I've posted chapter 21 of Blood Relations another background chapter, but one that quickly sums up a long pattern of wandering behavior for Vicky after the McCulloughs forced her to flee from William. Those of you who've been reading the story should now understand than it wasn't Amber's fault that Vicky is sterile, because that happened much earlier in her life at the hands of the McCullough clan.
I'm almost finished on the rough draft of Changeling, which was originally slated to become a free story. I've decided that this story will instead go out to make the rounds with some of the UF publishers, just to see if it will fly. I'm sorry for pulling the story from the online queue, but I think it might work as a pro or semi-pro sell for me. I prefer to post the shorter novellas and novelettes on the web site anyway, to make sure I'm always offering you something different every few months.
If I start to sell work with the publishers, I'll have to slow down the rate that I release stories to the web site. I do it now because I'm not yet confident that I'm at a professional level of writing yet. But once I feel like I've reached that skill level, a story would have to be experimental to make it onto the web site. For now, there are still plenty of stories slated for the web site. Just, not Changeling. Sorry about that, and I hope you can understand.
20 most recent
Sun, Feb. 22nd, 2009, 09:07 pm
Blood Relation, Chapter 21, and changing plans for Changeling
Wed, Feb. 18th, 2009, 02:22 pm
Chapters 19 and 20 of Blood Relations, and an update on other progress...
First, here's the links for chapter 19 and chapter 20 of Blood Relations. Both are very short, and any knowledgable idiot would call the next chapter Epilogue and be done with it.
I, am something of a lower idiot, and so there are actually quite a few chapters left before we hit the epilogue. I know, it defies all convention, and frankly, anything after this point will be anticlimatic. It's not avant garde; it's not knowing when to shut up. But hey, that's why it's a free story, because I don't think this would work for most editors. Maybe I'm wrong, and years from now, some editor will walk up and smack me for writing this. (Boy, I sure hope they explain why after they hit me. 0.o ) But in any case, this ending clears the path for the next story, which will involve a lot more action and hot and sticky death.
So, if it comforts you to do so, consider the last part of 20 to be the close of book one. You can think of the rest as a novelette called Blood Relations: Aftermath, covering the days and weeks afterward. This will allow me to finish up Vicky's past as she slowly migrates to Arizona from Scotland, bringing us full circle to the present day. There's also some other juicy details left over, but I won't spoil them. I love you people too much to do that. <3
I'll be taking a short break from posting to start work on the revision of Dead End, and I hope to have the whole trilogy updated with free E-books by May. I'm torn on what to post next, but I think it will end up being a semi-bizarro science fiction story, Adopting a Sex Doll. After that, I'll be hitting you with another long story, Berserker. In that novel-sized story, we'll be getting back to Jobe McKenzie, Gavin Lebowitz and the werebear that just appeared from out of nowhere in front of their car in the epilogue of Erick's Journey. I'm sure it drove you nuts that we had to take this deviation in course to follow Amber first, but I needed time to let Berserker cool on the mental back burner before I could get back into it to handle doing the second and third drafts.
I'm already working on anther video, and that should be done soonish. I'm debating whether to let it go as is or add one more short skit to it. I'll have to compile the pieces that I have and see how close I am to the ten minute mark. The first episode required extensive editing to get it down to 9:59:29, and I felt rather proud of myself when I finally got it small enough to fit on YouTube as a single episode. I'll try to aim for that with each episode, and even when I'm trying to be informative, as in this case, I'll still also try to toss in some gratuitous and tasteless humor. The old motto of our show was, "If we haven't offended you yet, just wait. We're reloading." I intend to carry on that proud and noble tradition. ^_^
You have been warned.
Later...
I, am something of a lower idiot, and so there are actually quite a few chapters left before we hit the epilogue. I know, it defies all convention, and frankly, anything after this point will be anticlimatic. It's not avant garde; it's not knowing when to shut up. But hey, that's why it's a free story, because I don't think this would work for most editors. Maybe I'm wrong, and years from now, some editor will walk up and smack me for writing this. (Boy, I sure hope they explain why after they hit me. 0.o ) But in any case, this ending clears the path for the next story, which will involve a lot more action and hot and sticky death.
