Dragon-Rain and Other Stories, a collection of Eileen Kernaghan's published SF and fantasy short stories, is now available from amazon sites as a kindle e-book.   

Black Bon sorcery in a mythical Himalayan kingdom; a mysterious death at a fashionable London dinner-party; a bleak look at near-future medicine; an apocalyptic North America where the only things left to sell are stones. Here are nine tales of dark fantasy, shamanist rituals, the nineteenth century occult, near-future science and dystopic future worlds. The title story, "Dragon-Rain", appeared in The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror, ninth annual edition.

SF Canada Awards $500 to Ariane Gélinas

Jean-Louis Trudel of SF Canada hands Ariane Gélinas, the winner of the Aurora-Boréal Award for best novel, a presentation cheque for $500. / Au nom de SF Canada, Jean-Louis Trudel remet à Ariane Gélinas, la lauréate du Prix Aurora-Boréal du meilleur roman, un chèque de 500 $.

Montréal, 10 mai 2013 — Dans le cadre du trentième congrès Boréal, les prix Aurora/Boréal ont été décernés le 5 mai 2013 à Montréal. Parrainés par SFSF Boréal Inc. et l'Association canadienne de la science-fiction et du fantastique, ces prix récompensaient les œuvres produites en français par des Canadiens en 2012 dans les genres de l'imaginaire (science-fiction, fantastique, fantasy) à l'issue d'un vote ouvert à tous les amateurs de ces genres.

Le prix Aurora-Boréal du meilleur roman a été décerné à Ariane Gélinas pour son roman Transtaïga, le premier volume d'un ouvrage intitulé Les villages assoupis que publient les éditions du Marchand de feuilles. La lauréate a également reçu un prix en argent de 500 $ remis par SF Canada, l'association nationale des créateurs professionnels de la science-fiction et du fantastique.

Le prix Aurora-Boréal de la meilleure nouvelle a été décerné à Geneviève Blouin pour le récit Le Chasseur, publié par les éditions des Six Brumes sous la forme d'une plaquette.

Le prix Aurora-Boréal du meilleur ouvrage connexe a été remis à la revue Solaris, la plus ancienne au Canada dans son genre. Le prix a été accepté par Joël Champetier, le rédacteur en chef de Solaris.

Le prix Boréal de la création artistique/audiovisuelle a été remis à Ève Chabot pour ses illustrations parues dans la revue Brins d'éternité. Le prix Boréal de la fanédition a d'ailleurs été remis à Brins d'éternité, qui a amorcé en 2012 une transition qui l'a fait passer de fanzine en début d'année à revue professionnelle en fin d'année. Enfin, le prix Boréal de la création sur place a été accordé à deux auteurs qui ont complété en une heure une nouvelle digne de mention. Dans la catégorie des auteurs professionnels, Geneviève Blouin a obtenu le prix pour sa nouvelle « Trou noir de mémoire ». Dans la catégorie des auteurs montants, Dave Côté l'a obtenu pour sa nouvelle « Brouillard ».

— — —

Montréal, 10 May 2013 — The Aurora/Boréal Awards were announced in Montréal on May 5, 2013, as part of the 30th Boréal convention. Sponsored by SFSF Boréal Inc. and the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, they recognize the best works produced in French by Canadians in 2012 in the speculative genres as determined by a vote open to all who wish to take part.

The Aurora-Boréal Award for best novel was given to Ariane Gélinas for her novel Transtaïga, the first volume of a larger work, Les villages assoupis [The Sleeping Villages], published by Marchand de feuilles. She also received a $500 prize provided by SF Canada, Canada's national association of speculative fiction professionals.

The Aurora-Boréal Award for best short fiction went to Geneviève Blouin for her novella Le Chasseur [The Hunter], published by Six Brumes as a standalone book.

The Aurora-Boréal Award for best related work was given to Solaris, the oldest genre magazine in Canada. The award was accepted by Joël Champetier, the magazine's editor in chief.

The Boréal award for artistic and audiovisual achievement went to Ève Chabot for her illustrations in the magazine Brins d'éternité. Indeed, the Boréal award for best fan publication was given to Brins d'éternité, which began the year 2012 as a fanzine and upgraded to professional status by the end of the year. Finally, the Boréal award for the one-hour writing contest at the convention was shared between Geneviève Blouin for her short story "Trou noir de mémoire" [Memory Black Hole], in the professional author category, and Dave Côté for his short story "Brouillard" [Mist], in the rising author category.


Jeune fille

Crayon bleu, repassé au crayon noir HB.
Style manga, yeux ombrés.
C'est une jeune guide de cerf-volant dans l'univers de Chaaas

Sketch of a young kyte-flying woman in my Chaaas universe
SF manga currently in production

J. Brian Clarke Wins Inaugural A.E. Van Vogt Award

J. Brian Clarke of Calgary, Alberta has won the inaugural A.E. Van Vogt Award for his novel Alphanauts along with a $1200 honorarium sponsored by the Winnipeg Science Fiction Society. The annual award is designed to honour a work of science fiction from an author in Western Canada.

"After nearly fifty years in suspended animation a crew of human space explorers return to Earth, only to discover a medical side effect that prevents them remaining on their home planet. Now, in a desperate bid for survival, they must return to space and attempt to colonize an alien world under an alien sun." (Edge Publishing)

Alphanauts

Dave Duncan to publish novella with Five Rivers

Dave Duncan

Five Rivers Publishing is pleased to welcome Dave Duncan to their cadre of writers, with the release next year of his novella, The Runner and the Wizard, in both print and eBook formats.

