Underspace - The Writings of Velerion Damarke

Back in Action

2012-01-04T23:00:00.001-05:00

So I just started editing Earthbound after something like 6 months out of action. Hooray for that, eh? I also played around a little on lulu.com, adding previews to most of my books. They fiddled with a few settings here and there, and I'm not sure I'm in love with it to be honest.

We'll see how that all goes... I'll keep you all posted about Earthbound as it progresses. Keep an eye out on my new homepage on weebly, too.

Writing on Hold

2011-09-08T22:44:00.002-04:00

So fatherhood has been a bigger sponge of my time than expected, but it is not without its blessings.

In the meantime, I've compiled Pancake & Hen into a new volume, including 4 new short stories and some reformatted text to make for a better read.

Earthbound is at a standstill. I've had no time to edit it, and I'm not sure what I'll think of it when I do. I can't believe it has been nearly a year and still nothing has been done on it.

I've had lots of ideas for writing lately, but all my time that's not going into the baby ends up in a math textbook I'm working on and on some blog posts I'm doing for a friend. It's so hard to write for fun when I can write and get paid instead - although it's a totally different kind of writing. Maybe the math textbook project will pan out and I can stop teaching to write professionally instead, eh?

I'll try to post more now, especially since I'm doing another blog on here now over at Have Fun Teaching's Blog.

Closing in on an end

2010-09-20T20:23:00.005-04:00

I've been busy doing this and that lately, but I'm finally knocking out the last few chapters. A skirmish that is prelude to the final fight and then some concluding chapters that may end up in Sera's world... I don't want to give too much away.

It's odd how writing can be kind of a chore, but then when I sit down to do it, I enjoy it. I think if I like writing the chapters, then readers should enjoy reading them. If I struggle to write them, they'll come out awkward and unreal. Not every chapter can be easy though.

Trying to decide whether to go on with In-Roam 2 after this, picking up where it was left off, or go on to newer projects. I still think a combined Pancake & Hen volume (new content?), and perhaps an expanded Afterlives book are in the works. Let's not forget Legends of the Sworn Lands Volume 2, probably the second half of the story. I don't really see a third book there.

Sera and Rob get complicated

2010-08-17T20:30:00.003-04:00

I've had fun writing the last few chapters here. No, I don't mean the last of the book, though I wish I was. That is still quite a ways off. I'm adding more action, more drama, and drawing all the characters back together as I push toward a conclusion. I can sort of see two endings, one in Sera's world, and one in ours. I know which one would be more satisfying, but it's the harder ending to write. Although, it would answer more questions and also open more doors for a sequel someday. I really do think I want to just knock this out in a one-shot deal, which might mean just plowing through and writing a thick volume, a tome if you will, and just finish it all at once. It'd probably be the size of my Perennials novels, but it would be nice to do. As it is, I'm already about a year into this one, with several month-long breaks. I need to decide in the next few chapters though.

In other news, I have several new ideas for projects. I have one in particular that has a lot of my attention, but with work and Earthbound still coming along, I'm not sure when I'll get to it. I have tentatively named the project 'The Laurel Wreath.'

Before I do a new volume, I'll probably rework Pancake & Hen into one Master Collection, and possibly do an extended version of Afterlives, with a few more stories.

A few more chapters and a lot more thinking

2010-07-05T19:20:00.003-04:00

I've been watching what I consider to be my rivals for audience. Yeah, I know I'm the little guy off the to side, but I'm researching the market for paranormal teen/twenty-somethings drama. Vampire Diaries, Supernatural (to a lesser extent), Twilight, and True Blood are all somewhat what I'm going for. Granted, I'm not doing anything with vampires, but the powers, drama, romance, and some otherworldy elements are all there, which makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer probably closest to what I'm doing.

This makes me really struggle with a balance between broodiness, drama, romance, and action. I don't want to bore the male readers, which I'm trying to entice with a more male-oriented less pussified version of Twilight drama, but I need enough drama to make it seem somewhat realistic, seeing how the main character is essentially a regular guy that I grew up with.

The plot is progressing, but I think there's always a sort of sexual tension and excitement that disappears as soon as everything is revealed. Case and Point: Smallville. While interesting still, I think it lost a lot of its appeal after all of Clark's powers were revealed. The only way they keep it fresh is by introducing a new enemy or a new girl that looks good in a sweater for him to save. The newness fades all too quickly if you're not careful.

Finally, I'm torn on whether or not I want the story or the book to end up in Sera's world. Inkheart, a popular young adult fantasy book, spawned 2 sequels. The first was pretty interesting, but all the action happened in our world for the 1st book. The 2nd two books all happened in the Inkworld, which was cool to see, better in some ways than the original, but also a bit different flavor from the first, which I liked quite a lot. So, do I do it all in a long 1-shot tome, or split it into a couple volumes of obviously different flavors? I can already imagine a cool point as a cliffhanger ending, but do I seize it when I could just plow through and do the whole story arc in a massive novel? It's a hard choice.

I'll dwell on it a bit more as the story progresses. I'm at 114k words now and counting. If I go too far it will physically necessitate a second volume, if only to call it Part II.

New Layout

2010-06-30T20:49:00.003-04:00

I've been working off and on on Earthbound. It's hard to really decide how far to go with this. I could go all out and really write a massive novel, basically finishing the story in one go, or I could break it into pieces. I'm over 100,000 words now, so that's about 300 pages. I tend to add a lot of detail and the 1st and 2nd edits, as well, so it would lengthen as I reworked parts of it. The idea of revisiting a story always gives me mixed feelings. Sometimes there is a lot of things left undone, often purposely, but with so many prospective projects on my hands, it can be hard to put in the effort to return and finish a story versus beginning a new one.

That said, I still have a partially started In-Roam Part II to consider. I don't like tossing stuff out or stopping partway, but there is a lot of work left to be done. I'll see where I'm at after finishing Earthbound, which will likely take me the rest of the summer.

Things just take longer than they used to, and I blame games. Dawn Of War, based off of Warhammer 40K, has really killed my free time the last few months. :(

In other news, I found reviews for Afterlives and Pancake & Hen floating around on the Internet. It's nice to be noticed!

Korea and Back

2010-05-30T02:29:00.002-04:00

Took a few weeks off to visit my old home and my in-laws in South Korea. I should be back to writing now that jet lag and general business are disappearing.

While I was there, I had a few ideas for new stories. I don't know if I'll elaborate yet, since I don't know where they'll end up, but if something becomes of the ideas, I'll explain them here, first.

finally!

2010-04-13T21:29:00.005-04:00

No, I'm not done with Earthbound, but after Spring Break, I have resumed writing. Actually, I knocked out a chapter in about an hour tonight, which is great time. I hope to be back onto things.

I'm also considering scaling back a lot of my projects to focus on sending out scripts to major publishers or marketing my own stuff more aggressively by myself.

Earthbound still has a couple months left in it, depending on if I want to go one long novel, or a couple short ones. I should probably write the second and likely final piece of the Sworn Lands, as well. After that, my other projects may be indefinitely on hold.

More word on that later. We'll just see how things go, career-wise and free time wise.

House Seals

2010-03-12T20:24:00.002-05:00

If you've been following Earthbound at all, you might have picked up on the Houses on the world where our main character, Serafina, comes from. I've been sketching and working on some of the seals and symbols of the main houses, especially from a rival House, House Exuro. I'm including a copy of what I have so far...

I know the writing has been sort of slow lately, but that's because I've been working on the backstory and the other world, which should help in Volume 2. I suppose it could wait until I'm done with Volume 1, but I like to do things as they come to me, to keep them fresh. I may even begin a map for that book at some point.

team todd promo

2010-03-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Team Todd, Team Phil, and Team Rob

2010-03-08T21:18:00.003-05:00

I've been considering making spoof T-shirts of twilight's team edward and team jacob craze. It seemed amusing to have the characters from Earthbound in similar shirts, especially since two of the three are spectacularly unattractive. It could be an amusing gimmick to get some attention. With every tween and teen knowing about the jacob/edward thing, I imagine I'd get a lot of confused and curious inquiries about the other characters that they'd never heard about.

I'll have to see about making some sort of cartoony/realistic sketch of the three characters. They may be forthcoming. It just depends on time and my artistic talents.

More drama

2010-03-02T21:06:00.003-05:00

Knocked out another chapter and a half of Earthbound. I must say, while not a lot happens, there is a lot of arguing and consideration. Part of that is because I'm doing several scenes from the viewpoints of both characters, or overlapping scenes at least. Although, when I think about it, the competition, stuff like Twilight, doesn't have a lot of action and stuff happening, either. It's just the fluctuating of feelings back and forth as they all try to decide what they really want to do...

Earthbound takes a more adult look at it, namely because the characters are older than the ages or approximate age of appearance of the undead characters in Twilight. It's written for high school and college age readers, as well, rather than tweens.

I must say, more than anything else I've written in awhile, this is enjoyable. Shadowcaster, the first volume of the sworn lands, was a difficult write. I had things I wanted to do, but I just couldn't get into the mindset of Marcus as easily as I can with Rob Dunn.

I hope the real Rob Dunn, the basis for the character, enjoys all I'm doing with the book.

Been awhile

2010-03-01T20:57:00.003-05:00

With the holidays, family visits, and the like, I've been working at a snail's pace. I got a chapter done last week, two actually, and I thought things were moving again. Been busy with just random this and that, though. Also, helping my wife start a business on etsy.com. Check her out in the coming weeks at www.etsy.com/shop/wuju/

I plan on pushing through with Earthbound in the coming weeks or months. I expect to finish that one in the next three months. After that, I may consider part 2 of the sworn lands.

If you hadn't noticed, I'm not talking much about In-Roam 2. It's sort of on indefinite hold. I may be writing it alone, so I'll have to rethink my involvement. There's some good stuff in the planned plot, but I'm just not certain it's worth it to me.

Also, want to start marketing my books more. Tired of writing so much for so little recognition. I need to get the word out there more, for my science now book as well...

Ongoing

2010-01-12T07:47:00.003-05:00

I'm still waiting on my co-writer for IR2, so I put out another chapter of Earthbound. Things are moving on dramatically, and the openings for more action and romance are rapidly approaching. Also, with a tangle with the law, things get more dangerous for Rob and Sera.

I'll post more later this week with the next chapter. For now, check it out!

