Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Progress and Podcasting

I'm leaving for the Jersey shore with the family tomorrow to spend the next 5 days at my folks' beach house. My goal the past couple of days was to write another Dark InSpectre episode, finish recording audio episodes of Unfinished Business, and finish chapter one of the new crime novel. I am happy to say I accomplished each of those goals. And this was despite discovering that I lost most of the changes to an upcoming DIS episode that I had completely re-written a month or so ago. OMG was I pissed! So I had to re-write that, too. And this was despite still not feeling that great health-wise. Yeah, I rocked.

AND, the first audio episode of Unfinished Business aired on Beam Me Up a couple days ago. With the music and editing, it sounds totally awesome. My wife's first comment to me after hearing it: "That sounds nothing like you!" :)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Back from the Sniffly Dead

Whoa was I sick. I didn't realize it was possible for me to have a sinus infection, fever and a migraine all at the same time. I hit the trifecta!

I'm not all the way back yet, but feeling better. And stuff has been happenin! My editor, the inestimable Crystalwizard, has started her own audio production studio, and she asked me if I'd provide voice reading services for it, since my deep, cultured tones have been so impressive for the audio episodes of my Dark InSpectre series. So naturally I said you betcha!

And speaking of my audio episodes, the first Unfinished Business audio epi is set to be podcast courtesy of Paul Cole's Beam Me Up web show this weekend. That should be way cool. Episodes will run once a month.

Also got advance copies of Abandoned Towers with my story Cold Comfort. The issue looks awesome.

Only bad note, my story The Devil You Know was rejected a few days ago :(. Oh well, have to figure out somewhere else to submit it. In the meantime, got to work on the next Dark InSpectre episode so I can get back to the new crime novel. I want the first chapter done by the time I leave for the Jersey Shore next week. Then I can concentrate on that pesky secondary storyline that's been giving me trouble...!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Episode 6 of The Dark InSpectre

Episode 6 of In Plain Sight, The Dark InSpectre series, is now online, in which our hero finds things simmering just as hotly on the home front.

Here's an excerpt:
She was livid. I felt her flinch when I said Jimmy’s name. Knew the blow was coming an instant before she did, but I didn’t stop her.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Mary smacked my face hard enough to sting. I felt like hugging her. Instead, I sat there, passively watched as she got up and stalked back into the house, slamming the door behind her. Faintly I heard a crash; that would be the crystal whiskey decanter.


Also now starting to add audio episodes. They're way cool! I'll keep adding till I'm caught up with the current episodes: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/p/audio-episodes.html

Friday, June 18, 2010

Guest Bloggin'

Hey y'all, I'm guest bloggin' over at Abandoned Towers today. Check it here.

Also, the very first audio episode of The Dark InSpectre, narrated by yours truly, is up. It's totally wild. I am now the king of all media! (with the minor exception of television and film).

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

And My Voice Shall Ring Out to the Heavens

I got my Walmart brand pop filter yesterday (it's an audio-recording thing, I didn't know what it was either until my editor explained it to me), and I did my first good audio recording of the first episode of The Dark InSpector. My editor, crystalwizard, said it was good to go. Now she's going to lay in a soundtrack and send it back to me for my approval. I anticipate this being a surreal experience: A, listening to my own voice talking, and B, having it dramatized with an actual soundtrack.

Then I'll do every existing episode and the new ones as they come out. I know, pretty wild, huh? And here's the real kicker, seems like they'll be featured on the Beam Me Up podcast web site, which would be major exposure. I've got some days off from work coming up during which I plan on getting some real work done on the novel. And you can bet I'll do a big chunk of audio episodes, too (rubbing my hands in anticipation).

Monday, June 14, 2010

Blog Hoppin' and Retun from the Grave

Two interesting items today. First of all, there's an interview with yours truly over at the web site of Kelly A. Harmon, who I featured here a short while ago.

And secondly, I just learned that Flashingswords Magazine is back from the dead, as an annual publication at this point. Submissions open July 15. I find this particularly interesting cuz I was about to submit something to them when they announced they were going out of biz. So you can bet I'll be re-subbing in a few weeks.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Listen to the Sound of My Voice

I got an email from my editor for The Dark InSpectre asking if I can audio-record an episode for her. Seems that a very popular pod-cast web site for science fiction serials is interested in my series. It would be huge exposure so of course I agreed. I recorded the first episode from Unfinished Business and sent it to her. If she likes how I sound, I'll record the rest of the episodes. If not, then she'll get someone else to do the voice work. Either way is fine with me. It would be funny, though, if I end up doing the recordings, just imagining people out there listening to my voice coming out of their computer :). Apparently, though, effects would be added in to make the episodes even more dramatic. I'm very curious as to how these are going to turn out. I'm imagining back to when I was a kid listening to episodes of King Solomon's Mines on the radio during dinner. Okay, it might not be just like that, but it would still be cool!

Monday, June 7, 2010

The Dark InSpectre, Episode 5

Episode 5 of In Plain Sight, The Dark InSpectre Series, is now online, in which our hero faces more questions than he can reasonably deal with.

Here's an excerpt:
I let out a sigh. My mind kept working as I took turn after turn. Laszlo’s murder—might as well call it what it was—Boyd… something was going on. I didn’t know what yet, but my finely honed sense of paranoia said it was aimed straight at me.



Thursday, June 3, 2010

Comin' Home

Vacation is over and the wife and I are flying home from Paris tomorrow morning. It's been an absolutely fabulous week. I actually was able to do some writing on the new book and hope to do more at the airport and during the 7-hour flight. The wife promises to let me write. How about that!

I got an advance pdf of the July Abandoned Towers Magazine with my story Cold Comfort. It's way cool. I also have a link to order copies at a discount. I'll order several for my various fans and family members once I'm back stateside.

After that, I have to really haul ass to have a plot summary and three chapters for the new book by August, all while keeping up with the Dark InSpectre. Speaking of which, I'll be posting another new episode on Monday. Holy cow that came up fast!