Angelia Sparrow's Blog, page 41
September 30, 2012
Release Day
Hard Reboot is out today!
Special new release price, $5.20!
This is my first full-length heterosexual novel, and the longest thing I've ever written.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/HardReboot.html
Two years ago, Sean O'Neill's wife, Caitin—the net-runner called Irishgirl—was stolen from their bed. Now, he knows where she is, but getting her back is only the first step in a long journey. Caitlin has been trained as a sex slave, her former skills as a net-runner and cyber-thief totally stripped from her, along with her identity and most independent thought. Powerful and wealthy social elites, playing their own dangerous high-stakes games, have hired Sean to retrieve her and again make her what she once was. But two years is a long time to be out of the net and out of normal society. A lot of new programming has been laid down. Now, giving Irishgirl a hard reboot may take everything Sean has in him, and more...
Excerpt: He came out of the bedroom to see Caitlin hadn't moved. She had to be getting uncomfortable in the position, but she held it. He stroked her hair as he passed. She arched into his hand for more.
"Tomorrow, we get you fitted for a jack. Tonight, cook. It's suppertime. Everything's pretty much the same as it was before." Sean settled himself on the couch to do a little networking. "We're out of everything but soyamix. We'll hit the grocery tomorrow. And I don't like the chicken a la king, it has a funny aftertaste."
She rose gracefully from her knees and walked into the kitchen, a sensual sway in her hips that had never been there before. Absorbed in watching her lovely back, he almost missed the fact that she gave wide berth to her old lounger and Net station. It struck him that those were the belongings of Caitlin McLean, the Irishgirl. They had no relevance to a slave, except as more work. They would be part of her cleaning duties and, at his command, she would have to use them to run as well.
She clearly dreaded that part of her new life here, with good reason. The Net was a minefield for even practiced runners, and Irishgirl had been off the grid for far, far too long. Not everything had changed, but enough had that the familiar would be more trap than help, like a faded signpost in an overgrown forest. There were drawbacks to being a living legend, namely outliving her legend. She'd be returning to the web as a rank amateur. Nonetheless, she would obey her master, even to her peril, so that her actions might please him. She could not do otherwise now. Her training would not allow it. He hated knowing that.
Sean checked his mail, confirmed the appointment with the slicer, and generally puttered as much as he could without actually jacking in. He didn't work much anymore. The time spent in the hospital, with visits and Net-access tightly controlled, had cost him most of his contacts. Caitlin was his job now, and he was as much at sea as she was, although he couldn't let anyone know that.
He listened to her in the kitchen, doubting she was quite ready to have him watch her. By now, she had discovered the new synth he'd bought with some of Gemini's money, with its midrange flavor suite that could produce anything from chicken chow mein to beef stew. Steak and lobster were for higher levels, but at least it had a suite. One of Caitlin's old places had simply had the synth, and they'd eaten plain soyamix, which was about as interesting as eating pizza-shaped wallboard, for three weeks.
Even as she cooked, she was nearly silent. It was unsettling, like having a ghost in the apartment. It struck him that she really was a ghost, a pale reflection of the Caitlin who used to share his life, living, laughing, and planning for the future together. His slave girl now haunted the places Caitlin had once occupied, but she was not Caitlin. She had no thought for anything but the present day and the task at hand, since the future was a matter for free people, real people who actually mattered.
If nothing else, her cooking had improved. His Caitlin was an indifferent cook at best, preferring to eat nutribars or whatever easily came to hand while she worked. He'd cooked for her, as often as not, and take-out had been common in their courtship and short marriage. He smiled, remembering their first date when he'd brought her Thai noodles and they'd fed the ducks in The Enclosure.
She'd laughed there amid the real plants, her voice bells and birds and falling rain, her short hair gleaming under the fake sun of the geodesic sky as she tossed her head back. He'd known then she was much more than an assignment. He wanted her. He'd wanted to make her laugh, to kiss her, to see her smile just for him and not merely at the silly antics of the ducks.
Now, as the apartment filled with good smells, he wondered if he'd ever see her laugh like that again. He set his jaw and closed his phone. That was his job. Gemini was paying him handsomely to get Caitlin back to herself, to teach her the Net, to make her laugh again, to love her. On top of that, Technomancer was watching as well, expecting much the same, but with her own personal agenda. Sean sat and pondered his divided loyalties.
