Welcome to Biting-Edge, a blog shared by authors and vampire experts, Mario Acevedo and Jeanne Stein. We’ll cover urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon. Unlike other fantasy blogs, we don’t insist on body cavity searches (unless you ask politely). Snarkiness is most welcome...though we won't promise not to bite back!
Sunday, February 07, 2010
The Little Man of Gold, Kat Richardson, and Commerce City
¶ posted by Mario @ 10:37 AM 4 comments links to this post
Mario here:
It's time for the Oscars! For best pic we have:
A Serious Man
An Education
Avatar
District 9
Inglorious Basterds
The Blind Side
The Hurt Locker
Up
Up in the Air
Up
Up in the Air
While I thought the Avatar story had holes big enough for a starship, it was entertaining and
that's what movies are all about. The Hurt Locker is getting lots of good press but I'm sure the vote is going for the big blue people. My choice is Inglorious Basterds which I loved for its noir-ish elements and intriguing plot. Sadly though, not one zombie or vampire flick got nominated (But Avatar and District 9 do have aliens). At least I hope that Christoph Waltz gets the nod as Best Supporting Actor for his role as the self-effacing yet creepy Nazi Colonel Hans Landa.
Any faves for your Oscar picks?
A really cool thing about being a professional writer is that you get to meet so many great people. High on my list is that brainy and mysterious lady from Seattle, Kat Richardson. Here she is doing what she does best (besides scribbling awesome dark prose)...molesting lesser life forms like this cute little goat! I lifted the incriminating pics from Astres Live Journal. PETA will hear about this.
I also get asked about books I'm reading. Here's my current list for Mind Meld over at SF Signal.
This Tuesday I'll be at the Lakewood Library to talk to their Book Group about my first novel, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats. Drop by to say hello. I think there will be free cookies.
Colorado is a vacation playground. Denver, as the largest city in the state, gets a lot of press which unfortunately overlooks the local suburbs. One jewel among these treasures is that mecca of business and trade and the great American way of life, Commerce City. But don't take my word for it.
¶ posted by Mario @ 10:37 AM 4 comments links to this post
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
February—month of roses and romance and love.
Did I just say that?
Monday Mario mentioned our friend Lori Armstrong coming to town for a signing. Our critique group turned out en masse. We had dinner beforehand with Lori and her charming husband, Erin. Erin’s in the gun business so even Mario behaved. Lori’s new book, No Mercy, is out now. Check it out. I know I’m looking forward to it.
And speaking of new releases—February is a banner month for the League of Reluctant Adults. Besides Mark Henry’s Battle of the Network Zombies and Anton Strout’s Dead Matter, we have three others for your consideration!
Diana Rowland’s Blood of the Demon- Feb. 23
Stacia Kane’s Demon Possessed
Dakota Cassidy’s Accidentally Demonic
All are available at Amazon or your favorite brick and mortar store.
For a complete list of February releases, click over to SciFiGuy...he's got everything, including the anthology I'm in, A Girl's Guide to Guns and Monsters (hint-hint).
Also, click here to read Jackie Kessler's first installment in Dark Horse's Tales of the Vampire.
Now onto the publication controversy of the week: Amazon vs. Macmillan.
Most of you know by now that Amazon pulled all the buy buttons from Macmillan’s inventory over an ebook pricing. The stand off lasted about two days before Amazon capitulated. Here’s the summary from Shelf Awareness:
The announcement came in classic Amazon style: via a letter to customers posted on its Kindle Community page. Amazon said that "ultimately" it had to capitulate "because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles," forcing Amazon to sell its titles "even at prices we believe are needlessly high for e-books." Amazon concluded, "We don't believe that all of the major publishers will take the same route as Macmillan" and called it likely that "many independent presses and self-published authors will see this as an opportunity to provide attractively priced e-books as an alternative."
"Ultimately" may be a key word in the statement. As of this morning, the famous "buy button" had not been restored for any Macmillan titles Shelf Awareness checked. This also explains Macmillan CEO John Sargent's cautious statement last night made on Publishers Lunch: "We are in discussions with Amazon on how best to resolve our differences. They are now, have been, and I suspect always will be one of our most valued customers."
