tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35683420563305045732024-03-06T13:01:38.337-07:00DAVID J. WESTDavid J. West writes dark fantasy and weird westerns because the voices in his head won’t quiet until someone else can hear them. He is a great fan of sword & sorcery, ghosts and lost ruins, so of course he lives in Utah with his wife and children.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.comBlogger669125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-31122853398772723132021-06-16T13:27:00.004-06:002021-06-16T13:27:36.408-06:00Maybe I've Been Slacking<p> Maybe, I've been slacking, but I've got an excuse, any of you heard about Covid? Well, I got it a few months back and while I only had things taste off and I only really felt couch-ridden a few days, the brain fog has lingered. So writing has been a slog and I lost out on being part of a Sword & Planet anthology that my friend Christopher Ruocchio is putting together. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGWVfTTH2cpRqxa4fBrsvXj8UENmQdQdTzThXjHjqu3ctvCdissZxtmf5b0FZheTN89joEfq41jm5Vf7kmLBksVVo9p5ghZBEhanEQViSiaVmpSXRNFQUYxkBDNTJJ4xx_T1V5_3nKQIp/s680/E4A5Zl1VEAMoZja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGWVfTTH2cpRqxa4fBrsvXj8UENmQdQdTzThXjHjqu3ctvCdissZxtmf5b0FZheTN89joEfq41jm5Vf7kmLBksVVo9p5ghZBEhanEQViSiaVmpSXRNFQUYxkBDNTJJ4xx_T1V5_3nKQIp/s320/E4A5Zl1VEAMoZja.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>That was a blow because I was really excited about being able to have a story in there with my friends like Chris and Dave Butler for example - who I'm already in about a dozen antho's with. </p><p>Anyhow, my wife sent me to the witch doctor she likes to get me on a regimen of minerals, vitamins and other supplements to get me back on track. At the same time, I'm pushing to get the responsible author system moving, so getting my newsletters up and running for me and the pen name = James Alderdice. </p><p>Speaking of which, there is a giveaway going on now with Butler for multiple copies of several books - sign up now and you've got a great chance for some signed print books! Click <a href="https://t.co/wOuyMLl3s2?amp=1" target="_blank">HERE</a></p><p><br /></p><p>And I'm gonna make a supreme effort to be better at the responsible author thing and post here sooner than a whole year!</p>nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-64046714182560122722020-05-19T14:57:00.003-06:002020-05-19T14:57:44.871-06:00What A Collection - Ken Kelly! It's the artist Ken Kelly's birthday and when I did a tweet and facebook post about it,<br />
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I realized - you know what? I am positive that Ken Kelly has done more book covers that I own than anybody else - and that's a lot considering I typically buy every Frazetta I can find. Kelly is such a work horse and has done so many Conan's and other sword and sorcery related covers that it is staggering. He has done a lot of heavy metal covers too, but I don't think I have any of those but when it comes to book covers wow -its staggering.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sGvSmWuFpwXgUXdzenCxZawcHoaK_9QJHzzdw_2NyphnquVBNpwOxE6UdWFOs5vyZVM_0GzQ_2ApRYl-CTJh-v0W5JzBkZbwZUP5J7FyCKS-qX7ArP1tZiO3N2WTiPC7iqoHF5WaaNtS/s1600/IMG_2380.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sGvSmWuFpwXgUXdzenCxZawcHoaK_9QJHzzdw_2NyphnquVBNpwOxE6UdWFOs5vyZVM_0GzQ_2ApRYl-CTJh-v0W5JzBkZbwZUP5J7FyCKS-qX7ArP1tZiO3N2WTiPC7iqoHF5WaaNtS/s200/IMG_2380.HEIC" width="200" /></a>I just did a count in my office I have about 30+ books with Frazetta covers. And I am not counting doubles - just one individual cover per book.<br />
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But I've got 70+ Ken Kelly covers - loads of Conan and Robert E. Howard, but also some Kane, Karl Edward Wagner books like his Bran Mak Morn - Legion From the Shadows, the Robert Adams Horseclans series and John Maddox Roberts Stormlands series, and then even a variety of standalones and anthologies.<br />
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Happy Birthday Ken, and thanks for the bigger than life barbaric art!<br />
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nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-60633022618072702932020-04-27T09:13:00.002-06:002020-04-27T09:13:50.036-06:00Pulp Speed = 4 Books in a month!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi261enKD8pfDw2Dhk_fyCAWwVrg2vo_vDFUI-0RanICVpO67CDJbyCyeLtxbThuJ_bnpAYu-yffPXBXWyTmXkc4QT7ofHl8nYiCtVamu7n378shGygI7fQGX5ETAenXO3DzZutM7yVndW6/s1600/The+Usurper+-+Ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1004" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi261enKD8pfDw2Dhk_fyCAWwVrg2vo_vDFUI-0RanICVpO67CDJbyCyeLtxbThuJ_bnpAYu-yffPXBXWyTmXkc4QT7ofHl8nYiCtVamu7n378shGygI7fQGX5ETAenXO3DzZutM7yVndW6/s200/The+Usurper+-+Ebook.jpg" width="125" /></a>I truly meant to spend some more time here at the blog and try to do weekly posts, and that fell pretty hard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi261enKD8pfDw2Dhk_fyCAWwVrg2vo_vDFUI-0RanICVpO67CDJbyCyeLtxbThuJ_bnpAYu-yffPXBXWyTmXkc4QT7ofHl8nYiCtVamu7n378shGygI7fQGX5ETAenXO3DzZutM7yVndW6/s1600/The+Usurper+-+Ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>But on the plus side I have been able to keep writing even though I feel busier than ever despite the Corona. I'm finally starting to feel Pulp Rev speed flowing.<br />
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Between March 29th and April 22nd, I released 4 books - count them 4 books.<br />
In my #SAVANT series of weird western/gaslamp fantasy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Memento-Mori-SAVANT-Book-2-ebook/dp/B083LQ4D2X/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&qid=1588000162&refinements=p_27%3ADavid+J.+West&s=digital-text&sr=1-9&text=David+J.+West" target="_blank">Memento Mori</a>, with Porter Rockwell and Elizabeth Dee (John Dee's descendant and heir to his magical legacy)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LvuForhyphenhyphenQeTBU-CXhmnO4SHnX0u6-QiyWYjZjUbzjcaZG4eU7P_EErKRJxIJYrxOh8tdqzvAhBs0NumIzzaxJlMcxCjCoD1_hxyjxJKVWnzCmzoILYy6TPEmDN3TBPaqq36GckwuVuVG/s1600/memento+mori.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LvuForhyphenhyphenQeTBU-CXhmnO4SHnX0u6-QiyWYjZjUbzjcaZG4eU7P_EErKRJxIJYrxOh8tdqzvAhBs0NumIzzaxJlMcxCjCoD1_hxyjxJKVWnzCmzoILYy6TPEmDN3TBPaqq36GckwuVuVG/s200/memento+mori.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
I got the rights back to my first novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085DHV9R8/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Heroes of the Fallen</a> so I have rereleased it with a new cover, slight edits and a big old glossary in the back that I always wanted included. Its sequel is coming sooner than later - I'm hoping to have Blood Of Our Fathers out in a couple months.<br />
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The eighth book in the Brutal saga <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083LNBV14?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_7&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">WRATH</a> is out and I'm pretty stoked for it.<br />
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and trying out a new attempt at the beginning of the series, I went and put a new book at the beginning of the Brutal saga <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084BSV6SV" target="_blank">THE USURPER</a> which has already made #1 in the Western Science Fiction category on Amazon.<br />
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Now granted these weren't all done in a month, Heroes was completed years ago, but got new edits this month, formatting and a new cover by the phenomenal J Caleb Design (he also did WRATH's cover)<br />
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Memento Mori was written this year but despite the shortest of these books at a mere 32K it took me the longest.<br />
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Wrath is around 55K and went real quick but I did have some of t written and waiting in the sidelines for awhile now.<br />
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The Usurper is 102k and that's where I think I really shine at the pulp speed. A few of the chapters were previously written, but considering its almost all new material and was written in January 2020 and April 2020 (not between those months when I was doing the others) that is some serious speed.<br />
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In any case, felt like I needed to keep the neglected blog updated and I will try to do better soon.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-41617673577636150282020-02-18T02:29:00.000-07:002020-02-18T02:29:06.559-07:00A Mighty FortressI've got a short weird western tale in the newly released <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Fortress-Mormon-Steampunk-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0844MVZ94/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=a+mighty+fortress&qid=1581499229&s=digital-text&sr=1-2" target="_blank">A Mighty Fortress</a> anthology.<br />
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It is a Porter Rockwell short titled, <i>The Tears of Nephi</i>.<br />
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Its a little light on steampunk, but I put in a little - the collection as a whole has the unexpected grouping of being Mormon Steampunk tales, and was initially inspired by the incredibly awesome Dave Butler. He wrote City of the Saints which I highly recommend, and then later down the road put forth the idea for a collection of more tales set in a semi-similar vein and there were so many submissions that was to be one antho became two and then as of today 4!!!<br />
