Phil Giunta's Blog, page 90
August 21, 2013
About This Writing Stuff...
This week, timeless writing advice from the late great Elmore Leonard. Keri English and Bill Ferris discuss the use of pen names while Mary Cummings offers tips on using Google+ for book promotion. Kristen Lamb provides sound advice about self-editing your manuscript before sending it to a pro. Jami Gold and James Scott Bell touch on your story's subtext and theme, respectively. Natalia Sylvester addresses the personal dangers of social media and how to avoid them. All that and a bit more. Enjoy!
Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle by Elmore Leonard
How to Use Google+ in Book Promotion by Mary Cummings
Do You Know Your Story's Subtext? by Jami Gold
Action and Reaction: The Building Blocks of Story Structure by Katie Weiland via Jody Hedlund
Six Easy Tips for Self-Editing Your Fiction by Kristen Lamb
Cardboard Men and the Women Who Love Them by P.J. Parrish
Do You Know What You Want to Say? by James Scott Bell
Twisting the Inevitable by Dave King
Too Social for Comfort: How to Build an Online Presence and Stay Safe by Natalia Sylvester
Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle by Elmore Leonard
How to Use Google+ in Book Promotion by Mary Cummings
Do You Know Your Story's Subtext? by Jami Gold
Action and Reaction: The Building Blocks of Story Structure by Katie Weiland via Jody Hedlund
Six Easy Tips for Self-Editing Your Fiction by Kristen Lamb
Cardboard Men and the Women Who Love Them by P.J. Parrish
Do You Know What You Want to Say? by James Scott Bell
Twisting the Inevitable by Dave King
Too Social for Comfort: How to Build an Online Presence and Stay Safe by Natalia Sylvester
August 20, 2013
Listen to the Sound of My Voice - By Your Side is out on Audio!
Recorded by yours truly, the FREE audio version of my paranormal mystery,
By Your Side
, has started it's podcast run on my publisher's audio site, Prometheus Radio Theatre.
Chapter One is available now by clicking here.
Miranda Lorensen is a psychic-medium and paranormal investigator. In the opening chapter, while investigating the possible haunting of a zoo, she senses that her deceased brother may be trying to get a message to her.
Check back each week for a new chapter at Prometheus Radio Theatre !
Chapter One is available now by clicking here.
Miranda Lorensen is a psychic-medium and paranormal investigator. In the opening chapter, while investigating the possible haunting of a zoo, she senses that her deceased brother may be trying to get a message to her.
Check back each week for a new chapter at Prometheus Radio Theatre !
August 17, 2013
Monster Mania's 10th Anniversary Convention
Spent the early part of my Saturday at Monster Mania convention in Cherry Hill, NJ. Guests included Christopher Lloyd, Carrie Fisher, Danny Glover, Malcolm McDowell, George Romero, Bruce Davison, the cast of Being Human (American version) and several others.
Having seen Fisher, Glover, McDowell and several others before, my singular goal was Christopher Lloyd (being the avid Back to the Future, TAXI and Star Trek fan that I am). Two years ago, a friend was able to snag a Star Trek III autograph from Mr. Lloyd for me at a convention I was unable to attend. So this time, I just focused on TAXI and Back to the Future.
Unfortunately, no posed photos with fans were permitted so I was not able to have my picture taken with Mr. Lloyd. Disappointing, but I was able to take a few pictures of him at his table. He was very nice, but a bit aloof. He shook hands with all of the fans, but only chatted when someone else initiated the conversation, which is perfectly fine. Mr. Lloyd has a reputation for being reserved.
I then decided to stop over to Bruce Davison's table. for an autograph and photo with him. Mr. Davison is a very outgoing and friendly guy.
Probably the fastest one-day convention ever. I was done within two hours. Went to lunch after and was home in time to cut the lawn.
August 13, 2013
About This Writing Stuff...
This week, we start off with two older, but informative, articles on self-publishing, then counter that with an argument in favor of the traditional route. Woody Allen imparts what he's learned about life and creativity both before and during his legendary career. A double-shot from Jami Gold addresses platform building and the value of genre writing. Jody Hedlund touches on the adage of "show, don't tell" while Jael McHenry warns of the pitfalls of chasing fads in writing. From the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell delves into two popular formats for delivering your stories to readers and Jordan Dane talks metaphors and analogies.
