Once upon a time, there were two callow college students, who each had dreams of writing books. Fate saw fit to put these two in a room together, one's bass guitar amplifier cheek by jowl with the other's collection of Al'Quadim roleplaying books and Clan of Xymox records.
The years passed, and though these two adventurers in the realm of writing found themselves separated for a few years, the tides of time chose to once more put them in close proximity. Thus, it was chosen by the skeins of fate that they would end up working closely with one another.
Putting aside the fairy tale linguistics, Paul Genesse and I have have been writer friends and alpha readers for a lot of years. In that time, Paul has shown himself to be about as dedicated to the craft as anyone can possibly be. He's taught me so much about what it takes to succeed in a business that can be cruel and difficult. I like to think I may have helped him out here and there, too.
This week, the fruition of a project that has borne the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune at last hits the shelves, both actual and digital. I'm honored that I was able to be a part of it, along with our august and talented friend Brad Beaulieu. Let me explain further:
Paul began publishing the Iron Dragon Series with a small publishing house. He released The Golden Cord, and followed it with The Dragon Hunters. Both books were very successful, The Golden Cord being the best-selling fantasy book for the house. Sadly, the exigencies of a shrinking publishing market and a weak economy caused the publisher to cut their whole fantasy line.
Paul's series, of which two out of five had been released, was orphaned. Misery and woe. Paul picked himself up, dusted himself off, and started pounding the pavement, looking for a new publisher. The thing is, no one wants to pick up an orphaned series.
There was a time when it appeared the fans of the Iron Dragon series would never know what happened to Drake and company, or if the evil plans of the Iron Dragon would come to fruition, allowing him to dominate A'leron forever.
But there was hope, even in the darkest of hours. Authors, now more than ever, are in control of their own destiny. They can seek other publishing models and still get their work out to their fans. By using electronic publishing and the CreateSpace model, Paul's books are once more seeing the light of day.
So, after all of that, I want to encourage, if not enjoin you to follow the links below and experience the heroic action of the Iron Dragon Series. Having helped edit all of these books, I can say that they are fast-paced, hard hitting stories with all the wonder, heart, and grit that fantasy fans desire. The newest, and just-released, is part three of the series, The Secret Empire. I really think that this one is Paul's best yet, rife with furious action, staggering betrayals, and the highest stakes possible, leading up to a finale that will knock your socks off.
To explore The Secret Empire, follow the links below:
The Secret Empire Ebook
The Secret Empire Print Version
The Secret Empire Createspace page (Paul gets a better cut of the profits on this one)
The whole series on Amazon
Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
What's Goin' On?
So,
I've been fairly remiss in posting stuff to this blog for a time. That said, there's been quite a bit to speak about. First, let's get the less wonderful stuff out of the way.
My post about World Con late this summer saw me feeling poorly. Here are the reasons for this, insofar as they have been determined.
1) My Gall Bladder was going haywire. (It had to be removed.)
2) I had contracted a bacterium that was attacking my stomach with ruthless abandon. (I had to take a serious dose of antibiotics, with acid reducers that are still necessary.)
3) The top two caused my ability to eat to be severely curtailed.
4) I find myself below the body weight at which I graduated high school. My clothes appear as if I have been borrowing from an older sibling. That's the awesome part of things, by the way.
Now, onto writing news:
1) The Crimson Pact Anthologies have been doin' all right for themselves. Having a rather vested interest in the whole project, this is a happy thing for me. To remind anyone who may have forgotten, I co-wrote the origin story, "The Failed Crusade" with Paul Genesse, and have had two other stories featured in the anthologies, as well. ("Red Test" and "Red Bandanna Boys")
HERE IS THE LINK to the website for the anthologies, if you're interested.
2) The publisher for CP, Steven Saus, invited me to be a part of a Christmas-themed speculative fiction anthology that would raise money for Heifer International. It so happened that I had an evil story about a bad Santa that fit the bill. Thus, "Spec the Halls" featured one of mine. The name of the story was "Kicked in the Teeth Again", and will forever jaundice your eye when you look at a department store Santa.
CLICK HERE to check out Spec the Halls.
3) Not content to just work on fiction, I've also gotten a poem published in Pens On Fire. My poem, "This Misspent Requiem", was featured in the January issue of that publication.
POEM can be read by clicking on the link.
4) I've also been working on new stories for the upcoming 3rd and 4th volumes of the Crimson Pact. I have two stories submitted to the editor already, and should be submitting another one within the next few weeks. More on that as the information is available.
5) As if all that were not enough, I've also been working with Paul Genesse to get his newest book in the Iron Dragon Series ready for publication. Since Paul and I were in college together and are close friends, we've been talking about these books for a decade or more, and seeing the most recent one come to fruition has been quite a thing. It is called "The Secret Empire" and you'll be hearing a lot more about it tomorrow, as the big media blitz will take place at that time. Suffice it to say, though, that I have insider knowledge about this, the third in his series, and I have to say that it's going to kick some major butt. Fans of epic fantasy are going to get their surfeit of fighting, deadly terrain, evil plots, difficult sacrifices, and staggering betrayals in this rip-snorter of a story.
For more info, please check out Paul's Website.
Cheers,
Patrick
I've been fairly remiss in posting stuff to this blog for a time. That said, there's been quite a bit to speak about. First, let's get the less wonderful stuff out of the way.
My post about World Con late this summer saw me feeling poorly. Here are the reasons for this, insofar as they have been determined.
1) My Gall Bladder was going haywire. (It had to be removed.)
2) I had contracted a bacterium that was attacking my stomach with ruthless abandon. (I had to take a serious dose of antibiotics, with acid reducers that are still necessary.)
3) The top two caused my ability to eat to be severely curtailed.
4) I find myself below the body weight at which I graduated high school. My clothes appear as if I have been borrowing from an older sibling. That's the awesome part of things, by the way.
Now, onto writing news:
1) The Crimson Pact Anthologies have been doin' all right for themselves. Having a rather vested interest in the whole project, this is a happy thing for me. To remind anyone who may have forgotten, I co-wrote the origin story, "The Failed Crusade" with Paul Genesse, and have had two other stories featured in the anthologies, as well. ("Red Test" and "Red Bandanna Boys")
HERE IS THE LINK to the website for the anthologies, if you're interested.
2) The publisher for CP, Steven Saus, invited me to be a part of a Christmas-themed speculative fiction anthology that would raise money for Heifer International. It so happened that I had an evil story about a bad Santa that fit the bill. Thus, "Spec the Halls" featured one of mine. The name of the story was "Kicked in the Teeth Again", and will forever jaundice your eye when you look at a department store Santa.
CLICK HERE to check out Spec the Halls.
3) Not content to just work on fiction, I've also gotten a poem published in Pens On Fire. My poem, "This Misspent Requiem", was featured in the January issue of that publication.
POEM can be read by clicking on the link.
4) I've also been working on new stories for the upcoming 3rd and 4th volumes of the Crimson Pact. I have two stories submitted to the editor already, and should be submitting another one within the next few weeks. More on that as the information is available.
5) As if all that were not enough, I've also been working with Paul Genesse to get his newest book in the Iron Dragon Series ready for publication. Since Paul and I were in college together and are close friends, we've been talking about these books for a decade or more, and seeing the most recent one come to fruition has been quite a thing. It is called "The Secret Empire" and you'll be hearing a lot more about it tomorrow, as the big media blitz will take place at that time. Suffice it to say, though, that I have insider knowledge about this, the third in his series, and I have to say that it's going to kick some major butt. Fans of epic fantasy are going to get their surfeit of fighting, deadly terrain, evil plots, difficult sacrifices, and staggering betrayals in this rip-snorter of a story.
