Phil Giunta's Blog, page 113

Chiller Theatre autograph and collectible show

Despite Mother Nature's winter preview along the Northeastern US, I made the traditional trek to Chiller Theatre's Halloween convention with my fiancee and one of our long time convention buddies. The drive to the con was without incident as the snow had just started. Unlike most Chiller cons, there was no wait to be admitted to the show as the weather probably scared off most of the usual crowd.

This time around, my autograph list was rather light in quantity, but certainly not quality. It was an honor to meet:

Louis Gossett, Jr. (Enemy Mine, Roots, Officer and a Gentleman)
Valerie Perrine (Superman: The Movie, Slaughterhouse Five)
Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Of course, Chiller has a lot more going on, including writers, artists, a costume contest and other horror/SF related exhibits but with the weather becoming more treacherous, we cut our time a bit short.

The drive home was...adventurous...to say the least. Car accidents and felled trees galore on both of the main highways we took (287 and 78), adding an extra hour to our drive but we made it home without incident. However, it looks like I'll need to call a tree removal service next week as one of the trees in my front yard snapped in two places and is pretty much destroyed.

Book Review: No Small Bills by Aaron Rosenberg

DuckBob Spinowitz is your average Joe--er, Bob, and compliments of the Gray aliens he had been modified with the head and plumage of--you guessed it--a duck.  As it turns out, his physical modification was no mere experiment of curiosity as DuckBob learns when he is pressed into service by the Gray aliens and the NSA on a matter of galactic security.  For only DuckBob can realign the quantum fluctuation matrix to prevent an alien incursion from an alternate reality!

Say what?

Aaron Rosenberg channels Douglas Adams, Monthy Python, and Henson's Creature Shop (and silly string) in a hilarious, ludicrous escapade through outer space, intraspace, and ultraspace.  Teamed with an irritable NSA agent, a squat broccoli-headed alien repairman, and a gorgeous human female mission leader (who was also modified by the Grays but only intellectually, to DuckBob's delight), our feathered and billed hero sets off across the galaxy and manages to enrage flower loving dinosaurs, cause an interstellar bus accident (punishable by losing his ability to see the color mauve), and confront a six-inch tall shrimp with a death ray gun on a protected ocean planet after falling off a speeding bridge.

You had to be there.

As a result, DuckBob and his team wind up in prison and sentenced to two hundred years of  hard labor including telemarketing, stuffing envelopes, and filling bags of marshmallows. But they manage a daring escape, picking up two more characters along the way and it isn't long before they're back on course to the Galactic Core where the quantum fluctuation matrix awaits realignment. Of course, the preposterous challenges don't end there!

I read No Small Bills over two evenings and two lunch hours at work.  There are few slow moments, mostly limited to DuckBob's occassional comedic introspection, yet the pacing is consistent and the dialogue witty.  Rosenberg demonstrates a wild imagination and clever storytelling in a book suitable for YA and adults alike.

Remember, every duck has his day.

About this Writing Stuff...

I must confess that I haven't read all of the articles I posted here last week and yet here we are again.   Most of my week was spent recovering from a hit and run stomach bug, housecleaning, and---drum roll, please---completing the first draft of my next paranormal novel, By Your Side which I hope to have on the market by this time next year. Fortunately, it appears that this coming weekend will afford me the time to get caught up on all of these interesting articles and begin the revision process.  

Today, though, Jody Hedlund ponders whether blog tours are really worth it.  Kristine Kathryn Rusch busts out the Aretha Franklin while Shelli Johnson redefines failure.  Chuck Sambuchino gives some brief advice on the all-important platform.  Ollin Morales offers advice on big time guests posts and interviews, and Bob Greenberger finds himself back in the command chair as he returns to writing in the Star Trek universe.  

How to Improve Your Researching Skills and Write Accurately by Timothy Perrin, Will Romano, Deborah Jeanne Sergeant & Jeffery D. Zbar

Are Blog Tours Really Worth It?   by Jody Hedlund

The Business Rusch: R*E*S*P*E*C*T by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Redefining Failure by Shelli Johnson

Boldly Going by Bob Greenberger

Writing Short Stories or Articles with a Fantastical Twist by Sophie Masson

The Difference Between Your "Current Platform" and "Future Platform" by Chuck Sambuchino

Book Review: Ben Bova's Mars Life

The exploration of Mars has become a source of fervent contention between dedicated scientists and an extremist Christian order known as The New Morality (an organization present in many, if not all, installments of Bova's "Grand Tour" series).