New Short Story - Twenty

2010-01-01T14:15:00.003-05:00

I had another dream that I made into a story. This one, unlike A Dance in the Twilight, was not from a daydream, but rather a sleeping dream. Dreams make for interesting short stories, I think. This one happened to be a sci-fi sort of story with a strange ending. Hope you like this sample. Look up the rest on my website.

"TWENTY"

It was like waking up from a bad hangover, times fifty. First, came the headache, brought on mostly by light sensitivity. Even his eyelids seemed too thin to adequately close out the light. He’d not seen light for years, not really. Although, he knew the machines had opened his eyes periodically to flash lights in his eyes to cause his pupils to dilate and keep his eye muscles toned.

Next came the dry mouth. Again, he knew he’d not really drank anything in years, but the mask he wore should have kept him and his mucous membranes well moisturized. Still, theory and practice were often miles apart. Slowly, he lifted his arms and peeled away the mask. That was an epic in and of itself.

His arms were weak. All of his muscles had atrophied despite the electric pulses that had periodically stimulated his body to exercise his body during deep sleep. He pulled the mask off his face in a fit of spasms and flailing. It was the best he could manage after twenty years asleep.

Sitting up was agony. Like in the summer when sticky, sweaty flesh stuck to leather upholstery, he peeled himself away from the machine alcove that had been specially engineered to fit his body and his alone. Each of the deep sleep pods had been fitted to their recipient and could only be adjusted to a different body painstakingly.

Earthbound updates

2009-12-22T21:29:00.003-05:00

Since my co-writer for In-Roam 2 is busy working through the holidays, I've decided to focus my efforts over my vacation break on Earthbound. On one other note for I-R, I've been discussing taking another of the setting's original player's character and placing her into the story. In-Roam was originally a role-playing environment I designed, and as such, some of the player characters have been inserted into the stories. It would be nice to add this character into the 2nd story, but it'd have to be handled right. It could, however, be interesting.

As far as Earthbound goes, things progress fairly quickly, I suppose. I just knocked out another 6000 words in the last two evenings. Those two chapters were pretty fun to write, the one about Robert's friend, Phil, especially. Phil is a scheming nerd that feels very protective of Serafina, and it might make things interesting in the next few chapters. He's sort of a comic relief character, as well. It's nice to maintain a balance between drama and action, between serious plot development and comedy.

Anyway, I may not post too often over the holidays, but I'll try to get another one in before the new year. Have a good one!

Short Stories

2009-12-14T21:45:00.002-05:00

I've been playing around with some fantasy/horror stuff again, short stories though. One, I wrote with one of my classes. They had to write a story using the following: A Monk, A Bag, A Compass, Grandparents, A Monster Attack, A Mysterious Disappearance, A Season, and a Camp. It all lended to a pretty interesting story.

Prior to that, I was working with a group of kids and had a moment to daydream (it happens), and I imagined this story about a viking sort of fellow who stumbled into something unnatural, perhaps supernatural. It grew into a story of temptation, death, and despair of a spiritual kind. It reminds me a lot of my Afterlives stories actually, or some of my older short stories.

I'm almost tempted to assemble a short story collection, reworking some of my old stuff. I'm just not sure I have enough. I'd really have to consider the order in which they were assembled, the themes I allowed in, and so forth. Frankly, a lot of my unfinished stuff wouldn't work. Nor would I devote much time to finishing it. However, there is something to be said for some of my short stories. It'd probably have to be a paperback, if anything, and it'd be short. Things to think about I guess.

In the meantime, until I work more on In-Roam or Earthbound, here's a sample of 'A Dance in the Twilight':

Again, the light flickered among the trees, and the very trees seemed to waver uncertainly. His hand went to his belt, grasping for the sword he’d lost when Dyre and Egil had fallen, feathered with arrows. He had no weapon left to him save for his knife, which was notched from use and dull after all he’d been through.

Anger surged through him and helplessness with it. Tears flowed from his eyes unrestrained. His nephew and brother were both gone. Perhaps Jens, his own son, had escaped, as he had. Perhaps it would have been better to die beside his kin, cradling his son’s body in his arms as they hacked him to pieces. In that end, at least, there was honor.

Not knowing what other course to follow or perhaps seeking a swifter end with all the misery he’d endured, Geir went toward the lights, which grew stronger now. They pulsated and danced among the trees, blue, green, and yellow spheres of radiance. Spirits, he thought, and perhaps helpful ones.

His folk were a superstitious lot. Some would have turned from wisps and fey forest spirits, but Geir recalled stories his grandmother had told, stories where the spirits had aided a wounded man or a lost hunter. Could it not happen to him?

Under his feet, he crushed rings of toadstools, fairy rings. He thought he saw minute creatures scurrying beneath them, hiding in the gills of the great fungi, some the size of his hands or larger, but he wasn’t certain. The lights ahead were more intriguing anyway.

Owls watched overhead with their large, unblinking, yellow eyes as he staggered forward to where the trees seemed to undulate and hum. As he leaned upon one, he saw eyes and a face turn to look at him from within the ridges of bark. A silvery birch beside it smiled cunningly at him.

Fight Club - Earthbound Style

2009-11-22T14:11:00.002-05:00

I just wrote the first true action scene of Earthbound. Sera gets a visit from another woman from her planet, and it quickly turns into a brawl. He's a selection from the fight scene...

