Since finishing my last two novels, I had decided that I wanted to spend some time working on short fiction...so why is it that I find myself plotting out a new novel today?
Stupid brain!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Share and share alike
I've now made it possible for readers of this blog to share my entries on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever else they might want to. So, if you think I've actually managed to say something that others might be interested in, or if you think some of my work looks interesting, please feel free to use those share buttons...
Saturday, September 04, 2010
The first appointment of the month
We had another Dr's appointment yesterday. Things are still looking good. Rebecca isn't suffering from anemia or gestational diabetes. She did lose a pound which has prompted the Dr. to put her on a prescription for her heartburn. Hopefully that will help clear it up and she'll be able to eat better. She's been so exhausted. Everything is so hard for her, and I feel very bad for her.
Here's a pic of the belly that I took two weeks ago...
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There's still a little bit of time left to get in The Baby Game if you're interested. Simply go to http://jalanerwine.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-game.html and make your guesses. The entries close on October 15th...and that's not too far away.
In other news, I had a job interview yesterday and things look really good for me to be going back to work in the next couple of weeks. It would only be part time, but we need the extra cash, and if we decide to switch things up with our work roles next summer, I need to be in a job soon so we can make that happen.
Here's a pic of the belly that I took two weeks ago...
.jpg)
There's still a little bit of time left to get in The Baby Game if you're interested. Simply go to http://jalanerwine.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-game.html and make your guesses. The entries close on October 15th...and that's not too far away.
In other news, I had a job interview yesterday and things look really good for me to be going back to work in the next couple of weeks. It would only be part time, but we need the extra cash, and if we decide to switch things up with our work roles next summer, I need to be in a job soon so we can make that happen.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wondorus Web Worlds Vol. 4 on sale
Sam's Dot Publishing has placed Wondrous Web Worlds Vol. 4 on sale through The Genre Mall. You can order it for $10 with no shipping & handling, but the sale only lasts through the end of September.
For those of you that are new readers of this blog, the Wondrous Web Worlds anthologies are the best of the web collections that Sam's Dot puts out each year. They feature the best poems and stories from Sam's Dot's on-line zines, as voted on by the readers. This is an anthology that I edit, but in this particular issue, there is also a story from me..."Lost in the Dark."
You can read a complete write-up of the anthology, and of course order copies by going to http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#www4.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Red Moon Rising release date
The original plan had been to try to get this book out by MileHiCon, which is in less than eight weeks, but with last minute edits, and changes to the Sam's Dot Publishing schedule, that's just not doable, and I'm ok with that. I'd rather they put out the best version of the book that they can, as opposed to rushing the book.
So, the official release date for Red Moon Rising will be February 1st, 2011. I'll be bringing you more details about the book as we get closer to the release date.
So, the official release date for Red Moon Rising will be February 1st, 2011. I'll be bringing you more details about the book as we get closer to the release date.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Another Dr.'s appointment and a baby shower
We went to another Dr.'s appointment yesterday. Rebecca had to do the glucose test for gestational diabetes, and I know any woman who is reading this and has had to go through this just gagged. Everything is still looking good, although when the Dr. went to do the Doppler test so we could hear the heartbeat, our overly active little spaz of a child kicked the Doppler. It had us all laughing.
Today is the baby shower. Luckily it's not going to be a typical baby shower. It's just going to be a bunch of people sitting down and eating together. I don't think either of us could have put up with all of the ridiculous shower games...
Today is the baby shower. Luckily it's not going to be a typical baby shower. It's just going to be a bunch of people sitting down and eating together. I don't think either of us could have put up with all of the ridiculous shower games...
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Diesel e-books
Three of my books are now available from Diesel e-books. You can find them here:
Seedlings on the Solar Winds
Marionettes on the Moon
The Opium of the People
Seedlings on the Solar Winds
Marionettes on the Moon
The Opium of the People
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Just Because
A few years ago, Sam's Dot Publishing released a trade paperback that I edited called Just Because. This book was a collection of poems, essays, and stories by ProMart founder James Baker. For those of you that don't recognize the name, Jim, and his little publishing house ProMart, were responsible for helping a lot of writers get their careers started...including me. ProMart even published the works of a future Hugo nominee...so Jim obviously had an eye for talent.
