Want to help me pick a book title?

ok, here's the deal. I'm having trouble deciding between two titles for the book I have coming out early next year, so I thought I toss out the options and see which people think is better.

The book is a modern story based on Bram Stoker's Lair of the White Worm.

I've been calling mine The White Wyrm. Note alternate worm spelling and lack of lair reference. But I've also considered Lair of the White Wyrm, which retains my spelling but adds back in the lair reference.

I like the simplicity of The White Wyrm title, but I'm not sure it carries the same drama Lair of the White Wyrm does. Hopefully this poll thingy works.

Which do you think is better?

book working

Sometimes I wish I was one of those self-published authors that can just slap any old thing up for sale without a lick of editing. I will say that most do not do that. Most independent authors understand the importance of editing.

But what freedom it would be to just keep plugging away with complete abandon. And then when you hit "the end" just start on the next one. How awesome would that be? Probably not very awesome for whoever tried to read the finished work.

I'm still editing. Can you tell? I'm daydreaming about the freedom of poor quality, so I'm guessing you probably can.

I keep assuring myself that the next readthru will be 100% better. That keeps me going on the long evening hours of transferring paper changes into the computer.

I’ve started making notes for the next book already and it’s increasingly difficult for me to not write it. I'm infatuated with a story that doesn't exist yet.

Seriously, I have a good ten pages of notes and illustrations are planned. I'm itching to start it. However, I will not write one word of the actual book until my current two projects are done, or at least one has been released. I’ll just continue making notes. Lots of notes.

movie: Hanna

Hanna is an AMAZING movie, seriously. It stars Saorise Ronan, who you may remember as playing Susie Salmon in The Lovely Bones.

The beginning of the story finds Hanna living in some freakishly remote and snowy location, in the uber crappiest cabin I think I’ve ever seen. The thing barely has walls. She and her father live alone and he teaches her important skills like how to kill people and how to speak various languages. They read books and she learns facts about animals, etc.

Hanna tells her dad that she’s ready to leave. He warns her that if they leave the crappy cabin, a woman named Marissa will hunt them and won’t stop until they’re both dead. She insists that she’s ready, then embarks on a mission to kill Marissa.

Hanna is a combination of super powerful fighter girl and vulnerable child. She knows a lot of facts, but really nothing about socializing, especially with kids her age. Her situation is heartbreaking at times. She doesn’t understand who she is really. However, she also has this hopeful, joyous quality that makes her endearing. Ronan did as great a job playing this part as she did in The Lovely Bones.

Hanna is awesome. It gets an A.

editing aargh

I’m hard at work editing the Devil manuscript. That thing is a mess. I know I said this before but I’m bouts to say it again. I will never again take time off in the middle of a rough draft to write something else. Ever.

I’ll fix it up pretty before anyone else sees it, but right now I have people having conversations twice, inconsistent details like who drove where and objects not where they’re supposed to be. Just…argh. Sometimes I really annoy myself.

You know what makes me feel better? Pictures of birds. Here are some cardinals from our back yard.

trailer time

Ello, lovelies! Trailer time.

The trailer is not yet listed. I have to wait until the book pops up on Barnes and Noble because the trailer indicates that the book is available there. I also have to wait to launch the series webpage because I don’t really want to have to go back and update the page right after I put it up. That would be annoying.

I did change the thumbnail image to one closer to the beginning of the trailer, but that change might not have taken effect when/if you view it.

Also, I realize the picture ratio is a little off from the standard youtube size. I’ll do a better job of fitting the next one.

movie: Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids is a comedy that proves women can do humor just as raunchy as men can. That’s what makes it awesome.

Kristen Wiig is Annie, a failed baker who works as a rather ineffective jewelry saleswoman. She’s broke and dating a jerk. Her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), gets engaged and makes Annie her maid of honor. At the engagement party, Annie and another bridesmaid initiate this weird competition for Lillian’s attention that interferes with wedding plans.

Wiig and Rudolph (SNL alums) were quite awesome, but Melissa McCarthy (of Mike and Molly) as Megan all but stole their show. I don’t think her character could have been any stranger or farther from the one she plays on television. That girl can act.

Bridesmaids is very funny and a little chick-flicky but not annoyingly so. It gets an A-.

I’m going to go see if I can hunt down some pretzels. Tune in tomorrow for a blog only (temporarily) sneak peak at the Fate Binds Trilogy Trailer. That’s right. I finished it.

covers and additional thursday things

I have various items for this fine Thursday. First up, MacDowell Sisters and AnnaBeth has received its official makeover. The title is now Destined for Darkness. The trilogy is called Fate Binds, which is pretty appropriate for the story. Here is the new cover.



This has all been changed on amazon and smashwords. changes to other outlets are pending. they'll probably take a few weeks to update. Please note that Destined for Darkness is exactly the same book as MacDowell Sisters and AnnaBeth with minor changes to formatting.

Here is the cover for book 2, Devil in the Branch.



That should be out maybe next summer-ish, possibly spring but probably not.

Ok, next up is website talk. I'm working on a web page for the Fate Binds Trilogy. It will contain the series trailer, info about the books, buy links and bonus materials like author commentary pieces I've written and maybe the illustrations I did for MacDowell Sisters and AnnaBeth hardcover edition, which is no longer available.

I plan to launch that page when I have some more links to the book, or at least the one for Barnes and Noble. I'll announce it here when everything is up and running.

Thats it for now. I'm going to go attempt to finish the book series trailer.