WELCOME
TO FANTASYFIC
FantasyFic
deals generally with fantasy fiction and specifically with the fantasy writing
of Sandra Bell Kirchman.
Basic membership
is offered to people who have registered at the FantasyFic
Forum. Star membership is offered to people who are Basic Members and
have applied to FantasyFic to become
a Star Member. (Both memberships are free.)
We also
plan to offer quarterly contests for Star Members who wish to try writing
fantasy. The idea is that the member submits his/her story, to be displayed
on our forum for up to three months. Then all members (Basic and Star) can
vote on which story they like the best. The winner will receive a scroll and
their story will be put up for sale on the FantasyFic site at the going rate
for short stories on the net - something like $0.40 or $0.50 a download, with
all proceeds going to the winning writer. It won't be much but it will be
recognition for your writing and you will finally be able to say you have
written something that sells. It will, as a by-product, offer the members
some very good reading indeed.
For now,
please come in, browse what we have and what we plan to have. Sandra's book
WITCHCANERY
is now on sale. See order box below. There are also a number of stories available
for free reading (one for general public, one for Basic and Star Members,
and two for Star Members). Again, see details below. The Forum is up now,
so please feel free to drop in and have a chat. We are friendly and love to
talk to fellow fantasy fiction lovers.
WITCHCANERY
ON SALE -
See order box below.
First
edition, autographed, numbered copies are also available.
Investigate
Star membership for significant discounts as well as free access to other
Sandra Bell Kirchman fantasy fiction.
Go to the forum
for details on obtaining a Star membership.
ANNOUNCEMENT
- Apr. 14, 2008: So many things have happened. Where
to begin? The Esterhazy Lions Trade Show in the middle of November, 2007,
was a big success, and the Gaeia T-shirts were very well received. The book
signing in Calgary in December, 2007, at Chapters Spectrum went very well...the
most copies snapped up yet, with people browsing the first page and the back
cover and then making me promise to write a sequel.
I've
been busy too as a freelance news reporter for Esterhazy's local weekly, The
Miner-Journal. One of my articles was about Duladian with a picture
of him in full uniform.
I
have also been hard at work on my Nano novel, Battle Cleric: The Lost Scroll
of the Gods. It is a wonderful fantasy story of love, war, betrayal as
seen through the eyes of Emerald, a veteran battle cleric.
I've
also been pulled back, by popular request, to my activities as an instructor
and consultant with ALC Canada. As we speak, I am leading a group of people
who are interested in self-discovery right here in Esterhazy. What does this
have to do with writing, you might ask? Well, it was an ALC course, Speaking
and Writing by Guidance, that helped launch me into successful (and saleable)
fiction and non-fiction. By the way, ALC stands for Americana Leadership College
and is one of the entities founded by Dr. Francisco Coll, along with Inner
Peace Movement (IPM), Astro-Soul, Peace Community Church, and Growing Executives
of Tomorrow. Ask me about my adventures with IPM back in the '70s and '80s
sometime.
I
finished teaching an eight-week basics writing course for young teens in March
and will be starting a course for adults in May. That is quite exciting. Two
teens finished the course and produced the most amazing short stories. Oddly
enough, they were both fantasy stories, although that was not a requirement.
One of them was by one of our own FF Star Members, pandaktty. I will see if
I can get permission from the girls to publish the stories in our Star Member
section of the forum.
ANNOUNCEMENT
- Nov. 1, 2007: Lots of things have happened. FantasyFic
headquarters have moved to beautiful, bucolic Esterhazy, Saskatchewan. Witchcanery
has gone through three successful book signings at Chapters in Calgary, and
sales did well at both Chapters Spectrum (Sunridge Mall) and Chapters Chinook.
Book signings will also be going on at the Esterhazy Lions Trade Show, Nov.
16 and 17, 2007. Online sales are good, and the consensus coming back is that
Witchcanery is just a darned good read! Also big news is the fact that
eight FantasyFic'ers (Kallysti, Wychwethl, Duladian, Lenore, Sarekai, Stonestorm,
Orchid Pacer, and me) have joined the 2007
NaNoWriMo challenge are are involved in writing a 50K word novel in 30
days - during the month of November, as a matter of fact. If you want that
kind of challenge (and it's free), join us on the forum as we talk about it.
If you do join the challenge (at www.nanowrimo.org), let us know and we will
give you access to our special NaNo forum. A note of interest - my NaNo entry
will be a novel based on my short story "Battle Cleric," which is
available to Star Members for free reading.
