The one where I do the blog equivalent of a drive by

Must do this fast, because things are happening fast, and I have to be off again before… well before.

You see, today my publisher got his email from Amazon and it recommended I Know Not. That is, needless to say, advertising you cannot buy. As of this moment Here are the rankings:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,596 Paid in Kindle Store

#17 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Magic & Wizards
#32 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#45 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic

I’ve crested 1,000 copies, and sales are going strong. That being said, people are sifting through and buying copies of other books I have released. That is BIG. Now my only problem is… well… I don’t have enough books out. So I finished the shorts I had committed to, and have started on my next novel. I’ve given myself 60 days to get 120K words. Yep, kinda short time frame, but I have to build a base and I have to do it fast. If these people buy the book and like it, they will need to have more before they forget who I am. I want to write for a living. That means lots and lots of writing. I must produce.

And that seems what they will carve on my tombstone.

It helps, though, because I keep getting a little notes from people. They see my tweets, my FB updates, and they say: I write more because of your updates.

And for those of you that think this is a small thing, I just have to say that it is not. The hardest thing for a writer to do is actually sit down and write. Seems odd, but it is so personal, so exposing, so intimate a thing, putting your thoughts and beliefs on paper – no matter how veiled – has given birth to a whole set of jokes about avoiding doing what you love most that only writers understand.

But I can’t give into that. I have to keep running, and as always, accelerating.

Why I would never make a good king

OK, This one’s fresh, and so it’s hot and has more than a few razors baked into it.

Turns out that two feet of snow in NYC is considered a blizzard. As such, people who live in the most taxed place in the nation, with the highest per capita of government employees (outside of Washington DC) is paralyzed. People have been digging out for days, and like any natural disaster there have been deaths. Some of them were preventable, in fact at least two grabbing national headlines were. Most moving, for my part, involves a newborn. Birthed from the mother, a 22 year old student, in a building lobby, it took 10 hours before Emergency Services reached her. The child did not survive.

Now there are reports that guilty men and women have come forward with allegations that the snow has not been removed because the City Sanitation Union wanted to teach the Mayor a lesson. They allegedly purposefully sabotaged the cleanup efforts, costing lives, because of demotions and budget cutbacks.

It is at times like this that I must remain calm.

Maybe it is a defect, but when I see: WORKER DID NOT DO JOB AND DEATHS RESULTED, I think MANSLAUGHTER. When I see: UNION BOSSES DESIGNED SLOWDOWN DURING NATURAL DISASTER, I see UNION BOSSES ENGINEERED MURDER OF CITIZENS.

The people of NYC should be outraged. If the slowdown did occur, then dozens, if not hundreds, should be charged and tried in a court of law for 1st degree murder (yes, they KNEW that deaths would result from their actions), and conspiracy at the very least. They should rise up and find the truth to the matter. If Bloomberg (never my favorite person) has lied to save his own throne then they should hang him from the lamp posts as a lesson to liars and tyrants. If I were king, there would already be heads on pikes on all bridges leading to the big apple, for some things cannot be borne. Some indignities require blood as ink to pen the punishment for someone so out of touch they use the life of an entire city in order to score political points.

The citizens of NYC have the power to demand justice and see it done. Now it remains to be seen if they have the political will and the attention span.But this is a part an even larger problem. Move past NYC, back years to Katrina, we saw another failure of government to protect individuals against the unexpected. Other, less politically convenient fires, floods, and failures have sprung up since then. When communities are saved, they pull together to act as a family unit. When government is allowed, or expected to fill that void it fails.

In fact I am shocked that anyone can expect the government to protect anyone from anything more serious than a paper cut. You must be self reliant, you must be prepared. To that end, may I suggest a little preparation? It For $60 you can get food, water, and some rudimentary shelter. It may not be much, but for the cost of a fairly inexpensive night on the town you could save yourself, someone you know, or a complete stranger from death.

