C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 204
August 28, 2013
Flying with Friends Released
Flying with Friends
has been uploaded to the following platforms: Amazon-Kindle (.prc, print-on-demand), DriveThruFiction (PDF), Kobo (epub), OmniLit (.prc, PDF, html), Smashwords (.prc, html, epub, text, PDF, rtf, lrf, pdb), CreateSpace (print-on-demand). Those with links are available today, the rest will follow shortly.
Jack has been looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Not just because it is a break away from school, but because, this Christmas holidays, he is going to learn to fly. The only thing that mars his trip is the flash of blue he sees behind them on a remote dirt track. Why would someone be following them way out here? Is he seeing things?
Flying with Friends is the second book in the Wings chapter book series, set around a family with wings and bird-like feet.
Jack has been looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Not just because it is a break away from school, but because, this Christmas holidays, he is going to learn to fly. The only thing that mars his trip is the flash of blue he sees behind them on a remote dirt track. Why would someone be following them way out here? Is he seeing things?
Flying with Friends is the second book in the Wings chapter book series, set around a family with wings and bird-like feet.
August 27, 2013
Australian Birds: Red Wattlebird ( Anthochaera carunculata)
This very hard to approach, photograph and see bird is a red wattlebird. If you look closely, you can see the red bits dangling just below its 'ears'. I have seen a yellow wattlebird, as well, but only in Tasmania. This one was photographed in Canberra, and was definitely not in a cooperative mood. See if you can find it in each of the pictures below.
August 25, 2013
New Cover: Flying with Friends as Carlie Simonsen
I have a cover for my newest chapter book in the Wings series: Flying with Friends .
Jack has been looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Not just because it was a break away from school, but because, this Christmas holidays, he was going to learn to fly. The only thing that mars his trip is the flash of blue he sees behind them on a remote dirt track. Why would someone be following them way out here? Is he seeing things?
Flying with Friends is the second book in the Wings chapter book series, set around a family with wings and bird-like feet.
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand cover
August 24, 2013
Progress Report: Week 4 August 2013
Very long week, with several major disruptions to routine. Not a lot done, unfortunately. This week will be better.OverviewNew words produced: 2,753Old words revised: 2,445Works completed: 0 (20 poems prepared for incorporation in anthologies)Works revised: 0 (20 poems revised for incorporation in anthologies)Covers created: 2 (2-5 variations)Works published: 0 (2-3 release platforms)Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0
Extra TasksShortStory36—Stiletto’s Luck: added 1,700 words.
Publishing Tasks
Created 4 blog posts for this blog;Created 3 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Created covers for C.M. Simpson’s Stiletto’s Luck and Madeleine Torr’s Country Rush
New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:
WritingCraft5: to do with words.
The following ideas were rediscovered and assigned a project number:
Poem128—Look Beyond and ConsiderPoem129—Baresark Genes and Modern TimesPoem130—Carparks, Sunshine and the DarkPoem131—Saturn MinePoem132—Conversing with the WorldPoem133—In the Evening he Comes to MePoem134—In the Morning I Wake himPoem135—Love StalksPoem 136—Secrets of the BloodPoem137—RegretPoem138—Waiting for the Night LoverPoem139—Shapeshifters and DesirePoem140—The Reluctant PoetPoem141—Dark Horse RisingPoem142—Newsman 9-11Poem143—Inappropriated UniformPoem144—Fears from the BombingsPoem145—Kuda-Kuda BerlariPoem146—Di Bawah La LunaPoem147—In the Deeps of Spinel BayPoem148—FrustrationPoem149—Bury me Deep
August 22, 2013
Adventure Edition - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost, Act Two, Scene Two
You can find the introduction to the Babes in London adventure sequence HERE, the background to Act One HERE, the Overview for Act One HERE., Act One Scenes 1-2 HERE and Act One Scene 3 HERE.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
SCENE TWO: AT THE PARK
If the PCs go to the park, read (or paraphrase) the following:
There are already people scouring the park. From the footpath across the street, you can see three main groups. The fella with the dog is there. He looks like he’s playing fetch with the monster, sitting on the edge of the round-a-bout and throwing a bright blue bone the size of your forearm. Whenever the dog grabs it, the bone gives out this ear-splitting shriek that’s got to be driving everyone in earshot crazy. The limo’s back, parked at the kerb on the opposite side of the park. The couple in it are drinking coffee and reading their papers. The direction of their gaze says they’re keeping tabs on what’s going on in the park.
