News Post 573

This just in from Rick Copple:
Can you believe it? I’ve written enough short stories and flash fictions over the past five years to fill a full novel-length book! And so what did I do? I made a book, naturally.

Introducing Ethereal Worlds, an anthology of 23 space-opera-style science fiction and fantasy stories written and appearing in magazines between 2006 and 2010. Two of the stories have never appeared anywhere before, and one is set to come out in ResAliens around the beginning of 2011.

More info at http://blog.rlcopple.com/?p=302


Terri Main has created a new webpage for her novel Dark Side of the Moon, complete with a moon map and much more:
http://www.darksideofthemoonnovel.com/

Check out the new Spirit Blade blog from Paeter Frandsen:
http://spiritblade.blogspot.com/

I was looking around for more news items to fill up a post and then I realised there's quite a lot, ahem, about me. Kinda embarrassing, but I'm glad to have my friends at NAF and Splashdown. Yesterday, Diane Graham pulled a sort of virtual "this is your life" on me at http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/a-little-more-grace/, and today brought more of the same plus a review of one of my novels: http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/anvil-review-faith-awakened-by-grace-bridges/ - Both links have two pages to look at AND you have the chance to win a bundle of Splashdown books all at once, so get over there.

The NAFsters didn't stop there, though. Keven Newsome reviewed Alpha Redemption by P.A. Baines at http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/an-unexpected-review/

News Post 571

Mike Duran has started an intriguing discussion on the apparent dichotomy of theology and speculation:
http://mikeduran.com/?p=10873

He's also been interviewed about his upcoming book, The Resurrection, at I Smell Sheep.
http://ismellsheep.blogspot.com/2010/12/interview-with-author-mike-duran_20.html

Here's a podcast interview with Jeremy Bishop on his debut zombie apocalypse novel Torment:
http://freedomtrainonline.com/?p=1231

R.L. Copple's new short story Dragon Stew is now available from Smashwords for $0.99:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/34373

Digital Dragon Magazine has created new landing pages for its two current serials, so you can easily catch up and follow along:
The North Star by Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Comet Born by Grace Bridges

Jennifer Hartz is running a contest to win copies of her upcoming book Future Saviour: Conception
http://jenniferhartz.com/2010/12/21/christmas-giveaway-contest/

News Post 567

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is posting excerpts from his upcoming space opera, The Worker Prince - said to recreate a Star Wars type feel. Here are the first two:
http://bryanthomasschmidt.blogspot.com/2010/09/this-is-first-chapter-of-my-forthcoming.html
http://bryanthomasschmidt.blogspot.com/2010/12/novel-excerpt-worker-prince.html

Millard Jones is giving away a copy of Eternity's Edge by Bryan Davis. Go here to enter:
http://onehundredelectricians.blogspot.com/2010/12/giveaway_07.html

New short stories online:
Spaced Out by R.L. Copple
http://skaggsworld.com/fwg/2010/12/04/spaced-out/
El Nino: A Christmas Mystery with Carolyn Masters, by Terri Main
http://bit.ly/fPWx4Q
The Fairy Princess and the Troll, by Brandon Barr
http://bit.ly/emFdY6

From the Blogosphere:
At Speculative Faith: E. Stephen Burnett shares Lacy's story of how Lord of the Rings opened her spiritual eyes:
http://bit.ly/fBOAq2

P.A. Baines is interviewed by Lena Nelson Dooley, with a chance to win his book:
http://bit.ly/i2PIEm

Kat Heckenbach started a blog series on art she's doing for speculative fiction:
http://bit.ly/geMI35

News Post 564

Excuse the numbering mixup. Blogger assured me last week that there were already 563 posts on here, but it seems that was not the case! But it is now. Anyway, this post is all new. Lots of interviews lately!

Interview with P.A. Baines at Where The Map Ends:
http://www.wherethemapends.com/Interviews/current_interview.htm

Interview with Nick Giannaras at Teen Word Factory:
http://www.teenwordfactory.com/2010/12/personal-interview-with-scififantasy.html

Interview with R.L. Copple at Walking on Water:
http://katiehines.blogspot.com/2010/12/fantasy-ebook-author-r-l-copple.html

Interview with Grace Bridges yours truly at Roseanna White's blog:
http://roseannamwhite.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-friend-grace-interview-giveaway.html

Review of the print edition of Residential Aliens, issue 4:
http://guyscanread.squarespace.com/show/2010/12/1/resaliens-4-like-a-church-social.html

Review of The God Hater by Bill Myers at TitleTrakk.com:
http://www.titletrakk.com/book-reviews/god-hater-review-myers.htm

New release: Chase the Shadows by Brian Reaves (Kindle only):
http://brianreaves.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-new-book-is-finally-out.html

Karina Fabian rounds up two reviews of Infinite Space, Infinite God II:
http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/2010/12/havent-had-lot-of-reviews-yet-on-isig.html

News for August 2nd 2010

The new month brings a timely reminder: are you signed up for the Marcher Lord Press and Where The Map Ends newsletters? Click through those links to register.

Splashdown Books would also love too have you on board in its Support Crew at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/splashdown_support_crew/.

All these newsletters keep you up to date on new releases and also often give you the chance to win books or take advantage of special offers or even sneak previews.


Noah Arsenault has interviewed Kerry Nietz, here:
http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/2010/07/kerry-nietz-interview.html

Rick Copple has reviewed The Duke's Handmaid by Caprice Hokstad:
http://blog.rlcopple.com/?p=258

And C.S. Lakin writes about how she got started writing fairy tales:
http://www.gatesofheavenseries.com/blog/2010/08/01/the-wolf-of-tebron-conditional-joy/

News for March 5th, 2010

Jeremy Robinson announces the kickoff for the Thrillevangelist program, in which US readers can sign up to complete a few simple tasks, and receive free copies of his books Beneath, Pulse and Instinct in print and audio versions! For more information and full instructions, go here: http://jeremyrobinsononline.com/thrillevangelist.html

A.P. Fuchs announces the release on Kindle of the comic Axiom-Man: Of Magic and Men. For more details on this story and a video trailer, go to http://apfuchs.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/axiom-man-of-magic-and-men-now-on-amazon-kindle/.

