John F. Allen's Blog, page 9
October 10, 2013
BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #4
TODAY’S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS CED PHARAOH!
My name is Ced Pharaoh, I was born in Chicago, IL and was married in front of thousands at The African Festival Of Arts. I’m a lifelong bookworm; my earliest favorites were, of course comic books/graphic novels but that branched out into mysteries (Encyclopedia Brown, Sherlock Holmes etc), thrillers, poetry, non-fiction biographies and sci-fi/fantasy! However, a book called The Legend of Tarik by Walter Dean Myers really got me. It wasn’t spelled out but I KNEW that Tarik was a Blackman..it was a thin book but was packed with excitement and adventure……
Fast forward and I’ve used my love of photography, reading and writing in past marketing positions and opportunities to create bios, media releases, advertising copy, voice-over scripts, interviews, blog posts and social media content. However, I’ve always written poetry and short stories, in particular Sci-Fi/Fantasy where the only boundaries are the limits of your imagination and the only rules are…there are none! The possibilities are endless! So here it is, inspired by the people I’ve met, by the genres I love and the inspiration of the rich African Culture and History, the mythologies and My People. I invite you to Follow & Connect with me to learn more about the cool stories I will tell. Comment and Critiques are welcome!
Here is a list of some of his work:
* Watch The Shadows: The Legacy Chronicles Book 1
Available through Amazon for the Kindle (click the above title to purchase)
* Urban Mage
Learn more about Ced Pharaoh by clicking the link his website: http://www.cedpharaoh.com/index.html
BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!
October 9, 2013
BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #3
TODAY’S SPOTLIGHTED AUTHOR IS SERESSIA GLASS!
Seressia Glass is an award-winning author of more than twenty contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy stories. Her current series (Shadowchasers, Sons of Anubis) (see below) are steeped in Egyptian mythology. She lives north of Atlanta with her guitar-wielding husband and two attack poodles. When not writing, she spends her free time people-watching, belly dancing, and watching anime.
Seressia has always been a voracious reader and turned to writing at an early age, using her fantastical tales for extra credit in school. Her proudest writing moment remains winning the first Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday “Living the Dream” essay contest as a high school senior and getting to meet Coretta Scott King and read her essay to the King family. Since then, she’s gone on to write a motley crew of characters and creatures including werewolves, djinn, demons, Egyptian deities and jackal shapeshifters with a few humans thrown into the mix. No matter who or what she’s writing about, Seressia weaves in the universal themes of acceptance and being comfortable in one’s own skin. Her stories have won numerous awards including an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, Emma Awards, and finalists in a variety of contests.
When not working on her next story, Seressia is an instructional designer for an international home improvement company, writing and developing training materials.
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See the synopsis for SHADOW BLADE, BOOK ONE in the SHADOWCHASER SERIES!
For Kira Solomon, normal was never an option.
Kira’s day job as an antiquities expert, but her true calling is as a Shadowchaser. Trained from youth to be one of the most lethal Chasers in existence, Kira serves the Gilead Commission dispatching the Fallen who sow discord and chaos. Of course, sometimes Gilead bureaucracy is as much a thorn in her side as anything the Fallen can muster against her. Right now, though, she’s got a bigger problem. Someone is turning the city of Atlanta upside-down in search of a four-millennia-old Egyptian dagger that just happens to have fallen into Kira’s hands.
Then there’s Khefar, the dagger’s true owner-a near-immortal 4000-year-old Nubian warrior who, Kira has to admit. looks pretty fine for his age. Joining forces is the only way to keep the weapon safe from the sinister Shadow force, but now Kira is in deep with someone who holds more secrets than she does, the one person who knows just how treacherous this fight is. Because every step closer to destroying the enemy is a step closer to losing herself to Shadow forever. . . .
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See the synopsis for SEDUCING THE JACKAL, BOOK ONE in the SONS OF ANUBIS SERIES.
The Sons of Anubis are jackal shapeshifters—they have a human form and a jackal form. Millennia ago, the god Anubis called jackals from the grasslands beyond the Great Western Desert and imbued them with his power, giving them the ability to assume human form and charging them to aid him in his duties as lord of the underworld.
Helping them do this were the Daughters of Isis. For thousands of years they worked together, lived together. Some even loved together. Then the witches betrayed the jackals, and an unending war thus began.
