Geonn Cannon's Blog, page 7

Stargate and Squire’s Isle

Sometime in the early 2000s, I was looking for something to watch while I “wrote.” Back in those days the internet at my house was this strange thing that sometimes came into the family computer on a dialed-up surge of beeps and whistles. It was extremely, extremely slow, and one of the first things I remember ever looking up was a Stargate SG-1 website and spending two minutes watching the image load (yes, our internet was that slow in the 2000s… we didn’t get high-speed internet until much, much later than is reasonable to be expected, and even then I fought it (I don’t like change (wow, we’re getting really off-topic here))). Anyway, I had a computer in my room, but it wasn’t hooked up to the internet. I wanted something to watch while I was writing and, while flipping channels, I happened to see Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver!). I was vaguely aware he had a new show, and I’d liked Legend (still do. Get on that, Netflix), so I decided to stick with it. The episode was 1969, and that was good enough that I stuck around for the next episode. Which was the season finale, and it had a cliffhanger. “Okay, so one more episode.” Except NOT, because then they started the season over from the beginning instead of continuing on.

This was before everything was available on DVD or Netflix. This was before I could even check the internet for an episode guide. I had to tune in and continue tuning in just to find out what happened. By the time I finally got to see the conclusion (spoiler: no one died), I was hooked. I kept tuning in, and I kept writing. In 2004, I was a big enough fan that I scheduled my first trip out of state in order to attend GateCon in Vancouver. It was my first time really being away from familiar stomping grounds, the people who knew me as my parent’s son, my first time out of the country… first time out of my STATE unless you count a barely-remembered trip to Texas as a toddler. It was a pretty big deal all told.

The friends I was traveling with made what seemed like a spur-of-the-moment decision: we were going to stop along the way and go whale-watching. I had absolutely zero interest in this. I didn’t like boats, I didn’t like the water, and it seemed like a huge waste of time. I kept trying to think of ways out of it that wouldn’t make me look like a grumpy weasel but I came up empty. So against my will, I boarded a ferry and went to San Juan Island. To say that it changed my life is an understatement. It changed my feelings about everything: the Pacific Northwest, the sea, whales, island life, etc… I decided I was going to take a story I’d been working on for a very long time and move it from Chicago to a small island off the coast of Washington. That was the origin of Squire’s Isle, and I owed finding it to the fact Stargate had gotten me there.

Now, ten years after I visited that island and it… infected me with itself, my writing has evolved to the point where I don’t put it in quotations anymore. I’m not a “writer,” I’m a writer. I have books, I have a lot of books, and I have fans. I have people who buy my books for other people as Christmas gifts. That’s pretty amazing right there. And because the island opened up my talent (and because of people I met through my writing and a shared love of Stargate and its sort-of sister show Sanctuary, I am now getting the opportunity to write an official Stargate SG-1 novel for Fandemonium.

Fingers crossed that I don’t screw it up!

Squire’s Isle

My first-ever real fan asked: “December 07- Thoughts on Squire’s Isle in general.” So yay for THAT! I get to babble about Squire’s Isle! It’s like it’s my birthday! Oh, it is my birthday. Bonus!

When I first started to get series about writing, I had one series. It was about a man who… well, he did a whole lot of stuff before I finally settled on the final version of him. He was based in Chicago, for some reason. I’ve never been there but it seemed less exposed than New York City. Seattle wasn’t even on my radar back then. Heck, the entire Pacific Northwest was basically just a nebulous thing on a map that I never really thought about. But then Gatecon (a Stargate SG-1 convention) rolled around, and it just so happened that it was easier to fly into Seattle and get a ride from someone than it was to fly into Vancouver. If I’d had my way I would have just gone straight to Vancouver. I’m sure the trip would have been just as amazing (Teryl Rothery touched my leg when I sat next to her, Amanda Tapping hugged me, JR Bourne remembered how to spell my name between Wednesday and Sunday…) but I wouldn’t call it life-changing the way I do now.

In the midst of arranging to drive up, the people I was with decided to leave early and take a quick detour. I have no idea why. I mostly ignored those plans, but it seems very bizarre that they would add a whole extra day to the itinerary just to go out whale watching. I was very, very against it, mainly because I didn’t like water, I didn’t like boats, I didn’t care about whales. I spent the entire drive to Anacortes trying to think of ways out of it. “I’ll just stay on the mainland, read a book or something, wander around, but their plans meant they would spend almost the entire day on this puny little island. Plus this was 2004, and it was close enough to 9/11 that someone loitering around a transportation hub would not have gone unnoticed. So grudgingly I went.

