Mozart's Blood

I'm so excited that Amazon.com just delivered the book I ordered. It's by one of my favorite authors, Louise Marley. The book looks awesome, and the main character is a vampire who drank Mozart's blood long ago, and still carries something of his genius inside her. She's an opera singer and has traveled the world performing, but changing her identity as she's come through the ages. What a great idea. I can't wait to read a vampire thriller by an awesome writer.

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

2010 Young Writers Award

I just heard about the 2010 Young Writers Award from a friend of mine. I know some of you out there who should definitely enter the contest. The award is for writers 21 years old or younger. The details about the award, including how to submit are below.

About

The Young Writers Award is an award given to the best young writer for the year, whether the writer in question is a poet, short fiction writer, or novelist. The contest will be judged on merit and execution and will serve to highlight the exceptional talents of one writer. Our hope is to make the award annual.

Prize

$250 (other prizes will be announced in the future, which may include books and other items)

Judge

The award will be judged by author Jason Sanford. His work has appeared in Interzone, Analogy Science Fiction and Fact, Tales of the Unanticipated, Intergalactic Medicine Show, Pindeldyboz, The Mississippi Review, and 3:AM Magazine. He is a recent Nebula Award finalist (for “Sublimation Angels” in Interzone #224), winner of the Interzone Readers’ Poll two years in a row, and a nominee for the Pushcart Prize. He is also founder of storySouth, a magazine that focuses on literature from the New South.

Award Rules

--Writers must be: a. 21 years old or younger AND b. Active members of Young Writers Online at the time of the deadline for the award. The definition of "active" is left to the discretion of the owners of Young Writers Online and will take into account post and critique frequency. It should be assumed that posting less than once a day (in sheer numbers), whether in the discussion sections or writing sections, does not constitute "active."

--Writers may submit up to a total of 10,000 words of unpublished fiction in up to five short stories OR up to a total of 120 lines of unpublished poetry in up to 6 poems OR a combination of fiction and poetry not to exceed 5,000 words of unpublished fiction (in no more than 3 stories) and 60 lines of unpublished poetry (in no more than 4 poems). Quality over quantity is a rule of thumb.

--Fiction may be of any genre and must either be completed short stories or completed chapters of novels.

--Poetry may be in any style.

--Submissions for the award should be sent as .doc or .rtf files (no .docx, .pages, or any other file types, and do not post your submission in the body of the email) to sbsmag [at] yahoo [dot] com with the subject "Young Writers Award." Provide your real name and your YWO account name. Please follow standard manuscript format with the following alterations: a. The text of your submission should start on the second page with the name of your submission and the page number in the header. Your first page should contain your name, your YWO account name, the title of your submission, and the word count. b. Do not put your last name in the header of your submission. We intend for all entries to be judged blindly and will cut out the first page for submission to our judge.

--Submissions must be sent no later than Sept. 1st, 2010. Winners will be announced in October and the award will be distributed via Paypal (other arrangements can be made in the event that the winner cannot use Paypal).

--Questions should be sent to sbsmag [at] yahoo [dot] com or posted in the forum section for the award.

http://www.youngwritersonline.net/showthread.php?t=5233

Review of The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Hunger Games by Suzzane Collins


Everybody told me to read this book, and I’m glad I did. The Hunger Games is a hot YA novel that is definitely science fiction, but it's not marketed that way from what I can tell. I finally read it and and finished last week. It started pretty slow, but the main character, Katniss (named after flowering water plant), was awesome. I really enjoyed how the author portrayed her and was impressed at how much I was made to care. Katniss has a self-deprecating sincerity that makes you love her.

The book is very character driven and tells the story of a future North America that has been brought under the control of a cruel central government that imposes its will on twelve districts with starving populations kept poor and hungry by draconian policies. The government (referred to as, "the capital") forces each district to send a boy and girl to participate in the Hunger Games once a year--they draw lots to see who goes—but it’s probably rigged. Then the capital game makers lock the teenagers into an arena where they proceed to kill each other live on television—which shows how big and powerful the capital is--and keeps the districts in line.

Only one person can survive and win. Good thing Katniss is an amazing archer—she hunted illegally since she was young. She's a truly interesting character and the entire novel is from her point of view. I love it that Suzanne Collins didn’t muddy the waters with other characters points of view. She stays in tight on Katniss and this really allowed me, and I think any reader, to really become vested in the character.

The story is a little far-fetched for me, but I can mostly buy it, and the world that Collins created is fascinating. In the end, the book is well written, interesting, and has some cool characters, especially Katniss. I don't see it as a must read, but I was quite entertained. I'm now listening to the audio book of the sequel, Catching Fire, and I like it a lot so far. Book three in the series is out now and I'm glad I'll be able to read it without a long wait. In summary, Suzanne Collins has created an excellent series for young adults and adults, that entertains as well as educates the reader about the dangers of inhumanity and the consequences of having to do anything to survive.

