Blood Reign: Pandora Zwieback 2 E-book On Sale at Smashwords

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Steven

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrHey, e-book lovers, today’s the day when you can find the ePub edition of Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2—my young adult, dark-urban-fantasy novel—available at digital distributor Smashwords! Here’s the synopsis:

She was stabbed in the heart with an ancient mystical spear. Her mother was kidnapped by a band of vampires led by a fallen angel—their goal: unleashing hell on earth. And every living creature on the planet faces extinction at the hands of a race of biblical monsters. But for Pandora Zwieback, the worst may be yet to come.

In this terrifying next chapter of the story begun in the critically acclaimed novel Blood Feud, join the teenaged Goth adventuress as she discovers that death is only the beginning of her saga…

You’ll find Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 for $2.99 at StarWarp Concepts’ Smashwords store. Order it today!

And don’t forget: the first Pandora Zwieback novel, Blood Feud, is also available for $2.99 from Smashwords. Want to know how Pan begins her saga? Then purchase Blood Feud and Blood Reign and get started reading!

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Reviewapalooza Meets the Wolfman at Comics for Sinners

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Steven

Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, as some of you may be aware, starting last year I became a comic and graphic novel reviewer, giving my opinion on some of the latest releases for bad-girl fans and general readers alike. Here are the titles I’ve reviewed in January and February 2015:

Frank-Thorne-Sonja2-CoverDynamite Entertainment
Doc Savage Archives, Vol. 1: The Curtis Magazine Era: Stories by Doug Moench and John Warner; art by John Buscema, Tony Dezuniga, Marie Severin, Val Mayerik, and Ernie Chan
Frank Thorne’s Red Sonja Art Edition, Vol. 2: Art by Frank Thorne, stories by Roy Thomas, Clare Noto, and Wendy Pini
Legenderry: Red Sonja #1: Written by Marc Andreyko, art by Aneke
Red Sonja #100: Stories by Gail Simone, Roy Thomas, Eric Trautmann, Michael Avon Oeming, and Luke Lieberman; art by Pablo Marcos, Dave Acosta, Taki Soma, Noah Salonga, and Sergio Fernandez Davila
Red Sonja: The Black Tower #1–4: Written by Frank Tieri, art by Cezar Razek
Vampirella #100: Stories by Nancy A. Collins, Tim Seeley, Eric Trautmann, Brandon Jerwa, and Mark Rahner; art by Francesco Manna, Jim Terry, Dave Acota, Gabriel Mayorga, and Javier Garcia-Miranda

Red Giant Entertainment
The Mike Deodato Jr. Sketchbook: Art by Mike Deodato Jr.

Zenescope Entertainment
The Little Mermaid #1: Written by Meredith Finch, art by Miguel Mendonca

Interested in seeing what else I’ve reviewed? Then check out The Ghost of Reviewapalooza, a year-end overview of my 2014 reviews. And be sure to bookmark Comics For Sinners to keep up-to-date on my opinionated ramblings about bad-girl (and other) comics.

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Blood Reign: Pandora Zwieback 2 E-book On Sale at B&N

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Steven

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrRejoice, ‘Warp followers, because today’s the day when you can find the ePub edition of Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2—my young adult, dark-urban-fantasy novel—available at Barnes & Noble’s Nook Store! Here’s the synopsis:

She was stabbed in the heart with an ancient mystical spear. Her mother was kidnapped by a band of vampires led by a fallen angel—their goal: unleashing hell on earth. And every living creature on the planet faces extinction at the hands of a race of biblical monsters. But for Pandora Zwieback, the worst may be yet to come.

In this terrifying next chapter of the story begun in the critically acclaimed novel Blood Feud, join the teenaged Goth adventuress as she discovers that death is only the beginning of her saga…

You’ll find Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 here in e-Pub form for $2.99 at the Nook Store. Order it today!

And don’t forget: the first Pandora Zwieback novel, Blood Feud, is also available for $2.99 from B&N. Want to know how Pan begins her saga? Then purchase Blood Feud and Blood Reign and get started reading!

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Blood Reign: Pandora Zwieback 2 E-book On Sale at Amazon

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Steven

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrGood news, ‘Warp fans! At last the day has arrived, when you can find the e-book edition of Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2—my young adult, dark-urban-fantasy novel—available at Amazon.com! Here’s the synopsis:

She was stabbed in the heart with an ancient mystical spear. Her mother was kidnapped by a band of vampires led by a fallen angel—their goal: unleashing hell on earth. And every living creature on the planet faces extinction at the hands of a race of biblical monsters. But for Pandora Zwieback, the worst may be yet to come.

In this terrifying next chapter of the story begun in the critically acclaimed novel Blood Feud, join the teenaged Goth adventuress as she discovers that death is only the beginning of her saga…

You’ll find Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 here at the Kindle Store. Order it today!

