Writers' Symposium

Residual Hauntings Revived Interview

2012-02-13T02:14:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends,

Here's a link to a really fun 15 minute interview I gave at a writers conference this past weekend on Residual Hauntings Revived with Tom Carr, Jess the Ghost Girl, and Russ Cook. My interview starts at the 35 minute mark.

Tracy Hickman came by during my interview and said some really nice things about me. It was so unexpected for him to say he was having a "fan boy" moment about me. Wow. It was so surreal.

Before my interview you've got a great interview with Charlie Harmon, the program director of LTUE, and then a hilarious interview with author David Butler, who has written some awesome novellas called, Rock Band Fights Evil 1 through 3 right now. You should hear Dave because he's so funny.

There's also an interview with New York Times Bestseller Larry Correia; horror writer and professor of creative writing, Michael Brent Collings; and the hilarious author Bill Housley.

http://residualhauntings.podomatic.com/entry/2012-02-11T20_05_15-08_00

Paul Genesse
Author of The Secret Empire, Book Three of the Iron Dragon Series
Editor of The Crimson Pact anthology Series
www.paulgenesse.com

Making a Book Trailer

2012-02-09T08:34:00.001-08:00

I'm on a panel at 2:00 PM today Feb. 9, 2012 at a writing conference, LTUE, on making a book trailer, which is something I have some experience with. Below I've pasted some videos and links for people's reference.

Here are some questions we're going to answer:

How do you say enough about the book with out giving away too much?
Short answer: you use your elevator pitch line, a modified version of that for the text.

Are the worth they worth the expense and the hassle?
Yes, and possibly no.

Where are the best places for book trailers?
On your website and YouTube.

What are some good examples of book trailers?
Check below and look at the trailer for A Girl of Fire and Thorns and also look at The Crimson Pact trailer.

What equipment do you need?
Money or video editing software, and/or free images--I've posted links below to some stock photo sites I use.

This is the best book trailer I've ever seen. The book the trailer below is about is: A Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns - Book Trailer from Hilly and Hannah on Vimeo.

Go to Rae's website to learn more. She got this trailer for free. It showed up one morning in her inbox. She had no idea it was even being made. Totally amazing. http://www.raecarson.com/

This is the book trailer I made for The Crimson Pact Volume 1

Please check out The Crimson Pact story trailers for volume 2 on thecrimsonpact.com, or on The Crimson Pact YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCrimsonPact?ob=0

This is the book trailer a friend of mine made for The Dragon Hunters.

This is the book trailer for The Golden Cord, made by a friend of mine, with music by another friend of mine.

You can get awesome music for book trailers at http://www.shockwave-sound.com/

Find awesome pictures here:
http://www.istockphoto.com/

and here: http://www.sxc.hu/

You can see how my book trailers are posted on my website, here: www.paulgenesse.com

BookBlastMessage

2012-02-08T11:43:00.001-08:00

The Secret Empire: Book Three of the Iron Dragon Series

The only outsiders who know the truth are dead.

To reach the secret lair of the dragon king, the last of an order or dragon hunters must cross a brutal desert defended by savage nomads and angry ghosts, uncover the hidden truth of the desert people, then on the eve of their final battle, survive a betrayal that will tear their group apart.

View the book on Amazon.com.

Hello Friends,

Today is the official “Book Blast” day for my third novel, The Secret Empire. After a two year and three month wait, the third book in the Iron Dragon series out!

You can find all three books in the series on Amazon.com as eBooks and trade paperbacks right now, or you can get them from my CreateSpace eStore, links below, which is part of Amazon.com.

Book one, The Golden Cord is available for only $2.99 on the Kindle, or FREE if you have a membership in Kindle Prime. The trade paperback is only $14.99. Book two and three are only $4.99 as eBooks.

Today, please help me get the word out, by forwarding this with a personal note, posting something on Facebook, blogging, tweeting, and telling your friends about this series. Word of mouth is the key, and is by far the most powerful thing you can do to help. Let your fantasy reader friends know the books are out.

As a favor to me, even if you’re not into these kind of books, please go to Amazon.com and click the orange colored “Like” (thumbs up button) beside any or all of the Iron Dragon book titles, and put them on your wish list. It’ll cue Amazon to promote the book. Just click on the links below.

I really need your help telling readers about my series and will appreciate anything you can do to help, and would love your support.

Here’s what the critics have said about the series:

“This is a story that’s worth your time. It’s almost like going back to that first fantasy novel that totally captivated you and you read it over and over again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.”

—Russell Davis, author, editor, and President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America about The Golden Cord.

“Genesse stresses the necessity of trust between races and cultures and the perils of bias and dissention, and he keeps the plot moving quickly . . . ”

—Publishers Weekly

“With vivid world-building, Paul Genesse sets his characters on paths that wind and twist through the world as they try to reach their almost impossible goal—the death of the Dragon King. The characters are driven, each for their own reasons, united by their desire for honor, and vengeance for their kin. In the midst of a fantasy, Paul weaves in realistic themes of family and honor, prejudice and hate, love and redemption.”

—Elizabeth Vaughan, USA Today bestselling author of The Warlands trilogy

Thank you for reading this message, and please visit my blog where you’ll find a lot more information about book three, read the details of the publishing saga I’ve been through, and can read or download samples of the books on my website.

If you buy the books on CreateSpace—my personal affiliated Amazon.com storefront page, I get double the royalties. Do whatever is easiest for you, and thank you in advance for your support.

The Golden Cord, Book One of the Iron Dragon Series (399 pages)

• Trade Paperback at CreateSpace ($14.99):
https://www.createspace.com/3770179

The Dragon Hunters, Book Two of the Iron Dragon Series (414 pages)
• Trade Paperback at CreateSpace ($15.99): https://www.createspace.com/3772631

The Secret Empire, Book Three of the Iron Dragon Series (666 pages)
• Trade Paperback at CreateSpace ($18.99): https://www.createspace.com/3759937

Or go to the regular Amazon.com store site by clicking on the links below my signature file. I’ve also got some signings coming up in Utah, Feb. 10 at Utah Valley University from 8-10 PM Feb. 10 (Friday night), Eborn Books at the South Town Mall from 11-1 PM on Saturday Feb. 18, and Feb. 18 at the Valley Fair Mall at Eborn Books from 2-4 PM. Free 11x17 posters to anyone who comes.

I’m also available to do free school visits, book club visits, or teach writing workshops.

Best wishes and thank you again for all of your support.

Paul Genesse, Author and Editor

Author of The Iron Dragon Series (Now out in trade paperback and as eBooks!)
The Golden Cord: Book One
The Dragon Hunters: Book Two
The Secret Empire: Book Three (Released January 2012!)

Editor of:
The Crimson Pact Volume 1
The Crimson Pact Volume 2
The Crimson Pact Volume 3 (coming in April 2012)

Author Website: http://www.paulgenesse.com/
Author Blog: http://paulgenesse.blogspot.com/

Join me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter @Paul_Genesse

Please book me for an event or school visit
by calling me at 801-282-5393 or email me at pgenesse (at) msn dot com

The Iron Dragon Series

2012-02-08T11:42:00.001-08:00

The Golden Cord: Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
Some bonds can never be broken. A hunter must leave behind the woman he loves, give up all hope of survival, as he is forced to guide his most hated enemies on a suicidal journey to the lair of the dragon king.
The Golden Cord: Book One of the Iron Dragon Series (Volume 1)

The Dragon Hunters: Book Two of the Iron Dragon Series
On this hunt, you give up everything. The last of an order of dragon hunters must track down the Dragon King’s daughter and stop her from getting the Crystal Eye, an ancient artifact that will cause the destruction of their world.
The Dragon Hunters: Book Two of the Iron Dragon Series (Volume 2)

The Secret Empire: Book Three of the Iron Dragon Series
The only outsiders who know the truth are dead." To reach the secret lair of the dragon king, the last of an order or dragon hunters must cross a brutal desert defended by savage nomads and angry ghosts, uncover the hidden truth of the desert people, then on the eve of their final battle, survive a betrayal that will tear their group apart.
The Secret Empire: Book Three of the Iron Dragon Series (Volume 3)

AVAILABLE AT EBOOKS AND TRADE PAPERBACKS ON AMAZON.COM

Praise for Paul Genesse and The Golden Cord

“This is a story that’s worth your time. It’s almost like going back to that first fantasy novel that totally captivated you and you read it over and over again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.”
—Russell Davis, author, editor, and President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

“A good mix of action, angst, and romance. The Golden Cord has fine action sequences, like many a fantasy novel, but Paul Genesse takes the time to make the protagonist and his companions much more than hack and slashers. They have hopes, fears, doubts, secret motivations, and backstories that give the action gravitas. Plenty of swordplay and slaying for the action junkies, but also plenty of self-doubt and romance for those looking for a deeper story.”
—Donald J. Bingle, author of Forced Conversion

“Paul Genesse’s tale is elegantly written and filled with rich, believable heroes and villains. He transports you to a vibrant fantasy world that feels so real and complex you won’t want to leave. It is irresistible.”
—Jean Rabe, author of the Finest Trilogy from Tor Books

Praise for Paul Genesse and The Dragon Hunters

“Genesse stresses the necessity of trust between races and cultures and the perils of bias and dissention, and he keeps the plot moving quickly . . . ”

—Publishers Weekly

“Paul Genesse is a talented writer with two rare gifts: the ability to create wonderful worlds, and the skill to share them with his readers. Through his deft handling of magic and mythic creatures, Paul Genesse transports us into a realm of wild imagining. Taut suspense and fantastic imagery make the The Dragon Hunters a tale no fantasy fan will want to miss.”

—Michael A. Stackpole, New York Times bestselling author of The Star Wars novel I, Jedi

“With vivid world-building, Paul Genesse sets his characters on paths that wind and twist through the world as they try to reach their almost impossible goal—the death of the Dragon King. The characters are driven, each for their own reasons, united by their desire for honor, and vengeance for their kin. In the midst of a fantasy, Paul weaves in realistic themes of family and honor, prejudice and hate, love and redemption.”

—Elizabeth Vaughan, USA Today bestselling author of The Warlands trilogy

Mr. Genesse has created a rich and interesting fantasy world, where man lives on top of giant plateaus surrounded by a demon filled void of mists. Terrible creatures own the sky, and everyone lives beneath cover in order to survive. Humans are slaves to the Drobin empire and wizards have been hunted almost to extinction by war priests.

I read the Golden Cord first and enjoyed it. The sequel, Dragon Hunters, is even better. The characters fight the traditional fantasy quest foes of dragons and evil cultists, but in addition, they have to grow as people, and also face their fears and prejudices. Overall the characters are believable and struggle with issues of faith and determination.

I'm eagerly looking forward to the rest of the series.

—Larry Correia - Author of Monster Hunter International

Vital Links:

The Golden Cord, Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
• ISBN-10: 0985003820
• ISBN-13: 978-0985003821

• Trade Paperback at CreateSpace ($14.99):
https://www.createspace.com/3770179

If you buy the book on CreateSpace I get double the royalties. Thank you!
• Trade Paperback at Amazon.com ($14.99):
http://www.amazon.com/Golden-CordBookIronDragon/dp/0985003820/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1328274199&sr=1-1-catcorr

• eBook($2.99):
http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Cord-Iron-Dragon-ebook/dp/B006PU7PIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328150820&sr=8-1

The Dragon Hunters, Book Two of the Iron Dragon Series
• ISBN-10: 0985003812
• ISBN-13: 978-0985003814

If you buy the book on CreateSpace I get double the royalties. Thank you!
• Trade Paperback at CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3772631

• Trade Paperback at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-HuntersBookTwoIron/dp/0985003812/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328274298&sr=1-1

• eBook ($4.99):
http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Hunters-Iron-ebook/dp/B006PU7Q4M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328150875&sr=1-1

The Secret Empire, Book Three of the Iron Dragon Series
• ISBN-10: 0985003804
• ISBN-13: 978-0985003807

If you buy the book on CreateSpace I get double the royalties. Thank you!
• Trade Paperback at CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3759937

• Trade Paperback at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Empire-Book-Three-Dragon/dp/0985003804/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328701296&sr=1-1

• eBook ($4.99):
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Empire-Iron-Dragon-ebook/dp/B006V5Q3PY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328150911&sr=1-1

Acknowledgements Page from The Secret Empire

2012-02-08T11:41:00.001-08:00

Acknowledgements Page from The Secret Empire:

I finished the first draft of what has become The Secret Empire in 2002. Ten years later the book is finally coming out, though this version bears little resemblance to the manuscript I wrote back then. The story is roughly the same, but I’m a much better writer now, though I know I still have a lot to learn. It took me years to become a good enough writer to break into publishing, and in 2006 I sold book one, The Golden Cord, to John Helfers at Five Star Books, which came out in 2008, followed by book two, The Dragon Hunters which released in October of 2009. There has been a two year and three month gap between book two and three coming out.

Traditional publishing is a rough business, and despite The Golden Cord becoming Five Star Books bestselling fantasy of all time, their fantasy/science-fiction line was not doing well overall, and they cut that whole segment of their business. The publisher tried to keep me alone, and finish the series, but upper management said no, as one book could not make enough money to keep an entire line open. So, I was orphaned in late 2009, with no publisher for the rest of the proposed five book series of which I had manuscripts already written, and plenty of fans who wanted to read them.

I soon learned that the major publishers will not touch orphaned series, and all the small presses I spoke with offered me very little aside from long wait times to hear back from them, which is normal, and awful contracts.

I went from being ecstatic after book one was so successful, my very first published novel, to very depressed when I heard my publisher was stopping all fantasy publications. It’s been a rough three years for most everyone, (2009-2011) as the U.S. and world economy has taken a dive, and the worst I can say is that my 401K lost some money and I lost my publisher. Some people lost their house, or their lifesavings, and so I do not have a lot to complain about.

Fortunately for me, the paradigm of publishing has changed in the past couple of years. Electronic books are making huge gains, and print on demand services like CreateSpace by Amazon.com have become part of publishing that will never go away. I finally chose an outlet for the Iron Dragon Series and in late 2011 decided that I would put the rest of the books out myself, with the help of my published writer/editor friends and Amazon.com. The need to get the books out there became an obsession, and after years of little progress I was sprinting to get the manuscript I’d had for years, rewritten and edited.

I was fortunate to have the editorial help of Bradley P. Beaulieu, the acclaimed author of the Lays of Anuskaya series from Nightshade Books. Book one, The Winds of Khalakovo}, and book two, The Straits of Galahesh are both incredible fantasy novels, and Brad is a far better writer than I will ever be. He helped me improve this book tremendously, and I know that Brad would be a fabulous editor for any major publisher. I’m fortunate to have him as a friend, and next time I promise I’ll give him a lot longer to look at the manuscript, as I really wanted to get this book out there, and made him rush. His ideas were gold and I did my best to implement his thoughts in this final draft. The mistakes are mine alone, and the awesome ideas mostly come from Brad and the other big influence on this book, Pat.

Patrick M. Tracy, my college roommate and best friend, has been the most influential person on this book, my life as a writer, and the whole series in general. Pat suffered through this manuscript back in 2002 and earlier, and has helped me craft and shape this story more than any other. He and I have spent hundreds of hours talking about these books, and he’s been patient and kind the whole way. I need a lot of hand holding sometimes and Pat is the best guy ever to brainstorm with. I come up with an idea and he makes it nastier. Pat and I have been going down this author path together for years and I’m so impressed with his skill as a writer and poet. Find his short fiction and you’ll see what I mean. Some of the best lines in this book are Pat’s. He helped keep me going during those tough times after my books were orphaned and I could not ask for a better friend.

My loving and beautiful wife, Tammy has been extremely supportive as well, and allows me to write and keep crazy schedules. I read her all the proof pages out loud and she’s put up with this story the longest out of anyone. We’ve been together since 1995 and soon after that I was thinking of the world of Ae’leron and the Dragon King. Tammy has been the most important person in my life, and I am blessed with a lot of great friends and family, but without Tam, nothing would be possible.

I also want to acknowledge the amazing cover artist, Ciruelo Cabral, whose images have graced the covers of the Iron Dragon Series. His yearly Dragons calendars are stunning, and please find them every year, as they are available in all the stores. He inspires me a lot and his work is perfect for the Iron Dragon Series.

I want to thank my amazing fans all over the world who pushed me to get this book out there, and especially my readers in Utah where I live. Thanks to Jordan Stephens, Jason and Natalie Wilson, Cheryl and Chris O’Malley, Katrina Miller, Glenn Lee, Barbara Webb, Seth Warn, Rebecca Shelley, Adam Davies, K.C. Anderson, Craig Lloyd, my parents, my friends at the hospital where I work as a cardiac nurse, and all the writers, librarians, and teachers who have inspired me to follow this dream.

Thank you all for your support and I hope you enjoy reading The Secret Empire.

Paul Genesse
January 2012

Life, The Universe, and Everyting 2012

2012-02-06T02:16:00.001-08:00

I'll be a guest at a writing conference, Life, The Universe and Everything, Feb 9-11, 2012 at Utah Valley University in Orem.

My schedule is as follows:

Thursday Feb. 9:
Lunch with friends: who wants to come along?
2:00 PM -Making a Book Trailer
(Paul Genesse, Heather Monson (M), Dan Wells, Angela Corbett, Lani Woodland)

Friday Feb. 10:
Lunch with friends: who wants to come along?
Book Signing 8-10PM
Please come and get a FREE DRAGON 11x17 poster!

Saturday 12 Noon Feb 11:
-Religion in Science Fiction: Is It Possible?
(L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Zachary Hill, Paul Genesse, Scott Parkin, Dan Lind (M), Eric James Stone)

Lunch with friends, who wants to come along?

3:00 PM Reading for 25 minutes. I'll be reading from The Secret Empire, and there will be death, mayhem, an ambush, and free stuff! I'll give out at least one free book.

More Information: http://www.ltue.org/LTUE_2012.html

Paul Genesse
Author of The Secret Empire
www.paulgenesse.com

Guest Blog by Joshua Palmatier about Gritty Fantasy

2012-02-02T23:01:00.001-08:00

I met author and editor Joshua Palmatier in 2005 at the World Fantasy convention in Madison, Wisconsin. We had breakfast and later at the convention I heard him read from his novel, The Skewed Throne, book one of his “Throne of Amenkor” trilogy. I was blown away by the reading, and his novel, The Skewed Throne became my favorite book of the year. It’s an impressive, realistic, and dark fantasy novel with awesome details, and tons of action. Here’s a post he offered to allow me to share from his blog about gritty fantasy, which he does so well.

First off, thanks, Paul, for inviting me to guest blog today. I really appreciate it.

I recently attended Arisia, an SF&F con in Boston, and while there I participated in a panel called “Mud and Blood: The Grittier Side of Fantasy.” This was not a surprise, since the most common adjective used to describe my book is “gritty.” But the basic idea behind the panel was to talk about dark fantasy. I thought it would be a good topic for my guest post.

The main question is, what is it about dark fantasy that intrigues me as a writer, and do I really need to include all of the mud and blood, the dirt and grit? The answer is yes. *grin*

I have to admit that I don’t sit down and intentionally write “dark fantasy.” I never thought of my books as dark, I simply wrote them, the way they wanted to be written. (I’m an organic writer, which means I just sit down and write to see what happens; very little planning ahead of time.) And for me, a book and the characters in it aren’t realistic unless they have to deal with the mud and blood, dirt and grit. Those are the elements that make the world real for me, and so I include them naturally. They’re a part of life.

I also feel that people don’t change unless they’re forced into it. We’d all rather stay the way we are, so in order for a character to have a believable character arc in a book, some rather serious and significant emotional pain needs to be inflicted. We often joke that writers like to torture their characters, but it isn’t really a joke. If we expect the character to change, SOMETHING has to happen. Often, that “something” isn’t nice. And in the end, this is what makes characters interesting and gets the reader involved. Being forced to deal with the gritty reality of life is what draws the reader in and makes them sympathetic to the character.

That doesn’t mean that, as a writer, you can’t take it too far. There is a line that has to be drawn by every writer and every book, a line that the mud and blood, dirt and grit, shouldn’t cross. It differs from book to book, but a reader can only take so much grime and so much character torturing before they lose their sympathy and simply start thinking the writer is cruel. Writers need to balance the “dark” with some hope. In my first book, THE SKEWED THRONE, my character, Varis, starts out in the slums called the Dredge. I spent a lot of time trying to make the Dredge as real and believable as possible. Varis is struggling to merely survive, and for a while it feels as if she may not succeed. I couldn’t possibly write an entire book where this was the dominant feeling. At some point, you have to introduce something to counter the grit and give the reader hope that things will change. In my book, Varis meets a Seeker named Erick, who begins training her to be an assassin. That doesn’t mean there aren’t painful experiences yet to come, even after she escapes the Dredge, but at every stage there is hope that, sometime soon, good things will come. And eventually, they do.

So, in my opinion, you need some mud and blood, some dirt and grit, in order to make the world feel more real, and in order to make the character arc believable. Making the world believable in a fantasy novel is even more important than in other novels. But you have to be careful that you don’t take it too far an alienate the reader from not only your world, but the sympathy they have with your characters as well.

Joshua Palmatier (aka Benjamin Tate) is a fantasy writer with DAW Books, with two series on the shelf, a few short stories, and is co-editor with Patricia Bray of two anthologies. Check out the “Throne of Amenkor” trilogy—The Skewed Throne, The Cracked Throne, and The Vacant Throne—under the Joshua Palmatier name. And look for the “Well” series—Well of Sorrows and the just released Leaves of Flame—by Benjamin Tate. Short stories are included in the anthologies Close Encounters of the Urban Kind (edited by Jennifer Brozek), Beauty Has Her Way (Jennifer Brozek), and River (Alma Alexander). And the two anthologies he’s co-edited are After Hours: Tales from the Ur-bar and the upcoming The Modern Fae’s Guide to Surviving Humanity (March 2012). Find out more about both names at www.joshuapalmatier.com and www.benjamintate.com, as well as on Facebook, http://jpsorrow.livejournal.com/ LiveJournal (jpsorrow), and Twitter (bentateauthor).

Review of Kim Oh 1: Real Dangerous Girl by K.W. Jeter

2012-01-29T00:33:00.001-08:00

Review of: Kim Oh 1—Real Dangerous Girl by K.W. Jeter (Kim Oh Thrillers)

Killer-thriller. This is one of those novels that just sucked me in and kept me reading all night long. I love reading books that are so tense and so interesting that you are compelled to keep going. One more chapter. Then one more chapter. And repeat. When this happens you know you’ve got a great plot and a great character, and are in the hands of a master writer.

K.W. Jeter has created an awesome character and series. Kim Oh is a pint-sized Korean American heroine with serious ass-kicking talent. She’s an assassin, but her heart is in the right place. She’s a fascinating person with an interesting life—to say the least. I can totally see this as a movie or TV series. The scenes are almost all extremely cinematic and really pop out.

If you’re a fan of A Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, La Femme Nikita, thrillers, ass-kicking heroines, and great writing, this is a book for you.

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact
www.paulgenesse.com

Review of The Book of Cthulhu edited by Ross E. Lockhart

2012-01-28T23:29:00.001-08:00

The Book of Cthulhu ($15.99 Nightshade Books) edited by Ross E. Lockhart—overall rating—five stars—highly recommended for fans of H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, literary horror in general, and great writing.

27 stories inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, the author who created the Cthulhu mythos many years ago. If you haven’t read Lovecraft, or don’t know who he is, think of him this way: he’s the J.R.R. Tolkien of horror. His fiction is impressive and very readable today, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed his short stories. If you haven’t read Lovecraft, find a collection of his short stories that features “The Call of Cthulhu” and dive in, then buy this book to see the evolution of the world he created.

The Book of Cthulhu is an anthology of short stories featuring authors who have written tales that carry on the Cthulhu tradition, as Lovecraft wanted. The editor, Ross Lockhart compiled most of these largely literary stories from other sources, packaging them up nicely, and also presents a few new ones. It’s hard to review so many stories, but I’ll give each one a line or more, and all of the stories had good qualities, but I connected with some more than others. Everyone has different tastes, and if you’re looking for lots of gore or crazy action this isn’t for you, but if you like to read some of the best authors writing today, check this out.

The stories:

Caitlin R. Kiernan: Andromeda Among the Stones—five stars, (new story). This is arguably the best story in the anthology. It evokes everything that Lovecraft created and more. The alien horror of the otherside and the sacrifices that must be made to keep the evil at bay are real and palpable in this brilliantly written and menacingly beautiful story set (mostly) in the early 1900’s just before World War I. A terrible apocalypse can be averted, perhaps, if a terrible cost is paid, and the family in this story is right there at the edge of the sea, staring into the depths of the void. Brilliant story.

Ramsey Campbell: The Tugging—four stars. Fascinating story about an astronomer and a wandering planet that is coming closer to Earth. It’s appearance is a harbinger of doom that is driving poor Ingels mad, as he knows it’s much more than a planet. Why can’t everyone else see what’s coming?!?!

Charles Stross: A Colder War—five stars. A completely awesome story set during the Cold War told by a master writer. You think nuclear bombs are bad. They turn out to be nothing to worry about when the power of the Elder Gods can be harnessed and used for world ending destruction. Great story featuring top secret reports, Cthulhu bombs, and well, the end of life on Earth as we know it.

Bruce Sterling: The Unthinkable—three stars. Interesting and short piece also set in an alternate history cold war setting where the supernatural horrors are walking around, and a couple of aging cold war spies have a chat about the world.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Flash Frame—four stars. This was a cool story but it made me go, huh? It was awesome and interesting, and I liked it, but I think I would need to read it again to really get everything. It’s very literary and author has great skill, no doubt, in painting pictures with words.

W.H. Pugmire: Some Buried Memory—four stars. A high-brow tale about a “found foundling” woman who is extremely ugly. The descriptions were awesome.

Molly Tanzer: The Infernal History of the Ivybridge Twins—five stars. One of the most awesome and horrifying stories in the anthology about two disgustingly awful children, who should probably have been drowned at birth, though the girl wouldn’t have drowned . . . . This was such a creepy and cool story, and I loved the narrator’s voice. Great story.

Michael Shea: Fat Face—three stars. Too subtle for my taste, but an interesting character study about a woman who has a lot of problems. Horror.

Elizabeth Bear: Shoggoths in Bloom—four stars. This story has won some major awards, and I liked it a lot, but I just didn’t connect with it on all levels, hence four out of five stars. Still, it’s worth a read just to see what the fuss is about. I admired Bear’s skill and can see why Shoggoths in Bloom was so critically acclaimed. Solid story.

T.E.D. Klein: Black Man with A Horn—three stars. Somewhat meandering and quiet story about an old man, who is/was a writer, and is near the end of his life. I liked the story, but it was too slow for my tastes.

David Drake: Than Curse the Darkness—five stars. This was the most powerful story in the book for me. I loved it, and was blown away. David Drake is a master and he really hits the dark note of the Cthulhu mythos on this one. This tale is set in darkest Africa and is somewhat reminiscent of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, with a very supernatural twist. The natives resort to dark magic to get revenge upon their Belgian colonial oppressors at the turn of the century, and some white people come up river to stop what is coming. The characters were awesome and this was an extremely entertaining story.

Charles R. Sanders: Jeroboam Henley’s Debt—three and a half stars. More dark magic out of Africa, with an interesting twist.

