The fear is beginning to set in

We are now just a few days away from Rebecca's gallbladder surgery, and although this surgery is very routine, and it's done all the time, it's still surgery.  There is always that chance that something could go wrong, and this is becoming very "real" for all of us.
It's only been a little over a year since she lost another brother, and given the number of people that have passed in the science fiction/fantasy community over the last year (both writers and fans), including people that I considered at least good acquaintances, if not actual friends, it makes the fear that much more real.
Add to this the passing of a former co-worker just a few weeks ago, a lady who we called the Den Mother because she always tried to take care of all of us, and the fact that a very dear friend checked himself into a hospital last week because he was suicidal, makes death a very real aspect in our lives right now.
We all realize that gallbladder surgery is nothing like brain or heart surgery, but there's still that big "what if?"  Rebecca's not just my wife and the mother of my children, she is, without a doubt, the best friend that I've ever had, and the thought of losing her is terrifying.
Add to this the fact that the kids are worried about her, and a couple of them are acting out in different ways is just making things that much harder.
I realize that almost certainly in a week's time I'll be looking back at this post and thinking how silly it was to be this nervous...but for the moment, the fear is beginning to set in, and that's more real.

E-book sale: Taurin Tales

Borrowed from Nomadic Delirium Press:
During this week's e-book sale, you can get Taurin Tales from Smashwords for just $2.  Go to A HREF="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/472428" target="_blank"> https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/472428
and use coupon code ZQ47N at checkout.
Taurin Tales is a shared world anthology featuring some of the top names in small press science fiction. The Taurins were created by science fiction writer, editor, and game designer J Alan Erwine. Once he had created them, he invited some of his favorite writers to play in the universe, and further flesh out these new aliens. Thus was born Taurin Tales.
The stories in this collection cover a large aspect of Taurin life…grand space adventures, small character studies, the tackling of difficult social issues, the past and the future of the Taurins.
Included in this collection, you’ll find David Lee Summers, D. Moonfire, Ian Brazee-Cannon, Tyree Campbell, Anna Paradox, Laura Givens, and Rick Novy.

Happy 14th

Today was Eryn's 14th birthday.  It's hard to believe how much she's growing up..  When Rebecca and I first started dating, Eryn was just in Kindergarten, and now she's about to start high school.  Tonight she was also inducted into the National Junior Honors Society.  She's turning into my overachiever, and I'm very proud of her.  She's getting good grades, she was on the A team in volleyball, and she's participating a lot in everything at school.
Happy 14th Eryn!!!

GM's Day Sale

Through the end of the week, DriveThruRPG is running a GM's Day sale to celebrate those gamers that make gaming possible. We've joined in the sale, and we're offering all of our Ephemeris products for 30% off. Now's the time to stock up on all of the titles you haven't had a chance to pick up, or if you haven't started playing...now's the time!
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse/pub/2805/Nomadic-Delirium-Press

Book sale

Alban Lake Publishing has three of my books on sale through March 17th.  You can pick each of them up for just $8 each.
You can get A Problem in Translation by going to http://store.albanlake.com/product/a-problem-in-translation
You can get Where the Fleet of Stars is Anchored by going to http://store.albanlake.com/product/where-the-fleet-of-stars-is-anchored
You can get Red Moon Rising by going to http://store.albanlake.com/product/red-moon-rising

The disappearing middle class

There has been a lot of talk about the disappearing middle class in America.  After doing our taxes last month, I can attest that the middle class is most certainly disappearing.  We are middle class, or at least lower middle class, and every year becomes more and more of a struggle for us.  When we first moved in together, I left my fast food management job, but Rebecca kept her full time retail supervisor's job.  Those first years were difficult for us, but we got by...even if just barely.
Now, almost seven years later, Rebecca is still a full time retail supervisor, I'm now working part time as a retail supervisor, and I'm making more than ever from writing, editing, and game design, and we aren't making ends meet.  The simplest explanation is that the cost of everything is rising dramatically, while our incomes are not.  When we get our annual raises, we get 2-3%, but the cost of everything is rising much higher than that.  Our rent goes up about 5% annually, and everything else follows suit.  It's no wonder that people making middle class income, especially lower middle class income are struggling more and more each year.  We can't keep up with rising costs, and as long as pay rates stay low and don't increase accordingly, all of us in the middle class will continue to struggle.
That's enough economics for today.  Off to do some work...have to make some money somehow...

February recap

Very slow month of blogging.  I promise more soon.  Life has just been crazy busy of late...

