Caped CONduit round up with video

Well, I tried to upload the videos from my Streak, but it's not working at the moment. I'll try a different method, and spread out my report over the week instead. So today, let me just give you a little about Caped CONduit.

This is the longest running SFF convention in Salt Lake, and apparently there are a LOT of genre fiction conventions and writers who live in the area. Who'd have thought Utah would be a breeding ground for sci-fi, fantasy and horror? Yet another reason to wish to retire here.

I signed up and on a whim, decided to get a dealer's booth. My daughter, Amber, wants to be an artist (right now, she's leaning toward animation/character development, but she's also thought manga and anime), so she wanted to join us. The dealer's room came with 2 tickets to the con.

I also signed up to be on some panels, although none of my ideas were chosen and I have to maneuver a bit to get on some. I ended up on the Doctor Who panel (as a last-minute add-in when two folks dropped out), Humor in Horror, Mystery in Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Building Your Audience. I was tempted to drop out of that one, incidentally, since I'm feeling a little down on marketing, but I'm glad I didn't as there were only three of us (one person had a severe allergic reaction to something in the hotel and had to go home.)

We bought tickets for all the kids, but in the end, only Alex went more than the mandatory first day. Fortunately, they had a D&D game going the first day, so Steven and Liam weren't too terribly disappointed. They just weren't into the stuff that the con offered.

If I can get the video and photos up, I'll spend the rest of the week telling you the things about the con, but here's a sneak peek:

* Good things come to those who wait
* How to get interviews at a con
* See my brain get splattered on the ceiling, scraped, poked and otherwise abused
* Anime eyes and funny faces

Sadly, all my interviews did not turn out well. My Dell Streak's mike is not good. Wah. Tech fail. Next time, I bring my video camera or actual computer. Was hoping the pad would do the job. Figures.

Chatterday: Market hard or "Feed the Beast"?

One of my groups on Linked In is discussing whether it's wiser to market your books hard or keep "Feeding the Beast" by putting your time into writing. I've seen arguments for both, and sometimes it depends on the situation. Traditionally published authors, like Dean Wesley Smith, say "Marketing is not my job." Self-publishers, of course, have no choice but to market themselves and hard. But what about us small press authors?

I'll be honest: I'm entering the "feed the beast" camp. I've been marketing hard for years now, but while I have a few loyal fans, my results in no way justify the amount of time and effort I put into it. Meanwhile, I have stories languishing because I'm putting so much time and mental energy into marketing. I burned myself out in April, and near as I can tell the results are on par with having done nothing.

I won't give up promotions altogether. I can't. However, I feel it's time to put it in its proper perspective. I also need to do some research and reflection on what will be most effective for me. Most of you know me well enough to realize that I know WHAT to do, but somewhere, my execution falls short.

So, what about you? Share your frustrations, your successes, your opinions. Come on! Let's help each other out.

"Perfect Ten" is here!

When Sheila Mars lands a bind date, she knows she's found a "Perfect Ten"--but on what scale?

I originally wrote this for an anthology called "Anonymous Dates, Inc." whic Lea Schizas was compiling. The premise was a woman gets set up on a first date, which starts out great, but ends in a disaster. What could be more promising--and disastrous--and a first date with Coyote the Trickster God?

Unfortunately, the anthology didn't pan out, so Lea gave me the rights to the story back. Several years later, however, she started her own publishing company, MuseItUp, which also takes short stories. I think it's wonderful that she's publishing the story she helped found in the first place!

For my "Vern fans": This is the Coyote from my DragonEye, PI world. It takes place in Vegas, so you won't see Vern, but Sister Grace makes an appearance--but not until Coyote has a good long time to show is true self!

Also for "Vern fans": MuseItUp will be publishing Vern and Grace's next adventure, Live and Let Fly, in April 2012!

Here's an excerpt:

Well, he’s not so bad. Definitely dark and handsome, Sheila thought as she sat perched on the edge of the chair, clutching her phone tightly in case another decision needed to be made.

“He” was one Kyle Loaty: Emigrated to America from Faerie last year and had spent most of his time on a reservation in Montana, where he “lived off the land” and worked “helping the Sioux relearn the ancient legends.” 5’11”, Native American ancestry--if such a thing existed in Faerie--well muscled. Health Risk Assessment 5.2 at first blush, her assessor brain whispered. And there was something about him that made Sheila blush.

Nonetheless, she hadn’t gotten a good look at his face. He kept focused on someone off-stage (Martha, she realized), and his shiny, long black hair obscured his profile.
As if on cue, Martha’s voice urged, “Kyle, dear, please talk to the camera.”

“How can I talk to that machine when there is so much woman I can look at instead.”

Martha tittered, then cleared her throat. “But the women who want to meet you will watch the tape. Can’t you act as if the camera were one of them?”

“Oh!” he said earnestly. “Oh, I’m very good at playing pretend.”

He turned and gave the camera a smoldering stare.

Sheila dropped her phone.



Or, if you prefer Amazon: CLICK HERE

Press Release: Zombies: National Disaster, or Local Pest?

Since the CDC has issues a warning to prepare for the zombie apocalypse, I just had to issue a statement of my own. Feel free to repost on your blogs or wherever! CDC article is here: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/18/cdc-warns-public-prepare-zombie-apocalypse/?test=latestnews

PRESS RELEASE

Karina Fabian Kim Richards, Publisher, Damnation Books

2712W 1475N PO Box 3931

Layton, UT 84041 Santa Rose, CA 95402

801-593-0531 707-595-4738

karina@fabianspace.com kim@damnationbooks.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Zombies: National Disaster, or Local Pest?

Layton, UT: When it comes to handling the zombie apocalypse, author Karina Fabian has a little more faith in the government than its own Center for Diseases Control. While the CDC assumes an overwhelming contagion of Zombieland proportions, Fabian's book, Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, postulates a country where private and government resources rally to tackle the problem.

"Look at how we handled H1N1. As soon as we recognized the problem, we mobilized. From public service announcements to vaccinations, we were on the problem like ugly on the undead," Fabian said.

In Fabian's zombie-infested world, thirty years in our future, zombies had gone from international threat to local pest. How? Federally mandated spine severing to prevent the reawakened brain from making the body move and private- and government-funded research institutes to not only seek a cure, but find more effective ways of battling the shambling undead. (Incidentally, "undead" becomes the official legal moniker for zombies, and the government issues professionals licenses to "re-kill.") Also in the private sector, extermination companies have found a new niche market: zombie extermination.

Of course, Fabian notes that she put in a few parameters to control the spread of zombie-ism.

"I didn't have a widespread sweeping contagion that took everyone at once," she said. "It didn't make sense to me. For the most part, diseases don't work like that, anymore, thanks to human knowledge and intervention. Also, my zombies have a few unusual characteristics that make them easier to manage. They aren't just brain sucking monsters. They have just enough brain function to retain bad habits. A smoker in life will take a pack of cigarettes over brains. TV will distract most zombies. Cleaning products repel them. It's ridiculous, I know, but so are zombies."

Fabian extends that "ridiculous" to include the world's reaction to zombies: zombie rights activists; conspiracy theorists, self-help videos ("You CAN Survive the Zombie Apocalypse!") and the reality TV show, Zombie Death Extreme. (Check out the website at http://zombiedeathextreme.com)

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, published in December 2010 by Damnation Books, stars Neeta Lyffe in the first season of Zombie Death Extreme as she deals with maniacal directors, bickering trainees, lawyers out for blood, and zombies out for brains. She's working on the second book, I Left my Brains in San Francisco.

Fabian said she realizes the CDC issued its release as a fun way to draw attention to disaster preparedness. "It's an important subject, especially with all the extreme weather we've been having. However, my vision of a 'zombie apocalypse' is just a bit different--and a lot more fun."

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, is available in print or electronic formats.

* * *

Photos, press packages, and more available upon request.

My Novel's Journey: Mind Over Mind cover art

I had a blog post written for today, but it was whiny and I debated using it. Then Gwen Gades, publisher of DragonMoon Books, made the decision for me by sending me the awesome cover of awesome!

Behold...MIND over MIND!

(Note: back cover blurb not added yet, but Gwen said I could post.)

Charles Bernard (www.onlineartacademy.com) does cover art for the big traditionals, too, so this is the one cover I had little say in. Rather, he came up with four concept sketches and I was allowed input on which I liked best and to make MINIMAL change suggestions. All of them were so amazing that I got chills, but I kept coming back to this one. I love the impact it has and the expression on Deryl's face and how he's stuck between two worlds, neither of which is very appealing. (That's a mental institution in the background.) Also, it had the fewest conflicts with the worldbuilding aspects (most of which we'll see in the next book, Mind over Psyche.) Fortunately, the folks at DragonMoon agreed with me.

