Phil Giunta's Blog, page 95
March 12, 2013
By Your Side is Available on Amazon!
I am pleased to report that
By Your Side is now available in paperback on Amazon
with the Kindle edition soon to follow!
March 11, 2013
BY YOUR SIDE Makes its "International Debut"
One of my co-workers, Noreen, brought her copy of
By Your Side
to Belgium! Here she is in the Grand Platz (Grand Place) in Brussels. Thank you for helping with my book's "international debut", Noreen! :-)
About This Writing Stuff...
Since it appears that I will have no time at all in March to record the audio verison of
By Your Side
, this blog will return to a semi-regular schedule. Albeit, this week, I'm presenting a slightly thinner edition of About This Writing Stuff as I'm promoting the new book and prepping for a minor home renovation project kicking off on Thursday.
I certainly didn't want to miss out on all the Hydra hysteria this week! Seems that Scalzi and the SFWA want to decapitate this multi-headed serpent. Seriously, aside from being the terrible creature of myth, wasn't Hydra the terrorist organization led by Red Skull in Captain America? For that reason alone, I'd run away from a publishing company so named.
As always, we have articles on craft from Donald Maass and my favorite ginger SF blogger, Veronica Sicoe. Also, my publisher has set up a giveaway for By Your Side on Goodreads through April 8. Exciting!
Rich Relationships by Donald Maass
A Contract from Alibi by John Scalzi
Note to SF/F Writers: Random House's Hydra Imprint has Appallingly Bad Contract Terms by John Scalzi
New Writers, eBook Publishers and the Power to Negotiate by John Scalzi
A Warning about British Indie Publisher Autharium on The Passive Voice
SFWA Fires Back at Hydra With Strongly Worded Letter by Digital Book Wire
Villains - Do You Keep or Kill Them? and The Hero's Journey - My Pros and Cons by Veronica Sicoe
Goodreads Giveaway for By Your Side ends April 8!
I certainly didn't want to miss out on all the Hydra hysteria this week! Seems that Scalzi and the SFWA want to decapitate this multi-headed serpent. Seriously, aside from being the terrible creature of myth, wasn't Hydra the terrorist organization led by Red Skull in Captain America? For that reason alone, I'd run away from a publishing company so named.
As always, we have articles on craft from Donald Maass and my favorite ginger SF blogger, Veronica Sicoe. Also, my publisher has set up a giveaway for By Your Side on Goodreads through April 8. Exciting!
Rich Relationships by Donald Maass
A Contract from Alibi by John Scalzi
Note to SF/F Writers: Random House's Hydra Imprint has Appallingly Bad Contract Terms by John Scalzi
New Writers, eBook Publishers and the Power to Negotiate by John Scalzi
A Warning about British Indie Publisher Autharium on The Passive Voice
SFWA Fires Back at Hydra With Strongly Worded Letter by Digital Book Wire
Villains - Do You Keep or Kill Them? and The Hero's Journey - My Pros and Cons by Veronica Sicoe
Goodreads Giveaway for By Your Side ends April 8!
March 10, 2013
BY YOUR SIDE Premieres This Week!
I'm excited to report that my second paranormal thriller, By Your Side, premieres this week! It should hit Amazon on March 12, but even now, you can find it on:
Goodreads Smashwords
Barnes and Noble
(preliminary information right now).
We are also hosting a Goodreads giveaway until April 8!!
We are also hosting a Goodreads giveaway until April 8!!
March 6, 2013
Author Interview: Clarence Brown
One of the benefits to being the writer liaison for Farpoint's 20th Anniversary convention back in February was that I had the chance not only to work with writers that I'd known for many years, but also to extend invitations to writers that had never attended Farpoint. We doubled the number of writer guests, bringing in both veteran and new writers alike. In the coming weeks, some will be interviewed here.
One such new writer is Clarence Brown. Clarence had come to us highly recommended by veteran writer guest Bob Jones who had been unable to attend Farpoint. Clarence is a poet who had just recently published his first novella, NEEDS, through Baltimore-based small press, Brickhouse Books. He is also a former heroin addict who, in addition to writing, helps other recovering addicts get their lives back on track. Clarence is very open about his past and it is his experiences that lend true depth, power and wisdom to his words.
