Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Back from the holidays

Arrived home a few hours ago. Traffic getting from New Jersey into NYC was horrible. I'm exhausted, Karen caught my older boy Simon's cold and feels terrible. Thank god we have a long weekend before work starts again.

On the upside, I wrote episode 2 of the new story arc for the Dark InSpectre. Still needs a few tweeks here and there, but I like it. Till next time!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

home for the holidays

This is just a quick note. I'm traveling tomorrow with the family for our annual pilgrimage to Rockville, MD, and a visit with my folks. Probably will not be able to post till we get back next week.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Episode 11 bursts forth

Episode 11 of The Dark InSpectre is now online.
Here's an excerpt:

He was standing there, waiting for me, his grainy form still well defined for a guy who’d bought it three years ago. Mike Allen, aka Mikey Peeps. In life he’d been a low-ranking hood who ran numbers for major bookies. He got his nickname because he liked to watch. He watched a lot. Mikey was one of our best snitches until somebody figured it out and whacked him. In this very cell.


Saturday, December 19, 2009

writing in the cold

It's been absolutely freezing outside. But Simon, my older boy had karate today, so I jumped at the chance to take him cuz that means some good writing time for me. The dojo where he trains is not particularly weather resistant, so whatever the temperature is outside, it's pretty close to that inside. I just wrote while wearing several layers. I actually did a good amount of revising of upcoming episodes of the Dark InSpectre. Felt good, every time I work on it I manage to make it darker, grittier. The next chance I get to write, I'll work on the new story arc.

I got an unbelievably quick rejection from F&SF Magazine for my most recent short story. Not unexpected, but depressing nonetheless. I'm going to wait till after New Year's and then submit to a new, start-up webzine that's paying pro rates.

I've been worrying about another story of mine, which I submitted to Something Wicked magazine in April. It's not that they haven't given me a response, I've waited longer for responses from other mag's. It's that there seems to be nothing happening at all with the magazine. It's like radio silence. I know they're trying to go from a print to a digital mag. To me that means one of two things, either they'll announce how the next issue is progressing after New Year's, or they'll just chuck it and call it quits. Hopefully it will be the former.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The non-schtupping clause

I've been having an interesting conversation with the editor of Abandoned Towers magazine, which publishes my Dark InSpectre series. In her writer's guidelines, there are two major rules. The first is no cursing. I find this somewhat bothersome since in a hardboiled detective series, characters do use foul language. It's how people really talk, and it makes the story harder hitting and more gritty if done correctly. I'm not talking the f word every other word, but that episode of Sponge Bob where he discovers cursing got it right, it can be a "sentence enhancer."

Nevertheless, the rule is not that big a deal and I don't find it terribly restrictive. The next one is the more significant problem: no depictions or content describing sex between a non-married couple (man and a woman). In the guidelines, this is called a non-traditional lifestyle. This may not be a problem for many stories, but it is for mine. It's just not realistic to think that in my series, the main character (who is not married) will never have sex with a woman. Maybe it wouldn't happen during the course of a particular story arc, but it's a series, it's going to happen. Readers would think it strange if it didn't.

I've been trying to explain this to my editor, and even described the particular circumstances leading up to it in the second story arc. I think she's on board with it, but I'll see when I actually get to that part and write the episode. So as of now it's undecided. Maybe Jack gets some, maybe he doesn't!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

A milestone, of sorts

A few days ago the number of unique visitors who viewed The Dark InSpectre hit the 500 mark. For some reason, this seems like a milestone to me. Not sure why, not even sure what it means. But it seems cool that as best I can figure it, some combination of people have taken a gander at my supernatural crime series a total of 500 times. That's as close as I can come to understanding the significance of it. And it's a nice round number, too!

In other news, I am almost done with the first episode of the new story arc. I have had the broad outlines in my head for a while, but it's always amazing to me the creativity and new directions that happen when I'm actually writing. I have always felt that there are some things that can only happen on the page, as opposed to working them out in advance. That's definitely true for me and my writing, not sure about anyone else.

I was also glad to see that the voice of the story is still firmly in my head. Side note: I'm finding that my older son's Saturday morning karate class is an excellent place to get writing done. He has a double class that lasts a bit over 2 hours. They're all screaming and doing drills, and I'm just sitting there typing away. It's like heaven.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Monopoly money

I have a PayPal account, and I've received a couple of payments into it lately, for my short story/e-book The Killer Within and for the last few episodes of The Dark InSpectre. Here's my question: is this real money? I honestly don't know. From what I understand, I can use this money toward online purchases at sites that accept PayPal payments. Is that it? Can I apply the money to my credit card? Can I magically turn it into hard currency in my hand? I don't have much of an understanding of how PayPal works. I got the account mainly because a lot of short story markets will only pay via PayPal, and many publishers strongly prefer it. That's pretty much the extent of my understanding. If anybody could drop some knowledge on me, I'd appreciate it.

In other news, the author/editor for the Wolfsongs anthology has once again stated on her blog that she intends to re-start working on the second edition, so hope springs eternal for my short story.

But more importantly, I've sent my newly finished short story, titled Music and Magnetism, out into the void. I am starting at the high-end, most prestigious market and will work my way down. Who knows where the spinning roulette wheel will stop. And this, in turn, has left me free to at last begin writing the next story arc for the Dark InSpectre. I've written the first few paragraphs, I'm totally psyched.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Special Guest, Naomi Clark!

Hello everyone! Today, I’m very pleased to have as my guest blogger one of my fellow Damnation Books authors Naomi Clark here to answer a few questions. Naomi lives in Cambridge, England. A mild-mannered office worker by day, Naomi is somewhat obsessed with giant creatures of the sea and is a devoté of 80s cartoons. Naomi’s novel, Afterlife, has just been released in e-book form by Damnation Books (see cover below), and her novel Silver Kiss is set for release next year (2010).



Jason: Naomi, your e-novel Afterlife was just released. Tell us a little about it.

Naomi: Afterlife is a tale of supernatural murder, ghosts, ghouls, demons and cocktails, starring Yasmin Stoker, a vampire-hunting wraith. On one of her regular hunts, she witnesses a mysterious ghostly girl pulling the body of a teenage boy underground. Who – and what – is this girl? And why is she attacking men around the city? Yasmin investigates, but it quickly becomes clear that somebody wants to keep her from finding the killer and they’ll do anything – including ambushing her with ghouls and cacodaemons – to stop her.

Jason: Is this novel the first of a series? How do you see the storyline developing?


