Tampa Comicon!

It has been a long, crazy summer, and, boy, has it been an exciting one for me! I've been consumed by prepping for advancement in my main career.  That burden will be behind me in early September, but I haven't let my writing stagnate. 

I've finished my first draft of my soon-to-be-released Lunatic City, a detective-noir story that takes place on a colonized moon.   It's been sent to my beta readers and I hope to do some tweaking and send it to my editor in September.  I hosted a giveaway on Goodreads, and the interest it has generated in my work has been very gratifying.  The first words of the final installment of my Proceena Trilogy are on the page, and I'm hoping for a New Year release!

None of that, however, is the exciting news.  I'm pleased to announce that I will have a booth at the Comicon convention in Tampa August 1-3!  It is late notice.  I fund my own projects and I can assure you, getting into one of these conventions is very expensive and I got in "under the wire". But I am in, and I will be there!

I welcome you all to come out a see me.  Come by and pick up an autographed copy of Procythian Reign or The Proceena Crusade, or better yet, both.  The price will be right.  Regardless, stop by and chat.  I always enjoy a good conversation, especially if it involves science fiction.  

I look forward to finishing out the summer with a bang and keeping the momentum going into the fall!  Come on out and see me.  And don't forget: Amazon Prime members can read my books for free!

http://www.tampabaycomiccon.com/

Darkness, Take My Hand

The title of this post is an homage to one of my favorite writers, Dennis Lehane.  His Patrick Kenzie collection is one of my favorite detective series, and I highly recommend it.  Darkness, Take My Hand is his second title in that series and is my favorite.  It should be no surprise that it’s a masterpiece of noire fiction and, without giving anything away, has some very clever, breath-taking plot-twists.   It is worth noting I did not ask his permission to borrow the title.  If he is somehow offended, I promise to rename or pull the post altogether.

I chose this title for today’s post because it describes how I feel in my own writing ventures.  Readers of any of my stuff will note that my work is hardly happy-go-lucky or sunshiny.  There aren’t a lot of beautiful April spring days. People had better keep their heads down should one come along.  It could only be a bad omen.  I have wondered why that’s the case. 

Am I some kind of sadist?  Do I hate people or humanity?  Is there some darker side of my psyche that yearns to be free?  I suppose there’s more truth to some of that than would make any of us comfortable thinking about—I mean you are reading this stuff.  Aren’t you?  But I think that it’s about something else.

Warm April days are great for going out and having a good time, but we aren’t challenged if everyone’s having a great time.  Who wants to read about characters whose biggest disaster is running out of mimosas at the bar?  Where’s the excitement in that?  Where’s the motivation to turn the page?

But if those people are stranded on a desert island and forced to fight some indigenous tribe or (even better) each other for survival, that’s pretty damned interesting.  How are they going to interact?  Does the “nice guy” really thrive in this law of the jungle society?  How about the pretty little maiden?  What happens when she turns into a force as powerful as a tidal wave?

I like fiction that makes me think, fiction that explores that part of life that no one really wants to talk about, the Grim Reaper in the room.  I have tried to write stories that pit likeable characters against each other.  Eric Phillips is flawed, but his journey begins with the greatest of intentions.  Good intentions or not, how could he possibly work with Laura Clabar?  Laura is likable and sympathetic, but she’s still an aristocrat and does seem a little out of step with a bunch of blue-collar revolutionaries, much as I suspect Princess Di would have amidst Marxist uprising.

My stories, so far have been war stories. War is an ugly business.  Politics is, too.  Just spending five minutes watching political ads makes me feel dirty.  How could I write a pleasant, feel-good story steeped in both of these? There’s no way.

I’m now about half way through a novel that's a departure from the galaxy-sweeping space operas of Proceena.  It’s a story about a disgraced cop who lives on the colonized moon.  It’s something new for me, something different.  The book is progressing very well and it’s coming together quite nicely. 

It’s also following very close to the story I had at conception.  There’s just one problem: when put on the page, it casts a shadow over the whole room.  I knew from the very beginning that I was going to be delving into some dark territories.  There really wasn’t a way around it given the very lurid culture in which I’ve chosen to set this story.  But what a great opportunity as a writer to put my hero, who’s flawed in his own right, in a moral conundrum!  How great it is to see him breaking more than the rules in his quest to get the answers he needs!  What master does he really serve?  Do the problems he face warp his moral compass?  Should they? 

If not, how does he serve both masters?  Who, in this Lunar Sin City can he really trust?  And, can he really have the luxury of friends?  If not, how does he do it all alone?  Do those questions sound interesting to you?  They sure do to me.  So, I thank you all for reading my work.  I’m grateful to you for taking the time to read this blog. 

But, if you’re going to read me, please understand one thing: I’ve grown up with All the King’s Men and Salem’s Lot and Gone Baby Gone.  I like dark fiction, fiction with villains that will make you hate them, and troubled, imperfect heroes who are sometimes unlikely…I’m looking at you The Proceena Crusade.  I like my danger to be grave (is there any other kind), my conflicts to ask questions and my triumphs to come at a cost, much like real life. 

