Blog

When I’m writing, I’m pretty much head’s down. Right now, I’m all about the Battletech webseries. I’m about to kill off the first NPC and then the first main character. Mostly you will hear, “I wrote 1000 words today.”

I am also working a lot on Apocalypse Ink Productions. We have our regular “get on the same page” meeting on Wednesdays. And things are moving in multiple projects. I’m pleased and not yet overwhelmed.

I have enough to do that I am working to a specific schedule these days. It’s wonderful and busy but not yet to the juggling chainsaws stage. Though, I can see it in the distance.

I have contracts for four anthologies (Beast Within 3, Beast Within 4, Coins of Chaos, Dangers Untold) with a couple more floating in the “in progress” ether. I can already tell you that the month of September is going to be crazy. But I’m looking forward to it.

The Hole Behind Midnight by Clinton J. Boomer is best described as a fist fight between Richard Kadrey, Warren Ellis, and Neil Gaiman. It is brutal, profane, magical, surreal, and entertaining. Did I mention profane? And vulgar. Sometimes too much so for my taste but not in a way that is completely gratuitous. I enjoyed the book immensely. It’s worth buying as long as you are thick-skinned about bad language, gross descriptions upon occasion, demonic she-males and goat boys. There is a neat little mystery mixed up in it all that comes to a satisfying end—even if it is clear there is a sequel to a dangling plot.

Some days, working in the publishing industry is tougher than others. What’s an author to do when that happens? Blog, of course. Today, I thought I would talk about why I rarely get sick during or after conventions.

Why I don’t get sick anymore comes from three bits of advice. The first is from Seanan McGuire, a good friend whom I shared a hotel room with in Australia for Worldcon and discovered her secret. The second is from someone I read on the internet… unfortunately I just can’t remember who but this person has some spectacular convention germ avoiding advice. The third is one I picked up while my best friend was in the hospital. A nurse told me about it.

Tip #1: Start taking Sambucus a couple days before the convention and take a dose of Sambucus every morning and night you are in the hotel. Made with a base of elderberry extra and virologist tested, Sambucus is a miracle. I haven’t been sick during or after a convention since before August 2010 and I’ve gone to a LOT of conventions.  Heck, any time I start to feel ill, I take this awesome elixir and I either feel better immediately or my cold is shortened.

Tip #2: I really wish I could remember who posted about this but the first thing you should do every single time you enter your hotel room while at a convention is to wash your hands well. I’m talking warm water, lots of soap, and a minimum of half a minute. This gets the grim off your hands before you relax and touch your face and accidentally infect yourself with whatever is lingering on your hands.

Tip #3: Keep your hands as clean as possible when you are in public. Cleaning your hands frequently with a sanitizer helps. It may only last a bit but it kills a lot of what is already on your hand especially after handling something like a hotel menu. Avoid touching door handles and elevator buttons. I’ve found that I tend to use the outside of my sleeve for those jobs.

And that’s it. Sambucus, wash your hands, protect your hands. Your body will thank you and all of the people you don’t get sick will thank you.

Blog: New small press – Apocalypse Ink Productions – http://www.apocalypse-ink.com/ @apocalypseink

Just announced the new small press company owned and operated by me and the Husband. The website is live. It is a brand new shiny. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

I am not manning a table this year. So, if you want to meet up with me, ping me before the convention or give me a call/text during the convention. Do not be afraid to come say hello or to ask me questions.

Thursday 8 pm Cascade 11
Big Press, Small Press, or Self-Publishing?
Each publishing method has pros and cons. Come find out what they are and share your experiences.
Patrick Swenson (M), Jennifer Brozek, Donna Barr, Bruce Taylor

Thursday 9:30 pm Cascade 1
Jennifer Brozek reads The Lady of Seeking in the City of Waiting
Crossed genre fantasy-horror Rated PG
Jennifer Brozek

Thursday 10 pm Cascade 7
Writing Tie-In Fiction
Many video games today have accompanying fiction which often provides a more detailed storyline of current events as well as past or future action. Many role-playing games have companion novel series expanding their worlds with characters, cities, and events that become canon. Join our panelists as they discuss how a game’s setting is translated into a novel that, in turn, gives back to the game.
James L. Sutter (M), Jennifer Brozek, Erik Scott de Bie

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Occasionally, I talk about people I admire. Today, my admiration goes to author Ken Scholes. Ken is the author of two fabulous book collections, the Psalms of Isaak novels, and numerous other fiction stories and non-fiction articles. He is also father to two lovely girls and husband to a lovely woman.

Ken has been through a number of tragedies in the last couple of years. These tragedies have affected him as a person and as an author. It was rough going for him but he was still always a kind and considerate man.

That is not the only reason I admire him.

I watch his posts and one thing Ken does so well is to do “a little bit every day.” He does this in his writing, his exercise, and caring for his girls. (Well, okay, the girls keep him very busy.) It is this determined consistency that I prize and admire.

He had serious physical injury that laid him up for a bit. However, when he was able to start exercising again, he did. A little bit every day. I follow him on Facebook, I am used to his posts where he said things like, “Got 2.5 miles on the stationary bike today.” He doesn’t run marathons or bike incredible amounts but what he does is get up on that bike and exercise regularly, consistently, and persistently.

Ken also does this with his writing. During some of the rougher times in his life, he was not able to write. However, when he was well enough to start writing again, he did. 300 words here. 600 words there. 500 words there. This is not a huge amount of words. I can drop 500 words in an hour when I’m writing. But, again, he has been consistent. As he’s gotten better, his word counts have gone up. But I still see the occasional 700 or 800 word day and all I can think is “You go, Ken.”

It’s this consistent determination to succeed in all that he does that I admire. He works hard for his words, his family, and his health. This is something I notice every single time he makes a post.

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(Blog crossposting test.)