K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 78

Friday Link Pack 10/17/2014

Old Broken Road launch week draws to a close. That means it’s time to share a few interesting 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? Let me know! All right, let’s get to it.

Old Broken Road:

Old Broken Road is out now!

Both eBook and trade paperbacks are available now! You should go buy it. :D

Traveling The Broken Road: An Author Interview With K. M. Alexander

Thomas Fowler and I discuss Old Broken Road, advertising, design, book marketing, indie publishing, and more.

Listen to my Dungeon Crawler Radio Interview

Last night I was interviewed by the guys over at Dungeon Crawlers Radio. I had a lot of fun and recommend giving it a listen.

Writing:

Here’s Why H.P. Lovecraft Matters More Than Ever

The Wall Street Journal talks Lovecraft, his racism, his views on science, and his resonating effect on popular culture.

Study Reveals: A Trip To The Library Feels The Same As A $2,282 Pay Raise

Well, there you go. Clearly we all need to go to the library more.

5 Things Beta Readers Should Know Before They Agree To The Task

Great post by Lauren Sapala on beta reading, what it takes, and how we as readers can maximize the help we provide. (This would be a good one to send to any new beta readers you are working with. hint. hint.)

Got Workflow? Step by Step To Better Books

J. W. Manus gives some practical advice for laying out and formatting your manuscript for publication. I see a lot of new writers completely ignore layout and it’s incredibly important.

Thing You Should Know When Writing About Guns

Good advice from Wendig about how guns work, what parts of guns are called, and how to use them effectively and realistically in your own work. (This isn’t a post about legality, it’s about using weapons in fiction.)

Art:

Nine Eyes

Strange and often surreal images found on Google street view. You can see a lot more at 9-eyes.com. (Thanks to Sky for this submission.)

Gloam

An amazing short film. Wandering a dark forest, a solitary creature encounters something unknown with only curiosity to lead the way.

Random:

The Crazy Bi-Level Buses Of The North Coast Lines

A photo essay on a very particular kind of bi-level bus that was produced in the Pacific Northwest during the 1920s. Some awesome stuff. It was strangely inspiring for me.

The World’s Biggest Submarine

A photo essay of the Typhoon/Shark class of Russian subs. I knew these things were big, but I didn’t realize they were this big. Makes me want to go watch The Hunt for Red October. “One ping only.”

Film Psychology: The Shining, Spatial Awareness & Set Design

Nice little doco on how Stanley Kubrick used spatial awareness on the set of the Shining. Make sure to watch Part 2 as well.

Equal Population Mapper

How many counties of the midwest does it take to equal the population squeezed into New York? LA? The coasts? This fascinating interactive map allows you to compare density across the US.

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

The Lurking Fear

Strange things are afoot in the Catskill mountains.

Gif of the Week:

Filed under: Link Pack, old broken road Tagged: beta readers, Dungeon Crawlers Radio, h.p. lovecraft, interviews, Lauren Sapala, nine eyes, North Coast Lines, Stanley Kubrick, The Hunt for Red October, The Lurking Fear

The Stars Were Right, $2.99—Permanently!

The fun of Old Broken Road launch week continues! I strive to make my books as accessible to as many readers as possible so in honor of the launch I’ve decided to permanently lower the price of The Stars Were Right ebooks to $2.99! Get it at any of the following links:

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

Make sure to tune into my interview on Dungeon Crawler Radio tonight. Also expect a few more fun announcements to happen over the next few weeks. Hope everyone is enjoying Old Broken Road. If you haven’t picked it up yet, it’s available pretty much everywhere.

Filed under: News, old broken road, the stars were right Tagged: eBook, Old Broken Road Launch Week, price drop

I’m Going To Be On Dungeon Crawler Radio!

Tomorrow, October 16th, I will be appearing on Dungeon Crawler Radio… LIVE. The show starts at 6pm MT and you can listen live here. I should be showing up around 6:15pm MT. I’m excited. Looking forward to talking Old Broken Road, The Stars Were Right, Lovat, the Territories, the Aligning, and whatever else comes up.

