As you may know, once in a while I like to open up the Circus of Pimpage — I undo the ropes, open the tent-flaps, and let the drunken elephants in velvet robes and grill-mouthed clowns with ruby-encrusted pimp cups come tumbling out. (That sounds like a creepy sexual metaphor. I assure you, it is not.)
What it is, then, is this:
Some of you have projects out in the world: books, e-books, games, movies, comics, webcomics, blogs, etc.
Others among you have fallen in love with projects that are not your own — books by other authors, films few have seen, comics that remain undiscovered, blogs that demand eyeballs. Etc.
So, drop down into the comments. Pop us a quick cheer and a link. Got something you’ve done or something you love? Let us know about it. Sometimes Twitter moves so fast I miss stuff. Or I think, “I should click that,” but then I forget to and next thing I know I wake up in an open grave just outside of Albuquerque and Lord knows I won’t remember then.
Plus, it’s neat to have the pimping contained. Like a self-promotional tempest in a tea-cup.
Some of you may be saying: “Chuck, this is you being lazy. It’s like you don’t have a real post for today.” To which I respond, “Duh.” That said, I still like the idea, so fuck it, I’m running with it.
What the hell are you waiting for? You got the invite. RSVP already.
You. Comments. Now.
Michael LaRocca says:
Here’s a short one, as the bishop said to the actress. My entire literary career, all eight friggin novels, are at http://www.editormichael.com/?page_id=463 like a self-promotional tempest in a teacup. Enjoy!
May 18, 2011 — 12:09 AM
Amber says:
Jesus Christ, you can’t just give me free reign like that. I like too many things in too many totally different genre/sectors/subjects to just pick one. I’m like a bird – I want to get back into the cage.
Okay, fine, I pick the Brenda Novak auction link because there is awesome stuff there that you cannot get anywhere else and because it’s for charity, stupid:
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/
Category Suggestions:
For Readers -> General Fiction or Science Fiction & Fantasy (or whatever) for signed copies of awesome books
For Writers -> Agent Evaluations or Editor Evaluations or Author Critiques for awesome people in the industry to tell you what you’re doing wrong (yay)
Auction ends at the end of the month. Go.
May 18, 2011 — 12:51 AM
Jamie Beckett says:
One on the shelf, one in the chute.
On the shelf is, “Burritos and Gasoline,” my 2006 novel, which recently went the e-book route and appears to have actually found an audience. You have to love that. Available for Kindle and Nook, it’s priced at a bargain basement $2.99, although tree-killing paperback lovers can still obtain the original format, too – for a slight up-charge of course.
In the chute is: “Politics for Pilots 2010, The Loose Cannon View.” A collection of my columns for General Aviation News, only loosely connected by the fact that they all ran in 2010. This compendium of uniquely different political rabble rousing will be available as an e-book for Kindle and Nook by June 1st.
Following that, novel number 2. But I have no hard date for that as of yet. I might need a nap between now and then – or at least a new coffee maker to help keep my energy level up where it needs to be.
May 18, 2011 — 1:06 AM
Josin says:
This is great timing for me as I got my very first offer of representation for my book! (Which is now being followed by insanity in my inbox as other agents want to read it.)
YAY!
May 18, 2011 — 1:15 AM
EC Sheedy says:
I can’t imagine what’s in that “ruby-encrusted pimp cup” but I’ll take a slug. I swam up the Amazon and managed to get a short story staked into its slippery shore. Now if I can make more than tin cup earns on rainy Monday at 5 a.m., I’ll be happy.
Check it out (if you’ve a 1/10 of a mind to): OVERKILL http://tinyurl.com/3c6omda
Oh, and I’ve done a blog, too (on reluctant self-promo) http://www.penwarriors.com (Blogging kills me; I don’t know how you do it so consistently and so well.)
Thanks, Chuck, I know you’ve got other things on your mind these days–tiny little important things. 🙂 Looking forward to the big announcement.
