Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 22

Podcast: Seed Me – Episode 02

Episode 2 of the Seed Me novel episodic audiobook is here! Once a week a new chapter will be shared. Enjoy the podcast below and share it around:

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We find Logan waking up the next morning after an obscure night of drinking. His roommate, and good friend, Skip is home with Janet. What they discover on the news is most unsettling.

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Scrap Your Manuscript? Or Keep It?

As creatives, we end up making a lot of art. I’ve known plenty of writers, musicians, illustrators – the list goes on – that have started projects and left them in limbo for many years only to bring them back to light again. Writers tinker all too frequently with manuscripts and short stories. Eventually, these drafts end up sitting in some digital folder covered in metaphorical dust, and some of them never see the light of day again. On the flip side, sometimes writers revise and revise a story and never end up completing it. So the question is, do you scrap your manuscript?

A Good Concept

We’re specifically going to be talking about writing and stories. However, the theories apply to all types of projects and creativity. As my graphic design college teacher once told me, “you can put lipstick on a pit bull.” I love this quote. He was referencing bad design versus good design. Sometimes you can’t save a design, no matter how many times you revise it or dress it up. It is always going to be ugly because the concept itself isn’t good. This saying applies to every other creative outlet as well.

How Do You Know If It Is a Good Concept? Or should you scrap your manuscript?

If only this were a straightforward answer. Since we are talking about writing, we’ll look at methods specifically to it. They may apply to other arts as well. Some ways of figuring out if your story is a good idea are:

Practice the 30-second elevator pitch: See if you can explain your story’s premise to someone in 30 seconds. Ask what they think of it, do they find it boring? Engaging? Or is it rough and needs to be worked on? This method is quick and easy and doesn’t require a lot of commitment from anyone.Beta readers: You have most likely heard of the term beta readers. Get someone to read your work! There are plenty of articles online that talk about how to find beta readers, so no need to cover it here. In short, find someone who has an opinion that you respect and who will give you constructive feedback. Anyone that is going to say “it’s great” isn’t helpful.Read your story out loud: For a full manuscript, this will take multiple sessions. Still, reading your story out loud will give you a fresh perspective on the manuscript. If you find yourself slowing down or bored in certain parts, that is a clear sign that your readers will have the same feelings.Have your story read to you: A similar technique to the one mentioned above, have your story read to you. You could have a friend or computer read it to you. Microsoft Word has a text to speech option, which lets the software read the story to you. You become the listener and can experience what it’s like from there and. This method can help you understand what parts are boring, not believable, or if the whole thing needs to be scrapped.Let it cook: You might not know if the story is terrible until you give it some time. Stephen King has mentioned he gives himself at least three months before returning to a manuscript. There is a lot of work done in the subconscious mind when writing a story. Sometimes your mind needs a little bit of time to work through what is missing. On occasion, this can also take years to happen. Perhaps the concept is fine, but the execution isn’t. You may need more practice, research, or experience in your craft.Genre Checklist (Meeting the Criteria): The last point is my least favourite and may not be applicable. If you are writing within a genre, and want to stick to its principles, make sure it meets the criteria. If you’re writing a High Fantasy book, look up what is High Fantasy and does your manuscript meet the checklist? For example, you wouldn’t want zombies and a ton of romance in the story to meet the high fantasy requirement. Again, it may not apply to your manuscript, but cross-referencing other works is a reliable method.

If you have a diamond in the rocks, try some of the ideas above. Getting an outside perspective can offer new insight into your work. If it isn’t a good idea, great, you can scrap your manuscript and move on with life. Other times it is a little more complicated than that.

Work on Something New

If you are uncertain of the manuscript, frustrated, or trying one of the notes above, work on something new. As a writer – any creative – it is part of the craft to persist in the art. You don’t want to be a one-trick pony that has only ever produced one piece. Giving yourself the freedom to explore new concepts allows you to become better at your craft. You may also find new ideas that can be integrated into your previous concept. Or perhaps discover something better than the previous one.

Scrap Your Manuscript

The methods above are effective ways of deciding if you should return to your manuscript and keep working on it. The last point mentioned talked about letting the idea cook. It’s the most realistic way of knowing if your idea is any good. The future version of you will come back and look at the work with a fresh perspective and will most likely be wiser and smarter. It is amazing to go back and look at your older work to see all the mistakes and faults you made for just being inexperienced.

Keep Your Manuscript Regardless, Don’t Delete It

Never delete your progress or scrap your manuscript in the shredder. In the digital world, it is straightforward to store your work-in-progresses. Personally, I’ve kept every sketchbook that I have (except for one and I regret throwing away). As previously mentioned, looking back at your old work to see your progress is incredibly rewarding.

Focusing on the craft and improving your skill in the art will enhance your future work. You’ll come up with better concepts, and looking back at your old ones will make you pleased about how far you’ve come. It may even make you laugh about how ridiculous your previous concept was. Or, you might get that aha moment that’ll make the piece feasible. Take the time; don’t rush your art.

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Podcast: Seed Me – Episode 01

I am pleased to announce the launch of a brand new direction for the blog. In addition to the regular posts, a podcast will be posted on a weekly basis focusing on episodic audiobook versions of the novels!

The podcast is distributing to various broadcasters and is currently available on Anchor, Spotify, Beaker, Pocket Cast, and Radio Public.

See The Podcast

To kick off the podcast, the novel Seed Me is the first to appear with chapter 1 (listen below). October is the season of spooky, so why not get some creepy cults and drugs going?

Many people have asked about audiobook versions of my work over the years. The closest I got was creating videos for the monthly short stories. Now, I’m finally going through with it, with episode-based versions. This also means the monthly short stories will come back in audio version.

Enjoy!

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A New Fall

As with every year, the September version of Unprocessed Thoughts is themed around the end of summer, the coming of fall, and what a crazy busy year it is. This year is a new fall, which has been busy, but differently. There are no conventions this year. The Edmonton Comic Expo was usually the last stop before settling down for the winter and writing the next book. This year, with no conventions, it’s time to… what is that new business lingo term? Ah yes, time to pivot. A New Fall.

Welcome to Another Edition of Unprocessed Thoughts

I admit I miss the convention hype. However, I don’t miss the prep work, long days, and rough eating habits. The free time has been outstanding and it has let me grow in many new ways now that we’re all thrown out of the regular yearly routine of convention season. These thoughts are expressed in previous blog posts, so we’ll leave it at that.

Better Planning, Learning, and Scheduling

Everyone is online. People are hungry to consume EVERYTHING. Previously I had shared a Bookbub article about reader trends in 2020, and people want free. They want to read. So with no convention season, I have been able to sit back and plan promos better.

The release of Mortal, the concluding Mental Damnation novel, marked the first trial of online marketing in many years (probably a good six or so). The two-month period of guest posts, book spotlights, Facebook ads, promo site submissions, and reader magnets has been delightful. I’ve learned a ton and now applying it to promoting the backlog.

So far, I have eight books out, and I have the habit of doing the initial launch promotion at conventions and then quickly moving onto the next book. That’s not a wise idea because books have a long lifespan, especially in the era of ebooks. You can update covers, re-release, add bonus content, and so on.

Don’t Worry, More Writing to Come!

The marketing and promotions of the backlog aren’t taking up all of my time. Its surprising how much of it is automated, scheduled, and a few clicks away. Comparing that to the prepping of convention season, it’s a small fraction of the time. More writing is coming.

Recently I have been hinting at a new book, potentially later this year. Those subscribed to the newsletter already know. Others might have put the pieces together through vague social media posts. This new book brings a lot of speculation seen in the previous novels to light.