Remember Catcher in the Rye?
JD Salinger dead at 91
From the NYT obit:
Mr. Salinger’s literary reputation rests on a slender but enormously influential body of published work: the novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” the collection “Nine Stories” and two compilations, each with two long stories about the fictional Glass family: “Franny and Zooey” and “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction.”
(Catcher’s) allure persists to this day, even if some of Holden’s preoccupations now seem a bit dated, and it continues to sell more than 250,000 copies a year in paperback. Mark David Chapman who killed John Lennon 1980, even said the explanation for his act could be found in the pages of “The Catcher in the Rye.”
From Shelf Awareness & Wrap:
New Line's attempt to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit to the big screen has run into trouble again. The Wrap reported that the movie, "which had been slated to premiere in December 2011, won't hit theaters until the end of 2012 at the earliest. The two-part prequel to New Line’s mega-successful Lord of the Rings franchise has Peter Jackson signed on to produce and Guillermo del Toro enlisted to direct." While previous delays were due to "haggling between author J.R.R. Tolkien's estate and New Line over Lord of the Rings profits," the latest glitch involves financing, the Wrap added.
From the who would have thunk it file:
Air Force Academy Gives Pagans, Druids and Wiccans Place to Worship
DENVER The Air Force Academy has set aside an outdoor worship area for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and other Earth-centered believers, school officials said Monday.
A double circle of stones atop a hill on the campus near Colorado Springs has been designated for the group, which previously met indoors…
Lt. Col. William Ziegler, one of the academy's chaplains, said designating the space is part of theschool's effort to foster religious tolerance and to defend the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.
"It's about our commitment as airmen to protect freedom and defend freedom. To me this is a freedom thing," he said.
Full article from The Huffington Post here .
Before you get to the fun stuff, two videos that I hope will make you laugh, a reminder about a couple of contests still going on.
League challenge still going on over at Literary Escapism.
RomCon FF& P forum featuring moi today. Leave a comment for a chance at MORE prizes, including a paid up registration to the conference in July right here in Denver.
(The site is up--hopefully for the rest of the day--if you want to play, go on now)
Founding of Barnes & Noble--how it might have been:
Disclaimer about the dangers of reading from Unbridled Books:
PS To you newletter subscribers-- sorry about the glitch with the border. My terrific webmaster Jay called me last night and said he was reissuing it without the hearts...that's what I get for trying to be clever. Thank you, Tez, for bringing it to our attention. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, walk on over to the website and subscribe. NOW. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 4:53 AM 5 comments links to this post
Did I just say that?Monday Mario mentioned our friend Lori Armstrong coming to town for a signing. Our critique group turned out en masse. We had dinner beforehand with Lori and her charming husband, Erin. Erin’s in the gun business so even Mario behaved. Lori’s new book, No Mercy, is out now. Check it out. I know I’m looking forward to it.
And speaking of new releases—February is a banner month for the League of Reluctant Adults. Besides Mark Henry’s Battle of the Network Zombies and Anton Strout’s Dead Matter, we have three others for your consideration!
Diana Rowland’s Blood of the Demon- Feb. 23
Stacia Kane’s Demon Possessed
Dakota Cassidy’s Accidentally Demonic
All are available at Amazon or your favorite brick and mortar store.
For a complete list of February releases, click over to SciFiGuy...he's got everything, including the anthology I'm in, A Girl's Guide to Guns and Monsters (hint-hint).
Also, click here to read Jackie Kessler's first installment in Dark Horse's Tales of the Vampire.
Now onto the publication controversy of the week: Amazon vs. Macmillan.
Most of you know by now that Amazon pulled all the buy buttons from Macmillan’s inventory over an ebook pricing. The stand off lasted about two days before Amazon capitulated. Here’s the summary from Shelf Awareness:
The announcement came in classic Amazon style: via a letter to customers posted on its Kindle Community page. Amazon said that "ultimately" it had to capitulate "because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles," forcing Amazon to sell its titles "even at prices we believe are needlessly high for e-books." Amazon concluded, "We don't believe that all of the major publishers will take the same route as Macmillan" and called it likely that "many independent presses and self-published authors will see this as an opportunity to provide attractively priced e-books as an alternative."
