Autograph Session at World Con--Saturday 1-2PM

I found out I'll be autographing at World Con with the following authors: John Joseph Adams, Rachel Bloom, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Ian McDonald, Jo Walton, Sheila Williams, and Larry Niven.

Wow. Larry Niven is a legend, as is John Joseph Adams. I'm friends with Diana Pharaoh Francis, and look forward to meeting the others.

I'll be giving away free stuff and signing autographs from 1-2 PM in the dealer's room, and will give away some free posters and more . . .

Paul Genesse

My World Con 2011 Schedule

http://www.renovationsf.org/

My World Con Schedule:

I'm arriving on Thursday afternoon, August 18 and am staying in the Peppermill Hotel

That night I'm planning dinner with friends and I'm going to attend the Night Bazaar Party at the Atlantis Hotel

Take Tammy dancing?

Friday August 19: Hang at the con, see friends and enjoy panels and more. I might even go to the pool with Tammy.

Saturday August 20: Signing at 1:00 PM. I'll have only two copies of The Crimson Pact Volume 1 ($15), plus some eBooks burned on CD's ($5), and everyone who comes will get a free limited edition poster of the cover of The Crimson Pact Volume 1, and Volume 2.

The signing is . . .

When: Sat 1pm – 2pm
Where: Hall 2 (RSCC)
Who: Paul Genesse, with: John Joseph Adams, Ian McDonald, Jo Walton



Editing Anthologies
When: Sat 3pm – 4pm
Where: A09 (RSCC)
Who: David Malki! (M), Jennifer Brozek, John Joseph Adams, Ellen Datlow
(I'm planning on attending this panel.)

How do editors approach anthologies? Do they just call their friends, or do they (or their assistants) plow through slushpiles? Do the “Best ofs” present special issues?

Dinner!

Hugo Award Ceremony
When: 8pm – 10pm (approx.)
Where: Tuscany Ballroom (Peppermill)

Take Tammy Dancing?!

Sunday: Sleep in! Maybe hit the pool, say goodbye to friends who are leaving, but I'm staying until Wednesday to relax and visit friends and family who live in the Reno area.

Hard Magic Review

Hard Magic by New York Times bestselling author Larry Correia is a really great book and so much fun to read. Imagine X-Men crossed with the 1920’s period show by HBO, Boardwalk Empire. It sounds awesome, and it turned out to live up to its billing.

This novel is the first in the Grimnoir Chronicles and promises to be a really fantastic series, with three books under contract—book two, Spellbound is coming out November 1, 2011 by the way so there’s not long to wait for the sequel.

Hard Magic is set in an alternate history Earth where people all over the world have spontaneously manifested what can only be described as super powers—it can’t be magical powers, can it? This awakening happened in the late 1800’s, I believe, and world has been changed forever. People usually have only one power and can change gravity, teleport, and do many of the things you’d imagine superheroes can do, except maybe fly. Those with powers are called “Actives” and the rest of the people in the world, who are the major majority, are mostly frightened by them and there is a backlash, similar to the mutant backlash in X-Men. People usually have only one power and are known by names such as: Heavies, Brutes, Fades, Cogs, Mouths, Movers, Finders, Healers, Pale Horses, Weatherman, Torches, Travelers, and so many more.

The world building is top notch and well researched. The time period is 1920’s or 30’s and the alternate history alone makes this worth the read. Various figures from our own history are in this novel or are mentioned and it’s cool to see the exciting spin that Correia put on things. There are also little quotes at the beginning of the chapters that give insight into the world and the history of things. World War I was so much worse than the one from our history—which is saying a lot—and many of the characters in the book are veterans, with terrible memories of the fighting in Europe. It’s definitely dark stuff, but very fascinating.

There are a lot of characters in this book, but the main ones are Jake Sullivan (a Heavy), the big guy featured on the cover, and a hick girl from Oklahoma named Faye (she’s a Traveler), who just might be the most powerful “Active” in the world, though no one really understands that fact until late in the book . . .

