Category Archives: Grimaulkin

The book tour

Today I’m going to  an LBGTQ store located in my area to try and pitch my books to put them on their shelf.  Mister Sister is located on Wickenden Street in Providence. Even if they don’t put my books up, I still would advertise them.

We’re getting ready for WorldCon in San Jose. We have no idea what table we’re at (I am suspecting it’s a first-come, first-served kind of thing), but as soon as I find out, I’ll tweet it. My twitter is @warwriter or @MaxwellTAuthor .

I’ll be on the radio at WNRI.com (again!) on August 7 at 9 a.m., talking about Grimaulkin Redeemed. And this time I promise I’ll talk about the book, not about me.

I’m still writing War Mage. Hopefully this time it’s the charm and this will be the last draft for this book. I have to fish or cut bait on this one; ten drafts is enough.

How big are those bathrooms, anyway?

WorldCon 76 is just about a month away, and we plan to have a large presence there. There will be not only my books–Grimaulkin Redeemed is now available and it’s a really nice contrast to the dark colors of the first two, a great eye-catcher.  There will also be books by J Dark in her Glass Bottles series, Building Baby Brother by Steven Radecki, and Children of the Wrong Time by Flavia Ada.  And dragons. And card readings.

I had an event yesterday and sold one book, which I was happy about. These small fairs, though, are a real crapshoot. Most of the people who come to them are older folk looking for stuff for them or their grandchildren. I happened to get lucky and get a 15 year old who was so excited to read his first “New Adult” book that he kept saying, “I can’t wait to read this!” He probably started reading it in the car.

After the event, I decided to sit down and start War Mage again. I’m following my own advice and making up stuff based on research. The history is all wrong, there is no Firebase Jackson, there is no Colonel Parlance, but there is a 10th Mountain Division. I just put them there because from what I’ve read, those guys kick ass. I have the sinking feeling, though, I’m not going to get 50K words out of it. We’ll see what happens.

A new podcast is up at Dark Mystic Quill. It’s about magic and writing. Together.

Fire is on hold until after WorldCon while the publisher gets things ready for that. All I care about is fitting in the bathroom on the plane. If I don’t, you’ll see me on youtube and CNN as the idiot lady who got stuck in a JetBlue bathroom. I’ll be famous! And sell lots of books!

 

Grimaulkin Redeemed soon!

Hey there,

Grimaulkin Redeemed, the last (maybe) of the Grimaulkin series, is coming out very soon. VERY soon. We’re waiting on finalization of some things, but it’s coming out soon. In conjunction with that, Grimaulkin is on sale for .99 for the Kindle edition for a couple of weeks only. After  you’ve read that, Grimaulkin Tempted will be on sale for .99 for the Kindle version as well.  Then you’ll be all caught up and ready for Grimaulkin Redeemed! 

And if you feel like listening to Grimaulkin, it’s on audiobook right now! Really worth that single Audible credit.

I’ve put a request for Water to be reviewed by Boy Meets Boy, so hopefully that will come out soon.

Fire is slated to be out in October. I’m working on “Leo” right now and even though my friend thinks it’s a stupid idea (She’s a Leo), I’m having a blast with it. Once I finish “Leo”, I’ll send everything out to the publisher and we’ll go from there.

I’m trying to think of what series I should do next. The planets? Greek gods? Rickk Riordan and his fanbase has done that to death. Norse gods? Neil Gaiman and Marvel have a lock on that. Celtic gods? Iron Druid series. I’m open to any ideas. More of the zodiac signs, as “Fixed, Mutable, Cardinal?” Planetary aspects such as “Neptune in Fall” or “Pluto Rising”? Full novels?

Decisions, decisions.

Success!

Had a successful meet and greet yesterday. Sold a bundle of all three books I have published (other than Water), plus the shorts, all for $30. See, if you come visit me, you get free stuff AND cheap stuff too!

I didn’t have enough space to read cards, so I owe her (she’s an author in ARIA). She’s also in charge of the Lively Literati which I will be the featured author for on the 28th of this month. I’ll have stuff, but I don’t think I can read cards there. It’s a very busy place.

I had really good neighbors, and networking was a plus. We all traded how we do things, what events were successful, what to watch out for, things like that. My neighbor and I were the only fantasy authors there. He was more high fantasy while I’m contemporary fantasy, so we didn’t conflict.

