Shorty

January 2010 Hanging with Shorty. He even has a cooler of the Blue Stuff on him!

In 2010 I attended my first con as a vendor. My first steampunk book, Thomas Riley, had just come out and I picked a con that seemed pretty cool that was close to Nashville. It was Shadow Con. Honestly, I was a bit nervous. I had no idea how smaller cons worked or how people would be. I'd been to San Diego Comic Con before and to Dragon Con, but never to a more regional and strictly fan driven one. This time I was on panels and selling my own book and really on my own in the world of Fandom for the first time. That can be scary! I mean, did the steampunks speak in British Accents all the time? Would everyone judge me for my limited knowledge of Klingon or my poor skills at Warcraft? I had no idea.

At Shadowcon, I set my table up and everyone was insanely nice to me. They all were so cool. This includes one Stuart "Shorty" Bergman. He was a huge man with long hair and beard. Instantly intimidating. He was the nicest guy you could have met. He welcomed me to the con, hung out at my table and talked about, well everything and I just met the guy! Later, I ended up at his little room party in the hotel where we had "The Blue Stuff" which he then told me was his version of Romulan Ale. It was like a billion different kinds of liquor with Blue Curaco for color. At the end of this life defining conference, Shorty even sold me my first bottle of Mead, which I was really excited about.

I saw Shorty several more times, at Midsouthcon and again at Shadowcon the following year. We talked Facebook after I moved to Washington and he always made it a point to chat me up when he saw me online. I still regret not being able to go to the Memphis fandom con he helped launch.

I found out yesterday that Shorty's battle with Cancer had ended and I wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing Shorty's gleeful face or cheers him with a nearly poisonous amount of Blue Stuff.

Shorty was so kind to me when I was just starting out and he helped ease me into an entire culture that I was quite nervous about when I started. And through the years, he always stayed in contact. Fandom all over has lost an icon, a bright light, and a hell of a guy.

Rest In Peace, Shorty. I will miss you.

Steamposium 2015

Steamposium is the newest steampunk conference in Seattle, and man is it fun. This year they had stars from Warehouse 13, Steamgirl, and the new GSN show, Steampunk'd, We not only vended this year but also took part in panels. We met a ton of new awesome people and got to hang out with some of our old Northwest steampunk friends. Last year was awesome, but this year ratcheted it up a notch with more going on and more night time activities. This year I actually got to see the costume contest as well which was a cool treat. Shockingly cool costumes. It always amazes me how people can come up with such complex and detailed costumes.

Like just about every con, we can't wait until next year where there is rumor that Liz might be able to do a Naughty Dreadful Pajama Party!

Next up for us is IFCON in Victoria British Columbia Oct 31-Nov 1st. See you in Canada!

With our friend Andy

Lizzie at the table

Me with Brewskibot! Steampunk R2D2 that will serve drinks!

The table before the chaos.

Lizzie at post con sushi back in Gig Harbor. 

The Brass Screw Confederacy

Photo by: Nyk Fury

This weekend Liz and I will be at The Brass Screw Confederacy in Port Townsend, WA. This is a really neat "Con" that is more of a gathering/transformation of the entire city into a steampunk/Victorian/Alternate History haven for the weekend. There will be bands, vendors, burlesque, meet ups, peep shows, and after parties galore. Yes, I totally said peep shows. We will be there selling Dreadfuls, Steampunk novels, patches, posters and more as featured vendors and we are really excited. Check them out here. http://brass-screw.org/

To add to the awesomeness, we will be staying at the uber- beautiful and haunted Manresa Castle. So we hope to see all our local friends. The event starts on Friday afternoon and goes until Sunday.

IFCON Victoria BC

So Lizzie and I are guests at IFCON in Victoria BC this year and I can't tell you how stoked we are! It's going to be a fabulous con, and a super big one! I love Victoria and I can't wait to go back.

Yesterday, we received the IFCON Magazine and we were on the cover with a full spread and a dual interview. The man putting this on is Bill Code, a friend I originally met at the Victoria Steam Expo in 2010. It's so awesome to meet people achieving long term goals and that are constantly in "the scene". Bill is one of those people, always with something amazing and exciting on his plate.

