tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63677902219989685682024-03-13T06:22:45.069-05:00Do You Have Angst?gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-65007615463289043222017-03-01T20:43:00.000-06:002017-03-01T20:43:21.482-06:00Visioncon 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.visioncon.net/" target="_blank">Visioncon</a> is an adventure that just keeps getting better with age. Everything about it is what makes cons both fun and inspiring. You can tell just how hard the staff works to put this con together because everyone who attends is beside-themselves happy. The con has grown a lot over the five years we’ve been going, and through hard work and magic, the staff keeps it running smoothly while still making it fun!<br />
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Thursday and Friday is a quick story of good weather, setting up my booth, and bumping into friends from the con. This was actually great, because I’ve driven through ice storms to get there, and the 60 degree weather in February made me a global warming fan for the day.<br />
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After wrapping up the con on Friday, I found a spot at the bar to drink, eat, drink, and wait patiently for my muses. (Patient like a toddler on Christmas morning.) While enjoying one of those drinks, a young woman approached the man sitting next to me and ask for a picture. Like a gentleman, I offered to take it, and the next one, and the next one. After laughing about the situation, and talking for awhile, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1091994/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Steve Downes</a> introduced himself as the voice of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Chief_(Halo)" target="_blank">Master Chief</a> from <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us" target="_blank">Halo</a>. At my reaction, he teased, “Now, you’re not going to fan-boy on me, are you?” Fortunately, I only let a little excitement sneak out, and we spent the better part of an hour chatting about con misadventures and getting to know each other. Oh, and me taking more pictures for fans. He’s a great guy, and it was a pleasure to meet him. I hope our paths cross again.<br />
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My muses showed up shortly after my visit with Steve, and I spent the evening hanging out with my friends. I was fortunate again this year that Cristi, Marina and Mayra were all able to attend. They are great friends, they make the cons a LOT of fun for me, and for some reason I sell more books when they are around. With no regrets, I spent the weekend trying to keep up with them, knowing I would pay for it on Monday. I’m young like that.<br />
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Saturday was fun for every reason. My muses graced my booth with their beauty and class. Cristi’s dad surprised us with a visit to his first con - while often a bit of culture shock, he rolled with it like a pro. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrothersOnWhatever/" target="_blank">Brothers on Whatever</a> and several others. The first interview has already been posted by Noah Roberts, which you can find <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idBa4w4vjCg" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by time|light photography</td></tr>
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Visioncon’s guest selection is always top notch. There is a fine art to finding personable and approachable guests that can both draw in a crowd and keep the crowd there. That’s always been my experience at Visioncon, and you can check out their great lineup from this year <a href="http://www.visioncon.net/content/guests/guests.php" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I was pretty excited that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0794128/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">John Wesley Shipp</a> was on the guest roster this year. It’s worthy of a longer post, but The Flash has always been one of my favorite heroes. Not only was Shipp <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098798/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_39" target="_blank">The Flash</a> on TV when I was in college, he’s back on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3107288/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_3" target="_blank">the new show</a> in various roles (No spoilers, but check it out!) Before the convention, I noticed that he actively replied to, liked, and shared tweets. Not only did he do this for the convention, but also for vendors and attendees. I don’t see that often, and I was impressed. The crowd loved him. Flash costumes were everywhere, and I didn’t hesitate to bring my own Flash jacket. For the first time at a con, I purchased two pictures, one with just me, and one with Cristi, Marina, and Mayra. When I introduced them, “These are my muses.” He replied, “I can see why.” They swooned a bit.<br />
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Saturday was also incredibly special for another reason: my readers. I can’t describe how much it means to me when someone buys a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angst-ebook/dp/B004D4ZZ54/" target="_blank">Angst</a> because, “My friend says you’re their favorite author.” More than a few took time out of their con to visit and discuss my most recent novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MSW8TXS" target="_blank">Burning with Angst</a>, and ask when the next one would be out.<br />
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And then this happened. I was floored - absolutely floored - when I was told on two occasions, “You were one of the main reasons I came to the con.” In the rush of the show, there wasn’t enough time to thank them properly. I don’t know if there could be. I don’t take these moments for granted, any of them. It makes me feel like it’s all worth the effort and that I should keep writing. So I will.<br />
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Saturday night we hit the Mojo party and listened to some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BigDamnHeroesBand/" target="_blank">Big Damn Heroes</a> before my old age crept up on me and we called it. Sunday came and went too fast, and before I knew it, I was sleeping to noon on Monday. It always takes me a day to catch my breath, a week to shake off the post-con-funk, and a year to stop missing Visioncon - because that’s when it’s time for the next one!<br />
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Be sure to check out some great pictures of the con <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1476417915724680.1073741853.180181718681646&type=1&l=c4cbcc5cbc" target="_blank">here!</a><br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-21066039204461573072017-02-17T22:16:00.001-06:002017-02-17T22:16:29.755-06:00My FailuresI had the opportunity the other night to share one of my all-time favorite quotes with my daughter when she was crushed after doing poorly on a test. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan" target="_blank">Michael Jordan</a> said, “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” My daughter didn’t fail, but she didn’t do as well as she liked. More importantly, she tried as hard as she could. I was proud of her for trying. Trying, and failing, and then trying again will eventually lead to success.<br />
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Tonight we had a conversation about her boyfriend - a great young man who has a start-up dream he wants to chase after he graduates from college. I don’t know what the idea is but I’ll do everything I can to help, and I hope with every fiber of my being that it’s the next Google.<br />
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But I felt it important to explain that start-ups are a LOT of work with an incredibly high rate of failure. I went on to say that failure doesn’t make you a loser, or a bad person – it’s the evolutionary step to success. I should know, I’ve failed a lot.<br />
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Straight out of college, my best friend (and now <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2016/03/angst-team-profile-matt.html" target="_blank">beta-team reader</a>) and I chased several dreams. The first was Courageous Comics. It was during the late 90s when comic book sales soared. I had been collecting since I was 8. Not only did this make me an expert in comic books, but having recently graduated from college certainly made me a business genius. We were going to be the Blockbuster for comic books. We wrote a business plan, shopped it around, and even looked at space to lease out. It ended when the owner of a strip mall said, “You don’t have a pot to piss in. Without money, this just isn’t going to happen.” He was right.<br />
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My second idea happened during the early days of the first big internet boom. It was before anyone had heard of Amazon, or Google. I was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturers'_representative" target="_blank">Manufacturer’s Representative</a> selling tools to wholesalers. There were hundreds of online retailers with no inventory, and manufacturers didn’t know how to ship out anything less than a pallet of product. We Ship One was born.<br />
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The plan was to be another warehouse for manufacturers that could handle small shipments, and some I spoke with loved the idea. Web site retailers were starving for it since they didn’t actually have to own any of the product. Matt and I actually had investors review the plan and tentatively offer seed money if we had something to show them. Despite a lot of excitement, and I mean the kind of excitement that encourages the purchase of fine cigars, I had nothing to show. I failed, again.<br />
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I eventually went back to comics with a mail order business. An internet comic book store was unheard of, so it was all done by snail mail. Every month, I created a catalog. Scanners were very expensive, and we had a new baby, so I scanned images from <a href="http://www.diamondcomics.com/" target="_blank">Diamond Distributor</a>’s Preview catalog using a fax machine and my black and white laptop. I had rewired a phone cord with a 9-volt battery that connected between them so it worked like a scanner. It was a poor scanner, and the images required a lot of editing. Eventually, I cobbled together a smaller catalog printed at Kinko’s on legal-sized paper. My wife and I would use a long neck stapler and mail them out every month. I had enough customers to break even, and spent $1,000 on a full page ad in Hero magazine that eventually paid for itself.<br />
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It took a year to realize, however, that between my full-time job that actually paid bills and this full-time job that kept me from spending time with my wife and son, it wasn’t going to happen. I threw in the towel and made another mark on the failure chalkboard.<br />
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Creative people tend to come up with lots of ideas. I came close to starting a radio talk show in St. Louis, working for a movie producer in Hollywood who actually became something. Then there was the writing. I’ve penned lots and lots of crap that very few people have ever read. The writing was always most important, but I couldn’t calm down enough to actually complete anything worth reading until I was in my 40s. Even now, I don’t consider myself a successful writer. At least not financially - yet. <br />
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I do get something else out of writing. Adventures at cons with friends. I get to meet lots of people and make more friends. I’ve also received reviews, emails (and even a <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2015/09/success-vs-accomplishment.html" target="_blank">handwritten letter</a>) from people I don’t know, who have graciously shared their appreciation for my books. When someone says that I’ve made them laugh, or that they can’t wait for the next book, I don’t consider myself a failure anymore.<br />
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At a recent <a href="http://guildit.org/sci-fi-storytellers-216-at-central-library/" target="_blank">conference</a> I attended, popular comic book writer <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonaaron" target="_blank">Jason Aaron</a> said, “Stories don't just happen. You have to build them, craft them, and refine them. You can't just sit around and wait for someone to tell you you're a writer. There's no writer fairy. You have to work for it.” I think these wise words are great advice in any field, and it took me longer than most to be happy with where I’m at. My advice for my daughter’s boyfriend, for friends and family, and for anyone whose dreams don’t go the right direction… after the failure hangover is done, try again. You’ve got another idea in there somewhere, and you’ve learned enough to do an even better job next time.<br />
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At the end of this long-winded lecture, my daughter said, “Wow, you’re like Wikipedia. You know stuff!” Isn’t it nice when it finally comes around? It certainly took long enough to get here.<br />
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<br />gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-28253795322146220342016-12-16T08:30:00.000-06:002016-12-16T08:32:19.871-06:00Burning with Angst is now available!Burning with Angst, the fourth novel in the Angst fantasy series, is now available for your Kindle, Nook, iPad, Kobo and on Google Play!<br />
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<b>Burning with Angst:</b> Three months after the attack on Princess Victoria, Angst learns that his friends are still missing, and his wife is kicking him out. If that’s not enough, the war between elements has taken its toll on Ehrde, and now, a war between nations seems inevitable. Fortunately, there are only two elements remaining. Unfortunately, they have combined forces to destroy Angst and everyone he loves. It seems Angst's midlife crisis may be anything but simple.<br />
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None of this was in the hero rulebook he never got, but Angst has a plan! It’s not a very good plan—actually, it’s a really bad plan, but with help from some unexpected allies, he sets out to find his friends, save Unsel, and return home before his wife leaves him forever. What could possibly go wrong?<br />
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Burning with Angst is the fourth fantasy novel in David J. Pedersen’s Angst series. Join Angst and his friends as they continue…A Midlife Crisis in Medieval Times<br />
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You can purchase your copy of Burning with Angst at the sites below:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSW8TXS" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1183645636" target="_blank">Apple</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burning-with-angst-david-pedersen/1125293446?ean=2940157025793" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/David_J_Pedersen_Burning_with_Angst?id=NsmqDQAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google</a> | <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/burning-with-angst" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=249MTD5XAPUNC" target="_blank">Signed Print Copy</a><br />
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I've also been asked by several if they could purchased signed copies of all four Angst novels. You can buy all four books for $60.00, domestic shipping in the United States is included. Please be sure who you want the books inscribed to (or if you don't want them signed). These will ship as soon as I receive copies of book 4.<br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-68954054248718890842016-12-09T10:13:00.001-06:002016-12-09T10:13:24.781-06:00Pre-order Burning with Angst<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktidgCSSPTw/WErV22rr_VI/AAAAAAABFfA/HxPM4agupzw4EzatL_SaKKoH3rDcwIttACLcB/s1600/BurningWithAngst-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktidgCSSPTw/WErV22rr_VI/AAAAAAABFfA/HxPM4agupzw4EzatL_SaKKoH3rDcwIttACLcB/s320/BurningWithAngst-sm.jpg" width="211" /></a>You can now pre-order copies of the fourth novel in the <i>Angst</i> fantasy series! <i>Burning with Angst</i> can be ordered from the links below for your Kindle, iPad, Kobo and on Google Play! <i>Burning with Angst</i> will be released on 12/16/16.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSW8TXS" target="_blank">Amazon </a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1183645636" target="_blank">Apple iTunes</a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/David_J_Pedersen_Burning_with_Angst?id=NsmqDQAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Play</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/burning-with-angst" target="_blank">Kobo </a><br />