I'd been editing for a while for Jim when he sent me a story by an unpublished author by the name of Tyree Campbell. This would be the first of many stories we would publish by Tyree, and when Jim was stricken with cancer, and we knew he wouldn't make it, it was Tyree who stepped up and took over the company...creating Sam's Dot Publishing.
After Jim's untimely death, I put together this anthology, and we released it as a trade paperback. Now Nomadic Delirium Press (the publisher I now run) has released the book as an e-book. You can get a chance to read some of Jim's works, and maybe get a sense of who he was. The book is also peppered with commentary from the people who knew him best...his ProMartians, as he called us...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/21599
I'd been editing for a while for Jim when he sent me a story by an unpublished author by the name of Tyree Campbell. This would be the first of many stories we would publish by Tyree, and when Jim was stricken with cancer, and we knew he wouldn't make it, it was Tyree who stepped up and took over the company...creating Sam's Dot Publishing.
After Jim's untimely death, I put together this anthology, and we released it as a trade paperback. Now Nomadic Delirium Press (the publisher I now run) has released the book as an e-book. You can get a chance to read some of Jim's works, and maybe get a sense of who he was. The book is also peppered with commentary from the people who knew him best...his ProMartians, as he called us...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/21599
Friday, August 13, 2010
Time flies...or does it?
I'm still having trouble believing that the oldest started the fourth grade last week. Even harder to believe is that the youngest (soon to be middle) started kindergarten. It seems like they didn't even have a summer vacation.
Next Saturday (the 21st) will be our baby shower. This also will mark our three month anniversary. It's hard to believe that we've been married for three months. It seems like we just said, "I do."
At the same time, however, tomorrow marks the start of the third trimester for our next little nerd, which means we still have 12 weeks until the due date. It seems like Rebecca has been pregnant for almost a year, and I'm sure it seems even more so to her...given how sick she has been through this whole pregnancy.
So, is time flying, or is it dragging? I really have no idea...
Next Saturday (the 21st) will be our baby shower. This also will mark our three month anniversary. It's hard to believe that we've been married for three months. It seems like we just said, "I do."
At the same time, however, tomorrow marks the start of the third trimester for our next little nerd, which means we still have 12 weeks until the due date. It seems like Rebecca has been pregnant for almost a year, and I'm sure it seems even more so to her...given how sick she has been through this whole pregnancy.
So, is time flying, or is it dragging? I really have no idea...
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Respect your editors and publishers
I've been working as an editor for more than a decade now, and there are some behaviors I've seen from writers that I consider disgusting. I'm not talking about not following guidelines, although that happens a lot. I've never edited anything that accepts horror, and yet I'm constantly inundated by it. I'm talking about things like sending nasty letters to an editor after they've rejected your work, trying to sell reprints as originals, slandering editors or publishers because they didn't want to accept your work, and anything else that might be similar.
It might seem hard to believe that writers can act this way, but they can, and believe me, they do! I used to comment on every piece I rejected, but at least once or twice a month I'd get a nasty e-mail back from a disgruntled author, and because of that, I rarely comment on author's work anymore, and that's a bad thing for authors. Feedback from an editor can be a real help to an aspiring writer, but because of a few childish people, fewer and fewer editors are giving feedback anymore.
In a sense, editors and publishers are something like a writer's employers and they should be treated as such. Most people aren't going to call their boss a jerk because their boss wasn't happy with their performance, but since the internet isn't face to face, people seem to have a lot more courage to act like fools.
One thing that writers don't seem to realize is that editors talk to one another, and if someone is misbehaving, there's a good chance that other editors will find out. If your work is rejected, and you're not happy with the rejection, then feel free to write a nasty rant to the publisher...but DON'T SEND IT!!!
Never try to sell first rights to a story that has already been published. It's simply a form of dishonesty, and no one likes dishonest people, plus when you get caught, a lot of other editors will find out, and it could end your career.
And whatever you do, don't go around posting nasty things about editors or publishers because they've rejected your work. You look foolish when you do it, and there's a good chance that other publishers and editors will read your rants, and they'll be much less likely to want to work with you...
It might seem hard to believe that writers can act this way, but they can, and believe me, they do! I used to comment on every piece I rejected, but at least once or twice a month I'd get a nasty e-mail back from a disgruntled author, and because of that, I rarely comment on author's work anymore, and that's a bad thing for authors. Feedback from an editor can be a real help to an aspiring writer, but because of a few childish people, fewer and fewer editors are giving feedback anymore.
