M. Joseph Murphy's Blog, page 6

Gobekli Tepe - Truth and Fiction

The Short StoryLocated roughly six miles from Urfa in Turkey is a great mystery: Gobekli Tepe. While Stonehenge is a single circle of standing stones, Gobekli Tepe has more than 250 standing stones spread out over 30+ acres. Many of the t-shaped pillars are engraved with figures of animals, some known and some fantastic. That alone would make the site interesting. However, there is more to this mystery. More than 8,000 years ago the entire structure was buried.
What We KnowFirst examined in the 1960's but originally dismissed as nothing more than a cemetary.

"Schmidt says the monuments could not have been built by ragged bands of hunter-gatherers. To carve, erect and bury rings of seven-ton stone pillars would have required hundreds of workers, all needing to be fed and housed. Hence the eventual emergence of settled communities in the area around 10,000 years ago."
Source: www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gobekli-tepe-the-worlds-first-temple


The great mystery is why did they build it? And, perhaps even more bizarre, why did they later bury the entire structure.
Source: neil beer
TheoriesSome suggest that Gobekli Tepe was a temple to worship the dog star.

"I propose that the temple was built to follow the 'birth' of this star," says Magli. "You can imagine that the appearance of a new object in the sky could even have triggered a new religion."
Source: www.newscientist.com

Linda Moulton Howe believes it is some type of alien machine. She believes there is link between Gobekli Tepe, Stonehenge and the Sphinx. Next to Gobekli Tepe is a man-made mountain, Nimrud. She believes the structure is a warning to stay away from whatever is buried beneath the mountain.  Some believe the structure beneath the mountain is similar to the Sphinx.

Some see a link between Gobekli Tepe and Atlantis, the mythical land said to have sunk beneath the waves more than 10,000 years ago. One of the strongest arguments against the existence of Atlantis, (aside from the fact we can't find it) is that we had no evidence of real civilization that far in the past.  Some believe the discovery of this site gives more credence to the truth of Atlantis.

Andrew Collins, famed fringe-theory writer, suggests there could be a connection between Gobekli Tepe and the Watchers mentioned in the bible. I'm a tad obsessed with his writing. His book, From the Ashes of Angels introduced me to vulture shamans, the underground cities in Turkey and the edimmu.


How I Use it in My Novels In Beyond the Black Sea, it is revealed that Gobekli Tepe was designed to be a center of scientific discovery where Atlanteans worked with humans and reptilians.

It was here that the prison dimension, the Black Sea, was created. Once created, the entire structure was buried to prevent the anyone from entering the prison from Earth. Wisdom uses his elemental powers to unbury an ancient  Atlantean teleportation portal to enter the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, the Orpheans are attempting to escape from the other side.

To learn more about the Atlanteans and Gobekli Tepe in my novels, pick up Beyond the Black Sea June 21, 2014.

Meanwhile, catch up with the story by reading the first novel in the series, Council of Peacock.

Further Reading:
Gobekli Tepe: The World's First Temple
Video: Full Gobekli Tepe Documentary

Release Date Set - Beyond the Black Sea Available June 21, 2014

Book Two in the Activation Series is currently available for preorder on Smashwords. Click here to add it.

It will be available for purchase June 21st through Amazon in paperback or electronic versions.
Amazon Author Page with links to available books. 

SYNOPSISShe’s dead because of me.
Josh Wilkinson is haunted by two words written in still-warm blood: Your fault.
Wisdom, an immortal raised by the djinn, has gathered a band of super-powered teenagers to stop the Council of Peacocks, a group of evil sorcerers. After the battle in Thessaloniki, the Council is on the run. Just when final victory appears imminent, Josh’s mother is murdered and the prime suspect is his father.
Once Josh was integral to the Council’s plans for world domination. Now Josh learns his cousin, Travis, is the one set to activate the Verdenstab, an alien terraforming device. If he does, the Orpheans, demonic allies to the Council, will escape the Black Sea, a pocket dimension that serves as their prison.
In a last-ditch effort to prevent the invasion, Wisdom and Josh use an ancient portal hidden beneath Gobekli Tepe to enter the Black Sea. The rest of the team – a pyrokinetic, a telepath, and a mercenary – head to stop Travis from activating the device.
The end is closer than anyone suspects. The Activation is set to happen tomorrow.

