I’M GOING TO BE GIVING AWAY A SIGNED COPY OF THE FIRST OF THE GALAXIA PIRATES SERIES “ABROAD IN THE STARS” DURING THE RELEASE PARTY FOR “WRENCH IN THE ENGINE”.
WANT A CHANCE TO GET YOUR NAME IN THE POT? JOIN US WEDNESDAYS, FEB 1, 2017, AT TALL, DOM & DIRTY ON FACEBOOK AND JUST WAIT FOR THE GIVEAWAY! RELEASE PARTY: TTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EVENTS/102623263580276/
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FOREWARNING, MINOR SPOILERS FOR A FEW OF MY BOOKS.
HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF READING A BOOK OR WATCHING A MOVIE/SHOW AND EITHER HOPING A PARTICULAR CHARACTER WILL DIE, OR STUNNED BY THE DEATH OF ANOTHER? I’VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT EQUATION, AS A CONSUMER AND A WRITER. AS A CONSUMER I OFTEN FIND MYSELF HATING FAN FAVORITES, LIKE KATE IN NCIS. I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN SHE DIED. I FOUND HER ENTIRELY ANNOYING. I KNOW, CRUEL. ON THE FLIP SIDE, I OFTEN DON’T WANT TO SEE LESS LOVED CHARACTERS DIE, AND EVEN WANT THE VILLAIN TO SUCCEED AT TIMES. NOW, AS I WRITER I’M LESS FOND OF KILLING MC’S. THAT’S NOT TO SAY I WON’T DO IT IN THE FUTURE, YOU NEVER KNOW. BUT I DO FIND MYSELF PLANNING SPECIFIC CHARACTERS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF DYING, LIKE ADRIAN IN ABROAD IN THE STARS. I EVEN FIND MYSELF LIKING THE CHARACTERS I HAVE PLANNED TO DIE IN MY BOOKS, BUT DO AWAY WITH THEM ANYWAYS. WHEN IT COMES TO VILLAIN DEATHS THOUGH, I HAVE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT APPROACH! FIRSTLY, I MUST CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT MY VILLAIN WILL BE NEEDED IN FUTURE BOOKS, AS IN THE HUNTERS IN MY ITÁYU LAKE SERIES, OR THE RED FALCON’S CREW IN MY GALAXIA PIRATES BOOKS. SECOND, WILL THEIR DEATHS ADVANCE A CONFLICT OR RESOLVE A CONFLICT? IF THE ANSWER IS BOTH, THEY ARE SO DEAD. IF I CAN DO BOTH WITHOUT KILLING A VILLAIN THOUGH I WON’T ELIMINATE THEM. THIRD, DO I WANT THIS CHARACTER TO DIE? THIS IS A MINOR THING FOR ME WHEN WRITING MY VILLAINS, BUT STILL SOMETHING I CONSIDER. I THINK MAINLY WHEN PLANNING A CHARACTER’S DEATH, AS A WRITER, I WANT TO ENSURE THE DEATH HOLDS SOME KIND OF MEANING FOR THE STORY OVERALL. MAYBE THE PERSON THAT DIED IS A CLOSE FRIEND OF AN MC? PERHAPS THAT DEATH IS THE TRIGGER FOR THE STORY? THOUGH A FAN OF WHOLE-SALE SLAUGHTER AT TIMES, IT HAS ITS PLACE. THAT PLACE IS NOT USUALLY IN MY ROMANCE NOVELS. AT LEAST NOT CENTER STAGE. OF COURSE THAT LEAVES ONE FINAL TOPIC: POINTLESS CHARACTER DEATHS. THESE ARE DEATHS THAT DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR THE STORY OR THE MC’S DEVELOPMENT. THE CHARACTER JUST DIES, WITH OR WITHOUT FANFARE. GORDON SILBERMAN’S CHARACTER FROM 2012 IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A POINTLESS