LoveFest 2018

By Deaflegacy

LoveFest 2018 is an annual festival in Second Life for fans of American horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Timed to take place around the time of his birthday, this year marks the 128th anniversary of Lovecraft's birth, August 20, 1890. People were coming from around all of Second Life, and from all around the world in real life, to experience it, in the Ravenheart sim.

There was plenty to do during Lovefest..  There was shopping, dancing, and music at places there. There were also readings of H.P. Lovecraft's stories.  I have been to some places at LoveFest 2018.  It was a good event, although at the same time, it was scary and frightening. While it is not recommended for people who get scared easily to go there, it is definitely recommended for people who love a good thrill, especially horror fans.  There is an asylum, and it is definitely a scary place to visit.

But there are also stores to go shopping at.  At one point, I was at a coffee shop.  It is a good cafe with plenty of desert and coffee.  I also took the tram.  It took me all across the sim

I went to the Arkam Asylum.  It was a spooky, scary place. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who would like to test their nerve to go there.  There is an adventure game called, “The Maze to Madness.” I went down to the Maze. And to be honest with you, it was not what I was expecting.  I checked it out and only saw a couple of rooms.  One is a cell with jail like feeling to it and another was a treatment room.  That was it.  I hate to tell you this but I did leave the place, feeling disappointed.  But the other areas were really good. 

I heard that there were readings in which someone would read out H.P. Lovecraft's stories.  I also know that there were plays happening at certain times.  Don't forget the tram.  One can always take the tram and enjoy the trip.  I would really recommend that people go to LoveFest. It is celebrating the birthday of a unique writer.  I think I will go buy a book that H.P. Lovecraft had written and give it a read.  Just by going to LoveFest had gotten me curious about his work.  I don't know about you, but I'm a horror fan and would love to read Lovecraft's stories.


https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ravenheart/128/128/53

Deaflegacy

Arton Tripsa’s Party at Book Island

 By Grease Coakes

Arton Tripsa stepped down as manager at Book Island after 4 years. There was a party in her honor at 4pm SLT at Book Island on Saturday June 15. I left my avatar at the beach of Dance Island while I went to grab some food beforehand. Selina Greene was there herself at the owner of Book Island. Brokail the blue alien showed up along with Perri Prinz the author of Spectral Shadows who is also the owner of the Green Meadows land club. Danger Dave and Jackson Arthur showed up a little later.

 Arton Tripsa wants to leave Second Life to start work on her second book. Hence Selina Greene set up a party in her honor. Izzy Upsilion came after a while and started djing for the crowd. He played a lot of pop and popular music. Arton Tripsa who is Jane Watson in real life is the author of Hindustan Contessa as she lives in Austrailla.

Lots of avatars were dancing and having a good time being silly. Barabara Blackcinder accused Brokali of being sick due to his skin being blue. In defense I said Brokali is a blue alien who will take over the earth and paint everyone blue. For a short time Selina Green spoke on voice and announced that the winners of the laureate awards were Arton Tripsa and Alexander M Zoltai as Alex is the events manager.

 I asked Arton about her book and here’s what she had to say, " It is a novel about a couple who travel to India to see the guy’s grandmother and get kidnapped." She adds this sentence as well, "not exactly, more analysis of dual cultures and cultural differences."

Grease Coakes, "Sounds interesting, like 'Dances With Wolves,' how the American solider gets integrated into Native American culture?"

Arton Tripsa, "Yeah something like that. The girl is Anglo-Australian, the guy is Indian-Australian: - ie born in India living in Australia (grin)."

The story idea was inspired a rare photo she had in real life.Well it was a metaphor, the photo showed an Indian child seated on a dining chair balancing on a giant Amazonian lily. It was about balance.

Grease Coakes, "About balancing different cultures together?"

Arton Tripsa, "You got it!"

Arton says her second book is about literary theft. I said that would be horrible if someone plagiarized my Children’s book. She said in real life someone took the idea of her first book. And the second book is about revenge for that. Her second book does not have a title yet.

Brokali, "The door prize winner will receive Cookie Monster Avi, Zebra Avi, Lighthouse, Vases, and garden lamps!"