May 18, 2011 — 2:59 AM
Lee Robson says:
My first ever graphic novel (well, written by me, drawn by Bryan Coyle) is being geared up for release on both sides of the Atlantic later this year. It’s called Babble, and you can find out more about it here: http://www.babblecomic.com/ – GO!!
May 18, 2011 — 5:07 AM
Jason Tudor says:
The Science Fiction Show launched three weeks ago (I’m a SciFi scribbler). It includes SciFi discussion, concussed but tolerable personalities and interviews with other humans. This week: author Adam Slade on his SciFi novella “Strand.” Next week? Writer Mike Baron, co-creator of Nexus and creator of Badger; 2 time Eisner winner and lover of all things words. Cue the link:
http://www.lordshaper.com/2011/05/17/scifishow-episode-003-stargates-gone/
May 18, 2011 — 6:13 AM
Laura Anne Gilman says:
Josin – that’s great news, congrats!
For me, the pimpage d’jour is all about DRAGON VIRUS, my … it’s not a story collection, really, and it’s not quite a novella, but it’s getting some nice advance talk which makes me think I did something cool….
http://www.fairwoodpress.com/catalog/item/7650566/8613135.htm
May 18, 2011 — 6:13 AM
terribleminds says:
@Laura:
Will there be an e-book version of DRAGON VIRUS?
Love the idea. Sounds spooky cool.
— c.
May 18, 2011 — 6:42 AM
terribleminds says:
@Josin:
Damn, that’s great news. Congratulations!
Pimptastic. 😀
— c.
May 18, 2011 — 6:41 AM
Brian Buckley says:
Woooo! Open pimp thread!!
Here is my blog about writing: http://BrianDBuckley.com
Today’s post is “Why People Don’t Like Your Book.” Please to enjoy.
May 18, 2011 — 6:45 AM
Laura Anne Gilman says:
I kept the digtal rights, so if I think there’s a market, there will be…. (much will depend on how the limited hardcover does)
May 18, 2011 — 6:45 AM
terribleminds says:
@Laura:
I have to imagine that an e-book like that will find fast footing in the market. Not that I’m some kind of prognosticator (*holds Kindle to forehead to activate psychic voodoo*), but that sounds like a book I’d buy… mmm, right now if I could make that one-click at Amazon.
— c.
May 18, 2011 — 6:49 AM
Angela McConnell says:
Public pimping…I feel so exposed. But since everyone else is taking their clothes off… I mean — anyhoo. Thought I might extend an invite to my blog, geared towards feeding gonnabe writers and pre-published writers (yes, there’s a difference, but y’all know that). Recently did an interview with Howard Andrew Jones, author of The Desert of Souls, and we also have dinosaur parties, the next one just days away. I write speculative fiction, anything from off-world frontiersmen to sharklike attorneys transformed by lightning strikes…and all the stuff in the middle. Stop by and take a look around. The dinosaurs don’t bite.
And thanks, Chuck. Way cool for you to do this. 🙂
May 18, 2011 — 7:12 AM
Brendan Gannon says:
I’m blogging about writing, ebooks, and technology at http://brendangannon.net. Free words, some of them funny.
And thank the gods for terribleminds. When coffee alone can’t take the edge off a weekday morning, there’s Chuck Wendig.
May 18, 2011 — 7:59 AM
Albert Berg says:
My Old Yeller meets Night of the Living Dead novella called, “A Prairie Home Apocalypse or: What the Dog Saw” is available here: http://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Home-Apocalypse-What-ebook/dp/B004Z1F90G
By the by, Chuck is a fantastic dude for letting us trample all over his blog like this and if you haven’t read his collection Irregular Creatures yet, that should definitely be your first stop.
May 18, 2011 — 8:19 AM
Christine Rose says:
You could go vote for my alter ego O. M. Grey for the Steampunk World’s Fair MUSE of the FAIR. I’m in the lead, but barely. Could use all your votes, penmonkeys!
http://www.oneiroievents.com/thesteampunkworldsfair/
Short, painless registration required.
