It seems that my novel-writing has taken a slight detour in light of the video game stuff I'm involved in. BSCreview.com has given me some great opportunities to write and blog about video games, even naming me Gaming Editor (which is how I was able to go to E3 this year). At the same time, ironically, they're promoting my most recent novel release, Chronicles of the Planeswalkers, Part Final: Alignment. I don't know how well it's selling because I don't hear much from the publisher unless it's royalty time.
Having said that, my books are still sitting with an editor at Tor Forge. Former Tor publicist, Dot Lin, did me a HUGE favor after I met and spoke with her at the BookExpo America in New York City back in May - she gave my books, my bio, and my synopsises directly to an editor inside Tor, bypassing the usual submission process. The goal? Not entirely sure, but Dot asked me if I'd be opposed to having them rebranded/republished. Umm, no, I wouldn't, and neither would LBF Books I suspect.
Also on the writing front, BSCreview.com asked me to come onboard with a writing project that's not video game related at all. It's a cooperative project with the site's senior editor, Elena Wolf, who I met in New York City for BookExpo America. We've had several phone calls and have come up with some amazing ideas. A prologue is being worked on now, and the object is for Elena and I to alternate episodes, all of which will be offered for a very inexpensive price online. Think of it as a serial publication of a multi-part storyline set in a brand new fantasy world. It's very exciting and will get my feet wet with respect to collaborative writing efforts. Elena's extremely talented, so I'm sure we'll be fine.
That's about it. I'm a horrible blogger because all I do all day is type on this blasted keyboard. Stay tuned to BSCreview.com for a forthcoming daily video blog I've been asked to do for the Gaming section. My next novel project may be on hold for right now, but it's only because other writing projects and creative efforts are interrupting that. I believe it's all for a reason, though that reason eludes me currently. Thanks for your support, and if you like this blog, spread the word!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
BEA 2010 in Review article posted at BSCreview.com
Follow the title URL to read the full article at BSCreview.com, as I don't feel compelled to type all of that over again. :)
The show, for me, was a rave success and keep your fingers crossed that it opens some doors in the writing world for me.
Other quick news, I'll be tackling writing duties for my next novel series very soon. Blake, my almost-five-month-old son, is doing very well, is healthy, strong, eating and sleeping well, etc. It's time to get writing again because my goal is to have a healthy manuscript ready for submission by EOY 2010/early 2011. It's a daunting undertaking, but I have faith that my pre-writing/preparation for this trilogy will allow me to write it faster AND better at the same time with no lulls in-between.
Thanks again for everyone's support.
The show, for me, was a rave success and keep your fingers crossed that it opens some doors in the writing world for me.
Other quick news, I'll be tackling writing duties for my next novel series very soon. Blake, my almost-five-month-old son, is doing very well, is healthy, strong, eating and sleeping well, etc. It's time to get writing again because my goal is to have a healthy manuscript ready for submission by EOY 2010/early 2011. It's a daunting undertaking, but I have faith that my pre-writing/preparation for this trilogy will allow me to write it faster AND better at the same time with no lulls in-between.
Thanks again for everyone's support.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
A Gaming Revolution
With the arrival of my son Blake, time has been very scarce for doing much, if any novel work. Blake is a mere two months old today, which means he's still sleepless at night, is up early, and generally requires between 5 and 15 wipes to clean his diaper messes. It's great, I'm not complaining, but my novels have taken a back seat.
My third novel in my first trilogy is still not released. March marks the sixth month past the original due date of October 2009. There have been changes at the publisher, health issues, and other internal stuff that has affected the release. Am I surprised? No, not really. All three of my novel releases have been marred by some sort of unmitigated disaster. My first book was an editorial nightmare that required a second edition less than a year after its first release - this put a sour taste in everyone's mouth; my second book was released two days after we found out LBF Books had been bought out by Lachesis Publishing in Canada - this put a huge damper on the release of a novel that reads much better than the first; enter my third novel - sixth month delay, and getting close to three whole years since the 2nd's release (April 2007). Sour taste? No, sadly, the issue now is that no one remembers me or cares.
This may sound like doom and gloom. Perhaps it is, in a way. After all, I'm only human and I can't be positive all the time against the luck I have. Novel-writing, I must admit, may not be what I'm supposed to do with my writing skills.
I've been a gamer my whole life, as you should know by now. When I was younger, my buddy and I started a very basic website dedicated to talking about video game news. A few years later, I founded and wrote a gaming newsletter called Vagabond, which was distributed loosely in stores around Pittsburgh for a brief period. I even spent $400 on a copyright for the name and still own it today.
In late 2009, I threw something out on my Facebook page about getting into the video game industry. I've been toying with the idea for quite some time, but it's never gone anywhere. Damon Caporaso, co-owner of BSCreview.com, has been a huge supporter of my writing and novels ever since I got published. I randomly reached out to his site, then named "Fantasy Book Spot", and it's been a great relationship ever since. Damon saw my post and offered me a contributor position writing video game reviews for the site.
Recently...like, February 2010 recently...Damon and BSC offered me a full editor position for the entire gaming section. I received full access to publish anything I want without going through the Senior Editor, and I'm being tasked with writing more than just reviews. I'm contacting industry insiders, publishers, developers, and marketing firms. Staffing decisions for other gaming section contributors are funneling through me, as well, much to my surprise. In short, it's a big deal, and though it's "unpaid" right now, I'm getting some free games, lots of exposure, and when my third book is released, BSCreview will be doing some advertising for me pro bono. That's worth a lot of cash right there, in truth.
And in June 2010, I will be attending the E3 trade show in Los Angeles, CA at the LA Convention Center. E3 is the largest video game expo in North America, and is closed to the public and anyone under the age of 17. My application was accepted a couple of weeks ago and it's a dream come true. Ever since I knew what E3 was, years ago, I've wanted to go, but they closed it to the public several years ago and my hopes died. With my writing abilities, and love for the gaming industry, my hope is renewed.
Perhaps this is what my novels were meant to provide: an avenue for freelance journalism or, quite possibly, a chance to work as a writer/creator/game designer in an industry I've loved my whole life. I am not schooled in game design, but I have an insatiable drive to learn and to excel, and I won't let something like school stand in my way.
My third novel in my first trilogy is still not released. March marks the sixth month past the original due date of October 2009. There have been changes at the publisher, health issues, and other internal stuff that has affected the release. Am I surprised? No, not really. All three of my novel releases have been marred by some sort of unmitigated disaster. My first book was an editorial nightmare that required a second edition less than a year after its first release - this put a sour taste in everyone's mouth; my second book was released two days after we found out LBF Books had been bought out by Lachesis Publishing in Canada - this put a huge damper on the release of a novel that reads much better than the first; enter my third novel - sixth month delay, and getting close to three whole years since the 2nd's release (April 2007). Sour taste? No, sadly, the issue now is that no one remembers me or cares.
This may sound like doom and gloom. Perhaps it is, in a way. After all, I'm only human and I can't be positive all the time against the luck I have. Novel-writing, I must admit, may not be what I'm supposed to do with my writing skills.
I've been a gamer my whole life, as you should know by now. When I was younger, my buddy and I started a very basic website dedicated to talking about video game news. A few years later, I founded and wrote a gaming newsletter called Vagabond, which was distributed loosely in stores around Pittsburgh for a brief period. I even spent $400 on a copyright for the name and still own it today.
In late 2009, I threw something out on my Facebook page about getting into the video game industry. I've been toying with the idea for quite some time, but it's never gone anywhere. Damon Caporaso, co-owner of BSCreview.com, has been a huge supporter of my writing and novels ever since I got published. I randomly reached out to his site, then named "Fantasy Book Spot", and it's been a great relationship ever since. Damon saw my post and offered me a contributor position writing video game reviews for the site.
