Thursday 31 December 2015

That Time Of Year Again...

Wow. The end of the year is upon us once again. Each time, I make mention that time has flown by far too quickly, like just now. Might as well be consistent, right? 

I've been extremely tardy with the whole blogging thing of late. Life just gets in the way of a bunch of things, and each time I think about something to blog about, something else interrupts. To say that 2015 has been a year of distractions and high-speed flying wrenches, is an understatement. Aside from an increase in my workload (good thing), family commitments (somewhat good) and personal issues (not so good), the year was also a great big umpfff... It had a strange way of sucking the cheer out of you. If you're one to follow the Chinese horoscope, 2015, the Goat Year, just head-butted, ass-kicked, and bahhh'd the crap out of this bewildered Rooster girl. Man, I cannot wait to see the back end of this year. But then, Monkey Year comes along and I hope it doesn't completely kerfuffle me. It tends to do that...dang these celestial animals.

Well, my 2016 plate hasn't changed much since 2015, or 2014. That's how uninspiring the year has been. I still have rollover writing projects and commitments to complete, and I'm still trying to finish that beast of a story, Bengaria's War. At least it has gone through one round of professional edits. Still far from complete, and far from over. But, let's hope I feel an inspiring burst of energy and some kind of uplifting wind fills my sails. The further I get from 2015, the better.

But enough about my crappy year! Here's hoping everyone out there has a healthy, calm, productive and inspiring 2016.

Cheers!

Wednesday 2 September 2015

Introducing Max Fragg - New Book Release by S.A. Check

    



Maxx Fragg, V.P.I.

S.A. Check
Genre: Young Adult / Sci-fi / Paranormal
Release Date:09/03/15

Publisher Ink Smith Publishing

Cover Designer: Macy Stom


When Maxx lost his brother in a car accident, his world fell apart.  It didn't help he was driving the car when it happened.  Finding an escape inside the virtual world of Other Syde, Maxx runs the Maxx Fragg Virtual Paranormal Investigative Agency with his best friend, Tane. But in a world where dreams become reality, can nightmares be far behind?
      When a real ghost attacks Maxx inside the program, he's saved by the last person he ever expected to see again, his brother. Risking everything for a chance to say he's sorry, Maxx, Tane, and Maxx's almost-girlfriend Emi, need to figure out why real ghosts are haunting a virtual world while on the run from a murderous cyber-geist, high-tech security guards, a corrupt corporation with their own plans for the technology, the recluse genius who created the program, and Maxx's own demons.


About the Author




Excerpt
Tucked between the shadows and the night, standing in a darkened corner of the room, Maxx Fragg watched the young couple huddled on the couch. They had no idea what he had in store for them. He almost felt sorry. Almost. He watched as Travis stroked Debbie's hand and whispered something in her ear. Maxx locked eyes with her as he moved across the apartment. He saw the desperation mixed with fear in her eyes and he grinned. He liked it that way. Pulling a pair of gloves from his belt, Maxx cinched them tight around his wrists. The rush of adrenaline rose up from his chest. This was far from his first job but he still got a thrill each time. He clicked off the lamp and the room went black.
         Debbie gasped. "Can't we leave a few lights on?"
         "I prefer to work in the dark. It helps me concentrate," Maxx said. It really didn't matter but he felt it intensified the experience.
         "I think I'd rather see what's coming." Travis pulled a cushion on his lap, clutching the fabric.
         "Why? You expecting a pillow fight?" Maxx dropped the equipment bag slung over his shoulder.
         Debbie jumped. "What are you going to do with that?"
         "What I'm being paid to do. My job." Maxx nodded across the room to his partner, who shook his head in disapproval. Bending next to the couch, Maxx slowly unzipped the bag. He was close enough to see the goose bumps on Debbie's arm rise with each click.
         "I don't care what it takes. Just get that thing out of my house," Travis said.
         "Don't worry. You'll be ghost free in no time." Maxx knew his clients needed to believe he could make it better, take away their fears. If only it was that simple. Everyone wanted to name the night, put a label on their personal horrors. He wished someone could shut the door to the monsters in his own closet.



Monday 13 July 2015

What's Up...?

So, yeah... July already. Mid-year, and four months to the day since I last posted. I really need to be more up to date with things. To be honest, I've fallen into that weird funk most do as life just rolls by and swallows you whole in its wake.

I've been sporadically tweaking The Lancaster Trilogy (it never is finished, is it?) and had Bengaria's War edited (but I still haven't had the time or the right frame of mind to tackle the edits), Episode 8 in the Jax Marlin series is about a quarter way done, but far from finished, I hacked out a brand new story idea that seems to be stealing my attention with beguiling winks, and yet another buried WIP is beckoning me back with sultry looks. Oh, the conundrums!

Aside from all those piled up on my plate, my day job workload has seen a sudden upturn, distracting me yet again, so time to write or get in the right groove for writing is just a flustering experience. And then daily life just loves to interrupt and laugh at you all the time. I must say, 2015 has been (so far), one distracting, unfocused, soul-sucking year. My productivity is like -3 when it should be somewhere in the +5 region. All the plans and checklist items I'd mapped out for this year has been shoved aside and I'm just making it up as I go along. To say I'm so ready for 2015 to get over itself, is an understatement.

But anyways, with another five months to plough through, I'm hoping to complete at least two things on my to-do-list. At least...

So, there is my update. Back to the daily grind then...

Cheers!

Friday 13 March 2015

Flash Fiction

Here's a little piece I did a couple years ago, specially for the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday blog hop around. That's #SFFS for those not in the know.

Anyways, for lack of things to offer for the blog roll event, I came up with my first rambling, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, piece of flash-pulpy fiction. Dosed with cheesy sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal (I think), it's a full-filled romp of adventure, action and comedy. Who doesn't love that, right?

The other day, I finished it up, cleaned it up some, gave it a title (Stop, Drop, Roll...And Run For Your Life), slapped together a cover and uploaded it. So, if you want to have a chuckle, stop by my Wattpad page and have a read. Come on, it's only 1,500 words. Leave a comment if you like, give it a like too if you want.

And enjoy!

Cheers!

Monday 16 February 2015

Out At Last!

A little late in posting, but posting all the same...

Over the Valentine's weekend, THE ANGEL OF MERCY, novella No. 7 in the Jax Marlin series was released. In this instalment, our favourite vigilante is negotiating a small dilemma: to get back to work, or not...


The Angel of Mercy

Even A Vigilante Needs An Angel
Weeks after helping Special Inspector Pedroni sort through his demons, Jax Marlin is still hiding, reluctant to conquer her own monster and face the world. As Christmas 2400 descends, Pedroni waits for Jax in growing despair, battling the crowds shopping for gifts and having cappuccinos with his elderly neighbour. Meanwhile Jax procrastinates, but learns of the kidnapping of a young girl. She soon realizes the girl is someone she knows, and if ever she needed a kick-start, this is it. As she chases the scent of the kidnappers, Jax finds herself entrenched in tropical sunshine and briny ocean breezes, and Pedroni eagerly abandons shopping to give chase once more. Can Jax save the kidnapped girl? Will Pedroni finally capture his vigilante? But not all is as it seems, and not all that need saving need it.

There you have it. Now go get your copy now!

Cheers!

Thursday 15 January 2015

The New Year

Well, double-u-tee-eff...
Though I saw it fast approaching as we careened into December, January 2015 barrelled into me at the speed of light. But, as I stand on wobbly legs, life must forge onwards and it's not for the lazy (damn). There's things to be done!

Like all starts to a brand new year, I've made my list of things to do. Not resolutions, I've resolved not to do that any more. Who follows them anyways, right? Exactly.

Before the new year had a chance to gag me with it's exhaust fumes, I cracked back open that beastly work in progress, Bengaria's War. It will be released this year, without fail. To date, it's been through five reviews (ok, six, but who's counting) and several betas and I'm now feeling (fairly) confident to give birth to it. The contractions have started...

My quest now is to search for a suitable editor that will assist me during the labour pains.

My next quest will be to design the cover. That's the easy part (being a graphic artist does help).

And then...I suppose I need to get back into the muck and tackle The Lancaster Trilogy again. And somewhere in there, complete some more Marlin short stories.

That should keep me busy for six months, right? But don't worry, I'll try not to be a stranger again to this whole blogging thing.

Cheers!