An online promotional and news source for all Oklahoma writers, authors, artists, publishers, or creatives who work with Oklahoma related materials. We are especially supportive of independent authors and small presses.

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12/20/10

WILL WE SEE ANOTHER RED DIRT BOOK FESTIVAL?


As one of the many who greeted the first RDBF with great excitement, and have attended each one since 2005, I am hoping that support comes forward to insure this vital event continues and is allowed to become a staple of Oklahoma's event landscape.

From the RDBF website:

The Pioneer Library System Red Dirt Book Festival scheduled for Fall 2011 is postponed. A new library, new staff and new ideas for the Festival have all contributed to the decision to postpone.

Pioneer is committed to continuing the Red Dirt Book Festival in Shawnee and will look for a future date for Red Dirt #5. The earliest date will be fall of 2012, but it could possibly be as late as fall 2013 if we encounter conflicts with other book festivals/events.

Thank you for your support of the Red Dirt Festival."


It began as a dream to showcase and encourage Oklahoma's authors and would be authors. Anyone with dreams could come and take away with them wonderful, practical workshops filled with inspiration, instruction, and direction. It was broad enough to include oral storytelling, and visual storytelling, along with the written word.




Most importantly it provided support for literacy by emphasizing the writers among us, in our history, and in our communities. It supported literacy by bringing together those who write, the libraries and book sellers who make them accessible, and the people who would enjoy the words of these writers.



In focusing on the 'everyone' audience, it was made even more accessible. In realizing the diversity of voices, expression, and tone is merely reflective of the society of Oklahoma, the opportunity of strengthening literacy across the state improves geometrically.






Funding needs to go back to this wonderful event to restore it as an important literary event for the common reader as well as the academic. The top flight authors should be showcased but the voices on the way up should also be encouraged and Oklahoma youth should be encouraged from Kindergarten to college to write their stories, share their tales, and do their research to fill the libraries of the future.






So, plan events to take up the book festival slack currently in Oklahoma - such s the Duncan Book Festival (Chisholm Trail) - but keep the Novembers free (just in case) for the next RED DIRT BOOK FESTIVAL.

12/8/10

LIFE ON THE LINE - OKC Landmark Cafeteria Shares Story


Just in time for the holidays, Forty-Sixth Star Press announces its latest book Life on the Line: The Dodson's Cafeteria Story, a blend of city history, politics, and nostalgia, sprinkled with the recipes people "waited in line for." With help from all of the members of the Dodson family, Joe and Charlotte tell their story of being pioneers in the OKC cafeteria business, a thriving community which won OKC the distinction of being the "cafeteria capitol of the world." Their three Dodson cafeterias were the meeting place for business, community, and churches across the city, and their famous pies were the envy of many a harried OKC housewife during the busy holidays.


Life on the Line is now available at http://www.fortysixthstarpress.com/ or at OKC's Full Circle Book Store. For a great holiday gift, along with flavorful memories, come to our Full Circle book signing on Sunday, December 19th at 2:00 p.m. (1900 N. W. Expressway).

"...To my family, "Dodson's" and "holidays" were synonymous. Being from north Oklahoma City, Dodson's was a special trip. Ironically, my family's 'culinary skills' were lacking: holiday meals were catered..Of all places in Oklahoma City, Dodson's was our choice--especially for the pies. My grandfather and I always ordered an extra mince pie, 'just for us." Kyle Anderson, Chef and Owner -- Kyle's 1025

Contact: Pamela Bracken, Publisher, 46th Star Press, pbracken@fortysixthstarpress.com, 405-514-5636

12/5/10

NEW BOOK PACKED WITH ACTION




Author Marvin Wiebener crafts a strong, exciting and unique story that seems torn from the headlines. The sharp reality, the strong characters and the tension of this tale of intrigue and action will satisfy any reader. With its strong female protoganists, action sequences, and multi faceted charactrization and plotting, it will be a great addition to any library or personal reading collection.


"CIA Director Margaret Winters attended the morning intelligence briefing in the situation room as she'd done every day since Iran's president made public his threat to wipe Israel off the map. Facing her was the very real and complex nature of her nearly impossible task to provide the president of the United States, who was under pressure to intercede, with actionable information. The president makes it clear that no American combatant will set foot on, fly over, or park a naval ship off the Iranian coast until absolute and irrefutable proof exists that Iran is an imminent threat. What happens next is a grueling, dangerous, and heart-wrenching quest for intelligence that could cost lives but stop a world war. Winters has her marching orders; trouble is, a senior CIA official, along with an overly ambitious congressman, wants the director to fail. Aware of her detractors' wishes, Winters crafts a plan to secure proof the president needs that bypassed the customary collection and analysis of raw intelligence. Her proposal shocks everyone in the tight circle of those with a need-to-know, and when the plan appears to go terribly wrong, she must take matters into her own hands. With the lives of a patriotic few caught in a clandestine mission, those keeping us safe, people whose stories will likely never be told, face dire straits in hopes of preventing the unthinkable, a war unlike any seen before. Hope teases all involved with the birth of a plan so incredible it just may work—The Moriah Ruse."

432 pages - $29.99 (paperback)

12/2/10

'PARTNERS IN REMEMBRANCE" Brown Bag Event


OSU history professor Bill Bryans will present "Partners in Remembrance: The Oklahoma City National Memorial and the National Park Service," at the next brown bag session, sponsored by OSU's Center for Oklahoma Studies, on Wednesday, Dec. 8, from noon-1 p.m. in room 250 of the OSU Student Union.
The informal talk looks at the dual role of the people of Oklahoma City and the National Park Service in the memorialization of the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building which killed 168 people and injured over 800.

The federal legislation establishing the Oklahoma City National Memorial created a unique public-private partnership to operate and manage the site. The way in which that partnership was originally constructed and how it changed over time will be the primary focus. Dr. Bryans' talk draws on his current research involving an administrative history of the Memorial being prepared for the Park Service.

What: Partners in Remembrance: The Oklahoma City National Memorial and the National Park Service . A bi-monthly brown bag series sponsored by the OSU Center for Oklahoma Studies
When: 12-1 pm, Dec. 8, 2010

Where: 250 SU

Details: Free and Open to the Public



More information:

Contact Mary Larson at 405-744-6588 or mary.larson@okstate.edu



11/29/10

An Interview with Michael Vance

Michael Vance Interview By Richard Vasseur


What attracts you to writing horror stories? “Initially, it was the fear of death that paradoxically terrified and fascinated me that led to my love of the horror genre.

“When I was very young, possibly seven or eight years old, my great grandmother died, and my parents took me to the open coffin funeral. Her lifeless body left me with a horror of death that only increased when I understood its inevitability. It was many, many years before I overcame my terror of mortality.


“It didn’t help that most people thought there was a good chance we’d all die in a nuclear holocost.

“At about the same time, I was allowed to watch the original King Kong movie on television, shown in Oklahoma in the ‘50s each Halloween, and several movies that influenced me to eventually write in the genre. The most powerful of these was Hitchcock’s “Psycho” which I saw during its original run in, I believe, 1960.



“A little later on, Ray Bradbury became a major influence on my work as well; he is a master of the short story. H. P. Lovecraft is a creative influence as well, although I only discovered his work later in life.”



