Rocket Kapre – Fantastic Filipino Speculative Fiction

It’s been a year since Typhoon Ondoy, followed soon after by Typhoon Pepeng, ravaged parts of Luzon. In memory of the trials many Filipinos went through this time last year, from today until 3PM of October 8, 2010 (the date that Typhoon Pepeng made landfall a third time on the shores of battered Luzon),  Ruin and Resolve, our charity SF anthology, will be free on Smashwords with the use of the coupon you’ll find below. We’re doing this to help remind people of last year’s trauma – especially important given that it is entirely possible for the disaster to be repeated today – but if you enjoy the anthology, please consider donations to charitable organizations such as the Philippine National Red Cross (the beneficiary of Ruin and Resolve). Every little bit helps.

Here’s what people have said about Ruin and Resolve:

“Borne out of tragedy but driven by a spirit of triumph, Ruin and Resolve takes us to different worlds, fantastic and magical, futuristic and the mundane every day. The collection, meant to help Ondoy victims with is proceeds, provides us all with reasons to keep striving, to never surrender, never quit. It may sound corny to say that one finds inspiration, and yes, the resolve needed, in these texts. But that’s the fact of the matter. More than a few times the reader will find not just beauty of image and power of prose, but genuine uplift and the feeling of elevation.” – Carljoe Javier, author of “And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth“ and the “Kobayashi Maru of Love“.

“But outside its being a charitable donation, this newest [Spec Fic] anthology isn’t a throwaway piece of literature; it’s worth buying for its own sake — lending credence to the publisher’s self-effacing introduction of “we hope our stories and poems make you feel all the happier to have helped those in need.” - Johanna Poblete, Business World.

Check beneath the cut to find the coupon code:

Read the rest of this entry »

Young adult novels these days are less books that don’t quite reach the level of craft and sophistication of “adult” novels, and more an indication of the ages of the lead characters. Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games novels are some of the very best to come out in recent years, and I’m happy that Scholastic has really been pushing the series. Fans of the series know that the final book in the trilogy, “Mockingjay”, will be released on August 25, and Scholastic, together with National Book Store, with help from the New Worlds Alliance and Flips Flipping Pages will be holding a launch event a few days after, on August 29, 2010, at 1:00p.m. at the National Book Store Bestsellers branch at the Robinson’s Galleria. There are a host of activities lined up for fans during the event, and I’ll be taking part in one of them:

• Hunger Games Discussion Panel: Yep, I’ll be part of the discussion panel (to be moderated by Meann of New Worlds and SumintheBlue) at the event, which will cover the first two books of the series, so no need to be afraid to take part just because you haven’t bought/finished the third yet. Bea Tejano will also be on the panel, along with two other panelists.
• “Catching Fire” Quarter Quell LARP: New Worlds Alliance will also be reprising their live action contest/RP – they’re looking for two more teams of 2 members to participate. You can sign up here or see how the last iteration of this contest went down here.
• Cinna’s Corner: This is where participants can get temporary tattoos for free.
• Haymitch’s Bar: A refreshment/snack/beverage station, but probably not one that Haymitch would frequent (I doubt they’ll serve alcohol).

There will also be a photo booth, and a viewing of the book trailer, so if you’re a Hunger Games fan, or just in the Robinson’s area on the 29th, make sure to drop by!

[Base slider image from Mockingjay.net]