Friday, August 30, 2013

Great Advice From My Favorite Comic Strip Artist!


Hey, guys!

It's been a whirlwind of a week, but I'm excited to tell you that a silver lining is in sight - some good news is about to be unleashed! Until then, before everything's official, I'd like to share a thought I found while perusing Facebook. You guys know Calvin and Hobbs by Bill Watterson? I used to start my days reading that strip in the paper as a kid. It was a sad day when Mr. Watterson retired from that strip, but like a breath of fresh air, this nugget of joy found me, reminding me of the things in life that should be most important to me:


"To invent your own life's meaning is not easy, but it's still allowed, and I think you'll be happier for the trouble." - Bill Watterson 


Have a great weekend, everyone! See you in September.

I'm David, and it's time for that autumn leaf action!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Trolling Villain Competition: These Famous Bad Guys Are A' Troll'en, and You Can Vote For Your Favorite!


It's the last Wednesday of the month! Now, I normally use this day to honor a new Knight of the Cosmic Table, but with all that's gone on these last couple of weeks, I've been unable to fully keep up with my emails (in a good way) or select a candidate. And things have been so serious around here lately, I think it's time for a laugh!

Three universally famous villains are here to troll us all - and YOU get to pick who is not only the most evil, but the true trolling master!

First up is the Dark Lord, Voldemort, or, in some circles, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Let's see how well he trolls this crowd ...

 
Well ... that got ONE round of applause, at least (better luck next time, Voldy)! Next is the traitorous wizard, Saruman. Take it away!


Hmm ... props for sticking the landing, Saruman, but you lost points for copying Lord Voldermort, I think. You're next, Darth Vader!


Impressive, Lord Vader ... MOST impressive. You didn't even have to say a word, man of few words you! You have my vote. Now it's your turn! Select your favorite trolling villain here and win a special prize!
 
Hope your Wednesday is a good one - you deserve it!
 
I'm David, and ... don't feed the trolls. Ever! ;)

Monday, August 26, 2013

Ashes Release, Artwork For Woven, An Enormous Thank You For Your Support, and Some Updates!


I have no idea where Brandon Ax found his cover designer. The cover for his first book, Elemental, was a pleasant surprise, but now the cover for Ashes looks to heat Brandon's series to the next degree ... literally! And the best part is, you can buy it NOW! Check it out:

A year ago, Sophia would have told you monsters existed only in the movies. That the world is easily understood and life has a way of making sense. A year ago, Sophia would have been wrong.

Her world had changed and she'd seen behind the curtain. With Aiden and the others by her side, all she wants now is answers. The monsters were gone, but in their absence new questions about her past were left to haunt.

As the search for answers begins, a remnant from her nightmares returns. Her new understanding of the world is once more shaken and she finds herself on the opposite side of powerful Elementals.

When those sworn to protect humanity are your enemies, the lines of right and wrong become blurred. One wrong choice and she could be left with ashes.

(From Goodreads)
Congratulations, Brandon - keep'em coming!

*     *     *

Some have asked about the art on Woven's (soon to be updated) Facebook page. I'll tell you about that! On short notice, Michael and I found Juan Maestas, an artist who caught our vision and designed a cover for us to present to our once publisher. This could have gone farther, but the publisher decided to use something else. Jaun used his mad skills to illustrate Woven's lead protagonists: Nels and Tyra.


Isn't it awesome? We think it captures the book's atmosphere well! Juan is a talented guy with a lot to offer. Check out more of his work at his website: www.lostskies.com. Thank you for your help, Juan! 

*     *     *

As you can imagine, this last week has been a turbulent one. Lots of unknowns and dark paths with dead batteries in our flashlights. Then, like a wild fire, the writing community banded together in a way that I have never seen in all my five years of blogging. I never imagined, not in a million light years, that such support would be sent my way, and, more importantly, to my friend and co-author, Michael Jensen.

Just imagine every emotion running through you at once. That's the only way I can describe it, and I can't begin to tell you how much your support has helped us. Moreover, your comments and support has raised our spirits and reminded us of why we wrote this book in the first place. It time, it will come forward, and you too will know why.

It's impossible to thank you individually, so I will thank you here:

THANK YOU, EVERYONE!

And I must thank the following for their courage to stand with us:

Amber Argyle, for her support and for sharing her experience.

Paul Genesse, for putting on his angry face and helping us out.

Larry Correia, for his post that rocked the Monster Hunter Nation.