I don’t know where exactly I fell in love. The ferry? The drive through the woods where we saw signs for roads like “Duck Soup Lane”? The way that guy smirked at me like “This may be a small town, but we still play Pedestrian Bowling” when I got in the way of his truck? I don’t know. Maybe it happened when I was out on the boat and we watched the orcas play coy until the moment we turned to leave and it chased us most of the way back to the harbor. One moment I remember extremely clearly was when I called home from a payphone (yes, a payphone). While it was ringing I looked out and saw the flags waving over the harbor. It was the most beautiful summer day, and the greens were perfectly green, and the blues were perfectly blue. I remember thinking, “This place is gorgeous… I have to write about this…”

The idea of a tiny little small-town island was planted there, but it didn’t get a name until we were driving home from (of all things) my great-grandmother’s funeral. There’s a big giant hill between where we lived and where she was buried. It’s a massive hill, and I have a distinct childhood memory of all our road trips including the plummeting-stomach of a roller coaster when we were on it. I was obviously not feeling very well because… well… funeral… and out of nowhere my Dad (Mr. Know-it-All-and-Make-Up-the-Rest) mentioned it was called Squire’s Hill. I loved the way that sounded, and it melded with the island in my head to become “Squire’s Isle.” In years since I’ve asked for confirmation from Mom (Dad would just lie). She swears that hill doesn’t have a name, and I can find no confirmation of a Squire’s Hill anywhere in Oklahoma. So kismet? Who knows. The name was mine, and it was too perfect not to keep.

So with all of that, Squire’s Isle was still the place Neil Miser would live and work. He was a suicide investigator. People kill themselves without a note, he comes in and figures out why for those left behind. It was a neat idea, but I just couldn’t make it work. His office was over a little place called Coffee Table Books. Yep, Amy was the first Squire’s Isle lady I ever created, and she was a side character in another novel. She was a lesbian, of course, but she was just window dressing to flesh out the town. Then one day I was joking with a friend about a West Wing spinoff (or maybe an uber) about CJ Cregg running a small-town newspaper with Annabeth Schott as her star reporter who accidentally outs herself. That’s right, Nadine and Miranda were born as Allison Janney and Kristen Chenoweth. Eventually the idea evolved and I realized, “Small-town… why not set it on an island? Or SQUIRE’S ISLE?”

I added Amy to tie it into Miser (Sheriff Rucker was also a major character in Miser) and I figured it would be a nice side story when Miser got published. All these years and novels later, Miser is still sitting in a drawer and Squire’s Isle has taken on a life of its own. I seriously wouldn’t have it any other way. I also find it very convenient that I set it in Washington state just early enough to have same-sex marriage become legalized so my characters who were at that point could start pairing off. I never expected to feel the joy I have when I write “Nadine and Miranda Powell” or “Jill and Patricia Hood-Colby.”

My thoughts on Squire’s Isle aren’t very complicated. I love it. I know how unrealistic it is, what with a lesbian-heavy population, but I think it’s handwaved enough that it’s a peculiar demographic. I love the interconnected couples, how one person can cross over into another character’s story. They know each other, but they all have their own things going on. It’s a true ensemble where Patricia can hear Nadine on the radio when she stops into Coffee Table Books for a breakfast meeting with Alex Crawford. I would have been overwhelmed by the idea of creating this island from scratch if I’d let myself think too hard about it, but where it is now… I love it, and I’m so proud of it. I really love how the characters surprise me. I wouldn’t have thought of Patricia as the mayor, or thrown Alex and Rachel to the wolves of “taking a break” if that hadn’t been where the story led me. I would never in a million years have decided, “You know what? I’m going to make this relationship polyamorous.” I’ve gotten some credit for making Kate, Amy, and Nicole polyamorous in a realistic fashion but to be honest the first story was mainly “I want to write a threesome.” But the story wouldn’t let me leave it there. I’ve learned to keep out of its way when the story does stuff like that.

