Russ Colchamiro's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy"

Hi Gang-

Book reviewer and all around good folk Melissa Hayden -- who gave Finders Keepers a big, big thumbs up -- did an exclusive interview with yours truly about where I concocted all this cosmic lunacy, some of my favorite elements from my novel, my loathing of tomatoes and what I'm up to next.

To read all about it, you can visit Melisa at http://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com....

All the Best!
Russ

Hey Gang-

In the spirit of Father's Day, what better way to celebrate than to scoop up your very own signed, pesonalized copy of FINDERS KEEPERS ... for just $10!

FREE SHIPPING IN THE U.S.!

That's right. For the low-low price of $10, just head over to http://www.richkoslowski.com/Details.... and pick a copy for yourself, a friend and, of course, all the dads out there.

Enjoy!

Russ

Hi Gang-

As a new dad myself celebrating my very first Father's Day, I figured this was a perfect time for a new Finders Keepers giveway.

Plus ... for you Kiwis out there, I am an American author, with a novel that takes place, in part, throughout New Zealand. One of the main chartacters is from Auckland, and part of the narrative stretches across the North Island, including Auckland, Cook's Beach and Rotorua, among others.

If you're curious about the rest, read below.

And good luck!

Russ

For fans of uproarious sci-fi and fantasy classics such as Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, Christopher Moore's Lamb and A Dirty Job, and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, plus TV shows and movies such as Quantum Leap, Time Bandits and The Big Bang Theory, Finders Keepers is a buddy story that mixes chapter-to-chapter cliffhangers with humor, heart, romance, outrageous characters and time-bending, galaxy-twisting pratfalls.

Caught in the netherworld between college and a career, novice traveler Jason Medley and adventuresome Theo Barnes stumble through hash bars and hangovers, religious zealots and stalkers, food poisoning and thunderstorms, saucy girls and overnight trains—and all under the looming specter of adult responsibility.

But when a jar of the Universe’s DNA accidentally drops to Earth from Eternity, these new friends find their loyalties put to the test—unaware that a motley crew from another realm is feverishly chasing them across the globe, with the fate of the Milky Way hanging in the balance.

Hey Gang-

Don't know about you but it's been a scorcher of a summer on my end. I've been full-stop for the past few months on multiple fronts, and to put an amazing cap on the past year, my bundles of joy Nate and Abby celebrate their first birthday next week. It's been truly amazing to watch and experience. And if the next few ... decades are anything like this last year, I cannot wait to see what's next. Liz and I are truly blessed, and on top of everything else, those kids crack me up! They are freakin' hilarious.



And with Abby just starting to walk and Nate starting to discover his inner Bart Simpson-like instinct for causing mayhem, here's what else I've been up to:


* I've been having some fun these past weeks now that Finders Keepers is officially on the shelves of Barnes & Noble! It's in five NYC locations and a bunch in Seattle, plus ... Anchorage, Alaska (and others around the country ... including Rockville, MD). I've dropped by some of the NYC locations to sign them, so if you happen upon them there, you'll get an autographed copy. For a full list of Barnes & Noble locations nationwide where you can find Finders Keepers, see below.


* July wrapped up my summer book signing schedule, where I made stops at the Long Island Toy Show and the East Hanover Comic Book Expo. Not my best shows sales-wise, as they were not quite the right venues for me, but I continued to get the word out and make some new friends. I'll be taking a convention break, but will be back later in the year. And though I sat out the San Diego Comic-Con this year, I'm hoping to make my return in 2012. Stay tuned.


* Keeping the momentum moving forward, I will be unveiling my new Web site some time this month! Because of the various projects I'm involved with and the multi-tiered marketing programs in the works, it was time to revamp the site and give you guys a snazzier, cleaner destination where I can upload new blog posts and photos, make announcements and otherwise make myself available to those Hollywood folks who absolutely MUST have my book for themselves and get that movie in motion! Look for a launch notice any week now.


* Speaking of Hollywood, I've got a pretty intense marketing program in the works -- with some pretty awesome participants -- and now that I've consulted some filmmakers, the project itself has grown in scope. Hate to be secretive here, but until I've got all the elements locked down I'm going to play this one a little bit close. But trust me. It's in motion. And it's very cool.