He glanced at the wall niche where statues of St. Isidore of Seville, patron saint of the Net, and St. Dismas, the patron of thieves, stood. They couldn't help the situation. For a mad moment he wondered if anyone made statues of Judas Iscariot, the ultimate patron of divided loyalties, but put that out of his head and returned to studying St. Isidore's placid lines and the book the saint held. He wondered if he should add St. Jude or St. Dymphna to the niche. Either would work, because Caitlin was as lost a cause as he'd ever seen, and he had a lot of mental work to overcome. He'd look for one, and some candles. He suspected it would take a lot more than mere candles and saints to get his girl back.
Lost in thought, Sean barely noticed when she prostrated herself at his feet to let him know the food was ready.
Special new release price, $5.20!
This is my first full-length heterosexual novel, and the longest thing I've ever written.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/HardReboot.html
Two years ago, Sean O'Neill's wife, Caitin—the net-runner called Irishgirl—was stolen from their bed. Now, he knows where she is, but getting her back is only the first step in a long journey. Caitlin has been trained as a sex slave, her former skills as a net-runner and cyber-thief totally stripped from her, along with her identity and most independent thought. Powerful and wealthy social elites, playing their own dangerous high-stakes games, have hired Sean to retrieve her and again make her what she once was. But two years is a long time to be out of the net and out of normal society. A lot of new programming has been laid down. Now, giving Irishgirl a hard reboot may take everything Sean has in him, and more...
Excerpt: He came out of the bedroom to see Caitlin hadn't moved. She had to be getting uncomfortable in the position, but she held it. He stroked her hair as he passed. She arched into his hand for more.
"Tomorrow, we get you fitted for a jack. Tonight, cook. It's suppertime. Everything's pretty much the same as it was before." Sean settled himself on the couch to do a little networking. "We're out of everything but soyamix. We'll hit the grocery tomorrow. And I don't like the chicken a la king, it has a funny aftertaste."
She rose gracefully from her knees and walked into the kitchen, a sensual sway in her hips that had never been there before. Absorbed in watching her lovely back, he almost missed the fact that she gave wide berth to her old lounger and Net station. It struck him that those were the belongings of Caitlin McLean, the Irishgirl. They had no relevance to a slave, except as more work. They would be part of her cleaning duties and, at his command, she would have to use them to run as well.
She clearly dreaded that part of her new life here, with good reason. The Net was a minefield for even practiced runners, and Irishgirl had been off the grid for far, far too long. Not everything had changed, but enough had that the familiar would be more trap than help, like a faded signpost in an overgrown forest. There were drawbacks to being a living legend, namely outliving her legend. She'd be returning to the web as a rank amateur. Nonetheless, she would obey her master, even to her peril, so that her actions might please him. She could not do otherwise now. Her training would not allow it. He hated knowing that.
Sean checked his mail, confirmed the appointment with the slicer, and generally puttered as much as he could without actually jacking in. He didn't work much anymore. The time spent in the hospital, with visits and Net-access tightly controlled, had cost him most of his contacts. Caitlin was his job now, and he was as much at sea as she was, although he couldn't let anyone know that.
He listened to her in the kitchen, doubting she was quite ready to have him watch her. By now, she had discovered the new synth he'd bought with some of Gemini's money, with its midrange flavor suite that could produce anything from chicken chow mein to beef stew. Steak and lobster were for higher levels, but at least it had a suite. One of Caitlin's old places had simply had the synth, and they'd eaten plain soyamix, which was about as interesting as eating pizza-shaped wallboard, for three weeks.
Even as she cooked, she was nearly silent. It was unsettling, like having a ghost in the apartment. It struck him that she really was a ghost, a pale reflection of the Caitlin who used to share his life, living, laughing, and planning for the future together. His slave girl now haunted the places Caitlin had once occupied, but she was not Caitlin. She had no thought for anything but the present day and the task at hand, since the future was a matter for free people, real people who actually mattered.
