooler, and I like to do my writing research hands-on whenever possible. (It's a great excuse to play.) With our four kids, we've been to both ends of Canada looking at history and geography. We've toured down the West Coast to California and back through the midwestern States, looking at geology. We sail a good old boat and get into all kinds of other things. I keep an occasional journal of our activities at LifeLedLearning.blogspot.com.

Something you reckon not many people know about you?

In addition to writing, I'm a visual artist and musician. I'm also an associative synesthete--in my mind's eye, I "see" colours in musical patterns, and abstract forms and colours in the contextual patterns of written voice. I'm very at home in text-based interaction, but I sometimes feel blind trying to relate to people face-to-face.

Your website or social media profile?

I'm to be found at:
ScitaScienda.wordpress.com, LifeLedLearning.blogspot.com
Jeff Gerke's Anomaly forum under the handle of CatOfNineTales
on Twitter under @LifeLedLearning

Other guild stuff: For those involved in ACFW, I'm on the Beyond the Borders (international) zone list. My current Canadian Christian guild involvement is with The Word Guild, which has an excellent and broad-ranging critique circle, by the way. And obviously, I pop up from time to time around LGG.

News for May 11th 2009

Iron Dragons by Derek Gilbert was published last November as a free "podiobook", an audio book delivered as a podcast, at Podiobooks.com. The average listener rating at Podiobooks and the iTunes Music Store is 4-1/2 stars out of 5. The audio book also received an Honorable Mention in the 2008 Podiobooks.com Founder's Choice Awards for best podiobooks of the year.
User comments at Podiobooks.com (http://www.podiobooks.com/blog/2008/10/13/iron-dragons-book-1-the-saramond-quests/) and the iTunes Music Store include:

• I really enjoyed this story - Normally I am a Sci Fi fan but I really got into this one. To my surprise and pleasure the author has managed to successfully mix fantasy and Sci Fi technology.
• I was stumped half way through the tale by the intrusion of Sci-fi on what I originally and completely considered to be a classic fantasy story, but I have to say even though it was a surprise it wasn’t handled badly at all. ... The characters are vibrant and realistic, the pace is good, and for the most part the story is engaging.
• Interesting first person details on the story telling, with great characters and a great story plot. Highly recommend this story.

Check it out at: http://www.podiobooks.com/title/iron-dragons/

**
Cathi-Lyn Dyck has posted a fascinating article called Random Thoughts on Christian Fantasy. Great reading for authors and fans.

Reposted at Splashdown Reviews:
Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell