Happy Easter

Interview with Permuted Press Editor Felicia Sullivan

Felicia Sullivan, one of the editors at Permuted Press, recently conducted a series of interviews with myself, Gareth Wood, and several other horror authors.  You can check out these interviews on Felicia's Facebook page. 

My First Week as a Full Time Author

Last Friday night I retired from my day job and made the move to Gainesville, Florida to begin my new career as a full time author (and full time husband and stepfather).  I set up small pens in the back of the car for the rabbits and set out for the seventeen-hour, thousand-mile journey to my new home.  We all made it safe and relatively sound.  The rabbits are with their new bunnysitter (and having the time of their lives -- they're getting along with each other for  a change, and have even made friends with my bunnysitter's dogs) and Alison and I are living with my in-laws until our new home is ready.   

So how did my first week as a full time author go?

Not as well as I had planned.  Monday night I came down with a horrible head cold that laid me up for the better part of the next three days; but I'm back on my feet now and anxious to get back to writing tomorrow.

The week was not a total loss, however.  I did complete the rough draft of my short story for Fringework's Raus! Untoten! anthology.  The story is with my beta readers now, and with luck should be ready for submission within a few weeks.

Tomorrow begins week two of my new career, and I'm hoping to make some decent headway in Rotter World II and Hell Gates.  Stay tuned. 

Update on "The Last Flight of The Bismarck"

Good news with regards to "The Last Flight of The Bismarck," my steampunk zombie short story that was scheduled to appear in Machina Mortis: Steampunk'd Tales of Terror.  As many of you know, KnightWatch Press had prepared the anthology for publication, but was unable to fulfill its obligation due to unforeseen circumstances.  Rather than leave his authors hanging, the editor passed along the publication rights to Neon Moon Publishing who, it was my understanding, was going to print and distribute the anthology for KnightWatch Press.  However, several months had passed, and none of the authors involved in the project had heard from Neon Moon Publishing and it looked like the anthology was dead.

Thankfully, Fringeworks has now picked up the anthology and is shooting for an early April publication date. I will keep you posted as events develop. 

I Will Be Attending Spooky Mayhem in Orlando, Florida, 24-26 May 2013

It's official.  Myself and fellow vampire author/fiancee Alison Beightol will be attending the Spooky Mayhem Convention at the Rosen Center in Orlando, Florida, from 24-26 May 2013.  For you zombie fans, I will be signing copies of Rotter World and the anthology Hunger Pangs: Dark Confessions, which includes my short story "The Hunger."  Vampire enthusiasts can pick up a copy of Alison's paranormal romance/vampire thriller Blood Betrayal or, if you prefer your undead more evil and badass, my The Vampire Hunters trilogy.

We hope to see you there. 

Contemplating a Major Life Change

I won't apologize yet again for not being on line much since the New Year.  Those of my fans and friends who have been following my blog know that I'm preparing for retirement from the federal government and my move to Florida.  Has it been hectic?  Let's just say that in the past month I've gotten a contract on my home in Virginia, put down a contract on a lovely home in Florida, lost the contract on my home in Virginia, and got a second contract on the homestead (the latter three all within thirty-six hours).  I've spent almost every night and weekend these past six weeks doing something in preparation for this life-changing event.  Hell, if I could write as many pages in my novels as I have filled out forms over the past two months, I would have two more books in my bibliography. 

It's been a very bittersweet time.  I've had an exciting and successful career, and am hoping that I walk away from the Agency having made the world a slightly safer place.  I've made some excellent friends who am I going to miss dearly.  And as chairman of Invisible Ink (the Agency writer's group) for the past four years, I have the wonderful opportunity to make friends with many people in the writer and publishing industry, many of whom have been very supportive in my career.  The encouragement, advice, and contacts they have provided me have been invaluable; I will never forget them, and have promised to pass that kindness on to other aspiring authors I meet. 

Three weeks from tonight me and the rabbits will be living down in Florida.  Three weeks from tomorrow, I will wake up, go out onto my back porch with a cup of iced coffee (no cigars -- I gave them up for my fiancee), and begin my new career as a a full-time author. 

I have a lot of things planned for this new career, including several novel and short story ideas, plus ways to get myself out in the public domain more.  And now that I will have the time, I hope to be much more productive than I have been lately. 

Well, it's time to head downstairs and watch the second showing of The Walking Dead.  But I will be posting again soon.

And this time, I mean it. 

What's Coming Up in the Future

I am taking a much-needed break from filling out retirement paperwork, transitioning my replacement, and getting the house ready to sell.  Right about now I'm thinking that surviving a zombie apocalypse would be easier.  But in a few weeks, this will be all behind me and I can concentrate full time on my writing.

So what is on the writing front for the foreseeable future? 

My copies of Hunger Pangs: Dark Confessions will be arriving soon, so be on the lookout for a give away.  I will also be bringing copies of the anthology with me to the conventions I'll be attending.  If you can't wait, you can still purchase a copy on Amazon.

Publication of Machina Mortis, the steampunk horror anthology, has been delayed because the original publishing house has closed.  However, I was assured that another publishing house has picked up the rights to the anthology and will soon be distributing the book.  I'll keep everyone posted.

I'm getting into the groove again with the sequel to Rotter World, and hopefully will have the first draft done by spring.  This novel is much darker than the first book, and will deal more with the negative effects of a societal breakdown.  But for you zombie purists, don't worry.  There will still be plenty of gut munching action and terror, as well as a sick new twist to the Zombie Virus. 

I have my beta edits back for Hell Gate and will begin the final edits on that once I've completed the sequel to Rotter World.  I am really excited about this book; I think it's my best work yet.

As for conventions and book signings, those are pretty much up in the air because of my hectic schedule.  Me and fellow author/fiancee Alison Beightol will be attending the SpookyMayhem Convention in Orlando this May.  I am also planning on returning to Infect Scranton and ZombiCon in Fort Meyers in the autumn.  Plus, once I get settled in Florida, I hope to do some book signings in the local area.

And finally, I will have a special treat coming up in the next few days, something I have not done before and that will add a touch of class to my blog. 

That's it for now.  My New Year resolution is to try and post more, but I think we all know what happens to such resolutions.