ONLINE

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 27, 2012

…and we’re back.

Sorry for the outage. I originally was leaving up the SOPA/PIPA protest for the weekend, but on Monday I lost my internet (“Lost: Reward” posters were, inevitably, a failure) and only got back online today. That means I missed my review on SBR, lots of interesting things on the ‘net…

…and the renaming of my next anthology. No longer is the title of the book going to be Adventurers in Hell. Now it’s titled Rogues in Hell which, to be honest, I like more. The cover is gorgeous (I can’t wait until I can share it) and there are more stories in this one that the last. (Note to self: go edit the bio page)

Not much else going on. Basically, this was as good of a week as any to lose the internet.

Blog Update, Fantasy, Heroes in Hell, Publishing, Writing

DOMAIN BLOCKED

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 18, 2012

This content has been blocked in compliance with the Protect IP Act (S.968)

It hasn’t happened yet. It still can. Stop this by calling your senator and your local congress critter and tell them this is a bad idea.

News

Mission: Sleep

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 11, 2012

I was writing a scene in Hell (yes, another Ponce de Leon story) and all of a sudden, Bullet With Butterfly Wings came on and I started rocking out.

Granted, Smashing Pumpkins is probably the godfather of the emo movement (much like how The Cure are for goths), but damn could they play some music. My favorite album, for those of you who may be curious (or may not but hey, my website, you’re going to listen anyways) was Gish, with Siamese Dream right behind it.

There’s not a lot of bands that can claim the ability to force me to drop everything and rock out for 3-5 minutes. The Cruxshadows are one of them, and Smashing Pumpkins is another. Maybe some classic Guns N Roses, but that’s about it (off the top of my head that I can think of right now).

Saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol tonight. I wasn’t blown away, but I was underwhelmed either. I’d give it a C+, since the cinematography was pretty decent and the action sequences were pretty damned good. If they’d had less Tom Cruise and more of everyone else it would have gotten a B- easily.

Wrist still hurts but not as bad. I don’t think it’s going to warrant a doctor’s visit yet.

Time for bed. Busy day tomorrow.

Blog Update, Writing

Sandy Beaches

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 9, 2012

My wrist is hurting today (forearm area, inside wrist… that one spot where the divot is between the tendons). Pretty sore, though not affecting my writing (I’m a hunt and peck typist who actually can get about 75 wpm if I’m zoned in) and I’m hoping it’s just sore tendons and ligaments and nothing more serious. As cool as Dragon speech is, I don’t want to shell out $700 for the premium edition of it (plus I write better when I have a chance to put thought into my typing and just not blathering about…).

Not much else is going on. Just working, writing, and plotting away to conquer the southern hemisphere.

Because really, who doesn’t like the idea of Christmas in 70 weather on a white sandy beach somewhere?

 

Blog Update, Science Fiction, Writing

Politics

2 Comments Posted by on January 7, 2012

Maybe someone can help me.

I’ve kind of been paying attention to the Republican primaries and am wondering — 85% of Republicans and Independent voters are not enjoying the shrill, uber-extremism coming from the Far Right. Not the small government conservative speak, but the shrill “I’m more religious than you are and I’ll show you… gays must die!” ones who are really beginning to piss me off. Can someone tell me why the term RINO (Republican in Name Only) gets thrown around the moment any candidate offers a medium ground response and not an all-out attack on anything hinting at moderation? An can someone tell me how these rejects from public schooling get nominated in the first place?

Seriously. I can’t think of a word that is strong enough without offending anything that resembles you (scum sucking bottom feeders is one of them, but flounders didn’t do anything to be lumped in with these harpies…). Santorum is screaming about… something, I can’t hear anything beyond the absolute mind-numbing idiocy spewing from his maw. Huntsman is pissed about adopted children (wtf?), and don’t get me started on that crackpot Perry. Romney giving in to his morals (whichever they are this week) and Paul just sitting quietly off to the side, letting them beat each other with the “I’m more religious than you are!” stick.

Why do politicians pander to their extremist base? Both Republicans and Democrats do this in the primaries, only to turn around during the general election and say “Oh, that wasn’t the real me” after doing their best to convince their base that they were exactly that person. Do they really think we’re that stupid?

…don’t answer that. I should have known better than to ask that question.

I’m fairly convinced that we are that stupid because we vote for them, despite all the crap that has been spewed from their mouth like an Exorcist movie. We continue to vote for them. We don’t demand a difference. It’s just politics all over again.

Damn it all to hell. I’m going to vote for Ron Paul.

If I vote.

At least he’s not being an uber-dick about religion.

…this week, at least.

Blog Update, News

A Strong Word

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 4, 2012

Inadvertently or not, Sarah Hoyt and Janet Morris have been the two most influential authors in my career. I take what they both tell me very seriously (or just spread amongst the masses to be helpful, which is still very helpful) and, using what they’ve told me, have accomplished far more than I thought I ever would.

So today Sarah had a helpful article here which talks about wreckers and builders. I’m certain all of us, one time or another, were in a writer’s group that had one person (I had three in mine… I lasted four weeks before I quit and stopped writing for six months) who would constantly be the person who tore every little thing in your novel (or short story) down. They wouldn’t offer helpful advice, just neuter you without pain meds and then wonder why you “can’t take it”.

I hated those people. And hate is a very strong word.

 

Authors, Blog Update, Publishing, Writing

Control

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 3, 2012

Thought about adding a new page on the website for book covers but… eh. Once I have more book covers to share (Sha’Daa: Pawns, Adventurers in Hell and What Scares the Boogeyman?) I’ll probably create the page. It’s not that hard really, one of the main reasons I like WordPress so much as a website platform. Most people use it as a blog (which this is, really) but it is nice if you don’t want a flash-heavy website (or the hassles of server downtime).

Plus, I don’t have to contact my webmaster (or webmistress) about an update. That’s kinda nice to have control over that.

The annual Preditors & Editors poll is up. Right now, Lawyers in Hell is in first place for anthologies. Why not help us pad that lead (and help me) and vote? As last year, scroll down after clicking this link and click the button for “Lawyers in Hell” and then follow the instructions. It’s that easy and, best of all, you can help me redeem myself after last year’s disastrous 2010 Best Thriller campaign (thankfully, I did not have to do the “Thriller” dance at Libertycon, as per agreement if I won. I finished in 9th (as I said, disastrous)).

First review of 2012 went up on Sunday over at SBR. I reviewed Variant by Robison Wells, which was an amazing book for the debut novelist. Here is the link, which (as I detail in the review) is on my must-buy list now. I’ll be more diligent about reviews over there. Work just took hold and refused to let go until after Christmas.

I think I’m back now, which is good. I have only a limited time before the craziness begins.

I’ve got the control back and this time, I’m not letting go.

 

Blog Update, Book Review, Heroes in Hell, News, Publishing, Science Fiction, Sha'Daa, Writing

Heavenly and Hellishly

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 2, 2012

Huzzah! Happy New Year!

…oh wait, that was yesterday.

This year is going to be the Year of the Dragon (woot… well, starting Jan 27) and though I am wasn’t born in a dragon year (I’m a horse), I’ve always had a strong affinity and friendship with the dragon. I even have a few dragon tattoos at various locations on my body (shoulders and back, you perv). On the whole, 2012 is going to be a great year.

Lawyers in Hell is up at the Preditors & Editors Poll for Best Anthology. Here is the link; it’s a difficult page to navigate and (at the worst of times, it seems) often locks up. Simply scroll down, look for Lawyers in Hell and click the button. They’ll ask for a reply in email to  prevent ballot stuffing (yeah, because nobody has ever had more than one email… *sigh*). But this will help spread the word about Lawyers in Hell and be a nice little feather in the cap for one of my publishers. Plus, a vote for this book is a vote for me, since I don’t have any other nominations this year. If you forgot what story I wrote for it, well, for shame. Naw, it’s my fault. Yes, I slacked. Sorry.

Awesome recipe: blueberry cream cheese filled muffins. Heavenly. Now if I can only get my work to cover my expenses while I, er, test this in the 18-40 demographic market….

Heavenly….

Blog Update, Writing, News, Publishing , , ,

End Note

Leave a Comment Posted by on December 31, 2011

Over at Shiny Book Review we’ve done a “Year in Review” for 2011 by talking about what our favorite books were that we reviewed. I should note, however, that one of the problems I faced was the three of my favorite books of 2011 weren’t reviewed by our regular contributors but by guest contributors, which created a slight problem (since I wanted The Sacred Band on my top 5 list but realized I couldn’t), but all in all I’m happy with the list.

There will be a new review up tomorrow as well. I waited until the new year to tackle Robison Wells’ Variant, which is quite possibly one of my top books for 2012 already. Yeah, it came out in October 2011 but I only got around to reviewing it now. However, it was worth the wait, since the book was just that good.

Another one of those “I want to write like this” books for me. Sigh.

Have a safe and happy new year. I’ll see you in 2012.

Blog Update, Writing, Book Review, Publishing

Keyboard > Face

Leave a Comment Posted by on December 29, 2011

I returned from my brief trip in one piece and have discovered a mountain of work awaiting me upon my return.

SBR – Yes, I’ve seriously dropped the ball here, as I have five reviews now which need to get up on there. I’m waiting, though, until after the first of the year so I’ll be able to start the new year off with a bang, since I’ll be reviewing one of the best books I’ve read, ever.

EVER.

That’s high praise, you know.

Thankfully, Barb has more than picked up the slack at SBR, which allows me to loaf around work harder on things that I need to get done asap. It’s a necessary thing, having someone else following you around and making sure you work without being a slave driver.

I would triple her pay but… yeah.

Stories – I’ve got them all lined up and ready to go, and then one of the editors contacted me with “So, how’s the so-and-so project going? Also, we should totally write an article sometime”. Okay, I paraphrased it a bit, but that was the gist of it. I realized I hadn’t touched said story since August. Ouch.

I hope I remember what I was writing.

Thankfully, I do have an outline, so it’s not as though I’m going to be pounding my head on a wall often.

The keyboard will be a gentler substitution.

Hopefully.

 

Blog Update, Science Fiction, News, Publishing

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