Mark C. Wade's Blog, page 5

Hope for Pulse Anthology

Hello everyone! I thought I'd let you know about a great new anthology coming out on Friday, September 16, 2016 (less than a week away). I haven't gotten a chance to read the other stories in it, but it appears there's around 18 stories from MLRPress authors. I'm very happy with how mine turned out, and I'm sure the other writers put their heart into theirs as well.All proceeds from the sales go to charities helping the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. The stories all have LGBTQ characters and are focused on the theme of hope. So you can bet there will be some uplifting content if you're feeling down in these times.Don't forget to get your copy this coming Friday. It's for a great cause. I'm excited to read what the others came up with.

Slow But Steady Progress

Old News:I finished Paul Russel'sThe Coming Storm. Wow. It was intense and beautifully written. I'll post a Goodreads review soon.New News:I made a little progress on the new book. I'm quite excited for how it's shaping up so far. I've fleshed out some characters, got the rough draft of two chapters written, and fully outlined the rest (thank you Scrivener!).Mostly, I've been trying to get everything up-to-date and linked and everything else that goes on behind the scenes with being an author in the modern age (Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads page, Amazon Author Center, etc). I think I've finally streamlined it all. Yay!What I'm Reading:I hadn't read Steven Pressfield'sThe War of Artin a very long time (ten years?!). I forgot how good it is. That book will motivate the laziest of people. I plan on having a wildly productive week after those first two parts lit a fire under me.

New Series!

Old News:Line edits are done onStand in Need of Comfort. I'm not sure when that will release, but keep an eye on the MLR site for it. I'll, of course, keep you informed of any new information as well.New News:I've started a new series! I don't like to announce stuff like this in advance, because I often fully outline a book and start the writing only to find it isn't working. It would be unfair to my readers to push through such a project just to get another book out. I only want the best experience for you all.This one is different. I'm really excited about it. The writing is flowing with ease, which is how I know it's working. The series is going to take place in a fictional, small Connecticut town. Since I live in one of these towns, I feel uniquely qualified to write about it. It will have all the fun (quirky characters) and drama (gossip) that comes from it. Think Gilmore Girls with a gay main character.I'm temporarily calling the town Merlin's Grove. I really like it. My dog's name is Merlin. But if that appears on the cover anywhere, I'm afraid it will give mixed genre signals. People might think it is a small town, magic based story, so I'm keeping an open mind.More news in the coming weeks about progress on it.What I'm Reading:I've started Paul Russel'sThe Coming Storm,and it is really good. The writing is beautiful, and the characters are deep, emotionally complicated people. I haven't read something with this much subtlety and attention to detail in a while.I also gotDune Roadby Jane Green. I haven't started it yet, but I got it to see how other people have handled the "Connecticut romance" genre. I'll post more about it next week.

Welcome to the New Site!

I've been busy getting the new book done:Stand in Need of Comfort. I'm really excited by how it turned out. The subject matter is a bit darker than my first book, and I hope the story of young man coming to terms with conflicting ideas of self resonates with my readers. It was quite an emotional ride to write.I've also finally updated my webpage and started this blog to keep readers informed on what I've been up to. I'll try to update this once a week or so. I started a newsletter that I intend to send once a month if that is more your pace. Sign-up is located at the Contact page.