The real heroes of my Inkshares campaign. I love how most of them seem vaguely surprised or amazed. I am too friends, I am too.
I love these people.
My Friends
Tag: writing
Hold On, I’m Getting At Something
The backer copies of Asteroid Made of Dragons have all shipped and the wave is crashing down on the East Coast. By tonight – tomorrow maybe – they will have all arrived. My Facebook profile is awash with pictures – pictures of my friends with their copy, the copy they bought a year ago because I asked them to. Some have one, some have three, or five, or more. A gesture of love, of confidence, of faith and it wrecks me.
Writing is lonely. Being a human is lonely.
I don’t do well with moments of connection. Socially, sure. Joking, sure. But a real moment? Something important and true? Not my scene. We’re so unstable, the most unsuitable of symbols. How can I know the things I say are being received in the moment, in the blur of memory and sense and thinking of the next thing to say while half-hearing what you are saying now while also feeling the echoes of other versions of this conversation from before and beyond on TV, in dreams, from splinter-blinks of fragmented now? I mean, how? Maybe it’s just me.
Being lonely is writing. A human is.
Hold On, I’m Getting At Something. This should be my coat of arms. I’ve written three books now (THREE!), and thousands of other words off in the Grand Margins. And all in the service of this dimly perceived quest of discovery of meaning – of this THING I’m trying to say, but cannot express. Only glimpse the edges of as I travel forward and back in time. It’s hard to connect with humans – but with words, you have a puncher’s chance. This word connects to that, shapes form. Things stay where you put them. Mostly. Rime is Rime and Jonas is Jonas and Xenon loves graham crackers and Linus snores just a little bit. Now, on my desk is a red ball, the color of summer sunset and it is red, red, red. And it will stay red as long as I believe that it is red.
A lonely human is writing. Being.
So now – I see these pictures, I see these signs of love and faith. And all I can say is – do you see the ball on my desk? Is it red? Is it summer sunset or is it more of a cranberry? Why are you listening? Why are you picking up the signal? Why are you dreaming with me of the three moons that have no name and the Lost and the stupid, stupid power of friendship that keeps the dark at bay?
Being human is writing lonely.
Ah, the simple words. I’ve already said them – but they don’t land right. Thank you. Thank you. You thank, you are thanks. Thanks You. A tic, a nod, a thing we say to strangers and waiters and cats when they heed. An empty thing, not enough, a hollow gourd. A blob of ink at the end of emails and yammering sales pitches. Useless, sere, not enough. I pick up the pieces and slam them together, that’s all that I am, all that I do – all that I can do. With whatever art I have I try to say the Thing.
Lonely is being. Human is writing.
Thank you. You thank. You are thanks. Thanks are you.
Lonely human thanks you. You are writing.
Writing is you.
You are thank.
The ball is red and it is not so lonely. Thank you for coming so far with me.
Music for Your Face
I made a Spotify playlist for Asteroid Made of Dragons! It was fun for me to do. FUN I SAY. I’m a recent expatriate from Songza (RIP) and I hate Google Play Music, so I’m fairly new to this as my streaming music font of choice. I’m — okay with it? Still learning my way around and making this playlist was a good venue for that. One thing that is annoying is there doesn’t seem to be a way to control the order of the songs on the playlist, so I can’t put them there in proper ‘I burned you this CD mix’ order. SO – below I’ll put them in the intended order, along with a little description of which character, scene, or concept from AMOD made me pick it.
Fair warning, this is heavy on late 90’s and early 00’s pop, as that was when I was in high school and college and a lot of my musical inclinations coalesced. This whole exercise started when I realized that ‘Freak of the Week’ by the Marvelous 3 was an excellent backing track for the Rime and Jonas plot line in the book. Probably some light spoilers below if you want to be 100% PURE for your first read of the book.
Hit Parade – BRADIO
If anyone’s curious, my mental image of the book is flat-out anime – so I would want the feel of an anime opening theme. I also keep my age-old tradition of beginning and ending the mix with the same artist. I would have put ‘Flyers’ up front, but Death Parade beat me to that pretty soundly, but I’ll steal it as my closer. This song is just super goddamn fun, the anime titles would have the Players in the cart, arguing over props – while inter-cutting images of the Main Characters doing whatever they were doing 5 minutes before they appear in the book.
