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Today’s Guest Post is by Karina Fabian about her newest release: Neeta Lyffe

I was not interested in writing your usual zombie novel, so when I was asked to write Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, I gave myself permission to go a little nuts and try out some new things.  I knew it was going to center around a reality TV show, so I thought I’d add in all the things networks are doing nowadays to promote their shows:  weblogs (where the characters diss each other and promote themselves), forums (complete with trolls) and even a documentary that explained the whole zombie phenomenon.

I don’t think it would work for most books, but I had a lot of fun with this.  It let me go behind the scenes without worrying about head-hopping.  It spared me a lot of having to describe landscapes and backgrounds and such–I could cut right to the jokes.  The documentary let me add in a couple of flash stories that are much better for having the context of the entire novel.  Many reviewers enjoyed the fresh style, which did keep the novel moving.

It also helped me learn to work with a huge cast of characters, something I’d not done before.  That proved invaluable when I wrote my next book, a serious science fiction novel involving a crew that finds an alien device that shows them the weakness of their souls.

Now, however, I’m working on Neeta Lyffe II, and I’m finding that without the reality TV show angle (this one is at a convention), I’m not as free as I was in Neeta I.  I can’t make a forum fit.  The weblogs are more news-oriented.  There is a new documentary, however.  I really like being able to tell a separate but related story without flashback or characters just talking about it.

Experimenting with new formats is a great way to free up your imagination.

Byline: The Zombie Apocalypse Meets Reality TV!

Blurb:

By the 2040s, the shambling dead have become and international problem. While governments and special interest groups vie for the most environmentally-friendly way to rid the world of zombies, a new breed of exterminator has risen: The Zombie Exterminator. When zombie exterminator Neeta Lyffe gets sued because a zombie she set afire stumbles onto a lawyer’s back porch, she needs money, fast. So she agrees to train apprentice exterminators in a reality TV show that makes Survivor look like a game of tag. But that’s nothing compared to having to deal with crazy directors, bickering contestants and paparazzi. Can she keep her ratings up, her bills paid and her apprentices alive and still keep her sanity?

Excerpt:

The workout room had a weights set and an elliptical in one corner, but Neeta ignored them. She needed more vigorous exercise than that if she wanted to burn off her emotional funk.

None of the plebes had done the routine she’d just set for herself. It didn’t really reflect the reality of zombie movements, either. Although the crew had designed the targets to look much like actual undead, they moved too quickly, changed direction too suddenly, lunged and retreated in ways zombies couldn’t imitate. They zigged and zaggged, dropped from the ceiling to zoom back up, flung themselves from the ground to trip the unwary. For once, this wasn’t about train

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Today, I have the pleasure of featuring the talented author Karina Fabian as part of her virtual book tour for Mind Over Mind.
 Karina has graciously prepared a guest post for us:

I Like Ideas
By Karina Fabian

I like ideas.

That's the best part of writing for me--messing with ideas, whether they be about people (which includes mythical creatures) or about situations.  "What if" is a better plaything for me than Xbox or a soccer field or any game Matel ever made.

The wilder the "what if," the better.  What if zombies were just another household pest?  What if exterminators specialized in the undead?  What if they made a reality TV show out of training them?  (Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, (http://zombiedeathextreme.com).

Sometimes, the what if centers around a character:  What if someone in our time really did get telepathic powers--but he couldn't control them?  What if he was just a kid and no one believed him?  (Poor Deryl is my main character in Mind Over Mind, a fantasy about how he claws his way back to sanity with an intern who at least pretends to believe him.)

Sometimes, "what if" isn't enough; then I go find new toys: established legends and clichés, scientific articles and current events.  I pile them like blocks, mash them together like play-dough, and generally fiddle with them until something new emerges.  Most of my DragonEye, PI stories star a dragon detective and his magic-slinging nun partner and the crimes they solve are usually based in some kind of legend or legends that collide with reality in our world.  The next book, Live and Let Fly, is a hodge-podge of super-spy stories and clichés from movies and books.  In fact, when it comes out in April, I'm going to have a contest to see who can name the most.

If you're not seeing ideas all around, you, then you aren't looking--or you aren't looking with a sense of fun.  Don't be afraid to play with the mundane.  And don't be afraid so "stealing" someone else's idea.  In my workshops, I can present three elements to a room of ten people and each will come up with a unique spin or approach.