Can you give us an idea of what we will find in the pages of "Weird Horror Tales - The Feasting"? “A reader will find a small town on the coast of Maine named Light’s End that hides filth, decadence, and madness behind its respectable white picket fences. These stories are told in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror genres, and span many years. The first two novels in the trilogy are braided; that means each chapter is also a stand-alone short story. The last novel of the trilogy will be a traditional novel.”



Why do people love a good horror story? “Through catharsis, horror fans escape the certain and very real horrors of mundane life without any real chance of injury or death to themselves.”



What scares you the most? “What terrifies me most is the misguided belief that the world is without rhyme or reason. This life philosophy is a self-fulfilling prophecy that only leads to chaos and arbitrariness that destroy reason and order.”



What is "Holiday Out" and who would enjoy it? “Holiday Out was a comic strip I wrote for five years that, for half its run, parodied the Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Horror, Detective, Western genres, and more. In its second two-and-a-half years, it became a “funny animal” strip still focused on parody and satire. Some of the artists who worked with me on Holiday Out were Duane Hanson, C. T. Smith, Richard “Grass” Green, and Wayne Truman.


During its time, it was syndicated by two small companies and ran in around forty newspapers, and many more fanzines. Some of it was also republished in four or five comic books, including a three-issue run by Renegade Press. The Complete Holiday Out is now being reprinted by Main Enterprises.”



You were first published at age eleven do you remember how that felt? “First publication was an emotional high unparalleled by almost anything else in my life.”



Why are you associated with the Tulsa Boys Home? “For fourteen years, I have been the Communications Director of Oklahoma’s largest residential treatment facility for troubled boys. That means I am their writer and graphic designer, in charge of all publicity including radio, television, and newspaper, the production of a quarterly newsletter and website, and the writing of all of their grant requests. I am very proud of the work done for troubled boys at Tulsa Boys’ Home, and am honored to play a small part in their mission.”



Why did you decide to write "Forbidden Adventure: The History of the American Comics Group"? “I wrote the book because of my love for comics and history. I chose the American Comics Group as my subject because I read them as a boy, and it had been overlooked by most everyone else who was writing comics history at the time.”



You have worked as an editor, writer and advertising manager for newspapers and newspaper magazines. How is that different than working on a comic book? “My first love is writing fiction; my nonfiction pays the bills.”



"Why do you want William Windom to do your audiotapes?" “Windom and I were doing a signing together. I had been looking for an actor to record my Light’s End stories for several years, and was a big fan of his work. I grew up on his television appearances and in movies like “To Kill a Mockingbird”. I think he is an amazing actor. I asked, and, lo and behold, he said yes.”



What comics besides your own would you recommend? “Some of my favorites remain Popeye by Segar, Pogo by Walt Kelly, Calvin and Hobbes, the EC horror and SF titles, Alan Moore’s and Neil Gaiman’s work, and more than can listed here. I must not leave out most anything by Will Eisner, and the early work of Harvey Kurtzman. I am ‘republishing’ more than 1,040 comics reviews I wrote over twenty years under the title of Suspended Animation on my Flickr site, adding one review a day. Just go to Flickr and type in Michael Vance. A more comprehensive answer can be found there.”



Any words for the fans of your work? “I have finished writing the third book of the Weird Horror Tales trilogy, to be called Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End. I ask fans to anticipate its publication probably around September of 2011. I would also ask them to spread the word among their friends and acquaintances about the trilogy if they enjoy it. My publisher is a small, niche company, and the success of the series really lies in word-of-mouth recommendation.”



Michael Vance returns with fifteen gripping, horrific and deeply moving stories of people caught in unimaginable horror in the tradition of Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft and William Faulkner. These tales center around the eldritch town of Light ’s End, Maine , a remote and isolated little corner of New England where dark secrets haunt the streets and homes of this quaint, supposedly innocent setting. Douse the lights, bolt the doors and get ready to be frightened by a true master of the genre.



The book’s haunting illustrations are by fantasy artist Earl Geier, features a macabre cover by Christophe Dessaigne, is edited by Ron Fortier, and designed by Rob Davis.

Vance is the author of three books, hundreds of articles and interviews, several comic book titles, and two comic strips. He founded the Oklahoma Comics Collection in Paul’s Valley, Oklahoma , and helped create the “Okie Cartoonists” Exhibit at the Oklahoma Museum of History in Oklahoma City .



Weird Horror Tales – The Feasting is pulp horror at its finest. The first novel in the trilogy, Weird Horror Tales, is still available as well.



ISBN: 1-934935-80-8

ISBN 13: 978-1-934935-80-4

Produced by Airship 27

Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers






11/28/10

Oklahoma Runestone Featured in Vampire Tales


The Legend of Michelle Sands, 1958 -- Michelle loves Indian Rock because she, and her Grandmother sense a powerful feeling from this place. There is a price for these feelings because they have disturbing, reoccurring dreams about ancient ceremonies performed there in the past.

When Michelle and the friends go to the well known Indian Rock, emotions of lust and jealous erupts. A figh ensues but the fear, anger and lust between the three teenagers awakens the power of the ancient Vampire Glome who was banished to Indian Rock centuries earlier.

Michelle inherits this power and uses it to save herself.

After the incident at Indian Rock she uses Glome's power to change the lives of the people around her, as well as the power structure of Leflore county.
Author Joe Harwell has created a storyline of exciting possibilities. The main theme of this very different twist on the classic Vampire story is power, and how it's used in every level of society. It's also about sports, law enforcement, religion, politics, business, revenge, greed, fast cars, and The Little Dixie Mafia.

The Legend of Michelle Sands is set in the southeastern Oklahoma town of Howe in 1958. We meet the pretty teenager who inherits the power of an ancient Vampire and uses it to change the lives of the people around her and the power structure of Leflore county Oklahoma.

Upside Down Heart moves the story forward through the 1960's. The 1961 Howe tornado and a Presidential visit to the area the same year both play into this story. Michelle and her growing group expand from Howe around the world. They have great financial success, learn some heart breaking lessons, and encounter new enemies who want to take away their power.

Millennium brings Michelle and her followers into an all out battle with their enemies. The world wide fear about the transition to the year 2000 is at the center of this challenge to their success and survival.

Return to Indian Rock brings Michelle and her group of immortals back to Howe, OK after more than 100 years.


For more information and to order the books visit http://www.indianrockvampire.com/

11/22/10

AUTHORS TO SIGN BOOKS

Oklahoma Hiking Trails by Oklahoma City residents Kent F. Frates and Larry Floyd is the first comprehensive guidebook for the state.
Kent Frates and Larry Floyd will sign copies of Oklahoma Hiking Trails Saturday, December 4, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm at Best of Books, 1313 E Danforth Rd., Edmond, Oklahoma 73034 (405) 340-9202

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS ANNOUNCES NEW TITLES


University of Oklahoma Press has published several new books with local interest and by Oklahoma authors.



Arena Legacy: the Heritage of American Rodeo by Richard C. Rattenbury is a lavishly illustrated volume showcasing the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum ’s unrivaled collections.



Oklahoma Hiking Trails by Oklahoma City residents Kent F. Frates and Larry Floyd is the first comprehensive guidebook for the state. Kent Frates and Larry Floyd will sign copies of Oklahoma Hiking Trails Saturday, December 4, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm at Best of Books, 1313 E Danforth Rd., Edmond, Oklahoma 73034 (405) 340-9202



The Green Corn Rebellion a novel by William Cunningham was first published in 1935 and was based on historical events that took place in Oklahoma in 1917. It has been released as an original paperback and includes a new introduction by Nigel Anthony Sellars.