If nothing else, her cooking had improved. His Caitlin was an indifferent cook at best, preferring to eat nutribars or whatever easily came to hand while she worked. He'd cooked for her, as often as not, and take-out had been common in their courtship and short marriage. He smiled, remembering their first date when he'd brought her Thai noodles and they'd fed the ducks in The Enclosure.
She'd laughed there amid the real plants, her voice bells and birds and falling rain, her short hair gleaming under the fake sun of the geodesic sky as she tossed her head back. He'd known then she was much more than an assignment. He wanted her. He'd wanted to make her laugh, to kiss her, to see her smile just for him and not merely at the silly antics of the ducks.
Now, as the apartment filled with good smells, he wondered if he'd ever see her laugh like that again. He set his jaw and closed his phone. That was his job. Gemini was paying him handsomely to get Caitlin back to herself, to teach her the Net, to make her laugh again, to love her. On top of that, Technomancer was watching as well, expecting much the same, but with her own personal agenda. Sean sat and pondered his divided loyalties.
He glanced at the wall niche where statues of St. Isidore of Seville, patron saint of the Net, and St. Dismas, the patron of thieves, stood. They couldn't help the situation. For a mad moment he wondered if anyone made statues of Judas Iscariot, the ultimate patron of divided loyalties, but put that out of his head and returned to studying St. Isidore's placid lines and the book the saint held. He wondered if he should add St. Jude or St. Dymphna to the niche. Either would work, because Caitlin was as lost a cause as he'd ever seen, and he had a lot of mental work to overcome. He'd look for one, and some candles. He suspected it would take a lot more than mere candles and saints to get his girl back.
Lost in thought, Sean barely noticed when she prostrated herself at his feet to let him know the food was ready.
September 26, 2012
Guest Blogger: D.A. Adams
Give a nicely debauched welcome for my friend D.A. Adams, author of the The Brotherhood of Dwarves series, and awesome hugger.
Writing in the Digital Age
With the rise of social events like NANOWRIMO and Amazon’s self-publishing division for the Kindle, it seems as if everyone who owns a computer is now a published writer. For those of us who’ve toiled for years at this craft, it can be frustrating to compete for sales against literally thousands of people who’ve recently been inspired to write because of the advances in technology that have made it easier to produce and distribute books electronically. If I’ve already offended you, please, leave me a comment at daadams.com
If you have a thick enough skin that my observations barely bothered you, please, keep reading. Writing is a fiercely competitive business. I can think of few other industries where so many compete for so little return. Music may be close, but there are probably still more radio stations per capita than there are bookstores, though I don’t have empirical data to back that up. My point is, if you want to be a writer and expect to get rich quickly, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
Sure, there are examples of overnight sensations. There are people who get lucky and strike the right nerve at the right moment and have runaway bestsellers with their first books. I concede that it is possible to get rich quick as a novelist. It’s also possible that aliens will abduct me, and I won’t have to grade my next round of essays for the classes I teach. But neither situation is probable. More than likely, I’ll have to trudge through each paper, and the vast majority of new writers will toil in anonymity for years.
I’m not against self-publishing. On the contrary, I self-published my first two books long before the digital transformation made it so easy. Traditional publishing is a mess, right now. Has been for several decades as more and more houses have been bought by international conglomerates with a keen eye on the bottom line. Each year, there are fewer and fewer slots for new writers, while more and more people produce work. That’s why I chose to self-publish. I believed in the quality of my work and wanted to prove myself in the market. For as long as there have been printing presses, there have been self-published authors. Google who self-published to begin their careers, and you’ll find a pretty impressive list of authors.
No, I’m not adverse to self-publishing. I’m not even adverse to NANOWRIMO, though I do think it’s silly to need a cheering section and external guidelines to enter into a profession that demands solitude and internal motivation for long-term sustainability and success. However, as a mode of self-expression, I’m all for it. Anything that gets people involved in reading and writing is a positive movement for society, in general.
What I am against is the ignorance or arrogance that a rough draft is a finished manuscript. At its core writing is truly about editing and polishing. It’s about refining the rough draft into a cohesive story without frayed edges, vanishing plot lines, grammatical blunders, and misspellings. Even in the digital age, perhaps even more so now than ever before, the quality of your writing matters.
