Special Interview and 8 eBook Short Stories Giveaway with Stephen Zimmer

It is my distinct pleasure to be part of this special eBook short stories giveaway with Seventh Star Press and Stephen Zimmer. I will fill you in with complete details after a brief interview with Stephen.

1-  What made you decide to write the singles to go along with the Rising Dawn Saga and The Fires in Eden Series?

I have been developing both of these series since the mid-1990’s, and in laying the foundation for the series and the worlds that they are set in, I sketched out quite a lot in terms of the histories, places, and other elements.

Obviously, a majority of this foundational material does not make it into the series directly, though sometimes there is a brief reference to an individual, period of history, or place during the events of the novels. 

As a reader, haven’t you sometimes wanted to know more about something mentioned in a book?  I’m one of those kinds of readers and have always wanted a way to expand on some of the underlying material.  Even though these historical events, characters, or places are either minor or unmentioned in the novel series, I have given them quite a bit of thought, and the ideas for stories with them just jump forward in abundance.

The stories give active readers of my series more to explore and enjoy about the worlds, and I believe that they can enhance the enjoyment of the novel series.

I then took this idea a little farther, as I thought it would be a good thing for some of my fellow SSP authors to do, as they have some really intriguing series.  I then put the idea forward to see what everyone thought.  I am happy to say that it was well-received within the SSP family!

2-  Are the short stories actually a continuation of the two series or can they stand alone?

That’s the cool thing about these short stories.  In the sense that they take place in the worlds of the novel series, they add depth and dimension to the experience of the readers who have been reading the novels.  On the other hand, they are stand alone stories too, and require no prior familiarity with the novels to enjoy them.  Kind of like the best of both worlds!

3-  Are there plans to write more shorts to go along with the series?

Absolutely!  I already have a few in later stages of development, and a great number of ideas for others.  The ideas just leap out from the foundational material created for the novel series.  There is simply a lot to draw from, and I can see a great number of these coming to life in the years to come.  I really hope readers enjoy them as much as I love writing them!

  4-  Will there be more novels to add to the series? If so, when can we expec them?

   Oh yes, there are a projected seven novels in the Rising Dawn Saga, and either 7 or 8 in the Fires in Eden series.  Book Three in the Fires in Eden series comes out late spring, and The Seventh Throne was Book Three in the Rising Dawn Saga, so there is quite a bit more ahead in the main two series.  Book Four in the Rising Dawn Saga should come out towards the end of 2012.  There is about a 7 month window between my novel releases with the two series being alternated on the schedule.

Thank you so much for giving me a chance to visit with you, Eva!  It is a real privilege and thanks for shining some light on those of us in the small press world!

Now for the details of the giveaway.

There will be 3 winners chosen. Each winner will receive a total of 8 short stories in the prize package. Each winner will receive 4 shorts from Stephen Zimmer, 2 new ones from Steven Shrewsbury, featuring his Sword and Sorcery icon, Gorias La Gaul, and 2 from Michael West. Michael's stories are horror genre of a Stephen King style. The winner can choose kindle or nook compatibility or request ePub format which should work in Sony Readers or Ipads. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post to be entered. To get additional entries, just follow any or all of the authors or seventh star press on facebook and/ or twitter. You must supply that info in your post to get the additional entries. Be sure to leave your email address and eBook format so that I can contact the winners and provide the publisher with your information. The contest will be open through Sunday, Jan 15, 2012 at midnight EST. I will notify the winners on Monday, Jan 16. Ebooks will be provided through the publisher, Seventh Star Press.