Cover to Cover Conversations with the creators of the best in science fiction and fantasy. If you love SF literature, are an author or aspire to become one, you'll enjoy this podcast.
With Class Middle-school teachers talking about ideas and challenges in real-world classroom environments. Discussions on education, ideas for both parents and teachers, interviews with top young adult literature authors.


Jim: I hear ya Tim. Every time I go shopping, I have to stop myself from walking out with an armful of DVD’s and...

tim: I have to agree with Jim. Well to a degree at least. I take issue with the whole if you don’t hope on the...

Jim: I’d like to comment on Mike M.’s remark at the end of episode 421B, that the “EBook Revolution” is all about...

Gabriel Gohery: What do you think about the information on Ebook Price from http://finance.yahoo.com/fa...

Summer Brooks: The old studio has more space than the new one, but the new one was where all the experimentation with...

Barry J Northern: Thanks for running my promo for Cast Macabre guys. Since the episode aired my subscriber count has...

Charles Boyung: Okay, maybe I missed something, but what’s with the move back to the old studio? Was the new...

Summer Brooks: Sure, just use the link to the post: http://www.dragonpage.com/2010 /07/05/cover-to-cover-415a/

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The Wheel of Time Digital Scavenger Hunt

News
Posted by Summer Brooks on Tuesday, 31 Aug 2010
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In honor of the publication of The Way of Kings and November’s publication of Towers of Midnight (the penultimate volume in the late Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time®), Brandon Sanderson and Tor.com are proud to announce the first digital scavenger hunt in Wheel of Time history!

The details are live at: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/08/the-way-of-kings-holds-a-secret-from-the-wheel-of-time

Essentially, starting August 30th, Brandon will host an encrypted Wheel of Time secret on his site that will require fans to find all of the unique codes to unlock the entire page (each code unlocks a different piece of the page).

They’ve been printed up on the back of WoT bumper stickers which Brandon will secret away in copies of his books (or Wheel of Time books) in the different stores he’ll visit on his tour this month for The Way of Kings:

Monday, August 30th (Midnight)
BYU Bookstore: Provo, UT

Tuesday, August 31st (7:00 PM)
West Jordan Barnes & Noble: West Jordan, UT

Wednesday, September 1st (7:00 PM)
St. Louis Barnes & Noble: Chesterfield, MO

Thursday, September 2nd (7:00 PM)
Orlando Barnes & Noble: Orlando, FL

Fri 9/3 – Sun 9/6 (*Eagle Eye Bookstore*)
Dragon*Con and Decatur Book Festival

Tuesday, September 7 (7:30 PM)
Quail Ridge Books: Raleigh, NC

Wednesday, September 8th (7:30 PM)
Washington D.C. Borders: Baileys Crossroads, VA

Thursday, September 9th (7:00 PM)
Chicago Borders: Oak Brook, IL

Friday, September 10th (7:00 PM)
Mysterious Galaxy Books: San Diego, CA

Saturday, September 11th (3:00 PM)
Borderlands Books: San Francisco, CA

Monday, September 13th (7:00 PM)
Powell’s Books: Portland, OR

Tuesday, September 14 (7:00 PM)
University Books: Seattle, WA


Book Tour: S. M. Stirling 2010

News
Posted by Summer Brooks on Tuesday, 31 Aug 2010
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S.M. Stirling will be on tour this September!

With the release of The Sword of the Lady in 2009, Stirling debuted at #13 on the New York Times bestsellers list. Now, ROC books is pleased to announce the anticipated release of THE HIGH KING OF MONTIVAL (Roc Hardcover; September 7, 2010; 978-0451463524; $25.95), the highly anticipated conclusion to S.M. Stirling’s Change saga.

