Giveaway.

There's a bunch of us having a giveaway and two of my books are in it. So, check it out and enter on the FB page. http://tinyurl.com/p8qg36x.

Awakenings (short story)

(This is a short story I started playing around with the last couple of days)

John pushed the shopping cart along as he hunted for more aluminum cans. Probably his favorite place had to be the bar that was one block away from this one. There he could get fifty to sixty cans from that dumpster on a good day. On this block where he was there was heavy beer drinker who apparently also liked football. It was Monday and there could be a lot of cans in the trash bin of the drinker for him to collect.

He only thought of him as another drinker since he didn’t know the man’s name. Always, the largest amount of cans was right after a Sunday game was played. While John didn’t see the games themselves very often he would notice the banners that were strung up at a few of the bars.

Later today he would take his haul into the recycling center and get his two cents per can. His dirty, disheveled clothes needed a bath and so did he. It helped to keep people away is why he knowingly wouldn't clean up. There was no way he wanted anyone to see what had happened to him.

The last time he shaved was seven years ago back when he had a job. In many ways he didn't miss punching a time clock and the constant struggle to get the next sale. His boss could only think of the next sale also, he never really cared about anything else. For lack of a better word he felt back then like he was a slave to his job. When he left for the day on that last day he left that world permanently behind.

The spiral downward brought him to this place in his life. First he was laid off, couldn't find another job, and then the house was repossessed by the bank. His wife even left him for one of his former coworkers. Like he ever needed her anyway since he was better off without her. At least that’s what he told himself when he even deigned himself to think about it.

There was just no recovering especially once he started drinking that cheap wine and he no longer had a roof overhead. The culvert nearby that he slept in seemed rather comfortable most of the time. During the winter he would find a large box to turn into a temporary domicile that would be abandoned once the weather turned warmer in the spring.

A half a block away the trash bin was sitting and it looked like it was overflowing with cans. That made him happy knowing he would soon have the cart filled to the brim. To make sure he didn’t miss any he checked each trash can along the alleyway as he made his way to his quarry.

The first three cans didn’t have anything in them to speak of. In the fourth can was some electrical wire he could also sell at the recycling center. Only two more cans and he would be hitting the mother lode on this block. Picking up the lid of the next trash bin John was taken aback.

Instead of trash it looked like there was a field of stars in inky blackness. What in the hell? Deciding to move on to the next bin he began to put the lid back on this one. It rebounded and painfully jerked his arm out and he felt a strange stretching sensation pulling him in. Trying to drop the lid and pull his body away was unsuccessful. Both fell backward, the lid clattered away from his limp hand. Everything around him became a blur as his sentience went into another realm and began to float. The alcoholic haze from the last bottle dissolved and he reveled in the pure light that surrounded him.

Just wanting to explore it all with a single thought it would transport him closer to one of the glowing orbs in the ebon field. He now found that he had awakened into a wonderful new universe. His sentience now freed from a body he was able to move at will.

Drones

This is probably the most interesting use of drones I think I've ever seen. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/12/01/amazon-bezos-drone-delivery/3799021/ Wow! I could order something from Amazon and that thing would come in drop it on my deck outside within half an hour. Make sure you watch the little video.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Here in the US we're having Thanksgiving. Most will be having a big dinner and fall asleep during the football game. I myself never really understood the attraction of the game but nonetheless to each their own. No, I'm not a football fan. My wife however is a Green Bay Packers fan. I've kidded her a few times about donning a Broncos or a Vikings jersey and then cheer the opposing team. For some reason she didn't find that very funny.

I'm personally very thankful for what we have. We have a roof over our heads, I’ve got a happy marriage, and all of the bills are paid up to date. Considering how the economy was it could have been much worse. More recently I signed two of my books with two different publishers, the second one should have the re-edits complete soon and then will be re-released. I’m already looking forward to what will be coming up in the next year and I’m glad I got to experience the whole traditional publishing process. It’s new, it’s exciting, and it’s a different process than all of the rest of my books have been.

So, what are you thankful for this year? I’m sure there’s plenty if you think about it.

Writing updates 25 November

I'm in between edits on another book that was signed more recently. It's coming along pretty well and the publisher seems to be happy. That manuscript has hit 52k so it's a full fledged novel. Soon, the edits and rewrites should be complete.

In the interim between edit rounds I've been building the story line to Inquiso. This is one thriller that will be very violent and yes there will be terrorists, nuclear bombs, and so far there is a lot of foul language in places. So far, on the initial bits the manuscript has hit 16k and I'm not sure quite how many chapters but they're all printed off so I can refer to everything easily. I'm not quite sure if I'll set it aside later so I can continue working on Ascendency Rising or not. Either way I'm looking at completing three novels this next year one of which is Etheusela which will be the sequel to Beyond Realms.

Traditionally published

I can finally say I've written a book that has been traditionally published, "Beyond Realms." It's quite an amazing experience from the time you have the initial discussions to the time you're holding a contract in your hands. A bit later on you'll even hold a copy of the resulting book in your hands. There are so many different emotions that you experience. You feel validated as an author regardless of how many books you've written and published of which I've produced twenty different stand alone projects. I also have several short stories that have been, or will be published.

Publishers see a lot of manuscripts over time and many of them they reject. It doesn't matter what book it is rejection is common. The average best seller on the New York Times best seller list was probably rejected around 40 times before it was published. At least that's my understanding.

In many ways I never imagined that it would happen with something I've written. It's not like I've sent out manuscripts all over the place. I've heard of so many author's having lots of rejection letters. One in particular that I can think of is Stephen King who was so frustrated at the whole process that he threw the manuscript for Carrie in the trash. His wife saved it from going to the dump.

Still, all in all, I'm happy. I'm also going to be writing a long time into the future. It's a part of me now and will always continue to be.

Here's my profile on the publisher's web site. http://www.hallmuscatopublishing.com/authors/brian-bigelow-author/

Here's where the book is listed: http://www.hallmuscatopublishing.com/books/just-for-kids/study-hall/
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Realms-Brian-Bigelow/dp/1493774832
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Realms-Brian-Bigelow-ebook/dp/B00GPAEPGY

I will note that the publisher also offers alacarte items like editing, etc. as a side business. I've had a few mention it and it makes sense since all of that has been set up for the author's signed with them. Random House and Penguin does that also by the way.

A little of the behind the story of "Beyond Realms"

While I was growing up I did what many kids do and I read a few fantasy stories. I had fallen in love with Chronicles of Narnia and later on Lord of the Rings. Both of which I read several times over and over. Both series are so memorable and they've been turned into movies over the years.

One other book that's quite interesting is "The Eyes of the Dragon" by Stephen King. I remember reading somewhere that he'd written that book so that his kids would be able read it. I'm thinking they were about ten years old at the time. That was something that I've never forgotten.

Now fast forward several years. I'm now writing books and most of them are R rated. I've got grand kids that are really young these days. They might eventually want to read something I've written. What to do? Most of what I write I'm not giving them copies of until they're about 17. After much thought, I decided that I would write something in epic fantasy.

The story line came together of a girl who doesn't know she's a princess. She returns to take on her destiny. There's also the conflict of good versus evil that runs throughout which is a common element of fairy tales. From those things the story then took on a life of its own while I began writing it down. 

Can you imagine a single tear falling would wake someone from a spell? That kind of thing actually happens in real life when you think about and it was one of the concepts the story is built upon. It's also what changes the King.

It's been quite an amazing book to write and one I will always remember fondly. Now, I'm happy to announce that "Beyond Realms" has been signed by Hall & Muscato publishing. Presently, I know it's available on Amazon.

If you get the print version you can also the e-book I think for $1.99 when that kicks in.

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Realms-Brian-Bigelow/dp/1493774832

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Realms-Brian-Bigelow-ebook/dp/B00GPAEPGY

These are the links to my new publisher. Stop by and show them some love.
http://www.hallmuscatopublishing.com/authors/brian-bigelow-author/

Here's where they have the book listed on their site.
http://www.hallmuscatopublishing.com/books/just-for-kids/