Writers Cantina Presenter Spotlight: Brad R. Torgersen...Military Man

 Another presenter for the Writers Cantina Writing Convention has been announced, and now, you can read up on our next guest author.

Brad R. Torgersen.

If you are not familiar with Brad's work, you're missing out.

I've read several of Brad's works. Torgersen's name has been compared with giants in the science fiction world...Heinlein, Clarke, among others. I agree. His stories are deep, thoughtful, introspective. His novel, The Chaplain's War, mixes themes of philosophy, religion, self-reflection, and the role the military plays in not only our culture, but that of other sentient species as well. I loved the novel, as well as other anthologies he has created.

In addition to his writing career, Brad is a National Guard reservist. My father served in WWII as did four of his brothers. I have the upmost respect for anyone willing to serve and put their lives on the line for people they've never met. I believe this experience has given Brad a valuable and important perspective and it shows in his writings. I've attended several conferences where Brad presented. If you're interested in learning more about writing in general and science fiction writing specifically, Brad alone is definitely worth the price of admission.

In just 124 days, the doors of the Utah Cultural Center in West Valley City, Utah will open and (hopefully...) many will attend a day of learning, presenting, networking, and overall good times. If that interests you, click: HERE to access the conference website and click: HERE to read more about presenter Brad Torgersen.

Spotted A Super-Shelf Yesterday...It's Holding Up A Lot Of Awesome!

Yesterday afternoon, just after 5pm, I drove down to the city's newest (and only...) bookstore. An author friend, Frank Cole, was having a book signing and since I don't see my author friends very much and since he was in town, I thought I'd stop by and say, "hi." It took a while for a lull to open up in his line (dude's popular among his target audience...), but once there was, I said, "hi." We chatted. I wished him well. 

On my way out, I saw a bookshelf, and to be honest, I was amazed at the strength of that particular bookshelf because it held so much awesomeness! It must be a super-shelf to successfully hold up such super-literature.

The shelf highlighted three local authors, and an author from Colorado. Each I know personally (some better than others...), each have had a positive effect on my writing. The display was set up in anticipation of a book signing. On Saturday, December 14th, at least two of the four authors will be in town to mingle and pitch their wares. I thought all three Utah authors were to be at the signing, and maybe they will, but the store's website only announced two.

Don't let that dissuade you from attending if you're in the area--the two authors, D.J. Butler and Brad Torgersen, are loaded with talent. And, as good of authors that they are, they've proved to be better people. And who knows...Mr. Larry Correia might be there, too. I don't believe Aaron Ritchey will be able to make it, and that's too bad--he's a character.

I've tried to highlight authors I've met and who have helped my on my literary journey. I'm constantly amazed at the quality of people I meet. Maybe I'm just lucky and have not encountered the jerks. Anything's possible, but my batting average of quality writers/people vs. jerk writers/people has been pretty good.

If you're close and you'd like to pick up some fantastic reading material and chat with the writers of said material, stop by the new, shiny (it really is...) Barnes & Noble store in Farmington, Utah a week from Saturday. You can access the store's website with information about this and all their signings by clicking: HERE. It'll definitely be worth your time.

Brad R. Torgersen's "The Chaplain's War"...A Book Review

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I know it's impossible, but imagine, if you will, that there were no politics in the publishing world, no judgements of texts based on the author's idealogical views. If this world existed, a book like Brad R. Torgersen's The Chaplain's War would, I believe, be talked about as one of the freshest and most enjoyable new books in the science fiction genre.

Like I said, I know it's impossible.

And that's a damn shame.

Because Torgersen's book is great, great in the tradition of Heinlein, and Card. In fact, as I read it, the story reminded me of two specific works, Heinlein's Stormship Troopers, and Card's Ender's Game. It deserves to be in the same conversation, if you want my opinion. Those two before-mentioned stories came to mind as I read The Chaplain's War because they both deal with military units fighting an alien enemy in the future. Torgersen's aliens, of the three, comes closest to being a race with similar thoughts and emotions as humans. Torgersen also provides us a reluctant hero, a man thrown into impossible situations who ends up playing a critical role in the war between the species and the survival of mankind.

