Blogs

The Angel screams again, in Germany

Illustration for Scream Angel in VisionariumMy SF novelette "Scream Angel" will be translated into German and published in the Austrian magazine, Visionarium. "Scream Angel" won the Aurora Award in 2004, and is one of the stories that fans often tell me is their favourite tale of mine. The story first appeared in the anthology Low Port (editors Steve Miller and Sharon Lee).

Visionarium editor / publisher Bernhard Reicher kindly provided me with a preview of the beautiful and haunting illustration that will accompany the story, pictured here at the right.

This is the fifth time I've been published in German, and Austria brings my country total to thirty-one. But who's counting? Oh, yeah. Right. I am.

Eww! There's some geology in my fiction

Illustration for Jigsaw in Issues in Earth ScienceMy short SF story, "Jigsaw," has just been reprinted in the online magazine, Issues in Earth Science. IES is "dedicated to raising awareness of the science of our world and our place in it.  It provides essays, challenges, a forum for discussion, and fictional stories related to the Earth and Space Sciences."

"Jigsaw" incorporates plate tectonics in a deep space adventure where Cassie Morant, our young geologist protagonist, races the clock to solve a planet-sized puzzle before time runs out for her crewmates. You can read the story at IES here. The very cool illustration that accompanies the story, pictured here at the left, is by Erin Colson of IES.

"Jigsaw" first appeared in the anthology Odyssey (edited by Julie Czerneda) in 2004 and was a finalist for the Aurora Award. I hope the story makes studying geology a little more fun for some students out there. Not that I'm saying that geology is boring — Cassie would never forgive me.

"Symphony" published in The Gernsback Variations in Italy

Cover for The Gernsback Variations anthologyI posted a while back that my science fiction short story "Symphony" would be appearing in the upcoming anthology Le Variazioni Gernsback (The Gernsback Variations) in Italy. The anthology is now out, and you can check out the cover at the left and the full contents here (if you read Italian).

"Symphony" first appeared in the Canadian literary magazine, Prairie Fire, in 1999, where it won second prize in the magazine's SF contest to commemorate Canadian SF writer, A. E. van Vogt. The story was a finalist for the Aurora Award in 2000. I'm thrilled to have it translated into Italian and to have it appear with a host of fine Italian writers, as well as Michael Bishop and Robert Silverberg. Even better, "Symphony" is the closing story, one of the special slots for stories when editors put together an anthology.

If you haven't read "Symphony," you can pick up an ebook edition in all formats here. It's also included in my collection Chimerascope.

Video interview on Fantasy Fiction Focus

Cover for Flashback by Simon RoseSimon Rose is a Calgary-based author of science fiction and fantasy for children and young adults. Simon's most recent book is Flashback, shown here.

Simon kindly interviewed me recently via Google Hangouts and has posted the video to YouTube here. I hope you'll take some time to check it out (the whole interview is about 25 minutes long). 

And you can check out Simon's books at his website at http://simon-rose.com/.

The Write Stuff: A book bundle for writers

The Write Stuff story bundle coversAre you a writer? Or do you know someone who is? If so, how would you like to pick up eleven books at once that contain everything you need to know to be a writer and to build a writing career? Books written by established pros, best sellers, and award-winners. Sound good? What if you could also get a 40% discount on the best software available today for producing professional quality ebooks, the tool used by the top indie authors?

Well, you can (yeah, you knew that was coming). For a limited time, StoryBundle is offering "The Write Stuff" ebook bundle that gives you all of the above. This bundle was curated by the award-winning, multi-genre author and editor, Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Here's what Kris says about how she put the bundle together:

"So many people who write books on writing have never published fiction or had a real writing career.

But not here. We have worldwide bestsellers, award-winners, and career writers of longstanding. Every single writer here has lived the writing life—and has much to say about it.

We have four craft books in the bundle, provided by Dean Wesley Smith, Jerrold Mundis, Vonda McIntyre, and Judith Tarr. Dean wrote Writing Into The Dark for all the writers who don't like outlining before they start a project. That book goes hand in hand with Jerry's book, Break Writer's Block Now! If writing into the dark won't stop you from freezing before blank screen, then Jerry's book will. Vonda's book, Pitfalls of Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy, has excellent craft advice even if you don't want to write in those two genres. And finally, Judy's book, Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right is a godsend for those of us who write fantasy, historical, or western fiction.

We have books that focus on the form your writing can take, be they short stories, novels, or audio books. Douglas Smith wrote the definitive book on all aspects of a short story writer's career, from completion to publication and republication. You can find all that wisdom in Playing the Short Game. Bob Mayer gives you everything you need to know about writing novels to selling them in The Novel Writer's Toolkit. J. Daniel Sawyer teaches you how to turn those prose pieces into podcasts and audio books in Making Tracks.

