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My name is James Daniel Ross, and if you’re here then it is likely that you know me, you’ve seen some one of the bookmarks floating around, or you have stumbled in by random chance. In any case: welcome. The Radiation Angels began as five homeless chapters written in 1987, and grew into a science fiction novel, my first novel. God, it feels good to say that: my first novel. It’s the culmination of a dream, and hopefully the beginning of a long career. I took a great deal of time to put the story together and I’ve spent a great deal of money to get the word out. In the upcoming months, I’m looking at attending many conventions, attending signings, and even writing some short stories for various science fiction magazines in order to garner attention. And somewhere in between all of this, I have to find time to write a sequel and, oh yeah, get married. Despite all of this, I have found my dream, and I’m doing my best to manufacture as much luck as possible to help The Radiation Angels become a success. At least I haven’t had to do it alone. I’ve had dozens of great supporters at work, from my old gigs writing in the roleplaying industry, from family, and from friends. Would you scoff to know my brother in law, Russell, designed the unit patch in the corner, that he’s doing the cover? You might think it a little funny that my mom is embroidering The Radiation Angels unit patch onto T-shirts for me to wear to conventions. Yeah, this whole thing is a little ‘shoestring’, a little ‘seat of your pants’, just a bit ‘make do’. I suppose that would make some guys a little self-conscious. Not me. It makes me proud. I’ve called in favors from many friends and family to provide help completion and promotion of the story and they have given generously and freely. They believe in me. To the (right/left?) you will find links to some old bits of work I have done from Promised Sands and The Children of the Sun. You will also find the section for the Radiation Angels, which has the first chapter ready for download and viewing. Go ahead, go read. Afterwards maybe you’ll believe in me, too. In any case: welcome, read, explore. -JDR |
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Update #2
In any case, that’s enough business. I figured it was time that I let you in on a little bit of me. <a href="http://merctea.com/nerdtest.html" target="_blank">50% of me is a huge nerd! How about you?</a> Yes, I’m at least half nerd, and I’m slowly working toward 75%. I don’t think I’ll ever get higher since my math skills are largely underdeveloped. I do use the internet on a daily basis, however, and I come across things just too good to be true. I mean, I am constantly doing research for work, like finding out how MIT researchers close in on bionic speed, or figuring out which publishers are… less reputable (http://www.sfwa.org/beware/), or just finding one’s place in the great scheme of things (geekchartbig.gif (GIF Image, 1000x581 pixels)). I’ll tell you more as time goes on, at least I will if I stay sane long enough to get published. Update #4 There is just so much out there. How come everyone else finds it before I do? Update #5 Well, folks, it February, and if you’ve been looking you’ve probably noticed that RA:TCG is not on the shelves. Well, thereby hangs a tale… Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, the publisher has delayed the release of the novel for two more months. I have asked around, and found out that this is not unusual in the least, and I’m just hanging onto my sanity in any way possible while the time simply creeps by. I’m trying to open up new avenues for people to feel a part of The Angels and so The Radiation Angels PX is now open! You can find it at http://www.cafepress.com/Radiationangels. Update #6 3.31.06 The Radiation Angels: Chimerium Gambit by James Daniel Ross Review Rating: 4.5 stars Genre: Military Science fiction Content Rating: R for graphic violence and language Mundania Press LLC Okay, those of you that have been reading my reviews know that I don't usually rave about any of the books I've read. Well here's an exception. Radiation Angels: Chimerium Gambit grabbed my attention and held it with both power gauntleted hands. From the opening sentence right to the powerful end, I was wowed by this book. It opens with a group of soldiers for hire and their impending assault on the fortress of the planetary president. From there it turns into a wild running battle complete with enough gunfights to keep even the most jaded military SF reader turning the pages. Rich with vivid description of the battles, the book is an intense read that caught and held me hostage until I reached the end. The inclusion of an extensive glossary of terms used in the book makes Radiation Angels: Chimerium Gambit accessible to someone new to the military SF genre without unduly slowing down the action for those familiar with such terms.
If you are a fan of the military SF genre, this is a not to be missed book. (Unlike another military SF book reviewed here on this site, this one is well worth the cover price.) Oh, and the real kicker? Radiation Angels: Chimerium Gambit is told in first person point of view, which I normally don't care for, so Mr. Ross has scored with a real winner and made a fan despite my well known dislike of first person stories. I thank Miss Woodrum for all the kind words, and I hope everyone can read TRA:TCG themselves soon. Fingers crossed! Update #7 5.20.06 Bear with me, this may go on a while. I guess I write a lot about heroes with guns blazing and cannons firing. It hit me in the face that sometimes people have to be reminded of the quieter heroes that live amongst us every single day. I did. I also think everyone should be reminded that not every story has a happy ending. That’s why we have to cherish those that do. CNN.com - Five killed in Kentucky coal mine blast - May 20, 2006 Update #8 06.08.06 Doug and the Immediate Release Thankfully, this update I have happier news to report! I just finished typing up:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Radiation Angels: The Chimerium Gambit, a science fiction novel by newcomer James Daniel Ross, has been released for sale in eBook form on the Mundania Press website (http://www.Mundania.com).
The rest of the press releases contains information otherwise available on this website, so I won’t repeat it here. Suffice it to say that it’s official: The countdown has begun. The process goes like this: The book is done. By that I mean it has been edited, reedited, proofread, spun, dried, folded, and lightly scented. Because it is finished (let me say that a few more times to relish the sound), it can be published electronically, that is, over at the website at Mundania you can download a copy for a fee. Now: This same file has been sent to the printers, and they are chugging through it as we speak. In 2-3 weeks the first printing will be done, and the book will magically appear (due to the diligence of the publishing fairy, I am sure) in the book catalogs (Ingram and Fictionwise) where it can be ordered by you through any major bookseller. I think in ‘hipper’ (that being: more hip than myself) industries this announcement is called ‘building buzz’ or perhaps a ‘prerelease’. Here in Cincinnati, we just call it: I have to tell someone the wait is almost over before my brain begins to emulate fission. What does this mean to you? Well, it means that if you show up at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks, or any of the thousand fantastic mom and pop shops across the USA, and give them this information:
ISBN 1-59426-210-1 (<Also an important bit.) Available through Ingram or Fictionwise(<The ‘if-you-want-to-sound-in-the-know’ bit.)
- You, too, can order the best novel I have personally ever written… in about two and a half weeks. If you ask for it before then expect lots of blank looks from the staff, who will be sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that you copied a number of the ISBN wrong. In other news, a friend of mine contacted me and said she was producing a book of science fiction short stories. She read a copy of TRA:TCG and liked it, and so she asked me for a piece. I may have artsy-fartsied myself into a corner with my submission, but we’ll see. Also, sometime in the future, there should be a short story up on the Mundania website detailing Todd Rook on his very first mission. Well, I’m rambling… and this was supposed to be the end of the update (I swear it was), but I got an email last night/this morning.
Now, I’d like to point out that Doug is in this update, being the update where I told everyone the book was coming out. This means that he found out that TRA:TCG was being released by checking the Mundania Press website, which means he cared enough to look, then to order, then to drop me a line of encouragement and support before I even got a chance to announce it to you fine people. That’s impressive enough, but he’s also been a fan for many years, and has even weathered the last 4-5 where I have released nothing for public consumption. There’s a lot of time where this job is harder than anyone would imagine. You pound on yourself to be better, to wait longer, to write thousands of words a day no matter what, to not get too excited or too hopeful because there are so many good writers – writers who cast a shadow of talent in which I could not shine if I glowed like the sun itself – that never get the respect or attention they deserve. You work a day job to get money to pour into the book, so that you have bookmarks, postcards, advanced copies, ads, and rooms at conventions: All in the hopes that someone will notice and read. Little voices, like imps crawl into my ears and whisper needle-skinned doubts. They ask if these giants fall by the wayside like ships in a pirate graveyard, what chance do I have? I have to take it slow, I have to take it steady. I have to force myself to keep walking on one hand, and to not run on the other. And then, someone like Doug comes out of the woodwork and tells me that I can. Doug will get the personal reply he deserves as a fan, more loyal than perhaps I deserve, but I hope he will forgive me if I hold him up as an icon for just a moment. Statistics say we’re not going to get rich doing this. Personally I hope to be able to afford a house, and to send my kids to college in a decade or so. That’s really it. But to know that I can touch someone, to comfort someone, to inspire someone… to make them feel a little better, or help them through a bad time, to introduce them to new ideas or familiar characters…. That makes it all worthwhile. Thanks, Doug.
I can. And I will.
. Update 9
Update 10 08.01.06 ‘Plan C: Work Harder’, in progress
Alright, I’m doing my part, I swear. I haven’t updated this site in almost a month, but I have an excuse. Actually, I have dozens, but only a few will interest you folks at all. Firstly, I have been trying to get TRA accepted into bookstores. This requires going through a long process of contacting stores, creating marketing packets, printing out packets, and getting them into the hands of store managers. To that end, I am placing the marketing packet in the downloads section so that if you work or own one of the thousands of bookstores I have not reached (yet) you can simply download, print and read my pitch. Next, I have been working on the sequel, and within the next thirty days I hope to have it submitted. At that time I’ll put up the first chapter for everyone’s enjoyment.
And I gave an interview that is new available! Lynne runs a scifi podcast and asked me to do a short 2 minute spot for her listeners. Go there, sign up for the contest to win a signed copy of TRA:TCG! http://lynne.libsyn.com/
This got me to thinking that I haven’t been spreading around my (hopelessly out of date) links! For those of you who are new, they usually have an inane question, with a link to an answer of some sort. Observe: Have you ever wanted an invisibity cloak? Of course if you were ever really bored (and a nerd) you might wonder what D&D character you are? Can you pass 8th grade science?
Do you remember Lemmings?
And, thanks to the generosity of a close friend, I am now running around Paragon City and defeating evildoers as the lovable rascal Jim Benendanti! You can tell I’m near by my heroic battle cry: ‘Hey Ugly! Eat Boot!’ So, if you see me (Triumph server) say ‘hi’. Also, I’m looking for a super group full of super-groovy heroes who will keep my hair manageable and won’t leave me left wanting like so many others.
And, again, if you just stopped by and want to buy a copy with the fewest number of clicks, you can buy the book right now by clicking on the button below.
Well, guys, so far, so good. I’ll keep you posted. _____________________________________________________ Update #11 09.13.06 Plan C can definitely be overdone… Once again a month has gone by, and my weekly updates have been MIA. Would it help to say that I’ve been keeping a promise? My past has been coming back in many ways, large and small. A few months ago, a friend of mine sent me some old files from an aborted project from Misguided Games (www.misguidedgames.com). I volunteered to go over them and re-edit the work… a project that has fallen by the wayside. Well, a month ago a fan of mine asked me to finish my edits so that this old work could see the light of day. Today I kept my promise. The files for Northlands have been edited and sent back to the rules-guy for additions and expansions. A week ago a friend of mine dug up some stuff I had written almost a decade ago for a web-zine called Ouro’s Forge. The game the original posts were written for has entered a new version. He has taken it upon himself to update the statistics and clean up the (admittedly atrocious) grammar and spelling. I got a warm feeling when it was announced on the gaming website and there were a few that remembered me, and remembered the posts fondly. It gives me a great hope for my current and future work. (http://forum.blackindustries.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7879&SearchTerms=ouro,forge)
I also went poking around and found a seal generator (http://www.says-it.com/seal/index.php) on www.nodwick.com. I played around a bit, and was able to create these. It also made me curious where in the heck the ‘radiation furnace’ (suspiciously missing from the choices available) symbol (actually called a trefoil) comes from. As everyone knows, if you click enough… you can find anything on ‘teh internets’. (http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q1550.html) But that got me interested in other do-it-yourelf graphic sites. I found an error message generator that is nothing but cool distilled into electrons! (http://atom.smasher.org/error/)
I was also more than a little freaked out when something I had envisioned for a Shadowrun game session - light emitting textiles – has become a reality. (http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3457) So there you have it: Buy scifi books or technology will stagnate! Now I’m all about the sequel and finishing the last few thousand words. Shill of the week: Buy the book here. Enter the code Ross10 to get 10% off!
<a href="http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=MundaniaPress&product=Radiation+Angels:+The+Chimerium+Gambit--James+Daniel+Ross" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mundania.com/buythisbook.jpg" alt="Purchase RADIATION ANGELS: THE CHIMERIUM GAMBIT" width="251" height="50" border="0"></a>
Update 12 10.17.2006 Working in a vacuum. They Say You need three things: Honor, integrity, & Courage
...every other week. Welcome to the world of the Radiation Angels. Released in June 2006, it captured the Mundania best seller award during its very first month. Come visit B. Dalton Bookseller and meet the author: James Daniel Ross. Bring in your copy for signing, or pick one up at the event! B. Dalton Bookseller The Radiation Angels: the Chimerium Gambit $11.00 James Daniel Ross Science Fiction Paperback Mundania Press ISBN 1-59426-210-1 WWW.RadiationAngels.com Join the Fight
Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, I continue to charge forward, heedless of torpedoes, bullets, or random fruit carts in my way. I’ve been storming ahead on the sequel and arranging my first book signing! Yes, if you live on planet earth you can show up at B Dalton and get your copy signed! I’m very excited, though I have been warned far in advance not to let my expectations swell up to epic proportions it hasn’t worked. I’ve always loved hanging out with roleplayers, science fiction fans, and recreationists, and some of my best friends I’ve met at the few conventions I’ve been able to attend. I’m really looking forward to meeting people and hearing what they think of TRA:TCG. And I am beginning to believe that I put links in this blog only because it is expected of me. I mean do I really believe that people care about weird worlds out there in the universe? Do I think that anyone out there really cares that I took the time to look into what kind of reactor sits in the belly of Deadly Heaven? Or how other science fiction authors have altered not just fiction, but science itself with their work? Maybe, maybe not. In any case, if nothing else, I found the perfect color of blue for a Radiation Angels unit patch tattoo. I’m mulling it over. Really. In any case: come and see me. Failing that, drop me a line: RadiationAngels@aol.com Stay safe out there. And, if you can ONLY find it on the internet, and the cost of shipping is really putting you off, I’ll help how I can. Below, I installed a button that goes directly to the Mundania.com store. The Accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express. Where it asks for a coupon code, enter: Ross10 Update 13 12.13.06 My thirteenth update on the thirteenth day. All is guaranteed to go well. Well, there’s been no update on this website for far too long. In fact I think I’m just going to make a file with that as the title and use it to start every one of my updates. I’ve been very busy. I have a new short story called Not One Word that has been accepted in an anthology called Breach the Hull. I have a short story called First Drop that will be released in spring on the Mundania website. I have been revising the manuscript to The Radiation Angels: The Chimerium Gambit in order to correct some of the typos that can be found there. I have also been working on The Radiation Angels: The Key to Damocles, the sequel. I’ve just gotten done with a signing (click here for photos) that went exceptionally well. I sold out every book B Dalton’s and sold five more of my own stock besides. Then there’s been Christmas, Black Friday, and all that brings while working in the retail business. I also bought four blocks of wood and had them turned down into Harry Potter wands for my kids, bought tons of fabric to make them robes, and have been preparing to go north for a day or two to visit them. I have a reunion at SCPA on Monday. I have to pay for this website before the 15th of January, and… well I’m swamped. More soon, as soon as I can find time to breathe. Update 14 02.03.07 Well, the most oft asked question of a new novelist is, of course: how is the book doing? So, there isn’t a lot to do but charge forward, doing my best to become a success even if I’m not sure if it will ever happen. To that end, I have been trying to secure signings. If you missed the last one, there are more on the horizon: Tri County BDalton Feb 10th 2pm-5pm Also, I’ve been in contact with Millenicon in Cincinnati, and Balticon in Baltimore to try to volunteer (read: beg) for a spot on various panels. More information on that as it develops. Update 15 2.13.07 Well, another week, and another update. No, I haven’t been replaced by a body snatcher, there’s just a lot going on. Newport, KY Barnes and Noble Feb 17th 7pm-10pmOther upcoming signings:
Update 16 Well, the signing at Barnes and Noble was a rousing success, even with the snow and a few hiccups with the distribution line of books. I talked to a few science fiction fans, a few proto-writers and a whole lot of confused people (sooooo… you’re some kind of cult, right?) We sold seven books, nearly half the stock they had on hand, and signed the rest so if you need one you can find them at the Barnes and Noble at Newport! GOOD NEWS: Soon, all new books on the shelf will be corrected. BAD NEWS: There is no bad news. No, really. No bad news. OK, well if you don’t buy a 1st edition, then you won’t be annoyed by the few typos, but you also won’t have it when someone like me is willing to pay gobs of money to buy a signed first edition. To be fair, though, it might take 200 years for that to happen. The dedication in The Radiation Angels says: it is not the first ten thousand words, a writer make, it is the last ten thousand. My next one should say that success is about being in the right place at the right time, so be everywhere. To that end, I will also be signing at: Northgate B. Dalton Mar 3rd 11am-1pm Now, I know people have been coming back to look at what crazyness I’ve netted from ‘teh interwebs’, but I realize I haven’t actually put out too much of my own. In the interest of fairness, I have added a new file to the downloads page. It is a piece I did for Children of the Sun. It is many years old now, and it does have its issues, still it is near and dear to my heart. In fact, the main character, ‘Gunman’ I like to think as a first generation Captain Rook. It was my first attempt at a character composed of mainly skill and leadership qualities instead of massive powers and clueless charisma. In any case, feel free to read. If you like it, it was originally printed by the guys (and gal) at www.demonground.org so stop buy and read some of their e-zine! But, lest you think my surfing habits have been dull, let me say to thee: nay! I hast gazed across the kingdom of the world wide webisphere and gleaned… uh… really I’m not sure what I was going for there. Let’s just say I have brought for you, my dear readers, videos: OK, I may be a nerd, but please tell me that Batman plus Alien plus Predator does not equal TASTY
All in a days work. Update 17 03.12.07 Hello, hello, hello! Welcome everyone, and it is good to see you (so to speak). After a few weeks of updating this site every single week, I gave myself some well deserved time off. I have a new review from www.readerviews.com (just look under Ross, James Daniel) which is very flattering. I also received an email from the Barnes and Noble that hosted my signing last month! Dan, Thanks so much for coming out to the store. It was a pleasure having you. I also wanted to tell you that you were on our store's top ten list of items sold. I think you were #9. It is calculated each week for the title that sold the most copies. Thanks for such a great event. See you at our next author's night,
Friday 7 pm -- Inventions someone needs to invent Sat 3 pm -- Getting started writing SF Sun 2pm -- the physics of Super Heroes Unfortunately, because of a conflict of schedules, the signing at the West Chester Barnes and Noble as been delayed from April to March. When I have the date, I’ll be sure to let you know. And now, linkages: I am a huge fan of games that are online and Free! You can learn how to design a house full of hidden passageways, and if you can find something more cool than that, I will eat my hat. But mostly I find silly games, with weird premises and play them until I’m nearly blind. U
pdate 18 3.28.07
Wow, everybody. I’m about ten seconds away from throwing myself a pity party the size of a New York New Years Eve party where all the signs say something-999. No numbers yet (no idea how many books have been sold), horrible week in the offing, a store canceled a signing, out of money because of promotional efforts (plane tickets, fliers, adverts, etc.), I had a guy stick a camera down my throat and so forth. I’m just having the royal crap kicked off of me. It’s easy to take a spill in this business. My instrument is fickle. The smallest jostle will cause it to go out of tune pretty easily, and this last few weeks has been like stripping off the casing and throwing it into a wrestling ring all pink and naked. I haven’t written in two weeks and it feels like the final dregs of my talent are swirling around a white, watery porcelain heaven…if you catch my drift. But it’s not true. I have talent. I have drive. I have a level of determination that would give pause to barbarian hordes. At least that’s what they tell me. Now the funny thing is: Seeing oneself clearly is nearly impossible even in the best light. The soul has no mirror. All you can do is gather people you trust to your side and ask them their honest opinion. Sometimes what they will have to say is kind. Sometimes it will be hard, but as long as it is honest, you are ahead of the curve in the friends department. The last few weeks have been one car wreck to the genitals after another. I think I owe a thank you to the people who carried me the last few days on their backs. I’d like to tell you all about them, but I respect them too much. I don’t have the right to delve into their lives on the internet to fill some spaces on a site where basically I’m shilling my book. It would be a violation of my love for them as much as it would be a thank you for all their help. Well, maybe there is a way to let you catch a glimpse of them: I’d like to thank them all: Wickett and James Scott, Eric Duckworth, Michael Royce, Jennie Hunter and Tony Lomen. Tim, Kevin, Bart, and the rest at the Friday game as well as Zach Miller, CJ and James Smith. Russian Joe and Mike Chiseck…thank you all, mentioned and not. Thanks for kicking my ass until I get on my feet.Update 19 04.15.07 999 and counting
OK, a few things:
I know, a small update this week. But I can announce that I will be attending Balticon 41! Come up and see me some time. I am really hoping to get in the same deal with PHILCON since I (fanfare!) have a new collaborative effort premiering there! I wrote a short story, called Not One Word, that follows Captain Todd Rook during his early career and submitted it for acceptance. Good: The editors liked it and put it in an anthology called Breach the Hull. Better: It has been accepted for publication! Even better yet: It is available for preorder! If you liked The Radiation Angels, you can have a little more, plus work from many other fine writers. Copies can be had in Hard Cover, Soft Cover, or E Book.
Update 20 04.21.07 The pause button on shameless self promotion
Alright, I spend a lot of time talking about myself. It helps having an ego the size of your average star cruiser, a wit so sharp it can score armored plates, and good looks that get me dozens of phone numbers at any gay bar I enter (which is no end of amusement for my wife - hey I like the techno alright?). But every once in a while, one must find a moment of perspective or else degenerate into unabashed and unabated ass-hattery, douche-baggery, or even full scale jerk-offery. I’m a nerd. I like being a nerd. Every movie or TV show shows ‘successful’ nerds as mega computer geeks, boob crazed maniacs, science fiction lore spouting dorks, psychotic computer gamers in dire need of anger management, or…Well…whatever. But it is worth noting that the divide between normal and geek is drawing closer every day. Things we love are becoming mainstream, even if we occasionally take them a little too far. And we do make the transition into mainstream more and more…even if it isn’t always flattering, and even if there are things ‘normal’ people do that makes us wince just as hard.
I quote: ‘The largest problem with running a Con in Iraq, of course, is that there are no local stores or game publishers, and few game books on the post. Even dice are in short supply, with many soldiers breaking the unwritten taboo held by many gamers and (gasp!) sharing dice.’ (emphasis mine)
NOW THEY HAVE DICE! After setting aside a few sets, I got the rest of my collection together and boxed up: They’re going to the sandbox. I’ve included a copy of Children of the Sun, CotS: Southlands, and my last two copies of The Radiation Angels I have on hand. We’re supposed to give terrorists a ‘New York turn signal’ any chance we get. I can’t think of any way better to show them we are unyielding than to have a bunch of dice monkeys laughing like madmen and slinging character sheets like ninja stars, but that’s not why I’m talking about them here. The truth is: They are there on our behalf. Whatever your feelings on the war effort, we—through our representatives—sent these men and women into harm’s way. It’s hot, it’s miserable, they get shot at, and bombs go off all the time. Ladies and Gentlemen, I think the least we can do is make sure that these men and women in uniform have a few moments of relief. Join with me in sending all your spare books and dice to these brave soldiers. Donations can be made here:
SPC David Amberson
For those in the Cincinnati Area, we are contacting local gaming stores to get special rates for books purchased, and trying to contact the military to find a better way than UPS to send the gifts.
Direct, unembedded link so you can post it on your own site:
http://www.gamegrene.com/node/790
Update 21 05.01.07 Motivation I picked a hell of a week to try to quit smoking…again. By the time you read this, the brave soldiers planning to attend ZigguratCon will have about ten pounds of dice and several books winging their way from my gaming group – whose generosity makes me proud to call them friends – to make sure they can have just a little bit of home to make the sandbox more bearable.
If you have not given all ready, please send a gift or two their way. These are the games they are planning to run:
GURPS
So here we are, another month along. I have finally received my sales numbers from six months ago. I am way ahead of where I should have any right to expect to be. I am ready to make sell through in my first three quarters, and while it’s not a best seller yet, it is still a fantastic achievement. I thank all of you who have ordered a copy, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed the story. My first royalty check is in my hand, and my life is becoming clearer and clearer all the time. I’m a writer. It isn’t really what I do. It is who I am. Now if I can just convince a few million readers of that, I’ll be good to go. Yes, I know chances are slim. It is times like this that ignorance is a virtue. Actually there are a few other times when ignorance is actually preferable: When taking about how many germs are on any given everyday surface, when discussing the chances of failure of your dreams, and what goes on in your parking lot while you sleep.
But it’s not just about numbers, or sales, it is about clarity. I have found something I am reasonably good at, and people may be willing to give me money. Now I just have to bridge the gap between working a day job and struggling to put words down on paper, and putting out my goal of two novels a year and living off of royalties. I have to knuckle under. I have to make time. I have to continue to struggle and I must absolutely, positively, succeed. I fear that there is yet another decision to be made: give up a job I like to follow a calling that is as necessary to me as breathing.
But I’m doing very well! I am on track to match the performance of more experienced writers. While this does not mean my name in lights or a slot on the best seller’s list, I am still slowly building up a following that will sustain me through other releases. It will build like a thunderstorm, and carry me through my career. My American-Indian name will be Dancing Clouds. I And, of course I have friends to help me buoy my spirits to the surface. I know I talk a lot about them, but they are really amazing people. I mean you’ve never laughed as hard as I have when you get a devout Christian and a Viking Pagan in the same room, drunk and discussing theology.
I’ve treasure this group of people, who I could gather together, point in any direction, and yell CHARGE…and never have to look back to know they were following. Don’t get me wrong. They have their quirks. Some quirks quirkier than others, and some may even border on mental illness. They’re gamers – you have to expect that. But let’s face it. They’re friends with me, and that’s got to eat away the sanity points off of anyone’s character sheet. But I have to admit, every one of them will come through in a pinch.
I have come to rely upon them more and more, but I have also noticed we have hit another milestone of life. The youngest of us are getting married, some are buying houses, others are having babies. We are beginning to drift apart, like after high-school when everyone went off to college, jobs and the four corners of the world. The same thing happened in my twenties, when the first spate of wedding/pregnant/housing/career demons came along and devoured my greatest friends. I wonder if this happens once a decade, and I wonder more how people in their eighties retain their sanity. And then I realize that people probably have a lot fewer weddings, jobs, and babies by the time they are eighty. Tomorrow, next year, next decade, eventually everyone leaves. You can either get all Nine Inch Nails about it, or you can realize the control you seem to exert over the world is just smoke and mirrors. I mean I know that all I really have is my talent, and all other forms of control are an illusionary elixir of strength, perception, and reach, but I feel my life entering a state of uncontrollable flux, and it eats at me. And while hanging out with them is like a crazy cross between living at a militia compound in Bohemia, an episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and that movie where guys are always yelling “CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!”…
Sadly, it will still sound like a cheesy fortune cookie.
Three things to enhance your zen: Think about a series you enjoyed… and the network didn’t. Consider Robot Attack coolness. Meditate upon, and then motivate people about your own life!
Yes, ladies and gents, in a day or two, I am flying from Cincinnati Ohio to Baltimore Maryland for Balticon 41. I have never been before, but many of my Author contacts rave as one of the best times to be had without a warp drive. Being the type of guy that could talk the ears off a statue, the kind staffers at Balticon have allowed me a stage to talk to (everyone else’s) fans (and try to make a few converts).
FRIDAY
SATURDAY Derby, Midnight -- ROMANCE, LOVE, SEX AND EROTICA IN SF SUNDAY Derby, 5 PM -- SKY FINANCES: Belmont, 11 PM -- ALTERNATE LIFESTYLES IN SF & FANTASY MONDAY
Come by, say hello, buy a book. If you buy it early enough and don’t like it, you can even spit in my face before I leave the con! Who can beat that? While I am exited beyond words to go to Balticon, I am terrified of flying. This means for the last week I have been completely out of sorts. I have dropped enough plates of food to feed a third world nation, have walked into numerous door jams, and my feet couldn’t find the floor if they were nailed there. Yeah, I’m not a great flier until the fourth bottle of Baileys arrives at my seat. I am brain dead, simply unable to concentrate as I go through my day. Often I start on a thought and just drift… What was I saying? Well, anyway, in that spirit I went to go see 28 Weeks Later. While I was not horribly impressed with the way the writer or director treats the military, it was at least half enjoyable. At least the company was nothing short of excellent. In honor of this zombie-thriller, and my current mental dysfunction, I have gone to the ends of the web to find some games to keep you busy while I’m off having the time of my life (until the left hemisphere tells the right hemisphere that if I fly out I have to also fly back next week).
Zombie Survival - 2 Flash Games Zombie Grinder 60000 Flash Game Boxhead More Rooms - ebaumsworld.com Flash Zombie Killer Game Free Online
Wish me luck everyone. Update 23 5.29.07 Hope
I am back from Balticon, and I have to say: I am tired, sore, and much poorer than when I left. I did not sell as many books as I wanted. The trip was plagued by delays, missed opportunities, and the last known hotel in the universe that does not provide free WiFi. They tried to throw us out a day early, then tried to charge full price for the last night of the convention…but then there were the fans, and that made all the difference. Every time I turned around there were hordes of incredibly cool people. They were bright, passionate, communicative, and friendly. We spoke at length—on panels and off—about faster than light travel, the business of publishing, theoretical biology… after everything was said and done I felt smarter for having contact with the beautiful fans of Baltimore and beyond. Also realize that being an author, as I have often stated, is not the easiest profession. You don’t make much money, you are constantly under pressure to continue to produce quantity and quality, and your most vocal detractor always lives between your ears. But every once in a while, there come moments of perfect beauty, events that add steel to your spine and fire to the soul. I met dozens of great people who seemed truly interested in meeting me, either because of my ideas, or my wit, or just because I have experience speaking in public. The attention flattered me, the interest in my personality was nice, feeling important was great. I can only hope I gave them the same feeling in return. One man came to the sales table and said: ‘I do not care for scifi, but after hearing you speak, I had to read your book’. I had several people come up to the table, flip through the book and leave it behind. I offered them copies of the first chapter, which they took graciously. Many took the time in the middle of a busy convention to read that simple, double sided sheet. They came back and bought the book. People hunted me down in the halls as I ran from panel to panel, and every time they asked for my signature I felt humbled that they saw me as worth the effort. More importantly, perhaps THE MOST importantly, I had a loving mother come to me after a panel. She told me that her son has dyslexia and it’s tough to get him to read. When he saw my book, he became very excited and she purchased it for him. He was avidly pouring over the novel, reading it because it interested him, and it was hard for her to get him to put it down. Well folks, scifi writers have this thing about being canaries in the coalmine. We are supposed to say something in our work, pointing out rocks in the water ahead and reminding humanity of problems that have not yet been solved. I have to admit, the legacy of my forebears makes me proud, but really none of it is as important: not the money, not the social commentary, not even the love of the crowd. What is most important is that young guy is reading. Now I have a responsibility to do it again, and soon. It will keep me moving even when the rest of my life is complete chaos. I hope that Balticon dumps the Hunt Valley Marriott as soon as possible, but if they will have me I’ll be back with bells on.
Just… um… if I could skip the erotica panels, that would be great…
No links this time around, but don’t blame me, blame the hotel…
More conventions where you can get your ‘Ross’ on:
Update 24 06.19.07 Herman Munster has it easy…
Keeping my head screwed on straight has been harder and harder. It seems like I am constantly walking uphill (both ways) through brambles (posionous) to school (and not a good school, one of those Victorian work house thingies). Distractions I have aplenty. Good news and bad news has followed each other like a ying-yang mounted as a propeller on a B17. I wrote an article on myself on Wikipedia months ago. Advertising is always difficult to find, and I figured people might actually Wiki my name, searching for it in the ‘sum total of human knowledge’. Well, I found out that my entry, as well as the entry on the novel itself has been deleted. More research shows: This seems to be vanity, and the guy doesn't appear to be sufficiently notable. Ladybirdintheuk 12:42, 31 July 2006 (UTC) OK, I can see that. I’m not notable. Fair enough. Then again, I’m not sure how notability comes into play when ‘assembling all of human knowledge’. In fact I think having a book that tells you the velocity of Mars as it orbits the sun would be more useful than a ‘pedia that tells you ‘water is wet’. So looking for the obscure on Wiki may be becoming a thing of the past (is a rename to Pedanti-pedia too far off?). Or perhaps this is just a case of some hoity-toidy net-masters looking down their noses at me. This bothers me less than they might imagine, since I have major chain bookstores doing the same thing, in effect refusing to make money by selling my book. I comfort myself with the fact that the free market (brutally) sorts these things out just fine. But (to return to my first diatribe) acting as if notability or legitimacy is required or lent by a free encyclopedia website run by self appointed experts is just silly. It is further blown all to hell by their inclusion by such momentous cultural monuments as What What (In the Butt), such timeless icons as Goatse or Tubgirl (NSFW, for the love of god NFSFW!) , or such a noteworthy word as ScroG… but perhaps they’re just cranky after fighting the multiple mutilations of their precious sum of (notable) human pedantry inflicted by the minions of Stephen Colbert.
But fear not, the internet is still a bastion of cool that is both infinite and awe inspiring. Do you remember the coolest pistol ever to appear in any movie, ever? No, not that one. The other one. Well, now you can make your own or buy one. And if that’s not Hoo Yah enough for you, and you have two grand worth of weapons to cannibalize, you can have the coolest rifle to see the silver screen. And of course, the coolest things are always real. I mean it’s not enough that attack choppers can rain fire from the heavens on their enemies, now we get the satisfaction of hearing them yell: “Holy crap! It’s the Master Chief!” (Addendum: And if you don’t know why they’d say that, just click here) (Clarification to the addendum: The Master Chief is a MAN, baby!)
And I was physically threatened unless I continue providing tasty videos for your entertainment. So, on to YouTube I go! Sadly, my mood even taints this, and provides me videos that seem to me to be a window upon the deepest recesses of my soul.
(link here in case my html teh scrog)
Or maybe it’s just the Goth-y echoes of my youth looking for a pretentious voice. But there is hope, since it looks like soon loneliness will be a thing of the past. Yes, someday soon you, too, can buy ‘someone’ to chat with and stave off having to deal with people who suck. But still, hopes and dreams seem just out of reach, and I begin to wonder if I am an ass, constantly walking toward a carrot that seems out of reach. It is at times like that I generally begin gravitating toward people, places, and things that echo my inner turmoil.
(YouTube - garbage- bleed like me)
And, eventually, I reach a place where the darkness has seeped into every pore of me, and it is then, at that exact moment, that something happens. Today, it was a man coming back into my store. He is an older gentleman, a man who grew up in an age when TVs were a luxury. A man who listened to Buck Rogers on the radio, and who read voraciously. This was a devotee of the Greats (a word that, by law, must be capitalized). He had read the first published works of Heinlein and Anthony, Pournelle and Niven. He read them in magazines, anthologies, and novels. He read them, and he read them again. When I say that he was steeped in scifi, I mean the length and breadth of his knowledge was astounding. He learned that I was a science fiction writer yesterday, and bought a copy of my book. He finished it last night and came back today tell me what he thought. He had his concerns about pacing, and he told me very sternly that I rode the very edge of the bubble in the last chapters, extending the excitement ALMOST too far, skirting failure like a surfer in a thunderstorm. Overall, however, he was pleased beyond words at the fresh turns of a phrase, with the characters, with the story. With a gravity I found terrifying, he said that the raw talent was there. He said he had all confidence that, if I kept at it, I would one day join the ranks of the Masters of my Field. And, just like that, everything was going to be all right.
Keep heads on straight out there. It’s the only one you got.
More ‘notable’ conventions, where I will be participating in multiple panels where I will either entertain you with my sparkling wit or conversely drop trow and leave a steaming Wikipedia on the stage:
Update 25 07.01.07 Holy days. I try to stay out of the realm of religion. It’s not personal cowardice, and it’s not for a wont of plotlines. I suppose that, overall, I am not confident enough in my own views on God that I can stand in front of a crowd of people and know that what I’m saying is the Truth. In fact I have found that people who speak of Truth (usually with such fire-eyed conviction you can hear the capital T) usually have less of it than anyone guesses. Still, though there is a subject near and dear to me, a holy day of reverence that I want to speak of. July the 4th There’s a lot of jingoistic talk nowadays, people who wrap themselves in the flag all the way to the hairline, unable to discuss the simplest of complexities because of their belief in an infallible America. There’s the other crowd, too: The people who feel the need to kick dirt on the face of the United States (mostly because it is fashionable) despite all the evidence that it is country of great achievement and greater peoples. I guess I’m somewhere in the middle. I believe that over two hundred years ago our forefathers came upon a brilliantly simple idea: ‘Let’s create a country where we are equal’. Now, I do not believe that they were saints, many spoke at length about freedom while at the same time owning slaves…and the Sedition Act of 1918 (one of the great stains on American politics) was enacted not too far behind the first amendment. And one of the most frustrating things is when people point to America’s past inequities as a means to devalue its worth, without truly looking back to that time and seeing what the state of human rights was at the time. The truth is we (humanity as a whole) are always on a long, hard slog on the way from barbarism. But still the idea of America was hardy enough to survive, and as time went on we have come to realize that freedom for one is freedom for all. We are all free, or none of us are. In a society of slavery, today’s citizen is tomorrows slave with the stroke of a pen. We have problems, but we manage to find our way clear of them without wholesale slaughter of those that disagree with us. I don’t think people appreciate how recent an invention that is. This grand experiment has held up better than anyone could have expected, and has been a model for many other people across the world who want to live in freedom. That is why I am proud of this country. We may stutter and falter. We may try to silence those who frighten us. We may even fall into the linguistic patterns of those who stand for the antithesis of this land (like some sort of strange Stockholm Syndrome for political thought) but the truth, the truth rises up like a sapling fighting through all the dirt thrown on top of it. I have faith in the truth. I have faith in America. Still, we can’t seem to stop meddling, and making more and more laws to make it easier for those in power to silence criticism. Who ever said that their jobs should be easy? Who said that the smallest bit of my freedom was theirs to take? I am a writer, I live and die by the first amendment, and every time someone takes a bite out of it, small town thug or tyrants in neckties, I am diminished. I hope we can stop it. This 4th of July, go out and truly enjoy yourselves, but always be vigilant. Remember how long it took us to get here.
"I disagree with what you have to say but will fight to the death to protect your right to say it." -- attribution in doubt
On with the fun…
And the ADD game of the century! In other news, I am going to be appearing for a signing on July 14th at Newport on the Levee Barnes and Noble. Come in, buy a book, feed a starving artist!
Update 26 07.15.07 Free advice, worth the asking price.
Well, I went. I spoke. I sold. I cleared out over half of the stock of Barnes and Noble, and by the end of the night I was smiling like an idiot. I met a massive number of extremely cool people, was able to lay a medieval verbal smack-eth down-eth upon two hecklers, made some great contacts in the gaming industry, and met four aspiring authors who appreciated the advice I was able to give. In fact, I have been inspired to do an entire update about advice… because I have lots of advice. I spent a lot of time bored as a kid. I regret this…a lot. Time being bored is time being wasted. Even a simple game of tag can fill out a day. But be aware: if you need to play tag at range, please use paintballs. Do NOT be this guy. Secondly, do NOT build an explosive device, it makes the ATF cranky, and you still won’t touch the experts. Thirdly, if you are going to drink (are a moron, unlucky, or some combination thereof), for the love of god do not touch anything that launches, shoots, or discharges. Also, while people have always told you not to play for your food, sometimes it’s cool to break the rules. But don’t just sit around staring into space, life is too short. There are cool things you can do with your time. There are freaky things you can do with your time. There are constructive things you can do with your time. There are even not-as-cool things you can do that won’t wind up with you explaining a mushroom cloud over your house. WARNING: It may be cool now, but one day… well ‘cool is a fickle mistress. ADDENDUM: It may NEVER be cool, but as long as it’s fun, who cares?
Lastly, if someone hires you to go hunting ghosts with a gun, just pretend to look and go home. Trust me.
I feel rejuvenated, and I am redoubling my efforts to finish The Key To Damocles as soon as humanly possible, which roughly translates to the end of the month. I’m ready for it to be done. Really.
Stay safe out there. Correction: Last update I referenced the wrong horrible, freedom sucking law. What I meant was this horrible, freedom sucking law to make my point. I apologize for looking like an idiot. Update 27 08.19.07 Since I am almost done, it is time to begin again. Ladies and Gentlemen, Radiation Angels: The Key to Damocles is less than five thousand words from completion. After that, of course, it will be passed by dozens of eyes (even before it gets to the publisher) and revision will follow revision will follow revision. But still, there is something sad and magical about a completed novel. The last ten thousand words build inside the author’s head like a slow-motion explosion. It is a pressure that pushes against the letters on the keyboard, slowing progress but building excitement. And once it is done…the exercise takes on the feeling of watching a child go off to college. The pride, fear, sadness, and joy meld into a mind-bending grog. It is something unexplainable. But enough of that! I mentioned an anthology a few months ago called Breach the Hull, published by Marietta Publishing. Well, the September Issue of Space and Time Magazine has a review of the anthology and they have FANTASTIC TASTE! So, follow links, spend money, and be happy. In other news: I went to ConGlomeration and had a wonderful time. Science fiction fans, as I have often said, are some of the friendliest people on the face of the earth. Amongst new fans and new friends, I also had a few panels with a fascinating author named Geoffrey Girard. Not only did we work well together, I honestly picked up some new writing techniques from listening to him speak. I can’t wait for ConText and Philcon! In yet OTHER news, I am beginning a high intensity surge of signings. I’m hitting every place I can: comic, RPG, and book stores (Hell, I’ll give a signing at a VFW hall if someone asks). I even signed up with Book Tour just in case there’s someone looking for an author like me. As you can imagine, I’m a little swamped. But, because I love and respect every one of you, and look up to all of you as kings, I have squeezed in just a little time to find some cool stuff that you have probably already heard of.
With the political season growing like a fat Colorado kid with a trapper keeper, it this might be of interest: Giuliani has some vocal detractors. While the subject matter may seem silly, one of my greatest fears is politicians that pass stupid laws without knowing what they are talking about. And if you just can’t wait for Halo 3, you could always raid radio shack to make your own laser. Finally, a theory on dinosaurs really died I can get behind! For those of you who know me know I have an obsession for zombie media that borders on a fetish. Well, now you can use the power of the internet to find Zombie Games to fill the blanks between console, TV, and movie releases. And I know that Fallout 3 is still a year away, but this has simply forced me to go and explore all the memories of previous Fallout games. I found a really neat site at AshWorld that has some neat files. It’s nothing compared to No Mutants Allowed however. In that same vein, I am eagerly awaiting the reappearance of Futurama! This was one of the best shows ever produced, hands down. Smart, funny, and sometimes even oddly touching…What other show can say it gets funnier if you graduate with a mathematics degree from MIT? Still, the best thing in the world is Futurama’s ability to make fun of someone without them appearing to know. Or maybe simultaneously owning carbon offsets, two mansions, and a private jet just does things to people.
But then again maybe he has PTSD left over from his days leading the Vice-Presidential Action Rangers
And, I see the word about a new Harry Potter book is true:
But still, they were always at their best when they were making fun of everybody at once…
Well, since I gave the vaguest reference to a new Harry Potter book, my page hits will go up by the millions by tomorrow morning. Obviously, my work here is done.
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When: |
16-18 November 2007 |
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Where: |
Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel |
Update 28 09.04.07 Rolling like an avalanche coming down a mountain…
Well, everyone, I have to say that this update is going to be very short on me and long on everyone else in the internet. The reason is simple:
Radiation Angels: The Key to Damocles has been completed. It is right now being passed under the eyes of the smartest people I know, one at a time, to close up the script, catch errors, and generally polish the product before the publisher ever sees it.
New interview by the Breach the Hull authors (including me!) on MilSciFi.com
A song that is way too poppy for the content
The #1 best rave remix ever recorded
A friend sent me this, saying: Never trust a robot
An entertaining way to play with Balls… well, a way that s mostly safe for work.
To all the bachelors: Learn to Cook!
A game you can play at Wiki’s expense
And now… Queen VERSUS Kirk!
And for all those info seekers out there something…
And something to keep you from turning into a Zombie while working on your own novel.
Alright, I’m off to finish a short story for release in an unknown market, finish a short story for Bad Assed Fairies #2, gear up for ConText and get signings at any place that will have me.
And that’s just the short list.
Update 29 09.16.07 Deep thoughts… or at least thoughts.
Hello everyone, well The Key to Damocles is being sent off to various people smarter than me in preparation for submission to Mundania Press. I am also mulling over my next novel, which I believe will be a fantasy endeavor based on a novella I wrote half a decade ago. It will take significant work, but I think it will be worth it.
As far as my leisure time, I find it shrinking due to the convergence of technology and good stuff. To put it simply: my non-TiVo DVR has kept me up late. And it’s not just reruns of Robot Chicken, The Venture Brothers or Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law… a rampant virus must have killed off TV execs all across the planet. I mean, Television has a lot of good stuff on. Trying to keep up with House, Burn Notice, Doctor Who, and Torchwood has taken a rather meaty bite out of my days. Pretty soon, I’m going to have to pair down my shows to something a lot like this just so I have time to write.
But there’s always someone out there with too much time on their hands. Take the politicos in Atlanta. Believe it or not, they apparently think they will cure cancer if they get those damn kids to pull up their pants! Stuff like this simply makes me sigh and shake my head. I mean, if the gangsta culture offends you, you probably have a modicum of taste. Aside from that, however, there is a more damaging thing that you can do to make sure gangster culture goes away: let it run its course. Though similar claims were made about bra-less teens, long haired bong kissers, and bell bottoms, hippie clothes did not spell the end of western civilization. One day these kids will look back at their high school pictures and cringe. Then, ladies and gents, we will have won. Until then, just mock them like everyone else. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT pass a stupid law. If there is one consistent thing in the universe, it is this: Someone who says there ought to be a law ought to be punched in the mouth until he stops.
People do stupid things, astoundingly stupid things, all the time. Take the news reports about the Israeli neo-Nazi gangs. Yes, yes, yes, go back… read the pretty blue words again and let them roll around in the back of your head. Throw up in your mouth a little (I did) and then do the mental math. I mean being a Nazi pretty much means you have a lukewarm IQ anyway, but being an Israeli Nazi? It’s too bad they live in a desert because they would be easy to spot in a crowd. They’d be the grown men with mittens safety pinned to their sleeves.
At times like this its just good I’ve taken up Tai Chi. Yes, I look like a jackass. But at this point I am so used to looking like a jackass, I can look cool doing it. More importantly, I find it relaxing and surprisingly difficult. Besides, at least nobody has me on YouTube doing it. But still, it is amazing how fast you can go from badass to cabin boy, so I figure relaxed and calm beats hypertensive and cool.
Well, on the nerd front, a friend of mine found a cross-genre list of size comparison charts for aliens, ships and space stations of all kinds. Mega Cool.
Also cool, but horribly creepy is the site PostSecret, a place where people anonymously send in postcards with their deepest secrets on them. I am not blown away by the fact that half of them are most assuredly fake, but by elimination that the other half are real…
You may have been introduced to the site by the All American Rejects:
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AHd3ck6fHBw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AHd3ck6fHBw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
And, of course this brings up my standard fears about being behind the times. It kind of scares me to see something like Internet People. I mean, it’s sunny and all, but these are supposed to be internet memes, cultural viral episodes if you will, and I only know about half of them.
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AHd3ck6fHBw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AHd3ck6fHBw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
But I comfort myself with the idea that while I am not up on every little virtual culture fad coming down the pike, I am still getting things done. A Space and Time (September) reviewer had great things to say about my story in Breach the Hull. We are having unit patches made up for the release party at Philcon (see below) a drawing… the works. If I read the last update correctly, pre-orders are coming in and the eBook is already on sale.
I have also been calling every bookstore in a fifty mile radius, trying to get as many signings as possible. Most are pretty standard, but I’m also working my way into RPG stores and Comic stores. Things look good for a signing at Yottaquest, and I have three more firm but unscheduled yeses, and three more with firm dates. If you have a bookstore and would like a friendly personable author to show up and entertain your guests (and make you some money to boot) contact me at radiationangels@aol.com
Signings:
October 13th Waldenbooks Florence, Ky
October 20th B.Dalton Tricounty Mall, Oh
October 26th Barnes and Noble Newport on the Levee

