Daniel Sherrier's Blog, page 48
October 27, 2014
Boo! Spend your Halloween with RIP: Choices After Death for a wee bit cheaper
Pardon my crass commercialization of Halloween, but it’s time to mark the RIP: Choices After Death ebook down from $2.99 to $1.99 for the rest of October.
I confess, it’s not scary, aside from a few creepy scenes. But it has ghosts — and not of the “Rhosts, Raggy!” variety. Actual ghosts so real you can touch them. Well, Rip can touch them, and see, hear, smell, but hopefully not taste them. You can just read about him touching, seeing, hearing, smelling, and hopefully not tasting them.
It’s Halloween week! You’re obligated to indulge in ghostly fun.
If you’ve read the first RIP novelette for free, it’s the perfect time to continue on with the rest of the book.
If you don’t, Serissa will punch you in the face. Granted, her fist will go right through you and you won’t feel a thing or even see her do it, but that won’t stop her.
October 24, 2014
Hark! ‘Tis a Cover Reveal!
Yes, we have a cover for Earths in Space vol. 2: We Must Evolve, which comes out January 30, 2015.
Nothing quite screams “Evolution!” like a fish with feet, so…
Designed by M.W. Messina.
And here’s the blurb:
Life can evolve. Amena saw the evidence on an ancient Earth. It wasn’t pleasant evidence, and it wasn’t evolution into sentient life, but she saw evidence.
So okay, she accepts that no little green men exist on alien worlds, but maybe one of these other Earths holds evolved humanity.
Evolution faces a powerful obstacle, however — humanity itself.
Volume 2: We Must Evolve begins with the discovery of a mysterious ark full of refugees caught in orbit over Pluto…
Wait, an ark full of refugees…?
Well, that’s one Earth that’s not evolving. But another could be doing better. It’s possible, Amena keeps telling herself…
Continuing the action-packed Earths in Space series, We Must Evolve features a novel-length journey told in four novellas — “The Pluto Factor,” “Worlds to Save,” “The New World,” and “On Hold.”
Keep an eye out for a Kindle pre-order page next month!
October 12, 2014
Earths in Space: We Must Evolve … coming January 30
Earths in Space vol. 2: We Must Evolve will be available in paperback and e-book formats January 30, 2015.
This is a conservative estimate. I’m hoping to wrap things up sooner and unleash it on the world before then.
Good news for readers who like long books — Volume 2 is more than twice as long as Volume 1. It features four novellas that combine into a novel-length arc. More than 116,000 words of science fiction excitement are coming your way soon.
It’s about this:
Life can evolve. Amena saw the evidence on an ancient Earth. It wasn’t pleasant evidence, and it wasn’t evolution into sentient life, but she saw evidence.
So okay, she accepts that no little green men exist on alien worlds, but maybe one of these other Earths holds evolved humanity.
Evolution faces a powerful obstacle, however — humanity itself.
Volume 2: We Must Evolve begins with the discovery of a mysterious ark full of refugees caught in orbit over Pluto…
Wait, an ark full of refugees…?
Well, that’s one Earth that’s not evolving. But another could be doing better. It’s possible, Amena keeps telling herself…
Continuing the action-packed Earths in Space series, We Must Evolve features a novel-length journey told in four novellas — “The Pluto Factor,” “Worlds to Save,” “The New World,” and “On Hold.”
Right now, a cover is being designed by Michael Messina, the same talented designer who produced the current covers for Earths in Space: Where Are the Little Green Men? and RIP: Choices After Death, and I’m sure this new one will look just as great. Expect a thrilling cover reveal in the coming weeks.
The manuscript has received positive comments from beta readers, and I’ve just handed it over to editor Todd Barselow, who will no doubt offer great suggestions for cleaning things up further.