We have a book that focuses on business as well. Leah Cutter's Business for Breakfast divides the writing business into bite-sized pieces for easy digestion.

And then there are the books on the writing life. Chuck Wendig's 30 Days in the Word Mines gives you a peek into a writer's day-to-day existence, with lots of writing tips to help you through. Laura Resnick's classic Rejection, Romance, & Royalties shows, as the subtitle puts it, "the wacky world of a working writer." My own, The Write Attitude, helps writers pick themselves up and dust themselves off when the writing world becomes wacky—as it so often does.

Plus, we have a marvelous bonus item. The kind folks who developed Jutoh have contributed a 40% off coupon for their product. If you're doing your own publishing, you want Jutoh. … You can be completely confident that you have a top-of-the-line epub that will pass even the strictest e-retailer demands.

So here it is: Everything you need to know to write what you want, how you want to write it, what to do with it when you're done, and how to survive the perils and pitfalls of a writing career."

Sounds great, right? It gets better. You only need to pay a minimum of $5 to get the initial set of six titles in The Write Stuff bundle.

The Novel Writer's Toolkit by Bob Mayer
Writing Into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith
Playing the Short Game by Douglas Smith
Making Tracks - A Writer's Guide to Audiobooks by J. Daniel Sawyer
Rejection, Romance & Royalties by Laura Resnick
Business For Breakfast - Vol 1: The Beginning Professional Writer by Leah Cutter

That's less than a dollar a book! And, if you pay at least $15, you'll get another five books, plus a very special code for 40% off Jutoh, an indispensable ebook creation tool for all ebook platforms, including epub and Kindle.

Break Writer's Block Now! by Jerrold Mundis
Writing Horses - The Fine Art of Getting It Right by Judith Tarr
The Write Attitude by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Pitfalls of Writing Fantasy by Vonda N. McIntyre
30 Days in the Word Mines by Chuck Wendig
40% Discount Code! by Jutoh - get 40% off your Jutoh purchase!

And don't worry about what kind of ebook reader you need--you get multiple DRM-free formats (both .epub and .mobi) for all books.

You can also give this bundle as a gift to that writer you know. StoryBundle has gift cards that allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and with timed delivery so you control exactly when your recipient will get the Write Stuff bundle.

But don't wait to decide! The Write Stuff bundle is available for a very limited time only. This offer expires at midnight on June 4, 2015. So go to http://storybundle.com/writing right now to get this bundle and kick start your writing career.

(More on StoryBundle: StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Learn more here.)

SFWA Griefcom to the rescue

SFWA logo[Note: SFWA (the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and as part of their celebrations, they have asked a number of members to participate in a SFWA 50th Anniversary Blog Tour. I offered up the post below. The first post went up on Monday, and mine is featured today. You can check out the ongoing series by going to this page. I've also included my post below in this blog.

In case you don't know, here's some info on SFWA from their website:

SFWA is a professional organization for authors of science fiction, fantasy and related genres. ... SFWA informs, supports, promotes, defends and advocates for its members. We host the prestigious Nebula Awards, assist members in legal disputes with publishers, and administer benevolent funds for authors facing medical or legal expenses.  Novice authors benefit from our Information Center and the well-known Writer Beware site. SFWA members look out for each other and provide assistance, mentorship, and camaraderie. ... SFWA is a source of information, education, support, and fellowship for its authors. SFWA Membership is open to authors, artists, editors, and other industry professionals who meet our eligibility requirements.

My blog post follows. #SFWApro]

Updated schedule: Ad Astra, Toronto April 10-12

Here's my updated schedule for the Ad Astra convention this weekend. The only change is the signing session from 2-4pm on Saturday.

Signing Session:
Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Room: Richmond A, Richmond B
 
When the Gods Run Amok: Ancient, New and Urban Mythology
Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Room: Markham B
Panellists: Chadwick Ginther, Kelley Armstrong, Marie Bilodeau
 
Urban fantasy gives us the chance to play around with our archetypal fairy tales and mythology. We can bring the gods down to our level and we get to bring magic into the everyday.
 
Why is this so compelling?: Believable Characters and Dialogue
Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Room: Markham B
Panellists: Kelley Armstrong, Nina Munteanu, Suzanne Church
 
Orphan Black: Send in the (Canadian) Clones
Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Room: Oakridge
Panellists: JD DeLuzio, Kate Heartfield, Matthew Johnson
 
Filmed right here in Toronto, Orphan Black has become a huge hit. This show about cloning and conspiracies even mentions Scarberia, and correctly. We'll talk about all the stuff we love about it. Did Season 2 fulfill the promise seen in Season 1, and where do we see the various plot-lines headed?
 
