Screw resolutions .. I'm doing a WISH LIST instead!

So as we bid aloha to 2013, I guess I'm supposed to do some resolutions to improve myself or some bullshit.  Look ... I'll try.  Okay?  I'll TRY to lose a few pounds.  I'll TRY to be a better parent.  I'll TRY to lay off the hooch (not really.)

But honestly ... what have YOU people done for ME?

So I present my 2014 wish list.  ALL SELFISH!  Let's all pull together and try to make this happen, people.

1. A creator-owned ongoing comic book.  I can't tell you how happy I am with my creator-owned efforts this year. Both KISS ME, SATAN and CLOWN FATAL.  Also, SALLY OF THE WASTELAND hits next year.  I've been fortunate to have great publishers and awesome artists.  But those are all 4-5 issue gigs, and I really think I have an ongoing in me.

2. Sequels to INK MAGE.  I feel very positive about how readers have received INK MAGE so far -- LOTS of 5 and 4 star reviews.  I'm hugely grateful. But we all know these fantasy things come in trilogies, right?  I'd love to sell a boat load of books so Amazon's 47North imprint will green light two more books.

3. Disney.  I want to get back.  Soon.  I'm not sure you people have anything to do with that, but I thought you should know.

4. Write for a video game.  I just LOVE games like Elder Scrolls and Fallout that have a strong narrative element.  Come on, video game mofos.  Give a guy a chance.

5. A few of my books are on the edge of becoming films.  Come on, Hollywood.  Stop being dicks and get it done.

6. A new charcoal grill.  Again.  SHUT UP.

7. Just to get caught up.  Seriously.  So much work.

8. Space Ghost and / or Red Dwarf work-for-hire comic book gigs.  Let's get on this, comic book industry.

9. Would love to do a comic for Image.

10. Get invited to more comic cons.  Pony up and I'll show up!

11. A rock solid 2-week vacation during which I do not write AT ALL.

12. Saints win the Super Bowl.

13. I'd like to take a father-son-grandson trip with my dad and 10-year-old son.

14. New Underwear.

15. Get jiggy with it.

FUR PEOPLE: Guest blog post from author VICKI HENDRICKS

Vicki Hendricks is one hell of a fantastic novelist.  Sometimes I think my fave novel of hers is VOLUNTARY MADESS ... but it might be CRUEL POETRY.  Either would make for a cracking good read on a rainy weekend, but today I'm proud to offer her some space on my blog to talk about her new work.  So without anymore blah blah blah from me, here's Vicki ...

I never thought I’d give up the gritty, depraved world of  Florida-noir that started with Miami Purity in ’95—not for a minute —lose all those rough-talking bad boys and fatal women. How could I? But now Fur People, an animal-obsession novel with a dash of science fiction, was almost as much fun to write as one of my perverse romps.  Of course, there were moments when I couldn’t escape my sleazy self—a horny rooster here . . . cunnilingual hamsters  there . . . Those who have read my books shouldn’t be surprised. Dogs, cats, iguanas, rats, snakes, apes, and dolphins have always peopled my writing, often in strange roles, and I love them more than murder.

So I’ve left the tropical delights and sleazy characters of Miami to bring to life some nonhuman beings in Fur People. Thirteen dogs, eight cats, rabbits and ferrets—numbers rising—are some of the important characters. The main human, Sunny Lytle, piles them into a camper-school bus and heads for central Florida, hoping to build a life for her fur family and reconnect with her high school sweetheart. She wants to live among nature and avoid people with “more sense”—sounds so peaceful. It took writing the novel to convince me not to try it.

The story takes place in Deleon Springs, Florida, and one of the fun parts of writing this book was drifting down the spring run in a canoe, taking notes into a tape recorder, pretending I was accomplishing something. I never used any of it. But over the years, I’ve seen alligators and manatees in there, although I keep missing the devilish otters that my character in the book enjoys. Lately, bears have been spotted in the park, so I’m hoping for a bear encounter one of these days. The “man-eaten-by-bear” genre is one of my favorites—I’m sure I would be inspired.

Besides the pleasure of absorbing nature I also spent a lot of mornings in the Old Sugarmill Pancake Restaurant, just off of 17, north of Deland—I mention the location because you want to visit this place if you’re ever in the neighborhood. I spent many breakfasts gathering research, often in the form of chocolate chip, pecan, and banana pancakes. I have friends up there, so I built some of them in as minor characters. 

I lived through many bittersweet memories writing this novel. My old roommate from college, who died a couple of years ago, lent me the personality of her German shepherd, Rufus.  Pancho, the Chihuahua of my childhood, has a key role and Schmeisser, the German shepherd who was sent to join the Air Force when I was in high school. My sisters’ and mother’s dogs are there, my ferrets Sula and Ajax, as well as special cat and dog companions of friends. All of the animals are named to commemorate wonderful fur people I’ve known.