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Awards and Accolades
2006 Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award Winner, Through the Fire
2006 Emma Award for Best Anthology Winner, Vegas Bites
2006 Romance in Color Reviewers’ Choice Awards nominee, Genesis Press Book of the Year, Through the Fire
2006 Romance in Color Reviewers’ Choice Awards nominee, Anthology of the Year, Vegas Bites
2006 Romance in Color Reviewers’ Choice Awards nominee, Novella of the Year, Double Down from Vegas Bites
2006 Romance in Color Reviewers’ Choice Awards nominee, Author of the Year
2001 Emma Awards nominee, Best New Author
2000 Romance in Color Reviewers’ Choice Awards winner, New Author of the Year
2000 Romance in Color Reviewers’ Choice Awards winner, Genesis Book of the Year, No Commitment Required
1986 Winner, “Living the Dream” essay contest, inaugural Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday celebration
4+ Rating “This could be the start of a very promising career.” –Wayne Jordan, Romance in Color
“A wonderful read when you want a romance with more feeling than sexual posturing.” –The Midwest Book Review
4 1/2 Stars! Top Pick! “A pleasure that’s sure to ease and tantalize from beginning to end.” –Romantic Times Magazine
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Seressia Glass has been a personal writing inspiration to me and one of my sheroes.
Check out her website @: http://seressia.com/
BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!
October 8, 2013
BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #2
TODAY’S SPOTLIGHTED AUTHOR IS THE LEGENDARY STEVEN BARNES!
Steven Barnes
Steven Barnes is an American science fiction writer, lecturer, creative consultant, and human performance technician. He was born in Los Angeles, CA and is married to writing peer and legendary speculative fiction author, Tananarive Due. The couple reside in California with their son. Barnes also has a daughter from a previous marriage.
Besides being an author, Barnes is a certified hypnotherapist and an avid practitioner of the martial arts. He holds black belts in Kenpo Karate and Kodokan Judo. Barnes also practices Kali stick and knife fighting, Wu-style Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido among other styles. He also studies Yoga and is a life coach with Diamond Hour.
His first published fiction work was a Hugo Award nominated novelette titled, “The Locusts”, he co-authored with Larry Niven. Barnes has since gone on to write a popular series of novels with Niven, titled “The Dream Park Series.”
Several novels in the series followed and a legion of fans devoured them. The writing duo maintained a successful writing arrangement and went on to produce other series together as well.
He has also penned solo works of note, including The Aubry Knight series, which featured one of my personal favorites, “Street Lethal.”
Steven’s work became a very powerful, influential and inspiring voice in Black Speculative Fiction and science fiction in general.
Several other series followed, both solo and co-authored.
Barnes has also written screenplays for The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits, as well as writing novelizations for popular science fiction franchises such as: Star Trek and Star Wars.
He is still very active in writing and recently co-authored a screenplay with his wife Tananarive Due for a short film titled, “Danger Word” which stars actor Frankie Faison.
Over the course of his career, Barnes has written nearly thirty novels. A bibliography can be found at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Barnes
Steven Barnes is a personal writing inspiration to me and one of my heroes.
BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!
BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT
TODAY’S SPOTLIGHTED AUTHOR IS THE LEGENDARY STEVEN BARNES!
Steven Barnes
Steven Barnes is an American science fiction writer, lecturer, creative consultant, and human performance technician. He was born in Los Angeles, CA and is married to writing peer and legendary speculative fiction author, Tananarive Due. The couple reside in California with their son. Barnes also has a daughter from a previous marriage.
Besides being an author, Barnes is a certified hypnotherapist and an avid practitioner of the martial arts. He holds black belts in Kenpo Karate and Kodokan Judo. Barnes also practices Kali stick and knife fighting, Wu-style Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido among other styles. He also studies Yoga and is a life coach with Diamond Hour.
His first published fiction work was a Hugo Award nominated novelette titled, “The Locusts”, he co-authored with Larry Niven. Barnes has since gone on to write a popular series of novels with Niven, titled “The Dream Park Series.”
Several novels in the series followed and a legion of fans devoured them. The writing duo maintained a successful writing arrangement and went on to produce other series together as well.
He has also penned solo works of note, including The Aubry Knight series, which featured one of my personal favorites, “Street Lethal.”
Steven’s work became a very powerful, influential and inspiring voice in Black Speculative Fiction and science fiction in general.
Several other series followed, both solo and co-authored.
Barnes has also written screenplays for The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits, as well as writing novelizations for popular science fiction franchises such as: Star Trek and Star Wars.
He is still very active in writing and recently co-authored a screenplay with his wife Tananarive Due for a short film titled, “Danger Word” which stars actor Frankie Faison.