*<a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=249MTD5XAPUNC" target="_blank">Print </a><br />
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*When you place a print order, you will be ordering directly from me. I will be placing an order for all pre-ordered print versions on Monday after my proof arrives. They will be shipped out the day after I receive them, I'll update Facebook and Twitter with expected dates. Thanks!gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-80647252804609809872016-12-02T11:30:00.000-06:002016-12-02T11:30:16.087-06:00Book 4 Cover Reveal: Burning With AngstI'm so excited to share this amazing wrap-around book cover by Alessandro Brunelli! Not only did he do an incredible job, he has the rare gift of turning my crappy sketches and vague ideas into art. My sincere thanks to Alessandro for his great work!<br />
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We left the blurb off so you can see more of the image. You can find the blurb below:<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Just A Midlife Crisis?</h3>
<b>Three months after the attack on Princess Victoria, Angst learns that his friends are still missing, and his wife is kicking him out. If that’s not enough, the war between elements has taken its toll on Ehrde, and now, a war between nations seems inevitable. Fortunately, there are only two elements remaining. Unfortunately, they have combined forces to destroy Angst and everyone he loves. It seems Angst's midlife crisis may be anything but simple.</b><br />
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<b>None of this was in the hero rulebook he never got, but Angst has a plan! It’s not a very good plan—actually, it’s a really bad plan, but with help from some unexpected allies, he sets out to find his friends, save Unsel, and return home before his wife leaves him forever. What could possibly go wrong?</b><br />
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<b>Burning with Angst is the fourth fantasy novel in David J. Pedersen’s Angst series. Join Angst and his friends as they continue…</b><br />
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<b>A Midlife Crisis in Medieval Times</b></div>
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Finally, a special thanks to my wife, Angie, for all of her help formatting the cover!<br />
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Be sure to stop by next week for links to pre-order your copy of Burning With Angst!<br />
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12/9 Pre-ordering available<br />
12/16 Burning With Angst Official Release Date<br />
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<br />gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-18313900811818921312016-11-02T17:58:00.001-05:002016-11-02T17:58:52.460-05:00Reminding Myself Why I Write<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A writer friend of mine recently expressed some of her frustrations on Facebook, and how, sometimes, writing can feel thankless. Her post wasn’t hateful or negative, she was merely disheartened. I get it. You pour days and soul into your work, and when it’s all done, the rewards don’t always feel like they compensate the effort.<br />
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I was a little crushed that Angst wasn’t picked up for a movie within a week after being published. (I know I’m not alone!) On days that I’m sober and have more realistic expectations, I get frustrated too. I’m a young writer (about the only time you can refer to me as young in any sentence), in the sense that I’ve only published three novels. And, while I feel accomplished, I haven’t met my goals yet, and that can be discouraging. So, when others don’t remind me of why I do it, I have to remind myself.<br />
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On a related note, I love Halloween (trust me, this is related). Sometimes I miss the old Halloween when my wife and I would help costume our kids, walk them around the neighborhood for candy and bring them to our parents. I have many fond memories of our daughter, the fanciful unicorn and our son, the lawyer of doom. Now that we aren’t allowed to dress them up anymore, we go to a party hosted by good friends and dress up ourselves. It’s a lot of fun to see who everyone chooses to be. Sometimes clever, sometimes sexy, and often humorous. This year, I broke new ground with my costume that I may not be able to top.<br />
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I was inspired one night, and my wife agreed to give it a try. I don’t think she completely understood what I had in mind, but considering the success of <a href="http://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/" target="_blank">Pokémon Go</a> this year my idea was timely, so we assembled our team. Angie looked stunning as Ash Ketchum. My dear friend and spokesmodel Cristi rocked the sexy in her Misty costume. I was Pikachu. Yeah.<br />
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I’m going to, mostly, save everyone’s eyes by not posting too many pics. (You’re welcome.) After cobbling together the various pieces, I donned the giant, yellow animal slippers, the bright yellow wrestling uniform, and Pikachu headband, to surprise my wife. I’m serious when I say she didn’t stop laughing for ten minutes. The costume went over terribly well at the party (both terrible, and well). Sitting on my muses’ laps and whispering “pika pika” in their ears until they couldn’t contain themselves, posing with friends for pictures that most won’t ever see… well, you get the idea. My friend and muse Marina later messaged and said, “I will be laughing about (your) costume for a while.” I can’t say this strongly enough, <b>that’s exactly why I write!</b><br />
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A few pics made it onto my Instagram and Facebook, and they were received with mixed reactions. As far as I can tell, nobody was really insulted, but most didn’t find it as funny as my close friends did. That’s okay, because it wasn’t for everyone; it was for a specific audience. My friends laughed along with me when I was in costume, and I hope when they look back at pictures it will bring a smile. I think it will. Mission accomplished.<br />
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Once and awhile, someone throws shade on my books with a poor review. That used to bother me, and it took me a long time to realize that, like me, my writing isn’t for everyone. Once in awhile, though, I get a good review, or someone sends me a nice message, or I get asked when the next book is coming out. That means I entertained someone. I successfully distracted them from life long enough that they can get lost in a story I created, and often I’m told they had a good laugh over something I’ve written. Mission accomplished.<br />
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It took me awhile to find “my tribe” (as my wife calls my close friends.) It sometimes feels like it has taken longer to find my audience of readers. But I feel the wait for both has been completely worth it, and a good reminder of why I write. Pika pika.gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-69114265059435757272016-09-27T15:50:00.000-05:002016-09-27T15:50:26.192-05:00Archon 40 This Weekend!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Archon 40 is this weekend, and I'm not sure if anyone can be more excited about it than I am! I have a lot planned for my last con of 2016! I'm pleased to announce that <i>all</i> of my muses will be attending <a href="http://www.archonstl.org/" target="_blank">Archon</a> for the first time! Cristi, Marina, and Mayra will all be at my booth Saturday afternoon! I will be giving away a new poster of all three muses with every purchase. I have some copies of Angst with an error on the cover. (I'm pretty sure that makes it a collector's edition. :P ) I'll be selling these for only $6 each while supplies last.<br />
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I also get to participate in six panels at Archon and I will be moderating four of them. Please stop by for some fun discussions:<br />
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<td>Friday </td>
<td>12:00 pm</td>
<td>Salon 4 </td>
<td>What Star Trek Means to Me (M)</td>
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<td>Friday </td>
<td> 3:00 pm </td>
<td>Cahokian</td>
<td>Worldcon 74 Recap (M)</td>
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<td>Saturday </td>
<td>10:00 am </td>
<td>Salon 4</td>
<td>DC Comics on TV</td>
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<td>Saturday </td>
<td> 3:00 pm </td>
<td>Salon 4</td>
<td>Marvel Cinematic Universe (M)</td>
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<td>Saturday </td>
<td> 4:00 pm </td>
<td>Marquette B </td>
<td>Writing Damaged Characters</td>
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<td>Sunday </td>
<td> 1:00 pm </td>
<td>Salon 6</td>
<td>Author Readings</td>
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<td>Sunday </td>
<td> 2:00 pm </td>
<td>Marquette A</td>
<td>Avoiding Writer's Block (M)</td>
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You can find me at booth 22 in creators alley:<br />
Friday 4-8<br />
Saturday 10-6<br />
Sunday 10-2<br />
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My wife will also be selling all sorts of fun, geeky craft items at booth 23!<br />
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Archon 40 will be:<br />
September 30th - October 2nd, 2016<br />
Gateway Convention Center and DoubleTree Hotel<br />
1000 Eastport Plaza Dr<br />
Collinsville, IL 62234<br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-61522891298058063102016-09-21T10:27:00.001-05:002016-09-21T10:27:26.556-05:00Burning with Angst Is Almost Ready!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m pleased to announce that the rough draft of my fourth fantasy novel, Burning with Angst, is complete! I have sent off copies to the beta team for review and discussion. So far the feedback on early chapters has been excellent. Always a good sign. I have also scheduled time with my amazing editor, <a href="http://www.daniellefine.com/" target="_blank">Danielle Fine</a>, to clean things up.<br />
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Life is my obstacle course. There are always reasons my books take longer than I’d like, but I feel that it’s more important to write a good, entertaining novel than it is to rush out content. Honestly, if my editor were ever to say that a book needs a lot of work and I should do a full rewrite, I’d spend that time getting it right rather than releasing a sloppy book. (Fortunately, that’s never been the case!)<br />
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If you pre-ordered a copy of Burning with Angst, thank you for your order, and thank you for your patience! Even though I hadn’t set a release date, readers very kindly asked if they could pre-order copies back in February. I believe I told some that I’d try to finish by the end of summer, which was a pretty vague commitment. While technically that happened, it’ll be just a little longer before the editing and formatting process is done. That said, I really appreciate your support.<br />
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If you are wanting to pre-order Burning with Angst, I’ll make an order form available on this site as soon as I have a final publication date. In the meantime, I highly recommend signing up for my book release newsletter so you are in the know. I promise, no spam, just an update when new books are available. You can sign up here: <a href="http://eepurl.com/Dg_W9">http://eepurl.com/Dg_W9</a><br />
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I’m really excited to share this new adventure! I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it!gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-21514762295958724352016-08-27T18:24:00.000-05:002016-08-27T18:24:13.133-05:00Angst team profile: Becky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As much as I like to keep my friends forever, that doesn't always work out. Family, moves, emotions, life - there are a lot of reasons why friendships sometimes don’t last. I hate that, but I understand it too. It makes me appreciate even more those who stay close, in spite of the boundaries of years or distance or differences. These are the friends who are family, and every bit as precious.<br />
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I met Becky 25 years ago during my senior year of college. She was a freshman trying out for Thee University of Wisconsin Marching Band, which was the cornerstone of my college years. Becky was energetic, fun loving, and committed, all in a beautiful package (none of which has changed.) We clicked instantly and it didn't take long to become close friends.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theno, Meg (Photographer). <br />
Madison, WI. August 29, 1991. <br />
from Wisconsin State Journal</td></tr>
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Becky gained quick notoriety when the Wisconsin State Journal posted her picture on the cover of their newspaper during tryouts (though maybe “infamous” would be a better word than notoriety). Our marching style requires that you raise your knees high and "stop at the top". One of my 9 roommates (pictured to her left) was keeping a close eye on her progress...or something. She was a welcome addition to my house, TKB (Tappa Kegga Brew) and helped make my senior year pretty fabulous. We had a lot of fun adventures in college, and despite only getting to live in the same city that one year, we've remained close friends ever since.<br />
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Some of our adventures probably shouldn't be preserved on the internet, but amongst my favorites were Rochester, MN. Over two or three summers, I attended a weekend show in Rochester, which is only 90 minutes from Minneapolis where she lived. We'd hit restaurants at night (there are some damn nice restaurants in Rochester) and close down bars, where she introduced me to karaoke. (My apologies to anyone who attended.) And sometimes we’d even bribe the hotel concierge to let us sneak in and use the hot tub after hours. Then, I'd shakily work the next morning while she slept in. I'd get back from working and we'd hit it again. Ah, youth.<br />
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Becky is a lot of fun, and has a certain energy about her that you wish could bottle up or borrow. I've always said she has sales flowing through her blood. Not the door-to-door vacuum cleaner type that we can all do without. More like the amazing monkey-remover who leaves things better than when she arrived. She knows people, how to interact with them, and makes new friends everywhere she goes. Her self-confidence and compassion are captivating, and it doesn't hurt that she has the brains to back it up. Oh, and did I mention beautiful? Needless to say, her input with my writing has been invaluable.<br />
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I've rewritten more than a few chapters per her advice. Early on, I read my rough drafts aloud to edit, and recorded them for friends who didn't have time to read. She was on the road a lot while I was writing “Angst,” and preferred the audio version. There was one particular chapter in the first book that had way too much jumping around, and I have always found it fascinating that she and another friend listening to the audio version were the only ones to point out the problem.<br />
