Nancy Brauer

Baltimore bound

// May 25th, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog

This Saturday through Monday I’ll be in august company at Balticon 45, a long-running sci-fi/fantasy convention held in Baltimore, Maryland. (The con begins on Friday 5/27/11, but I won’t be there until Saturday.) If you’re within driving distance, please stop by and say hello! Balticon is a big event with lots of artists, entertainers, games, vendors, and cosplayers. Something for everyone, indeed.

I’m especially looking forward to reconnecting with three fantastic writers I met at SheVAcon in March: Elaine Corvidae, David Forbes, and Leona Wisoker. Bring on the con parties! I think the Science Fiction Title Chain game will be a blast, too.

Here’s my schedule, should you want to catch up with me.

Saturday 5/28/11

5:00 PM — Small Press Publishing Round Table
Back by popular demand. Small press publishers discuss how they work with artists and artists discuss how their experiences working with small press publishers have been awesome or could be improved.

6:00 PM — Grand Openings (round table discussion)
Once upon a time (in a galaxy far far away)… So, how important is a good opening? What does it need to pull the reader into the story? How can it cast light upon mood, setting, character, tone, and still work as a hook for the reader? Discuss favorite openings, and tell why they work so well. What actually is the “right” beginning for the story? How does a writer figure out if the story on paper’s starting too early, too late, or at the right time?

Sunday 5/29/11

10:00 AM — Nancy Brauer, Michelle D. Sonnier and Patrick Thomas Autographing

12:00 PM — My Favorite Planet
What fictional (or non-fictional) world would you most like to visit or inhabit? Why? Describe it. Past, future, or alternative Earths are also gratefully appreciated.

4:00 PM — Motivation — Why Ask Why?
Does it matter why characters act the way they do? How to explain them to your readers.

5:00 PM — Science Fiction Title Chain
It’s a game! The audience provides the words for a science fiction story or novel’s title, the panelists arrange them in a more or less coherent order and each panelist comes up with a descriptive synopsis. The audience votes on the synopsis they like best!

8:30 PM — Nancy Brauer — Reading
I’ll read from Strange Little Band, Strandline, and/or short stories. Audience’s choice.

Live for four days only!

// March 1st, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog

From Thursday March 3 through Sunday March 6 I’ll be a guest at SheVaCon 19 in the Sheraton Roanoke Hotel and Conference Center in Roanoke, VA. The guests of honor are Virginia Hey, Peter Beagle, Matt Busch, and Spat Oktan. If you’re within driving distance, please drop by and say hello!

The con starts on Thursday evening with the premier party. My S.O. and I will attend in costume. He’ll be the fearsome Dr. Horrible, armed with his freeze ray (Tell your friends!). I’ll be Penny—possibly the Penny from the third act if I have time for appropriate makeup. I’m looking forward to meeting fellow writer Elaine Corvidae, who will also be in costume. Who says we have to wait for Halloween?

Here’s my schedule of panels and readings for those interested. I’ll have copies of Strange Little Band and Other Sides with me, as well as some freebies. You can download PDFs of the SheVaCon schedule and program book.

I hope to see you at the con!

Paige, me, Kim and two copies of Strange Little Band at my first book signing at Annie Kay's in Blacksburg, VA, December 2010

Review of Broken by Susan Jane Bigelow

// January 10th, 2011 // 6 Comments » // Blog

I received an ARC (advance reader copy) of Broken from the book’s publisher, Candlemark and Gleam. At first I was worried that I’d overcommitted and didn’t have time to read the book. But once I started reading I made time to finish it. So without further ado, here’s my review.

If superheroes ever come to be, the dystopian future of Susan Jane Bigelow’s Broken is entirely probable. Broken is set a hundred years in the future, where humanity is seemingly united under one government and the United States is a backwater. Extrahumans like the titular character Broken are required by law to live in the Extrahuman Union Tower, a gleaming skyscraper towering over the half-ruined New York City.

Broken is similarly ruined. After losing the ability to fly, she fled the Tower and moved to Skid Row. Michael, a young Extrahuman who sees possible futures, drags her out of her self-imposed exile. He needs her help to flee Earth to escape the increasingly oppressive government. Michael carries with him two burdens: multiple bleak futures for himself, and an infant in his backpack. All of the possible futures show the orphan to be a great leader. Whether the boy becomes a liberator or despot depends on Michael’s and Broken’s journey.

Bigelow skillfully weaves multiple plot threads and character arcs through the detailed world she’s created. Broken, Michael, and their ally Monica are well-developed and sympathetic characters. Rooting for them during their trials came naturally. Along the way we meet multiple secondary and tertiary characters. Each is appropriately imagined and fleshed-out. Despite the large cast, I was never confused or forgot who a character was.

The aspect of Broken that I enjoyed the most is the juxtaposition of superhero tropes like silly names and costumes with the dark side of humanity. Humans are slightly evolved animals; it doesn’t take much for a demagogue to whip his or her followers into a xenophobic mob. Bigelow explains why caped crusaders with names like Silverwyng and Sky Ranger exist in the Broken universe. The explanation and the world’s history are doled out gradually through the plot and character interaction. Between that and the book’s quick pace, I had trouble putting it down.

If you’re in the mood for a dystopian, superhuman, sci-fi adventure, I highly recommend Broken. It’s a fun yet serious read; no cackling supervillains necessary.

Broken makes its debut on January 25, 2011.

Strandline earns a four-star review!

// January 9th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Blog

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/4729836979/

Gavin Williams posted a glowing review of my sci-fi/action serial Strandline on Web Fiction Guide. Thanks, Gavin! He wrote:

“Strandline” features a futuristic world where the United States no longer exists, but the west coast features a Western Coalition. There’s a Republic and also independent states like Strandline, a man made island in the Gyre of the Pacific. One of the most interesting things about the way “Strandline” is written is that the details are naturally brought up in the interactions of characters, instead of in big expository info-dumps. So I’m not sure geographically where the Republic might be (I’m guessing China?) but I like how the characters act like real people.

The story revolves around nictans who can teleport over vast distances, and apparently some (or all?) are telepathic. Kristin, raised in the Coalition, doesn’t know much about nictans, but has recently learned that she has the same abilities. What little exposition there is comes from her encountering new ideas, and readjusting her world view.

There is apparently some conflict between the different political groups, with Greenmen attacking ships. They apparently have different powers than what the nictans have shown so far, as one seemed to have energy or telekinetic powers, manipulating oil and sea water.

There are plenty of creative details to enjoy, and lots of geo-political intrigue developing, along with the focus on Kristin and her experiences as she learns about herself and her place in the world. All kinds of opportunities for interesting suspense and conflict, and lots of room for character development. This story has tons of potential and it will be interesting to see where it leads.

The “Republic” is the Republic of Hawaii. The Hawaii part isn’t mentioned until the fifth or sixth episode. I try to write natural-sounding dialog, and I didn’t think that the characters would use the country’s full name in the earlier conversations. Anyhoo, there are two Strandline world maps on the media page. I have to check them from time to time to remember which countries still exist.

If Strandline sounds like your sort of story, please give it a try. New episodes are posted every Friday. You can get updates by email or by RSS.

SLB review roundup

// December 29th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Blog

Reviews for Strange Little Band are coming in slowly but surely. So far the majority of readers give the non-sappy paranormal romance a thumbs up, as evidenced by its overall four-star rating on Goodreads.

Here are excerpts from the most recent reviews.

The plot is filled with lust, twists and turns that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. … A nail-biter that is not for the weak at heart! Worth every penny that you pay.

— Lisa M. on Smashwords

Goodreads reader Happy put Strange Little Band at the top of her Awesome List for 2010. On Goodreads she gave the novel five stars and wrote:

This is really good! I had a late start today because I couldn’t put this book down once I began reading it last night. … I’m impressed and will soon be slightly depressed when this ends.

I first read about Strange Little Band on Galaxy Express. When I followed the link I found I could download the first half of the book free. I found the story fascinating and had trouble putting it down so I purchased the full book from Smashwords.

— J.C. Jones

Both of the main characters are strong and manipulative; it’s refreshing to read a story with such complex characters and so much hidden politics at play.
…
Technically, this is a dark paranormal romance, which is personally not my cup of tea. But this isn’t the [porn without plot] you’d expect from the genre, this is something slightly more twisted, set on a background of a corporation that is as mystifying as it is sinister. … it soon develops into a nail-biting tale of corporate intrigue as Addison and Shane build up a tentative trust only to find all of Triptych against them.

— A.M. Harte’s review on Amazon

 
More reviews can be found on Goodreads and the Strange Little Band website.

Here’s a treat for anyone who read this far. Use coupon code CM87Z to purchase an electronic copy of SLB from Smashwords for $1.50. It’s normally $2.99. Choose from these ebook formats— ePub, PDF, Kindle (.mobi), LRF, and Palm Doc (PDB)— or read the ebook online. The coupon expires on January 1, so hurry!