You can find him at these upcoming locations:

September 7th at 5:00 PM
UNCLE HUGO’S SCIENCE FICTION BOOKSTORE
2864 Chicago Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407

September 8th at 7:00 PM
UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

September 9th at 7:00 PM
POWELL’S BOOKS: CEDAR HILLS CROSSING
Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd
Beaverton, OR 97005

September 10th at 7:00 PM
BARNES & NOBLE #2743
Huntington Beach
7881 Edinger Ave #110
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

September 11th at 1:00 PM
DARK DELICACIES BOOKSTORE
4213 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505

September 12th at 2:00 PM
MYSTERIOUS GALAXY
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
Ste 302
San Diego, CA 92111

September 18th at 3:00 PM
PAGE ONE BOOKSTORE
11018 Montgomery Blvd. N.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87111-3962


Cover to Cover #422A: The Wide World of Books

Cover to Cover
Posted by Summer Brooks on Monday, 30 Aug 2010
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Show Notes:

Mike S talks about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and how he believes that this European bestseller would have been rejected outright if it had been submitted to New York publishers first, simply because of the non-standard story-telling style and narrator POV quirks, and how the response from New York publishers has been to seek out international bestsellers and award winners to translate and bring to the US just because they were bestsellers and award winners.

He has issues with what seems to simply be a “chasing the money” tactic, with publishers just latching onto the publicity that already exists rather than finding the story that will connect with readers and generate their own momentum.

Sponsor: Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free!

Discussion: Sandra the Truck Driver tells us about her personal library: 5000 books and 300-plus ebooks on her computer, which leads to a detailed discussion about the care, feeding and storage of media collections, which dovetails into a debate about the shifting purpose of bookstores from shops to event venues, and a lot more.

Public Domain Reads: Mike Stackpole wants you to send in your recommendations for older stories that are freely available, through outlets like Gutenberg Project and other legacy sites, so call the voicemail number or send in your emails with your recommended reads!

Feedback Wanted: What do you think about submitting writing related questions to “Cover to Cover”? What do you think about having authors read chapters as part of the show? Call in or email in with your thoughts!

Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! “Cover to Cover” has it’s own call-in line, 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323, or just email Michael with a comment you’ve recorded yourself!

FarPoint Forums: Head on over to the FarPoint Forums and join in the discussions on Dragon Page topics, and for most of your favorite FPM shows!

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s Second Life space can be found on the Third Life Books island in the Wind River Territory, the place for SL versions of Michael A. Stackpole’s writings, frequent author readings, and many other goodies, including a Wednesday night writing workshop. Find the island here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wind%20River%20Territory/50/129/22

Promo: Adventures in Scifi Publishing
Link: Dragon’s Fire, Wizard’s Flame by Michael R. Mennenga

 
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Cover to Cover #421B: Theme and Variations

Cover to Cover
Posted by Summer Brooks on Friday, 27 Aug 2010
3 Comments so far...

Show Notes:

Bet you thought you were never going to hear another B show, didn’t ya?

Mike S relates two items from the news this week: the financial problems facing Barnes & Noble and how that might affect the anchor stores you see in the large malls; and the trend of authors selling off electronic rights to their backlists for far less than they are truly worth. See his blog post: 9 Must-have Clauses for Digital Rights Contracts

Sponsor: Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free!

Interview: Mike and Mike chat with author Michelle M. Welch about her current audio project, Theme and Variations. Currently in the middle of Volume 2, the audio short story anthology consists of speculative fiction with a musical theme.

Michelle talks about how Theme and Variations came about, and the feedback from authors and fans alike, and the likelyhood of breaking this type of anthology out into other genres.

Website: Theme and Variations

Public Domain Reads: Mike Stackpole wants you to send in your recommendations for older stories that are freely available, through outlets like Gutenberg Project and other legacy sites, so call the voicemail number or send in your emails with your recommended reads!

Feedback Wanted: What do you think about submitting writing related questions to “Cover to Cover”? What do you think about having authors read chapters as part of the show? Call in or email in with your thoughts!

Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! “Cover to Cover” has it’s own call-in line, 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323, or just email Michael with a comment you’ve recorded yourself!

FarPoint Forums: Head on over to the FarPoint Forums and join in the discussions on Dragon Page topics, and for most of your favorite FPM shows!