Science Genius Girl – Freezepop
Xenon! The best – my archaeologist goblin with a heart made of nerd. I was determined to have a brand new main character for this book, one who does not express their might through any sort of combat – only in her quest for knowledge and prodigious drinking prowess.
Freak of the Week – Marvelous 3
Our Heroes, Rime and Jonas – this would play during the fight scene with the golem after the semi-botched bank heist.
My Name is Jonas – Weezer
No reason.
Burden in My Hand – Soundgarden
The Squire’s Dark Secret. This song doesn’t quite fit the tone for all of the revelations about what made Jonas flee from Gilead – but it’s a song that will be important later, so I’m wedging it in. Side note – in Aufero this is a song from Gilead, something of a Low Ballad that soldiers sing when deep in their cups.
Karma Police – Radiohead
The fight scene on the ship, where Rime goes a wee bit too far involving lightning and half-ghost pirates.
Postcards From a Midwestern Salesman – Dayroom
Linus, the dread knight of duty. The lyrics don’t quite fit – but the feeling of age, of time, and of being completely weary do.
Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues – Jimmy Eat World
Ah! In the anime, we would use a TOTALLY different art style for this flashback to the ‘caging’ of the dragons – mimicking the ideographs and stylized depictions on the urn, with this rad, RAD song in the ground.
Are You Jimmy Ray? – Jimmy Ray
Sideways’ theme song. Also perfect for when he’s drunk and sunbathing between murders on the cruise ship.
Longview – Green Day
Just for whenever Rime and Jonas or Mercury and Xenon are just kind of wandering around. Lyrics don’t fit, but it’s my favorite Green Day song, so deal.
Fuck and Run – Liz Phair
Rime loves this song. Just sits in her room, with her headphones plugged in and listens to it on repeat.
Desperately Wanting – Better Than Ezra
I like this song. Yep, that’s it. There’s precious little romance in the book – some beginnings, some endings, and a good deal of platonic connection.
Low Man’s Lyric – Metallica
Jonas returns home. Lots of dog imagery for this kid. Just a song about feeling like dirt for all the crap you did. Also good for while he’s in the dungeon.
Gimme Sympathy – Metric
Xenon at the Weary Titan bar. Just kind of drunk and lost, man.
Pacific Rim (Main Theme) – Ramin Djawadi ft. Tom Morello
Rime IS A JAEGER AND THE ASTEROID IS A KAIJU.
Gotta Get Up – Harry Nilsson
Asteroid Response Team.
So Clear – Junip
Entering the Asteroid, also the feeling of unraveling all the weirdo Precursor mysteries and secrets that are crammed all over the damn place.
Power of Two – Indigo Girls
No comment. Probably about Mercury and Xenon, but also applies to Jonas and Rime.
Fall Behind Me – The Donnas
Parting of the Ways.
Flyers – BRADIO
End credits and a sky-cycle.
Review Infographic
An infographic I made -thinking about the lifespan of books. Feel free to use or share around if you find it funny and/or accurate.
Spell/Sword Audiobook Contest Winners!
Here are the winning entries!
Phil Rood
Scorecard: 6 chances
Spell AND Sword +2
Tweeted x3
Judge’s Comments: Unexpected to receive a drawing, but very pleased to do so. The barbarity, the virility of the linework, that dashing mustache! Also the sensible messenger bag really sets of the ensemble. This piece is ready to be airbrushed on the side of a van.
Rick Heinz
Scorecard: 9 chances
Sword +1
Cosplay +2
Tweeted x3
Judge’s Comments: Just look in those eyes. The intensity, the focus. Those are the eyes of a killer. A killer of hearts. Emotional damage 10d6+5, roll vs. swoon. DC Impossible.
Thomas J. Arnold
Scorecard:21 chances
Sword +1
Bad Cosplay +6
Tweeted x3
Judge’s Comments: There’s a lot to unpack here. Does he know that bird is there? Is the bird whispering forlorn secrets of regret and torment into his beard? What an adorably tiny blade! Has this piratical gentleman absconded with a fairy’s rapier? Excellent framing as well, as you can see the white abyss of nothingness that wait sto devour us all.
Margaret Poplin
Scorecard:16 chances
Spell AND Sword +2
Cosplay +2
Mystery Multiplier (Holy Shit Effect) x 4
Judge’s Comment: Wow! I don’t know if that is the proper grip one uses on a katana while casting an ice spell with your off-hand wand, but still damn. Definitely my personal favorite.
