Sime~Gen Perspectives Newsletter
January 2009
Contents:
* SIME~GEN ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES POSTED
* SIMECENTER NEWS
* REREADABLE BOOKS UPDATE
* CLASSIC TREK FANZINE: "ALTERNATE UNIVERSE 4"
* Check our our new Amazon "Stores"
* NEW REVIEWS
* NEW IN A COMPANION IN ZEOR
* COAL FOR CHRISTMAS
* KEYBOOKS RESTOCKED
* BORDERLAND UPDATE
* JOIN THE REVIEWERS
* NEW ITEMS FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORS AT CAFE PRESS
* HELP WANTED
* PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
* AVAILABLE RELEASES
* SITES TO REMEMBER
* SUBSCRIPTION AND CONTACT INFORMATION
**COPYRIGHT NOTICE**
****** SIME~GEN ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES POSTED
Sime~Gen, Inc., holds its annual meeting on the first day of each year, to report on happenings over the previous year, and give awards to people who have served the domain valiantly in the previous year. The meeting is conducted via mIRC, so that friends of Sime~Gen from all over the world can attend. Two chat rooms are opened for the occasion; one hosting the formal meeting, and the other allowing the participants to chat in the background before, during, and after the formal meeting.
The logs from both chat rooms are posted on the web. There, you can read notes about the meetings from 1999 through 2009. The files may not be as elegant this time as in previous years.
Comments are greatly appreciated. Send comments, questions, etc., to the address below. [Mention 'Sime~Gen Meeting' in the subject so I'll know it isn't spam.]
In Service to Unity,
Kaires Tevesu
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****** SIMECENTER NEWS ******
The story we present this month is:
WORM, TURNED, by Mary Turzillo
- this time, it's personal
I "met" Mary through correspondence on the [simegen-l], and then met her in person at the Denver WorldCon. Among other things, she was representing Clarion Writer's Workshop, and this month's post is for them.
The accompanying artwork is:
LADY STORM, by Michael Cox
- behind the scenes
I'd like to learn the story behind this one. What an amazing imagination!
This month's recipient, as mentioned above, is The Clarion Writers Workshop, teaching Science Fiction & Fantasy writing since 1968.
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
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******REREADABLE BOOKS
December 2008 column is now posted.Here is how books are chosen for this review column, and how the column is organized. More books will be reviewed in January 2009. To see books to be reviewed through June 2009 go to http://www.simegen.com/reviews/rereadablebooks/2009/.
The review columns will be posted after they are first available in the printed magazine and on lightworks.com This review column is first published on paper in The Monthly Aspectarian then posted to their website (lightworks.com) and finally archived some weeks later on simegen.com.
To be informed of when a new column is posted to simegen.com, you may subscribe to the monthly Newsletter-l that announces most new activity on simegen.com or you may subscribe to the newsletter ReReadable-l. Both free subscriptions can be found at http://www.simegen.com/archives/.
******
****** CLASSIC TREK FANZINE: "ALTERNATE UNIVERSE 4"
Alternate Universe 4, the famous classic Star Trek fanzine cooperative fiction published by Shirley Maiewski in 1974 (see our tribute to Shirley at http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/rimonslibrary/cz/cz20/Shirley.html) is now available for free reading in our Star Trek section.
The authors say: "We count our familiar Star Trek Universe --- Television's Star Trek --- as number one; The 'Mirror, Mirror' Universe as number two; the KRAITH Universe as number three; and Lightfleet's Universe as number four. Alternate Universe 4."
******
******Advertisment*****
When you enter the imagination of L. H. Young, you begin a fascinating ride, whether you are traveling the time stream with witches, finding love the stuff of legends with her wonderful vampires, traipsing across the universe with her Sci-fi, or going to school with four unusual teenagers born with the ability to heal by touch. Donąt forget that she even writes for the imagination of the very young as seen in The Christmas Kitten.
*****Please Support Those Who Support Us*****
****** Check our our new Amazon "Stores"
Blatant commercial to keep simegen.com on the air.
If you buy from Amazon using one of our search boxes at the bottoms of many of our pages, or find what you're looking for in our a-stores, we get a few cents to pay the bandwidth bills.
Our Amazon stores (we recommend buying directly from Amazon itself, not one of their onboard retailers unless you know the retailer very well -- we get paid the same, but have found better customer service with amazon.com shipments).
http://www.simegen.com/marketplace/keybooks/-- NEW STORE created to hold gift items specially useful to writers, both in writing and in just finding the TIME to write.
Also we now have google ads on our main entry pages -- and they pay nicely when someone finds what they want via one of those ads. But don't click just to click -- click something that looks like what you really want.
******
******NEW REVIEWS******
FINAL REVIEWS FOR 2008 can be found at http://www.simegen.com/whatsnew/.
Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun
Apocalypse Unleashed by Mel Odom
Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper
A Darker Place by Jack Higgins
While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
Promises in Death by J. D. Robb
The Silent Man by Alex Berenson
Night and Day by Robert B. Parker
Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin
The Long Fall by Walter Mosley
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****** NEW IN A COMPANION IN ZEOR *********
Doreen DaBinett's continuing tales -- The Farris Factor -- Part 5 and 6
******
******COAL FOR CHRISTMAS**********
COAL FOR CHRISTMAS by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah reached the semi-finals in the Fade-In Writers Network competition. 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. Coal for Christmas has not won any contests yet, but it is currently under consideration at one major studio and two independent production companies. What that means is that after reading our logline and synopsis, they have asked for and are reading our script. BTW, multiple submissions are not only the norm, but are virtually REQUIRED in Hollywood. We have had to learn a whole new set of rules, very different from the rules for book publishing.
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******KEYBOOKS RESTOCKED******
Keybooks, the book store for writers needing inspiration and ideas, and Key Gifts, the store full of gifts for hard working writers have been redesigned and restocked with new items.
*******
****** BORDERLANDS UPDATE ***********
Part 29 is now posted. This part is called "Rundles in the Jungle", and if that doesn't call anything to mind, take a quick look (only if you feel like it, nothing essential) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumble_in_the_Jungle before going on to http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/fans/bev/boom/index.html#part.29 to read our latest effort.
This is a short part (only 13 episodes) and completely linear -- no subplots or sidebars, from the opening bell to the final knockout. Read and enjoy!
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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 at rvcoord@simegen.com or send a note expressing their interest to Jean.
Midge Baker
Reviews Coordinator
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******Advertisement******
Anyone shopping Amazon who wants to contribute to simegen.com without it costing them a cent, please start by using any of the Amazon Search boxes on our pages. Our top page has three really handy ones near the bottom.
******Please Support Those Advertisers Who Support Us *****
******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 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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******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.
******
******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.
******
***** Sites to Remember *****
Reviews of books by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
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.
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.com or 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, 2009.