"Ultimately" may be a key word in the statement. As of this morning, the famous "buy button" had not been restored for any Macmillan titles Shelf Awareness checked. This also explains Macmillan CEO John Sargent's cautious statement last night made on Publishers Lunch: "We are in discussions with Amazon on how best to resolve our differences. They are now, have been, and I suspect always will be one of our most valued customers."
Remember Catcher in the Rye?
JD Salinger dead at 91
From the NYT obit:
Mr. Salinger’s literary reputation rests on a slender but enormously influential body of published work: the novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” the collection “Nine Stories” and two compilations, each with two long stories about the fictional Glass family: “Franny and Zooey” and “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction.”
(Catcher’s) allure persists to this day, even if some of Holden’s preoccupations now seem a bit dated, and it continues to sell more than 250,000 copies a year in paperback. Mark David Chapman who killed John Lennon 1980, even said the explanation for his act could be found in the pages of “The Catcher in the Rye.”
From Shelf Awareness & Wrap:
New Line's attempt to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit to the big screen has run into trouble again. The Wrap reported that the movie, "which had been slated to premiere in December 2011, won't hit theaters until the end of 2012 at the earliest. The two-part prequel to New Line’s mega-successful Lord of the Rings franchise has Peter Jackson signed on to produce and Guillermo del Toro enlisted to direct." While previous delays were due to "haggling between author J.R.R. Tolkien's estate and New Line over Lord of the Rings profits," the latest glitch involves financing, the Wrap added.
From the who would have thunk it file:
Air Force Academy Gives Pagans, Druids and Wiccans Place to Worship
DENVER The Air Force Academy has set aside an outdoor worship area for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and other Earth-centered believers, school officials said Monday.
A double circle of stones atop a hill on the campus near Colorado Springs has been designated for the group, which previously met indoors…
Lt. Col. William Ziegler, one of the academy's chaplains, said designating the space is part of theschool's effort to foster religious tolerance and to defend the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.
"It's about our commitment as airmen to protect freedom and defend freedom. To me this is a freedom thing," he said.
Full article from The Huffington Post here .
Before you get to the fun stuff, two videos that I hope will make you laugh, a reminder about a couple of contests still going on.
League challenge still going on over at Literary Escapism.
RomCon FF& P forum featuring moi today. Leave a comment for a chance at MORE prizes, including a paid up registration to the conference in July right here in Denver.
(The site is up--hopefully for the rest of the day--if you want to play, go on now)
Founding of Barnes & Noble--how it might have been:
Disclaimer about the dangers of reading from Unbridled Books:
Unbridled Books P.S.A. from Unbridled Books on Vimeo.
PS To you newletter subscribers-- sorry about the glitch with the border. My terrific webmaster Jay called me last night and said he was reissuing it without the hearts...that's what I get for trying to be clever. Thank you, Tez, for bringing it to our attention. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, walk on over to the website and subscribe. NOW. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 4:53 AM 5 comments links to this post
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Making crime pay, by the word
Mario here:
¶
posted by Mario @ 5:59 PM
9 comments
links to this post
Last week, one of my favorite authors, Robert Crais, was in town promoting his newest novel,
The First Rule. It's always a treat to see Crais again. At his signing, he read the less incendiary emails from readers who chastised him, and his Louisiana public school education, for using "bring" instead of "take." Crais discussed the emotional development of his main character, bad-ass Joe Pike, and how the influx of foreign gangs into L.A. shaped the creation of this story.
If you missed Robert Crais, fear not. This week, you have the chance of meeting another author of thoroughly bad-ass hombres and mujeres--Lori Armstrong, who will be appearing at the Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch, Tuesday, February 2, at 7:30PM. She'll be signing copies of her new book, No Mercy. Her accolades include a Shamus, a Daphne du Maurier Award, and a WILLA Cather Literary Award.
I got a nice write-up from Ed Hickok who now writes about local authors for the Denver Examiner. It's another chance to see pics from my comic books. Hickok gets paid by the visit so use Chicago voting rules: drop by early and often.
