Author: Jim McGowan

So my wife and I had an interesting conversation at dinner.  She recently purchased some of those fingerless gloves that have a mitten flap.  She says they look like shark fins when they’re flapped up.  What follows is a truncated transcript:

Steph: I want to fight crime with my shark gloves.  What kind of powers can I have.

Jim: (Befuddled laughter)

Steph:  I know! I can throw portobello mushrooms at evil doers like frisbees that thump on them.  What do they do when they hit people.

Jim: (Smiles)

Steph: I need an author.

Jim: (Continues to smile)

Steph: (Tapping Jim’s arm) I NEED an author.

Jim: Do you want something gruesome or fun?

Steph: FUN!

Jim: (Pausing to think.)  The mushrooms could burst into spore and generate more mushrooms on the evildoer’s body.

Steph: Yeah!  And I would only give them the antidote if they turn over a new leaf.  But I need a battle cry when I throw the mushrooms.  What should I say?

Jim: Port you!

Steph: (High fives Jim).  Yes.  That’s it.

This is one of the many reasons why I love my wife very much.

Here’s the Hidden Chapters cover, courtesy of my brother, Tony. It’s kinda like a b-side album. Looks more or less the same with a bit of difference. I’m just waiting on the copyright to go through, then I’ll be throwing it out on either Amazon’s Create Space or Smashwords FOR FREE. I’ll definitely letcha know when it’s available. My brother is quite the artiste, yes?

Fun news for guys named Dave in my life.

One Dave, a former room mate and good friend, just got married to a great gal, Katie.  YAY!

Another Dave, a friend from Nebraska Writers Workshop (and the Guild too) wrote a poem about Repenter and its sequels.  In case you haven’t read it, people, places, and things, all manner of nouns really, tend to get burned through the course of my stories.  Dave Hufford has graciously granted me permission to post it here.  Don’t be surprised if you end up seeing his name show up as the Poet Laureate of Nebraska.  He’s quite good at the etry of po.

FOR THE CREATOR OF PYROTECHNICS

-Physics for Jim McG by David Hufford

Of wars with fire and pyromancers,
Torchers, Greek fire or Flame-throwers
Electric sparks and radiation,
We can say they had a burning imagination.

No sparks fly higher than the atomic past,
Incinerating myriads in a radiant blast–
Then lasers, then ray-guns–then invisible knives
Slicing whole armies like sausage in pies.

To what divine purpose do they grate and burn?
Well, not devine, but actually quite human
–to burn to a cinder a known energy
From past into future–to pieces of particles.

So, get your enemy drunk; feed him whiskey and chowder,
And ignite him with burnings of old-fashioned black powder.
Do you remember, black powder burns in alcohol?
Try it; you’ll like it for destroying all.

The means to incinerate known enemies
Is simple: tie them to a pole with straw
Or thistles–either will be enough
to turn folks into smoke on the breeze.

Thanks again, Mr. Hufford!

And congrats again to Dave and Katie!

Jim

Just set up a Facebook ad campaign to trumpet the novel.  Is it not epic?  I’ve learned that it takes many forms.  It can be a surprisingly good movie about 1970’s Formula Racers.  Or an old Faith No More song.  Or a balls to the wall game of Ultimate Frisbee that ended up going 19 to 17 in a league that plays to 7 (win by 2).  Toes were sore after that one.  Or a well made community theater rendition of Les Miz.  Or even a newly discovered beer, Boddingtons, creamy like Guinness, but blonde.  And maybe, just maybe a little book about a guy with fire who has to become a better man.

To quote Street Fighter 2: Round 1. FIGHT!

Here’s an excerpt from Book 2.5 between Fernallus, a jocular Dragon disguised as a Human, and Ed, a hyper-powered swordsman:

Ed nodded.  “I’ll be fine.”
The blue-haired ward eyed Ed closer. 
One of his brown eyes temporarily took on a yellow hue with a slitted pupil before reverting back. “People who say, ‘I’ll be fine,’ aren’t.”
Ed shoved him with a crooked grin.  “I’ll be conflicted, but collected.  That suit you better?”
“Not really, but we’re going in regardless, so I’ll pretend like it does.”

