| Just thinkin'.... |
[Nov. 20th, 2009|12:58 pm] |
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I've been a-thinkin', and yes, that is very dangerous, but I do it anyway.
Lately I've been getting mail asking about some of my long out-of-print short stories. It got me wondering if you guys might be interested in having a select few of The Vampire Files tales together in a modest collection.
They wouldn't be *reprints,* either, because as a writer I MUST tinker! They would be stories that I've added to, tweaked, polished, rewrote quite a bit, and/or expanded on.
If I do this, it would be the same deal as The Devil You Know: a signed, numbered, archival paper, limited-edition sold only from the website for about ten bucks plus postage.
At ten bucks, I'd be keeping it roughly the same word count as TDYK. And, to keep the price down, another B&W noir style cover.
Any thoughts?
This isn't something I can get to right away, so I'm just testing the waters.
FYI-- there's only about 100 copies left of the special "Elvish" edition of The Devil You Know. Yikes!!
If you've plans to get it, or want it for a Christmas prezzy, now's a good time to order. Media rate mail takes a while to get there!
I've also noticed that a number of my out-of-print novels like Dark Sleep and Lady Crymsyn are selling for ungawdly high prices on Amazon. They're a *bit* more reasonable on my website!
Sometimes I think I'm in the wrong business, what with having scruples & other inconveniences.
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| AMC's The Prisoner reviewed. No spoilers, it was spoiled from the start. |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|02:14 pm] |
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Ugh. I don't care to do this, because I love Sir Ian McKellen. I do. He won me forever in the title role in Richard III, which every Shakespeare fan, and especially NON-Shakespeare fans, should see.
But I am also a Patrick McGoohan fan, long before Sir Ian's talent surfaced on my event horizon.
So I will get this out of the way by stating the AMC version of The Prisoner SUCKS SAND.
There IS an awful lot of it in the story, after all. They did location shooting in the desert and by gawd, they're gonna get their money's worth by seeing to it every foot of it winds up on screen. Pretty, like that Microsoft wallpaper, but boring.
I will NOT ignore the idiocy of the characters who repeatedly trot into the desert surrounding "The Village" do so minus a single bottle of water and wear no head protection. No wonder they're bat-shit insane. I've no sympathy for them.
I speak as a Texan used to dealing with heat. Our summers are freaking HOT, but not quite as bad as one finds in a REAL desert where they filmed. Even so, you learn to stay hydrated and put on a gimme hat or you get heat stroke. Duh.
None of the characters did that, which puts them squarely in my "Too Stupid To Live" file. I am not blaming the actors stuck with the crap material they had to translate. I know who to blame: bad writer, bad director, bad-bad-bad, NO cookie!
I better state that it was this movie that was my reward for being a good little writer and getting some words out of my Muse last night.
My Muse is not amused with me. Not one little bit. She feels betrayed. She worked so hard and her payment was two hours of boredom. Thankfully the sewing machine was back on the work table so the time wasn't a total waste.
All I can say is that the previews made it look freakin' AWESOME.
Only it wasn't. It was anti-awesome.
I was prepared to see and accept major differences between this 21st century take on the concept and Patrick McGoohan's brilliant theater of the absurd work of art.
I was not prepared for the dull and dismal level to which the concept had been taken.
Instead of a dark satirical allegory of conformity vs. freedom with a lone and stubborn individualist driven by anger and outrage to resist to his last breath--
--we got a 9/10ths brainwashed whiner who ends the episode in tears, whispering something about not giving in, when it is clear that he has already been broken and is on his way to a lengthy bout of chemical therapy.
I am not harshing on the actors, they could only do the best they could with the crap material they were given.
The original--in every sense it was indeed original--made you ask questions. The action/adventure format managed to do that with amazing scripting and energetic direction, all hurtling forward at breakneck speed. You HAD to pay attention or you would miss something. There was a solid internal LOGIC to the strangeness. In the end you may not have understood things, but it made you think and question.
The only question this bland, lead-footed decaff version posed for me was, "Why the hell did they bother?"
When I should have been going OH WOW and cursing the length of the commercial breaks, I broke away repeatedly to check my e-mail, hoping for distraction until someone got around to a real plot point. When I wasn't doing that or sewing, I played Freecell.
The only good I can see in this production is that it gave some actors work, but the material was not worthy of their talent.
There IS an excellent example of a concept that's been successfully updated for a new generation: Doctor Who.
Why couldn't this production company have done something like THAT?
Sir Ian, I love you. In this show you proved that you CAN read the script equivalent of a phone book and be riveting, but I'm going to watch something else with you in it. |
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| Getting organized! |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|03:27 pm] |
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I've finally accepted that I'm unable to work just *anywhere* like other writers with laptops. I envy those who can work undaunted by distracting circumstances. It is a wonderful thing to be able to do that, but I've lost the knack. Only rarely does it ever return.
I *have* done coffee bar writing. When I had a roomie the other decade I HAD to get out of the house to write. That doesn't work any more. There are too many books in the store waiting to be browsed through, the chairs aren't comfy, the music over the speakers is rarely to my taste, sometimes the joint has a freaking TV running, and there's usually half a dozen morons on their damned cell phones talking forcefully to some poor sod on the other end. (I've mentioned annoyance with oblivious cell-talkers before, sorry to repeat.) No iPod in the world can block that out.
I don't have an iPod, though.
Being cheerfully behind the times, I have a portable CD player with nice, padded whatsits that cover my ears. If I raise the volume high enough to blot out other noise, then it's too loud for me to write. Anyway, I'm likely doing my hearing a bad turn. It's just as easy to go deaf listening to classical as it is to rock. More rare, I'm sure, but just as easy.
