Echoes of Erebus prologue video... and a cat.

Fun experiment I filmed yesterday while I had the house to myself. It gave me ideas for other vids in the future. This vid is less than professional, but it was fun, and hopefully interesting enough to watch.

Oh, btw, the music that comes in now and then was cannibalized from a composition I did quite a long time ago, and probably released with 'Sonic Equinox' under my old handle 'onyx'.

When good packing materials go bad.

"Y'know, I kinda hate cauliflower, but this marinate makes it pretty OK. It makes me forget that cauliflower usually tastes like styrofoam that's gone rotten."

"What? How does styrofoam go rotten??"

"By turning into cauliflower."

Yeah, that's about all I have to say. I plan to post another excerpt from 'Echoes of Erebus' soon, but part of the problem is giving away a big spoiler. an even BIGGER problem is posting something that needs a ton of explaining... then again, maybe I can just caulk that effect up to creating some mystery. Maybe I'll post cliff's notes to go with it.

It's not that any one section is all that complex, but there's a layering effect going on. Some rules get set, and the book follows them. Ok, a short tutorial, with minor spoilers:

Sarah isn't human, although she looks it. Her nervous system, brain included, is heavily operated by a fleet of nanites and related techno hooba-jooba.

Something she has in her brain is her 'father', Jason, who lives in her mind as a separate, mostly-independent thought process. Jason wants to help guide his 'daughter' in her new life, so they talk to each other a lot. Still with me? Seeing as they both think inside the same skull, there's no need for any vocalizations. Much like an online chat, they send thoughts at each other. And when this happens in the book, I let you know by modifying the syntax-

":::Hey Jason, I have to talk to you, but the people on the bus don't need to hear it."
":::No kidding. I, on the other hand, really have no choice but to talk to you through this system, because I don't have a mouth. I'm basically just a program in your head."
":::Where's the uninstall button?"
":::Ha freakin' ha, Sarah."

That lame exchange wasn't from the book.. it's just a demonstration. This ":::" syntax won't be totally alien to anyone who's read Watching Yute.

Well, it's late, I'm gonna pass out now. Bug me to get an excerpt up!

My website is currently lying.

It thinks that the softcover of Watching Yute is available on Amazon. It isn't, yet. Amazon will take a lil while to get up to speed, but in the meantime, any of you non-locals who want the softcover can get it through here:

https://www.createspace.com/3387923

For now. It's the same book as will be available though Amazon shortly. In fact, if you buy form there, I get a better profit by a little, as Amazon doesn't get a cut. The shipping is better through Amazon though, at least if you're ordering from Canada.

So now, I just have to brace for VCON

My stash of Watching Yute has been ordered, and I have my copies of Lifehack ready. My posters for sale are ready, my bookmarks, my lil flyers.. it's all ready. I think. Yes, I'm sure. I think. Now is the waiting game.

I could attack the next book, but I think I'll take a little break and nerd out with video games for a bit. Tomorrow's by BDAY! I'm aging as we speak!

Lifehack's Mana Drive- REAL?

Check it out!

Any of you who've read Lifehack, hopefully remember the 'Mana drive'- a city wide system where power is transmitted wirelessly.

Once, someone caught me, and guessed ole Nicola Tesla's ol timey experiments as the inspiration for that. Today, my dad drew the same conclusion when he came across this video.... This is also why I don't specify in my books what year they are. The future is coming at us faster than we expect.

Next up? NANO-DRIVEN ZOMBIES! FLEEEEEEE, B*****S!!!!

In other news: My website, www.ozero.ca has been updated to reflect the 3 available formats of both books, AND includes the new, reasonable pricing on the hardcovers, at 23.95! (the other 2 formats being the trade paperback, $14.98, and E-book, $4.98)

At this time, the trade paperback for Watching Yute isn't actually available QUITE yet, but it will be very soon, quite likely by the end of august.

That leaves just the sci-fi convention to survive...!

START THE PRESSES!

For the 'proof copy' anyway. But the extensive editing is done, and in the hands of the publishers. First I have be sent that proof copy, and approve it before it'll be available in mass quantities to the public.

Which reminds me, any of you folks local to me who want me to order you a copy when I do my personal batch, (thus saving you shipping etc), let me know if you haven't already. for the locals, I'm doing $15cdn. (Retail is officially set for $15.98 US, but such stupid little details are of little consequence for my locals.. OK... fine, I just don't wanna bother counting friggin coins and doing conversions!)

I had to create an official description for the web sales and amazon.. and choose a mere FIVE keywords! I went with lesbian,revenge,suicide,drama,nanites. Geez. So much more to say, and not a clue what to leave out.

And I thought writing the back over was tough. As enthusiastic as I was for the first book Lifehack, Watching Yute is something else. Far more personal. Lifehack is a fun adventure, sprinkled with drama and a handful of giggles, but Yute sets aside a lot of the action, so it can really amp up the drama. I should shut up. Just read it.

Codename: Echo- revving up

The third book is now in the outlining phase. Hehe, yeah, before the 2nd is even released. I'm at a phase with the 2nd where I'm waiting on outside factors, so I've got my fingers into 'echo' (not the final name, I haven't decided that yet).

So, I more or less know how it's going to end now, More or less. Watching Yute went a long time without it's ending decided. I waited for the characters to show me the way. As I wrote, it became clearer and clearer how tings were going to play out.

I suspect echo will have a similar maturation process. I encourage it. Even with Lifehack, the characters decided a lot. I reallllly went easy on Regan and Alisia. Cassidy, the hero if Watching Yute didn't have it so easy.

And the hero of echo? Will her path be easy, hard, glorious, or miserable? I really don't know yet, and that's the way I like it.

I did have names picked out for her, and her male travel partner. Yeah, this time, (gasp!) the main character is straight!... kind of. Muaha. I don't know how much to reveal at this point, but she's very... different. Getting psyched!

Yute in overdrive...!

As I find with any creative process, there’s often a time in the middle of a work, (especially on larger projects) where there’s doubt. Is this going anywhere? Is there any meat beyond the basic concept?
There is also (hopefully) a moment where that doubt is shattered, and the full substance reveals itself, waiting to be fleshed out. Today was that day for Watching Yute. I was worried that a certain spoilerific moment in the plot would be the mark of a downhill slide.

On the contrary, that moment will define so much more than I originally pictured for the book. The characters are very much writing the book for me now.
This spoilerific moment will have to be hinted at in some way in the future, and plastered on the back of the book. I’m just not sure in what manner I’m going to do this just yet.

I’ve set myself a deadline which I hope is realistic. The Vancouver sci-fi convention is in October, and I wanna show up with a new product under my arm. Maybe some posters, too. I have about a hundred pages to go, then volunteer editors again… but I think it can happen…..!
Also, I’ve found a few more ways to link Watching Yute to Lifehack and Echoes.. ways that are more than cheap cameos or name dropping. The time Yute spent on the backurner has been quite worth in, in fermenting ideas.

Just another mention... www.ozero.ca is a fair chunk prettier than before, and the retail of the tradepaperback of lifehack has dropped to 15.95...!

Echoes

The third sci-fi book I have planned is the least developed so far.

After writing the last short story that would eventually form Lifehack, I wrote another short story that relied on the events in Lifehack, but was a very different story arc. Aside from a cameo by Alisia and Regan from Lifehack, only one of Lifehack's characters was really a part of Echoes.

(Tentative title for the book, by the way.. 'Echoes' unto itself is pretty generic sounding...)

---

The main protagonist was made up fresh for Echoes, but for the book, after some reflection, I realized that a minor character from Lifehack would be perfectly suited to fill the role, and it would make a lot of sense.

Also, the protagonist in the Echoes short story happened to be named "Caitlin", a name which my newborn daughter has since claimed for herself.

Sheesh, not even a month old, and she's already plagiarizing me.

By utter coincidence, echoes' protagonist's role as a daughter is highly significant to the main story. I hope my relationship with my daughter goes smoother.

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Something else being thrown out of the short story for the book is Soledad. Before Soledad O'Brian was a huge name, I heard it, and thought it was cool for a character. I drew some stuff up on my Soledad, and jammed her into the story. She didn't fit so well.

Hey, have a pic of my Soledad:Hawt? Sure. Make any sense in the story? Not a lot. The ideas behind the character might get adapted to a new character, but the end result will not resemble Soledad much.

And I may as well mention that Echoes will break the 2/2-book streak of the protagonist being a lesbian. The protagonist (notice how I'm not dropping the name? I have the name, but I'm not telling, for sake of a minor Lifehack spoiler)

-- anyway, her sexuality won't be an issue, if she even has a sexuality. In the short story I left her and Soledad as close friends, allowing people to think what they want about the future of the relationship. I might do the same thing between protagonist and Soledad-replacement, but with a much lighter touch.

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Anyway, that's about all I'm ready to say about Echoes at this point.. I don't know how many spoilers I want to give away. I'll say this though... no romance, much more flashy sci-fi. Kind of the opposite direction I took with Watching Yute, which is high drama, low flash.

Next entry I'll be dipping into the non-fiction books I have on the go.. which will it be...

The children's book about my dog?

Or the fairly autobiographical one that deals largely with my injury/disability with 2 scoops of humor?

Flip a coin...