You can find out more on Dungeon Crawler’s website and make sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Filed under: News, old broken road, the stars were right Tagged: appearance, Interview, radio

Old Broken Road Is Out!

It has arrived. The wait is finally over. It’s October 14th. That means you can download a copy of Old Broken Road today! Yay! The trade paperback is available for purchase from the links below:

• Amazon • CreateSpace • My Store •

Barnes & Noble should have paperbacks soon. If you’d rather get Old Broken Road as an eBook you can download it from any of the following stores:

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

Make sure to mark Old Broken Road as the book you’re reading on Goodreads. If you’re tweeting about it or posting about the book on Facebook I’ve been using the hashtag #OldBrokenRoad. Don’t forget to tell your friends! Word of mouth is the best way for others to discover my books and allow me to keep writing.

Thanks everyone for your support. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Enjoy!

Filed under: old broken road, writing Tagged: announcement, Book Release, iBooks, kindle, Kobo, self-publishing, writing

Tomorrow: Old Broken Road

I think this video sums up my feelings pretty accurately:

Are you also too excited to sleep? Here’s some ideas to pass the time until tomorrow:

Listen to the Old Broken Road soundtrack.
Download a new Old Broken Road background.
Tell your friends about Old Broken Road.
Preorder Old Broken Road from Amazon, Kobo, or iBooks.

See you tomorrow, roaders!

Filed under: old broken road Tagged: Book, can't sleep, excitement, Release

Friday Link Pack 10/10/14

The last Friday before the launch of Old Broken Road is upon us! That means it’s time to share a few interesting links I’ve found throughout the week. Some of these are mentioned on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know! All right, let’s get to it:

Old Broken Road:

Old Broken Playlist

Check out the music that helped inspire my upcoming book!

Pre-Old Broken Road Launch Giveaway

Need to get caught up on The Stars Were Right before the sequel drops? Enter my latest Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy!

Old Broken Road Swag Packs are now in the store!

Three new Old Broken Road themed bookmarks, new set of stickers, and a rad button! All you have to do is pay for shipping. (You can also send a SASE, details are on the Free Stuff page.)

Writing:

The Exact Amount Of Time You Should Work Every Day

Did you know the absence of a proper lunch break can actually lower productivity? This University of Toronto study looks into what is the right amount of time to maximize your work.

19 Unintentionally Disturbing Moments From Kids’ Books

From Mister Dog to strange commands about murdering lambs, these made me laugh. So go on, touch the cow. Do it now.

The Genre Debate: ‘Literary fiction’ Is Just Clever Marketing

Elizabeth Edmondson of The Guardian argues that Jane Austen never imagined she was writing Literature. Posterity made that decision for her. Good stuff.

Random:

The Butterfly Effect, Literally

The Nerdwriter (one of my new favorite YouTube Channels) explores the butterfly effect, on, well… butterflies.

Rise And Shine – What Kids Around The World Eat For Breakfast

A New York Times photojournalism piece on the foods kids eat around the world. Really I am just repeating what the headline says, but click through, it’s fun.

Morbid Mondays: Maps Of The End Of The World

Atlas Obscura explore the maps of Revelations created by Baptist Minister Clarence Larkin in 1919. I remember seeing copies of these in my grandmothers house. Instant nostalgia for me.

The Problem With Wearable Technology, According To “Blade Runner” Designer Syd Mead

“Fashion is a temporary affectation. Fashion that’s timeless is actually a practical response to need. ” Loved reading about Syd Mead’s thoughts on the current state of wearables. Mead is an incredible artist and designer and it’s clear he put in a lot of thought when he created his vision of the future.

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family

I’m featuring this again. Mainly because this is the story where I found the Old Broken Road epigraph. Also, it’s good.

Gif of the Week:

Filed under: Link Pack, old broken road Tagged: Blade Runner, breakfast, butterfly effect, free stuff, genre, Giveaway, kids books, Literature, lovecraft, music, productivity, revelations, Syd Mead

A Giveaway To Celebrate The OLD BROKEN ROAD Launch!

