K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 20

#NationalReadABookDay

Today is National Read A Book Day! (Slightly different from Book Lovers Day celebrated on August 9th, or World Book Day observed every April 23rd.) Yeah, it’s an unofficial holiday, but it’s a great excuse to ignore the news, avoid social media, and spend some quiet time reading a book. I’m currently reading Jen Howard’s Clutter: An Untidy History and Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians and would recommend them both.

Need a book to read? Read one of mine! You can get physical copies pretty much anywhere, and ebook copies are available wherever people sell ebooks. To make it as easy as possible to nab one of my books, I’ve included direct links to purchase below, as well as handy links to sample chapters. With Gleam Upon the Waves coming soon, now is an excellent time to jump into the world of the territories.

Book I: The Stars Were Right


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Gleam Upon the Waves Cover Reveal

As it was foretold in bygone days of yore, August 27th has arrived. As prophesied, the cover for Gleam Upon the Waves will be revealed. Let’s begin, shall we?

https://kmalexander.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/gleamcoverreveal.mp4

You can see a bigger version below. Click on the image to view it larger.

[image error] The cover for Gleam Upon the Waves
In the lower depths of the city of Lovat, a King Tide rises. On the mantle of this aberration rides a vile stench that permeates the city from root to crown. When a job comes along for Caravan Master Waldo Bell and his crew offering a chance to slip away, it’s easy to be interested. When it comes from the city’s newly elected mayor, it’s impossible to ignore.
Outward bound on an enormous floating casino Wal finds himself out of his element. This won’t be routine caravan work. This job is more diplomacy than delivery, taking Bell Caravans out of the shadowed warrens and off dusty trails to the canals of Empress, the mysterious capital of the hermit-nation Victory.
But, things are never simple in the Territories. As the situation grows increasingly complicated and sinister forces begin to circle, Wal will discover darkness runs deeper than he ever thought possible; reality is not what it seems, and a new apocalypse is closer than anyone predicted.

 

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I’m sure you noticed that like all the previous Bell Forging Cycle covers, the background image was another piece by the late 19th-century French artist, Gustav Doré. I love Doré’s work. Here I used the Plate I engraving from Doré’s illustrations for La Grande Bible de Tours entitled: The Deluge it depicts a scene from the story of Noah’s Ark as humans and animals struggle to save themselves as floodwaters rise. Tides. Floodwaters. Waves. Boats. Lots of nautical themes happening here. Wonder what that means? Hmmm.

Funny enough, Jon Contino nailed down the lettering for this cover years ago—way back when we were locking down the look for Red Litten World. I fell in love immediately, and it’s been hard to stay quiet. Jon’s distinctive approach to typography has always worked perfectly for the Bell Forging Cycle. His visceral and emotional approach to design has helped capture the sense of unease in the series and solidify the tone in a way that helps it stand out. He outdid himself with this one. 

From a design perspective, I think it settles perfectly within the series as a whole while maintaining a unique voice of its own. Look how great it looks in the lineup:

[image error] The Bell Forging Cycle Books I–IV

Huge thank you once again to Jon for helping me out with this. (Also, he’s got his own book out now and you should go buy it.) There will be more to come in the future. Gleam Upon the Waves is due out later this year, so expect more announcements with launch dates and the like and a sample chapter for you to read. I cannot wait to get this one into your hands. It’s been a long time coming, and I think you’re going to love it.

What do you think of the new cover? Which cover is your favorite? Why? Leave a comment. Let me know!

Need to Get Caught Up?
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If you’ve only read a few of my novels, now is the perfect time to nab my previous books and catch up on the series before Gleam Upon the Waves drops. Order from any of the retailers below or support your local indie book shop and have them order it for you.

• Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iBooks • GooglePlay •

Did you know you could have gotten a sneak peek early? It’s true! Sign up for Dead Drop, my elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. It’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information.  SIGN UP TODAY →

A Dual Character

“Language, any language, has a dual character: it is both a means of communication and a carrier of culture.”

—Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Sign Up for Dead Drop

I don’t plug my newsletter often. Heck, I don’t send Dead Drop often—my last email was nearly two years ago. But I wanted to take a moment today and recommend signing up. When I do get around to sending one out I try to make sure they’re full of exciting stuff for my readers. With the Gleam Upon the Waves cover reveal coming this Thursday, now is a perfect time to sign up. Why? You’ll get exclusive access to the cover early! It’s one of the perks of subscribing. So subscribe today, just click the link below, it’s quick and easy.

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Old Haunts: Serenade on Two

Martello Warren, Level Two, Late Night

https://kmalexander.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/02_serenadeontwo.mp4

“Putting my failed telegraph behind me, I made my way to a small consignment store down the street. The waters that flooded the Sunk lapped against the edge of the pavement. Higher up, you’d find guardrails keeping citizens from tumbling over the edges of levels, but the police, politicians, and the more elevated class preferred to ignore Level Two’s existence altogether.”

—Waldo Bell, The Stars Were Right

Visit Previous Haunts:

Rhapsody: King Station, Level Four
Lucky Star: Denny Lake, Level Four

Related Ephemera:

Echoes of the Wasteland: The Repository
Read the Bell Forging Cycle


Credits:

Newsie: Will Munn

Other audio from Freesounds, special thanks to: benboncan, burghrecords, carminooch, ecfike, emirdemirel, jmehlferber, juskiddink, klangfabrik, kodack, nahlin83, and sean-sd2007.

Broll provided by Videezy

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information.  SIGN UP TODAY →

Gleam Upon the Waves Cover Reveal Coming August 27th

Howdy, roaders. This has been a long time coming. So, set your watches and mark your calendars. I am excited to announce that on August 27th, 2020, I will reveal the cover for Gleam Upon the Waves, Book IV in the Bell Forging Cycle.

