Links
On this page you'll find a bunch of links from a bunch of sources. Links range from simple associates to close friends, from publishers to writing groups, and of course the weird and wonderful websites that grab my eye. If you see any broken links then feel free to let me know the details by using the the Contact page, which is located in the topmost navigation bar.
Want to added to the list? You'll find details listed under the heading: Link Exchange.
Art Tutorials
As I have a particular interest in learning to draw, I have decided to post a number of useful websites offering free online tutorials. Yep, I know that there are some folks consider 'free' as an indication of poor quality, but I have to say that I have gained some great insight into the practice and science of Art.
Creative Spotlite
Creative Spotlite offers a number of resources for aspiring artists of all skill levels and mediums, including tutorials. You'll also find the blog quite useful as well.
Art Instruction Blog
Art Instruction Blog is the official blog for Creative Spotlite, and offers the chance to discuss the posted material via comments. On this blog you'll find interviews with professional artists, plenty of lessons, and a bunch of articles relating to the tools of the artist.
Authors
This section features links to official websites of my authors that I am friends with and/or look up to. Most of the podiobooks writers I have spoken to online but there are a few that are a little lacking in the tech know-how, which makes it difficult to make contact with them.
P J Ballantine
Philippa Ballantine is a talented writer/podcaster from New Zealand. I first came into contact with her after listening to the Podiobooks title Weaver's Web, and was awed by her deep character, rich world-building skills and fine storytelling that only gets better as time goes on. She is always looking to improve her writing and her new podcast project Erotica A La Carte, is an example of this. This podcast features short, erotic speculative fiction stories and moves away from her usual format.
She is a talented voice actor that has cameoed in several notable podcasts. She is always getting involved in the industry as well, trying to promote serialized audio shows in her home country, whilst also acting as an ambassador whenever she visits the USA or talks to people online. PJ is a force to be reckoned with, with wit as sharp as the finest fencing blade, and a keen intelligence to match.
Alan Baxter
Alan Baxter is a talented author of RealmShift, its sequel MageSign, and online serial A 'Verse Full of Scum who live on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. When he isn't writing fiction or adding to his blog, Alan is a martial arts instructor, motorcycle enthusiast, amateur photographer, music fan and some-time guitarist.
Drew Beatty
Drew Beatty is a talented author from Ontario, Canada. I first came into contact with the man after seeing his first podcast, White Trash Land, up on Podiobooks a year or so back. I gave the first episode a listen and was in stitches. Since then he has been lingering around podcasting circles and more recently released the urban fantasy novel, The Lost Gods, in podcast and serialized PDF. Nice guy. Great writer. Brilliant mind.
Mayer Alan Brenner
Mayer Alan Brenner has been involved in the writing community for a few decades, but due to a lack of a market for his The Dance of Gods quartet released by DAW between 1987 and 1994, the line was discontinued. Now he is back, experimenting with podcasted and e-texts. He is on a mission to get published again, and it is only just beginning to gather momentum. So, if you enjoy comical, intelligent fantasy, then Mayer's books are for you.
Lonnie Ezell
Last year Lonnie Ezell released his fantasy novel Daughter of the Sun in podcast format at Podiobooks and it was an immediate hit. It is one of my favorite novels, incorporating numerous elements from classical fantasy which managing to keep the story fresh. Lonnie is currently in the middle of writing the sequel and I look forward to it release soon, hopefully in podcast format as well.
Seth Harwood
When Boston-based writer Seth Harwood first released his pulp novel Jack Wakes Up as a podcast and in hypertext format, no one could foresee how popular his work would be. Since then he has released three novels in the series and a spin-off, as well as A Long Way From Disney, a retro story told from the perspective of a kid living in a colorful neighbourhood. Seth is one oft hose guys that focuses on writing, not promotion, yet manages to get both done like a professional.
JC Hutchins
JC Hutchins, aka Hutch, is a talented writer/podcaster with a talent for writing thrillers with a science fiction edge. His first triogy 7th Son, was so successful that it has surpassed Scott Sigler's podcast novels for popularity. It is filled with lots of intrigue, action, and tech to keep every listener glued to the seat.