The novella follows Ivor of Bracken, who at 16 would rather be a housecarl in the hird like his other nine brothers. Instead, he pounds across Alba as Thane Carrak of Glenbroch’s messenger. And this time he’s ridden into the mountains, racing a storm, to find the hermit (or possibly wizard), Rorie of Ytter and return with him to Glenbroch.

Once home, however, Ivor finds himself gifted with the boon he craved, now appointed shield-carrier to the enigmatic character, Rorie. In accepting the position, he is entwined in the curse on Rorie, the political upheaval of his own country, and the loves of the unwitting people used as pawns in a larger game.

Dave Duncan is originally from Scotland, and has lived all his adult life in Western Canada, having enjoyed a long career as a petroleum geologist before taking up writing. Since discovering that imaginary worlds are more satisfying than the real one, he has published more than forty-five novels, mostly in the fantasy genre, but also young adult, science fiction, and historical. He has at times been Sarah B. Franklin (but only for literary purposes) and Ken Hood (which is short for “D’ye Ken Whodunit?”) 

His most successful works have been fantasy series: The Seventh Sword, A Man of His Word and its sequel, A Handful of Men, and six books about The King’s Blades. 

He and Janet were married in 1959. They have one son and two daughters, who in turn are responsible for a spinoff series of four grandchildren. Dave now lives in Victoria, BC. 

A detailed discussion of his work from Gale’s “Dictionary of Literary Biography” is available for download from Amazon.com.

SF Canada Celebrates 20 Years at World Fantasy

World Fantasy Convention 2012 was hosted in Toronto, Ontario Nov. 1-4, where SF Canada members restated their 1992 corporate charter to approve continuance into the new Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. Shown here wielding a ceremonial blade is Dr. Robert Runté from the University of Lethbridge, one of the founding members of SF Canada, along with current president Steve Stanton.

SF Canada Award 2012 at When Words Collide

At the 32nd Canvention in Calgary on August 11, 2012 at the When Words Collide festival, Robert J. Sawyer was awarded his third consecutive Aurora Award for Best Novel in English for Wonder (Penguin), accompanied by the SF Canada Award of $500. For over 30 years, Canadian fans of speculative fiction have been voting on the Aurora and Boréal awards to acknowledge the best of Canadian professional and fan activity in both official languages. Susan Forest, vice-president of SF Canada, presents a ceremonial cheque to Robert J. Sawyer. (photo courtesy of When Words Collide)

SF Canada Supports Canadian Conventions

SF Canada is proud to provide financial support to SF conventions across Canada.

Vancouver's science fiction and fantasy convention, VCON 37: "Post Apocalypse," will be held Sept. 28-30 in Surrey, B.C.
When Words Collide is held every August in Calgary, Alberta, and hosted the Aurora Awards this past summer.
Toronto SpecFic Colloquium, is upcoming Oct. 28, "Beyond the Human."
Can*Con, The Canadian Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature, will be held Sept. 21-23 in Ottawa, Ontario (and will be hosting the Aurora Awards in 2013!)
Check out these links to connect with the literary community in your area, meet SF authors and buy the latest books.
SF Canada supports positive social action.

The Last Summoner Now Canadian Bestseller

Nina Munteanu’s The Last Summoner is now a Canadian Bestseller on Amazon.ca under "Historical Fantasy". It was ranked #1 since August 29, 2012. 

Nina's Historical Time Travel Fantasy is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, The Book Depository (UK), Barnes & Noble and Chapters and other quality bookstores near you.

Every Choice Has Its Price…

On June 14th, 1410 in Grunwald, Prussia, one of medieval history’s most decisive battles is about to destroy the powerful Teutonic Order, slaughtering virtually all its monk knights. How would history have changed if this arrogant order had not underestimated its enemy and had instead won to continue sweeping through north-east Europe in its ambitious crusade for Christendom?

As a result of an impetuous choice, young 14-year old Vivianne Schoen, Baroness von Grunwald, makes the startling discovery that she can alter history—but not before she’s branded a witch and must flee through a time-space tear into an alternate present-day France ruled by fascists. There, she will learn that every choice has its price.

Nina Munteanu is ”…A master of metaphor.”— Craig Bowlsby

Cover Art by Tomislav Tikulin

Audiobook of Nina Munteanu's Space Thriller Out!

The audiobook of Nina Munteanu's space thriller Outer Diverse (first of the Splintered Universe Trilogy) was recently released by Iambik Audiobooks and narrated by Dawn Harvey.


Outer Diverse is the first book of the Splintered Universe Trilogy, set in and around the Milky Way Galaxy. The first book begins as Galactic Guardian Rhea Hawke intestigates the massacre of an entire religious sect, catapulting her into a treacherous storm of politics, conspiracy and self-discovery. Her quest for justice leads her into the heart of a universal struggle and toward an unbearable truth she’s hidden from herself since she murdered an innocent man.

"I just finished and thoroughly enjoyed "Outer Diverse". A metaphysical, Sci Fi, Thriller with rich characters. Dawn Harvey told the story brilliantly and played the characters wonderfully. Definitely worth listening to." -Dan Wallace, narrator, Lions Den Productions.

