Author: Jim McGowan

James McGowan Reader Group- Living with the Fear of It

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Happy Labor Daybor, all!

I’ve read many lines of dialogue and narration that have stuck with me over the years.  One in particular has rung true for me of late from Logen Nine Fingers in Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series.  He repeated it often and other characters often quoted him as well.

“Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.”

I’ve had a few vexing conversations in the past month.  Ones that came at me as slow as molasses.  Thankfully, I also prepared myself for them.  I trudged through them and got on the other side.  Anvils of Damocles may lurk in the future, but at least I’m through this part of it.

I didn’t have much control over the timing, but I can tell you on no uncertain terms, it is far better to have the hard task acted upon, rather than dreading it.  Far better indeed.

Players of the Game Works in Progress
I reached page 400 with about 113,200 words on the Game War’s initial draft.  Last month’s stats were 351 pages with about 99,200 words.  That’s more or less the same level of production as last month.  I’m calling this one a win due to the above-mentioned life stress stuff.  Plus page 400 is a milestone in of itself, as is blowing past 100,000 words.

PLUS: The New Players: Origins is recently released.  Grab it now with the links below if you haven’t already.

Work in Progress Out of Context Quote of the Month:

Benefactor: “It’s my experience that anyone who truly thinks he is a ‘great man’ is anything but.”
Recommendation Corner
She-Hulk (Both on Disney+ and the Comic Book by Rainbow Rowell and Roge Antonio) She-Hulk has always been among my favorite Marvel characters.  She’s the smart and jolly Hulk.  I also enjoy her 4th wall breaking, which she’s been doing since the 80’s. 

The Disney+ show is lighthearted and just plain fun.  Tatiana Maslany does a great job as Jen Walters in both her short human and tall hulk forms.  And I disagree with the haters, I think the CGI is fine.  It’s very evocative of Dan Slott’s run from the aughts. 

And Rainbow Rowell and Roge Antonio’s current run is also among my current faves.  Humorous, great art, and they brought back Jack of Hearts, one of my favorite D-list characters.
 
Fun stuff.

Better Call Saul

Oh, man.  What to say about this series now that it has wrapped up?  It is a fantastic character study of the complicated, broken man named Jimmy McGill who made an increasingly horrible series of choices.  His transformation into Saul Goodman very much enabled to Walter White to fully become the even more broken Heisenberg.

All of the characters are fantastic in the final season, especially Nacho, Mike, Kim, and Howard.  Carol Burnett’s guest role in the final few episodes was also really well done. 

If you’ve never watched the Vince Gilligan ABQ-based shows, I envy your new experience.  I recommend starting the series with Breaking Bad, then the El Camino Netflix movie that spotlights Jesse Pinkman, and then finish the binge session with Better Call Saul.  I’ve heard these shows lauded as some the better TV ever made.  I don’t disagree. 

Highly recommended.
Get New Players: Origins and Get New Players
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

Get The New Players: Origins in Ebook or Paperback!

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Hey there, everyone!

The New Players: Origins novella is now available on paperback and ebook! It’s a collection of stories that explore into the beginnings of the Burnhelt family, Xax, Harry Mang, and more.

Check it out!
Great powers come at great cost.

A god of technology, a reality-warping entity encased in silver armor, two inheritors of peerless skill, and a hyper-powered duelist. Ed counts himself among these New Players as a nascent champion of his homeland. But he must first contain the dire inferno burning within.

Or it will incinerate him.

He must master the mighty torrent blazing from his very blood as he trains in the art of combat. At the harsh tutelage of his legendary mother. The lessons will be hard.

And lethal.

Learn how Ed and the other New Players master their skills in this anthology of short stories. And what they lose along the way. And the dark nightmares spawned by their good intentions.

You’ll love this collection of prequel material because of its illuminating connections to the main New Players novel and the sacrifices the characters make in order to keep their world bright.

