K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 61

Update: Signed Copies Of Red Litten World Are Sold Out

The Bad News: as of this morning I am all out of signed paperback copies of Red Litten World on my store. So if you had been waiting, you are going to wait a bit longer.

The Good News: there are more paperback books on their way. I should have a fresh box o’ Red Litten World in the next week or so, and it will soon make its triumphant return to the store!

If you can’t wait, ebooks are available everywhere, and unsigned copies are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell’s. Interestingly, Barnes & Noble is the cheapest and is currently selling for under $12. (It’s usually around $15 elsewhere.) Then if you want you copy signed, just find me at one of my con appearances, and I’d be happy to sign it there.

You can also win a signed copy! Northwest Horror Podcast is giving away three copies of Red Litten World to their listeners. You can find out more on my post on Monday, or you can listen to their latest episode and learn how you can win.

Filed under: Contests, red litten world, The Bell Forging Cycle Tagged: amazon, Barnes & Noble, giveaway, my store, northwest horror podcast, powell's, Signed Copies

The Northwest Horror Podcast Giveaway

Halloween approaches and it’s giveaway time! The Northwest Horror Podcast, one of my favorite local podcasts, is giving away three signed copies of my latest novel Red Litten World. You can find out how to win by listening to their latest episode, just download or stream it via the Northwest Horror’s blog. It’s a fun contest and really easy to enter.

Also, make sure you subscribe to Northwest Horror! You can do so with iTunes, or with their Stitcher station, or via Lybsyn. Also, follow them on Twitter and on Facebook. Matt, Vic, and Cat run a great horror-centric podcast covering all things horror related that means: games, cons, movies, television, books, and loads more. It’s good stuff.

Thanks for Matt and Cat for their kind words on this week’s episode. I hope everyone enjoys the podcast and good luck to those of you who enter!

Filed under: Contests Tagged: giveaway, halloween, itunes, lybsyn, northwest horror podcast, Podcast, red litten world, stitcher

Friday Link Pack 10/16/2015

Friday is here! That means it’s time for the Friday Link Pack. My weekly post covering topics such as writing, art, current events, and random weirdness. Some of these links I mentioned on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Do you have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Click here to email me and let me know! (Include a website so I can link to you as well.) Let’s get to it…

RED LITTEN WORLD:

This will be the last week for the Red Litten World category. If you haven’t picked up your copy there are plenty of ways. Paperbacks can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, or direct from My Store. EBooks can be purchased from  Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, GooglePlay, Nook, and of course, My Store. (Always DRM Free.)

Red Litten World, 1 Week Old

A week after the launch I reflect on the happenings around Red Litten World. I discuss early reviews, direct folks to inspiration, the delay I experience with some minor printing issues, and more.

Jazz Saints Of The Bell Forging Cycle

In the first entry for my ongoing series, Wild Territories, I explore the reasons behind the Jazz Saints that crop up through The Bell Forging Cycle. I look into individual songs and explain why I selected them.

WRITING:

Three Reasons Your Writing Career is Stuck

Author and blogger, Kristen Lamb, offers some tough-love advice on shifting your attitude, changing your perceptions, focusing your time, and unsticking your writing career.

See the Sketches J.R.R. Tolkien Used to Build Middle-Earth

Yay! A maps link (and a bit more)! If you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings, then do yourself a favor and check out these early sketches and notes for Middle Earth. Heck, if you’re a fantasy fan at all this article and the associated imagery is worth your time. Show’s how much work Tolkien put into his world.

100,000 Books Sold – What Happened?

Indie-author John Ellsworth, writer of legal thrillers, discusses his career and what it took for him to sell his first 100,000 books and what he plans on doing to sell many more.

How to Market Your Book to a Niche Audience

Handy advice from BookBub on how to sell to a specific audience. From nailing down that metadata to creating a solid social campaign strategy.

RANDOM:

The Most Mysterious Star In Our Galaxy

Strange things are circling a very distant star located between the constellations of Cygnus the swan and Lyra the harp. Is it a natural occurrence or some enormous an ancient superstructure? Maybe Commander Shephard knows? Scientists are struggling to find out. [Thanks to Mike for sharing this.]

It Could Be Worse

Charles Stross takes a serious look at China’s new and controversial Citizen Score. A dystopian dream made into a creepy reality. [Thanks to Jim for sharing this.]

