Let’s Kick This Summer Break Off With a Roar

Posted on June 24, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

First, I’m already sweltering and haven’t even left the house yet.  Just want to through that out there.  Especially since this weekend is going to be busy.  You’ll get some pictures tomorrow or Tuesday if I can muster the energy.

This week was the last one of school for my son until he starts his summer session.  So, I didn’t do much besides prepping The Life & Times of Ichabod Brooks for a July 3rd release and finishing a future book outline.  Also, I watched Claymore, which is a manga I need to get into.  Anyway, that was really it aside from biking and errands.  Didn’t have much of an urge since the next two weeks will be a lot of parenting.  Not that it’s a bad thing, but it means I won’t be online much and the chances of me going ‘meh’ and just clearing my Inbox at the end of the day will be high.  Sorry, but it’s hot and I’ll be chasing an energetic 7-year-old around.

Speaking of heat and running around, we’re having a Double Zoo Weekend.  Today, we’re going to a small zoo that I’ve never been to before.  Not sure why we never went there, but it might be due to the parking situation being a pain.  It’ll be a fun outing and they have dingos there.  This is a precursor to tomorrow where we go to the big zoo where they now have baby bison, baby lemurs, and possibly a baby porcupine.  That’s a full day thing and will mean Monday is an indoor day for us.  I’ll try to post some pics of the baby animals if I can get them from my wife.  She’s the shutterbug and pack mule while I’m the kid-wrangler.  Before anybody complains, she carries a backpack on these trips regardless, so why should I bring one too?

As far as writing goes . . . I don’t have much.  Fiddling with a new superhero idea where the character wakes up with a new power every morning.  Not one that is added to the other, but a reset when they sleep.  Trying to figure out a story that utilizes animals too.  Like a person in a place devoid of animals and they’re looking for something to revive the fauna.  I don’t know if that one will be it’s own world, Windemere, or Super Earth.  This is really just a distraction from my main problem.

I have NOTHING for 2018.  I’ve more time into Bedlam and the Windemere finale than preparing for next year.  I’m hoping to work on the Legends spin-off over the summer, but that’s a release for next summer.  This means I need to get to work on War of Nyt and I worry that I won’t have the first book ready by next spring.  I have the characters flushed out and the outline done, but it’s still daunting to step into a new series.  I don’t know what to do about Bedlam either.  The blog-only story is getting some compliments, but no activity on the published books.  Do I really want to put a bunch of effort into a 3rd published book when it seems very few people care?  Especially when I have the next Windemere series to start up.  Maybe I can do it later in the year?  Might depend on how long it takes to write the spin-off.  That’s about a 17 day project if I go 3 sections a day, which is doubtful.

So, this week of nothing will definitely give me a chance to get my head wrapped around all of the projects.  The voices (not in my head) have been calling for me to quit or reconsider my path again.  Really have to wonder how much longer I can keep going with the sea of negativity.  I mean, I get 90% of my positive support from online, but I have to be on the computer for that.  Why do people think it’s helpful to repeatedly question a person’s path?  Is the saying now ‘when the going gets tough, the tough quit and work in a cubicle’?

So, what will I work on this week?

  1. Father/son outings.
  2. August posts to give me plenty of writing time in the summer.
  3. Sleep apnea follow up on Wednesday.
  4. Stay hydrated.  This is harder than one realizes.
  5. Prepare the file for Quest of the Broken-Hearted.
  6. Try to make sense of the next Sin story outline.  It’s like 3 stories collided and made a mess on the page.
Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Excerpt & Giveaway: Scourge by Gail Z. Martin

Posted on June 24, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Bookwraiths's avatar

HawthornMoon1

***Don’t forget to enter the SCOURGE giveaway at the end of this post!***

Gail Z. Martin is a prolific writer, having authored such fan favorites as The Chronicles of the Necromancer, The Fallen Kings Cycle, Ascendant Kingdoms, The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures, Deadly Curiosities, and (together with Larry N. Martin) The Jake Desmet Adventures.  And on July 11, 2017, her newest book, Scourge, will be released; the first installment in a new series entitled Darkhurst, where three brothers toll as gravediggers in the city-state of Ravenwood, fighting to survive corrupt politicians and vicious monsters.  Enjoy the following excerpt featuring the first chapter, then enter the giveaway for a chance to win either a paperback copy or kindle ebook copy.

border

ScourgeIn a city beset by monsters, three brothers must find out who is controlling the abominations.

