Progress Report, in which I might be a genius

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Matthew S. Rotundo

More dream time on the new project . . . and some actual work done on an older one.  Did another draft of "The Hills," incorporating critique feedback.  Minor tweaks, for the most part, but even that little bit can have a big effect.  I think.  I hope.

Or maybe I was just being lazy.

Me?  Nah.

It occurred to me at some point in my ruminations that "The Hills" and this new project might actually be part of the same continuity.  So what the hell–I decided to make it official, inserting a reference that ties the two of them together.  Just for kicks, you understand.  Or maybe it’ll turn out to be something more meaningful than that.  Who knows?  Maybe I’m just a genius who had it planned all along.

Hey, it could happen.

For this week, I hope to finish up my research and find something resembling a plot.  It could happen.

Write Club updates:

Tier one rejection from Apex.  Response time, almost a month. 

And a pass from an agent on a novel query, with a brief personal note.

Gotta motor . . .

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Celebrate Autumn with “The Woman Who Hated Halloween”

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Matthew S. Rotundo
Yes, folks, the equinox was today, which means that autumn has officially begun.  What better way to celebrate than with a tale of ghosts, demons, and jack-o’-lanterns?

(Groovy cover art by Matt Truiano)


Check out "The Woman Who Hated Halloween," available as an eBook from the good folks at Damnation Books.

The story is available in a variety of formats, including PDF, .lit, .epub, and .mobi.  A Kindle version is available here.

Copies are still cheap, but the price goes up with each subsequent download.  So act now!

Once again, here’s the jacket copy:

   Tough-as-nails attorney Janine D’Angelo has never enjoyed Halloween, but this year, it’s become a waking nightmare. Someone is playing nasty tricks on her—supernatural tricks that hound her wherever she goes…with the promise of much worse to come.

Janine has never backed down from a fight in her life. Though she’s always regarded séances, jack-o’-lanterns, and the occult as childish wastes of time, she might just need them to survive Halloween night.    

 

And here’s a taste:
 
October 19th: The first night

Janine D’Angelo had just finished showering when the screaming started.

She opened the frosted shower door and stepped out, releasing a swirl of steam into her master bathroom. The exhaust fan, softly purring, cleared it away in short order. White tile and golden faucet fixtures glistened. Behind her, the showerhead dripped its last. She pulled a thick green towel from the rack and dried herself, thinking of the sentencing she had to attend in the morning. The D.A. pushed for the death penalty, and would probably get it. She had done what she could, but held out little hope of prevailing. She’d told her client to expect as much at their appointment earlier that day. He responded with his preferred mode of expression—an emotionless stare.

Sighing, she glanced at the digital clock near the sink: 11:50 p.m. Maybe she’d be able to allow herself six hours of sleep.

A chorus of shrieks filled the bathroom, ear-splittingly loud, undeniably present—not in the next room, not coming from a television or stereo inadvertently left on, but unmistakably here, in the bathroom with her, echoing off the tiles. Screams. As of people in agony, in the deepest throes of terror, screaming their throats bloody. Men, women, children. Inarticulate, ghastly. Screams.

Go ahead and download.  You know you want to.

Happy autumn!

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Progress Report, in which I no longer fear brick walls

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Matthew S. Rotundo

Still in dream time on the new project, mixed in with research.  Slow going so far.  I’ve been kind of feeling my way in the dark with this one–not surprising, really, given that it’s an entirely new concept.  But things are becoming a little more clear every day.  Why, just yesterday, the cast expanded considerably, as I got acquainted with four–count ’em, four!–new characters.

More research is needed.  I have, in fact, tapped that Subject Matter Expert I mentioned last week, who is more than willing to help (thanks, !).  Now we just need to sync up our schedules.

Much is still left to discover, and I suppose there’s still a chance I could run smack into a brick wall.  But that risk is always present.  It doesn’t really scare me anymore, if it ever did.  These days, I figure that if I toy around with an idea long enough, pretty soon I’ll cobble together some kind of story around it.  Whether that story’s worth a damn is, of course, another matter. 

Not that I let that stop me.

I also decided yesterday that I want to take another quick pass over my 24-hour WotF story, "The Hills."  I got some good comments on it at the OSFest writing workshop, some stuff I’d really like to work in.  I figure this will also help prime me for some actual drafting, which will start sometime soon.  Really, it will.  Would I lie?

Never mind.  Don’t answer that.

No updates for Write Club.

Dreaming on . . .

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