Five Star Review - The Nightlife: San Antonio by Travis Luedke #asmsg #vampires

I'm running out of words to describe just how good Luedke's books are. Every new release is his best book yet.

The Nightlife: San Antonio is a blood-splattered roller coaster of fun. It feels very grounded in reality making the supernatural action elements all-the-more powerful. Adrian is my new favorite everything. Total badass and everything I wish I was... which is probably not something I should actually say in public. Because he's a tad cray-cray.  But I dare you not to cheer for him.

If you haven't read anything by Travis Luedke yet, start with San Antonio. A few chapters in you'll be as hooked as any bloodslave.

P.S. the "rowed the boat ashore" scene is a classic.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSISVampires, Mafia & Mayhem: The Nightlife San Antonio is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

All she wanted was to escape the police. All he wanted was to get laid. They both got more than they bargained for.

EMT on call, Adrian Faulkner resuscitates a beautiful woman after a Mexican mafia shootout. He can't explain why he picks her up in the hospital parking lot three days later and then ducks the San Antonio police and the Feds. Well, the hot sex might have something to do with it.

She needed to hide. With no memory of even her name, she didn't know from who. She only knew she wasn't safe.

Adrian soon learns she is much more than a damsel in distress, and he’s stuck with her. It isn't long before the past she cannot remember begins to catch up with them both…

THE NIGHTLIFE SAN ANTONIO is a non-stop thrill ride through the shadowy borderworld of mafia politics and vampires – and sex.

Released Date is June 9th. You can pre-order now on Smashwords.

Add it now to Goodreads


Travis Luedke is a husband, father, and author of Urban Fantasy Thriller, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, and Sci-fi. He is currently catching a 3rd degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, and loving every minute of it.

As the author of the Nightlife Series novels, Travis lives very vicariously through his writings. He invites you to enjoy his macabre flights of fancy, but be warned: The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

5 Reasons We Need Openly-Gay Speculative Fiction Writers

My second book, A Fallen Hero Rises (available on Amazon, B&N or Smashwords) features a main character who just so happens to be gay. People I trusted and respected advised me against it. They said it would ruin sales and alienate fantasy readers. I said screw it. I’m telling the story I want to tell because I know there’s an audience for it. I just had to find it. So I decided to research openly-gay speculative fiction writers to learn from them.

Suddenly it felt like I watching an episode of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago? Finding information on successful, openly-gay speculative fiction writers is harder than you would expect. And that's why I wrote this article.

Here are five reasons we need more openly-gay speculative fiction writers.

1. LGBT Youth Need Gay Heroes Recently Anthony Mackie, actor, said the following:

"When I first got this [Captain America] role I just cried like a baby because I was like, 'Wow, next Halloween, I'm gonna open the door and there's gonna be a little kid dressed as the Falcon. That's the thing that always gets me. I feel like everybody deserves that. I feel like there should be a Latino superhero. Scarlett [Johansson] does great representation for all the other girls, but there should be a Wonder Woman movie. I don't care if they make 20 bucks, if there's a movie you're gonna lose money on, make it Wonder Woman. You know what I mean, because little girls deserve that. There's so many of these little people out here doing awful things for money in the world of being famous. And little girls see that. They should have the opposite spectrum of that to look up to." 
Source: Anthony Mackie on Why Young Girls Need a Wonder Woman Movie
If young girls need a Wonder Woman movie, LGBT youth need a Northstar movie or perhaps a Batwoman movie. Fictional allows us to create an internal mythology. It shapes the way we view the world. However, we also need real life heroes, role models young gay men and women can look up to.