Then there are the *other* writers in the coffee shop.
I'm too easily distracted by them. They see me struggling to scrape words out of my brain and in kinship strike up a conversation. It's just too bad for me that I love to talk shop, then bang goes two hours of time along with what little concentration I ever had. It's great for making friends, but hell on my output!
Also, *MY* muse is a lazy, snarky bitch always eager to chuck things the instant a shiny object swings into view. It's just too easy not to work, so it doesn't unless I kick it in the butt enough times to get a usable idea. To do that, I need special areas where I can focus sans distractions.
So this weekend I re-arranged my home surroundings for maximum writing efficiency. Being a writer means you are running a small business, after all. Other people with home businesses do the same thing for their home offices.
Writers tend to be waaaaay messier, though.
One thing I require is blank wall space. Lots of it.
When doing the actual writing I tape up a hard copy of pages I've finished to keep track of things. I make notes to put in new info, revise this, cut that, move this someplace else. Other writers keep that in their heads, but I don't trust my memory to juggle ALL the stuff at once. Having it out in one big space helps a lot!
For me, the actual writing is easy compared to the story-storming development phase.
Once I get my outline and know where I'm going, I can write fairly fast. Some writers can just blast off flat and see where the story takes them. I have done that for short stories but need a road map for longer works. It keeps me out of blind alleys and speeds up the writing.
For outlining I need dry erase boards, index cards, sticky notes, and a big blank wall.
I've now got a three by six stretch of dining room wall covered with dry erase boards that are rapidly filling up with notes and a story arc for the new book. A cleared wall in what I call the "writing room" will hold the chapters to come as I write them.
To get there I had to do some major furniture moving. No details, but I didn't throw my back out (yay!) and hey, presto--the room looks bigger! I thought I'd have to sacrifice storage when I moved out a big ol' cabinet, but it still holds the same supplies. I just have to go to the garage for them, no hardship.
My neater and re-organized space looks great, and I can sweep my work area clear in two minutes and use it for a dining table when necessary.
Yay! There are no more barriers between my muse and finishing up this new proposal!
So, Muse, front and center, start spitting out ideas, please!
Muse. I'm waiting.
Waiting.
Still waiting.
Don't make me come and get you.
OUT here, dammit. I did all this work for you!
I DON'T care that that there is a Stargate marathon running. We've seen them all, so don't even think of luring me into it.
I'm counting to three and you damned-well better get your lazy arse out here or I'm gonna kick it into Lake Benbrook.
What'd you say? You'd LIKE to go swimming?
You bitch.
That's it.
I've HAD it with you. I'm getting a club. A big one.
I'm gonna beat you bloody until you--
Ah. Finally decided to work today? Good. Now sit over there and be brilliant, dammit.
No. You only get chocolate AFTER you are brilliant.
If you are REALLY brilliant you can watch TV tonight. I'm not totally heartless.
Yes, I still have that club.
You can have a beating now or chocolate later.
Your choice.
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| Romantic Vets |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|10:38 am] |
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Wish I could take credit for this, but I got the link through the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blog.
In honor of Veteran's Day, they spotlighted this website dedicated to women who served in the military, then got into writing!
http://www.romvets.com/
Please do check out the "Before and After" link at the top of the page to read about fascinating women who not only served their country but worked on the pen being mightier than the sword angle!
It's focus is on romance writers, so left out is one of my favs, Elizabeth Moon, who served as a Marine in Vietnam in the 60s. For some great military s/f reading, check out her books!
http://www.elizabethmoon.com/
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| Check it out--a NEW Vampire Files audiobook! |
[Nov. 7th, 2009|12:58 am] |
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So this is what happens when I don't pay attention.
Blackstone Audio releases the second Vampire Files audiobook, LIFEBLOOD!
Check out the nifty/cool cover!
Listen to samples on the page!
There is a chunk of irony here. I found out about this one via a pirate download site.
Yup. Before I have even gotten my author's copy from Blackstone, some pin-headed thieving MORON uploaded the book so he could either spread a computer virus or get points so he can download more porn into his useless, how-dare-you-breathe-my-air existence.
He sure wasn't doing me any favors. Whoever you are, I hate you. Seriously, I do. You stink and your mommy dresses you strangely.
But back to the audio release....!
This is a cool thing to have TWO books in the series in audio. That makes a total of four and a half for me.
I, Strahd, was recorded in the 90s by the legendary Roddy McDowell, and Keeper of the King by my most excellent co-writer Nigel Bennett. They're both so worth a listen!
If I'm dreaming NO ONE pinch me, I don't wanna wake up.
The "and a half?" That would be a single cassette tape called The Living Dead, where my story You'll Catch Your Death was paired up with Robert Bloch's title story. Wowsers!
Copies are available for cheap so check around if you'd like to round out your Elrod audio collection.
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| Guest blog! Prizes! |
[Oct. 30th, 2009|09:20 am] |
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So--have you lot rushed over to read my guest blog at The Knight Agency yet??
http://knightagency.blogspot.com/
Jack Fleming and I have another one of our "enjoyable" little talks.
Remember-- LEAVE A COMMENT and you are in a drawing for a FREE BOOK from me. Anything I have in stock. Signed!
Even if you have all my titles, maybe you'd like a prezzy for a friend?
It gets better!
If you get all five questions right in the scavenger hunt you could win a $50 Visa card!!!!
Trivia questions on each of this week's guest writers are posed at the end of each blog. The answers may be found on their websites.