ALL of you win a free download of Spell/Sword from Audible.com. I’ll be contacting you all via email with your download codes shortly. Now I will announce the winner of The GRAY PRIZE, a 50.00 gift certificate to the local bookstore of your choice.
52 chances in the pool. The selection was totally random, based on the number of chances each of you had. I just figured out the probability and rolled some dice.
The winner of the GRAY PRIZE is: Thomas J. Arnold!
Thank you all so much for participating! And I hope that you enjoy the audiobook of Spell/Sword.
But wait ! Some of you are probably wondering what happened to the other 6 downloads? I offered to give away 10 downloads,right?! Yes, you are right, person who follows my blog and social media presence very closely but still didn’t bother to enter. I only had four entries, so they all get the download and I still have six remaining. But what am I going to do with them? Tell you what, the contest is over, but I’ll put a bounty on those remaining six downloads – all it takes is a picture as awesome as the four that I’ve shared above. Send to me any way you like, @gderekadams on Twitter is the easiest. I’ll honor this until I decide not to – or the six downloads are claimed, either way I’ll come back and update this post to prevent confusion.
UPDATE [2/1 – 2:24 EST]
1 Bounty Claimed
Dave Barrett
Judge’s Comments: Puns are never acceptable. I hate and love this.
2 Bounty Claimed
John Waldrip
Judge’s Comments: RAWR
Spell/Sword Audiobook Contest BIRTHDAY EDITION
Time for another giveaway! I’ve been sitting on these download codes for the Spell/Sword 
audiobook for long enough. My birthday is at the end of the month and to celebrate I want to GIVE 10 people a free download of the book from Audible.com. Admittedly I’m GIVING you these with the idea that you will GIVE me an honest review and GIVE me your undying support and perhaps GIVE me a sandwich if I am hungry at some undisclosed date in the future. All of this giving, it warms the heart.
10 people will win the free download, and one person will win the The Gray Prize.
The Gray Prize
- $50.00 gift certificate to local book store of your choice OR I take you to lunch and tell you what nice person you are (location/travel permitting)
- Unique, one of a kind Gray Witch mug, hand-made by the author with a Sharpie.
- Your choice of one (1) of my completed Gundam models
- One Question That I Must Answer Truthfully*
- So, how do you enter?
Send me a picture of yourself with a SPELL or a SWORD. [counts twice if your picture has BOTH]. You can email to me directly spellswordcontact AT gmail DAWT com OR tweet to me @gderekadams. If you tweet it, because of the native social media boosting properties, I will add a x3 multiplier to your entry.
1 chance – Picture of you with a SWORD
1 chance – Picture of you with a SPELL
2 chances – Picture of you with a SPELL AND A SWORD
Tweet your entry – x3 Chance Multiplier
Other bonus attacks for pictures:
+2 chance – cosplay
+4 chance – Spell/Sword cosplay
+6 chance – bad cosplay
+10 chance – bad Spell/Sword cosplay
+5 chance – somebody famous
+5 chance – impressive location
+5 chance – unsettling composition/spooky
+50 chance – Lev Grossman
x4 Mystery Multiplier – ????
The contest ends at midnight on January 31st, 2016.
No purchase necessary – all entries will be entered into the drawing for the download codes and The Gray Prize. I’ll do the drawing on February 1st and announce here the winners and contact you via email to get you your filthy winnings.
NOTE: I’m going to want to share these pictures with the Internet, obviously – if you are NOT OKAY with that, you can still enter. Just let me know in the email that the images are not for sharing. I’m planning on sharing the 10 winners – along with any other pictures I get that are super hilarious or poignant.
Any questions? Drop them in the comments below – let’s go! I’m very excited to see what you folks come up with.
*What is truth? I am a secretive writer, and much of the Grand Plot of Spell/Sword still lies in shadow. This is your chance to ask me one question about the books that I have to answer truthfully and fully to the best of my ability. Or I guess you could waste it asking me about my political views or something? It’s your nickel.
Answers to No One
King Tamar sat alone. It drove her mad to be blind while her city, her people, were in peril. They were imperiled by the blazing red-white circle that, by her guard’s faltering description, filled half the night sky now. She had given them all tasks, duties to prepare the castle defenses, to prepare the city for the long night that could still fall. My vision will return. There will be much to do come dawn, either way.
