Phil Giunta's Blog, page 70
August 30, 2015
Witches Day Out!
I realize that summer is not over yet (especially with a week of 90-degree days ahead in my area), but it seems many are already looking forward to Halloween–myself included!
To that end, I would like to announce that I will be appearing at Witches Day Out, an event to take place in Allentown, PA on Saturday, October 24. I will have copies of all of my books available to sell and sign.
Where: Historic Benner Mansion, 25 S 15th St, Allentown, Pennsylvania 18102
When: Saturday, 24 October from Noon-4PM
What: Come join the fun!
Dress in your best witches costume or come as you are!
Looking for Divine Guidance or a message from a love one in spirit? Visit one of our Physic Mediums and card readers.
Shop a variety of vendor products.
Tricky Tray ~ Chinese Auction.
Vote for your favorite costume.
Free admission & Door Prizes.
August 16, 2015
“Photos from the Attic” Audio Story – Part Two
Here is part two of “Photos from the Attic,” one of my paranormal tales from Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity. Firebringer Press and Prometheus Radio Theatre are happy to continue to bring you free audio content. If you enjoy this story from Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity and want more, please consider supporting small press authors by purchasing a copy of the book or eBook from your favorite online retailer, or encourage your local library to buy it for their collection.
Stay tuned as there are more stories to come. Thank you for listening!
Click here to listen to the conclusion of “Photos from the Attic.”
August 9, 2015
Shore Leave 37 Antics and Shenanigans
Another fantastic Shore Leave has come and gone in Hunt Valley, MD. One of the longest running SF conventions in the country, Shore Leave brings together not only actors, writers, and scientists, but also reunites like-minded citizens of fandom for three days of total immersion into the genres of SF and Fantasy.
These year, Shore Leave brought such stars as John Barrowman (Torchwood, Doctor Who), Jaime Murray (Warehouse 13, Defiance), Tony Curran (Doctor Who, Defiance), Daniel Davis (Star Trek: TNG, The Nanny), Jesse Rath (Defiance), David Nykl (Stargate: Atlantis), Rekha Sharma (Battlestar Galactica), and Roger Cross (Stargate SG-1, Continuum, Eureka).
I’ve been attending Shore Leave as a fan for 21 years and a writer guest for the past five. I am honored to be among such an august and growing list of authors including Steven H. Wilson, Bob Greenberger, Michael Jan Friedman, Aaron Rosenberg, Richard White, Susanna Reilly, David Mack, Dayton Ward, Kelly Meding, Keith DeCandido, Allyn Gibson, and many more.
See below for a gallery of photos from my wonderful weekend!
August 4, 2015
High Praise for By Your Side Audio Book!
I’m ecstatic about recent glowing reviews for the audio version of my second paranormal mystery novel, By Your Side, on Podiobooks.com! Here are just a few listener comments:
Holly Says: August 4th, 2015 at 6:26 pm
“This was great! I hope that you develope [sic] more stories with Miranda and her team. I was sad to [see] this end. Look forward to more from you. Now on to Testing the Prisoner. Thanks for making my workday better!!”
Corvus Says: July 26th, 2015 at 9:43 am
“Absolutely loving this book. It draws the reader in straight away. Really hope you are writing more along this theme. Not finished it yet. Don’t want to .”
Debbie Says: April 22nd, 2015 at 3:43 pm
“This book was Awesome! Loved it!
I listen to Podio books and Librivox while at work and this one was by far the best listen to date. I see another one written by you as well, can’t wait to start it. Look forward to many more – Write On! Deb”
August 2, 2015
“Photos from the Attic” Audio Story – Part One
For your FREE listening pleasure, part one of “Photos from the Attic”, one my stories from the anthology, Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity, published in 2014 by Firebringer Press!
July 31, 2015
Book Review: Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison built his career on the short story format and as a result, became one of the most awarded living writers. I have many of his collections in my library, which was why I recognized most of the material in this anthology.
Deathbird Stories consists of 19 tales, originally printed between 1960 and 1974, all loosely gathered here under the theme of modern gods. While some of the stories, such as “Neon”, “Along the Scenic Route”, and “Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes” seem to miss that mark, many of the stories directly fit the theme or at least, contained supernatural elements.
