I.E. Castellano's Blog, page 9
October 16, 2014
Nitroboosting in ... Three ... Two ... One
My space opera, Where Pirates Go to Die, has a cover and a release date of 12 Nov.
The elusive and calculating Pirate known as Naria escapes from Torquor Prison, throwing the Galaxy into a panic. Dignitaries of the Milky Way Circle employ any means necessary to recover what Naria stole. After the pursuit across the Galaxy, will justice finally be served?
Countdown to launch T minus 27 days.
The ebook can be preordered at Amazon, Google Play, Kobo, Apple, and Barnes & Noble.
October 9, 2014
Moon Shadows Book Signing News Clipping
From the Mount Pleasant Journal October 9, 2014
I'm on the far right. :)
Last Wednesday's book signing at the Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market was a sunny success. I had a great time meeting everyone who came.
Moon Shadows is available at your favorite retailer. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, and Smashwords.
I'm on the far right. :) Last Wednesday's book signing at the Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market was a sunny success. I had a great time meeting everyone who came.
Moon Shadows is available at your favorite retailer. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, and Smashwords.
September 24, 2014
Book Signing
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In the rural wooded highlands not far from Pittsburgh, a small town called Mount Pleasant nestles in hilly Westmoreland County.On Wednesday afternoons, the Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market blossoms to sell local wares in a parking lot on Main Street.
To celebrate the worldwide release of the Halloween themed anthology, Moon Shadows, Laurel Highlands Publishing has organized a book signing at the Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market.
Wednesday, Oct 1st, I will be signing copies of Moon Shadows, the World In-between, Bow of the Moon, and Secrets of the Sages.
When: Wednesday, Oct 1st, 1pm to 6pm
Where: Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market (Shop Demo Depot parking lot on State Road 31)
I will be joined by fellow authors: Fred C. Adams, Thomas Beck, Renny Kalp, and Janice McLaughlin.
If you're in the area, come out, pick up the latest book, and say hello. I'd love to meet you.
September 15, 2014
Reading Subscriptions
I never thought I’d say it. I love my ebook subscription service.
When I received my free subscription for being an early adopter author on Scribd, I honestly thought that I’d never use it. Then, my books were reported as being read. I gave it a second look.
Although I had wasted a month not reading, I browsed the books on their site. I chose books and added them to my library. Books were picked by cover and description.
After downloading the Scribd app on my phone, I began to read. Sometimes, I read before bed, and, sometimes, when I didn’t feel like getting up yet. I found myself reading while I waited for my food to grill or during the rare times I wasn’t writing.
My voracious reading habit returned. I consumed book after book—any book that looked interesting—regardless of publisher or author. Half the time, I had no idea who I read until afterwards.
Some books I did not finish. But, with a subscription, I can take chances on a book. Any I did not like, I deleted from my library and I simply touched the next one. So easy.
I found many that I enjoyed. The River Maiden by Meredith Stoddard had characters that kept me going to the next page. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series when it comes out.
I have bigger authors on my to read list, too. However, I have yet to get around to reading them. Finding something new and unknown makes reading exciting.
Scribd is $8.99 a month for unlimited ebook reading. They also offer a free trial.
There are other ebook subscription services. And I am sure more will pop up in the coming months and years. I haven’t tried any of the others but Scribd. From what I have devoured on there, thus far, I will be continuing my subscription once my free year ends.
August 29, 2014
Moon Shadows Rising
Seventeen stories touch the unknown, the unseen, and the undead. Visit what we avoid. Step into the shadows of the moon.
My short story, the Hunt , is one of seventeen stories chosen for Moon Shadows, a Halloween themed anthology, published by +Laurel Highlands Publishing.
Loosely based on the Wild Hunt of European folklore, the Hunt tells the story of one ghost Hunter's destiny.
The ebook is available for pre-order at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes, Kobo, and Google Play.
August 19, 2014
Poetry Wednesday 20 Aug 2014
TOO LATE
The screech of car tires
quick turn of wheel
still hitting a little form
that broke upon the steel
and lay in a small bundle
staining the road red ...
"I sa..sa..saw her too late,"
was all the drunk driver said.
Another drink for the road
was too many that day
a small precious child
would never again play;
for the parents - no answers
only these words instead ...
"I sa..sa..saw her too late,"
was all the drunk driver said.
By: Dale Sahlberg
Poetry: http://www.ecsahlberg.com/Poetry.html
For visually impaired: http://www.ecsahlberg.com/Epoems.html
Novel: http://www.ecsahlberg.com/myIrin.html
The screech of car tires
quick turn of wheel
still hitting a little form
that broke upon the steel
and lay in a small bundle
staining the road red ...
