The cover for THE GAMES OF SUPERVILLAINY!
The absolutely beautiful cover for THE GAMES OF SUPERVILLAINY by Raffaele Marinetti, lettering by Terry Stewart. I really love the way Raffaele captured Mandy (dressed as Nighthuntress) and Diabloman for this work.
We’re trucking along to THE GAMES OF SUPERVILLAINY’s release in late November, 2015.
I hope everyone will pick up a copy.
Great news, folks!
The Rules of Supervillainy, my most successful novel so far, has been released by Amber Cover in audiobook format. Narrated by Jeffrey Kafer, it’s absolutely wonderful and I’ve already got a couple of great reviews on the work. Jeffrey really managed to capture the humorous, dramatic, and sometimes outright crazy spirit of the novel.
Bravo.
I think you should pick this up if you like superheroes, humor, and audio books.
But I may be biased.
I’m pleased to say I’ve just got the sketch for THE GAMES OF SUPERVILLAINY cover by Raffaele Marinetti.
This cover shows characters Mandy Karkofsky and Diabloman, who are the main (anti)hero Merciless’ wife and second-in-command respectively. Raffaele is a great artist and really managed to capture the heroine and villain in my head. I can’t wait to see what he does with future books.
The Games of Supervillainy will be out early this November.
I’m very pleased to say one of my favorite websites has chosen to do a review of my book, ESOTERRORISM. The Fantasy Book Critic, a great website for news and articles as well as reviews about all the best fantasy on the internet.
What did they think?
They loved it!
Overall I very much enjoyed Esoterrorism as it was written with few things in mind, if you are looking for a fast-paced, action heavy thriller, then Esoterrorism will hit the bullseye. If you are looking for a change from the usual urban fantasy smorgasbord then Esoterrorism might do it for you. As for me, I was looking to read something new and exciting and Charles T. Phipps provided that in spades. I can’t wait to read the sequel volumes Eldritch Ops, and Operation: Otherworld. Give this book a try, I’m sure you will be hooked as well.
I hope you’ll check it out!
I’m pleased to say GRIMDARK MAGAZINE, a great fanzine I have a lot of respect for, has seen fit to include two articles by me in their latest publication. These are, “WHO IS THE GRIMDARK HERO?” which analyzes what sort of protagonist is found in those types of books as well as a review of THE WITCHER 3. There’s also some really great interviews with folk like PETER ORULLIAN and JAMES A. MOORE.
Hilariously, Peter Orullian references our review of BLACKGUARDS: TALES OF ASSASSINS, MERCENARIES, AND THIEVES. Why is it hilarious? He was one of the few negative reviews I gave about the short stories therein. Oh well, Peter, we still love you and your work.
THE DARKNESS DWELLS was kind enough to do me a favor and interview me on their podcast. We discussed a lot of things from Permuted Press to THE RULES OF SUPERVILLAINY, ESOTERRORISM, AGENT G, WRAITH KNIGHT, superheroes, and upcoming projects.
A great review of Esoterrorism by the Bookie Monster by S Kay Nash!
Esoterrorism is a highly entertaining adventure through a tried-and-true Urban Fantasy trope: agents from a secret organization protect the regular people of the world from the supernatural. I’d call this novel a mashup between James Bond and Kolchak the Night Stalker.
There are plenty of franchises playing with this general theme, and the best way to stand out is to give readers memorable characters. C.T. Phipps offers us Derek Hawthorne, an insufferable smartass with the skills and experience to back up his wisecracks, his twin sister Penny, a powerful wizard, and his partner Shannon, a new agent from the European division.
The second part of my essay discussing the difference between Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, and Grimdark. The essay is a bit rough in places due to italicization issues but I think it’s really-really fun and well-written. I mean, hey, I wrote it after all.
Hehe.
The Bookie Monster, one of my favorite review sites on the internet, has done me a delightful favor of spotlighting The Rules of Supervillainy. It has an excerpt from the first chapter which, hopefully, will give some undecided readers an idea of what they’ll find within the work.
Gary Karkofsky is an ordinary guy with an ordinary life living in an extraordinary world. Supervillains, heroes, and monsters are a common part of the world he inhabits. Yet, after the death of his hometown’s resident superhero, he gains the amazing gift of the late champion’s magical cloak. Deciding he prefers to be rich rather than good, Gary embarks on a career as Merciless: The Supervillain Without MercyTM.
But is he evil enough to be a villain in America’s most crime-ridden city?
Gary soon finds himself surrounded by a host of the worst of Falconcrest City’s toughest criminals. Supported by his long-suffering wife, his ex-girlfriend turned professional henchwoman, and a has-been evil mastermind, Gary may end up being not the hero they want but the villain they need.
This is one of my favorite works and one which has proven very popular with fans. If you love superheroes, give it a try.
I had a good discussion with James R. Schmidt on his blog about the subject of grimdark and its various manifestations. We jokingly called this our “Round Table” discussion of the a subject and got to tackle the idea of grimdark as a subject, what it means to the genre of fantasy, and whether it’s here to stay or not.
Good stuff.
C.T. Phipps 