There's a $50 Visa gift card at stake! Compile the questions from the posts this week, and send all 5 answers in an email to contests(AT)knightagency.net. Entries must be sent in before the clock strikes midnight on Sunday, November 1st.
Cheers and good luck!
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| Vamps on BBC Radio! |
[Oct. 29th, 2009|11:06 am] |
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Vamps invade BBC Radio in this 30-minute look at bloodsuckers in books, TV, and films:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00nds0m/Front_Row_28_10_2009/
I'm a touch chagrined that no one made mention of *my* sequel to Dracula (Quincey Morris, Vampire), but they have some funny stuff to say about Buffy, True Blood, and Being Human.
They made an accurate job of covering the origins of vamps in literature, and some of the remarks at the end are a decided chuckle, especially concerning Ryan Kwanten being nekked in every episode of True Blood. (I'm all for that, but I'm sure his mum has other thoughts.)
If you've not seen Being Human, do yourself a favor and get HOOKED on it. As Mr. Monk says "You'll thank me later."
Speaking of Quincey and my being chagrined, NEW copies are for sale on Amazon from 94.00-240.00.
Yikes. Talk about blood-sucking!
Thankfully there are used copies at more reasonable prices. At this point I can't afford me!
I hope anyone thinking of having a reading copy will check into Baen Book's Webscription option. I'll be mercenary and mention that it gives me a much needed royalty from the sale that doesn't come from used books.
The sad fact is the book hasn't quite yet earned out its advance, and I'd like my publisher's accountants to look kindly on me at some point as the balance inches into the black.
All my Baen titles are on the Webscription, so if you want good reads that save paper, have at it! They have books that upload to all the different readers, including Kindles.
Right, that shameless promotion done, I'll remind newcomers to travel over to The Knight Agency blog and leave a comment so you're automatically in a drawing for FREE BOOKS by that day's guest blogger.
My blog is up tomorrow--woooo!
A preview is in my previous post, so check it out and bookmark TKA!
There has been speculation in yesterday's comments about Jack being in the present day--and dang it, I can't say anything about that!
Neither can he, but I'll let you know it's crossed my mind now and then about how he'd react to this or that insanity of 21st century living.
Probably about the same way *I* do. I'm not used to it by a long shot. It's no wonder I like to watch old movies where people aren't running around with a cell phone glued to one ear. I was at the Home Depot the other day and every single person in the parking lot had a cell phone call going. They were talking loudly, oblivious to the fact that no one--especially me--was even remotely interested in their private conversations.
But I guess 'cause the rest were also talking, they assumed they had privacy. (Lady, I am so NOT curious about how much puss they found under your mom's ingrown toenail!)
I think it's pretty rude, but that's how I'm wired. On infrequent occasions when I use my cell, I find a quiet corner so I don't have to share the info. Usually I leave the damned thing off.
For those looking for your slogan totes--I'm sorry there was a delay. A deadline dropped into my lap, and I couldn't get to the sewing machine for them, but I'm working on correcting that. It's all my bad, but I'll be after them tonight, soon as I can find my desk under the paperwork.
Until tomorrow at The Knight Agency.....!
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| FREE BOOKS! And a guest blog! |
[Oct. 28th, 2009|11:31 am] |
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The great folks at The Knight Agency are having a special Halloween guest blog week! (My literary agent works there!)
http://knightagency.blogspot.com/
Just go there, leave comments each day, and you're in the pool to win FREE BOOKS by each writer who's posted for that day.
I will be guest blogging on the 30th, so drop by.
You'll have a choice of books -- in case there's one of mine you don't have. But if your collection's full, you can pick one out as a gift for a friend.
Signed, of course!!
What's my blog about?
Have a sample.....
Once again through the magic of time travel, writer P.N. Elrod finds herself back in 1938 Chicago. She’s charged into Lady Crymsyn, the nightclub belonging to undead P.I. Jack Fleming of The Vampire Files.
Elrod rushes upstairs to energetically pound on his office door.
P.N. Elrod: Yo, Fleming!
Jack Fleming: (From inside) You again? Take a vacation why don’t you?
Elrod: Wake up!
Fleming: I don’t sleep, remember?
Elrod: Yeah, I remember, I made that up just for you. You’re dead during the day, but it’s night, so get your ass out here!
Fleming: You’re a real peach, y’know that?
Elrod: Move it!
Fleming: (Unlocking and opening the door a crack, looking rumpled) WHAT is your problem?
Elrod: It’s the night before Halloween.
Fleming: You know how a calendar works. I’m happy for you, now go away.
Elrod: Any more lip and I’ll sic Whitey Kroun on you.
Fleming: (Pinching the bridge of his nose) Jeeze, I need a drink.
Elrod: You don’t have time to go to the Stockyards. It’s Halloween tomorrow.
Fleming: You’ve covered that point and your timing’s off. It may be Halloween tomorrow for you, but not for me.
Elrod: Huh?
Fleming: In 1938 Halloween falls on a Monday. I bet in 2009 it falls on a Saturday.
Elrod: Details, details, you drive me crazy.
Fleming: That makes us even, now why don’t you go back to the future?
Elrod: I love that movie.
Fleming: What movie?
Elrod: You’ll find out. Maybe.
Fleming: See you there, then. Maybe. (Tries to shut the door. Elrod won’t let him.)
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See you on Friday for the rest!!!!
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| I'm not sure which one is hawter... |
[Oct. 19th, 2009|05:51 pm] |
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Which is hawter----?
Lusty youthful wine or the refined stud stuff that's gained much with a bit of aging?
We have Mark Harmon during his Flamingo Road days....
or Mark Harmon now.
Hell, I'll have them BOTH. . .at poolside. . . with a cold chocolate martini, please.
Tell Mr. Peabody I need his WABAC Machine for a few days.
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| Stuart Kaminsky |
[Oct. 11th, 2009|12:25 pm] |
I'm trashed. He was one of my writing mentors. Never met him, but he taught me a lot and I love his books. I always will.
http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/a_writers_life/2009/10/stuart-kaminsky-has-passed-away.html
If you've never read his Toby Peters mysteries, then get down to the library and start now.
Toby takes on cases for the elite of Hollywood. He's solved problems for Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, the Marx Brothers and even Al Capone. The books are the kind you can read multiple times and still find something new.
http://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Star-Stuart-Kaminsky/dp/B000PMAYGI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255282112&sr=1-2
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/peters_t.html
Dammit.
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| Things that keep me from writing. |
[Oct. 2nd, 2009|02:49 pm] |
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Today it was a lizard that shortened my working hours.
It's not the lizard's fault. Not really.
I like lizards, so long as they're non-poisonous and out in the yard. I really like the geckos on my back porch. They feast each night on the bugs there. Hell, I even like the little 2-inch long baby geckos I spot inside my house. They're on bug hunts. Anything with four legs (not eight!) that eats indoor bugs is my friend. I rescue a couple of them each week from my kitchen sink and set them loose outside. Those I can't reach--like the one on the living room's vaulted ceiling last night--well, live and let live.
But today I swept off the back porch and moved the mower to get rid of the dirt and leaves underneath and (silly me) left the backdoor wide open for some air.
Not only did some annoying flies buzz in, but so did a remarkably fat gecko. Adult size. At least 6 inches of majestic lizardly awesomeness strolled into the house, head high like he was thinking of buying it out from under me.
So I did the normal thing and FREAKED.
I rushed in with the broom in time to see him zip under an overloaded storage hassock. I got around on the other side, hoping to urge him out with the broom, but the effer had vanished by then.
Lizards can do that. A little known lizardy fact is they can vanish at will.
I yanked out everything around the hassock. What can I say, things pile up. Phone books, a lap desk, papers, books, and other writer-oriented crap went flying behind me. Moles digging out tunnels have similar debris hurling clear as they delve away, and *I* was one-handed since I still clutched that broom.
Another little known lizard fact: along with vanishing at will, the damned things can teleport. I looked up and he was five feet away promenading along the window sill!
I dashed to the kitchen to get something I could herd him into. I've had good luck trapping the baby ones in clear plastic drink cups, but I had the feeling this one might be too big and me too squeamish and jumpy.
Yes, I like geckos, but I'd rather not get too up close and personal with any of them.
I am sure the feeling is mutual.
Put on your game face and big girl pants, Elrod, and just GET the effer!
As I grabbed a cup I heard a soft meaty plop: the exact sound a 6-inch long gecko makes when it lands on a wood floor. ARGH!
Back to the living room, where I spotted him next to the baseboard. That was some leap. (Orphan Annie had it right, lizards really do leap!) By human standards that gecko had dropped off a 10-story building to a hard surface and was just fine.
I respect that achievement.
BUT NOT IN MY FREAKIN' HOUSE!!!!
More one-handed furniture-shifting ensued and lots of heavy breathing on my part. (Yes, it's official and not terribly surprising that I'm an out-of-shape writer.)
In short order I shoved away the hassock (not easy over a rug), a large chair, a much larger chaise lounge, a rolling computer desk--fortunately minus the computer--and the little effer was still by the baseboard, heading west.
West is good. The wide-open back door is west.
Oh, yeah, the lizard was bigger than before.
Another little known fact: besides vanishing at will, teleportation, and leaping, lizards get *bigger* when inside human habitation. It is in direct proportion to how badly the human wants the lizard OUT of the habitation.
This thing was making a fine start on Godzilla-hood when I managed, to our mutual relief, to shoo him over the threshold with the broom. Soon as he hit the concrete step he shrank back to his original size and again vanished.
I shut the door and sat down for a long time until the adrenalin wore off. Doubtless the physical sensations I experienced will be described in full in one of my books and you will enjoy the wordage, then my hero will gird up and go on to the next crisis.
I just sat there, fanning myself and wondering if more than one lizard got inside.
Yeah, I know, six inches of lizard is nothing to worry about, not really, but even normally placid people go ape shit insane when six inches of mouse + tail invades their home. Not to mention six-inch rats (minus the tail), so I shall worry until my short term memory settles down and I forget the excitement. If anything, I would be concerned about the poor gecko starving inside the house and at some point (when I have guests, of course) I discover its skeletal remains. Yeeeeks!
Or worse, I catch it eating one of the baby geckos. I don't know if they are cannibals or not as my knowledge of things with scales is limited to episodes of Primeval. But it is a not unreasonable possibility! And, no, I do NOT need to know for sure, so please do not enlighten me on this point. EW!!!!
In the meantime, my living room looks like I'd just moved in what with half the furniture dragged into the middle and papers and junk strewing the rest of the floor.
*sigh*
So long as the stuff is like that I might as well clean underneath before putting it back and throw out some junk.
Now you know why I didn't write for a couple hours today. Granted, having a lizard invasion isn't a big thing in the wide world, but keep in mind that I don't get out much! I mean if one MUST have a crisis, this is the kind to have, no doubt about that.
(Later, that same day....)
More things that kept me from writing:
Some while later, while taking care of business in the hall bathroom, I heard a THUMP.
I've heard it before. It's the same noise a poor little pigeon made when it smacked into one of my windows and broke its own neck. I hate that sound.
That is also NOT a sound you want to hear just as you're reaching for the bog paper.
Shortly after, I closed up the pet door flap because I don't need the stress of chasing my dog Sasha around the yard once she's glomphed a dead pigeon (or on three separate occasions a squirrel) into her mouth. I love my mighty hunter pup, but pigeons have parasites, and I have enough vet bills.
Door secured, I made a slow and careful search outside for the body.
Nothing.
I checked under all the windows, went out front, and checked there too. From the hall bath I couldn't tell what side of the house the thump originated.
Rechecked.
Oh. Hm. Feathers.
No more than half a dozen or so near my bedroom window.
I felt like Aragorn, Middle-Earth's greatest tracker for a moment as I correctly interpreted the fluffy evidence. (As a TMI aside, I would dearly enjoy feeling UP Middle-Earth's greatest tracker, but that's another blog entry.)
Oh, right--the missing pigeon.
Having seen such feathery discards before and having heard that thump before, I deduced that one of the red tail hawks who hangs out in the neighborhood was somewhere dining al freso on freshly-caught pigeon. It has some spot where it can swoop in quick, because this is the second time I've heard the thump outside my bedroom window. Then, when I looked out, the hawk was on the ground feasting away. The fact that the ample avian life that usually roosts in my trees were strangely silent added a bit of weight to my conclusion.
Thankfully I did not find any more of the hapless bird. Hawks tend to not bus their trays.
I'm glad I don't live in the country where this kind of thing happens all the time. I'd never get ANY writing done.
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| And the Winnah is...!! |
[Sep. 30th, 2009|03:44 pm] |
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( The winner is ------! )
Random crazy stuff:
This in from my good bud, writer Bradley H. Sinor:
Brad and Sue Sinor have been my buds for ages, and it's always a good con for me when they're around. We hang out and talk shop, and I never have to explain my writer-centered jokes. They're so cool they even laugh at my jokes. Ahh, friends!
He knows I'm just slightly ADDICTED to Castle, with the most tasty Nathan Fillion playing bestselling thriller writer Richard Castle.
Note the cousin's resemblance on the names: Stephen King / Richard Castle. Bwah!!!
Castle has the life all writers want--tons of money, fame, speed dial to VIPs' cell phones, invites to the cool parties, hawt dates, no writer's block, and tight buns unmarred by writer's s-p-r-e-a-d. A cocky attitude with his publisher.
Only on TV.
Real writers know it's fake. Most of us never get even one percent of what he has, and the show enforces the myth that once you're published you get all that as a matter of course. Kind of like buying a lottery ticket means you will totally win the big jackpot. HAH!
But baby, do we ever WANT it. Hell, I'll settle for a private lunch with Stephen J. Cannell! I wouldn't eat because I'd just keep ducking my head while chanting "I'm not worthy-I'm not worthy-I'm not worthy..."
Now we've got this bit of fun--a fake writer with a real book. Richard Castle's latest was released yesterday!
Can't say I'll be able to buy it, but my gawd, you gotta admire the balls of the TV show's Powers That Be for publishing it and putting in the usual hype you find with the release of any NYTimes bestseller, like mentions of Castle's previous book series. It is freaking brilliant, and I love it.
About the Author
Richard Castle is the author of numerous bestsellers, including the critically acclaimed Derrick Storm series. His first novel, In a Hail of Bullets, published while he was still in college, received the Nom DePlume Society's prestigious Tom Straw Award for Mystery Literature. Castle currently lives in Manhattan with his daughter and mother, both of whom infuse his life with humor and inspiration.
Hyperion is a real publishing house, agented submissions only.
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| Outland Posters Drawing! |
[Sep. 26th, 2009|06:11 pm] |
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Yup, I'm cleaning again. Just a *little* bit--and you lot get to reap the benefits of my need to dig myself out from under a few decades of fan stuff.
This latest drawing has a double prize! I have two near-mint condition 20 x 16 posters from the 1981 Outland.
Note--these are posters, not lobby cards, on heavy stock paper.
I got them back in the day when the movie was in the theaters and I happened to work in a theater. The manager was going to toss them and I staged a rescue.
I had some idea that they would be worth a *fortune* some day, so I rolled them up and put them away from then until now when I found them again. The colors are just as crisp as they were in 1981!
Reality check: a mint set has been up for 199.00 on Ebay for weeks now, but orphan posters are rather short of my dreams of retiring on the proceeds. I want the space and for them to go to a good home. Maybe you can use some authentic movie ambiance for your home theater!
If you plan to re-sell them, DON'T tell me. That would take all the fun of it out of things.
The downside is Sean Connery isn't a biggie feature in either of them, though he might be doing his own stunt in the first pic.
But if you liked the movie (I did!) or know someone who might enjoy these, leave a comment and I'll do a random drawing on Tuesday!
Good luck!
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| Off to FenCon! |
[Sep. 17th, 2009|03:47 pm] |
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I'll be spending most of my weekend at FenCon in Dallas, so I hope to see some of you there! One of my uber-fave writers, Lois McMaster Bujold is the guest of honor, and I have books in my library that require her signature!
My copies of Dark Road Rising finally arrived, so I can sell some of those and copies of The Devil You Know. I'll be doing a reading as well. Maybe something from DRR.
For those who have asked, yes, I'll be selling signed copies of DRR from the Vampwriter website. Give me time to upload the stuff!
I'll be at the con fairly early in the afternoon on Friday and will take things from there.
Other good news: The final story for the new anthology I've edited has been turned in! I'll post an authors' list and titles soon, just a bit busy now to pause for it.
