Archive for: ‘February 2013’

Workshop Episode 52 (Guest Host: Hugh Howey)

February 26, 2013 Posted by Dave Robison

The Roundtable Podcast, Workshop Episode 52, with Hugh Howey and Holli Mintzer Hugh Howey – a storyteller who’s pen has scribed many marvelous tales, including the astonishing dystopian scifi tale “Wool” that continues to impact the literary world in the most delightful ways – returns to the big chair at the Roundtable to workshop a very cool mid-grade scifi story idea offered up by the inventive and inspired Holli Mintzer. Holli’s tale of deep space generational ships and alien first contact (and first abduction) is fraught with intriguements that set us to exploring all the nooks and crannies of Holli’s universe. Along the way, we scarf up a metric ton of Literary Gold! (and you’ll find there’s more Literary Gold to be had over at Hugh’s Showcase Episode!)

PROMO: “A Minor Magic” by Justin Macumber

Workshop Episode 52 (Guest Host: Hugh Howey)

[caution: mature language and themes - listener discretion is advised]

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:10:16 — 48.2MB)

Check out this and all our episodes on iTunes and on Stitcher Radio!

Here’s what’s on Hugh’s Day-timer… (more…)

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Sense Memory Has Arrived!

February 23, 2013 Posted by Brion Humphrey

Book Cover for Sense Memory

Book Cover for Sense Memory

Well, to be more accurate, I finally paid attention to the incessant knocks, pings, and scratchings coming from the inside of the dusty drawer where I’ve been keeping it hidden for the last three years.  Upon sliding the drawer slowly open, standing back to avoid any arterial spray, and then hacking into the beast and sewing it back together into its current and beautifully monstrous form, it is now time to let it bleed out into the world and infect ebook reading devices and mp3 players everywhere!

Dear Literary Alchemists, Dave and I have been talking about writers and the craft long enough from the sidelines and with a competed novel collecting dust, I decided to brush it off and stop hoarding the ninty-eight thousand words, and get into the game. It has been getting increasingly difficult to keep telling all of you to GO WRITE!, without offering some evidence that I was following my own advice.   Hence, the release of Sense Memory.

Sense Memory is the story of Benjamin Cady, who, thrust into a search for his own sister’s killer, flees Colorado and the only world he understands to scour the streets of Los Angeles, plagued by headaches and memories of murder. He quickly discovers that L.A. is not unknown to him, and as his memories of his sister’s death become clearer, so does the possibility that Ben himself may be the murderer.

Lieutenant Jim Banquer has plenty of bodies, but every witness seems to be suffering from a mysterious form of amnesia. Investigating these deaths means he must piece together the scattered shards of a deadly power scheme that goes well beyond murder, and Ben is the key.  (more…)

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20 Minutes with Hugh Howey

February 22, 2013 Posted by Dave Robison

Hugh Howey

Hugh Howey

Hugh Howey is the author of many tales, long and short, set in diverse environments and genres. But it is his dystopian scifi tale “Wool” that has captured the imaginations of not only of thousands of fans, but also most publishing and media industries in the free world (including Hollywood). It’s all too easy to narrow your focus of an individual when one work commands such attention… and in the case of Hugh, that would be an egregious error. His life experience as well as his persistence and dedication to his craft has given Hugh a unique perspective that distinguishes his writing and the path he’s chosen to pursue it. Lauren Harris (of the Pendragon Variety Podcast) and myself took full advantage of our 20(ish) minutes with Hugh as we explore his insights and strategies on worldbuilding, his own strengths and assets, expanding a novelette into a full series, and so much more! (and you’ll want to come back for Hugh’s Workshop Episode!)

