Chris Ward's Blog, page 14
June 5, 2012
Going Underground is Going Free 6th/7th June
Going Underground - going FREE Wed 6th & Thurs 7th June 2012
Going Underground is going FREE Wed 6th& Thurs 7th (Amazon link)
Going Underground is a near-future dystopian short story set vaguely in the same world as my novel, The Tube Riders. The central character is Rob, a young man who lives in the desolate outskirts of London, and who has a dream – to find out if the Underground trains still run.
This story was originally published in the ezine Noctober back in February 2009. As with dozens of other small press magazines I’ve come to know over the years, Noctober was short-lived – Going Underground was in the first of only three issues. However, magazine acceptance is something I value highly regardless of how small the magazine is – it is a sign that your work is reaching a standard where other people like it. A lot of indie writers that have emerged with the Amazon self-publishing revolution have never spent time struggling to get published, either at major publishers or even in small press ezines. To me that struggle is an important part of being a writer – it is one of many processes through which your writing and your resolve improves, and judging by a lot of the self-published junk on Amazon that gives all indie writers a bad name it is a process that a lot of so-called writers should make use of before they join the stampede to upload.
Anyway, enough complaining about rubbish writers … the cover of the story is just a staircase leading down into an underground station. Like the story, the cover represents mystery, not knowing what you will find around the next corner. A lot of my short stories end this way, because while a novel often has a complete story arc, many short stories are left open to interpretation, and this is the beauty of them. There is a huge difference between incomplete and inconclusive.
So, Going Underground is FREE this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Please read and enjoy.
http://www.amazon.com/Going-Undergrou...
CW
(taken from my blog, where you see pictures and stuff - http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...)
Going Underground is going FREE Wed 6th& Thurs 7th (Amazon link)
Going Underground is a near-future dystopian short story set vaguely in the same world as my novel, The Tube Riders. The central character is Rob, a young man who lives in the desolate outskirts of London, and who has a dream – to find out if the Underground trains still run.
This story was originally published in the ezine Noctober back in February 2009. As with dozens of other small press magazines I’ve come to know over the years, Noctober was short-lived – Going Underground was in the first of only three issues. However, magazine acceptance is something I value highly regardless of how small the magazine is – it is a sign that your work is reaching a standard where other people like it. A lot of indie writers that have emerged with the Amazon self-publishing revolution have never spent time struggling to get published, either at major publishers or even in small press ezines. To me that struggle is an important part of being a writer – it is one of many processes through which your writing and your resolve improves, and judging by a lot of the self-published junk on Amazon that gives all indie writers a bad name it is a process that a lot of so-called writers should make use of before they join the stampede to upload.
Anyway, enough complaining about rubbish writers … the cover of the story is just a staircase leading down into an underground station. Like the story, the cover represents mystery, not knowing what you will find around the next corner. A lot of my short stories end this way, because while a novel often has a complete story arc, many short stories are left open to interpretation, and this is the beauty of them. There is a huge difference between incomplete and inconclusive.
So, Going Underground is FREE this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Please read and enjoy.
http://www.amazon.com/Going-Undergrou...
CW
(taken from my blog, where you see pictures and stuff - http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...)
May 24, 2012
Cover art for The Man Who Built The World
Here are a number of cover art ideas for my next novel to be published, The Man Who Built the World. This is a stand alone ghost/horror story. I made these covers myself so I appreciate any comments or suggestions.
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
How to set up a Facebook Ad
Here's my step by step guide, together with screen shots and comments.
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
I welcome any comments. Please let me know how you got on with your own Facebook ads!
Chris Ward
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
I welcome any comments. Please let me know how you got on with your own Facebook ads!
Chris Ward
May 15, 2012
Book review - The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
I posted a review of this book on my blog here -
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
Overall, I thought it was a very well written book and worth 4.5 stars. I would definitely recommend it.
(The indie editor in me spotted three typos though ... ;-) )
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
Overall, I thought it was a very well written book and worth 4.5 stars. I would definitely recommend it.
(The indie editor in me spotted three typos though ... ;-) )
April 25, 2012
What does a Createspace book look like?
Here's my most recent blog post, featuring lots of pictures plus my comments on the quality/speed/cost of my Createspace book.
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
April 13, 2012
A Gallery of Tokyo Street Signs
Some pictures of street signs in Tokyo and my explanations of them can be found here on my latest blog.
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
(Sorry, all my posts will be on my proper blog now, not here on Goodreads)
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
(Sorry, all my posts will be on my proper blog now, not here on Goodreads)
April 11, 2012
My blog - The history of Miffy
Here's the first proper post on my new blog, all about my cute cat, Miffy. If you like cats you might like these videos.
This is the history of Miffy, from when we found her as a weak, abandoned kitten to the present day.
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
If you enjoy it, please share!
CW
This is the history of Miffy, from when we found her as a weak, abandoned kitten to the present day.
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
If you enjoy it, please share!
CW
New Blog!
Okay, I've set up a proper blog. Finally, after many, many years of saying that I never would.
Here's the link -
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
I live in Japan (hence the .jp), but my blog will be in English.