Investigating the People in the Limo: If the PCs have already met the Gehenna Consortium, this is where they can renew their contact. If they haven’t here is a chance for them to get involved.(i) A New Gehenna Consortium Contact: If the PCs approach the car and they have not yet contacted the Gehenna Consortium, Alice (see p.28) pretends not to see them until they tap on the outside of her window. Read of paraphrase the following:
With what might be an exasperated frown, the auburn-haired lady cracks her window. “Can I help you?” she asks, and you notice the tones of aristocracy in her voice.
Alice has brown eyes, if the PCs want to know. She asks the PCs to explain what they want. If the PCs ask about the girl, she pretends suspicion and demands to know what their interest is in the girls. If the PCs state that they are interested in the girls’ welfare, she explains that her company is also interested in the girls and their families, claiming that they are part of a routine investigation for the Brontina Mining Company’s Human Resources Department. It seems that Trevor Andrews, Leyila’s father, has applied to do some engineering work in Australia for them. (This is a half-truth. If PCs are suspicious of Alice’s explanation, they can make an Earth – Interaction/Trickery; test to oppose Alice’s Air – Trickery test. Alice has made a stance change based on her Trickery score so her aspects are currently: F1, W1, A7, E3. She is at her most persuasive, and the mook driving the car is ready to drive her out of trouble: F2, W5, A2, E2.)If the PCs seem amenable, or if one of them is a private investigator, Alice states that she has the authority to hire extra personnel if she needs them and, seeing as they are likely to get under each other’s feet if they work against each other, would the PCs consider continuing their investigations and being paid for it? If the PCs agree, she can offer them £100/day each for them to continue the search for the missing girls and report back to her. If the PCs accept her offer, they gain the status of ‘Friends of the Consortium’. If they decline, they have attracted the Consortium’s attention and come under increasingly close scrutiny as the adventure progresses. Alice also warns them away from the guy with the dog in the same way as she does in (ii) below.(ii) Renewing a Gehenna Consortium Contact: The PCs recognize the car from their previous encounter with the Gehenna Consortium. If they have been told to meet a Consortium contact at the park, this is one of their options. As they are already ‘Friends of the Consortium’, Alice explains that the terms of their hire have changed to match the circumstances. The PCs are now tasked with finding out what happened to the girls and retrieving them if possible. She also warns them to stay away from the man and the dog – “We know all about them; they’re not friends. Don’t have anything to do with them.” If the PCs are already involved with LN7 and Alice discovers this, she terminates their contract immediately. (PCs also later discover that their accounts have been cleared out and that the bank is reluctant to reopen them, or to admit it ever had any dealings with them. The bank’s reaction is so extreme that persistent PCs will find themselves escorted from the premises by security.) Investigating the Guy with the Dog: If the PCs have already met the LN7 operatives, this is where they can renew their contact. If they haven’t here is a chance for them to get involved.(i) A New LN7 Contact: If the PCs have not yet met LN7, they may wish to try and approach the man with the dog. He asks them what they are doing in the park. “Could be bad for you, you know? Put you on the wrong side of a police investigation, with these two little girls gone. ” If the PCs reveal their interest in the girls, the operative gives his name as Mark Ambersides. He uses the same cover story as Alice, claiming to be a Human Resources investigator for the Brontina Mining Company. In his case it is the truth; his work for LN7 relies on his being able to travel all over the world in the course of his work. He also offers to hire them to continue the investigations for £100/day each and warns them away from the Gehenna Consortium limo as in (ii) below. If they accept his offer, they gain the status of ‘Friends of LN7’.(ii) Renewing an LN7 Contact: The PCs recognize the dog, if not the agent, who is wearing yet another dolphin t-shirt. As they approach, the dog curls up at its master’s feet and chews the blue plastic bone, causing it to squeal in protest. A nudge from the toe of its owner makes it stop so that they can speak. The agent explains that the terms of their hire have changed now that the girls have gone missing. The PCs are now tasked with finding out what happened to the girls and retrieving them if possible. He also indicates the limo and tells PCs to stay away from it. “It belongs to the Gehenna Consortium. They’ve got all sorts of shady deals going. Been known to mess with the black arts. A very bad bunch.” If the PCs reveal dealings with the Consortium, the operative asks them to terminate these dealings and suggests a quiet meeting later to discuss alternative employment. The PCs are now being watched by other operatives and if they continue dealing with the Consortium, they will be designated ‘containment required’.Speaking with the Police: If the PCs approach the police, they find themselves being questioned about their interest and involvement with the girls from the day before. By this stage, the PCs should have visited the police station. Weave the results of their chat at the station here. The police can offer no further insights based on their investigations of the park and do not answer questions regarding the people in the limo or coffee shop. They absolutely will not speak of the man with the dog and advise PCs to steer well clear of all the other groups in, or near, the park. If PCs possess a business card from the chief investigator, the officer in the park suggests they start their investigations at the girls’ homes.END ACT TWO SCENE TWO
Next week, I will post Act Two Scene 3A.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
SCENE TWO: AT THE PARK
If the PCs go to the park, read (or paraphrase) the following:
There are already people scouring the park. From the footpath across the street, you can see three main groups. The fella with the dog is there. He looks like he’s playing fetch with the monster, sitting on the edge of the round-a-bout and throwing a bright blue bone the size of your forearm. Whenever the dog grabs it, the bone gives out this ear-splitting shriek that’s got to be driving everyone in earshot crazy. The limo’s back, parked at the kerb on the opposite side of the park. The couple in it are drinking coffee and reading their papers. The direction of their gaze says they’re keeping tabs on what’s going on in the park.