PROMO: “Walk the Fire” anthology edited by John Mierau

Showcase Episode: 20 Minutes with Hugh Howey

[caution: mature language - listener discretion is advised]

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 39:57 — 27.4MB)

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Check out the goodness to be had from the House of Howey… (more…)

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Workshop Episode 51 (Guest Host: Tobias Buckell)

February 19, 2013 Posted by Dave Robison

The Roundtable Podcast, Workshop Episode 51, with Tobias Buckell and Jeff XilonTobias Buckell – author of the fabulous Xenowealth series, Halo™ tie-in novel “The Cole Protocol“, the recently released “Arctic Rising” from Tor Books, and so much more – returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to help us workshop a kind-of-superhero tale offered by Guest Writer, Jeff Xilon. Jeff’s tale – that begins with the destruction of the last superheroes – sparks a frothing conversation as we explore a whole plethora of perspectives, POVs, backstories, and approach vectors, exposing some very cool material that might help enhance the story and also explore some new ground for the super hero genre. The Internet gods were very cruel to us (our apologies for the wretched bits we couldn’t edit out), but that didn’t stop us from unearthing some serious Literary Gold! (and you’ll get even more writerly goodness over at Tobias’s Showcase Episode!)

PROMO:  The Protecting Project Pulp podcast (part of the District of Wonders Network)

Workshop Episode 51 (Guest Host: Tobias Buckell)

[caution: mature language and themes - listener discretion is advised]

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:09:47 — 47.9MB)

Check out this and all our episodes on iTunes and on Stitcher Radio!

Coming up from Tobias… (more…)

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20 Minutes with Tobias Buckell

February 15, 2013 Posted by Dave Robison

Tobias Buckell

Tobias Buckell

Tobias Buckell has lived an adventurous life, not in the sense of plundering ancient tombs or fighting ninjas, but a life of extraordinary circumstances, opportunities and challenges. He says, “Fear of something is always an indicator of something I should do”… with that philosophy, he has blazed his own trail, exploring his craft – creating compelling tales like “Crystal Rain“, his exploration of his own craft in “Nascence“, and the recently crowd funded “Apocalypse Ocean” – and infusing his tales with a profoundly unique voice that has earned him a space on the New Yourk Times Best-Selling List and  nominations for Hugo, Nebula, Prometheus, and Campbell awards. This 20(ish) minutes of conversation is rich with Tobias’s refreshing perspective on so many aspects of the wrting process, including loving what you do, dealing with fear and the challenges of life as a writer, the secret of endings, and much more! The writerly goodness here here for the taking, so hit that “PLAY” button and dig in! (and the quest for Literary Gold continues in Tobias’s Workshop Episode!)

PROMO: The Way of the Buffalo Podcast  with Hugh O’Donnell

Showcase Episode: 20 Minutes with Tobias Buckell

[caution: mature language - listener discretion is advised]

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 36:52 — 25.3MB)

Check out this and all our episodes on iTunes and on Stitcher Radio!

Check out the goodness from the Tobias-sphere… (more…)

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Workshop Episode 50 (Guest Host: Lauren Oliver)

February 12, 2013 Posted by Dave Robison

The Roundtable Podcast, Workshop Episode 50, with Lauren Oliverand Kebreht Walker Lauren Oliver – author of astonishing tales for all ages, including the New York Times Best-Selling YA series “Delirium“, and “Liesl and Po” and “The Spindlers“ (for younger audiences) AND one half of the evil genius team (with Lexa Hillyr) behind the innovative Paper Lantern Lit literary house -  returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to apply her experience and writerly mojo in the workshopping of a tale offered up by Guest Writer Kebreht Walker.  Keb comes load for bear (or wolf, as the case may be) with a very cool YA spin on the Red Ridinghood fairy tale, full of intrigue and danger. Ryan Stevenson and I dive in and everyone brings their “A” game resulting in a huge basket of Literary Gold. Don’t take it to Grandma’s… hit ‘play’ and keep it for yourself! (and you’ll get even more writerly goodness over at Lauren’s Showcase Episode!)

PROMO: “A Minor Magic” by Justin Macumber

Workshop Episode 50 (Guest Host: Lauren Oliver)

[caution: mature language and themes - listener discretion is advised]

Play

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:09:47 — 47.9MB)

Check out this and all our episodes on iTunes and on Stitcher Radio!