After a good deal of wrangling, the Powers That Be at St. Martin's Press decided to keep the original title, DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS. There was much discussion, which I won't post here, but I'm thrilled it's got that title again. For a time--since I'd been trying to sell the title for some years now--I wondered if there was a (dun-dun-DUN) *curse* attached.
Hopefully not! I want this one to SELL when it hits the stores sometime next year!
There was a good deal of concern that the public would think having "knight" in the title meant it would be full of historical stories, rather than urban fantasy. I suggested to the other editor that if they put a chick in a plate mail bustier on the cover brandishing a seriously modern firearm, then the message would be pretty clear.
Historical? I don't think so!
More pics and wallpapers here: http://wallpapers.infinitecoolness.com/widescreen/
On the down side--same as every Thursday when my Google searches send updates--that e-pirate slime-turd, Athanatos, has returned to illegally posting the Vampire Files on various porn share sites. (That's it, let everyone know what you do in your spare moments through the day.) Rather than getting a real job I suppose the lazy git hopes to collect a few pennies each time someone also lacking a life clicks on a page link, and wanks off the rest of the time in his parent's garage/basement. What a sad sack.
I still make an effort to shut down the sites I can find, but can't get them all. You have to be a member of some to get illegal posts removed, and I'm not that crazy!
Right--I have a story to edit and want to put the polish on mine. No writer is ever done tinkering!
If I haven't mentioned it before, my contribution is called Dark Lady, and Myrna the ghost helps Jack out in this one. The mad Irish PI, Riordan, also puts his nose into things. I've GOT to do another story with that bad lad. He's too much fun!
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| Amateur Editors Ahoy! |
[Sep. 12th, 2009|03:54 pm] |
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In about 2 months I *should* be able to just about afford the next print run of The Devil You Know, probably another 500 copies, this batch without the Elvish spelling of my name on the spine.
And I need help!
Those of you who have copies -- have you spotted ANY typos??
If so, I wanna know about them. I'm lucky that Tops Printing is open to tweaking things. I spotted one typo today while looking up something else. It's not so much a typo as an editorial "oops!"
To whit on p. 119:
"During Prohibition plenty of big houses within a few miles of the coast had built hiding places..."
It sounds like the houses themselves grabbed hammers and wood and went to work! I'll be fixing that one, no worries, so it reads "built-in". Two letters and a hyphen makes a big diff!
If any of you find typos and similar "oops" please email them to mystikmerchant@sbcglobal.net.
I'll need the page number and enough of the line in question to find it on the page.
Whoever finds the most gets one of my slogan eco-tote bags, and I'll have a 2nd & 3rd place, maybe more, depending on my postage budget and how many reply.
You have until Thursday. Why? because I'm taking a ton of these totes over to FenCon next Friday for their charity .
I've GOT to get these out! My house is overrun with ecological responsibility! If the con will allow, I want to have a big box of these totes with the slogans visible, and for a 2.00 donation to the charity you walk off with any one you like.
Think of cheap prezzies for pals, gang!
In other news...
Yay--my local bookstore has Dark Road Rising out. It wasn't on the table with all the other vampire books, not shelved with my other title they had in stock, but at least it was out. The lady there was really sweet about tracking it down for me. More had been ordered. I'll sign those too when they come in.
And the things you find out by asking:
As I'm almost done with the new story I gave myself a treat and ate out, and realized I had a research question to cover. The joint wasn't busy, so I asked the gal at the register about how the beer taps function and if there was a special switch to turn on the pumps.
She invited me into the freezer to see the works!
After August in Texas it felt GOOOOOOD. There was ice on the floor, and I had to be careful not to fall, as I didn't want to be like that kid in A Christmas Story and wind up with any body parts freezing to metal. This was a seriously cold sub-zero room and dangerous to get trapped in, though they had safety releases. She pointed out the detail I needed, then we shot out of there.
My sneakers were freezing to the floor, regardless. BRRRRR! It was wonderful!
Now I have a starting point for research. Yes, I have hung in a few bars in my time, but I need to know them the way Jack Fleming would know them. Moved a bit closer to that today, thanks to the very helpful young lady at that BBQ place!
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I'll be guesting at FenCon next weekend, hopefully selling lots of copies of TDYK and certainly meeting up with all my good buds in publishing.
I'm looking forward to being on a Ghost Hunting panel late Friday night. I have to confess I'm addicted to most of the shows, but can't stand that Brit ghost hunt farce. There's not a skeptic in the bunch, so if they go in believing and jumping at every creak, they'll *always* find *something*. I can't stand that guy who always gets possessed and channels dead people every single episode. (Sorry, mate, you're just not selling it.) Such silliness is great for the ratings, but pul-ese! Try underplaying next time.
I loosely based a character on him in my story Grave-Robbed for Many Bloody Returns. You'll know which one when you read it. Snort!
At some point I'd like to do more in the way of ghost stories, but for now I'm keeping things confined to Myrna, the lady bartender in The Vampire Files.
No spoilers, but she has a major role in the story I'm just finishing for the new anthology I'm editing!
I'm also bringing back Shamus Riordan ("Me name is me game, spell it the same!") the cheerfully homicidal mad Irishman from my Strange Brew story, Hecate's Golden Eye. Jack Fleming is not amused.
Back to FenCon---
Rachel Caine and I will team up for our infamous Publishing 101 workshop. It's free, but we'd love people to sign up for it. http://www.fencon.org/pub101signup.php It's so we know how many handouts to bring.
