Bill Bodden's Blog, page 27
October 22, 2013
A Gamer's Life For Me!
I’ve been a gamer since I was a kid. My family played board games around the kitchen table after supper many, many times, and from those experiences I learned valuable things about patience, waiting your turn, and yes, a fair amount of strategy and how to bluff. Also important, having to read instructions and rulebooks helped polish my reading skills, so that I was a fully proficient reader by the time I entered first grade.
Games — from card games and simple board games to more complex ones, all the way up to tabletop role-playing games — are a hobby I’ve enjoyed for more than four decades now.
To read more, go to Bill's website HERE
Games — from card games and simple board games to more complex ones, all the way up to tabletop role-playing games — are a hobby I’ve enjoyed for more than four decades now.
To read more, go to Bill's website HERE
October 15, 2013
The Self-Publishing Basket
There is considerable wisdom in this maxim: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. In this particular instance I'm referring to authors who only make their work available for Amazon.com's Kindle e-reader. The reasons one SHOULD consider listing your self-pubbed/produced creative project are obvious: Amazon (and by extension, the Kindle) are the combined 800-pound gorilla of the publishing world. They have the greatest single reach of any retailer out there, so your book/recording/indie film will get it's cover crossed by more eyes than it would anywhere else. However, why would you ONLY list with Amazon?
To read more, go to Bill's web page HERE .
To read more, go to Bill's web page HERE .
October 9, 2013
New Personal Best!
Recently I finished up some freelance writing for British RPG company Modiphius on the Pacific Theatre guide for Achtung! Cthulhu. At over 30,000 words, this was my biggest single writing project to date. Many of my writer friends would scoff at that number – it’s not even the length of a full novel – but I’m still proud that I finished it, and extremely pleased that I did so on time. Achtung! Cthulhu is an interesting setting: if you can imagine the opening sequence for the first Hellboy film – with Professor Broom and the US soldiers exploring the Scottish island where Nazis are supposedly holding some sort of...
To read more visit Bill's website.
To read more visit Bill's website.
October 2, 2013
Why Support Independent Stores?
There's been occasional pulses of information encouraging everyone to "buy local", and I'd like to add my two cents' worth on the subject. It's important to consider, particularly in this day when being price conscious can be the difference between eating and not eating for many people.
The first question that comes up...
View more on Bill Bodden's web site.
The first question that comes up...
View more on Bill Bodden's web site.
September 24, 2013
Movin' On Up!
So I've been struggling with the (paid!) Writing Project That Ate My Brain this month, more intensely in the last couple of weeks because my deadline is near at hand. That's basically why I missed blogging last week; my brain was busy being eaten.
But in better news, I was hoping to have my shiny new website up by now. Yes, I have a shiny new website! My friend Manda Collis helped put all the pieces together for me (Thanks, Manda!), and now it needs a coat of paint and some baseball cards in the spokes and we'll be ready to go for a ride! However, since my brain is still in the process of being eaten, it wasn't ready for this week's blog. Next week (fingers crossed) for sure!
In the mean time, you can go look at the minimalist placeholder at www.billbodden/.com, and admire its minimalism. It points back here, so don't worry about getting lost in the Aether.
But in better news, I was hoping to have my shiny new website up by now. Yes, I have a shiny new website! My friend Manda Collis helped put all the pieces together for me (Thanks, Manda!), and now it needs a coat of paint and some baseball cards in the spokes and we'll be ready to go for a ride! However, since my brain is still in the process of being eaten, it wasn't ready for this week's blog. Next week (fingers crossed) for sure!
In the mean time, you can go look at the minimalist placeholder at www.billbodden/.com, and admire its minimalism. It points back here, so don't worry about getting lost in the Aether.
September 10, 2013
Responding To Negative Reviews
We've all seen them, and all writers had them at one time or another. Negative Reviews can be infuriating and frustrating and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, but they always give you a slightly sick feeling, like someone just punched you in the gut.
Being a writer is tough. You sit in a room -- buy yourself, most likely --and think up stories to tell people. You think they're wonderful (or at least good) stories, but not everyone else does, and that rejection is hard to deal with if you're a human being. So how does one deal with negative reviews? How can you show them why their opinions are wrong?
