Monday, November 19, 2007

Announcement - NEW EDITOR named - Nefarious ezine

I just wanted to share with you all - hope you will submit stories when we start taking submissions (which hopefully will be after the holidays) and that you will come join the ezine at least to read the stories - E :)


from "Robert K. Foster" hide details 5:55 pm (3 hours ago)
reply-to "rkfoster@nefarious-tales.com"
to webmaster@nefarious-tales.com
cc rkfoster@nefarious-tales.com
date Nov 19, 2007 5:55 PM
subject NEFARIOUS - Important Announcement
mailed-by lsh125.siteprotect.com

Greetings Readers of NEFARIOUS - Tales Of Mystery,

Since my last doom and gloom email to the Members announcing the possible
shutdown of the webzine a number of things have occured that I wanted you
all to know about.

After that email I posted a volunteer job posting on the site indicating
the need for a new Editor. I had a few responses to that posting and I'm
happy to announce that I've begun working with an Editor who will be taking
up the reins of some of the editorial duties for NEFARIOUS. Her name is
Elysabeth Eldering, a member of Sisters In Crime and the South Carolina
Writer's Workshop as well as being an Author herself. She approached me
after the recent demise of yet another small press magazine where she was
also an Editor. We'll have more information about Elysabeth on the web site
as we go along.

Elysabeth will be going through all of the previous submissions to
NEFARIOUS that were never finalized after they were submitted. If you
submitted a story and never heard back from me about it then you may be
receiving an email from Elysabeth in the next month or two. If your story
is no longer available for publication in NEFARIOUS then please let
Elysabeth know when she contacts you.

Provided that my financial situation does not figuratively pull the plug on
the website, we hope to have a new issue in a month or two, hopefully in
December. Provided we can keep this thing going then I will hope to open up
submissions again with the new issue.

I hope all of you will stop by for the new issue and also welcome Elysabeth
on board.

Thanks for bearing with me through this difficult situation.


Robert K. Foster
Editor-In-Chief
NEFARIOUS - Tales Of Mystery

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Robert's Snow Auction - week 1

Today is the last day to preview all the wonderful snowflakes and illustrators on everyone's blogs. I have tried to access the links through my sidebar but apparently they don't work. Tomorrow starts the auction. Why not stop by and bid on a few snowflakes to help a worthy cause.

Here is the link to the auction and the featured snowflakes for week 1.

Auction 1 will begin accepting bids on Monday, Nov. 19 at 9:00 a.m. with a starting bid of $50 for each snowflake. All bids must be placed before the close of Auction 1 on Friday, Nov. 23 at 5:00 pm. Don't forget that 100 percent of the proceeds from this online auction will benefit sarcoma research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and that all but $25 of the winning bid is tax deductible.

Read about all the illustrators who contributed to this auction at the sites linked below. (The order presented is the same as on the auction page.)

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Robert's Snow - last week of previews




Robert's Snow is an online auction that benefits Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Over 200 children's book illustrators have created art on individual snowflake-shaped wooden templates.




Auctions start next week. Hope you all have enjoyed visiting the featured illustrator's, although not all could be featured since they got their snowflakes a bit later than the original call went out. Hope you all have checked the Robert's Snow site for all the snowflakes. Remember - these are being auctioned for a good cause. Hope you all get a snowflake and support the cause. Wish I could afford them but alas, I can't. Anyway, here is the schedule for the week.

As you know if you've been visiting any children's book blogs for the past few weeks, Robert's Snow is an online auction that benefits Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Over 200 children's book illustrators have created art on individual snowflake-shaped wooden templates. The snowflakes will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to cancer research. You can view all of the 2007 snowflakes here. Jules and Eisha from Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast have found a way for bloggers to help with this effort, by blogging about individual illustrators and their snowflakes. The idea is to drive traffic to the Robert's Snow site so that many snowflakes will be sold, and much money raised to fight cancer. The illustrator profiles have been wonderful so far - diverse and creative and colorful. And there are lots more to go.



Here's the schedule for Week 5, which starts Monday. As previously, this early schedule links to the participating blogs, instead of to the individual posts. You can find links to the posts themselves, and any last-minute updates, each morning at 7-Imp. Jules and Eisha have also set up a special page at 7-Imp containing a comprehensive list of links to the profiles posted so far. Also not to be missed is Kris Bordessa's post summarizing snowflake-related contests to date over at Paradise Found.