She had decided the best place for her to be was the Alabaster Throne, where at least she could be a symbol of resolve and comfort to her people. Her heirs were safely on their way, bound for the far city of Caleron. They had fought her decision, but they had bowed to her Sight.
The king raised her head. Someone was there, standing a few feet from the throne, silent and unannounced. She craned her ears, trying to decide if she should rebuke this careless guard, but she could not hear the jingle of chain mail, or the creak of leather straps, or the slight tap of a blade against armor. As best she could tell, the someone was standing in the blue rectangle, recently vacated by the knight’s tribunal.
Someone walked closer.
“Could I stay with you a moment?”
King Tamar felt as though she was stepping across a dark pit and wished that she had not left her glaive in the sitting room floors below. “I am sorry, but I do not know you.”
A strong hand took hers. “You know me.”
“Though we have never met.” The king returned the grip, the way she might handle a viper.
“I was curious about something. You had them break bread together. Simple magic, old magic, from the very bones of the city. Only the hunter noticed. You wanted to bind together your little band of heroes. But why did you not tell them all that you saw?”
Tamar the Thrice Cursed smiled, all teeth. “I am a king. I owe answers to no one.”
“She will pay with the coin most dear. That is what you saw. Why did you not say it?”
Tamar reached up and methodically pulled the blood-soaked cloth from around her eyes. Blind eyes, dry-rimmed with red, but she wanted her questioner to see the iron. “There is always a Cost. I have paid it many times. My city, my children, the stones I bought with steel and death. If they were Heroes they would pay it gladly, but they are villains all, so I will spend their lives for them. I know what Tomorrow holds for them, all but the goblin. The boy’s future is a brown cloak, the girl’s is an empty cup. The monster will wither in a teardrop of stone. Is that what you ask? Is that what you want to know from a king?”
A gentle hand ran down the king’s face, and she slapped it away.
“I know a king’s burden.” The hand released her and was gone, but as Someone walked away the voice lingered, coiling around her like a green vine.
Tamar sat alone and thought of the falling sky she could not see and her father who was gone and the battles she had fought, young and bright, scattering memories like flower gems on a broken necklace—falling to break on the floor of her throne room. Then she thought of promises. Promises kept and promises yet to be fulfilled. This is the last curse. To see with eyes unclouded how utterly empty the Game. Block this cut, stamp out this blaze, rip out the beast’s heart again and again, but still it comes. Only Once—only one chance to stand, to move, to protect, to find the right path. Stone cracks, wind falters, sun fades, even Time erodes. I walk down a tunnel of wind with a fistful of sand. What does it matter if the asteroid falls? Everything ends—everything falls apart.
“The button falls off the coat,” the old woman said, but not even Someone was listening.
Excerpt from Asteroid Made of Dragons.
Book Four Brainstorming
Ha! Stumbled across my brainstorming for the title of book 4. Posting here for posterity. It’s kind of funny that I ran right past the one I finally selected before settling. Rime Korvanus and the Four-Chamber Secret The Four-Chamber Secret The Black Dog Called Love Rime Korvanus and the First Kiss The First Heartbreak Heartbreaker […]
Surprise! Spell/Sword Audiobook Now Available
Now available on Audible, Amazon,and iTunes. I haven’t been talking about this much, because I’ve had lots of AMOD on my plate – but this has been quietly progressing in the background and now it’s here!
For those unfamiliar:
Rime is a wild mage. She can bend the very fabric of reality, but at a cost – a cost to her health and her sanity. Her power is unstoppable but it leaves her empty, weak, and often unconscious. Jonas is a squire on the run – running away from the shadow of murder. They travel together to find the one person that can save Rime from the wild magic, from the inexorable madness and death that comes to those who are born to ignore the rules of the universe. The Gray Witch of the Wheelbrake Marsh, a creature out of a fairy tale.
The audiobook was produced and narrated by Rachel Ahrens (no web presence! – this just adds to my theory that she is some sort of wandering inter-dimensional sorceress) – and I cannot be more pleased with the final product. Her voice is wonderful and hypnotic, great shifts for the different character voices – I feel she really nails Jonas and the Gray Witch most deliciously. She was an absolute delight to work with and I cannot wait for everyone to enjoy her performance of the text. When you listen – MAKE SURE you leave a review on Audible – much like me, Rachel is just getting her start, and reviews are the lifeblood of writers and voice actors alike.
I hope this will be another doorway into my stuff in preparation for the release of Asteroid Made of Dragons coming from Inkshares in April. I really should wait until I have more time to properly launch this audiobook – but that just isn’t my style.
SO! It’s two days before Christmas – and I have promotional codes for free downloads of the audio book ( a 19.99 value, son!). How about I’ll take five of them and raffle them off to whoever comments on this post? Let’s say by 8 pm EST on Dec. 25th – sort of a last minute, last second Christmas gift. You have to comment here on my blog – no where else counts to be entered into the raffle. I’ll pick 5 people randomly from the comments and send them the promotional codes that night.
And GO!
Asteroids A-Z
Working with Inkshares and Girl Friday Productions on the editing of Asteroids Made of Dragons has been a profoundly crunchy experience. Lots of things I sort of expected, but presented with tireless rigor and depth that boggles my lazy writer tendencies to no end. But also I get little surprises like THIS! A breakdown of odd words and terms from the entire book – reading it is like an index of geeky madness, and it made me smile SO BIG.
If you’re really, really clever there are spoilers in this list – but only very mild 
ones. Think of this as a delightful grab-bag of the ridiculous things that the book contains.
A
the Academy
acquisitional
Al-Hazaar
the Alabaster Throne
Alain the White
amid, not amidst
among, not amongst
Archivus Eldracon (library)
Arkanic
Aufero
B
bankman
Bellwether Manor
the Black Moon
Blackstone (city)
blond/blonde (m/f)
blood dog
bog wraiths
Bolander (Minotaur)
Bragg Silverhammer
C
Caleron
Caleronai codex
Carroway (city)
chaos saw
Chester; Chet
Cooper’s Row
Corinth (city)
the Cormorant (boat)
crept, not creeped
D
Doma
dragonslayer
the Dragoon War
Dwarven (adj.)
E
eggplanty
the Empty Island
Eridia
F
Flenelle
Finding the Lost: A Researcher’s Guide to the Arkanic Civilization
the Fountain of Purity
G
gabble-blab
Gate City
glasschalk
the Glass Towers of Vo
glow globe(s)
Gilead (city)
Gilean (adj.)
the Grand Wizard
Gratha (woman)
gray, not grey
the Gray Witch
the Great Expedition
gryphon, not griffon
H
the Half-Ghost Armada
Hannibal al’Hazaar
heartblood
Hecate (sword)
a Hero; a Hero True; Hero of the Realm
High Valerian
hmmm
the Hollow
the Hunt (organization); the hunters
I
the Iron Legion; the Legion
izus
J
K
the Keep
King Tamar
the Knights of Gilead
the Knights of the Scroll
the Knights of the Sword
the Knights of the Wand
Korthan Zul
Kythera
L
the Law of the King
lordling
the Lost
M
the Magic Wild
tribes of Malgor
Measure Day
Melgatoth (wyrm villain)
Mount Cahill
Munch (Minotaur)
N
the Nameless God
Nasirah
necro-mori specimens
the Node
Nora (magic hound)
nose-boggled
not-metal (noun)
not-wood (noun)
O
Old Gilean (adj.)
the Order of the Key
P
the Paphyreal Stack
Parajuelego
Pasadena (roan)
the Pass Wall
peapod
Pice (city)
ping-pong
Precursor (adj.) Precursors (noun)
Providence Road
Q
Quorum
R
Radd Plateglass
the Raven (ship)
the Red Moon
the Red Wizard
repulsor buoys
roofmaster
S
the Sarmad
Sarmadi (adj.)
scrat
scroll board
Seafoam Trading Company (STC)
sellsword
Seroholm
sky cycle
the Shield Gates
Shield Wall
Shiloh (city)
Sidebat
the Sight (noun); Seen (verb)
the Singers
Sir Basil, Knight of the Wand
snaggle-toothed
Sparrow Unit
steepled (verb)
Sunhammer
the Swords of the Faith
Syprian
T
Tamar the Thrice Cursed
Tel
the Temple of the Nameless; the Temple
the Three-Toed Claw
Tobio
toma gate(s)
Tonic
Towerspan
traveled, not travelled
U
uhh
the Unbroken City of Kythera
V
Valeria
the Vampire Dread
the Vardeman Accords
the Vacuous Gargantua; the Gargantua (ship)
W
Waters & Moore Fiduciary Exchange
the Weary Titan
welp
the White Moon
wild mage
wyrm
X
Y
yo
Z
Zebulon
Zero (asteroid)
spell-sword.com 