With the Steampunk vibe pounding once more in my veins, I'm ready - excited to start on my next adventure, but I find myself at a fork in the road.
There are two big stories I want to tell, and I'm not sure which one to do first. Here are the choices:
1. The big story of Grindel and Prama, the next two Reapers to arrive among the people of Aerthos; a dark new threat has emerged, and Romany has gone missing, and these two Sheharid Is'iin have not even awakened - will they be able to find Rom and save the world?
2. The further adventures of Favo Carr - the self-proclaimed hero of Aesirium and somewhat reformed scoundrel Favo has one great new adventure: to live.
Go here to my Facebook page and cast your vote - - I'll cap the votes on the 15th of May, and will begin working on the next book by the 21st.
Thank you so much! Allons-y!
May 13, 2013
May 10, 2013
Chronicles of Aesirium update!
It's a big day for mid-process project changes. I shall now gently put "The Old Bones" back onto the back burner while I make some big preparations for something potentially even bigger. I'm gonna need three/four artists, a videographer, a couple of actors, a musician/songwriter, a six pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade, a fantasy playlist for my iPod, and enough people to push a Kickstarter campaign all the way through to completion. And, of course, all of you, my friends - - - I can't do this without all of you.
"Do what?", you ask?
Why, how about a whole new Aesirium trilogy?
Yep, that's right. It just hit me today, that while I'm very excited about the prospects of the Old Bones as a series, I'm really just not done with Rom and her friends, and their world of Aerthos. There are so many stories there, left untold. From the final (?) adventures of Favo Carr, to the new dramatic tales of Grindel and Prama, plus the lost legends of Force, Inertia, Artifice and Ian. Plus, there are more tales still, beyond and through the Blink, the old foundations of Aesirium, the Sky People, and more!
But first, there are more things even just associated with the stories of Rom herself, including an expansion of the world you already know. Maps and paintings of the characters themselves, including Mulligan, Rickets and Yu; an arcana of the main characters as Tarot cards - - you might have wanted an idea of what Cousins' deck looks like - - well, that's a new project I'm developing. I've also had a lot of requests for Mully, Yu and Rickets as plush animals; I'll be working on that soon, too.
All of this will be leading up to the next series, but I haven't decided yet which, exactly. Both stories are roughed out; look for a poll to hit my Facebook page soon - - make your wishes known, friends of Aesirium! The Favo Carr stories and the Grindel & Prama stories will all be coming out eventually, but whose do you want to see first? Ooooh, decisions, decisions!
Don't let it be said I am a cruel creator - - I want to give you what you want to read - at least, well, I'll let you choose from a small list, but that's something, isn't it?
Talk to you soon!
~ - ~ - ~
Ren Cummins is an author who currently lives in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to writing, he is an accomplished artist and musician, cat herder and professional nerdist. His second novel, "The Morrow Stone", was nominated for "Steampunk Book of the Year" in 2011. He is co-founder of Talaria Press, an independent publisher that focuses on alternate publishing models and low-overhead project management.
"Reaper's Return" is book one of a completed 7-book series of young adult steampunk fantasy tales, about Romany, an 11 year old orphan girl in Oldtown-Against-the-Wall, who discovers that sometimes, death is just the beginning of your life's adventure. It is a 65,000-word novel, written for ages 12 and up. All 6 novels and an additional anthology are available as both ebooks for Kindle and in paperback format through Amazon.
For more information about the books and the author, please see the author's website at www.talariapress.com
Apr 26, 2013
It's a good time to be a Nerd
2013 has a summer of crazy. Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, Man of Steel, Epic, After Earth, Oblivion, Much Ado About Nothing, World War Z, Pacific Rim, RIPD, The Wolverine, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Kick-Ass 2, Elysium, The World's End... and that's just off the top of my head.
Frankly, I don't know that there's going to be anything left in my entertainment budget after this.
And then in the fall, there's Thor 2, Catching Fire, Ender's Game, Riddick, and on and on through the Hobbit, and, jeez, 2014 is already going to be insane. Clearly, Hollywood has realized that nerds have come into their own, have cash and aren't afraid to spend it.
Something to consider, going forward. Video games, comic books - the dungeons and dragons crowd has grown into its own target demographic. And to be honest, I kinda like it. Well, yes. Of course I'd like it. I'm right square in the middle of that group. The once too-geek-to-be-franchised is now The Franchise.
I'm kind of at a loss. After growing up feeling inclined to apologize for my geeky hobbies and interests, suddenly everyone seems to like it, but I can't shake the feeling that it's going to end up just like Carrie, where we're so overwhelmed by the sudden adoration that we don't notice the bucket of pig's blood that's about to come crashing down over our heads.
Which, as it turns out, has also been remade. Hrm.
Frankly, I don't know that there's going to be anything left in my entertainment budget after this.
And then in the fall, there's Thor 2, Catching Fire, Ender's Game, Riddick, and on and on through the Hobbit, and, jeez, 2014 is already going to be insane. Clearly, Hollywood has realized that nerds have come into their own, have cash and aren't afraid to spend it.
Something to consider, going forward. Video games, comic books - the dungeons and dragons crowd has grown into its own target demographic. And to be honest, I kinda like it. Well, yes. Of course I'd like it. I'm right square in the middle of that group. The once too-geek-to-be-franchised is now The Franchise.
I'm kind of at a loss. After growing up feeling inclined to apologize for my geeky hobbies and interests, suddenly everyone seems to like it, but I can't shake the feeling that it's going to end up just like Carrie, where we're so overwhelmed by the sudden adoration that we don't notice the bucket of pig's blood that's about to come crashing down over our heads.
Which, as it turns out, has also been remade. Hrm.
Apr 18, 2013
#AtoZ Challenge Nominations for the Liebster Blogging Award
#AtoZChallenge Nominations for the Liebster Blogging Award
A-Z Blogging Challenge Topic: Nominations for the Liebster Blogging Award
I wanted to congratulate author Rinelle Grey for her Liebster Blogging Award nomination. The purpose of the Liebster Blogging Award is to give new bloggers a chance to gain new followers and to give more information to the blogger that nominated them.
Rules of the Liebster Blogging Award:
The nominees should do the following if they accept their nomination:
1) Thank the blogger that nominated you
2) Give 11 random facts about themselves
3) Answer 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you for the award
4) Nominate up to 11 bloggers with around 200 followers and post links to their blogs
5) Ask 11 questions that those nominated can answer
6) Post about the award and nomination on your blog and Social Media sites
7) Inform the selected nominees of their nomination
Thank you, Kiri Callaghan (+Kiri Callaghan ) of http://kiricallaghan.blogspot.com/ - The Geek Next Door for nom-nom-nominating me! You're magical!
Thank you, Kiri Callaghan (+Kiri Callaghan ) of http://kiricallaghan.blogspot.com/ - The Geek Next Door for nom-nom-nominating me! You're magical!
Here are 11 Random Facts about Me:
1) I was alive (albeit only briefly) prior to the first moon landing.
2) I'm afraid of sharks in swimming pools. (borrowed from Kiri, because we inexplicably share this same fear)
3) my very first crush was on Wonder Woman (The Lynda Carter TV show)
4) I have recorded a full-length CD and have over 45 books published across more than 5 pen names.
5) I once played Shep Henderson in a production of Bell, Book and Candle.
6) I take a Sonic Screwdriver with me on nearly every trip, especially business related ones. (tenth Doctor, if you're curious.)
7) I have not yet learned to cook rice in a rice cooker. This is a personal concern of mine.
8) Until I was seven years old, I truly believed I might be able to become Spiderman when I grew up. I'm still not completely convinced that I can't.
9) I'm conversationally fluent in Spanish, but I'm getting a little bit rustier every day.
10) I will almost never refuse a slice of cheesecake.
11) My favorite smells are vanilla and cinnamon.
Here are the 11 questions to the nominees from the magical Kiri Callaghan:
1. Why is it you do what you do?
If you mean why I breathe, eat, drink and sleep, it is because it's a biological necessity and I have no choice but to do so else I will perish. If you mean why I write... its pretty much the same reason.
2. Something you hope to achieve in 2013?
I hope to complete two new novels, and at least one more anthology.
3. Something that haunts you.
Everything haunts me. If I did it, I wonder about what it would've been like had I not. If I didn't, I wonder what life would've been like if I had. Or if I'd done it differently. I wonder. All the time. Or, to paraphrase Shaw, I imagine the world as it might be, and wonder "why not?"
4. Something that always makes you smile.
Surprise hugs from old friends. Freshly baked cookies.
5. What you do when you're supposed to be doing something else.
I feel like I'm always supposed to be doing something else. I'm definitely more of a "path less traveled" kind of person.
6. Phrase you find yourself uttering consistently. (IE. I should be writing.)
"Internet service, why are you so slow?"
7. How do you get your muse going? (music, movies etc)
I use playlists on my iPad that are specifically designed to trigger the mood or theme of my current WIP; I only listen to these songs when I'm planning to write.
