IT’S OFFICIAL: I’M A PROGRAM PARTICIPANT AT CHICON 8

I’m thrilled to announce that I will be a program participant at Chicon 8

The 80th World Science Fiction Convention

September 1 – 5, 2022

Hyatt Regency Chicago

151 E Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60601

Stay tuned for more information

It’s Time For A July Self-Promotion Party!

Hey writers, time to brag about your books!
Come join the party.

Star Touched
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
https://www.amazon.com/Startouched-L-Kaplan/dp/1940758629

Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B094C5F5KX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Wolf Dawn
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
https://www.amazon.com/WOLF-DAWN-L-Kaplan/dp/1096015846/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1557088888&sr=1-1-spell

charles french words reading and writing

 

(Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com)

Hello to all the writers out there and reading this blog!

It is time for a shameless self-promotion party, so please do not be shy about your work.

Be proud of your writing!

Let the world know about your book(s)!

Shout to the world about your writing!

Tell us about your book(s), and leave an image and a link if you can.

In order for as many people to see your work as possible, please Tweet and reblog this post!

Here is my self-promotion: my latest book can help writers who have issues with finishing first drafts of their books. If that is you, I offer direct, practical advice on how to Get The Draft Done! by Charles F. French.

Get The Draft Done! is available here: Amazon.com

Gallows Hill can be found here in ebook.

Gallows Hill in paperback can be found here.

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Pet Peeves

Well said, Mr. Glenn

Tom Glenn, Writer

I’ve spent a good deal of time in this blog talking about things I don’t like. A reader asked if I can summarize my aversions. I can’t, but I can list them.

Almost all my dislikes are focused on facets of life influenced by government. One bunch is made up of governmental functions that distort the will of the people. I oppose the filibuster because it stops the political majority from carrying out the will of the people by empowering the minority to prevent a measure from becoming law. I’m against the electoral college for essentially the same reason: it allows the minority to defeat the majority of voters in choosing our president. Voting suppression also permits the minority to stop majority voters from casting their ballots.

A second category is governmental regulation that protects the wealthy minority while reducing the income of the middle class and the poor. Heading…

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New review of Star Touched

Check out this great review of Star Touched by Rea Keech.

Blending Genres

Review by Rea Keech

Star Touched is a dystopian novel that takes place after a terrible Cataclysm has destroyed much of the country. It is also a fantasy novel in which some survivors of the Cataclysm have received magical powers. And it is a young adult novel with the theme of accepting others who are different and a focus on teenage and young twenties characters, with older characters depicted as caring parental figures or cruel bullies.

Read the rest of the review on Real Nice Books:

Star Touched, by A.L. Kaplan

STAR TOUCHED

Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

Especially when your powers can get you killed.

Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.

Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.

Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

HUMMINGBIRD

Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.

One step toward understanding.

One stride toward survival.

One leap toward flying free from the past.

WOLF DAWN

A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret

Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.

But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.

Have a Blessed Litha and Summer Solstice!

Happy Solstice.

charles french words reading and writing

(https://pixabay.com)

June 20-June 21st is one of the most important times in the pre-Christian Celtic calendar. It is the solstice and the day with the longest daylight of the year, and it is a celebration of the coming summer. This year, Litha is celebrated on June 24, so I am offering a week long Holiday wish for all!

Please understand, that there is nothing evil or Satanic in this holiday or its celebration. It is simply an expression of seasonal joy.

Happy Solstice!

Blessed Litha!

(https://pixabay.com)

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I Am Officially A Full Member Of SFWA

For many years I’ve been working to earn a membership to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Until recently, the only way to join was to be published by specific qualifying markets. Publishing today is a vastly different animal than it was even a few years ago. Many talented and highly successful authors have self-published or have been published through small presses. In March of 2022, SFWA updated is membership qualifications to accommodate this changing environment.

I am a science fiction and fantasy author who has been published through small press. (Star Touched – Intrigue Publishing & several anthologies through other small press.) I’ve also self-published some of my short stories. (Look for Mark of the Goddess this fall) Sales have been good, but with the old SFWA membership requirements I didn’t qualify to join.

