Yes, I Am Still Alive...

It's been a busy few months of school, so I haven't had much chance to blog as of late.  I know that's a poor excuse, but I'm coming into the homestretch (well, with this semester anyway--still have some spring courses to take care of) and things should settle down soon.

Talk later.

Derek

Oh, and happy belated New Year...

More Radio Fun

This past weekend I had the pleasure of doing a radio interview on CKUW 95.9 FM, a university radio station out of Winnipeg. It was for the show called The Electric Chair hosted by Nicole. On it we talk about Cold Fear, the writing process, and we even venture into some controversial topics. Thanks again to Nicole for inviting me on. It was a lot of fun.

The link is here via the station's archives. Just click on the link beside the December 15th show (hour 1). Streaming can be a little spotty at times, but right clicking and selecting "save target as" works nicely.

Enjoy the show.

D

This Just In...

Our local radio station, 107.5 Bolt FM, did an interview with me last week about my book and subsequent launch tomorrow night.  Here it is in full from their blog. Check it out.

Meet the Press

The local paper ran a story on me this week. You can read it on their site. Just click right here.

Derek

First Official Review is In...

Looks like my first official review is now up on the horrorworld.org website.  A big thank you to T.T. Zuma, a regular reviewer on that site, for taking the time to check out Cold Fear.  I hold his opinion in very high regard, and I'm pretty stoked that he enjoyed the read.  So click on the above link and check it out. And then be sure to download or order your trade paperback copy of Cold Fear.  You won't regret it...

Cheers,

Derek

In the Pipeline...

By all reports, Cold Fear is selling well and I've had some very positive feedback on it so far.  I just thought I'd update you on some of the things I have in the works in the coming weeks... 

I'm planning an upcoming photo caption contest (likely in the new year), with the winner receiving a personalized, signed copy of Cold Fear, so stay tuned to this blog (or Twitter, or my Facebook author page) for more on that very soon.  I'm also in discussions to have a friend and fellow author do a guest blogging stint right here on Random Splatterings, which is pretty cool (stay tuned).  I also have it on good authority that Cold Fear will be officially reviewed on my favourite horror site/forum Horror World, so I'm looking forward to that as well.

Promoting a book is proving to be quite the undertaking, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience.  I've got some local readings coming up and I'm hoping to get Cold Fear into some of the local bookstores in the next week or so.

More updates as soon as I have them...

Cheers,

Derek

Cold Fear for the Nook

Cold Fear is now available for the Nook at B&N.  So if you're a Nook user and were starting to feel left out, have no fear.  Well, have Cold Fear.  Click here for a direct link to the B&N page.

And enjoy.

Derek

Update

I have it on good authority that Cold Fear will soon be available for the Nook through Barnes and Noble.  Not sure what the delay was exactly, but I have been assured that this is on the very near horizon.  So you Nook owners will soon have the chance to check out Cold Fear.

Hope you dig it.

Derek

Coming Soon...

I'm currently working on a complete overhaul of my blog in the coming weeks.  Some of the more eagle-eyed visitors to this page might have recognized several of the little changes I've made in the last few days.  These are really nothing more than experimentation on my part, as I get comfortable with the different things I can do with the layout.  I'm not happy with the overall look of the blog, but I have some ideas.  I've already added a couple more pages (something I just figured out how to do), and I think I'm on the right track.  So if you drop by for a visit and the blog looks different from day to day, don't be alarmed.  I'm just working out some of the bugs and trying to get the look more to my (and hopefully your) liking.

Stay tuned...

Derek

Cold Fear Update

I am happy to announce that Cold Fear is now being offered as a trade paperback from Double Dragon Publishing.  Once there, just click on "Paperback" and you will be whisked off to the order page.  So if you don't have an ereader, by all means, check it out in physical book form.

Cheers,

Derek

Well, the day has finally arrived, (and it was on Halloween night, no less). Yes, Cold Fear was released by Double Dragon Publishing and I have to admit, the whole thing is pretty exciting.  It's available for purchase from the Double Dragon site, Kobo, Amazon Kindle store, and iTunes.

