In November 2011, I took on the role of Marketing Director for Steve Jackson Games. I telecommute, which helps me get a lot more done than I would if I was down in Austin. I recently spent a week down there and talked about my trip when I returned from Austin on my blog. The experience reminded me of working for a restaurant or a newspaper because everything hinges upon product getting out the door in a timely fashion. For a small company with a big reputation, day-to-day operations can get pretty crazy especially when we’ve got a lot of new staff.

Staff Changes

Due to promotions and shifting positions, Leonard Balsera of Evil Hat Productions fame is now the new Munchkin Hireling. Angie, the former assistant, is now in Warehouse 23 customer service rep and Liegh, who was Phil Reed’s assistant, got promoted to Warehouse 23 manager. We’ve also got a new person at the head of MIB Control and in charge of convention planning. Kevin is way, way, way more organized than I could ever hope to be!

Valentine’s Day Promotion

Warehouse 23 is an online store where you can buy games and toys from a variety of publishers — including Steve Jackson Games. It is the sister store to the digital arm dubbed e23. For Valentine’s Day, the Sparkly Good Fairy dropped by the warehouse. The Official Munchkin Bookmark of Sparkly Good Monster Mayhem will be included with each order while supplies last. Customers who place an order of $75 or more will also get a Munchkin Fairy Dust Handbag of Holding, too! There are some items on Warehouse 23 that you can’t buy anywhere else. If you’ve never checked out this store before, I’d definitely take a peek at the Warehouse 23 exclusives for some Cthulhu-licious options.

I was happy we could put together this promotion because I’ve been learning how dedicated Munchkin fans are to this game line. To give you a hint? One rare Heart of the Anomaly Munchkin card was sold for over $1,000 dollars on eBay! My goal is to figure out how we can get promo cards and bookmarks out to fans. We’ve got a lot of ideas brewing that have to be balanced against convention season and getting new games and toys out the door. Did you know that Munchkin is now in Target? Yeah, pretty exciting stuff.

New for 2012

Several fans are eagerly awaiting the debut of the Plush Tentacle. It’s bendable and it has a belt loop, too. I’ve already heard some folks are planning on incorporating the tentacle into their Halloween costumes.

I’ve also been preparing for a few big releases this quarter. Munchkin 8 – Half Horse, Will Travel, which was drawn by John Kovalic, has two new fantasy races in the supplement to core Munchkin. Now, if you’ve been following John’s art from the beginning, you will notice a huge difference in the line art. The cards a lot more detailed due to his style enhancements. The Good, the Bad, and the Munchkin 2 – Beating a Dead Horse is the second expansion to come out this spring followed by Munchkin the Guild. Len Peralta, who draws the Geek-A-Week cards, is the artist for the Munchkin the Guild booster.

The other new release I want to mention is the Zombie Dice expansion dubbed Zombie Dice 2 – Double Feature. I haven’t played the alternative versions yet, so I’m anxious to see what they came up with. Zombie Dice has turned out to be a fun game when we’re entertaining folks. My brother loved it!

Revisiting 2011

I’m not sure if you’ve had the chance to check out what was released in 2011 from Steve Jackson Games, but I have two lists for you just in case. First, you’ll want to check out the GURPS releases in 2011 which includes GURPS Horror by Kenneth Hite. The cover was illustrated by Chris Shy, who has done a lot of work for White Wolf Publishing and other game, movie, and comic companies. Second, be sure to read the 2011 Steve Jackson Games release list to get a feel for what came out last year.

‘Til next time!

Related posts:

1. Sneak Peek at Zombie Chibithulhu, Munchkin Axe Cop, Munchkin Conan and more!
2. Inside ACD Games Day
3. Fat Dragon Games to publish Call of Cthulhu cardstock terrain sets

Available at the RPGNow.com

The Dark Tower CD from Nox Arcana was developed solely by Joseph Vargo as a themed complement to The Dark Tower anthology series. The music composed for this particular collection seems to be more understated than their other offerings. There are two types of experiences I’ve had with Nox Arcana’s music. The first is evident through Blackthorn Asylum, The Necronomicon, Phantom of the High Seas, and the Theatre of Illusion.

After you hear the opening refrain, there’s typically a story threaded throughout the music so it’s often a bad idea to play the CD at random if you want the full experience. I found this was especially true for Grimm Tales, which is one of my favorite Nox Arcana CDs. In these cases, you become a more active (rather than passive) listener because you have to pay attention to not only the notes — but also the order of the arrangements and the story arc, too.

Mood-setting and ambiance is, what I would consider, the second way listeners can dive into this band’s music. I’d put this particular compilation squarely in the mood music camp because I felt Dark Tower was less complex and had less variety than their other CDs. When paired with the fiction and Vargo’s signature art style, Dark Tower is the perfect accompaniment to help readers embrace a Gothic horror mood while focusing on a story. On its own, I felt this would be a good introduction to Nox Arcana’s overall style, but may not necessarily stand out as much as their previous offerings that demand a listener’s full attention.

If you’re searching for dark and delectable music to play in the background, then Dark Tower is a good CD to help you do just that.

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Blackthorn Asylum CD Review
2. Shadow of the Raven Nox Arcana Music Review
3. Vampyre: Dark Genesis RPG Review

A letter came across my feeds today written to film critic extraordinaire, Roger Ebert. In this letter to the editor, the writer states that:

Ever ask yourself what gave birth to the horror genre in the first place?

A: You’re a horny teenage boy and girls terrify you — which you find exciting: the combination of fear and the erotic. Almost every horror film taps into it and that’s why it’s a genre watched mostly by males.– A Reader’s Letter to Roger Ebert

Okay, the “birth of horror” comment really got under my skin. Horror has always been around. Read up on the origin of fairytales or dive into mythology and religion. Vampires, for example, are one of the oldest myths and they are part of almost every culture. Stories that induced fear was often used to help keep societies in line as they continued to grow. The origin of the changeling myth is a good example of that.

