Category Archives: Writing

Dream Time

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Our Lady of 47 Ursae Majoris Uff, what a night. That combination of cold medicine and antihistamine sent me to a very strange place. I dreamed an entire series of stories, far future dystopian with some nasty day to day situations to get through and people barely recognizable as human, at least on an emotional level, yet recognizable enough. Not my usual thing at all. They were so vivid that at one point it was as if I was remembering that I had read them and trying to remember who the author was.

Then I realized that I had never read them before, or even heard of anything like them. So maybe I’m supposed to write them. If I can capture the tone of those dreams it’ll be worth it, yet they still have to wait their turn. After the book is done.

Home Again

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IMG_0402Three days on the road with two energetic cats and we’re home. I apparently picked up an allergy of some sort in Bowling Green, KY. Which is a shame, really, since I’ve always liked Bowling Green. Never had an allergic reaction like this before. I hope whatever triggered it is a rare thing, only to be found in Bowling Green, since I’m not likely to be back there any time soon, or ever.

There’s a lot to do in the new house, but we knew that. The boys are exploring. One has already discovered the radiator covers, which are probably about as close to the perfect cat bed ever invented. There are also chipmunks and fat squirrels loitering on the hillside, The boys can’t wait until the cat doors are installed. Personally, I can.

After we finish cleaning, the next step is for the movers to arrive and pile boxes everywhere. I’m not sure what a normal life is or if we’ll have one, but I do know the next few months are going to be interesting.

Publisher’s Giveaway

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WRITING 02I didn’t do it this time. Prime Books has arranged for a giveaway for two Prime Books editions: The War God’s Son, but also Word Puppets by Mary Robinette Kowal. Go here to enter. Deadline is November 24th for Word Puppets and November 25th for The War God’s Son.

I may be scarce for a few days. I’m back in Mississippi to help finish packing for the move, and then to transport the rest of our household back to Upstate. I’ll try to get back on something as close to an even keel as I ever manage once we’re settled. However long that takes.

Words have power. You can tell, because in the wake of the tragedies in Paris and Beirut and Baghdad, so many people are misusing them. Sad and angry as I might be at the moment, I want to think about that for a bit before I say anything.

Ebook Giveaway — Hereafter, and After

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Hereafter, and After2Starting Wednesday, November 4th and ending on Friday, November 6th, the Kindle ebook edition of my novella, Hereafter, and After, normally $2.99, will be available for the special price of nothing, nada, & bupkis. My warped view of what allegedly comes after the mortal coil thing. Heaven, Hell, plus the Twilight of the Gods, all in one story. Introduction by the esteemed Andy Duncan. Seriously, you’d pass that up?

Announcing a Contest

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WarGod-600

I received the official word from Audible.com that Yamada Monogatari: The War God’s Son is available in audiobook format (I know some of you were already aware of this fact). What you didn’t know is that they also just sent me some one-time codes for a free copy of the audio version. More than I can use, actually, so rather than let them go to waste, I thought I’d try to give some of those who read this blog a shot at one.

I haven’t done many of these, but a contest seemed the fairest way, so if any of you are interested, let’s have one. Below the next paragraph is the “official” description of the book at Amazon, or B&N, etc. Some of you may have even seen it, but what you might not know is that the listing contains a typographical error. That is, a rather important word is spelled wrong. I’ve been assured that it will be corrected, but you know how these things work—once it’s on the internet, the genie is out of the bottle. Chances are it’ll always be there, somewhere.

So here’s what I’ll do—to the first person who spots the mistake and sends me an email (you know how to translate this: ogresan(at)gmaildotcom )correctly identifying the error, I will send a free coupon code good for one copy of the audiobook version of Yamada Monogatari: The War God’s Son, marvelously narrated by Brian Nishii, along with instructions for using that coupon (not complicated, but for those who aren’t familiar with Audible.com, probably helpful). I’m not going to claim that there is ONLY one mistake in the listing, but keep in mind that I am looking for a very specific one, and the decision of the judge–me–is final:

“The Abe clan and its allies are in full rebellion. When the Emperor’s greatest military leader, Yoshii, is targeted for assassination by magic, it is up to the newly sober Lord Yamada and his exorcist associate Kenji to keep the young man alive long enough to put down the uprising before the entire country is consumed by war. Yamada knows how to deal with demons, monsters, and angry ghosts, but the greatest threat of all is one final assassin, hidden in a place where no one—especially Lord Yamada—would ever think to look.”