Investigating the People in the Limo: If the PCs have already met the Gehenna Consortium, this is where they can renew their contact. If they haven’t here is a chance for them to get involved.(i) A New Gehenna Consortium Contact: If the PCs approach the car and they have not yet contacted the Gehenna Consortium, Alice (see p.28) pretends not to see them until they tap on the outside of her window. Read of paraphrase the following:
With what might be an exasperated frown, the auburn-haired lady cracks her window. “Can I help you?” she asks, and you notice the tones of aristocracy in her voice.
Alice has brown eyes, if the PCs want to know. She asks the PCs to explain what they want. If the PCs ask about the girl, she pretends suspicion and demands to know what their interest is in the girls. If the PCs state that they are interested in the girls’ welfare, she explains that her company is also interested in the girls and their families, claiming that they are part of a routine investigation for the Brontina Mining Company’s Human Resources Department. It seems that Trevor Andrews, Leyila’s father, has applied to do some engineering work in Australia for them. (This is a half-truth. If PCs are suspicious of Alice’s explanation, they can make an Earth – Interaction/Trickery; test to oppose Alice’s Air – Trickery test. Alice has made a stance change based on her Trickery score so her aspects are currently: F1, W1, A7, E3. She is at her most persuasive, and the mook driving the car is ready to drive her out of trouble: F2, W5, A2, E2.)If the PCs seem amenable, or if one of them is a private investigator, Alice states that she has the authority to hire extra personnel if she needs them and, seeing as they are likely to get under each other’s feet if they work against each other, would the PCs consider continuing their investigations and being paid for it? If the PCs agree, she can offer them £100/day each for them to continue the search for the missing girls and report back to her. If the PCs accept her offer, they gain the status of ‘Friends of the Consortium’. If they decline, they have attracted the Consortium’s attention and come under increasingly close scrutiny as the adventure progresses. Alice also warns them away from the guy with the dog in the same way as she does in (ii) below.(ii) Renewing a Gehenna Consortium Contact: The PCs recognize the car from their previous encounter with the Gehenna Consortium. If they have been told to meet a Consortium contact at the park, this is one of their options. As they are already ‘Friends of the Consortium’, Alice explains that the terms of their hire have changed to match the circumstances. The PCs are now tasked with finding out what happened to the girls and retrieving them if possible. She also warns them to stay away from the man and the dog – “We know all about them; they’re not friends. Don’t have anything to do with them.” If the PCs are already involved with LN7 and Alice discovers this, she terminates their contract immediately. (PCs also later discover that their accounts have been cleared out and that the bank is reluctant to reopen them, or to admit it ever had any dealings with them. The bank’s reaction is so extreme that persistent PCs will find themselves escorted from the premises by security.) Investigating the Guy with the Dog: If the PCs have already met the LN7 operatives, this is where they can renew their contact. If they haven’t here is a chance for them to get involved.(i) A New LN7 Contact: If the PCs have not yet met LN7, they may wish to try and approach the man with the dog. He asks them what they are doing in the park. “Could be bad for you, you know? Put you on the wrong side of a police investigation, with these two little girls gone. ” If the PCs reveal their interest in the girls, the operative gives his name as Mark Ambersides. He uses the same cover story as Alice, claiming to be a Human Resources investigator for the Brontina Mining Company. In his case it is the truth; his work for LN7 relies on his being able to travel all over the world in the course of his work. He also offers to hire them to continue the investigations for £100/day each and warns them away from the Gehenna Consortium limo as in (ii) below. If they accept his offer, they gain the status of ‘Friends of LN7’.