R.A. McCandless's Blog, page 4

Banana-Headed, Zucchini-Eating Dundersquat

"One of those brash, dashing constables out
of a penny-dreadful."BENEATH A FEARFUL MOON is moving forward.  Here’s a teaser for you on a “new” steampunk engine that I pulled together. Really enjoyed this process:
The big engines were a marvel of the modern age. Some timberjigs, like the Montferrands, walked like giants through the forest on saucer-shaped feet. Others, like the Dolbeers, used a set of treads similar to the motive trains to roll over the ground. The engines produced immense heat and...

Obligatory July Post - Covid-19

Welcome to . . . Idaho?
Snake River and Shoshone Falls just five minutes away
Note: We’ve fled from the urban and suburban sprawl of Southern California to the very rural and eerily ambivalent state of Idaho and my wife’s family farm. We’re not hiding out from Covid-19, but we’re hiding out from Covid-19. Mostly, this lets our boys have playmates more their age, and breaks up the monotony of summer quarantine. I miss my desk and my truck, but all things considered, with my condition and compromise...

Obligatory June Post - Prologues

I understand you need a pro logger?
I don't mind prologues.
There, I said it.
Around the world, publishers, editors, and agents are suddenly crying out in fear, and they don’t even know why.
But it’s true. I don’t have a problem with them at all. I grew up reading them. I honestly thought they were a necessary part of every fantasy book series. It just seemed like a thing that was done.
Some author acquaintances have said that if they see the word they skip to the first chapter. That seems disingenuo...

2019 and 2020 Quarterly Numbers and a Giveaway!

We got some amazing numbers back from Clayborn Press for the Flames of Perdition series (Del books) for 4thQuarter 2019 and 1st Quarter 2020. This includes the promotion that we ran at the end of last year, which saw an incredible jump in downloads:

Promo Ebook Paperback 4th Quarter 2019 621 12 3 1st Quarter 2020 NA 6 21
Obviously, I made nothing from the free promo, but that was never the short-term point. Hitting a bunch of top ten lists was very nice, and certainly gave the...

2020 Independent Publisher Book Awards - IPPY

Totally related image, I assure you!
Trying times, to be certain. We now hang our masks up with our keys so that both are ready to go when were heading outside. Most everyone is conscious, and some are even crazy-aware, of social distancing. Last night, on a walk with the family, I watched a lady a good hundred yards from us, stop and wait until wed passed by before she continued her own walk.
Of course, we often see people walkingon the other side of the streetwith no face masks. So far,...

Blood Sucking for the Win!

Coronavirus Modified Vehicle
It was surreal today.
Due to my recent illness, my doctor ordered some blood tests for me. Not Covid, just my usual.
With my reduced immune-system, I was leery at best of going to the epicenter sick people. But rather go and get checked out, than end up in the hospital anyhow for something that could have been prevented.
I put on my lovely, handmade mask, and drove down. It was nice enough on the freeway for SoCal. Practically dead for what would normally be rush...

Writing in the Time of Coronavirus

That's my desk and my Monster.
Hands OFF the Monster!
Slacking is what my marketing guru jokingly called me today as we were discussing my next newsletter. She wasnt wrong. Ive had a ton of stuff that I needed to do and simply havent done it. The novelty of working from home hasnt quite worn off yet.
Im extremely thankful that my job is one that: A) allows me to work from home; and B) allows me to work fulltime. Im deeply concerned about all the friends, family, and acquaintances who have...

Dickens Fest Success

Poe and Twain preparing to toast . . . Queen Victoria . . .
or maybe each other . . . or maybe just have a drink!
It was a fantastic weekend at the Riverside Dickens Festival. This was the first time that I sat a vendor booth at a festival, and it really couldn’t have gone better. Well, it could have gone better, but given how everything played out, it went much better than it had any right to.
The first shout-out has to go to the Dickens Festival itself. They were very kind allowing me to join...

Book Angel Review

I remember this book!
Oh, nice! TEARS OF HEAVENreceived a sweet little review from BookAngel:
This is an excellent take on this kind of story of Angels and Demons and their effect on the world. As the lead, Del is an interesting character and the twin threads of past and present helping to provide some insight in who she is and as a result comes across as far more nuanced than several others I have seen in the genre.
Read the Rest Here!

Time Out for Race

I'm told her lipstick is to die for!
Race, in the United States, is tricky.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is probably selling something.
As a reasonably affluent, white, male author writing female characters and characters of color there are always potential pitfalls and landmines. That’s not ALL I write, but I certainly write those things. Me being who I am, and my characters being who I write, certainly opens the door to criticism whether deserved or not. About a year ago, I was informed (well...