Tag Archives: phil giunta

We Three Scribes

Over the River and Through the Woods (front cover)Our delightful winter holiday anthology, Over the River and Through the Woods was edited by the talented Demi Stevens of Year of the Book Press. Her story also marks her first foray into writing fiction.

“Even though I’ve edited 200+ fiction titles, I’ve only ever written non-fiction before… so I decided to be a masochist and write about characters who live somewhere I’ve only visited, with lives wildly different from mine, who throw parties and actually seem to like being around people, who’ve faced serious health traumas, and excel at the sport of golf. Needless to say I relied on the help of many friends, and a master editor, Ramona DeFelice Long, to save me from the abyss!” —Demi Stevens, anthology editor and author of “Christmas Pearl”

Two more creative stars in our anthology are Kimberly Kurth Gray and Hilary Hauck. Each put their own unique twists on holiday themes, clearly thinking outside the gift box!

“The name, or character rather, of Joyce came to me before the story did. I knew Joyce was a lost soul who had tried to make the best of the bad choices she had made in her life. When the theme for the anthology was decided, I began to wonder how Joyce might be spending her holidays. It was then that I realized she spent her time trying to avoid her mother-in-law. Through that story, I discovered who Joyce was and it’s where I met Beau, Joyce’s true love. From there the story practically wrote itself.” —Kimberly Kurth Gray, author  of “Tidings of Comfort and Joyce”

“My story, “Once Upon a Life Well Spent,” was inspired by the first story I ever wrote in primary school. I remember having an incredible feeling of elation and freedom as I took my character, a candle, on an adventurous journey. My writing style has evolved over the years, but that rush of elation when a story comes together or a character comes to life has not.” —Hilary Hauck

Proceeds from the sale of Over the River and Through the Woods benefit the Ligoner Camp and Conference Center, home of the Mindful Writers Retreat. We thank you for your support!

Over the River and Through the Woods (front cover) Over the River and Through the Woods (back cover)

Christmas Rocks!

Over the River and Through the Woods (front cover)Fellow writer Larry “Rock ‘n Roll” Schardt reveals the personal  inspiration behind his essay, “First Nativity” for Over the River and Through the Woods. This winter holiday anthology—published by Year of the Book Press—features stories, essays, and poems from the attendees of the Mindful Writers Retreat.

Christmas rocks! Through my life, Christmas has always been an exciting time. My mother taught us the joy in giving in the spirit of Jesus. As the oldest of nine, I learned the elation that goes with giving… picking out that special gift for each of my four brothers and three sisters. The manger of our nativity set was always the centerpiece of every holiday. When I moved out on my own it was critical that I got my own heirloom to have forever. My story is about carrying on that family tradition.” —Dr. Larry Schardt

Together with Kathleen Shoop, Larry serves as co-organizer of the Mindful Writers Retreat which takes places three times per year at the Ligonier Camp and Conference Center in Ligonier, PA and nestled in the gorgeous Laurel Highlands.

Speaking of Kathleen, her delightful story for our anthology was adapted from a touching historical event.

“My story, “The Christmas Tree,” was inspired by the true story of Mark Carr, the first Christmas tree vendor to sell trees in Washington Market, New York City. I’d read about him over the years, as he’s mentioned in various Christmas books I own. So when coming up with an idea for a holiday story to submit to Over the River and Through the Woods, Carr’s story immediately came to mind. I changed the names and pieced together the facts I could find to make the fictionalized story feel “real.” I think I captured what must have been the wonder and joy the family felt when they realized they could share their abundance of trees with others and save their farm.” —Kathleen Shoop

Proceeds from the sale of Over the River and Through the Woods benefit the Ligoner Camp and Conference Center. We thank you for your support!

Over the River and Through the Woods (front cover) Over the River and Through the Woods (back cover)

Book Review: Murray Leinster’s Space Tug

Space Tug by Murray LeinsterJoe Kenmore and his crew, astronauts with the Space Exploration Project, have been assigned to deliver supplies and defensive weapons to the Platform, mankind’s first space station.

Orbiting 4,000 miles above the Earth, the Platform was constructed solely by the United States after the United Nations had rejected the proposal. As a result, the Platform is now targeted by enemy nations suspicious as to its true purpose. Expeditions to and from the Platform are under constant threat of attack by ground to space missiles—which is precisely what happens to Kenmore and crew.

After some quick thinking and imaginative solutions, they manage to thwart the bombardment and safely arrive at the Platform only to be met with scorn by the Platform’s lead scientist, Doctor Sanford. Shortly after Kenmore and his crew unload the supplies, Sanford, on the verge of a mental breakdown under the constant threat of death, attempts to kill everyone aboard the Platform. After a second ship arrives carrying Sanford’s replacement, U.S. Navy Commander Brown, Kenmore and crew depart in their ship while some of the Platform’s crew escort Sanford off in another.

As both vessels approach the Earth’s surface, Sanford’s ship is promptly destroyed by enemy fire while Kenmore and crew narrowly evade destruction. Once back at base, Kenmore is informed that Space Exploration Corporation has been contracted by the U.S. government to build a Moonship. If the vessel survives the journey, the moon will become United States territory. Will Kenmore and his crew be the first men to venture to Earth’s as-yet unexplored satellite?

In terms of plot, Space Tug is a step above the typical young adult SF adventures of the 1950s. Although most of the conflict is external to the protagonist, Murray Leinster delivers surprising moments of depth in Joe Kenmore and his crew—Haney (whose first name is never revealed), native American Chief Bender, and the “midget” Mike Scandia—all of whom are depicted as technically savvy and scientifically literate. In fact, due to his size, Scandia is the most skilled among them in zero-gravity maneuvering—a fact in which he vociferously revels.

There is little fluff in this story, aside from a slight romance brewing between Kenmore and Sally Holt, daughter of Major Holt, the base commander. The pacing is fast, the tension is constant, and there is just enough technical jargon as to provide a sense of authenticity and verisimilitude.

Celebrating The First Ten Years…

On November 20, 2009, my first novel, Testing the Prisoner, was published by Firebringer Press. During the intervening decade, I managed to publish two follow up novels and nearly 20 short stories across 11 anthologies and a few websites. To date, I’ve written or contributed to 14 titles.

Compared to some of my contemporaries—referring specifically to indie authors who also hold full time jobs—that number might seem unremarkable, but I’ve reached an age where I’m less interested in competing with others and prefer instead to stay focused on my own career and produce at a pace that works for me.

Of course, I’m deeply grateful to all of the veteran writers who mentored me, the publishers and editors who accepted my work, and the friends and readers who supported me along this emotionally turbulent, but ultimately exhilarating, journey.

I’m proud of every story I’ve published whether online or in print and look forward to the next ten years of challenges. So what’s ahead in 2020? Keep scrolling…

The First 10 Years
The First Ten Years…

Scary Stuff Front CoverIn February, my short story, “Burn After Writing,” will be published in Scary Stuff, a horror anthology by Oddity Prodigy Productions. Scary Stuff was inspired by such classic EC Comics titles as Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, and the magazines Creepy and Eerie.  Oddity Prodigy is currently running an Indiegogo campaign to fund the publication.

 

Meanwhile in the Middle of EternitySlated for a mid-year release from Firebringer Press is the third installment in the Middle of Eternity anthology series—Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity. I created and edited this series with the goal of providing an outlet for as yet unpublished writers and a few established names. We began in 2014 with Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity and continued in 2016 with Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity. Our third book will be the largest volume yet with a diverse array of tales from SF, fantasy, and the paranormal.

More info forthcoming on these exciting projects!

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kristen Lamb delves into the traits of a perfect villain and reminds us of the importance of story mastery above all else. Anne R. Allen offers advice on writing that challenging first chapter while Marie Eberle would like to see less of certain hackneyed character types in SF and Fantasy.