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s Second Life space can be found on the Third Life Books island in the Wind River Territory, the place for SL versions of Michael A. Stackpole’s writings, frequent author readings, and many other goodies, including a Wednesday night writing workshop. Find the island here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wind%20River%20Territory/50/129/22

Promo: The Gmail Podcast
Promo: Dragon Page “With Class”
Link: Dragon’s Fire, Wizard’s Flame by Michael R. Mennenga

 
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Cover to Cover #421A: Kelley Armstrong

Cover to Cover
Posted by Summer Brooks on Monday, 23 Aug 2010
2 Comments so far...

Show Notes:

News: Dorchester Publishing has dropped it’s mass market paperback format in favor of an ebook print on demand option. Mike S relates details of the article, published back on August 6.

Articles:
[Dorchester Publishing] Dorchester Transitions to E-book and Trade
[Publishers Weekly] Dorchester Drops Mass Market Publishing for E-Book/POD Model
[Wall Street Journal] Mass Paperback Publisher Goes All Digital

Sponsor: Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free!

Interview: This week, Mike and Mike chat with Kelley Armstrong about the eleventh novel in her Otherworld series, Waking the Witch.

She gives new readers pointers on where the best points to start reading the series (start with a new narrator!), and she talks about having Savannah “grow up” during the series and become a fully grown up and developed character (and witch) that can go out on her own investigations.

Official website: Kelly Armstrong
Twitter: @kelleyarmstrong

Voicemail: Tim Low recommends ManyBooks.net as a good site for free ebooks.

Public Domain Reads: Mike Stackpole wants you to send in your recommendations for older stories that are freely available, through outlets like Gutenberg Project and other legacy sites, so call the voicemail number or send in your emails with your recommended reads!

Feedback Wanted: What do you think about submitting writing related questions to “Cover to Cover”? What do you think about having authors read chapters as part of the show? Call in or email in with your thoughts!

Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! “Cover to Cover” has it’s own call-in line, 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323, or just email Michael with a comment you’ve recorded yourself!

FarPoint Forums: Head on over to the FarPoint Forums and join in the discussions on Dragon Page topics, and for most of your favorite FPM shows!

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s Second Life space can be found on the Third Life Books island in the Wind River Territory, the place for SL versions of Michael A. Stackpole’s writings, frequent author readings, and many other goodies, including a Wednesday night writing workshop. Find the island here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wind%20River%20Territory/50/129/22

Promo: The Gmail Podcast
Promo: What the Cast?
Link: Dragon’s Fire, Wizard’s Flame by Michael R. Mennenga

 
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Review: Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Graphic Novel)

Books
Posted by Darcy Low on Thursday, 19 Aug 2010
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Hey Guys,

Well my summer is almost over, I start a new school year next monday. I will be studying a lot of new things, chemistry, computer science and drama classes. I am looking forward to it. :)

This past summer, I choose to read smaller books, and a lot of graphic novels. They are just easier for busy days when you really don’t want be sitting around indoors. So I thought I would share the best ones out of the bunch.

–Darcy

Marvel’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz Graphic Novel by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young
Reviewed by Darcy Low

Growing up, my mom loved this movie. We watched it every time it came on. I am sure everyone has seen it, so nothing I will say here should be a spoiler to anyone.

The story is about Dorothy, a young farm girl from Kansas. Her parents are gone and she is being raised by her Aunt and Uncle. She seems like she loves it there and has fun with her cute little dog named Toto. One day when she is out, a big storm comes up. Her Uncle, who is sitting on the front porch see far off that the storm clouds are getting intense. He calls out, that everyone should take cover in the cellar. There is a huge tornado coming their way!
(Read more…)


Cover to Cover #420A: Marjorie M. Liu

Cover to Cover
Posted by Summer Brooks on Monday, 16 Aug 2010
2 Comments so far...

Show Notes:

Mike S gives us an update on his stint at GenCon this year.

Voicemails: Jay from Canada thanks Stackpole for not DRMing his ebooks; Tim has found that Darcy has been absconding with his books; Web Genii recommends the Hugo Voter packet, which gives folks the Hugo nominees in electronic formats as well as voting rights, but she has issues with the formatting of some of the books;

Sponsor: Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free!

