Childishness and science fiction

Over the last few years we've seen a lot of childishness in the science fiction field. Most of it started when the "Puppies" started demanding equal representation, and such. I'm not really going to comment on that because I think there's been a lot of questionable behavior from both sides in this debate, and I think this subject has been done to death. Let's face it, the Hugos aren't what they used to be, and they probably never will be again.
What troubles me is some posts I've seen from some of the more "conservative" authors who feel that they've been blackballed by various editors in the SF community. The fact that these authors are saying this isn't what's bothering me. Instead, I'm bothered by the fact that I actually believe this to be true. Granted, I don't have any proof, but from things I've seen, I do think this is a very real possibility. This bothers me because as an editor, we're supposed to be publishing stories and not authors. As an author, I've had plenty of rejections that state that the editor is passing on the story...not on me as an author. So, based on that, why should we pass on an author because of their political views? The simple answer is, we shouldn't. If the author has written a good story, then we should publish the story.
Obviously the one exception to this is if we're publishing a themed anthology. I'm currently reading for an anthology in which global climate change is real. I'm obviously not going to accept a story that goes against that idea, no matter how well-written it might be.
In the past, I've published stories from authors with very different political and religious ideas from mine. The reason I did this is because I enjoyed the stories. I'm an Atheist, but I've published stories with very Christian ideals because the stories knocked my socks off.  I've published some very conservative authors in the past, including one who eventually became part of a "puppy slate," and I would publish stories from them again if I enjoyed the stories.
There are times when I cringe reading some of the things posted on Facebook by authors I've published, but again, it's their stories that matter, not their beliefs, and that's what the writing world is supposed to be about.
I hate the idea of blackballing someone for their beliefs. In my opinion (and please make sure you understand this is an opinion before you all get upset), the only reasons for blackballing an author are because they're plagiarists, they continually refuse to follow your guidelines, or because they've assaulted you as a person in social media.
End of rant.

December recap

The Battle for Turtle Island continues
Revamped website
Half-off sale
The Best of Both Worlds Vol. 1
Just a few days left
Rot in hell 2016

Rot in hell 2016

As years go, 2016 pretty much sucked. Yes, there were good things that happened, but not many.
2015 ended with my family struggling financially.  2016 just increased those struggles.  Instead of just living, our main focus most of this year has been how are we going to keep a roof over our heads. There seems to be some light in the tunnel early in 2017...but with our luck, it's just a semi headed our way.
Health issues have also been a problem.  My chronic pain is only getting worse, and it's now getting to a point where even normal daily activities are becoming difficult for me. In addition, Rebecca was diagnosed with a chronic disease that will plague her for the rest of her life. All of this has led to more medical expenses...fun, fun, fun.
Overall, the family is doing well, and this is one of the few bright spots of the year.
I didn't do much writing this year, but that picked up some towards the end of the year, so maybe there's hope in the new year.  There also wasn't much design work on the Ephemeris RPG done this year.  A few supplements were released, and I did start work on a new supplement for the Battle for Turtle Island RPG, but still, not enough work was done on any of these.
I have done a lot of editing this year.  Nomadic Delirium Press released several books this year and also several magazines, and while the quality of the work I've included in them has continued to increase, sales have not followed.  The publications are growing slowly, but they aren't selling anywhere near the number of copies as they should.  There is some great work in these books, and they deserve to be read by more people.
Hopefully 2017 will be a better year, but I'm not making any bets. We thought 2016 was going to be OUR year...

Just a few days left

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:
There are just a few days left to save 50% off of our fiction titles at DriveThruFiction. Go to http://www.drivethrufiction.com/browse/pub/2805/Nomadic-Delirium-Press and order now before you run out of time!!!

The Best of Both Worlds Vol. 1

PRINT COPIES WILL SHIP AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR
Nomadic Delirium and Alban Lake, both publishers of science fiction and fantasy, and all points in between, have collaborated to bring you the very best of what they published in 2015. The selections within come from The Martian Wave and The Fifth Di…, and from Outposts of Beyond and FrostFire Worlds. Their settings might be an inner planet or a world-that-might-be. Their themes are universal, involving choices we all have to make at one point or another in our lives. This is science fiction and fantasy literature at its finest.
This is the first anthology of its kind; it won’t be the last.
http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-best-of-both-worlds-vol-1/

Half off sale

My individual short stories, as well as my most recent short story collections are available in PDF format for half off at DriveThruFiction for the rest of the year.  You can find all of them at: http://www.drivethrufiction.com/browse/pub/2805/Nomadic-Delirium-Press
While you're there, you can also pick up titles from Nomadic Delirium Press.  All of their fiction titles are also included in the 50% off sale. What a great chance to stock up on reading materials for the cold winter nights...

Revamped website

I've made quite a few changes to my website.  I've taken out a lot of the useless stuff, and I've taken out a lot of the text...mostly focusing on the stuff I've written and edited. A lot of the text on the website was just copied from this blog, so why bother with it?
There are also fewer pages on the website. Most people only hit one or two pages on a site, so I've gone very bare bones and just kept what I thought was most important. Please feel free to check it out at http://jalanerwine.com/

The Battle for Turtle Island continues

It's been a few years since I first created The Battle for Turtle Island RPG, but I'm happy to say that I'm now working on the first expansion for the game.  This will be Pueblo Wars, so I'm guessing you'll be able to figure out where it's set.
There's no telling how long it will take me to actually create the rulebook, but I'm hoping to have available in the Spring of 2017.