It’s a foregone conclusion that conflict is the heart of storytelling, but what about conflict management? L. Deborah Sword discusses.

Over at Writer Unboxed, Jim Dempsey encourages us to delve into our characters’ values to find their ultimate motivation, and speaking of characters, Donald Maass suggests examining psychological archetypes as a means for crafting character arcs.

If you’re struggling to build a readership, there may be a good reason for that. In fact, as Shannon Ashley reveals, there might be at least twelve reasons.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

On Writing: Why Mastery Should Matter To the Serious Author by Kristen Lamb

The Villain: Crafting Scoundrels, Sinners, and Substance of Legends by Kristen Lamb

Finding and Using Competing Book Titles in Your Book Marketing by Penny Sansevieri

Writing that First Chapter: 10 Dos and Don’ts for Starting a Novel by Anne R. Allen

Avoid these Crutch Words by Dana Isaacson

Story Conflict: It’s Not as Simple as We Think by L. Deborah Sword via Jami Gold

Nine Ways for Your Hero to Earn the Clues They Need by Chris Winkle

The Two Types of Archetype by Donald Maass

What Really Drives Your Characters? by Jim Dempsey

12 Reasons Nobody Wants to Read Your Writing by Shannon Ashley

3 Types of Fantasy and Sci-Fi Characters We’ve Seen Enough Of by Marie Eberle

What is a Vignette & How Do I Write One? by Amanda Patterson

After Action Report: Philcon 82

Philcon 82The 82nd annual Philadelpha SF Convention (Philcon) has come and gone and, for me, it was one of the best yet. I participated in four edifying and—in the case of Compassionate Representation of Mental Illness in Fiction—intense discussion panels.

I was not scheduled for any panels on Friday, which allowed me to browse the dealer room and pick up over 20 classic SF paperbacks before enjoying dinner at Houlihan’s with Sharon Van Blarcom and Sarah Yaworsky from the Farpoint Convention and fellow writer Chris Ochs.

Classic SF PaperbacksChristmas Tree-Cherry Hill, NJ

Saturday was a busy day with three discussion panels and an autograph session. I was honored to share the autograph table with Hugo and Nebula award-winning SF author Michael Swanwick. We had a delightful conversation about classic speculative fiction authors such as Robert Silverberg, Harlan Ellison, Phil K. Dick, Philip José Farmer, and others.

How to Discover New Authors Panel
Saturday Discussion Panel – How Does a Reader Discover New Authors? – Photo Credit: Michael Ventrella
Discussion Panel-Your Story Doesn't Start until Page Eleven?
Sunday Discussion Panel – Your Story Doesn’t Start until Page Eleven? – Photo Credit: James Beall

In between panels, I sat with Farpoint Chair Sharon Van Blarcom at the Farpoint Convention table. Once we closed up at 6PM, I joined Sharon, Farpoint committee member Brian Sarcinelli, and Shore Leave Co-Chair Inge Heyer in the hotel restaurant for about an hour before joining writer pals Aaron Rosenberg, Glenn Hauman, Heather Hutsell, and several others for dinner at Whole Hog BBQ.

Scary Stuff Front Cover

One of the highlights of the weekend was the launch of the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign by Oddity Prodigy Productions for their upcoming horror anthology, Scary Stuff. My ghost story, “Burn After Writing” will be included in the book. Scary Stuff is an homage to the classic EC Comics titles such as Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, Creepy, etc. Click here to learn more about the project including the contributing authors and the various donation levels. Thank you for supporting small press authors!

Christmas Tree-Cherry Hill, NJSunday morning saw me at two discussion panels–Your Story Doesn’t Start Until Page Eleven? and Rituals for Conjuring Novel Titles. Both of which were fun and engaging for the panelists and the audience.

As I was packing my car to leave on Sunday, I noticed this massive Christmas tree directly across from the Crowne Plaza hotel on Park Avenue. Although still a bit early in the season, it was a cheerful ending to a succesful weekend. As always, I look forward to returning next November!