Not only will Lizzie and I have a booth at IFCON, (we're right next to the Tardis) but we'll also be doing panels and special things all weekend. If you are in or around the Victoria BC area, we'd love to see new and old friends. Come say hi. We will have lots of issues of the Scary and Naughty Dreadfuls, Posters, Buttons, as well as copies of Thomas Riley, Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom and maybe... just maybe some ultra new awesome surprises!

For more info, check out the official IFCON website

Here's some shots of the magazine.

The Cover

Our interview

The Fabulous Norwescon

We've never been to Norwescon in Seattle before but I'll start off with saying it was a really awesome time! We had no expectations and really had no idea what it would be like. First off, it was bigger than I thought. There were a ton of people and from the moment we walked in on Thursday night no less, the place was packed.

Liz and I set up in Authors Alley which is right in front of vendor room. (This always seems to work well when you are not actually in the dealer's room) We had super cool neighbors, Richard Beckham II, author of The Tale of Mu and S.C. Barrus, author of the steampunk novel, Discovering Aberration at the Fuzzy Hedgehog Press table. My only regret is that we did not get pictures with them.

The traffic was good and we ended up selling out of all our copies of Thomas Riley, Her majesty's Mysterious Conveyance and Dreams of Steam II. So it was a great con and we'd love to go back next year.

Tons of costumes, tons of enthusiastic people, insanely nice and patient staff, just a great con all around. The only thing I'm bummed we didn't explore more of was the night life. Apparently, there was a ton of awesome things/parties happening at night but we were so busy and beat that we had a drink every night and ended up heading home. We'll have to fix that next year.

Also, it's so great seeing old friends at cons, it's really the best part. This one we got to see Andy Rosenberg, Rick (Stark Raving Nomad), and Vilda Leusch.

So cheers for a great long weekend, great friends, and a great con. Very excited about next year! Thank you Norwescon!

Us with Andy

Battle of the forces

We got bubbles and entertained ourselves

Liz with Rarity

Rick and Andy had a drink with us on Saturday

Nuff said

End of the Con victory drink

Norwescon

I'm super excited to announce that Lizzie and I will be at Norwescon this year in Seattle WA. It's going to be at the Doubletree Hotel near the Seattle airport, a place we've actually been before when Steamcon was held there a few years ago.

We'll be selling and signing books in the vendor room so if you're attending or in the area, come say hi! We'll of course have both Thomas Riley books, Dreams of Steam and Dreams of Steam II, Her Majesty's Mysterious Conveyance and we're hoping that this might be your first chance to get the brand spanking new re-issue of Elizabeth's paranormal action romance, Bound By Blood!!

Neither of us has attended Norwescon before so we're very excited. It's been a while since we've been to an all around sci-fi con so we're looking forward to seeing some old friends and having a blast!

April 17-20 Doubltree Hotel Seattle Airport
Check out their site here: http://www.norwescon.org/

Steamcon Bound!

After quite some time away from the con/event circuit, Lizzie and I are going to be at Steamcon V this year signing books and having a blast! We have a table in artist alley and will have a bunch of new and old titles for sale. In addition to the two Dreams of Steam anthologies I'm in, we'll have Her Majesty's Mysterious Conveyance in which both Liz and I have stories in as well as the re-issue of the first Thomas Riley book and the brand spanking new Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom! We're also taking part in the Steamcon Passport shenanigans so stop by our table to get your passport stamped for Libertania! So, if you're in the Northwest or want to fly up for an amazing time, check out the Steamcon website here: http://www.steamcon.org/steamcon_v/index.php There's still time to get rooms for the discounted rate!

We're very excited to see our steampunk friends again if you get a chance, pop by our booth and say hi!

Random notes:
The steampunk RPG game is coming along nicely. We've been working on a variety of famous airships, gangs and next famous criminals!

For my hockey friends, the Predators open the season in St. Louis tonight! Go Preds!

Day one of the massive Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom Blog Tour!

Day one of the massive Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom Blog tour! 