My jury duty experience
Happy birthday, Jul
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica Sectors 33-35

The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sectors 33-35

The exploration of “Unexplored Space” continues with Sectors 33-35.
You'll find more new colonies for your group to explore, and lots of places that have not been explored by any of the current eleven species.  The remnants of the Glikth-machine wars litter two of these sectors, and there's a new species that has not reached interstellar space.  Will they survive, or will someone like the Culthan come along and exploit them?
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/144976/The-Ephemeris-Encyclopedia-Galactica-Sectors-ThirtyThree--ThirtyFive

Happy birthday, Jul

Today is Juliah's tenth birthday.  I now have the three T's in my house...a teen, a tween, and a toddler.  No wonder my hair is going gray so fast!  When I first met Jul, she was even younger than Lex is now, and here she is a 4th grader and a tween.  Today we're going to the zoo for their free day and then having a small party.
I can't wait to see who she becomes as she grows up.

My jury duty experience

Many of my Facebook followers probably know that I was one of the "lucky" 9,000 to receive a jury summons for the upcoming trial of the Aurora theater shooting, or "Suspect A" as the local news media is calling him because they don't want to glorify his name...which is one of the few rational things I've seen from the news media in a long time.
I've now been dismissed from the trial, so I can actually talk about my experience, which still seems a bit surreal.  As always, the first thing we had to do was go through the metal detectors.  We were then given our badges with our juror numbers and sent to the second floor of the building.  Once there, we again had to empty our pockets, and this time the deputies actually searched through our stuff.  We were then sent to a small courtroom where we sat for something like 90 minutes, constantly being told to keep our phones turned off, even though we weren't actually doing anything.
They then escorted all of us (and I'd guess there were 150-200 of us) to a larger courtroom.  As we walked in we were pointed to seats.  Somehow I had the "good fortune" of being sent to the jurors box.  As I approached the box, I could see all of the prosecuting attorneys, all of the defense attorneys, and then I saw HIM.  Suspect A was there.  This was one of those cliched moments where my flesh crawled and my stomach did somersaults.  I've written those words before, but I'd never quite felt that feeling as strongly as I did that day.  I've never been that close (10-15 feet) to a mass murderer.  My seat in the jury box gave me a perfect view of him, and at one time I'm pretty sure we made eye contact, although he was trying to look detached...obviously trying to play up the insanity defense.
Once we were sworn in, we took a recess, and then we had to fill out a long questionnaire on a wide variety of topics (by this time he'd been removed and hopefully sent back to his hole).  The questionnaire, I'm sure is what disqualified me.  I have kids to take care of, I can't take 4-6 months off from work, I'm opposed to the death penalty, and I understand the difference between mentally ill and insane, which they seemed to be using interchangeably, even though they shouldn't.
Now I've been dismissed, and I couldn't be happier!

January recap

No sale
New Year, New Game
One week to go in the pre-sale
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sector Twenty-Nine
A Robot, a Cyborg and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar is here
The frustrations of writing
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sectors 20-32

The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sectors 30-32

The exploration of “Unexplored Space” continues with Sectors 30-32.

There are more young colonies to be explored, and even some well established ones.  There are more remnants of the Glikth-machine war, and even a few abandoned Organic colonies.  Plus there are other mysteries, including a possible solution to the greatest danger that faces travelers of Hyperspace...
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/143534/The-Ephemeris-Encyclopedia-Galactica-Sectors-Thirty--ThirtyTwo

The frustrations of writing

Last night I started on a new story, and it was going really well.  I managed to get 1,500 words written, which is good considering I have three kids, but then I suddenly realized I had done the one thing that authors hate most...or maybe it's one of the many things authors hate most.  I'd painted myself into a corner, with no way to get out.  Somehow I'd gone left when the story should have gone right.
I had no choice but to go back and cut some of the story out...going all the way back to where I first detoured.  So, when all was said and done, the 1,500 words I'd written became 350.  Oh well, I can still work with what I have.  I'll just be more careful to stick with the original idea...

A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar is here

The book is finally here! You can order your copy, print or electronic, today from a wide variety of sources.
A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar is a serious literary work of science fiction and fantasy stories that looks to delve into...who are we trying to kid? This book is a collection of comedic science fiction and fantasy stories written by some truly talented authors.
The book includes stories from Francis W. Alexander, Lou J. Berger, Wayne Carey, James Dorr, Laura Givens, Alan Ira Gordon, John Grey, Carlos Hernandez, Gilda A. Herrera, Ahmed A. Khan, Sheryl Normandeau, Robert Lowell Russell, John Skylar, Glen R. Stripling, and Scott Virtes.
You'll be taken to alien bars, alien planets, and any funny place these authors could come up with. You'll meet meddling appliances, aliens with strange habits, and aliens trying to live on or visit Earth. There are even time flies and a cloned genius. This collection has everything you need to tickle your funny bone.
Order from Nomadic Delirium Press: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/a-robot-a-cyborg-and-a-martian-walk-into-a-space-bar/
Order from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/499752
Order from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QSCJRF8
Order from Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-robot-a-cyborg-and-a-martian-walk-into-a-space-bar-j-alan-erwine/1120892093?ean=2940046451153

