Friday, January 25, 2013

The Next Big Thing

So, I was tagged by my friend, the amazing, beautiful, and talented, Seleste DeLaney, over here and I've finally got around to doing my post. One of the reasons was I was being lazy. The other is that I had already done a post like this about my current WIP and didn't want to just do a second post on it with the same information. So, I decided to pull one of the other ideas out of my brain and give it a whirl.

So, here it is.


What is your working title of your book?
The Daughter of Sa'il

Where did the idea come from for the book?
It started as a dream which I thought was really cool. The dream evolved into a novel titled "The Stone of Unity". After finishing the first draft, I realized the main characters were wrong and the whole thing needed to be rewritten.

What genre does your book fall under?
Fantasy (probably YA)

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I have a dwarf named Orren who I would love to see played by Brian Blessed. The other primary character is an elf named Tink. I'm not sure who would play her. Maybe Jennifer Lawrence as she's amazing at everything. I have a hard time with these things, so who knows.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Tink, an elf without magic, and her adoptive father, an exiled Dwarven prophet, must gather allies and fight evil after they accidentally unleash the minions of the Great Devourer while rescuing a human prince and an elvish princess from a centuries old trap.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I love Fantasy books. Hell, I love several genres. There isn't one thing that inspired me to write it. It was just the loudest voice in my head and I've always wanted to write a fantasy story.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It would depend. I would like to be represented, but if that doesn't work I can always go the self-pub route.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I'm trying to remember. I think it was about six months (maybe?). I'm not a fast writer and I also have a day job, family, etc. that cuts into writing time. Not sure how long the rewrite will take as I am scrapping most of what I have written.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I'm always bad about this. I have no idea. Maybe some of my readers can tell me. I know I should figure this out for when I get ready to submit it, but at the moment, I don't know.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I like to mess around with stereotypes a lot. Tink is an elf who literally can't cast magic, but instead learns to build machines under the tutelage of her adoptive father, Orren. The world is made up of two major groups. The elves and other magical creatures on one side with the Humans and dwarves on the other. The elves, or Fae as I call them, are purely magical and in tune with nature whereas the Humans and Dwarves are more into technology and industrialization. There is also a race of snake-like Dark Elves that were banished from the world centuries before and most people don't know much about them. Whether they are good or evil remains to be seen.

Hope that piqued your interests. I plan on getting back into this story once I finish Hate Jacket.

Sorry, no random pics today.

'Till Next Time.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Cover Reveal: Blurred (Kissed by Death #2) by Tara Fuller

Today we are, once again, joined by the beautiful and awesomely talented, Tara Fuller, for yet another cover reveal!

But first, a little about the author.
Tara Fuller, author extraordinaire

Tara Fuller writes novels. Some about grim reapers. Some about witches. All of course are delightfully full of teen angst and kissing. Tara grew up in a one stop light town in Oklahoma where once upon a time she stayed up with a flash light reading RL Stine novels and only dreamed of becoming a writer. She has a slight obsession with music and a shameless addiction for zombie fiction, Mystery Science Theater, and black and white mochas. Tara no longer lives in a one stop light town. Now she lives with her family in a slightly larger town in North Carolina where they have at least three stoplights.

Website: http://www.tarafuller.com/
Blog: http://tara-fuller.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tara25Fuller
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tara25fuller
Kissed by Death Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KissedByDeath
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3471272.Tara_A_Fuller

And now for the cover...



Are you ready?



It's pretty awesome...



I saw it a couple days ago and was all "Wow!"



Seriously, it's good.



Yes, I'm teasing you, but hey, I'm evil like that.





Cash is haunted by things. Hungry, hollow things. They only leave him alone when Anaya, Heaven’s beautiful reaper, is around. Cash has always been good with girls, but Anaya isn’t like the others. She’s dead. And with his deteriorating health, Cash might soon be as well.