Monday, November 12




Tuesday, November 13




Wednesday, November 14




Thursday, November 15




Friday, November 16




Saturday, November 17




Sunday, November 18




Please take time out to visit all of these blogs, and read about these fabulous illustrators. And, if you're so inclined, think about bidding for a snowflake in the Robert's Snow auction. Each snowflake makes a unique gift (for yourself or for someone else), and supports an important cause.



See also the following note from Elaine Magliaro of Wild Rose Reader:

Note to Blog Readers about Blogging for a Cure: When Jules of 7-Imp put out her call in September for bloggers to interview/feature artists who had created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007 at their blogs, a number of artists had not yet sent in their snowflakes to Dana-Farber. As time was of the essence to get Blogging for a Cure underway, we worked with the list of artists whose snowflakes were already in possession of Dana-Farber. Therefore, not all the participating artists will be featured. This in no way diminishes our appreciation for their contributions to this worthy cause. We hope everyone will understand that once the list of artists was emailed to bloggers and it was determined which bloggers would feature which artists at their blogs, a schedule was organized and sent out so we could get to work on Blogging for a Cure ASAP. Our aim is to raise people’s awareness about Robert’s Snow and to promote the three auctions. We hope our efforts will help to make Robert’s Snow 2007 a resounding success.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Author Interview - Darrell Blain - Savage Survival



I admit I slipped up on this - for some reason I thought I was supposed to do this tomorrow but here it is - my interview with author Darrell Blain


Author’s Bio: Over the last several years, Darrell Bain has become one of the best selling authors in the world in the realm of electronic publishing, winning just about every honor available in that area of publishing. He has now moved actively into print publishing and is currently working on a collaboration with best selling science fiction author and scientist Travis S. "Doc Travis" Taylor. Most of Bain's books are also in print or scheduled for print and all of them are available as e-books. He produces a very popular monthly newsletter, discoursing on various subjects brought up by fans or by his own voracious reading habit, written in an informal, narrative style. It is available around the first of each month from his web site at www.darrellbain.com

A publisher recently became interested in both his newsletters and his memoirs, which tell of a hard childhood and early life before finally settling down with his present wife. He has signed contracts to have them published first as e-books and then in print. His autobiography is already available now at www.fictionwise.com under the title Darrell Bain's World Of Books. The newsletters will be published as annual books, untitled as yet.

Darrell is the author of more than three dozen books in many genres, running the gamut from humor to mystery and science fiction to non-fiction. For the last several years he has concentrated on science fiction and suspense/thrillers, with an occasional foray into humor and short stories. Some of his most memorable titles are The Sex Gates, Savage Survival, Alien Infection, The Melanin Apocalypse, Strange Valley, The Pet Plague trilogy and the Williard Brothers series. Savage Survival will be his first novel issued in hard cover.

Darrell served 13 years in the military and his two stints in Vietnam formed the basis for his first published novel, Medics Wild, and the sequels featuring the zany Williard brothers, where the latest book has brought them up to their present day exploits. Some of his most avid fans are constantly clamoring for more books in the Williard Brothers series and for sequels to his other popular thrillers and science fiction titles. Darrell has been writing off and on all his life but really got serious about it only after the advent of computers. He purchased his first one in 1990 and has been writing furiously ever since.

While Darrell was working as a lab manager at a hospital in Texas, he met his wife Betty. He trapped her under a mistletoe sprig and they were married a year later. Darrell and Betty operated a Christmas tree farm in East Texas for many years, which became the subject and backdrop for many of his non-fiction humorous stories and books.
The Bain family consists of he and his wife Betty and their dachshunds, Tonto and Susie, along with Velcro the cat. They still live on the site of their Christmas tree farm, although it is no longer in business. Darrell is a full time writer now and Betty is retired. They spend most of their leisure time reading.

Mail to Darrell Bain can be addressed to him from his web site, www.darrellbain.com



When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I began writing when I was just a kid, and continued off and on until I was about fifty, but was never very serious about it. I was more interested in science and reading. When I purchased my first computer and found how easy writing was with a word processor, the first thing I did was write a novel—and I've been hooked ever since.

How long does it take you to write a book?