And congratulations to Michael Jan Friedman on the re-release of his fantasy trilogy, the Vidar Saga, starting with book one, The Hammer and the Horn .
Publishing is Broken, We're Drowning in Indie Books and That's a Good Thing by David Vinjamuri
Thinking of Self-Publishing Your Book in 2013? Here's What You Need to Know by Nick Morgan
5 Reasons to Turn to Traditional Publishing Rather than Self-Publishing by Meg Waite Clayton
What I've Learned by Woody Allen
The Perks of Being Audible by Loren Kleinman
When Should We Start Building Our Platform and Are Genre Stories More Stupid? by Jami Gold
When To Show Character Emotions and When To Tell by Jody Hedlund
Two More Ways for Writers to Milk the Cash Cow by James Scott Bell
Key Ways to Add Layers to Your Writer's Voice by Jordan Dane
Drive, Don't Chase by Jael McHenry
And congratulations to Michael Jan Friedman on the re-release of his fantasy trilogy, the Vidar Saga, starting with book one, The Hammer and the Horn .
Publishing is Broken, We're Drowning in Indie Books and That's a Good Thing by David Vinjamuri
Thinking of Self-Publishing Your Book in 2013? Here's What You Need to Know by Nick Morgan
5 Reasons to Turn to Traditional Publishing Rather than Self-Publishing by Meg Waite Clayton
What I've Learned by Woody Allen
The Perks of Being Audible by Loren Kleinman
When Should We Start Building Our Platform and Are Genre Stories More Stupid? by Jami Gold
When To Show Character Emotions and When To Tell by Jody Hedlund
Two More Ways for Writers to Milk the Cash Cow by James Scott Bell
Key Ways to Add Layers to Your Writer's Voice by Jordan Dane
Drive, Don't Chase by Jael McHenry
August 6, 2013
August 5, 2013
Recap: Shore Leave 35
Celebrating its 35th year, the annual
Shore Leave SF media convention
in Hunt Valley, MD demonstrated that it is definitely still going strong. This year also marked my 19th as an attendee and my second as a writer guest. The convention kept me busy with back-to-back-to-back panels on Saturday and Sunday, but I managed to work in time to meet some of the celebrity guests in attendance including Saul Rubinek and Eddie McClintock, recently of Warehouse 13, as well as the gorgeous Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG-1 & Sanctuary), Brent Spiner (Data from ST: TNG), Neil Grayston (Eureka) and the captain himself, William Shatner. Also on the guest list were Greg Evigan, Julie Caitlin-Brown, and Vic Mignogna.
In his first Shore Leave appearance, prolific writer Paul Kupperberg joined his fellow ReDeus co-creators Bob Greenberger and Aaron Rosenberg. Many of the ReDeus contributing authors were also on hand to celebrate the release of the third book in the anthology series, Native Lands.
The Friday night Meet the Pros party was extremely well-attended as usual. This is the main event for the author track where all of the writers gather together in the corridor outside the hotel ballrooms to sell and sign books. It was a resounding success, in no small part thanks to friend Judy Waidlich for once again supplying us with home baked goodies! My second novel, By Your Side , received a fair amount of attention but it was the ReDeus series that stole the show as the majority of the authors, and all three creators, were together in one place.
The rest of my weekend was filled with panel discussions ranging from How to Find Your Readers to Building Suspense in Your Writing, from Fanzine Fiction to Time Management for Writers. My friend and publisher, Steven H. Wilson and I held our Firebringer Press Presents panel late Saturday afternoon and on Sunday, all of the attending ReDeus creators and writers (sans Paul Kupperberg who had to leave early) gathered for a panel to discuss the current stories and future plans for the series.
On the celebrity side, being the fan boy that I am, I was looking forward to again meeting Eddie and Saul. They were fantastic to chat with. Since I had originally met them in 2009 as my first novel was just being released, not only did I have them sign the photo I had taken with them (and co-star Joanne Kelly), but I gave Eddie and Saul each a copy of Testing the Prisoner.