So, if it comforts you to do so, consider the last part of 20 to be the close of book one. You can think of the rest as a novelette called Blood Relations: Aftermath, covering the days and weeks afterward. This will allow me to finish up Vicky's past as she slowly migrates to Arizona from Scotland, bringing us full circle to the present day. There's also some other juicy details left over, but I won't spoil them. I love you people too much to do that. <3
I'll be taking a short break from posting to start work on the revision of Dead End, and I hope to have the whole trilogy updated with free E-books by May. I'm torn on what to post next, but I think it will end up being a semi-bizarro science fiction story, Adopting a Sex Doll. After that, I'll be hitting you with another long story, Berserker. In that novel-sized story, we'll be getting back to Jobe McKenzie, Gavin Lebowitz and the werebear that just appeared from out of nowhere in front of their car in the epilogue of Erick's Journey. I'm sure it drove you nuts that we had to take this deviation in course to follow Amber first, but I needed time to let Berserker cool on the mental back burner before I could get back into it to handle doing the second and third drafts.
I'm already working on anther video, and that should be done soonish. I'm debating whether to let it go as is or add one more short skit to it. I'll have to compile the pieces that I have and see how close I am to the ten minute mark. The first episode required extensive editing to get it down to 9:59:29, and I felt rather proud of myself when I finally got it small enough to fit on YouTube as a single episode. I'll try to aim for that with each episode, and even when I'm trying to be informative, as in this case, I'll still also try to toss in some gratuitous and tasteless humor. The old motto of our show was, "If we haven't offended you yet, just wait. We're reloading." I intend to carry on that proud and noble tradition. ^_^
You have been warned.
Later...
Thu, Feb. 5th, 2009, 07:36 pm
Blood Relations - Chapter 14
Chapter 14 of Blood Relations is another short post, so I will try to have another chapter up on the 7th.
Thu, Jan. 29th, 2009, 08:29 am
Blood Relations - Chapter 12
Chapter 12 of Blood Relations is late due to me having to take a day off to assemble my new desk with hubby. It's very nice, and combined with my new chair, I think I'm going to enjoy working in my new creative space for the next few years.
Getting back to the story, we've got the boring sex stuff finished, so now it's time to introduce Dimitri. Readers of Erick's Journey will know him already, and this chapter will probably make a lot more sense if you have. If not, some of this story will be a mystery for two chapters.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a paying job sitting in my e-mail inbox, so I need to get cracking on that.
Getting back to the story, we've got the boring sex stuff finished, so now it's time to introduce Dimitri. Readers of Erick's Journey will know him already, and this chapter will probably make a lot more sense if you have. If not, some of this story will be a mystery for two chapters.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a paying job sitting in my e-mail inbox, so I need to get cracking on that.
Sat, Jan. 24th, 2009, 05:42 pm
Blood Relations - Chapter 11
Chapter 11 of Blood Relations has been posted. It is another short chapter. As I mentioned is a post a few months back, part of my general plan for the web fiction is to get the posts down to an avaerage of 4-7 pages per post, with less chapters clocking in at 9-10 pages.
But, is it improving my writing? I'm not sure. My traffic is up, but there's still not that many comments from anyone yet. *Shrug* Well, anyway, there is steady traffic, and all of the free e-books are being downloaded at a steady rate. So maybe if I just keep going, someone will publicly admit that I'm their guilty pleasure. ^_^ (Either that, or someone will beg me to stop. -.- )
But, is it improving my writing? I'm not sure. My traffic is up, but there's still not that many comments from anyone yet. *Shrug* Well, anyway, there is steady traffic, and all of the free e-books are being downloaded at a steady rate. So maybe if I just keep going, someone will publicly admit that I'm their guilty pleasure. ^_^ (Either that, or someone will beg me to stop. -.- )
Tue, Jan. 20th, 2009, 05:06 am
Some slow days...
So yeah, brain drain hit. It's to be expected. I've finished a lot of major projects, and I've sent off my biggest novel to a publisher. Tonight they've sent back an acknowledgment of receiving it, and they didn't balk at the higher word count. So the only thing that can go wrong now is that the novel isn't right for them.
I'm not writing at this point, and I'm doing very little reading. In fact, hubby turned on the TV, and I got pissy because I don't have the attention span to watch the TV. As you can guess, this means that I either have to sum stuff up, or my attention wanders.
So...oh, brain drain almost made me forget. The first review of Redemption Lost is up over at MonsterLibrarian, courtesy of the lovely Angry Princess. (I've seen her pics now, and I can speak with authority. ^_^ ) It's a good review, but a lean one due to it being 100% spoiler free. Still, I am very happy because all three of my books made through one reviewer with mostly high marks...had some dings on the second book, but they were all fair cops. Writers often don't say this enough, but I want to take a second to say thanks here to the Angry Princess. Sure, she'll probably never see this post, but it's the spirit of the thought. =^P (I'll thank her properly on face book too, where she will be far more likely to see it.)
