C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 133

August 18, 2017

Shades of Memory Now Available on Pre-Order

Yesterday, September's second release, Shades of Memory went up on pre-order at Smashwords and Amazon. This one will also be released as a print-on-demand large-print paperback on CreateSpace. It will be available from all outlets on September 22, 2017.



When Aggie Dormain arrives in Canberra to paint some old diggers, she does not expect to meet an out-of-work archaeologist investigating an alien conspiracy, much less to be pulled into an adventure that would give Indiana Jones a run for his money.
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Published on August 18, 2017 21:30

Thursday's PokemonGo Medal: Gold Fairy Tale Girl

Finally, caught my 200th fairy-type pokemon - a marill. Now to work on evolving the biggest, meanest - can they even be mean? - azumarill possible... right after I work my way through the eevee.


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Published on August 18, 2017 19:21

Print-on-Demand Now Available for Volume 3 of the 2014 Short Works Collection

Currently only at the CreateSpace store, the third volume, fantasy and urban fantasy, of the short work released in 2014, will soon be available in print form from other vendors. This is the last one I've put out in both large and normal print versions. From here on out, I'll be doing large-print only due to time constraints on formatting.




















A collection of flash fiction, short stories, poems and essays where the genres of fantasy and urban fantasy explore depression, fear, facing the unexpected, and working through difficult situations. It is of adapting to a changing world, to dealing with fear, and about exploring a world where trolls, pixies, unicorns and fairies might be real. This collection is about the myths of the world, the fairytale world, the never was, and might have been.
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Published on August 18, 2017 15:30

August 17, 2017

Babes in London: Finalising Act 3

FINALIZING ACT 3
After the Library/University/Museum Investigation, visiting David Markovin, Emblae or the Fae:
When PCs have finished doing the investigation, they have a number of options. They can:

go and undertake the other avenues of investigation available (Go To Act III, Scene 4A for the Library Investigation, Act III, Scene 4B for the University Investigation, or Act III, Scene 4C for the Museum Investigation);go and investigate the gallery in Islington to find out about the painter David Markovin who has a studio in Cambden (go to Act III, Scene 1);go to David Markovin’s studio in Cambden (go to Act III, Scene 1);go to Emblae (if they have played The Fire Within) – in which case the faery identifies the creatures as the Red Boars of Set and gives them the information listed on pp. 36-37;go the Fae of Haverhill (if they have played The Fire Within) in which case PCs receive the information on p. 37contact the Gehenna Consortium, go to Act 3, Scene 3.contact allies in LN7, go to Act 3, Scene 2.check out ‘Half-Time Nursery & Landscaping Services’. (Go to Act 4, Scene 1.)
NOTE: This adventure is not sanctioned in any way, shape or form by Fantasy Flight. It is not an official product, and I am in no way affiliated with them or they with me. There is no relationship between us. This adventure is mine, for fun, and for you, because some of you asked me to finish it.

Also, if you like this adventure and want to play it, please go buy the official rulebooks from somewhere where the original creators and publisher of the setting will be paid. I got mine from a Melbourne game store, but I’ve found PDF versions of the Player's Handbook and the Gamemaster's Handbook are now available from DriveThruFiction. If you enjoy their world, this is the best way to thank them.


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Published on August 17, 2017 11:30

August 12, 2017

Progress Report: Week 1 August 2017


Last week, I managed to achieve all the goals I set, and then some. It was a bit of a relief. My exercise came back on line, I caught up on the class prep from the week before last, and got the class prep for last week done ahead of time for all bar one lesson. I also covered, edited, formatted and uploaded September’s first release The Starman’s Arrival , as well as finalising the pre-release for C.M. Simpson: Short Work from 2015-2016 .
I also got a bunch of other stuff done, including some writing, advancing some projects I wasn’t thinking of doing for a couple of years, and adjusting plans for next year. It was a busy week, but not too bad.
Week 1 ProgressNew words produced: 12,716Outlines and Notes: 1,874Works completed: 0Works edited: 2 ( The Starman’s Arrival, Shades of Memory )Covers created: 2 ( The Starman’s Arrival, Shades of Memory )Works published: 2 ( C.M. Simpson: Short Work from 2015-2016 )Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0Bloggery: 3,867University Prep and Assignments: A lot – 8 hours of lectures (catch up and prep), God knows how many hours of reading and class prep.




