Call of the Creator: Fantasy Writing from a Christian Worldview

I'm holding out my figurative hand and waiting for you to go ahead and let me have it. Go ahead, smack my wrist as hard as I deserve for NOT updating you on how my conference went a good week and a half ago now. If it's any consolation, it went so well I haven't had a moment to breathe, let alone type much more than status updates about the whole thing. But for those of you who are wondering, I'll try to give the brief version of what went on back in Philly. I was shocked to go "4 for 4" in my appointments. (Before I explain, let me say, I love the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference for the fact that they give you FOUR appointments with agents, editors, mentors, and the like.) My appointments were with 3 editors and an agent, and lo and behold, all of them asked for my full manuscript. I was flying high. When my last class ended on Saturday, I had to head home without attending the last general session due to other obligations on my calend...

I'm a conference junkie...I know I've said that before, but it bears repeating because it's still true. (And may I note, it is a bad addiction to have for someone who is not yet actually earning any royalties from my writing. All outgo, no income...) But anyway, despite the wisdom of spending more money on writing education, here I am at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, and I'm confident it will be a great weekend. The conference, while on the small side (150 attendees or something like that) is full of great enthusiasm from all directions and spiritual vibrancy. Of course, it's tricky, as I'm pitching a book that isn't overtly Christian in nature. I mean, it's fantasy after all, and enough folks still think that is synonymous with Satanism 101. But honestly, I have more prospects here of agents and editors to meet with than I would at a bigger, more expensive conference. So I'll practice my pitch and peddle my wares and see...

OK, so maybe that's a little melodramatic, in a RenFaire kind of way. But seriously, there have been some big developments in my writing life over the past few weeks, developments it's been killing me to keep my lip buttoned about. You may have seen this announcement in some of my other haunts, but if not, I'll post it here for your information. Attention fantasy readers! I am pleased to officially announce that I have signed a publishing contract with Diminished Media Group, a new small press run by the fine folks who already bring speculative fiction audiences Digital Dragon magazine and A Flame in the Dark. Through this contract, Diminished Media intends to publish my serial fiction The Windrider . Some of you may have read the first season of this tale, which ran in Digital Dragon from July of 2009 to August of 2010. Diminished Media’s publications will include an ebook version of not only this first set of thirteen stories, revised for publication, but a secon...

Well, voters, ya done good. Sword of the Patron has advanced from the voting round into the second round of competition at Risen Fiction's contest, where the winner gets a publishing contract for his or her novel! Scary as it is, it's out of our hands now. From this point, authors already affiliated with Risen Fiction will judge synopses and first chapters from the twenty contestants who have moved on to whittle the field down to five. From there, those five will invite the scrutiny of Risen's editorial team, and voila! Number one gets a contract. (Number two gets a kindle, which wouldn't be too shabby seeing as I have some personal interest in a few ebook titles coming out this fall...but more on that when the powers that be loosen my lips on the subject. And number three gets books. What writer doesn't love free books?) Anyway, I wanted to personally thank those of you who voted. I wish I knew who you were! But alas, the contest doesn't let me know who ...