Thomas Ligotti: Nethescurial—three stars. A little slow, a little dense, too quiet, and in the style of some of Lovecraft’s works. I just didn’t connect with it, but could appreciate what the author accomplished.

Kage Baker: Calamari Curls—three stars. Well done story, but I wasn’t in the mood for the brand of humor contained here.

Edward Morris: Jihad over Innsmouth—four stars. Freaking cool story about a character who wages his own war aboard an airliner. Very spooky story and so Twilight Zone.

Cherie Priest: Bad Sushi—five stars, best character story in the book. I’d heard how awesome Cherie Priest is and now I know why. No other story in the book paints a more complete and awesome picture of a character. In this case a World War II Japanese veteran who works in an American Sushi restaurant. Lets just say that when his boss changes sushi suppliers things get really bad at the restaurant. Note: beware anyone who is addicted to sushi.

John Horner Jacobs: The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife—three stars (new story). I didn’t connect with the characters in the short slice of life kind of story.

Brian McNaughton: The Doom that Came to Innsmouth—five stars. Wow, what a horrifying story about a sick and demented character. This is about a former resident of Innsmouth, a town Lovecraft invented, who returns home to reconnect with his roots. Dark, black, slimy, roots.

Ann K. Schwader: Lost Stars—five stars. Great character story about a gal who starts going to an occult group and finds out the Egyptian High Priestess in charge is the real deal. This would make a great Twilight Zone episode.

Steve Duffy: The Oram County Whoosit—five stars. Brilliant story, and Lovecraft would be so proud of Steve Duffy’s tale, which recounts the discovery of a thing (actually a couple of things—or whoosits) that had been buried for millions of years, and should have been left deep in the ground.

Joe R. Lansdale: The Crawling Sky—five stars. One of my favorite stories in the anthology. A tough preacher comes across a small town with problems. Lansdale is a master and I loved how he presented the story and the characters. His style and skill are brilliant. His stories and books are among my most favorite reads.

Brian Lumley: The Fairground Horror—three stars. Creepy, and nasty, but I just didn’t connect with this one.

Tim Pratt: Cinderlands—five stars. This awesome story pays homage to Lovecraft’s classic, The Rats in the Walls. I loved this one and it was pretty much perfect. Highly recommended.

Gene Wolfe: Lord of the Land—two stars. A lot of interesting stuff, but a little too slow for me. I did enjoy all the Egyptian and occult references though.

Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.: To Live and Die in Arkham—five stars. Very graphic story about some deplorable characters. This one will wake you up and punch you in the throat. Horror all the way through.

John Langan: The Shallows—two stars. Very literary, very slow, too much telling for me. This one just wasn’t my taste, but I know some people will love this one.

Laird Barron: The Men From Porlock—five stars (new story). Very awesome ending to The Book of Cthulhu. It features some lumberjacks going on a deer hunt and finding a strange community in the forest, and interrupting something they should not have interrupted. Mayhem and murder abound in this horror story of epic Stephen King proportions. Highly recommended.

In summary (according to my personal taste), there are 11 five star stories, 5 four star, and lots of other good ones that will please readers of varied interests. Fans of H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, and horror in general will love this book. The Book of Cthulhu is Highly recommended.

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact anthology series
www.thecrimsonpact.com

Submission Secrets for Crimson Pact Vol. 3

2012-01-04T09:30:00.001-08:00

Write 1, Sub 1 Interview

Very informative interview for those submitting Feb. 1 to The Crimson Pact Vol 3. I give all the do's and dont's. http://t.co/L5nbC7v9

Please check this out.

Paul Genesse
Editor of the Crimson Pact anthologies
www.thecrimsonpact.com

Rock Band Fights Evil #1

2012-01-02T07:27:00.001-08:00

Hellboy meets Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, meets Jim Butcher and Larry Correia in this insane pulp-action adventure novella featuring a haunted suicidal anti-hero who joins a rock band and fights evil. The action is intense, crazy, and things go KABOOM quite often. Hellhound on My Trail, Rock Band Fights Evil #1 by D.J. Butler is a rollicking adventure that goes where you don't expect. It straddles the line between gritty and funny. I never imagined a dive bar rock band would actually be a team of ass-kicking warriors for good. Poor Mike thought he was just going to play his bass guitar with some crappy band and make a buck so he could buy a lot of alcohol before he killed himself, but nooooo, a freaking hellhound shows up and it's on bitches!

Find it here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/118450

Paul Genesse, Author and Editor
www.thecrimsonpact.com

Paul's 2011 Highlights

2012-01-01T00:25:00.001-08:00

Paul’s Highlights from 2011

January 14: My story, “The Cost of a Tasmanian Tiger” released for free online.
http://paulgenesse.blogspot.com/2011/01/cost-of-tasmanian-tiger.html

January 28, 2011, 16 year dating anniversary with Tammy. ☺

February 12: Finale of the “Dark Sea” D&D Campaign after 8 years of awesome games with the guys, Pat, Zack, Adam, and Craig.

February 18: “Plot Storming from Character” my writing presentation at LTUE.

March 19: Lady Gaga in concert in Salt Lake City with Tam, best concert ever.

March: Crimson Pact Volume 1 released, my first anthology as editor.
www.thecrimsonpact.com

April 22: visited Suzzanne and Dave Myers in Portland.
April 23: Saw De/Vision live in Portland.

May 19: we got our new TempurPedic foam bed, so comfy!

May 21: Ghost Hunt at the Wendover Air Base. Tom Carr got thrown on the ground.

May 27: ConDuit, the live reading of “No Tusks” by myself and Patrick Tracy.
http://wolfhawkwind.blogspot.com/2011/05/no-tusks-reading-with-paul-genesse.html

June 18: Lily and Cary Lee’s wedding in San Francisco, (with Tam, Dee & Larry).

June 25: Jason Wilson and his family visited. Loved seeing Natalie, Chara, and Ariel.

June 29: Joined a Legend of the Five Rings role-playing campaign (better known as “Writer Nerd Game Night” GM’d by Dan Wells and sometimes Larry Correia).

July 15: Watched the final Harry Potter movie, so good.

August 5: the True Dungeon at Gen Con.

August 4: The Crimson Pact Volume 2 released, my second anthology as the editor
www.thecrimsonpact.com

August 18: Great trip with Tammy to Reno and World Con. A second honeymoon at the Peppermill in their Tuscany Tower wing, so amazing, and great to see family

August 26: Seeing the “Up” house in Herriman, Utah with Tam.

September: Gangrene Film Festival in Layton with a live performance of Wasasquatch!

September 2: Outlined “Dragon Claws” a proposed illustrated book with artist, Ruth Thompson

September 16: Dale Cable’s going away party at the hospital, so sad. He was the best manager ever. This has been my toughest year at the hospital. Too many changes.

September 30: Kathy Griffin in concert, Salt Lake City with Tam, hilarious!

October: Finished the newest version of Medusa’s Daughter, still needs another revision

October 8: Aundra & Brett’s wedding in Salt Lake!

October 21: Dracula by Ballet West

October 27: San Diego, World Fantasy Con with Tammy

November 3: Guest Hosted Dungeon Crawlers Radio with Joe and Dan
http://itunes.apple.com/jo/podcast/dungeon-crawlers-radio/id320470394

November 24: Had some really good turkey with Tam

December 14: Finished a new draft of The Secret Empire after taking lots of time off from the hospital

December 23: The Golden Cord and The Dragon Hunters released as eBooks.
http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Cord-Iron-Dragon-ebook/dp/B006PU7PIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325405174&sr=8-1

December 24: The Secret Empire (book 3) preview released for free on my website
http://www.paulgenesse.com/default2.asp

December 31: A lovely New Year’s Eve with Tammy.

Holiday Gift For My Friends and Fans

2011-12-24T18:57:00.001-08:00

A free holiday gift for my friends and fans! The first 70 pages of book three, The Secret Empire, available as a free PDF download on my website.

Also, book one, The Golden Cord and book two, The Dragon Hunters, are now eBooks on Amazon.com, click on the titles to see them online and click "Like" on Amazon.

Production delays have changed the release date for book three, which will now be available as an eBook and trade paperback by January 10, 2012. Thank you all for your support, and I am so fortunate to have such great friends and fans.

Happy holidays and here's to a great new year.

Paul Genesse

Author of The Secret Empire

Book Three of the Iron Dragon Series

Review of Steampunk'd

2011-11-30T09:09:00.001-08:00

Excellent review of Steampunk'd.

http://doctorfantastiques.com/2011/11/steampunkd-edited-by-jean-rabe-and-martin-h-greenberg/

I love reading reviews like this one. It made my already excellent day.

Paul Genesse

Author of The Nubian Queen in Steampunk'd, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin Greenburg

Fully crafted characters podcast

2011-11-18T09:11:00.001-08:00

New podcast on crafting characters. I was on Dungeon Crawlers Radio. It's primarily a gaming podcast, but the principles work for novels too. Check it out here:

http://t.co/YRIpDssm

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact
www.thecrimsonpact.com

The First Church of Digital Salvation

2011-11-10T04:14:00.001-08:00

I’ve joined a new church. It’s called: The First Church of the Digital Salvation, and I first heard about it from the eVangelist himself, New York Times bestselling author Michael Stackpole, while I was at the recent World Fantasy Convention (San Diego, California 2011). Okay, so it’s not really a religious movement, but a publishing one. The paradigm of book publishing is shifting, and though I want to be part of the traditional model, I’m going to pursue the new one as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I do want some of my books to be in every bookstore in America and have one of the big publishers behind me, but a large part of the future is going to be ePublishing. I’ve already experimented with ePublishing with The Crimson Pact series that I’m editing, and soon (December 2011) my Iron Dragon series will be available as eBooks (as well as hard copies).

Part of my final conversion was because of a wonderful and long chat with two authors, K.W. Jeter, (also a member of the Church of Digital Salvation) and Michael Stackpole--the founder. Mr. Jeter is the guy famous for coining the term “steampunk” in addition to writing New York Times bestselling books.

The gist of what K.W. Jeter said to me is now online in a fascinating guest blog he wrote on Dean Wesley Smith’s blog. The link is at the end of this post.

One of the big take home points that Mr. Jeter made to me is this: traditional publishing is very frustrating to most authors. The process of writing a book often takes a year, then it takes a year for the literary agent to read it and sell it (the editor at the publisher doesn’t get back to the agent for a year quite often), then it takes two years (sometimes only one if you’re lucky) for the book to come out. Almost all books then go out of print, leaving the author even more frustrated.

There are also layers and layers of people at the publishing house who have to sign off on a project. The nature of the publishing industry is just slow and soul crushing for most people.

It doesn't have to be that way anymore. The eBook revolution has changed the rules and the whole paradigm is shifting.

Near the end of our talk, Mr. Jeter looked at me with some envy and said that I could go through most of my career without having to endure the pain that he and so many other authors have endured. I've already experienced my share of pain with traditional publishing, and the eBook revolution has given me new hope for the future.

K.W. Jeter gives a lot of great insights in his blog post on the eBook revolution, and read it here: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=5750

Happy writing and reading.

Paul Genesse
Member of The First Church of Digital Salvation
Editor of The Crimson Pact anthology series
www.thecrimsonpact.com

The Founders of Steampunk

2011-11-10T01:20:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends,

I attended a fascinating panel at the 2011 World Fantasy Convention held in San Diego, California: “The Founders of Steampunk.”

This was a very historic event, and fortunately, Moses Siregar, author extraordinaire, filmed it with the consent of the panelists. (linked at the end of this post)

This panel featured :

K.W. Jeter, James Blaylock, and Tim Powers.

John Berlyne served as the moderator. He's not a founder of steampunk, but is an expert on Tim Powers and wrote a book about Tim's works. He's also worked as a literary agent.

Here are a few notes I made during the panel and tidbits I wanted to share with all of you.

K.W. Jeter coined the term “steampunk” and he did so in 1987 in a letter to Locus Magazine.

Jeter, Blaylock and Powers were all students at Cal State Fullerton in 1969. They discovered Henry Mayhew’s book about London called, “London Labor London Poor,” which is a treasure trove of information on the Victorian era and the best research book on London ever. (Print copies are available for purchase online http://www.amazon.com/London-Labour-Wordsworth-Classics-Literature/dp/1840226196/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1320915385&sr=8-1 or you can find it as a free download—I’m not sure where, sorry).

Jeter, Blaylock, and Powers would each call dibs on specific parts of “London Labor London Poor” for their stories. The book has all the linguistic idioms of the times. There’s also a “London Underworld” book by Mayhew they mentioned as well, and it’s available as well. http://www.amazon.com/London-Underworld-Victorian-Period-First-Person/dp/0486440060/ref=pd_sim_b_1

My favorite quotes from the panel:

“We weren’t hampered by knowledge” (about science). “Any revision of history that we do is accidental, as we don’t know anything about the real history.” Tim Powers

“Imaginary science is better and more fun than real science.” K.W. Jeter

“Anubis Gates is a complete fake as far as steampunk.” Tim Powers (author of Anubis Gates)

“Homunculus (by James Blaylock 1986) and Infernal Devices (by K.W. Jeter 1987) are perfect steampunk.” Tim Powers *Side note, the sequel to Infernal Devices is coming out from Tor Books in 2013.

View the video of the panel here:
http://sciencefictionfantasybooks.net/tag/founders-of-steampunk/

Enjoy!

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact anthology series
www.thecrimsonpact.com

Spellbound Book II of the Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia

2011-11-05T14:10:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Here's a review of Spellbound, a "grim" noir superhero novel set in an alternate history 1920's Earth. I love the first one and they put a blurb from me on the back of the book.

http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/spellbound.html

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact anthology series
www.thecrimsonpact.com

Review of Monster Hunter Alpha by Larry Correia

2011-11-03T14:03:00.001-07:00

Review of Monster Hunter Alpha by Larry Correia

Werewolves are awesome, and the coolest werewolf character I’ve ever read about is Earl Shackleford. He goes by Earl “Harbinger” now, and he’s in charge of the monster hunting company, Monster Hunter International (MHI) in New York Times bestselling author Larry Correia’s uber cool urban fantasy world that mirrors our own.

I’m so glad Correia gave Earl his own book, Monster Hunter Alpha, as Earl was an important and mysterious, but secondary character in Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta—both excellent novels. In this third installment of the New York Times bestselling Monster Hunter franchise we get to learn more about Earl’s background, partly through fascinating journal entries, and we get to see how bad ass werewolves really are.

Earl’s tough, and since he’s nigh immortal, he’s been around since before World War I, he has a lot of experience to draw upon—though he’s only in control of his curse and the moon madness for part of the month. His life is exciting, deadly, and never boring when he decides to take a vacation. That’s what he tells the gang at MHI. In truth, he’s found out that his arch nemesis has surfaced, a Russian werewolf named Nikolai who Earl last battled in the jungles of Viet Nam. Armed with little information—and a truck full of guns and silver bullets—our monster hunting hero (who keep in mind is also a monster) is drawn to a middle of nowhere town in the frozen wilds of Michigan’s upper peninsula during a harsh blizzard.

A whole town of innocent people is attacked when an ancient artifact, buried in a mine near the town for decades, is finally located by a very devious villain—whose identity is secret for most of the book. Monster Hunter Alpha starts fast, and the story evolves a little more slowly after that, but like almost all great horror novels, the set-up pays huge dividends later.

Earl is assisted not by his crew from MHI, (Owen Pitt and the gang will have other books, don’t worry) but by the town’s deputy sheriff, Heather Kerkonen, a red head with a lot of fight in her who is related to the Norwegian guy who found the amulet and buried it in the mine long ago. She’s a well drawn character and a perfect compliment to Earl. The two of them form the core of the book and let me tell you, this would make a great movie or TV series. I think the dialogue alone is a screenwriter’s dream and Correia writes very cinematic scenes with everything you’d want in a movie, or a great book.

Monster Hunter Alpha is a top-notch urban fantasy action-horror novel with great thrills, chills, dark humor, and serious carnage. BIG GUNS, cool characters, many werewolf on werewolf battles, horrifying monsters, and a snowplow scene that you will never forget mark this as a killer book. It’s a lot of entertainment for $7.99, and the story builds to a truly amazing climax at the end that made me smile and wish for the next volume, Monster Hunter Legion.

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact Series
www.thecrimsonpact.com

Book Give-Away on Goodreads

2011-10-22T07:41:00.001-07:00

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Crimson Pact

by Paul Genesse

Giveaway ends December 01, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Review of Net Impact by Donald J. Bingle

2011-10-14T09:54:00.001-07:00

Net Impact by Donald J. Bingle is not your dad’s spy novel. This is a modern spy thriller about a realistic agent working for a shadow company, The Subsidiary, affiliated with several different sovereign nations. The details are crisp and main character is a fully drawn man with an exciting career in espionage, but a terrible life at home, as he rarely sees his wife and son, who are becoming more and more upset with his always gone lifestyle. His marriage is in serious trouble as he is sent on a mission to New Zealand to stop the transfer of unmanned drone plans and goes from there as our he uncovers the truth about a very diabolical plot apropos for our modern internet age.

The most fascinating thing about the novel is the inclusion of the fictional virtual world of Reality 2 Be, think Second Life, where a lot of secret and illegal activity happens—which is not fiction. I had no idea, but in the virtual worlds of the internet money is transferred, criminals conduct clandestine meetings, and rebels and terrorists get together right under the nose of the world governments who have no idea of how to monitor and police the virtual worlds. Sure, we’ve seen spies infiltrate the lairs of the bad guys, but I hadn’t seen one infiltrate a virtual world before, and it was cool to see how the plot brought the virtual and real world together in a very fascinating twist.

The strength of the book is the accurate main character, who is so good at what he does, but not in a sort of silly James Bond way. This is more of a Jason Bourne crossed with that cool uncle of yours who was a lineman in football, then army ranger, and a cop before he became a private consultant. He’s a realistic spy, who uses his keen intellect and pragmatic philosophy to get the job done—and he’s known for causing mass destruction, but he gets the mission accomplished no matter what. Sure, there are a few gunfights, fires, computer hacking moments, and big explosions, but OMG, the ending is pretty amazing and I didn’t see that one coming. I’m pretty certain no spy has ever used what this guy used to accomplish the mission at the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as Bingle’s other novels, Forced Conversion and Greensword. His short fiction has always entertained me as well, and I look forward to his next project.

Net Impact is a short, punchy, realistic spy thriller for the modern age, and once you read this, you’ll never look at the internet the same way again.

Paul Genesse, author and editor

Review of Shadow Valley

2011-10-03T00:08:00.001-07:00

Shadow Valley by Michael R. Collings

This is a very creepy horror novel by an esteemed and accomplished writer. The prose is smooth and interesting and builds to become quite intense at the end. The main character is Lila Ellis, a young woman who is trying to find out if anyone lives in an old house in a rural valley that is about to be flooded by a new dam project that will create a reservoir.

The book is short and easy to read, but it takes a while to really get going. The pace picks up when Lila gets into the house and discovers a chilling journal that spells out some of the sordid and complex history of the Stevenson family. Lila uncovers the secret past of the place and finds out about the curse that has taken so many people, especially young women who end up living there alone.

Right when Lila enters you know she’s made a huge mistake, but the twists are still quite interesting. The first thing she discovers is seventy boxes of chocolate with only one missing from each box. This was where it really started to get creepy and who knew that the smell of chocolate could be so scary? Collings excels at description and knows how to build an atmosphere of dread.

Overall, this is an interesting story, but some readers will find it a little slow. If you’re a fan of Stephen King, haunted house books, and family curses, this is definitely a book you'll enjoy.

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact

Top 10 Challenged Books of 2010

2011-10-02T04:10:00.001-07:00

I found this list and wanted to share it.

Top 10 Challenged Books of 2010
By Pam Gaulin | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Wed, Sep 21, 2011

Danger! Books ahead! Each year during Banned Books Week, the American Library Associationshares its list of the top 10 most frequently challenged books of 2010. Banned Books Week 2011 occurs Sept. 24 to Oct. 1. Few classics make the list, but there are penguins, vampires, a part-time Indian and angst-ridden, sexually-curious teens.

No. 1 "And Tango Makes Three" by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Unlike the other books on the list, "And Tango Makes Three" is a picture book, inspired by the true story (based on an incident at Central Park Zoo in Manhattan) of two male penguins, Roy and Silo, successfully incubating an egg. According to the ALA, it has been challenged due to "homosexuality, religious viewpoint" and is considered "unsuited to age group" (preschool to grade 3) "And Tango Makes Three" has remained the number one challenged book since 2006, with the exception of 2009 when Lauren Myracle's "ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r" (series) was the most challenged book.

No. 2 "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
Published in 2007, the book remained relatively under the censorship radar until 2010, debuting at the number two spot of most challenged books. The book is challenged for " offensive language, racism, sex education, sexually explicit, violence , and being unsuited to age group (grades seven through 10).

No. 3 "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
This was the only classic to make the 2010 list. Reasons the book was challenged include: "insensitivity, offensive language, racism and being sexually explicit." Huxley was ranked 36th on the most challenged author list from 2000 to 2009, and No. 54 from 1990 to 1999, according to theALA.

No. 4 "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins
Hopkins' book has been compared to another frequently challenged book, "Go Ask Alice." Published in 2004, 2010 is the first year "Crank" makes the top 10 list, thanks to " drugs, offensive language, and being sexually explicit."

No. 5 The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
When the highly anticipated movie premieres in 2012, this dystopian novel may jump a few notches on the challenged list. The book is challenged for violence, sexual explicitness and is considered unsuited to its intended age group (grades seven and up).

No. 6 "Lush" by Natasha Friend
The main character lives in a dysfunctional family with and alcoholic father. Although it was published in 2006, 2010 is the first year the book makes it to the most challenged list. Reasons include:"drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group (grades 7 and up).

No. 7 "What My Mother Doesn't Know" by Sonya Sones
Sones' book has bounced off and on the most challenged list in the last decade, mainly for "sexism, being sexually explicit, unsuited to age group," according to ALA.

No. 8 Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
Ehrenreich's book is the only non-fiction book on the list. Reasons for challenges include drugs, offensive language and religious viewpoint. It's also challenged due to its political viewpoint and for being "inaccurate," according to the ALA.

No. 9 "Revolutionary Voices" edited by Amy Sonnie
Rarely does a collection of stories make the top 10 list, but here it is. The book has been challenged for "homosexuality and being sexually explicit."

No. 10 "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Meyer's vampire phenomenon has dropped down in its ranking for 2010, last year there were even "more dangerous" books on the shelves. In 2009 "Twilight" the series ranked at number five. The series is challenged most frequently due to violence and its religious viewpoint.

Dance with Dragons Review

2011-09-26T01:37:00.001-07:00

I finished reading book five in the Song of Ice and Fire Series, Dance with Dragons, by George R.R. Martin (GRRM) a couple of days ago. HBO is doing the show, Game of Thrones based on the books.

Anyway, GRRM is my favorite living fantasy author, and I loved the first three books. Book four, A Feast for Crows was suspect, and I hoped Dance would be awesome. It had some great moments and I really got into it after 500 pages (it's 1,000 pages long), but in the end, it had some major flaws and was so slow and ponderous for much of the book.

I read the last 500 pages in 24 hours, staying up for a really long time, but there was almost no resolution and the plot moved along not at all or perhaps took some steps backward. It's been five years since the last book and this one was a disappointment in the end, which makes me very sad. If GRRM pulls this off and finishes the series in seven books and the last two are triumphant, maybe these last two will be forgiven, but only time will tell. I have high hopes.

I could have written a giant review and gone over all the details, but I found two reviews on Amazon.com that really sum up all of my thoughts extremely well. Please check them out.

Kate Morris's review on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1MX2X2306JX3W/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0553801473&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode=

V. Glass's review on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/review/ROKRKBFUB4UQB/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0553801473&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode=

Paul Genesse

Editor of The Crimson Pact

Dance with Dragons Review

2011-09-26T01:29:00.001-07:00

Kate Morris's review on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1MX2X2306JX3W/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

V. Glass's review on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/review/ROKRKBFUB4UQB/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0553801473&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode=

Paul Genesse

Editor of The Crimson Pact

Net Impact

2011-09-26T00:20:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

I wanted to pass along some info about one of my favorite writers. Donald Bingle. I just started reading his new book, Net Impact and it's a very awesome spy thriller. Check out the promo email below from Don and please get a copy if it interests you. The trade paperback recently came out and you can also get an electronic copy. Check out the message below.

Happy Reading,

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact

Donald J. Bingle's new spy novel, Net Impact, is now out in trade paperback and the electronic version is on Barnes & Noble's website, bn.com, for the Nook eReader, and on Amazon.com for the Kindle. You can also order it through me and my website, as well as my publisher's (Alliteration Ink) website, Amazon, and other sites.

Hopefully, a few of you might read it and consider posting an honest and thoughtful review on your blog, social networking site, bookseller webpage, or other review site (Shelfari, Goodreads, etc.) to help get the ball rolling on word-of-mouth even before the official release date.

Here's the link for Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/net-impact-donald-j-bingle/1104338088?ean=2940012769886&itm=1&usri=net%2bimpact%2bbingle

Here's the link for Amazon/Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Net-Impact-ebook/dp/B005DJ94YQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311298214&sr=1-1

Or get it on Alliteration Ink's website: http://alliterationink.com/store.html

Here's some promo text to tempt you.

Dick Thornby is not Hollywood's idea of a spy. In his rough and tumble job there are no tailored Italian suits, no bimbos eager to please, and no massive underground fortresses built by evil overlords seeking world domination—just an endless series of sinister threats to the safety and security of the billions of mundane citizens of the planet. Sure, Dick's tough and he knows a few tricks to help him get out of a tight spot, even if his boss accuses him of over-reliance on an abundance of explosives. But he's also got a mortgage, a wife upset by his frequent absences on "business" trips, and an increasingly alienated teen-age son who spends way too much time playing in gaming worlds on the computer.

When a mission to bust up an arms exchange in New Zealand goes spectacularly bad, ending with the showy destruction of the Dunedin port facility, Dick is thrown into a maze of conflict involving Hong Kong arms dealers, cyber-criminals, Chinese government goons attempting to suppress computer access by dissidents, and even militant Maoris seeking rocket launchers to shoot down tourist-laden jumbo jets. Then a young computer expert back at the Philadelphia headquarters for The Subsidiary, an international espionage agency created in the aftermath of 9/11, discovers that the bad guys are involved in a vast conspiracy. Dick is forced to partner with the espionage neophyte to battle evil on multiple fronts, leading to a final confrontation that incorporates real-world conspiracy theories and cutting-edge technology.

In the end, Dick can save his partner, save his marriage, save his son, or save the world, but he can't do it all.

Body or Soul by Chanté McCoy

2011-09-18T04:22:00.001-07:00

Body or Soul

by Chanté McCoy

An earthquake rips through my body. I gasp, my breath taken away. Never before have I felt such pain. I’m afraid it will rip me apart. Is the time already so near? Will I find Darrius Papadas before the blessed event?

The pain recedes. Slowly, my lungs work again, and I push off from the wall of the tall rocky tower to continue down the etched steps, each footfall hesitant until I feel the stone beneath me. The stairs are too steep for my short legs. They shake. And my mind still spins from being sent from my home atop the mountain and the vision of Deacon Stefanou lying bloody at the feet of the Reverend Abbot. How quickly the world changed after years of sameness.

