July Updates

Some cool things are afoot! First off, the release of Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom is going very well! I'm in the planning stages now for some signings so I'll let you know when and where I'll be with the brand spanking new book in hand. You know I love rubber stamps right? If you haven't seen it yet, here's the stamp that will come with every signed copy of TR2.

If you haven't gotten your copy yet, here's where you can get it: (TR2 is now available for the Nook!)
Amazon.com

Kindle

Barnes and Noble.com

Get Thomas Riley for Your Nook

I can't say a lot about this yet but I think I can say that Liz and I are working on the story book for a steampunk RPG game coming out in 2014 from the Harsh Realities game company. It's going to be huge and super fun! I'll let you know more about it when I'm allowed to do so.

Life is good, we are as busy as can be.

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 

Clarksville TN and Murfreesboro Tn

Hastings & Barnes & Noble
Last weekend I had some really good signings at Hastings in Clarksville, TN and at Barnes & Noble in Murfreesboro, TN. Good crowds on black Friday weekend, and as always I met some interesting folks.

Next up: (More Steampunk Atlanta)
I will be at the Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con this weekend, Saturday and Sunday December 4 & 5. At the Cobb Galleria Centre (2 GALLERIA PARKWAY ATLANTA, GA)Also in attendance will be amazing steampunk author O.M. Grey with her novel Avalon Revisited.

The week after...
December 10, 11, 12 I'll be signing at 3 bookstores in and around the Middle Tennessee area. More to come on that next week.

Random Music - Julie Christmas

For anyone that knows, a lot of Thomas Riley was written while listening to the bands Made out of Babies and Battle of Mice, each fronted by the awesome Julie Christmas. Well she has a solo record out and I encourage you to check it out.
Here's a bunch of MP3s and a video to check out for free.

Knoxville, Montgomery & Nashville

It's Thursday and I'm just now getting over the brutal weekend marathon of books, breakdowns, and new experiences.

Here's how the story goes:
I was scheduled to do a signing last Thursday in Knoxville, TN at Barnes & Noble for their educator's week. No biggie right? I was going to run to Knoxville and come home that night. Easy right? Wrong. My van broke down 52 miles outside of Knoxville. Transmission fluid was everywhere. Bad sign. I was lucky enough to pull off at a truck rest stop but the car really wouldn't move at all. So there I sat, baking in the sun while I waited on Triple A. When they arrived, I rode with the tow driver to a transmission shop in Knoxville where it was discovered that the old van would need some serious work and would be stuck there for the next several days.
Here she is...down for the count.


So, I'm an hour late for the teacher's reception but I'm determined to get to the bookstore to sell some books. The manager of B&N was AWESOME. (Yes that needs to be in caps) She got someone from the store to come down and pick me up. Now mind you that I'm drenched in sweat and I had to change clothes at the transmission shop. So there I am coming out of the bathroom with spat-covered combat boots, a vest and goggles... Also note that I had to get all of the books, accessories and table stuff out of the van in case I wasn't coming directly back. This was a total of nine loads of things everywhere I went from here on.

So I get to Barnes & Noble and yep... I missed the reception. I don't think another teacher showed up. I did get to sign with "Angels In The Shadows" Author Lisa Grace and she was super nice and we did get some new customers in so that was nice. I'll tell ya, I was already exhausted just from the heat and stress.


So from the store I got a cab to a random hotel (remember the 9 loads per move factor)and I settled in where I watched the first two Star Wars Family Guy on TV. The next morning Enterprise Rentals "picked me up" an hour late but they were pretty cool about everything as well. I got the rental car, bolted back to the transmission shop and cleaned the rest of the car out as I thought I really might junk the whole thing.

Directly after that I drove back to Nashville where I collected my overnight things, more books and got right back in the car for a 4.5 hour drive to Montgomery AL. Arriving in Montgomery was pretty neat. I forgot I'd been there before. I actually played at a skatepark (which I passed and recognized) back in the Fall With Me days. I did get in town in time to catch the Predators win against the Blackhawks on TV at the bar.
Sorry, I've always loved the rocket next to the highway when you get in Alabama. Had to snap a pic.


The next morning it was time to vend at the Alabama Book Fest. As all book fests go, this was awesome! May I take the time to mention that everyone you pass in Montgomery actually says "Good Morning" and they mean it. Sometimes it's the little things that count. I digress. With the help of promo queen Ashley, the book fest was a great success and once again I was reminded that the best people in the world are eager readers. I have to mention I met a young budding artist, Blake Mors who is really quite amazing. She's seventeen and way ahead of the curve on fantasy art. I was so jazzed about her work that I actually took pictures of some of her sketches. Enjoy! (Ok, I'll admit up front that Blake's last name is not just Mors. I have it all written down but in the mess of switching 3 cars I've left her information in a box. I promise I'll get you her full last name shortly.)
Blake #1

Blake #2

Ashley and I at the booth.