Of course there are other ways of being prepared, but let’s start with a survival kit and move on from there.

A few other things:

Red Jacket Firearms in Baton Rouge, LA. has scored a series on Discovery channel. Think of it as Orange County Choppers with guns. Become a fan on facebook and watch on Discovery!

And, lastly something near and dear to me:

 

My favorite author is Joel Rosenberg. No secret there. He produced the finest series of fantasy novels I have ever seen. I have bought them over and over, only to give them away and buy them again. I know him to be humble, approachable, and totally unaware of the depth of his talent.

Joel Rosenberg is a lawful concealed carry licensee has a valid license to carry [thank you for correction]. He followed the letter of the law, went out of his way to conform to the regulations of what is demanded of him, and was arrested anyway. I am not alone. Other bloggers are coming to his defense. They are keeping on top of things. Still, Joel Rosenberg, honorable, law abiding man, who has done more to train and keep people self sufficient than I could hope to, needs help.

If you have a few bucks, please donate to his defense. It would mean a great deal to him, to me, and most importantly to freedom.If you are in the area, go to his legal defense dinner. Join the page on Facebook.

Tomorrow I get paid. Monday I’m making my payment to his defense.

If I can bang out a worthy story, I’ll release it to raise cash.

I’m going to do what I can, because the LAW must mean something, especially to those sworn to uphold it.

Trust me, I think I know what I’m doing.

OK, ok, ok, ok, ok, ok, ok, ok, ok, ok, OK!

I have been ignoring my blog far too long. *puts on record and sneaks off for food*

‘I’ve been putting in overtime at work, meeting deadline after deadline and the uunfoortunaaaateeee ressuuuulllllllllllllltt iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisss thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis bloooooooooooooooooog…

*runs back in, smacks record player…  smacks it again… *

Hoisted on my own time saving device.

Look, some days I feel like every spare letter inside my head goes into some project. I enjoy political discussions, talking about gaming, but I don’t often have time for any of that.

But once in a while, all the hard work gets noticed.

“The Natural Born Spy” by James Daniel Ross is an engrossing, historically based story… told in first person. It features a changeling created by the Nazi’s during World War II, and a drafted, hapless, nearly helpless medieval literature specialist who nevertheless rises to the demands of the command he is thrust into.

Which are very kind words.

More exciting yet, I got one of these in the mail for Bad Ass Faeries 3: In all Their Glory:

 

I am sure all the editors and authors are as excited as I am. And if that wasn’t enough then I got a call from the publisher:

They accepted I Know Not: The Story of Fox Crow, my first fantasy novel for publication. My short story: The Ghost of Løve VanMeek was also accepted. More importantly, I received some kind words about the increased quality of my work from both the editor and publisher!

So immediately I’ve switched gears, getting back cover text ready, sketching cover concepts, and all the while I have two anthology and one magazine submission to pound out the second my muse shows up.

I’m also bolting my dedication down in all the important places, because even  with a dozen stories and a novel submitted – 9 and 1 accepted so far, I need to do more. Next year I’m going for 24/2.

If this were an action movie, this would be the scene with all the closeups of weapons being loaded, holstered, and so forth. So, I’m loading up my ipod, cleaning out my keyboard, sharpening my pencils and buying a new sketchpad. I need a short or two, and then I am starting on the next Radiation Angels novel this January/1.

I lay down my pen for it is heavy from battle.

Forgive me, I’m doing this without a plan.

Normally I’ve got some idea what I’m going to be talking about when I start a blog, but I’m really kinda brain dead. I have finished my fourth novel, the first fantasy novel, and I am prepping for in house edits before it goes to the publisher. Dark quest has shown phenomenal faith in me by reserving a spot in the production schedule, before they had even seen the thing. Don’t get me wrong. I still have to go through -albeit accelerated- submissions process, it is by no means a sure thing.

Still, it makes me proud. It makes me feel like I have passed some kind of hurdle in my career.