Now, outside of supernatural creatures (because I’m assuming that’s what the writer meant) modern horror didn’t just evolve in the 70s. Lovecraft is considered the father of modern horror, but other authors also influenced film, television, literature, etc. I’m not going to regale with “what I know” about Lovecraft, because that honor would be left to Kenneth Hite. One of the themes, however, that we are destined to fail does resonate with some of these splatterpunk movies. It’s not just about who’s physically stronger or weaker. It’s about who will, at the end of the horror, survive.

Anyway, the writer’s belief that horror is a metaphor for sex just keeps going on and on and on in this letter. I’m sure, if you’ve read any of my work or know me as a person, you understand how much I strongly disagree with this tack on “the birth of horror” and that it’s all about sex and violence toward women. Earlier this week, I wrote a few ramblings about personal bias online.

This, quite frankly, is a prime example of that. The writer later states that she doesn’t like ninety percent of horror movies. I’m guessing that she hasn’t seen ninety percent of all horror movies or believes that you can be a feminist and write/enjoy/watch horror. Like any other genre? Horror has sub-genres. There are so many flavors of horror, to lump it all into this bucket is short-sighted and ridiculous. I don’t like or read sappy romance books or movies. Does that mean I treat everything in romance to be the same? Hardly. I know what I like, and I know what I don’t like. I can talk about trends and I can tell you about themes I prefer, but I am not qualified to explain everything there is to know about romance because my tastes run more Buffy/Angel than Gone With the Wind.

The other reason why I wanted to point this letter out, is because I have encountered a stigma when I mention I lurk in the dark or write more horror-related tales. I don’t like to write gore for the sake of writing gore. Splatterpunk is a sub-genre, but it’s not my cup of tea. However, I’m female. And if there’s one thing that the writer here says is somewhat true, is that there is a popular belief horror is more for a male, rather than female, audience. Traditionally, within a certain framework of movies, I suppose that’s the case because it’s taboo for women and violence to be associated. There are remnants all over the place; women who are aggressive are bitches. See: the 80s.

This, however, has changed over the years with the mainstream accessibility of horror and the crossover with other genres. Urban fantasy. Romance. Science Fiction. Hell, I saw costumes of little girls dressed up as zombies when I was out at Halloween.

I know that as the popularity of TV shows like The Walking Dead and True Blood continue to spread, ideas of what true horror is will evolve. It can’t happen soon enough for me.

Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Year in Horror Movies 2010
2. Why “13 Ghosts” is a Classic Horror Film. New at Crackle.com!
3. Have a Horror Movie Buff You Need to Buy For? Jason Recommends…

On September 27th, Monte Cook took over for Mike Mearls as a columnist on the Wizards of the Coast website. Penning “Legends and Lore,” the series dives deep into the core of Dungeons and Dragons to explore the essence of this game. I recently had the chance to pore through these articles and he brings up some great points that I hadn’t thought of. What I feel this column does, is open the door to community-focused discussion and feedback from all gamers, not just players who prefer a particular edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

I really liked some of the subjects Monte addressed when he talked about Magic and Lore in Dungeons and Dragons. In the article, he posed these questions: “What if the game assumed no magic items? What if magic items really were just hard-fought-for treasure that made characters better?”

In two questions, Monte managed to pinpoint my issue with magic and magic items in general. He gave this example later on in the same article. “If magic items aren’t something easily purchased and aren’t carefully equated to character level, there’s suddenly a lot more room for them to be stranger, more idiosyncratic, and in general more interesting.”

In my mind, that definition fits with the nature of magic and draws me further into the setting as opposed to focused on numbers and min/maxing the system. If I’m concentrated on a number, then the item itself is meaningless. When it comes to magic items, what typically makes a +1 Rod o’ Healing awesome for my character is that it gives my rogue elf a mechanical, not a story, benefit. While that may be true and important in some situations, for me? The story of how I got that Rod and where it originated from is crucial to my ability to become emotionally-attached to it. I will play with an item that means something to me, even if the mechanical benefit is less than another item, because I view that to be part of my character.

There’s a ton of nuggets like this jam-packed into every article. I encourage you to check out this series from Monte Cook to get in on the ground floor (so to speak). There’s a chance to vote on the article topic and the results are posted in the following column.

Here’s what has been covered so far:

I’m really interested to see how this column will develop and how it will affect the future of Dungeons and Dragons. This is a refreshing take on the game and I hope to see a book come out of this one day.

Related posts:

1. Surely You Joust!

Remember my Neverwinter Nights on Facebook review? Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter is a huge step up. It has music! And awesome graphics!

Okay, here’s a run through:

I create a new character. Choices are arranged by height: Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue and Custom. Curious, I click on “Custom.” Although I can create my own character and stats, I opt to go with an Eladrin Wizard.

STR 10
INT 20 (+5)
WIS 10
CON 11
DEX 16 (+3)
CHA 8 (-1)

Character name: Sha’Relea. Approved! I have some customization, which I take advantage of. When I’m done, a companion pops up with the words: “Whew! You blacked out on me back there. I thought you were a goner.” Come to find out the person speaking to you is Edrick, a scout who was guiding you through the goblin woods. You wind up on a strategy grid where you can move about. Edrick leads you to the next board and the first round of combat.

Combat is really easy. You need to pick the option you want and then once you’re done you end your turn. After combat, I got to pick a treasure! Then, I go on to the next board. There’s a mini-map at the bottom of the screen and the ability to play this full screen. I proceed through level after level until I get to the Goblin Camp. After slaying a few goblins with Edrick, I grab some treasure and wind up in Neverwinter where I can continue finding quests, buy equipment, meet other adventurers and more!