So go on--run wild.  Be free!  The playground of ideas is immense and there are enough toys for everyone!



Deryl Stephen’s uncontrollable telepathic abilities have landed him in a mental health institution, where no one believes in his powers.

But when Joshua Lawson, a student of neuro linguistic programming, takes part in a su

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When an insurance actuary lands a date with Coyote the Trickster, she discovers not every “Ten” is perfect Continue reading →

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Introducing Karina Fabian!  

 After being a straight-A student, Karina now cultivates Fs: Family, Faith, Fiction and Fun. From and order of nuns working in space to a down-and-out faerie dragon working off a geas from St. George, her stories surprise with their twists of clichés and incorporation of modern day foibles in an otherworld setting. Her quirky twists and crazy characters have won awards, including the INDIE book award for best fantasy (Magic, Mensa and Mayhem), and a Mensa Owl for best fiction (World Gathering). In May 2010, her writing took a right turn with a devotional, Why God Matters, which she co-wrote with her father. Mrs. Fabian is former President of the Catholic Writer’s Guild and also teaches writing and book marketing seminars online.

 Let’s hear what Karina has to say about science fiction writing…

 Why Science Fiction?

By Karina Fabian

 Rob and I have a confession to make:  Neither of us likes literary fiction much.  Oh, we can appreciate the classics like Dickens and Twain, and I was impressed by the beauty of the language in the Secret Lives of Bees, but when it comes to angst and personal reflection, we’d like to have that mixed in with some aliens or a rip-roaring space battle.

Too often, however, science fiction gets a bum rap.  People see only the aliens or the fantastic battles in space, or they classify science fiction with “Godless” fiction, and doubt it has any redeeming value beyond entertainment.

The truth is, science fiction is often used to examine the big issues in an entertaining and “safe” environment.  Star Trek, of course, is well known for this, but it’s not unique.  Aldous Huxley’s 1984 is a classic example–an examination of a future world where comfort and security have taken supreme precedence over individuality.  This book, written in 1931, still informs our political decisions, as we balance our own needs for security against letting our government become a “Big Brother.”

Another great example, made into a movie not so long ago, was Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot.  The crux of the story (and of many of Asimov’s other robot stories) were the Three Laws of Robotics:

1.         A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2.         A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3.         A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

At the heart of the stories lie the questions:  Can you legislate morality?  Is Right more than a set of rules to follow?

Science fiction tackles other big issues, too–prejudice (against aliens rather than a particular race–check out the TV show Alien Nation); conflict of cultures and the origin of ethics (Patchwork Girl by Larry Niven); Little Brother by Cory Doctorow looks at the opposite side of 1984–people banding together in reaction to the “Big Brother” state.  Naturally, it also looks at the impact technology has on our lives–a good one for that is Rainbow’s End by Vernor Vinge, where Alzheimer’s patients are cured and must reintegrate into a radically different society from the one they remember.

It is true tha

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Karina Fabian is having a whirl wind tour with Magic, Mensa & Mayhem. And, it is my pleasure to take part by hosting this talented author today.

To start, I'll give you the lowdown on Magic, Mensa & Mayhem:

Title: Magic, Mensa & Mayhem
Author: Karina Fabian
Publisher: Swimming Kangaroo
[email protected]
Tel: 817-717-5375
Fax: 817-548-1473
Genre: Fantasy
Released: Marc h 2009
Retail Price: $13.99 (print- US) 11.99 pounds (print – UK)
$3.99 (electronic)
ISBN: 978-1-934041-78-9

Available soon from Ingrams, Amazon and Kindle

Publisher's Weekly: Religion and humor suffuse this well-imagined and densely plotted comedic mystery, based on a short story of the same title. Cursed by St. George to serve the Faerie Catholic Church, dragon detective Vern now sleuths in the mundane world. His latest (unpaid) assignment is to babysit a group of faeries attending a Mensa meeting. Vern quickly has his claws full juggling crises, from invisible brownies to two elves whose rivalry threatens to become interdimensional war. Distinctly memorable and occasionally silly supporting characters, from Brunhilde the Valkyrie to Native American trickster Coyote, steer the action. While the conclusion sticks perilously close to genre formula and the narrative is jumpy throughout, most readers will forgive the clichés (and Vern’s groan-worthy puns) and chuckle all the way through.