The big tech news this week was of course the Apple iPad. I thought it was a large, fancy iPhone. In his press release, Steve Jobs dissed the netbook yet for me, the netbook uses the computer software I need, mainly for the Internet and writing.
The iPad does have the Apple word
processing software but as MS Word is the industry standard, I'll pass on the iPad until later. Not that I have the moola to buy one soon. But my older son, Mr. Tech Head, is as crazy about the iPad as he is about his iPhone.
We in the publishing business wondered what new tremors the iPad would bring to the whole epublishing earthquake. While the iPad did introduce color and a more reader-friendly page access method and a landscape format for periodicals, the big shake was that Apple will use an agency model to sell books. Meaning: the publisher (the agency) rather than the distributor--and we're taking about Amazon--will set the price of their ebooks. Which means ebooks will be more expensive (less discounts) but more money will flow to the publisher and the writer. Down the line, expect content providers to start charging access to their material on the Internet. However, we at Biting-Edge have made the commitment that we would never ever charge you for visiting. However, we will accept payola and bribes.
What say you of a pay-as-you-go Internet?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
New books, Contests and Firefly--oh my!
A couple of new books due for release this month from our pals at the League of Reluctant Adults:
Battle of the Network Zombies by Mark Henry
Dead Matter by Anton Strout.
Check them out at Amazon or your favorite indie.
And I have a story in a new anthology- A Girls’s Guide to Guns and Monsters.
Book description:
Brilliant, original sci-fi and fantasy stories featuring brave and bold heroines
Stories by Nancy Holder, Lilith Saintcrow, Tanya Huf, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Jane Lindskold, Anton Strout, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kim C. Hines, Elizabeth A. Vaughan, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Irene Radford, Alexander B. Potter and moi.
Thirteen urban and paranormal tales of strong women, armed with weapons they are not afraid to use, as well as fists and feet of fury, who face monsters and bad guys-and are not above rescuing men in the process.
· Paperback: 320 pages
· Publisher: DAW; Original edition (February 2, 2010)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 0756406145
· ISBN-13: 978-0756406141
My story is called Elizabeth and Anna’s Big Adventure. :-)
Speaking of the League, want a chance to win some fabulous prizes? Here’s your chance.
Check the link at Literary Escapism, sign up, read a book from a Leaguer and post a review. Here’s a list of the participating authors. You’ll recognize one or two I’m sure. But the idea is to try someone new. Course that's not to say you can't pimp Mario or me, too. Just sayin'
Full details and sign-up are on the website. Some incidentals below:
The Challenge will run from February 1st through the 28th. All reviews must have a February 2010 date.
The goal is to read up to 5 different authors from the above list. There are 20 different authors, so finding three shouldn’t be too hard.
The idea is to try a new author (it is a New Author mini-challenge), however, if you’ve already read all 20 of them, you can still participant, but don’t re-read a novel. Try something new. Not only is this an excuse to try a certain group of authors, but it’s also a great chance to help promote them.
The prize list is pretty terrific so check it out.
So the news about a Firefly movie is not so good. But there is a new anthology of Firefly stories in the works. From WhedonInfo:
Joss Whedon’s beloved Firefly/Serenity is long gone, but you can’t stop the signal : Fans can look for more adventures of Capt. Mal Reynolds and the crew of the doughty ship in a series of short stories coming soon from Titan Books.
Writer/producer Jane Espenson—who wrote one episode of the Fox sci-fi series but is a longtime friend and colleague of Whedon’s going back to her days on Buffy the Vampire Slayer—told us that she will be writing one of the stories, centering on the characters of Kaylee and Wash (obviously set in a time period before the events of the movie Serenity).
"I’m writing a short story set in the Firefly universe that someone’s putting together," Espenson said in an interview on Sunday in Pasadena, Calif., where she was promoting her upcoming Syfy series Caprica. "Titan Books is putting together a collection written by various of the Firefly writers. But [it’s a] very short story, ... 2,000 words."
She added : "Oh, I just came up with a very clever little short story that involves Kaylee and Wash, two characters that we haven’t seen together that much."