And don’t forget: the first Pandora Zwieback novel, Blood Feud, is also available for $2.99 from the Kindle Store. Want to know how Pan begins her saga? Then purchase Blood Feud and Blood Reign and get started reading!

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StarWarp Concepts to Attend Capital City Book Fair

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Steven

The inaugural edition of the Capital City Book Fair is coming to downtown Trenton, New Jersey’s state capital (thus the event’s name), in May, and StarWarp Concepts will be there!

Organized by Classics Used and Rare Books and the Trenton Downtown Association, it’s a two-day event that’s planned to include live events, musicians, food vendors and, of course, lots of books. And with my latest novel, Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2, now on sale, it sounds like the perfect venue to introduce New Jersey book lovers to the adventures of The ’Warp’s resident Goth chick—not to mention the wonders of SWC’s other titles!

The Capital City Book Fair takes place on Friday, May 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Saturday, May 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. We’ll be there only on Saturday; as always, look for the distinctive Pandora Zwieback banner.

For more information, including directions to the show, visit the Capital City Book Fair website. I won’t know the location of the SWC booth until we get closer to the event, but you’ll be the first to know after I find out.

Hope to see you there!

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Little Mermaid #1 Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Steven

LittleMermaid_01_cover BNow at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of The Little Mermaid #1, which goes on sale February 25 from Zenescope Entertainment. Written by Meredith Finch (Wonder Woman, Grimm Tales of Terror) and illustrated by Miguel Mendonca (Warlord of Oz, Grimm Fairy Tales Unleashed), it’s a modern-day take on the classic fairy-tale character crafted by Hans Christian Andersen. You won’t find any singing Jamaican crabs or scatterbrained comedic seagulls in this Grimm Fairy Tales presentation, but you’ll certainly find lots of female pulchritude on display (well, it is a Zenescope comic, after all). Still, the art is great and the story is interesting, so head on over to C4S to read all about it.

SnowWhite_coverSpeaking of fairy-tale heroines, you should definitely check out Snow White, StarWarp Concepts’ presentation of the classic story by the Brothers Grimm, and one of the popular titles in our illustrated classics line. Featuring full-color illustrations first published in 1883 (and they really are beautiful drawings), this digital-exclusive title is available for immediate download for the low price of just 99¢! Visit the Snow White product page for sales links and sample pages, and start downloading today!

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Red Sonja #100 Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Steven

RedSonja100CovApparently February has become Red Sonja Month at comic publisher Dynamite Entertainment and—by extension—the news site Comics for Sinners, because last week I reviewed Dynamite’s Legenderry: Red Sonja #1, followed by my review of Frank Thorne’s Red Sonja Art Edition, Vol. 2 on Monday; then there was news of “Through the Eyes of a Wizard,” an upcoming Thorne retrospective at a New York art gallery; and now, my review of Red Sonja #100, which goes on sale today.

Red Sonja #100—really? Yes, it’s the same accounting trick in play that Dynamite has used for Warlord of Mars #100 and Vampirella #100—namely, adding up all the series, miniseries, and one-shots they’ve published to reach the magic number of 100. This special features stories by original Sonja writer Roy Thomas, current Sonja writer Gail Simone, her predecessor Eric Trautmann, Powers co-creator Michael Avon Oeming, and Luke Lieberman, with art by Pablo Marcos, Dave Acosta, Taki Soma, Noah Salonga, and Sergio Fernandez Davila. Head on over to C4S to read all about it.

Speaking of flame-tressed she-devils, have you been introduced to Lorelei, StarWarp Concepts’ resident soul-stealing succubus? Making her comics debut in 1993, Lori has remained SWC’s first leading lady of horror, and currently stars in two critically acclaimed projects:

Lorelei: Sects and the CityLorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lori battles a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and “Satana the Devil’s Daughter,” it’s written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (Stan Lee’s Alexa, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide) and a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night). It’s available in both print and e-book formats, so visit the Lorelei: Sects and the City product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

House_Macabre_large_finalLorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s debut as the hostess of a horror anthology comic. Behind that eye-catching cover by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death), you’ll find stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Iron Man, Web of Spider-Man). Art is provided by Uriel Caton & “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics), and Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo. It’s available in print for $3.99 (plus shipping) exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore, and in digital form for $1.99 from DriveThru Comics and the SWC webstore (and hopefully soon from ComicsFix and comiXology, as well). Visit the Lorelei Presents: House Macabre product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Frank Thorne Art Exhibit at Illustration House

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Steven

Well, this is perfect timing. Hot on the heels of my Comics for Sinners review of the just-released Frank Thorne’s Red Sonja Art Edition, Vol. 2, comes new that the legendary Mr. Thorne will be the subject of an upcoming gallery showing and art auction here in NYC. To quote the press release:

Frank-Thorne-Exhibit-Ad

From March 9 to March 30, 2015, in New York City, Illustration House presents “Through the Eyes of a Wizard”: Frank Thorne’s first-ever exhibition and sale, with over 70 original works, from Red Sonja to his contemporary paintings, curated by Zaddick Longenbach.

