Sporeville reviewed on Amy’s Marathon of Books

Paul Marlowesporeville‘s YA steampunk novel Sporeville was reviewed on Amy’s Marathon of Books:

“Jaunty, funny, exciting and disturbing are a few of the words I would use to describe Paul Marlowe’s Sporeville… I truly enjoyed this clever and engaging book.

Paisley, of course, was my favourite character, although even though I knew there was something supernatural about her, I didn’t realise she was a werewolf until Elliott figured it out himself. I loved her spirit, intelligence, and loyalty to Elliott, even though she’d only known him a few days before she needed to rescue him.

I also appreciated Marlowe’s well-developed sense of humour throughout the novel. At times I was sick to my stomach when I read about all of Professor Strange’s experiments, but Marlowe seemed to know just when to lighten the mood for his reader. I laughed out loud more than once…”

Interview with Sherry D. Ramsey

Sherry-sm-cropAn interview with SF Canada member and Nova Scotia author Sherry D. Ramsey, “Author Spotlight – Sherry D. Ramsey, Builder of Worlds,” is currently online at Nine Day Wonder. Sherry answers questions about her new novel, One’s Aspect to the Sun, as well as world-building, science in science fiction, and the role of associations like SF Canada and their benefits for writers, among other things. http://www.ninedaywonder.com/2013/author-spotlight-sherry-d-ramsey-builder-of-worlds

Sherry D. Ramsey launches One’s Aspect to the Sun

OATTS cover-smSF Canada member Sherry D. Ramsey’s debut novel, One’s Aspect to the Sun, launched recently at Hal-Con Science Fiction and Fantasy convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The novel is published by Alberta’s Tyche Books.

From the back cover:

Captain Luta Paixon of the far trader Tane Ikai needs to know why she looks like a woman in her thirties-even though she’s actually eighty-four. She isn’t the only one desperate for that information.

The explanation might lie with her geneticist mother, who disappeared over sixty years ago, but even if her mother is still alive, it’s proving to be no small task to track her down in the vast, wormhole-ridden expanse of Nearspace. With the ruthless PrimeCorp bent on obtaining Luta’s DNA at any cost, her ninety-year-old husband asking for one last favor, and her estranged daughter locking horns with her at every turn, Luta’s search for answers will take her to the furthest reaches of space–and deep inside her own heart.

Described as a “space opera with heart,” the novel tackles themes of immortality, aging, genetic engineering and family, across a galaxy-spanning backdrop of space traders, corporate interests, and wormhole travel.

The book is available in print and multiformat ebook at all major online sellers. For more information visit Tyche Books or Sherry’s website.

SF Canada Awards $1000 to Tanya Huff

JLTrudelTSHuff2013AJean-Louis Trudel presents Tanya Huff with a ceremonial cheque.
(Photo by Jonathan Crowe)

The Aurora Award for Best Novel, accompanied by the SF Canada Award of $1000, was given to Tanya Huff in Ottawa on October 6, 2013 for her fantasy novel The Silvered, published by DAW Books. Born in Nova Scotia but now living in rural Ontario with her wife Fiona Patton, Tanya Huff is one of Canada’s most important and best loved fantasy authors. Since her first professional sale to Amazing Stories in 1985, she has published over thirty books and a number of short stories. Her “Blood Books” series was adapted as the television series Blood Ties in 2007. Her award-winning novel features magicians and shapeshifting werewolves united against a steampunk empire, and has been well received by readers and critics alike.

The 2013 Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature played host to the 33rd national Canadian convention of science fiction and fantasy, also known as Canvention. Ten other Aurora Awards were announced. The fantasy adventure Under My Skin (in the “Wildlings” series) by Charles de Lint won the Aurora Award for Best YA Novel. Published in On Spec, the fantasy tale “The Walker of the Shifting Borderland” by Douglas Smith won the award for best short fiction. David Clink’s poem “A sea monster tells his story” in The Literary Review of Canada won for Best Poem or Song. The webcomic Weregeek by Alina Pete won the Aurora for best graphic novel while the award for best related work went to the anthology Blood and Water edited by Hayden Trenholm for Bundoran Press. Finally, Erik Mohr received the Aurora Award for Best Artist, honouring his covers for ChiZine Publications. The remaining Aurora Awards went to fans contributing to the speculative fiction community across Canada, and the Aurora-Boréal awards for works in French were given out earlier this year in Montreal.

Third Person Press Launches Indiegogo Campaign

Grey Area front cover July112013Third Person Press, a small, independent press based on Cape Breton Island, NS, has recently launched an Indiegogo campaign in support of its upcoming release, Grey Area: 13 Ghost Stories. SFC member Sherry D. Ramsey is one-third of the press’s editorial staff, and explains the signficiance of the campaign:

The benefit of crowd-funding platforms, like Indiegogo campaigns, is that they provide up-front funding so that small, independent creators can avoid heavy debt loads and reliance on funding avenues that may dry up in the future.

Third Person Press’s mission is to find, nurture, publish, promote and pay regional writers of speculative fiction. We think we’re filling a niche in a way that lets new and established voices share their stories with a wider audience.

The Grey Area campaign includes perks such as laminated bookmarks, spooky post cards (“ghost cards”), print and/or ebook copies of Grey Area and the other titles from Third Person Press, limited-edition handmade jewelry, and original artwork. Special rewards for writers include online writing courses, editing services, and cover art. All perks are transferable; supporters can double their good karma by donating and giving the perks to someone else as a gift. Everyone will receive an acknowledgement of thanks with their name listed on the Third Person Press website and Facebook page as well as having the satisfaction of having encouraged and literally supported regional SFF writers.

The campaign runs until September 15th. All the details and the campaign video are on the main page here: http://igg.me/at/grey-area/x/1156437

Ether Frolics reviewed in The Winnipeg Review

etherfrolicscover

 

The latest review of the short story collection Ether Frolics:

…what Marlowe has written is a creation well worth the read, revealing a major Canadian talent.– Chadwick Ginther, The Winnipeg Review

The full review is on-line at the Winnipeg Review link above.