H. David Blalock's Blog, page 7
July 26, 2011
The Hottest July on Record
July is usually a hot month, but jeez!
Got back from Fandom Fest steaming in more ways than one. I won't go into the details here, because there are more than one places you can find out the details of what happened, and it seems like overkill to restate what I and many others have said about it. I'll put some links at the end of this post for those who still want to know.
Otherwise, we have closed submissions for the September issue of parABnormal Digest and are now reading for the March issue. Will be doing the final edit to forward to the publisher soon. I am really looking forward to seeing this newest issue in print. We will have stories by Lindsey Duncan, Tom Howard, Eamonn Murphy, Bill Rasmussen, Matthew Tolbert, and more. Cover artwork is a beautiful piece (pictured here) by Sandy DeLuca and interior art from Sandy and Karl Eschenbach. Poetry from Lauren McBride, April Bullard, Wade German, Marina Lee Sable, and others help color the pages while articles from Leslie Cargile and Shelly Beard and interviews with the South Eastern Paranormal Society (SEPS) and the Mississippi Society of Paranormal Investigators (MSSPI) round out the issue. The digest is finally beginning to measure up to what I believe it should be, and I hope the readers are both entertained and educated by it.
I do feel compelled to explain why I accepted one of the stories for PD: Lindsey Duncan's "The Herd Mentality". Now, strictly speaking, it is not what I consider paranormal. However, the very fact this story exists at all is, IMHO, a paranormal phenomenon. The premise of the story is Just. So. Bizarre. I had to accept it. Blame me, if you must, for breaking the guidelines on this one.
On a personal front, my novella High Kings was a big seller at the convention and I couldn't be more pleased. Now that I'm back, I have a couple of months of down time as far as conventions, etc. are concerned. This will give me time to catch up on PD, Imagicopter, and family projects as well as finally get some serious work done on Deity.
I am reading manuscripts for a couple of friends, Wes Yahola and Steven Baird. Both are fine writers and I use their MSs for diversion from my own scribbling. Hope to have those done for them soon, and they find my critique useful.
Okay, enough. Check with you next month. Stay cool and dry until then.
Oh, here are those links about the Fright-Night Film Festival/Fandom Fest weekend, FYI:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note...
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note...
http://jasoncordova.com/2011/07/25/fa...
Got back from Fandom Fest steaming in more ways than one. I won't go into the details here, because there are more than one places you can find out the details of what happened, and it seems like overkill to restate what I and many others have said about it. I'll put some links at the end of this post for those who still want to know.
Otherwise, we have closed submissions for the September issue of parABnormal Digest and are now reading for the March issue. Will be doing the final edit to forward to the publisher soon. I am really looking forward to seeing this newest issue in print. We will have stories by Lindsey Duncan, Tom Howard, Eamonn Murphy, Bill Rasmussen, Matthew Tolbert, and more. Cover artwork is a beautiful piece (pictured here) by Sandy DeLuca and interior art from Sandy and Karl Eschenbach. Poetry from Lauren McBride, April Bullard, Wade German, Marina Lee Sable, and others help color the pages while articles from Leslie Cargile and Shelly Beard and interviews with the South Eastern Paranormal Society (SEPS) and the Mississippi Society of Paranormal Investigators (MSSPI) round out the issue. The digest is finally beginning to measure up to what I believe it should be, and I hope the readers are both entertained and educated by it.I do feel compelled to explain why I accepted one of the stories for PD: Lindsey Duncan's "The Herd Mentality". Now, strictly speaking, it is not what I consider paranormal. However, the very fact this story exists at all is, IMHO, a paranormal phenomenon. The premise of the story is Just. So. Bizarre. I had to accept it. Blame me, if you must, for breaking the guidelines on this one.
On a personal front, my novella High Kings was a big seller at the convention and I couldn't be more pleased. Now that I'm back, I have a couple of months of down time as far as conventions, etc. are concerned. This will give me time to catch up on PD, Imagicopter, and family projects as well as finally get some serious work done on Deity.
