There's still time to read during the Holidays

Do you have your copy yet?

Plan now for the January Meeting (1/25/2016)

The Book: If Then

Author: Matthew De Abaitua

Publisher: Watkins Media

Available from: Fine booksellers, including Barnes & Noble

“If Then is an incredibly enthralling and original tale that still has me thinking about it weeks after I read it. A brilliant entry onto the scene, If Then is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in speculative fiction.”
– Smash Dragons

“Sumptuously written, with prose that glitters with a dark lustre like a Damien Hirst fly collage. intricately plotted, and a satirical point as sharp and and accurate as the scalpel of a brain surgeon: De Abaitua operates on the smiling face of the present to reveal the grimacing skull of the future.”

Will Self

IMAGE: Many thanks to Matthew DeAbaitua’s Facebook page, for the cover image. Many thanks to Amazon for the short review excerpts.

Got the post-Christmas blues?

The gifts are unwrapped, the waiting is over, and all we got were these ugly sweaters . . .

IMAGE: Many thanks to Dangerous Minds on Facebook, for this image.

Say it ain't so, Santa!

Now, THAT's a holiday disaster!

IMAGE: Many thanks to VisualizeUs for this image.

Who are you waiting for?

It's Christmas Eve. To all a good night!

IMAGE: Many thanks to Someecards for this image.

Creative Corner: December 2015 Edition

What are the "Creatives" up to, this month?
As noted in our Dec. 1 Special Edition, the early part of this month was a flurry of book-signings and art open-houses. 

Now available in Kindle edition!

Before we settle in for our long winter's nap, however, please note that it's not to late for some last-minute online shopping--or you could use all those Christmas Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other Gift Cards for yourself! Think of the possibilities!

Wm. Mark Simmons
Wm. Mark Simmons announces several bits of news about his popular Half/Life Chronicles Series. 

First, One Foot in the Grave, the first book in the series, is now available in Kindle format. This makes it possible to have all four books in the series in electronic format. It joins the other three already published in the series: #2 Dead on my Feet, #3 Habeas Corpses, and #4 Dead Easy. 

Simmons will deliver #5 in the series, Something Wiccan This Way Comes, or A Witch in Time, to BAEN Books by March, 2016.

These are the other current titles in the Half/Life Chronicles from BAEN.

Available since 12/1/15.

Simmons also offered advance notice: Endeavour Press will soon announce the reissue date of the complete Dreamland Chronicles as three separate titles: In the Net of Dreams, When Dreams Collide, and The Woman of His Dreams.

Holly Messinger
Holly Messinger will be signing copies of her new book, The Curse of Jacob Tracy January 16, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at the Oak Park Barnes & Noble, 11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214.

Aaron Hollingsworth

Aaron Hollingsworth

Aaron Hollingsworth has announced that all of his books are now available in Premium Status on Smashwords, and they are all set up so that buyers set the price. Hollingsworth currently has four titles available through Smashwords: The Apothecary of Manuta, The Broken Bards of Paris, The Geohex of Wraith County, and The Bone Brick City.

Is Your List Complete? 
Since the return of Creative Corner, we've featured some great reading and art-viewing opportunities. Review all the announcements of the past four months at these links:
August 2015 - Hollingsworth, Furlong, Russell, Denton, Bentley, Clemens, Frank, J. Gephardt, and Satterfield.
September 2015 - Schmidt, Benchley, Wu, Esping, and Satterfield.
October 2015 - Mayo, Messinger, Burk, and Schmidt.
November 2015 - Schmidt, Bailey, Chambers, Bentley, Spangler, T. Gephardt, Messinger, and Pellicano.
Extra Edition, 12/1/15 - Messinger, Hollingsworth, Spangler, and Pellicano.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Amazon for the Simmons book cover art. The cover art for The Curse of Jacob Tracy was provided by Holly Messinger. The photo of Aaron Hollingsworth is from his LinkedIn profile.

Join us at the Holiday Meeting and Book-Signing 12/19/15

What: KaCSFFS Holiday Meeting and Book-Signing

Jim Murray, David Means, and Tracy Majkol
enjoy holiday treats at last year's Meeting.

Where: The WritersPlace

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, December 19, 2015
Update: NO BoD meeting.

6:00 Doors open for setup and pre-meeting socializing.
7:00 Let the Party begin!

Join us for the Holiday Meeting!
Our holiday gatherings are a great place to relax with friends, share holiday treats, and warm up in the glow of the holiday season.

The food theme is HOLIDAY TREATS! If you have a favorite, please bring it to share. Some KaXFEN also bring small gifts or cards to exchange.

Book-Signing Attracts Six Local Authors!
Bring your own books, or buy from the authors at the meeting! 

L-R: Holly Messinger, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, and Robin W. Bailey

Robin W. Bailey is a bestselling author and editor of several dozen fantasy novels, short stories, and collections, and former president of SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Many of his recent collaborations have been with Bryan Thomas Schmidt. 

Holly Messinger's debut novel, The Curse of Jacob Tracy, was published December 1. The advance reviews, in publications such as Publishers Weekly, have been very positive. Meet this rising star of our region! UNFORTUNATE UPDATE: due to unexpected circumstances, Holly will not be able to attend, after all.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an author and Hugo-nominated editor of adult and children's speculative fiction. His most recent published project is Mission: Tomorrow. His debut novel, The Worker Prince, received an Honorable Mention on the Barnes & Noble Book Club's Year's Best Science Fiction Releases. 

L-R: Susan Satterfield, Mary Chambers, and Dora Furlong

MC Chambers most recently has had a short story published in a Hadley Rille Books anthology, Ruins Excavation. She also is the author of the novels Shaper's Veil and Silk and Velvet.

Susan Satterfield is a Professor in the English Department at the Metropolitan Community Colleges-Longview, in Lee's Summit. She is the author of Mirror Images, a fantasy novel, and has written short stories for Yard Dog Press collections, including I Should Have Stayed in Oz.UNFORTUNATE UPDATE: due to unexpected circumstances, Susan will not be able to attend, after all.

Dora Furlong's debut novel One of Our Own debuted last summer, and has been selling well on Amazon ever since. She is a frequent Savvy Authors teacher, with a background in the military and emergency services.

IMAGES: The photo of Jim, David and Tracy at the 2014 food table is by Jan S. Gephardt. The photos of Holly Messinger and Dora Furlong are from their Amazon Author Pages. The photos of Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Robin W. Bailey, and MC Chambers are from their author websites. The photo of Susan Satterfield is courtesy of the Lee's Summit Tribune. Many thanks to all!