Naomi: I certainly plan to make it a series. I’ve just started the sequel, Afterburn, and hope to write at least one more book after that. The main storyline will focus on Yasmin’s personal journey as she comes to terms with her own past. But she also has a potential demon war to contend with, not to mention the fallout from the events of Afterlife (can’t really say anything without giving spoilers, but here’s a hint: vampires! Necromancers! Angst!)

Jason: You also have a series of books contracted with Queered Fiction, starting with Silver Kiss, which is due out next year. What is that series about?

Naomi: Silver Kiss is the first of the Urban Wolf novels, a follow-on from my short story Wolf Strap, which was published earlier this year as part of an anthology. This series focuses on the werewolf Ayla, a lone wolf who has chosen to return to her pack, and all the complications that causes. Silver Kiss itself is probably best described as “Fight Club with werewolves, and also some drug dealers.” I’m very excited about its release next year. :)

Jason: When did you start writing? What were some of your early influences?

Naomi: I’m not entirely sure... I’ve always written, ever since I was very young. I started writing seriously when I was in my early teens. I wrote several (very bad) fantasy novels before doing a degree in creative writing and really honing my skills. Once I graduated, I wrote several (better) novels, and have been lucky enough to find homes for some of them. As far as early influences go, I loved Tamora Pearce’s YA fantasies, as well as Stephen King. The first urban fantasy I read was one of Mercedes Lackey’s, but it wasn’t until I discovered Anita Blake that I knew I really wanted to write urban fantasy.

Jason: Are there any particular themes to your writing? How do you come up with ideas?

Naomi: I usually find themes after I’ve finished the book – I rarely set out with any in mind! Ideas come in all forms – often I’ll find a character before I find a story, and start from there. Sometimes I end up cannibalizing old plots and characters and using them in new novels. One of the characters in Afterlife started out in a completely different series and had a completely different role, but he fit perfectly into Afterlife.

Jason: What’s the hardest part of writing for you, and how do you deal with it?

Naomi: I’m not very good at endings! I always end up expanding them in the second draft, as I tend to rush through the climactic end scene and leave a rather messy conclusion. The only solution I’ve found so far is to leave the book alone for a week or so, then go back and start reworking. Distance and perspective work wonders.

The other hard part, for me, is the fact that I have a day job to deal with, too, one that involves sitting at a computer all day. Sometimes when you get home after spending seven hours at a computer, the last thing you want to do is stare at a screen all evening, as well, even if it’s to do something you love. I’m still working on a permanent solution to this, but so far it’s just a case of “man up and do it.”

Jason: Are you more comfortable writing short stories or novels?

Naomi: Both, I think. My degree comprised short story writing for the most part, so for three years I hardly did any novel writing at all. I think the skills used in writing shorts are really valuable in writing novels, so I try to keep my hand in it by doing both. Novels are more fun though – there’s more time to get into world-building, character arcs, and so on.

Jason: What advice can you give to aspiring writers out there?

Naomi: Three things: Read, write, study. You need to read voraciously if you want to be a writer. You need to know what’s out there and what other people are doing. Be aware of what’s happening in your genre.

And obviously you need to write, or you’ve got no hope.

As for learning, that’s twofold. First, you’ve got to have the basic skills to put together a good story. Imagination alone isn’t enough – you need grammar, punctuation, pacing, world-building, all the gritty behind-the-scenes stuff. Without this, you’re going to have a hard time, so make sure you hone your craft!

Second: research, research, research! Before you even think of submitting a book to an agent or publisher, do your homework. The internet is full of sites that give advice to writers, and you should read as much of it as you can. There are plenty of bad agents, scam artists, and pitfalls out there for newbies, so arm yourself in advance.

Jason: What other projects or stories do you have coming out you’d like to highlight?

Naomi: Well, aside from Silver Kiss and its sequels (2010 and 2011), I have a short story titled Deadline due out in the January 2010 issue of Midnight Times e-zine. It’s a speculative fiction piece I wrote at university and am very proud of!

_________________________________________________


That’ll wind things up for now. Thanks Naomi for giving us some very interesting insight into your writing and creative process. Feel free to stop by any time. Good luck to you on all your future writing endeavors!

You can check out Naomi’s fiction at: http://www.naomiclark.net/. And coincidentally, I’m on Naomi’s blog, answering a few of her questions today, as well: http://naomi-jay.livejournal.com/179532.html?view=925516#t925516.

Bye for now!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Episode 10 is up

The next episode of The Dark InSpectre is online.

Here's an excerpt:

“Don’t be naïve. There are plenty of other tels who could be here.” His eyes narrowed and his hands tightened on the railing. “But out of a hundred normals we’re the only ones. It’s because we’re the ones that make them feel safe from the rest of our kind. To normals, we’ll always be different, and that’s what makes them afraid. But they’ll always be the ones holding the strings. Remember that, Jack.”

Peruse at your own pleasure: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/


In addition, tomorrow I'll be guest blogging here: www.naomiclark.net.

And Naomi Clark will be blogging right here in this space!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

After the turkey

Back from Thanksgiving. I ate too much, 'nuff said.

Couple of interesting things. The story I've been working on is as ready as it's going to be. I'm now deciding which market to try first. Then I will send it out into the void.

Another story of mine, The Devil You Know, I subbed to a relatively new market called Strangetastic. We'll see...

I don't know what I'm going to do with my story that was subbed to Flashing Swords, which just folded. I think I'll sit on it for a while.

In blogging news, I sent my post over to fellow Damnation Books author Naomi Clark for her to post on her site on Dec. 7. And she sent me her post to put up here on Dec. 8. I am also set to guest blog at another place called the Long and the Short of It on January 8. Kim, the publisher at Damnation Books, suggested it as a good place to get some publicity. It seems kind of a romance-oriented site, but I guess I can reach a different audience there...? Whatever, it's an opportunity and I'm doing it.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Good news vs. Bad news cont'd

Good news: Episode 9 of the Dark InSpectre just went out, it rocks.

Bad News: Flashing Swords magazine, which I had submitted a story to, just winked out of existence.

Good news: I picked up another follower of the Dark InSpectre, yay! That makes 4!

Bad News: That's only 4.

Good News: I'm going to do a couple of blog interviews in the next couple of weeks, which will hopefully get my name and The Dark InSpectre out there.

Bad News: I thought I was pretty much done revising the short story I'm working on. Turns out it needs more work.

Good News: It will make for a better story, and I stayed up late working on it, so it's in pretty good shape.

Bad News: Another story of mine just got rejected from an anthology, bummer.

Good News: a tip from my editor helped me figure out how to do scrolling on my personal web site (www.jrkahn.com), so I was able to post another extremely positive review of The Killer Within. Yay!

