chronopunk

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"The Widow Wore Gold" Has Been Archived, and other stuff...

Hey!

So the last time I posted, I mentioned that I was alive, and that things were proceeding pretty much apace, but that Day Job was sucking my soul and that most of my creativity was being directed into my Patreon and the Evil Robot Games catalog.

Well, part of what I have been using my remaining creativity on is updating and editing The Widow Wore Gold so that I can get it ready for actual paperback and digital publishing.

No, I still don't have "Trad Pub" representation - not through any fault of my own, mind you, because I've been tryin'! - but I figure since the Evil Robot Games calendar will some day (hopefully soon) have a whole-ass Cyberpunk-Genre TTRPG set in and around the world of The Metro, that I should work on getting some supporting fiction out there. We already have Bloom and Fade, but as TWWG is set in the same city (even if it's kind of a side-story set in the future of The Metro), I figure it needs its own day in the book-based sun.

As such, the original alpha draft, which was presented here on Tumblr in serialized format, has been archived. This is for two purposes: first, so that any changes I make to the text can exist independently of the original draft, without people being confused about them, and secondly, so that no one tries to accuse me of stealing from myself.

You'd think that wouldn't be a thing. It is a thing. It has happened before.

So yeah.

Beta readers have provided their input, a number of changes have been made or will be made, and then it's off to the Editor and then layout and submission to both Amaz0 and Drive Thru Fiction for review and then hopefully there's a book that pops out at the end.

Are you excited? I'm excited.

Let's get that book!

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Bringing this back around again!

Yes, I’m alive. No, I haven’t abandoned the platform entirely. My day job destroys most of my creativity and I spend a lot of the time I’m not working there either taking care of things around the house for my mom or working on projects for Evil Robot Games or my Patreon.

Speaking of which, new book announcement is up over at that site, go check it out. (https://www.patreon.com/JMilliganAuthor)

Set twenty years after the end of “Bloom,” “Fade” is the second book in The Metro Cycle, and follows Deni (never Denise) Kim-Barnes as she busts her ass working late nights as a singer in an Up Town nightclub to keep a roof over the heads of herself and her genius kid brother, Sun. Little does she know that she’s about to be hauled head-first into a world of assassination, corporate politics, and unnerving revelations about the reasons for it all.

You can get Fade in digital and Print formats at Amazon and Drive Thru Fiction! (Links inline, clicky clicky)

Cover image for eye catch and algorithm? Cover image for eye catch and algorithm!

[chronopunk]

Yes, I’m alive. No, I haven’t abandoned the platform entirely. My day job destroys most of my creativity and I spend a lot of the time I’m not working there either taking care of things around the house for my mom or working on projects for Evil Robot Games or my Patreon.

Speaking of which, new book announcement is up over at that site, go check it out. (https://www.patreon.com/JMilliganAuthor)

Set twenty years after the end of “Bloom,” “Fade” is the second book in The Metro Cycle, and follows Deni (never Denise) Kim-Barnes as she busts her ass working late nights as a singer in an Up Town nightclub to keep a roof over the heads of herself and her genius kid brother, Sun. Little does she know that she’s about to be hauled head-first into a world of assassination, corporate politics, and unnerving revelations about the reasons for it all.

You can get Fade in digital and Print formats at Amazon and Drive Thru Fiction! (Links inline, clicky clicky)

Cover image for eye catch and algorithm? Cover image for eye catch and algorithm!

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Facebook deleted this almost immediately. It's almost like the ultrawealthy don't want us knowing or talking about what's at stake.

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10K ART GIVEAWAY

Y'ALL! IT'S HAPPENING! Ya girl is approaching the big 10k, so I wanted to do something SPECIAL!

THE PRIZE: -THREE people will receive a full character sheet! (This includes a base, an outfit, and 3 expressions!) -It can be any kind of character (humanoid, fantasy, sci fi, furry, robotic, monstrous, etc.) Nothing hateful or cruel will be accepted.

THE RULES: -Likes are awesome, but only Reblogs will be counted. Multiple reblogs will count multiple times! Do NOT spam reblog, however. It is annoying to everyone involved. -You must be following this blog at the time of winner selection! -You MUST have asks or messages open so I can alert you if you win! -No giveaway blogs! I will be checking! - Three winners will be selected via Random.Org on Sunday, August 15th, 2021 at 6pm EST!

Thank you all SO so much for making this happen! Obviously, the number itself isn't THAT important, but I have met so many awesome people through this hellsite and you all have helped me be able to leave an awful job so that I could do commission work full time. I'm so so grateful to all of your support!

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Demiplane of Dungeons part 2: #28 Cure

Draiman mercenaries preparing the next stage of their assault on the wizard Naghatan Fisk.

This one I feel needs a bit more explanation - the mercenaries are working for a magistrate to take down what they believe is a rogue wizard, one out to actively harm the inhabitants of the nearby town of Lunn.

Of course, they weren’t fully prepared for the freezing trap or the falling block trap...

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“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

— Douglas Adams

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Demiplane of Dungeons #17 Checkpoint

Scorpion is ambushed by driders and a quaggoth while sneaking through their checkpoint.

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Book 4, first draft done.

...and with that, the first draft of the next book is done.

Now I just have to... do about 30 illustration sketches 30 illustrations probably about 20+ spot sketches first pass edit the book then hand the whole mess over to my publisher to layout and final edits... I'm guessing maybe 2 months to go?

