tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34923322822594214772024-03-05T07:59:05.339-05:00Greater Portland ScribistsSpeculative Fiction Writers with a direction. Greater Portland Scribists are a group of writers from the Portland, Maine area who publish a yearly ebook anthology called Scribings.8BitCoderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509800885049742051noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-8892460649535094212015-12-05T12:22:00.002-05:002015-12-05T12:22:58.309-05:00Essential GPS and The Scribings Omnibus<p>We've been very busy putting together two special edition ebooks for our fans. A few days ago, all the manuscripts were uploaded and are available in pretty much every ebook store by now.</p>
<div style="float:left; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://scribists.blogspot.com/p/essential-gps-scribings-special-edition.html"><img src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/EssentialGPS_sm.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>First, is <b>Essential GPS: A Scribings Special Edition</b>. This ebook contains a selection of stories from previous volumes as voted by friends, family, and fans this autumn. This ebook was released on November 30, 2015, and should be available for free in every major ebook store (but you may have to ask Amazon to price match for the Kindle version).<br/><br/>For more information, visit our publisher's page here: <a href="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/books/EssentialGPS.php">LostLuggageStudios.com/books/EssentialGPS.php</a></p>
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<div style="float:left; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://scribists.blogspot.com/p/the-scribings-omnibus.html"><img src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/ScribingsOmnibus_sm.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>Our second release is <b>The Scribings Omnibus</b>, an ebook compilation of stories from our first five volumes. Nearly every story from Vol 1, Vol 2: Lost Civilizations, Vol 3: Metamorphosis, Vol 4: Miscreations, and Vol 5: Inversions is contained in one giant ebook.
<br/><br/>For more information, visit our publisher's page here: <a href="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/books/ScribingsOmnibus.php">LostLuggageStudios.com/books/ScribingsOmnibus.php</a></p>
GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-91575129727536460362015-07-24T17:50:00.000-04:002015-07-25T07:48:58.329-04:00Scribings, Vol 5: Inversions<div class="tr_bq" style="float: right; margin: 2em;">
<a href="http://scribists.blogspot.com/p/scribings-vol-5-inversions.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Scribings 5 cover" src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings5_sm.jpg" /></a>
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We've been hard at work on this volume for several months now, and hit a few snags with artwork that are now resolved. GPS has added two new authors for this volume, and all your favorites from volumes 3 and 4 have returned to bring you brand-new stories.<br />
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So what is this volume about?<br />
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<blockquote>
Life is full of surprises. Sometimes changes upend everything we thought we knew, inverting our perceptions of the people and world around us. Part of the joy and terror of living lies in experiencing these inversions.<br />
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<b>Scribings, Vol 5: Inversions</b> presents eight stories from the Greater Portland Scribists, each with its own hidden twists and surprises. A former rock star who can no longer sing. Escaped convicts with much to atone for. A strange boy with an affinity for plants. Gods watch mortals make a seemingly simple choice. Tiny shoe prints lead to a birthday adventure. A hostage tries to salvage a botched bank robbery. A soldier flees war only to find it follows. And a quest for a missing corporate department that may actually be hiding.</blockquote>
We are still waiting on the paperback proof, but the ebook is ready to go for a July 30th release at $3.99. But you can preorder a copy today for $2.99 !<br />
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<b>Amazon Kindle:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012E0BU1Q">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012E0BU1Q</a><br />
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<b>Smashwords:</b> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/562772">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/562772</a><br />
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<b>Google Play:</b> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=3Hs7CgAAQBAJ">https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=3Hs7CgAAQBAJ</a><br />
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You can also check <b>iTunes</b>, <b>Barnes & Noble</b>, and <b>Kobo</b> over the next few days for preorder pages.<br />
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Plus, we're doing another GoodReads Giveaway this year. You can win one of 8 paperbacks, signed by all of us. The Giveaway ends on August 24.<br />
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The giveaway is now live! Click here to enter:<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/148297">https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/148297</a><br />
<br />
<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/148297" type="text/javascript"></script>GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-25677487313913158242014-07-28T16:47:00.001-04:002014-07-28T16:47:15.542-04:00Scribings Vol 4: Miscreations paperback now available!<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
<a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/books/Scribings4.php" target="_s4win"><img alt="Scribings 4 ebook cover" src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings4_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
The paperback edition of Scribings, Vol 4: Miscreations is now available at CreateSpace and Amazon.<br />
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<strong>CreateSpace:</strong> <a href="https://www.createspace.com/4897873" target="_blank">https://www.createspace.com/4897873</a><br />
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<strong>Amazon:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scribings-Vol-Jamie-Alan-Belanger/dp/1936489201" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Scribings-Vol-Jamie-Alan-Belanger/dp/1936489201</a><br />
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Also, two other pieces of news for today:<br />
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The ebook edition showed up at Scribd, so if you have an account there you can <a href="http://www.scribd.com/book/233872045/Scribings-Vol-4-Miscreations" target="_blank">read the whole book today</a>.<br />
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You can also enter to win one of six signed paperbacks we're giving away at GoodReads. This contest is still open until August 15th:
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<div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget100554">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway</h2>
<div style="float: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22729069"><img alt="Scribings, Vol 4 by Jamie Alan Belanger" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405438852l/22729069.jpg" title="Scribings, Vol 4 by Jamie Alan Belanger" width="100" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22729069">Scribings, Vol 4</a></h3>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0;">
by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4636742.Jamie_Alan_Belanger" style="text-decoration: none;">Jamie Alan Belanger</a></h4>
<div class="giveaway_details">
Giveaway ends August 15, 2014.
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/100554" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
</div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both;">
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<a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/100554">Enter to win</a>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/100554"></script>GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-31470207524050316232014-07-16T23:28:00.001-04:002014-07-16T23:28:35.524-04:00Giving Away 6 Signed Copies of Scribings Vol 4 on GoodReads!Today we listed a giveaway on Goodreads for 6 signed copies of the Scribings, Vol 4: Miscreations paperback. Giveaway ends on August 15th!