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I have the honor of having the closing tale of this collection.<br />
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Thanks as always to my editor and friend Holli Anderson.<br />
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Check <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Fortress-Mormon-Steampunk-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0844MVZ94/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=a+mighty+fortress&qid=1581499229&s=digital-text&sr=1-2" target="_blank">it</a> out if you have a mind too.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-34846879557254046052020-01-22T01:28:00.002-07:002020-01-22T01:28:39.804-07:00The Dragons Hour, Remembering Robert E. Howard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's no secret that Robert E. Howard is my favorite author. This is his birthday so I'm dusting the blog off for the new year and giving him a toast as it were.<br />
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I'm writing this just after midnight, so I'm not sure yet what tale of his I will read later, but I surely will, of course not too much times goes by since the last time I read one. Recently, I revisited one of my favorite Conan yarns - <i>People of the Black Circle</i> and shortly before that <i>Iron Shadows in the Moon.</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoGok0HOI1_F1g6BemLelJQAHGwtqcrugzKHurIflnPS3d17W2KUvbbrglymhQ0GChOopSVpWcvr44vSVR5Y2PJvZvCpyvnj6xI2NhlpMHFzy7-CV1Z7Je4HCpQREqgjoV7Hdm7dqXNAQ/s1600/IMG_1952.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoGok0HOI1_F1g6BemLelJQAHGwtqcrugzKHurIflnPS3d17W2KUvbbrglymhQ0GChOopSVpWcvr44vSVR5Y2PJvZvCpyvnj6xI2NhlpMHFzy7-CV1Z7Je4HCpQREqgjoV7Hdm7dqXNAQ/s200/IMG_1952.HEIC" width="200" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
Around Halloween as a family we listened to some of the audiobook of The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard and I was very pleasantly surprised that my son brought up <i>In the Forest of Villefere</i> just a few days ago. The boys have always loved <i>Pigeons From Hell</i>, my kids like creepy.<br />
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That's probably why I share it with them, because I am so amazed and taken with the stories. The tales light the fire of wonder in me and I want to share that with the kids.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3gX0-OTgdwGQ36rytMHICYtoeWBAuo4ATD2eHrJXrusRyJSMpjLk0S4ykjEmJQzlYo11XasDVn7Yx87H20T1c0GuZU4lB-kpxx7Ke2sbBiGCi_zfJiSX0exE1SvMNib03O6bcgk6ZYi2/s1600/IMG_1962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="904" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3gX0-OTgdwGQ36rytMHICYtoeWBAuo4ATD2eHrJXrusRyJSMpjLk0S4ykjEmJQzlYo11XasDVn7Yx87H20T1c0GuZU4lB-kpxx7Ke2sbBiGCi_zfJiSX0exE1SvMNib03O6bcgk6ZYi2/s200/IMG_1962.JPG" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3gX0-OTgdwGQ36rytMHICYtoeWBAuo4ATD2eHrJXrusRyJSMpjLk0S4ykjEmJQzlYo11XasDVn7Yx87H20T1c0GuZU4lB-kpxx7Ke2sbBiGCi_zfJiSX0exE1SvMNib03O6bcgk6ZYi2/s1600/IMG_1962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: left; color: #0066cc; float: left; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a>I went to Howard Days in 2018 and meant to blog about it then and never did, that's when I kinda fell of the wagon blogging here, then I wasn't able to make it in 2019, but it is my plan to go this year again. Its an interesting feeling walking through his house and thinking about being where he was when he wrote - not just his desk but all over the house from what I have heard. It was like visiting a sacred shrine and I can't wait to go back. I have also been able to visit Hemingway's graveside but spending so much time in the Howard house had a lot more personal feel than just seeing Papa's stone and museum.<br />
Meeting a bunch of online friends in person finally was a big plus too!<br />
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Not sure where I am going with this other than just expressing heartfelt appreciation to the man for countless hours of reading enjoyment, contemplative thought and the sheer love of the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_K5Giv1ow7QEati8Ay7uGloTkhj54Pi00nJ4ZEMaKzYp1zVTx_7A0nDqKJSqQkLROyt2Wp4PKgbjYU73qkDonMbkhFoeiwDqJCHUTw2Ni2Pb-VVar4ZiI6zqKZ-mlbGms-fGRP8peuhv/s1600/IMG_1451.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_K5Giv1ow7QEati8Ay7uGloTkhj54Pi00nJ4ZEMaKzYp1zVTx_7A0nDqKJSqQkLROyt2Wp4PKgbjYU73qkDonMbkhFoeiwDqJCHUTw2Ni2Pb-VVar4ZiI6zqKZ-mlbGms-fGRP8peuhv/s200/IMG_1451.HEIC" style="cursor: move;" width="150" /></a>written word.<br />
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Wish you had been around a bit longer to write more, but I surely love what you did accomplish.<br />
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SKOAL!<br />
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This is a print I got at Howard Days, that is in my study.<br />
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My son, Mathias (14) made this Conan bust for me for Christmas.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-50403753037980532302019-12-22T03:35:00.000-07:002019-12-22T03:35:29.087-07:00Release the FURYIts that Day! Book 6 in the BRUTAL Saga FURY is live <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082J8238P" target="_blank">here</a>! Grab it and leave a review!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix4480qixH_uVZEsgyUpVgfch0l7PSqzHavom96SkH0rbJMqlwdjwH7FbOD1e0czNPLBw1npyuoXcbN_XhQjKPQlCkdUl4UIAq4nzwVxqHdTUTnsjB6U7PG4esbOQ8CpkCSc8dB8CMrnM/s1600/Fury+eCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix4480qixH_uVZEsgyUpVgfch0l7PSqzHavom96SkH0rbJMqlwdjwH7FbOD1e0czNPLBw1npyuoXcbN_XhQjKPQlCkdUl4UIAq4nzwVxqHdTUTnsjB6U7PG4esbOQ8CpkCSc8dB8CMrnM/s320/Fury+eCover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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We follow Gathelaus on his way to reclaim his kingdom, and along the way he finds a out of the way territory plagued by a terrible monster named Fiendal.<br />
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This is a twist on Beowulf and I've wanted to do this for a long time, Beowulf was something I read in the first grade (I'm sure it was a watered down version but all the important elements were there) and obviously I've been hooked on Heroic fantasy ever since.<br />
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Love the cover by <a href="https://www.jcalebdesign.com/" target="_blank">J Caleb Design</a>, the man is amazing.<br />
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Below is the amazon blurb.<br />
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<b>When you face a dragon, better a stout heart than a sharp sword… </b><br />
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Gathelaus the Sellsword returns to his stolen kingdom, only to find himself on a bleak and barren shore, far from the capitol. Rumors abound of a dragon terrorizing the land and he is determined to deal with the legendary monster.<br />
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But after assassins waylay him, he is forced off course through a haunted wood, where more monsters haunt in the dark places. To save the noble few, spells, blades and dragons won’t stop the Sellsword from leaving a swath of righteous carnage in his wake…<br />
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FURY is an action-packed heroic fantasy in the vein of classic pulp fiction meets Ragnarok. If you like dragons, larger-than-life characters, and witty humor, then you’ll love James Alderdice’s gritty tale.<br />
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Buy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082J8238P" target="_blank">FURY</a> to get lost in a bloody sword and sorcery adventure today!nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-91770814485197239092019-12-11T10:04:00.000-07:002019-12-11T10:04:09.047-07:00Let Sleeping Gods Lie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWzL7ckFjE5dxyGh2Hrr2ZK3Te2QRx62-W5iArklUYywQdyOM22UnhOMbwo1-dNVzP90-Hpd2mQUTQKYZRftOJFmfLDmZqYGRJWwuWhgdQkcRYBxNVLODZNc7x9YuyEKXHpA6Em7pRwzz/s1600/Sleeping-Gods-hi-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWzL7ckFjE5dxyGh2Hrr2ZK3Te2QRx62-W5iArklUYywQdyOM22UnhOMbwo1-dNVzP90-Hpd2mQUTQKYZRftOJFmfLDmZqYGRJWwuWhgdQkcRYBxNVLODZNc7x9YuyEKXHpA6Em7pRwzz/s320/Sleeping-Gods-hi-res.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
I've had plans for this one for years, but finally got down to business finishing up the ideas that had been percolating for a long time, ever since I read that Orrin Porter Rockwell, my real life-yet fictitious weird western character did actually spend time during the gold rush in a boom town named Murderer's Bar.<br />
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He even opened up a saloon and did all kinds of things to make money, like shooting contests! I have already written another story set in these days based on a real incident, though I'm not sure when BAD MEDICINE will see print as the publisher failed in their western kickstarter recently, so who knows, it might be awhile. In any case,<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZS2YW68" target="_blank"> LET SLEEPING GODS LIE</a> is out there on amazon with a print copy coming soonish.<br />
