MCM's Blog, page 39

Momentous Occasion

I won't even explain why this exact shot matters, but let me just say that FIFTEEN PROOFS LATER, we are finally ready to release. There will be a printing/shipping/signing/shipping delay, but at least the end is in sight! Yay! And FINALLY!

Broken Me

Midway through Thursday morning, I disappeared from the world for about 48 hours without any notice whatsoever.  I had stories to post, chapters to finish and edit, and lots of meetings to attend, but I did none of it.  What follows is my "dog ate my homework" post.

I have what is known as idiopathic anaphylaxis.  Anaphylaxis is a major allergic reaction, where (in my case) my body breaks out in hives, I swell up, I can't breathe, get unbearable chills, and I generally feel like crap...

Keys to the Kingdom 2.2

This is part 4 of Keys to the Kingdom, a new miniseries here at 1889 Labs.  Part 1 is here, if you need to get up to speed.  Every day will have two chapters, so be sure to subscribe (RSS , email ) to keep on top of it all!

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Louis Lepage bought a giant stack of shirts in 1996 and had them vacuum-sealed in sets of seven, because if there was one thing he knew, it was that good things don't last.  He only had five packs left, but they would probably last the rest of his life, because he wore each ...

Keys to the Kingdom 2.1

This is part 3 of Keys to the Kingdom, a new miniseries here at 1889 Labs.  Part 1 is here, if you need to get up to speed.  Every day will have two chapters, so be sure to subscribe (RSS , email ) to keep on top of it all!

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Peter's original "two hours" with Deirdre were well over by the time he was let into a quiet room at the Prime Minister's residence, watched by security who stood so perfectly still they looked like awkward statues.  A few seconds later, the far doors opened and the Prime...

Keys to the Kingdom 1.2

This is part 2 of Keys to the Kingdom, a new miniseries here at 1889 Labs.  Part 1 is here, if you need to get up to speed.  Every day will have three chapters, so be sure to subscribe (RSS , email ) to keep on top of it all!

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Peter had the cab loop around the block a second time before letting him out right at the base of the driveway.  He passed a fifty to the driver and sprinted up the walk, straight through the front door that opened as he approached.

"Pete, thanks for coming," said Tony, a p...

Keys to the Kingdom: Day 1, Part 1

The following is a new miniseries at 1889.ca. It's called Keys to the Kingdom, about a scandal in the Canadian government unleashed when the Minister for Industry is caught breaking the copyright law he helped put into place. His former Chief of Staff, Peter McCaffrey, comes out of retirement to try and stem the bleeding, but things quickly go from bad to worse. By the end of this week-long ride, allegiances will be broken, friendships will be ruined, and lives will be lost. Every day will...

The Dead Zone

The stout woman in the plaid jacket was not taking no for an answer, and it seemed as if her grandchildren were about to burst into tears.  Gunther put on his most apologetic face and tried to be delicate, but there was just no escaping reality:

"Ma'am," he said, and doubled up his efforts at reconciliation, "there really aren't any lion tamers."

The woman snorted, puffed out her chest.

"Nonsense!" she snapped. "This is a circus, is it not? All circuses have lion tamers!'

"No, ma'am," said...

Mirroring

Young and foolish, she did what she liked  Except for when they were very young, Marge and her sister almost never shared anything.  Sibling rivalry had nothing on them.  It was only a telegram, just a simple telegram, but it had more power than a thousand bombs.

Green dress, black shoes and a hair change or two later, she ended up on her sister's immaculately-maintained doorstep, trying to decide how to ring the doorbell.  Everything had to be right, had to be perfect and precise, or this...

Pattern Matching

His job was to keep it all together, and he had no idea how anymore.  He sat in the control room, hands laid across keyboards he couldn't think how to use, mouth ajar at the disaster unfolding before him.  Theodore had hit his wall.

"What's the panic?" asked Jake, sliding the door closed behind him and sitting in the backup's chair.  Theodore didn't take his eyes from the screens, just stayed there, breathing slowly.

"Look at it," he said softly.  "Just watch it."

"Watch what?" asked Jake...

E-Z Bake Book Reviews

Recently there's been much discussion about the pros and cons of indy publishing. One thing all writers agree on is the need for reviews, whether they're on personal blogs, Amazon, Smashwords, Web Fiction Guide, or elsewhere. Readers are drowning in titles. Reviews provide a filter for readers and a way for authors to stand out from the crowd.

Writing a review is a quick and inexpensive way to support your favorite author. Although "book review" sounds frighteningly similar to the book...