K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 62

Friday Link Pack 10/02/15

Friday is here! That means it’s time for the Friday Link Pack. Some of these links I’ve mentioned on Twitter this week, 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:

We’re in the final days before the arrival of Red Litten World. (Less than five days now.) Remember the book arrives everywhere next Tuesday in eBook and as a trade paperback! Pre-order the eBook today →

Less Than A Day Left In The Red Litten World Giveaway

We’re in the final stretches. Winners will be picked tonight. Books go out next week. Enter today for your chance to win one of five signed copies!

Red Litten Tracks

With each book release, I like to share a playlist of the songs that inspired me through the writing. Red Litten World is no different, and the collect of songs that inspired it is as eclectic as Lovat.

The Red Litten World Swag Packs Are Now Available

Over the weekend I posted a detailed look at the swag that comes with each signed copy of Red Litten World purchased through my store. (You can also get it for free or pick it up at conventions—details in the post.) New bookmarks, new stickers, and a new button, I think this the best collection yet.

WRITING:

10 Things I’ve Learned As A Debut Novelist

Author Victoria Namkung gets transparent and shares the ten lessons she took away after the launch of her first book, The Things We Tell Ourselves.

Wordcount For Lovecraft’s Favorite Words

From elder gods and old ones like Nyarlathotep and Cthulhu, to locations like Arkham and Innsmouth, to adjectives like amorphous and daemoniac, the Cthulhu Chick breaks it down for us.

Finally! An Easy Way To Know When (And How) To Use A Semicolon!

Ah, the semicolon, the creative writer’s eternal bane. Thankfully, the good people at the Writer’s Circle have put together a handy guide. [Big thanks to Will for sharing this.]

The 50 Best First Sentences In Fiction

In fiction, there’s a lot of pressure on that first sentence. (It’s all a bit ridiculous if you ask me, but that’s an opinion for a separate lengthy post.) However, to continue to raise that banner high, Gawker Review of Books as assembled what they believe is the 50 best openers of all time. I mean, we all know The Gunslinger won… oh, it didn’t? Wait… it wasn’t even mentioned!? This list is garbage.

Game Novels

YouTube gaming channel, Super Bunnyhop, takes a break from discussing games and game design to explore the idea of the game novel. As a former gamer, a writer of speculative fiction, a wannabe game designer, and a guy who has sat down with a game novelization in the past, I thought this was an interesting crossover video.

RANDOM:

A Mysterious Package, Part 2: The Phone Number

Thanks to a clue from a commenter, the Mysterious Package I received a few weeks ago has a new chapter, and it’s as chilling as the last one. In this episode you can join me at playing along, call the number, make a guess, and leave a comment.

Hilarious Hero Defends Edward Scissorhands During Snowden Segment

Jon Hendren is a national hero and should be the President of the United States. Don’t believe me? Check out his site devopsleague.com and follow him on Twitter and find out how very wrong you are.

Chicago’s First 100 Years In 10 Maps

This amazing collection of vintage maps documents the rise of the capitol of the midwest, from a tiny lakeside town into the enormous sprawling metropolis it is today.

Tom Waits On Everything And Nothing

Blank on Blank is a production via PBS Digital Studio (a fine example of why you need to be supporting PBS and your local PBS station) takes old interviews and animates them. So far the series has been incredible, but as a fan of Tom Waits, this has become an instant favorite.

What Happens If All The World’s Ice Melts?

The ice is melting. But, there’s are great misconceptions about an iceless Earth, some of these propagated by bad science and terrible (good) movies. Discovery Channel’s DNews has put together a great video explaining exactly what would happen when all the ice melts (spoiler: a 7.3-61 meter rise—if the latter happens… goodbye Florida.) [!] Bonus Fact: In the world of The Bell Forging Cycle, everything has melted so sea levels have risen a good 200 feet. (Basically the worst case scenario in this report.) This is why Lovat now sits on an archipelago and the lowest level of the city, the Sunk, is beneath the waves.

WEIRD WIKIPEDIA:

Profanity In Science Fiction

Profanity in science fiction shares all of the issues of profanity in fiction in general, but has several unique aspects of its own, including the use of alien profanities (such as the alien expletive “shazbot!” from Mork & Mindy, a word that briefly enjoyed popular usage outside of that television show).

H.P. LOVECRAFT STORY OF THE WEEK:

The Battle That Ended The Century (MS. Found In A Time Machine)

Um, the weirdest boxing match ever. Also, a very odd vision of the future (the story takes place in 2001). The whole thing is weird. Short, but weird. H.P. Lovecraft, you and R.H. Barlow are weirdos.