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I had so much fun writing this, one of the best times ever, just living in the moment with all the action, laughs and creepy Lovecraftian vibes shaking out. I was chuckling to myself quite often with some of the supporting characters among whom is Black Bart - yes that Black Bart who also makes a casual appearance in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Time-Dying-SAVANT-Book-ebook/dp/B07VST6WDL/ref=pd_sim_351_2/147-9071636-6736549?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07VST6WDL&pd_rd_r=c64b8342-b206-4018-b76c-d710561ba936&pd_rd_w=FtREp&pd_rd_wg=eDvvS&pf_rd_p=04d27813-a1f2-4e7b-a32b-b5ab374ce3f9&pf_rd_r=8H5G4ESTZSGER3VWQ0W6&psc=1&refRID=8H5G4ESTZSGER3VWQ0W6" target="_blank">IN MY TIME OF DYING</a>.<br />
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It was fun to reread some old Louis L'amour books and even a couple Lovecraft stories I had missed like The Strange High House in the Mist - because I have a hardly touched Lovecraftian god = Nodens making an appearance.<br />
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Oh yeah, also gotta love this cover by the fantastic Carter Reid.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-42481367511924459222019-10-21T10:55:00.000-06:002019-10-21T10:55:17.565-06:00Farewell Bani<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6A8JtORZWr_yRTM4dww7YqkK4ramkqnacVa7YpjbNOYPqUzw6FeVhsELBrl2tdgVVaAo9BnkwxDqeJtaYLxfLYb9TgZtLYdrSaOyeselXg093Ziae63NRuX_u_uHtna5eMSuFnGpkaCF/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6A8JtORZWr_yRTM4dww7YqkK4ramkqnacVa7YpjbNOYPqUzw6FeVhsELBrl2tdgVVaAo9BnkwxDqeJtaYLxfLYb9TgZtLYdrSaOyeselXg093Ziae63NRuX_u_uHtna5eMSuFnGpkaCF/s200/IMG_0462.JPG" width="150" /></a>I'm dumbfounded and dismayed that my longtime online friend Bani Kinnison passed away unexpectedly this last Wednesday morning. I had been friends with Bani for about the last eight + years. I met her on tumblr first where she was really active, sharing her artwork, selfies, memes and vintage pics. She had a great sense of humor.<br />
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She created so many pulp inspired pieces and she loved doing vintage and comic inspired art. I have bought a few of her pieces down through the years, and with the exception of a Frazetta Atlantis phone cover, as long as I have had smart-phones, it was her artwork that I used through one of the sites she sold materials on like <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/BunnyThePainter?asc=u" target="_blank">Redbubble</a> or <a href="https://society6.com/sunnybunny" target="_blank">Society 6</a>. If you see something you like this would be a good time to snag it to help out her loved ones.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCEN4bKp8T8u8SKNBO9GbCsRRN2KMv8MEPaXF07sJh7b_XkVY9BfCwkxppCwBTjth2Ogf3EW1_WbnjyRCkBrY7DdjCcoWhA8CF14_qvQJuagtk1jwe_EjMXY6YnuMltcMTpQWONoYCn3K/s1600/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="955" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCEN4bKp8T8u8SKNBO9GbCsRRN2KMv8MEPaXF07sJh7b_XkVY9BfCwkxppCwBTjth2Ogf3EW1_WbnjyRCkBrY7DdjCcoWhA8CF14_qvQJuagtk1jwe_EjMXY6YnuMltcMTpQWONoYCn3K/s200/IMG_0397.JPG" width="118" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCEN4bKp8T8u8SKNBO9GbCsRRN2KMv8MEPaXF07sJh7b_XkVY9BfCwkxppCwBTjth2Ogf3EW1_WbnjyRCkBrY7DdjCcoWhA8CF14_qvQJuagtk1jwe_EjMXY6YnuMltcMTpQWONoYCn3K/s1600/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I had intended on commissioning her to do a pulpy type book cover for me one day, but we never got beyond just talking about ideas.<br />
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Something that strikes me like thunder now, is that I had liked some of her Memento Mori work - she had taken some old cemetery stones and done designs with them that I liked. That theme was one that has been striking a chord with me lately, as I have a book coming soon with that title, but even more so it has had a synchronicity for me lately( with old friends younger than me passing away) and I've just gotta say to everyone, cherish and<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7HuCEK2dKDpwFaDEGoXF19LKWvaA8iTwTZDdY0wxaQOCDtAyIs9zfg5skSKB8aOGS1GJlcC_bsQfb4hEi6AfoAEJO-sR0qFjVCZK-yGKSUwYmqSj8v92L3X-EysVhPFVUVYrB9N_Cfaf/s1600/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></a>value the time you do have.<br />
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The theme of the phone she designed - I'm guessing it had to be among her last commissions, made me feel uncomfortable sharing it with more of her fanbase at large, but I figure my blog is quiet enough and just has my usual friends that I was ok posting it here.<br />
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So it was only a week ago I was chatting with Bani and told her I would like a Memento Mori phone case, she offered to get to work on some new designs and let me pick my favorite. She got to it and soon was showing off her work. I picked my favorite and she said it was her favorite of the designs too.<br />
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That I had only spoken to her a week before just stunned me, there was no warning that she was sick. I read that she thought she had a fever, but then passed out and was unable to be revived by the time she was taken to the emergency room. She was just about a month shy of her 45th birthday.<br />
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I miss her sense of humor and vitality and it is a stark reminder to appreciate life and loved one.<br />
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Farewell Bani, you were something else entire and the world was a brighter place with you in it.<br />
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nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-65768782829104419452019-10-14T16:02:00.002-06:002019-10-14T16:02:51.742-06:00Across the Threshold of Dream<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Doing a repost for the 25th anniversary of one of my favorite authors death. More people need to be aware of Karl Edward Wagner's incredible works! </div>
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Lest anyone be afeared of my losing that bizarre and esotericness I emblazon across my banner I have for your amusement a rather weird and strange tale, echoing of mad dreams, perhaps assisted by the Dark Muse herself.</div>
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Late last night I was working on a new title for a brand new opening I have written for <strong>Blood of Our Fathers</strong>. Originally <strong>Heroes of the Fallen </strong>and <em>Blood </em>were one book, but at its voluminous size I decided to submit it in half and it was thusly accepted, but that brought its own problems of making sure things were edited and for book 2 making an adjustment for the sake of continuity for the possible reader who has not read <em>Heroes.</em></div>
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I have written a new opening for <em>Blood</em> and was thinking on what I would like to title the opening chapter. I delight in naming each chapter as if it is it's own short story, plain numbers bore me, but I was at a loss for what to title this new opening. It involves a major character from <em>Heroes=Amaron </em>who is sometimes known as <em>the Lion.</em> Then I started thinking about some of my favorite pulp fantasy writers titles and I remembered an unused title by Karl Edward Wagner. He was going to write the then as yet untold tale of how Conan became king of Aquilonia and he was going to title it <strong>Day of the Lion</strong>. But L.Sprauge DeCamp who had the rights squashed that idea because he wanted to write that story himself. So KEW wrote <strong>The Road of Kings</strong> one of the best Conan pastiches, and <em>Day of the Lion </em>went unused. I should mention that DOTL was a play on Robert E. Howard's only Conan novel <strong>Hour of the Dragon</strong> and was a tale set after Conan has become king of the worlds greatest nation.I have discussed Karl's work before <a href="http://david-j-west.blogspot.com/2009/06/kane-cain-bigfoot-and-master-mahan.html">here.</a></div>
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Because of the possibility of using a Lion reference and name for my chapter I thought perhaps I would use the discarded title from a great influence and so I went to sleep.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKrxh4sjl52kPsxzc6LpBraYx9UM8sfaW8Q-YLj14w6uQvteIZvZJ62ejY3fPIzhfkPsF_bg1It4n2cchuJRBjxvVoJfyHyUquO47iluzXxZXfClRh0fLVhTv2QIKB7_2YX47KALZN7eO/s1600-h/sidebar_author_wagner.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392202203130777602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKrxh4sjl52kPsxzc6LpBraYx9UM8sfaW8Q-YLj14w6uQvteIZvZJ62ejY3fPIzhfkPsF_bg1It4n2cchuJRBjxvVoJfyHyUquO47iluzXxZXfClRh0fLVhTv2QIKB7_2YX47KALZN7eO/s320/sidebar_author_wagner.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 248px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 195px;" /></a></div>
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I dreamt I was in a biker bar talking with Karl and playing pool, getting along famously until I mentioned I was going to use his discarded title. He was not happy-he said we better step outside or some such. I said fine because I've been in a scrap or two, to quote Charlie Daniels, we went outside and exchanged fisticuffs. Needless to say neither one of us were definitively winning the fight and I awoke in the morning resolving that I would not use the title as it was not mine, not in the proper homage and to boot KEW did not want me to use it.</div>
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It wasn't until I was well into my day that I read online from some of the sites I frequent, that I realized today is the 15 year anniversary of Karl Edward Wagners death. I would think it an interesting coincidence but I don't believe in coincidence. So perhaps it was the Dark Muse that Wagner wrote about, playing with both alive and dead authors creating malevolent discord among those that should be friends.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-66413437992144834932019-07-29T16:58:00.000-06:002019-07-29T16:58:18.719-06:00IN MY TIME OF DYINGIts been a long time coming, I started work on this one about three years ago, got a good ways in and set it aside because life gets in the way sometimes, but it was always back there asking to be let loose.<br />