Grease Coakes, "You mean the prize isn't a door?" (Giggles)

Arton Tripsa, "Lawl Grease!" the guest of honor laughed at my dumb joke.

Barbara Blackcinder won the door prize and no it wasn’t a door. The next question I thought of at random.

Grease Coakes, "If you could be a furry what animal would you choose?"

Arton Tripsa, "I have a tiny avi who is a calico kitten. (Laughter)"

Before tonight I didn’t know Arton Tripsa from Eyll Tripsa. Her friends at Book Island will greatly miss her. As she leaves Second Life to write her second book but Perri Prinz had this to say, "She'll be back, Grease. They always come back."

Perri could be right there’s always the allure of Second Life. But if Perri was wrong at least Arton got a hell of a farewell party in her honor for her pixel avatar.

For more information, check out the following links:

http://www.janewatson.com.au

http://www.janewatson.com.au/Site/Welcome.htm

Grease Coakes

Marney Wolfhunter to Hold Reading Event Series at Book Island

Recently, I was invited to Book Island by Selina Greene and introduced to Marney Wolfhunter. Selina introduced Marney as a writer whom will be “starting a series of events on August 3rd and every Tuesday, reading chapters from her books, but also inviting other published authors along to talk about aspects of writing and reading their own work.”

Marney introduced herself as not only a writer but a publisher, “My company Diiarts (Dragon International Independent Arts) has been going nine months, and we have published seven novels and had a hand in a yoga DVD since. In the future, we have two novels to come out this year, and a varied list going forward into 2011.”

Of the upcoming event, “On Tuesdays I plan to read from my book Custard, Cats and Consequences, which I plan to launch for the Christmas market this year. But I want to invite my authors to come down and give us some readings.” The book is not about pets, “It’s a romantic comedy, ‘Dicklit’ if you will (referring to the old Dick and Jane jokes). I always wanted to know what goes on in the guy's head, and I was tired of heroines on sofas with boxes of tissues, so my ‘Chicklit’ is told from the guy’s point of view, hence ‘Dicklit.’ “

She also had several other works in progress, “Some gay romance, a gay thriller, and a couple of other works that are a little more mainstream ... I write quirky stuff ... my stuff is acknowledged to be very quirky indeed. My writing partner and business partner, Jason, is sometimes slightly unnerved by the overall weirdness of my imagination.”

“But the main event I really hope is going to be the monthly input from my published authors. Paul House (Common Places and Harbour) is particularly keen to take part, and he will do a very good talk on writing. MM Bennetts, who has written our Flagship Historical Fiction work, May 1812, is a critic and historian. ... May 1812 is the story of the home front at the time of the Peninsular War (Napoleon’s invasion of Spain). The Spencer Perceval assassination (the British Prime Minister) tips the government into crisis. M's second book ‘Of Honest Fame’ will be published at the end of the year, concentrating on the spy crisis leading up to Waterloo.” A notecard by MM Bennetts described the book as, “mainly a slice of life novel of historical fiction, a month in the life of a Foreign Office Codebreaker.”

”M's books are always impeccably researched, and she has a true love of the period and the places in the book. ... We also have a romance coming up, ‘Ask Me If I'm Happy,’ from Kimberley Menozzi.”

Of the books planed to be read from at the event, three are historical fictions, “two with a historical background, and two thrillers. Our authors come from all over the world.” Talking further, among the books she was working on was “Mutiny and the Bounty.” This had nothing to do with the incident on Captain Bligh’s ship, but was done in response to the recent movie “the Bounty Hunter,’” about a man on a mission to arrest his ex-wife, which she didn’t like, “In this story, the bounty hunter goes after his former brother in law.”

Marney’s publishing company Diiarts was launched last year on November 14, 2009. The website describes itself as a “farmers market” of the publishing industry. A note card from Marney stated, “I wanted to be able to offer an option to those writers who had a good story--which perhaps the mainstream publishing apparatus didn’t feel they could handle--but for whom self-publishing would be a dark and scary place. I also believe very strongly in the power of the multiple voice. One person alone can’t always do the job.”

The website of her company Diiarts is at: http://www.diiarts.com

Bixyl Shuftan