Alethea Kontis has described herself for Anthology Builder as a princess, a goddess, a force of nature, and a mess! There has got to be more to this thumbnail sketch than she lets on. Let’s find out! – foxtale

Alethea, already a bestselling author and with film credits in your bio (www.altheakontis.com),  you recently launched a Young Adult fairytale novel.  Why this genre?

My whole life has been working toward this moment: Publishing a fantasy novel like the ones I used to love when I was a young girl. The alphabet books and the anthologies and the movies and The Dark-Hunter Companion have been amazing opportunities I’ve been lucky enough to have along the way (what girl in her right mind would say no?), but the fantasy novels have always been my goal.

Your short story “Blood and Water” is in currently in the anthology “From the Shadows” as well as  “Awards Weekend”  at Anthology Builder; what enticed you to retell the little mermaid story as a vampire tale?

My parents always worry about me writing in the car. I keep this little notebook beside my parking break that I scribble mad notes in when at a stoplight, or stuck in traffic. I showed it to my friend Brandi once. She turned a page and said, “What’s a ‘Vampire Mermaid?’” Two completely separate ideas were suddenly smashed together like chocolate and peanut butter. Combined with my love of Hans Christian Andersen and all the research I had done for my marine science minor on hydrothermal vents…VOILA! The story sprang from my head like Athena. With Pirates.

“From the Shadows” is an eclectic collection of Vampire tales, including Bram Stoker’s “Dracula’s Guest” which established the vampire genre, with some of the aspects likely mirrored by Johnny Depp’s vampire in the film “Dark Shadows.” So, will you go see the movie?

Despite my work on this story, Blood and Water (and The Dark-Hunter Companion), I’m really not a vampire fan. I have never found them appealing or sexy, and I hate watching horror movies. (Making them is SO MUCH MORE FUN.) Dark Shadows may surprise me, since I have such low expectations, but I’d much rather go see Avengers again.

Lastly, about teddy bear Charlie: is he a muse, a keepsake or just a cuddly pillow?

Thank you for asking! Charlie was my Christmas present when I was fifteen. His full name is Charlemagne Montesque, the Marquis of Albec, and he is my very best friend. He has dried many a tear and chased away many a nightmare and he knows my deepest, darkest secret (which is that I have no deep, dark secrets). And yes, I still seek his comfort and guidance, even twenty years later. The need for a best friend never goes away.

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Originally published at AnthologyBuilder.com.

Ok, I know there are some of you out there who (gasp!) don't own an e-reading device. You may also have friends or relatives without e-readers who nevertheless would enjoy reading Movement.

Therefore, I have somewhat belatedly arranged for it to be available in paperback. You can buy it on Amazon or include it in a custom book at AnthologyBuilder. Or you can pick up a copy of this little brain-bender, which includes Movement along with stories by David Goldman, Marissa Lingen, and Sandra Tayler.

I do apologize for the cost of the single-story paperback. $3.95 is a pretty steep price for a 26 page chapbook, but Amazon wouldn't let me go much lower. If it's any consolation, I'm only earning about 20 cents in royalties on those.

In unrelated news, Mike Duran has interviewed me on DeCompose. Mike's a devout Christian, so the interview questions focus quite a bit on my religious views and the extent to which they influence my fiction.

Tags: fiction by nancy fulda

Urgent: Compounded Prescription Recall

recall_notice

Tags: medicine, prescription

Silence is Michelle Sagara's first book in the new Queen of the Dead urban fantasy series. As most of you know, I'm not a huge fan of urban fantasy, but I love Michelle's other fantasy books, so I decided to give this one a try.





The main story revolves around Emma, who lost her father a while ago, and has recently lost her boyfriend in an accident. Grief-stricken, she's taken to visiting the graveyard at night to relax. However, on this night, she's not alone. Erik, a new student at her school, is there, and he's hunting Necromancers--people who can use the power of the dead to essentially perform magic. the only problem is that Emma is beginning to show signs that she could be a Necromancer herself.