* And lest you think I forgot to mention, my second novel Crossline is still speeding along. I'm in the final revisions now, and then I turn the manuscript over to a top notch editor I know who gave me critical feedback on Finders Keepers that helped make it the success it is today. So I think I've got the right guy to also help me get Crossline to where it needs to be.


That's all she wrote for this edition. I'll be back around Labor Day for a final summer announcement, where I'll be sharing the latest news on Finders Keepers and report back on Nate and Abby's first birthday party, which should be awesomeness supreme.


All the Best!

Russ



Finders Keepers in Barnes & Noble:



#2988 - Fox Run Crossings, 45 Gosling Rd, Portsmouth, NH

#2791 - 235 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua, NH

#2966 - 98 Middlesex Pkwy, Burlington, MA

#2957 - 60 Pine St., Pacific Place, Downtown Seattle, WA

#2965 - 106 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY

#2784 - 200 East Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK

#2876 - 267 7th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

#2942 - Hacienda Crossings, 4972 Dublin Blvd, Dublin, CA

#2575 - 1201 3rd St Promenade, Santa Monica, CA

#2281 - Kitsap Mall, 10315 Silverdale Way, Silverdale, WA

#2280 - Northgate Mall, 401 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA

#1979 - 82nd and Broadway, NY, NY

#2278 - 86th & Lexington, NY, NY

#2262 - Clackamass Town Center Mall, Portland, OR

#2536 - Arboretum, 10,000 Research Blvd., Austin Texas

#2703 - Spectrum Center, 1851 Fountain Dr., Reston, VA

#2573 - University Village, 2675 NE University Village St., Seattle, WA

#2675 - Union Square - NY, NY

#2234 - 555 Fifth Avenune, NY, NY

#2764 - 12089 Rockville Pike, Montrose Crossing, Rockville, MD

#2238 - Tysons Corner Mall, McLean, VA

#2275 - 131 Colonie Centre, Albany, NY


--


Russ Colchamiro

Author of Finders Keepers, published by 3 Finger Prints

www.russcolchamiro.com

www.richkoslowski.com

@findkeepnovel (Twitter)

Follow me on Facebook






To see my video interview at the NY Comic-Con:
http://bit.ly/bfA7oL



To read my Publishers Weekly Q&A:

http://bit.ly/igtiec

To buy Finders Keepers via 3 Finger Prints:
http://www.richkoslowski.com/Details....

Hey Gang-

Now that we’ve survived tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes, I hope you had a festive end to the summer with a joyous Labor Day celebration. As for me, Abby is practically climbing the walls and Nate is venturing out with his first steps, so we’ve got quite the jungle gym going on at our place.

On the writing front, there’s loads of updates to share, so here we go …

* With a new wave of awesomeness in the works, it was time to deliver a new Web site to match. So thanks to the Web stylings of Mike Rende at SiteByMike, welcome to my brand, spanking new web site!

www.russcolchamiro.com

You’ll see that it’s neatly organized, easy to navigate and loaded with all the bells and whistles you’d want, including new reviews of the latest X-Men movie, the new Planet of the Apes and my take on Season 1 of The Good Wife, among others.

Plus ….. you can now buy Finders Keepers directly through my site! So if you want a personalized, signed copy, it’s just one stop and you’re done!

I’ll be making some minor tweaks along the way, but feedback on the new site welcomed and appreciated.

* Speaking of new stuff … the Finders Keepers e-book is finally out! With the distribution contract I signed it took a little doing to get new files created, but alas … look no more. No matter what device you use, whether Nook, Kindle or Ouija Board, you can order your e-copy of Finders Keepers through Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and other outlets that will be popping up before too long.

* Believe or not, I’ve already got 2012 on the brain! The end of 2011 and leading into next spring brings an entirely new wave of conventions where I’ll be signing Finders Keepers, so I’m now in the planning stages for my next round of appearances. Check back soon and I’ll have more to share there about that.

* Also on the promotion front, I’m participating in some new Q&As about my crazy trip in the world of book publishing, so I’ll be sharing those as soon as they pop up.

* And now that we’re moving into the cooling air I’m putting the finishing touches on Crossline before I pass it along to my editor extraordinaire, so I’ll be making the hand-off by the end of the month. After that, I’ll finalize the manuscript, get that ready for publication, and then move onto book No. 3.

That’s all she wrote for this edition. Stay tuned for regular updates, be sure to check out my new Web site, and who knows? I may just have another awesome announcement to make before too long …

All the Best!

Russ

http://russcolchamiro.com/2011/09/rus...

My novel Finders Keepers is a genre I like to call "cosmic lunacy," where I mix the "real world" of today and fantasical/sci-elements.

To discuss the "rules" of how to meld these two worlds, fellow sci-fi writer Cathryn Isakson asked me to contribute to her web site. Here's my two cents …

http://novelexpectations.wordpress.co...

The ‘rules’ of modern-world sci-fi: A guest blog by Russ Colchamiro

The cover for Russ’s book, Finders Today I have a guest blog by US science fiction author, Russ Colchamiro. Russ’s first novel is titled Finders Keepers. Here Russ explains how he blended the elements of this hybrid genre story: science fiction, humour, mystery and ‘cosmic lunacy’.

The ‘Rules’ of Modern-World Sci-Fi
by Russ Colchamiro

Mixing science fiction/fantasy elements with the modern world is a dance indeed. It was for me.

My first novel, Finders Keepers, is loosely based on backpacking trips I took through Europe and New Zealand, set against a quest for a jar that contains the Universe’s DNA.

You know … a quiet family drama!

My goal was to write a multi-layered novel that felt epic in scale, yet was simultaneously intimate, while remaining fun and funny throughout. But not long into the writing process, I realized that I had a big issue to reconcile:

How do I combine the ‘cosmic lunacy’, as I like to call it, with the everyday world that you and I know, and invite the reader to accept that this total environment is plausible?

One key element pulled the threads together.

During the early days of my first draft, I belonged to a writer’s group, as many of us do. I received all manner of feedback, but one comment stuck with me from a writer named Brad:

You need to establish the ‘rules’.
At the time, I wasn’t quite sure what Brad meant. To be honest, deep in my gut I suspected he was right. But I wasn’t yet in a confident enough place to acknowledge and accept this confrontation with a key, structural misstep in my storytelling.

During those earlier drafts, I started the action by introducing the hero of Finders Keepers — Jason Medley, a 24-year-old waiter from the NY suburbs — seeing him in the day-to-day of his humdrum life. My reasoning, as far as I was concerned, was quite sound: introduce Jason at his lowest point so that we get to see him during all the phases of his journey — from bummer to reluctant participant to hero.

Now, I really did want to establish the sci-fi tone right away — you gotta give the readers some idea of what you’re up to early on — so I started Finders Keepers with a two-paragraph prologue that hinted at the science fiction theme. This way it wouldn’t be a shock when it finally appeared.

But I saved the more complex ‘cosmic lunacy’/sci-fi elements until a bit later, as a big ‘twist’. Even though I don’t write mystery novels, per se, I like to include mystery elements. Reveal, pull back and conceal, reveal some more. My intention was to get the reader to say, ‘Whoa! Cool!’ when the sci-fi parts really kicked in.

Seemed pretty good to me. It made sense. Only, it didn’t quite work.

Finders Keepers is loosely based on backpacking trips through Europe and New Zealand, set against a quest for a jar that contains the Universe’s DNA.
The problem was that, by the time I unveiled the ‘cosmic’ portion of the story, the readers weren’t really sure what kind of book they were reading. I simply out-thought myself.

What I finally came to embrace was that it’s easier to start big — FATE OF THE UNIVERSE IS AT STAKE! — and then go small — lonely waiter dude whimpers about having no girlfriend — then to go the other way.

After many drafts, I finally gave in and established the ‘rules’ of the world I created with the very first sentence. And in the Finders Keepers world, there’s a jar that contains the Universe’s DNA, lost on modern-day Earth somewhere, and unless it’s recovered in time, the Milky Way Galaxy might go bye-bye.

Once I made this structural alteration, the narrative fell into place.

In the published version of Finders Keepers, the entire 1,457-word prologue is now ‘cosmic’. And then throughout the novel, I slip back and forth between the two major settings:

The down-and-dirty details of Jason and his New Zealand buddy Theo Barnes backpacking through Europe — train schedules, hangovers, achy backs, languages they don’t understand, food they can’t identify, girls they want to sleep with.

