WELCOME!

This is the professional and public journal of author Craig Alan Loewen who writes under the names C. Alan Loewen or Alan Loewen or Stephen King.

No. Wait. Sorry. Scratch that last name.

My purpose in writing is to entertain and I trust my journal will do the same. My intentions are not only to promote my work, but share with you the adventures and misadventures of a man who sincerely desires writing to be an important and major part of his life. I would encourage you to "friend" the journal and come along. The road will sometimes be bumpy and a little lunatic, but I trust it will be ... interesting.

So settle back with a nice icy mug of ginger beer and read on. You may want to visit here first and read my bibliography.

Satan clenched his fists in frustrated wrath. How many times had he come here before? How many times had he been humiliated in front of these poor excuses for angels? “Your creation suffers,” he said, spitting out the words in fury. “It suffers still even after you tricked me at Golgotha. Do what you will, but I have the last laugh. They suffer and you can do nothing.”

The Voice spoke again and in spite of its thunder, there was a sense of sadness. “You know as well as all that with freedom and choice comes the potential of revolt and loss. All are tested, even Myself.”

“They think you don’t care.”

“Not a sparrow falls without My knowing.”

Satan leered into the Light. “But they fall nonetheless.”

“And they fall into My Hand.”

With that, a gigantic hand—its fingers closed securely—materialized from the Light. It opened and a small sparrow, bright and redeemed flew into the Throne Room.

(from Fallen Angels and Fallen Sparrows copyright to Alan Loewen)

My story, My Pretty Pony narrated by John Snell is on the third disk, track 2 (8:28 on the advert).

Teresa Ford narrates some of the stories and her voice is absolutely delightful.

From a fellow writer on a writer's list I moderate. This promotional video is quite well done.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending CapClave 2009 at the Executive Meeting Center in the Hilton Washington DC/Rockville in Rockville, Maryland.

CapClave is not a big convention if you are going to compare it to other conventions, but some of the biggest movers and shakers in the speculative fiction community attend and it is a great place to network. Though I did not reach the goals I had set for myself, nonetheless, I consider the time well spent and it opened doors for future opportunities.

I did assist in some panels this year, the first being Friday evening and titled Library Thing, Goodreads, and Other Book Conversations. As I am a member of Shelfari I was able to contribute to the basic conversation as well as put in a good word for ManyBooks.

Things were rather quiet until my book signing at Saturday, Noon which I shared with author, Andrew Fox (his website appears to be down). I set up my display, my free candy as bait, my most winning smile, my poster, and I sold ....

Wait for it, wait for it ...

One book.

That's okay. Andrew only sold three, but he was assisted by his five-year-old son who is living proof that cherubs are real. :-)

One hour later. I was on a panel entitled Just Whose World Is It? about the advantages and disadvantages on writing in a shared universe. I had a good time and was able to discuss the work that Ken Pick and I do in writing tales in WebFed (now being joined with Eric Hinkle (aka ardashir) with a work-in-progress, Pouch of Wails. My hope is that you will see the latter soon in a magazine or anthology somewhere.

The next hour, I participated in Save The Magazines!, but I was way out of my league. First, the other participants were big name editors that spoke authoratatively on the classic magazines of the Golden Era. The circulation of the magazine, Asimov's Science Fiction, once 100,000, is down to 17,000 F&SF magazine even fewer. What I wanted to do was hold up Teresa Ford's Ethereal Tales as a model for modern magazines where she is not only branching out into other media, but she is also busy creating an Ethereal Tales community. I did have an opportunity to mention her and her work, but as her market is not "big bucks," I was reduced to being an onserver on the panel.

Also, I wanted to be respectful, so I did not say that with today's young readers, the name Asimov does not carry the weight he used to as he died in 1992. It would have been interesting to see if I would have been burned alive if I asked why they didn't kill the magazine and do a restart with Giaman's Science Fiction or use some other big name.

My reading was to be held at 5:30 p.m. where I was going to read from Dyads, the sequel to Mask of the Ferret and being released in the Twilight Times anthology Infinite Space, Infinite God, II. Alas, it was not to be, but I do not consider it a failure at all. First, I followed Mindy L. Klasky who read from her online series, As You Wish.

Let me tell you. It was very, very good.

So when 5:30 rolled around and nobody showed up for my reading, I asked Mindy to continue and she used my time to complete reading her story much to everybody's delight. In fact, we were so rapt in her tale that when my cell phone rang right at 6:00 p.m., we all jumped to the point we almost needed a spatula to get us off the ceiling. She's very good. Read her stuff.

I had not been told, but I found out that I was supposed to be on a panel about literary villains at 8:00 p.m., but I felt it was time to head home to get enough sleep for work on Sunday.

So what to do with all those extra copies of The Substance of Things Hoped For and Other Tales? They're going to be sold on consignment at Anthrocon.

CapClave. It was all good.

Will Sanborn, CEO of Anthropomorphic Dreams Publishing has announced that two of my stories will be appearing in an upcoming anthology.

