This week we present an interview with Balticon 42 Art Guest of Honor, John Jude Palencar. Mr. Palencar is a world famous artist and illustrator who has been winning awards for his distinctive style of art for over two decades. He is known mostly for his book covers, which have appeared on hundreds of books in over thirty countries. He has done cover art for renowned authors such as HP Lovecraft, Ursula LeGuin, Marrion Zimmer Bradley, Octavia Butler, and many many more.

Most recently his cover paintings for Eragon and Eldest, by Christopher Paolini, has appeared on the New York Times children’s best seller list for the past year. John’s work made such an impact on the author that he named Eragon’s birthplace “Palencar Valley”.

Mr. Palencar also enjoys an on-going artist-in-residence program in Country Kerry, Ireland. His paintings were included in a special exhibit entitled, “Images of Ireland”, held at the National Museum in Dublin.

Getting started in art is tough

There isn’t enough horror

Horror started it all

John avoids narrative covers

Keep it simple. Keep it symbolic

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious

Color palates

PROMO: Arbiter Chronicles

On-going artist-in-residence in County Kerry, Ireland

Ireland and art

Pub life in Ireland

Advice for cover artists

Traditional art and digital music

SONG: The Vampire Club, by Voltaire

Origins, The Art of John Jude Palencar

This week we bring you an interview with that most prolific and award winning author, Connie Willis. Ms. Willis was the Balticon 42 guest of honor and we had a great time talking to her about the craft of writing and her personal journey as an author.

Books by Connie Willis available at Amazon.com.

H.L. Menken

She came to sci-fi by reading Robert A. Heinlein‘s “Juveniles”

Ms. Willis loves Christmas

Phones and Cell Phones

Why Sci-Fi and not Historical Fiction?

Time travel gives us the modern viewpoint

PROMO: Arise charity request from Chris Lester of Metamor City

PROMO: Mean Mommies Club

Humor: Written vs. Spoken

Writing, criticism, and advice for new and upcoming writers

Finishing up All Clear. She’s been working on it for 6 years and it may be 3 or 4 volumes. It’s about the civilian aspects of World War II England.

OUTRO: How can you help your favorite authors

SONG: Dance, Soterios Johnson, Dance by Jonathan Coulton

Mur Lafferty has released her novel Playing for Keeps for free as a PDF.

A free book? There’s no such thing as a free book! What’s the catch?

No catch. It’s free. But, Mur asks that if you like it you purchase it from Amazon.com on August 25. She’s making a run on Amazon and really needs us all to pitch in and help her get noticed. She, like so many others, has a book contract now. But podcasting novels are still a new medium for delivery and we need to show the publishing industry that this makes a difference.

Martha and I have read the PDF version multiple time. We help Mur by making the PDFs and doing layout and formatting. We also did a little editing. All of this was to help Mur make the best product possible. We bought the first version of Playing for Keeps when it was self-published on Lulu.com. And now we’re joining her for her run on Amazon and we’ll be buying multiple copies of Playing for Keeps as published by Swarm Press.

Mur has delivered countless hours of enjoyment and encouragement to the pod-o-sphere. She has also inspired and rallied people including me. It is not an exaggeration to say that if Mur wasn’t here I wouldn’t be either. I wonder how many other people to whom you listen, read, and watch are here because they were inspired by Mur Lafferty. I’m guessing the number is larger than you think.

So be ready to place your order from Amazon.com for Playing for Keeps on Monday August 25. Be there! Aloha.

Due to a problem with iTunes I have to put the link to Tee Morris’s book in a separate post. Please see the previous post for all the relevant info.

Authors Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine have released their latest novels as free PDFs.

Tee Morris is the author of the novels Morevi: The Chronicles of Raif and Askana and The Case of the Singing Sword: A Billibub Baddings Mystery. He is also the co-author of the non-fiction works Podcasting for Dummies and Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies. He has podcasts for the above mention fiction as well as a companion podcast for the Dummies books.

