Bait Dog, And Other Updates!

First up, let me say this: Bait Dog is done. Like, done-done. Like, in the hands of backers.

Been hearing some good rumbles from folks who have already read and finished it (!):

“…it’s a gut punch. Great heroine, gripping story. I’m proud to have supported this Kickstarter!”

“Read it all in one sitting. Wow. I cried & cheered out loud.”

“Finished it last night – it was fucking great. I like your other work, but Atlanta is by far my favorite.”

I’ll be releasing this wide to the public on, I believe, August 13th.

The novel will come with Shotgun Gravy packaged into the text.

The book was hard row to hoe — Atlanta is an easy character to write and, in the technical sense, this book was easy, too. It leaped up out of me — I barely had to facilitate its birth.

But the subject matter is tough stuff. I mean, dog fights? C’mon. Eeesh. Scary.

Anyway. Hope you’ll check it out when it drops. Keep your grapes peeled.

Other Stuff Stuffed With Different Stuff

New Mockingbird review from Fantasy Bytes: “The leanness of the writing that I so loved in Blackbirds is still very evident, although…in places it seems to have put on a pound or two, which works just as well. It’s more verbose than its predecessor, more descriptive and initially at least, slower paced. Again, I like this, it shows a different side to things. The switch-up between the two styles is effective, you never know what’s coming next and that’s a real bonus. You need to be ready for anything here… Miriam is as terrifyingly, captivatingly awesome as ever.”

New Mockingbird review from Adventures Fantastic: “The story didn’t go where I expected it to.  I was surprised several times.  Wendig has come up with a killer that is at least as scary as Hannibal Lector.  There were scenes that were downright flawless in their creepiness.  I doubt I’ll ever look at crows the same way again.  We learn more about Miriam, and it’s kinda spooky, some of the stuff we learn.  Of course, Wendig only gives us so much.  He leaves plenty of questions and implications hanging, making us want more.”

New Mockingbird review from Snobbery: “I totally heart Miriam. She’s probably my favourite UF heroine right now – and that says quite a lot.”

Oh, and sometime this week I’ll probably start loosing new Mockingbird promos upon the world.

I’ll be signing Mockingbird in Chicago for the book’s release, there with three other kickass Angry Robot authors (Adam Christopher, Gwenda Bond, Kim Curran) at the Book Cellar on 8/31, 7pm. Details here.

Lessee. What else?

Great review of Dinocalypse Now: “If pulp heroes duking it out with psychic dinosaurs, intelligent apes, and Neanderthals from Hollow Earth doesn’t seem like your sort of thing, you’re probably not going to enjoy this book. Dinocalypse Now is the distilled essence of that sort of thing, carried off with considerable flair, and to really enjoy it I think you have to buy in.”

Here’s an, erm, ‘review’ of 500 Ways To Be A Better Writer at Amazon, which I’ve flagged as being inappropriate: “This “writer” thinks he’s funny but his sense of humor is really just plain retarded. I only made it a quarter of the way through until I couldn’t take any more. I think his volcabulary is about 100 words deep, this book does not live up to the title, spare yourself the pain and click away from this book immediately, reading it can only make one dumber and a worse writer, there are hundred’s of books on writing better than this. Repeat..stay away.” (Sorry about my ‘volcabulary.’ If only I had hundred’s of better words! Ahem. Sic.)

The Liar’s Club anthology of shorts, Liar Liar, got an audio deal with Blackstone Audio. Both Stephen Susco and I will be contributing late stories to the anthology, so, get excited.

Tales From The Far West, the Wild West Wuxia transmedia mash-up, has a short story collection (which I’m in), and it just got nominated for an ENnie.

I’m playing with Scrivener now on the Mac. Digging it so far, but no work actually done yet.

Oh, creative types and executive types? Read these two letters from Patton Oswalt. It’ll get you charged up to be a creator in the 21st century. Best line: “This isn’t a threat, this is an offer.”

And that’s it. Stick a fork in me, not because I’m done but because I have a fork fetish. Mmm. Forks.

*licks*