The Best of Both Worlds

Alban Lake Publishing and Nomadic Delirium Press are pleased to announce a joint project entitled The Best of Both Worlds.  Picking up where Wondrous Web Worlds left off many years ago, this collection will feature the best fantasy and science fiction short stories from the magazines published by both publishers.

These stories have been selected by Tyree Campbell and J Alan Erwine, and they’ll feature a wide variety of science fiction and fantasy.

Look for The Best of Both Worlds Vol. 1 this fall.

Looking for something to read this weekend?

Almost all of my published stories are available as individual e-books, and you can also pick up many of the books that I've written and edited...as well as some of the magazines I've edited.
So if you need something to read this weekend, head over to http://www.jalanerwine.com/blog/shop and order some e-books today.  You can be reading within seconds!

Back on the meds

Now that we have "real" insurance once again, I went to the doctor earlier this week and he put me back on the meds that actually do something to help with my chronic pain, so hopefully some time in the next week, my pain levels will be back down to a manageable level most of the time.
While dealing with the doctor and the pharmacy, I started thinking about all of the complaints about "Obamacare."  When it went into effect, our insurance rates did go up, but only because we added me to the insurance.  If it had stayed Rebecca and the girls, we would have been paying slightly less.  Now that we're on a new, and slightly better insurance, our rates are even lower.  Not enough to make a huge difference in our financial lives, but when so many people are complaining about their rates skyrocketing, I wanted to make  the point that this isn't necessarily true...people find it easier to complain that say good things.
And as far as the pharmacy costs, on our old insurance, my prescription ran $20-25 a month.  With the new insurance, it's covered 100% by the new insurance...so that's zero out of pocket cost for us.  Maybe some people aren't happy with "Obamacare," but I can at least say that it is helping us...not to mention that under the old insurance rules, I might not have been able to get any coverage, since this is considered a previously existing condition.

Nomadic Delirium Press' May sale

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
For the rest of the month of May, you can get 20% off your entire order through our store.  Simply go to http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/shop and use the coupon code "may" at checkout.
Maybe you've wanted to pick up one of Tyree Campbell's new books...or maybe you've been highly intrigued by Laura Givens' Crisis Averted...or maybe you'd like to check out one of our anthologies, or a magazine.  The discount applies to both our print and e-book titles, so however you like to read your books, here's your chance.  The discount is good on every title we carry, and it doesn't matter if you order one book, or one hundred, you get 20% off your total.
So, what are you waiting for, follow that link!

This includes several of my titles!

Tyree's new book is out!

Tyree Campbell's new novel, The Butterfly and the Sea Dragon: A Yoelin Thibbony Rescue has just been released, and it's a great book...you should really buy a copy!
“The only records that delineate and authenticate Corporatia territories are on that Palmetto. We want it back.”
“What happened?” Yoelin asked.
“A records clerk bypassed security, recorded the information and then deleted it from our computers, and departed for Havelox Rest, outside our jurisdiction, where we believe she is now.”
After the words “Havelox Rest,” Yoelin heard only the pounding of her heart. A wave of dizziness passed. Why there? Why did it have to be there?
So who’s Yoelin Thibbony? That’s what she calls herself now. She endured a cruel and abusive childhood, when there was no one to rescue her. Now she performs Rescues of people or things—sometimes for hire, sometimes for free. She’s been hired to retrieve stolen archives. But to perform this Rescue, Yoelin has to return to Havelox Rest, the world of her childhood—a world that still holds dark and bleak terrors for her.
Order a copy at http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/butterfly.htm

Depression

May is Mental Health Awareness month, and so I thought I'd address a question that has come up a few times recently.  I've had a few people ask me why I'm editing the Disharmony of the Spheres anthology.  The simplest answer is that metal illness is a major problem in America, but the perception of mental illness is an even bigger problem.  For some reason, people differentiate between physical illness and mental illness...when there really is no difference.  Another reason that I decided to do this anthology is because there are a lot of people in the speculative fiction community, both writers and fans, who deal with mental illness, especially depression and anxiety.  In talking to various people I've realized that there seems to be a disproportionate number of people in the speculative fiction community that are dealing with these issues, so it's important for people to see that even the mentally ill can succeed...and not only succeed, but excel, which is what many of the characters in the stories in Disharmony of the Spheres do.
Even more importantly, depression is something that I've had a lot of experience with, as I've dealt with it most of my life.  My reason for saying this isn't so that people will say things like, oh poor you, or wow, you've done well even with depression.  No, I'm simply making a point that anyone can suffer from it.  I don't need nor want pity or pats on the back.
Although depression can be a debilitating illness, it is something that people can overcome with the right kind of support.  Unfortunately, most people don't know what the right kind of support is.  Many people think that sadness is depression, and from their point of view, it's easy to get through.  Everyone in the world has dealt with sadness at some point in their lives, but this is not the same thing as depression.  Comparing the two is like comparing a cold with bubonic plague.  Yes, there are some similarities, but they are far from being the same thing.  Sadness is only one small part of depression.
Other things that don't help people with depression are saying things like pull yourself up by your bootstraps, or look at all the good things going on in your life.  There are times when things like this can do more harm than good, because you're basically implying that a person should just get over their depression.  That's the same thing as telling someone to just stop having the symptoms of a cold.  They can't just stop being sick, and a person suffering from depression can not simply stop being depressed.
Patience and understanding is what a depressed person needs more than anything else.  Most of the time they just need to know that there are people there for them.  I can say quite honestly if it weren't for my family and the amazing friends I've had throughout my life, I wouldn't be here right now.  Sometimes a depressed person just can't take it anymore, and in this way, suicide is not necessarily a sign of weakness.  In many ways, it's like a person suffering from cancer who can't take it anymore and allows themselves to die, even if there was a chance they could survive.  In both cases, the person has given into their illness.  Most would say it's a horrible thing to say that the cancer patient was weak because of their choice, but many people will say that the depressed person was weak.  Many times, there's no difference between the two.
If you know someone who is dealing with depression, or any mental illness for that matter, the best thing you can do is be there for that person.  Let them know that you will always be there to listen to them, even if you think what they're saying is silly.  To them, it's not.  Last year, a very dear friend of mine almost left us because she was dealing with things on her own that no one knew about.  Things that maybe we, as her friends, should have been more tuned in to.  She's still going through a lot, but now she has a strong support system, and I'm hoping that she will get through this...just as I'm hoping everyone dealing with depression will get through what they're dealing with.
If you are depressed, you're not alone.  There are a lot of us out here who understand what you're going through, and there are people that will be there to help you...family, friends, professionals...all you have to do is ask.  AND PLEASE DO ASK!

Really?