That’s not all for A New Fall!

Remember that slasher novel I hinted about in 2018? Well, it is still around, and I’m pulling it off the shelf for a significant overhaul. I had paused it to focus on The White Hand, and overall I was not pleased with the slasher novel. General beta reader feedback was, “it was okay.” Jump ahead two and a half years, and I finally know what to do with it.

Time permitting, I will see if I can participate in NaNoWriMo this year with an entirely new story. New is exciting since 2019, and most of 2020 has been revising existing manuscripts or writing established storylines (Mortal and Fire, Pain & Ruin and Secret New Novel – working title). We’ll see how my schedule goes with the contract life. Although, with no social gatherings, I may have the time for NaNoWriMo.

YEGman Featured in the Edmonton Library’s Capital Press Collection

My home city, Edmonton, launched their new downtown library this September. The launch featured the release of the Capital Press Collection. I’m thrilled to say that YEGman was selected to be a part of the collection. This is another note about promoting the backlog, books live a long life, and sometimes it takes time for your work to get recognized.

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Honoured to have #YEGman selected to be a part of the Capital City Press collection, featured at the new downtown @epldotca. Check out the new location! They have a dinosaur zoo. #yeg #capitalCityPress #epl #readLocal #yegWrites #authorsofinstagram #bookstagram #booklove #writersofinstagram #writerLife #authorlife #thriller

A post shared by Konn Lavery (@_konnartist) on Sep 19, 2020 at 1:00pm PDT

The Short-lived Copyright Scandal

The story was originally a 2-part post on Facebook, but I’ll share it here if you missed it. Another copy of Reality was published not by me, and I had to get Amazon to take it down. It was my first time submitting a copyright infringement form. It’s an easy process, and quite anticlimactic. But, the fact someone wanted to try and capitalize on my work was flattering and odd. The real book is free, and the bootleg version with broken formatting was sitting at around $14 USD for the ebook. So, I’m not sure what the endgame was.

Ultimately the copyright version was taken down after a few days. Unfortunately, there was a series of strange events during the time the bootleg book was up. The perma-free Reality (the real one) had its price revert to $0.99, despite me not touching the price. Amazon has made it clear that they hold the right to adjust pricing as they need.

Considering it happened during the small window of the bootleg’s life, I’m guessing their system had a hiccup. Either way, the book is being promoted as free on various promo sites and ads. I submitted a price change request to Amazon, and they fixed it in about a day.

The price reverting did result in some lost ebook downloads, reduced amazon ranking, and for that one day, the book was purchased, refunded, and a 1-star rating (with no review) showed up. It’s speculation that the 1 star was related to it, but considering the book was bought and returned while the price wasn’t free, it’s relatively safe to say the person did the 1-click checkout and realized they were charged. That makes sense they were mad, since it is false advertisement if the book isn’t free when promoted that way.

All is back on track, and the bootleg is gone. The perma-free is back up and running with more stars ratings coming in little by little that appear genuine. That’s all I wanted, and I’ve learned a lot about managing these scandals.

This isn’t the first-time copyright infringements have happened to my books. A while back, I had found copies of “translated” print books on eBay in Spanish. Also, my ebooks have appeared for free download on sketchy sites. This is just the first one to appear on Amazon.

Life Will Always have Bumps

I’m sharing this story because it’s entertaining, confusing, and hoping it sheds some insight for my fellow authors. Life has a ton of bumps and ruts. A writer’s career is not a sunny smooth highway. If you’re running a promo, keep tabs on it regularly. Imagine if I didn’t check Amazon during the promo days, didn’t see the bootleg version, and the real book’s price reverted? Chaos!

One More Surprise for A New Fall.

All treats and no trick in the coming months. Remember, I mentioned better planning and scheduling? Well, keep watch this October for a couple of book sales and a new exciting endeavour I am pursuing. This new addition is something many people have asked me over the years. This is another way to share these stories. Keep watch on social media and the blog. The announcement will happen within the week. Like I said, A New Fall.

Beer Note: Grandville Island Brewing – English Bay Pale Ale

I’m a fan of pale ales. They’re not as hoppy as some IPAs. Perhaps my tastes have changed, but IPAs recently seems to have mutated into these unfiltered, double hop, high alcohol percentage, potent drinks that have no flavour other than hop. An IPA that is a little more potent than a pale ale is my preference. It’s hard to find.

Either way, Grandville Island Brewing makes excellent beers. Their winter ale is featured on a previous Unprocessed Thoughts, and it’s fantastic. This pale ale is easy-drinking, flavourful and worth checking out.

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Digital Declutter and Minimalism

Social media has gotten a bad wrap over the past couple of years. Rightfully so, as we’ve had it for about ten years and have been able to see the real-world consequences of it. The negativity is through increased depression and suicide. There’s even the new term “digital detox.” On larger scales, we’ve seen social media sway entire country elections, and others attempt to use it as a form of warfare.

How crazy is all of that? This blog post isn’t about the massive implications of social media, nor our moral obligations. The insights today are related to the previous posts, Unsubscribing from an Increasingly Subscription-Based World, and Automating Ourselves Out of Humanity.

Over the past year, I’ve gradually leaned off of social media, subscriptions, tech usage, and have installed some tracking blockers both on my phone and laptop. In summary, removing myself from the internet highway. Why? This choice has been brewing for years, from reading and listening to smarter people than me. It’s also closer to a life philosophy I follow, known as minimalism.

Minimalism?

The concept of having a lean life has been a part of humanity for hundreds, if not thousands, of years seen through the practices of Taoism or Buddhism. Their life philosophies are a little more intense but are worth checking out. Minimalism is a newer term summarizing people that live with only the things they use and need. Everything else goes away. Joshua Fields Millburn, and Ryan Nicodemus have taken it to a whole new level educating people and sharing their experiences. They have an excellent documentary that can explain everything called The Minimalist.

Some minimalists have gotten rid of everything except for seven pairs of clothes, their laptop, one fork, one plat, and hop into a tiny home. That’s a bit extreme for my own needs in life. I remove the stuff that doesn’t have value.

Minimalism has a powerful effect on the mind, giving it room to breathe by clearing out the clutter of your life. The few items you do have also hold far more value because you take care of them, knowing that’s the fork you use or the jeans you’ll wear a lot.

The nice thing about minimalism is your life simplifies drastically. You’re no longer chasing the latest fashion or tech trend, nor trying to impress families with lovely cutlery sets or fancy home decor. You have less to clean and less to manage in a home, freeing up time. Oh, and you save a lot more money when embracing minimalism. The list can go on about the perks of minimalism, and if you’re unfamiliar with it, I recommend checking it out.

Digital Declutter and Minimalism

Alright, now that we understand minimalism, the same concept applies to the digital world too. Just because we can’t physically touch these items doesn’t mean they can’t affect your brain, mood, and overall life. As mentioned in the previously related posts, too many subscriptions can chew away at your wallet (not to mention you never own anything). The introduction of all the automation apps takes the value out of anything you do.

Social media follows these same ideas: there’s too much digital in our lives. Now, hold with me, we’re not going to start a commune off the grid or anything. Go for it if you’d like, but there’s truth to cutting back your time digitally. Get ready for some more recommendations!

Books, Films, and People Who Influenced the Digital Declutter

Alright, first we’ll look at some books that can help you learn a bit more about yourself and the effects of spending too much time in the digital world.

