So, if any of you reading this are planning on attending Crypticon this weekend, make sure to stop by my friend, and fellow writer, Marie Frances’ table. She’ll be there all weekend. Somehow she’s managed to charm her way out of the writers’ corral and has a table in the main hallway!

She’s got paperback copies of her book Nighthawk on-hand (normally the book is only available in ebook format for Kindle & NOOK) as well as prints from her modeling photoshoots (behave pervs!). 

Marie is a very sweet woman and an awesomely talented writer, so drop by, say hello, and BUY HER BOOK! 

Cheers!

I’m incredibly proud to announce that my third novel and the culmination of the Sekhmet’s Light Trilogy, Shomu, has gone live in Kindle format. For those of you that have been reading for the last couple years, it means finding out what I’ve been keeping to myself for a while now: how Nicole’s story ends. 

It’s kind of surreal knowing that her story has been told, but gratifying at the same time to know that I’ve actually completed the trilogy. I hope that you’ll agree that the ending fits nicely with the mythology I’ve established. 

As of right now, I’m looking forward to what comes next. There will be one last touch on the SL universe, possibly before the end of the year. A collection of stories that I’m titling The Days Upon the Year to continue the calendar theme of the titles.

As readers will know, Ancient Egyptians had a three-season calendar, each containing four 30-day months. That 360 day calendar, however, leaves us with 5 rogue days unaccounted for. These are the epagomenal days, or Days Upon the Year. Each of these days is said to be the ‘birthday’ of the most powerful gods in the panthon (Osiris, Horus the Elder, Isis, Set, and Nephthys). They’re also said to occur outside of normal time and people believe that strange things happen on them.

For my purposes, each “day” will present a story that ties in with the Sekhmet’s Light trilogy or was touched upon in the novels, but wasn’t shared in its entirety to avoid bogging down the main narrative. You’ll get to see things like the story of the first NuruSekhmet, Aramair’s story, and others. They’re things that add flavor to the universe, but aren’t absolutely necessary to Nicole’s story. 

I’ve also plotted out my next novel, the first in my as yet untitled supernatural thriller series and was blessed with the idea for the second of that one as well. I’m also producing some short stories for the next Talaria Press Founder’s Anthology which has a fairy tale theme to it which should be fun, in addition to helping with proof-reading/editing my husband’s second novel.

Factor in my efforts to find a new day job and I’m on massively busy girl!

Ahem.

So, I hope that you’ll pick up Shomu, if you’ve been reading along. If you haven’t, I have a treat for you. In celebration of the completion of the series, I’m offering the first novel, Akhet, for your kindle Sunday through Tuesday this week. This is a great opportunity to grab it and start on the series, knowing that the whole story is there just waiting to be read!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to break out the ‘tasty adult beverages’ to celebrate!

    Yesterday afternoon, SyFy Channel published a press release on their Blastr news feed, announcing the various projects they’re developing for the coming year. Anyone who knows me is well aware that SyFy has been a source of frustration, consternation, and downright infuriation for me.

   Since it debuted (as the Sci-Fi Channel, back in the day), it’s gone from exclusively science-fiction and fantasy oriented programming (reruns of classic shows, movies, miniseries…) to a channel that features wrestling and tons of reality programming. Like many fans, I’ve lamented this change in orientation, and have come to largely ignore the channel I once adored.

    In the last few years, there have been bright spots: Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, and Alphas, I’m looking at you! However, BSG ran its course,Eurekahas been cancelled, and we have no word on when the new season of Alphas will start airing again.

    Now, that said, this new press release gives me a glimmer of hope that they’re starting to come back to the sort of programming that I, and other sci-fi fans want to see.

    The full content of the article can be found here, but here are the items I’m actually interested in:

New Scripted Series

    Defiance - 2013 -Defiance is in collaboration with Trion Worlds, with the Syfy series and Trion’s multi-platform shooter MMO poised to debut simultaneously. The series stars Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Stephanie Leonidas, Tony Curran, Jaime Murray, Fionnula Flanagan, Mia Kirshner and Oscar-nominee Graham Greene. Set in the near future, Defiance introduces a completely transformed planet Earth, inhabited by the survivors of a universal war. Forced to co-habitate, the disparate group struggles to build a new society among the devastation. The dramatic tapestry of the series and the intense action of the game will exist in a single universe where their respective narratives will inform one another and evolve together into one overall story. Defianceis directed by Scott Stewart (Legion, Priest) and written/executive produced by Rockne O’Bannon (Farscape), Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Caprica, Hellcats) and Michael Taylor (Battlestar Galactica). Kevin Murphy serves as showrunner. Defiance is produced by Universal Cable Productions.