I'm absolutely dumbfounded by the things I see people complaining about these days.  I'll be the first to say that people should be allowed to believe whatever they want...as long as they're not hurting each other with their beliefs...and that's where we've started to run into a problem in this country.
People are horrified about Trans people going into bathrooms.  Guess what?  They've always been in our bathrooms.  What's even worse is that people are arguing against this because they're trying to protect our children...but children are being beaten and molested in all parts of the country, but there doesn't seem to be an interest in doing anything more about this.  Really America?  This is what your priorities have become?  I'm a father of three girls, and I'm not the least bit worried about a trans person being in the bathroom with them.  I'm much more worried about someone walking into one of their schools with a gun.  That actually happens!
People are upset with Obamacare.  Some argue it should be abolished.  Some argue it should do more.  The real problem isn't Obamacare.  The real problem is the health insurance companies.  No matter which side of the argument you're on, the real enemy is the health insurance companies.  They kind of remind me of Darth Sidious in Episodes one and two...they play each side against the other, and then continue to raise rates.  Your health insurance company can now overrule the treatment your doctor wants you to have because of costs...or whatever excuse they choose to come up with.  Think about that for a minute, your health insurance has more say in how your medical issues will be treated than your doctor...and you want to argue whether insurance should be privatized or publicly funded?  There's a bigger problem than that.  And don't even get me started on how insurance companies can choose to pay less for mental health treatment than physical health treatment when there's really no difference.
There's a long and sad history of racism in this country, but for a very short while it seemed like maybe as a country we were getting away from that, but now everything seems to be about race.  Do people really think they're unsafe just because there's a Muslim on the bus with them?  Here's news for you America, there are jerks in every race...just like there are wonderful people in every race.  The whole stereotyping thing has to end.  Just because someone is Muslim doesn't mean they're a terrorist.  Just like you can't say that everyone that looks like a "redneck" is ignorant.  They're all stupid stereotypes that only a very small percentage of people fall into.  A lot of people assume that long-haired guys are dumb...that's one of the reasons why I've tended to keep my hair long.  I love messing with people who want to believe stereotypes.
A lot of people are complaining that they can't believe we might end up with a Clinton-Trump election.  Do you want to know why America?  It's because we've lost focus on the big picture and started focusing on stupid little things that don't matter.  The media has blinded us to what's really important with their fifteen second sound byte stories about nothing, and too many Americans have accepted this.
So, you know what America?  We're getting just what we deserve with Clinton-Trump.  If you want to change America, change yourself first.

April recap

Get over it
A new novel from Tyree Campbell
E-stories and e-books
Red Moon Rising on Earth Day
Disharmony of the Spheres is still accepting submissions
Ecotastrophe II is still looking for submissions
Just a few days left
A few days left to save
The post I seem to make every four years

The post I seem to make every four years

Every time a presidential election comes along I post about the need to break the two party system and get a viable third, fourth, or even fifth party, and this year, that seems even more important!
When I look at the candidates the Dems and the Reps are giving us, I have to wonder what we've done wrong to deserve this.  And the truth is, We The People have done wrong.  We've allowed the two party system to take over America.  Although there are differences between the democrats and the republicans, the simple truth is that the one thing they most have in common is that they are owned by big business, and big business does not care about We The People.  And before you talk about feeling the Bern, let's face it, although Bernie Sanders may be the least "owned" of any candidate we've seen in a long time, he still belongs to the system that is continually screwing over the American people.
Whether you vote Democrat or Republican, you're voting for the continuation of the status quo, which continually funnels money into big business, wars, and the stripping of the American people of any real political power.
Everyone always says that voting third party is like throwing your vote away, and in some ways, this is true...but if people really are fed up with the Dems and the Reps, and all those people that are fed up vote third party, all of a sudden the status quo is broken.  This is, of course, assuming that presidential elections in the US are not rigged to some degree, and granted, this is a big assumption.
When you go to the polls this November, vote your conscience, don't vote because you have to be Red or Blue.  You can chose to be something else.  You can vote Green, or you can vote Libertarian, hell, you can even vote Communist if you really want to send a message.  My point is that voting Democrat or Republican when there are options will just continue to make this country worse.  As for myself, I will be voting third party at every opportunity on the ballot.  Granted, I am a Green, so I will vote Green wherever there is a candidate, but if there is a third party candidate running against the traditional candidates, I'm voting for them.  I don't care what party because I want to see an end to the stranglehold that these parties have on We The People.  If enough of us vote third party, we really can make a difference.
As Queensryche said, "there's a revolution calling," and that revolution is for the American people to throw the Democratic and Republican parties out on their asses!!!
Let's take back OUR country!

A few days left to save

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
There are only a few days left to save on a number of our titles (both print and e-book).  Go to http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/shop and click on any title with the Sale icon, and save some money.  There are no codes to enter at checkout, or anything like that.  Just buy the titles you want, and save immediately...but the sale ends at the end of March, so order soon!

Just a few days left

There are only a few days left to get 50% off of downloads of my e-books and e-stories.  This includes titles I've written and titles I've edited.  This ends on April 30th, so head over to http://www.jalanerwine.com/blog/shop and use the coupon code "new" at checkout.  This takes 50% off of your entire order...whether you order one title or all of them, and you know you want to read at least one of them!

Ecotastrophe II is still looking for submissions

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
In 2006, Sam’s Dot Publishing released an anthology about the effects of global climate change on humanity called Ecotastrophe.  Now that it’s been almost ten years since the release, and global climate change still seems a possible threat to humanity, Nomadic Delirium Press has decided to release Ecotastrophe II.  Like the original collection, this one will be edited by J Alan Erwine.
What we’re looking for: We want science fiction stories between 3,000 and 10,000 words that look at the effects of global climate change (preferably the extreme effects) on humanity and the other creatures of Earth.  We’re not looking for stories about the change, but rather the effects of the change.  Although we’d love to have a lot of stories that look at the hard science of climate change, we also want stories that look at the soft sciences.  It’s important that the stories focus on the people, rather than the science, but we still want the science to be plausible.
What we’re paying: We will pay $10 for first rights to any story.  We will also pay two contributor copies.  If possible, we will increase this payment…but we can’t guarantee that.
Poetry Submissions: We've decided that we will be accepting four, and only four, poems for this collection. They must meet the same criteria as story submissions, and we will pay $5 per poem for first rights, plus one contributor's copy. Please keep in mind that we will only accept one poem per poet.
Where to send your little gems: All submissions should be sent to editor (at) nomadicdeliriumpress (dot) com.  Your subject should be “Ecotastrophe Submission”.
Response times: We will respond to all submissions within two months.
Publication date: We are shooting for a mid-Summer 2016 release.
Other questions: If you have any other questions, please send them to the submission address.

Disharmony of the Spheres is still accepting submissions

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:

Disharmony of the Spheres will be a science fiction anthology in which the main character must be battling some type of mental illness.  While we will consider stories where the character is dealing with an illness like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, what we really want to see is characters that are battling an illness like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD, etc.  This is meant to be an uplifting collection of stories, so the characters must overcome their illness to defeat whatever they’re up against.  They don’t necessarily have to overcome their illness completely, but they must show that even when suffering from a mental illness, a person can still achieve great things.