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
</h2>
<div style="float: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22729069"><img alt="Scribings, Vol 4 by Jamie Alan Belanger" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405438852l/22729069.jpg" title="Scribings, Vol 4 by Jamie Alan Belanger" width="100" /></a>
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<h3 style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22729069">Scribings, Vol 4</a>
</h3>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0;">
by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4636742.Jamie_Alan_Belanger" style="text-decoration: none;">Jamie Alan Belanger</a>
</h4>
<div class="giveaway_details">
Giveaway ends August 15, 2014.
<br />
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/100554" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
</div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both;">
</div>
<a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/100554">Enter to win</a>
</div>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/100554" type="text/javascript"></script>GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-39344542147002248582014-07-09T15:46:00.001-04:002014-07-10T09:47:38.010-04:00Scribings, Vol 4: Miscreations ebook now available!<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
<a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/books/Scribings4.php" target="_s4win"><img alt="Scribings 4 ebook cover" src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings4_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
This morning we published the ebook version of <strong>Scribings, Vol 4: Miscreations</strong> in the Smashwords and Kindle stores. I and the other members of the Greater Portland Scribists have been working hard on these stories for months, and we're overjoyed to announce that they are finally ready for publication. It's been a long road, and we delayed the publication several times, but our reason was understandable: there's a lot here. With twelve stories weighing in at just over 85,000 words, <strong>Miscreations</strong> is our longest anthology yet. So, while we missed our usual June release date, we feel the extra time spent on these stories was worth the delay, and we know you'll feel the same.
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For our fourth book, we decided to get all fancy and hired local artist Peeter Parkker to design the cover art. <a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings4.jpg" target="_s4art">Check out the full-sized artwork here</a> and his website at <a href="http://akapeterparker.com/" target="_ppwin">http://akapeterparker.com/</a>
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As always with our anthologies, I made a <a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/lldownload.php?file=Scribings_4.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PDF sample</a> that gives you a short excerpt of each of these stories:
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<strong>Room Two</strong> by Steven Inman<br />
If all the world's a stage, is the next act about to start?
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<strong>My Toaster Hates Me</strong> by Jamie Alan Belanger<br />
They're just a bunch of smart assets.
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<strong>Behind The Cloth</strong> by Richard Veysey<br />
Sometimes, hate is just a tool.
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<strong>Non-Working Memory</strong> by D.L. Harvey<br />
Birthdays, a timeless tradition, can bring up all kinds of issues.
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<strong>Breed</strong> by Timothy Lynch<br />
He's fighting for tradition; she's fighting for survival.
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<strong>Qi'lin</strong> by Shelli-Jo Pelletier<br />
Legends don't die... They're born.
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<strong>X-Ray Glasses</strong> by Steven Inman<br />
What you see might just re-make you.
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<strong>Naked Monsters</strong> by D.L. Harvey<br />
Family and identity gain definition by blood, bonds, and broken souls.
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<strong>The Hunt</strong> by Timothy Lynch<br />
The future is unreal.
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<strong>The Howling of the Storm</strong> by Shelli-Jo Pelletier<br />
Winter storm warning: a change is on the wind.
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<strong>The Joke</strong> by Richard Veysey<br />
Morality is no laughing matter.
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<strong>Dappil Goes To Hell</strong> by Jamie Alan Belanger<br />
...and Hell is eager to send him back!
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The ebook is currently available at <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/456257" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNLGTSM" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Store</a>.<br />
Other ebook stores will carry it in the coming two weeks or so.
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We are also making a paperback of this volume, which should be ready later this month.GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-44309871439624480172014-03-26T15:02:00.001-04:002014-03-26T15:02:22.961-04:00Ebook News: Two Stores ClosingA few weeks ago, I heard that the Sony Reader Store was closing at the end of this month (and it actually closed as of March 20th). This made me somewhat sad, even though my company hasn't sold that many ebooks through the store. Still, it was a book store, and now it's gone.<br />
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Today I found out the Diesel store is closing at the end of the month. I don't think I've sold a single book through them (or at least, they've never <i>reported</i> a sale), but again I'm sad. And not just because I have to update my site links and PDF samples (ugh, yet again), but because it's a store that people purchased ebooks at and now... what happens to all their purchases? At least in the case of the Sony Store, they are transferring all their records to Kobo so you should still be able to get the ebooks you paid for. But what happens with Diesel?<br />
<br />GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-6383418573225894792013-12-30T18:39:00.004-05:002013-12-30T18:39:51.256-05:00Terran Shift Anthology, Vol 2: The Bio-Tech Era is now available!<div style="float: right; margin: 10px;">
<a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/books/TerranShift2.php" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/TSA2_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
If you were wondering what us Scribists do in our spare time (what we have of it), well... we write! Jamie, Dea, and
Tim contributed stories to the second Terran Shift Anthology, which is available now at Smashwords and the Kindle Store.
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<b>Terran Shift Anthology, Volume 2: The Bio-Tech Era</b> is the second collection of stories set exclusively in the <a href="http://www.terranshift.com/" target="_tswin">Terran Shift universe</a>. The collection contains seven science fiction stories from five authors, focusing entirely on stories set in the Bio-Tech Era, a plausible near-future where humanity becomes even more dependent on technology.<br />
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<b>Strike Nest</b> by Paul J Belanger<br />
One pilot's dream job may be the human race's last hope to prevent the next world war.<br />
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<b>End of the Line</b> by Timothy Lynch<br />
Ben's discovery at a mindless assembly line job could be his end... or a new beginning...<br />
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<b>Freezer Burn</b> by Alan Belanger<br />
Casual cryonic freezing means that all the time you spend with your child is quality time. What could possibly go wrong?<br />
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<b>Netmare</b> by Jamie Alan Belanger<br />
Direct computer-brain connections enhanced with a new psychedelic narcotic... they called it "The Ultimate Trip."<br />
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<b>Upumbavu</b> by Paul J Belanger<br />
James never expected his neighbor's dog to inspire him to cure a plague.<br />
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<b>Normal</b> by D.L. Harvey<br />
Technology can give you everything you want, but not everything you need.<br />
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<b>The Museum Run</b> by Jamie Alan Belanger<br />
A hacker is requested by name for a routine, well-paying job. But routine jobs rarely are.<br />
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This ebook is currently available at <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/392878" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> and in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HLQ8MPQ" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Store</a>
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I put together a comprehensive sample that includes a short excerpt from each story. <a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/lldownload.php?file=TerranShift_2.pdf" target="_blank">Read the sample</a>.
GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-21611570685545190872013-07-01T13:07:00.000-04:002013-07-01T13:07:13.607-04:00Scribings Vol 3 paperback now at AmazonNot only is the paperback now at Amazon, but apparently Amazon decided to have a little sale. List price is $8.99 and it's currently listed at $8.54. I don't know how long that sale will last as I have no way of putting print books on sale. So grab it while you can!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scribings-Metamorphosis-Jamie-Alan-Belanger/dp/1936489163/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Scribings-Metamorphosis-Jamie-Alan-Belanger/dp/1936489163/ref=tmm_pap_title_0</a><br />
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Also, the ebook has arrived at <a href="https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/jamie-belanger/scribings-vol-3-metamorphosis/_/R-400000000000001076132" target="_blank">Sony Reader Store</a><br />
<br />GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-78929890747918975642013-06-28T09:00:00.000-04:002013-06-28T09:00:02.952-04:00Scribings Vol 3 ebook now at Diesel, B&N, Versent, and InkteraI must say I'm rather impressed with how fast Smashwords is getting our books into the other stores.<br />
Earlier this morning I received an email from Diesel saying Scribings 3 is now available there. I checked around and found the ebook at three other stores too:<br />
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<a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/index.php?page=item&id=SW00000327414" target="_blank">Diesel Ebook Store</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scribings-vol-3-jamie-belanger/1115836304?ean=2940044598515" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.versentbooks.com/store/title/a2ee0ed9-de1b-4b63-8d6c-4458fcefd336" target="_blank">Versent</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.inktera.com/store/title/a2ee0ed9-de1b-4b63-8d6c-4458fcefd336" target="_blank">Inktera</a><br />
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I'm still waiting for the paperback to show up at Amazon, and for the ebook to make it into iTunes, Sony Reader Store, and Kobo. I'll post those links once I have them.GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-68239443468627427962013-06-26T11:55:00.003-04:002013-06-26T11:55:48.900-04:00Paperback for Scribings, Vol 3: Metamorphosis is now availableI ordered the proof copy last week and it arrived a few hours before our weekly meeting, which was a nice surprise for the other members. The proof was very nicely done, and the cover actually came out better than I was expecting. The glossy finish really helps the colors a lot!<br />
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The paperback can be ordered now from CreateSpace, here:<br />
<a href="https://www.createspace.com/4328926">https://www.createspace.com/4328926</a><br />
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It should arrive at Amazon in the next five to seven days. I'll post a link when it's available there. The list price at both places is $8.99.<br />
<br />GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-24861959541085889952013-06-18T09:22:00.001-04:002013-06-18T15:11:23.168-04:00Scribings Vol 3: Metamorphosis is now available at Smashwords<center>
<i>The Greater Portland Scribists present...</i> </center>
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<img height="450" src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings3.jpg" />
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The new volume of Scribings is now available at Smashwords, and should be in the Kindle Store later today. It will arrive at other ebook stores and as a paperback later this month.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/lldownload.php?file=Scribings_3.pdf" target="_blank">Grab a free sample here (PDF)</a></div>
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<b>Find this book at</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/327414" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DGS8M1W" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Store</a></div>
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GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-73431403859738675352013-06-15T09:57:00.002-04:002013-06-15T09:57:52.235-04:00Scribings, Vol 3: MetamorphosisWe have been quiet for a while, but only because we've been very busy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings3.jpg" target="_coverimg"><img border="0" src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings3_sm.jpg" /></a></div>
For the past few months, the Greater Portland Scribists have been diligently working on our third anthology, <b>Scribings, Vol 3: Metamorphosis</b>. We started the project in November, and have been meeting weekly since February.<br />
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Unfortunately, we've been spending so much time polishing our stories and artwork that we've sort of neglected doing things like teasing the cover art, or talking about our stories, or... well, just about everything else we usually do on this blog. But we take it as a good sign that even <i>we</i> can't stop reading and re-reading the stories in this volume.<br />
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To the right is the ebook cover art (click image for full version), which started as a group experiment in abstract photography and ended up being so damn pretty we just had to use it.<br />
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We can't keep this volume a secret much longer, since the targeted release date for this volume is this coming Tuesday, June 18th! This volume will also be available as a paperback, which should be in Amazon by the end of the month.<br />
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What can you expect from this new volume of Scribings?<br />
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<h3>
Six Authors</h3>
<b>Scribings, Vol 3: Metamorphosis</b> features stories from six authors who live around Portland, Maine. This volume includes stories from returning authors Richard Veysey, Timothy Lynch, and Jamie Alan Belanger; as well as stories from new GPS members Shelli-Jo Pelletier, Steven Inman, and D.L. Harvey.<br />
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<h3>
Six Stories</h3>
Each member has contributed one story about a drastic life change. Sometimes the transformations happen at the physical level, sometimes emotional, and sometimes entire civilizations are altered forever. Here's a brief tease of each story:<br />
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<b>Third-Person Hero</b> by Jamie Alan Belanger<br />
An arrogant youth has one last chance for fame. Will cheating bring the success she desires?<br />
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<b>Last Defender</b> by Shelli-Jo Pelletier<br />
After centuries of forced servitude, the last living gargoyle must decide if he will still uphold his kind's sacred duty to protect.<br />
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<b>Disruption</b> by D.L. Harvey<br />
After ingesting a toxin, Braven's life is disrupted. Will an accidental romance and a foreign planet get him back to where he was?<br />
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<b>Otherkin</b> by Steven Inman<br />
Marcie saw life as sink or swim, but her new friend led her to depths she didn't imagine.<br />
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<b>Four Degrees</b> by Timothy Lynch<br />
The straw that broke the planet's back.<br />
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<b>'Rose in Dreams</b> by Richard Veysey<br />
A boy discovers great power in a realm beyond dreams... and is ensnared in a nightmare from which he may not wake.