Oh, I could go on about a cool movie coming soon to a theater near you. Or I could philosophize about a life of relative comfort will eventually lead to even the greatest idiots being taken seriously by people too far removed from struggle for life. But still, I am exploring new ideas and letting them take me where they want. Truth be told, I’m tired of having arguments for now. I just need a little rest, for even as I lay the last stone down on the novelization of an old story, more are entering the upper atmosphere of my brain. They are already glowing. Soon they will land with the force of nuclear bombs, creating and destroying and being born.

Until then. I just need a rest.

Biblionomics

For those of you that missed last week’s update, I was at NasFic. If you were not following on twitter, or Facebook, It was a spectacular time, and the ReConStruction crew should be proud of their efforts.

It is odd, but one of the first things out of people’s mouths when I get back from a convention is: Did you make any money?

Even stranger, what pops out is: No.

I am not sure of any other query in the world where the question is irrelevant because the answer is so grossly incorrect.

I went. I sold 10 books- as much as anything else on the table. If you count the plane ticket, meals, cost for membership to the con, and the rental car, I am significantly behind in dollars and cents. Yet, it was an extremely profitable trip. I have four new job leads, I have a lead on an agent, I met some really interesting people who, in turn, will tell others about the funny fat guy at the panel and his series of books. I have contacts with new publishers, new authors, and even new fans. Those last, most of all, are invaluable.

I met Andrew Fox, author of Fat White Vampire Blues (as well as the Bride of the Fat White Vampire and others.) I got to listen to how, after climbing up the ladder to the major presses Hurricane Katrina destroyed his life. With no home, no resources, and at least one small child at the time, he got up off the mat and is doing it again.

Samuel Montgomery-Blinn runs Bull Spec Magazine. It focuses on the Raleigh-Durham area right now, but he is looking to expand to become much more than a local publication, to a regional, and beyond. He’s riding herd over advertisers, authors, printers, and he’s got an awful lot of hats on while keeping up with a family, a full time job. Here’s something that should not be a secret: He’s doing a great job (go, get a subscription… quickly. Go!)

I also get updates telling me about local conventions, business opportunities (most of them from Nigeria) and sometimes I come across something like this:

***

Rymfire eBooks seeking artists

We’re seeking amateur artists for upcoming covers, namely for the following horror eBooks:
“Revenant”… “State of Horror: Louisiana/Texas”… “State of Horror: New York/Pennsylvania”…

Also, we need a cover artist to do a series of fantasy eBook covers as well… e-mail us at rymfireebooks (at) gmail.com for further information!

***

And I am glad to pass them on to other starving artists because I believe in no good deed going unpunished.

And I get to keep my finger on the pulse of the Geek community. Otherwise how would I know about the science fiction remake of Anna Karenina

Or how people will someday link to my facebook page from my tombstone (though I imagine that barring the download of my brain, updates will be somewhat more regular).

So I guess the answer should be: I am poorer in cash, and richer in spirit. I left with a head empty of ideas and pockets overflowing with script, and came back fuller, wiser, and with infant stories starting to toddle in my head. And that is worth more than gold… I hope… eventually.

I feel like recycling headlines

I hate flying, and there’s no way to deny it. I’m sitting CVG, the AC is set to ‘New Hampshire’, and I’m still sweating like I’ve just hiked 3 miles carrying 50 lb packs (did I pack deodorant?). OK, I may have actually just hiked 3 miles, and my packs may be hedging into the overstuffed category, but let me assure you that is not why the fat guy is sweating (Is that the pilot? he looks a little green around the gills).

All kvetching and paranoid delusions aside, conventions are the closest things I have to vacations, and I enjoy them immensely. Balticon ranks up with my favorites, since the people are wonderful, the panels are a riot, and the con staff are always working for a good time. This one, however, is a different animal. This convention is NasFic, and I am hoping it will be a game changer. (CRAP! I LEFT MY UPDATED PANEL SCHEDULE AT HOME!)

