K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 67
June 19, 2015
Friday Link Pack 06/19/2015
Rising from its slumber Friday awakens. That means it’s time for the Friday Link Pack! The post where I share a few links I’ve found over the last few days. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! 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…
WRITING:
What Price An E-book?
Epic fantasy author Mark Lawrence (The Broken Empire series and the new Red Queen’s War series) breaks down the cost of an e-book. I like seeing reminders of this, and it’s cool to see Mark break it down for everyone.
14 Classic Novels Rewritten With Clickbait Titles
If there is one thing Buzzfeed knows it’s clickbait. That said, this list of classic novels did make me chuckle. Animal Farm is my favorite.
The History Of English In 10 Minutes
A great little video from The Open University that does a pretty great job condensing the history and evolution of the English language. The animation that accompanies it is pretty cute as well.
A Reminder That Creators Need To Understand Their Contracts
Hire a contract attorney or work with an agent you trust, just be sure you understand everything written down in your contracts. It’s important.
ART:
6×6 International Group Exhibition
Melbourne’s Auguste Clown gallery is hosting a fantastic exhibit of 6″x6″ pieces from a variety of incredible pop-surrealism artists. (Including Kari-Lise, who is my incredibly talented wife and partner.) Very much worth checking out.
Emily Blincoe’s Arrangements
Subtle changes in gradient and spectrum, neatly organized objects in size, but often with a twist. A lot of fun.
Sam Wolfe Connelly Studio Visit
If you have followed my blog for any length of time you’ll recognize Sam Wolfe Connelly’s name, I’ve even featured him in a previous Link Pack. It’s always fun to see a behind the scenes glimpse into his process. Supersonic takes us on a small journey into Connelly’s New York studio.
RANDOM:
Dear Librarian: New York Public Library’s Quirkiest Inquiries
A cache of cards recovered from the New York Public library’s archive is being published online, revealing the many roles the librarian was expected to play in the days before the internet, from lawyer, doula, to an ethnographer.
Laser Tag At The Edge Of The World
How cool is this? I would have probably exploded if something like this had existed when I was fourteen.
The Heroes We Deserve
Here’s a cool story. African pouched rats are taught to identify landmines, receiving treats for their efforts. The rats are small enough they don’t set off the mines and it allows for the mines recovery and disposal. They’re also darn cute. [Thanks to Sky for sharing this.]
A thoughtful article on the current disparity of Unicode, especially when it comes to second-class languages.
WEIRD WIKIPEDIA:
List Of Animals With Fraudulent Diplomas
“Animals have been submitted as applicants to suspected diploma mills and, on occasion, admitted and granted a degree, as reported in news and magazines. Animals are often used as a device to clearly demonstrate the lax standards of awarding institutions. In one case, a cat’s degree helped lead to a successful fraud prosecution against the institution which issued it.”
H.P. LOVECRAFT STORY OF THE WEEK:
The Last Test
A rewrite of Adolphe de Castro’s story of the same name, The Last Test, is also the first introduction of the Outer God, Shub-Niggurath, “The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young”.
GIF OF THE WEEK:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: 6x6, auguste clown, classics, contracts, ebooks, Emily Blincoe, english, fraudulent diplomas, h.p. lovecraft, kari-lise alexander, landmines, laser tag, sam wolfe connelly, sass, tintin, unicode
June 17, 2015
Congratulations To Sharon E.
Congratulations to Sharon E. the winner of my Red Litten World Cover Reveal Giveaway! Sharon was one of over two-thousand entries and she will receive signed copies of both The Stars Were Right and Old Broken Road, a Bell Caravans patch, a bunch of assorted swag, and a $50 Amazon gift card. Not bad, eh?
Thanks to everyone for participating and tweeting and posting comments and spreading the word. It was nice to see so much excitement surrounding the reveal. I’m really glad everyone liked the cover so much. Jon and I both worked hard on it, and it’s always a pleasure to get such a warm reception.
If you’re interesting in picking up copies of the other books in The Bell Forging Cycle just hit any of the links below. Ebook copies of The Stars Were Right are usually selling for below $2.99 these days and I’ve seen copies of Old Broken Road as low as $4.75.
The Stars Were Right
Paperbacks:
• Amazon • Barnes & Noble • My Store •
Ebooks:
• Kindle • Kobo • iBooks • Nook • GooglePlay • My Store •
Old Broken Road
Paperbacks:
• Amazon • Barnes & Noble • My Store •
Ebooks:
• Kindle • Kobo • iBooks • Nook • GooglePlay • My Store •
Filed under: Contests, Red Litten World, The Bell Forging Cycle Tagged: bell caravan patch, books, cover reveal, Giveaway, reading, roader pack, Swag, winner
June 15, 2015
The Most Valuable Trait
“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”
Filed under: Quotes Tagged: encouragement, octavia e. butler, persistence, writing
June 12, 2015
Friday Link Pack 06/12/2015
It’s Friday, and it’s my Dad’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad!), and it’s my parents wedding anniversary (Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!) Also, it’s time for the Friday Link Pack! The post where I share a few links I’ve found over the last few days. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! 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…
WRITING:
25 Reasons Why You Don’t Make Any Money At Comic Cons
Absolutely fantastic post. So often I see professionals, very talented artists, and writers, doing the exactly what is being listed here. It’s all good advice. Take it. [Thanks to Lola for sharing this.]