Final Score: Good news - 5, Bad news - 4. Yay, Good News ahead by a nose. I'll take it!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Episode 9 of The Dark InSpectre

Episode 9 of the The Dark InSpectre is now online, in which our hero makes an indelible entrance.

Here’s an excerpt:
I tasted the attitudes screaming at me. They ran the gamut. Nervous. Revulsion. Morbid curiosity. Even a few who were downright friendly. I felt like the dog faced boy at the circus. But the looks on their faces were worth it.

Enjoy: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Back from the road

I got home from my business trip to Orlando on Thursday, completely exhausted and spent. First, a word about Orlando. Unless you're going to Disney, there's absolutely no reason to go there. It's basically one big strip mall, and not even a good one. I'm not even sure why people live there at all.

However, on the flight back and the following couple of days, I have finished revisions on the current short story I've been working on. I just posted it again on the Baen's Universe slush board. I believe this is going to be it. Any further revisions that are suggested I will deal with and then start submitting the story around. It's very good to get this one done, it's an idea that's been in my head for a long time.

And then, faithful fans, I will start writing the next story arc for The Dark InSpectre, and believe me, I've got some absolutely wicked stuff planned, heh, heh. I guess that's the good thing about delaying the next arc until I was done with the short story I was writing. It's given half of my brain time to think about Dark InSpectre and plan.

Of course, now I have a migraine and feel like crap, so serious writing will have to wait a bit. But it's all coming together.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

More blog hopping

Another of my fellow Damnation Books authors has generously offered her blog for some guest postings, so I have taken her up on it. Her name is Naomi Clark, she's a U.K. author, and pretty accomplished as you can see from her web site: http://www.naomiclark.net/. I will be blogging there on Dec. 9, so I'm pretty excited about it!

In other news, the ever-helpful Crystalwizard (the editor who produces my Dark InSpectre series) gave me a good tip about how to make a change to my web site: www.jrkahn.com.

Now if I can only find the time to actually try it out!

Back in the real world, I'm going on a business trip this Saturday morning that will last about 5 days. I plan on being completely exhausted. Woohoo!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Episode 8 of The Dark InSpectre

We're at the halfway point for the first story arc in my series. Episode 8 is up, in which our hero meets an old flame from his past.

Here's an excerpt:
She looked me in the eyes for an endless second. I saw the shadow of grief that had never truly left. I saw something else. The butterflies ate me alive. I kept my senses on a choke-hold leash, not wanting to know even her surface thoughts. Too chicken to find out what she was really thinking.

Click and enjoy: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Good news / bad news

Good news: I got some good writing done on my short story last night and the scene I'm working on is really coming together.

Bad news: I stayed up way late to do it, and so feel like crap today.

Good news: I'm going to be guest blogging at the site of one of my fellow Damnation Books authors in December, which will be cool. Her name is Naomi Clark, and judging by her site (http://www.naomiclark.net/), she's written a lot of interesting stuff.

Bad news: The author/editor who has been sitting on my story for the Wolfsongs II anthology just posted her schedule for upcoming projects she wants to get done over the next few months. Wolfsongs didn't even make the list. Sigh...

That's it. Good news - 2, Bad news - 2. It's all tied up.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Where'd the time go?

I realized it's been over a week since I last posted! Well, I can't say a whole lot has been happening. I'm going on a business trip in a week and a half, and work has been getting busier leading up to that. So I haven't had a lot of writing time. But I have been trying to get through the latest round of revisions on the short story I've been working on. If I re-write one key scene, I think it'll be pretty close.

In other news, after the excellent review I got for The Killer Within, I wanted to put it on my web site, www.jrkahn.com. That's when I realized that in order to do that, I would somehow need to enable scrolling, which I don't really know how to do. My web site is a do-it-yourself job hosted by www.wix.com. I've been trying to email their e-support address, but it keeps bouncing back. So until I get that figured out, it'll just have to wait. Oh well!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Unfinished Business, Episode 7

Episode 7 of The Dark InSpectre is now up, in which our hero spends some more quality time with some friends from his past.

Here’s an excerpt:
For the next several minutes, Victor and Tull proceeded to torture the two men. Screams punctuated every slice and gouge, a symphony conducted by psychopaths.

Read it fresh out of the oven: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/


Enjoy.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

The latest

Couple of very interesting things lately. First of all, I got an absolutely amazing review for The Killer Within from a site called Book Illuminations. I mean, I never would expect a review to be this good. Here it is:

Average citizens are the new tools of the crime families. A drug has been developed that leaves the individual open to any suggestion- including assassination. These sleeper hits are increasing rapidly in number and Detective Frank Arnold suspects that something bigger is on the horizon soon. He’s determined to work his way onto the task force to stop the crime lords- but will his determination cost him everything?

Wow! Jason Kahn’s short story packs one heck of a powerful punch. While readers may suspect some of the twists in THE KILLER WITHIN, Jason Kahn ramps it up and adds a few more twists to surprise the reader. The shocking ending is unexpected and yet perfect for the overall concept of the story.

Jason Kahn uses the short story format to craft a tale that is both intriguing and well developed. The characters are multidimensional, not flat, allowing the reader to empathize with them. Frank is an excellent choice for the role of narrator as his passion and dedication are present throughout the story, making his observations even more shocking.

THE KILLER WITHIN epitomizes just what a short story should do. The tale is complete within itself while whetting the appetite of the reader for even more tales by Jason Kahn. Bravo!

And just so you know I'm not making that up myself, check it out for yourself here.

In addition, I found a growing community for writers of online serialized science fiction. I know, it's like someone invented this group just for me! It's called New Writing Media. I've already met some other people through it who are writing their own ongoing stories. And not only that, but the site has a resources page of other sites specifically for listing and reviewing online serials. Unbelievable. I've started the process and have already got The Dark InSpectre listed at a place called the Web Fiction Guide.

And Episode 7 of The Dark InSpectre goes up tomorrow! Yay!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Revising and revising some more

Been able to put some good work into my latest short story. Done one revision and cut out about 500 words. I'll give it another read, try and cut some more, then put it back up on the Baen slush board and get some more feedback. It's getting there, definitely getting there. And here's a teaser. The title of it is: Music and Magnetism.

Discuss!

Friday, October 16, 2009

My interview's up!

Hey y'all, an interview with my scintillating self is up over at the blog of fellow Damnation Books author Lily Kleiman. Check it out here.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Special Guest Lily Kleiman!