Interview: This week, Mike and Mike welcome Marjorie M. Liu back on the show to talk about her latest novel, A Wild Light, the latest volume in the Hunter Kiss series, following the battles of Maxine Kiss. In this story Maxine has to battle the darkness within herself, and she’s not so sure she will hold onto herself and win.

She also talks about how important it is for a writer to follow their instincts when writing and especially when rewriting, and how she incorporates social media and social networking to engage with her fans and readers (and warns about the addictive nature of Twitter)

Official website: Marjorie M. Liu
Twitter: @marjoriemliu

Public Domain Reads: Mike Stackpole wants you to send in your recommendations for older stories that are freely available, through outlets like Gutenberg Project and other legacy sites, so call the voicemail number or send in your emails with your recommended reads!

Feedback Wanted: What do you think about submitting writing related questions to “Cover to Cover”? What do you think about having authors read chapters as part of the show? Call in or email in with your thoughts!

Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! “Cover to Cover” has it’s own call-in line, 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323, or just email Michael with a comment you’ve recorded yourself!

FarPoint Forums: Head on over to the FarPoint Forums and join in the discussions on Dragon Page topics, and for most of your favorite FPM shows!

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s Second Life space can be found on the Third Life Books island in the Wind River Territory, the place for SL versions of Michael A. Stackpole’s writings, frequent author readings, and many other goodies, including a Wednesday night writing workshop. Find the island here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wind%20River%20Territory/50/129/22

Promo: Dragon Page “With Class”
Promo: Cast Macabre: Horror Fiction Podcast
Link: Dragon’s Fire, Wizard’s Flame by Michael R. Mennenga

 
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Review: Black Blade Blues

Books
Posted by Tia Bowman on Friday, 13 Aug 2010
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Black Blade Blues is an urban fantasy by J.A. Pitts. I have some major love for UF right now. Firstly, it’s a very interesting genre, allowing monsters and fantastic creatures to live and creep nearer to where we live with every new story.

In this particular book, Sarah Beauhall is a blacksmith/movie prop maker who ends up getting sucked into a world filled with dragons who can hide what they are, and myths and legends start appearing everywhere she turns.

Sarah is a great lead female character and I’ll tell you why: She’s brave. Not always in the “I am woman, hear me roar” way, but in the “I’m scared to death of this, but I’m going to keep shoving on” way. I think the latter is more important in a newly developing character. It certainly endeared her to me a lot faster than normal. Personal opinions on sexuality and such aside, pretty much everyone I’ve asked has agreed that as a character she pretty much kicks major butt. I mean, just look at the cover. THAT is one tough lady.

And the rest of the book isn’t half bad either.

The thing I love about urban fantasy is that it doesn’t take place in some pretend land where everyone can shoot lightning from their eyeballs – it’s here, where we live. There’s always the little extra bit of excitement that it could happen when the story is set in a town you’ve been to, maybe even lived in. Black Blade Blues takes place in the Pacific Northwest, so Portlanders, get ready to go trekking on the path Sarah trod.

You’ll be left wanting more adventure after you finish reading it, so it’s a good thing there’s going to be a sequel or two penned soon.

Buy, Borrow, or Pass?

Borrow. Some of the themes aren’t for everyone, but it’s still a good read with some great characters.

Black Blade Blues by J. A. Pitts
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (April 27, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0765327937
ISBN-13: 978-0765327932


Cover to Cover #419A: Amelia Beamer

Cover to Cover
Posted by Summer Brooks on Tuesday, 10 Aug 2010
2 Comments so far...

Show Notes:

Mike S gives us an update on results of the “Relay for Life” drive to raise money for the American Cancer Society in Second Life… the FarPoint Media/Third Life Books crew rocked it out.