Holy City Of The Wichitas

My favorite blog, Atlas Obscura, looks at a little piece of old Jerusalem smack in the middle of Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains. Bonus points for their use of the pun: faux-ly land.

Monty Python Releases 14 Minutes Of Unseen Animation From Holy Grail

I have always really enjoyed those weird little animations in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. So I was extra excited when the A.V. Club shared this look at never before scene footage from the classic movie.

WEIRD WIKIPEDIA:

Taman Shud Case

“The Taman Shud or Tamam Shud Case, also known as the Mystery of the Somerton Man, is an unsolved case of an unidentified man found dead at 6:30 am, 1 December 1948, on Somerton beach, Glenelg, just south of Adelaide, South Australia. It is named after a phrase, tamám shud, meaning “ended” or “finished” in Persian, printed on a scrap of paper found in the fob pocket of the man’s trousers. This turned out to have been torn from the final page of a particular copy of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a collection of poems attributed to 12th-century poet Omar Khayyám. Following a police appeal, the actual book was handed in – six months after the body was found, a businessman (given the name Mr. Francis) said his brother found it in the back footwell of his car at about the time the body was found. The book was handed to Detective Leane who made the decision to keep the finder’s real name out of the papers. Imprinted on the back cover of the book was something looking like a secret code as well as a telephone number and another unidentified number.”

H.P. LOVECRAFT STORY OF THE WEEK:

The Call Of Cthulhu

So, oddly, I don’t think this has ever been a featured story of the week. This is one of the biggest (and some might argue one of the best) of Lovecraft’s story. Also, the only tale to feature the tentacle-faced monstrosity himself, Cthulhu.

When you’re done reading this, make sure you go and read my Guest Geek editorial, Cthulhu The Wimp.

GIF OF THE WEEK:

Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: boop, China, citizen score, j.r.r. tolkien, maps, marketing, middle earth, monty python, mysterious star, red litten world, taman shud, the bell forging cycle, the call of cthulhu, wichita, wild territories, writing

The Jazz Saints Of The Bell Forging Cycle

Red Litten World is out the door. The third adventure of Waldo Bell is now in the hands of you, my incredible readers. This puts us halfway in what I currently expect to be a six book series. (You can find out more at bellforgingcycle.com – hints abound.)

Since many of you have been asking, I thought it’d be fun to start a series of blog posts where delve into some of the decisions I made with the world building of The Bell Forging Cycle. It’ll be a space to offer a little more insight into places, people, and cultures of the Territories and share a little more of my process.

First up… the jazz saints.

If you’re a longtime reader, there is no doubt that you have noticed that Jazz often plays a subtle role in each book. It’s the background notes of Lovat. It’s the sound emanating from the radios, it’s the crackly voice behind the static. Film noir is often punctuated by Jazz, and I wanted that same feeling of noir to punctuate The Bell Forging Cycle.

Throughout the series, you’ll find that the jazz musicians of our yesteryears are treated like saints within the Territories. (How Jazz came to fulfill this role is an ongoing mystery.) They carry titles with their names, often born of religious themes. Over the generations since the Aligning their songs have shifted from that of entertainment and are treated as something closer resembling today’s hymns or canticles.

I thought it would be fun to chronologically explore some of the songs that show up within the books. As I do, I’ll go into more details explain why I chose them, and why I thought they fit in the world. First up…

Gloomy Sunday – Billie Holiday
Mentioned: The Stars Were Right – Chapter Two

Of course, it’s Billie Holiday who get’s the distinction of being first. Early in The Stars Were Right Wal hears the noodle cart vendor whistling the first few bars from this iconic ballad when he’s on his way to meet Thad. In a lot of ways I picked this because it sat the mood, Lovat is a damp gloomy place most of the time and especially in the lower levels. I figured it’d be fun to use a song as haunting as this like this to really amp up that feeling.

I Waited for You – Miles Davis
Mentioned: The Stars Were Right – Chapter Eleven

I’m a big fan of cool jazz, and there’s no one cooler than Miles Davis. Referred to as “Brother Davis” by Wal, I wanted to have a song that worked for the scene where Wal waits to meet Hagen. The fact that Wal recognizes the song also hints at his inner workings. He’s not someone who goes on at length about Jazz and its musicians, but he clearly is able to recognize particular songs even instrumentals. I liked that, it was a little detail about his personality that wasn’t too overt.