I will write about my whole life, not just my books.
This will include posts on -
Travel
Life in Japan
The cricket team I manage
My cat!
My writing
My band, Steampunk Unicorn
Book/music reviews I write
All the things that annoy me!
And pretty much anything else I can think of, including lots of photos taken from my wonderful (free with a contract!) iPhone 4S, the only decent piece of technology I've ever owned.
I haven't written anything yet, because I literally only set it up ten minutes ago (and I'm at work ...! ;-0 )but I will.
Feel free to stop by.
Chris Ward
Here's the link -
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blog...
I live in Japan (hence the .jp), but my blog will be in English.
I will write about my whole life, not just my books.
This will include posts on -
Travel
Life in Japan
The cricket team I manage
My cat!
My writing
My band, Steampunk Unicorn
Book/music reviews I write
All the things that annoy me!
And pretty much anything else I can think of, including lots of photos taken from my wonderful (free with a contract!) iPhone 4S, the only decent piece of technology I've ever owned.
I haven't written anything yet, because I literally only set it up ten minutes ago (and I'm at work ...! ;-0 )but I will.
Feel free to stop by.
Chris Ward
March 14, 2012
The Tube Riders third teaser snippet
Chapter One - Breakfall (excerpt)
As the others said their goodbyes and left, Marta stood for a moment, looking out across the park towards the huge elevated highway overpass that rose above the city to the south. Half finished, it arched up out of the terraces and housing blocks to the east, rising steadily to a height of five hundred feet. There, at the point where it should have begun its gradual decent to the west, it just ended, sawn off, amputated.
Years ago, she remembered her father standing here with her, telling her about the future. Things had been better then. She’d still been going to school, still believed the world was good, still had dreams about getting a good job like a lawyer or an architect and hadn’t started to do the deplorable things that made her wake up shivering, just to get food or the items she needed to survive.
He had taken her hand and given it a little squeeze. She still remembered the warmth of his skin, the strength and assurance in those fingers. With his other arm he had pointed up at the overpass, in those days busy with scaffolding, cranes and ant-like construction workers, and told her how one day they would take their car, and drive right up over it and out of the city. The government was going to open up London Greater Urban Area again, he said. Let the city people out, and the people from the Greater Forest Areas back in. The smoggy, grey skies of London GUA would clear, the sirens would stop wailing all night, and people would be able to take the chains and the deadlocks off their doors. She remembered how happy she’d felt with her father’s arms around her, holding her close, protecting her.
But something had happened. She didn’t know everything – no one did – but things had changed. The government hadn’t done any of those things. The construction stopped, the skies remained grey, and life got even worse. Riots waited around every street corner. People disappeared without warning amid tearful rumours that the Huntsmen were set to return.
Marta sighed, biting her lip. Her parents and her brother were gone. Marta was just twenty-one, but St. Cannerwells Park was the closest she would ever get to seeing the countryside, and the euphoria of tube riding was the closest she would ever get to happiness.
She gripped the fence with both hands and gritted her teeth, trying not to cry. She was tough. She had seen and done things that no one her age should have to experience. She had adjusted to Mega Britain’s harshness, was accustomed to looking after herself, but just sometimes, life became too much to bear.
As the rain began to get heavier, tears pressed from her eyes and rolled lethargically down her cheeks.
The Tube Riders by Chris Ward is released Monday 19th March 2012.
As the others said their goodbyes and left, Marta stood for a moment, looking out across the park towards the huge elevated highway overpass that rose above the city to the south. Half finished, it arched up out of the terraces and housing blocks to the east, rising steadily to a height of five hundred feet. There, at the point where it should have begun its gradual decent to the west, it just ended, sawn off, amputated.
Years ago, she remembered her father standing here with her, telling her about the future. Things had been better then. She’d still been going to school, still believed the world was good, still had dreams about getting a good job like a lawyer or an architect and hadn’t started to do the deplorable things that made her wake up shivering, just to get food or the items she needed to survive.
He had taken her hand and given it a little squeeze. She still remembered the warmth of his skin, the strength and assurance in those fingers. With his other arm he had pointed up at the overpass, in those days busy with scaffolding, cranes and ant-like construction workers, and told her how one day they would take their car, and drive right up over it and out of the city. The government was going to open up London Greater Urban Area again, he said. Let the city people out, and the people from the Greater Forest Areas back in. The smoggy, grey skies of London GUA would clear, the sirens would stop wailing all night, and people would be able to take the chains and the deadlocks off their doors. She remembered how happy she’d felt with her father’s arms around her, holding her close, protecting her.
But something had happened. She didn’t know everything – no one did – but things had changed. The government hadn’t done any of those things. The construction stopped, the skies remained grey, and life got even worse. Riots waited around every street corner. People disappeared without warning amid tearful rumours that the Huntsmen were set to return.
Marta sighed, biting her lip. Her parents and her brother were gone. Marta was just twenty-one, but St. Cannerwells Park was the closest she would ever get to seeing the countryside, and the euphoria of tube riding was the closest she would ever get to happiness.
