Phil Giunta's Blog, page 34

Call Me the Tin Man…

Anniversaries have been on my mind over the past few years. Last year, we wife and I celebrated our fifth anniversary of wedded bliss. Conversely, 2018 also marked my 25th year as an IT support tech, a career that I hope to change as soon as humanly possible before it destroys my health.

Traditionally, anniversaries are symbolized by a specific, unique material.  Appropriately, these materials increase in strength, resilience, or value with each passing year. For example, first anniversaries are associated with paper, fifth with wood, 25th with silver, 50th with gold, and so on.

Tenth anniversaries are marked by aluminum or tin. That being the case, you can call me the Tin Man in 2019, although I’d like to think that I have a heart.

As I reach my first decade as a published author, I am immensely grateful to the critique partners, mentors, editors, publishers, and fellow writers who helped me along the way. While writing is a solitary endeavor, publishing is a team effort.

Deepest thanks to Steven H. Wilson, Howard Weinstein, Aaron Rosenberg, Robert Greenberger, Paul Kupperberg, Nancy Sakaduski, Weldon Burge, Joanne M. Reinbold, Susanna Reilly, Stuart S. Roth, and all of my fellow members of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group.

Below is an image of every book I have written or contributed to over the past ten years. I never dreamed my writing would take me this far.  With three novels and nearly two dozen short stories out in the wild, I hope to continue crafting powerful fiction that changes lives and inspires readers as well as young writers.

 

 

Rewriting the Past

I’m pleased to finally reveal that my story, “Memory Lane Ain’t What it Used to Be,” is featured in Rewriting the Past, the fourth anthology published by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG). The book contains essays, poems, and short stories written by the group’s members.

Rewriting the Past launched this weekend at the Write Stuff writers conference in Bethlehem, PA and is already available on Amazon!

 

 

Beach Pulp is Here!

Beach Pulp Front Cover Art by Joe Palumbo

I’m thrilled to have two short stories in Beach Pulp, an anthology of retro genre fiction from Cat & Mouse Press. The book launch will be held on Saturday, April 6 from 4:30PM-7PM at the Newark Arts Alliance in Newark, Delaware.

My stories include “Tapestry,” a science fiction tale, and “The Celestials,” a supernatural fantasy.  It’s an honor to be included among this august gathering of storytellers:

A Day at the Beach With the Gramthrottle Max Family by Weldon Burge


A Million Tiny Bites by Dora Sears


Call Again by Dennis Lawson


Hook, Line, and Sink Him by Maria Masington


I Fell for an Ice Skating Alien by David Strauss


Missing in Rehoboth by James Gallahan


Moonwalker by David Cooper


Mystery of the Missing Girl Sleuth by Barbara Norton


Night Flyer by Chris Jacobsen


Operation Steamed by David Strauss


Rehoboth Beach in Crisis by Carl Frey


Sam Shade, Private Eye by Jackson Coppley


Smash Bronson by Steve Myers


Summer of the Gods by Jacob Jones Goldstein


Tapestry by Phil Giunta


The Celestials by Phil Giunta


The Dark Ride by Linda Chambers


The House that Wouldn’t be Sold by Nancy Sherman


When Worlds Collide by Patrick Conlon

Special thanks to publisher and editor Nancy Day Sakaduski for this terrific opportunity!

 

Book Review: The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov

After narrowly escaping a radiation bomb planted in his dorm room on Earth, Biron Farrill is confronted with news of his father’s arrest and possible execution by the Tyranni, alien conquerors of the Nebular Kingdoms. Farrell’s father, the famous and respected Rancher of Widemos, was believed to be involved in plotting an insurrection against the Tyranni.

According to Farrill’s enigmatic acquaintance, Sander Jonti, the arrest of Farrill’s father was arranged by Hinrik V, Director of Rhodia and obsequious servant to the Tyranni. Jonti convinces Farrill to leave Earth and travel to Rhodia to seek an audience with Hinrik. He even provides Farrill with a letter of introduction, having previously worked for the Director.