If you couldn’t tell (or tl;dr), I’m so proud of this little town, and how it’s given me a rich cast of characters. I posted a story recently about one couple. The first comment pointed out the couple wasn’t a favorite, while the second comment was gleeful because it WAS a favorite couple. I’m really proud of the fact that people have favorites among the Squire’s Isle residents. If you want to reply to this with your favorites, please do! I’m interested to know, and knowing if people want to revisit a couple means I write them faster. ;D

Whatever else I write, I think Squire’s Isle will always be tops in terms of creating something large and fantastic that I’m just thoroughly, utterly proud of having a hand in.

Riley Parra: The End

In February of 2009, I started writing a story based on several different inspirations that somehow turned into an urban noir thriller detective story in which a hard-edged police detective teams up with an earthbound guardian angel to defend a city against the forces of evil. In other words, four years ago I started a story I would never in a million years expected to write. I had such little faith in where it would go that I called each story “episodes”, and I bundled them together in seasons so I could quit writing them when I got bored.

Four years, five seasons, and 725,000 words later, I am putting an end to the Riley series. Not because I was bored of it or I was finished, simply because I loved the characters so much that I felt as if I owed them an ending. It’s a bittersweet ending, and I’m not saying everyone ends the story in one piece (have a hankie ready), but I finally gave them closure. It’s sad for me, too, because I’m really going to miss writing these characters. The relationship between Riley and Gillian is one of the favorites I’ve ever created. Caitlin Priest is probably one of the characters I’m proudest of having created. And this world was epic, and so much fun to play with. Like Claire Lance before her, it’s hard to say goodbye but I know I would feel worse if I just kept putting them through the wringer.

Without spoiling anything, there is a chance I could come back and pick up the story a year, or two years, or a decade into the future. The city would be vastly different, but it could be interesting to see where the story is after the Reign of Riley.

So settle in and get ready for the end. Season 5 is up at Smashwords right now, or you can wait until tomorrow to buy it through the Amazon link in my store (so I can get a little kickback from your purchase ;D). And once you’ve read it, good bad or indifferent, please leave a review! Reviews are of the good. And if anyone wants to leave a review for Season 3 on Amazon, it’s lonely out there. But it’s not really that important since Seasons 1, 2, and 4 all have glowing reviews. People can extrapolate that the third season is more of the same ;D)

I hope everyone enjoys the final chapter of Riley’s story!

Slight Delay on Riley 5!

Nothing major is wrong, just the holiday. The blasted holiday! Ahh, well. Due to the holiday, Riley Parra Season Five (the final season!) won’t be available until September 2. Sorry for the inconvenience! But it just means that the final season will seem that much longer and last just a little longer than it would have otherwise. ;D

Cryptography

Today I’m going to talk about scifi. I’ve watched a lot of science-fiction in my life (I quoted Stargate SG-1 in the first paragraph, for crying out loud), but I’ve barely written any. Want to know why? Because it’s HARD. Right now I’m almost 40,000 words into a story called Cryptography of the Leaves. It takes place on an alien planet, and the main characters are from two different races. They speak English, but I’m trying to be as accurately alien as possible. I’m trying to shy away from anything that sounds “too human.” I came up with a few rules about the alien languages they’re speaking so that when I write their dialogue – even though it’s in English – there will be a kind of cadence that gives away the fact that they’re being translated.

I have a new respect for authors who do world-building well. Max Gladstone is one of the best I’ve read recently. He created a vast and complex world that I know will only become more incredible as he continues writing. I’m struggling with mine. It’s fun! I really like what I’ve come up with so far. But geez, getting the words on the page is like pulling teeth. So if you’re one of the people who has been reading/enjoying the story, the updates might be a little more sparse from here on out. I think the story is drawing quickly to a close, and maybe that’s why my muse has stumbled a little bit, but I didn’t want people to see me posting other stuff and thinking CotL was abandoned. I would never do that to you folks!

Now, back to bumping my head against the wall of this story. I got 800 words yesterday and hopefully I can double that today.

Grammarly, and Cryptography

I used Grammarly to grammar check this post because coming up with words in the right order is hard enough without having to worry about spelling spelling things right. You know how sometimes you’ll see a mistake in something you wrote even after it’s been edited, proofread, polished, etc? Sure you do. We allllll know what it’s like. Grammarly is like spellcheck on steroids. It picks up all the little things that spellcheck can’t be bothered with. It goes deep, telling me “You ended that sentence with a preposition… bastard!” It even gives you a score when it’s finished. The first thing I checked got a 70 out of 100, so… yeah. They sniff out the issues like a bloodhound. If you’re looking for something that goes a lot deeper than just checking your spelling, this is definitely something you might want to check out.