At Farpoint, Clarence's first ever SF convention, he not only attended discussion panels on the craft, he also shared a reading session with veteran writer Marianne Petrino-Schaad. As the audience was almost completely comprised of Marianne's friends who knew her work, she sat back and gave up her time to Clarence--who absolutely captivated everyone with his poetry. On Sunday, Marianne made it a point to talk to me about this, calling Clarence "a master."
So let's talk with Clarence about life, poetry and NEEDS.
What attracted you to poetry and when did you start writing it? What inspired the themes of your poetry?
When I was younger, I always loved Robert Frost and William Shakespeare. I loved the pictures they painted with words and the tricks they could make words do. There was a mastery I admired. I got started around sixteen, piecing together stuff to impress girls. It was terrible, I was too innocent. After 27 years of active addiction, living in the street, I’d collected so much beauty and trauma, violence and blessing- I then had something to write about, a need to empty myself and share these experiences so people would be less judgmental.
How did your novella, NEEDS (Brickhouse Books, January 2012) come about?
I was a couple months clean and, as any addict can tell you, experiencing a new sense of confidence and being overwhelmed with emotions I hadn’t experienced in many years. I was going in and out of Health Care for the Homeless for diabetic medicine and I saw a door with a sign that said, "Writers Group." I had written several poems having to do with addiction and I think I just wanted to be heard. I went in with a superior attitude and was surprised by some of the talent I ran into. Neil Hertz, a former professor of English at Johns Hopkins, along with Bob Jones, who recently gave me his seat on the panels at the Farpoint Convention. Both read my poetry and said that I had a book in my poetry. After some hemming and hawing, I finally sat down to write NEEDS -- originally planned as an action/cop/thriller -- which turned into what it is quite magically. I felt directed to say what was said in NEEDS, and at times when I was writing it, felt compelled to finish it and get it out there, though I had no idea what that would entail. NEEDS is a biography of sorts. All five of my sisters are represented in the female characters and the male characters. I am every one of them
What can readers expect next from you? What projects do you have on the horizon?
Next? I don’t know. I’ve finished the sequel to NEEDS which remains untitled. Brenda has grown and the other characters have, too. I expect that, like any writer, I’ll get better as I go. I will write more poetry. The whole Farpoint experience introduced me to people who’ve inspired me, made me want to go back to basics and to see more where my original writings came from. When NEEDS first got published, there was a lot of talk about movies. After that settled down, I was even more determined to get the rest of this story out-you, Phil, and Marianne Petrino gave me such encouragement that a new fire has started to burn in me. I want even more to speak to the world about addiction and how it is shaping our communities. There is hardly a spot in Baltimore where drug use hasn’t marred life, but the answers aren’t in jails. I believe they’re in understanding. I think that’s where I’m going with this.
What does Clarence Brown do when he isn’t writing (hobbies, etc)?
I love movies! Especially animated features. Disney movies are great but I’m really more into the super hero stuff. I love to read, of course. Since writing NEEDS and its sequel, I’ve been a little afraid to read as I thought it might filter into my own writing but lately I’ve discovered that this is where new ideas come from. Work and home life don’t give me nearly as much time as I would like but I believe I’m here, on this planet, to write.
Would you mind sharing a poem with us?
I would appreciate another chance to share what I’ve written. This one is called I ONCE FLEW- a study in arrogance and redemption, which I believe came out of my addiction. I’d like to thank you, Phil, for once again boosting my confidence.
