Thursday, August 23, 2012

GenCon 2012!



Here's what I was doing end of last week and beginning of this week...in case you were worried.


The bad: Surprise, surprise! The hotel and accommodations again were less than spectacular and extremely overpriced. I got slammed with a valet parking bill that was added to my bill daily for $28.00 per day. Holy crap. Lesson learned the hard way again. Oh, well.

Hey, that's my book!
hey, that's my name!

The good: Everything else!

What can I say? Awesome. That’s what.

I had an incredible time! Aside from my hotel bill…again…which I cannot seem to do anything about.

I met some amazingly interesting people that I must say were very cool. I met Jason Klimchok, (@runnetib on twitter) a fellow author who found me in Author’s Avenue and introduced himself. Very cool of him to seek me out and say hello. Mr. Erik Scott de Bie, he of the Forgotten Realms fame (game designer and author) and Shadowbane fame, made his way over to my table to chat before he went off to sign books himself in the D&D booth. I also had breakfast on Sunday with Mr. De Bie, which I will detail a bit later.

I met and introduced myself to Jeanette LeGault who runs the whole thing and who was responsible for getting me in this year. She was very kind and spared time even though she was constantly busy.

my table at GENCON 2012
Special kudos to my son, who was with me all four days (way to go, Nick!) and who endured the 10+ hour drive both up and back with me. We had a great time bonding, which I will treasure always. Nick was awesome as my ‘booth monkey’ as he so eloquently put it.

I met fellow author Chris Jackson (@ChrisAJackson1 on twitter) and his wife (Anne, I believe) and they were very nice to me as well. I sat across the way from Tammy Blackwell, a librarian and fellow author who is writing an incredibly popular coming of age series about Seers and Werewolves, which I would check out. She can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Tammy-Blackwell/e/B005A9B3XO. Tammy was also kind enough to gift a copy of her book to my wife, who I believe will enjoy it. 

I also gave some books away to librarians, interested book bloggers and a young woman who gave me this 'token of appreciation'.

my token of appreciation
Some of the people that I met come to mind when I write this that made an impact. I met a British fella named Adam that I really enjoyed talking to. Another long-haired college kid I chatted with a few times made an impression, though I cannot remember his name. A woman named Jeanette who purchased the books was extremely nice and she came back to snap a pic of me the next day (very flattering...I think?). I met a couple who chatted with me about Pathfinder for about an hour named Blake? he and his wife are inspiring me to possibly make a Realm of Ashenclaw RPG supplement for Pathfinder... might be coming.

Here are the best two experiences. I met a man named Tony Rodriguez who wanted the books and purchased them from me on Saturday and had me sign them to his son, Alex. He happened to bring Alex in on Sunday and he was happy to meet me, told me he’d read up to chapter 6 that morning and was loving it. Wow! That made my day. And it got better. The second was a man named Scott, who had downloaded Wothlondia Rising: The Anthology (The short story prequels) to his kindle. He went out of his way to come back on Sunday morning to tell me that he was 94% through the book and thought it was amazing…and that he had downloaded the other two books that morning!

I was again completely humbled by their expressions of how I had affected two different people in such a great way. I felt honored that they had chosen me and my writing in order to escape from reality. I was honored that they both entered into my Realm of Ashenclaw with open arms and with an open mind. I cannot express in words how that makes me feel as an author and a human being.

So, on to my breakfast meeting with Erik Scott De Bie on Sunday. I must tell you that it was a tale of mishaps and odd misunderstandings as Erik and I exchanged texts as to where to meet, but after an hour, we finally caught up at a Starbucks there. Interestingly enough, Erik is a rather tall and imposing individual and carries himself very well in conversation. That being said, Erik and I talked about many things. The most memorable to me was his advice. He gave me some constructive criticisms, advice on becoming a better writer and talked to me as a peer. I cannot tell you what his respect means. He not only gave me the critique, but he also made a point to give me the good news, and I am paraphrasing, but, it included the following: My covers were eye-catching and consistent, my branding and logo (Realm of Ashenclaw) was extremely professional and most importantly, that my writing was compelling. He went out of his way to say that I was passionate about my work, that he thought I was on to something and that he was happy to see what I was able to do as an independent author.

All of this was extremely humbling to hear from an author who works for Ed Greenwood and Dungeons & Dragons. After we parted ways, I went back to my booth for the last day and Erik stopped back one more time to gift me a copy of an anthology that he had contributed on for GenCon, which was above and beyond. I highly recommend any fans of fantasy to check him out and follow his writing, as I believe he is worthy of being included in the Forgotten Realms gaggle of writers.

Go buy his stuff! Erik’s site is here if you are interested in seeing what he is up to. http://erikscottdebie.com/

Well, that about wraps up my details. Next post will include pics of all of the scenes and costumes that I was able to get! Stay tuned.

Oh, and all of my books are currently resting at 99 cents on the kindle for a post-GENCON sale! Go download 'em before I come to my senses and raise the price...lol. 




 Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.





Tuesday, August 14, 2012

SHORT HIATUS




Will be short on the posts while gone for the next week, but I should have plenty to share when I get back! Cheers all and if you are going to GENCON, find me in AUTHOR'S ALLEY and say hello! Wish me luck!