DEATH. HE IS ONLY KILLED SO THE EX-WIFE DOESN’T HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY ABOUT GOING BACK TO HER HUSBAND, PLAYED BY JOHN CUSACK. THAT’S NOT A REASON TO KILL SOMEONE! GOD FORBID THE WOMAN FACE SOME KIND OF CONSEQUENCE FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO MEN! I REMEMBER WATCHING THAT SCENE AND MY SUBSEQUENT REACTION BEING, “WAIT? THAT’S IT! AFTER EVERYTHING HE’S DONE TO HELP, THAT’S IT?” POINTLESS. UTTERLY POINTLESS. SO, I GUESS MY POINT IS, NO MATTER WHO YOU’RE KILLING OFF MAKE SURE THEIR DEATH AS SOME KIND OF MEANING. UNLESS THEY’RE JUST CANNON FODDER LIKE FACELESS SOLDIERS OR DRONES. THEN KILL AS MANY AS YOU WANT! BUT AGAIN, ONLY WHEN APPROPRIATE. WHOLE-SALE SLAUGHTER IS FUN, BUT NOT ALWAYS NEEDED, SADLY. WRENCH IN THE ENGINE IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER AT A 10% DISCOUNT @ HTTP://WWW.BOOKSTRAND.COM/BOOK/WRENCH-IN-THE-ENGINE HELLO EVERYONE!
HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE ATTENDING VIRTUAL RELEASE PARTIES FOR BOOKS? THIS IS SOMETHING I'M STILL FAIRLY NEW TO, BUT FIND ABSOLUTELY ENJOYABLE. IT'S ALSO QUITE EASY. FIRST YOU SET UP AN EVENT AND DECIDE WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE HELD. MAYBE YOU WILL HAVE EVERYONE JUST HANG OUT AT THE EVENT PAGE. PERHAPS YOU HAVE A GROUP PAGE YOU CAN DO THE PARTY ON? SECOND, GET A FEW AUTHORS AND PA'S TOGETHER AND ARRANGE A SCHEDULE. MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS OKAY WITH THEIR ALLOTTED TIME, AND CAN MAKE IT! NEXT MAKE SOME GRAPHICS TO PROMOTE YOUR PARTY AND THE AWESOME AUTHORS TO BE SHOWCASED IN IT. THIS IS ALSO A GOOD TIME TO MAKE YOUR OWN GRAPHICS FOR THE PARTY I THINK. FOURTH STEP, SPREAD THE WORD! LET EVERYONE KNOW YOU'RE HOSTING THIS PARTY, AND ENCOURAGE THE OTHER AUTHORS AND PA'S TO DO THE SAME. THE MORE PEOPLE THAT KNOW, THE BETTER THE TURNOUT. LAST, BUT CERTAINLY THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART, PARTY! REMEMBER, YOU WANT TO INTERACT WITH THE PARTY GOERS. REPLY TO THEIR COMMENTS, AND ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION. OF COURSE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO IT THAN THAT. YOU HAVE TO SET UP YOUR OWN GAMES FOR YOUR TIME SLOT AND DECIDE ON WHAT WILL BE THE PRIZES (AGAIN JUST FOR YOUR TIME SLOT). WHAT BOOKS WILL YOU BE PROMOTING ALONGSIDE THE OTHERS? OR, ARE YOU JUST GOING TO FOCUS ON THE NEW RELEASE? REMEMBER, PLAN AHEAD! ALSO, BACKUP EVERYTHING! I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH. THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING EVER IS PUTTING IN A TON OF WORK, GETTING READY FOR A RELEASE PARTY, AND THEN LOSING IT ALL. SO, BACK THINGS UP! NOW THEN, I HAVE A RELEASE PARTY TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU. IT'S FOR A FRIEND'S NEWEST