Of course, Eddie McClintock was not the only returning favorite. Amanda Tapping was also back for her second Shore Leave appearance, this time with long brown hair (she was a blonde in Stargate and sported long black locks in Sanctuary). She was as gregarious and sweet as always to the fans! Neil Grayston was a first-timer who seemed to be enjoying his weekend and, as I just learned today, hung out with several fans until early Monday morning.
I never thought I would see the day when Shore Leave would host William Shatner as a guest, but just as I made my way to his autograph line, The Shat stepped through the doors and passed directly in front of me. There was little interaction as he signed. There was a reason why the con sold out on Saturday and throng that gathered for Shatner--not to mention the Warehouse 13 guys--made mobility a challenge in the autograph area. However, I was fortunate enough to be among the first dozen or so people in his line--and the autograph was for a co-worker, not for me. I'd seen Shatner several times over my decades-spanning con attendance, so I certainly needed nothing else signed.
On Saturday night at 10:30PM, a large group gathered in memoriam to one of fandom's shining stars, Marty Gear. Marty passed away on July 18 after decades of service to fandom. He was a friend and mentor to scores of fans in the Maryland/DC area. Marty was a master costume designer/creator and ran masquerade contests for Balticon for years. He and his late wife Bobbi went out of their way to help so many and had engendered so much love in the fan community. Although I did not know Marty well, my fiancee and I attended the memorial in support of our friends who were an integral part of Marty's life.
Above all of the aforementioned, conventions give everyone a chance to reunite with friends, some of whom only see one another at such venues. There are too many to list here, but in addition to those named above, it was great to spend time with artist and good friend Mike Riehl and his wife Kate, Laura Inglis, the entire Wilson clan, the Van Blarcom ladies, the Shockeys, Sue Reilly, Kevin and Kathy (my convention mates forever), Howie Weinstein, Michael Jan Friedman, all of the ReDeus writers, Eric Hawkins, Royce Essig, and my mind is winding down now so forgive me if I failed to mention you.
In conclusion, Shore Leave 35 was a blast and I look forward to next year!!
Above: Scenes from Meet the Pros. Aaron Rosenberg (top) Ann Crispin and Michael Jan Friedman (bottom).
Above: Ignore the placement of the name placards. In the Fanzine discussion panel from left to right,
Steven H. Wilson, Phil Giunta, Paul Kupperberg. Also on the panel were Martha Bonds and Lorraine Anderson.
Above: The name placards are correct this time at our Firebringer Press Presents panel.
Above: Neil Grayston (Eureka) and Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13) sign autographs.
Above: William Shatner and Brent Spiner at their autograph tables. Below: Amanda Tapping is all smiles!
Below: The Last Supper? Not quite, but this was a panel about gods as the ReDeus writers gather to
discuss their contributions to the anthology series and the creators reveal some future plans! Left to right:
Phil Giunta, Dave Galanter, Kelly Meding, Bob Greenberger, Aaron Rosenberg, Steven H. Wilson,
William Leisner, Lorraine Anderson, and Allyn Gibson.
In his first Shore Leave appearance, prolific writer Paul Kupperberg joined his fellow ReDeus co-creators Bob Greenberger and Aaron Rosenberg. Many of the ReDeus contributing authors were also on hand to celebrate the release of the third book in the anthology series, Native Lands.
The Friday night Meet the Pros party was extremely well-attended as usual. This is the main event for the author track where all of the writers gather together in the corridor outside the hotel ballrooms to sell and sign books. It was a resounding success, in no small part thanks to friend Judy Waidlich for once again supplying us with home baked goodies! My second novel, By Your Side , received a fair amount of attention but it was the ReDeus series that stole the show as the majority of the authors, and all three creators, were together in one place.
The rest of my weekend was filled with panel discussions ranging from How to Find Your Readers to Building Suspense in Your Writing, from Fanzine Fiction to Time Management for Writers. My friend and publisher, Steven H. Wilson and I held our Firebringer Press Presents panel late Saturday afternoon and on Sunday, all of the attending ReDeus creators and writers (sans Paul Kupperberg who had to leave early) gathered for a panel to discuss the current stories and future plans for the series.
On the celebrity side, being the fan boy that I am, I was looking forward to again meeting Eddie and Saul. They were fantastic to chat with. Since I had originally met them in 2009 as my first novel was just being released, not only did I have them sign the photo I had taken with them (and co-star Joanne Kelly), but I gave Eddie and Saul each a copy of Testing the Prisoner.