Anaya never breaks the rules, but the night of the fire she recognized part of Cash’s soul—and doomed him to something worse than death. Cash’s soul now resides in an expired body, making him a shadow walker—a rare, coveted being that can walk between worlds. A being creatures of the underworld would do anything to get their hands on.

The lines between life and death are blurring, and Anaya and Cash find themselves falling helplessly over the edge. Trapped in a world where the living don’t belong, can Cash make it out alive?

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16129272-blurred
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blurred-Kissed-Death-Tara-Fuller/dp/162061085X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1358452006&sr=8-5&keywords=Tara+Fuller
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blurred-tara-fuller/1113749206?ean=9781620610855
The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Blurred-Tara-Fuller/9781620610855


Oh yes, another giveaway!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, January 18, 2013

Liebster Award


So, once again, the evil pixies C. L. Raven, have tagged me with yet another dubious award. It's the Leibster award. It is evil, but because I like the pixies (they did kill me off in a very gruesome manner in one of their books), I will deign to answer their questions. :D

Don't let their cute deceive you. They are evil. ;-)

When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you. I'm also supposed to nominate 11 other people, but I'm being recalcitrant (my favorite word!) and am refusing.

If you want to know random facts about me, I have 107 over on this post.

1. What is your superhero name, power and costume? The Librarian. I can draw into the world anything from any book. Costume would be an old style outfit, but I haven't got much beyond the coat and wide-brimmed hat.

2. Who would you go gay with to save the world? Nathan Fillion. He is ruggedly handsome.

3. Who would play you in a film of your life? Nathan Fillion. He is ruggedly handsome. ;-) Honestly, I don't know. Seth Greene maybe?

4. Name 5 albums on your death row disc list. Phantom of the Opera, Beethoven's 9th, Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem, Mozart's Requiem, Metallica compilation

5. What’s your karaoke song? White and Nerdy by Weird Al Yankovick. It's my theme song.

6. If you had to have a hilarious, cartoon-style death, what would it be? Ooo...good one. I know the pixies killed me off with my heart being ripped out of my chest to feed an evil witch. Not sure how cartoonish that is, but I thought it was awesome. Other than that, I'd say falling piano.

7. What book/film/song do you wish you’d written? Hrmm...good question. I don't think I've ever thought about that. Seriously, I haven't. I mean, I love books, movies, and music, but I've never wished I'd done someone else's. I've always wished I'd written more of my own stuff.

8. If you could be made into a wax work couple, who would your other half be? Wax museums are creepy. I'm not sure I'd want to be a wax couple. *shudder*

9. What would be your Kryptonite? Twizzlers. I'm addicted. I will eat them all if I could.

10. If you ruled the world, what is the first law you’d make? I would outlaw all reality TV series...except for Dirty Jobs and Mythbusters as they are awesome and funny and don't pretend to be non-rehearsed.

11. And who would be the first person you’d execute? Justin Bieber...er...the entire cast of Jersey Shore....um...do I have to pick just one?! Damn...not sure I could do that.

Now, to end with a random image. If you don't think this is adorable, you are the spawn of Jersey Shore and Justin Bieber and an abomination in the eyes of God.

  

'Till Next Time

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Tag, I'm It

So, about four, yes four, months ago, the lovely Valerie Cole tagged me in a blog post. You know the ones where you have to answer questions? Yeah, those. Apparently, I never responded. Er...yeah...sorry.


So, here are some answers.

1. What do you want to be when you grow up? I refuse to grow up! Seriously, I want to be a full time writer.

2. Were you ever afraid of the dark or anything under your bed? Yes. I was scared of things hiding in my closet when I was younger. Now I have night terrors of cats walking on the ceiling (don't ask, I don't know either).

3. What time of day do you read/write the most? Afternoon/Evening usually on the weekdays. Weekends are different. I'll write/read during the day.

4. When you’ve had a hard or a bad day, what makes you feel better? Losing myself in a game on the computer and having a can of coke zero.

5. If you could own any kind of creature (mythical or not) what would it be? Easy. Unicorn. I loved them as a kid and always wanted one. Also, dragons...dragons are awesome.

6. Are you an extrovert or introvert? I'm in the middle. I'm an ambivert.

7. If you could be anybody for just a day, who would it be and why? Spiderman...Ok, I have no clue. I've never wanted to be anybody else. I know, I'm boring. I'm a librarian for crying out loud.

8. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? Super-speed is awesome. You can run up walls. Of course, being able to pick up tanks would be awesome. Oh, I know! The power of the witty come-back. I'm horrible at saying them on the spur of the moment (my private shame). So, being able to zing anybody would be awesome.

9. What’s the worst trouble you ever got into or the best thing you ever got away with as a kid? The worst trouble? I don't know. I remember getting yelled out for playing in tar with my older brother (he started it, I just followed). The best thing? I never really did anything super bad (shocking I know). If I did something, I got caught. I was a horrible liar.

10. What were your best and worst subjects at school? Worst subject? Social studies. Best subject? Math and music.

11. What’s one thing you want to learn before you die (e.g. a musical instrument, a language, how to perform brain surgery, e.t.c.)?
I would love to learn how to fly a plane or a helicopter. Despite being scared of heights. It's also one of the few things I can't teach myself. Most everything else, I can teach myself fairly easily. The other thing I'd like to do is learn to draw. That one has always eluded me.

So there you have it. 11 random questions answered. Now maybe Valerie will call of the goon squad... ;-)

'Till Next Time.

Friday, January 11, 2013

One Small Step

So, if you follow me on twitter or know me on Facebook, you've probably heard the awesome news.

*drum roll*



So yeah. Someone besides my friends likes my work. Not that my friends and family liking it isn't awesome, because they don't have to. But still.

*cue confetti cannons and noise makers*

Needless to say, my brain melted.

Now, some of you may be saying, "Hey, Andrew! It's just a magazine at your local community college!"

Yes, that is true. However, it is open to anyone who attends that school and there are a lot of them. Also, I had two pieces accepted. Most people only get one if any. Also, I have to start somewhere. This is one tiny step in the scheme of the universe, but it is a huge leap in validation for what I'm doing.

Does this make me a published author? Yes, yes it does. The journal in question is produced once a year and is distributed out into the world. Will I get paid? No. Doesn't matter at this point. The point is that I. GOT. PUBLISHED! Or I will be once May 2013 comes around. I'll let you all know more once it get's closer to the pub-date.

*waits*

*drums fingers*

*waits*

I need one of these...
H.G. Well's Time Machine
I now get what all my writer friends are talking about by being insanely excited about their book being in print. About wanting to see it, hold it, stare at it endlessly and obsessively. Not that I'm doing that with the acceptance letter.

*cough*

Anyway, one small step. Right? Or a huge leap for me. I guess both. Validation that I can do this and people will like it is what it really is.

You will like it, right? Please? *panics*

So, yes, I will be excited and bouncy and weird because I can and I deserve it.

KERMIT FLAIL!!!!!!!!

'Till Next time.

Monday, January 7, 2013

100+ Odd or Random Facts About Me

I've been thinking about this post for a while. I was originally going to do it for my 100th blog post, but this happened instead. So, here are some random facts for you. I'm planning on at least 100. Not because I'm necessarily that interesting, but rather just because. And you all might find it humorous in some cases.