 

But you didn’t come here for a commercial! You came here to find out… well. I’m not sure why you come here. But I’ll do my best to keep the level of content flat so you’ll always be able to find what you’re looking for. Today I’m going to talk about scifi. I’ve watched a lot of science-fiction in my life (I quoted Stargate SG-1 in the first paragraph, for crying out loud), but I’ve barely written any. Want to know why? Because it’s HARD. Right now I’m almost 40,000 words into a story called Cryptography of the Leaves. It takes place on an alien planet, and the main characters are from two different races. They speak English, but I’m trying to be as accurately alien as possible. I’m trying to shy away from anything that sounds “too human.” I came up with a few rules about the alien languages they’re speaking so that when I write their dialogue – even though it’s in English – there will be a kind of cadence that gives away the fact that they’re being translated.

 

I have a new respect for authors who do world-building well. Max Gladstone is one of the best I’ve read recently. He created a vast and complex world that I know will only become more incredible as he continues writing. I’m struggling with mine. It’s fun! I really like what I’ve come up with so far. But geez, getting the words on the page is like pulling teeth. So if you’re one of the people who has been reading/enjoying the story, the updates might be a little more sparse from here on out. I think the story is drawing quickly to a close, and maybe that’s why my muse has stumbled a little bit, but I didn’t want people to see me posting other stuff and thinking CotL was abandoned. I would never do that to you folks!

 

Now, back to bumping my head against the wall of this story. I got 800 words yesterday and hopefully I can double that today.

(And for the record, this got a score of 46/100 when I checked it at Grammarly. Yikes. ::g::)

Radiation Canary Tea!

I’ve always wanted merchandising! Specifically merchandising that doesn’t cost me anything. ::g:: In this case, you can now buy a bag (or a tin, but unless you REALLY like tea…) of RADIATION CANARY TEA! It has green tea, cherry, blackberry, orange peels, all kinds of good stuff. I wanted to taste it before I advertised it (I mean, it’s only fair I get it first! ;D) and I’m no expert about tea. My cup was more milk than tea. But Mom drinks a lot of tea, and she gave it a thumbs-up. And it’s not that the taste was objectionable to me. The smell is really nice, very interesting. Right now it’s only available in the US, and I’m not sure how/if I can change that. Hopefully there’s a way to make it worldwide. I’ll let you know if the availability changes!

So if you like tea, and you like Radiation Canary, enjoy!

 

http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend...

 

(I’m also considering a possibility of other flavors and combining them into a “SQUIRE’S ISLE TEA” group. A blend of Nadine and Miranda Powell, a Coffee Table Books blend, maybe even a Bitches Investigations flavor (since Dale is a fan of the tea). If anyone’s interested let me know! And if you have flavor suggestions to go with your requests, I’ll totally take them. Like I said, not a big tea drinker. ;D)

View My Interview!

The Rainbow Hub. Ah, Rainbow Hub. They gave me an amazing review for Radiation Canary and then, I guess, they decided I hadn’t taken up too much space on their site yet, so they asked me to do an interview! The only problem I have with giving interviews is that I fear I have nothing worth saying outside of putting dialogue in the mouths of fictional characters. But I was honored that they asked, and I thought what’s the worst that could happen? As it turned out, the worst probably didn’t happen. It ended up being a very nice, very in-depth interview. I blame the questions. But the interview went live today, so you can all scurry over there and take a peek at what (if anything) I had to say about writing. It’s a very cool site, so even after you get bored with my rambling stick around and read the rest of their articles.

 

http://www.therainbowhub.com/an-interview-with-fiction-writer-geonn-cannon/

To Summarize…

I just got the copy of Nos4a2 by Joe Hill I put on hold at the library, and I can’t wait to start reading it. Mainly because I have no idea what it’s about. I mean, yes, I have a vague idea as to what I should expect from the story based on the title and the cover. There was a blurb that may have put me on the right path. But as for characters and plot, I’m in the dark. I did the same thing with Neil Gaiman’s new novel. With that one I had character information and I knew what it was about in the same way I knew The Avengers was about superheroes.