Espenson’s Firefly episode was "Shindig," the fourth episode in the series, which deals with a society dance and a duel. It’s best loved by fans for Kaylee’s appearance in an over-the-top flouncy ruffled dress.
Espenson is an executive producer of Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica prequel series, which debuts on Syfy at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Jan. 22…
Speaking of which, did you catch Caprica? What do you think?
There was a very nice article about Neil Gaiman in the New Yorker. Here’s the link for you fans.
And in case you’re keeping track, Poe’s mystery visitor didn’t show this year:
January 19, 2010 9:23 PM EST
BALTIMORE (AP) — It is what Edgar Allan Poe might have called "a mystery all insoluble": Every year for the past six decades, a shadowy visitor would leave roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac on Poe's grave on the anniversary of the writer's birth. This year, no one showed.
Did the mysterious "Poe toaster" meet his own mortal end? Did some kind of ghastly misfortune befall him? Will he be heard from nevermore?
"I'm confused, befuddled," said Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum. "I don't know what's going on."
For you writers out there, The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award is on again. From the website:
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award is an international competition seeking fresh new writing voices. One of the great new aspects of the contest is that self-published novels are now eligible. There will also be two categories this year: Young Adult Fiction and General Fiction. One grand prize winner from each category will receive a full publishing contract with Penguin, including a $15,000 advance.
Contest submission period begins January 25th, 2010 at 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) and ends February 7th, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time), or when the first 5,000 entries have been received in each category, whichever is earlier. There is no entry fee.
Information and official rules can be found here.
And here's a local contest for you to check out: the Sandy sponsored by the Crested Butte Writers org.
2010 Sandy Final Judges
Romance - Megan McKeever, Editor, Pocket Books
Mainstream Adult Fiction - Christine Pride, Editor, Broadway / Random House
Suspense / Thriller / Mystery - Mark Tavani, Sr. Editor, Ballantine
Fantasy / Science Fiction - Ginger Clark, Literary Agent, Curtis Brown
Children's & YA - Julie Scheina, Assistant Editor, Little, Brown Books
Some tips from organizer Theresa Rizzo:
1) For putting your entry as an rtf document and other formatting
help, go to "Judging and Entry Tips"
2) Print out your genre's Score Sheets posted on the website and make
sure you've included everything.
3) Read the final judge Bios and interviews to see if they are looking
for a novel just like yours!
4) Take a look at The Sandy Honor Roll--we've got an impressive number
of past finalists who have gone on to get agents and sell to major
publishers--and adding to it all the time!
Entry Deadline & Fees:
•The basic entry fee is $25 for Crested Butte Writer members, fee for all others is $30.
•All entries must be received by midnight February 15, 2010. All entry forms must be signed and snail mailed (USPS) to: Theresa Rizzo P.O. Box 425 Niwot, CO 80544-0425. If living outside the USA, contact Theresa by email for alternative way to submit signed entry form. Any entries received after that date will be returned. Payments must be postmarked by Feb, 15th.
•Entry fees are nonrefundable.
•The Crested Butte Writers reserve the right to return all entries and fees if a minimum number of 8 entries for each category are not received. Entrants will be contacted and will have the option to place their entry in another category before entries are returned.
To finish up this week, a gratuitous video for your viewing pleasure:
PS If you've been waiting, here it is:
¶
posted by Jeanne Stein @ 4:54 PM
8 comments
links to this post
Battle of the Network Zombies by Mark Henry
Dead Matter by Anton Strout.
Check them out at Amazon or your favorite indie.
And I have a story in a new anthology- A Girls’s Guide to Guns and Monsters.
Book description:
Brilliant, original sci-fi and fantasy stories featuring brave and bold heroines
Stories by Nancy Holder, Lilith Saintcrow, Tanya Huf, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Jane Lindskold, Anton Strout, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kim C. Hines, Elizabeth A. Vaughan, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Irene Radford, Alexander B. Potter and moi.
Thirteen urban and paranormal tales of strong women, armed with weapons they are not afraid to use, as well as fists and feet of fury, who face monsters and bad guys-and are not above rescuing men in the process.
