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Hi, I'm Steve Goldin. Welcome to this group where we're supposed to talk about one of my favorite subjects...me. Actually, you can talk about anything you like. I just have a short attention span, that's all.

I've written over 30 books. I'd tell you a more exact number, but I ran out of fingers and toes awhile back, and I'm just guessing now. It's a lot. I'm working hard to keep most of them in print; complain to me if you can't find one you're looking for.

You can find out a lot about me by checking my author bio. Why don't you tell me (and the other people in this group) a little bit about yourself as well.

Hi Stephen,

Thanks for inviting me to your Q&A group! On to introducing myself:

My name is Neve Maslakovic (pronounced "Nehv Mah-slah-koh-vich") and my first novel will be published in February 2011 by AmazonEncore. "Regarding Ducks and Universes" is the tale of a culinary writer, his alter ego, and a wayward rubber duck. More info about me and the book is available on .

Thanks for joining, Neve. As a writer myself, I'm fascinated by names. Yours is obviously Slavic. Care to narrow it down any closer than that?

You're right, Stephen, it's a Slavic last name. I was born in Belgrade (now Serbia, back then -- communist Yugoslavia).

I wanted to ask you if you're still involved with SFWA -- I'm wondering how easy/difficult it would be to get SFWA to add a new publisher to their list (of publishers that qualify a writer for membership). AmazonEncore, the new imprint of Amazon that's publishing my book, is not on the SFWA list yet.

Other than being a lifetime active member, I'm not much involved with the bureaucratic workings of the organization these days. A person who could probably give you more specific information would be the Executive Director Jane Jewell at [email protected]. She's a very nice lady, and it's her job to help newcomers. I'm sure she'll do what she can for you.

Thanks, I'll try contacting her! They do have a form on their website, but frankly it seemed kind of daunting.

Personally, I think SFWA should be as inclusive as possible, to be an umbrella that protects all writers within the field. There's a very strong snobbish clique, however, that wants to keep the membership closed in and secure from amateurs, feeling they'll somehow dilute the strength of the organization. IMO, being inclusive increases the strength, but other people's mileage seems to vary.

well it seems good to me

You know me from previous discussions but I'll sum up for anyone else who cares:

I'm a therapeutic foster parent.
I provide hospice for elderly dogs.
I read a lot. (Big shocker there.)
I love science fiction & mysteries and especially science fiction mysteries.
I'm extremely liberal and I think Obama is amazing.
I'm snarky and sarcastic though I'm usually sweet and nice to people I don't know.
I'm the co-moderator of the Banned Books group.
I'm the co-moderator of the Unitarian Universalist's group.
Relevant to the conversation so far, my first name is Irish (Catholic), my middle name is a bastardized version of Hebrew (Jewish), my last is British (Anglican), my ancestors were mostly Scottish (crazy) and most of my family is Buddhist so being a Unitarian makes sense.

So there you go.

[BTW, for those new to SF, the SWFA stands for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (Which is quite a backwards acronym if you ask me. Shouldn't it be SFFWA? SFWA? What's the history there, anyone know?)]

Kelly wrote: "You know me from previous discussions but I'll sum up for anyone else who cares:

I'm a therapeutic foster parent.
I provide hospice for elderly dogs.
I read a lot. (Big shocker there.)
I love scie..."

SFWA started as the Science Fiction Writers of America. After about 20 years the fantasy writers (who were always members) decided they were getting short shrift, and argued for the name change to Science Fiction and Fantasy... However, the logo had always been the interlocked SFWA, and that's how it was always known, so, with some mental gymnastics (about the only kind its members regularly partake in), it became sorta the Sciencefiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Or, to use a Hugo Gernsback term, the Scientifiction and Fantasy... or maybe we could be the Speculative Fiction Writers of America...

Or, as Mad Magazine always put it, the usual gang of idiots.

Let's see... My name is Sarah E Glenn.
Ethnicity: mix of German and Welsh on father's side, mother came off the boat from Greece in the Fifties.
Day job: online support for continuing healthcare education.
Degree: BS in journalism, which is redundant... some grad school in Classical Languages and Literature.
Religion: Pagan Gnostic.
Reads: mysteries, some horror, some fantasy, some SF. Found Stephen Goldin on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, recognized his name from Mindflight.
Writes: weird stories. Closest I've come to SF recently was short story w/horrifying medical application of nanotechnology.
Novel: All This and Family, Too, coming out in late spring/early summer 2011. Lesbian non-sparkling vampire moves into gated community in Southern California. She discovers the true meaning of horror with her neighborhood association.

I've been in a neighborhood association in southern California. Makes me shudder, let me tell you.

That "writes weird stories" line...did you mean me or you? (No offense taken either way. Just curious.)

I write the weird stories. I also love reading them.

Wish I qualified for active membership on SOMETHING (MWA, HWA, SFWA), but they all seem to base 'active' membership on how much you've been paid. I prefer your notion of opening some doors to writers who are less well paid, especially in the current market.

If you like weird stories, I'll point with some pride to Polly!. It definitely goes beyond realism.

There has to be some dividing line in the writing circle. Some people, no matter how hard they try, will never be writers. But there has to be someplace where they can go to learn their craft and get guidance from Those Who Went Before.

Hi, my name's Rachel, I've been an avid reader of SFF (and crime - shhh) since I graduated from the school "learning to read" library - although I have a big gap in my reading life between failing eyesight in my late teens and getting a Kindle last year. I also write & have published one novel (there's a giveaway right now!).

Looking forwards to getting to know you all :)

Rachel

It's mutual, Rachel. And it's my considered opinion that most SFF fans are also lovers of mysteries, because we love intellectual puzzles and games. We love having our minds challenged and teased. Mysteries do that every bit as well as SFF, just in slightly different directions.

Sarah wrote: "I write the weird stories. I also love reading them.

Have you read stuff from Eraserhead Press? They have an imprint called The New Bizarro Author Series that has a lot of really good stuff. Steve Lowe is donating the proceeds from his books Muscle Memory and Wolves Dressed as Men to a foster care agency for the month of February:



I haven't read either book yet but as a therapeutic foster parent I had to buy them. :) They sound really good.

I am currently reading Polly.

I will have to look into that! Many of the micro and online only presses run strange stuff no one in the mainstream will print.

:)

Okay, I looked at the Eraserhead site. Response:
BWHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHH!!!!!

These people are seriously demented. I like that.

Just in case anyone read my uncorrected message, the month for buying Steve Lowe's books and having the proceeds go to foster care is February not January. I've changed the message but didn't want to miss you if you're already caught up here. I'm a little biased but it's a great cause!

Kelly: It is indeed a great cause, and I hope Mr. Lowe is able to raise a fortune for it. I also hope that there'll be room in your heart for Polly, even though she's a very different character from Jade.

Sarah: Boy, you can say that again!

I've already bought and am reading Polly, silly Stephen! I don't know yet whether I'll like her, she is well, somewhat inscrutable so far but I tend to like that in a woman. You know I've been supporting and pushing your books in other forums, I hope you didn't mind a little plug for another author here. :)

When writers act like decent, caring human beings, they deserve all the support they can get. Go for it! I hope I didn't give the impression I was being jealous or anything.

And yes, Polly is very inscrutable (though not, as she herself admits, ineffable).

There's a brand new look to my web site--not just a new color scheme and a more streamlined appearance, but new features as well: a wider choice of buy-links, images of past book covers, reviews, a lot more information.

Plus, to celebrate the redesign, I've got a special limited-time offer for my fans: many of my prime ebook titles are 1/2 off with the coupon codes on . There's even a bonbon--a free copy of my story "The World Where Wishes Worked." The coupons expire at the end of the year, so I hope you'll come on over soon and take a look around. Let me know what you think, and pleasant reading!