I am reading manuscripts for a couple of friends, Wes Yahola and Steven Baird. Both are fine writers and I use their MSs for diversion from my own scribbling. Hope to have those done for them soon, and they find my critique useful.
Okay, enough. Check with you next month. Stay cool and dry until then.
Oh, here are those links about the Fright-Night Film Festival/Fandom Fest weekend, FYI:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note...
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note...
http://jasoncordova.com/2011/07/25/fa...
June 24, 2011
Commitment is not a dirty word
Well, by now the news that I have signed a three-book deal with Seventh Star Press is old hat. Angelkiller is the first in the triad, to be followed next year by Traitor Angel and then Doom Angel in 2013 (if we are all still here). I am pleased to be a part of SSP and look forward to working with them.
I still have Deity to come out from Sam's Dot Publishing. That is currently on the front burner and working it frantically for an early 2012 release. Deity and Traitor Angel may be competing for attention over the holidays, but I am determined to get them both done by their respective deadlines.
Besides those novels, I am editing the September 2011 issue of parABnormal Digest for SDP with Terrie Lee Relf. I really enjoy that project. Although I can't accept everything submitted, putting together a project of that magnitude with Terrie has been a satisfying process. I was very pleased to find how well PD was received, and how well it sold at the conventions in which it was featured.
I am also working to get involved with another project that, for now, has to remain under wraps. As soon as I know for certain it will be a part of my upcoming public projects, I will let you know.
I was recently at DucKon 20 in the Chicago area, and I have to say I really enjoyed the convention, the panels, the company I shared, and the event in general. I would definitely recommend the event to anyone and look forward to returning next year. Present at the convention besides me and my daughter, Herika R. Raymer, were Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, Elizabeth Donald, Jimmy Gillentine, Jon Klement, and Dan and Jackie Gamber. I was honored to meet the author GOH Shirley Damsgaard as well as Kathryn Sullivan, Jody Lynn Nye, and a very personable Tom Niven Huber. Of course, I can't forget Stephen Zimmer and Patricia Palm and all their hard work. Many, many thanks to all!
Enough talk. Back to the notebooks. Til next time, stay warm and dry.
I still have Deity to come out from Sam's Dot Publishing. That is currently on the front burner and working it frantically for an early 2012 release. Deity and Traitor Angel may be competing for attention over the holidays, but I am determined to get them both done by their respective deadlines.
Besides those novels, I am editing the September 2011 issue of parABnormal Digest for SDP with Terrie Lee Relf. I really enjoy that project. Although I can't accept everything submitted, putting together a project of that magnitude with Terrie has been a satisfying process. I was very pleased to find how well PD was received, and how well it sold at the conventions in which it was featured.
I am also working to get involved with another project that, for now, has to remain under wraps. As soon as I know for certain it will be a part of my upcoming public projects, I will let you know.
I was recently at DucKon 20 in the Chicago area, and I have to say I really enjoyed the convention, the panels, the company I shared, and the event in general. I would definitely recommend the event to anyone and look forward to returning next year. Present at the convention besides me and my daughter, Herika R. Raymer, were Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, Elizabeth Donald, Jimmy Gillentine, Jon Klement, and Dan and Jackie Gamber. I was honored to meet the author GOH Shirley Damsgaard as well as Kathryn Sullivan, Jody Lynn Nye, and a very personable Tom Niven Huber. Of course, I can't forget Stephen Zimmer and Patricia Palm and all their hard work. Many, many thanks to all!
Enough talk. Back to the notebooks. Til next time, stay warm and dry.
May 25, 2011
The Month of Confusion
May. Maybe not. Who knows?
