Free Ted Dekker Audiobook

Can you believe it? A free Ted Dekker audiobook? Yep, you heard me right. Right now you can download a copy of Ted Dekker’s novel Black from the iTunes Music Store–free of charge. This is the 13-hour, unabridged version. Here’s the iTunes link:
Ted Dekker Black Audiobook

Here’s a short synopsis of Black from Ted Dekker’s website:

By day’s end, three million people will be carriers of the deadliest virus in history. There is no vaccine. There is no anti-virus. The world’s only hope is Thomas Hunter, and he has already been killed. Twice. Enter an adrenaline-laced epic where dreams and reality collide – and the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance of one man’s choices.

For more info on the author, here’s a link to his website:
http://www.teddekker.com

Star Wars: Death Troopers

The things we do as a mom. My son received Star Wars: Death Troopers for Christmas and enjoyed it so much he insisted I just had to read it. Both of my kids are avid readers so I try to follow the books they are reading from time to time to see where their interests currently are. So I agreed to read Deathtroopers.

Because my son is an avid Star Wars fan, I am aware of the gist of the Star Wars books, but Deathtroopers is an entirely different type of book from all the others. Let me suffice it to say that this is the first zombie book I’ve ever read. Zombie books will never be my favorite genre, but I admit this one was pretty easy to read. Joe Schreiber wrote the book with one action scene after another, making it a very fast read.

In case you want to read it, I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say I found a couple of surprises in the middle of the book, which served to increase my interest level.

Also, Schreiber did a good job developing the different characters. Each had their own particular voice that was different from the others and accurately reflected their skills and personalities. For me, the characterization and action sequences were definitely the book’s strongest points.

If you’re a Star Wars fan or lover of zombie books, you will probably enjoy Deathtroopers. I’m not an authority on horror books, but I have a feeling that if you are, Deathtroopers might be a little lightweight for you. As for me, it was an intriguing way to drift off into another world for a few hours while keeping an eye on my son’s interests.

Anne Rice: Surrender to Love

Anne Rice. When people hear her name, many immediately think of her wildly successful vampire books–books that have inspired films, television adaptations, live theater performance, comics, fan fiction and even music. We’re talking sales of 100 million books worldwide. Now that’s an audience!

What some don’t know is that in 2004, Rice announced that she had returned to the faith of her childhood and had determined that from that time forward she would “write only for the Lord,” leaving behind the “aetheistic despair, searching and misery” she had been mired in.

Since that time, her books “Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt” and “Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana,” (the first two books in a planned trilogy) and “Angel Time” have been published. “Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim” hit the shelves in October 2009.

On January 14, Rice appeared in an interview on The 700 Club. In the interview, she talks about her search for God and her subsequent return to the faith. With many of her loyal fans following her story, she has had opportunity to respond to others who are reaching out to escape the misery and search for meaning they identified with in her vampire books. What journey she has made.

You can see for yourself Rice’s current projects and story at her website:
http://www.annerice.com/

She also has a Facebook fan page at:
Anne Rice’s Facebook Fan Page

Meanwhile, here’s a link to the 8-minute video interview: Anne Rice Interview

The Word Reclaimed, by Steve Rzasa

The Word Reclaimed, written by Steve Rzasa, was published by Marcher Lord Press in October. I was graciously offered a pdf of the book for review purposes, which I gladly accepted. Although reading a pdf is not my favorite way to read a novel, I found that the effort was worth it. Steve Rzasa’s book is a wonderful, classic piece of space opera in the tradition of Star Wars.  The author was kind enough to grant me an interview, but before that, here’s the official blurb.

Far in the future, the five colonized systems have finally been freed of the curse of religion. By mandating tolerance across all colonies, no one can bring religious persecution upon anyone else. Things have been this way for a generation. Long enough for most of those living to have never known a Torah, Koran, or New Testament, except in stories. And the Kesek secret police work hard to keep it so. So what happens when a bitter teenage discovers a holy book that has been earmarked for destruction? What happens when it begins speaking to him. And now that Kesek is coming for him and his father and anyone else who gets in his way, what is he going to do with this troublesome book? The Word Reclaimedis epic space opera amidst civil war, treachery, and  political alliances as sifting as Martian sand.

And now for the interview. Enjoy!

What led you to write this particular story?

A few years ago I hit upon the idea, what if a man found a Bible in the wreckage of a starship? Then I wondered what it would be like if written religious texts were banned, and faith was regulated. From that came the genesis for “”The Word Reclaimed.”

