Are you an author? Put your work up against the best!!! Writers of the Future Contest!

The future is here…the future is now!  Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson and Larry Niven have seen the future. Now, you can, too.

A constellation of the brightest lights in the Science Fiction and Fantasy firmament have judged these authors to be the best, the brightest, the truest emerging stars in the field.

From Alien Invasion to Alternate History, from Cyberpunk to Comic Fantasy to Post-Apocalyptic Worlds, these are the winning writers who have mastered every version and vision of sci-fi and fantasy.

Don’t be left behind. Get a read on what’s next.

“The Writers of the Future contest looks for people with the best imaginations who can see through the possibilities of the strangest and best ideas and tell stories that intrigue us and involve us.” —ORSON SCOTT CARD

Celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Writers of the Future contest and the 26th anniversary of the Illustrators of the Future contest.

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Contest Rules

Videos's to check out!

Who Will Win? https://youtu.be/UrgN61Qe8zA

What the Judges Have to Say . . .https://youtu.be/5eFHe7PXmEQ

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I was contacted by someone representing the Writers of the Future Contest about an advertising package.  After looking over their contest and website - I felt that I wanted to help.  Because they don't charge for their contest - I am not charging for the ad package.

This group certainly seems to have writers best interest at heart.  They are one of the "good guys" that I have come across - not looking to fleece new authors - just trying to give a little "boost" to those whose work stands out among the rest.

You will notice some well known names associated with this contest - and after celebrating 31 years of this - they have to be doing something right.

If you are an author - Give it a shot!

If you are a reader - Buy the book!!!  Where else are you going to get a ton of great stories for under $12???

May Jabberwocks, JubJub Birds, and Bandersnatches dominate your dreams.......

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"Jabberwocky: A Novella"  by Theodore Singer

Inspired by the Lewis Carroll poem, this is the story of a quest by young Astreus to find and slay the monster known as the Jabberwock.  It is the simple tale of a journey undertaken by a lone hero through strange places: an island inhabited by immortal aristocrats who play games with love; a city ruled by chess-playing cats; a land where evil has triumphed; a mysterious bridge across the ocean that saps your will to live with strange dreams; the edge of the world; and finally, the house of the Jabberwock itself, where Astreus must discover the true nature of his quest.

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(This book blurb and cover are part of a paid advertising package) 

Hard Luck Hank will break your streak of rolling craps on book selections

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Hank is self-employed - and business is good.  He is a hired gun living on a space station where there are more organized crime bosses than all of the Godfather series put together.  As hired muscle, Hank is a little different - he is a mutant that has an uncanny ability to stop bullets with his bare skin and heal rapidly for everything else.  This talent, well-known to all of the bosses, also allows Hank to solve many of the issues with a "discussion" since everyone knows it is pointless to try and kill him.  
And being over 300 years old, Hank has learned most of the tricks of the trade.

Lately though, Hank is having his paying jobs being interfered with by a series of crappy luck.  Killer robots have made a visit after not being seen for thousands of years, a couple of travelling mutants are knocking out all but a few on the space station by unleashing a pulse wave, blocks of a rare element which can blow up a planet is sitting on Hanks dining room table with no way of unloading it, and now the police are starting to crack down because the space station has caught the attention of the military. 

 

Guess who everyone is coming to looking for help in solving these problems?  You got it – Hank.  Everyone’s favorite “muscle” is no faced with solving all of this and saving everyone in his galaxy when an even worse threat shows up that casts an ominous shadow over all the other issues. 

I LOVED this book!  The characters, the setting, and the story – this author has it all.  If you think of action / humor like “Guardians of the Galaxy” – you will have some idea of the world that Steven Campbell is bringing you.  With a lovable lug like Hank (who, despite his mutation of being to withstand bullets always seems to be getting sent to the hospital) it is easy to get fully immersed into this book.  I would love to see this series made into a movie – I think it would appeal to almost everyone.

If you are a fan of light hearted, fun, and action filled sci-fi – you need to check out this series.  You won’t come up rolling craps with Hard Luck Hank!

(This was an unsolicited review)

Grab a spot in the shade of the hanging tree and learn something new about American history

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So you thought the Godfather movies showed how organized crime "really" was.  You believed that the "mob" came from families with Sicilian roots.  Well, say hello to my little friend, Philip Alston.  Never heard of Alston?  Then you might not know as much about organized crime as you think.

One thing that all criminals look for is opportunity.  The new world that was to be known as the United States of America would have been like a light to a moth.  Alston began counterfeiting before the American Revolution - laying down the groundwork for counterfeiters, horse thieves, prison escape artists, and those who hunting them for more than a century after him.

"Counterfeit Justice" by Eric Alli may have the distinction of being the definitive book when it comes to the origins of organized crime in America. Don't believe me - look at the appendix and you will find a lengthy list of characters who were involved in giving Al Capone a blueprint on how to operate. 

How did Alli become interested in such an eclectic topic?  Well - you could say he is "family".  As in a blood relative of one Gregor McDougall - whose execution at the hands of a mob of "Regulators" may have been the start of the downfall of the Blacklegs.  

What is a Blackleg, you ask?  That depends - he could be a horse thief, a counterfeiter, a person with a double life and multiple identities, a snitcher of fellow Blacklegs once a noose was placed around his neck, or just a cold blooded murderer.  One thing that they did all have in common was the shared fear that turned into hatred by everyone not associated with them.  Having to sleep in a barn with a shotgun just to make sure you still have horses in the morning will eventually do that to you.

Fortunately for you, instead of living through the terror of pioneer organized crime syndicates, you can choose to read about them instead. I am a fan of history, and I thought I had a pretty good handle of US History.  A book like "Counterfeit Justice" is an exciting reminder that there is always something interesting to learn.

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