I really like going into books dark. I want to be as much of a blank slate as possible. I know that sometimes it’s required to read the summary an author/publisher provides because you can’t just go in based on the cover. Especially with a new author. You gotta get hooked somehow. But with established authors who aren’t likely to veer radically off-course, I want to be surprised by even the earliest revelations. Summaries have landmines. “When her new friend is murdered” makes me view the new friend as a joke from Page 1. “But a shocking twist at the first meeting” makes me anticipate the twist, and therefore it lacks as much punch.

This habit of mine to just glimpse and then ignore the summary is especially irritating when it comes time to summarize my own books. I HATE to summarize. What is too much to give away? What is too little? Can I get away with revealing this character or that storyline? Can I get away with not mentioning them?

I’ll keep on writing the summaries to the best of my ability because I know I’m probably in the minority. But if the whole world was like me, summaries would be so much easier to write. “Don’t you think the world needs more novels with female werewolves? And shouldn’t that character be a lesbian and live in Seattle? I agree!” I mean, if it was me, that’s all I’d need.

Underdogs: A Primer

We’re a month away from the launch of “Underdogs: Beware of Wolf,” the second full-length novel in the Underdogs series. I recently had a new fan who asked what they should read first with the story of Ari and Dale. It’s a valid question! With all the short stories, the novels, and the prequel novels, it can be a tricky prospect to find the right spot to dive in. So I’m going to help you out! What do you need to read before you get “Beware of Wolf”?

Nothing.

No, really. The novel isn’t exactly standalone as it references past events, but if you decided to start reading the series with this novel you wouldn’t be lost. You might be spoiled for a few things, but you wouldn’t be lost. But let’s say, just for fun, you want to spend the month leading up to the new release reading up on the series. What would you want to read then? Well, here’s a handy-dandy guide for you. You can read some of them, you can read none of them, but just so people can get covered if they want.

1) STRAYS

The first-ever Underdogs story, which established who Ari and Dale are, where they came from, and so on. It’s not exactly an origin story, since the business is already established, but it does explore a lot of their background.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/166290

2) PACK MENTALITY

Ari and Dale’s first big case, a novella-length adventure where the ladies went up against an enemy willing to use deadly force. It’s also the first time Ari ran up against the canidae community in a big way.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/243721

4) THE NOVEL

Naturally, I think you should read the novels in order even if “BoW” isn’t a direct continuation. A character introduced here carries over into the next books, and events help set the stage for what’s happening in Book 2. So yes, if you haven’t read the first one… you don’t HAVE to, but it would probably be the best way to enjoy the series.

(ebook) http://astore.amazon.com/squsisl-20/d...

(paperback) http://astore.amazon.com/squsisl-20/d...

5) A DOG’S LIFE

This gives an idea of what Dale goes through, and what life with Ari is like for her, from her point of view. A lot of times it can seem like Dale is just sitting around at Ari’s beck and call, waiting to be called into action. This story shows that she does it because she cares, and reveals that she’s honored to be one of the only people in Ari’s life she has ever been able to count on completely.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/541890

6) EATEN BY WOLVES

Content warning: there’s stuff in this one that may squick people. So heed the warnings before you read it. Like the other stories, it’s not necessary, but it helps establish just how dedicated Ari and Dale are to each other, and what Dale means when she says she loves Ari completely.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/546027

7) BARKING MAD

A character from this story/string of stories appears in Beware of Wolf in a major way. Again, if your first exposure to her is in the novel, you have nothing to worry about. But have you ever read a novel and wished you could find out what a new character was up to before she stumbled into the series? Well, this is the backstory/history of the new recurring series character, Milo Duncan.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/763971

7) WOLF AT THE DOOR

This book is a slice of canidae history. Set in 1812, the events of this novel has become a sort of fairy-tale by the time Ari is growing up. Ari tells the story of Johanna Brion and Agatha Westreich, so if you want the whole thing instead of just the footnotes, you can get the first part here…

http://astore.amazon.com/squsisl-20/d...

8) MARKING TERRITORY/WOLF ON THE FOLD

…and the rest of the story is here. All the pertinent information covered in these two stories is explained in the novel so no one will be lost. But I thought some people might want to actually “see it with their own eyes” rather than being told second- or third-hand.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...