GIF OF THE WEEK:


Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: chicago, edward scissorhands, giveaway, h.p. lovecraft, mysterious package, profanity, red litten world, semicolon, swag, the bell forging cycle, tom waits, waterworld

Two Days Left In The Red Litten World Giveaway

There are now less than two days left in the Red Litten World Giveaway. (As I am writing this, there is currently, one day, thirteen hours, one minute, and seven seconds.) That means there is still time for you to enter for a chance to win one of five signed copies of my newest novel, Red Litten World. (And some fun swag.) All you need to enter is an address and a Goodreads account. Just hit the link below, log in to your account, and click the Enter to Win button at the top of the page!

Enter The Red Litten World Giveaway →

Winners are selected at 11:59 pm on Friday, October 2nd. I’ll post the winners here the following morning. Good luck entrants!

Remember, you can still preorder Red Litten World on eBook for Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Kobo devices. Pre-order copies will arrive on your reader on launch day. Also, I’m doing a Red Litten World countdown over on Instagram, every few days I’ve been releasing another piece of RLW themed art, follow me there and join the countdown.

Less than six days until Lovat.

Filed under: Contests, red litten world Tagged: giveaway, goodreads, instagram, pre-order, swag, the bell forging cycle

Red Litten Tracks

We’re now one week away from the release of Red Litten World, so I figured it’d be fun to share a playlist of songs that inspired me during the writing of the book. If you’re a longtime reader you’ll know I have done this before with the other books in The Bell Forging Cycle. Personally, I always find it fun to see what music influences a writer. So I enjoy sharing these with everyone. You can listen to Red Litten Tracks at any of the links below:

Spotify | Rdio | YouTube

Aaaand… here’s the playlist. As with previous playlists, you can click on any of the names below to read about the band on Wikipedia. If you want to listen to the song, the song title links to videos on YouTube.

Man Man — Loot My Body
Sleater-Kinney — No Cities To Love
Echo & the Bunnymen — The Killing Moon
Pixies — Silver
Louis Armstrong — West End Blues
Dark Dark Dark — Daydreaming
Iggy and the Stooges — Gimme Danger
Coleman Hawkins — Body and Soul
Wintersleep — Oblivion
Wolfmother — New Moon Rising
The Temper Trap — Soldier On
Crooked Still — Ain’t No Grave
Jack White — That Black Bat Licorice
Soko  —  We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow
Bang Camaro  —  Out On The Streets
The Cramps  —  What’s Behind the Mask
Marvin Gaye  —  Inner City Blues
Dave Brubeck  —  Unsquare Dance
The National  —  This is the Last Time
Phantogram  —  Black Out Days
Polk Miller  —  Old Time Religion
Jace Everett  —  No Place To Hide
Run the Jewels  — Blockbuster Night Part 1 (Explicit) 
Kaiser Chiefs  —  I Predict A Riot
Marty Robbins  —  Big Iron
Snooks Eaglin  —  Saint James Infirmary
Interpol  —  Evil
The Bastard Fairies  — The Earth Died Screaming

(Note: This was a cover of a Tom Waits song by the same name. However, The Bastard Fairies don’t have a video for this cover. So instead I’ve linked to the original song.)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club  —  Rival
Four Tops — Simple Game
Death from Above 1979 — Black History Month
Agnes Obel — Pass Them By
Ben Nichols — The Last Pale Light In The West Lyrics

Did you enjoy this playlist? Check out the playlists that inspired the previous two books in The Bell Forging Cycle:

The Tunes Were Right

The playlist for my first book The Stars Were Right, starting off with a smooth jam from Marion Black and mixing in an eclectic mix of jams from Johnny Cash, Scorpions, Andrew Bird, and more.

Old Broken Playlist

You’ll feel the dust on your skin and the hard pan beneath your boots in this playlist for Old Broken Road. Featuring tracks from folks like Future Island, BRMC, Woodkid, and Louis Armstrong.

So there you go! The latest playlist for my soon-to-be-released novel, Red Litten World. I’d love to hear what you think, feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me an email with your thoughts.

Remember, you can still preorder Red Litten World on eBook for Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Kobo devices. Pre-order copies will arrive on your reader on launch day. There’s also still five days left to enter for a chance to win a free signed trade paperback of Red Litten World during the Red Litten World Giveaway. Super easy to enter, winner will be selected this Friday!