"I am absolutely thrilled to recommend Nina Munteanu's audio book. Dawn has transported me into a new world of imagination. Dawn is absolutely magic in her skill of character building, her voices are amazing. To me nothing is finer than Nina the writer and Dawn doing the voice overs in the audio book. I can't wait until I read and hear more in the future."--Vanessa Rottner

“A master of metaphor, Munteanu turns an adventure story into a wonderland of alien rabbit holes… a fascinating and enthralling read.” -Craig Bowlsby, author of Commander’s Log - Read More

“A rollicking science fiction plot with all the trappings…Hawke is a maverick in the wild west tradition…a genetic mystery with lethal powers.” –Lynda Williams, author of Okal Rel series - Read More

Call for submissions: A Method To the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil

Five Rivers is to publish the anthology, A Method to the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil, co-edited by Michell Plested and Jeffrey Hite.

A Method To the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil will be a tongue-in-cheek anthology of short essays aimed to guide the up-and-coming mad scientist to success in a career of supervillainry.

A Method To the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil is a for-love anthology, accepting submissions until May 31, 2012. The anthology is scheduled for release Spring 2013 in both print and digital formats, and will be available globally through online booksellers.

Guidelines for the anthology can be found at: http://www.5rivers.org/contents/en-ca/d131.html

For your convenience, the guidelines are posted below.

Submission Guidelines

We are looking for articles and essays written from the perspective of mad scientists, evil doctors, crazed super-villains and the like that provide advice for the up-and-coming super villain. Think Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies or Megamind, Gru from Despicable Me or even Agatha Heterodyne from Girl Genius.

We are looking for the best advice from your own experience you can give the up and coming supervillain.

Each article or essay should cover one aspect of being a mad scientist. The handbook is meant to be humorous and associated work should be written in that vein. Article length must be 2,000 to 7,500 words and submitted in standard manuscript format (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html).
It needs to be original, we don’t want to print the same advice over and over again.

General Guidelines:
Original work
No reprints or simultaneous submissions.
This is an Open Submission.
Multiple submissions allowed, but must be sent in separate emails.
Include your mad scientist/evil doctor/super-villain bio as well as your actual bio. All stories will be printed using your alter-ego name with your bio added to the back of the book.

Key Dates:
Submission Period: January 1 – May 31, 2012. (Late submissions will not be accepted)
Reading Period: June 1 – August 31, 2012.
Target Publication Date: March 1 2013

What we buy:
We are accepting world-wide submissions for the anthology (this is NOT exclusive to Canadian writers as are some of Five Rivers’ other publications).
We are purchasing First World Rights exclusive electronic text, print and audio rights, and an exclusive perpetual license.

What we pay:
The Method to the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil anthology will be published by Five Rivers Publishing http://www.5rivers.org. Authors will get royalties based on the books sales and will receive a free eBook and print copy of the anthology which will be available after publication.

How to Submit:
Email submissions to: madscientist@5rivers.org Include your submission in the body of one email. No attachments.
Please put SUBMISSION, followed by the title of the story, and word count, in the subject line of your email.

Book Trailer for Outer Diverse by Nina Munteanu

Check out the book trailer for Nina Munteanu’s newest space adventure thriller, “Outer Diverse“. To the brooding longing notes of Rachmaninov, it previews a haunting paranormal tale of mystery and discovery …



Rhea Hawke discovers there is far more to the massacre of a spiritual sect, mysteriously linked to Dust, the contraband drug “of the gods” and a devastating prophesy of a catastrophic End of Age, triggered by the joining of twin souls. She unravels secrets of fractal geometry, deja vu, dreams and clairvoyance, multiple universes and space-time … and ultimately the greatest secret: herself …

“… a master of metaphor, Munteanu turns an adventure story into a wonderland of alien rabbit holes … a fascinating and enthralling read.”–Craig H. Bowlsby, author of Commander’s Log



You can pick up Outer Diverse at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, Borders and other quality bookstores near you. For those of you in Toronto, Bakka Phoenix Books is carrying Outer Diverse as well as Nina’s “Darwin’s Paradox” duology (set in Toronto) and her guidebook “The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!”

SF Canada Awards $500 to Robert J. Sawyer

The 31st annual Canvention was held on November 20, 2011 at SFContario 2 in Toronto, Ontario, where Aurora Awards were presented in nine categories as voted by Canadian fans of speculative fiction. The 2011 Aurora Award for Best Novel in English went to Robert J. Sawyer for his novel Watch, along with the SF Canada Award of $500 which is presented annually in support of the Aurora and Aurora/Boréal Awards to recognize excellence in speculative literature in both Canadian languages. Robert J. Sawyer has a long history of success as an author, including American Nebula Award, Worldcon Hugo Award, John W. Campbell Memorial Award, Japanese Seiun Award, Chinese Galaxy Award, and multiple Canadian Aurora Awards. A ceremonial cheque was presented by the President of SF Canada, Steve Stanton.

Nina Munteanu Launches Outer Diverse in Montreal

Nina Munteanu's newest science fiction thriller Outer Diverse was launched October 15th 2011 in Montreal at Con*Cept the day of the book's official worldwide release by Starfire World Syndicate.

Outer Diverse is the first book of the Splintered Universe Trilogy, set in and around the Milky Way Galaxy. The story begins in the first book as Galactic Guardian Rhea Hawke intestigates the massacre of an entire religious sect. Her investigation leads her into a treacherous storm of politics, conspiracy and self-discovery. Her quest for justice leads her into the heart of a universal struggle and toward an unbearble truth she's hidden from herself since she murdered an innocent man.