Link: Top 10 Fantasy Novels That Happen to Have Gay People In Them

2. We Need to Create an LBGT IdentityWhat does it mean to be gay? That depends on the media you follow. Some view it as an abomination, a perversion. Others view it as a dirty secret. So is it any wonder that teen suicide rates are higher for LGBT youth? (source: here) Gay writers of speculative fiction need to stand up and create an identity. We cannot let the nebulous “main stream media” create if for us.

Don’t underestimate the power of Ellen DeGeneres. Her visibility and acceptance has probably done more to make gay men and women feel safe than dozens of laws. Why? Because she’s allowed to exist. Just the fact she’s on TV every day may help some youth decide not to end it all.


Chuck Palahniuk: Source: http://chuckpalahniuk.net/news/fight-...
3. Visibility Improves Acceptance“I'm not straight, and I'm not gay. I'm not bisexual. I want out of the labels. I don't want my whole life crammed into a single word. A story. I want to find something else, unknowable, some place to be that's not on the map. A real adventure.” ― Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters

Nice try, Chuck. But get real. Imagine the response if a black man stood up and said “I’m not black.” One of my heroes is Sidney Poitier. Seeing an educated, articulate black man helped me realize I did not have to be a stereotype. No matter what racist bull was thrown at him, Poitier always maintained a level of dignity. His success and visibility changed my life.



So where are the gay writers? Do a Google search for famous gay writers. Go on. Do it. The number may surprise you. Then look at how many of them write speculative fiction.  Look at how many of them stand up proudly as role models and compare it to those that are dragged out like Chuck Palahniuk.

I’m not going to lie: I’m a little bit in love with Palahniuk. Choke may be one of the best-written novels in the English language. Does it matter that he’s gay? It shouldn’t. But it does. Seeing another gay man succeed helps me realize it’s possible for me to succeed. No one’s tried to kill him or imprison him yet so maybe I’m safe.

4. Being Gay is Still DangerousMaybe it seems ridiculous to worry I’ll be killed by standing up and saying I’m gay. If you think that, it’s probably because you’re not reading the same news I am. There are several countries around the world that routinely imprison or kill gay men and women. Also consider the anti-gay law fiasco in Arizona earlier this year and the other states considering similar laws. (Source: here) Times have changed. But not that much

Even the CDC has a page devoted to violence and harassment aimed at LGBT youth. (Source: here)
Link: 76 Countries Where Anti-Gay Laws Are As Bad or Worse Than Russia

5. Role Models Change Lives.Another of my role models is Clive Barker. His writing was fresh and provocative, completely revamping the way I looked at fiction. He also happened to be gay. When I first discovered him, back in the 1990s, I realized that he was allowed to be gay and successful. Suddenly I realized the two things did not have to be mutually exclusive. I didn’t have to hide because he was alive. No one was trying to kill him. He wasn’t suppressed by main stream media. His sexuality colors all his writing but is not the focus of his fame.

Because of Clive Barker, it is easier for me to be myself. My hero.

Clive Barker. Source: http://monkeypantz.net/misfit-monday-...



ConclusionDespite all my searching, I still can't find a list of speculative authors who happen to be openly gay. So I will create one. Stay tuned.

Interview & Free Book Give Away: Justin Calderon, Author of Larp, The Battle for Verona

What initially got you interested in writing?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, ever since I’ve been aware of books. It never occurred to me that I wouldn’t write. In 1995, I read Jack Kerouac’s novel Desolation Angels, and it totally blew my mind. His style, everything about it, was exactly how I wanted to write. It was an artistic awakening for me, and from then on, I seriously focused on writing.

How did you decide to make the move into becoming a published author?
I’d been working at it for such a long time, I felt like it was now or never. I wanted to share what I had worked on for so many years. It was kind of like I had been practicing for so long that I wanted to play for real.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
I want them to be moved, to feel something. The goal of any creative person should always be to get the audience to feel, or react.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?
Getting it out of my head! If I don’t write down an idea I have, the idea will bother me until I take action. The reward comes from when I do sit down to write during a time of inspiration. Then it just flows.