Take the A Train – Duke Ellington
Mentioned: The Stars Were Right  – Chapter Nineteen

Okay, I am cheating here a bit. I don’t actually mention the title of this track, Wal just hears a maero whistling a tune he recognizes as coming from “Saint Ellington”. In my mind those that song will always be Take the A Train, or in Wal and Hagen’s case I guess the A-monorail.

A Hard Day’s Night – Count Basie
Mentioned: Old Broken Road – Chapter One… sorta.

Okay, so I’m kind of cheating twice. In the bar scene during the opening of Old Broken Road. Wal mentions very briefly that an old jazz number is playing on the piano. In early manuscripts, I had called it out as a “W. J. Bassy number” but ended up cutting it. Look, let me have this one, it’s the only Jazz mentioned in Old Broken Road. (Basie also gets a brief mention in Red Litten World chapter six as well.)

[!] Note: The next few numbers are mentioned in Red Litten World. While they’re not exactly spoilery, you might want to hold off reading further until you’ve finished the novel.

West End Blues – Louis Armstrong
Mentioned: Red Litten World – Chapter Four

After the events on the Broken Road, we’ve returned to Lovat with Wal. It’s fitting the first jazz number mentioned comes from Pops himself. I wanted the perfect song to fit the tone of this scene and West End Blues was it. It helps set the mood, and pairs well as Wal trudges through the cold.

Body and Soul – Coleman Hawkins
Mentioned: Red Litten World – Chapter Seven

During the events of Red Litten World, the city is celebrating the winter festival of Auseil. I wanted something that would work as a slow holiday tune, but I also wanted to explore the idea of transient change within music. I like that this jazz standard had taken on some unknown connotation and as become a yearly tradition for the people of Lovat and the Territories. Coleman Hawkin’s tenor saxophone works perfectly. You can totally hear this playing as the downtempo track during a band’s set at a holiday party.

Saint James Infirmary – Louis Armstrong
Mentioned: Red Litten World – Chapter Three, Twenty-Four, & Thirty-One… sorta

This song shows up a lot in Red Litten World, and in some ways it’s an anthem for the events surrounding Wal, but it’s not the Saint James Infirmary that most folks would recognize. In fact, the infamous Infirmary in the title isn’t mentioned at all. The lyrics are very different from anything Louis Armstrong sang as it has evolved and been bastardized over the generations that have come since the Aligning. As a result, we have a song that though it might be familiar in tune is different lyrically from the original version.

So, those are the seven tracks I’ve envisioned as being within the series so far. Who knows what the future hold and what other jazz saints may show up. Generally these aren’t things that I plan, the right song just seems to appear when I need it. If you’d like to listen to these I’ve made a playlist featuring all seven songs, you can play it below.

Spotify | Rdio | YouTube

I hope my readers find these little details fun. I’ve always enjoyed layering extra meaning into my work. You can be assured this just scratches the surface of the world of The Territories. If this is something readers enjoy, I’ll continue putting together more posts revealing a bit more of Wal’s world and the details therein.

Filed under: The Bell Forging Cycle, Wild Territories, writing Tagged: billie holiday, coleman hawkins, count basie, duke ellington, jazz, louis armstrong, Miles Davis, music, old old broken road, red litten world, the stars were right

Red Litten World, 1 Week Old

It’s Tuesday, that means my latest Lovecraftian urban fantasy novel, Red Litten World, has been out for a week. So far it’s been a great launch, better than Old Broken Road which is impressive. I’ve already seen a few people post reviews on Amazon, iTunes, and over on Goodreads which is always exciting. And, early feedback suggests people are loving Wal’s return to Lovat. If you’ve finished the book, please help me out and leave an honest review either where you purchased the book or over on Goodreads. (Or both!) Reviews help a lot.

If you’re new to the world of the Territories or just need a refresher, check out some of the amazing fan art on my Fan Art Pinterest Board. A lot of very talented artists have shared work they created inspired by The Bell Forging Cycle. If you have your own art, please, send it to me I love sharing fan art with the community.

If you haven’t picked up your copy of Red Litten World, there are plenty of ways to do so! You can pick up paperback copies at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, or direct from My Store. If you’d like to pick it up via eBook, you can get it from the usual suspects Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, GooglePlay, Nook, and of course from My Store.

