Another Year, Another Expo

So, the 2013 Local Authors Expo is over and done. (Full photo set Here.) This was my first year to be in charge of the event, so I didn't have a lot of time to sit and man my booth. Lucky for me, my partners-in-crime Sean DeArmond and Larry Hensley were on hand to do the honors (thanks guys!) and promote Summer Gothic (which, if you haven't bought it yet (for shame) you can get in Print, Kindle, or Nook).

On the horizon - Hoover Library's annual Flash Fiction Night is on the horizon (March 19, 7:00 p.m. to be precise) and a couple of stories in the works, one of which is a new novel project that's got me pretty excited. Next thing to watch for: Dreams of Steam III from Kerlak, which will include my story "The Peace Machine." As soon as it's out, I'll be sure to let you know.

The Orbit of Mercury: Two Stories for 99₵

Now available for Kindle and Nook!

The Earth is a toxic wasteland, but elsewhere in the solar system humanity struggles on.

“The Orbit of Mercury” - The common cat is almost extinct and their survival may hinge on one sickly member of the species living long enough to breed. But how do you get an ornery, uncooperative feline to take his medicine – in zero g?

“The Transit of Venus” – Growing up on the moon, a young girl named Venera has lived her whole life in the shadow of death and loss. On the eve of her proudest accomplishment, will she suffer one final loss that even she cannot bear?

***

I uploaded these stories as part of a "DIY: Create Your Own Ebook" demonstration for the Hoover Library's Write Club back in September. The Kindle version has actually been online for a while, but there was some kind of server hang-up with my BN account that kept the Nook version tied up in limbo until now. And I love my Nook, so I didn't want to promote this until it was available in both formats.

Anyway, in case I'm being too subtle, go buy your copy today! It's only 99₵ for crying out loud.

Shameless Publicity Roundup:

Two rather nice reviews that mention The Unwinding House have appeared online, one at SFRevu and the other at Locus. Also, I did interviews on my involvement with National Novel Writing Month for Magic City Post and a local Birmingham publishing blog called {head}:sub/head. Follow the links and show them some love!

NaNoWriMo 2012 is GO

Once again, National Novel Writing Month is on, and once more I'm plowing my way through 50,000 words while acting as Birmingham's Municipal Liaison. My goal this year is to finally complete The Ghost Cauldron, which I started in Nano 2010 and continued in 2011.

So, if you're both a writer and a lunatic with no concept of reasonable expectations or healthy aspirations, sign up yourself here, check out our regional forum here, or visit my personal Nano page here (under my nom de guerre, Tycho Brahe). This year the state of Delaware has declared Word War on us, so that should be pretty interesting. Can one southern city take on an entire state? I guess we'll find out.

Now leave me alone. I'm writing.

 

EDIT: Southampton, England had joined the word war battle, and being Eastern Hemisphere they've got a little head start on us.

"The Unwinding House" in Kaleidotrope

My story "The Unwinding House" just appeared online in the Autumn 2012 issue of Kaleidotrope! Here's an excerpt:

“What you need to understand is that time doesn’t work right in Camden. It hasn’t since the bomb.” Aaron clenched his hands under the table so the man from Homeland Security wouldn’t see them shaking.

“That’s what this is all about, isn’t it, Dr. Trinh?” asked Special Agent Tresser. He glanced at his notes and the side of his mouth curled. “So I guess I shouldn’t ask you to start at the beginning?”

“It’s not Doctor,” said Aaron. “Not yet. I’m just Paul Danson’s research assistant. Was, I mean.” Get a grip. Acting like a jittery wreck would only make matters worse.

“That’s all right,” said Tresser. “We’ll take it slow. Let’s start with your arrival on the 23rd.”

* * *

When Aaron and Dr. Danson first choppered into Camden, it was 10:45 in the morning. Aaron remembered, because he was so very tired. He hadn’t slept for thirty hours and he couldn’t seem to keep the crust out of his eyes. His mouth was dry and there was a buzz in the back of his head that had nothing to do with helicopter blades.

“My God,” said Danson as he peered out the window. “You’ve got to see this.” Aaron wasn’t sure if it was safe to get up, but he unbuckled and craned over his professor’s shoulder.

Camden had been a quaint little hamlet in the Colorado Rockies an hour’s drive from I-70. Now it was a crater in the valley floor.

Read the rest here.