What do you find most challenging about writing?
Finding the time to do it. It’s tough to devote several hours a day to writing.

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?
Find a good day job that you love, and write during your free time. That way, you’re not pressured to produce and sell your work. Don’t ever give up, keep working at it


BUY LINKS
US            UK           IN         JP             CA             MX       AU
You can earn a one of 20 free copy of Larp, the Battle for Verona. All you have to do is share this post. Then use the contact fields on this blog to let me know and the book is yours.

Please specify which format you prefer.

JUSTIN CALDERONE AUTHOR BIOGRAPHYA writer with a passion for inspiring teens and young adults, Justin Calderone debuted his first novel LARP: The Battle for Verona in December 2012.

Calderone grew up in Verona, Penn., a suburb just northeast of Pittsburgh. He earned a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from La Roche College and graduated from Gannon University with a master’s degree in education. Calderone is expected to graduate in 2014 with a second master’s degree in educational leadership from Edinboro University.

Calderone, 36, began his journey as a writer nearly 20 years ago after reading Jack Kerouac’s Desolation Angels. He is the author of the 2004 collection of contemporary poetry Revolutions.

An English teacher at his alma mater, Penn Hills High School, Calderone lives in his hometown of Verona with his wife Emily and 1-year-old son Sam. He enjoys watching baseball, listening to music and has a special place in his heart for Spiderman.


Goodreads: Justin Calderone on Goodreads
Twitter: @JustinCalderone

Blog Tour & Give Away - Dark Luminance by E.M. McDowell #asmsg

Quantum energy. Unlimited power. Humanity’s salvation.

The Frameway Project promises all of this and more, and Mackland Luther is guiding the project to its final culmination. On the eve of what promises to be their biggest breakthrough, Mackland and his friends, Billy and Sean, prepare the test that will provide the almost limitless power needed to take the human race into the future.

Initial success and excitement quickly turn to horror as the Frame goes out of control, ripping Mackland and his friends from their world and depositing them in a world that is completely different yet strangely familiar. Along with Lily, a hard-charging security guard that was caught by the Frame along with them; and Grizzly, a rough yet gentle survivalist they meet in this new world, Mack and his friends must figure out some way to understand and undo whatever brought them here if they ever want to return to their own world.


But first they must survive an increasingly dangerous world full of undead drug addicts, giant mutants, and a relentless telepathic madman who will do anything to get his hands on the Frame for his own purposes.

● Available here: Amazon, B&N


LIMITED-TIME FREE BOOK PROMOTIONDark Luminance currently retails for $2.98. However, earning a free copy is easy. Simply share this post. Then complete the contact form on the side. I will email you a copy in epub, mobi or pdf. Supplies are limited to the first 20 respondents so act quickly.

E.M. McDowell Born and raised in Northwest Indiana, E.M. McDowell first started writing in high school, consisting primarily of sappy poems aimed at impressing girls. A four-year stint in the Marine Corps pushed literary endeavors to the background, where they remained for the next twenty-odd years, until they were uncovered by a mild mid-life crisis.

In the intervening years, he has worked in various technology jobs. McDowell is currently the technology manager for a small county government.

Married for twenty-two years to his best friend, and blessed with two wonderful daughters, he works to balance his writing while living in a house full of women.

CONTACT INFORMATION● EM McDowell's Website: http://erinmcdowell.blogspot.com/
● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoremm
● Twitter: https://twitter.com/E_M_McDowell

Gary Oldman and Why I Stopped Caring About the Oscars

Gary Oldman - Still No OscarSource: Humor Train

I saw this picture today and it reminded me of why I stopped caring about the Oscars.

How can an actor of Oldman's caliber not have an Oscar. He's not alone. Check out the list below of great actors who've never received an Oscar.