Race and the University is Dr. George Henderson’s memoir of his formative years at the University of Oklahoma and details the obstacles that he and other African Americans faced within the university community.



America’s Folklorist: B.A. Botkin and American Culture is edited by Lawrence Rodgers and Jerrod Hirsch. Botkin, a folklorist, writer, editor, regionalist, and cultural activist, taught English at the University of Oklahoma in the early 1920s.



Life at the Kiowa, Comanche, and Wichita Agency: The Photographs of Annette Ross Hume by Kristina Southwell and John R. Lovett features the photos Hume took in Anadarko, Oklahoma in the late 1890s and are from the Western History Collections at the University of Oklahoma Libraries.



Wives and Husbands: Gender and Age in Southern Arapaho History, a study of the Oklahoma tribe from 1805 to 1936, is by Loretta Fowler, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma .



Building One Fire: Art and World View in Cherokee Life by Chadwick Corntassel Smith and Rennard Strickland with Benny Smith is a unique look at Cherokee art through the lens of Cherokee philosophy. OU Press is the distributor for this beautifully illustrated volume published by The Cherokee Nation.



More information about these and other titles can be found on our new website http://www.oupress.com where you can also visit our new blog: http://www.oupressblog.com/



Books make great gifts—check our website for our holiday sale coming soon!


University of Oklahoma Press

2800 Venture Drive
Norman OK 73069

(405) 325-3200

ssee@ou.edu

http://www.oupress.com

11/20/10

AUTHORS IN ENID



The Garfield County Public Library, Enid, Oklahoma hosted authors Tammy Wilson, Tonya Hacker, and Cullan Hudson recently for a program and book signing event. Wilson and Hacker are co-authors of Ghostlahoma and Hudson is author of Strange State. The authors shared the motivations, processes, discoveries, and methods of investigating historic tales and paranormal legends.
Wilson and Hacker are working on volume two of their collection of true Oklahoma ghost stories and expect it to be available in 2011. Hudson is finishing up his sequel to the popular Strange State for release early in 2011 also.

11/19/10



For Immediate Release
Contact: Connie Armstrong
Executive Director
(405) 522-3383



Twenty-second Annual Oklahoma Book Award Competition Begins

Rilla Askew is Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Entries are now being accepted for the twenty-second annual Oklahoma Book Award competition. The deadline for entering is January 7, 2011, according to the Oklahoma Center for the Book in the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

The Oklahoma Book Award program is designed to recognize and promote Oklahoma's working writers as well as outstanding books about the state. Entries are being sought in five categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children/young adult, and design/illustration.

To qualify, books must have been published between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2010. In addition, the author must reside or have resided in Oklahoma, or the book must have an Oklahoma theme. Finalists in each category will be selected and announced in early March; winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on April 9, 2011, at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Museum in Oklahoma City.

In addition to the five categories listed, the board of directors of the Oklahoma Center for the Book presents the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award for a body of work contributing to Oklahoma’s literary heritage. The award was named for Norman, Oklahoma, historian Arrell Gibson, who served as the first president of the Oklahoma Center for the Book. The 2011 recipient is Rilla Askew

Born in Oklahoma’s San Bois Mountains, Askew grew up in Bartlesville and spent her early adulthood in Tahlequah. She moved to New York City to pursue an acting career, but soon turned her efforts to writing. She is the author of several books including The Mercy Seat, nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Dublin IMPAC Prize, and recipient of both the Oklahoma Book Award and the Western Heritage Award in 1998; Fire in Beulah, winner of the American Book Award and the Myers Book Award; and Harpsong, recipient of the Oklahoma book Award and the Western Heritage Award, the WILLA Award from Women Writing the West, and the Violet Crown Award from the Writers League of Texas.

Previous Gibson Book Award winners include mystery novelist Tony Hillerman; Librarian of Congress Emeritus Daniel Boorstin; Newbery Award winner Harold Keith; Savoie Lottinville, who served as director of the University of Oklahoma Press for thirty years; Hugo Award winning science fiction writer R.A. Lafferty; Kiowa poet and Pulitzer Prize winning novelist N. Scott Momaday; historian John Hope Franklin; Tulsa children/young adult author S. E. Hinton; Norman novelist Jack Bickham; Tulsa author and award winning reporter Michael Wallis; children’s author Bill Wallace; Joyce Carol Thomas who writes adult and children’s fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; the University of Oklahoma’s renowned literary journal World Literature Today and its programs; Native American poet Joy Harjo; mystery writer Carolyn Hart; science fiction and fantasy master C.J. Cherryh; noted historian Bob Burke; internationally known Tulsa author and lecturer Clifton Taulbert; and author and emeritus professor of journalism at the University of Oklahoma David Dary. Last year’s recipient was photographer David Fitzgerald.

For more information on the book awards, including submitting entries, visit the website at www.odl.state.ok.us/ocb, or contact Connie Armstrong, Executive Director, Oklahoma Center for the Book, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, 200 NE 18th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, or call 800/522-8116 toll free statewide. In the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, call 405/522-3383.

11/13/10

BOOK STORE OWNER PASSES


Writers may have dealt with Donita Lawrence when she had a book store called Bell, Book and Candle in Oklahoma City. She hosted many writers at this popular book store. She passed away last Tuesday in Blackwell. She lived in Oklahoma City and Ponca City. Her services were Friday.

Read her obituary.

11/4/10

Meet Chuck Miller and the Black Centipede


Chuck Miller lives in Norman Oklahoma. "For the past year or so, I have been doing a series of novels and short stories using my own original characters and concepts. I have put together a blog, and have been making everything available for free online. My work can be described as a pulp-magazine-inspired mix of horror, science fiction, superheroes, detective and horror fiction.

I have five distinct, ongoing series, though all of my characters are connected in one way or another. These are:

"Tales of the Black Centipede" - The strange adventures of an oddball pulp hero.

"Vionna Valis and the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee" - Detective stories with a paranormal twist. The WVC is a "psychic detective agency," staffed by a mysterious young woman named Vionna Valis, and the five original 1888 victims of Jack the Ripper, who have been bodily resurrected in the 21st century. It's a long story, which is told in my novel,
"The Optimist Book One: You Don't Know Jack" - "The Optimist" chronicles the adventures of Jack Christian, grown-up former kid sidekick of deceased superhero Captain Mercury. After 12 years away from his home city of Zenith, Jack is lured back by the promise of a substantial trust fund. When he gets there, he meets one oddball after another, starting with Vionna Valis, a strange young woman with a startling secret that nobody-- herself included-- knows. An encounter with what purports to be the ghost of Captain Mercury puts Jack and Vionna on the trail of the Black Centipede, one of the old-school superheroes. Captain Mercury tells Jack that the Centipede was the one who actually orchestrated his, Mercury's, death. Many strange circumstances and inexplicable incidents dog our heroes, leading them to question everything they thought they knew about themselves and their lives.

"Doctor Unknown Junior" (forthcoming)

"The Journal of Bloody Mary Jane" - BLOODY MARY JANE is the mysterious arch-enemy of the equally mysterious BLACK CENTIPEDE. Some of the mystery has been cleared up with the recent publication of "Forty
Whacks: The Secret Origin of the Black Centipede." This memoir revealed hitherto unknown details about the origin of the Centipede and the birth of his greatest foe, and their mutual connection to the unfortunate Lizzie Borden.