Of course, Eddie McClintock was not the only returning favorite. Amanda Tapping was also back for her second Shore Leave appearance, this time with long brown hair (she was a blonde in Stargate and sported long black locks in Sanctuary). She was as gregarious and sweet as always to the fans! Neil Grayston was a first-timer who seemed to be enjoying his weekend and, as I just learned today, hung out with several fans until early Monday morning.
I never thought I would see the day when Shore Leave would host William Shatner as a guest, but just as I made my way to his autograph line, The Shat stepped through the doors and passed directly in front of me. There was little interaction as he signed. There was a reason why the con sold out on Saturday and throng that gathered for Shatner--not to mention the Warehouse 13 guys--made mobility a challenge in the autograph area. However, I was fortunate enough to be among the first dozen or so people in his line--and the autograph was for a co-worker, not for me. I'd seen Shatner several times over my decades-spanning con attendance, so I certainly needed nothing else signed.
On Saturday night at 10:30PM, a large group gathered in memoriam to one of fandom's shining stars, Marty Gear. Marty passed away on July 18 after decades of service to fandom. He was a friend and mentor to scores of fans in the Maryland/DC area. Marty was a master costume designer/creator and ran masquerade contests for Balticon for years. He and his late wife Bobbi went out of their way to help so many and had engendered so much love in the fan community. Although I did not know Marty well, my fiancee and I attended the memorial in support of our friends who were an integral part of Marty's life.
Above all of the aforementioned, conventions give everyone a chance to reunite with friends, some of whom only see one another at such venues. There are too many to list here, but in addition to those named above, it was great to spend time with artist and good friend Mike Riehl and his wife Kate, Laura Inglis, the entire Wilson clan, the Van Blarcom ladies, the Shockeys, Sue Reilly, Kevin and Kathy (my convention mates forever), Howie Weinstein, Michael Jan Friedman, all of the ReDeus writers, Eric Hawkins, Royce Essig, and my mind is winding down now so forgive me if I failed to mention you.
In conclusion, Shore Leave 35 was a blast and I look forward to next year!!
Above: Scenes from Meet the Pros. Aaron Rosenberg (top) Ann Crispin and Michael Jan Friedman (bottom).Above: Ignore the placement of the name placards. In the Fanzine discussion panel from left to right,
Steven H. Wilson, Phil Giunta, Paul Kupperberg. Also on the panel were Martha Bonds and Lorraine Anderson.
Above: The name placards are correct this time at our Firebringer Press Presents panel.
Above: Neil Grayston (Eureka) and Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13) sign autographs.
Above: William Shatner and Brent Spiner at their autograph tables. Below: Amanda Tapping is all smiles!
Below: The Last Supper? Not quite, but this was a panel about gods as the ReDeus writers gather to
discuss their contributions to the anthology series and the creators reveal some future plans! Left to right:
Phil Giunta, Dave Galanter, Kelly Meding, Bob Greenberger, Aaron Rosenberg, Steven H. Wilson,
William Leisner, Lorraine Anderson, and Allyn Gibson.
All Firebringer Press eBook Titles on Sale at Smashwords
From now until September 2, all
Firebringer Press eBook titles are on sale at Smashwords
using the coupon codes below. Firebringer authors cover SF, Paranormal, and Fantasy genres and Smashwords eBooks are available in all popular formats. It's a fantastic deal, so please consider supporting small press authors. Thank you!
