Matthew Ledrew's Blog, page 32
January 23, 2018
Shannon Green announced as a ‘Chillers from the Rock’ author!
Engen Books is proud to reveal one of the true talents in Newfoundland genre fiction will be joining us again in 2018’s Chillers from the Rock collection: Shannon Green!
A gifted author with a talent for the strange, Green has been recognized in both the genre community and the contemporary literary community for his pursuits. In the past he has been shortlisted for the 1996 Arts and Letters Award and well as won the 2015 Audience Choice Steampunk Newfoundland Showcase. Green made a splash last year with “Lower Antarras” in Fantasy From The Rock.
His short story “The Wine Dark Sea” was immediately greenlit for Chillers from the Rock.
Nine other authors will be joining Dale Jarvis, Teresita E. Dziadura, Paul Carberry, Anastacia Hopkins, Jon Dobbin, Bronwynn Erskine, Peter Foote, Chelsea Bee, Sam Bauer, Ali House, and Shannon Green for the 2018 Chillers on the Rock collection, to be launched March 28 2018! Who will join them? Stay tuned and Never Look Back!
For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.
January 22, 2018
Ali House, author of The Six Elemental, to write for ‘Chillers from the Rock’
[image error]Ali House, whose first novel The Six Elemental started Engen’s spectacular tenth year anniversary in October 2016, is returning to the From the Rock collection series in Chillers from the Rock with two all-new short stories, “The Taste of Copper” and “The Deal.”
Ali’s 2016 collection entry, “Twenty-One” was heralded as one of the gems of the collection and led to a novel based on the concept and characters later that same year.
Her 2017 book of short fiction, Unexpected Stories (coauthored with Amanda Labonté), is available for free with signup to the Fantasy Files newsletter.
“Some good Young Adult fiction is set up here, with something that pulls at my personal heartstrings. [The Six Elemental] is another book I must pick up when it comes out.” — Sam Bauer, author of ‘The Locket.’
A native Newfoundlander, Ali is a graduate of the Fine Arts program at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College (MUN), and past recipient of the Golden Crescent Wrench Award. She is the author of The Six Elemental, and has had short stories published in Sci-Fi From the Rock, Fantasy from the Rock and Bluenose Paradox. She currently resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she works in arts administration and spends more time than a person should in and around theaters.
[image error]
Ten other authors will be joining Dale Jarvis, Teresita E. Dziadura, Paul Carberry, Anastacia Hopkins, Jon Dobbin, Bronwynn Erskine, Peter Foote, Chelsea Bee, Sam Bauer, and Ali House for the 2018 Chillers on the Rock collection, to be launched March 28 2018! Who will join them? Stay tuned and Never Look Back!
For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.
January 21, 2018
Returning Rocker: Sam Bauer announced as returning for ‘Chillers from the Rock’!
[image error]
Engen Books is proud to announce the triumphant return of author Sam Bauer to this year’s From the Rock collection, Chillers from the Rock.
Bauer has been featured in each of the three modern From the Rock volumes. His story ‘The Locket’ appeared in 2016’s Sci-Fi from the Rock and ‘Precious Pieces Unknown’ in 2017’s Fantasy from the Rock. Bauer has proven himself to be one of the strongest young authorial voices in Newfoundland short fiction, and soon will transition his talents to an alternate-history science-fiction novel, Kemp’s Army.
Bauer brings with him two short stories for this collection, ‘Dark Peaks’ and ‘Nuckelavee.’
Eleven other authors will be joining Dale Jarvis, Teresita E. Dziadura, Paul Carberry, Anastacia Hopkins, Jon Dobbin, Bronwynn Erskine, Peter Foote, Chelsea Bee and Sam Bauer for the 2018 Chillers on the Rock collection, to be launched March 28 2018! Who will join them? Stay tuned and Never Look Back!
For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.
January 20, 2018
“London Calling” author Chelsea Bee announced as ‘Chillers from the Rock’ author!
[image error]Engen Books is proud to reveal one of the true talents in Newfoundland contemporary fiction has chosen to dip into genre writing in 2018’s Chillers from the Rock collection: Chelsea Bee!