All of these may be seen at my blog, a link to which I will include below. I hope you find this of interest. I am not currently shopping for a publishing deal, but I am eager to get my work out into the world and generate some interest.

http://theblackcentipede.blogspot.com/

10/21/10

New Book Shows Readers How to "Add Oomph" To Their Inspirations



INSPIROBICS – Working Out Your Inspirations is a personal enrichment book that includes many techniques and exercises designed to improve the quality and increase the frequency of inspirational encounters.

Wagoner, Oklahoma – October 21, 2010 – According to author and Wagoner resident Rich Kenney, most people are content in believing that inspiration is a whimsical phenomenon over which they have no control. “Not true,” he says. “The truth is many people just don’t know how to pave the way for its arrival. And that’s what INSPIROBICS is all about: learning how to set the stage for inspiration’s knocking at your door.”

The recently-released book from Reader’s High Press (Tulsa, OK) explains how to make way for inspiration with such techniques as deciphering pictorial codes, creating ammunition statements and managing inspiration deficits. In addition to exploring the meaning of inspiration, the book introduces the Belief System Obstacle Course, a new concept that sheds light on the significant correlation between a person’s belief system and the onset of inspiration.

“You probably won’t break a sweat exercising with INSPIROBICS,” Kenney says, “but you will need to put on your imagination’s warm up suit for a workout that will burn a few blues and improve sudden idea stamina. This is a book that will add oomph to your inspirations.”

Grant Gerver, an Arizona songwriter and newspaper political cartoonist, said, “There is such a warm and comforting nostalgia about INSPIROBICS. It’s like an old friend coming to visit. Rich Kenney doesn’t just talk about inspiration; he shows readers how to become inspired.”

Rich Kenney is a social worker and motivational speaker who believes inspiration is a journey outside the boundaries of time that often leads to your passions. He has a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Texas, and is a recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

INSPIROBICS - Working Out Your Inspirations can be ordered online at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. It can also be ordered directly from Kenney’s website, www.inspirobics.com

TULSA BOOK SIGNING


Tulsa's Haunted Memories by Terri French, will be featured in a Book Signing Event this Saturday 10am - 12pm @ Steve's Sundry (2612 S Harvard, Tulsa). If you can't make it, purchase them via this paypal button.

10/17/10

NEW RELEASE - THE TALE OF THE BAGMAN

Airship 27 Productions & Cornerstone Book Publishers are happy to announce the release of their thirtieth title, “Tale of the Bagman” by B.C. Bell . This book features the debut of a brand new pulp hero, the Bagman, and he’s unlike any other crime buster ever seen before.



In the 1930s, Chicago was one of the fastest growing metropolises in the country. Situated on mighty Lake Michigan , it was the home to millions of hard working Americans looking to better themselves. The Windy City was also shackled by its bootleg history, a time of violent gang wars that had permanently established a brutal underworld empire second to none. Corruption was the order of the day and both the police and government were in the pay of the mob bosses.



Frank “Mac” McCullough was a foot-soldier in one of the city’s toughest families until he was ordered to rough up his uncle; a decent man with a gambling problem. The innate decency in Mac rebelled and suddenly he found himself up against the very men he had once admired and followed. Determined to put an end to their lawlessness, he put a bag over his head as a crude disguise only to become labeled the Bagman by the press.



Now writer B.C. Bell tells the amazing stories of old Chicago ’s most unique hero. Aided solely by a tough, black WW I veteran named Crankshaft, Mac wages war against the mobs in these fast pace, non-stop action tales pulp fans will cheer.



“ Bell ’s writing is a terrific mix of pulp action and wry humor,” applauds Airship 27 Productions’ Ron Fortier. “It’s really a breath of fresh air in the pulp genre and we know our fans are going to love the Bagman.”



Designed by Rob Davis, the book features nine illustrations by Kelly Everaert and a gorgeous cover by Laura Givens. Airship 27 Productions is thrilled to present pulpdom’s newest avenger, The Bagman.



ISBN: 1-934935-76-X

ISBN 13: 978-1-934935-76-7

Produced by Airship 27

Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers

9/30/10

EXCITING NEW WORK REVEALS TULSA'S PAST


Author TERRI FRENCH, in the new book Tulsa's Haunted Memories, explores the forgotten history and lost folklore of "America's Most Beautiful City." Tulsa's haunting history will captivate the reader with the secrets it holds from its intriguing past. Mystery and mystique follow Tulsa's urband legends and prove that the truth can be stranger than fiction. Once known as the oil capital of the world, its streets were not only lined in "Black Gold" but also tales of a time when ruthlessness and lawlessness ruled the city. Discover these places and stories that have left their ghostly impressions on Tulsa.
Published by : Arcadia Publishing

9/19/10

BIBLE STUDY ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG TEEN GIRLS




Molly Lemmons, author, announces a new cover for this popular title, available through Amazon.com.
She also has a new work honoring her mother called, We Are Invisible.

CHISHOLM TRAIL BOOK FESTIVAL A WIN




A great venue, supportive and positive planners, and a great community combined to create a positive book and reader meeting opportunity in Duncan, Oklahoma. The Chisholm Trail Book Festival September 18 was an example of what a town can do to promote literacy, local authors, and its community.

9/17/10

OKLAHOMA BOOKS AND AUTHORS SHOWCASE, OCT. 9TH. TULSA


Oklahoma Books and Authors Showcase will be take place on Saturday, October 9th. The celebration of Oklahoma Books and native Oklahoma Authors, open and free to the public, will take place in the Embassy Suites Ballroom, 3332 South 79th East Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Showcase is designed to promote talented authors from Oklahoma as well as books that touch on our great state. Many authors representing several genres will be present to autograph their work. Attendees are free to enjoy browsing and shopping among some of the finest fiction and non-fiction books and authors Oklahoma has to offer. Several genres will be represented, including but not limited to: History, Inspirational, Genealogy, Religious, Children, Romance and much more.

In conjunction with the Showcase, a genealogical seminar is also being presented. William Welge, Director, Archives and Manuscript Division, Oklahoma Historical Society will share his wealth of knowledge with those attending. Any researcher who attends will likely find possible avenues of fruitful discoveries in the OHS Research Division.

A special dinner will kick off the weekend activities, on Friday evening. “Dinner with Oklahoma Authors” is also open to the public, with profits benefiting the Friends of the Oklahoma Historical Society Archives.

All three separate, yet complimenting, events are being presented by the Gregath Company of Wyandotte, Oklahoma, with the cooperation of the Friends of the Oklahoma Historical Society Archives. There is limited seating for both the Genealogy Seminar and the Dinner. Reservations will be made, as space allows through Friday, September 24, 2010.


More information is available at www.gregathcompany.com/workshop/show or by calling 918-542-4148. It is the hope of those involved, that by showcasing the vast talents of Oklahoma authors, books dealing with our state and archival studies within the state’s premier archival repository, those attending will come away with much more than knowledge.

FAMILY STORIES: AN ANTHOLOGY

Read the inspiring stories in this anthology to get jump-started into your own family history recordings. Twenty-five stories by award-winning writers will show you just how easy it is to start finding your family’s place in history -- and keep it there by getting it published. Family Stories: An Anthology is edited and compiled by Carolyn B. Leonard and published by SAGEst Press under the Buffalo Industries imprint


FAMILY STORIES contains a collection of 25 family history stories by winning authors. The 206-page booklet includes titles like “The Captain’s Troublesome Catch” by author M. Carolyn Steele, the entertaining tale of a riverboat captain’s romance and life in early Alaska territory.