Oriana licked her lips and leaned forward to whisper secretively. “And your mother? Celia, wasn’t it? Did she know of me, of my time with your father?”

Sera’s fists swung at Oriana’s face almost of their own volition, first the right and then the left. The right nearly connected, but Oriana’s forearm came up to block it. The left grazed the redhead’s chin, but then Oriana’s right fist came up to meet her chin.

She wasn’t certain, but it felt as if she’d just left the ground. She crashed down on a table, but it collapsed beneath her. Bottles smashed around her, and glass rained around her as stars danced before her eyes. Slowly, she picked herself up off the floor.

Her eyes blazing, she stepped forward to meet Oriana. If she truly was who she said she was, she’d had years to get used to this world, and she’d not just been through the pylons. On a good day, it might have been an even match, but now, only the fires of her anger gave her any chance.

They met with a thunderclap of punches, both striking each other with elemental energies behind their fists. Fire lent Oriana a heat that scalded as she connected her fists to Sera’s body, but Sera’s body was surrounded by a cushion of air that deflected some of the blow. Her own knuckles were wrapped in light that cut through the dimness of the bar like a brief flash of light across the sea when the sun finally dipped below the horizon.

Excerpt from Earthbound

2009-11-18T22:00:00.002-05:00

Here's an excerpt from a recent chapter of Earthbound

As she fumbled with the folding chair and a device called a radio that somehow share music, news, and weather, she pulled Rob’s house key out of the small bag he’d given her. She’d only just put the key into the slot when footsteps came up behind her and a loud voice exclaimed, “Holy hell, is that my bathing suit?”

Sera spun around quickly and found herself staring at a girl about her age that bore a strong familial resemblance to Robert. The chin was similar, and the nose was a bit too large to be called pretty, but she had long, flaxen hair that was nearly as long as Sera’s own. A bag was slung over the girl’s shoulder, and her hands were on her hips in a pose that was definitely disapproving.

“What the hell?”

“Pardon?” Sera replied, once again feeling insecure about her ability to interact with this world’s people. At home, she’d not have thought twice about talking back to a younger girl who dared reproach her, but here, everything was different.

“Well, it certainly didn’t look that good on me.” Rob’s sister said wistfully, looking her up and down.

“I apologize for not seeking your permission to use your garment.”

“Eh, it was last year’s anyway. So who the heck are you and where did Rob find you? You’re certainly not his girlfriend. You’re too pretty,” Rob’s sister frowned at the fading bruises on her side, “although you do look as if you’ve been in a fight.”

“I am Sera, Rob’s friend.” She answered. She supposed it was only right that she identify herself, but it struck her as strange that people continually demanded to know her name without offering their own. “What do you mean by girlfriend?”

“The girl he’s sleeping with.”

“Oh. We are not sleeping together. He stays in the other room.”

“Psh. I knew he couldn’t get a girl like you. No way, no how.” The girl said smugly, shaking her head.

Sera laughed. Rob’s sister certainly didn’t have a favorable opinion of her older brother. She’d never had a brother, so she didn’t know how it was, but she’d had an older cousin, and she’d always treated him with deference. “He is a nice man, but we just met.”

“And already you’re wearing my old clothes and sleeping at his place? This, I’ve gotta hear.”

1 vs the other

2009-11-16T21:18:00.003-05:00

Kind of interesting writing two books at once. On one hand, I have In-Roam 2, a story about a brooding badass with a foul mouth, a strong desire to whoop some ass, and some bizarre world-hopping adventure. On the other, I have a dramatic tale of 20-somethings with sexual tension, action, and some fantasy/sci-fi tones to it.

They're totally different veins, but both pretty fun. For the most part, I'm alternating weeks on each book, but Earthbound is coming more quickly, because I'm writing it by myself. In-Roam 2, I'm collaborating on with Levi Justice, so I wait for input and suggestions from him after each chapter or two.

I'll post something from In-Roam or Earthbound in my next post this week. Until next time...

New Chapters Always Free

2009-11-12T07:47:00.002-05:00

Just went for a couple more chapters in IR2. As always, it's available online at my homepage. Check the links to the right.

Some people find it odd that I just offer free chapters of books that are still in development. You get to see things as they progress, naturally, rather than waiting forever and seeing only carefully edited selections. I rarely delete chapters entirely, and even when I decide to rework something, I try not to do it from the ground up. Although, rewriting the first 8 or so chapters of the Sworn Lands to change the perspective from 1st person to 3rd person was a chore.

Anyway, I've always put all of my stuff up online. Hopefully, people like it enough to buy a book eventually. If not, there are no hard feelings about wasted time and money, right?

So, please keep checking out new chapters for Earthbound and In-Roam 2. They come out a few times a week, though lately I've been alternating weeks for which book I work on.

Updates to Earthbound

2009-11-05T21:17:00.004-05:00

Kind of focusing more on Earthbound this last week, but I plan to hit In-Roam next week, especially over the wednesday holiday off.

As far as Earthbound goes, I'm definitely trying to ease into things. Whenever you have a character from another place, the whole newness can only last so long, but it's a cool phase as the character adjusts. Even in TV shows, you see this. Often, the interest in that character wanes as that character becomes more like everyone else.