Voicemails: Mari from Michigan loves the idea of the chain story project, especially for providing more online samples for many more writers; Jay from Canada relays an update on his getting used to reading ebooks on his iPhone and iPad and his new e-Ink reader, and wants Mike S’ opinion on owners removing DRM from items they’ve purchased to allow for personal backups and device reading flexibility; Trampas asks about shared worlds where there’s a game component and a novel component, and whether one should follow the other, or not

Sponsor: Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free!

Interview: This week, Mike and Mike chat with Amelia Beamer about her debut novel, The Loving Dead, a story filled with dark humor, about learning to live life in a world where zombieism is a sexually transmitted disease, providing a different twist on examining the relationships we try to have with each other.

She also talks about how the metaphors of vampires and zombies reflect feelings in society today, the appeal of the zombie for her, and her recent participation on a zombie fiction panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

Public Domain Reads: Mike Stackpole wants you to send in your recommendations for older stories that are freely available, through outlets like Gutenberg Project and other legacy sites, so call the voicemail number or send in your emails with your recommended reads!

Feedback Wanted: What do you think about submitting writing related questions to “Cover to Cover”? What do you think about having authors read chapters as part of the show? Call in or email in with your thoughts!

Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! “Cover to Cover” has it’s own call-in line, 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323, or just email Michael with a comment you’ve recorded yourself!

FarPoint Forums: Head on over to the FarPoint Forums and join in the discussions on Dragon Page topics, and for most of your favorite FPM shows!

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s Second Life space can be found on the Third Life Books island in the Wind River Territory, the place for SL versions of Michael A. Stackpole’s writings, frequent author readings, and many other goodies, including a Wednesday night writing workshop. Find the island here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wind%20River%20Territory/50/129/22

Promo: Donate to Slice of SciFi
Link: Dragon’s Fire, Wizard’s Flame by Michael R. Mennenga

 
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Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Books
Posted by Michael Hickerson on Tuesday, 10 Aug 2010
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0

John Smith looks like your average teenager, but he’s hiding a deep secret. He’s one of nine survivors from the alien world, Lorien, who fled to Earth and who are being hunted down. Thanks to a curse, the nine survivors have to be hunted down and killed in a certain order. If not, they’re virtually invulnerable.

Smith (his assumed name for the book) is the fourth in line. The previous three have been killed. John knows this because of a scar on his leg that appears whenever one of the three before him dies. John and his Chepan, Henri, are on the run from their tormentors who can appear as anyone and can appear at any time. Henri spends his time scouring the Internet and the news for any indications the invaders are closing in. John spends him time training to develop his Legacies, powers that come to his planet’s people to protect them from alien invasion.

He also attends a local high school and tries to have a normal teenage life. But those two worlds are about to collide in a big way.

If it sounds a lot like the plot for a summer action blockbuster, it’s because it soon will be. Before the book hit stores, director Michael Bay had signed on to direct the big-screen version of I Am Number Four.

And while the book  is entertaining at times, there are times when the novel feels like it’s just an outline for the screenplay.

John becomes friends with Sam, the local outcast who has an interest in alien invasions and enters into a relationship with Sarah, the cute former cheerleader and ex-girlfriend of the high school’s star quarterback. This leads to several conflicts along the way and a twist in the novel’s final quarter that is fairly well set up but is a bit too transparent by the mid-point of the novel.

“I Am Number Four” is a narrative driven story, full of twists, turns and danger for John and Henri. And while that keeps the pages turning, the story lacks any really fleshed out or interesting supporting characters for John. Sam is the misunderstood best-friend, Sarah the cute girl that John can’t quite believe likes him and Henri is the sworn protector, leaving behind his life and family to look after John. There are some teasing possibilities for the characters to be something more but the novel doesn’t delve much into them. Perhaps we’ll get more in the sequel (the novel ends on a set-up for book two).

After all, the “Harry Potter” novels started out slow with a lot of heavy-lifting in terms of world-building and universe-creation being done in the first entry before settling down into something richer with later installments. Hopefully the “Lorien Legacies” will do the same.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Harper Collins (August 3, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0061969559
ISBN-13: 978-0061969553


Review: A Young Man Without Magic

Books
Posted by Tia Bowman on Saturday, 7 Aug 2010
No Comments so far...

