The Okal Rel Universe in evolution and in the world.

 
Far Arena appears on the left in this slide from the Edge Spring launch. For the rest of the side show, including shots of some of our favorite people - Brian Hades, Justyn Perry, Robert Sawyer, Randy McCharles and Susan Forrest - see today's homepage at Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. Just got an exciting sneak preview of Steph St. Laurent's video of ORU event at Bridges, as well, which David Lott will be helping me get up on the blog here some post soon!

Labels: Brian Hades, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Far Arena, Justyn Perry, Marie Bilodeau, Randy McCharles, Robert Sawyer

posted by Lynda at 12:12   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Jennifer Lott stage-managed and rehearsed actors Holly Altmeyer, Mel Farrow and Tegan Lott in a skit performed at the Bridges Festival June 11, 2009, at the University of Northern B.C. Shown here are Holly Altmeyer as Vretla Vrel and Tegan Lott as Samanda O'Pearl at the point where I have been hauled up from the audience by Amel (played by Mel Farrow) to break up the argument inspired by their exposure to Saturday morning readings of Part 6: Avim's Oath, which is currently in-press. I have more lovely pictures and memories to share from the Bridges Festival June 11-13, 2009 at the University of Northern B.C. I am also behind on SF Creatives and Saturday readings pictures. But I will be chugging away mornings again now Bridges is over and promise to share the visuals! Including the cover of Part 5: Far Arena which made it to be shown off at Bridges. Many thanks, Brian and Justyn! Now I am going to reply to one anthology author before I head off to the day job. :-)

Labels: Brian Hades, Bridges, Holly Altmeyer, Jennifer Lott, Mel, Tegan

posted by Lynda at 07:49   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Today's Okal Rel Universe presentation: "The Creative Campfire of Science Fiction", will take place at 3:30 pm today in the beautiful Bentley Centre of the University of Northern B.C. Many, many thanks to the organizers, especially Dr. Robert Budde and Bridges convener Joanna Smythe; to the Bookstore in the person of manager Mardeana Berg; the awesome Barry Wong of copy services at UNBC; Publisher Brian Hades for putting books on a Greyhound for us last night; David Lott for taking the day off to help and wearing his Ann T-Shirt!; Jennifer Lott for helping me organize; performers Tegan, Holly, Jennifer and Mel for working up the role-play skit; Paul Strickland for organizing bios of Okal Rel contributors and supporters; Steph or Conrad for agreeing to video the event; Elizabeth Woods for organizing the readings by anthology authors on Saturday and Janet Marren, Community Outreach Librarian of the Prince George Public Library, for making the Saturday readings part of Bridges.

For more about the Bridges Festival celebrating community and the arts see:

• Bridges Poster


• Bridges Schedule

Labels: Angela Lott, Appearances, Brian Hades, Bridges, David Lott, Elizabeth Woods, Jennifer Lott, Paul Strickland, Tegan

posted by Lynda at 07:57   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 


Many thanks to Paul Strickland, we have bios coming in from people whose invaluable contributions make the Okal Rel phenomenon possible. Today I've been working on the one for Brian Hades, collected by Paul, and prepared as a PDF document for sharing in print at Bridges, June 11-13 2009 at the University of Northern B.C. The Edge launch for their next batch of books - including Okal Rel titles - conflicts with Bridges dates, or I might have been able to lure Brian out to Prince George to appear in person. Maybe another day!

Labels: Brian Hades, Bridges, Paul Strickland

posted by Lynda at 08:30   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
News from KP about the Part 5: Far Arena batch of buttons.

>Hi Lynda, a road trip, what fun! I certainly hope to have the buttons by
>then (they finally got the order in from the States, and started work on
>them yesterday). Cheers Kathy Plett

Mel Farrow is thrilled to be contracted to do a fan art booklet that will make its first appearance in a 'soul touch' package for Con*Cept http://www.conceptsff.ca in Montreal, which I'll be shipping to contact Cathy Palmer-Lister the first week of September. Mel says:

>:D Will do right away! :D Hurrah!