It's going to be a fast moving concentrated panel, and much of what we cover is where to find the needed info on the Net. These days there are plenty of helpful sites for writers, but you have to figure out which ones are good and which are scams. (We'll cover publishing scams, too.)
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To more mundane matters:
What a rainy weekend I've got. Both yards--with cracks in the earth from summer--are now prime swampland. My doggies don't like it much and keep looking at me like I can change it for them. Yes, if I could, I'd pave most of the yard, the muddy bits.
Yesterday, while I was working on the Vampire Files novella for the next anthology some VERY active electrical storms came booming through. I've never seen that level of violence before, and I'm a big fan of thunder storms so long as I'm indoors and have a flashlight handy! Thunder was continuous for nearly two hours, and the lightning--well, put that in a movie and the audience would be sneering at the FX team for overdoing things.
But I kept on writing, thankful for my laptop's long battery life.
And writing, and writing...
On into the late night, when, at about 2 am, some freaking weird-ass whooping siren went off.
That was new.
Car alarms had been going off all up and down the street when the thunder was booming that afternoon, but things were quiet now and had been for hours.
Apparently this was an extra super-dooper-*speshul* siren, so *speshul* that it was impossible to know where it was coming from. As it rose and fell and wailed and whined at varying volume it first seemed to be coming from just next door, then on the next street over, then waaaay over there, then woooooohooooo it's just outside my front windows.
I kept waiting for the neighbors to shut the damned thing off. Nothing.
So at 2:10 am I put on slippers and bathrobe and ventured out on my no longer quiet street, thinking that if it was a terrorist attack I wanted to see it.
I *still* couldn't locate the source. It was either on the left two doors down where the neighbor's driveway light was flickering or across from them in the house with the pricy cars out front.
I was the ONLY person on the street. We're talking Twilight Zone creepy here. If Rod Serling stepped out next to me he better have a beer and a danged good excuse.
WooooWOOOOOOwoooowoooooWOOOOOOO! With strange tweee-tweee-tweees thrown in. Martians might like the row, but I'm not a fan.
I couldn't believe I was the only one hearing this. Just how deaf were the ones in charge of it?
Really-really deaf, apparently.
I tried the non-emergency number for the cops since maybe there was a genuine burglary going on, but it was busy. No surprise. During storms they're always having to deal with people who ignore the flash flood warnings and wind up floating toward the Trinity River, greatly surprised. (Yo--morons! You are in a C-A-R, not a B-O-A-T. Two different vehicles!)
About 2:30 the siren began to slowly die, either the speaker had worn out, the battery exhausted, or maybe the Martian busker troupe knew there was no money to be had here.
Then I got to enjoy the rest of my insomia-ridden night. Sometimes I can't get my brain to turn off. It's a bitch. Usually melatonin does the trick or warm milk, but I was very tired and didn't think there'd be a problem. Instead I had In the Navy by the Village People playing through my head, nonstop. (Don't ask.)
I've tried sleeping pills, but they mess with my brain chemistry in a bad way so they are off my menu.
On better nights I *have* found an alternative way to coax myself to a snooze: TURKEY!
If I scarf a few slices of turkey sammich meat before bedtime on an empty tummy I go out like a light. The amino acid, L-trytophan is what makes you sleepy. I've been doing that snack for the last week and it's worked every time. You have to only have the meat, though, nothing else.
NOW I know why--after I have a turkey sandwich for lunch, then sit down to write some more--I wind up taking a nap instead!
I've got friends who swear by herbal teas and a hundred other remedies, but this one does it for me.
I'll try it again tonight. Maybe I'll sleep through that damned siren.
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| Interview With the "Vamped" Writer! (Again!) |
[Sep. 9th, 2009|04:26 pm] |
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Here we go, LJ's own Vyrdolak has interviewed yours truly!
http://blogcritics.org/books/article/interview-with-pn-elrod-author-of/
She did an excellent job, and it was nice not to get the usual kinds of questions. I had to think about these!
In other areas of promotion, I'm disappointed that the bookstore nearest to me in my own home town has YET to get in their order for Dark Road Rising. Sooo good for the ego, that. I am grateful they ordered some, though, but come ON, it's gonna be 10 days late. I'm betting everyone who ordered through Amazon has theirs by now!
I went against all common sense and scanned some of the Amazon reviews. Except for the one from Publisher's Weekly, NO spoilers and yikes-zowie-wowie are they ever positive! I'm bowled over! Thank you!
On the down side of things, my little Megan dog suddenly got a bum leg from arthritis. I think she tried chasing something in the back yard last Sunday and her leg said "no, I don't think so." So she's getting a course of shots in her back passenger side that's supposed to help replace joint fluid. I think it's harder on me than her! She is walking better and both my girls get doggie glucosamine every day. Sasha still needs her bumps removed. I should ask the vet about prescribing some Xanax---for ME!
I've got to do some website updating. Apparently I'm finding out rather late that posting sample chapters and links are really good for one's sales. (Well, DUH, Pat!) It's finding the time to do it, since my first three books were done on a typewriter, others on a dedicated word processor, and any e-version I had from reprints are in limbo on Mr. Floppy, my poor blind old laptop. (the screen backlight died.) I may have something stashed on a disk someplace, but am reluctant to try looking for it.
Y'see, the last time I went looking for something I wound up building a wall of bookshelves and ripping out the whole living room carpet. I can let you know the landlord was not too thrilled, but hey, I did find some nice wood floors under that 1967 cockroach brown shag-a-delic nylon!
I think it was the bullet holes in the floor that bothered 'em the most. *I* did NOT put them there. I'm smart enough to confine all firearms practice to a proper shooting range!
