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

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

I was going to post this a few days ago but I got caught up in Steamcon V and somehow didn't have any time. I saw on Twitter that Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books did a review on Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom and what a sweet one it is!

I won't post the review here so you can discover the awesomeness of Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books yourself so here are a few movie-esque teasers:

"told in fantastic great detail"

 

"high octane action"

 

"it will have you gripped to the airships steering wheel on a straight course to the deadly perils ahead." 

Pretty awesome, eh?!
Check out this and a bunch of other awesomeness at Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books HERE.

Steamcon Itinerary

Steamcon is the premier steampunk con on this side of the country. It's a great time for all and offers a huge variety of things to do . The best bands, great panels and unique events unlike any other con. This year Liz and I are honored to be guests and vendors at Steamcon V. Running Oct. 25-27, we will be in Artist Alley with our books. You'll be able to get your copy signed and this will be the first time you can get Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom and Her Majesty's Mysterious Conveyance signed in person!

Also, be sure to get your passport book stamped at our table.

We're very excited to be on panels this year and we'd love to see new and old friends, so come say hi! Here's our schedule:

Nick

Friday: 6PM-7PM What makes a novel Steampunk? Regency
Our authors will debate if there is a prescribed list of requirements that go into a steampunk novel.
J.R. Boyett, Nick Valentino, Elizabeth Valentino

Saturday 11AM-Noon Becoming a Writer Regency
A rather opinionated overview, we will examine beginning steps, unions, podcasts, writers groups, guilds, 'Writers minimums' & challenges.
Johnathan Burgess, J.R. Boyett, Nick Valentino

Elizabeth

Friday: 6PM-7PM What makes a novel Steampunk? Regency
Our authors will debate if there is a prescribed list of requirements that go into a steampunk novel.
J.R. Boyett, Nick Valentino, Elizabeth Valentino

Friday 5PM-5:30PM Reading: Reclaiming the Throne Regency
In an era when steam rules the sea and skies, the monarchy struggles to maintain control. Sophia has one immediate goal; eliminate the treat to the throne...
Elizabeth Valentino

Sunday: 1PM From Page to Shelf Regency B
Learn what is involved in the publication process.
Linn Prentis, Elizabeth Valentino, Lisa Mantchev

We look forward to seeing you all!
For tickets, rooms, and lots of info check out: http://www.steamcon.org/steamcon_v/index.php

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!

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.

The Haps

So what's the haps? I figured I'd give you all the scoop on what's been up in Liz and mine's lives. First off the blog tour is going super well. Thank you for EVERYONE that's hosted me so far. My next one will be live this Friday on Cabin Goddess.

Presale Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom
I have to apologize for the delay in the presale books. So far they have not reached my door but I am assured that they are on their way. So, if you've ordered a book or three, I thank you and I whole heatedly apologize for the delay in getting you your signed copies. I promise, I'll have them to you ASAP.

For this blog I'm going to take a little break from book stuff and give you all a glimpse into our lives. We've been busy between work.

Leavenworth WA
I've been hearing about this Bavarian themed town for quite some time. I've been to Hellen Georgia which is very similar but I have to say, Leavenworth is even cooler and bigger. We went with Liz's side of the family and had a great time. Pretty mountains, good German food, and of course, Hoffbrau beer! We also got treated to the water park which was about two hours from our home base but wow was it fun.

       Everything is Bavarian in Leavenworth

        The girls on the way to the pool

             Lizzie and I downtown Leavenworth

Lizzie and her brother Brian at the playground before the Beer Olympics

Skye and Goulia
When we got home from our trip, we had a little incident with our pets. Skye, our Siberian Husky who for some reason was not getting along with her dog sitter decided to break a window to get inside the house and flush our cat, Goulia outside. Note that Goulia is not an outside cat at all. Skye is kind of a crazy dog. Anyway, after having a missing cat for a while we finally found Goulia in the middle of one of our huge (and very complex) bushes in our front yard around midnight. We then took tree clippers and hacked the bush until we could get to the traumatized kitten. She's doing good but it made us realzie that as much work as we put into Skye that sadly another family might be better suited for a more active and outdoor oriented family. Much to our sadness, we gave her to a wonderful couple that love to hike and camp. It killed me to do it, but I really had to consider her happiness over mine.

