Phil Giunta's Blog, page 72
May 22, 2015
Story-A-Day Writing Prompt
I missed this two weeks ago, but the lovely Julie Duffy from Story-A-Day had invited me back to provide a writing prompt for her website. Unbeknownst to me, my prompt was released on 08 May. However, I would like to mention that I actually don’t write blood and gore horror as Julie alludes to in her introduction.
If you’re a writer, click here to read my story prompt and consider joining Story-A-Day and posting your full story. Have fun!
May 20, 2015
Book Review: I Am The Salamander by Michael Jan Friedman
After his cancer mysteriously goes into remission, Tim Cruz wants nothing more than to resume the normal life of a teenager. He returns to his high school in the middle of the spring semester only to confront the stares of his classmates, the bully who once harassed him on a weekly basis, and the most gorgeous girl on campus, who had been a childhood friend until they drifted apart.
Yep, it was comforting to see that so few things had changed…except for Tim Cruz. He was fifteen pounds lighter, his hair was still growing back from chemo, he’d learned to despise crowds, and…oh, yeah…his skin was beginning to change colors when he was under stress.
What?
Tim dismisses this anomaly at first, along with the bizarre, intermittent flashes of light, until he returns to his uncle’s aquarium to get his old job back. There, he witnesses a little girl flailing helplessly in the piranha tank. Naturally, he dives into save her, only to find that she becomes even more frightened of him than of her ordeal. Worse, piranhas had claimed two of his toes—which grew back over the course of a few days.
Much like the hand he tore off as a distraction after knocking out a gunman in the school auditorium by leaping on top of him—from the ceiling where he had crawled from the projector booth.
What is going on here?
That’s exactly what Tim Cruz would like to know and is determined to find out, even as an anonymous blogger, known only as Blog Boy, begins reporting incidents of this strange creature known now as The Salamander.
Tim later realizes that in addition to moving through water at inhuman speeds and his ability to cling to walls, he can also see in infrared when needed, and stun his opponents with a neurotoxin transmitted by touch.
And that ain’t all.
As Tim tries to determine the origins of his amazing powers, he learns that a clandestine group of government agents wants to dissect him in an effort to build an army of super soldiers. They’ll stop at nothing to get what they want—including threatening Tim’s family.
Can this young cancer survivor evade capture, avoid revealing himself to the public, protect his family, manage his schoolwork, stave off the bully, and…oh yeah…deal with the unexpected affections of the most gorgeous girl on campus?
All without telling his mom?
I Am The Salamander is a fast-paced, fun read. You can’t help but sympathize with typical high-school nerd Tim Cruz, who finds himself suddenly thrust from one life-threatening ordeal into another, all the while admirably maintaining his composure and resilience through an inner strength born from his battle with the deadliest of diseases.
May 18, 2015
Book Review: Partners in Wonder by Harlan Ellison
As an avid admirer of Harlan Ellison, I was excited to find a cache of his books in fine to excellent condition at a used bookstore late last year. It was a rare and wonderful discovery, as I hardly ever find Harlan’s backlist in such a quantity in any single location.
Partners in Wonder was one of the books I found that day. It is an anthology of collaborative stories between Harlan and some of the most famous SF and speculative fiction writers of that Golden Age such as Ben Bova, Robert Silverberg, A.E. Van Vogt, Robert Bloch, and others.
While these may not be considered the best works from Harlan or his co-conspirators—which Harlan himself admits in one instance during his brief introduction to “The Power of the Nail”—there is a wide variety of tales that demonstrate the depth and breadth of these august scribes. All told, it is an entertaining collection.
Speaking of Harlan’s introductions, each story has one and I enjoyed being regaled by his recollections of how each collaboration was born as much, if not more in some cases, than the stories themselves.
My favorites yarns in the bunch include:
I See a Man Sitting on a Chair, and the Chair is Biting His Leg – written with Robert Sheckley
Up Christopher to Madness – written with Avram Davidson
The Human Operators – written with A.E. Van Vogt
Wonderbird – written with Algis Budrys
The Song the Zombie Sang – written with Robert Silverberg
Street Scene – written with Keith Laumer
May 16, 2015
Free Fiction on Audio
Undoubtedly, you noticed the Free Fiction menu here on my website. Under that menu, you will find three flash fiction stories. Two of those stories are now available for your free listening pleasure on Prometheus Radio Theatre. Click the link below and enjoy!
Man to Man written and read by Phil Giunta
May 3, 2015
Shore Leave 37 Update
I’ve been attending Shore Leave for 21 years and it’s always a great time. Shore Leave 37 is promising yet another fantastic actor guest line up including:
John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood)
Jaime Murray (Warehouse 13, Defiance)
Tony Curran (Defiance, Doctor Who)
Jesse Rath (Defiance)
Aaron Ashmore (Smallville, Warehouse 13)
Daniel Davis (Star Trek: TNG, The Nanny)
David Nykl (Stargate: Atlantis)
Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Rigel Ailur
Lorraine Anderson
Christopher L. Bennett
Joseph Berenato
Kirsten Beyer
Russ Colchamiro
Peter David
Kathleen David
Keith RA DeCandido
Kevin Dilmore
Donna Frelick
Michael Jan Friedman
Dave Galanter
Phil Giunta
Robert Greenberger
David Mack
Scott Pearson
Aaron Rosenberg
Howard Weinstein
Steven H. Wilson
and more!
Looking forward to my annual pilgrimage to Hunt Valley in August!
My New Website is Up!
It's still a work in progress, but I've been building this for several hours a day since Friday. I canNOT sit still this long...
If all goes well, then this might be my final post on Live Journal.
May 1, 2015
Moravian Book Shop Signing Reminder
Then, stick around because at 5:30 Moravian will host the launch party for The Far End of Happy, the latest novel from lovely and amazing writer pal, Kathryn Craft !
April 30, 2015
Independent Bookstore Day – May 2, 2015
Saturday, May 2 is Independent Book Store Day. In addition to Moravian Bookshop in Bethlehem, PA (where I will be signing on Saturday, May 9), another of my favorite indie bookshops is Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. They will celebrate their 40th anniversary during the May 2 festivities.
If you visit Rehoboth Beach and are looking for summer reading suggestions, Browseabout is currently carrying both of my paranormal mystery novels, Testing the Prisoner and By Your Side, as well as Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity, the SF, fantasy, and paranormal anthology that I edited and contributed to.
Thank you for supporting indie bookstores and indie authors!