RELEASE, A SELF-PUBLISHED TITLE "CYRUS". WE'LL BE HOLDING THIS PARTY ON THE FACEBOOK PARTY AND PROMOTION PAGE TALL, DOM & DIRTY! WANT TO JOIN? JUST REQUEST TO JOIN THE GROUP AND HANGOUT TOMORROW NIGHT! JUST PRESS THE BUTTON BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION! WHEN THEY CAME TO A STOP OUTSIDE A SMALL SHACK, CHRIS’S BOAT REPAIR PAINTED IN GREEN ON A WOODEN SIGN HANGING ABOVE THE DOOR, STEVEN FELT HIS TEMPER FLARE. WAS THIS SOME KIND OF SICK JOKE? A BOAT MECHANIC? HAD SIDNEY LOST HIS EVER-LOVING MIND? WITH A SIGH, STEVEN CLIMBED OUT OF THE VEHICLE ONLY TO DUCK DOWN WHEN A SHOT RANG OUT ABOVE HIS HEAD. HE PULLED HIS PISTOL FROM THE HOLSTER AT HIS HIP, SPUN AROUND, AND TOOK AIM IN THE DIRECTION THE SHOT CAME FROM IN ONE FLUID MOTION. HIS BREATH FROZE IN HIS LUNGS AND HIS HEART WENT SILENT AS HE WAITED FOR ANOTHER SIGN OF HOSTILITY. "EASY!” CRAIG SHOUTED, RAISING HIS HANDS. TONY WAS STANDING BESIDE HIM, HIS OWN WEAPON DRAWN. THE NAVIGATOR LOOKED DEADLY AS HE SCANNED THEIR SURROUNDINGS. “CHRIS, WE JUST CAME TO TALK!” "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU AND YOUR BROTHER TO FORGET I EXIST.” THE ROUGH VOICE THAT PRECEDED THE MAN WHO WALKED OUT ONTO THE SMALL FRONT PORCH HAD STEVEN FROWNING. THE MAN SOUNDED AS IF HE’D SPENT HIS LIFE SHOUTING, HIS VOICE HOARSE FROM YEARS OF OVERUSE. “YEAH, WELL, WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE GALAXIA’S ENGINES.” CRAIG SIGHED. “THEN IT’S A PROBLEM FOR YOUR MECHANIC,” CHRIS SAID, LOWERING THE RIFLE. NOW THAT THE THREAT HAD BEEN DIMINISHED, STEVEN STOOD FROM HIS CROUCHED POSITION BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND TOOK THE MAN IN. HE WAS STURDILY BUILT, OBVIOUSLY A MAN USED TO HARD, PHYSICAL LABOR. HIS DARK, FULL BEARD HAD TWO STREAKS OF GRAY STARTING AT THE CORNERS OF HIS MOUTH. HIS BLACK HAIR WAS THICK, BUT AGAIN THERE WAS GRAY COMING IN AT HIS TEMPLES. HIS STEEL EYES WERE NARROWED, SMALL WRINKLES GIVING HIM EVEN MORE SIGNS OF HIS AGE. “THAT WOULD BE ME,” STEVEN SAID, STEPPING FORWARD AND PLACING HIS PISTOL BACK IN THE HOLSTER. “I’M STEVEN SMITH, AND WE NEED TO TALK.” CHRIS HELD UP HIS RIGHT HAND, AND STEVEN HAD TO REMIND HIMSELF NOT TO STARE. FLIPPING HIM OFF WAS A CYBERNETIC HAND. THE MECHANICS EXTENDED UP TO HIS ARM AND STOPPED AT HIS SHOULDER. INSTANTLY STEVEN LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICED BENEATH HIS SWIM TRUNKS, HIS RIGHT LEG WAS ALSO A CYBERNETIC PROSTHETIC. “OH COME ON,” CRAIG BESEECHED. “JUST HEAR HIM OUT.” “FUCK OFF,” CHRIS SAID WITH A SNARL AS HE TURNED AND HEADED BACK INTO HIS SHOP. STEVEN GROWLED AND CHASED AFTER THE MAN. THERE WAS NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL HE WAS GOING TO BE TURNED DOWN NOW THAT HE’D COME HERE. SCREW THIS GUY. HE WAS GOING TO HELP THEM EVEN IF STEVEN