I don’t see any other way for a story to be satisfying.  We bleed in real life.  We hurt in real life.  Why would we want our stories to be about someone’s lost mimosa?  That's not the story I want to read or tell.  So, as I think about the sordid world of Frank Parker and all of its wicked complexities, I say: “Darkness, Take My Hand.”  I know no other way.

 

 

Reason for Optimism

Preface: I wrote this post for a fellow author looking for a guest blog.  She was looking for something uplifting and it sounded like she was looking for some encouragement, so I took a few hours out of my day to pen this little post.  That was in October.  I figured I’d make some minor edits and post it as my own…since it is. J

“I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots in my career.  I’ve lost almost three hundred games.  Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed.  I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.  And that is why I succeed.”

Most of you might recognize this Michael Jordan quote.  It’s come to be one of my favorites, not only because it’s about one of our most iconic athletes sharing his human fallibility, but also because of the simple truth in those words.  I’m new to the writing business and can see where people would get frustrated with the constant work that seems so slow to pay dividends, but I knew that writing was a career steeped in disappointment and aggravation when I set out on this path and tried to prepare myself for it.

I’ve always enjoyed the creative process.  I spent my childhood daydreaming.  I suppose I spend my adulthood daydreaming, too.  I just put it in writing and spend hours refining it into a finished product.  I could have written the full Proceena Trilogy, never published and enjoyed every moment.  But, I’d have missed out on the excitement of others reading Procythian Reign and sharing their enthusiasm for it.  It’s so rewarding to chat about their favorite character or how surprised they were by a plot twist.  It feels like Christmas and my kids are going to open a really cool gift I want them to enjoy!

But writing can be a fickle master.  There are all the long hours writing, rewriting and finishing just one work, something that will be repeated every time a new piece is written.  Then there are things like getting cover art, formatting your document for e-publishing and setting up your print book.  And this is the easy part.  The Twitter Machine consumes hours of my day.  There’s marketing research to do and business infrastructure to build.  I have become one with my phone and carry my computer everywhere I go, just in case I can sneak a few minutes to compose a review request or (Heaven forbid) write.  Then, there are the public appearances.  And, through it all, the wheels of progress seem to turn a little slowly.  Ok, sometimes it seems like they’re not turning at all.  But, that’s where Mr.  Jordan’s famous quote becomes so important. 

We are all human.  That means that we are all fallible.  Each and every one of us has failed at something, and, on some level, everything we’ve ever done.  George Washington’s first command was surrounded and captured and resulted in an international incident that sparked The Seven Years War.  Abraham Lincoln failed in business two separate times, lost eight elections and suffered a nervous breakdown before being placed at the helm of this nation in one of its most pivotal moments.  His future right hand man, Ulysses Grant, had resigned from the army to be with his family and failed at farming and real estate before going to work in his dad’s leather store to await destiny’s call. Winston Churchill was a failed First Lord of the Admiralty of World War I notoriety whose brain child was a campaign to open a new front in the Turkish Dardanelles.  The resulting battle, Galipoli, is still considered one of the great tragic wastes in a war full of great tragic wastes.

We all fail.  But, it is through failure that we grow and get better.  I have a new book, The Proceena Crusade, getting painfully close to a final rough draft.  That story has already undergone huge rewrites and cuts with more to come.  And, it’ll be a better, stronger book for the experience I have had with Procythian Reign.  When it’s time to publish, I’ll know ahead of time pitfalls and struggles I had the first time around, and will, hopefully, avoid most of them. 

The business of writing should be fun.  After all, isn’t that why we do it, to do something we love?  How many times have people of all walks of life said: “That’s the ticket, if only I could do that”?  Is it really any surprise that it’s so damned hard?  We just have to keep our butt in the chair and fingers on the keyboard.  We’ll stumble and bumble at times, but we’ll learn, and, with determination, we’ll persevere.  That’s the key to “success”. 

Report from Necronomicon, Part II

Here's some on-going coverage of Necronomicon 2013.  It was an awesome weekend, and I met some awesome people.  But I wanted to send a special shout-out to my best friend and wife Melanie Diaz for helping to make this a wonderful weekend even better! It was her birthday this week.  So, happy birthday, baby.  I'm such a lucky man to have you.  :-* 

As for rumors about her presence in Procythian Reign...I'll deal with them shortly.



Someone asked me if Leo was supposed to resemble me.  I don't see the resemblance.  Do you?



This is my lovely bride!  And for those of you wondering:  This woman...

 ...is not this woman.  I've known my beautiful wife two-and-a-half years.  Laura is 12 years old.

 My very first sale and autograph.

 Mel sporting her Procythian Reign shirt!

 

Here she is visiting the TARTUS.

 

 

 

Laura Clabar and Leo Krisminski headed for the costume ball.

One last pic!

 

What an amazing time we had at Necronomicon! I can't wait to do it again next year! I'm also looking into other conventions, though none are yet confirmed.  I wanted to send a special thank-you to Duane of the Comic Club Inc. http//www.comicsclub.com/

Have a great weekend and I'll post again, soon.