I Once Flew
We were ancient, my brothers and I, the first of Gods beautiful sons
And as time passed we learned our powers, we learned that we were one
With the might our father gave to us, with the universe he’d created
With the beauty of stars and moons upon our brows, still, I was not sated
Drifting upon the solar winds with no other purpose than my own pleasure
Swooping at treetops, looking down from great heights gave me joys beyond Human measure
Somber Apollyon, bringer of destruction, with everlasting apology upon his face
Did at least try to speak of humility, of the fleeting nature of living without grace
Given the power to destroy, he alone of us understood the power of pain
Understood that his dark wings could bear him up or cover the earth in dark rain
All of us knew our own importance, performed duties for which each had been made
It was me who laughed at the new creatures- a thing by my father forbade
Wind-lord and master of distances was I- more swift than my brother Ariel
With Clarion voice I raised the sun, like the eldest of us, Gabriel
But my pride and joy was in myself: nothing greater, I thought was created
I knew not then that I would soon fall and walk the dusty places
Walking, seeing a distance too far, for the first time I knew separation
I learned that there existed such things as bloodied hands and foul defecations
You, an afterthought of my father, cast your spear and fed me gross matter
A lesser being in stitched animal skins, moldy and stinking and tattered
But you never laughed at my tales of flight, never thought to make me rescind
Even, when leaping, no wings caught air and I fell without soaring on wind
You bandaged my hurts without saying a word, your eyes scanning for food and for danger
You dried the tears of an arrogant child who was, to you, a burden, a stranger
When the pit opened up and the beast did crawl out with strong and evil intention
With malevolent, hungry and greed filled, red eyes beyond my imaginings invention
Your spear flew straight and your sling did spin true- you allowed no harm for me
I, a selfish and ungrateful child- you, falling, bleeding at my feet
Before ever the cold had caressed your limbs I saw you step from behind the veil
Great, golden wings did sprout from your shoulders, moving with the force of the gale
You looked at me with kindness and sadness but before you leapt up and were Gone
A smile did spread across your features and I heard you shout, “FATHER, I COME!”
My movements are slower, I am worn and my shoulders are now bent with care
I seek the beast for revenge or forgiveness, for passage to where you went in the air
I would show you the cast of my spear and the skill in the spin of my sling
I would cherish you as I should have, my sister, and share with you the breadth of my wings.
© 2008 Clarence A Brown
One such new writer is Clarence Brown. Clarence had come to us highly recommended by veteran writer guest Bob Jones who had been unable to attend Farpoint. Clarence is a poet who had just recently published his first novella, NEEDS, through Baltimore-based small press, Brickhouse Books. He is also a former heroin addict who, in addition to writing, helps other recovering addicts get their lives back on track. Clarence is very open about his past and it is his experiences that lend true depth, power and wisdom to his words.
At Farpoint, Clarence's first ever SF convention, he not only attended discussion panels on the craft, he also shared a reading session with veteran writer Marianne Petrino-Schaad. As the audience was almost completely comprised of Marianne's friends who knew her work, she sat back and gave up her time to Clarence--who absolutely captivated everyone with his poetry. On Sunday, Marianne made it a point to talk to me about this, calling Clarence "a master."
So let's talk with Clarence about life, poetry and NEEDS.
What attracted you to poetry and when did you start writing it? What inspired the themes of your poetry?
When I was younger, I always loved Robert Frost and William Shakespeare. I loved the pictures they painted with words and the tricks they could make words do. There was a mastery I admired. I got started around sixteen, piecing together stuff to impress girls. It was terrible, I was too innocent. After 27 years of active addiction, living in the street, I’d collected so much beauty and trauma, violence and blessing- I then had something to write about, a need to empty myself and share these experiences so people would be less judgmental.
How did your novella, NEEDS (Brickhouse Books, January 2012) come about?
I was a couple months clean and, as any addict can tell you, experiencing a new sense of confidence and being overwhelmed with emotions I hadn’t experienced in many years. I was going in and out of Health Care for the Homeless for diabetic medicine and I saw a door with a sign that said, "Writers Group." I had written several poems having to do with addiction and I think I just wanted to be heard. I went in with a superior attitude and was surprised by some of the talent I ran into. Neil Hertz, a former professor of English at Johns Hopkins, along with Bob Jones, who recently gave me his seat on the panels at the Farpoint Convention. Both read my poetry and said that I had a book in my poetry. After some hemming and hawing, I finally sat down to write NEEDS -- originally planned as an action/cop/thriller -- which turned into what it is quite magically. I felt directed to say what was said in NEEDS, and at times when I was writing it, felt compelled to finish it and get it out there, though I had no idea what that would entail. NEEDS is a biography of sorts. All five of my sisters are represented in the female characters and the male characters. I am every one of them
What can readers expect next from you? What projects do you have on the horizon?