Man, this has been a strange one. I ducked out of an Imagicopter event to take care of personal business, but Imagicopter continued to insert itself at odd times. We've decided that, before the third birthday, we need to cull the herd, as it were, and review the active members. I have mixed feelings about this, as the idea behind Imagicopter was always to help authors and artists promote their work, but if we are the only ones doing so, without the author/artist participating, then the public gets the idea Imagicopter is a representing agency, and that is something we cannot afford. So, our ranks may be significantly reduced come June. The good thing about that, though, is that the remaining members will be the people who see their art as something they personally want to promote, and are serious about their work.
I have been spending a load of time writing and have sent a story to the Southern Haunts anthology for consideration. The submission for Dreams of Steam II is still in the works and I have been frantically trying to get it ready before the deadline at the end of the month. Not sure I'll make that one.
The High Kings novella is n
ow available from Sam's Dot Publishing. Many thanks to Tyree Campbell, Mitch Bentley, and J. Alan Erwine for their support in presenting and promoting the book.
Expect some news about Angelkiller very soon. Deity, the last of the Thran novels triad, has moved to the front burner, with the second Angelkiller series novel close behind. I never thought you could break a sweat from just writing, but...
Anyway, I have another three novels, unrelated to previous revelations, in outline and ready to join the queue once Boathouse is done. Including a long threatened vampire novel. Hopefully, vampires won't have passed from vogue by the time I get around to them.
Look for me at Duckon 20! It should be a lot of fun. Oh, and Happy Towel Day! Remember the genius of Douglas Adams and thanks for all the fish!
Man, this has been a strange one. I ducked out of an Imagicopter event to take care of personal business, but Imagicopter continued to insert itself at odd times. We've decided that, before the third birthday, we need to cull the herd, as it were, and review the active members. I have mixed feelings about this, as the idea behind Imagicopter was always to help authors and artists promote their work, but if we are the only ones doing so, without the author/artist participating, then the public gets the idea Imagicopter is a representing agency, and that is something we cannot afford. So, our ranks may be significantly reduced come June. The good thing about that, though, is that the remaining members will be the people who see their art as something they personally want to promote, and are serious about their work.
I have been spending a load of time writing and have sent a story to the Southern Haunts anthology for consideration. The submission for Dreams of Steam II is still in the works and I have been frantically trying to get it ready before the deadline at the end of the month. Not sure I'll make that one.
The High Kings novella is n
ow available from Sam's Dot Publishing. Many thanks to Tyree Campbell, Mitch Bentley, and J. Alan Erwine for their support in presenting and promoting the book.Expect some news about Angelkiller very soon. Deity, the last of the Thran novels triad, has moved to the front burner, with the second Angelkiller series novel close behind. I never thought you could break a sweat from just writing, but...
Anyway, I have another three novels, unrelated to previous revelations, in outline and ready to join the queue once Boathouse is done. Including a long threatened vampire novel. Hopefully, vampires won't have passed from vogue by the time I get around to them.
Look for me at Duckon 20! It should be a lot of fun. Oh, and Happy Towel Day! Remember the genius of Douglas Adams and thanks for all the fish!
April 24, 2011
Generic Title for Post
April. And yet another blog post. Thank goodness I didn't promise to blog once a week.
The majority of this month has been taken up with personal and family matters, which will remain so. I don't mind sharing my writing and Imagicopter activities with you, but I never understood the wish to bare one's soul to the world. I guess I'm just a dinosaur when it comes to privacy issues. Oh well, there is a little to talk about.
The first issue of parABnormal Digest has received some very encouraging feedback. The writers and artists featured in the Digest wrote to say how much they like the publication. That is very encouraging. The fact that the people who put their effort into participating approve of the look and feel of the publication in which their name appears is important. The editors of any publication need to remember that the magazine or book not only represents the company, it also represents the writers and artists. It needs to be professional both in appearance and quality. I hope PD will always be both. I have begun reading for the next issue and have some very unusual and excellently written pieces on hand. The new issue's cover art, by Sandy Deluca, is a marvelous piece entitled "Valerie" and instantly caught my attention with its combination of innocence and timelessness. Sandy is a very talented artist and I look forward to seeing much more from her in future.