I was over the moon with the sales. I’m so easy to satisfy.

In other news, Earth should be out next Friday, at least the e-books. We’re waiting on a few things, but the pre-order is up if you want to get in now. Maxwell Thomas is tweeting almost daily. We’re working on building up his followers. He’s on twitter @MaxwellTAuthor.

Grimaulkin Redeemed is almost ready to go for July 1. I hope to have copies for the Lively Literati on the 28th, but I should definitely have copies for Richmond’s Author Day on July 14. It will be bittersweet to see the last in the trilogy…however the publisher is thinking of me doing an anthology consisting of some of the characters in the Grimaulkin story, like Ritter and the Knight in the Atheneum. Maybe. But I’m working on Fire right now. My personal goal is to get that one done by October.

Oh yeah, and then there’s War Mage. Um…yeah. Still doing research on it. I’m listening to War by Sebastian Junger, which is all about soldiers in Afghanistan in 2008, three years after my book takes place. It’s still pertinent because they didn’t have glatis plates on the bottom of Hummers to stop IED’s from killing people in the armored personnel carriers. It’s a very interesting and insightful book, something I should have read before any others.

 

A new gig!

Hello there.

If you’re new, welcome! If you’re not, welcome anyway!

This site updates you on what’s going on with my writing life, books I’m writing, reading (that I can see because, I tell you, I’m going blind) and other important things going on in life that might make for interesting reading.

First off, Grimaulkin Redeemed is on its final proof! It’s almost in the hopper, ready for publication on July 1. i’m so sad, because this is the last of the trilogy, and I have just a few ideas of what to do next.

Earth will be out June 15 (we’re waiting on the final cover) with the audiobook to follow probably a couple of months later. Earth is going to be shorter (and cheaper) than Water. My favorite in Earth is “Taurus”, though “Capricorn” is pretty good, too. Read them and tell me what you think here or on twitter @warwriter or @darkmysticquill.

Now….drum roll please….

Maxwell Thomas will be guesting on the Zarra Knightley website. Zarra Knightley Publishing does my gay erotica series, but they don’t only do gay erotica. They do heterosexual erotica as well. It just so happens that the books they have available are under Maxwell Thomas, my alter-ego.

Appearances:

Come to beautiful downtown Woonsocket on Social Street to the Woonsocket Harris Public Library on june 9 from 10-2 and see ME! And buy my books! And get free stuff! And I’ll give you a card reading if you mention that you saw this on my blog. (You’ll also get a card reading if you buy a book, too.)

 

Writing and editing and appearances–oh my.

I might be back in the saddle again. This week was very busy with editing and writing. If I was working, I would never get all this done.

First, there’s a podcast waiting over at Dark Mystic Quill about whether or not you are a writer if you write. Well, duh, you might think. But there are some people that don’t believe you’re a writer if you just write–that you have to be read. Sometimes, that’s not the important part.

I finished “Taurus”. It’s not a typical romance, it has just a little erotica, but I think it’s pretty good. You’ll see Earth–maybe–June 15 or definitely by July 15.

July 1 is the date slated for Grimaulkin Redeemed. Also, maybe by July, will be the audiobook of Grimaulkin.

As for appearances, I will be at the Shastea Lounge in Pawtuxet Village (pronounced in Rhode Island as “P’tuxet”) on May 31 with one of my poems during open mic at 7 pm. On June 26 I’ll be the featured author there (did I mention this already? Sorry if I did) reading “The Joint” and I’ll have books for sale.  I won’t be at Poetry and Beans in Coventry on June 16 because I actually have a social engagement.  Surprise!

And, of course, WorldCon in San Jose August 15-20!

 

 

Grimaulkin Redeemed (book flap content)

Mike LeBonte has lost his magic. But he needs it more than ever now, because someone has summoned Lucifer in the North Burial Ground in Providence.

In addition, an old enemy from prison is out and looking for Mike.

The Providence police, the Rhode Island State Police, the FBI, and even the Rosicrucians need Mike to get his magic back and find who summoned Lucifer. Not to mention his PI friend Frank Bennett also needs him for, of all things, a dog-napping case.

