This week has seen a week of self-promotion posts. Not necessarily a week of authors hardcore-pimping their latest book or sounding from the rooftop news about their latest work-in-progress—and it should have been as Delilah S. Dawson released Hit while Pip and I kicked off the fourth season of Tales from the Archives—but a week of writers blogging about self-promotion. Two authors of infinite awesome—Chuck Wendig and the afore-mentioned Delilah Dawson—posted strategies on what to do (and what not to do) when it comes to talking about your own work. [Read more…] about Authors & Self-Promotion: Why This Isn’t Someone Else’s Job
Delilah S. Dawson
Writing Is Hard: Not an Excuse, A Challenge
Yesterday, the steampunk-romance-let-me-creep-you-out-to-the-edge-of-your-skin dynamo, Delilah S. Dawson, posted on her blog a column about being a writer, about getting off your ass, and about doing what you tell people you do. When I read the title of her blogpost, I was ready to mix it up with Big D because I’ve lost nearly twenty pounds all while editing an anthology, editing the fourth book of The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, and writing up a new social media book, specifically geared for writers…
Instead, I read the article, proving that, yes, it is better to comment after you’ve read a blogpost instead of reading only the headline. The best part about Delilah’s blog is that, after meeting her, you can hear her in your head when you read her blog. So now I hear Delilah S. Dawson in my head…
I am terrified. Just so you all know.
Delilah’s a stitch. We’ve broken bread with her, been on panels with her, and she’s one of my literature spirit animals. I say “one of” because I have many. There’s my wife Pip, Chuck Wendig, Myke Cole, Mur Lafferty, Erika Napoletano, Kate Cross…I swear, I am building a Noah’s Ark of spirit animals over here. Thing is, D drops the mic hard in this blogpost when she says: [Read more…] about Writing Is Hard: Not an Excuse, A Challenge
How an Action Hero is Made: “Thanks for the Memories” Now Available from Kindle Worlds and Valiant Comics
Last week, I gave you a quick run down of my wild and crazy July writing for Valiant Comics as part of the Kindle Worlds program from Amazon. My first offering was from the Harbinger universe, entitled “What’s in a Code Name.” The story, inspired by Harbinger Wars #2, dug deeper into Harbinger Institute’s star student, Daniel Hessler or “Ion,” and his own story with fellow Anoisaibushi, Susan Adams, code name “Saturn.” It’s already received a review after its first week, and I welcome more! Please, go on and take a look…
…after you consider my latest Kindle Worlds novella, “Thanks for the Memories” featuring Bloodshot. [Read more…] about How an Action Hero is Made: “Thanks for the Memories” Now Available from Kindle Worlds and Valiant Comics
Behind the Secret Identity: “What’s in a Code Name” Now Available from Kindle Worlds and Valiant Comics
This summer was a bit of a blur. The afterburners kicked in at the end of June when I got a phone call from the agent of awesome, Laurie McLean. I received an opportunity to write for properties from Valiant Comics as part of Kindle Worlds from Amazon. This would be my first foray into media tie-in’s so I had to bone up on my lore behind several properties: Harbinger, X-O Manowar, and Bloodshot.
As this writing gig centered around comic books, I asked myself “WWBD?” or “What would Batman do?” Well, if Bats needed help, he’d ping Oracle. In Batman’s world, that’s Barbara Gordon.
In mine, it’s Jared Axelrod.
This novella is one or two fruits of my summertime labors from a long “at the feet of a master” session with Jared, purchasing a fistful of comics from my local comic book (and gaming) store, and downloading even more for my iPad. “What’s in a Code Name” found its inspiration from two pages of Harbinger Wars # 2, just after Toyo Harada gets served (and served hard) by a savage attack from Bloodshot. Those two pages sent me back to the beginning of the Harbinger story arc to dig deeper into the Harbinger Institute, assemble my cast of characters, and—as odd as it may sound—better understand and practice school protocols. [Read more…] about Behind the Secret Identity: “What’s in a Code Name” Now Available from Kindle Worlds and Valiant Comics
MINISTRY PROTOCOL: The Cover Reveal (and other stuff that I’ve been up to…)
So yeah…I do this on-the-edge post about OSC, get the traffic, get the comments, and then…I disappear.
All right, let me explain…
No, is too much. Lemme sum up…
Shortly after that post, the Kickstarter for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences’ anthology and role playing game launched. Pretty much, that was my life. It was a new world of stress, of statistics, and of sensational results, the sum of it all that we made 152% of our goal. We did it! Yay us!
Oh crap, we did it — better get cracking on that anthology.
So I hunkered down with new steampunk from Delilah S. Dawson, Leanna Renee Hieber, Alex White, Jared Axelrod, Tiffany Trent, Peter Woodworth, Jack Mangan, JR Blackwell, Dan Rabarts, Lauren Harris, Karina Cooper, and Glenn Freund from The League of S.T.E.A.M.
How’s that for a line-up?
Ministry Protocol: Thrilling Tales from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences promises to take readers across the Empire and around the world, introducing new agents and delving deeper into the organization’s history. I’m not only thrilled with this collection, but I’m excited to present it to everyone.
So hold on, it’s coming. Soon.
Until then, allow me to tease you with its cover from the far-too-talented-for-his-own-good renaissance man, Alex White… [Read more…] about MINISTRY PROTOCOL: The Cover Reveal (and other stuff that I’ve been up to…)