"a master of metaphor, Munteanu turns an adventure story into a wonderland of alien rabbit holes... a fascinating and enthralling read."--Craig Bowlsby, author of Commander's Log

"a rollicking science fiction plot with all the trappings...Hawke is a maverick in the wild west tradition...a genetic mystery with lethal powers."--Lynda Williams, author of Okal Rel series

Outer Diverse is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders and other great bookstores near you.

Nina's second Master Class Opens

As a result of continued pressure by new students, Nina has opened a second Master Writing Class, an informal webinar (teleseminar with computer screen streaming) for writers with a WIP and serious about getting their works published.


It runs every Wednesday at 5 pm EST. Join this Exclusive Club of writing enthusiasts for $49/month.

Sign up for Nina’s ongoing Master Writing Class on the Master Class Page on Nina's website.

For $49/month, this is what you get:

•four weekly one-hour interactive teleseminars accompanied by live webinar (computer streaming: NEW!) Nina lectures on popular writing and publishing topics, based on your submitted works, common issues, and questions from previous sessions. Topics covered and discussed are directly applicable to your personal writing challenges and interests.

•teleseminar sessions include a twenty minute telephone lecture, followed by interactive computer streaming discussion of specific topics and works directly applicable to your ongoing work. Nina “shows” and “tells”.

•facilitated discussions on the 10 most common issues faced by novice and professional writers: getting started; dealing with time management & writer’s block; getting those ideas down and making a story out of them; focusing and maintaining the staying power to finish; incorporating all the elements of good storytelling like plot, character, theme and setting into a seamless, page-turning story; making your writing compelling, clear and exciting; doing research and editing; marketing, synopses & outlines, query letters; handling rejection and fear of rejection; and overcoming fear (of failure, of success, of everything).

Eligibility Criteria & Requirements:

The Master Class is tailored for writers serious about getting published and with works in progress (e.g., first draft finished, mostly completed, firm premise and storyboard with portion written). If you do not fit these criteria, you may find that one of Nina’s other online courses or her manuscript evaluation and personal coaching is more suited to your needs.

To be eligible for the Master Class, you must submit an example of your work and agree that you are willing to persist with efforts toward publication, including the willingness to be critiqued, pursue ongoing revisions, and discussions.

The course requires that you have a computer with internet, a secure phone line, have submitted some of your work, have subscribed below, and have acquired the codes to access both conference call and live computer streaming.

Unless you have been specifically INVITED, contact Nina BEFORE you subscribe:

BEFORE you sign up, contact Nina for eligability and availability at nina.sfgirl@gmail.com [subject: Master Class]. In order to address each of you personally, Nina limits her class sizes. Our first class is still running at maximum. This is why Nina has opened up a new class.

The Master Class that is currently open, runs every Wednesday at 5 pm EST. There are limited spaces for Master Classes so availability will be on a first come basis. Once you successfully register and subscribe for a place in this exclusive club, you will get an email with information on how to get in on the next call. See you there!

Nina Munteanu's Angel of Chaos Finalist for Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Award

Nina’s latest book Angel of Chaos (Dragon Moon Press) was selected as a finalist for the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award for 2010 in the Science Fiction category.


In 2095 Darwin’s Evolution Kills…

…In this dystopian future, Julie Crane seeks the cure to Earth’s deadliest disease. But is she its cause?…

“Angel of Chaos is … a gripping blend of big scientific ideas, cutthroat politics and complex yet sympathetic characters that will engage readers from its thrilling opening to its surprising and satisfying conclusion” —Hayden Trenholm, Aurora-winning author of The Steele Chronicles

Angel of Chaos is the first of a duology on humanity’s co-evolution with intelligent technology and intelligent nature. The second book is Darwin’s Paradox and both are available on Amazon, Chapters, and Barnes & Noble.

Finalists in the SF category include:


•2012 The Awakening by Bill Douglas
•A Dangerous Weapon by Charlton Clayes
•Angel of Chaos by Nina Munteanu
•Curse of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas
•Destiny’s Blood by Marie Bilodeau
•Guardians of the Crystal Skulls by Lina Arena
•Our Jewish Robot Future by Leonard Borman
•Quick Fall of Light by Sherrida Woodley
•The Presence by Paul Black

Finalists were selected from 1400 entries in 56 categories. Finalists were determined by a jury of judges consisting of editors and reviewers of ForeWord Reviews, booksellers, librarians, and other industry professionals.

First, second, and third place winners will be awarded in each category. A $1,500 cash prize will also be awarded to Best Fiction and Best Nonfiction as determined by the editors of ForeWord Reviews. Finalists were announced in their weekly email newsletter, ForeWord This Week, in March 2010.

Winners in each category and overall fiction and nonfiction prize winners will be announced at Book Expo America and on the Foreword website.