Solitude by Michael Harris

One of the first books I read years ago re-ignited my interest in isolation. Being mostly homeschooled in my youth, I didn’t have many friends and was quite comfortable being alone. Solitude is a fascinating book that explores the benefits of getting to know you and trusting yourself. It recommends spending time away from people both in the real world and social media. The book covers concepts I was aware of because my dad introduced me to a ton of spiritual and philosophy books that got to the same thing: removing clutter in the mind. You’ll feel way better for it.

The Narcissism Epidemic by Jean M. Twenge, PH.D. and W. Keith Campbell, PH.D.

After reading a book on a broader scale, it is a little dated in terms of the tech they mention (remember Myspace?), but the theories still apply. They both talk about the increase in people’s obsession with their image and the decrease in empathy. In short, they lean towards saying the obsession of one’s ego is taking away the human aspect of individuals. I’ve wondered, why wouldn’t you want to be human? We’re only this way once in life.

The Lonely City by Olivia Laing

This book isn’t directly related to the topic, but I wanted to mention it because it talks about isolation. It covers a range of artists over the past century who have spent a lot of time alone. The author also reflects on her own life, living in a big city where she knows no one. She comments on her time on the screen, affecting her emotions.

Who Owns the Future? by Jaron Lanier

Jaron Lanier is gaining a lot of popularity now. He’s appeared on talk shows and in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma with his book 10 Reasons to Quit Social Media, which is a bold statement. His previous book, Who Owns the Future? It is denser but covers a broad range of topics about tech and how it is flawed from the foundations of the copy function. It’s a longer book but gives a good insight into where everything came from and where it is going. It asks many fundamental questions about keeping our morality in check and our mental clarity by opting out of social media entirely (which leads into his 10 Reasons… book).

It Came From Something Awful by Dale Beran

Alright, out of the whole list, this book has hit home the hardest. It covers the history of the recent political polarization we’ve seen online, rooting back to some prominent websites such as Something Awful and 4chan. The author’s humorous tone makes it an easy read. Still, the topics are mind-opening because he shows just how toxic social media and online message boards can become, which only boosted my choice to further digital declutter.

Documentaries and People

I’ve mentioned many books that have influenced me over the years and spring-boarded my decision to cut down on my digital usage drastically. There are some documentaries as well, such as The Minimalist. A couple more are The Great Hack and Terms and Conditions May Apply. Edward Snowden and Renée DiResta are people worth checking out as well. Let’s not forget Sacha Baron Cohen’s dramatic speech about social media as a whole.

What does any of this have to do with Digital Declutter?

Let’s loop back to why I recommended all of these books, film, people, and how it ties into the idea of minimalism. The “ah-hah!” moment hit hard in late 2019, as explained in the Unsubscribing from an Increasingly Subscription-Based World blog post.

Digital decluttering is essential for the same points mentioned about minimalism. Add value to your life. Is social media adding value to your life? How about reading the news or listening to podcasts? A lot of reporters and influencers share their opinions on topics. Some don’t get all the facts right, or they prefer to magnify on specific points that can influence you.

Another point worth mentioning is mental clarity. Are these medias adding to you? Do they make you happy? These are the questions I’ve asked myself, and they’re worth asking youself too. Specifically, social media is designed to be addictive. As Michael Harris mentioned in Solitude, we get caught in a “ludic loop.” You are probably aware of what a ludic loop is because other people have given it names such as “doom scrolling” or “dopamine hit,” and so on. These things are short-term band-aid solutions, fooling you into thinking they’re making you happy. They aren’t. It’s like another hit of a drug, masking itself as happiness.

Where do we go from here?

These are the choices I’ve made about the online world. There is irony in being a designer/web developer and opting out of all of this. A lot of people in the web and app industries are doing the same. This technology is powerful with great benefits, but it can easily be abused and become toxic.

Digital declutter is a decision I’ve made to help make me a better person. I’ve found spending too much time online has not made me happy, nor has it given me a healthy sense of reality. The philosophy does not mean I’m going to chuck it all aside and go off the grid. It’d be great, but I do believe that the internet is a fantastic invention and the people who have built it didn’t have malicious intentions, to begin with. The way it is being used is a grim, unfortunate reflection of the dark sides of ourselves.

Let’s Summarize: Business, Family and Pandemic!

I’m pan’d-out (I coined that!), but it’s worth mentioning that tech as done beautiful things to let us all stay connected in 2020. This year has proven to be the weirdest period of mine (and many others) lifetime. Hopefully, it will be the last.

We’re all forced into isolation because of the pandemic, limiting our socializing. We miss our family and friends, and the internet has allowed us to keep in contact with loved ones. You may also highly rely on social media to reach your customers or audience. I know I do. If you can get rid of social media and not remove value from your life, awesome. But a lot of people, unfortunately, have their hands tied.

Check out some of the books, films, and people that I’ve mentioned. Maybe they’ll give some personal insight for you. It doesn’t mean you have to throw your router out the window and torch your computers. Remember the concept of minimalism? Ask yourself, does spending tons of time on social media add value to you? Or are you stuck in a ludic loop?

These are questions I ask myself that has led to the digital declutter. I’ve uninstalled all apps on my phone, leaving me with the bare basics of a smartphone. My email and social media live on the computer only. My friends call me or video chat to keep in touch if we can’t meet in person. If I have ten minutes to spare, instead of checking my social feed (which has a colossal polarization of emotions), I pet my cat, read a book, or . . . the wildest concept of all . . . I do nothing. Clear the head, let the mind wander, and see what it does. It can be surprising.

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Edward Willett release the next Worldshaper novel The Moonlit World

For this month’s guest author we welcome back Edward Willett. An author and performer from Regina, Saskatchewan, he has authored far over 50 books ranging in genres, styles, and non-fiction. Last year we had him join us to talk about his Master of the World novel. He keeps a frequent podcast titled The Worldshapers which involves conversations with science fiction and fantasy authors about the creative process. Let’s welcome Edward back to the blog to discuss his new releases!

Hi Edward Willett, thanks for coming back! You’ve been busy over the past year. What’s new since we last chatted?

Well, let’s see…I wrote The Moonlit World. I was writer-in-residence at the Saskatoon Public Library from September through May (although the last couple of months I was writer-in-residence-in-residence, since it all turned virtual) and worked with more than 70 local authors, conducted workshops, and gave talks and readings. My podcast, The Worldshapers, won the Aurora Award for Best Fan Related Work in October 2019 and was shortlisted again this year. Master of the World was longlisted for the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic in the Young Adult category and shortlisted for the Fiction Award at this year’s Saskatchewan Book Awards. And in March, I Kickstarted an anthology featuring guests from the first year of my podcast, Shapers of Worlds, which is about to come out in ebook, on September 22, and will be out in print in mid-November. That’s from my own Shadowpaw Press (www.shadowpawpress.com), through which I also published a revised edition of my YA SF novel From the Street to the Stars (originally published as Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star), and released brand-new ebook versions of my five-book YA fantasy series The Shards of Excalibur, orphaned when Coteau Books, the original publisher, went bankrupt. Oh, and I just sold a big new space opera to DAW Books: The Tangled Stars will be out in 2022.

I think that’s the highlights…

The Shapers of Worlds anthology, which was successfully kickstarted, features authors that have been on your podcast. What birthed the idea of this anthology?