(ii) Renewing an LN7 Contact: The PCs recognize the dog, if not the agent, who is wearing yet another dolphin t-shirt. As they approach, the dog curls up at its master’s feet and chews the blue plastic bone, causing it to squeal in protest. A nudge from the toe of its owner makes it stop so that they can speak. The agent explains that the terms of their hire have changed now that the girls have gone missing. The PCs are now tasked with finding out what happened to the girls and retrieving them if possible. He also indicates the limo and tells PCs to stay away from it. “It belongs to the Gehenna Consortium. They’ve got all sorts of shady deals going. Been known to mess with the black arts. A very bad bunch.” If the PCs reveal dealings with the Consortium, the operative asks them to terminate these dealings and suggests a quiet meeting later to discuss alternative employment. The PCs are now being watched by other operatives and if they continue dealing with the Consortium, they will be designated ‘containment required’.Speaking with the Police: If the PCs approach the police, they find themselves being questioned about their interest and involvement with the girls from the day before. By this stage, the PCs should have visited the police station. Weave the results of their chat at the station here. The police can offer no further insights based on their investigations of the park and do not answer questions regarding the people in the limo or coffee shop. They absolutely will not speak of the man with the dog and advise PCs to steer well clear of all the other groups in, or near, the park. If PCs possess a business card from the chief investigator, the officer in the park suggests they start their investigations at the girls’ homes.END ACT TWO SCENE TWO
Next week, I will post Act Two Scene 3A.
August 20, 2013
Australian Birds: The galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)
This is one of the noisiest of the Australian birds - or, at least, the one most people notice. I found this one grazing on his own, completely unperturbed by the end of a nearby soccer game, but cautious of a nosy woman with a camera. Known most broadly as a galah, they are also called the rose-breasted cockatoo. Their crazy antics while flying in flocks is the reason that humans exhibiting crazy or stupid behaviours are also called 'galahs'.
I got as close as I could to start with.
The raised crest means he's aware I'm there and watching me.
And then I got a little closer.
And closer still.
I was really missing my longer lens, but it was back at the house, so the short one had to do.
The wind was blowing, which is why the feathers are so ruffled in the shot above. In the shot below, the bird is giving me another long look, before it decides the grass is a better option than flying away.
I got as close as I could to start with.
The raised crest means he's aware I'm there and watching me.
And then I got a little closer.
And closer still.
I was really missing my longer lens, but it was back at the house, so the short one had to do.
The wind was blowing, which is why the feathers are so ruffled in the shot above. In the shot below, the bird is giving me another long look, before it decides the grass is a better option than flying away.
New Cover: Country Rush as Madeleine Torr
I'm excited to announce that I now have a new cover for my next book. Up until very recently, you knew it as RomanceNovel14A or Taylor's Story. It's real title will be
Country Rush
.
Country Rush
is not part of the Pictures of Romance series, but is the first in my Bookstore Romances series, which center around the characters who work in, or pass through, Highway's Book Emporium, in a city very much like Melbourne.
Print-on-Demand Large Print Cover
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand Cover
When Taylor helps a tall, dark stranger hide from men pursuing him, she embroils herself in the seedier side of city life. With her mother watching over her seriously injured father in hospital, Taylor has dropped out of university to help pay the bills, taking on a second job to do so. The last thing she needs is a rapid exit from the city and a quick trip to the country, but that's exactly what her tall-dark-and-handsome insists on. With a nasty criminal element on their heels, the pair of them take a fast train and a slow bus out of town, before fleeing to a country property to try to work out how to escape their dilemma.
Country Rush is scheduled for release to all platforms in mid-late September 2013.
Print-on-Demand Large Print Cover
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand CoverWhen Taylor helps a tall, dark stranger hide from men pursuing him, she embroils herself in the seedier side of city life. With her mother watching over her seriously injured father in hospital, Taylor has dropped out of university to help pay the bills, taking on a second job to do so. The last thing she needs is a rapid exit from the city and a quick trip to the country, but that's exactly what her tall-dark-and-handsome insists on. With a nasty criminal element on their heels, the pair of them take a fast train and a slow bus out of town, before fleeing to a country property to try to work out how to escape their dilemma.
Country Rush is scheduled for release to all platforms in mid-late September 2013.