In A Young Man Without Magic, Anrel Murau is just your average cynical, non-magical being living in a world where only those who control magic are deigned worthy enough to control anything else. Using this premise Lawrence Watt-Evans creates one of the more politically charged fantasy books of late. Anrel, a well-educated young man, returns home from school to find his childhood friend Lord Valin is now a bit of an anarchist. Anrel, who as a character has the lowest expectations that I’ve ever seen, just wants everything to work as it should. Then something terrible happens that thrusts him into a mean world as a fugitive carrying the cause he had first scoffed at with him.

A Young Man Without Magic is very easy to read. While some events seem like they were shuffled around to fit the outline instead of being part of a natural progression, everything works. Every time I found myself starting to get the slightest bit bored with what was happening, something exciting broke the page and I was hooked again. It’s an interesting story, too, because the characters are driving their own choices but the events very much push them into action. Normally it seems we only get one or the other, but then Watt-Evans is a seasoned story teller who’s got the talent to get a book done right.

Buy, Borrow, or Pass?

If you’re a fan of Lawrence Watt-Evans or epic fantasy in general, go ahead and Buy this one. It’s a good example of his work and a great fantasy read that can easily be finished in a couple sittings.

A Young Man Without Magic by Lawrence Watt-Evans
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Tor Books (November 10, 2009)
ISBN-10: 076532279X
ISBN-13: 978-0765322791


Cover to Cover #418A: Traveling Library Day

Cover to Cover
Posted by Summer Brooks on Wednesday, 4 Aug 2010
4 Comments so far...

Show Notes:

Mike M is a little burned out from moving back to the old studio, and Mike S is starting to feel jetlagged, but it’s all good.

Mike S talks about the Wylie Agency’s Odyssey Editions exclusive deal with Amazon.com to provide Kindle editions of his clients’ properties, and the backlash from Random House and MacMillan about the deal and the attempts to spread fear and doubt about alternative publishing options and self-publishing options that Mike sees around.

Sponsor: Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free!

The Library: This week’s new arrivals: Song of the Dragon by Tracy and Laura Hickman; The Chamber of Ten by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon; The Unincorporated War by Dani and Eytan Kollin; A Mighty Fortress by David Weber; Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik; Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charon Newton; American Widow by Allisa Torres; Kraken by China Mieville; The War That Came Early by Harry Turtledove; Speak to the Devil by Dave Duncan

Public Domain Reads: Mike Stackpole wants you to send in your recommendations for older stories that are freely available, through outlets like Gutenberg Project and other legacy sites, so call the voicemail number or send in your emails with your recommended reads!

Feedback Wanted: What do you think about submitting writing related questions to “Cover to Cover”? What do you think about having authors read chapters as part of the show? Call in or email in with your thoughts!

Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! “Cover to Cover” has it’s own call-in line, 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323, or just email Michael with a comment you’ve recorded yourself!

FarPoint Forums: Head on over to the FarPoint Forums and join in the discussions on Dragon Page topics, and for most of your favorite FPM shows!

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s Second Life space can be found on the Third Life Books island in the Wind River Territory, the place for SL versions of Michael A. Stackpole’s writings, frequent author readings, and many other goodies, including a Wednesday night writing workshop. Find the island here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wind%20River%20Territory/50/129/22

Promo: Donate to Slice of SciFi
Promo: The Babylon Podcast
Link: Redstone Science Fiction
Link: Dragon’s Fire, Wizard’s Flame by Michael R. Mennenga

 
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Review: Waking The Witch

Books
Posted by webgenii on Saturday, 31 Jul 2010
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When urban paranormal fiction is discussed, Kelley Armstrong (along with Kim Harrison and Charlaine Harris) is typically cited as one of the authors to read. In Waking The Witch; Ms. Armstrong has released the eleventh book in her “Otherworld” series.