A host of cosmic characters that are in charge of building the Universe’s infrastructure, and are after the DNA jar. Which, of course, Jason and Theo are somehow mixed up with.

The lesson I ultimately learned was this: as long as I show the readers what they’re in for — up front, right away — they pretty much all say, ‘Okay, this is the world I’m in. Universe jar. Check. Let’s roll’.

From the very first sentence, there’s simply no doubt that Finders Keepers is meant to be a fun, sci-fi romp that brings a smile to your face.

Establishing the ‘rules’ brought it all together.

Hi Gang-

Just a friendly -- and festive! -- reminder about the FINDERS KEEPERS holiday giveaway.

Last chance in 2011 for a FREE, SIGNED copy of my hilarious sci-fi backpacking novel that's getting rave reviews from this planet ... and the next!

All the Best,
Russ

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

Hi Gang-

2011 has been a heck of a ride on numerous fronts, so I thought this would be a good time to recap the year, offer many thanks and give some insight into what lays ahead for 2012.

So as my hero Jackie Gleason used to say ... and awaaaaaay we go:

* More than anything else, 2011 has been absolutely incredible watching Abby and Nate come alive. Abby will one day rule all of Metropolis, if not the Galaxy (and be a wonderful, wide-eyed leader at that), while Nate seems destined for the comedy circuit along the lines of John Belushi and Bill Murray, without, of course, all the personal drama.

Until then, they are as fast as ninjas and twice and smart, keeping Liz and I on our toes at every turn.

With a soft launch at the end of 2010, Finders Keepers made its way into the world in a big way in 2011. Among the highlights:
* Endorsement from Publishers Weekly
* National distribution contract
* Picked up by Barnes & Noble

And while the great reviews keep piling up, here's my absolute favorite:

Ruled By Books reviewer Jaime Chambers said the following about me:

"Comedy writing in any form is hard to do well. The intangible stuff that makes people laugh can be hard to grasp and even harder to deliver. There are only a handful of comedic authors that I enjoy, tops among them being [best-selling authors] Douglas Adams and Christopher Moore. After reading Finders Keepers, I was happy to add Russ Colchamiro to that list."

Here's a link to the full interview:

http://www.ruledbybooks.com/author-in...

To be considered among the greatest comedic authors ... ever? Wow. I'll take it!

* With Finders Keepers in full groove, I'm now putting the finishing touches on my next book, Crossline. A stand-alone space adventure, Crossline is in the Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon style of space opera, with my usual time-bending philosophical ruminations that really give the adventure some extra layers of zing.

Good buddy and fellow writer James Chambers -- who at one point collaborated with Spock himself, Leonard Nemoy, on some comic book projects -- is editing Crossline, so I'm feeling pretty darn good about the process. Jim will be handing over pages to me any day now, and then I'll spend the next few months staying warm, putting the final touches on what will be a rollicking adventure.

* So what's in store for 2012? Oooh ... so glad you asked! As noted, first order of business is wrapping up Crossline and then lining up a publication deal.

Then ... I'll be doing some conventions in the spring, where I'll be signing copies of Finders Keepers.

And as I continue to promote Finders Keepers and line up that Crossline deal ... I'll start work on book No. 3 ... the first Finders Keepers sequel!

In between, I'll be out there on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads, trying to squeeze in a few blogs here and there, and chatting up my fellow creators along the way.

Somewhere in there I'll also find time to you know ... go to work every day, buy a house! Ahh! ... and spend as much as time as possible with the family, which is my source of strength and inspiration.

Which leads me to ...

* For this issue's shout-out it's a two-fer!

First, let me thank everyone who has and continues to support me. As I'm sure you know, this publishing gig ain'teasy, and there are days when I just ain't in the mood. But your unwavering support and enthusiasm is nothing short of phenomenal, so to all who are behind me, my deepest thanks and gratitude. You rock!

Of course, Nate and Abby are an endless source of love and joy. My life has changed forever in the most remarkable way, and watching my children grow is simply spectacular.

And finally, to my wife Liz ... who stands behind through it all, with my endless piles of paper and notes clutter here, there and everywhere. Since even before we met, she has always been the one. And while she may be my wife, she will always be my girl.