I go to my house. There I find gifts from friends and unlock achievements. To upgrade my equipment, the game uses a drag-and-drop method which I didn’t grasp right away. I buy a new staff and upgrade my armor. Now, I’m ready to fight again! Whoo-hoo! Only, it’s not a good idea to go off by myself. So I head to the Tavern where I learn I can go on quests with up to three other adventurers. I click on some familiar faces and head back out to see what quests there are. I’m headed beneath Neverwinter to sift through the catacombs. I opted for two Dragonborn and two wizards and have been making a lot of use out of the Magic Missiles.

Combat and movement are both color-coded. Corpses you can loot are denoted by sparkles (which helps me!) and the mini-map shows you how long it takes for you to finish the adventure. This time around, I didn’t need a rogue but that doesn’t mean I won’t pick one next time. I manage to head through the catacombs and fight several corpses, face a necromancer, and live to tell another tale.

As far as Facebook games go, this is exemplary. I’m so glad I played the other Neverwinter Nights game because there truly is no comparison between Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter and the other one. This is a professional presentation with decent graphics and soundtrack, good social mechanics, and engaging stories. I’ve played a lot of Facebook games over the years, including some other turn-by-turn based games, and this still has the illusion of being social without any of the usual hang ups. You don’t need to wait on other players to stick around and shoot, but you can still offer gifts and other goodies to your friends.

I had a lot of fun playing this game and think it’s easier to play than other, similar strategy games designed like this (on sites like BubbleBox.com) because there are messages and signals to help any transition. When someone’s health is in trouble it flashes red. Practically everything is clickable and pop-ups are on hand to tell you what to do, so if you’re new to gaming there’s plenty to help ease you through the adventure.

So go have fun!

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Heroes of Neverwinter Interview and Giveaway!

One of the cool things about “new” media is a company’s ability to bridge the gap between paper and pencils with technology. Neverwinter Nights on Facebook is a social game you can play.

The first thing you do is roll stats. There’s no character class, but this min/maxer (That’s right.. Me…) rolled a few times until I got… Well… Some decent stats. The game didn’t work on Chrome so off to Firefox I go… That’s where I found out that punctuation doesn’t work in the character name field. I have an elf name I often use (Lazy, I know, I know…) but the apostrophe didn’t take.

Character name: Sha relea
Strength: 20/20
Stamina: 165/165
Intelligence: 10/10
Agility: 10/10
Spirit: 10/10
Experience: 1/100 Lvl 1 <---At least I get one point for setting this up!
Gold: Zero <--- OUCH! MUST FIX!
Gems: 5

Currently, I am located in a graveyard. I own a neutral army. Should I attack said graveyard? OF COURSE. I try to attack the graveyard and that isn't the right action for me to take. There's an add for D&D online, but below that I see a number of options for me that flesh out what I can do. I'm feeling... Peckish? In the mood for violence? So I click on the "fight" link.

And win!

My stats now are:

Strength: 40/40 <--I'm going to be soooo buff!
Stamina: 205/205
Intelligence: 10/10
Agility: 10/10
Spirit: 10/10
Experience: 11/100 Lvl 1
Gold: $10
Gems: 5

I attempt to buy a weapon, but sadly I have little gold. I need a hundred pieces! The Blade's description cracks me up. It says: Basic stabby stabby. So I attempt to fight the Ghost Army and I lose. Badly.

However...

I lose 10% of my health. That's it. And gain an experience point. I try a Quest to Smack the Rat. I get a dollar and an experience point. It's suggested that I visit to the tavern. I click "continue" and I find two gold. (Still need that hundred to get a blade...) So I try another Lvl 1 quest. More gold. (You see where I'm going with this -- I like the shinies!)

So I go back to fighting and I win again.

Before I leave the game, I check out the icons in the upper right hand corner. Find out after I click the Tavern’ll cost me twenty gold (OW!) but I recover my pride along with my Health and Stamina before I fight again.

The game is fun, quick and easy. You can recruit friends and fight quickly. The only drawbacks are for… Well, should I call myself a hardcore gamer? There’s no character class, but I’m not sure there needs to be. Yes, the ad threw me off a bit because I was concentrated on playing Neverwinter Nights on Facebook. And I would have liked to know what to do in a sample round before diving in. Other than that? It’s very, very easy for gamers and non-gamers alike. So easy, in fact, it’s the kind of game you can kick all kinds of arse in less than ten seconds.

Wanna fight?

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook

Available at Amazon.com

Warhammer 40,000: SpaceMarine is a game that debuted for the PS3 (and other platforms). While I’m familiar with Games Workshop, I am new to to the Warhammer universe. I feel that’s important to keep in mind when you’re reading my review.

Part of the reason why I’ve never played Warhammer or read the fiction was because my impression was that I wasn’t really the target market for this setting. It has always felt very male-dominated and macho to me. Even though I felt that way, I always gave the property a healthy amount of respect. I consider the Warhammer SpaceMarine to be the original. Period. This is where the super-soldier in gaming comes from and truth be told? For someone like me that can be a little intimidating because I like big guns just as much as the next gamer, but I also want a good story. These initial impressions were reinforced when I read the handbook. Most of the alien ork names were riffs on “boy.” A few of my fellow gamers reassured me that this was part of the game’s charm, and that I should really keep an open mind when diving in.

Glad I did!

Is there a great story? Oh, yeah! Are these SpaceMarines different from the space marine derivatives I’ve seen in anime and other video games? Yes. Did I come away with a feeling that I was playing an ancient console game? Absolutely not. The science fiction world of the UltraMarines reminded me of what might happen if the Roman Empire never fell. There’s an order to things and a code of ethics these characters follow. Right from the start, you fill the big shoes of Captain Marcus Titus, an experienced veteran who doesn’t live by the letter of the law. He knows the spirit.