Although traveling incognito, Biron is arrested and questioned aboard ship by the Tyranni Commissioner, Simok Aratap. From the commissioner, Farrill learns that his father has been executed for treason, yet he maintains his assumed identity of Biron Malaine and feigns ignorance about the Rancher of Widemos. Aratap releases Farrill but keeps him under surveillance.

On Rhodia, Hinrik orders Farrill imprisoned and contacts Aratap. Farrill quickly escapes, aided by Hinrik’s daughter, the lovely Artemisia, and his cousin, a dilettante named Gillbret. Both despise the Tyranni and yearn to leave Rhodia. After the trio steals Aratap’s ship, Gillbret regales Biron and Artemisia with a story about a mysterious “rebellion world” where ships and men were being assembled to overthrow the Tyranni. Although Gillbret is uncertain of the planet’s exact location, there is one man who might know, the Autarch of Lingane.

Upon arrival on Lingane, Biron strikes an uneasy alliance with the Autarch and together, they embark on an expedition into the Horsehead Nebula in search of the “rebellion world.”

The Stars, Like Dust is a fine interstellar adventure that moves at a steady pace but—as with many classic SF novels—lacks much in the way of character development. Despite a few clichéd, predictable plot points and occasional melodramatic dialogue, there are one or two unexpected twists that successfully fuel story tension.

About This Writing Stuff…

This week on the blog, we begin with the importance of downtime —  in an age that constantly pushes us to the brink of burnout — and we end with the notion of writing as a release from stress.

In between, Kristen Lamb takes us spearfishing to find that perfect catch (reader) and reminds us that drudgery builds success. Dave Chesson guides us through several Goodreads features that might prove useful in promoting your book… if you don’t mind the trolls.

Over at Writer Unboxed, Jim Dempsey offers tips to help you work through problems in your story and  Rheea Mukherjee provides ideas for bringing authenticity to characters with different skills and capabilities than their creators.

In the Kill Zone, Jordan Dane teaches us to tap into our waking dreams in order to enhance creativity while James Scott Bell channels Bryan Cranston. Enjoy!

The Compelling Case for Working A Lot Less by Amanda Ruggeri

How to Sell More Books: A Tale of Fishing and Catfishing by Kristen Lamb

Drudgery: What Separates Those Who Dream from Those Who Do by Kristen Lamb

The Mystery of the Hardy Boys and the Invisible Authors by Daniel A. Gross

How to Use Keywords to Attract the Most Visitors to Your Website by StatCounter

The Ultimate Guide to Goodreads for Authors by Dave Chesson

Fiction Therapy—What’s Your Story’s Problem? by Jim Dempsey

Writing Characters That Are ‘Smarter’ Than You by Rheea Mukherjee

What Bryan Cranston Can Teach Writers by James Scott Bell

Can Hypnagogia Improve Your Fiction Writing?  by Jordan Dane

Tolkien and Combat Stress: Writing as Release by Angry Staff Officer

 

More FREE Stories on WATTPAD

Since I’ve been neglecting my Wattpad presence for a few years (!), it was high time to add two more FREE short stories.

In “Life and Limb,” two sibling scientists in Ireland unwittingly discover an ancient artifact that regenerates severed limbs while healing old family wounds. Click here to read! 

The second is a SF detective noir tale called “Working the System.” Two years after leaving the interstellar navy, security executive Cameron Glazier is pressed into assisting with a police investigation after his former captain was found murdered. The man’s death is soon connected to an incident from Glazier’s final mission. Click here to read!

Both of these stories are among the 14 fantastic speculative fiction tales in the 2016 anthology, Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity, from Firebringer Press.

Now I’m off to see how many other websites I’ve let slip… 

Book Review: Arthur C. Clarke’s Glide Path

During WWII, Flying Officer Alan Bishop is reassigned from England’s Northern Coastal Defence to a new project involving the development of a new radar-based airplane guidance system called Ground-Controlled Descent (GCD). Its purpose is to guide military craft to safe landings during dense fog or inclement weather. Along with a team of soldiers and scientists, and a trio of Women’s Auxiliary Air Force operators, Bishop leads the testing of the GCD in both staged exercises and actual landings in a small airfield near Land’s End in Cornwall.

