Blog | StarWarp Concepts | Publisher of Dark Fantasy and Horror

Doctor Who: The 4th Doctor Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Steven

DrWho-4thDoc-01 Over at the news site Comics for Sinners you’ll find my review of Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor #1, currently available from Titan Comics. Written by Gordon Rennie (2000 AD, Judge Dredd Megazine) and Emma Beeby (2000 AD) and illustrated by Brian Williamson (Torchwood, Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor) it’s the start of a five-issue miniseries starring the most famous iteration of television’s time-traveling hero, as played by actor Tom Baker, and his number one traveling companion, Sarah Jane Smith, who was immortalized by actress Elisabeth Sladen. In this adventure, the Doctor and Sarah Jane visit Victorian Age London to take in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and end up being accosted by top-hat-wearing Cyclopses from beyond time and space. Head over to C4S to learn more.

Sure, Doctor Who doesn’t exactly fit into C4S’s focus on bad-girl comics—for one thing, you don’t find too many scantily clad ladies in Doctor Who—but every now and then management allows me to indulge myself. And if you’ve read this post and this other post from 2013, in celebration of the show’s 50th anniversary, you know I’m a major Whovian, especially when it comes to the Fourth Doctor.

pandoracomic-1 Speaking of immortals and their plucky companions who protect the Earth from monsters, have you met Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, the 400-year-old, shape-shifting monster hunter who acts as mentor to teenaged Goth adventuress Pandora Zwieback in my young adult novel series The Saga of Pandora Zwieback? Pan is a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets Annie that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. You’ll find Annie battling evil in the following titles:

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to Pan and Annie—with an 8-page story written by me and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia—as well as Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud (via a pair of preview chapters).

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel is the beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel:

Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover!

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A spinoff from the novel series, this 56-page, full-color comic special finds the teenaged Goth adventuress battling vampires and a jealous, man-stealing siren. It features stories by me and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0), comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), and Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), and cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella).

Blood Feud, Blood Reign, and the Pan Annual are available in print and digital formats. Pandora Zwieback #0 is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages and chapters.

Posted in Comic Books, Reviews | Tagged comic book reviews, comics for sinners, doctor who, doctor who: the fourth doctor, sebastienne mazarin, the saga of pandora zwieback | Comments Off

The Evil of Reviewapalooza

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Steven

Arhian01 As regular visitors to this site might be aware, since 2014 I’ve been a comic and graphic novel reviewer for the news site Comics for Sinners, giving my opinion on some of the latest releases for bad-girl fans and general readers alike. Here are the titles I reviewed in March 2016:

ARH Comix
Arhian, Head Huntress #1: Written by Arahom Radjah, Abraham Kawa, and Ben Bishop, art by Yannis Roumboulias

Titan Comics
Independence Day #1: Written by Victor Gischler, art by Steve Scott and Rodney Ramos

Interested in seeing what else I’ve reviewed? Check out last month’s list, The Revenge of Reviewapalooza, and then head over to C4S to read the entries. And be sure to bookmark Comics For Sinners to keep up-to-date on my opinionated ramblings about bad-girl (and other) comics.

Posted in Comic Books, Reviews | Tagged comic book reviews, comics for sinners, reviewapalooza | 1 Comment

Independence Day Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Steven

ID01_Cover Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Independence Day #1, written by Victor Gischler (Wolverine, Sally of the Wasteland), illustrated by Steve Scott (X-Men Forever, Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods) and Rodney Ramos (Birds of Prey, Batman/Superman), and currently available from Titan Comics. A prequel to the upcoming film Independence Day: Resurgence, this five-issue miniseries serves as a bridge, bringing readers up-to-date about events that took place in the two decades between the original movie and its even-bigger-budget sequel. Head over to C4S to learn more.

Speaking of tales of science fiction adventure with Hollywood connections, are you familiar with the sci-fi warrior John Carter, Warlord of Mars, and his beautiful Martian princess, Dejah Thoris? Created by author Edgar Rice Burroughs (who also created Tarzan the Ape-Man), they star in Burroughs’s classic science-fantasy novel A Princess of Mars—one of StarWarp Concepts’ most popular titles in our Illustrated Classics line of books. And the Hollywood connection? A Princess of Mars served as the basis for Disney Studio’s 2012 big-budget adaptation, John Carter—a movie that was tragically mishandled by the Mouse’s marketing department, despite it being a fairly faithful translation from printed page to silver screen.