Magic, Mensa & Mayhem made me laugh, everything from quiet chuckles to outright snorts. A quick read and an enjoyable one. --Jody Lynn Nye, author of An Unexpected Apprentice and the Myth, Inc series

…."Wisdom of the Ages, Knowledge of Eternity, and I end up a babysitter at the Smart Humans' Convention."--Vern

Now, we'll learn a bit about Karina Fabian:

Although a Mensan, KARINA FABIAN lives a life of "F’s" — Family, Faith, Fiction & Fun. Winner of an EPPIE award for best sci-fi (Infinite Space, Infinite God) and a Mensa Owl for best fiction ("World Gathering: Magic, Mensa and Mayhem"), Karina’s writing takes quirky twists that amuse her — and her readers. A fan of comedy improv, she came up with Dragon Eye, PI, started after watching a film noir skit on Whose Line Is It, Anyway? and it has grown into one of her favorite worlds to write in. Learn more about Karina at Fabian Space and more about Vern and Grace at Dragoneye PI. Karina lives with her husband and children at Minot AFB, North Dakota.

As an added bonus, Karina has graciously answered a couple of questions for us:

I know you present workshops on "worldbuilding" at a number of online conferences, what do attendees find the most difficult about creating worlds? And, what do you think is the most difficult?

Keeping a consistent logic is one of the biggest challenges, I think. There's a temptation to toss in whatever seems cool without following the effects through. If everyone is psychic, how does politics differ? Do you really need telephones--or any kind of communication device?

For example, if you set up a world where natural disasters have destroyed most of the world, then you need to consider how that affects the number of survivors, the technological backsteps, the government structures, etc. By the same token, is it logical to assume we'd revert back to a feudal society, totally disregarding centuries of socio-political change? It's up to the author, but it should be a reasoned, not flip, decision.

I believe when you think these things through, you get a better book, too.

Do you think it takes a certain type of writer to grasp world building?

No. Each will come at it his or her own way, however. Some will research and adapt; others will daydream and seat-of-the-pants write. It's easier for some than others, of course. Also, the needs of the story or book determine the level of worldbuilding. Even some science fiction and fantasy stories really don't need to go beyond the ray-gun or wizard level. The world is unimportant to the story.

Have you ever started a world and then just realized it wasn't working?

Yes and no. I have a world, Barin, that I (in my inexperience) just tossed out because it sounded cool. Now I'm having to go back and think about all the effects of the things I decided--the regular catastrophe that leaves most of their world uninhabitable above ground, the fanatical cult that's taken over one country and influences the others. Of course, the things I'm discovering have taken it from "cool" to "Way Cool," but it's also like putting together a puzzle when the pieces don’t quite want to match. It's on hold for now while I work other projects.

Thanks so much, Karina. This is great information for those writers who are thinking of venturing into the unknown of worldbuilding. And, thank you for spending the day with us.

Be sure to get yourself a copy of Karina's Magic, Mensa & Mayhem!

See you in blog world,
Karen

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I have the pleasure of hosting author, Karina Fabian.

Karina has written everything from radio news stories to personality features to science fiction. She’s been in over 50 periodicals and is the author of Infinite Space, Infinite God (August 2007, Twilight Times Books); Leaps of Faith; Firestorm of Dragons has driven her into the world of marketing. As she learns the tricks of publicizing her book, she’s also tried to share her knowledge with others by teaching courses, offering “primers” on her website, answering questions and offering unsolicited advice. (Did we mention she also wrote how-to pieces?) In addition, she’s shopping a fantasy trilogy, publishing a newsletter, writing a Catholic science fiction novel and crafting a fantasy noir satire involving a dragon detective, the creatures of Faerie and a Mensa convention.

Karina is President of the Catholic Writers' Guild, owner of Catholic Writers Online, and active in a half-dozen or more groups. She homeschools her four children, and has the most understanding husband in the world.

Karina has several blogs, websites and a live chat:
Fabianspace, where you'll find info about her, her writing and her eclectic writing/homeschooling/humor/just-gotta-say-it blog
Infinite Space, Infinite God, the official site.
virtualbooktourdenet, where she'll gladly advertise your book if you'll return the favor to someone else (pay it forward)
Dragon Eye PI, where you can learn more about the fantasy noir dragon detective Vern, his partner Sister Grace, and the world of Dragon Eye, PI.
And, FabChat, a live-chat with a guest author (at FabianSpace, click on FabChat).

