It’s National Library Week 2019!

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Steven

National-Library-2019Hey, book lovers! It’s time to recognize another annual reading event, because if there’s one thing we enjoy around these here parts, it’s reading. This time, it’s National Library Week!

According to the American Library Association (ALA), the organization that runs the event:

“First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries—school, public, academic and special—participate.”

This year’s theme is “Libraries = Strong Communities” and stresses the importance of libraries as “the heart of our cities, towns, schools and campuses, providing critical resources, programs and expertise.”

National Library Week runs through April 13, so be sure to see if your local library has any special events planned for the celebration.

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And Yet Another Roadstop…for Next Year!

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Steven

pow-con-logoSo far, the StarWarp Concepts list of 2019 convention appearances has included comic shows, horror cons, and even a library. Well, add one more to the list—but this one doesn’t happen until 2020!

January 25–26, 2020: Pow! Con 2: This Brooklyn-based comic show debuted this past January in the neighborhood of Bay Ridge, and was apparently received so well that it needed to expand to a larger venue. In 2020, it’ll be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint.

I’ll admit there was a slight hesitation before we signed on: The Expo Center was also the location for BoroughCon 2018 last June, and the reports on that were extremely discouraging—poorly run, no promotion, practically no attendees other than the vendors and artists, the fact that security doesn’t lock the doors at night when more than one event is being held there. Things turned out so badly that the BC showrunners decided they needed to take a year off to take stock of their situation.

But Pow! Con creator and showrunner Salvatore Lo Medico has assured me that the doors will be locked at night for this show, and hopefully they’ll do some heavy promotion as 2019 progresses for peak fan attendance. Considering how expensive it’s become to exhibit at conventions these days, especially in Manhattan, it’d be nice to have a moderately priced, successful outer-borough show to go to.

More news to come on other SWC convention appearances as information becomes available!

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Happy Game Masters Appreciation Day 2019!

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Steven

terra_ingoc_lg_coverSince 2002, March 4th has been well known to the gaming community as International GM’s [Game Masters] Appreciation Day. Never heard of it? Well, that’s probably because, like me, you’re not involved in that ever-growing collection of fans. To explain this event, I’ll let this quote from the official GM’s Day site provide you with some background:

GM’s Day was born on the site EN World in December 2002. Originally a simple message board post by EN World member Spunkrat, the idea quickly gained popularity, championed by Mark Clover of Creative Mountain Games and, of course, EN World itself…. GM’s Day is an annual day to show your Game Master (or Dungeon Master, or Storyteller, or Referee) how much you appreciate them.  Publishers and retail outlets across the world now join in GM’s Day, offering discounts, sales, and other cool stuff.

And what do you know? It just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for game masters and gamers alike:

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 (Harbinger of Darkness, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, For a Few Gold Pieces More, 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.

Bonus! Because Rich’s interview with Hickman was so lengthy, and touched upon some topics that didn’t pertain to the world-building focus of Terra Incognito, I made the editorial decision to cut those parts from the final version of the book. However, if you want to discover what else Rich and Hickman discussed—including their shared experiences in the licensed-publishing writers market—then head over to Richard C. White’s blog and read all about it!

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in both print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information. And don’t forget to order a copy for your favorite game master!

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It’s Will Eisner Week 2019!

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Steven

Will-Eisner-Week-2019Yes, it’s time again for Will Eisner Week: an annual celebration—held this week from March 1 to March 7—run by the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation, to promote literacy, graphic novels, free speech, and the legacy of the late Will Eisner, the creator of the 1940s masked crimefighter The Spirit, and one of the founding fathers of American graphic novels. A Contract with God, A Life Force, Dropsie Avenue, and The Dreamer are just some of the fascinating tales Eisner wrote and drew, featuring ordinary people in extraordinary (and sometimes not-so-extraordinary) situations. And even though he passed away in 2005, Eisner continues to inspire generations of writers and artists. Events are being held this week around the world; visit the Will Eisner Week site for more information.

StarWarp Concepts, of course, has its share of graphic novels and comics that might pique your interest. Here are just a few:

Lorelei: Sects and the CityLorelei: Sects and the City: This is the critically acclaimed, Mature Readers tale of a succubus battling a cult that’s trying to revive the elder gods they worship. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and “Satanna, the Devil’s Daughter,” it’s written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (Stan Lee’s Alexa, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, 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), a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night), and a history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Vampirella, The Grim Ghost).

troubleshooters_lrg_coverTroubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings: Perfect for superhero fans, this graphic novel is about a supernatural team of superfolk-for-hire, consisting of a wizard, a sorceress, a female ninja, a high-tech-armor-wearing rock concert lighting designer, anda werewolf. Not every superhero team has Tony Stark’s billions to play with, you understand, and the Troubleshooters are just looking to earn a living while fighting the monsters that have always lurked in the shadows. Makes sense, right? Of course it does! Written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. White (Harbinger of Darkness, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination) and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, Night Stalkings presents the TSI members on their first mission: protecting a multimillionaire from a trio of Middle Eastern demons out to raise a little hell!

pan_annual_lgThe Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: Although it may not be a graphic novel, at 56 pages it’s still a pretty thick comic book, with three stories of Pan and the monsters that live in her New York City hometown. The Saga of Pandora Zwieback chronicles the adventures of sixteen-year-old Pandora Zwieback, a Gothy horror fangirl who possesses amazing powers that she just learned about, including the ability to see past the human disguises worn by monsters to blend in with society. And The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 is a 56-page, full-color special that contains stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), and art by Eliseu Gouveia (Lorelei: Sects and the City,The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0) and comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld).