The regular world through different eyes is not something I want to necessarily get past very soon. It's not that I don't have action planned, and there are definitely books where I hit the action in like the 1st chapter or two, but this one is more about the growing relationship between the two main characters, which will suffer and endure through strains both mundane and otherworldly. So, while action (hopefully great action) is planned, I don't mind walking easily through the normalcy of a regular life and this fish out of water's reactions to what we consider everyday.

See you next time!

Earthbound - Something Different

2009-11-02T20:27:00.002-05:00

When writing Earthbound, I constantly have to put myself in the mind of someone not of our world. If an intelligent young woman from a place with technology probably around the Roman Empire level arrived in modern America, how would she cope? I think most intelligent people would pick up on some things very quick, even if they didn't understand the technology behind them.

Refrigerators, for example, shouldn't be that hard. They're cold. They hold food. Why does it work or how? Who cares. They keep food fresh.

Similarly, sinks and bathrooms shouldn't be too hard.

Technology devices like cell phones - good luck. Other than a few rote commands like pressing #2 and quickdialing, it would take a lot of practice to learn.

Of course, this is all supposing they could speak our language (which in Earthbound Sera can).

Anyway, I'm having fun exploring the mundane stuff about a college kid's everyday life from the viewpoint of an alien girl. Albeit, she's a hot blonde, but still an alien.

Earthbound Opening Chapter Sample

2009-10-31T09:51:00.001-04:00

Thought I'd post this sample of Earthbound up here. This is from the middle of the 1st chapter. Take a peek at our introduction to Serafina.

“Stop!” One of her pursuers called. She didn’t have to look back to know he was the one with the beautiful eyes, the features so statuesque that they could have been carved from marble. She’d seen him before in the Court of Furled Wings. Only a few years older than her, he was still a boy, really. Aleron, she thought his name was, the Captain of the Guard. That they had sent him spoke of the Emperor’s desire to have her captured.

“Surrender yourself now. Your father has already been captured. It’s over!” His voice was imploring, but she wouldn’t listen. She folded both pairs of her wings and dove, dropping like a stone. Calls of alarm met her ears, but she knew that Aleron and his fellows wouldn’t follow her so deep into the storm. It was suicide to do so.

There was no telling how close she was to the ground in this thick of cloud cover. She could hardly see more than a few feet ahead of her, so, as she fell, she drew her sword from her chest, a spirit-blade forged in the fires of her soul. The firelight of her blade lit the way as she went deeper into the smoke, fighting the noxious fumes that choked breath from her mouth and nostrils.

With sweat beading thickly on her brow and her lungs feeling like they would burst from want of air, she continued her nauseating plummet. Spots danced before her eyes and she let in a choking half-breath that nearly caused her to go into a coughing fit, but even with her eyes watering, she could still see it ahead: the pylon.

Serafina & Robert

2009-10-27T20:11:00.002-04:00

Inspired by all the teen drama/romance/fantasy out there, I'm writing earthbound, a story about a girl that seems to be an angel that has come from another world to escape her life there. Robert, a young guy who just wants to finish school so he can start his real life, happens to rescue her from a burning crater in the woods when she falls to earth near where he was driving. So starts a strange chapter in Rob's life.

The character of Robert is actually named and based off of one of my real life friends, Rob Dunn. He found the whole premise hilarious and exciting, and said I could do whatever I wanted, so long as I didn't make his fictional counterpart 'have a small weiner.' So far, that hasn't happened, so he seems pretty supportive.

This actually isn't my first time writing drama. I wrote a novella several years ago called 'The Keys to Soul' - a drama about a teenage girl that falls for an older piano player. I also wrote a more lighthearted comedy novella called 'Imagine That' - a story about a teenage boy who has no control over his mouth and finds his secrets and thoughts are actually involuntarily spoken aloud for everyone to hear until he loses his virginity (that's the real storyline, honestly). There are a couple others, too, but not necessarily so long.

This is my first real attempt at modern fantasy/sci-fi set in our world. It might not rival twilight or other popular series, but give it a read and see. I'll post some samples next time around. If you're curious about those other stories, they're available on my website. Check the links beside the post.

Merchandising Extravaganza

2009-10-25T16:57:00.004-04:00

I spent the better part of the morning and afternoon designing some pretty neat logos and such for some apparel on cafepress. I know they're not always the cheapest, but they do good work, and some of the options they have are pretty darn spiffy.

So i've got clothes, stationery, bags, clocks, doggie t's, magnets, buttons, calendars, and a pile of other stuff on there (including those really nice maps to accompany my Perennials and Sworn Lands books). There's a lot of stuff for In-Roam, Equinox, and Earthbound, but a few from Pancake & Hen, Afterlives, and a few other series, too.

Take a peek over at: http://www.cafepress.com/underspace/

Been a couple days...

2009-10-24T20:36:00.002-04:00

I've been keeping busy at work, also with coming up with ways to revamp my existing writing site, so I don't have to rebuild from the ground up. Looking at it seriously, I didn't like the hard-to-read menu bar, and the oversized banner bar, all with too little screen getting used up. I reshaped and resized, then cleaned up the graphics, redid some bland spots, and added a few little things here and there. Also, added a sharethis button to both of my main sites (this one already has one). In general, it should just be a little more interactive and cleaner, which is always nice.