Rick Copple says: A short story of mine, "Water Fight," has been accepted into Residential Aliens' new anthology coming out in May, "While the Morning Star Sings."
I know a couple of other LGGers have stories that will appear in it as well: Fred Warren and Stoney Setzer. Kat Heckenbach is there too, with "The Guitar."

T.W. Ambrose, intrepid editor at Digital Dragon, announces a new podcast Tim and Jeff’s Geeked Out Show of Awesome Awesomeness which began on February 8th. For more information, visit Tim's post here: http://www.twambrose.net/2010/02/tim-and-jeffs-geeked-out-show-of-awesome-awesomeness.html

News for January 1st, 2010

Rick Copple says: You asked for it, you got it. As Paul Harvey would say, "And now for the
rest of the story." Here's what happens when Sisko brings an ogre home for Christmas.
http://blog.rlcopple.com/?p=177 [You can find the first part at http://blog.rlcopple.com/?p=174]
Hope everyone had a great celebration, and will have a happy new year.


Ken Pick says: "Down to Cathuria" (an episode of Adventures of Jill Noir set between "Mask of the Ferret" and "Dyads") just came out in the small-press anthology Different Worlds, Different Skins by Anthropomorphic Dreams:
http://www.anthrodreams.com/wordpress/2009/12/20/different-worlds-different-skins/
Also note that this is a FURRY anthology, Not a CHRISTIAN one. Some of the stories have PG-13 erotica.


Scott M. Sandridge says: I'll have stories in some anthologies both currently out and upcoming.

CHIMERAWORLD #6 (NEW WORLD DISORDER)
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/chimeraworld-%236/7762716
"In the near future, the world awakens to the corporate threat of the New World Order: a leaderless resistance defeats the global elite. Stories from Alex Severin, Tina Starr, Paul Pinn, Andrew Hook, Danny O'Connor, James A. Stewart, Arley Sorg, Robert Guffey, Sheri Fresonke Harper, Justin Oldham, Thomas Henry Dylan, Mitchell Warren, C. C. Parker, Jeff Drake, Tim Lieder, Aaron Polson, Scott M. Sandridge, John Walters, Peter Diseth, Kevin James Miller, Richard Marsden, J.W. Ocker and You The People."

My story, "Transhuman," is in the antho. After the defeat of the New World Order, a small community within the Free States must face a new threat from the D.C. Hive Mind–a verichipped "transhuman" supersoldier.

A word or three of warning: some stories in the above antho are not suitable for young readers (unless they're already as mentally warped as me, of course).

Also, "A Nighttime Business Arrangement" will be reprinted in DREAMS & SCREAMS, a corroborative anthology courtesy of: House of Horror, Silver Blade, Static Movement, Lame Goat Press, Aurora Wolf, and Liquid Imagination.
The story is set in my PANKEA world. Yavar is sent to "negotiate" a deal with a troublesome noble. (Publication TBA)

And last but not least, "The God-King," a story set in ancient Sumeria, in my CHRONICLES OF CAIN & LILITH world (which I'm still in the process of developing), will appear in the upcoming anthology (with illustrations!) THE FOUR HORSEMEN: AN ANTHOLOGY OF CONQUEST, WAR, FAMINE, AND DEATH. (publication TBA)

Enjoy! (As soon as they're out, in the case of two of them).

News for December 22nd, 2009

Rick Copple says: I decided to give my readers a Christmas gift--a story!
I just wrote a Christmas story in the Realities' world, set
before Sisko left Raul for his journeys, when he and Josh had adventures
of their own.
In this one, Sisko discovers what you get when you mix an ogre and
Christmas together. To find out yourself, you'll have to read on.
http://blog.rlcopple.com/?p=174
Enjoy, and have a great Christmas.


At TitleTrakk.com, check out this new review of
Burn by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy Reviewed by Karri Compton
"...better than Kiss by leaps and bounds..."

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

News for August 12th, 2009

Here are the first four Guild members in Lyn Perry's series of mini-interviews:

2 Questions for Rebecca LuElla Miller

2 Questions for Stoney M. Setzer

2 Questions for R.L. Copple

2 Questions for Grace Bridges

And another mini-interview from Lynda Schab, Grand Rapids Christian Fiction Examiner:

10 Fun Facts about Grace Bridges

Win books, download stories, read reviews!

Peter J. Grant says: I've put up the first six chapters of my current military SF novel, and
linked to it on my blog, asking my readers to take a look and comment as
they see fit. I'd be grateful for your input. Thanks in advance. You'll find the
book at this link - Introduction to Ensign Bowles.

Check out this new review by Frank Creed:
The Christian H.P. Lovecraft: Michael Vance’s Weird Horror Tales

And this one by Grace Bridges:
Feast for the Soul: Transforming Realities by R.L. Copple

And Jeremy Robinson's cranking up a huge contest with amazing book prizes:
The PULSE Viral Video Contest


Star Ship Sofa presents:
Complete podcasts of Nebula Best Short Story Nominees 2008


Mindflights Magazine presents:
Wakescape by Audrey E. Marquis
Ryan lives in a society based on three commandments: 1) Feel what is good. Subdue what is negative. 2) You may excel inasmuch as you do not displease other members. 3) Love yourself enough to be without discomfort. Then he meets someone who challenges this way of life.