Over the course of his career, Barnes has written nearly thirty novels. A bibliography can be found at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Barnes
Steven Barnes is a personal writing inspiration to me and one of my heroes.
BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!
October 7, 2013
OCTOBER IS BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH!
EACH DAY WILL FEATURE A SPECULATIVE FICTION AUTHOR/ARTIST OF COLOR!
Greetings Staunch Perusers!
The month of October is BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH! During this time we celebrate the work and contributions to speculative fiction by People of Color. Many people are either unaware and/or simply choose to ignore the various creative works of ethnic minorities in the genres of: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror to name but a few.
I will be listing a speculative fiction writer or artist of color for every week of the month starting today and spotlight that author/artist with background info and a listing of their work(s).
I challenge my readers to pick up a novel or purchase a piece of artwork from each of the featured creators each week in support of them and BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH in general!
Learn more about these talented creators and their work(s) while finding NEW exciting entertainment and enlightenment.
THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT CREATOR IS THE LEGENDARY L.A. BANKS!
L.A. BANKS
Biography
Leslie Esdaile Banks: New York Times and USA Today Best-selling author, L.A. Banks has penned over 40 novels and 12 novellas in a wide range of genres and is the recipient of the 2009 Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention Career Achievement Award for Paranormal Fiction and the 2008 Essence Magazine Storyteller of the Year Award, as well as the 2008 Best 50 Women in Business Award for the State of Pennsylvania. Recently she was featured as a speaker on the HBO Special on Vampire Literature and Legends as a prelude to the True Blood premier.
A native of Philadelphia, Banks is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program, and alumnae of Temple University’s Master of Fine Arts in filmmaking program. She writes under the pseudonyms; L.A. Banks, Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, and Leslie Esdaile Banks. She has won several business as well as literary awards, and writes in genres as diverse as romance, women’s fiction, crime suspense, and paranormal. She has contributed to magazines, newspaper columns, and has written commercial fiction for a variety of major publishers: St. Martin’s Press, Simon and Schuster, Harlequin, Kensington Publishing, BET/Arabesque, Dark Horse Press, Genesis Press, Parker Publishing, Harper, and Tor. Her non-fiction work includes the riveting and motivational story of Bank’s life journey in her contribution to the Chicken Soup for the African American Soul anthology.
Banks’ writing career took a new twist when she won the coveted contract with Paramount/Showtime in collaboration with Simon & Schuster/Pocketbooks to write a book series for the popular cable network television series, Soul Food. Banks was also contracted to write the Universal Studios/Dark Horse Press novelization of the movie, Scarface, which takes a look at the main character Tony Montana’s life two years before he immigrated from Cuba to American in 1978. In addition, Banks penned a four-book crime thriller for Kensington/Dafina, beginning with Betrayal of the Trust, under her alternate pseudonym, Leslie Esdaile Banks. From there, Banks transitioned into another hot genre in the world of paranormal fiction, where she has penned a 12 book Vampire Huntress Legend series under the pseudonym, L.A. Banks, for St. Martin’s Press.
MINION: Book One of the Vampire Huntress Series
There is one woman who is all that stands between us and the eternal night.
Here is an account of her legend….
All Damali Richards ever wanted to do was create music and bring it to the people. Now she is a Spoken Word artist and the top act for Warriors of Light Records. But come nightfall, she hunts vampires and demons—predators that people tend to dismiss as myth or fantasy. But Damali and her Guardian team cannot afford such delusions, especially now, when a group of rogue vampires have been killing the artists of Warriors of Light and their rival, Blood Music. Strange attacks have also erupted within the club drug-trafficking network and drawn the attention of the police. These killings are a bit out of the ordinary, even for vampires. No neat puncture marks in the neck to show where the life’s blood has been sucked from the body. These bodies have been mutilated beyond recognition, indicating a blood lust and thirst for destruction that surpasses any Damali has encountered before. Damali soon discovers that behind these brutal murders is the most powerful vampire she has ever met, and this seductive beast is coming for her next. But his unholy intentions have also drawn the focus of other hellish dark forces. Soon Damali finds herself being pulled deeper into the vast and horrifying vampire world.
She also penned a hot werewolf series titled the Crimson Moon Series (a six book series.)
BAD BLOOD: Book One of the Crimson Moon Series
Sasha Trudeau knows all about working beneath the shadows, back-alley deals, and things that go bump in the night. She also knows that the world is unaware of the existence of the paranormal—and that the government would like to keep it that way.