In non site-related news, working on both Earthbound and In-Roam 2 right now. It's the first time I've ever tried writing 2 novels simultaneously, though I will admit that Earthbound has more of my attention. In-Roam 2 will be worked on with less focus, but not because of a lower importance, but rather to encourage my cowriter, who goes by Justice now, to offer his input more often.

I'll try to put up a post about either or both of the projects soon, with a couple short samples...

In-Roam 2: Alive & Still Kickin'

2009-10-19T20:38:00.006-04:00

Hudson Stiles is back. Yes, the brash, crude, foul-mouthed anti-hero returns for his second major foray into the universe of In-Roam. If you haven't read the 1st book, the biker from Chicago was dumped into a strange universe and woke up with a device known as a key tool strapped to his arm. The tool helped guide him through some of the universe's 500 worlds, where he met several other people that he tried to get back home with. There were gunfights, aliens, creatures, portal jumping, swearing, attempts at revenge, god-like beings, betrayals, and all manners of things between him and his destiny, but he took it all in stride, because that's who Hudson Stiles is.

In the lastest installment, he runs across a geeky kid who thinks the whole thing is a game. That's nothing Stiles and a very cruel look at reality won't cure him of. Problem is, the kid probably won't have what it takes to cut it in a place like In-Roam. What will Stiles have to say about that? I'm posting a sample for you, though I must warn it has been edited for language. The actual volume is quite a bit more graphic. It's teen and up audience.

"A sawed-off shotgun, two 8-bullet clips, a bionic hand, a big freaking knife, two tires on my bike in need of changing, enough spare change for a cheeseburger, and millions of lunatics who don’t know when to leave well enough alone. Oh, and did I forget a walking mushroom, a crazed scientist dwarf, and a dumbass kid who thinks this is a video game? That about sums it up. My life sucks right about now, and it’s going to get worse..."
Hope you enjoyed that little bit. It's the working intro to the book.

In other news, still working on Earthbound. I'm writing both books at the same time, but with the co-author having to edit or comment on every chapter between writings, I'm going to have to work on 2 projects to keep busy.

ScienceNow.info

2009-10-13T20:21:00.003-04:00

Just launched my site at www.sciencenow.info! It's the website for my Science Now - 9 Tales of Wonder and other teaching materials. I also just received my evaluation copies of the book from lulu, and they are dazzling. I am over the moon, if anyone says that anymore. They're just excellent. Loving them. Check out the site!

Earthbound

2009-10-12T20:26:00.004-04:00

I'm still waiting on my evaluation copies of Science Now to arrive from lulu's printing presses, so I've continued work on Earthbound. It's pretty fun so far, because it doesn't really matter where it goes. A lot of times, it's when you force a story to have drama and work toward an end that it gets dull to write. Right now, I'm just having a good time imagining the interactions between the two main characters, Robert & Serafina. It should be pretty exciting for quite awhile (at least until editing).

In-Roam 2 is still continuing through development, too. I'm reading the 1st volume and surprising myself with how good it is. It's entertaining, exciting, and vulgar in just the right places. It's great. I'm getting all kinds of new ideas for the 2nd book just by reading the 1st again. More on that later.

Finally, Science Now should be launched on the new website by the end of the month. Keep an eye out for it...

Science Now Website

2009-10-08T20:23:00.001-04:00

Work continues on Science Now, mostly on the development of the website and graphics surrounding it. I'm trying to put together some of my best stuff to offer as free teaching materials, as well as some teasers to build interest in the book.

In other news, still working on Earthbound, albeit very slowly. This other thing takes precendence.

Science NOW - 9 Tales of Wonder

2009-10-05T20:52:00.003-04:00

I just finished the rough draft of Science NOW - 9 Tales of Wonder. I ordered 3 copies off of lulu. I should get them in about a week. I'll review them and see about getting a website live ASAP. That's the next step. It'll be a bit of work, but it should be nice to see if educational stories are more lucrative than fiction. They certainly were fun and easy to write...

More on that later, but once that is out of the way, I'll keep promoting them and see about getting my other projects underway.

Almost Done!

2009-10-04T09:14:00.002-04:00

I've been working pretty hard on this science book project lately. I'm trying to get it done before I really dedicate myself to another novel. I have one more short story to complete today, along with some educational activities to accompany it. Then, I'll work on the cover design and layout. I need to proofread the stories, as well. I expect to order the rough draft copy this week. It should be in full swing by the end of the month, along with a website launch to accompany it.

Once that is out of the way, I may have to spend time promoting the science book. It's going to be most useful before the statewide science test in March, so hopefully I can move a few units. Some parents might even want to use the book as a review and study piece over christmas break. Only time will tell how successful it is...

After the science book, it's back to sci-fi though. Promise you that.

Projects Abound!

2009-09-26T22:00:00.002-04:00

I've started working on the intro chapter or two on Earthbound. A lot is bound to change, but it feels good to be writing again. This is not to say I haven't been writing.

Primarily, I've been working on an educational text. It's a series of short stories and activities for the elementary/middle school science curriculum. Except, rather than having boring nonfiction selections, it's all about super heroes and characters. It uses all the key points and has activities and plots that explains major science concepts. I hope to finish and publish it on lulu around december, if not earlier.

In the meantime, given time, I will work on both In-Roam 2 and Earthbound. More on them, especially IR2, at a later date and post!

What's the News?