 

 

Report from Necronomicon

What an awesome weekend! To those who came out to meet with us, it was wonderful meeting you all. Necronomicon was an unqualified success, and I can't wait to do this again! For those who couldn't make it, there are pictures:

The merchandise arriving!Open for business! 

Thanks to Tampa's Bravest keeping us safe.

A family affair: my daughters helping dad on the last day. My son helped the first, but is camera shy!

October is Going to be a Big Month!

It has been eight months since Procythian Reign was released with little fanfare and no advertising budget.  But things are changing.  The rust has begun to break loose and the wheels of progress are beginning to turn.

Reviews have started coming in, honest reviews.  My friends and family have always been supportive and complementary, but I could never see their opinions as unbiased.   Now, I am getting the opinions of bloggers and reviewers that I don’t know.  So far, it’s all good.

The Masquerade Crew is hosting a book blast for Procythian Reign.  We’re embroiled in their Cover Wars and Sci Fi Scavenger Hunt competitions.   There has been tons of new traffic and lots of new Twitter followers.  People are Tweeting about Procythian Reign and are excited about it!  I have found a couple of fans, and have chatted with people who are eager to read Procythian Reign.    

These fans have helped to inspire me (I’m talking about you Chris Dailey) to do some really cool promotions that will be coming up at the end of this month, but more about that later.  People are contacting me about the twists and turns of Procythian Reign.  They chat with me about their favorite character and things they hope to see in the sequel.  It’s a great feeling and really makes me hope that I’m on the right path.

My first public appearance as a writer will take place later this month.  I will be at the Necronomicon Convention here in Tampa from the 18^th-20^th signing copies of Procythian Reign and hosting a giveaway for autographed copies of The Proceena Crusade when it’s released.  I will be hosting another on-line giveaway for those who don’t live close enough to the Tampa Bay area to make it out.  I want to run them concurrently, but I have some logistic issues to work out.

And then, there’s The Proceena Crusade!  I have contracted the immensely talented Alvin Epps to begin designing a cover.  He did such an awesome job with Procythian Reign and I know it’s going to look great.  More importantly, I’ve had a breakthrough doing the rewrites.  I tend write in a general direction and lean on rewrites and editing to make my story the one I want.

In the case of The Proceena Crusade, I had a lot of specific issues to resolve.  I’ve fixed those problems and have begun to hammer it out into a story ready for polish.  I’m super happy with it and very excited to see the final product.  It’ll take a lot of doing, but I’d love to have it ready for release by my birthday in December.  We’ll keep our fingers crossed!

That’s all for now, but stay tuned.  More to follow!

Necronomicon Website:  http://www.stonehill.org/necro.htm

Masquerade Crew Cover Wars/Scavenger Hunt:  http://masqueradecrew.blogspot.com/2013/09/let-sci-fi-cover-wars-begin.html

 

 

The Joy of Writing

I have spent the last couple of posts talking about the hardships and difficulties of being a new independent writer.  We’ve covered the cost, both in time and treasure this career can be.  And, I have, at risk of sounding whiney, discussed in great detail some of the many frustrations and pitfalls of writing. Today, I wanted to talk about how much fun it is, and how much fun I’m having!

The last couple of weeks have been super exciting for me and my career as a writer.  First and foremost, I have scheduled my first public appearance as a writer!  I am going to be at Necronomicon here in Tampa from October 18^th-20^th signing autographs and hosting a giveaway for Procythian Reign’s soon-to-be released sequel, The Proceena Crusade! http://t.co/zcZ9fri6wA   Please, tell any lover of science fiction and fantasy about this great event, whether they come for me, or not.  Also, stand-by for me to announce at least one and hopefully two more appearances between now and the end of the year! 

I have spent quite a bit of time out peddling my book and have met some amazing people both here in town and from all around the country via the internet.  These people (you know who you are) have been wonderfully supportive.  I’ve had people help get me into Necronomicon and the other venues I have yet to confirm.  Reviews are beginning to come in and (though they’re few) they’re all positive, so far.  I’m anxiously waiting for more, but I’m really excited about the feedback I’ve gotten. 

More and more people are reading my book and discuss it with me.  I cannot tell you the feeling I get when I can see that people are “getting it”.  It gives me chills and makes me think that maybe I am carving out a niche with Procythian Reign.  But, my proudest moment yet has come from a reviewer who was reviewing Procythian Reign and also doing a character interview.

I read the questions and knew right away that this was a Leo Krisminski interview.  Leo is one of the main villains in Procythian Reign and a sentimental favorite of mine.  I was so proud of that interview. http://t.co/AbOe6xWUvc   It was all Leo and spoke straight to his grounded, no nonsense nature and the reviewer loved it!  She told me Leo was one of her favorites!

This was a stranger!  This was someone who didn’t know or owe me anything!  I had to be one of ten plus writers with whom she was dealing.  Yet, she took the time to drop me a note and pay me what I could only take as a sincere compliment.  I got those “she gets it” chills again.  And, I knew then:  this is for me! Thanks, Lisa.

Procythian Reign and The Proceena Crusade are the first of many yarns I intend to spin.  What a great feeling and what a great way to make a living.  Thanks to all of you who make this chapter of my life such a special one, and here’s to hoping I can keep reaching out to and entertain you!