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Rogue Blades Entertainment Announces Winners of Challenge! Discovery 2010 Contest

Rogue Blades Entertainment Announces Winners of Challenge! Discovery 2010 Contest

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discoveryBack in May Rogue Blades Entertainment, publishers of  Rage of the Behemoth, Demons, Return of the Sword and other excellent fantasy anthologies, announced the first annual Challenge! writing contest. Open to fiction in a wide variety of genres (“Sword & Sorcery, Sword & Planet, Soul & Sandal, Western, Mystery, Dark Fantasy” and others), the Challenge! Discovery contest invited authors to submit works directly inspired by a single piece of art by V Shane, pictured at right.

The winners of the  Challenge! Discovery 2010 writinng contest are (in no particular order):

“A Fire in Shandria” ~ Frederic S. Durbin
“In the Ruins of the Panther People” ~ Daniel R. Robichaud
“The Serpent’s Root” ~ David J. West
“Fire Eye Gem” ~ Richard Berrigan Jr.
2nd PLACE: “Cat’s in the Cradle” ~ Nicholas Ozment
“Some Place Cool and Dark” ~ Frederic S. Durbin
“The Ash-Wood of Celestial Flame” ~ Gabe Dybing
“Witch with Bronze Teeth” ~ Keith J. Taylor
“Inner Nature” ~ John Kilian
1st PLACE: “Attabeira” ~ Henrik Ramsager

Honorable mentions go to Eric Magliozzi for “Songs of the Dead,” and Michael Navarro for “The Golden Maiden.”

The winning entries will be collected in the Challenge! Discovery anthology, to be published by Rogue Blades Entertainment around Christmas this year. More information on the contest results and the upcoming book is here.

Congratulations to all the winners!  I’m looking forward to reading the stories.

Win a copy of Terror in the House: The Early Kuttner, Volume One

Win a copy of Terror in the House: The Early Kuttner, Volume One

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kuttnerHaffner Press has released the first volume of their new series The Early Kuttner, titled Terror in the House, and we have no less than three copies to give away.

Haffner’s archival-quality hardcovers  — including the legendary Kaldar: World of Antares by Edmond Hamilton, copies of which now sell for $2,000 and up — are some of the most collectible books in the genre, and Terror in the House promises to be popular indeed. Here’s the book description:

Henry Kuttner was a frequent contributor to the pulp magazines that specialized in the weird, supernatural, horror, and science fiction genre. Beginning in 1936, with the minor classic “The Graveyard Rats,” Kuttner launched a steady stream of short stories aimed at Weird Tales, Mystery Tales, Thrilling Wonder Stories, and others… Kuttner set several stories in Lovecraft’s “Cthulhu Mythos” and several are presented in Terror in the House including: “The Secret of Kralitz,” “The Eater of Souls,” “The Salem Horror,” The Jest of Droom-Avista,” “The Frog,” “The Invaders,” and “The Bells of Horror.”

He contributed reams of copy to the weird-menace (a sub-genre of horror where a seemingly supernatural plot is resolved with a pedestrian ending) pulps, Thrilling Mystery and Spice Mystery… Terror in the House is the first volume in a set collecting many of Kuttner’s earliest stories, most of which have never been reprinted.

Terror in the House is 712 pages in hardcover, with a preface by Richard Matheson and introduction by Garyn G. Roberts, Ph.D. It is edited by Stephen Haffner and illustrated by Harry V. Parkhurst, and has a retail price of $40.

How do you win a copy? Easy! Just send an e-mail to john@blackgate.com with the title “Kuttner Contest,” with a one-sentence review of your favorite Henry Kuttner short story. Three winners will be drawn at random from all qualifying entries, and we’ll publish the best reviews here on the Black Gate blog.

All entries become the property of New Epoch Press. No purchase necessary. Must be 12 or older. Decisions of the judges (capricious as they may be) are final. Not valid where prohibited by law. Or anywhere postage for a hefty hardcover is more than, like, 10 bucks. Seriously, these things are heavy and we’re on a budget.

A Return to The Village of Hommlet (4E Style)

A Return to The Village of Hommlet (4E Style)

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hommlet4eHow cool is this? Wizards of the Coast has released an updated version of Gary Gygax’s 1979 classic The Village of Hommlet, one of the most celebrated AD&D adventures and the first part of the notoriously difficult Temple of Elemental Evil mega-campaign, revised to run in the 4th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. The new version was updated by Andy Collins and is suitable for fourth level characters.

Oh, wait. “Released” is too strong a word. The module was actually a free giveaway WotC mailed to RPGA  members as a DM Reward, and is not available for sale (unless you count eBay, where copies are currently selling for around $50.) Curses!

If you’re the creative sort, Familiar Ground is offering a free copy for one lucky winner, selected randomly from all those who leave a comment with a “gaming or RPG related joke or funny incident.” Deadline is Aug 31.

The original module is still played today by die-hard fans.  It’s been converted to a popular computer game, and the back-story behind it all is annually re-enacted as a tabletop miniatures game at Garycon.  Not bad for a module that’s been out of print for over two decades.

I have fond memories of the original.  And when I’m 80, I hope to have fond memories of tracking down this one.  Let the search begin.

Rogue Blades Announces Challenge! Writing Contest

Rogue Blades Announces Challenge! Writing Contest

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2010-discoveryRogue Blades Entertainment (RBE) has published some terrific fantasy anthologies over the past few years, including Return of the Sword and Rage of the Behemoth, featuring original work from writers such as E.E. Knight, James Enge, Bill Ward, Michael Ehart, Thomas M. MacKay, S.C. Bryce, Steve Goble, Brian Ruckley, C.L. Werner, Harold Lamb, and many others.

This week Rogue Blades publisher Jason M. Waltz announced the first annual RBE Challenge! Writing Contest. The competition is open to anyone, and the top stories will be printed in the competition anthology, Discovery (cover at right).

Submissions must consist of heroic adventure in any genre, and must arrive between June 1st and September 1st, 2010.  The top twelve stories will recevie a copy of the anthology; the top three will also receive cash awards, and a detailed critique from the contest judges.

The entry fee is only $10, almost criminally cheap. If you’re any aspiring writer looking for an opportunity to show your stuff, now’s your chance to appear in a new anthology from one of the top publishers of modern heroic fantasy.

More information is on the Official Announcement page, including this invitation from Jason Waltz:

Using V Shane’s artwork and the title Discovery as inspiration, pen me mighty and mysterious tales of action and adventure. Speculative fiction is NOT required… Sword & Sorcery, Sword & Planet, Soul & Sandal, Western, Mystery, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Sci-Fi, even Horror and Romance! You name it, so long as it’s heroic fiction, you can submit it.

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Eberron Campaign Guide winners Announced!

Eberron Campaign Guide winners Announced!

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eberron-campaignIn February we announced we were giving away copies of the Eberron Campaign Guide, a 4th Edition D&D Supplement from Wizards of the Coast.

Contestants were asked to submit a two-sentence summary of a recent Eberron product. The most enthusiastic and literate responses (or the ones that made us laugh the hardest, depending), were awarded the prizes.

We received a wide range of entries, from gushing to gonzo. Our panel of distinguished judges sobered up just long enough to announce that Colin Marco, Luke Forney, Baron Swodeck, and Risen Fiend were the real standouts.

Our judges issued a special citation to Risen Fiend for his particularly insightful and tantalizing two-line treatise on the Secrets of Sarlona adventure supplement:

Secrets of Sarlona unveils a continent under the domination of the immortal Inspired who rule thorough charming guile as much as psionic might powered by their otherworldly connection to the insidious Dreaming Dark. While presenting in detail the homeland of one of the gravest threats to the world of Eberron, Secrets of Sarlona also features one of the greatest hopes against the Dreaming Dark in the stalwart Kalashtar refuge of Adar, allowing heroes to choose their side in this epic transdimensional struggle.

I once dated someone who “ruled thorough charming guile.” I still shudder when I think about it.

Congratulations to all the winners! You’ll be contacted shortly to receive your prizes.

Game on!

Black Gate Giveaway: Eberron Campaign Guide

Black Gate Giveaway: Eberron Campaign Guide

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eberron-campaignLast month we announced we were giving away eight copies of the Eberron Campaign Guide, a 4th Edition D&D Supplement from Wizards of the Coast.

How do you win? By sending a two-sentence summary of a recent Eberron product to eberron@blackgate.com. The best eight — as selected by a capricious panel of barely-literate judges — will be published here, and the authors will be awarded the prizes.

That’s it. No forms to fill out.  No skill-testing questions. No money down. No fine print.  OK, maybe a little fine print, so sue us. It’s a contest, no one’s gonna believe it’s legit until they see some fine print.

It’s a mighty fine book, too.  Yes, that’s Edward Scissorhand’s dad on the front cover.  And his dogs Zipper and Papercut.  They bring a whole new level of menace to “running with scissors.” Ouchie ouchie.

Come on, this is the easiest contest we’ve ever run.  Maybe the easiest contest in the whole history of civilization.  I could even make it even easier by pointing you to a complete list of Eberron modules and sourcebooks to get you started, but that would be spoon feeding you, wouldn’t it?  Yes it would.

Time is running out to claim one of these fine D&D books, and perhaps to introduce yourself to the very cool Eberron setting. E-mail us at eberron@blackgate.com now.  Operators are standing by.

Black Gate Giveaway: Eberron Campaign Guide

Black Gate Giveaway: Eberron Campaign Guide

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eberron-campaign1A strange box covered with cryptic glyphs recently parachuted onto Black Gate‘s rooftop headquarters. It landed near Howard Andrew Jones, who was working on his next Dabir & Asim novel by candlelight in the restricted section of our pulp library.

Due to a small misunderstanding with Gordon van Gelder and the staff of Fantasy & Science Fiction over an unpaid lunch bill at Windycon, all unmarked mail here in the inner sanctum is routinely handed over to the Chicago bomb squad for immediate disposal. Doubtless due to the Zen-like focus on his novel (or perhaps because he’d just ordered pizza) Howard forgot, and pried open the box.

Inside, between shredded pages of the Necronomicon used as packing paper, were pristine copies of the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Eberron Campaign Guide, compliments of Wizards of the Coast.

That explains the cryptic glyphs.  In case the copies are laced with exotic contact poison, or otherwise booby-trapped (Gordon’s minions can be very creative), we’re doing the only logical thing: giving them away.  To you.

How do you win? By writing a two-sentence review of your favorite Eberron product, and sending it us to eberron@blackgate.com.

The eight best reviews — as selected by Black Gate staff, and maybe whatever bill collectors happen to be in our offices at the time — will be published here on the BG website, and the authors will receive a copy of the Guide. 

All entries become the property of New Epoch Press. No purchase necessary. Must be 12 or older.  Decisions of the judges (capricious as they may be) are final. Not open to employees of Wizard of the Coast, or Gordon van Gelder. Not valid where prohibited by law.  Or anywhere postage for a hefty hardcover is more than, like, 5 bucks.  Seriously, we’re on a budget.

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Win a Copy of This Crooked Way!

Win a Copy of This Crooked Way!

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thiscrookedway_mechJames Enge’s Morlock stories have been some of the most popular fiction we’ve published in Black Gate.  His first Morlock novel, Blood of Ambrose, published by Pyr in April, was very warmly received, and described as “A future classic… this novel succeeds beautifully” (The Great Geek Manual) and “Like Conan as written by Raymond Chandler” (Paul Cornell).

The second volume, This Crooked Way, went on sale October 6th.  More than just a collection of previously published Morlock fiction, This Crooked Way has 15 chapters, only 5 of which have previously appeared.  We’ve received a small number of advance copies, and we want to give them to you.

We’ve asked James Enge to compile a list of questions, the answers to which lie in the five Morlock stories that have appeared in Black Gate.  The first five readers to fill out and submit the quiz below with the correct answers will receive a copy of This Crooked Way, compliments of Black Gate, James Enge, and Pyr.

The usual legal disclaimers apply: Offer void where prohibited.  No purchase necessary.  Must be 18 to enter.  Judges decisions are final.  Postage costs outside the US are the responsibility of the winner.  Additional disclaimers apply as we think of them.  Eat your vegetables.

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