The day has finally arrived! My second steampunk adventure novel, Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom (published by ZOVA Books) is available! It's been a very long road but worth every second as I feel like this book is the perfect sequel to book one. It's a much darker story and the reader gets immersed into the characters neurosis that fuel their unique desires.

Centered around a massive airship that can control the weather in nefarious ways, Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom has taken the original story to a new level of action and peril that I'm most proud of.

Before I go on, tomorrow's blog tour stop is an interview at Book In The Bag so be sure to check it out. 
Also, if you'd like to get the new re-edited reissue of book 1, Thomas Riley click here: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Riley-1-Nick-Valentino/dp/0615790283/ref=sr_1_29?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372211444&sr=1-29&keywords=Thomas+Riley

How do you get a copy? There are a lot of different ways depending on your favored delivery method. Note that for signed copies, be sure and let me know how you'd like the book signed in the note to seller section right before you submit payment. Another cool thing is that the book is on sale everywhere! So you'll get discounts everywhere you order.

Get signed copies here:

Amazon.com Paperback $14.39:

Kindle $2.99:
 
Barnes & Noble Paperback: 

FROM THE BACK COVER

Thomas Riley and Cynthia Basset's adventures in their steampunk world have turned down a dark path. After an assassination attempt, the West Canvian heroes receive a message from a mysterious woman about the whereabouts of Cynthia's missing suitor and famous sky pirate, Sam Burges.

Cynthia insists on pursuing the lead despite great risk, so the two of them take off with a rogue colonial sky pirate and his eclectic crew to find the man that she loves. On their journey, Thomas and Cynthia learn that Sam has joined with their enemies, the Lemurians, under the supervision of the mad man, Doctor Wolfgang Gerhard.

To make matters worse, Sam is in a commanding position on board the secret airship, The Maelstrom, that has the ability to control the weather in a most nefarious way.

Thomas and Cynthia's loyalty to their country and to each other are laid on the line in this steampunk tale of love, loss and adventure.

PRAISE FOR THOMAS RILEY AND THE MAELSTROM

"Valentino does it again with a Thomas Riley story packed with high-stakes action, full of fantastical figments of science, and incredible description guaranteed to transport you on a grand adventure. An epic tale you won't want to miss."
Theresa Meyers, award-winning author of The Legend Chronicles series

"Nick Valentino takes us back into the steampunk world in this second Thomas Riley book, giving us more Riley, his friends, and enemies in an action
and intrigue packed volume that starts with a bang and hurtles toward an unforgettable conclusion. A definite must-read for steampunk and action fans!"
H. David Blalock, author of Angelkiller

"It's another adventurous journey for Thomas Riley and Cynthia Basset as they confront perils from new adversaries, new weapons, and new mysteries. Assassinations, captivity, and several races against time keep the duo charging forward from battle to battle and airship to airship. A captivating and creative story for readers of all ages!"
Kevin Steil, Airship Ambassador

"Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom picks up where the last left off, with the danger escalated, action raised, and tone matured. It's a must read for any fan of steampunk fiction."
Doctor Q

Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom available for preorder now!

I'm insanely excited to announce that my second steampunk novel, Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom available for preorder now!

When you order through the preorder site, you'll get free shipping for your order.
All books will be shipped on June 25.
Also each book will be signed but if you'd like your name or a message, just let us know in the comment section of the order form.
Order Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom HERE

You can also order your signed and stamped copy of the re-edited reissue of the first book, Thomas Riley, now on ZOVA Books.
Thomas Riley Reissue

And finally, you can get both bundled signed and with free shipping!
Yes, send me both books


If you liked the last book, you'll love the second one. It's darker, deadlier and with even more insane steampunk action.

Here 's the blurb for the new book!

Thomas Riley and Cynthia Basset's adventures in their steampunk world have turned down a dark path. After an assassination attempt, the West Canvian heroes receive a message from a mysterious woman about the whereabouts of Cynthia's missing suitor and famous sky pirate, Sam Burges.