The city-state of Ravenwood is wealthy, powerful, and corrupt…

View original post 4,286 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Marco’s Musical Mart: Glockenspiels Always On Sale

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Welcome and how many glockenspiels would you like?  Not interested in our popular seller?  We get that a lot ever since the Glockenspiel Garage opened up down the road and specialized.  Thankfully, we’re not a niche seller and have plenty of instruments for all your needs.  Want a trumpet that will give your neighbor nightmares? Curse weavers are in aisle 7.  Looking for a bongo that keeps you awake as long as it plays?  College student specials are on the third floor.  So, tell me what you want and I’ll take you to the perfect place.

You’re a One Man Band, huh?  That means you need a package deal, which includes various insurance levels.  I mention that now because this is a very difficult role to succeed in.  You will find many people willing to break at least one of your instruments.  Some times it’s over your head, which is why we have such services.  They range from single instruments to the whole combination.  Now, how many are you looking at?  Four doesn’t sound too bad, but it depends on what you pick.  Come to the catalog wall and look at the pictures.

That’s a bell belt, which jingles whenever you move.  It’s similar to the ankle bells that many of our dancing clients use.  This requires a lot of hip movement, which is difficult if you have something like a drum strapped to your stomach.  Yes, we can move the belts around and it comes in different numbers.  For large cities, I recommend having at least seven and we can tune them to each other with a simple charm.  There are other tricks that you can do like light spells or sparkle showers.  I’m obligated to warn against any additions that emit flames.  You can do this, but we won’t be held liable now that we’ve had this recorded conversation.

Ah, I see you found one of our more unusual percussion instruments.  Those are kettle drum boots.  Every step makes a boom and you control the volume by the force of your step.  A dwarf invented them after getting bored with, as he said, flattened chunks of metal on his soles that are better suited for toothpicks.  I believe it would go nicely with the bells if you enchant them to be heard over the bass.  There are two problems with these that you can see are noted here.  One is that you can’t turn them off.  Once you put them on, the kettle drum boots work until you remove them.  The other issue is that they can be punctured fairly easily, which means you need to clear your performance area of anything sharp.

Now for your main instrument a . . . bagpipes?  It is easier to use with the belt and I guess it could go with the drums.  Doesn’t seem like the easiest thing to dance with, which means you won’t be getting the full range of your other instruments.  We have a nice selection in the basement, including a few that come with free enchantments.  I would highly recommend one that increases your lung capacity and allows you to move around without your music suffering.  Now, you still have one more . . . a nose flute?  I know it’s a simple one and could mix nicely with all of the others.  It’s just that you’ll have bagpipes in your mouth and the flute in your nose, so how are you going to breathe?  We don’t have any magical versions and we’ve found that mucus disrupts some magic.

Oh, you had gills implanted in your neck and they take oxygen out of the air.  You should have said something earlier since I can’t see them.  By the way, isn’t it dangerous to keep them covered by a scarf even if your mouth and nose are clear?  I only ask because you look a little dizzy and maybe you should sit down.  Come right here and we’ll get back to your purchase once you recover.  Since I have your ear, what do you say about buying a glockenspiel just for fun?  Hey, I need to sell at least one a week to keep the name, so you can’t blame me for trying.