Jake Sullivan is a hard-boiled hero who has been in prison and is still in love with Delilah, a dame with a disreputable past, and some serious power (she’s a Brute). Delilah is on the cover, though she should have had brown hair. Anyway, they’re both great characters, but this is an ensemble book with multiple points of views, which is a weakness in most fiction, but Correia never switches POV’s in mid sentence and breaks chapters or sections before going to a new character. This makes it a little hard to follow at times, but after you get familiar with everyone it’s easy to keep all the characters straight and this story couldn’t have been told from one or two points of view. There’s also a great glossary in the back that details much of the world building related to the powers that the “Actives” have. I also liked the illustrations in the book, which were drawn in the 1930’s pulp style by Zachary Hill.

Correia keeps the action going at a rapid pace and the enemies of the heroes, who are members of the Grimnoir Society, are really bad news. In the Grimnoir universe, The Imperium is of course, the Empire of Japan, and they’re starting to take over using their own specially developed Actives who are after a weapon that will allow them to take over the world. The heroes, mostly Grimnoir Knights, get to battle machine gun and sword wielding samurai that are nigh indestructible, teleporting ninjas, zombies, gangsters, and more. There’s airships, superhero smack downs, lots of guns, and great writing. If you enjoy lots of action and have a special place in your heart for super heroes, this is the book for you.

Highly Recommended

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact Volume 1 & 2
www.thecrimsonpact.com

How To Behave On A Panel

My friend, Steven Saus sent along a great link to The Crimson Pact authors about a blog post regarding how to behave when you're on a panel.

Here's the link to Michelle's excellent post.

And here's the email I sent out in reply:

Steven, thanks for sending along that link. I just read all of Michelle's lengthy post on panels and most of the 44 comments I saw today. She's correct to a major degree and it's definitely a good idea to follow her advice.

The panel is about X, X being the topic of the panel, not you, (Y). If the moderator asks you about how you handled X (the panel topic) in a story or novel, you (Y) are allowed to talk about it, which equals Z, but keep Z relevant and brief and entertaining--no long discourses--which bother almost everyone and will cause the wrong kind of ZZZZZZZZ to happen.

There's a slippery slope when it comes to talking about your own work, but I can't go with what Michelle was endorsing 100%, which is never talking about your own work, as apparently Connie Willis never talks about her own work. I think you have to talk about it very briefly when you give your introduction in the beginning, and at the end when you say thank you to the audience, and when someone asks about it--which is usually the moderator--which is what Michelle endorsed as well.

I've attended a ton of panels over the past 19 years, and have been on a ton more since 2005, and they're hard to pull off without a good moderator.

I recommend getting in at least one mention of your work, at the end of the panel after you say thank you where you make your final thought about the panel topic, and then say, "Thanks for coming to this panel, and I'll be doing a reading of my urban fantasy story, _________, from The Crimson Pact anthology tomorrow at 3 in the Cedar room, and I hope to see you there. I'm going to give away a free e-copy of the antho at the end of the reading. Thanks again."

Hand the mic to the moderator. Wait outside for a few minutes and see if anyone wants to chat.

Another bit of advice: Prepare yourself for the panel. Research the topic and never, ever say, "I have no idea why I'm on this panel." You're a writer, prep for it, do some research. I almost always walk out if someone on the panel says that line now. It feels like they're wasting my time. If the other panelists are great authorities on this topic, I'll stick around, but if the whole panel acts like they don't have any knowledge on the topic and are just bullshitting me, I don't like it.

Michelle's blog post is a good one for sure, so if you're going to be on a panel please check it out.