So check it out.  My hope is that you have as good a time reading it as I had writing it... And if all goes well, and you dig the whole Arctic Horror sub-genre that I'm writing in, there may soon be another offering in the coming year. Stay tuned.

Cheers,

Derek

I'm Bad, I Know...

I'm currently on reading week and enjoying my time off.  One of the things I promised myself I would do over the break was write a blog post entry.  Only trouble is, I have nothing to report really...  I've been so caught up in school work (don't even get me started on my stats class) that I've had very little time for much else.  I'm even supposed to be finishing the final edits on my novel before it's ebook debut later this year, but I've only managed to get through half (though I assure you it will be done in plenty of time, so fret not).  I've done a little outlining over the last couple of months, but only the most preliminary of planning.  It's not really writing, but it does help to keep the writing pump primed for when I do get to really dive in.  I'm looking forward to it.  It's a new twist on vampires (I know, I know, enough with the vampires already), but I assure you it is most definitely not the new age, emo variety of vampires a la Stephenie Meyer and her ilk. 

But that's all you're getting out of me on that project...

And that's about it, really.  I notice I have a few more subscribers to the blog and I'd like to take the time to welcome you all.  I'll try and do better with the posts, I promise.

Catch ya later...

Name Change

If you are a return visitor to this blog, you may have noticed something different.  My name.

Now, I originally had a long-winded explanation as to why I've decided to go with the pen name Derek Grant over my real name (though Grant is my real name, just the middle one), but part way through I changed my mind.  Here's the simple explanation.  I enjoy my anonymity.  It's really that simple.

Now, I'm not saying that I expect to become the next Stephen King (though that would be sweet) and therefore need privacy for security reasons, but I did find that, since going "public" by having an online presence here and on Twitter, it changed the way I thought about and approached my writing.  I didn't like that.  Writing under a pen name frees me from such self conscious thought.  Now I no longer worry about what a potential employer might think of my writing.  Or the family that lives down the street.  Or any number of people I might run into in my daily life.  I'm not embarrassed by what I write.  Quite the contrary.  I just noticed it was having a negative effect on my own psyche and that was affecting my writing.  And that's bad.

So that's it, really.  I apologize for any confusion this might cause.  Of course, if you never even noticed, then, by all means, carry on...

Derek

Forgive me...

I've been incredibly busy with school over the last few weeks, so I feel I must apologize for my reticence.  Balancing school and a family is a tricky proposition, but it will all be worthwhile in the end.  My hope is to do some blogging over the Christmas holidays when I get more of a chance to relax and wrap my head back around the writing life (or lack thereof, as it were).

So, no.  I'm not dead...

Talk soon,

Derek

Semicolons Aren't Just Fancy Commas

I promised myself that I wouldn't use this blog to air pet peeves, but as it is a blog (generally) about writing, I thought, ah, what the heck...

I continue to be amazed at just how often a single piece of punctuation is constantly misused, and if you read the title of this blog post, you already know that I'm speaking of the semicolon.

I've seen it used in place of the colon.  I've seen it used like a comma (now there is a way to use it like a comma, but I'll get to that in a second), and I've seen it just, well, sit there for no good reason at all.  And I'm not just talking about spam emails I've received, or semi-literate, throwaway forum posts on the internet.  I'm talking about major books written by major authors.  And it blows my mind.

I am, by no means, a professor of grammar, and I'm also not perfect.  I've made my fair share of writing boo-boos in my time.  However, the semicolon is so constantly misused and abused I felt I had to say something.  Semicolons aren't difficult; anyone can use them.

See what I did there?  That's right.  I used a semicolon.  Correctly. Now it isn't the greatest sentence ever scribbled in the English language, but I followed the basic rule for the semicolon's number one use: seperating independent clauses (related to a similar topic).  If you drop a semicolon in the middle of a sentence both halves must be able to stand alone as sentences of their own.  Like this:

Semicolons aren't difficult.  Anyone can use them.

See.  Two sentences.  And they could very well remain two sentences, but sometimes it's about flow.  Sometimes you just want to get a rhythm going and how you do that is up to you.  It's what makes writing such a cool endevour.

As I  alluded to earlier, the other use for a semicolon is similar to a comma.  This is done when you are making a list, and within that list commas are already being utilized.  Say you wanted to list places you have visited:

Last summer we travelled to Oslo, Norway; London, England; and Paris, France.

Since there are commas already separating the city name and country, semicolons act like a super comma.  If you didn't use the semicolon it would look like your keyboard threw up commas all over your page.  That, and it would be confusing for the reader.  Like so:

Last summer we travelled to Oslo, Norway, London, England, and Paris, France.

Doing it that way makes it seem like you are listing Oslo and Norway (and the others) as if they were places you visited separately.  It doesn't make sense.

Personally, I find this stuff about semicolons pretty straight forward.  Some people don't.  I get that.  But we live in the age of the internet.  The proper use of a semicolon is right at your fingertips.  Just plunk it into a search engine and away you go.  So if you read this and five minutes later you forget about it, that's fine.  But when you're tempted to throw a semicolon into your writing and you aren't sure if you're using it correctly, look it up.  The world will thank you for it.  Of course, they'll also thank you for using them sparingly.  Trust me.

So there you have it. Now use this knew found knowledge wisely, before we have to start placing semicolons into the witness protection program...

One Last Thing About Agents

For all the agents out there who consider a "non-response" an acceptable form of rejection: screw you.  We took the time out of our busy schedule to query you, the least you can do is take two seconds out of your day to reply with (even) a form rejection.  Most other busy agents can do it, so why can't you?

Yeah.  I'm feeling saucy today...

A Little Update

Haven't blogged in a while, so I thought I'd give you all a little update on what I've been up to, and to dispell any suspicions that I might just be too lazy to post...

It's official.  After much soul searching, followed by running around and chasing after transcripts and the like, I am officially a student again.  Back to the ol' academic grind for me.  I'll be spending this year getting what are known as my "teachables" and then applying for the College of Education in the spring.  I've always wanted to go back to school and finish my degree, but life seemed to always get in the way.  But a recent layoff has compelled me to go back and try it again.  I always regretted not getting my university degree, and I love working with kids, so put those two together and teaching came up as the most obvious choice.  And who knows, perhaps I'll parlay my teaching degree into an MFA in writing (something else I always wanted to do).  So we'll have to wait and see.

I've also been writing up the proverbial storm on my latest WIP.  It's one I had shelved for a while, needing the time and distance to mull over the ending.  I'm enjoying the process, and the story is flowing well.  Once this draft is finished, I'll need to sit on it for a bit so I can come back and revise it with fresh eyes.

I've outlined another novel length work and started the preliminary planning for two (count 'em, two) YA series.  One may turn out to be better suited for middle grade readers, but that likely won't be determined until I start writing it.  With a full-time class schedule on the horizon, that might be tricky, but I'll have to gauge the workload once classes start and take it from there.  I've gotten into a groove lately with my writing and I'd like to continue on that same track, but again, we'll have to wait and see.

What else?  Ah yes...

While on holidays this summer, I finally picked up an ereader--a Kobo to be exact.  I'm a late adopter of the technology because, I must admit, I was (and still am to a certain extent) very pro-book.  The idea of replacing those wonderful little bricks of paper with a cold hunk of plastic was enough to give me fits just three years ago.  But I've seen the light.  I love my Kobo.  I actually read more now, if that's even possible, so I've been spending more of my time glued to my Kobo screen than planning my next blog post.  So, my aplogies for that.  And if you haven't picked up an ereader yet, I highly recommend it.  There's just something about having millions of books at your wifi enabled fingertips (and from the comfort of your own couch) that makes me a tad giddy.  Almost any book, any time you want it.  Wow.  Just... wow.