By the way, I’ve also submitted comments to Todd for his upcoming book on editing. Here’s a quick excerpt from my thoughts on the self-editing process:
A writer’s ability to self-edit is just as essential as getting a professional editor to examine the manuscript. Your editor can’t do it all. Even if you hire five editors, they collectively can’t do it all. It’s your story—you’ll be able to notice opportunities for improvement that no one else will, especially in the earlier stages of revising. Before you send it off to any editor, you should have gone through at least ten drafts. That doesn’t mean ten drafts from scratch, but at least ten passes through the entire thing, giving a critical eye to factors such as plot, dialogue, grammar, structure, characterization, and so on.
Perhaps that explains why it’s taken me so long to get the new Earths in Space ready.
Oh! And I’m permanently reducing the price of the first Earths in Space e-book to 99 cents.
September 27, 2014
Veronica Mars lives on…in a fake digital spinoff
This continues to be an eventful year for Veronica Mars fans. First we get a long-awaited movie, then the launch of a series of novels co-written by series creator Rob Thomas, and now…a digital series about a fake spinoff.
Yeah, that last one is especially random, but it’s also kind of fun, judging by the first episode, which was released recently on the CW Seed.
Play It Again, Dick features actor Ryan Hansen playing a fictional version of himself trying to create a spinoff series for his Veronica Mars, character Dick Casablancas. Most of the VM cast members are set to play themselves as well as their characters. It’s all very meta, tongue-in-cheek, and perhaps even a bit self-deprecating.
The first episode runs less than eight minutes. Hansen discusses his idea with an extremely skeptical Kristen Bell and then pitches to the CW. We also see a potential theme song.
The idea for this Dick series—the self-centered, one-dimensional comic relief of Veronica Mars deciding to become a private eye in the vein of Magnum or Rockford—is terrible. But that’s what will make this series so much fun. Rather than getting a bad spinoff, we get a show about a bad spinoff, during which we’ll get to see off-kilter versions of beloved characters played by the original actors. It’s like fanfiction on steroids, or would be if Rob Thomas himself wasn’t behind it.
It’s perfect for the digital medium. This series would never fly on network television. Veronica Mars itself barely did, and the movie’s box office performance wasn’t too impressive either. Veronica Mars is not a show that gets a spinoff of any kind, not under the traditional business models of network television.
But with the Internet opening newer and less expensive doors…why not play around and have fun?
And Play It Again, Dick pretty much is a bunch of actors having fun with a show they clearly loved working on and creating something new in the process.
If it turns out to be good, great. If not, it’ll at least have been an amusing experiment.
August 23, 2014
I completed the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
It was only a matter of time…
Imaginary bonus points if you catch the Doctor Who reference.
I would write a check to the ALS Association, too, but…writer.
Instead, whatever I make off my books this weekend, I’ll donate that to the ALS Association. So order or download Earths in Space or RIP this weekend, Aug. 23 and 24, and your purchase will be extra-meaningful.
I now pass the challenge on to a few friends of mine — one author, one musician, and one actress: Dana Cornell, author of My Mother’s Ring; Samson Trinh, founder of Uke ‘n’ Roll, and actress/singer/entertainer Holland Gedney. Have fun, ladies and gentleman.
August 22, 2014
Did you hear that Who framed Roger Rabbit?
This was recently discovered hiding somewhere within my parents’ house.
I’m sure this 64-page novelization of Who Framed Roger Rabbit holds up as a literary classic, especially since no author is credited on the cover.
And why doesn’t the title have a question mark?
August 9, 2014
Should you self-publish?
It might be right for you. Or it might not. I’ve posted some considerations over at Smash Cut Culture.
Here’s the beginning:
The short answer is yes, you should start getting your work out there and building an audience. This applies not only to novelists, but musicians, filmmakers, theatre artists—all creative fields.
But let’s focus on books. That’s what I’ve been doing lately.
Advances in technology mean we don’t have to follow the conventional wisdom of decades ago. Traditional publishers are still relevant, important, and deserving of respect, but they don’t have to be the sole gatekeepers of the literary world. Readers can do an excellent job of that, too.
If you’re a writer who yearns for a career in fiction, self-publishing should be your proving grounds. Show the world you’re capable of developing a professional-quality work, and demonstrate the thick skin of letting readers form their own opinions about it. Make connections with other authors, and conduct yourself as a professional.
But becoming a self-published author is not for everyone. Here are just a few considerations, and this list is by no means exhaustive:
August 6, 2014
Hey, kids! It’s National Clown Week!
Several years ago, I was hanging out with some friends at the International House of Pancakes in Williamsburg, Virginia, and they asked what I had done at work recently.
I answered, “An Episcopalian church had a ‘Blessing of the Clowns’ service for National Clown Week, so I covered that.”
They couldn’t tell if I was being serious or sarcastic.
“Yes, National Clown Week is a real thing. Richard Nixon signed it into law in the ‘70s.”
That didn’t help.
It wasn’t sarcasm. There is indeed such a holiday as National Clown Week, and it’s observed the first week of each August.
The 1971 presidential proclamation reads, in part, “All men are indebted to those who bring such moments of quiet splendor—who redeem sickness and pain with joy. All across America, good men in putty noses and baggy trousers, following a tradition as old as man’s need to touch gently the lives of his fellowman, go into orphanages and children’s hospitals, homes for the elderly and for the retarded, and give a part of themselves. Today, as always, clowns and the spirit they represent are as vital to the maintenance of our humanity as the builders and the growers and the governors.”
Personally, even as a kid, I never understood the clownish style of humor. It just doesn’t work for me. So, at 23 years old, I had a tough time figuring out how it worked for anyone.
But then National Clown Week rolled around. Back in 2006, I was working for the then-new and now-gone Toano-Norge Times newspaper that covered James City County. The publisher/editor heard about the upcoming blessing and sent me to interview some local clowns.
I met a nice husband-and-wife couple in their home. No makeup or eccentric color schemes were present. They were just pleasant, normal folks who wanted to brighten the days of other people. In fact, their group of clowns was all volunteers. To them, being a clown was both a hobby and a community service.
Just because I couldn’t see the value of clowns didn’t mean their value was nonexistent. That nice couple and their friends saw it.
A clown doesn’t have to be laugh-out-loud funny to cheer a person up. The mere presence of someone who’s clearly not taking himself seriously might be enough to bring a sullen individual out of his funk.
In talking with this couple, I began to understand why a church would make a special effort to recognize such a colorful group, and I learned to stop judging these bright-nosed individuals with an affinity for balloon animals and slapstick.
Who knew National Clown Week could teach you something?
Tricky Dick, apparently.
August 3, 2014
Upcoming appearances!
Yes, I shall appear. Twice!
First up, I’ll have a table at the 2014 Hanover Book Festival on Saturday, Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That’s Hanover County, Virginia — more specifically, Mechanicsville — so if you’re in the area, come stop by, say hello, and meet a bunch of other nice authors.
Then on Thursday, Aug. 14, I’ll have a room at the Twin Hickory Library in Glen Allen, Virginia, as part of Henrico Public Library’s Henrico Community Authors Showcase. From 7 p.m. until about 8:30, I’ll be talking about my books, reading an excerpt or two, answering questions, and generally just having a grand time with folks.
It will all be fun. So come have fun with me. You’ve got two options. Unless you live somewhere far away like California. Sorry, Californians.
July 25, 2014
Meeting the Doctors
New post up at Smash Cut Culture! And it’s all about Doctor Who, which makes the link 729 percent more clickable.
Here’s the beginning:
Doctor Who fans are getting ready to meet the latest incarnation of the ancient alien who travels through all of space and time in a blue box that’s bigger on the inside.
A clever plot device has helped keep the BBC series on the air for so many years. Whenever the Doctor dies, he regenerates into a new body and picks up life right where he left off—with some new personality quirks and different taste in clothing, but his core characteristics and memory remain more or less intact.
That’s certainly one way to keep things fresh.
Unlike James Bond, Doctor Who has a valid in-story reason for why 11 (and now 12) different actors have taken on the title role over the past 50 years.
Peter Capaldi will star in his first full episode Aug. 23, and Whovians will get to meet the Doctor all over again. A season premiere is that much more exciting when it basically doubles as a series premiere of sorts, too.
So, let’s take a quick look back in time at the introductions of the previous three “modern” Doctors…
