Interview with Scott Timberg at Salon
Dear friends and followers,
Things are moving along, but at a slower rate than before. The plains of 300-400 really are a desolate expanse. I’m sure things will get interesting against once we crest that 400 order mark, even if doing so does not entail any references to impressive Spartan exploits.
I will be delivering the first donation cheque to Chez Doris on Wednesday. Right now, it’s an even $70: pretty respectable, I think.
Coming up this week is a new Nerdist contest! Video games! I will have a bit of a stake in this one, so expect further news.
And of particular interest to other hopeful writers, there’s DraftShares. Check out the related thread on the forum for more details, but the basic gist of it is the promotion of projects that are still in the draft phase. Readers, you may find some of the drafts highlighted next month to be of interest as well, so keep your eyes open.
As for what’s happening with projects in the funding stage, let’s take another look around the bookshelves....
1) "Tantalus Depths", by Evan Graham. An expedition discovers the "planet" they’re surveying is more than it seems, and their ship AI somehow has a stake in it. It’s a sci-fi thriller. I’m told that the "Evil AI" is a common trope, but I think this goes a little above that with its focus on motivation. If the planet is unexplored territory, how could it have any connection to the ship’s AI? I’d like to add that I found the excerpt to have a very nice feel for the "ensemble cast", even if what we see is entirely through one viewpoint character. It goes a lot towards immersing the reader, not only in the environment but also in the social context.
2) "Teddy Roosevelt and the Lost World: a Tale of the Dinosaur Century", by Lou Yuhasz. you know, I think that title says everything I could possibly say about the plot. You know it’s going to be an adventure to make H. Ryder Haggard proud, it stars an historical figure who could give good old King Leonidas a run for his money, and it involves dinosaurs. And yet somehow it’s managed to slip under everyone’s radar.
And that’s it for now. It looks like June is going to be ... pretty full of stuff. So, until next week: have fun, and keep reading.
Hey friends,
It’s been busy. So very, very busy. I’m not exactly complaining but I do wish I had more time to devote to all the projects I have lying in front of me, begging for attention like mewling kittens each demanding his saucer of milk. Just so you know what’s preoccupying me this week, here’s a quick rundown of my existence outside of hobbies and the dreaded day job:
Thanks for your support my friends, you’ve made a huge difference in my life, one that keeps having an impact on everything I do.
JF
It has been quite some time since a little update on here...but, there’s children (plural) at my home now, and they both expect me to take care of them. Good thing they’re absolutely adorable...
Wow!! Mission 51 just keeps getting better and better!!
Finally they reached the top of a ridge, very close to their destination. Through the binoculars they could see a depression at the top of the next ridge, where the last of the dust continued to fall. There were large rocks to the west of the depression, obviously part of the shattered mountain top. But whatever caused it did not stop there. From their vantage point, they could see down into the lower lands of the valley further to the west. Juan pointed out to Juanito a long, dark streak in the land, heading northwest, in the direction of whatever it was they saw flash by overhead. In the far distance, they could see a rising tower of black, billowing smoke. They looked at each other, worried and wildly curious at the same time. Juanito pointed, “Vámos, Papi. Yá!”
Awesome!!
Thank you, Chris Pyke, and welcome to the Mission 51 creative team!
You can find Chris at his DeviantArt site, and at his PykesWorld weebly site.
It was really exciting being able to seethe legendary wall of published books. It wont be too long before mine is up there!