It’s difficult to keep a long running series fresh and interesting for the fans (and the author). Ms. Armstrong has achieved this in a number of ways, most obviously by changing the lead character in each book. But she also provides quality world building, well plotted mysteries and characters who grow and change in each book.

The focus in this book is Savannah; a young witch. And for long-term readers of the series, having Savannah as the main character is a real reward, since protecting her from peril formed the plot driver for a number of the other books. In Waking The Witch, we get to know Savannah from her perspective, rather than watching other characters react to her. She’s trying to solve her first mystery on her own, without the help of her guardians Paige and Lucas. While she is trying to step out from the shadow of her guardians, she also is learning when to work independently and when to work with others.

You don’t need to have read the series from the beginning to enjoy this book – although you will find that much of the world building (the politics of witches vs. sorcerers, the powers of half demons, and the relationship of necromancers with the dead) has taken place in previous books.

Unusually for an Otherworld book, it ends with a real cliff-hanger. So I’m hoping to see the release of the next book in the series soon.

Waking The Witch by Kelley Armstrong
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult (July 27, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0525951784
ISBN-13: 978-0525951780
Jacket Price: US/$25.95


Review: Bloom County: The Complete Library, Vol 1

Books
Posted by Darcy Low on Wednesday, 28 Jul 2010
4 Comments so far...

A boy and his Opus

A lot of things happened in the Eighties.

Pac Man was big, as was Rubik’s Cube. Walter Cronkite retired after nineteen years doing the news and Harrison Ford stared in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Meryl Streep took home… well everything. My Dad cast his first vote and Ronald Reagan was president. (Please note, Dad says he is not to be held responsible for that last one.)

And a young college student set out writing one really cool and funny comic strip, then went on to write screenplays, novels, etc. His characters have become American icons, say one of their names and people all over the world know who you are talking about.

This time around I thought I would review a book collection of one of Dad and Jenny’s favorite strips.

Bloom County: The Complete Collection, Volume One by Berkeley Breathed

The book has comic strips from Mr Breathed very first comics that he did in his college paper, up to 1982. His first drawings were funny, but doesn’t look at all like they do later on. But you can still see his humor and a few of his characters that he stuck with.
(Read more…)


Cover to Cover #417A: Redstone Science Fiction

Cover to Cover
Posted by Summer Brooks on Tuesday, 27 Jul 2010
2 Comments so far...

Show Notes:

Mike S gives us an update on the HarperStudios experiment, with HarperCollins pulling the plug on it as of April 2010. This news leads to a speculative discussion on the future fate of large bookstores 5-10 years from now.

Maybe while the big box bookstores try to figure out what to do next, the smaller indie bookstores adapt and survive after all…

Sponsor: Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free!

Interview: This week, Mike M and Summer chat with Michael Ray and Paul Clemmons about their new SF magazine, Redstone Science Fiction.

Redstone Science Fiction is an online market paying SFWA pro rates, focused on obtaining and presenting quality science fiction, as well as discussing the science and the technology with professionals working in those fields.

They are also running an Accessible Future Contest, with entries being accepted through August 15, 2010 (first prize is $300!)

Voicemail: Mari from Michigan relates a story about an unexpected encounter with someone embracing digital book content

Feedback Wanted: What do you think about submitting writing related questions to “Cover to Cover”? What do you think about having authors read chapters as part of the show? Call in or email in with your thoughts!

Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! “Cover to Cover” has it’s own call-in line, 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323, or just email Michael with a comment you’ve recorded yourself!

FarPoint Forums: Head on over to the FarPoint Forums and join in the discussions on Dragon Page topics, and for most of your favorite FPM shows!

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s Second Life space can be found on the Third Life Books island in the Wind River Territory, the place for SL versions of Michael A. Stackpole’s writings, frequent author readings, and many other goodies, including a Wednesday night writing workshop. Find the island here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wind%20River%20Territory/50/129/22

Promo: The Gmail Podcast
Promo: The Babylon Podcast
Link: Redstone Science Fiction
Link: Dragon’s Fire, Wizard’s Flame by Michael R. Mennenga

 
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