Thursday, October 23, 2008
Halloween Poetry Reading

It's time again for the Science Fiction Poetry Association's annual on-line Halloween Poetry Reading. You can check it out at: http://www.sfpoetry.com/halloween.html

I have a poem there inspired by a short story that appears in my new vampire book, Blood Sampler. You'll also find poems by David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Deborah P. Kolodji, Karen A. Romanko and more. Hope you'll stop by and listen to some great, spooky poetry.

Posted by David Summers 2008-10-23 18:03:50

Sunday, July 27, 2008
Space Pirates!

Avast there ye scurvy dogs!

So you think you're brave enough to join us on this here voyage through space and time? If you come with us, you better be prepared to loot, pillage and maim. This is no voyage for the lily-livered amongst you.

If you dare open these pages, Robert E. Vardeman will take you out into the solar system where a man must defend his ship and his discovery from a fierce pirate lass who is not afraid to kill everyone aboard. Neal Asher will take you to the surface of a distant planet where a ruthless monster battles a crew of unsavory buccaneers. Some aliens think they can mock us humans and C.J. Henderson shows them that it's better to be a pirate than be the butt of an intergalactic joke.

In this volume you'll find fifteen swashbuckling tales guaranteed to shiver your deck plates. You'll join pirate crews as they raid starships carrying fortunes. You'll see brave men and women as they defend themselves against terrifying corsairs. Of course, not all space pirates are the same. If you come with us, you'll meet corporate raiders and even pirates who grab their pleasures where they can, even if it means fighting military satellites and stealing their entertainments directly from the networks.

Aye, and we pirates seem to attract more than our share of ghosts wanting to exact revenge on the foolhardy. You've been warned. Dead men tell no tales and even if they did, you couldn't hear them in the vacuum of space. Arrr!

Still think you want to come along? Then pick up yer bottle o' rum and sign on with this crew that includes Daniel M. Hoyt, M.H. Bonham, Carol Hightshoe, Uncle River and many more.

Space Pirates is now available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

Order yer copy today or we'll make ye walk the plank... and ye don't really want to walk the plank when it's attached to a spaceship. Arrrr!

For anyone who will be in Denver for WorldCon, Flying Pen Press will be having a "Summer of Science Fiction" event at the Tattered Cover Bookstore at 1628 16th Street on Thursday August 7, 2008 from 7pm to 9pm. They will be releasing six new science fiction titles including Space Pirates. Eight of the sixteen authors who are in the anthology will be on-hand to sign copies.

Posted by David Summers 2008-07-27 23:56:53

Monday, June 16, 2008
Assorted updates

Summer is almost here and I realize that things have been so busy that I've been neglecting my blog over here at SFF World. Here are a few of the things that are going on:

Lee Clark Zumpe and I collaborated on a collection of vampire flash fiction entitled Blood Sampler. The book ispublished by Sam's Dot Publishing and can be ordered fromThe Genre Mall.

I've also been putting finishing touches on the short story anthology Space Pirates that is scheduled for release on August 1. The collection includes stories by such folks as Neal Asher, Robert E. Vardeman, C.J. Henderson, M.H. Bonham and many more. I'll post more about this once it's available.

I am told that edits will begin on my novel, The Solar Sea soon.

On top of all that, I'll be out and about traveling a bit this summer. I'll be giving a workshop at the Well Red Coyote Bookstore in Sedona, Arizona on July 12. I'll be a participant and a dealer at WorldCon in Denver and I'll be a participant and dealer at Bubonicon in Albuquerque. Click on the links to learn more about the events.

Finally, I've been invited to be a guest blogger this week over at Ginger Simpson's blog. She's inviting a lot of folks over to make sure to stop by http://mizging.blogspot.com to learn about a number of authors from various genres.

David

Posted by David Summers 2008-06-16 19:54:11

Saturday, March 1, 2008
Some Market Info

In the last few weeks I've received wordofa couple of anthologies and a revived magazine that might be of interestto some folksout there.

The first anthology is called Wolfsong and it is being edited by M.H. Bonham. The anthology is described thus: "The wolf has been a creature of mythology and legend since humans first told stories. Fear and reviled, or worshipped and loved, the wolf symbolizes wildness and power. In the Wolfsong Anthology, we’rehoping to capture the wolf in new stories that celebrate their magic and mysticism. What we’re looking for are original, well-constructed SFF stories that wolves play a major role. " For more information, the guidelines are at: http://www.wolfsingerpubs.com/WolfSong1.html

Wolfsinger Publications is also looking for submissions for an anthology entitled This Ain't No Rodeo. This one isn't strictly science fiction or fantasy, but I gather science fiction or fantasy stories would be welcome. From the guidelines on the webiste: "We are looking for stories up to 7500 words in length that feature the sport of Bull Riding. They can be in any genre as long as the sport of Bull Riding is a key part of the story." Guidelines are at: http://www.wolfsingerpubs.com/RRFAnthology.html

Finally, I received a letter from G.W. Brown this week saying that he is reviving his small press magazine Today's Fantasy/Future Technology. The focus was on stories that extrapolated modern technology into the future with a strongly pro-technology standpoint. I can't speak for the magazine, but the flyers he sent sounded interesting. You can learn more by sending a self-addressed-stamped envelope to: TF/FN, c/o G.W. Brown, 5111 Hillrose Drive, Baxter, TN 38544.

Happy writing!

Posted by David Summers 2008-03-01 02:35:55

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Returning to Astronomy

As I indicated in my last entry, I believe that science is an important pursuit. So, when folks at Kitt Peak National Observatory contacted me at the very end of 2007 and told me that they were looking for an observing assistant and asked if I would be interested in applying, I took it very seriously. Now, after some discussions and an interview, the folks at Kitt Peak have formally offered the job and I have accepted. Tomorrow, I officially return to the world of professional astronomy.

Now people may wonder if this means the end of my work in the world of science fiction and fantasy. The short answer is absolutely not. I have three new books coming out in the near future, along with short stories in anthologies and magazines. I absolutely plan to continue writing and, for those folks who enjoy my audio books at Podiobooks.com, I still plan to produce Heirs of the New Earth as an audio book this year.

The Tales of the Talisman production schedule will also continue uninterrupted. That said, I am considering a short break from reading for the magazine while I come up to speed on the duties in my new job. I've just finished sending out acceptances for the winter 2008 issue and I almost have enough material in hand for the spring 2009 issue. I'm going to see how it goes with my first shift before making a final decision, but this is a head's up that I may very well take a short break in reading. If I do, there will be a formal announcement at http://www.talesofthetalisman.com

Of course I also edit books for LBF Books/Lachesis Publishing and I'm editing an anthology for Flying Pen Press. Again, no anticipated changes here for the short term. If I've committed to a project, I plan to see it through. I don't anticipate any significant delays on any project currently in my stack. Depending on how things go with the new job, there may be some effect on the number of future projects I take on, but we're going to see how things go in the coming weeks. I consider myself very fortunate to work with such fine and supportive folks as Carole Spencer at LBF/Lachesis and David Rozansky at Flying Pen. And, while I'm naming names, I should mention Tyree Campbell at Sam's Dot Publishing. I'm not editing anything for him at present, but he is publishing a book I'm in and the fine magazines he publishes have been an important venue for my work over the last few years.

A new job means changes and new challenges. There will certainly be changes in my writing and editing life as I adapt to the challenges of a new job at Kitt Peak. However, those changes should have minimal impact on current projects while, in turn, providing me with new inspiration for future projects.

Posted by David Summers 2008-02-19 11:58:29