Michael C. Bailey's Blog, page 57

Weekly Update – September 10, 2019

Weekend three of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire is coming up, and here are this week’s guest authors:

Saturday, September 14: Rachel Menard (Steel Hand, Cold Heart)
Sunday, September 15: Deborah Ann Davis (Fairly Certain)

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Issue Nine: Hell Hath No Fury: Getting close to the final sequence! I’m hoping to wrap up draft one before the end of the month.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Sworded Affairs: First draft completed.

Well-Behaved Women – Transition: Audiobook in final processing, which had a slight delay as we had to do some tweaking to the audio (technical stuff I don’t understand) and start the process over again.

Well-Behaved Women – Endtimes – Audiobook recording underway.

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire – Saturday, October 5, Lebanon County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, CT: I’ll be there as part of the Local Authors Series. Here’s the full line-up for the rest of the season:

Saturday, September 21: Liz Delton (The Starless Girl)

Sunday, September 22: Amber Beaulieu

Saturday, September 28: Allyssa Norton (Momma Buy Me a China Doll)

Sunday, September 29: Suzanne Cordatos (The Willard the Dragon series)

Saturday, October 5: Me!

Sunday, October 6: Kim Headlee (The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles)

Saturday, October 12: A.L. Davroe (The Tricksters series)

Sunday, October 13: E.A. Rappaport (The Legend of the Four Races series)

Monday, October 14: Jo Kearney (The Adventures of Amelia the Astronaut)

[image error]The New England Speculative Writers group has a new preview book for newsletter subscribers. Pick it up and read the opening chapters to Well-Behaved Women – Awakening and other stories.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any news from me, remember that I have a weekly newsletter that features some of the stuff you see posted here plus new, newsletter-exclusive material. Click this link to sign up.

Weekly Update – September , 2019

Weekend three of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire is coming up, and here are this week’s guest authors:

Saturday, September 14: Rachel Menard (Steel Hand, Cold Heart)
Sunday, September 15: Deborah Ann Davis (Fairly Certain)

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Issue Nine: Hell Hath No Fury: Getting close to the final sequence! I’m hoping to wrap up draft one before the end of the month.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Sworded Affairs: First draft completed.

Well-Behaved Women – Transition: Audiobook in final processing, which had a slight delay as we had to do some tweaking to the audio (technical stuff I don’t understand) and start the process over again.

Well-Behaved Women – Endtimes – Audiobook recording underway.

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire – Saturday, October 5, Lebanon County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, CT: I’ll be there as part of the Local Authors Series. Here’s the full line-up for the rest of the season:

Saturday, September 21: Liz Delton (The Starless Girl)

Sunday, September 22: Amber Beaulieu

Saturday, September 28: Allyssa Norton (Momma Buy Me a China Doll)

Sunday, September 29: Suzanne Cordatos (The Willard the Dragon series)

Saturday, October 5: Me!

Sunday, October 6: Kim Headlee (The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles)

Saturday, October 12: A.L. Davroe (The Tricksters series)

Sunday, October 13: E.A. Rappaport (The Legend of the Four Races series)

Monday, October 14: Jo Kearney (The Adventures of Amelia the Astronaut)

[image error]The New England Speculative Writers group has a new preview book for newsletter subscribers. Pick it up and read the opening chapters to Well-Behaved Women – Awakening and other stories.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any news from me, remember that I have a weekly newsletter that features some of the stuff you see posted here plus new, newsletter-exclusive material. Click this link to sign up.

Weekly Update – September 3, 2019

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire’s opening weekend is in the books!

Speaking of books, here are this week’s guest authors:

In addition to the main scenario, the great variety acts, the vendors, and the food and drink, remember to visit the author’s table to meet this weekend’s roster of local writers:

Saturday, September 7: Billie Kowalewski (the Enlightened series)
Sunday, September 8: Sky Boivin (The Sisters Two Chronicles)

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Issue Nine: Hell Hath No Fury: Work on the first draft continues!

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Sworded Affairs: First draft completed.

Well-Behaved Women – Transition: Audiobook in final processing.