Otherwise, you know, the usual. My books & stories, mostly fantasy. Some adult more erotic (Avalon Revisited). And nonfiction on the industry/marketing. Found on either my blog http://christinerose.wordpress.com or Olivia’s http://omgrey.wordpress.com
All available on Amz/Kindle, too. 😀
May 18, 2011 — 8:43 AM
Christine Rose says:
Ooops. Forgot to tell you — the ballot is down in the right sidebar.
O. M. Grey.
http://www.oneiroievents.com/thesteampunkworldsfair/
Right.
Thanks. xo
May 18, 2011 — 8:44 AM
Keith says:
As I am ever fond of tea cup tempestss, I shall throw my latest blog post at http://www.keithkarabin.com into the winds of pimp: http://keithkarabin.com/2011/05/12/the-final-exam-year-one/
I do so for three reasons:
1) Chuck was kind enough to be e-interviewed.
2) It’s a recap of the blog’s Year One.
3) It combines quotes from the Budha & Charlie Sheen.
Thanks for lookin!
K
May 18, 2011 — 8:44 AM
Patrick Regan says:
In “Tooting my own horn” news, I finished up my course work for my MFA last week. I won’t technically graduate until January for legal reasons involved in getting a Hollywood internship and keeping myself on the school’s health insurance plan, but unless I commit a major felony before January? I have a Masters of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting.
In Pimping news, I’d like to recommend the pants-shittingly scary youtube video series “Marble Hornets”. A semi-found footage, as if it were real life series about a college film gone horribly wrong and being stalked by a supernatural entity that erases your memory, teleports you through time and space, and distorts video footage as it passes.
Main Youtube feed:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MarbleHornets?blend=1&ob=5
Youtube feed of in-universe character “Totheark”:
http://www.youtube.com/user/totheark?blend=1&ob=5
In character twitter feed of protagonist:
http://twitter.com/#!/marblehornets
First season DVD:
http://www.marblehornetsdvd.com/
Suggested viewing order:
http://marblehornets.wikidot.com/the-entries#toc2
May 18, 2011 — 8:49 AM
Kate Haggard says:
There’s a pretty sweet short story collection by this guy – think he has a beard – that I can’t remember the title of but it starts with a story about flying cats. It’s pretty good, y’all should read it. (And I should finish it.)
May 18, 2011 — 8:54 AM
terribleminds says:
@Kate: You are too kind.
@Patrick: Congrats! Just, y’know, don’t go murdering somebody between now and then.
— c.
May 18, 2011 — 9:06 AM
Pamala Knight says:
Yay! It’s like a roll up version of a red light district. I like it! Now I’ve got a reason to get those clear-heeled platforms out and strut with the other ladies of the night. Who I find mostly to be dudes.
Well, I don’t have anything of a personal nature to um, pimp but I did just put the finishing tape job touches on a big box of books going to Operation Paperback. This organization sends books to troops deployed in parts much more hazardous than your tree-lined street. So, if you’ve got a stack of books you’ve read and want to give a solider some reading material, here’s the website link:
http://www.operationpaperback.org/
Thanks for the light pole, Chuck.
May 18, 2011 — 9:05 AM
Lindsay Mawson says:
I’ve got two thriller novels under my belt, STOLEN PREY and THE LOTHGOLIAR. Both are available in paperback and eBook. You can read all about them, watch trailers, read reviews and previews, and find links to purchase at http://www.lmawson.com/books . I am working on my third novel, EXPOSING DALLAS, in the rewriting/editing stage. Hope to have it out by Christmas.
Of course, you can check out my flash fiction at http://www.lindsaymawson.blogspot.com and other random things I may happen to write about.
May 18, 2011 — 9:06 AM
Ben says:
I write gaming stuff – mostly for the Pathfinder RPG. Much of it is available for free, and that which is not free, costs under two bucks.
You can find all this stuff here: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=3250&affiliate_id=296418
In addition to that, I and a group of seasoned gamers write about gaming at my site:
http://www.trollitc.com
I’d love it if anyone wants to check them out.
May 18, 2011 — 9:06 AM
Tracey M. Hansen says:
http://www.traceyhansenwrites.com/apps/blog
I give writing advice that no one should ever listen 2. Also, I swear a lot. That is all. Good day.