A Princess of Mars, originally published in 1912, is the first in Burroughs’s “John Carter of Mars” ten-novel series about a post–Civil War era American who suddenly finds himself on the Red Planet, battling to stay alive against all sorts of alien threats. It served as the basis for Disney’s 2012 film adaptation, John Carter, and inspired a century’s worth of SF works, including Flash Gordon, Star Wars, and James Cameron’s Avatar. The special StarWarp Concepts edition—available in both print and digital formats—features six incredible illustrations by SWC artist supreme Eliseu Gouveia (Carmilla, Lorelei: Sects and the City), and a special introduction by Mars-fiction expert John Gosling, author of Waging the War of the Worlds. Here’s the back-cover synopsis:

Captain John Carter thought his days as a fighter were over. The South had lost the Civil War, and as a soldier now without a battle to fight or a cause to believe in, he journeyed west in search of a new life.

But not even Carter could have expected that his new life would begin with his death in the Arizona desert, and his inexplicable arrival on the barren plains of the planet Mars. Or that he would find love in the eyes of the beauteous Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium.

A prisoner of the giant, green-skinned warrior race called the Tharks, Dejah Thoris is meant to be used as a pawn in the ongoing war between the Tharks and her people, the red Martians—unless the gentleman from Virginia takes sword in hand to free her…and thus unite a divided world.

Once more, John Carter has a cause to fight for—and this time, a love to win, as well….

A Princess of Mars is available in print and digital formats. Visit its product page for ordering information.

Posted in Classic Fiction, Comic Books, Reviews | Tagged a princess of mars, comic book reviews, comics for sinners, dejah thoris, edgar rice burroughs, id4, illustrated classics, independence day, john carter | Comments Off

The Latest Praise for Terra Incognito

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Steven

terra_ingoc_lg_cover Well, this is nice! Over at gaming manual distributor RPGNow, a customer named Ben K was so impressed with Richard C. White’s Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination—a how-to reference book for writers and gamers—that after he read it he was inspired to give us his impressions on RPGNow’s StarWarp Concepts product page:

“I really appreciated this book. It was an easy read with lots of details, depth and plot bunnies to chase. It had some new ideas to consider—currency, new forms of government—and made me rethink my ideas on religion…at least on its importance to the people in my stories and how to incorporate their beliefs into cultural backgrounds and character motives. It also made me think about the world beyond the one small continent I started from.”

On behalf of Rich White and the SWC staff, Ben K—thanks!

In Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, Rich takes fantasy writers and gamers through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for their characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.

Terra Incognito was not just the hottest #1 title when it made its debut last October at RPGNow’s sister site, DriveThru Fiction, but it then held the #1 position for weeks as DTF’s hottest title for nonfiction books and writers’ reference guides!

And Ben K isn’t the only one who found Terra Incognito to be a valuable resource—so did the folks at a popular site for RPG players:

“I think Terra Incognito is a solid introduction to the subject of world building. The book succeeds in helping the aspiring writer in creating a skeletal framework for which to hang the moving parts required of a believable fictional setting.”—The Gaming Gang

Interested in building your own world? Well, Terra Incognito is available in print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information and start creating today!

Posted in Publishing, Reviews | Tagged richard c. white, rpgnow, terra incognito: a guide to building the worlds of your imagination, world building, writing reference | Comments Off

Cthulhu is Coming to Call…

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Steven

Coming in just a few short months from indie publishing house First United Church of Cthulhu is their latest horror anthology, Urban Temples of Cthulhu: a collection of tales inspired by the works of legendary author H. P. Lovecraft—specifically the “Cthulhu Mythos” he developed and then expanded upon with the assistance of such writers (and H.P. fans) as Robert Bloch, Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, and others during the first half of the twentieth century. In a nutshell, in his stories Lovecraft posited that a race of giant aliens—the Great Old Ones—lurk in the vastness of space, waiting for the day when their crazed human worshippers make it possible for them to rule the Earth. Foremost among these terrifying monsters is Cthulhu, a squid-headed horror who sleeps in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, dreaming of the day when he arises to usher in the age of darkness.