The village, my destination, sprawls in the shadowed triangular plain below. From above, with their white walls and red clay-tiled roofs, the houses look like a cluster of square-cut revani almond cake. My empty stomach gurgles at the thought. I’m thirsty too from the climb down. I suck the insides of my cheeks.

It feels like I’ll never reach the bottom, though I near the canopy of sycamores and laurels reaching toward the sky. On the narrow stairway with its long drop, I feel suspended between the ground and the open blue above, an odd purgatory bridging heaven and earth. The winter wind sliding around the mountain side threatens to push me earthward. At its calmest, the wind chills me, billowing my loose tunic cinched at the waist. My thin leggings do little against the cold. I wish I’d had time to grab my heavy cloak.

Another tremor ripples through me. Not as bad as before. I stay upright, although it is harder with the growing child inside. No longer a quickening, it pushes out my sides and kicks and shoves within. When it stretches, my skin grows taut, and bumps rise and fall along my left side. I walk lopsided, increasingly hunched from the sharing of my body with another.

I should have told the Abbot about the baby. I know that. But, when I first realized it, I was scared. What could I say? Was it blasphemy or a blessing? I couldn’t decide. I can read the Holy Book, taught by the monks. I studied it at night, after my chores, hoping to find a clue as to what was happening. The scriptures that rang true, speaking to what can only be a miracle, were the stories of Mary and the miraculous conception of Christ. Perhaps the Holy Spirit had also visited me.

Before I approached the Abbot to tell him all, time ran out. He sent me fleeing from the monastery. Now I wonder whether I will ever see home again.

Read the rest of this awesome story in The Crimson Pact Volume 2

The Crimson Pact Volume 2

2011-09-09T06:31:00.001-07:00

The Pact is back and demons are as devious as ever in The Crimson Pact Volume 2.

Read 28 original stories (over 500 pages in print!), including many sequels to stories in volume one. Suzzanne Myers’s powerful flash fiction piece, “Withered Tree” continues with the exceptional short story, “Seven Dogs.” Chanté McCoy’s “Inside Monastic Walls” is followed by the literally gut-wrenching follow-up short story, “Body and Soul.” Urban fantasy mayhem is off the charts with rising star Patrick Tomlinson’s “Monsters in the Closet” and Robert D. Hamm’s “Karma.” Steampunk your thing? EA Younker’s steampunk apocalypse tale “Stand,” Sarah Hans’ sequel about professor Campion, “A More Ideal Vessel,” and Elaine Blose’s steampunk Western “Wayward Brother” will whet your appetite. The dark fantasy and adventure continues in “Dark Archive,” Sarah Kanning writes how Danielle from “Hidden Collection” must deal with the lingering effects of being possessed by a demon. Volume two mixes sequels from Gloria Weber, Justin Swapp, and Isaac Bell with new stories from Lester Smith, Kathryn McGee, Adam Israel, Valerie Dircks, T.S. Rhodes, Elizabeth Shack, Daniel Alonso, and Nayad Monroe.

New York Times Bestselling author and Campbell award nominee Larry Correia presents an exclusive short story, “Son of Fire, Son of Thunder” co-authored by Steven Diamond, about an FBI paranormal investigator and a bad ass marine who knows the exact moment of his own death. Travel to the alternate history Earth of the “Red Bandanna Boys” by Patrick M. Tracy and find out how ruthless you have to be to survive the slums of St. Nikolayev. Follow “The Trail of Blood” by Alex Haig, a horrifying Western about a bounty hunter who wants vengeance, not money. Hunt for Nazis in a disturbing 1950’s America in “Hunters Incorporated” by Kelly Swails. Patrol the steaming jungles of Vietnam with a squad of soldiers in Lon Prater’s “Last Rites in the Big Green Empty.” Then enter the mind of a godlike demon in Donald J. Bingle’s ambitions tale, “Dark Garden,” or visit the creepy shadow world created by Richard Lee Byers in “Light and Dark.”

Watch your back, the demons are coming. Check out the book on Amazon.com or get it from the publisher, Alliteration Ink., where you will get the eBook in all formats.

Paul Genesse

Editor of The Crimson Pact Volumes 1 and 2

Autograph Session at World Con--Saturday 1-2PM

2011-08-20T01:28:00.001-07:00

I found out I'll be autographing at World Con with the following authors: John Joseph Adams, Rachel Bloom, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Ian McDonald, Jo Walton, Sheila Williams, and Larry Niven.

Wow. Larry Niven is a legend, as is John Joseph Adams. I'm friends with Diana Pharaoh Francis, and look forward to meeting the others.

I'll be giving away free stuff and signing autographs from 1-2 PM in the dealer's room, and will give away some free posters and more . . .

Paul Genesse

My World Con 2011 Schedule

2011-08-16T01:27:00.001-07:00

My World Con Schedule:

I'm arriving on Thursday afternoon, August 18 and am staying in the Peppermill Hotel

That night I'm planning dinner with friends and I'm going to attend the Night Bazaar Party at the Atlantis Hotel

Take Tammy dancing?

Friday August 19: Hang at the con, see friends and enjoy panels and more. I might even go to the pool with Tammy.

Saturday August 20: Signing at 1:00 PM. I'll have only two copies of The Crimson Pact Volume 1 ($15), plus some eBooks burned on CD's ($5), and everyone who comes will get a free limited edition poster of the cover of The Crimson Pact Volume 1, and Volume 2.

The signing is . . .

When: Sat 1pm – 2pm
Where: Hall 2 (RSCC)
Who: Paul Genesse, with: John Joseph Adams, Ian McDonald, Jo Walton

Editing Anthologies
When: Sat 3pm – 4pm
Where: A09 (RSCC)
Who: David Malki! (M), Jennifer Brozek, John Joseph Adams, Ellen Datlow
(I'm planning on attending this panel.)

How do editors approach anthologies? Do they just call their friends, or do they (or their assistants) plow through slushpiles? Do the “Best ofs” present special issues?

Dinner!

Hugo Award Ceremony
When: 8pm – 10pm (approx.)
Where: Tuscany Ballroom (Peppermill)

Take Tammy Dancing?!

Sunday: Sleep in! Maybe hit the pool, say goodbye to friends who are leaving, but I'm staying until Wednesday to relax and visit friends and family who live in the Reno area.

Villains, Essay by Sabrina Klein

2011-08-09T09:04:00.001-07:00

Villain. It’s a word that is used to describe criminals, those who are evil, and sometimes by one side to describe the other. It wasn’t always that way until about 1822… previously it used to mean a person in a village who was free from their feudal lord. So what is a villain? We can generate countless adjectives, bad, nefarious, evil, maniacal, cruel, vicious, sadistic, vile, terrible, insidious, and naughty, among other words used. Is this character all that is the antithesis of the hero or do they have something in common? Or is it the one that the reader chooses to root against for some personal reason? Villains are made the same way any other character is made. They have parents-or some beginning, likes and dislikes, goals, and a driving force behind their personality- a history. They are people… not objects or motives without personality. It’s not necessarily their motives that are in the limelight but their methodology on route to their objectives.

Just because the character opposes the hero isn’t enough. They must have an agenda, a purpose of their own. ‘Muwhahahahaha’ isn’t a villain, its several syllables strung together. Neither is the mushy efficacious super-genius, or the miscreant individual who drinks revenge like fish drink water. Villains don’t exist just to make life harder for the hero. They must be three-dimensional or the hero is afflicted by the same two-dimensionalism because there is no real threat to his person or his cause. Your hero is only as glorious as your villain is wretched. Doing things for the sake of evil isn’t good enough there has to be a motive, even within the insane mind there is a motive. Villain is a matter of perspective. Often the villain thinks that he or she is doing the right thing, but are they?

Truth is, if the reader doesn’t hate, despise, and/or want the villain dead more than anything… the writer hasn’t done their job. Fear, that’s a good one too, and it been a LONG time since I have seen a villain that was truly frightening. Gore doesn’t a villain make-animals are gory, beasts of limited understanding are gory just because there is blood and guts it’s not scary. Alternatively, a villain that is afraid of a larger villain. There is a food chain among the evil, and there is always a bigger fish with sharper teeth and there always will be. Often I think too much is revealed about a villain, as human nature is to fear what they don’t understand, and/or fear the unknown. If the villains true nature is unknown it can be frightening. Moreover, if the nature of their actions is unknown it can also create apprehension.

So now to get personal about it. Why is it that everyone insists on creating these mushy villains? Bad guys that scream syllables and continue on their way as if the hero is but a nuisance are flat. If the hero is a nuisance then the writer better prove to me the villain is a LARGE pain, and the story shouldn’t be from the hero’s point of view. It should be about the villain. Villains are not two-dimensional beings they are real….just as much as the hero is real. Villains that you see are not always the true villain of the story often times there is a motivation behind the evil. People don’t do things just to do them. Something always pushes for a reaction, desire for something, revenge, power, and object of their craving. For example, Shere Kahn goes after Mowgli because he wants to eat him for being in his forest (in the most basic sense); it’s about a desire for dominance within the villain’s lands. It’s also the portrayal of that evil that a villain should enjoy what they are doing, especially if it’s in. Occasionally, if the villain is doing something vile to the villain that disgusts him show it. Say that torture disgusts the villain, offends his higher sensibilities, there is a reason-why didn’t we know it nor have some clue beforehand. If he is willing to push past his own morals to obtain his objective then it must mean a great deal to him, why? He/ she has a reason flush it out.

Make a villain with substance please. If you don’t it’s an insult to your hero. Because your hero is laughable, he has nothing to fight because your villain has no substance. ‘Muwhahahahahaha doesn’t a villain make’ neither does revenge for the sake of revenge, or power because he is a power hungry mongrel. There is a reason he seeks power or revenge, find it, use it, define him/ her with it. Make your reader sympathize just a little with the villain, it humanizes them makes them reachable, redeemable, and connectable. People want to see redemption. It’s human nature for people love and hope-use the villain to take it away and then use the hero to take it back. What makes it more fun is later making them understand that he isn’t redeemable, and then proving it making them hate the villain all over again.

Villains have a converse relationship with the hero of the story, and it is their methods that continually define them- not the results of their actions, regardless of how complex you make them. For example; Lord Darkness from the movie Legend (1984) wants to destroy sunlight to rule the world, but he feels that he must corrupt the soul of the princess to do it to truly feel complete. How does he do it? He makes her do it for him, and that is far more sinister than forcing her to do evil acts to make her like it. He uses persuasion, manipulation, and intelligence. His methods are what make him what he is, not just his personality or what he is. He is a demon, and by all standards of point of view that in itself makes him evil, but so is Hellboy, it is his actions and methods that help define him as evil.

Voldemort, now there is a classic villain. He wants power, but he has seized the methods by which to insure his success himself (horcruxes). His minions are just that minions, and in each instance it is his methodology that he puts forward. Not simply his desire world domination, power, or magical cleansing. Truly it is his nemesis that is important to speak of here because he has two. That’s right you heard me two. Harry Potter of course being the first, but Dumbledore is the second and original nemesis. They are in many capacities equal in power if not knowledge. The power base shifts Dumbledore holds power and knowledge as advantages initially, and then knowledge is his only visible advantage later on. Harry becomes Voldemort’s nemesis as a baby and doesn’t have power or knowledge until much later. Yet what Harry lacks in knowledge he makes up for in determination a determination that matches Voldemort’s, and is fueled by revenge. This is important. There must usually be something that is in balance between the villain and the hero. Balance for Harry and Voldemort is determination but for Dumbledore and Voldemort its sheer magical power.

As for villains that in my opinion really are rather worthless we have all run into them. They are forgettable, worthless, and don’t stand out except for the moment we encounter them perplexed as to ‘and why isn’t this idiot defeated yet?’. Villains are the worlds-your world’s most memorable individuals, with the exception of your heroes. When you ask someone for a worthless villain, lame villain, stupid villain they think for a moment because they have to remember him/her unless the villain has become hated for the fact that they are just that horrible at their job. I have a few that make me mad and I will name them.

Jareth from the film Labyrinth. He poses no threat to Sara. The only thing he hangs over her head is turning her brother into a goblin, and he sends “the cleaners” after her after she escapes from the oubliette. Hs minions are worse than he is. Most people remember him for the music added by the actor, who did a wonderful job with a character that could have been much better.

There is another type of villain, villains that deserve mention but are forgotten because the heroes they fight are worthless. Often times we are frustrated with them and then ignore the story because the hero is somehow unworthy of the victory because the author lets them win. It’s the same response when you play a game and someone let’s you win, the satisfaction of winning loses its luster, feeling hollow. Gargamel from The Smurfs, Purple Pie man from Strawberry Shortcake, and Hook from Peter Pan (Disney Version).

World Building: Geography by Sabrina Klein

2011-08-09T08:50:00.001-07:00

Geography when creating a world…

This quote sticks with me every time I create a fantastical landscape, and I believe that word for word it is especially true in this case. “The reader will suspend disbelief-he won’t suspend common sense.” The quote comes from David Gerrold’s Worlds of Wonder. I believe it to be an essential law because people take for granted about what they know in regards to landscape. If in a non-magical setting I surround an icy plain with a hot sandy desert, you’re going to call me nuts. Your suspension of disbelief-gone. Yet, if in that description I explain the icy plain is at an elevation is 20,000 feet above sea level, and below it is the sandy desert now your brain is okay, mostly. Previously I have written about creating cultures for worlds in deserts, taigas, ocean and fresh water shores, ocean deeps, grasslands, woodlands, rivers, lakes, and jungles. Each time I took the ecology apart by the aspects of culture. What I did not do was talk about how they work together themselves as landscapes.

Ecology depends on many things; geology, biology, & climatology to start with, and how these things fit together to make a system. When you create, a geography you need to thinks about several things. Can these places exist near each other? Deserts can exist next to the sea yet when the woodlands meet the sea directly they become something else with different rules- a mangrove. The nature of our planet has come up with some bizarre things to make things work together. Research it before you decide to make your own rules. You might be surprised they might exist, and require only a bit of twisting for your purposes. Generally, unless you have come up with a way to explain otherwise in logical means, obey the science humans know. I know it’s boring, but unless you intend on making up new logic and spending eternity explaining-it’s simpler. You spend more time writing and less time worldbuilding. If you have reasons-logical ones or fantastical ones offer up an explanation, it will help suspend the disbelief. Just be careful not to push too far. People are accepting of fantastical creatures, but the places they exist are where the suspension of disbelief in my experience can be more fragile. This is not always the case, try it the worst you’ll have is a learning experience, and those are never a waste.

Geography is about many things. For world-builders, it is how we make the map. First, you need to make the map so that not just you can understand it. There are four essentials to EVERY MAP; title, a legend or key, north arrow, & scale. Title, you have to have it, and it tells people what the map represents. Legends, A.K.A. a key that explains the symbols on your map, if ˄ is used for mountains then put it in a box somewhere on the map and tell people that ˄ is mountains. If I is used for forests, then label it in the legend as such. Otherwise, when other people look at your map they will not understand it. Third, directional compasses are more than a convenience. Most people who make maps for a living will tell you labeling North is a good thing. (North doesn’t have to always point up. You can also use other directions as long as one of them is labeled.) Without a North arrow, there is no orientation for the user. Fifth, Scale is a fabulous thing. We are all familiar with the annoying phrase…”are we there yet?” Without scale you would not be able to know that 10 miles away is you destination and the answer after going 200 miles is, almost. Knowing how large the place you’re describing is essential. You may know how big it is, but does someone else? For example below is another map.

For a moment look at it, and think about what it is. Where is it? If I were to tell you, you were in the middle and you needed to get to the sea. Even more frustrating you have no real idea, which is water green, or brown. This is why you need a Key. Would you know which way to go? Would you be able to tell anything without the North arrow? No. It is missing. Suppose I tell you that up is actually down and North is at the bottom of the map? It might help, but without more information, you’re probably not going to find your way. From the middle of the map, it’s about 300 miles to the sea. Nevertheless, without knowing the scale of the map you still don’t know what direction. Now if it just had a title that would explain volumes. If I call the map, ‘Central Confederate States 1864’ does that help. Maybe, actually probably.

However, if I redo the map as below it becomes much clearer with the Title, North arrow, Key/Legend, & scale. Even though the title implies historic value, you now know where to go if you’re a resident of the US. The only thing that I would do more is label the Gulf of Mexico, and I would do that if my audience did not know the US. Otherwise, it is unnecessary.

Now that we have discussed the elements of a map, what about the ecology of the map? Truly, that is up to you. Remember to logically place ecologies next to each other, or to use geographic boundaries such as; water, elevation (up or down), or a fantastical approach is always acceptable as long as it comes with an explanation. When creating a map don’t attempt to put too much information onto one map. Make a line map of the area and then do a map of political boundaries and one of geological and ecological information. They can be combined easily later. However, seeing them separate sometimes brings a perspective when you are starting out. Combined them later, and you will find decisions about what is necessary and is not easier to communicate, and your map will appear much more elegant. Maps are pictures and pictures speak a thousand words, but the four elements of the map; title, legend, scale, directional arrow are necessary for accurate communication.

Authors have used maps to create their worlds. Piers Anthony used the state of Florida. Kevin Simbieda used the whole planet, and Terry Brooks used the Pacific North-west. Many people have used our world as a basis for theirs. If you don’t know where to begin think about what kind of place your story is set in. What is the land around like? Maybe woods, if so what type? Woodlands can exist in tropics, swamps, taigas, and temperate climates. Then if you’re at a loss for what to draw go to the library, get the biggest most used atlas they have, and look for places on earth you know have these places. When you find one, turn the map look at it from another angle. Places often don’t look like what they are without that sacred North orientation. Often times I have found inspiration in doing so. The map of the landscape of my world started on a map of central Asia.

Sources that will help you create a believable ecology include the following or at least I have found them useful;

• Biomes of the Earth series are awesome. These books are textbooks for young people, and older editions are available on amazon ranging from .47 cents to 18 dollars used last time I checked. There are several in the series; Taiga 0816053294, Lakes and rivers 0816053286, Oceans, Tundra 0816053251, Grasslands 0816053235, Temperate Forests 0816053219, Wetlands, Tropical Forests 0816053227, Agricultural and Urban areas 081605326X, those are the individual ones that I could find. Older editions will serve you just as well as the new ones. The set I am familiar with was from 2006. Check your library or interlibrary loan. Here is the ISBN for the set; which is unfortunately expensive about $395.00 0816053197. So if you are interested look for older editions. For the most part, they will have what you need.

• Other books that might be of use are the DK publishing series. These are absolutely awe inspiring. The Smithsonian books are often the same if you look on the inside.

o Universe 0756636701
o Earth 0756661153
o Oceans 0756636922
o Animals 0756616344

Also, check out this post by Paul Genesse on World Building, Geography
http://paulgenesse.blogspot.com/2008/02/world-building-geography-and-maps.html

Hard Magic Review

2011-08-02T12:34:00.001-07:00

Hard Magic by New York Times bestselling author Larry Correia is a really great book and so much fun to read. Imagine X-Men crossed with the 1920’s period show by HBO, Boardwalk Empire. It sounds awesome, and it turned out to live up to its billing.

This novel is the first in the Grimnoir Chronicles and promises to be a really fantastic series, with three books under contract—book two, Spellbound is coming out November 1, 2011 by the way so there’s not long to wait for the sequel.

Hard Magic is set in an alternate history Earth where people all over the world have spontaneously manifested what can only be described as super powers—it can’t be magical powers, can it? This awakening happened in the late 1800’s, I believe, and world has been changed forever. People usually have only one power and can change gravity, teleport, and do many of the things you’d imagine superheroes can do, except maybe fly. Those with powers are called “Actives” and the rest of the people in the world, who are the major majority, are mostly frightened by them and there is a backlash, similar to the mutant backlash in X-Men. People usually have only one power and are known by names such as: Heavies, Brutes, Fades, Cogs, Mouths, Movers, Finders, Healers, Pale Horses, Weatherman, Torches, Travelers, and so many more.

The world building is top notch and well researched. The time period is 1920’s or 30’s and the alternate history alone makes this worth the read. Various figures from our own history are in this novel or are mentioned and it’s cool to see the exciting spin that Correia put on things. There are also little quotes at the beginning of the chapters that give insight into the world and the history of things. World War I was so much worse than the one from our history—which is saying a lot—and many of the characters in the book are veterans, with terrible memories of the fighting in Europe. It’s definitely dark stuff, but very fascinating.

There are a lot of characters in this book, but the main ones are Jake Sullivan (a Heavy), the big guy featured on the cover, and a hick girl from Oklahoma named Faye (she’s a Traveler), who just might be the most powerful “Active” in the world, though no one really understands that fact until late in the book . . .

Jake Sullivan is a hard-boiled hero who has been in prison and is still in love with Delilah, a dame with a disreputable past, and some serious power (she’s a Brute). Delilah is on the cover, though she should have had brown hair. Anyway, they’re both great characters, but this is an ensemble book with multiple points of views, which is a weakness in most fiction, but Correia never switches POV’s in mid sentence and breaks chapters or sections before going to a new character. This makes it a little hard to follow at times, but after you get familiar with everyone it’s easy to keep all the characters straight and this story couldn’t have been told from one or two points of view. There’s also a great glossary in the back that details much of the world building related to the powers that the “Actives” have. I also liked the illustrations in the book, which were drawn in the 1930’s pulp style by Zachary Hill.

Correia keeps the action going at a rapid pace and the enemies of the heroes, who are members of the Grimnoir Society, are really bad news. In the Grimnoir universe, The Imperium is of course, the Empire of Japan, and they’re starting to take over using their own specially developed Actives who are after a weapon that will allow them to take over the world. The heroes, mostly Grimnoir Knights, get to battle machine gun and sword wielding samurai that are nigh indestructible, teleporting ninjas, zombies, gangsters, and more. There’s airships, superhero smack downs, lots of guns, and great writing. If you enjoy lots of action and have a special place in your heart for super heroes, this is the book for you.

Highly Recommended

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact Volume 1 & 2
www.thecrimsonpact.com

How To Behave On A Panel

2011-07-28T01:46:00.001-07:00

My friend, Steven Saus sent along a great link to The Crimson Pact authors about a blog post regarding how to behave when you're on a panel.

Here's the link to Michelle's excellent post.

And here's the email I sent out in reply:

Steven, thanks for sending along that link. I just read all of Michelle's lengthy post on panels and most of the 44 comments I saw today. She's correct to a major degree and it's definitely a good idea to follow her advice.

The panel is about X, X being the topic of the panel, not you, (Y). If the moderator asks you about how you handled X (the panel topic) in a story or novel, you (Y) are allowed to talk about it, which equals Z, but keep Z relevant and brief and entertaining--no long discourses--which bother almost everyone and will cause the wrong kind of ZZZZZZZZ to happen.

There's a slippery slope when it comes to talking about your own work, but I can't go with what Michelle was endorsing 100%, which is never talking about your own work, as apparently Connie Willis never talks about her own work. I think you have to talk about it very briefly when you give your introduction in the beginning, and at the end when you say thank you to the audience, and when someone asks about it--which is usually the moderator--which is what Michelle endorsed as well.

I've attended a ton of panels over the past 19 years, and have been on a ton more since 2005, and they're hard to pull off without a good moderator.

I recommend getting in at least one mention of your work, at the end of the panel after you say thank you where you make your final thought about the panel topic, and then say, "Thanks for coming to this panel, and I'll be doing a reading of my urban fantasy story, _________, from The Crimson Pact anthology tomorrow at 3 in the Cedar room, and I hope to see you there. I'm going to give away a free e-copy of the antho at the end of the reading. Thanks again."

Hand the mic to the moderator. Wait outside for a few minutes and see if anyone wants to chat.

Another bit of advice: Prepare yourself for the panel. Research the topic and never, ever say, "I have no idea why I'm on this panel." You're a writer, prep for it, do some research. I almost always walk out if someone on the panel says that line now. It feels like they're wasting my time. If the other panelists are great authorities on this topic, I'll stick around, but if the whole panel acts like they don't have any knowledge on the topic and are just bullshitting me, I don't like it.

Michelle's blog post is a good one for sure, so if you're going to be on a panel please check it out.

Paul Genesse, Author and Editor

Editor of The Crimson Pact Volume 1
(Alliteration Ink., March 2011)

Author Website: www.paulgenesse.com
Author Blog: http://paulgenesse.blogspot.com/

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Dungeon Crawlers Radio Interview

2011-06-28T17:02:00.001-07:00

Here's a link to an interview I did with Dungeon Crawlers Radio. You can stream it or download it here. I spill lots of details on what I've been up to and how rough the publishing industry can be.

http://dungeoncrawlersradio.mypodcast.com/2011/06/DCR_CONDuit_XXI_Paul_Genesse-353213.html

Paul Genesse

Editor of The Crimson Pact

www.thecrimsonpact.com

Review of The Crimson Pact Volume 1

2011-06-10T00:18:00.001-07:00

Review of The Crimson Pact Volume 1

Here’s insight into why I accepted each story for my first anthology.

First of all I’m very proud of the stories in The Crimson Pact Volume 1, which released as an eBook from Alliteration Ink in late March 2011 and is available from the major eBook stores or in all eBook formats at www.thecrimsonpact.com. The authors did a great job and I was so pleased to help craft this collection.

Here’s an editor’s review of what you’ll find in this 26 story anthology, which includes a New York Times Bestselling author, many previously published novelists, and several flash fiction authors (1,000 words or less is considered flash) who won a spot after an open call for submissions. The stories are high fantasy, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, several styles of steampunk, fantasy noir, and a few post-apocalyptic fantasy stories. There’s definitely something for everyone.

What’s it about? Well, the whole anthology series creates a shared world without a shared world with this premise: The Crimson Pact vowed to destroy the demons of the Rusted Vale . . . but the demons had their own secret plan and escaped, invading dozens of worlds . . . These are stories set in many different worlds about the men and women who have refused to let the demons win.

Here’s a short review of each of the stories in the order they appear in the eBook.

The Failed Crusade by Paul Genesse and Patrick Tracy

It’s gotten a lot of excellent reviews and you can read it for free right here. I’m very proud of it, but the lion’s share of the credit goes to Patrick Tracy, who took an idea and made it awesome. We shaped the story together, but it was mostly Pat who did the writing. Barbara Webb also helped edit this story and the end product turned out great.

The Failed Crusade is about a doomed general trying to destroy the last remnants of a demonic army. In the carnage that remains after the last great battle, he discovers that his enemies have been smarter than anyone imagined. In the moment when they should have been annihilated, the demons escaped into other unsuspecting worlds. The only way for him to pursue them and fulfill the Pact is to cross the void as a spirit . . . by sacrificing his own life.

Solitary Life by Donald J. Bingle

I chose this story to open the anthology because of the awesome voice Don used in this first person narrator story. I love the first person point of view (POV) when it’s done well. The main character recounts his final days as a chief warden in a medieval prison on a distant world. A mysterious prisoner comes to his attention and events occur which impacts everyone. I think it’s a great story and I thought it was a good way to ease people into this extremely varied anthology. Don has written a ton of excellent short stories and novels and his skill is evident in Solitary Life.

Inside Monastic Walls by Chanté McCoy

I love this flash story and my slush reader pleaded with me to accept this into the anthology. He wrote “you, want, want, want this one!!!” I also loved it and was so happy that Chanté submitted. It turned out to be one of my favorites in the whole anthology. The story is set in Greece, in an area of orthodox monasteries called Meteora. It’s set in the early 1900’s and recounts the tale of young Phideas, whose monastery is invaded by a darkly evil thing and the poor boy is right in the middle of it all. I was totally creeped out by this story. There is a sequel coming in volume 2 and it’s as awesome as the first one.