Robert Downey Jr.Edward Norton
Leonardo Dicaprio
Sigourney Weaver
Robert Downey Jr.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Tom Cruise
Johnny Depp
Glenn Close
Robert Redford
Harrison Ford
Peter O'Toole

Source: 20 Great Actors Who Have Never Won An Oscar

Then check out the list of actors who have won Oscars with a not-so-good track record.

Cuba Gooding Jr.Mira Sorvino - for Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
Cuba Gooding Jr. - for Jerry Maguire (1996)
F. Murray Abraham - for Amadeus (1984)
Liza Minelli - for Cabaret (1972)
Dustin Hoffman - for Rainman (1988)
Christoph Waltz - he's won twice
Mo'Nique - for The Help (2009)
Kim Basinger  - for L.A. Confidential (1997)

Nothing against their talent, but what have they done since winning the Oscar? For many, the award stalled or destroyed their career.



So Where's The Disconnect?It all comes down to who does the voting. To vote in the Oscars, you need to be a member of the Academy. Who's in the Academy? Membership is by invite only from existing members. So, in simple terms, members invite their friends and colleagues. Other members of the Academy vote on accepting them. If they're unpopular, they don't get in. Based on this model, no matter how hard they try to be objective, it turns into a private party.


I prefer looking to the votes of the people that actually count: the audience. Box office numbers are more important than an Oscar. People vote with their wallet. Compare the box office takes of Oscar Nominated Movies for Best Picture compared to highest Box Office Totals for the year.


Sources: Box Office Mojo and Filmonic
Link: What Do Oscars Mean for Box Office?

So Why Do People Watch The OscarsIt's certainly not to find good movies to watch. It's all about Spectacle. Be honest: if you watch the Oscars, it's because you want to see what people are wearing or to hear the funny jokes of presenters. Maybe this is why the Oscar ceremony can't connect with younger viewers. Movies younger audiences care about never win Oscars. Heck, they aren't even nominated.

The Oscars are notoriously unfriendly to genre films. If anything, they may get a "best special effects" nod. They would rather give an award to an actor stuck in a room talking to a glass of water for 2 hours. Because that is "art". I call that bull.

How The Oscars Can Fix This GapHere's the thing: the people behind the Oscars don't think the system is broken. They want to keep things the way they are. So they'll keep snubbing great actors like Gary Oldman. And I'm going to continue not caring about them.


Joseph Murphy is an author and proud member of Author Social Media Support Group.(ASMSG)

Click here to see the books he's written: M Joseph Murphy Books

Click here to find out more about ASMSG: ASMSG Official Website

Tokenism: Why I'm Furious at the Fantastic Four Casting

WHY I'M ANGRYIn the reboot of the Fantastic Four movie, Johnny Storm will be played by Michael B. Jordan.

Some will ask why I’m not satisfied with Hollywood increasing diversity. But that is not what this casting choice is about. I could just imagine the Hollywood executives sitting in a room saying “We need a black character in the movie black people won’t see it.” This is not creating diversity. It is token-ism.


If studios were concerned with creating diversity, they could focus on any of the interesting and complex persons of color in comic books. Michael B Jordan would make a great Luke Cage. He is not Johnny Storm. Johnny and Sue Storm are supposed to be brother and sister. Why isn’t a black actor playing Sue Storm? Are we really supposed to believe Michael B Jordan and Kate Mara are brother and sister?

Some people claim when fans are upset at casting decisions it is because they are racist.  Bull. I’m not the racist one. It’s the studios who think I will be placated because they stick a random black actor into a cast.

I’ve also heard the argument that making a white character black is not the same as making a black character why. Why? A change of race is a change of race. I know when I’m being pandered to. Fundamental to the character of Johnny storm is that he is Sue’s brother. I supposed they could make him an adopted brother but all that says is “Hey we wanted a black person in the script so we shoved one in.”

