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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off

I'm happy to report that Magic Comes to Whiteport is one of the titles being considered in the 2017 installment of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) on GoodReads.  Whiteport's initial review can be found on GoodReads and on the reviewer's own blog Ventureadlaxre.

Thank you to SPFBO readers for your support!

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Rural Life

Status Report:  Borealis 4 first draft now ~40% done.



Earlier this year, I packed up my Secret Lair and moved away from the city.  Far away, beyond the gangrenous hell of the suburbs, and into the lush green fields of the countryside.

I had certain expectations about the whole thing.  For one, I expected there to be less traffic.  Big checkmark there.  I also expected it to be quieter.  Boy howdy, is it quiet.  And dark.  Night time in the countryside is so much more night than it is in the city.  It's dark, and quiet, and I can see the stars again.  It's magical.

There are other magical things, too.  Like raccoon crap on the front step, a calling card from a nocturnal visitor.  Or the dead skunk in the middle of the road, which needs to be nudged to the shoulder before a car runs over the weaponized end.  Allergies are magical, too:  some days, the air is filled with sparkling dust as millions of trees and plants have sex.  A bit later in the year, some farmers will spread manure on their fields, using clever machines with spinning tines that fling the manure in the air like a glorious fountain of excrement.

But then, the day will end with a breathtaking sunset that fades into a glittering star-filled night, and everything seems okay again.  Until you step in raccoon crap.