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<h3>
Release Information</h3>
<b>Scheduled release date:</b> June 18th, 2013 (ebook; paperback will be later this month)<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Anthology (multiple authors) / Science Fiction / Urban Fantasy<br />
<b>Formats:</b> Ebook and Paperback<br />
<b>Length:</b> about 54,000 words<br />
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If you haven't been introduced to the <b>Scribings</b> series yet, don't panic! While some of the stories across volumes take place in the same worlds, each story is carefully crafted so that it stands on its own. But now is a great time to start reading all of our work. Get these free PDF samples below and you can start reading a sample from each story today:<br />
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<a alt="Scribings, Vol 1" href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/lldownload.php?file=Scribings_1.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings1_sm.jpg" /></a>
<a alt="Scribings, Vol 2: Lost Civilizations" href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/lldownload.php?file=Scribings_2.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings2_sm.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<br />GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-89805026940818960172012-11-09T12:32:00.000-05:002012-11-14T08:51:58.970-05:00Terran Shift Anthology, Vol 1 is now available<div style="float:right; margin: 10px;"><a href="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/books/TerranShift1.php" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/TSA1_sm.jpg"></a></div>
<p>Last year, Jamie and his brother Paul decided to put together an anthology ebook of stories set exclusively in their <a href="http://www.TerranShift.com" target="_blank">Terran Shift universe</a>. This is the result -- seven stories from five authors (including three GPS members), spanning from the high-tech cyberpunk dystopia of the Bio-Tech Era to the Sol-Bect War Era.</p>
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<b>The Berkutchi Trial</b> by Alan Belanger<br>
An American spy in Kazahkstan accidentally breaks local law and must win a berkutchi trial to get out alive.<br>
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<b>Things Taken</b> by Cynthia Ravinski<br>
Only when you've put everything you have into obtaining your hopes and dreams do you find what you've <i>really</i> been after.<br>
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<b>Handbook For A Better Society</b> by Jamie Alan Belanger<br>
A misguided man bases his utopia on a satirical novel.<br>
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<b>The Unders</b> by Timothy Lynch<br>
The Landers and Unders are at war. The Landers just don't know it yet.<br>
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<b>Moroned</b> by Paul J Belanger<br>
Fortune favors the prepared. As for the unprepared, well...<br>
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<b>Moon Sweepers</b> by Alan Belanger<br>
Youth on a moon base learn the dangers of regolith mining.<br>
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<b>The Sol-Bect Setup</b> by Paul J Belanger<br>
In a missing chapter from <i>The Sol-Bect War, Part 2</i>, Peter McCabe visits the past to lay the groundwork for his future.<br>
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This ebook is currently available in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A447IC0" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Store</a>
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I put together a comprehensive sample that includes a short excerpt from each story. <a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/lldownload.php?file=TerranShift_1.pdf" target="_blank">Read the sample</a>.
GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-85594098326096973102012-11-01T21:08:00.000-04:002012-11-01T21:08:43.704-04:00Scribings, Vol 2: Lost Civilizations now on Libboo<div style="float:right; margin: 5px;"><a href="https://www.libboo.com/read/scribings/jamiebelanger" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/images/ournovels/Scribings2_sm.jpg"></a></div>
Our second anthology is now available on Libboo!
<a href="https://www.libboo.com/read/scribings/jamiebelanger" target="_blank">https://www.libboo.com/read/scribings/jamiebelanger</a><br><br>
<h2>What is Libboo?</h2>
In their own words:
<blockquote>Libboo is a publishing startup, with partners and supporters ranging from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to the National Literacy Trust and the BBC. Libboo aims to help authors (whether they have a traditional publishing deal or have self-published) increase their chance of success by pairing their books with the correct "buzzers". A buzzer is someone who has influence in their personal community and who, most importantly, is passionate about sharing the books they love. Libboo believes that a key part of making an author successful is to pair them with others who will share their work and help expose it to a wider audience.</blockquote>
If you love reading and this is the first time you’ve heard of Libboo, please <a href="http://www.libboo.com" target="_blank">check out their site</a>.
GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-87178813774574776372012-09-01T11:50:00.001-04:002012-09-01T11:50:46.542-04:00Scribings Vol 2 now in Kobo and Sony stores<b>Scribings, Vol 2: Lost Civilizations</b> is now available at Kobo and Sony Reader Store!<br />
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<b>Kobo:</b> <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Scribings-Vol-2-Lost-Civilizations/book-QWtZ_ddx5kWWpS7DcKjpAg/page1.html?s=2wb4hrtmzkqTc2TDxLIC7g&r=3">http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Scribings-Vol-2-Lost-Civilizations/book-QWtZ_ddx5kWWpS7DcKjpAg/page1.html?s=2wb4hrtmzkqTc2TDxLIC7g&r=3</a><br />
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<b>Sony:</b> <a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/jamie-alan-belanger/scribings-vol-2/_/R-400000000000000754599">http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/jamie-alan-belanger/scribings-vol-2/_/R-400000000000000754599</a><br />
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If you haven't seen the stories yet, <a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/Scribings2Map" target="_blank">check out the Interactive Story Sampler</a>, or <a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/lldownload.php?file=Scribings_2.pdf" target="_blank">download a PDF sample</a> today. Both include excerpts from every story!<br />
<br />GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-13422482849554788442012-07-15T13:04:00.003-04:002012-07-18T11:33:25.147-04:00Scribings Vol 2 now in Diesel and iTunes stores<b>Scribings, Vol 2: Lost Civilizations</b> is now available in the Diesel and iTunes stores.<br />
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If you've been waiting for it to be available at Diesel, <a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/index.php?page=item&id=SW00000177288" target="_newwin">Click here to get it</a>.<br />
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Or <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781936489114" target="_blank">Click here to buy it at the iTunes store</a><br />
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If you're waiting for the ebook to be available at other stores like Barnes and Noble or Kobo, it should be there within the next few weeks.GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-50169292714784303182012-07-06T08:00:00.000-04:002012-07-06T08:00:08.230-04:00Llano Del Rio - Ghost Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04;">Lost Civilizations where you least expect them (not just in our book!).</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dpz0xkpcEe0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Civilizations seem to disappear overnight, or over generations</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">This one struggled a mere three years. Remains can still be found just north of Los Angeles, USA.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">If you're interested by lost civilizations check out our latest book</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FTWWEU" target="_blank">Scribings Vol. 2: Lost Civilizations</a></span></div>Cynthia Ravinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16866804811647405290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-88995562678136549272012-06-29T06:00:00.000-04:002012-06-29T06:00:08.459-04:00Scribings Vol 2 Is Here!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What better way to celebrate anthologies than to...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The Greater Portland Scribists present:</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKp8zASi6vhEQ-WxiBQM21_HkFCAiXyfI5MiNFRFsvfSgCGy83xDLY9qgK7KOMdV7JT1uGEQrfNeiFfbDrzlmX4sZ8Nbx1Vx1ywlZxqA_kBpS8M9Oj6wvqJq5qeUY3hvY706VH8c9cp0/s1600/Scribings2-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKp8zASi6vhEQ-WxiBQM21_HkFCAiXyfI5MiNFRFsvfSgCGy83xDLY9qgK7KOMdV7JT1uGEQrfNeiFfbDrzlmX4sZ8Nbx1Vx1ywlZxqA_kBpS8M9Oj6wvqJq5qeUY3hvY706VH8c9cp0/s320/Scribings2-small.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.37552792904898524" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Journey into lands long lost with the Greater Portland Scribists. Delve into an Egyptian pyramid in a peculiar location. See what a Viking boy does when handed the executioner’s ax. Find out why sometimes it’s too late to learn from your mistakes. Watch a bookbinder as he achieves his dreams. See a civilization vanish through the eyes of a young girl.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scribings Vol 2: Lost Civilizations features eight exciting stories that will take you on a trip through time and space and even through the fabric of reality itself. Scribings Vol 2 features stories from trusted veterans Richard Veysey, Cynthia Ravinski, and Jamie Alan Belanger, as well as stories from new members Christopher L. Weston and Timothy Lynch.</span></span></b>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For information on how to buy a copy in any ereader format, please see:</span></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/Lmhoof" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our book page</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bit.ly/LKwBQY" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lost Luggage Studios</span></a></div>Cynthia Ravinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16866804811647405290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-55828152815478832652012-06-28T00:00:00.000-04:002012-06-28T00:00:03.048-04:00Diagnosis Anthology<a href="http://wdprescott.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">By W.D. Prescott</a><br />
<br />
As a writer, I find anthologies
invaluable. The reader in me finds them essential. But if you were to go to any
publisher, you would find they tend to be hesitant with them. I know because I
have an idea for an anthology and went around trying to get a feel for who
could be interested and what I, as the editor, would need to do on my end. Let
me tell you, if you thought being a writer was a tough job, look into being an
anthology editor. Writing will seem like a cakewalk.<o:p></o:p>
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But why is there this near
aversion to tomes devoted to diversity in literature? It's not just on the
publisher's end, either. Writers and readers are giving up on anthologies just
as e-books and self-publishing now allow better access to a wider breath of
collections to choose. Let’s look at how an anthology comes together to find
out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Step 1 - The Idea:</b> This is the real "make it or
break it" part of the genesis. If you don't have a good idea, a gripping
idea, it can be hard not only to sell it to readers, but to a publisher to
publish it and writers to write the stories. If you look at those that sell
well--relative to other anthologies--they are usually Year's Best of [insert
genre(s)]. They work because the idea is simple and profitable: Take only the
best of a genre for the last year and compile it all and sell them. This works
for a publisher because there is little risk involved. All these stories have
been published before. They tend to have a high concentration of well-known
authors that can sell the book to their fan base. And they don't have to think of
an idea for a sequel, they just wait for the next year's batch of tales. It's
great for readers because, as it was mentioned, these are the most current
stories that are considered the best by well-known editors in the business. A
plethora of well-known authors haunt the pages, giving anyone new to the genre
a place to start and find their way into it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Any other kind of anthology
becomes risky for a publisher because it involves stories that haven't been
tested. They can't assume money will be made with any of those stories. If they
can't make money, why make the book? But these are also where a lot of the
innovation in a genre comes from. From sub-genre and niche sampler anthologies
to character type anthologies to situational anthologies, these are we readers
can delve into the creative chaos of any genre. When the submission call went
out for <b><i>Tainted: Tales of Terror and the Supernatural</i></b>, the
guidelines were simple: read one of 5 classic stories and write your own
inspired by one of them. Inspired is a broad word for a writer. Is it a rewrite
of the story? A continuation? A new story based on an element of the original?
The answer was yes. Each author did what they wanted--I opted for the
continuation--and eight stories were created through their experimentation and
imagination. This not just a hallmark of anthologies, but the short form
itself. The novel is great, but you are devoted to the ideas of that novel for
hundreds of pages. Anthologies let you go through a whirlwind of permutations
of one idea and the ideas spawned form them in the same time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Step 2 - The Writers:</b> Once the idea for the anthology
is set, the hard part comes. Much of the reason that publishers are hesitant to
publish anthologies is that writers are hesitant to write for them. The reason
being is simple: What happens if the story is not accepted into the anthology?