· Paperback: 320 pages
· Publisher: DAW; Original edition (February 2, 2010)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 0756406145
· ISBN-13: 978-0756406141
My story is called Elizabeth and Anna’s Big Adventure. :-)
Speaking of the League, want a chance to win some fabulous prizes? Here’s your chance.
Check the link at Literary Escapism, sign up, read a book from a Leaguer and post a review. Here’s a list of the participating authors. You’ll recognize one or two I’m sure. But the idea is to try someone new. Course that's not to say you can't pimp Mario or me, too. Just sayin'
Mario Acevedo
Stacia Kane
Kat Richardson
Michele Bardsley
Caitlin Kittredge
Michelle Rowen
Dakota Cassidy
Kelly Meding
Diana Rowland
Carolyn Crane
Richelle Mead
Jeanne Stein
Molly Harper
Nicole Peeler
Anton Strout
Mark Henry
Cherie Priest
Jaye Wells
Jackie Kessler
Jennifer Rardin
Stacia Kane
Kat Richardson
Michele Bardsley
Caitlin Kittredge
Michelle Rowen
Dakota Cassidy
Kelly Meding
Diana Rowland
Carolyn Crane
Richelle Mead
Jeanne Stein
Molly Harper
Nicole Peeler
Anton Strout
Mark Henry
Cherie Priest
Jaye Wells
Jackie Kessler
Jennifer Rardin
Full details and sign-up are on the website. Some incidentals below:
The Challenge will run from February 1st through the 28th. All reviews must have a February 2010 date.
The goal is to read up to 5 different authors from the above list. There are 20 different authors, so finding three shouldn’t be too hard.
The idea is to try a new author (it is a New Author mini-challenge), however, if you’ve already read all 20 of them, you can still participant, but don’t re-read a novel. Try something new. Not only is this an excuse to try a certain group of authors, but it’s also a great chance to help promote them.
The prize list is pretty terrific so check it out.
So the news about a Firefly movie is not so good. But there is a new anthology of Firefly stories in the works. From WhedonInfo:
Joss Whedon’s beloved Firefly/Serenity is long gone, but you can’t stop the signal : Fans can look for more adventures of Capt. Mal Reynolds and the crew of the doughty ship in a series of short stories coming soon from Titan Books.
Writer/producer Jane Espenson—who wrote one episode of the Fox sci-fi series but is a longtime friend and colleague of Whedon’s going back to her days on Buffy the Vampire Slayer—told us that she will be writing one of the stories, centering on the characters of Kaylee and Wash (obviously set in a time period before the events of the movie Serenity).
"I’m writing a short story set in the Firefly universe that someone’s putting together," Espenson said in an interview on Sunday in Pasadena, Calif., where she was promoting her upcoming Syfy series Caprica. "Titan Books is putting together a collection written by various of the Firefly writers. But [it’s a] very short story, ... 2,000 words."
She added : "Oh, I just came up with a very clever little short story that involves Kaylee and Wash, two characters that we haven’t seen together that much."
Espenson’s Firefly episode was "Shindig," the fourth episode in the series, which deals with a society dance and a duel. It’s best loved by fans for Kaylee’s appearance in an over-the-top flouncy ruffled dress.
Espenson is an executive producer of Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica prequel series, which debuts on Syfy at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Jan. 22…
Speaking of which, did you catch Caprica? What do you think?
There was a very nice article about Neil Gaiman in the New Yorker. Here’s the link for you fans.
And in case you’re keeping track, Poe’s mystery visitor didn’t show this year:
January 19, 2010 9:23 PM EST
BALTIMORE (AP) — It is what Edgar Allan Poe might have called "a mystery all insoluble": Every year for the past six decades, a shadowy visitor would leave roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac on Poe's grave on the anniversary of the writer's birth. This year, no one showed.
Did the mysterious "Poe toaster" meet his own mortal end? Did some kind of ghastly misfortune befall him? Will he be heard from nevermore?
"I'm confused, befuddled," said Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum. "I don't know what's going on."
For you writers out there, The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award is on again. From the website:
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award is an international competition seeking fresh new writing voices. One of the great new aspects of the contest is that self-published novels are now eligible. There will also be two categories this year: Young Adult Fiction and General Fiction. One grand prize winner from each category will receive a full publishing contract with Penguin, including a $15,000 advance.