Story particulars: We want stories that are 2,000 words or longer.  All stories must be science fiction, and they must fit into the guidelines as outlined above.

What we’re paying: We will pay $5 per story for one time rights, and we will also pay two contributor copies.  This is less than we would normally pay for an anthology, but half of all of the profits from this book will be going to the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention organization, which helps to battle teen suicide.  We will consider reprints for this anthology.

Poetry Submissions: We've decided that we will be accepting four, and only four, poems for this collection. They must meet the same criteria as story submissions, and we will pay $5 per poem for one time rights, plus one contributor's copy. Please keep in mind that we will only accept one poem per poet.

Where to send your stories and poems: All stories and poems should be sent to editor (at) nomadicdeliriumpress (dot) com.  The subject line should include “Disharmony submission.”

Response times: We will respond to all submissions within two months.

Other questions: If you have any other questions, please feel free to send them to the address above.

Red Moon Rising on Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, and other than doing whatever you can to help preserve the planet, the best thing you can do is order a copy of my environmental novel, Red Moon Rising.  The book is available as both a print and e-book, and the print version is even on sale...
http://store.albanlake.com/product/red-moon-rising/
J Alan Erwine takes you into a future environmental nightmare that is not only all too possible, but is in fact well on the way there. The air and seas are filthy with pollution and oil spills, the U.S. Government is an effete and toothless replica of its former self, and business decides which rules they will allow to be enforced. Corporations lie, people die.
Including Erik Singer’s brother Jeromie, killed while seeking evidence against an oil company regarding their spills in the Gulf. After five years, Erik has had enough of wallowing in loss and self-pity. Emboldened by the words and visions of a Native American environmentalist, Erik is ready to act.
And he has colleagues. The reluctant mayor of Tampa. The daughter of the most egregious industrialist. And a tree-hugging terrorist. Can just four people make a difference?

E-stories and e-books

This is just a reminder that most of my short stories that I've had published over the almost 20 years of my career, and most of the books I've written and edited are now available as e-books through my website at http://www.jalanerwine.com/blog/shop.  And if you use the coupon code "new" between now and the end of the month, you get 50% off of your entire order.
Most of these titles are also available through Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jaerwine and Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0035AMA0A.

A new novel from Tyree Campbell

The Butterfly and the Sea Dragon is now available for pre-order.
You can pre-order the print version from us for $1 off at http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-butterfly-and-the-sea-dragon-a-yoelin-thibbony-rescue/
You can pre-order the e-book version from Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/630127
You can pre-order the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EBA55E0
“The only records that delineate and authenticate Corporatia territories are on that Palmetto. We want it back.”
“What happened?” Yoelin asked.
“A records clerk bypassed security, recorded the information and then deleted it from our computers, and departed for Havelox Rest, outside our jurisdiction, where we believe she is now.”
After the words “Havelox Rest,” Yoelin heard only the pounding of her heart. A wave of dizziness passed. Why there? Why did it have to be there?
So who’s Yoelin Thibbony? That’s what she calls herself now. She endured a cruel and abusive childhood, when there was no one to rescue her. Now she performs Rescues of people or things—sometimes for hire, sometimes for free. She’s been hired to retrieve stolen archives. But to perform this Rescue, Yoelin has to return to Havelox Rest, the world of her childhood—a world that still holds dark and bleak terrors for her.

Get Over It

This song pretty much sums up my feelings about quite a few people in the world right now...

https://youtu.be/1H-Y7MAASkg

March recap

GM's Day
F'ing health insurance
Order e-stories and e-books
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica Sector Forty-Four (Lomisian Space)
Save on my e-books and e-stories
Nomadic Delirium Press is having a sale
Dealing with chronic Pain

Dealing with chronic pain

There are a large number of people dealing with chronic pain, myself included, and I think people who don't deal with it don't always understand what it's really like, so I'm going to try to put into words some of the things I deal with and some of the things I've heard and read from others.
When you're dealing with chronic pain, life becomes something like a jigsaw puzzle, with the pieces of the puzzle being different aspects of your life, and as the pain takes over, you can visually see the different pieces of your life puzzle disappearing.  For example, my little one will ask me to pick her up, but I know if I do, it will hurt...and a piece of my life disappears.
As the pain increases for anyone dealing with chronic pain, more things disappear from their lives, more puzzle pieces vanish, and you can never be sure if you'll get them back.  Eventually, the pain begins to effect everything and everyone in your life.  It begins to effect your relationships with your family, friends, co-workers, and even people you don't know, because the pain drains your energy and will often leave you angry and depressed.  Again, more and more pieces of the puzzle that is your life are gone, and sometimes there's no way of getting those pieces back.
As the pieces slowly disappear from your life, you're eventually left with only one puzzle piece, and the only thing that piece says is pain, and it says it in large bold letters.  The pain takes over your life and dominates everything.  It's at this point that many sufferers take the final way out, and if non-sufferers realized what they were going through, they might understand why they take this option.  It's not cowardice that causes people to take this option, but when personal strength is one of the puzzle pieces that disappears, sometimes this seems like the only option.  If you know you still have twenty, thirty, or forty years to live, and you know you'll suffer every day of those years, sometimes it seems like the option...but hopefully people that feel this way, can find something to hold on to.
For myself, I'm now to a point where a four hour shift leaves me almost doubled over in pain, and even sitting up at the computer for a couple of hours leaves me almost debilitated, but there is still hope.  We'll have new insurance in May and I can get back on the meds that work.  Granted, I can't stay on meds forever, but we also have a surgeon that we'll be meeting with, and hopefully he can fix things, and maybe I can pick my little girl up again, and I can be the person I was before pain become one of the few pieces left in the puzzle of my life.

Nomadic Delirium Press is having a sale

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
You can get a number of our books for 10% off now until the end of April.  There are short story collections, anthologies, magazines, games, and game supplements.  This even includes a couple of our most recent releases (Crisis Averted by Laura Givens and Quantum Women by Tyree Campbell.)
No coupon codes, just go to http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/shop and click on the titles with the "Sale" icons.

Save on my e-stories and e-books

Now through the end of April, you can save 50% off of your entire purchase of e-books and e-stories through my website at http://www.jalanerwine.com/blog/shop.  It doesn't matter how many, or how few titles your order, just use the coupon code "new" at checkout, and it will take 50% off of everything in your cart...and since they're e-books, there's never any shipping and handling.

The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galacitca: Sector Forty-Four (Lomisian Space)

From the Nomadic Delirium Press website:
The exploration of "Deep Space" continues.
Welcome to Sector Forty-Four, the home system of the Lomisians. Here you'll find their homeworld, and many of the worlds they've colonized.  You'll also find worlds that have been taken from the Lomisians.  Plus you'll find worlds that even the Lomisians avoid, and damaged systems that are a danger to all, but a challenge for the brave.
Available from us at: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/ephemeris-encyclopedia-galactica-sector-forty-four-lomisian-space/
Available from DriveThruRPG at: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/177714/The-Ephemeris-Encyclopedia-Galactica-Sectors-FortyFour-Lomisian-Space
This title will also be available as a digital download from all of the usual distributors...