Well-Behaved Women – Endtimes – Recording of the audiobook version has begun, with Heather Auden returning to finish off the trilogy!03

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire – Saturday, October 5, Lebanon County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, CT: I’ll be there as part of the Local Authors Series. Here’s the full line-up:

Saturday, September 14: Rachel Menard (Steel Hand, Cold Heart)

Sunday, September 15: Deborah Ann Davis (Fairly Certain)

Saturday, September 21: Liz Delton (The Starless Girl)

Sunday, September 22: Amber Beaulieu

Saturday, September 28: Allyssa Norton (Momma Buy Me a China Doll)

Sunday, September 29: Suzanne Cordatos (The Willard the Dragon series)

Saturday, October 5: Me!

Sunday, October 6: Kim Headlee (The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles)

Saturday, October 12: A.L. Davroe (The Tricksters series)

Sunday, October 13: E.A. Rappaport (The Legend of the Four Races series)

Monday, October 14: Jo Kearney (The Adventures of Amelia the Astronaut)

[image error]The New England Speculative Writers group has a new preview book for newsletter subscribers. Pick it up and read the opening chapters to Well-Behaved Women – Awakening and other stories.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any news from me, remember that I have a weekly newsletter that features some of the stuff you see posted here plus new, newsletter-exclusive material. Click this link to sign up.

Station Identification Time

Who Am I?

I’m a writer originally from Falmouth, MA who now lives in Worcester (pronounced like the name of Hugh Laurie’s dim-witted socialite) with my awesomely talented wife Veronica, who runs a business called Storied Threads.

After 15 years with the Falmouth Enterprise, where I worked as a general and political reporter, blogger, and editor, I left the news industry to focus on my creative writing.

In addition to my novels (more on that in a minute) I’m a freelance writer, and I’ve produced scripts for Pastimes Entertainment of Revere, MA and the Connecticut Renaissance Faire.

What Do I Write?

[image error]Action Figures is a YA superhero adventure series featuring a team of young superhumans who set out to make a name for themselves in the superhero world and quickly find themselves in over their heads. Fun, full of humor and action, populated with likable characters (including some of the villains), and suitable for teen readers and adults who still love superheroes. Oh, and no love triangles. Ever. The first book, Secret Origins, reached the #1 spot on two Amazon best-seller lists.

[image error]The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot is my response to all the overly serious fantasy novels out there that have forgotten how to have fun. The series follows two hard-luck adventurers for hire with a knack for biting off more than they can chew and their friends as they explore ancient ruins, fight deadly monsters, go on epic prophecy-driven quests for artifacts of great power hidden in highly inconvenient locations, and cross a lot of rickety rope bridges along the way. The first book, Scratching a Lich, received a gold medal for fantasy fiction from BellaOnline, a resource for women in writing, which also recognizes feminist writers and their work.

[image error]Cheap Thrills Digest is a short story collection featuring introductions to my two series, plus an original novelette-length horror story, Lost Souls, which is exclusive to CTD. If you’re curious about my writing, you can grab this for just $6 in print or 99 cents in e-book format.

[image error] Copyright 2018 Tessa Beatrice/Underdog Comics

Freedom Winds is a mini-comic I wrote for Underdog Comics, and you can read it for free at any time here, here, or here.

 

 

[image error]Well-Behaved Women is an urban fantasy trilogy for feminist audiences. After returning to work following a near-fatal shooting, Sergeant Rose Booker encounters a woman claiming to be the reincarnation of Julie d’Aubigny, the infamous 17th Century French swordswoman. Things only get stranger from there as Rose and Julie cross paths with a crime boss with a knack for exacting bloody revenge on his enemies. This is more serious and mature than my other projects — not recommended for young readers. Book one, Awakening, is now available. Book two, Transition, was released in April 2019, and book three, Endtimes, was released August 2019.

[image error]The Final Summons is the first anthology from the New England Speculative Writers. The collection features 14 fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories by NESW members, including my story The Going Rate for Penance, which is set in the world of Strongarm & Lightfoot.

What Will I See Here?

I post weekly updates that include progress reports on various projects, cover art reveals, new release announcements, a schedule of appearances and book-signings, the occasion essay on writing, and whatever random bits and pieces capture my attention.

Where Can You Find Me Online?

Official website

Weekly newsletter

Amazon author page

Facebook

Twitter

BookBub

Instagram

Goodreads

LinkedIn

Weekly Update – August 27, 2019

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire opens this weekend!