Scripted Development/Drama

    Rewind - Rewind revolves around a team of military field operatives and civilian scientists who must use untested technology to travel back in time to alter events and change the future—and avoid a devastating terrorist attack. Shane McRae stars as Sean Knox, ex-Special Forces who ranks as a field operative in a special division of the Department of Homeland Security. The pilot also stars Jennifer Ferrin, Academy Award nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Robbie Jones and Keon Mohajeri, and is currently in production inToronto. Jack Bender (Lost, Alphas) is directing the pilot, written by Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li), who will also executive produce with Tom Spezialy, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. A production of BermanBraun and Universal Cable Productions.

    The Adjustment Bureau - In this drama, based on the hit movie starring Matt Damon, guardian angel-type agents work to keep the world according to The Plan. They create everything from plane crashes to coffee spills in order to steer people to realize their true destiny. But there is one thing the operatives and their Chairman can’t control—free will. Writers: Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer (Melrose Place, Smallville). Executive producers: George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau, The Bourne Ultimatum), MRC, Slavkin and Swimmer. A production of Universal Cable Productions.

High Moon - Based on the novel, The Lotus Caves, by John Christopher, this imaginative, out-of-this-world series explores a world where the countries of Earth have established colonies to mine the Moon’s resources. When a new life form is discovered, chaos erupts as various factions race to uncover its powerful secrets. Executive producer: Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies). Co-executive producer: Jim Danger Gray (Pushing Daisies). Writers: Bryan Fuller and Jim Danger Gray. Executive producer: Granat Entertainment. A production of Universal Cable Productions.

    Untitled Booster Gold Project - Based on the best-selling DC Entertainment Comic, this is the story of a washed-up athlete from the future who travels back to the present in hopes of becoming the greatest superhero of all time. But instead of chasing criminals, his main priority is chasing fame and money. Booster Gold discovers that being a hero takes more than just a megawatt smile. Writer: Andrew Kreisberg (Arrow, Warehouse 13). Executive producers: Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern, Arrow) and Andrew Kreisberg. Producers: Greg Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television. The Booster Gold comic book series is published by DC Entertainment, which will also act as an executive producer.

    Grave Sight - From the best-selling author of True Blood, this Charlaine Harris book series follows Harper Connelly—a young woman with a unique gift. After being struck by lightning as a teenager, Harper can sense the location and last memories of dead people. She teams up with her protective stepbrother, Tolliver Lang, to help find a missing teenage girl—only to uncover a network of lies and murders throughout a small town in the Ozarks. Writer: Kam Miller (Law and Order: SVU). A production of Universal Cable Productions.

    Seeing Things - Based on the comic Grey Legion from Platinum Studios, after a cop meets his violent demise, he returns as a ghost to close his last case. But the only person who can help him is a socially awkward man who is realizing for the first time that his hallucinations may not be all in his head. Writers: David Slack (Person of Interest, Lie To Me) and Gabrielle Stanton (Haven, The Vampire Diaries). Executive producers: David Slack, Robert Cort and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. A production of Fox Television Studios.

    Defender - In the aftermath of an intergalactic war between humans and transhumans, the starship Defender, populated by a combustible mix of former enemies, is sent on a seemingly simple goodwill mission, which turns into a fight for their lives and for the safety of the Universe at large. Executive producer/writer: Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Alphas). A production of Universal Cable Productions.

    The Family - For generations, an alien family has hid amongst humans in plain sight using their advanced intellect to carve out a life for themselves as their family grew. But when the family patriarch that kept peace amongst the factions dies, a war begins to brew with some members believing the time has come to reveal themselves, and their superior power, to the inferior human race. Writer: Dan Harris (Superman Returns, X2). Executive producers: Neal Moritz (21 Jump Street, Total Recall), Mark Verheiden (Falling Skies, Battlestar Galactica). A production of Sony Pictures TV.

Longform Scripted Development:

    Eyes Of The Dragon - Based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel. A kingdom is in turmoil as the old king dies and his successor must battle for the throne. Pitted against an evil wizard and a would-be rival, Prince Peter makes a daring escape and rallies the forces of good to fight for what is rightfully his. Writers: Michael Taylor (Defiance, Battlestar Galactica) and Jeff Vintar (I, Robot). Executive producers: Michael Taylor and Bill Haber. A production of Universal Cable Productions and Ostar Productions.