Braden Bell, for the letter that's now in the Associated Press (and all 47 Mormon authors - so far - who have already signed the letter).

DL Hammons, for summoning The Blitz Team on our behalf.

Natalie Collins, for championing Woven, far and wide.

James Dashner, for the unexpected help and support.

And Nicholas Rupp, for stepping in as our Media Contact.

When Michael and I decided to share our experience, we didn't know what to expect. We are forever in your debt. Thank you, everyone, for all of your kind words and generous support (even if we happened to disagree). Our story has gone international because of your help.

Having said that, we're ready to move on. It's a new week and we have a new home to search for. We'll keep you posted.

*     *     *

Updates: now you know what's been slowing me down this mouth. Like I said, we're ready to move on. I have a few promised critiques that need to be done. In case you're wondering about our search for a new home for Woven, all I can say is that we've received a few requests. Now we'll wait and see what becomes of them.

Thank you for stopping by, my friends. We're SO doing lunch!

I'm David, and I'll have pastrami on rye, please. :)

Friday, August 23, 2013

A Change of Plans: The Amazing Novel By Donna K. Weaver That's So Good, You Just Have To Hear It!


(For those of you who are visiting for the first time and want to know about the recent cancellation of my novel, read about it here. And by all means, stick around for this post - it's gonna be awesome!)


I don't normally post about contemporary adventure romance - being the sci fi and fantasy guy and all that - but come on ... this is Donna K. Weaver we're talking about. Of course I'm going to shout her work from the rooftops! And if that wasn't awesome enough, Rhemalda has worked with Donna to turn her debut novel into an audiobook.

And if that wasn't even more awesome, she's giving some away!

Here's a little something about A Change of Plans:

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old, Colorado high school teacher wants to do is forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. Lyn plans a vacation diversion; fate provides Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world and temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he's navigating, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship--on the very anniversary Lyn is on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs from Braedon and what he has to offer.

It’s hard to avoid someone when stuck on the same ship, and the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions in American Samoa. Paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped and Lyn's fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck. 


About the author:

Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories and has been ever entertained. A Navy brat. A U.S. Army veteran. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific four times. A Shorei Kempo Karate black belt, she lives in Utah with her husband. They have six children, eight grandchildren

Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads

*     *     *

(About that black belt - remind me not to get on your bad side ...)

If you like what you see here, you're, like, TOTALLY invited to plunge into a sweet raffle. Listen to the audio sample and enter to win! 




Congratulations to your work, Donna! I know how long and hard you've worked to make this a reality and I wish you all the best and many readers (and listeners). Have a great weekend, everyone!

I'm David, and modern pirates don't look like Johnny Depp ...


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Unwoven: How One Word Lead To The Cancellation Of Our Novel and These Are My Thoughts On The Matter


You may have heard of the cancellation of Woven, the anticipated YA fantasy novel that I co-wrote with Michael Jensen. To my long-time visitors and those jumping into the Cosmic Laire for the first time, welcome. Allow me a moment to share what led to this moment:

Five years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Michael for the first time as a co-worker. After a few days of getting to know each other, we discovered our common interests in fiction and storytelling. I had been writing for a number of years and Michael had excellent ideas and composed musicals. Sharing my work with him felt natural, so I invited him to read my first attempt at fantasy. He liked it enough, so he shared with me his idea of a princess and a ghost, lost in the woods, looking for a needle that could sew the ghost back to life.

Needless to say, I was sold. "We HAVE to make this a novel," I said. A creative partnership began and we went to work. We molded old ideas with new and developed this story over a few years. A year of shopping later, we were offered a few contracts with small publishers. Cedar Fort seemed to be the better option - and since Michael knew the president of the company (who seemed fine with everything), we felt it was the right choice at the time and we signed a deal.

Man, were we excited! All these years of hard work and sleepless nights were about to pay off, and early reviews were very good! And we had an October 8 release date, just days before my birthday!

Could this get any better? ... oh, it got better, all right ...

Skip to a few weeks ago. Everything was set, ready for the printer. Manuscript edited and polished. Cover finished. Map inserted. It looked amazing. But then, we noticed something was missing:

The last line of Michael's bio ...

Maybe there was a typo ... a cut-and-paste glitch?

We asked "what's up?" We were told that a certain word, one word, would be harmful to their relationship with LDS-based booksellers.

