Science Fiction Writer Camilla Stein

Camilla Stein is a science fiction writer. She has lived all over the world and is currently based in the Netherlands. She is a multilingual specialist with degrees in Humanities, Linguistics and Education. Camilla also holds a certificate in Herbal Medicine and is an apprentice in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is working on a series of short sci-fi stories, a new sci-fi novel, a non-fiction book and a war novel. Camilla also writes on other subjects such as autism and social issues, and does film reviews.


Welcome to Writers in Business. Please tell us about your current projects.

I'm working on a series of short sci-fi stories based on a selection of completed stories that I wrote in the past and a number of new sketches. The series can be divided into two parts – Flash Sci Fi stories of no more than 1,000 words that are being published on my blog , and regular science fiction short stories. An example of Flash is SUITS, a little psychological teaser. Morning Dew is the story that marks the launch of a series with a recurrent character – Ian, the bounty hunter. He is going on some exciting adventures! There’s a plan for an eBook. It will be announced on my blog and my Facebook page.

Another short sci-fi story, titled Gaia's Children, that stands apart from previously described ones has been now completed. It's a post-apocalyptic space exploration story with an intriguing twist and a time line of 1200 years. It presents challenges we might have overlooked in our current stage of development as a civilization. This story will be released in the eBook format as a bonus for the eBook of stories about Ian and his peers. The story has a customized cover art by a professional artist, to read more about this story please go to Gaia's Children. The story is currently undergoing book-to-script adaptation.

A new science fiction novel is intended to be fully developed 300 A4 pages of text. Currently, the book has been mapped, the characters have been drawn, the book’s geography has been determined (I have real star charts!) and the first chapters have been written. This novel will have it all – aliens, FTL, some amazing gadgets, and of course a love story. The book has a distinct Japanese sub-theme. Something very unusual and unpredictable is going to happen there.

The non-fiction book is an autobiographical collection of my Autism-related reflections and my own haiku. It will tell a true story.

A war novel is a project that I began in 2008 at the peak of the research I was doing on a related subject. The book is based on real events and centers around a friendship between two women who experience a modern-day war that affects their lives on many levels. It’s a story of perseverance and a deep human tragedy.

Wow... you are certainly busy - and have such a creative mind! I'm a huge sci-fi fan. I understand Morning Dew is referred to as 'cozy horror'. This is a new term to me. Can you elaborate?

'Cozy horror’ is a completely new innovative technique that is designed to disguise horror elements inside the story. At the moment, I am unaware of any standard methodology for the technique. There’s room for an experiment and a total creativity blast here. I suggest exploring the entire spectrum of tools in the English language, not limiting horror paragraphs to descriptive epithets no matter how colorful. Sometimes a surprising effect can be achieved by an unusually employed stylistic device. I like establishing an element of horror in the finalé, in or near the climax.

Speaking of Morning Dew in this context, a juxtaposition of the setting that is introduced in the very first paragraph of the story to the reality on the planetoid creates a chill that doesn’t really wear off, instead it is being reminded of in the last few lines when an artistic detail is employed to seal the effect.

There’s some speculation going on the web whether cozy horror can be classified as a subgenre or not. I think it can, but it also is a matter of personal taste, and some readers and critics might feel a hardcore horror story that only lacks a few blood stains here and there is too cozy already, while for others it is a complete elimination of graphic imagery that makes it cozy.

Camilla Stein can be reached by email and you can visit her online at CamillaStein and CamillaSteinReview.

Pat Hauldren Editor and Writer Extraordinaire

Pat Hauldren, known to her friends as Alley, joins us today from Grand Prairie, Texas. She is a talented freelance writer, editor and writing teacher who wears many hats.

Through her web site AlleyPat.com , Alley offers a variety of services including full line-by-line editing, proofreading, transcription, newsletter writing and design, ghostwriting and customized social media planning. She can also design web sites and create content for them.

She is currently copyeditor at Cyberwizard Publications, editor for the newsletter of a local chapter of RWA, and freelance writer for the Examiner.com.

- What is your favorite genre?