Posted in Olde Shoppe Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Help a robot girl out

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Authors needed! Free promo!

coldhandboyack's avatarEntertaining Stories

Lisa Burton Radio exists to help authors promote their books to a new audience. This spot has worked well for over a year now, but we need guests to keep it going. Here is a little data about how it works, and some past posts to browse to see what you’re getting into.

Tell your friends, maybe one of them needs a place to post.

Drop me a line at coldhand (dot) boyack (at) gmail (dot) com. Let Lisa promote your books for you.

View original post

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

New Book Release: “The Magician’s Curse,” by Linda G. Hill

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

7 Tips to Making a Fictional Sport: Mouth Guard Not Included

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Last year, I made a post about various sports and activities that can be done around Windemere.  From what I can tell, I never went into any advice or tips or comedy about how to design fictional sports.  One reason is because I don’t really know what I’m doing here.  Another is that nobody asked.  The third is that I didn’t consider it until now when I was looking for a post idea.  So, here we go!

(Side Note:  My first time uploading a video clip that isn’t from YouTube.  Got it off Vimeo and there was a download option.  Watch this backfire.)

  1. It helps to base it off something real.  This can be a professional sport like baseball or a game like tag.  Others take an even easier path by taking a real activity and adding tons of extras too it.  For example, take racing and put in weapons, obstacles, and death to create Deathrace.  This method happens a lot more than people realize.
  2. Make a clear set of rules that is explained when the characters first watch or play the game.  This has to include scoring, techniques, defense, penalties, equipment, and maybe a little history.  Once all of that is done, you demonstrate how the heroes can get around the rules without actually cheating.  If not that then a bunch of ‘bad guys’ openly cheat without getting caught and the heroes manage to win by sticking to the rules, which makes very little sense when you say it out loud.
  3. Never forget that tension is important even in sports.  A way to accomplish this is creating a system that has back and forth.  Sudden Death rounds being the only way to play can make a scene quick, but you don’t get a lot of oomph from it.  A great example of how to do this is Quidditch, which I probably spelled wrong.  Yes, there’s that way to win with one act, but most of the game has a back and forth that can be used to create tension.
  4. Uniforms make the team.  Seriously, it gets confusing for the players if everyone is dressed differently.  Gets even weirder if you have the heroes in regular clothes and the other team in uniforms.  It really isn’t that hard to do either.  Shirt, pants, and shoes are the basics.  Headgear and pads if need be.  Add a cape if you want there to be a lot of choking to death.  Seriously, who wears a cape in a sporting event?
  5. If this sport is going to be popular then you need to create fans and have people talk about it in passing.  Even those who don’t watch football, baseball, and basketball know they exist.  A hero can be a fan of a certain team or another could have played it in school or tried to go pro, but failed.  You can create some famous players that appear in a few scenes as background or minor encounters.  There are various ways to subtly add this part of the world building.  Also unsubtle by having giant arenas in some of the big cities, which can double as action scene locales.
  6. Come up with a catchy name.  Then again, many sports seem to have ‘ball’ in the most, so you can keep it simple.
  7. After putting in so much work, you need to do something with it.  Video games use mini-games and side quests.  Movies and TV shows have events as background scenes or meeting places.  So, what can books do?  There’s both options that you can go with, but also a third.  Short stories that involve the sport.  This flushes out the creation and adds to the world-building.  You create a synergy (ugly word) where the sport and the world build off each other to give a new facet that can be used for other stories.  After all, everyone likes entertainment and sports are one of the most common.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

The Broken Life

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

coldhandboyack's avatarEntertaining Stories

It’s my pleasure today to welcome Jaye Marie to Entertaining Stories. She and her sister have a blog tour going on, and it’s their first one. Please make them feel welcome, and share this post across your social media.

***

Interview with David Snow/Broken Life

I have interviewed David Snow before, but usually in my office. This time I am visiting him in the hospital, where he is recovering from the horrendous injuries he sustained in The Broken Life, the third book in my mystery thriller series.

