Lorina Stephens's Blog, page 86

In Remembrance

A departure today in remembrance of those who have served, and those who have died serving, the countries they love. Whether that service was by choice or unwilling conscription makes little difference after the fact. What remains is that these men and women were and are subjected to what we ask of no one in normal society, that they face irrationality and fear, prejudice and privation, struggle and death, and then return to us whole, hale, capable of inserting themselves completely and...

Musical Influences on Writing

I'm not sure how many other authors are greatly influenced, or not, by music. For myself, music plays a very important role in helping me to visualize the environment I'm creating, as well as set the tone of a particular scene. This enormous influence is one of the reasons I mentioned in the afterword of From Mountains of Ice my preferred music list when I was writing the novel. Unfortunately, one reader felt that because I listened to the soundtrack from Gladiator I cloned the movie.

My...

Signing this Past Saturday

The book signing Saturday at Indigo Books in Burlington, as part of the fall promotion tour of From Mountains of Ice , went well. Although sales weren't brisk, certainly they were acceptable and interest from both customers and staff was keen. Had a delightful conversation with a fully engaged and connected young man by name of Holden (wonderful old name) and look forward to a continued discussion with him over the next months on things literary and philosophical.

Special thanks to all the...

From Mountains of Ice, Review by Sara Messina

From Sara Messina, reviewer at Mind Fog Reviews.

Unlike many fantasy stories, Lorina Stephens' From Mountains of Ice tells more than just a single narrative centering around a hero or group of adventurers in a magical world. Stephens tells the stories of Simare, an Italian country struggling to keep its simple rustic way of life free from the encroachment of larger countries and a crown's tyranny. The understanding of cultural nuances serves as a foundation for the struggle of main...

Nate Hendley: Upcoming Books

As many of you know Five Rivers is re-publishing five of Nate Hendley's books next year, revised and updated, as well as releasing early in 2011 a new book on China as an emerging superpower.

We've been busy working on covers for some of Nate's books, and thought we'd give a sneak preview at these dynamic releases. For more information, go to Five Rivers' at http://www.5rivers.org/contents/en-ca/d92.html

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Five Rivers Seeking Fiction

We are actively seeking solidly plotted, character-driven Canadian fiction by Canadian authors. The following genres are all acceptable: science fiction, fantasy, speculative, historical and above all good literature. We will not consider anything to do with vampires or horror, crime, women's fiction or erotica.

Submission guidelines as follows:
- No hard copy submissions, please. All hard copy submissions will be returned unopened.
- Query first by email, accompanied by a PDF or RTF attachment ...

Review: Finding Creatures & other stories

The cover of C. June Wolf's collection of speculative shorts was enough to snare my attention, although the title supported that dynamic image. Then when I saw the man himself, Charles de Lint, had given his unequivocal support to the publication, I knew I would put aside everything else on my reading mountain.

It was an excellent decision.

There are fifteen stories that make up this eclectic collection, ranging from pure speculative, science fiction, fantasy and urban reality. They are all of...

Swimming the Reef

Or Questionable Author Services

With the proliferation of social network services and instant gratification, it seems more and more questionable consultants have slithered out from the reefs, people willing to monetize your virtual socialization outreach, maximize the lateral and vertical interconnectivity of your website, and, if you're involved in the arts, people willing to create blockbuster plots and unforgettable characters, all for a fee, of course. What, you think these people are...

Lorina Stephens at Indigo, Burlington

As part of the fall promotional tour for her latest book release, From Mountains of Ice, Lorina Stephens will be appearing at Indigo, 1250 Brant Street, Burlington, Ontario, on Saturday, November 7, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Lorina will be signing copies of From Mountains of Ice, as well as And the Angels Sang and Shadow Song.
This latest cultural fantasy from Lorina is story of love, endurance and the meaning of honour, set against an Italian Renaissance background.
Sylvio di Danuto has spent...

Crystal Death, by Nate Hendley

Early in 2010 Five Rivers is pleased to release a revised and updated second edition of Nate Hendley's explosive book, Crystal Death: Methamphetamine, North America's #1 Killer Drug. The book is a hard-hitting look at the most dangerous illegal drug in North America, a fact-based account featuring interviews and life stories from users, dealers and doctors.

We're giving you a sneak peak at the introduction of Crystal Death.

On February 21, 2003, David Parnell – an on-and-off factory worker...