Brother’s Keeper by Lester Smith

This is a fun flash piece by a legendary writer, Lester Smith, who is one of my personal inspirations. I had a devilish grin when I read Brother’s Keeper and very much enjoyed the voice of the narrator. I think you will too.

Stained with Nightmare Juice by Isaac Bell

This is a brilliant piece of urban fantasy and I loved it. It’s in the top three best short stories in the collection. The narrator is a somewhat crazy homeless man (who has totally lost his marbles, figuratively and literally). He’s got some unique abilities and sees spirits all the time—or is he just schizophrenic? The tone and style are a bit on the profane side, but I completely thought it was realistic and I very much enjoyed this story about demonic spirits coming to the streets of a major city and causing mayhem. The narrator enlists a man with his own powers called Oldshoe to help track down and root out the demons. I was so blown away by this piece and I think most of you will be as well. I’m still thinking about the story months after I first read it.

To Duty Sworn by Jess Hartley

Jess Hartley is a very accomplished author and her skill is apparent from the first few lines. The story tells of a disciple of the Brotherhood of Saint Hubert who is given a very delicate and serious task. This is a character study set in a medieval world and I loved the archaic feel to the prose. The story itself has you wondering what’s going to happen up to the last line.

Hidden Collection by Sarah Kanning

Who knew libraries had such dark secrets hidden in them? Sarah Kanning knows and she’s shared this tale about a young librarian who wants to get her eyes on the hidden collection at the new library she ends up working in. What she finds probably should have been burned and her life is never going to be same. I’m hoping for a sequel in volume 2.

Inquest by Barbara J. Webb

This modern day urban fantasy set in the southern part of the U.S. tells the tale of a young priest with some magical talents (think about the movie Constantine and Keanu Reeves character for a reference). The priest is giving a type of deposition (it’s an inquest) to his superiors about an incident involving a small town, a summoning ritual, and multiple deaths. The twists in this story and horror elements make it so awesome.

The Things That Crawl by Richard Lee Byers

This story will creep you out. It’s an urban, or rather rural fantasy set in the swamps of Florida during a hurricane. The main character, a cop with a lot of personal issues ends up in what I think of as a really scary Stephen King movie.
There are many things that crawl and the villain is so nasty. I love this story.

Monsters Under the Bed by Patrick S. Tomlinson

This turned out to be one of the most popular stories in the anthology and I love how it turned out. It’s about a female paranormal investigator who is brought in to help solve a particularly grisly murder. She’s teamed with a male cop and the tension is quite good. There is also a missing little girl and a monster that I will refrain from mentioning, as I don’t want to give any spoilers. There will be a sequel in volume 2.

Sins of the Father by Kathy Watness

This short story is an urban (actually rural) fantasy with the feel of a traditional fantasy. It’s the most poetic and beautiful story in the collection and is about a woman named Sylvia who has powers over spirits and the dead. Sylvia and her fey partner have to battle a dark spirit that has gotten loose into her world. Kathy Watness really did a great job. The imagery, the world building, and the character are all top notch.

Crimson Mail by Gloria Weber

This flash fiction piece has it all, death, disasters, a great character in a tough situation and all in under 1,000 words.

Cherry Picking by Rebecca L. Brown

Rebecca is an excellent and accomplished British writer and she wrote an awesome flash fiction story in the urban fantasy vein about a demonic drug dealer with very beautiful hands. This is what flash fiction is all about. Check it out and see how a pro does it right.

Chicago’s Finest by T.S. Rhodes

This is a wonderful flash piece about the girliest cop in Chicago who has a very unexpected encounter with a demon at her nephew’s school. Strong character is critical and Rhodes pulls it off well. I’m hoping for a sequel in volume 2.

The Transition by Justin Swapp

A fascinating flash piece about a young language student in Spain who has an encounter with a man with a whole lot more going on that meets the eye. I enjoyed the twist and won’t spoil it here. Justin Swapp has a bright career ahead of him.

Brotherhood Fall of New York by Garrett Piglia

A diamond in the rough is how I think of Garrett Piglia, a young man with a great imagination who is at the beginning of a long writing career. This story is alternate history and is set in New York City, which has been invaded by demons that may have been released by the Nazis. The story follows squad of grunts on a very important mission and is written in the form of a journal. Gripping stuff.

Frankie’s Girl by Kelly Swails

Here’s a really fun and entertaining story set in the 1920’s and featuring the bawdy girlfriend of a really evil gangster. This is the first short story in the collection that will probably make you laugh, then will horrify you the next moment. The bad girl main character’s narration is brilliant and I hope I get to hear Kelly read this story at a convention sometime.

Shell of a Man by Daniel Myers

Who knew there would be a hard-boiled detective story in this anthology? Daniel “Doc” Myers pulls off a classic gumshoe tale with a demonic twist. The distinctive voice of the main character is spot on. I loved it.

An Ideal Vessel by Sarah Hans

Steampunk has a lot of variation and this story is set in a turn of the century America where an inventor’s robotic creation is inhabited by a traveler from another world. I was fascinated by the alternate history presented and loved the characters. Extremely entertaining story and great steampunk.

Love, Gangsters, and Demons by Elaine Blose

Wildly inventive and entertaining steampunkish romance. Love, Gangsters and Demons by Elaine Blose is a story set in a 1930’s alternate world very similar to our own, but filled with many different creatures and people with pretty amazing powers. The main character has a gift, more like a curse, and her power is needed to help defeat the demons invading the city. I loved the main character, who is a woman with some unique friends. Extremely creative story.

Bull King by Larry Correia

New York Times bestselling author Larry Correia contributed a story set in his Grim Noir novel series and Bull King is part of his book, Hard Magic. Think X-Men meets the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. The story is set in a 1930’s Earth where many humans have developed what can only be described as super powers. Bull King has lots of ass kicking, explosions and trigger-pulling superheroes wearing Fedora hats. Yes, the book is awesome and this will give you a good taste.

Run by EA Younker

I love this flash story. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world, similar to our own that’s being destroyed by demon possessed steampunk robots. The main character, a young woman, has to flee for her life and deal with her husband who is not dealing very well with the situation.

Plastic by Craig Nybo

Plastic is a short and brutal flash fiction piece about a world where the demons have taken over and are literally “Big Brother.” The main character is a rebellious man who has run afoul of the law. It kind of reminded me of Judge Dredd crossed with George Orwells 1984. Very well done.

Red Test by Patrick M. Tracy

A young woman must pass the test to join a gang of demon killers. All she has to do is go by herself into an abandoned warehouse with a crappy shotgun and kill a demon. Excellent writing and a powerful story.

Withered Tree by Suzzanne Myers

The Road meets Mad Max in the awesome story, Withered Tree by Suzzanne Myers. It’s one of the best stories in the anthology and features a small band of survivors in an apocalyptic world who face a life and death decision. The female main character is great and I can’t wait for the sequel.

Of the Breaking of Stars by Chris Pierson

Novelist and short story writer Chris Pierson may have delivered the best story of his entire career so far when he wrote Of the Breaking of the Stars. I’ve read most of his short stories and am a huge fan of his novels, but this is my favorite ever. This story, a novella really, is in the top two in the whole anthology and that’s why it has such a place of honor, the last story in the collection. It’s set in a very unique fantasy world reminiscent of a magical ancient Babylon. It’s written in the form or journal entries and chronicles the life of a very sympathetic and scholarly man who is bearing witness to the destruction of his world. This story has it all and had me from the opening line to closing sentence.

Learn more at http://www.thecrimsonpact.com/

No-Tusks Dramatic Reading

2011-06-05T21:15:00.001-07:00

No Tusks Dramatic Reading from Patrick Tracy on Vimeo.

Patrick Tracy and I reading my story "No Tusks" at the CONduit Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention in Salt Lake City, May 28, 2011. It's very inappropriate!

"No Tusks" is a poignant story of a young orc searching for his true path in life...well, no it isn't. It's about eating worms, getting rocks thrown at your nuts, and otherwise having a tough time, all the while plotting the destruction of your enemies.

Hope you enjoy our tomfoolery.

This story will come out in an anthology which features Shane Moore's Abyss Walker world, of which there are many novels. Shane asked me to write an orc story set in his world and how could I say no?

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact
www.thecrimsonpact.com

Medusa's Daughter, Update

2011-06-05T16:25:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends,

I’ve been working on my novel, Medusa’s Daughter, a love story set in ancient Greece. I just completed a rewrite of the whole manuscript. It went from 83,000 words to 95,000 words. I added a lot of description and details, lacking from the previous draft. I also cut a bunch of stuff that didn’t need to be there and added a few new scenes/chapters. I need to do at least one more full pass on the manuscript and do a bunch of specific tasks.

The rewrite was guided by some excellent critiques that I received from some writer friends (mainly Brad Beaulieu, Suzzanne Myers, Patrick Tracy, Barbara Webb, Kelly Swails, and a few others who provided some great feedback). I did my best to do everything they said to do, which was tough. Their input was key.

Restructuring the novel was a difficult task—moving chapters around and rethinking how to present the material and backing off certain repetitive elements. The main male character’s point of view (POV) chapters were changed completely and I wrote a few new short chapters that helped the book a lot, and filled out his storyline. I also re-shuffled the handful of Medusa POV chapters and interspersed them into the book from early on, rather than having most of them toward the end of the book.

There are still a lot of tasks left to do, mostly involving adding even more details of the island where the book mostly takes place, and the ancient Aegean world in general. I decided to set the book around 1300 BCE, which is when the Bronze Age collapsed and there were 200 years of Dark Ages. We don’t have that much information about what happened then, but there is enough for me and it’s where I’ve decided to set the Medusa Myth, which I’ve been playing with liberally. I’m saying that this book is happening before the Trojan War, if that helps your frame of reference.

I’ve been reading a lot of books about the world of 1300 BCE, mostly history books about the ancient Hittites, Greeks, and Egyptians. I also found a great book by Janet Morris that came out in 1983 called, I, The Sun, which has been awesome and has shed some light on how one author tackled this approximate time period. Ben Bova just released a book called, The Hittite, which I’m reading as well, as seeing how other authors handle this time period does inform me. Mary Renault’s books set in ancient Greece have been great as well and she is my main inspiration, though I’m not writing in the same style she did, (first person narrator with a somewhat poetic license).

Medusa’s Daughter takes place after Mary Renault’s two books, The King Must Die and The Bull From the Sea, which tell the Theseus myth, as he was a major founding king of Athens.

Anyway, I’ve been working on this novel for a few years now, or rather, I haven’t been working on the novel, and other projects have taken precedence. Now I’m back at it and hope to get it out to an agent later this summer.

You can read a draft of the first two chapters on my website.

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact
www.thecrimsonpact.com

Priest Movie Review

2011-05-13T09:41:00.001-07:00

Tonight I was able to see an advanced screening of the new movie, Priest. It was an adaptation of a graphic novel and had a comic book feel to it, though the story and dialogue was terribly derivative. It seemed like I'd heard every line before. The actors did what they could with the material they had and I'm sure they were doing exactly what the director told them to do. A friend thought the Priests were very like Jedi and I agree. I found a review (by Xamtaro) says everything I would have written and more.

Check this link for all the details about the movie:

http://www.imdb.com/user/ur19392148/comments

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact
www.paulgenesse.com

Interview with Author Justin Swapp

2011-05-10T03:56:00.001-07:00

Here's a great interview with Justin Swapp, one of my authors in The Crimson Pact Volume 1. He's interviewed by another Crimson Pact author, Chante McCoy.

http://chantemccoy.com/2011/05/05/interview-with-justin-swapp/

Best wishes and don't forget, the deadline for a flash story for Volume 2 is June 6, 2011.

Happy writing,

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact
www.thecrimsonpact.com

"The 20 Most Important Russian Reads"

2011-05-10T03:46:00.001-07:00

"The 20 Most Important Russian Reads"

I found this article on the most important books written by Russians and wanted to post it. Check out the link and the article here:

http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/the-20-most-important-russian-reads/

My buddy, Patrick Tracy says that One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, by Alexander Solzhenitsyn is incredible.

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact
www.thecrimsonpact.com

The Big Writing Update

2011-04-17T03:40:00.001-07:00

Okay, I’m finally going to tell you all the details about what’s been happening with my Iron Dragon Series. Some of you already know about some of it, but I’ve purposefully kept some things under wraps, because it was too painful to reveal to everyone I met. The answers are below and big secret is that I was orphaned by my publisher who was having financial troubles (the economic meltdown affected them as well), despite the success of The Golden Cord. Keep reading to find out the details and I hope that none of you ever have to go through what I’ve been through. The good news is that the rest of the books are coming out soon.

Now, one of my new friends and fans, Paul Barney asked to interview me and here are his questions and my answers. It’s better if you read these in order . . .

1. *******What are the current projects that you’re working on and when should we expect to see them?

I’ve got three major projects right now: Medusa’s Daughter, The Iron Dragon Series, and The Crimson Pact anthology series.

#1. I’m working on rewriting/editing my unsold novel, Medusa’s Daughter, a fantasy set in ancient Greece that tells the real story behind the Medusa myth. You can read the first two chapters on my website and learn more. When I’m done working on this, which should be by May sometime, I’m going to send it out to an agent who is interested and I have great confidence that this will sell to a major publisher. I’ve spent a couple of years NOT WORKING on this project. The reasons are many, but overall I just didn’t make it a priority and was working on other projects and dealing with some depression related to being orphaned by the publisher of my Iron Dragon Books. More on that later.

#2. I’m going to finish up book three of my Iron Dragon Series, The Secret Empire by the end of 2011. The Secret Empire is halfway edited, and I must rewrite/edit the second half, which will happen this summer. I’ve got 85,000 words edited, and need to do the rest. I promise the book will come out by the end of the year as a trade paperback and as an eBook. The entire series will be available in eBook and trade paperback form by the end of 2011. Book four will come out in 2012 and book five, the finale, will probably be in 2013, but perhaps sooner. The first two volumes will also come out as trade paperbacks, though book two may be delayed on purpose. Book one will be out for sure, and book two will eventually, though it’s still in print as a hard cover and I may wait until it’s out of print before I put it out as a trade paperback—as I don’t have all the rights yet. (More on this later in the post)

#3. I’m going to be working on editing The Crimson Pact, Volume 2 very soon with my business partner Steven Saus. The deadline for flash fiction submissions is June 6, and this is an open call. The first volume which I edited, came out in eBook on March 20, and was made up of 26 stories, (15 short, 11 flash). It was 140,000 words total and took me three months of frantic work. I’m really proud of it. Please check out www.thecrimsonpact.com and watch the book trailer and read the frame story, co-authored by Patrick M. Tracy and I. The story, The Failed Crusade sets up the rest of the stories.

2. *******How did you break into the writing business?

I have a very detailed description of how I broke in on my website. Here’s the link, but suffice it to say, I met the right person/people, then I became a much better writer, then I was given a chance, and I made it in. Read this for all the details, but keep in mind that it really depends on meeting the right person and evolving your craft enough to a publishable level. Why don’t you finish reading this post, then follow this link later.

3. ***********What are some of your thoughts on the current upheaval regarding the book industry and by that I mean, borders claiming bankruptcy, Barnes and Noble closing stores and the upswing of tablet computers?

Borders was badly run from top to bottom from my experience and research. They were as a whole, disorganized, rude and incompetent. I met some very nice people at Borders during book signings and such, but their whole system was badly done. Book selling is a tough gig, and people are just not reading like they used to. Tablet computers are increasing their market share and eventually will have a big chunk of the market, but for a while, it’s going to be quite small, like it is now. Until kids grow up using eBooks in school instead of printed text books, people will still want print books. In ten years how many iPads and Kindles purchased right now will even work? Not many, but that dusty first edition on my shelf will be very readable. However, the future is in eBooks and they will continue to gather market share as time goes on. Transferring your old eBooks to your newest eReader device will probably work out fine, but not everyone will do that and they’ll lose their eBooks. Very sad indeed.

4. ******** How is the change in the market affecting you and your publishers?

The bad economy had a huge impact on me. Here’s what happened . . .

My first novel, The Golden Cord, book one in my Iron Dragon Series (2008) was the bestselling fantasy my publisher, Five Star Books had ever had, and is now out of print after six printings and many thousands of sales—no I won’t give the exact number—but I do have all the rights to it now. The only new copies are available on my website. You can find used copies on Amazon.com. So, I made my publisher some good money and was a star, but then the higher ups cut Five Star’s whole fantasy and sci-fi line, which happened in 2009 as the economy went to Hell and people stopped buying books—as they were out of work and their house was being foreclosed on. The worst thing that happened to me was that I lost my publisher, but I still have my health, my wife, my house, and my job as a nurse.

My series was orphaned. I had been offered over the phone at least three books by Five Star Books, right after they found out the sales figures for book one, but then BAM! It was over with them, though the editors all tried to keep just me, but the upper managers said “We can’t just keep one author. We won’t make that much money with one.” They were used to 36 books a year, so, they cut the whole line and made no exceptions for a hard working marketer like me. I did so much marketing and the book was a success because of all of that and more. My reward was being orphaned in mid series leaving many fans wanting more and the pressure on me was building to get the next book out.

It was horrible, and I was quite depressed about it and have been for some time, and I don’t know when I’ll totally get over this. Someday, probably when the series is done and out. Starting in May of 2009, as book two was coming out, I negotiated with some small press publishers. I found out that the majors won’t touch a series that’s been orphaned (learning that was horribly painful and I won’t tell that story online, but if we ever become friends I’ll tell you about it in person). The small press publishers offered me next to nothing, so I’ve decided to self-publish the rest of my series, which will work out fine as I have a fan base already and people are clamoring for the next book. The whole series will come out as eBooks and there will be a print on demand option that will get you a trade paperback. The good news is that the books will come out, but book three was delayed about one and half years. It should have come out by May of 2010, but won’t come out until the end of 2011.

5. ******** What are your thoughts about electronic publishing?

I think it’s great and my latest project, The Crimson Pact is an experiment with e-publishing. Read the website to learn more about it, but I think it’s the future, though print books will never go away. The thing is you have to look at the bottom line, and it’s just so cheap to publish eBooks compared to print books. Writers with established fan bases are already starting to bypass traditional publishers and go right to their audience. Publishers take most of the risk and pay the author 10%. With ePublishing the author can get a much bigger percentage.

6 ********Is ePublishing changing the way you write, and has it had an impact on short stories?

Yes, because it’s so cheap to put out an eBook, I didn’t have to limit the word count in Volume 1 of The Crimson Pact, which is made up of 26 short stories. I went for a huge anthology, 140,000 words, rather than limit it to under 100,000, as most anthologies are. Also, I’m not worried about my word count (well, not that worried) in the rest of my Iron Dragon books. The print on demand books might be a little more expensive, but I’m not going to worry that much about it. Some authors are selling short stories to their fans as eBooks and making quite a nice bit of cash, much more than they would receive from traditional magazines or book anthologies. However, most eBooks do not sell very well, and make the author very little.

7. ***********Do you think that eBooks that are self-published are of a lesser quality than books that go through traditional publishers? Aren’t traditional publishers a gatekeeper for quality?

Yes, definitely most eBooks that are self-published are of a lesser quality that those that have been vetted by editors and publishers, but not all of them and they should be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Crimson Pact, which is an eBook, is not vanity or self-publishing, and has an editor (hey, I’m not the best, but I do have some skills), and is published by a small press publisher, Alliteration Ink. It has an editor and a publisher, unlike many self-published eBooks, which desperately need an editor.

The stories I accepted came from almost all traditionally/previously published authors and even a New York Times bestseller, Larry Correia. The stories are of high quality as my partner and I kept the bar very high. I rejected a lot of stories, even ones from writers who were asked to submit. It was not pretty for me, but the book turned out to be great, and I didn’t want to compromise anything.

Many self-published books are crap, sorry to say, but then you have the exceptions, like: Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia, which was my favorite book of 2009. He self-published it as a print book in 2007, I think, then got some important fans—namely the owner of an influential independent bookstore, who pushed his book and got it on the bestseller list of Entertainment Weekly, which ended Larry with a publishing deal with Baen Books. Larry then hit the NYT Bestseller list with book two, Monster Hunter Vendetta. He is the example of what not to do—and will say so himself—but it worked for him, which means that with a quality book like Monster Hunter International and some fortuitous events, brought about by Larry’s hard work, can get wonderful things.

Overall, self-publishing is not a great move if you want to be taken seriously by the traditional publishing industry, but it can work out great in the end. That’s what I’m hoping for now with my Iron Dragon novels. Luckily, the Iron Dragon Series were bought by a very respected small press, Five Star Books, but then the unthinkable happened. I was orphaned through no fault of my own, so I have some cover there from the pure self-published stigma. Most importantly, I have a couple of great editors to help me finish the series, Bradley P. Beaulieu, author of the critically acclaimed Winds of Khalakovo, will have a big hand, like he has had in all of my books, with the rest of the series. He guides me every step of the way and I know he’d be one of the best editors at a major house if he wanted to do that job. Also, Patrick M. Tracy, an accomplished writer and a brainstorming machine, will be there with me as well, so the quality of the rest of my series will actually be better than the first two, as I’m a better writer now than I was when the books came out back in 2008 and 2009. Keep in mind I wrote most of the books years before that and the subsequent volumes must be rewritten/re-edited now.

8. ******** Do you prefer physical books or eBooks?

I prefer reading physical books. I read a lot on computer screens and enjoy getting away from them sometimes. I like the smell of the paper and the art on the cover, and the feel of the pages and being able to get away from my computer. I don’t yet own an eReader, though I have many friends who swear by them and love them. I can see their tremendous advantages and if I wasn’t so into my laptop I would own an iPad or a Kindle.

9. ************ If there was a story you wanted to read, not write but read, what would that story entail?

The story would be about the fall of the Hittite Empire between 1,500 and 2,000 B.C. and would be written like Mary Renault’s books about ancient Greece—with a first person point of view. It would be from the point of view of a Hittite Prince or warrior fighting to keep the empire together. There is very little written history and no novels from my knowledge from this time period and I am fascinated by what was happening then. The time of the Hittite Empire’s fall is the time period of Medusa’s Daughter, and I’ve been researching it a lot. As far as historical fiction, I love the books by Wilbur Smith set in ancient Egypt (River God, Warlock). Stephen King thinks Wilbur Smith is the best in the business. Also, I love Mary Renault’s novels set in ancient Greece, (The King Must Die, The Bull from the Sea, The Last of the Wine) and would love to read more like them. She’s up there with Tolkien with me.

********* What are you passionate about right now, something that doesn’t have to do with writing?

Working as a nurse, like I’ve been doing since 1996. I love it most of the time, and I make a difference and that feels very good to me. I work my ass off in the hospital on a cardiac floor and I’ve helped build a great place to go when you’re sick. The team around me is so awesome and we keep winning all of the awards, plus most of the patient’s love us and truly appreciate what we do for them. It’s like being on a championship team that has won several championships in a row. My work is so hard, and I work the night shift, but it’s rewarding and I’m very passionate about being a nurse.

11. *********Do you have any trunk novels you want to get published? And if so how would you try to get them published?

I don’t have any true trunk novels. I have Medusa’s Daughter, but it’s going to find a home someday and trunk novels are usually the first novel or novels that you write when you’re a newbie. My first novel was The Golden Cord, and after about fifty drafts, it ended up getting published. If it hadn’t, it would be my trunk series, and I’d have 550,000 words sunk into it, as I wrote all five books before the first one was accepted for publication. If I had a trunk novel, I would suggest leaving it there and starting fresh. Sometimes you have to let your first works go and write new books. It’s easy for me to give that advice, but very hard to implement if you’ve got an unpublished novel that you love. It is possible to get your trunk novel published, but I’d recommend letting it go if you think it’s terribly flawed. Chalk it up to experience. There is a statement floating around that your first million words are crap, but I’d say that’s not right. It’s different for everyone, but we all grow and evolve as writers.

12. ********Is there anything other thing you would like share or talk about?

There is hope if you really want to get published via the traditional route and publish novels. It’s a matter of intelligent striving. However, for those of you who are faint of heart, just stop now. I’m serious. It might severely ruin your life if you publish a novel because of what might happen next. My editor said after my first book came out, now the really hard work begins for you. He was right. Short stories are fun and don’t really cause too many hassles, but the woes of being a published novelist are many. Your books might not sell enough and you lose your contract and have to change your name, which happened to a friend of mine. Or you might get some terrible reviews, which hurt your confidence, even though a bunch of readers love your work, or any number of other negative things might happen. Getting orphaned is something I never imagined, but it’s one of many things that can go wrong. Your editor can leave, which is a common thing that can happen, and then you’re suddenly no ones project with no release date in sight. There are so many things that can hurt your confidence in this business and make it so you don’t want to write. I know several writers who sold their first book and then nose-dived after that when the reality of getting published collided with their expectations. Better to be a lifelong reader and writing hobbyist than become a broken writer. Find the love that you have for writing and cultivate it. Don’t let the bastards get you down! Write the book that you want to write. Let’s all hope that it’s commercial enough to sell, and that you know the right people to sell it.

Happy writing,

Paul Genesse

Author and Editor

www.paulgenesse.com

The Night Bazaar Interview

2011-04-17T03:23:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends,

I was a guest blogger on The Night Bazaar blog recently, and here's the link.

The Night Bazaar has a ton of great posts on it, so please check it out.

Paul Genesse

Editor of The Crimson Pact

Interview with Author Bradley P. Beaulieu

2011-03-31T23:37:00.001-07:00

I’m pleased to interview my great friend and writer buddy, Brad Beaulieu. We’ll be discussing his new novel, The Winds of Khalakovo, Book One of the Lays of Anuskaya, which comes out the first of April 2011 from Nightshade Books as a trade paperback and as an eBook. Winds is a sweeping epic fantasy with a Czarist Russian and Persian feel, a unique combination to be sure. I’m so proud of Brad’s accomplishment with the world building and the story. I’ve been involved with this novel for several years now, and have had a part in the revisions, so I’ve seen it go from an awesome book with an amazing concept to a truly exceptional one with a fully fleshed out world.

Brad has had his short stories published in the most prestigious speculative fiction publications including Realms of Fantasy, The Intergalactic Medicine Show, Writers of the Future, and several anthologies from DAW Books. He’s also the father of two and the husband to a wonderful woman, Joanne. They live in Wisconsin and besides being an excellent writer, Brad is an amazing cook.

Photo of Author Bradley P. Beaulieu

Now onto the book . . .

The Winds of Khalakovo has been described as: George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire meet Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea in this sweeping epic fantasy filled with windships, elemental sprits, political intrigue and passion.

The reviews have been glowing and here are a few lines from a few of them:

“Elegantly crafted, refreshingly creative . . .”

–C.S. Friedman, bestselling author of The Coldfire Trilogy

The Winds of Khalokovo is filled with clean prose, intelligent language, and brilliant imagination. Reading this fantasy was like sinking my teeth into a rich and exotic dessert.

—Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show

Exactly the kind of fantasy I like to read.

—Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of The Saga of the Seven Suns

“The prose is often poetic . . . and the characters have welcome depth”

–Publisher’s Weekly

“Well worth exploring . . .”