Paul Genesse, Author and Editor

Editor of The Crimson Pact Volume 1
(Alliteration Ink., March 2011)

Author Website: www.paulgenesse.com
Author Blog: http://paulgenesse.blogspot.com/

Join me on Facebook
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Dungeon Crawlers Radio Interview

Here's a link to an interview I did with Dungeon Crawlers Radio. You can stream it or download it here. I spill lots of details on what I've been up to and how rough the publishing industry can be.

http://dungeoncrawlersradio.mypodcast.com/2011/06/DCR_CONDuit_XXI_Paul_Genesse-353213.html

Paul Genesse

Editor of The Crimson Pact

www.thecrimsonpact.com

Review of The Crimson Pact Volume 1

Review of The Crimson Pact Volume 1

Here’s insight into why I accepted each story for my first anthology.

First of all I’m very proud of the stories in The Crimson Pact Volume 1, which released as an eBook from Alliteration Ink in late March 2011 and is available from the major eBook stores or in all eBook formats at www.thecrimsonpact.com. The authors did a great job and I was so pleased to help craft this collection.

Here’s an editor’s review of what you’ll find in this 26 story anthology, which includes a New York Times Bestselling author, many previously published novelists, and several flash fiction authors (1,000 words or less is considered flash) who won a spot after an open call for submissions. The stories are high fantasy, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, several styles of steampunk, fantasy noir, and a few post-apocalyptic fantasy stories. There’s definitely something for everyone.

What’s it about? Well, the whole anthology series creates a shared world without a shared world with this premise: The Crimson Pact vowed to destroy the demons of the Rusted Vale . . . but the demons had their own secret plan and escaped, invading dozens of worlds . . . These are stories set in many different worlds about the men and women who have refused to let the demons win.


Here’s a short review of each of the stories in the order they appear in the eBook.



The Failed Crusade by Paul Genesse and Patrick Tracy

It’s gotten a lot of excellent reviews and you can read it for free right here. I’m very proud of it, but the lion’s share of the credit goes to Patrick Tracy, who took an idea and made it awesome. We shaped the story together, but it was mostly Pat who did the writing. Barbara Webb also helped edit this story and the end product turned out great.

The Failed Crusade is about a doomed general trying to destroy the last remnants of a demonic army. In the carnage that remains after the last great battle, he discovers that his enemies have been smarter than anyone imagined. In the moment when they should have been annihilated, the demons escaped into other unsuspecting worlds. The only way for him to pursue them and fulfill the Pact is to cross the void as a spirit . . . by sacrificing his own life.



Solitary Life by Donald J. Bingle

I chose this story to open the anthology because of the awesome voice Don used in this first person narrator story. I love the first person point of view (POV) when it’s done well. The main character recounts his final days as a chief warden in a medieval prison on a distant world. A mysterious prisoner comes to his attention and events occur which impacts everyone. I think it’s a great story and I thought it was a good way to ease people into this extremely varied anthology. Don has written a ton of excellent short stories and novels and his skill is evident in Solitary Life.

Inside Monastic Walls by Chanté McCoy

I love this flash story and my slush reader pleaded with me to accept this into the anthology. He wrote “you, want, want, want this one!!!” I also loved it and was so happy that Chanté submitted. It turned out to be one of my favorites in the whole anthology. The story is set in Greece, in an area of orthodox monasteries called Meteora. It’s set in the early 1900’s and recounts the tale of young Phideas, whose monastery is invaded by a darkly evil thing and the poor boy is right in the middle of it all. I was totally creeped out by this story. There is a sequel coming in volume 2 and it’s as awesome as the first one.



Brother’s Keeper by Lester Smith

This is a fun flash piece by a legendary writer, Lester Smith, who is one of my personal inspirations. I had a devilish grin when I read Brother’s Keeper and very much enjoyed the voice of the narrator. I think you will too.



