Phil Giunta's Blog, page 86

Chapter 13 of By Your Side released on Audio

For your FREE listening pleasure, episode 13 of By Your Side...

Chapter Thirteen – No Good Deed…
With Detective Teelko’s help, the team rescues Ginny.   Denny takes her under his wing and warns Miranda to stay away, despite Ginny’s protests.

Click here to listen!

The Great Allentown Comic Con

Spent a fine day at the Great Allentown Comic Con in Allentown, PA.  I managed to sell a few books and shared a table with talented independent comic book artist Scott Barnett who is currently working on a four-issue crime drama, Dead Man's Party .

The convention was extremely well-attended.  Easily over one thousand people passed through the doors and the cosplayers were impressive in both quality and quantity.   The main guest of honor was singer/actress Bonnie Piesse (shown below), best known to SF fans as Aunt Beru from Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith.

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, Neil Gaiman explains why he doesn't entirely mind piracy.  Jody Hedlund warns against killing off your protagonist while Jami Gold exposes ways to make our characters vulnerable.  From Writer Unboxed, we learn methods for forcing words onto the page as well as thwarting your characters.  Kristine Kathryn Rusch stresses the importance of storytelling over beautiful prose and Bob Greenberger examines science fiction.

All that and a bit more.  Enjoy!



In Which I Get Brutally Honest and Try to Explain Formatting and Why It's Not Always Up to Me by Kelly Meding

The Cardinal Sin No Writer Should Ever Commit by Jody Hedlund

How to Make Characters Vulnerable to Readers and Does Your Writing Have Rhythm? by Jami Gold

Examining Science Fiction Across the Genres and The Play's the Thing by Bob Greenberger

Frog Marching the Muse: Eighteen Tips to Get Words on the Page by Robin LaFevers

Interview with Gary Zenker, Publisher of Unclaimed Baggage by Tony Conaway

9 Ways to Undermine Your Characters' Best-Laid Plans by Lisa Cron

The Business Rusch: Storytelling by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Neil Gaiman on Piracy and the Web via Wimp.com (thanks, John Evans!)

Chapter 12 of By Your Side released on Audio

The latest episode of By Your Side has been posted for your FREE listening pleasure!

Chapter Twelve – Ginny
Nancy possesses Frank’s daughter and nearly sends her plummeting to her death from the roof of her apartment complex.

Click here to listen!

Goodreads Best Books of 2013 Awards

Folks, if you have an account on Goodreads, now is the time to vote for your favorite book in several categories during their Best Books of 2013 awards. If you are so inclined and have read and enjoyed By Your Side , may I request that you cast a vote for it as best paranormal fantasy? Here is the link to vote, you would need to type in By Your Side at the bottom of the page. Since there are other books by that title, wait for the drop down menu to appear, then make your choice. I appreciate it. I realize I'm an underdog, but I can hope!

Click here to log into Goodreads and cast your vote!

Thank you so much!!!

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, Bob Greenberger reminisces about his time with DC Comics.   Derek Murphy reveals tactics for attention-grabbing covers.  David Gaughran thinks that publishing is easy, while James Scott Bell offers advice on surviving as a writer.  Michael Bracken wonderfully clarifies the various types of short-story markets.  Jack McDevitt highlights common blunders of newbie writers, but if you've published books with such issues, Jodie Renner encourages you to revise and re-release them if you can.  Philip Hensher stresses the importance of location in our stories and Jami Gold lifts our sagging middles.

All that and a bit more...enjoy!


DC's Move West Brings Back Memories by Bob Greenberger

8 Cover Design Secrets Publishers Use to Manipulate Readers in Buying Books by Derek Murphy via Kathryn Craft

Market-First, Write-Second by Michael Bracken via Donna Brennan

Publishing is Easy by David Gaughran

How to Avoid a Sagging Middle in Our Stories by Jami Gold

12 Blunders Aspiring Writers Make by Jack McDevitt via Mike Flynn

Facing Down the Harsh Realities of Publishing by James Scott Bell

The Importance of Place in Fiction by Philip Hensher via Donna Herrera

Indie Authors - Should You Revise and Republish Your Earlier Books? by Jodie Renner

What I've Learned from Writer's Groups by Michelle Mueller

With Fading Memory, Terry Pratchett Revisits Carpet People via NPR

Chapter 11 of By Your Side released in Audio

The next installment of By Your Side is now available for your FREE listening pleasure.

Chapter Eleven – Blood & Water
Miranda, Eddie, and Amy track down Frank’s daughter.   Lori Switzer begins to feel the Vernon ghosts closing in on her.   Eddie experiences an embarrassing false alarm at Tammy’s house while Elias Gray has a bloody encounter with Nancy.

Click here to listen!

The Great Allentown Comic Con

If you're a comic book collector in the Lehigh Valley or surrounding area, consider a visit to the Great Allentown Comic Con on Saturday, November 16 at the Merchants Square Mall in Allentown, PA.

They have a wonderful guest line-up that happens to include yours truly.   I'll have copies of my books on hand for sale including my paranormal mysteries, Testing the Prisoner and By Your Side as well as the the first two volumes in the ReDeus anthology series wherein all of the mythological gods return in the 21st century.

Hope to see you there!

Chiller Theatre Autograph Show and Genre Convention

Spent a wonderful day in Parsippany, NJ at the semi-annual Chiller Theatre convention meeting such celebrities as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Steve Guttenberg (Cocoon, Short Circuit, Police Academy), and Robert Hays (Airplane! movies, Starman TV series).

Also, a wonderful JAWS prop and wardrobe display was on exhibit. JAWS guests at the con included screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, production designer Joe Alves, actors Susan Backlinie and Jeffrey Kramer (Chrissie and Deputy Kramer, respectively) and movie poster artist Roger Kastel.

Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group October Meeting

Spent a fantastic day with the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group at their October meeting.  In keeping with the season, several paranormal writer--myself included--read scenes from their books in the morning.   Forensic scientist, teacher, and paranormal writer Katherine Ramsland (pictured below) presented a fun and educational workshop in the afternoon called "The Real Unreal".  She spoke about introducing paranormal elements into what is otherwise a real-world story and how the paranormal has played into factual criminal investigations.  Loved it!