Fox Hunt, as well as Down To Cathuria cowritten with Ken Pick will be appearing in Different Worlds, Different Skins in November.

Stay tuned for purchase details.

Please help a starving writer by linking to my book here.

I'll even give you an Attaboy! (or, depending on the circumstance, an AttaGirl ;-).

I am scheduled to be signing books at 12 noon on Saturday, October 17th at CapClave 2009.

Harry Turtledove is the Guest of Honor and will be releasing a novel at the convention he wrote specifically for CapClave 2009.

Fri 7pm Ranolph - Library Thing, Goodreads, and Other Book Conversations

Participants: Colleen Cahill (m), David Louis Edelman, C. Alan Loewen, Karen Newton

What is library thing/goodreads etc.? Why would people want to tell the world what books they have? What are similar book oriented social media? How are they useful to writers, readers, and others?

Sat 2pm Montrose - Just Whose World Is It?

Participants: Charles E. Gannon (m), Iver Cooper, A.C. Crispin, Virginia DeMarce, Ed Lerner, C. Alen Loewen

Shared universes. What are the difficulties and advantages of writing in a shared world? How do you keep things under control? Does this help or hurt a writing career?

Sat 3pm Montrose - Save the Magazines!

Participants: Edmund Schubert (m), Scott Andrews, C. Alen Loewen, Karen Newton, George Scithers, Shelia Williams

What can be done to save the magazines? Asimov's circulation, once 100,000 is down to 17,000 F&SF even fewer. Is it worth saving? Are magazines doomed? Can Internet save the magazines? What will replace them?

Sat 5:30pm Twinbrook - Reading: Alan Loewen

Though I requested a booik signing, there was not a slot yet assigned to me, but I have put in a special request.

Writers! Heads up.

Ethereal Tales is a 4theLuv market in Great Britain that is currently running a competition for Halloween stories.

Listen up. Many of you want to be writers. If so, you gotta pay your dues by writing stories, submitting them, and risking rejection. It's the way of the world.

No better time to start than now. No better market than Ethereal Tales.

I wrote it with Ken Pick (aka The Headless Unicorn Guy aka HUG) and you can read all about it here.

This caught me by surprise. Lulu just informed me they are having a sale on my anthology The Substance of Things Hoped For and Other Tales:

1. Go to my book page on Lulu.com. Here is an elegant and finely crafted link for your assistance:
   
   
   
   
2. Click "Buy" and enter code "LULUBOOK" at checkout.
   
3. You will save 10% off your purchase.

Want to know more about the anthology and what opther people have said about it? Go here.

Here's the legalese:

* Disclaimer: Enter coupon code "LULUBOOK" during checkout and save 10% off the purchase price. Discount cannot be used to pay for, nor shall be applied to, applicable taxes or shipping and handling charges. Maximum amount that may be applied to discount is $10.00 or less. Promotional codes cannot be applied to any previous orders. No exchanges or substitutions allowed. Only one valid promotional code may be used per order. Offer expires September 30, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. Lulu.com reserves the right to change or revoke this offer at any time. Void where prohibited.

Copyright (C) 2002-2009 Lulu, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

If anybody purchases my anthology and would like a personalized bookplate, please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

Alan Loewen
2725 Heidlersburg Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325-7618

If you are a friend of this LiveJournal account, you get one for free (but you still have to buy a book first. ;-)

Of course, the link to purchase The Substance of Things Hoped For and Other Tales is here.

The Substance of Things Hoped For and Other Tales is an anthology of twelve poems and stories, seven of them seeing publication for the first time.

1. The Substance of Things Hoped For
   
2. Death Comes Calling
   
3. The Wizard and the Poet
   
4. Night Mares
   
5. Through The Black Andes
   
6. Alice Remembers the White Knight
   
7. The Star
   
8. The Airship
   
9. Adrift Off the Great Red Spot, 22°51’23.14”S, 98°49’24.40”W
   
10. The Rules of Magic
    
11. Festival of Masks
    
12. Coventry House

From the storm-wracked clouds of Jupiter to a medieval England that has never been, these stories will transport you to times and places with tales of humor, mystery, and enchantment.



Praise for The Substance of Things Hoped For and Other Tales

I can highly recommend this chapbook by Alan Loewen. It is a delightful miscellany that will appeal to a broad variety of readers. Among my personal favorites are the short stories Death Comes Calling, with its neat, humorous twist, The Star, with its simple message of faith, The Rules of Magic, with its witty, unexpected plot development, the ingenious Festival of Masks, and the admirably inclusive Coventry House. As with all good short stories, there are no wasted words: the text is succinct and forceful. This book is a pleasure to read. ~ Robina Williams, author of the Quantum Cat series.