The book continues with Emma coming into her power, Erik constantly on edge waiting for her to become what he fears the most, all while they try to help a four-year-old boy escape an eternity trapped in the house fire that killed him. And, oh yeah, the real Necromancers show up to try to bring Emma to their side.

The book has the standard urban fantasy feel--a darker atmosphere, some harsh realities about life and death, etc. The only paranormal touch is the existence of the dead and how they are used and how they interact with the world. There is no hint of other creatures, such as vampires, werewolves, etc. Because of the ages of the characters, this also has a significant YA feel to it. I thought Emma, Erik, and there rest of their friends were especially well drawn out and their interactions with each other were realistic and believable. I especially liked Michael's character--an autistic friend who ends up being more significant than most of Emma's other friends.

I did have some issues: There was a strong case of "we aren't going to tell you" here, meaning that Emma is trying to figure out her new world as it changes, Erik (and others) have answers, but they refuse to tell her for no real or apparent reason whatsoever. I find this annoying--just TELL ME ALREADY!--especially when one of the characters literally says that what Emma doesn't know can kill her . . . so why not tell her and forewarn her! I so no reason they couldn't, except it meant that there would be no "mystery" about her power any more and that might cut the dramatic tension.

Another issue was that I'm still not quite certain exactly how Emma's power works in the end. I read the scenes where she's figuring things out a couple of times and I still don't understand what it is that she's doing. The Necromancers power is kind of obvious, and Emma is not doing what they're doing, but I don't see the "rules" that Emma is operating under and how it all ties together. Granted, she's new at this and those rules probably aren't clear to anyone, but I should still get a "feel" for those rules, moreso than I got here. I assume that what she has become will be made clearer in future books.

So, overall, I thought it was a good entry into the urban fantasy field, but I have to say the "just tell me already" aspects of the story were a significant drawback, more frustrating than mysterious for me. I'll be reading the sequels when they arrive, but I much prefer (not surprisingly) Michelle's epic fantasy.

Hi everyone, I will be in Miami for work-related issues from June 4th to June 8th...  So if anyone is in town, let me know, and maybe we can get together for dinner or something.

Tags: where's my blogger?

In a nod to all of the theaters about to go dark for the showing of Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Barnabas Collins, that campy vampire of old soap opera fame, here are a few stories with a bite! You should be able to recognize one classic as the short story that began this dark genre. The others may be a prelude to just some of the troubles Mr. Collins could face in today’s world.

Click on the links to peruse a story, then track it through the author’s name to a ready made anthology, or build one yourself! Enjoy!   – foxtale

He seemed always just about to tell me something—the very idea of which evidently frightened him; but each time he pulled himself up, saying, as he crossed himself: “Walpurgis-Nacht!” … He began to speak in English, of a very crude and broken kind, he always got excited and broke into his native tongue—and every time he did so, he looked at his watch. Then the horses became restless and sniffed the air. At this he grew very pale, and, looking around in a frightened way, he suddenly jumped forward, took them by the bridles and led them on …

http://www.anthologybuilder.com/viewstory.php?story_id=1298

“Mrs. Romanek?” The man on the doorstep carried a clipboard bristling with papers. He waved a badge in her direction. “Leo Martinez, Los Angeles Unified Child and Welfare Attendance Counselor. That’s a newfangled way of saying, ‘truant officer.’ I’m investigating an anonymous tip that you have two children who are not currently enrolled in school. May I come in?”

This was really too bizarre, Valeria thought, a human asking permission to cross her threshold! But refusing would not change the fact that the authorities had become aware of her and her children. (Not that they realized she was a vampire,) but records already existed of that complaint, from some snoopy neighbor, no doubt…

” I want my money!” The dark haired man across from her pounded the desk.

Cheryl sighed. This was the part of the job she didn’t like, denying people their claims.

“Well Mr. Merrill, it is the official opinion of Fundamental Insurance that you are not dead per se. You see…”

Cheryl was rudely interrupted. “I’ve been turned into a damn vampire! I’m dead! Check my heartbeat! Nothing”

Cheryl nodded sympathetically, “Technically the term you are describing is ‘The Living Dead’ or ‘The Undead.’ Your policy pays only upon your death…”

http://www.anthologybuilder.com/viewstory.php?story_id=909

Originally published at AnthologyBuilder.com.