Hello everyone! Today, I’m very pleased to have as my guest blogger one of my fellow Damnation Books authors Lily Kleiman here to answer a few questions. Lily, a former graphic designer, has written two books, Daylight and Eden Fell, the latter of which is the one that’s recently been released by Damnation Books. Here’s a picture of the cover:



Jason: First of all, tell us about Eden Fell. What was your inspiration for the story? And what was the writing experience like?

Lily: The inspiration was an old occult saying I heard during a conversation back in 1998. "The unicorn died giving birth to the dragon, thus the garden of Eden fell." Meaning, innocence died giving birth to knowledge, thus Eden fell. I liked how it was phrased and I was intrigued by the possibility of personifying myths as well as the battle of innocence versus knowledge. And that was the initial seed of an idea for the book.

Writing Eden Fell was an intense experience. Eden has such a strong voice in my head and it literally overtook my life. I was a basket case while writing that story.

Jason: What do you think makes the main character so unique? Is there any of yourself in Eden?

Lily: Sorry, I can't tell you, the answer is revealed in the final chapter ;)

Just kidding.

I was fascinated with Eden as a character. Although her behavior is questionable (huge understatement), what makes her the most unique is the lack of ambiguity. Right from the start, you know who she is.

I'm not like Eden. At least I hope not *lol* She's self-destructive whereas I'm always searching for ways to better myself and my work. I think the only thing we might have in common is the lack of pretenses. Because I always live for a good challenge, my fictional characters tend to be the opposite of me.

Jason: You also have a previous novel out, Daylight. Is there a common theme to the two stories? Or are they completely different?

Lily: They're completely different stories. I did things all backwards. I wrote Eden Fell about 5 - 6 years before I wrote Daylight, which is a dark coming of age tale and a human drama. I suppose you could fairly say that general darkness would be the only common theme in both stories.

Jason: You self-published Daylight. What was that process like? Do you recommend that route for other authors?

Lily: I did self-publish Daylight through Lulu.com. Because I've worked as a graphic designer at publishing companies, I already had the skills to do layout and design for a book, which I've done many times in that capacity. So for myself, the process was the almost the same as any job I've had. Though I did find there was more pressure involved because I was on my own. It wasn't like I had a team of people checking my work like I've had as a graphic designer.

I don't necessarily recommend self-publishing but I don't have anything against it either. Self publishing should be a personal choice, as it was for me. Daylight was always a personal project and my goals were to learn about putting together a fictional novel and sharing a bound book with others. Self publishing was just a means to an end. Though I don't regret the experience, it was a one time only. Once was enough for me.

Although in retrospect, and using the knowledge I have now, there are better options than self-publishing. Such as independent companies like Damnation Books. Alas, Daylight will always remain a personal project to me and I don't have any regrets.

Jason: In your former life, you were a graphic designer. What made you switch careers and explore writing?

Lily: Heh, former life, I like that ;)

My focus changed at some point, for a variety of personal and health-related reasons. The fact was, I wasn't happy as a graphic designer. Now that I'm a published author, I couldn't be happier with the work I'm doing. It's a trade-off, of course, and a hard decision to make. But again, I'm quite content with that decision.

For myself, I find creative writing is the ultimate form of expression. There are many challenges and techniques in writing that I could never achieve in art. Creative writing seems to be the next level for me.

Jason: The art gallery on your web site contains a variety of pictures. All are beautiful, while some are more eerie. Is there a common theme between your art and writing? Where does it come from?

Lily: Thank you, especially the eerie comment, that's a high compliment to me :)

In everything I do, whether it's art or writing, what comes naturally to me is darkness in a variety of forms. I'll touch on just about any subject, from fantasy to horror to human interest. Like I said before, I live for a good challenge. The theme of darkness is one of the main things that provides that challenge for me.

As for where it comes from, I have absolutely no idea. Your guess is as good as mine ;)

Jason: You’re also getting a short story published in Ethereal Tales. Congratulations! Tell us about it and what your future writing projects/plans are.

Lily: Thanks! I'm looking forward to receiving my copy of that issue in the mail. The story is called Bleeding Apple. It's about Peter and how he deals with his wife's absence, necrophilia and a trip to hell. It was a little piece I wrote a while ago, and when I found out about Ethereal Tales, I was reminded of a couple of stories that would work, including Bleeding Apple. I'm very pleased it's been accepted for publication.

I have about 3 potential novels in the works and the main one I'm focusing on is a horror novel. I've already written a host of short stories I might pursue publishing in the meantime. But again, the horror novel is the main focus. _________________________________________________

That’ll wind things up for now. Thanks Lily for giving us some very interesting insight into your writing and creative process. Feel free to stop by any time. Good luck to you on all your future writing endeavors!

You can check out both of Lily’s books at: http://www.lilykleiman.com/

Learn more about Lily’s writing and art at http://www.lilyauthor.blogspot.com/

And this Friday, I’ll be on Lily’s blog, answering a few of her questions. Bye for now!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Guest tomorrow!

Just a quick reminder that author Lily Kleiman will be here tomorrow answering questions about her art and writing projects. I hope to have her interview up by around noon Eastern Time. Hmmm, never had a guest here before, maybe I should spruce up the place a bit. Oh, geez, that plant is dead for god's sake! And will somebody get rid of that cat?! Anyway, it'll be great, I swear!

In other writing news, I have started revising my latest short story, which is a hard sci-fi piece. I was a little worried about how to make it shorter, but I think I figured that out. And there's also an info-dump I have to take care of. Yes, I know, I can't believe I had one either. I might as well have written the actual words: As you know, Bob....

Unfortunately, it looks like the editor of Wolfsongs II is working on her next book instead of the anthology for which my story has been gathering dust. So it's back to patient waiting mode on that one. Same for the story I submitted to Something Wicked many, many moons ago. And the one I submitted to Flashing Swords. Boy, it's no lie, it really does help the waiting blues to just keep on writing the next piece.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Unfinished Business, Episode 6

Episode 6 of my Dark InSpectre series is now online, available for your reading enjoyment.

Go ahead and get some.

Here's an excerpt:
Since the last time I’d been here, I’d discovered a cover-up, hints of corruption within the Department, and new clues about Dee’s murder. Not to mention getting the shit kicked out of me. Now she wanted me to take another mind trip with one of these lunatics?

Click the pic:

http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/


Thursday, October 8, 2009

A cult following!

I was just breezing by my Dark InSpectre story on the blog where it's published (I like to do that every now and then), when much to my astonishment, I saw somebody had left a comment at the end of Episode 4. I couldn't believe it. It was left by a woman who said she found my story after Charles sent out that spot advertising it from his "Horror Happenings" email list. So, A) the ad worked, and B) I got a very nice comment, my first one!

