Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Press Release: Dream of Legends by Steven Zimmer

For Immediate Release
November 23, 2010

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce the release of DREAM OF LEGENDS,
the second book in the epic fantasy Fires in Eden Series from Stephen
Zimmer.

Now available for pre-order in a specially priced limited edition
hardcover and trade paperback, DREAM OF LEGENDS continues the adventures
begun in CROWN OF VENGEANCE, when it was released in fall of 2009.

DREAM OF LEGENDS journeys forward with several characters from the modern
world, who discover that finding themselves in the fantastical lands of
Ave was just the beginning. The assault upon the Kingdom of Saxany and
the tribes of the Five Realms ignites, as the eyes of The Unifier turn
southward, across the seas towards faraway Midragard. Within this
maelstrom, some find themselves on a path of discovery, to uncover powers
that lie within, while others must brave perilous journeys, to seek out
the things said to exist only in the faded mists of myth and legend. Epic
battles, plot twists, and new environments abound in DREAM OF LEGENDS.

Book Two of the Fires in Eden Series, DREAM OF LEGENDS is immersive, epic
fantasy, for those who love to explore richly developed fantasy worlds
alongside an ensemble of intriguing, diverse characters. Readers of the
great epic fantasy authors such as Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, and
J.R.R. Tolkien will find a wondrous trove of adventure, characters, and
depth in this next step of the Fires in Eden series.

Working with Stephen for the first time, and taking on the editorial reins
of the Fires in Eden Series to keep the dedicated yearly release schedule
on course, was Karen Leet.

"Working with Stephen has been a joy. He is totally professional about his
work, meets deadlines and edits cheerfully," Karen commented. "He makes
editing easy for me, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know his
characters, who now seem to me like actual people with genuine depth. His
plotlines stride across the pages on swift, sure feet and sweep the reader
along with them."

“Having Karen as my editor on DREAM OF LEGENDS was a wonderful experience.
She did a meticulous analysis of Crown of Vengeance to ensure full
continuity of tone and style with the new book. I am fortunate to be
working with two excellent editors on my two series. The new book is
loaded with action, and there are some very big revelations in regards to
the full series,” Stephen said. “DREAM OF LEGENDS builds strongly upon
the foundation set in place by Crown of Vengeance, keeping storylines
tight while introducing many new and exciting elements. I am confident
that readers who enjoyed the first book are going to be elated with this
new installment of the series.”

Continuing one of the most extensive collaborations between an artist and
an author in the fantasy sphere, a brand new set of illustrations and
cover art were created for DREAM OF LEGENDS by fantasy artist Matthew
Perry. With the two Rising Dawn Saga books and the two Fires in Eden
books, a growing body of over 50 full page illustrations have been created
by Matthew for Stephen’s literary work.

In addition to writing two active epic-scale fantasy series, The Rising
Dawn Saga and the Fires in Eden Series, Stephen also saw his first foray
into the steampunk genre published a couple of months ago with “In the
Mountain Skies”, which was included in the Dreams of Steam Anthology
(Editor Kimberly Richardson, Kerlak Publishing). Stephen is also a
screenwriter and director in the world of film, with a new fantasy short
film on the horizon in early 2011, “Swordbearer”, which features
professional wrestler Al Snow, and is based on the H. David Blalock novel
Ascendant (Sam’s Dot Publishing).

By the third week of December, DREAM OF LEGENDS will be available in
hardcover, trade paperback, and several eBook formats, for owners of the
Kindle, the iPad, the Nook, Sony eReaders, and other compatible electronic
reading devices.

Already maintaining one of the most active year-round appearance schedules
of any fantasy author, Stephen will be hitting the road extensively in
2011 in support of the Fires in Eden Series, the Rising Dawn Saga, and the
“Swordbearer” short film. The third book in the Rising Dawn Saga is
slated for summer of 2011, and the next Fires in Eden Book for December of
2011.

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site
for Seventh Star Press, at www.seventhstarpress.com , or at the author's
site at www.stephenzimmer.com



Plus, here're some really great illustrations:

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The little guy

I meant to put these up a while ago, but here's the little guy at Halloween in his monkey costume:


And here's the monkey family:


Happy Thanksgiving, I fully realize this is about a month late. :)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Indie Lit Awards

The Independent Literary Awards are probably best explained by the site itself:

Independent Literary Awards are given to books that have been recommended and voted on by independent literary bloggers. Nominations are open to independent literary bloggers only, and are then voted upon by a panel of bloggers who are proficient in the genre they represent. Each panel is led by a judge who oversees the integrity of the process.
I will be participating as a judge with a panel of bloggers next year to help select the Independent Literary Awards for Speculative Fiction. You may have seen the badge on the right side of the screen. It's also a link, so you can check out the website and even submit nominations if you want.

The bloggers who will also be participating are (in no particular order... except favorites :D):

Gem from Gemzina

Jared from Pornokitch, and

Jamie from Mithril Wisdom

Sarah from Book Worm Blues was the one who got us all started on this, but she's had to bow out sadly.

This should be a fun venture and I'll try to keep you updated as we get things going. Nominations are going on right now, so check out the Indie Lit. site to make sure your favorites that were published this year get on the list.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Blogiversary


No it's not my birthday, but it has been a year since I started this blog. I haven't been kicked out of Law School yet and I've even had a baby (not personally - my wife did) since the start, not to mention 49 reviews. It's amazing I still enjoy it this much. :)

I'm still working on providing better reviews and content, but I think it'll take a couple more years for that to actually start working. :D

Friday, November 12, 2010

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Press Release: Thrall by Steven Shrewsbury

Seventh Star Press has been busy and here's their latest:


For Immediate Release
November 5, 2010

Seventh Star Press Proudly Introduces Steven L. Shrewsbury's Thrall.