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I lucked out when Becky married Matthew, both because he's an amazing guy, and his parents live in Kansas City. My wife and I are totally spoiled once or twice a year when they make it down to visit. Often we get together for a nice dinner and some good catch-up time. They have two beautiful girls who, no doubt, will challenge them as much as Becky challenged her parents. I’m also sure they will turn out just as amazing because of their great parents!<br />
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This story doesn't end, it's actually happening right now. My wife and I drove to Minneapolis this morning, and are waiting for Becky and Matthew to join us for dinner. Hey, 25 years is something to celebrate, and with Matthew's help, I think she'll enjoy the surprise.<br />
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(Special thanks to <a href="http://host.madison.com/wsj/" target="_blank">Wisconsin State Journal </a>for permission to use their photo!)gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-46722938914073166292016-08-23T11:42:00.001-05:002016-08-23T11:42:39.984-05:00Worldcon Post Three: An Indie Author at Worldcon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is a lot to know about Worldcon and I wanted to share my perspective as an indie author with a booth. I go to science fiction and fantasy conventions for a lot of different reasons. Personally, I attend to visit with friends I know through conventions, make new friends, and just talk to people with similar interests. From a sales perspective, my goal isn’t to make money but instead to obtain exposure. There were many highlights, and a few bumps in this adventure, but overall I’d say it was a win.<br />
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From a personal perspective, I’d say the win was big. I enjoyed spending time with friends I normally only get to see at one con a year. This was a treat which included dinners or visits at my booth. It wasn’t unusual for someone to pull up a chair on the dealer floor and share their con experiences, or even provide a drive-by recommendation to prospective buyers. Being a five day convention so close to home, I also enjoyed some quality time with my wife Angie, my daughter Joanne, and our “adopted daughter” Sarah, all who helped out for two days or more, and I couldn’t have done it without them! My muses, Cristi and Mayra, joined in on the fun <a href="https://worstcomicpodcastever.com/" target="_blank">Worst.Comic.Podcast.Ever!</a> Jerry and John joined us for dinner on Saturday, and we discussed everything from mermen (thanks Cristi), the Beach Boys (best engagement story ever, Jerry), to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Rebirth" target="_blank">Rebirth</a>. Saturday, and to nobody’s surprise I sold as many books that day as the other four combined. (They even received a costume award from Worldcon, which is pretty awesome!) I also made new friends, including some that I look forward to seeing at Archon, and the guys from<br />
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The most rewarding experience from this convention came from conversations I had with with three young writers. I really enjoyed talking about writing with several high school students who want to be novelists, and had another conversation with a young college student who is trying to write a book. I gave all the advice they could stand, and the best pep talk I could. The college student was shy at first, but after realizing I wanted to help, asked quite a few questions. At the end of the conversation, she said, “This was probably my highlight of the con.” I couldn’t ask for any better compliment, and this alone makes me say the con was a win.<br />
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I realize that being an independently published author at an established literary convention is an uphill battle. While I had plenty of great conversations with writers and other professionals, more than once things were said to me, or those in my booth, that was rude. It’s okay if you don’t want to buy my books for any reason, I know they aren’t for everyone, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to yell at my daughter or scoff at my friends. I only point this out because honestly, this never happens at other cons I attend. It was kind of weird, and a little offensive. I’ve got thick skin and have already moved on, but recounting the story would have been incomplete without including this.<br />
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Book sales are something most indie authors don’t discuss. Nobody wants to admit bad sales, or make other writers feel bad for not selling any books. When it comes to sales, I usually approach conventions with high hopes and low expectations. My philosophy has always been simple: don’t run out of books. For Worldcon, it was impossible to gauge how many to bring. Every con is different, it’s not exactly a sliding scale based on attendance. I tried doing internet research with inconclusive results. I also asked other writers who have attended Worldcons, and advice was all over the place. I was told by several to bring a lot of books, so I ordered quite a few. After said books were ordered, I was also advised that those attending Worldcon aren't excited about indie authors. I didn’t sleep great the week before the con.<br />
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I'd like to think that from a marketing perspective, I put my best foot forward. I don't just put books on a table, I've got a nice display. I give away posters with every purchase. I promoted my attendance with blog posts, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and even some Facebook advertising. I went through the effort of wrapping Angst in a fancy new cover. Also, my muses always draw in a crowd, because they’re amazing.<br />
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I sold 50 books. It wasn’t my best con, but it was far from my worst. There were approximately 3,000 - 5,000 people who attended (that’s the word-of-mouth count and not official). So, maybe, 1% of the people attending braved a purchase. While these sales didn’t exactly feel worldly, people from around the world purchased a copy of Angst, and that was cool. I spoke to several dealers who were unhappy with the con, one who said his sales were half of last year’s. I was a little disappointed because I was looking for more exposure, but I felt worse for other dealers because this is their living. If there was any one thing that irked me, it was the fact that the hard-to-find <a href="https://midamericon2.org/dealer-listing/" target="_blank">list of dealers</a> on the Midamericon web site didn’t link to my web site. I spent quite a bit of money on booth fees and badges, so this should have been easy, and I did ask. It may not have affected my sales, but it certainly didn’t help my exposure.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AbspSYAy5BY/V7x6hbNSMAI/AAAAAAABBqg/_XJpkiSQubwpWO2YzeY0UHeLOaVDUGJowCLcB/s1600/Worldcon_Jo_Astronaut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AbspSYAy5BY/V7x6hbNSMAI/AAAAAAABBqg/_XJpkiSQubwpWO2YzeY0UHeLOaVDUGJowCLcB/s200/Worldcon_Jo_Astronaut.jpg" width="113" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter and <br />astronaut <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_G._Love" target="_blank">Stanley G. Love</a></td></tr>
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So, for my indie author friends, my best advice is to seriously consider what you want out of a Worldcon. You may be better off attending panels and learning from the vast knowledge being shared. (Word of mouth is that the panels were exceptional!) You aren’t going to get any exposure to publishers; if that’s your end goal, you would be better off submitting your work through traditional means. If you still think you can take over the world despite any of my warnings, bring in twice the inventory you would sell at your best convention, and plan on having some left over. Would I attend another Worldcon? Possibly, because Dublin sounds really nice. ;)<br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-23058309817922209362016-08-10T23:53:00.000-05:002016-08-10T23:53:43.236-05:00Worldcon Post Two: Let's have some fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IQtoFtxdViU/V6wESPyH1SI/AAAAAAABA9c/0HdLuQi5MGE2Ohidjb8y7V6VPuq96wIvgCLcB/s1600/MusesWithChryslaenor1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IQtoFtxdViU/V6wESPyH1SI/AAAAAAABA9c/0HdLuQi5MGE2Ohidjb8y7V6VPuq96wIvgCLcB/s320/MusesWithChryslaenor1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I couldn’t be more excited about the fact that Kansas City is hosting <a href="http://www.worldcon.org/" target="_blank">Worldcon</a> 74 (aka <a href="https://midamericon2.org/" target="_blank">MidAmeriCon2</a>)! Even better, it’s is only a week away! I received some great feedback from my last <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gotangst/posts/1251944374838703" target="_blank">post on Facebook</a>. Some of it made me apprehensive, some was very encouraging, and all comments were welcoming. That last part is my favorite. My goals remain in tact, have fun with friends, make new friends, and share my story!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Oj_NK931tk/V6uYWHQYvCI/AAAAAAABA9I/W2PEZIzLhk8CMSYqs1nP3wYa6RgpOIqaQCLcB/s1600/PosterOfMuses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Oj_NK931tk/V6uYWHQYvCI/AAAAAAABA9I/W2PEZIzLhk8CMSYqs1nP3wYa6RgpOIqaQCLcB/s200/PosterOfMuses.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
I’ll have copies of my story at booth 27 in the <a href="https://midamericon2.org/dealers-information/" target="_blank">dealer hall</a> - stop by and you can:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Pick up a copy of Angst for only $10 at the con!</li>
<li>Sign up for my <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletter</a> for a chance to win a T-Shirt!</li>
<li>Meet my muses on Saturday- it’s a great photo opp!</li>
<li>Snag a free poster of my gorgeous muses with every purchase!</li>
<li>Pre-purchase the 4th Angst novel - “Burning with Angst”!</li>
<li>Take a picture the giant sword, Chryslaenor, from the Angst novels!</li>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns0gqpHl92A/V59m94lmzjI/AAAAAAABAb0/5O9GOAtN-LYLU8AO2yyEU7wE9qUcx8LkACPcB/s1600/AngstBookCover-tiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns0gqpHl92A/V59m94lmzjI/AAAAAAABAb0/5O9GOAtN-LYLU8AO2yyEU7wE9qUcx8LkACPcB/s1600/AngstBookCover-tiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns0gqpHl92A/V59m94lmzjI/AAAAAAABAb0/5O9GOAtN-LYLU8AO2yyEU7wE9qUcx8LkACPcB/s200/AngstBookCover-tiny.jpg" width="125" /></a><br />
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We are planning to have a great time, and I hope you will join us!<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/p/little-about-angst.html" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more about my novels!<br />
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You can find reviews on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Angst-ebook/dp/B004D4ZZ54/#customerReviews" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9802360-angst" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>!gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-31749118975359048602016-08-01T10:23:00.000-05:002016-08-01T10:23:05.289-05:00Worldcon Post One: I don’t know what I’m doing and I can’t wait!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c4FwM0xgmpc/V59mbf-fsyI/AAAAAAABAbg/PbXHXd4_O0MAoxdn2Q7MHqFw3eFbiS2ZACLcB/s1600/ThroneOfAngst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c4FwM0xgmpc/V59mbf-fsyI/AAAAAAABAbg/PbXHXd4_O0MAoxdn2Q7MHqFw3eFbiS2ZACLcB/s200/ThroneOfAngst.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few copies of Angst for Worldcon</td></tr>
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I’ve been laughing nervously to myself since March when I was told I could have a booth at <a href="http://www.worldcon.org/" target="_blank">Worldcon</a>. This is actually going to be the 25th convention I’ve attended and one would think that I have a master plan for World(con) domination! (Mwa ha ha ha). I feel more like the person who shows up at the ice skating rink with roller skates. But it’s all about the adventure, right?<br />
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Wiser writers will attend <a href="https://midamericon2.org/" target="_blank">MidAmeriCon2</a> with a list of goals that include networking, sales targets, maximum visibility, and leveraging synergistic opportunities (see? Business). These sound neat, and even achievable with some past Worldcon experience…which I don’t have. I tried researching to find out what to expect, how many books I should bring since I have a booth, and the best approach at presenting my words. I must have used the wrong google, because there isn’t much out there. So, I’m going to post multiple times about being an indie writer with a booth at Worldcon. This first post is my pre-con apprehension-laden build-up toe-in-unknown-waters post. I’m sharing this as much to get it out of my system, as I am for the other indie writers considering the same path. The next post will be to promote my attendance. After, I’ll share what I learn.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9mVFjvKhC1M/V4MQP5n2jAI/AAAAAAAA_cc/c8KJ6GrMAM81h0Q_M3LeJK92r0CMx9ZcQCPcB/s1600/Angst_4thOfJuly_2016_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9mVFjvKhC1M/V4MQP5n2jAI/AAAAAAAA_cc/c8KJ6GrMAM81h0Q_M3LeJK92r0CMx9ZcQCPcB/s320/Angst_4thOfJuly_2016_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite pics from the photoshoot!</td></tr>
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Right now I’m experiencing pre-game for the sports fans, or pre-show for the band nerds (I’ve done both). I’m spending more money than I should to make a professional presentation, and while I’m not exactly being bridezilla on a reality show, I want people attending to notice me and my work. I’m trying very hard to make sure everything is perfect. But it's like I'm guiding a missile using the force and I'm unsure where the target is.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns0gqpHl92A/V59m94lmzjI/AAAAAAABAbo/CMM5koPLqGom74kE5cVCr-YZtjkTsAMtQCLcB/s1600/AngstBookCover-tiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns0gqpHl92A/V59m94lmzjI/AAAAAAABAbo/CMM5koPLqGom74kE5cVCr-YZtjkTsAMtQCLcB/s200/AngstBookCover-tiny.jpg" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New cover for Angst!</td></tr>
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I’ve done a few things to prepare for Worldcon. The <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2016/07/this-4th-of-july-was-fun-adventure-i.html" target="_blank">photoshoot</a> with my muses wasn’t just about spending a day with beautiful friends. (Okay, it was.) But the end result is I will have a new poster to give away with book purchases. The <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2016/07/angst-2nd-edition-release-announcement.html" target="_blank">second edition</a> of my first fantasy novel, “Angst,” is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Angst-David-Pedersen-ebook/dp/B004D4ZZ54" target="_blank">now available!</a> Reviewing and editing “Angst” was a chore and a half, but worth the effort. I’m bringing a few copies to sell. Two of my muses will be attending between Friday and Saturday, and they draw in more of a crowd than my ugly mug.<br />
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In the end, after the marching band starts pre-game and the first kickoff flies, I do have a plan. I’m planning to make some new friends, have fun, and put on a show. I expect the con to be working fun, like most of them, and I know I’m going to love it! If I happen to sell some books, it’ll be even better.<br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-88422699048801663602016-07-21T09:22:00.002-05:002016-07-21T09:22:56.304-05:00Aging LoudlyIt’s time I admit the worst kept secret on the internet, I’m aging poorly. I’m wrinkling like a washed shirt that was hung to dry but should have been pressed. I’m fat like those clickbait ads you see on crappy websites telling you about this one, little, secret… My thinning hair would be perfect for a Bosley commercial. To make it worse, it now takes me longer to recover from exercise and booze. It all adds up to the simple fact that I let myself get older...but I don’t regret it for a second.<br />