For more info, please check out Paul's Website.
Cheers,
Patrick
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Crimson Pact, Volume Two is out!
The new Crimson Pact anthology is out and available at all the finest online retailers. This anthology is even weightier than the previous one, at over 150,000 words. Many of the authors from volume one are represented here, often writing sequels to their earlier stories. Again, we're proud to have Larry Correia, New York Times Bestseller (multiple times), amongst our authors.
My story, Red Bandanna Boys, is also featured. I'm pretty proud of this tale, and hope you folks dig it. In an alternate earth, demons have caused World War One to rage for 37 years. The characters in the story find themselves in the wreckage of the Russian Empire, struggling against a powerful demon who rules their slum. Though the Red Bandanna Boys are only homeless street kids, they never quit fighting!
Here's an excerpt:
Nevsky and Carver stood in the back of the wagon, shoveling fish guts and other remainders of a day of butchering into the Blue Nile. This was how their day of work ended, with the hardest and stinkiest task of all. The crocodiles knew this spot well, and hundreds of them rose out of the darkness of the twilight waters to gulp down on the best bits. Scavenger birds circled the shoreline, snapping up anything they could get. Wild dogs prowled the upper bank, mean enough to kill if you weren’t careful. The place smelled of rot and shit, and no one lived nearby for a good reason.
For a few hundred meters, the thick vegetation that crowded the river bank had been hacked away, leaving open land where every edible remainder was dumped. On the opposite bank, the trees and tall bushes were green and dense, mysterious as the surface of the moon.
Carver, like most of the boys, had never left the city, never seen anything beyond its sweltering streets and the arid industrial areas beyond. When there was enough light, he would sometimes stand in the cart, looking out there into the old land, the real Nubia. He would wonder what things could have been like for him, had he lived in better times. Mostly, though, he would shovel, awaiting the time he could lay his tired body down and rest.
*****
To find out more, go to The Crimson Pact Website, where volume one and two are both available, in addition to special editions of each, which feature author commentaries about the writing process and their experiences with the anthology. A print version of Volume One is also available from Amazon.com.
Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Goodreads, and other online e-book sellers also feature the anthologies, though I recommend buying from our website, as you get all the formats downloaded for one low price, as well as allowing the authors to get a better cut of the profits.
Don't let the demons overrun the universe! Swear the Crimson Pact!
My story, Red Bandanna Boys, is also featured. I'm pretty proud of this tale, and hope you folks dig it. In an alternate earth, demons have caused World War One to rage for 37 years. The characters in the story find themselves in the wreckage of the Russian Empire, struggling against a powerful demon who rules their slum. Though the Red Bandanna Boys are only homeless street kids, they never quit fighting!
Here's an excerpt:
Nevsky and Carver stood in the back of the wagon, shoveling fish guts and other remainders of a day of butchering into the Blue Nile. This was how their day of work ended, with the hardest and stinkiest task of all. The crocodiles knew this spot well, and hundreds of them rose out of the darkness of the twilight waters to gulp down on the best bits. Scavenger birds circled the shoreline, snapping up anything they could get. Wild dogs prowled the upper bank, mean enough to kill if you weren’t careful. The place smelled of rot and shit, and no one lived nearby for a good reason.
For a few hundred meters, the thick vegetation that crowded the river bank had been hacked away, leaving open land where every edible remainder was dumped. On the opposite bank, the trees and tall bushes were green and dense, mysterious as the surface of the moon.
Carver, like most of the boys, had never left the city, never seen anything beyond its sweltering streets and the arid industrial areas beyond. When there was enough light, he would sometimes stand in the cart, looking out there into the old land, the real Nubia. He would wonder what things could have been like for him, had he lived in better times. Mostly, though, he would shovel, awaiting the time he could lay his tired body down and rest.
*****
To find out more, go to The Crimson Pact Website, where volume one and two are both available, in addition to special editions of each, which feature author commentaries about the writing process and their experiences with the anthology. A print version of Volume One is also available from Amazon.com.
Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Goodreads, and other online e-book sellers also feature the anthologies, though I recommend buying from our website, as you get all the formats downloaded for one low price, as well as allowing the authors to get a better cut of the profits.
Don't let the demons overrun the universe! Swear the Crimson Pact!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
WorldCon Wrap-Up
I had a great time at WorldCon in Reno (Renovation, as they called it) this year. It was my first WorldCon, and marked the attainment of my "Triple Crown" of World speculative fiction conventions, as I'd already been to World Fantasy multiple times, and to World Horror once.
Why am I a week late in posting this info? Well, all was not sunshine and roses, and I ended up coming home a pretty sick puppy. I'll talk about that later on in the article.
First, let's talk about the good stuff.
I resolved to drive to Reno, as it's a fairly simple thing to point your car west and just go. Western Utah and Northern Nevada are pretty barren, though, and so I decided to arm myself with some audiobooks for the journey. Yeah. Alone for @530 miles? I knew I'd need them.
I went ahead and put the first five audiobooks for the Oz series on a CD, as I'd heard about the coolness of the series, but had only known about the first one, as in the movie with Judy Garland and so forth.
Okay, so the Wizard of Oz is a pretty fun little book. It's for kids, and so it's somewhat repetitive, and it's old, but it's still pretty neat. I finished it and got a few chapters into "The Land of Oz" by the time I arrived at the Peppermill in Reno.
It had been a while since I was last in a casino, and so there were a few moments of culture shock. Seeing people light a cigarette indoors and not be immediately tackled, escorted from the premises, or perhaps vaporized with lasers was odd. The Peppermill is frickin' dark on the casino floor, too. Like you've just stepped into a weird purple cave filled with chiming, muttering machines. And, unlike the old days, there's none of the sound of change actually falling into a catch bin. No, there's just an odd electronic analogue of that sound. It seems that you now redeem a ticket at various machines around the hotel, rather than getting your tokens changed for actual money. Anyhow...
I got to Reno Wednesday in the afternoon, perhaps around 4:30 or thereabouts. I checked in and got my stuff up to the room. Which was nice, by the way. Pretty swanky. And...what happened to cheap rooms in casinos? I guess those days are over. I won't dwell on that.
I managed to fart around until it was too late to actually go over to the convention hall and check in, so I decided to, instead, go and find their weight room and get me some exercise. I did so. It was good. I found that I could stack their triceps pushdown machine for ten reps (that's 200 lbs).
Life was good. I continued from there by walking around. That walking around resulted it me being vaguely lost for a little while, and turned out to yield the cardio portion of my workout by sending me on about a forty minute tour of the slightly seedy neighborhood nearby. I found a variety of things, including something that touted itself to be a European Fitness Center. Perhaps European fitness is somewhat different from the other sorts of fitness. I'm sure I couldn't tell the difference.
That night, I found that I had more than enough road food to get along, and made liberal use of the in-room coffee maker. Being unused to watching television without some specific goal in mind, I found that it took me a while to figure out what I would do with myself. In the end, I ended up watching a show about tough guys from various military arms competing to be the biggest badass. After that, there was a show about guys who made big and ludicrous firearms in the Deep South. I was really congested. I then went to bed.