Readings: Douglas Smith & Matthew Johnson
Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Room: Whitchurch
 
I'm not sure what I'll be reading from yet, but I will have gifts and giveaways. 

Hope to see you there!

Story review: Scream Angel

Scream Angel ebook coverI blogged earlier here about a new reader and reviewer, Ken McKinley, discovering my work for the first time by coming across my story "Out of the Light" when it was reprinted in an anthology. He enjoyed that story enough for him to go looking for some more. Here's an extract of his review of my SF novelette, "Scream Angel": 

My introduction to Douglas Smith has been a very rewarding one. I stumbled upon his work in a compilation called Best New Werewolf Tales. The story was Out of the Light and it was excellent. This caused me to dig deeper. Who was this mysterious author that I hadn’t heard of before, did he write anything else, and was it as good as Out of the Light?

Well, I now have two of those three questions answered. I can’t say that I know him, but I did find more of his stories on Amazon and after reading Scream Angel, I can tell you that answer is yes for the final question. ... the world needs great story tellers and I feel that Smith deserves to be recognized as such. ...

In a wildly inventive and imagnative story, human emotions of loss, desparation, and love bubble to the surface. I’m usually not a huge fan of heavy sci-fi/fantasy. Most of the time, it requires such a bloated set up to be able to explain everything. I tend to tire of it because many authors have a hard time getting the balance right. ... I can honestly say that Smith does an excellent job in balancing the story and makes for an extremely enjoyable read. I loved the unique characters and premise of the drug, Scream.

The other thing that I found enjoyable is the brief explanation at the end of the story on how he came up with the idea of Scream Angel. It lent a personal touch to the whole thing and allowed the reader to have a glimpse into the creation of it all. I may not know the author, but i’m enjoying getting to know his work. 5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks, Ken!

You can read the full review here. "Scream Angel" first appeared in the anthology Low Port in 2003. It won the Aurora Award in 2004 for best short fiction. It's the lead story in my collection, Chimerascope, and is also available as a stand-alone ebook

Story review: Out of the Light

Out of the Light ebook coveI don't think it gets any better for a writer than to have a reader discover your work for the first time (assuming they like it <grin>). Ken McKinley writes the review blog Into the Macabre and recently discovered my urban fantasy shapeshifter story "Out of the Light" when it was reprinted in Best New Werewolf Tales (Vol.1). He enjoyed the story enough to write a review. Here are the highlights:

It’s Friday the 13th and I discovered a new author today through his fantastic short story, "Out of the Light." ... Such a wonderful and fresh take on the whole werewolf/shapeshifter legend. The storytelling is crisp with vibrant colorful characters that easily appear in your mind. Nice to meet you, Mr. Smith. We’ll be seeing each other again…soon. 5 out 5 stars.

Thanks, Ken!

You can read the full review here. "Out of the Light" first appeared in Dark Wisdom Magazine in 2007. The story is included in my collection, Chimerascope, and is also available as a stand-alone ebook

Convention appearance: Ad Astra 2015 (Toronto)

I'll be attending Ad Astra in Toronto again this year from April 10-12 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel at 600 HWY-7 E in Richmond Hill (Hwy 7 and Hwy 404). Ad Astra is a long running and excellent con that traditionally has had a strong literary focus. 

Here is my schedule of panel appearances and readings, all conveniently scheduled back-to-back-to-back (sigh) on Saturday night:

When the Gods Run Amok: Ancient, New and Urban Mythology

Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Room: Markham B

Panellists: Chadwick Ginther, Kelley Armstrong, Marie Bilodeau

Urban fantasy gives us the chance to play around with our archetypal fairy tales and mythology. We can bring the gods down to our level and we get to bring magic into the everyday.

Why is this so compelling?

Believable Characters and Dialogue

Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Room: Markham B

Panellists: Kelley Armstrong, Nina Munteanu, Suzanne Church
 
Orphan Black: Send in the (Canadian) Clones

Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Room: Oakridge

Panellists: JD DeLuzio, Kate Heartfield, Matthew Johnson

Filmed right here in Toronto, Orphan Black has become a huge hit. This show about cloning and conspiracies even mentions Scarberia, and correctly. We'll talk about all the stuff we love about it. Did Season 2 fulfill the promise seen in Season 1, and where do we see the various plot-lines headed?

Readings: Douglas Smith & Matthew Johnson

Date: Saturday, April 11
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Room: Whitchurch

I'm not sure what I'll be reading from yet, but I will have gifts and giveaways. 

Hope to see you there!

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