As it was explained to me (ah, Absolut mandarin and tonic to take the edge off)  every year has a WorldCon – the largest collection of fandom in the… well, in the world.  In years when WorldCon overseas, the massed nerd collection of middle to lower middle socio economic dwellers get together anyway. This is called NasFic. I managed to score an invite to sit on panels. I’m collecting my fliers, handouts, and wits about me, hoping that this will open up a whole new strata of southern conventions to me. I desperately need to expand my fan base and considering my material, south is a good move.

My one (one?) problem is I have to fly to get there. Thankfully, God loves us and has given us Vodka.

In other news, The Story of Fox Crow is almost done. In fact: I expect it to be done during the con as I am inspired by the wonderful people I am sure to meet. (what was I so uptight about, again?) I am hoping to hear the fate of The Ghost of Love VanMeek this week, and I have several short stories burning in my head, sending smoke signals anyone can read. (hard to stay upright with these edges all roundy).

Oh, and I was given a book by a friend of mine. It is something of post-western society meltdown meets Jerry Falwell. Since I haven’t mentioned it by name, I am perfectly comfortable saying it is poorly written, horribly conceived, ham-handed about religion, and surprisingly iron fisted with its ignorance. It has also sold more books than everything I have ever written rolled into one. For that reason a friend of mine has told me to write something in that genre. I may have to pick up that gauntlet. (Whoop fell down)

Alright, everyone. I’m going to listen to some music. You have a good weekend out there.

Also, for those amongst you with a taste for the ridiculous (hmmmm ridiculous) I point you to something culled from my email… the next mutation of the Nigerian Prince Scam. Be careful people, now they’re getting crafty (and spell check).

Greetings!!!

I write to inform you that your contact was found among the list of foreigners that have been scammed by Fraudsters. It might interest you to know that we have signed an agreement with the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT during our first meeting this year with our PRESIDENT and the FBI to fight against corruption by returning all contract funds that has been stolen, paying the people that had an unfinished transaction or International Fund Transfer that failed due to Government problems and also compensate scam victims.

Based on the above, an ATM Card worth EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND U.S

DOLLARS has been issued in your name as compensation. I have deposited the ATM Card with UPS COURIER SERVICE. I traveled out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not be back until completion of my 3 months course. What you have to do now is to contact the UPS COURIER SERVICE immediately to know when they will deliver your package to you because of the expiry date of deposit.

For your information, I have paid for the delivery Charge of the ATM Card. You have to contact the Agent of UPS COURIER SERVICE now for the delivery of your ATM Card with this information below:

Contact Agent: Thomas Cole

Email: thomas.cole@sify.com

Reconfirm the below information to the agent:

1. Full Names:

2. Residential Address:

3. Phone Number:

Request for the tracking number of the package to enable you track and know when it will get to your address. Contact the Agent immediately you receive this mail to avoid any further delay

Notify me as soon as you receive your ATM Card.

Yours Faithfully,

Mrs Maria Smith.

The Plan: Blogging from Balticon

Part of me says that this is kind of pitiful. After all, in an economic downturn I am still able to attend a convention. To someone like me this means that I have a sacred duty to suck the fun out of every, single second of this adventure, yet here I am blogging instead of drinking, gaming, cosplay, or going to a panel. In my defense all I can say is that I woke up at 6am, and —

See that’s what cons are like for me. I start at 6 am blogging in an IHOP, when a bunch of people I know walk in. I respectfully shut down the computer. I get up, and all the convention ladies demand hugs. The men shake hands (unless you are brothers in blood, the kind of bonds forged during an all night room-party crawl, discovering a new science fiction BBC series together, or braving the Temple of Elemental Evil) and then we all sit down. There’s the standard talk about troubles at home, cars failing, jobs gained and lost, new hobbies, new D&D characters, weight gain, weight loss, marriages and divorces, births and deaths. Still the question comes up- why do I care? I care because some of these people are my coworkers, others are peers in the industry, others are fans of my work, but all of them, ALL of them are my friends. We share experiences, even if we grew up on different continents. We understand one another, even if we speak different languages. We are nerds, and so we are joined by–

It’s Saturday… I was trying to finish the entry when I met Daniel Ross, not to be confused with James Daniel Ross (me). The panel I was waiting for was actually for him, causing some light laughter and making me somewhat thankful I could go to bed instead of stay up until 1am. Still, it was interesting to talk to him, since he had been casting about for a Science fiction property upon which to base a video game. We spoke a bit, traded information and parted ways. I was hopeful that we could make something happen. At the same time, I am always cautious. At any convention there are far more dreamers than there are do’ers, but he had the fire in the belly and the sharpness of wit that tells me he is bright and driven. Maybe we can get famous together.  But even as I’m telling myself to keep everything in perspective I —

And Sunday… I’ve got the launch party tonight, and it’s bound to be great. I am amazed at the number of fans who KNOW I will be there, and come to talk to me there. The ones that come in and praise my work are fantastic, and lord knows I couldn’t keep up with the pace I have set without their support. Still, though it is the ones that come and ask me questions that make my heart leap. These are not just ordinary readers – as wonderful as those people are – these are people who have absorbed my work. They have read and taken time to understand my work.  The feelings this brings are indescribable–

Wow, Monday. It’s a short one where I get to see one of the classiest men I have ever known: Yoji Kondo. It’s a discussion about Arthur C Clarke and —

See that’s what cons are like for me. I start at 6 am Friday blogging in an IHOP, and now it’s time to drive home. Yes, I’m skipping meeting old friends, a pretty significant argument with someone I love, inspiring a new writer to become an author, being inspired by stories of my first fan, signing books for three hours so the resellers would have stock… It happens too quickly for pictures, too fast for blogs. These are the moments where I feel compressed, stressed, and perfectly at peace with my whole life. It is at these moments that working for 8 hours a day, then writing for 6 more, before cooking, and THEN housework, come into focus.

I am an author, a novelist, and one day I am going to do this for a living.

And now I need some sleep.

The month where there’s a lot going on

I was in Ironton, Ohio for the funeral of my Uncle Samuel Ross. He will be missed.

My Sister and I left Cincinnati at O’Dad O’clock… which is the time every father gets his kids up to pile into the station wagon/van/camper to drive to the national forest for vacation. It is universally recognized by the children’s whiney mantra: Oooooooh Daaaaad.

As such we arrived early, and got to meet a wonderful couple I had not seen since I hit puberty. The husband has been friends with my father since they were 6 years old, and the woman was an immigrant from France who got her citizenship even before I was born. They welcomed us into their lovely home and, in the hours before the funeral, we all talked until we stumbled upon a political discussion. Then the husband and I were the ones talking.

Those in the audience that know me know that politics is something like catnip for me: It’s green, looks illicit, and does absolutely nothing for you if smoked. Seriously, though, it is a living dichotomy that fascinates me. Politics – like religion – is an area where honorable men may disagree and those disagreements can actually bring people closer together. It can also end in a mushroom cloud, but what human endeavor can’t?

So we started discussing a whole horde of topics, and mostly we were in agreement, but one arose that I have seen many, many times: The Draft.

My father’s friend mourned the loss of the draft, because it instilled young men with everything they and the country required to survive: a strong standing army, patriotism, and discipline. And those were all good points, but I have significant problems with the idea of conscription. During our debate, my opponent was far too classy and kind to point out that the side I was arguing was mirrored by American born socialists and communists – people for whom critical thought is a detriment – but I knew it myself. That’s one of the reasons I keep entering the debate, testing my arguments, and probing them for a structural flaw that will bring the whole thing crashing down and prove me wrong.

