Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 55
June 6, 2016
World Mother: Seed Me Novel Score Release
The second half to the Seed Me Novel release is a project that I have kept under wraps for quite some time now. Drum roll please…
The project is an original score written by several Edmonton-based musicians as well as myself. There have been some people that have seen the progress of this project through my instagram account, which tends to be more music-related with my own jams and concerts I attend.
A video posted by Konn Lavery (@_konnartist) on Mar 13, 2016 at 9:08pm PDT
Music has been a growing interest of mine for a number of years and I wanted to find a way to weave it into my writing. I’ve been a major fan of transmedia storytelling and interpreting a full novel into a musical composition was an uncommon concept. I’ve seen a couple of other authors pursue this avenue in the past and it seemed like the right fit for the Seed Me story.
World Mother: Seed Me Novel Score Track Listing
Below are the track listings for the World Mother album. It is a mashup of various musical styles, such as Witch House, Dark Ambient and Down tempo, to name a few.
Whyte Ave Waltz by Sean Lacroix
The Children
River Valley Walker
Wild Magic
River Valley Deepstalker
Disciple’s Ritual
World Mother by Apollyon’s Visage
Hellfire
Plod in Mud by Voice Industrie
Sprout
The album will be released on July 2nd on Amazon (physical copies) and Bandcamp (digital).
Samples and single coming soon.
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June 4, 2016
Seed Me Book Launch and Live Reading at Happy Harbor Comics
Just as the title says. The time is finally here! The official release launch of the novel Seed Me will be at Happy Harbor Comics with a live reading of some of the chapters.
With this being announced, there will be some additional exciting news to be shared related to Seed Me in the coming weeks. For now, mark your calendars and come celebrate the launch of this new horror novel!
When?
August 17th.
Signing is from 5pm to 8pm.
Live reading is at 6pm, be sure to arrive a little earlier!
Where?
10729 104 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 3K1
Book Synopsis
WARNING: DO NOT CONSUME
If you’re reading this, then you did not take the above warning seriously. In that case, you’re probably as stupid as me. I’m Logan, by the way. I didn’t pay attention to any warning signs either. Being an unemployed deadbeat in Edmonton with no family and getting dumped by your girlfriend for her best friend can wear a guy down. All I had was my cokehead buddy, Skip, to cheer me up.
Surprisingly, my precautionary tale was not caused by either Skip or the drugs. Let’s just say a drunken make-out session with a pale girl by a dumpster, who was supposedly pronounced dead earlier in the evening, can leave you mentally jumbled up. A good motivator to figure this scenario out is having robed cultists stalk you, asking where the girl is.
Is this an ill twist of fate? Did I bring this on myself? Is there a reason behind my misfortune? Is the moral to not make out with spooky girls behind dumpsters? Hell if I know…
Pass this announcement along and bring your friends to CONSUME!
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May 31, 2016
June 12th Strathcona Chapters Book Signing
This book signing will be featured at Strathcona Chapters in Edmonton, Alberta. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, tshirts, button pins and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Sunday, June 12th from 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Chapters – Strathcona
10504 82nd Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6E 2A4
The post June 12th Strathcona Chapters Book Signing appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 24, 2016
Unprocessed Thoughts – May
May, spring, it happens to be the busiest time of the year for my graphics and web development work, Reveal Design. I am looking forward to the summer once vacations start for the majority of people. Fingers crossed that there will be some downtime, then I can focus more on writing. SO…. welcome to another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts.
The past month has been full of work. Between the Calgary Comic Expo, Shredmonton and the workload, the blog has trailed a bit behind. However, the good part is that it has been a very productive month. I must say, there is a lot of exciting things coming down the pipeline that has been in the works since December. This is news that I will share once I have the final proofs in my hands (there’s the hint for you).
Like I had mentioned, the past month has been spent working a lot of overtime hours than in previous months. This has kept me locked down in production mode. Creative mode, not so much. Those are generally my two types of mental states, a robotic, manufacturing state or an explorative, less structured state. There are perks to both, you can crank out a lot of work when in production mode but you don’t give your brain a chance to expand, learn and experience new ideas as a person. A perk with production mode is being able to go through immense amounts of bands’ discographies since you are stuck working long hours.
A major downer from this production mode was not being unable to make it to Vancouver on May 14th. The musician Tim Skold (former KMFDM, Shotgun Messiah and Marilyn Manson member) had his first solo tour that I am aware of. This was worth mentioning because he happens to be one of my top favorite musicians that I grew up on. It would have been a road trip and a chance to re-live my “shitting bats, all in black trench coat”, goth, teenage years.
A video posted by S̺͌͆ K͍ O̶̳ͨ͑͐̇͛ Ḽ̲̻͈̈͑ D̶̩̘̩͈ (@tim_skold) on May 11, 2016 at 12:39am PDT
The above instagram snippet is Tim Skold performing the Marilyn Manson cover of Tainted Love track that he produced.
The disappointment was a good life lesson on knowing that you can’t get too invested in your work. Yes, it is important to work hard into your future, however it is a double edge sword and you can miss out on important moments of your life if you are not careful. I took on more than I could chew and struggled with keeping up with writing, social balance and missing out on something important to me. It can really take a toll on your time and energy working with no reward. Life is short and a constant tug of war of a work-life balance.
This post is full of clichés hey?
All seriousness though, these clichés come from somewhere and do hold ground. I’m nearing the end of the huge time crunch and got to have some discipline on my work hours so I can live life a little bit. Maybe then I will not miss out on another rare off chance to catch a musician that I grew up on.
That’s the thought I had to share in this Unprocessed Thoughts. I’ll follow up with next month’s edition and let you all know how it goes. Now I’m going to go enjoy switching to creative mode.
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May 23, 2016
Simon Rose releases his new novel Future Imperfect
I’d like to welcome back Simon Rose for another chat about his latest novel, Future Imperfect, that has recently been published. Back in March Simon Rose and I had discussed his writing background and his novel Flashback. We ran into each other at the Calgary Comic Expo this year, it is nice to meet a person face to face after discussing online. He has an impressive number of books written under his belt and I am excited to welcome him back to the blog!
Simon, what can you tell us about your novel, Future Imperfect?
In the novel, we’re introduced to Andrew Mitchell, who was one of the leading experts in highly advanced technology in Silicon Valley, until he vanished following a car accident, which also injured his son, Alex. When a mysterious app later appears on Alex’s phone, he and his friend Stephanie embark on a terrifying journey involving secret technology, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and murder in a desperate bid to save the future from the sinister Veronica Castlewood.
What can readers expect in this book?
The story will appeal to all young readers for whom technology plays such a large role in their lives, whether it’s cell phones, laptops, tablets, gaming, or the online world, but it’s also a very compelling adventure story, with lots of cliffhangers, twists, and turns.
Have you approached this book differently than your previous works?
No, I don’t think so. It was perhaps written a little more quickly than some of the others but some novels are like that. I created an outline and once I was happy with that I began writing the story. Future Imperfect was very enjoyable to write and I don’t think I was ever stuck for ideas or encountered any major stumbling blocks. As you’d expect there were a few things to sort out in the plot along the way but these issues were resolved during revisions and in the editing process.
If you had to summarize the book in one sentence, how would you describe it?
Future Imperfect is an exciting technology-driven adventure featuring teenage geniuses, corporate espionage, and mysterious messages.
Where can readers get Future Imperfect?
Future Imperfect is available at local bookstores, online at Amazon Canada, Amazon USA, Indigo/Chapters, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, and other locations, and autographed copies can also be purchased directly from me via my website.
Any plans on book signings or a tour for this novel?
Nothing specifically for this novel although I’m in all the usual places online and on social media. I’m also active in the local writing community and conduct book signings at local bookstores on a regular basis. This spring I was at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo and connected with readers at schools and libraries in Montreal and Quebec City during Children’s Book Week. In August I’ll also be appearing at When Words Collide in Calgary.
You just released a book, have you already planned your next writing project?