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So I pushed myself this early summer and finished up and LO, it was a bigger tale than I thought at first, so in addition to writing a novella that was set after the events of the book, I went back and rethought the storyline to #SAVANT and tweaked it a little. I like thinking of it as TRUE GRIT meets THE PRESTIGE.<br />
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So <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VST6WDL" target="_blank">IN MY TIME OF DYING</a> was released just a day ago and is already a bestselling New Release, so I'm grateful to everyone who has grabbed a copy and helps spread the word, I had a lot of folks just jump in and share it, so thank you all!<br />
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From the back cover, -<br />
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<u>A young woman seeking arcane knowledge. A saint of killers riding shotgun. And an immortal who wants to die… all aboard a runaway train.…</u></h2>
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Elizabeth Dee never expected a knock at the door would have her taking sides in a power struggle between two feuding wizards, but she discovers that she is the magical key to a cursed mystery centuries old. As she evades the murderous knights and demonic minions of the sinister Count of St. Germain, she learns more of her own true power and legacy…Her father never prepared her for anything like this…</div>
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But it’s dangerous to go it alone and she is going to need some protection, enter the infamous and touched, Porter Rockwell. If the legendary long-haired gunfighter can’t keep her safe, no one can…</div>
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Oh, and my son Mathias is becoming quite the artist and I am having him do a few illustrations for the print edition (I may add them to the kindle soon too)<br />
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I'd appreciate any of you all grabbing a copy and leaving an honest review, more than ever that is a boon to the writer, Thanks all.<br /><br />MEMENTO MORI and A MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN CARCOSA should be coming along very soon.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-71267667107064319572019-07-29T16:45:00.001-06:002019-07-29T16:45:52.573-06:00The Brutal Saga and more moving on...I've been remiss in keeping up with things, ah life.<br />
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Last time I was here, I meant to tell you all about how I went to Howard Days for the first time, then I released another book, FIERCE, then Savage, then I took it down cuz it sucked, then I went canoeing down the Green River with my sons - that was awesome and I think I will revisit some of those times and post more here later to fill in the gaps and have a sort of a live journal, but for now I'm playing catch up so here is the deal.<br />
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I released FIERCE in July of last year, rewrote SAVAGE and released that in April of this year, and then adjusted an older story - Whispers of the Goddess and added a little bit to make a new novella in the BRUTAL saga - VICIOUS.<br /><br />The next one WRATH is coming along - I hope to have it out in a month or two.<br />
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<br />nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-71124216700029532942018-05-17T14:03:00.000-06:002018-05-17T14:03:11.280-06:00Storyhack 2!!!All right, all right, all right! Storyhack 2 is<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3H9Z9P" target="_blank"> here</a> - actually the third one so far but who's counting?<br />
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My tale this time around is a sword and sorcerous novelette "The Crawlers Beneath Avaris" I was purposefully going for one of those old school pulp sounding titles. It is set in the same world as BRUTAL but is a long way away - how far away, you might ask? Well, good thing I've got a map coming with the next installment FIERCE.<br />
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My story involves a renegade general hiding out in one of the far flung cities on the lower continent, but things start to get heavy and he must move on. Here is a pic from the upcoming issue, with said Crawler.</div>
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Check out all the pulpy tales inside from a swath of great new authors!</div>
<br />nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-51150698496843904642018-02-19T11:45:00.002-07:002018-02-19T11:45:47.960-07:00BRUTAL gets the Audio Treatment<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZSD6b0HhqHU_8xSw4NSKf8noLyvmi2zScPjEBa9Lw_6GkCIvzsFPNWCZ_RLe-sItb_SDTBXKCEQvhSTWjQxpXJpz8fqPn7nyue-u76Sa4UbWTBAyhgPmsYZRTL7et1UTGa7PwNEQ2uKU/s1600/IMG_9415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZSD6b0HhqHU_8xSw4NSKf8noLyvmi2zScPjEBa9Lw_6GkCIvzsFPNWCZ_RLe-sItb_SDTBXKCEQvhSTWjQxpXJpz8fqPn7nyue-u76Sa4UbWTBAyhgPmsYZRTL7et1UTGa7PwNEQ2uKU/s320/IMG_9415.JPG" width="320" /></a>My first audiobook is under the pen name. It beats out Scavengers which I am assured is close on its heels.<br />
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But I am pleased to announce that<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brutal-Trilogy-Book-1/dp/B079K6FD2T/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">BRUTAL </a>goes audio as of tomorrow thanks to Tantor audio which approached me at the close of the year. I am stoked and sincerely hope you guys will check it out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brutal-Trilogy-Book-1/dp/B079K6FD2T/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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And of course all the reviews you guys can throw my way are much appreciated. They make a bigger difference than most people know.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-86744898740127948972018-02-11T22:18:00.000-07:002018-02-11T22:18:12.847-07:00Farewell Jc Johnson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29ta5zMKLQOLa94EztIT_ZzVcKt4dfTDW2UjjIVhjZqlKVQ1DZjoG3CpeC1yYFxwEuisGEO4w16B7vOo2TN_yBTWvEn5oUbXHX0UQ_4wXOv_KF4ziwdFrvJoC4Zcg6787cbNkg0sIbrGY/s1600/IMG_9383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29ta5zMKLQOLa94EztIT_ZzVcKt4dfTDW2UjjIVhjZqlKVQ1DZjoG3CpeC1yYFxwEuisGEO4w16B7vOo2TN_yBTWvEn5oUbXHX0UQ_4wXOv_KF4ziwdFrvJoC4Zcg6787cbNkg0sIbrGY/s320/IMG_9383.JPG" width="320" /></a>My friend and brilliant crypto researcher Jc Johnson passed away this last week from complications with pneumonia. I'm saddened and feel for his family and friends. He had so many amazing experiences that he freely shared with others and he was a giving, spiritual human being even though he liked to bill himself as a foul mouthed, hard drinking, lecherous, adventure man.<br />
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He shared a lot of interesting strange things about the southwest specifically the 4 corners area and he was the founder of Crypto 4 Corners. There are a load of interesting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cryptofourcorners" target="_blank">YouTube </a>videos he has posted if you are into that kind of thing. He also shared some interesting things here and there which have found their way into some of my works, such as the very real "L" shaped fortress in <i>Crazy Horses</i>.<br />
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Its hard, I always wanted to be able to go camping with him and share stories around the fire and it just wont happen, but I'm truly grateful for his friendship and legacy. I was also working on a book of which the main character was going to be based on him. When I talked to him about the name, he said I could just use his so I'm like all right I will.<br />
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That work is probably a ways off, but I hope to give him a little pulp immortality in my own way. Thanks for everything JC, you were definitely One in a Million.<br />
<br />nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-61698024331207722272018-01-31T13:03:00.002-07:002018-01-31T13:03:53.300-07:00What have You Been Working On?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmapiDJD5YP08Yd9EOlox2CIt50ft31jGPWUnl3k_5RYBfSp6JkdfHtcy6m62CUnZy6ojCUMcjAQevM0hBibr_pit4b4mw5HqAilUlEWR1rqcizmNsanWKUhJ_txeLwp-OWyI9ux-w8uMe/s1600/VonDrakk-Box_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="400" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmapiDJD5YP08Yd9EOlox2CIt50ft31jGPWUnl3k_5RYBfSp6JkdfHtcy6m62CUnZy6ojCUMcjAQevM0hBibr_pit4b4mw5HqAilUlEWR1rqcizmNsanWKUhJ_txeLwp-OWyI9ux-w8uMe/s320/VonDrakk-Box_0.jpg" width="320" /></a>Just realized I haven't blogged all year - whew and here we are on January 31st!<br />
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I've taken longer on getting to work on my sequel to BRUTAL - FIERCE though I am a good ways along, part of that is that I have taken way longer on a game novelization than I ever meant.<br />
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It still doesn't have a title, but it is part of the Super Dungeon Explore game, I'm doing the third book in the series taking place in the Glauerdoom Moor and Von Drakk Manor - but its off to the editor now and aside from a few things to flesh out characters better and have it jive with the other books in the series I'm finally done. I believe it should be out in Mayish? Maybe a little longer.<br />