May 18, 2011 — 9:12 AM
Alice says:
My first novel is about a coke addict who’s going home from a party on a Tube train and somehow manages to stumble into a fairy tale.
She knows it’s a fairy tale because at some point during her ride she looks up and there’s a wolf in a pinstripe suit and lilac silk socks sitting opposite her. He’s also a graduate of Cambridge philosophy, apparently (1909).
I just sent it in for editing. It’s going to be published by a small, “gatekeeper”-style press.
First chappy here as sample!
http://maybeandthewolf.wordpress.com/chapter-one-the-district-line/
May 18, 2011 — 9:14 AM
Levi Montgomery says:
Perfectly timed, sir, perfectly timed! (as the actress may, in fact, have said to the bishop — but it’s not likely)
As it happens, I have a great deal going on right now: FREE EBOOKS!
I will send you a FREE copy of any one of my ebooks, provided that you agree to make five (and only five) copies and pass them on to friends. Yay! You get to be a pirate! But it’s like a dude-ranch pirate, cuz you’re only a pirate with permission… in a safe place, where we can all enjoy ourselves without the danger of cutlass cuts. Wait… if they can cut you, why are they called cut-less?
May 18, 2011 — 9:16 AM
Josh says:
Every week I’m doing three things:
A Beginner’s Guide to Westeros – For people unfamiliar with the book series that inspired the HBO series Game of Thrones, I expand a bit on the backgrounds of the characters, noble houses and history of this world George RR Martin created.
The Art of Thor – I’ve started playing StarCraft 2 competitively, and this is a series on my ruminations and lessons from the experience, informed by Sun-Tzu’s Art of War and getting my virtual nose bloodied by various freaky aliens. It has nothing to do with the Marvel comic, by the way – there’s a walking tank in the Terran arsenal called the Thor, and I play Terran, so…
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! – Part movie review, part podcast. Been going strong for over a year.
Check it out at http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/ if you’ve a mind to do so.
Also, I’m seeking representation for a novel of young adult fantasy adventure, CITIZEN IN THE WILDS, and hard at work on a supernatural noir detective novel tentatively entitled COLD IRON.
May 18, 2011 — 9:18 AM
JA Paul says:
Adventure fantasy novel for ages 11 and up. (scimitar cat, dragons, hordes of death bats)
Gladius and the Bartlett Trial
Kindle = http://amzn.to/f4tnhG
Nook = http://bit.ly/hhj2Dl
Cover Art by Dan Waltz.
May 18, 2011 — 9:21 AM
Peggy says:
I’ll pimp for someone else; a blistering read (no more than 3 bourbons, or 4 if you drink fast), DreamWeaver by Rejean Giguere. http://www.amazon.com/DreamWeaver-ebook/dp/B004UB2G20
I gave it to a friend who said the book made him late for work the next morning.
May 18, 2011 — 9:29 AM
Joel Brown says:
I’ve only just started reading this blog, and it’s stuff like “ruby-encrusted pimp cups” that keep me coming back. Jeebus. My book is “Mirror Ball Man” and its a drunken not-so-cozy about a washed-up one-hit-wonder who unwillingly finds himself turned into the anti-Jessica Fletcher of a Massachusetts seaport village undergoing a yuppie invasion. More here: http://www.mirrorballman.com/
“Bullet holes in a Life Is Great T-shirt. It was the kind of cheap irony I would have written a song about, normally. But it wasn’t so funny when it happened to someone I knew.”
May 18, 2011 — 9:31 AM
Scott Roche says:
Well first off I have my YA science fiction novel, Ginnie Dare:Crimson Sands – Ginnie Dare is the communications officer for her family’s space faring shipping company. They arrive at Eshu for a routine supply drop and discover that the entire settlement’s population has vanished. Their search of the site reveals nothing out of place, except the people, but ends in a tense confrontation with the natives. During the conflict, Ginnie discovers an alien artifact that may be the key to diffusing the conflict. Can she decode the artifact before it’s taken by the Sector Defense Force? Will it help them to discover the missing colony’s fate? Or, will the whole thing spark an interstellar war?