Right now, there is a tidal wave of new material hitting the market, and while some of it is high quality stuff, much of it is pure rubbish, cobbled together in a rush with an eye on quick riches and red carpets. I’m always surprised by how many people confuse writing with acting and singing, but I digress. Right now, readers are overwhelmed and submerged by this tidal wave, and I’ve heard them complain about the volume of crap out there. However, I fully believe that like everything, once the cycle turns and the self-deluded retreat, the waters will recede, and those who have produced quality works will remain.
So my advice to you, if you want to write in this digital age, is to remember that the written word has been around for a few thousand years, and books have been with us for a few hundred. During this time, humanity has refined and developed a pretty sophisticated process for producing written works, and these rules are not arbitrary. They are not nuisances meant to hinder the writer. Instead, they are scraps of wisdom passed from generation to generation of what works and what doesn’t. Those of us who take the time to learn our craft and refine our skills discover how to tell the tale that is authentic to our experience. Some of us get lucky and make a living at it. Some of us toil for decades with little to no return. The one constant to the vast majority of us is that we take great pride in the quality of what we say and how we say it.
So if you want to write today, please, take your craft seriously before you enter the arena. Take your time. Don’t rush your manuscript to market. Learn how to edit and get at least a second set of eyes to help you polish. While my advice may not be glamorous or sexy, I believe it to be sound. If you rush your work and release a book rife with errors, you are only hurting your own credibility.
If you aren’t an aspiring writer but instead are an avid reader frustrated by the plethora of new books on the market, don’t fret. There are more and more opportunities for you to find high quality works by serious authors. Many of us have found our homes with independent and small presses, and we want to find you as badly as you want to find us. Please, be patient with us as we learn to navigate this new world of marketing and promotion. Please, forgive our trespasses as we attempt new methods to get our works in front of you. We’re all learning how to build the new platform as we go, and it’s not an easy task, but if you’ll be patient with us, we will figure it out.
I’ve been fortunate to be associated with the Literary Underworld for several years now, and one thing I can say for certain is that the people I know who are a part of this consortium of independent authors is that we all care deeply about our writing. I’m proud to be associated with so many talented authors, people who I consider part of my extended family. If you’re looking for good books written by people who care about their craft, look no further than the Literary Underworld. From Horror to Hard Science Fiction to High Fantasy to Sword and Sorcery, we have something for everyone who loves to read, and when you support the Literary Underworld, you are directly supporting independent/small presss authors who produce professional quality work. Please, stop by http://www.literaryunderworld.com/ and check out the selection. Use this code to receive a special discount for a limited time:
LUBLOGTOUR
D.A. Adams is author of the fantasy series The Brotherhood of Dwarves. You can follow his madness at daadams.com
Writing in the Digital Age
With the rise of social events like NANOWRIMO and Amazon’s self-publishing division for the Kindle, it seems as if everyone who owns a computer is now a published writer. For those of us who’ve toiled for years at this craft, it can be frustrating to compete for sales against literally thousands of people who’ve recently been inspired to write because of the advances in technology that have made it easier to produce and distribute books electronically. If I’ve already offended you, please, leave me a comment at daadams.com
If you have a thick enough skin that my observations barely bothered you, please, keep reading. Writing is a fiercely competitive business. I can think of few other industries where so many compete for so little return. Music may be close, but there are probably still more radio stations per capita than there are bookstores, though I don’t have empirical data to back that up. My point is, if you want to be a writer and expect to get rich quickly, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
Sure, there are examples of overnight sensations. There are people who get lucky and strike the right nerve at the right moment and have runaway bestsellers with their first books. I concede that it is possible to get rich quick as a novelist. It’s also possible that aliens will abduct me, and I won’t have to grade my next round of essays for the classes I teach. But neither situation is probable. More than likely, I’ll have to trudge through each paper, and the vast majority of new writers will toil in anonymity for years.
I’m not against self-publishing. On the contrary, I self-published my first two books long before the digital transformation made it so easy. Traditional publishing is a mess, right now. Has been for several decades as more and more houses have been bought by international conglomerates with a keen eye on the bottom line. Each year, there are fewer and fewer slots for new writers, while more and more people produce work. That’s why I chose to self-publish. I believed in the quality of my work and wanted to prove myself in the market. For as long as there have been printing presses, there have been self-published authors. Google who self-published to begin their careers, and you’ll find a pretty impressive list of authors.