November recap

Help NDP get their books back
I voted
Patreon for the Ephemeris RPG
America, America, America
What is Nomadic Delirium Press reading for?
Changes to the NDP Patreon
Would you like free magazines?
Pick up the December issue of The Fifth Di... early
Thanksgiving
Black Friday sale
Ephemeris 50% off sale
The new issue of The Fifth Di... is here

The new issue of The Fifth Di... is here

The December 2016 issue of The Fifth Di... is now available.
The December 2016 issue of The Fifth Di… brings you fiction by Chris Dean, Samuel Van Pelt, Brian “flesheater” Stoneking, and Douglas Kolacki.
In this issue, you’ll find a doctor who manages to improve humanity by changing it, but is change always a good thing? A man whose sole purpose in life is to help people understand that they’re being replaced by robots. A killing machine that’s determined to spread destruction thoughout the galaxy. And a man who finds he might actually get a second chance…
Order from us today at: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-fifth-di-december-2016/
Read a sample: http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/tfdsample.htm
For other ordering options: http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/fifth.htm

Ephemeris 50% off sale

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
Save 50% on many of our Ephemeris Science Fiction RPG titles at DriveThruRPG. Time to stock up on what you don't have, or time to pick up a new game.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2805/Nomadic-Delirium-Press
Sale runs through Sunday the 4th...

Black Friday sale

Starting on Black Friday and running through Cyber Monday, you can pick up titles from my store for 50% off.  Just go to http://www.jalanerwine.com/blog/shop, load up your cart with as many e-titles as you'd like...which should be all of them...and then use the code "blackfriday" at checkout.

Thanksgiving

Today is the day to give thanks, and although 2016 has been one of the worst years I've ever known, there are still things to be thankful for.  First and foremost, I'm thankful for my amazing wife and my three wonderful daughters. They are the reason for everything that I do in my life, and they give me the strength to carry on when things become overwhelming. I'm also thankful for my extended family and my friends...which are basically the same thing to me.  Even though I don't see any of you as much as I'd like, I'm still glad that you're there, and hope to some day find the time to spend with all of you. I'm also thankful for my fans (all two of you).  No, I don't really know how many readers I have out there...but I know there are some, and I'm thankful that you find my warped imagination entertaining.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday...don't eat too much...and be careful if you're going to be shopping on Black Friday. The world is getting scarier every day, and I don't want to lose any of you.

Pick up the December issue of The Fifth Di... early

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
It may still be a week until the release of the December issue of The Fifth Di…, but you can pick up the e-book version today! Not only can you start reading it today, but you can buy it for just $1.00 through our website at http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-fifth-di-december-2016/.

Would you like free magazines?

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
If you're interested in reading some of our magazines for free, please visit our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4369995. You don't have to be a Patron to get the free zines, but we certainly wouldn't mind if you support us. By helping out, you can get copies of our future books, and you can even get advertising in The Martian Wave and The Fifth Di...

Changes to the NDP Patreon

We've made some major changes to our Patreon. Instead of just focusing on the Ephemeris RPG, we're focusing on every aspect of Nomadic Delirium Press. Supporting us will give you a chance to pick up all of our future titles, possibly advertise in our magazines, and even influence what anthologies we choose for the future. That's right, we plan on posting polls that will allow our Patrons to influence what titles we read for...and why not? If you're supporting us, you should have some say in what you want to read.
So, please go to https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4369995 and make the wise choice to be our Patrons.

What is Nomadic Delirium Press reading for?

We are currently reading for several projects, please feel free to submit anything that fits the guidelines...
The Divided States of America: http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/dividedstatesguidelines.htm
Ecotastrophe II: http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/ecotastropheii.htm
The Martian Wave: http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/tmwguidelines.htm
The Fifth Di...: http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/fifthguidelines.htm
Spaceports & Spidersilk: http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/spaceportsgl.htm
And if you've published with us before, we're accepting submissions for individual stories: http://www.nomadicdeliriumpress.com/stories.htm