That’s all well and good, you say, but why am I mentioning another publisher’s upcoming release, here at the SWC blog? Well, if you know me by now, it must be due to the fact that I’m involved in some capacity with Urban Temples of Cthulhu—and I am!

“Sects and the Single Girl” is my short story contribution, and tells the tale of Shitaki Cumberbatch, a member of the Elder God–worshipping Church of Starry Wisdom (a religious order that appeared in “The Haunter of the Dark,” the final Mythos story that Lovecraft wrote before his death). Set in the present day, we find Shitaki involved in filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against her former church—even though she was a willing participant in all their hedonistic practices! It’s a character-driven story of faith and soul-searching, lawsuits and reverends, with just a touch of the sarcasm and snark that readers have come to expect from my writing.

It’s very much a Mature Readers story in tone—rife with four-letter cursing and sexual innuendos and the like—but it’s also the latest addition to what I’ve called the “Paniverse”: the fictional universe in which teenaged Goth monster hunter Pandora Zwieback (star of my Saga of Pandora Zwieback novels and comics) and her supporting cast of characters dwell. It’s also home to Lorelei, the soul-stealing succubus found in the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City. (Hey, if Stephen King can have the Dark Tower multiverse that crosses through most of his works, and F. Paul Wilson can have his tales of the Secret History of the World that revolve around his “Repairman Jack” novels, why shouldn’t I have the Paniverse?)

I’ll be spreading the word when Urban Temples of Cthulhu gets closer to its release date, so as they say, watch this space for developing news!

House_Macabre_large_final Speaking of anthologies in which I’m involved that feature tales of horror and suspense, are you familiar with SWC’s very own horror anthology comic, Lorelei Presents: House Macabre? In this one-shot special that contains four tales of horror—collected behind eye-catching cover art by fan-favorite artist Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Supergirl, Batman 80-Page Giant)—you’ll find:

“The Old, Dark Manse” is written by me and illustrated by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual, The Ex-Mutants, Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa) and “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales), and has Lori welcoming readers to this special.

“All in Color for a Crime” is another tale from me, with art by Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Young All-Stars). Two comic book collectors clash over a rare back issue—and only one of them will be adding it to their long boxes!

“The Basilisk,” from me and artist John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics, My Teacher Fried My Brains), is a “Lori’s Feary Tale” that examines the history of a supernatural creature that’s a cross between a deadly snake and a…chicken?!

Wrapping up the special is “Requiem for Bravo 6,” by New York Times bestselling author and comic writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman (She-Hulk, Steve McQueen: Full-Throttle Cool) and artist Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo. A special-ops team goes on a life-or-death mission…but will they be prepared for what awaits them at mission’s end?

“This is like a cross between Elvira and House of Mystery, where you’ve got a very sexy hostess who loves the Macabre and tells you stories that are supposed to chill and thrill you…. This whole book is such a pleasant surprise, [and] something that should be sought out by everyone.”—Reading With a Flight Ring

“Any fans of the old-fashioned horror anthology comics (Eerie, Creepy, Tales From the Crypt, etc.) is gonna want to take a look at this one-shot from StarWarp Concepts…. If campy horror fun is your thing, this should be a hit for you.”—The Pullbox

Lorelei Presents: House Macabre is available in print and digital formats, so visit its product page for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

Posted in Publishing | Tagged cthulu mythos, first united church of cthulu, h.p. lovecraft, horror anthologies, lorelei presents: house macabre, sects and the single girl, steven a. roman, urban temples of cthulu | Comments Off

Some Bad News for Our International Readers

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Steven

Heads up, residents of the United Kingdom and the European Continent: Barnes & Noble just sent us some bad news for you e-book fans who purchase titles from their Nook Store—news that affects StarWarp Concepts, as well!

terra_ingoc_lg_cover On March 15, all Nook titles—which, in SWC’s case, means my Pandora Zwieback novels Blood Feud and Blood Reign, and Richard C. White’s writers’ reference book, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination—will become U.S. exclusives, as Barnes & Noble closes its UK Nook Store and discontinues its Nook Reading app for Android. UK readers will have access to their Nook purchases up to May 31, at which point those readers will have to go to Sainsbury’s Entertainment on Demand to access them.