Update 30 09.26.07 Fark it
Alright, this one is going to be a short one as well. It isn’t for lack of effort, but for a serious lack of time.
On the signing front, Things have been iffy. I have not been able to secure any more singings, and I got a ‘so sorry’ letter from one place saying that the district manager was nixing the event. I’m not sure why, but suffice it to say I’m a little bummed about it. Perhaps if enough people call the store in question asking about my appearance and book, we can turn it around, but I don’t have a lot of hope.
I have plenty of time between now and December I have to fill with appearances, and I’ll travel up to 100 miles in order to make your event a great one. Radiationangels@aol.com gets me within 24 hours.
In any case the new, updated signing schedule is:
October 13th Waldenbooks Florence, Ky
October 20th B.Dalton Tricounty Mall, Oh
October 26th Barnes and Noble Newport on the Levee
But all new is not bad! Another review is out for Breach the Hull, the anthology in which appears Not One Word (a Radiation Angels story). The review can be found here: http://willmcdermott.blogspot.com/2007/09/breach-hull-review.html
Also, there was a moment of breathless excitement at the Ohio Renaissance Festival. I went with a group of friends, and we enjoyed the pirate show (performed on a 65’ long ship), Theatre in the Ground, The Knight’s Joust, and the supremely funny Bunnies In Peril. And while all of these were great shows, my moment exhilaration came when a guy stopped me in the middle of the crowd and said:
“Hey, you’re James Daniel Ross!”
Now, normally if someone picks me out of a crowd by my full name, I’m looking for an exit, but he was genuinely friendly…which goes to show that if you are going to ambush someone in a public place, a friendly smile will buy you an extra ten seconds to position your team…(furiously scribbles note for next novel)…but I digress. It turns out he read my fliers at Conglomeration. He had wanted to buy a copy, but had missed me since he was running games in the RPG room the whole weekend. He had seen my hat, recognized the symbol, and asked if I had a copy of the book around for sale.
You better believe I had a copy. I had to hike a mile to the car and another mile back, then scrounge for a pen to sign it, but I did so with a big old smile on my face. So there I was, in an event I was only attending, and I made a sale. I tell you what: it seems that about the time the self esteem gets really creaky someone comes up to add a little oil.
Thanks, man.
(Clears throat, blinks furiously, grumbles about dust in his eye)
On the home front: I have been ‘entertaining’ myself by reading It's Not News, It's Fark: How Mass Media Tries to Pass Off Crap As News by Drew Curtis. I have been delighted with his wit and candor, but somewhat less impressed with the follow through. Astute readers of this site will remember that I used to frequent www.Fark.com quite often. Since that time he hired a lot of moderators… moderators whom believe it is their job to censor inappropriate messages. Of course, ‘inappropriate messages’ became ‘anyone I, the moderator, do not agree with’ so fast even Fark did not have time to post a headline for it. Certain opinions were outlawed. People were banned. Fark quickly degenerated into the Daily Kos… Which is not what I was looking for. It was Drew Curtis’ decision, it is his site, he has every right to censor anyone he likes on his property. Of course, I don’t have to go there, and I do not, anymore. It’s sad, really.
I hate to peel back the curtain of what I do. I feel it breaks an unspoken bond between entertainer and audience, but in this case, perhaps it is appropriate.
In the ‘games’ portion of this update…A frequent shopper for free web based games sent this addictive little number earlier in the week. Hope you enjoy!