In addition to the main scenario, the great variety acts, the vendors, and the food and drink, remember to visit the author’s table to meet this weekend’s roster of local writers:

Saturday, August 31: Shawn Flynn (The Kitty)
Sunday, September 1: Mary Lawrence (The Bianca Goddard series)
Monday, September 2: Stephanie Robinson and Jessica Haight (the Fairday Morrow series)

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Issue Nine: Hell Hath No Fury: Book nine is fully plotted and draft one is about two-thirds of the way finished.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Sworded Affairs: First draft completed.

Well-Behaved Women – Transition: Audiobook in final processing!

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire – Saturday, October 5, Lebanon County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, CT: I’ll be there as part of the Local Authors Series. Here’s the full line-up:

Saturday, September 7: Billie Kowalewski (the Enlightened series)

Sunday, September 8: Sky Boivin (The Sisters Two Chronicles)

Saturday, September 14: Rachel Menard (Steel Hand, Cold Heart)

Sunday, September 15: Deborah Ann Davis (Fairly Certain)

Saturday, September 21: Liz Delton (The Starless Girl)

Sunday, September 22: Amber Beaulieu

Saturday, September 28: Allyssa Norton (Momma Buy Me a China Doll)

Sunday, September 29: Suzanne Cordatos (The Willard the Dragon series)

Saturday, October 5: Me!

Sunday, October 6: Kim Headlee (The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles)

Saturday, October 12: A.L. Davroe (The Tricksters series)

Sunday, October 13: E.A. Rappaport (The Legend of the Four Races series)

Monday, October 14: Jo Kearney (The Adventures of Amelia the Astronaut)

[image error]The New England Speculative Writers group has a new preview book for newsletter subscribers. Pick it up and read the opening chapters to Well-Behaved Women – Awakening and other stories.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any news from me, remember that I have a weekly newsletter that features some of the stuff you see posted here plus new, newsletter-exclusive material. Click this link to sign up.

Well-Behaved Women – A Series Overview

What’s it About?

Rose Booker remembers how she died. Both times.

Rose’s pursuit of the truth behind those memories leads her to discover that she was in a past life the legendary pirate queen Mary Read — and that she’s not the only infamous historical figure who has returned from the dead.

Who is this Series For?

Well-Behaved Women is an urban fantasy trilogy featuring a predominantly female cast. I wrote it for everyone looking for an action-packed adventure tale driven by complex heroic (and villainous, and somewhere in-between) LGBTQ women.

Is it Suitable for Young Readers?

No. The series contains violence, language, and sexual content that make it inappropriate for younger readers.

What are the Books in the Series?

[image error]Awakening: Nearly a year after being shot and left for dead, Sergeant Rose Booker returns to active duty with the Worcester Police Department, hoping to put the past behind her — except she’s not sure it’s her past that’s haunting her.

When hard-drinking hellraiser Julie d’Aubigny enters Rose’s life, she promises to reveal the truth behind Rose’s nightmares — or are they memories? — of her death at the end of a hangman’s noose.

But first Rose must stop the mysterious madman waging a bloody campaign of vengeance that threatens to turn the city’s streets red. All she has to do is uncover his identity — and his own dark secret.

[image error]Transition: The adventure continues as Rose and her friends deal with the aftermath of the events in Awakening and face off against a new, deadlier enemy hellbent on revenge.

 

[image error]Endtimes: Rose, Anna, and Julie face the fight of their lives in the conclusion of the Well-Behaved Women trilogy.

Where Can I Learn More?

Read can read sample chapters from Awakening, buy signed copies, connect with me through social media, and get regular updates at my website: innsmouthlook.com

Weekly Update – August 20, 2019

We’re heading into crunch time for the Connecticut Renaissance Faire this weekend. After that it’s opening weekend, and I expect my creative energy to dip a bit, which is typical during faire season. Working seven days a week for nearly two months gets exhausting. Fortunately, even if my writing time suffers, I’ll have a new audiobook project to keep my going. No complaints.

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Issue Nine: Hell Hath No Fury: I passed the halfway mark on book nine during a 12,000-word writing jag last week. Problem is, I’ve hit a rather critical plot twist earlier than anticipated. Where will this take me? Guess I’ll find out this week.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Sworded Affairs: First draft completed.

Well-Behaved Women – Transition: Audiobook in final processing.