Frank Thorne started his comic career in 1948 at the age of 18, paying his dues on romance stories and titles from Tom Corbett to Twilight Zone, until Robert E. Howard’s heroine Red Sonja came under his pen in ’75, and he never looked back. Frank came into his own with the sexy, feisty barbarian, making Sonja one of Marvel’s top-selling titles, as well as getting one of the first conventions devoted to a single character: Sonja Con, in 1976.

Frank left Sonja at its peak in ‘78 to create his own erotic epic Ghita of Alizarr, one of the first graphic novels in the history of comics. This led to other original characters, including “Danger Rangerette” for National Lampoon, “Lann” for Heavy Metal, Ribit!, and “Moonshine McJugs” for Playboy, where his work appeared for 20 years. At the age of 84, Frank is still in his studio working on large-scale paintings.

“Through the Eyes of a Wizard” debuts on Saturday, March 7, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. In attendance will be Frank Thorne and current Red Sonja model Bre Shanklin. The exhibition then opens to the public on March 9, and runs through March 30.

Illustration House is located at 34 West 27th Street, 4th Floor, New York City. All works will be viewable online prior to the opening, at the Illustration House website.

Exhibit hours: Monday to Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weekends by appointment.

Considering Thorne is one of my all-time-favorite artists, you can bet I’ll be dropping by Illustration House to take a look at his incredible work!

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Frank Thorne’s Red Sonja Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Steven

Frank-Thorne-Sonja2-CoverNow at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of Frank Thorne’s Red Sonja Art Edition, Vol. 2, currently on sale from Dynamite Entertainment. As some of you might be aware, I’m a longtime fan of Thorne’s comics work, and when it was first announced that Dynamite was going to reproduce his Sonja art at its original 11”x17” size, Volume 1 immediately went onto my to-buy list. At $150, these oversized hardcover collections are pretty expensive, but if you’re a comic artist or fan interested in studying the work of a master, and you’ve got the money to spend, they’re worth the price of admission. (God knows I’ve already planned on buying Dynamite’s upcoming Jose Gonzalez’s Vampirella Art Edition.) And now here’s a second volume of she-devil artistry! Head on over to C4S to read all about it.

Speaking of she-devils, have you been introduced to Lorelei, StarWarp Concepts’ resident soul-stealing succubus? Making her comics debut in 1993, Lori has remained SWC’s first leading lady of horror, and currently stars in two critically acclaimed projects:

Lorelei: Sects and the CityLorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lori battles a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and “Satanna, the Devil’s Daughter,” it’s written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (Stan Lee’s Alexa, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide) and a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night). It’s available in both print and e-book forms, so visit the Lorelei: Sects and the City product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

House_Macabre_large_finalLorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s debut as the hostess of a horror anthology comic. Behind that eye-catching cover by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death), you’ll find stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Iron Man, Web of Spider-Man). Art is provided by Uriel Caton & “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics), and Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo. It’s available in print for $3.99 (plus shipping) exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore, and in digital form for $1.99 from DriveThru Comics and the SWC webstore (and hopefully soon from ComicsFix and comiXology, as well). Visit the Lorelei Presents: House Macabre product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Doc Savage Archives Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Steven

DocSavageArchiveVol1CovHey, pulp adventure fans! Now at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of The Doc Savage Archives, Vol. 1: The Curtis Magazine Era, currently available from Dynamite Entertainment. This oversized hardcover collects the entire eight-issue run of Marvel Comics’ Doc Savage comic magazine from the 1970s (Curtis Magazines was the company that owned Marvel at the time). Behind that striking cover art by Ken Barr, you’ll find stories by fan-favorite writers Doug Moench (Batman, Moon Knight) and John Warner (Son of Satan), and art by comic legends John Buscema (The Avengers), Marie Severin (Incredible Hulk), Tony Dezuniga (Jonah Hex), Val Mayerik (Howard the Duck), and Ernie Chan (Kull the Destroyer). Head on over to C4S to read all about it.

The Bob Larkin SketchbookSpeaking of Doc Savage, are you pulp enthusiasts familiar with the work of artist Bob Larkin, who is widely regarded among Doc Savage fans as the number two Doc cover painter of all time, right behind his mentor, James Bama? Well, it just so happens that StarWarp Concepts is the publisher of The Bob Larkin Sketchbook, which contains spectacular pencil drawings of Doc Savage, Pat Savage, the Shadow, and a host of other subjects by the talented Mr. Larkin—including a Doc/Shadow face-off drawn especially for this collection! It’s 24 pages of artistic goodness, available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore. Visit the Bob Larkin Sketchbook product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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