Okay, I'm giving up and going to bed. Maybe tomorrow the brain fog will lift. -_-
I'm not writing at this point, and I'm doing very little reading. In fact, hubby turned on the TV, and I got pissy because I don't have the attention span to watch the TV. As you can guess, this means that I either have to sum stuff up, or my attention wanders.
So...oh, brain drain almost made me forget. The first review of Redemption Lost is up over at MonsterLibrarian, courtesy of the lovely Angry Princess. (I've seen her pics now, and I can speak with authority. ^_^ ) It's a good review, but a lean one due to it being 100% spoiler free. Still, I am very happy because all three of my books made through one reviewer with mostly high marks...had some dings on the second book, but they were all fair cops. Writers often don't say this enough, but I want to take a second to say thanks here to the Angry Princess. Sure, she'll probably never see this post, but it's the spirit of the thought. =^P (I'll thank her properly on face book too, where she will be far more likely to see it.)
Okay, I'm giving up and going to bed. Maybe tomorrow the brain fog will lift. -_-
Wed, Jan. 14th, 2009, 11:44 pm
Blood Relations Chapter 8, and a story premise proposal
Chapter 8 of Blood Relations is another short chapter about bloody vampire sex, this time in 1938.
Okay, with the link posted, I now want to pitch a premise to you. If you take the time to read through this, just reply with pass or fail, though you can add extra comments, if you like.
(Not if You Were) The Last Straight Man in Galveston
The year is 2025. Both the polar ice caps have melted, and the added water has caused an unprecedented tectonic plate movement. Most of humanity perished in a great flood, while many people survive on small islands. One of the few large land masses left with a high population is Oregon. Miraculously, the whole state was pushed above the water line, and no one died in the resulting earthquakes.
The problem is, due to Oregon passing gay marriage laws, everyone in the state turned gay. So the men won’t touch the women, and aside from a few “breeder sissies” who used fertility clinics to have children, the population is starting to stagnate.
Lawmakers in the state use the few surviving satellites to broadcast a message to all of the United Islands that Oregon will take in men or women as breeders, provided that they can be bisexual.
Eighteen-year-old Carlos Sanchez is the youngest surviving male on Galveston Island, the only land left of the once land-proud Texas. Desperate to get laid, Carlos decides to fake being bisexual to get into Oregon, where he meets the perfect woman. Greta Parks is smart, beautiful, stylish, and charming. But Greta is happily homosexual, and while she will have sex to procreate, she makes every “mating session” feel awkward.
Carlos meets another “bisexual,” Joe Colburn, who is being hounded by the Homo Police for not having a boyfriend. Joe and Carlos decide to buddy up in an apartment together and act as a couple, even faking sex by groaning in their room at night in case the neighbors are secretly working form the HP.
Their comfortable relationship is ruined with the arrival of Lucy Von SexKitten, a Las Vegas porn star, and a true bisexual. But Lucy is hiding a big secret too. She’s sterile, and the HP would consider her a “gender outlaw” and deport her if they found out that she's only in Oregon to get laid. Carlos falls in love with Lucy. Then Joe falls in love with Lucy. A manly battle ensues...too manly, and the HP are soon suspicious that both men are really straights after all.
To make matters worse, Greta finally gets pregnant, and now she’s having straight romantic feelings for Carlos.
In the end, will Carlos choose Greta, or keep fighting for Lucy’s attention? Or will the HP get wise to the scam and deport all three of the gender outlaws?
___
So, would it fly? Or would you turn your nose up at it? I'm just floating the idea, so there's nothing beyond this loose outline right now. But I wonder if maybe it's too goofy for a Bizarro sci-fi story.
Okay, with the link posted, I now want to pitch a premise to you. If you take the time to read through this, just reply with pass or fail, though you can add extra comments, if you like.
(Not if You Were) The Last Straight Man in Galveston
The year is 2025. Both the polar ice caps have melted, and the added water has caused an unprecedented tectonic plate movement. Most of humanity perished in a great flood, while many people survive on small islands. One of the few large land masses left with a high population is Oregon. Miraculously, the whole state was pushed above the water line, and no one died in the resulting earthquakes.
The problem is, due to Oregon passing gay marriage laws, everyone in the state turned gay. So the men won’t touch the women, and aside from a few “breeder sissies” who used fertility clinics to have children, the population is starting to stagnate.
Lawmakers in the state use the few surviving satellites to broadcast a message to all of the United Islands that Oregon will take in men or women as breeders, provided that they can be bisexual.
Eighteen-year-old Carlos Sanchez is the youngest surviving male on Galveston Island, the only land left of the once land-proud Texas. Desperate to get laid, Carlos decides to fake being bisexual to get into Oregon, where he meets the perfect woman. Greta Parks is smart, beautiful, stylish, and charming. But Greta is happily homosexual, and while she will have sex to procreate, she makes every “mating session” feel awkward.