Order e-stories and e-books

It's taken me many months, but I finally have almost all of my short stories now available as e-book downloads.  Also, several of the books I've edited and written are also available.  There are three places you can order them from...
You can get them directly from me at http://www.jalanerwine.com/blog/shop
You can get them from Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jaerwine
And you can order them on Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0035AMA0A
I, of course, would prefer that you order them from my website, since I make more money that way, but please feel free to order them wherever you can find them...and if you like them, please feel free to leave a review.

F'ing health insurance

As I mentioned previously, we had to change health insurance companies recently, and as a result, the company forced me to change the meds I take for my chronic pain. Now that I've been on the meds for a couple of weeks, I can say that the health insurance company is completely wrong in their decision. I'm dealing with more side effects than I did on my previous med.  I'm much more tired and deal with dizziness quite often. More importantly, it doesn't do anything for my pain.
On the old meds, I almost always had dull aching pain, but rarely did I have days where I was in intense pain, and I even had days where I was painless.  With these meds, I'm always in pain, and it's almost the same as if I wasn't on meds. The pain is often almost debilitating. It's hard for me to sit in this hard chair that I sit in to work from home, and when I have to go to work, I almost always come home in intense pain.
The unfortunate thing about this is that the insurance requires that I be on this med for three months before I can go back to my old meds.  Someone needs to explain to me why insurance companies are allowed to make health decisions for people that overrule the decisions of their doctors. That's beyond insane, but since they pretty much own both political parties, there's not much any of us can do...

GM's Day Sale

Taken from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
For the next week and a half, you can pick up all of the Ephemeris titles for 30% off from DriveThruRPG at http://www.drivethrurpg.com/rpg_gmsday.php?manufacturers_id=2805&filters=0_0_0_0_0_31817#selectpub.  It's a great time to add to your game, or for you to start playing the game...

February recap

Life. Don't talk to me about life
Pre-order the e-book version of the March issue of The Fifth Di...
Crisis Averted by Laura Givens
More health insurance BS
Order the March issue of The Fifth Di... early
The March 2016 issue of The Fifth Di... is here

The March 2016 issue of The Fifth Di... is here

The Fifth Di… returns to print in 2016!
The first print issue in many years features the fiction of Robert N. Stephenson, Ian Brazee-Cannon, Robert P. Hansen and John Grey.
A man is driven to desperation in his effort to find his father. An immortal finds himself among mortals seeking his secret, a secret he can’t give them. Another man has been taking advantage of the misfortunes of others after an asteroid impacts Earth, and now he must face the consequences. And a mission to find life on another planet has failed again and again…now what will happen when they are forced to go to yet another planet?
http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-fifth-di-march-2016/
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/615060
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BPSQXVK

Order the March 2016 issue of The Fifth Di... early

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
It's still a week until the release of the March 2016 issue of The Fifth Di..., but you can pre-order the print (yes, print) edition now, or...you can download the EPUB version today and read it a week early.  The print edition sells for $7.00 and the digital version will sell for $1.99, but if you order it before the release date, it's only $1.49.  Go to http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-fifth-di-march-2016/ and order your copy today...
The Fifth Di… returns to print in 2016!
The first print issue in many years features the fiction of Robert N. Stephenson, Ian Brazee-Cannon, Robert P. Hansen and John Grey.
A man is driven to desperation in his effort to find his father. An immortal finds himself among mortals seeking his secret, a secret he can’t give them. Another man has been taking advantage of the misfortunes of others after an asteroid impacts Earth, and now he must face the consequences. And a mission to find life on another planet has failed again and again…now what will happen when they are forced to go to yet another planet?

More health insurance BS

Health insurance companies in the United States are out of control, trying to control people's lives, and dictating what kind of medical help they can get.
As many readers of this blog know, I suffer from chronic pain.  For the last several months, I've been on a medication that has helped alleviate some of this pain.  I'm far from pain-free, but I'm living much better than I used to.  Unfortunately, we had to change health insurance plans, and the last time I went to get my prescription filled, I was informed that my new insurance would not cover it.  We went round and round between me, them, the pharmacy, and the doctor.  We finally were able to learn that the new insurance company will not allow people to take the medication that I've been on if they haven't first tried another drug, and so they are forcing me to change medications.  The medication I'm now having to take has been clinically shown to be less effective in treating chronic pain than the medication I've been on, and it also has a lot more side effects.  Of course, it's also cheaper for the insurance company, so I'm forced to change.
Even worse, this whole process took about a week to resolve, and I didn't have enough of the original medication to last a week, so I had to space out my doses, which, of course, has made me very sick.
Now I'm going to have to deal with withdrawal symptoms from the one drug and new side-effects of the new drug...should be a fun couple of weeks...
Something really needs to be done about these insurance companies.

Crisis Averted by Laura Givens

Crisis Averted is a great new short story collection by Laura Givens that has just been released by Nomadic Delirium Press...
Crisis Averted by Laura Givens is here!  Pick up an e-book or print copy of the book now...What constitutes being human?
Why are gods so bad at poker?
How would you square dance in zero-gee?
What is the alcohol tolerance of a superhero?
When is a good time to visit the universe next door?
Why does Buffalo Bill want a T-Rex?
Is Buggs Bunny transgendered or just a drag queen?
None of these questions are answered herein, but asking them is half the fun.
For all ordering options, please visit http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/crisisaverted.htm

Pre-order the e-book version of the March issue of The Fifth Di...

The e-book version of the March issue of The Fifth Di... is now available for pre-order.  2016 marks the return of The Fifth Di... to print, and the print version will be available on February 29th.
The Fifth Di... returns to print in 2016!
The first print issue in many years features the fiction of Robert N. Stephenson, Ian Brazee-Cannon, Robert P. Hansen and John Grey.
A man is driven to desperation in his effort to find his father. An immortal finds himself among mortals seeking his secret, a secret he can't give them. Another man has been taking advantage of the misfortunes of others after an asteroid impacts Earth, and now he must face the consequences. And a mission to find life on another planet has failed again and again...now what will happen when they are forced to go to yet another planet?
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/615060
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BPSQXVK?

Life. Don't talk to me about life

As most of the readers of this blog know, 2015 was a rough year for my family. It was our hope that 2016 would be an improvement, but so far it has been anything but...
I don't want to go into details, other than to say that no one is sick, but so far 2016 has kicked us in the ass over and over again, and I'm really getting tired of it.
All I have to say is...Is it 2017 yet?