Nothing against Jordan. He was great in Chronicle which may be why the director, Josh Trank, wanted him in the movie. Chronicle is one of the best written superhero movies I’ve seen. Which is why I am so disappointed with this lazy, insulting casting.

Image from: http://collider.com/chronicle-review/
HOW STUDIOS COULD TRULY CREATE DIVERSITYI’m a geek. I’ve read Marvel Comics for other 35 years. I know there have been black members of the Fantastic Four including, at various times,  Black Panther, Storm, and Luke Cage. Why aren’t we seeing them in this movie? If they wanted diversity, they could include Wyatt Wingfoot, a First Nations character, or another woman in the cast. Instead, we get another token black guy. And we’re supposed to be happy about this?



I’d like to say no one is fooled by the studios. Unfortunately many people are. They see this as a sign of inclusion.

WHO IS DOING DIVERSITY CORRECTLYI have much more respect for how Marvel introduced the new Ms. Marvel. Rather than turn Carol Danvers black, they introduced a completely new character, Kamala Khan. By focusing on Kamala, a 16-year-old Muslim from New Jersey, we get to heard different stories, hear about life from a different perspective.

The TV show Arrow introduced a new character, Diggle. Rather than leave him a token black character, he exists as a full character with an interesting back story.

Kamala  Khan - The New Ms. Marvel






Making Johnny Storm black is not creating diversity. It is a feeble, lazy way for studios to say “Look at how progressive we are.”

If they wanted to be progressive, they would tell Luke Cage’s story. Or Kamala Khan’s. Or Black Panther. Or any of the dozens of other existing characters of color. Fox is not the only studio to do this. It seems every movie or TV show needs its token black person now. It’s ticking off the fans and angering people of color.

You may be fooling some people Fox, but you’re not fooling me.

Shame on you.

Links:
TV Tropes - Token Minorities
Token Black Guy on Uncyclopedia



Joseph Murphy is an author and proud member of Author Social Media Support Group.(ASMSG)

Click here to see the books he's written: M Joseph Murphy Books

Click here to find out more about ASMSG: ASMSG Official Website

5 Big Problems Facing Science Fiction Writers and How to Solve Them #asmsg #scifi

J Michael Straczinsky




Recently I read an article from last year in which J. Michael Straczysnki spoke about the biggest problems facing science fiction. Here are five common problems facing science fiction writers and how to solve them.

1. "NETWORKS STILL DON'T TAKE SF SERIOUSLY.”It's not just the networks.Many people roll their eyes at all types of "genre" fiction. This is kind of ridiculous because the best science fiction is written to be extremely serious. At its core, science fiction is a social commentary that shine a light on the human condition. It asks the hard questions and offers solutions.

Sneer all you want at L. Ron Hubbard. I fell in love with his writing before I heard anything about Scientology. He wrote a wonderful article on science fiction and the role it plays in society. He stated that science fiction, much like morality plays in times before, allowed us to sneak a message past the reader. Rather than hammer home a message like a church sermon, we bribe the reader to pay attention with spectacles. Science Fiction is supposed to break boundaries and challenge the reader.

Solution: Give your story depth and have the courage to face the big issues.The next time someone rolls their eyes at you because you “only write science fiction”, stand up for yourself. This is not a moment to slink away. It is an opportunity to educate the ignorant.


2. "A SPACE-SHOW DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO CHARACTERS IN SPACE. IT HAS TO BE ON EARTH OR NOBODY'LL BE INTERESTED."When people say this, what they’re telling you is audiences need an “in”. They need something to relate to. If your audience cannot relate to the setting, situations, or characters, they will stop reading.

Solution: Give your characters real-world problems no matter how fantastical or alien their surroundings are. The best science fiction deals with the human condition. Rather than keep your story on Earth, keep your characters and plot grounded in things your audience can relate to.