Lastly, I am gearing up like a madman for Context Convention. Here is my schedule, I hope to see you there!
Friday:
8:30pm Writing for interactive media
Saturday:
1pm Electronic Publishing, Print-on-Demand, and the Death of the Book
7pm The Game as Literature
8:30pm Poetry Reading (Oh, God, someone help me!)
Sunday
10:30am I Really Did It, But How?


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When: |
16-18 November 2007 |
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Where: |
Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel |

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When: |
16-18 November 2007 |
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Where: |
Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel |

Update 31 10.01.07 A-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
Things are moving apace, which of course means that I’m going a little nuts and loving it. I am working like a madman to finish a short story for the sequel to Bad-Ass Faeries.
The biggest announcement is, of course, science fiction related… kinda…
Context was a blast, but as always it’s the fans that are the best part. I even got a blog mention! http://www.kosmosflot.blogspot.com/
And I had a tear form in my eye when someone pointed out that you can buy The Radiation Angels on sites that service customers from Mexico, Australia, Italy, Africa, Germany, Russia, or Korea. Sometimes the obstacles I have to overcome in the publishing industry seem overwhelming, and I begin to feel a bit down. Then reality comes in with a Clue-by-Four and lets me know that life could definitely be worse. Take the news story where Women defend themselves from Saudi Religious Police this reminds me of a bumper sticker it said: Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History. Then again, nobody well behaved makes history. It also makes me grateful to live in a country where people rarely have to defend themselves from the police (language NSFW).
On that note, I have also become aware of a great organization that uses literacy to lower crime rates. So if you get a chance, stop buy and read their webpage. It is called Book Em. A worthy cause if ever I saw one.
Slightly less worthy, but infinitely more fun, is the experiment someone did to build and launch a 20 foot long X-wing…. It… It a…. It didn’t do so well, but still cool. I mean, let’s be honest, there are worse uses for Star Wars fandom.
And uses that kinda go back and forth from OH! to ARGH!
(language NSFW…no seriously…Not safe for anywhere really.)

