deja vu with rain on the way

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So, just got back from my somewhat daily walk.  

I don’t get out every day.

It was wonderful to be out in the sun.

Even if it was cool enough to justify wearing my Red Wings jersey.

It’s a Fedorov (91).

For most of the walk I mentally wrote the ending to Déjà Vu, the upcoming story. As I neared the end of the walk I decided on my next project.  Titled Rainmaker, it will be another short story tied to the Ghost Games series.

And yep, I’ll do the same as I did with Karma in terms of pricing.

I wasn’t passionate about the next project and in fact, doing another short story solves a problem.  A few actually.

  • I’m able to creatively channel excess energy created by the chaos
  • I didn’t think I had enough to make Rainmaker a full-length novel but loved the plot
  • I needed a break from series fiction.  Even standalone books in a series are intense

I’ve had fun working on Deja Vu though it was challenging, too.

It’s really different than anything I’ve worked on and short stories have always been a challenge for me.

Deja Vu solved a unique challenge I was having with the Ghost Games series.  Namely, What was going to be the inaugural story?

I had three very cool book ideas but couldn’t decide which one I wanted to release as the first in the series.  By releasing a short story, I was able to introduce readers to the style of the series without the pressure of having to choose.

I was also able to double back.  

When first considering the plot for the initial short story, I had two ideas.  I liked both but ended up choosing one for Déjà Vu.  I figured I’d eventually use the other one somewhere along the series way.  By doing it as another short story I tie all that creative chaos into a neat bow.

I’m guessing I’ll have Déjà Vu available for download within 10 – 14 days. 

Stay tuned. 

Here is an excerpt from Déjà Vu:

River’s stomach twisted at the look on his face.  She’d obviously ruined the moment.  “Sorry.”

Dodi put a hand beneath River’s chin, tilted her face so she’d look at him.  “Do you see, River?  The world is experienced not in fleeting moments but what we capture within through what we see, smell -.”  He handed her a glass of cool water, waited while she sipped before setting it down and continuing.  “Taste.”  He put a finger to her cheek.  “Touch.  Love is everywhere but to connect with it you need to be aware on a level that you have not yet mastered.  How could you?” he asked, “when your experience with the world has been so limited.  If you want to know love – to truly know love – you have to embrace the world and all that is within it.  Only once you let it inside through those senses will you be able to know what it is when you finally find it.”

Karma available for download!

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I am pleased to announce that Karma, first of the Metatron’s Army Chronicles stories is available for download.

As I have written, there is a free download available. However, the kindle edition will be 99 cents.

I hope you enjoy Karma, a story that ties into the Metatron’s Army Universe.

I am working on Deja Vu, another short story that will be tied to the Ghost Games Series.

I will be releasing Shadow of the Gods in the coming months.

Stay tuned!

No-Cost Download coming soon

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I just finished the final edit for Karma, the inaugural installment in Metatron’s Army: Chronicles.

There’s still work to do but I’m hoping to have the story available for download by the end of the weekend. I should have a landing page up within the next day or so. The cover is finished but I’m still working on the “What’s it all about” task.

Summarizing 50,000 plus words in a few paragraphs is one of the more challenging aspects of post–production.

I also have about /13 of Deja Vu’s first draft written though I have no estimated time of release.

Lots of other projects are in the works. I will update readers as appropriate. In the meantime, both Karma and Deja Vu, which is an introduction to the Ghost Games series, will be available at no cost.

Stay Tuned.

writing ahead

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I’m happy to say that Karma, a short story related to the Metatron’s Army series is in post production.

Those who have not read MA or Metatron’s Legacy will still be able to follow.

This book will be released at no cost as a way to introduce readers to my work.

And help the thousands of people who are now at home find a way to take their minds off the chaos.

I am now working on Déjà Vu which is also a short story that will be released at no cost.  This one is tied to the Ghost Games series.

I have several projects in the queue including Shadow of the Gods and an app I’ve been working on for several years.

I delayed the public release until I’d worked a few things out.  The process behind it was in the works for years.  It’s just automated now.

The order of release of these projects is fluid and will likely remain so though I’ll provide updates as I have them.

A SHORT STORY: My definition of a short story is 40,000 words or less whereas I consider a full-length novel 60,000 or more.

Karma is currently at 50,600.  Not sure what final release will be.

I have to admit, my arms and fingers are a bit tired.  In addition to getting this draft finished in a little over a week I wrote blogs and texts and emails.  I’m ready for a break.  

But my mind isn’t.

I have Déjà Vu going and though I’m anxious to get that one finished I hope I don’t push myself the way I did with Karma.

Part of that was letting off creative steam as an answer to the chaos.  I also cleaned and caught up on all the laundry.  YUCK!  

I’ll post updates as appropriate.  In the meantime, I’m hoping to have Karma available for download within 1 to 2 weeks.

Stay tuned!