Secondly, I’ve got a horror anthology Through A Glass, Darkly – This combines the following short stories:
“Fetch” – A parish priest investigates the death of his parishioner, only to be faced by the reality of supernatural evil.
“Power in the Blood” – Reggie is tired of getting beaten down everywhere he turns. He finds a new strength, but at what cost?
“A Good Samaritan” – Trudi and her friend stop on the road to help a stranded motorist and confront the walking dead.
“The Good Doctor” – Selling potions and trinkets to protect people from the all to real supernatural perils that surround them provided the Doctor with a good living, but it may lead to his death.
In one volume you’ve got demons, zombies, blood suckers, and werewolves. That’s a recipe for a good night’s reading, if not a good night’s sleep
Both can be found @ http://www.scottroche.com/
Lastly, I’m part of a publisher that puts out a SF/F anthology every other month that can be found at http://www.flyingislandpress.com/flagship. We are a paying market looking for new authors and readers.
Thanks for this opportunity!
May 18, 2011 — 9:37 AM
Ed Kurtz says:
Oh, why not?
My novel is a dark and violent horror story called BLEED. It’s on Kindle and Nook, and there is a trade paperback on Amazon, too. It’s gotten a bunch of good reviews (The Horror Fiction Review, Grade Z Horror, Anything Horror Central, Austin Post) and a rockin’ good blurb from multiple Stoker nominated author Joe McKinney. So please, buy my book. I need new glasses.
May 18, 2011 — 9:41 AM
terribleminds says:
@Ed:
Might I recommend popping a link for people to click?
Also, I encourage everybody to click around, see what everyone else is putting on the table. Some cool stuff showing up, for sure.
— c.
May 18, 2011 — 9:45 AM
terribleminds says:
I will also say: “Thanks!” to you cats and kittens continuing to pimp IRREGULAR CREATURES.
The collection is now rocking a heartwarming *32* four- and five-star reviews over at Amazon. Very exciting.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IARV00
— c.
May 18, 2011 — 9:53 AM
Lauren says:
I always feel weird going “Hey, look at my stuff!,” but I’m pretty proud of my flash piece “Apex,” which received an honorable mention in the Escape Artists flash fiction contest last summer. It was recorded for Podcastle here, read by the awesome @soapturtle.
For non-me stuff, I did a happydance when I saw that Seanan McGuire, aka Mira Grant, the author of Feed, is doing a sort of countdown on her blog to the release of the sequel, Deadline (coming May 31st!) She’s posting snippets of stories from the days before the Rising. Squee!
May 18, 2011 — 9:43 AM
Ed Kurtz says:
Good idea, Mr. Wendig.
My book, BLEED, is here: http://amzn.to/mz3GR9
My blog is here: http://edkurtz.blogspot.com
And a lovely sample of the first 50 pages is here: http://www.freado.com/read/9881/bleed
And yes, there most definitely is some cool stuff here.
-Ed
May 18, 2011 — 9:54 AM
terribleminds says:
@Ed:
Excellent!
Though, for reals, I should not be a “Mr. Wendig.”
Makes me sound like a teacher. A guy as drunk and pantsless as me should never be anybody’s teacher.
— c.
May 18, 2011 — 9:57 AM
Ed Kurtz says:
How about Wen-dawg?
Also, to ease my conscience over the brazen self-pimpitude, I would like to strongly urge everyone in the cosmos to pre-order John Hornor Jacobs’ forthcoming horror/noir novel SOUTHERN GODS. I got my greasy little sausage fingers on an ARC at the World Horror Con and let me tell you, it’s fantastic. Really. Get it. Do it now.
http://amzn.to/isAR0j
May 18, 2011 — 10:03 AM
terribleminds says:
I gotta tell you, @Ed, that’s a pretty cool cover for BLEED.
— c.
May 18, 2011 — 10:05 AM
Paul E Holmes says:
Thankee kindly for the opportunity to show off a little leg on your streetcorner, Sir Wendig.
