Movies
I watched a movie with Billy Zane this week called Blue World Order. It was shot almost entirely with a pink tint. Go figure. This actually bothered me more than the scientific inaccuracies in the film. (EMPs apparently kill children and download software into brains.) Zane is a pleasure to watch because he always looks like he has so much fun playing his roles!
I’m getting ready to watch the movie Battalion. I have decided to watch it purely on the basis that it looked like ridiculous action AND the CGI in the trailer didn’t make me wince.
Pacific Rim meets Independence Day in writer-director Michael Miller’s special effects thrill ride filmed in Queensland, Australia.
When a devastating attack on Los Angeles by an army of machines from a parallel universe sparks a massive world war, Californian surfer John Blake joins up with the US Marines to head across the Pacific to join the fight against the machines.
Jesse Richardson (“Riot Girl”), Ellen Williams (Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead), and Michael Thomson (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) star in Battalion, from High Octane Pictures, available on Digital from 1/9.
Wish me luck!
Articles
I’m currently working on an article about the challenges faced when going with a small press publisher.
I thought it would be a quick write-up opinion piece. Two thousand, two hundred and seventy words later, four mini interviews, and several conversations later, I’ve come to understand that this is not going to be the case. This is something I”m going to be working on for a while, because there’s a line to find and follow and I’m not quite sure I’m there yet. I am genuinely enjoying working on it, though!
Any indie authors reading me?
What is the one thing you wished you had known when shopping your book to various small press publishers?
(I’ll keep you Anon in the article and delete your comments on this post if you’d like.)
Books
There was not really a lot of progress made this week. I had the pains and stuff.
I finished the second book in the Zee Brothers series: Zombie School Lockdown. This one was definitely a little bit cruder than it’s predecessor, but it was still a hilarious listen. The narrator did a fantastic job, and I highly recommend this rude and crude little series. (You’ll find out more during my tour stops in the upcoming weeks.)
Miss L and I are reading Gregory and the Grimbockle together. This is one of the cutest, funniest, most imaginative middle-grade books that I have come across in quite a long time. We’re only on chapter 6, but I’m (we) are utterly enchanted.
I have made a little progress on Death’s Realm (36%) I started (by started I mean read the first story of) the Hardened Hearts anthology from Unnerving. I’m sort of stalled out on some of the other books I’m reading, like Mission to Methone. I wanna say “It’s not you, it’s me” and that’s probably partly true, because – again – OUCH! but yeahhhhh… some of them just aren’t getting my attention.
Graphic novel wise, I’m working on Hercules: Wrath of the Heavens, which is due out in April. It’s a science fiction (in space) re-telling of Hercules, and is actually fairly interesting. But the most interesting part of it has been the various discussions about nipples and Goddess boobies that I’ve had because of one particular panel in this book. I think we finally reached an agreement that Goddess boobies are magical things, but it’s still an epic Clooney’s Batman suit Nips-Gate issue going on there.
I had to get my upper wisdom teeth pulled last week.
Everyone was like “Oh, you poor thing. I remember how much that hurt.” and so on and so forth. Now, keep in mind that I have days when my skin crawls from my own child touching me, so the idea of having someone I don’t know in my personal space, in my MOUTH, yanking things that I’ve had in my mouth for years? That already had me on edge.
So, yeah, I really appreciate the support, you jerks!
(Not you guys, but the ones who told me how much it would hurt.)
I went into the appointment like:
And after it was over, I was like…
YOU WIMPS!
Seriously, even the next day I was like “Er… that’s not so bad. That was the equivalent of a sore throat.” Now, mind you, I developed complications which meant a week later I was still chewing ibuprofen and had to have a second visit because one side of my mouth is a little bitch. However, the good side of my mouth? The angel? It was like “That’s it? That’s all you got? HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
My body sucks.
My dentist gave me a medieval torture device masquerading as a syringe. It’s topped by this long, thin curved spout. You could do the Egyptian brain stir-and-yank with it if you wanted to, I think!
Just came back from ARISIA, a Boston sci-fi/fantasy con, where I attended sessions on independent publishing and marketing your book. First two thoughts: 1) the e-book market is now glutted, i.e., you do have to market actively, there are now so many out there; 2) hence a good web site to present yourself and your books to prospective readers and suck more possible readers in is essential.
Writer guest of honor was V. E. Schwab, who sat on many panels and turns out to be an amusing and honest panel member in person. Though she’s still apologizing for cliffhanging the 2nd of her Shades of Magic series.
Or, I should say one side of your mouth wasn’t such a bad experience. Sorry I hit the post button before I finished commenting. And those complications can be worse than the actual procedure. Hoping it feels better soon:)
I love Billy Zane. Just watched his movie, Demon Knight again. He does look like he has fun and he’s sure nice to look at. I almost prefer getting a tooth pulled than having one drilled and filled. LOL Glad it wasn’t such a bad experience for you.
I hope you feel better soon. I am considering the possibility of republishing one of my books with a small publisher, although I do know the publisher and have known him for a while. I guess knowing the person and what their project is and their dedication to the authors and their books would be important. Of course, knowing the conditions and who else are they working with would also be crucial. Your article (or perhaps a series?) sounds fascinating. I’m looking forward to it.
It really is interesting. I think you’re lucky, knowing the publisher you’re thinking of working with.
I’ve got a little bit more information to get and some editing to do. I might end up breaking it up into a mini series just because there’s a lot to include
I’m an indie.
My style of writing is ridiculous, so I do not even bother approaching publishers. I’m curious as to what you have come up with, though.
The controversy surrounding the Hercules movie is titillating… I mean tantalizing!
Yeah. Your stuff is fun but you would need a very different type of press for it.
And OMFG. It goes sooo far beyond boobgate.