Taken Liberty - A Tale from the Arbiter Chronicles by Steven H. Wilson - $1.99 - Coupon Code: WC32M
Unfriendly Persuasion - A Tale from the Arbiter Chronicles by Steven H. Wilson - $1.99 - Coupon Code: SS94B
Peace Lord of the Red Planet by Steven H. Wilson - $1.99 - Coupon Code: KP48B
Heroic Park - A Superhuman Times Novel by Lance Woods - $1.99 - Coupon Code: UZ49L
Testing the Prisoner by Phil Giunta - Coupon Code: PH86W
By Your Side by Phil Giunta - Coupon Code: DJ72C
A Man Walks into a Bar - A Tale from the Arbiter Chronicles (novella) - FREE - Coupon Code: JZ95D
You can also purchase the following Arbiter Chronicles eNovellas at the regular low price of 99 cents:
Mutiny Springs Eternal
Man of Letters
Taken Liberty - A Tale from the Arbiter Chronicles by Steven H. Wilson - $1.99 - Coupon Code: WC32M
Unfriendly Persuasion - A Tale from the Arbiter Chronicles by Steven H. Wilson - $1.99 - Coupon Code: SS94B
Peace Lord of the Red Planet by Steven H. Wilson - $1.99 - Coupon Code: KP48B
Heroic Park - A Superhuman Times Novel by Lance Woods - $1.99 - Coupon Code: UZ49L
Testing the Prisoner by Phil Giunta - Coupon Code: PH86W
By Your Side by Phil Giunta - Coupon Code: DJ72C
A Man Walks into a Bar - A Tale from the Arbiter Chronicles (novella) - FREE - Coupon Code: JZ95D
You can also purchase the following Arbiter Chronicles eNovellas at the regular low price of 99 cents:
Mutiny Springs Eternal
Man of Letters
July 30, 2013
July 29, 2013
My Schedule for Shore Leave 35
Shore Leave has posted their schedule for the coming weekend! Here is where I shall be:
Friday 10PM: Meet the Pros - The con's big author bash in the hallway outside the ballrooms. Come and meet your favorite writers, pick up some books and get them signed.
Saturday 10AM, Salon A: Check Your Arti-tude at the Door! - A discussion panel about SyFy's hit show, Warehouse 13 with Greg Cox, Lorraine Anderson, Phil Giunta and Bill Leisner.
Saturday 11AM, Salon F: The Influence of Fanzines on Fandom with Steven H. Wilson, Martha Bonds, Lorraine Anderson, Paul Kupperberg, and Phil Giunta.
Saturday 12PM, Concierge Lounge: Plotters vs. Pantsers. Do you like to plan your story in advance or let it unfold as you write? Fellow panelists include Mary Louise Davie, Jim Johnson, James Mascia, Kelly Meding, and Phil Giunta.
Saturday 2PM, Derby Room: Time Management for Writers with Aaron Rosenberg, Jim Johnson, James Mascia, Robert Greenberger, Russ Colchamiro, and Phil Giunta.
Saturday 5PM, Derby Room: Firebringer Press Presents with Steven H. Wilson, Lance Woods, Mike Riehl. Steven Wilson will provide an update on Firebringer's current book offerings in print, ebook, and audio and what is to come, including a brand-new SF/Fantasy/Paranormal anthology called Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity.
Sunday 1PM, Derby Room: Building Suspense in Your Writing with Joshua Palmatier, Phil Giunta.
Sunday 2PM, Salon E: ReDeus anthology. Creators and contributors to the ReDeus series discuss the current trilogy and future plans. Aaron Rosenberg, Robert Greenberger, Paul Kupperberg, Lorraine Anderson, Phil Giunta, Steven H. Wilson, Dave Galanter, Allyn Gibson, Kelly Meding, William Leisner.
Sunday 3PM, Derby Room: Finding Your Readers. You wrote it, now how you gonna get them to read it? I will be joined again by Joshua Palmatier
Friday 10PM: Meet the Pros - The con's big author bash in the hallway outside the ballrooms. Come and meet your favorite writers, pick up some books and get them signed.
Saturday 10AM, Salon A: Check Your Arti-tude at the Door! - A discussion panel about SyFy's hit show, Warehouse 13 with Greg Cox, Lorraine Anderson, Phil Giunta and Bill Leisner.
Saturday 11AM, Salon F: The Influence of Fanzines on Fandom with Steven H. Wilson, Martha Bonds, Lorraine Anderson, Paul Kupperberg, and Phil Giunta.
Saturday 12PM, Concierge Lounge: Plotters vs. Pantsers. Do you like to plan your story in advance or let it unfold as you write? Fellow panelists include Mary Louise Davie, Jim Johnson, James Mascia, Kelly Meding, and Phil Giunta.
Saturday 2PM, Derby Room: Time Management for Writers with Aaron Rosenberg, Jim Johnson, James Mascia, Robert Greenberger, Russ Colchamiro, and Phil Giunta.