Jeremy James
Jeremy James is dark urban fantasy writer based in the USA. His first novel, The Veingel, is currently being podcasted.
Mur Lafferty
Mur is an amazing author, talented podcaster, supermom and all-round badass. She has a roleplaying background with lots of experience writing for the industry and has been freelancing for about a decade now. Her writing is intelligent, witty and enlightened, with a hint of sass that is trademark Mur.
Nathan Lowell
Nathan Lowell is one of those guys that live and breath his craft, and in this case it just so happens to be writing. Each year he writes at least four novels, and has recently starting podcasting his creations. I am more familiar with his science fiction story South Coast, a story about a farming planet on the verge of collapsing under the weight of a heavy contract. In the midst of the turmoil, young Otto is growing into the power of a Shaman.
Nathan is not only a talented writer, but is also a gifted voice actor. Part of the beauty of podcasting is that writers often read their own work, and Nate does a terrific job of translating his own work. He is a natural.
James Melzer
James Melzer is a talented horror writer from Canada and has a wicked sense of humor. Back before Matt Selzick's contract with Permuted Press, we'd met in passing at the forums. He struck as a cool guy with a fiction podcast coming out in a few weeks. I met so many wannabes and self-promoters during my short time of being involved with the podcasting community that I decided to sit back and watch how it played out.
I'd heard about his podcast novel series The Zombie Chronicles from a bunch of folks online and started following him on twitter to see what he was up to. Bamm! He is one funny dude and has his head screwed on the right way. He accepts advice when its given and always manages to stay focused on the goal without sacrificing integrity.
Tee Morris
What can I say about Tee Morris? The guy has a gift for the gab, with a background in theater. His performance background came in handy when he starting podcasting Morevi: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana several years back. He has a way of bringing people together as well, which has resulted in the podcast production of Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword.
One of the things that struck me about Tee the first time that I heard his podcast The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy, was that he was always willing to share his wisdom with others. He has plenty of experience with promoting his various books, both fiction and non-fiction, so he knows what works from experience. Tee is witty, intelligent and is just plain cool.
M W Selznick
Matt is a talented singer/songwriter/musician, code monkey, writer and podcaster. He has lots of ideas for promotion online and was the first author to use the Creative Commons Developing Nations license when he released Brave Men Run, which happens to be one of my favorite novels of all time. Not only is he one of my favorite authors, but I also count him as a friend.
Matt is one of those guys that will go to bat for you if the need arises. He also believes in paying it forward. As a writer he is willing to offer advice on writing, and is always looking for ways to improve his own writing. He is surrounded by a community of people that respect him for his talent and for the support that he has given others over the years.
Avery K. Tingle
Avery K. Tingle is a relative newcomer in the area of online fiction, but has shown a glimpse of his talent in the serial Universal Warrior. He has been involved in the security industry and currently owns his own computer games company Modern Magic Enterprises LTD. As a side-note, Avery is a martial artist, who specializes in American Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing.
Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff is a talented screenwriter/writer/podcaster/musician from the USA. I discovered his work a few years back when he released the Mevio version of Number One With A Bullet on Podiobooks a year and a half ago. He writes a heck of a lot and podcasts even more. His work ranges from horror to action to urban fantasy to science fiction. For a few of his releases he has used a full cast, such as in the case of Shadow Falls, but most of the time he reads it himself.
My Groups
This section features online groups that I am a proud member of. It consists of mostly podcasting and writing related communities for now. I do anticipate this changing over time as I focus more on art.
The 23rd
Creator: Edward Woodward III
Flavor Text: You're a member of the 23rd. The 23rd takes care of its own...
Description: The 23rd is an exciting new podcast series by Edward Woodward III. This futuristic crime series is set on a colony on another planet where a special task force is assigned to deal with high profile cases. This community is an extension of the gCast feed, featuring news from the author, lots of information about the podcast and a behind the scenes look at the world.