Oh, want some more southern hospitality? So I have this debilitating headache after being outside all day right? I get to the hotel and I feel like I'm going to die. Of course I'm fresh out of any meds so I go down to the lobby to ask if they have anything for sale... They don't and I have to walk... Well, this guy who's just staying at the hotel runs up gives the bell man his room number and the location of some Ibuprofen so he can go up and get it for me... Yeah. Just a regular guy gives his room number and permission to get meds out of his bag for me... How cool is that? Feeling much better I ended the night with some beers at the local microbrewery. Oh, one more thing, this is the second time this has happened but I got a picture of a dirigible flying over the fest! Yeah, that was my scout ship looking out for me.


Sunday rolls around and I have to get back to Nashville. Yep another event. This one is put on by the local goth night people but this night was a special event "Divergence II The Steampunk Ball". I met Brad at Blackstone brewery for a pint before the show and off we went. This was a great time! I sat next to author Sara Harvey and we spent the night hanging out and watching people dance to familiar steampunk songs. Here's a pic of good friend Clover and me that night.


So I have a week off. Can you believe it? Well I say off but really I'm going back to Knoxville to drag the van back. Sounds like fun eh? For everyone in and near Atlanta my next signing is at Anachrocon in ATL April 30 - May 2. If you're close come say hi. I actually have my own panel exclusively for Thomas Riley on Friday the 30th.

If you don't have your copy yet:
Signed Copies
Amazon

Clarksville, Louisville, Evansville & Elizabethtown

Clarksville, IN
My adventures for the last few weeks have been plentiful and prosperous. Last week I went to Clarksville, IN for The Almost Famous Book Faire. It took place in the Green Tree Mall and I think there were at least 70 authors of just about every genre in attendance. I've never sold in a mall before and it was a different experience. For me the day was a great one. Selling in a mall can be difficult. Usually people simply don't go to the mall to buy books. Still, the day was a great success for Thomas Riley. I spoke to hundreds of people and with the help of Christiana we had a good day in the sales department. Again, I don't have a lot of pictures but I was in a lot of pictures, so anyone that was there, I'd love to get my hands on them. I think these are the only two pictures I have:
Christiana at the table:


I'm always the last one to leave book fairs and cons so I had to take a picture of my lone table amongst the empty ones. Oh, so loneley.


Louisville
The next day I went to Barnes & Noble in Louisville, KY. I'll tell you I love that town. Even though I didn't get to grab a pizza at Wick's or a Diner-styled meal at Twig & Leaf there is something just awesome about Louisville. This was my first signing at a major bookstore and I couldn't have been more pleased, selling out of copies in 1 hour and 24 minutes... Yes I counted. My friend's Clover and Mary showed up as a surprise and actually got pictures! Enjoy:


and...



Evansville
The week flew by and I found myself at Barnes & Noble in Evansville, IN. There's something about this town that I simply love. It's hard to describe but Evansville is my escape-ville. It's like my own personal getaway. Not too small and definitely not too big. I guess this feeling stems from when I played in a band. We would play little clubs in Evansville and besides having a strong fan base there, everyone was really great to us. So I liked the town from the first time I visited. Since then I've been there on research trips and explored the haunted library, grave yards and the odd little strip on West Franklin Street which I loved so much that I wrote an entire book (The Adversary) based in Evansville which features an abandoned tattoo shop on W. Franklin St. (Picture below. This is where Fallon and Aleser take up residence when they come to America.)Anyway, the B&N signing was awesome! Sold out again. Two for two.


Fallon's house:


After the signing I had dinner at The Gerst Haus which is a great German place. We have the other one in Nashville but this one is somehow better. I also stopped by Turoni's for a few hand crafted beers. Thanks guys!

Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Kentucky... on Easter... Oops right? Surely no one is going to go to Barnes and Noble... much less but a steampunk book right? Wrong. Elizabethtown was huge. The staff was perfect and again, Sold out of books. Three for three. This one was extra good because they offered to buy more if I would stay and sell more... well of course I did. Great day!


Fort Knox
Oh! en route to Elizabethtown I passed what I'm pretty sure was my first nuclear reactor and out of the blue I passed Fort Knox. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of it. It goes by really quickly. Oddly enough, I just used Ft. Knox (Or Fort Duffield as it was called in the 1880s)in my latest short story "Engine 316" which I just submitted to Kerlak Publishing for their steampunk anthology.


Next up
I'll be in St. Louis, MO this weekend... all weekend for the Steamposium steampunk con. I have no idea what to expect but I'm pretty excited. Three days of 100% steampunkery. If anyone is close, drop by, say hi and don't forget your top hat.