No, I’m not adverse to self-publishing. I’m not even adverse to NANOWRIMO, though I do think it’s silly to need a cheering section and external guidelines to enter into a profession that demands solitude and internal motivation for long-term sustainability and success. However, as a mode of self-expression, I’m all for it. Anything that gets people involved in reading and writing is a positive movement for society, in general.
What I am against is the ignorance or arrogance that a rough draft is a finished manuscript. At its core writing is truly about editing and polishing. It’s about refining the rough draft into a cohesive story without frayed edges, vanishing plot lines, grammatical blunders, and misspellings. Even in the digital age, perhaps even more so now than ever before, the quality of your writing matters.
Right now, there is a tidal wave of new material hitting the market, and while some of it is high quality stuff, much of it is pure rubbish, cobbled together in a rush with an eye on quick riches and red carpets. I’m always surprised by how many people confuse writing with acting and singing, but I digress. Right now, readers are overwhelmed and submerged by this tidal wave, and I’ve heard them complain about the volume of crap out there. However, I fully believe that like everything, once the cycle turns and the self-deluded retreat, the waters will recede, and those who have produced quality works will remain.
So my advice to you, if you want to write in this digital age, is to remember that the written word has been around for a few thousand years, and books have been with us for a few hundred. During this time, humanity has refined and developed a pretty sophisticated process for producing written works, and these rules are not arbitrary. They are not nuisances meant to hinder the writer. Instead, they are scraps of wisdom passed from generation to generation of what works and what doesn’t. Those of us who take the time to learn our craft and refine our skills discover how to tell the tale that is authentic to our experience. Some of us get lucky and make a living at it. Some of us toil for decades with little to no return. The one constant to the vast majority of us is that we take great pride in the quality of what we say and how we say it.
So if you want to write today, please, take your craft seriously before you enter the arena. Take your time. Don’t rush your manuscript to market. Learn how to edit and get at least a second set of eyes to help you polish. While my advice may not be glamorous or sexy, I believe it to be sound. If you rush your work and release a book rife with errors, you are only hurting your own credibility.
If you aren’t an aspiring writer but instead are an avid reader frustrated by the plethora of new books on the market, don’t fret. There are more and more opportunities for you to find high quality works by serious authors. Many of us have found our homes with independent and small presses, and we want to find you as badly as you want to find us. Please, be patient with us as we learn to navigate this new world of marketing and promotion. Please, forgive our trespasses as we attempt new methods to get our works in front of you. We’re all learning how to build the new platform as we go, and it’s not an easy task, but if you’ll be patient with us, we will figure it out.
I’ve been fortunate to be associated with the Literary Underworld for several years now, and one thing I can say for certain is that the people I know who are a part of this consortium of independent authors is that we all care deeply about our writing. I’m proud to be associated with so many talented authors, people who I consider part of my extended family. If you’re looking for good books written by people who care about their craft, look no further than the Literary Underworld. From Horror to Hard Science Fiction to High Fantasy to Sword and Sorcery, we have something for everyone who loves to read, and when you support the Literary Underworld, you are directly supporting independent/small presss authors who produce professional quality work. Please, stop by http://www.literaryunderworld.com/ and check out the selection. Use this code to receive a special discount for a limited time:
LUBLOGTOUR
D.A. Adams is author of the fantasy series The Brotherhood of Dwarves. You can follow his madness at daadams.com
August 19, 2012
Back to school, back to work
It's been a productive summer.
I wrote one novel, finished one and rewrote a third.
I crocheted a baby blanket and read 10 books. (may I say I LOVE having books on my phone?)
I watched 8 movies.
So here's what's coming this fall!
Monday, my kids go back to school! I'm already back on the 1 AM shift.
Obi-Wan Chrisobi will be a senior this year. He got a 29 on his ACT and is quite disappointed. He's planning to go to University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Jonner is a freshman. This is his last year at the junior high.
Oli is a big sixth grader, top dog at the elementary school.
Mudd has a lot of 7th and 8th grade classes this year. He's kind of dreading it.
Sometime soon, Hard Reboot will be out.