In a sense, editors and publishers are something like a writer's employers and they should be treated as such. Most people aren't going to call their boss a jerk because their boss wasn't happy with their performance, but since the internet isn't face to face, people seem to have a lot more courage to act like fools.
One thing that writers don't seem to realize is that editors talk to one another, and if someone is misbehaving, there's a good chance that other editors will find out. If your work is rejected, and you're not happy with the rejection, then feel free to write a nasty rant to the publisher...but DON'T SEND IT!!!
Never try to sell first rights to a story that has already been published. It's simply a form of dishonesty, and no one likes dishonest people, plus when you get caught, a lot of other editors will find out, and it could end your career.
And whatever you do, don't go around posting nasty things about editors or publishers because they've rejected your work. You look foolish when you do it, and there's a good chance that other publishers and editors will read your rants, and they'll be much less likely to want to work with you...
Thursday, August 05, 2010
The Genre Mall
As many of you may know, I run an on-line "store" for small press genre titles. The site is called The Genre Mall and it has been around for quite a few years.
Traffic and sales have been increasing at the site, and I'm working on ways to try to maximize this. The most obvious reason for doing this is that I've been looking for a "real" job for a while, and haven't had any luck, so we need any extra income we can get.
We're using three different approaches to try to increase income from The Genre Mall. The first, and most obvious, is that we've added donation buttons to a number of the pages. I've heard mixed reviews on taking donations from a wide variety of genre sites, so we'll see how this goes.
The second thing we're doing is contacting the publishers that have been with us for a while that we haven't had any recent updates from. We're hoping that they'll decide to stay with The Genre Mall, and that they'll have a lot of new titles to add.
The third thing we'll be doing is making a big push to sign up some more publishers.
All of this is a lot of work, and it really needs to pay off, or we may be forced to pull the plug because I can't invest a lot of time in something that doesn't pay off if I should happen to find a real job.
If all of this does pay off, then I'm hoping to make some changes to the site...mostly cleaning it up, and if it pays off big enough than I'm planning on setting up some kind of store front, because the current site is just too clunky right now, and I haven't been happy with it for quite some time...
Traffic and sales have been increasing at the site, and I'm working on ways to try to maximize this. The most obvious reason for doing this is that I've been looking for a "real" job for a while, and haven't had any luck, so we need any extra income we can get.
We're using three different approaches to try to increase income from The Genre Mall. The first, and most obvious, is that we've added donation buttons to a number of the pages. I've heard mixed reviews on taking donations from a wide variety of genre sites, so we'll see how this goes.
The second thing we're doing is contacting the publishers that have been with us for a while that we haven't had any recent updates from. We're hoping that they'll decide to stay with The Genre Mall, and that they'll have a lot of new titles to add.
The third thing we'll be doing is making a big push to sign up some more publishers.
All of this is a lot of work, and it really needs to pay off, or we may be forced to pull the plug because I can't invest a lot of time in something that doesn't pay off if I should happen to find a real job.
If all of this does pay off, then I'm hoping to make some changes to the site...mostly cleaning it up, and if it pays off big enough than I'm planning on setting up some kind of store front, because the current site is just too clunky right now, and I haven't been happy with it for quite some time...
Monday, August 02, 2010
A busy few weeks ahead of us
The next few weeks are going to be quite crazy around here. In addition to Rebecca working her usual hours, and me trying to find a job at the same time that I'm writing, editing, and doing game design, we have a lot of other things on our calendar.
Tuesday we're taking a tour of the hospital where the baby is going to be born. Immediately after that, we're going to back to school night at the girls' school. On Wednesday the oldest starts the 4th grade, and then the next Wednesday, the youngest starts Kindergarten (Where does the time go?)
At Rebecca's work, they're getting ready to do inventory, which means there's a lot for her to do, and she may even pick up a few extra hours if she can handle it. We certainly need the money, but I'm worried about her pushing herself to hard. Their official inventory date is the 19th. The day after that, we have a doctor's appointment, and this is for the glucose test, which I know any woman who has ever had a baby knows exactly what I'm talking about. Then on the 21st, we have a baby shower that one of Rebecca's friends has put together for her.