I am happy to say that now I do.

On May 30, I received a wonderful email saying that my application was accepted. Welcome to SFWA.

I read this at 1:30 AM Sunday morning at Balticon. On Saturday, I had moderated a panel on Getting the Most Out of Your Writing Organization, where we discussed SFWA’s new changes. Most of the other people on the panel were already SFWA members and I mentioned that I had applied. Needless to say, after two days of excitedly greeting people I hadn’t seen in three years, and reading that email, I didn’t fall asleep any time soon.

My first instinct was to announce to the world. First, I wanted to tell my family and a few authors at the con who I really liked and respected. All of them were excited for me as I bounced up and down while sharing the news. (They could have been laughing, which is still okay.) Several gave suggestions on how to navigate this brand-new open door to resources and networking. There was one person who made it clear that they thought SFWA had lowered their standards to let the riff-raff in. I tried not to let that bother me too much.

Now I’m sharing this wonderful news with you. Sorry it took so long.

Happy writing and reading.

STAR TOUCHED

Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

Especially when your powers can get you killed.

Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.

Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.

Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

HUMMINGBIRD

Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.

One step toward understanding.

One stride toward survival.

One leap toward flying free from the past.

WOLF DAWN

A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret

Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.

But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.

June Self-Promotion Party!

It’s Party Time!

charles french words reading and writing

(www.pixabay.com)

Hello everyone! It’s now mid-June, the weather is warmer, and it’s time for a self-promotion party!

Don’t be shy; tell us about your books!

Be proud of your writing!

Share your book(s) with the world!

Be your own best publicist!

To help as many as possible see your work, reblog, like, and follow others.

Available on Amazon

Get The Draft Done! is available here: Amazon.com

Gallows Hill can be found here in ebook.

Gallows Hill in paperback can be found here.

An interview about Gallows Hill can be found here.

Please follow the following links to find my novel:

ebook

Print book

My radio interview:

interview

Available on Amazon

Available on Amazon

View original post

When Will The Madness End?

Charles is right. This madness has to end. Enough is enough.

charles french words reading and writing

Those who read this blog know that I try very hard to stay away from politics in it. This is not because I do not have very strongly held political beliefs, because I do; rather, it is because I wanted to focus this site on writing, reading, and other kinds of art.

Sometimes though, I cannot and will not remain silent. Today, there was another horrific school shooting at an elementary school, with, at last count, at least 18 dead. My level of shock and horror is almost impossible to fathom.

My disgust is also massive with the people who refuse to enact basic gun control legislation. We are the only nation in the world suffering from these all too regular shootings, and the so-called basis of the gun rights groups is that of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Well, as a college professor and teacher of English, I…

View original post 242 more words

When Will The Madness End?

Charles is right. This madness has to end. Enough is enough.

charles french words reading and writing

Those who read this blog know that I try very hard to stay away from politics in it. This is not because I do not have very strongly held political beliefs, because I do; rather, it is because I wanted to focus this site on writing, reading, and other kinds of art.

Sometimes though, I cannot and will not remain silent. Today, there was another horrific school shooting at an elementary school, with, at last count, at least 18 dead. My level of shock and horror is almost impossible to fathom.

My disgust is also massive with the people who refuse to enact basic gun control legislation. We are the only nation in the world suffering from these all too regular shootings, and the so-called basis of the gun rights groups is that of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Well, as a college professor and teacher of English, I…

View original post 242 more words

It’s Time For The May Self-Promotion Party!

It’s time to share your writing with the rest of the world.

charles french words reading and writing

(Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com)

Hello everyone! It’s past mid-May, the weather is turning warmer, and it’s time for a self-promotion party!

Be proud of your writing!

Share your book(s) with the world!

Be your own best publicist!

To help as many as possible see your work, reblog, like, and follow others.

Available on Amazon

Get The Draft Done! is available here: Amazon.com

Gallows Hill can be found here in ebook.

Gallows Hill in paperback can be found here.

An interview about Gallows Hill can be found here.

Please follow the following links to find my novel:

ebook

Print book

My radio interview:

interview

Available on Amazon

Available on Amazon

View original post