Get it now.
Buy The New Players: Origins

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Players of the Game Character Spotlight: Gnorok

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Gnorok (the G is silent) is a one of Ashe Stelfire’s best friends.  He pretends to be a Demon mercenary.  In truth, he’s Dragon-Human hybrid called a Murdrake.  He and Ashe start out as competing rivals, but the pair of them soon find they work well together.  Gnorok also gets romantically entangled with Salatha, a Wred Witch with questionable loyalty to their cause.  He leads the Brigands.  Always from the front with his blade bared.

James McGowan Reader Group- All’s Fair in the Book Fair

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Hi, everyone! I’m participating in the August Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Fair.  Repenter and the Hidden Chapters books are part of the promo along with a bunch of other books.  Over a hundred of them.  All of them on the house.  Check them out and enjoy!

Check Out the August SFF Book Fair (August 2022)
Players of the Game Works in Progress
I’ll be sending out a bonus email later this month with the details on the release of my new bonus content book, Players of the Game: Origins.  It will be available in ebook and paperback formats.  More on that next time.

In the meantime, the Game War’s first draft clocks in at 351 pages with about 99,200 words.  Last month’s stats had me at page 305 with about 86,000 words.  Decent, not great, but decent.  However, I’ll like have 100k cracked in a day or two, which is another milestone.

Work in Progress Out of Context Quote of the Month:

Marcrinus: “Welcome to Crystal Keep. Don’t expect anyone else to thank you for helping.”
Recommendation Corner
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

I got this book in a white elephant gift exchange years ago at my writers’ group’s holiday party.  Far and away the best such bonus gift I’ve ever received.  A big concept of this book that has stuck with me is the concept of Resistance.  It’s defined as anything that either hinders or completely stops you from continuing with your creative endeavor.  It could be stuff in your life getting in the way, both good stuff and bad stuff.  I definitely experienced plenty of both categories this month.  Or it can just be the inner slog as you slowly chip away at your story or any other project.  Yep.  I had plenty of that this month too.  The book’s big strategy is to realize that Resistance is always there and each writing/creative session is a new chance to either overcome Resistance or let it overcome you.  Highly recommended for any creative person who’s looking for some inspiration.

Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+

This one is more of a half recommendation.  I loved Ewan McGregor’s return to the character.  It starts with him in a very dark place and very emotionally broken.  It had some fantastic Force and light saber battles, especially in the final episode.  It was hindered by characters making a lot of nonsensical decisions because the plot demanded it.  So many people did not die because the victor of a battle just walked away or let something like a fire make an artificial end to a conflict.  I was neutral on the Leia subplot.  But again, Obi-Wan is a great character, and James Earl Jones still has the vocal chops for a menacing Vader, so I still call it worth watching.
Check Out the Players of the Game Series on Kindle and Paperback
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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Players of the Game Character Spotlight: Salatha

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Salatha is one of the Brigands.  She possesses both innate psionic powers and hard-learned prowess in mancy.  She counts herself as one of the more skilled Wred Witches.  Salatha’s ultimate loyalty between the Brigands and her sisterhood is often a point of tension.  Her relationship with Ashe in particular ranges from subdued distrust to grudging respect.  She is romantically involved with his best friend, which only makes the question of her trustworthiness all the more tangled.

James McGowan Reader Group- Sun in the Fun

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Hey, all!

To all my US-based readers, Happy Fourth of July.  To all my non-US-based readers, also happy fourth of July.

Capitalization word play aside, I have once again been out enjoying the sun on walks through the neighborhood and doing yard work.  I absolutely love this time of the year.  It stays light outside late and everything is green and alive.  And while I don’t necessarily care for excessive heat, I like it far more than the cold of winter.  I’m am very much a summer baby, though my baby days are far in the rear view.

One thing that’s been constant regardless of my age is my sweet tooth.  I’m a big fan of ice cream cones and malts this time of year.  Marshmallow and Raspberry are among my favorite malt flavors.  Blue almond and rainbow sherbet are my go-to ice cream cone varieties.  What kind of summer treats do you enjoy either now, or in six months if you’re in the southern hemisphere?

Players of the Game Works in Progress
This month’s update for the Game War’s first draft clocks in at page 305 with about 86,000 words.  Last month’s stats were page 253 with 71,700 words.  Not too bad.  Plus it’s a milestone to reach page 300 in about six months since I started in late December-ish.  I’m likely around halfway there.  Did I mention that I like to write epics?

Work in Progress Out of Context Quote of the Month: Vermillion: “I don’t tell people what they want to hear, Arms Master.”
Recommendation Corner
Top Gun: Maverick

This movie was a really pleasant surprise.  I wasn’t really expecting much from it.  It’s a really fun popcorn movie.  It’s also a very compelling portrayal of characters dealing with grief.  I’d argue that Goose’s absence is the second main character in the movie, especially with the call back to the Great Balls of Fire scene from the first one.  The mostly practical jet action was awesome with the double Death Star-style trench run.  Plus they played Danger Zone at the beginning again.  As you might have surmised from my email address, I have an affinity for that word.

Symphony of War

This Steam game is something I’ve been wanting for years and years.  An homage to one of my all-time faves: Ogre Battle, the old strategy role playing game from the Super Nintendo days.  The movement of groups of small teams, capturing towns, and outmaneuvering your enemy  is just the bee’s knees.  I wish some of the sprites weren’t so “meeple” looking, but that’s a minor quibble.  Totally fun stuff if you’re into that kind of thing.
Check Out the Players of the Game Series on Kindle and Paperback
That’s all for this time. Stay smart.  Stay safe. Jim

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Players of the Game Character Spotlight: Ed Burnhelt

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Ed Burnhelt is one of the main characters of the entire series.  This is another rendering of him as he appears in the third book.  As you can tell from his bearded image in the post below, he doesn’t come out of it without a few literal and figurative scars.  Despite that, Ed maintains a lightness in comparison to others like Ashe Stelfire or Harry Mang, and would much rather disarm a conflict with a joke, rather than through his powers.  Circumstances often conspire to prevent him from taking the less fraught route.

James McGowan Reader Group- The Art of Peopling

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Hi there!

Things are on the upward spooling of the perpetual yo-yo that is life during the pandemic.  I’m even going back into the office for one day a week, starting this week.  More importantly, I’ve been out to see friends and family with far more frequency than I have in the past few years.

Sharing the same space with other people is vastly superior in certain circumstances, especially if you’re wanting to have an extended conversation with a meal thrown in for good measure.  However, I will admit that I like exercising at home far more than I would have imagined back in 2019.  My weekly Zoom writers workshop is also better than meeting in person because people can actually hear my low-pitched voice and we can screen share.

I’ve decided that hybrid peopling ain’t so bad.  We’ll see if that opinion holds as time goes on.

Players of the Game Works in Progress
I’ve reached page 253 with 71,700 words on the Game War’s first draft.  Last month’s stats clocked in at 212 with 60,000 words.  A little less productive than I’d prefer.  With increased peopling, there comes some productivity trade offs.  I shall keep at it and see if I can do a little better next month.  Plus, here’s a new sub-section:

Work in Progress Out of Context Quote of the Month:

Matt Burnhelt: “A joker?  Always.  Cocky?  No. Cocky people brag. Ed never does that. He just does what is hard.”
Recommendation Corner
Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness

This movie is somewhat polarizing due to a subversion of expectations.  I won’t spoil anything, but I absolutely loved it.  Just watched it again tonight in fact.  I’ll admit that I’m predisposed to liking it because it feels like a new Army of Darkness with the “Raimi-cam” shots and the slasher vibe from the main antagonist.  I loved all the cameos.  Especially one by a certain Bruce Campbell.  Seriously, if the MCU wants to use him in place of the late great Stan Lee for the recurring guest cameo, I do believe I’m not the only fan that would greatly enjoy that.