I know; it sucks. But don’t worry, European ’Warp fans: If you haven’t purchased our Nook-friendly ePub titles from B&N, you can still buy them directly from us, through our webstore. Just follow the links below:

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is our popular how-to book for writers and gamers in which bestselling fantasy author Richard C. White (Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.

Blood Feud As for our Saga of Pandora Zwieback young adult novels: Pan is a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets an immortal monster hunter named Annie that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world.

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 is the critically acclaimed novel that starts Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel:

Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2, in which Pan and her friends and family face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover!

Terra Incognito is $4.99 U.S.; Blood Feud and Blood Reign are $2.99 U.S. each. Sales are made via Paypal, and the books are available for immediate download.

Place your orders today!

Posted in e-books, e-tailers, Publishing | Tagged barnes and noble, blood feud: the saga of pandora zwieback book 1, blood reign: the saga of pandora zwieback book 2, e-books, nook, richard c. white, steven a. roman | Comments Off

Big Apple Con 2016 Report

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Steven

big-apple-con2 Last weekend, StarWarp Concepts put in an appearance at the twenty-first annual Big Apple Con, right in the heart of New York City. So how’d it go for me and The ’Warp at the first NY convention of the year? Read on!

So, the last time I exhibited at this show, in 2012, it was operating under the name New York Comic Book Marketplace, and in my con report I complained about how I wound up being placed in a dark corner of artists alley that fairly killed any business that day. As a comics fan, I’d been to previous editions of this one-day show—both as NYCBM and Big Apple Con (it had switched names for a while before returning to BAC)—and it’s always been a bit disorganized, with no show maps so you can locate guests and exhibitors, and scattershot artist alley placements. So, in 2012, I found myself in a shadowy corner. In 2016…

BigAppleTable-2016

…I found myself in a shadowy alcove between two support pillars. That tan obstruction you see to the right isn’t where the picture cuts off—it’s a wall.

…Yeah.

Also tucked away in the land of darkness was my next-door neighbor for the show, artist Stephen Najarian, who was selling prints and gaming-mat reproductions of his incredible paintings. Despite our odd location, there was a good amount of traffic passing through the area, and plenty of folks stopped by to check out our respective offerings—in SWC’s case, Richard C. White’s Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, and Sunn, my 2004 ibooks, inc. superhero graphic novel, were the most popular items.

As to be expected, there were lulls in the traffic, and that’s when I passed the time by taking out a sketchbook and working on a sketch idea I’ve had for a while that involves my Goth monster hunter Pandora Zwieback and Jason Voorhees, the unstoppable killer of the Friday the 13th movies. I didn’t finish the drawing during the show (I’ll be posting it on the Pandora Zwieback website when it’s done), but my working on it did…er, draw the attention of passersby to the SWC table. And that occasionally led to sales, which is always a good thing.

And The ’Warp got some press coverage! I did interviews with Vince Vlado from the Queens public-access-channel series Sci-Fi Ninja Theater, and Meke Brown from the podcast Pondering Nerds. Vince was interested in Lorelei Presents: House Macabre. Meke wanted to know about my zombie apocalypse short story “Laundry Day,” which appears in Books of the Dead Press’s Best New Zombie Tales, Vol. 2.

lantern228E At the end of the day, it turned out to be an all right experience. SWC made some new fans, there was a good turnout for the show, and despite the gloomy location there was definitive proof that there are plenty of folks out there interested in the books, comics, and graphic novels we publish. And what does that all mean? Well, in all likelihood you’ll find SWC at next year’s show, already announced for March 4, 2017.

Just look for the table with the lantern on it. Otherwise you might miss me in the dark. 😉

Posted in Convention Reports, Conventions | Tagged big apple con, convention reports, conventions | 1 Comment

Are You a Librarian Looking for Quality E-books?