Next? I don’t know. I’ve finished the sequel to NEEDS which remains untitled. Brenda has grown and the other characters have, too. I expect that, like any writer, I’ll get better as I go. I will write more poetry. The whole Farpoint experience introduced me to people who’ve inspired me, made me want to go back to basics and to see more where my original writings came from. When NEEDS first got published, there was a lot of talk about movies. After that settled down, I was even more determined to get the rest of this story out-you, Phil, and Marianne Petrino gave me such encouragement that a new fire has started to burn in me. I want even more to speak to the world about addiction and how it is shaping our communities. There is hardly a spot in Baltimore where drug use hasn’t marred life, but the answers aren’t in jails. I believe they’re in understanding. I think that’s where I’m going with this.
What does Clarence Brown do when he isn’t writing (hobbies, etc)?
I love movies! Especially animated features. Disney movies are great but I’m really more into the super hero stuff. I love to read, of course. Since writing NEEDS and its sequel, I’ve been a little afraid to read as I thought it might filter into my own writing but lately I’ve discovered that this is where new ideas come from. Work and home life don’t give me nearly as much time as I would like but I believe I’m here, on this planet, to write.
Would you mind sharing a poem with us?
I would appreciate another chance to share what I’ve written. This one is called I ONCE FLEW- a study in arrogance and redemption, which I believe came out of my addiction. I’d like to thank you, Phil, for once again boosting my confidence.
I Once Flew
We were ancient, my brothers and I, the first of Gods beautiful sons
And as time passed we learned our powers, we learned that we were one
With the might our father gave to us, with the universe he’d created
With the beauty of stars and moons upon our brows, still, I was not sated
Drifting upon the solar winds with no other purpose than my own pleasure
Swooping at treetops, looking down from great heights gave me joys beyond Human measure
Somber Apollyon, bringer of destruction, with everlasting apology upon his face
Did at least try to speak of humility, of the fleeting nature of living without grace
Given the power to destroy, he alone of us understood the power of pain
Understood that his dark wings could bear him up or cover the earth in dark rain
All of us knew our own importance, performed duties for which each had been made
It was me who laughed at the new creatures- a thing by my father forbade
Wind-lord and master of distances was I- more swift than my brother Ariel
With Clarion voice I raised the sun, like the eldest of us, Gabriel
But my pride and joy was in myself: nothing greater, I thought was created
I knew not then that I would soon fall and walk the dusty places
Walking, seeing a distance too far, for the first time I knew separation
I learned that there existed such things as bloodied hands and foul defecations
You, an afterthought of my father, cast your spear and fed me gross matter
A lesser being in stitched animal skins, moldy and stinking and tattered
But you never laughed at my tales of flight, never thought to make me rescind
Even, when leaping, no wings caught air and I fell without soaring on wind
You bandaged my hurts without saying a word, your eyes scanning for food and for danger
You dried the tears of an arrogant child who was, to you, a burden, a stranger
When the pit opened up and the beast did crawl out with strong and evil intention
With malevolent, hungry and greed filled, red eyes beyond my imaginings invention
Your spear flew straight and your sling did spin true- you allowed no harm for me
I, a selfish and ungrateful child- you, falling, bleeding at my feet
Before ever the cold had caressed your limbs I saw you step from behind the veil
Great, golden wings did sprout from your shoulders, moving with the force of the gale
You looked at me with kindness and sadness but before you leapt up and were Gone
A smile did spread across your features and I heard you shout, “FATHER, I COME!”
My movements are slower, I am worn and my shoulders are now bent with care
I seek the beast for revenge or forgiveness, for passage to where you went in the air
I would show you the cast of my spear and the skill in the spin of my sling
I would cherish you as I should have, my sister, and share with you the breadth of my wings.
© 2008 Clarence A Brown
March 1, 2013
About This Writing Stuff...
