Are you prepared for Cthulhu’s rise? That’s a silly question, because much like the Spanish Inquisition, nobody expects Cthulhu…which is funny, since it’s a ginormous octopus-headed, bat-winged, humanoid horror that you really can’t miss.
But I digress.
Cthulhu Fhtagn!, the latest Lovecraft-inspired anthology from uber-editor Ross Lockhart, is now available for preorder on Amazon Kindle. The book of 19 amazing weird tales — from authors such as Laird Barron, Richard Lee Byers, Molly Tanzer and, well, me — comes out August 15. Get in on it! Preorder it! Prepare for the soul-wrenching darkness!
Well, the first two, at least.
If you want it in print, head on over to Word Horde and order direct from the publisher — and get the ebook bundled with it for just $19.99. You’ve spent more on lunch. Heck, I’ve spent more on a single bottle of beer.
As for my story, “On a Kansas Plain,” I won’t say too much except that it’s set in the modern day, and bad things happen. Bad. Things. But you probably already figured that last bit out. As I’ve said before, it’s a bit of a departure for me, but I’m excited to see it among the work of so many other great authors.
I’ve been pretty quiet on social media this week due to my day-job. I’ve been working on a rather large presentation, and I had the gentleman due to give that presentation in my office this week to help me hash out the content.
Now, collaboration isn’t something I’ve done much of in my career. As a journalist, it was pretty much all on me when it came to researching and writing articles; those few times I’ve worked with other reporters, it was to divide-and-conquer the phone calls and research, then one of us would sit down and pound out the words.
And in my current role in corporate communications, it’s still been me sitting down and writing. Now, I’ve had a lot more folks with input — both before and after the creative process — but rarely during. Usually, there just isn’t the time or the resources to really dive deep into the words with someone.
This project is different, because it’s a really-big-deal presentation. (more…)
A few months ago, I did a blog post/ranty-thing tackling the notion that you have to be a starving artist in order to truly be creative. (Spoiler: That’s a load of crap.) Nobody likes starving. If you have the means to avoid it, and most readers here presumably do, I think you have the obligation to, you know, not starve.
As something of a corollary to that, I’m often asked when I’m going to “make the leap” or “cash out” or whatever euphemism is used for leaving my day-job to write fiction full time. While many writers dream of such a thing, this is not a realistic goal for me. I work in the financial services industry, in marketing and communications, and frankly…they pay me quite well. Barring a sudden ascension in sales to the George R.R. Martin level, it ain’t happening.
And it really wasn’t my goal, anyway. In addition to the pay, I get benefits: really good medical/dental/vision insurance for my whole family, retirement savings, and the ability to save for my daughter’s college education. And here’s the kicker…I actually really like my job. I work with great people on projects that are interesting and challenging.
But I get it, that urge to walk away and just write full time. There are days, man, let me tell you, when I’m right there with you. And given that my wife is a freelance writer and aspiring novelist, I have some experience with balancing the desire to leave the office with the realities of cold, hard cash. So I’m expanding the Author FAQ here on the site to incorporate some money matters.
(Note that these opinions are solely my own, and I am not a financial advisor or planner. I’m just a guy who’s seen some stuff and throwing out ideas. If you have questions, talk to someone, you know, qualified.) (more…)
It’s been a great run. Today, the final chapter of “Crisis of Faith,” my Pathfinder story about Jeddah Cailean, hapless priest of a drunken god, was posted on Paizo’s site. And this fellow to the right featured prominently.
Seriously. Flaming skeletons. Awesome.
I had a great time playing in Pathfinder‘s sandbox. It was a real throwback to my D&D days, which were instrumental in introducing me to the wide world of science fiction and fantasy literature. I very much enjoyed being able to give my take on some of those classic tropes. With beer, of course.
When I think about writing “straight” fantasy — and by that, I mean the traditional sword-and-sorcery stuff — I always want a different take on it. A brewmaster-priest was a great start, and the Pathfinder world has so much more to offer. It’s a neat setting with a lot of potential for unique stories. If you’re an RPGer and you haven’t checked out Pathfinder already…seriously, what’s up with that?
My thanks again to James and Chris for letting me play, and once again to the Twitter crew for making it possible. I hope you enjoyed my tale.
Well, the most visible and impressive thing was this, which took two hours in the summer heat and was very, very hard. (Actually, it was surprisingly not bad and easier than the instructions made it out to be.)
— Michael J. Martinez (@mikemartinez72) July 12, 2015
Yes, we’re going to raise chickens. We have three, in fact: Molly, Diane and Genevieve. They’re a week old and, of course, super-cute.
The girls are excited about their new home. A few weeks to go yet before they're ready. pic.twitter.com/VgmbjYNZYp
— Michael J. Martinez (@mikemartinez72) July 12, 2015
So now we have a chicken coop, which is really more like a condo and one that’s substantially better than my first apartment. Or my first car, for that matter.
The other cool thing was my chat with the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County at the Hackensack Barnes & Noble. It was a most excellent and engaging crowd — and it was a crowd, which is always heartening. My bit started at 8 p.m., and we didn’t break up until after 10:30. Great questions, great audience.
And by the way, there are signed copies of The Venusian Gambitat that Barnes & Noble now — get ’em while they’re hot!
Finally, I did get some writing done. Writing what, you ask? Something you may hear about soon.
I’ll be talking about The Venusian Gambitand the rest of the Daedalus series, short stories, and maybe even a hint or two about what’s to come. If you’re in the area, come say hi! I promise to be, at the very least, mildly entertaining.