January recap

Disharmony of the Spheres update
Nomadic Delirium Press titles now available as EPUB files through their store
Nomadic Delirium Press zines now available as EPUB files
Order e-books directly from the Nomadic Delirium Press website
E-books are now available on my website

E-books are now available on my website

Many of the short stories I've sold over the years are now available on my website as e-books.  In addition, some of the books I've written and edited are also available on the site.  This is a new store that I've set up, and it's just waiting for you to stop by and shop.  Go to http://jalanerwine.com/blog/shop/.  And if you shop between now and the end of the month, simply enter the coupon code "new" at checkout, and you'll get 25% off your entire cart.
I will be adding more titles to the store over the next few weeks, so keep stopping by and shopping often.

Order e-books directly from the Nomadic Delirium Press website

Taken from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
We've completed the e-book transition in our bookstore.  You can now order all but two of our e-book titles in EPUB format.  The two exceptions are Ephemeris supplements that don't translate into EPUB format very well, and actually need to be PDF books.
You can order any of our novels, magazines, collections, anthologies and game books in EPUB format, which is usable on a large number of e-readers, and is also easily translated into other formats like MOBI, which is what the Kindle uses.
So, what are you waiting for...start ordering your books now... http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/shop

Nomadic Delirium zines now available as EPUB files

Taken from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
A few days ago we posted that all of our novels, short story collections, and anthologies were now available as EPUB files through our store.  Now we're happy to add that all of our magazines are now available as EPUB files as well.  You can download issues of The Martian Wave, The Fifth Di..., or Spaceports & Spidersilk and start reading them right now.
Place your order today at: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/shop

Nomadic Delirium Press titles now available as EPUB files through their store

Taken from the Nomadic Delirium Press website:
Since we started marketing e-books, we've been selling all of our e-books as PDF files through our website.  Granted, you could pick up other formats of our books from other sites, but we're now slowly working on converting all of our e-books into EPUB format, which is much easier to use when you're trying to read an e-book.
For the moment, we've made all of our fiction titles available in this format.  That means you can now download, Quantum Women, A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Spacebar, Taurin Tales, The Opium of the People, Marionettes on the Moon, Just Because, The Poet, and Seedlings on the Solar Winds. So, what are you waiting for...
http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/shop
Next we're going to be converting our magazines, and then we'll start on the RPG's and all of the supplements.  All future titles will be available through our website in this format as well.

Disharmony of the Spheres update

Taken from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
For those of you that are interested in submitting to our upcoming anthology, Disharmony of the Spheres, we've currently accepted just over 20,000 words of fiction.  We're looking for a final length of 60,000-80,000 words, but you never know how quickly it might fill up, so please get your submissions in...
Disharmony of the Spheres will be a science fiction anthology in which the main character must be battling some type of mental illness.  While we will consider stories where the character is dealing with an illness like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, what we really want to see is characters that are battling an illness like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD, etc.  This is meant to be an uplifting collection of stories, so the characters must overcome their illness to defeat whatever they’re up against.  They don’t necessarily have to overcome their illness completely, but they must show that even when suffering from a mental illness, a person can still achieve great things.
Story particulars: We want stories that are 2,000 words or longer.  All stories must be science fiction, and they must fit into the guidelines as outlined above.
What we’re paying: We will pay $5 per story for one time rights, and we will also pay two contributor copies.  This is less than we would normally pay for an anthology, but half of all of the profits from this book will be going to the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention organization, which helps to battle teen suicide.  We will consider reprints for this anthology.
Where to send your stories: All stories should be sent to editor (at) nomadicdeliriumpress (dot) com.  The subject line should include “Disharmony submission.”
Response times: We will respond to all submissions within two months.
Other questions: If you have any other questions, please feel free to send them to the address above.

December recap

The Fifth Di... 2015 bundle
The Fifth Di... 2015 bundle is now available from the Nomadic Delirium Press Bookstore
Exciting changes coming to The Fifth Di... in 2016
The NDP fiction bundle
Two weeks to go
No Force Awakening for me for a while
It was a good Christmas
Great deals
Spaceports & Spidersilk January 2016
2015 in review

2015 in review

From a personal standpoint, 2015 was pretty much one for the crapper. The highlights would be Rebecca getting her troublesome gallbladder removed, something that had to be done to keep her alive...but now there seem to be lasting side effects.  Also a highlight would be me getting on medical insurance, since the Affordable Care Act actually made our insurance cheaper.  This allowed me to get on pain medication for the chronic pain that was pretty much destroying my quality of life.  There were other highlights like birthdays and Eryn being named an Aurora Scholar, but for the most part, 2015 sucked.
We had three visits to the ER, one surgery, and one extended hospital stay that even with insurance are costing us thousands of dollars.  We also had the custody battle, which is finally resolved, but that cost us thousands of dollars in legal fees.  Neither one of us makes much at our "real" jobs, so this has put a huge strain on us.  Now as the year comes to a close, we find out that Rebecca's company is being bought out by the end of next year, which means she may be out of a job by this time next year.  There were certainly times this year when the only thing that kept me going were the love of my amazing wife and our wonderful girls.
Professionally, this year was a mixed year.  I actually wrote a few stories, none of which have sold yet.  In a lot of ways, I feel like a new writer starting all over again.  As an editor, I edited a collection called A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar, which has done fairly well.  It's not a bestseller, but we have made money off of the book.  I also edited Quantum Women by Tyree Campbell which came out towards the end of the year.  This year has also seen the growth of The Fifth Di..., a zine which I've edited for more than a decade.  Starting next year, the zine will actually be released in both electronic and print formats.  The coming year will also see the release of a collection by Laura Givens that I'm editing, a novel from Tyree Campbell, and two collections.  In the game design world, I've created several new supplements for the Ephemeris RPG, and there are some exciting new things coming for the game in the next couple of years.
So, out with 2015, and hopefully 2016 will be better...

Spaceports & Spidersilk January 2016

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog...
The new year is almost upon us, and that means it's time for a new issue of Spaceports & Spidersilk...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/604005
Spaceports & Spidersilk features some of the best science fiction and fantasy fiction and poetry for kids of all ages. The January 2016 issue will take you to places you might never have imagined. It will appeal to your inner child, and hopefully take you back to the places you loved as a child…and if you’re still a child, it will open your imagination to all kinds of new worlds.

Great deals

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:
There are still a few days left to pick up a PDF version of the January 2016 issue of Spaceports & Spidersilk for just 75 cents. You can get your copy at http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/spaceports-spidersilk-january-2016/
While you’re at it, you can pick up all four 2015 PDF issues of Spaceports & Spidersilk for just $3 at http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/spaceports-spidersilk-2015-bundle/
And if you’re getting all of that, you might as well grab all four 2015 PDF issues of The Fifth Di… for just $3 at http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-fifth-di-2015-bundle/

It was a good Christmas

Christmas has come and gone, and we actually had a very good Christmas this year.  Given how crappy the year had treated us so far, I was a little worried about the holiday, but things went well...other than Rebecca being sick, which because of all of the hours she's having to put in at work almost seems to be the norm.  The kids didn't get quite as many presents as usual, but they seemed to like them even more than usual.  We all ate too  much, played lots of games, and watched Harry Potter movies all day, so it was a good time.
Later in the night I was giving Eryn drum lessons, while the younger two tried to play with everything, and Rebecca refused to relax.  I kept telling her that I'd take care of the dishes, but she wouldn't listen...
Once the weather warms up, I'll be walking around in my Boba Fett letterman's jacket, and I'm walking around the house now in my R2-D2 slippers.  Most importantly, we enjoyed being together as a family, which is the most important part of the holiday season, no matter what holiday you celebrate.
Now reality has come back.  Rebecca is at work trying not to cough up a lung, and when she gets home, I'll be off to work.  Some things never seem to change.