As a highly trained Special Ops soldier, Sasha and her team are an elite group of individuals who are survivors of werewolf attacks, now trained to be loyal to only to each other and their government. But when she returns from a solo mission, she finds that her team has mysteriously gone missing. Shocking government conspiracies, double-dealing vampires, and a host of stunning revelations about who—and what—she really is are only just the beginning…
Vampire Huntress: The Graphic Novel
Banks has also moved into ebooks with Red Rose Publishing, graphic novels, comics, manga and even a new YA, entitled, Shadow Walker, for her thriving Vampire Huntress Legends series, as well as a young adult paranormal series that is under development.
Sadly, L.A. Banks passed away August 2, 2011 after a short but courageous battle with cancer.
Ms. Banks was an inspiration to me as a writer and I owe her a lot. She is sorely missed.
BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL WRITER & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!
October 2, 2013
Indiana Horror Authors to offer workshops at Mooresville Arts in the Park Event
Mooresville Arts in the Park
All Day Arts Festival Saturday, October 12!
Pioneer Park–Link to directions and park website
Flash fiction workshops and product tent!
Preregistration preferred, walk-ins welcome
Mooresville, IN
Website and Facebook
I’m very excited to announce an upcoming event taking place during the Arts in the Park festival at Pioneer Park on Saturday, October 12, 2013. Members of the local writing community and I will serve as instructors during a series of FREE community workshops on crafting thrilling fiction. We will be in the company of dozens of community artists and performers who will sing, dance, and display their unique talents and creations during this all-day festival.
Again, this event is FREE and open to the public.
Three one-hour sessions have been planned and are aimed at, but not limited to, late elementary school through high school aged-writers as well as adults who have recently caught the writing bug, who are also welcome. If you are interested in getting feedback from a professional author at ABSOLUTELY NO COST TO YOU, then you need to definitely attend. The local writers will have an instructor available to advise any beginner with a passion for writing thrilling tales of any genre.
Here is a listing of other attending authors:
The suggested format will be “flash fiction,” and the suggested theme will be “The Creature of Pioneer Park,” although writers are free to compose within their comfort zone. Writers can bring their own pens and paper or use the materials provided and/or they can bring their own laptops. Participants will spend the first half hour composing their work. During the last half hour, the authors will review the drafts and offer individualized instruction on how to best sharpen their writing skills. Writers may, alternatively, submit a pre-composed sample of their work for a critique (limit 1000 words).
Pre-registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome as long as we have the space.
Click this link to pre-register.
I look forward to seeing you there!
September 30, 2013
THE NEW PULP ERA
WHY THIS FICTION FORMAT IS MAKING A COMEBACK IN A BIG WAY!
From the time I was a child I’ve loved Pulp Fiction. No, not the movie (although I enjoyed that as well), I’m talking about the Pulp Fiction genre! Whether it was in the form of Men’s Action/Adventure novels such as: Don Pendleton’s Executioner series (featuring Mack Bolan), Nick Carter, The Destroyer Series (featuring Nemo Williams) or magazines such as: Eerie, EC Comics, Savage Sword of Conan, Tomb of Dracula or Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.
Of course the ORIGINAL Pulp fiction icons like Doc Savage, The Shadow, Tarzan, etc…started it all! I discovered them a short time later and fell in love with them as well!
Some of my earliest reading experiences were with the above mentioned books and magazines, something that has had a definite impact and influence on my writing. I grew up in an era before the internet and when video games weren’t a standard fixtures in homes around the world. My friends and I would read comic books, adventure novels and then reenact those bold scenes outside in the backyard or at a nearby park. We fashioned weapons from sticks and boards, or any other materials we could get our hands on. Our greatest asset was our imaginations!
This is precisely why Pulp Fiction is making a comeback in a BIG way!
Reading those stories of whirlwind excitement, death defying feats and bold adventure sparked our imaginations like other forms of fiction never could. We could get lost in becoming our favorite heroes and escape to distant lands and exotic locales, be surrounded by beautiful women (or handsome men according to your fancy). You could make all of the troubles in your life melt away as you slipped into another world and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime!
With the dazzling special effects in movies and video games, it becomes easier than ever to escape reality. The problem is that unlike reading, movies and video games can only give you the visual and the audio. Those formats fail to engage your senses and ease you into another world where you can become the hero in your mind’s eye. The viewer or player, respectively, is relying upon the imagination/vision of the directors, writers and/or animators to do the heavy lifting for them, thus depriving them of developing their own imagination muscles.
Bearers of the Pulp Torch are bound and determined to carry on the traditions of their fore-bearers and bring to readers the imaginative and pulse pounding adventures that have all but gotten swallowed up in movies and video games.