That seemed especially strange to us. We were printing the book under Sweetwater, their national market imprint. That doesn't mean we were selling Woven exclusively to the LDS market, right?

Another word was offered. We were told that that word was also unacceptable. Seriously, what word could that possibly be?

That word is "partner."

He lives in Salt Lake City with his partner and their four dogs.

That's the line that was missing. What followed was an unfortunate string of events that ultimately led to Cedar Fort's decision to cancel our publishing agreement (you can read the whole story here).

You can also check out KUTV 2's coverage on this here.

To make a long story short, Michael is gay. Most of you know this.

As you can imagine, having the rug pulled out from under our book was an unexpected blow, all because Michael wanted to be honest about who he is. There's nothing wrong with that. The sentence shouldn't have been an issue, so I gave Michael my complete support throughout the ordeal. I tried my best to encourage Cedar Fort to see the opportunity on their doorstep. What was this opportunity?

A bridge - those thingies that help you get over stuff, you know?

To make another long story short, I'm LDS (Mormon).

Michael and I knew this about each other. Never once did we think of each other by orientation or religious affiliation. We were people first - talented people who wanted to make a cool story together. We may disagree about a few things, maybe LOTS of things, but lasting, trusting friendship, is more important than disagreements.

When we started - and ended - Woven, our goal was to find a home for it. We think it's a beautiful story. Family friendly, as heterosexual as it gets. As the title implies, this story is about bringing people together, unity, and overcoming impossible obstacles by working together. Perhaps our once-publisher missed this message?

Hard to tell, but I will be honest. I was nervous at the thought of sharing this news with the public. I have friends on all sides of the political spectrum, and I wasn't sure how this was going to effect my standing on the Right side of things. I even had a conversation with someone I hold dear to my heart who advised against going public with this, that it could come back to harm me, all the work I've done into building this awesome platform, and ruin my reputation.

Then it hit me. A question jumped out of my mouth, faster than the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man ran into Ray's head: "With whom?"

In other words, my reputation would be ruined with whom? People who would cancel publishing our book for the reason already said above? Sounds good to me. That way I can sort through the crowd and find the people I'd like to have lunch with. Lunch is awesome!

I digress. Here comes the true test of friendship. Bring it on!

It hasn't been 24 hours since this news broke and I can't keep up with the comments on all my social media sites. I am floored, brought to tears, and completely relieved by the support - and help - of the writing community. Some have gone as far as to say that because I stood up for Michael's right to express himself, they are proud to know me. I thank you, everyone, and I am proud to know YOU!

And I'm proud of Michael for sticking to his principles.

I believe in a lot of things. Love one another is my first rule of thumb. Loves conquers all, dude. I also believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Michael has the right to pursue his happiness as I do. Like the publishing industry, happiness is subjective. Not one thing will make everyone happy. That is for us to discover, a journey, life- long and full. While it is unfortunate that Woven won't be published as planned, I know it will, and this time, in the hands of someone who sees our story for what it is and not turn us down for who we are.

I'd like to point out that, yes, I am Mormon. The folks who run Cedar Fort are also Mormon, but this was not a Church decision. I don't agree with Cedar Fort's decision. I know legions of Mormons who also do not agree with their decision. Some might, I don't know. I have never been a fan of blanket statements, so it is my hope that people see that there are LDS peeps in this world - and many other religious and non-religious peeps - with love - not fear - in their hearts.

Guys, your recent support has restored my faith in humanity.

That's all I have to say for now. It's late and I have a full day ahead of me. Now that you know, author's everywhere, publish with Cedar Fort at your own discretion. If you read here, you will find that we're not the only authors who has had a problem with them. At the same time, I wish them well, with a bright future ahead. Adieu.

This isn't going to slow the spaceship down. I will continue blogging as I always do, sharing everything sci-fi/fantasy/book-related-what-have-yous in awesome pay-it-forward fashion. Bring it!

We appreciate your support and prayers as we move forward.

I'm David, and give a shout-out to Michael, wouldja?

And a big shout-out to DL Hammons and the Blitz team!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Woven Update


Over the weekend, I received emails and texts from reviewers and others who are waiting for Woven. It's due to release in seven weeks, yet there's no cover and no ARCs have been sent. I feel that it's only fair to let you know that there are some complications.

I hope to have something more concrete to tell you soon. Until then, there are things I need to do on this end. I'm leaving the blogosphere and will return when I find my footing. I truly appreciate your interest and patience on Woven.