OK, so the short-story collection that I'd been editing for the past 8 months--and which contains three of my own stories--was finally submitted to the publisher yesterday. So I can come up for air long enough to post a special, off-schedule expanded edition of About This Writing Stuff... Then the blog will go dark again for quite a while as I go off to record about 15 chapters of By Your Side on audio.
Below are articles on everything from writers block (Hedlund, Sicoe) to the perils of the eBook gift card (Passive Voice, Smith). Jami Gold touches on theme while Sophie Mason defends description. Kristen Lamb talks confidence and Dave Kerpen offers advice on how to be taken seriously. Jane Friedman covers the basics of self-publishing, Barbara O'Neal stresses the importance of editors, and we get a two-fer from Kristine Kathryn Rusch who never fails to tell it like it is in publishing. That and much more...enjoy!
Want to be Taken Seriously? Become a Better Writer by Dave Kerpen
The Basics of DIY E-Book Publishing by Jane Friedman (Jane will be a guest at the Write Stuff later this month!!)
Good Fit for Today's Little Screen: Short Stories by Leslie Kaufman
3 Surprising Lessons About Publishing Today by Jessica Strawser
Crazy 8 Press Unveils 2013 Plans by Bob Greenberger
The Death of Publishing and Out! All of You! by Kristine Kathrryn Rusch
Platform for Indie Authors to Sell Gift Cards by Passive Voice
Book Gift Cards are Coming...But the Wrong Way by Dean Wesley Smith
Is Amazon Killing the Free eBook? and NOOK: Cost Cutting Coming by Jeremy Greenfield
How to Revise for a Stronger Theme by Jami Gold
Why I Don't Get Writer's Block and How You Can Avoid It, Too by Jody Hedlund
7 Things Confident Writers Don't Do by Kristen Lamb
13 Geeky Ways to Beat Writer's Block by Veronica Sicoe
A Question of Description by Sophie Masson
Author as Innovator: The Future of Publishing is Story, not Technology by Dan Blank
The Value of Editors by Barbara O'Neal
Below are articles on everything from writers block (Hedlund, Sicoe) to the perils of the eBook gift card (Passive Voice, Smith). Jami Gold touches on theme while Sophie Mason defends description. Kristen Lamb talks confidence and Dave Kerpen offers advice on how to be taken seriously. Jane Friedman covers the basics of self-publishing, Barbara O'Neal stresses the importance of editors, and we get a two-fer from Kristine Kathryn Rusch who never fails to tell it like it is in publishing. That and much more...enjoy!
Want to be Taken Seriously? Become a Better Writer by Dave Kerpen
The Basics of DIY E-Book Publishing by Jane Friedman (Jane will be a guest at the Write Stuff later this month!!)
Good Fit for Today's Little Screen: Short Stories by Leslie Kaufman
3 Surprising Lessons About Publishing Today by Jessica Strawser
Crazy 8 Press Unveils 2013 Plans by Bob Greenberger
The Death of Publishing and Out! All of You! by Kristine Kathrryn Rusch
Platform for Indie Authors to Sell Gift Cards by Passive Voice
Book Gift Cards are Coming...But the Wrong Way by Dean Wesley Smith
Is Amazon Killing the Free eBook? and NOOK: Cost Cutting Coming by Jeremy Greenfield
How to Revise for a Stronger Theme by Jami Gold
Why I Don't Get Writer's Block and How You Can Avoid It, Too by Jody Hedlund
7 Things Confident Writers Don't Do by Kristen Lamb
13 Geeky Ways to Beat Writer's Block by Veronica Sicoe
A Question of Description by Sophie Masson
Author as Innovator: The Future of Publishing is Story, not Technology by Dan Blank
The Value of Editors by Barbara O'Neal
February 24, 2013
Book Review: As Lie the Dead by Kelly Meding
The second installment in the Dreg City series picks up mere minutes after the epic battle at the conclusion of book one. Former bounty hunter Evangeline 'Evy' Stone finds herself facing an entirely new set of challenges. As she continues to adapt to the new body she inherited after her resurrection from the dead, and her newfound ability to teleport, Evy must also reconcile her feelings for ex-boss-turned-boyfriend Wyatt Truman. Unfortunately, there is little time for self-indulgence as Evy is recruited by Phineas, a shapeshifting member of an avian race known as the Owlkins, to protect a pregnant member of their species.
