DriveThru’s 2019 Thanksgiving Sale Is Underway!

Posted on November 28, 2019 by Steven

thanksgiving-turkey-mdBeating the rush before the post-Thanksgiving shopping season goes into overdrive this weekend, e-book distributor DriveThru Fiction—along with its sister sites DriveThru Comics and DriveThru RPG—has launched its annual Thanksgiving Weekend Sale, during which you can purchase a ton of digital books and comics at special prices! It runs from now through Monday, December 2—so it covers those special shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday—and yes, you’ll need to set up an account (it’s free) to take advantage of this promotion.

Included among the many participating publishers is StarWarp Concepts (of course), which means you can take advantage of some sweet discounts while the sale’s running. Been meaning to purchase author Richard C. White’s ever-growing backlist of titles, which includes this year’s noir-fantasy collection Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase, as well as his bestselling guide for gamers and writers, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination? Interested in checking out the comic-book adventures of Lorelei, the seductive succubus who’s SWC’s First Lady of Horror? Had plans to meet Goth adventuress Pandora Zwieback, star of young adult books and comics?

Then head on over to the SWC DriveThru Comics page or the SWC DriveThru Fiction page now and get to shopping! And have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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It’s National Novel Writing Month 2019!

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Steven

terra_ingoc_lg_coverFall is in full swing, and with it comes that annual November event called National Novel Writing Month. To explain what it is, I’ll let this quote from the organization’s website provide you with some background:

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

And what do you know? It just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for writers!

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is our popular how-to book for writers and gamers in which bestselling fantasy author Richard C. White (For a Few Gold Pieces More, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.

What you’ll find in its pages is information that’s vital for just about any writer, especially when it comes to world building, and Rich shows you how to do it:

  • Avoiding the pitfalls of naming characters, regions, and countries
  • Applying the technique of “outside in” to develop and then refine ideas for your world
  • Creating a world your readers can relate to, regardless of its technological levels
  • Identify how to create backstories and conflict by observing how your world comes together
  • Adding details to make your story richer without overwhelming your readers
  • Identifying useful resources for research

From its first publication, the book has been a hit with not just fantasy writers, but role-playing gamers as well. When it debuted in October 2015 at the e-book distributor DriveThru Fiction and its sister sites DriveThru RPG and RPGNow, it immediately shot to the #1 position on all three as their top-selling title, and then remained for weeks as DriveThru Fiction’s #1 Hottest Nonfiction Book and #1 Hottest How-To for Writers! If you’re a writer or gamer, you might just want to check it out. In fact, it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media Design (i.e., game design) program at Becker College in Worchester, Massachusetts!

“I think Terra Incognito is a solid introduction to the subject of world building. The book succeeds in helping the aspiring writer in creating a skeletal framework for which to hang the moving parts required of a believable fictional setting.”—The Gaming Gang

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information.

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Happy Halloween from StarWarp Concepts!

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Steven

Thrift-Store-Window-2019

Thrift store window, Sunnyside, Queens. Photo by Steve Roman.

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Lorelei: Genesis Now On Sale at DriveThru Comics

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Steven

Lorelei_Genesis_LG_CoverJust in time for the Halloween, our latest release, Lorelei: Genesis, has gone on sale today at e-book distributor DriveThru Comics!

Lorelei: Genesis is a 24-page, one-shot digital comic that collects the original small-press Lori stories that Steven A. Roman (that’s me!) wrote and drew back in the late eighties and early nineties. Behind that brand-new cover drawing by yours truly (and colored by Eliseu Gouveia), you’ll find a pair of stories: “Lorelei” is an 8-pager from 1991 in which Lori journeys through the streets of New York on an important mission: to pick up her dry-cleaning! It’s followed by “In the Midnight Hour,” the 1989 story that introduced horror-comic fans to our favorite redheaded succubus, who steps in to rescue a couple being menaced by a street gang.

Lorelei: Genesis is available right now at StarWarp Concepts’ DriveThru Comics page for the low, low price of just 99¢! Get in the Halloween mood the right way by letting Lorelei be your guide!

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Chasing Danger Now On Sale at DriveThru Fiction

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Steven

Chasing-Danger_large_book_coverAfter making its splash at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, today’s the day when Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase went on sale at our other e-book distributor, DriveThru Fiction!