Contest submission period begins January 25th, 2010 at 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) and ends February 7th, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time), or when the first 5,000 entries have been received in each category, whichever is earlier. There is no entry fee.
Information and official rules can be found here.
And here's a local contest for you to check out: the Sandy sponsored by the Crested Butte Writers org.
2010 Sandy Final Judges
Romance - Megan McKeever, Editor, Pocket Books
Mainstream Adult Fiction - Christine Pride, Editor, Broadway / Random House
Suspense / Thriller / Mystery - Mark Tavani, Sr. Editor, Ballantine
Fantasy / Science Fiction - Ginger Clark, Literary Agent, Curtis Brown
Children's & YA - Julie Scheina, Assistant Editor, Little, Brown Books
Some tips from organizer Theresa Rizzo:
1) For putting your entry as an rtf document and other formatting
help, go to "Judging and Entry Tips"
2) Print out your genre's Score Sheets posted on the website and make
sure you've included everything.
3) Read the final judge Bios and interviews to see if they are looking
for a novel just like yours!
4) Take a look at The Sandy Honor Roll--we've got an impressive number
of past finalists who have gone on to get agents and sell to major
publishers--and adding to it all the time!
Entry Deadline & Fees:
•The basic entry fee is $25 for Crested Butte Writer members, fee for all others is $30.
•All entries must be received by midnight February 15, 2010. All entry forms must be signed and snail mailed (USPS) to: Theresa Rizzo P.O. Box 425 Niwot, CO 80544-0425. If living outside the USA, contact Theresa by email for alternative way to submit signed entry form. Any entries received after that date will be returned. Payments must be postmarked by Feb, 15th.
•Entry fees are nonrefundable.
•The Crested Butte Writers reserve the right to return all entries and fees if a minimum number of 8 entries for each category are not received. Entrants will be contacted and will have the option to place their entry in another category before entries are returned.
To finish up this week, a gratuitous video for your viewing pleasure:
PS If you've been waiting, here it is:
¶
posted by Jeanne Stein @ 4:54 PM
8 comments
links to this post
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Czech this out!
Mario here:
¶
posted by Mario @ 7:00 PM
7 comments
links to this post
Mario here:
Had my first foreign sale. Sold The Nymphos of Rocky Flats to the Czech Republic. Can't wait to see the book. How do you say nympho in Czech?
Here's a fresh update on the comic book deal. IDW Publishing forwarded the Killing the Cobra ad for their upcoming catalog. Issue #1 will be available with alternating covers, one by Alberto Dose and the other by Pintu.
I finally saw Avatar. The last 3D movie I'd been to was The Ice Pirates where we wore dorky cardboard glasses to appreciate the very cheesy visual effects. Thank goodness there was no smell-o-vision. At least in Avatar we got better glasses and a better flick.
So what did I think of Avatar? It was sorta like a Smurf version of Dances With Wolves. The forest with all the glowing vegetation reminded me of a 70s blacklight poster. Not much nuance considering the story lasted almost three hours.
I was impressed with the amazing CGI effects. Here's hoping the upcoming John Carter of Mars movie will look as cool.
In case you wanted to look like an revenant bloodsucker but didn't know how, watch this video of makeup and fashion tips. But for an authentic bloodshot-eyes look, my vampires recommend cheap whisky.
But it's not all glam for the thirsty undead. This recession has been tough on everybody, including vampires. So be generous.
Happy fanging.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Robert B. Parker
Photo credit: John Earle
Anyone who knows me or has taken any of my classes knows how I felt about Robert B. Parker. He was the master of story telling through dialogue. There was never an extraneous word in his prose—whether he was describing a new client, setting up an action sequence, or describing a rainy Boston afternoon. He was pitch perfect in his execution.
He died Monday at his home in Cambridge, Mass. At his desk. Working on a book. It was sudden, unexpected. The cause was a heart attack. He was 77.
I will miss him. I will continue to read and reread his more than 60 books because I think every serious writer should. If you’d like to learn more about him, follow these links. If you don’t, I’ll see you next week…
Sarah Weinman’s Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind.