Joan O’Neill wrote “Would I like to Go to Heaven?” about a young German boy’s dream of life in America. Donna Eades story, "They Became Refugees," reveals little-known details about southern families forced to become Confederate refugees during the Civil War.


Tammy Hinton writes of marriage customs and life in early Oklahoma and Indian Territories; Donna Merry told about an amazing Cherokee woman known simply as “Pokey,” who held her family together in spite of enormous tragedy in "Saga of the Wassoms."


Mallory Harvey records the frustrating everyday life of a doctor’s family living in the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations of Indian Territory. Martin Blazy solved the mystery of an ancestor raised in a New York orphanage and discovered an unknown cousin in "Finding Richard."


These are just a few of the great true stories in this fully-indexed book. Oklahoma and Indian Territory locations mentioned include: Anadarko, Bartlesville, Blanchard, Buffalo, Chilocco, Garvin, Hennessee, Holdenville, Hooker, Johnsonville, Laverty, Lawton, Lovell, McGee, Meers, Minco, Muskogee, Norman, Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Stratford, Stroud, Waggoner. This book is not just about Oklahoma history but there are many Oklahoma connections.


FAMILY STORIES: AN ANTHOLOGY (ISBN 978-1-883852-07-2)

'WHO'S YOUR DADDY?" PROVIDES START TO FAMILY HISTORY FUN


Author Carolyn B. Leonard asks Who's Your Daddy? and offers a basic guide to introduce family history and genealogy. An introduction "for the rest of us," WYD targets those who are more interested in learning about their heritage than about creating a philosophical tome which no one will ever read, or a "book of begats" designed to impress the reader. In most cases those books become great sleeping pills.

Who's Your Daddy? encourages you to have fun with your new interest while reminding you to follow the rules of recording sources so you don't wind up with egg on your face.

Who's Your Daddy? shows you how to research at home, on the Internet, in county court houses, in libraries, in cemeteries, in church records, and—best of all, on the road to visit the places where your ancestors lived, loved, and died. (Note: Genealogy provides a great excuse to travel!)

Who's Your Daddy? explores basic rules of genealogical evidence, evaluation of source materials, research methods, and includes extensive guidance on Web-based research and DNA study. Plenty of "True Story" examples and clear illustrations are included to show you the way.
Order your copy today at Who's Your Daddy? Softcover, 200 + pages, with real life examples.

9/9/10

GIDEON CAIN - THE DEMON HUNTER



NEW RELEASE----

Airship 27 Productions & Cornerstone Book Publishers have teamed up with noted fantasy, science fiction author, Van Allen Plexico to bring to life a brand new sword wielding adventurer: Gideon Cain – The Demon Hunter. Originally conceived on an internet forum, this swashbuckling, globe trotting avenger is the result of half a dozen creative minds pooling their ideas and imaginations into bringing forth a tortured hero cast in a classic pulp mold.


During the famous Salem Witch Trials (1692-93) British born Puritan soldier, Gideon Cain, aided the inquisitions, believing them to be just. Soon thereafter, God revealed to Cain that he and the righteous citizens of Salem had been duped by a cunning, ageless demon from Hell known as Azazel. The guilt of his actions weighs heavily on his conscience and rather than be driven mad by it, Gideon chooses to make atonement. Taking up his sword, the blade inscribed with holy runes, he bids farewell to his wife and children and departs on his sacred mission. Now he wanders the earth doing God’s work and destroying evil in whatever shape or guise it appears; his one consuming goal, to find and destroy Azazel.



Airship 27 Productions is thrilled to be bringing pulp fans this great new character written in the tradition of Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane. Here are seven exciting, action packed tales of the Demon Hunter by Scott Harris, Brian Zavitz, K.G.McAbee, Ian Watson, James Palmer, David Wright and Van Allen Plexico. Design and interior illustrations by Art Director Rob Davis with a painted cover by Davis and Shane Evans.



The book also features a special introduction by co-creator, Kurt Busiek. (Marvel’s – Astro City)

Airship 27 Productions, Pulp Fiction for a new generation.

ISBN: 1-934935-74-3 / ISBN 13: 978- 1-934935-74-3 / Produced by Airship 27 / Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers

9/3/10

Scott Kinkade Publishes New SCI-FIC Novel


Scott Kinkade, of Guthrie, has recently published a science fiction novel Mirai: a Promise to Tomorrow online (https://www.createspace.com/3429856) and on Kindle.

About the author: Grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Graduated from Oklahoma Christian University with a B.A. in Arts. Enjoys videogames, anime and books. Has been studying Japanese language for several years.

About the Book: In the future following the Collapse, former rebel Zaq Martial just wanted to get away from his problems. But it turns out that's not so easy. He finds himself pursued not only by an oppressive government, but also by a vengeful ex-girlfriend. If he can survive that as well as superhuman enemies, a violent split personality, and even his own quirky allies, he may just become the hero the world needs. Can he stop the ruthless Benefactors, led by dangerous beauty Yamiyo? Or will humanity be led down an eternal dark path devoid of free will?



Publication Date:Aug 25 2010
ISBN/EAN13:1450565077 / 9781450565073
Page Count:430
Binding Type:US Trade Paper ;Trim Size:5.5" x 8.5" ; Language:English ; Color:Black and White
Related Categories:Fiction / Science Fiction / Adventure

8/28/10

TONYA HOLMES SHOOK BOOK HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL



Noted author and book festival promoter, Tonya Holmes Shook, reports her book, Anyone Can Be A Wool Spinner, has been a great success since it was first published. It has been a popular title for the author and the distributor, The Woolery. It is a great addition to any library collection.


This book takes you through the whole process of washing, carding, blocking spinning, and plying wool.

Also full of beautiful colored pictures of different breeds of sheep and their wool quality.

It also covers information on choosing and trouble shooting a spinning wheel.

Order from: Amazon

8/23/10

CHISHOLM TRAIL BOOK FESTIVAL, SEPT. 18, DUNCAN, OK

To learn if there are any booths left...or to answer any questions about this event, please contact the following:


Glenna Pace, Festival Chair
AGapace@aol.com
580.467.8864

8/19/10

WEIRD HORROR TALES: THE FEASTING

Picture this: a man’s head explodes into leaves thrown up and away into a hoary midnight.

That is the cover of the second of a trilogy of novels from author Michael Vance, “Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting”. Like the first novel in the series, this second braided novel of fifteen interrelated horror, SF, and fantasy stories was written in the style and tradition of pulp magazines in the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, and will be released in the fall of 2010.

The cover was done by France’s Christophe Dessaigne, a journalist, scenarist for role playing games, and photographer. Mainly influenced by the science fiction, horror, and fantastic genres, his atmospheric, surreal creations combine digital photography and manipulation in a dark and post-apocalyptic future. Dessaigne’s creations are fantastic surrealist photomontages. His work is desolate, vast and dream-like featuring huge structures and visions. His work has appeared in cover art books, on music CD covers, and in magazines including Advanced Creations and PSD Photoshop.

“I was immediately drawn to his outré work which I originally found on Flickr, a shared community on-line for images,” said the author. “His dark, subtle visions capture the heart and atmosphere of my own stories which try to capture the something other in an otherwise normal world instead of a slavish use of graphic horror.”

