Francesca T. Barbini's Blog, page 10

Chris Kelso & Jim Agpalza Join Luna!

This October we give a massive welcome to two new members of the Luna family: Scottish writer Chris Kelso and, all the way from the Pacific, artist Jim Agpalza!Chris and Jim are working on a new comic, Apollo Unbound, which will transport us from the glitz of Hollywood to rural Ayrshire, in true Lynchian fashion. It's not a journey for the faint of heart.Chris Kelso is an award winning genre writer, editor and illustrator from Scotland. His short stories and articles have appeared in magazines and journals across the UK, US and Canada. Unger House Radicals won the Ginger Nuts of Horror Book of the Year in 2016 and The Black Dog Eats the City  was featured in the Weird Fiction Review's best of 2014.Raised on an island in the Pacific Ocean, Jim Agpalza now lives outside Portland, Oregon, where he works as a freelance illustrator, cover artist, character designer, and storyboard artist. His work has appeared in a multitude of formats, including cartoons, books, slot machines, comics, and t-shirts. Jim is the co-creator of the animated show Spacefish, the novel Fantastic Earth Destroyer Ultra Plus, and Not Safe For Kids.Chris told us:"I’ve always been a huge cinephile, and I had this idea buzzing around in my head to do a script. At first I thought I’d adapt one of my old short stories, but I quickly discovered they weren’t easily translatable to the screenplay format, nor were they very coherent or cinematic. So an original script became my focus. I’d been reading a lot of European novels and Greek dramas for inspiration, and one of my favourites was Shelley’s 'Prometheus' trilogy. I thought 'Apollo Unbound' was a nice pun on 'Prometheus Unbound', so that was my starting point. Simple as that – cheap wordplay!I had a lead character called Apollo. My screenplay would focus on his torments and the futility of his existence.The script came pretty naturally after that. I’m from rural Ayrshire and I always thought it’d make a fantastic setting for a science fiction story. Even more interesting than that – what would it be like if a Hollywood celebrity found himself superimposed onto a grim, dystopian Ayrshire village? Imagine the culture shock.I’m always interested in change, both psychological and physical. I’m interested in dynamic shifts in our perceived reality, and the subsequent task of adapting to an alien environment.  I love stories where characters just wake up in a completely new world (Kafka’s 'Metamorphosis', 'The Selkie') . I’d been aware of Jim Agpalza’s art for a long time. He even did the cover for my collection 'Terence, Mephisto and Viscera Eyes', so getting him on board was a no-brainer. I think he is doing an amazing job."Apollo Unbound will be published by Luna Press Publishing this coming winter (date TBC).

Loyal Luna Reward Card

Today we officially start the Loyal Luna Reward scheme, to say thank you for shopping directly with us, on our website: you are supporting the Luna family and that is what allows independent businesses to flourish.Buy any 9 books from our store, and get the 10th one free.You can also claim purchases made from the 1st of June 2017, as a way to say goodbye to an excellent summer of Luna releases.If you are ever in doubt on the number of purchases you've made with us, simply drop us a line and we'll check for you.Drop us an email when you've picked your reward and we'll give you a special code to use at check out.

Book Birthday Discount!

Today we celebrate Anna Thayer and Mark Egginton!A year ago today, their books joined the world :) Eagles' Wings: An Exploration of Eucatastrophe in Tolkien's Fantasy by Anna, and The Lord of the Grins by Mark, are in n full party discount for the whole day!Which is fitting, as I am currently at Oxonmoot in Oxford, celebrating Bilbo and Frodo's birthday!Visit www.lunapresspublishing.com!

Allen Stroud - The Forever Man

During Worldcon 75, Robert S Malan had a chance to speak to Luna author, Allen Stroud. As you know, Allen's new book, 'The Forever Man' will be launched at Fantasycon 2017, on the 29th of September.'The Forever Man' is a fantasy thriller adventure, which you can pre-order at a special price, until the launch day.So, what's the latest from Allen these days? Let's hear from the man himself! Incidentally, if you've never seen our YouTube channel, use the video link to visit it and subscribe.