Bova picks up the story on Mars as narcissistic anthropologist Carter Carleton, whose reputation on Earth is tarnished by charges of sexual assault on a student, uncovers a bone fragment in what is considered an ancient Martian village previously discovered by Jamie Waterman.  Waterman is now the project's Science Director who had left Mars and returned to Earth years ago along with geologist-turned-business tycoon Dex Trumball.

However, now that the New Morality has infiltrated the United States government and successfully schemed to sever all federal funding for the Mars project and its "Godless scientists", further exploration is jeopardized.  Years before, the US Government had decided to turn jurisdiction of Mars over to the Navajo Indians and as long as at least one Navajo resided on Mars, the planet would remain under their purview.   Should the final Navajo, Billy Graycloud, leave the planet then the fate of Mars would be up for grabs. The Earth's wealthy are already lined up to turn it into a tourist attraction.  A situation that Jamie Waterman will not allow as it would contaminate the dig sites where the ancient Martian village (and shortly after, cemetary had been discovered.  However, it would solve the project's financial problems...

On Earth, The New Morality has blocked all media coverage of Mars and forced schools to remove any mention of it from their curricula.  As a result, Jamie Waterman, a Navajo Indian and geologist returns to Mars to offer his support and expertise while Dex remains earthside in an effort to appeal to the private sector for funding.  Dex finds every avenue blocked by the fact that Earth is suffering from extreme climate change to due to severe increase in greenhouse gases.  Mars is no longer a concern for people struggling for their very lives.  To make matter worse, a New Morality priest, also a geologist, decides to travel to Mars on a mission to bridge the gap between science and religion, only to die of a brain hemmorrhage shortly after arriving on the red planet as a result of a condition which he had concealed from the doctors during his pre-Mars physical.

As usual, Dr. Bova presents an intelligent, stimulating tale of scientific discovery while also creating engaging characters mired in  conflict.  The resolution is not black and white but instead, hopeful, as is often the case in life.    Although the New Morality's hostile intrusion on human liberties and their infiltration of the US government are allegorical, it seems unlikely to happen in today's society where church and state are being driven apart more than ever in American history. However, from what I gathered, the greenhouse
crisis on Earth was an opportunity for the New Morality to frighten the country into believing that God's wrath was upon them.

Mars Life is definitely a recommended read. 

                                                                       

First Draft FINISHED!!

The first draft of my second paranormal novel, By Your Side, is now complete at 95,500 words!   I'm eagerly looking forward to the revision process as I have a list already made of at least some new scenes to add and a few things to cut.

Oh, and here is a sneak peek at the cover art, compliments of friend and artist, Laura Inglis.  The art itself is complete and I added the text but the positioning may change a bit.



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About This Writing Stuff...

This week's scouring of the internet has produced a two-fer from Brian Klems offering advice on the revision process and technology for writers.  Jami Gold and Jody Hedlund both discuss whether blogging is beneficial to fiction writers and speaking of two-fers, Jami also posted a recent eye opening article describing a cunning and audacious example of plagiarism.   Dean Wesley Smith looks ahead into the future of publishing while Carleen Brice discusses that festering self doubt that creeps into every writer at some time or another.  Watch out it's behind you! 

The Geyser 5 Step Approach to Revision by Brian A. Klems

How Smartphones and Tablets Can Help You Write More by Brian A. Klems

What Does it Take to Sell Books? by Jami Gold

How Bad is Plagiarism? by Jami Gold

The Purpose of Blogging for Fiction Writers by Jody Hedlund

But Why Would You....Ever Try to Predict the Future In Publishing? by Dean Wesley Smith

Writing Through Doubt by Carleen Brice

Author Interview: Nicole Zoltack

I'm afraid I've been remiss over the past two months with regard to author interviews.   This was partially due to my own hectic schedule, which I've already discussed here.  However, there are a handful of writers-- who shall remain nameless--that had agreed to be interviewed yet failed to return emails.  One of them had originally reached out to me and requested to be interviewed.