The graphics on this game are really impressive. There’s a level of detail that gives each screen a grungy, war-torn feel. But that’s not the only reason why I liked playing Warhammer, the mechanics are simple and there is a lot of ass-kicking to be had. (Just press one button for most of the action and combos for special effects.) So much butt-kicking, in fact, that one of the mechanics allows you to stun and take health from an ork to refuel. Multiple play settings are perfect for any style of play. Though, you may want to go through the first leg of the mission on an easier setting. Orks by themselves aren’t the problem. It’s the swarms and the individual boss battles that wind up making a SpaceMarine’s life difficult on a mixture of high-and-low terrains. Short on time? Don’t worry. Each leg of the mission has a mini-RPG style feel and you can play through each checkpoint and not lose out the next time you pick up your controller.

If the goal for this fast-paced third person shooter was to make the game as playable as possible, then I feel Warhammer 40000: SpaceMarine really does the job. Very easy to aim, great visual cues and auto-saves keep the emphasis on the action, right where it should be.

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Announcing Black Crusade, a Warhammer 40k Roleplaying Game
2. Deathwatch (Warhammer RPG) Review
3. Call to Arms (Warhammer) Review

Available at Amazon.com

SHADOW FALL is the third book in the Shadowchasers series by Seressia Glass. You can read my review of SHADOW CHASE, the second book in the series, here at Flames Rising.

An exhibit at an Egyptian museum and a dark mystery is the focal point for Kira Solomon and the other characters in SHADOW FALL. The events that happen in this book dive into Kira’s murky background and the reactions of all those around her — which aren’t always positive.

While this book does dive into a mystery, I felt the pacing was more character-driven than plot-driven. By that, I mean that while there is a dangerous and very real threat Kira must resolve, what’s more important in SHADOW FALL are the details we learn about her character. While there was action, I wasn’t surprised by the events that happened because there were a few scenes I felt were drawn out a little on the predictable side. Admittedly, I felt torn. I understood why we needed to watch Kira struggle with her past in order to pursue her future, but I didn’t feel the time-sensitivity of the danger up until I got back to the museum. That, to me, was the shining moment of this book. The trial Kira faced, her reaction, and the scenes following that from Khefar’s point-of-view were nothing short of spectacular. While I didn’t mention much about the romance in SHADOW FALL, that’s part of the story and the conflict that unfolds alongside the mystery. It’s well integrated and it complements the rest of the plot.

Would I recommend this series to someone else, regardless of what I thought about the pacing? Absolutely. There is a deeper story here, one for careful readers. That story is the battle we all face between what we think is “dark” and “light.” Can you have good without evil? Can you be a good person and have a dark side? Can you acknowledge that it’s healthy and perfectly normal to have a darker side?

In many ways, this series is a blend of urban fantasy with more literary themes, and that’s part of the reason why I think it’s worth a read. Glass manages to write not just for one audience, but two or even three, so if you’re remotely curious about an urban fantasy with an Egyptian flair, I encourage you to dive right in.

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Shadow Chase Fiction Review
2. The Snow Queen’s Shadow Fiction Review
3. Claimed by Shadow Fiction Review

Speak Out with your Geek Out began with a single drop of creativity. Today, from where I sit, I’m floating happily along in an ocean of laughter, smiles and friendship. For that? I thank you muchly. (See: the answer to why is a raven like a writing desk.)

The majority of the responses have been overwhelmingly positive. There have been a few critical conversations that highlighted deeper issues within the community but that is to be expected from an event that got a lot of attention. Speak Out got a signal boost earlier in the week which amplified people’s knowledge about it. Geek Dad on Wired.com blogged about it, John Kovalic from Dork Tower drew a strip about it, Matt Forbeck interviewed me for GeekDad and Jennisodes podcast hosted me for a special chat.

In my mind, what has happened here can and should happen again. Many people would like this to be an annual event. There have been other conversations about going above-and-beyond what this event is. For that? I need your help.

Everything that was done: interviews, comic, writing, hosting, logo, etc. was donated or done on a volunteer basis in an extremely short span of time. Please keep that in mind when you’re answering my questions. You can either comment below or answer these on your blog and link to them in the comments.

(1) Do you feel Speak Out was a positive experience? Why or why not?

(2) Would you like this to be an annual event?

(3) Did you understand participation was voluntary? That there was a reason why “geek” was never defined?

(4) Is there anything that can be done differently for next year?

(5) If your answer to (4) was yes, how would you feel about a Kickstarter to help fund those goals?

Related posts:

1. A Look Back At Speak Out With Your Geek Out
2. 25 Blog Post Ideas for Speak Out with your Geek Out

Available at Amazon.com

NIGHT VEIL is the second book in the Indigo Court series by NYT best-selling author Yasmine Galenorn. It follows the story of Cicely Waters who found herself inexplicably drawn to Grieve, a Fae Prince, then torn from his side. This story is the second in the series and may not be as powerful if you haven’t read the first book, so please keep that in mind when you’re reading this review and you’re worried about spoilers. My review of NIGHT MYST was published during our Vampire Week, and we do have a NIGHT VEIL excerpt you can read at your leisure.

One of the reasons why I like this series, is because Galenorn presents the darker side of magic, vampires, Fae and other creatures. This is not the happy-go-lucky world where everyone winds up together. It is at odds with itself and there are very real, very short-and-long term consequences that come from living in a world where power is not necessarily a good thing. The romance, and all flavors therein, follows suit. In some ways, this book takes risks with topics normally taboo in fiction (e.g. hedonism) but does it in a way that impossibly makes perfect sense. What would you do if you were a centuries-old vampire with all these powers? One who still felt the urge to have sex? What pleasure would sex have for you after the first 50 years? 100? 1,000?

The reason why the risks taken in NIGHT VEIL made perfect, total and logical sense to me, was because Galenorn doesn’t dive deep into the darker side of sex — she plummets into the nature of a vampire. If this was a story about a human (for lack of a better word) at odds with a human like Lannon Altos, then I would stop reading the series altogether because certain topics are difficult for me to read. But here? Within the context of all the forces that are acting against Cicely in her quest to save not only her lover and her friend, but the town and the world as she knows it, too? I’m totally fine with it, because Galenorn isn’t afraid to “beat up” her characters, to guide them through the crucible to find their personal power.

In NIGHT VEIL, Cicely isn’t the only one who falls on hard times. It seems that everyone has either something to lose or something to gain as war brews between the vampiric Fae and everyone else. Kaylin, too, has a journey he must go through to deal with a demon that threatens his life.

There are three, other books in the Indigo Court series. This book introduced many new characters and you learn more about Cicely’s identity and her part in the overall war. You also discover more about the Fae and the vampires here, and why no one is as well-intentioned as they seem.

Who will like this book and this series? If you prefer your worlds to be dark and dangerous, if you like your heroines to fall and rise and fall and rise up again, if you want a war that has been brewing for hundreds of years — you will love the Indigo Court series and NIGHT VEIL.

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Preview of Night Veil by Yasmine Galenorn
2. Taste of Night Fiction Review
3. Scar Night Review

Today’s post is to give you some ideas to blog about. If you want to help, please share your ideas for blog post ideas in the comments below or contact me to do a guest post.

Before I do, I want to share with you one of the debut posts encouraging people to sign on. Read Speaking Out by Gary and maybe you’ll get inspired to write your own story.

List of Positive Blog Ideas for Geeking Out

1. What words of reassurance do you want to share with people who feel embarrassed about their hobbies?

2. Why are you proud to identify yourself as a geek? Can you do this in a way that doesn’t condescend or sound elitist?

3. True confessions: If you have engaged in nerd rage or edition wars, what would you say to someone who said they weren’t going to try your hobby because you were too negative?

4. When was the first time you realized you loved your hobby (or vocation)?

5. For professionals out there, how did you turn your passion for your hobby into a career?

6. Remember a time when someone put you down for the hobbies/vocation you love so much. Now, imagine sitting down to a table and introducing them to your passions and how they make you happy. How would you do it and what would you pick?

7. Is there a hobby or vocation you think you’d be passionate about but haven’t had the time/courage/opportunity to learn?

8. Name someone you admire for their hobbies/vocation. Post an online fan letter telling them how much they inspire you.

9. Teach us something cool about the hobby/vocation that you’re into in a way even beginners will understand.

10. Interview someone you know who’s into a hobby/vocation you know nothing about.

11. Review your favorite book, game, comic or other media in a way that tells us how this property affected you.

12. Come up with your own Speak Out with your Geek Out manifesto. Tell us why this movement is important to you.

13. Talk about something you want or have that represents your hobbies or interests better than anything else.

14. Was there a person in your life who encouraged you or taught you about your hobby or vocation? Write them an online “Thank You” letter.

15. Write a letter to a younger version of yourself. What would you say to inspire you?

16. Share with us the positive aspects of your hobby or vocation on your community.

17. If you’ve dealt with stereotypes and name-calling before because of your hobbies, how did you persevere?

18. Photo bomb! Show us pictures of your favorite geek-or-vocation related activity.

19. Geeks are often stereotyped. Write your own, positive geek stereotype that turns the negative around.

20. Give us ten reasons why it’s good to be a geek.

21. Start an internet meme that tackles your interests. Then tag us to respond.

22. Did you abandon your favorite hobby or interest because you didn’t have the time? Pick a night and dive back in. Then write about it!

23. Dig deep and tell us how your hobby or vocation has made your life, or the world around you, a better place.

24. For professionals: If you have a product, website or service to sell, share with us your passion for what you have created or what you have to offer. This isn’t a chance to use marketing-speak on us, be genuine!

25. For professionals: Sponsor a give-a-way or contest on your blog to encourage people to share your interests.

Related posts:

1. A Look Back At Speak Out With Your Geek Out
2. Need Your Help! Feedback on Speak out with your Geek Out
3. Speak Out with your Geek Out FAQ, Tumblr and Logo!

We surpassed 600 committed bloggers for Speak Out with your Geek Out this weekend. If this keeps up? We’ll hit 1,000 by Wednesday. 

Since we have one week before the posts hit the internet, here’s what you can do to keep the positive and community momentum going:

• Snatch the logo! It’s available for you to copy here.
• Share the Tumblr account where we’ve been posting all of the information.
• Offer an initial post on your website or blog for your readers to let them know what’s happening
• Post about this positive event if you see someone engaging in nerd rage, edition wars or baiting geeks for negativity. 
• Invite someone new to share in your hobbies, vocation or interest
• Chat on Twitter about what you want to post #speakgeek is the hashtag!
• Suggest something else we can do!
• Share the website! It’s Speakoutwithyourgeekout.com.

FAQ for Speak Out with your Geek Out

Q: Wait, what are you considering a geek?

A: The minute we define what a geek is someone, somewhere will be excluded. The goal of this event is to fight labels and stereotypes that others would use to describe us. So far, people have spoken up that they feel like a geek because they’re devoted to math, science, their children, comics, games and a myriad of other topics. This event is designed to share our passions in a positive way with the community, to give voice to those of us who are normally afraid to simply love what we love and be who we are. 

Q: I post about this already. What makes Speak Out with your Geek Out any different?

A: WONDERFUL. Unfortunately, many people out there are afraid of being stereotyped or their love of their hobby/vocation takes on the form of geek cred, edition wars or nerd rage. This week is about happiness, positivity and openness. It’s about inviting those who are shy to step forward and encouraging those who can’t “grok” us to share in what we do. It’s about telling people who have been bullied for their interests that there is nothing wrong with being a geek. It’s about setting aside our differences and focusing on the positive. It’s about doing this for those who can’t and being a part of the geek community.

Q: Is this in response to a specific event?

A: While it was inspired by the latest internet gaffe, there is always another one just around the corner. This week goes beyond that, it’s to think “big picture” as opposed to min/maxing the hell out of the next faux pas. It’s to say that it’s not cool to use geeks to bait us, because we’ll just make our own brand of cool.