And get this, someone even signed up as a "follower" of the story. I think that means they get automatically notified when a new episode goes up. Unbelievable! I sort of assumed this was all going up in a vacuum. I really had no idea if anyone was actually reading it. I know there are those rolling statistics on the side of the page, but I don't really know how to interpret those, and I generally don't trust them anyway. But now I know there are at least two people out there who I'm not related to who actually read it. Amazing!

In other news, I sent off my short story The Devil You Know to an anthology that's collecting submissions right now. We'll see what happens. No word on the Wolfsongs II anthology, I'm just hoping the author/editor is working on it.

Also, next wednesday, guest author Lily Kleiman will be here discussing her various writing projects. And then two days later on Friday, Oct. 16, I'll be on her blog discussing my various writing projects. Should be cool!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Blog hopping

I may have mentioned this before, but next week I'm "guest blogging" at the blog of one of my fellow Damnation Books authors, and she's doing the same in this space. She'll be here on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and I'll be there on Friday, Oct. 16.

Here name is Lily Kleiman, and she's a former graphic designer turned author who has written a couple of books. This whole guest blogger thing has been a fascinating exercise. When Lily first offered her site to the other Damnation Books authors, I automatically said yes because it sounded fun and interesting. But I had absolutely no idea how to proceed. Would we be writing each other continuously and posting for each other throughout the day?

Now I see that a good way to go about this is to do a sort of interview format, where the "guest" answers a bunch of questions in advance, and then it's all posted along with relevant links, plugs, etc.

At least that's how we're doing it. If anybody has any other suggestions, feel free to comment. So stay tuned for next week.

Friday, October 2, 2009

The reviews are in!

Well, just one anyway. But it's good! The reviewer had very nice things to say about my short story The Killer Within. So that's way cool. This is only the second review for a short story I've ever had, the first one being for Devil May Care way back in October of 2006. Here's the full text of the new one, along with a link:

The Killer Within, by Jason Kahn, was sent to me by the author as a review copy.
4 1/2 Stars
Overview: 4 3/4 Stars
The plot was enjoyable and original. The story is of good short story length and has two good twists. The character development was well done, causing the reader to be shocked and empathize with the main character in turn.
At one point, the narrator, which was the policeman, referred to something his partner was feeling as a fact instead of adding a caveat, such as “she appeared to be.” It gave the view an omniscient feel for a moment and made me wonder if viewpoints had changed suddenly.
The writing was excellent with tight, concise sentences and minimal descriptions. The story had the feel of being the first few chapters of a novel, yet worked well as a short story. If there were a full novel, I would certainly be interested in purchasing it.
Editing: 4 Stars
There were a few editing errors, mostly just misplaced or missing commas.
Rating: PG-13 for Violence
———————————
Here are some comments from the author, Jason Kahn:
Jason Kahn lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn , with all the other young families who fled Manhattan for more space. By day, he works as a medical editor for a New York-based cardiology research foundation. Jason’s hobbies include rooting for his University of Michigan Wolverines and chasing after two mischievous gnomes who claim to be his children. Jason’s most recent fiction, The Dark InSpectre series, is currently running at blogspot.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The R word

Was feeling good yesterday. I finished the short story I've been working on. It's called Music and Magnetism, and I even did some revising of it. I'll continue that today and print it out for my wife to read before posting it for the Baen's Universe slush editors to read. I also got another person to review The Killer Within.

Then I got an email saying that my story The Devil You Know got another rejection. It's been a long journey for that story. It's the sequel to Devil May Care, my first pro sale to Baen's Universe. Thing is, I think The Devil You Know is actually a better story than the first one. Oh well, I will suck it up and continue to try and find a home for it.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Two tidbits

Couple of very interesting items. First off, the author/editor who has had one of my stories for a looooong time waiting for her to consider it for an anthology said on her blog that she is going to start working on said anthology! Yay! The theme is wolves, and the title of the antho is Wolfsongs II. (there was already a Wolfsongs I).

And I've learned that there will be a review of my short story The Killer Within on Friday by a reviewer of Kindle fiction. Yes, that's what I said. I know, far out right? So fingers crossed on that one too!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Back from San Fran; Episode 5

I got back from San Fran on Saturday. Very successful trip business-wise. Also completely exhausting. Then I had Yom Kippur services last night and this morning. I'm completely beat and will need time to recuperate. Fortunately, work should be fairly low key for the next few weeks.

Oh, did I forget to mention? Episode 5 of my Dark InSpectre series is now up.

Here's an excerpt:
Warm, chalky liquid slid down my throat and after a minute I grew more sleepy. Growing sense of alarm. Try and fight the sleep. Stay awake. No good. Darkness descends on my consciousness. Sounds of panic emanate from my throat. A hand presses tight over my mouth.


Friday, September 18, 2009

Off to San Fran

It's my workplace's annual meeting, so I'm off to San Fran tomorrow for a whole week. Probably will not be able to blog too much till I get back. See ya!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

My first ad!

Woohoo! The ad went out today, looks awesome. Check it out here.

It also went out on his e-mail list, which hopefully includes a bazillion people.

Let's see if it gets some response! Although I'm not really sure how to tell. Hmmm....

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Fingers crossed

I queried a publication about a story of mine that had been awaiting a response cuz more than 60 days had passed, and their site says pretty clearly that if 60 days goes by without a response, send in a note. Well, I got a response to my note that they were a bit behind and were very sorry. They'll get back to me within the week. Gaaak! So now I'm just a weeeeee bit nervous.

In other news, the promo spot for my Dark InSpectre series should run any day now. It was bumped today for a story on Patrick Swayze's death. Can't really complain about that one. Still excited to see it!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Episode 4 is up

The Dark InSpectre, Episode 4 is up. It's a must read.

Here's an excerpt:

I blotted my bloody lip on his shirt and then walked to my car, leaving my would be assailants where they lay. The psychic illusions would last another ten minutes or so. To them, it would be an eternity. And they’d remember every second.

Click the pic:

It's a date!

The dates for my reciprocal guest blogging have been set. Lily Kleiman, one of my Damnation Books cohorts will be blogging here on October 14, and I will be blogging over at her place on October 16.

And, if you're not already panting with anticipation, Episode 4 of my Dark InSpectre series drops tomorrow. Trust me, you'll want to check it out.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Ads and Blogs

A couple of interesting opportunities to showcase my recent stories. I touched base with a guy who was supposed to post a spot on his web site for my Dark InSpectre series. I let about 3 weeks go by and dropped him a line. Turns out he had been waiting for me to send him my material to post. Seems like it got ate up by the gods of email. So that's fine, he's going to run it by early next week. It will be interesting to see how much (if any) that increased traffic for my story.