Chasing Danger is a collection of four noirish adventures by Richard C. White, author of Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, and a growing number of SWC titles: the novel Harbinger of Darkness; the story collection For a Few Gold Pieces More; the writer’s and gamemaster’s aid Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination; the supernatural-superhero graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings; and the pirate-adventure digital comic The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special.  Here’s the back cover copy:

Calasia: it’s a big town with big problems. Murder, thievery, extortion, corruption, magic, and monsters—just ask any native here: this ain’t a burg for the faint of heart. You don’t live in Calasia, you survive it.

Theron Chase walks these mean streets with a sap in one hand and a .45 in the other. Story is he used to be a hell of a cop in these parts—until his partner got dead in a hurry years ago. Now he makes a living as a private eye, offering his services to one and all while trying to stay on the good side of his secretary, a dishy-looking fae name of Kyra Sylvari. Ogres, werewolves, crime bosses, mages—as long as your money’s good and no one’s looking to turn him into a dead man (walking or otherwise), odds are he’ll be able to solve your problem.

Just don’t ask him to handle any magic-related items—he’s about as adept with the arcane arts as a troll in a knitting circle.

In this collection you’ll find four of Chase’s bizarre cases. From a sexy chanteuse who literally turns into a beast when the moon is full to a string of pearls that kills its owners, and from the ghost of a dead woman seeking justice to the Grim Reaper’s little girl seeking her stolen chicken, Theron Chase certainly has his hands full—of danger, death, and dames!

Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase is available right now in PDF, mobi, and epub formats at StarWarp Concepts’ DriveThru Fiction page. Get into the Halloween mood by chasing some danger yourself!

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When Amazons and Harlequins Clash!

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Steven

WWGiant1On sale today from DC Comics is Wonder Woman Giant #1, the launch of a series of 100-page comic-story collections starring the Amazing Amazon. Having found quite a bit of success in 2018 by publishing a similar series that was exclusive to Walmart stores—in addition to mega-series for Batman, Superman, Justice League, and Swamp Thing—DC is making this new WW comic available through your local comic shop. And leading off this new issue is “Commitment to Chaos,” written by Amanda Conner (who drew the cover you see here) and Jimmy Palmiotti, who team-up Wonder Woman with Harley Quinn, who’s become one of DC’s most popular characters these days.

So why am I mentioning a DC comic here? Well, it probably has to do with the fact that if you enjoy the idea of Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn crossing paths, we have a free digital comic you might want to check out…

heroines_large_coverHeroines and Heroes is a collection of comic stories and pinups all drawn by me, dating back to my days in the early 1990s small-press movement—that age of dinosaurs in which creators like me used to make our comics by printing them out on photocopiers and then stapling them by hand. In H&H you’ll find mainstream heroes and small-press heroines, a couple of anthropomorphic bikers—and an encounter between a certain member of the Justice League and a notorious clowny criminal.

“V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (in the Summertime)” is a three-page Wonder Woman vs. Harley Quinn story that I wrote and drew in the late ’90s as a sample for a DC Comics editor who thought I’d be a good fit for their Batman: The Animated Series comic. Long story short, it didn’t work out, unfortunately. It probably had to do with the panel of WW getting a pie in the face. And the one of Harley calling her “Wonder Bra.” You’ll see.

It’s followed by an adventure of small-presser Jeff Wood’s rabbit-eared superspy, Snowbuni; three pages from the short-lived anthropomorphic indie comic Motorbike Puppies; and an adventure of the indie superheroine The Blonde Avenger.

Heroines and Heroes is available for free download right now, so visit its product page for more information, including sample pages. It’s a small-press wonder!

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Lorelei’s 30th Anniversary: Lorelei: Genesis Now On Sale!

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Steven

Lorelei_Genesis_LG_CoverHey, comic fans! As part of our 30th-anniversary celebration of our first lady of horror—and just in time for the Halloween season—today we’ve released Lorelei: Genesis, a 24-page, one-shot digital comic that collects the original small-press Lori stories that some guy named Steven A. Roman (oh wait, that’s me!) wrote and drew back in the late eighties and early nineties.

Behind that brand-new cover drawing by yours truly (and colored by the vastly talented Eliseu Gouveia), you’ll find a pair of stories: “Lorelei” is an 8-pager from 1991 in which Lori journeys through the streets of New York on an important mission: to pick up her dry-cleaning! It’s followed by “In the Midnight Hour,” the 1989 story that introduced horror-comic fans to our favorite redheaded succubus, who steps in to rescue a couple being menaced by a street gang.

Lorelei: Genesis is available right now for download for the low, low price of just 99¢! Visit its product page for ordering information and sample pages.

Lorelei: Sects and the CityAnd speaking of Lorelei comics, our other Lori titles are still available for purchase:

Lorelei: Sects and the City is Lori’s critically acclaimed graphic novel adventure, in which she battles a cult of Elder God worshipers who are trying to unleash their monstrous masters on the world. It’s a tribute of sorts to classic 1970s horror comics and movies, from writer Steven A. Roman (that guy, again) and artists Eliseu Gouveia, Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood). Cover art is provided by Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna: Come Together), plus there’s additional art from two more legendary artists from the Warren Publishing era: a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Werewolf by Night, Star Trek) and a history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld).

Lorelei_House_MacabreLorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s first outing as the hostess of a horror comic anthology, in this one-shot special that contains four tales of horror, behind eye-catching cover art by fan-favorite artist Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella Strikes). “The Old, Dark Manse” is written by me, penciled by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual, Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), and inked by “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales), and has Lori welcoming readers to this special. “All in Color for a Crime” is another tale from me, with art by Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Young All-Stars). Two comic book collectors clash over a rare back issue—and only one of them will be adding it to their long boxes! “The Basilisk,” from me and artist John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics, My Teacher Fried My Brains), is a “Lori’s Feary Tale” that examines the history of a supernatural creature that’s a cross between a deadly snake and a…chicken?! Wrapping up the special is “Requiem for Bravo 6,” by New York Times bestselling author and comic writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman (She-Hulk, Steve McQueen: Full-Throttle Cool) and artist Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo (Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror). A special-ops team goes on a life-or-death mission…but will they be prepared for what awaits them at mission’s end?

Get in the Halloween mood the right way by letting Lorelei be your guide!

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Author Richard C. White Attends Archon 43

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Steven

Rich-New-PicTake note, sci-fi and fantasy fans! SWC author Richard C. White—whose latest book, Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase, came out in July—will be setting up shop at Archon 43, being held this weekend at the Gateway Convention Center and DoubleTree Hotel in Collinsville, Illinois.

According to its website, Archon is “a locally organized and locally staffed event, presented each year by St. Louis area science fiction and fantasy fans. It includes internationally known media guests, scientist, writers, artists, merchandise dealers and performers and a world recognized Masquerade; its goal is to bring to Saint Louis and science fiction fandom everywhere, a celebration of your imagination.” So, it’s probably something you might want to check out if you’re in the area.

Archon 43 runs Friday, October 4, to Sunday, October 6. For more information about the show, visit its website.

Chasing-Danger_large_book_coverRich’s growing list of SWC titles are perfect for fans of fantasy adventure and dark urban fantasy, not to mention gamemasters and budding writers:

Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase is Rich’s latest release. It’s a collection of fantasy-noir, pulp-detective tales starring a private eye working the supernatural beat in the city of Calasia. From a sexy chanteuse who literally turns into a beast when the moon is full to a string of pearls that kills its owners, and from the ghost of a dead woman seeking justice to the Grim Reaper’s little girl seeking her stolen chicken, Theron Chase certainly has his hands full—of danger, death, and dames!

seadragon_lrg_cov_revThe Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a digital pirate-fantasy comic created and written by Rich, drawn by Bill Bryan (artist of Caliber Press’ Dark Oz and DC Comics’ House of Mystery), and features cover art and color by Eliseu Gouveia (SWC’s The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual). It’s 48 pages of high-seas adventure perfect for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, as well as classics like The Crimson Pirate, Against All Flags, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk—and it’s available for download for just 99¢!

For a Few Gold Pieces More is a collection of ten critically acclaimed short stories that star a Rogue With No Name who travels a world of epic-fantasy adventure, looking for treasure—and revenge against the woman who sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit (but she did). Think Lord of the Rings meets the “spaghetti Westerns” of director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), with a healthy dose of monsters, magic, and swordplay mixed in.

Harbinger of Darkness is Rich’s original fantasy novel in which a thief named Perrin steals an extremely valuable—and magical—gem from the evil king ruling her home country. With thugs and fellow thieves and the king’s assassins hot on her trail, Perrin finds just staying alive is becoming a full-time occupation, which directly conflict with her secret life—and identity—as a humble bookseller’s daughter. It’s sword-swinging adventure at its finest!

terra_ingoc_lg_coverTerra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is a reference book for writers. In it, Rich takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.

Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is a general readers’ graphic novel about a group of supernatural-superheroes-for-hire taking on their first case. The team consists of a wizard, a female ninja, a sorceress, a werewolf, and a rock ’n’ roll lighting designer wearing high-tech armor. Sure, they might not be on a power level with the Avengers or Justice League of America—they’re more like superpowered Ghostbusters—but they get the job done. The graphic novel is written by Rich and his wife, Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman.

