David T. List's Blog, page 3

December 2023 News

When I first drafted this, it opened with a rant about Thanksgiving and my breakdown of each of the USA-beloved dishes. I called them all mediocre at best, which is true. Ham and turkey especially. Deli meat, both of ‘em.
The post was salty, alienating, and I found it funny. But I scrapped it to say something earnest. Brace yourself.

This is known as a wonderful time of year. The jolliest. For a lot of people it is. For some it’s not. It’s dark and cold and feels like something’s missing, or even a great many things. For some it takes effort to wear a smile and dry eyes while working or decorating or eating or just existing in December. Everything reminds them of what’s gone. For them, festivities are the opposite of festive.

I don’t have a point other than to say please check up on people. Ask folks how they’re doing. If they’ve experienced the death of a loved one since this time last year, the holiday season won’t be the same. It might be a long time before it’s the same. It may never be. That’s okay.

Anyway here’s me fisting a decapitated animal.

nsfw

Way to darken the mood, grinch. Why so serious?

Because I focused all my holiday cheer in VIOLENCE & VIGILANCE, a fantasy romp in a fun and exciting world where everyone gets along and holds hands and sings and never stabs each other or cuts each others’ heads off. You should get yourself a copy. I hear it pairs nicely with Sinatra.

Writing

Speaking of V&V, the ebook will be on sale from 6 December 6th 2023 through 12 December 12th 2023. 80% off! Marked down from $5 to $1. Can your eyes believe that?

Click this. Or tap it.
Bookmark it.
Eat it.

We’re progressing on the audiobook. I’d say it’s a third finished; or roughly 10 hours. Jonathan Waters embarked on quite the quest with this book and he’s proving up to the task. You’ll see.

I want to put together a companion to the book that helps you keep up with the names and factions. Maybe a bookmark or a webpage. V&V gets crowded fast, and constantly hopping perspective doesn’t help cohesion.

Sold some signed copies of the paperback this month.

Judging by these pics you’d think alcohol consumption was a prerequisite to buying/selling my book. It helps.
Thanks: Will, Clay, Prana, Daniel, (Rusty!), and all not pictured

Elsewhere, one of V&V’s editors Lee Burton, who is also a reader and a writer, mentioned V&V on a recent newsletter. He took off his editor cap for this one and gave his impression, including a bit of a synopsis. As you might have guessed since I mentioned it at all, it is quite flattering. And I cannot let flattery go to waste.

“Through Kale and Irdessa the Undying, David List explores the wonderful world he's devised with captivating precision. The characters speak through their actions and their struggle, caught up in events larger than themselves as the world itself heaves toward what feels like an inevitable clash. A spirit of impending doom looms over both countries, and we're ever in question if Kale and Irdessa are really at the helms of their own fate, or if they're merely pawns put in place by powers set to collide eons ago.”

I want you to read it. It does a far better job than I do at concisely explaining V&V’s plot and stakes.

Lee's Newsly Letter (featuring yours truly)

Praise like this, from long-time professionals in the field, really tickles my giblets. If it does yours too, and you appreciate Lee, check out his books on Amazon.

The Last Speaker - Amazon link The Third People - Amazon link Four Beardsmen of the Bookpocalypse

This is a live video podcast I’m embarking on with three other fellows who are each bearded and into books.

Matt Sorenson, David T List
Tom Bookbeard, DB Rooks

I’ve been working on my video space so that when we get at it I don’t look or sound like a total amateur. If only acting like a total amateur was preventable.

I mentioned the FBotB in passing last month and am happy to report that unless hell erupts onto earth and devours us all our first episode launches at 4pm EST (9pm GMT) on the 9th of December, on Matt’s YouTube channel: Beard of Darkness Book Reviews.
Go ahead and follow his channel so you don’t miss it!

Beard of Darkness Book Reviews Lake Hartwell Kayak

I’m going to annoy you and report that we had a record November. That’s not saying a lot though. November has never been our busiest month. I suppose it’s around our 9th busiest month.

We’re in Lake Hartwell’s dry season. There’s more beach than usual, and it’s often muddy.
That’s my boss, doing work while I take pictures.

Our store is live! Remember me telling you I’m working on this? Well she’s here at last, however scarcely populated.

LHKRAD Store!

At the moment there are only hats in there. But shirts are in the works with a local printer. More to come.

Wife didn’t know I was posting this picture.
Don’t tell her.

As I figure out how to sell online for LHK, maybe I can do the same for signed books.

Finally, LHKRAD was featured in the latest “Lake Living” magazine, which goes out to some forty-thousand people if I recall correctly (I don’t). I put together another little photo compilation for your viewing pleasure and now this news post features way more of my face than I’d prefer.

