I hold in my hands a hot-off-the-press copy of Erin Kellison’s Shadow Bound, and I can’t put it down. Well, except to type this blog post. I am so thrilled to read this new author’s work, I had to write about it. This book is so good, I insist you order it right away!

Now, to come completely clean, some of you may know I’m a little biased for this author’s work — after all, I can’t deny I’m her lucky brother. Yes, Erin Kellison is my sister. “Sister?” you ask. (Read the word “sister” with the sinister voice of James Earl Jones, like when Darth Vader says it to Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi in the final light saber battle.) Yes, sister, and I am indeed biased, but not because of rumored genetic similarities or because of our shared, dark fantasy-influenced childhood, but because she’s such a damn fine storyteller!

You seriously need to go and buy this book. This is an awesome debut from a ridiculously talented author that I believe will have tremendous success. After reading this book — which she kept secret from me, by the way, so I could be understandably miffed at not getting a pre-release manuscript — I’m convinced we’re seeing the launch of a bright new star. The first author that came to mind to compare her work with, in the genres that I’m most familiar with, was actually the legendary Piers Anthony. If you’ve enjoyed the classic Incarnations of Immortality series, for example, you’ll feel pulled right into Erin’s world with ease; she exudes a similar gift of superb storytelling with her own special point of view and attention to detail.

I can’t wait to read what comes next. Shadow Bound is the type of book that makes you lose track of time while you read it. It’s beautifully written so you blaze through the thrilling story and engage with her compelling world and characters without effort. Too bad I have to wait to read her next novel. Fortunately, the wait won’t be too long. The sequel, Shadow Fall, drops July 27, 2010, so we can jump right back in to Erin’s world. I’m not the only one that apparently thinks that Erin rocks… her publisher is so confident you’ll like her book they’ve released it as part of their money-back “Guaranteed Read” program. But you don’t have to take their word that it’s good. You can take mine.

Congrats, Sis! You just kicked some dark fantasy a$$ and I’m blown away by you!

FETIDUS! Holy #$@*! I am stunned and amazed at the tremendous outpouring of support for FETIDUS! And I’m thrilled to announce that FETIDUS has won TWO Parsec Awards here at Dragon*Con!

I was blown away with the first Parsec award, for Best New Speculative Fiction Podcaster/Team, and rendered speechless by the second, for Best Speculative Fiction Story – Novel.

It was a tremendous honor to have been included as a finalist with such podcasters/artists/creators/writers/storytellers that I admire so much — people that I listen to and love their work.

And I am just so incredibly grateful to the podcasting community in general, to the kick-ass FETIDUS listeners and fans, to the podcasting trailblazers and masters who have been simultaneously kicking down the walls of new media and lifting up the new guys (like me), audio sages, aural artists and alchemists and frankly some of the nicest human beings I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

I’ve never met a more supportive group of brilliant, amazing people and all I can say is…

THANK YOU!!!

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I will go into more detail and thank you more personally in an upcoming Unmortem Report over at the FETIDUS website when I get back from Dragon*Con, but for now I am just stunned, amazed… and grateful.

Sincerely,
James Durham

Today is the day, folks! The day that new media changed forever. JC Hutchins has released his groundbreaking Personal Effects: Dark Art novel and it is nothing but a revolutionary scream in the face of that old, tired, worn-out paradigm of old-school media. With this release, and the ridiculously cool trans-media, pseudo-reality audience-participation activity JC has launched with it, he has redefined how stories can be told and experienced.

If you are a new media creator, if you are a new media consumer, if you want to know why I think new media has just taken one thrilling step forward, please do yourself a favor and check out JC Hutchins’ website, and make sure you look at all of the Personal Effects content and related brilliance (from the Suicide Girls to the artifacts to the Brinkvale site to the promos, to the YouTube clips to the Twitter avatar to the audio promos… it’s all-out WAR on the status quo of new media). And then take a moment to buy an awesome piece of history that will chill you to the bone.

Now you can see why I’m honored that he accepted my invitation to be an evil guest judge as part of the FETIDUS Great Evil Laugh Contest! Thank you, JC, and congratulations on your amazing launch! May you rise to the top of the charts and keep pushing the bleeding edge of new media!

Breaking News! My friend James Melzer, the sick brilliant SOB behind the terror-inducing thrill-ride known as The Zombie Chronicles: Escape (coming this fall from Permuted Press) has a mysterious new project starting June 17, 2009. I’ve been confidentially told that it is NOT Volume 2 of the The Zombie Chronicles, but I can say it is “related.” I couldn’t help but share it with you. If you value your life, I strongly urge you to check it out at www.thezombiechronicles.net.

Announcing the Great Evil Laugh Contest! I am looking for the Greatest Evil Laugh in the World! Do you have it? If so, you can win immortality and an awesome iPod touch, just by laughing! EVIL laughing, that is. Contest entries are due by June 21st, 2009. Click here to visit the FETIDUS website and find out more!