How much love do you need to pull your brainwashed wife back to herself? How much risk are you willing to take? How many powerful people are you willing to defy? Con-man Sean O'Neill learns more about himself than he knew existed as he tries to rebuild his wife, Caitlin McLean, from the wreckage of the sex slave that powerful men made her into.
On August 31, I have some chainsaw wielding to do. I'm cutting out a stand of young oak that are endagering our house foundations. Cutting them on the Blue Moon feels right.
Over Labor Day, I will be a guest at Memphit Fur Meet. My first furry con! I am excited.Author Reading and the Art of Steampunk is 8 PM Friday, I have a panel on "Care and Feeding of small presses" at 2 PM Saturday
In September, Carved in Flesh, a scar anthology, will be out from Storm Moon Press. Naomi and I have an unconventional romance called "Tiocfaidh Ar La" in it. A badly scarred former IRA explosives expert falls for the night programmer.
September 16-22 is the Literary Underworld Blog tour. A bunch of us Underlords will be blogging all over the net. Watch this space, it should be fun!
I have the Mabon ritual for my Grove. We're also doing an initiation of new members and a Warrioring. We worship the Four-fold Goddess: Maiden Warrior, Mother and Crone. And one of our Maidens is stepping into the Warrior phase of her life.
My dad turns 68 this year on Sept 30. Wow.
October 18 is Festival of Souls and I'm still considering.
On October 26, Spellbound Desire comes out. This is a heterosexual urban fantasy novel from Ellora's Cave.
She's a hard-drinking PI on the Nightside of Memphis. He's a Scottish combat mage on his last mission before retirment. They fight crime demons.
November 9 is ConTraception in Kansas City! Looking forward to seeing my friends and selling books!
As always you can find my books at Brooks and Sparrow.
I wrote one novel, finished one and rewrote a third.
I crocheted a baby blanket and read 10 books. (may I say I LOVE having books on my phone?)
I watched 8 movies.
So here's what's coming this fall!
Monday, my kids go back to school! I'm already back on the 1 AM shift.
Obi-Wan Chrisobi will be a senior this year. He got a 29 on his ACT and is quite disappointed. He's planning to go to University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Jonner is a freshman. This is his last year at the junior high.
Oli is a big sixth grader, top dog at the elementary school.
Mudd has a lot of 7th and 8th grade classes this year. He's kind of dreading it.
Sometime soon, Hard Reboot will be out.
How much love do you need to pull your brainwashed wife back to herself? How much risk are you willing to take? How many powerful people are you willing to defy? Con-man Sean O'Neill learns more about himself than he knew existed as he tries to rebuild his wife, Caitlin McLean, from the wreckage of the sex slave that powerful men made her into.
On August 31, I have some chainsaw wielding to do. I'm cutting out a stand of young oak that are endagering our house foundations. Cutting them on the Blue Moon feels right.
Over Labor Day, I will be a guest at Memphit Fur Meet. My first furry con! I am excited.Author Reading and the Art of Steampunk is 8 PM Friday, I have a panel on "Care and Feeding of small presses" at 2 PM Saturday
In September, Carved in Flesh, a scar anthology, will be out from Storm Moon Press. Naomi and I have an unconventional romance called "Tiocfaidh Ar La" in it. A badly scarred former IRA explosives expert falls for the night programmer.
September 16-22 is the Literary Underworld Blog tour. A bunch of us Underlords will be blogging all over the net. Watch this space, it should be fun!
I have the Mabon ritual for my Grove. We're also doing an initiation of new members and a Warrioring. We worship the Four-fold Goddess: Maiden Warrior, Mother and Crone. And one of our Maidens is stepping into the Warrior phase of her life.
My dad turns 68 this year on Sept 30. Wow.
October 18 is Festival of Souls and I'm still considering.
On October 26, Spellbound Desire comes out. This is a heterosexual urban fantasy novel from Ellora's Cave.
She's a hard-drinking PI on the Nightside of Memphis. He's a Scottish combat mage on his last mission before retirment. They fight crime demons.
November 9 is ConTraception in Kansas City! Looking forward to seeing my friends and selling books!
As always you can find my books at Brooks and Sparrow.
July 7, 2012
July and all it brings
Fandom Fest wass exhausting, and the drive home was a death march. But much good should come of it.