Alan Loewen believes in magic, and I'm not talking about the dark, Gothic stuff that gets spelled with a "k" at the end. I mean he believes in real magic, the kind that makes us look at the world and feel that sense of wonder we had when we were young. You can call it magic, fantasy, or myth, but it's based on the very cornerstone of his work: hope. Alan Loewen is handing out hope, and we're all the better for it if we grab some." - Donald Francis, author of Advent

Alan Loewen transports his readers into new worlds oddly familiar, yet full of surprises. Loewen is a magician with words. His stories always entertain and, when you least expect, take you by surprise. ~ Lynne Nave, Executive Editor; Stony Run Publishing Company

Alan Loewen's characters are unique and so are the twists each one takes in these stories.  A good read!  ~ Emily Chase, author of Help! My Family's Messed Up!

Wow, just wow! Loewen’s writing transports one to other worlds, worlds intricately woven of word and phrase, and leaves you wanting to explore further. ~ Teresa Ford, editor of Ethereal Tales

Captures the imagination, then sends it flying ... will sometimes stop you in your tracks, yet other times will cause you to step out to follow the tracks of others through time and realm alike. ~ Cynthia A. Conley, Independent Research & Freelance Writing Services

Praise for Mask of the Ferret and Dyads

Alan Loewen and Ken Pick have an incredible knack for weaving in details while keeping the stories flowing. Their science fiction stories will hold you in thrall to the last word. ~ Karina Fabian, editor, Infinite Space, Infinite God I and II

This book was not made in a vacuum. I stand on the shoulders of many friends and family members who encouraged and supported me, and special thanks go to Thom Ryng ( thomryng here on LiveJournal) for his invaluable editing and layout help and experience, and the very talented Megan Giles (dustmeat here on LiveJournal) for her gracious permission to use her artwork on the book cover.

Thank you to all for your support and encouragement.

Due to circumstances that have denied me a book to promote at CapClave, I have made some rather rapid decisions and have asked a number of people for assistance.

At the reading, I will be reading from Dyads, which is to be published in Infinite Space, Infinite God, II on April 10th of next year. Not the best choice because it is co-written with Ken Pick, so though there's a lot of Craig Loewen in the story, it has a lot of the Ken Pick magic that places it squarely in a cosmos you can almost touch. My stories touch the heart while Ken puts you in a literary world you can actually smell the grease and the sweat.

For the book signing, I have thrown together a chapbook consisting mostly of published small stories that I still retain the rights to and will publish it through Lulu.com.

Thom Ryng, an author and publisher, very kindly helped me turn my Word file into a .pdf file for Lulu and the result was amazing. I'm telling you that I want to sit at this man's feet and take a .pdf course. He did simple things that made the manuscript magic.

I have asked several authors/publishers whom I know personally for their endorsement of the work and write me a promotional blurb for the back cover, and they are slowly trickling in. However, my integrity demanded that they know what their name was being attached to, so I sent them a copy of the cover and the manuscript as some might take umbrage at the graphic (the unicorn lady represents the main character from the title story and though tasteful and clean (IMHO) it is obvious she is not wearing clothes). Also, some of the authors may not necessarily share my Christian world view and though the chapbook is not religious, three of the stories do show historical Christianity in a positive light which in some circles can be anathema to a career (breaks my heart to write that, but I have to embrace reality).

The cover, by the bye, is drawn by the incredibly talented Megan Giles and I'm honored and grateful beyond words that she would allow me to use her work.

So, the deadline for CapClave approaches. Will I make it? I didn't know the writing life could be so exciting. ;-)

I will be attending CapClave 2009 in Rockville, Maryland on October 16th and 17th.

I have submitted a proposal to do a reading of Dyads to be released April 10th, 2010 in the Twilight Times Press anthology Infinite Space, Infinite God 2 as well as do a book signing of the original ISIG as well as a special chapbook put together just for CapClave.

If you're going to be there, let's do coffee.

Just minutes ago, I have received a politely worded message from Jeff Nesbit of OakTara that he has released me from my contract which frees me to look for other publishers.

I regret that it didn't work out. I wish Jeff and Ramona the best in their business venture. From what I know of their past, their professional reputations should not be sullied by this one experience.

Events are moving rapidly. Please see my addendums to the poll here.

For reasons I do not wish to enumerate, I have to come up quickly with a chapbook of my fantasy stories to promote my work at CapClave this October. Moving too quickly to put a lot of thought in it, I'm asking you the reader for your assistance.

What do you think is the coolest title below for a collection of fantasy stories?

If you have a better one, please feel free to include a title in the comments.

Please do not check more than two titles.

Poll #1450290 Anthology Title
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 25

What should I title my throwaway chapbook anthology?

THANKS!

ADDENDUM: I would like to thank dustmeat for graciously allowing me to use this graphic as the cover for the upcoming chapbook.

ADDENDUM 2: I'm very sorry but I was unaware that you must be a member of LiveJournal to vote. However, you may still leave a comment.

The anthology that accepted the story Ken and I wrote together has now also accepted my solo story Fox Hunt.

I shall do the Happy Dance now!

OW, MY ACHING BACK! WHERE'S THAT CHIROPRACTOR!