A veritable truckload of Awesomeness is coming from Lauren… (more…)

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20 Minutes with Lauren Oliver

February 8, 2013 Posted by Dave Robison

Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver brings so much fabulousity into the world – through her novels, including the much-lauded “Delirium” series, “Liesl and Po” and “The Spindlers“, and more, AND her work with partner-in-crime-and-story Lexa Hillyer at the astonishing Paper Lantern Lit -  and the adventure of her pursuits thus far has refined her awareness of the writers craft without blunting her delight in the process. During this 20(ish) minutes of intriguing conversation, Ryan Stevenson and I discover Laurens perspectives on the collaborative process, the power and virtue of YA literature, the power of understanding plot, and so much more… hit that play button and let’s dig into this! (and Lauren’s Workshop Episode is a Literary Gold fest!)

PROMO: The Podio Rookie podcast with Kenn Crawford

Showcase Episode: 20 Minutes with Lauren Oliver

[caution: mature language - listener discretion is advised]

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 38:26 — 26.4MB)

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So much awesomeness from Lauren… (more…)

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Guest Post: Emma Newman and the Split Worlds

February 7, 2013 Posted by Emma Newman

[From Dave: Today, we're honored to host one of the marvelous tales set in Emma Newman's Split Worlds. Emma Has been releasing a story a week for the entire YEAR leading up to launch date of the first novel in the series - "Between Two Thorns" - which being released into the world by the visionary folks at Angry Robot Books (click the cover to get all the details).  Brion and I are thrilled to be able to provide a digital home for one of these literary delights... we know you'll enjoy it. ]

"Between Two Thorns" by Emma Newman

“Between Two Thorns” by Emma Newman

In 2013 the marvellous Angry Robot books will be publishing three Split Worlds novels, the first is out in March and called “Between Two Thorns”. This story is part of a crazy thing I decided to do before I got the book deal and was forging ahead with the project on my own: releasing a new story every week for a year and a day, hosted on a different site every time, all set in the Split Worlds. I wanted to give readers a taste of my kind of urban fantasy and have the opportunity to build in secrets and extra bits for those people who, like me, love the tiny details. It’s also been a major part of my world-building work alongside writing the novels.

This is the forty-eighth tale in the year and a day of weekly short stories set in The Split Worlds.  If you would like me to read it to you instead, you can listen here.  You can find links to all the other stories, and the new ones as they are released here.  You can also sign up to get the stories delivered to your inbox, one per week for a year and a day.

 

The Verdigris Set

Bath, 2011

Gary placed the last pawn on the board and sat down at the table. It was beautiful, each piece so exquisitely crafted he felt tearful. He jumped when the front door slammed and his brother’s return from work was announced by a huge belch.

“Dave!” Gary rushed to the kitchen doorway. “You won’t believe what happened to me today!” (more…)

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Workshop Episode 49 (Guest Hosts: Conor McCreery and Anthony del Col)

February 5, 2013 Posted by Dave Robison

The Roundtable Podcast, Workshop Episode 48, with Myke Cole and Tim Niederriter Conor McCreery and Anthony del Col – creators and evil geniuses (genii?) behind the “Kill Shakespeare” graphic novel series (and all the astonishing treasures emerging from it) – return to the big comfy chairs at the Roundtable to lend their unique and insightful creative mojo to a workshop of a tale offered up by John w. Campbell Award candidate Anatoly Belilovsky. Anatoly brings a tale of small Siberian town at the turn of the century that features transforming locomotives, the magic of Kabalah, and none other than the mad monk, Rasputin! Even a fussy Internet couldn’t hold us back from diving into the wonderful possibilities of this intriguing idea. And you know – with such marvelous components and such a cast of workshoppers – the Literary Gold can’t be far behind. (and you can explore more creative jewels in Conor and Anthony’s Showcase Episode!)

PROMO: The Reader Writer podcast

Workshop Episode 49 (Guest Hosts: Conor McCreery and Anthony del Col)

[caution: mature language and themes - listener discretion is advised]

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:10:03 — 64.1MB)

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The Fabulousity of Conor and Anthony… (more…)

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Episode Schedule: February 2013

February 1, 2013 Posted by Dave Robison

FEBRUARY at the Roundtable is a tapestry of woven threads of ‘awesome’, spun with Literary Gold!

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