News for June 9th, 2010

The one year anniversary edition of Digital Dragon Magazine is here! Be sure and check out all the new stories from familiar names. www.digitaldragonmagazine.net

Stephen L. Rice has published two short pieces on the Web: Justice, Waivering, Triumphs; and The Gem in the Locket.
http://www.feedbooks.com/user/87909/profile

Randy Ingermanson interviewed Jim Rubart, author of Rooms, and part one is posted here: http://christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/blitz_marketing.html

Here's a new interview of Sherry Thompson's Seabird, posted by Forrest Schultz:
http://vantiltool.blogspot.com/2010/06/review-of-sherry-thompsons-seabird.html

News for April 24th, 2009

Come chat with author Jill Williamson this Friday, April 24th, beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific in the Dancing Word chat room. Her first novel BY DARKNESS HID was just released by Marcher Lord Press. Eligible Chat Participants will be entered into a drawing to win an autographed copy of BY DARKESS HID. To join the chat go to:
http://www.centralchat.net/chatrooms/channel/dancingword - type in your name where you see "enter nick" and then click on the "connect" button. Please test out the chat room ahead of time. Those who cannot use the java program will need to use the central chat mIRC program. Go to: http://www.centralchat.net/chatrooms/cgiirc.php?c=dancingword
Type your name in the "nickname" box and click on the "Login" button.


Here are some more highlights from the Blaggard's Moon tour:
Beth Goddard liked all the pirate names and the ships' names.
Rachel Starr Thompson’s reviews rose to the level of poetry, with heartfelt musings on the deeper themes.
Brandon Barr posted a two-part interview.
Jennifer Bogart hadn’t read the Trophy Chase Trilogy, but after Blaggard’s Moon finds it calling out to her with a “sweet siren song.”
And the shortest, from John on “The Least Read Blog on the Web.” Let there be Ninjas!


Splashdown Reviews cross-posted a commentary on League of Superheroes by Stephen L. Rice.

News for April 22nd, 2009

This month, the CSFF Tour is featuring Blaggard's Moon by George Bryan Polivka. Check out these reviews by Brandon Barr, Rebecca LuElla Miller, and Steve Rice, and follow the links on those pages for more.

Andra Marquardt says: I'm serializing my novella! If you leave a comment I'll enter you into a drawing for an autographed copy and other items. You can find out more at almarquardt.blogspot.com - I hope to see you there!

Johne Cook says: This month, Overlord Paul Christian Glenn—the silent, crafty one of the galactic trinity—unleashes a bold new design for Ray Gun Revival magazine. Get a taste of the best space opera pulp adventure here in Issue #52!
http://raygunrevival.com/Published/RGR_0052_2009.pdf

And take a look at the brand new http://christiansuperheroes.com - a site featuring Steve Rice's League of Superheroes with lots of fun and information.

CSFF Tour for Cyndere's Midnight

This week the Christian Sci-Fi and Fantasy Tour is featuring Cyndere's Midnight by Jeffrey Overstreet. Here are a few links to review posts:

Rebecca LuElla Miller - "...not just a fanciful adventure. There’s more going on under the surface."

Brandon Barr - "Having found beautiful writing before in Aurelia's Colors, I was looking forward to more of the same...and I was not disappointed. With just this one excerpt, I immediately recognize a gifted writer."

John Ottinger - "Jeffrey Overstreet is the only author I know of that can actually force me to slow down my reading and soak up each and every word he writes."

Steve Rice - "...the book can function as a modern chrestomathy for those wanting to improve their style."

Fred Warren - "Overstreet has created a world both familiar and alien, just a little askew from our own, and populated it with memorable characters."

Each of these posts also contains links to many other reviews and comments. Take a look...

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..."

New Reviews and Short Stories

Deborah Cullins Smith has reviewed Infinite Realities by Rick Copple: "Hold this book in your hand with a touch of awe."

Sue McGeown has reviewed League of Superheroes by Stephen L. Rice: "...delightfully realistic yet quirky..."

And let's not stop there - Sue also reviewed Leaps of Faith, the anthology edited by Karina and Rob Fabian: "...open up our head and our hearts to the limitless expanse of time and space."

Jo Linsdell posted a new review of Faith Awakened by Grace Bridges: "...a nice change from the ordinary."

