Kansas SciFi Author Receives Barnes & Noble Recognition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) January 15, 2012 -- Ottawa, Kansas -- Local science fiction author Bryan Thomas Schmidt’s novel, The Worker Prince, has been given Honorable Mention from notable Barnes & Noble reviewer Paul Goat Allen on his recently released list “Best Science Fiction Releases for 2011”. When asked how he felt about the honor, Schmidt said, “I feel humbled for this title to have made a list with such talented authors as Robert J. Sawyer and E.E. Knight.”

The Worker Prince is the story of a young prince, named Davi Rhii, who discovers he was born a worker, adopted secretly from ancient rivals enslaved by his own. Determined to find his real family, he sets out to uncover the truth. In the end, he will have to choose between loyalty to the friends and family he's always known or the truth that all men deserve equality and freedom. It is set in the far future in distant space but tells a tale with parallels to contemporary western culture.

“It’s about an old fashioned good versus evil battle with real, larger than life heroes fighting the odds,” Schmidt explains. “So much of our culture is nihilistic and dark these days. It’s rare to find hopeful stories like Star Wars or the ones from the Golden Age that I grew up loving. I wanted to create one for a whole new generation.” Mostly though, Schmidt just wanted to entertain. “There’s lots of action, humor, and memorable characters with space battles, starships and all the fun tropes one expects from a space opera.” When people read it, what Schmidt hopes they take away most is hope.
An expert musician and teacher, Schmidt has served overseas providing leadership training in the arts through Anchored Music Ministries, a non-profit he founded in Saint Louis while attending Covenant Theological Seminary there. His travels have taken him as far as Ghana, West Africa, the favelas of Brazil and the borderlands of Mexico. He’s also sponsored missionary teams to Italy and Bulgaria through Anchored Music Ministries as well.

A gifted musician and songwriter who has served as Music Director at churches and been a contemporary recording artist, Schmidt’s writings have appeared in magazines like Upper Room, Secret Place, Carnegie Mellon Magazine and Time. He also has a piece forthcoming in Tales Of The Talisman and the anthology Wandering Weeds due in 2012.
“My life’s focus has been very much about helping others discover themselves through their gifts, so the coming of age and discovery aspects of The Worker Prince were a natural fit for me,” Schmidt explains. “As an adopted child, I have gone through my own period of discovering who I am and what that means, much like Davi Rhii in the story. I have always tried to rise above circumstances and do the right thing. I still believe one man can make a difference and we as a country need that sentiment now more than ever .”

Schmidt will be doing a signing at Hastings Books, 1900 W. 23rd, Lawrence on Saturday, February 4, 2012 from 1-5 p.m. The first of a planned trilogy, The Worker Prince released October 4th, 2011 from Diminished Media Group of Pittsford, Michigan. A sequel, The Returning, is planned for early summer 2012. Mr. Schmidt can be found at bryanthomasschmidt.net or at @BryanThomasS on Twitter.
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For Reference:
Press Contact:
Please direct media inquiries to:
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Phone: 314-781-9120
Email: bryan@bryanthomasschmidt.net
Twitter: @BryanThomasS
Blogs:
www.bryanthomasschmidt.net
www.bryanthomasschmidt.net/sffwrtcht

The Worker Prince has received great reviews on sites such as The Examiner and Apex Reviews. Schmidt hosts a weekly Twitter chat called Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat (#sffwrtcht). Past guests have included such well known authors as Kevin J. Anderson, Mike Resnick, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, AC Crispin and Lou Anders. He is a regular contributor to Grasping For The Wind and SF Signal, as well as the popular podcast Adventures in SF Publishing.
Born and raised in Salina, Kansas, Schmidt has lived in such diverse places as Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, and El Paso, but currently resides with his two dogs in Ottawa, Kansas , where he’s working on sequels to the Davi Rhii story as well as fantasy novels. An active member of Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, and Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s Of America, Bryan will be appearing locally at bookstores, literary festivals and conventions like ConQuest 43 in May.
For review copies, interviews and other information see contact info listed above.

“ I truly wanted to evoke the feeling of joy I experienced when I first saw Star Wars as a child. Times are hard all over America. People need heroes. This story gives them that and it comes just in time. ” Bryan Thomas Schmidt

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