Benjamin Sobieck's Blog, page 30

And We're Done

A mere 77,000 words, 100s of hours of research and writing, 15 pounds and nearly one dog later, and The Thriller & Crime Writer's Guide to Firearms & Knives is ready to be turned into Writer's Digest this week.

More news to come once my eyes adjust to natural light again.

 

Still Alive

Despite not coming out of my office for some time, I can confirm that I'm still alive. No, really, I went out to supper with some friends the other day. Ask 'em, they'll tell you.

I've been absent from the Intertubes and the rest of the world lately. Just working on a cool feature that's part of the crime fiction guide to firearms and knives I'm working on for Writer's Digest. It's data intensive and quite the undertaking.

The thing is, I don't necessarily need to include this feature. The main part is finished. This extra thing I'm doing puts the "labor" in "labor of love." And that's what this project is all about. When it's all said and done, it's going to be even more helpful for the writers who use the guide. Heck, just about anyone writerly or with an interest in firearms/knives should be able to benefit from it.

Exactly what is it? I don't want to say at this point. Mostly because I'm going to jinx myself. I'm still superstitious enough to believe in those things. You would be, too, if you spent as much time in one room researching as I have the past few weeks. I haven't quite reached Howard Hughes proportions, but I'm working on it.

Gift baskets of peanut butter, non-alcoholic Labatt Blue, Teavana chai, various critter jerky and bootleg Ramsay Midwood CDs are appreciated. Just knock twice and leave them outside the door.

 

Quick Update on the Writer's Digest Project

I'm at the peer review phase of the Writer's Digest e-book on writing about firearms and knives in fiction. Should be ready to turn in by the end of the month.

It's tentatively titled, A Thriller and Crime Writer's Guide to Firearms and Knives. Writing it has been a labor of love, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Right now, some friends in the weapons media industry are taking a look at it for accuracy.

Outside of Writer's Digest being a great opportunity, this has been a learning experience for me. There was plenty I knew I wanted to cover, but so much more was revealed as the project came together. I tried to make it informative, but still fun to read.

The result should be a practical reference that is as relevant today as it will be in 20 years. That writers will use it when creating their fiction is as humbling as it is rewarding.

 

New Release: Drunk on the Moon 2

I'm happy to announce the release of Drunk on the Moon 2. It's the second anthology in Internet crime fiction mogul Paul D. Brazill's werewolf detective series. Read my review of the first Drunk on the Moon here.

What's unique about Brazill's series is how he handed the reins over to other authors. He started with a single short story about a werewolf detective named Roman Dalton. Other authors came in with their own short stories using Roman and the extended universe (called The City).

The result was a fresh spin on Roman with every author. The stories can edge toward thriller, horror, romance or crime camps without getting bogged down. Heck, even my contribution channels the humor of Maynard Soloman.

Ah, that's right. I have something in Drunk on the Moon 2. It's called The Mental Game. Roman loses a drinking contest, which turns his inner alpha wolf into a beta puppy. To get back on top, he'll have to outwit a would-be bank robber and his trashy girlfriend.

The full line-up is solid, right down to the cover art. Yep, that's a one-of-a-kind painting by Marcin Drzewiecki and Jason Michel.

Authors include Matt Hilton, Vincent Zandri, Chad Eagleton, Carrie Clevenger, JJ Toner, Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw, Chris Rhatigan and Ben Lelièvre. Richard Godwin offers an introduction, too.

Drunk on the Moon 2 is available as an e-book from Amazon for the Kindle. If you don't have a Kindle, check out Smashwords for all other digital formats.

Word is there will be a print version coming soon. Watch for a post about that when it comes out.

 

Big News: Writer's Digest to Publish My Weapons E-Book

Big news!

A while back, I started an off-the-cuff project called the Crime Writer's Guide to Firearms & Knives. It started as a way to debunk some of the myths about weapons in crime fiction. It soon morphed into a beast of its own, including a glossary and a bit of weapons history.

The point behind this guide was to help crime writers portray firearms and knives accurately in their works. Weapons play a pivotal role in crime fiction. I'm not suggesting an author go in-depth a la Tom Clancy. But getting them right is important. Nothing stops a story (for me, anyway) like a character shooting clay pigeons with shotgun slugs.

The folks at Writer's Digest recently gave this idea the green light. It will be released as an e-book, probably under a slightly tweaked title.

This is a dream come true. I can remember seeing a copy of Writer's Digest as a young pup. I flipped through the pages and was fascinated by it. It helped put the idea of becoming a writer in my head at an influential time in my life.

Stay tuned!