And new short fantasy at the Mindflights treasure trove:

Soulsong by Rabia Gale - The war bard Elinor gets more than she bargained for when she has to sing for her supper.

Bottled Dreams by Victoria Sonata - Three men lost at sea find a letter promising everyone’s greatest dreams…and they wish for WHAT?

And TODAY is release day for Jeremy Robinson's brand new book KRONOS.

Contests and Freebies

Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr entered the first chapter of a new novel into a "first chapter contest" at the Dead Robot Society, and they won! You can read the first chapter up at the contest site.

Mike Lynch also has a short story nominated in the Preditors & Editors Poll for 2008. The story, Beyond Horizon's Edge, is posted here. Have a read, and vote if you like it!

The Preditors & Editors Poll also lists a number of entries by other Christian writers, including Lost Genre Guild members. You can also vote for any unlisted title by typing it into the appropriate category. Let's support our favourites... Here's what Cynthia said:

I nominated Steve Rice's League of Superheroes for the Preditors & editors poll (science fiction).

If you've read and liked the book, please consider voting for LoS.
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelsf.shtml


I've also nominated Karina Fabian's Leaps of Faith in anthologies
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/antho.shtml

AND, the Lost Genre Guild's bulletin board (yeah, I know it's new but is growing by leaps and bounds, mostly thanks to Terri Main!), for Writers Forums
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/writerforum.shtml

--cyn

Karina Fabian has released the January 2009 edition of the Dragon Eye, P.I. newsletter "Dragon Eye View". You need to be registered and logged in to access it. Contents include: How Karina came up with the concept--Vern rants against preconceived notions--A little about the Faerie world--Events and special offers.

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.

Dragons and Vampires

DragonEye, PI mystery by Karina Fabian, "Christmas Spirits" for sale - A nice little electronic "stocking stuffer" for the fantasy lover on your e-list. Buy it at www.dragoneyepi.net.

Forever Richard by Sue Dent - press release: Christian Readers Reach for more Vampires and Werewolves: Forever Richard Hits Bookstores January 2009

The League of Superheroes by Stephen L. Rice continues its blog tour with new reviews by Melissa Meeks, Karina Fabian, Bill McGrath, and David Brollier.

Reviews for Flashpoint, Wind Follower, League of Superheroes, Infinite Realities, Leaps of Faith

Lost Genre Guild members have been enjoying great response to their books. Here are some recent reviews:

Donita K. Paul recommended Flashpoint by Frank Creed. Read her review here.

The Broadsheet newsletter praised Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell in a detailed review here.

Stephen L. Rice's new book League of Superheroes is being enjoyed by many people including our own Frank Creed. Read the review here.
Don't forget: The CFRB is holding a blog tour this week for League of Superheroes and you can check out posts at these participating blogs:


The Green Man Review posted this article about Infinite Realities by Rick Copple.

On Leaps of Faith, edited by Karina and Rob Fabian, Geralyn Beauchamp said: "Action, adventure, some pretty cool science fiction gizmo-gazmos, romance, humor and my personal favorites, a futuristic order of nuns!... Full of twists, turns, surprises and some memorable characters, this anthology will be a keeper." Read the full review here.

And, the winners are . . . .

We have two winners to announce this evening!

The first is the winner of the FLASHPOINT: Book One of the UNDERGROUND virtual tour

And the prize goes to someone who commented on a couple different blogs and her/ his ShoutLife name is Reborn Butterfly! Yeah!

RB, please send your name and mailing address to admin@thewriterscafe.com and your prize package will be in the mail once I receive this information. Congratulations.

The second winner tonight is from The UNDERGROUND Flash Fiction Contest. We received many really fine entries to choose from and two of the authors deserve special mention:

• Caprice Hokstad
• Cathi Hassan

And, the winner of the gold ribbon, publication in the next issue of The UNDERGROUND (Nov. '07), publication at www.fanfiction.com AND, the prize: a signed copy of Flashpoint and a $20 Starbucks gift card is the entry "Bear Feat" by Stephen Rice! Congratulations Mr. Rice.

Thank you everyone for participating in this virtual book tour and the writing contest. The bloggers are most appreciated. And, there is one more blog to highlight . . . a review of Flashpoint and interview with Frank Creed at Pastor James Somers' blog.