SF CANADA PRESENTS $500 PRIZE TO THE WINNER OF THE AURORA/BORÉAL AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL IN FRENCH

On May 15, the first ever set of the twinned Aurora/Boréal Awards was given out during the 28th Boréal convention in Montréal, along with three more Boréal awards. As chosen by a record-setting vote, the Aurora/Boréal Award for best fantasy or science fiction novel in French went to Héloïse Côté for her fantasy novel La Tueuse de dragons [The Woman Who Killed Dragons] from Alire. As part of its support for Canadian speculative fiction, SF Canada will add to the award a $500 prize; the same amount will be given to the winner of the Aurora Award for best fantasy or science fiction novel in English later this year.
Born in 1979 in Québec (QC), Héloïse Côté is a young writer who made her mark with a well-received fantasy trilogy in 2004-2006, Les Chroniques de l’Hudres [The Hudresian Chronicles]. She published a standalone novel in 2008, Les Exilés [The Exiles], before completing a more ambitious work, La Tueuse de dragons, released by her publisher, Alire, in 2010. Critics saluted a new novel that was not only a good read, but one that showed her maturity as an author by combining psychological insight with pounding action. The selection by Canadian fans of La Tueuse de dragons for the first best novel Aurora/Boréal Award now confirms the universal appeal of Côté’s fifth book.
For over 30 years, Canadian fans of speculative fiction have been voting on the Aurora and Boréal awards, to acknowledge the best of Canadian professional and fan activity in both of Canada’s official languages. In recognition of the partial merger of the Aurora and Boréal awards, SF Canada has decided to fund prizes of $500.00 each for future winners of the Best Novel category in both languages.
SF Canada was founded in 1989 as Canada’s national association for speculative fiction professionals, and was created to serve the needs of its writers, more specifically by improving communication among them, fostering a sense of community, supporting the growth of quality writing, lobbying on their behalf, and by encouraging the translation of their work. SF Canada supports positive social action.
Jean Pettigrew, who is Côté’s editor and publisher, accepts in her name the SF Canada presentation cheque from Jean-Louis Trudel, representing SF Canada.


SF CANADA DÉCERNE UN PRIX DE 500$ À LA LAURÉATE DU PRIX AURORA/BORÉAL DU MEILLEUR ROMAN EN FRANÇAIS
Le 15 mai dernier, les premiers prix jumelés Aurora/Boréal ont été remis durant le 28e congrès Boréal à Montréal en même temps que trois autres prix Boréal. Suite à une participation record des inscrits, le Prix Aurora/Boréal pour le meilleur roman de science-fiction ou de fantastique en français a couronné La Tueuse de dragons, un ouvrage de fantasy d’Héloïse Côté paru chez Alire. Dans le cadre de son soutien aux genres de l’imaginaire au Canada, SF Canada a doté le prix d’une bourse de 500$. La même somme sera remise au lauréat ou à la lauréate du Prix Aurora du meilleur roman de science-fiction ou de fantastique en anglais, dont le nom sera annoncé en fin d’année.
Née en 1979 à Québec, Héloïse Côté est une jeune écrivaine qui s’est imposée avec une trilogie de fantasy pour adultes parue en 2004-2006, Les Chroniques de l’Hudres, favorablement accueillie par la critique. Elle a enchaîné avec la publication en 2008 d’un roman, Les Exilés, avant de compléter un ouvrage plus ambitieux, La Tueuse de dragons, paru chez Alire en 2010. Les critiques ont salué un livre qui non seulement procurait un bon moment de lecture, mais démontrait aussi la maturité grandissante de l’écrivaine, capable de marier les scènes d’action à la chasse aux dragons intérieurs. Le choix des fans qui ont accordé à La Tueuse de dragons le premier Prix Aurora/Boréal du meilleur roman confirme cette reconnaissance largement partagée du cinquième livre de Côté.
Depuis plus de trente ans, les fans canadiens des genres de l’imaginaire votent pour les prix Aurora et Boréal afin de rendre hommage, dans les deux langues officielles, à ce qui se fait de mieux dans les milieux professionnels et faniques d’ici. Afin de reconnaître le jumelage partiel des prix Aurora et Boréal, SF Canada a décidé de financer des prix de 500 $ chacun qui seront remis aux lauréats des prix pour le meilleur roman dans chaque langue.
SF Canada est une association canadienne de professionnels de la SF fondée en 1989. Elle a été créée afin de répondre aux besoins des écrivains canadiens dans les genres de l’imaginaire, en particulier en ce qui concerne l’amélioration des rapports et des échanges entre eux, la promotion d’un sentiment de solidarité, l’encouragement d’une amélioration continue de la qualité de la production écrite, la défense de leurs intérêts, l’encouragement de la traduction et la promotion d’une action sociale positive.
Jean Pettigrew, l’éditeur et directeur littéraire de Côté, accepte au nom de l’écrivaine le chèque de SF Canada remis par Jean-Louis Trudel au nom de l’association.

H.A. Hargreaves Work to be Published by Five Rivers

H.A. Hargreaves is one of Canada's remarkable, one might even say legendary, speculative fiction writers. He is a retired professor of English, formerly at the University of Alberta (Edmonton), and was twice nominated (1982 and 1983) for the Lifetime Contributions category in the Prix Auroras. His collection of short stories, North by 2000, in its time received wide critical acclaim from both peers and periodicals.


Today Five Rivers is pleased to announce the rebirth of that remarkable collection of short stories by Hargreaves. This new edition, entitled North by 2000+, will feature not only all the quintessentially Canadian stories of the first edition, but five additional published short works, along with a foreword from the author, and an introduction by Dr. Robert Runte.

Cover design has been awarded to Jeff Minkevics.

North by 2000+ is scheduled for release by Five Rivers early in 2012, and will be available in print and digital formats worldwide.