I’m not sure what condition I will find him in, but I believe he is almost ready to be discharged. As my job as editor I have to find out what his plans are for the future. Rumour has it that he will be retiring, but I might have other ideas about that. It would be a shame to lose him now, as…

View original post 978 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Preorder #Giveaway #MMromance – All In

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Studying the Masters of Detective Fiction – Sue Grafton

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Unknown's avatarDon Massenzio

graftonSue Taylor Grafton is a prolific author of detective novels. She is best known as the author of the ‘alphabet series’ featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. The daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton, she has said the strongest influence on her crime novels is author Ross Macdonald. Prior to success with this series, she wrote screenplays for television movies.

Grafton began writing when she was 18 and finished her first novel four years later. She continued writing and completed six more manuscripts. Two of these seven novels were published. Unable to find success with her novels, Grafton turned to screenplays. Grafton worked for the next 15 years writing screenplays for television movies, including Sex and the Single Parent, Mark, I Love You, and Nurse. Her screenplay for Walking Through the Fire earned a Christopher Award in 1979. In collaboration with…

View original post 496 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Luke & Nyx: Who Got It Worse?

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Luke Callindor– This is a really odd topic.  Even stranger is that we’re the only ones in the room.  Are we supposed to answer questions?

Nyx– Maybe after we talk for a bit.  Sounds like we have to voice an opinion on something the author has dealt with.

Luke– Oh, you mean how people react to the losses, torture, injuries, beatings, and victories that we have.  Well, it isn’t as bad as it used to be.  Mostly because people aren’t paying as much attention to him now as before.  Although, I assume people have gotten used to how he operates.

Nyx–  I think you missed the part where you explain the topic.  As usual, big sis, to the rescue.  That isn’t even a joke.  I think I’ve saved you and the others more times than anyone else.  Yet, there are people who still got sensitive when I was the one needing to be rescued.  I’m not perfect, so I do need help at times.

Luke–  Not to mention you leap into battle as quickly as I do.  You aren’t very strong without your magic, so anyone who gets around that will dominate.  Even so, you give as good as you get. It is funny how I get beaten within an inch of my life and nobody bats an eye.  You gaining a victory while getting injured used to get a lot of uproar. Remember one person a few years back that was angry about you getting punched in the face?

Nyx–  I was captured at the time too.  Wonder if that person read a little farther when I escaped, with your help, and went back on the offensive. Wow, the two of us really have taken a lot of physical, mental, and emotional beatings.  Sari might beat us on two and three and Dariana is up there too.  Still, I can’t remember a book where you and I don’t need a healer.

Luke– Technically the first book since you hadn’t debuted you.  Is this really a question that has to be answered?  Then again, there is the torture I went through in Ritual of the Lost Lamb.  That might put me ahead.

Nyx–  Definitely, but I don’t think as much people cared about that as they did when I get a little torture in Family of the Tri-Rune.  That was unexpected, especially since I was defiant the whole time and it ended with me coming out on top.  Well, sort of.  Passing out is fine as long as you don’t tell the bad guys what they want.  Do you think people expect you to get hurt more than me?

Luke–  I don’t know.  Being a warrior, they might expect me to get into more close range battles.  Casters tend to be in the back, so you’re unique in that respect.  Maybe people aren’t used to casters getting punched like warriors.  Then again, you have the more positive fan following.  Too many see me as immature and obnoxious, so they might just enjoy my suffering.

Nyx–  To be fair, I’ve been called a bitch at times.  Is this where the conversation was supposed to go?

Luke–  Maybe we open the floor to people asking us about our experiences.  I think we’ve established that we’ve both had it pretty badly.

Nyx–  Hey, how are you still talking considering what happened to you in the last book?

Luke–  I don’t think those things carry over onto these types of posts.

Nyx–  Okay.  So . . . any questions?

Posted in Legends of Windemere | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments