Back from obscurity

I'm back! Work has been impossible the last few months, but no more!

As a peace offering, here is some thing that hits waaay to close to home:

Nerd rage is an impotent, cushion punching thing, and there are rare people who behave in person exactly how they behave in Warcraft -- barking clumsy insults, standing in something that's killing them and blaming Blizzard for everything. You see, for every minor change the developers make to a gameplay mechanic, there's a guy sitting at home who knows they did it to destroy him. BlizzCon is their chance for payback. They ask fussy, nitpicky questions as if they're issuing a mortal challenge. As you can imagine, it's as crowd-pleasing as leaping off your prayer mat and calling Allah a pussy. What's exciting for everybody is that there's a solid chance these people will have to be forcibly dragged from the microphone by security. And when you're arrested for disagreements over Warcraft, that has got to be Christmas for the other inmates.

Now, I don't play WoW, but I certainly recognize the type.
More here:

Read more: http://www.cracked.com/blog/8-questions-every-wow-fan-apparently-needs-answered/#ixzz13lCQuXAH


http://www.cracked.com/blog/8-questions-every-wow-fan-apparently-needs-answered/

It's time for Clarion West once again and the Clarion Write-a-thon!




Help Michael help other writers!


This year Michael Ehart is once again participating the in Clarion West write-a-thon. Every summer during the Workshop, alumni, instructors, and friends of Clarion West participate in our Write-a-thon and help us raise money. Participants collect donations to Clarion West for achieving their personal writing goals during the six weeks of the Write-a-thon. Each year our Write-a-thon has grown more and more successful, both in terms of words written and money raised.

Like last year, Michael will be writing in collaboration with Nisi Shawl, this year on a story of Somali pirates!

If you would like to sponser Michael, please click here: http://clarionwest.org/events/writeathon/MichaelEhart

Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

A Very Nice Review Of Tears

on SFReader, by Mary Rosenblum: http://forums.sfreader.com/content.php/181-The-Tears-of-Ishtar-by-Michael-Ehart

...Ehart creates such a rich character in Ninshi and makes her tragedy so accessible and so real, setting it in a vivid world that should make an historian happy, that the story moves easily beyond the cliché to become a real story about real love and loss, guilt and redemption that also happens to be a dynamite sword and sorcery fantasy.

Launch Party Today!

The launch party for my new book, The Tears Of Ishtar is today! Presidential Suite, Norwescon, 6-8 PM.

Fun!

Getting ready for the launch party

A booze sampler. Custom labels courtesy Kelly Christianson.

I've Been nominated!

Opened my email and what do I find?

Dear finalists,

I am pleased to announce that a short story you either wrote or published has been chosen as a finalist for The Harper's Pen Award 2009.

The Harper's Pen Award (formerly the Ham-Sized Fist Award) is given in honor of the best Heroic Fantasy or Sword and Sorcery short fiction published during a given year. The award is sponsored by The Sorcerer's Guild. By establishing this award, we hope to encourage authors to continue to explore heroic fantasy and sword and sorcery fiction, as well as to reward those who continue to publish it.

The rules are simple. Any heroic fantasy or sword and sorcery short fiction story published through an established editorial process - that is, not self-published - is eligible. Any subgenre of heroic fantasy or sword and sorcery is eligible, including but not limited to: historical, modern, sword-and-planet, etc. The nominated story must have been published between January 1 and December 31 of the contest year. Final determinination of story eligibility is at the sole discretion of the judge or judges.

The Finalists for 2009 are:
"Slow Stampede" by Sara Genge (Asimov's)
"Where Virtue Lives" by Saladin Ahmed (Beneath Ceaseless Skies)
"The Face in the Sea" by John C. Hocking (Black Gate #13)
"Tomb of the Amazon Queen" by Michael Ehart (Dark Worlds 3)
"Bright Wings in the Ebony Hall" by Dale Carothers (Electric Spec)
"The Last of His Kind" by Bill Ward (Heroic Fantasy Quarterly)
"Serpents Beneath the Ice" by Carl Walmsley (Rage of the Behemoth)
"The Dark Blessing" by James Lecky (Silver Blade)
Congratulations to the finalists! I will announce the winner in a week or so.

The winner of the The Harper's Pen Award (2009) will receive:


Publisher - $200 and a handsome certificate of recognition
Author - $200, a handsome certificate, and this handmade pen by Syzygy Pens, engraved in recognition of the award
I have been unable to find contact information for some of the authors, so please pass this news along them. And feel free to share with everyone!

Sincerely,

Jeff Crook

Best of luck to all! I am certainly in good company.

The official launch date

is April 2nd.
Buy very many books, please.

Okay, not so great in just text, but...

An ancient evil... an immortal warrior.



From the sands and cities of the ancient middle-east comes an epic story of bloodshed, love and betrayal. Award-winning fantasy author Michael Ehart spins a tale that echoes with the blood and thunder of the golden age.



Bound by an ancient curse, serving her master in bitter unwillingness, the Servant of the Manthycore must lure the greedy, the unsuspecting and the unwary into the desert to feed the insatiable beast to whom she is bound. Centuries of combat and murder have made her a swordswoman whispered of in the marketplaces, feared in the back-alleys and sung about by the campfires of the caravans. The passing centuries of betrayal and death have stolen her humanity and even her name, leaving only a glimmer of who she once was. Her only hope is to someday meet a greater warrior than she, and so be freed.



Striding across the background of civilization in its youth, in the time of the first great heroes and the cities they built, she becomes more than a woman, and as her legend grows so does her determination to someday be free of the great beast who she serves. Goddesses, bandits, soldiers and kings fall beneath her sword as she fights her way to discover a path to freedom.


Ancient Tomes Press is pleased to announce the release of fantasy author, Michael Ehart's new sword & sorcery epic, The Tears of Ishtar.

Michael Ehart has been at various times all the expected
things: laborer, seminary student, musician, shoe salesman,
political consultant, teacher, diaper truck driver, stand-up
comedian, and the least important guy with an office at a
movie studio. He currently works as a computer security
systems engineer. He made his first sale to a magazine at
age 15, which means he has been writing for nearly 40
years, with the aforementioned occasional breaks for gainful
employment.

Several of the short stories that make up a portion of The
Tears of Ishtar have been nominated for various awards,
including the Million Writers Award and top ten finishes
in the 2007 and 2008 Preditors and Editors poll.

Come with us now as we journey with Ninshi in her quest to free the person dearest to her heart from the great and terrible beast that holds him in thralled - the Manthycore! Will she succeed? Will she survive? Only time will tell if love will triumph over evil!



Read a free preview. Click here.


Special offer on The Tears of Ishtar!

Available only through this special newsletter! The Tears of Ishtar retails for $16.95 plus shipping, but for readers of this newsletter we have a special treat! Don't wait, grab your copy today!


Special Price: $ 12.00
List Price: $ 16.95
S & H: $ 7.50


Click here to grab your copy today!


Quick Links
Cyberwizard Productions
Ancient Tomes Press
Altered Dimensions Press
Banana Oil Books
Chaco Canyon Books
Diminuendo Press
Cyberaliens Press
Fireside Mysteries
Toy Box Books
Wild Plains Press
Abandoned Towers Magazine
Cyberwizard Productions Editorial Service

Robert B. Parker

"Robert B. Parker, who is largely responsible for the rejuvenation in the 1970s of the hard-boiled genre of crime fiction, died today at his desk at his Cambridge, Mass., home, it was reported. He was 77 years old."

If there ever was a great writer in the tradition of Chandler, this man was it. His writing grew stronger and more spare as the years went by. I seldom remember to list him as an influence when asked, but I read every one of his books and learned something about writing from each. The strength of his narrative voice became the equal of a Heinlein or a Hemingway.

So I'll be tipping out a drop of Maker's Mark tonight for the maestro, and saying farewell to my old friends Spenser, Hawk and Jesse Stone. He wrote far ahead of his publication schedule, so it will be awhile before we see the final books. Something to look forward to and slowly savor, knowing that these will be the last bottles of this fine vintage.

New launch date!

We will be launching The Tears of Ishtar at NorWesCon the weekend of April 1-4 --more as I get details.

Cool stuff popping up on the web, including these cool thingies from my publisher:
http://www.zazzle.com/michal+ehart+gifts

Saturday

Saturday with a trip to the waterfront Mariott for their famous breakfast buffet --the breakfast chef has been making waffles and omelets there for 29 years! I consumed far more than was good for me, then zipped back to the con hotel (zipped in a waddling, pleasantly bloated fashion) to my first panel, pros at cons. As sometimes happens, no one showed, so after a suitable time, Bob "RadCon" Brown called us canceled, so Joan Gaustad, Andrew Nisbet, Suzanne Tompkins and after a bit some other folks who wandered in just chatted about cons past until the next panel showed up to displace us.
Next was a flash fiction panel with Ayne Blythe, Ray Vukcevich, and Edward Morris, with fantastic help from the audience from KC Ball, Mr. Green and others. Being on a panel with Ray will earn me huge cool parent points with my oldest soon, who is major fan. The panel itself was one of those near-perfect things, fast-paced, inforrmative, and great audience participation.
My final panel of the day was one that is always a favorite, Ask Dr. Genius. Panelists included Guy Letourneau, Jordin Kare, Dr. Anne Prather, Amy Thomson, and Janet Freeman. This time we were very engineer heavy, so the puns were rapid-fire and thick upon the ground. The *lies* explanations on these panels tend to congeal around themes, this time many references to lost socks in the dryer. The room was packed, and many of us had done various iterations of this panel before in some combination or another, so it was like one of those all-star band concerts, with everyone taking a turn at *promoting a pack of lies* a solo, then jumping back into the resultant chaos.
We sat in a fun and informative panel on Christian SF and fantasy, spent some time wandering the halls, and then to a very cool ultra techno decor Chinese restaurant, then to the room for a quick post-prandial coma before returning to the con to visit parties and the dance. Saw Brenda Cooper in the hallway but didn't get to chat, caught up with Bruce Taylor at the same transitory venue, exchanged hugs with Mary Rosenblum in passing. Many of our long-time con friends we only got to wave at, but at least we got to visit a few minutes with the lovely Judith Hermann at the dance. We gave Nisi Shawl a lift to where she was staying, and made it an early night.