Write, drink, and be merry

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So, sitting here in the sunny quiet – in my pajamas – sipping a pinot grigio and finishing the first draft of the short story Karma.

I hope to turn it over to the beta reader tomorrow.  If all goes well I’ll beat my self-imposed deadline for release of this no-cost story that is connected to the Metatron’s Army series.

Though I’ve worked from home for 26 years I too have been impacted by this chaos.

I’m usually out of my pajamas by now. In my defense – there are more people hitting the hot water tank these days.

I am used to working from home though.

I worked for DEC in Santa Clara when they became the first corporation to send workers home; the TC’s at least.

 I learned why I never heard my neighbors in the evening.  They worked hours that translated to incredible noise during the day.  

To deal with this I would drive up into the Santa Cruz mountains to do my work. With no cell coverage it was the ultimate place to work uninterrupted by stupid and useless emails.

I was later on an advisory committee at Hewlett-Packard when they decided to take the plunge.

Flushing toilets heard over concalls was the biggest complaint I explained.

Not even switching to a career that all but screams work at home has allowed me to escape the weirdness of the hour.

But it has spurred an uptick in creativity as I seek an outlet for focusing on something other than the chaos.

I had such good luck getting Karma ready I’ve decided to do another no-cost short story.  As yet untitled, this next work will be connected to the Ghost Games series.

On a lighter note:  I read that California is allowing the delivery of spirits and cocktails.  I figure this will keep crime down and sanity up as people learn who their spouses are and remember they had kids somewhere along the way.

It reminds me of what happens when a spouse retires and decides they need something to do, forgetting that someone else has been managing things – for years if not decades – just fine.

I’ll update readers as things progress.  

Stay tuned.

Here Comes the Sun and more

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Working on Karma and enjoying the additional evening sunlight thanks to the switch back to Daylight Savings Time.

And waiting for Congress to give us the waiver so we don’t have to go through the outdated and unnecessary bi-annual process.  We voted to do away with it after all and having lived in Arizona I know how sweet life is when you don’t.

I just finished writing a very challenging scene, challenging because though a vivid moving image in my mind, it is difficult to describe.

My entire body tenses up as I seek to recreate what I see in my mind’s eye on “paper.”

I started my writing career on paper so even though that paper is now virtual, to me it’s still paper.

I’m anxious to finish this shorter story that is part of the Metatron’s Army family.  I’ve really enjoyed working on it and though I went back and reread Adjudication and sections of other MA novels, this story is pretty independent.

The Twelve Star Systems are vast with numerous species living on a number of planets.  Lots of room for stories of those not directly involved with the saga though I do include familiar characters and provide backstory so anyone who hadn’t read MA or Metatron’s Legacy could follow.

I’ve started working with my art team on a cover design though it’s in early stages.  I’m hoping to have a landing page up within a week to give readers an idea of what’s coming.

I’m hoping the book will be ready for download within the next two weeks.

I have a number of projects I’ll be talking about soon, including a new app I developed.

This one was fun.

Stay tuned.

Writing and Toilet Paper

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So I’m rereading Adjudication as a way to reimmerse myself in the Metatron’s Army world.

I’ve been away working on a number of projects.

I was reading the following section:

He poured a glass of Cirhce’s Dream.  It was a private label sourced by the owner of the warehouse bar in Perm as a way of thanking Cirhce for keeping business brisk.  The proprietor kept a limited supply and the recipe under wraps, which kept it in demand.  Ryal had access because he’d developed a new alcoholic beverage exclusively for the owner at Cirhce’s request.  It was based on something called Vicks Formula 44D which had come up in some context or other while she was talking to the bar owner.  So long as Ryal promised not to sell the stuff, he could have the wine free of charge.

Here’s a bit of that experience I sprinkle into my work.  The 44D scene at the Warehouse Bar in Perm is based on a real-life event that took place in Fort Collins, Colorado YEARS before I lived there.

I was a technical consultant and my team was taking a large supply chain customer consisting of a group of international travelers to the local labs as part of an effort to win their business.  As a way of rewarding the team for staying up til 3 am in the morning then getting up at 7 to work again, sales took us to a local brewery.  I was chatting with a colleague who encouraged me to try what he was drinking.  When I did, I winced and told him it tasted like Vick’s 44D!

I really thought it was awful!

He shrugged as if to say, “There’s no accounting for taste,” and we continued talking.  Some 12 years later it found its way into my novel in a scene between Dacan and Christine.

Having grown up on Earth of another dimension, Christine was the one to ID the culprit taste.

There were a number of memorable experiences during that particular trip.

Yes, we won the business.

Not all of them – in fact most – (n)ever make it into the writing.

Here is a fun one.  We were in a meeting – the vendor participants totally exhausted because of a last-minute  “Oh, did we forget to tell you we need this?” BS play by the customer.  We’re discussing international “follow the sun” practices.

I was the networking expert on the project.