"I sa..sa..saw her too late,"
was all the drunk driver said.
Another drink for the road
was too many that day
a small precious child
would never again play;
for the parents - no answers
only these words instead ...
"I sa..sa..saw her too late,"
was all the drunk driver said.
By: Dale Sahlberg
Poetry: http://www.ecsahlberg.com/Poetry.html
For visually impaired: http://www.ecsahlberg.com/Epoems.html
Novel: http://www.ecsahlberg.com/myIrin.html
July 21, 2014
Typing: the Follow-up
In a previous post, I talked about using Dragon text to speech software. After using it, I have to update my recommendation.
I used the software to transcribe the second half of Secrets of the Sages. At first, I thought it was great. Then, it wasn’t so great. Let me explain.
Secrets is epic fantasy, which means we authors tend to use strange names. I taught Dragon names like Baldur, Colvin, Goscislaw, Alvar, and Hatcher. Half the time, it would not type those names when I said them. I found that frustrating. There was no explanation for why Dragon stopped transcribing. I resigned myself to typing the ancient tongue and ancient Fairy languages.
In general, it messed up a lot. I would have to talk it into corrections. Those didn’t go so smoothly either. The command, “Go to End,” became “Good and.” I always had to say, “Cap Hope” when I wrote about Berty’s niece, Hope. But that was because I used a regular word as a name. However, it would automatically capitalize brown and a few other regular words when I didn’t want it to.
Then, there were the mispronunciations. I said, “Being.” It wrote, “Been.” I’d say, “Where.” It would type, “Were.” And so on and so forth. I was born and raised in the North Eastern United States. My accent is … well … relatively nonexistent. But even if you spoke to me and thought I had an accent, the word, “been” is pronounced “Ben.” “Where” could be mistaken for “wear” or “ware” and “were” sounds like “her.”
After that debacle, I found that it wouldn’t always type the beginnings of a sentence. The omissions became so bad, that I needed to consult my original handwritten manuscript to know what it was supposed to say.
Dragon didn’t learn. It would open other programs instead of typing what I was reading on the page. Sure, the words or something that resembled words appeared on the page more quickly than typing, but editing took much longer.
When I type, my typos usually consist of “tot he” for “to the” or I have a tendency to leave off letters such as “the” instead of “they.” Et cetera, et cetera. Dragon took editing for typos to a new level. Entire words changed or were absent. Capitalization was screwy. And don’t get me started on punctuation.
I found myself screaming into the microphone. Dragon became more trouble than it was worth. All the time it “saved” was lost during editing. My subsequent books are being typed the old-fashioned way. The concept behind Dragon sounds fantastic. My experience with the software scrapes bottom.
My opinion: Until Dragon fixes its issues, steer clear.
I used the software to transcribe the second half of Secrets of the Sages. At first, I thought it was great. Then, it wasn’t so great. Let me explain.
Secrets is epic fantasy, which means we authors tend to use strange names. I taught Dragon names like Baldur, Colvin, Goscislaw, Alvar, and Hatcher. Half the time, it would not type those names when I said them. I found that frustrating. There was no explanation for why Dragon stopped transcribing. I resigned myself to typing the ancient tongue and ancient Fairy languages.
In general, it messed up a lot. I would have to talk it into corrections. Those didn’t go so smoothly either. The command, “Go to End,” became “Good and.” I always had to say, “Cap Hope” when I wrote about Berty’s niece, Hope. But that was because I used a regular word as a name. However, it would automatically capitalize brown and a few other regular words when I didn’t want it to.
Then, there were the mispronunciations. I said, “Being.” It wrote, “Been.” I’d say, “Where.” It would type, “Were.” And so on and so forth. I was born and raised in the North Eastern United States. My accent is … well … relatively nonexistent. But even if you spoke to me and thought I had an accent, the word, “been” is pronounced “Ben.” “Where” could be mistaken for “wear” or “ware” and “were” sounds like “her.”
After that debacle, I found that it wouldn’t always type the beginnings of a sentence. The omissions became so bad, that I needed to consult my original handwritten manuscript to know what it was supposed to say.
Dragon didn’t learn. It would open other programs instead of typing what I was reading on the page. Sure, the words or something that resembled words appeared on the page more quickly than typing, but editing took much longer.
When I type, my typos usually consist of “tot he” for “to the” or I have a tendency to leave off letters such as “the” instead of “they.” Et cetera, et cetera. Dragon took editing for typos to a new level. Entire words changed or were absent. Capitalization was screwy. And don’t get me started on punctuation.