Some of my favorites included (along with Harlan’s taglines for each):
The Whimper of Whipped Dogs – When the new god comes to the Big Apple, its Kyrie Eleison turns out to be a prayer Kitty Genovese simply couldn’t sing. But thirty-eight others knew the tune.
Along the Scenic Route – God, in the latest, chrome-plated, dual-carb, chopped & channeled, eight-hundred-horsepowered incarnation. God’s unspoken name is Vroooom!
On The Downhill Side – Posing the question: does the god of love use underarm deodorant, vaginal spray and fluoride toothpaste?
Neon – Kurt Weill and Max Anderson wrote, “Maybe God’s gone away, forgetting His promise He made that day: and we’re lost out here in the stars.” And maybe He/She’s just waiting for the night signal to come back, whaddaya think?
Basilisk – Have you ever noticed: the most vocal superpatriots are the old men who send young men off to die? Well, it might just be that the heaviest reverential act when worshipping the god of war is to be the biggest mutherin traitor of them all. Check Spiro, I think he’s having a seizure.
Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes – The god of the slot machine: new religions, new souls, new limbos.
Paingod – If God is good, why does He send us pain and misery?
Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans – Reality has become fantasy; fantasy has become reality. 35mm constructs have more substance than your senior congressman, but Martha Nelson is real, no matter what you think. And the search for your soul in a soulless world requires special maps.
July 23, 2015
Bob Greenberger Talks Comics & Shore Leave
Listen to friend and veteran author, Bob Greenberger, talk about his career in the comic book industry and about the upcoming Shore Leave convention.
Bob is co-creator and co-editor of the ReDeus anthology series, to which I contributed two short stories.
Click here to watch the interview!
Book Review: Mr. Monk on the Couch
While investigating a death in a cheap motel, our favorite obsessive-compulsive detective becomes enamored with the crime scene cleanup crew and volunteers to assist them on their next job. Monk does not need to wait long as a series of bizarre murders begins, seemingly centered around a thrift store couch.
Meanwhile, Monk’s assistant, Natalie Teeger, decides to put her own investigative skills to the test as she delves into the identity and background of the John Doe from the motel, who died of natural causes but was in possession of fake ID and a photo of a woman and little girl. As if all of that isn’t enough, Monk decides to play matchmaker and setup a date between Natalie and Jerry Yermo, the team leader of the crime scene cleanup crew.
While investigating the serial killings, Monk concludes that it is not the couch, but items hidden within it that are the motive behind the murders. Those items lead Monk to a disappointing conclusion.
I enjoy all of Lee Goldberg’s MONK novels and this was no exception. However, I felt that Monk’s theory as to the identity of the murderers was arrived at by an astounding leap of logic that had only a modicum of supporting evidence. Nevertheless, Goldberg once again perfectly captures these characters and maintains a perfect pace.
July 19, 2015
The Conclusion of “Making Tracks” by Steven H. Wilson
The conclusion to Steven H. Wilson’s future dystopian adventure, “Making Tracks” is now available for your free listening pleasure! The entire story will be published in our next anthology, Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity, slated to debut in 2016!
July 16, 2015
The Arbiter Chronicles: Resurrecting the Golden Age of SF
If you enjoy reading beautifully written and thought-provoking science fiction, look no further than Steven H. Wilson’s Arbiter Chronicles series. What began as a Mark Time and Parsec award-winning audio drama series has spawned two novels and four e-novellas. The Arbiter Chronicles is a character-driven space opera in the tradition of Heinlein’s The Rolling Stones and Joss Whedon’s Firefly.
Library Journal review of Taken Liberty, the first Arbiter Chronicles novel: “The author of the Arbiter Chronicles, an award-winning audio drama, vividly brings to life a cast of compelling characters while telling a story that measures the cost of freedom. The far-future military setting should appeal to fans of David Weber’s “Honor Harrington” series as well as the military SF of David Drake.”
Click here to start your adventure with the crew of the Arbiter!