  1. I was born in a pink Army hospital in California.
  2. The base where the hospital was located has been since decommissioned.
  3. I spent 3+ years living in Germany.
  4. We left Germany shortly before my 4th birthday.
  5. Two of my earliest memories involve our cat, кошка (Pronounced "Kushka". Means "Cat" in Russian).
  6. Another memory of Germany involves playing in a pile of tar that was to be used for the roof of the apartment complex where we lived.
  7. My brother and I got into a LOT of trouble for that stunt.
  8. None of my memories of Germany have any chronological order (I was too young).
  9. Because I was so young, I was never truly bilingual like my older brother. I mixed German and English words though.
  10. I have only beat my older brother in a fight once. I cheated. I bit him on the arm and drew blood.
  11. I got into a LOT of trouble for biting him.
  12. My sister was born in the front seat of the family car (a blue Datsun station wagon) at a rest-stop on the Autobahn. My brother and I slept through the whole thing.
  13. I had my first crush in 1st grade. She was the daughter of one of my mom's friends.
  14. That crush lasted until 7th or 8th grade. We never got together.
  15. I kissed my first girl in 3rd grade summer school. Her name was Sunny.
  16. Another kid, a boy, saw us and teased us for it. This did not stop us from sneaking off to kiss on multiple occasions.
  17. Due to divorce and remarriage, I have 3 brothers and 3 sisters.
  18. I consider each of them my siblings even though two of them are related only by marriage and two of them only share a father.
  19. I remember every book I've read.
  20. I have only read two books more than once. They are L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth and Allan Dean Foster's Season of the Spellsinger.
  21. I don't always remember the intricate details of each book, but I remember enough that it only takes a chapter or two to remember everything.
  22. I get sad/depressed when I finish a series of books and have to say goodbye to the world/characters.
  23. I will often imagine events beyond the context of the book/series/TV Show/Movie/etc. A lot of times it is a continuation of some sort.
  24. I started, but didn't finish, my first novel in high school. It's title was "Runner" and was about couriers in a post-apocalyptic future world.
  25. Runner was set in the same world as my NaNoWriMo novel, Troubleshooter.
  26. I plan on finishing Runner at some point.
  27. All of my toys and stuffed animals that I had as a child had names and lived in the same "world". Details of that world are in this post.
  28. I still have all of my stuffed animals and most of my favorite toys from my childhood in tubs and boxes in the attic.
  29. One of my toys is an old R/C R2D2 that was purchased around the time of the original movies.
  30. R2D2 sits on a shelf in my office at home.
  31. I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.
  32. I went to a Catholic elementary school
  33. I was almost expelled for telling the principal (a nun) that what she was saying was "a lie".
  34. It wasn't that she was lying, but the information she had was a lie.
  35. I was bullied a lot in that school and was mad because, once again, I was painted as the bad guy by the other students (even though I wasn't).
  36. I've run into the principal as an adult. I still don't like her.
  37. My wife's first impression of me was "My God, he's a drug dealer."
  38. I wasn't. It was high school and I was angry and rebellious.
  39. I had long hair and an earring that hung to my shoulder and I wore torn jeans and a jean jacket. I also wore an old Army Greatcoat, but I never dealt drugs.
  40. I was offered a job selling once while walking through a store parking lot.
  41. I politely declined.
  42. I've had a gun pointed at me...twice.
  43. The first time a friend was being stupid and pointed a gun at me after a bunch of us went shooting on another friend's property.
  44. It took us threatening to shoot him before he lowered his gun.
  45. I don't know if I would have pulled the trigger or not. I'm glad I didn't have to find out.
  46. The second time was a cop, but he was actually focused on the car behind me and didn't realize I was there.
  47. I got a call once just before I started the 10th grade where the caller threatened to stab me back when school started.
  48. I carried a knife in my backpack for the first couple weeks of school.
  49. I was never attacked.
  50. I never told my parents or even considered telling someone with any authority.
  51. I received my Bachelor's degree in Music Theory.
  52. I've spent over 20 years as a librarian, computer programmer, and now writer.
  53. I learned to program databases to keep track of my comic book collection.
  54. I've taught myself just about every programming language I know.
  55. I have close to 7000 comic books, most of which are cataloged and bagged.
  56. I have every eclectic tastes in music, books, and movies.
  57. I listen to just about everything except rap and country and even then there are exceptions.
  58. I read EVERYTHING. If it's a good story, I'll read it. 
  59. I've read classics, horror, scifi, contemporary, romance, fantasy...you name it. I'll read it.
  60. I don't list favorite books, I list favorite authors.
  61. My current favorite authors change as I find new authors/series to read.
  62. Yes, I've read the Twilight series.
  63. I like to watch bad horror movies with my sister and her husband.
  64. I like Japanese Anime.
  65. I play games on my PC that I built myself.
  66. I had a database business around Y2K. I wrote custom databases for small businesses. I made a little money and the databases I wrote were used for a long time.
  67. I probably undercharged for my services.
  68. I thought I was stupid until I was in my mid-30s.
  69. I found out, then, I had a superior level IQ as well as a chronic form of depression called Dysthymia.
  70. I still don't think a high IQ makes you better than other people. It just means you learn things faster.
  71. I have learned that I like being goofy and silly and still be a responsible person.
  72. My humor is weird, dry, and somewhat inappropriate.
  73. None of my writing is funny (except maybe stuff on this blog).
  74. I've always wanted to write a story from a purely evil person's perspective. I think it would be interesting.
  75. I don't have any story ideas with a truly evil main character...yet.
  76. I have a word document that has about 15 story ideas listed on it.
  77. I am writing my second novel.
  78. My first novel was a fantasy story. I decided to dump all of it and rewrite it from another perspective.
  79. My current novel is a Young Adult contemporary with romance elements, which is completely different than my usual genres of Scifi/Horror/Fantasy/Paranormal.
  80. I'm really excited about this story. It also scares the hell out of me.
  81. I'm tapping into a lot of trauma and pain from my childhood to write this story.
  82. This story is not my story. It is my main character's story.
  83. Pain and heartache are universal, the stories around them are different.
  84. One of these days, I will be published.
  85. I am not a tall person (just under 5 foot, 8 inches tall).
  86. I have been told that I am about as intimidating as a perturbed squirrel.
  87. I used to be terrified of spiders
  88. In order to get over my fear, I researched and bought a tarantula.
  89. It's name was Fenris and I had him for several years before it died.
  90. I never picked it up, but I did hold a tarantula in my hand years later.
  91. I am terrified of heights.
  92. I have 3 cats and 2 dogs.
  93. One of my cats, Lily, I rescued from the side of a busy highway during rush hour. Details in this post.
  94. I don't sleep much. If I didn't need to sleep, I probably wouldn't. This is probably because of the horrible nightmares I had as a kid.
  95. I know now that the nightmares I had were a result of my brain trying to process the immense amount of emotion that I was cramming into a small box in my head.
  96. I wouldn't recommend repressing all of your feelings. It isn't healthy. Trust me. I know.
  97. I have read Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Most of the math was above me, but I did understand some of it.
  98. I fell asleep reading Dante's Inferno.
  99. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is the only book I have thrown across a room. I hated it that much.
  100. The essay I wrote for it was titled "Animals Animals Everywhere". The teacher was not amused by my title.
  101. I didn't get a good grade on the essay. I didn't care. I hated the book.
  102. I wouldn't recommend writing pithy essays on stories you don't like. Your teacher will not find your humor ironic nor funny.
  103. Do NOT write lines like "He should have jumped off a bridge with rocks in his pockets" to show your disdain for a classic author's main character.
  104. I love cheering on my friends in their various endeavors.
  105. No matter who you are or what you promise me, I will not wear a cheerleading skirt.
  106. I will wave imaginary pompoms made up of various bizarre substances including, but not limited too, zombies, dinosaurs, cookies, and chocolate...sometimes all of the above.
  107. An ex-girlfriend named her first child after me. It was not mine. I ran into her at a grocery store. She was "Hey Andrew, this is my kid...Andrew..."
Hope you all enjoyed this little trip of weird. I realized I could have kept going, but decided to cut myself off before I ended up with several hundred bits of info.

'Till Next Time.