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire – Saturday, October 5, Lebanon County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, CT: I’ll be there as part of the Local Authors Series. Here’s the full line-up:

Saturday, August 31: Shawn Flynn (The Kitty)

Sunday, September 1: Mary Lawrence (The Bianca Goddard series)

Monday, September 2: Stephanie Robinson and Jessica Haight (the Fairday Morrow series)

Saturday, September 7: Billie Kowalewski (the Enlightened series)

Sunday, September 8: Sky Boivin (The Sisters Two Chronicles)

Saturday, September 14: Rachel Menard (Steel Hand, Cold Heart)

Sunday, September 15: Deborah Ann Davis (Fairly Certain)

Saturday, September 21: Liz Delton (The Starless Girl)

Sunday, September 22: Amber Beaulieu

Saturday, September 28: Allyssa Norton (Momma Buy Me a China Doll)

Sunday, September 29: Suzanne Cordatos (The Willard the Dragon series)

Saturday, October 5: Me!

Sunday, October 6: Kim Headlee (The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles)

Saturday, October 12: A.L. Davroe (The Tricksters series)

Sunday, October 13: E.A. Rappaport (The Legend of the Four Races series)

Monday, October 14: Jo Kearney (The Adventures of Amelia the Astronaut)

[image error]The New England Speculative Writers group has a new preview book for newsletter subscribers. Pick it up and read the opening chapters to Well-Behaved Women – Awakening and other stories.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any news from me, remember that I have a weekly newsletter that features some of the stuff you see posted here plus new, newsletter-exclusive material. Click this link to sign up.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – A Series Overview

What’s it About?

Derek Strongarm and Felix Lightfoot are a pair of hard-luck adventurers for hire with an unfortunate knack for landing jobs that pay too little and threaten their lives too much. Erika Racewind is a hardened elven warrior who doesn’t like people, except maybe when she’s killing them. Winifred Graceword is a kindhearted elven priestess skilled in the healing arts. David is a young sorcerer on a path to discover who he really is – and whether that person has a last name, because going by just David is getting old fast.

Together these companions travel across the land of Asaches looking for adventure and the glory and riches that come with it. Mostly the riches, though, because you can’t buy food and beer with glory.

Who is this Series For?

Sword-and-sorcery fantasy fans looking for something a little lighter than most of the fare currently on the shelves. If you want heavy, dark, serious stories with lots of death, destruction, torture, rape, and political intrigue, go read something else because you won’t find it here.

What you will find is a fast-paced adventure filled with colorful characters, rip-roaring action, humor, and gentle jabs at the classic elements of fantasy fiction.

Which is not to say this series is a comedy or parody. There is still drama aplenty, but as a rule I don’t take things too seriously. You can read these books and not feel like you need a hug and a room full of puppies afterward.

Is it Suitable for Young Readers?

Not really. The series is a hard PG-13/light R for violence, language, and sexual content. It is suitable for older teens, but not for the YA crowd.

What are the Books in the Series?

[image error]Scratching a Lich: Derek and Felix find themselves entangled in an urgent quest to slay a legendary lich before he can trigger a world-ending apocalypse – as insane undead sorcerers are wont to do. Together with Erika Racewind, bodyguard for a mysterious young wizard named David, and Winifred Graceword, they head out to discover lost cities, recover long lost magical artifacts, and slay great evils in order to fulfill curiously specific prophecies – as mismatched, ragtag groups of adventurers are wont to do.

[image error]Assassins Brawl: The companions are hired to safeguard a spoiled brat of a princess targeted for death by the assassin Ruined Isys, but as is often the case, there’s more going on here than meets the eye. Now all they have to do is determine who is behind the plot before they get caught in the crossfire.

[image error]Blades of Glory: Derek, Felix, and company are up for a job that seems a little too simple for a payday that seems a little too generous – but unfortunately, so are the famed adventurers of fortune known as the Noble Blades. Which of them will be the first to find a stolen ceremonial mask that is absolutely positively completely normal and not at all some lost artifact possessed of dark power?

Sworded Affairs: The heroes take a job to dispose of a potentially dangerous magical artifact only to become snowbound in an isolated city besieged by flesh-hungry beasts — and under assault from within by a dark conspiracy.

How Long Will the Series Run?

Unknown, but tentatively ten books.

Where Can I Learn More?

Read can read sample chapters from Scratching a Lich, buy signed copies, connect with me through social media, and get regular updates at my website: innsmouthlook.com

Weekly Update – August 13, 2019

[image error] Cover design – Tricia Lupien. Cover model – Renee Sutherland. Cover photography – Lauren Dubois.

Well-Behaved Women – Endtimes is here!