No force awakening for me for a while

I've been reading all of the posts from people who have seen the new movie, and if you don't know what movie I'm talking about, then move along, this is not the blog you're looking for.
I can't wait to see the movie, but we will be waiting anyway.  Rebecca deals with PTSD, and we're coming up on the anniversary of the day she was held up at gun point, so needless to say, a large crowd would not be good for her right now. In addition, we haven't been to a movie since that lunatic decided to massacre a bunch of people at the theater down the street from us...the theater where we had our first date. So, that aggravates her PTSD even more, and I won't do that to her...not even for Star Wars.  Yeah, folks, I love her that much!
Some people have asked why don't I just go by myself, but that's not what we do as a family.  We actually enjoy spending time together, so I will wait...probably not patiently...but I will wait nevertheless.
So, please, DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!

Two weeks to go

There are only two weeks left in this miserable year, and I would certainly say that I'm very happy about that.  This year has been awful for our family.  We've had three ER visits, one surgery, and one extended hospital stay, which have all added up to a lot of medical bills, and even with the lower rates we got as a result of the Affordable Care Act, we still owe a lot of people a lot of money.  Add to this the fact that we racked up a lot of legal bills in Rebecca's recent custody battle, and things only get worse.
Even though I only work part time, my hours have fluctuated greatly throughout the year, and even though Rebecca has been putting in an insane number of hours, her company is merging and she could be out of a job by the end of next year.
At the beginning of 2015, we had talked about this being our year. We were going to finish up taking care of outstanding debts, and start putting aside money so that we could get a house in 2016, or maybe 2017, depending on the housing market.  We now find ourselves deeper in debt, and that dream of a house is now on the distant horizon.
So, 2015, you can get out of here as soon as you'd like.  We're done with you...

The NDP fiction bundle

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
DriveThruFiction has a bundle of our fiction titles in PDF format that you can download for just $12.  You get two novels, two anthologies, and four short story collections.  That's more than 300,000 words of fiction for just $12.  Reading through all of this would be a great way to spend your holiday vacations!
http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/65749/The-NDP-Fiction-Bundle-BUNDLE

Exciting changes coming to The Fifth Di... in 2016

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
We're very excited to announce some changes that will be coming to our long-running zine The Fifth Di... in 2016.
First of all, the zine will still be available as an electronic zine, but it will also be available as a 6X9 print magazine.  Contributors will receive one copy of each.  It's our hope that adding the print format will allow us to eventually add more stories, bring poetry back, and increase our payments for contributors.
Second of all, we've changed our pay rates slightly.  We've lowered them for shorter stories, but increased them for longer stories.
For complete guidelines, please visit http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/fifthguidelines.htm

The Fifth Di... 2015 bundle is now available from the Nomadic Delirium Press bookstore

All four 2015 issues of The Fifth Di... can be yours for just $3.  That's more than 40,000 words of fiction for less than the price of most novels...
http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-fifth-di-2015-bundle/

The Fifth Di... 2015 bundle

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
You can now pick up the PDF version of all four 2015 issues of The Fifth Di... for just $3 from DriveThruFiction at http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/167843/The-Fifth-Di-2015-BUNDLE

November recap

A new short story
Happy 5th birthday
A reminder about Disharmony of the Spheres
My thoughts on NaNoWriMo
Ephemeris Black Friday weekend sale
Are you ready to play?
Amazon Author's Page
The Fifth Di... December 2015

The Fifth Di... December 2015

The December issue of The Fifth Di... is now available...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/597019
The Fifth Di..., one of the longest running on-line zines continues on with four new stories. This month we feature fantasy and science fiction stories from Kate Runnels, James Van Pelt, Matthew Spence, and Robert J. Mendenhall.
Read a sample at http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/tfdsample.htm.

Amazon author's page

While doing some "housecleaning" on a variety of websites yesterday, I realized that I hadn't updated my Amazon author's page in a very long time.  The page said that we have one cat, when we now have three, and it also only had 12 titles listed, which is a long way from being true.
So, I went through and updated everything.  Now most of the books I've been involved with should be on there...this includes my novels, short story collections (including the new one), Ephemeris supplements, books and magazines I've edited, and all of my individual short stories that I've released for Kindle, which now brings the title count to 99.  I guess I should put another short story up, just so that I'll have 100 titles.
Feel free to check it out at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0035AMA0A

Are you ready to play?

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
The Ephemeris Science Fiction Role Playing Game has been around for a while, but there are still more supplements coming out in the future, and we have BIG plans for the game in the years to come...
http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/ephemeris/main.htm
The year is 2185. The human race has gone to the stars, and found that they’re not alone. Local space is teeming with civilizations, some hostile, some friendly, and some indifferent. This is the universe of Ephemeris.
Ephemeris is a game of galactic trade and galactic conquest; of inter-species conflict and cooperation. Ephemeris is a science fiction role playing game. Here you will be able to take on the role of your favorite alien species and your favorite class. You will be able to trade, fight, negotiate, conquer, whatever you’d like to do with your fellow players. You can play the role of an Althani Trader, or maybe an Arbonix Cyber Wizard, or maybe even a Human Nanist. You can create a party made up entirely of one species and set out to upset the trade routes of a rival species. Or maybe you want to create a party with a variety of races that preys upon the trading routes of the various civilizations. Or maybe you want to explore the ancient ruins on long dead planets, ruins that clearly show that there were other species roaming the spaceways in the past…but where are they now? You can fight in great wars, negotiate grand peace treaties, and explore sections of the galaxy that no sentient has ever explored. Or maybe your party has joined with one of the interplanetary corporations; corporations whose motives are never entirely clear. These are just some of the possibilities open to you. The universe of Ephemeris is yours to do with as you please. What you now hold in your hands are the basic guidelines for the games. Here you’ll find the races, classes, abilities, skills, weapons, and ships that allow you to create your own Ephemeris universe.
Now, step inside for the greatest science fiction adventure you’ve ever been on…

Ephemeris Black Friday weekend sale

Taken from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
Starting today, and going through Cyber Monday, you can get all Ephemeris titles for 25% off at DriveThruRPG at http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2805/Nomadic-Delirium-Press.  It's time to stock up on the products you need to complete your game, or if you've ever wanted to start playing...now's the time!