He needs to protect his boyfriend, Scott, from the possibility of being hurt by his enemy, and he’s expected to destroy the king of all demons.

All he needs is magic.

Audiobook! More books! Poetry! Maybe War Mage?

Hello! I’ve had two cups of tea this morning already so I’m raring to go!

I received the first eight chapters of Grimaulkin in audiobook form. Despite my friend saying “He sounds like a computer” (I told her “You haven’t heard the Lore podcast”) I think it’s awesome. The point is, she laughed in all the right places, lpointed out things that she wasn’t clear about (though it was because either the GPS voice cut in or she wasn’t paying attention). She’s not an audiobook listener, either. I don’t think she’ll ever read it. It’s okay…it’s not her style.

Went to my first poetry open mic last night and it was fun. I’m going to another one on the 31st, and I will be the featured author on June 28. I’ll be there with my books, and I’ll read “The Joint”. Meanwhile, my poetry was so well-received that I might write some more poems for open mic nights.

I’ve been filling out the trusty outline for War Mage, and although I’ve got the story lined up, the actual draft is horrible and short. I feel like I’m writing jigsaw puzzle pieces, and at some point they will fit together. This, like poetry, is a new method of writing for me. It’s like wearing loud prints when all you’re used to wearing is block colors. It’s a weird feeling; you think everyone’s staring at you and judging you based on what you’ve always worn. And now you’re daring something new? It blows people’s minds, not to mention your own. But you get used to it, and so do others, and eventually it may become, if not the norm, then at least accepted.

In between my “homework” (my personal enrichment) I plan and write War Mage. Some days it’s a scene, other days it’s a few words. But a little bit every day is better than nothing at all.

The movie(s) Playlist (without video)

These songs would be part of Grimaulkin if there was a movie. Yes, I know I said Shinedown is doing the soundtrack, but if I was to use music from 2000 or pre-2000, then these are the songs I would use.

Grimaulkin

Opening credits: Voodoo – Godsmack

Meeting Scott: With Arms Wide Open – Creed

Closing credits: Minority – Green Day

 

Grimaulkin Tempted 

Opening Credits: Last Resort – Papa Roach

Fight scene: Break Stuff – Limp Bizkit

Closing credits: Stupify – Disturbed

 

Grimaulkin Redeemed

Opening credits: Prison Sex – Tool (warning: don’t watch the video and read the lyrics at the same time. It will freak you out.)

Fight scene: Reprise Break Stuff

Closing credits: Hemorrhage – Fuel

 

I’ll probably do a more detailed one including music that I listened to while writing the novels.

 

Writing when bored

I was bored yesterday.

I had finished Grimaulkin Redeemed, and it’s at the editor. I “finished” “Taurus”–it could go on for a couple more scenes, but I like ending it where it is.

I had the urge to write. I wrote a poem that I’m going to read at the Lively Literati which is sponsored by ARIA, and is kind of a poetry-prose open-mic evening of readings and public speaking.  Because that poem’s depressing, I’m going to write a more fun one today.

Okay, so I did the poem, which took me an hour, and I was still bored. What to do next?

I opened up Scrivener. Maybe something would come to me. I had downloaded an outline template for Scrivener and it was first in my list. I opened it up. I was initially going to take out my trusty Story-matic cards that have helped me develop stories in the past, but then I thought about War Mage.

The outline template is called Fool-Proof Outline, from the book of the same name that I had downloaded through Kindle Unlimited (when I used it briefly at the beginning of the year). It’s a series of questions to get you thinking, preparing, and help you write a crappy first draft. But it’s still a first draft.

I had sent to the editor what I had written with War Mage version 7, along with what I planned to do with it. He hasn’t gotten back to me (I wonder why….after all, I’ve sent him a novel, two novellas, a short story–and there’s not only me in his stable–plus he has a life… 😉 ) But I thought, eh…what the hell.

I filled out a few of the questionnaires, and restarted the first scene. I’m changing Brent from the easy-going guy he was in Homecoming to someone a little colder, calculating, and suspicious. That’s a lot like Mike, so it’ll be interesting to see how I make Brent into someone slightly different. The next thing I knew, four hours had passed and I was thinking of War Mage as fun, not a chore.

Maybe the eighth time’s the charm.