Sime~Gen Perspectives Newsletter

JANUARY 2008

Contents:
*NOTES FROM SIME~GEN ANNUAL MEETING POSTED
*SIMECENTER NEWS
*SIME-GEN'S READERS/REVIEWERS CHOICE AWARDS
*COAL FOR CHRISTMAS
*REREADABLE BOOKS
*Denvention - Denver Worldcon
*JOIN THE REVIEWERS
*NEW REVIEWS
*INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR VICTORIA ROSENDAHL
*NEW ITEMS FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORS AT CAFE PRESS
*STARRED CROSS JEWELRY
*HELP WANTED
*PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
*AVAILABLE RELEASES
*SITES TO REMEMBER
*SUBSCRIPTION AND CONTACT INFORMATION
**COPYRIGHT NOTICE**

******NOTES FROM SIME~GEN ANNUAL MEETING POSTED******

On New Years Day, Sime~Gen staff and friends gather online to review the previous year's activities, and give awards to people who have been especially helpful.

The chatroom logs are now posted:
   - the formal meeting, and
   - the informal chat going on before, during, and after and can be found at http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/chats/ .

Thank you to all who participated, and for a wonderful year! 2008 has a lot in store for Simegen.com.

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******SIMECENTER NEWS******

I know I often do things at the last minute, but this was ridiculous. This edition of SimeCenter got published in 2007 by only a few minutes. There were major logistical issues this time. I must admit, though, that most of the delays were my own fault; everyone else involved acted quickly, once I got my act together.

Since each issue is posted for a full month, this Holiday issue will be available 'til the end of January. The link to access it is somewhere near the top of the current SimeCenter home page .

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We have another new author contributing this month's story: Austin Camacho (introduced to us by the new author we welcomed in October, Rochelle Campbell).

This month's story is from a Holiday anthology (more on that later), and it is:

Mystery on Capitol Street (by Austin S. Camacho) - and still get home for Christmas

The accompanying artwork is a special holiday treat:

Dragonsleigher (by Jael) - not your father's Santa Claus

It was created for the Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club (1998).

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This month's story appeared in the second annual Holiday crime stories anthology (from Wolfmont Publishing) to benefit the US Marine Corps' TOYS FOR TOTS program. Most of the authors (including Austin) donated their stories. Proceeds from the sale of the book go to TOYS 4 TOTS...as do donations made via SimeCenter.

The anthology is called CAROLS AND CRIMES, GIFTS AND GRIFTERS. You can order it from the publisher at http://wolfmont.com/ccgg.htm .

To revert to standard phraseology, these enjoyable works were donated in support of TOYS FOR TOTS to start building the funds for next year's program.

When you make your donation, be sure to tell them you were referred by SimeCenter .

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Upcoming on http://www.simegen.com/simecenter/ is quite unusual:

A Fourth Act for A DOLL'S HOUSE (by Shirley Warner) - Ibsen stopped writing too soon.

The accompanying artwork is:

The Edge of Life (by Michael Cox) - flowers more beautiful than before

These enjoyable works were donated in support of Oxfam America "Working together to end poverty and injustice" worldwide.

When you donate to this worthy organization, be sure to tell them you were referred by SimeCenter.

Send your comments, questions, etc.--about the site, the stories and art...whatever--to the address below. [Mention 'SimeCenter' in the subject so I'll know it isn't spam.]

In Service to Unity,
Kaires Tevesu

******SIME~GEN READERS/REVIEWERS CHOICE AWARDS******

Coming In Spring 2008 - The Re-launch of Sime~Gen's Readers Choice Awards

Sime~Gen's Reviews Department is gearing up for the Spring 2008 rebirth of our Reviewer's Choice Awards. We will be awarding biannual awards in the following categories: Favorite E-Book, Favorite Paper Book, Favorite Publisher Web Site, Favorite Author Web Site, Gatemaster's Favorite Book, and Favorite Sime~Gen Reviewer.

