2018/05/24 by Natalie Rivener

A Geek of All Trades – podcast

As a writer just starting the journey to worldwide fame and celebrity (oh, see how my eyes glitter at the thought of receiving my first Nebula award…which, of course, will only happen once I actually write enough to get nominated for such things), it often feels like being doomed to the depths of endless obscurity. But, if an unsolicited request for a podcast comes along, it feels like the light just got switched on at the end of the obscurity tunnel.

While I was busy preparing for the Phoenix Fire launch at The Nexus, I was approached, much to my surprise, by Douw and Greg from Geek of All Trades for a podcast. It was a clear sign that word was spreading about the local writers and that we were, in fact, actually doing the thing – you know, writing and actually publishing the results.

So it happened that Ann-Elize de Ridder (author of Layers of Darkness) and I were sat down with our gracious and, oh, so punny hosts a few weeks before our launch at The Nexus. I’m afraid I was a bit less than eloquent on the day but, luckily, Ann-Elize was on fire and helped my floundering self through the challenges.

Have a listen to our wild race through space <<here>>.

2018/03/15 by Natalie Rivener

Phoenix Fire – book launch

It’s been a few weeks since the Phoenix Fire book launch and I’ve had a chance to centre myself again. What a ride! I’m sure you could tell from the tone of my various posts leading up to the release of Phoenix Fire and the day of the book launch that I was dealing badly with stress. *laughs*

I’m happy to declare that the launch was a success. The decorations looked pretty. Fans and supporters attended. Copies of The Flight of the Phoenix and Phoenix Fire were sold and signed.

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I would like to thank Grant, Tex and Les for lending us the space at The Nexus. Their friendly staff and mesmerising milkshakes (at The Nexus Cafe AKA Catz Pyjamas) made our day so much easier than previous launches I’ve been a part of. You guys rock!!!

If you live in Gauteng (South Africa), I can still supply you with copies of both The Flight of the Phoenix and Phoenix Fire in person. Outside of Gauteng will incur courier fees. It appears that some of the Flight authors still had a few knocking around.

2017/12/16 by Natalie Rivener

Pre-oder Phoenix Fire!

You have waited long enough! Phoenix Fire is finally available for pre-order! Yes, on Amazon, it means that the eBook is a bit more expensive…but you do get it delivered to your Kindle (or Kindle account) the moment it is published.

If you want to save those last few pennies (or whatever small change is called in your country – here, we use cents), mark your calendar for 20 December! Phoenix Fire will be available on Amazon as both eBook ($8.99) and print-on-demand versions.

2017/12/11 by Natalie Rivener

Phoenix Fire – authors

You’ve seen the Phoenix Fire blurbs, now it’s time to meet their authors!

Natalie Rivener

You already know me but, who knows, maybe you’ve never read my bio before…

If Natalie had been born a few odd centuries earlier, she would have been burned as a witch. Her nonconformity has branded her as not-a-sheep and she loves exploring new things without caring too much about what others may think.

She currently spends most of her time running after her two kids but she’s really a Jill of all trades…everything from sewing to pole dancing to painting to calligraphy to baking has taken up her time, but her favourite remains writing.

She lives with her husband, two children, cat and tarantula in a quiet part of Gauteng, South Africa.

Connect with Natalie Rivener:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Natalie-Rivener-writer/103681193158365

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/Siygrah

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TheRivener

Ann-Elize de Ridder

Ann-Elize de Ridder completed her BA Honours degree in 2005 at The University of Pretoria. She lives with her husband, dog and cat in Pretoria where they keep company with Pratchett, Gaiman, Coelho, King, Feist, Shakespeare and others. She is a teacher and a true believer in the unlimited potential of the human mind. Having the opportunity to work with learners with ASD has given her an interesting perspective on the human condition.

After a near brush with world domination, she decided to down scale to a quiet life of chaos and magic. Granted, that last part is not entirely accurate, but as a LARPER, imagination is the limit of possibility.

She is grateful to her mother who gave her a love for reading and introduced her to fantasy and horror writers from a young age, and to her husband who supports her reading habits.

This will be her first publication. It is dedicated to the people and the families of those on the Autistic spectrum. May they find their voices.

Richard T Wheeler

Richard T. Wheeler is the author of The Kobold who Breathed Fire in the Phoenix Fire anthology, Guardian Angel in the Flight of the Phoenix anthology and A Girl Called Storm in the STORM anthology of short stories, and the co-author for the Sanguinem Emere universe of Gaslight Vamp novels. Richard holds a BA Degree in English Language

and Literature (with a specialisation in Creative Writing), the content of which he disregards in the creative process. He aims to liberate writers from their day jobs at Dauntlesswriting.com.

Connect with Richard T Wheeler:

Websites:
http://www.richardtwheeler.com/
http://www.dauntlesswriting.com/
http://www.sanguinememere.com/

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RichardTWheeler

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6456004.Richard_T_Wheeler

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/richardtwheelerauthor

Rob McShane

“Building a life is similar to writing a successful story,” Rob says. “The plot, characters and action must flow together and it takes a team effort. As with writing a story, you

cannot do it alone.”

He should know, he has lived several different lives shared with various characters, and written many stories on his journey: novels (The MageStaff), poetry (regularly on his blog, The Wayward Warrior, and published in several chapbooks), short stories, songs and music. Thrilled to be accepted as part of Phoenix Fire he has also been recently accepted by the AVBOB Poetry Competition and regularly finds success amongst his worldwide blog readership.

Connect with Rob McShane:

Website:
https://robmcshane.wordpress.com/

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/robmcshane

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/robmcshane

Carmen Dominique Taxer

As a South African writer, Carmen understands the complexities of the human spirit and the urge to escape the ravages of newsworthy stories of cruelty and injustice. She spent her childhood dreaming about suave, eloquent strangers that could change the world, that could sweep the filth away and leave a gleaming, beautiful darkness behind them.

A daydreaming gothling, Carmen has always found beauty in the dark and hope in horror. Romance and love, twisted into the struggles and grit of reality, are the core of humanity. But horror doesn’t have to be ugly. At the centre of the horror genre lies a kernel of hope that explores the intricacies of the human psyche and its power to overcome suffering. She writes Dark Romance, Horror, and Erotica, and what she and her co-author and long-suffering husband, Richard T. Wheeler, have coined as Gaslight Vamp – a look at vampires through a fictionalised Victorian setting, ruled by vampires.

Carmen uses vampires to give voice to the struggles and successes of humanity, painting a portrait of the world that is both dark and beautifully highlighted with love conquering death above all else.

Connect with Carmen Dominique Taxer:

Websites:
http://www.sanguinememere.com/

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CDTaxer

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/Orionangel

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/richardtwheelerauthor

Ryhen E Knight

Ryhen E Knight was born in Pretoria,

South Africa in 1976. He received his doctorate degree in engineering in 2003 and has been working in the field of engineering since 2003, to pay for his addictions: travelling and coffee.

An engineer by trade and a writer at heart, he has a passion for history, dragons and Lego. Short stories are one of his preferred writing formats, but he has dabbled in poetry and travel writing. The dream is to publish a series of fantasy novels from his cottage in Scotland. He and his wife have two young squires that resemble sons and they live happily ever after in Pretoria.

Connect with Ryhen E Knight:

Facebook:
https://facebook.com/RyhenEKnight

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14050160.Ryhen_E_Knight

Minki Pool

Minki was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1985. It soon became apparent that she was the artistic type, and she found an outlet for her creativity in music, art and writing. She is a graphic and website designer by day, and a writer, corsetiere, horn player, and maker of things by night. She currently lives in Cape Town where she spends most of her time reading anything she can lay her hands on. She enjoys yoga and miscellaneous musings over a good cup of tea.

Connect with Minki Pool:

Website:
http://www.minkipool.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/minkipool/

Vittorio Leonardi

Born in Warrenton in the Northern Cape, South Africa and raised in Welkom in the Free State, Vittorio started his flights of fancy very early. A passion for Star Wars and a desire to be Luke Skywalker took him to study Drama at Pretoria Technikon, which naturally led him to becoming a full time stand-up comedian… Because you need something solid to fall back on.

In 2009, he began making thoughts into reality as the head writer on Last Say on Sunday – a political satire show ahead of its time but one step behind the censors. However, once TV-Land had him, they wouldn’t let him go as he has continued in this vein, writing for SABC 1’s local celebrity gossip show The Real Goboza since 2010; for children’s television on Let’s Get Quizzical and on sitcoms such as Thandeka’s Diary, Ses’Top La and Abo Mzala.

On the big screen, you can see him in award-winning sci-fi film District 9 as well as Death in the 48-Hour Film Project 2014 short Death’s (Man)date.

A full-time geek; when he’s not gaming, he co-hosts the GeekXP podcast Release the Geek and his own podcast Urbane Myths.

This will be his first short story… And about time too.

Connect with Vittorio Leonardi:

Website:
http://vittorio.sharp.fm/archives/heres_a_thought/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/GritPypeThin

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/VittorioLeo/

Twitter:
https://mobile.twitter.com/vittorioleo

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/vthejester/

2017/12/08 by Natalie Rivener

Phoenix Fire is about to break out!

Mark your diary for 15 December, Phoenix Fire is about to break out!

More Than a Fish by Natalie Rivener

When Myhrrl runs away from her arranged marriage and (sort of) into Eldvin’s arms, he can almost ignore the fact that they have been captured by pirates. Maybe this fisher boy is destined for more than gutting fish after all.

Layers of Darkness by Ann-Elize de Ridder

Growing up with tales of great warriors taught Eveline one thing: When things get tough, a true knight will not ride off into the sunset with you. A true knight will stand by your side through the darkness.

The Kobold Who Breathed Fire by Richard T Wheeler

The Eldkin told Kobold Nix that he’s to become a snatcher. He, however, is set on becoming a mysterious flametongue to impress enigmatic she-kobold Shi’zine. Nix’s a little greedy thing. Too bad kobolds define greediness as a four-letter yip.

Dragon’s Breath by Rob McShane

A dragon without fire? When Warheart is called to lead his house to war, he can hide the loss of his dragon’s breath no longer. Will he find his strength or is he doomed to fail and burn?

Radiance by Carmen Dominique Taxer

For six decades, Ka-Jyn has sworn to protect the people of Disara from pain and disease. But now, succumbing to the ravages of age, she must defy the laws of nature and seek help from an old friend.

The Pirate Who Played with Fire by Ryhen E Knight

When magical fire and a drunk pirate collide, things go south and it is up to Tom and Elyan to set aside their wedding plans to rescue the situation. And maybe a cat.

Ancient Ashes by Minki Pool

Dell, a troublemaking heiress, is sent on an archaeological expedition to unearth an ancient religious relic. When it becomes clear that the relic has devastating secrets of its own, she must choose between betraying her family, or betraying everything she has come to believe in.

What Remains by Vittorio Leonardi

“It’s amazing what you’ll agree to when you’re on fire.”

Cole has been haunted by his father’s words since the old man’s death. On the dark side of the moon, he’ll come closer to understanding them than he can imagine.

2017/09/07 by Natalie Rivener

Get ready for Phoenix Fire

Two years ago, a fire was kindled and it promised to grow. But life has a funny way of taking turns and making it difficult to find your way. We all started wondering whether the fire was going out and we would watch another dream being snuffed out before it could fly.

I am writing this post to tell you that from ashes a phoenix shall rise!

Yes, you read right! Phoenix Fire is in the making. My South African writer friends are putting on their writer hats and we’re putting together an anthology to follow up The Flight of the Phoenix. This time around, the target audience is narrowed down to YA (young adult) only, though the genres will stay fantasy, science fiction and horror.

Keep your eyes open for more posts as we fight the dying of the light!

2015/06/13 by Natalie Rivener

The Flight of the Phoenix – Links

It’s time to get your hands on The Flight of the Phoenix!!! Pre-orders are open! Now, since we are not in charge of how our platforms work, we’ve had to get creative with how we’re doing pre-orders.

CreateSpace (print-on-demand via Amazon – so, worldwide distribution) and Amazon (eBook). To get your pre-order discount, please contact us via our Facebook page and I will personally send you a coupon code.

For our local South African print run pre-orders, contact all authors directly. We are all reachable on Facebook.

Elmien Grove ♦ Ryhen E Knight ♦ HJ Kruger ♦ Caldon Mull
Natalie Rivener ♦ Andrea Vermaak ♦ Richard T Wheeler

Please note: The pre-orders are limited to the period before 16 July 2015. From there on, they will be available only at the full price, so, don’t wait! Get your discount now!

The Flight of the Phoenix on Amazon, CreateSpace
and in South Africa!

Leave us a review on Goodreads if you like it!

2015/06/11 by Natalie Rivener

The Flight of the Phoenix – Authors

Next up is Caldon Mull. During the many years that I spent at gaming conventions and LARPs, I got to know this man and could never quite put my finger on why I found him so charming. Maybe it’s because he’s a fantastic cook. Maybe it’s his easy manner and captivating voice (though he’ll be quick to tell you it’s not a voice for radio…go figure). All I know is: I enjoy his company even when I don’t see quite eye to eye with him.

Here follows my interview with him…

What has been your high so far with The Flight of the Phoenix?

Being selected and identified with a group that is currently producing high quality work in my area. It has been lonely writing, and knowing that there are others who are doing the same thing as I am doing has proved to be refreshing. The genre is very, very small in South Africa, and yet overall the quality and originality of fantasy and science fiction has a long history going back to the 1950’s and almost nobody in this country recognizes that South Africa SF has a really good international reputation. Perhaps The Flight of the Phoenix will be the next ‘novel of the decade’ for the genre in this country, and I am pleased to have been selected as a contributor.

What has been your worst low?

There was a point where it didn’t look like the compilation would get off the ground and it burnt me a little. I have not had particularly good luck with collaborations (mostly because of my own personality, more than lack of opportunities, or lack of trying) over the last two decades and I was concerned that this would go the way of all of the other attempts I have undertaken. However, I am resilient and my faith in the editor paid off and I am quite proud of The Flight of the Phoenix, because I think the selection of material for the volume represents the best work of the contributors, to date.

What are your future writing plans?

I am currently on a path, and I am compulsive enough to continue with that route until the loop is closed. I envision a major release of my own material in May, and October to complete my current publishing schedule. In 2016, I need to examine my contracts and then see if I can publish a genre novel a year for at least two genres from my backlog until my list is exhausted. As I am rated as ‘solidly mid-list’ the only way through that is to experiment with breaking into cross-genre work and see where that goes. The Flight of the Phoenix provides an ideal and uncomfortable excursion into the Young Adult genre that I would not have ordinarily thought to make, and thus I will continue to support the project for as long as I am able to. That is what is so exciting for me, the ‘treasure-horde-in-your-backyard’ sort of excitement.

Get into contact with Caldon:

Smashwords: www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Caldon

Print paperbacks: www.createspace.com

Goodreads: Caldon_Mull

2015/04/01 by Natalie Rivener

The Flight of the Phoenix – RSA print run pre-orders open!

The South African print run The Flight of the Phoenix is finally open for pre-orders! This fantastic anthology has been long in the making, but it has been worth the wait! You will be hard pressed to find another anthology with such a good selection of fantasy, science fiction and horror stories.

If you order before the end of June, you will receive a 25% discount on the normal price of R150*! This means you will be paying only R112.50* per copy you order.

*Please note that the price does not include shipping!

When will I get my book(s)?

Our official release date will be on the 16th or 25th of July this year. As soon as the date has been set, we will let you know. Alternatively, you can specifically request to fetch them from us at the book launch on 25 July, 14:00 at the Rooihuiskraal Public Library. (You can get your copy signed and photo taken with one of the authors!)

Thank you for your support and encouragement. You’re making our dreams a reality!

If you do not live in Gauteng or anywhere near South Africa, do not despair! We will be doing print-on-demand and ebooks on Amazon! However, the pre-orders will only open in June.

Place your pre-order for the RSA local print run now:

2013/06/18 by Natalie Rivener

Fantasy vs Science Fiction

So. In my string of posts about Fantasy as an overarching genre that covers all things magic and not yet technologically possible, I pose that Science Fiction is but a subgenre of Fantasy. Oh dear! What has happened? How could I possibly say that?!? Well, it really depends on your point of view and how you define certain things.

If you argue that Science Fiction covers fictive narratives that have a possibility of becoming possible in our reality of experience, and that Fantasy covers fictive narratives that have no possibility of becoming possible in our reality of experience…then, I guess it really depends on what you, as an individual, find plausibly possible.

All in all, I see it like this: The real difference between pure Science Fiction and pure Fantasy is magic. In Science Fiction, there is no magic. In Fantasy, there is magic.

But, like I have said in other posts, these genres just won’t stay in their own play pens. Does Steampunk fall under Science Fiction or Fantasy? A lot of the gadgets in Steampunk are actually possible to manufacture right now…so, is it still Science Fiction? It certainly isn’t factual history. I guess it could depart these shores and head off to become Historical Fiction…but, you can ask almost any Steampunk fan and they would tell you that Steampunk falls under the Science Fiction/Fantasy banner. Sooooo….

This is why I put all the piggies in one pen. Sometimes they want to play together, sometimes they don’t.

What do you guys think?