Writing is a solitary  pursuit, but four writers – three from Edmonton and one from London, Ontario, found a way to reduce the loneliness while at the same time preserving the individual creative effort. The result is this unusual fantasy anthology, which was written collaboratively.

Eileen Bell, Roxanne Felix, Billie Milholland and Ryan McFadden each chose one horseman of the Apocalypse, one unwitting female champion, and one archangel charged with assisting their reluctant champion.

“We  didn’t talk to each other  about our stories while writing the first draft, in order to  preserve our individual voices.  After that, we all  participated in the editing process, to make each piece the best that it could be. Some days there would be 30 to 40 emails as we worked back and forth.”

“We  chose the Four Horsemen theme because Pestilence, War, Famine and Death are all headliners in the media today.   Our research began with Revelations ( the last book in the New Testament of the Christian Bible)  and continued on into books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and War by Gwynne Dyer.” said writer, Billie Milholland.

“The hardest part for me was getting over the feeling that what we humans have done over a few short centuries has been so extreme that the destruction of earth is inevitable,” said Eileen Bell.  “Luckily I had three other writers to talk to through the writing process.  They kept my spirits up so I could finish writing my story. And I wrote the romance!”

After an American launch at the World Fantasy Convention in San Jose, California, on Halloween weekend, Women of the Apocalypse is being launched in Edmonton at the Strathcona Regional Library, 8331 104 Street, on November 7, 2009, from 11:30 to 3, and in Calgary at Pages on Kensington, 1135 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, Alberta on November 13, 2009, at 7:30 pm.

If you would like to speak to the writers, please call Eileen Bell at (780) 462-4146, or email her at eileencbell@hotmail.com

Website: www.womenoftheapocalypse.com

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Not enough time in your busy life to read a novel?  What about a novella?

Four writers are banking on people wanting to read – but perhaps not having the time to commit to a complete novel.  Their novella anthology, Women of the Apocalypse, will be released at the end of October.

“I’ve talked to people who used to read a lot, but don’t anymore, because they feel they don’t have time to dedicate to a full novel,” says Eileen Bell, one of four Canadian authors of Women of the Apocalypse.

“When the four of us decided to write a novella-length piece each for this anthology, we wanted to give readers rousing good tales. So, we wrote four stand-alone stories, each one satisfying on its own, yet tied together enough that a ‘four horse’ read would multiply the pleasure.”

Factoid: A novella is a piece of fiction between ten and twenty thousand words – about 60 pages – with the meaty taste of a novel, without the added calories.

In Women of the Apocalypse, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are ready to ride. Four ordinary women must stop them.

“The issues embedded in the ancient Apocalyptic warnings against Pestilence, War, Famine and Death, figure prominently in headlines today,” says Bell.  “We began our research with Revelations (The last chapter in the New Testament of the Christian Bible) and continued by reading books like “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan, “Stuffed and Starved” by Raj Patel, “Women Who Run With Wolves” by C. P. Estes and “War” by Gwynne Dyer.”

Three of the writers (Eileen Bell, Roxanne Felix and Billie Milholland) live in Edmonton, and the fourth (Ryan McFadden) lives in London, Ontario.

After an American launch at the World Fantasy Convention in San Jose, California on Halloween weekend, Women of the Apocalypse will be launched in Edmonton, on Saturday, November 7, 2009, at the Strathcona Regional Library, 8331-104 Street, from 11:30 to 3.

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For Immediate Release

Contact: Ryan McFadden
Phone: 519-681-0131

Women of the Apocalypse, due for release October 31^st, is a collaborative project by four writers: Londoner Ryan McFadden, Eileen Bell, Billie Millholland, and Roxanne Felix.  Each writer was tasked with writing one novella with a unifying idea – a heroine attempting to save the world from the ravages of the Biblical Riders of the Apocalypse.  Within this framework, each writer could explore themes that extend beyond the surface story (the degradation of our food supply, are there useful purposes for war, what constitutes a heroine?).

McFadden will celebrate the Women of the Apocalypse’s release (and his novella within the collection entitled Dues Ex Machina) with a gala launch at the Black Shire Pub (511 Talbot at Dufferin) November 4^th, 6:30pm.

The premise provided an interesting challenge for McFadden.  As the lone male in the group, the pressure was intense to successfully write from a woman’s perspective who in turn was positioned in a traditionally male role.  But it also provided an opportunity to explore the female archetype.  When the confines of society are stripped away, what lays at the heart of the heroine?

Dues Ex Machina tells the story of a massive secret project nearing completion — a project that could spell the end of the world’s energy problem.  For Julia Wolfe, it also signals the completion of a long and lonely path.  However, when testing on the project begins, Julia’s realizes that they are not alone in the subterranean world — there is something evil down there in the dark…

Full Contact Information:
Ryan McFadden

r@ryanmcfadden.com

519-691-5338 (cell)
519-681-0131 (home)
70 Glenroy Rd, Unit 1
London, Ont N5Z 4W9

Women of the Apocalypse

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Pages: 240
Release Date: October 31, 2009
ISBN: 978-1770530003 (Print edition)

Web URL: http://womenoftheapocalypse.com/
Photo Link: http://www.ryanmcfadden.com/?page_id=429

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