Seven days!

Filed under: red litten world, The Bell Forging Cycle Tagged: music, old broken road, playlists, rdio, spotify, the stars were right, youtube

A Little Giveaway Reminder

Just wanted to remind folks that there is still time to enter the Red Litten World Giveaway. There are about five days left, and only 225 people have entered so far, that’s pretty good odds for you. Just click the link below, sign into your Goodreads account, and click the enter to win button! It’s that easy.

Enter The Red Litten World Giveaway →

Winners will be announced and notified on Friday, October 2nd, right before the Red Litten World launch the following week! Each winner will receive a signed advanced review copy of Red Litten World, a Red Litten World themed swag pack, and a Bell Caravans patch.

If you want to skip the whole giveaway thing, you can still preorder Red Litten World on eBook for Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Kobo devices. Pre-order copies will arrive on your reader on launch day.

Good luck entrants, thanks to those who have helped spread the word. [Steve, Gus, Dan, Bianca, AJ, Loli, Matt, William, Christine, Michael, and everyone who’s name I somehow missed. Y’all are great.] Help me spread the word, make sure you tell your friends today!

Filed under: Contests, red litten world Tagged: bell caravans patch, giveaway, goodreads, swag, the bell forging cycle

The Red Litten World Swag Packs Are Now Available

A while back, I mentioned that the some of the free tchotchkes I make up for my book launches and conventions was starting to arrive. Well, on Thursday the last of it showed up in the post. That means Red Litten World swag packs are now available! Swag packs can be acquired at conventions, by purchasing signed copies of my books from my store, or ordered individually. They’re technically free, the dollar I charge at my store is to cover the cost of shipping. Or, you can send me a SASE I’ll happily send ’em to you. (Details on the Free Stuff page.) Let’s take a look at Red Litten World‘s swag…

The Red Litten World Bookmarks:

Each pack includes three bookmarks unique to Red Litten World. There’s the title bookmark featuring the lettering of Jon Contino and the Gustave Doré etching. The gargoyle bookmark features a quote from Wal taken from the book. Finally, there’s the Cedric’s sign a new location that will be revealed in the book. (There’s a fun animated version of this over on Tumblr.)

The Red Litten World Stickers:

Behold! The first colored swag for The Bell Forging Cycle! It’s not that I am averse to color, a lot of the black and white tone I set here and over on Instagram is really just a branding decision. (Also, black and white just looks sharp.) The Red Litten World title sticker is straight forward. I thought the “i got fed at Ced’s” was too fun not to do. (I’ll go into its design in a moment.) The story behind the elephant sticker is a secret. To find out more you’ll just have to read the book. Finally, there is the seal of Lovat which is a symbol that get’s stamped on Caravan Employee Registration Packets and other official city documentation.

The Red Litten World Button:

I love buttons, and the “i got fed at Ced’s” message works so perfectly in this format. I wanted it to have 70s vibe to it, mimicking the buttons and slogans that were popular during that era. The font is Caslon Black, which was designed by David Farey in the 90s and is influenced by a Caslon similar to the one used on this Carole King album. Design-nerd explanations aside, it’ll look groovy on your jean jacket.

I’m really happy with this whole set, the stickers might be my most favorite sticker set of the whole series. I like expanding the universe of The Bell Forging Cycle in weird and interesting ways and I think these little items go a long ways towards that goal.

What do you think? What’s your favorite? What’s your least favorite? Are there any other cool little giveaways I should try? Leave a comment and let me know!

Red Litten World is now only 10 days away! Remember, eBook readers, can pre-order it today for Kindle, Kobo, or Apple iBooks and have it delivered on launch day. I’m also running a giveaway where you can win one of five signed trade paperback copies of Red Litten World, details on how to enter here. Also, make sure to follow me on Instagram as I continue the Red Litten World Instagram Countdown.

Filed under: red litten world, swag Tagged: Bookmarks, Buttons, ced's, elephant, Lovat, Stickers, the bell forging cycle

Friday Link Pack 09/25/2015

Friday is here! That means it’s time for the Friday Link Pack. Some of these links I’ve mentioned on Twitter this week, 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:

The Red Litten World ARC Giveaway

In celebration of the launch, I am giving away five signed advanced review copies of Red Litten World to five very lucky winners via Goodreads. Signing up is easy. Winners will be selected on October 2nd, a few days before Red Litten World arrives.