Ed and Fern are among my favorite characters to write.  They’re very fun and a lot lighter than Ashe’s crew.  It will be most enjoyable to meld the two worlds together in later books.

Back to it.  Keep on powering the fight.

I’m back on Book 2.5, writing some characters who will be a big deal in Ashe and Avril’s lives in Book 3.

Here’s a mini excerpt I particularly enjoy:

“Xax is many things,” Svithe said.  “But he only acts the fool to hide his craftiness.  Be on your guard should you encounter him.”  He moved in closer to her.  “Because he knows exactly what you are.”
Candice gave Svithe a feverish nod.
He leaned in with his obsidian mask nearly touching her cheek, savoring her fear, her humiliation.  “And do you know what you are?”
“A killer.”  A tear glimmered at the edge of her eye.  “Damned to suffer.”
“That right.  And extent of your suffering will very much depend on how well you perform at the Pale Desert’s frontier.”  He patted the side of her cheek.  “Act well, my dear.  Act well.”

I’ve been told by a few readers that they really dislike Svithe.  And that’s a good thing.  He’s very fun to write as the guy people love to hate.  An urbane sociopath who gets off on messing with people.  Hopefully you don’t know anyone like this in your life.

And if you do, I hope you know someone like Avril too.

Got the Hidden Chapters finished up.  I’ll have Sally Walker read one of them at this year’s Nebraska Writers Workshop Fall Fiction Fest at the Ralston Library on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept 22.  I’ll regrettably not be able to attend.  For short it’s the NWW FFF, pronounced Nuh-Wuh-Wuh-Fffff by me only, but I’m trying to start an audio meme as of right…. now!  Nuh-Wuh-Wuh-Fffff!  Say it proud.  Say it loud!  Say it after you’ve stubbed your toe and Ow’d.

Now, you know why I write grim science fantasy instead of comedy.

In the meantime, sales on Repenter are… steady.  Oh, marketing, how I loathe you.  Luckily, I’m in this for fun because I gots ta do it.  As I recently told an old buddy, what else am I going to do, make a smart watch?

And.  AND.  I finally found some good new, pensive hard rock to write to, Black Veil Brides.  Right in my wheelhouse.

Crazy behind on the comics pile, looking forward to seeing how X-Factor wraps up.

In the words of Yoda: For now, all that is.

-Jim

PS- Nuh-Wuh-Wuh-Fffff!

Been a while since the last post.  Been slow going this past month.  I’ve been writing some bonus content for Repenter that I plan to release for free on Smashwords or something similar after I copyright it.  Hoping it will clock in at around 50 pages.  It’s just not moved as fast as I would like.  Sometimes the words flow and sometimes they ebb.  The last month has been the latter, regrettably.  The key is to keep at it.  And so keep at it I shall.

In memorandum, a friend of mine, Michael Burton, recently went missing in Arkansas and almost certainly drowned while spear fishing.  As of now, the authorities are still searching for the body in the murky water of Beaver Lake.  Michael was an outstanding man, a great husband to Annemarie and great father to his son, Issac.  I often interacted with him at Ultimate Frisbee.  He and I would sometimes shoot quips back and forth as we ran up and down the field.  He will be sorely missed.  And to those he left behind, always know that you are not alone.

God bless.

Hey, all.  I’ve decided it’s too tedious to list all the new comics I purchase each week, so I’ll limit it to the ones of note.  Lazarus #1 from Image looks very cool this week.  I’ve actually made a dent in my pile, so this one is next up.

I’ve been told that Repenter is now available on Overdrive (the ebook hub for libraries).  I took a look on the Omaha libraries on my Google Nexus, and didn’t find anything yet.  Hoping it shows up for others.

I’m currently writing a series of hidden chapters for Repenter that I’m going to self-publish for free through Amazon or Smashwords.  The aim is to entice new readers to purchase the novel proper.  Should be about 50-100 pages of new content, including the Cigars with Mom and Post-Coital Design Advice short stories from the Stelfire.com website.

Also getting my first royalty payment soon.  I’ll be happy with any sum, honestly tis a journey, not a destination.

Getting back at it.  Keep on machining the rage.