The Bloodlight Chronicles: Retribution

Here is a sneak peek of the cover art for Steve Stanton's new novel, The Bloodlight Chronicles: Retribution, Book Two of a series that "revitalizes the cyber-fiction genre with its vivid prose and believable characters." (Library Journal) Retribution is upcoming Sept. 2011 from ECW Press in Toronto in print and epub formats.
An excerpt from the sequel, "Hedge of Protection," is upcoming in On Spec, the canadian magazine of the fantastic.

Claire Eamer sells story to Tesseracts 15

Claire Eamer's fantasy story "Ice Pirates" will appear in Tesseracts 15, the latest edition of the popular Canadian speculative fiction anthology. Tesseracts 15 is the franchise's first venture into the Young Adult market. Editors are Julie E. Czerneda and Susan MacGregor, both experienced in writing and editing fiction for young people.

Keep an eye on the Tesseracts blog, Totally Tesseracts, at http://totallytesseracts.blogspot.com, for publication details.

Nina Munteanu Teaching Writing Workshops in Halifax and South Shore, NS

Nina will be in Nova Scotia March 2011, teaching several writing workshops in Halifax and the South Shore.


Nina will also make an appearance in several Halifax schools and will be doing readings at libraries. She will also be signing her latest book Angel of Chaos at several Halifax bookstores, locations to be announced shortly on her website.

Check Nina's website, http://www.ninamunteanu.com/, for detailed information on workshops that include location, date, time & duration, and cost.


Courses include:



•“How to Write and Publish Science Fiction” on March 12 (through the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia)

•“The Writer’s Toolkit” on March 19 (through the Tantallon Public Library)

•“Writing the Memoir: from Idea to Research to Storytelling” date TBA (through South Shore Public Libraries)

•“10 Commandments of Fiction Writing” date TBA (through South Shore Public Libraries)

Nina Munteanu Teaches SF Writing Course at Surrey Writing School

Surrey Writer’s School presents "Alien Tracks to Magician Spells: Learn How to Write and Successfully Publish SF and Fantasy", a three-hour workshop starting at 10:15 am on December 11 (Saturday) at the Semiahmoo Library, 1815 - 152nd Street.

Learn some essential tools of this genre such as world-building, research, plot approaches and how to generate and follow through with premise, idea and theme toward a publishable original work. Workshop will include use of examples, lists, discussion and writing. Bring a sample of your work and be prepared to discuss it.

Register for the course through Surrey Writer's School.

Edward Willett's new YA fantasy featured in Regina Leader Post

Edward Willett's new YA fantasy Song of the Sword, Book 1 of the Shards of Excalibur series from Lobster Press, was featured in in the Regina Leader Post on Saturday with a version of the photo at left (original here), which shows the exact spot on the shore of Regina's Wascana Lake, with Willow Island in the background, where the Lady of the Lake makes her appearance to the young heroine.

The story, by Tim Switzer, begins:

Looking out over Wascana Lake on foggy mornings in Regina, Edward Willett loved the thought that anything could be hidden in the mist.

So when he came up with the idea of a young-adult urban fantasy novel that would involve the Lady of the Lake and other Arthurian characters, Regina seemed like the logical setting.

“I’ve always tried to sneak a little Saskatchewan into my books when I could,” said Willett, whose first novel, Soulworm, was set in Weyburn. “That’s always been in the back of my mind. You see a lot of fantasy stories set in exotic locations, but to somebody in Italy, Regina is exotic. So why not set it here?”

Read the whole thing here.

Nina Munteanu's Angel of Chaos launch at Hal-Con

Nina Munteanu’s latest book Angel of Chaos (Dragon Moon Press) is being launched at Hal-Con (SF Convention in Halifax) October 29-31, 2010 at the Lord Nelson Hotel, where Nina will be doing a reading, signing books and giving a workshop on writing. Hope to see you there!


Angel of Chaos is the prequel to Nina’s award-nominated ecological thriller Darwin’s Paradox.

In 2095 Darwin’s Evolution Kills… Darwin’s Disease is tearing apart the ordered peace of North America. Julie Crane is a brilliant data handler with a unique talent for finding the impossible fast, and getting into trouble even faster. Her relentless search for a cure leads her to a horrifying discovery that incriminates her in a heinous conspiracy to recast humankind.

“Nina Munteanu’s Angel of Chaos is a gripping blend of big scientific ideas, cutthroat politics and complex yet sympathetic characters that will engage readers from its thrilling opening to its surprising and satisfying conclusion.”—Hayden Trenholm, Aurora-winning author of The Steele Chronicles

See you at Hal-Con! Celebrity guests include Walter Koenig (Chekov of the original Star Trek), Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar in Star Trek the Next Generation), and Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol in Battlestar Galactica).

SF Canada at VCON 2010

SF Canada will be hosting a Dealer table at Vancouver's Convention of Science Fiction and Fantasy this year, and a party for members at an undisclosed location. Books by members will be on display and/or for sale from October 1-3 at Vancouver Airport Marriott. Complete convention information is available from VCON.
Visit our new website at sfcanada.com!

SF Canada Sponsors Speculative and Fantastic Literature

SF Canada has recently supported the Toronto SpecFic Colloquium and the Sunburst Award with token financial sponsorship. The Toronto SpecFic Colloquium will be held Saturday October 23 at 7 Hart House Circle in Toronto from 10:00 AM to midnight, featuring lectures and readings from major authors in the field. The Sunburst Award is Canada's premier juried award for excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. Visit our new website at sfcanada.com!