My thoughts on NaNoWriMo

As an author, I've always thought that NaNoWriMo would be an interesting challenge.  I'd love to write a novel in a month, but the simple truth is that I just don't have enough writing time in my life now to really take on such a challenge.  I don't get to write every day like I would like to because of responsibility or overwhelming noise.  It's my hope that when the little one starts school next year, I'll have more opportunities to write, but that's still a long way off.
As an editor, I dread NaNoWriMo.  Many authors seem to believe that writing the novel is all they have to do.  A lot of authors don't realize that writing is as much about rewriting as it is about writing.  When I've written a novel, I've spent about the same amount of time rewriting the book as I did writing it in the first place.  Many novice authors finish their NaNoWriMo project and then immediately begin to submit it.  There aren't many authors that can pull off a masterpiece with their rough draft, but come December, January, and February, I start seeing a lot of submissions that are obviously rough drafts.  Even worse, many authors self-publish these rough drafts, watering down the market with works that don't deserve publication...yet...
So, basically I have very mixed feelings about NaNoWriMo, but I think I would like to try it some year...

A reminder about Disharmony of the Spheres

This is a project that's very important to me for a number of reasons, and I'd love to see submissions from a lot of the writers I know...
Nomadic Delirium Press is pleased to announce that we are reading for a new anthology...
Disharmony of the Spheres
Disharmony of the Spheres will be a science fiction anthology in which the main character must be battling some type of mental illness.  While we will consider stories where the character is dealing with an illness like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, what we really want to see is characters that are battling an illness like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD, etc.  This is meant to be an uplifting collection of stories, so the characters must overcome their illness to defeat whatever they’re up against.  They don’t necessarily have to overcome their illness completely, but they must show that even when suffering from a mental illness, a person can still achieve great things.
Story particulars: We want stories that are 2,000 words or longer.  All stories must be science fiction, and they must fit into the guidelines as outlined above.
What we’re paying: We will pay $5 per story for one time rights, and we will also pay two contributor copies.  This is less than we would normally pay for an anthology, but half of all of the profits from this book will be going to the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention organization, which helps to battle teen suicide.  We will consider reprints for this anthology.
Where to send your stories: All stories should be sent to editor (at) nomadicdeliriumpress (dot) com.  The subject line should include “Disharmony submission.”
Response times: We will respond to all submissions within two months.
Other questions: If you have any other questions, please feel free to send them to the address above.

Happy 5th birthday

It's hard to believe, but today is Alexis' 5th birthday.  It seems like only yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital, and now here she is, a young lady.  Time goes by far too fast when it comes to kids.  Eryn's only a few years away from graduating from high school, Jul's about to start middle school, and if Lex had been born a few weeks earlier, she'd already be in school.  I really don't know where the time goes.
She's become such a unique little girl.  She loves her dresses, but at the same time she loves her Ninja Turtles.  When she's playing with dolls, they might be having a tea party, or they might be getting eaten by her big T-rex, you can never be too sure.  She has enough energy to power the sun, and she wears us all down just watching her, but she loves to sit and learn at the same time.
It's hard to say what she will be as she gets older, but something tells me it will be a unique adventure...

A new short story

I finished the rough draft for a new short story today.  Several years ago, this wouldn't have been that big of a deal, as I was writing stories all the time, but now I don't write anywhere near as much as I'd like to.  The simple reason for this is that editing and game design pay better, and they pay in a more timely manner, and simply put, we always need the money, so now finishing a story is a big deal.
I've really missed writing, and even though mounting medical and legal bills are sucking us deeper into our hole, the simple truth is that I'm a writer first, and an editor and a game designer second.  As such, I need to write.  As human beings, we can't deny the passions in our life.  If we do, what's the point of living, and writing is one of my greatest passions, so I will be doing more in the months and years to come.
Is this story going to make us rich?  Of course not.  My skills are rusty, and it clearly shows in the story, but with some work, I'm confident it will sell.  It may only make me enough to buy myself lunch somewhere, but in many ways, it feels like I'm starting over in my career, and that's ok.  I love writing, and I'm still confident that it will all pay off sometime in the future...

October recap

Royalties, royalties, and more royalties
My preliminary MileHiCon schedule
Ecotastrophe II
More ranting about mental health issues in America
Disharmony of the spheres
My MileHiCon schedule
Martian Wave bundle
MileHiCon 47 recap
10% off sale
Ephemeris sale

Ephemeris sale

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
It's time to stock up on all of the products you need for your Ephemeris game. Through Nov. 13th, get all Ephemeris titles for 30% off!
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2805/Nomadic-Delirium-Press

10% off sale

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
For the next two weeks, you can get several of our most recent e-books for 10% off at Smashwords.
Quantum Women by Tyree Campbell https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/575947. Use coupon code GJ82U.
The Martian Wave: 2015 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/561565. Use coupon code QQ84T.
A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/499752. Use coupon code LA97H.
Taurin Tales https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/472428. Use coupon code WG32B.

MileHiCon 47 recap

Another year of MileHiCon has come and gone.  This year seemed to fly by even faster.  We think it was mostly because we didn't stay at the hotel this year because we just couldn't afford it.  It was great seeing a lot of our old con friends, but there were several people that we somehow never ran into.
This year I had three panels and a signing, but for Friday night, I didn't have anything.  We showed up a bit later than usual because there were other things going on.  We went to the opening ceremonies and Jul and I were recruited into getting crowd members to be part of the opening ceremonies, which were based on "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Saturday was a busy day for me.  I started out with a panel on the similarities and differences between game and book publishing, which went well, which I think was true of all of the panels I did this year.  We kind of got away from the main topic on this one, but we still gave out a lot of great info on game design and publishing.
Immediately after the panel, I had a signing.  Unfortunately, the signing table was not in the greatest place, and there was very little foot traffic in the area, so the signing didn't go well.  In the future, we're talking about trying to get a Nomadic Delirium Press table in either the dealers room or on Author's Row.  That might be a bit more than we can immediately afford, but maybe we can start selling a lot more NDP books in the near future.
Immediately after the signing, I was on a panel about what got us into science fiction and fantasy.  This was one of those fun panels, and there was a fairly large crowd.  We all seemed to have a great time, but once we got on the topic of YA books to get kids into reading sf and fantasy, I was pretty much left out, as I never have read many YA books.  I got into the field with some of the adult material.  Still, it was a fun panel.
Saturday night concluded with the mask parade, which the two younger kids participated in and the masquerade.
I only had one panel on Sunday, which was about trends in publishing.  This one was standing room only, and it was a great panel, although we certainly didn't agree on everything.
During the Con, I was able to talk to one person about a secret project that we're going to start working on next year.  It will be a long term project, and I can't discuss it yet, but I think it will be fun.  I was also able to talk to Laura Givens about doing a cover for "Disharmony of the Spheres."  We have a great concept, and we have the perfect model for the cover, a beautiful teenage girl who is a brave crusader for everyone suffering from depression.  I think it will be truly awesome!

