Jared Sandman

My 2013 New Year’s resolution was to blog more here on the site.  That didn’t happen.  I haven’t made any resolutions this year, but I do have a list of writing projects to tackle in the next 12-14 months.  Multiple novels are in the pipeline, so my lack of blogging will correspond with more stories for you to read.  I figure that’s more important than blogging anyhow.

If you want to connect with me via social media, I’m on Twitter (@JaredSandman).  I’ve really warmed to Twitter over the past year.  It’s like an ongoing party you can drift in and out of at will.  And depending on who you follow, you can create an army of like-minded individuals who bring you interesting tidbits from around the Web that otherwise wouldn’t have made your radar.

A few interesting tidbits from the Internet that caught my attention:

Helpful Definitions for Modern Authors:  uncomfortably truthful.

Margaret Atwood rejects blurb requests in poetic manner.

Various inspirational writing quotes.

A quick note about an upcoming event.  This Saturday (November 9th) I’ll be on hand to sell and sign my books beside The Links golf course, from 9 AM to 3 PM.  It’s located at 8700 Pavilion Drive, in Hudson.  Drop by and say hello.  Here’s a photo for those unfamiliar with the facility.

In other news, over the weekend the British Fantasy Awards were announced at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, England.  Here’s a list of this year’s winners (taken from the British Fantasy Society).  Congratulations to them all.

Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award): Some Kind of Fairy Tale, Graham Joyce (Gollancz)

Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award): Last Days, Adam Nevill (Macmillan)

Best Novella: The Nine Deaths of Dr Valentine, John Llewellyn Probert (Spectral Press)

Best Short Story: Shark! Shark!, Ray Cluley (Black Static #29) (TTA Press)

Best Collection: Remember Why You Fear Me, Robert Shearman (ChiZine Publications)

Best Anthology: Magic: an Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane, Jonathan Oliver (ed.) (Solaris)

Best Small Press (the PS Publishing Independent Press Award): ChiZine Publications (Brett Alexander Savory and Sandra Kasturi)

Best Non-Fiction: Pornokitsch, Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin (eds)

Best Magazine/Periodical: Interzone, Andy Cox (ed.) (TTA Press)

Best Artist: Sean Phillips

Best Comic/Graphic Novel: Saga, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image Comics)

Best Screenplay: The Cabin in the Woods, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard

Best Newcomer (the Sydney J. Bounds Award): Helen Marshall, for Hair Side, Flesh Side (ChiZine Publications)

Special Award (the Karl Edward Wagner Award): Iain Banks / Iain M. Banks

The New York Times published a great piece last week about the business of writing.  It emphasizes the fact that writing is a business, so no one should do it for free.

And in other news, I just finished edits for the rough draft of my latest book.  At this point I feel comfortable talking a bit about it.  It’s a straight mystery novel entitled Flashback. I mentioned before that my usual readers should enjoy it, because the story touches on the horror genre.  The main character, Gregory Kincaid, is a former B-movie star (think Roddy McDowell from Fright Night, or an elderly Vincent Price in a wheelchair).  He’s a world-famous actor remembered for one role in particular.  Much how Bela Lugosi is forever known as Dracula or Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s creation, Gregory Kincaid’s is considered the cinematic portrayal of Jack the Ripper.

That’s all I’ll say for now, as I have a couple months’ worth of work yet ahead on the project.  When I have other news to share (perhaps a book cover?), you’ll be the first to hear about it.

It’s November 1, the kickoff for this year’s National Novel Writing Month.  Participants aim to write 50,000 words (200 pages) in thirty days.  I’ve never personally taken part, but I wish the best of luck to those who do.  Their website has a fun resource that connects others in your community who are also writing.  Find some local friends and encourage each other to cross that finish line together.

And in association with the upcoming Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor,” here’s a new trailer that celebrates the past half-century of Who lore.  It’s perfect for freeze-framing to find your favorite heroes and villains.

I’ve done this the past couple of years, always in late October.  Here are a few choice tales to get you in the Halloween spirit, a mix between classic stories and the obscure.  For maximum effect, read them alone at night.

Young Goodman Brown — Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Sumach — Ulric Daubeny

The Testament of Magdalen Blair — Aleister Crowley

And links to previous years are found HERE and HERE.

I want to thank everyone who came out to the author’s night at the New Port Richey art gallery.  You all asked some great questions.  Last night I talked a little about the new book I completed over the weekend; check back later this week, when I’ll reveal the title and a bit more about the novel.

In other news, Neil Gaiman published a great piece in The Guardian about why libraries and reading are so important to society.  It’s a long essay, though well worth your time.

And this viral video is just for fun (and NSFW):  two iconic superheroes sniping at each other.  It’s very funny.

Today I ask author Jeremy C. Shipp 5 Weird Questions.  His latest book is Monstrosities, a short story collection.  Check out his website at jeremycshipp.com.

1 — Pick two literary characters to be your parents.  Who do you choose?

Jane Eyre and Hagrid.  Hagrid would inspire me to lighten up and live a little.  He would teach me to respect life (and monsters).  And as for Jane, I would look up to her imagination, her compassion, her spirituality.  She would instill in me the strength to stay true to who I am.

2 — Make up a holiday from scratch.  How would people celebrate this day?

On Attic Clown Day, we juggle balloon animals full of blood while riding unicycles.  Whenever someone drops a blood balloon, we’re required to laugh.  Whenever someone doesn’t drop a blood balloon, we’re required to laugh.  All day we eat nothing but cotton candy full of spiders, and rubber chicken noodle soup.

3 — How much deeper would the oceans be without sponges?

Sponges are always interrupting intellectual and philosophical conversations.  So without them, the oceans would be much deeper indeed.

4 — If you could get rid of any state, which one would you pick and why?

I would get rid of the state of selfishness, which would hopefully increase compassion and empathy for the poor and underprivileged.  Also, I would get rid of South Dakota.  Who needs it?

5 — Given the opportunity, would you be willing to swap gender for a week?

Definitely!  I would dress up like Blossom and do lady stuff, like drinking tea or fighting zombies or solving math equations.

Next Friday (October 18th) I’ll be guest author at the New Port Richey Progress Energy Art Gallery.  Stop by and say hello anytime from 6:30-8:00 PM.  I’ll have copies of all my books on hand for purchase, and I’ll be signing and reading selections as well.  Refreshments will be served.

The address is 6231 Grand Blvd in New Port Richey.  If you can’t find street parking, there are usually open spots behind the building.  The gallery is hard to find if you’re not looking for it, so here’s a photo:

It’s been nearly a month since I updated the site.  That’s longer than a prefer to go between posts, but I’ve been busy behind the scenes.  I began a new novel at the start of this month, and I’m shooting to have a first-pass rough draft done by Halloween.  I’m hoping to cram four months’ worth of work into eight weeks — a doable yet very challenging prospect — and as such, certain extra-curriculars like blogging have been neglected.  My apologies.

Things should get back to normal during the second half of next month.  While the run up to Halloween makes October my busiest month, this year it also coincides with my 15-year writing anniversary.  I have some special treats scheduled in celebration of that.

Right now things are flying along on this new book (my seventh, for those keeping count).  I’m superstitious about discussing works-in-progress, so I’m gonna keep tight-lipped about it for now.  I should have some juicy tidbits to drop next month, so look forward to that.

What I can tell you at the moment:  The novel is set in a fresh genre for me, one in which I’ve never before worked.  And while it doesn’t contain supernatural elements, rest assured it is horror related and should appeal to my usual readers.

Two articles of note before I disappear back into the book:

The first is an oldie but goodie from Joyce Carol Oates, a lengthy essay she published back in the ’90s about H.P. Lovecraft.

The second is a new Kickstarter project that just launched, called In the Dark.  I’m not much of a comic fan personally, but this looks interesting nonetheless.  If you prefer your horror to be more visual, think about kicking in a few bucks.