Got a not-so-secret secret to share. A week or so ago, I went back to the website where the concept sketches were, just wanting to geek out again, and I found that he'd replaced them with color renditions of the cover and the lettering. I flipped--it was so good. I showed it to my kids and husband only, and we discussed which lettering we liked best, etc. None, however, were the lettering you see here, and this lettering has so much more impact.

The back cover blurb, etc. are still to come, and I'll be sure to post. However, let me just say that once again, I hit the jackpot with covers. Thanks Charles and Gwen!

The Small Press Author Blues

Been a long time since I've been inspired to bad song lyrics, but Friday night, I was tuning my harp while bemoaning my marketing successes (or relative lack of success when you consider work vs. results), and I came up with this. BTW, I did not put it to the harp--harps are not well known for the blues. Imagine a harmonica doing the the bada-ba da Dum!


bada-ba da Dum Wrote me a book
bada-ba da Dum But it don't sell well
bada-ba da Dum Though I've been marketing
bada-ba da Dum Like a bat outta hell
bada-ba da Dum The bookstores won't take it
bada-ba da Dum 'Cause the press is too small
bada-ba da Dum Each store had a new excuse and I have heard them all!

Oh, I got the blues!
The small press author blues
Wish I were in Stephanie Meyers' shoes
I'd kick those small press author blues.

bada-ba da Dum Now I love my publishers
bada-ba da Dum So don't get me wrong
bada-ba da Dum They all do their best
bada-ba da Dum They deserve this song
bada-ba da Dum 'Cause the industry screws them
bada-ba da Dum And bookstores do, too
bada-ba da Dum Makes them pay for the returns and rips the covers off them, too!

Oh, we got the blues!
The small press business blues
If we could just wear Amazon's shoes
We'd kick those small press business blues.

bada-ba da Dum Now some folks are sayin'
bada-ba da Dum Self-publishing's king
bada-ba da Dum I can put my book on Kindle
bada-ba da Dum It don't mean a thing
bada-ba da Dum A billion books on Kindle
bada-ba da Dum How do I make the scene?
bada-ba da Dum When even with small press I don't get folks to notice me?

Oh, I got the blues!
The small press author blues
Wish I were in JA Konrath's shoes
I'd kick those small press author blues.

bada-ba da Dum That's it; I'm done!
bada-ba da Dum I'm in this for fun
bada-ba da Dum Got so many stories
bada-ba da Dum And I love every one
bada-ba da Dum So I'll write my stories
bada-ba da Dum And I'll find them good homes
bada-ba da Dum Because my life is better when my imagination roams

Oh, who cares about the blues?
The small press author blues
I'm comfy in my shoes
My bunny slippered, funny flippered, what no author can do without
To kick those small press author blues.

Chatterday: Anybody reading this?

I missed Thursday, but I'm making progress on my goal of building up to 3000 words a day. In the meantime, I have to wonder--does anyone read this? Or better yet, what would make you read this more often?

So far, chatterday has been kind of a flop. I'm willing to take topics for discussion.

Re-Upholstering Chairs

Sorry this took so long to post--I never downloaded the photos!

I have a beautiful dining room set that I bought from my neighbor in California. I adore the rich color of the wood and the intricate carvings on the back. It's nice and big and even came with a glass top. However, the seats were a problem. They were a washed out goldish color, and the cushions were thin--so thin in some places, that when you saw you were poked with the screws that held them on!



My parents gave us some money for Christmas, and we decided to put it into upholsetring the chairs. My mom is terrific at recovering furniture, so she offered to help out when they came to visit, which was the first week of February.

Here's the fabric I found. I loved the deep, rich colors, and the red was just enough to complement the color of the chair itself. Even better, it was on sale at Hancock Fabric: $13 a yard! Because of the design, we ended up buying 10 yards, about a yard a chair, and we had a lot left over. That's not a problem for creative people like us, though!



The cushions were a little tougher. When I took apart one chair, I realized I could not recreate the shaping. So I decided to just buy high density 2-inch foam to put under the original foam instead. I also did not want to risk getting stabbed with screws anymore, so I decided to use 3 1/2-inc bolts with washers and nuts to lock them in place. That meant we had to drill holes in the wood bottom of the seat and in the chair. One lesson we learned quickly: the screws had been put in at angles, so sometimes, we had to drill an entire new set of holes in the wood seat to match the holes in the chair itself. Next we threaded the bolts with washers through the holes in the seat so that the bolt heads are on top--ie, they would be covered by the cushions.