Shadowpaw Press, my publishing empire (which consists of me and the cat it’s named for, and I’m not sure which of us is the emperor), is a member of SaskBooks, the association of Saskatchewan publishers. At the 2019 SaskBooks annual meeting in Saskatoon, a Winnipeg publisher came in and gave a presentation on her successful Kickstarting of an anthology, and I thought, “Hey, I know some authors!” It took me a while to build up steam and actually make it happen, but I reached out to my first-year guests and was immensely gratified by how many wonderful authors were willing to take part. (Even those who couldn’t contribute were supportive.) In the end, I ended up with original stories from Tanya Huff, Seanan McGuire, David Weber, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., John C. Wright, D.J. Butler, Christopher Ruocchio, Shelley Adina, and Edward Willett, plus fiction by John Scalzi, David Brin, Julie Czerneda, Joe Haldeman, Gareth L. Powell, Dr. Charles E. Gannon, Fonda Lee, Derek Künsken, and Thoraiya Dyer, a list that includes several bestselling authors and winners of and nominees for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, Aurealis, Ditmar, British Science Fiction Association, and Dragon Awards.

You previously mentioned book 3, The Moonlit World, of the Worldshaper universe was in the works (featuring a world of Werewolves and Vampires). It’s available September 15th, what can you tell readers about this new piece?

Well, my inner working title was always, “Werewolves and Vampires and Peasants, Oh My!” Shawna and Karl find themselves in a world Shaped by someone with a fondness for both those classic horror creatures, and have to try to find the Shapers responsible and gather the knowledge of the world’s making, without getting eaten and/or changed into either a lycanthrope or undead bloodsucker in the process. The world holds surprises for both of them. Shawna becomes more powerful and must face the ethical dilemmas greater power brings. And, of course, as I hope the previous two books were, it’s very funny. There are Star Trek jokes, Star Wars jokes, Buffy jokes (of course), musical theatre references…oddly enough, Shawna shares my sense of humor. Go figure.

The Worldshaper storyline is open-ended, where you and your editor Sheila E. Gilbert worked thoroughly to make sure the universe wouldn’t break down the road. So… what’s after The Moonlit World?

Book 4 is already roughed out and takes place in a film noir world—gangsters and corrupt politicians and all that sort of thing—in a 1930s kind of setting. It might even be a literally black and white world! Whether that comes out from DAW or I put it out myself remains to be seen, depending on sales, but I fully intend to write it.

While working on the third book, you’ve also been busy editing and writing additional books unrelated to the Worldshaper universe. Tell us a bit about these projects.

Well, of course, there’s the Shapers of Worlds anthology mentioned above, which I’ve already talked about. A few months ago, Shadowpaw Press also released From the Street to the Stars. This was originally published in 1999 by Roussan Publishers as Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star. That company’s been gone for a long time, and I finally got around to revising the book and bringing it out afresh, as Book 1 in what is now the Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star series. Book 2, Double Trouble, is written (it was out as an ebook once already), but needs a complete rewrite, which on my list of things to get out relatively soon. I actually have story ideas that could carry that series for several books, but that depends on interest, of course (and time).

Earlier this year, lamentably, Coteau Books, a well-respected literary publisher here in Regina, went bankrupt, orphaning my five-book young-adult fantasy series (three of which were nominated for either the Sunburst or the Aurora Award for Best Young Adult Fiction). I quickly put out brand-new ebook versions of the series and will be bringing out new print editions in short order. Book 1 of that series is Song of the Sword, if you want to search it out!

I’m currently close to finalizing a new young adult science fiction novel to be released through Shadowpaw Press. Star Song has an interesting history: it grew out of one of the first short stories I sold, “The Minstrel” (included in my collection Paths to the Stars, also from Shadowpaw), and was the first novel I seriously tried to sell. In 1991, I submitted it to Josepha Sherman, then editing for Walker & Company. She sent it back and suggested some revisions, which I made, and sent it to her once again. She got back to me and said I’d done exactly what she wanted and she was “ready to make an offer,” but the company president, Sam Walker, had died, and his son had taken over and decided the company would no longer publish science fiction.

And that was that. The book never did find a home. So, I’m very excited to bring it out, extensively rewritten, with a great cover by Dan O’Driscoll, hopefully by the end of the year.

The other thing I worked on was a proposal for a big, new, sprawling space opera for DAW Books. The Tangled Stars will come out in 2022, and I’ll be plunging into the writing of it pretty soon now.

The Worldshapers podcast has been regarded as an excellent resource for writers (those reading this it should check it out), what made you want to start a podcast?

I began my career as a newspaper reporter, and over the years I’ve hosted my own radio and TV programs and interviewed all sorts of people on all sorts of subjects. I’ve always enjoyed talking shop with other writers, and so…a podcast. Every episode follows the same format: we talk about how the author got interested in writing science fiction and fantasy and how they broke in, then we go through the author’s particular creative process, from idea generation to planning to first draft to revision to editing. At the end, I ask questions like, “Why do you write? Why do any of us write? And why write fantastical fiction in particular?” It’s been great fun to do and I hope listeners enjoy it as much as I do. And I’ve been gratified by the amazing authors who have agreed to talk to me—many of them international bestsellers and major award-winners.

I do want to reiterate a quote from our last interview, this is quite true for all writers and is worth reading again:

“I find there’s a great overlap between being and actor and director and being an author. Actors pretend to be other people; writers do the same. Directors move actors around on stage and guide them in their interactions with each other in order to best tell the story being presented. So do writers.”

Anything else you’d like to add Edward?

Keep reading. And if you like a book, take a minute or two to leave a rating or review on Amazon or Goodreads. Every little bit helps to make a book stand out in today’s crowded literary marketplace.

Thank you for joining us!

You can find Edward through the following links below.

Website: edwardwillett.com

Amazon: amazon.com/Edward-Willett/e/B001IR1LL6/

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/22635.Edward_Willett

Find The Moonlit World at one of the following distributors.



Amazon U.S. Amazon CanadaIndigo Barnes & NoblePenguin Random HouseIndiebound



The critically acclaimed Worldshapers fantasy series continues with The Moonlit World

The Worldshapers fantasy series by award-winning Saskatchewan author Edward Willett continues with the September 15 release of Book 3, The Moonlit World, from New York’s DAW Books, in trade paperback and e-book formats.

The first book in the series, Worldshaper, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly and was long-listed for Canada’s prestigious Sunburst Award; Book 2, Master of the World, which just came out in mass-market paperback (it’s also available as a trade paperback, audiobook, or e-book), was also long-listed for the Sunburst Award and short-listed for the Muslims for Peace and Justice Fiction Award at the 2020 Saskatchewan Book Awards.

In The Moonlit World, fresh from their adventures in Master of the World in a world inspired by Jules Verne, Shawna Keys and Karl Yatsar find themselves in a world that mirrors much darker tales. Beneath a full moon that hangs motionless in the sky, they’re forced to flee terrifying creatures that can only be vampires…only to run straight into a pack of werewolves.

As the lycanthropes and undead battle, Karl is spirited away to the castle of the vampire queen. Meanwhile, Shawna finds short-lived refuge in a fortified village, where she learns that something has gone horribly wrong with the world in which she finds herself. Once, werewolves, vampires, and humans lived there harmoniously. Now every group is set against every other, and entire villages are being mysteriously emptied of people.

Somehow, Karl and Shawna must reunite, discover the mysteries of the Shaping of this strange world, and escape it for the next, without being sucked dry, devoured, or—worst of all—turned into creatures of the night themselves.

Beneath the frozen, gibbous moon, allies, enemies, surprises, adventures, and unsettling revelations await.

