Wonderful display of Okal Rel Universe books at the UNBC Bookstore. They blew up the press release for Pretenders and put a special display at the end of one book rack in addition to the usual two on a back wall. When I asked about it, store manager Mardena told me I was their best seller! Happy news. And many thanks one and all at the University of Northern B.C. who bought a book.

In the picture below, I've outlined the wall display, shown above, in red. ORU books also featured on the "end of the shelf" display shown in this picture, as a special, short term affair.

Labels: UNBC

posted by Lynda at 22:03   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 


Honored to appear on Jessica Strider's Sci-Fi Fan Letter with this interview. Jessica asked some good questions. The interview is on display at the World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto where Jessica is manager of the Sci-Fi section. She is featuring Canadian SF authors this month.

Labels: interview, Jessica Strider

posted by Lynda at 20:54   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 



Detail above is from EDGE newsletter received today.

Labels: Book Launch, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Pretenders

posted by Lynda at 14:11   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
Honored by the wonderful review of the Okal Rel saga written by Mel for the UNBC student newspaper, Over the Edge. I confess I was a little worried when I first heard about it for fear Di Mon would feature in those pink slippers she keeps threatening him with. :-) But for this Mel -- hell, I'll have to see what I can do in the pink slipper department for that promised novella of Ranar and Di Mon taking a holiday on one of the Commercial worlds. You are awesome, woman. Thank you from all the ORU gang.

Labels: Mel, Review, UNBC

posted by Lynda at 07:10   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 

Many thanks to Stephen St. Laurent, videographer, for capturing the feeling of the book launch for Pretenders, Part 3 of the Okal Rel Saga, held at the Prince George Public Library at the end of September. A good time was had.

Labels: Book Launch, Pretenders, Stephen St. Laurent

posted by Lynda at 07:35   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 

It is starting to happen! People who read Throne Price first and were puzzled by the density of the underbrush are coming to it after reading parts 1, 2 and 3 of the saga and feeling the same joy I have always felt when sunk into the saga. Much thanks to Elizabeth Woods for sharing her reaction with me. The iceberg below the waterline emergeth! (PS Elizabeth also got a bit of a sneak peak at Part 5: Far Arena, because she was helping me out with proofing.)

Labels: Elizabeth Woods, Throne Price

posted by Lynda at 09:08   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
See comment from SF Creatives attendee 'vyxen' on her blog
Prolifically Barren about the first read-share-write gathering Nathalie Mallet and I hosted at Books & Co earlier this month. Next meeting is at Cafe Voltaire, in Books & Co, Wed. Nov 12 from 7-9 p.m. All welcome. Bring your own or someone else's SF/Fantasy or genre work to read or show off. We'll have boards to display art on next time and I think I'll read from a book I like which is not my own - one of those I'm fond of and want to talk about.

Labels: SF Creatives

posted by Lynda at 08:05   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 1 comments

 

EDGE is hosting a book launch for its latest titles at World Fantasy Con in Calgary, Saturday November 1st from 1:00pm until 4:00pm. The books being launched are:

• Madman's Dance by Jana G. Oliver


• Pretenders by Lynda Williams


• Tesseracts Twelve edited by Claude Lalumière


• Gaslight Grimoire edited by J. R. Campbell and Charles Prepolec


• Writer's for Relief Vol.2 edited by Davey Beauchamp

Labels: Book Launch, Pretenders, World Fantasy Convention

posted by Lynda at 07:48   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
I've decided to share details, at random, from recent ORU events since neither David nor I have found the time to do the proper "spread" for them on the web site's events' gallery and there are such lovely details to share - like this one. Pictured here with a bit of Photoshoping to combine cake and creator is Holly with the Okal Rel cake she made for the launch of Pretenders at the Prince George Public Library, Sept 30, 2008.
posted by Lynda at 08:51   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
Twelve of us turned up at Books & Co for the first meeting of the SF Creatives - a reading, writing, art and discussion group focused on genre fields like science fiction, fantasy and its ilk. We are less worried about definitions than a shared spirit of enjoying and discovering each other's work and interests. SF Creatives is hosted by myself and Nathalie Mallet at Books & Company. Most of last night's readings were from the ORU or Nathalie's novel Princes of the Golden Cage, but Rachel - who attended with her father Kirk - also read from a fantasy title with the word "Wind" in its name which was by an author who attended VCON, Nathalie told me, and whose name I can't remember. Grr. Help, anyone? (Help provided in comments: Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind.) One artist put in an appearance - thank you Gareth. A couple of attendees were deviants (i.e. members of Deviant Art). Angie picked the section of Righteous Anger that I read aloud. She recommended the arena scene on SanHome where Horth proves his genius with a sword despite his ill-advised decision not to wear a fencing mask. Nicole read the 'How to deal with real girls' passage between Chester and Von in The Courtesan Prince. Kirk Morgan read the opening of Princes of the Golden Cage, where Amir is drawn into a magical murder investigation despite his preference for scientific explanations. Kim, of Books & Company, sat in. She writes fantasy. Three parent-child groups of two or three attended including myself and Angie, Nicole and parents and the Morgans, which I find sort of special. Kim was a nifty discovery. Some good discussion took place with some mutual questions and answers. Which is what art is all about for me - exploring how we cope with life.