The Kingdom of Zeal

I want to retire the paludarium and return the surviving fauna to the lake. Zeal may be no mas this time next month. She’s 13 months old. A lot of animals visited and left, in one way or another. But her time has come. The design can improve.
Here are some of recent pics:

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Next Month

That’ll be the year 2024, won’t it? I guess I’ll do a best of / what was accomplished in 2023.

See you then

Merry Festivus

dtl

November 2023 News

Happy November. If this news update has a theme it's Online Store, because between now and next month, that is my priority. 

"I see you failed to prioritize fixing this butt-ugly blog."

Your eyes are working. That's terrific. We should celebrate. I'll get started on party favors.

Writing

V&V's audiobook is underway, and we're in so deep I don't mind spilling some beans. I'm working with Jonathan Waters (click to see his site), and he's doing a tremendous job. Not just tremendous as in large characte...

October 2023 News

David why does it look so different around here? It used to look like this:

Yeah. I made some changes that I couldn't unmake.  

I don't like it.

Frankly, me neither so expect it to change forthwith.

WritingV&V: book 1

V&V seems to be doing swimmingly. I don't have much basis for comparison other than ASH, released a lifetime ago. ASH has more ratings and reviews but V&V has significantly more sales. It's almost like I'm famouser but wrote a sh!ttier book.

that's right. #1. Geoff Bezos called me person...

September 2023 News

Merry Christmas! That's what some people will say in several months. Not today obviously. That would be ridiculous and confusing. 

Then why'd you say it? You love Christmas or something?

Not especially. I just struggle with opening these news posts sometimes and give randomness a vote.

Writing

August 4th I published Violence & Vigilance, a gritty epic fantasy featuring Irdessa the Undying - daughter of the strategist Andelsior of Vim, partner of Torvald the Tactician, slayer of beasts and bastards a...

August 2023 News

Happy August. 

Last month I told ya I hoped to transform a Word document into a digital book, and a physical book. I'm happy to report IT IS DONE!

Writing

V&V launches in thee days. 

look at that beaut

ARC readers will be called!

Promotions will be launched! (you've probably already seen one)

Copies will be shipped to the elite! 

I will demand that you buy it or I'll unfriend you in real life with violence. (that just means I'll smash that unfriend button really hard)

I pulled a bicep taking this pic

I am...

An interview with Kraus the Thirsty Bandit, from V&V

Hi fam. VIOLENCE & VIGILANCE is available for preorder in Ebook at this moment. Physical versions are on the way. 

DB Rook, fellow author and blogger, has invited one of V&V's characters for an interview. I decided it should be none other than Irdessa the Undying, a crowd favorite at the world famous battle arena Keswal. 

Please go check out Irdessa's interview on DB Rook's site. Here's a link:

https://dbrookbooks.com/ripped-from-the-page-david-t-list/

While you're there check out the other characte...

July 2023 News

Happy July, aka hell month. Here comes a quick one. 

Writing

Please allow me to reveal the cover art for VIOLENCE & VIGILANCE, book 1 of Turesia Untamed, the story I've been working on for over ten years. 

Illustration by Felix Ortiz
Typography by Shawn T King

Pictured are:

Irdessa the Undying, with her twin javelins "flangeddown their length to facilitate the liberation of blood."

Kraus the Carcass, with a battle axe he'll use to brain an orcane in Chapter 1.

Captain Jeret of His Might's Domestic Patr...

June 2023 News

Last month's goals were as follows, with goal bolded and results below:

- Store is online with LHKRAD merch (and LRK merch? And Silexare merch??)
Was I smoking crack? NONE of this moved one iota.
Not to make excuses, but establishing an online store was not as important as everything that did consume my time, including launching Lake Russell Kayak, working through some ARCery and proofing the book, and being a groomsman at my very special sweet boy Rustle Julien Addams' wedding. Pretty sure none o...

May 2023 News

Hi. May we begin? 

I broke my toe April 1st. Ask me if it still hurts. 

Does it still hurt?

Yes.

Are you supposed to italicize the question mark?

For f's sake I have no idea, despite Lee Burton's efforts to educate me. Probably not. 

Writing

Last month I was wrapping up copy edits and I mentioned getting the book out to ARC readers. That's all done and as of now there are about 30 ARCs being read. I might boost that number with a service like BookFunnel or BookSprout. Because why not? The more reviews ...

April 2023 News

Happy April! I've got no April fool's nonsense for this post. Already got that out of my system.

We had some funs in March.

Wife and I saw Steel Panther!
That's a bucket lister for me...
 which is good because I don't think sweet wife wants to see them again. 😃 
Went to the Georgia Aquarium with all the chirren and then some.
I took a ton of pics, but this is my favorite.
We went to a ... drive-in laser show?
Wifel and her friend organized this. All I did was drive.
It was awesome. If we do it again, I'm...