The quick answer is "send it into a magazine." If the story is
exceptional, that might work. But the truth is that many of the anthologies
have such a defining theme, it makes it hard to find magazine whose style will
mesh with the theme of the story. Not only that, but a good editor will know of
the most recent submission calls and will be looking for the rejects to be fill
there inboxes. And just so it’s known, editors are not fond of anthology
rejects. So, why would a writer want to spend the time on a story that may not
get accepted and then have a harder time finding a home after rejection when
they can write a novel or a short story specifically for a magazine during that
time?<o:p></o:p></div>
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For a writer, new or established,
it is something to promote. You hit a bump in your newest novel progress? Not
sure how to start the sequel of the series? Things like this can stall the
momentum of a writer and it can be hard to gain back anything lost--like
readers--if it takes too long to publish something new. A short story in an
anthology helps out in that you will have a new book to push as you recover on
any lost time on your current project. And readers are more willing to pick up
a book than a magazine--just look at how many magazine markets rise in fall in
a 5 year period. For new writers, anthologies are a great way to start making a
name for yourself. When it comes to publishing that first book with a press,
small or large, having publishing credits on that query letter helps. Also, new
writers really get the most out of it if there are well-known authors included,
because they will have a fan base that will help sell the book and spreading
the news about the anthology. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Step 3 - Selling the Anthology:</b> You got the idea, you found
writers that wrote great stories based on that idea, now how do you get it in
the hands of readers? The better-known authors will help, but they don't get
the same numbers of fans to buy anthologies as they do their books. Readers
today are brought up on novels. The only time they are regularly exposed to
short fiction is in school, and we all remember home much we enjoyed reading in
school. And even those that get the anthology because one or more authors they
like are in it, they may only read those stories, maybe a few of the others
"just to see." And you can't blame them. The way they are sold to
them is that the anthology itself is the product, not the stories inside. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Think of it in food terms. Would
you ever go to the store and buy a bag of Doritos that have all the flavors
combined in it? That is how anthologies are sold to people. Very rarely are you
told anything about the stories in the anthology, just the theme of the
collection and the authors inside. That's not how novels are sold. Anywhere you
look: on the cover, author's website, promotional material, you have an idea of
what's in those covers, just like you know what's in a box of cereal. An
anthology should do the same thing. They have to sell like those variety packs
of cereal you always wanted as a kid. You may only want 3 or 4 of them, but you
still will eat the whole pack and enjoy them. Anthologies need to take the
spotlight off the whole and focus each story inside. They have to be those
little boxes of cereal that tempt the reader to wanting the whole thing. They
will try it if they know what they are getting rather than betting on a
mystery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anthologies have a place--a needed
place--in literature. But it is going to take some reevaluations of the way we
perceive anthologies for them to gain the place they deserve, from everyone in
the circle of literary consumption and imagination.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbA8t7Ag7-4G_K_1lPjdrEhctVtv94TDlLDhV6LO7dCRtD7MeFzr3GTvs3BEgh900I5MAYhhBkqlPYt372HEXrwDjhe2Twk_aYXLbYsVtiPPnSbAFGgObTV8uPdmNwkdptxOhT9VTvnE/s1600/WDP.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbA8t7Ag7-4G_K_1lPjdrEhctVtv94TDlLDhV6LO7dCRtD7MeFzr3GTvs3BEgh900I5MAYhhBkqlPYt372HEXrwDjhe2Twk_aYXLbYsVtiPPnSbAFGgObTV8uPdmNwkdptxOhT9VTvnE/s1600/WDP.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://wdprescott.wordpress.com/">W. D. Prescott</a>
is a good ol’ New Hampshire boy currently living in the swirling doom of New
Jersey. He’s always been a little different. Loving writing and music equally,
he dropped out of high school and pursued a B.A. in Creative Writing and
Musical Theory and Composition at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. He went on to Seton
Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction Program for his M.A. and is returning
to complete an M.F.A. He’s been published in <b><i>Tainted: Tales of Terror and the Supernatural</i></b>.
Between that publication and now, he’s removed two organs from his body and
replaced one. As he recovered, he started two projects from his bed: <a href="http://eldritch-thoughts.tumblr.com/">Eldritch Thoughts</a> and <a href="http://nonhorrorreadersurvey.wordpress.com/">The Non-Horror Reader Survey</a>.
Currently, he is the television columnist for <a href="http://inveteratemediajunkies.com/">InveterateMediaJunkie.com</a>.</div>
Cynthia Ravinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16866804811647405290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-6716783441539602512012-06-27T00:00:00.000-04:002012-06-27T00:00:06.564-04:00Short Stories: The Red-Headed Stepchild of the Publishing WorldBy <a href="http://www.angelmccoy.com/blog/" target="_blank">Angel Leigh McCoy</a><br />
<br />
“Anthologies don’t sell well.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that.<br />
<br />
"Publishers are reluctant to publish anthologies.” I’ve heard that one quite often as well.<br />
<br />
The fact of the matter is that short story anthologies remain primarily in the domain of the indy publisher. Few major publishers want to hassle with splitting royalties among a dozen or more authors, not to mention all the other hassles that come along with dealing with multiple authors (mailing their copies to them alone can be time-intensive and expensive).<br />
<br />
Editors like <a href="http://datlow.com/" target="_blank">Ellen Datlow</a>, doing her “Year’s Best” and other genre anthologies (which are anthologies of brilliant work) has managed to attract larger publishers at times, but not always.<br />
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What this means is that anthologies must be the love-child of a passionate editor or editors. These editors are often writers as well, and they sympathize with the challenge that short story writers face in today’s publishing environment: these writers don’t have many options for getting their stories out there!<br />
<br />
“What about magazines?” you ask. Well, the competition is fierce to get into any kind of magazine or e-zine when it only has between two and ten slots per month or per quarter. You not only have to be a good writer, but your story has to hit the editor square on the forehead for it to be chosen. Often, it has to hit the reader, then the editor, then the editor’s partners square on all their foreheads.<br />
<br />
What all this does is it reduces the amount of money that writers can make with their short stories. As a result, short stories are often seen as fitting only in the practice arena, or the public relations arena, or the I-had-a-quirky-idea-and-just-had-to-get-it-on-paper arena. Most writers turn their careers toward writing novels, which is where the money is.<br />
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It’s a downward spiral. Indy publishers can’t pay as much as the big publishers, can’t promote as big, and often don’t have the same distribution opportunities. So, short story writers get paid less.<br />