Q: How can I participate? I live in a foreign country.

A: The event is virtual, so if you have a blog or website, if you have a social media account, if you’re online? Post away.

Q: Wait, you said you wanted to hit a 1,000 bloggers. How can I be counted?

A: I’m going to make this as EASY as I possibly can. If you want to be “counted” toward that number, then visit the Tumblr or the Facebook event or my website during that week and add your link to the initial post in the comments below. It will be VERY clear where you can do that.

Related posts:

1. 25 Blog Post Ideas for Speak Out with your Geek Out
2. Calling all Geeks! Operation Speak Out with your Geek Out

The other day, an article went viral around the internet. The writer decided to write about her dating experience in a very negative way to illustrate her point that people stereotype. The guy in question? A world champion Magic: the Gathering player. Unfortunately, the article was extremely mean and, as I later found out, the author gets paid-per-click which is why I’m not linking to it here. It had been edited, but even the edited version was unapologetic and tapped into many stereotypes.

Sadly, this is not the first time geeks have been used as the butt of all jokes. From cyber-bullying to inducing nerd rage, it sometimes feel like we can do nothing to combat the stereotypes.

Well, I’d rather fight the acid-rage with cool comics and fun games. I tapped into the power of social media to propose an entire week where we post about the hobbies we love. Instead of negativity and rants, we spread joy, positivity and happiness.

The response has been overwhelming.

I invite you to…

SPEAK OUT WITH YOUR GEEK OUT

Sometime during the week of Monday, September 12th to Friday, September 16th post about what geeky hobby you love. Then, tell us why we should try it, too. Leave your fears (and edition wars) at the door. Forget about your latest rant. Tap into that well of positive energy and share in the excitement of all things geek.

Let us invite those who would stereotype us to sit at our table and share our interests. Let us combat being used as pawns for internet gaffes with the reasons why we’re awesome, why we love what we love, and why it’s good to be a geek.

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190025581068159

Twitter Hashtag: #speakgeek

More details to come.

Original post here: Calling All Geeks at mlvwrites.com

Related posts:

1. Speak Out with your Geek Out FAQ, Tumblr and Logo!

Available at Amazon.com

I just had the chance to watch The Last Lovecraft: The Relic of Cthulhu and I was impressed! For an independent film (one that has also won a couple of awards, I might add) this is an awesome film. What’s it about you ask?

Well, there is a story to be told here and quite honestly, the reason why this is a mini-review is because I really don’t want to spoil it for you. I feel this is the type of film you have to discover… laugh out loud… groan… And realize the costuming is just that much better than Mighty Morphin Power Rangers or The Keep.

Part of what makes this movie strong is the characterization and the nerdly discussions, but there are some other surprises hidden between the script’s pages. There is a lot of attention to graphics and pacing in this film to ensure you’re getting the biggest bang for your proverbial buck. Sure, there is some special effects… But they’re lovable, forgivable, decent special effects that enhance the theme as opposed to work against it.

Maybe, after watching this film, you too will think twice about becoming a cultist… The film is available to purchase through Amazon.com, but you can also find it streaming right now on Netflix.

Watch the trailer for The Last Lovecraft: The Relic of Cthulhu on YouTube!

Related posts:

1. Celebrating Lovecraft’s Birthday with Cthulhu Gloom
2. Cthulhu Week: The Lovecraft Movie Dilemma
3. Happy Birthday H.P. Lovecraft

Available at Amazon.com

To celebrate Lovecraft’s birthday this year, we went over to a friend’s house and popped open our shiny, new copy of Cthulhu Gloom from Atlas Games. Dubbed “the game of unspeakable incidents and squamous consequences,” our group consisted of five players — two of which weren’t as familiar with the Lovecraft mythos as we were.

So before we began, we attempted to channel Kenneth Hite and explain who Lovecraft and Cthulhu were. It was interested to see their reactions when they learned that one man inspired so many popular horror authors like Stephen King, Brian Lumley, etc. That, for me, was the best part about the game because then the cards mean something beyond their pretty pictures.

And pretty they are indeed. Instead of families, you play investigators ranging from those who work at Miskatonic University to the Village of Innsmouth. Since we played with five players, we each paired down our investigative group by one and gave that character to the fifth player.

It took a little getting used to the enhanced rules for this edition. Many of these rules have debuted in the expansion packs for Gloom (which makes me think I need to get a new core set of cards), but truth be told I wasn’t as familiar with some of the shiny bits. Here, you don’t just make your characters suffer — it’s about their particular story. The Story Cards were an interesting twist because one card can change the outcome of the game on-the-fly — which they wound up doing in our game.

In this set, there weren’t as many positive cards as in the previous decks and you can only give a character an Untimely Death if they have negative Pathos Points. Both of which make total sense for a Lovecraft-themed game. We also liked many of the cards that weren’t Untimely Deaths that seemed like they were. Some effect cards like was stuck in a sanitarium had the image of an Untimely Death on the back. So this whole card counting business (for those of you who do…) is drastically reduced. You don’t know what cards are in someone’s hand.

We made it through the deck a few times, but then we started running out of cards. The more cards that are placed as modifiers on the twenty-five characters around the table, the smaller your deck will be. By the time that became an issue, however, we were close to finishing the game.

Both of our new players found the game pretty easy to pick up on — and one of them won by taking a huge gamble. As it turns out, there were a few cards that had a big impact on our game. Went mad at the mountains forces the recipient to discard their hand and doesn’t allow them to draw up on that turn. This card, while it’s worth fifty Pathos points, removes that player from the game for two turns because they have no cards to play. (Incidentally, I did play this ON another player who was beating me up with Untimely Death and event cards…)

The second card, which pretty much solidified a new player’s sanity-risking, game-changing experience was this: The Festival, an event card that allows you to set aside your hand, draw three cards, and use all of them on your family if you can as free plays. Since there weren’t as many positive Pathos cards by the time he played this? He had some nice, sanity-sucking cards and the negative effects didn’t mean as much because his group of investigators were mostly dead already.

The artwork is fun, the cards are great quality and the game? The game has some very witty references (*coughs* Even D&D…) that will leave Cthulhu aficionados rolling in the aisles. We didn’t take any pictures, but we did have one player (who shall remain anonymous) who bust out laughing in the middle of the game for no apparent reason whatsoever…

Madness, madness I tell you. Which is precisely why Cthulhu Gloom is a great game to introduce people to Lovecraft or facilitate a snicker or two from existing fans of the mythos. Why should you play? Well, you only have your sanity to lose…

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Cthulhu Week: Cthulhu’s Reign Anthology Review
2. Cthulhu Week: The Calling: Cthulhu Chronicles 1 Comic Review
3. Happy Birthday H.P. Lovecraft

GenCon: Indy 2011 has come and gone…already? The first DriveThruRPG partnership with White Wolf Publishing and select games from Malhavoc Press, Open Design, Nocturnal, Eden Studios and Abstract Nova was a lot of hard work but very rewarding.

The booth was located at the back of a very large and very huge hall, but that didn’t stop new and old fans of these games from driving on back to DriveThruRPG. The quality of the new books is really awesome; people were literally saying… “That’s POD?” when pointing to the Exalted Comic and Ptolus.

And the fans? The ones who practically wept with joy seeing Vampire: the Masquerade back in print? Or how about the guy that seriously demanded to know when his copy of the twentieth anniversary edition will be sitting in his mailbox because he loves that game so much. There were a lot more cheers than jeers and because of the fans, there will be other 20th anniversary edition games in the works.

Besides the already scheduled signings, Jim Zubkavich offered to sign the Exalted comic, Greg Stolze was happy to drop off signed excerpts of his Vampire: the Requiem novel, A Hunger Like Fire, and Jason Vey took time to sign All Flesh Must be Eaten books with me from Eden Studios.

Congrats to Monte Cook! We sold out of Ptolus on Saturday morning.

The booth’s success was due to the efforts of the fine people working the booth. Chuck, Mike, Pauline, Sean, Matt, Steve, Corinne, Ken, Steve, Luke, Carol and myself. We came, we sweated, we had meetings, we ate, we sweated some more…

Sadly, the first game we got to play was with Steve Wieck during tear down. Matt had sold him on Castle Panic. We barely won our first round. However, we also picked up quite a few games and are dying to get the chance to play. Unhallowed Metropolis, the Mouse Guard RPG Box Set, Savage Worlds Deluxe, Cthulhu Gloom, the French Edition of Exalted, the Vampire Translation Guide, a Halloween Chibithulhu, a selection of cute-but-devilish toys, catnip Cthulhu, a Lovecraft resource and Rust (a new Archaia graphic novel) made it home.

Ashen Stars did not make it home, but it will… Shortly… I swear by the stars…

Waiting for us here? The debut Magic: the Gathering 2012 set and a stunning anthology from Tachyon Publications dubbed The Urban Fantasy Anthology edited by Peter S. Beagle and Joe R. Lansdale.

Related posts:

1. Post GenCon Indy 2009
2. My GenCon in Review
3. Flash Fire Mini-Reviews (GenCon Wrap-Up)

Available at Amazon.com

Hot off the presses, Ghost Story is the 13th installment in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. At this point in the series, I would like to point out that if you haven’t read Changes or some of the earlier books, then this review will likely contain ***spoilers***. Be kind to the reviewer, folks.

First things first: due to the way characters are interwoven throughout the fabric of the plot, I would recommend that new readers do not pick up “this” book as the first one. While Butcher does a fine job of trying to facilitate the back story to remind readers who some of the existing characters are, the emotional gut-wrenching reaction that you may have as a reader will fizzle and pop like a dud firecracker.

As the title suggests, this is a Ghost Story. Yes, Harry Dresden is dead. Yes, Harry is a ghost — or is he? No, Harry does not start off with any magical powers from his considerable arsenal of spells, either. What he does have, however, is the ability to solve a mystery through sheer force of will. This particular novel has more worldbuilding in it than some of the previous books, in part because the mechanics of ghosts, shades, etc. are often different from one another. I liked some of the worldbuilding, true, but wanted to know more about what the living were up to. (Truthfully, I could read a whole book just about Murphy…)

Here, Harry’s perspective bobs and weaves through time and matter, to highlight the consequences of the last book’s ending. Remember, Harry didn’t “just” kill a member of the Red Court. He obliterated all of them. In the grand scheme of things, that type of act will leave a mark. The price that Harry had to pay? Was it his life? (Um, can’t tell you that.) So, where can we see the near-devastating effects?

The answer lies with what his friends have had to deal with. In the wake of the destruction of a very old, and very ancient vampire society — there’s a power vacuum. Rules (whether their moral/lawful or not) have been erased. To fill the void, the petty thugs and sorcerers climb over each other for what little power they can gain. New groups, like the Fomor, orchestrate primarily from behind-the-scenes. The vacuum, however, doesn’t just exist because of what Harry did in the last book — there’s also some loose ends that need to be tied up for the “good guys.” Murphy and the others, well… She’s tough-as-nails and I’m happy to see it.

Other characters from previous books also show up in Ghost Story. I enjoyed seeing more of these characters, because they balance Harry’s brashness and magical power out. A few of them, like Mort, drive the plot because Harry’s friends are in the middle of a fight for their lives and the safety of Chicago.

As I mentioned earlier, I feel that Ghost Story would best be appreciated by people who have either followed all of the books or who have, at the very least, read Changes. I’ll be curious to see readers’ reactions to this particular book, because at the end of the day, it seems to me that Harry Dresden will always play by his own rules.

In the end, I felt Ghost Story acted as the catalyst to the next book in the series because of the way some of the plot threads were tied up. To tell you any more — what I liked and what I didn’t — would definitely reveal too much of what Ghost Story is about.

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Summer Knight (Dresden Files Book 4) Review
2. Grave Peril (Dresden Files Book 3) Review
3. Fool Moon (Dresden Files Book 2) Review

Available at Amazon.com

The Magician King is a novel penned by author Lev Grossman that follows after the events of The Magicians. Before I go any further, I want to point out two things: first, you may want to read my The Magicians review or our preview of The Magicians to help you recall the plot. Second? If you haven’t read the first book, I’m not certain you’ll enjoy this one as much, for reasons which I’ll get into shortly.

As I mentioned above, The Magician King takes place after the events of The Magicians. Because of that, fair warning: I feel there is no possible way I can write this review without spoiling something for someone… So be kind to the reviewer. Please.

A common complaint among readers I hear is whether or not magic has a “cost.” Grossman’s books marry the real world and the magical one, by diving into this current wholeheartedly. The deeper we get into the world of Fillory, the more we realize that “cost” may not necessarily be related to the law of physics. While there was tragedy and terror in the first book, here the “cost” runs the whole spectrum — the worst of which happens to the main characters, Quentin and Julia.

The Magician King is a departure from the first book, in the sense that some of the accompanying characters we saw in The Magicians either fade into the background or are already there. I don’t have a feeling — good or bad — about this, but as an author myself I do notice when the structure of the story changes. Here, there are two types of plots that weave in-and-out of one another: what happened to Julia and why King Quentin must find seven keys to save Fillory. While you might expect that this is also mirrored by setting (e.g. Earth and Fillory-type places), that is not necessarily the case.

Balancing real world problems with wonderment and discovery is a tough job for any author, and here I felt more drawn to Julia and her mysteries than to the fantastical elements of Fillory. I feel that this is my reaction as a result of the quest portion primarily taking place off-stage. So, by the time we get to the crucial moment, that anticipation I would normally feel isn’t as potent because of the different emphasis on location, foreshadow, and character.

I don’t think this story could have been written any other way, because Julia’s tale had to be told. I “hear” Grossman’s voice when I read about her depression, her unbearable obsession with magic and her need to feel human. Quentin, on the other hand, also has a story to tell, but it’s one of regression — not progression. Despite all of the loss and all of the power he has, Quentin is “still” human. He’s still curious, whether or not he should be. He grieves. He struggles with leadership.

And he’s still — almost to a fault — naive.

After reading this story, though, I’m hoping there’s another book Grossman will toil endless hours over. I expect that novel would be a deeper dive into forbidden territory. While he only scratches the surface here, I want him to let loose with wild abandon the wonders and terrors that await us in…

Well, I can’t tell you that. Because that really would spoil the story for you.

If you pick up The Magician King, do it because you care about these characters and what happens to them. Don’t pick it up because you want to see more of the world, even though that is here, too. After all, this story is less about Fillory and more about what the relationship that we, as humans, are supposed to have with magic — and each other.

Review by Monica Valentinelli

Related posts:

1. Peril at King’s Landing RPG Review
2. The Magicians Fiction Review

Some girls prefer diamonds and roses, but I get more out of things that I can either use or collect. Enter the Dice Goblin dice bags from an independent artist. Handmade and sturdy, I often get compliments on mine. Available in the U.S. and internationally, the Dice Goblin dice bags are on sale now.

While these bags are unisex, whenever I pull mine out the screams of 1,000 squees can be heard throughout a convention hall.

Available in the U.S. and internationally, these handmade dice bags are twenty-percent off through Saturday, July 30th.

You can also order custom Dice Goblin dice bags, which aren’t that much more expensive than the sale-priced ones. To see a sample of all the Dice Goblins this artist has available, be sure to check out the adopted Dice Goblin dice bag photo gallery. There’s some really cute ones in the archive and I’m thinking about picking up one in a different color. Why? To color-coordinate with my purple dice, of course!

Related posts:

1. MEGA SALE at Noble Knight Games!
2. Little Boy Blue Sale at Horror Mall
3. Fantasist Enterprises Special Sale

Well, it’s been a little while since I’ve dropped in to talk about what I’ve been up to, so I thought I’d write about some of the exciting things that are happening behind-the-scenes.

In July, my first article geared toward freelancers debuted on a site called Geek’s Dream Girl. My new column is written to help new writers move from commoner to freelancer and offers some “mechanics” to help you do that. Dubbed Calling all Freelancers: Adventure to Dice Castle, it’ll provide a different take on the topic and will appear once-a-month.

I also announced in July that I’m working behind-the-scenes with cartoonist/ illustrator/ game designer John Kovalic. This post about Dork Tower Central and Invisible Me shares some insight, but as I mention there, I won’t be providing the nitty gritty details publicly. Part of the reason why I’m telling you this, is because we recently interviewed John for the site. Those questions, however, did not come from me — they came directly from the fans. The other reason why I’m telling you this, is because we’ve recently figured out that 2012 will be the fifteen-year anniversary of Dork Tower.

Isn’t that funny how that works? It just so happened that the stars conjoined in a weird confluence of events all at the same time. If you want to get a chuckle, check out my art therapy with Cthulhu and witness my own horrifying jaunt into illustration. Hah!

In other news, if you downloaded The Creepy Cottontail, I would really appreciate your feedback or a review. We are looking ahead, and want to incorporate your thoughts into the next Instant Antagonist. If you missed it, check out my design notes for The Creepy Cottontail that shares a preview and a little bit of the reasoning behind this woodland creature.

Last but not least, I wanted to mention that I’ll be helping out at the DriveThruRPG/ White Wolf GenCon: Indy booth this year. The hall will be laid out completely differently than it has in the past; we’ll be next to the celebrity area. So drive on back to DriveThruRPG! As we get closer, you’ll probably see more info coming your way on that.

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