Carlos meets another “bisexual,” Joe Colburn, who is being hounded by the Homo Police for not having a boyfriend. Joe and Carlos decide to buddy up in an apartment together and act as a couple, even faking sex by groaning in their room at night in case the neighbors are secretly working form the HP.
Their comfortable relationship is ruined with the arrival of Lucy Von SexKitten, a Las Vegas porn star, and a true bisexual. But Lucy is hiding a big secret too. She’s sterile, and the HP would consider her a “gender outlaw” and deport her if they found out that she's only in Oregon to get laid. Carlos falls in love with Lucy. Then Joe falls in love with Lucy. A manly battle ensues...too manly, and the HP are soon suspicious that both men are really straights after all.
To make matters worse, Greta finally gets pregnant, and now she’s having straight romantic feelings for Carlos.
In the end, will Carlos choose Greta, or keep fighting for Lucy’s attention? Or will the HP get wise to the scam and deport all three of the gender outlaws?
___
So, would it fly? Or would you turn your nose up at it? I'm just floating the idea, so there's nothing beyond this loose outline right now. But I wonder if maybe it's too goofy for a Bizarro sci-fi story.
Mon, Jan. 12th, 2009, 07:55 pm
Blood Relations - Chapter 7
Chapter 7 of Blood Relations has been posted. In this chapter, Charles and Lucas take collections from their pets and discuss Amber's secret power. This is a short chapter, so there will be another update on the 14th.
Later...
Later...
Wed, Jan. 7th, 2009, 08:11 pm
Blood Relations - Chapter 5
Chapter 5 of Blood Relations.
Mon, Jan. 5th, 2009, 02:41 pm
Blood Relations - Chapter 4
Chapter 4 is online. It's a shorter chapter, so the next part will go up in two days instead of three.
Fri, Jan. 2nd, 2009, 07:12 pm
Blood Relations - Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of Blood Relations has been uploaded. I'll be posting the next chapters more frequently now that the holidays are over. And right now I'm working on several different projects. So I'm not really doing much to "blurb" the individual chapters. I'm kind of rushing on the update because I want to get back to work on my other projects, so I hope no one minds.
Later...
Later...
Mon, Dec. 22nd, 2008, 07:25 pm
Touched complete, and Blood Relations begins!
Okay, this time around I'll just post a link to the main page for the site, and let you decide what you want to look at first. ^_^
http://www.zoewhitten.com
If you've already read Touched, then you won't need to read the revised version unless you just wanted to refresh your memory about Amber McKenzie's past. You can download Touched in four flavors of e-books, and so whatever e-reading device you've got, chances are, I've got a free file that will work for you. Go to the stories page to pick up the new files in the archives.
If you're ready to move on to the next story on Amber's bizarre life, then you'll be happy to know that I've posted both the prologue and chapter 1 for Blood Relations on the same day. What's the deal with that? Well, if you haven't read the Campaign trilogy, a lot of you might want to skip the prologue, because of the spoilers contained within. So, I figured I'd just go ahead and post chapter 1, to give everyone something new to read before I take a break for Christmas.
Yeppers, this is my last post until after Christmas. I do still have one article in the AC queue, but I can make a post on it after I get back. And besides, if you're subscribed to my RSS feed, you won't really need me to tell you when new AC stuff comes out.
Aaand that's it for now. Happy Holidays to all of my readers, both of you. ^_^ May you get lots of gift, lots of food, and watch only the sappy holiday movies that you like. =^P
Later...
http://www.zoewhitten.com
If you've already read Touched, then you won't need to read the revised version unless you just wanted to refresh your memory about Amber McKenzie's past. You can download Touched in four flavors of e-books, and so whatever e-reading device you've got, chances are, I've got a free file that will work for you. Go to the stories page to pick up the new files in the archives.
If you're ready to move on to the next story on Amber's bizarre life, then you'll be happy to know that I've posted both the prologue and chapter 1 for Blood Relations on the same day. What's the deal with that? Well, if you haven't read the Campaign trilogy, a lot of you might want to skip the prologue, because of the spoilers contained within. So, I figured I'd just go ahead and post chapter 1, to give everyone something new to read before I take a break for Christmas.
Yeppers, this is my last post until after Christmas. I do still have one article in the AC queue, but I can make a post on it after I get back. And besides, if you're subscribed to my RSS feed, you won't really need me to tell you when new AC stuff comes out.
Aaand that's it for now. Happy Holidays to all of my readers, both of you. ^_^ May you get lots of gift, lots of food, and watch only the sappy holiday movies that you like. =^P
Later...