Thursday was a big day at the convention. Most of my friends were arriving that day, and I was pumped to see what the Con would have in store. Sadly, I ended up at more than a few panels that I either didn't care about, or that I hadn't read the right foundational material to "get". This happens some times.
I was able to watch a cool panel that featured Eric James Stone, short story writer extrordinare, about religion and science fiction. That was pretty neat, and gave me hope that the panel discussion scene wouldn't be a total bust. (which it wasn't)
The exhibit hall was...frighteningly huge. Like, my hometown would have fit in there with room for a few of the nearby towns to spare. The art show and the dealer's room crouched in a corner of the giant space, though they were, in reality, pretty damn big.
I met Brad Beaulieu, Paul Genesse, and his wife Tammy a bit later. I had lunch with them at the hotel, and then we went to see Brad read from his book, Winds of Khalakovo, along with Courteny Schafer and Katy Stauber, who are also Night Shade Books authors with books out. All of the readings presented intriguing works, and I look for these three authors to be forces to be reckoned with in the future.
From there, we eventually ended up at the Night Bazaar party in the Atlantis, put on by the selfsame three that were just mentioned. I had been enlisted to provide paltry entertainment in the form of an ersatz strongman show during the party. I did so. The surprise of the night: Brad Beaulieu ended up ripping a yellowpages in half in front of everyone. It was a shocker. We always did think that Brad had a few superpowers up his sleeve, and now we know that's true.
Larry Correia and his posse appeared, and they were quite intrigued with the nail bending portion of the show. Many of them gave it a try, and Larry has the distinction of being the only other writer in residence who could put any kind of kink in a 60D nail. It was a fun party, and quite a hand workout, as I probably bent over twenty nails in all the traditional grips. I also broke out the Captains of Crush grippers, which were fun for all. Larry almost closed the #2 grippers a few times, and acquitted himself well. I can't easily go into all the cool people who were around at the party, but there were many, and I bent nails for most of them. The entertainment also featured the eating of candy-coated insects and crustaceans of various kinds, of which I did not partake. I did find that I like Stella Artois beer, though.
On Friday, I went to see some good panels, including one called Urbane Fantasy vs. Urban Fantasy, which featured Gail Carriger, who writes the Parasol Protectorate books, which I've quite enjoyed.
That night, I went to dinner and drinks with Chante' McCoy, Christine McMillan, Paul G., and his wife Tammy. We nerded out about writing and the Crimson Pact project, as Chante' is one of the writers, as well. Later, there was more drinking and some dancing as well. We were able to see a short set by Rachel Bloom, who was up for a Hugo for a song she wrote, the title of which I will not share at this time, as it is a little salty for this blog. A fun night.
Saturday featured some good hang-out time with Chante', Christine, Paul, and others. I sat down to a big dinner with Brad, Paul, and Gregory Wilson. I had a big steak. Herein began the "not so good" portion of our show.
After dinner, we went to the Hugo Awards Banquet. I was no sooner seated then I began to feel really poorly. I had to excuse myself. I did not get better after walking it off. I felt bad.
I went back to my hotel room and tried to wait it out, but started getting really concerned that something serious was going on with me. I was having a hard time breathing, sudden sweats, heart palpitations...not having any fun.
I called Paul (a cardiac nurse) to come and check me out. He assured me that I was okay, and that my heart sounded fine. The festivities, though, were over.
The drive home the next day was, well, really long and pretty darned miserable. I made it, though, and was in the house by 9:30 PM. I had to go to work the next day, which wasn't too cool, but what can you do?
In the end, I came home with a lot of good memories, and a pretty ugly case of the stomach-in-revolt blues. I hoping that I feel a hundred percent pretty soon, but as we speak, it's not quite there.
Hope you are all well, and thanks for reading this ludicrously long post.
Patrick
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Promo Video for Crimson Pact v.2 and Red Bandanna Boys
Folks: Check this out. Justin Swapp was nice enough to create videos like this for several of the new stories for the forthcoming Crimson Pact Volume 2. I think he did a great job.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Yep, it's me again; Renovation upcoming
Well, here we have our remiss blogger once more straggling back in after being absent for a goodly chunk of time, and having failed to do what he said he would, in regard to keeping up at least a semi-constant stream of updates.
I will not offer any excuses. I will only begin telling you what's the what with me, and hoping that there are some people out there that have not entirely lost patience with this little journal and moved on to other, more interesting things, like watching paint dry.
I'm off to Reno for the Renovation edition of WorldCon tomorrow. It should be great. I'm going to be hanging out with my friends, including such august personages as Paul Genesse, Brad Bealieu, and Larry Correia. I'll be having fun, and very likely hitting the bar. I need it. Things have been tense.
I have a story coming out in the second Crimson Pact anthology called "Red Bandanna Boys", but I'll be blathering on about that at a later date. For the time being, just know that, yes, I'm still alive, and yes, I'm still writing. There are stories in the works. I've just finished a rather big poem that's horribly ambitious and possibly overblown. We'll see what happens when I send it out to someone.
Take Care,
Patrick
I will not offer any excuses. I will only begin telling you what's the what with me, and hoping that there are some people out there that have not entirely lost patience with this little journal and moved on to other, more interesting things, like watching paint dry.
I'm off to Reno for the Renovation edition of WorldCon tomorrow. It should be great. I'm going to be hanging out with my friends, including such august personages as Paul Genesse, Brad Bealieu, and Larry Correia. I'll be having fun, and very likely hitting the bar. I need it. Things have been tense.
I have a story coming out in the second Crimson Pact anthology called "Red Bandanna Boys", but I'll be blathering on about that at a later date. For the time being, just know that, yes, I'm still alive, and yes, I'm still writing. There are stories in the works. I've just finished a rather big poem that's horribly ambitious and possibly overblown. We'll see what happens when I send it out to someone.
Take Care,
Patrick
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Swear the Crimson Pact!
Watch this video to see what it's all about:
Some time ago, my friend Paul and I wrote a story called The Failed Crusade. It was going to be the origin story for an e-anthology of stories about the brave inhabitants of many worlds struggling against a demonic incursion. Sadly, the anthology never got off the ground.
The story, though, was pretty darned good, and so Paul was not satisfied to let the matter die. The original anthology may have fizzled, but it was still a viable project. He pitched the idea to his friend Steven Saus, and Steven was into it. Some months and a heck of a lot of work later, the e-book anthology has become a reality. It features 26 stories by a group a fine authors, including Larry Correia, a New York Times Bestselling Author and all around cool guy. (He wrote Monster Hunter International, Monster Hunter Vendetta, and the soon-to-be-released Hard Magic. Check his site out HERE.)
Back to the business at hand: The Crimson Pact. It is now out, and available for all formats of e-reader, as well as reading directly from your computer screen via .pdf format. It is going for $5, which is a fair price for an e-book that goes over 130k words. Two of my stories are featured, The Failed Crusade, and Red Test. Those, however, are in no way the only attractions. Paul Genesse, the editor, is a fine editor and a choosy guy. He only took the best stuff.
If you choose to buy The Crimson Pact from our website(the button furthest to the left), the authors will get the best level of compensation, and you will get a file including all the formats in which the book has been created, so that's the way to go. If, however, you find it more convenient to buy direct from the online retailer that supports your particular device (Amazon for the Kindle, Barnes and Nobel for the Nook, etc), links are on the top and bottom of the page. These links will route you to the appropriate website. The e-book will also respond to searches at the appropriate sites, if you're a rugged individualist and don't wish to follow the button links.