August 18, 2013
New Cover - Stiletto's Luck
You all know it as ShortStory36, but now it has a name:
Stiletto's Luck
. As I near completion, I'm very excited by the cover for this short story. It's about an assassin dealing with the consequences of having a name more associated with a girl.
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand Large Print
Print-on-Demand
They could have called him Scimitar, Blade or Dagger, but, no, his parents had to call him Stiletto. Stiletto did the only thing he could. He learned to be the best at what he did, and he learned to walk tall - without the heels. When he finds himself in the center of a plot to assassinate the most powerful men in the city, Stiletto has only one question: How on earth is he going to walk out of this one?
Stiletto is scheduled for release in late August or early September 2013, and will be made available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, Kobo, iTunes, OmniLit and DriveThruFiction. I'll let you know when it goes live.
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand Large Print
Print-on-DemandThey could have called him Scimitar, Blade or Dagger, but, no, his parents had to call him Stiletto. Stiletto did the only thing he could. He learned to be the best at what he did, and he learned to walk tall - without the heels. When he finds himself in the center of a plot to assassinate the most powerful men in the city, Stiletto has only one question: How on earth is he going to walk out of this one?
Stiletto is scheduled for release in late August or early September 2013, and will be made available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, Kobo, iTunes, OmniLit and DriveThruFiction. I'll let you know when it goes live.
August 17, 2013
Progress Report: Week 3 August 2013
Another long week, but I am starting to find my feet once more. Projects are starting to settle. Sales figures have come in, showing where the best areas are to concentrate on. The point raised about how breaking out several author names at once increases time to break out is true, as is the point about some genres selling much more strongly than others. While I am still a long way from where I need to be, sales aren’t too bad for this stage of my career, and I’m learning what I need to focus on. Let’s see where we are at Christmas.
Overview
New words produced: 7,232;Old words revised: 4,332;Works completed: 0;Works revised: 0 (20 poems revised, but incorporated into a larger work);Covers created: 0 (1-3 variations);Works published: 0 (2-3 release platforms);Works submitted: 1 (complete work-up of proposal from last week);Competitions Entered: 0
Tier 2 Tasks
RomNov1A—Country Rush (was Taylor’s Story): Added 1,000 words
Extra TasksAnnual12: Added 2,382 wordsAnnual13: Added 1,592 wordsPublishing Tasks
Created 4 blog posts for this blog;Created 5 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Updated sales records and identified areas of focus.
Traditional Tasks
RPGSupplement14B: added 3,000 words, revised, trimmed, formatted and submitted.RPGSupplement14B: Signed contract and returned it to publisher.
New ArrivalsOlder work rediscovered and assigned a number:
Poem107—Wires in the AirPoem108—Little Boy, Lion Cub, LatePoem109—New Train in Blue and GoldPoem110—Who Does That Poet Think She Is?Poem111—Train DriversPoem113—Fears for my TransportationPoem114—They ComePoem115—Coffee Painted LadyPoem116—NightfallPoem117—Burning TogetherPoem118—Souls in the SunPoem119—Moonlit WorldsPoem120—Roundabout RoundPoem121—Snatching Time for GriefPoem122—An Insubstantial WreathPoem123—The Autumn SongPoem124—Tears to the EndPoem125—Diamonds and TearsPoem126—What is a WriterPoem127—Daun Dibebankan
August 16, 2013
Progress Report: Week 2 August 2013
It’s late, but it’s here. Watch for the next post. In spite of a stressful week at the day job, I am pleased to say I achieved the following:OverviewNew words produced: 4,943Old words revised: 12,046Works completed: 0 (68 poems complete, but incorporated into larger work);Works revised: 0 (60 poems revised, but incorporated into larger work);Covers created: 0 (1-3 variations)Works published: 0 (2-3 release platforms)Works submitted: 5Competitions Entered: 0Tier 1 TasksRevised SciFanNovel1A Chapters 22-39, adding 1,581 wordsExtra TasksPublishing Tasks
Created 3 blog posts for this blog;Created 2 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Posted 2 guest blogs on behalf of C.M. Simpson Publishing
‘Traditional’ Writing Tasks
Created 5 outlines for writing presentationsSubmitted 5 proposals for writing presentations
New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:
Presentations1A-D: to do with writing roleplayingPresentation2A: to do with writing genre fictionPresentation3A: to do with writing for young peoplePoem106—In the Dragon’s Shadow: about living… and dragons… and escapes.