The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sector Twenty-Nine

The exploration of “Unexplored Space” continues with Sector 29.
Sector 29 is one of the more heavily colonized sectors of “Unexplored Space,” with the Althani and the Ernya stretching deep into this system. In addition to their expanding colonies, you’ll also find more Glikth and machine colonies that have been destroyed for centuries. Plus there are other species living in this sector, and one that was living until only recently…
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/142724/The-Ephemeris-Encyclopedia-Galactica-Sectors-TwentyNine

One week to go in the pre-sale

There's just one week left in the pre-sale for A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar...
A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar is a serious literary work of science fiction and fantasy stories that looks to delve into...who are we trying to kid? This book is a collection of comedic science fiction and fantasy stories written by some truly talented authors.
The book includes stories from Francis W. Alexander, Lou J. Berger, Wayne Carey, James Dorr, Laura Givens, Alan Ira Gordon, John Grey, Carlos Hernandez, Gilda A. Herrera, Ahmed A. Khan, Sheryl Normandeau, Robert Lowell Russell, John Skylar, Glen R. Stripling, and Scott Virtes.
You'll be taken to alien bars, alien planets, and any funny place these authors could come up with. You'll meet meddling appliances, aliens with strange habits, and aliens trying to live on or visit Earth. There are even time flies and a cloned genius. This collection has everything you need to tickle your funny bone.
Order from us: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/a-robot-a-cyborg-and-a-martian-walk-into-a-space-bar/
Order the e-book from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/499752
Order from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QSCJRF8
Order from Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-robot-a-cyborg-and-a-martian-walk-into-a-space-bar-j-alan-erwine/1120892093?ean=2940046451153

New Year, New Game

DriveThruRPG is running a sale for the next week called "New Year, New Game," and the Ephemeris RPG is part of the sale. You can pick it up for 15% off the regular price by going to http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/63664/Ephemeris.

No sale

A couple of days ago I wrote about finishing a story for an anthology that I'd been invited to contribute to.  It turns out that the editor actually liked the story.  Unfortunately, he didn't receive enough submissions to actually publish the anthology, so the story is homeless.
Earlier today, I re-wrote the first line of the story, which was completely necessary as the story started with a very cliched line (which it actually had to have for the anthology), and sent it on its way.  Now it will start to make its way from magazine to magazine until someone actually decides they like it enough to publish it.  I'm confident that this will happen at some point...but what that magazine will be is hard to say.

December recap

One week to go
$265 to go
The Space Bar pre-sale has begun
$240 to go
$120 to go
Last chance
Thank you!
Don't forget to pre-order your copy of A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar
Cutting it close
2014 in review

2014 in review

Another year is coming to an end, so I suppose I should take a look back at this year, although I might not want to.  From a professional standpoint, I didn't do anywhere near as much writing as I would have like to this year.  I started several stories, and I even started a new novel, but I only finished two stories.  The simple fact is that I don't have enough time to write.  At the moment, our financial situation is a bit grim, which means I have to focus more on editing and game design because I see the money from those endeavors more quickly than I do from writing.
As an editor, I saw the release of Taurin Tales this year, and I also completed A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar, which will be released in just over two weeks. And from the game design perspective, I wrote a lot of supplements for the Ephemeris RPG. Most of these were written early in the year before I had to go back into the "real" work world.
On a personal level, 2014 was mostly a good year.  The kids continue to grow and I'm very proud of most of the things they're doing.  Marriage is still bliss.  I couldn't ask for a better partner to navigate the harshness of reality with.
The biggest downer of the year has been our deteriorating financial situation.  Alexis had surgery early in the year, and even though she was insured, the bills have been outrageous.  We're still paying a little bit each month, and hoping to keep them off of our backs until we get our tax return.  We quickly learned that just one of us working wasn't enough to pay our bills, so I had to go back into the "real" work world.  Rebecca is still hoping to get promoted at some point in the coming year, but until then, things will be a struggle.  Sadly, rent and other bills go up by a much larger percentage than the annual raise she saw...and that's how it always seems to be.  This, to me, seems to be the main reason why we're seeing a shrinking of the middle class.
2015 will hopefully be a good year, we have big plans...we just have to come up with the means to make all of those plans a reality...
Happy New Year, everyone. See you in 2015!