Book Review: Catching the Big Fish

Hey, gang! I know it's been a while, but I haven't forgotten you, I promise. I've missed you and I've missed blogging, so I was writing a quick book review over at Goodreads and saw that I could share it here. I thought that would be a good way to say Howdy here at the Yada Feast and restart our conversation (again). I hope you've been well and I also hope you enjoy this quirky little book review.

See you soon!

Hugs from CT,
Fran

PS - If you're at Goodreads, let me know--drop me an invite. Let's be nerdy book buddies! ;-)

Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity by David Lynch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


David Lynch shares insights into the creative process, film making and how meditation, specifically Transcendental Meditation, has helped to shape his work and his life. Catching the Big Fish is a little book with tight chapters offered in a Lynch-esque stream of consciousness style. Like tiny tasty bites in a modern gourmet restaurant, he feeds his readers interesting thoughts and insights, leaving us satisfied (perhaps even dazzled) but not quite full. Highly recommended for Lynch fans for fascinating tidbits of info about his films, and also for anyone seeking a deeper path into the creative process and life. Not recommended for folks who consider meditation, etc. "airy-fairy"--the book will likely annoy you. :-) The proceeds of the book go to the DavidLynchFoundation.org for education.



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Gary Braunbeck All Class

CLASSY CLASSNESS

I just got word on this folks and I'll waste no time in sharing it with you, except to say that if I didn't already have a commitment, I'd be jumping on this opportunity myself. Gary Braunbeck is not only a brilliant author, he is a superb teacher, gifted and dedicated beyond belief (I've experienced this first hand). If you're a serious writer who wants to learn from a master storyteller/teacher, you will contact Michael Knost for the details immediately!

And it's only a hundred bucks!

Don't miss this:

New Online Writing Course with guest teacher Gary A. Braunbeck (week three).

We are accepting ten students for this course...only six slots remain...first come, first serve.

Class One: Choosing the Right Title for Your Story
Tuesday, December 21, 2010 – 9:00 p.m. (Eastern)

Class Two: Motivation
Tuesday, December 28, 2010 – 9:00 p.m. (Eastern)

Class Three: Character & Emotion (guest speaker: Gary Braunbeck)
**Students will turn in a short story (up to 5000 words) for critique.**
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 – 9:00 p.m. (Eastern)

Class Four: Story Critiques
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 – 9:00 p.m. (Eastern)


The cost of the course is $100.00.

To sign up, please send PayPal payment to:

mikecollinsemail@yahoo.com

Remember, when using PayPal, click:

Send money > Personal > Other

Thanks!
Michael Knost


Only SIX slots left, gang. Give yourself THE best holiday gift EVER!

Ho-Ho-Ho...

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel





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I'm Ba-ack!

What the Hell Happened?
Have you forgotten me, gang? I wouldn't be surprised if you had. It's been more than a year since my last confession, er, blog, and that's a long cotton-pickin' time.

I've missed you--no kidding--but I needed the time away to do some deep healing. Following a long period of illness last year, my dad passed away. The stress of his death combined with a really sucky year took me down...way down (I think I saw Pennywise down there with me...and yes, I was floating...facedown mostly). I'll spare you the gory details of my emotional demise, but suffice to say, it wasn't pretty. It was the yearlong version of the Oprah ugly cry...super-sobber...tearville...brain-dead valley. You get the picture.

As these things tend to be, my recovery was an uphill journey. I can honestly say, I learned a lot along the way, and now I think I'm ready to enjoy the ride again (hopefully, downhill and by the seat of my comfy pants, squealing all the way!). I may hit a few bumps along the way, but I'll keep rollin'.


So Glad to See You!
I really am thrilled to be back in the blogging/writing saddle again, and I'm so glad to see YOU! I hope you'll stick with me. I'll do my best to entertain you and make your time with me not-sucky. Heck, I even have some work being published this year. Yee-Haw!

Well, gang, I know it's not much of a start, but I'm ba-ack. :-)

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel




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BlogTalkRadio - Fran Dances with The Funky Werepig

Werepig Alert!
Hide your children and lock your pantry--the Funky Werepig is on the loose. Or at least he's on the radio. He'll be in his usual spot with his famous Choate Road crew, roasting and toasting his Sunday night interviewee, and tonight I'm the main course.

I'll be reading from my collection, Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales, as well as yammering on about writing, life and whatever Mr. Pig desires.

Please come and join us.

CLICK HERE for the LIVE Show Link or the Archive!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Times Best Seller Viehl Shares Financial Realities of Publishing

Truth Be Told
Wow, it certainly is refreshing to hear the truth for once. A long held sacred cow of the publishing industry is the silence of publishers and authors about advances and royalty statements. The marvelous NY Times Best Selling author, Lynn Viehl (also, S. L. Viehl), lays it all on the line, including her royalty statement, to dispel some of the myths and exaggerations about the writing business.

CLICK HERE to read Lynn's excellent article!

What do you think? Is this similar to your experience or that of your colleagues? Any wisdom, hearsay, ranting to add to the subject?

Have a rest of the week!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

PS - Many thanks to Mari Adkins for the link!