My previous novel, Flashback, has two sequels coming out in 2017, one in the spring and the third installment in the summer. These are already completed but there will be revisions and editing along the way later this year. I’m also working on plans for some sequels to The Sphere of Septimus and as I mentioned earlier Future imperfect may generate more adventures. I’m also working on a parallel universe trilogy, which I hope to have completed later this year.
Thank you again Simon for joining us for a second post, a pleasure as always. You can find Simon’s work on his website at www.simon-rose.com or online at the following social media sites:
YouTube
Google +
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May 13, 2016
Mental Damnation at Eek! Fest 2016
The third year of Eek! Fest is here. I am excited to say that I will be a part of it. Each year St. Albert has their own Comic Con which offers a range of vendors, costume contests and extra events that you can interact with. They have partnered with Northern Bricks to create a massive Lego exhibit.
I will be there with a booth, showcasing the three Mental Damnation novels. Additional merch will also be available. So come on by! Weekend passes are $39.99.
Grab tickets at Eek! Fest’s website.
When?
June 4: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
June 5: 11:00AM – 5:00PM
Where?
Servus Place
400 Campbell Rd
St Albert, AB
T8N 0R8
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May 7, 2016
Damnation at the Calgary Comic Expo
This year I got to join in the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, the bigger brother of the Edmonton Expo, spanning for 4 days. The sheer size of the expo space and the amount of attendees is impressive and well worth seeing if you ever find yourself in Calgary.
Day 1 – The drive down and set up.
Calgary to Edmonton is pretty uneventful, being a straight drive north to south and no large hills. The excitement didn’t really occur until making it into the city and spotted a car-truck hybrid – cool! Took a shot to see if I could figure out what it was. Any guesses?
The expo itself was quiet, it was a Thursday after all. Got to reconnect with other artists and vendors who I had not caught up with since the Edmonton Comic Expo. SANE Clothing had already set up their booth and were ready to go. This year Matthew Gillies kindly offered to share a booth, being a fellow self-published, dark fantasy author why not join forces? Back in November I interviewed him about some of his horror writing.
The evening at the Calgary Comic Expo involved checking out a pub called Pig and the Duke, cheap beers (for Calgary) and veggie burgers so couldn’t go wrong there.
Pig icons that I was infatuated with on the Pig and the Duke menu.
Day 2 – Building up for the weekend.
The Friday traffic picked up with more custom costumes – unfortunately I didn’t take any photos – but believe me they were impressive. Matthew and I kept busy sharing our books with interested readers.
Day 3 – Many panels.
The longest of the 4 days and quite valuable as it wasn’t as busy as anticipated. This offered time to meet the other vendors. I discovered a couple of publishers, Edge Publishing and Champagne Books who both offer intriguing local author work. I also met other authors in the expo such as Vince Seim who is writing the book A Mortal Mistake being a part of a violent, fast paced fantasy trilogy. The length of his novels is quite impressive on its own.
Day 4 – Goodbyes!
Oddly enough, the Sunday was the busiest of the four days. It seemed like everyone was waiting for the end-of-expo discounts that some of the vendors offer. The crowd was very energetic and engaging which is the energy I enjoy about the comic expos. Matthew and I spoke at a panel titled “The Joys and Horrors of Writing Horror Stories” where we formed a Q&A session with the audience to help new authors break into the writing industry.
It is always a pleasure to share knowledge with people, especially with writing. Several of the audience members wanted to chat with us afterwards and we expanded on some of the questions and learned about their own writing.
The last bit involved saying goodbye to the new friends and old made at the expo until the next event (most likely the Edmonton Comic Expo). Following that, the drive up a straight road to get home.
It was a enjoyable trip and well worth the travel and long days. Highlight of the expo, my girlfriend got me this cool poster. Paleontologists Vs Creationists – Sharkasaurus. How cool of a movie would that make?
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April 27, 2016
Joining SANE Clothing at Shredmonton
From May 6th to May 8th I will be joining SANE Clothing at the first Shredmonton Metal Festival and Conference here in Edmonton. It will be an exciting weekend of everything metal with over 30 bands playing throughout the weekend and other exciting merchants who will be joining the weekend.
The event will take place in Edmonton. The conference will be taking place at the Shaw Conference Centre and the shows at the Starlite Room & Brixx.