Writing News

Last week saw the third week of university commence – and I actually got to attend all my university classes. I also managed to prep for class AND still complete all of last week’s writing priorities, finalising the upload for both C.M. Simpson: Short Works from 2015 & 2016 and The Starman’s Arrival .

In addition, I did some much-needed writing. I have a couple of novels burning a hole in my brain, and thought I’d start work on them early, so next year should see Side Shift , Mack ‘n’ Me , and Arach . The last two share the same characters, and spring from at least one of my short stories ( Cloud Door ) and some of the flash fiction pieces produced for my flash fiction collections. The novel, Side Shift, was started before the short story Fate in the Sun was even an idea, but has become the progenitor story for the events that happen in Fate . Arach is set after events occurring in the Mack-n-Me flash fiction, and several years after Mack ‘n’ Me , itself, so it’s third on the writing priority list.
I also brought September’s second release up to the format stage for CreateSpace. It’s an urban fantasy thriller set in Canberra and involving machinations between the Russians, the Chinese and a super-secret Australian agency that is very much not on the books: Shades of Memory . I created the cover for it on Saturday.

When Aggie Dormain arrives in Canberra to paint some old diggers, she does not expect to meet an out-of-work archaeologist investigating an alien conspiracy, much less to be pulled into an adventure that would give Indiana Jones a run for his money.
I also had an idea arrive for a non-fiction research book, and some development on the first novel instalment for the Aftermath of Shadow series. But study first – real life, later.
And, last, but by no means least, I approved the paperback version of Freeman’s Choice for release. It’s currently available on the CreateSpace store, and will shortly be available from other vendors like Amazon.

When Lorellan Cartwright finds buying back the woman he loves an impossible task, he promptly steals her away, but escaping from the criminally minded third duke of Aristoc and reaching a place of safety are two very different things. And stealing from the duke embroils Lorellan and Megan in the politics of crime lords, long forgotten races of fantasy, aliens and interstellar law enforcement. Can they escape the tangled webs woven by others and find refuge? Or will they join the ranks of those who tried before and failed?
June-July Challenge: Babes in London
Last week saw me prepare the next three instalments of Babes in London. Act 3 Rewards went up on Friday, and Act 3 Finalisation is coming up for the end of this week. Next week will see us heading into the final act with the set-up for Act 4, Scene 1, and the week after will see the first stage of investigations.
NOTE: This adventure is not sanctioned in any way, shape or form by Fantasy Flight. It is not an official product, and I am in no way affiliated with them or they with me. There is no relationship between us. This adventure is mine, for fun, and for you, because some of you asked me to finish it.

Also, if you like this adventure and want to play it, please go buy the official rulebooks from somewhere where the original creators and publisher of the setting will be paid. I got mine from a Melbourne game store, but I’ve found PDF versions of the Player's Handbook and the Gamemaster's Handbook are now available from DriveThruFiction. If you enjoy their world, this is the best way to thank them.


Ingress Updates
This week’s Ingress consisted of walking to and from class, with an hour in the middle of the week devoted to micro-fielding. I also managed to get an hour of walking done every day this week, bar one… and for that I was a minute short, so, that was a success on the exercise front, and I feel a lot better for it.
As to Ingress itself, the main achievement for the week wasn’t made by walking, but by creating portals to walk to later: gold Recon. It’s amazing just how many portals you can assess while catching up on eight hours’ worth of lectures.

PokemonGo Updates
This week’s PokemonGo was fairly minimal, with Ingress having priority after a week’s enforced low-level play. I did, however, manage to add a new pokemon to the Johto pokedex, and hatch a few eggs, which wasn’t a bad way to round out the week.




















Priorities for Week 1, July 2017This week’s priorities are as follows:
keep up with class prep;finalise the format and upload of Shades of Memory ;maintain walking fitness;finalise the edit, format and upload of Fate in the Sun ;begin the edit of Army boots and Stilettos (written as Carlie Simonsen);continue work on Side Shift and at least Mack ‘n’ Me ;begin writing my first 3,000-word essay assignment for completion next week.
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Published on August 12, 2017 17:33

New Release: Freeman's Choice

I almost forgot this was a release week. I've been so busy trying to get everything else ready that the day just slipped... that, and I got really sidetracked writing Mack 'n' Me and Side Shift , as well as suckered by Shades while I was editing it. Love it when a story drags me under during edits, but I hate neglecting any of them so, without more ado, here is Freeman's Choice . It's my first science fiction fantasy novel, one of my earliest novels (although that might not be such a plus), the kick-off for a new novel setting, and was a lot of fun to write. Like most things, it was a journey of discovery, and the stories it has spawned will take me a little bit to get to you, but they're coming.