The interior illustrations are by artist Earl Geier, best known for his horror, fantasy and science fiction artwork.

"The response to volume one in this series by the pulp-horror community has been tremendous," commented Ron Fortier, Managing Editor of the series for Airship 27 Productions. "We know there is strong anticipation for this follow up book and I'm here to say Michael's fans will not be disappointed. This is a truly marvelous collection."


“My stories are founded on the premise that there is something larger than our narrow view of reality,” said Vance. “Each interconnected story is set in Light’s End, a creepy little burg of the coast of Maine.” These stories about the fictional town have been favorably compared to the work of H. P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury.


Vance has written for national and international magazines, and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, “Forbidden Adventures”, has been called a "benchmark in comics history”.


The publisher of “The Feasting” and “Weird Horror Tales”, Cornerstone Book Publishers also publishes Masonic and esoteric books, selected pulp fiction, art literature, limited children's books, and poetry collections. The braided novel, “Weird Horror Tales, is available on-line, at book stores, and from Cornerstone. For more information about Cornerstone, go to www.cornerstonepublishers.com.


Airship 27 packages and publishes anthologies and novels in the pulp magazine tradition.

In the past, Airship 27 has released “Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective”, a series of “Captain Hazzard” pulp thrillers, more pulp fiction in “The Green Lama” and “Secret Agent X”. For more information on Airship 27, go to www.airship27.com.

Molly Lemmons Publishes New Book

Molly Lemmons, well known Oklahoma storyteller and author, has released a new book, "Hold My Hand, My Precious Child".

It is available on Amazon (CLICK ON IMAGE).

8/18/10

SPOTLIGHT: Steven Wedel


An Oklahoma born author whose works of the strange and lyrical have grown to be a new voice on the horizon. Check out his works, appearance and Facebook links at http://www.stevenewedel.com/

8/15/10

L.A.HAMILTON - AUTHOR OF "THE WILLING SPIRIT'


Lesley Ward, aka L.A. Hamilton, has just recently published book a released through Dog Ear Publishing.


Hannah and Sam Pine, are forced to move when their mother dies. Hannah’s grief for the loss of her mother nearly pushes her into deaths waiting arms, until she becomes enveloped in the life of her handsome savior, Ethan Sun. Hannah fall’s desperately in love with Ethan, whom she deems perfect. It doesn’t take her long to realize that she isn’t too far off of her assumption, once she is exposed to his mysterious world. The stronger her love becomes for Ethan, the more extreme his deadly secrets get. (See more at TheWillingSpirit.com. )

It is a fictional novel that is told from an Oklahoma girls perspective. Says the author:" I have lived in Oklahoma my whole life, thus my heroine in the book was from Oklahoma too :)"


$12.95 / Perfectbound /ISBN: 9781608445813 /248 pages

8/12/10

'STRANGE STATE" Author Interview and Travel Fall 2010



Cullan Hudson, author and freelance graphic artist, was recently interviewed on the blog Autumn Forest about his popular book, Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma. He will also be traveling the state this fall talking about his book and research. He may have some spots open for your location.
He admitted in the interview that he his preparing the sequel, Stranger State, and working on other projects just as fascinating.
His fall appearances include the Boggy Depot Bigfoot Conference where he will join internationally known research Nick Pope as a presenter. Also,

September 18, 2010 - Chisholm Trail Book Festival (Pending); October 9, 2010 - Author Presentation and Book Signing at Enid Public Library; Oct 22-23, 2010 - Boggy Depot Bigfoot Conference. More are pending and will be announced as details solidify.

8/2/10

NEW BOOK FEATURES INTERVIEWS OF OKLAHOMA WOMEN PREACHERS


WOMEN WITH THE GOOD NEWS: The Rhetorical Heritage of Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachers. by Dr. Kristen Dayle Welch

The first book to share interviews with women preachers of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC), Dr. Welch explores rhetoric, gender, and religion in the biographies, autobiographies, and histories that detail what it means to be a Pentecostal woman preacher in Oklahoma. Archival materials provide a picture of Pentecostalism years before Oklahoma became a state in 1907, and a transcribed interview with the former Presiding Bishop of the IPHC, James Leggett, gives a contemporary view of what it means to be Pentecostal in the 21st century. A Christian scholar who grew up in the IPHC, Dr. Welch draws upon the field of rhetoric to use Jim Corder's theory of generative ethos to illuminate the way identity is constructed on individual, collective, and spiritual levels. She shows the role place plays in the development of faith and character in her chapter "We are of this Place: Oklahoma and Ethos." She concludes the book with an honest look at the administrative levels of the IPHC and ends with a note of hope for the future.

AUTHOR:Kristen Dayle Welch (PhD, University of Arizona) is Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Writing Center at Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia, USA.
Available: Amazon and CPT Press
Publication Date:Jul 12 2010 ; ISBN/EAN13:0981965199 / 9780981965192
Page Count:136 ; Binding Type:US Trade Paper; Trim Size:6" x 9" ; Language:English ;Color:Black and White ;Related Categories:Religion / History
[The IPHC international offices have been located in Bethany, Oklahoma since the late 1970's. The denomination formed in 1911 in Franklin Springs, Georgia by a merge of the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church and the Pentecostal Holiness Church]

7/29/10

SHELDON STOUT INVADES MEDFORD, OK 7/30/2010

Author Sheldon Stout announces: "I'm taking over my hometown of Medford, OK Tomorrow, Friday July 30 with a book signing at the Medford Public Library at 10am - 12:30pm. If you are in the area I'd love to see you out there. Books will be $10 each or 3 for $25"

Stout is a nontraditional poet/songwriter/spoken word artist/wanna be guitarist/mad man/jack of all trades.

He published his first collection of poetry, Pop, Punk or Pulp Poetry? in April 2008 and the second collection, Call It What You Will, in April 2009.

Both books are available now at www.publishamerica.com www.amazon.com www.target.com and hopefully soon at a store near you.

7/25/10

LOCAL COMPANY SEEKS HEARING OR VISION IMPAIRED AUTHORS

CaptionWrite, L.L.C., based in Oklahoma City. We provide Remote Realtime Online Captioning, Transcription, and Interpreter Services for the Deaf/Hearing-Impaired/Hard-of-Hearing, is looking for Deaf/Hearing-Impaired and/or Blind Writers/Authors in Oklahoma. I would appreciate any talents outside of Oklahoma, as well. We would like to have writers and authors as guests for future events (book signings, workshops, etc.) to increase awareness within our community. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Contact Eric N. Kimberlin, CaptionWrite, L.L.C., Oklahoma City, OK . Email: eric@captionwrite.com. Web: www.captionwrite.com

7/10/10

"In Her Own Words" Celebrates Faith, Love and Family


In Her Own Words: The Life and Inspirational Poems of Velma Dora Terry (1915-1999). Velma Terry; compiled and edited by Marilyn A. Hudson. Whorl Books via CreateSpace.


A child of the windy wheat plains of central Kansas, Velma Dora Terry, lived a simple life of no great renown, yet she possessed a poet's vision and a prophet's faith. Velma lived in simple homes in Kansas, rude houses in the Ozarks, and small homes on the frosty Nebraska hills. She gave birth to ten children over thirty years and lost three as infants. She fell, she stumbled, and in every time reached out to the God of her faith and tried to point others in that saving way. Velma's work originally appeared in several small collections, sold throughout southwestern Missouri and printed in newspapers in the region. Now, for the firstime, a majority of her work is being presented in its chronological order, along with a biographical and faith sketch of this woman who, in her poems, continues to speak In Her Own Words.