Praise for The Moonlit World:

“Willett continues to use his innovative worldbuilding to play with genre tropes; there’s a tongue-in-cheek self-awareness to this desolate world that will please fans of dark fiction…entertaining.” – Publishers Weekly

Praise for Master of the World:

“Willett takes full advantage of the fanciful premise to deliver a fun setting populated by fantastic vehicles, mysterious islands, and heroic and villainous characters, all drawn from classic literature….fans will find it contains thrills aplenty.” – Publishers Weekly

“Highly amusing and fun…this series is for fans of any piece or part of geek culture. With the infinite possible worlds in the Labyrinth, every book should be a new, enjoyable adventure.” – Booklist

“Master of the World shows Willett at his world-building best…This page-turner keeps readers of all ages losing track of time as they find themselves pulled further and further into Willett’s tense, challenging, and sometimes funny world.” – the Saskatchewan Book Awards judges

Praise for Worldshaper:

“This novel sets up a fascinating, fluctuating universe with plenty of room for growth for the main characters, and readers will eagerly join their journey.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
 
“Willett’s series starter is fun, quirky, and highly enjoyable, nicely laying the groundwork for future volumes.” —Booklist

More about Edward Willett:

Edward Willett is the award-winning author of more than sixty books of science fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction for readers of all ages. The Moonlit World is his eleventh novel for New York’s DAW Books, one of the world’s major publishers of science fiction and fantasy. He won Canada’s Aurora Award for Best Long-Form Work in English in 2009 for Marseguro (DAW Books), and a Saskatchewan Book Award in 2002 for his young-adult fantasy Spirit Singer, recently re-released by Shadowpaw Press, and has been shortlisted for both awards multiple times. Upcoming works include a young-adult science fiction novel, Star Song, for Shadowpaw Press, and The Tangled Stars, a new space-opera adventure for DAW Books. Willett also hosts The Worldshapers podcast (www.theworldshapers.com), which won the 2019 Aurora Award for Best Fan Related Work, featuring conversations with science fiction and fantasy authors about their creative process; Shapers of Worlds, a Kickstarted anthology featuring some of the bestselling, award-winning authors who were guests on that podcast during the first year, comes out from Shadowpaw Press in e-book format on September 22 and in print on November 14.

The post Edward Willett release the next Worldshaper novel The Moonlit World appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Work Out

A man who hopes to put his past behind him is pulled back into the dark life by his old party buddies. They need his help after getting involved with Edmonton’s most notorious gang – The Crystal Moths. If he’s not careful, he’ll slip into his old life and can say goodbye to his future.

Work Out is September’s standalone short story that takes place after the #YEGman novel, bringing you into the grungy underbelly of Alberta’s capital. There is no justice down here.

Work Out

Always exercise… every day, every… single… day. I never stop working out. If I didn’t, well, things would start to get ugly. I’ve spent too much time trying to pull my self out of the gutter, and there’s no way I am going back in that dirt. So I lift, cardio, and repeat. My old friends say the ridged routine has made me dull, or I can’t ever loosen up. Yeah, well, too bad, bro. This is the new me. Guess we’ll go our separate paths.

I take selfies, so what? The engagement I get online is crazy. Not to get like, egotistical (because my life coach says it’s a toxic path for the mind), but it’s a real motivation booster seeing those numbers go up from all the gals. Maybe I can be a life coach one day. My followers get what I am trying to do, not like my old pals. My friends, or ex-friends, I should say, and I were into some serious shit. Partying was a regular thing. Then the drugs came in, and eventually, we got roped into selling the goods. You need money to keep partying, and what’s a quick way to get cash? You sell the drugs. Man, we knew that right away after watching our own pockets burn before our very eyes. Long story short, I got out, they didn’t. It’s sad seeing them wither away.

About a year went by. I thought they wrote me out of their lives, but one found me. When an addict needs their goods, it turns out they’ll try to leech off of anyone. It was Tweaky-Travy, or Travis rather. I try not to use our old nicknames for each other. It’s degrading.

Anyways, Travis was standing outside of the cross fit gym just off 124th there. I get there pretty early, so I didn’t expect to see anyone other than the bros at the gym. Travis was unrecognizable, skinny, tattered clothing and all. He was rubbing his arms a lot with his hood up. If he didn’t call me by my nickname ‘Roadkill’ (long story on that), I would have walked right past him in the parking lot.

Roadkill. What a name. Anyways, the site of my old party bud was sad, but I stuck to my guns and asked him what he wanted. The man was pathetic. I still can’t believe I used to be like him. So, Travis started talking, saying he got mixed up with the Crystal Moths. I heard about them on the news, after a big scandal about a corrupt sergeant and the hashtag YEGman stuff. It was short-lived, minus the heat the police took. Social media is funny that way. Everyone loves sensationalizing something one moment, and then they forget about it the next.

I don’t. I remember the Crystal Moths from that horrific video that girl took. It looks like old Tweaky-Travy got himself involved with these guys. Sorry, Travis, said that he was needing my help with distributing some of the drugs he had. If he didn’t get rid of them this week, he would have to pay for them all now. And if that didn’t happen, well, you should look up the Crystal Moths and their return policy.

Man, my heart is too big. I wish my brain were bigger. As mad as I was, I chose to help Travis. We’ve been through hell and back together. He’s a moron, but I couldn’t just leave him to get gutted by these guys. The Crystal Moths don’t mess around. They’re not only in Edmonton, these guys are all over, which meant Travis was dead meat.

Look, it’s only been about a year since I’ve switched my life around. I still have some contacts from when I used to deal. The other guys never had these connections. This would be a quick job. It looks like Roadkill was back in the business. You should have seen Travis’s face when I told him I’d help him out. He gave me a bag full of this shit right there and then. I had to stuff it in my gym bag quickly, so no one saw it. We’d meet up in a couple of days. Tweaky-Travy, relieved, booked it after.

All-day, my brain kept thinking about what I was doing. My coach would be so pissed. I called up a few of my old contacts, and they hooked me up to their distributors. I managed to get rid of the goods down the chain of addicts and sellers. Boom, job done. There’s a thrill to holding a fat stack of cash after the end of a day. Tweaky-Travy sucked at this shit.

Travis and I met up a couple of days later. He seemed nervous, even though I told him the job was done. Hell, he looked like he saw a ghost, even after I gave him the cash. He was fidgety and wouldn’t say anything. He wouldn’t leave either. I finally asked the guy what was up. Travis said there’s more to sell.

I could have decked the prick right there and then. After a long day of working out, you get all pumped up on adrenaline. The urge was so strong. I gathered myself and saw the red flag – this was a slippery slope that I didn’t want to go down. Travis was using me as his enabler. It took every fibre of my being to tell my old pal that I couldn’t this time.

My heart skipped a beat. My stomach rotted. Travis’s face was grim, and his face whiter than paper. It was like I sentenced him to death. I kept telling him I couldn’t. He snagged my tank-top, begging me. The guy was down on his knees! I wanted to say yes so badly, but I couldn’t this time. I swatted him off, throwing him to the floor. He was as shocked as I. All I could do was run away and not look back. I heard him cry out to me, something about turning him into roadkill. I don’t know. I just kept running.

Travis didn’t come back. That week I was so focused on my workouts. I needed to keep myself distracted from thinking about what I had just done to my old pal. We had gone through thick-and-thin over the years. We had each other’s back until I went to rehab and got my life in order. I still can’t believe I left him. He showed up on the news not too long after. I was watching it on my TV, having my post-workout evening shake. They had Travis’s mugshot on the screen while the whole report focused on the Crystal Moths. Even the title was degrading: CRYSTAL MOTHS LEAVE SIGN TO CORRUPT POLICE ON DEAD MAN.

That’s all they saw Travis as, a dead man. This had nothing to do with the cops. It was a deal gone bad. Gotta love the news eh? The report switched to a graphic photo of Travis’s body at the crime scene. A moth was nailed into his forehead. It’s so demeaning. I felt sick and could barely finish downing my shake. He died because of me. What kind of friend was I? If I had only… no. I can’t talk that way.