2009-09-14T20:22:00.002-04:00

So I've been tinkering around with this and that, getting little if anything real done, and I thought I'd post on here to let you know where I'm at.

Levi Justice, my co-writer/assistant for In-Roam, a sci-fi adventure about a crude misogynist, has finally gotten back online. He might want to push forward with our sequel ideas. I've got a stack of ideas, but whether or not we see eye-to-eye on everything, that's just something time will tell. I really hope to see him have an expanded role in this book. He was big in the first one, but not so much the rewrite, and this time I might let him have more say. It could be fun.

Personally, I'm still thinking a lot about earthbound. Maybe it's because young adult romance/action/fantasy is so big right now, or maybe I'm just ready for something new. Whatever I do, I want to make sure it's right. I don't want to waste this idea, because it's pretty decent. It's sort of in the realm of Buffy/Smallville/Witchblade/Twilight, I suppose, but different, as well. Struggling not to make it a mess of cliches, but also to make it interesting and appealing. Some of the old cliches are still fun, no matter how many times we've seen them. Boy meets girl, boy has hidden powers, girl needs protecting though she's actually a badass, otherworldly politics got you down, etc...

Look for something to spawn up soon, even if it's some educational materials. Yes, you heard me right. More on that later, if things pan out.

Perennials Map

2009-08-23T22:17:00.002-04:00

I've just finished my map for the Perennials Saga. Originally published and updated with each book of the 5-book series, it is available for the first time in color! Unlike the 11x17 I used for my map of the Sworn Lands, this one is 16x20, still in full color. Because of the added size, it is a bit more expensive, but there was so much detail that it seemed warranted to have a larger poster (and you can only have one item of each sort on a free cafepress site).

Again, that link is http://www.cafepress.com/underspace

Take a peek, and enjoy!

What I'm Doing Now

2009-08-13T07:30:00.003-04:00

After a couple weeks on vacation following the finish of Shadowcaster, I've started to work on an upgraded version of the Perennials Map, in full color. I have a few more nights of work to do on it before it is ready for cafepress, but it is looking surprisingly good for something I had never fully intended to colorize.

I'm back to work as well, so this will slow down any upcoming writing projects. It's important to settle in well at my new job, so writing is temporarily on the back burner. Also, I need to spend some time with our exchange student before he heads back in a couple weeks. It should be a really busy August. September might bring something new. Might.

Sworn Lands Map

2009-07-21T13:00:00.002-04:00

Just got my copy of the Map of the Sworn Lands from cafepress. The print quality far surpassed my expectations. It's very nice. It's about 11x16 or so, and it's got a nice glossy finish. It's quite nice. I'm considering redoing the Perennial's map and selling that on cafepress, too!

Legends of the Sworn Lands - Shadowcaster

2009-07-20T20:38:00.002-04:00

My latest book is finished, finally! This one probably took longer than any previous project I've done, despite not being that long. Life held me back, but it's done now! It's going to be for sale on amazon and lulu, and the map is for sale on cafepress. Also, I have some samples of cards for the game of 5's, which is featured in the book series.

I'm pretty happy with the cover, too. It took two days. If only the PDF creators had been easier. I spent 3-4 hours trying to get things formatted right.

Whew. Done!

Posters and More

2009-07-14T18:24:00.002-04:00

For the upcoming release of the Sworn Lands book, I'm putting a color poster up for sale on cafepress, and i'm also going to release a very basic edition of a deck of cards for 5's on my homepage. You would have to print them yourself on card stock and cut them out, but it would still be an option. To see more of the poster, go to: http://www.cafepress.com/underspace

Cover Woes

2009-06-17T10:11:00.003-04:00

I've been getting through a few chapters here and there, and I'm about 70% done with the edit, which has me thinking about cover designs for the story. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do yet. I was tempted to wrap the color map around the volume, but I'm not sure I'd like that, unless, perhaps, it was on the dust jacket. I usually don't make hardcovers though. They end up being too pricy. I really would like to see a color version of the map in the book, though.
I'll just have to wait and see what I can come up with after I get through these last twenty chapters or so.

Another Reason to get Nothing Done, but a good one...

2009-06-13T21:10:00.003-04:00

On a personal note, this has nothing to do with my writing. Rather, it has to do with why I'm not really doing any right now, though I expect to in the next few weeks still, whenever I can snag an hour or two.

We're hosting a friend's son from overseas for the next 10 weeks. He used to be my student when I taught in South Korea, and his father was a friendly acquaintance. They're a nice family, and it takes a lot to trust people with your 12 yr old son.

He's been here a couple days from South Korea, and he's already practically rode the wheels off my bike and raided our fridge numerous times. He seems hellbent on eating ice cream and soda all day, but we put a limit on those items per day. We also went fishing in the canal and he snagged a fish, while I caught bait and my wife made me take the softshell turtle she caught off of her line.

Our part-time son here is pretty fun so far, if tireless. He'll keep me moving. We're enjoying it.

No More Markup!

2009-06-05T17:47:00.002-04:00

Lulu sent an email today saying that their pilot program to sell books on amazon is going well. They're also eliminating the 30% markup they had used when selling books on amazon. Therefore, it's now not cost-prohibitive to sell via amazon. I couldn't be happier. I'm going to print up a whole bunch of business cards with my name, sites, and amazon listings on them, and pepper the neighborhood with them. It'll be great.