Cynthia insists on pursuing the lead despite great risk and they take off with a rogue colonial sky pirate and his eclectic crew to find the man that she loves. On their journey, Thomas and Cynthia learn that Sam has joined with their enemies, the Lemurians, under the supervision of the mad man, Doctor Wolfgang Gerhard. To make matters worse, Sam is in a commanding position on board the secret airship, The Maelstrom, that has the ability to control the weather in a most nefarious way.

Thomas and Cynthia's loyalty to their country and to each other are laid on the line in this steampunk tale of love, loss and war.

Praise for Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom:

"Grab your goggles and strap in for a (steam-powered) roller-coaster ride! Nick Valentino has done it again!"

- Jon Klement, Host of DragonTalk Radio

"Gadgets, gizmos, airships and automatons; the essentials of what a good steampunk novel needs and Nick Valentino does not skimp on any of them! Once again we follow Thomas Riley through murder, mayhem and plot with the valiant Cynthia Basset by his side. Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom is a rousing tale; Steampunk enthusiasts will be clamoring for more"

- Diana Vick, Vice Chair of Steamcon

Thomas Riley 2nd Edition OUT NOW!

I'm super proud to announce that the reissue of my first Steampunk adventure novel, Thomas Riley, is out today on ZOVA Books!

So you may be asking yourself, what do I get out of the reissue? What's so special about the second edition?
Well, the first edition is all but gone. I have a few copies in my stash but that's all that exist. So if you haven't read it yet, well, that's pretty much the only way you're going to get it. The cool parts of the second edition is that the entire book has been re-edited and looks quite different than the original. The second edition also has a revamped cover, sure the art is primarily the same but now it has different lettering, and a nifty back cover. In my opinion, the coolest part of the reissue is that there's an extra chapter at the end, which also happens to be the first chapter of the second book, Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom, which isn't due out until June 25. So, I'll promise this much, you're going to get several answers to some burning questions that book 1 left hanging... hey, and you get a sweet teaser for book number 2. Depending on you're reading speed, you might just wrap up book one by the time the second one comes out.

How do you get your hands on a copy? I've got ya covered.

Amazon Paperback

Kindle

Nook 

Barnes & Noble Paperback 

The Thomas Riley Re-issue OUT TOMORROW! Tonight Sounds of Steam

Tomorrow, the re-edited, re-issue of my first Steampunk adventure novel, Thomas Riley, comes out on ZOVA Books! It has an extra chapter (that will immediately answer a few burning questions) for those that can't wait until book 2, (Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom) on June 25. It has a redesigned cover as well!

In celebration of the book release and for all things Steampunk, the fine folks at Sounds of Steam, internet radio, are having me on as a guest tonight!!! 9PM Eastern time, 6PM Pacific time.
They have a lot of amazing guests on tonight and some great music! Here's the details:

Sounds Of Steam, Why We Do, What We Do, in Steampunk, May 13th, 2013

Why Steampunk? What makes you passionate about this hobby, pastime, aesthetic, lifestyle, or whatever you want to call it? We tell you the our personal answers to those questions, as well as ask others. Interviews with Steampunk darling, Airship Captain, and Steampunk Murder Mystery Host, Nim Derringer; Author of the Thomas Riley series, Nick Valentino; and convention creator and host, Jeff Mach.

Featuring music from Professor Elemental, This Way to the Egress, Frenchy and the Punk, The Aeronauts, The Bewitched, Unwoman, Victor Sierra, Abney Park, The Extraordinary Contraptions, Vagabondage, Veronique Chevalier, BirdEatsBaby, CosbySweater, Bad September, Violet, The Cog is Dead, and The Dresden Dolls.

***Please let your friends know, and invite others to join in on this, live or download! Spread the word of the Steampunk show for all sides of the Steampunk lifestyle! Make sure to "Like" and "Share" our page for all updates!

What is Sounds of Steam?
It is a weekly, Steampunk-themed, internet-radio show, hosted by Travis I. Sivart and Chris Hall.

We have our usual weekly segments of Drink-Du-Jour, This Week In History, Opening and Closing Toasts, Upcoming Events, and Steampunk Music Hour. We discuss the influence of Steampunk in the world of movies, literature, music, gaming, and every other corner of culture we can find. We interview convention goers and hosts, artists, bands, writers, inventors, time travelers and craftsmen. We explore the hobbies, sub genres, geographic influences and fringe cultures that help shape Steampunk every day. All of this blended with wit, sarcasm and a pub-like atmosphere.

To listen to Sounds of Steam live broadcast, tune in to:

http://loudcity.com/stations/radio-riel-steampunk/tune_in

or

http://wightpartyradio.com/wightparty-radio-player/

To listen on your iPhone or Android http://tunein.com/radio/Wightparty-Radio-s182957/?popout=true

To download Sounds of Steam's previous episodes: http://www.SoundsOfSteam.com/episodes/

Books and blogs and interviews, oh my! Update

Hi everyone! So there's a lot of little things going on at the moment. First off, the re-edited reissue of Thomas Riley (1) (ZOVA Books) is coming out in exactly one week!!! Yep, next Tuesday May 14th it comes out with an enhanced cover and a fun extra chapter for those that can't wait for the second book in the series (Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom) to come out on June 25th. I have to say that I'm really honored to have a book that ZOVA Books and fans around the world deemed as worthy of a reissue! Thank you!

In about thirty minutes, I'm doing an interview which I think airs next Wednesday (I'll check that and let you know if that's correct) on Sounds of Steam which is an awesome website devoted to the propagation of Steampunk culture. More on that later as I'll be doing a blog soon about their sheer awesomeness.

The Blog Tour planning is going great but of course, I need more! So if you have a blog, website, podcast, radio show that I might be able to appear as a guest on, please let me know. You can of course reach me here or you can always email me: Hazeltherabbit@yahoo.com I'd be very appreciative of any help.

For a little fun, I love the new commercial featuring Hell's Kitchen host and chef extraordinaire Gordon Ramsay for the kid's show Team Umizoomi. Super funny! Enjoy!

Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom 3D cover

I'm super excited to see the Thomas Riley books with 3D covers. After all this time, it really gives a neat view of what the book will look like. I have to say, I love what I'm seeing. The details that Zova Books gave the spine and typography is really cool. I really like the addition of the book number on the spine. There's nothing quite like opening the box with your books in them,  holding your print book in your hand for the first time, and reading through your own copy.

Also, both books are featured on the top of Zova Books website. Check it out here.

Here are the 3D covers for Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom and the reissue of Thomas Riley (1).

Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom cover revealed!

It's been a long time coming but the day is here that I can finally reveal the brand spanking new cover for my second steampunk book, Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom! As promised, my awesome blog readers will get the first peek a few hours before I spread the word all over the Internet. As I know, these are slated for a June release. I don't know the exact day but when I do, I'll be doing some really fun pre-orders with special features for my "Sky Pirates" new and old. Also, be on the lookout for a huge blog tour which is in the works now.

First off, here is the new tweaked cover for the first Thomas Riley novel which has been re-edited and with the first chapter of book two at the end. (Out on Zova Books)The new chapter will not only provide a fun teaser for book two but will also answer a few questions left by book one.

Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom is a darker book, a true act two if you will where a now even more famous Thomas and Cynthia leave their home country of West Canvia again in search for unlikely hero, Sam Burgess. In their latest adventure, Thomas and Cynthia's loyalty is put to the test as they face a new and even crazier evil genius, Doctor Wolfgang Gerhard who is in control of the very secret and world changing airship, the Maelstrom, which has the mysterious ability to control the weather. So without further adieu... the cover for Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom by the fabulous, Will Routon.

January Blog Stats

It's that time again! January was a great moth blog-wise and the results are in with my old band, Fall With Me took the top views last month with my Nashville vs. Washington post coming in second and the Blackout/Wedding post getting the bronze. Of course, last place is solidly owned my this post, ole last place blog stats.

Nashville vs. Washington was so fun that I'm planning a Nashville vs. Washington Part 2 where I will explore general differences between the South and the North West. This one will include beer and more fashion to name a few topics.

In quick other news, I've been talking a lot with Zova Books in preparation for the book releases and with the fabulous Will Routon as he puts the finishing touches on the cover art for Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom.

Nick Valentino Books

I thought I'd make a post about all my books with links to date. This is good for me as well because I like to have a list for posterity as well. Without further ado:

 

Thomas Riley
My first published book, a steampunk adventure novel about two Victorian weapons designers that do some bad alchemy which forces them to go behind enemy lines to undo their horrible mistake. Thomas and Cynthia join up with some sky pirates and sneak behind enemy lines to face their arch nemesis.
(Rereleased Zova Books 2013)

 

Engine 316
A western steampunk retelling of the Rube Burrows gang, the outlaws try to escape the law in Nashville Tennessee when they discover a futuristic device in one of the train cars. Much to their dismay, they run into a mysterious group of detectives that attempt to apprehend them.
(Kerlak Publishing In Dreams of Steam anthology)

Bedeviled
A failed Victorian inventor is haunted by a demon that is the cause of all his problems, including a drug addiction that will soon be the end of him. When he attempts to rid himself of his demon, the inventor unleashes the demon on the world to continue his murderous work.
(Kerlak Publishing in Dreams of Steam II anthology)

 

 

Ten Thousand Years
A Japanese steampunk story where a embittered naval captain seeks to regain his honor by rescuing his men stuck in foreign prison. His master plan is to kidnap none other than the empress of Japan herself but when he does he realizes that all is not what it seems and he finds that honor is not only limited to those in flesh and blood.
(Echelon Press in Her Magesty’s Msyterious Conyeance anthology)

 

 

The Black Dress
Based off the “second Salem Witch Trials” a group of steampunk Victorian paranormal investigators in Ipswich, MA led by Lucretia goes in pursuit of a famed mesmerist that’s recruiting civilians with the use of his possible magical powers. It’s up to Lucretia, her assistant Gabe and the mechanical wonder of her black dress to unravel the mystery and capture the evil doer. It’s a battle of magic vs. mechanics for the ages.
(Kerlak Publishing in Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells anthology)

Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom
The Thomas Riley saga continues as Thomas and Cynthia go in search of Cynthia’s flame, Sam Burges. When they hitch a ride from a rogue colonial sky pirate they find themselves in the sights of a new evil mastermind and his awesome airship, the Maelstrom that has the mysterious power to control the weather. Thomas and Cynthia’s loyalties are put to the test as the new evil genius pits powerful new weapons  and Cynthia’s love against the once inseparable duo.
(Zova Books coming in 2013)

Beer, Princesses, and Books

It's time for a little update on the Valentino family for a fun glimpse into some things coming up. While we've been in a sort of holding pattern on some things, we've also been gearing up for some really cool things in the future.

Beer

Everyone knows we love beer in this household. We're self professed (and official) Beer Knurds according to the Flying Saucer in Nashville. Adopting a snout to tail sort of attitude for beer, after drinking, we've been stripping and collecting the labels and caps on beer bottles for some fun art projects coming up. We then recycle the glass at a local collection center. If all works out as planned and the pieces turn out like we think they will, we might add these to a bazaar-style shop that we'll test out soon.

Princesses

 

Lizzie is a bad ass seamstress. She can make professional quality clothes in nearly every different style. After making a perfect replica Snow White and The Huntsman dress for Halloween for Kaya, we thought making princess dresses and kid's fashions would be a fun endeavour. So she's been working hard and perfecting her skills while building up some inventory for a clothing company which we'll reveal more about later. I thought it would be fun to have another you heard it hear first sort of post. So be on the lookout for kick ass kids clothes, and new original fashions. Also a kickstarter... gasp!

Books
I'm waiting for word on the dates for the reissue of Thomas Riley and the second book, Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom. I did get the almost finished cover art from the awesome Will Routon and I have to say I love it! It's an action packed piece that I feel like is a wonderful act 2 in the series. It has a darker feel than the first cover which fits the story nicely. I'm not allowed to show you yet and I was going to post a teaser but blogger isn;t recognizing my cropped image... Grrr. Sorry. As always, the second I hear anything about the books, I'll post it here first.