I have heard praise such as his from literally dozens of men at work. They all grew up with the draft (under whatever name) in place, and some of them while it was in use. They said there was a beautiful certainty to knowing what one was expected to do straight out of high school, and that without guidance of the US government they would never have gotten their heads on straight. It gave them marketable skills, in many cases a nest egg for starting a life, and even a safer place to make a few mistakes and have a parental figure to bail them out – even if the parental figure was a 6’4″ sergeant with muscles that looked like basketballs that thumped them for doing something colossally stupid.

But I cannot get past several key points that lead directly to ‘No Draft’ without passing go, no collecting $200:

The first, and most basic, is a LARGE army is not equal to a GOOD army. Imagine, if you will, two employees at McD… uhh… Kentucky Long McKingeys Hut Bell (Ahh, I am a genius), so we have two workers at Kentucky Long McKingeys Hut Bell – alike in dignity, well not really.

One wants to work. He studies all the manuals, pays attention at work, cleans his uniform. He wants to learn new things. He wants new responsibilities. This worker doesn’t ride the clock, waste time, or ignore customers. If he decides to stay at Kentucky Long McKingeys Hut Bell, he will likely wind up running the place. The other hates his job. Let’s face it: who wouldn’t? He’s late. He’s not interested in your problems. He does the very bare minimum because for one reason or another he feels trapped at Kentucky Long McKingeys Hut Bell and feels he doesn’t even owe the company enough to quit and go find other – lower qualified work.

Now, two fast food joints: One is short staffed – half capacity on the busiest day of the year, but the entire staff is made up of people like the first worker. The second: stuffed to the gills with the workers cloned from the loser. I think you all know which one would work better. Now you must make the leap from hamburgers to the lives of soldiers, because if the unit does not work together well, then soldiers die. Professional soldiers have an amazing capacity to improvise, adapt, and overcome. It is because fighting is what they have chosen to do. Conscripts do not. Conscript armies can only lead to more death, of both innocent civilians and friendly soldiers.

Next, the proliferation of soldiers to no exacting end provides a resource to government it ought not have. There are arguments out there that say if everyone’s children must serve, then war will become a thing of the past. But still, I say that we had the draft until 1979, and it didn’t prevent any of the wars during that time.

Lastly, most importantly, most importantly, or even the only item of importance: I own me. The government, no church, no corporation, no bank, no government owns me. I own me. A friend once told me that some people have a fetishistic relationship with property rights. The reason is – and really it comes down to this – all rights come from this first right of owning oneself. It gives weight and value to your thoughts, opinions, desires, and needs. Some of these are codified in the US Constitution, but they all come from that first right: ownership of oneself.

I am sad to say we never reached an agreement. I am happy to say we didn’t have to. And I hope everyone knows what I mean, since that’s as simply as I could ever put it.

Well, other than that it’s still going to be a busy month. I am still finishing off novelizing a short I’ve had around for a while, making it my first ever fantasy novel. That’s been the slow bit, in fact. I’ve been buried for months in line edits and proofing stories, all for release right now!

Many books coming out this month have what one of my early critics used to call ‘the Taint of Ross’:

Barbarians at the Jumpgates (Padwolf Publishing, Radiation Angels: A Different Kind of Courage) is out NOW and can be purchased through all the normal channels.

Then of course there is the LEGENDARY TRIPLE LAUNCH at Balticon where I have material in two of the three anthologies:

Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory (Mundania Press, Natural Born Spy)

Dragon’s Lure (Dark Quest Books, Red Talons)

New Blood (Also from Padwolf, but bereft of me)

The official Legendary Triple Launch party will be held Sunday, May 30^th, from 7pm to 9pm in the Garden Room of the Hunt Valley Marriot at Balticon. As a part of the festivities there will be refreshments, author readings, and a Chinese auction-style raffle featuring as grand prize a hand-sculpted dragon box by acclaimed artist Linda Saboe. While not all the contributors are able to attend, all three books will be well-represented by Danielle Ackley-McPhail, James Chambers, Elaine Corvidae, Keith R.A. DeCandido, John L. French, John Grant, Kelly A. Harmon, C.J. Henderson, Brian Koscienski, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Neal Levin, Jeffrey Lyman, Misty Massey, Jonathan Maberry, Bernie Mojzes, Thomas Nackid, Terri Osborne, Chris Pisano, Diane Raetz, T.L. Randleman, David Sherman, Linda Saboe, Patrick Thomas, Jean Marie Ward, Robert E. Waters, D.C. Wilson, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Anna Yardney and myself.

To learn more about the launch event and to see a list of the raffle prizes please visit www.sidhenadaire.com.

If you can, please stop by. It is always a great time. We will even feed you, promise.

For my part, I’m going to continue with the plan: Write until I am filthy rich and can afford my own castle.

AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New Blood (Padwolf Publishing, http://www.padwolf.com)

noone admires the chamelion on the field of battle.

OK, I’m opinionated. I get that. In fact over the last few weeks when I wasn’t writing as fast as possible on any number of projects I have thankfully been a part of, I was arguing.

And of course, now I’m in trouble again.

Ok, I’m being selfish, because normally I’ve got this whole blog thing to talk to a whole lot of people, and right now I’m going to use it to think out loud, because I need to think out loud, because things – thoughts – are becoming rarer and rarer in the world, and words are being co-opted and corrupted.  And now that I’m here I don’t want to tell the story.

What I really wanted was some understanding, or maybe respect, that I would not have a knee jerk reaction without some cause – but perhaps I am the type given to knee jerking. Truth is I have been so busy I haven’t had time to update a damn thing other than my twitter status, and precious little time in the last week to actually write and the waves of creativity are not gentle things. They are eroding the walls of my sanity as they are given tidal force by the lunar gravity of my deadlines.

Dammit!

Fine. Here it is: Be who you are. Always be who you are.

Speak honestly. For the unconvinced respect honesty. Speak Truth. The curious respect the truth. Speak proudly. Listeners will know if you fear their attention.

Do not water down who you are or what you stand for, for every time you patch your coat with words of convince, you leave loose threads that can be pulled by the opposition.

And do not be fooled: Your opposition will lie. They will demonize you and they will ridicule you. They will say you stand for any -ism that strikes fear in your shared audience. They will even say you are in league with death itself.

But it does not matter. You must stand proudly and speak the truth honestly.

You see on the arena of debate, the language is the field of battle. The very second you allow your enemy to control the use of language, you have seceded all ground to their cause. The moment you allow your enemy to control the language, you have lost the war because your every victory will be tainted, every yard gained rewritten as lost. Do not allow them to hang their signs on you, to label you, for they bear you no love, and only seek to mark you as a target.

History is full of examples… but it does not matter. You must stand proudly and speak the truth honestly.

And there it is. I know it makes sense to absolutely nobody out there – well, maybe 1 person – but no matter what it’s going to be a cold night.

In happier news, Balticon is just six weeks away, and with it the release of Dragon’s Lure and BAd Ass Faeries #3, new anthologies from Dark Quest Books.

Title: Dragon’s Lure

Series: Legends of a New Age

Volume: One

Publisher: Dark Quest Books, www.darkquestbooks.com

Trim Size: 6 x 9

Page Count: to come

Price: $14.95

ISBN: 978-0-9826197-9-7

Here There Be Dragons!

What is the deal with virgins?

Why would a dragon want to swallow the moon?

Is a bed of treasure really to be desired?

At long last a collection that delves in the lore on what lures a dragon. We bring you nineteen tempting tales of draconic wonder–along with the lyrics to two classic and much-beloved songs–certain to broaden your understanding of these legendary creatures that have fascinated mankind throughout time and across cultures.