                                 Goulia says hello to the Internets

                            We will always love you Skye


Rattlesnake Lake
Liz and I also took a Sunday and worked at one of Northwest Trail Run's events. We basically hung out at an aid station providing water, snacks and information for runners doing half and full marathons. Again, pretty mountains and good times with my girl hanging out with runners.

               The starting line for the half marathon

          There are no rattlesnakes at Rattlesnake Lake

                Lizzie manning the aid station

Stanely and Seaforts
We got a huge surprise gift from my cousins so that we could celebrate the release of Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom. A night out at the famous, Stanley and Seaforts in Tacoma, WA. We feasted on a multitude of dishes, (we like the tapas style of dinning) so we got a bunch of things to try, Salmon, Steamed Clams, Steak, Oysters, Scallops, Lobster Mac and Cheese. It was awesome and such a blast. We also had some good beverages. I had a Dark and Stormy and a Spiced Long Island Iced Tea. Lizzie had a Moscow Mule and a glass of white wine. Great times, great place and a killer view of the port of Tacoma. Thanks so much Jim, Beth and Nate!

           Here's Lizzie with her Moscow Mule

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

Super Fun Updates

Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom
The pre-orders for my second steampunk novel, Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom are going very well! There are only 7 days left to pre-order your signed copy and get free shipping! So order here while there's still time. :) 
If you'd like your book signed a certain way, there is a link at the very end of the ordering process just before you click to pay that says, "Note to seller". Just tell me how you'd like the book to be signed and you're good to go.

Other things
The cover art above is going to be a touch different. Will Routon, the cover artist did some amazing detail work. I'm very excited to show you soon.

Nashville
I flew to Nashville last week mainly for a doctor appointment but I have to say, the time I spent there was a blast. I got to see my parents and briefly my friends Beebs, Stormie and Granny. Good times, Nashville is such a fun place.

Gail Martin
Author extraordinaire, Gail Martin will be guest blogging on my blog on June 21st. Be sure to check her out!

RPG Game
Liz and I are working on the story book for a new RPG game from the company, Harsh Realities... That's all I think I can say right now.

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

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!

The Sky Pirates Revenge World Blog Tour

When Thomas Riley (1) came out, I did a huge 32 day blog tour (The Sky Pirate's Barrage Blog Tour) that took me from people's personal blogs to Tor.com. It was an awesome journey and I really appreciate those that hosted me and helped Thomas Riley become what it is today.

I'm excited to announce The Sky Pirate's Revenge World Blog tour that will best my last endeavor by one extra stop. I have already gotten a great response but I need more dates and have a bunch more to fill so I'm asking anyone, my friends, family, fans and wonderful geeks around the world if I might be able to get a spot on their website, blog, podcast, radio show, anything that you do online in promotion for my second steampunk novel, Thomas Riley and The Maelstrom (ZOVA Books).

Anyone that helps out will get my undying love, special entries in contests and a cool treat later down the line. You all know I love patches right? ;)

So, if you would honor me with a spot on your Internet, please message me here or send me an email at: Hazeltherabbit@yahoo.com

The Blog tour starts Tuesday June 25th and ends Monday July 29th.

Thank you all in advance!
~Nick

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.

I love October updates

October is here tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. Not only is my love's birthday this month but October has all my favorite things. My favorite holiday, Halloween, my favorite beer, Octoberfest/Pumpkin Ale, and my favorite weather.

Updates

Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom
I just sent a "special edit" to my editor at Zova Books where we were making a bid turning point of Thomas Riley 2 smoother. I'm happy to get it to her as I've been held up the last few weeks with a massive amount of work. I'm so excited this is finally coming to fruition!

Tribes
As you know, I'm slowly writing a horror novel. (The only big hint I can give you now is to take a look at my Pinterest.) But I can tell you that the amazing musician Ben Steed is already working with me step by step in composing a soundtrack to the book. This is such an honor for me as Ben is a total bad ass and can capture the feeling of the written word in his music. I heard the first rough piece he composed last night (called As Quick As Possible) and I couldn't be happier. It's chilling in every way and fits the first chapter perfectly. By the middle of the piece, I keep getting chills. Perhaps when I get the word from Ben, I'll share a bit of it here. My mind is going wild with the fun things we can do with a book and a soundtrack.

