Nash Summers's Blog, page 3

Vices Cover Reveal

 
Hi guys! This is my fabulous new cover for my new cyberpunk m/m romance titled Vices, created by the very talented Ginny Glass. I think the cover is great, and really encompasses what Vices is all about, from the gritty feel, to the neon lights.Vices will be released on August 19th/2014.

Cyberpunk vs Steampunk

Everywhere I turn lately, I feel like I'm encountering steampunk books. With the rise in steampunk popularity with their gears and their clocks and their steam, I've decided to write a little post about the major differences between cyberpunk and steampunk.

My upcoming novel Vices is very cyberpunk, complete with the neon, laser machetes and nano-bots that can destroy your brain from the inside out. In the meantime, I'm hoping to shed a little light on the lesser-known genre that I love so much.


You have have heard these two terms thrown around and thought that they're pretty similar in style, both being punk and all, when in fact they're too very different ideas or concepts of futuristic society.

Cyberpunk is the concept of a society revolving heavily around technology. It's not just in the everyday household items, it's even in the people. Known for its abundance of technology and cybernetics, you could say that it gets its name from the idea of total and complete technological control.
I know what you're thinking-- The Matrix, right? Well, that's actually spot on. For another, likely better visual, relate to Blade Runner, which is a perfect visual representation of cyberpunk.
Cyberpunk often uses the popular man vs. society theme in many books, movies, role-playing, etc., and since the world in which cyberpunk thrives always has evil mega-corporations, there are plenty of opportunities for our gritty heroes and heroines to fight the system. This genre is heavily based on government corruption, usually because of the technological advances that the society before it have made.
In cyberpunk, we rely heavily on cybernetics, artificial intelligence, cyborgs, prosthetics, extreme body-modification, heavy artillery, and neon everything.
Yes, never forget, every day is like an evening in downtown Tokyo with neon signs shining, talking billboards, and more advertising than you ever thought possible.


Steampunk is an entirely difference concept of futuristic society. Based heavily on 19th century British Victorian dress and style, but also mixed with automation. People can often be seen in Victorian-style dresses, bodices, goggles, suits, vests, and of course, the trademark steampunk pocket watch. People use gears and clocks as part of their dress.
Steam power has become mainstream again and plays a giant role in day-to-day life.
To shamelessly quote wiki: Steampunk perhaps most recognisably features anachronistic technologies or retro-futuristic inventions as people in the 19th century might have envisioned them, and is likewise rooted in the era's perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, and art. 
If you play videogames, Bioshock Infinite is a perfect visual representation of steampunk.
Steampunk atmospheres heavily rely on the relationship between form and function, which basically means that something has to look as equally beautiful as it is effective. A wrench is not simply just a wrench, it must also be a work of art.


 So, ladies and gentlemen, pick your poison.

Vices - August Release & WIPs

I'm very excited to say that my dark and gritty Cyberpunk romance has found its new home at Loose Id and will, hopefully, be coming out this August.

The novel is titled Vices and will be part one of two in my Cold Hard Truths series. While I don't have any other books set in this universe planned quite yet, there's always a possibility that I'll have a hard time letting this one go without a fight.

Vices will be very different from any other story I've written thus far. It's a dark piece of Cyberpunk action. There will be heroes who get off on hurting each other, cyborg prostitutes, sniper rifles, laser machetes, nano-bots, drug abuse, betrayal, conspiracy theories, gun play, and of course, romance.

As for other WIPs, there are at least a dozen. Not really, but I can't seem to focus on any one project.
I'm working on a more adult contemporary novel which has eaten up about 20k words, and a shorter story that I'm not sure will ever see the light of day.

That being said, I need to find myself some time to read some of the wonderful LL event stories I've been hearing about over at GR. In fact, I'm going to go do that right this moment (hopefully).

- Nash

On The Horizon, Carte Blanche

With the release date of all the Love's Landscapes stories soon upon us, I thought I'd take the time to write a quick blog post my story this year.

Carte Blanche is a short story, around 20k, that I wrote based on a wonderful prompt that was posted as part of this year's M/M Romance Group's Love's Landscapes event. This will be my first year participating, and hopefully not the last.

I was lucky enough to snag a wonderful prompt and picture early in the event. A link to the prompt and picture can be found here.
Amanda wrote a fantastic prompt that instantly gave me a clear idea of the exact story I would be writing. She also gave the lucky writer a lot of liberal freedom with this prompt, which I was particularly grateful for.

I've also created a Pinterest board for this short story. The Pinterest board can be found here.

Working with the MMRG team was a great experience all on its own. I was fortunate enough to have the magnificent Raevyn as my editor, and countless feedback and help from the beta readers and proof reading team. I'm sure all the authors for this event have nothing but gratitude for their team.

I'd also like to give a thanks to my wonderful beta readers and friends. I couldn't get through any of this without their feedback and support.

Participating in this event and interacting with the community has been nothing short of wonderful, and I'm already looking forward to reading many of the Love's Landscapes stories!

- Nash

Who Is A Hero Without A Sidekick?

This post is basically a giant, heart-filled shout out to my friends who double-up as supporters. Without all of their kind comments, support, encouragement, listening to me bitch and moan, helping me hash out details, and reading my stories as if I'm an all-star, I don't know where I'd be today.
I wouldn't feel like half the writer I am without their love and support.

Is writing even enjoyable without having your friends reading all about the made-up lovers you'd put into words? For some people, maybe, but not for me. I love knowing that I can write about people falling in love, and my friends will read that story and fall in love with those characters that same way I have.

Thank you to my beta readers for the MMRG LL's story and all of your help and thorough reasoning. Thank you to my Goodreads friends for being the first people I usually want to share good news with. Thanks to my friends for reminding me that I have stories that are coming out soon, even when I forget.

So, thanks guys. I wake up each morning feeling very lucky in love.

Cover Art Reveal for Outshine the Stars

Hey everyone,

I was sent the cover today for my upcoming YA short story, Outshine the Stars. It's coming out next month with Queerteen Press and I'm very excited for the cover and the story to be released!
Here's the awesome new cover and I hope you like it as much as I do.

- Nash

Torqued Tales Cover Art

Here's the cover art for the Torqued Tales anthology! I love it very much even though I'm usually quite picky. :) I think it's been out for a while but I haven't noticed. Oops! I really need to start paying more attention to things.

This anthology has a release date for April, so watch for that! :)

Goodread's M/M Romance Group's Love's Landscapes

The M/M Romance group has a yearly writing event where readers and authors submit prompts with a picture and a "Dear author" letter into the mod's for the group, and the mod's post them in intervals for authors to snag!
It's great fun (so far, seeing as this is my first year participating) and it's great exposure for new authors.
I myself was lucky enough to snag a great prompt and picture that I have my complete outline written for already. I'm very excited to start working on this project and get all my ideas down in writing.
Authors have approximately 2 months to complete the story and can be any length they chose, already the mod's have stated that most in previous years have been around 17k.

You can check out the prompt that I've selected here:  https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Wish me luck!

- Nash

Valentines Happiness

Happy Valentines Day, everyone! I hope that you have fun plans with loved ones, or alone, because there's nothing wrong with being alone. In fact, I prefer to be alone in general. I'm not exactly a hermit, but I have been known to enjoy nights in by myself, watching movie, surfing Goodreads, or reading a good book.

So if your only date tonight is with yourself, especially if you plan on having a good book present, treat yourself as well as we'd treat a loved one, because it's good to love and treat yourself.

And always remember to play safe!

Houston, We've Made Contract

Hurray!

I'm excited to say that two of my short stories have been given contracts, all within the past couple of weeks.

One short story I submitted for an anthology over at Torquere Press called Torqued Tales. My submission is called A Different Dance so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

The other is at Queerteen Press, and that short story is called Outshine the Stars. This is a cute, sweet, young adult romance (lgbt obviously) that is right around the 10k mark.

I'm so excited that two great publishers have decided to pick up my short stories. I'm very excited to be working with both teams and really look forward to the editing and, of course, releasing process.

If you'd like to check out either of these publishers, please do so at the links listed below:

http://www.torquerepress.com/

http://www.queerteen-press.com/