ANNOUNCEMENT
- July 26, 2007: Sandra's first book signing for
Witchcanery will
take place in Calgary, on Friday, August 3, 2007, from 5pm onwards at the
Chapters Spectrum branch. That's in northeast Calgary close to the Sunridge
Mall and just a few doors down from the Odeon Spectrum theatre. Anyone in
Calgary next Friday is more than welcome to drop by and say hi. Witchcanery
is now also on sale at Chapters Spectrum.
ANNOUNCEMENT
- July 18, 2007: Battle Cleric is
now available to Star Members. Star Members can access it in the Battle
Cleric forum in the Club Room section of the
forum.
ANNOUNCEMENT
- July 3, 2007: Birth of a Unicorn is
now available to Star Members. Star Members can access it in the Birth
of a Unicorn forum in the Club Room section of the
forum.
ANNOUNCEMENT
- May 30, 2007: Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog,
a short short story (under 1000 words) and the prequel to Witchcanery,
is now available to the general public. Go here
to read it.
ANNOUNCEMENT
- May 29, 2007: The Secret of Moon Magic is now available for all
members, Basic and Star, for free reading. If you haven't already joined our
forum, please
go there and register, then, for details of how to access the story, go down
to The Club Room and then the specific forum, The Secret of Moon Magic.
UPCOMING
PROJECTS FOR FANTASYFIC
WITCHCANERY
now on sale - Second edition coming out Summer 2008
Witchcanery
is available for ordering on the site, as well as at Amazon.com (sorry, not
at Amazon.ca). It is also for sale in Calgary at Chapter Spectrum in the Sunridge
Mall. See order box for details on price and shipping from this site. Also,
make sure to investigate Star membership for discounts available. For more details
on the book itself and what pre-publication readers think about it, go to the
Witchcanery
link. Note that people in Esterhazy can buy directly from me.
The second edition of Witchcanery
will be coming out with the Chapters-Indigo publishing program through iUniverse
some time this summer and will be available in chain bookstores throughout
North America. This will make the first edition very special. If you
have already bought a copy, save it in case I become famous :) It could be worth
money some day. As soon as the second edition comes out, I will be discontinuing
the public sale of the first edition and will only make first edition books
available at the special first run price of $35.00. So best buy them now at
$13.95.
Battle
Cleric: The Lost Scroll of the Gods
- anticipated ready date - Summer 2008
Okay, the book will have been written by the end of November (it is my entry
in the NaNoWriMo challenge), but it won't be ready for printing by then. It
might not even be good enough for printing then, but we'll see. This story concerns
the lovely Emerald, renowned Shemaran Battle Cleric and the devastating challenge
she faces when a long lost scroll containing the most powerful spell ever in
existence surfaces. When pronounced by a cleric experienced in battle for many
seasons, the spell will resurrect anyone, no matter how long dead they have
been. The ramifications are staggering, especially if the Scroll falls into
the hands of the maligns of Athero, specifically the Kor Brethren. The tale
involves the intrigues of a half-elf rogue, the scorn of the Shemaran Council
against Emerald's supposed mishandling of Temple funds, a traitor in the midst,
and a longdead lover whose absence tempts her to use the Scroll for personal
gain.
Anthology
by FantasyFic Writers - anticipated ready date - Christmas 2008
This book will be a collection of short fantasy stories by the FantasyFic writers.
The whole thing is open for submissions by members of the forum who have signed
up for the anthology right now, up until August, 2008. Editing, cover art and
subsequently layout will begin in September, with a finish date of late November
and publication in early December. At least, that's the plan. The writers lining
up have great fantasy writing skills as evinced by their contributions to the
CTS (continue the story) we are writing in the forum. I can hardly wait to see
the finished result.
Stranger
on the Shore (a trilogy) – the
first book in the series might be ready by January, 2009.
The first book in this series is already three-quarters written and kicks off
the saga of three generations of royalty and their loves. The prime country
(Arethicallia) of the southern union of four sovereign states has been attacked
along its northern borders by tribes of powerful beast-like creatures known
as the Mraki. The four allies have banded together for mutual benefit under
the leadership of the king of Larandish, the acknowledged military kingdom of
the union. The kingdom of Teriyah, which is the agrarian/hunting sector in the
union, and the principality of Pauca, the artisans and makers of beautiful crafts,
have historically sent their sons in times of military need in return for the
protection the Larandish army affords. An urgent call to arms goes out to the
rulers of these two nations, asking that the eldest son of each family join
the Larandish army. A Larandish prince is sent to Teriyah to help with the muster
and ensure that things go smoothly. Yet things are not smooth at all. The Mraki
have attacked the Arethicallians with such vigor that it appears that the unthinkable
may happen…the Arethicallians will be beaten and the treasure of spiritual awareness
and richness that these “founders of all races” hold may fall into the hands
of the enemy.