Way back in September, Chuck was kind enough to give a little RPG I wrote some love: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2010/09/28/its-a-circus-of-pimpage/ . It’s called Cipher, and at the time was only available in PDF.
Since then, we’ve added a Print on Demand option via DriveThruRPG: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=83337 .
I’m kinda proud of Cipher. It was a learning experience like no other, and I think it came out looking pretty nifty. We even had a very talented cat named Ben Vance compose an original soundtrack for the thing: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=86358 .
Tell you what…
The community that has grown here at the Virtual Wendighaus is my kinda cool. If any of you peeps decide that you wanna take a peek at it, I’ll give you a special Terrible Minds discount for you and you only. Send me an email at peh@brokenmeme.com with the subject line “BTFO”, and hook you up.
PDF: 9.95 instead of 14.95
Hardcover: 19.95 instead of 34.95
Either one will get you free copy of the soundtrack.
Please be patient with me. I’m on kidlet duty today, watching the four-year old boy-san.
Cheers!
Also…my current WiP is an, as yet untitled, western horror filled with guns, demons, a traveling Medicine Show, and enough grit to male 20-grain sandpaper jealous. Wish me luck.
May 18, 2011 — 10:07 AM
Ed Kurtz says:
Thanks, Chuck! My graphic designer thanks you. And if you think the outside is cool, you should see what’s inside. (Christ, it felt sleazy typing that.)
May 18, 2011 — 10:09 AM
DeAnna says:
Gory, over-the-top ridiculous, parent-free pulp for kids by De Kenyon:
This Friday, a coupon for a FREE story this weekend over at http://www.WonderlandPress.com:
A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 CHOMPS
What’s your superpower?
Seth uncovers shy girl Toni’s secret superpower: she can make images come to life, but she can’t control the evil, hungry monsters that she spawns.
…and until Friday, please check out other Wonderland Press titles (all me):
More Kid Pulp:
–Attack of the 50-Foot Sushi Monster
–Zombie Girl Invasion
–Bunny Attack!
Paranormal Romance:
Death by Chocolate – Ellie could have everything she ever wanted…except chocolate.
SF Adventure:
Haunted Empire – When Aoife Cavenaugh is kidnapped by her thieving, smuggling bastard of a cousin-in-law, she’s torn between the need to avenge her beloved cousin and her greed for the research lab on his spaceship. If only she can trick him into satisfying both of her obsessions…
Coupons for free short stories every weekend 🙂
May 18, 2011 — 10:21 AM
Michael Ulrich says:
I don’t know if I should be pimping my own blog, but I’d love to start a little community over there. I write about life, I write about writing, I write about the screenplays I’m working on. The catch is, I’m trying to be a screenwriter and I live in the middle of Indiana! Crazy twist, right? Follow along with everything at http://www.michaelulrichwrites.com
There’s even a library of all of my short film scripts. They’re definitely worth your time.
May 18, 2011 — 10:31 AM
Corialos says:
I recently fell in love with an under-appreciated film by the name of Ink. It’s this interesting little Urban Fantasy flick that I found on Netflix which tells the story of these people who try to save a little girl in the dream world by defeating the monster who kidnapped her soul, and of her father, who must overcome his pride so that he can see his daughter again in the “real” world. It’s really an interesting movie, and whether anybody likes it or not, I definitely recommend that people see it at least once.
May 18, 2011 — 10:34 AM
Nathan Meunier says:
Well, seems silly to pimp a book on the author’s very own site, but I can’t tell you how pumped I am about CONFESSIONS OF A FREELANCE PENMONKEY. I’ve been freelancing for about five years covering the gaming industry, and I was a legit news reporter in the meatspace before that. I always love reading about the craft from other writers, and Chuck definitely is one of my favorite folks to hear it from.
As for my own projects, I write about video games and geek culture for most of the major gaming outlets (Nintendo Power, IGN, GameSpot, PlayStation Magazine, etc.etc.etc.), but I’m also working on a longtime book project that I’m just starting to write after spending about three years conducting interviews and research.