First Look: Red Litten World Paperback

Over the weekend, I received the last proof of the trade paperback edition of Red Litten World. It looks absolutely fantastic. Check out some photos and watch a video of the unboxing.

The Red Litten World Instagram Countdown

I’m posting Red Litten World inspired art and exclusive lines from my upcoming novel on Instagram. Check out the first two posts and follow me on Instagram to see more!

WRITING:

Gravity Basics For Sci-fi Authors

Are you writing a sci-fi and want to get the facts around gravity right? Well, author and scientist Dan Koboldt has put together a great post covering the basics of gravity. Nice resource to have. [Thanks to Ben Vanik for this excellent submission.]

Writing Begins With Forgiveness

We have all heard the same advice, “Write every single day.” But what if that advice is actually… wrong? What if the challenge isn’t finding time to write every single day, but actually the discovery of your own writing rhythm. [I’m usually really good about remembering who shared an article, but I cannot for the life of me remember this one. If it was you, contact me and I’ll get you the proper credit.]

72% Of Writers Struggle With THIS

Ideas are cheap, it’s the follow-through that is the toughest. Some great advice from Joe Bunting on what it takes to finish that manuscript. [Thanks to William Munn for sharing.]

NaNoWriMo Cometh – Four Early Tips To Enhance Your Novel Writing

We’re over a month away from the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepping for success. In this article, I give you four simple tips you can use to give yourself an advantage before you begin.

ART:

The Art Of Kirokaze

I’m a big fan of pixel art, I have even dabbled myself in a past life. So when I saw these amazing pieces by DeviantArt artist, Kirokaze, I knew they’d show up in this week’s Friday Link Pack. Great stuff, both the static and animated versions. My favorite piece right now, probably Red City. (It’s also the featured image at the top of today’s Link Pack.)

With Smiles On Our Lips

The toy company 3A is having an enormous show in Japan right now, headlined by artists like: Ashley Wood, Phil Hale, William Wray, Amanda Visell, and more. There’s a lot of really engaging work from figurines, sculpture, some great prints, and original pieces.

The Art Of Lisa Wright

UK based artist, Lisa Wright, paints figures but the tone in which she paints them carries with them a disconcerting nature that makes each piece hard to pin down. The result is a selection of work that is engaging as it is challenging and ultimately beautiful.

RANDOM:

The Cultural History Of The Hoodie

I am a big fan of the hoodie, maybe it’s my PNW roots, maybe it’s my love of autumn and the winter, but in my opinion there’s not a better garment. This video from Gary Warnett goes into a lot of detail about this garments history and the baggage associated.

New Discoveries Could Explain What Happened To Roanoke

The lost colony of Roanoke might be one of America’s biggest mysteries, but a recent archeological dig referred to as Sight X could hold the clues that will help unravel the mystery.

The Coddling Of The American Mind

“In the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like. Here’s why that’s disastrous for education—and mental health.” Great piece from The Atlantic.

Wherever You Go, Your Personal Cloud Of Microbes Follows

Sorry introverts, as it turns out, we’re never truly alone. You can thank your personal cloud of microbes.

WEIRD WIKIPEDIA:

Alien Hand Syndrome

“Alien hand syndrome (AHS) is a rare neurological disorder that causes hand movement without the person being aware of what is happening or having control over the action. The afflicted person may sometimes reach for objects and manipulate them without wanting to do so, even to the point of having to use the healthy hand to restrain the alien hand.”

H.P. LOVECRAFT STORY OF THE WEEK:

Supernatural Horror In Literature

Not a story this time but a long essay on the state of supernatural horror and the gothic novel during Lovecraft’s time. The essay has its list of critics (M. R. James being one) and its champions (David G. Hartwell, Edmund Wilson). Even if you end up loathing it, it’s worth a read, just to get at the core of Lovecraft’s feelings on horror.

GIF OF THE WEEK:


Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: 3A, alien hand syndrome, finishing, forgiveness, gothic novel, gravity, h.p. lovecraft, hoodie, kirokaze, lisa wright, microbes, nanowrimo, roanoke, Science Fiction, supernatural horror, trigger warning

The Red Litten World ARC Giveaway

Do you live in the United States, Canada, Australia or the UK? Want to win a signed copy of Red Litten World before its arrival on October 6th? Well, you can! To celebrate the arrival of the next book in The Bell Forging Cycle, we’re doing a Red Litten World Giveaway! To enter all you need to do is click the link below, sign into your Goodreads account, and click the big “Enter to Win” button at the top of the page.