There are a few tours that I'm scheduled to participate in and I will still participate in those. I wouldn't miss them for the world.

I'm David, and you guys are awesome - keep it up!

*Update - Our publisher is no longer publishing Woven and all rights have been given back to us. We're now looking for a new home.

Friday, August 16, 2013

A Thought Bound To Shake Our Inner Perfectionist


There's something to be said about perfect - whether something is or it's something we strive to be or try to create. This is reinforced by the expectations put on us writers by the publishing industry: our manuscripts need to be spotless, hole-less, shiny, and ... perfect.

This is understandable. We do want a good looking manuscript that reads well enough to carry readers to its conclusion. On top of that, agents and publishers have A LOT to do, so they will clearly give their attention to something that's easy on the eyes and won't give them a headache. It has to interest them, too. Since I'm a sci-fi and fantasy guy, I don't usually pick up historical romances and biographies.

There's a problem with this insistence on perfection. I've had the privilege of reading a few unpublished manuscripts in the last few years. I liked the ideas in them, but the presentation was hard to get through. These books are now in stores or awaiting a release date. I'm sure we've all had a moment when we picked up something in a book store, read some of it, and wondered how the book ever got published in the first place. How is this possible? How did these folks bypass the perfect manuscript screening process? I know I've written books in the past with equal presentation problems. You can't buy them, though. They're still collecting virtual dust in my hard drive.

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful about the success of these authors and wish them more deals and success. I've reflected on, without trying to compare, what made their journey different from mine and realized something - these guys weren't trying to be perfect. They knew their limitations and went with them anyway, while I couldn't let go until every line, every word, was right. This makes for slow writing.

Then it hit me as I browsed Facebook, and I wish I could give credit to the friend who posted the words that inspired my thought, but it's since been lost.  So here's my version of what was said:

You can never be perfect, but you can be excellent

In other words, instead of trying to write a perfect book, focus on writing an excellent book. It may have flaws, but so what? If the story is good, your heart truly invested in it, that will be far more interesting than perfect grammar and punctuation. As my personal experience dictates, perfect grammar and punctuation isn't necessary to land a book deal. Focus on being clean and clear and excellent.

This isn't the rule, just my thoughts on the matter. The problem with this perfect mindset is that it's an unattainable goal. When we can't reach a goal, we feel like failures. To prevent feeling like failures, we procrastinate. When we procrastinate, we don't reach our goal.

Lather, rinse, repeat. Let's stop this vicious cycle, I say.

Go out there and be excellent, my friends.

And have an excellent weekend.

What do you think about this topic? Have you been in a perfectionist rut? What does it mean to be excellent to you?

I'm David, and these bacon pancakes are ... excellent!


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Where's This Been All My Life?: Confessions Of A New Zelda Fan Who Should've Been One From The Start!


I have a confession to make: sometimes I can be a little slow when it comes to catching on to really awesome stories/franchises.

When it comes to gaming, this is even more so.

Having older siblings fight over an Atari so badly (and breaking it) caused such a stir in my family that by the time I came along, we had a rule that we wouldn't have a gaming console in the house. This may have been a good thing, but still, you have to admit that it's rough to be a kid wanting the latest system your friends have and nothing comes of it.

I was able to explore the arena of PC games instead and found some cool stories, but the first Xbox was my first console, purchased just before I left for college.

You don't want to play Halo with me. Trust me on this one.

This meant I never had a chance to really get most Playstation or Nintendo games, including The Legend of Zelda franchise. I never knew what the hype was about. I knew of the games, and I knew the character names, but I never saw a reason to look into it.

I was four when this thing started. I could've been a life-long fan! 

I'm making up for lost time by playing my first Zelda experience with Twilight Princess (review to follow after I finish it - long game and I've been busy).

There's so much to love about this franchise: it has the epicness of Lord of the Rings but it's family friendly enough that my kids can enjoy it and not have nightmares. And when I go raid the pantry, they go and smite foes for me - now that's initiative!

What I can't believe is that there hasn't been a movie made of this franchise yet, and why not?

High Fantasy is hotter now that it ever has been. Countless fan films have been made, including this super-awesome April Fools trailer:


A CGI movie pitch for an animated adaptation of the Hyrule world was also released recently, which Nintendo shut down a while ago:


I can't put my finger on it, but what is it about this franchise that's stopping it from hitting the big screen? Could it be that Link's hat is a little off-putting? There's no storyline strong enough for it to exist outside a game? Who knows, and maybe there will be a time when we'll see a for-real trailer for this fantasy epic. I was slow to come around to its awesomeness, after all. Maybe I'm not the only one?