Dear Authors: Don’t Respond To Goodreads Reviews
Frankly, you shouldn’t respond to any reviews. Ever. At all. If you need to respond to anything, respond to your email. That’s important.
Top 5 Literary Languages
In this old post, The Stage discusses their favorite made-up languages. Which is your favorite? Anything you think this list is missing?
Cthulhu The Wimp
This week I wrote a guest post for Michael G. Munz’s blog. In it, I pick on everyone’s favorite old one. What do you think? Am I right, or am I way off base? Check it out and let me know.
Red Litten World Cover Reveal Giveaway
The giveaway ends in just a few days! Enter for your chance to win signed copies of The Stars Were Right and Old Broken Road, as well as a Bell Caravans patch, swag, and a $50 Amazon gift card. Entering is easy and there are a lot of ways to increase your chances to win. Do it today!
ART:
20 Contemporary (Women) Artists You Oughta Know
From sculptures to painters to photographers. A handy guide of some of the best women artists working today.
The Photography Of Gautier Pellegrin
I’m in love with these photographs. The more and more I look at photography, the more I am attracted to photos that really drive home emotion. For me, Pellegrin’s work does exactly that.
Pejac In Hong Kong
Absolutely love some of these pieces from the street artist Pejac. The window work stood out in particular.
RANDOM:
51 TV Writers Reveal Their Favorite Thing They’ve Ever Written
This is a fun list. There are a few shows on here I loved (Parks and Recreation, Veronica Mars, The X-Files, Portlandia, Scrubs) and it’s always neat to see which parts the writers were most proud of. [Thanks to Mike for sharing this.]
The Future According To Anime
Hopes & Fears compiles a list of their favorite predictions from anime, from World War 3 to space travel. Only time will tell if anime got it right.
How To Cook Turmeric Chicken, Rice, And Peas. In Space
Admit it. You always wanted to know.
WEIRD WIKIPEDIA:
Aachenosaurus
“Aachenosaurus is a dubious genus of prehistoric plant. It was named based solely on fossilized fragments of material that were originally thought to be jaw fragments from a duck-billed dinosaur (a hadrosaur). However, the fossils turned out to be petrified wood, to the great embarrassment of the discoverer.”
LOVECRAFT STORY OF THE WEEK:
In the Walls of Eryx
Here’s something you don’t usually see from the grandfather of horror. A near future science fiction tale on the planet of Venus!
GIF OF THE WEEK:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: aachenosaurus, anime, art, Conventions, cooking, cthulhu, Giveaway, goodreads, h.p. lovecraft, Hong Kong, in the walls of eryx, languages, photography, Red Litten World, Reviews, space, street art
June 11, 2015
Cthulhu The Wimp
At Norwescon, I was happy to meet fellow writer and Seattle Geekly alumni, Michael G. Munz. Michael is another Seattle-based speculative fiction author. While we were at the con he asked me if I’d be interesting writing a geeky guest post for his blog. He left it open to anything I wanted and mentioned something Lovecraftian would be nice. I was more than happy to oblige and had the perfect idea. Hence my post for his Guest Geek section, where I pick on everyone’s favorite elder god, Cthulhu the Wimp. Here’s how the post starts:
We see Cthulhu everywhere. In art, he’s usually rising from the ocean on the back of his ruined city. His narrow glowing eyes stare at the viewer. His face draped with writhing tentacles. Membranous wings stretch from his expansive back. It’s an engaging image and it has seeped into pop culture. From fan art to toys, from toys to plushies, from plushies to video games, Cthulhu is everywhere. His terrifying visage has certainly ubiquitous among Lovecraft’s creations. He’s the de facto and beloved mascot for the mythos. But, what if all this love and terror is based on false presumptions? What if I was to tell you that Cthulhu wasn’t all that terrifying. That he’s more a product of good marketing and overzealous rumormongering? What if Cthulhu is, in fact, a wimp?
You can read the rest of my post over at Michael’s blog, I had a lot of fun writing it. Check it out and tell me what you think. Am I right? Is Cthulhu a wimp or am I completely off base? Leave a comment, I want to know!
Also, be sure to check out Michael’s books including his latest: Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure (which is currently sitting on my nightstand) and his ongoing near future sci-fi series the New Aeneid Cycle.