The 33 Days of Halloween Mostly Horror Movie Marathon
Lizzie and I are dedicating our movie watching starting yesterday to a full on barage of horror movies! We've started off with a bang already watching The Last Exorcism, The Hitcher, Cherry Falls, Lake Placid The last Chapter, and The Tall Man. We have tons of movies planned. I'm super stoked to re watch the classics. All 7 Hellraisers, Nightmare on Elmstreets, Friday the 13ths and Halloween movies! I'll do a full on blog in November about what we watch.

The Writing Process

My current office character sheets.

Yesterday Matt from ZOVA Books asked about my writing process. You know, how the books come together, where the ideas come from, how I'm "organized". I thought this was an awesome question, especially since I've never really written about it before.

Inspiration and the first steps of writing
The first thing is inspiration. It comes from an idea usually out of nowhere. I can be talking to someone and, poof, I'll think, "Hey that sounds like a fun idea for a book." From there I start thinking about basic world settings, is it real world, fantasy, real world steampunk... it could be anything depending on the story idea. At  this point I'll also start writing down notes in composition notebooks. This is a fun part because my mind is pretty energized and I'm excited to be getting into something new. I usually take my time here, I like to think about the story and what will happen in the first few chapters. At this point I like to figure out if the story will be linier (told from one perspective or bi fractal told from a good guy one chapter/bad guy next chapter sort of thing.) I'm a big fan of villains so I kind of like the two way story better.

Some original notes for Thomas Riley

 

 

Some original notes for Tribes.

How I begin a book
Next I'll start the first chapter. I like to start with a bang. (Thanks Southern California Writers Conference!! You changed my writing in a good way forever.) So I like to start with action or something nice and grim from the villain) Spoiler alert: That's how Thomas Riley and the Maelstrom starts. ;) The first chapter of Thomas Riley 3 will also start by answering a stunning question. And in my new horror story I'm toying with (Tribes) you get a gnarly beginning as well.

Character sheets
From there, I'll make character sheets. I'll usually pick an actor that I think looks like the character or someone who I well. I absolutely write like a movie. I see it all in my head and I see it like a film. I tape the actor's picture next to a sometimes short bio on the character. These are a paragraph or two of background info and personality traits for everyone. I add way more information than I'll ever use. I find that having a bunch of information on someone will come out in cool ways in the books. Many of the character sheets will have middle names, schooling, fears, shortcomings, life accomplishments, personality traits, even favorite foods. the information in the book but often little things come up that give the characters extra life and dimension. I have my lovely wife, Elizabeth Valentino and Science Fiction author Linnea Sinclair for their inspiration with this. I cut out the sheets and put them on the wall in front of my computer. This is a big step because it gives me constant inspiration as well as handy information reminders on each character. (I even do them for characters that appear in only one scene.)

 

Close up of Cynthia's character sheet.



Growth
The character sheets will grow. I'll add more information as new books are written. For instance, the characters sheets in Thomas Riley 2 doubled if they made it through the first book and Holy cow, there are a bunch of new characters for the second book, so my wall is totally covered. This enables me to keep up with everyone and need info on them, it's right in front of me. I can;t tell you how many hours I've wasted looking up something silly about a character. Like what was the name of the island they were from...

The Body of the book
First, I find some music that I can blast while writing that fits the mood. My current faves are Ben Steed, Cradle of Filth and Hans Zimmer. I like to write in bursts of three to four chapters. I don't really like to have a full map of the story until I am getting close to the middle/end of the story. I do this because if I made a map, it would change drastically. The characters literally change the story as I write. In TR2 Cynthia did something quite rash that I wasn't expecting until it happened. Thomas does something quite rash at the end as well... They would have never done these story twisting actions if I was abiding by a hard and fast map. In my opinion, it gives them life and lets them make heroic and bad decisions like any real person would.

Finally
Toward the end, I make a map, which is a page or five with arrows and boxes and stars that makes a sort of timeline or treasure map of the book. Think of it as a sloppily drawn index with a few words that I can follow the story with.

That's kind of the nuts and bolts of how I write and what my process is like. If you have any questions or comments, I'd be happy to answer them.