October 13th Waldenbooks Florence, Ky
(Still working to salvage this)
October 20th B.Dalton Tricounty Mall, OH
October 26th Barnes and Noble Newport on the Levee
October 27th Waldenbooks Eastgate
November 24th Barnes and Noble Fields Ertel


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When: |
16-18 November 2007 |
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Where: |
Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel |
Update 32 10.15.07 Yep, I used synergy in a sentence. Deal with it.
Wow, Lots going on, so let me dispense with the preliminary pleasantries and get right to the thing.
I have completed my short story for Bad Assed Fairies 2 and gotten a positive first impression from the editor. (Yay!) For a new author, it is heartening to be able to get my name out into a more diverse market, and to have the work accepted. I just hope the fans of non-standard Fairy stories will find “The Natural Born Spy” to their liking.
Now I have to decide if I want to work on “I Know Not” (fantasy/novel) or “Poisoned Bullets” (a Radiation Angels story) or perhaps something completely different. Ah, the possibilities.
During the writing of “The Natural Born Spy”, I came to appreciate the synergy of information that is the World Wide Web. Without giving too much away, I easily found information on Shakespeare, French and German, and all kinds of period firearms. Research that once would have taken days in a library now took minutes. It’s a good time to be a writer.
But one must be vigilant as to the sources one uses. Example? Glad to: According to an expert in such (ahem) matters, there will be Sex and Marriage With Robots by 2050! I, for one welcome our future robot overlords, especially if they’re going to look like Milla Jovovich and punish me when I’m naughty! But seriously, I am suspect of ‘experts’ who are engaged in rabid speculation guaranteed to only be disproved thirty years after the expert expires of old age. The bit about Massachusetts was funny, though.
Also, always be aware that some idiocies pop up where you least expect them. Take this for example:
OBVIOUSLY DUMB: Glamorizing the life of a felon musician/lyricist.
VERY OBVIOUSLY DUMB: Cheering if said felon gets off the hook after being involved in a machismo inspired running gun battle on a highway.
PAINFULLY, OBVIOUSLY DUMB: As a felon, sending your bodyguard into a LEGAL FIREARM DEALER to ask about getting UNREGISTERED Machine guns and silencers.
Firstly, a quick hint to the criminal element: Firearm owners hate you. Secondly…I mean, the mind boggles. The rampant stupidity just everywhere. My Shadowrun crew could have planned a better weapon gathering plan.
But seriously, there is stupidity that goes unnoticed, and it works itself into the minds of the reader like an insidious virus, taking root and laying the groundwork for more obviously dumb ideas. Take this article on an Earth without people. I originally saved it because I thought it would be a great research article for something down the line, but reading the script became… disturbing.
‘If they could, the other species we share Earth with would surely vote us off the planet….Imagine that all the people on Earth - all 6.5 billion of us and counting - could be spirited away tomorrow, transported to a re-education camp in a far-off galaxy.’
Um, am I alone to find these turn of phrases scary stuff? Then Holmes talks to some genius names Orrock. “The sad truth is, once the humans get out of the picture, the outlook starts to get a lot better," says John Orrock, a conservation biologist at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara, California.’
Remember, this guy… who draws his paycheck from the public coffers (that’s you, boys and girls) think things will ‘begin to look up’ as soon as humanity is gone. I love how certain people believe that humanity is a parasite on the face of this planet, but they NEVER volunteer to jump into a wood chipper to lessen the burden on the Earth Mother. Instead, they seem to like private jets, go figure.
But on to happier discoveries.
As always I try to stay at the bleeding edge of scientific study.
I once gave Kudos to the Official Seal Generator but I have to do so again! They have added new seal shapes, badge sizes, and so forth, making it fun all over again.
Also, I have found a bar in miliwalkee that I HAVE to visit if I ever get a convention in the area. It is called the Safe House and it is a spy-themed bar with multiple elves, secret corridors, hidden doors and more.
As the astute amongst you may have noticed, October 13th came and went, and neither my publisher or myself were able to save the event from extinction. It is sad, but it is not an uncommon hurdle for small press authors.
But other signings are in the works, and I would like to point out that THIS weekend I will be at the TriCounty BDalton Booksellers. Stop by and say ‘hi’.
I’ll be the guy in black with the unit patch everywhere. I figure anyone stopping by will be dressed like this:
Hope to see you there.

October 20th B.Dalton Tricounty Mall, Oh
October 26th Barnes and Noble Newport on the Levee
October 27th Waldenbooks Eastgate
November 24th Barnes and Noble Fields Ertel


|
When: |
16-18 November 2007 |
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Where: |
Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel |
Update 33 10.28.07
All right, all right! I have been crying over a poverty of time for a while, and life has, indeed, been abusing (you heard me), but after a great signing at Waldenbooks (and my first at any Waldenbooks, anywhere) I figured taking a day off from would not cause the heavens to crash to earth (though I wouldn’t bet money on it). That’s when I realized that I had not updated this page in WAAAAY too long. So, here I am.
Overall the weeks have gone past with stunning speed. So much so that I completely spaced on Halloween, one of my all time favorite holidays. Since themes are all the rage, and my fed up detector (available exclusively at Van Leunen’s) shows me that you haven’t QUITE had enough ‘ween’ification for the year, I have leaned heavily upon my friends to help me collect a wide range of horror links, only half of which you have seen already!*
So, to start with, some theme music:
And a public service announcement: Remember that a dog is three missed meals away from being a wolf. These pets are even closer.
Just in case you haven’t done up your pumpkin for the season, here’s a great skull pattern for you to use. For those of you that haven’t got a pumpkin, or are looking for something more portable, you could always just make a papercraft skull. But for those of you who are like me, you not only want something pumpkin, you want something that celebrates your geekiness! But one must always take care. Too many pumpkins in one place at one time might just go very badly! For those of you with a more artistic bend, you can have a jar head! And for the record, that’s a Jar head, not Jarhead.
I suppose that my own greatest fear, if truth be told, is not losing myself in a game, but if I talk about it then I get to trot out these links about Alienware laptops, World of Warcraft, and one of thirty hours of gaming goodness! Yep, the mind boggles. And if you have a nerd in your life that is a horror to buy for, this would look cool on any wall (And if you have not seen Time Bandits, you really owe it to yourself).
There are many fears in the world, both common and uncommon, but, as always, the one thing we SHOULD fear is rampant stupidity. It accounts for nearly all of our injuries on a daily basis, after all. But, in the middle of the night, when the dark things slip out of the shadow into the backs of our brains, we can take comfort that there are Heroes out there.
Disturbing facts:
1) There are people in England that believe there are a need for stab-proof school uniforms.
2) George Orwell had a reason for being a little paranoid.
3) The latest martial arts technique out of Japan is called Feaux Coke Do.
Bonus Factoid) Fake news is almost as plausible as real news.
And for those of you with a sneaky bent, I’ve got a list of sites for you to send to your friends:
Thanks to everyone for reading, and Breach the Hull will be out next month!
*Offer not good on planet Earth.
Update 35 11.20.2007 Mauve Saturday
Once again, really quick update. Truly it’s not because I’m boring, or because I’ve run out of internet to show you, but because I’m moving too fast. I went on a thanksgiving vacation for a week, came back for two days and then left for Philcon (see past updates for more info) and no I’m getting ready for my signing on Mauve Saturday (the day after Black Friday). I am exceptionally excited, but seriously overworked. I had to rebuild a slick (promotional tool) for myself since the last one was lost to the windows monster. I’ve also been deluged with work! I have begun edits on a short story: The Radiation Angels: First Drop, for release through www.Mundania.com, I’ve also turned in further edits for The Natural Born Spy (for Bad Ass Faeries #2). On the other hand, I’ve been handed opportunities to write two more stories for further anthologies!
So, as my experience grows, so do my venues. Now once I can put the last touches on The Key to Damocles, it will also be off to the publisher.
Back to Breach the Hull, the launch went fantastic and in 48 hours we managed to sell almost eighty!
More information about this book can be found at Milscifi.com. I have to take a moment to thank Philcon for having me. It was a great time! I got to talk about my book, I got hit on by Tank Girl, and met some exceptionally cook people (as well as one, utter prig). And obviously, I didn’t die, so if you need The Radiation Angels: The Chimerium Gambit signed, then it looks like you have a little extra time.
Of more immediate import is the aforementioned signing!
Barnes & Noble 2pm until 4pm
Come down, ask questions, buy books! The Radiation Angels makes a great stocking stuffer!*
(*Statement not approved by the Stocking Stuffer’s Union of America.)

November 24th Barnes and Noble Fields Ertel, OH
December 22nd Barnes and Noble Beaver Creek, OH
Update 36 Christmas, 12.17.2007
Ho! Ho! Ho! And so forth.
Wow, I feel like an acrobat balancing on a high wire, juggling knives, with a lit stick of dynamite sizzling in my teeth.
For the record, this is a good thing. I mean its rough keeping up with a retail day job at X-mas, but writing has kept me much busier than usual. You see:
I went to Balticon. I got invited into two anthologies: Breach the Hull and the sequel to Bad-Ass Faeries. Well, I wrote Not One Word (a Radiation Angels story) for Breach the Hull, and The Natural Born Spy for Bad-Ass Faeries 2. Well, then I go to PHILCON, met more writers and publishers, (and a host of the coolest people in the universe since the last group of coolest people in the universe) and I received even more work. I’ve written my first hard science fiction piece (I had to do math for this story, so you owe me). It is called Rules of Engagement and is going to be in Cry Havoc. Then I got a call from the editor of Bad-Ass Faeries 2 saying she really wanted a story to order. I took her order, and filled it with: REPOstiltskin. But now I have to finish a story for So It Begins (watch for it here) as well at least two other stories for two other yet-to-be-named projects.
Then there is my overriding need to make more than three figures a year by way of my talent. An opening has become available at BioWare video game production company. The pay would be professional, and so I’ve been desperately trying to learn how to use the Neverwinter Nights toolset to build my resume as they requested.
In other news: There is no other news. I mean it. I’ve been averaging about a thousand to two thousand words a day every day for over a month. Those days I write nothing are made up for by days where I write from dusk until dawn.
And lastly (and in no way leastly) I have been trying to write emails to all the great fans, loyal friends, and media outlets that need to be contacted. Put simply, I’m swamped.
But you know what? That’s O.K.
I’m building myself as a brand name, and continuing to push my boundaries outward. I become a larger presence in the industry with each completed work, and that’s a good thing. Now if I could just get Oprah to stump for me, I’d be set.
Still, I’ve been slacking off here, and it is Xmas… (grabs massive bag from behind the stage) so lets see what I have for you, here…(shakes random bag of internet and pulls something out) AH! Well, model building was always one of my hobbies, and I’m proud of some of the terrain I have built, but these guys blow me away.
OK, what else…. (rummage rummage) A-HA! If you have never been to www.Cracked.com, you owe it to yourself. It’s not always safe for work, but it is normally pretty funny. You can find The 9 Most Badass Bible Verses, The Best (Worst) Fantasy & Science Fiction Book Covers, and 5 Awesome Sci-Fi Inventions (That Would Actually Suck).
And… (grope grope) ouch, it bit me (sift, search) Ho-HO! Here’s some neat stuff that fit’s into the category of: we’re closer than you think, as well as a heaping helping of I want it NOW!: Believe it or not, the government is working on an Exoskeleton. This is the second step in the creation of practical power armor, the next being lightweight laminate ballistic armors, and the first being, of course sexy mudflaps. In a less military vein, I always wondered what datapads, newsreaders and so forth would be like. Now I know.
(grabs first thing on the top) For those of you who like literary puzzles, or perhaps just shooting milk from your nose, www.Somethingawful.com has Anagrammed Video Games 2 (Part One) and Anagrammed Video Games 2 (Part Two), both of which have some real funny ones.
And, in the continuing legacy of the internet leading to constant and total voyeurism into every facet of the lives of strangers, here is a site that asks the age-old question of little brothers everywhere: What are you doing?
Whee! A perfect gift for survival types: In case of emergency: dry fish, insert wick, then light. A meal and a light source all at once.
Next we have a gift for those foolish enough to try to teach Klingons to turn the other cheek, though to be fair the term ‘turn the other cheek’ translates into ‘stab him in the spleen’, but the effect is somewhat the same.
Well, looks like the bag is empty, but I have a few more bits of entertainment for you all:
First: Why didn’t I go to school there?
Next: I HATE it when this happens:
And nothing says comedy like: He’s peeing orange soda!
And finally, where you can find me and punch me in the schnozzle for showing you that last video.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers
2720 Towne South, Suite 200
Beavercreek, OH 45431
Phone (937) 429-1660
Dec 22nd 2pm – Until after 5pm
Sci-Fi City
Northgate Mall
9549 Colerain Ave, Cincinnati
Call with questions 513-254-9105 Sunday, December 23rd, 2007
From 2pm -
Until you get bored with me.
Update 37
01.28.08 Giving up on nicotine: bring on the Dreams
There has been a flurry of activity on this side, even if I’ve been a bit quiet on the updates. I finished my resume/portfolio for BioWare and sent it off to them on MLK day. It took a bit longer than I would have liked, but it did give me a chance to take a break from other projects. It also gave me a chance to assemble a list of everything I have professionally written, and that is always an ego boost to see so many projects in one place, each one with my name on it.
Amazingly, I’ve been getting fan Emails over the last few months, and I’ve had two bookstores contact me for signings, rather than the reverse which is much more usual for me. I’m doing well, though a bit nervous. It’s not just waiting for BioWare to contact me back (if I’m lucky), I’m giving up smoking…again. This time, however, I’m taking Chantix starting on February 7th. While I’m looking forward to being smoke free (I’m getting too old and my body can’t cope with the abuse anymore) one of the side effects is vivid, sometimes nightmarish, dreams. For why this might make me skittish, I point you to my collected works and simply assert that my dreams are plenty vivid already. Ah, well. Hopefully my kids will appreciate it.
I spent a week working for my boss down at the Travel, Hunting, and Boat Show. It wasn’t what I’d call electrifying, but some of the stuff was pretty neat, mainly the multiple marinades and tons of cool hunters and trackers who spend a lot of time in Africa. Personally, I’ve never been, and I’m always trolling for whatever factoids and anecdotes I can find. Some of them scarier than others. Then again, even in the relatively safe world of the geek, there are certain survival skills you have to develop.
Other than that, I’ve enjoyed just being a guy, taking some time away from my own novels and short stories in order to delve into other areas of science fiction.
For example: I saw the trailer to Batman: The Dark Knight and I have been very excited ever since. Christian Bale is, hands down, the best Batman, and I can’t wait to see this new rendition, even if the Joker died a few weeks after filming was done. But, there is more! If you have your finger on the pulse of the nerd community you might be aware that there was an interesting poster in the background of I am Legend (Good movie, by the way. Slightly slow, but well worth the money). This points to another Batman in the works, and if they use the The Dark Knight Returns fight scene, I will be more than happy.
But, all in all, no movie star or comic book collector will ever be as cool as this kid.
But movies are a funny thing. I have seen some great movies this year, and some utterly horrid ones. I was convinced that Golden Compass was going to suck the life force out of me, but I was dead wrong (pointed in the wrong direction, you might say). Yet I was hopping on one foot like a six year old with a bladder condition to get in to see Aliens vs. Predator Requiem. It was so bad I felt the need to take back my $8 in flesh and blood using a horde of poorly paced, horribly acted, angry Norsemen (or perhaps one fantastically done, psychotic English barber) as negotiators. Well, if you’ve seen a movie that could have been far better, now you can see how they should have ended.
And when I’m not finding odd bits of geekdom interfacing with deeper subjects, I’m finding nerds expressing themselves through comedy. I even delve into history a bit to find out The Origin of the Nerd, which –let’s face it–gives the origin of the word Jock a wedgie with at least fifty years of angst behind it.
And when that doesn’t happen I enjoy looking up geeky art, almost art, LEGO art, deadly art, not art, tasty art, and stuff so cool it is art, even though it’s not.
Also, for my fellow Futurama fans: a Real Bender Closer Than Ever
If you stay at this hotel be sure it’s not managed by a guy named Lando.
Bit of advice: If you make your living trashing other people’s art, expect payback.
And my favorite: Irony.
Where do you fit in the GREAT SCHEME IF THINGS?
Some games:
Monsters' Den (RPG)
Fire in the Hole (Zelda style shooter)
And a video so funny, it stands alone.
Update 38 Reloaded 02.23.08
Hello, loyal readers. Its been a wild few weeks. As I had mentioned, I applied to BioWare a few months ago, and they got back to me last week. They offered me the opportunity to take their writer’s test, but first they said I should play Knights of the Old Republic, Knights of the Old Republic 2 and Mass Effect. So I spent the time I usually reserve for updating this space playing video games, but I had a good excuse. I took my test, which was timed, and I feel satisfied with my effort, despite a few weak spots. I have come to understand that it is important that, job or no job, it is what I feel about what I do that matters. In any case, job secured or opportunity lost, I am going on with my life until I hear something. That being the case, I’m writing for Breach the Hull 2 currently. I was thinking of working on another Radiation Angels story, but first I have to work with a friend of mine on a WWII era historical fiction novel called Snow and Steel. More information on that as it becomes available.
I was given an odd bit of good news/bad news last week. I wrote Natural Born Spy for Bad Ass Faeries 2 (look for the release at Balticon this year) and was accepted. I wrote REPOstiltzkin for the same book. It was overlong, but I felt the word count was justified by the action and content. Well, they agreed, and it has been conditionally accepted, but they can’t put them both into the anthology or else I’d be 1/6 the book! So, I have a story for sale but at least it looks like I’ve already found a home for it.
I’m GLAD that the writer’s strike is over. Commercials have become even more brain-suckingly vapid. The superbowl commercials were not worth downloading, and I have no interest in football whatsoever. To tell the truth, there’s only one sport I’m interested in.
I heard a local radio commercial that actually said:
“I’ll let you in on a secret: our steak is world famous.”
I was screaming at the radio for a good five minutes before I realized that the reason that I was so upset revolved around the fact that someone unqualified was paid to do that spot. That was money that I could have used. I wasn’t on strike. It did not involve a screen. And worse, now that the screen writer’s guild is back on the job, they appear to be bootstrapping themselves to their standard ‘standards’ if you catch my drift.
But not all is bleak! From the ‘Somebody’s getting fired for this’ department: A reasoned, balanced news report on Current!
And though I personally would never have any reason to have one, I feel the need to send this guy a huge hunk of cash as soon as I have chunks of cash to send. (And as a side note, what the hell is NOW thinking in that article?)
And I was frustrated when I came across another attempt to make myth into reality.
Actually, allow me a second to vent:
1) Time does not exist. It is a man made invention, a unit of measurement just like inches, quarts, and gallons. I can give you an inch of… or a gallon of… but not an inch or a gallon.
2) Time measures the rate at which chemical and physical reactions occur.
3) In order to travel through ‘Time’ you would have to create something that would reverse every physical and chemical reaction in reality. THEN it would have to ensure that no random variations altered events as it moved back to the ‘present’.
4) In short, bullocks.
OK, OK, I know. Here, take this link in payment for hearing me rant: Warren Ellis » The Three Laws Of Robotics (NOT SAFE FOR WORK!)
I am still taking Chantix, and overall I have this advice to anyone thinking of taking the plunge: take it with, or after, food, not before. Also, take it a few hours after you get up, not as soon as you do so. Otherwise you’re going to fight your way out of sleep, only to have that need-to-go-back-to-sleepy feeling follow you for an extra hour or two. Thinking clearly will not be an option.
Also, some of my fans are aware that I am a veritable nightmare factory. I am, in fact a connoisseur. Trained in bloody aetherial combat in my youth by the Sandman himself, like Neo I have slaughtered armies of Zombies, herds of dinosaurs, mountains of school bullies, every conceivable enemy has fallen before me as I fought my way to restful sleep. Many have become the mulch where I grew my inspiration. Chantix, on the other hand, has brought up subjects even the most evil fashion closet in the back of my head thinks goes too far. In short, sleep has been hard to come by.
So, here I am trying to keep it real, keep it together, and turn my dreams into profit before someone else does it first, again! I have kids that are going to need college, I really want a house of my own with, of course, a few select amenities.
I have a product, I have a plan, now I just need a little sleep…
GAMES:
Are you an alpha nerd? Wanna prove it?
Update 39 Aging, growing, and get the hell off my lawn. 03.04.08
Well, I really wasn’t going to have an update today. I still have most of a novel to edit and a handful of short stories, as well as two novels to finish. Something, however, has happened.
Gary Gygax, father of roleplaying, has died. Whether you play World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, or any other hobby involving alliteration, you probably owe a debt to this man. I know I do.
And of course, with the death of someone close to… one… one’s self… oneself… ahem, after the death of someone it is natural to reexamine our own… damn it I’m no good at third person omniscient or whatever.
After I heard one of my childhood heroes was dead, I began to think about my own life. I am getting older, after all. I mean, there are definitely good things about growing up. Every day, in every way, I am getting less likely to commit a felony to meet hot chicks at an earth first rally. I am less likely to decide to treat grizzly bears as teddy bears. On the other hand I am also less likely to eat food made entirely, or at least substantively, of bacon.
I am getting older, and I know it. I have noticed that the political season is heating up. In my youth I wouldn’t have noticed a nuclear war as long as Comic Book World was still standing. I worry about some guy blowing his top in traffic. In my youth I truly believed I would spontaneously develop Ninja Skills that would save me. Yeah, I was pretty dumb.
I am also experiencing many signs of old age. Not just gray hairs and new hairs in uncomfortable locations. I mean: Technology sometimes seems like it is powered by Evil Spirits; My hearing isn’t what it used to be; Sometimes I get confused as to what part I am playing in my own life; The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred, get this, by REALITY; People just seem a hell of a lot less stable than they used to be; I am more and more resistant to change, even when I am told it is a good change; I am more in love with stupid, simple humor than ever.
I mean, I still want all the cool toys, and belong to all the cool clubs, but I find I am much more cynical than I thought I would ever be. I am better read than my youthful self, and even better able to bravely defend my ideas against bigots and fools. Still, I look back onto paths un-traveled, and realize that there are skills I will never have time to develop. Yet I will never have to relive the same crushing defeats and broken hearts that I so clearly remember. I guess I comfort myself with the thought that I am doing what I love, and spend my time with the people who’s company I enjoy.
Oh, and when I get old, I will holler things much cooler than ‘get off my lawn!’
“I’m going to shove a sausage down your throat and stick starving dogs in your butt!”
--Moe Sizlak, the simpsons Episode: New Kid on the Block
Update 40 WARNING, I am not fuzzy, cuddly, or fuzzy! 03.13.2008
OK, my week has sucked. As evidence I submit the following:
Ah, I see you think you know the depth of the suckage? Think again. This was my mine and my wife’s first car purchase together and (wait for it) we still owe
owe $4000 on the car.
I am only glad we spent so much time repairing our credit. It has allowed us to secure a new mode of transport. This is great since with only one car, only one of us can work.
So: no money… Chantix is great for quitting smoking, horrible for writing. I’ve got deadlines… and they do loom large. I have to miss a trip to my kids (3rd time… first two were… anyone? Anyone? YES! During freak blizzard #1 and #2 of this season). I haven’t seen them in more than a month and I’m beginning to think they don’t care much.
So, as you can imagine, I have some aggression. Thankfully for everyone in my life, I have found targets.
First, the top five people who deserve a clue-by-four
And most of all, this guy:
FURTHER WARNING!
This update has harsh language and definite opinions. It also defends America. These choices were made to mock the subject of this update. If these things offend you, perhaps wait a week or two until I don’t have an axe to grind.
Every once in a while you happen upon a guilty pleasure, bad for you but you like it anyway. Well, a few days ago I discovered something that I both love and loathe in equal measure. It is called Zero Punctuation, a cynical little video review that has gained some notoriety despite its formulaic nature. Observe:
Universal negativity.
Racism:
Anti-Christian?
Bush jokes?
Anti-American?
Anti-military-chic
So, given all that, it’s not surprising I hate this loser.
I am a little disappointed in myself to let this thumb sucking idiot upset me so much, but part of it is that now he has a soapbox, and he can infect other people with lazy thoughts that require no backup or intellectual debate. But the worst thing is that he IS funny.
He’s entertaining and at least somewhat well read (though his understanding of the complete collection of the Children’s Illustrated Classics is clearly thin). I would like his work. I WANT to like his work if he weren’t morally bankrupt, intellectually indebted to morons, and willingly pouring his crap into the ears of unsuspecting dolts. I can’t get past that he loves to spit on America, much in the same way that rock stars will get blotto on stage and urinate upon the crowd. I just hope instead of screaming and throwing panties at this jerk, we simple go to find someone more entertaining that doesn’t suppose that we are worthless, warlike cavemen.
All I can hope is that he turns more people off than not, and thus the corporate drones that hired him for ‘spice’ will fund they have wasted lots and lots of money.
Oh, I can also hope he doesn’t ever need to be rescued by one of those dirty, homicidal marines, because what would the crumpet munching boys down at the Turkish baths say then?
Update 41 Still grumpy 04.03.2008
Well folks, things have not cleared up much. While the blown up car saga has almost cleared up, I am still being assaulted with stupidity at more than a per capita rate. On the way to work today, a thirteen mile drive, I was cut off ten times. I don’t mean ‘cut off too close’, I mean ‘cut off with less than six feet of space, thanks’. In my day job I come into contact with a lot of police officers, and every one says the same thing: “I don’t give tickets unless I have too.” As if saying so admits them into the ‘cool club’ of people who are ‘hassle free’ but as I drove past an Ohio Highway Patrol officer sitting at the side of the road, (ignoring the semi rig ten feet off of my rear bumper and the two cars on my right breaking the speed limit by double digits) I realized that all they were saying was: “Man, I get paid to do nothing.”
Whee.
And even worse: Things at my day job have gone down hill. At one time there were perks. Soon, those perks rotted into: You get the same consideration as anyone off of the street.
Now, it has become: You are not even as trusted or prized as a customer, salesman, or stray dog.
And now I find out it isn’t everyone, just people who obey the rules, like me. Had I gone around the manager’s back, I would have gotten what I wanted.
Now I just have to start putting out my resume, I guess.
And, coming home today I head a commercial:
“It’s had to deflate a balloon that is not blown all the way up.”
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGH!
In fact, balloons are easier to deflate when not filled up, because the same amount of rubber is spread of less surface area, which is why when you let go a balloon it blows and blows and finally gives a big whoosh of air and deflates all at once…. Because the robber had greater pressure!
AND SOMEONE (not me) GOT PAID TO WRITE THAT CRAP!
It was for buying gold or somesuch, but trust me when I say I will not take the financial advice from someone who not only flunked high school science, but writing 101.
It’s just like a big Rube Goldberg machine. Every time I get my head above water, another wave comes in. I feel like I’m wandering in the freaking wilderness.
And the national news is not giving me any release! Observe:
"I am not in favor of concealed weapons," says Obama “but I’m still not giving up the secret service detail that costs Americans $37K a day.”
Mother lets 9-year-old ride subway alone. Child finds his way home safe. Mother curses and tries to get boy into train spotting.
A gun is a gun, a hammer is a hammer. This gut doesn’t know the difference!
Does your child want a ‘tramp stamp’? Well, instead of therapy, give in!
Have you ever wondered why, if we have a multi-billion DEA, why the streets are still awash in drugs? Well, turns out they’re not great at keeping track of stuff.
Obama’s pastor does not hate rich, white people. In fact he’s abandoned all of his beloved poor African American congregation to live with them in a gated community.
And to top it all off, the car that combines the worst of car and truck is back!!
At least I didn’t try to rob an 80 year old guy and get my ass handed to me.
All of this has put me in a frame of mind to start planting steel boots into backsides, really.
I am trying to focus on the positive, really.
I mean, life can’t be too bad, there’s free scifi!
And FREE Lovecraft! I mean, come on! Hoe can you be down with free Lovecraft out there?
Eight Healthy Reasons To Drink Beer!
And more cool videos than you can shake a lightsaber… at, or whatever.
And I realize that even though some jerks are sleeping in patrol cars tonight, there are quiet heroes doing their duty in anonymity.
And soon there will be a Prince Of Persia movie, something Hollywood only has a 88% chance of screwing up.
Good news is also in the works! We only have a few more weeks until Bas Ass Faeries 2 is out and I have a cover:

More on this as things develop.
Because I miss when all rockers dressed like me:
For no reason whatsoever:
And… a moment of silence, please. Arthur C Clarke dies at 90
Update 42
04.26.08
The answer to life the universe and everything
Well, it has been months and I’m now convinced nobody’s going to ask me to write the best videogame story ever. At the same time, however, I’m not likely to have my eight year math degree pwned by a teenager. So, it balances out.
I’ve had a hard time getting stuff out of my head. In fact I’ve spent a lot of time playing webgames.
And it struck me as I became bored one day: I should never be bored. There’s too much to say, too much to write. I am hoping that this spate of writer’s block is imply due to the massive havoc I’m putting my brain through by quitting smoking, getting on chantix, and now getting off chantix. I’m doing better, and I’m smoke free, but getting into the habit of 1,000 words a day is still difficult.
Then again complaining about my little problems makes me feel small. A few Weeks ago a group of young people decided to hold a Flash mob at the Jefferson Memorial on his birthday. Now, I never made it past Precalculus but I NEVER would have thought: 20 students + dancing to ipods + national monument would (or ever should) = Arrest. ((And as a side note, the girl who was arrested needs help with her legal defense fund. Please give. Nobody deserves to be arrested for peaceful assembly. )) So, my life sucks less than hers right now.
In fact, her plight has got me listing out my blessings.
I mean, the town I live in isn’t crumbling into ruin.
I have a beautiful, powerful wife, and am not moved to desperate measures for company.
I’m pretty good at my job.
I have outgrown being an attention whore.
I am in no danger of being eaten by a GRUE.
I spell English better than billions of people who learned it as a second language!
Every year the word impossible means less and less.
I have never bought one of these soldier-of-fortune dream toys.
Though I may not be the alpha mathematics nerd I will also never be caught in a rap battle.
And, even Bears can learn martial arts.
Yes, there are vistas opening up before me, full of useful tools, Vehicles so cool they’ll make your head explode, and any normal guy can have his Zombie pimped… uh, er…
Sorry about that, slightly confused. Ahem. In any case, I reduced my days at work, freeing up time for more writing. Even though the individual days at work are not getting any easier, one less day of suck has my stress levels (despite the constant pull toward cigarettes) plummeting.
Every day brings stories that are tragic, ironic, self indulgent as well as those that let us know everything
the news has been telling us for years is patently false. It has brought an odd kind of zen into my life, allowing me to realize that while someone, somewhere has almost 800 dogs in a single mobile home, and someone else is getting their drunk friend to give them some ink, and yet a third guy is starting the first nerd jihad, Things are going well, too. Long ignored intellectual properties are being brought to light. Whole new scifi/fantasy genres are popping up everywhere even as others reverently revisit established ideas.
It is becoming harder and harder for fabricated evidence to stand, and easier to defend the use of handwavium when talking about military innovations of the future. It is now obvious to EVERYBODY that when an idiot says (with a straight face, no less) that arrests are not the answer to crime, the whole world can point and laugh. Most importantly, I can finally admit to playing with LEGOs in public, again.
I am super excited to be headed to Balticon 42 soon.
I’ll get the chance to meet all the other authors, and meet the great fans.
|
James Chambers |
Den C. Wilson |
Lee C. Hillman |
|
|
|
And, if you’ve read The Chimerium Gambit, and you liked it, I would appreciate being nominated for any contests and awards you may run across. Thanks in advance. Wish me Luck.
Update 43
05.11.08
Good with my hands.
I apologize, everyone. There is a lot going on so this is going to be very, very short.
First, I found out that I’m gong to have an odd hobby when I’m a millionaire: sleeping in abandoned & decaying hotels from around the world. Then again, with my luck I’ll have to pack carefully. Thankfully, though, I know people for just an occasion.
Ok, I admit, I’m impressed with the simplest of things. Sadly, I don’t have endless time on my hands to find additional simple things, but on the bright side I do not have enough time to be obsessed with minutiae, or risk my life for kicks. So I guess it balances out.
My spirits have been buoyed by the fact that it has been a bad time to be a dirt bag, whether a more traditional kind of criminal thug, or evil doers wearing smiles, ties, and $500 hair cuts. Call it Schadenfreude if you must, but it keeps me going.
Lets see… I finally laid to rest the idea, implanted in me during the 80’s, that putting extreme on something will make it good, Marvel Comics has found a second franchise they can pimp out until it descends into suck. But my policy is unchanged, really: I will go see them until they hurt me, and no more.
Helpful hints:
1) Do NOT wave a gun near the SWAT team. It makes them cranky.
2) Most often movies are best when they are historical least.
3) Just because you want to, does not mean you are qualified to.
And, finally:
4) You do not get to call any system of government RACIST after your own turns millions of innocent people into air pollution.
Again, I’m staying focused on the bright side of things:
Common sense seems to be breaking out all over,
Killer fish do not wish to eat me.
If said fish do want to eat me, they better learn how to walk on land.
In a few weeks I’ll be at Balticon being pampered… well, at least not persecuted.
And if things get a bit ridiculous, then at least it’s all in the name of capitalism instead of something darker.
Plus, there are pancakes!
On top of everything else, I am making a prop from my story in BAF2. It is a remote control used by the main character. As my first woodworking project it has convinced me that I am craftier than I thought, but not as crafty as I would like. Every day brings stories that are tragic, ironic, self indulgent



|
James Chambers |
Den C. Wilson |
Lee C. Hillman |
Update 44
05.16.08
On Fire
Again, short, short, short.
This week the big news is Bad Ass Faeries 2. It releases at Balticon this weekend, and my joy at seeing great fans is counterbalanced by my sheer terror at flying.
Anyway, let me introduce you:

Do you like to Dance with Danger? Well now's your chance! Don't worry about things that go bump in the night; count yourself lucky if these fae give you that much warning. In the finest tradition of the original Bad-Ass Faeries, the twenty tales in this collection delve into the darkest corners, exploring every tough and terrifying aspect the legends of faeries ever claimed...and then some. Lose yourself in twisted tales of homicidal faerie clowns, one man's gladiatorial stand against Earth's overlords, and a desperate mother's confrontation with the fiercest pirates above the Seven Seas...not to mention dry land. Read on in fascinated horror as a faerwolf is born, and unwise parties-of-the-second-part come to rue deals made with a different kind of devil. Here is where you discover just how many faerie tales never even get a glimpse of Happily Ever After... Forget about misunderstood; these faeries are Just Plain Bad!
· Paperback: 284 pages
· Publisher: MariettaPublishing (May 14, 2008)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 1892669463
· ISBN-13: 978-1892669469
· Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inchesAnd, if you act before Amazon realizes I’m telling you, you can buy Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad for $6 off!
And, as befitting an increase in font size and a change to BOLD typeface, there is a giveaway at Balticon:
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Date: Sunday May 25, 2008
Time: 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Place: Balticon, Hunt Valley Marriot, The Guarden Room
On Offer: Food, Fun, Faeries, and Prizes!
All of the editors and many of the authors and artists will be in attendance, tentatively including Danielle Ackley-McPhail, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Jeffrey Lyman, Lee C. Hillman, Trisha Wooldridge, D.C. Wilson, C.J. Henderson, James Chambers, Elaine Corvidae, John Passarella, Bernie Mojzes, Brian Koscienski, Chris Pisano, Steven Earl Yoder, Christina Yoder, Bryan Prindiville, and Ruth Lampi (list to be confirmed.)
And, I’m making my contribution for the raffle. Meet Gandr, the wand for a modern REPOstiltzkin.
And…. And? And? Ok, if I start another sentence with ‘AND’ and you have my permission to kick me in the shin. Of course you will have to find me at Balticon 42, but I’m sure admission will be a small price to pay, especially considering the fringe benefits.
I’ve had so very little time that my games are missing me. I’ve been able to keep up with my web comics (the modern version of soaps) but I have been bereft of fandom activities, not to mention enjoyable movies, or exercise. Still, I have been able to keep up with my infotainment fix, so things aren’t all bad. I did have time to find some cool stuff, found some sequels to cool stuff I enjoyed the first time around, and discover some interesting music choices.
Most importantly, after a few months of writer’s block (which I blame on the very healthy but very mentally disruptive choice to quit smoking) has finally ended.
Those of you who have enjoyed my work in Breach the Hull (20% off by the way… and still getting good reviews) then you’ll be glad to hear that I have finished a short short story for the sequel: So It Begins.
Keep an eye out for it on MilSciFi.com, though I have been told that January 09 is a good idea of when it will appear on shelves.
OK, that’s it. I’m going to go gibber in a corner for a while, reread Airframe by Michael Crichton (a ritual (along with a (few) stiff drinks midair) that keeps me sane).
Really I have nothing to worry about. The fans last year were beyond phenomenal, and I met so many amazing, inspiring, beautiful people. I few hours in the air going faster than the speed of sound is a small price to pay. Right? Right?
Now, however I have to pick up on emails to friends across the country before they assume I went psychotic due to lack of nicotine and murdered my inner child with the candlestick in the study.
Well, wish me luck.
MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo
See you at Balticon!
Friday
DERBY ROOM
5 PM: Medicine in SF - What are the latest uses of modern healing sciences in our genre? James Daniel Ross(M), Brad Aiken, Mark Vane Name and Chris Condayan.
Saturday
SALON D
1 PM: Faeries in the Modern World - Let them assemble and tell us their stories - Why we need them now more than ever! Elaine Corvidae, James Daniel Ross, Danielle Ackley-McPhai(M) and Christy E. Tohara.
DERBY ROOM
2 PM: Smoking Tobacco in SF&F - Will writers continue to have characters who smoke even as governments keep adding restrictions in reality? How do writers use smoking, and get it right in their stories? Tony Ruggiero, C.J. Henderson, James Daniel Ross(M) and Steve White.
Sunday
Autograph Session Main Hotel Lobby
11 AM Pamela K. Kinney and James Daniel Ross
SALON D
12 PM: Megastructures in SF - Examine Archologies from Larry Niven, Chuck Rothman, Timothy Zahn-and I.M. Pei’s real ideas for large buildings! Can we really use such buildings, or are they just fantasy in our world? James Daniel Ross, David Williams, Gary Ehrlich, Andrew Love (M).
6 PM: The Future of Cities - Are large cities sustainable in our modern world? Can green building and alternate housing keep them during global warming or our next
ice age? Could they become utopias? James Daniel Ross, David Louis Edelman, and James Patrick Kelly(M).
SALON F
6 PM: Self-Promotion 101 - Effective self-promotion for artists, authors and other shy persons: Danielle Ackley-McPhail(M), Laura Anne Gilman, Gail Martin, James
Daniel Ross, J. Andrew World, Steven Yoder.
Monday
SALON D
11 AM: Fun With Conspiracy Theories - Bring your favorite and tell us about it! Hugh Casey, James Daniel Ross, Den Wilson and Ray Ridenour(M)
Update 45
Be able to kill your student.
6.13.08
I am laughing uncontrollably right now, because a friend of mine just got finished describing a ninja super weapon: tying a poisonous snake to a kite. Imagine being the guy who invented kite+snake=dead target. And no matter what, when you got back to base you would have to report it a glowing success. I mean otherwise you are just knee deep in fail.
Well, 4th Edition D&D should be out any second now, but of course the Data file has been available for a while. Still, it doesn’t appear to have hurt sales. It got me thinking if maybe the same kind of thing could work for the RA license. I asked several different sources, and got lots of very negative feedback (the publisher told me no in painfully certain terms) but at the same time I talk to a lot of nerds, and those with the files are those most looking forward to buying the books. Time will tell.
Fandom is not identical, after all, though there are similarities no matter the subject.
People are looking forward to the end of Hurricane of suck at the pump. Now we can scratch the nose of the face of Mars. Hollywood can finally make amends for Highlander… well…. Highlander anything but 1, really. And Jack Thompson has learned, AGAIN, that Judge Dredd, he is not.
We are no longer only wrecking our own planet, we are now wrecking Jupiter by way of global warming mind powers, I guess. Or maybe a new hysteria is on the horizon. Apparently there is a fashion trend in Japan that makes people dress up like Warhammer 40K Eldar figurines I was too poor to afford as a kid.
We, as a race, continue to learn and grow, even if sometimes what we learn isn’t really friendly in the strictest sense of the word. Utopia and world peace may not be right around the corner, at least we know that most of the time jerks will get what’s coming to them, most torturous experiences last only a few minutes (even if it seems to last forever), and that things aren’t as bad as we think (at least historically). Neat stuff from every corner of the Internet piped right to your laptop. Cool authors, talented artists, even recaptured memories of youth at our fingertips alter our perceptions faster and faster, but at least the basics don’t change much.
Yeah, I’m dong O.K.





Update 46 Clouds are dancing inside of my mind. 7.27.08
Well, an old friend has told me I’m making every one of the Top 10 Weblog Design Mistakes. Though overall I disagree, I’m happy to hear his input, because Lord knows I could use the help. If you have any advice, or requests, feel free to contact me at RadiationAngels@aol.com.
Those of you who are keeping up with this page (yes, both of you) I realize that it has been a while. The constant flow of good news and bad, of success and failure, has created something of a tornado inside of my skull, and I am desperately in need of a few days off. I’ve been looking for a new apartment, my computer had a fatal and unrecoverable error, and things have been rough at the day job.
But I can’t complain too much, I had a long overdue vacation with my children to visit the grandparents and great-grandparents… I think I’ve found on of the coolest apartments known to mankind…
Most importantly, I have received confirmation from my publisher that they have accepted The Radiation Angels: The Key to Damocles! Not just that, but they are preparing to release the RA short story: First Drop. If that wasn’t enough, Breach the Hull
has been nominated (and is a finalist) for a Dream Realm Award! Bad-Ass Faeries has also been nominated, and while it doesn’t affect me directly, it is good news for a load of cool people, and it bodes well for Bad-Ass Faeries 2!
The reviews have started rolling in for Bad-Ass Faeries 2, and so far I/We am/are getting thumbs up all around.
As we pass the midpoint of the year I have to do some quick math: I have three more shorts accepted for printing, and a fantasy novel half completed. I think I’m doing pretty well. Now I’m hoping I can double my writing schedule without acting like a victim of the merciless pepper of Quetzlzacatenango.
Yes, ok. I manufactured a reason to spell out Quetzlzacatenango and Xt’apalatakettle. Ok, it’s been a slow, painful week and I deserve to entertain myself.
More when the story is released, and I’ll keep you all up to date on anything else that comes my way.





Update 47 I’m not behind in updates, I’m just stealthy.
I
really need to get one of these that says ‘winner’ and post it here because…
Breach the Hull has, indeed, won the Dream Realm Award for Best Anthology! I couldn’t be happier, and I hope that all of the great writers that carried the dead weight of my hackery can do it long enough to convince the world of my talent.
Seriously, folks, lots of stuff going on lately, and I’ve been kept at a sprint that could kill an Olympic athlete.
I was invited to fill a hole in an upcoming anthology, and managed to crank out a 6.5K word story (which I’m very happy with) in about three days while working a convention.
Things are finalizing for So it Begins, which appears to be as great an anthology as Breach the Hull.
I have completed work with a dear friend on a historical fiction novel. I’m less than twenty thousand words from finishing my first fantasy novel. I have just received word that Radiation Angels: The Key to Damocles will be out at the end of February, which means edits are right around the corner! Sometime a week ago I realized that I (if all goes well with the fantasy novel) managed to complete 3 novels in a single year, not to mention the story for Bad Ass Faeries 2, the one for Bad Ass Faeries 3, the aforementioned So it Begins, a spare for Cry Havoc (which may or may not happen now)… and this does not include all of the story seeds, underdeveloped ideas, and fragments I have to work with later. I think I have done a fair job as a writer this year.
The future is even better. Believe it or not, I have been promised a 3-D model of Deadly Heaven. There could be a Radiation Angels roleplaying game on its way! Now all I need is a game company that knows cool when it shoves a pulse cannon through the doorjamb and I’ll be ecstatic.
I was invited to Philcon. I loved the new hotel, the people were so friendly they knocked me over. I didn’t even need my bullet proof vest for the Tolkien vs. Rowling panel!
Also, my eldest daughter has started her first short story (not assigned as work from school) and has sent me the first few paragraphs for feedback. It feels like an awesome compliment, that she has decided to take up writing, and a frightening possibility, since this is not an easy field. But, I believe in her, and I know she can do anything she sets her mind to.
Still life is not all peaches and cream. I’ve had significant overtime on every paycheck for the last eight weeks. It has taken a toll on me to keep up the workload while at the same time performing at work. I still do not have cable around the home, and communication with my friends and family has been spotty. In the face of everything else, however, complaining in excess about these minor hiccups would seem petty.
More updates soon.
Seriously.
Really.
I promise.






Update 48 I’m back, baby!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m thinking about a change around this place. I have been blogging for a few years now. I have enjoyed sharing my everyday minutiae with you folks, but I think you deserve more. I mean random links are fine and all, but I want to do more, add more, be thought of as… more.
Well from here on in I will be concentrating on articles that allow me to entertain, draw attention, as well as announce important developments in the year of 2662.
My first writing job was in the RPG industry, and that’s left an indelible mark. I have a large vault with background information, equipment specs, and other bits that you might actually find interesting. I think it might be time to clean up this site, shake off my personal ramblings, and begin providing, well, more.
Now, while I can provide ample alphabet based entertainment, my art will be slightly thin until I can find an artistic fan so fanatical that they’ll work for thanks and maybe some intermittent swag. I mean, I can get by for a while with barely shaded and badly foreshortened line art painstakingly pounded out over sixteen hours in MS Paint.
I’ll do what I can.
In the meantime, I’m finishing up I Know Not; The Story of Fox Crow. I’m prepping to enter a marathon-sprint (you heard me) editing session for Radiation Angels: The Key to Damocles. It’s a long book, 3 times longer than the first R/A, and the release party is at Balticon. That’s not a lot of time.
Thankfully, however, I have an internet connection again. I have to admit, I miss the huge, turn of the century schoolhouse I lived in for 6, drafty, cold, frozen pipe months. I’m just stupid that way.
www.theredsoldier.com is doing well. Joe and I are close to installing the buy-it-now buttons on the websites. A steady stream of good feedback from professional soldiers will soon be attached to the red soldier site. Humbling, to be sure.
So, things are busy, so I’m not as entertaining as usual, but hopefully I can make up for that soon.








Update 49 Awards and Ashes
Everything has turned so many dark and ferocious corners this week that I think I’m actually developing a twitch.
Bad-Ass Faeries 2 has won the The EPPIE Award for Best Fiction Anthology. I’m packing up for the last Lunacon ever, hoping to make some new fans.
In the meantime, I am prepping my life for the atomic bomb that is editing. The Radiation Angels: The Key to Damocles has entered preproduction! It is right now being edited by a fine employee of Mundania Press. Next, it returns to me for further edits and polishing, then back to the editor. It is the intention to have the book on bookshelves by May. First Drop is entering typesetting for release through Mundania, and So It Begins is prepping for launch.
Of course while that’s going on, I STILL have to finish my first fantasy novel. It was in the midst of this triumph that something happened.
I got a call from a friend. His daughter’s friend was last seen jogging in the afternoon, and then… well, perhaps the headline: Wanted Sex Offender Arrested In Death Of 13-Year-Old Girl says it all.
And suddenly I’m back there.
Years ago, I lost a friend to a criminal, and I don’t think I’ve ever really gotten over it. I’m not sure I ever should. But here I am, almost a decade later. Do I go to my friend’s daughter? Do I tell her the horrible, awful truth? Do I tell her that the pain never goes away, but it does become bearable with time? I never meant to take this into a dark place, but where else can I be? I feel like I have a responsibility to be there as another survivor, to empathize and understand. Still, is that appropriate to offer, even to a good friend’s daughter? And there are things I can’t say. I can’t talk about the fracture that pain like this can open up inside, letting loose a spring of white hot rage that never really goes away.
I just don’t have an answer, and I can only hope that this particular story ends with a sex-offender getting a lethal injection of super-slow acting liquid pain in the scrotal sack or something. I wish I could pull this together somehow, but life doesn’t always work that way.
I have begun a project for myself to change the format of this site. It will ensure that I keep writing on a pretty much constant basis.
Update 50 My guest star today is JAKonrath
Hello everyone! It has been a tumultuous week, full of incredible highs and well, ok, so highs and highs some more. Sunday saw the editing of The Key to Damocles. Thursday saw the final edits sent to the publisher. I prepped an ad with the help of a friend, continued work on the flash-animation clickable Radiation Angels Equipment List.
A few friends of mine and I are kicking around the idea of writing a online cooking show. And I got the chance to pick the brains of a fine author, J A Konrath! He’s on a whirlwind tour of… everywhere that I can tell. He needed crash space in Cincinnati, OH. and as it turns out we sent an initiation that he accepted. We had a lot in common, and got on like a house afire. He even got to mention me in his Newbie’s Guide to Publishing! Head on out there to learn about anything to do with getting published, being published, and staying published.
The Snow and Steel website is LIVE! And includes the ISBN, making the book official and mostly orderable! We’ve gotten a great outpouring of support from former military personnel. You can see quotes on the website, or even send in your own to STAVKA@theredsoldier.com.
Pictures of me kissing and wooing the Eppie award from my editor have gotten lost in electronic hell, but hopefully more will be coming soon. Now I just need to fund a trip to Balticon, the release party, and figure out what the hell I’m giving away as a prize this time around. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
More coming soon.














Update 51 05.07.09 The Times they are a changing
Hello everyone.
The Key to Damocles is nearly live. A few days ago I saw this and started partying so loud people in Cleveland were calling to complain. It was one of the nice policemen with the Thorazine dart guns that noted that the BUY IT NOW button leads nowhere. In any case this is just one more hint that the book is painfully close to release. The release party is this month at Balticon, but trust me when I say that no milestone is reached in the publishing industry until you see it in the rear view mirror. The fine people at Mundania are working very hard on making it happen. I have also worked on securing some very special prizes for the raffle at the release party. More on that later.
In addition, Snow and Steel has been put up for prerelease! Just go to theredsoldier.com and you can preorder this thrilling tale of WWII heroism set in the beleaguered city of Stalingrad. In addition:
Also this month First Drop has been released! Now you can see how Todd Rook got his start in the mercenary group. Just go to mundania.com and you can follow this exciting mystery for only $1.
Even more exciting, I have a signing at the Borders Books at Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky Airport. It presents an interesting challenge, since many people will be in a massive hurry, and there will be those looking to kill some time. In either case, May 28th, from 2-4pm, I hope I can present them something that will make the journey a little more pleasant. So if you are flying into, out of, or through Cincinnati (CVG, for those of you hip to FAA codes) you can stop by and pick up a novel that will make those hours traveling… er… fly by?
Yes, I know and I am sorry.
Next week I’m going to start working on the extra content that I have mentioned before, and I believe I’m going to start writing up more in depth information on RA gear.
More soon…
Update 52 05.15.09 Cutting Edge.
It is strange where seemingly unrelated events will take a mind that really should be at home, minding its own business, having a nice bottle of hard cider while completing, say, a fantasy novel. Out of such distractions, one can make all kinds of things.
Preorders have begun for The Key to Damocles. What that means, fans, is that the books are coming. Soon it will be on Amazon, in bookstores, and across the world. Mundania.com is offering 10% off for all preorders, so you can get it early and save some cash. In that same direction, I have new interviews going out on www.Milscifi.com, so check them out for more information.
And if you are still unconvinced that The Radiation Angels is something you would like, you can go buy First Drop on mundania.com. For $1, you can get a taste for what kind of adventure is in store.
Orders are still available for Snow and Steel:
I’m still excited about the signing at Borders Books at Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky Airport, though I’m not sure if they will have copies of Damocles or not. In any case, May 28th, from 2-4pm.
I am also proud to say it looks like the Launch Party is going to happen at Balticon! In the great tradition of a McPhail enterprise, if you manage to make it to the party, you will get free food, free soft drinks, and a ticket for every book you purchase in order to win prizes!
What kind of prizes? I am so glad you asked.
While I’m sure that the other authors will have their own give-aways, RA fans will be delighted to know that I am giving away 3 knives – two of the smaller and one of the longer. Each one emblazoned with the unit patch of The Radiation Angels.
A special thanks must go out to the employees of Frost Cutlery, who provided these special items on an extremely truncated timeline and did their level best to put them in my hands so I could put them in yours.
And now, I am racing a deadline and trying desperately to prepare for my panels.