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I remember in high school thinking that I never wanted to get pudgy like my dad. I may have even said this out loud. (Sorry Dad!) My father was never really overweight, he never “exercised” in the traditional sense, but it certainly wasn’t because the word lazy is in his lexicon. He was just really focused on his company, managing the house, and being a great father and husband. At the time, I ran 15 miles a day and looked like the beanstalk Jack climbed. (Uh, a really short beanstalk.) Now, here I am, one ‘kid’ starting college, the other starting Law School, I have a full time job and spend the rest of my time writing. (That’s two full time jobs.) Working out sounds like a great idea, of course, but then so does Starbucks. Needless to say, I look up to my father a lot. I’m still learning from him, and 30 years later, I think I get it.<br />
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I recently had the pleasure of spending the weekend on a lake trip with some great friends. This is the second year we’ve all pitched in on a nice house using Airbnb, and I’m already looking forward to next year! I’m truly grateful for being included since a lot of these friends are in their 20s and my wife and I aren’t. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy spending time with all of them, and some are amongst my closest friends, but my wife and I are far in the lead when it comes to the aging contest. Other than a little gentle teasing, nobody cares, I certainly don’t. In my wife’s words, “I’m glad you found your tribe.”<br />
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I posted pictures of the lake trip to Facebook and one of my friends was less than happy with how they looked in several pictures. To say they are working rigorous hours to meet their career goals is an understatement. That means it’s nearly impossible to take that casual 5 mile run after a ten hour work day, or spend the weekend preparing healthy meals when that’s your study time. When you actually decide to do something, goals can be unforgiving.<br />
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I used to really kick myself over this, and still do to a lesser extent, but I really shouldn’t. When I’m not at work, I’ve been focused like a laser on my books. I let the grass grow a little long around the house (sorry neighbors), I walk a couple days a week instead of a full workout regimen, but I’m writing like my life depends on it. The thing is, I really embrace my goals, and if I spread myself too thin, I won’t meet any of them.<br />
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I may have been the oldest, chubbiest, oldest person at that lake trip. I definitely looked worse than anyone else in a swimsuit. (Woof, don’t ask me about my swimsuit...and no more pictures standing next to Cristi’s fiance, Brandon. Jerk. ;) ) But I didn’t let any of that get in the way of my fun. And I excelled at having fun! If I could go back five years and choose between my life’s passion of writing novels, or trying to look like Hugh Jackman to impress a bunch of hot 20 somethings, I’d choose the writing. Had I looked like Hugh, the trip wouldn’t have been any different, but I would have had regrets for not following through with what I really wanted out of life. Once again, my dad was right about working hard on the things that are most important, though I’m pretty sure the words he used were, “Have you mowed the lawn yet?”<br />
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So, maybe I’m not aging poorly, I think instead I’m aging loudly. I may have more wrinkles, I may not be the shape I’d like to be, but good luck finding someone who lives life more than I do! I’m in my mid 40s, but rather that dreaming that something might happen, I’m fighting for those dreams. That fight includes sacrifice, commitment, and sometimes cake, and vodka. I’m good with that.<br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-20823215041043485272016-07-15T18:40:00.000-05:002016-07-15T18:40:02.449-05:00Angst 2nd Edition Release Announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QAewE3rGZVw/V4hf-JrW8dI/AAAAAAAA_oU/3CNEraaMi2EfNusBNeR3itJRU-tJ_e-lwCLcB/s1600/AngstBookCoverSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QAewE3rGZVw/V4hf-JrW8dI/AAAAAAAA_oU/3CNEraaMi2EfNusBNeR3itJRU-tJ_e-lwCLcB/s320/AngstBookCoverSmall.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
After 5 years, I’ve decided to go back and re-release my first fantasy novel, “Angst”. Like many artists, I really felt that the book needed to be what I originally envisioned. I’ve revised the story to make sure the plot threads lined up more neatly, changed several character names, added cgi special effects of never before seen creatures and converted it to 3D.<br />
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Okay, hopefully that gave you a chuckle, starting at the point where I refer to myself as an artist. That said, I did make some minor changes. My wife edited the first edition of “Angst” and did an amazing job, twice. She’s a professional writer of four published books and numerous magazine articles. Angie worked hard to clean up my messes. I’ve only ever received one complaint about grammar, and that was from an editor looking for business. (Something about dangling modified something or others...hey, stop it, I’m an artist!)<br />
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When I completed my second novel, “Buried in Angst,” Angie was working on ”The Star Trek Craft Book” and didn’t have time to spare for editing. Buried took me too long to write; I was getting asked weekly about the sequel and didn’t want to lose more of my audience by making them wait longer while Angie edited, so I hired Danielle Fine. What a great decision. Writers and editors look at things very differently, and something about not being my wife made Dani a little less forgiving of my grammar. She also didn’t fill in blanks in the story where my wife might leap to conclusions because she knows me.<br />
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With this in mind, I wanted grammar and punctuation in “Angst” to be consistent with my other novels. Dani not only did a fine job of straightening that out, but she also made several developmental recommendations as well. I’ve learned a lot about writing in five years, and after giving “Angst” a full read through with her advice, I did flesh out a few paragraphs and cleaned up some dialogue. Again, no story changes.<br />
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I was incredibly wary about making any changes to “Angst.” Some have told me that my writing has improved, I know it has definitely changed, but there is something about the rawness of what I wrote that I really like. For my longtime readers, please don’t fret. There are no story changes at all, and unfortunately no cgi or 3D, but “Angst” should read a little cleaner now. At the least, if you haven’t read “Angst” since it came out, and take the time to reread the updated version, you’ll probably say, “This is even better than I remember.” Ha!<br />
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Of course, that’s not the only change made with this revised edition. In my ignorance, I never acquired a signed contract for the old cover, and it’s too late to go back and request one. I did like the cover for “Angst,” but the artist politely declined working on future book covers. Also, I love the cover for “Drowning in Angst” so much I wanted that artist to create art for my other books. So for legal reasons, consistency, and some amazing art, “Angst” has shiny new cover!<br />
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As I’m close to wrapping up the fourth novel, “Burning with Angst,” and slowly rounding the bend on this five-book series, I thought this was a fitting way to celebrate five years of Angst. I hope you enjoy it!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-810bK7dmLmY/V4hf-MJQdfI/AAAAAAAA_oY/QX_PwgjrEdQMMNT2J92XSEMG4XXpIccHACEw/s1600/AngstBookCoverNoBlurbSm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="274" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-810bK7dmLmY/V4hf-MJQdfI/AAAAAAAA_oY/QX_PwgjrEdQMMNT2J92XSEMG4XXpIccHACEw/s400/AngstBookCoverNoBlurbSm.jpg" title="Angst Wraparound Cover No Blurb" width="400" /></a></div>
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Angst can be purchased at the sites below:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Angst-David-Pedersen-ebook/dp/B004D4ZZ54" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/angst/id425336045?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angst-david-pedersen/1102815105?ean=2940011870057" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></div>
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<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/David_J_Pedersen_Angst?id=sEY1YaeA33AC" target="_blank">Google Play</a></div>
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<a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/angst-7" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/38779" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></div>
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-60558812231004626132016-07-10T22:24:00.000-05:002016-07-10T22:25:37.010-05:00Photo Shoot with My Muses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9mVFjvKhC1M/V4MQP5n2jAI/AAAAAAAA_cM/zUPcMWM1qgkiVp1ihYqcU9-Q1IGku9OAQCLcB/s1600/Angst_4thOfJuly_2016_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9mVFjvKhC1M/V4MQP5n2jAI/AAAAAAAA_cM/zUPcMWM1qgkiVp1ihYqcU9-Q1IGku9OAQCLcB/s200/Angst_4thOfJuly_2016_001.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This 4th of July was a fun adventure! I had the pleasure of doing a photo shoot with my muses, and it was a blast!<br />
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I've done several photo shoots in the past with Cristi, both for day-to-day promotional images and for a poster we give away with book purchases at conventions. Every time she gets a new costume, we plan a shoot. She has always done an amazing job, and we have a great time.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USVCz9aAc6w/V4MQBXpILTI/AAAAAAAA_b8/vLzajXQi3z0ASkE-cP22rpqEEZupRBvYgCKgB/s1600/Angst_4thOfJuly_2016_020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USVCz9aAc6w/V4MQBXpILTI/AAAAAAAA_b8/vLzajXQi3z0ASkE-cP22rpqEEZupRBvYgCKgB/s200/Angst_4thOfJuly_2016_020.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Over the last several years, Cristi has recruited her friends Marina and Mayra to join us at conventions. (Something about being half naked with other people who are half naked make con appearances a little easier.) We've attended three cons together, two in Kansas City and one in Branson. Their beauty always draws a crowd, but more than that, they are also fun and friendly which makes them all approachable. A friend at work refers to them as my muses, and I would have to agree.<br />
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I'm attending <a href="https://midamericon2.org/" target="_blank">Worldcon</a> for the first time in August, and I really wanted a poster featuring all three muses. Not only will Cristi and Mayra be attending Worldcon with me, they have some great, new scale mail costumes provided by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLynnChainmaille/" target="_blank">Amanda Lynn Chainmaille</a>.<br />
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The 4th of July may seem like an odd date to choose for a photo shoot, but it ended up being the best idea ever. Not only was the date free for everyone, but it was also Marina's birthday - and what a great way to celebrate!<br />
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We took pictures for about three hours. I have to give them a lot of credit; what they make look easy is actually quite a bit of work. Standing under hot lights in awkward positions holding up heavy weapons takes commitment. I also have to thank Marina's husband, Brandon, for helping direct everyone. He had some great ideas that turned into fantastic pics!<br />
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When we were finished, Cristi and Marina wanted a picture climbing a tree in my backyard. As they were climbing, my neighbors, who I barely know, came out to watch. I called out, "It doesn't have to be weird." My neighbor replied, "No, not at all. What would be weird about half naked women in 6” heels climbing your tree?" These are obviously new neighbors.<br />
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The end result is some great memories and a lot of fantastic pictures to share throughout the year. Please check out the albums on my Facebook page to see some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gotangst/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1232785106754630" target="_blank">behind-the-scenes photos</a> as well as some of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gotangst/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1236407843059023" target="_blank">final shots</a>!<br />
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<br />gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-2109697296884678902016-05-25T22:53:00.001-05:002016-05-25T22:53:20.286-05:00Mayday: New York!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m not completely certain what happened to the month of May. I think it’s under a pile of dusty calendars and broken clocks. What started with <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2016/05/about-that-demicon-27.html" target="_blank">Demicon</a> and ends with <a href="http://www.conquestkc.org/" target="_blank">ConQuesT</a> also included several business trips to the west coast, my daughter’s high school graduation in the Midwest and my son’s college graduation in New York that I just returned from this week. Whew!<br />
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Our five-day adventure to New York included a great amount of excitement, tested all of my patience, and included some really good family time. My wife and I, our daughter and all four grandparents all flew out to see my son graduate. It was a lot of work, and I can honestly say went better than I could have hoped.<br />
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Wednesday night we enjoyed an incredible meal at <a href="http://baramericain.com/" target="_blank">Bar Americain</a>. My mother-in-law is a great fan of <a href="http://bobbyflay.com/" target="_blank">Bobby Flay</a>, and now I am too. We spent most of Thursday at the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm" target="_blank">Statue of Liberty</a> and <a href="http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Ellis Island</a>, something my mom had always wanted to do. It was amazing, and worth every effort to visit. Friday we went to the <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Metropolitan Museum of Art</a>, and it shouldn’t be a surprise we spent most of our time checking out arms and armor. That night we had dinner at <a href="http://benjaminsteakhouse.com/aboutus" target="_blank">Benjamin Steakhouse</a> where I shared a steak for two with my son. It was that serious, and that incredible. The entire trip was really about Saturday and seeing James receive his diploma, in the same week my daughter received her high school diploma. I’ve got amazing kids and I have no doubt they will both do much better than their dream-ridden father. We finished the trip by seeing <a href="http://www.wickedthemusical.com/" target="_blank">Wicked</a> on Broadway. It was my first time seeing the musical, and was the best live performance I’ve ever experienced.<br />
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Aside from my son’s commencement, I had some favorite moments. I really enjoyed people watching in Times Square at night with my wife. It was a little less crowded (a little), we weren’t rushed so we could just sit and enjoy the view. You see everything from international tourists taking selfies to half-naked street performers (I even made a new friend for only $5). I also enjoyed going out early in the morning before things started happening, when the square was almost empty, and you could breathe. That was nice. There is also a certain pride from the people who live there that I really appreciate. When I told the doorman at our hotel that my son had graduated from <a href="http://www.fordham.edu/site/index.php" target="_blank">Fordham</a>, he smiled, nodded, and said, “That’s a fine school,” almost as if he was a founder of the university.<br />
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The trip was great, but honestly, I find New York to be a challenge. I overheard an older person on Times Square say this was the most people he’d ever seen there. Yup, me too. It was an almost constant overcrowded sea of people rushing in different directions. I’m not claustrophobic, except in New York. Whether on the sidewalk, in a store, or on the subway, it was always elbow to elbow. Unfortunately, I have found courtesy and good humor to be the exception in New York. A security guard at The Met threatened a throw down because my parents were sitting on the stairs…where everyone else was sitting. On the other hand, a nice man serving water at Wicked shared how he had performed in My Fair Lady at <a href="https://www.kcstarlight.com/" target="_blank">Starlight</a>. The few times I’ve been to NY, it has felt like there are a lot of angry people. But what do I know, maybe there are just more people, period.<br />
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The culture shock isn’t just the experience of traveling to New York, it’s also coming home. The parking attendant at the airport wished me a nice day, I didn’t hear any honking cabs on the drive home, my man cave is pleasantly devoid of people, and it doesn’t cost $15 to refill my drink. It’s quiet…too quiet. I look at my June calendar, and it’s shockingly empty. What am I supposed to do without all of the people, without all of the noise, and with all of this free time…write a book?<br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-24944890059431064122016-05-09T23:45:00.001-05:002016-05-09T23:47:17.956-05:00About that Demicon 27<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying the Brass Falcon</td></tr>
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I tend to pack waaaay too much into my days of late, and I’m sure that will slow down when I retire, but probably not. Aside from some long hours and traveling for my day job, I’ve been planning a family trip to New York to see my son graduate from college. This trip not only includes my wife and daughter, but my parents and in-laws. It’s going to be a great adventure. I’m also doing some (all) house repairs in preparation of my daughter’s High School graduation party. (Needless to say, I’m a very proud dad.) I’m also building an arc reactor for my Iron Man suit to be the hero this nation needs, and I’m going to lose 20 pounds in the next month...but not really. Oh, yeah, and I’m also writing a book! It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’ve been overwhelmed and stressed and haven’t had a lot of David time. It happens, it will pass, and I really have a lot to be grateful for...all at once. Demicon 27 couldn’t have come at a better time.<br />
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I attend some cons with the hope of selling books and marketing myself. They are a different kind of beast and well worth the effort, but it’s a lot of effort. At the end of the day, I still have the pleasure of meeting some amazing people, but it’s not a party or a getaway. It’s my understanding that there are several cons George RR Martin attends somewhat regularly. In my five years of attending ConQuesT in Kansas City, he’s been there twice. Once as a guest, and once as not a guest. I like to think that he attends, more or less, to have fun. That’s what Demicon is to me.<br />
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When Cristi and I went to our first Demicon in 2013, we didn’t know what to expect. There is no advertisement that says, “Come to our con, you’ll sell a ton of books and meet 50 amazing people!” It is hosted at a nice enough Holiday Inn. They squeeze 20 or so vendors into a room about the size of a Tahoe, and knee-to-knee we wondered what we were doing there. That first day, everyone looked at us like non-nerds would look at aliens. “I see a gorgeous young 20-year-old in a chainmail bikini and an old dude who is obviously not her dad. He’s trying to sell me a book. Approach with caution. She’s really pretty. Approach closer, but still with caution.” We didn’t sell many books.<br />
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That night, we hit room parties. Half of the top floor was filled with everything from amazing cosplayers to cardboard knights. Cristi was her approachable self, and everyone was excited to take pictures with her. I was good at drinking. In short, we were very welcomed and had a great time. The next day, we sold more books than any con I had attended to date. It took me awhile to realize what had happened, I’m slow like that. This con is a family, in a way, and once they realized we were there with good intentions, they became supportive.<br />
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This sentiment was very much reflected by their guest of honor this year, my friend Adam Whitlatch. It’s well deserved, Adam is an accomplished author of many well received, well reviewed books. I highly encourage you to buy his books. I thought it was very cool of Demicon to make him GoH! He’s a pretty young author, in the sense that he has only published a handful of novels, and I felt like the con was supporting someone who is a part of their family. I couldn’t be more impressed! <a href="http://adamjwhitlatch.com/published-works/">http://adamjwhitlatch.com/published-works/</a> <br />
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Demicon is a convention I would love to bring all of my friends to, but not really. I’m a little selfish in that regard. This year it’s the one con that only Cristi and I are attending. She’s my best friend, and the adventure couldn’t have come at a better time for me! One of my favorite stories from this con was the hotel room. Drake Relays was the same weekend, and the Holiday Inn was mostly booked when I called, all they had was a suite. When we walked into the room, Cristi said, “This is nice, there’s a microwave and a fridge and...David, there’s only one bed.” Being the helper that I am, I placed my hands behind my head and said, “Oh, yeahhhhh.” I let that hang out there for several awkward moments before explaining I would sleep on the hide-a-bed. I’m grateful she gets my sense of humor!<br />
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We were late getting there on Friday, something I don’t usually do, and hit the room parties casual. (That means Cristi wore jeans and comfortable shoes instead of platform thigh highs and booty shorts.) Several asked about her lack of costume, but it was small talk and many were just happy to see us. The next day we did our thing in the dealer room, attended the room parties in “traditional garb”, and slept well. The weekend flew by, and it was so good to see everyone. That’s the thing about Demicon. This con isn’t about book sales. I sell books, but I feel like it’s old friends being supportive. This con is very much about seeing so many people I like.<br />
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If you live within driving distance of Des Moines, I highly recommend you check out this awesome convention. It’s small, friendly, welcoming, and once you go, you’ll never want to miss one!<br />
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You can find pictures from Demicon 27 on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1189134454453029.1073741847.180181718681646&type=3" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>!<br />
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<br />gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-71195001054748605492016-03-12T17:00:00.000-06:002016-03-12T17:00:16.588-06:00Angst Team Profile: Matt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have always had a tendency to keep people. Back in the summer of 1978, my parents moved from Omaha, NE to Kansas City, MO. Dad worked hard and did well. They weren’t sure about the public schools in the area (that I eventually graduated from) so they put me in a private school that was walking distance from our house. That’s where I met Matt.<br />
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It didn’t take long for us to become best of friends. We’ve had many adventures growing up. Over the years, we were superheroes and software developers on our Apple IIe computers. We created our own newspaper. We sang obnoxious songs to beautiful young women. We tried to make a Lego movie way before Lego did. We went to every opening night blockbuster movie you could name and quoted every line you could think of.<br />
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Matt and I went to colleges in different states, but still stayed in touch. (Snail mail and phone calls, because we’re old like that.) We were the best man at each other’s weddings. He is my son’s godfather. We’ve climbed up fourteeners together, and fragged in the New Year with video games for over a decade. There are stories upon stories that I could share, and probably shouldn’t. It comes down to this. We’ve been friends for almost 38 years, and that will never end.<br />
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My writing “career” started with a newspaper by Matt and I called The Kansas City Gazette. There were maybe five issues of stories, articles and comics. Each one was hand typed and then copied at my dad’s office to be sold for .25 each. I had the great desire to be a journalist back in that day, and Matt was always there to support and participate. He drew some great comics, and wrote articles far more politically savvy than any 6th grader I knew.<br />
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Years later in high school, I wrote a lot of stories, including my favorite, “The Unknown Knight,” featuring a forlorn character filled with angst. (Go figure.) Matt encouraged me to continue with my writing more than anyone, and I did. When we graduated from college, I started my first book which was similar to The Matrix. Matt was one of the few who read it, and pushed me to write more, yet, without actually being pushy.<br />
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That’s the thing about Matt. He has always been one of the most dedicated people I’ve ever met. He’s a better father than I’ve ever been for his two amazing kids. That bastard was late for gaming one Friday night, and then had to rush from watching Deadpool Saturday afternoon, all so he could see his son in a play both nights. :) He has been married to his lovely wife Susan for 17 years, and they are parents to two amazing children! Honestly, I couldn’t be more proud of the man I’ve known for so long.<br />
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Matt is crazy smart. Not only because he is a software developer, but the man reads and understands. A lot of people read, and you can ask them what they read and they will look at you with blank faces. Matt’s the guy I go to before purchasing something, because chances are he has already read up on it and will provide valuable input. It doesn’t matter if you are discussing investments or computer parts, he just knows.<br />
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Fast forward through twenty years of marriage and kids and jobs for both of us, I finally started writing Angst. At 25% I really questioned what the hell I was doing, so I decided to share it with him. In spite of everything going on in his life, Matt read it immediately and said go, so I did and shared with others. I met with my alpha team after the first half of Angst was complete and Matt was the only one to show up with a stack of notes. His input was amazing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recent comments on Angst 4!</td></tr>
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Funny story: Matt read from those notes about one of the women in the story, about how she was beautiful and curvy and voluptuous...if you’ve read my books, you’re familiar. He read the description of another woman, and another. They all sounded pretty amazing. Matt then read out loud about one of the men from the stories and went on to describe that they had arms. I hadn’t included a single description for any man. Not one. He was the only one to catch that. Anyone that tells you friends shouldn’t critique your work can go fuck themselves. My oldest friend had totally saved me from this blatant oversight. He made Angst better, and continues to do so.<br />
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To this day, Matt encourages me to write more than anyone. I couldn’t be more thankful to have him on my side after all of these years. While we may not serenade pretty girls these days, not much else has changed.<br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-81145643838477556682016-03-05T12:29:00.000-06:002016-03-11T13:38:33.558-06:00My 2016 Visioncon Adventure<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BXw3k5b1pQ8/Vtsgkx1JjBI/AAAAAAAA7Zc/9AbvUz-4Vws/s1600/Angst_Novels_Visioncon25_059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BXw3k5b1pQ8/Vtsgkx1JjBI/AAAAAAAA7Zc/9AbvUz-4Vws/s200/Angst_Novels_Visioncon25_059.jpg" title="Rio and Punk Cosplay" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RandPCosplay" target="_blank">Rio and Punk Cosplay</a></td></tr>
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Whoa! I'm not sure what happened, but I think a con passed by at light speed! Isn't that always the case? The things you look forward to the most take for-ev-er to get here and then when it arrives, time speeds up as you try to take it all in? This happened to me the weekend of February 26th, 2016, and I'm pretty sure that blur was <a href="http://www.visioncon.net/" target="_blank">Visioncon 25</a>!<br />
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Since first attending four years ago, I've always been a fan. Those coordinating and attending have always been gracious and supportive. This year, something came together, both for Visioncon and for me. First of all, Visioncon became VISIONCON! They turned the Branson Hilton Convention Center into a Valhalla of geekdom. The vendor room no longer felt squeezed into my garage. It was this great sprawling thing that provided wide aisles where gifted cosplayers could traverse unhindered. I had room to breathe, and space to tell my tale. It just felt good to be there!<br />
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I was on my own Thursday night and all of Friday, but I still won't admit to waiting in the hotel lobby like a puppy looking out the window Friday evening as Cristi, Marina and Mayra rolled in. If you were at Visioncon, or saw the pictures, you probably noticed I had 3 spokesmodels for this con. I’d like to say this happened because I’m actually Bruce Wayne and hot 20-somethings are falling all over me all the time. The truth is, I have some amazing friends and things just sort of fell into place. Marina and Mayra are Cristi’s best friends, and close friends of mine as well. They’ve both joined us at cons in Kansas City, and it worked out that they could come to Visioncon. I couldn't be more grateful!<br />
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I refer to them as my muses because they are as beautiful as they are inspiring. We had an amazing time outside of the con, even if I totally failed at trying to be 20 again. There were some odd looks thrown at us from our waitress at one restaurant, to the point I finally explained I was married to all of them. I don't think she found it as funny as we did. One of my favorite moments was when my muses arrived in full costume Saturday afternoon. The line of photographers and numerous camera flashes made it feel like paparazzi at a Hollywood Red Carpet.<br />
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My muses did amazing! Not only did they do an incredible job helping promote my Angst novels, they made the con a lot of fun for me! A special thanks to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLynnChainmaille/" target="_blank">Amanda Lynn Chainmaille Creations</a> for providing their costume tops and belts!<br />
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This was also my best Visioncon to date for sales. I even pre-sold quite a few copies of my fourth fantasy novel, Burning with Angst (even though I'm only about halfway done with the rough draft.) One reader picked up a copy of Angst on Friday, read the entire book Friday night and purchased the rest of the series Saturday. I couldn't have been more flattered.<br />
