Speaking on Two Panels at LosCon

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It’s true, I will be on two Panels at LOSCON.

  • 55. Fairy Folklore – Time travel, dimension hopping, the different aspects of traditional fairy folklore and how they can be used in modern stories.
    Catherynne M. Valente, Jonnalyhn Wolfcat, Allison Lonsdale (m), E.E. King, and Robert Seutter – SAT 10:00 am – 11:00 am, Marquis 3
  • 127. Mythpunk as a Genre – What is it, why is it relevant? We’ve all heard of steampunk, how is this different?
    Catherynne M. Valente, Allison Lonsdale, E.E. King, and Robert Seutter –
    SUN 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, Marquis 1

Come check out the panels and have some fun at the Con!

LOSCON 40

http://loscon.org/40/panels/

Checking In

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So, how is everyone doing out there? For all those who are competing in my contest, I hope you are passing on the link to the books and getting a lot of friends to take a peek! Because you know you want a cameo for yourself or a friend in a Brass Jack short story, right? Right!

By the way, I heard this from my Editor.

Ohmygosh, I just read the coolest passage ever. I have chills from the sheer coolness. Robert Seutter… I am so so so proud to be part of this. #amediting

Always a nice thing to hear from someone working on your book! (Grin!)

Awesome-est thing about #editing is having the privilege of telling the #author exactly how much a passage affects me. #amediting @huntpress — @LaureenH

Want to see more from the amazing staff at Hunt Press? Check them out on Twitter.

@huntpress

Follow @huntpress

 

Short Story Contest

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How many times have you read a novel and said, “Man, it would be fun to be in a story like that!” Well, now you can! I’m running a competition!

I will write a character inspired by you (and with your input) into a short story based on the Brass Jack universe. To be that lucky character is really easy: Ask your friends to check out either Brass Jack: Little Lost Princeling or Brass Jack: A Fine Insurrection. Keep track of how many friends have participated. Whomever has the most friends do this by the end of the November wins! After the short story is finished and approved, a link will be posted online and a signed copy sent to you.

So, what will it be? Deadly Psi-Knight? Imperial Powered Armor Trooper? Mysterious sword-wielding Scrat?

Second place prize: You will have starship named after a person of your choosing. Third place prize: You can die in a fascinating/comical way in a future novel. Please pass this on! So, who is in?

(Counting is done on the honor system. You can keep track of emails, tweets, Facebook comments and/or likes. I trust you, you trust your friends, everyone wins!)

Would you buy a book from this bear?

Would you buy a book from this bear?

Fall is here and Samhain around the Corner

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I’ve always had a fondness for Halloween. It’s one of the few times of the year where we encourage ourselves to go out and contemplate imaginary things. Masqueing is often times a great way to show aspects of our personalities and let them run and play. And I think that’s healthy.

Writers do something similiar all year round. We try to get into the heads of our various characters and bring versimilitude to their deeds and dialogue. For us, we find ourselves in a mental Halloween more often. It’s not suprising,  then when things dark and scary occasionally lean out and say “Boo!”

My alter-ego,  True Thomas the Storyteller will be telling stories of the Fairies at the Solvang Faerie Festival on October 12, 2013. For anyone familiar with the Fairy folklore tradition (especially the Celtic one), you know that there are some truly strange and terrifying stories in that tradition. True won’t be telling those to the little kids. He might, however, tell the story of Jack of the Lanterns (also known as “Hard John” or “Hard Jack.”) And my colleague, Mr. Bill Howard, tells one of the the best versions I’ve heard.

You see, there was once a man too mean for heaven and too bitter for Hell. He was doomed to wander in limbo, with only a red hot coal from hell for warmth and light. He put the glowing ember in a carved-out turnip, then wandered the night, looking for a place that will have him. That story turnip eventually turned into a Pumpkin,  and that’s where we get the “Jack of the Lanterns” tradition. What a long way from that old folktale to a billion-dollar Halloween industry in the US.

As a folklore buff and as a writer, It’s interesting to see the threads of legend and story that are woven around us. Are those colorful leaves swirling because of cool crisp autumn breeze? Or is it a Gaoithe Sidhe (fairy wind) swirling about you, bringing chills and stories both dark and delicious? In either case, have a great Fall Season!

True Thomas the Storyteller at the Solvang Faire Festival

True Thomas the Storyteller at the Solvang Faire Festival

Excerpt from Brass Jack: A Fine Bit of Insurrection

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An excerpt from Brass Jack: A Fine Bit of Insurrection. This features one of my favorite characters, Ms. Alexandria Pi.

Jack headed back over to the makeshift infirmary in the big recreation room. Lady Crystal was already ahead of him, bending over to check on some patients. On a couch, Jack saw Alexandria Pi, her distinctive up-tech skinsuit tight against her long, tall body. She was unconscious, her green short hair matted from having a helmet on for so long. And she was drooling. It wasn’t a good look on her. Normally after someone was stunned, it was best to let them sleep it off, but this was not one of those times. Jack pulled his military stunner, flipped the butt of it, and pressed the contacts against her neck.

KZRT!

She flopped for a second and came up swinging. Jack barely got out of the way as a hard fist on a long slender arm flailed past his ear.

“WhatintheFlyingGasbagSonofWitheredPissant…!!!!” Jack stepped back and waited while she swore up a storm and beat the crap out of the couch. “OW. OW. OW!”

She spun to a standing position and spotted the big Ursoid across the room. She pointed one of her long fingers at him. “YOU! YOU Mother Humping… Son OF A RUG! YOU stunned me!” She was mid-stride toward the giant Ursoid warrior, who was looking a bit chagrined when Jack tried to stop her.

He yelled at her, “Pi! PI! ALEX!”

She whirled on him, “What?!”

Pointing at Shipshaker, he continued shouting, “You are about to attack, barehanded, a thousand pound, eight-foot bear who also happens to be an Imperial Powered armor trooper. This is not logical!”

“You’re right,” she admitted, focusing blearily on Jack. She adjusted her concentration and pointed to his waist, holding out her hand. “Gun. Give. NOW.”

Jack shook his head no and backed away.

“Alex. We need to talk to you about the Ambassador.”

This sentence had an immediate effect on the tall skinny woman. Her focus came back sharply.

“How is he, where is he, is he okay?” She rattled tersely, stepping forward.

Holding up held up his hand, Jack answered, “He’s decent for the moment. You need coffee.”

The Gatian nodded. She turned and pointed at the Ursoid.

“You and me, Rug-boy. We ain’t done.”

Shipshaker gave her a frightened smile and went back to cleaning a hundred pound rail gun, holding it like a toy.

A quick explanation about Print On Demand

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A quick explanation about Print On Demand (POD or why are your books pricy?) Here’s the thing: If you are a writer with a major publishing company, they generally have their books made overseas to bring the price down. They create ten thousand books and have them shipped over. This also usually means two things. (1) A LOT of dead trees. (2) Books that don’t sell often end up in a land fill with their covers torn off or recycled.

My books sell for $5.00 on Amazon/Kindle (and we can get you a different e-version if you don’t do Kindle.) Cheap! Or if you order them from Lulu or you want a signed, dedicated version from me, it’s going to run a little more than $20 plus shipping. But that’s me doing the schlepping, signing, packing driving, ordering, etc. It’s a labor of love (as in I love it when folks like to read my my writing.)

So, just in case you think that my fame and vast wads of cash have gone to my head, I assure you, myself and most of my writer friends take turns dunking a single ramen noodle in tepid water and dreaming of being Stephen King. And of caffeine… always caffeine…

Arthur Bear loves his hard copy books, Print on Demand of course

Arthur Bear loves his hard copy books, Print on Demand of course

New Reviews for Brass Jack: A Fine Bit of Insurrection

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I saw my first review on Amazon for “Brass Jack: A Fine Bit of Insurrection.” I don’t recognize the name of the person who wrote it (not uncommon when many of your friends have many names) but I’m going to repost a bit here.

“I have read 300 or so books on my kindle to date and I rank the authors into a number of categories so I can look for new releases from the better authors. Robert Seutter easily makes it into my highest ranking. Keep up the good work and please give us some more books.”

It’s hard to be a writer in today’s market, especially now in today’s e-publishing world. There are a lot of talented people getting stuff out there. But when someone who reads a lot of Sci-fi gives you a great review, it means something. That somehow all the Zelazny, Heinlein, Anderson, Butcher, and Sterling that my brain has been marinating in might have made a difference.

Excuse me as I go have my Sally Fields moment…

Brass Jack: A Fine Bit of Insurrection, available now

Brass Jack: A Fine Bit of Insurrection, available now