My coach worked with me on my mindset to get out of that life, and I can’t run these thoughts through my head. That’s how my old pals and I stuck together. We manipulated each other. It’s toxic. Still, I can’t get it out of my mind. Tweaky-Travy, sorry, Travis, is gone because of me. The other guys started to reach out. Some of them are pissed. Others are trying to get me to deal again. There’s no way I can go down that road again. They’re persistent. They call me a murderer – which is one of the kinder insults.

The gym started to notice, and we got the cops to kick them out of the parking lot. They still let me know they’re around. Whether it’s a note on my car or a phone call, I ignore them as best as I can. Their little jabs are constant reminders of what happened to Travis. It’s my fault, and I need to live with that. So, I keep working out. The repetition clears my head: exercise, every… single… day.

YEGman Novel

An X-Cop Vigilante brings the law as a rebellious journalist traces his steps.

Synopsis

In the darkest streets of Edmonton, crime is around every corner. The police have exhausted their resources. Citizens are in a constant state of fear. The city is in dire need of justice. Someone needs to give the felons what they deserve – skip the courts and deliver their verdict with a fist full of fury!

At least that is what Michael Bradford tells himself. He struggles with violent tendencies while personally investigating the Crystal Moths, Edmonton’s most notorious gang. His vigilante methods get caught on film and are uploaded to the web with the hashtag YEGman. These videos catch the attention of a rebellious journalism student whose aspires to cover the developing story on the city’s underground hero.

Order Today

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Kristine Raymond, Historical Western Author

For August, we welcome historical western author Kristine Raymond who has written a range of novels including historical western, cozy mystery, romance, and non-fiction. She also hosts her own podcast called Word Play where authors get together to talk about reading and writing.

Kristine Raymond has written in a range of genres and juggles many tasks (like the podcast), let’s see what insights she can offer us by welcoming her to the blog!

Kristine Raymond, thank you for joining us. Can you give us a brief intro about yourself?

Hi Konn.  Thanks so much for inviting me on your blog today.

I never had aspirations of becoming an author, but in 2013, when a friend shared her experiences with self-publishing, I thought, I’ve never written a book.  Maybe I should give it a go.  Sixteen books and a million ideas later – okay, maybe not a million, but, definitely, more than a few – there’s no end in sight.

I currently reside in Kentucky with my husband of 27 – or, is it 28? – years and our menagerie of furry and feathered critters. The feathered members joined us this past April as tiny chicken and guinea fluffballs, and I’m patiently awaiting that first, freshly-laid egg.

Your Cozy Mystery novel Finn-agled: A Finn’s Finds Mystery, came out in July 2019. What made you want to write mystery?

I’ve always been a fan of suspense and had sorta burned myself out writing romance – I mean, all those happily-ever-afters were getting on my nerves.  Figuring some blood, guts, and crime were what I needed to cleanse my creative palate, I sat down to write a thriller.  My character, Finn Bartusiak, had different ideas. 

From the opening line of Chapter One, Finn’s quirkiness and humor took hold, and a cozy mystery was born.  By Chapter Two, I knew it would be the first of many (the writing gods, willing).  That thriller idea is still floating around in my gray matter, too.

Do you start writing a story with a genre in mind, or does the story decide?

Usually, I know the genre when I begin writing, though as evidenced by my previous answer, it’s not unheard of for the story to hijack my plans.  I think that’s why I’m a pantser instead of a plotter.  My thoughts are all over the place when I write, and if I tried to keep to a script or outline, my creative energy would be stifled.

Tell us about your non-fiction ‘write words’ A Year in the Life of an Indie Author Kindle Edition, why did you take a turn into non-fiction?

Ah, ‘write words’ came to me on a whim, much as writing, in general, did.  I knew nothing about self-publishing when I began this journey and wanted to document what I’d learned over the course of my first year.  The book’s not intended as a how-to, though.  It’s more of an honest, sometimes humorous, account of my experiences those first twelve months. 

It’s funny to read it now because I’ve learned so much since then (and continue to learn).  Recently, a friend suggested I write a follow-up.  Maybe at my ten-year mark.

How did you get into recording podcasts?

In my never-ending quest to promote other authors and their works – I’m much better at that than I am promoting myself – I woke up one morning and thought PODCAST.

In a vein similar to writing, I went into my new endeavor blind, knowing nothing about podcasting or recording or even if authors would want to be on the show.  I shouldn’t have worried.  Coming up on its second anniversary, Word Play with Kristine Raymond picked up a sponsor this year – Creative Edge Publicity – and is going strong.  I adore chatting with my guests and hearing about their books, hobbies, and lives, and if the calendar filling up for 2021 is any indication, I think they enjoy it, too.

What’s next for your writing career?

Remember those million ideas I mentioned earlier? Lol.  More accurately, I have twenty-two titles written down for books I want to ‘write next’.  The one I’m currently working on is the sequel to Finn-agled titled Finn-icky Eaters.  No release date yet – my writing has been sidetracked over the past few months with home projects and gardening and chickens and, oh, did I mention the new Beagle puppies?

Any advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors?

Don’t worry about not knowing what you’re doing.  If you wait until you’re ready, you’ll never start.  It’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them, and each book will (or should) be better than the last.

Soak up as much information as you can from other authors, but always trust your gut.  Remember – you’re the only one who can write your story.

Thank you, Konn, for having me.  It’s been fun!

Let’s thank Kristine Raymond for joining us again to the blog!

You can find her latest work on their website, amazon, and the various links below:

WebsitePodcastBooks on AmazonFacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest





Finn-agled Synopsis

A secret message hidden inside of an antique wooden box, an unidentified dead body, and a mother determined to marry her off to the high school crush whom she hasn’t seen since…well…high school.  There’s no doubt about it; Finn Bartusiak’s life in the seaside town of Port New is about to get interesting.

Coming into possession of a 19th-century, bronze and mahogany writing box under somewhat suspicious circumstances, Finn’s accidental discovery of a coded note leads her and Spencer Dane, bestselling novelist and love of her life (though he doesn’t know it yet), on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the jumble of letters.  But they’re not the only ones interested in the cryptic message.  There’s a con man on their trail, and he’ll stop at nothing, including murder, to claim the ‘treasure’ for himself.  

Buy link – https://books2read.com/finnagled

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Sink or Swim

The business side of writing is a whole other ball game. Talk to anyone about it who has a book published. We don’t all enjoy it, and those that do – curse you. For many others and I, the real joy is in writing, but we do need to market our work. Often, we’re trying to convince people to buy our books through a good book cover, reviews, and a gripping blurb. All of this is presuming you want to make a buck off your writing. 2020 sure flipped a lot of strategies upside down. I, for one, was always playing door-to-door salesman at bookstores and conventions. Signing books with no social gatherings is pretty tricky. It looks like it is time to adapt. Sink or swim as the saying goes.

Welcome to Another Edition of Unprocessed Thoughts

One big realization I’ve made through 2020 is the strategies I’ve used for selling and marketing books were flawed. The ebook side of selling was practically flat unless I met someone in person, and they wanted an ebook version. I’ve ignored the ebook world for years, putting my focus on physical copies and the blog, which has worked well. But both are pretty time consuming and truthfully impossible to make a living from it.

There’s plenty of advice out there on strategizing a new ebook release or promoting series, and marketing the author version of you online. I didn’t take any of it. Even my ebooks themselves lacked critical components at the beginning and end of the books to make them marketing tools. The public speaking events, book signings, and conventions chewed up a lot of my spare time, roping me into the real-world hustle. These also had their perks, for I’ve met many great people in and out of the industry.