Nevertheless, I am pleased to be on track once more with at least enough interviews to get me through December.  After that, I'll be on the hunt once more.  

But for today, we have trolls, vampires, knights, zombies, and icthyocentaurs...and, oh yes...romance, too! Nicole Zoltack has covered quite a bit of ground in her writing career thus far, quite literally a Renaissance Lady.   It is a pleasure to welcome Nicole who discusses her influences, her short stories, and her novels.


First, tell us where we can find you online such as blogs, websites, Facebook, etc.

I'm just about everywhere! My website is www.NicoleZoltack.com My blog is http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com I blog at least 3 times a week, sometimes more.  On Facebook, I have both a personal page (http://www.facebook.com/Nicole.Zoltack) and a fan page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Zoltack/93384618347). Finally, I'm on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NicoleZoltack


What genres do you enjoy reading and which authors influenced you?  When did you decide to venture into the craft of fiction writing?

I'll read just about anything. I especially love fantasy and historicals, with or without romance. I'm a huge Diana Gabaldon fan. I'm influenced by JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, and JK Rowling (lol all authors with initials!) Each took fantasy and changed it slightly, and their works leave me in awe each time I read them.

I've always known I wanted to be a writer. I wrote many short stories when I was young and started my first novel in the sixth grade. During high school, I turned to poetry. When one of my sisters (who also wants to be a writer) told me about Nanowrimo when I was in college, I got back into writing novels and haven't stopped since.


Clearly, your Kingdom of Arnhem series (Desert Breeze Publishing) was inspired by your deep interest in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.    How much historical research went into creating the fictional characters and storylines?   Is your Arnhem connected to the factual town of the same name in the Netherlands?

I did a lot of research for my Kingdom of Arnhem books. Even though the stories are set in a fictional land and a fictional world, it's more of a parallel world to ours that has magic, but magic is only within one continent. The rest of the world knows nothing about magic, and has the same history that our Europe and other countries did. The magical continent - Alethereia - basically takes the place of the Americas. Because the world is set in the Middle Ages, I had to do a lot of research of that time period to be accurate.

I did not create any of the creatures mentioned in the stories. My trolls are not the typical fantasy trolls - the women are beautiful and elegant, and all of them can dance on the wind. I took from ancient Scandinavia legends to create my trolls. Likewise, I did not create icthyocentaurs - essentially centaurs with dolphin tails. Even with the fantasy parts of the story, I did research.
 
My Arnhem is not connected to the actual town other than sharing the same name. I did a search on a map for names that sounded unique, and discovered Arnhem. When I discovered that several battles had been fought in Arnhem, and that it had a bridge, I thought it would be the perfect choice. Although the only bridge in my Arnhem is the castle drawing bridge, a stream separates Arnhem from Speica, their enemies. The two kingdoms have fought for years over land.


What inspired your What You See is What You Get eBook series?

I saw a call for submissions for traditional vampire stories geared to YA. I wrote the first story and submitted it. However, on twitter, I saw a publisher asking for authors interested in taking part of a special project - a series of short stories geared toward YA. I withdrew the story from the original anthology and submitted it to the publisher.

I've always liked vampires stories - both scary ones and more romanticized ones. What You See is What You Get has more traditional vampires that have a few secrets that make them not quite old school but every bit as dangerous.


How did you come to contribute to the short story collection, Be-Mused: An A-Muse-ing Anthology? 

Be-Mused is a collection of humorous paranormal romance stories that Desert Breeze Publishing, the publishing house of my Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy. Gail, the editor-in-chief, sent me an email and asked if I would be willing to write a story for it. I agreed. It's a fun premise for a collection of stories - it's about authors and their muses. And, of course, love and romance.


Where else can we find your short story work?

I have a bunch of stories in various collections from Pill Hill Press. Bloody Carnival is a collection of horror short stories set in carnival or amusement park type setting. My contribution is called "Carnival of Shadows." Gone with the Dirt: Undead Dixie is full of zombie tales from the civil war era - my story is "Dead Roses." I also have several flash pieces published: "A New Magical Earth" in Daily Flash 2011, and "Zombies Don't Bite" and "Deadly Flat Tire" in Daily Bites of Flesh. Mertales is a collection of YA stories about the sea. My story is called "Beauty is Only Fin Deep" and is a sweet little tale.