My book, Geek Beat Manifesto, explores several quirky underground music scenes that tie into videogame culture in different ways. In particular, it chronicles the Nerdcore Hip-Hop, Game Music Cover Band, and Chiptune scenes. You can read a bit more about the project at my site here: http://nathanmeunier.com/geek-beat-manifesto/
I’m opting to go the indie route, and self-publish online and in print.
In any event, I’m looking to network with other writer folks, share advice, and all that good stuff.
May 18, 2011 — 10:42 AM
Sheryl Nantus says:
Superhero love and steampunk goodness!
“Blaze of Glory” – available in print and ebook from Samhain Publishing!
Saving the world is easy for a superhero—unless you’re a fraud.
Jo Tanis is a superhero, fighting evil on the city streets, using her ability to feed off electromagnetic energy and fire off charges—and it’s all just a show. The Agency captures her and others like her when their powers begin to manifest, pitting them against each other in staged, gladiatorial fights. An explosive implant on the back of her neck assures she’ll keep right on smiling for the camera and beating up the bad guys.
When Earth comes under attack, suddenly the show becomes deadly real. Unable to deal with a real alien, the “supers” are falling in droves. Millions of innocent civilians are going to die…unless Jo can cobble together a team from among the fake heroes and villains the Agency enslaved. Including Hunter, who not only promises to show her how to deactivate the implants, but seems to know more than he should about how the mysterious Agency operates.
Forcing a rag-tag bunch of former enemies to work together is the least of Jo’s problems. The trick is determining if Hunter is friend or foe—and becoming the hero everyone thought she was before the world is destroyed for real.
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/blaze-glory-p-5343.html
The sequel, “Heroes Without, Monsters Within” is scheduled for a January 2012 ebook release!
“Wild Cards and Iron Horses”
Their love rides on a spring and a prayer…
During the recent Civil War, a soldier risked his life to save Jonathan Handleston—and lost. With the help of an advanced metal brace on his crippled hand, Jon now travels from one poker tournament to the next, determined to earn enough money to repay the man’s debt.
Prosperity Ridge is supposed to be the last stop on his quest, but his brace is broken and he needs an engineer to repair the delicate mechanisms. The only one available is Samantha Weatherly, a beautiful anomaly in a world ruled by men.
Sam is no fool. Jon is no different from any other gambler—except for his amazing prosthetic. Despite a demanding project to win a critical contract to develop an iron horse, she succumbs to the lure of working on the delicate mechanisms. And working with the handsome Englishman.
Like a spring being coiled, Samantha and Jon are inexorably drawn together. Sam begins to realize honor wears many faces, and she becomes the light at the end of Jon’s journey to redemption. The only monkey wrench is Victor, a rival gambler who will stop at nothing to make sure Jon misses the tournament. Even destroy Jon’s and Sam’s lives.
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/wild-cards-iron-horses-p-6042.html
Thank you!
May 18, 2011 — 11:34 AM
Stoney says:
I used to believe I’d get my own planet if I was a good girl. My review of The Book of Mormon: The Musical talks about this, about female circumcision (this *is* Matt and Trey’s baby, after all) and got me a private message last night asking about my manuscript/memoir. Sweet. 1400 hits yesterday and counting.
I also just want to put out there that I have a fantastic strawberry mojito recipe that makes me pretty happy. And thanks for all the links, I’ve got loads of entertainment coming my way, it seems!
May 18, 2011 — 11:34 AM
Saladin Ahmed says:
I am pleased to announce that I am currently offering a limited number of one-on-one creative writing mentorships. These mentorships will be individually tailored to the needs of the client, involving a combination of detailed manuscript critique and advice on publication and professionalization. My areas of teaching expertise include poetry and fantasy fiction.
I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College and an MA in English from Rutgers University. I’ve taught creative writing courses (including Basic Creative Writing, Poetry, and Fantasy Fiction) at the University level for over ten years. I also have extensive experience as a private online writing tutor.
