Monday, March 29, 2010

Prepping for DASFA

As mentioned previously, I will be speaking to DASFA next month. This will be a 30-45 minute presentation about myself, my writing, my editing, and the Ephemeris RPG. I'm not really one for talking about myself a lot, so I'm already trying to put together some notes on some of the things I might want to say. More than anything, I'm hoping I don't put anyone to sleep, but I think I should have some interesting things to say.

I think more than anything, I'll focus on myself and on the game, since they've had a lot of writers speak to them...many of them more successful than me, so talking about the things they may not have heard in the past seems to be the best route to go...

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Pregnancy is Tiring

I'm finding Rebecca's pregnancy to be very tiring. Under normal circumstances, I (with some help from the girls) do quite a bit of the work around the house. I work at home, so it's just easier if I do it. However, since Rebecca has developed some seriously horrid morning sickness, I've taken on a lot more of the responsibilities. Normally on her days off, she'll cook, but I'm doing all of that now, and since there are only a few things she can eat, I usually have to make something different for her than what we're happening. She usually tries to help with the cleaning, but since she's feeling so bad, I don't want her to, and she usually doesn't have the energy to do it anyway.

Also, because of the person I am, I try to insist that she rest most of the time, and I wait on her for whatever she needs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Under normal circumstances, I would walk to the ends of the universe for her, and now that she's carrying my child, I'd walk to the ends of the multiverse for her. I'm just saying that I've been even busier than normal lately, and I'm feeling quite tired, and I now have zero free time for fun...but it will all be worth it in the end, so I'd be an idiot to complain.

And a note to any guy that thinks their stay at home mom and wife doesn't do anything while they're at work...you're out of your mind. Taking care of a household is at least as hard, if not harder, than working a 9-5 job...

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Ultrasound


We went for our second ultrasound today. The one we had two weeks ago was inconclusive, and there was a lot of worry that we'd lost the baby. Today's scan, however, showed that everything is good, and the baby is developing just as it should. Although it was still too early to actually hear the heartbeat, we were able to see it.

The last two weeks have been very stressful, and we're very happy to have a positive outcome on this one!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

DASFA update

As mentioned in a previous post, I will be speaking at the monthly DASFA meeting on April 17th. The event has had a change of venue. The meeting will be at the Broadway Book Mall at 200 S. Broadway in Denver.

I will be speaking about writing, editing, and game design, and it should be a good time, so anyone in the area should please feel free to join us...

Thursday, March 18, 2010

A little wedding updatery

It's now 64 days until our wedding, and we are still getting ready. This month has been a little less productive than we would have liked, mostly because Rebecca has been stricken with some heinous morning sickness. Let's just say that morning sickness isn't just for mornings anymore...

We did buy our rings, and we should have those in the next week or two. It's hard for me to imagine that I'm going to be wearing such an expensive piece of jewelery. I don't think I've ever worn anything that cost me more than $20...and this, this was definitely more.

In order to stay on track, we still need to buy my suit and order the cake...luckily those aren't too time consuming, and hopefully we'll be able to find the time and health to take care of both of those next week.

The RSVPs aren't coming in as fast as we'd hoped, so we will probably have to take the time to start querying people early next month. We really need those numbers for the restaurant. I know a lot of our guests are readers of this blog, so for those who keep asking, we're registered at Target, but you might have to use her name to find the list...because Target doesn't seem to want to accept J. as a first name...go figure...

For the most part, we're ready for this to be over with so we can just get on with life. Weddings should not be such a pain...

Saturday, March 13, 2010

A quick reminder

I just wanted to remind everyone that my flash fiction story "Nobody's Home" appears in the latest issue of Aoife's Kiss.

Also, The Martian Wave issue 1, which I edited, is also now available. The zine focuses on the exploration and colonization of space...a subject that is very important to me.

Both of these zines are produced by the fine folks at Sam's Dot Publishing.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Ephemeris on Kindle

The Ephemeris RPG is now available for the Kindle. I'm not sure how pairing an RPG with e-book technology will work, but it seems like it's at least worth the effort. To order your copy today, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BEEA0S

And of course, while you're there, don't forget that two of my books are also available for the Kindle, and those are only 99 cents...

Seedlings on the Solar Winds

The Opium of the People

Monday, March 08, 2010

Back to A Problem in Translation

Now that Red Moon Rising has found a home (to be released by Sam's Dot Publishing this fall), I'm getting back to work on the novelization of A Problem in Translation. For those of you not familiar with the story behind the book, I'll explain...

I originally had envisioned doing a short story collection centered around the crew of the Astrid. I wrote the first story, which appeared in Alternate Realities. Later, it was turned into an illustrated chapbook by Sam's Dot Publishing, and is still available from The Genre Mall. The second story appeared in Hadrosaur Tales. At that point, it was pretty obvious that I could combine the two stories, and then expand everything into a novel...and that's what I started doing. I've been through a few rewrites, but it's not quite there yet...but it is close.

Since this is a space opera, I've even done a little bit of a work on a screenplay for it. Normally, my work doesn't really lend itself to a screenplay, but this story seems to scream out for dramatization.

For now, I'll get back to work on the novel, and hopefully I'll make some good progress on it over the next couple of months...going to have a baby to feed, after all...

Sunday, March 07, 2010

A Mosi update

I've had a few queries about Mosi. She seems to be recovering. She's once again eating and drinking on her own, and she's starting to put some of the weight back on that she lost, and she's once again growling and hissing at Rebecca, so it looks like she's beaten whatever it was...at least for now. If it turns out that she had cancer or heart disease, there will still be more illnesses ahead of us. If it was just an infection or pancreatitis, then she should be good for a while.

At least she'll get to celebrate her 11th birthday.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Nobody's Home in Aoife's Kiss



My flash fiction story, "Nobody's Home," appears in the latest issue of Aoife's Kiss. When I first started writing the story, it wasn't supposed to be a flash piece. I'd envisioned a dramatic look at one man's struggle with loneliness in an empty world...what I got was something completely different.

This is one of those stories that got away from me...but I like what I ended up with...

The Martian Wave

Since I first started editing...a long...long...long time ago, I've edited an on-line zine called The Martian Wave. Last year, Tyree Campbell (of Sam's Dot Publishing) and I decided to turn the on-line zine into a print zine, and we are now thrilled to announce that the first issue is now available. You can order it at http://www.genremall.com/zinesr.htm#tmw.


The first issue contains the following:
stories
Steve De Beer: Adaptor
Tyree Campbell: Somewhere With Mornings
Dan Thompson: Prize Crew
Keith P. Graham: The Reefs of Jove
Patty Jansen: Luminescence
Bret Tallman: Into the Silence Flies a Moth
Rick Novy: The Pillars of Europa
Lawrence Dagstine: The Great Martian Depression
poems
Shelly Bryant: Bypassed
Justin Bohardt: The Barren Wastes
s.c. virtes: another pit for sale
Marge Simon: A Hollander's Secret Weapon: 1609
Marge Simon: Hindsight