RJ Sullivan New Flash: In Defense of Boldness

Oh, our wacky authors. R.J. Sullivan penned a new, original story on a dare. After Eric Garrison posted an image of one of his Rebecca Burton Mermaid coffee mugs and challenged R.J. to create a story for it, R.J. penned the following on his blog site last month. He's sharing it here.

Special Investigations Agent Rebecca Burton is featured in RJ's SSP releases Haunting Obsession and Virtual Blue. Rebecca and Sparkle are both featured in the SSP Single Backstage Pass.

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Special Investigations agent Rebecca Burton took her usual spot within the Café Expresso coffee house, a corner booth, where she could face the door without being conspicuous. She removed her dark fedora from atop her head and shook loose her long hair. Several bright red strands fell in front of her eyes. She brushed them over with an impatient wave of her hand.

The café catered to college students attending Butler University. Though Rebecca was several years older, she loved the energy. The youthful creativity released itself into the room, auras that rejuvenated her without hampering or tampering with the energy of the people around her.

This was why she scheduled most of her more problematic appointments here. The Café Expresso proved itself a great place to meet new clients and size them up before taking on their cases. Meeting here put people off their guard. Much less formal, people tended to open up to her more quickly.

It was also a good place to meet when she didn’t trust someone not to try something stupid or dangerous if they were in private.

As if on cue, a dumpy, middle aged woman stepped through the door. Sparkle. Such a drama queen.
Sparkle’s tacky dyed blond hair–so blond as to look yellow–was outdone by the purple cloak. The upraised hood extended into a cape that flowed behind her when she walked. As she adjusted the cloak, Rebecca noticed a streak of purple in the dyed blonde. she wore beneath the cloak a tattered black dress that may have been quite formal a couple decades ago.

Rebecca shook her head. Such a disgrace. Hard to believe at one time they’d apprenticed together under the same master as young neophytes learning white magic within the Kelranian Order.

Sparkle’s gaze swept the room until she spotted Rebecca. Bright red-glossed lips parted into a smile to reveal crooked teeth. “Hello, honey!” Sparkle called from across the room and started toward her. “So good to see you again.” Rebecca cringed. Where did this witch go wrong, Rebecca mused, even as she figured Sparkle was probably thinking the exact same thing about her.

Click here to continue reading the story at R.J. Sullivan's Website

Cover Art Reveal and Release Announcement for Jason Sizemore's Irredeemable!

Seventh Star Press is proud to unveil the new cover art by Tomasz Trafiał for Jason Sizemore's Irredeemable! The single-author collection features stories of a dark SF and horror nature, many with an Appalachian tone. The eBook and print versions will be made available the second week of April, and those wanting a softcover version signed by Jason can take advantage of a special pre-order offer that includes a copy of the eBook version.

The new release features a special introduction by Geoffrey Girard, author of Cain's Blood (Simon and Schuster).

Irredeemable brings together many of Jason's previously published fiction and includes two brand new stories. The tales to be found within the pages of Irredeemable include:

A Flash of Light

An Ingenious Adventure

Art Imitating Life

Caspar

City Hall

Faithless

For the Sake of Pleasing

Hope

Ice Cream at the Falls

Little Digits

Mr Templar

Plug and Play

Pranks

Samuel

Shotgun Shelter

Sonic Scarring

The XX Agent

The Dead and Metty Crawford

The Sleeping Quartet

Useless Creek

Yellow Warblers

Jason is a writer and editor living in Lexington, Kentucky. He is also the owner of Apex Publications, a highly acclaimed SF, fantasy, and horror small press. He has twice been nominated for the Hugo Award for his editing work on Apex Magazine.

This is one collection of stories that you do not want to miss!  As Maurice Broaddus, author of the popular Knights of Breton Court series from Angry Robot, said regarding Irredeemable:  " Jason Sizemore doesn’t want you to know that he’s a writer. He’ll hide behind being a publisher or an editor, but in the wee hours of the night, he puts pen to paper. With this collection, the secret’s out.

These short stories are like 18 shots in a chamber. No matter how you spin the barrel, you will end up with a live round. His stories are dark, powerful, and unsettling."

Those wanting to get a signed and personalized copy of Irredeemable can reserve one today, at a special offer page that runs until April the 2nd on the Seventh Star Press website!

For more information on Jason, follow him on Twitter @apexjason, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jason.sizemore1. For further updates and news aboutIrredeemable, visit the Seventh Star Press site at www.seventhstarpress.com.

Jason Sizemore's Short Story Collection Irredeemable Announced!

For Immediate Release
February 12, 2014

Seventh Star Press proudly announces the short story collection Irredeemable from Jason Sizemore.

Featuring twenty one tales of dark SF and horror, many of which have flavors of Appalachia, Irredeemable brings together a number of Jason's previously published stories and features two brand new ones. The book will be released in all eBook formats and trade paperback during the second week of April. The collection will also feature a cover from Polish artist Tomasz Trafial.

"The stories in the collection address remorseless evil and how we react and adapt to such entities," Jason commented. "My Appalachia upbringing had a big impact on me, and I think that is reflected throughout the book."

The April release will be followed by a special campaign to introduce readers to Irredeemable. "We are very excited to be entrusted with this special release," Seventh Star Press' Stephen Zimmer said. "Many people are well aware of Jason's exceptional talents as an editor and in the publishing realms. It will be truly wonderful to see readers discover what a gifted writer he is, as Irredeemable solidly testifies."

Jason is a writer and editor living in Lexington, Kentucky. He is also the owner of Apex Publications, a highly acclaimed SF, fantasy, and horror small press. He has twice been nominated for the Hugo Award for his editing work on Apex Magazine.

As to why he brought "Irredeemable" to Seventh Star Press, he remarked. "I wanted to work with Seventh Star Press because I've long admired Stephen Zimmer. He's a savvy marketer, a wonderful person, and has a great enthusiasm for his authors and the small press."

For more information on Jason, follow him on Twitter @apexjason, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jason.sizemore1. For further updates and news about Irredeemable, visit the Seventh Star Press site at www.seventhstarpress.com

Cover Reveal for Stephen Zimmer's Chronicles of Ave Volume 1!

Seventh Star Press is proud to reveal the cover art by Matthew Perry for Stephen Zimmer's Chronicles of Ave, Volume 1, a brand new collection of fantasy short stories set in the world of Ave that is the primary setting for his Fires in Eden Series.

The new release features six tales, including the novella-length "Winter's Embrace".  It will be issued in eBook formats on Wednesday, September 4, with the print version to be released the following week. 

The tales are stand-alone short stories that do not require familiarity with the Fires in Eden novels.  However, those who have read the novels will find their experience of the world of Ave broadened and deepened.

"These stories give me a chance to explore many things I am only able to briefly mention or reference in the Fires in Eden Series," Stephen explained.  "They also give me a chance to allow readers an introduction to areas of Ave that have not been portrayed in the novel series as of yet."

The stories exhibit a range of settings, styles, and characters displaying the diverse kinds of cultures and lands to be found in Ave.  Volume 1 features the following tales:

“Into Glory Ride” tells the story of a young Trogen Warrior who is called to go up against insurmountable odds when Elves raid his homeland.  The Trogens have only begun training winged steeds for combat, but time is of the essence and a choice has to be made by the young warrior.

In “A Touch of Serenity” a conscript laborer working on a massive wall constructed under the orders of the Divine Emperor begins to hear ghostly voices asking for help.  His response leads him on a journey that will test his courage, wisdom, and compassion.

In “Moonlight’s Grace” a young man goes to help his people when a Midragardan raid strikes Gael.  He seeks to prove his worth to the chieftain whose daughter he loves with all his heart.

The novella-length “Winter’s Embrace” follows a warrior-monk deep into dangerous woodlands in the heart of winter.  There he will find his faith tested in ways he never anticipated, when he must help a forest witch against an enigmatic, immortal being known as the Undying.

“Lion Heart” introduces the heroic Sigananda of the Amazu people, who must confront things that transcend the laws of the physical world when powerful Wizards threaten his homeland.

In “Land of Shadow”, a knight who is part of a band of Avanoran mercenaries discovers how perilous the mysterious Shadowlands are when they undertake a journey to locate a site to build a fortress.

More volumes are forthcoming.  For further information on Seventh Star Press, please visit www.seventhstarpress.com and for information on the author visit www.stephenzimmer.com

Seventh Star Press is a publisher of speculative fiction based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Seventh Star Press Announces Upcoming Release of Vampires Don't Sparkle! Anthology

For Immediate Release

March 2, 2013

Seventh Star Press Announces Upcoming Release of Vampires Don't Sparkle! Anthology

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce the upcoming release of Vampires Don't Sparkle!, an exciting new anthology from editor Michael West that features the talents of many of the best writers in the speculative fiction arena, including Gary Braunbeck, Tim Waggoner, Maurice Broaddus, Lucy A. Snyder, and several more exceptional authors.  Featuring cover artwork from the award-winning artist Matthew Perry, the anthology will be available in trade paperback and eBook formats by the end of March.

Vampires Don't Sparkle! poses the question: What would you do if you had unlimited power and eternal life?

Would you...go back to high school? Attend the same classes year after year, going through the pomp and circumstance of one graduation after another, until you found the perfect date to take to prom? Would you...spend your days moping and brooding, finding your only joy in a game of baseball on a stormy day? Or would you...do something else?

The authors of this collection have a few ideas; some fanciful, some humorous, and some as dark as an endless night. Join us, and discover what it truly means to be "vampyre."

Below is a full list of authors and stories included in Vampires Don't Sparkle!

"A New Life" by J. F. Gonzalez
"What Once was Flesh" by Tim Waggoner
"The Darkton Circus Mystery" by Elizabeth Massie
"Robot Vampire" by R. J. Sullivan
"Beneath a Templar Cross" by Gord Rollo
"The Weapon of Memory" by Kyle S. Johnson
"The Excavation" by Stephen Zimmer
"Skraeling" by Joel A. Sutherland
"Dreams of Winter" by Bob Freeman
"Dracula's Winkee: Bloodsucker Blues" by Gregory L. Hall
"I F*** Your Sunshine" by Lucy A. Snyder
"A Soldier’s Story" by Maurice Broaddus
"Rattenkönig" by Douglas F. Warrick
"Vampire Nation" by Jerry Gordon
"Curtain Call" by Gary A. Braunbeck

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the anthology will be going to cancer research institutions, which was a prime motivation for editor Michael West in putting the project together. The author of highly-acclaimed novels such as Poseidon's Children, Cinema of Shadows, The Wide Game and Spook House, Michael decided to take on the editor's role for Vampires Don't Sparkle! for some personal reasons.

As Michael recently stated, "It is a very personal cause for me.  One year ago, I lost one of my closest friends, author Sara J. Larson, to cancer, and then my wife was diagnosed with the disease last fall.  I hope that, with this anthology, we can help win the fight against this real-life horror.

And what an anthology it is!  My fellow horror and dark fantasy authors will take you down some very twisted paths, each putting his or her own unique spin on the age-old legend of the vampire. Some of these tales are fanciful, some humorous, and some as black as an endless night. These are stories that will once more strike fear into your heart and make you dread sundown. These are tales to make the vampire cool again."

To get further information on Michael West, or the Vampires Don't Sparkle! anthology, please visit Michael's site at www.bymichaelwest.com or the Seventh Star Press site at www.seventhstarpress.com





Contact: C.C. James
Public Relations, Seventh Star Press
ccjames (at) seventhstarpress.com

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher of speculative fiction located in Lexington Kentucky