Ack! Alack! I've been remiss, because you are invited!

Posted on 2014-01-05 at 15:55 by montsamu

So apparently among the people I failed to tell about today’s local sf holiday party are YOU, dear readers of bullspec.com. Yipes! If you’re in the Durham area and free to stop by between 3 and 8, let me know and I’ll shoot the address to you straight away. -Sam ([email protected])

Posted in events

Friday Quick Updates: The Manly Wade Wellman Award's prospective eligibility list is announced, and the many things I missed in the January newsletter

Posted on 2014-01-03 at 22:06 by montsamu

Friday, January 3, 2014: As usual, as soon as I click “publish” and “send” on the newsletter all manner of books and events and news come flying in or are finally finalized. Finally. Ish.

First, the North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation is proud to announce the prospective eligibility list for the 2014 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy, adding more than 10 novels to the preliminary list announced in December. Thank you very much to those who wrote in with additions and corrections. There’s still a (very) little amount of time to get additional corrections ahead of publishing the final list, so please do send those corrections ASAP.

Meanwhile, The Guardian’s top 10 sf books to read in 2014 include Durham author Monica Byrne’s forthcoming debut novel The Girl in the Road, with Damien Walter calling it “a work harvested from the author’s true experience of our radically changing world. And congrats to Durham author Mur Lafferty as The Shambling Guide to New York City made Cory Doctorow’s list of best debuts of 2013 on Boing Boing.

Lastly, those new events:

NEW-NEW: 5 (Sunday) — Mike Acosta wrote with a call for extras for a local film. “Just wanted to let you know that I’m shooting a film locally. It is a social commentary on the devaluation of artists & creatives in our society. Very artsy. We are presenting local artists, writers etc… to play extras in the film. Our first extra call is Sunday 1/5 at 4:00 - 12:00. Location is Hillsborough, NC. Let me know if you have any that may be interested and I’ll send you the address. The project’s e-mail address is [email protected]. They can contact us through there for any further info.” There’s also a Facebook page with info on the casting call.

NEW-NEW: 30 (Thursday) 7 pm — Urban Fantasy/paranormal romance author Jeaniene Frost (who lives in the Asheville area) has two NC tour stops of note for Up From The Grave‘s release on January 28th. The first is January 29th at Malaprops Book Store in Asheville, NC at 7pm and the second is January 30th at the Barnes and Noble of Cary, NC at 7pm. The Cary event also includes VA author Pamela Palmer. More info: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/82525

Posted in Friday Quick Updates | Tagged manly wade wellman award, monica byrne, mur lafferty, ncsff

January Newsletter: illogiCon, William Shatner, Carrie Vaughn, Wendy Webb, and more

Posted on 2014-01-02 at 20:34 by montsamu

Vol 4. No 1. January 2, 2014:

Happy New Year! Plenty, plenty to talk about since December's newsletter, so let's get to it. First, though, I can't turn the page on 2013 without another mention of the fourth annual guide to regional science fiction and fantasy which covers 2013 in regional sf/f books. We celebrated a pretty big stack of those at the first annual regional author holiday book expo-- here are some pictures of the authors and a few guests at the event. Big thanks to them, to the folks who stopped by to support the expo, and to Atomic Empire for hosting us.

But the big news last month was the announcement of The Manly Wade Wellman Award by the newly-launched North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation. I'm very hopeful that this can be a fantastic yearly celebration of North Carolina's fine, fertile field of speculative fiction authors and their books. Just sneaking into that 2013 crop is a New Year's Eve release, The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin, ahead of two regional releases next week as both Cate Tiernan and Faith Hunter have new books due on Jan 7, and another as Jenna Black has a novel due out on Jan 14. Whew!

Speaking of Hunter, she had a very busy December with an anthology Kicking It co-edited with Kalayna Price on December 3 and two books on December 10, a collection Cat ‘O Nine Tales: The Jane Yellowrock Stories and (with Carol Malcolm) The Jane Yellowrock World Companion. December was also a big month for "The Hardest Part" at bullspec.com, with gest essays from L. Jagi Lamplighter, Nick Mamatas, and Tina Connolly. Meanwhile in radio appearances, I had a chance to talk with Durham translator Matthew Ross on Carolina Book Beat (which later in the month had Wilmington author Jason Mott on as well), and (with Jamie Fiocco of Flyleaf Books) recommend the year's best regional books on The State of Things.

While my 2014 preview is coming soon, in terms of events there's plenty going on to start the year, highlighted by illogiCon on January 10-12 in Raleigh, bringing guests of honor Mary Robinette Kowal and Lawrence M. Shoen to town, ahead of a packed month of events with William Shatner (Jan 12), Scientists with Stories (Jan 16), Carrie Vaughn (Jan 17), a Knights of Badassdom screening (Jan 22), and (on Feb 1) Wendy Webb. See you out and about! And if you really want to catch me, keep an eye on the illogiCon programming page...