Philippa Ballantine is the author of the novels Weaver’s Web and Chasing the Bard. These novels are also available as podcasts. Her free PDF novel is Digital Magic, the follow up to Chasing the Bard.

Tee’s free PDF novel is The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant: A Billibub Baddings Mystery. If you couldn’t tell by the title this is the second in his Billi Baddings series.

Both authors say that these books can be read and enjoyed without having read the earlier novels. We hope you enjoy them too.

Please join Tee and Philippa as they make their run on the Amazon.com charts on Aug 8, 2008. If you enjoy Pitcher’s Pendant and Digital Magic, please support the authors by buying their books from Amazon.com on 8/8/08. They need your help to show the publishing world that podcast listeners matter. This is your chance to show the world what we can do.

Paul and Martha reminisce about the coolest moments of Balticon 42. They are joined by special guest, Tee Morris. And have lots of call-ins from the new voicemail line, 1-206-666-2843.

Paul needs to build a new intro and outro for B42 audio

Interviewing and having breakfast with Connie Willis

Memories from Jared Axelrod

Connie Willis and James Patrick Kelly reacting to George Hrab‘s Brains Body Both

Recording author readings

Memories from Nobilis

Hanging out with Helen E. H. Madden

Engineering for Soccergirl

Memories from SVAllie

Having a beer with Peter S. Beagle

PROMO: Murder at Avadon Hill, by P.G. Holyfield

Memories from Bill DeSmedt

Dr. Jack’s Soapbox Seminars

Paul got crabs from Earl Newton

Stranger Things: The Singularity

Heather Welliver’s concert (backed up by members of Stokely Rose)

Memories from Heather Welliver

Paul makes the fun

Memories from Marc Grailwolf Bailey

I wish you stuff

My totally fanboy man crush on George Hrab

Memories from Tee Morris

Sucking Mur Lafferty‘s finger

Tee getting thrown out of Mur’s live show by Matt Wallace

Kracken’s Quest – The hunt for Tee’s jersey

We have spawned another sci-fi con podcast!

Memories from Icepick

Paul wishes he had time to talk to David Moldawer

Memories from Chooch and Viv

Martha is now Lady Lightning!

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with recordings: Cmdln, Bruce, Jim Van Verth, Tee Morris

We have been nominated for two Parsec Awards for the Balticon Podcast and Serve It Cold

Send us more feedback

Next time, Guest of Honor Connie Willis

This episode is awesome. We talked with Matthew Wayne Selznick (WMS) at Balticon 41, back in May 2007, and we talk to him again in July 2008 to update the interview and discuss his Sovereign Summer Sunday, July 13, 2008. In fact, it’s an all MWS Balticon Podcast episode with a promo and music by Matt as well.

Matt’s book, Brave Men Run, will be released by Swarm Press on Sunday July 13, 2008.

Check Matt’s blog for more info on his Sovereign Summer Sunday event!

Updates: Matt wants me to let you know some things we didn’t cover in the updates. He no longer offers web hosting and all his podcasts have been collapsed into one called Sonitotum. It is the companion podcast to his blog, Scribtotum.

It’s been a long time coming but we’re finally presenting our interview with Balticon 41 Guests of Honor Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. They’re latest collaboration is Inferno. Mark J. Gross, author of The Sci-Fi Scene column in Autograph Collector, shares the interviewing duties.

PROMO: Stranger Things

PROMO: Pieces Podcast

MUSIC: To Earth for the Music by Bottomland

Call our voicemail line at 1-206-666-2843.

While we’re busy sifting through all the wonderful interviews, panels, and events that we captured at Balticon 42, we provide a little something to get your heart pumping and your blood racing. For the first time anywhere, Dave Williams reads from his debut novel Mirrored Heavens. Mirrored Heavens, from Bantam Spectra, is available on the web and in bookstores beginning June 2008.

WARNING: Some strong language

 

 

PROMO: The Adventures of Indiana Jim

PROMO: Serve It Cold

The Balticon 42 Pocket Program is now available. Get yours and plan your Balticon 42 experience early.