Saturday 5PM, Derby Room: Firebringer Press Presents with Steven H. Wilson, Lance Woods, Mike Riehl. Steven Wilson will provide an update on Firebringer's current book offerings in print, ebook, and audio and what is to come, including a brand-new SF/Fantasy/Paranormal anthology called Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity.
Sunday 1PM, Derby Room: Building Suspense in Your Writing with Joshua Palmatier, Phil Giunta.
Sunday 2PM, Salon E: ReDeus anthology. Creators and contributors to the ReDeus series discuss the current trilogy and future plans. Aaron Rosenberg, Robert Greenberger, Paul Kupperberg, Lorraine Anderson, Phil Giunta, Steven H. Wilson, Dave Galanter, Allyn Gibson, Kelly Meding, William Leisner.
Sunday 3PM, Derby Room: Finding Your Readers. You wrote it, now how you gonna get them to read it? I will be joined again by Joshua Palmatier
July 25, 2013
On Native Lands at Shore Leave
The third volume in the ReDeus anthology series, Native Lands, will debut at Shore Leave 35! With another gorgeous cover from Lorraine Schleter, Native Lands is a collection of 15 stories detailing the return of the mythological gods across the Americas. Contributing writers include Lorraine Anderson, Kevin Dilmore, David Galanter, David R. George III, Robert Greenberger, Robert T. Jeschonek, Paul Kupperberg, William Leisner, Steven Lyons, David McDonald, Scott Pearson, Aaron Rosenberg, Lawrence M. Schoen, Lois Spangler, and Steven H. Wilson.
Compliments of a hectic schedule, I was not able to contribute to Native Lands, but you can read my stories in the first two volumes of the series, ReDeus: Divine Tales and ReDeus: Beyond Borders.
The inaugural volume, Divine Tales , includes 11 original stories by Allyn Gibson, Dave Galanter, Phil Giunta, Robert Greenberger, Paul Kupperberg, William Leisner, Scott Pearson, Aaron Rosenberg, Lawrence Schoen, Dayton Ward, and Steven H. Wilson. Fantastic interior illustrations were provided by Spanish artist, Carmen Carnero with a wonderful cover by Russian artist Anton Kokarev.
Volume 2, Beyond Borders, examines life outside the Americas since the return of the ancient pantheons. Read 13 brand-new stories from all over the globe by Lorraine Anderson, Phil Giunta, Robert Greenberger, Paul Kupperberg, William Leisner, Steven Lyons. David McDonald, Kelly Meding, Scott Pearson, Aaron Rosenberg, Lawrence R. Schoen, Janna Silverstein, and Steven H. Wilson. Cover art by Lorraine Schleter.
What happens to life on Earth when the gods return in the 21st century? Belief systems are crushed, families are destroyed, some find strength while others become lost in a world suddenly thrust into chaos. One thing is certain, life will be forever changed--for gods and mortals. Find out more in this truly captivating series from Crazy 8 Press!
Compliments of a hectic schedule, I was not able to contribute to Native Lands, but you can read my stories in the first two volumes of the series, ReDeus: Divine Tales and ReDeus: Beyond Borders.
The inaugural volume, Divine Tales , includes 11 original stories by Allyn Gibson, Dave Galanter, Phil Giunta, Robert Greenberger, Paul Kupperberg, William Leisner, Scott Pearson, Aaron Rosenberg, Lawrence Schoen, Dayton Ward, and Steven H. Wilson. Fantastic interior illustrations were provided by Spanish artist, Carmen Carnero with a wonderful cover by Russian artist Anton Kokarev.
Volume 2, Beyond Borders, examines life outside the Americas since the return of the ancient pantheons. Read 13 brand-new stories from all over the globe by Lorraine Anderson, Phil Giunta, Robert Greenberger, Paul Kupperberg, William Leisner, Steven Lyons. David McDonald, Kelly Meding, Scott Pearson, Aaron Rosenberg, Lawrence R. Schoen, Janna Silverstein, and Steven H. Wilson. Cover art by Lorraine Schleter.
What happens to life on Earth when the gods return in the 21st century? Belief systems are crushed, families are destroyed, some find strength while others become lost in a world suddenly thrust into chaos. One thing is certain, life will be forever changed--for gods and mortals. Find out more in this truly captivating series from Crazy 8 Press!