Recently...like, February 2010 recently...Damon and BSC offered me a full editor position for the entire gaming section. I received full access to publish anything I want without going through the Senior Editor, and I'm being tasked with writing more than just reviews. I'm contacting industry insiders, publishers, developers, and marketing firms. Staffing decisions for other gaming section contributors are funneling through me, as well, much to my surprise. In short, it's a big deal, and though it's "unpaid" right now, I'm getting some free games, lots of exposure, and when my third book is released, BSCreview will be doing some advertising for me pro bono. That's worth a lot of cash right there, in truth.
And in June 2010, I will be attending the E3 trade show in Los Angeles, CA at the LA Convention Center. E3 is the largest video game expo in North America, and is closed to the public and anyone under the age of 17. My application was accepted a couple of weeks ago and it's a dream come true. Ever since I knew what E3 was, years ago, I've wanted to go, but they closed it to the public several years ago and my hopes died. With my writing abilities, and love for the gaming industry, my hope is renewed.
Perhaps this is what my novels were meant to provide: an avenue for freelance journalism or, quite possibly, a chance to work as a writer/creator/game designer in an industry I've loved my whole life. I am not schooled in game design, but I have an insatiable drive to learn and to excel, and I won't let something like school stand in my way.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Land of the Rising Son
Pun in the title is intended. Blake Allen Robertson has arrived and is in full newborn effect. Pictures on my Facebook page, but more will be coming soon once I get fully into the saddle of uploading the daily digital photos I'm snapping with my Canon SX10 IS with 430EXII flash unit.
Blake arrived via Cesarean Section on January 7, 2010 at 2:28 a.m. EDT. Weighing in at a modest 7 lbs, 10 oz. and measuring 21" long, Blake still put his mom through almost a day of labor and surgery. Nicole was induced on the 6th at about 9 a.m. EDT, so you can see how long we were in the hospital awaiting his arrival. Stubborn little guy didn't want to come out! In the end, he wouldn't fit through the birth canal, experienced distress, and needed to be extracted...all part of his master plan. :) Mom and baby are doing just fine as of today (day 15 postpartum), and we're already seeing a lot of changes in his feeding, sleeping, and temperament patterns...never a dull moment, in other words.
In the midst of all this, my third book in the Chronicles of the Planeswalkers trilogy became available for pre-order, though no official release date has been confirmed. I would assume sometime in the next month, but I can only speculate. If you want an early bird deal on the novel, visit my home page linked from the article and on the main home page there's a banner link to the LBF Books website and pre-order form. I'm attempting to work out a deal with Lachesis and LBF that enables me to sign all the pre-order copies before they're shipped out, but no promises there because the printer may be in Canada.
I've got some video game news, which I will start including in the blogs since it's a huge part of my personal and soon-to-be-professional life. I'm working with BSCreview.com as an official reviewer of Playstation 3 titles, mostly titles in genres that I prefer. In other words, I don't have the time or resources to review every single title out there, but I do review ones that I would purchase for myself regardless. I'm not paid by the video game industry or BSCreview.com to do these reviews, which gives my unbiased viewpoint an edge in the slush bucket of reviews for said titles. I play games like you do...paced, infrequently, etc. This single facet enables me to get a good picture of the game without pressure of deadlines or bias for or against a particular title. I'm honest with the reviews, and think the reviews provide a good sense of humor interspursed with bottom-line facts and feedback. I enjoy writing them and it keeps me writing when the novels are forced to take a back seat.
Currently, I'm enjoying Darksiders for the PS3. I gave it a First Impressions review score - which is a preliminary review based on just a few hours with the title, not a final review - of 8.5 out of 10, which is promising. That score may go up or down depending on the final analysis, and I think people like this type of method. They get a before and after sort of view into the title, and it also allows me to put far more depth into the review than usual. Some review websites sum up a title in two short pages, and in video reviews maybe 4-6 minutes tops.
In short, I may be able to attend E3 this year (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles courtesy of BSCreview.com as a press agent. This will allow me insider access to developers and publishers alike, and give me a lot of contacts into the video game industry. My goal is to write officially either as a reviewer, blogger, or possibly in a game design role. We'll see how things progress; I will post anything of importance pertaining to that aspect of my writing career here.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support, and sorry the blogs have been less frequent.
Blake arrived via Cesarean Section on January 7, 2010 at 2:28 a.m. EDT. Weighing in at a modest 7 lbs, 10 oz. and measuring 21" long, Blake still put his mom through almost a day of labor and surgery. Nicole was induced on the 6th at about 9 a.m. EDT, so you can see how long we were in the hospital awaiting his arrival. Stubborn little guy didn't want to come out! In the end, he wouldn't fit through the birth canal, experienced distress, and needed to be extracted...all part of his master plan. :) Mom and baby are doing just fine as of today (day 15 postpartum), and we're already seeing a lot of changes in his feeding, sleeping, and temperament patterns...never a dull moment, in other words.
In the midst of all this, my third book in the Chronicles of the Planeswalkers trilogy became available for pre-order, though no official release date has been confirmed. I would assume sometime in the next month, but I can only speculate. If you want an early bird deal on the novel, visit my home page linked from the article and on the main home page there's a banner link to the LBF Books website and pre-order form. I'm attempting to work out a deal with Lachesis and LBF that enables me to sign all the pre-order copies before they're shipped out, but no promises there because the printer may be in Canada.
I've got some video game news, which I will start including in the blogs since it's a huge part of my personal and soon-to-be-professional life. I'm working with BSCreview.com as an official reviewer of Playstation 3 titles, mostly titles in genres that I prefer. In other words, I don't have the time or resources to review every single title out there, but I do review ones that I would purchase for myself regardless. I'm not paid by the video game industry or BSCreview.com to do these reviews, which gives my unbiased viewpoint an edge in the slush bucket of reviews for said titles. I play games like you do...paced, infrequently, etc. This single facet enables me to get a good picture of the game without pressure of deadlines or bias for or against a particular title. I'm honest with the reviews, and think the reviews provide a good sense of humor interspursed with bottom-line facts and feedback. I enjoy writing them and it keeps me writing when the novels are forced to take a back seat.
Currently, I'm enjoying Darksiders for the PS3. I gave it a First Impressions review score - which is a preliminary review based on just a few hours with the title, not a final review - of 8.5 out of 10, which is promising. That score may go up or down depending on the final analysis, and I think people like this type of method. They get a before and after sort of view into the title, and it also allows me to put far more depth into the review than usual. Some review websites sum up a title in two short pages, and in video reviews maybe 4-6 minutes tops.
In short, I may be able to attend E3 this year (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles courtesy of BSCreview.com as a press agent. This will allow me insider access to developers and publishers alike, and give me a lot of contacts into the video game industry. My goal is to write officially either as a reviewer, blogger, or possibly in a game design role. We'll see how things progress; I will post anything of importance pertaining to that aspect of my writing career here.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support, and sorry the blogs have been less frequent.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Part Final: Alignment (book 3) Lives!!
The link above will take you directly to the pre-order page at LBF Books' website. The "Buy" link is at the bottom and it will direct you from there. Sorry for the short blog, I just had to get this out there because tomorrow is the due date for our son, Blake Allen Robertson! :) Thanks to all of you for your kind and generous support...and Happy 2010!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
End of an Era, but the Beginning of Another
I posted pretty much what's below on the News page of my official website, so you'll have to forgive me if it's a bit redundant, assuming you read it over there yet. If not, well then you've got all the news to date, minus a few scraps I'll give in this entry.
As 2009 winds down to a close, I'm reminded that this time is my favorite of each passing year. Christmas and the holiday season means different things to different folks with varying religious or nonreligious beliefs, but one fact stands out: it's a time of celebration and remembrance.
When I look at 2009 in retrospect, I think of the strides I've made in my writing career, which is just shy of seven years in the making. January 5, 2003 is the date I started writing Chronicles of the Planeswalkers, Part Zero, and it looks like early 2010 will mark the release of the third and final book of my inaugural series: Part Final: Alignment. Three books in seven years...I suppose that's not so bad for someone who doesn't write full-time. It's the end of an era, one which I'm more than proud of, considering my shaky start, but it's simultaneously the beginning of a new leg of my career. I've begun work on the outline for the next series. Yes, it will be a fantasy series, set in my Planar universe. I'm planning on overhauling the whole concept of planeswalking by adding in more unique elements. Here's a teaser in the form of a new term: Planesreaching. As it implies, planesreaching will involve some new talents and abilities, and the series will introduce a whole new cast of characters while remaining true to the concepts and themes established in the first trilogy. One character will return from the series in a big way. Can you guess who?
Excitement. That's the word describing what I feel moving forward, headstrong, into 2010. I rarely make promises, but I promise you, the readers and fans of my work, that I will [do my best to] have a rough draft of Book 1 - tentatively titled Reacher - completed in 2010. The preliminary work I'm doing now will only spur me on to telling a grander tale than ever before. I've never attempted this level of pre-writing. The main protagonists (yes, there are multiple), their abilities, characteristics, and relationships are all carved out; I've outlined several subplots; I'm fleshing out the overarching plot for the three book trilogy, but also for each novel so they stand on their own; several locations are being developed; and finally, the creation of the primary antagonist and its minions is fully underway. I'm not beholden to specific word counts for these novels, but I've established a baseline at 120,000 words (the length of Part Final: Alignment, book 3 of the first trilogy). In a word, this project is "huge", or at least much larger than anything I've ever done before, professionally or otherwise.
Lastly, and to bring this blog entry to a close, I want to take this time to thank you all for a great year. I've gone from zero followers to six in a short time, and I'm hoping you will pass this along to your friends and families for them to read. I don't write this merely for writers, but also for readers and anyone else who likes to listen. Merry Christmas (if you don't celebrate it, I beg your pardon) and a Happy New Year to you and yours. God bless you all, this great nation, and the people the world over.
As 2009 winds down to a close, I'm reminded that this time is my favorite of each passing year. Christmas and the holiday season means different things to different folks with varying religious or nonreligious beliefs, but one fact stands out: it's a time of celebration and remembrance.
When I look at 2009 in retrospect, I think of the strides I've made in my writing career, which is just shy of seven years in the making. January 5, 2003 is the date I started writing Chronicles of the Planeswalkers, Part Zero, and it looks like early 2010 will mark the release of the third and final book of my inaugural series: Part Final: Alignment. Three books in seven years...I suppose that's not so bad for someone who doesn't write full-time. It's the end of an era, one which I'm more than proud of, considering my shaky start, but it's simultaneously the beginning of a new leg of my career. I've begun work on the outline for the next series. Yes, it will be a fantasy series, set in my Planar universe. I'm planning on overhauling the whole concept of planeswalking by adding in more unique elements. Here's a teaser in the form of a new term: Planesreaching. As it implies, planesreaching will involve some new talents and abilities, and the series will introduce a whole new cast of characters while remaining true to the concepts and themes established in the first trilogy. One character will return from the series in a big way. Can you guess who?
Excitement. That's the word describing what I feel moving forward, headstrong, into 2010. I rarely make promises, but I promise you, the readers and fans of my work, that I will [do my best to] have a rough draft of Book 1 - tentatively titled Reacher - completed in 2010. The preliminary work I'm doing now will only spur me on to telling a grander tale than ever before. I've never attempted this level of pre-writing. The main protagonists (yes, there are multiple), their abilities, characteristics, and relationships are all carved out; I've outlined several subplots; I'm fleshing out the overarching plot for the three book trilogy, but also for each novel so they stand on their own; several locations are being developed; and finally, the creation of the primary antagonist and its minions is fully underway. I'm not beholden to specific word counts for these novels, but I've established a baseline at 120,000 words (the length of Part Final: Alignment, book 3 of the first trilogy). In a word, this project is "huge", or at least much larger than anything I've ever done before, professionally or otherwise.
Lastly, and to bring this blog entry to a close, I want to take this time to thank you all for a great year. I've gone from zero followers to six in a short time, and I'm hoping you will pass this along to your friends and families for them to read. I don't write this merely for writers, but also for readers and anyone else who likes to listen. Merry Christmas (if you don't celebrate it, I beg your pardon) and a Happy New Year to you and yours. God bless you all, this great nation, and the people the world over.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Post-Thanksgiving Wrap-up
Sorry for the delayed blogs, folks. Work and other things keep me from being as diligent as I would like, but it's hardly a good excuse. In truth, I don't always have anything compelling to talk about, and I certainly won't dump everyday factoids ala Twitter in a blog and expect to hold your interest.
Book 3 - Chronicles of the Planeswalkers, Part Final: Alignment - is going to be released in a few weeks (December 2009). It's about two months overdue, which pushed my release party at Borders back a few months into 2010, but things happen for a reason and nothing is adversely affected as a result of this delay. Again, I think of everything as happening as scripted, so I'm neither surprised, excited, nor disappointed for this delay. The bottom line is that it will be released soon, and that's really all I care about. Winter is when people read the most, statistically speaking, so perhaps it will allow some really cool publicity while I prepare for the official release party.
In other writing news, I'm officially writing video game reviews (mostly for the PlayStation 3) at BSCreview.com, formerly known as Fantasy Book Spot online. The site has obviously grown quite a bit since I've been dealing with them, but they remain loyal to me, which is amazing. I've posted two reviews thus far: one for Dragon Age: Origins and for God of War Collection. I've got a first impressions review of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 posted, but the final review has yet to make it up yet because I'm still playing through it. If you want to find the posts, simply search for the titles or partial titles on the main page at www.BSCreview.com, and you'll find them. Comments welcome.
My baby boy will be here soon, too. January 5, 2010 is the official due date, but we're very excited. I have a 13-year-old daughter, so it will be awesome to have a son. Daddy B.T. is gearing up for his arrival. Name is most likely going to be Blake Allen Robertson, FYI. :)
Hope everyone is healthy and happy out there. I'm doing another YouTube video series on getting published, so stay tuned for that. My channel is PlaneswalkerBT, so come find me there and subscribe for all the latest videos and news. Thanks for your support, and Merry Christmas 2009 to all.
Book 3 - Chronicles of the Planeswalkers, Part Final: Alignment - is going to be released in a few weeks (December 2009). It's about two months overdue, which pushed my release party at Borders back a few months into 2010, but things happen for a reason and nothing is adversely affected as a result of this delay. Again, I think of everything as happening as scripted, so I'm neither surprised, excited, nor disappointed for this delay. The bottom line is that it will be released soon, and that's really all I care about. Winter is when people read the most, statistically speaking, so perhaps it will allow some really cool publicity while I prepare for the official release party.
In other writing news, I'm officially writing video game reviews (mostly for the PlayStation 3) at BSCreview.com, formerly known as Fantasy Book Spot online. The site has obviously grown quite a bit since I've been dealing with them, but they remain loyal to me, which is amazing. I've posted two reviews thus far: one for Dragon Age: Origins and for God of War Collection. I've got a first impressions review of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 posted, but the final review has yet to make it up yet because I'm still playing through it. If you want to find the posts, simply search for the titles or partial titles on the main page at www.BSCreview.com, and you'll find them. Comments welcome.
My baby boy will be here soon, too. January 5, 2010 is the official due date, but we're very excited. I have a 13-year-old daughter, so it will be awesome to have a son. Daddy B.T. is gearing up for his arrival. Name is most likely going to be Blake Allen Robertson, FYI. :)
Hope everyone is healthy and happy out there. I'm doing another YouTube video series on getting published, so stay tuned for that. My channel is PlaneswalkerBT, so come find me there and subscribe for all the latest videos and news. Thanks for your support, and Merry Christmas 2009 to all.
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