Paul Genesse
Author of The Dragon Hunters
www.paulgenesse.com


View all my reviews >>

Dracula: The Undead

Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dracula: The Undead

By Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt


When I saw news about this book, Dracula, The Undead online, I knew I had to read it. The line on the book cover was: He returns . . .

What?! Dracula wasn't dead and he's coming back? I was into it. Great marketing on the publisher's part. This book is a direct sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula and a member of the Stoker family was part of the writing process (more on that later).

Let me say, I'm a huge Dracula fan. I loved the novel by Bram Stoker, and have loved so many of the movies. In college I entered an MTV sponsored contest sending in 25 postcards for the chance to visit Romania and see Vlad Dracula's castle in Wallachia. I didn't win, but my interest in Dracula only grew. The historical figure was a true monster, and the fictional Vlad was another kind of monster. Sexy, cool, and so powerful. Vampires have always fascinated me, espeically the Anne Rice type of vampires, like Lestat, and the True Blood HBO series vampires.

This novel was a lot of fun. The intro features a letter from Mina Harker telling her son, Quincy, that she may have been killed by a vampire, and reveals that a lot was kept from him over the years. The letter is genius, and Dracula's fangs were in my neck right after I read the letter from Mina--I mean the literary hook was solidly set into my brain. I wanted to know more.

It's set during the early 1900's and had a very Victorian feel to it. I didn't fly through the novel, but found it quite entertaining, though predictable. The best thing about it was that the original Bram Stoker story was turned on its head. We find out that the events recounted in the novel by Bram Stoker were not represented accurately. Yes, it really happened, but not as Stoker described.

All the survivng characters from the book are back, and they are so messed up and flawed. Dark and gloomy would be an understatement. It was like a car crash you couldn't look away from. Ian Holt and Dacre Stoker did a pretty good job portraying the characters and keeping the plot moving, but by skipping into so many points of view it lessened the impact for me.

The idea of the novel was to weave historical events into the narrative, and though I found that interesting, I didn't think it was totally necessary. I can see why the authors took this tactic, but I would have rather had "the Prince" be the main focus, rather than the extremely famous murders that acutally happened in London.

I would recommend this book to any fans of Bram Stoker's original novel. It was cool to see what the greatest living Dracula fan (Ian Holt) and a descendent of Bram himself (Dacre Stoker) would do. Reading the very long Afterward about the writing of the book was possibly the best part of my reading experience.

Bram Stoker's widow went through terrible times regarding the copyright of the original novel, and now we Dracula fans have a chance to help the Stoker family get back some of what was stolen from them so long ago.

And we get to read the direct sequel to the original classic! What else can I write except: He returns . . .


Paul Genesse
Author of The Dragon Hunters
www.paulgenesse.com

View all my reviews >>

The Prince of Persia Movie

The Prince of Persia Movie


Last weekend I finally saw The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was well worth seeing in the theater. It let me escape from our world for a while and visit a fantasy Persia where magic does indeed exist. The main star, Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead, Brokeback Mountain) did a great job as Dastan, the adpoted son of the king of Persia. Dastan has something to prove, and wants to show his father and brothers that he is more than the street urchin the king plucked out of the gutter and made a prince.

The story was somewhat familiar (the movie is based on popular video game), but features one of the coolest concepts in all of fiction: time travel. It had all the action, comedy, and romance that you need in a blockbuster. Princess Tamina, played by Gemma Arterton was wonderful. Gemma and Jake on the screen are a gorgeous couple, though she pretty much hates him for most of the movie--which is awesome. She's smart, funny, competent, and brave. I'm so glad that she doesn't need to be saved all the time.

Another strong character is played by Ben Kingsly (famous for playing Gandhi). Kingsly plays Dastan's uncle, the advisor to the Persian king, and he's excellent. Luckily the writers gave him some good material to work with.

The movie had some fun surprises, and kept me entertained throughout. Alfred Molina as Sheik Amar, a tax-evading ostrich race organizing rogue made me laugh, and the ultra-bad ass assassins sent at Prince Dastan were creepy as hell.

I anticipated much of the ending--which was epic and awesome--but I was caught off guard by how it all worked out. The twist was good. Overall, Jake Gyllenhaal gave a strong performance, the story was fun, the special effects were fantastic, and I loved watching the characters. The movie has made well over $200 million dollars worldwide and I wonder if they'll make another one?

If you missed it in the theater, definitely check out the DVD.

Paul Genesse
Author of The Dragon Hunters
www.paulgenesse.com

Monster Hunter Vendetta

Monster Hunter Vendetta coming soon!

I'm so excited to read the sequel to Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia. Monster Hunter International was my favorite book of 2009 and I know the sequel is going to be awesome. BAEN Books just released an advanced reader copy of it as an ebook. Check out the link to learn more:

http://www.webscription.net/p-1286-monster-hunter-vendetta-arc.aspx

Here's the description:

Sequel to Monster Hunter International. Owen Pitt never met a gun he didn’t like or a monster he couldn’t shoot. But now, the monsters are shooting back.