Elden Ring

This game.  This maddening effing game.  I’ll admit that I sometimes find myself more hate playing it than actually enjoying it.  Everything in this game wants to slay you.  And they will succeed.  Repeatedly.  Why am I recommending it?  Well, it’s freaking beautiful and it is incredibly gratifying to finally get the game changing weapon and/or incantation that gives you the smallest toehold on its unrelenting difficulty.  It’s also a blast to team up with friends, which makes it much more surmountable.  I’ll note that the developer made a really stupid system to “summon” other players from their own worlds.  Way too much friction with that process.  Still, it’s immersive and fun to just tear around the world on your horse-goat, outrunning most everything that wants to kill you, though those so-and-so’s still find a way.  They’re very plucky that way.
Check Out the Players of the Game Series on Kindle and Paperback
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- A Perk for Subscribers

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Hi there!

In addition to the New Players: Origins bonus content that is coming this summer, I’m kicking off fun in the sun with an update to the ebook version of Repenter for subscribers to my reader group emails. 

It’s free.

If you haven’t yet gotten an electronic copy of Repenter and the Hidden Chapters anthology, now’s the time to do it.  Just enter your name and email address, and you’ll be subscribed to the reader group emails. Unsubscribe at any time.

Get them and enjoy!
Get Repenter and The Hidden Chapters on the House
In case you’re wondering why Repenter is still $0.99 on the Kindle store, that’s as cheap as I can make it through Kindle Direct Publishing.  I have a decent number of readers who prefer to have a paperback version of Repenter, and in order to keep the paperback version, I have to keep using the Kindle store’s minimum price.  Someday, I might switch to something like IngramSpark for paper publishing, but for now KDP is far easier.
Players of the Game Works In Progress
I’m up to page 212 with 60,000 words on the Game War’s first draft.  Last month’s stats were page 165 with 45, 500 words.  I’m happy with that, especially considering that had a minor productivity dip in late April.  I’m in the middle of creating some events that are a bit tough to write with some plot and character elements.  As with all things in writing, killing your darlings sometimes is needed.
Recommendation Corner
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

This movie was just fantastic.  Like lots of stuff in the MCU lately, it involves parallel realities.  But the Daniels’ latest movie leans hardcore into surreal and silly, especially with the hot dog fingers dimension.  The movie has a lot of heart and is ultimately about life is influenced by your relationships with family members and the decisions you make.  Michelle Yeoh in particular does a fantastic job playing so many versions of her embittered character.  I often make the case that the inclusion of a raccoon in a movie can only improve it.  This movie only strengthens that argument.  Give it a watch.

Day Zero by C Robert Cargill

This is a prequel book to Sea of Rust.  Instead of featuring the guilt-stricken and haunted Brittle, this novel focuses on a stuff-animal tiger nanny bot named Pounce who finds himself on the losing side of the robot apocalypse when he makes the choice to keep protecting his boy, Ezra.  It’s an exploration of free will and the bad choices that have to be made when the world falls apart.  The audio book reader, Vikas Adam, also does a great job of giving Pounce a loving and gruff voice.
Check Out the Players of the Game Series on Kindle and Paperback
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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Amethyst Holds the Line

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Players of the Game Character Spotlight: Amethyst
Amethyst is a Skin Bot ally of Ed Burnhelt.  She is also the sister of Violet.  Skin Bots’ minds are spawned in a virtual environment called the Playpen.  The artificial beings have families like humans and forge meaningful friendships and romances between each other.  They can choose to spend their entire lives in this synthetic paradise, but if they opt to experience more, then can enter into physical bodies and serve for a time in the Grellish Armor Corps.

Amethyst is an excellent tactician and always holds the line.  She is protective of Violet and will gladly lay down her life for her sister.