 

5 Tips for Changing a Tire in the Winter

I got a call for help with a flat tire this morning. In the winter. In Minnesota. After a snowstorm. The experience shed some light on changing tires in the winter. I thought I'd share it here.

Five Tips for Changing a Tire in the Winter

1) You already know the jacks that come with cars suck, but they REALLY suck in 12-degree weather. Buy a small hydraulic jack. It's worth it.

2) Get the hell off the road. Fortunately, the car was in a parking lot. Changing a tire means being on your stomach a lot. Being spread out like that makes it easier to get hit.

3) Put this in your winter car kit right now: Something to lay on while changing a tire. I used a spare jacket. It kept me dry, which means I stayed warmer. You get wet in 12-degree weather, you're going to be miserable.

4) Nothing beats a great pair of gloves, a solid set of boots and a tough winter jacket.

5) Fix-a-Flat does not work when it's frozen. If you have a can in your trunk, put it in the cab to keep it warm.

Also, it was hard enough to hike it in a foot of snow as an able-bodied twentysomething. Made me have a whole new appreciation for anyone in a wheelchair or crutches.

 

Cleansing Eden Screenplay: First Half of First Act

As mentioned in this post, Cleansing Eden: The Celebrity Murders is getting an adaptation for the screen. Nothing is official movie-wise. But it's taking the first step. The screenwriting step.

Not only that, but from Bob Yates, a screenwriter with some real cred.

I want to share this process as it progresses. But formatting the screenplay for blog loses some of the effect. So here's a PDF version of an early draft. It's for the first half of the first act.

Once it's further along, we'll talk about what to do next. I know little about the movie business. But like anything else, I'll figure it out as we go. Big things could happen. Or they might not. Either way, I'm sure to learn a lot.

You can stay one step ahead of the screenplay by reading the novel itself. It's available on Amazon for Kindle and print, as well as at Barnes & Noble for the Nook. If none of those work for you, check out Smashwords.

Stay tuned!

 

Coming Soon: Drunk on the Moon 2

Roman Dalton, everyone's favorite werewolf detective, is coming back with a second Drunk on the Moon anthology.

As with the first anthology organized by Polish noir magnate Paul D. Brazill, this edition will feature short stories from a variety of authors. Each author brings their own twist to the dark world Brazill's Dalton inhabits. It's an innovative approach, since most authors keep their charcters pretty close to their chests.

Read my review of the first anthology here.

Here's the line-up:

 

Stories by Matt Hilton, Vincent Zandri, Chad Eagleton, Carrie Clevenger, JJ Toner, Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw, Chris Rhatigan, Ben Sobieck, Ben Lelièvre, Paul D. Brazill.

Introduction by Richard Godwin.

 

Art by Marcin Drzewiecki.

 

Published by Pulp Metal Fiction.

 

Review: City of Heretics by Heath Lowrance

Ladies and gentlemen, this - THIS - is old school noir. Written by one of the new school's foremost masters of the style, Heath Lowrance.

 

Lowrance gives us protagonist Crowe this time around (although, in this novel, they're all antagonists in some way). He's just out of prison and looking for work. His old enemies are more than willing to give it to him.

 

After a mission to intercept a prisoner goes wrong, Crowe finds a trail leading to a cult called The Church of Christ the Fisher. It's not your average cult, even by the crazy standards such organizations have set for themselves.

 

Revenge is the theme that opens City of Heretics, but it quickly morphs into one about religion. The cynical tone of Lowrance's prose matches the desperation of the novel's lost souls searching for redemption or a purpose. The injections of this theme never feel preachy, and the supernatural elements are just enough to keep you guessing. Especially with that infamous Ghost Cat.

 

If you want some no-BS, tough guy reading, this is the novel that will deliver. Lowrance has crafted a tight story that never drags. The action is swift, brutal and ubiquitous.

Get for Kindle at Amazon, for the Nook at Barnes & Noble and other fine e-book retailers.

 

Review: The Wrong Delivery, Part Four: Running Out of Time

This is the fourth and final part of an e-book mystery serial. Read my review of the controversial first part here.

This final piece of the puzzle has Morna and Gordon wrapping up the mystery behind a suspicious package (aka The Wrong Delivery). I thought I had this series figured out, but the ending surprised me in a good way. That the twist came totally out of left field speaks highly of McDroll's jaunt into serialized fiction. That's what a good series should do. Ramp up the mystery at the end of each installment. Then hit 'em with something unexpected at the conclusion.

 

I recommend getting all four parts of The Wrong Delivery and reading them back-to-back. These are fun reads, more on the cozy side, and they include plenty of dark humor.

Click here to get The Wrong Delivery, Part Four: Running Out of Time from Amazon.