PPLD Mountain of Authors

I am very pleased and excited to be part of the Author Showcase at the April 4, 2015 Mountain of Authors conference sponsored by the Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs.  I have a deep appreciation and love for PPLD.  It is, without question, one of the best library districts I have experienced.  This year's theme is on fantasy and science fiction.

I will be showcasing my novel Tall Pauley. This is a fantasy novel that is similar in style to The Chronicles of Narnia, but without the explicit analogies to Jesus Christ.  The content wrestles with themes of goodness, shame, suffering and forgiveness.  It could be considered Young Adult literature, but is really intended for adults who are willing to explore such subjects as slavery, torture, oppression and redemption through fantasy literature. Not that it is all so solemn of an adventure, readers can also enjoy delightful sequences of nature and friendship.  I will be giving away a free signed print of a Tall Pauley illustration to anyone who purchases a copy (either print or digital version) at the conference.  

It will be this same weekend that my latest collection of short stories, Pockets and Other Unusual Stories will also be available in digital and print formats online. This collection of fantasy stories has been brewing for some time, with many of the stories started over six years ago and two, in particular, having been completed just within the last few months. “Pockets” was a particular favorite at the Colorado Springs Writer’s Reading Series.  “The Castle of Pyotr Illusovitch” is a story that is clearly influenced by Chekhov, and “a Misspent god” (yes, the case-sensitivity of the title is on purpose) is what I would consider one of my most mature works at this time.  “a Misspent god” explores the abuses and disuses of power through the medium of ancient gods.  It is an alternative view of the presently popular “super hero” legacies.  It is deeply influenced by Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. His exploration of critical human and theological themes in a non-Christian way intrigues me as much as Flannery O’Connor’s stark and unnerving stories which address abuses of religion. In this pocket-sized volume you will find other fantasy stories about a man who wakes up in a fire storm, a surprise defense of a deaf girl, a fat angel eating lunch in a corporate courtyard and a girl shaped like a bean pod getting lost in a storm. 

Please come out and support all the local Colorado Springs writers featured at this free conference through Pikes Peak Library District.

April 4, 2015

12:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr., Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Keep Reading!

M.R. Hyde  March 25, 2015