Writing slogs along. I know how Book 2 ends now, but now it’s just a matter of taking the blue print and actually writing the scenes. Seventy-six thousand words with thirty thousand left to go. Then refining Book one and the prequel novel and refining and sending out the Query letter. 

The horror story is clinking along, but isn’t far enough. The romance/erotica piece bucked the tracks and laid out a course for adventure fantasy novella land. I let it go, and it’s chomping plot-grass out in the field next to the trope-cows.

Have you read Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu? It swept the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award prizes in its category in 2012 and yet I somehow missed it until just now. And now you can read it, free o charge over at io9.com. Click here.

Personal Status update:

PANIC!

The life of a starving artist/writer. The lease expires on September 15th, and finding an affordable place for a family of 4 plus a cat is just not easy. We want to stay here, but rent increases are difficult even with all three of us working, and let’s be honest the income of an artist/illustrator/writer isn’t exactly something to brag to the bankers about. So I’m pondering a “goFundMe” campaign, and possibly setting the adventure story novella up as a prize. I dunno. I’ve applied to no exaggeration 42 jobs now, and the only ones I’ve heard back from have offices in Nigeria and want me to send a small set up fee of $500. Jeez, guys, really? What a deal!

The child’s third birthday is coming up sometime in September, and wow is he tall. And fearless, and really happy, and very polite. I have no idea how I was blessed with such an awesome kid. Yes there are days where I want to duct tape him to the wall for a few hours, but those days are easily outnumbered by the days where I am pinching myself for having such a great person in my life.  I just hope we aren’t homeless on his birthday. 

If you want art for any purpose, check out my art making twitter account, @AvatarForYou  for affordable illustrations and artwork. Thanks and see you again soon!