You shouldn't; let it slide. I was reading a great blog post recently by author Beth Revis -- this inspiration for this blog post, in fact (thanks Beth!) - about someone she knows who hates puppies. Not making this up. They don't like puppies at all - dogs either. Doesn't seem to be a fear reaction, they just don't like canids. This illustrates a tremendously important point: not everyone likes everything, and many people don't like the same things you do. It's as simple as that. Here's the link to Beth's blog: http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2012/05...
The best thing to do -- if you must respond at all, and I recommend that you do not -- is to say "Thanks for your review. I'm sorry you didn't care for my novel/story/poem; I hope you'll like some of my other work better."
Period. End of commentary on your part. DO NOT bait them, do not call them names or question their integrity or opinion. Leave it alone. Reviewers with integrity will take another look; maybe they will change their opinion, or find something of yours that they like, but maybe not. Not all reviewers have integrity, and some -- as seems to be human nature to a very large degree -- are reveling in the power they have and mete out praise or scorn as the see fit. You can't always tell which type of reviewer you're dealing with from their review, so don't push your luck.
I've been on both sides of the reviewer coin. I've written some lousy reviews in my time to be sure, but I've also written some good ones. Not all of them were positive, but they tend to be, because most of the work I review is stuff I'm interested in to begin with, so I'm predisposed to like it. Not all reviewers have that luxury, and sometimes they take it out on the work they are reviewing.
Take reviews with a grain of salt. Revel in the positive ones, and let the negative ones slide off your back as you walk away. If a negative review has valid points to make, consider them carefully, and keep them in mind for the future, but don't beat yourself up over it; no literary work is perfect, and neither is any writer.
In related news, I quoted an Internet maxim last week: "Don't Feed The Trolls." I've had significant cause to rethink that advice. Take a look at this essay, written by Caroline Criado-Perez and see if you agree that "Don't feed the trolls" is not always good advice. (with thanks to author Nora Jemisin for pointing this out:
http://www.newstatesman.com/internet/...
Obviously, Internet trolling is a complicated issue, and again, some people do it simply for the feeling of power it gives them, and also the Internet's relative anonymity. This is definitely a case where "Don't feed the trolls" does NOT apply.
Being a writer is tough. You sit in a room -- buy yourself, most likely --and think up stories to tell people. You think they're wonderful (or at least good) stories, but not everyone else does, and that rejection is hard to deal with if you're a human being. So how does one deal with negative reviews? How can you show them why their opinions are wrong?
You shouldn't; let it slide. I was reading a great blog post recently by author Beth Revis -- this inspiration for this blog post, in fact (thanks Beth!) - about someone she knows who hates puppies. Not making this up. They don't like puppies at all - dogs either. Doesn't seem to be a fear reaction, they just don't like canids. This illustrates a tremendously important point: not everyone likes everything, and many people don't like the same things you do. It's as simple as that. Here's the link to Beth's blog: http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2012/05...
The best thing to do -- if you must respond at all, and I recommend that you do not -- is to say "Thanks for your review. I'm sorry you didn't care for my novel/story/poem; I hope you'll like some of my other work better."
Period. End of commentary on your part. DO NOT bait them, do not call them names or question their integrity or opinion. Leave it alone. Reviewers with integrity will take another look; maybe they will change their opinion, or find something of yours that they like, but maybe not. Not all reviewers have integrity, and some -- as seems to be human nature to a very large degree -- are reveling in the power they have and mete out praise or scorn as the see fit. You can't always tell which type of reviewer you're dealing with from their review, so don't push your luck.
I've been on both sides of the reviewer coin. I've written some lousy reviews in my time to be sure, but I've also written some good ones. Not all of them were positive, but they tend to be, because most of the work I review is stuff I'm interested in to begin with, so I'm predisposed to like it. Not all reviewers have that luxury, and sometimes they take it out on the work they are reviewing.
Take reviews with a grain of salt. Revel in the positive ones, and let the negative ones slide off your back as you walk away. If a negative review has valid points to make, consider them carefully, and keep them in mind for the future, but don't beat yourself up over it; no literary work is perfect, and neither is any writer.
In related news, I quoted an Internet maxim last week: "Don't Feed The Trolls." I've had significant cause to rethink that advice. Take a look at this essay, written by Caroline Criado-Perez and see if you agree that "Don't feed the trolls" is not always good advice. (with thanks to author Nora Jemisin for pointing this out:
http://www.newstatesman.com/internet/...