-Sam

[handout-2013-12-06.pdf]

UPCOMING EVENTS: JANUARY 2014

Posted in newsletter | Tagged wendy webb, william shatner carrie vaughn

Release Day: The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

Posted on 2013-12-31 at 23:31 by montsamu

Happy New Year’s Eve, and happy release day to Lisa Shearin, who starts a new “SPI Files” series with The Grendel Affair, out today in original mass market paperback and ebook from Ace.

”We’re Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. Things that go bump in the night, the monsters you thought didn’t exist? We battle them and keep you safe. But some supernatural baddies are just too big to contain, even for us…

When I moved to New York to become a world famous journalist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I’m Makenna Fraser, a Seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out.

Our cases are generally pretty routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city’s subway tunnels. And the murderer’s not human. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel—yes, that Grendel—shares his ancestor’s hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. And with New Year’s Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. Because if we don’t find him—and the organization behind him—by midnight, our secret’s out and everyone’s time is up.”

Lisa Shearin currently works as the editor at an advertising agency.  She has been a magazine editor and writer of corporate marketing materials of every description.  Lisa enjoys singing, reading, writing novels, and fencing (foil and epee, as well as rapier & dagger dueling).  She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two cats, two spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and a Jack Russell terrier who rules them all. She is the author of the Raine Benares series: Magic Lost, Trouble Found, Armed & Magical, The Trouble with Demons, Bewitched & Betrayed, Con & Conjure, and All Spell Breaks Loose.

Posted in Release Day | Tagged lisa shearin, spi files, the grendel affair

The Hardest Part: Tina Connolly on Copperhead

Posted on 2013-12-26 at 19:38 by montsamu

For author Tina Connolly, the hardest part of her debut novel, Nebula Award nominee Ironskin, was the muddle in the middle. For the follow-up, Copperhead, there was no time to battle with such a muddle. There wasn't in fact much time for anything other than writing: so that's just what Connolly did.

By Tina Connolly:

So the hardest part of writing Copperhead was that I got busy. I mean insanely busy. The only thing more boring than listening to someone recount their dreams is listening to them drone on about how unspeakably busy they are, so suffice it to say I was already a very busy person, and then I had a baby. That was three years ago, and now, as I write this, I have had TWO babies, written two books, and moved to a fixer house that needed things like heat and wiring and fewer blackberry vines in the attic. Plus, I started the flash fiction podcast Toasted Cake (now at 94 episodes!) and continued to work as a face painter. Among other things.

Posted in The Hardest Part | Tagged copperhead, ironskin, tina connolly

(Early) Friday Quick Updates: The Manly Wade Wellman Award; some writing market and other links; and a special last-minute local author holiday bookstore

Posted on 2013-12-19 at 15:35 by montsamu

Thursday, December 19, 2013: The “Friday” quick updates are coming a day early today, ahead of a segment on 2013 in North Carolina science fiction and fantasy on WUNC’s The State of Things in the noon hour today. Tune in live on the radio or Internet, or catch the podcast or re-broadcast this evening!

First, the really big news. A couple of years in the making, I’m very happy (and quite a bit nervous and scared and hopeful) to share an announcement from the (also new) North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation which launches the Manly Wade Wellman Award, celebrating the year’s best science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. Much more including the first preliminary eligibility list over at the NCSFF. It’s been a lot of work and (extra) late hours to get to this point, and there’s much more to do. But for now, it’s here, and coming in 2014.

Second, a swath of “writer’s markets” and other news to pass along that have been slowly accumulating:

• Unlikely Story is currently reading stories for "A Journal of Unlikely Cartography". See their submissions page for details.
• Christie Yant is guest editing a special issue of Lightspeed Magazine, and has issued a special call for submissions for this "Women Destroy Science Fiction!" issue.
• Resurrection House issued a call for stories as well for a themed "XIII" anthology.
• The Speculative Literature Foundation announced its inaugural Working-Class and Impoverished Writers' Grant.
• The Piedmont The Piedmont Laureate program is still accepting applications from writers of short fiction to serve as the 2014 Piedmont Laureate. Entrants are not required to have published a book of short fiction stories – published stand-alone stories will suffice. Authors must be residents of Wake, Alamance, Durham or Orange counties. The selected Piedmont Laureate will serve from March 1 to December 31, 2014. Laureate activities include presenting readings and workshops, encouraging creative writing and promoting literature at public events. Typical appearances last between twenty minutes and one hour. The honorarium is $6,500 and the deadline is January 9, 2014.

Third, 2014 is just around the corner. While I’m working hard on the 2014 book preview, a quick reminder that illogiCon is January 10-12, and Carrie Vaughn will be at Quail Ridge Books on Friday the 17th. As always check out the newsletter for the most up-to-date event listings.