Enter The Red Litten World Giveaway →

Winners will be announced and notified on October 2nd, right before the Red Litten World launch the following week! Each winner will receive a signed advanced review copy of Red Litten World, a Red Litten World themed swag pack, a new “I got fed at Ced’s” button, and a Bell Caravans patch.

If you want to skip the whole giveaway thing, you can still preorder Red Litten World on eBook for Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Kobo devices. Pre-order copies will arrive on your reader on launch day.

Good luck entrants, and tell your friends!

Filed under: Contests, red litten world Tagged: bell caravans patch, giveaway, goodreads, swag, the bell forging cycle

First Look: Red Litten World Trade Paperback

Well, well, well, look what arrived in the mail last Friday… behold, the first look at the Red Litten World trade paperback! (Okay, technically, it’s the second look, since subscribers to my newsletter got the first look on Tuesday. You can join their illustrious ranks and get access to content early, just sign up here.)

Watch the Periscope capture above (apologies for the quiet-ish sound) or just check out the images with my commentary below. I’m so excited for everyone to see this. I couldn’t be more pleased with how well the trade paperback turned out. It feels so good in hand.

Red Litten World trade paperback

I’m super proud how well this turned out. Every time I start the arduous process of laying out a novel, I feel like I get better and better. Red Litten World is my biggest book yet, each tome is 400 pages on the dot. (For a comparison, Old Broken Road (the smallest) is 356 pages long and The Stars Were Right comes in at 364 pages.)

The three books in the Bell Forging Cycle

The series is looking incredible, and I really have Jon Contino to thank for that. The consistency between covers is stunning, and as you can tell the three look absolutely wonderful sitting next to one another on the shelf. Jon’s lettering has a lot to do with that. As always the work is fabulous.

Just like in the interior of Old Broken Road there are stars illustrations breaking up paragraph breaks. These are the same hand-drawn stars done by Illustrator Sean Cumiskey for the Bell Caravans patch. They look great in the book, I love seeing them in print. Returning to form, the glyph atop the chapter titles was drawn by Lovecraft himself, just like the elder sign we saw on The Stars Were Right. Like the titles themselves, this will be a motif that will continue through the rest of the series.

Left – title page, Right Top – chapter titles, Right Bottom – paragraph breaks

There’s a special surprise inside for paperback owners only, but I’m not going to go into details about it here. I’m going to keep that under wrap for now, that said, I’m sure it’ll leak eventually. As with everything in the Bell Forging Cycle it’s always layers upon layers, often the biggest secrets are hidden in the background.

I can’t wait for this to get into everyone’s hands! Red Litten World arrives Tuesday, October 6th, 2015. EBook readers, you can pre-order it today for Kindle, Kobo, or Apple iBooks and have it delivered on launch day!

Hold onto your butts. We’re getting close!

Filed under: red litten world Tagged: indie publishing, jon contino, Sean Cumiskey, the bell forging cycle, trade paperback

The Strongest Kind Of Fear

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear. And the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”

—H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature

It’s been a while since I posted a quote, and since I’m close to launching my next Lovecraftian urban fantasy novel, I figure it’d be appropriate to post a quote from one of Lovecraft’s own works. This line also inspired the title for the Lovecraft documentary, Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend checking it out.

Filed under: Quotes Tagged: cosmic horror, Fear, h.p. lovecraft, supernatural horror in literature

The Red Litten World Instagram Countdown

Red Litten World arrives in only two weeks. In the meantime, I’m having a little fun over on Instagram. As the launch date approaches, I’m going to be posting small bits of Red Litten World related artwork and sharing exclusive lines taken from the book. (It’ll be spoiler free, don’t worry.) The first image went up last Tuesday, and today’s post went live a few minutes ago. You can take a look at the images below, but make sure to follow me over on Instagram to get  future posts.

September 22, 2015—Cedric’s

“In the entresol between Levels Three and Four sits Cedric’s Eatery. It’s not a place visited by tourists or non-residents of the cafe’s warren…”

September 15, 2015—Gargoyles

“It drifted silent and unnoticed through the crowd, like a lingering shadow. Its dark robes billowed and floated like an ebony fog. Where a face should have been was… nothing.”

As we approach the launch day, there will be more to come. As I mentioned above, make sure to follow me over on Instagram to see the future posts. Only two weeks left!

Filed under: red litten world Tagged: art, cedric's, gargoyles, instagram, preview