    Darkfall - When, without warning, modern forms of power and technology become a thing of the past,Los Angeles, and the world at large, becomes a place where magic rules and life as we know it is turned upside down. Writers: Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris (Kung Fu Panda, Sleeper Cell). A production of The Jim Henson Company and Universal Cable Productions.

    One Mile Straight Down - When a powerful earthquake hits California and opens up a chasm bigger than the Grand Canyon, it reveals an enormous hidden ocean lying deep beneath the earth’s crust. Billionaire adventurer James Exeter works with the government to take an advanced nuclear submarine down to explore it and discovers more than he ever could have imagined. Writers: Skip Woods (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Naren Shankar (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Deran Sarafian (CSI: NY). Executive producers: Skip Woods, Naren Shankar and Deran Sarafian. A production of Universal Cable Productions.

    As you can see, there are some really interesting ideas that they’re looking to develop and that, I hope, will turn into some great programming. The thing we as fans need to remember is that high quality science-fiction and fantasy programming ain’t cheap to produce and channels like SyFy are businesses. If they don’t get ratings (and advertising dollars that accompany those ratings), they aren’t going to produce the sort of programming we want to see.

    What we need to do is prove to them that there’s an audience for these shows, movies, miniseries, etc. When they premier, we need to tune in. We need to tweet about them. We need to blog about them. And when we do that, we need to tag SyFy, include their twitter handle, and hashtag them so we get them trending.

    I believe that we can reclaim SyFy for SciFi, but we have to put in the effort. And hey, if they want someone with tons of great ideas, they can send me and my husband an email! We’d love to get some of our stories up on the screen.  

    That’s it for now. Happy viewing!

Happy Birthday to ME!

That’s right, tomorrow, March 21st, is my birthday, but I’m giving you guys the present this year! Tomorrow, you can download my first novel, Akhet, for your Kindle for the low, low, low price of… FREE!

Shelfari Review

A nice 4-star review of Akhet was posted on Shelfari earlier today. 

My husband and I just finished a marathon of Season One of HBO’s impeccable adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. We were literally up until 4am this morning, watching all ten episodes and would’ve probably powered through ten more if there’d been additional episodes! 

I read the book A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire & Ice, Book 1) about a year ago now and I absolutely loved it. The characters and the intrigue presented in the novel were so lush and amazing that I didn’t want to put it down. That translated so perfectly to the screen I was astounded.

The casting was spot-on. Peter Dinklage, in particular, is a standout to me as Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion was my undisputed favorite character in the book (with Arya Stark as my second favorite and her father Eddard close behind) and Peter knocked his performance out of the park!

Sean Bean was a fantastic choice for Lord Stark. I was highly pleased to see that not only had he kept his Lord of the Rings sword skills, but he seems to have improved on them. 

Lena Headey was beautifully evil as Cercei and the casting of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as the handsome but wicked Jaime Lannister was a coup as well. Sophie Turner turned in a great performance as Sansa, maintaining the level of foolish naivete that had me wanting to crawl into the book and smack the crap out of her in the novel. And then there was young Jack Gleeson who was perfectly horrible (in a good way, in terms of acting) as Joffrey.

I could easily go on about the book and the series for hours, and there will, no doubt, be some lively discussions in the Reasby household… particularly as my husband has okay’d us picking up books two and three for our kindles to hold us over until the next season comes out on dvd!

HBO has another winner on its hands and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I expect to have the first draft of my Red Riding Hood story completed by the end of this week, or the beginning of next. As I need one or two more fairy tales to adapt for an anthology I’m contributing to, which ones would you like to see me tackle next?

• Cinderella (aka, the Little Cinder Girl)
• Rapunzel
• Sleeping Beauty
• Puss in Boots
• The Snow Queen

Okay, so I’ll admit I’m not a fan of the show or the books. It’s not that I dislike them, but that they’ve never really blipped on my radar for whatever reason. However, I do realize that they’re extremely popular as an intellectual property. 

As an author myself, I was both shocked and horrified to stumble across this blog post earlier today. You can find the full text of the letter the post references here. 

The unfortunate fact that this maneuver is completely legal (however morally reprehensible) underscores the desperate need for creators of all types to educate themselves as to their rights and responsibilities to their creations. Despite the fact that I feel horrible that this has happened to a fellow writer, Ms Smith’s plight underscores the fact that we need to be careful that we educate ourselves.