At long last...here's the link:
Please support the hard work and good writing that has gone into this anthology. Provided that we are able to sell a reasonable number of these e-books, we will be able to continue and have further volumes.
Thanks,
Patrick
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Winds of Khalakovo, By Brad Beaulieu
Hey, Folks:
I just finished a great novel by my friend Brad. It's called The Winds of Khalakovo, and it is his debut novel. Not that you'd know it, because he's really honed his craft and put together a fine novel. It's available HERE, and I recommend that you buy it. Buy two and give one to a friend. Seriously.
Here's what I said in my review:
The Winds of Khalakovo is a beautiful, poignant, and powerful story. Nothing is easy for the characters. The consequences of their actions and the prices they must pay as the story unfolds are profound. With a rich tapestry of culture behind the tale, the sense of reality remains vivid all the way through. With subtlety and forethought, the author builds up hopes and expectations, only to confound them as plans fail and new revelations are learned.
Spoiler Alert:
We begin with Nikandr, a headstrong prince who lives with the secret that he is doomed, an incurable sickness gnawing away at him. He is one of the Landed, a czarist-Russian tinged culture who controls the islands with their Windships. The Aramahn, Turkish-influenced nomads who can call upon elemental spirits, aid them in their control of the winds and waters. The Maharraht, however, are a rebel sect of the Aramahn who want to destroy the Landed. Agents of the Maharraht are nearer to Nikandr than he imagines...
When the Grand Duke is killed by an elemental spirit and the Maharraht are implicated, a divisive investigation begins, revealing that the fabric that separates the material world from the elemental is torn, and that problems far graver than any rearrangement of society are afoot. Everything leads back to one troubled boy, the key to either healing the tear in reality or ripping it asunder.
Nikandr and the other characters must go beyond all they imagine themselves capable of to try and save Anuskaya.
End of Spoilers:
I highly recommend Brad's book. I think it is a fresh, compelling, and intoxicating new fantasy, one that will appeal readers of all stripes.
I just finished a great novel by my friend Brad. It's called The Winds of Khalakovo, and it is his debut novel. Not that you'd know it, because he's really honed his craft and put together a fine novel. It's available HERE, and I recommend that you buy it. Buy two and give one to a friend. Seriously.
Here's what I said in my review:
The Winds of Khalakovo is a beautiful, poignant, and powerful story. Nothing is easy for the characters. The consequences of their actions and the prices they must pay as the story unfolds are profound. With a rich tapestry of culture behind the tale, the sense of reality remains vivid all the way through. With subtlety and forethought, the author builds up hopes and expectations, only to confound them as plans fail and new revelations are learned.
Spoiler Alert:
We begin with Nikandr, a headstrong prince who lives with the secret that he is doomed, an incurable sickness gnawing away at him. He is one of the Landed, a czarist-Russian tinged culture who controls the islands with their Windships. The Aramahn, Turkish-influenced nomads who can call upon elemental spirits, aid them in their control of the winds and waters. The Maharraht, however, are a rebel sect of the Aramahn who want to destroy the Landed. Agents of the Maharraht are nearer to Nikandr than he imagines...
When the Grand Duke is killed by an elemental spirit and the Maharraht are implicated, a divisive investigation begins, revealing that the fabric that separates the material world from the elemental is torn, and that problems far graver than any rearrangement of society are afoot. Everything leads back to one troubled boy, the key to either healing the tear in reality or ripping it asunder.
Nikandr and the other characters must go beyond all they imagine themselves capable of to try and save Anuskaya.
End of Spoilers:
I highly recommend Brad's book. I think it is a fresh, compelling, and intoxicating new fantasy, one that will appeal readers of all stripes.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
I still write stuff sometimes
Yes, it's true. Of late, I've been writing primarily non-fiction, to support my new Caveman Gym website, but I don't want to give the impression that I have given up on the fiction stuff that I have been known to churn out from time to time.
Proof of this comes in the form of two submissions being, er, submitted yesterday. One has already been accepted (Viva!), and one I will not hear about for a while. I find that it is often the case that I take on just a few too many things, and I am unable to move forward on all fronts with equal efficiency. In some cases, I end up paralyzing myself with too many goals, and don't seem to get anything at all accomplished. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.
Let's delve into specifics. I've been attempting to populate a new website and spread the word about said website. I've been working out with some serious goals in mind. I've been shooting video. I've been working full time. Now and then, I like to talk to friends, eat, and sleep. This cuts into both my writing and my laying about time. Anyway...
As usual, I have several too many stories started, and several that are knocking about on my hard disks to no purpose, which need to be submitted. I intend to begin swimming toward the surface in this regard, such that at least some of my actionable stories are off in a slush pile somewhere, or busily being rejected by editors, or happily making their way toward publication. Yes, that's an awful sentence. I like it somehow. This being MY blog, it stays.
I am otherwise well. Included within the wellness is the news that I am on the verge of equaling my ancient personal record of 500 pounds on the trap bar deadlift. I got 495 this morning, should you choose to care. 505 is about all the weight that will fit on the implement, and I will soon fit said weight and hoist it up. Happy days, huh?
Alas, it has been a wintry winter here in SLC. I have gotten far too few chances to shoot my bows. I don't think it's healthy to take the wooden models out when its frigid, and in point of fact, my problem of "too many goals" has also stood in the way. This to, as they say, shall pass.
Hope you're all well, and take care.
Proof of this comes in the form of two submissions being, er, submitted yesterday. One has already been accepted (Viva!), and one I will not hear about for a while. I find that it is often the case that I take on just a few too many things, and I am unable to move forward on all fronts with equal efficiency. In some cases, I end up paralyzing myself with too many goals, and don't seem to get anything at all accomplished. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.
Let's delve into specifics. I've been attempting to populate a new website and spread the word about said website. I've been working out with some serious goals in mind. I've been shooting video. I've been working full time. Now and then, I like to talk to friends, eat, and sleep. This cuts into both my writing and my laying about time. Anyway...
As usual, I have several too many stories started, and several that are knocking about on my hard disks to no purpose, which need to be submitted. I intend to begin swimming toward the surface in this regard, such that at least some of my actionable stories are off in a slush pile somewhere, or busily being rejected by editors, or happily making their way toward publication. Yes, that's an awful sentence. I like it somehow. This being MY blog, it stays.
I am otherwise well. Included within the wellness is the news that I am on the verge of equaling my ancient personal record of 500 pounds on the trap bar deadlift. I got 495 this morning, should you choose to care. 505 is about all the weight that will fit on the implement, and I will soon fit said weight and hoist it up. Happy days, huh?
Alas, it has been a wintry winter here in SLC. I have gotten far too few chances to shoot my bows. I don't think it's healthy to take the wooden models out when its frigid, and in point of fact, my problem of "too many goals" has also stood in the way. This to, as they say, shall pass.
Hope you're all well, and take care.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
The Wonders of Air Travel; The Writin' Life
As promised, I'm going to go over some of the joyous things that happened on my air travel adventures. First of all, when Paul G. and I got to the airport, they cleverly kept changing the gate at which we were supposed to be waiting. Big fun.
When we were finally allowed to get on the plane (I'd rather get IN the plane, thank you), we ended up hanging around for a long, long time. There was some repair work that had been done to the plane, and it required there to be signatures and so on. Those signatures took longer than the first continental congress to come in, I swear. I was ready to get out before we started moving toward the runway.