The subject of bandwidth came up.  At that point – totally exhausted – the British sales rep and my American self looked at each other – he put on the posture of the “freeze frame” face that was common in those early days of Frame Relay and – if you were really lucky – a T1 line – and both of us burst out laughing.

Our check writing fairly low on the totem pole customer participant didn’t share our joie de vivre.

The American sales rep glared at me like “Have you lost your mind?” but the Brit smoothly recovered with his global finesse and willingness to take the “I’m from out of town” blame.

I later hugged him and thanked him – as he thanked me – we so needed the break from the – well – you can imagine.

So – as a follow on to that little fun story I have a few recommendations for those who are interested in finding a bit of humor in the current chaos at the grocery store.

Aka:  Where the hell is the toilet paper and they don’t seriously expect me to use Kleenex?!

Here are three great shows/snippets you can watch that will help you appreciate the madness.

MASH 1:  Episode Crisis.  The supply line is cut and there is a shortage of – you guessed it – toilet paper.

They break into the fortune cookies!

MASH 2:  Incubator.  They need a medical device but the guy is willing to deal on several thousand rolls of toilet paper he just happens to be sitting on!

I love the press conference scene after.  The last thing General Maynard M Mitchell wants to do is answer questions!

About Last Night:  There is a great scene where Demi Moore’c character is opening cupboards at Rob Lowe’s character’s apartment – to reveal no room for her stuff but lots of toilet paper – you know – in case there was ever an emergency?

Enjoy!

btw: Here are two discussions Aaron and I had about the current TP thing. He suggested kids from closed schools could sell toilet paper from said schools’ janitor supply – door to door – to fund the Internet for online learning – enterprising young men and women that they are – and I suggested anyone driving a big rig with Charmin on the side may want to worry…

And for those who look out the window at the abundance of trees? Read Stephen King’s On Writing first – a cautionary tale!

Posr Note: As we are watching “Crisis” Aaron reminded me – there is a great Fawlty Towers reference to TP. As an ode to the British sales rep – check out “Communication Problems!“

Writing: Let me count the ways

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So, lots going on these days.  With Cauldron of the Gods released I’m on to the next projects.

Dragon Core:  Almost finished with the first draft of Shadow of the Gods, a follow-on to Cauldron. 

 I don’t have a projected release date outside spring 2020. 

Working on Shadow has been a lot of fun.  It hadn’t been part of the original series but toward the end of Cauldron I got the idea for it and felt it was perfect as a follow-on so I slipped it in front of Messenger of the Gods which will be the third in the series.  

What I really like about the Dragon Core series is that each book stands on its own to support a different main character with the overall series plot as a backdrop.  This gives me a lot of flexibility and the ability to tell each shifter’s story in detail.  

With Shadow of the Gods I delve into what it means to be a shape shifting alien living among humans as told through the eyes of the humans around them.  Especially, Mica who is the main female character for this book.  There will be plenty of familiar characters from the first book but with a new location and a new perspective it will be unique from the first.

Separate yet related.

Metatron’s Army:  I am working on a series of short stories that are part of the Metatron’s Army family.  

They take place after Adjudication but before Metatron’s Legacy which is set twenty years later.

Karma, first in this series of shorter stories is almost finished.  As a way to introduce readers of my paranormal fiction to my sci-fi writing style I’m going to offer this book to readers at no cost.

I’m hoping to have this available for download within two weeks.

I’ll be posting additional information about Karma as appropriate.

Ghost Games:  The idea for this action-adventure sci-fi series came to me a few years ago when I was about to walk the Embarcadero in San Diego.  

I was going down the stairwell in our building and got a vision/image – a glimpse of the mist that’s on the banner for the Ghost Games page.  I mentally acknowledged the vision then went on the walk knowing I would someday circle back to work on the storyline.

Each story in this series will consist of a “Case file” where readers are introduced to characters whose view of the world will be tested.

Because their reality will be tested.

I have three of the stories under construction.  

I’m really excited about each story and am having trouble deciding which one to release first.  

Other:  I’ve been creating new merchandise for my store, shooting videos, and developing concepts for blog material but I admit this work has been taking the back seat more recently to finishing Karma and Shadow of the Gods.

And I’m really anxious to get to the Ghost Game files.

Stay tuned…

Perspective is Everything

emax

Thought I’d start the week off with an announcement and a little humor.  

The News.  I’m pleased to announce Cauldron of the Gods, first in the Dragon Core series is available for purchase.

The Funnies.  Was driving yesterday and pulled in for a pit stop.  Aaron, who was driving, started to laugh and asked “Does that say what I think it says?  Does that really say Crap?”  I looked up and answered, “Yep.  That’s what it says.”

I suggested he take a photo since it was so funny.  

When I got back to the car I pulled up my phone and took a picture as well.

As I looked at my photo – taken from the passenger seat – I noticed a slight difference.  There was an S at the front of that word but unless you were looking at it from my perspective, you wouldn’t have seen it.

As the dragon says

Perspective is everything.

Have a great week!