Obviously, Internet trolling is a complicated issue, and again, some people do it simply for the feeling of power it gives them, and also the Internet's relative anonymity. This is definitely a case where "Don't feed the trolls" does NOT apply.
September 3, 2013
Why Authors Should Be Cautious About Sharing Too Much
Here's a chilling tale from fellow writer Anne R. Allen:
As some of you know, I broke my own rules recently and let my inner Atticus Finch speak up at an ill-advised moment. (Never try to reason with rageaholics: you're only volunteering to be their next fix.) A legal team who monitors online hate groups informed my publishers I've been marked to be targeted with negative reviews and other harassment. And it's happening
So please, anybody who has read and enjoyed the humor of the Camilla Randall Mysteries, if you could take the time to write a genuine review on Amazon — I desperately need your help. It would make all the difference. Only a couple of sentences are necessary and all that's required is to be an Amazon customer. Waking up every day to a new nasty review by some "reviewer" who only repeats what other negatives has said and has never reviewed anything else gets pretty discouraging. It may be why I'm having such a tough time healing from this surgery.
***
I feel a great deal of sympathy for Ms. Allen. I've occasionally been loud-mouthed about my own political views online, and frankly, when you're trying to market yourself it isn't always a good idea to share one's views.
If you're interested in learning more about Ms. Allen's situation, I recommend starting with her blog: http://annerallen.blogspot.com/
Besides this story, she also offers sound advice for writers. If you're interested in checking out her books, here's a link to her Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Anne-R.-Allen/e...
It appears as though she's been able to mitigate any potential damage to her reader ratings, as I saw very few negative reviews of her books on Amazon. Even so, it's chilling to know that there are people in the world who will mount a character assassination campaign against you because they don't agree with your views. Important lesson: NEVER FEED THE TROLLS!
As some of you know, I broke my own rules recently and let my inner Atticus Finch speak up at an ill-advised moment. (Never try to reason with rageaholics: you're only volunteering to be their next fix.) A legal team who monitors online hate groups informed my publishers I've been marked to be targeted with negative reviews and other harassment. And it's happening
So please, anybody who has read and enjoyed the humor of the Camilla Randall Mysteries, if you could take the time to write a genuine review on Amazon — I desperately need your help. It would make all the difference. Only a couple of sentences are necessary and all that's required is to be an Amazon customer. Waking up every day to a new nasty review by some "reviewer" who only repeats what other negatives has said and has never reviewed anything else gets pretty discouraging. It may be why I'm having such a tough time healing from this surgery.
***
I feel a great deal of sympathy for Ms. Allen. I've occasionally been loud-mouthed about my own political views online, and frankly, when you're trying to market yourself it isn't always a good idea to share one's views.
If you're interested in learning more about Ms. Allen's situation, I recommend starting with her blog: http://annerallen.blogspot.com/
Besides this story, she also offers sound advice for writers. If you're interested in checking out her books, here's a link to her Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Anne-R.-Allen/e...
It appears as though she's been able to mitigate any potential damage to her reader ratings, as I saw very few negative reviews of her books on Amazon. Even so, it's chilling to know that there are people in the world who will mount a character assassination campaign against you because they don't agree with your views. Important lesson: NEVER FEED THE TROLLS!
August 27, 2013
E-book Piracy
I was discussing ebook piracy with some folks at GeekKon over the weekend, and I made a couple of points to these folks (who were newly-minted publishers looking for ways to market their RPG books) about piracy and the ebook market, which they were reluctant to enter because of piracy fear.
1. People who pirate your books are not your customers. Therefore, this is NOT a lost sale.
Most people who download (or upload) books are doing it because they can, not because they particularly care about the subject matter of the book in question. I know of people with stringers of thumb drives - all filled with books they've downloaded for free - who only HAVE all those books because they could get them for free. It's doubtful whether they'll even read any of them. It's called hoarding, and at least they've found a way to do it that doesn't fill their homes with gum wrappers and stacks of 30 year-old newspapers.
2. Piracy CAN lead to sales and new customers.
This is a bit of a contradiction to point #1, but bear with me. More frequently than I would've expected, people who discover a book through a bit torrent site really like what they see, and decide to actually BUY some of the books from that author/related to that RPG. They are not necessarily pirates themselves; more often, they want to check out a book before buying it, which isn't always easy in the current marketplace.