3. "YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. IT'S SCIFI. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE SENSE." Doing whatever you want to do is a sign of a lazy writer. That does not mean you have to spend half your book describing the science behind the events/object in your book. That is also the sign of a lazy writer.

Solution: Establish rules for your science and follow them. Even in the purest fantasy, you need to logic and rationality behind your writing. You don't have to get a Doctorate in astrophysics; however, you do need to know the mechanics of the science in your story, at least at a layman's leve.

4. "BECAUSE ITS SF, THEY ALWAYS THINK THAT SOMEHOW OR OTHER THE 'FATE OF THE WORLD' HAS TO BE AT STAKE."Straczinksy goes on to say "If you’re doing a drama, no one suggests that solving the relationship problems or the murder has to save the world, but they feel that it has to be that way if you’re writing SF, which is why it’s also so often the rule in SF movies. It’s absolutely crazy-making. 2001, one of the most classic SF motion pictures of all time, could never get made today. Not a chance."

I’ll admit, I’m very guilty of this in my own writing. Back in high school, when we read Death of a Salesman, my English teacher told me it was kind of revolutionary. Most tragedies, she said, were about important men: world leaders, kings, presidents. Who cares about the little people?

Solution: Look at your own writing. Have you forgotten the little people? Why not write a story about a waitress who loses her job because the entire staff has been replaced by robots? Or the high school teacher trying to prevent her students from cheating now that everyone has neural implants. Stop picturing your book being turned into a Michael Bay film.




5. TOO CEREBRAL, THEY SAY. NOT ENOUGH ACTION. Remember what I said about morality plays? The same rule applies. Your book is not supposed to be a church sermon. You have to entertain the audience.

Solution: That doesn’t mean you have to blow things up every five minutes (I’m looking at you, Michael Bay) but you need events. You need drama. You need love and lose, humor and – yes – even sexuality. Even if you are writing about microscopic organisms on Mars, your readers are still human. Write things that humans care about.

CONCLUSIONHere’s how J. Michael Straczysnki’s words of wisdom to the critics of science fiction:

"I keep waiting for a paradigm shift to happen that will let network and studio execs see that SF is the same as any other genre in terms of how you approach it – logically, character based, with challenging ideas and forward thinking – but I worry that it might never happen in my lifetime."

You'll notice I've said nothing about how to convince other people to take science fiction serious. There's a reason. The only thing you can control is yourself and your actions. Forget about the detractors. Focus on improving your writing.

View the original article here:J Michael Straczynski Says Biggest Problem with Sci-fi is TV Networks

8 Best Free Stock Photosites for Writers & Bloggers and When You Should Pay For Images

The hardest part of being a writer isn't writing the book. It's getting people to read the finished product. How do you do that? There's no magic solution but the best thing you can do is to stand out from the crowd.

How do you get people to notice you? That part is easy. You have to do something that other people are not doing. A great place to begin is to start incorporating high-quality photos with your Twitter, Facebook and blog posts.

Six months ago, I started teaching myself Photoshop. That meant I needed pictures to play with. An internet search will show you there are dozens of sites offering "free" stock photos. However, "free" doesn't always mean what you think it does. Besides, who has time to search through dozens of sites.

Luckily for you, I have so you won't have to. Here are the 8 best websites I've found for free stock photos.

1. PIXABAY

Website: www.pixabay.com
Price: Free. To download, all you have to do is upload a few photos you have taken to add to the pool of available stock art. I added some vacation pictures from Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.
Login via facebook, twitter, or email
What You Can Use it For: Anything, including commercial use. They recommend you get model release forms is you use recognizable people for commercial usage (e.g. book covers) but this is not required for editorial use (e.g. blog posts). Full rules and limitations are on their blog here: http://pixabay.com/en/blog/posts/publ...
Pros: Lots of high-quality free images. It’s the first place I go to look for stock images for background images or locations.
Cons: Limited photos of people.  Search feature takes some time to get use to. No adult photos and very limited sexual imagery. This will limit usefulness for romance/erotica writers