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Here's your options.

1. Get the deck that literally everyone has.

2. Get the deck from the guy in the funny hat that wants to bring everyone back to his place to drop acid and get naked for 'magickal reasons'.

3. Or, you too can grab yourself the accursed deck of omens created by a mad sorcerer in a desperate bid to curse his enemies and possibly be returned to life from beyond the grave by cosmic horrors from beyond our dimension.

We know which one we'd recommend.

The Compleat Windrow-Ravenswood Deck. Go get yours: https://www.drivethrucards.com/product/323726

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I’m here to tell you, Z Nation was a gift that kept on giving. That entire series was golden.

And I still think it should have gone on just a biiiiiit longer. Not too much. Just a BIT. Maybe like, one epilogue episode. Where everything looked like it was going to be tied up, but in reality, never was.

Random List of Shit I Love in Z-Nation

I can’t make any explanation of why I love this show work, so here’s just a random list.

1. Strong black female lead who is ass-kicking, a team leader, and a mechanic. How often you see that?

2. Beautiful cinematography. Every time I pause to come and go from a room, it looks like a painting, or at least visually interesting.

3. Swings for the fucking fences. Succeeds more often than it fails, but you can never call it unambitious or boring. No idea is too crazy to try.

4. Score is great. Mix of sweet 70′s guitar rifts and throwback synthesizers that sound like Dawn of the Dead.

5. Low budget in the best of ways, every trick in the book wrings every last drop from the budget. Textbook example of when it’s OK to use CGI blood.

6. Has actual zombies. They’re fucking everywhere and actually kill people and pose a real threat.

7. Female leads aren’t sexualized. Both main roles are played by very attractive ladies, and the show doesn’t constantly try to put them in skimpy clothes or give them the Male Gaze treatment.

8. Fun. It’s so much fun. It’s not afraid to be silly, and you can feel the love of the actors and filmmakers coming through.

9. Serious. It has thoughtful social commentary, and the episodes where it digs into things like PTSD or grief/loss are amazing. Most shows seem to take a tell don’t show approach, but I have never seen anything like the PTSD episode.

10. Everyone is giving 100%. There’s shows where you can tell maybe the writer or director doesn’t care, or the actors aren’t into it. My favorite thing is seeing people throw everything they have into something, however crazy.

11. Breakneck pacing. To me almost every episode feels like a full length movie. I keep checking the time code and episode count to see if it’s just the normal 45 minutes. The show moves forward in leaps and bounds and never looks back.

12. Maintains a pretty diverse cast season to season.

13. Earns its moments of pathos or joy.

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So I just recently was lucky enough to acquired an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil. This is the firs major thing that I’ve been able to do with it 100% digital map.

There will be more...

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My friend writes good stuff and I think you will enjoy it.

The eBook of the 11th book in the series, Clockwork Twist : Faith, is now available on Amazon!

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And that’s that on that.

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Signal boost.

I hate asking for money but I'm in a bind. I'm a queer disabled artist and last night most of my tools were stolen last night. thankfully I still have what I need to keep working, but art is my primary income and it will cost me several hundred dollars to replace what was taken. if you'd like to help, you can order hand forged hair pins from me through my Instagram @Ink_and_teeth, or you can donate directly to me though venmo @RevenantMetalworks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8SEkmjHQtx/?igshid=1sqx7zszf617r

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3awBhNDin9/?igshid=3lkw1fgs6hoo

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A post shared by @ink_and_teeth on Oct 9, 2019 at 5:42pm PDT

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Whisper Code Read Along

As some of you may be aware, I published Whisper Code last week. 

There was some unexpected drama with Amazon, and with the manuscript itself, and I identified a massive plot hole 48 hours before publication. All of this sent me into a tailspin the likes of which I’ve never encountered before. 

It taught me a lot about my own writing process, and my productivity, and how I work under pressure. 

Most of all, taught me that even at the worst of times I am still a great writer! 

Last time I published a book I did a read-along to give you my reactions to the story.

Now that I have the publication date a week behind me it’s time to do the same thing for Whisper Code!

Without Further Ado:

 Starting out - the opening is pretty damn good. I remember writing this first line at the end of a chapter and thinking “Oh damn, that’s the opening to the book.”

Yes, I do hate dates at the beginnings of chapters just as much as I ever did. Necessary evil. Hate it regardless. 

 Oh, foreshadowing within the first three paragraphs. (spoilers for major character death in this book, by the way, and if you all know and trust me to keep to my word about not burying my gays or pulling a sherlock/magicians season 4 then it’s all going to be okay in the end. I promise.)

Nate’s found himself a pack of cigarettes. Here we go again. 

“There was only so long a man could spend reading poetry in privacy before people started asking questions I didn’t want to answer” is such a random line out of context, but I needed you to read it and know that those words are in this book.

Huh. I mention The Ouroboros right out of the blue with no context because I never published the short story about Nate dating a girl that everyone calls the Ouroboros.  Suffice it to say, that’s coming. She exists. She’s only ever mentioned in passing here so don’t worry too much about it. 

Chapter Two involves an important conversation and a *gasp* swear word. 

We meet SAMIRA in chapter three. She is an absolute angel and you will become attached to her. I can promise you that.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that any writer in possession of a Cyberpunk story, must be in want of an explanation for how smartphone communication has changed.

Keep reading