–Glen Cook, bestselling author of The Black Company

The boldly imagined new world and sharply drawn characters will pull you into The Winds of Khalakovo and won't let you go until the last page. —Michael A. Stackpole, New York Times bestselling author of I, Jedi

The back cover says: Among inhospitable and unforgiving seas stands Khalakovo, a mountainous archipelago of seven islands, its prominent eyrie stretching a thousand feet into the sky. Serviced by windships bearing goods and dignitaries, Khalakovo’s eyrie stands at the crossroads of world trade. But all is not well in Khalakovo. Conflict has erupted between the ruling Landed, the indigenous Aramahn, and the fanatical Maharraht, and a wasting disease has grown rampant over the past decade. Now, Khalakovo is to play host to the Nine Dukes, a meeting which will weigh heavily upon Khalakovo’s future.

When an elemental spirit attacks an incoming windship, murdering the Grand Duke and his retinue, Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, is tasked with finding the child prodigy believed to be behind the summoning. However, Nikandr discovers that the boy is an autistic savant who may hold the key to lifting the blight that has been sweeping the islands. Can the Dukes, thirsty for revenge, be held at bay? Can Khalakovo be saved? The elusive answer drifts upon the Winds of Khalakovo . . .

Now on to the interview . . .

Congratulations on Winds, Brad. You deserve the praise and acclaim so much, and I’m really happy for you.

Thanks so much, Paul. And thanks for having me for the interview. It’s a lot of fun talking about the book now that it’s out in the world.

For me, with writing, it’s all about the characters, and you’ve got three amazing characters in Winds who drive the plot. You’ve got Prince Nikandr Khalakovo, the main protagonist; Rehada, his Aramahn lover who is also a spy and worse; and Atiana Vostroma, Nikandr’s betrothed, who arrives to cement a much-needed political marriage. Why did you decide to use three characters, and which one did you have the most fun writing?

I actually started with only two: Nikandr and Atiana. I was telling the tale through the eyes of the Landed, the people that rule the islands. But what I found was that revealing other aspects of the story, particularly those that needed to be viewed through the eyes of the peaceful Aramahn, were too difficult to tell without another viewpoint. I was starting to perform all sorts of literary gyrations just to get those parts of the story onto the page, so adding a new character became the perfect solution.

I loved delving into all three characters for different reasons, but as for which one I had the most fun writing, it would have to be Nikandr. He was the one I identified with the most, partly because he was male, but also—and I’ll be frank here—I had a hell of a time writing the fight scenes. Although I don’t shy away from physical scenes with the female characters, Nikandr gets the lion’s share of them, and writing about windship battles, musket fire, and detailing the sword fights through Nikandr’s eyes was great fun.

What makes Prince Nikandr so interesting? Tell us about where he began as a character and who he became as you wrote the book.

One of my favorite things about the people of the Grand Duchy, especially those of royal blood, is that they value family above nearly everything else. Religion isn’t organized in the world of Erahm, but if the people of the Grand Duchy have any religion at all it is embodied in the notion that those that have come before care for those that come after. The term “the ancients” is used throughout the book, and it embodies this notion: that one’s ancestors seek to protect from beyond the grave.

I like to think that each of the Duchies embraces this notion, sometimes to the detriment of the Grand Duchy as a whole. They squabble with one another, they even fight, all with this notion of protecting their family. There are marriages between the royal families, and so loyalties that seem straightforward become complex when you consider where wives were raised, where their families come from and still live. Things get muddy quickly.

The thing I like about Nikandr is that in a way he is the embodiment of these ideals. He loves his family, and yet he wants to honor Atiana and his new family. And of course there is a major wrench thrown into the works in the form of Rehada—not only is she not of royal blood, she is one of the Aramahn.

Nikandr, like so many of the Landed people, struggles with the choices he is forced to make with respect to the political struggles that have been brewing, but also over what to do with the boy, Nasim. On the one hand, he thinks Nasim is someone who should be protected and who may come to help the Grand Duchy. On the other hand, there are clear indications that Nasim was involved with something terrible that happened on Khakovo’s shores.

It was a delicious mix to put Nikandr in. He’s the probably the least conflicted of the three main characters, but he has some very tough choices he has to make. This, in the end, is where I like characters to be. I want them to be in positions where the choices that lie before them are neither attractive nor clean.

Rehada, Nikandr’s Aramahn lover is my favorite character in the book. She’s a very conflicted character. She’s a courtesan, a mother, a spy, and worse. Plus she’s a wielder of powerful fire magic, a woman who can control fire elementals. How did you manage to craft such an intriguing character? How does she manage to sizzle on the page?

While Nikandr is the character I identify with the most, I will admit that Rehada became my favorite character as well. Both her and Soroush. Why? Because they are complex, and they had the most surprises for me along the way. This has as much to do with their culture as it does them as characters. While I was brainstorming the world and the cultures of the Aramahn (who are peace-loving) and the Maharraht (a splinter group of the Aramahn who have forsaken their peace-loving ways to wage war on the Landed), I came to a crossroads. I couldn’t quite reconcile how the Maharraht could have drifted so far from one of the central tenets of their religion: do no harm to others.

The Aramahn and Maharraht, though they borrow greatly from Persian culture, draw more upon Buddhism for their religious beliefs. They believe in reincarnation and they strive for enlightenment—if not in this life, then hopefully the next. When I was looking at the artwork I was using to represent Rehada’s character, it occurred to me that the tear on her cheek came from some profound disappointment in herself. I continued working that thread, and I realized—it was one of those lightning bolt moments—that she was disappointed because she had betrayed her beliefs. It was from that single tear that the Maharraht were truly born. They see themselves as sacrificing themselves and their path to enlightenment so that the rest of their people—the Aramahn—won’t have to.

This, I think, is the primary reason Rehada leaps off the page. She’s very conflicted, and from that comes tension that’s hard to look away from.

Atiana, Nikandr’s betrothed turns out to be the biggest surprise of the novel for me. She ends up being such a strong character who makes tough decisions and owns them. I think it’s rare to have two incredibly strong female protagonists in a novel. Tell us about Atiana and tell us how her character evolved as you drafted the book.

Yeah, Atiana was a lot of fun as well. She’s a princess, one of three triplets, and she comes from a rather sheltered world. Her other two sisters have already been married away. She, the youngest by minutes, is being married to Nikandr to cement the increasingly strained relationship between the Anuskaya's two most powerful duchies. Shortly after arriving on Khalakovo for her impending marriage, she is thrust along with everyone else into the mystery surrounding the death of the Grand Duke. But Atiana wasn’t really ready for this. She’s unprepared for these challenges, so it was interesting for me to see her grow, to rise to the occasion.

She is also our link to the aether, the stuff that lies between the material and spiritual planes. She is asked to become a Matra, one who submerges herself into frigidly cold water to slip into a trancelike state and reach “the dark,” as it’s known. This was one of the most interesting aspects of the world, the ability of the landed women to navigate the dark to communicate over long distances and to keep a watchful eye on their Duchy for the presence of the Maharraht. And Atiana is the window through which we view that world-within-a-world. It was great fun writing those scenes, but even greater fun seeing Atiana blossom and rise above her role as “youngest.”

How did you psychologically handle the revisions to this book? It went through many different layers, and the beginning scenes changed so many times. How did you deal with all of this and how did you not go freaking insane?

Who says I didn’t go insane?

Seriously, though, I did go through a lot of changes and drafts. Not Pat Rothfuss numbers, mind you, but quite a few just the same. I’ve written larger books before, but this one was the largest by far, and it’s an indicator of how deep and wide the world is. I realized as I was starting to write just how much I loved the world and the characters, and I tried to be careful to keep my mind open to cool, new, exciting things that I could add to enrich it. I didn’t just grab anything that came to mind, but I did “try things on for size” quite often. If they fit, I kept them. If not, I tossed them. But it made for a story that changed fairly significantly from first to final draft.

By the third or fourth draft, I had a pretty good idea of what this story was. Things were grounded by then, so it was just a matter of polishing the story as much as I could before submitting.

Twelve-masted wind ships!? How did you come up with the idea for them? I love that they sail through the sky with the Aramahn controlling elemental wind spirits and the ships have masts poking out in four directions—not to mention the cannon and muskets. The book cover really captures the ship so well.

Well, the windships came while I was brainstorming the world itself. The Grand Duchy is comprised of nine archipelagos, each one of them a single Duchy. Centuries ago the only people that visited the miserably cold islands were the Aramahn, who traveled the world on simple skiffs. Eventually, though, the people of Yrstanla—the only large continent on the planet—followed the Aramahn. They adopted their ships, and modified them for their own use. They made them larger, more able to carry cargo and—eventually—weapons.

The skiffs of the Aramahn were more traditional “ships of the sky” that you see in classic literature. They had a hull and a single mast that the wind masters use to harness the winds and travel as they will. But I’d always been bothered by the larger flying ships modeled after the age of sail. The physics would never work, and so I found myself trying to find a new design, and it occurred to me that they would use sails in all directions, not just above. I have all sorts of things worked out as to how they work, like how the “rudder” captures the ley lines of the islands to align the ship a certain way, but my geek meter is starting to peg red, so I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead. For me, though, these ships were a neat twist on a familiar theme. I’m glad they made it onto the cover.

The climax of the novel builds to an amazing pitch. I greatly admire how it all came together. Did you spend forever figuring out how to put all of that together? How hard was constructing the ending?

Actually the ending was not nearly as hard as the middle. It’s not called the muddle in the middle for no reason. It’s somewhat easy to take the threads you’ve shown to the reader in the beginning and complicate them so that there are more. The story begins to expand like a point in time expanding to a “cone” of possibilities. The tough part comes when you have to start pulling those threads in. (Here the cone starts to draw in to more of a football shape.) You have to begin preparing for the end of the book pretty early on in the process or you’ll find that too many things are going too far afield. If you don’t watch it, you’ll have a gnarled mess of mismatched threads instead of a tapestry.

So as I do start to narrow the possibilities and point the story generally toward the end, it starts to resolve itself like an image in the mist. Then it’s just a matter of tying up all the threads. No easy thing, but it’s still easier than the middle. The middle can bite my ass.

Now, to the most important question: when is book two coming out and what is it called? Can you give us a teaser about it?

The second book is called The Straits of Galahesh. It begins five years after the events of The Winds of Khalakovo. I don’t want to get too spoilery, but I think it’s safe to talk about how the story widens. The islands of the Grand Duchy, where the events portrayed in Winds take place, are situated near a larger continent, the motherland of Yrstanla. The empire there that has been at peace with Anuskaya for generations. However, trouble begins brewing as the Empire sets its sights once again on the islands they once ruled.

The next book still takes place largely throughout the islands of the Grand Duchy, but we begin to explore the Empire and its peoples and customs. We also learn more about Nasim's mysterious past. In the third book, this trend continues. The story moves onto the mainland itself as the characters, once and for all, try to deal with the source of the blight and the terrible wasting disease.

Download the first fifteen chapters of The Winds of Khalakovo for free here, watch the book trailer and read some reviews, and enjoy riding the wind.

Here's a link to buy the book for only $14.99.

Free eBook Give-a-way

2011-03-17T08:03:00.001-07:00

Today is the Lucky Leprechaun Book Giveaway Hop. It will last from March 17 - 20 at midnight and you can easily win free e-books.

March is officially e-book month and I'm participating in an e-book giveaway with many other authors with 24 e-books to choose from. And you're not limited to just one, either. Go to Linda Weaver's blog and tell her which books you're interested in--list as many as you like. You can learn more about each book by visiting the author's websites, which are listed on Linda's site.

There are Children’s, Fantasy, Mystery/Adventure, Non-fiction, science fiction, and Romance - inspirational, suspense, or comedy romances!

To win some books, leave a comment at:

http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com

Winners will be drawn at midnight on March 20.

I'm offering up a couple of books, though only one is listed on Linda's site. You can get a copy of both my novelette, The Pirate Witch, and my new anthology The Crimson Pact Volume 1.

Title of the Novelette: The Pirate Witch

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: Maeve Tierney, the pirate witch, must escape from Captain Coyle, who wants her head, because she knows where the Queen's Ransom treasure is buried.

Title of the Book: The Crimson Pact

Synopsis: The Crimson Pact vowed to destroy the demons of the Rusted Vale . . . but the demons had their own secret plan and escaped, invading dozens of worlds . . . . Read 26 stories set in those many different worlds about the men and women who have refused to let the demons win. It also features an exclusive story by New York Times Bestselling author Larry Correia.

Fun Urban Fantasy Romp

2011-03-13T18:08:00.001-07:00

Dead Waters by Anton Strout

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dead Waters by Anton Strout is the best of the series so far. Strout’s comedic writing style has matured, though his main character still has a ways to go, which is part of the fun. Simon is a wise-cracking machine—and a zombie skull crushing machine, with his telescoping metal bat. Add in his psychometry powers, he can tell an object’s history by touching it, and you have a very fascinating character.

I really enjoyed this book was surprised at all the twists and turns as the murder investigation unfolded. The interaction between Simon and his girlfriend, Jane was highly entertaining. The side characters delivered as well, plus this book had crazy mythology, ass kicking, romance, and during the finale, the most unique use of a Ghostbusters lunch box ever.

For a fun urban fantasy romp, take a dip into Dead Waters, just watch out for the floating zombies . . . they’ll bite your ankles off.

Paul Genesse
Editor The Crimson Pact anthology

www.thecrimsonpact.com

View all my reviews

Top 25 Novels for Steampunk Aficianados

2011-03-10T21:20:00.001-08:00

Hello,

I came across this link to the "Top 25 novels for Steampunk Aficianados", Here's the link: (http://www.onlineclasses.org/2011/03/06/top-25-novels-for-steampunk-aficianados/).

I would also recommend the Steampunk anthology edited by Anne Vandermeer.

Enjoy,

Paul Genesse
Author of The Nubian Queen in Steampunk'd by DAW Books

10 Greatest Novels For Nurses

2011-02-25T11:04:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends,

I just came across this article on the 10 Greatest novels for nurses. I'm a cardiac nurse, and I totally agree and have actually read four of them.

Enjoy the list.

Paul Genesse RN BSN

Dead Waters is out!

2011-02-22T04:21:00.001-08:00

Today is the day to dive in! Dead Waters by Anton Strout is out. These books are hilarious, kind of Jim Butcher Lite. Who wouldn't want to work for the DEA? Not the drug enforcement agency, silly the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. They put the "fun" in underfunded.

I've really enjoyed the Simon Canderous books and Dead Waters is a good one to start with.

In my final analysis, I think Strout is made of funny juice.

Paul Genesse
Author of Revenge of the Little Match Girl
in Terribly Twisted Tales from DAW Books

Plotstorming From Character

2011-02-19T00:09:00.001-08:00

Plotstorming from Character

Notes for my presentation at Life, The Universe, and Everything 2011

I gave a 50 minute presentation at LTUE at BYU on creating plots from the creation of a character. It was standing room only and I think it went extremely well. Below you’ll find my notes and such. These don’t do great justice to the presentation, but they help a little.

Plotstorming from Character: In some cases the plot of a book drives the characters. However, characters that instead drive the plot can make for a more compelling story. We’ll focus on how to grow your plot from your main character.

Characters are the most important element in fiction. We don’t remember the plots of our favorite novels that well, but we remember the characters.

Writers who are good at plot write good books. Writers who are good at characterization have great careers.

Read Mike Stackpoles books and his “Secrets” newsletters.
Kij Johnson is an amazing teacher as well.

Read James N. Frey’s book, How to Write A Damn Good Novel. He discusses character a lot and how characters are not Homo Sapiens, but are Homo Fictus.
Not quite real, but more exaggerated in some way.

When writing a story or novel, start with a character.

Specifically, start with a name. Use phone books, baby name books, online resources, or my favorite book, People’s Names by Holly Ingram.

Then think of three special/positive things about your character.
Now think of three negative things about your character.
This step alone with create a lot of plot.

{Here’s a quick summary of what we discussed)
Our character, Olivia (Livey) is six years old, but she’s a genius, a musical prodigy who plays the guitar and many instruments. She’s in 4th grade, and the 10 year olds (4 years older than her) pick on her a lot and she has no friends. She is also not great at social interactions, but her master plan is to take over the class—her father suggested that she seek out the biggest kid in the class and beat them up. This will allow her to take over. Of course it goes badly and the biggest kid breaks her hand—with Livey’s guitar! (Also, Livey may be allergic to magic). Also, her mom, tells her to buck up and not worry about being picked on. No support from Mom and a stupid dad!

The goal is to beat the crap out of your character through the story, mercilessly. And then do it again. And again. Create empathy. Give them a big problem.

Write a bio from the characters point of view in their voice. Lie. Hide the scary things they can’t face. But at the bottom, write the truth.

Make a bible for each main character. Physical stats, history, age, family information and whatever else you can think of.

Remember, strong characters make decisions. They move the story and are not leaves in the wind. They decide where to go and what to do, and their decisions cause terrible things to happen to them, or cause other problems to be created.

To help figure out who your character really is figure out their true personality by using the 4 Temperaments and the Myers-Briggs personality test. Go to www.keirsey.com to learn more. The four are: Guardian, Artisan, Idealist, Rational.

Seven-element story structure:

1. Character in a
2. Context with a
3. Conflict
4. Tries to solve,
5. but fails until it reaches a (escalating cycle, until things are as bad as they can possibly be)
6. Climax, when she succeeds or fails
7. Resolves, (dénouement or validation)

The three basic stories of James Gunn, Robert Heinlein, and others:
1. Boy Meets Girl (Romeo and Juliet)
2. The Man Who Learned Better (Gran Turino)
3. The Clever Little Tailor (Indiana Jones)

Six Fundamental Conflicts of Aristotle:
1. Man against man
2. Man against nature
3. Man against himself
4. Man against society
5. Man against god
6. Man against machine

Six fundamental story types of Damon Knight
1. The story of resolution (the hero has a problem and solves it)
2. The story of revelation (something hidden is revealed)
3. The trick ending story (surprising twist)
4. The story of decision (ends in a decision, not necessarily action
5. The story of explanation (explains a mystery)
6. The story of solution (solves a puzzle)

Fantasy and Science Fiction Plot Types per James Gunn
1. Far traveling
2. The wonders of science
3. Humanity/the individual and the machine
4. Progress
5. The individual and society
6. Humanity/the individual
7. War
8. Cataclysm
9. Humanity/the individual and the environment
10. Superpowers
11. Superman/superwoman
12. Humanity/the individual and the alien
13. Humanity/the individual and religion spirituality
14. Miscellaneous glimpses of the future and past

Fantasy
1. Far traveling
2. The quest
3. Strange powers
4. People and the powerful/omnipotent other
5. People and or animals
6. People and magic (or other unscientific sciences)
7. The individual and society
8. Wonders we can touch
9. Good vs. Evil
10. Balance
11. Questioning reality

Time Travel, Parallel Universes, and Quantum Physics

2011-02-18T08:25:00.001-08:00

Hello,

I suggested an interesting panel for LTUE 2011, Time Travel, Parallel Universes, and Quantum Physics. I did the panel once before at Gen Con Indy in 2010 and before that I ended up contacting a very brilliant and educated friend of mine, Dave Myers and asking him to give me his take on the subject of quantum physics. Below you'll find Dave's fascinating email, plus the panel description.

Gen Con Indy Writers Symposium Panel on August 5, 2010 at 11:00 AM at the Hyatt Hotel

Time Travel, Parallel Universes, and Quantum Physics: In a parallel universe somewhere, you've already attended this session and know all about how wave theory, super-strings, quantum entanglement, and things like noetics bear on frequent sci-fi concepts like time travel and mirror Earths, but since you're not in that universe and the handy Gen Con map doesn't show you how to get to it, you might want to attend this panel and get some insight into actual physics . . . or just enough gobbledy-gook to make your next story sound credible even though it’s quite fantastic. Remember, in some universe, you are bound to be a well-known, well-paid, best-selling author, adored by fans, critics, and even your mother-in-law. Why not make this universe be that universe?

Interesting quotes:

Science does not know its debt to imagination. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. ~Isaac Asimov There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact. ~Mark Twain As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality. ~ Albert Einstein -

Notes from Dave Myers:

Quantum Mechanics are used along the same lines as Magic is in the realms of Fantasy. They are presented with broad hazy strokes of overlapping colors. This prevents the reader from focusing too closely on any particular concept and therefore uncovering the shallow depths to which the author actually comprehends the concepts. While this may seem harsh I should state that Quantum Mechanics are such a difficult concept to grasp in their entirety that there are only a dozen people in the last century that are credited with major discoveries in the field. I spent close to two years studying a Quantum Mechanics curriculum written by one of the most prestigious technical colleges in the world and I would consider myself a neophyte at best. Before delving too deeply into Quantum Mechanics I would recommend that the student already have a firm grasp of Calculus, Classic Mechanics and be able to comfortably apply Schrödinger’s Equation to various wavefunction calculations. However, for use as an author I think far less knowledge is required to accurately portray the concepts embraced so haphazardly in modern Science Fiction. Below I will outline some of the common themes and explain how they mesh with modern scientific theory. Important concepts to consider with close to and faster than light travel: Kinetic energy and its affect on bodies travelling at the speed of light: A spec of meteorite, weighing 1 gram travelling at the speed of light would have the same kinetic energy as a bomb over 10 times the size of the First nuclear weapon ever detonated here on Earth. Now consider the mass of a spaceship travelling at the speed of light. Were it to impact a planet it could conceivably do enough damage to end all life and alter the planets axis or orbit. The common description of safety for travelling at this speed is a deflector shield; but the energy required to deflect a 1 kg piece of space junk while travelling the speed of light is > 100 times the power output of every Civilian Nuclear reactor operating in the world today. Now this is a simplification since to convert kinetic energy to power requires an element of time, I assumed the enaction of the power over a second which is actually a much, much longer time than you would have to deflect an object at this speed. The concept of the ability to draw this sort of power in a fraction of a millisecond makes the power source exponentially higher; as in 108 higher.

This being said, we have theorized with calculation that it would take an infinite amount of energy to accelerate an object with intrinsic mass to the speed of light. This is due to the Lorentz factor which was derived from a Dutch Physicist who’s formulation later would provide some structure for mass-energy equivalence, or the infamous E=MC2 . This has later been tested in particle acceleration. In testing scientists were able to accelerate a particle to 99.99% the speed of light; however, no matter how much additional power they invested they could not achieve light speed.

Also, it is theorized that if an object were to travel faster than light it would create a violation of Causality as the object would move outside the normal time axis, essentially going backwards through space-time and creating potential paradoxes.

FTL travel ignores everything we know about space-time continuity and relative physics, and yet it is still used with abandon in various forms of fiction. I have to believe this is just ignorance, not intentional undermining of the Science community.

So, if FTL travel isn’t feasible, what are the options?

The easy answer is Einstein-Rosen Bridges. In 1935 Einstein and Rosen co-authored a paper that described the potential for a warp in space time that would allow a bridge from two essentially flat regions of space-time regardless of distance apart. They theorized that a tunnel like opening could join the two for a very short period of time. Travel through these tunnels would be impossible due to the shortness of duration, however it has been postulated that highly advanced civilization would have the technology to hold these bridges open long enough to use them for travel. These Einstein-Rosen bridges are commonly referred to as wormholes. Wormhole traverse could allow time travel, but to do so would either open up an alternative reality or you would have to subscribe to a true complete unified theory by which all of our actions past, present and future are governed. This theory of lack of free will is the most probable, but rarely used in fiction.

Books that succeeded in using Quantum Mechanics well are:

Dune by Frank Herbert – an excellent take on wormhole travel. The spacing guild navigators are augmented to the point of prescience by ingesting the spice Melange. This allows them to safely navigate the treacherous Einstein-Rosen bridges without encountering a singularity. Timescape by Greg Benford - a Great portrayal of what a research physicist does as well as some interesting concepts on "realistic" time travel. The Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson – A series of books written largely about the same characters in three separate parallel Universes. Very good use of Quantum Mechanics as they are understood today. You have to read all three to truly appreciate the series. -The Universe Next Door -The Trick Top Hat -The Homing Pigeons

Next Topic:

Reactors. Assuming we are still using a fission reactor there are the issues with Ionizing Radiation. Ionizing Radiation comes in 5 main forms. Aplha, Beta, Gamma, X-Ray and Neutron.

We can disregard X-rays as they are not normally produced from fission. The four other forms have to be dealt with via shielding. This shielding works on a couple principals, but mainly the goal is to attenuate the energy of the radiation reducing it to a non-ionizing forms. Alpha and beta can be stopped with a layer of paper. Gamma requires a high density material like lead. Nuetron need to be slowed to a thermal state or absorbed into a material that will not result in the formation of another radioactive isotope. Water having hydrogen atoms in abundance is a great Neutron moderator as the atomic mass of a Nuetron and Hydrogen atom are essentially equal. Imagine a pool ball hitting another, equal and opposite reaction causes transferrence and dispersal of energy. All of these are forms of Radiation. Only Alpha and Beta can be stopped with protective clothing. Every movie and book that I see that has the characters don their radiation suits to go in and work on the active reactor shows the lack of understanding of radiation. The suits are supposed to protect from contamination. Contamination is nothing more than the radioactive particles that are releasing these forms of ionizing radiation. Radioactive dust, mostly microscopic if you will.

Dave Myers graduated with honors from nuclear engineering school in the Navy in 1994 and spent the better part of 7 years monitoring nuclear reactors on both Los Angeles and Trident class submarines with a specialization in radiochemistry. He has worked the last 9 years in the Semiconductor field as head of operations for a prominent OEM. When he's not working with materials far inferior to Unobtanium he enjoys hanging out with his lovely wife Suzzanne, and riding super-charged motorcycles at speeds that he wishes approached the speed of light.

Thank you all for reading,

Paul Genesse Author of The Golden Cord www.paulgenesse.com

Free story, free Writing Workshop and more news

2011-01-31T01:45:00.001-08:00

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Hello,

Quick Update: (complete update with more details is below this section)

Free story, The Cost of a Tasmanian Tiger by me, Paul Genesse is online for your enjoyment. Read the entire story on my blog--link above.

Iron Dragon Series update: Book Three, The Secret Empire is coming out late this year, more details below.

Free writing workshop by me on February 5 at the Whitmore Library at 12:00 noon.

I’ll be at Life, The Universe, and Everything, a free writing symposium for students, minimal cost for all others on February 17-19 at BYU.

I’m editing a new series of ebooks, called The Crimson Pact.

Writers: there is an open call for flash fiction for The Crimson Pact anthology, 1,000 words or less, check my blog for more or go to the Crimson Pact website. Learn how you can submit a short story here.

The Pirate Witch, a popular short story of mine is now available as an ebook on all the platforms, here’s a link to Smashwords.

================================================================================================================================================

Dear Friends,

Here’s the update with some more detail:

Free story, The Cost of a Tasmanian Tiger by me, Paul Genesse is online for your enjoyment. It’s with New York Times Bestselling author Mike Stackpole’s Chain Story project, so you can read a lot of free stories by excellent writers.

Iron Dragon Series update: Book Three, The Secret Empire is coming out late this year, more details on soon. All the books in the series will be available as ebooks and will have print versions. Book three will feature an amazing cover once again by Ciruelo Cabral and there will be a total of five books in the series. This image will be the cover, except Ciruelo will be repainting the dragon to look more like Draglune, the Iron Dragon King.

Medusa’s Daughter update: I’m still working on the novel, and after getting some great critiques of the manuscript from nine writers, I’m expanding the book and doing more research on ancient Greece. Other projects have slowed this down, but I’m going to finish it this year for sure.