The plane in question was one of the spiffy (not) MD-90 commuter jets. I have, to anyone who would listen, sung the suck of the MD-88 and MD-90 airplanes. Now, I have nothing against the plane itself. I'm sure it's a perfectly nice aircraft. But when the airlines get done with them, putting about 1/3 too many seats in, they become cattle cars, and I find them deviously uncomfortable.
So, a few deviously uncomfortable hours later, we arrived in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Upon disembarking (I don't de-plane, it's a religious conviction), Paul G. looked back and said the following: "We're gonna have to run!".
And run we did. Paul G. was on the cross country team, the basketball team, and was an 800 meter runner. I played football, wrestled, and threw the shot put. There are reasons for these choices. They stem from basic morphology. Now, I could run a 5:45 mile back in my prime. Wearing a backpack, fifty pounds heavier, after having been squashed into an airplane like a sardine for three hours, eighteen years later...well, let's say I cannot run a 5:45 mile. Or anything approximating it.
With two minutes until the doors closed for good, we were the better part of a half mile away from our gate. Someone yelled, "You can make it!" to us. This was true in Paul's case. As for me, I ended up out of breath, sweating, and at the wrong gate. Despite Paul's best efforts, they would not hold the plane, and we were thus separated. I urge you, gentle readers, to refrain from making judgments on Paul for this. It was unclear when the next open seat would be, and if there would be two on the same plane.
I found myself speaking to a very apologetic gate agent, while I began to regain my breath. I'm afraid that there was some kind of allergen or pollutant in the air at the airport, as I was coughing for the rest of the day, as was Paul. I ended up on a later flight, on an even smaller plane, a CRJ-something or another. This one found me in a seat at the very back of the plane, about nine inches from one of the engines. I could, without exaggeration, look directly into the turbine as it spun. Good fun.
When, at last, I got to Columbus, I took a cab to the hotel. My reasoning skills had by then departed, and I inadvertently tipped the driver ten bucks (50% tip, thanks). Ugh. At least everything else would run smoothly...
Or so I thought, until the morning of the flight back, when I noticed that my flight was scheduled for Tuesday. It was Sunday. Oops. I threw myself on the mercies of the Delta people, and ended up having to pay upwards of $300 extra for the privilege of going on substandard jets, in tight conditions, and generally being miserable for the rest of the day.
Upon arriving in Detroit, where my connection was, I was only about ten minutes in advance of final boarding for my plane to SLC. Of course, I was in C terminal, gate 23, and the gate I needed to get to was as far as humanly possible from there, at A 78. Yeah, 78. I had to run. Again. I had to go to the bathroom with every fiber of my being. I was not able to do so. I love air travel.
To top everything off, the plane I was on for the final leg, an Airbus A330, had a servo motor that kept firing, making an awful grinding noise, right under my seat. And it was another hour before I was able to finally visit the restroom. So that's the story.
On to other things: I've finally got my zombie epic (20K words), "All These Violent Heirlooms" finished. It's with my writer buddy, Julie Frost, getting marked up now. As soon as it's ready, which will likely include being cut in half and sent as two installments, it'll go off to Tales of the Zombie War. I'm looking forward to finally having that one in the public eye (provided that they accept...).
On a side note to that, I just learned that I have the fifth most popular story in the history of the site, with "Those Who Fall in Silence" having enjoyed well over 4,000 hits thus far.
I've also completed rough work on another story, "Hunting Season Again", which I'll need to find a market for in the coming days.
That's about it for now. Look for a video sometime soon, as I have yet to share a good number of my videos, and plan to post some new ones as soon as the weather is nice enough to get a good image of some of my new foolish stunts.
Hope you're well, and take care!
When we were finally allowed to get on the plane (I'd rather get IN the plane, thank you), we ended up hanging around for a long, long time. There was some repair work that had been done to the plane, and it required there to be signatures and so on. Those signatures took longer than the first continental congress to come in, I swear. I was ready to get out before we started moving toward the runway.
The plane in question was one of the spiffy (not) MD-90 commuter jets. I have, to anyone who would listen, sung the suck of the MD-88 and MD-90 airplanes. Now, I have nothing against the plane itself. I'm sure it's a perfectly nice aircraft. But when the airlines get done with them, putting about 1/3 too many seats in, they become cattle cars, and I find them deviously uncomfortable.
So, a few deviously uncomfortable hours later, we arrived in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Upon disembarking (I don't de-plane, it's a religious conviction), Paul G. looked back and said the following: "We're gonna have to run!".
And run we did. Paul G. was on the cross country team, the basketball team, and was an 800 meter runner. I played football, wrestled, and threw the shot put. There are reasons for these choices. They stem from basic morphology. Now, I could run a 5:45 mile back in my prime. Wearing a backpack, fifty pounds heavier, after having been squashed into an airplane like a sardine for three hours, eighteen years later...well, let's say I cannot run a 5:45 mile. Or anything approximating it.
With two minutes until the doors closed for good, we were the better part of a half mile away from our gate. Someone yelled, "You can make it!" to us. This was true in Paul's case. As for me, I ended up out of breath, sweating, and at the wrong gate. Despite Paul's best efforts, they would not hold the plane, and we were thus separated. I urge you, gentle readers, to refrain from making judgments on Paul for this. It was unclear when the next open seat would be, and if there would be two on the same plane.
I found myself speaking to a very apologetic gate agent, while I began to regain my breath. I'm afraid that there was some kind of allergen or pollutant in the air at the airport, as I was coughing for the rest of the day, as was Paul. I ended up on a later flight, on an even smaller plane, a CRJ-something or another. This one found me in a seat at the very back of the plane, about nine inches from one of the engines. I could, without exaggeration, look directly into the turbine as it spun. Good fun.
When, at last, I got to Columbus, I took a cab to the hotel. My reasoning skills had by then departed, and I inadvertently tipped the driver ten bucks (50% tip, thanks). Ugh. At least everything else would run smoothly...
Or so I thought, until the morning of the flight back, when I noticed that my flight was scheduled for Tuesday. It was Sunday. Oops. I threw myself on the mercies of the Delta people, and ended up having to pay upwards of $300 extra for the privilege of going on substandard jets, in tight conditions, and generally being miserable for the rest of the day.
Upon arriving in Detroit, where my connection was, I was only about ten minutes in advance of final boarding for my plane to SLC. Of course, I was in C terminal, gate 23, and the gate I needed to get to was as far as humanly possible from there, at A 78. Yeah, 78. I had to run. Again. I had to go to the bathroom with every fiber of my being. I was not able to do so. I love air travel.
To top everything off, the plane I was on for the final leg, an Airbus A330, had a servo motor that kept firing, making an awful grinding noise, right under my seat. And it was another hour before I was able to finally visit the restroom. So that's the story.
On to other things: I've finally got my zombie epic (20K words), "All These Violent Heirlooms" finished. It's with my writer buddy, Julie Frost, getting marked up now. As soon as it's ready, which will likely include being cut in half and sent as two installments, it'll go off to Tales of the Zombie War. I'm looking forward to finally having that one in the public eye (provided that they accept...).
On a side note to that, I just learned that I have the fifth most popular story in the history of the site, with "Those Who Fall in Silence" having enjoyed well over 4,000 hits thus far.