Sink or Swim, You Decide!

In 2020, there is no other choice other than learning how to navigate the deep seas of the web. The exciting thing about writing is you’re always learning something new, which doesn’t just apply to the next manuscript. Over the summer, I’ve been heavily researching how to promote online. The searches have shown me how to strategically use the interior of an ebook as a tool to market your next book. There’s a lot of information out there and plenty of strategies. I’m only at the base of a large knowledge-mountain.

Thankfully, there’s been some traction and positive results with what I’ve done so far. It turns out promoting a series has a ton of benefits to supporting multiple books – duh. It also helps to make a book permanently free. In a Bookbub article, readers are looking for discounts and free books. Times aren’t easy for people in 2020, and a freebie can give them an escape from reality. So, I made Reality free, and the choice has placed the book in three of Amazon’s bestseller lists. Woohoo, thank you, everyone!

The Long Game

Anyone who has been marketing online could have shared this information with me. Chances are before 2020, and I wasn’t going to listen. I didn’t even though I read several author marketing books on the topic. I was sucked into the yearly cycle of convention seasons, hammer out the next book, and repeat the following year. It was a tight schedule, and truthfully, it was exhausting.

During the start of all the crazy in 2020, the free time let me evaluate how much I was spending for booths, travel, and food at conventions compared to some online advertising. Depending on the ads and curated promo sites you look at, the pricing is pretty comparable, and it’s a whole lot less time to invest.

Buckle up and adapt. The online marketing tactics I’ve currently put into place are on autopilot. They’re a real pain to set up, but once they are, I can get back to what’s important – writing the next book. These included email automation campaigns, reader magnets, and even Facebook ads. With reformatting the ebooks, it let me correct their validation, so they are all accepted into more distributors like Apple Books, Nook, and Scribd. I’m excited to see how these all play together over time. Then I can make minor tweaks after getting my geek on over analytics. Ugh.

Being Realistic

I don’t enjoy marketing nor selling. Thankfully, my dad was a salesman and taught me many tricks and techniques with in-person selling. It’s helped me promote books and run my own graphic design/web development business, a business. Ultimately work is still work, whether it is the day-to-day stuff or your passion for writing.

Over the years, I put my head in the dirt and avoided online marketing because I find it boring, bland, and I haven’t fully wrapped my head around it. That’s okay. It’s time to learn. It’s not like I have anywhere to go this year. Plus, the theory of online marketing is you can reach a broader range of people with less effort, meaning you can write more. That’s the goal, write more until it’s a full-time gig—time to adapt and figure out how to do just that.

The Real Thing

As great as all this online marketing is, it isn’t nearly as fulfilling as the conventions, speaking engagements, or book signings. Meeting eager readers and helping aspiring writers face to face is irreplaceable, and I look forward to the day that we can all meet in person again. This time, I may just cut back on the number of events I do. It’s all about balance, and it’s time to adapt if I want to take the writing to the next level.

Beer Note: Good Mood Brewery Season IPA

This IPA by Good Mood Brewery comes from Calgary Alberta. It’s not too hoppy, which makes drinking multiples of these pretty easy. The next thing you know, you’re down to your last one and need to savour it to finish the blog post. It’s a season IPA, so I ‘hops’ to get my hands on another pack before they run out.

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Unlocking Immortality

Two scientists working on a military-funded telekinetic project discover something far more valuable and deadly. Humanity’s limitations are learned in one dark, irreversible experiment, unraveling the most sought-after discovery: immortality.

Unlocking Immortality is August’s short story that brings readers into a cosmic horror experiment, pushing the boundaries of human invention – at what cost?

—

The key to immortality isn’t a black and white answer. If it were, humanity would have unlocked the method long ago. Anyone brave – or crazy – enough to attempt finding the key to immortality has to have a vast accumulation of knowledge in varying subjects. Or perhaps just access to the information. Each category raises unique problems. I like to ask myself some fundamental questions to get my head working in the right way:

Biology: Knowing our anatomy and how our bodies function is an important step. We’re contained in this vessel during our time of being alive. Does immortality bring the flesh with it, or do we transcend into an ethereal, or digital, state? Big question.Psychology: Our thoughts evolve. What we can comprehend as a child is nowhere near what we are capable of understanding at middle age. After, we deteriorate. Does immortality mean our minds are frozen from growth the moment the spell is cast on us? Or does our consciousness continue to evolve? Mystical terminology aside, it raises a prominent concern.The Self: The modern world tells us that we exist in the brain, as the mind. Ancient philosophy claims we live in the heart. Spiritual leaders tell us we are the soul. What are we? Are we already immortal post-death through the soul? Or are we only an accumulation of flesh and blood?

I can keep adding to the list. Ultimately, I leave that task to my colleague, Rand. He’s more interested in derailing from our project’s intention so he can question the unfathomable. We bonded on the discussion when we were both hired. It’s fun to theorize, but quite frankly, I’d rather keep my job in the laboratory. Rand is willing to take the risk thanks to the extra funds we got this year. The government was exceptionally generous with their budget. We’ve upgraded our stations, equipment, and even hired interns.

The buffer of cash sounds exciting, but it only means more pressure to complete our goal: Transcribing Neurological Pathways from Mind to Mind. Yes, it is a mouthful, but we aren’t here to sex up our proposals. We’re scientists. We discover and push the boundaries of humanity.

I generalize the project for the simple minds by saying we’re in the process of transcribing thoughts from one brain to the other without the need to speak or read. We are creating a direct communication of thoughts, feelings, and ideas. The concept birthed from the research done by Nichola Tesla. His World Power System proposed we can harness the energy trapped in the air, known as radiant energy. He proved the concept but lacked modern technology to access its full potential. We are close, and now we’re taking it one step sideways by using the radiant energy as a superhighway to transfer data. The device will convert thoughts into the universal radiant energy, transmitting it to a receiving device.

The military is highly interested in what we are doing, hence the budget increase. If we pull it off, we can genuinely take humanity to the next phase of existence. No pressure. The number of coffees and cigarettes I’ve had over the past couple of years is going to stain my teeth permanently. That will make a gal want to marry me.

Personal sacrifice aside, we’ve made progress. We transcribed several thoughts from one primate mind to another through a quantum chip adaptor installed in the back of each subject’s skull. One chimp sent the answer of a simple math problem to the other, taking a test, letting the receiving chimp answer a challenge it could not solve. The experiment was proof of telekinetic abilities.

Rand was ecstatic with our breakthrough and began hammering a bunch of algorithms into our deep learning software, saying the sending subject didn’t just transcribe a thought to the receiving specimen but entered it. I told him not to get too excited with new theories. The chimps only sent and received a number. The experiment was one test of many we need to do with these primates.

If we can strap a couple of human test subjects and run the experiment, we could toy with Rand’s theory of consciousness sending through the adaptors. The trials would be fun, and I would love nothing more than to test the adaptor on some human subjects. Unfortunately, we can’t get clearing to do so—something about moral ethics and human rights.

I leave the lab after, like the interns usually do, and went to bed as I am a bit testy from the long work hours and need sleep. I won’t be getting any as my phone rings, keeping me awake. I ignore it and roll over to the other side, hoping I won’t see the screen light up.

The phone hums – a text message.

RING RING

Damnit, there is no sleep for me. I sigh and roll over to pick up the phone, seeing the caller ID is Rand. I answer, “what?”

“Get to the laboratory fast. I’ve done it.” Rand’s voice is shaky, excited, and high pitched. He has always been the jittery type, but this is different.

“Can it wait until tomorrow?” I ask.

“No. I’ve done it.”