In a way, The Word Reclaimed reminded me of several really great space operas–like Star Wars and Anne McCaffrey’s novels, among others. What particular books or movies impacted you as you were growing up?

Ah, you discovered the not-so-great secret! I love the Star Wars series and read several novelizations, especially the “Heir to the Empire” and “Black Fleet Crisis” trilogies – those I read in college. I did most of my science fiction reading in high school and college. I thoroughly enjoyed C.J. Cherryh’s “Merchanter’s Luck” as well as the Honor Harrington novels of David Weber.

Oh! And I can’t forget the canceled “Firefly” TV series. Best sci-fi show ever!

Who are your favorite authors, those whose books you’d love to settle down with on a cold winter afternoon or evening?

The aforementioned “Merchanter’s Luck” is one I re-read regularly. I also really enjoy David Drake’s “Lt. Leary, Commanding.” Kathy Tyers’ “Firebird” trilogy is a great one, too.

How long did it take you to write The Word Reclaimed?

The Word Reclaimed is actually the first half of a much longer epic I called “Commissioned.” It took about six years to write the whole works, with most of the work completed during nine months in 2008-09. Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press decided he wanted to publish the novel but asked me to find a cut-off, a cliffhanger of sorts. I did, and “The Word Reclaimed” was born.

Who was your favorite character to write? What is your favorite thing about that character?

Well, my protagonist Baden was enjoyable if only for the fact that he’s an average guy struggling with some real questions of faith and belief. But I’d have to settle on Detective Chief Inspector Nikolaas Ryke of the Kesek secret police as my favorite to write. He’s just mean! It was fun to take one character and see just how much of a villain I could make him.

If you could be any character from a fantasy or sci-fi book, who would it be and why?

That’s easy – Han Solo! Or at least, somebody with his same job description. Come to think of it, I’d love to be on the crew of the good ship Serenity of Firefly fame …

What projects are you working on now?

I am in the midst of rewriting/editing the sequel or Book 2, entitled “The Word Unleashed.” The release date is April 2010. After that, well, I have lots of ideas for this universe.

How can readers find you on the web?

My website, www.steverzasa.com, has the latest information about “The Word Reclaimed” and background about the universe in which “The Face of the Deep” series is set. “The Word Reclaimed” is available for purchase through www.marcherlordpress.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Suvudu’s Holiday Giveaways

Wow! I’ve missed you guys. Between a couple rounds of viruses running through the family and the flare-up of an old wrist injury, I’ve been a little distracted. But I’m back.

And what better incentive than to tell you guys about Suvudu’s Holiday Extravaganza? Every Monday through Friday until Dec. 24, Suvudu is giving away free loot…as in one or more books. You need to stop by their website to see what the prize or prize pack is everyday and winners are posted on the site. The giveaways started on December 1, but there are LOTS of great prizes still to go. My son has his eye on the huge Star Wars pack. Check it out!

Here’s the link: Suvudu’s Holiday Extravaganza
You can also follow these guys on Facebook and Twitter and they’ll remind you to stop by with your entry. You can find the link on the Suvudu website.

“Fantasy & Science Fiction” – December Issue

Fantasy & Science Fiction is a bimonthly magazine now in its 61st year of publication. The publisher was kind enough to send me the December issue as a review copy and, I must say, when I received the magazine it was not at all what I expected.

Even though the magazine has been around longer than I have, I had never come across it before. I was surprised to see the issue weighed in at more than 250 pages and the content was very good. It contained four novelets, seven short stories, and the usual handful of departments/columns (an editorial, Books of Interest, Films, Coming Attractions, and a quirky little one-page entitled Curiosities).

The writing in the magazine is top-notch. I love highlighting periodicals such as this because, especially in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, they are responsible for giving a leg up to aspiring writers as well as giving readers a taste of other, already published authors who someone might not have run across before.

A subscription to the magazine is a little pricey ($34.97 for one year; $46.97 outside the U.S.), but is large enough that it would be like buying six paperbacks for less than $6 each. In addition, you can purchase copies on the magazine’s website for your smartphone or computer (PDF). According to the website, there is supposedly audio copies available from audible.com but I couldn’t find them. If you love fantasy/sci-fi short stories and novelettes, you’ll probably enjoy the magazine.

Fantasy & Science Fiction is published bimonthly by Spilogale, Inc.
The magazine’s website is: http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/
Further information is available here.