We’re in the final stretch. And to celebrate the coming arrival of Old Broken Road I am doing a giveaway! For the next two weeks (now through the 21st) you can enter to win one of five signed trade paperback of The Stars Were Right. (U.S. only, sorry!) This is the perfect way to get caught up just in time for Old Broken Road‘s arrival! All you have to do is enter to win on Goodreads! Just click the link below and then click the big “Enter To Win” button!

Enter The Stars Were Right Book Giveaway ≫

It’s that simple! Good luck to everyone who participates. While you’re on Goodreads make sure you add Old Broken Road to your To Read shelf and (of course) tell all your friends!

Filed under: Contests, old broken road, the stars were right Tagged: books, Free, Giveaway, goodreads, Paperback

Old Broken Playlist

Old Broken Road launches next Tuesday! We’re officially only one week away! So, to tide you over until it’s launch I have assembled a playlist of songs that helped inspire the book. It available to listen for free everywhere:

Check out the full playlist on Rdio ≫

Spotify | YouTube

Below is the full tracklist. Click on an artist name to find out more about that specific musician/band or click the song title to listen to that particular song on YouTube. I’ve tried to link to Wikipedia articles, but my taste is eclectic so if a band doesn’t have a Wiki page I tried to find the next best link.

Nirvana –  Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club –  Beat The Devils Tattoo
Future Islands –  Spirit
Family Wagon –  Hard Times
The Avett Brothers –  Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise
Steve Earle –  I Feel Alright
Shearwater –  Breaking the Yearlings
Dead Man’s Bones –  Lose Your Soul
The Black Angels – Evil Things
Papa Mali –  Sugarland
Mourning Ritual –  Bad Moon Rising
Woodkid –  Stabat Mater
Royal Blood –  Out of the Black
The Cave Singers –  Dancing on our Graves
Okkervil River –  The Valley
Townes Van Zandt –  Nothin’
Matthew and the Atlas –  I Followed Fires
Karen Elson – Stolen Roses
The Mountain Goats – Psalms 40:2
Mark Lanegan –  Gray Goes Black
Buck 65 –  Who By Fire
Louis Armstrong –  Life is so Peculiar
Bruce Peninsula – Crabapples
Jake Bugg –  Lightning Bolt
Johnnyswim –  Don’t Let It Get You Down
The Civil Wars –  Barton Hollow
TV on the Radio –  Wolf Like Me
The Eels –  Fresh Blood
The Dead Weather –  So Far From Your Weapons
Jace Everett –  Burn for You
The Stray Birds – Heavy Hands

As with the playlist for The Stars Were Right, I had a blast putting this together. It is interesting for me to listen to them side by side. I think each does a good job in carrying the tone of the book. You don’t have to take my word for it. You can find out what I mean when Old Broken Road drops next week. ;-)

What do you think? Don’t hesitate to leave me a comment below or shoot me an email and let me know. I would love the feedback!

Filed under: old broken road Tagged: music, Playlist, rdio, spotify, the stars were right, youtube

Free Stuff Update! Improving The SASE Experience

I give away con swag for free, and I want to give it to you. For a while now many of you patient readers have been sending me little folded envelopes with a stamp in the mail. I’m happy to get them, but the process has bothered me. It seems a little slow and antiquated. Surely there is a better way to harness the power of the wondrous internet to get this stuff to you!

So, today I launched a swag section in my store. I’m currently charging a $1.00 to ship swag packs anywhere in the US. That should cover everything and expedite the process significantly. For now, only The Stars Were Right swag packs are live, but on the 14th when Old Broken Road launches, I’ll have Old Broken Road swag packs available. (I’m really excited about that one, new button, three new bookmarks, and new stickers. It’s very cool.)

Keep in mind, any time you buy my books direct from me, not only do I sign it, I also include a full swag pack. I might not be as cheap as Amazon, but I do include a lot of fun stuff.