Summer Vacation

2009-06-04T21:24:00.003-04:00

School is nearly out. After the 12th, I should be good to go for anything. I might have a solid 2 months to get some serious work done. Looking forward to it. I must have this first volume of the Sworn Lands done by the end of the month. I'm at about 60% right now.

Finally on Amazon!

2009-05-31T09:16:00.002-04:00

Lulu.com recently made all of their material available on amazon.com. This is huge in opening up a much larger audience. Unfortunately, amazon gets their cut, too, so prices have gone up somewhat if you want to buy on amazon, but at least more people can see my stuff now. Lulu still stands as the best price for anything I've written, and they have samples of each book, rather than just a picture of the cover. I'm ecstatic!

Pandemonium

2009-05-25T10:43:00.003-04:00

Another project I have in development is called Pandemonium. It's a post apocalyptic story starring me, along with several other people who live nearby. I'm not sure how much personal detail I'd put in there, but it would be my neighbors and I fighting against a swarm of creatures that is destroying the world.

This might sound a bit self-aggrandizing, seeing how I'm apparently important enough to help fight the end of the world, but it's more about strongholding and just surviving as hordes of somewhat unintelligent creatures gobble down the rest of the people. In the same vein as some of those horror movies where regular people have to fight to survive when the invasion comes, the retired military folk that live around me will help battle a monstrous swarm, and it all starts in my garage one morning when the power is out...

If it were you, what skills do you have that might help you make it through the worst days humanity has ever seen?

1 chapter a day?

2009-05-23T23:50:00.003-04:00

My wish to do a chapter a day has kind of died. I mean, I'd like to, but real life keeps intervening. Then there was that month of Command & Conquer. Owning a house seems to slow me down, too. There's always some yard project or fix-up to do. The end of the school year is closing in, so that might present me some more time, but I do have people visiting. It'll just get done when it's done.

Indie Authors' Alliance

2009-05-18T21:03:00.006-04:00

Randomly decided to maybe start a group for self-published authors, making this website:Indie Authors' Alliance

I'm not sure if it will work or even be useful, but it seems like a fun idea. I'm just trying to get more buzz and more traffic for myself as well as whomever else helps out. It might even be fun. Most of this came from a forum post I made on Amazon.com. I ended up making a whole bunch of acquaintances on there, most of whom are also writers. We'll just have to see how things pan out.

Anyway, it's getting late, and I have work in the morning. Keep typing...

Ongoing Edits

2009-05-16T19:22:00.004-04:00

Still working on the Sworn Lands. I decided to do at least 1 chapter a day rather than sporadic work. After the last few days, I'm 30% done, and should be done somewhere around the end of this month or middle of next. I'd like to get that done so I can work on one of these other projects I've been mentioning.

I've also been refining an idea for a really rude detective story. James Finder is a guy who can find people by hijacking some of their senses to get clues about their whereabouts. Here are a few excerpts from my idea file:

"She was one of those broads that distracted you from the shortcomings of her face with short skirts and leggy get-ups. She knew how to use what she had, and I was thinking about using what she had, too..."

"My old partner... he had a face like a bear and breath like a badger. I told him to eat a tic-tac and look the other way. Problem solved."

"Piety - surely the tastiest sounding of my shortcomings."

"She had a nice pair of muffins filling her blouse, and I wanted to give them a squeeze to see how cakey they were inside. Unfortunately, I had work to do. I am a masochist."

Updates

2009-05-12T11:24:00.005-04:00

I'm still working on the editing phase of The Sworn Lands. I've never taken this long to edit something before. Life keeps interrupting. There is always another project that takes me away from it, but I guess there is no real rush.

I'm hoping to start getting more hits on this blog. I'm trying to expand the contact I get from lulu and my personal site, so hopefully this will help, eventually. Please feel free to pass on the site and especially lulu's site.

I'll get another post up soon, maybe detailing another idea or two I had for stories. I've been working on outlines and just general notes on several stories, as that is more fun sometimes than editing.

Website Updates!

2009-05-03T18:37:00.003-04:00

Hey, readers. I went and spent my weekend updating my website. It'd been a year, and it really needed it. I wanted to make it look prettier, a bit less spartan, and also update it so that it connects to this blog and to my online bookseller. I really think you'll all like it, and I even opened up a few spots with some teasers for my new books or books in the works: pandemonium, the sworn lands, in-roam 2, and earthbound. Take a peek at some of the hints there.

Thanks again, and keep reading!

Relaunch

2009-04-30T21:57:00.002-04:00

I used to use this blog for personal reasons, but I've decided to relaunch it to talk about my writing. I thought it might offer more insights into what I'm working on currently, and create more buzz about what I'm doing.

Currently, I'm still editing The Sworn Lands, coming back after another month off or so as I fought addiction to C&C 3. That game is pretty darn fun. I think I'm done with it now, and I can refocus my efforts on my writing. I'd really like to finish this book. Then, I hope to redesign my writing website to include ties to this log.

Following that, I will work on one of two or three things. My highest priority is probably In-Roam book 2, which I plan to do collaboratively with my partner from the first book. My other main option is a project I've tentatively entitled Earthbound. I might post some ideas from that on here at a later date. Right now, all I want to say is that it involves something angelic.

With that, I hope you'll tune in for my next installment...