Bryan Thomas Schmidt asked me to do a guest post at his blog, and I got to say a few words about my writing process. Check it out!
Also, I’ll be attending a few conventions in the next few months. Watch this space; if you catch me at a signing, make sure you get a city-sigil.
One last thing; the book’s cover has been updated, so there’ll be a version 1.5 available before too long. What do you think?
Empty Cradle is now available through just about every online retailer, and as an eBook from Amazon as well. Now that it’s out there and for real, I’m headed out to tell people about it. I am planning some home-town events some time in late September or early October, once I’m sure my local stores have EC in stock, but in the meantime I’ll be attending Con*Stellation XXX in Huntsville, AL, on September 16-18. It’ll be my first convention as a participant rather than a costumed spectator. I wonder if I should dress like a scav? In any case, please stop by my table in the dealer room (yes, there should be a real live Empty Cradle; TUDoCS selling table!) and say hello. Don’t worry; I am probably more afraid of you than you are of me.
As a point of pride, I said I was going to publish a book before a certain age, and I managed to do it literally two days before that particular birthday. It wasn’t a serious goal, more of a personal challenge. Maybe it was a present to myself. Maybe it was a present to everyone else. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m pretty happy about, all things considered.
Want to read it? It’s available here, and soon via Amazon.com as well.
Artwork by Kevin Steele
No more than ten minutes after they let Kroni out, Ivy came around a tight bend and slammed on the brakes, because there was a man standing in the middle of the road. He wore a kilt like Kroni’s, and had antlers on his head. In one hand, he carried a rifle with a long blade strapped to the barrel. The butt was a single carved piece of wood almost three feet long, so the weapon could be used as a walking stick as well. As the rig came to a stop, he began walking slowly toward them.
“Is that the cervie?” Swan asked. “He’s making us stop?”
Why was she asking about what was obvious? Corey had to bite his tongue before making a sarcastic comment; thankfully Ivy answered before he could ask if she was blind. “He’s in the road. Armed. And it looks as though he’s strapped a pair of antlers to his head.”
“Arrogant bambi,” Swan said. “You ever dealt with a woodsy cervid before?”
“No,” Ivy replied.
“He’s probably going to paw at you. At both of us. He won’t try to fight Pinkie or the Puppy as long as they’re not bigger than he is, and they keep their mouths shut. Pinkie, don’t ask him any questions because he’s gonna be lookin’ for an excuse to fight you.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Marcus said.
“Should I shut down?” Ivy asked. “He’s approaching.”
“Yeh, go quiet. He wants us to be scared, but if he knows you are it’s worse. He might want to see your tits. Best just to show him. If he goes after your snevvie, kill him.”
“My what?” Read more…
Lex Machina photo
Coming in the summer of 2011, this post-apocalyptic urban fantasy novel is the first of three. Empty Cradle: The Untimely Death of Corey Sanderson introduces readers to a richly imagined vision of the future after a slow-motion cataclysm that puts an end to modern society. Read more…