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Its a fun little pulpy action/ Dungeons and Dragons by way of Ravenloft type adventure.<br />
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Now ist back to my own overdue projects.<br />
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How about you guys?nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-90433242909441532382017-12-27T23:23:00.000-07:002017-12-27T23:23:26.816-07:00Year in Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe it's gone, 2017, so full full of hopes and dreams and yet there were plenty of people ready to kick it in the balls like a mule, just for existing. Plenty of bad news and yet, it was pretty good for. Its been my most successful year yet as far as writing goes, beginning with great success for SCAVENGERS, the sequel CRAZY HORSES and then my first pen name novel BRUTAL which surpassed the other books easily. Audio-books (both <i>Scavengers</i> and <i>Brutal</i> - should be out withing a month or so) are coming early in the new year and I'm very excited for that, and I had quite a few short stories out this year too - always a good sign, there no money in them to speak of, but shorts have a dear place in my heart.<br />
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Things have been great with the family and I have had a blast with my writing friends at the cons and such. I am planning on really kicking things into gear in the new year - I know I always say that, but this time I mean it. I feel like I now know enough about marketing and such to crank up the success meter with writing and all I've got to do is produce, produce, produce = write, write, write!<br />
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So for the rest of Year in Review, I'll talk about things I liked.<br />
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Favorite movie? Hell if I know, I'm trying to think of anything I saw, worth a damn. I probably enjoyed the Marvel movies most.<br />
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Favorite food? I had a lot of steak this year, the more expensive cuts I get used to the more I need to keep having them and not worrying about price- ah the joys of success.<br />
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Favorite trip/travel this year? I did have a good Christmas vacation to see my folks with the kids but the best trip this year was definitely my wife and I's getaway to Maui - it was awesome, beautiful, romantic and I even got quite a bit of writing in too.<br />
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Favorite Music? New/Current music is getting harder and harder for me to enjoy, though I do like Sir Sly, Portugal the Man, and Atlas Genius. Instead I've been listening to a lot of old school funk because my 2 year old loves it so much, I'm talking Earth, Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang, Ric James, The Commodores, Sly Stone, Parliament Funkadelic, Chic, Marvin Gaye etc etc<br /><br />Oh and I have been enjoying the instrumental score work of Daniel Pemberton from King Arthur Legend of the Sword and The Man from Uncle. Good writing mood music.<br />
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Now the real reason you're here Books:<br />
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I can't narrow it down to any one but I can talk about the ones that really grabbed me.<br />
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Kings of the Wyld, by Nicolaus Eames<br />Bear in mind that this book is actin movie fun, its adventure, ts monsters, its funny and so on, never mind that this fantasy world couldn't really exist geopolitically and there are numerous anachronisms in there - its still a very enjoyable read with great characters and dialogue. I might have said it would be better if it was a little more realistic? serius? but then it wouldn't be Kings of the Wyld.<br />
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Blackwing, by Ed McDonald<br />
This is where you complain that there is no pleasing me. I loved Blackwing, wonderful sorcerous grit and surprises, but what do I think would have made it even better? - If it had just a little more humor it could have been a classic. So there, too much in Kings, not enough in Blackwing, maybe if Eames and McDonald collaborated??? Again, this is all just a reflection on me and my eclectic tastes.<br />
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The Burning Isle, by Will Panzo<br />
It has a premise similar to mine in Brutal, stranger comes to town and starts tearing it up - playing the bad guys against each other = Yojimbo, Fistful of Dollars, Red Harvest etc etc<br />This is a little different in that it is magic duels instead of samurai or gunfights, but still, great characters and motivations, there were some good surprises and one thing I just loved - there is a character that its totally Karl Edward Wagner's KANE. I mean its not Kane, nobody ever calls him Kane but between you and me = ITS KANE! I even asked Will on twitter about it and he pretty much confirmed.<br />
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Witchy Eye, by Dave Butler<br />
Dave has been my friend for a long time and I knew this book was coming like five years ago! = Traditional publishing schedules people - anyhow, it is a dense fantasy world in what might have been America. I don't know of anyone else working today with as many layered nuances begging for continual rereads to catch all the depth as Butler, I'm going to have to dive in again before the sequel comes out.<br />
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There are quite a few other books I'm forgetting in the moment and several from friends I meant to get to and haven't yet, - BUT I WILL.<br />
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So, in closing, I hope you all have a great New Years and I'll see you on the other side.<br />
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p.s. Some shots of things to come<br />
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<br />nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-67392037342119200422017-12-21T01:11:00.003-07:002017-12-21T01:11:44.583-07:00Fantasy Noir or The Maltese Falcon with Monster Girls<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JXfFIDigACHgc5Ig_-G3C2A-2suyWfDxsa9F0-8wT3MCk1n5RPQqcv6vmD0JPnbditzlqeSwQ-l3hb2cJNuWCds_7UcuTtWe2A24CPVahs1UIhB8CXlHfJGXwVSUSJfLJV1HEtBBYVaK/s1600/HP_SamSpade.FA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="368" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JXfFIDigACHgc5Ig_-G3C2A-2suyWfDxsa9F0-8wT3MCk1n5RPQqcv6vmD0JPnbditzlqeSwQ-l3hb2cJNuWCds_7UcuTtWe2A24CPVahs1UIhB8CXlHfJGXwVSUSJfLJV1HEtBBYVaK/s320/HP_SamSpade.FA.jpg" width="293" /></a>I've always been a fan of noir, and the older I get the more I think I appreciate the grim attitude and sense of corruption bleeding around the edges of smoke filled back alleys and luxurious parties. It just makes good fiction. Among my favorite works are classics by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, and of course my introduction to them was through film and the amazing Humphrey Bogart first, I didn't read the books until quite a bit later.<br />
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So when my friend Jason King asked a few of his author pals if we would be interested in writing stories set in his world of Valcoria, I thought sure - IF - I can still do it my way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfBrug-ecPDoCXf5MGbForyJ_Fsv4QiFuzjWztGkpaC5f84QWbnoh_wgTHa1qtcqIv-IsNwcKKgzAL646o70s65xo4Z5nkSRT6onvieSzELc7tpleMQbWqGZYcBcwKuxhR8dI8NmAcVvN/s1600/cover1000-7-678x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfBrug-ecPDoCXf5MGbForyJ_Fsv4QiFuzjWztGkpaC5f84QWbnoh_wgTHa1qtcqIv-IsNwcKKgzAL646o70s65xo4Z5nkSRT6onvieSzELc7tpleMQbWqGZYcBcwKuxhR8dI8NmAcVvN/s320/cover1000-7-678x1024.jpg" width="211" /></a>As luck would have it, Jason was actually kind of hoping that we would take his premise and run with it and help him flesh it out a bit, as it turned out he was very happy with how we did things and especially with my novella - because my story kept growing - he changed up a bit for the next book he has coming. So this isn't just a bunch of screenshots of stories set in his world, these are integral points in the ongoing series, so I'm excited for that. Especially since I went all fantasy detective noir with my story - <i>Jia For Luck</i>.<br />
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In the world of Valcoria, Jia is another name for magical power, people have a Jia of Strength, Intelligence, Power, Magic's etc etc<br />
My world weary protagonist, Tam Zphinx, isn't so blessed with anything except perhaps an amazing amount of luck considering all the trouble he gets into, throw in some gorgeous dames and monstrous killers and you've got a winning combination.<br />
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Here is the Table of contents<br /><i>Prologue</i><br />
<i>Ice Witch</i>, <b>James Wymore</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_VAArMs3PGz9hW5D5LdmjBljt8rqub5lQWlGouSMrE-CfmGPyvpWG26iZY69QNJjUfPQVAB9HVgis9x-bZzMRn7LDwI3POCJn0fUND66aYwuG_bNCo0ER1kL4jfCgPm7ZZ2SIdrBalZB/s1600/220px-seek%253D31-The_Big_Sleep_trailer_%25281946%2529.webm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_VAArMs3PGz9hW5D5LdmjBljt8rqub5lQWlGouSMrE-CfmGPyvpWG26iZY69QNJjUfPQVAB9HVgis9x-bZzMRn7LDwI3POCJn0fUND66aYwuG_bNCo0ER1kL4jfCgPm7ZZ2SIdrBalZB/s1600/220px-seek%253D31-The_Big_Sleep_trailer_%25281946%2529.webm.jpg" /></a><i>Vaekra Take Me</i>, <b>D.J. Butler</b><br />