Additional FDA Salad Recall: recall_notice

Tags: fda recall

On the final morning of Awards Weekend, astronaut Mike Fincke held a Q&A about living on the International Space Station. Here are my notes so I can do the whole verisimilitude thing the next time I'm writing near-future sci-fi set in Low Earth Orbit.

Space Adaptation Sickness
Many (but not all) astronauts experience Space Adaptation Sickness during their first few weeks on the station. If I understood Mike right, this is caused by fluid disbalances within the body because gravity is no longer pulling fluid toward the feet. Symptoms are similar to the common cold: swollen sinuses, headache and so forth.

Mike says that after the adaptation period has passed, you feel as good as or better than you did on Earth, because you're healthy and plus: (Mike's words) you can fly.

Up and Down
The International Space Station is designed with a very clear ceiling and floor to prevent astronauts from getting disoriented. Mike says he spent a day walking on the 'ceiling' and it drove his fellow astronauts crazy. He also said that some of the airlocks can deceive you: if you look down for a moment and lose your orientation, it can take a moment to figure out which door leads back to the station and which one opens on empty space.

Using Your Feet
Someone asked which details science fiction authors have gotten wrong in the past. Mike said that Heinlein -- although a fabulous writer -- once depicted a paraplegic as being basically no longer handicapped in space. But it turns out that astronauts use their feet all the time to maintain position; they sort of hook the foot over the handrail and use it to provide counterpressure when sitting in chairs. In fact, it seems that the complex seven-strap systems originally designed for astronauts are largely unecessary. A footrail positioned near the base of the chair gives the astronauts all the tools they need to stay put.

Tags: writing

My computer issues not only put a crimp in my writing, but also slowed our viewing of the 1001 Movies considerably.  Of course, there are a couple that I have seen and not yet blogged, and one of those is the screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby.  This one is notable for having Katharine Hepburn opposite Cary Grant, and also for a brilliant profusion of leopards (movies always seem to be better when there are leopards in them).  

Most recognizable character is Asta, as always...

Anyhow, this one is worth watching, as it is a fun bit of comedy with some truly memorable moments.

Writing update due... soon.

Tags: 1001 movies, american films

I'll be attending Balticon this coming Memorial Day weekend and I have what I think is my schedule. This comes from scanning through the schedule posted online, so I may have missed something. But this is what I saw. If anyone catches something I missed, let me know. I'll be there Friday-Sunday (not there on Monday), so catch me if you can. There will be a release party for The Modern Fae's Guide to Surviving Humanity on Saturday night starting at 7pm for an hour featuring me and Jean Marie Ward, one of the contributors to the anthology. Swing by and say hi! We'll have copies of the book (and our other books) there for sale as well. The book launch will be in Parlor 1041.

Friday:

7pm: Fantasy Title Chain: Panelists and members of the audience come up with plot synopses for book titles provided by the audience! Should be uproarious fun.

Saturday:

10am: Editors Roundtable: Editors talk about working with authors and publishers and creating those books and anthologies you see there on the shelf.

3pm: A Literary World Without Borders: Panelists talk about how the publishing world is changing with the death of brick and mortar bookstores and the shift toward electonic books.

4:30pm: Sequels and Prequels: Writers talk about the different aspects of writing sequels and prequels.

6pm: When Does that Alien or Mage Become a God or Demon?: Panelists talk about the fine line between when characters with magical powers or significant differences become that world's gods and demons.

7pm: PARTY!!!!!: Book launch for The Modern Fae's Guide to Surviving Humanity with editor (me) and contributor Jean Marie Ward.

Sunday:

Noon: Liars' Panel: Panelists respond to 10 questions, lying for 3 of the 10. Audience members must wager on whether the panelists are lying or not. This is fundraiser panel, so audience members should bring lots of $1 bills in order to bet on when the author is lying or not. All cash goes into a booty for the charity. I'm actually an alternate panelist on this one, so may not be participating if everyone else shows up.