Deadlines are killer :(

I don't have too much time available this week, sorry. I've been so busy it's maddening, several edits as well as an article, not to mention all the other stuff I drone on about everyday!
I promise I'll be around more often next week, but for now, please bear with me.
Oh, and thanks so much to all of you who helped put "Hunted by Chaos" on the Mystic Moon best sellers list at fictionwise.com. It's great to see so many of you enjoying my writing!

'til next time, keep reading!

Geek with Style

I've always referred to myself as a geek with style. The main reason for this is that I was fairly popular in high school, and not too ugly either. For years I made an effort to look good, and be charming, but there were always my geek hobbies that kept me from becoming one of the "beautiful people". I spent long hours in front of the computer screen, even more throwing dice onto a table. Roleplaying games and computer games were my downfall, so to speak. I actually didn't think it was a problem, there was never a shortage of people around me.

The problems began when I hit the business world. Consistently passed over for promotion, I wondered what could be wrong. After a few such occurrences I began to analyze my competitors. Some were Uber-geeks while others were full fledge beautiful people.

So there it was, plain as day, I had failed to choose a side. I was not geeky enough to be promoted to a tech position, yet not suave enough to make management. Oh the horror!

Now I look back at those times and snicker, I have moved beyond the pettiness of that world. I am a Bell tech (or will be again) and an author. I have the geek, I have the style, and I shall always remain proud to be a "Geek with style!"

Just figured I'd give you all a little rant, and some insight into my world. Now you know more about me.

'til next time, keep reading!

Busy week!

Sorry everyone!
It's been a hectic week up here in the great white north. I'm going through edits on six different stories, I've agreed to do an article on the National Film Board for a Futureale magazine, and to top it all off, still haven't finished unpacking yet. I know, get off my butt and get to work...

Anyway, I took a little break from everything last night. Joanne and I went to see "Journey to the center of the Earth 3D". It was a fantastic movie, Brenden Fraser did a wonderful job as usual. I really like his acting style. Rather than go over the tired old plot from the Jules Verne novel, the writers went with a fresh story that paid homage to the famous author's work.

The 3D is incredible, I haven't seen a 3D flick since I was a boy and they had those red and blue goggles. The technology has come a long way. My only complaint was that some parts appeared blurry and I found it hard to focus on the action in some scenes. Having said that, it was a full house and I got stuck in a seat off the the side and a little too close to the screen for my liking, so that previous comment should be taken with a grain of salt.

An interesting thing to note, is that there are two Journey to the center of the Earth movies that were released this year. the 3D one is Brendan, but the other is a Canadian film. I've picked up a copy of it and will let you know what I think once I've finished watching it.

'til next time, keep reading!

New Release Today!

Finally the day is here. “Hunted by Chaos” has hit the market and is available for purchase. The links where it can be found will follow at the end of this post. First, let me tell you a bit about this story. It’s the tale of a man (John Jensley) and his dog (Rusty) as they fight through the rugged wilderness of northern Canada. John faces the most difficult challenge his career that threatens not only his job, but his very life. His only ally and best friend, an Akita dog, could be the difference between success and certain death. In this short story, I tried to capture the beauty and thrill of exploring the forests of the great white north.

A bit of background on the tale, this short story is linked to a larger work. I wrote a novel entitled “Created through Chaos”, which is still being edited. John and Rusty are characters from that novel, in fact, “Hunted by Chaos”, could be considered a prequel to the novel. I have written stories about a few of the characters, though this is the first to be published. Making a brief appearance at the end of the story is Kelly Tremblant, John’s girlfriend. She is also featured in her own short story, “Flight into Chaos”, which is currently available for free on my Author’s Den page.

Kelly is French Canadian, much like my own girlfriend, and is also the cause for the delay in “Created through Chaos”, since I chose to include some French, which requires translation by the aforementioned girlfriend. In actuality, most of Kelly’s dialogue is complete, but her flirtatious younger sister Monique, has a lot more to say. I’ve tried to write the novel so that those who do not know French will still understand and enjoy the tale, but that’s probably a year away from release, so breathe easy.

Now that I’ve strayed completely off topic, rest assured, you can buy and enjoy “Hunted by Chaos” without learning a new language (Absolutely no French). So there you have the history of it, go buy a copy, it’s only $1.29! Less if you get it fast from Fictionwise, new ebooks are always discounted. Unfortunately, at this moment, Fictionwise still hasn't released it yet, maybe in a couple of hours, just click on the link to view all of my releases on that site.
Without further delay, here is where you can buy "Hunted by Chaos" at Mystic Moon Press and Fictionwise.

I hope you enjoy, and 'til next time, keep reading!

Everyone starts somewhere

I've received my first review of my first published story. I have to admit, it's not a great review, but then again, the story was my first attempt at a romance. I guess I'm not entirely surprised, and I think the assessment of the story was fairly accurate. The only thing I disagreed with was her distaste for the ending. I think the ending was quite fitting, although it does not follow the typical romance format.
I encourage you all to check it out and feel free to post comments if you have anything to say on the matter. The review is posted at the following link.

If you've kept up with the blog, I'm sure you've noticed me comment about novelist and friend Michelle Rowen. Well, I tried to read her book, but my girlfriend stole it this weekend and read the thing cover to cover. I just tonight got it back and finished the first chapter! The novel is titled "Bitten and Smitten" and is a wonderful read so far. My girlfriend said it was fantastic, I can't wait to see what happens next!


I guess that's it for today,
'til next time, keep reading!

Happy Independence Day!

To all of my American friends, and especially my publisher, here's wishing you a great July 4th!

I really don't have too much to say today, I'm still busy unpacking and editing. It's been an amazing couple of weeks in the new house, but it's darn hard to get everything done! There are tons of little projects, plus various lawsuits that I had on the go before moving, mainly for the car accident and trying to get custody of my kids.
That's the biggest thing right now, my kids. They want to live with me, I want them to live with me, but the ex won't let them go. So we're forced to goto court, all the while the kids remain miserable as do I. I mean how inconsiderate do you have to be in order to make life hard for your kids, just to spite your ex? What a bitch! Anyway, the lawyer is hard at work, but he doubts it will be changed before they start school, which is another tragedy, since Becca is starting grade nine this year, it would be nice for her to start and finish at the same school.
Okay, my rant is over
I just picked up a copy of Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowen. The first few pages have been great, she's a wonderfully talented writer. I'm not just saying that because we went to high school together, I really believe that!

'til next time, keep reading!

Happy Canada day!

Well, it's actually 1 am here on July 2nd, but I just finished celebrating, so deal with it!

I haven't got much more to say, things are moving ahead slowly on the writing front. Just finished a large edit and have three more waiting. A few of the stores here in Sudbury are interested in carrying Tiger's Realm, so that's good news.

What else is there to say, I hope all my fellow Canadians had a wonderful day! All you Americans out there, just a couple more days for you...but Happy Independence day in advance!

Lastly, I'd like to leave you with a joke. Why do Canadians say EH so often? Just spell the country C, eh, N, eh, D, eh....LOL

'til next time, keep reading!