Cyberpunk Frank or Frankpunk?

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Cynthia had no problem deciding. I was shocked out of deep concentration on a writing project by her guffaw of sonic-boom proportions.

She was checking the Frankcreed.com website hits and followed a referring link to MSN's Live Search with the parameters: Free Cyberpunk Images.

If I hadn't first heard the guffaw, I would have imagined Flashpoint's book cover to be displayed with the rest of the cyberpunk images. Cool.

Sad. They have a picture of me in Mexico in amongst cyborgs and gadgets and cyber-babes.

Smartypants decided to click on "refine your search" link and chose "face" . . .

Great. They found a different photo of me.

I had to put a stop to the searching; couldn't bear to see anymore Frank Creed photos on the Free cyberpunk images page.

Help!

Well Lookee Here!

Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground: Science Fiction for Teens - Book Review
With the release of Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground, author Frank Creed reaches out to Christian tweens, science fiction and cyberpunk fans.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1373532/flashpoint_book_one_of_the_underground.html

A Frank Review of Forever Richard

Horror newcomer Sue Dent’s 2006 vampire and werewolf novel, Never Ceese, nailed down a few accolades of which you may have heard: short listed for the coveted Bram Stoker award, and named American Christian Fiction Writers book club choice of the month in May of 2007. How does a novelist top that?

By writing a superior sequel. Everyone knows that sequels have a bad reputation for falling short of an original concept. Especially for a new novelist, proving you’re not a fluke, that you can do it again, is a load on one’s back. Truly talented authors start strong and get even better, of which J.K. Rowling is a case study. Sue Dent is one of those writers. Never Ceese showcased her natural gifts for fun characters and suspenseful plot. Forever Richard is all that and more.

Synopsis without spoilers . . .

The saga of redemption and spiritual triumph that readers enjoyed in Never Ceese continues in Forever Richard. Cassie Felts, graduate student and reluctant believer of such things as vampires and werewolves, couldn't be happier for Richard and Ceese Porter. Their curses lifted and after hundreds of years apart, they can now celebrate being brother and sister once more. Even Rodney, Cassie's college roommate and former nemesis, shares Cassie’s relief. But will the faith that saved Richard and Ceese be enough to defeat the new evil that threatens them all?

Cassie learns that Dr. Clayton Henderson, the corrupt stem-cell researcher, has acquired the vampire's curse and has managed to transfer it to Rodney's troubled, drug-addicted buddy Josh. Addict or vampire, Cassie can see Josh isn't handling his new cravings for blood any better than he did his old habit. Their best hope seems to be taking Josh to Richard's isolated country estate in England. There, Josh can learn to temper his desire to curse another while they try to figure out how to deal with the impossible-to-kill Dr. Henderson.

Plans twist when they find a new vampire inhabiting Richard's castle, and a malevolent werewolf stalking Ceese. A long-lost relative shows up packing a sawed-off shotgun and an ancient knife which he claims has supernatural powers. Will the faith that redeemed two lost souls before be enough to overcome the wicked forces that now threaten to destroy them all?

Sue Dent’s creativity and sense of humor sparkle in Forever Richard. The plot twists and turns, surprises popping at readers from around corners. Items and people are usually not as they appear.

Sue should be proud of having crafted a fun and entertaining read for all levels of readers that is still fully a horror novel.

Forever Richard’s bio-ethics theme is strong. What humankind can do always runs in advance of what we ought to do, and stem-cell researcher Dr. Clayton Henderson leaps moral bounds quick as a buck clearing a picket fence. His breaches of ethics aren’t about curing sick people at the expense of others’ lives, but the black-and-white mad scientist type of villainy. Henderson is an antagonist without depth, but is a common enemy whom many can unite to oppose—the kind of bad-guy a reader hopes to see destroyed as quickly as Parkinson’s disease.

Like Dracula, Forever Richard is respectful of the Christian worldview, and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t drive stakes through the hearts of even more literary awards than did Never Ceese.

Forever Richard
Sue Dent
The Writers Cafe Press

ISBN: 978-1-934284-032
January 2009; $12.95; paperback

Available at all online bookstores
For Autographed copies, go to The Writers Cafe Press website

Virtual Reality Christians

The Web has several virtual reality communities—like first-person shooter games, but without guns. U.S. Senators have even given speeches at a virtual Capitol Building. One travels around the world by walking, flying like Neo, or clicking links, and can speak with one’s microphone, or use the keyboard to chat. We even surf at a marina, and go clubbing! Design an avatar, and come along on Tuesday, January 20th, 10 PM Eastern, 7 PM Pacific.

The following announcement is from the Lost Genre Guild’s Terri Main, host of Terri Marathon’s Town Square:


We will be hosting another get together in Second Life, Tuesday at 7 p.m. (PST) at http://slurl.com/secondlife/North%20Bound%20Marina/226/25/24

I have confirmed, Frank Creed will be the special guest for the night. I've left it up to him to decide what to cover, but it's your opportunity to grill him. Maybe we can get some news from the underground from him. You can come with ears on for voice or use your fingers to talk on the keyboard, either one works.

One thing we may talk about in addition to our guest is the possibility of organizing a CSF con in SL. I've got a few ideas. After the meeting, the surfboards will be available or I'll give you a landmark to teleport over to Grizzlies new club.

Since I’m the guest of honor, we’ll talk about a couple of my passions: a virtual reality writing conference in Terri Marathon's villa, and worldviews presented in sci-fi, horror, and fantasy literature.