Bram Stoker Award Finalists - MB Made the Cut!

Made the Cut
I'm very pleased and honored to share the news with you--MAMA'S BOY AND OTHER DARK TALES made the final cut is now a nominee for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Collection. The winners will be announced in June at the Stoker Awards Banquet in Los Angeles, but simply making the list of finalists is a humbling experience, especially with the extraordinary talent in the collection category (and on the entire list!). My sincere congratulations to all the nominees.

You can see the complete list below, as well as an interesting explanation of the Bram Stoker Award.

From the Horror Writer's Association Blog:

Each year, the Horror Writer’s Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement, named in honor of Bram Stoker, author of the seminal horror work, Dracula. The Stoker Awards were instituted immediately after the organization’s incorporation in 1987.

To ameliorate the competitive nature of awards, the Stokers are given “for superior achievement,” not for “best of the year,” and the rules are deliberately designed to make ties fairly probable. The first awards were presented in 1988 (for works published in 1987), and they have been presented every year since.
The award itself is an eight-inch replica of a fanciful haunted house, designed specifically for HWA by sculptor Steven Kirk. The door of the house opens to reveal a brass plaque engraved with the name of the winning work and its author.

The Stoker Awards, like the Oscars, are non-juried awards. Any work of Horror first published in the English language may be considered for a Stoker during the year of its publication. The HWA membership at large recommends worthy works for consideration. A preliminary ballot is compiled using a formula based on recommendations. Two rounds of voting by our Active members determine first the finalists, and then the winners. The winners are announced and the awards presented at a gala banquet held in conjunction with HWA’s annual conference, usually in June.

This year’s finalists for the Bram Stoker Awards are:

Superior Achievement in a Novel
COFFIN COUNTY by Gary Braunbeck (Leisure Books)
THE REACH by Nate Kenyon (Leisure Books)
DUMA KEY by Stephen King (Scribner)
JOHNNY GRUESOME by Gregory Lamberson (Bad Moon Books/Medallion Press)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel
MIDNIGHT ON MOURN STREET by Christopher Conlon (Earthling Publications)
THE GENTLING BOX by Lisa Mannetti (Dark Hart Press)
MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL by Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin (Delirium Books)
THE SUICIDE COLLECTORS by David Oppegaard (St. Martin’s Press)
FROZEN BLOOD by Joel A. Sutherland (Lachesis Publishing)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
THE SHALLOW END OF THE POOL by Adam-Troy Castro (Creeping Hemlock Press)
MIRANDA by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books)
REDEMPTION ROADSHOW by Weston Ochse (Burning Effigy Press)
THE CONFESSIONS OF ST. ZACH by Gene O’Neill (Bad Moon Books)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
PETRIFIED by Scott Edelman (Desolate Souls)
THE LOST by Sarah Langan (Cemetery Dance Publications)
THE DUDE WHO COLLECTED LOVECRAFT by Nick Mamatas, and Tim Pratt (Chizine)
EVIDENCE OF LOVE IN A CASE OF ABANDONMENT by M. Rickert (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
TURTLE by Lee Thomas (Doorways)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology
LIKE A CHINESE TATTOO edited by Bill Breedlove (Dark Arts Books)
HORROR LIBRARY, VOL. 3 edited by R. J. Cavender (Cutting Block Press)
BENEATH THE SURFACE edited by Tim Deal (Shroud Publishing)
UNSPEAKABLE HORROR edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helder (Dark Scribe Press)

Superior Achievement in a Collection
THE NUMBER 121 TO PENNSYLVANIA by Kealan Patrick Burke (Cemetery Dance Publications)
MAMA’S BOY and Other Dark Tales by Fran Friel (Apex Publications)
JUST AFTER SUNSET by Stephen King (Scribner)
MR. GAUNT AND OTHER UNEASY ENCOUNTERS by John Langan (Prime Books)
GLEEFULLY MACABRE TALES by Jeff Strand (Delirium Books)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction
CHEAP SCARES by Gregory Lamberson (McFarland)
ZOMBIE CSU by Jonathan Maberry (Citadel Press)
A HALLOWE’EN ANTHOLOGY by Lisa Morton (McFarland)
THE BOOK OF LISTS: HORROR by Amy Wallace, Del Howison, and Scott Bradley (HarperCollins)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
THE NIGHTMARE COLLECTION by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions Press)
THE PHANTOM WORLD by Gary William Crawford (Sam’s Dot Publishing)
VIRGIN OF THE APOCALYPSE by Corrine De Winter (Sam’s Dot Publishing)
ATTACK OF THE TWO-HEADED POETRY MONSTER by Mark McLaughlin and Michael McCarty (Skullvines Press)


Many, many thanks to my wonderful publisher, Apex, and to everyone who has offered their encouragement and support for the MB collection over these many long months. I'm more grateful than you can know. Now, please cross your fingers and toes just one more time!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

PS - If you're an Active HWA member and would like a copy of the collection for your voting consideration, please drop me an email at: franfriel@gmail.com. Don't be shy! My publisher is being very generous to offer copies to voting members.