I have to remind myself: Good things happened this year. My short story was featured in the NOIR anthology from Zombies Need Brains. A.J. Harris was accepted into two more anthologies, scheduled for publication this year. I spoke at the World Science Fiction convention about ghosts and Noir. While there, I reconnected with a book-club… Continue reading Looking For Light in Winter
Category: Writing
Mysteries & Jazz – Remembering Peter Straub
I'm not supposed to be writing this entry. This is supposed to be me talking about WorldCon, and how great it was, and how re-energized I felt. Then, COVID-19 finally decided to visit. And now, Peter Straub has died. I do not want to write this entry. But, how could I not? I was told… Continue reading Mysteries & Jazz – Remembering Peter Straub
CHICON 8 updates… soon
Good news: Had an amazing Chicon 8, with some great panels - including ones I participated in! Bad news: As my parting gift, I picked up COVID-19. I've gone through all the proper notification processes - the con is aware, as are anyone who shared meal spaces with me - but I think this may… Continue reading CHICON 8 updates… soon
Seasons of NOIR – Preorder Kindle Edition
Great news from the team at Zombies Need Brains! The anthology NOIR - featuring my hard-bitten urban fantasy journalism short story "Wolves and Cubs" - is now available for pre-order from Amazon Kindle: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3vkjdm2 You can also pre-order the paperback from ZNB direct. If you order a copy, please post on social media and… Continue reading Seasons of NOIR – Preorder Kindle Edition
Moments of Peace and Dreaming
We underestimate peace. Moments where the world peels away and we can focus. Time we've reserved for ourselves to think and dream. Stolen moments, when we aren't working, or struggling to recover from work, or trying to rebuild our souls. I should be talking about NOIR, which is now available for pre-order, or the fact… Continue reading Moments of Peace and Dreaming
Welcome to January – What’s your visionboardplanresolution?
January. A time for planning. For reviewing your workin the past year and looking forward to all the things you will accomplish on top of your normal job (because we all work multiple jobs).What are your resolutions? Can you show me your vision board? What’s your life plan, broken down by quarter? January has a… Continue reading Welcome to January – What’s your visionboardplanresolution?
Discon III Panels or “Mike, I Think I’m Freaking Out.”
(I'll explain the quote later) I am going to be a panelist at Discon III, the World Science Fiction Convention held in Washington DC. This will be my first time appearing as a panelist at an SF convention (though I've spoken at client conferences before). Here are the panels I'll be appearing on Friday, Saturday,… Continue reading Discon III Panels or “Mike, I Think I’m Freaking Out.”
Mr. Popovic Edits a Novel
Is there a work of art - of literature, or film, or illustrative art - which captures writing a novel? The whole process? Well, I think so. It is The Unstrung Harp or Mr. Earbass Writes a Novel by Edward Gorey. The mechanics have changed. The industry is different. But the core of the story -… Continue reading Mr. Popovic Edits a Novel
Where’s the fedora? On “Noir” Themes
Film Noir. Nordic Noir.Hard boiled versus Noir writing. Anytime you write about the arts, you end up in a circular march about themes and ideas and genre. It’s great copy for blogs like mine. It’s the kind of thing I love debating about in convention panels. It can also get caught around your throat like… Continue reading Where’s the fedora? On “Noir” Themes
It’s the lusty month of May? Already??
It's May. How did it get to be May? Why did time surge by like this? What have I been doing the last month? Well, to be honest, revisions. I'm finally digging into a novel, Phantom Killer, set in the same world as the short story I wrote for The Death of All Things. Getting to this… Continue reading It’s the lusty month of May? Already??
Biomechanoid Blues 