It's July, so we are in the throes of Julnawrimo, trying to finish Barbarossa's Bitch before the heat finishes us. Post apocalyptic biker gang story told in a non-linear fashion. I'm sorry, i had an attack of literary-ness
Hard Reboot comes out this month. I am hard at work on the final edits. Heterosexual cyberpunk has worn on me badly.
Just printed my contract for Spellbound Desire, my heterosexual urban fantasy for Ellora's Cave. It goes in the mail Monday. Bran and D.J. are great fun and we hope the readers enjoy them as much as Naomi and I did.
Edits for "Tiocfaidh Ar La" should be coming my way soon. That's our scarred up IRA explosives expert who falls for the night programmer at work. It'll be out in September.
I'm reading Stephen King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes which is better than I remember and Leslie Langtry's 'Scuse Me while I Kill This Guy, which is hilarious.
The Write Or Die website is calling my name. So I leave you with the picture that made D.J. Admire sit up and announce "WANT THAT" in defiance of all previous asexual behavior.
(yes, it's a Sons of Anarchy still. We're kind of using Tommy Flanagan's face as our mental image of Bran)
It's July, so we are in the throes of Julnawrimo, trying to finish Barbarossa's Bitch before the heat finishes us. Post apocalyptic biker gang story told in a non-linear fashion. I'm sorry, i had an attack of literary-ness
Hard Reboot comes out this month. I am hard at work on the final edits. Heterosexual cyberpunk has worn on me badly.
Just printed my contract for Spellbound Desire, my heterosexual urban fantasy for Ellora's Cave. It goes in the mail Monday. Bran and D.J. are great fun and we hope the readers enjoy them as much as Naomi and I did.
Edits for "Tiocfaidh Ar La" should be coming my way soon. That's our scarred up IRA explosives expert who falls for the night programmer at work. It'll be out in September.
I'm reading Stephen King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes which is better than I remember and Leslie Langtry's 'Scuse Me while I Kill This Guy, which is hilarious.
The Write Or Die website is calling my name. So I leave you with the picture that made D.J. Admire sit up and announce "WANT THAT" in defiance of all previous asexual behavior.
(yes, it's a Sons of Anarchy still. We're kind of using Tommy Flanagan's face as our mental image of Bran)
June 23, 2012
Testing
I've been playing and want to see if I can crosspost to google +
A week of busy-ness
It has been a week!
I woke up absolutely deaf on Sunday. An allergy attack had gone into my eustachian tubes. I'm still deaf and will call the dr. Monday
Monday, I got word that my editor wanted HARD REBOOT by Friday, and I pulled out all the stops. Oh, ducklings, I've been trapped in cyberpunk editing HELL! Your dear old auntie has been killing herself, rising, editing, eating, editing, going to the day job, coming home and editing. But my edit is done and off to the editor. We'll be having another round before publication, so yeah...
NIKOLAI was up for grabs this week. 359 copies ended up in willing hands. We peaked at number 30 in the SF section. Very nicely done.
I am taking the weekend off. I'll be reading LKH's OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY (I love Anita when she's working!) and watching back episodes of "Nikita" and getting all caught up on this season's "True Blood." There was also an Errol Flynn marathon earlier this week (for his 103rd birthday), and I have MASTER OF BALLANTRAE waiting. (this is me, doing a Scottish happy dance)
Yes, I do watch television. I'm watching more than I've watched for years! I watch Nikita, Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy and True Blood. I watch soap operas, but mine have spies and zombies and bikers and vampire. A few of my favorite things. *g*
But today there will be reading and Mexican Chicken Casserole and much goofing off. I may even play CivilizationV. (I remember the first version, 20 years ago)
I woke up absolutely deaf on Sunday. An allergy attack had gone into my eustachian tubes. I'm still deaf and will call the dr. Monday
Monday, I got word that my editor wanted HARD REBOOT by Friday, and I pulled out all the stops. Oh, ducklings, I've been trapped in cyberpunk editing HELL! Your dear old auntie has been killing herself, rising, editing, eating, editing, going to the day job, coming home and editing. But my edit is done and off to the editor. We'll be having another round before publication, so yeah...
NIKOLAI was up for grabs this week. 359 copies ended up in willing hands. We peaked at number 30 in the SF section. Very nicely done.