Martian Wave bundle

Taken from the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
DriveThruFiction is currently carrying a bundle of all three issues of The Martian Wave.  You can get PDF versions of the 2013, 2014, and 2015 issues for just $7.50. That's over 100,000 words about the exploration and colonization of space.  It's a deal you can't afford to pass up.
http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/117289/The-Martian-Wave-2013

My MileHiCon schedule

Here is what looks to be my final MileHiCon schedule for this year...
Saturday at Noon: Game Publishing/Book Publishing: Similarities & Differences
Saturday at 1:00 Signing
Saturday at 2:00 You Always Remember Your First...
What SF/F/H is the earliest you recall? Perhaps it’s Dr. Seuss, or The Twilight Zone, Maybe not the fairytales you were read––or maybe so––but the first you picked up on your own, the first that made an impression, that warped you forever. Our panelists share memories! 
Sunday at 10:00 Trends in Publishing...
Are magazines doomed? Will people even pay for content anymore? Are audio books making a comeback? What the heck do readers want these days? 

Hope to see some of you there...

Disharmony of the Spheres

From the Nomadic Delirium Press website...
Nomadic Delirium Press is pleased to announce that we are reading for a new anthology...
Disharmony of the Spheres
Disharmony of the Spheres will be a science fiction anthology in which the main character must be battling some type of mental illness.  While we will consider stories where the character is dealing with an illness like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, what we really want to see is characters that are battling an illness like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD, etc.  This is meant to be an uplifting collection of stories, so the characters must overcome their illness to defeat whatever they’re up against.  They don’t necessarily have to overcome their illness completely, but they must show that even when suffering from a mental illness, a person can still achieve great things.
Story particulars: We want stories that are 2,000 words or longer.  All stories must be science fiction, and they must fit into the guidelines as outlined above.
What we’re paying: We will pay $5 per story for one time rights, and we will also pay two contributor copies.  This is less than we would normally pay for an anthology, but half of all of the profits from this book will be going to the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention organization, which helps to battle teen suicide.  We will consider reprints for this anthology.
Where to send your stories: All stories should be sent to editor (at) nomadicdeliriumpress (dot) com.  The subject line should include “Disharmony submission.”
Response times: We will respond to all submissions within two months.
Other questions: If you have any other questions, please feel free to send them to the address above.

More ranting about mental health issues in America

A while back I posted a blog entry talking about how mental health issues are treated differently than physical health issues.  Well, I'm going to go on about it again, as this is an issue that's very important to me.  I've dealt with depression off and on throughout my life.  Rebecca still deals with PTSD as a result of being robbed at gunpoint.  Other members of my family have dealt with affective and anxiety issues, and earlier this year a dear friend of mine was hospitalized because she was having trouble dealing with gender identity issues, so mental health is something that I'm always thinking about.  It probably also doesn't hurt that I hold a degree in psychology either...
One thing I've noticed is that if someone tells another person that their child has been admitted to the hospital because they're undergoing testing for something like cancer, people react differently than if you were to say that the child was undergoing psychiatric evaluation and testing for depression.  Why should this be different?  Both are ailments, and both children deserve our sympathy, but the child being tested for depression is more likely to be looked at as being weak, or the parents are going to be looked at as if they've done something wrong.  An important thing to remember is that most psychiatric disorders have a physical and biological cause.  Most cases of depression are caused by a neurotransmitter imbalance, but somehow this is viewed as being different than abnormal cell growth causing cancer.  Both of these illnesses have a very physical causative agent.
It's true that life choices can exacerbate an already existing psychiatric condition.  For example, continuing to date someone who is abusive can make a depressed person's depression worse.  So, should we judge these people because their choices have helped contribute to their illness?  Before you say yes, keep in mind that a lot of physical ailments can be exacerbated by our life choices as well.  How many health issues, especially in America, are made worse by our eating habits?  We usually don't judge people for making decisions that helped lead to their cancer (except maybe for lung cancer) or any other ailment, so why should we do it with mental health issues.
Once again, until America wakes up and realizes that mental illness is an illness, not a weakness, we are not going to be able to solve many of our problems.  And things like gun violence are only going to get worse.
Please don't judge someone who is dealing with a mental health issue.  You have no idea what they are going for, just as you don't really know what someone with a severe illness is going through unless you've dealt with it yourself.  There's no difference whatsoever between physical health issues and mental health issues.  No difference at all!

Ecotastrophe II

Borrowed from the Nomadic Delirium Press website:
We're now looking for submissions for a new anthology...
ECOTASTROPHE II
In 2006, Sam’s Dot Publishing released an anthology about the effects of global climate change on humanity called Ecotastrophe.  Now that it’s been almost ten years since the release, and global climate change still seems a possible threat to humanity, Nomadic Delirium Press has decided to release Ecotastrophe II.  Like the original collection, this one will be edited by J Alan Erwine.
What we’re looking for: We want science fiction stories between 3,000 and 10,000 words that look at the effects of global climate change (preferably the extreme effects) on humanity and the other creatures of Earth.  We’re not looking for stories about the change, but rather the effects of the change.  Although we’d love to have a lot of stories that look at the hard science of climate change, we also want stories that look at the soft sciences.  It’s important that the stories focus on the people, rather than the science, but we still want the science to be plausible.
What we’re paying: We will pay $10 for first rights to any story.  We will also pay two contributor copies.  If possible, we will increase this payment…but we can’t guarantee that.
Where to send your little gems: All submissions should be sent to editor (at) nomadicdeliriumpress (dot) com.  Your subject should be “Ecotastrophe Submission”.
Response times: We will respond to all submissions within two months.
Publication date: We are shooting for a mid-Summer 2016 release.
Other questions: If you have any other questions, please send them to the submission address.

My preliminary MileHiCon schedule

Here is my preliminary schedule for MileHiCon.  It's still subject to change, and I'm also hoping to add a signing.  I'll post a complete schedule when we get closer to Con time...

Saturday at Noon: Game Publishing/Book Publishing: Similarities & Differences
Saturday at 2: You Always Remember Your First - get your minds out of the gutter...it's not what you think...

Sunday at 2: Trends in Publishing

Royalties, royalties, and more royalties

September was one of those months when quite a few royalty payments showed up in the last couple of weeks, and although none of them were especially large, they did add up to what seemed like a decent chunk of change.  The royalties did, for a while, make me feel like this whole writer/editor/game designer/publisher thing was actually working out.  Then I stopped and thought about it and realized that all of those royalties together were less than what I make in one paycheck from my awful "real" job, and then I was sad.
Truth is, my income from all of these endeavors is increasing every year, although it's a gradual increase.  Let's just say that if you were graphing them, I'm nowhere close to my income being asymptotic, but it's an increase nevertheless.  At this rate, I should be able to support myself some time around my 200th birthday, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to support my family before my 400th...

September recap

Not much blogging last month

Busy, busy, busy

So much for that more blogging thing