Sunday, August 12, 2012

Interview With Kevin Rau

Kevin Rau
cover to Metamorphisis, H.E.R.O. Book 1

















I recently conducted an interview with Superhero writer xtraordinaire: Kevin Rau!  The following is the result of that interview. If you like Superheroes, comic books and graphic novels, you may want to check this guy out...

When did you start writing?
January 2009. After a month of reading through something like 30 novels, I realized that I was tired of one-off novels and trilogies, and wanted an ongoing series with the same group of characters, so I could really get into their heads, learn the world, and experience things with them. Even the longer-running series (such as the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton) take so long for a new book to come out that I realized I needed to craft my own stories. And thus H.E.R.O. was forged.
Why do you write?
I need to create. It's not a desire for me, it's a core part of my personality. I've generally applied that toward software and web development over the last 20+ years, but have shifted all gears to writing in my off time.
What would be your choice for a superpower? Super invention. E.g. the ability to craft nearly anything. It's a cheat power, in some respects, because you can simulate other abilities, weapons, travel options, etc. with it.
Who is your favorite author?
I have few favorites of anything at all, not in movies, genre, books, television, etc. Having said that, I've read more Laurell K. Hamilton novels than just about any other author, so I'll give her props.
What are you reading now? I spend more time reading and re-reading my own novels than anything else lately. I just finished the Shades of Grey trilogy (one of the ladies at work was reading the first one, and I thought I'd find out what she was jabbering about).
Who is your favorite character to write? I'll go with Diva. She's a beautiful "brick" type super with great strength, armored skin/muscles, and flight. However, she is insecure, hates her new muscled state, and has a form of histrionic personality disorder. On the other hand, she's friendly, outgoing, and will react fast to any danger to others, even if she gets hurt.
Do you have a writing process? Before beginning a novel, I write down the core plotlines. From there I make a list of many sub-plots that must occur due to the current time in the H.E.R.O. series, and then write out a rough outline of the first 6-12 chapters. Just a few sentences about each. From there, I get into the writing.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Do it, if nothing else than to try. Be aware that writing takes work, it's not like reading. For those desiring standard publishing, be prepared to send out dozens (and more likely hundreds) of queries to agents, and for a rejection from all of them. It can be crushing. For the indies, be aware that you are taking on the role of author, editor (but please hire an outside one as well), promoter, marketer, and possibly the cover designer. It will take up a LOT of time if you want to be successful. You can choose to spend time with your family, or friends, or watch TV ... or to be a successful writer. In many cases, you cannot do most/all of them.
What inspired you to pursue writing? The driving desire to see what happens with my characters. To watch my fictional world grow and take on a life of its own. Soon, to do that with a second world.
Tell us about your books To this point, I've focused on my H.E.R.O. series. It currently has 10 books in it (7 novels, 2 short stories, and 1 illustrated guide), with an 8th novel coming in about a month. Each book in the series is a standalone story, but work like a television series, where some plotlines continue through the books, as do the characters. New characters are introduced at times, and readers get to see from each of the main character's points of view what occurs. In a nutshell, the series are about the superheroes of Metrocity, their interpersonal relationships, problems in the city, and how they work together (or not at times). My next series will work in a similar fashion, but in a fantasy world, and I'll alternate books in each series.


Kevin Rau
http://www.kevinrau.comhttp://www.facebook.com/herobookshttp://www.twitter.com/kevin_rau

This is Kevin's entire Bibliography in case anyone wants to go on over and check them out!

H.E.R.O. – Metamorphosis (1) http://www.amzn.com/B005GM3PV8
H.E.R.O. - New Markets (2) http://www.amzn.com/B005NBLWW6
H.E.R.O. - Rise and Fall (3) http://www.amzn.com/B005QNS4ZY
H.E.R.O. - Dark Research (4) http://www.amzn.com/B006KWAA3O
H.E.R.O. - Horde (5) http://www.amzn.com/B0070UQ5G6
H.E.R.O. - Paragon (6) http://www.amzn.com/B007IGZ7FC
H.E.R.O. - Illustrated Guide http://www.amzn.com/B007TKVQWA
H.E.R.O. Shorts – Gatecrasher (7) http://www.amzn.com/B007WKKA8I
H.E.R.O. Shorts – Silverlash (8) http://www.amzn.com/B0082XHPIC
H.E.R.O. - Gene Front (9) http://www.amzn.com/B008J0Z1Y8


Thanks to Kevin for stopping by to share with us and I hope to have him here again in the near future. Best of luck to you, my friend!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

GENCON--Here I come!



The table banner...and Buster

That's right! I will be in Author's Alley in Indianapolis August 16-19th for GENCON 2012, introducing my product and the Realm of Ashenclaw to the masses. And I am dragging my son along as well. Of course, he wants to go to get his newest R.A. Salvatore book signed by the man himself as well as to help his old man, but I'll take it! I am hoping to run into many of you there, and if we have corresponded on social media, please stop by and introduce yourself! I am already planning on meeting some people there and am so excited to get together and chat with folks.

my paperbacks
I am also excited to not only be surrounded by that many gamers, but also to be around other independent authors, artists and creative people that will no doubt be there selling and talking about their own projects. And I cannot wait to see the tables of swords, armor, gaming products and whatever else they are preparing this year. The room last year was about the size of a city block!

This is just one of several pics of the vendor room.

I very much look forward to meeting and speaking with you all there and hope that you stop by to say hello! Please feel free to comment on this post and tell me if you are going!

See you in Indy!







 Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.