For those who ordered paperbacks from My Store last week, I owe you an apology. There was a slight delay. I received a shipment of books last week, but they weren’t up to my standards quality-wise. So I had to return them and get a new batch printed and it’s delayed my shipping a bit. While they were readable, I made the decision that they weren’t something I was willing to put out on the market. I have a fresh batch coming today and if all goes according to plan, I should have your books in the mail this week.

Finally thanks again to you, all of my amazing readers. I appreciate your excitement and passion about this crazy little series. It means a lot, it keeps me going. Thanks for making Red Litten World one of the books you’ve chosen to read this year. Enjoy your time with Wal back in the warren of Lovat. We’re not done yet and it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Filed under: News, red litten world Tagged: amazon, Barnes & Noble, Fan Art, goodreads, iBooks, kindle, Kobo, nook, Pinterest, powell's, reviews, the bell forging cycle

Friday Link Pack 10/09/2015

We’re coming to the end of Red Litten World launch week which means it’s time for the Friday Link Pack. Some of these links I mentioned on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Do you have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Click here to email me and let me know! (Include a website so I can link to you as well.) Let’s get to it…

RED LITTEN WORLD:

Red Litten World Is Out Now!

You should go buy it! It’s available as an eBook from pretty much anywhere ($5.99) or trade paperback ($15) from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or my store. It’s high time you head back to Lovat. Hooray!

WRITING:

Writing Vs. Having A Life

My friend and fellow writer, William Munn looks into the idea of a work/life balance when it comes to our writing. What does it take? What should one  be willing to sacrifice. Also, as an added bonus, you should check out his serial story, Rue From Ruin.

10 Terms Coined By Ernest Hemingway

From ciao, to cojones, to the moment of truth. Here are ten modern-ish terms coined by Hemmingway himself.

Absolute Zero — The Temperature At Which Writers Give Up

Fantastic post from Kameron Hurley on perseverance, writing, and the creative life. It’s just what you, me, and any creative out there in “the struggle” needs right now. Go read it.

#WriteTip—New Struggles In Self-Publishing

Dave Farland offers up some great thoughts on the challenging (and ever changing) landscape of self-publishing and what it takes for success.

Give All Your Secrets Away

The ever badass Setsu Uzume wrote a great little post on writing what we want to write and telling the stories we want to tell and denying nothing.

RANDOM:

Scarfolk Council

Scarfolk is a fictional northern English town created by writer and designer Richard Littler. The whole thing is an amazing satirical project poking fun at themes of totalitarianism, suburban life, occultism, religion, school, childhood, racism, and sexism. Delightfully subversive and highly recommended.

A Poetic Vision Of Paris’s Crumbling Suburban High-rises

Sometimes, Paris pretends to be Lovat. Stunning pics in the Washington Post article, showing some truly amazing architecture.

Sad Topographies

The world can be a bummer of a place. From Uncertain, TX, Point No Point, WA, to Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya Hill in South Australia (the name means “where the devil urinates” in the regional Pitjantjatjara language) this Instagram account works to collect the saddest place on earth.

WEIRD WIKIPEDIA:

Boy Scout Lane

“Boy Scout Lane, sometimes written Boyscout Lane, is an isolated road located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. A number of ghost stories and urban legends have become associated with the road, including the fictional deaths of a troop of Boy Scouts. The area has been the subject of several paranormal investigations, and has been a ‘haunt’ for youths hoping to experience a paranormal event. The land surrounding Boy Scout Lane is now privately owned and is off limits to the general public.”

H.P. LOVECRAFT STORY OF THE WEEK:

The Mound

In honor of Red Litten World launching, I feel we should revisit the tale that inspired the title! In Binger, Oklahoma there is a strange mound which is, in fact, a gateway into another world.

GIF OF THE WEEK:

writing

Red Litten World Now Available For Nook

Just a quick update for those Nook readers out there. Red Litten World is finally listed on the Barnes and Noble site as available for your Nook devices. (I have no idea why it took a few days to list.) Both redlittenworld.com and kmalexander.com have been updated with links, or you can just click here to go directly to the Nook product page. Have at it!

This has been my best launch yet, and a large part of that is thanks to my amazing readers. Y’all are wonderful. I hope everyone is enjoying Red Litten World. Make sure you mark it as the book you’re reading on Goodreads. If you need to familiarize yourself with the Territories remember there’s a map available. Also, some amazing artists have done some incredible illustrations of the races and creatures, so check out my Fan Art Pinterest Board and take a look at what they’ve created. (Email me to submit your own sketches, illustrations, and drawings.)

Welcome back to Lovat, Nook readers. Enjoy your time in Lovat! Only time will tell where we go next.

Filed under: red litten world Tagged: ebooks, Fan Art, goodreads, nook, Pinterest, territories

It’s Red Litten World Day—Welcome Back To Lovat

Red Litten World is out now! The misadventures of Waldo Bell continue. (Links to purchase below.) I’m so excited to be taking everyone from the high deserts of the Territories and back into the claustrophobic corridors and grungy warrens of Lovat. I think longtime readers will find a lot to enjoy Red Litten World, and new readers will have a blast learning about the megalopolis and its strange inhabitants and cultures. Setting out, the goal was to write something that felt both familiar but kept things fascinating. Thankfully, Lovat is a rich enough setting that I could write a book every year for a lifetime and still not explore every corner of the city.

For those who prefer paperbacks, you can pick up Red Litten World from any of the links below. If you’re looking for signed copies, I sell them through my online store for $15 (plus shipping). They look awesome.

Amazon  •  My Store  •  Barnes & Noble  •  CreateSpace

For those eBook readers, you can pick up an eBook of Red Litten World from any of the following platforms. (Nook always trails a bit, but the book should be up there in the next few days.) Is there a platform you prefer that I don’t currently support? Feel free to email me and let me know, I’d love to get my books onto your favorite.

Kindle  •  Kobo  •  iBooks  •  GooglePlay  •  My Store  •  Nook

Make sure you add Red Litten World to your currently-reading list on Goodreads, and please when you’re finished, leave a review. I can blog and tweet and shout from my roof, but it’s my readers that make all the difference when it comes to spreading the word.

I hope you enjoy Red Litten World, everyone. Welcome back to Lovat.

Filed under: red litten world Tagged: announcement, Book Release, GooglePlay, iBooks, indie publishing, kindle, Kobo, nook, the bell forging cycle

Tomorrow: Red Litten World

“…it had come from a mysterious inner realm beneath the red-litten world — a black realm of peculiar-sensed beings which had no light at all, but which had had great civilisations and mighty gods…”

— H. P. Lovecraft & Zealia Bishop, The Mound

Tomorrow, The Bell Forging Cycle, Book III: Red Litten World arrives. Are you so freakin’ excited? I am! This book has been a labor of love and it feels great to get it out into the world. I really hope you have a much fun reading it as I had writing it. So now, with less than twenty-four hours remaining, what to do? Here are a few ideas to pass the time until the official release:

Read the Red Litten World Prologue →
Listen to the Red Litten World soundtrack →
Refamiliarize yourself with the Map of the Known Territories →
Check out my Red Litten World visual inspiration Pinterest Board →
Add Red Litten World to your “Want to Read” list on Goodreads →
Tweet and tell your friends about Red Litten World →

Remember, you can always pre-order the Red Litten World eBook from Amazon, Kobo, or iBooks and it’ll arrive on your eReader after midnight.

Tomorrow we’ll brave the cold and return to the narrow streets of Lovat. I’ll see you in the warrens, roaders.

Filed under: red litten world Tagged: books, excitement, h.p. lovecraft, Release, territories, the bell forging cycle, the mound

Congratulations Red Litten World Giveaway Winners

The first Red Litten World giveaway ended at midnight last night. In the end, there were over six hundred people who entered, which isn’t bad for such a short giveaway. Now, please join me in congratulating the five winners! Each of them will receive a signed paperback copy of Red Litten World, a Bell Caravans patch, and a Red Litten World swag pack.

The winners are:

Dawn W. from Australia
Ted S. from the U.S.
Diana from Canada
Kymberly from the U.S.
Victoria N. from Australia

Your packages will be in the mail next week. I’m really excited for all of you.

Don’t forget, Red Litten World launches in only four days. There is still time to pre-order the eBook from Amazon, iBooks, or at Kobo ($5.99). The trade paperbacks will go on sale on launch day ($15) but be vigilant, they might appear earlier.

In the meantime, check out the exclusive Red Litten World images on my Instagram, and listen to the songs that inspired me with the Red Litten Tracks playlist. You can also peruse the visual inspiration that played apart of the creation of Red Litten World over on Pinterest. And, don’t forget to tell your friend. Only four days remain! Lovat awaits!

Filed under: Contests, red litten world Tagged: congratulations, giveaway, goodreads, winners