Free writing workshop on February 5 at the Whitmore Library from 12:00 noon, which is part of the Write For the Heights writing contest, then a book signing after. I’m giving the keynote address, then doing a fun writing workshop, then a book signing. You can find out all the details about the writing contest here.

I’ll be at Life, The Universe, and Everything, a writing symposium free for students, minimal cost for all others on February 17-19 at BYU. Details here.

I’m editing a new series of ebooks, called The Crimson Pact. There is an open call for flash fiction (1,000 words or less), deadline Feb. 15, 2011, for volume 1, and tentatively June 1, 2011 for volume two. Here’s a link to the website where you’ll find another free story, the frame story for the anthology, written by Patrick M. Tracy and myself, called, The Failed Crusade. Read this story, then the guidelines and then write a flash fiction story. If you’re a published author, email me and you’ll probably get invited to submit a short story (3,500-15,000 words in length) for volume 2, tentative deadline, June 1, 2011.

The Pirate Witch, a popular short story of mine is now available as an ebook on all the ebook platforms, here’s a link to Smashwords, an ebook publishing site. All three of my Pirate Witch stories will eventually be there as well.

I’ve been super busy lately with writing projects. I’ve been editing a lot of Crimson Pact stories, plus I wrote The Cost of a Tasmanian Tiger, and I sold a story called Eureka to I, Hero Magazine. Plus I’m doing research and working on Medusa’s Daughter and The Secret Empire, not to mention my full-time job as nurse in a cardiac unit at Intermountain Medical Center where I'm the chair of the Leadership and Safety committee. Most importantly, Tammy and I just had our 16 year dating anniversary. Fun times.

Your busy friend,

Paul Genesse
Author of The Dragon Hunters

www.paulgenesse.com

ATTENTION WRITERS: OPEN CALL FOR FLASH FICTION

2011-01-14T10:21:00.001-08:00

ATTENTION WRITERS: OPEN CALL FOR FLASH FICTION

I’m editing an upcoming anthology, The Crimson Pact, which will come out as an ebook on various platforms, and someday may be a print book. If you know a writer, please refer them to this site (http://thecrimsonpact.com/) where all the details are spelled out.

I’ve already got some amazing stories by some great writers who were invited to submit short stories, but I’d like to add some flash fiction to the mix.

Here’s your chance to get into the book. Flash fiction is by open submission during the reading period, which ends on February 15, 2011 for the first Crimson Pact anthology.

If you wish to be notified when our next reading period is, please contact us and ask to join our mailing list, you can sign up on The Crimson Pact website.

Flash fiction is defined as stories of less than 1,001 words, not including the title. Flash fiction must include a beginning, conflict, and at least a suggestion of resolution. A character study or "slice of life" is not a story. I could see the flash as being traditional flash stories, journal entries (I’d love to see some journal entries), captain’s logs, or even poetry if it works for the anthology.

Flash fiction will be paid a one time flat fee of US$10, regardless of word count.

As mentioned above, a flash story that impresses us, (my partner, writer Steven Saus will be helping with the flash submissions) is a potential in for an invite for future volumes. I’m hoping for ten good flash pieces for the first anthology.

Please go to The Crimson Pact website and read over the Submission Guidelines section to learn more.

Happy writing,

Paul Genesse

Author and Editor

The Cost of a Tasmanian Tiger

2011-01-14T09:26:00.001-08:00

This story is part of Michael Stackpole's Chain Story. The Chain Story is a series of free fiction from accomplished writers tied together by the common frame of The Wanderer's Club.

The Cost of a Tasmanian Tiger
By Paul Genesse

After the diminutive scholar, Professor David Fawks finished his story and the applause from the Wanderer’s Club died down, an elderly man with a weathered face covered with sunspots was brought into the room on a padded chair with four brass wheels. The old man held a leather-bound book in his gnarled hands and wore thick spectacles that exaggerated the size of his bloodshot gray-blue eyes.

He cleared his throat and glanced about the room, nodding to a few of the members. “Good evening, gentleman. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Barrow, Sir Joseph A. Barrow and I was the president of the Geographical Society of London for some years. I have come today to read from the recently published memoir of a dear friend, whom many of you have read about, and some of you have met. Today, I fulfill a promise I made to him, and a gentleman always keeps his word.

* * * * *

When I was a young man I sold a pair of Tasmanian tigers to a woman claiming to be the fourth wife of the Turkish emperor. Selling them was the worst moment in my life and I have often wondered if the price of my soul was indeed fifteen thousand British pounds. If I had kept the animals in Australia, perhaps I would not consider myself the man most responsible for the extinction of the entire species, though that is not the worst of my crimes.

Soon I shall find out if God will forgive me, though I have no illusions that a man like me will ever find salvation. I’m old now, and if my doctors are correct, I shall be dead within the year. Regardless, I wish to confess my sins and let the world know the truth about my life. My son, John William Eddington II, to whom I have bequeathed what is left of my estate, will make certain this memoir will be widely distributed. I have great faith in my son, J.W. He has sworn to help me expose and destroy the woman to whom I sold my soul. He has sworn to regain our family’s honor and help me expose the dark secrets I’ve kept for decades. If I had exposed my patron earlier there is no doubt that countless animals, and worse, innocent people, would have been spared the horrors of Bornova Island.

What little prestige I had attained during my studies at Oxford was sacrificed for access to a sizable fortune built on my patron’s bloody conquests. Much has been said about the origin of the fortune I amassed after leaving England, but do not believe the rumors that I own a gold mine in New Zealand. I have concocted many stories over the years as to how I came into such monies, but now, for the first time, I shall reveal the truth.

My benefactor, the source of virtually all of the income I have ever earned, claimed to be married to the Ottoman Emperor Abdulhamid II, the Sublime Khan. I knew her story was false from the moment I met her, which was in 1887 in a frontier town in Australia where I had emigrated from England to manage the affairs of my late uncle, Archibald Eddington. He left me his property and a small private collection of animals in the town of Hobart on the island of Tasmania. As a university educated naturalist I was more interested in scientifically studying the animals than selling them off, and so I shouldered the responsibility of turning Uncle Archibald’s menagerie into Tasmania’s first zoo.

When I arrived I found the animals to be starving, the staff dedicated but incompetent, and the patrons detestable boors who often asked where the aborigine exhibits were located. The entire collection would have to be sold and the exhibition shut down in a matter of months unless I could find the necessary funds. Releasing the animals into the wild would be certain death for most of them, and I refused to condemn them to the law of the jungle.

I had no illusions of becoming a rich man as the caretaker of a few odd animals, but I had been entrusted with the lives of two of the rarest creatures in existence, Tasmanian tigers, which are not at all related to the man eaters of India we’ve all heard so much about. I’ve spent hours tending them and they would stare at me with their soft black eyes as I cleaned their pen. I could see the pain they had endured, and I understood the hopelessness of their existence as they paced back and forth in the small enclosure my uncle had built. Then and now I consider myself fortunate to have known them and only wished I would have had time to expand their pen.

None are still alive today. It is likely the last one died in captivity at the Hobart Zoo after a careless keeper I should have fired long ago forgot to allow the old male to enter its shelter on a cold winter night. I would have never been so careless with the two animals that I came to love and dote on. The male I called Sampson and the female, Delilah. They were quiet and tender with each other and very docile, though I never pet them like dogs, or trained them in any way. However, each morning I would give them a half piece of cooked bacon and they would take it from my hand. For that little morsel they would wag their long tails and stare at me with their shiny eyes, which reminded me of my first puppy, Jolly, a little Collie I had owned as a boy.

When I first arrived in Hobart and met Sampson and Delilah, I knew what had to be done: save this breeding pair at any cost. I sent letters and made personal appeals to the government ministers and all of the wealthy landowners of Tasmania and several more in New South Wales. Without investment, my Uncle’s debts and the limited stream of income from curious visitors would sink my zoo before it ever truly opened.

Many days I remember sitting in my office wondering who else I could write to. On a particularly bleak morning when I was preparing to sell my return ticket to London to pay for operating expenses, an unexpected visitor knocked on my door. Without permission a solicitor employed by the Royal Bank entered my office as if he owned it. The pudgy and perspiring man clutched a beaten leather attaché case and eyed me as if he were a hyena and I a wounded lion. Norton Cockle, Esquire, was one of the few lawyers in Hobart and he worked for the bank repossessing mostly fishing boats and farms.

As he entered, I stood up quickly, a sour expression on my face. “Mr. Cockle, I can assure you that the mortgages on this property have been paid in full this month.”

“Good afternoon to you too, Mr. Eddington,” he said, tipping his bowler hat. “I haven’t come on business of that sort.”

“I trust you’re not here to bring the latest gossip,” I said, all too aware of his loose tongue so often wagging in the local pub.

“No, I’ve been retained by a client who wishes to help keep this venture of yours afloat.”

“A patron?” In my shock I stepped around the desk and noisily scraped out the chair.

“My apologies, sir.”

“Yes, someone has taken an interest in your zoo and has hired me to deliver this.”

After sitting, he slid a sealed envelope across my desk. I opened it with trembling hands and found a receipt for one thousand pounds that had been deposited into the Hobart Zoo account at the bank. It was enough to pay for all of the zoo’s expenses for at least three years, and we would be able to make all of the improvements I’d planned.

Cockle cleared his throat. “My client hopes that you find this a significant sum and they wish to contribute more . . . if you are interested.”

I stared at the note from the bank. It was real. No doubt in my mind.

Cockle removed several papers from his case and held them in his sausage fingers, his sweat staining the crisp white paper.

“Who is this patron?” I asked, as no mention of their identity was on the bank receipt.

“They wish to remain anonymous, and have empowered me to handle all the negotiations on their behalf.”

“Negotiations?” Now I was worried and wondered how onerous the conditions would be.

“Yes, my client not only wants to fund your endeavors here, they would also like to purchase two of your animals and bring them into their private collection.”

My heart skipped several beats as I undid the top button on my shirt.

“For the sum of two thousand pounds each, my client will take full possession of your pair of Tasmanian tigers.” Cockle pushed the contract across my desk. “Sign both pages and date them, and our business will be concluded.”

Four thousand pounds, plus the thousand in the bank, would go a long way. Everything I had been wanting for the zoo was within reach. Perhaps one of my letters had reached a benevolent person with a fondness for animals? I didn’t want to think too much about what was happening. I picked up a pen, dipped it into the ink well and touched the tip to the page . . . then stopped as the stupidity of my decision slapped me in the face. “I’m sorry, Mr. Cockle, but I can’t give up the thylacines.”

“The what?” he asked.

“The thylacines,” I said. He still stared blankly at me. “The tigers.” So many people had no idea that Tasmanian tigers were related to the marsupials of Australia. Both genders had a pouch similar to a kangaroo where they carried their young. Their scientific name is thylacine—thylacinus cynocephalus—and they look like thin medium sized dogs with small heads, and have black stripes on their backs like a tiger’s. It seemed ludicrous to me that this man was offering so much for something he knew so little about.

“Four thousand pounds is a considerable sum,” he said.

“The tigers are extremely rare creatures, as I’m sure you know.”

Cockle’s eyes narrowed. “Three thousand each.”

“No.”

“Four thousand,” he said without any hint of consternation.

“Four thousand?” I couldn’t believe it and I slumped back into my chair. “Surely, sir, you can’t be serious?”

“My client is very serious. So, you agree to four thousand each?”

“I most certainly do not agree.”

The negotiations went on for some time and finally Cockle asked what I would accept.

“I want to meet this client of yours.”

“Not possible.” Cockle buckled his case and straightened his hat as if he were going to leave.

“Then there will be no arrangement.”

“Please, Mr. Eddington, I’m sure we can come to an understanding.”

“Remove yourself from my property, Mr. Cockle, and do not come here again unless you pay for admission. Good day, sir.”

He left the contract, which I read over in detail searching for a clue to the origin of his employer. I learned nothing of consequence, but immediately after I walked to the bank and verified the amount on the receipt. It was there and the banker told me Cockle had deposited the money himself.

Later that night I thought I had made a terrible mistake. I considered signing the contract and going to Cockle’s home to tell him I accepted the deal. I even put on my shoes and left the house, but I never got past the enclosure where we kept the thylacines. Delilah looked out at me from the darkness and came forward silently. Her pregnant belly hung low and as I stared into her eyes came to my senses. These animals were priceless. How could I sell them to some mysterious collector? Would the wealthy man know how to care for them? Would he put them in some circus or expose them to maltreatment? What would happen to the pups? Thylacines were notoriously difficult to breed in captivity and few pups had ever survived. No, these animals needed to stay in their native land and deserved the best treatment possible.

The next morning as I was taking my tea on the porch a tall Negro man in a white jacket and wearing a red fez with a black tassel arrived in my backyard. On his belt hung a cavalryman’s curved saber with an ivory handle. He approached me with a steely gaze, and I knew he had killed men with that blade, and probably with his bare hands. I knew without a doubt he was not the wealthy benefactor come to speak in person. He was a killer, a servant hired to close the deal in any way he could.

“Mr. Eddington, I am Tevfik Ağdasi. We must speak.” His voice was smooth and deep from smoking too much. I also recognized a distinctly Turkish accent. I’d spent a good deal of time playing cards with a pair of Turk businessmen on a steamer from Cyprus to Alexandria and the Negro’s manner of dress and accent identified him as an Ottoman Turk.

“Please sit down, Mr. Ağdasi.”

He grinned as I must have mispronounced his name.

“Tea?” I offered.

“Tea? No. I’ve come to discuss the business Mr. Cockle presented you with yesterday.”

“Yes, of course. I’m glad you came. I wanted to personally thank you for the contribution, but I’m afraid the tigers are not for sale, at any price.”

Mr. Ağdasi grinned again and it was terrifying. With a grin like that I couldn’t help but imagine him cleaning off his saber after he’d run me through. He would be the type of man who could kill me without getting a drop of blood on his white coat.

“Mr. Eddington, do you really think these animals have a future here?”

I was taken aback by his question and put down my cup with a clatter. “Yes. I do. Why, where would you take them? How would you keep them alive? What qualifications do you—or should I say, your master—have?”

“Mr. Eddington,” he lit a pungent brown cigarette, “I’ve come a long way.”

“I don’t care how far you’ve come. I asked to speak with the patron who donated the funds, not his servant.”

“My employer cannot meet with you.”

“Why not?”

Ağdasi took a long drag on his cigarette, then blew out the sweet-smelling smoke.

“Five thousand pounds each. The animals will be picked up tomorrow.”

I found myself tempted more than I would like to reveal. With great effort I stood resolute in my convictions. “A sum I would be pleased to discuss with your master.”

“You are a foolish man, Mr. Eddington. It would be far better if you dealt with me.” His hand brushed the handle of his saber.

“Sir, please deliver my message to your employer and tell him I do not respond well to threats.”

Ağdasi stood up and stared down at me, his brow unfurrowed, his face unconcerned.

“How well do you live with regret, Mr. Eddington?”

He strolled away without waiting for an answer, smoke billowing in his wake.
Once my hands had stopped shaking I called for Billy, the son of my head keeper, and asked that he follow Ağdasi.

Billy trailed him down Elizabeth Street to the wharf where the unpleasant man went aboard a steamer called the Abdul Selim. The red flag with the white crescent of Turkey marked the hull. Billy found out little else and that evening I walked to the wharf, armed with a small pistol, which I hid in my waistcoat. The ship was quite impressive, a double smokestack vessel with lots of mirror-like glass windows on the upper deck that reflected the few lights of the town. This was not some second-rate cargo hauler that most often arrived in Hobart. I also noticed two armed guards wearing red fez caps patrolling the deck.

The gangplank was down and not long after I had hidden in a shadowy doorframe of a warehouse I observed Mr. Ağdasi strolling along the deck. How often I’ve wondered what would have happened if I had fled that night over fifty years ago rather than march onto the ship like a fool entering a lion’s den. If I had retreated then perhaps my life would have been entirely different.

“Mr. Eddington,” Ağdasi said, “please come with me. I will see if my employer will meet with you now.” He made a sweeping motion with a large hand indicating for me to follow him inside the ship.

I hesitated.

“This way,” he said, “or have you lost your nerve?”

Ağdasi escorted me into the foredeck to the highest level where I had seen the large picture windows. We stopped outside a door guarded by a brutish Negro armed with two pistols, a saber, and a long dagger. His facial tattoos reminded me of a picture I’d seen in the London Times. The article had been about the Mamluks, slave warriors who served the Ottoman emperors.

“Mr. Eddington,” Ağdasi said, “you are about to meet my employer, the esteemed Sultana Zeliha, the fourth wife of the Emperor Abdulhamid II. She is not permitted to be in the presence of any men aside from eunuchs, and especially infidels like you. I will be in the room with you both. If you are ever asked, you will never discuss that you met with her and will say that you negotiated with me. No one must ever know that she is behind this transaction. You will address her as Sultana and will be on your best gentlemanly behavior”—he leaned forward—“or I will make certain you are castrated and then dumped where your body will never be found.” He paused, taking me in from head to toe with a serious look that sent chills down my frame. “Do we understand one another?”

I wanted to reach for my pistol and fight my way off the ship. Instead, I nodded.

The tattooed guard eyed me suspiciously and then searched me vigorously. He found my pistol and slipped it into his belt without comment. He also took my flask and penknife. I thought for a moment he would abscond with my pocket watch, but he merely grinned when he held it in his giant hand as if it were looking at an interesting child’s toy.

Ağdasi knocked on the door and entered after a short command from a woman inside. Realizing that Ağdasi was a eunuch made me even more afraid of him, and I kept my eye on him as he ushered me into a very dimly lit chamber. As my eyes adjusted to the light I found myself in the most opulent room aboard a ship that I had ever seen. Thick Persian rugs covered the floor, and the walls were beautifully carved red cedar. Marble busts that appeared to be masterpieces from ancient Greece or Rome lined the walls on shelves. Comfortable couches and elegant furniture that would have fit well into any royal palace in Europe filled the room. Large picture windows on three sides revealed the harbor. I did not know what fragrance I smelled when I entered, though I learned later that it was frankincense, one of the most expensive spices in the world.

Seated on a throne-like chair inlaid with gold filigree was a woman the likes of which I had never seen before. The Sultana was covered in silks from head to toe and the only skin showing was on the back of her delicate hands, which were olive colored and supple. An Arab-style veil covered her face and most strikingly she was wearing amber-shaded sun-spectacles, which had come into fashion in France a few years prior. If we had been on deck during the day, the spectacles would not have been so out of place, but inside a dim room and at night? What was she hiding? I also expected there to be female servants attending her, but she was alone.

Ağdasi stepped inside, closed the door, locked it and indicated I should sit on one of the couches facing Sultana Zeliha. I felt very uncomfortable. She appeared to be looking me over, taking my measure. Her head moved just slightly—though her eyes remained hidden.

“You are a bold man, Mr. Eddington,” she said, her voice was strong and her accent was more Greek than Turkish, which I found immediately odd—though a Greek who learned the King’s English could have taught her. I couldn’t tell her age, but she did not appear to be a young woman—as I imagined a fourth wife would be.

“Thank you for meeting with me, Sultana,” I said. “I wanted to thank you personally for your generosity.”

“You are most welcome, sir, and in truth, after your refusals I wanted to meet with you. In all of my years of collecting animals for the Sultan, I have never met a man as greedy, or perhaps as idealistic, as you.”

“I can assure you that my only concern is for the animals under my care. If it was money I sought I would not have become a naturalist or come all the way out here.”

“The thylacines shall be well taken care of aboard this ship, I can assure you of that.”
I was impressed she knew their true name. “I’m sorry, but they are not for sale.”

“Then why did you want to meet with me, sir?”

“To thank you, of course, and to ask if there is any chance a long term patronage might be possible.”

“I think you are not being truthful with me, Mr. Eddington. I can sense that you will sell the animals to me, if the price is high enough. Let me guess, you will sell them to me for six thousand pounds each.”

My mind reeled at the exorbitant sum. I could find every thylacine still living in the wild for that amount. I could create a nature preserve on Tasmania. I could dedicate my life to studying them in the wild and write several books. But how could I trust this woman with their lives? Who was she really? I had to look her in the eyes and hear her plans for the thylacines. Then I would make my decision. Six thousand pounds was a price that could not be ignored. “What will you do with them and where will you take them?” I asked. “I must know this before I give you my answer.”

“They will become part of a very private collection far away from here. They will be well cared for and will live out their lives in a place far more comfortable than your quaint zoo. That is all I am willing to say.”

Ağdasi placed a contract and a pen on the table beside me.

I should have accepted her words then. I should have signed the contract, but there was a voice in my mind that I could not ignore. She was lying, and besides, who was she really? Why the bizarre glasses and her refusal to tell me where they were going? I could have never guessed the truth as I am a man of science, believing only what has been documented and proved without any doubt. I had no use for superstitions or flights of fancy. “Forgive me, Sultana, but the female thylacine is pregnant and I fear her litter would not survive a sea voyage. I cannot sign.”

She leaned closer to me. Then her delicate hands rose toward her amber spectacles. I heard Ağdasi gasp and he said something curt in Turkish. She paid no attention to him and removed the spectacles. Her eyes were cerulean blue and they mesmerized me as I gazed into them. In the deep blue I saw a heartless ocean that had killed untold thousands of sailors. Her eyes held the malice of a million typhoons. The Sultana’s gaze held me paralyzed and mute.

“You will accept fourteen thousand pounds and will sign the contract, John Eddington. You will sign it now.”

Her eyes blasted into me like the most brutal polar wind. My body shivered and my lungs felt like they were being squeezed by a clawed hand. I could not breathe, or move and felt my life being driven from my body by an unholy demon. I knew that if I disobeyed her command I would die on the spot. Her gaze could kill me if she willed it.

“Sign the contract,” she said.

Trembling, I picked up the pen and scrawled my name on the paper, unable to blink or look away.

As I sat rigid in the chair I saw a smile in those terrifying eyes.

“Sleep now, Mr. Eddington,” she said, “and perhaps tomorrow, if your will is strong, you will wake from your nightmare.”

Her eyes opened wider and I felt the full force of her gaze penetrating to the depths of my soul. My mind reeled and my mouth opened in a silent scream as I tried with every bit of strength to turn away from the horror that lived within her. I saw the faces of bloated corpses as she cast me into the blackness of an unfathomable void where no light or hope existed. I collapsed, and at that moment, when I felt myself drowning in darkness, I thought I had died and been exiled to Hell.

I shall not recount the nightmares I suffered while under the Sultana’s power and even now I fear that when I die I will be taken back to that terrible place. As I learned later, what I thought was weeks in Hell turned out to be thirty-six unbearable hours.

An aborigine man and his son found me on a beach north of Hobart. I was close to death and unconscious, but with no visible injuries. The aborigines built a fire and danced while they sang their old songs, asking the Dreamtime Spirits to spare my life. I finally awakened when the sun rose the next morning. It had been a day and half since I met the Sultana on her ship.

The aborigine man could not speak English, but his boy told me that they had been looking for his older sister on that desolate shore. She was gone, but the spirits told them they must bring me back from the Dreamtime. They helped me and under their care I regained my strength. When I was able to walk they led me back to Hobart, only a few hours hike away through the bush. I thanked them and before I walked away the father stared at me and spoke several strange words. I looked to his son and asked what he said.

“Find the tigers and their keeper,” the boy said, “and bring them home.” The man nodded and they both disappeared in the bush. Before the father had said anything I had felt the fire burning inside me. I was compelled to find Sultana Zeliha and the thylacines. No matter how long it took, I would do it or perish in the attempt.

I returned to the zoo and was not surprised to learn the tigers had been taken. My head keeper said Mr. Ağdasi had come with the contract signed by me, and a note from the bank proving the amount of fourteen thousand pounds had been deposited in the zoo account. Negro men with tattoos on their faces had crated both thylacines the morning after I went missing. Their ship had sailed and no one knew where I had gone.

My anger at the keeper for allowing the animals to be taken was misplaced. It was entirely my fault and I resolved to get the thylacines back. I could only imagine what that devil woman would do to them, or what would befall Delilah’s litter. How would she react to the motion of the sea? Those small pups might have been the salvation of their entire species.

In front of the chief constable, the mayor and my head keeper, I vowed to track down the Sultana and her Mamluk servants wherever they went. I did not tell them what had really happened on her ship, but instead said I had been forced to sign the contract after being drugged and then was abducted and left for dead on the coast north of the town. I avoided any questions about the funds being deposited in the bank, as it would have cast doubt on my story, and said the copy of the contract and the bill of sale left at the zoo was a fake.

Undaunted, I finished recounting my story to the constables and then immediately withdrew several thousand pounds from the bank, glad the clerk was sworn to keep my transaction confidential. The next day I left Hobart on a ship heading north, putting my return ticket to England to good use at last.

My journey—fueled by obsession that bordered on mania—to find the Abdul Selim is detailed in an addendum to this memoir, but it took six months of tedious investigation and brought me from Hobart to Java, Singapore, India, Somalia, the Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, numerous Red Sea ports, Alexandria, Cyprus, Rhodes, and finally to an island off the coast of Turkey in the Gulf of Ganez, which is northwest of the Dardanelles strait. The tiny island was called Bornova, and the local fishermen said it was owned by a reclusive nobleman known as Pasha Arif. He had his own Mamluk slaves who guarded the island and at least two fishermen had been executed by the Mamluks after going ashore uninvited. The Pasha ruled his tiny bit of rock with impunity and no one dared offend him. Almost all of my inquiries met with resistance and I quickly deduced that Pasha Arif had paid all the local officials to maintain his anonymity—and privacy.

After several days of toil I could find no one who would sail me to the island, despite offers of generous compensation and assurances that I had legitimate business there. After having come so far and bribed so many ship captains, port masters and even pirates, I had thought the British pound could solve any problem. However, the superstitious folk of the Turkish coast were beyond simple bribery or coercion by a desperate infidel—and worse, an Englishman! They hated me and were conspicuously afraid of the Mamluks and the Pasha living on Bornova. I also made inquiries about Zeliha, but upon mentioning her name, many of those I questioned would make the sign of the evil eye and leave my presence as rapidly as they could. If any had ever seen or heard of her, they would say nothing.

Local police tried to arrest me twice, but I managed to elude capture by wearing peasant attire and sleeping in abandoned fishing shacks. Finally, I purchased a small watercraft and sailed toward Bornova, intent on boldly going ashore and demanding a meeting with the Pasha and whoever Zeliha really was. Instead I underestimated how difficult it would be to sail there by myself and arrived within sight of the island as the sun was setting. I failed to find the dock where I’d heard the Abdul Selim was moored. The darkness defeated me and I ended up crashing into submerged rocks and having to wade ashore onto an abandoned gravel beach.

The cliff I ascended brought me to an orchard of olive trees. The lingering doubts that I harbored bled away as strange hoots and cries echoed from the far side of the grove. I was close to finding my thylacines and all the other animals that had been brought to the island. In the course of my investigation I knew that agents of the Abdul Selim had purchased or stolen various animals during its voyage. Zeliha’s servant, Ağdasi had managed to acquire a pair of orangutans in Java, Bengal tigers in India, Malayan Sun Bears in Singapore, and red wolves in Somalia.