Hope you’ll hang out (fellowship, in Christianese), with us! 8D

2009 Writer’s Digest Contests

From the Writer's Digest site . . .

Writer's Digest Annual Writing CompetitionDeadline: 5/15/2009.
We are now accepting entries in the 78th Annual Writing Competition. Don't miss your chance to win part of the more than $30,000 in cash and prizes. Compete and win in 10 categories.

http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions

78th Annual Writer's Digest WRITING COMPETITION COLLECTION Sponsored by Outskirts Press The Grand Prize manuscript, the First Place manuscript in each category, and the names of the top 100 winners in each category will be printed in a special competition collection, published by Outskirts Press. Use the coupon on the entry form to order your copy or purchase a copy online using a credit card. (Publication date: November 2009.)

The Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards Deadline: 5/1/2009Writer's Digest is now accepting entries for the 17th Annual Self-Published Book Awards. Don't miss your opportunity to enter the only competition exclusively for self-published books. We have added a new category and are now giving away more than $17,000 in prizes. Also new for 2009, you can register and pay for your entry online. Click here for details or to enter onlineAll winners for the 16th Annual Awards (the deadline was May 1, 2008) will be notified by October 13, 2008. Results will not otherwise be made public until they are published in the April 2009 issue.Check out the April 2008 issue of Writer's Digest for a look at the winners of the 15th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards. Click here for a list of winners and entrants. Congratulations to everyone who participated.

New Release, Another Blog Tour & Conference Pitch Sessions

Forever Richard, by Sue Dent
hits stores today, January 5th. Forever Richard, Sue Dent's much anticipated vampire & werewolf sequel to Never Ceese, is horror, and like Bram Stoker's 1897 Dracula, is written from a subtle Christian wordview.
thewriterscafepress.com

* * *

Seabird, by Sherry Thompson

is a fantasy novel with a subtle Christian wordview. It's being toured by the Christian Fiction Review Blog tour, where my own Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground won the Impress Award for the best book toured in 2007. Sherry's not famous yet, but Seabird is still an entertaining read, and I look forward to reading what reviewers have to say.
cfrblog.blogspot.com

* * *

Catholic Writers Conference Online
excerpted from an article by Karina Fabian

Between Jan 6 and Jan 25, we will register people for the chance to pitch to the following publishers: Loyola Press, Pauline Books and Media, Twenty-Third Publications, Our Sunday Visitor, and Canticle Magazine. Ignatius has not confirmed that they will hear pitches. We will get back to you as soon as we know.

Protestants welcome, it's free, and there's sixty-ish workshops. If you have time open the first week of February, sign up at:
catholicwritersconference.com

A Frank Review of Our Recent Tour

After our Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy December tour, Rebecca Miller publicly accused the Guild of “segregating traditional from non-traditional” books. Becky has been around the Guild long enough to know more than one person has poured their soul into the community, but none more than Cynthia and I. The Guild consists of people, it's not a free-entity corporation.

Segregation of books is simply untrue. Almost two years ago, we (guild management), went through wherethemapends.com’s killer booklist, and invited every author there to join the Lost Genre Guild, and about 75% did. If one pan’s down the blog page they're reading, they'll see me promoting Donita Paul—the best selling Christian fantasy author since Lewis, and a wonderful lady. I told Eric Wilson I’d help him promote for Field of Blood in spite of his direct competition with novelist Sue Dent. (Sue’s Forever Richard is published by The Writer’s Café Press, same as my own Flashpoint.)

The 'LGG' does not go out of our way to promote inactive members, no matter who publishes them; there are simply not enough hours in a day to be a writer and do that too. In the cases of which I know, Guild authors passed their books to Guild reviewers to be considered for a Guild Review.

The Lost Genre Guild has laid the Web infrastructure for promotion, but it’s up to authors to use it. Who needs more free help promoting their Christian spec-fic; Ted Dekker, or Brandon Barr & Mike Lynch; Bryan Davis, or Adam & Andrea Graham? Guess which level of author submits books for review?


On a separate topic entirely, the Guild consists of many free-thinking artists, all of whom are entitled to their own decisions. If anyone has a problem with a guild member, please take it up with them personally—don’t come frontin’ the Guild publicly. I’d not do that to any moderator.

I’m not afraid of the truth. My own CBA stance (since that’s the elephant in the room), is that changes in the publishing industry have allowed the free market to circumnavigate the CBA, whose stonewalled our genre for decades. That’s reality. Marcher Lord Press is here. It happened for a reason and I’m glad for it. New imprints like MLP and Variance Publishing couldn’t exist without POD technology. These imprints have given spec-fic artists hope, and because of the CBA dam, there’s a lot of talent festering unpublished. Guess where the next CBA authors are coming from?

Our new artists are not looking for free rides by pasting Donita’s picture around our site; it’s our dream that our own fiction is good enough to compete as literature. Donita’s picture is on my blog because it was quite an experience spending private time with the woman.

The quality has to be in the fiction. Yes, a football analogy, but it’s brief. This reminds me of the AFC and NFC merging. The AFC’s teams were considered amateurs—that won Super-Bowl III and blew all the experts away.

When Becky and I first met and I wanted our organizations to merge, Becky said to wait. That was a very good idea. Since then, I’ve learned that all the separate spc-fic groups on the Web have their own purpose, for His glory. And we’re all pretty good at it. 8D



Frank Creed.com: the official site of Flashpoint: Book One of the UNDERGROUND
The Finishers.biz: Polishing Manuscripts until they Shine