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WRITING GUIDES
MICHAEL MENNENGA
PHILIPPA BALLANTINE
TONY RUGGIERO
EDGE PUBLISHING
podcast
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• New Release! -- THE LONGEVITY
THESIS by Jennifer Rahn
• Featured Title --
THE HUMAN THING by Kathleen Nelson
• News, Updates and Articles
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NEW RELEASE -- THE LONGEVITY THESIS by Jennifer Rahn |
 Jennifer
says:
The Longevity Thesis gradually evolved from a series of
character sketches in which I was examining different personality
types and how they might react to certain situations. Would some of
them fight? Would some give up? Would others try to make work the
old axiom "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"? As I grew up and got
my first taste of workplace politics, new questions about
interpersonal dynamics began to arise, and I really felt I needed to
understand the balance between going along with what "the system"
wants and how far a person can go in terms of
compromising their
personal integrity to force themselves to fit.
At what point would you feel like you had "sold out", and if you had
through some misguided attempt to make a bad situation workable, how
could you redeem yourself? The protagonist, Antronos, faces such
situations in the extreme, and is witness to a vast array of
characters who respond differently. Some frustrate and baffle him,
some inspire him, and some he has to take drastic measures with. As
with anyone first confronted with such things, he has no idea what
to do, and must define who and what he is in the process of
determining which actions would be tolerable to his conscience, as
he struggles to build an acceptable existence for himself and the
people he comes to care about.
WHAT'S THE LONGEVITY THESIS ABOUT?
Apprenticed to the Graduate Supervisor from Hell . . .
Deformed by the Desert he had been born in, Antronos had fought
hard to overcome the stigma of being a surface dweller and make his
place in the underground civilization of the Temlochti State.
Finally accepted in academia, he graduates with a degree in medicine
and accepts a position as a graduate student in the laboratory of
Sen Vernus, a Professor Emeritus who demonstrates an extensive and
arcane knowledge of longevity.
The weak-willed Lord Jait possesses psychic power he has no idea
how to use—power that Vernus can use to possess others. The
'longevity' studies progress from stealing body parts to control
over entire beings. Can Antronos resist the mind invasions of Vernus
or will he destroy Lord Jait, the very man he has vowed to save?
REVIEWS of THE LONGEVITY THESIS
The Longevity Thesis is a curious tale, told in smoothly flowing
prose. Often moody, sometimes touched with affectionate tolerance,
Ms. Rahn's prose shifts easily between poetic expression and
down-to-earth characterization. ~Jeanette Cottrell, SimeGen
Reviewer, author of THE SHADEBINDER'S OATH.
"This beautifully written, action-packed story is full of mystery,
suspense and pathos. . .A classic tale of good versus evil that
keeps us on the edge of our seat, rooting for Antronos to succeed."
~Sigrid Macdonald, Author of D'Amour Road:
on shelves IN
SEPTEMBER 2007
from Dragon Moon
Press
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FEATURED
BOOK --
THE HUMAN THING by Kathleen Nelson |
 Kathleen
says:
The idea for "The Human Thing" came to me one night
as my former
creative writing instructor and I were
philosophizing over a bottle of cooking wine (having
knocked back all the good stuff in the apartment earlier
in the evening). I don't know how or why the subject
came up, but we started talking about cyborgs. Becca
maintained that anyone who underwent such an extreme
transformation wouldn't be human anymore. I
disagreed, saying the essence of humanity was defined by
spirit rather than flesh. "Spirit as in God?" she
asked. The conversation plunged down a rabbit hole
after that. The last thing I remember is me ransacking
the kitchen for a pen and paper.
The next morning, I
woke up on her pre-Ikea couch with an excruciating
cooking wine headache and "LOSS OF BODY WORSE THAN LOSS
OF FAITH????" scrawled in Sharpie on my left forearm.
That became one of The Human Thing's central themes.
WHAT'S THE HUMAN THING
ABOUT?
Captain Jillian D’Lange is a woman with a
promising future---until she gets caught in an explosion
meant for someone else. Eight months later, she emerges from
a coma only to find that the galaxy is a very different
place. Her lover is dead, her new ship is three months shy
of being confiscated, and she’s now a cyborg with memory
problems, tortured by thoughts of who she was and what she
is now... and what she might yet become.This is a story full
of intrigue and raw emotions. It is a story about mortals,
and mortal failings, and what it takes to be human.
REVIEWS
of THE HUMAN THING
This book was an unexpected treat. The clash between the
dragonic code of honor and the human obsession with
apparently meaningless rules was sometimes funny, sometimes
touching, but never boring. ~Lucinda A. "lucinda2002us",
Amazon reviewer
Nelson's story takes an original spin on the "feral
child" genre. This book definitely goes on my favorites
list. ~A. Brown, Amazon reviewer
{Kathleen Nelson, above}
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News, Updates and Articles |
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SMALL MAGICS by
Erik Buchanan
-- "Small Magics is
beguiling entertainment. Character motivations are
understandable and compelling, whether they agree, conflict,
or are in deadly combat with each other. The color provided
in village and festival scenes are as lively as that shown
in a mob rebellion or sneaking into a cemetery at dead of
night." ~Jeanette Cottrell, SimeGen Reviewer, author of
THE SHADEBINDER'S OATH. |
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LACHLEI
series by Maggie Bonham --
Though slain by his best friend Allarun before he could
achieve his goal, Lachlan returns in the body of a
half-blood to avenge himself against the deathless Allarun,
the son of the god of death. Bonham's follow-up to
Prophecy of Swords features characters of mythic
proportions, the sons and daughters of the gods who,
nevertheless, possess passions and vulnerabilities that make
them at once sympathetic and compelling. Fans of epic
fantasy should enjoy this addition to the genre. ~The
Library Journal. |
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SOJOURN by Jana Oliver --
“It's got
a tough, gutsy, quirky heroine. And it's got a
time-travel and shape-shifting sub-plot. A great mix, but
one which requires some skill to handle well, and Jana
Oliver does that in blue-ribbon style.” – "New Mystery
Reader" Reviews |
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LEGENDS OF THE SERAI by J. C.
Hall -- Keeping a tightly controlled pace, talented
author J.C. Hall weaves a believable and realistic imaginary
world filled with passion and adventure.
Her prose flows
beautifully and the dialogue sparkles with authenticity,
drawing the reader into the carefully plotted story.
~Mayra Calvani, reviewer for The Dark Phantom Review |
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EARTHCORE by Scott Sigler --
“EarthCore may be considered a sci-fi novel, but I would
rate it right up there with some of my
favorite creepy
horror novels. EarthCore is a fantastic choice to add to
your bookshelf.” ~Tracy Farnsworth, Roundtable
Reviews |
CHALICE OF LIFE by Karen Anne
Webb -- It's a pleasure to review this book. The author
has a unique way of acquainting us with the characters and
we quickly anticipate joining them on this unique imaginary
adventure. This is a story for the young and the young at
heart and I anxiously await Book Two to see where the quest
takes them
~Martha V. Ware, Amazon reviewer |
FROM THE PUBLISHER'S
DESK: Dragon Moon
Press has a blog
now, with nifty, neat graphics and videos,
and news from our publisher, Gwen Gades.
Jana Oliver, author of
SOJOURN, announces: SOJOURN won the Golden Quill Award courtesy of the
Desert Rose Chapter of RWA. Also, at the Romance Writers of
America annual convention in Dallas,
SOJOURN won
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the
Bookseller's Best Award for Best Paranormal;
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Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense
(Paranormal);
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Golden Quill Award - Paranormal;
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Prism Award - Time Travel
Jana will
be appearing at
MOONLIGHT & MAGNOLIAS in Atlanta, Georgia, on September
28-30, 2007. She is also making a presentation at the
WHITECHAPEL SOCIETY MEETING entitled Once Upon A Dark
Alley/A Tale of Ripper Fiction, on October 6th, 2007 at the
Princess Alice Pub, in London's East End, a short walk from
Aldgate Station
Ian Irvine, contributor to THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SCIENCE
FICTION, offers a book trailer for his latest
children's book
about Runcible Jones. His son Simon was his graphic designer.
From
Maggie Bonham, author of LACHLEI. Prophecy of Swords is currently
offered as a podcast at Podiobooks.com, which features the same
world as Lachlei. Also, I will be appearing at Fencon in Dallas/Fort
Worth in September, and at MileHiCon in Denver in October.
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