My favorite genre is science fiction and fantasy, or as we are calling it now, speculative fiction. My first SF was unintentional. In grade school, we lived in a small town in the piney woods of East Texas. Small town meant small library, which meant, small selection of books. At the time, I was reading horse stories (you know, Flicka and all that.), but one Friday afternoon, before catching the bus for the hour ride home, I grabbed several books I assumed to be the ones I wanted. Well, I did want them, after the fact. I had selected several Heinlein’s young adult books like Have Space Suit, Will Travel & Starship Troopers. Speculative fiction has been an addiction ever since.

- Can you tell us about your new position as writer for the Sy Fy Channel at the Examiner?

I write Speculative Fiction and call myself a Mythologist because when I world-build, I have to create the legends and myths of my world. Even when writing contemporary fantasy, I delve into human history, legends, myths, and fables to weed out those intriguing nuggets that suggest gem of possibilities for a fantastical world or culture.

Please visit me at the Sy Fy Channel Examiner -- SyFy Channel read more about my world.

As if all this wasn’t keeping her busy, Alley writes for other channels at the Examiner including:

Fort Worth Writing Examiner
Fort Worth Hockey Examiner
Dallas Speculative Fiction Examiner
Dallas Women's Sports Examiner

Where can writers go online to learn more about writing and editing?

I have created, organized, and moderate several online and live writers’ workshops. Some of the online workshops are:
• DFW_Authors ~ for writers in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas
• NTRWA ~ for members of the North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop
• SFF_Writers ~ for Science Fiction & Fantasy writers world-wide
• SFF_Texas ~ for Science Fiction & Fantasy writers in the Texas area
• Texas-Writers ~ information and networking for Texas area writers, editors, agents, publishers
• Texas Writers Classifieds ~ writers resources including freelance writing & editing jobs, publishing & marketing news, special events, booksignings, workshops, writing contests, and seminars.
• Writing & Publishing ~ for writers, editors, agents, & publishers all around the world.

Alley, you are one busy woman! I’ve enjoyed learning more about you and your writing. Having just subscribed to your SyFy channel, I’m looking forward to reading your creative writing as well.

Readers can contact Alley at EditAlley@gmail.com , Google Voice: 214.444.8916, Skype: Pat Hauldren and online at AlleyPat.com.

Win a free copy of The Fear Within by Shelby Patrick

Shelby Patrick, born and raised in southeastern Michigan, grew up watching classic horror movies of the great Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing. She turned her love of horror into the written word during her senior year in high school when she was introduced to her first writing class.

Since then Shelby has published two creative writing exercise books, Dark Recesses of the Mind and Forbidden Knowledge, as well as various articles throughout the Internet and created several e-books. She’s visiting us today at Writers in Business to announce the release of her newest publication, The Fear Within: A Short Story Collection.

Please tell us about your new book, The Fear Within.

The book contains twenty-five stories of the supernatural and alien encounters -- a romantic getaway that they can’t get away from, a virus that infects the cell phone network and only a small handful of people are uninfected while the rest of the world goes murderously insane, a prison with no bars, no walls, and no escape, dead things that don’t stay dead, a mysterious door in the basement that is to be kept locked at all times, and much more.

Where do you get your ideas?

From everywhere. I’m always in writing mode and it doesn’t take much to spark an idea. One of my stories was based on a paper route I had once; another found its title from a song I heard on the radio. It could be a conversation I overheard or a headline in the news that gives me ideas, and sometimes they just come from my dreams.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?
When I was a kid, I loved to dream and I loved to read. I could play out whole scenes in my mind, like seeing a movie, in which I was the main character and I lived an exciting life. My imagination was my whole world. I didn’t realize how exciting it would turn out to be by penning my fantasies down, but when I was thrown into my first creative writing class, I knew what I was put on this Earth to do – write and share my minds-eye view of the worlds I created with readers. I’ve been writing ever since.

Where can readers go to learn more about your writing?

I have a website at ShelbyPatrick.com. You can join my mailing list, check out blurbs from my novels, get excerpts from my stories, or buy a signed copy of The Fear Within. I also have a blog at WritersHideaway.

I understand you are giving away free copies of The Fear Within.

Yes, I am offering a free signed copy of The Fear Within in a random drawing to anyone who comes and visits me at the following sites on my tour dates of August 29 –September 4, 2010. Please visit my Virtual Book Tour page to learn more.

We wish you all the best with your new book Shelby!