<br />
However, I believe short stories are on the rise again. As people’s lives get busier and busier, a short story is often just the right size to fit into a busy schedule. Now, we just have to figure out how to get writers paid more so they will find time to write those amazing stories they have inside them.<br />
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With our Deep Cuts anthology, we’re hoping we’ve found a way around that. We’re not the first anthology to use <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/422790332/deep-cuts-anthology" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a> for funding, but we are—to my knowledge—the first to use it to supplement funding on a project that is already paying what are considered “professional rates.”<br />
<br />
If you’re not familiar with Kickstarter, let me give you the brief run-down. People post their artistic projects there and ask for a few bucks from folks to fund it. In exchange, the folks get goodies (usually a pre-order plus other awesome things). The more you pledge, the more you get. And you don’t have to pay anything if the Kickstarter project doesn’t hit its goal. Thus, it’s democracy in action. If enough people want the project to take off, then it will. If not, then it won’t, and no one pays a dime. Many people giving a little bit each adds up, and soon, at no great burden to anyone, the artistic project is a go! And theoretically, the world’s a better place for it.<br />
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Using Kickstarter to help fund anthologies is a great way to shift the balance, to get more money into the short story stream, and to work toward making it a more respected and financially viable art form. It’s revolutionary, and I fully expect to see more and more anthology projects using crowd-funding.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://deepcuts.submittable.com/submit/12728/account" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQU67q7uj04QzFCXtVkl_y4YYPzNcvh1a-it50spJXgkvJxJuzZuZ2xFkX0Lr9bO0OWEUeGao17_6dGicv5geengbUUpbS0qv5dgEnrBSMHmYXcFCauRgk7JGefy1NsXvdI5bcdnHvIs/s200/dc_cover200.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
By pledging, you’re pre-ordering your copy of the book, plus purchasing various other goodies, in advance of the publication. You’re taking the role of a patron of the arts as well, putting your money to help starving writers and artists who just need a little different cash flow to see their dreams come to life.<br />
<br />
We are currently accepting submissions of horror stories for our Deep Cuts anthology (<a href="http://deepcuts111.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines" target="_blank">submission guidelines</a>). We’re paying 5c/word plus royalties, but then we’re also doing our Kickstarter, and hoping that people will pledge to pre-order a copy of the book so that we can pay our writers more for their hard work.<br />
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<br />
Please do submit a short story to Deep Cuts: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://deepcuts.submishmash.com/submit/%E2%80%9D" target="_blank"> http://deepcuts.submishmash.com/submit/</a><br />
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And, please, check out and pledge to our Kickstarter <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/422790332/deep-cuts-anthology" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.angelmccoy.com/blog/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65meDcq4b1MzjzCoqre2ALzKgQvjv272atuDoqWljbcBCrqqxipEzKrj49wKFHhxyAqAlTksk1xHLWeCNRXSCGR9lUMUkWfEduhkwzGVxXGpITc9rC7tOO7notNCFv2LB_QQoHoP295w/s1600/AngelMcCoy_01_500-200x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.angelmccoy.com/blog/" target="_blank">Angel Leigh McCoy</a> (SFWA & HWA member) writes
horror, dark fantasy, and <i>doompunk</i>. Her fiction has appeared in numerous
media, and in 2011, her novelette <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">“Charlie Darwin, or the Trine of
1809″</span> was released by Nevermet Press. She also had stories
appear in Strange Aeons, Necrotic Tissue, Beast Within 2, Fear of the Dark, and Growing Dread:
Biopunk Visions, among others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Cynthia Ravinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16866804811647405290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-5515095585387608062012-06-26T00:00:00.000-04:002012-06-26T00:00:01.297-04:00The Sorry State of the Anthology Market<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;">(Reposted from <a href="http://scribists.blogspot.com/2012/04/sorry-state-of-anthology-market.html" target="_blank">4/17/12</a> for Anthology Celebration)</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">An•THOL•o•gy--noun, English. A collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music. (Merriam Webster)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Do you have a shelf for them? A section for them?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">No?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Well they aren’t just for English class, you know!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">This is why we love them:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• Sample many authors for the price of one book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• You are bound to like at least one story in the collection</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• Read many stories about your favorite topics/subjects</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• In a one-author anthology, find many doses of your favorite authors talent</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• One book, with many quick, one-sit reads-perfect for the busy person</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• Short stories: Complete meaningful story in one compact telling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• You can support many authors at the same time by buying one book :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• A lot of new talent is discovered in anthologies featuring big names</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">• Year’s Best compilations contain the cream of the annual crop in one genre</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Anthologies, single and multiple author, do seem to be a dying breed. Yet, they are a magnificent creature in the menagerie of the bookshelf (virtual or no).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Last year thousands of Anthologies were published. A quick search on Amazon showed that few had a full 5 star rating, and most had fewer than 20 reviews (A book needs to have 25 reviews on Amazon to begin getting pushed automatically.). Sad times in book land.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Most of anthologies were romance/erotica and horror collections. I am led to believe that these genres simply have an audience for anthologies. So these readers get it, why only them? I don’t think that these are the only readers who will like anthologies. Many readers don’t give anthologies a chance, and are missing out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Here’s an example. The actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt edited an anthology last year. At the time of writing this, fewer than 83 people “like” it on Amazon and there were 27 reviews. It’s only available in hardcover though... <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Book-Stories/dp/0062121669/ref=sr_1_58?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328926158&sr=1-58">The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1.</a> Even so, this anthology is not doing so well compared to other books “written” by celebrities about their own lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">So, go check out an anthology already.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Here are the GPS picks if you need some suggestions:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