It depends on how interested I get in the characters. If I really get involved with them, I can write a book in a month. Other times, nothing seems to jell and it goes very slow, or I'll set it aside until later. I've gone back as far as ten years and picked up a manuscript and finished it.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

It varies according to how my back is treating me. If I'm not having much trouble from it, I write every day, most of the day. I'm retired and a full time writer.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Hmm. If I have a quirk, it's always asking my wife's opinion on what I'm doing. She's been wrong only once.

How do books get published?

With difficulty for most writers. It is one of the professions where supply far outstrips demand. It's almost like half the people in America have written a book!

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Oh boy. Every author gets asked that question. None of us really know. I suppose they just well up from the summation of all our experiences and something we hear or read will strike a bell and we'll think, yeah, that might make a story. Or we'll be daydreaming and something will suggest a story. Once you begin writing a lot, the ideas come easier.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I completed my first novel when I was 51 years old. I had started many others during my life, writing by hand, but never finished them. As best I remember, only one of them would have been worth publishing anyway.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love to read. Fortunately, my present wife loves to read, too. Twice before I married a woman who wasn't interested in books and it didn't work.

What does your family think of your writing?

They think I'm kind of odd.



SAVAGE SURVIVAL is not just another testosterone driven science fiction novel. At the basic level, it explores the personalities and attitudes of men, women and children when stripped of the comforting insulation of organized society. Invulnerable aliens have captured millions of humans and are subjecting them to the most brutal and horrible environments ever encountered, in essence a survival test of a magnitude heretofore undreamed of.

Lyda Brightner is an eleven year old girl when she is suddenly and without warning separated from her parents and thrown into the midst of undisciplined humans in a harsh desert environment. Food and water and clothing are fought over. Those who control it can do as they wish—and their wishes are terrible.

Lyda is weaponless and alone, like almost everyone. Raped at eleven. Forced to kill. Grieving for her parents. All that stands between Lyda and death is her own innate bravery, her quick mind, her unwavering integrity and ultimately, her belief that someday she will find someone to love.

Lyda's strength of character and fighting spirit make her a leader, even at a very young age. Over the next six years she must constantly fight the ever changing and ever more dangerous environments the aliens subject them to. But she must fight other humans as well, those who have survived by brute strength and ruthless plundering of the weak.

But even if she lives through all this, Lyda must still face the final question: What do the aliens have in mind for the few hundred remaining humans, those few left of all the millions who died?

SAVAGE SURVIVAL is a coming of age novel like no other and Lyda Brightner is a character you'll never forget.


What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That you can just about fall in love with some of your characters. That was true of Lyda in Savage Survival. She's my favorite of them all. And The Williard Brothers of the series by the same name (Or sometimes referreed to as the Medics Wild Series after the first book). They're great guys.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I've written about three dozen or so and as many shorter works. Most of those have been collected into anthologies.

Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?

The way to become a better writer is to think about what you're doing and to write. And write. And write. And write. And….

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Oh yes, I get lots of letters. I love getting mail, particularly the letters where someone tells me they have been moved by one of my books. One in particular was from a reporter who said reading my book Medics Wild finally enabled her to put Vietnam behind her. That brought tears to my eyes.

What do you think makes a good story?

A little humor mixed with the drama does it for me. Any story that brings tears to my eyes is the mark of a good writer. I really don’t know if I'm that good or not, but I have had reviewers say they laughed so hard they cried while reading some of my humor.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to go into space. I've always loved science fiction and suppose it influenced me. I may actually fulfill that dream if the private spaceships get going as they promise and if I can save up enough money.

Title of Book: Savage Survival

Genre: Science fiction

Publisher: Twilight Times Books

Publication Date: September 15, 2007

Darrell Bain's finest novel to date. Savage Survival is a coming of age novel like no other and Lyda Brightner is a character you'll remember forever. Raped at eleven. Forced to kill. Subjected to suffering in one brutal and horrible environment after another, with no parents or guardian to protect her as she grows up. Millions of earthmen have been captured by invulnerable aliens and are being put through the strangest and most terrifying survival tests ever imagined. Young Lyda Brightner's first experience after being thrown into the midst of undisciplined humans is horrible enough, but she doesn't know that the trials are just beginning. She doesn't know that only a few hundred of the millions of captives will live through the vicious and cruel winnowing process. Again and again as she grows into a young woman, she has to call on the only resources she has available: her own innate bravery, her quick mind, her unwavering belief in the goodness of the majority of humans and ultimately, an enduring hope that one day she will find someone to love. But even if she lives through all this, she will still have to face the final question. What do the aliens have in mind for the few survivors?