3. Piracy is inevitable.
That doesn't mean you have to like it, but fighting this kind of piracy is exactly like trying to stop the tides; the genie is out of this particular bottle, and as soon as someone comes up with new security measures, hackers rise to the challenge of breaking the "unbreakable" security system.
I suggest people take a page from my friends at Posthuman Studios; they actually upload their books to bit torrent sites if they aren't there already. They have little disclaimer notes in an obvious place within the file that effectively read: "thanks for checking out our book. If you like it, here's some other stuff by us you might want to check out." They also actively maintain a presence on these sites, and interact with the folks who hang out there. This strategy has paid off handsomely for the Posthumans, such that they regularly get testimonials from customers regarding finding their books on pirate sites, enjoying them, and going to their local store to actually purchase Posthuman's books.
When I asked him to verify Posthuman's stance, Adam Jury* added: "I truly think that one "Hey, just to let you know, I'm a real person making this stuff, and if you like it, I'd appreciate you buying the Kindle version or a paperback as a gift to a friend or something, please." is far, far more useful than anything antagonistic and more useful than silence. If someone isn't going to buy your stuff, being a _jerk_ to them isn't going to make them more likely to buy your stuff, even if you were "morally" wronged first."
Adam also wrote about this extensively years ago before tiring of fighting against people who refused to evolve. One such essay can be found on Adam's website: http://adamjury.com/2010/piracy-doesn...
It may be trite and heavily worn, but the old saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." is entirely appropriate. You can't stop piracy, so instead of wasting your energy ranting about the unfairness of it all, spend your energy coming up with more creative solutions to the problem. It is more likely to pay off for you in the end than harboring a bitter grudge.
*My thanks to Adam Jury for being a good sport and getting back to me on short notice.
1. People who pirate your books are not your customers. Therefore, this is NOT a lost sale.
Most people who download (or upload) books are doing it because they can, not because they particularly care about the subject matter of the book in question. I know of people with stringers of thumb drives - all filled with books they've downloaded for free - who only HAVE all those books because they could get them for free. It's doubtful whether they'll even read any of them. It's called hoarding, and at least they've found a way to do it that doesn't fill their homes with gum wrappers and stacks of 30 year-old newspapers.
2. Piracy CAN lead to sales and new customers.
This is a bit of a contradiction to point #1, but bear with me. More frequently than I would've expected, people who discover a book through a bit torrent site really like what they see, and decide to actually BUY some of the books from that author/related to that RPG. They are not necessarily pirates themselves; more often, they want to check out a book before buying it, which isn't always easy in the current marketplace.
3. Piracy is inevitable.
That doesn't mean you have to like it, but fighting this kind of piracy is exactly like trying to stop the tides; the genie is out of this particular bottle, and as soon as someone comes up with new security measures, hackers rise to the challenge of breaking the "unbreakable" security system.
I suggest people take a page from my friends at Posthuman Studios; they actually upload their books to bit torrent sites if they aren't there already. They have little disclaimer notes in an obvious place within the file that effectively read: "thanks for checking out our book. If you like it, here's some other stuff by us you might want to check out." They also actively maintain a presence on these sites, and interact with the folks who hang out there. This strategy has paid off handsomely for the Posthumans, such that they regularly get testimonials from customers regarding finding their books on pirate sites, enjoying them, and going to their local store to actually purchase Posthuman's books.
When I asked him to verify Posthuman's stance, Adam Jury* added: "I truly think that one "Hey, just to let you know, I'm a real person making this stuff, and if you like it, I'd appreciate you buying the Kindle version or a paperback as a gift to a friend or something, please." is far, far more useful than anything antagonistic and more useful than silence. If someone isn't going to buy your stuff, being a _jerk_ to them isn't going to make them more likely to buy your stuff, even if you were "morally" wronged first."
Adam also wrote about this extensively years ago before tiring of fighting against people who refused to evolve. One such essay can be found on Adam's website: http://adamjury.com/2010/piracy-doesn...
It may be trite and heavily worn, but the old saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." is entirely appropriate. You can't stop piracy, so instead of wasting your energy ranting about the unfairness of it all, spend your energy coming up with more creative solutions to the problem. It is more likely to pay off for you in the end than harboring a bitter grudge.