Endorsement:

"What a grace gift from the Lord that He made us such creatures of innovative communication! He certainly bestowed this trait upon Velma Dora Cochren Terry. "In Her Own Words" is the treasured reflections and responses from this pioneer woman of 20th century Kansas. Through her poetic pen readers can resonate with her passion as she composed the nuances of this life, and contemplated the one to come. "-- Dr. Terry Tramel, Southwestern Christian University, Bethany, Oklahoma.
Release Date: Available now at Amazon.com

6/5/10

AUTHOR EVENT AT OK HISTORY CENTER JUNE 12


The Oklahoma History Center is pleased to announce a signing and chatting with the public event on Saturday June 12th. The event runs from 10am-3pm. The presentation schedule for the meeting room is:

11:30am - Sterling Gates, writer of Super girl, World's Finest and the upcoming Kid Flash at DC Comics
12:30pm - Art of Destruction, author and illustrator, reads from her latest work World Wide Tribune
1:00pm - Hall Duncan, author and illustrator, Winner Williams and many children’s books
2:00pm - Rob Vollmar, writer, The Castaways and Bluesman



The signing tables will sit in the lobby of the History Center.

Jack & Carole Bender: 10:30-11:30 and 1:30-2:30

R.A. Jones: 11:00-12:00 and 2:00-3:00

Michael Vance: 11:00-12:00 and 2:00-3:00 (I'll actually be there from10:30 to 3:00pm)

Terry Tidwell: 10:30-11:30 and 1:30-2:30

John Wooley: 10:30-11:30 and 1:30-2:30


Daryl Talbot: 10:00-11:00 and 1:00-2:00

Dr. Hall Duncan: 10:00-11:00 and 2:00-3:00

Robert Wilson IV: 12:00-1:00 and 2:00-3:00

Rob Vollmar: 12:30-1:30



Oklahoma Historical Society is located by the State Capital at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City, OK 73105-7917. Phone is (405) 522-0876. The authors and center invite all to join them at the Oklahoma History Center June 12th for a truly uncanny adventure! http://okiecartoonists.org/

6/2/10

Steven Hood

One of a father’s biggest duties is to build into their sons character. But how this accomplished? What tools are available to construct a man of valor from a boy? Steve Hood will place the tools in your heart you will need to instill honor, integrity, character, courage, faith, family, leadership and strength into your young men. This is a book of practical inspiration, a timeless treasure chest of help for fathers of sons young and old.


Values Under Construction: A Fathers Words of Faith to His Sons is the second book for Hood and has been published through a new publishing company here in Oklahoma, E-Moon Publishing.

E-Moon Publishing has leaped into the future to produce books that can be downloaded for electronic readers, such as Amazon's Kindle, you can contact the publisher - Jeff Dunn at jeff@emoonpublishing.com.

5/24/10

MONGREL EMPIRE PRESS PUBLISHES SIX NEW WORKS

Norman, OK ) May 20, 2010--Mongrel Empire Press, an Eclectic Publishing House specializing in regional and unusual literary works, announces the publication of six new titles in the past five months. Of the six titles, three are poetry and three are nonfiction. Four of the collections also feature black and white photographs.



The three poetry titles are Spare Parts by Ken Hada, My Sideways Heart by Nathan Brown, and Oklahomaography by Joey Brown.





Ken Hada, author of Spare Parts, is a literature professor and coordinator of the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. His collection includes powerful, finely crafted yet accessible poems about fishing, hunting, waitresses, sons, and fathers. Award-winning novelist Diane Glancy says that Hada’s poems, “acting as spare parts in themselves, go into the making of one smooth-running, powerful engine.”





My Sideways Heart by Nathan Brown, popular regional poet and musician, offers the reader fractured love poems, funny and poignant at the same time. As Concho River Review poetry editor Jerry Bradley opines, Brown’s poetic voice is “compassionate, frighteningly honest, and disturbingly beautiful.” Nathan’s collection includes black and white photographs, as does Joey Brown’s Oklahomaography.





As the title suggests, Joey Brown’s Oklahomaography offers a poetic geography of Oklahoma people and places; Missouri Review editor Speer Morgan recommends the collection for “anyone who understands the abiding connection to place.” Oklahomaography has recently been featured on Amazon.com’s Hot New Releases recommendation list.





The three nonfiction titles recently released by Mongrel Empire Press are a biography, L. W. Marks: A Baptist Progressive in Missouri & Oklahoma, 1862-1943, by Alvin O. Turner; a memoir, Crossing a Different Bridge, by Judith Tate O’Brien, and Fighters & Writers, a collection of creative nonfiction essays by John G. Rodwan, Jr.





Alvin O. Turner, brings his historian’s rigor and his poet’s instinct for graceful writing to the fascinating story of minister, businessman, and mayor of Edmond, OK, L.W. Marks. The collection is illustrated with vintage Marks family photographs.





Judith Tate O'Brien's Crossing a Different Bridge presents “distilled memories of a life in the oil patch, Catholic boarding schools, and the convent are honest and intense. Her spare, precise language and unflinching inward gaze crystallize harsh experience into high art” (Terry Britton, President of Rose State College).





John G. Rodwan’s Fighters & Writers is a “spirited and far-ranging meditation on boxing that's also a thoughtful inquiry into the relationship between the writer's craft and the fighter's” (Carlo Rotella, author of Cut Time: An Education at the Fights). Fighters & Writers is illustrated with black and white photographs.





For more information on Mongrel Empire Press or to obtain review copies of these and other titles, contact the Press by sending an email from the web site: www.mongrelempirepress.org. Mongrel Empire Press books are available from the Press, the authors, Amazon.com and selected independent bookstores.





About Mongrel Empire Press


Mongrel Empire Press was established in 2007 with a mission to publish well-written, thoughtfully-considered works across generic and disciplinary boundaries. The Press actively identifies and promotes Oklahoma and regional writers while at the same time making room for outside the region works that, because of their mixed generic, disciplinary, and philosophical approaches, cannot find a home at other presses that have a more narrowly defined mission.




Jeanetta Calhoun Mish
Editor & Book Designer
Mongrel Empire Press
www.mongrelempire.org
mongrel@mongrelempire.org

5/16/10

WEIRD HORROR TALES: THE FEASTING"

The long await banquet is ready.....
“Run!” he screamed. “It’s still alive!!”


Yes, Tulsa author Michael Vance is still alive and writing, and has signed with Cornerstone Book Publishers and Airship 27 for publication of the second of three novels, “Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting”. His second braided novel of fifteen interrelated horror, SF, and fantasy stories was also written in the style and tradition of pulp magazines in the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, and will be released in the fall of 2010.



"The first volume of this collection was simply the unnerving appetizer. Vance and Geier now offer up the main course and it's a terror filled delight!” said Ron Fortier, editor of “The Feasting”.



“My stories are founded on the premise that there is something larger than our narrow view of reality,” said Vance. “Each interconnected story shares setting, history, prominent families, and a macro plot. The stories also focus on the Azrealites, a religious cult that works tirelessly to reinstate that ‘Other’ on Earth through science and the occult.”



These stories about the fictional town of “Light's End” in Maine have been published in dozens of magazines in three countries. Vance’s influences on these stories are H. P. Lovecraft, William Faulkner, and Ray Bradbury.