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce the release of THRALL, the new
heroic fantasy novel from author Steven L. Shrewsbury.

Now available for pre-order in limited edition hardcover and trade
paperback, THRALL is the first published adventure of a brand new hero in
fantasy literature, Gorias La Gaul.

Set in an ancient world, Thrall is gritty, dark-edged heroic fantasy in
the vein of Robert E. Howard and David Gemmell. It tells the story of
Gorias La Gaul, an aging warrior who has lived for centuries battling the
monstrosities of legend and lore. It is an age when the Nephilum walk the
earth, and dragons still soar through the air … living or undead. On a
journey to find one of his own blood, Gorias' path crosses with familiar
enemies ... some of whom not even death can hold bound.

Having also worked with Steven on his novel Tormentor (Lachesis
Publishing), Louise Bohmer served as the editor on Thrall. "Working with
Steven Shrewsbury on a novel is an enjoyable experience. Steve is a
conscientious author who is easy to work with. His stories are grand
adventures in imagination,” Bohmer commented.

Steven Shrewsbury is a rising star in fantasy, with a host of published
work spanning novels, magazines, anthologies, and other publications. In
addition to the release of THRALL, Steven recently saw his collaboration
with Nate Southard, BAD MAGICK, published in hardcover by Bloodletting
Press. He has two other highly-anticipated releases on the horizon. His
collab novel with Peter Welmerink, BEDLAM UNLEASHED, was recently accepted
by Belfire Press for an early 2011 release. The novel HELL BILLY is to
be published by Bad Moon Books in 2012.

“Sometimes I think Steven Shrewsbury could very well be the reincarnation
of Robert E. Howard, in a writing sense,” commented fellow Seventh Star
Press author Stephen Zimmer. “As a huge fan of David Gemmell and Robert
E. Howard, I can say with absolute confidence that Steven Shrewsbury is
exceptional at writing dark-edged heroic fantasy. It is not an
exaggeration to say that Gorias La Gaul could one day join the heroic
fantasy pantheon with Conan, Druss the Legend, and other legendary fantasy
figures. I can’t wait to read more adventures with Gorias in the future.”

The Seventh Star Press editions feature cover art and additional
illustrations from fantasy artist Matthew Perry. The limited edition
packages feature the artwork in a special set of 5X7 glossy prints, a set
of bookmarks, and a full-sized Gorias poster that come with every
pre-ordered hardcover or trade paperback.

By the first week of December, the book will be available in hardcover,
trade paperback, and several eBook formats, for owners of the Kindle, the
iPad, the Nook, Sony eReaders, and other compatible electronic reading
devices.

An extensive series of special events and signings in support of THRALL
are in the planning stages, slated to begin in early 2011.

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site
for Seventh Star Press, at www.seventhstarpress.com , or at the author's
site at www.stevenshrewsbury.com

Saturday, November 6, 2010

New Look

As you can see, I've updated The Stamp. I was getting a bit tired of the old look and I think I'm liking this a bit better.

I'll probably be updating a bit more, mostly just tweaking some things here and there and fixing the header since I'm not a big fan right now, but the picture I used to have is on my other computer (the one that is kaputt).

Hope you like. :)

Friday, November 5, 2010

Towers of Midnight, 1 Star Reviews, eBooks, and Price Discrimination

While there are a few blogs that have mentioned this fun situation, most notably Pat, James, and Jeff, I have been silently fuming and therefore need to put pen to paper...or...fingers to keys.

Brandon Sanderson's Tweets from a few weeks back deal with, in large majority, the fact that the eBook for Towers of Midnight comes out much later than the Hardback version that just came out this week. He concedes that it's coming out too late, talks to the right people, and gets the date moved up a bit.

Then we see a slew (13 out of 63) of one star reviews coming in for Towers of Midnight solely because people are mad that it's not coming out right away electronically.

I admit, I have yet to jump on the eReader bandwagon and I probably will soon enough (I think I've mentioned the lack of funds before). I don't have an ebook and therefore I have no passion for ebooks yet. That's my warning.

What this really comes down to is Price Discrimination. The Publishing market has been the prime example of Price Discrimination for just about every economics professor known to man. In order to decrease the amount of consumer surplus (and therefore increase revenues), the publishing market takes advantage of the fact that many people are very excited about the newest book coming out. So much so that they are willing to pay extra for that opportunity to read the book immediately.

I know there are other reasons for people wanting to buy hardback books. They're nice to have, they look good, they're more durable for multiple readings...but they also represent the opportunity for the publisher to make some extra money on those people who do not want to wait. Hence why the mass market paperback doesn't come out for another year or so after the hardback. Why aren't we complaining that the mmpb isn't coming out now?

Now there are eBooks. And even with the increased price (which I think is the only part where complaints are legitimate), they still take away quite a bit from the hardback sales. A publisher is not going to do this. That's their bread and butter.

Coming to my point. I think it's really sad that people have gone to Amazon to post 1 star reviews about the book. I know we're in the age of instant gratification. We need cell phones that let us check email because we can't be out of touch for more than a second.

But, if you want to read a book, you still have to pay the premium, just like we always have. If you want the discount, you have to wait a bit.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Blogs That Made Even Better Books

I got an email this morning from a blog with an interesting post that I figured I could mention here. The post is called "15 Blogs that Made Even Better Books". I may have to buy one or two of these in fact.

I looked really hard for an appropriately themed (SFF) one, but this was pretty funny

Some on the list include a blog/book that makes charts, graphs, and Venn diagrams explaining just about everything, a blog/book of funny Japanese/English translations, and even a (very sad) blog/book that took out Garfield from the Garfield comic, which turned it into one very depressing comic.


Like I needed more things to waste my time with. :)