So, it will be a crazy few weeks...let's hope we make it through with whatever is left of our sanity...
Tuesday we're taking a tour of the hospital where the baby is going to be born. Immediately after that, we're going to back to school night at the girls' school. On Wednesday the oldest starts the 4th grade, and then the next Wednesday, the youngest starts Kindergarten (Where does the time go?)
At Rebecca's work, they're getting ready to do inventory, which means there's a lot for her to do, and she may even pick up a few extra hours if she can handle it. We certainly need the money, but I'm worried about her pushing herself to hard. Their official inventory date is the 19th. The day after that, we have a doctor's appointment, and this is for the glucose test, which I know any woman who has ever had a baby knows exactly what I'm talking about. Then on the 21st, we have a baby shower that one of Rebecca's friends has put together for her.
So, it will be a crazy few weeks...let's hope we make it through with whatever is left of our sanity...
Sunday, August 01, 2010
A July recap
Since I seem to be blogging so much more than I used to, I figured I'd start doing recaps...just in case someone might have missed something important............
Seedlings Makes a Bestsellers List
It's About Time
Independence Day
Our Plans for the Day
An e-book Sale
Do you have a Sony e-reader?
Exhaustion creeps in
Writing short fiction again
Christmas in July
Got Nook?
Another Dr.'s appointment
A question for writers
Wedding pictures
The story is done
Seedlings Makes a Bestsellers List
It's About Time
Independence Day
Our Plans for the Day
An e-book Sale
Do you have a Sony e-reader?
Exhaustion creeps in
Writing short fiction again
Christmas in July
Got Nook?
Another Dr.'s appointment
A question for writers
Wedding pictures
The story is done
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The story is done
I finished the YA SF story I've been working on and sent it off to a potential market. This is the first story I've finished in a couple of years, since most of my focus has been on finishing two novels, and writing material for the Ephemeris RPG, and I think it shows a little of the rust...but what do I know? I've always been my harshest critic. I guess we'll know what the publisher thinks in a couple of months.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wedding Pictures
I've posted quite a few pictures from our wedding on my Facebook page. If you're interested, you can check them out at http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=188377&id=684032160
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A question for writers
I know there are quite a few writers that read this blog, so I wanted to ask you what your opinion on e-book publishers are. I'm not asking for recommendations, but rather I want to know what people think about having their books released solely as e-books.
I know that I like the idea of having an actual print book, but then I'm a little old fashioned. I still do all of my revisions on paper. As a writer, how many of you would be willing to sell your work to a publisher that only does e-books?
I know that I like the idea of having an actual print book, but then I'm a little old fashioned. I still do all of my revisions on paper. As a writer, how many of you would be willing to sell your work to a publisher that only does e-books?
Another Dr.'s appointment
We had another Dr.'s appointment today. Everything is progressing well with the baby so far. Rebecca grew more than expected, but actually lost a couple of pounds, so they're going to give her something stronger to fight the heartburn she's been having. Overall, things still look really good, and we're heading for that Nov. 6th due date.
Speaking of due dates, don't forget about our baby game that we're hosting...
http://jalanerwine.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-game.html
Speaking of due dates, don't forget about our baby game that we're hosting...
http://jalanerwine.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-game.html
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Got nook?
If you're fortunate enough to have one of Barnes & Noble's Nooks, you can now purchase two of my titles for it...and the third, Seedlings on the Solar Winds should be available soon.
For now, you can order:
The Opium of the People: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940011061851
Marionettes on the Moon, and other stories: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940011056727
For now, you can order:
The Opium of the People: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940011061851
Marionettes on the Moon, and other stories: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940011056727
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Christmas in July
A couple of sales involving some of my stuff that you might be interested in checking out, but these sales only last through Monday...
You can get 25% off any of the Ephemeris products by going to http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/dt_xmas_in_july.php?manufacturers_id=2805#selectpub
Or, you can get the top 20 selling Seedlings on the Solar Winds for 25% off by going to http://scifi.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=65440
You can get 25% off any of the Ephemeris products by going to http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/dt_xmas_in_july.php?manufacturers_id=2805#selectpub
Or, you can get the top 20 selling Seedlings on the Solar Winds for 25% off by going to http://scifi.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=65440
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