This request brings with it a certain degree of guilt for Evy. The Owlkins had been all but nearly exterminated weeks before when her fellow bounty hunters had been ordered to exterminate their home in an attempt to kill Evy who had taken refuge among the peaceful creatures. Now, Evy agrees to return the favor and takes these last remaining Owlkins into her "home", an apartment that once belonged to Chalice Frost whose body Evy now inhabits.
Meanwhile, at St. Eustachius Hospital, friend and handler Rufus St. James recovers from burns and bruises incurred from an explosion that destroyed his apartment complex. Handlers are essentially managers of bounty hunter teams known as Triads. Unfortunately for Rufus, the Clan Assembly (of non-human entities) is set to execute Rufus for his team's assault on the Owlkins...unless Evy can hand them the brass that actually gave the order. This is, of course, nearly impossible given the fact that the identities of the brass are shrouded in secrecy. It is known only that they are high ranked officials in the city's police department.
To complicate matters, enter Leo Forrester. Father of the late Alex Forrester--killed by a Halfie (half-vampire/half-human) in bok --Leo shows up at the apartment demanding to know the whereabouts of his son. Playing the role of Chalice, Evy attempts to calm him down, stating that she had not seen her roommate in days. It was easier than telling him the truth at the moment. She invites him to stay at the apartment and wait, but his bouts of rage frighten the Owlkins and Evy eventually asks him to leave.
Later that night, Evy comes under attack from two were-cats who break into her apartment. After a short brawl, one of the shapeshifting creatures is shot and wounded by Leo, who cannot believe his eyes as the creature changes from feline to human. Unfortunately, its partners manage to take the Owlkins away as they do not trust humans to protect them. Evy sets up Leo in a hotel room and promises to explain everything when she returns.
As if these challenges were not enough, a new enemy emerges with intent to raise a militia of weres and exterminate all humans in the city. As Evy and Phineas investigate this new threat, they learn that it is being coordinated by a human who may not be a new player at all, but someone very familiar with Wyatt Truman--someone with a score to settle.
As Lie the Dead is an enjoyable follow-up to Three Days to Dead with the same action-packed, fast-paced style and well-developed story. This time around though, some of the characters' reactions to insults and stinging remarks seemed a tad unrealistic. More often than not, the characters flinched or winced or leaned against walls in defeat when being told off, reminded of a past mistake, or learning of new developments in the case. Also, the do-I or don't-I romance between Evy and Wyatt that carried over from book one was starting to drag and I was glad to see that resolve in the end, though the outcome was predictable. It was nice to see some other loose ends tied up as well.
I'll be taking a break from the Dreg City series to read and review a few books that I picked up at Farpoint last weekend, but there are still two more books in the series, Another Kind of Dead and Wrong Side of Dead, which will be reviewed here over the coming weeks.
This request brings with it a certain degree of guilt for Evy. The Owlkins had been all but nearly exterminated weeks before when her fellow bounty hunters had been ordered to exterminate their home in an attempt to kill Evy who had taken refuge among the peaceful creatures. Now, Evy agrees to return the favor and takes these last remaining Owlkins into her "home", an apartment that once belonged to Chalice Frost whose body Evy now inhabits.
Meanwhile, at St. Eustachius Hospital, friend and handler Rufus St. James recovers from burns and bruises incurred from an explosion that destroyed his apartment complex. Handlers are essentially managers of bounty hunter teams known as Triads. Unfortunately for Rufus, the Clan Assembly (of non-human entities) is set to execute Rufus for his team's assault on the Owlkins...unless Evy can hand them the brass that actually gave the order. This is, of course, nearly impossible given the fact that the identities of the brass are shrouded in secrecy. It is known only that they are high ranked officials in the city's police department.
