Guest Post: GameScoop Thursdays and a Spiffy Giveaway!

Hey there, folks! Shameless plug inbound from your (hopefully) soon to be friends over at GameScoopThursdays.com.

Just meandering over to tell everyone that we’re hosting our first of many monthly giveaways, and this month, in respect towards what many people consider to be one of the hallmarks of both Science-Fiction and Horror, we’re giving away a copy of Alien: Isolation to one participant, system of their choice, so that they can suffer just like we are right now.

Entry is pretty simple.

1 – We sent out a tweet @Gamescoopthurs at http://bit.ly/ZyXpRn . Retweet that to gain an entry into the drawing! Note that you must be following @Gamescoopthurs to qualify for the draw.

2 – You can also gain an entry by commenting on our site at http://bit.ly/1yY7fwo ! Note that you must be registered on Gamescoopthursdays.com to qualify for the draw.

That means that each of you can qualify for up to two entries, one for a retweet, and one for a comment.
The Giveaway will run through October 23, 2014. At that point, we will choose a random Retweeter or Commenter from a hat (Think Jayne), and then check them against our Followers or Registered users. If you’ve matched both qualifications, then you will be contacted by us for information regarding your system of choice and shipping details.
Here’s to hoping our very first giveaway will be a hit with you guys, and good luck to everyone!

Game Scoop Thursdays is a community founded by a couple of friends who are into all things gaming, tech, and geeky in general. We’re trying to get our honest opinions out there, and we’re always looking to challenge ourselves and get feedback on how we’re doing. Come on over to gamescoopthursdays.com and join up, or follow us at @Gamescoopthurs on Twitter. See you all after the jump.

Amity Dawn and the Great Manuscript Disaster of 2014

So, recently, I decided to pick up Amity Dawn again. I hadn’t touched it in months, and most of that was conversion from first to third person. I had about 25k to 30k words, eight full chapters, written. Sure, it needed a lot of work, especially the post-conversion chapters, but the switch had to be made. It’s hard to tell a story with such a broad scope from a first person perspective. I felt like limiting the perspective and head-hopping from chapter to chapter wasn’t doing the message justice, so I made the switch. The writing is harder, but I think the story will benefit.

Anyway, as I was saying, I decided to work on Amity Dawn for the first time in months, so I went to open the Scrivener file–and it was gone. I hunted high and low; Google Drive, Dropbox, all of my flash drives, my external hard drive, anywhere it could have feasibly been saved, I checked. Nothing. First, there was panic, then tears, then rage, and finally… resignation. Amity Dawn was gone, all almost-30k of it. I deliberately use cloud storage so these things don’t happen, and in four years of doing so, I’ve never had this happen.  I suppose I was over due for a horrifying, gut wrenching, tear-inducing catastrophe. Well, now I’ve paid my dues for the next few years, and catastrophe had better rein itself in. I don’t have time for this shit.

Moving on! Regardless of my whirlwind of pain and tears, I still wanted to work on Amity Dawn. Kadri was calling  me, and I still had my outline, which, thankfully, had been printed and was stuffed in my Bag of Holding. So, I began again. It needs work. I have to include elements I had forgotten about and never made note of. I need to add depth and description and dialog, but the basics are all there. Everything I wanted to convey. Everything that needed running through. I’m just starting chapter three and my manuscript is about 6k so far.  I have a long way to go, but it’s something that has, despite the grief, given Amity Dawn new life. I can see it clearly and retain my drive.

More importantly, I’ve re-learned the “back up your work” lesson. Following in the wake of a few friends, I’ve taken to 750words.com to drive me to keep writing. That’s actually what this blog post is contributing to tonight. While it won’t reach the full 750, I plan to use the rest for chapter three of AD. It’s refreshing to have a daily goal, instead of floundering with no direction. Discipline is nice, and I like getting badges and achievements for doing stuff–it’s the gamer in me. Honestly, if you have trouble getting going, try 750words.com. The first month is free so you can get a taste of whether it’s right for you, and, after that, is only $5 a month. (I have to note that I’m not getting paid to say that, and I’m not getting any special treatment. I’m just finding that it’s really working for me, and, if it works for you, too, I want to help facilitate that.)

Moral of the Story: Get back on the horse. Don’t let setbacks get you down. Keep fighting, keep writing, and back up your goddamn work.

Have you ever lost a significant amount of work to an accident like this? How did you get past it?