America, America, America

Oh, America, what have you done? I'm not talking specifically about the election of Donald Trump. No, that's the disease that infects America going into its terminal stage. I'm talking about what has led us to this moment.  For most of my adulthood I have been advocating the destruction of the two party system in America because every election more and more people have been voting for the lesser of two evils, and we were finally left with Clinton vs. Trump...two of the most hated people in America were suddenly running for president. If we would have destroyed the two party system in the days of Perot or Nader, we wouldn't have been in this position. The democrats would have nominated someone that democrats could actually believe in and the republicans would have nominated someone that republicans could actually believe in, and the third, fourth, and fifth parties (whoever they might have been) could have put up people that they actually believe in.
Instead, we were left with democrats hating themselves for voting for Clinton and republicans hating themselves for voting for Trump, and the truth is, most of the people that voted for either of these candidates actually were not voting for them, but rather voting against their opponents. How can that possibly be a good way to choose a president? With more candidates in all elections, there are more opportunities for real CHOICE.
What's done is done. We have what we have, and I can honestly say that the future terrifies me...somewhat for myself, but more for my kids and friends. Trump has advocated hate against anyone that isn't white and Christian. I may be white, but I'm also an Atheist, and when it comes to religion, the only group that is hated more than Atheists in America is Muslims...so when the radical Christian Right (and I'm not talking about all Christians) deals with the Muslim "problem," where do you think their eyes will turn next?
Even worse, I have two bi-racial daughters. What kind of a world are these two girls going to have to live in simply because one of their parents was black? They didn't ask for that. It's not a choice, and yet they will face even more racism than they already do, and believe me, they do face it, especially living with two white parents.
My biggest fear is for my friends. I have many friends that are black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American. When the radical white folk that Trump is stirring up go looking for victims, where do you think they're going to look?
Although I do have a lot of friends who are Christians, I also have a lot of friends who are Atheists, or Jewish, or Muslim.  The world got a lot darker for these people.
I also have many friends who are gay, many of whom recently got married, and now they could face having their marriages annulled by the government...talk about Big Brother. And let's remember that the scariness goes beyond Trump. It was Pence that was advocating jail time for gays that wanted to apply for a marriage license. Gay people in this country already face an enormous amount of prejudice, and it's only going to get worse. One of my very best friends is a trans-female. What kind of crap is she going to have to put up with because of what's coming? And again, it's not just Trump. Shortly after his inauguration he will be able to appoint a supreme court justice and with a republican congress, that person will almost certainly be approved, and I'm absolutely terrified that he's going to appoint his best buddy Rudy Giuliani. Can you imagine what the world will be like if he's allowed to rule on laws for the next decade or two? There's a man who's been drinking in the crazy Kool-Aid for far too long.
Something else we're probably facing is the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act. I know there are a lot of problems with it, but some good things have come out of it...such as the fact that insurance companies have to accept patients even with pre-existing conditions. I've never shopped the market for insurance. We get ours through Rebecca's work, and even though as a family of five with a low income, we actually could qualify for Medicaid, we've always chosen to have private insurance because the coverage is better and it allows us to keep our doctors (whom we love). We've made this choice even though it was a financial burden on us, because we felt the care was more important than the money. Note to some Republicans...not all poor people take "handouts."
If the insurance companies are allowed to go back to what they used to do, they could start denying pre-existing conditions. My chronic pain is a pre-existing condition, meaning that they could deny me my medications, and probably even deny me the surgery that I almost certainly need to correct the problem that is getting worse every day. Where will that leave me? No medication and no treatment available...I can't imagine how I'm possibly supposed to survive that. Even with medications, there are days when I wonder if it's worth it to continue on. If I can't get help, what choices will I have left?
America has survived a lot. It will most likely survive Trump, but will all Americans?

Patreon for the Ephemeris RPG

From the Nomadic Delirium Press blog:
We've just created a Patreon account to support the Ephemeris RPG. As many of you know, the Ephemeris RPG has been around for several years, and we've slowly been expanding it, but this Patreon account will hopefully give us the money to free up the time we need to create more, and to create faster...and to even start work on Ephemeris 2.0.
So, if you'd like to support the ongoing creation of the game, and possibly even influence the direction the game goes, please support our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4369995

I voted

So does that mean I don't have to see any more political ads or have the damn fliers fall out of my mail box anymore? Probably not.
Some people may say that I wasted my vote, and some say that my vote was a vote for the great pumpkin head, but the truth is, I voted according to my conscience.  How many people that voted for Clinton or Trump can say that?  I've heard so many people talking about how disgusted they felt with themselves after voting for one or the other, but I don't feel that way.  I voted for a party that I can actually believe in.  I no longer believe in the Democrats or the Republicans.  They're both owned by the corporations and they no longer care about We the People.  As I've been saying for over a decade now, until we break the two party system that we're a victim of, we will all continue to be prisoners.  Believe me, Clinton or Trump and their cronies are not going to do anything for you.  They're in this for themselves and the companies that line their pockets!!!
Do I expect my candidate to win? Of course not. This may go against everything we're taught as Americans, but winning isn't everything...nor is voting for the lesser of two evils a good choice.  Look where that's gotten us!  What I would like to see is for both Johnson and Stein to pull 5% in this election.  This gives the Greens and the Libertarians federal funding in the next presidential election, which makes it easier for them to try to counter the insane amount of corporate money that goes to the democrats and republicans.  In addition, it gives them automatic ballot access in all fifty states, which means less time has to be taken trying to get on the ballots, and more time can be devoted to destroying the broken system.
And if people really want to complain about those of us that choose to vote third party, maybe you should be more upset with the 50% of registered voters that don't even vote.  And maybe you should also tell your parties to stop being greedy SOBs and actually start caring about the people again.  If that ever happened, maybe I would vote for one of them, but as things are only getting worse (Clinton/Trump), I don't see that happening...