Chasing Danger, Harbinger of Darkness, For a Few Gold Pieces More, Terra Incognito, and Troubleshooters Incorporated are available in print and digital formats. Chronicles of the Sea Dragon is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information.

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Happy National Comic Book Day 2019!

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Steven

Lorelei: Sects and the CityToday is National Comic Book Day, an unofficial “holiday” that’s celebrated every year on this date…although no one seems to know why that is, or who exactly started the tradition. Nevertheless, if you’re thinking that the friendly fiends at StarWarp Concepts musthave some illustrated fiction that would be perfect for this occasion—you’re absolutely right!

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to the adventures of Pandora Zwieback and her monster-hunting mentor, Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, with an 8-page story written by me and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia, and a preview of Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1. Pan is a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets Annie that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world.

pan_annual_lgThe Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A spinoff from the novel series, this 56-page, full-color comic special finds the teenaged Goth adventuress battling vampires and a jealous, man-stealing siren. It features stories by me and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0), comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), and Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), and cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella).

Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa: Long before she met Pan, Annie was the star of this short-lived “bad girl” comic book miniseries published in the 1990s. Here you’ll find Annie doing a bit of research for an article about gentlemen’s clubs in Times Square—research that includes actually performing as an exotic dancer (I didsay it was a ’90s comic, didn’t I?). It’s that part-time gig that brings her into contact with Corum de Sade, a heavy metal singer with a deadly secret: he’s a soul-devouring incubus! All three issues—written by me, with art by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual), Holly Golightly (School Bites), and David C. Matthews—are available for free from this very website, so download them today!

Lorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lori battles a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and Ghost Rider, it’s written by yours truly, and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Stargate Universe, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide) and a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night).

Lorelei_House_MacabreLorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s debut as the hostess of a horror anthology comic. Behind an eye-catching cover by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death), you’ll find stories by me and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Iron Man, Web of Spider-Man). Art is provided by Uriel Caton & “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics), and Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo.

Heroines and Heroes is another free digital comic book. It’s a collection of stories (and a few pinups) that I’ve drawn over the years, featuring mainstream and indie comic characters that include the superheroic Blonde Avenger, the anthropomorphic Motorbike Puppies, the half-human/half-rabbit superspy Snowbuni, and my “legendary” Wonder Woman-meets-Harley Quinn three-page tale that was meant to be my entrée to fame and fortune as a DC Comics artist (it didn’t work out, though).

seadragon_lrg_cov_revThe Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a digital pirate-fantasy comic created and written by Richard C. White, coauthor of SWC’s supernatural-superhero graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings. Drawn by Bill Bryan (artist of Caliber Press’ Dark Oz and DC Comics’ House of Mystery), and featuring cover art and color by Eliseu Gouveia (SWC’s The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual), it’s 48 pages of high-seas adventure perfect for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, as well as classics like The Crimson Pirate, Against All Flags, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk—and it’s available for download for just 99¢!

troubleshooters_lrg_coverTroubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is a general readers’ graphic novel about a group of supernatural-superheroes-for-hire taking on their first case. The team consists of a wizard, a female ninja, a sorceress, a werewolf, and a rock ’n’ roll lighting designer wearing high-tech armor. Sure, they might not be on a power level with the Avengers or Justice League of America—they’re more like superpowered Ghostbusters—but they get the job done. The graphic novel is written by the husband-and-white team of Richard C. White (Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman.

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual, Lorelei: Sects and the City, Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, and Troubleshooters Incorporated are available in print and digital formats. Pandora Zwieback #0, Heartstopper, Heroines and Heroes, and Chronicles of the Sea Dragon are digital exclusives. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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It’s Banned Books Week 2019!

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Steven

Banned-logoGot a favorite book? Well, odds are good there’s someone out there in the United States who’d like to see it censored. And that’s where Banned Books Week comes in—an annual celebration of literacy in which the spotlight is shone on the problem of censorship in U.S. libraries and bookstores. To quote the Banned Books Week website:

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information.

This year’s theme is “Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark,” and the Banned Books Week Coalition urges everyone to “Keep the Light On.”

Banned Books Week 2019 is happening right now, September 22 to September 28, so visit the BBW website for more information, including a list of the eleven Most Challenged Books of 2018 that they’re celebrating this year. The Captain Underpants series of children’s books is on it—as it is just about every year—along with newcomers like A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, a storybook about a gay bunny rabbit, produced by HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give; and Raina Telegmeier’s graphic novel Drama.

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