So, yeah, I think the swag section is a pretty solid improvement. If you don’t have a credit card, I’m still happy to accept SASEs (address is on the Free Stuff page.) Just trying to get as much free stuff into your hands as quick I can!

Filed under: old broken road, the stars were right Tagged: Bookmarks, Buttons, Cons, Free, old broken road, Stickers, Swag, the stars were right

Friday Link Pack 10/03/14

THUNDERCLAP! It is Friday. That means it’s time to share a few interesting links I’ve found throughout the week. 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? Let me know! All right, let’s get to it:

Old Broken Road:

Old Broken Road Is Coming October 14th!

The wait will finally be over. In a little under twelve days Old Broken Road arrives!

Check Out The First Old Broken Road Print Proof

In case you missed it. Last night I received my first print proof. I was able to take a few photos to show some of the details.

Writing:

Ask Kami: How Do I Deal With Writer’s Block?

As authors we all face times where we struggle with writing. Often those struggles are lumped together under the banner of “writers block.” But the reasons are often more complicated. Author Kami McArthur (@Kami_Marynda) delves into common causes that form the brick wall. Good advice.

Famous Writers On The Creative Benefits of Keeping a Diary

I don’t keep a diary, but perhaps I should. Brain Pickings explores the concept around the “elusive art of solitude” with thoughts from everyone from Woolf to Thoreau to Plath. Maybe in 2015, I’ll start small with The Standard Memorandum.

Banned Books That Shaped America

Last week was Banned Books Week a time when we reflect on all the amazing piece of literature frightened people try to censor. This is a great list of incredible books that have been banned/challenged but have still had an incredible impact on American society.

The 12 Weirdest Reasons For Banning Science Fiction And Fantasy Books

io9 examines some of the strangest reasons that famous sci-fi and fantasy books have been challenged. My favorite was the reason behind banning, The Wizard of Oz, why? Theologically impossible. What?

Little Free Libraries Add Charm To Neighborhoods

If you have followed me for any length of time you know I’m a big supporter of Little Free Libraries. I think the idea is swell and I’d encourage everyone to get involved. Swapping books with neighbors is a great way to build community.

Art:

Twilight In Arcadia 2013 – 2014

The work of Adam Miller harkens back to a classical approach to painting, but the tone, and subject matter holds a mirror to modern society. Love this stuff. (Thanks to Kari-Lise for the submission.) Oh, Miller’s work contains naked people. Consider yourself warned.

The Missing Scarf

Just watch it. It’s incredible. George Takei narrated the hell out of this short. (Thanks to Peter for the submission.)

What Rot: A Look At The Striking “Transi” Corpse Sculptures

Atlas Obscura explores the strange “transi sculptures” which depicts the body in transition after death. Fascinating stuff.

Random:

Floating Drone Lamps Would Be Freaking Amazing

One of the coolest projects I have seen in a while. Lamps attached to drones. (Thanks to Lola for sharing this with me.)

Emma Watson: Gender Equality Is Your Issue Too

It’d be nice to think gender equality is universal. The stark fact is: it isn’t. Often modern society puts on blinders and goes about believing it’s not a big deal. Which hurts far more than we realize. Thankfully, folks are working to change that. Emma Watson’s speech in front of the UN is both brave and incredible. As a man and a feminist, I completely side with her, and I have joined her #HeForShe movement. Everyone should read this speech it’s smart and poignant. Be the change you want to see in society.

All The Comments On Every Recipe Blog

This is true. This is all so very true.

Iconic Portrait Photos Throughout History Recreated With John Malkovich As The Subject

I love the internet.

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

Nemesis

This week, instead of highlighting a story. Let’s visit one of Lovecraft’s most well known poems. Thro’ the ghoul-guarded gateways of slumber…

Gif of the Week:

Filed under: Link Pack, old broken road, writing Tagged: Adam Miller, banned books, diary, gender equality, John Malkovich, little free libraries, lovecraft, writer's block