This event I will be bringing the Mental Damnation series and showcasing the artwork which can be found on SANE Clothing’s high quality branded T-Shirts.
Grab tickets at Shredmonton’s
Website to enjoy a weekend of METAL!
When?
May 6: Starting at 8:00 PM
May 7: Starting at 5:00 PM
May 8: Starting at 6:00 PM
Where?
The Starlite Room
10030 102 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 0V6
Looking forward to rocking out all weekend. Join us for an exciting time. Here’s the full list of bands:
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April 18, 2016
Ben Galley – A Self-Publishing Wizard
This blog post covers a unique opportunity I had to speak with fellow fantasy and indie author Ben Galley. I met Ben Galley through a random stumble on the web, finding his online self-publishing consulting services, Shelf Help. Ben provided one on one discussion about what my goals as a writer were and offered valid solutions to my current situation. After our session I took his advice into full swing and began building my author platform. Ben was also willing to spend some time in this article to discuss his self-publishing journey and how he got into the writing business. Let’s chat with Ben and gain some insight!
Ben, give us a brief introduction to yourself. Why did you get into writing?
The reason I got into writing is, very simply, that I am addicted to it, and I have been since a kid. My parent raised me on some of the best fantasy and sci-fi books around – epics like LotR and Dune, to classics like CS Lewis and Greek mythology. Those books and stories bewitched me, and when I started getting my own ideas, I threw myself into writing. I would spend all my spare time doing it. I wrote my first full-length novel at 11 and have been at it ever since.
Professionally speaking, I didn’t begin to publish my books until 2008. I’d just come out of music university (another passion of mine), and was working in bars and clubs while trying to make my way with bands and solo projects. Unfortunately, they simply weren’t going anywhere, and I decided that it was time for a change – that I was going to write for a living. That one decision has led me to where I am today.
How come you chose to self-publish vs traditional publishing? Pros vs. cons?
When I fist started researching how to publish, I realised that I could take the skills I’d learnt as an independent musician and use them as an independent author. DIY self-publishing mirrored a lot of the steps to producing music and building a fanbase. I round out that by taking the reins myself, and going DIY, I could keep more of my royalties, keep creative control, retain my rights, get monthly royalty payments and real-time reporting, and work directly with the stores, all things I couldn’t necessarily do traditionally. Also, I wanted to publish then and there, not wait months to be taken on by an agent. Or, if I were to be successfully taken on by a publisher, the lengthy publishing schedule. Overall, the opportunities of DIY suited my entrepreneurial mindset, and that’s why threw myself into it. I may have been missing out on the advance and punchier marketing power of a traditional publisher, but DIY was what I wanted to do – to carve out a business with myself at the helm, and all the while get to do what I enjoy.
What was your most challenging obstacle you faced when choosing self-publishing?
That’s a tough question, as each stage of self-publishing has its tricks and traps. I think the most challenging aspect is professionalism. Maintaining it is a constant effort. Your standards are ever-changing, as is the market and the level of expectation. Being a professional means that you do everything to the very best of your ability, from your cover to your editing, and from your website to how you word an email. It’s tough, trying to be indistinguishable from a traditional publishing house, and running a business, but they are possible with a bit of hard work.
Did you have any guidance or mentors when taking this path, or was it more self-exploration?
It was complete exploration. Wandering in unknown territory. I’ll be the first to admit I made plenty of mistakes, and came narrowly close to some pitfalls, but each of them taught me an important lesson, and that’s how I managed to forge my own method of DIY self-publishing, the method I teach now as a self-publishing consultant. I call it the Shelf Help method, and I believe it’s the best way to self-publish.
If you could go back to where you started, what would you do differently?
You know what? Absolutely nothing. I have a code of no regrets, and as I’m currently very happy with where my career as an author is going, then I shouldn’t need to regret anything. Any mistakes I made were useful lessons, and so I’m glad to have made them.
You do more than just self-publish your own books, what else do you do in the writing industry?
As well as being an author, I teach other authors from all over the world my self-publishing method through consultations, video chats, online course and events. I do this through my site www.shelfhelp.info and it’s a role I’m very passionate about. It’s a pleasure to help other authors achieve their writing goals.
