Monday, December 1, 2014

The Damnation Reprieve: Progress Report 2

Approaching Infinity: Book Six
27,800 words

Not too much progress this time around, but November was busy with visitors, the Holidays are upon us, and I've had some figuring to do with content details. The pace should increase soon. Bear with me!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

The Damnation Reprieve: Progress Report 1

Approaching Infinity: Book Six
24,700 words

It's been a good week:
  • My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary
  • My daughter's first kindergarten parent-teacher conference went very well
  • My 5th Approaching Infinity book was released
  • And, as clearly stated in large type above, I can happily report that the 6th book is well underway
Book 6 promises to answer most of the questions readers may have regarding Jav's past. I said so about the previous book, but this one may be my biggest challenge yet because of the kind of book it needs to be. That's kind of cryptic, but I'll let it sit.

Thanks again for your support! And keep reading!

Monday, October 27, 2014

The Loss Queen: Progress Report 8 (FINAL)

http://www.amazon.com/Loss-Queen-Approaching-Infinity-Book-ebook/dp/B00OXFZGJ8


Approaching Infinity: Book Five is available for pre-order (to be delivered October 31st) from Amazon.com!

In celebration, Books One & Two and my three short stories will be free for download from Friday, October 31 through Tuesday, November 4.

Happy Halloween! And thanks for your support!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

The Loss Queen: Progress Report 7

Approaching Infinity: Book Five
2nd Draft: 73,000 words

Almost done! I want to make a few tweaks then go through for typos and grammar one more time. Once that's done, I'll just need to prep it for KDP (which, for me, means converting the whole shebang into html). The cover is done and ready. Thunderbirds are go!

I've already started on Book 6, but won't start posting progress reports until Book 5 is complete and ready for purchase.

Also, I heard this on Pandora and can't get it out of my head!





Monday, September 1, 2014

The Loss Queen: Progress Report 6

Approaching Infinity: Book Five
First Draft: 71,800 words

It's a bit short and was done in record time, but Book 5 is essentially complete. I intend for it to grow a little in the editing stage, which should put it closer to my goal of 74-76k words. It's been a whirlwind ride writing this and has perhaps been the most fun so far because of the mixture of past and present (I know I keep harping on this, but I can't express enough how good it feels to be at this point, to have realized my dream of seeing this in (e)print and as a part of a much larger and fuller whole—good stuff, Maynard!). I've still got a ton of decade-old notes to finish consulting, but have the next book pretty much plotted and will be ready to start writing once Book 5 is all edited and out, which should be sometime in November at the latest.

Friday, August 1, 2014

The Loss Queen: Progress Report 5

Approaching Infinity: Book Five
57,800 words

I got a late start on this volume, but am actually more or less on par with where I was on Book Four at this time last year. If I can continue the pace, which I should be able to do, then I should easily finish Book Five and have it out before the end of the year.

It's been very interesting going over 12-14 year-old notes and I'm amazed at how well the old and new are coming together. I keep thinking that some of the key elements from the original material are somehow going to clash with the established continuity, but so far, so good!

Oh! And August 4th is my birthday. Woohoo! Anyone who is feeling especially giving, please feel compelled to review any of the AI books on Amazon or Goodreads (assuming you haven't already).

(Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review!)

Do you feel it?

Monday, July 14, 2014

Book Five Blurb (Short & Sweet)

For several centuries, the Viscain Emperor has sought The Place with Many Doors, crushing each civilization encountered along the way. His Shades have fought and died to advance the Empire’s frontier and their efforts have finally paid off. Though Planet Loss—soon to be Planet 1612—houses The Place with Many Doors, its secrets will not be immediately accessible. One civilization yet remains to defy the Emperor, but will they, or their enigmatic queen, be enough to stop him from using the Doors to finally satiate his boundless hunger?

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Loss Queen: Progress Report 4

Approaching Infinity: Book Five
31,400 words

Whatever concern I had about this volume taking longer than normal has proved—so far—to be unfounded. Let's all engage in some collective finger-crossing to make sure that this doesn't change!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Free Is Good

From Monday, June 9th through Friday, June 13th (!), both The Artifact Competition and The Gun Golems will be free for download from Amazon.com.

Friday, June 6, 2014

O M G

I'm usually pretty good with TV/movie violence. I'm not saying that I'm an advocate of it, especially when it's gratuitous and for the exclusive sake of shock (I kind of felt that way about the new Rosemary's Baby and stopped watching), but on shows (usually cable) where it's an integral part of the story and moves the plot along, it can be a pretty intense, adrenaline-pumping draw.

I just watched the latest installment of Game of Thrones (season 4, episode 8) and was mentally—and physically—stunned by the visual fate of Oberyn Martell. I say visual because I knew essentially what happened to him from reading the books, but... wow. That's wow in a sickened/fascinated/I-don't-know-how-to-feel sort of way. I literally just stared at the credits without seeing for nearly a minute, trying to process. I don't think there's anything wrong with the scene—it's certainly not for everyone—but it succeeded in being terribly disturbing. What it also did, and perhaps more importantly, was create an indelible memory bursting with a dark cocktail of emotions. Of course the graphic display alone wasn't enough to do this, the show had done a good job of developing Martell from the beginning of the season, and it's that combination of investment and stark, unveiled violence that will make the character live forever in my memory.* Having been inundated with media for most of my life, there are probably many other examples of this, but right now, I can think of only two particular instances where I've had a similar reaction.

The first was to the climax of To Live and Die in LA. I saw that in the theater when I was in junior high and have never forgotten that scene or quite how it made me feel.

The second was to the climax of Seven. That one was a little different because, despite the very graphic imagery of the previous crimes, we never see the contents of the box. But because of the previous crimes, we have no difficulty accepting Kevin Spacey's word. The blood on the box and Morgan Freeman's reaction to what's inside both help.

There are lots of shows that have very graphically violent content. For some it's schtick. For others, it's a storytelling component that helps to forever leave a mark. There will always be those who will argue that such components are not necessary, but I'm not one of them.

Do you have any examples of your own you'd like to share?

*Some may say, and rightly so, that my reaction to and commentary on fictitious events reflect naivety, or an easy, sheltered, and even privileged life. That may all be true considering that really terrible things happen in reality all the time. I've never tried to hide the fact that I'm a big proponent of escapism and can only say that the world would be a much better place if all violence and injustice were just fabrications, diversions to keep us entertained.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

The Loss Queen: Progress Report 3

Approaching Infinity: Book Five
13,200 words

Not bad. Not bad at all. What I've got so far maintains the Skull Kaiser source material without compromising the legacy (I was a little nervous). Things should proceed very smoothly, I think.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

The Loss Queen: Progress Report 2

Approaching Infinity: Book Five
5,300 words

Off to a good start. I have a feeling, though, that, despite already having the overall story worked out (for more than 10 years now!), this book may take me longer than usual for a combination of reasons:
  • time is scarce
  • laziness sometimes prevails
  • death is in the details
I don't want to mess this one up by rushing through it simply because it's been waiting for so long to be written. In some ways, yes, I'm revisiting old territory. But in other ways, it's brand new and needs to fit with what's come before. So bear with me. Hopefully you'll find it worthwhile to do so.

Thanks!

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

The Loss Queen: Progress Report 1

Though I basically took the rest of March off after finishing The Path to Loss, I wasn't entirely unproductive. I did manage to outline the overall structure of The Loss Queen and establish chapter titles.

As of now, The Loss Queen looks as though it'll be 15 chapters and will include, even if only minimally, some characters we've only glimpsed before or seen in works outside the Approaching Infinity series. Much will begin to come together, winding down to the end (after this and another two books, that is).

Stay tuned!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Just Because...

The Artifact Competition free promotion is going so well, that I decided to add my short stories to the mix.

From Friday, March 21st, The Sinzer Rebellion, Kalkin's Dilemma, and Blue Squad: One Last Go will all be free through the weekend! Huzzah!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

The Path to Loss: Progress Report 15 (FINAL)


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J1ERM9I 


Approaching Infinity: Book Four is live and available from Amazon.com!

In celebration, Book One, The Artifact Competition, will be free for download from Monday, March 17 through Friday, March 21.

Thanks, as always, for your continued support!

Saturday, March 1, 2014

The Path to Loss: Progress Report 14

Approaching Infinity: Book Four
2nd Draft: 88,500 words
 
Trucking along with the second wave of edits. As usual, I wanted to be further along (DONE!) by now, but what can I say? I managed to get a promotion at my day job, which has created a bit of an upheaval, but not really enough account for the slow down entirely. Nope, it's just day-to-day life that's doing that. 

Anyway, I am making progress and hope to have the completed e-book out VERY soon now. Bear with me! 

Please?

Saturday, February 1, 2014

The Path to Loss: Progress Report 13

Approaching Infinity: Book Four
First Draft: 88,100 words

Yes, indeed book four is essentially complete. I'm going through the first wave of editing now, and will probably be about a third or a little more of the way through by weekend's end. Will try to be finished and ready for the second wave by next weekend.

I was really hoping to have this book done sooner, but time is a precious commodity with work, family, and plain exhaustion all taking their respective pieces of the pie.

I am excited, though. Finishing this book brings me back to the starting point, to where it all began. Long live Skull Kaiser!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

The Path to Loss: Progress Report 12

Approaching Infinity: Book Four
86,100 words

Well, I didn't quite make it by the end of the year. I'm very close, though. Only a little ways left to go then editing and clean-up.

I went from 10k words per month to 5k. Not so bad and I wouldn't change the circumstances that brought the reduction for anything. I do hope to be more productive in 2014, though.

I'm very anxious about book five. The story told therein will bring me full-circle to the creative origin of Jav Holson, who had no other name than Skull Kaiser back in 2000 when I started on summaries for a fictitious TV show. Everything so far has been building up the events that will occur in the next book. I hope the ride so far and the one still to come has been and will be enjoyable to you.

And, I just wanted to add...

Happy New Year!
I hope 2014 is your best year yet!