If you follow science fiction literature, especially novels written in the past few years, you know there's a war being waged. What's at stake is the very existence of the genre. It's too bad many will not read this story because of the name that graces its cover.

Like I said, it's a damn shame.

I hope, if you like reading classic science fiction, you'll read this book. Maybe you have no idea about the politics and the cultural war in which Torgersen is a soldier. And if you don't, consider yourself lucky because you get to read such stories without bias. This story deserves as much.

* Photo used without permission from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/21412185-the-chaplain-s-war

Book Bomb Time...Brad Torgersen's "The Chaplain's War"

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Today several local authors are participating in a book bomb, a get-the-word-out campaign for a newly released book, Brad R. Torgersen's The Chaplain's War. 

You can access the author's website: HERE.

You can go to Amazon and buy the book outright: HERE.

Even though I've not read the book, I am familiar with the setting. Torgersen included two short stories in his book, Lights in the Deep. I blogged about that book and enjoyed it very much (you can read that blog post: HERE). Of all the stories in that collection, the ones involving Torgersen's chaplain stayed with me longer than perhaps any of his other stories. When I read his short story collection earlier this year, news of the full-length novel had already been announced and I understood how easily the characters and the situations in this new fictional world could be adapted to a longer, more developed story. You can pick up Lights in the Deep: HERE.

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When a short story or novella so quickly and fully develops a believable and complete reality, adding several hundred pages usually only makes everything better. Needless to say, I'm excited about this one!

If you're a fan of science fiction and wonder if there's anything new to read, please check out Brad's latest work. I think you'll be glad you did.

* Photo used without permission from: http://bradrtorgersen.com/

∂ Photo used without permission from: http://bradrtorgersen.com/

Brad Torgersen's "Lights In The Deep"...Fascinating!

I first met author Brad Torgersen at Utah's first Comic Con last September. I was asked to be a panelist and so I did some research on my fellow panelist to get to know them better. Most I didn't know--I hadn't heard of them since my foray into serious writing was a fairly new pursuit.

But one name stuck out...Brad Torgersen. I read his name alongside other famous names such as: Hugo, Nebula, Campbell--names after which prestigious awards are named. As it happened when our panel came up last fall, he moderated and I got to sit by him (a little advise here--if you're on a panel, you'll become better acquainted to the person you're sitting right next to than those you don't sit next to...). During the panel, Brad made an impression, a good impression.

And so, following the Comic Con when I asked to be his Facebook Friend and he accepted, it made me feel good. I knew someone who had proven he could not only compete in the competitive world of for-profit literature, but succeed. And I knew him.

Fast forward to February of this year--another conference, another chance to rub shoulders with amazing local authors. We chatted, as did I with many of the authors at the incredibly fun LTUE Conference. It wasn't until last month's Comic Con FanX event that I really got to know Brad. 

How did I do that? I bought and read his book, Lights of the Deep from WordFire Press. The 331-page collection of his short stories that not only entertains, but allows us a glimpse of what it's like to grow as a writer. He includes comments after each story which I found fascinating, almost as much as his stories. Being a relatively new writer, I found the details informative. It was like I was sitting across a table from him and he was telling me what it was like starting out, what success feels like after putting in the hard work, and how humbled he was to have his literary heroes praise him for the stories he created.

All this, and I've hardly mentioned the short stories in the book at all. I'll just say, I was in no way disappointed, so much so, I resurrected a story I started years ago and have worked on it almost every day since I started Lights of the Deep. Brad's book is inventive, creative, thought-provoking, and inspiring. If you love the genre, pick it up! Click: HERE for the Amazon link. You won't be disappointed. Plus, you'll be reading some of the early writings of an author, I believe, will one day have many novels stocked on a bookstore or library shelf.

Thanks, Brad for allowing us to get to know you.