Aside from consulting, I also run a company called Truth and Tails with writer Alice Reeves and illustrator Phoebe Kirk. We write children’s books that are designed to eradicate prejudice and promote understanding in kids aged 3-8 through really simple messages and beautiful pictures. You can find us at www.truthandtails.com.
Any future plans to broaden your career in writing?
Next on my list is book number 11, while at the same time looking to exploit some more of my rights, such as hunting out translation and audiobook opportunities. That’s the good thing about retaining all your rights – they’re a form of currency that can help you move forward and achieve your big goals.
What can you share with us about your latest and upcoming novels?
I’m thrilled to say I’ve just published my tenth book – Bloodfeud – which is also the last novel in the Scarlet Star Trilogy. It’s a mash-up of weird west fantasy and alternate history, set in a strange version of 1867, and a coming-of-age tale of a young boy called Tonmerion Hark, who is sent to live on the very edge of civilization – Wyoming.
My next novel will actually be my first standalone novel, which I’m very excited about. I’m just about to start writing it.
Any advice you’d like to offer aspiring writers?
Lots! However that would result in a very large blog indeed. The best thing I can share is a recent post of mine in which I go through my top 5 tips for authors. You can find that here.
Overall, I’d say that you no longer have to worry about anything in your way. Self-publishing has now been established as a viable publishing option, so in short, there’s never been a better time to be an author. Gone are the days of vanity publishing. Now we have a straight-forward, agile, and affordable way of getting our books into the hands of readers, and a chance to make a living out of it, possibly a fantastic one at that. What this means is that if you’re thinking of self-publishing, just rest easy in the knowledge that you’re choosing to publish at a great time, and whenever you’re confused, know that advice is readily available. You aren’t alone!
Thanks again Ben for taking the time to answer the questions and share your thoughts on your journey as an author and advice on self-publishing. Looking forward to your future work!
You can check out Ben’s novels at www.bengalley.com where you can also find his books, blog and Shelf Help consulting.
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April 11, 2016
Unprocessed Thoughts – April
Here’s the news, this blog post is a special one. It marks the first of a series of inspiration and creative explorations. The whole blog was supposed to be oriented around what sparks me. It took a turn into being about writing tips and guest bloggers. That direction just came more naturally. Probably from the history of writing course curriculum. For a change of the regular program welcome to – Unprocessed Thoughts April Edition.
With an intro paragraph like that it isn’t easy to follow up on. What I’d like to share is some of the new music I found in the month of March. I’ve been swamped with a lot of projects which has given me time to explore discographies.
I have a good friend of mine introduced me to Flux Information Sciences and instantly I was drawn into their use of synths and samples in a minimal noise form. The album Private/Public particularly caught my attention. Normally I can only handle noise projects in small doses but with this project the sounds and albums were diverse enough to keep me intuited. I worked backwards through their discography as far as I could go back. A Dedication to Volt was the one I couldn’t locate online.
Listening to Flux Information Sciences took me down a YouTube adventure where I discovered Cop Shoot Cop and Foetus. I had previously never heard of either bands or of musician J. G. Thirwell. After hearing the album Nail by Foetus I recognized the familiar sound of another musical project. Almost a deja vu moment, until track 4, Pigswill came on and I realized the similarities to Raymond Watt’s project . Listening to Foetus you can hear where Raymond Watt’s earlier inspiration came from. Both musicians have a heavy swing-style approach while utilizing early noise elements and punchy lyrics.
Needless to say I took a break from working to read up on these bands on Wikipedia and learn what other albums they had and other acts there are associated with. Foetus was a project I should have known of way earlier on. Being a heavy KMFDM fan and knowing of their members’ side projects like Excessive Force, MDFMK, , Slick Idiot and Skold how did I miss Raymond Watt’s prime source of inspiration?
The discovery was insightful in mentally mapping the history of music and how they evolve over time. Musicians and all forms of artists pull their inspirations from others, goes to support that each piece is a progression of art as a whole. Sometimes you just got to dig a little further to find the deeper roots.
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