Here we are into October! Ready for a new issue of Aphelion?

OK! Let's get this out of the way. Make sure to go and vote if you're a US resident! It is important, nay, vital! The future depends on it--yours, mine, everyone's! Just do it, let your voice be heard, let your will be felt, and go out to be the difference in the world you want to see.

On a personal front, I was invited to call in to an internet radio interview show a couple of weeks ago. The interview was with my writing partner, Sephanie Osborn. Since she gives good interviews, I would have been listening anyway, but this time the host had run across my Displaced Detective Suite music album while researching Stephanie's work. So I tuned in to hear the first track of my album being played as the show's intro music! Now for those not yet in the know, my third album is basically an instrumental soundtrack to the first four books of Stephanie's series. To hear the host gushing about how good the music is, how it invoked images of scenes from the books in her mind's eye, and how she hoped that I would call in--well, I had to pick up the phone, didn't I? So I called in. I stayed quiet through most of the interview, for after all, Stephanie was the guest, not me. I made a few occasional comments, prompted a couple of additional bits of info for them to discuss, and near the close of the show I answered a few questions about the music, Aphelion, and my stories. The result was that I have been asked to be interviewed on the show myself! Right now the schedule has me set up for an hour during the evening of November 10th. There is also the possibility of a two-hour interview with Stephanie and myself, together, but that is still to be decided. This show, Off The Chain, hosted by Yvonne Mason, is syndicated on a wide variety of websites. Podcasts.com, Soundcloud, and half a dozen more, so rest assured that Aphelion is going to get name-dropped all over the net, LOL!

I have also asked about the steampunk anthology that Sergio and company accepted one for my stories for, just to make sure I didn't dream that up, LOL! I am assured that it is on track for publication next year, all my info for the contract signing arrived safely, and everything is proceeding apace.

Naturally, I am excited about all of this. And a little scared as well, I must admit. But events will eventuate, eventually.

Now, to get back to Aphelion!

We are rushing headlong toward the special double-sized holiday issue, after which will come our next Birthday Issue. Aphelion's 20th anniversary, in fact. There will be lots of Best Of stories featured in the future, so whet your appetites for many, many blasts from the past alongside the new stories! Are you excited? I am!

The issue you have before you right now is absolutely loaded down with great fiction and poetry. Everything is locked and loaded so you can have a blast! So go and enjoy yourselves. Please remember to go to the Forums and leave comments on everything so the writers can learn what readers think worked, or did not work. Your comments are vital for the writers. That feedback is how everyone learns how to become better. So please do your part and leave some comments!

Probably, now is a good time for me to stop gushing and let you get to reading. Enjoy yourselves! So without further ado, I bid you adieu! Until next time,

Oh! Off The Chain with Yvonne Mason is the link on podcasts.com if you want to hear the interview with Stephanie that I was talking about earlier.

Dan

BOILERPLATE:

First off, if you do the Facebook thing, feel free to join us on the Aphelion page there. The link is Aphelion Webzine. As an aside, the Editorial Mafia and I have found Facebook to be very useful. Given our different locations and schedules, it's come in handy as a way to discuss production details of new issues. Sometimes there are several of us using Facebook at the same time, so it's almost like the old chat room days.

My first collection of Mare Inebrium spaceport bar short stories was published in February by Dark Oak Press. It is available in both Kindle an Nook e-book formats, paperback, and hardback. I also that thre albums of instrumenal music out throgh the Create Space self-publishing website. If you like, you can click on the photo or the link below to fin all the info you would need to purchase my book in your preferred format, or an e-book of Flash of Aphelion, buy a CD of my music, or listen to tracks off of the albums on my Bandcamp website. Enjoy!

Dan's Promo Page

Dan

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ON THE COVER

Title: Hoag's Object: A Wheel Within a Wheel

Photo Credit: NASA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Acknowledgment:  Ray A. Lucas (STScI/AURA)