The new issue
of Shelter of Daylight came out this month, featuring my story Sands of the Marid. The story was supposed to come out last October, but fell through the cracks, as it were, and didn't appear. I'm glad it has finally come out. I wrote that story back in 2006 and it is part of a backlog of short stories I am constantly finding in notebooks hiding in the dark, shadowy corners of my office. Really, my office is one of those rooms you don't want to go into with a weapon. No telling what's lurking in there.
I am looking forward to the appearance of my novella High Kings early next month, and Angelkiller (which has now become the first in a series of three books, to my surprise) to appear sometime later this year, probably closer to September.
Imagicopter is having its third birthday in August. We will be having an extended birthday party the third week of August featuring a lot of the writers and artists as well as the announcement of the Table of Contents for the anthology, which is currently tentatively entitled Clockwork Spells (and, yes, that is the first known appearance of that title). We hope to have work from people like Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, Bill Eakin, A. Christopher Drown, Roland Mann, and many more, with artwork from the Bielaczyc brothers and Sam Flegal. I was sorry to hear that Elizabeth Donald would not be participating. Can't have everything, I suppose.
Okay, I think we're caught up. On into May, and hopefully more interesting tidbits. Until next time.
The majority of this month has been taken up with personal and family matters, which will remain so. I don't mind sharing my writing and Imagicopter activities with you, but I never understood the wish to bare one's soul to the world. I guess I'm just a dinosaur when it comes to privacy issues. Oh well, there is a little to talk about.
The first issue of parABnormal Digest has received some very encouraging feedback. The writers and artists featured in the Digest wrote to say how much they like the publication. That is very encouraging. The fact that the people who put their effort into participating approve of the look and feel of the publication in which their name appears is important. The editors of any publication need to remember that the magazine or book not only represents the company, it also represents the writers and artists. It needs to be professional both in appearance and quality. I hope PD will always be both. I have begun reading for the next issue and have some very unusual and excellently written pieces on hand. The new issue's cover art, by Sandy Deluca, is a marvelous piece entitled "Valerie" and instantly caught my attention with its combination of innocence and timelessness. Sandy is a very talented artist and I look forward to seeing much more from her in future.
The new issue
of Shelter of Daylight came out this month, featuring my story Sands of the Marid. The story was supposed to come out last October, but fell through the cracks, as it were, and didn't appear. I'm glad it has finally come out. I wrote that story back in 2006 and it is part of a backlog of short stories I am constantly finding in notebooks hiding in the dark, shadowy corners of my office. Really, my office is one of those rooms you don't want to go into with a weapon. No telling what's lurking in there.I am looking forward to the appearance of my novella High Kings early next month, and Angelkiller (which has now become the first in a series of three books, to my surprise) to appear sometime later this year, probably closer to September.
Imagicopter is having its third birthday in August. We will be having an extended birthday party the third week of August featuring a lot of the writers and artists as well as the announcement of the Table of Contents for the anthology, which is currently tentatively entitled Clockwork Spells (and, yes, that is the first known appearance of that title). We hope to have work from people like Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, Bill Eakin, A. Christopher Drown, Roland Mann, and many more, with artwork from the Bielaczyc brothers and Sam Flegal. I was sorry to hear that Elizabeth Donald would not be participating. Can't have everything, I suppose.
Okay, I think we're caught up. On into May, and hopefully more interesting tidbits. Until next time.
March 30, 2011
Just Under the Wire
That's what this blog is. I promised to try to get in one a month, and almost missed this one.
It has been very busy this month, but the highlight has to have been MidSouthCon 29. I won't post any pictures here, because there are a ton of them on my Facebook page. I will just say that, if you didn't make it, you missed it! MidSouthCon this year was in a great location, had great GoHs, and the crowd had to have been double what it was last year. All in all, it was the best MSC I have attended, and I have been to a LOT of them. Multi-kudos to the con-com, staff, security, and hotel for a magnificent job.