Companies like Alloy Entertainment are not going to look out for you. They’re going to look out for themselves. Although it may sound cynical, the best approach may be to look at it this way: ultimately, no one is going to have our best interests at heart but us. To think otherwise is to leave yourself open to being put in an untenable situation, so please, please, please educate yourself. 

Two interviews in as many days? Yes, indeed! I love getting the chance to meet other authors and talk writing with them. I’m very pleased and excited to introduce another new friend from the Superhero Hype! Forums, Steve Sims.

Steve has published his first novel, Marlsbeth, an epic fantasy chock full of adventure and magic.

H – Hello, Steve. Thank you for talking with me today! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

S – I’m a 37 year-old IT professional, and proud father of two girls (4 and 8).

H – What inspired you to write your first book?

S – My inspiration came from a lifelong passion for the arts; concept art is a passion; I’ve always loved comic books (The Avengers/HULK/Batman), and superheroes. I remember watching the Hobbit cartoon back when I was a kid, and I’m a movie buff, so many movies inspired me as well… Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Legend, Dragon’s Lair, Star Wars. My dad was a good storyteller as well.

H – That’s a pretty heady brew. How did you come up with the title?

S – Originally it just came to me… I went deeper as I wanted everything to have substance. Breaking down the root words I would define Marl and Beth and determine it to loosely mean ‘God’s house of fresh soil’.

H – That definitely seems an appropriate name for a land inspired by the likes of Tolkien! What prompted you to write epic-style fantasy over other genres?

S – I would say that my love of poetic words and fantastic stories converged. I just started writing it with no real plan, and it grew from there. I know, really not the way it is done, but I studied and everything blossomed quite organically!

H – That’s one of the beautiful things about writing, it’s very individual and there’s really no “right” way to go about it, in my experience. Tell us about Marlsbeth. What makes it different from all the other fantasy novels out there?

S – To me what really makes Marlsbeth stand out is that it wasn’t written with preconceived notions of what fantasy was or is. I had a movie playing in my head, and it wasn’t based off of one or two writers, as I just let all of my influences converge. I also think it has a classic feel to it! Even though I did my research, I tried to write the story passionately, with a poetic overtone, rather than being overly cerebral.

H – Oh, yes, passion is definitely a must when it comes to writing. Putting your passion on the page is what makes simple words resonate with people. Which of your characters is your favorite?

S – It has to be the main character Banion. Virtuous, passionate, devoted, honorable. The traits of a real hero!

H – Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?

S – That would most likely have to go to General Geldik of the Dark Armies, a.k.a. Bloodhunter… nuff said!

H – With a nickname like that, I can’t blame you! What motivates you to write?

S – My brain can only hold so much before stuff starts spilling out!

H – Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

S – I love the parables of Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin, and the figurative lines of Scott Stapp of Creed. King David wrote some beautiful Psalms.

H – I also love the imagery in many of Creed’s songs. Where do you get your ideas?

S – Most of my ideas are spawned from images, and music is very inspirational. I put the ingredients in my brain, and cook them up! For Marlsbeth I have a whole Excel workbook FULL of the characters (some aren’t even in the book), places, etc.

H – Best to hold on to those characters, you never know when you might decide you want to write about them. What are your current projects?

S – Just the Marlsbeth website http://www.marlsbeth.com content is enough right now! Appendices, and downloads… the facebook page as well. Check it out! I had an amazing professional concept artist out of Norway do the artwork on the website, which is some of the main characters.

H – So, in terms of technical aspects of your work, do you work with an outline, or just write?

S – I just wrote Marlsbeth, but I have started an outline of part 2.

H – What was the hardest part of writing your book?

S – Keeping transitions seamless. Following along on the map… The map is a free download on the website to accompany the book!

H – Transitions do seem to be the bane of many an author. Do you ever experience writer’s block?

S – No, not really. Perhaps shrinking down what I see in my head, but no writers block yet!

H – Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

S – I’ve just written the one book for now, but yes indeed! It is a little difficult though — the notion of putting a piece of your soul out there for people to examine… but it’s worth the risk! I would let it influence my writing a little I guess, but to change solely to make others happy wouldn’t make any sense.

H – How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

S – That is certainly a work in progress, but just talking to people and handing out cards is a good start. You have to have a web presence! Get out in the community too.

H – So, for my final question: Do you have any advice for other writers?

S – See it through! Push yourself toward finishing… It won’t finish itself, so do what you need to do to see it through to the end!

Steve, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today, and I wish you the best of luck in your writing!