<i>A Dream of Clouds</i>, <b>Mathew Cox</b><br />
<i>Interlude 1</i><br />
<i>Tremors Within The Storm</i>, <b>Daniel Swenson</b><br />
<i>Thought Power,</i><b> Sarah E. Seeley</b><br />
<i>By Blade & Blood</i>, <b>C.J. Workman</b><br />
<i>Interlude 11</i><br />
<i>Just Breathe</i>, <b>Holli Anderson</b><br />
<i>Jia For Luck</i>, <b>David J. West</b><br />
<i>Epilogue</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicagCeOAV0ZucgeDFPiLphbJeu-mQVO8IjfUZ0i7VSYoYV-KfglhbL2r-zC1xsUewDyXSxLyeOT5MJr4SkspI_BJ0_ZTU-FCNSlZDXGFFEqxqJ1kcJItePpO7gKatpO3XdrlvKC96n2M05/s1600/e9de42e28668d4fa26b80473cecdc5b6--maltese-falcon-falcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicagCeOAV0ZucgeDFPiLphbJeu-mQVO8IjfUZ0i7VSYoYV-KfglhbL2r-zC1xsUewDyXSxLyeOT5MJr4SkspI_BJ0_ZTU-FCNSlZDXGFFEqxqJ1kcJItePpO7gKatpO3XdrlvKC96n2M05/s320/e9de42e28668d4fa26b80473cecdc5b6--maltese-falcon-falcons.jpg" width="225" /></a>Oh and just like I used <i>Jia</i> from Jason's stories my good friend Dave Butler used <i>Vaekra Take Me</i> as his title, that being one of the swears, Jason incorporated into the books, funny thing is, I actually thought about using that as my title, until realizing Butler already did!<br />
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Anyhow, check it out if you're so inclined, this 22K novella is my last release for 2017!<br />
Available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Valcoria-Awakenings-Jason-King-ebook/dp/B078HFG25W/ref=la_B004AIN4W4_1_35?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513841258&sr=1-35&refinements=p_82%3AB004AIN4W4" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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and if I had to do a one sentence description of my story, I think I'd go with<br /><i>The Maltese Falcon with Monster Girls. </i><br />
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<br />nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-87796371733488020952017-11-29T22:41:00.000-07:002017-11-29T22:41:06.611-07:00Progress Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eaU42Eh8FUsl62WXD-t_HG0hzkrZPorW6MVjLmep0jDqH1-rozQbg3rAPyM7SJG_FPy4gpFzXXb9G7TnG_S0jjSl_1H9mbz0f2Xk82A1fsEPcJiUZuANEnIwcLa8SS05IceBbR4aPzU-/s1600/1800x2700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eaU42Eh8FUsl62WXD-t_HG0hzkrZPorW6MVjLmep0jDqH1-rozQbg3rAPyM7SJG_FPy4gpFzXXb9G7TnG_S0jjSl_1H9mbz0f2Xk82A1fsEPcJiUZuANEnIwcLa8SS05IceBbR4aPzU-/s200/1800x2700.jpg" width="133" /></a>Wow! November came and went!<br />
While I did not officially join the NANO club, I did hammer out more than 50K words in November, but sometimes its a little hard to tell.<br />
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I'm still tinkering with a project - it is not yet titled, but it is a novelization within a series of a popular game. It is supposed to be out next May - but I don't know more than that really. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVmkZ9ZK13Q0W9ZY8ASUM9wS_rBMQJM5BYOkpkG8OGtWJJqLFzuNqpXiyO7vA4w7jHiWbNi5IfhL-6M80179qH74Jk7OmUVYrS1sVddTC4_QdOm9sQUFFMwxtlymD0tNTWQbfismFv0QP/s1600/Sleeping-Gods-hi-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVmkZ9ZK13Q0W9ZY8ASUM9wS_rBMQJM5BYOkpkG8OGtWJJqLFzuNqpXiyO7vA4w7jHiWbNi5IfhL-6M80179qH74Jk7OmUVYrS1sVddTC4_QdOm9sQUFFMwxtlymD0tNTWQbfismFv0QP/s200/Sleeping-Gods-hi-res.jpg" width="133" /></a>When it comes to my own stuff, I had an 80k (very) rough draft for what was going to be the sequel to <b>BRUTAL</b> titled <b>FIERCE</b> and I decided I didn't like where it was going, it was a fine story but it was not the next step in the progression of the overall saga, so that has been shelved and restarted fresh. 44K so far and i'm hoping to finish by the end of December so I can have a January release. I'm really planning on going big guns for 2018.<br />
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2017 has been so successful for me and I want to keep all that moving on the uptick.<br />
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I am also behind on at least two Porter projects - Book 3 in the Dark Trails saga - <b>You Only Hang Once</b> and a shorter Lovecraftian standalone <b>Let Sleeping Gods Lie</b>.<br />
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Both covers are done - along with a mess of others I'm still writing, but those are priorities along with the Brutal trilogy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JjoMnku1jd8_XN1ZepA0g2MxpXHacvlZH2MjcWfJaqtxZkdt_zdhxKge6Yo3_A0GAdYWazbfSEiAHyturwx3BQiGUXywpY5R2VWEWjNt76l0fvbaEZy3PjMhGVS6mQQzZwf3RoCQoL84/s1600/WineDarkSea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JjoMnku1jd8_XN1ZepA0g2MxpXHacvlZH2MjcWfJaqtxZkdt_zdhxKge6Yo3_A0GAdYWazbfSEiAHyturwx3BQiGUXywpY5R2VWEWjNt76l0fvbaEZy3PjMhGVS6mQQzZwf3RoCQoL84/s200/WineDarkSea.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
But of course I can never just stick to one thing and finish it, can I? I also did 5k on a piece I'm calling <b>Wine Dark Sea</b> = imagine Hunter S. Thompson going to the vanishing Aral Sea hunting for evidence of vampires in the wake of the collapsed Soviet Union - its just weird wild fun. Unknown when I'll finish it, but so far its been a blast.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-59515865561813062102017-10-30T04:00:00.000-06:002017-10-30T04:00:03.625-06:00Pulp Stories Galore!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlvJRY3OYJ3qnCGmGEMJqWmNGV0mO75S43RQulms-j1A__nuXMg0YW4KiRRdznFS6-sIYPicbsjOhjLXP3HXr5ZdovVB0qTF09ieTGqHP6yPkxr4fttPrVM9ApYNQS2y43_uMsNQKbUQv/s1600/coverOne_small-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="701" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlvJRY3OYJ3qnCGmGEMJqWmNGV0mO75S43RQulms-j1A__nuXMg0YW4KiRRdznFS6-sIYPicbsjOhjLXP3HXr5ZdovVB0qTF09ieTGqHP6yPkxr4fttPrVM9ApYNQS2y43_uMsNQKbUQv/s200/coverOne_small-1.jpg" width="140" /></a>October has been pretty good to me so far, not too hot, not too cold and books and books and more books are coming!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZlIduQNEHPQDIj4-7q8VYcMh7JXyZZZ-NeuZZycDJPwNP7BWpy-6GWrxymEGaTJTkGfuYYy4ODmv-NZTWcJLt-Gs0UAyapmlK7DNsSyxGvkv0uITTX_euY77LGVHlPYQus_-6OjCe9wE/s1600/IMG_8706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1053" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZlIduQNEHPQDIj4-7q8VYcMh7JXyZZZ-NeuZZycDJPwNP7BWpy-6GWrxymEGaTJTkGfuYYy4ODmv-NZTWcJLt-Gs0UAyapmlK7DNsSyxGvkv0uITTX_euY77LGVHlPYQus_-6OjCe9wE/s200/IMG_8706.JPG" width="131" /></a>So, quite a few short stories of mine came out this month and it was a surprise.<br />
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All right, I knew this one was coming, I just wasn't sure when it would drop but <a href="https://www.amazon.com/StoryHack-Action-Adventure-Issue-1-ebook/dp/B075TVYBH2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Story Hack #1</a> is here! It's full of great pulpy stories and the man behind it Bryce Beatty, is going all out on the art!<br />
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I could n't be more pleased with both the cover and the interior art. I love this rendition of Porter Rockwell he has for it! My tale is <i>UNDER THE GUN</i> a creepy weird western about a possessed gun. Check it out!<br />
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The next one was a big surprise as I thought the anthology had just vanished into thin air, but Rogues Blade Entertainment which put together some top notch Sword and Sorcery collections a few odd years ago kinda went into hibernation.<br />
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I'm very pleased to see that Jason Waltz has awoken and is putting out material again. This one is the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Discovery-Rogue-Blades-Presents-ebook/dp/B076NX6W6F/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Challenge: Discovery</a> collection. This one was begun in 2010? and features quite a list of S&S and has my tale <i>THE SERPENTS ROOT </i>about a thief who will do anything to save her sister, even facing down the dreaded cockatrice!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLQPS-r1MxW6LscfwBO3M5saTS77LyFmT6hmAzpas3Baw0v20wx3eWX4A-EkEkcHz7pxehHhQ41prhJTQC6LiQ5zPpfyOj30qAd9yt2hNpbJWcpaVmjIaWsBhhfrrL0DF3UA2XVb8T2Tm/s1600/ShaneV-Deep-Forest-2010-Challenge-Discovery+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1187" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLQPS-r1MxW6LscfwBO3M5saTS77LyFmT6hmAzpas3Baw0v20wx3eWX4A-EkEkcHz7pxehHhQ41prhJTQC6LiQ5zPpfyOj30qAd9yt2hNpbJWcpaVmjIaWsBhhfrrL0DF3UA2XVb8T2Tm/s200/ShaneV-Deep-Forest-2010-Challenge-Discovery+%25282%2529.jpg" width="146" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7AuPUJFfnMxGqKglevDvyEbcESMoE6Icq66n-Li5rqjFE3WHnXh8XUUM-1W6GskTH4_MVLxr5dcTJOW3ItG-LfJloh3xAyMBvln-Kxsf78gPPSSeKiOrv35xitgVeFf8ATBxb1oA3L-z/s1600/IMG_8707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7AuPUJFfnMxGqKglevDvyEbcESMoE6Icq66n-Li5rqjFE3WHnXh8XUUM-1W6GskTH4_MVLxr5dcTJOW3ItG-LfJloh3xAyMBvln-Kxsf78gPPSSeKiOrv35xitgVeFf8ATBxb1oA3L-z/s200/IMG_8707.JPG" width="133" /></a>This pic of the cover is sans text, and I really wanted to share it because all of our stories were supposed to be inspired by V. Shanes art work. So I added in panthers to a story that hadn't had them before.<br />
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And another surprise is the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PulpRev-Sampler-Anthology-2017-Mollison-ebook/dp/B076WH49CS/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1509334651&sr=1-5&keywords=david+j+west" target="_blank">Pulp Rev Sampler</a> this was a collection asking for short pieces in the pulp revolution vein. <br />