Friday's Con Report

We got up early Friday and arrived in plenty of time in Portland. In fact, we were early enough that our room wasn't ready, so we scooted over to the con where we discovered... registration wasn't ready either. So we killed a little time, got checked in and registered, played phone tag with my daughter, finally made a connection, and while I was dazzling folks in my first panel, Shaharazahd and my daughter got to spend a pleasant hour over some killer ribs in the restaurant.
The first panel was Masked Vigilantes, with Lou Anders and Carl Cook, both properly unserious and great panelists. Lou in particular had some great anecdotes. After, I slid back over to the restaurant and saved my loved ones from over-consumption of pork products by bravely leaping into the fray and gobbling down the remaining ribs. Yeah meat!
Hugs and goodbyes, and another panel, this one on Alternate History and Fantasy, admirably hosted by Mary Hobson, who as always was well-organized, thoughtful, and fun. Cats to be herded other than myself included Alma Alexander, Robin Hobb, and John Alexander. After Robin and I agreed that it was funny that we live 5 miles apart, but can only get together at a con 100 miles away. KC Ball was in the audience, and came up after to say hi, and then we were swept helplessly into the orbit of Camille Alexis, who lodged us in the bar for a couple of hours of wonderfully hilarious conversation, with a steasily rotating cast of interseting people. Dinner was at der Rhinelander, a Portland landmark, where we enjoyed jagerschnitzel and german beer. We made a quick sweep of the parties, and made it an early night, but not before stopping back at the dance to spend a few minutes with Nisi Shawl.

Join Me At OryCon!

Fri Nov 27 1:00:pm Fri Nov 27 2:00:pm Exploring the mystique of costumed vigilantes
Hawthorne Exploring the mystique of Batman, The Phantom, Daredevil and other costumed vigilantes from the golden age of comics and how they have evolved through the passage of time.
Lou Anders, Carl Cook, Michael Ehart

Fri Nov 27 3:00:pm Fri Nov 27 4:00:pm Alternate History Fantasy?
Multnomah Fantasy is often written in a pseudo-medieval society. Some authors bring freshness to the setting by traveling the world, while others go backward, or forward, in time or just adopt technology or lack thereof on a secondary world. Lace and blade, prehistoric, and other choices in fantasy, and how magic fits in, if it even has to at all.
M.K. Hobson, Alma Alexander, Michael Ehart, Robin Hobb, John P. Alexander

Sat Nov 28 12:00:pm Sat Nov 28 1:00:pm Pros At Cons
Morrison How accommodating and accessible should pros be when attending cons? Public relations, marketing, and what conventions and the membership should or shouldn't expect from pros.
Bob Brown, Joan Gaustad, Andrew Nisbet III, Suzanne Tompkins, Michael Ehart

Sat Nov 28 2:00:pm Sat Nov 28 3:00:pm Fiction in a Flash
Alaska Short fiction for a world of compressed time--flash and tweetable micro-fiction. Common pitfalls, quirks, problems and teh awesome inherent in the very short form.
Michael Ehart, Blythe Ayne, Ray Vukcevich, Edward Morris

Sat Nov 28 3:00:pm Sat Nov 28 4:00:pm Ask Dr. Genius: Ad-Lib Answers to Audience Questions
Ross Island No, really, they're real scientists, honest. Bring your science questions, and if they don't have an answer they'll make something up, and it might even be sort of right.
Guy Letourneau, Jordin Kare, Dr. Anne Prather, Michael Ehart, Amy Thomson, Janet Freeman

Sun Nov 29 1:00:pm Sun Nov 29 2:00:pm Comics to the big screen
Weidler The Dark Knight was so awesome. Or was it? Watchmen, Iron Man, Transformers, Wolverine ... has the big screen made them bigger or are the creators and fans gnashing their teeth and tearing their hair?
Sean Wells, Carl Cook, Paul Guinan, Michael Ehart

Sun Nov 29 2:00:pm Sun Nov 29 3:00:pm First Novels: Paths to the Editor Desk
Weidler An author can struggle for months or years before achieving their first success, but even after writing their opus, they can be tripped up by a process which is both entirely new to them and yet critical to their success. This panel describes what an author may experience as they revel in their first success.
M.K. Hobson, Phoebe Kitanidis, Michael Ehart, Elton Elliott


Bold is the moderator, so as you can see, I'll be doing a lot of the ol' okie-doke :)

Counting down to book release

February 14th is not just a day for lovers next year --- it is time for Fantasy lovers, too! No, not that kind of fantasy! That is the date that The Tears of Ishtar releases, and every day is simultaneously a lifetime and too little time.
Just got a great blurb from Mary Rosenblum, which I will post here soon, and one from Steven Barnes, too.
It is wonderful when your favorite writers say nice things!

Here is some excellent linkage

Abandon Towers magazine, which is a)online, so convenient, b)free, so the price is right, and c)chock full of fantasy and sf goodness, so you know you want to go there, is asking folks to share the link to their site.
Here it is:
http://www.cyberwizardproductions.com/AbandonedTowers

I know next chance I have, I'll be adding this one to my blogroll.

Two World Fantasy Nominations for Nisi Shawl!

Congratulations Nisi! Nominated for Best Novella, for "Good Boy" (one of my favorite stories) and for Best Collection for Filter House.
Nisi is a tremendous writer and a stand-up kinda woman. If you don't have Filter House already, what in the world are you waiting for?

Some amazing examples of ancient craftsmanship

From the Bagdad Museum --- this is part of a series of hundreds of slides, without any text. I am guessing from other reading and context that it is a documentation of the artifacts that museum staff hid during the war. This crown is exquisite, but by far not the only item.

If you go through the slideshow, the first few dozen show them opening the vault under heavy guard, and opening the crates. As they unpack them, the wonders grow increasingly eye-popping.

The crown looks to me to be Assyrian. The flowers are lovely, and the angels are recognizable by their four wings, not anything like a modern representation. Are the angels there to protect the wearer, as a symbol of his authority, or just because they are cool?

You can start with the crown and some of the details here: http://www.baghdadmuseum.org/secret/pages/409.htm
or check the whole thing out from the beginning here: http://www.baghdadmuseum.org/secret/pages/000.htm

Clarion West Write-a-thon update

Extra props to Judith Herman for her generous pledge of 50.00! With her Microsoft match this is a contribution of $100.00 to the Clarion West program.

The West African story is really rocking! We are about 3/4 of the way through, and it is filled with action, magic, and a flavor that will have you racing to the end. I saw Nisi this weekend, and both of us are amazed at how much difference there is between our individual voices and what we are ending up with in collaboration.

There are only two weeks to go, so if you haven't already, go to http://clarionwest.org/events/writeathon/Michael+Ehart and make your pledge today!

Thanks!

A good writing week

Or a good week as a writer, more accurately. The week started off with money in the mail, from a couple of different sources. I always like it when I'm paid to write, because the checks come so slowly in this business that the pain of actually haven written anything is long forgotten by the time the money arrives.

Then, there was this: The Lure of a strong first sentance, at Flash Fiction Chronicles. A story of mine used as an example of how to start a story! How cool is that? I am used to being held up as an example, but usually in a more... cautionary form.

This was my first week as a write-a-thon participant for Clarion West, and my word count came fairly easily. If you haven't already pledged, it is only 10 bucks, and you can do it here.

This weekend looks pretty good for finally buttoning up The Tears of Ishtar, and getting it off to the publisher. It will be good to have a little time freed up!

And finally, this: Five New Novelists Every Fantasy Fan Should Know About Nice words indeed!

If you like your fantasy literature with lots of sword fights and godlike beings vying against monsters during an epic age, The Servant of the Manthycoreis for you. The main character is a bold warrior woman. She has grit, spunk and honor, and she could easily hang with the toughest fantasy swordsmen, including Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian. This novel even comes with an introduction by Michael Moorcock, the creator of Elric of Melnibone.

Help me out with the Clarion West Write-A-Thon!

Yes, I have agreed to participate. My pledge is to collaborate with Nisi Shawl (yes, that Nisi Shawl, Tiptree Award, Publisher's Weekly Ten Best of 2008!) on a story set in West Africa. We have set for our goal a 6k word story, done during the six weeks of Clarion West.

How can you help? Easy! I have agreed to try to get 10 people to pledge 10 dollars each in support of Clarion West. All you gotta do is go here and sign up, and lay the tenner on them. Ten bucks? You know you can afford that! Only 10 dollars, 20 halfs, 2 fivers, 40 Quarters, the tenth part of a Benjamin Franklin.

Whattaya waitin' for?

Tears of Ishtar almost finished

I'm at 91k words, with about 5-10k left to write. As always that last ten per cent is the hardest.
But the more I write, the more excited I get. This really is going to be the definitive "Servant" book, with all the things that folks have come to expect from Ninshi and her travels.
And then, on to other things. I will miss them, of course, but it will be good to get away from the bronze age for a little while. So many things have backed up while making this work.
Joe denfar has a new adventure to be written, Yardi seems to want to be a novel, and for way too long I have put aside my strings novel. Much to do, and by the time some of it is beaten into submission I will be ready to revisit ancient Mesopotamia.

My pal Cindy Pon's first book...

Silver Phoenix : Beyond the Kingdom of Xia
was named one of the top ten sf/fantasy reads for youth
in 2009! along with Gaiman's graveyard book and
Pratchett's nation by the American Library Association's booklist.

Congratulations Cindy!

All at once...

I seem to be on the school board.

This was filing week for all the local races, and Szahd was keeping an eagle eye on who was stepping up to the plate. Until Friday afternoon she had no opponent for her desired position on the city council. By Wednesday she knew all the gossip, which incumbents weren't going to file, which would only if no one else did, etc.

So she convinced me to file for school board. And no one else did for that position, which I'm told created a minor stir at the auditor's office, where I am well known for working on other people's campaigns and on Szahd's, and for vehemently insisting I would never run for anything.

Received a number of congratulatory emails this evening, so I guess it is real. Now I really have to learn how to behave like a grown-up. Like Mark Twain said, 'In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards." I have also seen that quote with the idiots replaced with jackasses, which seems to add to the melodiousness. Either way, I now am one of them.

Actually, our University Place School District is one of the finest in the state, and it will be a real honor to serve alongside some of the folks who have made it that way.

Writing Short

My article about writing short fiction is up on http://www.everydayfiction.com/flashfictionblog/

Rules for Time Travellers

Makes sense to me. But then, I'm a doctor, not a physicist.

From Discover...

With the new Star Trek out, it’s long past time (as it were) that we laid out the rules for would-be fictional time-travelers. (Spoiler: Spock travels to the past and gets a sex change and becomes Kirk’s... lover.*) Not that we expect these rules to be obeyed; the dramatic demands of a work of fiction will always trump the desire to get things scientifically accurate, and Star Trek all by itself has foisted half a dozen mutually-inconsistent theories of time travel on us. But time travel isn’t magic; it may or may not be allowed by the laws of physics — we don’t know them well enough to be sure — but we do know enough to say that if time travel were possible, certain rules would have to be obeyed. And sometimes it’s more interesting to play by the rules. So if you wanted to create a fictional world involving travel through time, here are 10+1 rules by which you should try to play.

You can read the rest here:

Writing Short

Gay Degani over at Flash Fiction Chronicles has been kind enough to ask me to write a few words about writing flash fiction. Always happy to blather on a bit!

As always, the story is the thing. The best flash carries with it all the things that make any other story work, a beginning, middle and end, a protagonist who changes or makes their surrounding change in a meaningful way, strong dialog, vivid description, and some sort of payoff for the reader. It can be difficult to shoe-horn all of these elements into such a small word-count, but good flash fiction stories generally do.

You'll be able to read the rest in acouple of days here.

Longridge Writers

I have the great honor of being the guest writer and smart-aleck at the Longridge Writers site. You can get a small taste of how obnoxiuos I am at conventions by checking he Q&A's at the Post a Note Section, here.
Please drop by, as there is a ton of stuff to be learned there. There are some great writers coming out of that program, and with Mary Rosenblum as a teacher you just can't go wrong.
I'll be there through the end of the week. Try your waitress, and be sure and tip the veal.

Tiptree Award

Nisi Shawl, with whom I have the very excellent taste to share a live crit group, has just been named the winner of the James Tiptree award for her collection Filter House.
Seriously guys, nobody writes like Nisi. Her stuff is deep, and often profoundly disturbing.
More info about the award here: http://www.tiptree.org/?see=front_page

This makes things so clear!

Wish I had this to show to my high school guidance councilor back in 1972. It would have changed everything.

The Fail

Sneak Peek at Killer Cover Art!

Here is the cover art for The Tears of Ishtar, by the master cover artist Johnney Perkins.

We'll have a date soon for release, and all I can say is, I can hardly wait!

Oh, yeah, this blog is about writing

Link to an interview with me: here!

"If there was the possibility of becoming any speculative fiction character ever created (except your own), would you? Who? Why?

I’m pretty happy with who I am. When I was a kid I wanted to be Doc Savage, but you can see how that turned out. It might be cool to become John Carter, if for no other reason than to watch the death match between Dejah Thoris and my wife. Second thought, that has a lot of ways of ending in tears, and after Mrs. Ehart finished with that Martian heifer, I would probably be next."

And of course more smart-aleckey goodness on the other side of the link above.

The Worst Homemade Star Wars Costumes

here.

And while I was there, this was the picture of the day:

http://www.holytaco.com/white-castle-weddings-always-make-me-cry

ShamWow? No, SlamWow! Vince goes to jail

But apparently not until he got his groove-thing on. Seems he had an altercation with a prostitute that escalated into an indulgence in physical violence. Cops were called, big mess. But at least the cleanup was easy.

I'm always a little sad when a role-model like this takes a fall. Sheesh, who ever would have thought that a guy like Vince would have anger management problems? After all, he wasn't even able to get through a taped commercial without snapping at the crew. "You getting this, camera guy?"

Television

I used to hate TV. I would watch old movies, and sometimes the news, but episodic TV left me cold. For nearly 30 years, I could count the number of series I enjoyed on my fingers. Even then, I might watch a few episodes of something different, like "Miami Vice" (which for all of its problems introduced a number of concepts, like fast cutting and had great music and a very distinctive look)and then just stop watching, my interest dissapated by poor writing or hackneyed plots.
So what in the world changed? I now watch a couple of hours a night, and at least half is episodic. Favorites include Eleventh Hour, The Closer, Numbers, Bones, Terminator, Batman brave and Bold, Burn Notice, and I flicker in out out of love with Reaper, Psych, Monk, and the sadly canceled Life on Mars. Weird, because at the same time as I have less time than ever in my life, I am pausing everything to watch a couple of hours of the tube each night.
Two things, I think. For one, even though there is a lot of copy catting and far too many CSI types of shows on, the overall quality is much much higher. Complex, mutilayerd plots from show like Heroes and Lost have shown that viewers don't always have to be spoon fed. Production values are infinitly higher than they were in my childhood, and some of the best film directors have no problem helming TV projects. Actors move much more comfortably between big screen and small. TV is just better done now, in general.
The other thing is technology. LCD makes everything look better, but the big thing is tivo. Being able to watch whatever I like when I have time makes the TV my servant, rather than the other way around. I can also deal with one of my pet peeves, the two part episode, by tivoing both and watching them together.
Finding that 3AM History Channel documentary on the Hittites and watching it right after dinner is pretty cool, too.

New Stooges? Say it ain't so!

Sean Penn as Larry? Jim Carrey as Curly? Benicio Del Toro as Moe?

Aaaaaaag!

The best gag in one of the funniest movies ever, It's a Mad, Mad World, was the airplane in distress, piloted by a passenger after the pilot (Jim Bakus) dies of a heart attack. The tower is notified, the emergency truck rolls out, and just as the plane is landing, they pan past the emergency crew. It is the stooges, ready for action, still, iconic, poised for mayhem.

Their body of work had created so much audince anticipation that nothing more was needed. You knew, that whatever chaos had occured before, it was nothing like would happen after the plane was on the ground.

How can anyone, ever reproduce this?

The Farrelly Brothers are out of their minds.

NorWesCon

Norwescon 32 Itinerary For: Michael Ehart

Thursday

Opening Ceremonies 7:00 pm Evergreen 1 & 2
What are the "Things That Time Forgot"? Come find out, and meet our Guests of Honor.


Art Show Reception 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Grand Ballroom 1
Please join our artists for a sneak peek at the Norwescon 32 Art Show.


Reading: Michael Ehart 8:30 PM Cascade 3
The Tears of Ishtar – Fantasy – Rated PG
Michael Ehart



Small Press Party 9:00 pm to Midnight Presidential Suite
Cap off the evening with the Small Press


Friday

Rejectomancy Noon Cascade 6
Our panelists will help you divine the meaning of different rejection letters and ways to deal with rejection.
Jennifer Brozek, L.J. Bothell, Lisa Mantchev, Jeff Carlson, Michael Ehart


Adventure Stories 1:00 PM Cascade 7
Swashbucklers, pirates, oh my? What makes an adventure story different from other science fiction and fantasy stories? And do most adventure stories get the action right?
Michael Ehart, MH ("Maggie") Bonham



Fantasy as Social Commentary 3:00 PM Cascade 4
Fantasy and Sci Fi have long provided "safe" ways for authors to discuss the real world they lived and struggled in. Examine fantasy realms and lift the thin veil to look at social critique on racism, sexism, religion, politics and more.
Michael Ehart, Cat Rambo, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Spencer Ellsworth

The Use and Misuse of Violence in SF and Fantasy 10:00 PM Cascade 4
Lawrence Block once noted that sex and violence in fiction are the best ways to get people's attention. But on the flip side, there's a point at which such things become gratuitous. When is violence absolutely necessary in a story? When does it become gratuitous, or simply in the story for its own sake? And how much is too much?
Carol Berg, Jena Pittman, Josh Palmatier, Michael Ehart


Norwescon 32 Pro Party 9:00 pm to Midnight Presidential Suite
Cap off the evening with your fellow panelists.

Saturday

Tradeoffs between Freedom, Security and Privacy 9:00 AM Cascade 9
Is she free? Is he secure? Should we know? It seems that to get more of one thing, you have to give up something else. Since different people want different levels of freedom, security and privacy, how can we reach a societal consensus on the tradeoffs? What happens when smart dust watches everything we do, scanning technologies monitor what we think and microbots will take action? Where is all this going? Where should it go? What can we do? Is Big Brother coming at last, just a bit behind schedule?
David Nassett, Michael Ehart, Mary Rosenblum



Autograph Session 1 11:00 AM Evergreen 1 & 2
Grab your books! Our Guests of Honor and many of our pros will be available for autographs.
R.A. Salvatore, Geno Salvatore, Todd Lockwood, Richard Baker, John P. Alexander, MH (“Maggie”) Bonham, L.J. Bothell, Ted Butler, Jeff Carlson, Greg Cox, Darrin Drader, Michael Ehart, Elton Elliott, Spencer Ellsworth, Roberta Gregory, Jeff Grubb, Warren Hammond, Paul Melko, G.David Nordley, Sean Reynolds, Kat Richardson, Ken Scholes, Jeff Sturgeon, Tiffany Trent



The Evolving Superhero 4:00 PM Evergreen 2
The Superhero Genre has changed, due to a shrinking readership and the increasing age of the average reader. In other words, the superhero is now aimed at a niche market rather than mass and the average reader is now 28 (or so) instead of 12 and this has all radically altered the material.
Michaela Eaves, Andrew Dolbeck, Michael Ehart



Wizards of the Coast Party 9:00 pm to Midnight Presidential Suite
A chance to party with Spotlight Publisher Wizards of the Coast.


Sunday

Closing Ceremonies 5:00 pm Evergreen 3 & 4
The time and place where we wrap it all up. Come say goodbye to our Guests of Honor, and bid farewell to Norwescon for one more year.

Coming This Summer!

"They were late, but it didn’t matter. The caravan was in disarray, with camels yet unloaded and a factor standing toe-to toe with the caravan master, both shouting with red faces and gesticulating arms. Humri was a great ox of a man, his shaven head puckered and scarred. His face was marked by a deep furrow that ran from his forehead to his jaw, emphasized by the missing teeth on that side...

The factor was almost as tall, but slender and quick. His thick hair was oiled and braided in the Hurrian fashion, and he mostly shouted in that language, too. It appeared that both men had run out of curses in their native tongues, and had moved on to others.

The factor was just as angry as Humri, and seemed to be fluent in more than a dozen tongues, but Humri had an amazing gift. His familial denigrations were poetic and pungent. His anatomical suggestions were inspired. But his rapid-fire, multi-lingual descriptions of the generational curses to be visited on the factor, his never-to-be-begotten offspring, his cousins, nephews, uncles and their descendants was dazzling. Deeply profane, it was the stuff of which great epic poems were wrought, and after a while even the factor noticed, and stopped in mid-curse, first in puzzlement and then in amazement as Humri carefully and lovingly cursed the factor for seven generations in each direction.

At last, each jackal-descended third cousin cataloged, fated and dismissed, Humri paused for a breath.

“Forty-five, then,” conceded the factor, his voice hoarse, his posture resigned.

Humri closed his mouth, drilled the factor with his one good eye, and apparently discerning no duplicity, nodded. “Forty-five, and done,” he said, his booming voice not a hair quieter.

Both men spat on their palms, and clasped hands. The factor turned to a small man behind him, who was standing ready with a wet tablet and a stylus, and muttered a few instructions. The factor made his mark, and the tablet was slipped into a small leather bag. The scribe trotted off with it, most likely to the master trader the factor worked for.

Humri bellowed out orders, and in a few heartbeats the chaos was banished, and from it arose the order and bustle of a caravan." (c) 2009 Michael Ehart

Coming this summer!

"As from His Lair, the Wild Beast"

Another Servant tale will see publication later this year in Rage of the Behemoth from RBE, the folks that brought us last year's Return of the Sword. Some pretty great folks are part of the lineup, including one of my favoriet persons to share a panel with, Mary Rosenblum, and Lois Tilton's out of retirement story, to which I will get to write the introduction as well.

Cool idea, with several stories each set in a different environment, like Scalding Sands or Ageless Mountains. There will be special editions with each of the differnt environments own cover, as well.

Magic and Mechanica

It is finally here!

Enter a world of piston-driven fantasy, where magic smashes headlong into the down-to-earth reality of technology and machines. From the all out war of dragon-riding sorcerers against an army of self-replicating, clockwork robots in Christopher M. Cevasco's "Gambit," to the discovery of an alien submersible by pirates in Christopher Heath's Azieran tale "Savior in a Flask," further still to Nicholas Ian Hawkins' collision of a wizardly scholar and the newly-invented printing press that will ruin his career in "Knowledge and Dust," you will certainly be amazed at the breathtaking imaginations of fifteen authors. Dragons, steam-powered tanks, Aztec warriors, angry gods, assassins both large and small...Magic & Mechanica is unlike any collection of fantasy you've ever seen.

This anthology includes my story "Night of Shadows, Night of Knives" which probalby has the longest path to publication of any of my stories, ever. I first conceived of the beginning nearly 20 years ago. The first drafts are long lost, but about 4 years ago I discovered a version that had been adapted for Wizards of the Coast in the late 90's. They had an editorial change, and then lost it, eventually returning it to me rejected after nearly two years.

I re-wrote it for this anthology, they liked it, and here it is, finally, in print.

It is a very streamlined story, set in a vaguely middle-eastern city. A crit partner called the style "Castle Noir" which I like, and fits it as well as any other description.

Lots of good stuff in this anthology, from some pretty good writers.

Servant review by Rich Horton

Kind words from Rich Horton!

Michael Ehart's The Servant of the Manthycore is a short novel that appeared in 2007 from a small outfit called Double-Edged Publishing. I confess I started reading with minimal hopes. But I was quite pleasantly surprised. The title character and heroine is a Bronze Age woman who with her lover was tricked into an encounter with the Manthycore, a monster that requires a human servant to kill other people for him to eat. The Manthycore has imprisoned the lover in a sort of stasis, as a hostage, while the woman, later named Ninshi, travels around, almost invincible, killing people. By the time of the main action she was for generations been trying to find a way to escape this service. In this book she rescues a young slave girl, kills some bad people, and finds a hint at a secret that may allow her to compel the Manthycore to release her, only to again be betrayed. Besides some fine action and some nicely plotted episodes, and sturdy writing, I enjoyed the hints seeded through the book of some familiar characters. The main weakness is that the novel, assembled from several short stories, is a bit loosely structured. To be marketable to a major publisher it would probably have to be twice its length (and I think it could bear that expansion) and the plot would have to be tightened considerably. But as it stands it's enjoyable work.

Okay now!

link here: The Elephant Forgets - http://ecbatan.livejournal.com/

Tomb of the Amazon Queen

A new "Servant" story. Dark Worlds is a "pulp descended" magazine, so I gave this one my pulpiest title ever. In this story, Ninshi and Miri travel with a band of women warriors to recover an ancient treasure. I'll let you know when it comes out!

Brag Time!

My story, "Without Napier" has been nominated for the Pushcart Award. Needless to say, I am pretty stoked. I don't think of myself as a literary writer, and when something like this happens, I am always caught by surprise.

"Without Napier" appeared in EveryDay Fiction earlier this year. As you may recall, it was a French Noir homage about the sidekick to a Great Detective, and how his life changes when the detective dies.

If you would like to give it a gander, you can find it here. It is quite short, but it got great reviews and was a reader favorite.

Wish me luck!

Filter House

Nisi Shawl, who is in my live crit group, STEW, has had her first collection of shorts selected by Publishers Weekely as a Best of the Year. Nisi's stuff is dense, rich and full of skewed visions. I don't know anyone who writes better than she does, and the recognition is entirely appropriate.
For those who fancy themselves as writers, this is a great companion to her book "Writing the Other" a fantastic how-to manual. One tells you how, and the other illustrates just how amazing our genres can be.

Filter House
Nisi Shawl (Aqueduct)
Shawl's exquisitely rendered debut collection weaves threads of folklore, religion, family and the search for a cohesive self through a panorama of race, magic and the body.

Come hang out with me at OryCon!

Here's the lowdown for my time at OryCon this weekend --looks like I'm gonaa have a lot of fun! Join me if you happen to be in the Rose City!


Friday
4:00PM-5:00PM Sunstone "Group 3 Dark Fantasy" - Michael Ehart and Devon Monk lead a critique group Michael Ehart, Devon Monk
5:00PM-5:30PM Salem "Readings with Michael Ehart" - Reading of the works of Michael Ehart by Michael Ehart Michael Ehart
6:00PM-7:00PM Mt. Hood Mythic imagery in speculative fiction Nisi Shawl, M.K. Hobson, Michael Ehart, Felicity Shoulders, Sara Mueller

Saturday
12:00PM-1:00PM Mt. Hood "The structure of writing" - Structurally speaking, what makes a good story? Editors and writers (especially new writers) sometimes have different viewpoints. Experienced editors and writers offer their views. Mary Rosenblum, Jean M. Auel, Michael Ehart, Ginjer Buchanan, Blythe Ayne, Ph.D.
3:30PM-4:00PM Autograph Table "Signing with Michael Ehart" - Autograph session with Michael Ehart Michael Ehart
6:00PM-7:00PM Salem Non-European mythology – an untapped resource Nisi Shawl, Michael Ehart, Jayel Gibson, Felicity Shoulders, Dianna Rodgers

Sunday
12:00AM-01:00AM Salem Midnight Horror Readings Joan McCarty, Dianna Rodgers, Michael Ehart, Edward Morris
10:00AM-11:00AM Mt. Hood That’s gotta hurt: how to wound, torture and maim characters Bart Kemper, Britta Dennison, Michael Ehart, Anne Sattler
11:00AM-12:00PM Medford Cyber crimes of today, and the future John Hedtke, Catherine Rambo, Michael Ehart, Randal Schwartz
12:00PM-1:00PM Salmon "The Marketing of Historical Fiction" - Does it only sell as romance and mainstream? How might historical fiction be made appealing to a broader audience? Michael Ehart, M.K. Hobson, Jean M. Auel, Joan McCarty

Congratulations to David R. Montgomery!

David R. Montgomery has been awarded the MacArthur "Genius" Grant, moving him into a very limited club, the club of MacArthur recipients I have met, which has a membership of two. (The other was the late Octavia Butler).
Shaharazahd and I met Montgomery at a Conservation District conference. His presentation was based on his book Dirt, and was so compelling we bought a copy. Hi thesis is simple: the history of nearly any civilization is told in its soil. This was especially interesting to me in that I write fantasy set near the Bronze Age Collapse, an event still little understood by historians. It was the world'sm fisrt known dark age, and the economic, political and social collapse was unparalled since. Entire civilizations vanished overnight, and cities that had been occupied for hundreds of years were abandoned and never resettled.

Montgomery's book gave me a lot to think about, and some of his ideas may end up incorporated in future "Servant" stories.

At any rate, congratulations, David! Your book is pretty cool, and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

"The Death of Number 23" to Arkham Tales.

My WWI submarine boogie story has sold to Arkham Tales, a new magazine of weird fiction. I am thrilled to be a part of this project!
Their first issue will be in November; no word yet on when my story will appear.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Arrrgh!

"As From His Lair, the Wild Beast"

The latest Servant story is done and off to crit. My live crit group is starting up again after summer hiatus, just in time.
The new story has Ninshi and Miri fleeing the soldiers of the Temple of Ishtar, and a quite large beastie as part of the plot. 6500 words, a little shorter than I have been writing lately, but it was still good to be finished.
Next up, a promised novella that has them traveling to Illium to sort through the wreckage of the recently destroyed city, with some unusual allies along the way.

Back in the saddle

Finally got most of the real world issues pushed out of the way for a bit, and getting some words in a row. A few hundred yesterday, on a new Servant story for an anthology. More today, I think and back to full throttle by the weekend. I'll keep you posted!

Has it been a month?

Wow! I don't think it has ever been this long between posts! I have been very busy, still writing, but sidetracked by putting in a hot tub, studying for a cert test, and just life in general.
I'll do better, promise. In a couple of weeks I should be caught up enough to at least pretend to post here :)

Signing at Powells

When? 7 PM, Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
Commemorate Independence Day with a salute to all heroes!
Celebrate the holiday with a family event!
Come en masse in a rousing show of support!
What? Return of the Sword Multi-Author Event: Read, Talk, & Sign
Listen to exciting renditions of great heroic adventure!
Learn what it takes to become part of such an elite corps of authors!
Line-up to get the signatures of winning writers!
Where? Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton, OR
Just west of Portland, Oregon
Who? In ToC order:
Jeff Draper "The Battle of Raven Kill"
Michael Ehart "To Destroy All Flesh"
Nathan Meyer "The Hand that Holds the Crown"
Allen B. Lloyd "An Uneasy Truce in Ulam-Bator"
and I have it on good authority that the spirit of Harold Lamb "Red Hands" will also be there
Bring the kids! Take the spouse!

Get your copies of RotS signed by 4 of the authors!

What, no book!?

Order your books NOW to ensure their timely arrival!

"Il s'agit sans doute d'une des plus belles créations de la sword and sorcery moderne."

High praise from over the water from Fantasy.fr:

Cette fois ci je vais vous parler de Michael Ehart. Cet auteur préside au destinée d'une série de sword and sorcery qui comprend une petite dizaine de nouvelles. Cette série "la servante de la Manthychore" a pour cadre la Mésopotamie antique à l'époque des royaumes sumeriens et akkadiens. Son héroïne a été maudite par la Mathychore et condamnée à l'immortalité elle doit nourrir le monstre semi divin en lui procurant des corps et des âmes (généralement corrompues, les âmes, je veux dire). Le plus cher désir de Ninshi l'héroïne est d'être délivrée de sa malédiction et de retrouver son bien aimé qui est lui aussi affligé de la même charge. Au cours de ses pérégrinations, Ninshi fait la connaissance d'une jeune esclave Miri qu'elle va affranchir et adopter. Six des nouvelles de cette série ont été réunie en reccueil dont quatre précédemment publiées par le webzine Sword Review. Mais Ehart continue a conter les aventures de son héroïne notamment dans les colonnes de Flashing Swords ainsi que dans divers magazine small press. Bien que n'ayant lu que quelques unes de ces histoires, je souhaite que très prochainement un éditeur français s'y intéresse. Il s'agit sans doute d'une des plus belles créations de la sword and sorcery moderne. Michael Moorcock ne s'y est d'ailleurs pas trompé. Ehart est un de ses chouchous du moment.

My best babel fish assisted lousy translation:

"I will speak to you about Michael Ehart. This author governs the destiny of a series of sword and sorcery which includes ten short stories. This series “The Maidservant of the Manthychore” has as a framework ancient Mésopotamia at the time of the kingdoms of the Sumeriens and Akkadians. Its heroine was cursed by the Manthychore and condemned to immortality, she must feed the semi-divine monster by getting bodies and hearts to him (generally corrupted, the hearts, I want to say).
The dearest desire of Ninshi, the heroine, is to be freed of its curse and to find her lover who is also cursed. During her travels, Ninshi meets a young slave girl, Miri, whom she will frees and adopts.
Six tales of this series were joined together in order including four previously published by the webzine Sword Review. But Ehart continues to tell the adventures of its heroine, in particular in Flashing Swords and in various similar magazines. Although having read only some of these stories, I wish that very soon a French editor might be interested in it. It is undoubtedly one of most beautiful creations of the modern sword and sorcery. Michael Moorcock was not mistaken there. Ehart is one of the pets of the moment."

Love for "Jermaish the King" at the Fix

Very kind words indeed from Chris Butler in his review of issue #10 of Flashing Swords:

There is a school of thought that says that the best story in any collection should be placed as the next to last. I’m not sure I agree with this as it seems to me to be leaving it far too late, but certainly “The First Trial of Jermaish the King” by Michael Ehart is a real treat and one of the best here.

Ninshi and her adoptive daughter, Miri, are requested to travel to the aid of King Jermaish. Ninshi has a fearsome reputation, the truth to it being “much grimmer than even the songs.” She has lived forty lifetimes and has “been taken in bondage by a dreadful monster, which every few moons compelled her to lure men into the desert and kill them for it to feed upon.” Nevertheless, it seems that there is some history between Ninshi and Jermaish, and so she will help him in his time of need.

On arrival at the city of Ikizepe, Ninshi and Miri learn that a terrible killing force is loose in the city. Any woman who has not given birth to a child is at risk of being viciously killed. Ninshi formulates a plan to discover the killer or killers. The trail has twists and turns, a terrific fight with a genuinely scary creature (no stock werewolves or zombies here), and a convincing motivation for the killings. This is excellent work by Ehart, with memorable characters and sure-footed plotting. It is a murder mystery, of course. But also a terrific fantasy adventure.

The entire issue is good reading, and with Flashing Swords it is important to remember that the print version is only available for a limited time, so scoot over and get yours!

"Without Napier" illustrated for interview

My story "Without Napier" was so well recieved that EDF interviewed me. The interview is here:

Many of our readers singled out Michael Ehart’s Without Napier as one of the best stories that we’ve published so far, and sent it soaring up EDF’s “Top Stories” list. Not surprisingly, the story placed as April’s most-read story. Michael graciously agreed to be interviewed, and we’ve included it below.

They also commissioned an outstanding illustration from Lindsay Joy. I have to say, it perfectly captures the feel of Yardi's grief and puzzlement at his change in position with the death of Napier. Once again, I am blessed by an artist who captures exactly the right moment and mood of a story.

Like a duck

Sometimes when it seems like nothing is happening on the suface, my little web feet are paddling like mad. Tons of things going on and coming up, including one of my personal career goals, a signing at Powell's Books in Beaverton on July 1st at 7PM with fellow RotS writers Allen Lloyd, Jeff Draper and Nathan Meyer.
Here's the map:

Also, sometime in the next few days an interview at Every Day Fiction. I'll link that when it is up, but my story "Without Napier" was the most viewed of the month, and your votes pushed it into the top 25 list there. If you haven't read it, give it a peek!
And even more good stuff to announce later in the month!

"The First Trial of Jermaish the King" up at Flashing Swords

Flashing Swords #10 is up. Some really good fiction this time, including another "Servant" story--- "The First Trial of Jermaish the King" --- Those who have read the book know all about Jermaish. It's funny, I get more mail about him than any onther character except Ninshi and Miri. I suspect there are a great many women who have known a man like Jermaish, and strangely most of the letters and emails have encouraged me to put him in another story and then kill him off.
Wel, then, Jermaish is back...

Great review of Return of the Sword at the Fix

Some very kind words from Janice Clark :

Ninshi does not enjoy killing, but she does what she must and is very good at it. One would expect, given the nature of her servitude, that she would by now have grown bitter and cynical. Yet she shows far more compassion than the priests, who will do nothing to aid another if there’s no profit in it for them. Ehart likes to weave biblical references into his stories—besides the references to Noah and the Ark, I see a hint of the parable of the Good Samaritan in this one. Nicely done.

Thanks for the kind words, Janice!

Just Back from the Nebulas

and boy are my arms tired.

I am worn out, but I will have a full report in a day or so.

In the meantime some highlights were:

The incredible thunderstorm Friday night, viewed through the 15 story glass lobby of the Omni hotel in Austin.

A two-hour BS session with Joe R. Lansdale and others in the bar.

Mike Moorcock's speech, about the struggle through the years to make SF/Fantasy respectible--- his line about the mainstream critics thinking SF geeks had slide-rules for genitals had people falling out of chairs.

Doing the live blog, an honor I have had before but still is a great thrill.

Looking down during the live blog at the entree in front of me to find a 2 pound slab of steak--- Texas, baby, Texas.

Spending a very pleasant couple of private hours chatting with Mike and Linda Moorcock in their room just after he arrived, about mutual friends and shared interests, and complaining about the restaurants in our respective home-towns.

And after the ceremony helping Joe Landsdale clear a path through the crowd so Mike and Linda could get his wheelchair through, rear guard provided by John Picacio. We made our way to the largest table in the room, and sat to chat. To my left was John Picacio, with Boxcar Sanford and Kirryn Eis-- two of Michael's friends next to him, and then across the table from me Mike. Sanford is a musician and all-around good guy and Kirryn is a high-risk armed body guard-- a real-life woman of action. To my right was Joe Lansdale's daughter, a blond stunner whose impending marriage is the source of great wailing and gnashing of teeth by heart-broken young men throughout Texas, and next to her Joe. We were soon joined by Walter Jon Williams, and shortly by Michael Chabon. At this point I realized that no one would ever believe me when I told them who I was talking about writing with (believe me, I was not doing a lot of talking, there was far too much accumulated wisdom at that table for me to waste a moment doing anything but listening---) I told John Picacio that I felt like the world was a tuxedo and I was a pair of brown shoes, and at that moment a compact fellow wearing a black leather hat appeared to congratulate Mike and shake hands all around. Steven Brust was a bonus for all, as he seldom appears at such events, and was the final straw. I kept my James Bond cool, but it was a near thing :)

Breakfast lunch and dinners with many old friends and a few new ones--- Vera Nazarian, Lee Martindale, Peter Heck, Jane Jewell, Robin Baily, John Moore, Elisabeth Moon, Diane Turnchek, Sean Fodera, a very funny conversation about boxed wine labling with Joe Haldeman, and a crowd of others to be named later when I am less beat-up.

Keith has the first few photos up at North American, here:

Join the Nebula Awards live chat with Michael Ehart and Lee Martindale this Saturday!

Just like being there, only not as good!
Join hosts Michael Ehart and Lee Martindale as they preside over the sff.net live chat of the 2008 Nebula Awards. Chat room opens Saturday April 26th at 6:30PM Central near the cash bar and continues through the finish of the awards ceremony at 10:00 PM.
Martindale and Ehart hosted a similar chat at the 2005 Nebula Awards in Chicago, and though demand has been high, this has been the first opportunity to reprise what many people felt was the very finest and most entertaining live major writing awards chat that evening, anywhere on the web.
Cheer as your favorite author takes home the lucite!
Cry as Michael Moorcock's lifestory is inaccurately recalled!
Gasp at our description of this year's version of.... the Dress!

Just go to http://irc.sff.net/ and upload the chat engine--- just takes a second and you too can enjoy the 2008 Nebula Award ceremony--- in your underwear if you like. We promise we won't tell!

Ghost of Nebulas past

Mike Resnick is a very approachable guy. He saved my life once--- I was 13 and trapped with my mother and two younger sisters for the summer in a unkown town with no friends and miles and miles from the library. I walked to the corner grocer, who had a small paperback rack. There, under a stack of romance novels and westerns, right on the bottom row, was a fly-specked and shop-worn copy of "Goddess of Ganymede"--- I plunked down my 35 cents, and dashed home, hiding from my mother as best I could the lurid cover. I read it at least six times that summer.
When I told this story to Mike, he cried "I was only 16! It was a pastiche!" a reaction driven, no doubt by stern demands for an explaination for such derivitive stuff. Well, his career survived, and thanks to the slim, derivitive volume written by a 16 year old, so did I :)

"Bloodshed and pathos, my friends."

Kind words from Wes Lambert:


“To Destroy All Flesh,” by Michael Ehart: Further compelling adventures of Ninshi, from The Servant of the Manthycore. If you like heroic fantasy—and I’m assuming you do, if you’re giving this review the time of day—then I highly recommend Mr. Ehart’s book. Bloodshed and pathos, my friends.


Oh, and a review of the rest of Return of the Sword here: http://staroad.blogspot.com/2008/04/return-of-sword.html

"To Destroy All Flesh" gets some love

Very kind review from Brian Hitchcock of "To Destroy All Flesh" from The Return of the Sword:

This story has a lot of humanity in it. That's the best word for it. From the agonizing deaths to the moral question at its core, this story looks at the human costs of the magic, mayhem and pure human malice that make up heroic fiction. The hero, Ninshi, is Ehart's titular hero from the novel Servant of the Manthycore. In this tale, a group of mountain bandits stand between her and the herb she must have to free herself from the Manthycore's arcane shackles.

Thank you Brian!

Everything you were afraid to know about Michael Ehart...

R. Schuyler Devin was kind enough to ask a few questions and post my answers as a part of his 6 Sided Q&A--- the entire interview is here.

He has kind things to say about my book, too, so give him a hit and check it out!

"Memorable Characters" up at The Book Connection

As a part of the promo for Return of the Sword, The Book Connection has posted a small article I wrote on Creating Memorable Characters--

Most new writers understand this, but many make the mistake of confusing a character with a bunch of character traits. Deciding that your detective walks with a limp, has a deep southern accent, has a peculiar scar on his forehead and drives a 1957 Vovlo sedan does not make him real to the reader. That might be a start, but unless there are real reasons for each of these things, they will remain what they are; a bunch of random things decided at a whim.

The rest of the article is here.

So where is S&S going? Joining a discussion

If you aren't regularly visiting SFReader, you might want to give them a try. Some very interesting discussions there, from folks at a variety of experience. This topic has been going on for several weeks at my forum there. You might want to take a look---

Its not like an Andy Hardy movie-- "Hey Pablo, let's throw us a new movement! I'm thinking we can call it Cubism... you in?" We can self examine until we disappear into our own navels, but the truth is we all need to be taking chances and thrashing away as we write what we write. For me it means leaving behind many tropes that seem fuzzy. I find it very unlikely that you will see me writing anything with elves, dwarves, half-anythings, Dark Lords, farmboys of destiny, a "noble" nobility, or using the word "mage" or using any setting that seems even vaguely "jolly old England" or some twice removed derivitive.

I want fantasy that kicks my butt, that has me standing in the backyard looking at the stars with tears on my face and my heart thumping, like The Ship of Ishtar did to me when I was 11 years old. I want stories about heroes, who will do what ordinary men wouldn't or couldn't, who do what they must and pay the price, where the last man standing tells the tale of his fallen comrades, and weeps because he failed to join them. I want the moral ambiguity of poor choices and the fight every step since to rectify them or die in the attempt. I want a hero who, like Conan, will grab the girl and let the jewels fall, but curse into his cups every night that follows for the missed treasure. I don't want to read about pure, knighly Elves--- I want Long John Silver with a cutlass in one hand and the other outstretched, asking me as a true shipmate to sign articles and come aboard.

I write fantasy about big, dreadful, human choices, and that is what I want to read. The heroes I want to read about wave as the Farmboy of Destiny rides off to face the Dread Lord of Despair, far away in the Dark Lands, and while FoD is saving the world sleeps with his girlfriend, absconds with Parish Library fund, and fast-talks his way into the Bandits Local 410 and, after stealing an election via 2 slit throats and a stuffed ballot-box, becomes the Bandit Cheif in time to lead them to save the village from the marauding Huns so that FoD has something to come back and look down upon.
Or through greed and ignorance, give up any chance of happiness and instead wanders bitterly looking only for hope or an end to pain, blighted and alone, until some small thing allows them to find redemption, not for themselves but for others, in some small way.

The difference between King and the spatterpunks was that King forgot to make it hurt. Same for the Cyberpunks--- Gibson remembered that the real thing that unites us is not wonder or hope, but the universality of shared tragedy. It has to hurt, somewhere. Your characters must need to be at a point where some true human pain is revealed, and through that examination of the human condition, some answer given, while acknowledging the fact that when the story is done, there was a price paid by the characters as well as the reader.

"Without Napier" in top 25 at EDF

Check it out! And thanks to everyone who read, commented, or voted!

"Without Napier" up at Every Day Fiction

I had so much fun writing this French Noir pastiche. Please check it out, I think you'll like it!
http://www.everydayfiction.com/without-napier-by-michael-ehart/#comments

More Nebula photos from the dawn of time

This scruffy looking guy was allowed a shot as MC that year--- I remember him writing a comic book or something--- he seemed harmless enough. I hope he manages to find some sort of success as a writer.

More Nebulas past

Here are a couple of guys who are both great to hang out with, and as you can see they have been hitting the caffiene pretty hard. Mike Moscoe Shepard had a short that was up for the Neb that year--- I see Mike around a lot, and often share panels with him. He is a fixture of NW conventions, and just an all around great guy to hang out with. His Kris Longknife stories just keep getting better and better.

Gardner Dozois is another great conversationalist. Gardner sent me one of my favorite rejections, over 20 years ago. It was so kind, and so careful that it made me re-read the story and I realized that if I were to send this out to other editors, I would be blighting my writing career for decades to come. I drove a stake through the blamed things heart, and buried it at midnight at a crossroads wreathed in garlic.

Gardner has never bought a story from me, I am guessing just on the basis of that one dreadful piece of writing I sent him, even though I have fixed his computer for him a few times.

Counting Down to the Nebulas

I am thrilled to be going to this years Nebulas in Austin--- especially since Michael Moorcock, who was kind enough to write the foreword to The Servant of the Manthycore is being honored as Grandmaster--- plus my good friend Lee Martindale may very well be a presenter and we are reprising our stint from 2005 as official Live Bloggers of the ceremony, plus Vera Nazarian, who was kind enogh to write a blurb for Servant is up for a well-deserved Nebula award.

In celebration I am posting some photos of the last Nebulas I attended, in 2005. I'd post from the year before, in Seattle, but I can't find the photos :)

Let's start with my favorite, me with Janis Ian and Anne McCaffery. Anne was being honored as GM that year.

Kind words from Jeff Draper about "To Destroy All Flesh"

Thanks, Jeff!

This is the story I was really looking forward to and it definitely does not disappoint ...you’ve just got to love the props in this one. Doesn’t everyone have a huge ancient boat just laying about the place?

Full review here: http://scriptoriusrex.blogspot.com/2008/03/rots-reviews-iv.html

Nice words about The Servant of the Manthycore from the Harrow

Thanks, Dru!

Servant of the Manthycore is an accessible and intelligently written heroic fantasy that is inevitably reminiscent of Conan's adventures through Cimmeria, but with a darker edge and more appealing protagonist. Ninshi is a Cain damned for love rather than envy. With luck, we'll read more of her adventures elsewhere.

Read the whole thing here.

"Only His Name" at EDF; Wall Street Journal really likes them---

How often do you get to praise the Wall Street Journal?

Check out my story today at Every Day Fiction: http://www.everydayfiction.com/only-his-name-by-michael-ehart/
The publisher, Jordan Lapp, took a chance on a boxing story, remembering that many of the great writers, pulp and otherwise, wrote 'em. Now, as I am best known as a fantasy writer, this was a double chance on his part. Comment is greatly appreciated!

Lapp's willingness to think outside the standard model has produced a very enjoyable format for flash fiction--- every day a new 1000 word or less piece is dropped into your inbox. I often read the day's story over my morning coffee.

The Wall Street Journal thought it was a good idea, too:

Every Day Fiction features a new short story every 24 hours. The first line from a recent entry: "A woman sat in a brown cubicle, unplugged. She went to get coffee from the lunchroom. When she took out the milk from the refrigerator, the milk bottle spoke."

So, now and then they get it right :)

New Servant story to Flashing Swords

I just returned signed contracts for "The First Trial of Jermaish the King" to Flashing Swords. For those of you who have read the book, this will be a return to a character that gets me more fan mail than any other, excepting only Miri and Ninshi. Most of the mail is from women who sadly a) know or have known a man just like Jermaish, and b) want to know when I am going to write another story with him in it, and kill him off.
Ahhh, romance! Well, the good news is that at least a) has happened, and you will be able to read the story May 1st.
As for b)... well that would be telling, wouldn't it?

Get ya red-hot con report here!

I am numb, bloated, mildly hung-over, my feet hurt, and my head feels like it is stuffed with cotton. All the hallmarks of a successful con! It started out great and just went uphill from there.

Full report here: NorWesCon

Norwescon Itinerary

The Inverted Fantasy Hero Thursday 9:00 p.m. Cascade 4
Panel discussion about turning "bad" character types and monsters into sympathetic protagonists and why we still love anti-heroes.

Mario Acevedo (M), Michael Ehart, Christopher Konker, John Picacio


Everybody Kills Somebody, Sometime Friday 11:00 a.m. Evergreen 2
What are the rules for traumatizing, maiming, and killing fictional characters believably? Learn the gentle arts of fictional murder from the experts.

Michael Montoure (M), Michael Ehart, Pat MacEwen, James H. Cobb


Die Laughing Horror's Not Funny! Or is it? Friday 4:00 p.m. Cascade 6
How do authors like Christopher Moore make things that ought to gross you out give you the giggles? What's the trick to making Horror hilarious?--come and find out.

Michael Ehart (M), Mark Henry, Richelle Mead


Non-Western Mythologies--Inspiration from Other Places Friday 5:00 p.m. Evergreen 2
Western mythology and legend have had a long-lasting effect on Fantasy/Horror, but they aren't the only game in town. Native American, Asian, African, and other myths, legends and folktales are also great fantasy fodder. Get in on a discussion of some alternative sources to spice up your Fantasy / Horror.

Kevin Radthorne (M), Leah Cutter, Michael Ehart, Alma Alexander


Stealing Time: Utilizing Historical Fact and Research in Fantasy and Alternate History Friday 6:00 p.m. Evergreen 1
Panel discussion on gathering and using real history, family lore, and regional eccentricity to enrich Fantasy including Alternate History, Urban Fantasy, and Gothic Horror.

Kat Richardson (M), Leah Cutter, Michael Ehart, Rhiannon Held



Curtain Up: Speculative Fiction Onstage Saturday 9:00 a.m. Cascade 10
With the current trend away from realistic theater toward big spectacle productions, SF/F is a natural fit for new dramatic material. There are certain rewards and challenges of staging speculative fiction, and we will discuss the degree to which the source material must be altered for the new medium, the demands of writing for the stage, andd fiction that utilizes theatrical conventions.

Lisa Mantchev (M), Michael Ehart, Richard Stephens, Craig English



Reading: Michael Ehart Saturday 10:00 a.m. Cascade 3
The Servant of the Manthycore
Michael Ehart


Autograph Session 2 Saturday Noon Evergreen 1 & 2


Short Fiction Markets Saturday 1:00 p.m. Cascade 9
Print vs. electronic, pro vs. semi-pro: who's publishing short fiction and what's the best market for your story?

Marti McKenna (M), M.K. Hobson, Michael Ehart, Lisa Mantchev, Karl Johanson


Heroine's Journey Saturday 2:00 p.m. Cascade 5
Is the Heroine's Journey different from that of the Hero? A discussion of the differences in Male and Female Heroes and how they effect plot and character development.

Mike Shepherd Moscoe (M), Michael Ehart, Rhiannon Held, Alma Alexander



No, Really, That Makes Sense! Saturday 4:00 p.m. Cascade 8
Our distinguished panel of experts explains why certain widely-seen SF and fantasy elements that seem absurd actually have legitimate explanations. Come hear why it makes sense for barbarian sword babes to wear chain-mail bikinis, why computers on starships never crash or lock up with indecipherable error messages, and why male scientists in SF are always really good looking guys who are irresistible to brilliant, beautiful women.

Michael Ehart (M), Kat Richardson, David Nasset, Sr.



Crossing Gender Lines Saturday 7:00 p.m. Cascade 6

Discussion of the pitfalls and pleasures of writing characters who aren't of your gender and of writing to appeal across gender lines. From the tough to the tender get in on some hot cross-gender discussion about why a heroine ain't just a hero in a dress, nor is a sensitive hero a girl with different plumbing.

Michael Ehart (M), Mark Henry, Gordon Van Gelder, Mary Rosenblum



I Just Sold My First Story/Novel! Whoopee! Sunday 2:00 p.m. Cascade 5

So what happens next? Come and listen to a few that were touched by the pixie dust. You might be surprised ... and forewarned.

Michael Ehart (M), Lisa Mantchev, Richelle Mead

See you there!

They're Not What They Seem: Tales of mimcry and deception

They're Not What They Seem: Tales of mimcry and deception--- just heard from Janrae Frank who is doing her first anthology in over 10 years. She has kindly agreed to use "An Exorcism Striaght, Hold the Elvis", which was the first Joe Denfar story.
I am very excited, as I have always felt that Joe's premier outing deserved to be available in print form.
I'll keep you posted!

Return of the Sword Arrives!

Return of the Sword arrives!
Return of the Sword

An Anthology of Heroic Adventure
$16.50 plus shipping

Return of the Sword is a brand new anthology of blood-pounding, spine-tingling stories by some of fantasy's most critically acclaimed Sword and Sorcery authors.

Stacey Berg, Bill Ward, Phil Emery, Jeff Draper, Nicholas Ian Hawkins, David Pitchford, Ty Johnston, Jeff Stewart, Angeline Hawkes, Robert Rhodes, E.E. Knight, James Enge, Michael Ehart, Thomas M. MacKay, Christopher Heath, Nathan Meyer, S.C. Bryce, Allen B. Lloyd, William Clunie, Steve Goble, Bruce Durham, and Harold Lamb present you with enough fast paced adventure to keep you reading for hours.