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I should shout out my excellent neighbor at the con, who I spent all of my downtime pestering. If you enjoy romantic urban fantasy, be sure to look up <a href="https://twitter.com/lisamedley" target="_blank">Lisa Medley</a>! You can learn more about her books here: <a href="http://lisa-medley.com/books/">http://lisa-medley.com/books/</a><br />
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I didn't think the con could get much better than all of this, but I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Brandon and Nate Shaw for their “<a href="http://www.brothersonwhatever.com/" target="_blank">Brothers on Whatever</a>” show, which airs on St. Louis <a href="http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTLcom/RadioShows/DarrynYatesShow/tabid/323/Default.aspx" target="_blank">radio station 920AM</a>. This was my first radio interview, and I had a blast. I’ve been listening to the entirety of the show throughout the week, and these guys are great! I highly recommend listening to their show either live, streaming, or by download! Thanks to both of them for the opportunity, and to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEdwardGehlert/" target="_blank">Ed Gehlert</a> for inviting me. You can find my portion of their show below.<br />
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You can find pictures of the con posted to my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1140628699303605.1073741846.180181718681646&type=3" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. And finally, thanks to everyone who attended and organized Visioncon 25, I'm already excited for next year!<br />
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Now, back to writing book 4: Burning with Angst!</div>
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<br />gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-90048989112154270102016-02-18T09:57:00.000-06:002016-02-18T10:05:06.472-06:00Visioncon 25 is coming and we will be there!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There’s nothing like kicking off the year with one of my favorite Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions, <a href="http://www.visioncon.net/" target="_blank">Visioncon</a> in Branson, MO! Three days of everything I love! A great meet-up of people sharing their passion for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror and Anime. Everything is celebrated, from books and comic books to movies and television shows. Visioncon is filled with amazing cosplay, fun room parties and awesome guests.<br />
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To make this con even better, it’s Visioncon’s 25th anniversary! This is how we’re planning to help celebrate:<br />
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<li>Sign up at the booth for your chance to win a brand new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OQVZDJM" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhite</a> with all three <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angst-ebook/dp/B004D4ZZ54/" target="_blank">Angst</a> e-books!*</li>
<li>Free signed poster of my beautiful and amazing spokesmodel Cristi with every purchase!</li>
<li>Meet my muses! Cristi is bringing friends to Visioncon, so be sure to visit the booth Saturday afternoon for pictures!</li>
<li>Book title announcement Friday for the 4th Angst fantasy novel!</li>
<li>Pre-purchase the 4th Angst novel that will hopefully be available this summer o.O</li>
<li>Wield the giant sword, Chryslaenor, from the Angst novels!</li>
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We are planning to have a great time, so I hope you will join us!<br />
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Visioncon 25</div>
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<a href="http://www.visioncon.net/">www.visioncon.net</a> </div>
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Hilton Branson Center</div>
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200 Sycamore St</div>
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Branson, MO 65616</div>
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Feb 26th-28th, 2016</div>
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<b>* A little about that Kindle contest! </b><br />
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This is for a brand new Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers and charging cable. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OQVZDJM" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OQVZDJM</a> <-That’s the one I purchased to give away.)<br />
It’s only been out of the package once to check its condition, and take this awesome picture with Cristi!<br />
The Angst ebooks will be gifted after the con. (They can’t be pre-loaded without being attached to an Amazon account)<br />
We will also be giving away some Angst T-Shirts!<br />
We will accept one entry per person at the booth only.<br />
No purchase necessary.<br />
This will be a random drawing.<br />
The winner will be announced Saturday at 6pm in the vendor room.<br />
You must be present to win.<br />
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If you have any questions, please message me on my Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/gotangst/" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/gotangst/ </a><br />
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Thanks to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLynnChainmaille/" target="_blank">Amanda Lynn Chainmaille Creations</a> for providing those amazing costumes worn by my muses!gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-8896888096575036692016-01-19T17:28:00.000-06:002016-01-19T17:28:32.705-06:002016 Nerdgasm Part 2: TelevisionThe party continues. When the popcorn is gone and you’re waiting for the next big film, there are now plenty of television shows to fill in the blanks! (If you watch all of this, there won’t be any blanks! Welcome to couch potato 101)<br />
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<b>The Shannara Chronicles</b> (MTV...no really, the “Music Television” channel) January 4th, 2016:<br />
Imagine CW taking Game of Thrones and making it more...<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angst-ebook/dp/B004D4ZZ54/" target="_blank">angst</a>y (shut it), less rapey (ugh), with lots of very young, pretty people and a few dudes with amazing voices to add weight to the show. Hi, welcome to Shannara.<br />
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It’s okay. My son was not a fan, but I have friends who enjoy it. There really isn't enough fantasy on television. So, yes. I feel it's my sworn duty, as an admitted nerd, to watch Shannara Chronicles in hopes that it can grow into something amazing. I swear, I'm not just crushing on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5014360/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Poppy Drayton</a> who looks amazing and beautiful in every scene. Nope. I swear. Really. (Don't make this weird.) Fingers crossed it comes together, let's give it a chance. You can watch the first 4 episodes<a href="http://www.mtv.com/shows/shannara" target="_blank"> here</a>!<br />
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<b>The Expanse</b> (Syfy) Based on a series of books by James S.A. Corey (the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck), <a href="http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse" target="_blank">The Expanse</a> takes place 200 years in the future. The military has colonized Mars and their relationship with Earth is cold war. There are also people who are born and work in The Belt (asteroid belt) and they seek independence. I’m only a few episodes in, but someone is trying to start a war, and it’s a mystery. I don’t have a clue as to where they are going, but I really like what I’ve seen so far. If it all comes together in a cohesive way, eventually, I’m totally sold.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.cbs.com/shows/supergirl/" target="_blank">Supergirl</a> </b>(CBS) I’ve read posts on a few random sites from guys complaining about this show. My wife and daughter love it, and really, that’s all that matters. There aren’t enough superhero shows about women, or for women. I really feel like this one was needed. Personally, I think the show is good and getting better! No, it’s not my favorite, but it wasn’t made for me either. In a way, I love that. With so many shows about superheroes, the only way they will enjoy success is to stand apart. And one way to do that is to target a specific audience. The Toy Man episode was excellent and I love that the <a href="http://www.dccomics.com/characters/martian-manhunter" target="_blank">Martian Manhunter</a> is in it. He looks amazing! I hope they keep it going, and I hope to see a crossover with The Flash!<br />
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<b>Agent Carter </b>(ABC) January 19th, 2016: I'm afraid if I don't watch this <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2017943/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Hayley Atwell</a> may beat the crap out of me. O.O Really though, great characters, fun story, stands just fine on its own while comfortably attached to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe" target="_blank">Marvel Cinematic Universe</a> (MCU). I love that there is a season 2, I hope they keep it going!<br />
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<b>The Flash</b> (CW) January 19th, 2016:<br />
*SPOILERS - if you haven't started season two, run away!* Okay, that scene where <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoom_(comics)" target="_blank">Zoom</a> break's Barry's back and runs him around the city by his neck. Daaaaaamn. That was rough.<br />
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Aside from The Flash being one of my favorite heroes growing up, there is a lot I love about this show. Great effects, fine acting and plenty of action make it a fun ride. My favorite is that they don't shy away from anything. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Shark" target="_blank">King Shark</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla_Grodd" target="_blank">Gorilla Grodd</a> are examples of characters that made me shake my head and say, "Wow, they really did that...and it worked!" My only problem with this show is that the new episodes don’t come fast enough! (Ahhh! I crack myself up! That was funny! Is this thing on?)<br />
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<b>Arrow </b>(CW) January 20th, 2016: This season of Batman has been much better than the last. Wait, did I say Batman? <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/36373/20150301/arrow-tv-series-is-it-just-a-huge-batman-rip-off-yeah-it-is.htm" target="_blank">My bad</a>. :) I felt like last season ran out of steam. Oliver has become kinder and gentler and to the dismay of my wife doesn’t do enough <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuJk69zP0No" target="_blank">chinups</a>. I do like the crossovers with Flash, because it makes sense to have the occasional team-up, but they’ve got so many heroes now that they should pull a few supporting characters and put them in another show. (Hey!) With that in mind. both <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/arrow/" target="_blank">Arrow</a> and Flash spent a lot of time building up for CW’s third superhero show...<br />
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<b>Legends of Tomorrow</b> (CW) January 21st, 2016: I can’t imagine how this even got made. The pitch had to go something like “Hey, I’ve got an idea, let’s take all of the supporting characters from The Flash and Arrow and make a time travel show!” <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/" target="_blank">CW</a> has my sincere admiration for trying this. It really looks like comic book miniseries material. Part of me thinks it’ll be a hot mess, but it also looks like a lot of fun! I’ll definitely be along for the ride!<br />
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<b>The X-Files</b> (Fox) January 24th, 2016: At what point is a show old enough that it’s okay to have a few nostalgic memories? I don’t think my wife or I missed an episode throughout the first seven seasons. We enjoyed the first film too. There were two more seasons and a second movie that weren’t my favorite. I really feel that they have told their story. It was great, but it’s really hard to go back and care about these characters. I’ll watch it, and I really hope they pull it off, but theirs is an uphill climb! That said, here is picture of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooms" target="_blank">Tooms</a>, because he creeped the hell out of my wife and she is editing this blog post.<br />
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<b>The Magicians </b>(Syfy) January 25th, 2016: <a href="http://www.syfy.com/themagicians" target="_blank">Harry Potter goes to college</a>. The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are mixed, but when did a bad review of a nerd show ever stop us from giving it a try? More importantly, what the hell happened to the Syfy channel? I thought it had gone the way of MTV not playing music, only showing <a href="http://www.syfy.com/wwesmackdown/episodes" target="_blank">WWE</a> and <a href="http://www.syfy.com/sharknado2" target="_blank">Sharknado</a>. Now they’ve got all of these new sci-fi and fantasy shows out, and MTV is making fantasy, and...what alternate dimension am I in?<br />
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<b>Gotham </b>(FOX) February 29th, 2016: (In my deepest announcer voice) In a wooorld, where <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/reasons-we-should-all-be-more-like-alfred-pennyworth#.rp9bnwjdv" target="_blank">Alfred</a> slaps up street kids, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gordon_(comics)" target="_blank">Commisioner Gordon</a>’s wife acts like <a href="http://www.dccomics.com/characters/harley-quinn" target="_blank">Harley Quinn</a>, and a 15 year old <a href="http://www.comicvine.com/silver-st-cloud/4005-22134/" target="_blank">Silver St. Cloud</a> tries to seduce a 14 year old <a href="http://gotham.wikia.com/wiki/Bruce_Wayne" target="_blank">Bruce Wayne</a>. Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3749900/" target="_blank">Gotham</a>, to learn how the bad guys went crazy from being in an alternate universe from their comic book counterparts, and nothing is the same! (I’ll keep watching through this season, but if Michael Chiklis doesn’t get to say, “It’s clobberin time,” I’m throwing in the bat-towel.)<br />
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<b>Agents of SHIELD</b> (ABC) March 8th: I feel this show really began to stand on its own with the introduction of The <a href="http://marvel.com/universe/Inhumans" target="_blank">Inhumans</a>. When <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2364582/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">SHIELD</a> began, it felt like someone added fuzzy dice to the overall MCU. It was fun, but you kind of wondered why. There were some minor film tie-ins and cameos, but that was it. After the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/?ref_=nv_sr_2" target="_blank">Captain America: Winter Soldier</a> tie-in, things changed. The show has now developed into something that stands on its own and is worth watching while still being connected to the rest of the MCU.<br />
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<b>Daredevil</b> (Netflix) March 18, 2016: There are a lot of <a href="http://marvel.com/universe/Punisher_(Frank_Castle)" target="_blank">Punisher</a> fans that will be happy that Frank Castle seems to be one of the primary antagonists in the second season. The show will also delve into Matt Murdoch’s relationship with <a href="http://marvel.com/universe/Elektra" target="_blank">Elektra</a>. I enjoyed most of season one. My primary nit to pick is that the secondary story lines in both Daredevil’s first season and even moreso with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2357547/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Jessica Jones</a> (ie. the twins) seem unnecessary and distracting. The rest was fantastic, and I’m looking forward to season 2!<br />
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<b>Emerald City</b> (NBC) April 15, 2016: A dark and gritty <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939_film)" target="_blank">Wizard of Oz</a>. It sounds to me like someone at NBC saw the image below and took it literally. Living a state over from Kansas, I feel obliged to watch the premiere. However, if dark and gritty means that Dorothy is going to <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2013/06/man-of-steel-man-of-angst.html" target="_blank">break Zod’s neck</a>, I’m out.<br />
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<b>Game of Thrones</b> (HBO) April 24th, 2016: <a href="http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones" target="_blank">Game of Thrones</a> is definitely not for everyone. Incest, rape, gorey violence...it’s a rough world that I don’t want to visit, in person. The show has also been solid from day one. You never get the impression that, like some shows, if you wait a little longer it will get better, it already is better. I believe there are only two seasons left, and a lot of plot threads to wrap up. I look forward to seeing how they do it!<br />
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<b>Westworld</b> (HBO) 2016: My mom enjoyed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westworld" target="_blank">the original movie</a>, partly because she was a huge <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000989/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Yul Brynner</a> fan, I'm sure for his acting in the same way that I love Kate Beckinsale. I've always been impressed with Crichton's work. For these reasons alone I'll be watching <a href="http://www.hbo.com/westworld/about/video/westworld-tease" target="_blank">Westworld</a>. HBO has a great lineup of actors too, which can be a good sign.<br />
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<b>Luke Cage </b>(Netflix) He’s not <a href="http://marvel.com/universe/Luke_Cage" target="_blank">Luke Cage</a>, he’s <a href="http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Luke_Cage_(Earth-616)" target="_blank">Power Man</a>! What is the world coming to! Oh, yeah, hi. So, at some time in 2016, Power Man will premiere as Netflix’s 3rd Marvel series. After introducing Cage in Jessica Jones, they’ve already got something to build on. I have no doubt it will stand as solid as the other two shows, but my question, does he get to wear <a href="http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/40606/colter-talks-luke-cage-getting-his-outfit" target="_blank">the yellow shirt</a>?<br />
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<b>Ash vs Evil Dead</b> (Starz) If you enjoyed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx3Bz6cIPiw" target="_blank">The Army of Darkness</a>, you’ll love this show. They haven’t missed a beat. There are 10 half hour episodes, with loads of comic book gore and some campy fun. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0132257/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Bruce Campbell</a> is still groovy, and the show has already been renewed for season 2.<br />
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<b>Dark Matter</b> (Syfy) and <b>Killjoys</b> (Syfy) and <b>12 Monkeys</b> (Syfy) <b>Van Helsing</b> (Syfy) Okay, now I’m just being lazy. SOOOMANYSHOWS. Support your local <a href="http://www.syfy.com/" target="_blank">Syfy</a> channel to get more sci-fi so they eventually make more <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica" target="_blank">Battlestar Galactica</a>.<br />
<br />gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-26748743933516538482016-01-12T12:32:00.000-06:002016-01-12T12:32:39.904-06:002016 Movie Nerdgasm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a great time to be a fan of comic books, science fiction, and fantasy. Technology is finally at the point where it is, more or less, affordable to make movies and television shows based on our favorite stories. This year is going to push me and my fellow nerds into getting another job just to see everything that looks even halfway good. I often buy tickets in advance for 15-25 friends to see these types of films, and I fear I’m going to have to be selective because there are so many (though that’s a great problem to have!).<br />
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Considering the growing number of superhero movies and television shows, I believe viewers expectations are going to be higher than ever. Personally, I’m an easy going fanboy. Make a halfway decent attempt to entertain me, and you’ve got my money. Muck around with continuity a little and I won’t lose too much sleep. Completely change characters and I'm not as forgiving. (Ahem, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzNx-QmRihM" target="_blank">Deadpool</a> in the first <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458525/?ref_=nv_sr_4" target="_blank">Wolverine movie</a>, or the <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/search?q=man+of+steel" target="_blank">neck-breaking Superman</a>...yeah.) I think there is also a danger of oversaturation. Will this year finally pop the balloon, or are there enough great movies and shows coming to keep it going? I’m hoping the latter.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_omMzNxQyOw/VpU9EfNaLTI/AAAAAAAARYs/X0OrBjPwCp8/s1600/John-wesley-shipp-the-flash-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_omMzNxQyOw/VpU9EfNaLTI/AAAAAAAARYs/X0OrBjPwCp8/s200/John-wesley-shipp-the-flash-1.jpg" width="158" /></a>There will definitely be a lot of changes, especially in the superhero genre, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I look at it like this. There have been a lot of different artists, writers and movies all presenting a different take on the Batman character. You can love the campy <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059968/" target="_blank">1960s television show</a> just as much as you love <a href="http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Batman_(Michael_Keaton)" target="_blank">Michael Keaton</a> or <a href="http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Batman_(Christian_Bale)" target="_blank">Christian Bale</a>’s versions. Similarly, I love the <a href="http://www.cwseed.com/shows/the-flash-classic/" target="_blank">90s television show</a> The Flash for what it was, and the <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-flash/" target="_blank">new show</a> for what it is. If 2016 isn’t cookie cutter, if they are unique enough with good scripts, we’re going to have a lot of fun!<br />
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I’m splitting this post in two. Below are my thoughts on the movies I’m going to see this year, and the next post will be television. Let’s go!<br />
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<b>Deadpool:</b> February 12, 2016 - I laughed more than I should at the first preview (I may have been intoxicated). If they can keep that momentum going with a good enough story, this is going to be awesome. (Can I have a Colossus movie now, too!?)<br />
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<b>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:</b> March 25, 2016 After watching the Superman v Batman Dawn of etc etc trailer, did anyone else walk away thinking “I can’t wait for the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Wonder Woman</a> movie!”? Otherwise, I reserve judgement, and hope for the best. Here is my favorite preview of the upcoming film :) <br />
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<b>Captain America: Civil War:</b> May 6, 2016 Civil War (or Avengers 3.5) marks the start of Phase 3 - I’m excited and bittersweet about this film. The comics were great but so rough. I have faith in Marvel, they continue to make everything work. According to <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/marvel-studios-movies-ranked-from-best-to-worst#.th4doyKVL" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a>, the worst Marvel movie is Iron Man 2. I really wish I could make a $600 million dollar mistake. I digress. Civil War is the first film kicking off Phase 3, and I’ll be there!<br />
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<b>X-Men: Apocalypse:</b> May 27, 2016 I grew up a huge X-Men fan. I thought the first two movies were fresh when there were less superhero films being made. Now I worry that this upcoming retcon in a secular universe may be a little overdone. I was too critical of Days of Future Past because they were based on the first X-Men comics I read. I think tackling Apocalypse as a villain is ambitious. He was always one of those too-powerful bad guys, and that’s going to be hard to produce on screen. That said, everyone in the sneak looks fantastic, so I’m hopeful. I’d really like to see the X-Men fit back into the Marvel Universe like they are doing with <a href="http://marvel.com/news/movies/24062/sony_pictures_entertainment_brings_marvel_studios_into_the_amazing_world_of_spider-man" target="_blank">Spider-Man</a>.<br />
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<b>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2:</b> June 6th, 2015 TNMT drinking game: Any time Megan Fox is in the movie to be pretty instead of being April O’Neil reporter, Cristi and I drink. We got hammered during the first film. Go Megan!!!<br />
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<b>Warcraft: June 10th, 2016:</b> “Let me tell you about my days raiding in vanilla <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/" target="_blank">WoW</a>…” <insert old man wheeze>. My friends are concerned that it’s too late. They have a crazy amount of material to pull from, and a fan base that is both knowledgeable of that history and critical of mistakes. It’s going to be a challenge to present a solid story, make those fans happy, and throw in a few things gamers will recognize that non-players might not without losing either audience.<br />
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<b>Independence Day:</b> Resurgence: June 24th, 2016 This preview gave my lovely and beautiful wife goosebumps. We watch the first one as a tradition every 4th of July, it’s a fun alien invasion romp, and I have no doubt the sequel will be as well.<br />
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<b>Ghostbusters 3:</b> July 15th, 2016 I read lots of posts bitching about the pics, and that’s after seeing, what, like a dozen photos? stfu! I say give this a chance!<br />
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<b>Star Trek Beyond: </b>July 22nd, 2016: I was so pumped when I watched the trailer! The Enterprise getting torn apart by those ships! Scotty almost flying off the edge of a cliff! That transporter trick with Kirk and the hot alien! Hell yeah! And then, I read those highly critical posts by Trekkies as to why this looked more like Fast and Furious and less like a serious, thought provoking addition to the Star Trek franchise. Ahem. Yes. I completely agree. I also refute any evidence that I’ve shown the fun...inappropriately misdirected trailer to all of my friends. (You can find it here! Shhhh!)<br />
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<b>Suicide Squad:</b> August 5, 2016 It’s my understanding that this will fit into the DC movie-verse continuity. I’m really glad it’s not just a one-off. The preview is put together well, and tells me that they have a LOT of characters to juggle. While I hope it’s good, the one thing I can guarantee is a lot of cosplay will come from this film!<br />
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<a href="http://www.halloweencostumes.com/blog/suicide-squad/" target="_blank">This link is to a cool image that let's you compare characters from the comics with those in the movie!</a><br />
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<b>Underworld 5:</b> October 21st, 2016 <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000295/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Kate Beckinsale</a><br />
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<b>Doctor Strange:</b> November 4, 2016 Marvel doesn’t shy away from anything, do they? This time they are tackling magic. If they can do this, I have no doubt they can make an exciting superhero movie about SPAM. (Not comparing <a href="http://marvel.com/characters/14/dr_strange" target="_blank">Dr. Strange </a>to everyone’s favorite <a href="http://www.spam.com/" target="_blank">canned meat</a>, I’m comparing Marvel’s ability to make their audience suspend disbelief.) At least they’ve got the right actor for it. The early pics of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1212722/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Cumberbatch</a> are A-MA-ZING! Check out more on <a href="http://www.ew.com/gallery/marvel-doctor-strange-photos" target="_blank">Entertainment Weekly</a>!<br />
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<b>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:</b> November 18th, 2016 Why not? Give us more from the world of <a href="https://www.pottermore.com/" target="_blank">Harry Potter</a>. The teaser looks fun!<br />
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<b>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story:</b> December 16, 2016 After The Force Awakens, I’m hungry for more Star Wars. Rogue One is about the rebels who stole the plans for the Death Star, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how they tackle their first film that isn’t a part of the main story. I’d be really surprised if this is successful as The Force Awakens which is why they often ask my opinion on these things. o.O <br />
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I would be remiss in not listing these, and I’m sure there are a few I’ll be seeing.<br />
<b>Gods of Egypt</b> February 26th<br />
<b>The Divergent Series: Allegiant</b> March 18th<br />
<b>The Jungle Book</b> April 15th<br />
<b>The Huntsman: Winter's War</b> April 22nd<br />
<b>Alice Through the Looking Glass</b> May 27th<br />
<b>Tarzan</b> July 1st (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rObS3KqMJ4" target="_blank">For some reason</a> my wife is looking forward to this one)gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-44541945307455639662015-12-31T16:20:00.000-06:002015-12-31T16:20:43.812-06:00I had some Angst in 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2015 was a year of incredible highs and terrible lows. It’s been a galactic roller coaster...hey, look, it’s the beautiful Milky Way...hey, look, it’s molten lava in the center of the earth. Ugh. Life threw a lot of extremes at me, and is every reason why I have angst.<br />
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The first half of the year was amazing. Just amazing. After a lot of hard work I published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Drowning-In-Angst-David-Pedersen-ebook/dp/B00W4RWW62/" target="_blank">Drowning in Angst</a>, my third fantasy novel. I feel like it’s my <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080684/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2" target="_blank">Empire Strikes Back</a>. If it’s not the best book in the series, I’d like to think it’s close. It’s been well received, meaning I haven’t gotten any hate mail. That’s a good sign.<br />
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A lot of great things happened personally that I will always remember. My friend, Marina, got married. Not only did I get to throw her a wedding shower, but I got to sit where family would as she walked down the aisle. I was very touched. I also got to celebrate her 25th birthday with some good friends on a lake trip that I’ll always remember.<br />
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This fall, I officiated a wedding for my friends Ashley and Travis. I’ve never done that before and couldn’t be more flattered to be included in something so important. How often do you get the opportunity to help friends take that step? It was glorious.<br />
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Every year I think about cutting back on conventions, and every year I’m surprised by how much fun we have. Not only is <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2015/11/angst-team-profile-cristi.html" target="_blank">Cristi</a> a beautiful spokesmodel, a huge help with critiquing my novels, we also have the best adventures at cons! This year, our friends Marina and Mayra both rocked some scalemail armor at <a href="http://www.conquestkc.org/" target="_blank">ConQuesT</a> in Kansas City. The three of them made that weekend amazing! Not only were they beautiful, not only did they help sell books, but more importantly, we had fun! A friend from work recently asked if Marina was one of my muses. She wasn’t sure if that was the right word, but I was. From here forward I will refer to Cristi, Marina, and Mayra as my muses. All of them are inspiring.<br />
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As great as the first half of the year was, the second half was rough. A friend <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2015/07/sometimes-there-arent-right-words.html" target="_blank">lost her daughter</a> to suicide. My wife and I were close to both of them, and the word tragic doesn’t cover it. I’ve never experienced grief before, and I really never wish to experience it again. I know I will. I think about this every day, and my heart goes out to her family even if it doesn’t make it better. More recently, my mom had a <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2015/09/is-shot-glass-half-full-or-half-empty.html" target="_blank">double mastectomy</a>. She’s been battling cancer on and off since I was in college. She’s a fighter, and she’s doing better, but nobody wants to see their parents vulnerable to age or sickness. The good news is that she is just finishing up her final surgery this weekend, and all seems good.<br />
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I’ve learned a lot from this year. The most important thing is, don’t hesitate to tell someone you love them. Ever! Not for a second! They may not be here tomorrow for some stupid reason. Tell them, even if it is awkward or weird or is hard. They need to know, and you probably need to tell them. It goes beyond this. Tell people you appreciate them. I fear that we live in a world of hate, it needs all the love we can pour into it. All of it.<br />
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Also, don’t stop trying. While I didn’t learn this for the first time this year, my belief has been reaffirmed. Facebook kindly reminded me that I published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angst-ebook/dp/B004D4ZZ54/" target="_blank">Angst</a> five years ago. That’s a long time in media years. I can’t imagine how many books and movies and articles and comics have been produced since then. In the short attention span theater of our time, Angst could be long forgotten. But, just the opposite is happening. New readers are still discovering it, relating to it, and enjoying it. Five years after publishing Angst, I received my <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2015/09/success-vs-accomplishment.html" target="_blank">first handwritten letter</a> thanking me for writing it. Maybe Angst is not going to be forgotten, maybe it’s just getting started! It just proves to me that whether you are five or ninety-five, follow those dreams and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Life is way too short for what ifs.<br />
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This year has been a journey of ups and downs. I’m still reeling a bit from the bad times, and making sense of the good. I think it’s good to take a moment and look back on this. Not to dwell or wish something had gone differently, but to remember what it all was. Appreciate the good, learn from the bad, respect that life happens without my input, and then shake it off. Now it’s time to move forward. 2016 is going to be a great year, I’m going to make it so.<br />
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Thank you for being a part of my year, and I hope the only Angst in your New Year, is mine! ;)gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-82347725175497007102015-11-20T12:37:00.002-06:002015-11-20T12:37:09.663-06:00How Daniel Craig made me feel better about my writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I am on the downhill ride of a novel, that part where the ideas tumble out so fast I almost can’t type enough words per minute to keep up, in the back of my head, I remember thinking, “I’m going to keep this momentum going.” At this point of the creative journey, I wake up in the morning and write, I’ll hide at a coffee shop after work and write more, then go home to eat dinner with my family before writing even more after everyone goes to bed. It’s like a sickness. It’s glorious.<br />
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When I’m done writing a novel, I’m spent. So much so that I just want to walk away and never look at it again. I love what I've accomplished, but I already ran that marathon and I’m ready for a well-deserved break. Of course, it’s not that easy. The next steps are beta team critiques, editing, cover design, more editing, and lots of marketing. That makes me want to walk away even more.<br />
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Months later, when I’ve gotten back in the habit of showing up to work on time, finally fixed that leaky sink, and actually returned to the gym more than 2 days in a row, I start kicking myself, hard. What happened to that momentum? Where did my amazing writing habits go? How is it that life took back over with such a firm grip? Yes, I needed to lose those 10 pounds, and paint the house, and remind my friends I’m alive, and go to that school function, oh yeah, and don’t forget leveling up to 100 and taking the hot office manager to lunch…<br />
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The reasons are valid at first, but procrastination eventually takes over. (Taking the hot office manager to lunch is not procrastination, that’s important, but the other stuff is questionable!) I may kick myself, but I still find excuses not to write. The guilt starts seeping in. One of my beta team members will offhandedly comment that I must be getting close to done with the next book by now. Or, a cautious reader will politely ask how the next book is coming. Or, I get the dreaded <a href="http://www.criticalblast.com/articles/2015/11/12/buried-angst-fun-fantasy-elemental-level" target="_blank">amazing review</a> that excitedly teases future books. That kind of encouragement is just about everything I could ask for, but I worry that the next novel won’t be as good. So, I beat myself to write words that only trickle out. And then, today, I finally realized...Daniel Craig.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185819/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Daniel Craig</a> is an amazing James Bond. I haven’t seen <a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/spectre/" target="_blank">Spectre</a> yet, but I’ve enjoyed all of the Bond movies he’s been in. I mean, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1074638/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Skyfall</a>, right? In spite of the accolades and excitement surrounding their release, when he’s finished a Bond movie, he’s done. I mean, <a href="http://www.timeout.com/london/film/daniel-craig-interview-my-advice-to-the-next-james-bond-dont-be-shit" target="_blank">really done</a>. You can <a href="https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Daniel+Craig+done+with+James+Bond" target="_blank">google plenty of interviews</a> where he states he’s not making another one. He’ll blast the Bond character (most recently as a <a href="http://time.com/4084943/daniel-craig-james-bond-misogynist/" target="_blank">misogynist</a>) and state he’s never coming back. But, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086006/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">never say never again</a> (see what I did there?). The man gets exhausted. He puts everything he can into doing an amazing job and the last thing he wants to do is dive back in again. He doesn’t even want to think about it...and that explains a lot. <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/news/heres-what-former-007-pierce-brosnan-thought-of-spectre" target="_blank">Pierce Brosnan</a> summed it up well in <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/news/heres-what-former-007-pierce-brosnan-thought-of-spectre" target="_blank">an interview with Hitfix</a>, “By the time you finish making a Bond movie, you don't want to hear the name, see the name or have anything to do with it because you just want to go to ground.”<br />
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I hope Craig comes back for another Bond film, they are a lot of fun. He has all of my respect whether he chooses to or not, but I get why he wouldn't. I’ve read interviews with Joss Whedon where he discusses how <a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Joss-Whedon-Admits-Making-Avengers-Age-Ultron-Broke-Him-71430.html" target="_blank">exhausting it is to do a movie like Avengers</a>. At the end of Age of Ultron, he was just as done as Craig is with Bond. I think before deciding to tackle another big project like that, you have to rest, maybe even heal. You need time to remember what you love about that world and the characters in it. You have to remember why it was fun. Now, I get my problem.<br />
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No, writing one of my novels is not on the same scale as creating a tentpole blockbuster...yet ;) I, unfortunately, don’t have the same budget. Unfortunately. I also don’t walk away from my life to focus exclusively on my writing, I can’t. But I do pour everything I have into them, to the point of exhaustion. There are nights I have literally written myself to tears. And now that some people enjoy reading them, it’s that much more important to me that the story is the best I can make it. So, when I’m done, I’m exhausted, and want to walk away.<br />
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What I need to remember is... that’s okay. Sure, every writer will tell you that to become good you need to write every day. I’ve told plenty of people that myself; it’s solid advice. But, I think it’s just as important to love writing, to love your characters, and to believe in your story. I have a hard time doing that when I’m exhausted, but over time I remember again why I write, why I’m telling this story and what I love about the characters I write about.<br />
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For me, that love is coming back, and it’s about damn time. I’ve written roughly 30% of Angst 4, and have plenty of outline for the rest. More importantly, I’ve started making notes at night, I’m getting giggles throughout the day about what I’m going to write in the evening, I’m getting excited again. I love that. And, the good news is that my excuses are almost gone. The house is just about taped back together, my daughter’s marching band season is over, and the gym can go fuck itself! (I still need to make those lunch plans, though). It’s time, and this is the good part, because I can’t wait to share my next story!<br />
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gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367790221998968568.post-39835313258043064422015-11-11T15:01:00.000-06:002015-11-11T15:01:31.324-06:00Angst Team Profile: Cristi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is a lot to be said about best friends. They are there when no one else is. They are the ones who ask what’s wrong because they sense it, not because you complain. They are the ones you party with, but can also have a serious conversation with. You can talk about farting, and bad sex, and insecurities, and doctor visits, and family issues, and money, and everything that you won’t talk about at work. You can argue and get over it. You can be socially awkward to the point of passing out from embarrassment, you can make dumb mistakes, and they don’t judge, they just help you through it. I have one of those friends, and her name is Cristi.<br />
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I met Cristi at our day job. The minute she started, I was like, whoa - she’s gorgeous! I wanted to introduce myself, but we were in different departments. She worked call center and I was a systems administrator fixing servers. A junior tech had called me in for help with her computer. I wasn’t supposed to, but in spite of the potential that I would be yelled at, I jumped at the chance. When he told me the problem, I immediately dismissed him to find the notes I had already sent on fixing the issue. I could have walked him through the problem, but I wanted that window to introduce myself. It was a total dick move, and an excellent decision.<br />
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You see, Cristi has a personality that is genuine. I could immediately tell that she wasn’t fake, she was amazing. Our relationship took off from that first support call. I invited her to my softball team where we both excelled at playing bad and getting drunk together. Not long after we mostly enjoyed a float trip together and the adventures continued from there. I totally helped her land her boyfriend, Brandon! (Okay, that’s really an exaggeration as <a href="http://www.gotangst.com/2015/07/angst-team-profile-brandon_23.html" target="_blank">I was a pain in the ass</a>.) Needless to say we hit it off and in many ways it feels like we are just getting started!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyEMaOEr2IU/VkOpJGqEgmI/AAAAAAAAPdI/ZeaPoj8vJJQ/s1600/DavidCristi4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyEMaOEr2IU/VkOpJGqEgmI/AAAAAAAAPdI/ZeaPoj8vJJQ/s200/DavidCristi4.jpg" width="150" /></a>Cristi is amazing on so many levels. Like her boyfriend, Brandon, she loves animals. Her passion goes beyond the sappy love of a cute animal pic (though, there is some of that too) she has also donated her time to support animal shelters, as well as fostering pets in need. I can also say that she loves people too, especially when they don’t talk to her. (I highly recommend not talking to her in the morning. Shhh.)<br />
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She’s not just a pretty face. (Okay, she’s strikingly pretty, but that’s stating the obvious!) I really respect how hard she works. That may sound silly, but she’s the type of person that is always early to work and often staying late. She taught herself that, which makes it even more impressive! Cristi put herself through college and I watched her quickly work her way up from call center agent to being an insurance underwriter in an incredibly complicated field. There are a lot of brains, hard work, and common sense behind her fun loving attitude. It’s why I respect her opinion so much and appreciate her input on my life, and my writing.<br />
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Cristi is not a nerd. Just the opposite, she has very little interest in fantasy or science fiction or superheroes or, well, you get the idea. In spite of this, not only has she read my first book multiple times, she has critiqued and contributed to Buried in Angst and Drowning in Angst. Even beyond that, Cristi volunteers her time to be my spokesmodel at conventions. Let me emphasize that she volunteers to help promote my book by rocking the chainmail bikini. I couldn’t possibly afford the modeling she does, and nor does she ever ask for recompense. It always blows people away that she’s beautiful, approachable, but is also involved. I’ve sold a lot of books because of her efforts. But more important, we’ve connected with a lot of people. And, we have fun. We get drunk at cons like professionals. We not only enjoy the adventure, we try to be a part of it!<br />
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We are an interesting pair that make a lot of heads turn, and it cracks us up. We go out to a nice dinner and the 20 year age difference brings us great looks of surprise. She’s a head taller, I’m short and pudgy, so she’s obviously not my daughter. We have great chemistry, like close friends do. I don’t know how many times we’ve been asked if we are something else. It makes me feel bad for those asking, for what they are missing in their lives. You see, we are something else, Cristi and I are a great team!<br />
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I tease her that I’m her “backup”. If her parents, or besties, or boyfriend, can’t be there for whatever reason, I can often fill in the blank. At the same time, she supports me without question. Cristi is amazing! I couldn’t ask for a better friend, or a better teammate. She has been a force in making my books what they are, and an influence in making my life better, and I’m eternally grateful!<br />
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<br />gotangsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07959669212365400628noreply@blogger.com0