Stained with Nightmare Juice by Isaac Bell

This is a brilliant piece of urban fantasy and I loved it. It’s in the top three best short stories in the collection. The narrator is a somewhat crazy homeless man (who has totally lost his marbles, figuratively and literally). He’s got some unique abilities and sees spirits all the time—or is he just schizophrenic? The tone and style are a bit on the profane side, but I completely thought it was realistic and I very much enjoyed this story about demonic spirits coming to the streets of a major city and causing mayhem. The narrator enlists a man with his own powers called Oldshoe to help track down and root out the demons. I was so blown away by this piece and I think most of you will be as well. I’m still thinking about the story months after I first read it.



To Duty Sworn by Jess Hartley

Jess Hartley is a very accomplished author and her skill is apparent from the first few lines. The story tells of a disciple of the Brotherhood of Saint Hubert who is given a very delicate and serious task. This is a character study set in a medieval world and I loved the archaic feel to the prose. The story itself has you wondering what’s going to happen up to the last line.



Hidden Collection by Sarah Kanning

Who knew libraries had such dark secrets hidden in them? Sarah Kanning knows and she’s shared this tale about a young librarian who wants to get her eyes on the hidden collection at the new library she ends up working in. What she finds probably should have been burned and her life is never going to be same. I’m hoping for a sequel in volume 2.



Inquest by Barbara J. Webb

This modern day urban fantasy set in the southern part of the U.S. tells the tale of a young priest with some magical talents (think about the movie Constantine and Keanu Reeves character for a reference). The priest is giving a type of deposition (it’s an inquest) to his superiors about an incident involving a small town, a summoning ritual, and multiple deaths. The twists in this story and horror elements make it so awesome.



The Things That Crawl by Richard Lee Byers

This story will creep you out. It’s an urban, or rather rural fantasy set in the swamps of Florida during a hurricane. The main character, a cop with a lot of personal issues ends up in what I think of as a really scary Stephen King movie.
There are many things that crawl and the villain is so nasty. I love this story.



Monsters Under the Bed by Patrick S. Tomlinson

This turned out to be one of the most popular stories in the anthology and I love how it turned out. It’s about a female paranormal investigator who is brought in to help solve a particularly grisly murder. She’s teamed with a male cop and the tension is quite good. There is also a missing little girl and a monster that I will refrain from mentioning, as I don’t want to give any spoilers. There will be a sequel in volume 2.



Sins of the Father by Kathy Watness

This short story is an urban (actually rural) fantasy with the feel of a traditional fantasy. It’s the most poetic and beautiful story in the collection and is about a woman named Sylvia who has powers over spirits and the dead. Sylvia and her fey partner have to battle a dark spirit that has gotten loose into her world. Kathy Watness really did a great job. The imagery, the world building, and the character are all top notch.



Crimson Mail by Gloria Weber

This flash fiction piece has it all, death, disasters, a great character in a tough situation and all in under 1,000 words.



Cherry Picking by Rebecca L. Brown

Rebecca is an excellent and accomplished British writer and she wrote an awesome flash fiction story in the urban fantasy vein about a demonic drug dealer with very beautiful hands. This is what flash fiction is all about. Check it out and see how a pro does it right.

Chicago’s Finest by T.S. Rhodes

This is a wonderful flash piece about the girliest cop in Chicago who has a very unexpected encounter with a demon at her nephew’s school. Strong character is critical and Rhodes pulls it off well. I’m hoping for a sequel in volume 2.



The Transition by Justin Swapp

A fascinating flash piece about a young language student in Spain who has an encounter with a man with a whole lot more going on that meets the eye. I enjoyed the twist and won’t spoil it here. Justin Swapp has a bright career ahead of him.

Brotherhood Fall of New York by Garrett Piglia

A diamond in the rough is how I think of Garrett Piglia, a young man with a great imagination who is at the beginning of a long writing career. This story is alternate history and is set in New York City, which has been invaded by demons that may have been released by the Nazis. The story follows squad of grunts on a very important mission and is written in the form of a journal. Gripping stuff.

Frankie’s Girl by Kelly Swails

Here’s a really fun and entertaining story set in the 1920’s and featuring the bawdy girlfriend of a really evil gangster. This is the first short story in the collection that will probably make you laugh, then will horrify you the next moment. The bad girl main character’s narration is brilliant and I hope I get to hear Kelly read this story at a convention sometime.