I followed the odd sounds and animal smells, and soon found myself wandering down a cobbled path between various enclosures containing the animals that had been brought to the small island from across the world. A large Bengal tiger eyed me carefully. The two red wolves—Ethiopian wolves to be precise—crouched together in the back of their large fenced yard. As I explored further into the zoo I found several older enclosures that must have been there for decades. The bars were rusting and the stone was pitted and stained. Some part of me wanted to see that the animals were being mistreated, but I found no evidence of that. Was this a legitimate zoo?

Inside the next large pen I saw a magnificent statue of a giant wolf—a dire wolf—which had to be from North America, though they had gone extinct long ago according to my professor at Oxford. The sculptor had done a wonderful job and I wanted to examine it more closely, but my attention was drawn to another statue in the middle of the path.
The creature was an apelike monstrosity over six feet tall with huge feet and hands. It stood more like a man than an ape and stared down as if looking right at me with saucer-sized sad eyes and long lashes. I had never seen anything like it and the only practical name I could give to the thing was mythological in origin. The furry ape had to be a yeti.

I approached it and was astonished at the perfection attained by the artist. Individual stone hairs could be seen coming off its body and though the moonlight was not bright, I could see wrinkles and jagged fingernails on its overly large hands. What I found most disconcerting was the aura of sadness that surrounded the statue, like it was a living being trapped inside a shell of stone.

A familiar yipping sound drew me away from the statue of the yeti and I found the Pasha’s collection of Australian animals. Kangaroos and wallabies were kept alongside my pair of thylacines. Samson and Delilah came over to the bars of their cage, whining, wagging their tails and barking loudly. I’d never seen them so excited and suspected they must have been mistreated to react so favorably to my familiar scent. All of my efforts during the past months were worth it when I saw the joy in their eyes.

“Where are your pups?” I whispered to Delilah.

She made a wuffling noise as I scanned the enclosure, hoping to see a pack of little thylacines, as they were obviously not in her or Sampson’s pouch.

“I’m here, don’t worry,” I told them. “I’m taking you home.” Both of them licked my fingers and for the first time in my life I pet their furry heads and scratched their ears. My fingers brushed down their necks and I felt dried blood on the Delilah’s coat. The male had the same bloody fur on his neck and I could feel small puncture wounds underneath. Had they bitten each other? Or been attacked by some other animal?

“Who are you?” In unison, a pair of girls with high voices and thick East Indian accents asked from the shadows a short distance away.

I stumbled back a step, regained my wits and cursed myself for being discovered. I wasn’t going to let a couple of waifs who were probably from the slums of Bombay frighten me. “I am the rightful owner of these animals. Now come forward and tell me who you are.”

The girls inched closer and I recoiled in horror. I had seen a photo of Siamese twins before, but was not prepared for this. The Indian girls shared a squat body with two legs and a pair of almost identical heads rose from oddly wide shoulders. One of the heads was turned slightly inward and they walked with a lumbering gait. “I am Jagriti and this is my sister, Araja.”

I could only stare in mute disgust as I imagined their wretched existence, though I could not imagine how they had arrived on Bornova. “What are you girls doing here?”

“We help take care of the animals, sir,” Jagriti said, bowing slightly, which was when I noticed the singular dot on each of their foreheads meant to protect them from the evil eye.

“These animals?” I asked, pointing at the thylacines.

“Not them,” Jagriti said, motioning toward the Bengal tiger’s pen. “Warrah is supposed to take care of these.”

“Who is Warrah?” I asked.

Araja looked over her shoulder and whispered something. A moment later a girl, no older than fifteen appeared from the shadows. Her dark brown skin, thick brow ridge and wide face marked her unmistakably as one of the aborigines from Australia, though she was dressed in dirty sari similar the Indian girls.

“You are Warrah?” I asked, dumbfounded.

She nodded and her eyes pleaded with me for help. “Did you come to take me home?” Her Australian accent was so similar to the boy on the beach north of Hobart.

My mind reeled as I remembered the aborigine boy and his father who had found me. They had asked me to find the tigers—and their keeper—and bring them home. Warrah was their keeper.

“Did the Sultana bring you here against your will?” I asked Warrah.

She nodded, averting her eyes, and touching a bloody scarf tied around her neck.

“What have they done to you?” I asked, my anger at the Sultana intensifying.

Warrah cringed, then fled back into the shadows.

“Tell me,” I said to the deformed twins, “what is happening here?”

“We serve the masters of this island now,” Araja said.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Jagriti said. “They will kill you.”

“Who?” I demanded, as the Indian girls and Warrah slunk back into the shadows then disappeared around a corner. I heard young high-pitched voices and knew there were more children hiding in the shadows than Warrah and the twins.

I started to follow after them when the thylacines froze in place, ears up and eyes focused on the pathway leading deeper into the center of the island. I whispered to Samson and Delilah, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back.” I hid myself behind an olive tree on a small hillock where I would have a good view of the enclosures and cobbled paths. I didn’t have to wait long before I saw who was coming.

The woman who claimed to be Sultana Zeliha sauntered down the path wearing a purple silk veil that covered her entire face, and a form-fitting ivory dress more appropriate for a harem.

The Bengal tiger across from the thylacines snarled at her as Zeliha approached the bars of his pen. The beast wanted to kill her and I hoped that it somehow would escape its enclosure and attack. To my astonishment, the tiger calmed down as Zeliha opened the animal’s door with a key and stepped inside. Her back was to me as she walked toward the powerful beast, but I could tell she had removed her veil and hair covering.

The Bengal eyed her intently and she stroked the fur on its head. Somehow her witch’s gaze had kept the animal from tearing her to shreds. If I had any doubt left about her supernatural powers, I let them go then. The Sultana turned her back on the tiger and it followed her out of the cage like it was a loyal dog. It paid no attention to any distractions, lumbering forward as it were half-asleep.

Zeliha stopped at the crossroads of the cobbled path and I thought she glanced at the tree where I was hiding. Her veil was back on, but I could tell she was looking at the thylacine pen suspiciously. Did she know I had been there?

The Sultana hesitated and then led tiger back into its cage. Then, to my utter surprise she walked toward the thylacines’ enclosure and opened their door with her key. Both of them hid in the back corner, but once her gaze had locked onto them they came right to her. She stroked their backs and both of them obediently followed, staying right on her heels.

I stayed as far away as I could and trailed her to a large white Mediterranean style house with thick white walls and tiny windows. A chapel with a bell and a tall cross on the roof stood beside the mansion. As Zeliha entered the courtyard between the chapel and the house, four torches blazed to life. I had no idea how they suddenly started burning, but I was even more convinced that this woman was in league with the devil. I took up a position beside a low wall and peered over it, though I kept in the shadows.

A slight man, perhaps forty years old and not much taller than Zeliha strode out of the chapel, which was lit with many candles. He had a long mustache and a dark pointed beard reminiscent of the Boyars of the Russian steppe. His archaic looking clothing marked him as an Eastern European prince more than an Ottoman Pasha, though I knew this had to be the one known as Pasha Arif. He wore a tunic of blue decorated with gold crosses and soft boots. No Muslim would wear such overtly Christian symbols and I realized the high level of deception perpetrated by the deranged folk on this island.

The Sultana removed her veil and Pasha Arif raised one of his peaked eyebrows. She pulled off the scarf from her hair and the long, curly black locks fell down her back.
To my astonishment, he stared right into her face.

“Finished praying already, my Prince?” Zeliha asked playfully in English.

“Why are you speaking English tonight?” he asked, with a thick Eastern European accent, confirming my suspicions. “I prefer the sound of your voice best when we speak the old tongues.”

“Perhaps these new Tasmanian beasts like the sound of English,” Zeliha said, then she rubbed the thylacines across their backs. They stood still, as if her touch immobilized them.

“I asked for a real tiger tonight, the female Bengal, not these skinny Tasmanian dogs.”

“Forgive me, my Pasha” Zeliha said, “I thought you said you wanted them again.”

“Are you showing off?” Pasha Arif looked at Zeliha and then I thought he glanced toward me. “I tire of your games and will you please stop calling me Pasha and dressing like you’re from the Turkish court. You know how it irritates me. Why don’t you wear the dresses I had delivered from Austria?”

“When are you going to stop dressing like a Christian knight?” she retorted.

“It suites me,” he said.

“Perhaps it does, but I sailed around the world for months finding presents for you as Sultana Zeliha. I’m not ready for a change yet, or would you rather that I’d been gone longer?”

“Forgive me,” he bowed in the old style of European nobility making a sweeping gesture with his hands. “It does please me to have you back. I worry sometimes that you might not return from these trips abroad.” He reached for her, extending his hands. I noticed his skin was pale, such a contrast to his dark hair and eyes.

“I don’t want you to worry,” she took both his hands into hers, “but, perhaps it’s time for me to stop.”

“I thought you enjoyed the travel?”

“I’m finished with it. I’d rather remain here with you, my Prince.”

“Tevfik can lead the next expedition,” he said.

“No,” Zeliha shook her head. “He is efficient in some things, but what I have in mind for you cannot be found in markets or zoos. The animals will have to be trapped in the bush and I wouldn’t trust the locals this time.”

“Now I understand.” The man’s gaze floated over her shoulder and he looked right at me. The urge to run made my stomach lurch. Then Zeliha turned and somehow her eyes pierced the shadows and met mine. I was instantly paralyzed, like I had been lashed to a stake driven into the ground.

“John Eddington. Come here,” Zeliha ordered.
Terrified and powerless from her gaze, I could do nothing but obey. I marched into the courtyard and felt as if I was in someone else’s body, a passenger without any ability to exert my will.

Zeliha’s face was beautiful, but her dark blue eyes promised death eternal.

“So this is the man who has been asking questions about us,” the Prince said, then he put one of his hands on my shoulder, and stroked my throat with cold fingers and sharp fingernails. “He has come a long way.”

“All the way from Tasmania,” Zeliha said as she faced me.

“This is your doing,” the Prince said to her. “You brought him here, didn’t you? Shall I spill his blood now or dispose of him in my old way?”

She glanced at her Prince with a wry grin and her hold on me weakened slightly.

I was able to force out the syllables of a few distorted words.

The Prince and the Sultana regarded each other, amused.

“He wonders who we are,” the Prince said.

“Of course he does. Don’t they all?” She looked back at me and said, “Oh, Mr. Eddington, I have been many things over the years. Daughter, sister, priestess, exile, mother, queen, Goddess and so much more.”

The Prince smiled at her, showing his slightly yellowed teeth. “So much more indeed. I am little compared to you.”

“I detest it when you’re humble,” she said. “You were a Prince, a general, a king, the Defender of Christendom in the Order of the Dragon and now the Pasha of Bornova.”

“I tire of being the Pasha,” he said, “and I tire of this new world.” He stared at me, his eyes drifting toward the rapidly pulsing vein in my neck. “Who will I have to be next to keep my privacy? Where will I have to live? What is there new for me after all of these centuries?”

Centuries? I couldn’t fathom what he meant. Another joke perhaps? Neither of them appeared to be past their fortieth year.

“If it were only centuries for me,” she said.

“How?” I managed to ask, my face wrinkled with incomprehension and strain.

“Because we share the same curse,” she said.

“Not the same,” the Prince corrected.

“You’re not going to tell him, are you?” Zeliha asked.

“Of course not,” the Prince said, “but why did you bring this man here? Honestly, he’s far too common for me, and not right for my collection, or even yours for that matter.”

“Don’t you know,” Zeliha said, “he’s my replacement. He’s a driven man, a naturalist and an idealist. He will lead the expeditions to the far corners of the world and he will send specimens back to us.”

“Splendid,” the Prince said, his hand once again on my throat, “but I find him lacking.”
I stared at them not comprehending what was happening and afraid I was about to die.

"There, there,” she said to me as if I were a child, “you will go wherever we wish and locate rare and interesting . . . animals for us.”

“Mammals,” the Prince said, “I hate the taste of reptiles, and all common things.” He painfully squeezed my shoulder.

Taste? Did he eat them? Is that what had happened to the thylacine pups? Had the Prince eaten them? When I was free of Zeliha’s spell I would choke the Prince to death with my bare hands.

“You will send live specimens back here to us,” Zeliha said.

The rage in me allowed me to break her hold. “No, I will not send them here for you to slaughter.”

“Impressive,” the Prince said. “I’ve never seen someone break your hold so easily.”

“That’s why I made him come here,” Zeliha said. “Don’t worry, Mr. Eddington. Any specimens sent here will live a good and long life. They will not be required to die, just bleed a little for my Prince. He has such exotic tastes now.”

“What happened to the litter of pups?” I asked.

“They were born on the ship and died off Sumatra,” she said. “I don’t know why.”

“What will happen to the animals you want me to send here?” I asked.

“They will live a carefree life and when they are old I will preserve them,” Zeliha said.

“Did you not admire my work when you came down the path?”

“The sculptures?” I asked.

They both laughed.

“I did not carve them,” Zeliha said. “I took what was left of them and gave them their own immortality in stone.”

“Impossible,” I said. How could any of this be true?

“It’s my curse,” Zeliha said.

I actually staggered backward then as a particular Greek myth came into my mind. A beautiful priestess of Athena had lain with Poseidon in Athena’s temple incurring the wrath of the virgin goddess. Athena’s punishment had been severe, the curse of the gorgon. No man or woman could look at the girl’s face or they would be turned to stone, so she was exiled. The myth had to be at least thirty-five hundred years old. I couldn’t look away. Could it really be her?

She smiled at me then and I expected her dark curls to turn to snakes and pluck out my eyeballs.

“Look at him,” the Prince said as my fear shown through. “He knows who you are.”

“I am Sultana Zeliha for now,” she said, “and I will be for many more years. My first name no longer suits me, and I have tired of the others as well.”

“Whatever you wish,” the Prince said, “though next time you must not pick a name that reminds me of my enemies. Perhaps your next name should be Ilona. I always liked that name.”

“That was your second wife’s name,” Zeliha said, the hint of anger in her voice.

“Perhaps a biblical name?” the Prince offered. “Jezebel or Lilith?”

Zeliha and the Prince laughed.

“Must you always talk about the bible?” Zeliha asked.

“God sustains me,” the Prince said as he made the sign of the cross on his chest. “Without God’s forgiveness how would I be forgiven for what I have done? Or for what I am about to do?”

She grinned at him and the Prince smiled, his canine teeth elongating into fangs. The Prince moved toward me in a blur and I felt his breath on my neck as he sunk his teeth into my flesh. I screamed as Zeliha’s eyes burned into mine. I could not move as the man drank my blood while she fed on the fear radiating from my eyes. The demon woman watched in delight and when the Prince finished I collapsed on the ground.

“So ordinary,” he muttered, then wiped my blood from his lips. His hunger not sated, he crouched beside one of the still paralyzed thylacines and sank his fangs into Delilah’s neck.

I blacked out and was awakened much later by the hoots of an ape, perhaps an orangutan. Zeliha sat in a chair in front of the soft couch where I lay. The furniture was on a wide veranda overlooking the Prince’s zoo complex. She wore the amber colored sun-spectacles again and a linen dress of the ancient Greek style that left little to the imagination in the bright sunlight. Her hair was braided and she wore a golden tiara of coiled snakes around her brow.

“Good, you’re awake,” she said.

I sat up and touched the puncture wounds on my neck.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “my Prince is resting today. We’ll have time to talk alone.”

“Where will I be when he returns? Locked in a cage so he can feed on me again?” I thought I had nothing left to lose and was determined to die a man, not like a lamb brought to slaughter.

“You will be on a ship heading for Athens,” she said.

“You’re letting me go?”

“I am your new patron, Mr. Eddington, or may I call you John?”

I didn’t answer.

“Everything you have ever wished to do is now within reach. My Prince and I will fund all of your expeditions. You will become the most famous naturalist in the world. You will go to the Orient, Siberia, the Amazon, even to the depths of central Africa. Every scientist and naturalist in the world will be jealous of your adventures.”

I knew what they wanted, though I questioned my sanity for considering it. I touched the still very sore puncture wounds on my neck and knew I hadn’t imagined it all. They wanted live specimens so the devil Prince could satisfy his blood urges, and then Zeliha would immortalize them in stone when they became too old. Warrah and the Siamese sisters had felt the bite of the Prince as well. What a terrible fate they would they have to endure. I wondered how many others the Prince and Zeliha had enslaved and tortured over the impossible number of years they claimed to have lived.

“You will do this for us and we will make you a very wealthy man,” Zeliha said.

“And if I refuse?”

“You won’t,” she said.

“Why are you so certain?”

“This is your chance for immortality. You can find the rest of the Tasmanian tigers in the wild. You can protect them. Your legacy will become part of history. The nature preserves that you establish will save countless species. My Prince and I know what will happen in the future and it is a blight of grand proportions. You can be the defender of the natural world, and all that is required of you is to find rare animals and send two specimens, one male and one female back to this island.”

“What if I ever refuse to continue this arrangement?”
She stood up and stared toward the zoo, her eyes locking on the large ape in the pathway that I assumed was a yeti. “Do you see that tall statue?”

I nodded.

“I trapped him in the high Himalayas, in Nepal. It took me two years. Two long years I was gone from Bornova. When I returned my Prince drank the yeti’s blood twice a week for over seventy years. The snow ape was dear to us both, and we made him as comfortable as possible, though the heat of the Mediterranean never agreed with him. Then, when he was old and his body wracked with the infirmness of age, I made him immortal in stone so he can be with us always, in spirit if not in flesh.

“He isn’t the last of his kind, and I didn’t manage to capture another, but I found their tracks in the snow on more than one occasion. Would you not like to find another like him? I can help you. I know where the yeti live. I have maps and will give you the secret of how to trap another—or rather a pair of them—though I do not care to spend the time it will take living in the Himalayas. Think of it, John, the capture of a yeti will make you the most famous man alive. You will live a life that other men dream of. My Prince and I will allow you to reap the rewards of showing it to the world before you send it to us.

“And that will only be the beginning. No one knows what is hidden deep in the Amazon. Perhaps you will find something there that no one has seen before.”

“Will you ever release me from this contract?” I asked.

“Whenever you wish, though my patronage will be withdrawn, and at anytime, please return here and I will make you immortal.”

I thought of the yeti’s statue then, and was chilled to the core. What would it be like to be immortal in stone? I had the terrible feeling that the yeti was not dead and could perceive the world around it. The creature was trapped in a prison, going insane with boredom and despair.

“Become a statue in my garden of stone today,” she said, “or accept my offer. The choice is yours.”

Zeliha let me leave and I was on a ship steaming away from that accursed island by mid afternoon with Tevfik Ağdasi watching over me. Willingly I had agreed to do the Sultana’s bidding and signed a contract to that effect. I was given access to funds and a ship, the Abdul Selim, which I renamed the Saint Michael as soon as I was able. My first expedition would be to the Amazon, and I would send funds to Tasmania to protect the thylacines in the wild there.

That is how it all started. That meeting on Bornova is why I spent my life in the most remote places on Earth, though my longest expedition, the one in Nepal ended in failure. Despite that, I kept my end of the bargain. I sent them live specimens. Jaguars, and Siberian tigers, red pandas and silverback gorillas. I used Zeliha and the Prince’s seemingly unlimited wealth to create the Geographical Society of London and more. I spent my life educating the public about the world and the animals we share it with. I accepted the fame and the adoration. I used my status to get everything I wanted.

And I pretended not to notice what Ağdasi was doing. He collected rare humans for the Prince with the same vigor I gathered animals. He found more like Jagriti and her sister, and tribal folk like poor Warrah, who was taken from her land and her family by force. I rationalized that they would live better lives on Bornova than in the freak shows of traveling circuses or dying young in some God forsaken jungle or slum.

I never protested and I turned my eyes away whenever it suited me. I allowed those

poor souls on Bornova to endure unimaginable depredations at the hands of the Prince and his diabolical accomplice. I visited those poor animal keepers a few times over the years and each time the light in their eyes was dimmer, like they were candles about to go out.

Whenever my resolve was flagging and I was having nightmares about the Siamese twin sisters and Warrah being fed upon by the Prince, I would receive another large payment, often in gold, which would allow me to continue my mission or start another. I was overwhelmed with guilt and by the thought that the money I was using was soaked in the blood of oppressed people. Worrying about the money let me think of something else beside the human specimens Ağdasi was collecting.

So much wealth was given me over the years that I began a clandestine mission to find out the source of it all. Through the diligence of several investigators, including a famous British detective I knew as S.H., I learned that the Prince’s armies had ravaged Eastern Europe before he faked his own death rather than face decapitation by the Turks. During his bloody reign he had stolen countless priceless artifacts from churches and the nobles of his realm, who he butchered or impaled. It must have been then that he was cursed.

The Sultana was harder to trace. There is little written evidence, but I believe she originated in ancient Greece itself, in the age before the War at Troy. I was able to trace her back to imperial Rome in the time of the mad Emperor Nero. She had been one of his lovers and directed his murderous rampages, profiting by stealing the property and estates of those nobles Nero had killed. One report even credited her with suggesting that Nero have his legions seize the treasures of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

I was overwhelmed with guilt at the thought that the gold I had used to fund my expeditions could have been part of the looted Temple Treasures, or perhaps the Arc of the Covenant itself. But I never refused a payment and I never unmasked my benefactors or betrayed their dark secrets until now. Perhaps Ağdasi would have killed me if I had, but that would have been far more preferable to the evil I allowed to roam unfettered.

There was no spell or curse upon me that forced me to do their bidding. I did it for the riches they gave me, and though it appears otherwise in the press, my life has been an utter failure. My conservation projects have done little and most of the world has never heard the word thylacine, and few care that the last Tasmanian tiger in captivity is dead. The species is gone and my efforts to trap the wild ones hastened their demise when hunters decided that the large sum to trap them was a government lie, and chose the much smaller reward for the animal’s striped pelt. My precious Delilah and Sampson died years ago on Bornova, and I have seen their sad statues. The longing in their eyes is still there, for their souls are trapped in this world.

I have often privately lamented the number of rare animals have I condemned to feed the Prince and entertain his devilish concubine. Far too many, but there will be no more. This memoir will expose my patrons and show them for what they are. Vile creatures of Satan and me their willing pawn.

Once this book is finished, my son and I will travel to Bornova island and confront the nigh immortal Prince and the woman who calls herself Zeliha. We shall free all the slaves and return them to their homelands. I will do what I should have done years ago, though it is too late for Warrah and the Siamese twin sisters, as they are now in Sultana Zeliha’s garden of statues because I failed to bring them home with the tigers.

My son and I shall not be going alone. I have used the last of my fortune to train and equip a small army of God’s warriors—the modern order of the Knights Templar. I am old and crippled, but I will see an end to this before I meet my final judgment.

If my son or I survive this attack on Zeliha and the Prince, a full recounting will follow, and will be published in a subsequent volume.

I beg the forgiveness of all the people I have ever worked with around the world. I lied to all of you and thought I was working for the greater good. In truth, I lied to myself and did nothing to protect the most vulnerable among us. Now I realize my good intentions showed me the path to Hell.

* * * * *

From the London Times dated one month after this memoir was published:

The British ship, Saint Michael, sank off the coast of Turkey after running aground while steaming at night. The handful of survivors who found refuge on a small island have now returned to England and they most notably include J.W. Eddington, the only son of the famed naturalist, cartographer, and explorer, Sir John William Eddington. J.W. Junior’s esteemed father drowned in the disaster and his son has vowed to continue his father’s work as a naturalist and conservationist.

J.W. is now organizing an expedition to the Himalayas that is projected to last for up to three years and will retrace the footsteps his father left decades ago. The Geographical Society of London is not sponsoring the expedition and the funding for the mission to find the elusive Tibetan snow leopard or the abominable snow ape appears to be from one of his father’s gold mines in New Zealand.

A memorial for the greatest British explorer of our time will be held this Sunday at eleven o’clock at the newly renovated Carfax Abby outside London in Purfleet and a statue of the late John William Eddington will be unveiled in the adjoining cemetery.

Write for the Heights

2011-01-03T08:17:00.001-08:00

If you're a budding author, I have a New Year's Resolution for you! The Cottonwood Heights Arts Council is sponsoring its first writing contest! "Write for the Heights" invites residents of Salt Lake County to submit a short story or poem. Submit your work in these four categories: Fiction by adults, Poetry by adults, Fiction by youth (ages 12-17), and Poetry by youth (age 12-17). Submissions must include a cover letter listing name, contact information, address, and submission category. One grand prize and two honorable mentions will be awarded in each category. Fiction should be no longer than 15,000 words.
Drop off or mail entries to Whitmore Library, 2197 East Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights UT 84121, or e-mail to amy.charts@gmail.com. Submission deadline is February 12.

Even if you don't want to enter please come on February 5 for a free workshop on writing.

To kick off the writing contest, there will be a literacy fair on February 5th in the conference room at Whitmore Library, featuring local authors offering free lectures, doing book signings, question and answer sessions, and writing workshops. The schedule for February 5th is as follows:

Kick off Event--Write for the Heights

Saturday, February 5, 12-5 at Whitmore Library in Cottonwood Heights

12:00 Keynote Speaker--Author Paul Genesse (Sponsored by Dyslexia Tutoring of Utah who will be present to answer any questions you might have)

1:00 Writers workshop, book signing, Q&A with Paul Genesse

2:00 Author Virginia Smith

3:00 book signing, Q&A with Virginia Smith

3:30 Workshop with Author Amy Maida Wadsworth--"Point of View and Goals, the keys to a character-driven story."

Write for the Heights

2011-01-03T03:24:00.001-08:00

If you're a budding author, have I have a New Year's Resolution for you! The Cottonwood Heights Arts Council is sponsoring its first writing contest! "Write for the Heights" invites residents of Salt Lake County to submit a short story or poem. Submit your work in these four categories: Fiction by adults, Poetry by adults, Fiction by youth (ages 12-17), and Poetry by youth (age 12-17). Submissions must include a cover letter listing name, contact information, address, and submission category. One grand prize and two honorable mentions will be awarded in each category. Fiction should be no longer than 15,000 words.
Drop off or mail entries to Whitmore Library, 2197 East Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights UT 84121, or e-mail to amy.charts@gmail.com. Submission deadline is February 12.

Even if you don't want to enter please come on February 5 for a free workshop on writing.

To kick off the writing contest, there will be a literacy fair on February 5th in the conference room at Whitmore Library, featuring local authors offering free lectures, doing book signings, question and answer sessions, and writing workshops. The schedule for February 5th is as follows:

Kick off Event--Write for the Heights

Saturday, February 5, 12-5 at Whitmore Library in Cottonwood Heights

12:00 Keynote Speaker--Author Paul Genesse (Sponsored by Dyslexia Tutoring of Utah who will be present to answer any questions you might have)

1:00 Writers workshop, book signing, Q&A with Paul Genesse

2:00 Author Virginia Smith

3:00 book signing, Q&A with Virginia Smith

3:30 Workshop with Author Amy Maida Wadsworth--"Point of View and Goals, the keys to a character-driven story."

Worldbuilders

2010-12-03T23:18:00.001-08:00

What’s that you say? You’d like to make the world a better place while simultaneously winning fabulous prizes?

Then read on . . .

I've been helping with the amazing Worldbuilders program for the past couple of years. My author friend, Patrick Rothfuss, introduced me to it and I've been donating books and more to the program he's doing.