*My thanks to Adam Jury for being a good sport and getting back to me on short notice.
August 21, 2013
GenCon, Geek-Kon, and Firefly
I have returned from GenCon in good health and none the worse for wear - for the most part. Standing on a convention hall floor for three days is murder on the feet and back, so I'm trying to take it easy this week. I signed a couple of my books, bought other people's books, and had a good time reconnecting with friends I don't see often enough. I also came back with some gaming writing work firmed up for the next month, as well as tantalizing hints of potential freelance work to come. More details when I can announce them!
***
The schedule for Geek Kon, happening this weekend (August 23-25) in Madison, Wisconsin is up, (http://www.geekkon.net/) and I'm pleased to say I'm going to be a bit busy! I have a reading (from Sidekicks, along with one of my co-authors Patrick Tomlinson) on Friday at 4 PM, and will be taking part in "Gaming With the Guests" for charity, on Friday night from 8-10 PM (and maybe later!). This year's charity is the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. Please give generously.
Saturday I'm on three panels: E-Books and Innovations In Publishing, 2PM; How to Kick Off a Kickstarter, 5PM; Slingin' Dice: An Introduction to RPGs, 6PM.
Nothing scheduled for Sunday, but I may show up anyway - I always have a great time at GeekKon, and the con staff treat their guests well. Stop by and say hello, join me for a game - or a drink - and enjoy a low-key convention!
***
At GenCon, Margaret Weis Productions released the Firefly RPG in a Gen Con Preview format. I picked up a copy and this book looks fantastic. It uses Cortex Plus, which if you've played MWP's Marvel Heroic RPG or Leverage, you already know the system. There are precious few copies of the preview left, and rumor has it they may show up here and there over the next few weeks so keep a sharp eye out. At the very least pick up the general release version when it comes out later this fall -- I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. Kudos to my friend and Firefly Line Developer Monica Valentinelli, and all the many folks who worked on this project, for a job very well done!
***
The schedule for Geek Kon, happening this weekend (August 23-25) in Madison, Wisconsin is up, (http://www.geekkon.net/) and I'm pleased to say I'm going to be a bit busy! I have a reading (from Sidekicks, along with one of my co-authors Patrick Tomlinson) on Friday at 4 PM, and will be taking part in "Gaming With the Guests" for charity, on Friday night from 8-10 PM (and maybe later!). This year's charity is the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. Please give generously.
Saturday I'm on three panels: E-Books and Innovations In Publishing, 2PM; How to Kick Off a Kickstarter, 5PM; Slingin' Dice: An Introduction to RPGs, 6PM.
Nothing scheduled for Sunday, but I may show up anyway - I always have a great time at GeekKon, and the con staff treat their guests well. Stop by and say hello, join me for a game - or a drink - and enjoy a low-key convention!
***
At GenCon, Margaret Weis Productions released the Firefly RPG in a Gen Con Preview format. I picked up a copy and this book looks fantastic. It uses Cortex Plus, which if you've played MWP's Marvel Heroic RPG or Leverage, you already know the system. There are precious few copies of the preview left, and rumor has it they may show up here and there over the next few weeks so keep a sharp eye out. At the very least pick up the general release version when it comes out later this fall -- I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. Kudos to my friend and Firefly Line Developer Monica Valentinelli, and all the many folks who worked on this project, for a job very well done!
August 13, 2013
Odds & Ends, Plus A Book I Love
First, I'd like to mention that I'll be attending GenCon this week in Indianapolis Tuesday thru Saturday, hence the early posting of my blog. As a last-minute reminder, I'd also like to mention that print copies of the books Haunted: Eleven Tales of Ghostly Horror and Sidekicks!, both of which include stories of mine, will both be available for sale at GenCon, at the Green Ronin Publishing booth (#1703). Haunted will also be for sale at the Drive Thru RPG/White Wolf booth (#1201). See you there!
Second, I want to point out that National Buy A Book Day is September 7. The foundation behind this worthy effort is soliciting donations to be able to afford full non-profit status. If you'd care to float them a few bucks (I gave them $5), paste this link into your browser and have a look: http://www.buyabookday.org/donate.html
Books I love: A Hunger Like Fire
Having only recently enjoyed White Wolf Publishing's World of Darkness Universe, I must admit I've been drawn in hook, line, and sinker. One of the things responsible (partly, at least) for this obsession of mine is the novel A Hunger Like Fire by Greg Stolze.
