Suvudu Universe

I am visiting the wonderful Donna Weaver today! The topic? What Drew Me into the Wormhole of Science Fiction…

Jeremy Hawkins has a new site - Hate the Captcha, a tribute site to the Walking Dead. So if you are a Walking Dead fan, you need to check it out.
And I’ve been meaning to highlight the fun animation he did for my book in September – here it is:

With so much going on last Friday, I didn’t get to touch upon the release of the iPad Air. I don’t have mine yet, but I will be ordering it in the next week or two. Here’s the quick facts:

The iPad Air is the fifth generation of iPad. It’s only .29 inches thick and weighs one pound. The iOS 7 added many new features, although difference isn’t as noticeable as with the iPhone. Where you will notice a big improvement is with certain apps, especially game apps. It also comes with iLife and iWork apps for free.

Unlike the latest iPhone, it doesn’t come with the TouchID fingerprint sensor. (However, the next iPad Mini will feature Retina Display.) There are no huge jumps in technology except an increase in memory and storage – there’s now a 128GB iPad for $799. (Definitely the one I will purchase!)

My wife wants a new one as well. I’m thinking Christmas gift. Of course that will mean we have several extra iPads.

If my goal is an iPad and a guitar in every room of the house, I’m well on my way…

Sean McLachlan is this month’s featured Challenge participant at the A to Z Blog. His theme was the Civil War and Wild West history, and it was a lot more wild than you’d imagine!

Medeia Sharif signed a contract with Prizm Books for an edgy YA novel entitled Vitamins and Death. You can add it to Goodreads HERE. Congratulations, Medeia!

The Fussy Librarian is a great site for book recommendations – and if you are an author, you can list your books there if they have enough favorable reviews. (CassaStar and CassaFire are both on the site, but I moved too slow with CassaStorm and now have to wait until November 30.)

Mark Koopmans is doing something really special this coming Christmas – the 50 States of Pray Event. Check out his site for details on how you can participate!

Catherine Stine accepted an offer from Inkspell Publishing for her new adult romance novella, Model Position. It will come out early next year in eBook form and she’s using the pen name, Kitsy Clare. Congratulations, Catherine!

Susan Gourley’s latest is now available from Crescent Moon Press - First Dragon, book #1 of The Morbunda Saga. And look at that wicked cover! Congratulations, Susan.

Roland Yeomans’ Sounds of Voodoo is now available in audio book and Lucifer’s Orphan: Battlefield Hell is free on Amazon. Congratulations, Roland!

Joylene Nowell Butler announced a special on her mystery thriller, Dead Witness. The eBook is marked down from $5.95 to $1.99 through November 16. See her site for all of the participating retail sites.

Dark Visions Volume 1 is now available from Grey Matter Press, and it includes a story by Milo James Fowler, along with a dozen other creepy tales. Milo asks: Have you ever considered submitting to a themed anthology? It's a great way to introduce your work to a broader audience, and it's always cool to share a table of contents with some of the more well-known names in any genre. Congratulations, Milo!

Diamonds and Dust by River Fairchild
Coming December 9, 2013


Magic is real. So is betrayal.
Two heirs. A Kingdom of dust on a troubled world. One might resurrect it. One might destroy it all….


Diamonds and Dust is available for pre-order here: Apple, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble


Find River - Blog, Twitter, and Facebook

In the battle of Pink Floyd’s Welcome to the Machine remakes, the votes were:

Shadow’s Fall – seven
Arjen Anthony Lucassen – seven

It’s a tie! I guess it depends on whether you like the traditional version or one a little more creative. (And I contributed to the tie, as I voted for the more unique Lucassen version.)

Ender’s Game
The director did a good job capturing the cold tone of the book. Subplots were discarded and everything was condensed for time. (The very ending is different, but it would’ve taken too much time to set up.) Asa is good in the title role, although he spends half the movie either crying or about to cry. Ford plays the character exactly the same as the book – he’s just in a lot more of the movie.
The special effects are amazing. I think this movie would’ve really benefitted from 3D.
The book is of course better, because you’re in Ender’s head. There were many things the movie just didn’t explain.
The downside – if you’re not a fan of the book, this movie won’t change your mind. It’s an interesting science fiction film, but no better than that. The cold, impersonal tone of the book is really stark on the screen. (My wife hadn’t read the book and she really didn’t like the film – she didn’t buy the premise, didn’t like any of the characters, and was put off by the cold tone. And she normally digs science fiction films.)
If you’re looking for a fun romp, this isn’t it. Go see Thor this Friday instead.
If you want to support science fiction films so they’ll keep making more, then you could do worse than spending an afternoon watching Ender’s Game. (You could watch Prometheus instead – the horror!)

Anyone pick up the new iPad Air or place it on your Christmas list? Excited about all the great news today? Who else saw Ender’s Game? In the US, did you enjoy an extra hour of sleep? Ready for the IWSG on Wednesday? And who else is STOKED for Thor: The Dark World this Friday?

Be sure to visit Donna Weaver!