Glad I'm in MY OWN house now. Well, mine and the mortgage lender's.
I do need to get better at managing my time so I can organize things around here. Then I can get into my library, clear out the stuff I don't want, and maybe it will look a bit like Neil Gaimen's.
I met him a few years back at an AggieCon--we're BOTH Man from UNCLE fans!--and OMG, what a sweet, charming guy!
But sad to say about myself, I'm suffering from an extreme case of shelf-envy!
Me want, me WAAAAANT!!!! |
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| THE KNIGHT RETURNS!!! |
[Sep. 5th, 2009|12:02 pm] |
After far too long a hiatus, FOREVER KNIGHT is back on the air on Chiller this Monday!!!!
We're getting a marathon of 1st season episodes all day on Labor Day--woo hoo!!!
Yeah, I know, you're all fans too and have the DVDs, BUT a whole new generation of vamp fans has come up that may never have seen them.
I'm hoping you will ALL blog about this event and urge people to tune in--especially the young vamp fans who never heard of it and need to get hooked.
Maybe the only vamp show they've seen was that ripoff of FK, Moonlight. The only one they have to look forward to is some teen vamp series coming this fall. (No, I'm not going to bother watching it. Teens in heat shows, with or without fangs, bore me.)
Maybe they've seen their mom's or big sister's eps of Buffy and Angel (awesome sauce) but I want the newbies to learn what else was on that enabled one's fang fetish needs!
Now we *do* have True Blood, but I had to stop watching; HBO went way over the top on the body juices squick. I'm squeamish. There, it's out. There's a point where they went into the overload zone for me and I just had to turn away. I've got a rule: it stops being entertaining when I get physically sick, ergo, stop watching. I love Charlaine's books, but at least with the movie in my head I can control the splattery special effects.
Ahh, but Nick Knight--yummy to look at, no overkill on the angst, and he loses it just enough to his dark side to nab bad guys. Who does that remind you of?
You'd think I'd be annoyed seeing a show about a vampire detective, but hey, the contract for Bloodlist was signed months before the Rick Springfield pilot was released in '88, so I'm cool with it. Producer/writer James D. Perriott and I are just great minds who thought alike!
Imagine my shock to find Lee Killough beat us both with her Gareth Mikaelian books!
But back to the FK marathon. Yes, the DVDs are out, but there's something different seeing a broadcast. The story is interrupted by commercials, you wait to see what happens next, you get hooked, you start looking up the websites. For me I remember the glee with which I greeted each new episode.
And yes, I watched the 3rd season, but it lost a lot of heart without Schanke and Janette around. They had a some excellent 3rd season episodes, how could they avoid it with Geraint Wyn Davies and Nigel Bennett on screen? But the first two seasons were the best for me.
David Hewlett fans--watch for him in DEAD AIR. Not the best ending in the world, but my-oh-my, what a performance! He never screamed like that on Stargate Atlantis!
I really need to go though my files and try to find my script for THE FOREVER KNIGHT (DINNER) THEATER. A bunch of us put the play on in 94 or 5 at Galaxy Fair in Nigel Bennett's honor. That one deserves a whole new web page as we find out what happens when LaCroix takes over Picard's Enterprise. Macgyvergal's hubby supplied me with a DVD of the show he was so kind enough to record. The sound ain't so great, so I want to have the play's text on the same page so people can follow the fun. |
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| Back again. Saner, but not by much. |
[Sep. 3rd, 2009|06:05 pm] |
I figured out my post about e-pirates was counter-productive.
I totally appreciate the support you guys have shown, but this blog should be about promoting my books, not moaning about a bunch of loser thieves and e-pimps ripping me off. I got myself into a Harlan Ellison mood, which while entertaining in a grim kind of way, doesn't put me in the right frame of mind to write!
Besides, what if some new reader checks out my blog and the first thing they see is me ranting about this or that. I'd run away and never come back!
Thanks for allowing me to vent, though.
Right, I lost some writing time today replacing my trackball. I only like the Logitech ergonomic whatchamadoodle. Hopefully, this one will get dropped less and last longer. For a time I thought something was wrong with my computer as it seemed so sluggish taking commands. Surprise, the left-click on my trackball was all worn out!
Techno-Twit has another learning experience, oh joy!
Okay, I'll try to rant less, but that will likely mean fewer posts. I'm just so GOOD at rants, dang it!
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| Dark Road Rising-- out today!!! An interview with Jack Fleming! |
[Sep. 1st, 2009|11:14 am] |
Yup, I tracked down Jack again at Lady Crymsyn and interviewed him about DRR.
Check it out!
http://varkat.livejournal.com/114857.html
Leave a comment there so my agent knows I have readers! ;>)
Try before you buy!
So I went down to the bookstore yesterday to see if it might be out early, but they'd not yet been delivered. They only had TWO copies.
So I whinged on about being on the NYTimes bestseller extended list with other titles and doesn't that count for something??? The lady at the desk--she's used to me--thought that amusing and said it sure did, and she ordered up more copies then and there. I gave groveling thanks for her being so nice about it. YAY!!!!
So if your store doesn't have it, ask them to get a few in, along with copies of Vols. 1 & 2.
For those who have asked, yes, there are e-versions for sale on the publisher's website and on Amazon.
Again--reviews will have spoilers, so skip 'em.
I don't get it with reviewers blabbing spoilers. I have written plenty of reviews without 'em, 'cause I get what the writer is doing.
You spend 200 pages building up to a really neat plot turn and then they blurt it out. It's like someone yelling out about Norman Bate's mom or what Rosebud means. Sheesh!
;>)
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