A Hunger Like Fire concerns vampires; specifically, the vampires in Chicago according to WoD cannon. They are predators and monsters to be sure, but some portion of their humanity remains, and much of the book - indeed, much of White Wolf's entire Vampire setting - is concerned with the vampires' efforts to maintain at least some portion of their humanity. The more monstrous they become, the more likely they are to feed without caution, without discretion, thereby revealing to humanity exactly what it is that lives among us. Vampires know too well that while they feed on humans, humans are also their most dangerous enemies, and so one of their unshakable laws is to maintain the "Masquerade", the artful deception that vampires don't exist.
The story begins with a working class slob named Bruce Miner who wakes up wrapped in a plastic dropcloth, assuming he went on a bender last night despite the lack of a hangover. The truth is far more frightening, and Bruce Miner must now come to terms with the fact that he has changed. He now craves blood, and after an unfortunate incident, realizes he must cut ties with his living family or put them at risk - from those who would use them to get to Bruce, and even to protect them from Bruce himself.
A Hunger Like Fire masterfully wraps the tale of Bruce Miner around the interwoven stories of a number of Chicago's Kindred. From the band of near-outcast vampires who take Bruce and and teach him what he needs to know, to the seductive Persephone Moore, to the head vampire, the Prince of the city of Chicago, Maxwell Clarke. The action is fast-paced and exciting, the personal dramas are intriguing, and the personalities themselves have an irresistible draw, a pull that lures the reader in and doesn't let go until the sad realization that there are no more pages left unread.
If you enjoy horror fiction, tales about vampires or just plain good writing, I urge you to track down a copy of A Hunger Like Fire. Game stores should be able to find it through their distributors, but if not, the ebook version can be found on any number of online sites including Drive Thru Fiction . Be sure to let me know what you think after you're done reading it!
Second, I want to point out that National Buy A Book Day is September 7. The foundation behind this worthy effort is soliciting donations to be able to afford full non-profit status. If you'd care to float them a few bucks (I gave them $5), paste this link into your browser and have a look: http://www.buyabookday.org/donate.html
Books I love: A Hunger Like Fire
Having only recently enjoyed White Wolf Publishing's World of Darkness Universe, I must admit I've been drawn in hook, line, and sinker. One of the things responsible (partly, at least) for this obsession of mine is the novel A Hunger Like Fire by Greg Stolze.
A Hunger Like Fire concerns vampires; specifically, the vampires in Chicago according to WoD cannon. They are predators and monsters to be sure, but some portion of their humanity remains, and much of the book - indeed, much of White Wolf's entire Vampire setting - is concerned with the vampires' efforts to maintain at least some portion of their humanity. The more monstrous they become, the more likely they are to feed without caution, without discretion, thereby revealing to humanity exactly what it is that lives among us. Vampires know too well that while they feed on humans, humans are also their most dangerous enemies, and so one of their unshakable laws is to maintain the "Masquerade", the artful deception that vampires don't exist.
The story begins with a working class slob named Bruce Miner who wakes up wrapped in a plastic dropcloth, assuming he went on a bender last night despite the lack of a hangover. The truth is far more frightening, and Bruce Miner must now come to terms with the fact that he has changed. He now craves blood, and after an unfortunate incident, realizes he must cut ties with his living family or put them at risk - from those who would use them to get to Bruce, and even to protect them from Bruce himself.
A Hunger Like Fire masterfully wraps the tale of Bruce Miner around the interwoven stories of a number of Chicago's Kindred. From the band of near-outcast vampires who take Bruce and and teach him what he needs to know, to the seductive Persephone Moore, to the head vampire, the Prince of the city of Chicago, Maxwell Clarke. The action is fast-paced and exciting, the personal dramas are intriguing, and the personalities themselves have an irresistible draw, a pull that lures the reader in and doesn't let go until the sad realization that there are no more pages left unread.
If you enjoy horror fiction, tales about vampires or just plain good writing, I urge you to track down a copy of A Hunger Like Fire. Game stores should be able to find it through their distributors, but if not, the ebook version can be found on any number of online sites including Drive Thru Fiction . Be sure to let me know what you think after you're done reading it!