In other words, hurry up, Hollywood, and let them make an awesome movie, Nintendo. There's a lot of people waiting to say this to you: 


Have you ever become a late fan of something that's been around for a while? Would you check out a Zelda movie? Play the games?

I'm David, and Ganon is a big green, monkey man, dude thing ...

Monday, August 12, 2013

Félicité Found Blog Tour, New Ender's Game Trailer, Self Publishing Waters, WriteOnCon, and Updates!


As promised, I'm back! I'm not nearly as caught up as I had hoped but there's no reason why I can't have a low key week, but today is anything BUT low key. Because today, I have to give a shout-out to an awesome writerly friend who has just released her debut novel!

 

Available now is Julia King's (no relation) "horrific" love story!

Seventeen-year-old Pierre Rousseaux witnesses a young girl take a near fatal plunge off Pont Neuf Bridge into the freezing water of the River Seine in Paris, France. After diving into the racing river himself, he is able to rescue her from a watery death, but only after her head is bashed into the river wall. Upon reviving her from unconsciousness, Pierre realizes she doesn’t remember her past at all.

The girl struggles to recall anything from before she may have tried to commit suicide, not only once but possibly twice. The few glimpses into her life are discovered through dreams that can only suggest her past was horrific and jaded by intense anger.

Her memories may force her to lose everything she has grown to adore, especially the boy she loves more than anything in the world: Pierre.

The girl, Félicité Moreau, must decide if the life she desires is enough to make things from her past right. Pierre struggles to resolve if Félicité means enough to him that he will fight for her, regardless of her past and despite his own personal demons.

(From Goodreads

It's so cool seeing your work releases, Julia! best of luck to you. I have to know what all this "horror" is about to it's in my TBR list!

Wondering where you can find this book? Try here and here!

*     *     *

During my absence, a trailer for Ender's Game has been unleashed, offering a few extra scenes and a greater sense of how the characters will interact with each other. Can't say my position has changed - I'm really stoked for this movie. It's all looking better than I imaged it.

*     *     *

Lately, I've been more interested in the self publishing arena, namely because I have tons of stories in my head that I would love to write someday AND I have several novels already that I could polish up and self publish them instead of going through the traditional process. I'm testing the waters to see if this is a good path for me, and if anyone has any tips, links, or resources that have been useful to you, I sure would appreciate a comment - with said tips, links, and resources.

*     *     *

 

Did you know that WriteOnCon, the free, online writer's conference, is happening this week? It kinda sneaked up on me! I sadly have to bow out of the show this year, but don't let that stop you from checking out this awesome con! Agents will snoop about, so head over!
 
*     *     *

Updates: for those of you waiting for the cover reveal of Woven, there has been a delay that we're in the process of trying to sort out now. I really appreciate your patience and I will let you know exactly when that boat is set to sail. Until then, so long as I can set the rest of my affairs in order, I plan to finish my novelette and The Undead Road will resume to its epic conclusion! might take a month, but all good things come to those who see it to the end, right?

Time to sign off for now. Got lots of writing to do. Have an immensely enjoyable week with much success heading your way!

What have you been up to this last week? Doesn't Julia's book sound fascinating? Who's joining me for a midnight screening of Ender? 

I'm David, and if you want to hack an Easy Button, here's how ...
 

Monday, August 5, 2013

Off The Bridge: 'Twas A Mid Summer Week's Hiatus!


Hey, Gang!

As the title of this post already implies, I have to take the week off. A few things malfunctioned in the main reactor over the weekend. That means I have to step off the bridge for a while. Don't mind the mess - just got a few unexpected things to take care of that the universe decided to throw at me ... at the very last second. Long story. Save the pause button! I'll be back to my usual self next week. Savvy?

It's also my anniversary today. I promised to stay off the computer.

Thanks for the understanding, guys (seriously, I think this year is a record breaker for blogging hiatuses - I better watch it before this becomes a habit). See you later - catch you on the flip side!

Btw, I'm going to Salt Lake Comic Con!

Who else wants to Con? How was your weekend? Now that school is about to start, got any writing plans while the kidlets are away?

I'm David, and you don't want to crack jokes at robots ...