All titles are available in print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

Happy reading!

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Author Richard C. White at MystiCon 2019

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Steven

MystiConThis coming weekend, science fiction and fantasy fans will be gathering at MystiCon, being held at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood in Roanoke, Viriginia. And among the guests in attendance will be author Richard C. White, who’ll be there to promote his latest projects, including the upcoming SWC dark-fantasy noir collection Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase.

Rich, as SWC fans should know by now, is the bestselling author of the licensed novel Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, as well as a bunch of fantasy-related titles published by SWC: the novel Harbinger of Darkness; the story collection For a Few Gold Pieces More; the writer’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. Rich will be selling copies of his books, so be sure to stop by his table in the vendors’ room to pick them up.

You’ll also find Rich at the following panels: on Friday, at Author Showcase, Introduction to Roleplaying, and at the Signing Table; and on Saturday at Military Psychology, and Collaborating in a Shared Universe.

For more information on the convention, visit the MystiCon website.

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Add Another Roadstop to the List…

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Steven

monster-mania-logoBack on January 31, I told you about some of our 2019 conventions plans—pop-culture shows, horror gatherings, library cons. Well, you can add one more to the tally, coming this fall:

October 4–6: Monster-Mania Con: Held at the Delta Hotel Marriott in Hunt Valley, Maryland, this horror con has been growing in attendance every year—and no wonder, considering the caliber of genre guests they always manage to bring in. So far they’ve already got Mr. “Evil Dead” himself, Bruce Campbell, on board, as well as Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen—stars of the original Candyman (there’s a remake currently in development)—and Danielle Harris of Halloween fame.

With CT Horrorfest in September, that now means there are two major terror fests we’ll be exhibiting at this year, so if you’re attending either show (or both!), be sure to stop by the dealers’ rooms to pick up all the SWC titles you’re missing.

More news to come on other SWC convention appearances as information becomes available!

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Quality SWC E-books for the Discerning Librarian

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Steven

smashwords-logoWith this past Saturday having been Take Your Child to the Library Day, I’m always reminded of a conversation I once had with Richard C. White, author of SWC’s supernatural graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings, pirate-fantasy digital comic The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, the fantasy-adventure titles For a Few Gold Pieces More and Harbinger of Darkness, and the popular how-to book for writers, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination.

Rich had been a guest at a science fiction convention and had spoken with some school librarians who were interested in adding Terra Incognito to their lists of e-book titles. But how, they asked, would they be able to obtain it? As librarians, they’re required to order books from distributors, not from publishers; that applies to e-books as well.

Well, it just so happens that one of The ’Warp’s digital distributors, Smashwords, makes our titles available to libraries through Baker & Taylor’s Axis360 and OverDrive e-book programs. To quote from Smashword’s arrangement with the programs:

“Library patrons are able to check out only one copy at a time. The books are wrapped in DRM so they time out after a specific period of time. The library can purchase multiple copies if they decide demand warrants multiple simultaneous checkouts. Otherwise, the library purchases a single copy and allows only one copy at a time to be lent out. If a library patron wishes to obtain a book that’s already checked out, the patron is sometimes given the option to purchase a copy through a retailer.”

In the case of OverDrive, “If a library patron wishes to obtain a book that’s already checked out, the patron is sometimes given the option to purchase a copy direct through OverDrive (for libraries that utilize OverDrive’s ‘Buy it Now’ feature).”

Via Smashwords, the following titles can be ordered through Axis360 and OverDrive:

terra_ingoc_lg_coverTerra 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 (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. In fact, the book is so popular that it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media Design program at Becker College in Worchester, Massachusetts!

pieces_gold_large_book_cover2017For a Few Gold Pieces More collects Richard C. White’s fantasy short stories about 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). It’s “entertaining, old-school sword and sorcery, in the tradition of [Fritz Lieber’s] Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser,” according to author Jim C. Hines of the Magic ex Libris book series, and we at SWC couldn’t agree more!

harbinger_large_book_cover2017Harbinger of Darkness is Rich’s third title, and his first original novel for SWC. In it, 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!

You can also obtain our Saga of Pandora Zwieback young adult novels, Blood Feud and Blood Reign—written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman. You know how popular young adult books are these days, don’t you? Well, here’s another series your patrons might be interested in!