Today We Are Four

It’s been awhile. How are your writing endeavors treating you? I hope everyone is still working hard at whatever they’re doing now. Goggles & Lace turned 4 yesterday! It’s been a weird road, but I have to say that, even through the sparse times, this blog has been one of my favorite projects. I haven’t been able to make good on promises of consistency, and it bothers me. I just wanted you all to know how grateful I am for your dedication as readers and friends.

Since I’ve moved to Florida, I feel as though my life has been one long, unhappy transition to an unknown end that’s nowhere in sight. I lost perspective on who I am, my writing has suffered, and I’ve neglected G&L. I suppose it just makes me my own worst enemy, but I’m looking to become an ambitious, organized human being who is responsible for her own future. It’s a long time coming, folks.

In the next few weeks, I will be overhauling G&l and implementing a once a week post schedule, subject to expand as (read: if) I find the time. Right now, I’m currently balancing college, work, and family, and I believe the lesson it’s taught me is that I can’t skate by forever. Southern New Hampshire University id currently the home to my academic adventures in creative writing. I’ve never been an A student, so this is new for me. Also, weirdly satisfying.

Being a student has given me new perspective and drive. I’ve taken my future into my own hands a bit and posted a “Hire Me” page here and at KitMacConnell.com. I’m offering affordable copy-editing and beta-reading services for fiction of all lengths while I work at obtaining my degree. Check it out if you’d like. My resume is also available in my “About” section on KitMacConnell.com.

I’m still toying with my schedule for G&L, but you’ll know more when I do. I’m excited to be back in the saddle. It’s good to feel like a person again. Your thoughts, comments, and questions are, as always, welcomed and encouraged. <3

I hope you’ll keep reading!

“Ambassador”

It’s been a long time since you’ve seen any fiction from me, and I apologize for that. So, the first in ages. Enjoy.

Ambassador

The silence was sickening. Kadri sat across from Ambassador Andus Ordell, hands cuffed and clasped in her lap, as he paced the floor of his private suite. Lavishly decorated and afforded the chiefest comforts, Kadri had to wonder if Andus had lost touch with reality the day he put on that damn sash. Super-important Ambassador Ordell.

“Let’s have it,” he said, his temper reined in with a simple swipe of his fingers through his dark hair. He was handsome, but Kadri still wanted to punch him.

“I shot him. Adrian had been standing with his arm locked around Talmai’s neck, a knife at his throat. I fired without flinching. Is that what you want to hear?” she asked flatly, the handcuffs restricting her capitulating gesture.

“No!” snapped Andus, his arm flying upward, but he caught himself before he swept everything off of the polished glass coffee table. “I want you to be remorseful! Feel badly, Kadri! You murdered one of your own!”

“I don’t feel bad about it.” Her eyes lifted and met his, firm and cold. “In fact, I don’t feel anything. Adrian was a traitor; if I didn’t shoot him, someone else would have, and probably for reasons that didn’t benefit ‘The Cause.’ You know, ‘clones are humans, too, blah blah blah’ and all that bullshit you’re always spouting? They’d have shot him in cold blood, probably for money, drugs, or information. Not that I’m saying my principles were noble or anything. I’m just saying Adrian was the bad guy and I shot him to save my friend.”

Andus drew a steadying breath and clenched his fists. All Kadri could think about is how she’d choke him to death if he hit her, but he didn’t. His shoulders sagged and he shook his head a bit.

“You exhaust me,” he muttered, and looked her over. “I’m trying to give us a chance. Earth’s fractured governments are coming together and they want to order all clones decommissioned. Euthanized. Do you know how hard it is to change people’s minds?”

“He said he wasn’t a person. Adrian did… about Talmai. He was going to kill him because he’s an alien to us and because I cornered him for information. That was his play. I’m tired of hearing that. Adrian was a clone, same as you and me, and plenty of humans out there say we’re not people, either. I did for Talmai what you’re doing for all us clones, Andus, only you’re using politics and lies and I used a gun. Out there, that’s what it’s like. I’d have done the same for you.” Kadri shifted on the couch, which, like everything in Andus’ suite, was cream-colored. Way too clean.

With a sigh, Andus shook his head. “If it ever comes down to that, I’ll take the knife to throat. Good luck at your trial, Kadri. I’m sorry.” Stepping to the doors, he pressed his palm beside one of them, and it hissed open, letting in a pair of soldiers to take her to her cell.

The Finish-Your-Failure-a-Thon Club

Welp, Wrimos!  I’ve started the thread for The Finish-Your-Failure-a-Thon!  The NaNo forums have rolled over, so we have a whole year to get to know each other, and 29 more days to pick a failure!