An Ontario native currently residing in Newfoundland, Bee released London Calling in the summer of 2017 to critical praise for its unapologetic examination of violence against women, set against the backdrop of a Newfoundlander touring the London theater world.
Bee brings with her the short story ‘Tommy,’ a story about parents coping with the loss of a child, mirroring her knack for real emotional drama and pairing it with a chiller setting: we think you’ll enjoy it!
Twelve other authors will be joining Dale Jarvis, Teresita E. Dziadura, Paul Carberry, Anastacia Hopkins, Jon Dobbin, Bronwynn Erskine, Peter Foote and Chelsea Bee for the 2018 Chillers on the Rock collection, to be launched March 28 2018! Who will join them? Stay tuned and Never Look Back!
For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.
January 19, 2018
Gold & Steel finds a new home at Engen Books!
[image error]Engen Books is proud to announce that, in a recent deal, it can now count the Gold & Steel Saga by Christopher Walsh as one of its many impressive titles.
Engen Books has been proud to work with members of the independent writing & publishing community for years and had cultivated a strong relationship with Mr. Walsh, with his short story spinoffs of Gold and Steel appearing in multiple From the Rock editions.
Christopher Walsh is an author from Brigus South, Newfoundland. Over the past six years, Chris has been crafting the massive world of Gold & Steel and putting together what will be his first entries into the even bigger world: As Fierce as Steel, Stealing Back Freedom, In Defense of Our Home, and The City that Hid from Time Itself.
As Fierce as Steel by Christopher P. Walsh
As Fierce as Steel is the inaugural entry into the world of Gold & Steel, a new fantasy series from Canadian author, Christopher Walsh. It is centered around the lives of two women, those of the Lady Orangecloak and Lady Marigold Tullivan. One is the leader of a brave group of young men and women in open rebellion of their government. The other was born into that patriarchal world and destined for greatness, as a trophy wife, a fate she will do anything to alter.
January 18, 2018
Tips for Writing Different Genres
Last week Engen announced their next anthology – Dystopia From the Rock. This genre isn’t as widely known as their previous anthologies (I know I did a double-take), but don’t fear! If you’ve never written dystopian before, you’ve got until October 31 to learn how!
Today I’ll be offering some tips on how I write strange-to-me genres. Although I mostly stick to Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Fiction, I’m not against branching out. If I have an idea for a story, I’ll chase it wherever it’ll take me.
What follows are some of the steps I take to get myself into the mind-set of a new genre (and that I will surely be using when I try to write something dystopian):
Step #1: Learn what the genre is.
Before you can write in a genre you first need to know what it is. Look it up and find out what makes it special. Once you know the key elements, you’ll know what your story needs in order to be considered that genre.
For example: Wikipedia says “A dystopia is a community or society that is undesirable or frightening”, and “Dystopias are often characterized by dehumanization, totalitarian governments, environmental disaster, or other characteristics associated with a cataclysmic decline in society.” Thanks to those sentences you’ve got 2 moods and 4 settings to use as a leaping off point.
Also, if you’re thinking of putting a twist on it, you first need to know what to twist.
Step #2: Look at examples of central themes and common elements and characters.
Once you’re done looking up the genre, it’s time to seek out some of the common themes and figure out which one(s) you want to use – or if you want to throw out those themes all together and create your own. If you’re stuck for story ideas, this may help you come up with characters or a setting or a plot point.
This helped me immensely when I tried to write Gothic Fiction. There are quite a few elements in those stories, and a lot of character types. Some genres are looser than others, but it’s always good to have an idea of what you might need.
Step #3: Read some books.
What could be a better way to familiarize yourself with something than by actually reading works in that genre? Some genres have a style that you might want to mimic or use as a stepping off point. I also find that reading good stories inspires me to write good stories.
So go online and search for some famous novels or stories in the genre. And while you’re reading, figure out what keeps you interested and what you’d like to see in a story.
And if the books are too long, find a good movie adaptation and pop some popcorn.
Step #4: Create an atmosphere with music!