Monday, November 05, 2007

Robert's Snow - week 4




Robert's Snow is an online auction that benefits Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Over 200 children's book illustrators have created art on individual snowflake-shaped wooden templates.




Here is this week's listing of sponsored illustrators on other blogs and who knows some of them may have giveaways (is how I won a copy of "Peanut") so check them out and get ready for the auction coming up the end of this month.

As you know if you've been visiting any children's book blogs for the past few weeks, Robert's Snow is an online auction that benefits Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Over 200 children's book illustrators have created art on individual snowflake-shaped wooden templates. The snowflakes will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to cancer research. You can view all of the 2007 snowflakes here. Jules and Eisha from Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast have found a way for bloggers to help with this effort, by blogging about individual illustrators and their snowflakes. The idea is to drive traffic to the Robert's Snow site so that many snowflakes will be sold, and much money raised to fight cancer. The illustrator profiles have been wonderful so far - diverse and creative and colorful. And there are lots more to go.



Here's the schedule for Week 4, which starts Monday. As previously, this early schedule links to the participating blogs, instead of to the individual posts. You can find links to the posts themselves, and any last-minute updates, each morning at 7-Imp. Jules and Eisha have also set up a special page at 7-Imp containing a comprehensive list of links to the profiles posted so far. Also not to be missed is Kris Bordessa's post summarizing snowflake-related contests to date over at Paradise Found.



Monday, November 5




Tuesday, November 6




Wednesday, November 7




Thursday, November 8




Friday, November 9




Saturday, November 10




Sunday, November 11





Please take time out to visit all of these blogs, and read about these fabulous illustrators. And, if you're so inclined, think about bidding for a snowflake in the Robert's Snow auction. Each snowflake makes a unique gift (for yourself or for someone else), and supports an important cause.




See also the following note from Elaine Magliaro of Wild Rose Reader:

Note to Blog Readers about Blogging for a Cure: When Jules of 7-Imp put out her call in September for bloggers to interview/feature artists who had created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007 at their blogs, a number of artists had not yet sent in their snowflakes to Dana-Farber. As time was of the essence to get Blogging for a Cure underway, we worked with the list of artists whose snowflakes were already in possession of Dana-Farber. Therefore, not all the participating artists will be featured. This in no way diminishes our appreciation for their contributions to this worthy cause. We hope everyone will understand that once the list of artists was emailed to bloggers and it was determined which bloggers would feature which artists at their blogs, a schedule was organized and sent out so we could get to work on Blogging for a Cure ASAP. Our aim is to raise people’s awareness about Robert’s Snow and to promote the three auctions. We hope our efforts will help to make Robert’s Snow 2007 a resounding success.

Fall Ya'll bloggy giveaway winners listings

I saw about 600+ people offering things to be given away and when I posted my congratulatory link I was the 300th person to report the winner.

For a list of winners, go to here and see if maybe you were a winner but not contacted (that is if you entered any of the giveaways.

I keep hoping but alas so far I haven't been picked or notified - oh well may be in the next one - E :)

Petigru Review Giveaway

So, I finally got my kids to cooperate a little and have my drawing. One drew, one read the name and they have both signed the paper to give to the winner - so without further ado - congratulations go to Nancy Jones for winning a copy of the Petigru Review, with my story autographed for her.

Nancy hope you enjoy the story as well as the other items in the anthology (poems, short stories, et cetera) all from South Carolina Writers Workshop members.

Anyone else who would like a copy of the anthology, please see previous posting for information. The anthology is available from amazon.com -

Thanks to everyone who entered - good luck on other entries. See you all in the postings. - E :)

Friday, November 02, 2007

Anthology - The Petigru Review


I guess I never really posted the link to The Petigru Review and should have done that. It is available at amazon.com and if you had attended the conference in Myrtle Beach last weekend, you could have gotten it for $15 plus a copy just for attending, but since most of you weren't there, then you have to buy it through amazon.com at their price of $18.89. Of course if you enter my contest below - you may win a copy; but if you don't win, pick up your copy at amazon.com and enjoy the stories and poems and other things available

How big is that "butt" at Ingles?