In the meantime, you can find Freeman's Choice at Smashwords (in all available formats), DriveThruFiction (as a PDF), Amazon (as a kindle ebook), CreateSpace (as a large print trade paperback), and via Draft2Digital, CreateSpace, and Smashwords distribution.



When Lorellan Cartwright finds buying back the woman he loves an impossible task, he promptly steals her away, but escaping from the criminally minded third duke of Aristoc and reaching a place of safety are two very different things. And stealing from the duke embroils Lorellan and Megan in the politics of crime lords, long forgotten races of fantasy, aliens and interstellar law enforcement. Can they escape the tangled webs woven by others and find refuge? Or will they join the ranks of those who tried before and failed?
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Published on August 12, 2017 17:20

New Cover: Shades of Memory



Completed this cover last night. I wanted something more, but this is about the limit of what I can do right now. It suits, although I think it needs a werewolf. Still, it’s welcome, and I’m glad it’s done.



When Aggie Dormain arrives in Canberra to paint some old diggers, she does not expect to meet an out-of-work archaeologist investigating an alien conspiracy, much less to be pulled into an adventure that would give Indiana Jones a run for his money.
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Published on August 12, 2017 17:12

August 10, 2017

The Starman's Arrival is now up for pre-order

Wednesday, saw the pre-order go live for another short story. This one is a first-contact science-fiction tale called The Starman's Arrival .

Knocking over those crates of beer was a death sentence. I did it on purpose, in front of everyone, and then I did the only thing I could—I ran. I think I saved the starman. Now, the only way I’ll know, is if the supply ship comes in time to drive the raiders away—and I get back out of Blacklegs’ Forest alive. Wish me luck, okay? I’m gonna need it.
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Published on August 10, 2017 18:49

PokemonGo and Ingress: One New Pokemon and a Medal

Yesterday was one of those busy days, where I fitted in some PokemonGo and a bit of Ingress around class, study and writing.

I was very happy to capture this little fellow at a local portal, just before school pick-up:

And even happier today, when I scored another one in the same location - although a third one got away after scarfing down a few pineapps and going through most of my balls. I swear, I don't want to play bounce with these guys, but they just don't get it.






















I didn't have a lot of time between pick-up and getting back from class, so I filled it by eating lunch and crunching through a few more portals in Operation Portal Recon. I managed another hundred and fifty or so, before I had to get back to the business of real life and responsibility, but it was a good break. Later, last night, the results came through, so, later today, I'll begin the journey towards platinum... once my lesson prep is done.


So far, it's been a pretty good week. One more day to go... I wonder what mischief I can get into by then...


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Published on August 10, 2017 18:43

Babes in London: Act Three Rewards

Adventure Points:

Scene 1a:
Nil
Scene 1b:
Defeating the Setites:
1 humanity OR heritage AP: depending on the method used in the battle.
Modern Reward: Friend of the Artist David Markovin: The PC has saved David Markovin from kidnap and possible death. The artist now feels he owes the PC a debt of gratitude. He is willing to either owe the PCs a favour until they are able to call it in (Mechanics: PC gains the Edge: Allies and is able to call on David Markovin, once per game session, in time of need); or paint the PC a picture depicting a scene of their choice in order to express his thanks (Mechanics: PC gains a rank 1 karmic item for his or her hoard, after a six-month wait for the artist to complete the piece.)
Modern Consequence: Enmity of the Setites: The PC has once again gotten in the way of a Setite goal; this time by interfering with the capture of the artist David Markovin and the retrieval of certain items from his house. Their description is being circulated to Setite cells with the instructions that any Setite encountering them is to, where practicable, seriously injure the PC and/or actively work to foil the PC’s apparent goals. Mechanics: Once per session, on a roll of 1 on a six-sided dice, the PC experiences some Setite-originated setback in their plans or actions OR is attacked by a Setite assassin in a scene set in modern times.
Scene 2
Modern Consequence: Friend of LN7: The PC is part of a group has so far proven useful to LN7 and who has agreed to further dealings with the group. The PC is now under LN7 investigation and surveillance and may request assistance in the area of research and or medical aid once per adventure module, or every two Acts.
Modern Consequence: Access to LN7’s Library Assistance: Because his group was willing to sell or donate Anika’s Book of Law and/or Leyila’s Book of Songs, the PC has been granted access to LN7’s library, however, when Agent Mark Ambersides said he was granting access to his organization’s library, he didn’t actually mean access to the library proper. What he meant was access to the services of a library assistant and a small cubicle in the library’s outer sanctum. When the PC wishes to find out any information, he enters the cubicle where he is greeted by a library assistant who asks him the nature of the topic or area he wishes to research. The assistant then asks him to wait while the books are found and brought to the cubicle for perusal. Books cannot leave the cubicle and permission to scan or photocopy is rarely granted, although PCs can take as many notes as they like. In this way LN7 controls the information to which the PCs are allowed access and controls the movement of the information in the general community.
Scene 3
Friend of the Gehenna Consortium: The PC is part of a group has so far proven useful to the Consortium and who has agreed to further dealings with the company. The PC is now under Gehenna Consortium investigation and surveillance and may request assistance in the area of research and or medical aid once per adventure module, or every two Acts.
Scene 4
4A: Library Investigation:
A total of 1 humanity AP for: finding the book.
1 humanity OR heritage AP (whichever is more appropriate): for defeating the guardian.
Friend of Sir Thomas Jamieson: The librarian, Sir Thomas Jamieson, feels he owes the PC a favour for saving his life. (Mechanics: PC gains the free edge: Allies (Sir Thomas Jamieson). Once per game session, the PC may ask Sir Thomas for assistance in researching some esoteric topic; this grants the PC a -2 to the TH of their research test.
4B: University Investigation:
A total of 1 humanity AP for: finding the archaeologist.
1 humanity OR heritage AP (whichever is more appropriate): for defeating the guardian.
Friend of Professor Kate Wyman: The archaeologist/anthropologist, Professor Kate Wyman, feels she owes the PCs a favour for saving her life. (Mechanics: PC gains the free edge: Allies (Professor Kate Wyman). Once per game session, the PC may ask the professor for assistance related to her field.) This grants the PCs a -2 to the TH of their research test.
4C: Museum Investigation:
A total of 1 humanity AP for: finding the book.
1 humanity OR heritage AP (whichever is more appropriate): for defeating the guardian.
Friend of Professor Angelina McKay: The archaeologist/anthropologist, Professor Angelina McKay, feels she owes the PCs a favour for saving her life. (Mechanics: PC gains the free edge: Allies (Professor Angelina McKay, Archaeologist/Anthropologist). Once per game session, the PC may ask the professor for assistance related to her field. This grants the PCs a -2 to the TH of their research test.
4D: Final Battle
A total of 1 heritage point: for defeating the servants of Set.
Karma = Base Air
Mythic Result with possible Modern Consequences: Enemy of Set: Because of their instrumental part in the downfall of the cult of Set, the PC has been marked as Set’s enemies. As a result any servant of Set encountering the PC in mythic times was obligated to attempt to kill them and destroy any endeavour on which the PC embarked. IF the PC’s draconic identity is discovered by modern Setites, and is communicated to the entity that is still Set, then all modern servants of Set will be given the PC’s identity and instructed to destroy the PC and their modern endeavours.
Mythic/Modern Reward: The PC has saved the dragon, Kelia’s, life, and earned her gratitude. The PC now possesses the title: Friend of Kelia, and gains an ally in both mythic and modern times (Mechanics: PCs gain the free Edge – Allies 2: Kelia, which can be upgraded (if PCs spend an additional 3 APs) to Allies 3: Kelia + 1 other member of Kredak’s Brood, OR if they spend an additional 7 APs, they can upgrade this edge to Edge – Allies 4: Kelia + 2 other members of Kelia’s Brood. This reflects the other interactions they have had with Kelia and her brood, over the ages.).

NOTE: This adventure is not sanctioned in any way, shape or form by Fantasy Flight. It is not an official product, and I am in no way affiliated with them or they with me. There is no relationship between us. This adventure is mine, for fun, and for you, because some of you asked me to finish it.

Also, if you like this adventure and want to play it, please go buy the official rulebooks from somewhere where the original creators and publisher of the setting will be paid. I got mine from a Melbourne game store, but I’ve found PDF versions of the Player's Handbook and the Gamemaster's Handbook are now available from DriveThruFiction. If you enjoy their world, this is the best way to thank them.


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Published on August 10, 2017 18:09