What's on the Plate

My academic affairs keep me quite busy these days, but I have already begun work on the next two novels. Both The Deadsong and Sliding the Line take place within the same world, and they share some of the same characters and geography, and the next two works will also maintain some connection to the existing two. One of the works in progress I had intended to complete and publish after The Deadsong is titled Console, which is a cyberpunk body horror novel that explores video game addiction and societal preoccupation with technology. The other piece on the shelf I'm really excited to jump into is called Noland Hall. It's about a college dormitory that was once a tuberculosis hospital. Lots of dark stuff bubbling in the pot, and I can't wait to scrawl them down on the page and put them in your hands.

In the meantime, as time permits, I will be working on some short stories I've been neglecting for some time. Some of them are pretty tame, but there are a few that'll burn your socks off. I'm looking to publish these in traditional markets (hell, you know how starving artists need the folding green), and the exposure will be nice.

Soon, I'll be taking part in a writing workshop taught by Jack Ketchum, who is best known for his disturbing novel The Girl Next Door. I don't typically go for visceral horror, but this guy is an expert, and I think he can show me a thing or two.

Goodreads giveaway of my new book SLIDING THE LINE happening now!

Ten signed copies of the new book are up for grabs, courtesy of the fine people at Goodreads. All you gotta do is enter to win. It's quick and painless. You might get a free book out of it. Who doesn't like free? Tell your friends. They like free, too.
Enter to win HERE. 

"The Deadsong" Goes International

International friends**: Within the next couple of days, "The Deadsong" will go live on Amazon's European websites including Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, and Amazon.es.
Content will remain in English. No plans have yet been made for translated editions.

 Thanks to everyone who picked up a copy so far!

The Deadsong Audiobook coming in June!

The Deadsong--Now Available on Amazon.com

The Deadsong is now available in paperback and in Kindle eBook edition (readable on Kindle devices and on the Kindle app for Mac/PC, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices). Coming soon to the iBookstore and Nook Store. 
The audiobook version will be available in June at Amazon (as a digital download), Audible.com, and the iTunes store.

Trying to Pull Myself Away...

I'm trying to ween myself from using a computer when writing my first draft of a novel. As recommended by fellow writers, I picked up an old AlphaSmart 3000 word processor. It's rugged, light, and portable. And best of all: it doesn't have any onboard distractions. Yes, I mean the internet.
The AlphaSmart is a fine piece of technology without all the bells and whistles. It has an LCD screen with 4 lines of visible text, full keyboard, and 8 writable "files" to store text. It has an on/off button, a "clear file" button, and a "send" button. The latter is used to transfer text data to a computer using a USB cable. AND, last but not least, it runs on AAA batteries and will go for about 700 hours before the batteries need to be replaced. How cool is that for a whopping $15? I usually write on the AlphaSmart for a few days then dump my text into a program called Scrivener (which is a dream to use). http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
In Scrivener, I can create a master "binder" to store pieces of my manuscript. The pieces can be moved around and reordered as the writing process goes on. Scrivener will also automatically format the manuscript for submission to publishers, and it can export the manuscript as an .epub or .mobi file for Nook or Kindle respectively.
Okay, so I know I still use a computer to write, but you'd be surprise how productive you can be once you remove the distractions available from your desktop or laptop. Hell, sometimes I just sit on a bench or under a tree with a pad and pen. Try that before sitting down at the computer. Nothing like working longhand. Either way you go about it, you're writing, and if you can resist technological temptation while you do it, you'll reap the rewards and handsomely so.

The Deadsong is No Longer Mine

I've had this unshakable sadness since my book has passed from my hands (and soon into yours). It's been almost a year since I started writing The Deadsong, and I've become quite attached to the characters and the colorful locales within the world I've created. It's a place where I've gone to play and to observe. My time spent in fictional Arlo County, Tennessee, has come to pass. But what I saw there and the people I met there have become immortalized in 300 pages of prose. I can go visit anytime I like, and that's a pretty cool thing (for those of you who think I've gone completely crackers, well, you might be right). But, more importantly, now I can take YOU, the reader, there. Come Sunday, I can share everything with you. You can put it in your pocket or purse and take it with you. And hopefully, it'll be just as fun for you to read as it was for me to write. A very special thanks goes out to all my friends and family for their unwavering support.