2. DEVIANTART STOCK IMAGES
Website: http://www.deviantart.com/resources/stockart/ 
Price: Varies. Majority are free
Login: Create a free account to allow download
What You Can Use It For: Varies based on provider of stock images. Check the terms of each picture you use. It is normally stated right below the picture what you can use it for.
Pros: Lots of high-quality free images. Has an adult filter you can turn on or off. If you want pictures showing lots of skin, you can find them here. If you don’t want to see that, you can turn it off. Also has 3D graphic artist that allow material to be used for commercial use. Very useful for scifi/fantasy writers. If you want pictures of spaceships or fairies, you can find them here.
Suggestion:  Favorite any picture you intent to use. This will help find the picture again in the future and gives you easy access to usage rights.

OTHER FREE STOCK PHOTO SITESThe following have more limited stock photos but are completely free. They images are high quality and can be used for commercial or non-commercial use. If you can’t find the image you’re looking for at the other sites, try these. Many of them have links to commercial sites as well. They earn revenue by trying to get you to visit/subscribe to these pay sites. That doesn’t mean you have to follow the links.

3. OpenPhoto.Net www.openphoto.net
4. FreeRange www.freerange.com
5. Imagebase: http://www.imagebase.net/ 
6. MorgueFile: http://morguefile.com/
7. Pixel Perfect Digital http://pixelperfectdigital.com/
8.Public Domain Pictures: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/

PAID SITESSo why pay when there is so much for free?

Simple: like most things in life, if you want the best, you’re going to have to pay for it. Paid site like Shutterstock, Dreamstime, and Fotolia have the best, highest quality pictures available. Some images just aren’t available for free.

I found the cheapest option is Fotolia.



Your best bet is a monthly subscription. I usually go with the $40 option. It allows you to download 10 superlarge photos or 20 large photos per month. Superlarge (what they call XXL) is only required if you intend on doing lots of photo manipulation or want them on billboards. I use the regular size (or M) photos in all my photomanipulations for book covers. They work fine.

Shutterstock is the most expensive. Their lowest monthly subscription rate is $249 but gives you 25 pictures a day. Dreamstime isn’t much cheaper. You’ll pay $245 per month, also giving you 25 pidtures a day. For most writers, that’s complete overkill. This would only be useful if you make your living using photos.

Don’t be fooled by the lower prices for “credits” . On Fotolia, you can get 10 credits for only $14. However, a normal M-sized photo costs 5 credits and a XXL costs 20+. The best bet is a monthly subscription. I sign up for a month when I know I need lots of images, then I suspend my membership until I want to download more.

Shutterstock does one thing better than Fotolia: search feature. It is significantly easier to search for photos on Shutterstock than Fotolia. So here’s what I do. I search for images on Shutterstock. This will tell you the name of the artist/photographer. Then search the photographer on Fotolia. Almost always, you’ll find the same photo on Fotolia for less than half price.

DEFINITION OF TERMSCreative Commons Summary: 
Under terms of use, you will often find the image is subject to Creative Commons Usage. That means you are free to copy, redistribute, or adapt the image for any purpose including commercial usage. The only restriction is that you must attribute the original image to the original creator.
Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

Public Domain Summary:
Free, unrestricted usage. It often means copyright on the image has expired or the creator has waived their copyright protection.

BONUS WEBSITE FONTSPACEWebsite: www.fontspace.com
Price: Free
Login: Not required to download fonts
What You Can Use It For: Varies. Most, but not all, are open to commercial use. Check the license on each font
Pros: Thousands of fonts. Useful for adding text to webgraphics or cover art
Cons: I haven’t found any yet. My only warning is don’t use fancy fonts just because you can. Normally, simple fonts work better.



Joseph Murphy is an author and proud member of Author Social Media Support Group.(ASMSG)

Click here to see the books he's written: M Joseph Murphy Books

Click here to find out more about ASMSG: ASMSG Official Website