Tales
of Athero (working title) – anticipated
ready date – March, 2009.
This collection of short stories and novelettes all takes place on the
world of Athero. Included in the book will not only be the three stories offered
to FantasyFic members for free reading, but also sequels to each of the stories.
The sequel to The Secret of Moon Magic will follow the capture and enslavement
of Starsong’s high elf husband, Silverwolf. It follows the unusual circumstances
of his captivity, explains why the orcs are torturing him and keeping him alive,
and how moon magic enters into all of this. The sequel to Birth of a Unicorn
will follow the continued adventures of young plains rider Patryll Caelthar,
as he aids the high elves in stemming the tide of foes intent on subduing the
Free States of Athero. These foes seem bound in an unlikely alliance, including
goblins, orc raiders, and the dark Kor brethren. Finally, the prequel and sequels
to Battle Cleric will offer various stories about Emerald, the renowned
Shemaran Battle Cleric, and how her memories of battle are aiding her in achieving
greater wisdom and peace within herself. These collected stories will be offered
for sale as a hard-print book. Beyond that, we can't say, for who knows what
lurks in Bell Kirchman's mind. It seems the self-appointed chronicler of Anthero
is much taken with the hijinks of this particular world and may continue with
its history long past the preliminary collection.
On
his way to the Teriyan capitol, the Larandish prince literally falls for Shael,
a young hunter. He falls out of a tree as Shael is preparing to make a difficult
bowshot at a magnificent five-prong buck on his way to drink at the lake. The
ensuing relationship between the prince and the girl is fraught with mystery
and tension, since the prince, wanting her to love him for himself, doesn’t
want Shael to know true identity. The stakes get higher, as Shael decides she
will uphold her family’s honor by offering herself as a family’s token soldier
for the Larandish army. Her prowess with bow and blade is renowned throughout
Teriyah, and she is determined that she can fill the requirement as well as
or better than any Teriyan man. During the course of events, Shael commits herself
to her own spiritual quest of finding out what her life purpose is, the idea
of which Arethicallian priests give to each child born in the four kingdoms.
In an nearly unprecedented move, they would not give Shael hers and were less
than forthcoming when asked why they would not reveal this vital information
that every other child in the four kingdoms received as a matter of course.
Shael is determined to find out what her Sidhallis is and why it was
withheld.
When the war
heats up and the prince has to act as an emissary to Pauca, he is stunned to
find that Paucan intrigue has clouded the issues and the Council of this country
seem not at all interested in sending their young men into the army.
There is further
mystery when it seems that Shael’s father, presumably killed by the Mrakis twelve
years ago, seems to have come to light, at least in Shael’s mother’s mind. At
some point, no one can be certain who is foe and who is friend.
The book follows
the paths of three women and their men through battle, treachery, spiritual
unfoldment, and great love, when a race with time becomes the new enemy as the
Arethicallian strongholds are in deadly danger of being overrun by the rampaging
Mraki.
COMPLETED
PROJECTS
Eye
of Newt and Toe of Frog – COMPLETED ON TIME – May 30, 2007
This story is the prequel to Witchcanery, where the whole adventure of
Shelley, Brad and Jason started. Eye of Newt… was originally an entry
in a short short fiction contest (had to be under one thousand words). When
Nanowrimo came along, the idea of Shelley,
Brad and Jason expanded into the love/adventure/comedy/drama that has evolved
into Witchcanery. So, if you’ve read the novel, you might be interested
in finding out what happened at the previous meeting between Shelley and Jason,
why Brad and Shelley appeared before the Grand Council of Wizards in the first
place. And was Brad, in fact, a golem or a boy? And if you haven't read the
novel, this will tide you over until the novel comes out. Eye of Newt and
Toe of Frog is being offered as free reading to FantasyFic members and,
as a special bonus, to the general public. Go here
to access the story.
Completion
of the FantasyFic forum - DONE in May, 2007
For the time being, the forum will simply be a place where we can chat and get
to know each other. It is also the place where members can go and read a few
of the short stories of Sandra Bell Kirchman. Later, the forum will also be
the venue for showcasing Star Member writers' stories.
Completion
of NaNoWriMo
novel
- DONE November 30, 2007
With respect
to the icon at the left, we had eight FantasyFic members who are participated
in NaNoWriMo. The first winner crossed the finish line on Nov. 26, with 50,195
words. That would be me. Three others also finished with a novel
of 50K or more words (Kallysti, Wychwethl, Sarekai and me). Kudos to Kallysti
who has now finished her Nano novel at 73K words. Kudos also go
to Lenore, who surged ahead after Nano to not only complete the 50K quota, but
completed her novel as well.