Arthur C. Clarke’s only non-SF novel, Glide Path was inspired by his participation in the development of Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) during his wartime service with the Royal Air Force.

Such a topic alone does not constitute interesting fodder for fiction, and at times, I was reminded of Clarke’s Prelude to Space, a fictional chronicling of man’s first mission to the moon in the late 1950’s with little in the way of plot or conflict.

Much of the conflict in Glide Path remains in the background and stems from Bishop’s concerns over the declining health of his father, his feelings of inferiority compared to the brilliant scientists and skilled pilots on the team, pressure from skeptical generals, and an adversarial relationship with one particular RAF pilot who becomes competition for the heart of a local harlot.

After Action Report: Farpoint 26

Although I woke up to a gray, soggy morning, the skies cleared an hour before I began my trek to Farpoint’s 26th annual SF convention in Hunt Valley, MD.

 

After picking up my registration materials and checking into my room at the Hunt Valley Marriott Delta, I opened the program book directly to my second place winning story from last year’s Farpoint Writer’s Contest!  Click here to read “All That Matters is What You Believe.”

In between reuniting with several friends, I scored a set of Stranger Things trading cards from friend and artist Laura Inglis, dealer room coordinator for Farpoint.

After my wife arrived later in the evening, we enjoyed dinner at the Nally Fresh in Timonium and returned to the hotel in time for the 10PM book fair. I shared a table with fellow writer pals Steven H. Wilson and Michael Critzer. Sitting at a table for two hours allows for plenty of quality time for catching up with friends in addition to selling books and happily, I did both!

Afterward, I spent some quality time at the bar with two glasses of Pepsi and fellow writers Kelli Fitzpatrick, Erik Bakutis, Heather Hutsell, Aaron Rosenberg, Russ Colchamiro, Keith DeCandido, Derek Tyler Attico, and David Mack. It was a fun end to a long day.

Saturday began with the Firebringer Press Presents panel at 11AM in Salon C hosted by Steve Wilson, Michael Critzer, and yours truly. Although our audience was small, we chatted about our current releases and upcoming projects.

At 1PM, Steve and I hosted the second stop on our book tour for Firebringer Take Two, the double horror novel consisting of Steve’s vampire tale, Freedom’s Blood and my paranormal mystery, Like Mother, Like Daughters. The launch was held in the con suite complete with lunch and dessert. Steve and I both read excerpts from our respective stories and sold several copies of the new book as well as a few backlist titles.

June Swords and I after setting up for the Firebringer Take Two book launch. Ethan and Christian Wilson in the background.

My next panel was supposed to be Fandom in Miniature, a discussion of SF toy collecting at 3PM with Ethan Wilson, Thomas Atkinson, and Cindy Woods. Unfortunately,  I found myself stuck in the endurance test known as Wallace Shawn’s autograph line. He was loquacious, engaging everyone in conversation. It was a true pleasure to meet him.

 

Meeting Wallace Shawn
Grand Nagus – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

After sharing a wonderful dinner with Steve Wilson, June Swords, and Renfield, Evon and I decided to call it a night.

After packing up my car on Sunday morning, I dared one more pass through the Wallace Shawn autograph line. Thankfully, it was a bit shorter this time and I made it through in time to chat with writer pals Aaron Rosenberg, Russ Colchamiro, Heather Hutsell, and Michael Jan Friedman.

Vizzini – Princess Bride

At 1PM, it was time to join Peter David in the ballroom to co-host the screening of Dreams with Sharp Teeth, the 90-minute documentary about the late, legendary writer Harlan Ellison. It was a wonderful tribute and the audience truly seemed to enjoy it.

The final event of the con for Evon and me was Wallace Shawn’s 3PM stage talk during which he answered questions about his career as an actor and playwright. In addition to a few questions about Deep Space Nine and Princess Bride, he spoke about working with Woody Allen on Radio Days and spending a year in India as a young man. Some of his responses were intentionally cryptic. For example, when it came to playing the Grand Nagus on DS9, he channeled someone he knew personally, but would not reveal more than that. Similarly, when asked about his favorite books, he preferred to keep that a secret.

On my way out, I finally had the chance to take a brief tour of the dealer room and found a few vintage Star Trek items at incredibly low prices from a dealer who was selling off his personal collection.

Star Trek candy boxes from 1976 and Star Trek: The Motion Picture plastic cup (1979)

Of course, no SF convention would be complete without a vast array of talented cosplayers and those pictured below are only a small sampling from the weekend.

Wonder Woman (photo credit: Blair Learn)

 

Xena and Gabrielle (photo credit: Shore Leave)

 

Romulan (photo credit: Shore Leave)

 

Iron Man (photo credit: Shore Leave)
Catwoman (photo credit: Shore Leave)
Bender from Futurama (photo credit: Frank J. Hernandez)

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, from Writer Unboxed, Jim Dempsey defines the three major types of editing while David Corbett encourages us to improve our fiction by exploring belief systems different from our own, and Kathryn Craft urges us to dig deeper to bring out truth in our fiction.

Kristen Lamb reminds us of the difference between promotion and platform while Hank Phillippi Ryan imparts her method for crafting a story synopsis. Keep your plot moving forward with guidance from James Scott Bell and Ingram Content offers advice on book marketing in the digital age.

Possibly the most important article in this collection is Ferris Jabr’s research into the importance of mental downtime.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

The Different Types of Editing Explained by Jim Dempsey

Writing What You Don’t Believe by David Corbett

Seeking Truth in Fiction by Kathryn Craft

Five Ways to Become a Happier Writer by Mark Alpert

Creating Characters: You Can Always Start with the Car by Laura Benedict

Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime by Ferris Jabr

Promotion is Not Platform & Ads are NOT a Brand: Know the Difference by Kristen Lamb

How to Write a Fiction Synopsis A New Way by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Unsnagging Your Plot by James Scott Bell

Marketing Insights Series by Ingram Content

Book Marketing in an Era of Algorithms

How to Build a Strong Book Marketing Foundation

Develop Your Book Audience

 

My Farpoint Schedule

For those of you attending Farpoint next weekend, here’s my schedule in case you want to stop by, say hi, pick up a book, or sit in on a discussion panel.

Lookin’ forward to seein’ ya there!

FRIDAY

Farpoint Book Fair – Fri. 10:00 PM – Hunt Valley Hallway – All of the writers guests will be gathered in one place for two hours, selling and signing copies of their books. A few of the writers will be debuting new titles, including Steven H. Wilson and myself. We’ll have copies of our double horror novel, Freedom’s Blood and Like Mother, Like Daughters and I will have copies of A Plague of Shadows, the latest paranormal anthology by Smart Rhino Publications.

SATURDAY

Reading (Kozeniewski; Sakers; Giunta) – Sat. 10:00 AM – Salon E

Firebringer Press Presents Sat. 11:00 AM – Salon C – Along with Steven H. Wilson (publisher), Diane Baron, and possibly a few other fellow scribes, we’ll discuss recent book releases and projects in the pipeline.

Firebringer Take Two Book Launch – Sat. 1:00 PM – Garden Room/Con Suite – Join Steven H. Wilson and me as we launch our double horror novel, Freedom’s Blood and Like Mother, Like Daughters! 

Fandom In Miniature – Sat 3:00 PM – Belmont – A discussion on SF toy collecting and model kit building moderated by yours truly.

Autograph Session (Giunta; DeCandido) Sat. 5:00 PM – Autograph Table 1

SUNDAY

Autograph (Giunta; Ransom) – Sun 11:00 AM – Autograph Table 2

Reading (Hutsell; Giunta; G. Wilson) – Sun 12:00 PM – Salon E

Film: Dreams With Sharp Teeth – Sun 1:00 PM – Valley Ballroom – Peter David and I will be presenting a screening of Dreams with Sharp Teeth, the 2008 documentary about the life and career of Harlan Ellison (1934-2018), one of the most awarded writers in history. The film stars Harlan, Robin Williams, Neil Gaiman, Ronald Moore, Peter David, and others.