Please follow this link and check it out, since you can win fabulous prizes and help make the world a better place.

http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2010/11/worldbuilders-2010/

Paul Genesse
Author of The Nubian Queen
in Steampunked'd from DAW Books
www.paulgenesse.com

Residual Hauntings Live Interview

2010-11-11T15:23:00.001-08:00

I'll be interviewed on an internet radio show tonight, called Residual Hauntings Live, a show about all things paranormal. I collect true ghost stories from hospitals and have a chilling story from a local children's hospital that you won't want to miss. Tune in to the free show at 10:30 PM Mountain Time tonight. Just go to the link and click on "Listen Live."

http://www.utahfm.org/

Paul Genesse
Author of The Nubian Queen
in the Steampunk'd anthology from DAW Books

Steampunk'd

2010-10-27T06:36:00.001-07:00

Steampunk'd is the new anthology from DAW Books and releases November 2, 2010 and features my story, The Nubian Queen.

Read the first half of the story for free on my website in the Works section, or listen to a free podcast here: http://web.me.com/paulgenesse/Site/Podcast/Entries/2010/10/27_The_Steampunk’d_Anthology_from_DAW_Books.html

The podcast is pretty awesome. It's read by Annie O'Connell-Torgersen, who is an acclaimed voice over artist and a friend. She's married to Brad Torgersen, a sci-fi writer and a Writers of the Future winner.

Annie happens to be perfect to play the role of Queen Sahdi and I knew that from the moment I met her. You see, Annie and Sahdi are both strong black women.

In The Nubian Queen, the last descendent of Cleopatra the Great must risk everything to save her country in an 1800’s alternate history Earth where Egypt is the center of the world.

Check out the book on Amazon.com.

Back Cover Copy:

Science fiction is the literature of what if, and steampunk takes the what if along a particular time stream. What if steam power was the prime force in the Victorian era? How would that era change, and how would it change the future?

From a Franco-British race for Kentucky coal to one woman’s determination to let no man come between her and her inventions . . . from an attempt to turn lead into gold which has far-reaching implications to a reporter’s cross-country airship journey to cover the story of a scientist out to tame the desert’s heat . . . from the hunt for a near-extinct creature to an attempt to rid Europe of the fey . . . from “machine whispers” to a Thomas Edison experiment gone awry, here are fourteen original tales of what might have been had steam powered the world in an earlier age.

Stories by:

Michael A. Stackpole * Donald J. Bingle
William C. Dietz * Jody Lynn Nye
Bradley P. Beaulieu * Dean Leggett
Stephen D. Sullivan * Matthew P. Mayo
C.A. Verstraete * Paul Genesse
Mary Louise Eklund* Marc Tassin
Skip & Penny Williams * Robert Vardeman

Zombie Raccoons and Killer Bunnies

2010-10-15T02:38:00.001-07:00

Zombie Raccoons and Killer Bunnies by Martin H. Greenberg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies edited by Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg

This is a crazy book and the purposefully amateurish cover drew the ire of a many when it came out. Those who hated the cover may have missed the point all together of this mostly comedic exploration on two hilarious ideas: zombie raccoons and killer bunnies. If you’re looking for some spooky fun during Halloween you’ll find a lot of entertainment here, from hilarious to scary. There’s fifteen stories and the authors cover a lot of different ground.

Death Mask by Jody Lynn Nye has written a tale about some nefarious raccoons and a tough old lady with a shotgun that you won’t soon forget. BunRabs by Donald J. Bingle is the funniest story in the book and I laughed out loud several times. For Lizzie by Anton Strout explores a couple of secondary characters from his well received Simon Canderous novels (Dead to Me, Dead Matter, Deader Still, & Dead Waters). Faith in Our Fathers by Alexander B. Potter is one of the best stories in the book and it really tugs at your heart. It has a resonance that any of us who have ever lost a pet can identify with, and is written with the grace of a master.

Bone Whispers by Tim Waggoner is a Stephen King-esque horror story that comes to life and will totally creep you out. Bone Whispers is one of those bizarre and well-written stories that makes you cringe. Watching by Carrie Vaughn is a tale about pigeons and mind control that will have you watching those damn flying rats out of the corner of your eye for some time.

The Things That Crawl by Richard Lee Byers is in my top three of the anthology. It’s one of those awesome stories that has it all, creepiness, a hurricane, great characterization, murder, and it’s an awesome story about the kind of serial killer you’ve never heard of before. Dead Poets by John A. Pitts is the most literary of the anthology and is written in an interesting point of view with a liberal dose of poetry. Her Black Mood by Brenda Cooper is an exploration of a unique fairy world by a neglected young girl.

Ninja Rats on Harleys by Elizabeth A. Vaughan is such an incredibly amusing story about a writer and her new friend, Wan, a very unique mouse who would be utterly bad-ass if he weren’t three inches tall. This is the continuation of Vaughan’s story about Wan from the anthology, Furry Fantastic and even if you haven’t read the first one, you’ll love this one. I mean, who doesn’t like ninja rats on Harleys?

Bats in thebayou (not a typo) by Steven H. Silver is one of the most interesting science fiction stories I’ve read a long time and one of the best stories in the book. It’s about a breed of aliens that look like bats. They’ve secretly invaded Earth and have come up with a scheme to harvest the most valuable thing on the planet, mosquitoes, without anyone knowing about it. Twilight Animals by the award-winning Nini Kiriki Hoffman is about a slacker who discovers a terrible secret about the possums infesting a suburban neighborhood where he’s house sitting. The final tale in the book titled, The Ridges by Larry D. Sweazy is a great story that will keep you guessing until the end.

Overall, Zombie Raccoons and Killer Bunnies was rollicking good time about creepy animals that infest the dark and often funny corners of our twisted imaginations. It’s a perfect collection of stories for Halloween time.

Paul Genesse
Author of The Dragon Hunters

View all my reviews

Tracy Hickman and Paul Genesse

2010-09-26T14:04:00.001-07:00

It's not everyday that you get to live out your boyhood dreams. Yesterday, I signed copies of my books while my boyhood hero, New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman signed copies of his novels and his XDM books beside me at Barnes and Noble. It was a "wow" moment for me and getting to talk with him was awesome.

I've known Mr. Hickman for several years now and have been a fan since I was twelve when I read the Dragonlance novels that he wrote with Margaret Weis. It was a cool day indeed to be able to do two signings with him, one at the Jordan Landing Barnes and Noble and one at the Borders by Fashion Place Mall. If you missed the signings, you can still get signed copies at each store. The store employees were excellent as well and took good care of us.

Both signings were fun and the best thing was getting to hang out with my writer friends and fans. I'm so blessed to have such awesome people in my life. Just about all of us writers, plus a few spouses, and a few friends from the signings went out to dinner afterward, (there were 21 of us at the Cheesecake Factory, which has delicious food). All in all, it was a fabulous day. I've posted the pics on Facebook. Here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=290022&id=583339135&l=8221fffd45

Thanks to everyone for coming out and supporting us.

Paul Genesse
Author of The Dragon Hunters
wwww.paulgenesse.com

Super Writers of the Universe and Friends Mega Signing--Part One and Part Two

2010-09-21T10:13:00.001-07:00

Super Writers of the Universe and Friends Mega Signing--PART ONE

Saturday, September 25, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Jordan Landing in West Jordan - 801-282-1324
7157 Plaza Center Drive, West Jordan, UT 84084
West Jordan, UT

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25

10 MEGA SCI-FI & FANTASY AUTHORS FOR A MEGA SIGNING!

TRACY HICKMAN, LARRY CORREIA, DAVID FARLAND, JOHN BROWN, BRAD TORGERSEN, DAN WILLIS, JALETA CLEGG, ERIC JAMES STONE, HOWARD TAYLER, & PAUL GENESSE

SOME FREE BOOKS WILL BE GIVEN AWAY AT THE EVENT! TOR BOOKS HAS DONATED SOME VERY SPECIAL PRIZES, ALL HARD BOUND.

Book Signing Event Featuring Science Fiction/Fantasy Authors:
John Brown (Servant of a Dark God), Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance,
Dragonsbard, X-treme Dungeon Mastery), Larry Correia (Monster Hunter International), David Farland (Runelords), Brad Torgerson, Dan Willis (Dragonlance: The New Adventures), Jaleta Clegg (Nexus Point), Eric James Stone (numerous short stories), Howard Tayler (Schlock Mercenary).

Call and the store and reserve your books: 801.282.1324
For media inquiries call Micahel Tanner 801.499.4594

Super Writers of the Universe and Friends Mega Signing--PART TWO

Saturday, September 25 · 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Borders Bookstore; 132 East Winchester St, Murray, UT 84107 (801) 313-1020

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25

10 MEGA SCI-FI & FANTASY AUTHORS FOR A MEGA SIGNING!

TRACY HICKMAN, LARRY CORREIA, DAVID FARLAND, JOHN BROWN, BRAD TORGERSEN, DAN WILLIS, JALETA CLEGG, ERIC JAMES STONE, HOWARD TAYLER, & PAUL GENESSE

SOME FREE BOOKS WILL BE GIVEN AWAY AT THE EVENT! TOR BOOKS HAS DONATED SOME VERY SPECIAL PRIZES, ALL HARD BOUND.

Book Signing Event Featuring Science Fiction/Fantasy Authors:
John Brown (Servant of a Dark God), Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance,
Dragonsbard, X-treme Dungeon Mastery), Larry Correia (Monster Hunter International), David Farland (Runelords), Brad Torgerson, Dan Willis (Dragonlance: The New Adventures), Jaleta Clegg (Nexus Point), Eric James Stone (numerous short stories), Howard Tayler (Schlock Mercenary).

We are also waiting until the Sept 15th for theannoucement of a possible super author to come.

Watch for upcoming announcements on more authors attending this great event!

CONTACT THE STORE IF YOU WANT TO RESERVE BOOKS: 801.313.1020

Mathew Grahl General Manager mgrahl@boardersstores dot com

For media inquiries contact: Michael Tanner mike@dicemediagroup dot com 801.499.4594

The authors will be up stairs in a big area. We are doing this event in case you can't make the earlier signing at the Barnes and Noble in Jordan Landing. Or if you just want another crack at all the books we will be giving away or other types of swag!

The Last Breakfast

2010-09-17T09:08:00.001-07:00

My writer friend Kelly Swails has a flash fiction story (1.5 pages) on my buddy Patrick Tracy's horror flash fiction website. This story is worth a read if you're into zombies. The website is called: Nasty, Brutish, and Short and if you have any flash horror fiction it's the place to submit. Kelly's story is a short blast of sweet, sweet cannibalism, just like you always wanted to read. It's a really good story, but not for the faint of heart.

The great thing is . . . Kelly wrote it in second person. It's a story about YOU, and how YOU crave the flesh of the living. What could be better? I don't know. Maybe a donut. Naw. It would take a fricken' BACON DONUT to be better than that.

I suggest you stop what you're doing, right this second, and Read Kelly's Story. (The linky deal just now was where you wanted to click. Yeah. You. Go back. Finish reading my blather in a few minutes, when you're done with Kelly's stuff.)

If you want to know more about Kelly, Here's Her Official Website, and Here's Her Blog.

Okay, I'm done bossing you around now. As you were.

Paul Genesse (who may have borrowed some of the previous words from Pat's website) :)

Little Miriam's Fundraiser

2010-09-17T08:54:00.001-07:00

My friend, Daniel has a sweet little daughter named, Miriam. She was born with Down Syndrome. If you're interested in helping the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation and helping little Miriam, and children like her, please visit this website to donate or if you want to participate in the 5K or buddy walk on September 25, visit the website I've listed below.

Miriam's Donation page:

http://www.firstgiving.com/missmiriam

Buddy Walk/5K website:

http://www.utahrunning.com/events/race/ref/Utah-Down-Syndrome-Foundation-Davis-Chapter-Buddy-Walk--5K-Race

Best wishes,

Paul Genesse
Author of The Golden Cord
www.paulgenesse.com

The Mocking Jay review

2010-09-03T09:44:00.001-07:00

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Mocking Jay Review

(This review contains spoilers)

The Mocking Jay, the final book in the Hunger Games series was my favorite of the three, but it was a bitter pill to swallow. It’s so dark, gritty, and very realistic. It doesn’t sugarcoat the effects of combat, and killing. There are consequences to what Katniss and the other characters have gone through. Terrible consequences.

I know that many readers are upset about how this series concluded. Two people I know have said they hated the book. They have good reasons to hate it, but the main issue is that they wanted a more Hollywood-type ending, or Disney ending if you will. Honestly, I would have preferred a Hollywood ending myself, but the story required a different kind of finale. I was very impressed with how Suzanne Collins unmercifully told this story and kept things rooted in the real world. It was very different from the other two books, but had similar elements that made the first Hunger Games books interesting.

Katniss is so messed up from all that she’s been through, and there is no recovering from it. My friends who hated the book wanted her to recover. I wanted her to recover. She doesn’t. She goes insane, which continues her downward spiral that started at the end of book two—remember when she scratched her drunken mentor’s face? Sure, we wanted Katniss to be okay. We wanted her to recover from her ordeals and survive and thrive. She can’t. Why? Because she’s human. She’s not a Hollywood heroine.

The message here is that we are fragile and delicate creatures. Even the ones among us who face combat and have to kill people, and most of those people in our society aren’t 15 or 16 years old. Combat destroys the souls of many of the soldiers who’ve been through it. I’m talking about strong men and women, like the ones I’ve taken care of at the V.A. hospital where I used to work as a nurse. The reality of war isn’t pretty. I think this book is the Saving Private Ryan of the mainstream literary world. Saving Private Ryan was the biggest antiwar movie of the last twenty years, beside Schindler’s List, both directed by Stephen Spielberg.

Those were important movies to see, but they weren’t fun at all. Collins out does Spielberg in some ways. Private Ryan survives. In many ways, Katniss does not. She’s a different person, and what she fought hardest for, dies a horrible death. The fact that someone so important to Katniss died set up the ending for me when she chose a different target than the one she was supposed to hit. I agree with her move. I think it was the right one. I don’t think she was manipulated at all there. She took out the real evil, though both targets were evil to the core. That was the strongest decision her character made in the whole series, and I did not see it coming. Bravo to Suzanne Collins for that one.

If The Mocking Jay were a heroic fantasy novel, Katniss would have probably come out a lot better than she did. I personally would have had her rise to the occasion and overcome her mental issues, though she would be damaged forever and bear great scars from all of it. I would have portrayed her as a strong character, making more decisions, and driving the plot, rather than being a prop for the rebel government’s commercials. She would have chosen her man at the end, rather than having the choice made for her. However, this is a dark science-fiction novel, and don’t kid yourself, this is science-fiction, though the publisher has decided to market it as mainstream, which is the reason why so many people read it.

These books are commentary on the world today like all good science-fiction. According to an interview I heard, Collins wrote these books with several things in mind, and she discusses a few of those ideas at the end of the audio book I listened to. She was watching the coverage of the war in Iraq and also watching some reality shows, and thought about how the two could be combined. She also was thinking of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus, where children were sacrificed to the minotaur every year, and Thesues volunteered to go.

What’s the message the author was trying to convey? Sacrificing your children because you can’t agree on something is wrong. Sending children (or anyone) off to war is not the right idea. The human race needs to figure out a better way of solving problems.

Yes, there are other points that Collins was trying to make, such as: don’t trust dictators or over-powerful governments, like the ones that exist today in our own world.

This whole series is supposed to make you think, and I’m so glad that Suzanne Collins had the courage to write these books, and write the ending she did. I think the publishers heard the pitch several years ago and decided to push these novels down the throats of America’s youth. It was a message the kids and adults needed to hear. Readers would be lured in after the first book, and then the second would wet their appetite even more, and then when they were least expecting it, the third book comes out and proves to be more than cheap entertainment. It has a message. Not a pretty message.

We want our heroes to come out on top and be okay. The truth of it is that in the real world, they’re not okay. They are broken people, like Katniss.

I’m so glad large numbers of people have read these books. Kids, and adults, need to be thinking about the issues raised in the series. The message isn’t new, but many of the generation who are reading these books haven’t heard it yet.

When I do school visits on my book tours I’m excited to be able to talk about The Hunger Games. There is substance here. It’s not some ridiculous and sparkly world where reality is distorted beyond belief. This is a post-apocalyptic world not so far removed from the one we live in today.

The Mockingjay is a bitter and mostly unsatisfying pill to swallow, but it shows the truth and holds up a mirror to all of us. We don’t like the way we really look, and perhaps for the first time we’re confronted with who we really are.

Paul Genesse

Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

View all my reviews

Did you always want to die for a good cause?

2010-08-28T08:41:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Here's your chance to die for a good cause. It involves donating money to a worthy cause so you can have your name in Larry Correia's next book, and you guessed it, your character gets killed. Here's the message from Kai Hintze, the father of the boy who needs a new kidney.

From: Kai Hintze catterwaller at gmail dot com

My son, Misha Hintze, age 23, needs a new kidney. Until he can get one
he is on dialysis to keep him alive. Once he gets a new kidney he can
expect to pay $1000 to $2000 a month for the rest of his life for
medication to keep the new kidney working. All that adds up to a
pretty large medical bill....

Larry Correia, author of Monster Hunter International, and the soon to
be released Monster Hunter Vendetta has generously offered to
red-shirt in an upcoming book anyone who will make a $50 donation to
Misha's kidney fund. Yes, your name will appear in the book. Yes, the
character with your name will die.

To participate, write a check and mail it to me. I will add your name
to the list, and give the check to the Rotary Foundation at the next
Tuesday meeting.

Make checks payable to: West Jordan Rotary Service Foundation
Note in the memo section: Misha Hintze Kidney Transplant
Mail checks for red-shirt to:
Kai Hintze
3087 W 7140 S
West Jordan, UT 84084

I've read a lot of tax pamphlets about donations lately, and I'm
pretty sure that the IRS will see this as receiving value for money,
so it will not be tax deductible. If you want to donate directly then
you can write a tax deductible check. Use the same payable to, and
memo, but send it directly to the West Jordan Rotary Service
Foundation.
Please send direct donations to:
West Jordan Rotary Service Foundation
Attn: Sharon Richardson, Treasurer
11168 South Hampton Way
South Jordan, Utah 84095

Again, if you mail the check to me it will not be tax deductible, but
you get to die for a good cause. If you mail the check directly to the
Rotary it is tax deductible, but you have to wait for another
opportunity to die gloriously. Decisions,
decisions....

Please pass the word around!

Also, we had a donor lined up, but one of the final tests showed that
she had extra arteries going into her kidneys. That is good for her,
but bad for transplant. So we are looking for someone in good physical
condition, that has type O blood, and who can take a couple of months
off work to recover from surgery, and has a kidney they are willing to
share. The donor's medical expenses are all paid by our insurance.

Thanks!
Kai

The Witches Kitchen

2010-08-24T03:22:00.001-07:00

Witches Kitchen by Allen Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Witches’ Kitchen by Allen Williams is a brilliantly written and gorgeously illustrated young adult novel that deserves a very large audience. Williams has been a prolific and superb artist for years, and now he’s unlocked his tremendous talent for writing. His paintings always told a story and now, thankfully for us, he’s written one of them down. The forty original pencil illustrations add to a fantastical journey in the infinitely large and dangerous magical kitchen owned by two malevolent witches. The main character, Toad, is about to be killed by the witches who are planning to steal Toad’s magical powers when she manages to escape their clutches—but ends up in a very fascinating place—the Kitchen.

Poor little Toad, who is not really a Toad, and can’t remember who she really is, meets all sorts of enthralling characters as she tries to escape the kitchen and recover her memories. She is accompanied on her journey by one of my favorite characters ever, NatterJack, an iron-handed imp who doesn’t want to become an evil demon like his despicable father and much prefers exploring his artistic side; a sword-wielding carnivorous fairy who would be utterly terrifying if she weren’t three inches tall; and a couple of other unique characters, Sootfoot and Pug, who provide lots of laughs.

Reading this novel aloud would be so much fun, as the inventiveness, great dialogue, and craziness of the pitch-black, constantly changing and living kitchen brings one amazing scene after another.

As I read the book, my imagination soared and I kept seeing the scenes unfolding like a great Hollywood movie, which this book certainly could become someday. The book is a little complicated and scary for younger kids, and they might not follow the storyline all the time, but overall young adults and older readers will be thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. The Witches’ Kitchen is Neil Gaiman’s Coraline mixed with The Wizard of Oz, and a generous helping of Terry Gilliam’s movie Time Bandits with the stunning visuals of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal.

Highly Recommended.

Paul Genesse

Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

View all my reviews

Time Travel, Parallel Universes, and Quantum Physics

2010-08-04T00:37:00.001-07:00

Hello,

I was asked to be a panelist on a very interesting panel being held at the Gen Con convention. I felt unprepared and started doing research. I ended up contacting a very brilliant and educated friend of mine, Dave Myers and asking him to give me his take on the subject of quantum physics. Below you'll find Dave's fascinating email, plus the panel description.

Gen Con Indy Writers Symposium Panel
on August 5, 2010 at 11:00 AM at the Hyatt Hotel

Time Travel, Parallel Universes, and Quantum Physics: In a parallel universe somewhere, you've already attended this session and know all about how wave theory, super-strings, quantum entanglement, and things like noetics bear on frequent sci-fi concepts like time travel and mirror Earths, but since you're not in that universe and the handy Gen Con map doesn't show you how to get to it, you might want to attend this panel and get some insight into actual physics . . . or just enough gobbledy-gook to make your next story sound credible even though it’s quite fantastic. Remember, in some universe, you are bound to be a well-known, well-paid, best-selling author, adored by fans, critics, and even your mother-in-law. Why not make this universe be that universe?

Panelists: Donald Bingle (Moderator), Paul Genesse, Bob Farnsworth, Tobias Buckell

Interesting quotes:

Science does not know its debt to imagination. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. ~Isaac Asimov

There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact. ~Mark Twain

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality. ~ Albert Einstein
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Notes from Dave Myers:

Quantum Mechanics are used along the same lines as Magic is in the realms of Fantasy. They are presented with broad hazy strokes of overlapping colors. This prevents the reader from focusing too closely on any particular concept and therefore uncovering the shallow depths to which the author actually comprehends the concepts. While this may seem harsh I should state that Quantum Mechanics are such a difficult concept to grasp in their entirety that there are only a dozen people in the last century that are credited with major discoveries in the field. I spent close to two years studying a Quantum Mechanics curriculum written by one of the most prestigious technical colleges in the world and I would consider myself a neophyte at best.

Before delving too deeply into Quantum Mechanics I would recommend that the student already have a firm grasp of Calculus, Classic Mechanics and be able to comfortably apply Schrödinger’s Equation to various wavefunction calculations. However, for use as an author I think far less knowledge is required to accurately portray the concepts embraced so haphazardly in modern Science Fiction. Below I will outline some of the common themes and explain how they mesh with modern scientific theory.

Important concepts to consider with close to and faster than light travel:

Kinetic energy and its affect on bodies travelling at the speed of light: A spec of meteorite, weighing 1 gram travelling at the speed of light would have the same kinetic energy as a bomb over 10 times the size of the First nuclear weapon ever detonated here on Earth. Now consider the mass of a spaceship travelling at the speed of light. Were it to impact a planet it could conceivably do enough damage to end all life and alter the planets axis or orbit.

The common description of safety for travelling at this speed is a deflector shield; but the energy required to deflect a 1 kg piece of space junk while travelling the speed of light is > 100 times the power output of every Civilian Nuclear reactor operating in the world today. Now this is a simplification since to convert kinetic energy to power requires an element of time, I assumed the enaction of the power over a second which is actually a much, much longer time than you would have to deflect an object at this speed. The concept of the ability to draw this sort of power in a fraction of a millisecond makes the power source exponentially higher; as in 108 higher.

This being said, we have theorized with calculation that it would take an infinite amount of energy to accelerate an object with intrinsic mass to the speed of light. This is due to the Lorentz factor which was derived from a Dutch Physicist who’s formulation later would provide some structure for mass-energy equivalence, or the infamous E=MC2 . This has later been tested in particle acceleration. In testing scientists were able to accelerate a particle to 99.99% the speed of light; however, no matter how much additional power they invested they could not achieve light speed.

Also, it is theorized that if an object were to travel faster than light it would create a violation of Causality as the object would move outside the normal time axis, essentially going backwards through space-time and creating potential paradoxes.

FTL travel ignores everything we know about space-time continuity and relative physics, and yet it is still used with abandon in various forms of fiction. I have to believe this is just ignorance, not intentional undermining of the Science community.

So, if FTL travel isn’t feasible, what are the options?

The easy answer is Einstein-Rosen Bridges. In 1935 Einstein and Rosen co-authored a paper that described the potential for a warp in space time that would allow a bridge from two essentially flat regions of space-time regardless of distance apart. They theorized that a tunnel like opening could join the two for a very short period of time. Travel through these tunnels would be impossible due to the shortness of duration, however it has been postulated that highly advanced civilization would have the technology to hold these bridges open long enough to use them for travel. These Einstein-Rosen bridges are commonly referred to as wormholes. Wormhole traverse could allow time travel, but to do so would either open up an alternative reality or you would have to subscribe to a true complete unified theory by which all of our actions past, present and future are governed. This theory of lack of free will is the most probable, but rarely used in fiction.

Books that succeeded in using Quantum Mechanics well are:

Dune by Frank Herbert – an excellent take on wormhole travel. The spacing guild navigators are augmented to the point of prescience by ingesting the spice Melange. This allows them to safely navigate the treacherous Einstein-Rosen bridges without encountering a singularity.

Timescape by Greg Benford - a Great portrayal of what a research physicist does as well as some interesting concepts on "realistic" time travel.

The Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson – A series of books written largely about the same characters in three separate parallel Universes. Very good use of Quantum Mechanics as they are understood today. You have to read all three to truly appreciate the series.

-The Universe Next Door
-The Trick Top Hat
-The Homing Pigeons

Next Topic:

Reactors. Assuming we are still using a fission reactor there are the issues with Ionizing Radiation. Ionizing Radiation comes in 5 main forms. Aplha, Beta, Gamma, X-Ray and Neutron.

We can disregard X-rays as they are not normally produced from fission. The four other forms have to be dealt with via shielding. This shielding works on a couple principals, but mainly the goal is to attenuate the energy of the radiation reducing it to a non-ionizing forms. Alpha and beta can be stopped with a layer of paper. Gamma requires a high density material like lead. Neutron need to be slowed to a thermal state or absorbed into a material that will not result in the formation of another radioactive isotope. Water having hydrogen atoms in abundance is a great Neutron moderator as the atomic mass of a Neutron and Hydrogen atom are essentially equal. Imagine a pool ball hitting another, equal and opposite reaction causes transferrence and dispersal of energy.

All of these are forms of Radiation. Only Alpha and Beta can be stopped with protective clothing. Every movie and book that I see that has the characters don their radiation suits to go in and work on the active reactor shows the lack of understanding of radiation. The suits are supposed to protect from contamination. Contamination is nothing more than the radioactive particles that are releasing these forms of ionizing radiation. Radioactive dust, mostly microscopic if you will.

Dave Myers graduated with honors from nuclear engineering school in the Navy in 1994 and spent the better part of 7 years monitoring nuclear reactors on both Los Angeles and Trident class submarines with a specialization in radiochemistry. He has worked the last 9 years in the Semiconductor field as head of operations for a prominent OEM. When he's not working with materials far inferior to Unobtanium he enjoys hanging out with his lovely wife Suzzanne, and riding super-charged motorcycles at speeds that he wishes approached the speed of light.

Thank you all for reading,

Paul Genesse
Author of The Golden Cord
www.paulgenesse.com