And something that's even more foreign to me, one of the authors from Damnation Books has offered to trade dates blogging on other people's blogs to publicize their work. I jumped at the opportunity and will pick a date in October, after the madness of my workplace's annual meeting is over. Thing is, I don't really know what I'm supposed to do. I mean, I definitely want to plug my work, but aside from that, what am I going to say for an entire day on somebody else's blog? I guess I'll figure it out. Should be interesting, though.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Up up and away...

Work is getting more and more intense the closer we get to our annual meeting in San Francisco. Nevertheless, there has been a lot of activity around a couple of my stories. I put up the next episode of The Dark InSpectre, and the day after that, Damnation Books launched, featuring my story, The Killer Within.

There was a virtual launch party on the Damnation author/reader group online. My email was going crazy. The publisher has been keeping us all updated regarding where our books are available, Amazon, B&N, Kindle, and a whole range of online booksellers that I never heard of. That's all cool, but I'm not exactly sure if I need to do anything to capitalize on that. I mean, should I include links to all of these whenever I post somewhere? I really don't know. I'm just not that marketing savvy about this stuff.

I still have 4 stories out in the ether I'm waiting to hear back about. One publication says they'll get back regarding a submission within 60 days, which for me is this week sometime. Fingers crossed!

Slightly worse news on a story of mine that's been out there for a loooong time. I was hoping that a particular author/editor would now have time to put together the long-promised second anthology for which my story has been gathering dust. But she recently said she's turning to another book project of her own. Sigh...

As far as my own writing, I managed to eke out a tiny bit more on the short story I've been working on, but with work the way it is, I'm just not going to be able to do much more for a bit. I'm actually looking forward to my flight to San Francisco so I can write!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Killer Within unleashed

My new short story, The Killer Within, is now available from Damnation Books. Buy now, and it's only a nickel!

Here's the blurb:

When Metro City's number one crime family develops a drug that turns ordinary people into mindless assassins, detective Frank Arnold makes it his mission to bring them down. But things take a turn for the worse when the syndicate targets someone in the police department to carry out their next hit. Everyone's under suspicion, including Frank himself as he tries desperately to crack the case before his time runs out, permanently.


Monday, August 31, 2009

Episode 3 live

Calm down y'all! You know I wouldn't leave you hangin'!

Episode 3 of my Dark InSpectre series is now live. Immerse yourselves.



Thursday, August 27, 2009

Trying to keep pace

Work keeps getting crazier exponentially. My foundation's big annual meeting is late September, so everything gets busier and busier the closer we get to the meeting. As such, I have not been able to do much with the short story I've been working on. I'm at the climactic scene, naturally. But I'm also a bit stumped about a relatively simple plot point. Oh well, I'm sure it will come to me. Problem is that my brain is so preoccupied with normal work stuff there's not much time to think about my own writing. That's definitely been a problem at various times, just finding time to think about a story, or a character, or whatever. Oh well!

In the meantime, the next episode for my Dark InSpectre series goes up on Monday. That'll be the third one. I have no idea if it's being well received, or received at all. I haven't seen it mentioned on either of the web sites that said they'd post an announcement, and I'm pondering when to bug them about it.

And at the same time, Damnation Books premieres on Sept. 1, next Tuesday! My story the Killer Within will officially be unveiled. I feel like I haven't done anything in preparation. And I'm not really sure what there is to be done.

I did, however, find this new social community that looks promising: http://darkfictionguild.ning.com

Get this, my membership is pending approval! Ha! I might get turned down! It's like high school all over again. But this does seem like a good venue for promoting my stuff. We'll see...

Saturday, August 22, 2009

The waiting game

As I'm working on my continuing Dark InSpectre series, I have four other stories that are at various stages in the submission process at different publications, from just submitted to nine months and counting. The one that's been gathering dust the longest may be seeing a glimmer of daylight.

There was an anthology that came out last fall called Wolfsongs. The editor announced that she had so many good stories, several that didn't make it into the first volume would be held to go into a planned second volume (of course there were no guarantees, but the chances would be very good). My story was among the ones she's been holding onto.

Then came radio silence for a long while. This was because said editor, who is a fairly prolific author, got busy with her own books. I've been following her general progress on her blog (what else can an obsessive author do?) and she has just finished her latest book. She says that she will now turn to other projects. It is my hope that one of these will be the long awaited Wolfsongs 2.

Stay tuned...

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

To market, to market...

Since I started my Dark InSpectre series, I've been trying to figure out the best way to get the word out. In other words, how do I market this thing?

I've started this blog (no idea if anyone reads it), sent out announcements via my own e-mail list, which has gotten some response, I post on twitter, several facebook areas, and a popular sci-fi discussion board.

In the last day or two, I've run across some other opportunities. A web site I encountered through Damnation Books called Rites of Romance Reviews is going to put up an announcement for me. And just today, this far out site called the Horror Happenings Examiner agreed to run a blurb and an announcement.

So is all this activity going to get more eyes on my deserving series? No idea. And if it does, how will I even know? Not too sure about that either.

But at least I'm trying. Anyone with more know-how than me (which is probably most people) feel free to make some suggestions.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Episode 2 is up

That's right, you know you want it. Episode 2 of my Dark InSpectre series is up.


Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Ups and Downs

Now that I'm back from vacation, things have been absolutely crazy at work. I have barely enough time to think.

Still, some interesting things have happened. First, on my editor's advice, I revamped and expanded Episode 4 of my Dark InSpectre series. It's almost completely new. I had a blast writing it. Felt great.

Then, I got a rejection on a story I've been waiting to hear about. I submitted something to Black Gate when they re-opened for a brief time. Black Gate is one of the few really good markets for sword and sorcery fiction, and I thought I had a good chance with my story. Turns out I did have a good chance. The rejection letter from editor John O'Neill was unbelievably complementary. I have to re-print it:

Jason,

Thanks for the submission. I was very impressed with this one --it's fast paced and exciting, with a great opening. However, it's not as original in character and setting as a handful of others we're currently considering, and I found the exposition a little flat. I'm afraid I'll have to return it, with genuine regrets. We hope to re-open to submissions next year, and I hope we'll see something new from you. Warm regards,

- John

I was saddened that I just missed the cut. But honestly, these are the kind of rejection letters that give me hope and keep me doing what I'm doing.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Back from the beyond

Just got back from vacation today. It was rather tumultuous, but I won't bore you with the details.

