Newsletter (Winter 2007)

Dear Friends,

It's been quite an exciting year for all at Ex Machina Press: the staff, the contributing authors, and you, our dedicated readership. 2007 was the first year we debuted TWO titles: Silent Voices: a creative mosaic of fiction, Volume Three and Big Brown Bag: Stories by Mark D' Anna. As soon as these titles made their appearance during the Southern California Festival Circuit this past year, our popularity has increased, as well as the accolades. Silent Voices, Volume Three received Honorable Mention at the New York Book Festival. And at the 2007 DIY Book Festival in Los Angeles, Ex Machina Press swept all entered categories: Best Anthology (Silent Voices, Volume Three), Best Unpublished Short Story (Winner: Peter A. Balaskas), and Honorable Mention in General Fiction (Big Brown Bag), all of which resulted in Ex Machina Press being named 2007 Publisher of the Year.

But that didn't end there.
 

Silent Voices Volume Three Wins Wild Card Category at London Book Festival and receives recognition at Writer's Digest 15th Annual Self-Published Book Awards

Silent Voices, Volume Three continues its roll as it receives its first international award as Winner in the Wild Card Category at the London Book Festival, one of the most competitive categories.

http://londonbookfestival.com/portal/

Silent Voices, Volume Three was also entered in the Writer's Digest 15th Annual Self-Published Book Awards. This is what the judge said about our little gem:

A really good collection of short fiction. Balaskas, the editor, is correct to suggest that nearly all of the pieces do seem to revolve around some notion of home, whether literal or metaphysical. Several of the pieces are really terrific, such as Murray Dunlap’s “Nightswimming: A Song for Andrew” (with its lovely references to the R.E.M. song) and Balaskas’s own “Duet,” with its interesting style. Multi-author collections aren't so common in this category, so this was a refreshing change.

So, would you like to know what the big fuss is all about? Purchase yourself (or for your friends and family) a copy of Silent Voices: a creative mosaic of fiction, Volume Three at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com
http://www.exmachinapress.com/books.htm
 

Mark D'Anna's short story collection "Big Brown Bag" now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Mark D' Anna's literary debut, Big Brown Bag: Stories, is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com. Jessica Roberts from Bookpleasures raves:

It’s always so refreshing when there is a new talent discovered in literature. Mark D’ Anna is one of them. He produces Big Brown Bag and if Mark continues to write such wonderful short stories, further success is certainly guaranteed….The stories in this collection are unusual, wry and unique some with perhaps, an underlying theme? I was hooked, a wonderful collection to be enjoyed by those who lust for dark humour, crime and romance. Mark has made his debut and let’s hope he’s here to stay.

You can either go through Mark D' Anna's personal website -- www.markdanna.com -- or go to Amazon directly:
http://www.amazon.com/Big-Brown-Bag-Mark-DAnna/dp/097727635X/

Also check out Mark's MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/mark_danna

Big Brown Bag is also being sold at these independent bookstores:

  -- Dutton’s, 11975 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, 310-476-6263

  -- Vroman’s, 695 Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, 800-769-BOOK, placed under General Fiction. Just look for the cover:
 

Peter Balaskas's thriller "The Grandmaster" now role-playing game characters and "Grandmaster" prequel, "A Bottle of Jyn," available on Amazon Kindle

Yes, you have read correctly. The two main characters from Peter A. Balaskas's thriller, "The Grandmaster" are going to be used as role-playing characters for ANY role-playing game. Bards and Sages Publishing is offering a free download that features the two characters from "The Grandmaster." Contained in the download are the character gaming stats. and histories. Best part of all, it's free. To give you an idea what it is, check out the cover that was painted SPECIFICALLY for "The Grandmaster."

Want more info. and the free file download, go to http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=51392 The cover should be on the right side of the main page. If not, type in "Grandmaster" and enjoy.

Another review came in for "The Grandmaster." This time, by Horrorwatch:
http://www.horrorwatch.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1496

If you are interested in purchasing this critically acclaimed novella, go to the Bards and Sages Website:
www.bardsandsages.com/grandmaster

For those of you who have already read "The Grandmaster" and want to know more about the Wagner Institute for Mental Treatment and Investigations, check out the short story prequel: "A Bottle of Jyn":

"The spinning's the worst part.
To much Bliss will do that."

Vincent Poe knows all about Bliss. As a supervisor at the Wagner Institute, Poe uses his supernatural powers to track murders and help study the potential of the human mind. But mixing Bliss travel with alcohol can only lead to trouble, particularly when a mysterious woman named Jyn gets involved.

The ebook is not only available through the Bards and Sages Website, it's also available on Amazon Kindle. Click on the link and check it out:

Now, here are the official 5 rules of "The Grandmaster":

1. If you have not purchased a copy of "The Grandmaster," BUY IT!

2. If you have purchased a copy of "The Grandmaster," READ IT!!

3. If you have not written a review on Amazon.com," WRITE IT!!!

4. If you have not downed a nice German lager after reading this wonderful debut, "DRINK IT!!!!"

5. If you know many friends who might be interested in this book---especially book clubs and writers groups, FORWARD IT!!!!!

Peter also has a MySpace page: www.myspace.com/zardozrising

Ex Machina Press at MySpace and Community Forum

Ex Machina Press has transcended into the realm of MySpace. Log onto their link:
www.myspace.com/exmachinapress

The Community Boards for Peer Review are up again after some technical snafus regarding our "website facelift," which is still in progress, so please be patient. Drop on by our literary community.
http://exmachina.proboards34.com/index.cgi


As always, we want to thank all of you for your endless support. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Keep writing!!!

Best,
Your Ex Machina Press Staff

Ex Machina Press, LLC
www.exmachinapress.com

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See our other Newsletters
Aug 2006 • Jan 2007 • May 2007 • Fall 2007 • Winter 2007