I’m really kind of hooked on the whole serial storytelling thing. The third chapter of “Crisis of Faith,” my Web serial set in the Pathfinder universe, is live today, and I’m totally getting how those cliffhangers I wrote work. (I think they work well, of course.)
The events of the last chapter really give this one the crisis at the heart of the story. Jeddah Cailean, priest of the drunk god Cayden Caliean, just isn’t the adventuring type, even though his god is. This whole quest thing hasn’t been working out well for him, and he’s been shaken in his faith. And now, in this chapter, Jed’s facing an even greater challenge….
Surf on over to Paizo and check it out. And as you can see here, we have a great image of Jed — beer-belly and all. He’s actually in better shape in this piece than I imagined him in my head, but Marek Madej did a fantastic job nonetheless.
Are you in the greater New York City area and looking for a geeky way to spend your Saturday night? Head on out to Hackensack, N.J., for the monthly meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County, where I’ll be the guest speaker.
Been trying to get this one done for a while, so it’ll be good to finally meet everyone there. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. with a general discussion and catch-up, and I’ll start up at 8 p.m. It’s at the Barnes & Noble in Hackensack, right off Route 4. Should be a good one!
Not wishing to give the other coast short shrift, I’m also going to be at the amazingly awesome Borderlands Books in San Francisco on Sunday, August 13, starting at 3 p.m. I’m so glad that this incredible venue has lived on, and that so many people helped by purchasing memberships. They’re a great bunch, and I’m looking forward to being there.
And for those planning further ahead, I’ll be an attending professional again at DragonCon in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend. I can confirm I’ll be on the Alternate History track once more, and it looks like I may hop over to the Horror track to talk Cthulhu. (Why Cthulhu? Because I have a story in Cthulhu Fhtagn! coming out in August from Word Horde, that’s why. Now go pre-order it.)
So there you go: Jersey, San Francisco and Atlanta. If you’re around any of those places, come say hi!
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll already have seen some photos and tidbits from my vacation, which took me from Philadelphia to Burlington, VT, to Quebec City and back. It was an awesome week, full of great family time, much-needed relaxation, good food and beer, and a chance to get some writing done, too.
Some of the highlights:
On the quarterdeck prior to setting sail.
My Father’s Day gift was a cruise around the Delaware River aboard the privateer Lynx, a replica of an early 19th century schooner, as part of the Tall Ships Philadelphia-Camden festival. It was a fantastic ship with a great crew, and I even got to help hoist the foresail. My daughter gamely came with me, though admittedly it wasn’t her cup of tea. But having written three Napoleonic Era space opera novels with sailing ships, I was in full geek-out mode. And lo, my family is awesome for getting me such a great gift.
A goodly crowd at the Vermont SF Writer’s Series.
From there, we went north to Burlington, where I was one of six writers in attendance at the monthly Vermont SF Writer’s Series at the Fletcher Free Library, organized by Andrew Liptak. We had a great crowd, as you can see here, and the readings were all fantastic. Afterward, I walked over to Phoenix Books with assistant manager Kari Meutsch to sign some books and chat with the staff. It’s a great store, and if you’re in the area, it should be your go-to spot for all your book-buying needs!
This art installation in Quebec City resulted in my favorite photo from the trip.
We also spent time with family in the Burlington area, which was lovely, then took off for the Great White Francophone North. This was our second time visiting Quebec City, and this time we stayed outside of town in a tiny chalet in the woods. Perfect writing spot. It was cooler, of course, and we did have one rainy day, but overall it was amazing. I totally recommend biking around Quebec City’s parks, as we did, and stopping frequently for beer and poutine. (Despite the biking and general exercise on the trip, I’m still five pounds heavier, though. Fair warning.)
So what happened while I was gone? Well, here’s a quick roundup:
The Skiffy and Fanty Torture Cinema podcast, featuring our takedown of the movie Krull, went live on Monday. It’s a fun and funny listen, and while I picked the film, it turns out Shaun Duke loved it more than any of us, and now he hates us all for destroying it.
The second chapter of “Crisis of Faith,” my Pathfinder Web serial, hit the Web on Wednesday. The reception from Pathfinder fans has been really gratifying, especially regarding the treatment of one of the setting’s iconic deities.
Amy J. Murphy did a guest post here on her novel Allies and Enemies-Fallen, which is in the Kindle Scout program and needs your vote. Click here to give it a read and vote before July 15.
I had the pleasure of meeting Amy J. Murphy last weekend at the Vermont SF Writer’s Series reading, and I very much enjoyed what she read from her latest book, Allies and Enemies — Fallen. Turns out it’s part of the Kindle Scout program, and she could use some backing to get this thing going. So here’s Amy with a guest post about her work and how you — yes, you — can help her out with just a couple mouse clicks.
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What makes my book, Allies and Enemies-Fallen, so gosh darn special?
A long time ago in a galaxy called Louisiana, my brother and I would play “Star Wars” with the neighborhood kids. Generally, this involved our swimming pool and a re-imagining of the trash-compacter scene. My brother got to be Luke Skywalker; William, the uber-tall kid was always Chewbacca; and I had to be Princess Leia. Yawn.
u prepared for Cthulhu’s rise? That’s a silly question, because much like the Spanish Inquisition, nobody expects Cthulhu…which is funny, since it’s a ginormous octopus-headed, bat-winged, humanoid horror that you really can’t miss.
A few months ago, I did a blog post/ranty-thing tackling the notion that you have to be a starving artist in order to truly be creative. (Spoiler: That’s a load of crap.) Nobody likes starving. If you have the means to avoid it, and most readers here presumably do, I think you have the obligation to, you know, not starve.
It’s been a great run. Today, the final chapter of “