Instead, I have to talk about something I learned as I was perusing the Baen's Universe site a few days ago. Baen's Universe gave me my first (and to this day my only) pro sale. I owe a lot to them, and especially the unique writer's group that formed around the Baen's Universe slush submission site. I cannot overstate how much my writing has benefited from them over the past several years. So you can imagine my surprise when I read Eric Flint's editorial stating that Baen's Universe is closing down.

I literally gasped when I read that. To put it simply, their business model based on different subscription levels just was not working. Their last issue will be some time next year. A lot of eyes were on Baen's Universe to see if a SciFi fiction based web magazine that paid pro rates and attracted big time names could last. After 4 years of stellar publishing, the answer in this case is, sadly, no.

The silver lining here is that the slush submission writer's group will be continuing on, just without the possibility of a sale to Baen's Universe. I have to say this is just as important to me. The story I'm working on now I fully intend to post on the Baen web board when it's done. And I expect the same critical, constructive feedback that has helped me in the past. At least in that sense what they started will live on.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Episode 1 posted

At last, the first Episode has been unleashed. Take a click:



I uploaded it to the website from my wife's computer at work. Unfortunately, her network blocks facebook and twitter, so my promotional spots through those avenues will have to wait until tonight. And now my week-long vacation begins. I'll be checking in from the beach, though, never fear!

Friday, July 31, 2009

New Goodies

My editor sent me back edits on Episode 2 of The Dark InSpectre today, which made me extremely happy. I definitely want to get as ahead of the game as I can in terms of episodes that are in the tank and ready to post. I should also note that she put some very nice touches on it, and helped me format it appropriately for the web.

And she also sent me several versions of the banner for the story, which I plan on having a lot of fun with when I have time. Here's an example! The countdown for Monday and Episode 1 continues...!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Things to see, people to do...

I'm writing this the night before my last day of work prior to vacation. We're hitting the Jersey shore for a week, should be a nice break. Of course, I'm uploading Episode 1 of the Dark InSpectre on Monday, so I'm jazzed about that. And my editor says she's going to send me edits for Episode 2 tomorrow morning, along with a nifty little graphic banner I can post in some key web locations. Yay!

I've also been able to keep trudging forward with my new short story. I say trudging cuz I've hit a surprisingly difficult patch. But I will not be stopped! Seriously, though, I can see that I'm definitely going to pass the magic 5,000 word mark, and that once I'm done, I'll probably go back and cut out maybe a fourth to a third of the beginning. But that's normal for me.

So until next time, and get ready for Monday when Episode 1 will be unleashed!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Master of social media

It was not very long ago that there was no blog, no web site, no facebook page, no nothin'. But all of a sudden (and it really does feel like it happened overnight) I find myself with all of these, plus a twitter account, plus a LinkedIn page, plus a blog for my Dark InSpectre story. Plus, I was invited by my editor, the very talented Crystal Wizard (aka, Kelly) to be a guest author on the Abandoned Towers blog. Of course I accepted, how could I not? I consider it an honor to be asked.

Thing is, I do not consider myself a very social-media-web-savvy person. At all. And yet, here I am. It's just a bit weird is all...

Sunday, July 26, 2009

And so it begins...

The site is up, the intro material has been posted. I've sent out emails and posted at all the places I can think of. The first episode will be posted Aug. 3. Buckle up for the ride.

http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/

Soon it will begin

This weekend, my editor and I have been going back and forth with comments as she's developing the graphic banner that will run above my story that will be serialized over the next several months.

As of an hour ago, it's done. So any earlier doubts as to this happening by Monday were completely unfounded! She did an amazing job and it looks totally cool. I am waiting for one last answer to a question I have for her, and then I will post the intro stuff and start sending the link to everyone on the planet! (Que crazed laughter)

It's a moment I have been steeling myself for for quite some time. No one dislikes attention seeking behavior more than me, so the idea of inviting loads of people that either I know extremely well or are merely acquaintances to read my story makes me cringe and leaves me somewhat embarrased. Nevertheless, I understand that I must take an active role in promoting my work, that I am to some extent, as a writer, in a line of work that screams "hey, look at me!" I should view this occasion as a welcome reward for all the rejections that are a routine part of a writer's life. Therefore, that is what I will say to myself every time I hit the "send" button on all the emails that will shortly be issuing from my computer.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Moving on several fronts

I finally asked the editor for my soon to be unveiled serialized story if it was okay that I only have edits back on Episode 1. She said not to worry, so long as we stay an episode ahead, it should be fine. So that means that every two weeks (that's how often new episodes will go up) she needs to get me an edited episode and I need to go through the edits and get it clean and back to her prior to upload. I was kind of hoping to get a bunch of episodes out of the way prior to launch, but I guess not. Going through edits doesn't take much time, but it does put a tad bit of pressure on me in that I want to be using any free time for A) finishing up the story I'm currently writing, and B) starting the next story in my serialized world. Oh well.

She also told me she's been unable to come up with an idea for the banner for the web page on which my stories will run. Oh, did I mention that the intro is supposed to go up on Monday? Yeah, I am definitely wondering how that's going to happen.

On the positive side, I have been able to make headway on the story I've been writing. I'd say it's two-thirds written. I'm now getting into the meaty action part where everything is revealed.

And also, on the authors site for Damnation Books, they've put up all the finished digital covers for all the stories and novels, including mine! The art on these is way cool. I can't wait till Sept. 1 when they all come out. Anyway, that's all for now!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Six foot two, eyes of blue...

The editor for my soon to be serialized story is currently making up the banner that will run across the top of it on the web page where the story will be published. I have no doubt it will be some kind of cool-looking graphic. But in order to create it, she needed to know about my main character. In particular, what he looks like. I had to describe his facial features, what he wears, etc., in pretty good detail. For some reason I found this incredibly difficult. I'm not really sure why. Maybe I just don't think of my characters except in sort of general characteristics, like "tall" or "red hair." Anyway, I got through it. I'm sure whatever my editor comes up with will be excellent judging by the banners on the other serialized stories over at Abandoned Towers. Oh, almost forgot, came up with an overarching title after batting a few possibilities around with my wife, who was very helpful:

The Dark Inspectre.

I like it!

And, as a bonus this weekend, I was able to work a little on that half written story of mine. Not a lot, but some. Hopefully I'll be able to do more soon. Yay!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Slowly but surely

Things are continuing to percolate with my various projects coming out in the next weeks/months. First of all, there's the digital cover (see below) for my short story coming out September 1 via Damnation Books. It's way cool, and I never would have thought of that image. I'm not very good coming up with conceptual art for these things, so I really appreciate the people who do.