All of them are supposed t be under 2,500 words so it is literally a sampler. I turned in one titled <i>Wings in the Night</i>, it does say from the forthcoming Walking Through Walls and that's my bad it should read Gods & Robbers, I screwed up but such is life. It is a never before released story, so that' cool.<br />
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Its a glimpse into the escape of a prisoner and ties into some things I had previously written in The Mad Song collection and its all part of a bigger work I have planned, set in the same world as BRUTAL albeit quite far away from that setting.<br />
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In any case, hope you'll check them out while you're waiting for more novels.<br />
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All the best<br />
Davidnephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-50762726980405868002017-10-10T23:11:00.001-06:002017-10-10T23:11:26.954-06:00Grimtoberfest Has Arrived<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXdVHRVeSi8q78M4CzcQiXlwhS8_XwHBuJPTrl7viHGOaSgN09JlfYC5t8OhS_dM4zOUgcxECVCeZy_zz75Bd5o2TxNKeCVXoz6Db4GxoCjsVkdtk0AOuOEZ7hve6txh554n4cQOsMCxu/s1600/22365246_502973996744762_931809540947688989_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="960" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXdVHRVeSi8q78M4CzcQiXlwhS8_XwHBuJPTrl7viHGOaSgN09JlfYC5t8OhS_dM4zOUgcxECVCeZy_zz75Bd5o2TxNKeCVXoz6Db4GxoCjsVkdtk0AOuOEZ7hve6txh554n4cQOsMCxu/s320/22365246_502973996744762_931809540947688989_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Grimtoberfest is here and I have joined the dark horde of grimdark fantasy writers in doing an siege on our own pocketbooks with this joint slashing of prices on our respective books.<br />
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I've got my own novel BRUTAL cut down to .99 cents for the next few days. Check out the rest of the catalog from these rogues <a href="http://www.robjhayes.co.uk/grimtoberfest17/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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p.s.<br />
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I should also mention I've re-released a collection under the pen name that some of you may already be familiar with - what was <i>Whispers of the Goddess</i> has been rebooted under the James Alderdice banner as <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Slayer-James-Alderdice-ebook/dp/B0769FRNH2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">The Slayer</a><br />
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I just wanted that to be clear, so nobody grabbed the book twice. I meant to add another Tyr story to the collection but just didn't quite get around to it - this has been a hard month for writing and I'm still way behind.<br />
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Til next time<br />
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Davidnephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-46182388725803317622017-10-09T00:01:00.000-06:002017-10-09T00:01:32.298-06:00All the Cons<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtrLjiS08LleUokjtFJShGajjzMdi72VDhgXPninwZgl9BZLrkJbEdA08QtutHBCtwEPztvp5ew7tXeXv-Ednwxg75f2Cd5bYL7E65jc0j2Evd2rpiKA7PQqA-A6kvqkpPZDjdvST7v1a/s1600/3B317C3F-63F0-47CF-B3B3-B6DB14BB6866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtrLjiS08LleUokjtFJShGajjzMdi72VDhgXPninwZgl9BZLrkJbEdA08QtutHBCtwEPztvp5ew7tXeXv-Ednwxg75f2Cd5bYL7E65jc0j2Evd2rpiKA7PQqA-A6kvqkpPZDjdvST7v1a/s320/3B317C3F-63F0-47CF-B3B3-B6DB14BB6866.jpg" width="320" /></a>I didn't get much writing done this last month, as I had two cons I was at as a guest, Salt Lake Comic Con and the first annual Snake River Comic Con.<br />
Salt Lake is great as it is so big and has some phenomenal guests and I always enjoy being there and hanging with friends and meeting new people, but at Snake River I had one of the best times with friends in forever.<br />
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Me and the Space Balrogs (D.J. Butler, Jason King, James Wymore, Holli Anderson and Daniel Swenson - not pictured Bob Defendi and Craig Nybo) spent a whole lot of time together laughing and selling books and speaking on panels and then we even got a makeshift game of Dungeons and Dragons together for Holli's benefit - she had never played before and I gotta tell you I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time. It was a great con and we met some great people and I can't wait to go back next year.<br />
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So I'll throw in a swath of pics from both. Here ya go.<br />
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<br />nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-72403618409472853572017-09-17T20:44:00.003-06:002017-09-17T20:44:49.900-06:00Walking Through Walls<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FM_xLFdIIoIrkwHjdCnyL7hQR5envNPJR-lLjFM50WM_WqAlZR6XGQfK1YKwiSU-Zut6ddewTnmxgDg44UNbXUT-MFJ4mdBoEIhrjILqU4cTxHjeu0u7CJMVM7er4mFnQRTsbj09lwqF/s1600/WalkingThroughWalls+-+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="628" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FM_xLFdIIoIrkwHjdCnyL7hQR5envNPJR-lLjFM50WM_WqAlZR6XGQfK1YKwiSU-Zut6ddewTnmxgDg44UNbXUT-MFJ4mdBoEIhrjILqU4cTxHjeu0u7CJMVM7er4mFnQRTsbj09lwqF/s320/WalkingThroughWalls+-+02.jpg" width="200" /></a>A writing experiment I did across 2014-2016 was <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Through-Walls-Robbers-Novella-ebook/dp/B075561RPF/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Walking Through Walls</a>, an ongoing fantasy noir serial that ran in Utah Geek Magazine. My tale ran for the first 13 issues and came out to just about 30K words. Not too long, not too short.<br />
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I was sitting on it for awhile but with the relative success of BRUTAL and my pen name of James Alderdice, I decided I might as well release Walking Through Walls too just to build up a backlist for the fantasy based pen name.<br />
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It is set in the same secondary world as BRUTAL but is centrally based in Tolburn, the biggest dirtiest city in that world, whereas BRUTAL is taking place in a dirty backwater far removed from the rest of the goings on. There are no character crossovers or mentions yet, maybe just some very simple geographic references - And I don't even have an official map made up yet.<br />
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In my mind it is a prequel of sorts to something I have been working on for ages and brainstorming that I'm calling GODS & ROBBERS.<br />
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I looked at the project as a writing exercise since I had to come up with a quick tale of around 2,000 to 2,500 words an issue and hook the reader each time, have a wrap-up but also a cliffhanger for the next chapter. It was fun but perhaps lacks the flow of a novel. Most of it is first person featuring a character named Kenaz, who is no secret prince, no chosen one waiting to be called forth, no great fighter, no man of means or anything special, but he can travel outside his body and gather information. So that's his semi-criminal profession, but then he gets wrapped up in a job for multiple employers that all conflict with one another and that's where he gets smacked with a fistful of trouble.<br /><br />Toward the end though I really wanted some scenes with a side character so the narrative drifts from first person to third and back again. Probably not the best format and definitely something I won't do for the continuation of the Gods & Robbers saga.<br />
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I've been having it available at 2.99 but think I'll do a promotion to <a href="http://.99/">.99</a> for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Through-Walls-Robbers-Novella-ebook/dp/B075561RPF/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Walking Through Walls </a>by the weekend just to give it a little more traction. So if any of you feel like checking it out, that'd be great. And as always reviews are forever appreciated.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-4841589084801717532017-08-24T23:00:00.001-06:002017-08-24T23:00:47.851-06:00Mirages and Speculations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ETCpb3rtbxVLP7ZbFV1Av6mCNb7C8ct6uk0yt5IW_kMRPbZUR4RYZAzrxA4dHMbdZz1YvQIELUrshGVXAvyfBES851Ij2y-NxQDRpIijKEfk0omKYB6wC9e4NbCSlGI9Fuc6rmeUfoBq/s1600/Mirages_and_Speculations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ETCpb3rtbxVLP7ZbFV1Av6mCNb7C8ct6uk0yt5IW_kMRPbZUR4RYZAzrxA4dHMbdZz1YvQIELUrshGVXAvyfBES851Ij2y-NxQDRpIijKEfk0omKYB6wC9e4NbCSlGI9Fuc6rmeUfoBq/s320/Mirages_and_Speculations.jpg" width="213" /></a>A short weird western of mine has just been reprinted in Mirages and Speculations: Science Fiction and Fantasy from the Desert - available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mirages-Speculations-Science-Fiction-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B074YK451D/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1503636131&sr=1-1&keywords=mirages+and+speculations" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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Many of you are likely as not, already familiar with it - Garden of Legion - a weird western about Porter Rockwell dealing with the evil spirits of Legion inhabiting an ocean of tumbleweeds.<br />
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It is a favorite of mine and I'm pleased to see it out in another collection of local authors. Thanks to Jay Barnson for recommending me to the editor and thanks to the editor Lyn Worthen for enjoying it enough to include it.<br />