“The sea can bind us to her many moods, whispering to us by the subtle token of a shadow or a gleam upon the waves, and hinting in these ways of her mournfulness or rejoicing.”

— H. P. Lovecraft & R. H. Barlow, The Night Ocean

I can’t wait to show you. Once again, Jon Contino lent his incredible lettering skills, and while Gleam Upon the Waves aesthetically fits within the series as a whole, it’s got something a little different going on that sets it apart. I think you’ll dig it.

Remember, those who subscribe to Dead Drop (my email newsletter I rarely send out) will get to see it a few days early. Join their distinguished ranks and subscribe here. In the meantime, the teaser site is still teasing (headphones make it better.) And you can see the inspiration board over on Pinterest.

More details to come.

Old Haunts: Rhapsody

King Station Warren, Level Four, Early Evening

https://kmalexander.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/01_rhapsody.mp4

“Yes, I’m Hagen Dubois, and this is Saint Olmstead Religious Antiques.” He waved his hand around, moving automatically into his pitch. “We specialize in pre-Aligning antiquities, though we do carry all manner of holy and consecrated objects; for the more discerning customer I have access to all manner of items I can get delivered. Now, introductions out of the way, can I help you?”

—Hagen Dubois, The Stars Were Right

Visit Previous Haunts:

Lucky Star: Denny Lake Warren, Level Four, Midmorning
Echoes of the Wasteland: The Repository
Read the Bell Forging Cycle


Credits:

“Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin

Other audio from Freesounds, special thanks to acclivity, larasark, mzui, qubodup, scream studio, straget, theshuggie, and zevcuk.

Broll provided by Videezy

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information.  SIGN UP TODAY →

Night Garden

I usually can lead into one of Kari-Lise’s show announcements by inviting locals to come out to an opening wherever it happens to be. But since America is still reeling from the pandemic and in-person events are still a long way off, I get to invite all y’all to the fancy virtual opening celebrating Kari-Lise’s latest series Night Garden coming this Thursday, July 9th at Roq La Rue Gallery here in Seattle.

This new series displays a substantial shift toward the new-contemporary movement while still retaining elements of Kari-Lise’s roots in lowbrow and pop-surrealism. Night Garden is fraught with wisps of gothic romance intertwining with introspective observations on the artistic journey with a nod towards growth, hardship, and one’s learned experiences. Realism remains a major aspect, but there’s a seeing a shift towards something else. It’s exciting to see. Her lavish colors, deep shadows, and the way she plays with shifting depth still amazes me. Yeah, I might be biased, but I find this new series enthralling, and I think you will too.

I’ve included a few of my favorite pieces below. The full show will be available to see online on the 9th. (I’ll update this post after everything goes live.) Check it out:

[image error]Kari-Lise Alexander — “Night Garden” oil on linen, 36″x46″
[image error]Kari-Lise Alexander — “Rose” oil on panel, 9”x12” (Left) and “Bloom” oil on panel, 9”x12” (Right)
[image error]Kari-Lise Alexander — “The Artist #2” oil on panel, 15”x30”

While there isn’t going to be a traditional opening, the show can be viewed in person at Roq La Rue between 12-5 PM on Saturdays (masks are required, and no more than four people will be allowed in the gallery at a time.) If you live here in Seattle and are bored at home and looking for something safe to do, you really gotta see these pieces in person. Be sure to contact the gallery with inquiries about any particular piece.

Finally, follow Kari-Lise over on Instagram she shares a lot of amazing things and often documents her process. You can see her past work over on her website. If you’re interested in getting the insider scoop on what she’s doing before anyone else, I recommend you sign up for her newsletter. It’s an excellent way to stay up to date on what she’s doing.

Old Haunts: Lucky Star

Denny Lake Warren, Level Four

 

“The long-dead engineers who designed Lovat’s superstructure made its massive floors and ceilings hollow. A lot of these hollows are crammed with the things that make a city livable: sewer pipes, air ducts, electrical lines, generators. Others are empty intermediate spaces. Some are occupied with shanty towns packed cheek by jowl, some are filled with trash, some harbor narrow mushroom gardens, and a small number have become storefronts. Cedric’s operates in the latter. An in-between place for in-between folks.”

—Waldo Bell, Red Litten World

This vignette (and those that will follow) were initially created for my Instagram account (they loop a bit more seamlessly over there.) But, I’ve had too much fun creating these to hide them away on social media so expect to see them here as well.

If you like this and are hungry for more of the Bell Forging Cycle, there’s plenty more out there for those of keen mind and stalwart heart.

Credits:

“You Are My Lucky Star” by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra

Other audio from Freesounds—special thanks to jrsandoval, kangaroovindaloo, ludwigmueller, nahlin83, splicesound, be-a-hero-not-a-patriot, kiloton, theshuggie, microsoftsam, kodack, craigsmith, and jackbhandersen.

Broll provided by Videezy

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information.  SIGN UP TODAY →

Agitate ×3

“Agitate! Agitate! Agitate!”

—Frederick Douglass

“Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.”

—Frederick Douglass

“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”

—Frederick Douglass

I’m featuring three quotes today, and I could have featured a lot more. Douglass was prolific, wise, and arguably one of the greatest minds in America’s history. (Read up on him.) Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about Douglass’ words. I kept coming back to how poignant his speeches and writing remain over a century later. The work ain’t over. Racism, bigotry, and prejudice still plague our culture. The fight goes on. Lip service, phrases, quotes, and black squares on social media mean nothing without action. All lives won’t matter until Black Lives Matter, too.