research

Current projects, AKA why I’m never available

My poor neglected blog. I haven't posted anything here in months. Months, I tell you. I have a new idea on how to make actual use of this thing. I do best when I feel accountable to something, and I figure that if I tell the world I'm doing a thing, and that I will update the progress on said thing once a week, several good things will happen. Currently on submission: "The Smell of Fall", a gaslamp zombie story. If this doesn't sell, I'll likely sell it via Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) within the next couple of months. Expected to release this year: Untitled collection of short stories in the world of Eye of the Storm, via KDP (some hard copies for Kickstarter backers) Expected to release early next year: To Break My Enemies, Book 2 of the Deus Ex Familia quartet Secret romance novel for Bookman Media Group, currently titled It's Complicated No set release date: Tilted, a gaslamp post-apocalyptic zombie novel that insists on being written RIGHT NOW On Wings of Contagion, Book 3 of the Deus Ex Familia quartet The Death of Hope, Book 4 of the Deus Ex Familia quartet The next update will be July 23rd. Word counts and release updates to follow.

Castling

One of the few moves in chess that I know by name (so far) is castling. It's an opening move, safeguards the king, moves a rook to a better position, and is the only move in chess that involves moving two pieces at once. There are a lot more terms to learn before I can do what I want with the sequel. But I do know where to start: Bobby Fischer. This picture says a lot to me. Fischer is young and jubilant. His opponent is older and has his mouth set in a hard line, staring at the board. Fischer was a diva of the chess world. Difficult, arrogant, supremely talented. Not above using distractions to win. He seemed to enjoy the game, but winning was extremely important to him. He seems like he would have made a good Conquest. One of the aspects of Fischer's career is something I'm planning on implementing - in concept, at least. As a kid of 13, he played 21 games against adults, all at once, and won 19, lost one, and drew one. In just five hours. It seems like something my Conquest would do, though I don't think she'd let anyone win. But then, she's a lot older than Fischer. I have so many PLANS.