Out ov the Coffin

Out ov the Coffin is a goth/dark radio show hosted by dear friend of mine, DJ Ichabod. He's been on  the radio for years (14 years to be exact in this form. He also did the Ichabod and Ebeneezer show before that and I believe he did a stint as the host of the late night all metal show "The Haunted Mansion") playing the newest and most interesting dark music on the airwaves. Originally he was on Vanderbilt's own 91.1 WRVU but they sold the frequency or switched it or whatever to play strictly classical music after being Nashville's only true alternative to corporate music. Bastards.

Anyway, this didn't slow down DJ Ichabod one bit. He made a blog, a facebook, and took his radio show to the interwebs where he still cranks out the best and newest music of the genre to this day. Personally, I'm a big fan of Ichabod's and love to check out his show. While I hate that the radio station was taken off the traditional airwaves, I'm also stoked that I can listen to his show wherever I am. (you know, being in Washington and all...) Here's the blurb from his blog:

"Out ov the Coffin" is a specialty dark-music radio program, hosted by DJ Ichabod, designed to celebrate dark and interesting styles of music, from the goth perspective. Brand new entries are featured each episode, alongside older favorites and cult classics. Oft-featured sub-genres include: Goth, Gothic rock, deathrock, post-punk, darkwave, ebm, industrial, damnbient / dark ambient, dark metal, neoclassical, ethereal works, film scores, and theatrical experimentation.
 
Ichabod cares about the bands he plays and he cares about his listener's experiences. He gives playlists for every show complete with all the details that can point you in the exact direction to the band, the song, the label and the album. Very cool if you ask me. Also, check out Ichabod's band, Loss, who are making crazy waves these days. I'm really excited to see them when they're on tour here in the Northwest! I'll be sure to blog about that as well!

Check out, Out ov the Coffin and get your fix for all things dark. I promise you'll fall in love with bands and music you never knew existed.

Out of the Coffin Blog/Podcast/streaming site (You can stream it directly here) http://outovthecoffin.blogspot.com/

Out ov the Coffin Facebook


Cool little known fact, Ichabod was a beta reader for Thomas Riley. If you only knew how much better he made it. 

August Blog Stats and Updates

Stats
Last month the sexy Elizabeth Valentino took first place on my blog followed by the very talented Ben Steed and his amazing music! Last place was my post on Pinterest. (Finally, the blog stat post wasn't last place.... by only one point.) So it looks like this is  going to be a good and big blog month as I seem to be getting on the ball with all my writing. So stay tuned for lots of fun.

Here's the stats for you geeks like me.

Update
TR3 is coming along nicely! I'm waiting on round three of the TR2 edits but I should have them soon. I think Zova Books is hard at work re-editing Thomas Riley (1). So that is crazy exciting! I'm pretty darned stoked to see the next printing.

Tribes is going pretty well too! I've got my character sheets up and I'm really excited to write it when I have some off time or need a little break from steampunk. I almost have the first two chapters written. So one day, you'll get a totally different book from me.

That's it for now. More soon! Like tomorrow. :)

Office 3.0

I put a pic of the new office on facebook a week or so ago but I thought I'd give you a little tour here on the blog. I've worked on a lot of offices in my residences in the past and sadly, most of them were short lived as I moved and moved and moved again. Hopefully that moving thing is done with.

So finally at the Washington house here in beautiful Gig Harbor, I began working on an office in our massive basement. It was going to be quite the scary place. No windows, concrete red walls with black trim and black door... A nifty place to make scary books right? Well, yeah but an upstairs room seemed a little more productive, and social. So after painting the dungeon I moved upstairs where I currently am writing this.

Here's the downstairs office before I abandoned it.

 

 Next, I got a lovely room upstairs where I could be with everyone and have some natural light. While I dig the idea of having a dungeon, I yield to the idea that I can perform better with the people I love around me.

Here's the new office! Complete with character bios (I'm putting more up today!), Asian Miyazaki posters, the original Voltron (Lionbot), Espresso-Gone Crazy calendar and of course Hellraiser's Lament Configuration. (I have to call on the Cinebites from time to time ya know...)

Here's another view desk with more Miyazaki posters and my North American map detailing all my travels.

And the back view. (Sorry about the blurry lights.) Yes, my office is covered in Miyazaki posters...