The cover was done by France’s Christophe Dessaigne, a journalist, scenarist for role playing games, and photographer. Mainly influenced by the science fiction, horror, and fantastic genres, his atmospheric, surreal creations combine digital photography and manipulation in a dark and post-apocalyptic future.



The interior illustrations are by artist Earl Geier, best known for his horror, fantasy and science fiction artwork. In the role playing game industry, his work includes art for “Battletech”, “Call of Cthulhu”, and many others. He has illustrated books for “Cemetery Dance” magazine, Chaosium, Gryphon and Subterranean Press. For comic book, he's had work published by Dark Horse Comics, Comiczone, Now, Innovation and DC Comics Paradox.



Vance has written for national and international magazines, and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, “Forbidden Adventures”, has been called a "benchmark in comics history”. He briefly ghosted an internationally syndicated comic strip, wrote his own strip and several comic books. He is listed in the Who's Who of American Comic Books and Comic Book Superstars.



The publisher of “The Feasting” and “Weird Horror Tales”, Cornerstone Book Publishers also publishes Masonic and esoteric books, selected pulp fiction, art literature, limited children's books, and poetry collections. The braided novel, “Weird Horror Tales, is available on-line, at book stores, and from Cornerstone. For more information about Cornerstone, go to www.cornerstonepublishers.com.



Airship 27 packages and publishes anthologies and novels in the pulp magazine tradition.

In the past, Airship 27 has released “Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective”, a series of “Captain Hazzard” pulp thrillers, more pulp fiction in “The Green Lama” and “Secret Agent X”. For more information on Airship 27, go to www.airship27.com.

3/22/10

MASKED RIDER RELEASED


Airship 27 Productions & Cornerstone Book Publishers are saddling up to bring their readers three rip-roaring yarns of gun-blazing justice from out of the Old West. One of the hallmark genres of the early pulps were the many western titles available to readers. Heroes like the Masked Rider and many others rode the plains month after month in wild and wooly six-gun tales.


In the years immediately following the Civil War, the land west of the great Mississippi River was a lawless frontier being shaped by the courageous men and women who ventured there in hopes of finding a better life. What they found was a vast wilderness exploited by outlaws, drifters and cattle barons who made their own law at the end of a gun. Caught in the middle were the brave and noble Native American people, struggling to survive against this tide of so-called civilization.


A rare breed of men took on the challenge of bringing justice the west; men like the mysterious Masked Rider, Virgil Earp and Wild Bill Hickok. These were men who cast their long shadows over western history and went on to become legends. Now writers Eric Jones, Tommy Hancock and Aaron Smith bring us their adventures in three fast paced, no-holds barred shoot’em ups wherein it’s good versus evil on the dusty streets and rolling plains of this big country.

The Masked Rider and his blood-brother, Blue Hawk, must stop a gang of outlaws from taking over an entire town in The Raid on Granite Gap, while Virgil Earp walks a gauntlet of blood to rescue his kidnapped wife in Crossing Contention, and finally Wild Bill tries to stop two men of honor from destroying each other in The Long Trail of Vengeance. This title features a cover by Rob Davis and Shane Evans with interior illustrations by Nick Miller.


So load your six shooters, pilgrims and saddle up for western action Airship 27 style; Pulp Fiction for a New Generation!


ISBN: 1-934935-67-0 /ISBN 13: 978-1-934935-67-5

Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers
Release date: 03/19/2010
Retail Price: $21.95

MARLOW AUTHOR BRAY WINS READER VIEWS AWARD


Oklahoma Novel Wins Award
The novel Rendezvous Rock written by Marlow author Rickey Bray has placed second in the fantasy category in the Reader Views Literary Awards. Reader Views is an author support service based out of Austin, TX. The Reader Views Literary Awards are open to all authors as long as the book is published in English and marketed in North America.

Rickey Bray became an author after a series of personal tragedies. Following a car accident involving a drunk driver and the death of his wife and two children, Bray turned to drugs for consolation which eventually resulted in twelve years of incarceration, a life altering experience that resulted in the start of his writing career and this debut novel.

According to the book review by Richard R. Blake from Bridgman, MI, “Bray’s writing raises the standards of ex-prisoner published books from mediocre to excellent. Rendezvous Rock will be appreciated by those who enjoy the genres of fantasy and adventure with a romantic twist.”
Rendezvous Rock can be purchased online from Amazon Books, Barnes and Noble, and Robert D. Reed Publishers. Check with your local bookstores for availability.

3/18/10

Make Plans for the Oklahoma Writer's Conference

Now is a good time to join and attend this conference.
WRITE EVERY DAY 2010
Oklahoma Writers Federation 42nd Annual Conference
Thursday, Friday & Saturday, April 29-May 1st, 2010

Keynote speaker at Friday night dinner: Dana Stabenow

The WRITE EVERY DAY OWFI conference features approximately 25 agents, editors, and professional writers who will present 40 informative seminars on a range of topics. The conference is geared to give writers the opportunity to improve their skills, network, make professional contacts and have fun!

Join us for a total immersion experience in the art, craft and business of writing.

2010 Location:

The Embassy Suites Hotel, 1815 S. Meridian, Oklahoma City. Click the Hotel Info button in the drop-down menu for hotel details.

Conference fees:

Before March 15, 2010, full registration including evening meals is $150.
On or after March 15, full registration is $175.

LOOKING FOR BINDER FOR SHORT RUN DISSERTATIONS

Librarian friends: Anyone know of a good source for, and one willing to do, short run binding of dissertations style, hardback,manuscripts (about 70 pages max.)? Contact: scu.library@swcu.edu

MANAGING THE FEAR AND ANXIETIES OF FINDING ANOTHER WRITING JOB

MANAGING THE FEAR AND ANXIETIES OF FINDING ANOTHER WRITING JOB. By: Stanley Popovich

Layoffs in today’s business world are common and with it comes the fear and anxiety of finding another job. With this in mind, here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their stresses and anxieties in finding a new writing job.

A technique that can be used to reduce the stress of finding another job is to divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. For instance, the first thing you should do is to determine what kind of job you want. Once you know what you are looking for, the next step is to update and prepare your resume. Once that is finished, you should then concentrate on finding the companies that interest you and send your resume to them. Once you submit your resume, the next step is to prepare for the job interview. By completing these smaller tasks, you will reduce your stress and anxiety and increase your chances of finding another job.

Sometimes you may get depressed during your job search. Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that make us feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket. Whenever you feel depressed, open up your small notebook and read those statements.

In addition, it also helps to write down a list of things you are thankful for in this world. For instance: good health, a good marriage, lots of friends, being smart and resourceful, and a good education are things that any person can be thankful for. Whenever you get discouraged in finding another job, take out your list and focus on the things that make you happy. This technique will make you feel better and give you more encouragement to continue with the job search.

Sometimes, we may be nervous doing a certain task that may be scary. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you have an interview in a few days. Before the big day comes, imagine that you are in the interview. Imagine that you are talking to the manager about your qualifications. By practicing the interview using your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

Finding a new job can be tough, however remember to take it one day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that can’t be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. Focus on the present and do your best each day.

Our anxieties and stresses can be difficult to manage when finding a new job. Managing your stress during a job search takes practice. Be patient and in time you will become better in dealing with your anxieties.

BIOGRAPHY:

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods" - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/