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Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

“Many years before any of you were born, the world was filled with humans.” The bonfire crackles, and in its glow I survey the faces of the bright-eyed Kawitzen children, listening intently to Amelia’s story. Although the winter is mild on the west coast of North America’s 49th parallel, it still gets damp and chilly […]

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The man in the woollen cap raises his rifle. Knowing Father, he’s got the pistol in his duster pocket pointed at the guy. Mason is on the floor, still pleading silently with his stupid, snotty face. I’ve got my shotgun in my hands, hidden just out of sight. It’s not so much a Mexican standoff […]

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My urge to punch Mason fades, along with my urge to do anything else to him: kiss, admonish for breaking my CDs, teach to be less shitty. Instead I just feel a mild mixture of pity, revulsion and curiosity. How could someone so initially attractive be such a wussy jerk? I decide that there is […]

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As promised, here is Crystara’s first chapter from Crystal Secrets.   Crystal Secrets: Chapter 4 Crystara dreamed of deaths and desires, of a mother she never knew and a lover she once thought she knew. Sometimes her father chased her through the hallways of the Old Temple, screaming and cursing, clutching a whisky bottle. Sometimes he […]

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Paulo heard the sound of bells tolling far away. The pealing, brassy tones were muffled by layers of stone and wood. Deep under Crystus Hill, Paulo was surprised that he could hear them at all. He took another shuffling step and ascended a marble stair in complete darkness. Every time he moved, the pain in […]

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Good news! The sequel to Crystal Promise is now in the editing phase. I will be posting a nail-biter of a preview to this blog in a day or two. Today, I thought I’d share with you a parable detailing Novem’s caste system and class struggle. This and other ‘flavour-text’ style short pieces will be featured between […]

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Why I Write

For myself, of course. If I didn’t enjoy a task I wouldn’t do it (exception: cleaning house). However, there’s something to be said for the power of the ego-stroke. If nobody tells you how much they enjoy reading your work and that they can’t wait for the next book, it can kill ambition just as surely as […]

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Well, I didn’t expect to be returning to Calgary so soon, but I was invited for another book signing at the CrossIron Mills Indigo for their Christmas kickoff. The staff there are fantastic to work with; I’m really excited to be returning! Barring any major changes, the book signing will be on November 16th from […]

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                                        Well, the journey to Calgary, Alberta is over and done, and I’m back home on Vancouver Island. My book signings at Indigo and Chapters were very successful, and I’m grateful for the assistance I received […]

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Well, things have certainly been picking up since the release of Crystal Promise. I did a book signing disguised as a barbecue, and sold more copies than expected. I ran out, actually, which just means that I needed to order more copies. Nothing wrong with that. Here are some delightful pictures of what I’ve been […]

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Well, it’s been about two weeks since Crystal Promise was published. The excitement hasn’t completely worn off yet; check with me again after the first book signings. Although sales and marketing for an ‘indie’ author are a bit of a grind (and I know not to expect miracles or instant recognition), I’m very lucky to have […]

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Good evening! Last time I wrote out half of a short story and asked everybody to contribute a suggestion for an ending. Seeing as how I got one response, it looks like my job is pretty simple this week! Here is the second half of ‘The Right Thing’, as suggested by my cousin Scott. Oh, […]

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Remember those books? I loved them when I was a kid. This one was my favourite: I even got into the role-playing inspired ones in my early teen years. Sure, they might not have a lot of literary value, but as a kid they were a lot more fun than pretending to be a Hardy […]

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Contests

Writing contests abound these days, either as offerings from publishers or the (nowadays) very popular National Novel Writing Month in November. Currently I’ve been keeping my eye on Angry Robot Books, a publishing company that seems to have fairly modern ideas. They’re offering to read unsolicited manuscripts in March, so I’m definitely gearing up for […]

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