Sime~Gen Perspectives Newsletter

JUNE 2007

Contents:
*JEAN FIGHTS CANCER AGAIN
*NEW REVIEWS COORDINATOR AND HER BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
*A COMPANION IN ZEOR
*INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JANE BECKENHAM
*JAQUELINE AT HEINLEIN CENTENNIAL
*BORDERLANDS UPDATE
*NEW REVIEWS
*REREADABLE BOOKS
*NEW ITEMS FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORS AT CAFE PRESS
*HELP WANTED
*PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
*AVAILABLE RELEASES
*SITES TO REMEMBER
*SUBSCRIPTION AND CONTACT INFORMATION

**COPYRIGHT NOTICE**

******JEAN FIGHTS CANCER AGAIN******

Having defeated breast cancer six years ago, Jean found herself unexpectedly facing endometrial cancer this Spring. On June 6 she had major surgery, and is now home, recovering. In another month she expects to be as good as new.

The good news is that the surgery removed both the cancer itself and all possibility of its recurrence. Tests show that it had not spread--again, she went to the doctor at the first symptoms, and thus caught it in its earliest stage. As Jean says, "Know your body, and seek medical help the moment you notice something out of the ordinary."

Cancer research has made it possible to cure some forms of cancer--and endometrial is one of them. The doctors assure Jean that she is now cured of that one. But with continued research we will find ways of defeating every form of cancer.

If you would like to contribute to the cause of cancer research, Relay for Life is a great way to do so. If there is not a Relay in your community, or of you do not have a particular team to support, please feel welcome to donate through the Relay team Jean belongs to, which is made up completely of cancer survivors.

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******NEW REVIEWS COORDINATOR******

This is Midge Baker. As some of you probably know by now, Laurraine has been forced by circumstances to retire and resign as our Reviews Coordinator. We wish her all the best and good luck in her move to a new home.

The job has de facto landed on me. I am excited at this opportunity and I look forward to working with all of you. However, I'm the new kid on the block, and my training time was severely curtailed by Laurraine's sudden departure. She is helping me as much as she can, and will write up a "manual" of procedures for me.

Unto Simegen Forever!

Midge Baker

*****A BRIEF BIO ON MIDGE*********

My name is Midge Baker. I was born in Covina, CA, and grew up in the Los Angeles area. In 1988, I moved to Grants Pass, OR. That's where I met my husband. We got married in 1995, and currently live in Prescott, AZ.

I got my BA in Philosophy in 1973, having worked my way through college tutoring Natural Deductive Logic. I am a former Star Trek "fan writer," with several stories and a novella published in the ST fanzine "Elysia", from 1986 to 1991. My Tribute to Challenger, "Red Sky In Mourning Glory," was also published there and in the Company Newsletter at Bank of America #791.

My full work history is quite varied. I have been a tutor; school bus driver; instructional aide for aphasic children; real estate loan service clerk; gas station cashier/assistant manager/manger; inventory auditor; punchpress operator; forklift driver; electrical-harness tester; and CNA, among other things.

My husband had been ill and unable to work for two years. He is recovered now and is slowly working his way back into the job market by doing day labor jobs. This work is helping him recondition himself while he looks for full-time work. We also own several domains, websites, blogs, and forums. Our online business is Stufrsumpn Company.

I met Jacqueline Lichtenberg in 1987, at a Science Fiction Writer's Convention in Harrisburg, PA. Jacqueline was one of the Panelists (Along with Marion Zimmer Bradley!), and I was one of the Participants.

I am also the owner and Founding Member of SciFiFantaClub, for writers, artists, and anyone else who wants to join. We are especially looking for a few good writers who would be willing to help encourage and teach new writers with less skill. Jacqueline is one of the honorary members of the club. SciFiFantaClub is hosted by Simegen.com and pleased to call Simegen.com home.

