Or maybe it just seems that way sometimes.  Though it has been ages since I’ve updated this thing.  Sorry about that.  No excuse.  On to better stuffs.

Recently got back from Indianapolis and Gen Con (The Best Four Days in Gaming!)  It was a blast.  It has rekindled my interest in gaming, anime, and writing, all of which have kind of been waning lately.  It’s good to get away on vacation, decompress, CTFO…(chill the f*ck out).  I dropped a bunch of bookmarks and business cards pertaining to the book around the hotels and convention center while I was there…my brother helped.  I also got a chance to chat with and share book info with some very cool people in the gaming business.  That was a good opportunity, and it would be awesome if it turned into more.  Especially since Powerball is still avoiding me…

I had a small book sale/signing event at my old Army unit Family Day.  No word back yet from anyone there who picked up a copy, but I hope to hear something.  I’m going to get in touch with local B&N people to try to set up a signing with them.  I’ll let you know dates if I get any.  I’m also working on trying to get my book picked up by one of the bigger publishing houses.  I have a one-step connection  to one of them, and it’s just down to getting the three of us on a matching schedule to see what we can put together.

Anyway, just wanted to get something current and updatey on the site here, to let all of you many, many dedicated readers *cough cough* know that I am still about, and am still kicking.  Thanks for stopping by.

Peace Out, Rock On!       

By that, I’m referring to my pen.  It’s on its last strokes, folks. I’ve got a back-up ready, but it’ll be another sad loss.  At least it went to a good cause.

Now have a working title for the sequel: Homecoming.  I have somewhere around ten pages written up so far.  Plan to do a bit more tomorrow (today for those who’ve actually gone to sleep already).  Things are shaping up nicely, and I like where it’s going. 

Anyone out there who’s got or read a copy of the book, if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate if you could drop by sites like b&n or amazon and leave some reviews.  Good or bad is up to you (publicity is publicity), though I think it’s obvious which I’d hope for.  Drop some emails my way too if you’ve got any thoughts you’d like to share.  Someone (no, not me) also started a facebook group page, so go on and check it out.

That’s all I’ve got for now at 0300 in the a.m.   Peace Out, Rock On!

Once again, I know it’s been quite some time since I last updated this thing…I feel like a webcomic artist…no offense guys and gals.

Anyway, I’ve once again started putting pen to paper, and have knocked out about a page so far in the next book.  I hope to adjust my writing a bit to…fix…some things I viewed as possible ‘issues’ with the last novel.  I’m happy with it, yet I get the feeling like it’s short.  I understand that may seem off to some of you, what with how I was always updating word counts and was happy about hitting the ‘prescribed’ novel word count.

Don’t get me wrong, the people who’ve read it, and subsequently spoke to me about it, have enjoyed it.  I just think I could possibly give a bit more enjoyment to those and other people.  Despite having taken me eight years to finish, I feel it was rushed.  And in a way, I guess it was.  I don’t recall the exact time, but I’m sure somewhere on this page it can be seen.  Or maybe everywhere.  Anyway, I know the area(s) I want/feel the need to expand upon.

The more I’m looking at all this, and thinking about it, the more I get the feeling that a trilogy won’t cover it.  I’m not sure yet.  I get the feeling that three books may not be able to properly fit the timeline that I want to include [**spoiler alert**] despite the first book spanning 11 years, 16 if you count a certain part of the beginning.[**end spoiler**]  However, I’m not really sure on how to put content into a fourth book, or how to make it happen without making it dry.

The biggest problem I’m having in this regard is time.  I could make the following two books happen in anywhere from a month to a short number of years (I’m talking story-time here, not real life time, despite how well that might fit ((“Office” quote time))).  But one of the ideas I’m toying with, or at least would like to flesh out for the readers would need me to jump the story 11+ years.  I’ve read books where the author has jumped 50 or more years between books, but they weren’t so much sequels as the they were another book set in the same world, with some of the same characters, later on in life.  Would it be weird if books 2 and 3 span maybe half a decade after the end of the first, and then the fourth comes along another 6 or more years later?

I guess we’ll see at some point, whether it come to me in a flash, or in a comment or email.  **cough cough**  Aside from that, I’ve made some minor changes to the blog entry tags.  Instead of just saying “Story”, they now say “Eternal Retribution” due to me, you know, writing another story.  Helps clear confusion, and maybe even get some hits on search engines.

As always, feel free to comment or drop me an email.  Thanks to everyone who’s purchased my book, and to those of you who will do so in the future.  Peace Out, Rock On, Go Braves.

So, I received my author’s copies in the mail today.  I held my printed book (in paperback and hardback) in my hands today.  Elation has trouble describing the way I felt.  It was pretty intense.  I checked them over multiple times, as per the suggestion and directions on the approval form.  I filled that baby out and faxed it back to them.  Though I must say I was getting rather agitated (as always when i attempt to fax them) that is was taking so long for the fax machine to connect with them.  It took like 2 hours, and multiple tries for each number, before the damn thing finally sent.  And I only have the machine’s word on that.  I’m sure they had left for the day by the time it finally reached their office, if it did, and I’ve not received a confirmation of receipt from my Author Service Representative yet.

Either way, what this all means is that the book could be live for sale, or viewing, etc etc etc on the web as early as next week.  Hell, maybe as early as tomorrow if they happen to work on Saturdays, or received my approval fax before heading out of the office.  Who knows for sure?  Well, I’m sure someone does, but that someone ain’t me.

Anywho…I started outlining the sequel the other day.  So far it’s told me that I had a lot more of the details for the first one planned out in my head than I did for where exactly it was going after that.  Sure, I have a general idea, some of the more major plot points, but still not quite sure on how to get there exactly.  Well, I’ve got some time to work on it, so it’ll come together.

I’ll post again when the book hits full publication.  Or at least when I find out what the date is.  Peace Out, Rock On.

Okay, so this is actually getting put up a bit later than I had originally planned.  But the game, sleep, the gym, re-filing, etc. kinda got in the way a bit.  But here it is now.  Yay!

Anyway, I sent out my materials yesterday to the publishers.  I did much more editing in part one than I did even the first time I went through it.  There were maybe 3 pages throughout the first part that I didn’t make some sort of change to.  It was mostly style-related, but some of the changes were pretty big.  (insert ‘Office’ quote here)  Still 164 pages, but now the word count is 51, 898.  So it’s a decent jump.

I’ve already had the company get in touch with me in regards to the interior formatting, and will hear back later this week on the cover.  They actually said they’d probably have a galley preview copy to me by the end of the week.  I really wasn’t expecting it to be so quick.  (see above)  I’m wondering just how long it’ll be until I actually see my book in print.  It’s already gone and stuff, but I’m still feeling kinda nervous about it.  Eh.  We’ll see what happens. 

I’ll keep those viewers I do have updated on the process as it goes.  I’ve chosen a ‘suit day’ photo from my trip to Japan as the author photo for the cover of the book.  I’m not sure just how I want to design the cover yet.  Have some ideas rolling around, but it depends on what’s available. 

That’s all for now, I guess.  Peace Out, Rock On.

Well, I’ve gotten some of my edits back, and made some changes, including a big rewrite of part one.  Note to self:  If six years pass between the time you last worked on your novel, and when you start it up again, make sure to give all prior work more than a cursory glance.  Especially if your time in between has opened your eyes to many new styles of writing, and has also given you a lot more experience in that field, as well as life in general.

I’m hoping to be sending the stuff out within the next couple days.  I have a couple more edits out there, and I’m hoping to get them in time for the shipment deadline.  Other than that, I’ve finished up the administrative data that I needed to get done, so hopefully this will go off without a hitch.  I can’t wait to be holding a finished product in my hands.