The third and final book in the Well-Behaved Women trilogy is available now in print and for the Kindle, and I’ll have signed copies available at my Connecticut Renaissance Faire appearance in October.

AND! Work has begin on the audiobook version, with Heather Auden returning as narrator.

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Issue Nine: Hell Hath No Fury: About one-third of the way done on the first draft and it’s clipping along nicely.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Sworded Affairs: First draft completed.

Well-Behaved Women – Transition: Audiobook has been fully reviewed and prepped, now it’s time to play the waiting game while ACX processes the audio files.

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire – Saturday, October 5, Lebanon County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, CT: I’ll be there as part of the Local Authors Series. Here’s the full line-up:

Saturday, August 31: Shawn Flynn (The Kitty)

Sunday, September 1: Mary Lawrence (The Bianca Goddard series)

Monday, September 2: Stephanie Robinson and Jessica Haight (the Fairday Morrow series)

Saturday, September 7: Billie Kowalewski (the Enlightened series)

Sunday, September 8: Sky Boivin (The Sisters Two Chronicles)

Saturday, September 14: Rachel Menard (Steel Hand, Cold Heart)

Sunday, September 15: Deborah Ann Davis (Fairly Certain)

Saturday, September 21: Liz Delton (The Starless Girl)

Sunday, September 22: Amber Beaulieu

Saturday, September 28: Allyssa Norton (Momma Buy Me a China Doll)

Sunday, September 29: Suzanne Cordatos (The Willard the Dragon series)

Saturday, October 5: Me!

Sunday, October 6: Kim Headlee (The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles)

Saturday, October 12: A.L. Davroe (The Tricksters series)

Sunday, October 13: E.A. Rappaport (The Legend of the Four Races series)

Monday, October 14: Jo Kearney (The Adventures of Amelia the Astronaut)

[image error]The New England Speculative Writers group has a new preview book for newsletter subscribers. Pick it up and read the opening chapters to Well-Behaved Women – Awakening and other stories.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any news from me, remember that I have a weekly newsletter that features some of the stuff you see posted here plus new, newsletter-exclusive material. Click this link to sign up.

Weekly Update – August 6, 2019

[image error] Cover design – Tricia Lupien. Cover model – Renee Sutherland. Cover photography – Lauren Dubois.

The Kindle edition of Well-Behaved Women – Endtimes is one week away!

The third and final book in the Well-Behaved Women trilogy is available for pre-order for the Kindle on Amazon now and will be released on Tuesday, August 13. The print edition is available now, but if you can hold out until October, you can visit me at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire to buy a signed copy (more on that below).

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Issue Nine: Hell Hath No Fury: About one-third of the way done on the first draft.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Sworded Affairs: First draft completed.

Well-Behaved Women – Transition: Audiobook is in the recording process with my new narrator.

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire – Saturday, October 5, Lebanon County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, CT: I’ll be there as part of the Local Authors Series. Here’s the full line-up:

Saturday, August 31: Shawn Flynn (The Kitty)

Sunday, September 1: Mary Lawrence (The Bianca Goddard series)

Monday, September 2: Stephanie Robinson and Jessica Haight (the Fairday Morrow series)

Saturday, September 7: Billie Kowalewski (the Enlightened series)

Sunday, September 8: Sky Boivin (The Sisters Two Chronicles)

Saturday, September 14: Rachel Menard (Steel Hand, Cold Heart)

Sunday, September 15: Deborah Ann Davis (Fairly Certain)

Saturday, September 21: Liz Delton (The Starless Girl)

Sunday, September 22: Amber Beaulieu

Saturday, September 28: Allyssa Norton (Momma Buy Me a China Doll)

Sunday, September 29: Suzanne Cordatos (The Willard the Dragon series)

Saturday, October 5: Me!

Sunday, October 6: Kim Headlee (The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles)

Saturday, October 12: A.L. Davroe (The Tricksters series)

Sunday, October 13: E.A. Rappaport (The Legend of the Four Races series)

Monday, October 14: Jo Kearney (The Adventures of Amelia the Astronaut)

[image error]The New England Speculative Writers group has a new preview book for newsletter subscribers. Pick it up and read the opening chapters to Well-Behaved Women – Awakening and other stories.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any news from me, remember that I have a weekly newsletter that features some of the stuff you see posted here plus new, newsletter-exclusive material. Click this link to sign up.