Shell of a Man by Daniel Myers

Who knew there would be a hard-boiled detective story in this anthology? Daniel “Doc” Myers pulls off a classic gumshoe tale with a demonic twist. The distinctive voice of the main character is spot on. I loved it.



An Ideal Vessel by Sarah Hans

Steampunk has a lot of variation and this story is set in a turn of the century America where an inventor’s robotic creation is inhabited by a traveler from another world. I was fascinated by the alternate history presented and loved the characters. Extremely entertaining story and great steampunk.



Love, Gangsters, and Demons by Elaine Blose

Wildly inventive and entertaining steampunkish romance. Love, Gangsters and Demons by Elaine Blose is a story set in a 1930’s alternate world very similar to our own, but filled with many different creatures and people with pretty amazing powers. The main character has a gift, more like a curse, and her power is needed to help defeat the demons invading the city. I loved the main character, who is a woman with some unique friends. Extremely creative story.



Bull King by Larry Correia

New York Times bestselling author Larry Correia contributed a story set in his Grim Noir novel series and Bull King is part of his book, Hard Magic. Think X-Men meets the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. The story is set in a 1930’s Earth where many humans have developed what can only be described as super powers. Bull King has lots of ass kicking, explosions and trigger-pulling superheroes wearing Fedora hats. Yes, the book is awesome and this will give you a good taste.

Run by EA Younker

I love this flash story. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world, similar to our own that’s being destroyed by demon possessed steampunk robots. The main character, a young woman, has to flee for her life and deal with her husband who is not dealing very well with the situation.

Plastic by Craig Nybo

Plastic is a short and brutal flash fiction piece about a world where the demons have taken over and are literally “Big Brother.” The main character is a rebellious man who has run afoul of the law. It kind of reminded me of Judge Dredd crossed with George Orwells 1984. Very well done.



Red Test by Patrick M. Tracy

A young woman must pass the test to join a gang of demon killers. All she has to do is go by herself into an abandoned warehouse with a crappy shotgun and kill a demon. Excellent writing and a powerful story.



Withered Tree by Suzzanne Myers

The Road meets Mad Max in the awesome story, Withered Tree by Suzzanne Myers. It’s one of the best stories in the anthology and features a small band of survivors in an apocalyptic world who face a life and death decision. The female main character is great and I can’t wait for the sequel.



Of the Breaking of Stars by Chris Pierson

Novelist and short story writer Chris Pierson may have delivered the best story of his entire career so far when he wrote Of the Breaking of the Stars. I’ve read most of his short stories and am a huge fan of his novels, but this is my favorite ever. This story, a novella really, is in the top two in the whole anthology and that’s why it has such a place of honor, the last story in the collection. It’s set in a very unique fantasy world reminiscent of a magical ancient Babylon. It’s written in the form or journal entries and chronicles the life of a very sympathetic and scholarly man who is bearing witness to the destruction of his world. This story has it all and had me from the opening line to closing sentence.

Learn more at http://www.thecrimsonpact.com/

No-Tusks Dramatic Reading

No Tusks Dramatic Reading from Patrick Tracy on Vimeo.

Patrick Tracy and I reading my story "No Tusks" at the CONduit Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention in Salt Lake City, May 28, 2011. It's very inappropriate!

"No Tusks" is a poignant story of a young orc searching for his true path in life...well, no it isn't. It's about eating worms, getting rocks thrown at your nuts, and otherwise having a tough time, all the while plotting the destruction of your enemies.

Hope you enjoy our tomfoolery.

This story will come out in an anthology which features Shane Moore's Abyss Walker world, of which there are many novels. Shane asked me to write an orc story set in his world and how could I say no?

Paul Genesse
Editor of The Crimson Pact
www.thecrimsonpact.com