‘Blood Feud’ E-Book Sale

Tag: StarWarp Concepts

The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1

Mar. 07 Comic Books, Press Release, Previews no comments

Publisher: StarWarp Concepts
Writer: Steven A. Roman & Sholly Fisch
Artist: Eliseu Gouveia, Ernie Colón, & Elizabeth Watasin
Release Date: May 22, 2013

Greetings, fellow nerds!

I once again bring you tidings of my new favorite goth girl (move over, Emily the Strange!).

That’s right, people: Pan is back in 56 full-color pages covering three brand new adventures!

Set after the events of Book 2 (don’t worry, the graphic novel is released a whole month after Book 2 hits the shelves, so you’ll have plenty of time to get caught up), we see Pan trying to move on with her life. At first, things seem to be moving on an upward swing for our favorite goth with “Monstervision”. She’s got a new boyfriend (Javi from Blood Feud), and while her initial meeting with his family is a little bumpy, it proves to be nothing that the two lovebirds can’t share a laugh over.

One particular example of this is Javi’s aunt dousing Pan with holy water from a super-soaker because she believes that Pan worships the devil because Pan’s a goth. She and Javi do in fact laugh about it afterwards, and the reader gets the impression that everything is going to continue at the simple, easy pace. After all, it’s summer and the two lovebirds are happily joking back and forth about their families while strolling through Central Park.

However, if the events from Blood Feud have taught us anything, it’s that nothing in Pan’s life, is ever easy and simple for very long. This only proves itself when her “Monstervision” kicks in and reveals Javi’s ex-girlfriend’s true colors.

Despite this however, one can rest assured that Pan’s quick, snarky wit will shine through whatever darkness and trouble she faces, like a beacon through the fog.

I was fortunate enough to get a peek at the first 6 pages, and even with that small glimpse, I am beyond excited for what is to come! The artwork is very well done, and I can’t wait to see it progress within future pages.

Both print and digital versions go on sale May 22, 2013. The print edition will be
available at finer comic shops; the digital edition will be available for download
from StarWarpConcepts.com and DriveThruComics.com.

Have you hugged your nerd today?

Tags: Aida Jacobs, Eliseu Gouveia, Elizabeth Watasin, Emily The Strange, Ernie Colón, Girly Geek, Pandora Zwieback, Sholly Fisch, StarWarp Concepts, Steven A. Roman

StarWarp Concepts Attends 2012 Baltimore Comic-Con

Aug. 30 Comic Books, Press Release no comments

On September 8th through the 9th at the popular Baltimore Comic-Con StarWarp Concepts, an independent publishing house, will be attending for the first time. They are known for their graphic novels and fantasy books. Among the books they will be promoting are Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback book 1, Lorelei: Sects and the City and The Bob Larkin Sketchbook. I am not too familiar with StarWarp Concepts but they seem to have a good thing going and their style seems to be right up my alley. So keep an eye out for them if you are attending the Baltimore Comic-Con because you won’t want to pass them up.

Here is a press release they sent to Word of the Nerd:

StarWarp Concepts

P.O. BOX 4667 SUNNYSIDE, NY 11104

www.starwarpconcepts.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

StarWarp Concepts Attends

2012 Baltimore Comic-Con

Independent publishing house StarWarp Concepts—home for edgy dark-urban-fantasy books and graphic novels—hits the road to make its first appearance at the popular Baltimore Comic-Con, being held September 8–9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Artists Alley table #A189

is where you’ll find bestselling author Steven A. Roman (X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy) promoting The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, his young adult novel series about a teenaged Goth who teams up with an immortal shape-shifter named Annie to hunt monsters. Joining Roman will be author Richard C. White (Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, Star Trek: Echoes of Coventry), who will be promoting The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon, his pirate-fantasy comic book that’s perfect for fans of classic adventure and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

On sale will be:

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: The critically acclaimed first novel in the series finds Pan and Annie contending with warring vampire clans who attempt to unleash hell on earth.

Lorelei: Sects and the City: Written by Roman and featuring art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Phantom), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man), and Neil Vokes (The Black Forest), this Mature Readers graphic novel is about a succubus battling the members of a fanatical cult that’s trying to resurrect the Elder Gods they worship.

The Bob Larkin Sketchbook: From Doc Savage and Batman to Star Wars and the X-Men, there’s little that this legendary painter hasn’t drawn, and this first-time collection of some of his detailed pencil work features pulp adventurers, wrestlers, femme fatales, and superheroes, and includes three new pieces done especially for this volume.

The Official Pandora Zwieback T-shirt!

The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon comic book, as well as related T-shirts and roleplaying game figurines.

Attendees are encouraged to visit the Pandora Zwieback Web site (www.pandorazwieback.com) to download a free digital copy of The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0—a full-color, 16-page comic book written by Roman, with art by Eliseu Gouveia. In it, Pan introduces readers to her book series and presents a two-chapter sample from the first novel, Blood Feud.

Baltimore Comic-Con’s hours are:

Saturday, September 8: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Sunday, September 9: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

The Baltimore Convention Center is located at 1 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland. For more information on the show, visit http://baltimorecomiccon.com.

For more information on StarWarp Concepts and its projects, please visit www.StarwarpConcepts.com.

Their you have it nerds, here’s a pic of some of the great stuff they have to offer and don’t forget to check out their website.

Tags: baltimore comic con, fantasy books, graphic novels, michael turner II, mike turner II, StarWarp Concepts

Lorelei: Sects in the City

Aug. 16 Comic Books, Reviews 1 comment

Many of you might recall my earlier press release of Lorelei: Sects in the City in which I talked about Lorelei–a succubus who uses her sexually charged powers for good. Remember? I called her the ‘Dexter’ of the supernatural world. Well, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy to read and review, and I have to say that I rather enjoyed it.

All in all, I have to say that this graphic novel was very well done. The art was wonderful, and the story itself (a major selling point for me with anything that I read) was entertaining and kept me happily reading until the end. Not to mention, Lorelei herself was in possession of just enough snark to keep hopeless situations from being too bleak.

Suffice to say, Steven Roman and his creative team at StarWarp Concepts should be patting themselves on the back. However, those are not the only points in this graphic novel’s favor.

As a possessor of a Bachelor’s Degree in English (emphasis in creative writing), I feel compelled to applaud the way in which this graphic novel was written. The language used within the descriptive narrative of the Prologue flows like a symphony, and even brings to mind the image of woodwinds, strings and percussion working together to create a unique and perfect harmony that draws the reader into the story.

Case in point…

Trees sway in time to the Wagnerian cadence of the growing tempest. Rain sizzles as it strikes the Earth, pale drops against a black velvet curtain.

And that is only one example of the language used to set the tone of the scene.

How often does one see the word ‘Wagnerian’ within the pages of a graphic novel? Not very often, and to use it in describing a storm only serves to further deliver the idea that the storm in question is one of epic proportions. For those of you not familiar with the works of Richard Wagner (not a personal favorite of mine, but still a gifted musician nonetheless), his operas are known for being loud and grandiose with highly dramatic arias and music in general that is driven forward by complex and powerful melodies. Trust me, Roman could not have chosen a better word than Wagnerian to describe a tempestuous evening.

You don’t believe me?

Give Ride of the Valkyries a listen and tell me that it doesn’t conjure up images of leaves and debris whipping through the air of a dark and stormy night as tree branches bend and break before the power of the tempest. Granted, that’s not what Wagner had in mind when he wrote the piece, but nevertheless, you get the point I’m trying to make.

Or at least you will once you give the piece a listen.

Now then, getting back to the main subject at hand, I enjoyed this graphic novel, and I would recommend it to anyone who (like me) has fondness for supernaturally driven plot lines. Even if you don’t have a fondness but are simply looking for something different and new from what you normally read, I recommend it.

Nerd up!

Tags: Aida Jacobs, Girly Geek, Lorelei: Sects in the City, StarWarp Concepts, Steven A. Roman, Succubus

Lorelei: Succubus to the Rescue!

Aug. 06 Comic Books, Press Release 1 comment

She stalks the streets of New York: a redheaded angel of vengeance named Lorelei, who preys on those who would prey on the weak.

Not the normal description that pops into one’s head while thinking of a succubus, right?

However, I must admit that when I imagine a succubus, the mental image that I get is not that far off from the way Lorelei is depicted.

In any case, we’ve all heard the stories of sexy female demons preying upon men in their sleep. Naturally, we’ve all come to assume that these supernatural beasties are evil, and rightfully so given that knocking boots with the demonic sexual deviant results in the draining of life and soul from the victim regardless of his innocence or lack thereof–taking the role of femme fatale to entirely new heights.

However, that is not the case with Lorelei.

Originally a photographer who was transformed into a succubus by supernatural means, this particular red-haired vixen chooses to use her sexually-destructive powers for good and targets members of a cult determined to bring on the destruction of Earth by opening a portal into Hell–taking the role of femme fatale (not to mention the role of vigilante) to an entirely new level. Just think of her as the ‘Dexter’ of supernatural creatures.

Lorelei: Sects in the City is a graphic novel written by bestselling author Steven A. Roman (X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback), with art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Phantom, Infiniteens), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, The Black Forest).

Lorelei: Sects and the City—which also features cover art by Esteban Maroto (Zatanna: Come Together), a one-page history of succubi by Ernie Colon (Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld), and pinups by Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella) and the late Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider)—is currently available for order from online and brick-and-mortar bookstores, comic shops, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and the StarWarp Concepts web site.

“At its heart, Lorelei is a tribute to 1970s and ’80s horror comics and movies,” Roman explained. “Her stories have supernatural elements, sure, and there’s some nudity and adult themes—Lori is a succubus, after all—but her adventures are character-driven, with a heavy dose of sarcasm and humor. And receiving encouragement over the years from people like original Vampirella publisher James Warren and comic artists like Esteban Maroto and Tom Sutton, as well as from Vampirella’s creator, Forrest J Ackerman, has meant a lot to me. I think horror fans will enjoy Lori’s inaugural graphic-novel adventure as much as those creators did.”

Nerd up!

Tags: Aida Jacobs, Eliseu Gouveia, Girly Geek, Neil Vokes, StarWarp Concepts, Steve Geiger, Steven A. Roman, Succubus

‘Blood Feud’ E-Book Sale

Mar. 06 Literature, News, Uncategorized no comments

Blood Feud (cover)

Already taking the world of ‘dark-urban-fantasy’ literature under her thrall, Pandora Zwieback, the central character in Steven A. Roman’s novel Blood Feud; The Saga of Pandora Zweiback (book 1) is poised to take the electronic realm by storm.

Courtesy of publisher StarWarp Concepts, Pandora’s saga will be available via electronic download for $1 from March 4 to March 10, as StarWarp Concepts participates in Smashwords annual Read an E-Book Week.

Written by Steven A. Roman, author of the bestselling novels X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy and Final Desintation: Dead Man’s Hand, as well as the graphic novels Stan Lee’s Alexa, Sunn, and Lorelei: Sects and the City, Blood Feud; The Saga of Pandora Zweiback (book 1) tells the tale of Pandora Zweiback, a 16-year-old NY Goth girl. Pandora is not only having to deal with the usual problems of teen-age angst, but she is also coping with two life-altering issues — her divorcing parents and her new ability to see through the human disguises of vampires, werewolves and other dark and nefarious creatures. Her only assistance with both issues comes from Sebastienne Mazarin, a 400-year-old, shape-shifting monster hunter she befriends. With Sebastienne’s help, Pandora must protect the world from the various monsters that are threatening it with the usual mayhem and destruction — including two bands of warring vampire clans that are searching for a key that will unlock the ultimate weapon.

Blood Feud is a roller-coaster read; the action never lets up….

– Monster Librarian

One of those fabulous books that manages to straddle the young adult/adult fiction divide, catering equally for teens and more, ahem, ‘mature’ readers alike with a light touch that makes it a joy to read.

– BCF Book Reviews

Usually $3.99, the electronic download of Blood Feud; The Saga of Pandora Zweiback (book 1) will be available for the Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iPad, Sony Reader and other home computer/e-book applications.

Read an E-Book Week runs from 12:01 a.m. (Pacific Time) on March 4 until 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on March 10. Participants can sign up for a Smashwords account and use the Coupon Code REW75 to receive their discount on Blood Feud.