And I've settled on a title for my continuing series that will be going up over at Abandoned Towers: The Dark Inspectre. So everything's going good, though it is making me increasingly nervous that I haven't gotten any edits back on any episodes except the first one, and it's supposed to launch Monday, Aug. 3, with new epi's every 2 weeks. I am still refraining from nagging my editor. And hopefully this weekend I will be able to get to that story I have half written. Hope springs eternal!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Title trouble

It's getting closer to when my serialized story is supposed to debut. First Episode is supposed to hit Aug. 3, with episodes every 2 weeks after that, and I've only gotten edits back on Episode 1! So naturally I'm getting a bit anxious and trying to resist the urge to nag my editor (get that hand off that keyboard!).

But something else is causing me mental angst. I've got to come up with an overarching title for the story, which will continue after the current series is complete, so it can't be just related to the story that's going to run in the next few weeks. It's got to tie in to the world I've created, or the main character, that sort of thing. And boy am I having trouble. The overall story is set in a near future where telepathy is possible. The main character is a cop who is not only telepathic, but can communicate with the dead. It's very noir and hard-boiled. My wife is trying to help with a title also, and we're both stumped.

In addition, I'm trying to concentrate with half my brain on a completely different story that I have half written and have been trying to find time to get back to. Progress in any of the above mentioned areas would be good!

Monday, July 13, 2009

And the beat goes on...

So, another rejection on a story that's making the rounds, and I mean a lot of rounds. sigh... Checked out another publications, shaped the story up, and sent it out again. And so it goes.

On the plus side, the publisher of Damnation Books is really getting the word out. Ads and the line up of the first authors are popping up at an awful lot of places. And these are mostly horror fiction sites, which I'm really not that familiar with, being more conversant with the scifi side of things. It's just cool to see my name there with the title of my short story in places that I frankly didn't know exist. It's all supposed to blow up large on Sept. 1. Yay!

And I'm still eagerly awaiting the next edits on episodes from my serial that's going up on Abandoned Towers next month. So far I've gotten Episode 1 back. Fourteen to go...

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

It's getting closer...

Damnation Books just updated their web site. They've got the line up for their first round of short stories and novels that will go on sale starting September 1. Why should you care? Because your's truly has a short story in there, called "The Killer Within." Check the web site (look to the right in the links section). You'll see my name amongst all the other authors and titles. Very exciting!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Sooooo how was the movie?

I took my older boy to see Transformers this past weekend (couldn't take him on his last day of school cuz I got a migraine). Let me just say that it was not as bad as the reviews made it out to be. I don't think it could have been. At the end of the movie, the audience stood up and applauded. I kid you not. This was in Brooklyn, where audiences (including their kids) are fairly discerning.

Why the applause? Cuz it was a lot of kick-ass transformer action. Sure, there were some abso-freakin-lutely ridiculous moments, but you know what? It was a fun, summer, popcorn movie. That's what people expected, and that's what they got. Sometimes I think reviewers are a bit disconnected from what actual people expect from movie-going experiences. Was it a work of art? A cinematic masterpiece? Of course not. But nobody who bought a ticket sat down to see one.

And not that box office is any kind of true barometer, but the movie is raking it in at a ridiculous rate. So clearly it's struck a cord out there. Nuff said.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Episode 1 Revision

Two days ago I received my first edits for Unfinished Business, which will be going up as a 15-episode serial in August. The edits were for, naturally, Episode 1. So I was very excited to see the email pop up in my in box since that brings home the fact that this is really happening. Which for me is a big deal cuz I've been working on this story for a looooong time, and also cuz I think it's some of the best stuff I've ever written (to camera: I haven't written all that much, so not really saying a whole lot there).

Anyway, it was interesting to see the edits. My editor definitely has her own unique style, and she pointed out some things that I just never would have thought of, particularly with point of view, which gets tricky given the story structure (you'll see when it comes out!).

So I threw in my two cents and sent it on back. And now I'm just waiting to see how it went over...

In the meantime, it's 4th of July weekend, which inevitably means Transformers with the boys. Sigh...well, the first one was pretty good, how bad can the second one be...? I'll let you know!

-jason

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Use it or Lose It

The past week I've been on vacation, just me, not the wife or kids. No, I didn't take off for Acapulco (shame on you for thinking that!). It's the last month at my work where we have to use all the vacation we've rolled over from 2008 or we lose it forever.

So this week, I did a lot of stuff with my older boy during his last week of school. I also got up my web site, and this blog. I also got a lot of rejections. But that didn't bother me too much. I've got edits coming in for my serialized story that's going up in August at Abandoned Towers, and I'm in the middle of a new story. And I still have many out there waiting to be replied to.

So the moral of the story? Keep busy, keep productive. Here endeth the lesson.

-jason

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Revising vs. Writing

I've been doing a lot of revising lately, of stories that are coming out in the next few months. But then last week I found that I was suddenly done. All the revisions had been sent in, new versions sent back to me, signed off on, etc. So suddenly, I could start writing a new story. I had one in mind, which I've had kicking around in my head literally for a few years, so I started writing.

And it hit me that I had forgotten how freaking hard it is for me to start a new story. I mean painfully hard, like pulling teeth. That night I wrote 250 words, which is really nothing to brag about. Since then, it's been another couple of days and I'm up to about 1,500 words. But the really hard part, those first few hundred words, is over. Now it's all about where the story takes me, which is the real fun, and angst, and thrill.

And most importantly, that nagging feeling I get in the back of my head whenever I'm not writing something is once again at bay.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Now Coming to a Browser Near You...

I put the finishing touches on my brand spanking new web site and published it online today: www.jrkahn.com. It's pretty basic, but it does what I need - gives a little intro to where my past and future stories will appear. The domain name isn't exactly what I wanted, but jasonkahn.com and jkahn.com were already taken, so whaddayagonnado?

So that's it, I am now an online entity, reaching out my tendrils through cyperspace to influence the minds of readers everywhere, or at least those who stumble across my site completely by accident. :)

-jason

Monday, June 22, 2009

Cool Ad


This is an ad that is going up around the web for the premier of Damnation Books in September. I should have the cover art for my story pretty soon. Tres cool!

-jason

Hello!

Alright,

Let me be the first to say that I am not a giant fan of blogs, personal web sites, etc. That being said, I am now the owner of a blog and personal web site. So, whahappon?

Well, I moonlight as a writer of science fiction/fantasy. I've had a couple of stories published, and am expecting a few more to hit in the coming months. I have therefore been forced to grudgingly admit that a web presence would be a useful thing. Both to highlight my own work and to spur discussion about writing in general.

That's what this blog will be about, though I reserve the right to sound off on whatever may irk me at any given moment.

So Welcome!

-jason