A hand painted, wrap around cover by fantasy artist Johnney Perkins ensures that Return of the Sword will not only be enjoyable to read, but also look good on your coffee table or bookshelf.

Too long have the halls of fantasy been dominated by packs of weak-kneed elves hunting goblins and doughty dwarves mining for gold. Return now to the days of true adventure. Unsheath your sword and enter if you dare!

The First Trial of Jermaish the King finished and off to crit.

A new Servant of the Manthycore story. This one kicked my butt; I was trying to do a couple of complex things with it, and I am not certain it worked.
I am hoping the complexity and ambiguity in the emotional through-line comes across as deep and insightful rather than muddy and unclear.
For those who have read my book, a favorite annoying twit returns--- and I finally used the results of the sword-naming posts from nearly a year back.
Thanks!

People who like my book get Nebula Awards

Or a least get nominated:)
Congratulations to Vera Nazarian for her nomination for Best Short Story "The Story of Love" and of course to Michael Moorcock, who is being honored as Grand Master!
Both were kind enough to write very nice things about The Servant of the Manthycore, Vera wrote a killer blurb, and Mike wrote the foreword, which is almost embarassingly positive.
Write nice things about my book >>> get recognized by SFWA. Coincidence? You be the judge!

Million Writers Award

I was pleased to learn that my story "Stand, Stand, Shall They Cry" was nominated for the Million Writers Award--- "Stand", which appeared in Flashing Swords #8 was 5th place finisher in this year's Preditors and Editors Poll.
If it makes the final ballot, there will be a chance to vote--- I will certainly keep you posted!

Kind things said at Powell's

So many people have been saying such nice things about The Servant of the Manthycore. This is from Powell's:

I started reading the Servant of the Manthycore series on The Sword Review site. I found it to be well researched historical fantasy. The characterizations, atmosphere, and action combine to make one feel they are actually experiencing life in ancient Mesopotamia... a vivid fantasy that lives and breathes.

Terry Weide, author of Dream of Power, Dream of Glory

Thanks, Terry!

Folks on Amazon with kind words...

So far it has been all good...

M. Pizzo
"...Ehart pulls from a known world (expertly and factually), and while it's far enough removed from our own to solidly qualify as fantasy, it freed him to create a fascinating heroine and story. I like my characters morally ambivalent...people who do what they know they gotta do -- but suffer exquisitely and privately for their conviction. The Servant is that and more. She is a warrior woman hell-bent, literally, yet utterly sympathetic. (Buffy who?!) This book is fast-paced, terrifically-written, and character-driven - and it is both heart-breaking and optimistic. Buy it today - you won't put it down until you're done with it."

Nathan E. Meyer
"Michael Ehart... weaves a cast of complex, vividly drawn characters in morally difficult situations against a well crafted historical/mythos backdrop and then proceeds full speed with his story.

Adventure, battle, the eternal power of love, betrayal, ambiguous decisions by courageous characters. I can't give this book enough praise."


Jeff Draper
"The stories that make up the narrative arc are... filled with good guys and bad guys and fighting and blood and magic. There's just nothing not to like.

...what really attracts me to this story is the main character and the weight of betrayal that she carries around for many, many years. Ehart masterfully weaves her through her paces and combines longing sadness with grim determination. She is a character that reveals both the good and the evil that men do."

More kind words

A very nice review of The Servant of the Manthycore on Book Book:

...the manthycore holds her childhood love captive. as the monster feeds, she always asks to see the vision of her lover, radiant and young, as she remembers him. altho ninshi has not aged, she is scarred by the countless fights she has endured, older from the weight of the curse she has beared for so many centuries.

it is her "daughter" miri, a slave girl ninshi purchased on a whim, who allows us to see the soft side of our heroine. it is through miri we piece together more of ninshi's stories. ehart does a fine job in his prose, evoking the feeling and setting of the time.

Thanks, Cyn!

RadCon today---see you there!

Radcon
Itinerary for Ehart, Michael
Panel Start Panel End Panel Title

Panel Location Panel Description
Moderator in Bold

Sat Feb 16 4:00:pm Sat Feb 16 5:00:pm Small Press
Cobalt What is small press? Who publishes? What can you expect? Why small press is putting out the best Science Fiction in the industry.
Ehart, Michael Eudaly, Rhonda Kenyon, Kay Slinski, Beth Swenson, Patrick

Sat Feb 16 1:00:pm Sat Feb 16 2:00:pm Special Abilities: What is the price of Power?
Garnet So your character has special abilities, magic, super strong, fast, or what ever. What is the cost? How to keep real without writing a Greek tragedy.
Ehart, Michael Fredericks, Deborah Helfers, John Louve, Rhiannon McGalliard, Julie Morgan, Christine

Sat Feb 16 11:00:am Sat Feb 16 1:00:pm Lunch as a Book Signing
Bronze The Barnes and Noble Book Signing. Barnes and Noble join with the Northwest’s finest authors and provide you a two hour window to track down the greatest writers and make them sign your books. Bring the stacks, the piles, everything you have at once.
yyAlexander, Alma Radford, Irene Lake, Jay Taylor, Bruce Bonham, Maggie Ehart, Michael Cherryh, Carolyn Turtledove, Dr. Harry yyBob Brown yyBarr, Donna yyBriggs, Patricia yyCooper, Brenda Fredericks, Deborah Helfers, John Kenyon, Kay Levine, David R.

Sat Feb 16 9:00:am Sat Feb 16 10:00:am Swords and Their Friends
Harvest A Hands on discussion of swords, armor, and related handheld weapons. Geared twoards the writer, collector, reenactors, gamers, and general enthusiasts. I'll bring mine and so should you.
McWatters, Mike Farley, Mike Radford, Irene Ehart, Michael

Sat Feb 16 12:00:am Sat Feb 16 1:00:am Midnight Horror Reading
Cobalt Come and hear the Best Horror Writers in the Northwest read their short Horror at Midnight, Friday the 15th.
Morgan, Christine Ehart, Michael Lake, Jay Eudaly, Rhonda McGalliard, Julie White, Lori

Fri Feb 15 4:00:pm Fri Feb 15 5:00:pm Computer Security
Harvest So computer hacking is done by bored kids with nothing better to do right? WRONG! The world of computer security has changed dramatically in the last five years. Come and join in a discussion lead by Dr. Carol Taylor, EWU Professor in Computer Science and Mark Rounds Instructor and PhD Candidate in Computer Science about the realities of cyberscape.
Ehart, Michael Levine, David R. Taylor, Carol

"Without Napier" to EDF

Just got an acceptance for my French hard-boiled noir story "Without Napier" from EDF. I really enjoyed writing this pastiche of the French detective stories of the 50's and 60's. I'll keep you posted as to when it will appear.
If you are not already a subscriber, get on over there. Every Day Fiction has become a part of my morning ritual--- a new story appears in my inbox each morning, and I read it over my first cup of coffee. best of all? It is free.

#13 in Epic fantasy!

Oh, how I love Canada! Slipped to #19 at this writing, but peaked today at #13 on Amazon Canada!

Sic transit gloria Amazonia

Just had pointed out to me that The Servant of the Manthycore is #55 in the Dark Fantasy catagory on Amazon Canada. When I announced this at work a co-worker opined that I had clearly captured the entire dark fantasy readership of Canada, all 2 of them.
Anyway, basking in the small and temporary glory!

February's First Sale!

Just heard from Camille and Jordan at EDF. They have decided to go with my boxing story "Only His Name." It was great fun to write, and I am thrilled to have another story with them.

Michael Moorcock's kind words

While it seems that I have shouted it from every digital rooftop, it has been pointed out that not everyone knows or realizes that Michael Moorcock, the legendary dfantasy writer, creator of Elric and many other classic characters, was kind enough to write a foreword for The Servant of the Manthycore.
For those of you who have not yet read the book, here is a teaser--- Mr. Moorcock's foreword:

In the fine tradition of Mary Renault, Henry Treece, Thomas Burnett Swann or Rex Warner, Michael Ehart has given us an outstanding story of the ancient world. This is a narrative concerning the fantastic unlike most books published today as fantasy fiction. It resonates with the authenticity of genuine myth, bringing a deep, true sense of the past; a conviction which does not borrow from genre but mines our profoundest dreams and memories; the kind which give birth to myths. As Ehart's protagonist, the beautifully realized warrior woman sometimes known as Ninshi, tells us "Songs all end up right. Life does not." Yet, as she demonstrates, it is part of the human condition that we are forever striving to make things end up like the songs.

This novel demonstrates the difference between a good folk tale, a genre story and an enduring myth. The genre story usually dodges the facts of genuine tragedy while the myth, or the story which retains the quality of myth, does not.

Michael Ehart's story of dark bloodshed, torment and betrayal invokes the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia, of Ur and Babylon, set against landscapes we all now know so well from our nightly news bulletins. These are the places where our oldest mythologies began and where our youngest ones are now being created. He provides us with telling images as well as some tremendous descriptions, none more so than the terrifying monster of the title.

This is a grim and gripping tale appealing to all of us who grew up fascinated by our Indo-European heritage, by Fraser's Golden Bough or Graves's White Goddess, by Zoroaster and the Epic of Gilgamesh or tales of the Minotaur, even Beowulf and The Green Knight.

This book is a thoroughly engaging page-turner. It's a very long time since I read a fantastic tale as good as this. Michael Ehart is an impressive talent.
-- Michael Moorcock

Now you know why I was walking on air when I received this!