Filed under: Lore & Mythos Tagged: cthulhu, cthulhu mythos, great old ones, guest post, h.p. lovecraft, michael g. munz, norwescon, seattle geekly
June 8, 2015
It Is Good To Have An End
“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.”
Filed under: Quotes Tagged: journey, the end, ursula k. le guin, writing
Thank You Bloggers
Last week was the cover reveal for Red Litten World, the third book in The Bell Forging Cycle. I worked with CBB Book Promotions to do a cover reveal tour and I couldn’t be more pleased wth the results. (Highly recommend them.) The response was wonderful. I was really happy to see so much interest generated in the book and a big part of that success due to the efforts from those bloggers who participated. So I wanted to extend a big thank you to:
Candace at Candace’s Book Blog
Tamara at The Avid Book Collector
Maureen at Maureen’s Books
Natalie at Book Lovers Life
Ravyn at Ravyn Rayne
Melissa at Books Can Take You There
Daniela at Daniela Ark
Laurie at Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews
Hope at Hope to Read
Cristina at Remember the Books
Mary at Mary’s Cup of Tea
Debra at 3 Partners in Shopping
Katy at Glorious Panic
Jen at My So-Called Book Reviews
Lisa at My Favorite Things
Vidya at Books Are Magic
Alecia at Chosen By You Book Club
I really appreciated everyone’s willingness to help out. I loved reading the kind word and the comments. It was fun to see everyone get so excited over the giveaway as well. The giveaway is still going on, (almost two-thousand entries!) and there are lots of ways to increase your chances to win. Just hit the link below and you can enter for a chance to win a prize pack that includes: signed copies of The Stars Were Right and Old Broken Road, a Bell Caravans patch, a bunch of book-related swag, and a $50 Amazon Gift card.
Filed under: News, Red Litten World Tagged: blogging, cover reveal, Giveaway, thank you, the bell forging cycle
June 5, 2015
Friday Link Pack 06/05/2015
Wow, what a week. I come down from Lilac City Comicon and right into a whirlwind of a cover reveal. However, today is Friday. That means it is time for the Friday Link Pack where I share a few links I’ve found over the last few days. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! 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…
WRITING:
Amazon.com Announces The Most Well-Read Cities In America
And guess who is at #1? Spoiler Alert, it’s my hometown. The emerald of the West Coast, the one, the only: Seattle, Washington! YAY! Hometown pride aside, there is some interesting revelations in this list. I can’t tell if Vegas reading the most romance is the sweetest or saddest thing.
Physical Attribute Thesaurus Collection
I really like these collections from Writers Helping Writers. When I write it’s common for me to forget the simplest of words and I find these Thesauruses useful when I need help loosening up. I actually own a few books from their Thesaurus collection, in both physical and ebook editions. Highly recommend them.
The Kindle Finally Gets Typography That Doesn’t Suck
If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time you know I am a stickler for good typography. I appreciate a well-designed book and it all starts with the type. It has always hurt my heart a bit when viewing books on the Kindle. However, there is some big upgrades coming and I, for one, couldn’t be more excited.
Red Litten World Cover Reveal
Yesterday, I announced the new cover for Red Litten World, book three in my Lovecraftian urban fantasy series, The Bell Forging Cycle. The response across the internet has been stellar, twitter has blown up, and I’ve been getting some great emails. I can’t wait to share this one with everyone.
Red Litten World Cover Reveal Giveaway
Along with the cover reveal, I am doing a giveaway. Win signed copies of The Stars Were Right and Old Broken Road, as well as a Bell Caravans patch, swag, and a $50 Amazon gift card. Entering is easy and there’re a lot of ways to increase your chances to win. Do it today!
ART:
Kari-Lise Featured In Beautiful.Bizzare Magazine, Issue 009
The latest issue of the pop surrealism magazine, Beautiful.Bizzare has arrived and inside you’ll find a feature on my incredibly talented wife and partner, Kari-Lise Alexander. I highly recommend checking it out.
The Art Of Sandeep Karunakaran
I’ll occasionally stumble across a great artist on DeviantArt. This week the sci-fi/horror work of Sandeep Karunakaran really stood out. It’s a fun blend of the terrifying with an animated style that I really appreciate. I think you will too.
Maskull Lasserre Carves Skeletons Into Souvenir Sculptures And Decoys
Stumbled across Lasserre’s work last week and wanted to save it for the next Link Pack. Something very satisfying within these pieces. It’s as if Lasserre is revealing a secret world we all hope exists.
RANDOM:
I’ve never done shrooms, but this article is hilarious regardless. As my friend Rob pointed out, this is the Magic: The Gathering version of James Blagden’s Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No. [Thanks to Rob for sharing this.]
Clever Glass Fountain Pen Lets You Write With Any Liquid
Okay, it probably says a lot about me that the first thought I had when I saw this was: BLOOD! I don’t know if it says anything good. But there you have it. [Thanks to Lola Landekic for sending this my way.]
Seinfeld’s Never-Before-Seen Fourth Wall
I’m a huge Seinfeld fan, so finding out little details like this really makes me happy.
WEIRD WIKIPEDIA:
Devil’s Footprints
“The Devil’s Footprints is a name given to a phenomenon that occurred in February 1855 around the Exe Estuary in East Devon and South Devon, England. After a heavy snowfall, trails of hoof-like marks appeared overnight in the snow covering a total distance of some 40 to 100 miles. The footprints were so called because some people believed that they were the tracks of Satan, as they were allegedly made by a cloven hoof. Many theories have been put forward to explain the incident, and some aspects of its veracity have also been called into question…”
LOVECRAFT STORY OF THE WEEK:
Medusa’s Coil
What starts with a pleasant drive ends in B-movie schlock.
GIF OF THE WEEK:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: amazon, beautiful.bizzare, Cover, devil's footprints, Giveaway, Kari-Lise, kindle, magic: the gathering, maskull lasserre, physical attributes, Red Litten World, sandeep karunakaran, seinfeld, typography
June 4, 2015
Giveaway Time! Win Books, Swag, And A $50 Gift Card!
As a way to celebrate the big Red Litten World cover reveal, I’m doing a big giveaway! One lucky winner from anywhere in the world can enter to win a bunch of cool stuff. The Red Litten World Prize Pack includes: signed paperback copies of The Stars Were Right and Old Broken Road, a Bell Caravans patch, and all the swag for both books (stickers, buttons, and bookmarks), and a $50 Amazon gift card! Entering is super easy, and there’s lots of ways you can increase your chance to win. Hint the link below, login, and follow the instructions, good luck!
Filed under: Contests, Red Litten World Tagged: bell caravan patch, gift card, Giveaway, Old Broken Road, roader pack, Swag, the bell forging cycle, The Stars Were Right
The Red Litten World Cover Reveal
Hooray! It is June 4th! As I promised it’s time to reveal the cover of my next novel: The Bell Forging Cycle, Book III: Red Litten World. Let’s get to it:
The city of Lovat is dying. It just doesn’t know it yet. Trapped behind blockades, its citizens starve. Only the wealthiest can afford to snatch up what food does slip through, leaving the poor jostling for scraps. But money only goes so far. Inside their gleaming towers, the well-fed elevated are being killed off one-by-one.
Caravan Master Waldo Bell—only a few months removed from the harrowing events along the Broken Road—just wants to keep his head down and be left alone while he waits for the blockades to break. But when familiar symbols written in blood appear at a crime scene and an old debt comes calling, Wal finds himself thrust into chaos.
Now, forced onto Lovat’s blood-soaked upper levels, Wal faces his most dangerous challenge yet: within a city on the verge of self-destruction, he must fight to save not only his own life—but the life of every Lovatine struggling below.
Isn’t it lovely? Once again, Jon Contino returned to lend his considerable talents by creating the lettering for Red Litten World. I’ve always been an admirer and fan of Jon’s work and there is something with his focused Arts and Crafts approach that captures the feel of the Bell Forging series. He nails that looming sense of unease prevalent throughout but adds an undercurrent of approachability which I really appreciate. As always, I am honored to have his help. Thanks a ton, Jon.
The background image comes once again from the late 19th-century french artist, Gustav Doré. (Sensing a theme, perhaps?) I love Dore’s work, and I’ve used his illustrations on the last two covers as well. This time the engraving was selected from Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, in this case, Inferno. There Minos stands, centers on the lounging former Cretan king, Minos, now judge of the damned at the gates of hell. As with the previous books in the series, this illustration was selected specifically for Red Litten World. There’s a hint on the cover at what lies inside the pages.
I like scattering Easter Eggs throughout my work, and not only in prose. Each of these little details add to the overall experience when a reader picks up one of the Bell Forging Cycle novels. From the choice of the background image, to the little symbols I place along the spine. Everything is selected to give readers a little more depth should they go looking.
So there it is! The cover for Red Litten World is revealed! I think it fits perfectly within the series while bringing its own unique look. Check out how great Red Litten World looks in a lineup with the other two books:
Perfect right? Red Litten World is due out later this year and there will be a launch announcement coming soon along with a sample chapter. I cannot wait to get this into your hands. I think you’re going to love this one.
What do you think of the new cover? Which cover is you favorite of the series so far and why? Leave a comment. Let me know!
Filed under: Cover Design, Red Litten World Tagged: cover reveal, Gustav Doré, indie publishing, jon contino, the bell forging cycle