If you don't care for horror or paranormal stories, I have some romantic short stories as well. "A Squire's Love" tells the tale of a minor character from Knight of Glory (the second book in my Kingdom of Arnhem series) and is in The Cupid Diaries: Moments in Time. If you like holiday romances, there's "My Christmas Luck" in A Yuletide Wish.


What can readers expect from you next?

I am going to have several more flash pieces coming out from Pill Hill Press, as well as the last two books in my What You See is What You Get series.  I'm also working on several projects - some new, some old - and am going to try to find an agent.


What does Nicole Zoltack do when she isn’t writing?

I love to spend time with my family. I have two sons and another one on the way, and a wonderful husband. I enjoy watching movies and TV - my favorite show is The Vampire Diaries. I also enjoy going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in period garb, of course!


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About this Writing Stuff...

Over the weekend, I finally completed the Windows Server 2008 course and, wasting no time, I wrote two of the last four scenes needed to finish the first draft of my second paranormal novel, By Your Side.   I am starting to feel like I'm getting my life back.  What's more, the authors at Crazy 8 Press reached out to me this week through Howard Weinstein to ask if I'd review their books for my blog.  I'll be starting with No Small Bills , a sci-fi comedy by Aaron Rosenberg and Peter David's political satire Camelot Papers .   Looks for those reviews in the coming weeks as well as an interview with Peter David himself!

For now, Jordan Rosenfeld offers 10 ways to launch strong scenes.  Brian Klems kindly provides us with a list of facts about copyrights.  Donald Maass gives us some warmth while Jody Hedlund recalls 5 mistakes she made on her way to publication.  Bob Greenberger reminisces about working with comic book god, Stan Lee.  All that and more!  Enjoy!


10 Ways to Launch Strong Scenes by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

What Writers Need to Know About Copyrights (FAQs) by Brian Klems

The Advice I Needed Most as a Writer (But Never Got) by Thomas W. Young

Warmth by Donald Maass

Rethinking Motivation for Character Arc  by Victoria Mixon

Stan Lee and Me by Bob Greenberger

5 Mistakes I Made in my Journey to Publication by Jody Hedlund

Great Allentown Comic Con Update!

The guest list for the Great Allentown Comic Con is growing and some recent additions include two Peters! 

Veteran comic, media tie-in, and SF author Peter David. 

Additionally, Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca from Star Wars) will also be appearing!   He is Wookie, hear him roar!

He Has Lived Long and Prospered

As a long time attendee of science fiction conventions (including Star Trek cons) and various autograph shows, I can tell you that Leonard Nimoy has never failed to be engaging, witty, and sagacious.   He has been a fan favorite for decades and rightfully so.  He is a consummate entertainer.   Recently, the octogenarian has announced his retirement from the convention scene. 

Watching your favorite actors and musicians grow old and pass on is a sad and sometime sobering experience, especially when you grew up with them.   For those of us who were fortunate to meet them, however, it adds another level of grief and introspection.   For me, I think it began when Gene Roddenberry passed away in 1991, then DeForest Kelley years later, followed by James Doohan. 

As conventions expanded their guest list and began bringing in actors from every genre, both film and television, I had the honor of meeting the likes of Tony Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Culp, just to name a few veteran actors who have passed in recent years.  Each time I hear of such a loss, it hits home that no one is truly immortal, though their image is preserved on various media.  Inevitably, I start thinking about my own eventual demise.  I can't help it.  It just happens. It scares the hell out of me so I then make every effort to turn my attention elsewhere but it's omnipresent in the back of my mind, trying to stir up fear and other dark thoughts. 

But this blog is not about dark thoughts and this post was intended to talk about Leonard Nimoy's retirement from the convention scene.  So, here is an image from the archives. Leonard Nimoy's book tour of "I Am Spock". This was taken in 1998 at the Montgomery Mall. Along with friends Inge Heyer and Vince Maiocco, we arrived at the mall at 8AM for the 2PM signing. As we were the first to arrive, Waldenbooks management asked Mr. Nimoy if we could take this group shot after his signing, which I later had autographed at a convention.