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<b>Cindy’s Recommendations</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Wizard-John-Joseph-Adams/dp/1607012324/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1331511975&sr=8-2">Way of the Wizard</a> ed. John Joseph Adams<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Before-Tolkien-Modern-Fantasy/dp/0345458567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331512003&sr=1-1">Tales before Tolkien</a> ed. Douglas A. Anderson<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Faery-Reel-Tales-Twilight/dp/B0009HARSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331512024&sr=1-1">The Fairy Reel</a> eds. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scribings-Vol-1-ebook/dp/B005RQ1WAY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331512045&sr=1-1">Scribings Vol. 1</a> Wait, how’d that get in there? Ooops. Oh well...<br />
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<b>Jamie’s Recommendations</b></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Cyberpunk-Pat-Cadigan/dp/0743486528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334661223&sr=8-1" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">The Ultimate Cyberpunk</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"> ed. Pat Cadigan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">And all six books in the </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=dragonlance+tales" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Dragonlance Tales series</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Chris’ Recommendations</b></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 32px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Women-Wonder-Contemporary-Science-Fiction/dp/0156000334">Women of Wonder: The Contemporary Years, Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s</a> Edited by Pamela Sargent</span><span style="line-height: 32px;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">If you still can’t find something you like, you can search Wikipedia for your favorite author and see what anthologies he/she is published in. You may get to read a story you never knew existed, and possibly discover new authors at the same time.</span></div>
</div>
Cynthia Ravinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16866804811647405290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-46501708034869705552012-06-24T22:10:00.000-04:002012-06-25T18:51:48.244-04:00An Anthology CelebrationA celebration? For <i>anthologies</i>? you say. Come on, even anthologies need a little love and support!<br />
<br />
Anthologies are an odd thing in the publishing world. They aren't like a book, they aren't like a magazine.<br />
<br />
New authors strive to be included in them, popular authors are begged to submit work for them, crazy people choose to edit them. Sales figures show that few copies of these odd collections are sold. Readers claim that they don't like/buy them.<br />
<br />
So why do they keep coming out?<br />
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Maybe some of the posts we will feature coming up will help us think on this.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span>Cynthia Ravinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16866804811647405290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-1359727780881475952012-06-01T09:02:00.000-04:002012-06-01T09:02:04.889-04:00Fireteam Zulu - Jamie's second novel<p>Today, Jamie released his second novel, <b>Fireteam Zulu</b>. Set in the <a href="http://www.TerranShift.com" target="_blank">Terran Shift</a> universe, this genre-blending novel will introduce you to a group of ex-marines who are the people's last line of defense in the final frontier.<p>
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<a href="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/books/FireteamZulu.php" target="_fzblank"><img src="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/images/ournovels/FireteamZulu_sm.jpg"></a>
</center>
<blockquote>
<p>The year is 2254. Humanity has expanded into our solar system - colonizing the moon, Mars, Phobos, Deimos, and several asteroids. We have space stations and secret military bases. But we've spread too far, too fast, and the military cannot adequately police the solar system. Many hopeful colonists are preyed upon by pirates who take what they can with little opposition.</p>
<p>Fireteam Zulu is a group of ex-marines who band together to help those people, hunting down pirates wherever they can find them. Then one day they discover that <i>they</i> are being hunted.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.LostLuggageStudios.com/books/FireteamZulu.php" target="_fzblank"><b>Fireteam Zulu</b></a> is available now at Smashwords and CreateSpace. Other stores will have the book soon.</p>GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-42062602150285474762012-05-30T17:00:00.000-04:002012-05-30T17:00:02.666-04:00Lost Civilizations Harder To Find Than First Imagined<p>Despite their valiant efforts, the Greater Portland Scribists will not deliver their Scribings on Lost Civilizations by their self-imposed May 31st deadline.</p>
<p>"You can't really blame them," comments Professer Stephanie Targuson of the Ancient History department at New Liverpool University. "It was an ambitious deadline from the start. Investigating an Egyptian pyramid in the Gobi Desert could take months on its own. But to throw in the Vikings, a labyrinth, some fictional civilizations that had to be pulled from the minds of madmen, <i>and</i> Atlantis? It was pure madness."</p>
<p>Some experts disagree with Professor Targuson. "We could have conquered all of these civilizations in half the time it's taken these people," Belsur Di Rex reported in an interview earlier today. "The AvanCadre would have completed this task early. We are extremely efficient."</p>
<p>Dappil, thankfully, could not be reached in time for comment.</p>
<p>The Greater Portland Scribists assure us that their collection will be released by the end of June.</p>GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492332282259421477.post-50530571967750259512012-05-23T17:00:00.000-04:002012-06-12T13:41:41.983-04:00Introducing Christopher L. Weston<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8GPvRdbXzPHN6EIVOpZwVHFcSjvqeQrUSoTzgClBOoWTtgPNcw9Nd1-Agi8Fm7sHEephs7OAmPGiKm0xpy6uIyoJLM5LEV4vNALzgaZfIokH3uhdcvLBgZ5cGqEO1xLxje33ftFDUA/s1600/BioPic_Chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8GPvRdbXzPHN6EIVOpZwVHFcSjvqeQrUSoTzgClBOoWTtgPNcw9Nd1-Agi8Fm7sHEephs7OAmPGiKm0xpy6uIyoJLM5LEV4vNALzgaZfIokH3uhdcvLBgZ5cGqEO1xLxje33ftFDUA/s1600/BioPic_Chris.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Christopher L. Weston</b> is an artist with a bachelor of fine arts degree in writing, literature, and publishing. He has traveled in the US and Europe and worked in a variety of occupations. He maintains a self-imposed isolation to minimize adverse effects he may have on society or its members. If you feel you may have come in contact with him please seek immediate medical attention.<br />
<br />
<br />
Chris joined us in January, and even before he attended his first meeting he was already contributing by giving feedback on our stories. His enthusiasm for GPS hasn't waned since. He has submitted a thrilling story of a conquered civilization for <a href="http://www.lostluggagestudios.com/books/Scribings2.php">Scribings, Vol 2: Lost Civilizations</a>.GPShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083744469537723264noreply@blogger.com0