 2012. Is it just me or does it seem like time is speeding up? It seems like just yesterday, I was 18 years old and looking to take on the world.

 A lot has changed for me in the almost 20 years between then and now. My mother passed away, I met my husband, and relocated from the deserts of Arizona to the Pacific Northwest. Maybe it’s strange, but by and large, I have very few regrets about my life, and maybe that’s because I’m naïve, but I prefer to think it’s because I accept that even the bad things that happened have made me into the person that I am today… and, for the most part, I’m pretty happy with myself as a person.

 2011 was a pretty big year, both good and bad. I was laid off from my day job, which sucked… but I took it as an opportunity and ran with it. Between looking for jobs and the occasional interview, I wrote and published my second novel and banged out the third which is now in the thick of the rewrite process. I also helped edit my husband’s first novel, formatted said novel for both ebook and print formats, and helped him set up his blog and other social media promotional outlets. I also participated in breaking ground, so to speak, on a new small press with Garth, another fantastic author we know, Ren Cummins, and editor extraordinaire, Quiana Kirkland.

 So how does one follow up a year like 2011? You continue to turn the volume up to 11, that’s how!

 Here’s a sneak preview of what you can expect to see:

• Shomu: Sekhmet’s Light, Book Three
• The Sekhmet’s Light Trilogy Omnibus edition
• The Days Upon the Year (a collection of 5 short stories/novellas set in the Sekhmet’s Light universe to fill in some backstories that were alluded to but not explored in the series)
• The Talaria Press Founder’s Anthology which collects stories from me, Garth, Ren, and even Quiana in a single volume!
• Emerald City ComiCon appearances by me, Garth, and Ren
• And finally, I’m hoping to have time to break ground on a whole NEW series of supernatural thriller novels!

 Cripes, seeing it all spelled out like that, 2012 is going to be even busier than I expected, especially considering that I’m still looking for a new day job. Well, I guess all we can do is rip that volume knob right off and rock on! 

A lot of people like to look at books that people they know have written and try to figure out ‘who’s me in this book?’ I also know that a lot of people like to write friends and family into books… I’m not one of those people.

To me, the decision to base a character on a real person can be fraught with incredible peril. The chances that you’re going to have someone upset with you over the way they’re portrayed in your book are just too high. To date, there are only two direct character-to-loved-one correlations in my novels.

1. Garth-Kemsefet: Kemsefet is very much based on my husband’s personality. He’s very supportive and loving, but he’s also more than willing to look at me and tell me ‘no’ if I’m getting out of control… which is something I do need from time to time. He does a great job of balancing out my weaknesses with his strengths.
2. Jeannie Sue (the nurse who cares for Nicole when she’s injured in Peret)-My mom: Naming a caring, nurturing minor character after my mother was my way of honoring her. She was a major force in my life, always my biggest fan. Even though she didn’t really like or understand the genres I preferred to write, she always wanted to read my stuff and always expressed her utmost confidence that I would be writing books one day. 

I have no plans to put other friends or family into my books for the reasons stated above. Maybe that will change one day, but I don’t really see it happening.

I just saw this promo and I have to admit, I’m absolutely JAZZED to see this when it airs!

I’ve been seeing a lot of blog posts lately, asking about/touting the importance of an editor. I cannot stress enough how invaluable a great editor can be.

With that in mind, I’d just like to take a moment to brag on my chief editor, the brilliant and beautiful Quiana Kirkland. Although I have no doubt that I was a good writer before she started working with me, once I got her help, I now believe that I’m a very good writer, with the potential to become great one day.

Quiana manages to strike the perfect balance between kicking my ass to keep me honest, and cheerleading to keep me motivated. Her humor and encouragement helped make the revision/rewrite process relatively painless and surprisingly enjoyable.

So, why am I stressing this? Because the best thing you, as a writer, can ever do for yourself is to find yourself a great editor to help do these things for you. You need someone to push you to be the best that you can be. Someone who will look at your work, point out the strengths and give you suggestions on where to shore up the weaknesses… but more importantly, you have to listen. You have to keep an open mind and be willing to at least consider their suggestions.

It’s not easy and you’ll need to figure out how to leave your ego at the door, but if you figure out how to do that, you’ll only get better as a writer.

Awaken on CreateSpace estore

For those of you who prefer paperback, but don’t want to wait for amazon, Awaken is available direct from its CreateSpace estore!

Awaken on Smashwords

My husband’s, Garth’s, first novel is now available for all ebook formats through Smashwords.com!