I marked the centers of the top, bottom and sides of the seat so I could line up the fabric. I set the fabric, wrong side up, then the original cushion on it, the new cushion on the old, then the seat on the cushion, bolt heads down.



After that, I stapled the upholstery fabric on. First, I only did the four centers, then flipped it to be sure the pattern was right. How excited I was when I saw how good the first one looked! Then I went back and did the sides, then did the four corners. I had to hammer the staples down because the thick cushion absorbed some of the force of the staplegun. Then I trimmed the extra upholstery, put the liner back on the bottom of the seat and stapled that into place.


Finally, I threaded the bolts through the holes in the chair and put on the washers and nuts. Voila! they are beautiful and so comfy!



When we had removed the old upholstery fabric, we found the original gold cotton fabric covers were on it. So we washed these swatches and cut them into squares, then sewed up the edges for napkins.


We had a lot of excess material, so my mom made a huge table runner and a valance. We also recovered a couple of old ugly hot pads. Here's the final result. I LOVE IT! Thanks, Mom and Dad!

My Novel's Journey: Focus and Word Count

The thing about being an accomplished writer isn't so much about being able to write huge amounts of text, but about being consistent.

My first novel, which will be published in September as Mind Over Mind, was written with a single vow: one sentence before bed each day. Sometimes, I got on a roll and did a few paragraphs, rarely more than a page. However, most of the time, I only got that sentence done--and since I was homeschooling two kids and had a toddler and a baby, it was a sentence done half-asleep at that.

Now, of course, the kids are all in public school, and I have several hours to myself, so I am managing, I'd guess, probably 8,000-10,000 words a day. Trouble is, those words aren't all toward my books. I write blogs, facebook posts, e-mails, and waaaay too much marketing stuff. Before that, I did a lot of posts on Yahoo groups. I also write things for the Catholic Writers' Guild and various websites.

Lately, I've been re-evaluating my writing, and have come to the conclusion that a lot of the writing I'm doing isn't giving me the joy I am working toward. Thus, I need to refocus on what I really want. Which is to write stories.

In order to do that, I'm resetting my goals, and building up. Last week, the goal was 1000 words a day, five days a week, just on the novel. The plan is to work to 3000 a day. To accomplish this, I need to set a few things aside, or to give them their rightful place--break times and after the main writing is done.

What's helping me to do that? I post my writing word accomplishment on Facebook. Yeah, it's kind of a silly "Look at me!" thing, but it helps me feel accountable. Second, I have a new writing buddy. Nancy needed someone to be accountable to as well, so she and I meet on IM in the mornings and keep each other on track. Finally, I simply discipline myself. Some days that means turning off my internet access, less I be tempted.

This week's goal is 1200 words a day, five days a week. I'm certain I can make that, and that by the end of the year, I'll be going strong at 3K a day. If Life doesn't toss a curveball at me.

BTW, one thing I plan to do to minimize my marketing efforts is concentrate on my newsletter. I invite bloggers as well as readers to join in. Each time a book comes out, I'll be sending information that you are welcome to post. Register here.

War of Attrition--Review and Interview with Frank Creed

Summary: (From Amazon):

Set in 2037, Calamity Kid and his muscle cell are targeted by the One State's Federal Bureau of Terrorism and must survive alone in Chicago's Underground. At one-half its usual might, the cell encounters traps and snares set by a faceless opponent-and question the suspicious arrival of a bio-engineered One State traitor. Blamed by the media for the very violence they're trying to contain, CK and his fellow saints race for their lives to avoid the high-tech crosshairs aimed into the underground. War of Attrition, Book Two of the UNDERGROUND, is the sequel to Frank Creed's award-winning Christian sci-fi/ cyberpunk novel, Flashpoint.

Mini Review: Once again, Frank Creed spins another exciting tale of a cyberpunk Chicago in an Apocalyptic world. I love his imaginative use of technology to enhance the gifts of the Holy Spirit--and the really cool Matrix-style skills with a new (pardon the pun) twist. I enjoyed the chemistry between Calamity and Lethe--hope to see more of their relationship in Book Three. The only thing I didn't like was the way it just seemed to end. Really, I was roaring along on the El of adventure--and suddenly the track ended! I wondered where the rest of the book had gone. Of course, if the worst you can say about a book is that it ended too soon, well--bring on the next!