Join me in the NaNo forums at The Finish-Your-Failure-a-Thon Club thread!

I’m reworking Glass Dragons, a Camp NaNo failure from July 2011 that only amassed 22.6k words.

What’s your NaNo plan?  Are you rebelling?  Starting something new?  Give me the word!

NaNo is Coming!

In light of my previous poll, I’ve decided to rewrite and continue my failed Camp NaNo novel from 2011, Glass Dragons.  It was the very first novel I began in my Cloneverse (which now consists of several stories) and a 50-page companion book (which is not even faintly close to finished).  The story follows Ethaniel, the first successful genetically-enhanced human clone in this particular project, and his adventures with Niran, an Ularian king of the Kirit criminal underground.

Naturally, I’m super excited!  I know that the spirit of NaNo is to start something new, but I have issues finishing things. NaNo is no challenge, but finishing something completely will be!  Glass Dragons is a fun concept that I don’t want to rot away, unfinished.

So, in light of that, I have a challenge. For everyone who loves NaNo but never finishes beyond the 50k, I challenge you to pick your favorite unfinished NaNo project to date and finish it this November!  Rework the outline, untangle your plot-knots, and pull yourself out of that corner! This NaNoWriMo on Goggles & Lace, it’s a Finish-Your-Novel-a-thon! When the forums reset, I’ll create a thread for us to chat about it!

Okay, folks, think about it! =]

NaNoWriMo Poll!

NaNoWriMo approacheth!  I don’t know if I can do a full-fledged NaNo this year, what with school and work, but I’ll give it a shot.  What do you think this year’s NaNoWriMo should be?

Summary of Colors

Guten tag!

Okay, since neither my camera nor this despicable Florida weather/horrific sunshine/cloud cover want to let me take a decent, color-bearing photo of the rings I’m using to make the Byzantine bracelets, I’m doing the next best thing.  The following images are taken directly from my supplier’s website.  ALL of the following photos were taken by/belong to The Ring Lord.com.

Once again, the rings are anodized aluminum and very lovely.  Here are the colors I currently have on hand:

Mixedy-Mixedness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frost:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bronze:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bright Silver:  (The difference between “Frost” and “Bright Silver” is that “Frost” is matte and “Silver” is shiny.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green: (It looks a bit mossier in person.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lavender:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purple:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Royal Blue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m still open for orders!  The bracelets are $20 +$1.50 shipping within the US.  I’m working on other products as well, and I’ll have examples up soon.  Also, if you’re in Jacksonville on Sept 20th, come down to Pagan Pride Day!  I’m sharing a table with Harmsway Press!

Another Update!

… Then it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming.  I promise.

Okay!  So my GoFundMe has been successful!  Thanks to the donations of the following fantastic people:

• Jessica P. for purchasing two chain bracelets!
• Keith L. for donating FIRST $25 and THEN another $10!
• Mr. Anonymous for donating $25!
• Shelley T. for donating $5!
• Lounge Talk Radio (seriously, check out Gretchen & Toni and all they do. They’re amazing!) for donating $40!
• Chris B. for donating $50!

Really, there’s no way I could have bought these books without all of you.  You’re so amazing.  I swear, my first novel will include a thanks to all of you for being so generous and supportive of my trek into the “down and dirty” aspect of creative writing.  If you wanted a bracelet, but couldn’t make it in time for the Book Fund drive, that’s okay!  I still make them, and I’ll have other designs up soon!  I’ll post my Etsy shop as soon as I revamp it, make some back stock, and get some decent photos!

For everyone who is entitled a bracelet or a key fob or earrings, etc, I got my rings in! I’ll be photographing the colors as soon as the sky stops being so dismal so I can steal some decent lighting.  Then you can give me your measurements and color choices.  It could be 10 days until I can make all of them.  I’ll get as many as I can out with what I have, but I have another shipment of rings on the way. <3

On another note, I’ve got more Writing Life content stewing around in my brain.  I really just need to find the time to write it down.  I’m also working on the plots for some short fiction that will be thrown about in here.  And, by popular demand, I will be restructuring Letters from Blackford Hill and using that plot for my NaNoWriMo this November!  Instead of seeking publication for it, I think I may self-publish it and make it available on G&L.  Very exciting things to come, my loves!

I also need to work on a signature for my posts….  I have a tablet, I can do it easily, I just keep forgetting.  TONIGHT!  Yes.

All of my love, G&Lers. <3

Our Rebog Contest Winner!

Yay! <3

Our Rebog Contest Winner!.