Current Membership: (6) As of 11/23/2008
GNAPSO
Creator: D L Owens (Me)
Flavor Text: Pull up a toadstool and enjoy some gnomish hospitality
Description: GNAPSO is an anagram for Gnome Appreciation Society and is home to the few with an appreciation for the wee folk. The group welcomes roleplaying, gnome-related humor, discussions about Gnomes in the media, and a bunch of other gnome-related activities, except for gnome bowling, which is demeaning for all involved.
Current Membership: (2) As of 11/23/2008
Podiobooks
Creator: Evo Terra
Flavor Text: A place for all fans, authors and creators of Podiobooks.com...
Description: Podiobooks has been providing serialized podcast literature for many years now, and this community is a way for fans, writers and producers of podcast literature to discuss writing, literature and podcasting. There is plenty of advice for novices from people that have had to conquer software, hardware and literary problems before you, so I recommend that anybody interested in branching into this area check it out.
Current Membership: (478) As of 11/23/2008
Third Wave
Creator: Joe Mieczkowski
Flavor Text: A Playing for Keeps Community. We are Third Wave...
Description: When Mur Lafferty released the podcast version of Playing for Keeps, it was an instant hit. Lots of people loved the sassy main character and her outlook in life. Soon after the podcast finished Mur contracted the book to an upcoming publishing house that also signed Matthew Wayne Selznick's Brave Men Run. This community is a reflection of how passionately fans felt about the story.
Current Membership: (76) As of 11/23/2008
Wonderlands
Creator: Deborah J Miller
Flavor Text: Where authors, artists, readers and fans of the Fantasy genre can meet and mingle!
Description: Wonderlands is a nice community for fantasy enthusiasts. You'll find authors, artists and fans mingling freely amongst the boards. There's plenty of news, discussions, links, pictures, videos and networking to be had, and is well worth the visit.
Current Membership: (381) As of 11/23/2008
Music
Given that I listen to a lot of music, it seemed logical that I add a bunch of links for music groups, musicians and composers that I like.
Adam Fielding
Adam Fielding is a UK-based electronic and synth artist with a background in composing. His recent album, Distant Activity, is a great introduction to his work and a must-listen.
Papa Dada
Pada Dada is a piano-based pop group from Canada. They produce whimsically retro yet entertaining tracks.
Billy Ocean
During the early to mid-80's Billy Ocean was one of the more popular pop artists, releasing music for movie soundtracks that was at times soulful, sexy and thought-provoking. After a break of nearly two decades the man returns with his brand new album "Because I Love You" and because I loved his music as a goofy kid that used to dance and lipsink to his tunes, I am damned well going to buy it!
The West Exit
The West Exit is a calico pop band hailing from Seattle, WA. They've been performing since they formed in 2003 and are currently working on their third release, Extra Century Perception.
Aaron Zimmer
New York-based singer/songwriter.
New Media & Technology
This section is where I'll be posting links for websites that heavily discuss these areas. Note that I have done so as a way to
Future St Consulting
Future St Consulting is a consulting firm that specializes in ways to integrate new technology and media into organizational structure so that companies don't get left behind. It is the brain-child of Mark Pesce. (Blog)
People
This section is a collection of links for interesting people.
Mark Pesce
Mark Pesce is your not-so-average Renaissance Man and is a USA expat now living in Australia. He's been involved with a bunch of different projects, which includes being a part of the team that developed Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML).
Podcast Literature
New technology has allowed works of literature to be syndicated in audio format. It is also a new tool for authors to promote their work. Below are several notable websites featuring podcast fiction.
Morevi Remastered
Morevi is a fantasy novel by Tee Morris and Lisa Lee, originally podcasted by Tee back a few years ago. The newly remastered podcast features the talent of numerous voice actors, including the man himself. Plenty of action and intrigue on the high seas that will have you from the very first episode. Well worth the subscription.
Podiobooks
Podiobooks is the king of podcast literature websites. There are 265 titles and counting, non-fiction and fiction. You can find a bunch of stories to choose from, including a wide range of speculative fiction titles. Science fiction to Action. Horror to Romance. Fantasy to Historic Fiction. Biographies to Self-Help. Religion to Philosophy. Science to Biology. You'll be sure to find something you'll like amongst the titles on offer.
Publishers
As the name of this section suggests, this the area to find a selection of my favorite publishers.
Blade Red Press
Description: In 2008, author Alan Baxter took a risk and started his own independent publishing company using P.O.D. Although the company is still small, it is beginning to gain some interest online and is likely to expand in the not-so-distant future from the three titles (2 Horror and 1 Alternate History) currently supported.
Mam Tor Publishing
Description: In 2004, Liam and Christina McCormack-Sharp founded Mam Tor Publishing. In only a few years, this company has published the works of numerous talented authors and artists, setting new heights in quality art and literature. Such talent includes James Johnson (The Enemy's Son) and Liam Sharp (The Lap of the Gods).
Mam Tor Publishing produces high quality fiction and graphic novels. If you love stories that are unusual, yet strikingly beautiful, then its a must-visit. Also, the prices are inclusive of worldwide shipping as well, which means that there aren't any hidden charges.
Web Comics
There are plenty of web comics currently available. Below is a selection of some of the ones that I follow.
Calling Home
Calling Home is the collaboration between author R. Alexander Spoerer and artist Leila de Ducca and is based on Spoerer's twitter novel experiment in in late 2008..
Web Literature
You guessed it. This section features a bunch of web-based literature that I find particularly cool.
Children of the First
Author: Alex MacGaughan
Flavor Text: Myth... Magic... Midterms...
Description: Children of the First is serialised urban fantasy that tells the story of Shawn, a dragonblood, and his experiences at Raekos University. It is a coming-of-age story of a guy finding his place in the world.
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Drama
Six Sentences (6S)
Editor: Robert Mcevily
Flavor Text: What can you say in six sentences?
Description: Six Sentences is the brain child of Robert Mcevily, a blog featuring works of fiction six sentences in length. There's a boatload of contributors from across the globe and there is no restriction on genre so you'll be sure to find something that will capture your imagination. Its flash fiction at its bloggy best and well worth a subscription.
Genre: No restriction
Universal Warrior
Author: Avery K. Tingle
Flavor Text:
Description: Universal Warrior Book #1: Uprising is the story of the origins of the Archangels during the war between Yin and Yang. As Yin's forces seek to overrun Heaven, Yang gathers several Angels to Asgard to break the Nexus Stone, which will give them the power to take on the strongest of Yin's forces, but at a cost. The biggest problem that each of the candidates face will be getting there, as there are numerous other factions in the cosmic battle.
Genre: Fantasy / Adventure
Writing Groups
As the name suggests this section contains a selection of Writing Groups that I am a part of.
Critique Circle
Critique Circle is a writing critique group that uses a point based system for determining when you can upload your own writing to the server. The basic free account offers a bunch of neat features, including Progress graphs, Reminders, Outlines, and Paragraph-A-Day (P-A-D); and a few games, such as Word Morph and Hangman. Upgrading removes the limitations and opens up a bunch of other features as well.
Liberty Hall Writers
Liberty Hall is the brain-child of Mike Munsil, talented author and webmaster. In this community you'll find a bunch of regular activities, such as timed writing challenges, plenty of discussions on the craft of writing and lots of information about publishing. I'm a proud member and consider it a great tool for newcomers and veterans alike.
Link Exchange
Want me to link to your website? Use the Contact page and send me the details. When I get some spare time I'll check out the link, and if I like what I see then I will post it on this page. Be sure to let me know if you have a banner/s to use, but if you don't have any, then I'll use a text link instead. Let me know if you'd like an email notification so that I can contact you once I've posted the information. This is to confirm that the images and the links are correct.
I don't have any banners or buttons yet, but when I do I will post them on the website. I have been busy with a lot of stuff of late so this is one thing that I will focus on once I've caught up with the website. If you'd like to help with this, then let me know and we can discuss the details over email.