“Done what?”

“Accessed our unlimited potential. Matter cannot be created or destroyed, right?”

“I don’t need high school lessons, Rand, what is it?”

“Which means we cannot die. Our pieces are simply scattered with our body’s death.”

“Yes, theoretically,” I humour him.

“We’ve seen matter exist in multiple states at once. Our minds, the thoughts, can exist with and without the body.”

“What?”

“The adaptor, the chimps, the signal we saw today.”

“I told you to drop this.”

“I modified it.”

My heart stops, realizing what Rand probably did. If he muddled with that adaptor, it would set us back months. We’d be in shit. “What did you do?” I ask.

“I’ve proven consciousness doesn’t exist in our body, but only as a temporary state. It exists beyond.”

“Rand.”

“Get down here.”

Rand’s mysterious words convince me, and I put on a fresh pair of pants. My hair is a mess, and my breath probably reeks, but who cares? I’m not trying to make-out with anyone. Besides, if I have to scold Rand, the bad breath will make the down-talking more impactful.

I make it to the laboratory where Rand waits outside for me. I light up a smoke, saying, “what is this all about?”

“Finish that up. You won’t be needing it anymore anyways.”

“What did you do to the adaptor?” I ask.

“The chimp sent that number, and I ran the results through the computer to get more possible outcomes.”

“Yeah, I know. You wanted to amplify the adaptor’s signal. I told you it would scramble the receiver’s thoughts, probably causing a seizure to the subject.”

“That’s not what I meant, you’re thinking linearly. Broaden your mind.”

I specialize in quantum theory, the comment is insulting, but I brush it aside. “Elaborate?”

“I installed an electromagnetic frequency unit, letting the adaptor suck in all wavelengths from the body. Frequencies that we didn’t detect before. Frequencies of consciousness, pushing them out into the radiant energy and freeing it from the flesh.”

I stare at him blankly, thinking he is getting into some weird pseudo-science nonsense.

“I’ve unlocked the key to immortality.”

I exhale the smoke from my mouth. “Bullshit.”

“No, come see.”

I flick the cigarette to the curb, and we enter the building side by side with our key fobs, then pass the security desk where Tim should be. Tim usually guards the building at night. He must be patrolling. We take the elevator, going down a half dozen floors to the laboratory. Rand is rambling on about some of the early inventions of Nichola Tesla that harvest power and how we are all directly connected to the universal free energy. Truthfully, I find it hard to listen to and phase-out of the conversation.

“Amplifying the wavelength module of the adaptor’s signal has created a doorway for both our consciousness and subconsciousness to move freely into the ethereal space that surrounds us.”

“When was the last time you slept?” I ask.

“Sleep is irrelevant now,” Rand says as the elevator opens. He steps ahead of me. I spot blood running down the back of his neck, just below a freshly shaved patch in his skull, where a gory hole rests.

“Rand?” I don’t move, knowing something isn’t right.

“Come,” Rand says. “Don’t let your human senses deceive you.”

“Rand, did you install the adaptor on yourself?” I ask.

“I had to, who else could I try it on?” Rand continues to walk into the laboratory.

“One of the primates, you idiot!” My hand catches the closing elevator door, forcing me to follow him. The laboratory is trashed. The florescent lights dangle from the ceiling, flickering. Shattered glass is everywhere. The walls, floor, and countertops are all cracked. Something big happened here. I wonder if Tim knows.  Still, curiosity is getting the better of me. I continue following Rand. I need to know what he found.

I continue to lecture him, saying, “you jeopardized our whole operation. You could be removed from the project.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Rand says.

My eyes are glued to the hole in the back of his head, it is quite dark, making me wonder how deep he jammed that adaptor in. I say, “did you even think what the scientific community will say about you breaking moral ethics?”

Rand chuckles. “Please. We’ve been working towards such a primitive goal, humorously enough with primates, when the real prize was only a few thoughts away. The adaptor springboards our soul from this body. I’ve done it, it works!”

Rand leads me deeper into the laboratory, which becomes more unfamiliar with each step. Concrete sticks out from parts of the wall. Dirt and plants that were never here are sticking out of the cracks in the countertops. Melted metal is still burning on the floor, projected red light into the darkening hall. What happened here?

“Soul? Rand, we’ve concluded that the soul is just a combination of the body and mind. You’re tired, take some time off. We can keep this on the down-low. No one needs to know.”

“Look at this place. You can’t keep this hidden.” Rand takes a turn and enters the testing room. “Besides, I have moved beyond simple human morals,” his voice reverbs.

I turn the corner and enter the room. My eyes widen, hairs standing upright, as I stare at what lies, or has fused, to the testing station. A monstrosity of organic and human-made material. The two primates… all intertwined with the metal that was once their chairs —a gory morphic mess of matter.

“It’s breathing,” I mutter, not realizing I spoke out loud, my voice is dry.

The abomination sputters blood from an orifice on the side of its connected skulls as its single swollen, glassy, pink eye stares back at me.

“I boosted the adaptor signals a little aggressively at first.” Rand’s voice continues to reverb, unlike my own. He smirks as one-half of his face droops, did he have a stroke? “This is why I had to test the adaptor on myself. It was my only chance. You know they wouldn’t keep me here after this mess.”

I push my deep curiosity aside. Rand is sick, and the laboratory is a disaster. I must call security. I need to keep him distracted. “What happened here, Rand?” I ask as my hand slides into my pocket, ready to pull out my cellphone and get help.

“Don’t call for Tim,” Rand says, voice deepening into something demonic. His face continues to melt, including his eyes and hair. “He’s already here. We all are. The adaptor has unified energy.”

The curiosity creeps up again, and my fingers loosen on the phone as I stare at the top of Rand’s head. From the back of his skull, a black liquid-like substance channels upward to the ceiling. Torn shreds of human flesh and bone along with scraps of grey-and-black clothing – Tim – are flowing up and down into an unexplainable black space projecting from Rand’s hole; colours of the room smear out from the edges of what remains of the ceiling, continually shifting and stretching as I turn my head. The interactive colours and gory remains of Tim create Deja vu, like when a computer screen is glitching out and you try to move a window. Stillness, only moving when I move.

“The adaptor is the portal,” Rand speaks in dual voices, one low pitch, the other high. He isn’t moving. His mouth and the whole body is static, also reacting to my movement against the continuing expanding black space from his skull.

My thoughts are active, as I move my head. Yet, as I look down, my body isn’t moving with me, it too is smearing. Weightlessness lifts me from my physical form as the darkness expands in space. New thoughts enter my mind. Emotions: fear, pain, terror. Senses overrule my better judgement: stale smells, cold, voices.

“The adaptor became a part of my body,” the voices speak at once, coming from all corners of the room. “The adaptor pushed me through into the radiant energy. I am the portal. This is the key and the answer to all of our theories.”

I try running, but… I… can’t? I am still. A witness to new spaces – or memories. Tim’s perspective of walking into work. Rand on the computer. The chimps as they eat their treats. These visions are so sudden. I am absorbing them instantly, experiencing each memory simultaneously. The darkness envelopes all matter around my view. Tim’s corpse, Rand, the chimps, and all space swirl into the blackness with me, shredding apart all matter. I feel them, their thoughts, I am them as they are me.

The negative emotions and senses dissipate to a state of isness. They were only a temporary uncertainty of what lies beyond our limited human-bound minds. I understand what Rand had become and what he wanted to show me. The beauty. Our theories and questions about life after death were all wrong. There is no fault on us. We couldn’t think in any other way in our human forms.

We are now a part of the single consciousness found within radiant energy.

The unlocking of immortality.

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