Mark Del Franco's Blog, page 7
May 18, 2009
Land's End
I'm on the Cape! Yay! I love it here. I'll be going back and forth to Boston initially, then settling in here for the summer.
<prefatory aside> Now, I'm not the most diligent daily bedmaker, but when I leave the cape, I clean the house because when I return I like walking in (often late at night) to a ready-to-use house (at which my nearest neighbor is over a block away except for Karl who lives across the driveway but plays Barbra Streisand so loud he would never hear blood-curdling screams unle
<prefatory aside> Now, I'm not the most diligent daily bedmaker, but when I leave the cape, I clean the house because when I return I like walking in (often late at night) to a ready-to-use house (at which my nearest neighbor is over a block away except for Karl who lives across the driveway but plays Barbra Streisand so loud he would never hear blood-curdling screams unle
May 14, 2009
Chatter and such...
The online chat at The Convergent World went well yesterday. If you didn't have a chance to stop by, the chat is done in a forum thread format, so you can still read what when on. It's a labeled topic in The Bar.
Speaking of the forum, for the time being I am banning any registrations from China, Ukraine and Russia, which is where the bulk of the spammers seem to be. If you are a gmail user, you will be given more scrutiny because gmail has not figured out how to keep spammers from eating the
Speaking of the forum, for the time being I am banning any registrations from China, Ukraine and Russia, which is where the bulk of the spammers seem to be. If you are a gmail user, you will be given more scrutiny because gmail has not figured out how to keep spammers from eating the
May 13, 2009
Online Chat Today at The Convergent World
Reminder folks: I'll be live on The Convergent World forum today at 3 p.m. to chat and answer questions. If you want to post, you need to register (free of course), but anyone can hang out and read the chat as it happens. Registration is currently on Admin Approval (to prevent spammers), so I will activate any new accounts between noon and 3.
Stop by!
Stop by!
May 9, 2009
It's Safe To Come Back!
I've been trying a couple of things to keep the spammers off the Convergent World forum (or at least in a special ring of hell where viewers can't see them). It seems to be working.
For now, in order to register to post, I am using Admin Approval as well. I check in twice a day, so new members should not have to wait too long to actively post. Casual observers can read posts without registering (and there's some interesting discussion still up from before the invasion of ED Warriors).
I know folks
For now, in order to register to post, I am using Admin Approval as well. I check in twice a day, so new members should not have to wait too long to actively post. Casual observers can read posts without registering (and there's some interesting discussion still up from before the invasion of ED Warriors).
I know folks
April 30, 2009
Forum Update (...sorta)
Okay, the brilliant hackers from .ru and .cn have managed to overwhelm my forum (and me) with comment spam. Today I was finally able to delete it all. My apologies to readers who endured the nasty images. I'm trying to figure how they managed to work around my registration (it's not a very sophisticated spam prevention process, but still). Oddly enough, after cleaning up that mess, I got my first ever comment spam on my LJ. I was pretty surprised since I don't think I've ever it seen on anyo
April 26, 2009
RT Convention
I just finished attending the Romantic Times convention. What is an urban fantasy author doing at a romance convention? Because romance is a HUGE umbrella category that includes almost every conceivable genre. The fans at the convention were amazing. Although I was known to a small segment of the attendees, the people who didn't know me and my work were incredibly nice and interested about what it is I've been doing.
The con has paranormal and urban fantasy tracks and I had a great time with m
The con has paranormal and urban fantasy tracks and I had a great time with m
April 14, 2009
Best Laid Plans and All...
Hi folks. I know I thought that I'd be posting more regularly after the perfect storm schedule deadlines passed, but, well, life and such. I'm working on an unexpected turn of events that has been time-consuming and exhausting, but there are glimmers of light. I am being purposefully enigmatic because it's not mine to talk about right now.
What I can talk about:
the page proofs for SKIN DEEP are sitting in my dining room. I'm not, but they are. I want to get a chapter finished on Laura 2 before I
What I can talk about:
the page proofs for SKIN DEEP are sitting in my dining room. I'm not, but they are. I want to get a chapter finished on Laura 2 before I
April 2, 2009
In The Weeds
Been traveling a bit--nothing glamorous, mostly family related issues. I have this odd tendency to forget that I can blog on the road and then when I get home, I realize I haven't checked in to the blog and feel guilty.
Laura 2 has begun already. I feels odd to mention that at this point since SKIN DEEP, the first Laura Blackstone novel, won't see the light of a bookstore until July. Amazon has the cover up already, and here it can be preordered already (!).
I am pleased with the imagery. The
Laura 2 has begun already. I feels odd to mention that at this point since SKIN DEEP, the first Laura Blackstone novel, won't see the light of a bookstore until July. Amazon has the cover up already, and here it can be preordered already (!).
I am pleased with the imagery. The
March 17, 2009
Chapter One, In Which We Write...
CHAPTER ONE
Yes, that's it. Now I have to come up with between 89,998 and 99,998 more words. Just like that.
I have been staring at the first, blank page for two or three days, trying to decide how to start, playing my hands on the keyboard and off I go to the nearest internet website of my choice. Needless to say, this has not been particularly productive in the actual typing part of writing. I mean, I do have scenes to be described and conversations to be transcribed and even a secret revela
Yes, that's it. Now I have to come up with between 89,998 and 99,998 more words. Just like that.
I have been staring at the first, blank page for two or three days, trying to decide how to start, playing my hands on the keyboard and off I go to the nearest internet website of my choice. Needless to say, this has not been particularly productive in the actual typing part of writing. I mean, I do have scenes to be described and conversations to be transcribed and even a secret revela
March 10, 2009
Run, Run, Run, Run Away
I am in my secret lair on the edge of the continent reviewing plans for world domination. The first step will be getting a haircut. The view out the window from where I sit is of bare trees with the faintest hint of red which means they are close to budding though not actually budding, which means they are close to not being just bare trees anymore. I am much relieved--it's the second week of March and we had snow yesterday. It's time for winter to move on, please.
Something depressing happened
Something depressing happened