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Thus far, I think the only other tale I have read yet is Dave Butler's, SEVEN STARS because I got to read it at least two years ago, when we were talking about stories for a Western Eldritch collection that still has not happened - poke, poke, poke at Nathan Shumate.<br />
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Its delightfully weird and creepy, and I highly recomend it to any and all who like a little Lovecraft in the american west.<br /><br />I personally know at least half of the other authors but haven't read any of the others as yet. I'll remedy that soon.<br />
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Til next time.nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-11963988727435622062017-08-03T14:48:00.000-06:002017-08-03T14:48:53.954-06:00At The Highways of Madness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZLRBBCNQ1WULzNUp2DK8NAtChOA-R2VGjUh23n9dxBLRzB-pM7dxvOA6ttnCmOP1Q0BQiFJB7ngqlGxoE2DRW9ivTcypEr4NzjnxaX_wWPZb51UFO8-mmpcpxDhmYFRKEJ0jIhsa5hv-/s1600/Highways-low-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZLRBBCNQ1WULzNUp2DK8NAtChOA-R2VGjUh23n9dxBLRzB-pM7dxvOA6ttnCmOP1Q0BQiFJB7ngqlGxoE2DRW9ivTcypEr4NzjnxaX_wWPZb51UFO8-mmpcpxDhmYFRKEJ0jIhsa5hv-/s320/Highways-low-res.jpg" width="213" /></a>I've been remiss in keeping up with the blog, letting things slide as I try to accomplish the "real" writing.<br />
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In any case, besides BRUTAL - which has been receiving some great reviews - Thanks Keith and Fantasia Reviews! I also put out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/At-Highways-Madness-Journey-Dreamlands-ebook/dp/B073WB3ZXJ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">At the Highways of Madness</a> along with a few semi-related bonus stories - (all previously released) in part I just thought the story was long enough at 22k to warrant its own book and I loved my own idea for the cover which I commissioned the indomitable Carter Reid to do.<br />
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So I'm pretty stoked, yet - it hasn't been selling too well. Though I did have a great review by the Injustice Gamer, so that was cool. Maybe enough people already bought Redneck Eldritch or perhaps my sense of humor isn't too pc these days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-17Sm4zVtq4DYfc3ByZzAevJiCcf3JfF2qptC_pCElRYgAzGJov-hFIVvveGu3SJzRfkg3ewJZmceaGD_89XqaP4BgwqlEK4q3sl395cFxKhFpWfVeXxk0srerL1EC9marTMZoPDdu7lt/s1600/0001+lebowski.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="500" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-17Sm4zVtq4DYfc3ByZzAevJiCcf3JfF2qptC_pCElRYgAzGJov-hFIVvveGu3SJzRfkg3ewJZmceaGD_89XqaP4BgwqlEK4q3sl395cFxKhFpWfVeXxk0srerL1EC9marTMZoPDdu7lt/s320/0001+lebowski.png" width="320" /></a>The fun for me was working on what is essentially the Dude and Walter from Big Lebowski as truckers who meddle with something that crashes beside the highway in the remote desert and then find themselves pursued by a host of Lovecraftian monsters and also get a beautiful hitchhiker who just happens to be the daughter of Nyarlathotep.<br />
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I had a so much fun writing this one (ore than I initially believed I could writing rednecks) while not making fun of them so much as showing the situational humor and the difference in how salt of the earth types might react as opposed to be maddened and going insane like stuffy types from Miskatonic. Check it out!<br /><br />On the horizon.<br />I will have another Porter Rockwell weird western short story "Under the Gun" in the forthcoming Storyhack #1<br />
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Whenever they get round to it I have a short S&S tale "Stygian Black" about Abdul Alhazared in a forthcoming Skelos mag - I was told either issue 3 or 4.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwuWAdai_7qeldSWsED4QYYmhkh3MI32qf2smlHf_i8NhipHclACLW50kegwfRCWGnQDUL-kr6fDPDOEQYA-tCiuvm4r9KGIOlVNqJbzL2mNUTdOQ4jkMlwnsEJto0esdr9a1OQiGkaUk/s1600/I+love+Nyarlathotep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwuWAdai_7qeldSWsED4QYYmhkh3MI32qf2smlHf_i8NhipHclACLW50kegwfRCWGnQDUL-kr6fDPDOEQYA-tCiuvm4r9KGIOlVNqJbzL2mNUTdOQ4jkMlwnsEJto0esdr9a1OQiGkaUk/s320/I+love+Nyarlathotep.jpg" width="320" /></a>A Beowulf retelling is coming in a mythology anthology (no idea on its status)<br />
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And "Garden of Legion" a popular Porter Rockwell short of mine is getting reprinted in Mirages and Speculations, later this month.<br />
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Oh and another fantasy noir novella "Jia of Luck" is coming in October part of the the Valcoria Awakenings anthology - stories set in the world of Jason King's Valcoria - that was a lot of fun. I took a lot from Dashiell Hammett for that one too!<br />
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And of course I'm still working at cranking out novel's via pulp speed as best I can - but I'll have to see how that goes - it can be hard to tell sometime.<br />
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How goes your guys pace?nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3568342056330504573.post-37792245191658462352017-07-11T03:41:00.000-06:002017-07-11T03:41:08.503-06:00It's Gonna Get BRUTAL<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNzYo3heWjWmARA-PHv9TqBy75exF1z86wunufjEKlZXFOy1Vg6kovK2vLdKa-r9-nS7mT69rsQPxNtZybYEyTtsAzD728B9hVtqI7CDbLk3YlVQY2T1qPzhm3gGyiHXJD9VZsjK94CeG/s1600/Brutal+-+B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="627" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNzYo3heWjWmARA-PHv9TqBy75exF1z86wunufjEKlZXFOy1Vg6kovK2vLdKa-r9-nS7mT69rsQPxNtZybYEyTtsAzD728B9hVtqI7CDbLk3YlVQY2T1qPzhm3gGyiHXJD9VZsjK94CeG/s320/Brutal+-+B.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
My latest book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/BRUTAL-Grimdark-Fantasy-James-Alderdice-ebook/dp/B071DXBWWK/ref=sr_1_66?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499762451&sr=1-66&keywords=brutal" target="_blank">BRUTAL</a> is out now!<br />
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So I decided to try my hand at a pen name - I'm not too worried about the secretiveness of it because either you all are gonna know anyway or you're the type of person that doesn't care who wrote the book.<br />
<br />MY biggest motivation was to see how it might affect my work with the Amazon algorithm. BECAUSE<br />
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David J. West is known for writing weird westerns, Lovecraftian horror, viking historical's, action-adventure, weird LDS tales and fantasy. That kinda messes with all the things the algorithm is supposed to do to help me sell more books.<br />
<br />So I thought I'd experiment and see if James Alderdice - my dad's first name and my maternal grandmother's maiden name. (And no one is using it on Amazon and hey its an "A" name - West is always at the end of the list, bottom of the bookshelf)<br />
<br />That also brings me to doing "Pulp Speed" to write this latest book. I wrote about 78K in about 6 weeks. I did follow the plot of RED HARVEST pretty footloose and fancy free and there are loads of other inspirations in the book. A whole lot of Robert E. Howard, Karl Edward Wagner, Dashiell Hammett, Sergio Leone's - Fistful of Dollars and Akira Kurasawa's - Yojimbo in here. I was also pretty inspired by a recent Hawaii trip to Maui too - that's where the whole dark goddess thing came from.<br />
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Hammett's book took place in a mining city called Personville/Poisonville by the locals and I found out it was based on Butte, Montana - guess who is pretty darn familiar with Butte - me - my Dad grew up there, I have been there many, many times. I used a lot of real Butte in the book too - albeit fashioning it to fit a medieval fantasy landscape.<br />
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Much thanks to editor Jana Brown for keeping the pace flowing on this one and doing a great job with my breakneck writing goal.<br /><br />Here is the Description etc:<br />
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<b>A man of violence. A duchess with dangerous desires. Two warring wizards. Things in Aldreth are going to get Brutal.</b><br />
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A man known only as the Sellsword has come to the border city of Aldreth, where rival wizards struggle for control of a weak-willed duke. Amidst murderous conspiracies and a scandal plagued dynasty, the Sellsword plays all sides to his advantage, bringing about a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men, while wooing the reckless and willful duchess.<br />
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Though corrupt paladins, demonic adepts, and a surprisingly formidable assassin stand between the Sellsword and the unwholesome truth, spells and blades might not be what take the Sellsword down. It could be plain old bad luck...<br />
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BRUTAL is an powerful sword and sorcery tale with colorful characters and wit straight out of a 80's flick. If you like humor in your pulp, gritty heroes, despicable villains and grimdark fantasy then you'll love this riveting debut by James Alderdice.<br />
Grab a copy now!<br />
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This was a lot of fun and I think I need to keep pushing myself and getting out a lot more of these quick reads.<br />
<br />nephite blood spartan hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.com6