Authors and Artists such as:
Derrick Ferguson
Adam Shaw
Tommy Hancock
Kimberly Richardson
Rob Davis
Nancy A. Hansen
Fuller Bumpers
Lee Houston Jr.
Ron Fortier
Andrea Judy
& Charles R. Saunders to name but a few.
They are the voices of The New Pulp Era!
Rising from the ashes of Pulp Fiction, they are spearheading a Pulp Renaissance. Through modern innovations such as the internet, Print on Demand, and a steady growing interest, Pulp is re-surging more and more each passing year. This movement consists of quite a number of writers, artists and publishers who have dedicated themselves to creating GREAT Pulp Fiction!
Their work is as diverse as the American Culture and yet readily recognizable, innovative, but not just a fresh coat of paint on previous stories. These works are bold, original and surreal, though they often take their inspiration and influence from the Pulp of yesteryear. This gives the stories a freshness born of new minds, yet spiced with the familiar flavors of the past. A GREAT example of this is an anthology titled, “BLACK PULP,” published by Pro Se Press.
This anthology features stories from several brilliant authors and Pulp supporters and features characters of African origin, or descent, in stories that cover various genres in fiction! The concept was developed by noted crime novelist Gary Phillips and this volume includes a forward by the legendary Walter Mosley himself!
(Click the book cover to purchase!)
As this phoenix called The New Pulp Era burns ever so brightly and hurls itself across the sky, many readers (including longtime fans and newly indoctrinated ones) are taking notice. Quite a few conventions and venues are recognizing the value and impact that Pulp has had in the shaping and molding of Pop Culture. Pulp never truly went away, as it has lived in the hearts of longtime fans and readers for decades. It is only now that a new generation of creators are producing material and new readers are being exposed to this Cult phenomena and apparently they can’t get enough!
I would like to take this opportunity to announce that “yours truly” is also throwing his hat into the Pulp Fiction ring. I only hope that I can live up to the legends of my fore-bearers and help to move Pulp forward alongside the talented men and women listed above.
STAY TUNED & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!
Copyright © 2013 John F. Allen. All rights reserved.
September 23, 2013
JOHN F. ALLEN’S THE GOD KILLERS VIRTUAL TOUR STARTS TODAY!
I’m extemely excited to announce that beginning TODAY, my publisher Seventh Star Press will feature my blog tour featuring my new urban fantasy novel The God Killers, which introduces my heroine, Ivory Blaque! Learn interesting and fun filled facts about me, the novel and its characters!
Click the pic below 4 further details!
Tour Schedule and Activities
9/23 A Haunted Head Interview
9/23 Azure Dwarf Promo Spotlight
9/24 SpecMusicMuse Review
9/24 Come Selahway With Me Guest Post
9/24 The Dan O’Brien Project Promo Spotlight
9/25 Bee’s Knees Reviews Review
9/26 Beauty in Ruins Review
9/27 Readings Sunshine Promo Spotlight
9/27 Word to Dreams Promo Spotlight
9/27 Armand Rosamilia, Author Guest Post
9/28 Sheila Deeth Character Interview
9/28 Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews Guest Post
9/28 Workaday Reads Review
9/29 Jess Resides Here Author Interview
9/29 Illuminite Calginosus Promo Spotlight
Amazon Links for The God Killers:
Print Version
http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Killers-John-Allen/dp/1937929167
Kindle Version
http://www.amazon.com/God-Killers-Legacy-ebook/dp/B00E4TD5QO
Other eBook Formats
Nook
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-god-killers-john-f-allen/1115994725?ean=2940148771142
Kobo
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-god-killers
iBookstore
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-god-killers/id691145926?mt=11
DON’T MISS OUT ON ALL OF THE FUN AND EXCITEMENT & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!
September 16, 2013
ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE GOD KILLERS TODAY!
Click the book cover to order your copy TODAY!!!
September 11, 2013
THE OFFICIAL JOHN F. ALLEN WRITER FAN PAGE IS LIVE ON FACEBOOK!
Hey everyone!
Today, thanks to the efforts of my good friend and BIG fan of my work, Eugena McFarland, I can announce the launch of my Official Fan Page!
I’m honored to have the kind support and encouragement to pursue my craft from my fans. I appreciate and love each and every one of you!
Being a member of my fan page gives you:
* Info on current events
* Reviews on published works
* Book launches
* Meet & greet times and locations
* Upcoming projects
* FREE E-BOOK GIVEAWAYS/DOWNLOADS
* Contests
* FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
Be sure to check out the fan page at the link below!