Attending were some of the most talented people I know. [Name dropping mode on] Stephen Zimmer, Elizabeth Donald, Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, Jackie Gamber, Tyree Campbell, Windsong Levitch, Robert Krog, Angelia Sparrow, Stephanie Osborn, Kara Ferguson, Mitch Foust, Jim Hall, Dean Zachary.... the list goes on and on. [Name dropping mode off] And that's just the people I know. There were a whole group I didn't know or were just barely acquainted with. I shared a panel with Kara Ferguson (Midnight Screaming Magazine) and Laura Underwood and Lynn Stranathan (Yard Dog Press) on writing research, and one with Ruth Souther (a fascinating character and entertaining conversationalist, to say the least) and Jenny Oldenburg (an up and coming writer) on creative writing. The changing weather attacked me on Saturday night and finally defeated me on Sunday. I gave in to the sinus headache, went home and took a badly needed painkiller and nap. Apparently, I don't tolerate late nights as well as I once did.
I did get to attend the screening of Swordbearer right after the Opening Ceremonies. Once again I was struck by the great job everyone did on the film, and the input from the audience was that they appreciated it as well.
The first issue of parABnormal Digest came out and premiered at MSC. The Digest was a big hit on both the Sam's Dot table and Robert Krog's (his story Babies' Breath got cover billing). It didn't hurt that the Editor GoH had a story in the Digest. Robert sold out of his story collection The Stone Maiden and Other Tales, already in its second edition, so congrats to him!
In news that doesn't bear on MSC, I finished the manuscript on Angelkiller and sent it along to the publisher. I hope to hear about it soon. I am now working on finishing stories for the new Dreams of Steam 2 anthology from Kerlak Publishing, a story for the Southern Haunts anthology, and reading for the September issue of the Digest.
Seems I'll be busy for a while.
It has been very busy this month, but the highlight has to have been MidSouthCon 29. I won't post any pictures here, because there are a ton of them on my Facebook page. I will just say that, if you didn't make it, you missed it! MidSouthCon this year was in a great location, had great GoHs, and the crowd had to have been double what it was last year. All in all, it was the best MSC I have attended, and I have been to a LOT of them. Multi-kudos to the con-com, staff, security, and hotel for a magnificent job.
Attending were some of the most talented people I know. [Name dropping mode on] Stephen Zimmer, Elizabeth Donald, Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, Jackie Gamber, Tyree Campbell, Windsong Levitch, Robert Krog, Angelia Sparrow, Stephanie Osborn, Kara Ferguson, Mitch Foust, Jim Hall, Dean Zachary.... the list goes on and on. [Name dropping mode off] And that's just the people I know. There were a whole group I didn't know or were just barely acquainted with. I shared a panel with Kara Ferguson (Midnight Screaming Magazine) and Laura Underwood and Lynn Stranathan (Yard Dog Press) on writing research, and one with Ruth Souther (a fascinating character and entertaining conversationalist, to say the least) and Jenny Oldenburg (an up and coming writer) on creative writing. The changing weather attacked me on Saturday night and finally defeated me on Sunday. I gave in to the sinus headache, went home and took a badly needed painkiller and nap. Apparently, I don't tolerate late nights as well as I once did.
I did get to attend the screening of Swordbearer right after the Opening Ceremonies. Once again I was struck by the great job everyone did on the film, and the input from the audience was that they appreciated it as well.
The first issue of parABnormal Digest came out and premiered at MSC. The Digest was a big hit on both the Sam's Dot table and Robert Krog's (his story Babies' Breath got cover billing). It didn't hurt that the Editor GoH had a story in the Digest. Robert sold out of his story collection The Stone Maiden and Other Tales, already in its second edition, so congrats to him!
In news that doesn't bear on MSC, I finished the manuscript on Angelkiller and sent it along to the publisher. I hope to hear about it soon. I am now working on finishing stories for the new Dreams of Steam 2 anthology from Kerlak Publishing, a story for the Southern Haunts anthology, and reading for the September issue of the Digest.
Seems I'll be busy for a while.