Craig Bowlsby has agreed to advise me on Horth's big fight scene in Part 7: Healer's Sword and I've a less formal but equally game offer of medical advice from nursing faculty member and Horth-lover Heather Ouellette who said, with a threatening scowl, "If you wound Horth, you wound me!" Bless her. I asked Craig if he was "game" to advise and he said:

>Yes. I got game.
>Let me know the details.
>Craig

Publisher Brian Hades has approved the new cover for OR Legacies novella Mekan'stan by Michelle Milburn, as the first step in unifying the look of the novellas in a direction parallel the character-focused covers of the saga. Michelle has also agreed to to new covers for The Lorel Experiment and Kath to match the theme. The good work done by previous cover artists will remain in the ORU hall of fame, of course, as significant and appreciated contributions to the greater whole. But it's time to get serious about look and feel for the OR Legacies. Artist Richard Bartrop will continue to do cover and interior art for the anthologies. Next two scheduled are 4 and 5. Michelle has also agreed to apply her certificate in web design to the ORU website since it is time I stopped being stubbornly Demish about changes to my 'messy desk' organization on that front and got some professional help. Look forward to discussing it with her on our trip to Terrace in May if arrangements for going together pan out ...

Labels: Brian Hades, buttons, Justyn Perry, Kathy Plett, Mel, Michelle Milburn, Terrace

posted by Lynda at 07:16   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

I hope that your work on your next book is going well. I know you and  
Brian have a pretty aggressive publication schedule set out, and I'm  
sure it's a daunting task to bring all of the storylines in your head  
to the page. sometimes it can feel so limiting to put things on the  
page -- suddenly, the events are all so defined. Often I prefer the  
liberties I can take in my imagination before stories become trapped  
in the bindings of a book.
             from an e-mail message Feb 22, 2009

This comment from ORU editor Richard Janzen struck a resonance with me, as I take a deep breath and face tackling book 7. Miss Alison. Grateful for the support of Brian Hades, Justyn Perry, Marie Bilodeau and Lynn Perkins on the publishing front. Paul Strickland recently volunteered to help with profiles of first expansion and other "connected" people for Bridges in June 2009. Krysia Anderson gave me a nice surprise last night, when I got home from a long day of wrestling with ergonomic problems at work, by engaging in discussion of her short story in progress for anthology 4. And I read a bit of the post-wedding scene that book 7 starts with, in which Sam O'Pearl is contratulating herself on pulling off a trick event-of-the-century ... just before Eler starts a brawl.

Labels: Alison Sinclair, Brian Hades, Lynn Perkins, Paul Strickland, Richard Janzen

posted by Lynda at 08:18   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Gratified to be mentioned by Dean of Canadian SF, Robert Sawyer, in his Jan 8 post about the Quill and Quire. Now I have to lay hands on this edition of Quill and Quire to see the article on Edge by Stuart Woods.

Labels: Brian Hades, Quill and Quire, Robert Sawyer

posted by Lynda at 07:26   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Had an interview with Tony Tellado of Sci-Fi Talk yesterday. It should be out Friday. I'll announce it here. Meanwhile, I celebrated with a post to my blog on Sci-fi Talk featuring a collage of friends from the pictures I took at World Fantasy Con 2008 in Calgary.

Labels: Brian Hades, World Fantasy Convention

posted by Lynda at 09:22   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Google alerts snagged a couple of echoes of recent events: A LisWire article about Brian Hades, my good friend and intrepid publisher, and an news item about the SF Creatives meetings by Prince George friend of literature of all kinds, Paul Strickland. Looks like the Captain Fantasy title is going to stick for Brian Hades. And hope Anita found her sleeping bag! She put up a whole tribe of us at her house for World Fantasy Con in Calgary - definitely above and beyond the call of duty.

Labels: Brian Hades, Liswire, Paul Strickland, SF Creatives

posted by Lynda at 04:46   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
So much to report about the launch at the Sentry Box in Calgary Nov 10, I haven't been able to figure out where to start, so picked my best group shot of the event. At the front are myself, Sandra Fitzpatrick and Randy McCharles on the panel. John Preet was up there too, but took this shot. I stayed with my publisher Brian Hades who came out to the event, as well. I have pictures of Brian and other interesting members of the audience, which I will dole out here and on the ORU website. It was grand. Much thanks to the Sentry Box (wish it was in Prince George, what a store!) and to Sandra, John and Randy for the big parts they played in making it happen. John Preet is editor of the 2nd anthology. Authors Randy McCharles and Sandra Fitzpatrick appear in it.

Labels: anthology, Brian Hades, John Preet, Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2, Randy McCharles, Righteous Anger, Sandra Fitzpatrick, Sentry Box

posted by Lynda at 08:07   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
This is one from the summer of 2006, which I fear I failed to share at the time. I remember the visit with pride and pleasure. It was one of the first times someone did me the honor of making an effort to drop in and "meet the author" because she had enjoyed my books. She is a friend of Anita Hades and a librarian, as I recall. Must get her name from Brian Hades (the tall gentleman publisher at the right). I'm the one on the left, and my daughter Tegan is the youngster.

Labels: Brian Hades, Courtesan Prince

posted by Lynda at 00:16   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post