Accountant-turned-professional-monster-hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt managed to stop the nefarious Old One’s plans last year, but as a result managed to make an enemy out of one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Now an evil death cult wants to capture Owen, just to curry favor with the great Old Ones.

Lucky for Owen, the government is here to help him: they have assigned the enigmatic Agent Franks to be Owen’s full-time bodyguard—which is a polite way of saying Owen is monster bait.

With supernatural assassins targeting his family, a spy in their midst, and horrific beasties lurking around every corner, Owen and the staff of Monster Hunter International don’t need to go hunting, because this time the monsters are hunting them. Fortunately, this bait is armed and very dangerous…

About the Author:

Larry Correia is hopelessly addicted to two things: guns and B-horror movies. He lists his occupations: gun dealer, firearms instructor, accountant, and writer, and was until recently part owner of FBMG (Fuzzy Bunny Movie Guns) a company specializing in firearms and movie props. He shoots competitively and is a certified concealed weapons instructor. Larry resides in Utah with his very patient wife and family. He has also designed a special patch for the agents of Monster Hunter International, Inc. As he puts it, “If you don’t look good while you’re killing stuff, then you’re not really a monster hunter.”

A Newbie Writer's Questions

I recently received an email from a newbie writer and took a moment to answer her questions. Her questions and my answers are below.

Thank you for your email. I did my best to (briefly) answer your questions, but these are huge questions and I have only so much time. I think you are quite new to this, and need to do a lot of research. I hope these answers will be a starting point for you.

My answers are in bold.

1. How do I know when and if my book is good enough to send to a publishing company?

You never know, but unbiased people from writing groups can help let you know, or online writers’ groups. Family and friends don’t work so well. Put some of your work out there for people to read and get some feedback.

2. How do I go about finding an agent when I am ready?

You query agents who represent your kind of book. Learn about query letters and practice writing one. It’s so hard to get an agent. Meeting them at a convention like World Fantasy is good.

3. How do I find out when and where writing conventions are being held?

Go online, google writing conferences or writing conventions.

4. How do you find out if a publishing company is right for me and my books? (yes I have a series on my hands).

Find a company that publishes books similar to your own. You never know if the people at the company will be right for you unless you meet them and learn all about them.

5. How risky is it to create your own realms and worlds? (this is a second book issue, I have completely created a realm of my own, from the realm itself to people, inhabitants, layouts and landscaping).

Risky? Do you write fantasy? I write fantasy and creating my own worlds is the best thing about writing. Fantasy is a little harder to sell than some other genres.

6. What are the pro's and con's of righting a novel vs. a novella.( I do not consider my books to Novellas but some pub. co. require so many words to be considered a novel; like 100,000 words or more.)

There’s almost no paying market for novellas. Young Adult novels can be around 60-75 thousand words though. Write short stories or novels.

7. Exactly what is considered a "word", the rule of thumb I learned in school was at least three letters with the exception of and, the & but.

Use the word counting function in your word processing program. This is an accurate count, so just use it.

8. There are some who do not like the names of my characters, should I change them? I will admit, some I am not even fond of, but the names came to me attached to that character.

Change them!


9. How do I know how to tell the difference between good advice about ideas vs. how that person would write it. I mean they did not write it, I did. Naturally there are going to be differences in writing styles.

Consider the source. Everyone likes different flavors. Some people hate chocolate, so if you wrote chocolate, they’re going to hate it no matter what.

10. Should I credit everyone who has helped out with small parts, such as reading a paragraph or just those who contribute to the whole project.

I did my best to thank a lot of people in my first two novels. You don’t have to thank everyone though. It’s your call. You can always thank people on your blog.

Best of luck with your writing!


Paul Genesse, Author and Editor

Author of The Dragon Hunters
Book Two of the Iron Dragon Series
(Five Star Books, May 2009)

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

Join me on Facebook, www.facebook.com
Editor of the Writer's Symposium Ezine
www.paulgenesse.com/writerssymposiumezine



From: sbuzz94@hotmail.com
To: pgenesse@msn.com
Subject: RE: Hello Amber
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:15:10 -0500

Thank you for the fast response time, i really did not expect to hear from you so quickly. so to answer your questions;
1. over 18 but not 50, no i am not trying to be sarcastic but this question threw me. In truth in my 30's
2. aprox. 60,000 words, but I am not sure if word 2007 counts and, the, but as words or not.
3. I was on the sfwa website and some how ended up on your site, i did read your article on how to get published while i was there

From: pgenesse@msn.com
To: sbuzz94@hotmail.com
Subject: Hello Amber
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:27:28 -0600

Hello Amber,

Thank you for your email and your questions. I'll do my best to answer them, but I'd like to know a little more about you before I do. 1. How old are you? 2. How long is your book? 3. How did you hear of me?

As soon as I hear back from you I'll get started on answering your questions.


Paul Genesse, Author and Editor

Author of The Dragon Hunters
Book Two of the Iron Dragon Series
(Five Star Books, May 2009)

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

Join me on Facebook, www.facebook.com
Editor of the Writer's Symposium Ezine
www.paulgenesse.com/writerssymposiumezine


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