To complicate matters, enter Leo Forrester. Father of the late Alex Forrester--killed by a Halfie (half-vampire/half-human) in bok --Leo shows up at the apartment demanding to know the whereabouts of his son. Playing the role of Chalice, Evy attempts to calm him down, stating that she had not seen her roommate in days. It was easier than telling him the truth at the moment. She invites him to stay at the apartment and wait, but his bouts of rage frighten the Owlkins and Evy eventually asks him to leave.
Later that night, Evy comes under attack from two were-cats who break into her apartment. After a short brawl, one of the shapeshifting creatures is shot and wounded by Leo, who cannot believe his eyes as the creature changes from feline to human. Unfortunately, its partners manage to take the Owlkins away as they do not trust humans to protect them. Evy sets up Leo in a hotel room and promises to explain everything when she returns.
As if these challenges were not enough, a new enemy emerges with intent to raise a militia of weres and exterminate all humans in the city. As Evy and Phineas investigate this new threat, they learn that it is being coordinated by a human who may not be a new player at all, but someone very familiar with Wyatt Truman--someone with a score to settle.
As Lie the Dead is an enjoyable follow-up to Three Days to Dead with the same action-packed, fast-paced style and well-developed story. This time around though, some of the characters' reactions to insults and stinging remarks seemed a tad unrealistic. More often than not, the characters flinched or winced or leaned against walls in defeat when being told off, reminded of a past mistake, or learning of new developments in the case. Also, the do-I or don't-I romance between Evy and Wyatt that carried over from book one was starting to drag and I was glad to see that resolve in the end, though the outcome was predictable. It was nice to see some other loose ends tied up as well.
I'll be taking a break from the Dreg City series to read and review a few books that I picked up at Farpoint last weekend, but there are still two more books in the series, Another Kind of Dead and Wrong Side of Dead, which will be reviewed here over the coming weeks.
Upcoming Writers Conferences
My schedule has been so stressful and hectic lately that I was remiss in failing to mention two fantastic local writing conferences coming up over the next two months.
The Write Stuff: March 22-23, 2013. Allentown, PA. Hosted by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. Keynote speaker: Jane Friedman. Presenters include Jon Gibbs, Lee Upton, Juilenne Osborne-McKnight, Jeanette Windle, and Carol Wedeven.
Write it Right: April 20, 2013. Tamaqua, PA. Hosted by the Black Diamond Writers Group. Keynote speaker: Tracy L. Higley. Presenters include Kathryn Craft, Nicole Andel, Jon Gibbs, and Craig Czury.
I have attended both of these conferences in the past and was a presenter at Write it Right last year. I recommend both of them if you are seriously looking to hone your craft and network with other writers both new and experienced.
The Write Stuff: March 22-23, 2013. Allentown, PA. Hosted by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. Keynote speaker: Jane Friedman. Presenters include Jon Gibbs, Lee Upton, Juilenne Osborne-McKnight, Jeanette Windle, and Carol Wedeven.
Write it Right: April 20, 2013. Tamaqua, PA. Hosted by the Black Diamond Writers Group. Keynote speaker: Tracy L. Higley. Presenters include Kathryn Craft, Nicole Andel, Jon Gibbs, and Craig Czury.
I have attended both of these conferences in the past and was a presenter at Write it Right last year. I recommend both of them if you are seriously looking to hone your craft and network with other writers both new and experienced.
February 23, 2013
Another Lawsuit in the Publishing World? Noooooo, really?
And of course, the moment I announce that this blog is going dark for a few weeks, something newsworthy occurs.
Three independent bookstores have decided to file a lawsuit against Amazon and "The Big 6" over DRM for eBooks.
Cory Doctorow responded in an effort to explain that the plaintiffs seem to be confused in their terminology when speaking about DRM.
Just another indication of tumultous times in this new age of publishing...
February 22, 2013
Going Dark
Aside from a book review and a few quick updates about my latest novel--By Your Side--going live next month, this blog wil be going to dark for a while. I need to finish recording the audio book for By Your Side, give an anthology one final editorial pass before submitting to the publisher, revamp the cover to my first novel, and complete a home improvement project all within the next 8 weeks or so.
Provided I get through all of that, I'll see you on the other side!
Provided I get through all of that, I'll see you on the other side!