New York Times Obituary. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 5:07 AM 12 comments links to this post
Photo credit: John Earle
Anyone who knows me or has taken any of my classes knows how I felt about Robert B. Parker. He was the master of story telling through dialogue. There was never an extraneous word in his prose—whether he was describing a new client, setting up an action sequence, or describing a rainy Boston afternoon. He was pitch perfect in his execution.
He died Monday at his home in Cambridge, Mass. At his desk. Working on a book. It was sudden, unexpected. The cause was a heart attack. He was 77.
I will miss him. I will continue to read and reread his more than 60 books because I think every serious writer should. If you’d like to learn more about him, follow these links. If you don’t, I’ll see you next week…
Sarah Weinman’s Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind.
New York Times Obituary. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 5:07 AM 12 comments links to this post
Monday, January 18, 2010
Mystery Writers and Felix Gomez, comic book superhero
Mario here:
¶
posted by Mario @ 7:29 AM
16 comments
links to this post
This weekend I was in NYC for the Mystery Writers of America board meeting. (I'm the local chapter president.) It was a time for serious work and socializing with a lot of great people. Last Friday we started the party at a mass signing at the Partners and Crimes Mystery Booksellers in Greenwich Village.
From left to right, Lori Armstrong, Craig Johnson, and Jeff Shelby (spoiling yet another photo).
We spent Saturday in orientation and conducting official business, followed by
dinner at Bobby Van's Steakhouse.
Naturally we all took advantage of the open bar, and I helped myself to a parade of Sidecars.
Now for...
THE BIG NEWS
Even though I mentioned this in the latest Hollow Fang newsletter, I thought I'd share more details about the comic deal I got with IDW Publishing to do a spin-off comic book/graphic novel of my Felix Gomez vampire-detective series.
IDW Publishing is based in San Diego and publishes titles that include Terminator, Star Trek, Angel, Lock & Key, Dr. Who, and G.I. Joe with writers such as Clive Barker and Joe Hill.
I've been contracted to write scripts that focus on an aside mentioned in my first novel The Nymphos of Rocky Flats. Before Felix tangled with the US Department of Energy, he got caught in a rumble with the Han Cobras Chinese drug gang. This comic book series is Killing the Cobra: Chinatown Trollop. Issue #1, Deadly Shadows, should be available May 2010.
I've been teamed with a couple of outstanding artists, Pintu and Alberto Dose.
This is a color sketch of the cover, as rendered by Pintu. Very dramatic and James Bond-ish.
I was curious to see how Alberto Dose would depict the scenes I described in the script.
The pages are first sent as pencil sketches and then black & white inked drawings. The color, dialog, and captions will be added later.
Amazing!
PAGE 1:
(the pencil sketch)
Panel One
Present day. Dusk. Horizontal view of a harbor with Chinese junks crowded together, basically a squalid floating ghetto. The lights of Hong Kong blaze in the background.
Panel Two
Another horizontal view, emphasizing the masts, rigging, and electrical wires crisscrossed above the junks. A blurry image of a man leaping--Spiderman style--in the gap between two of the masts. Night is getting darker.
Panel Three
High-angle shot of an elderly Chinese woman squatting on the deck of a junk. She’s surrounded by wash hanging on lines as she washes clothes in a bucket (remember, these people are poor). She’s looking up, surprised.
Panel Four
Close up of the woman as she continues to look up at the masts.
PAGE 2:
(inked)
Full panel.
Upper left is a drawing of two cobras coiled around the globe. (It's a beatdown of an undercover DEA agent)
The rest of the panel is the interior of a cabin inside one of the junks. The view is a low-angle shot behind a man bound to a heavy wooden chair. The man’s clothes are bloody and shredded and he’s slumped forward. Two thugs face him. A muscular brute has his shirt cuffs rolled back and looks like he’s been exerting himself. Blood dots his shirt. The other thug, skinny and rat-like, wearing a suit, leers at the man in the chair. Two more thugs watch in the background.
And in Page 3, we at last see Felix Gomez (on his way to rescue the DEA agent). Handsome guy, that Felix.
Stay tuned. I'll post the drawings and a few of the final color pages as they progress.