HAD TO FORCE HIM. “HEY, YOU.” STEVEN GRABBED THE MAN’S SHOULDER, SPUN HIM AROUND, AND SLAMMED HIM AGAINST THE WALL. HE MIGHT NOT LOOK IT, BUT STEVEN WAS A MECHANIC AND WAS QUITE STRONG. “I DON’T CARE WHAT ISSUES YOU HAVE WITH SIDNEY AND CRAIG, BUT I’M HERE TO FIND A WAY TO FIX THE GALAXIA’S ENGINES. SO YOU’LL SWALLOW YOUR FUCKING ATTITUDE AND LISTEN TO ME.” THE MAN LAUGHED, THROWING STEVEN FOR A LOOP. HE LOOSENED HIS GRIP ON THE MAN, AND THAT PROVED TO BE A MISTAKE. CHRIS FLIPPED THEIR POSITIONS, HIS MECHANICAL HAND DIGGING INTO STEVEN’S THROAT. “I BUILT THOSE ENGINES. WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I HAVE TO FIX THEM NOW?” “WHAT?” STEVEN GASPED. THIS MAN BUILT THE GALAXIA’S ENGINES? BUT THAT COULDN’T BE RIGHT. STRUGGLING, STEVEN MET CHRIS’S HARD STEEL EYES AND FROZE. SOMETHING STIRRED INSIDE HIM AS HE LOOKED AT THAT COLD GAZE AND FELT THAT PROSTHETIC HAND SQUEEZE AROUND HIS THROAT. SOMETHING PRIMAL THAT HE SHOULDN’T BE FEELING. “HEY, THAT’S ENOUGH,” TONY SAID WITH A GROWL, A GUN APPEARING AT CHRIS’S TEMPLE. “WE DON’T NEED YOU SO BAD THAT I’LL STAND BY AND LET YOU KILL ONE OF OUR CREW.” PREORDER HERE HELLO,
I WISH I COULD SAY I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME AMAZING ADVICE ON HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN BOOK, GET PUBLISHED, AND MAKE IT RICH BUT I’M NOT. NOT BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW THOSE THINGS, MINUS THE GETTING RICH PART, BUT BECAUSE I DON’T THINK I’M QUALIFIED TO GIVE THAT KIND OF ADVICE. I’VE ONLY BEEN PUBLISHED FOR A YEAR. GIVE ME ANOTHER YEAR AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO THROW SOME AWESOME GURU ADVICE AT YOU. FOR NOW I’D LIKE TO SHARE WHAT I’VE LEARNED WRITING MM ROMANCE NOVELLAS, WELL A FEW THINGS AT LEAST. 1: PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ASSUME THINGS ABOUT YOU. NOW, WHETHER THESE ASSUMPTIONS ARE ACCURATE OR NOT WILL BE BASED ON WHO YOU ARE. FOR ME? YEAH, MOST OF THEM ARE INCORRECT. 2: IT’S A SMALL MARKET. THIS IS NOT A SURPRISE TO MANY, BUT THAT MAKES IT VERY HARD TO MAKE A NAME AND PUSH THROUGH. 3: THE PEOPLE YOU MEET ARE GOING TO BE A TON OF FUN! THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I’VE LEARNED OVER THIS LAST YEAR. BECAUSE THE MM ROMANCE COMMUNITY IS SO SMALL MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH THE OTHER AUTHORS WITHIN IT IS VITAL! AND THE ONES I’VE MET ARE SOME OF THE GREATEST BUNCH OF PEOPLE EVER. SO, YEAH MY LAST YEAR HAS BEEN SPENT WRITING, EDITING, PUBLISHING, RINSE AND REPEAT WITH A SIDE DISH OF FALLING INTO A RABBIT HOLE THAT I DON’T THINK I’LL BE RETURNING FROM ANYTIME SOON. |
A.M. HalfordMondays: Free post days where I post about anything I feel like talking about. Archives
May 2018
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