She gripped the fence with both hands and gritted her teeth, trying not to cry. She was tough. She had seen and done things that no one her age should have to experience. She had adjusted to Mega Britain’s harshness, was accustomed to looking after herself, but just sometimes, life became too much to bear.
As the rain began to get heavier, tears pressed from her eyes and rolled lethargically down her cheeks.
The Tube Riders by Chris Ward is released Monday 19th March 2012.
March 11, 2012
The Tube Riders second teaser snippet
Chapter Fifty-two - Mistakes (excerpt)
The Land Rover began to slow.
‘What’s going on?’
Carl and Owen stood up, looking forward over the top of the Land Rover’s cab.
‘Oh, shit, there’s one in the road.’
Owen cocked his gun. ‘Let’s blast it.’
Reeder leaned out of the cab and called back, ‘Hold steady. We might be able to circle around it.’
‘What is that?’ Jess said.
As they came closer they realized it wasn’t a human at all. It looked more like a bear, curled up in the road. Thick hair covered its body. Thin, human-sized legs were bunched up under it, and its face was buried in its arms.
‘Perhaps it’s dead,’ Paul said.
Reeder closed to within twenty feet of it, and then started to turn the Land Rover to the right, trying to find a way around the creature without touching it.
‘Ah,’ they heard him exclaim. ‘There’s a ditch on this side. It’s going to be a little tight. Hold on.’
‘Keep your gun on it,’ Owen said to Carl.
Carl pulled the heavy gun up to his shoulder, aiming the sight at the furry creature as it came up on their left. It still hadn’t moved, but it was almost close enough to touch.
‘We’re going to hit it!’ Paul said, leaning forward to look over the side of the Land Rover. The creature was directly below them, barely inches from the front wheel as the Land Rover moved forward in fits and starts, the wheels spinning in the mud to the right of the road.
Owen pointed his own gun, but Carl could tell from one glance at the boy that he was freaked out too. Through the thick hair they could see flashes of metal, wires protruding out of its head.
The Land Rover inched further forward. The back wheel came level with the creature. A couple more feet and it would be behind them.
‘Come on, Reeder . . .’ Paul muttered, wincing.
The Land Rover jerked forward. Carl let out a deep breath as the back wheel moved past the creature. ‘Just a little more,’ he heard Owen whisper beside him.
Then all hell broke loose. Reeder gunned the engine, only for the back wheels to spin, one in the mud, the other bumping into a pothole. Muddy water sprayed the creature, and the tire grazed against its side.
The monster leapt up with a grating roar, a scarred, scabby, blinded human face rushing up towards them. Thick, furry arms gripped the rear side of the Land Rover and the creature swung up into the back. Furry human hands raked at them and black, jagged teeth snapped at their necks as breath as thick as engine oil pulled vomit up into their throats.
The Tube Riders by Chris Ward is released Monday 19th of March 2012
The Land Rover began to slow.
‘What’s going on?’
Carl and Owen stood up, looking forward over the top of the Land Rover’s cab.
‘Oh, shit, there’s one in the road.’
Owen cocked his gun. ‘Let’s blast it.’
Reeder leaned out of the cab and called back, ‘Hold steady. We might be able to circle around it.’
‘What is that?’ Jess said.
As they came closer they realized it wasn’t a human at all. It looked more like a bear, curled up in the road. Thick hair covered its body. Thin, human-sized legs were bunched up under it, and its face was buried in its arms.
‘Perhaps it’s dead,’ Paul said.
Reeder closed to within twenty feet of it, and then started to turn the Land Rover to the right, trying to find a way around the creature without touching it.
‘Ah,’ they heard him exclaim. ‘There’s a ditch on this side. It’s going to be a little tight. Hold on.’
‘Keep your gun on it,’ Owen said to Carl.
Carl pulled the heavy gun up to his shoulder, aiming the sight at the furry creature as it came up on their left. It still hadn’t moved, but it was almost close enough to touch.
‘We’re going to hit it!’ Paul said, leaning forward to look over the side of the Land Rover. The creature was directly below them, barely inches from the front wheel as the Land Rover moved forward in fits and starts, the wheels spinning in the mud to the right of the road.
Owen pointed his own gun, but Carl could tell from one glance at the boy that he was freaked out too. Through the thick hair they could see flashes of metal, wires protruding out of its head.
The Land Rover inched further forward. The back wheel came level with the creature. A couple more feet and it would be behind them.
‘Come on, Reeder . . .’ Paul muttered, wincing.
The Land Rover jerked forward. Carl let out a deep breath as the back wheel moved past the creature. ‘Just a little more,’ he heard Owen whisper beside him.
Then all hell broke loose. Reeder gunned the engine, only for the back wheels to spin, one in the mud, the other bumping into a pothole. Muddy water sprayed the creature, and the tire grazed against its side.
The monster leapt up with a grating roar, a scarred, scabby, blinded human face rushing up towards them. Thick, furry arms gripped the rear side of the Land Rover and the creature swung up into the back. Furry human hands raked at them and black, jagged teeth snapped at their necks as breath as thick as engine oil pulled vomit up into their throats.
The Tube Riders by Chris Ward is released Monday 19th of March 2012