Tue, Dec. 16th, 2008, 07:52 pm
New AC article about killing people...
Killing People You Don't Like, and Other Benefits of Creative Writing
This is the first "official" writing guide from me. I'm planning this series of short, half page writing exercises for beginners looking for inspiration to help get them going. Every guide will try to build on the previous guide, moving up to the point of "tying" all of the lessons together to make a short story or a novella. The series is written with a bit of black humor mixed in, and hopefully people will find this entertaining instead of annoying.
As with all of my AC stuff, I would appreciate if you would leave a rating or feedback in the comments section of the article.
Later...
This is the first "official" writing guide from me. I'm planning this series of short, half page writing exercises for beginners looking for inspiration to help get them going. Every guide will try to build on the previous guide, moving up to the point of "tying" all of the lessons together to make a short story or a novella. The series is written with a bit of black humor mixed in, and hopefully people will find this entertaining instead of annoying.
As with all of my AC stuff, I would appreciate if you would leave a rating or feedback in the comments section of the article.
Later...
Mon, Dec. 15th, 2008, 10:19 pm
Erick’s Journey, part seven
This post, the stunning conclusion. Next post, the epilogue. Next post after that, new story. Can we tell I'm tired? Yeeeessss.
Part seven
Part seven
Thu, Dec. 11th, 2008, 07:29 pm
Short Story: Walking Home With Strangers
Some of you might recall me talking about testing this story out at a crit group, and that I sent it to my editor to get her take on how to polish it up. Well now I've decided to release the story through associated content. Here is the very short blurb from their site:
A talkative companion who offers to walk you home for the evening reveals his less than honest background before explaining why he's walking you home. Be careful, watch your step, and whatever you do, don't look back.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1
If you stop by to read this one, please be kind and give a rating. Comments are even nicer, but it really will help me know how I'm doing with my writing if everyone votes on the story with an honest rating. So please, help a chicca out, and let me know what you think.
A talkative companion who offers to walk you home for the evening reveals his less than honest background before explaining why he's walking you home. Be careful, watch your step, and whatever you do, don't look back.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1
If you stop by to read this one, please be kind and give a rating. Comments are even nicer, but it really will help me know how I'm doing with my writing if everyone votes on the story with an honest rating. So please, help a chicca out, and let me know what you think.
Current Mood: 
accomplished
accomplishedThu, Dec. 11th, 2008, 02:28 pm
Erick’s Journey, part six
An attack by an orc war party turns lethal, and only Dimitri's quick thinking prevents the raid from turning into a blood bath. Erick's hunt the next day gets just as ugly when he is set up for an ambush by a werekin cub. Only this time, Dimitri isn't around to slip in for a quick rescue.
Part six
Part six
Sun, Dec. 7th, 2008, 07:42 pm
Erick’s Journey, part five
Ilaria patches up the group while introductions are made at the dwarf camp. Dimitri comes to visit with Erick, but finds him too badly shaken from the battle for training. The wyrm must later return to the camp that night to rescue the young elf from his own flourishing magic abilities.
Part five
Part five
Fri, Dec. 5th, 2008, 05:47 pm
Erick’s Journey, part four
Whoops, almost forgot to post a link for this...
Erick takes his first magic lesson with Dimitri, although he doesn't realize it until after the meeting is over. But Dimitri cannot teach wisdom or patience to the young elf, as Erick aptly demonstrates the next day. Upon finding the dwarfs engaged against a goblin tribe, Erick rides to the rescue without checking his surroundings. His eagerness to fight instead pits him in a battle with a larger, much more powerful monster than the goblins.
Part four
Erick takes his first magic lesson with Dimitri, although he doesn't realize it until after the meeting is over. But Dimitri cannot teach wisdom or patience to the young elf, as Erick aptly demonstrates the next day. Upon finding the dwarfs engaged against a goblin tribe, Erick rides to the rescue without checking his surroundings. His eagerness to fight instead pits him in a battle with a larger, much more powerful monster than the goblins.
Part four
Sat, Nov. 29th, 2008, 11:35 pm
Erick’s Journey, part three
The journey to search for the dwarf hunting party leads Erick's group past a tree prison, and Erick learns the legend of Queen Karin's fight with the wyrm, Prom Orvest Dimitri.
Part three
Part three
Tue, Nov. 25th, 2008, 03:54 pm
Erick's Journey, part two
Erick is brought before the king, and then sentenced to serve time in his quarters. But shortly after dinner, Luther arrives to explain that the two of them will be leaving on a dangerous assignment.
Part two
Part two