Karina you are one busy lady!

Being so busy with four children you home school, your sites, and groups, how do you manage your time and do you find it overwhelming?

I'm always overwhelmed, it seems, but I also don't know how to handle myself when I have down time. I always come up with some new project. I stopped homeschooling the kids when we moved to Minot, ND, so the situation changed. I've enjoyed two years of concentrating on my writing, and have probably gotten a little overboard. We're moving to Los Angeles next year, so we're not sure what we'll do with the school situation yet. When I home school, the kids have my attention until about 2 or 3; then I get a few hours for writing. When they are in public/private school, I do a lot of work during the school hours—and afterwards, too. I can get obsessive.
I split my week into daily themes—Monday, Catholic Writers Guild work, since I'm President. Tuesday, marketing. Wednesday, writing. Thursday, housekeeping tasks and writing. Friday, webwork. I try to put in a little writing each day as well, but that does not always work. If I get on a deadline, of course, the whole thing goes out the window.

Were you always a writer?

Since about third grade I have a hard time NOT writing. Too many characters want to tell me their stories and if I don't write them out, I'll sit around daydreaming until the Funny Farm takes me away.

Karina, I know you do marketing and promotion workshops. I attended one in the Muse Online Conference in October 08.

What are the best tips you could give someone trying to drive traffic to their blog or website?

Be active in online groups and put your website link in your signature block. I've noticed lately that a good percentage of the visitors to my websites are coming from IP addresses with "mail" in them. It's funny, because I thought no one looked at those things.
Also, have regular content—whether daily or weekly. I've found my website hits spike on the days I blog. Be entertaining or useful when you blog, too.

And, maybe you can tell us a little about virtualbooktourdenet.

How do you get authors/writers to tour on your site and do you run into any problems?

Getting them is easy. I just ask. Keeping them organized. That's hard. I've had people post a month early because I got the interview done ahead of time. Other times, I may spend an hour on an interview or guest blog and they forget to post it. Usually, though, they'll get it up. It's just a matter of keeping on top of things. I'm not as good at that as I used to be.
 
Do you find it causes pressure or stress to continually try to present your guests in fresh ways or include new info?


No, but I've kept the format simple: cover, synopsis, purchase link.  Authors supply me and so the material is fresh as they are!

Your latest book to be published, Leaps of Faith, sounds so interesting. Please tell us a little about it.

In both Christian and mainstream science fiction, either religion or science always seems to take a back seat.  In mainstream SF, religion may be portrayed as something mankind has “outgrown” or that has become as alien as the worlds visited; or only one faith is represented, as if the great tapestry of Judeo-Christian faiths has been bleached into a colorless whole.  By the same token, in Christian fiction, accurate, plausible science may be downplayed to the point of device rather than vital story element.

Yet, in reality, faith and science have always nurtured each other. Mendel, the father of genetics, was a monk, and some physicists have said the more they delve into quantum mechanics, the more they are convinced in a higher power as Creator.  Where is the SF to reflect the truer relationship between faith and science? Here, in Leaps of Faith.

The 15 stories in Leaps of Faith cover the entire spectrum of the SF genre, showing the positive relationship between science and religion. 

Where can we find out more about Leaps of Faith along with ordering info?

Website:  www.leapsoffaithsf.com
Publisher: http://www.thewriterscafe.com/

Here are the Ordering Links for Karina's books:

Infinite Space, Infinite God

Firestorm of Dragons

Leaps of Faith

This has been great, Karina. Thanks so much for talking with us.

Stay tuned all, on the 28th I'll post Virtual Book Tours February 1st schedule.

See you in blog world,
Karen

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Vivian Zabel honored me with the Prémio Dardos - or Darts Prize. Thank you, Vivian.

The Prémio Dardos is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.

From what I can gather, the origin of the Prémio Dardos began in Portugal or Brazil and this is the closest rendition of the original intent available:

1) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.

2) Pass the award to another 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment, remembering to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been selected for this award. So, I am passing the torch to:

Terri Forehand
Carma Dutra
Kathy Stemke
Lea Schizas
Joy Delgado
Suzanne Lieurance
Karina Fabian
Margot Finke
Simon Rose
Deboran Ramos
Dehanna Bailee
Dainne Sagan
Harry Gilleland
Nancy Famolari
Margaret Fieland

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