reported by Nigel Gimble, FictionFanatic.com

Pop culture fads may come and go, but certain trends have proven timeless in their allure. Modern society is undeniably fascinated with secrets and mysteries from worlds of the past. This summer, readers will find the excitement and intrigue that comes from searching for long-forgotten treasure and exploring the arcane roots of today's civilization in a new type of fiction that introduces knowledge-hungry characters to a modern adventure story with an escapist plot sequence.

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reported by Libby Jordan, FictionFanatic.com

HarperCollins Children's Books has launched the "Narnia ... Beyond the Wardrobe" Educator Sweepstakes. Beginning June 21, 2006 and running through January 31, 2007, the contest offers the chance for a unique behind-the-scenes look at the making of the next blockbuster film in the Narnia franchise, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, coming to theaters in Summer 2008. This contest is open to all educational professionals ages 18 and over.

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reported by Ivan Messier, FictionFanatic.com

IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be simultaneously released to both IMAX? and conventional theatres on July 13, 2007. The film is based on the best-selling J.K. Rowling book and is the fifth installment of the widely successful Harry Potter film series. The last installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which opened on November 18, 2005, shattered numerous IMAX 2D box office records and grossed more than $20 million in IMAX theatres worldwide.

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reported by Brian Scott, FictionFanatic.com

Thursday, June 29th at 4:00 p.m., story merchant Dr. Kenneth Atchity will speak on The Power of Storytelling at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. His talk is based on his article forthcoming in The Writer, and his forthcoming book that shows storytellers how to move from the front porch to page one headlines.

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reported by Brian Scott, FictionFanatic.com

Superman. The ultimate superhero. Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. And able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. The Man of Steel has enthralled audiences for decades with his incredible powers of flight, super strength, x- ray vision and super speed. But just how much science fact is there behind these superpowers?

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reported by William A. Davis, FictionFanatic.com

Murphy's Law -- "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong" -- may be the most well-known aphorism known to man. Yet its origins are mysterious. Until recently, no one had ever dared ask the obvious questions, "Who was Murphy and why is there a Law named after him?"

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reported by Desirae Goldman, FictionFanatic.com

The Los Angeles born, California resident, Marti Davis pumps new blood into the world of fiction writing with her adult contemporary novel, A Better Man. With the help of Marti and Julian, through this new educational children's book series, parents around the world will be inspired to teach and encourage their children to express their talents in a fun and exciting way. By fusing Marti's life experience and Julian's garnered world-wide attention by the age of 20 months, this team will bring joy into households across the country!

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by Lea Schizas

Bungee jumping, sky diving, secret mission, Indy 500: how do these events compare to the art of fiction writing? Each one brings to its ?doer? an element of anticipation, exhilaration, unfamiliarity, and adventure. A pure adrenaline rush. And as a writer of fiction, this is the plateau you want your reader to experience.

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reported by Nigel Gimble, FictionFanatic.com

Once thought of as two separate entities, real-life relationships and fictional romance are brought together as one common theme.

"Most people don't think about how much their relationships have in common with fictional romance," said Tameka Norris, editor of Romantic Short Love Stories. "But stories teach us lessons everyday. Whether it's the news, a movie, or simply a book we choose to read. We're constantly learning."

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reported by Brian Scott, FictionFanatic.com

More than 100 writers and editors of Western literature will stampede this month into the town founded by legendary frontiersman and showman William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody.

Founded in 1953 to promote and recognize Western literature, Western Writers of America (www.westernwriters.org) holds an annual conference each June in a different city. This year's event is scheduled June 13-17 with events all over town.

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reported by Julia Stiles, FictionFanatic.com

If you've always dreamed of getting published and haven't found the right publisher in the dark fiction genre, Spinetinglers may be the place for you. Spinetinglers aims to publish five new writers every month, and as an added incentive, the top writer every month will also receive a 50 pounds Sterling prize. One of Spinetinglers founders, Nolene-Patricia Dougan, states, "As an author, I know how hard it is to get an agent and get published. We launched Spinetinglers to help authors achieve their dreams."

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reported by Steven B. Alan, FictionFanatic.com

Biographer and novelist Jeffrey Marks has joined the staff of Mystery Scene Magazine in the role of Consulting Editor.

?Jeff has an extremely wide-ranging knowledge of the mystery genre and a lot of great ideas for developing the magazine,? said Mystery Scene?s editor Kate Stine. ?He?s going to add even more depth to our outstanding team of reviewers, writers and critics.?

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reported by Desirae Goldman, FictionFanatic.com

While the novel and film The Da Vinci Code continue to shatter records worldwide, writer-director Alfred Thomas Catalfo and producer Marc Dole are rocking the web with their short film spoof, The Norman Rockwell Code. The 35-minute film made The Must List ("Ten Things We Love This Week") in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly which hails the "whimsical Web-based parody."

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reported by Lisa Cutler, FictionFanatic.com

The Audio Partners Publishing Corporation is proud to announce that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The Tertiary Phase has been awarded the Audie? for 2006 Audiobook of the Year. The Audiobook of the Year Award honors achievement of the highest standards in excellence of production, packaging, marketing, and significant contributions to the audiobook field.

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reported by Ivan Messier, FictionFanatic.com

Alan Dean Foster, award winning creator of works such as the Spellsinger series and the Pip and Flinx series as well as the author of over one hundred books and several movie adaptations including Alien, Clash of the Titans, The Last Starfighter, Starman, and Splinter of the Mind?s Eye (Star Wars), will be Guest of Honor at FenCon III (www.fencon.org), a literary science fiction/fantasy and filk convention scheduled for September 22-24, 2006, at the Holiday Inn Select North Dallas in Dallas, Texas.

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