Online Stores: Chance for the Future | Hope for Tomorrow | Faith in the Past


This Issue: Chance Encounters | Events | Online Store | Chance for the Future | Hope for Tomorrow | Faith in the Past | Upcoming Projects

 

July 14, 2002

A lot has happened over the past six weeks. In addition to a new interview that I've done, a contest to win a free autographed copy of Chance for the Future and the new special at the Chance Encounters Online Store, my latest Fairlight novel, Faith in the Past has finally been completed. Well, it's as "complete" as it can be prior to being handed over to editors and test readers.

But that's another story...

 

Chance Encounters

Last month, I announced the Chance Encounters Online Store. This month, I'll let you in on why I decided to put a store together in the first place.

Next Issue: On Editors and Test Readers

 

Events

Brand New Author Interview
Check out my latest online interview at Writer's Manual! This is the first interview in which I've mentioned Faith in the Past at all, so go on over and check it out!

Win a Copy of CFTF!
Writer's Manual is also sponsoring a contest! The prize? How about a signed copy of Chance for the Future? Details can be found at the end of the interview! But hurry! The contest ends Monday, July 29th, 2002 at 11:59PM PST.

Events and Signings News
Since I'm currently polishing the manuscript for FITP, tweaking the cover design, and plotting my next novel, I don't have a lot of time for booksignings at the moment. However, rest assured, with the release of FITP (probably October or November this year), I will likely resume my events and signing schedule, hopefully with my faithful compadre, Jonathan Martin.

More info as it becomes available.

 

Online Store

July Special: Head Wear Sale
It's the perfect time to cover your head and protect yourself from the scortching sun! From now until July 21, CFTF baseball caps are $3 off the regular price! These are great one-size-fits-all black-billed caps and are available in white, gray and khaki. Also, just for this occasion, I've added white CFTF beach hats and white CFTF visors to the store and they're also $3 off the regular price! Hurry! The Head Wear Sale ends July 21, 2002 so click here to go there!

Also available at the online store:
CFTF shirts, coffee mugs, mousepads and tote bags at reasonable prices.

Additional items will be added by the end of the month and the Hope for Tomorrow store is likely to debut before the next Chance Encounters Update is released. Keep your eyes peeled!

 

Chance for the Future & Hope for Tomorrow

Nik Tavarone Lives!
Those of you who have read HFT might argue this point with me. However, this month, Riot Act, a short story featuring Nik Tavarone has been accepted into an as-yet-to-be-titled anthology of sci-fi and fantasy short fiction! Riot Act tells the story of Nik's internment in a cleansing camp and the events that ultimately lead him to join up with Chance and the resistance. Unlike Taking Chances, which I made into a booklet and distributed at my author events and signings, Riot Act has not yet been widely available. And, it'll be exclusive to this collection, so you'll want to get yourself a copy of this anthology when it releases! You'll also be able to check out a lot of other great modern sci-fi, fantasy and horror voices at the same time. I'm sincerely excited about this opportunity to be included with many of my peers in this collection. The anthology doesn't have a title as yet, nor has a cover been designed. More information as this develops.

Win a Copy of CFTF!
As noted above, Writer's Manual is sponsoring a contest! The prize? How about a signed copy of Chance for the Future? But hurry! The contest ends Monday, July 29th, 2002 at 11:59PM PST.

CFTF and HFT Reader Reviews
There's a few new reviews up at the Amazon and BN pages for both CFTF and HFT. Thanks to everyone who chimes in, both in the past and in the future, with something nice to say about my babies! LOL! Anyway, if you've read CFTF and/or HFT, I'd love to hear your postive comments. Please click on one of the links below and add your two cents to the pot... and rate them both five stars while you're at it!

Chance for the Future: Amazon.com; Barnesand Noble.com
Hope for Tomorrow:
Amazon.com; Barnesand Noble.com

 

Faith in the Past

Cover Design
N
ot much has changed from last issue's revelations. So far, though, the rough version of the cover for FITP has received very positive feedback. Although I think it might be my best cover yet, I've still got some tweaking I want to do to it. Now that the manuscript is off to editors and test readers, I hope to have a chance to actually do it.

A Special Surprise
I'm toying with including a short preview of the next Fairlight novel at the end of FITP, just to let you all know that, even though I'm taking a short respite from the Fairlight world, there is more yet to come. Despite the fact that I haven't yet plotted Faith Restored, I do know how I expect it to start and I may write Chapter One over the summer.

Manuscript
Ta da! Stick a fork in it. As far as I'm currently concerned, Faith in the Past is complete. The manuscript is going to my editors and test readers this week and I expect to integrate their input into the manuscript sometime in August. Then I'll probably give it one more final polish. In the meantime, I hope to make progress on one or many of my...

 

Upcoming Projects

Here's where things now stand:

The Crockett Chronicles
This is top priority now if only so I can beat my co-writer, Chris Weil to the punch. Forget what it's about? No problem. It's basically a series "enhanced" short stories about a friend Chris and I share... A guy I've known since kindergarten named Shawn Crockett. Oh the humor. Oh the exposition. Oh the inside jokes. I'm gonna have to kick some serious behind if I wanna get these done before all of my input for FITP comes back.

Travel Tips for Every Day
This list book of things I've learned while traveling that can be applied to every day life is the next thing on my schedule. The tips are all there just waiting for fleshing out. Why do I have the feeling I'll be writing this one on my Palm Pilot?

One of the Girls
You might notice that this one suddenly switched places with "Dreams." Over the fourth of July weekend, just after finishing draft six of FITP, I started plotting this
contemporary adventure story of twin teenage girls, one of whom discovers that she has extraordinary abilities. It's going to be a fun, character-driven story that I expect to just move along. Elements of it have been shaking out lately. It'll be refreshing to write something outside the Fairlight series/world for a change. However, don't be surprised if a new series/world comes out of this one. Although I don't expect to curb my vocabulary or the theme I'm planning for this story, this one might wind up with a Young Adult label on it. Dunno.

Life is But a Dream
I hate to leave my nonfiction piece on following dreams this far down on the list, especially since I've got some potential agent interest. I'd like to sit down and write the whole thing, but I'll probably follow Elizabeth Lyons' advice (whom I met and attended a workshop by at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in May) from her book, Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write: How to Get a Contract and Advance Before Writing Your Book and put the thing into a proposal. Expect this one to be shopped around, folks. I hope to get an agent and an advance out of it.

Faith Restored
I probably won't get around to plotting or writing the fourth Fairlight novel this year. This story is tied very tightly to FITP so I don't want to let it languish too long. I'm sure, by the time I get to it, I'll be delighted to return to these characters and it will be a relief to be able to write a Fairlight story again without the continuity of the series hanging so heavily over my head. Nevertheless, as stated above, I am tempted to write Chapter One this summer and include it as a teaser at the end of FITP. In fact, unless something extraordinary derails me, that is likely what will happen.

 

Thanks again for your readership and support. God bless!


Paul M. Carhart
Author, Chance for the Future & Hope for Tomorrow