Today was the first day in about a million years that I didn't leave the house. Grandma fell again, though adamantly she denies falling. Russell found her collapsed on the bathroom floor inthe doorway under the walker. I guess she found a comfortable place to have a seat.
I did get some work done, as in 1250 words on a new short story. It's involved in a captive Halloween contest on Codex Writers Group. I can't give any details as this is a blind contest. All I'll say is that there are hints of home.
Mail bag is still empty. It's been 9 days since my last rejection. Considering I have 34 stories in the market, that's a pretty long time. (I have 36 available, but I'm waiting on a response of one before I decide where to send the other two.)
The last one out the door was a new one called "Swirling Beneath One Thin Ring," which I sent to George Scithers at Cat Tales. Though I've already sold my obigatory cat story to The Written Word, I wrote another one. It's about a genetically enhanced cat working on a gas mine at Jupiter. It's in first perons and written in the form of a journal.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Musika
The family is settling in for another school year. Audrey is in honor band at Desert Shadows Middle School. She's playing flute and piccolo.
Reanna changed instruments after her oral surgery. She stopped playing clarinet and is now a percussionist. She started lessons with glockenspiel a few weeks ago. Looks like we may have started something because for three years there were no bell players at Sonorn Sky Elementary. I asked the band teacher to see if she could get one in the classroom so Reanna doesn't have to carry hers on the bus as it's quite heavy for a little girl. Suddenly this year, the beginner band percussion students MUST start on bells. Go figure.
Russell finally gets to join band. The school district dropped 4th grade band last year. He'll be playing cornet.
Reanna changed instruments after her oral surgery. She stopped playing clarinet and is now a percussionist. She started lessons with glockenspiel a few weeks ago. Looks like we may have started something because for three years there were no bell players at Sonorn Sky Elementary. I asked the band teacher to see if she could get one in the classroom so Reanna doesn't have to carry hers on the bus as it's quite heavy for a little girl. Suddenly this year, the beginner band percussion students MUST start on bells. Go figure.
Russell finally gets to join band. The school district dropped 4th grade band last year. He'll be playing cornet.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
New SFWA Market
I heard from the editor of Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show that they are now a SFWA approved professional market, retroactive to issue #1. I mail my application for associate membership tomorrow morning. Two more sales for full membership.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Novel Completed
I finished my redraft of Neanderthal Swan Song friday evening. The revision I finished in spring of 2005 was around 74,000 words. The one I finished this year ended at around 114,500 words. The question came up about how I managed to write 50% more when I killed a subplot. The answer is simply that I am a better writer now.
I'm taking a few days off from the novel before I do my read-through and corrections. In the mean time, I have a backlog of short stories to write.
I'm taking a few days off from the novel before I do my read-through and corrections. In the mean time, I have a backlog of short stories to write.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Book Review - Bitterwood
Book Review: James Maxey's Bitterwood
I recently had the opportunity to acquire my first uncorrected proof of a novel before its release. The novel is Bitterwood, by James Maxey. I thought I'd share my reaction to this book with you.
If you like dragons, this story will be a treat. On the surface, it's a fantasy involving dragon kingdoms, wizards, and subservient humans. Dig a little deeper and Maxey explains the dragons and all the magic with future history and scientific advancements. Even more to the point, the story is one of bitterness and anger, love and joy, tenacity and jealousy, and a bit of obsession.
The story begins as a prologue in the year 1070 of the Dragon Age, in the 39th year of the reign of Albekizan, a ruthless sun dragon. It begins the story of Bant Bitterwood, a human who ultimately becomes obsessed with killing all dragons, and as a result, becomes something of a living legend across humanity.
As the story gets going, King Albekizan is preparing his sons for succession. In trying to keep to a minimum of spoilers, I'll just say that Bant Bitterwood interferes, and that had the ramification of Albekizan becoming motivated to kill every last human, just as Bitterwood has sworn to kill every last dragon.
Maxey manages to build several sides to the conflict. He uses almost everyone's point of view at one time or another, a little more than I would prefer, but he does it to great effect. By doing this, he lets the reader see the whole story. We get inside for a taste of rage, jealousy, intrigue, backstabbing, love, hate, mixed emotions, and loss of hope.
Bitterwood, published by Solaris Books, is Maxey's second novel. His first novel is Nobody Gets the Girl (Phobos Books, 2003). It's been a long struggle for Maxey, who attended the Odyssey Writers Workshop a number of years ago, and almost quit writing after receiving a critique from Harlan Ellison. Maxey didn't quit. After publishing a short story in a major fiction market several years later, he received a congratulatory call from the same Harlan Ellison. Harlan told Maxey that he made it. Bitterwood is more evidence in his favor.