Trek across a dragon’s dream space in C.E. Murphy’s Perchance to Dream…Take wing in Misty Massey’s Flying Away Home…and the burning question in Vonnie Winslow Crist’s Weathermaker…got milk? Everything you wanted to know about dragons, but no one has survived to ask…

With stories by John Grant, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Patrick Thomas, James Chambers, Misty Massey, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Mike Penncavage, C.E. Murphy, Hildy Silverman, Bernie Mojzes, Randy Farran, C.J. Henderson, Claire Stephens McMurray, Robert E. Waters, D.C. Wilson, Jean Marie Ward, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Anna Yardney, Jeffrey Lyman, James Daniel Ross, and David B. Coe, this is a tome you are sure to treasure!

Contents:

Baited Breath, by John Grant

Weathermaker, by Vonnie Winslow Crist

The Gargler’s Game, by Patrick Thomas

He Who Burns, by James Chambers

Flying Away Home, by Misty Massey

Among the Ember Oaks, by Danielle Ackley-McPhail

The Bakunawa, by Mike Penncavage

Perchance to Dream, by CE Murphy

Off-the-Wagon Dragon, by Hildy Silverman

Thus The Trap, by Bernie Mojzes

The Dragon Song, by Randy Farran

Point of Etiquette , by CJ Henderson

The Dragon’s Retorte, by Claire Stephens McMurray

Red Dragon Symphony, by Robert E. Waters

The Fall Of Teotihuacan, by DC Wilson

Lord Bai’s Discovery, by Jean Marie Ward

Fire in the Hole, by Keith RA DeCandido

Drawing Fire, by Anna Yardney

The Dog and Pony and Dragon Show, by Jeffrey Lyman

Red Talons, by James Daniel Ross

The Dragon Muse, by David B. Coe

Launch Details:

Those Bad-Ass Faeries Are Back…

And They’ve Brought Friends!

Join Us for the Legendary Triple Launch:

Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory

Dragon’s Lure, and New Blood

The Garden Room

Sunday, May 30^th, 7pm to 9pm

Readings, Fun, Prizes, and way too many
editors and contributors to name

See the Sidhe na Daire/Dark Quest Table

in the front corner of the dealer’s room

for more details.

Web Links:

www.sidhenadaire.com/books/DL.htm

www.sidhenadaire.com/promoBAF3.htm

Stop by and pick up a copy, or order from Amazon.com

A weekend alone

Well due to a snafu I was actually not made a panelist for Millennicon. I’m really not sure what happened, but it’s not like it matters. And the sick thing is I could really use a day off, but I was so looking forward to hanging out with science fiction people – who are just great people for helping you get a good rest while partying until you drop dead. Well, I have a story to finish and a story to finish editing.

I have very little to blog about this week. I mean, I spent the entire time prepping for the convention, and now I’m just…. well… I’m busy as hell, so I didn’t get anything ready for here.

Well, maybe I should just take this opportunity to let people know a little more about me.

When considering the future I try to keep in mind that many augmentations will be much more banal, and made for the convenience of the masses than exploring new worlds. Here is an example of what we might find:

…

……

……….

….!

!

!!

!!!

OK, I can’t the embedding to work. So here’s the link: Augmented (hyper)Reality: Domestic Robocop

I have always wanted to go here: Cincinnati Subway » No Promise Of Safety

A science fiction comic I read: Schlock Mercenary archives – Monday, June 12, 2000

The kind of music I rarely listen to when anyone else is around: eisenfunk pong

What I hope one day happens to a scene that I write: YouTube – Shameless Ripoff…bollywood style

I have a weakness for guns that look like laser pistols like the new line of : Polymer Revolvers, The Polymer Judge, a .410 shotgun revolver, The oddly shaped Chiappa Rhino, but my all time favorite – it came from Warhammer 40K real life gun foes to the AK Arm Gun from CBRPS.

I also have a weakness for certain toys, and legos, and sometimes they cross over: The BrickGun Instruction CD

And while I am still without a motorcycle, I hope to soon own one of these for my commute: Learn to Fly a Jetpack!

Talk to you next week, everyone.