Sharpen your Pencils for the Necronomicute!

Fresh off the success of The Things That Should Not Squee, Nottingham artist Peter Andrews returns with another Cthulhu cracker: Necronomicute! For the artist in you, he has created 31 brand new images, inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos, to learn about the Elder Gods and Monsters' utterly alien feelings, hobbies, favourite places, foods and other facts that man was not meant to know. This is Luna's first colouring book and we are very excited to have dipped our tentacles into this pond, via Lovecraft. He is, after all, the daddy of mental darkness.The October newsletter will carry a pre-order discount voucher - sign up to grab one! Use the subscriber's voucher at checkout to receive a discount: only on our website.And if you really can't wait, click here to pre-order the book now at £6.99! Enjoy!

Luna @ Fantasycon 2017

#lunaontour is happening again, and you know how much we love our cons!From the 29th of September to the 1st of October, you will find some of us at Fantasycon 2017, in Peterbrough. Me, Robert S Malan, Anthony Laken and Allen Stroud will be whizzing about between launches and panels. We do hope to see and meet as many of you as possible! Of course, the Luna table will also be set up in the dealers' - which coincidentally is in the bar area - so stop by to say hi!Here is our programme:FRIDAY 29/093.30PM: The Author as a Business - Panel (Francesca T Barbini)9PM: The Subversive Amazon Review Show - Entertainment (Allen Stroud)SATURDAY 30/0910AM: Luna Book Launch - "The Forever Man" by Allen Stroud11.30AM: Steampunk - Panel (Anthony Laken)12.30PM: Landscapes in Fantasy - Panel (Robert S Malan)3PM: Readings: Subgenres - Readings (Anthony Laken)10PM: Readings: Science Fiction & Horror - Readings (Robert S Malan, Allen Stroud)SUNDAY 01/1010AM: Small Press Publishing - Panel (Francesca T Barbini)

How much research goes into your book?

The wish of getting published can push unseasoned writers towards writing what's currently in demand, or what they perceive as being easiest. But have they done their homework?Successful writers write about the things they know, and when they need to acquire new knowledge for the purpose of the story, guess what they do? That's right; they research it. If a person naturally channels their passions into a particular area, or a subject, or a historical period, it will only be normal that they will build a sound knowledge of it over time, which will automatically transpire on the pages of their book when they write about it.This is more obvious when dealing with non-fiction, of course. In good conscience, you cannot write a book on fishing, swearing that the best method is to throw dynamite sticks in the water, just because you saw it done in Mr Crocodile Dundee II. Having said that, the epidemic of fake news which many people take as dogma is still growing fast... though that says more about the readers than the writers.In fiction, especially in fantasy, reality can be blurred, but when it does, there is always (or there should be) a solid explanation as to why things are different (and I don't mean boring exposition, but inherent logic). Science Fiction is another one. Not all SF books belong to what we call 'hard SF', distinguished by the abundance of accurate science - obviously, we are still imagining what the future is going to be like, and we take certain liberties, but in hard SF you keep your liberties anchored to the most logical and sound scientific possibilities.When we move into character building and start to attribute layers to them which require some knowledge, you'll need to know what you are talking about, or you'll make them unbelievable and easy to pick apart, especially if the reader in question shares the same situation.Let's look at a couple of examples. These days, people are better at discussing mental illnesses and, especially when it comes to YA, there is a demand to have more characters who are going through this type of struggle. Now, saying that a character is depressed, cannot simply be resolved with sad, puppy eyes, sighing and sobbing. It cannot be resolved either, with an hyper-joyous one, just because you heard through the grapevine that people with depression masquerade their condition by acting cheerfully. And then, aside from these two scenarios, sprinkled at irregular intervals throughout the manuscript, your character acts as if nothing was wrong and their actions weren't influenced in the slightest by their condition. If your reader does indeed have depression, they will see right through the charade, close the book and possibly burn it.Another example comes from writing LGBTQ characters because it's "in". In Luna Press Call for Papers 2016, 'Gender Identity & Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction', I had the privilege of publishing papers dealing with this issue. Two of our authors, Cheryl Morgana and Hazel Butler, although approaching the topic from different angles, expressed the view that often these type of literature is written by people with no direct/personal experience of the LGBTQ life. Moreover, books where such characters are portrayed, are written with an audience in mind who doesn't share the same experience.  This, of course, leads to a lot of inaccuracies as well as perpetuating the 'zoo effect' whereby the reader is looking in, rather than feel or empathise with the character and where a lot of needless explanations are given, removing the possibility of a natural setting.Research is something I enjoy very much. It could be calculating how many hours can a horse ride a day, or how many KM a person can walk per day, especially when carrying armour, or how fast can a 13th-century sailing boat cross the Mediterranean sea. You get the drift. To me, it makes sense to have these type of info so that I can plan my scenes accordingly. I don't need to tell the reader about the minutes of my calculation, but they will transpire through the pages. Can I use the words, "They arrived a day later..." if my characters are journeying 400 miles on horseback and leave less than 24 hours before? Can they physically make it? If they can't, YOU need to know and choose your scenes sequence and wording accordingly. The readers feel in good hands, I believe, if they know you have done your homework and speak with some authority.Historical Fiction is another example of the importance of the writer's knowledge. When I read James Clavell, for example, I know that as well as being entertained through his skilful storytelling, I am also learning - it's part of my expectations as a reader of historical fiction.  Yes, ultimately it is 'fiction', you need to remember that, but made more believable by his historical knowledge. Alternate History is a different kettle of fish, placing more emphasis on the ability of the writer to take history and manipulate it to explore 'what ifs'; still, once again, it requires the understanding of actual history, to develop the plot around it.Another example, this time from 'The Stand' by Stephen King, is an example of research put to good use. In this book, we deal with groups of people who have survived a world epidemic and are trying to regroup and rebuild a life. At some point, a character is in dire need of an appendectomy, something that in most cases is easy peasy and you are in and out of the hospital in one day. But, in the circumstances our characters find themselves in, even an appendectomy becomes brain surgery, and they have no doctor among them. So they find a book on medicine, look up the instructions and follow them. King empowers the character with the minimal knowledge required to advance the plot and build the terrifying atmosphere of a fallen modern world, which is sound and more than enough. Keep in mind that when he wrote 'The Stand' there was no Google search, so he will have had to ask a doctor friend or go to the library and find a medical school textbook. With that small input of research, he also made the reader ask, 'What would I have done in that situation?'In all my years of cons going, talking to established, successful writers of all ages, I have never met anyone who said, 'Oh you know, I just swing it'. Especially when you write Science Fiction, which is the genre I'm mostly in contact with, swinging doesn't cut it. Ultimately, I believe you owe it to your readers. If you've chosen writing as your path, you do it properly, you prepare. Go to the library, hit the net with purpose, ask your 'expert' friends!What is your experience with research? Feel free to share it with us! Thanks for reading!

Aragorn - A Companion Book

When Luna signed up Angela P Nicholas, little did we know the impact her book would have on us all. Aragorn had always been a favourite character with the Luna team, either through book or movie, and we thought that between us, there was a fair amount of "knowledge" of this ranger.It was only through working on Angela's book, Aragorn: JRR Tolkien's Undervalued Hero, that we realised how little did we, in fact, know.The layers that Angela has exposed and examined, have revealed a bigger depth and a larger heart, to Aragorn. The passion and the humility she set off with, in her quest of discovery, not only brought to life unexpected and much needed new outlooks, but they also received high praise by the likes of Christina Scull, who went so far as saying: "The most enjoyable work on Tolkien I have read in many years". We believe that Angela P Nicholas, has gifted us all with the most in-depth companion to Aragorn, ever written. Kitty Lowell: How did your love for Tolkien start? Angela P Nicholas: Although The Lord of the Rings was very much in fashion during my student days in the late sixties and early seventies I wasn't interested in it at that stage – probably because I didn't tend to follow fashions! It was not until a few years later, in 1973, that a friend persuaded me to read it. He stressed that it would be a good idea to read The Hobbit first and promised me that I was "in for a treat". I was hooked immediately and when I got together with my future husband soon afterwards I wasted no time in introducing him to Tolkien's works as well! I re-read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings several times during the seventies and bought The Silmarillion as soon as it was published in 1977. Further readings have followed since, especially while working on Aragorn, extending to Unfinished Tales, the twelve volumes of The History of Middle-earth and Tolkien's Letters as well.KL: Tolkien created many amazing characters. Was Aragorn your favourite one or did you have another? APN: Aragorn was my favourite character right from my first reading. I had borrowed the three-volume edition from my local library and after finishing The Fellowship of the Ring I remember opening The Two Towers and thinking "Oh good" when I saw that the first word was "Aragorn". A few pages later, as he knelt by the dead Boromir weeping and blaming himself for everything which had gone wrong, he was firmly established as my favourite character - strong and courageous but with a  very human side as well. Subsequent readings, including the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, reinforced my view and also made me aware of the complexity and significance of this character.Many of the other characters also appeal to me, for example Halbarad, Faramir, Galadriel, and Elrond and his family. Among the Hobbits I have a soft spot for Merry. KL: At 450 pages, your work is very thorough and it functions as a companion to Aragorn, in a sense. What made you want to write a book about this man?APN: I think it was because I found him the most interesting and appealing fictional character I had encountered. I was influenced by all of the following:Admiration for his courage, compassion, loyalty, endurance, self-sacrifice and his gift of healing.Empathy with his indecisiveness and self-blame, particularly after the loss of Gandalf, and with his long wait until he could marry Arwen.My belief that he was frequently undervalued or misinterpreted, coupled with the desire to address these issues. He was often doing essential things to help and protect Frodo behind the scenes but you have to read between the lines to realise this. The prime example is the confrontation with Sauron in the Palantír of Orthanc which was a hugely courageous and significant deed, but one which is easily overlooked or underestimated. The appeal of the king in disguise, scruffy, homeless, and fleeing danger. [Another interest of mine is the Jacobite movement so perhaps I have a penchant for exiled monarchs!]Appreciation of his travels. [I've been on trekking holidays in the past, some of them at high altitude and in difficult and hostile conditions, so I am able to relate to Aragorn's Ranger lifestyle to some extent.] The image of Strider in the Prancing Pony. [This has a special appeal as my husband and I also enjoy visiting our local pubs, usually managing to find a quiet seat in the corner, so we can watch what's going on!]However the real credit for triggering the research project which would eventually result in the book must go to Peter Jackson and his films of The Lord of the Rings (2001-3). I saw them many times and although I enjoyed Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of Aragorn it was clear that this wasn't the character I'd come to know and love from reading the book. I therefore turned to the book again with the aim of rediscovering Tolkien's Aragorn, originally for my own satisfaction but then, as the project grew, with publication in mind.KL: What was the hardest part about writing this book? APN: Putting the index together, once for the first edition, and again for the second. [I must acknowledge the enormous amount of help I had from my husband, Chris, in this!] Leaving that aside I really enjoyed writing the book. Perhaps the trickiest part was Chapter 2.4 on Aragorn's relationship with Legolas and Gimli, as I was actually having to deal with multiple relationships simultaneously: namely the threesome, Legolas with Aragorn, Gimli with Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli with each other (a relationship which has of course attracted a lot of attention in its own right). KL: Christina Scull, a well-established writer, as well as HarperCollins' author of many Tolkien related books, wrote the foreword to your work. What was your reaction in hearing her say that it was "The most enjoyable work on Tolkien I have read in many years"?APN: Disbelief (initially)? Relief? Gratitude? Pleasure? All of these...KL: Has this welcome made you want to tackle a new project? APN: Given that I've been involved in this particular project for the last 16 years I think the answer has to be “no” to anything else on that scale. However I wouldn't be averse to tackling something smaller. Also I have written a few articles for Amon Hen, both before and since Aragorn, and hope to continue doing this.  Aragorn: JRR Tolkien's Undervalued Hero is out on the 15th of September. Pre-order it now!