Maxey has a clean style that makes his prose very readable, and his language is approachable by the average Joe. He weaves a clever tale with a style that reminds me of Arizona's own Alan Dean Foster. It makes for a smooth ride and a book that holds the reader's interest to the end.
Bitterwood will be released in July of 2007.
I recently had the opportunity to acquire my first uncorrected proof of a novel before its release. The novel is Bitterwood, by James Maxey. I thought I'd share my reaction to this book with you.
If you like dragons, this story will be a treat. On the surface, it's a fantasy involving dragon kingdoms, wizards, and subservient humans. Dig a little deeper and Maxey explains the dragons and all the magic with future history and scientific advancements. Even more to the point, the story is one of bitterness and anger, love and joy, tenacity and jealousy, and a bit of obsession.
The story begins as a prologue in the year 1070 of the Dragon Age, in the 39th year of the reign of Albekizan, a ruthless sun dragon. It begins the story of Bant Bitterwood, a human who ultimately becomes obsessed with killing all dragons, and as a result, becomes something of a living legend across humanity.
As the story gets going, King Albekizan is preparing his sons for succession. In trying to keep to a minimum of spoilers, I'll just say that Bant Bitterwood interferes, and that had the ramification of Albekizan becoming motivated to kill every last human, just as Bitterwood has sworn to kill every last dragon.
Maxey manages to build several sides to the conflict. He uses almost everyone's point of view at one time or another, a little more than I would prefer, but he does it to great effect. By doing this, he lets the reader see the whole story. We get inside for a taste of rage, jealousy, intrigue, backstabbing, love, hate, mixed emotions, and loss of hope.
Bitterwood, published by Solaris Books, is Maxey's second novel. His first novel is Nobody Gets the Girl (Phobos Books, 2003). It's been a long struggle for Maxey, who attended the Odyssey Writers Workshop a number of years ago, and almost quit writing after receiving a critique from Harlan Ellison. Maxey didn't quit. After publishing a short story in a major fiction market several years later, he received a congratulatory call from the same Harlan Ellison. Harlan told Maxey that he made it. Bitterwood is more evidence in his favor.
Maxey has a clean style that makes his prose very readable, and his language is approachable by the average Joe. He weaves a clever tale with a style that reminds me of Arizona's own Alan Dean Foster. It makes for a smooth ride and a book that holds the reader's interest to the end.
Bitterwood will be released in July of 2007.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Sale - Contractual Obligation
Wow. I finally found a home for the most travelled and the second-oldest story in my inventory. Sells in its 23rd market. It's been on the market constantly since October of 2004. Here's where it's been:
Weird Tales
Zahir
The Iconoclast
Short Stuff Magazine
Apex
Alien Skin
Shimmer
Story House Coffee
Son and Foe
Cabinet Des Fees
The Pedestal
Flash Me
Lone Star Stories
The Dream People
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
A Tangled Script of Intangible Soul Engravings
All Possible Worlds
Susurrus
The Shantytown Anomaly
Space Squid
Sybil's Garage
Chimaera Serials
The Written Word
The Written Word bought the story. No word, written or otherwise, on when it will appear.
Weird Tales
Zahir
The Iconoclast
Short Stuff Magazine
Apex
Alien Skin
Shimmer
Story House Coffee
Son and Foe
Cabinet Des Fees
The Pedestal
Flash Me
Lone Star Stories
The Dream People
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
A Tangled Script of Intangible Soul Engravings
All Possible Worlds
Susurrus
The Shantytown Anomaly
Space Squid
Sybil's Garage
Chimaera Serials
The Written Word
The Written Word bought the story. No word, written or otherwise, on when it will appear.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Fun Little Quiz
See if this quiz can accurately detect your accent. I'm originanlly from Wisconsin and live in Arizona, so I think this quiz averaged my accents together.
http://www.youthink.com/quiz.asp?action=take&quiz_id=9827
http://www.youthink.com/quiz.asp?action=take&quiz_id=9827
| What American accent do you have? (Best version so far) Midland ("Midland" is not necessarily the same thing as "Midwest") The default, lowest-common-denominator American accent that newscasters try to imitate. Since it's a neutral accent, just because you have a Midland accent doesn't mean you're from the Midland. |
| Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests. |
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