Yellow30 Sci-Fi Announces 2008 Pluto Finalists

Radford, VA August 1, 2008—Yellow30 Sci-Fi, an online speculative fiction review, has announced the finalists for the second annual PLUTO Award. The award honors the finest in Christian-friendly speculative fiction, and the winner will be announced September 1, 2008 at www.yellow30scifi.com.

According to Y30 editor Charles Vestal, The 2008 PLUTO finalists are Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground by Frank Creed (The Writers Café Press), Lion Vrie by Christopher Hopper (Tsaba House), and Virtual Evil by Jana G. Oliver (Dragon Moon Press).

Vestal notes that the name PLUTO was chosen to reflect the ironic parallel between the status of the small planet and that of the small presses publishing Christian-friendly speculative fiction. The International Astronomical Union stirred controversy in 2006 when it reclassified Pluto as a “dwarf planet.” “Small presses are regarded by the major trade industry as “dwarf publishers,” observes Vestal, “and relegate any author from them as outside the sphere of the big names at the “big guy” publishing houses,” Therefore the staff thought it appropriate to name our award after the planet.”

Yellow30 Sci-fi is a speculative fiction review site that highlights books respectful of Christian values, and their authors.
“[Yellow30 Sci-Fi] is a really cool site to begin with if you love science fiction/ fantasy with a definite Christian bent,” says Novelist Geralyn Beauchamp.

The online journal emphasizes new names in the publishing world, but it also reviews works from established authors. The Y30 award committee nominates novels from the previous year’s review list. The award-winning novel is then chosen from among the finalists

For more information on PLUTO and Yellow30 Sci-Fi, please visit www.yellow30scifi.com. Questions may be directed to Charles Vestal at editor@yellow30scifi.com.

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*New Release: Issue 3 of Laser & Sword Magazine
The Order of the Sword’s heroes hunt for the traitor picking them off one by one.
http://www.lulu.com/content/3286173

*2008 West Coast Fantasy Fiction Tour
Featuring Wayne Thomas Batson, Sharon Hinck, Bryan Davis, Christopher Hopper, LB Graham, Donita K. Paul, Eric Reinhold, and Jonathan Rogers.
http://www.fantasyfictiontour.com/

*Announcing the cover art, sample chapters, and author interview for Summa Elvetica by Theodore Beale, Marcher Lord Press.
http://www.marcherlordpress.com/Summa_Elvetica.htm

*Short Story “Swallow and Beyond” by Rebecca LuElla Miller
Published at WhereTheMapEnds.com
http://www.wherethemapends.com/special_features/special_features.htm

*“Christian Speculative Fiction in the Publishing Industry” by Frank Creed
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/856189/christian_speculative_fiction_in_the.html?cat=38

*DragonLight by Donita K. Paul - WaterBrook Press (June 17, 2008)

Reviewed by Chawna Schroeder at Imagination Investigation
http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/2008/07/dragon-keeper-part-5-dragonlight.html

Reviewed by Rebecca LuElla Miller at A Christian Worldview of Fiction
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/csff-blog-tour-–-dragonlight-day-2/

*Last of the Nephilim by Bryan Davis - Living Ink (July 21, 2008)

Reviewed by Chawna Schroeder at Imagination Investigation
http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/2008/07/oracles-of-fire-part-3-last-of-nephilim.html

*Flashpoint Book One of the Underground by Frank Creed - The Writers Cafe Press (October 1, 2007)

Reviewed by Sean Slagle at the Bookmark Cafe
http://seanslaglebookmarkcafe.blogspot.com/2008/07/flashpoint-book-one-of-underground-by.html

Reviewed by Stacey Dale at Word UP!
http://word-up-studies.blogspot.com/2008/07/flashpoint-book-one-of-underground-by.html

Reviewed by Pam Wattenbarger at Pam’s Private Reflections
http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/2008/07/first-wild-card-tour-flashpoint-book.html

Reviewed by Janna Ryan at Corn Husker Academy
http://cornhuskeracademy.blogspot.com/2008/07/flashpoint-book-review.html

Reviewed by Kevin Lucia at Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080729/COLUMNISTS25/807290304/1022/COLUMNISTS

In August the CSFF Blog Tour will feature Sigmund Brouwer’s Broken Angel, an adult dystopian science fiction novel. The tour will run from Monday, August 25, through Wednesday, August 27.

Looking ahead:
* September – Marcher Lord Press
* October – Bryan Davis, Beyond the Reflection’s Edge (science fantasy)
* November – John Olson, Shade (dark fantasy – tentative)
* December – Lost Genre Guild website

*The Souldrinker and The Legacy of Captain Jareena (June 19, 2008)
A chapbook containing two frightening tales set in the world of Pankea.
http://www.lulu.com/content/2643601

*The Silverblade Prophecy, the podiobook (app. Sept. 21, 2008)
In a world whose history is filled with fallen messiahs, can Marian Silverblade succeed where her predecessors had failed?
http://pankea.wordpress.com and http://www.myspace.com/pankea

*Isle of Fire by Wayne Thomas Batson, Thomas Nelson Inc. (September, 2008)
The Caribbean erupts in cannonfire as the Wolf Fleet takes on a legendary pirate threat.

*League of Superheroes by Stephen Leon Rice
The Writers Cafe Press (October 1, 2008)
Four teenage geeks are given super suits by an AI “brain.” Their mission: save her . . . and the world.

*Leaps of Faith, Karina and Robert Fabian, editors
The Writers Cafe Press (November 1, 2008)
14 science fiction stories that entertain while showing the positive relationship between science and religion.

Media
Scott M. Sandridge
Context
Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 26-28
http://www.contextsf.org

Illinois
Borders
199 Deane Drive
Rockford, IL 61107
(815) 399-2898

LifeWay Christian Store
50 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 664-0799

Indiana

Family Christian Store
911 W Mckinley Ave
Mishawaka, IN 46545

Family Christian Store
1131 E Ireland Rd
South Bend, IN 46614
(574) 291-6306

Wisconsin
Family Christian Store
1744 Eagan Rd
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 249-0532

Barnes & Noble
7433 Mineral Point Rd
Madison, WI 53717
(608) 827-0809

*Donita K. Paul by Sean Slagle at Bookmark Cafe
http://seanslaglebookmarkcafe.blogspot.com/2008/07/interview-with-dragonlight-author.html

*Rebecca LuElla Miller by Jeff Gerke at WhereTheMapEnds
http://www.wherethemapends.com/Interviews/current_interview.htm

*Donita K. Paul by Chawna Schroeder at Imagination Investigation
http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/2008/07/five-questions-for-donita-k-paul.html

*Jeff Gerke by Frank Creed at Associated Content
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/919243/marcher_lord_press_presents_christian.html?cat=38

*Frank Creed by Jeff Gerke at WhereTheMapEnds.com
http://wherethemapends.com/Interviews/Frank_Creed.htm

*CSFF Top Tour Blogger Award for July 2008 - John Otte
http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/

*CSFF Top Tour Blogger Award for June 2008 - Chawna Schroeder
http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/

*Fantasy Fiction Tour - two months of contests on Dragon Bloggin’
Deadline: weekly August-September
Contest details at: http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/

*Marcher Lord Press Referral Contest
Prize to the Top Referrer - person named as referrer by the most registrants
Prize details at http://www.marcherlordpress.com/Launch_Prizes.htm
How to enter:
Urge people to sign up at http://www.MarcherLordPress.com and mention you as referrer.
For every person who names you as referrer, your name goes into the hat, increasing your chance of winning the grand prize: a trip for two to the 2009 Comic-CON convention in San Diego.
Deadline: September 30, 2008.