Christine Taylor-Butler headlines September KaCSFFS Meeting

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting
When: Saturday, September 16, 2017, 7:00 p.m. (setup starts at 6:00)
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Food Theme: Good Things to Munch (or Sip) While You Read

A Reading by Christine Taylor-Butler
We in KaCSFFS are really spoiled. We live in a place where a lot of really talented writers in our field have come to live. One of them is author Christine Taylor-Butler, a self-proclaimed reading addict who has 65 commercially produced books and counting.

Her current labor of love (which is gaining considerable critical acclaim) is The Lost Tribes Series, a middle-grades science fiction adventure series that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

First book in the series.

She has agreed to do a reading of one of her works at the September meeting. Her reading will be held in the second-floor library at the Writers' Place so everyone who wants to hear her can easily do so, while others socialize downstairs.

What do you like to eat or drink while reading? And whose novels do you like to read?
While remembering we have an open meeting where minors are welcome, we urge you to share any favorite (G-rated) goodies you may enjoy snacking upon, while reading. Please pair it with a description, photo, or one-liner about where is your favorite place to read, and if appropriate, please tell us when is your favorite reading-time.

TLT Book Two.

We know you have favorites. You wouldn't be a KaXFAN if you didn't love reading. Whose fiction gets your juices flowing or inspires your imagination? We'll have a place where you can share a list of your favorite books and authors, too. We'll publish the list in a future blog post. If you can't make the meeting--or even if you can--please feel free to post a comment that shares some of your reading favorites! KaCSFFS is all about sharing our love of reading.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Christine Taylor-Butler and The Kansas City Star, for the photo of her. We also wish to thank Amazon for the cover images of The Lost Tribes and The Lost Tribes: Safe Harbor. 

Wait--war?? What happened to the BBQ?

Date: Monday, November 28, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.

Title: Mechanical Failure

Author: Joe Zieja 

Published by: Saga Press

Available from: Fine Booksellers, including Barnes & Noble

Meeting Location: Barnes & Noble #2352, 2^nd Floor

       11323 W. 95^th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214

The November SF&F Literati selection is Mechanical Failure, by Joe Zieja

Overview from Barnes & Noble:
A smooth-talking ex-sergeant, accustomed to an easygoing peacetime military, unexpectedly re-joins the fleet and finds soldiers preparing for the strangest thing—war.

The two hundred years’ (and counting) peace is a time of tranquility that hasn’t been seen since...well, never. Mankind in the Galactic Age had finally conquered war, so what was left for the military to do but drink and barbecue? That’s the kind of military that Sergeant R. Wilson Rogers lived in before he left the fleet to become a smuggler.

But it turns out that smuggling is hard. Like getting-arrested-for-dealing-with-pirates-and-forced-back-into-service kind of hard. It doesn’t seem so bad—the military was a perpetual tiki party anyway—but when Rogers returns after only a year away, something has changed. These are soldiers—actual soldiers doing actual soldier things like preparing for a war that Rogers is sure doesn’t exist. Rogers vows to put a stop to all this nonsense—even if it means doing actual work.

With an experienced ear for military double-speak, Zieja has created a remarkable and sarcastic adventure.

IMAGE: Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for the cover image, featuring art by Leonardo Calamati.