Call for Submissions

Five Rivers Chapmanry is an independent micro-publisher of fiction and non-fiction, giving voice to new and established Canadian authors. Five Rivers is committed to bringing publishing back to uncompromising personal editors where it belongs, rather than focus-group marketing. We publish real books by real authors for real readers.
We employ print-on-demand technologies as part of responsible management of environmental and financial resources: by printing only the books required, rather than warehousing thousands, we save trees, energy and capital expenditures, while reducing pollution. We also produce eBooks as part of that mandate.

Five Rivers is committed to producing quality books that have benefited from the scrutiny of a good editor, with attention to layout and cover design. We work closely with our authors throughout the process. And we are very aggressive in our marketing, ensuring both our authors and our titles receive the best possible exposure in the global marketplace.

We are currently looking for submissions in the following categories:

Non-fiction:
All work must be solidly researched using primary references as a foundation.

Canadian history: this covers a broad spectrum, from stories of national significance to regional, from community to individual. For example,

• biographies of notable Canadians
• the quirky and esoteric field of experimental archaeology: e.g., recreating a 17th century Quebecois bake oven.

Canadian Issues:

• First Nation, Métis or Inuit issues
• immigrant issues
• other current issues of likely interest to Canadians

Self-Help Books:

• we have published books on writing, editing, creativity, gardening,

Fiction:

We seek books that are solidly plotted and character driven, with an emphasis on Canadian culture and settings, in the following categories:

• Mainstream
• Fantasy: We tend to favour cultural and historical fantasies that reflect Canadian mores, although borrowing from other cultures is part of our multicultural nature. Examples would include Shadow Song and From Mountains of Ice.
• Science fiction: We’re looking for original concepts from a Canadian perspective.
• Speculative: We are absolutely keen about authors who push the borders of fiction and concepts, though again we are looking for a Canadian perspective, insight or flavour.
• Historical: We are very keen to encourage writers to delve into the rich historical foundation we have and create solidly plotted, character-driven stories illuminating our diverse history. Shadow Song would be an example of the sort of well-researched historical novel for which we are looking.
• Young Adult: Any stories in the above categories with a target audience in the nine to 18 range.

We will not consider vampires or horror, crime, women's fiction or erotica; and unfortunately do not publish poetry or essay collections; nor can we publish picture books for either children or adults.

Queries:

Email your query letter along with a synopsis and first 30 pages of the manuscript in DOC format to submissions@5rivers.org. Be sure to include your full (real) name, mailing address, and email address in your query letter.

Every effort is made to respond within two to six weeks, although it may occasionally take longer.

No hard copy submissions can be accommodated: hard copy submissions will be returned unopened. There are no reading fees required.

Payment Rate

Since there is no set printrun in print-on-demand publishing, we cannot offer authors an initial advance against anticipated royalties; we do, however, provide quarterly statements and payments. Author royalties are paid within 30 days of the close of the calendar quarter, based on the industry standard rate of 10% of retail price.

Quill & Quire gives Edward Willett's new YA fantasy Song of the Sword a rave review

The September issue of Quill & Quire, Canada’s magazine of book news and reviews, contains a rave review for Edward Willett's upcoming young adult fantasy Song of the Sword (Lobster Press), first book in a five-book series collectively entitled The Shards of Excalibur. Robert J. Wiersema writes:

Authors who incorporate, interpret, or subvert Arthurian legends in works of contemporary fantasy take a huge risk: the failure rate of such books is staggeringly high. Every so often, though, a writer is skilled enough to utilize the stories of King Arthur and Camelot to significant effect. Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar Tapestry trilogy is definitely on the list. So, too, is Song of the Sword, the impressive new YA novel from Regina writer Edward Willett.

His penultimate paragraph:

It’s an audacious conceit and a daring subversion of the Arthurian mythos, and Willett backs it up with a taut, compelling narrative, well-drawn characters, and a keen sense of genuine peril and true wonder. It’s a powerful, fun, engaging read, and it’s the first of a series, so readers have much to look forward to.

Five Star Ratings for Lorina Stephens

Midwest Book Review has given five star ratings to Lorina Stephens' And the Angels Sang, and From Mountains of Ice.

And the Angels Sang is an anthology of short, speculative fiction stories author Lorina Stephens has penned over the course of twenty-five years. Some were previously published in periodicals or writers' workshops; all offer snapshots of the human condition. From the titular story of how a pious man perceives angels even as he suffers unspeakable torture and execution, to the devious negotiations of a "dragonslayer" who has more expertise at selling life insurance than wielding a sword, And the Angels Sang is a cornucopia of fractal glimpses into the mysterious, the fantastic, and surprises that lurk beneath the surface. Also highly recommended is Lorina Stephens' historical novel Shadow Song.

The life of a bowyer won't seem so bad. From Mountains of Ice tells the story of fallen noble Sylvio, as he returns to the courts of Simare and finds that he's being dragged into a world of murder and insanity. Set in an Italian renaissance inspired world, From Mountains of Ice is an entertaining and original fantasy from Lorina Stephens, highly recommended.
 
Lorina Stephens will be reading from, and signing copies of From Mountains of Ice, as well as And the Angels Sang and Shadow Song, this coming Saturday, August 28, 2010, at Chapters Bayview Village, 2901 Bayview Ave., Unit 132, North York, ON, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
 
Lorina's books are available in both digital and print format from booksellers globally, and through the Espresso Book Machine.
 