All active participants in the reviews process - from Sime~Gen Reviewers, Staffers, and Gatemasters to Authors, Editors, and Publishers - will be eligible to nominate and vote in the various categories.

There is much behind-the-scenes work to be done, and many parameters yet to be worked out. We ask for and appreciate your input. To date, we have settled on a definition of "active participation."
 1) Eligibility to Nominate - must have been active within the last six months.
 2) Eligibility to Vote - must have been active within the last three months.
Keep watching for updates on procedures as they are worked out.

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******COAL FOR CHRISTMAS**********

COAL FOR CHRISTMAS by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah has just reached the semi-finals in the Fade-In Writers Network competition .

Winners will be announced in January. It would be great to win one of these contests, but even making the semi-finals is a minor credential in our quest to sell our scripts to Hollywood.

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******REREADABLE BOOKS******

The review columns for November and December 2007 have been posted. And the books to be reviewed in this column for June 2008 have been posted. You can now view the material to be discussed from January through June 2008 .

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******Denvention - Denver Worldcon******

Jean and I are making plans for Denvention (Aug 6-10, 2008). Kaires is looking to stay in the Party Hotel to run the Simegen Party, possibly with other participants such as Broad Universe. She'll need all the help you can give her.

I'm planning to have badge-ribbons made with the image Patric made for the tattoos we've been giving away at cons.

Jean, Torun Almer, and I expect to room together in Hotel #1 on the Denvention hotel site.

http://www.denvention.org/facilities/index.php

The convention says the hotel will take reservations at the discounted convention rate starting Jan 21, so now's a good time to start hunting for others who will brave the altitude. Denver is lovely once you re-learn how to breathe!

Live Long and Prosper,
Jacqueline Lichtenberg

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******JOIN THE REVIEWERS

As Coordinator of our Reviews Department, I ask for your help.

With the current upsurge in e-book publishing that is sweeping the Internet, we daily receive an increasing number of books to review. Yet, in counterpoint, we have a shortage of reviewers, and many of our reviews staff are several books behind.

We are eagerly and actively seeking new people to review for us. As with all of Sime~Gen, our reviewers are volunteers. When they write a review, it is posted with their byline, and they get to keep the review copy of the books they have read and reviewed.

For more information on our Reviewers Agreement, visit http://www.simegen.com/agreements/revagr.html .

Please help us by passing this information along to anyone you know who might want to join our happy band. If interested, they can e-mail me or send a note expressing their interest to Jean.

Midge Baker
Reviews Coordinator

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******NEW REVIEWS********

These reviews are a sample of this month's new postings. Our Reviews Department is continuously posting new reviews. Find a list at http://www.simegen.com/reviews/ . Use our domain Google Search box on http://www.simegen.com to find books by a particular author, or to find a particular title.

The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square by Rosina Lippi

Carolina's Walking Tour by Lesley-Anne McLeod

Winter in Madrid by C.J. Sansom

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Starship: Mercenary by Mike Resnick

The Sarsen Witch by Eileen Kernachan

Chasing Silver by Jamie Craig

Strangers in Death by J. D. Robb

The Ghost War by Alex Berenson

Burn Zone by James O. Born

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******INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR VICTORIA ROSENDAHL*****

Read Alice Klein's latest interview with Victoria Rosendahl, author of Bitter Tastes. This interview comes at the perfect time of year as Ms. Rosendahl gives part of the sales of her books to fund literacy campaigns. May this inspire all of us! http://www.simegen.com/reviews/columns/mysteries/

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******NEW ITEMS FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORS AT CAFE PRESS

A SIME~GEN postage stamp is now available to order on cafe press. It can be used just as you would use a a regular postage stamp. Be the first on YOUR block to have them!