Note: This is unapologetically Christian speculative fiction. Much quoting of the Bible, some moral discussions from a very Christian perspective, and of course the Christian underground is the good guys. That said, I think this book is a lot of fun for readers of any denomination, and even for those who do not necessarily ascribe to a particular religion, as long as you understand the characters are talking to each other and not that the author is trying to preach to you. It's not that kind of book, really.

Interview with Frank Creed:

1. What’s different in War of Attrition from Flashpoint?

Our heroes get some upgraded tech capabilities. They get uploaded with a mindware update that has advantages, like using their mindware abilities without being detected. Also, Calamity Kid gets some electromagnetic swords.

Another change is a new player in the power struggle. If a One State bully pokes you every day, you assume that when you get poked it must be the bully. What if you get poked and the bully is not there? A third party enters the fray, and shocks Calamity Kid.

Also, our main characters’ Mommy and Daddy are not around. Calamity Kid and e-girl have grown up.

2. What do you love best about War of Attrition?

Easy question. The new characters that were not in Flashpoint.

Lethe is someone Calamity Kid knew from online gaming. Back then, she ran under the name Heartbreaker, but she hates that name. Heartbreaker was a One State experiment who got away. She seems to be fleeing her former masters, but can she be trusted, and will she break Calamity Kid’s heart?

Barren is CK’s new partner. We learn early that Barren’s whole family has been killed by the One State. He has little to live for and looks forward to seeing his family in Heaven. How does Calamity Kid deal with such a man?

Vex also came from the One State. He worked with the peacekeepers as a sniper. Vex came from Mexico, fled his duty in Vancouver, and wound up joining the underground in Chicago. How will his skills fit with CK’s needs?

3. What lessons did you learn from Flashpoint that you applied to War of Attrition?

Not a fair question with my brain injury—I learn so many nit-picky details about writing that would bore readers . . . here’s an easy one though. Flashpoint’s ending was too long. War of Attrition has a final scene that satisfies without boring.

4. How’s the role playing game coming?

Slowly. Copies of Join the Underground, by Mike Roop, are just not selling. I had hoped that there would be a great crossover between Christian cyberpunk readers and Christian gamers, but we have not been able to effectively reach the gamer market. It is sad because a lot of effort went into developing the gaming system and even though it only uses normal easy-to-find six-sided-die, nobody is enjoying it.

5. Got more Underground books coming?

Yes! I’m currently writing Devil’s Hit List, Book Three of the Underground. All your favorite characters are back, doing what they do best. This time the saints are trying to stop a diabolical technology, Virtual-e, before it can be offered to the public. I will say that Calamity Kid is running out of friends!

Book Four of the Underground will be co-authored with an author friend of mine from New Zealand—Grace Bridges.

Buy it on Amazon!

Chatterday: Do you pay attention to blog reviews

This week's questions are pretty simple: Do you read book reviews on blogs? If so, when do they influence you? If not, why not?

I'm asking because I send out a lot of copies of my books to blogger for review, but I wonder if they are effective.

My Novel's Journey: Neeta Lyffe II: Inspiration Comes from Writing

What comes first, inspiration or writing?

I think most folks believe that you need to be inspired in order to write, but here's the secret writers who produce works quickly know: Sometimes you have to write before you get inspired.

Here's an example from this week's work on Neeta Lyffe II: I Left My Brains in San Francisco: When I started this week's writing, all I knew was that they were at the exterminator's conference in San Francisco, and that they would have to take on some zombies and that Ted and Neeta needed to get their relationship straightened out. Oh, and Marcel Chelemas would be after Neeta's affections (or at least her body.) Neeta and Ted had signed in at the conference, had the embarrassing situation of sharing one very romantic room (where Ted is being so gentlemanly he might as well be celibate.) They met up with Roscoe (from Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator) and met his true love, Cameron (of the indeterminate gender). It was the next day, and Neeta had to go to an interview with SanFranciscoOnline.

I had no idea what she was going to do there. Rather than put it aside, I just delved in writing.

First, I realized while writing the dinner scene with Roscoe and Cam that Neeta never really worked through her feelings about killing Bergie in the first book. I mean, she knew she did the right thing, but how do you get over chopping off a friend's head with a chainsaw? From that realization--which only came about from writing the dinner scene--I decided to start her day with a nightmare she'd only half remember.

And while we're doing a nightmare, let's have Bergie's head deliver an ominous warning? That also came from the dinner conversation and the comedy act they were watching.

So, you know the expression, "Put your character in a tree. Put vicious dogs at the base. Throw rocks."? Neeta's in the tree. I have no idea where the dogs are or what my rocks look like. So I just start with her waking up and let her lead me.

She didn't remember the dream at all, just woke up flustered. Inspiration--Bergie will have to come back, each time, she'll recall just a bit more. Now I have future scenes figured out.

Since she's flustered for no reason, she finds one--Ted. Are they dating or not? Oh, and she doesn't want to do the interview and she's tired of worrying about money... That takes me until she's dressed and waking up Ted so he can get ready for the conference.

By now, the subconscious has taken over. The characters are acting on their own and I just record. As they do, I get new glimpses of how things work:

Ted makes a comment about not being jealous because he's got nothing to be jealous of. He and I know it's because he's confident that Neeta and he are meant to be, but Neeta doesn't know that. He also tells her that they are spending the next morning together on Fisherman's Warf. At this point, I'm at my goal for the day.

The next day, I have to write the interview. I almost decided to skip this scene and wait to see what I need to foreshadow, but I figured I could at least get her to the studio. As I started writing, I realized I didn't want a typical studio for an online show, so I looked up houses for sale in San Francisco and based it on a nice one I found in the $500,000 range. Suddenly, I knew the story behind the studio--the family business of a former TV anchor with a jealous husband who decided to quit TV to stay home with the kids. Her husband suggested they start their own online show and now it's hugely successful.

Jealous husband? What about Ted not being jealous, ever? Inspiration--for Neeta and me. Suddenly, Marcel has weaseled his way onto the show, mostly with the intention of meeting Neeta. Neeta sees the husband's protective reaction to Marcel being around his wife, and thinks maybe she could provoke a reaction from her own man.

End result, she let herself get talked into doing something with Marcel when she's supposed to be at Fisherman's Warf with Ted.

And now I know what I'm writing tomorrow.

The thing is, if I'd let myself wait until all this came to me, it would not have. It took the physical act of writing them through the events to let my characters tell me what comes next.

Writing doesn't need to begin with inspiration, but writing breeds inspiration.

Reviews and other Coolness for ISIG II

What a great tour! Thanks again to everyone who hosted me.

Here are some snippets from the reviews:

"You are probably thinking that Infinite Space, Infinite God II is religious; nothing could be farther from the truth. What you get in Infinite Space, Infinite God II, is science fiction written well by authors who know how to spin a good tale." http://rjmbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/infinite-space-infinite-god-ii.html

"The Ghosts of Kourion by Andrew M. Seddon is outstanding...an exceptionally well-told saga. Antivenin by Karina Fabian, ... rescue nuns in space, a fascinating concept. An Exercise in Logic by Barton Paul Levenson, ...well worth reading. Cathedral by Tamara Wilhite...a thought-provoking, futuristic tale. The Battle of the Narthex by Alex Lobdell...Humor, excitement and futuristic devices will keep you reading to the end." http://summitbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/infinite-space-infinite-god-ii-editors.html

"an entertaining read with twists and turns that will leave you thinking about the possible future of our world. ...One of the most touching stories, at least to me, was “Dyads” by Ken Pick and Alan Loewen." http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/2011/04/infinite-space-infinite-god-ii.html


"Twelve stories that will take you places that you have never been to discover new things about the human condition from a viewpoint that you may not have considered before. Thank you Karina and Robert Fabian for finding these stories and presenting them for us in this anthology." http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/infinite-space-infinite-god-ii-edited-by-karina-and-robert-fabian/

"Just because the stories have virtuous underpinnings, don’t presume these are soft kiddie tales. These stories are core sci-fi taking the reader emotionally from apocalyptic doubt to Flash Gordon-like adventure. Some are thought provoking and some are just fun. Enjoy the trip!" http://www.litland.com/blog/2011/04/22/12-days-of-sci-fi-infinite-space-infinite-god-ii/

And, for additional coolness, a letter from the Vatican (well, the American Nunciat) thanking us on behalf of the Pope for sending him a copy. (Hope he reads it.)

My Novel's Journey: Neeta Lyffe II: Marcel Chelemas

For me, the real fun of a book is the characters. So, today, I'd like to introduce you to Marcel...!


Isn't he a hottie? He thinks so, too. His good looks, cajun charm and street smarts almost make up for his narcissism and shallowness. He's probably the guy you want to date once--and frankly, that suits him jes' fine, himself. Just like his gold tooth shining from among his perfect pearly whites, he's aware of his character flaw and knows how to work it. Like he says, he's got signature style.

Marcel wins Zombie Death Extreme-Bayou, but rather than putting his million into an extermination business, he puts it into producing and marketing a self-help video, You CAN Survive the Zombie Apocalypse! Of course, he says he was inspired by one of the episodes of Neeta's season of ZDE, but how can you turn down the chance to do good and get rich without having to deal with the undead except perhaps in simulation?

Marcel grew up in the back streets of the French Quarter. Papa was an alcoholic; Mama dabbled in the "arts." The streets raised him, and he raised Cain--actually, Kane, his little brother. Little brother, however, grew up like Papa until the day he disappeared and came back two weeks later as the shambling undead. That was Marcel's first re-kill, at the tender age of twenty. (When he says it, the girls sigh, honest.) The good thing about it was Pa sobered up, but it was too little, too late as far as Marcel was concerned. He knew who he could depend on: his own dam' self. He was going to make the world his oyster, swallow that down, and find a new world to make his.

Now, he's in the new world of celebrities, thanks to ZDE, and he's got his goals. Top of the list is wooing a certain Anaheim exterminator away from her goofy boyfriend.



I got this photo from sxc.hu. It was taken by stylesr1.

New Cover for Infinite Space, Infinite God

We love the cover for the original Infinite Space, Infinite God, but it was not the intended art. Twilight Times had commissioned Damon Bryan Shackelford
to do a Marian procession with aliens. We'd loved the idea, and Damon even wanted to put the contributor's faces in it. How cool is that? Unfortunately, time constraints and some difficulties in details meant it didn't get done in time, and we went with the smashing cover by Kurt Ozinga.

However, Lida, the publisher, really liked the idea, and with ISIG II out, she decided it was time to give ISIG a new look. She went back to Damon, who was able to make the changes. Here's the result, without the title, etc. What do you think? Me, I'm geeking out!

Get ISIG I or II at Amazon. The Kindle versions are on sale for 2.99 through April 23!

Chatterday: Can you cut your manuscript?

Thursday, I talked about cutting manuscripts and gave some tips. Today, I want to know..

How do you cut your manuscript? Can you do it? Is it hard? Share with us a story about your best editing victory or worse editing nightmare.

Write Tight--tips for cutting your prose.

I read a story about Spider Robinson, one of the greats in science fiction, and how he learned to write tight. He used to submit stories to Astounding Magazine and editor John Campbell--a pioneer of the genre--would write him back saying, essentially, "Great story. Cut it by half. "(or a third, I don't remember which.) Spider would then rant and snarl, then get to work, cut the story, and find himself surprised that not only could he do it, but that the story turned out great.

This past week, I felt very close to Spider. I did another cutting marathon; this time, taking my novella "Greater Treasures" from 10,000 words to 13,300. It taxed my philosophy that just about any story can be cut by a third, and it took six hours to get to size, but I did it and I like the result.

Cutting can be very hard for writers--every word is important, right? In truth, you can chop and still preserve the story. Here're some hints:

1. Kill the passive voice. Usually, you can find a stronger verb for "was" or "has."
2. Kill progressive voice. This is was/is and a ver ending in -ing. Vern talks in progressive voice a lot, but I've found that when cutting, I can use a simple past tense instead. "I watched" instead of "I was watching." This is not always the case, though, so be careful.
3. Kill the -ly words by using a stronger verb. "I moved quietly" becomes "I stalked."
4. Kill off or combine characters. If you have a lot of side characters, you can make some do double-duty or remove them totally. Do you really need the taxi driver AND the barman to give your protagonist advice, or can one do it--or maybe a different character, like an informant? In another story I cut this week, I had two cops, but one was more decoration. He got removed.
5. Cut asides and side plots. Does your character really need that trip down memory lane? Does the conversation further the plot or is it just interesting? Anything that does not move the plot forward can be cut.
6. Don’t be so clever. This was the hard one for me. Vern has a lot of sarcastic comments to make, but I had to sacrifice some in order to make the word count. Oddly, even though they hurt while cutting, I didn't notice their absence when reading the final version aloud. Your readers will not know the great material that ended up on the cutting room floor, but if you cut intelligently, you will keep the spirit and have enough wit still in the cleaner version to make an impact.

Cutting, once you get into the swing of it, is actually a fun challenge. Seldom now do editors come back like Mr. Campbell asking for cuts, but you might try this exercise on some of your own work. You might get it down to a size that makes it more marketable, or come up with a version that will get you into a different market--like flash. Either way, it's a good way to learn what's really essential and to help you learn to "write tight."

Here's a little before-and-after. Do you miss the 30 words I axed?
Before:

Grace hid the TV by closing the door to the closet in which it stood, then peered out the miniblinds. "She's good with the dogs--friendly, but not gushing over them. Nice outfit--business, but not too out of place. Sensible shoes. Her hair's redder than mine."

The window was partly open, so I used my sniffer. "Out of a bottle. She's got money, too. More than you should carry around in this part of town."

"Good. The mortgage is due and I need some supplies for the workshop. And I've flooded the ‘local’ arcane market with dragon urine."

I shrugged. Every part of a dragon--from fangs to fewmets--has some kind of magical value and is highly prized in the magical market on Faerie. Of course, St. George had taken most of that away from me with his spell, but there was one thing he couldn't mess with, and that was a natural reaction of dragon digestion. I didn't mind filling a few bottles to sell. Too much of our work depended on Grace's magic.

"Here she comes," Grace said and took her place at her desk. She used a cantrip to open the door just before our stranger could.

"Welcome to Dragon Eye Private Investigation Agency," I said over her discomfiture. "I'm Vern and this is Sister Grace. How can we help you?"

After:
Grace sighed with relief as she turned off the TV. The local Geraldo-wannabe had invited a couple of Mundane Neo-Nazis and some Faerie toughs to discuss their differences. One skinhead had just announced that once they had eradicated the "fairy contagion," they'd resume their crusade to purify the "proper" human race. I'd been betting the audience would storm the stage and was looking forward to the ensuing ruckus.

"Awww…"

"The mortgage is due and I need supplies for the workshop," Grace scolded. "And I've flooded the ‘local’ arcane market with dragon urine."

"Okay." Every part of a dragon--from fangs to fewmets--has magical value. Of course, St. George had taken most of that away from me with his spell, but there was one thing he couldn't mess with, and that was a natural reaction of dragon digestion. I didn't mind filling a few bottles to sell. Too much of our work depended on Grace's magic. But you could only sell so much, so I made nice as our customer entered.

"Welcome to Dragon Eye Private Investigation Agency. I'm Vern and this is Sister Grace. How can we help you?"

"My name is Eva, Eva Heidler, and…" She sniffled.

Announcing the ISIG II book tour

Check out the Blog Tour--lots of reviews!

Fabianspace www.fabianspace.com 11-Apr info Susanne Drazic http://susannedrazic.blogspot.com/ 11-Apr gen info Grace Bridges reviews.splashdownbooks.com 12-Apr review John Konecsni Apiusman.blogspot.com 11,12-Apr Interview, guest blog Lisa Hendey CatholicMom.com 13-Apr guest post Confessions of a Cooperator raeblog.blogspot.com 13-Apr interview Teri Harmon www.teribelle.wordpress.com 13-Apr guest post Penny Ehrenkranz http://tinyurl.com/pleisig 14-Apr guest post Beverly Mcclure http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com 15-Apr review The Baptized Imagination baptizedimagination.com 16-Apr commentary Chelle Cordero http://cce613.xanga.com/ 17-Apr info Katie Hines http://katiehines.blogspot.com 17-Apr guest post Fabianspace www.fabianspace.com 18-Apr blog Rebecca Russell http://rryalsrussell.com/blog/ 19-Apr interview Julie Davis http://happycatholic.blogspot.com/ 19-Apr review Naomi Clark http://naomi-jay.livejournal.com/ 20-Apr guest post Homeschool Blogger www.homeschoolblogger.com/ohiosarah 20-Apr review Character Education Criteria Reviews http://www.litland.com/reviews.html 21-Apr Review, guest post Chelle Cordero http://cce613.xanga.com/ 22-Apr guest post First Wild Card Tours http://firstwildcardtours.blogspot.com/ 22-Apr review So What Do We Think http://www.litland.com/blog/ 22-Apr Review, guest post Laura O'Neill http://daybydayinourworld.blogspot.com/ 22-Apr review Victor Gentile vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com 22-Apr Review Summit Book Reviews http://summitbookreviews.blogspot.com/ 22-Apr review You Gotta Read Book Reviews http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com 22-Apr interview Marian Allen http://MarianAllen.com 23-Apr interview Frank Creed http://blog.frankcreed.com/ 23-Apr review Fabianspace www.fabianspace.com 25-Apr reviews

Kindle: