Rebecca Moesta's Blog

And here is the big official announcement, fifteen years in the making! This is the real deal, and we are all very excited

LEGENDARY ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO
FRANK HERBERT’S CLASSIC SCI-FI NOVEL DUNE

Burbank, CA – November 21, 2016 – Legendary and the Frank Herbert estate have reached an agreement granting the production entity the film and television motion picture rights to the beloved novel DUNE, one of the most revered science fiction novels of all time. The agreement calls for the development and production of possible film and television projects for a global audience. The projects would be produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent and Cale Boyter, with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert serving as executive producers. Kevin J. Anderson will be either a Creative Consultant or a Co-Producer, depending upon which book is filmed.

Set in the distant future, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides whose family accepts control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, control of Arrakis is highly contested among the noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s control of Arrakis.

Dune has long been considered the crown jewel of science fiction properties. Its legacy and influence is witnessed in everything from STAR WARS to THE MATRIX and often referred to as the science fiction version of LORD OF THE RINGS with its sprawling world and multi-dimensional politics.

The agreement was negotiated by Mike Ross and Jen Grazier on behalf of Legendary and Marcy Morris and Barry Tyerman of JTWAMMK on behalf of the Herbert family.

About Legendary Entertainment
Legendary Entertainment is a leading media company with film (Legendary Pictures), television and digital (Legendary Television and Digital Media) and comics (Legendary Comics) divisions dedicated to owning, producing and delivering content to worldwide audiences. Legendary has built a library of marquee media properties and has established itself as a trusted brand which consistently delivers high-quality, commercial entertainment including some of the world’s most popular intellectual property. In aggregate, Legendary Pictures-associated productions have realized grosses of more than $13 billion worldwide at the box office. To learn more visit: www.legendary.com

[image error]LegendaryLEGENDARY is a global entertainment company with a passion for transportive storytelling across film, television, digital media, virtual reality and comic books. Towering monsters. Inspirational heroes. Thrilling adventures. Legendary is driven…LEGENDARY.COM

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Source: Kevin’s Blog

We’re pleased to announce the five winners of the 2017 Don Hodge Memorial Scholarship for the Superstars Writing Seminar: Courtney Farrell, Lehua Parker, Blair McGregor, Aubrey Pratt, and Liz Colter! The scholarship entails full tuition of $749 for the three-day seminar, plus $275 for the additional Advanced Writing Craft Day.

Superstars offers scholarships every year to writers who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend due to financial circumstances. We have so far funded 12 scholarships through donations and the sales of our three anthologies,  One Horn to Rule Them All: A Purple Unicorn Anthology, A Game of Horns: A Red Unicorn Anthology, and The Dragon Writers Anthology. These anthologies are published through WordFire Press. Supporters can also donate via PayPal at http://superstarswriting.com/scholarships/ All funds received for the Don Hodge Scholarship Fund are distributed to scholarship winners in the form of registrations for the Superstars Writing Seminars, without a cent going to administrative costs.       The 7th Superstars Writing Seminar will take place Thursday through Saturday, February 2-4, 2017 at the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs. An Advanced Writing Craft Day is offered on Wednesday, February 1st. Superstars focuses on the business of writing and career building, with workshops instructed by the top authors, editors, and professionals in the industry. For more information, a list of guest instructors, and to register please head over to Superstars Writing Seminars.

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Source: Kevin’s Blog

We had a great time Saturday night at the book release party at Hard Rock Cafe in Denver for the new novel Empire’s Rift, released by WordFire Press. This epic science fiction novel is based in the Takamo gaming universe, the first in the “Kevin J. Anderson Presents” line from WordFire.Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with us and pick up a copy of “Empire’s Rift” at the party. Anyone who purchased the novel also received an X Files paperback. We signed lots of books and enjoyed some great food! Special thanks to John at the Hard Rock Cafe, which was a cool downtown venue for our book launch. Kevin J. Anderson with Steve Rzasa and Randall Ritnour from Takamo Universe games. Congratulations to Steve Rzasa and the group at Takamo Universe. Best of luck! There is also a Kickstarter currently running, which has already met the basic goal and now we’re trying to fund the second novel in the series. Some great reward levels still available. You can check it out at the Takamo Kickstarter . About “Empire’s Rift”–The Naplian Empire’s war of expansion against the Grand Alliance has taken a turn for the worse. With vital serjaum fuel reserves wiped out by a surprise attack, Admiral Daviont of the III Corps makes a long, desperate journey to the fringes of Terran space for a massive undeveloped source of serjaum—the Baedecker Star System. But his action does not go unnoticed. Their mortal enemies, the Briddarri, send their own task force to intercept.
At Baedecker Four, starfighter pilot and governor’s son Taggart “Tag” Wester has his hands full steering clear of his wing commander’s wrath. When an emergency call unearths a dangerous foe from the past, he’s put to a test unlike any he’s ever face—one of courage, and leadership. Elden Selva is on a mission to restore power to the defeated Northern Alliance, by retrieving the remains of Truppen cybernetic soldiers. What he finds is far more than he anticipated, and the ensuing conflict changes both him and the woman he loves.The invaders and defenders collide in a struggle that will not only shape their lives, but have dire consequences for the entire galaxy.

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Source: Kevin’s Blog

We’re happy to announce the release of a new anthology, DRAGON WRITERS, including stories by Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, Jody Lynn Nye, Todd McCaffrey, and many others, edited by Lisa Mangum and with original cover art and introduction by James Artimus Owen.  All proceeds go to fund the Don Hodge Memorial Scholarship for Superstars Writing Seminars.

This is the third anthology put together by Superstars Writing Seminar instructors and alumni. The first two—One Horn to Rule Them All (about purple unicorns) and A Game of Horns (about red unicorns)—were also edited by Lisa Mangum and published by WordFire Press. Harnessing the creativity and imagination of Superstars attendees, these books generated a lot of attention, and raised enough money to fund ten total scholarships for Superstars.

  

We decided we just had to do one more.  Superstars instructors Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, Jody Lynn Nye, and Todd McCaffrey offered stories, but then the Superstars alumni submitted their best, to be selected by Lisa Mangum. The other contributors include Adric Mayall, Frog Jones, Josh Vogt, Scott Parkin, Kristin Luna, John D Payne, Joy Dawn Johnson, Michael Angel, Brandon M Lindsay, L.J. Hachmeister, Kevin Ikenberry, Frank Morin,  Mel Koons, Jace Killan,  Greg Little, Nancy Greene, Tristan Brand, Robert J McCarter, Aaron Michael Ritchey, Mike Jack Stoumbos, MJ Carlson, Peter E Sartucci

Pick up your eBook or print copy now and help us fund the *next* batch of Scholarships for Superstars!  Percival the kitten approves.

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Source: Kevin’s Blog

Here’s an interview on writing and books with my good friend Jody Lynn Nye. I thought you might enjoy it—and read Jody’s books! Her new nonfiction book, with Bill Fawcett, is Pros and Cons, and her novel Taylor’s Ark, were both just released by WordFire Press.

  

Do you have a pre-writing routine or ritual?

Every morning, when I get up, I feed the cat, then make my cocoa, check out Facebook, update my computer programs and game apps, and watch a few minutes of TV with my husband or stare out the glass doors at the local wildlife (we live on a thickly forested lot). I flip open my laptop and start on the project I left off the night before. Sometimes that means I spend a lot of the day in pajamas, but I understand from my friends that it’s not too uncommon a practice among writers. I am most productive in the morning, so I don’t even look at my e-mail until noon or later.

I see you have cats. Are they helpful when writing your books?

At the moment, we have only one cat, Jeremy, a black Texas longtail. He’s very helpful, if by helpful you mean coming in to yow at me that he’s getting insufficient attention just as I’m trying to concentrate on a scene. I always threaten him that I’ll take my computer and go to the library to work. He stretches out on the carpet as I stroke him, eyes slitted, purring, because he knows I hardly ever make good on that threat.

What do you have to have in order to write? A favorite beverage, warm cat on your lap, candles, heavy metal rock blasting in your ears, or . . . ?

No music, no TV. Too distracting. If I have snacks in reach, I’ll nibble, so I limit what’s in reach. The cat is not much help (see above), but sometimes he lies on my legs on the other side of the laptop. When I hit a knotty moment, I’ll play a few hands of solitaire or check in on FB, then go back to it.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I like to be challenged. I’ve taken on a few projects because they made me stretch. I don’t write horror or dystopia as a rule, but I have recently written stories in various friends’ literary worlds that involved those themes. I learn a lot about myself when I try new things. When I hit a snag, it means something is fundamentally flawed in my project. I need to get away from it for a while to see where the failing lies. That can take a while, and often I don’t have a while. I have a problem writing short. My husband teases me that I will “write no book before it is long,” paraphrasing the Paul Masson wine commercials. I can edit down if I need to, but I hate to have to do that.

Are you as funny as your books?

I like to think I’m funny. Contrariwise, I like people to take me seriously.

Favorite food?

Chocolate, dark, 73% cocoa solids or better. I lose more of my tolerance for sugar every year.

Favorite book?

Several. Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey novels, particularly Murder Must Advertise or Gaudy Night. Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe books, especially The Black Mountain and The Doorbell Rang. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov. I could go on and on.

Favorite color?

Ruby red and amethyst purple.

  Night or day?

Day.

Coffee or chocolate?

Chocolate. I don’t drink coffee.

Dogs or cats?

Cats, now and forever. Dogs are nice people, but I prefer cats.

Fish or gerbils?

Fish. Gerbils are terrible gossips.

What was your inspiration for Taylor’s Ark?

My inspiration for Taylor’s Ark was curiosity about the future of medicine in space, and how a doctor could make a living. I have a family predilection for medicine, with an emphasis on neuroscience. My brother’s a neurologist, my uncle’s a psychiatrist, my mom’s a psychiatric nurse, my cousin’s an OB-GYN, another cousin just retired as the head of surgical education at a nearby hospital, and yet another cousin is a dentist who doubles in paleontological dentistry. He diagnosed Sue (the T. rex at the Field Museum) with an abscess that probably led to her death. I might have gone into medicine if I hadn’t been more interested in pursuing a career in media. I read medical journals and watch a lot of shows like Untold Stories of the ER.

At the time Taylor’s Ark was written, environmental medicine was starting to take hold as a specialty. It’s my belief that it will become even more important in the future as humankind steps onto new worlds and finds new things that could potentially make it sick or kill it. Genetically speaking, we can’t get infections from alien germs, because we don’t share any common microbes, but they can poison us or give us rashes.

Being a romantic at heart, I also gave Shona a husband she loves and who loves and supports her. They may be one of the few happily-married couples in space. I thought it would be fun to give Shona animals to supplement her diagnostic devices. Harry the cat and Saffie the dog have their own very distinct personalities as well as their talents. Shona is also responsible for the well-being of an alien visitor who mooches her candy supply and is writing a scholarly dissertation about human foibles. Chirwl is the small being on the ground next to Shona’s right foot on the cover. I hope to go on with the series one day.

 

 

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Source: Kevin’s Blog

Dragon Con starts Friday, and Kevin and I are heading for Atlanta. Between panels we’ll be at our table in the Dealer’s Room, autographing books and meeting fans. Come and pick up books to have them signed. We are at 90–91C & 112–113D in the AmericasMart Dealer’s Room.

Here’s a detailed schedule of our panels and appearances:

FRIDAY

11:00 AM Jody Lynn Nye Writer’s Workshop (KJA & Reb)

2:30  PM The Plot Thickens: Mystery & Suspense in UF (KJA)

5:30  PM Legendary SW Authors Talk Mythos (KJA & Reb)

SATURDAY

10:00 AM Building & Sustaining a Writing Career (KJA)

4:00   PM Magnificent Men of Fantasy Fiction (KJA)

7:00   PM Dragon Con Guest of Honor Awards Banquet (KJA & Reb)

SUNDAY

10:00 AM Reading (KJA & Reb)

1:00   PM  Monsters & Mayhem (Reb)

5:30   PM  X-Files Anthology (KJA)

7:00   PM  How I Would Have Written TFA—(KJA & Reb)

8:30   PM  Just Kill Me Now (Reb)

Dragon*Con starts today, and Kevin and I are in Atlanta. Between panels we’ll be at our table in the Dealer’s Room, autographing books and meeting fans. Come and pick up books to have them signed. We are at 391, 401 & 411 in the America’s Mart Dealer’s Room.

Here’s a detailed schedule of our panels and appearances:

FRIDAY

11:00 AM  Jody Lynn Nye Writer’s Workshop (Kevin & Rebecca)

2:30 PM    New York Times Bestselling Authors (Kevin, with Christopher Golden,

Sherrilyn Kenyon, Harry Turtledove, Nancy Knight, Katherine Kurtz)

4:00 PM   Things I Wish Some Pro Had Told Me (Kevin & Rebecca)

7:00 PM   Dealers’ Room Reception (Kevin & Rebecca)

SATURDAY

11:30 AM   Magnificent Men of Fantasy Fiction (Kevin, with Jim Butcher)

7:00 PM     Dragon*Con Guest of Honor Awards Banquet

SUNDAY

10:00 AM   Reading (Kevin)

2:20 PM      EU Legends: Author Edition (Kevin & Rebecca, David Farland,

Christie Golden, Michael Stackpole, Timothy Zahn)

5:30 PM    Appreciating Aaron Allston & AC Crispin (Kevin, Janine K. Spendlove,

Bryan Young, Michael Stackpole, Timothy Zahn)

8:30 PM    The XTracK Anthology (Kevin, Jonathan Maberry)

10:00 PM  Light in the Darkness: Humor in UF (Kevin, Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson,

JF Lewis, John G Hartness, Julie Kenner)

MONDAY

11:30 AM    Ask Me Anything (Kevin J. Anderson, Peter David, Lee Martindale, Allen M. Steele, Mark L Van Name)

Cross-posted from Kevin J. Anderson on August 26, 2013

We haven’t missed a DragonCon in many years, and we’re looking forward to this year’s con. We hope to see many of you this weekend. Here’s where you can find Kevin & me.

Most of the time we’ll be at our table in the Dealer’s Room, autographing books and meeting fans. Come and pick up books to have them signed. We are at 202 & 203.

Also, if you can make it, come to KJA’s reading at 5:30 PM on Sunday. He’ll be reading the first section of The Dragon Business as well as the first two chapters in The Dark Between the Stars , first novel in a new trilogy set in the Saga of Seven Suns universe.

Here’s the detailed schedule for our panels and appearances:

FRIDAY

11:00 AM   Jody Lynn Nye Writer’s Workshop (Kevin & Rebecca)

1:00 PM Ten Things I Wish Somebody Had Told Me (Kevin & Rebecca)

7:00 PM Your Favorite SW Authors (Kevin, with Aaron Allston, Michael Stackpole, Timothy Zahn, Bryan Young)

SATURDAY

11:30 AM   Mighty Men of Urban Fantasy (Kevin, with Jim Butcher)

1:00 PM     Fighting For Writing (Kevin)

5:30 PM     New York Times Best Selling Authors (Kevin, with Gene Wolfe, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Laurell K. Hamilton, Nancy Knight, Katherine Kurtz)

7:00 PM     Dragon*Con Guest of Honor Awards Banquet

SUNDAY

10:00 AM   Autographing, Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta

1:00 PM     Blood Light: The Use of Humor in Urban Fantasy (Kevin)

5:30 PM     Reading—Kevin J. Anderson

5:30 PM     Welcome to My World (Rebecca)

MONDAY

11:00 AM   Autographing, Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta (at The Missing Volume booth in the Dealer’s room)

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My ♥husband♥ brought me a Valentine's breakfast in bed this morning: coffee, oatmeal, and fresh strawberries that looked like perfect little red hearts. Thank you, Sweetie! I also got the following Valentine email that made me laugh. No, it's not from Kevin, but it was so creative that I had to share it. (Warning it's [...]