We've got a new page for Cafe Press items from our artists and authors. Now you can get t-shirts, greeting cards, clocks, mugs, and other great stuff with work from your favorite artists. You can even buy books about Nessie, the Orange Forest Rabbit and The Reluctant Spy that aren't available anywhere else. http://simegen.com/marketplace/cafepress/ is a direct link to all our items and merchandise stores. Use of this page will give the domain extra income.

If there is an item that you wish to see that isn't offered, just write Lois and she'll get it ready for you to order.

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*******STARRED CROSS JEWELRY

Think about magnificent, hand-crafted Starred-Cross Jewelry for your holiday giving:

The image comes in four designs:
- silver & enamel brooch *
- silver & gold brooch
- silver & gold outline pendant
- small silver pin
(The first three are 1-1/2" square; the pin is about half that size.)

* Enamel can be almost any color - think Householding colors! How do you describe the color you want? Try http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_colornames.asp .

Follow the link to the artist's own page for ordering.

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******HELP WANTED

The spotlights section of Simegen.com currently needs interviewers, spotlight posting personnel, an assistant spotlights gatemaster, and a keygifts store manager. We are also requesting an Assistant Reviews Co-coordinator - duties include covering when other staff are unable to perform tasks. We are almost finished revamping our reviews section and expect activity to be at a constant high level. We're looking for a versatile quick learner able to put in some time daily. Pluses are: A good command of the English language (syntax, grammar, punctuation, in that order), some computer experience or ability to learn, and an interest in books. Direct all inquiries to simegen@simegen.com.

Individuals to take over, or assist with the SIMECENTER Site -- It isn't at all hard, but a bit time-consuming...and very rewarding ("meeting" these marvelous authors and artists, if only via EMail and their websites). Please write me, Kaires Tevesu, if you are interested.

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******PUBLICATION SCHEDULE********

We have had to withdraw the entire Sime~Gen project from Meisha Merlin for a wide range of reasons. They missed several deadlines for publication of TO KISS OR TO KILL and showed no signs of intention to get it out any time in the foreseeable future. That stalled everything else. It was very disappointing. So we are now actively in search of another publisher. THE UNITY TRILOGY should continue to be available for some time -- they have the right to dispose of all stock in the Meisha Merlin warehouse.

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******AVAILABLE RELEASES***********

~ the Omnibus reprint of Jean Lorrah's SAVAGE EMPIRE: DARK MOON RISING -- is #1 in the reprint program.

~ Trade Paperback edition of DREAMSPY from BenBella Books and you can order on Amazon and some other places. Read the comments here: http://www.simegen.com/writers/luren/dreamspy/dreamspyreviews.html .

~ SAVAGE EMPIRE: PROPHECIES is #2 in Jean Lorrah's and Winston Howlett's omnibus reprint of the Savage Empire series.

Still Available in Trade Paperback, SIME~GEN: THE UNITY TRILOGY .

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***** Sites to Remember *****

Author spotlights

Chats

Romance articles

Reviews of books by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Reviews

Shopping

Sound files of Jacqueline Lichtenberg pronouncing Sime~Gen vocabulary words can be found at http://www.simegen.com/jl/nivetsoundfiles/index.html.

To sign up for classes, go to http://www.simegen.com/school/SchoolForms.html.

To volunteer, go to http://www.simegen.com/agreements/helpwanted.html for the latest openings.

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To unsubscribe from this list, send an e-mail to listserv@simegen.com with no subject and the text "unsubscribe NEWSLETTER-L".

To contact editor for any reason, please e-mail Lisa Saunders at simegen@simegen.com.

*Please Note all material posted on Official Virtual Tecton is copyright © by Sime~Gen Inc. and all rights are reserved. To get your Sime~Gen(tm) material sanctioned for web posting or to get permission to repost from official materials, e-mail ambrovzeor@aol.comor contact simegen@simegen.com. Sime~Gen (tm) is the trademark of a fictional universe copyright © by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, 1969, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986 and Sime~Gen Inc. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.