A Luna-style Welcome to Elizabeth Priest!

A huge, Luna-style welcome to our new YA author, Elizabeth Priest! I am particularly proud of her achievement, as I met Elizabeth at Eastercon in Bradford, back in 2013. Even then she was a determined young writer. For me, to see her hard work come to life in such an exciting way is truly a joy.Elizabeth Priest is a fantasy writer living in Hastings, the UK. Obsessed with chasing fairies since early childhood, she has a History, Literature & Creative Writing BA from the University of Chichester, where she spent a great deal of her time attending free lectures on folklore and mythology to round out the corners on her quest, and has been working on the Troutespond series of YA novels ever since.We really have to thank the fantastic work of agent John Jarrold, of John Jarrold Literary Agency, for bringing Elizabeth and Luna together. A big heartfelt thanks goes to him!“The series is witty, frightening and wonderful,” said John. “The characters leap from the page – funny, infuriating and fascinating.  This is a major achievement; a living, breathing world.”Elizabeth's series will help expand our YA section, by introducing Fantasy to it. The Troutespond Series works on the premise that, if the supernatural did exist, inquisitive teenagers would be the first to notice and absolutely the worst people to interact with it.The first book, Concrete Faery, follows the rambling internal monologue of teenager Ally Guardian - a self-confessed side character to her louder friends, she remains permanently convinced that the universe wanting anything to do with her is a cosmic joke. Late one night her insomniac thoughts are derailed by the appearance of a strange man who sits outside her window, and tells her “I can’t speak to you yet” when she goes down to talk to him. The next day she is implicated in a demonic attack on her history teacher, and given the new girl at their school to look after as punishment.We look forward to working with Elizabeth and bringing The Troutespond Series to life!

Open Submission Week

Perhaps you completed NaNoWriMo last year, and your story has been polished, strengthened and is rearing to be unleashed on the world. Perhaps you had that manuscript in the closet for a while. It's time to share your journey with us - you never know where it may lead.In the month of October, Luna will host its first Open Submission Week, an opportunity to submit your work with a view to receiving a publishing contract. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been published before, or if you don’t have an agent. Your writing skills and creativity are ALL you need.It's time to get ready.DETAILSSubmission Dates: Thursday 5th of October to Thursday 12th of October 2017Genre: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction and all their sub-genresAudience: Children, YA, AdultsType: standalone novel (series will be considered, but the opening book must be able to stand alone); short stories collections (specify the theme)Length: 200,000 word limit (or thereabouts)WHAT TO SUBMIT IN ROUND ONEWe’re taking the time to explain how we would like to receive your submission. In return, please take the time to follow these guidelines. It shows care towards your work, as well as professionalism, and that’s always a good start!Email submissions only. 1. Email us ALL of the following information: *your name*your website and social media links*previously published work (if any)*Working title, genre, audience, type and length of your submission2. Add an attachment in Word format*Character names and roles - 1 page max*Full Synopsis - 2 pages maxROUND TWOWe will contact the shortlisted authors requesting the opening chapter or one of the short stories.Do NOT send a draft. An agent wouldn't. Although we will fully edit your work, if selected, it is in your own interests to present a clean, polished manuscript to best showcase your writing skills, as well as professional courtesy. MORE DETAILS ON THE SUBMISSION PAGE.