Amongst all this flurry of activity, I enjoyed spending time with my wife and daughter this summer.  Family is important.  Sure I could spend all of my time writing and outlining, but a guy's gotta live.  If you don't get out there and do stuff, what the heck are you going to write about?  It'll be tough this winter, we all have busy schedules, but we'll make time.  We always do.

So that's why I've been a bad little boy as it pertains to blogging.  I'll try to do better.  And I'll keep you updated on the editorial process of Cold Fear as it begins this fall (add another thing to my list... yikes).  I'm looking forward to it, and then the subsequent release of the book in mid to late 2012.  It's been a long birthing process for this book.  It will be nice to finally get it out there and get some feedback on it.  I just hope you all enjoy it when it comes out.

Now I'm going to finish my coffee and go pick my daughter up for lunch (and seriously, get an ereader... you won't regret it).

Catch ya later...

Much Ado About Agents

The publishing industry is in flux.  Anyone with half a brain and an internet connection knows this.  It's reported on almost daily if you follow publishing or writing blogs/newsfeeds.  And it's been this way for a couple of years now.  Because of this, I've been giving my attempts at finding an agent a lot of thought lately (let's just say that when you drive over 17 hours to get to BC for a little R&R, you have a lot of time to think...).

I've been going through the motions of seeking literary representation for the last couple months now (well, years, really, but it's been a more concerted effort as of late), and as you've probably guessed, without much success.  There are two fairly obvious reasons for this.  One: my writing sucks.  Of course, pure hubris prevents me from accepting this notion.  That and the fact that I've had at least one novel accepted for publication from an epublisher (shameless plug alert : http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/), and from what I've seen, they put out some quality stuff.  So that leaves me with option two: the industry is in such trumoil at the moment that most agencies have closed ranks.  Meaning, of course, that they are focusing more on existing clients rather than actively seeking new ones.  Now that's not to say it's impossible to find an agent anymore, but I honestly believe that in today's business climate and with another global recession looming, things are tough all over.

Now, I could keep soldiering on, slogging it out in the query/submission trenches, but I don't think I will.  At least for the time being.  Anyone who has ever had the strange compulsion/notion to become a writer is probably quite familiar with the process.  Granted it has become easier since the advent and acceptance of email queries/submissions, but don't ever kid yourself.  It's still a time consuming process.  Which is why I won't be submitting to anymore agents for the foreseeable future.  I'm going to let my current submissions run their course.  If they garner some attention, great.  If not, it's no big deal.  I have a lot of other things to do.  I'm going back to school in the fall to complete my teaching degree.  And I have about a dozen ideas for upcoming books and a couple of YA series that I've been mulling over for some time now.  And when Cold Fear is released next year, I'll have some major marketing/promoting to do.  I'm a busy little bee, and will be for a while.

The agents will wait.  Either that, or this new business model in the publishing industry will eradicate them completely or change what they do so drastically as to render them nearly unrecognizable.  I hope it's the latter, as I bear no ill will towards agents or what they do and I have no wish to see anyone put out of work.  I'm just not going to expend all the energy needed to find representation until things have calmed down a bit.  In the industry and in my own life.

Is this folly?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But thems the breaks, I guess.  Things'll shake out one way or another.  They always do.

And now I'm off to write.  The vacation was great, but it's time to get back down to business.  I've been pre-planning, outlining and writing in my head for over two weeks now.  I need to get some of this down before it drives me completely round the bend...

Talk to you soon.

My Brief Hiatus

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know this, but I'm on holidays at the moment, so regular blog posts won't be starting again until I get home.  I've been doing a lot of thinking while breezing around BC and I've come to a decision in regards to my attempts at finding an agent.

But more on that upon my return...

Cheers,

Derek

Are Zombies Dead? (Redux)

This isn't really an answer to my question on the popularity of zombies, but it does make for an interesting article.  This, from the NY Times Book Review section:   Click here