Driving home from my combined Sisters in Crime/writing group meeting tonight (a mistake that caused both groups to be booked in the same room on the same night but it was a fun mistake) the kids and I were on the only direct route to home. We came upon the stop light that is almost half way home and I saw something crawling a few cars ahead of me. Yes I saw legs and it looked like they were crawling - I didn't see bodies or the car. Turns out it was the police pushing a car out of the intersection to the gas station which wasn't too far - but all I saw was legs or something that looked like it was crawling. Okay - freaky - but explained when we saw the police cars on the other side of the road where no traffic was and then saw the men pushing the car out of the way. Oh wait, wasn't halloween last night? Yep, by my calendar yesterday was October 31 (well at the writing of this now at 12:10 a.m. on Friday November 2nd it was actually Wednesday). So whew - we were glad to see it was real people and not something crawling on the road way.

We drove on down and at the point where we cross over the toll road section there is a grocery story (Ingles is one of the south's local stores basically). Of course you expect to see the weekly special advertised on their boards outside but this one really got us to giggling and laughing and me hurting - almost felt heart attack like but I'm still coherent and able to drive so not too concerned.

The sign read as follows (these are the actual way the lines read -

whole pork boston
butt 98 Lb (double stacked wording at end says with card)

now I know that it's supposed to say 98 cents (cent sign)/lb but there was something missing - it just said - butt 98 Lb with card (this is the price with our special card that we use for the specials like this)


So when I drove by I read it out loud just like it is written - and we started laughing so hard. Benjamin started talking like mafia - Well Vinnie - we didn't need blocks to weigh her down, her butt was big enough - funny stuff - it's so much better to hear him. And then it just got too funny - how do you know how much the butt weighed - well we just push it on the truck scale to weigh it - lol - we had a blast (that's about when my shoulder to elbow started really hurting and is still bothersome and not sure if it is just a strain from being in the seatbelt and laughing so much or just not in the right position or what). We did finally calm down about the butt although the butt thing did creep up the rest of the way home.

So we turn down the road that leads to the short back road that goes to the other back road to the house and Hailie says she saw lightning - now it's a pretty clear sky and all. I told her it was probably a tower and she kept questioning - white? aren't they usually red? - so then she looks back and it's a bigger than tower light. The further we drive down the road the closer the light seems to get closer to us. So the kids start freaking out and then I see the light and it's pretty good sized to the right rear of the car. They beg me not to go home, to go into town and not stop at the house because even when we turned down our road they could still see the light and they were really freaked by now.

So I say okay, I'll drive on into town. Right before we get to the bridge that is right before our driveway - we come upon three vehicles with their flashers on - looked like something had been hit and was the reason they were there - so we went down to the driveway and turned around to make sure everyone was okay and to see if I needed to get some help. Apparently one of the cars avoided some deer but hit the fire hydrant (no one even knew there was one there) and then a couple of other folks showed up there - so I told them I'd come into town and get someone who dfinitely could help them since they'd been there a while.

Okay we haven't made it home yet - and they are still seeing the light but not as bright as before. We head to town and figure the fire department would be who would be able to help us - apparently we are a volunteer district because there is no one there, so we cut into the parking lot and go into the police station - guess what? The police station is basically closed down now because we no longer have a jail. So I picked up the phone to call dispatch and one of the sheriff's cars came from out back in the parking lot down the little road between the police station and the free clinic - so we stopped him and told him about the folks who had hit the fire hydrant and then the kids had to tell him about the light and he even played into their thoughts by telling them it was probably a UFO - so funny to freaky to weird night - I thought halloween was on the 31st of October not the 1st of November.

So when I get my states stories written with all my aliens and fun stuff - you will know it was inspired by All Freaky Day November 1, the official start of NaNo - happy writing - see you all in the postings - E :)

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway

We are coming down to the last days of giveaways. Check out the blog that has listings of all the bloggers who are giving things away - who knows - starbucks gift cards, target cards, cash, books, over 600 at last count. This is really a cool idea to have bloggers link back to her site and just post something to give away. Remember to post a comment on my original posting below to be entered for the drawing - My giveaway closes tomorrow night (Saturday) and the drawing will be done Monday evening when the kids get home from school or band practice. I will take a picture of them drawing the lucky winner and post then.

Follow the picture to Shannon's blog for the list of giveaways and you still have time to enter a good many of them - You can't win if you don't enter, so enter away -
See you all in the postings - E :)


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