Okay. That's all she wrote for this ... year! I'll be back in January with more updates, so until then ... be festive, be safe ... and Happy Holidays.

All the Best!

Russ

www.russcolchamiro.com
@FindKeepNovel
Follow me on Facebook and Goodreads

In the Writer's Chair - If You Can't Cut 10 Percent Then You're Not Really Trying

Writers write. Sure. We've all heard that one.

But the problem is that as writers, we often write too much. Given enough time and space, we have a tendency to ramble.

I've tried writing short stories, but I just feel too confined. The short form doesn't work for me. I need to room to explore, to let characters and plot and setting go where they go.

And yet ... no matter what I end up with, I ultimately have more than I need.

Example: my first draft of Finders Keepers was 127,000+ words.

Way. Too. Long.

Ultimately, I cut it down to about 97,000 words. That's more like it. But the discipline I needed was, der ... to write less. To cut.

So I did.

The conversation with myself went something like this:

Editor Russ: Cut ten percent.

Writer Russ: Bite me.

ER: Cut ten percent. Your book is too freakin long.

WR: I know, but that's 12,700 words. How am I suppose do that?

ER: Not my problem. Get to it.

WR: But--

ER: Do it!

WR: But--

ER: Do it!!

WR: ... sigh ... fine.

And so I did.

Phase II left me with a manuscript of about 110,000 words. Better, but still too long. And my two selves went at it again.

ER: Cut ten percent. Your book is still too freakin long.

WR: I know, but that's ANOTHER 11,000 words.

ER: Aaaand ...?

WR: ... You're going to yell me again aren't you?

ER: Do I really need to answer that?

WR: ... sigh ... you suck. But okay.

And ultimately I got down to 97,000 words.

The directive to myself had nothing to do with content or style. It was simply forcing myself to be economical.

My second novel, Crossline is in the hands of my editor right now. I handed in a manuscript that came in at about 95,000 words. I may ultimately prune a bit, but I won't need to cut 25,000 words.

As writers, we write. But the more you can discipline yourself to write -- or at least, keep -- only what you need, you'll find that cutting isn't nearly as tough as it might first appear.

And if you wind up arguing with yourself about it, think of it this way: If you don't force yourself to cut what you don't need, somebody else will. And however rough you think your inner voice might be, it's often a lot friendlier than if you hear it from someone else.

Hi Gang-

Welcome to 2012! I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday (which I know seems like centuries ago already) and is starting off the new year with a bang. (and apologies to anyone getting a duplicate here, as I’m still finalizing a new email template).

Of course my highlights continue to be time with the family. My little ones are a constant riot, dancing to music, building Lego towers that baffle my mind, tossing all the couch cushions on the floor and generally filling my world with hugs, laughter and smiles (when they’re not running me ragged!).

In the mean time, Liz and I have put our apartment on the market, and we’re doing some house hunting in New Jersey to give us a little more elbow room. So one of these days we’re moving back to the burbs!

As for my adventures in publishing …

* At long last I have Crossline pages back from wordsmithing buddy James Chambers, who went all out to find the brilliance (and clunkers) within the manuscript. I’m going full throttle (ha-ha) on my edits, and hope to have a finished, ready-to-go manuscript some time in the first half of 2012.

* Now that convention season is getting underway, I’ll be making appearances at the following venues this spring:

Lunacon, in Rye, NY, March 17-18, on various panels and schmoozing with the gang

I-Con, in Stonybrook, NY, March 30 – April 1, where I’ll be selling and signing books, and possibly be appearing on a few panels. Details to come.

* For you readers out there, I’ve been picking up an increasing presence on Goodreads (www.goodreads.com) which is really a great site for those of us who still love books (it’s like Facebook, but just for book readers). So if you haven’t already, drop by the site and let’s be friends!

* And last but not least, as Finders Keepers continues to make the rounds, I’m starting to pick up the pace on character arcs and key punch points for the sequel! So once Crossline is done, it’s back to the crazy world of Finders Keepers and those see what those backpacking goofballs will get up to next.

That’s all she wrote for this edition, but I’ll be back soon with new updates, and hope to have some more specifics on the panels I’ll be speaking on at the various conventions. Until then …

All the Best!

Russ