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Writing Coach Gives Free Webinar

Nina, the Writing Coach

Author and writing coach Nina Munteanu joins editor-journalist Vernon Oikle for "Toolkit Talks", a FREE Webinar hosted by Writer's Digest University to discuss the common issues faced by writers wishing to publish. Nina shares some of her best tips on how to get published in this entertaining and very educational one-hour long conversation with award-winning newspaper editor and journalist Vernon Oikle.

Nina and Vernon cover over twenty questions posed by Writer's Digest editors on important writing topics that range from inspiration, keeping the muse, focus issues and getting started to tools of craft, marketing and promotion.


You can still register to view this free webinar and learn some of the secrets writers use to jumpstart and keep their career in upward motion. Register for Nina's free webinar by August 15, 2010 and you may be eligible for additional materials.

Click here to register and view "Toolkit Talks" on Writer's Digest University.

The Bloodlight Chronicles

Steve Stanton's debut novel has now gone to the printer and will be in bookstores soon, with back-cover blurbs by Elisabeth Vonarburg and Matthew Hughes. This postcyberpunk "techno-thriller" is published by ECW Press in Toronto, the first book in a contracted sci-fi trilogy. Steve Stanton's short fiction has been published in twelve countries and nine languages, and he currently serves as the vice-president of SF Canada.

Edward Willett offering electronic galley of Song of the Sword to reviewers

Edward Willett now has an electronic version (a non-printable PDF) of his upcoming YA fantasy Song of the Sword (book one in the five-book series The Shards of Excalibur, published by Lobster Press) available for bona fide reviewers (for online sites or print publication) interested in reading and reviewing the book leading up to its October launch.

If you review books, and you'd like to review Song of the Sword, contact Ed at ewillett(at)sasktel.net.

Cover art for Edward Willett's upcoming YA fantasy

Here's the cover art for Edward Willett's upcoming fantasy Song of the Sword, first book in the five-book series The Shards of Excalibur. The book is due out in mid-October from Lobster Press. Here's the description:

Before the Lady called her, Ariane's life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different foster homes until her aunt finally took her in. The meanest clique at her new high school has decided to make Ariane their prime target. And to top it all off, she is having frightening premonitions, and they are becoming more intense. The moment water touches her skin, she sees visions of a lake, a lady, and a sword. When a staircase opens up in the middle of Wascana Lake and the water begins singing to her, she has no choice but to answer the call.Ariane learns that she descends from the Lady of the Lake, and soon the stories she thought were legend become a real life nightmare. She and her unexpected companion, Wally Knight, are charged with finding the scattered shards of Excalibur before Merlin can get his hands on them. The infamous magician, known in this world as software tycoon Rex Major, is trying to recover the pieces of Arthur's sword so he can reforge it and restore his limitless power. Suddenly, Ariane's life seems to have a purpose and a clear direction – but how can a troubled teen and her brainy sidekick outwit the ancient, ruthless sorcerer?

Jeanne Robinson (1948-2010)

SF Canada member Jeanne Robinson passed away peacefully at home on May 30 surrounded by family and spiritual advisors. She was a professional dancer and choreographer, a lay-ordained Soto Zen Buddhist, and co-authored the science-fiction trilogy, Stardance, Starseed and Starmind with her husband Spider Robinson. The original novella, “Stardance,” won the Nebula and Hugo Awards in 1978.
http://www.spiderrobinson.com/jeanne.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Robinson

Lorina Stephens at Indigo, Kingston

This coming Saturday, May 15, Lorina Stephens will appear at Indigo Books and Music, 259 Princess St., Kingston, ON, between 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. She will be signing copies of her latest novel, From Mountains of Ice, a cultural fantasy set in the Italian Renaissance world of Simare.


The novel, Lorina's fifth publication, tells the story of an unlikely hero, Sylvio di Danuto, a back-country bowyer fallen from grace, exiled, dispossessed, the former minister of security for his prince and student, Carmelo. Now Sylvio finds himself summoned back to court for the Festival de Nerezza, the annual autumn remembrance of the dead. The summons carries with it portends of danger, issued by a prince Sylvio suspects is a patricide and insane, a bone-speaker like himself and therefore a rare and potentially powerful force.

From Mountains of Ice is available in both print and digital format from booksellers globally, as well as signed directly from Five Rivers.


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Cover Design for Steve Stanton's Debut Novel

ECW Press in Toronto has released the cover art for Reconciliation, Book One of The Bloodlight Chronicles, publication date September 2010. http://stevestanton.ca

Lorina Stephens at Chapters, London, Ontario

Saturday, April 24, Lorina Stephens, author of the Italian Renaissance fantasy, From Mountains of Ice, will appear at Chapters, Richmond Centre, 86 Fanshawe, London, Ontario, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

She will be signing copies of not only From Mountains of Ice, but And the Angels Sang, and Shadow Song.

For more information about Lorina's tour schedule, visit Five River's calendar.

You can also become a fan of Lorina Stephens through Facebook.
Map is courtesy of Google Maps, street view.


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My first Children's Picture Book, The Ravens of Farne

Like Steve in the previous post, I have publication news that is not quite SF. My first picture book, The Ravens of Farne, is being released this month. It can be pre-ordered from Amazon.ca or Amazon.com