It’s funny that it’s me mentioning this, since my musical tastes are varied and questionable (I’ve literally chased people away with my musical tastes). But the music I like to listen to usually evokes emotions, and can help strengthen emotions for particular scenes/stories. I’ve been known to put a song on repeat while working on a particular chapter/scene.
So if you’re still having trouble getting in the “mood”, try listening songs that reflect the genre. Make a playlist and play it while you’re writing or before you start, and hopefully that’ll help set the tone you’re looking for.
_
And those are my tips! If you have any tips for writing new genres that I’ve not mentioned, add them below!
Returning Rocker: Peter J. Foote announced as returning for ‘Chillers from the Rock’!
[image error]Engen Books is proud to announce the triumphant return of author Peter J. Foote to this year’s From the Rock collection, Chillers from the Rock.
Foote is the first of our announced authors to have performed a ‘hat trick,’ with his submissions gaining entry into each of the three modern From the Rock volumes. His story ‘The Silence Between Moons’ appeared in 2016’s Sci-Fi from the Rock and ‘A Troll by Any Other Name…’ in 2017’s Fantasy from the Rock. Foote has proven himself to be a renaissance man of genre fiction, capable of rising to the occasion of any challenge thrown his way. As competition over placement in the From the Rock series has improved, so has Foote steadily grown in his authorial abilities. His newest story in titled ‘A Friend in Shadow.’
Peter Foote is a Freemason and owner of the FictionFirst Used Bookstore, a bookstore located in Nova Scotia that ships used genre fiction and manuals worldwide. He is from Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia and currently resides in Kings County, Nova Scotia.
In 2017, Foote endeavored to bring the Atlantic Canadian writing world together by forming a group known as the Genre Writers of Atlantic Canada (GWOAC) that seeks to cross promote and support authors working in the genre fields at any level, including hobbyists all the way up to experts in the field. The group is currently 167 members large and grows daily.
Thirteen other authors will be joining Dale Jarvis, Teresita E. Dziadura, Paul Carberry, Anastacia Hopkins, Jon Dobbin, Bronwynn Erskine and Peter Foote for the 2018 Chillers on the Rock collection, to be launched March 28 2018! Who will join them? Stay tuned and Never Look Back!
For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.
Bronwynn Erskine announced as a ‘Chillers from the Rock’ author!
Engen Books is proud to introduce one of the exciting new talents in genre fiction that will be making their debut in 2018’s Chillers from the Rock collection: Bronwynn Erskine!
An Ontario native currently residing in Newfoundland, Erskine is an avid steampunk enthusiast and acrylic landscape painter. Erskine makes her publishing debut in Chillers from the Rock with her chilling tale: Scarlett Ribbins.
Fifteen other authors will be joining Dale Jarvis, Teresita E. Dziadura, Paul Carberry, Anastacia Hopkins, Jon Dobbin and Bronwynn Erskine for the 2018 Chillers on the Rock collection, to be launched March 28 2018! Who will join them? Stay tuned and Never Look Back!
For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.
January 17, 2018
Award-Winning Author Jon Dobbin announced as a ‘Chillers from the Rock’ author!
Engen Books is proud to introduce one of the exciting new talents in genre fiction that will be making their debut in 2018’s Chillers from the Rock collection: Jon Dobbin!
A native to the St. John’s metro region, Dobbin tied for first place in the 2017 48-Hour Writing Marathon, sponsored by THE Creative Learning, Thrive, and Engen Books. He describes himself as “the father of three, the husband to an amazing wife, an educator, and a tattoo and beard enthusiast.”
Dobbin makes his publishing debut in Chillers from the Rock with two entries: Man of Fire and The Chosen.
Fifteen other authors will be joining Dale Jarvis, Teresita E. Dziadura, Paul Carberry, Anastacia Hopkins, and Jon Dobbin for the 2018 Chillers on the Rock collection, to be launched March 28 2018! Who will join them? Stay tuned and Never Look Back!
For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.
January 2, 2018
2017 | Year in Review | Engen Books
Well, out 10th Anniversary year has come and gone, and it has been a wild one. We’ve brought on new authors, continued existing blockbuster titles, and reached out to our fans more and more than ever before!
2017 may have been a crazy year in most other forms of news, but in Engen Books news it was all good news. 