I've also completed rough work on another story, "Hunting Season Again", which I'll need to find a market for in the coming days.
That's about it for now. Look for a video sometime soon, as I have yet to share a good number of my videos, and plan to post some new ones as soon as the weather is nice enough to get a good image of some of my new foolish stunts.
Hope you're well, and take care!
Monday, November 01, 2010
World Fantasy 2010
Had a great time at WF this year. Roomed with my friends Paul Genesse and Brad Beaulieu. Hung out with too many awesome people to easily recount, including my friends Ken and Kelly Swails. Brad B.'s book, Winds of Kahalakovo (sp?), is coming out on April 1st (no joke). He, Kelly, and Paul did a joint reading from the book, and I think it's going to be beautiful, action packed, and generally going to kick major ass. Pick it up, if you know what's good for you.
Went to many great panels and readings, including one on Icelandic lit, which was very informative. Dug the readings I went to, including a big battle-royale reading by a bunch of the Black Gate writers. That was fun, and kept me out of noisy parties all evening.
I'm pretty charged up about the whole thing. Only downside to the whole trip was the travel part, wherein it all turned pear shaped. I'll recount that episode on another day, probably, except for the part the Paul G. and I swore would never be spoken of again.
In any case, I'll end here with another video, this one of my "Serenity Bend", where I get all Zen-like as I squash a nail, or something.
Hope you're well, and you dig the video.
Monday, September 13, 2010
New *Contributed* Story at NBNS!
Hey Folks,
Big News (well, big for me, anyway)!
My friend Kelly Swails has kindly, and to my great benefit, chosen to let me feature one of her stories at my Nasty, Brutish, and Short flash fiction website. It's a short blast of sweet, sweet cannibalism, just like you folks have been asking for. I'm both proud and pleased to have it associated with my little site.
Great thing is...she wrote it in second person. It's a story about YOU, and how you crave the flesh of the living. What could be better? I don't know. Maybe a donut. Naw. It would take a fricken' BACON DONUT to be better than that.
I suggest you stop what you're doing, right this second, and Read Kelly's Story. (The linky deal just now was where you wanted to click. Yeah. You. Go back. Finish reading my blather in a few minutes, when you're done with Kelly's stuff.)
If you want to know more about Kelly, Here's Her Official Website, and Here's Her Blog.
Okay, I'm done bossing you around now. As you were.
Big News (well, big for me, anyway)!
My friend Kelly Swails has kindly, and to my great benefit, chosen to let me feature one of her stories at my Nasty, Brutish, and Short flash fiction website. It's a short blast of sweet, sweet cannibalism, just like you folks have been asking for. I'm both proud and pleased to have it associated with my little site.
Great thing is...she wrote it in second person. It's a story about YOU, and how you crave the flesh of the living. What could be better? I don't know. Maybe a donut. Naw. It would take a fricken' BACON DONUT to be better than that.
I suggest you stop what you're doing, right this second, and Read Kelly's Story. (The linky deal just now was where you wanted to click. Yeah. You. Go back. Finish reading my blather in a few minutes, when you're done with Kelly's stuff.)
If you want to know more about Kelly, Here's Her Official Website, and Here's Her Blog.
Okay, I'm done bossing you around now. As you were.
Friday, June 11, 2010
What's transpired since last time
Hey, Folks!
Here's another update of my progress through life, liberty, and the pursuit of crush-grip.
1) Paul Genesse and I did some final tweaking on the story we were collaborating on. I think it turned out great. Paul had some fine ideas for deepening the impact of some of the story events, and we had a great phone consultation as we were integrating those new ideas in. The story's off to the editor at long last, and I hope she digs it. No hard/fast news as to when the story might see the light of day, but you'll hear it soon after I do.
2) Joined a gym again. Yep. Taking the plunge, and really setting my sights on getting back to my high school weight (right now, 15-20 pounds away). I'm committed to ACTUALLY doing cardio and abs every time, as opposed to the, "maybe, if I feel like it," attitude I've taken in the past. The place I'm going is actually a Community Center that was just opened last weekend, which is nice. Dues aren't bad, and they have an Olympic pool, when I get skinny enough to go shirtless in front of strangers.
3) Have been enjoying my reading of late. I'm most of the way through "Baal" by Robert McCammon. Fun stuff. It's clear that it's his first novel, and has some rough edges, but the prologue absolutely kills, and it's a rollicking adventure through the growing apocalypse. Just finished "Passing Strange" by Daniel Waters, which is book 3 in the Generation Dead series. I was absolutely aching for this one to come out, and I'm not disappointed. I ate it up in less than three days, and want more. I'm also reading "Soulless" by Gail Carriger and "The American Girl" by Monika Fagerholm. I'm not far into "Soulless", but it's great fun. My writer buddy Julie Frost essentially said that I was duty-bound to read it, and so I am. "The American Girl" is a fascinating, challenging, dreamlike book translated from the original Swedish text. I'll have more to say about all of these books on my GoodReads account.
4) More bending and crush-gripping. My routine for last night is as follows:
Bending (overhand fold) 5 "green" Iron Mind nails (warmup)
Bending (underhand fold) 1 "yellow" nail
Bending (overhand) 2 more yellows
Bending (overhand) 3 blue nails
Crushing 15 reps/hand with COC #1 grippers
Crushing 8 reps/hand with COC #1.5 grippers
Crushing 3 reps/hand with COC #2 grippers (failure point for left hand
Crushing 6 x 10 reps/hand with COC "Sport" (normal grip)
Crushing 6 x 10 reps/hand with COC "Sport" (inverted grip)
Crushing to failure with old plastic "heavy duty" grippers
I went until the muscles became too pumped to let the carpals operate. No unusual soreness experienced the morning after, which I count as a win.
5) Watching Stargate: SG1 on DVD. Having fun with it. Just finished the first season. Not life-changing stuff, but superb entertainment value. I love their tactic for always revealing the inciting event/emergency within the first five minutes. Keeps the pace high and the interest strong. I think that we can learn from this tactic and use it to make the beginnings of our stories stronger.
Well, that's the news. Hope everyone's well.
Here's another update of my progress through life, liberty, and the pursuit of crush-grip.
1) Paul Genesse and I did some final tweaking on the story we were collaborating on. I think it turned out great. Paul had some fine ideas for deepening the impact of some of the story events, and we had a great phone consultation as we were integrating those new ideas in. The story's off to the editor at long last, and I hope she digs it. No hard/fast news as to when the story might see the light of day, but you'll hear it soon after I do.
2) Joined a gym again. Yep. Taking the plunge, and really setting my sights on getting back to my high school weight (right now, 15-20 pounds away). I'm committed to ACTUALLY doing cardio and abs every time, as opposed to the, "maybe, if I feel like it," attitude I've taken in the past. The place I'm going is actually a Community Center that was just opened last weekend, which is nice. Dues aren't bad, and they have an Olympic pool, when I get skinny enough to go shirtless in front of strangers.
3) Have been enjoying my reading of late. I'm most of the way through "Baal" by Robert McCammon. Fun stuff. It's clear that it's his first novel, and has some rough edges, but the prologue absolutely kills, and it's a rollicking adventure through the growing apocalypse. Just finished "Passing Strange" by Daniel Waters, which is book 3 in the Generation Dead series. I was absolutely aching for this one to come out, and I'm not disappointed. I ate it up in less than three days, and want more. I'm also reading "Soulless" by Gail Carriger and "The American Girl" by Monika Fagerholm. I'm not far into "Soulless", but it's great fun. My writer buddy Julie Frost essentially said that I was duty-bound to read it, and so I am. "The American Girl" is a fascinating, challenging, dreamlike book translated from the original Swedish text. I'll have more to say about all of these books on my GoodReads account.