I found myself screaming into the microphone. Dragon became more trouble than it was worth. All the time it “saved” was lost during editing. My subsequent books are being typed the old-fashioned way. The concept behind Dragon sounds fantastic. My experience with the software scrapes bottom.
My opinion: Until Dragon fixes its issues, steer clear.
June 26, 2014
Exploring Doran
After receiving an obscene down payment of lons to begin his search for the elusive Naria, Dirk takes his ship to Doran—considered an insignificant planet by many—to pick up some regulars for the hunt and then some.
From Chapter 9 of Where Pirates go to Die:
Bars and scorpions littered the dusty streets of New Arizona. Dirk passed the General Store without a peek through the grit-laden windows. New Arizona was a well-worn city, although no one would admit to ever being there. It did not have the glitz or glamor of Galaxis. No fancy boutiques lined its unpaved avenues. People traveled there to get away from the prying eyes of the Patrolbots and savor more unsavory delights. A battered wooden sign swung over Dirk’s head. Reading, “Fox and Hound,” he entered. An older woman greeted him from behind a desk in a cozy, sterile lobby. “May I help you?” she asked with a smile. “I have an appointment with two-two-three,” Dirk said. The woman pressed a button. A young teenage boy entered through a door behind her. After she whispered in his ear, he nodded. “Follow me,” the boy said. They climbed a narrow staircase. A few men and a couple of women exited rooms off a long hallway. The boy unlocked a door with a metal key. Opening the door, the boy recited his spiel. “We’re a clean facility, so please use the cleansing station. Anti-transfer spray is provided. Your Eroi will be right with you. Tips are always welcome. Pay at the front desk when you leave.” He closed the door behind Dirk. In the center of the room, he waited. Dirk would not sit on any of the chairs and consciously avoided the bed. A man entered through a door on the opposite end of the room, wearing nothing more than a sock below his rippling abs. “Oh, it’s you,” he said. “Don’t sound so disappointed, Drake,” said Dirk. “I was hoping you’d be a real customer,” Drake said, flopping on the bed. Dirk dropped a bag of spare parts on the table. “I’ll make this quick. What do you know about a pirate named Naria?” Raising his eyebrows, Drake said, “Take your scraps and go.” “You’re loyal to her? What is she, one of your regulars?” “It’s not like that,” Drake said. “You saved my life, Dirk. My loyalty lies with you. I just don’t have anything to tell you about her.” “What about her crew? Pistol? Gorm? Wretch? Bob?” Sighing, Drake propped himself on his elbow. “I may have seen Pistol browsing the Flower Bazaar on Daisy not too long ago. Bought untraceable explosives. She said that she was experimenting, but she bought much more than for experiments.” Perhaps to break someone out of a highly secure prison, Dirk thought. “You want info about Naria, go see my former employer.”“Trick?”Drake nodded. “Be prepared to pay gobs of lons. Don’t mention me. That’s if you can find him.”“Thanks.” Dirk left the bag on the table as he walked out.When he reached the bottom of the stairs, a woman wearing a satin corset under a see-through robe stood in a doorway. “A word,” she said.He entered her boudoir without question.“Sit,” she ordered.Carefully, he sat on a red, poufy chair.Lounging on a chaise, she took a long drag from a pipe. “I let you come and go as you please, Dirk,” she stated. “Drake, who you found for me, is an excellent employee. He brings in the lons. Women love him and some men. For years, I have tolerated your fact-finding missions in my establishment. It’s time I cashed in the favor you owe me.”Dirk waited for her to continue while she puffed on her pipe.“Being an Eroi is not for everyone,” she lectured. “That’s why the oldest profession is overrun with androids. There is still something to be said for the human connection. That is why people seek us. Anyway, I need you to take a girl off my hands.”“A girl, Madam?”“Take her anywhere she wants to go, within reason.”“It’s not a good time. I'm hunting a dangerous criminal.”She laughed. “You’re always chasing someone or something.”“Who is going to look after this girl?” Dirk asked.“She can look after herself.” Getting up, she pressed a button near the door.A figure of a woman entered the room. Dirk noticed her large travel bag.“Selina,” said Madam, “this is the man I mentioned, Dirk.”Dirk’s eyes traveled up from her boots, over her clothes, which could never hide a weapon, to her face. Selina was barely a woman.“You’re welcome back here anytime,” Madam told Selina.Selina half smiled. “Thanks.”Madam made a weak attempt to hug her, but did not.“Good-bye,” Selina said, then walked out the other door with her bag.“Take good care of her,” Madam said to Dirk.Selina and her bag waited in the lobby. She followed Dirk onto the dusty streets.“I don’t run a shuttle service,” Dirk told her.“I know what you do,” Selina replied.He led her into one of the bars. “Madam told you?”“She told me enough,” she said. They sat at a table in the back corner of the room. “I am not a child.”“Never said you were.”A waitress brought drinks while Dirk studied the room. No one batted an eyelash at Dirk sitting with such a young woman. That was what he liked about Doran. People minded their own business. When Cheat entered, he immediately walked to their usual table.Sitting with them, Cheat stared at Selina.“Cheat is my First Mate and pilot,” he said. “Selina will be joining us.”“We got everything we needed,” Cheat mentioned without taking his eyes off of her.Dirk caught a glimpse of Selina’s plump lips caressing the rim of her glass. As she downed her drink, he knew that bringing her aboard his ship was a bad idea. Hoping that he would be dropping her off at the next stop, he said, “Let’s get off this poorly terraformed rock.”
From Chapter 9 of Where Pirates go to Die:
Bars and scorpions littered the dusty streets of New Arizona. Dirk passed the General Store without a peek through the grit-laden windows. New Arizona was a well-worn city, although no one would admit to ever being there. It did not have the glitz or glamor of Galaxis. No fancy boutiques lined its unpaved avenues. People traveled there to get away from the prying eyes of the Patrolbots and savor more unsavory delights. A battered wooden sign swung over Dirk’s head. Reading, “Fox and Hound,” he entered. An older woman greeted him from behind a desk in a cozy, sterile lobby. “May I help you?” she asked with a smile. “I have an appointment with two-two-three,” Dirk said. The woman pressed a button. A young teenage boy entered through a door behind her. After she whispered in his ear, he nodded. “Follow me,” the boy said. They climbed a narrow staircase. A few men and a couple of women exited rooms off a long hallway. The boy unlocked a door with a metal key. Opening the door, the boy recited his spiel. “We’re a clean facility, so please use the cleansing station. Anti-transfer spray is provided. Your Eroi will be right with you. Tips are always welcome. Pay at the front desk when you leave.” He closed the door behind Dirk. In the center of the room, he waited. Dirk would not sit on any of the chairs and consciously avoided the bed. A man entered through a door on the opposite end of the room, wearing nothing more than a sock below his rippling abs. “Oh, it’s you,” he said. “Don’t sound so disappointed, Drake,” said Dirk. “I was hoping you’d be a real customer,” Drake said, flopping on the bed. Dirk dropped a bag of spare parts on the table. “I’ll make this quick. What do you know about a pirate named Naria?” Raising his eyebrows, Drake said, “Take your scraps and go.” “You’re loyal to her? What is she, one of your regulars?” “It’s not like that,” Drake said. “You saved my life, Dirk. My loyalty lies with you. I just don’t have anything to tell you about her.” “What about her crew? Pistol? Gorm? Wretch? Bob?” Sighing, Drake propped himself on his elbow. “I may have seen Pistol browsing the Flower Bazaar on Daisy not too long ago. Bought untraceable explosives. She said that she was experimenting, but she bought much more than for experiments.” Perhaps to break someone out of a highly secure prison, Dirk thought. “You want info about Naria, go see my former employer.”“Trick?”Drake nodded. “Be prepared to pay gobs of lons. Don’t mention me. That’s if you can find him.”“Thanks.” Dirk left the bag on the table as he walked out.When he reached the bottom of the stairs, a woman wearing a satin corset under a see-through robe stood in a doorway. “A word,” she said.He entered her boudoir without question.“Sit,” she ordered.Carefully, he sat on a red, poufy chair.Lounging on a chaise, she took a long drag from a pipe. “I let you come and go as you please, Dirk,” she stated. “Drake, who you found for me, is an excellent employee. He brings in the lons. Women love him and some men. For years, I have tolerated your fact-finding missions in my establishment. It’s time I cashed in the favor you owe me.”Dirk waited for her to continue while she puffed on her pipe.“Being an Eroi is not for everyone,” she lectured. “That’s why the oldest profession is overrun with androids. There is still something to be said for the human connection. That is why people seek us. Anyway, I need you to take a girl off my hands.”“A girl, Madam?”“Take her anywhere she wants to go, within reason.”“It’s not a good time. I'm hunting a dangerous criminal.”She laughed. “You’re always chasing someone or something.”“Who is going to look after this girl?” Dirk asked.“She can look after herself.” Getting up, she pressed a button near the door.A figure of a woman entered the room. Dirk noticed her large travel bag.“Selina,” said Madam, “this is the man I mentioned, Dirk.”Dirk’s eyes traveled up from her boots, over her clothes, which could never hide a weapon, to her face. Selina was barely a woman.“You’re welcome back here anytime,” Madam told Selina.Selina half smiled. “Thanks.”Madam made a weak attempt to hug her, but did not.“Good-bye,” Selina said, then walked out the other door with her bag.“Take good care of her,” Madam said to Dirk.Selina and her bag waited in the lobby. She followed Dirk onto the dusty streets.“I don’t run a shuttle service,” Dirk told her.“I know what you do,” Selina replied.He led her into one of the bars. “Madam told you?”“She told me enough,” she said. They sat at a table in the back corner of the room. “I am not a child.”“Never said you were.”A waitress brought drinks while Dirk studied the room. No one batted an eyelash at Dirk sitting with such a young woman. That was what he liked about Doran. People minded their own business. When Cheat entered, he immediately walked to their usual table.Sitting with them, Cheat stared at Selina.“Cheat is my First Mate and pilot,” he said. “Selina will be joining us.”“We got everything we needed,” Cheat mentioned without taking his eyes off of her.Dirk caught a glimpse of Selina’s plump lips caressing the rim of her glass. As she downed her drink, he knew that bringing her aboard his ship was a bad idea. Hoping that he would be dropping her off at the next stop, he said, “Let’s get off this poorly terraformed rock.”
June 24, 2014
Digging into Dirk
A monologue from a main character in my upcoming space opera, Where Pirates go to Die.
Name: Dirk
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
I know what you’re thinking. How is it possible to be a Bounty Hunter in this day and age?
DNA tracing just shows where a person has been, not where that person actually is. Full or partial facial recognition doesn’t give you much unless you know the person’s pattern. Thermal imaging can’t tell exactly who is there.
All this data that tracks our every move needs interpretation. Sure, there are algorithms and all this other schmact that I don’t care about to analyze our thoughts and future actions. However, they can’t do my job.
When a Patrolbot enters a less than reputable den, criminals scatter like cockroaches. I enter like I’m one of them. And they always give up information for the right price.
Not everyone is cut out to be a Bounty Hunter. My connections keep my stick tabs full of lons and my ship flying in every quadrant in the Galaxy.
You think you can do what I do? Can you stay one step ahead of the Flyers so they don’t “relieve” you of your payment? Are you prepared to shoot anyone who gets in your way? Can you step on both sides of the law without being covered in schmact?
That’s what I thought. Now, scuttle back to the safety of your perfectly terraformed, Galaxy-run hunk of rock.
Name: Dirk
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
I know what you’re thinking. How is it possible to be a Bounty Hunter in this day and age?
DNA tracing just shows where a person has been, not where that person actually is. Full or partial facial recognition doesn’t give you much unless you know the person’s pattern. Thermal imaging can’t tell exactly who is there.
All this data that tracks our every move needs interpretation. Sure, there are algorithms and all this other schmact that I don’t care about to analyze our thoughts and future actions. However, they can’t do my job.
When a Patrolbot enters a less than reputable den, criminals scatter like cockroaches. I enter like I’m one of them. And they always give up information for the right price.
Not everyone is cut out to be a Bounty Hunter. My connections keep my stick tabs full of lons and my ship flying in every quadrant in the Galaxy.
You think you can do what I do? Can you stay one step ahead of the Flyers so they don’t “relieve” you of your payment? Are you prepared to shoot anyone who gets in your way? Can you step on both sides of the law without being covered in schmact?
That’s what I thought. Now, scuttle back to the safety of your perfectly terraformed, Galaxy-run hunk of rock.
June 8, 2014
Flying High
The Blue Angels against a blue sky.The roar of engines tearing through the blue. The smell of jet fuel mingling with sunscreen. Fighting against the tidal wave of the hordes. Yesterday, I attended the Air Show. The flying was amazing.
What I learned: What people can train their bodies to endure is incredible. 5 Gs? Most of us would have passed out well before.
In a large crowd, half will be pushing strollers.
The only shade lies under the planes on display. Unless you have a hangar into which to duck.
Everyone holds up their phones or tablets to take pictures. No one uses a real camera anymore, including yours truly, unless equipped with a telescopic lens.
The only thing that surpasses my not so great picture taking is my attempt at video taking. (My brother took the pic above.)
I should invest in a portable phone charger.
Just by watching how the planes do those tricky moves, my mind begins to roll.I am very excited to get my pen gliding across the page and integrate what I saw into one great space battle.