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Steven

nyplibrary An interesting topic came up the other night, while I was talking with Richard C. White, author of SWC’s supernatural graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings, pirate-fantasy digital comic The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, and the popular how-to book for writers, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination. Rich had been a guest this past weekend at MystiCon (check out his Mysticon convention report over at his blog) and had a conversation with some school librarians who were interested in adding his writers reference book, Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination, to their lists of e-book titles. But how, they asked, would they be able to obtain it? As librarians, they’re required to order books from distributors, not from publishers; that applies to e-books as well.

Well, it just so happens that one of The ’Warp’s digital distributors, Smashwords, makes our titles available to libraries through Baker & Taylor’s Axis360 and OverDrive e-book programs. To quote from Smashword’s arrangement with the programs:

“Library patrons are able to check out only one copy at a time. The books are wrapped in DRM so they time out after a specific period of time. The library can purchase multiple copies if they decide demand warrants multiple simultaneous checkouts. Otherwise, the library purchases a single copy and allows only one copy at a time to be lent out. If a library patron wishes to obtain a book that’s already checked out, the patron is sometimes given the option to purchase a copy through a retailer.”

In the case of OverDrive, “If a library patron wishes to obtain a book that’s already checked out, the patron is sometimes given the option to purchase a copy direct through OverDrive (for libraries that utilize OverDrive’s ‘Buy it Now’ feature).”

Via Smashwords, the following titles can be ordered through Axis360 and OverDrive:

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, you can also obtain our Saga of Pandora Zwieback young adult novels, Blood Feud and Blood Reign—written by yours truly. You know how popular young adult books are these days, don’t you? Well, here’s another series your patrons might be interested in!

Blood Feud Pan is a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets an immortal monster hunter named Annie that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. You’ll find Pan battling her own brand of evil dead in the following titles:

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel is the beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel:

Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover!

So if you’re a librarian interested in adding those three titles to your digital bookshelves, head over to Axis360 or OverDrive and place your order today!

Posted in e-books, e-tailers | Tagged axis360, baker & taylor. overdrive, e-books, library orders, Pandora Zwieback, richard c. white, smashwords, steven a. roman, terra incognito: a guide to building the worlds of your imagination, world building, writing reference | Comments Off

Welcome, Big Apple Con 2016 Attendees!

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Steven

SWC Thanks for stopping by our table today, and for coming here to check things out at a more leisurely pace. We’re always thrilled to meet potential new readers intrigued by our range of titles, and hope we can add you to our growing fan base.

StarWarp Concepts specializes in tales of horror and dark urban fantasy, and our titles range from young adult fiction (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback) and illustrated classics (J. Sheridan’s Le Fanu’s vampire romance, Carmilla; Edgar Rice Burroughs’s A Princess of Mars; The Brothers Grimm’s Snow White) to graphic novels for superhero fans (Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings) and adult horror aficionados (Lorelei: Sects and the City); from digital and print comic books (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, Lorelei Presents: House Macabre #1, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa); to artist sketch collections (The Bob Larkin Sketchbook) and writing guides (Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination). And we’ve got even more exciting projects in the works!

Currently, our most popular titles are:

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination: Not a novel or graphic novel, but our first nonfiction book for writers and gamers. Bestselling fantasy author Richard C. White (Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons. The gaming-news site The Gaming Gang recommended in its four-star (out of 5) review that “For those who have yet to dip their toes into the creative waters of devising a fictional setting, the book makes a mighty good reference aimed to point you to the stream.” And when the e-book edition was released at digital distributors DriveThru Fiction and DriveThru RPG, it made its debut as their #1 Hottest Title, and then spent more than a month in the #1 positions for nonfiction books and writers guides!

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: Steven A. Roman’s critically acclaimed novel is the story of a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets a shape-shifting monster hunter named Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. But before Pan can learn more about what she can do, she and her parents are drawn into a conflict between warring vampire clans that are searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. Her first adventure continues in Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 (also now on sale) and concludes in the upcoming Blood & Iron: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 3.

Lorelei: Sects and the City: This critically acclaimed, Mature Readers graphic novel stars a soul-stealing succubus who finds herself in a life-or-death struggle with a cult of Elder God worshippers intent on summoning their demonic overlords to rule the world. At its heart, this tale is an homage to such 1960s and 1970s horror comics and movies as Vampirella, Son of Satan, Satana the Devil’s Daughter, Tomb of Dracula, The Devil Rides Out, and The Devil’s Rain, as well as H. P. Lovecraft’s classic Cthulu Mythos—but with a modern day attitude. It’s written by Steven A. Roman, and features art by Eliseu Gouveia (Lady Death, The Phantom), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Fright Night, Flesh and Blood). Cover art is provided by the legendary Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide). Among Lorelei’s fans are Vampirella and Famous Monsters of Filmland creator, the late Forrest J Ackerman; James Warren, the original publisher of Vampirella, Creepy, Eerie, and Famous Monsters; horror writer Elizabeth Massie; and Science Fiction Writers of America Writer Emeritus Neal Barrett Jr.

Lorelei Presents: House Macabre: It’s Lori’s first outing as the hostess of a horror comic anthology, in this one-shot special that contains four tales of horror, behind eye-catching cover art by fan-favorite artist Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Supergirl, Batman 80-Page Giant).

“The Old, Dark Manse” is written by Steven A. Roman and illustrated by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual, The Ex-Mutants, Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa) and “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales), and has Lori welcoming readers to this special.

“All in Color for a Crime” is another tale from Roman, with art by Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Young All-Stars). Two comic book collectors clash over a rare back issue—and only one of them will be adding it to their long boxes!

“The Basilisk,” from Roman and artist John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics, My Teacher Fried My Brains), is a “Lori’s Feary Tale” that examines the history of a supernatural creature that’s a cross between a deadly snake and a…chicken?!

Wrapping up the special is “Requiem for Bravo 6,” by New York Times bestselling author and comic writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman (She-Hulk, Steve McQueen: Full-Throttle Cool) and artist Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo. A special-ops team goes on a life-or-death mission…but will they be prepared for what awaits them at mission’s end?

Carmilla: J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s 19th-century classic tale of love gone wrong. Laura is so desperate for a friend that when a young woman practically turns up on the doorstep of the castle owned by Laura’s father, she thinks her prayers for companionship have been answered. But as she comes to realize, Carmilla isn’t as interested in making friends as she is in spilling blood. Our edition contains six original illustrations done especially for StarWarp Concepts by the super-talented Eliseu Gouveia (Lorelei: Sects and the City).

All titles are available in print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.

When you’re done touring the StarWarp site (be sure to visit the Downloads page for the freebies), don’t forget to Like StarWarp Concepts’ Facebook page, so you can keep up-to-date with all the latest SWC news.

On Tuesday I’ll be posting my convention report, so feel free to come on back and see how the show went for this indie publishing house.

Posted in Conventions | Tagged big apple con, conventions | Comments Off

Happy Game Masters Appreciation Day 2016!

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Steven

Since 2002, March 4 has been well known to the gaming community as International GM’s [Game Masters] Appreciation Day. Never heard of it? Well, that’s probably because, like me, you’re not involved in that ever-growing collection of fans. To explain this event, I’ll let this quote from the official GM’s Day site provide you with some background:

GM’s Day was born on the site EN World in December 2002. Originally a simple message board post by EN World member Spunkrat, the idea quickly gained popularity, championed by Mark Clover of Creative Mountain Games and, of course, EN World itself…. GM’s Day is an annual day to show your Game Master (or Dungeon Master, or Storyteller, or Referee) how much you appreciate them. Publishers and retail outlets across the world now join in GM’s Day, offering discounts, sales, and other cool stuff.

And what do you know? It just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for game masters and gamers alike:

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in both print and digital formats, so visit its product page for all the ordering information. And don’t forget to order a copy for your favorite game master!

Posted in Events, Publishing | Tagged gm's day, international game masters appreciation day, richard c. white, terra incognito: a guide to building the worlds of your imagination, world building, writing reference | Comments Off