We'll be creating a mailing list for the group. Anyone interested in being on it should notify david@okalrel.org

Next meetings are: Wednesday Nov 12, 7-9 pm and Wednesday December 10, 7-9 pm.

We plan to continue in 2009 with a new set of dates.

Many thanks to Books and Company for letting us take over Cafe Voltaire for the evening.

Labels: Books and Company, reading, SF Creatives

posted by Lynda at 08:02   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 5 comments

 

The Goodreads web 2.0 site has a nifty feature for copying and pasting a review into one's blog which I am testing out below. Typically feel overwhelmed by all these web 2.0 sites but learning to trundle along in them as one would greet friends in passing in a cafe and relax.

---

Only Call Us Faithful: A Novel of the Union Underground by Marie Jakober

My review

A meditation on one woman's Civil War, both in life and as a ghost who looks back at the legends from the perspective of a participant. The heroine, Elizabeth Lew, was a southern woman of uncompromising moral character who acted as a secret agent for the Union cause, motivated by her hatred of slavery. Like all Marie Jakober's books, this one can be read more than once with fresh pleasures. Her knowledge of Civil War history is convincingly reflected through the details of the lives of her very human yet extraordinary characters.


View all my reviews.

Labels: goodreads, Marie Jakober

posted by Lynda at 08:43   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 


The Okal Rel saga appears in honored company in an article by Al Smith on the Virtual Bookmark, called Among the Best Canadian Science Fiction. Many thanks to all who played a hand in making such things possible, whoever and wherever you are!

The ORU is listed as a Canadian series along with: The Species Imperative by Julie Czerneda; League of Peoples by James Alan Gardner; the work of Karen Lowachee; and the Triskelia Series by Carrie Mac.

Labels: librarian, Okal Rel Saga, Virtual Bookmark

posted by Lynda at 10:39   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
Here's a shot of me at the EDGE booth, at VCON 33 in Vancouver this past weekend. I'm holding up one of 50 special pre-publication copies of Horth in Killing Reach by Craig H. Bowlsby, created just for VCON. The title is the first full novella by another author than myself to come out under my editorship in the Okal Rel Legacy line (see http://www.absolute-x-press.com/catalog/ for more about the legacy line). It will be available in perfect binding soon, through regular distribution channels as well as online in digital form from http://www.absolute-x-press.com.

Labels: Craig Bowlsby, Horth Nersal, Lynda Williams, VCON

posted by Lynda at 17:29   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 

Labels: Friends of the ORU, Lisa O, Pretenders

posted by Lynda at 17:13   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
Nice article about Part 3: Okal Rel Saga, Pretenders on LIS Wire, a librarians' wire service. Thank you Edge! And particularly Justyn.

Labels: librarian, Pretenders

posted by Lynda at 10:05   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
Heard from Sandra Kasturi, author of the Animal Bridegroom, an emotionally rich feast of poetry, about two annual awards for writing (poetry and fiction) made possible by The Vaike and Erich Rannu Fund for Writers of Speculative Literature. See contest details on the fund's website. Judges are Mildred Tremblay, David Livingstone Clink & Sandra Kasturi (Poetry); and Candas Jane Dorsey, Robert Boyczuk, & Sandra Kasturi (fiction). First prize is $500 with $50 for honorable mentions.

Labels: Sandra Kasturi, Writing Contest

posted by Lynda at 09:21   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
Feedback from fellow SF Author Nathalie Mallet, on the launch for Pretenders last night at the PG Public Library. It was fun! Pictures soon.

Labels: Book Launch, Nathalie Mallet, Pretenders

posted by Lynda at 08:08   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments