Author Spotlight: Paul L. Bates

Paul L. Bates most certainly will be attending, and reading, at the Sporty Spec East Coast Launch. Unless it snows. Then things get a bit skiffy.

Who is he? You don't know? I'll let a more polished writer prevail here:

"Paul L. Bates has graced the independent press with his short fiction since the early 90's, blending or blatantly ignoring genres with tall tales published or pending publication in such discerning venues as Zahir, Withersin, City Slab, Sporty Spec, New Writings in the Fantastic, Desolate Places, and Ruins Extraterrestrial.

He is semi-retired from the construction industry, a distance swimmer, and happiest when absorbed in his writing. Imprint, the first novel in a series about the last city on earth was first published by Gale/Five Star in 2005; Dreamer, the second part of the trilogy, is scheduled for release in June 2008."

Alas, no stories seem to be available online. However, you may order his book or find a story of his in one of several anthologies:

Ruins Extraterrestrial
New Writings of the Fantastic
City Slab 1

Poll of the Week: Food

I've added a poll to the right. Each week it will feature a very important and time sensitive question regarding the launch. Just like in Chicago, make sure to vote early and vote often.

Author Spotlight: Robert Frazier

Five authors who live in Massachusetts appear in the Sporty Spec anthology. Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict, Robert Frazier will not be able to attend the east coast launch. That won't keep me from celebrating his inclusion in the book with his poem "Stealing for the Record".

A writer and an artist, Frazier's accomplishments can be read in the Wikipedia article about him. In addition, I'd like to point out a few of his poems that are available online.

"A Crash Course in Lemon Physics" can be read at Strange Horizons.

The award winning "Return to the Mutant Rain Forest", written with Bruce Boston, is available online through Chizine.

A more recent poem, "Wereman", was published last month, again in Strange Horizons.

On The Calendar

The book launch event is now on the online calendar at the Pandemonium Books website.

It's Official!

In addition to the west coast book launch party hosted by editor and publisher Karen A. Romanko, there will be an east coast launch as well. The details are in the sidebar to the right.

Updates and changes to the east coast event will be posted here.

Many, many thanks go to Karen for supporting the event and to the authors without whose participation this wouldn't be possible. Thank you!