I guess don’t need tons of sex and murder to keep myself grinding away at the computer—they help, but there are many other delights.  

-- Vicki Hendricks



 * * *

Thanks, Vicki. 
Check it out everyone by clicking HERE or HERE.
On a side note, I was supposed to have this post up yesterday and totally dropped the ball.  My bad, Vicki. 

Tis but a flesh wound ...

INK MAGE ... so far.

We're well into the third installment of INK MAGE, my epic fantasy novel being serialized by Amazon Publishing's 47North imprint, and this seemed like a good time to check the box score and answer some frequently asked questions.

1. I don't like waiting for the next installment, will it be collected into a "normal" book that I can read all at once?

Gischler says -- Yep.  The serial installments come out every 2 weeks, but once that's all said and done, the book will "graduate" to a novel that comes all in one nice package.  But keep in mind, the price might go up a few bucks.  I suggest buying the serial, ignore it for now, and then when it's all collected on your kindle, start reading!

2. You new fangled kids and your "eReaders."  Bah.  Why can't it just be a regular old-fashioned paperback?

Gischler says -- We hear you, mighty Luddite.  Again, once the book graduates, it'll be available is a sturdy trade paperback made of actual paper.

3. INK MAGE is awesome and you are the new master of the genre and I want to give you a back rub, but are there going to be sequels?  Everyone knows these fantasy things come in trilogies.

Gischler says -- INK MAGE is written to be a satisfactory stand-alone read, but it also leaves a few doors wide open, encouraging us to revisit the Duchy of Klaar and the Kingdom of Helva again.  That's largely up to you fine people, how many good reviews the novel gets, how many copies sold, etc.  But it sure would be cool to give Rina a chance to collect some more interesting tattoos .

4. Hey, there is somebody in my life important enough to get a cheap gift, but not so important that I want to leave my house and go shopping.  What are my options?

Gischler says -- Go to the INK MAGE page on Amazon.com and look for the "Give as a Gift" button up in the corner.  You know what to do from there.


So far, there has been a smattering of discussion in the Amazon forum about Ink Mage, and it's all positive.  That means a lot to me.  And we're out of the gate with eleven 5-star reviews versus two 1-star reviews ... one for "foul language" (what the fuck?) and one from a guy who doesn't like the serial format.  So ... not bad so far.  As I've mentioned before, these Amazon pub books are big on feedback and reviews directly from readers.  Not a lot of attention in Booklist and Publisher's Weekly and the normal review places.  So anyone who leaves me some stars and some feedback ... well, you're tops in my book.  Thanks.

In the comments section, feel free to ask any questions I didn't cover above ... or make any comment you like.

PULP fans need to munch some POPCORN!

As I've already mentioned, my hardboiled pulp novella BIG STUPID is available on Kindle and Nook from the fine folks at La Case Books.  I wanted to pause and just talk for a few minutes about their new Popcorn imprint (they are the ones who published BIG STUPID.)  This imprint is committed to delivering slam-bang pulp fun in quick novella-sized reads.

FIND SKULD is written by the dynamic duo of Matteo Strukul and Marco Piva Dittrich.  These are already a couple of pretty great guys in my humble opinion.  For starters, Matteo is my editor in Italy, and a respected Italian author.  Marco translated my novel Shotgun Opera.  Now they show their pulp skills as a team, offering up a story about two-handpicked soldiers on a mission to ... you guessed it ... Find Skuld.  Full of NAZI KILL ACTION.

My main man, Anthony Neil Smith has penned a pulp masterpiece of macabre craziness with SIN-CRAZED PSYCHO KILLER! DIVE, DIVE, DIVE!  Neil has already proven himself as a hardboiled pulp guy, but I honestly think he was channeling one of those old 1940s dime novel authors with this one.  Each page was a new grotesque delight.

I haven't had a chance yet to read Hal Duncan's THE TAKING OF THE STAMP yet, but I'm looking forward to it.  If you're looking for high octane hold nothing back pulp fiction, then keep your eye on La Case's POPCORN imprint.

PULP COUNTDOWN!

Emerson LaSalle's THERE ARE ALIENS BEHIND URANUS, MR. PRESIDENT is on sale for 99 pennies for a limited time.  CLICK to get some!

Episode #2 of INK MAGE now Available!

(click image to embiggen.)

In celebration of episode two, above is a scene from the episode by artist Tazio Bettin.

Check out INK MAGE for your Kindle!