Lastly, this post will host a last-minute local author holiday bookstore. Get these last-minute holiday gifts hand delivered in the Triangle area this weekend, free, no minimum order. Place your orders here by Sunday morning so I can plan my route; if you’re in Garner, please do it today as I’m heading that way on Friday. Note: the links go off to IndieBound to make finding out more about the books and ordering from your local bookstores easier; I’m not delivering those! Total up what you want and Paypal to [email protected] with your order. Delivery is free! Email [email protected] with any questions about delivery distance, payment, or availability.

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty — $15 (5 copies in stock as of 12/19)

Geek Mom by Natania Barron — $20 (4 copies in stock as of 12/19)

Snowbird Gothic by Richard Dansky — $12 (4 copies in stock as of 12/19)

Vaporware by Richard Dansky — $17 (4 copies in stock as of 12/19)

Three by Jay Posey — $8 (1 copy in stock as of 12/19)

<img title=“Bull Spec #7 Cover: “Gearaffes” by Angi Shearstone based on D.K. Thompson’s short story “The Gearaffe Who Didn’t Tick”, additional cover design by Jeremy Zerfoss” alt=“Bull Spec #7 Cover: “Gearaffes” by Angi Shearstone based on D.K. Thompson’s short story “The Gearaffe Who Didn’t Tick”, additional cover design by Jeremy Zerfoss” src=“http://bullspec.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/bullspecgearaffecover_112811_01-pdf-pages-tiff-900w1.jpg?w=236&h=300” height=“275” />

Bull Spec #7 with stories by Dave Thompson, Jason Erik Lundberg, Jason K. Chapman, Natania Barron, Stephanie Ricker, and J.P. Trostle — $8 (always in stock)

Bull Spec #8 with stories by Elizabeth Creith, Brenda Kalt, Rich Matrunick, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gwendolyn Clare, and Peter Wood and Paul Celmer — $8 (always in stock)

Bull Spec #1 is FREE with any order of $20 or more — just ask if you’d like it included

Posted in Friday Quick Updates

The Odyssey Writing Workshop's Summer Session

Posted on 2013-12-15 at 13:09 by montsamu

Another press release of interest to pass along. The key data bits here:

• The program is held on Saint Anselm College’s beautiful campus in Manchester, NH; This summer's workshop runs from JUNE 9 to JULY 18, 2014.
• The early action application deadline is JANUARY 31, and the regular admission deadline is APRIL 8.
• This year's writer in residence is Melanie Tem; Lecturers for the 2014 workshop include some of the best teachers in the field:  authors Elizabeth Hand, Catherynne M. Valente, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, and Alexander Jablokov; and editor Gordon Van Gelder.

-Sam

ODYSSEY WRITING WORKSHOP ANNOUNCES ITS 19th SUMMER SESSION

Posted in Uncategorized

Clay and Susan Griffith's "Tribute: Nelson Mandela" comic to be released this week

Posted on 2013-12-14 at 15:51 by montsamu

Via local writer Sharon Stogner, a press release of interest to pass along. Note that the writers on the project are Raleigh authors Clay and Susan Griffith:

Bluewater Productions is releasing a new tribute comic book biography on the iconic Nelson Mandela.  Tribute: Nelson Mandela is being released this week digitally and in print.

The 32-page comic book chronicles his life in pictures, one of the late 20-century’s most influential people.  The comic book is  written by Clay & Susan Griffith, illustrated by famed artist Pablo Martinena.

Nelson Mandela of South Africa is one of the most important figures of the last century. He was symbol of the struggle against racial and political oppression, and a model for sustaining that struggle with grace and decency. Born into an elite family of the Thembu people, Mandela could have had an elevated place under European control, but he chose a different route. He became a successful lawyer, political activist, national leader, fugitive guerrilla, and finally a prisoner of South Africa's brutal white supremacist apartheid regime.

Posted in Uncategorized

The Hardest Part: Nick Mamatas on Love is the Law

Posted on 2013-12-11 at 12:00 by montsamu

Nick Mamatas is no stranger to writing whatever he wants, damn the torpedoes. And as Mamatas writes here about his latest novel -- the Trotskyist/Crowley/Long Island noir Love is the Law -- for "The Hardest Part", writing can be the easy part. "If there was any difficulty in writing the novel at all, it was in writing the book so that it could end up in a bookstore somewhere."

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="185"] Love is the Law
by Nick Mamatas
Dark Horse, October 2013[/caption]

THE HARDEST PART: Love is the Law

By Nick Mamatas:

Actually, writing Love is the Law was pretty easy.

I’m not the kind of writer, or reader, who falls for the well-worn trick of a single-sentence paragraph, but there you go. It was a breeze.

It was a breeze.

Posted in The Hardest Part, Uncategorized | Tagged love is the law, nick mamatas

Pictures: 2013 Local Author Holiday Book Expo

Posted on 2013-12-10 at 19:37 by montsamu

To add to the photos which Calvin Powers posted on Dec 7, here are some of my photos from the 2013 local author holiday book expo at Atomic Empire this past Saturday.

Posted in Uncategorized