Blood FeudPan 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 an immortal monster hunter named 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. You’ll find Pan battling her own brand of evil dead in the following titles:

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel isthe beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel:

Blood ReignBlood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover!

So if you’re a librarian interested in adding those titles to your digital bookshelves, head over to Axis360 or OverDrive and place your order today!

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Happy Women in Horror Month 2019!

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Steven

white_fell_large_book_cover2017Women in Horror Month is here again, that annual celebration that shines the spotlight on the contributions of all the female creators—writers, artists, movie directors, producers, special makeup artists, special effects experts, etc.—who’ve brought thrills and chills to generations of fans around the world.

To join in on the celebration, later this month we’ll be publishing The Mortal Immortal, a tale of longevity gone wrong, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the author and creator of Frankenstein!

In the meantime, you can always purchase our previous Women in Horror title: White Fell—The Werewolf, by Clemence Annie Housman. Originally published in 1896 as The Were-wolf, it’s regarded by scholars as perhaps the first feminist werewolf story. In it, a beautiful woman named White Fell wanders into a snowbound village—and into the hearts of twin brothers, one of whom immediately becomes smitten by her. The other brother, however, soon grows suspicious of the enigmatic White Fell. Where did she come from? Why does she always carry an ax? And is her sudden appearance somehow related to the recent sightings of a bloodthirsty wolf in the area?He may come to regret being so inquisitive…

CarmillaThere’s also the Illustrated Classic Carmilla, J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s nineteenth-century vampire love story that features great black-and-white illustrations by Eliseu Gouseia, the artist for Lorelei: Sects and the City, A Princess of Mars, and the Pandora Zwieback comics. In Carmilla, a young woman named Laura is so desperate for a friend that when a woman her age practically turns up on the doorstep of the castle owned by Laura’s father, she thinks her prayers for companionship have been answered. But as she comes to realize, Carmilla isn’t as interested in making friends as she is in spilling blood. Regarded by literary scholars as one of the earliest lesbian vampire tales, Carmilla was an influence on author Bram Stoker in the creation of the vampire brides in his seminal novel, Dracula, and remains a popular character in fiction to this day.

White Fell—The Werewolf and Carmilla are available in print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for further information. If you enjoy tales of horror and empowered women, be sure to give them a read!

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It’s Take Your Child to the Library Day 2019!

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Steven

queens-libraryToday is Take Your Child to the Library Day. Founded in 2011 by children’s librarian Nadine Lipman, the annual event is held the first Saturday in February and encourages librarians to reach out to their communities and show folks just how wonderful reading can be.

Before the Internet, libraries were the source for information and reading, and these days they can always use our support. So head out now, introduce your children to that big building with all the free books to borrow (like the main branch of the Queens Public Library in Flushing, pictured here), update the library card that’s been stuck in the back of your wallet for all these years, and renew your acquaintance with a vital partner in the ongoing literacy campaign.

For more information, including the list of participating libraries, visit the TYCLD website.

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The Road Is Calling…

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Steven

OpenRoad-LinneaMallette-PubDomPics

It’s still early in the year, but the 2019 convention season is already under way—and that means it’s time to get back on the road again! Here’s what we’ve got lined up so far:

February 22–24: MystiCon: Author Rich White kicks off the con season by heading to the Holiday Inn Tanglewood in Roanoke, Virginia, for this three-day genre gathering whose media guests this year include Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager), gaming legend Steve Jackson, and author Jody Lynn Nye.

April 26–28: Awesome Con: You’ll find Rich White hawking his goods in artists’ alley at this annual pop-culture con, being held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, right in the heart of Washington, DC. This thing keeps getting bigger every year, so be sure to fight your way through the crowds before you can buy Rich’s books!

July 12–14: Shore Leave 41: Rich will be making his annual trek to this sci-fi and fantasy con, being held at the Delta Hotels Baltimore in Hunt Valley, Maryland. They’ve already lined up a bunch of authors who’ll be there to greet the fans, and somewhere among them—and no doubt hosting or participating in half the panels—you’ll find Rich!

July 13: MinCon is a one-day show held every two years at the Mineola Memorial Library in Mineola, New York (located on Long Island), “celebrating comics, fantasy, science fiction, gaming, and anime,” as their site says. Our first library-con appearance! You’ll find me manning the SWC table somewhere among the stacks of books. Just remember while you’re there: You don’t borrow SWC books, you buy them!

September 14: CT Horrorfest is Connecticut’s sole horror convention, and this one-day gathering of monster kids keeps getting bigger every year. In 2019 it’s being held at the Naugatuck Event Center in the town of Naugatuck (located in New Haven County). So far they’ve got two major guests lined up: David Naughton, the star of the awesome ’80s classic An American Werewolf in London; and Danielle Harris, star of three entries in the Halloween franchise and the vampire flick Stake Land.

More news to come on other SWC convention appearances as the information becomes available!

(Photo by Linnea Mallette, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures)

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