I volunteered as one of the Book Reviewers for Sime-Gen. Since then, Laurraine decided that she would need to retire from her position as Reviews Coordinator and asked for volunteers to take over here place. When I expressed an interest, I was "promoted" to Sime-Gen Assistant Reviews Coordinator (in training). When Laurraine finally tendered her formal resignation, I became de facto Reviews Coordinator.

Midge Baker
Sime-Gen Reviews Coordinator
rvcoord@simegen.com
------------------

Midge's full biography will eventually appear online. The URL will be provided in a future issue of the newsletter.

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******A COMPANION IN ZEOR******

The fourth in a series of Chapters surrounding the life and times of Ryan Farris who first appeared in A New Beginning and The Sands of Time Part Nine; chronicling the major points in his rather colourful and adventurous life - read, and hopefully, enjoy.

THE FARRIS FACTOR - 4

You can find this installment at http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/rimonslibrary/cz/cz23/Farris-4.html .

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****** INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JANE BECKENHAM ******

Alice Klein, one of our Reviewers, has interviewed romance author Jane Beckenham. That interview may be found at http://www.simegen.com/writers/spotlights/Beckenham/ .

*****JAQUELINE AT HEINLEIN CENTENNIAL******

Jaqueline will have 6 panels at the Heinlein Centennial:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Time Slot # Spkrs Mod? Session
Friday 12:00 - 13:00 5 N Everything I Needed to Know About Life I Learned from Heinlein
Friday 16:30 - 17:00 2 Y The Competent Man
Sunday 10:00 - 11:00 3 N Heinlein's Heroines
Sunday 12:00 - 13:00 6 N I Now Pronounce You
Sunday 14:00 - 15:00 3 N Heroines in Transition
Sunday 15:00 - 16:00 5 N Watered by the Blood of Patriots
-----------------------------

This will be in Kansas City MO, July 6, 7, 8, 2007. 7/7/07 would have been Heinlein's 100th Birthday, and this con was created to celebrate that.

If you're in the neighborhood -- stop in! It'll be a blast!

http://www.heinleincentennial.com/index.html

Unfortunately this is the same time as Westercon, so this year I'm not going to Westercon -- but I'm planning on Las Vegas Westercon next year.

******

******BORDERLANDS UPDATE

Part 22 of the Borderlands cooperative fiction scenario, "Plans and Promises," is now available at http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/fans/bev/boom/index.html#part.22 .

In this part, we are introduced to Senator Pollovic's mother Eulalia, a classic dragon lady; a real-life Giant Killer Gen is dropped in Sectuib Hiram's lap; and D'Zoll and Shorsh find they may have bitten off more than they can chew. Some very major life decisions are taken as well.

No sidebars in this part, but we have already begun the editing of Part 23, which will include the return of some old friends.

*******

******NEW REVIEWS

THE CALL TO SHAKABAZ by Amy Wachspress

THE VAMPIRE SHRINK by Lynda Hilburn

HIRING CUPID by Jane Beckenham

STARLIGHT'S COURAGE by Janet Muirhead Hill

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******REREADABLE BOOKS

ReReadable Books Columns for May and June Posted

06/14/2007 - Jacqueline Lichtenberg's SF/F Review columns for May and June have now been posted.

You will also find the list of books to be reviewed through December 2007 posted at: http://www.simegen.com/reviews/rereadablebooks/2007/ .

******

******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.

Think about magnificent, hand-crafted Starred-Cross Jewelry for your holiday giving: http://www.simegen.com/marketplace/jewelry/ .

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. The artist who created these items apologizes for not replying to some early queries.

Apparently, the 'Shopping Cart' was sending notices to an obsolete mailbox, and he didn't receive them until very recently.

He says the page still has some problems, but at least the notification works, and ordered items will be created and shipped within a few days, by First Class mail.

Any questions or comments go to Kaires Tevesu. (Please mention 'starred-cross jewelry' in the subject line, because that address gets a lot of spam.)

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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 is 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 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.