Happy New Year!!

I thought I'd better make a post before January went into its second week, and the year got away from me, like it usually does.

I've resolved not to make resolutions -- on a personal level. On a writing level, my list is long. Right at the top of the list, still looming like a bad taste, revision and revising of Bengaria's War. The beast needs to be done with itself and this is the year I'm going to attack it with resolve!

I've five more Jax Marlin shorts to complete, and I'm in the midst of that right now. Then, I've sketched out a rough outline of a full-length novel based on a short story I subbed for an anthology. I'm quite excited about this one since it involves something I've never (ever) written about before... Aliens! 

There's also another short story that I started last year with my brother, that still needs to be sorted out and completed (Time Fracture). And the tale about a generation ship that wandered off course. But I foresee that as something to do for the following year.

Betwix and between completing Bengaria's War and the Jax Marlin tales, I've a few other things that I'd like to do, but it's too premature to say just yet. Don't worry, I'll keep you in the know in due course.

On a day-job level, I've resolved to purchase a USB drawing tablet and teach myself how to digitally paint. I've been tooling about experimenting, but drawing with a mouse is all tails. Haa!! Anyways, you get my point.

So, that's about it for now. I'm gonna bury my head straight into the latest WIP (Jax Marlin #6) and whip that novella into shape, then dive straight into the #7.

Cheers!

THE DEVIL INSIDE - It's OUT!

THE DEVIL INSIDE is OUT!  The newest little novella featuring Jax Marlin, super-sexy vigilante, and Special Inspector Michael Pedroni, from the full-length novel, To Catch A Marlin has been released.

It was anticipated for a Christmas Eve release, but whoo-hoo! It's out early.

The Devil Inside is #5 in the series, and things get a little dark in this one.  Here's a short blurb:

Death Comes To Us All.
When her inner demon screamed, Jax Marlin set it loose upon the world's criminals. When the demon wanted blood, she gave it like an offering.
Special Inspector Pedroni chases his foes--always a step behind. This time, with heavy heart, unable to believe his Jax has become a common murderer.
After the events with the Necromancer Killer, after having set her prey free, Jax struggles to come to terms with her decision. Her inner monster, one she's kept at bay for years, surfaces in outrage and goes on a rampage. Can she stop in time before her sanity is lost? And can Pedroni come to terms with what's she's become?

Here's a wee-short excerpt:

Dead man’s punch!

Jax Marlin pivoted her body like a matador, right elbow raised high over her head just before she delivered a powerful blow into the man’s chest.

Like a bull grunting, the man let out a gust of breath. He crumpled inwards then teetered sideways, falling heavily on his side. Jax imagined his heart fibrillating from the trauma; his system would soon go into shock. Leaning over him, she drew her arm back, poised to hit him again in case the first blow didn’t take.

She waited.

Red-faced, his eyes rolled up into his head as his breath came out in strained gasps. All over his naked body, welts and bruises covered him, some bleeding. His face displayed an impressive collection of red, swollen lumps. From his mouth, blood seeped, staining the few remaining teeth. One eye was swollen shut, the other barely open.

“You will die,” Jax stated calmly.
---

There you have it!

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful Christmas!! Eat, drink (and buy my book) and be merry!!

Cheers!

Welcome To GreenGrass by S.A. Check

Coming this December, S.A. Check's science fiction/fantasy adventure novel Welcome to GreenGrass, published by Bedlam Press. It is available for pre-order right HERE.

A red cloaked intruder infiltrates an office penthouse, leaving a prominent city leader dead, murdered by his own hand.

Across town, a man tumbles through a glowing portal and is attacked by bestial street predators. He’s rescued by a shotgun wielding fellow terran, John Traveller, five year veteran of those harsh alien streets.

Welcome to GreenGrass, a realm where people facing near death experiences are inexplicably drawn to live out their remaining days imprisoned under an impenetrable glass dome. The city’s two main factions, the Enchanters and Technologists, live under the auspices of magic and advanced science and stand at the brink of a cultural civil war.

Traveller heads an impromptu investigative agency with his housemates, Talyn - a red skinned religious pacifist, Bonz – an usurped demi-god who thrives on battle, and Sil - a green skinned female believing the male gender subservient to her own.

Diandelia, the city’s premier enchanter, convinces the group to investigate the recent murder by using a criminal from Traveller’s past, Mikey Nickles, who claims knowledge of the fate of Traveller’s family on Earth.

Venturing out in search of the red cloaked suspect, Traveller and friends haggle with a giant toad huckster, discover a hidden virtual reality resort, expose a vampiric acting troupe, and court an ill tempered elderly goat woman, in their search for answers.


Sounds intriguing, right? But wait, there's more. S.A., was kind enough to let me share the first few paragraphs of Chapter One. Check it out!

There have always been alleys. Whether in a big city, a small town, or the end of the world, the spaces in between, the dark corners of civilization, have always needed a place to breathe. The Mayans had Tikal, Rome raised the bar, and the Big Apple grew into a city that never slept. Too many eyes made secrets difficult to hide. Worlds need those pockets, the urban closets that hide the skeletons of a modern society. Just as sure as the sun rises, even if it’s not the one you’re expecting, there are places that never see the light of day.

Resting against the fire escape grating, John Traveller knew as well as any that even the cast-outs and misfits needed a place to call home. For two nights straight, he watched the same alley from his metal perch and all he had to show was a sore back and numb fingers. The dual red moons overhead stared back at him, a constant reminder this world was not his own. Not that he needed any.

“Another thunderin’ dead end.” Traveller tossed a stone at a garbage can. The clang echoed down the alley. “I guess you can’t surprise anyone if there’s no one here.”

He laid a single barrel shotgun on the grating beside him and pulled a small notebook from his back pocket. The calculations seemed right. Traveller looked over all his data at least ten times. It looked like he missed his mark on this one. He couldn’t wait any longer. They would all be expecting him back at the house. He made it up to one knee when something caught his eye near the ground.

A blue pinhole of light hovered over the quiet cobble stoned street, floating in the evening air, unaware it hadn’t existed moments before. Traveller felt the air in the alley pull towards the floating glow. The tails of his trench coat bustled in the artificial breeze. And then everything stopped, like the moment before someone unleashed a sneeze.

The radiance rushed out into the night, erupting from its center and blowing discarded trash down the passage. A pair of tennis shoes emerged inside the pulsing glow. They hovered in the brisk night air before a figure gushed out of the portal, flowing through like a water slide without the benefit of a pool underneath. The confused rider struck the ground hard, tumbling end over end until skidding to a stop on his stomach. The body remained motionless.

Traveller chuckled. That may have been one of the top five most unglamorous entrances he ever witnessed. The naked guy from a couple months back would still be hard to beat. From his shadowed vantage, Traveller watched the bewildered figure scrambling along the ground. His red jogging pants and t-shirt that read Start Slow Then Back It Down was covered in whatever muck accumulated on alley floors. The man clung to his elbow that took the brunt of the initial impact and blood seeped out between his fingers. 

There you have it folks. Sounds exciting, and for sure, this'll be in my To Be Read pile up.

For more on S.A. Check, check him out here: http://sacheck.blogspot.com/

It's Been A While...

It's occurred to me that I really haven't posted anything, rambling-wise, in quite some time. Aside from SFFSat posts and Cover Reveals, I've been skirting under the radar once again. So, here's a little catch-up...

Well, it's November, and we're already halfway through it, and that means we're one month away from the end of the year, that, seriously, only JUST started the other day. Didn't it? Scary! This entire month, and the last few, I've been busy writing some more Jax Marlin shorts. For short stories, it's pretty hard work. My goal is to finish three shorts before the end of the year. One is already completed and scheduled for a December release. I'll keep you posted on the details for that as I get them.

Bengaria's War is also (still) in the works. Let's just say it's in its 5th draft, and hopefully this will be the last one before I can finally push it out into the delivery room.

All the while, I'm juggling my day job responsibilities. As the Christmas Season approaches, the work load is increasing steadily and writing needs to take a simmer on the back burner for a spell.

Social networking has also taken a back seat. Helpful as it is, it tends to get very addictive and very distracting. Even while writing, I keep Tweetdeck open for Twitter feeds, just to stay abreast. But I think I may have to stop that else I'll never get any writing done. Interesting thing I have noticed that even though I haven't been chatty on Twitter of late, I seem to have gained quite a few followers. Weird. But, thanks.

On a personal level, there's social engagements to attend and with a young in-law's wedding coming up, even more socializing. There'll also be a houseguest staying with us, so I'll be busy playing host until the end of the month.

So, that's it in a mini-nutshell. Until December...

Cheers!