So, two updates in a single day?  What could be the reason?  Oh, yeah, I’ve finished digitizing the novel.  Now begins the editing process, and I’m glad for the help I’ve already and will soon receive.  It’s been a long ride, and it’s almost finished.  Soon I’ll be able to just sit back and chill for a bit.  Until I start getting too many sequel requests to hide from.  **Wishful thinking, for sure.**

I’ll keep you all (I can say that since my comments prove there’s more than one person checking out the site) posted on the progress as it goes.  I’m not sure when I want to announce the surprise feature I have in mind.  I should probably wait until I check with my web guy to even see if it’s possible first.  Though I do know of a workaround, I’d rather not resort to that.  It could become confusing.  Not that things on this site aren’t already confusing to anyone who’s seen it who doesn’t know me…and even some who do.

Anyway, I’ve got to send some emails out.  So until next time…

**Edit**  By the way, forgot to add, word count at 51,714, and 164 8.5 x 11 pages.

As of 0200 hours on 19 December 2009, I have finished my novel.  I still have digitizing and editing to do, obviously, but it is done.  I feel accomplished.  I wish it wasn’t too late to celebrate.  What to do…

Anyway, at last count while I was digitizing, I was somewhere around 44,000 words.  50,000 would be awesome, but I’m not sure if the count will reach that or not.  I believe that’s how NaNoWriMo defines a novel, but meh.  With over 8 years into this, I’m happy to have finished it, finally.  Hopefully the sequel doesn’t take me so long. 

As per the publishing company documentation, I now need to write a mini bio and mini description to include with my submission.  What’s 500 words compared to 50,000?  1/100th.  Anyway, thanks to those who have and who will be helping me along the process.  My first dedication will go to you.

Remember, don’t be afraid to drop an email or something my way.  I’m off to do something…a little wired for sleep right now.  But too eye strained for the computer to digitize at the moment.  Thanks again everyone.

So it’s been about a month since I posted a blog on here, and sadly, while I did have a number of view, I really didn’t have anyone answer my question/poll.  I did get one post, though for whatever reason, it was blank, and the poster has not yet returned to fix it.  I’d still like to know what people think in regards to chapter naming.

I’ve been especially active over the last couple days with the novel, trying to figure in my head the best way to progress, since new ideas keep forming as I go.  I’ve finally managed to get the beginnings of part 3 done, though admittedly much slower than I would have liked.

I haven’t missed the deadline from the publishing company…that’s in January, but I’ve bypassed a few of my own soft deadlines.  It seems I can be easily swayed away from it unless I’m dead set on finishing a certain section.  There’s a lot of other things I’m trying to accomplish as well…catching up on shows I missed out on last year, trying to learn Japanese, looking for alternate employment so my bank can grow instead of stagnating, or worse, faltering.  Oh, and trying to find a way to own a Droid.

But, just wanted to let those of you who view the site know I’m still alive and still working.  Seriously though, named chapters…whatcha think?  You don’t have to know me, or vice versa, to share you opinion.  Anything else, feel free to post or drop me an email. 

So, I actually meant to post the other day when I went cooking, but figured I’d save the post for a ‘momentous’ event.  The other day, I ended up transcribing roughly 6000 words to my digital copy of the novel.  I was quite overjoyed.  However, I waited to post, because, today, only minutes ago, I’ve done it.

No, not finished the book.  Silly.  What I have done is managed to catch up in my transcribing.  Every word I have on paper is now also in e-format on my computer, or as the military like to call in, on digits.

On the standard Word document, 8.5×11, it takes up a nice 81 pages.  Times New Roman, size 11.  I’m not quite sure what size they’ll use when publishing it, but I figured it was a good number to go with.  I’m at just over 25,000 words now, and it feels good.  Things are moving along quite well, I’m glad.  Now if only I could win Powerball, I’d be set.  Anywho.

I’m even more excited to keep on trucking now that I’ve hit a major point there.  I hope I can manage to finish by or sometime in November.  That seems like a reasonable goal, as long as I keep my wits about me and keep going on it and don’t let myself slack off.  However, for tonight, that will be all. 

Thanks for those visitors I have, even if it is the same person visiting 8 times in one day…I still appreciate it.  Peace out, Rock on.