4) More bending and crush-gripping. My routine for last night is as follows:
Bending (overhand fold) 5 "green" Iron Mind nails (warmup)
Bending (underhand fold) 1 "yellow" nail
Bending (overhand) 2 more yellows
Bending (overhand) 3 blue nails
Crushing 15 reps/hand with COC #1 grippers
Crushing 8 reps/hand with COC #1.5 grippers
Crushing 3 reps/hand with COC #2 grippers (failure point for left hand
Crushing 6 x 10 reps/hand with COC "Sport" (normal grip)
Crushing 6 x 10 reps/hand with COC "Sport" (inverted grip)
Crushing to failure with old plastic "heavy duty" grippers
I went until the muscles became too pumped to let the carpals operate. No unusual soreness experienced the morning after, which I count as a win.
5) Watching Stargate: SG1 on DVD. Having fun with it. Just finished the first season. Not life-changing stuff, but superb entertainment value. I love their tactic for always revealing the inciting event/emergency within the first five minutes. Keeps the pace high and the interest strong. I think that we can learn from this tactic and use it to make the beginnings of our stories stronger.
Well, that's the news. Hope everyone's well.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Update from the perpetually derelict blogger
So, the holidays happened. Thanksgiving sucked, but Christmas and New Years were pretty good.
My dad's health, though it's been rocky, is fairly stable at this moment. I'm doing all right, though my ability to do writing work hasn't been so great for the last little while.
A story that I collaborated on with my friend, Paul Genesse, is in the hands of the editor who requested it. I hope she digs it. Paul and I were jazzed about how it turned out. I have a few other stories that I need to get hammered out and finished, though the writing impulse has not exactly been a steam hammer lately.
Watching: The Complete FarScape
Reading: James Lee Burke, Robert B. Parker, MLN Hanover, H. Rider Haggard, John Ringo...
Bending/Crushing news:
I bent 10 60D nails in 1 minute, 42 seconds today. It's a personal best, since I've never done ten straight, let alone on the clock. Not bad for a guy who's only been bending for a few months.
I have successfully closed the Captains of Crush #2 grippers (195lbs/hand) with both hands. The other day, I got two authoritative closes with each hand. Today, after my bending antics, I got ten straight closes with each hand with the CoC #1.
What does all this goofy crap do? Well, I can tell you that, while at the pistol range the other day, the recoil impulse of a full-load .357 Magnum didn't even blip my wrist. If you need to do things where your wrists control chaotic movements or have to soak up big jolts, this grip/wrist strength stuff can really have an effect. Even if you're "gym strong", the deep, tendon and ligament strength that bending unlocks can make a big difference. I won't lie. It hurts at first, and whenever you really push to the next level, but I think that the reward makes it worth it.
Well, that's it. Sorry that I'm so bad about updating. No excuses. Hope you're all well.
Monday, October 05, 2009
"Those Who Fall in Silence" gets award!
Good News:
"Those Who Fall in Silence" got the runner-up for best story this quarter at "Tales of the Zombie War". Prizes and accolades for me! This is me crowing and doing my best leprechaun dance.
"Those Who Fall in Silence" got the runner-up for best story this quarter at "Tales of the Zombie War". Prizes and accolades for me! This is me crowing and doing my best leprechaun dance.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Haibun "The Language of Structures" up at Pens On Fire!
Hey, Folks.
After the requisite lag time, my haibun poem, Language of Structures, one that was written for Hawkcircle long ago, is being featured in this month's Pens On Fire online magazine.
I've had a few things in Pens On Fire Before, but I'm always glad to be featured again.
Because the editor of PoF decided that using the Haibun form was an interesting use of language, she put this one under Nonfiction. I didn't argue. It's free to read my poem, as well as any of the other stuff on the site, so I encourage you to go and check it out. HERE is a link you can press, so that you don't have to type anything (heavens forfend!).
In other news, I recently finished a LONG short story (78 pages) and I'm in the process of getting feedback for it. I think it turned out really well, and I hope to find a market for it out there somewhere. We'll see. If anything cool happens, I'll be sure to trumpet the news from my little blog-tastic pulpit.
I hope you're all doing well. Summer's over too fast. I have other random thoughts, but I won't type any more. Farewell, until next we meet.
After the requisite lag time, my haibun poem, Language of Structures, one that was written for Hawkcircle long ago, is being featured in this month's Pens On Fire online magazine.
I've had a few things in Pens On Fire Before, but I'm always glad to be featured again.
Because the editor of PoF decided that using the Haibun form was an interesting use of language, she put this one under Nonfiction. I didn't argue. It's free to read my poem, as well as any of the other stuff on the site, so I encourage you to go and check it out. HERE is a link you can press, so that you don't have to type anything (heavens forfend!).
In other news, I recently finished a LONG short story (78 pages) and I'm in the process of getting feedback for it. I think it turned out really well, and I hope to find a market for it out there somewhere. We'll see. If anything cool happens, I'll be sure to trumpet the news from my little blog-tastic pulpit.
I hope you're all doing well. Summer's over too fast. I have other random thoughts, but I won't type any more. Farewell, until next we meet.
Monday, August 10, 2009
"Those Who Fall in Silence" up at Tales of the Zombie War!
So,
You've all probably given me up for dead. It's been a bit of a busy summer, and I just haven't had that much to blog about. That said, I'm proud to say that I've got another in my series of "Flashover" stories featured at Tales of the Zombie War. If you'd like to read it (it's free!), click HERE.
I'm pretty happy with the way this story turned out, and though it took the TotZW people a long time to respond, I think it's worth the wait.
In other news, I'm "reopening the wound" to write more of "Dayhunter". More info as it becomes available.
I have a story out for submission, and have happy, good thoughts about it. All my concrit folks have adored it, so I hope that's a good sign.
I'm working on a fairly lengthy story right now, and it's coming out nicely (Suspected Vehicular Homicide).
I'm hoping to submit a bunch of stuff in these waning days of summer. I have several stories that need good homes.
Other than that, I've been computer nerding a lot, and may come back at you with some of that stuff. I've also been target shooting again, which is something I dearly love. It's possible that I might do a gun-centric blog (no promises).
In the meantime, hope you're all well. Take care.
You've all probably given me up for dead. It's been a bit of a busy summer, and I just haven't had that much to blog about. That said, I'm proud to say that I've got another in my series of "Flashover" stories featured at Tales of the Zombie War. If you'd like to read it (it's free!), click HERE.
I'm pretty happy with the way this story turned out, and though it took the TotZW people a long time to respond, I think it's worth the wait.
In other news, I'm "reopening the wound" to write more of "Dayhunter". More info as it becomes available.
I have a story out for submission, and have happy, good thoughts about it. All my concrit folks have adored it, so I hope that's a good sign.
I'm working on a fairly lengthy story right now, and it's coming out nicely (Suspected Vehicular Homicide).
I'm hoping to submit a bunch of stuff in these waning days of summer. I have several stories that need good homes.
Other than that, I've been computer nerding a lot, and may come back at you with some of that stuff. I've also been target shooting again, which is something I dearly love. It's possible that I might do a gun-centric blog (no promises).