8. Biggest professional weakness.
I don't like to follow the established paths; I believe that just because this is how something has always been done doesn't mean it's the best way to do it. I believe that in order to be Beethoven, you have to think outside the Bachs. Sorry. That pun was unnecessary.
9. Biggest personal struggle.
Impatience.
10. If you could change one social norm, what would it be?
I would eradicate political correctness and shift the ownership of personal offense. I think people have forgotten that their way of seeing/perceiving/understanding/feeling a particular thing is not necessarily either the only way nor the right way.
11. I'll let the last one be easy: Your food/beverage of choice before/after/while you create!
Triple grande white chocolate mocha.
Blogs I nominate:
Wren Emerson - http://www.wrenemerson.com
Sonya Lea - http://wonderingwhoyouare.tumblr.com/
Jack Brummet - http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/
Trey Gunn - http://www.treygunn.com/
Steve Wilson - http://wilsongs.net/
Jen Ashton - http://www.jenashton.com/blog/
Questions I have:
1. Star Wars or Star Trek or neither, and why?
2. Favorite Quote:
3. What was the moment or inspiration which told you what you'd want to do for the rest of your life?
4. Who is your favorite Doctor? (if you don't know what this means, then who is your favorite James Bond?)
5. What's your comfort food?
6. If money and social situations were no object, where would you want to go spend a week away from it all?
7. Who would you like to have play you in the movie of your life?
8. What do you do to decompress?
9. What is your Theme Song?
10. What is your personal motto?
11. What is one thing you do not yet know, but you wish to learn?
Go forth and do likewise!
Jan 31, 2013
It's A Cruel, Cruel, World
Just got back from a trip to Disneyland with the fam. We're a weird bunch, and as one might expect after a long day of rides, deliciousness and exhaustion, we get a bit...silly. The "It's A Small World" ride is down for annual maintenance, but that didn't stop us from ruminating on its general impact to our frequent Disney trips.
And then - as we so often do - we decided to give the song a makeover. Cummins family style.
This is what we came up with:
It's a cruel, cruel, world
And then - as we so often do - we decided to give the song a makeover. Cummins family style.
This is what we came up with:
It's world of drama, a world of pain
And a world of zombies who'll eat your brain
Though the earth must abide, it goes on when we've died
It's a cruel, cruel world
It's a world of scum and a world of crud
And there's probably vampires who vant your blood
Though its not a full moon, we must sing you this tune
It's a cruel, cruel, world
Chorus:
It's a cruel world after all
It's a cruel world after all
It's a cruel world after all
It's a cruel cruel world
It's a world of murder and of despair
There's a good chance that we'll lose our hair
Though we still have the sun, it might fry everyone
It's a cruel, cruel, world
It's a world of business with no good sense
It's a world with no grass on both sides of the fence
Though between you and me on this thing we'll agree
It's a cruel, cruel world
(Repeat chorus)
It's a world of terror without any fear
It's a world of anger, a world of fear
Though I'm not naming names, they'll all go down in flames
It's a cruel, cruel world
It's a world of bigots, a world of dumb
As the rest of us all gradually grow numb
Thus we all do decline til the end of all time
It's a cruel, cruel, world
Jan 21, 2013
The Platinum Rule
Just wanted to drop out a short comment or two about a clever concept I heard the other day - about upgrading the notion of the Golden Rule (for those who never went to sunday school, it's the "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You" one) to a Platinum Rule "Treat Others The Way They Would Like To Be Treated."
It's a subtle difference, between treating them as you'd like to be treated and how they'd like to be treated, and puts the onus of interpersonal comprehension squarely on our own shoulders.
Here's an example:
When I'm writing, I like to be left alone. Pretty much functional if not one single person interrupts my flow, and, barring aforementioned interruptions, I can spend a qualified successful day just on my lonesome, working on whatever project may have happened across my scope.
However, even though my lovely and loving wife fully supports my writing processes, she's much happier if I take some time out to, say, make lunch for everyone, walk the dogs, or do a brief spot of cleaning. Even though simply being allowed to focus on writing (also referred to as "buying my wife a swimming pool") is the way I would like to be treated, I can't do the same reflectively - - that leads to unhappiness, and as any married person will tell you, if your spouse is unhappy, you are unhappy. You just don't know it yet.
Thus, to have a truly successful writing day, I can't simply treat my family the way I want to be treated, I have to treat them the way THEY want to be treated. Then, as it turns out, they leave me as much time as I need to write, and in the end we're all happy.
Anyway, there you have it. The Platinum Rule. We'll now return to your browsing of cute cat memes and debates about American politics, already in progress.
It's a subtle difference, between treating them as you'd like to be treated and how they'd like to be treated, and puts the onus of interpersonal comprehension squarely on our own shoulders.
Here's an example:
When I'm writing, I like to be left alone. Pretty much functional if not one single person interrupts my flow, and, barring aforementioned interruptions, I can spend a qualified successful day just on my lonesome, working on whatever project may have happened across my scope.
However, even though my lovely and loving wife fully supports my writing processes, she's much happier if I take some time out to, say, make lunch for everyone, walk the dogs, or do a brief spot of cleaning. Even though simply being allowed to focus on writing (also referred to as "buying my wife a swimming pool") is the way I would like to be treated, I can't do the same reflectively - - that leads to unhappiness, and as any married person will tell you, if your spouse is unhappy, you are unhappy. You just don't know it yet.
Thus, to have a truly successful writing day, I can't simply treat my family the way I want to be treated, I have to treat them the way THEY want to be treated. Then, as it turns out, they leave me as much time as I need to write, and in the end we're all happy.
Anyway, there you have it. The Platinum Rule. We'll now return to your browsing of cute cat memes and debates about American politics, already in progress.
Jan 7, 2013
Life Skills
Found this great article over on the Huffington Post, and wanted to save some of it here, mostly just so I'd have a place to refresh my brain in case they archive the page there.
It's about life skills that simply must be mastered - they say "before the age of 40", but I don't believe it's ever too late to start learning new tricks. So here are a few of my favorites:
How To Spot A Good Opportunity
"A lot of people ask me how I knew 'Mad Men' or 'Breaking Bad' would make great TV. I knew because when I read those scripts, I felt something. I didn't do any market testing or focus groups -- I just asked myself, 'Would I want to watch this?' When you're weighing an opportunity, make the question that simple: 'Do I really want this, or am I doing it for the money or the prestige or because I think I should?' It can't just be about those things. It has to make you feel good, too. And by the way, if opportunities aren't knocking, you can make your own. When I was looking for work several years ago, I took everyone I knew in New York, where I'd just moved, to dinner or drinks or tea. I explained that I was open to anything. Six months later, one of those dinner dates called about a possible job at AMC. If I hadn't put myself out there, that never would have happened."
-- Christina Wayne former senior VP at AMC, current president of Cineflix Studios, and an executive producer of the new BBC America series "Copper"
How To Not Sweat The Small Stuff
"The thing that's grand about spending your time thinking about the universe is that it makes you feel insignificant. I don't mean that in a bad way. If you understand that we've now discovered entire solar systems that contain planets similar to Earth -- and that those are just the ones we know about, since most of the stars we've looked at are within about 300 light-years of Earth and the distance to the center of our galaxy is nearly 100 times that -- then you realize that the laundry you've left undone and the dumb thing you said yesterday are about as significant as slime mold."
-- Alyssa Goodman, professor of astronomy, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
How To Let Go Of Anger
"Anger is like a storm rising up from the bottom of your consciousness. When you feel it coming, turn your focus to your breath. Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body. Then look at, or think of, the person triggering this emotion: With mindfulness, you can see that she is unhappy, that she is suffering. You can see her wrong perceptions. You can see that she is not beautiful when she says things that are unkind. You can also see that you don't want to be like her. You'll feel motivated by a desire to say or do something nice -- to help the other person suffer less. This means compassionate energy has been born in your heart. And when compassion appears, anger is deleted."
-- Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk and author of Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
How To Buy Great Wine
How To Know When To Quit
"After my first book was published in 2000, I spent two and a half years writing a novel. But it never felt right. I didn't even name it -- it was the poor, misshapen beast child I kept hidden under my bed. Then I showed it to my agent. 'None of the things you do well are in evidence here,' she said. I was devastated, then relieved: I had failed, and now I could stop. If you don't feel a shiver of excitement or fear, if there's no emotional risk involved, let it go. You can't discount how hard it will be to leave your bad marriage or stop writing your bad book, but if you're unhappy, nothing can get better as long as the status quo stays the status quo."
-- Elissa Schappell, author of Blueprints for Building Better Girls
How To Listen Better
"Start by doing everything you can to fire up the 'mirror neurons' in your brain, which mimic what others are experiencing. You can subtly imitate the other person's posture, even match the pace and depth of their breathing. Your words can also mirror what the other person is telling you. For example, you might say, 'What I'm hearing is that it distresses you when your husband wears his tiara in public' or 'Wow, I can tell just from your voice that you're under serious pressure.' Don't add advice or commentary -- just reflect. If you simply must add something, ask the speaker to disconfirm what you say. In other words, ask to be told where you're mistaken -- and mean it. 'I'm thinking it's not so much that you're embarrassed as that you want a tiara of your own -- am I wrong about that?' Do not ask to be told that you're right; it turns a listening ear into a bid for authority, and no one will want to talk to you then."
-- Martha Beck, O's resident life coach and author of Finding Your Way in a Wild New World
It's about life skills that simply must be mastered - they say "before the age of 40", but I don't believe it's ever too late to start learning new tricks. So here are a few of my favorites:
How To Spot A Good Opportunity
"A lot of people ask me how I knew 'Mad Men' or 'Breaking Bad' would make great TV. I knew because when I read those scripts, I felt something. I didn't do any market testing or focus groups -- I just asked myself, 'Would I want to watch this?' When you're weighing an opportunity, make the question that simple: 'Do I really want this, or am I doing it for the money or the prestige or because I think I should?' It can't just be about those things. It has to make you feel good, too. And by the way, if opportunities aren't knocking, you can make your own. When I was looking for work several years ago, I took everyone I knew in New York, where I'd just moved, to dinner or drinks or tea. I explained that I was open to anything. Six months later, one of those dinner dates called about a possible job at AMC. If I hadn't put myself out there, that never would have happened."
-- Christina Wayne former senior VP at AMC, current president of Cineflix Studios, and an executive producer of the new BBC America series "Copper"
How To Not Sweat The Small Stuff
"The thing that's grand about spending your time thinking about the universe is that it makes you feel insignificant. I don't mean that in a bad way. If you understand that we've now discovered entire solar systems that contain planets similar to Earth -- and that those are just the ones we know about, since most of the stars we've looked at are within about 300 light-years of Earth and the distance to the center of our galaxy is nearly 100 times that -- then you realize that the laundry you've left undone and the dumb thing you said yesterday are about as significant as slime mold."
-- Alyssa Goodman, professor of astronomy, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
How To Let Go Of Anger
"Anger is like a storm rising up from the bottom of your consciousness. When you feel it coming, turn your focus to your breath. Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body. Then look at, or think of, the person triggering this emotion: With mindfulness, you can see that she is unhappy, that she is suffering. You can see her wrong perceptions. You can see that she is not beautiful when she says things that are unkind. You can also see that you don't want to be like her. You'll feel motivated by a desire to say or do something nice -- to help the other person suffer less. This means compassionate energy has been born in your heart. And when compassion appears, anger is deleted."
-- Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk and author of Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
How To Buy Great Wine
- "See if an expensive wine's producer also makes a value bottle -- it's likely to be crafted with the same care.
- Serve wine with food from its region. For pasta, look to an Italian bottle. For paella, go Spanish.
- If all else fails, try Malbec from Argentina, Merlot from France, Pinot Grigio from Northern Italy, and Chardonnay from Australia. Pinot Noir pairs with almost anything. And you can't go wrong with bubbly."
How To Know When To Quit
"After my first book was published in 2000, I spent two and a half years writing a novel. But it never felt right. I didn't even name it -- it was the poor, misshapen beast child I kept hidden under my bed. Then I showed it to my agent. 'None of the things you do well are in evidence here,' she said. I was devastated, then relieved: I had failed, and now I could stop. If you don't feel a shiver of excitement or fear, if there's no emotional risk involved, let it go. You can't discount how hard it will be to leave your bad marriage or stop writing your bad book, but if you're unhappy, nothing can get better as long as the status quo stays the status quo."
-- Elissa Schappell, author of Blueprints for Building Better Girls
How To Listen Better
"Start by doing everything you can to fire up the 'mirror neurons' in your brain, which mimic what others are experiencing. You can subtly imitate the other person's posture, even match the pace and depth of their breathing. Your words can also mirror what the other person is telling you. For example, you might say, 'What I'm hearing is that it distresses you when your husband wears his tiara in public' or 'Wow, I can tell just from your voice that you're under serious pressure.' Don't add advice or commentary -- just reflect. If you simply must add something, ask the speaker to disconfirm what you say. In other words, ask to be told where you're mistaken -- and mean it. 'I'm thinking it's not so much that you're embarrassed as that you want a tiara of your own -- am I wrong about that?' Do not ask to be told that you're right; it turns a listening ear into a bid for authority, and no one will want to talk to you then."
-- Martha Beck, O's resident life coach and author of Finding Your Way in a Wild New World
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