I have been a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story, the Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction or Fantasy Writer, and the Harper’s Pen Award for best Sword and Sorcery/Heroic Fantasy Short Story. My short fiction has appeared in magazines and podcasts including Strange Horizons, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Apex Magazine, StarShipSofa and PodCastle, and has been translated into Portuguese, Czech, Dutch, and Romanian. My fantasy novel THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON is forthcoming from DAW Books in March 2012, and I’ve already sold two sequels as well.
My poetry has earned fellowships from the University of Michigan, Brooklyn College, and the Bronx Council on the Arts, and has appeared in over a dozen journals and anthologies including Callaloo, The Brooklyn Review, Big City Lit, Inclined To Speak: An Anthology of Contemporary Arab American Poetry, and Abandon Automobile: Detroit City Poetry.
Mentorships are competitively priced and designed to be flexible. Possible projects include detailed critique and publication/representation strategy for poetry manuscripts, short stories, or novels. Before I begin working with a client I consult with them regarding their instruction/critique/advising needs and provide them with a clear, itemized plan of action and rate quote.
To inquire further, please email me at saladin.a.ahmed@gmail.com. I look forward to working with you!
May 18, 2011 — 11:37 AM
Mike Luoma says:
Thanks for the chance to pimp, Chuck!
Since 2005, I’ve been writing and releasing a science fiction series set in the near future during an interplanetary religious war.
VATICAN ASSASSIN!
(yeah, nothing to do with Charlie Sheen… maybe he’s a fan…)
Anyway – pimping the fact you can listen to all three books in the trilogy FREE! That’s right – I give away the audiobook downloads for free, read by me 🙂
They’re available for free through iTunes – the links are handily gathered together here for easy clickage: http://vaticanassassin.com
BC kills people for the Pope of the New catholic Church in 2109. He’s visiting Lunar Prime, the independent city state on the Moon, on his new assignment: eliminate the Governor of Lunar Prime, Meredith McEntyre – suspected of sympathizing with the enemy! Give it a free listen – hope you enjoy!
Thanks again, Chuck 🙂
May 18, 2011 — 11:56 AM
David Kazzie says:
I write a blog called The Corner. Some of you may have seen one of my animated videos (the ones with the pig-bears and deadpan voices) making fun of law school (So You Want to Go to Law School) and clueless writers (So You Want to Write a Novel).
No one was more surprised than me when these videos got a shit-ton of hits and helped me sign with an agent.
If you liked the videos, you may like my other stuff as well.
Thanks to Chuck for this Pimp Circus, which will almost certainly be the name of my 2011 fantasy football team.
May 18, 2011 — 11:58 AM
David Kazzie says:
Fuck. I forgot the link.
http://wahoocorner.blogspot.com.
May 18, 2011 — 12:00 PM
Jocelynn Drake says:
Thanks for opening the floodgates!
I am completing my first series of books called the Dark Days series, with the last book set to be released on June 28. The series follows a fire-wielding vampire and the would-be vampire hunter lover that’s trying to kill her.
http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/books.aspx?authorid=33719
May 18, 2011 — 12:04 PM
Silver James says:
The hardest part of being a small press author is the amount of self-marketing and pom-pom shaking an author has to do. Many of us writers ARE writers so we can hide in worlds built by our own words. However, when given the opportunity, one must be bold, right? So… *inhales deeply* *prays html works* My two novels in print and digital and my two novellas in digital only can be had for your reading enjoyt at my PUBLISHER’S AUTHOR PAGE.
Yeah, yeah. They’re romances. So what?!? They’re also good stories. The novels even have battles scenes–swords in the first, big guns in the second. And explosions. So there! And there’s sex. Everybody likes sex, right? And happy ever afters? C’mon. I dare you to disagree…just sayin’…
May 18, 2011 — 12:07 PM
Lucas J.W. Johnson says:
While I’m hacking away at other writing projects, I maintain a twitter fiction project about a bar where people come to die. At ~140 a day, it’s meant to be easy to get into =)
Main page: http://silverstringmedia.com/azraels-stop/
Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/#!/AzraelsStop
Facebook feed: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Azraels-Stop/192485754122683
Love the blog, Chuck. Time to slaughter some words!
May 18, 2011 — 12:07 PM