I am taking the weekend off. I'll be reading LKH's OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY (I love Anita when she's working!) and watching back episodes of "Nikita" and getting all caught up on this season's "True Blood." There was also an Errol Flynn marathon earlier this week (for his 103rd birthday), and I have MASTER OF BALLANTRAE waiting. (this is me, doing a Scottish happy dance)
Yes, I do watch television. I'm watching more than I've watched for years! I watch Nikita, Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy and True Blood. I watch soap operas, but mine have spies and zombies and bikers and vampire. A few of my favorite things. *g*
But today there will be reading and Mexican Chicken Casserole and much goofing off. I may even play CivilizationV. (I remember the first version, 20 years ago)
June 20, 2012
Free for Kindle, Wed-Friday
Free for Kindle today: NIKOLAI. If you plan to play in the Eight Thrones LARP, this is recommended reading! And it's FREE!
James Ligatos is a man with an unusual hobby. He turns promising young criminals into world leaders. His latest project is Nicholas Boyd, formerly Nikolai of the Revenant street gang.
But the little killer-turned-file-clerk is much more than Ligatos and his staff bargained for. As Kentucky attempts to secede from the Confederated States of America and rejoin the United States, Nick's skills and the group's training are put to the ultimate test, and the price of failure is death.
http://www.amazon.com/Nikolai-Eight-Thrones-Cycle-ebook/dp/B008BUOZ52/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340206068&sr=8-2&keywords=nikolai+sparrow
June 16, 2012
Busy Week
It has been a WEEK around here.
NIKOLAI is all formatted and set up for Kindle and print. I edited the older copy, and it looks much nicer now. It'll be free on Kindle for a few days this next week.
INTO DARK WATERS is all set up as well. It's been revised, with five new stories added, and the m/m/f removed.
I sent HOT DELTA NIGHTS to Ellora's Cave and now I'm back to work on BARBAROSSA'S BITCH.
Ducks, did you know I have THREE books coming out this month?
Like it Or Not is out from Storm Moon Press. The good folks at Goodreads are roundly hating on my story, but that's all part of the gig.
The Love That never Dies is out from Renaissance e-books. This is a story that ties into Power in the Blood.
And Man-Hunt comes out tomorrow from Amber Allure.
NIKOLAI is all formatted and set up for Kindle and print. I edited the older copy, and it looks much nicer now. It'll be free on Kindle for a few days this next week.
INTO DARK WATERS is all set up as well. It's been revised, with five new stories added, and the m/m/f removed.
I sent HOT DELTA NIGHTS to Ellora's Cave and now I'm back to work on BARBAROSSA'S BITCH.
Ducks, did you know I have THREE books coming out this month?
Like it Or Not is out from Storm Moon Press. The good folks at Goodreads are roundly hating on my story, but that's all part of the gig.
The Love That never Dies is out from Renaissance e-books. This is a story that ties into Power in the Blood. 
And Man-Hunt comes out tomorrow from Amber Allure.
June 8, 2012
Catching back up
I'm sorry my dears, I am terrible at keeping this blog current. I did an interview today, with Naomi, at Cole's place, http://coleriann.com/2012/06/07/like-... I'm finishing rewrites on HOT DELTA NIGHTS, which just poured out of me. 7K to go to reach that magical print number! I'm re-editing NIKOLAI for ebook and paperback. Dark Roast's contracts are over, and I am ready to have it back under my control. Still editing on HARD REBOOT. It takes a fair bit of Naked Nicole Kidman to get me motivated. We're reissuing INTO DARK WATERS, with new stories. I'm renaming HOWL AT THE MISTLETOE into RIDING THE NIGHTMARE and adding my new stories. Also hunting up all the menage a trois stuff we've written and getting ready to put that out as a collection, if there's enough. The fun just never ends around the Gazebo. Now, my darlings, I meant to be in bed over an hour ago. Good night!
April 16, 2012
Free book!
Adventuresses is free for the Kindle today, tomorrow and Wednesday!
http://www.amazon.com/Adventuresses-e...
If you want a .pdf or .epub version, email inkstainedsuccubus at gmail.
This will put you on the (very low traffic) mailing list.