In the meantime, hope you're all well. Take care.
Friday, May 22, 2009
ConDuit Tomorrow; The Joy of Eee!
So, I'm off to the ConDuit Sci-Fi convention tomorrow. It's just down the street from my house, and the rates for the con aren't that bad, either. Lucky me. It's actually on the route that I take to work every day. No getting lost for me.
ConDuit is a fun little con, one that's on my "must" list, due to the closeness issue mentioned above. Also, it's great to get together with all the local talent and geek the heck out. My friend Paul Genesse is having a book launch party there tomorrow (today, in point of fact)...okay, it's frickin' Friday, all right, from 3:00 to 6:00 at the con hotel (Radisson). He's just come out with a book that's near and dear to my heart, The Dragon Hunters. I've seen this story in its various incarnations over the years, and Paul's done a great job with it. I may have given him a few pointers here and there, not to boast. If you're around, please come and meet him. He'd love to see all the fans and potential fans at his party.
I'll probably hanging about in various places, doing the nefarious things that shady writer types are known to do. (Like slowly consuming all the oxygen in the room for our meaningless biotic activities). Remember, getting into the Dealer's Room and the Art Show are both on the free list, so dropping by will not necessarily cost you any dough.
Now, then. I never did understand that, really. Is it now, or then? It can't be both, can it? That would be some sort of rift in the space/time continuum, right? I mean, I'm more of a Fantasy/Horror geek, but it sounds like an issue. Anyhooo...I was bellyaching last post about my Dell Mini 10 and the things that were wrong with it. Yep, a few more issues came to light, and that was, as they say, "it" for my patience. I took the sucker back. Big time. Happily, the big box store where I'd picked it up was okay with my esoteric explanation of why I was double plus unhappy with the whole affair. Money in hand, I took the trip to the mighty newegg.com and ordered what I SHOULD have ordered in the first place.
Yep, I'm typing this post on my new Asus EeePC 1000HE (blue) with 2 gig memory stick installed, and running Ubuntu 9.04 UNR Linux. Man, what a difference. I'll go over all my thovghts about the netbook in a later post, perhaps, but let it be known that the Asus has it ALL OVER the Dell in terms of solidity, responsiveness, and general sweetness. I'm not certain that the Asus keyboard is any better than the Dell, but that's about the only point in question. In general, I just have to be very accurate with my typing to avoid spurious button combos. As my boss calls them "fat fingers". Which is so very apt for me. For instance, I just about deleted all of my progress with some strange combo I just pressed, and only saved it with some wild act of computer heroism that I can't adequately describe to the readership here, because it might endanger agents in the field.
I'm sure that I'll get better at typing without blundering into the wrong buttons over the course of the next few days, but for now, I just have to be careful. Just know that I'm a happy dude, busy linux-cising with my wee laptop.
I'll check in after ConDuit to give you the skinny, and may well have a new Magnatune suggestion for you by then. Until then, farewell, and keep safe the holy blogsphere...
ConDuit is a fun little con, one that's on my "must" list, due to the closeness issue mentioned above. Also, it's great to get together with all the local talent and geek the heck out. My friend Paul Genesse is having a book launch party there tomorrow (today, in point of fact)...okay, it's frickin' Friday, all right, from 3:00 to 6:00 at the con hotel (Radisson). He's just come out with a book that's near and dear to my heart, The Dragon Hunters. I've seen this story in its various incarnations over the years, and Paul's done a great job with it. I may have given him a few pointers here and there, not to boast. If you're around, please come and meet him. He'd love to see all the fans and potential fans at his party.
I'll probably hanging about in various places, doing the nefarious things that shady writer types are known to do. (Like slowly consuming all the oxygen in the room for our meaningless biotic activities). Remember, getting into the Dealer's Room and the Art Show are both on the free list, so dropping by will not necessarily cost you any dough.
Now, then. I never did understand that, really. Is it now, or then? It can't be both, can it? That would be some sort of rift in the space/time continuum, right? I mean, I'm more of a Fantasy/Horror geek, but it sounds like an issue. Anyhooo...I was bellyaching last post about my Dell Mini 10 and the things that were wrong with it. Yep, a few more issues came to light, and that was, as they say, "it" for my patience. I took the sucker back. Big time. Happily, the big box store where I'd picked it up was okay with my esoteric explanation of why I was double plus unhappy with the whole affair. Money in hand, I took the trip to the mighty newegg.com and ordered what I SHOULD have ordered in the first place.
Yep, I'm typing this post on my new Asus EeePC 1000HE (blue) with 2 gig memory stick installed, and running Ubuntu 9.04 UNR Linux. Man, what a difference. I'll go over all my thovghts about the netbook in a later post, perhaps, but let it be known that the Asus has it ALL OVER the Dell in terms of solidity, responsiveness, and general sweetness. I'm not certain that the Asus keyboard is any better than the Dell, but that's about the only point in question. In general, I just have to be very accurate with my typing to avoid spurious button combos. As my boss calls them "fat fingers". Which is so very apt for me. For instance, I just about deleted all of my progress with some strange combo I just pressed, and only saved it with some wild act of computer heroism that I can't adequately describe to the readership here, because it might endanger agents in the field.
I'm sure that I'll get better at typing without blundering into the wrong buttons over the course of the next few days, but for now, I just have to be careful. Just know that I'm a happy dude, busy linux-cising with my wee laptop.
I'll check in after ConDuit to give you the skinny, and may well have a new Magnatune suggestion for you by then. Until then, farewell, and keep safe the holy blogsphere...
Friday, February 06, 2009
Settled Dust postmortem reinvigoration; music for people
Well, many of you will likely be aware that my long, long running haibun cycle, The Settled Dust, finally came to a close recently on Hawkcircle. That being said, the work's just starting on that project. I'm making it into a novella-sized unholy monstrosity as we speak. Various plot threads and nuances are being added, so that it has more novel-y goodness. I hope to be done with that project in a month or two, then there will be the issue of finding someone who's interested in such things.
In other writing news, I just started a new short story in my "Flashover" zombie series. It's called "The High and the Mighty", and it's about stoners who survive the apocalypse (in surprising numbers!) I think it's turning out well so far. I have a few other stories that I need to submit somewhere, as well.
Now, on to something else altogether. I was just on Magnatune.com the other day, and I found a neat atmospheric band that you may like. I'm posting a flash music player below, so you can check them out, as well.
now we are six by the glimmer room
I hope you folks enjoy it. Remember to support little businesses like Magnatune in these tough times. They need you more than ever!
Peace!
In other writing news, I just started a new short story in my "Flashover" zombie series. It's called "The High and the Mighty", and it's about stoners who survive the apocalypse (in surprising numbers!) I think it's turning out well so far. I have a few other stories that I need to submit somewhere, as well.
Now, on to something else altogether. I was just on Magnatune.com the other day, and I found a neat atmospheric band that you may like. I'm posting a flash music player below, so you can check them out, as well.
now we are six by the glimmer room
I hope you folks enjoy it. Remember to support little businesses like Magnatune in these tough times. They need you more than ever!
Peace!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Settled Dust, Part 17 at Hawkcircle!
Like the title to this post says, I've posted another installment of "The Settled Dust". Hope you folks can take the time to read it. You can find the new one HERE, and the whole shebang is contained under the heading "Settled Dust, Collected" at Hawkcircle.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
