I logged in to check on something, and noticed that I reached 1000 posts two posts ago. Also that I hadn’t posted anything since January. Next week is spring break for me, so I might do some author related stuffs – I dunno.
I’ll be at the 5th annual Verde Valley Comic Expo on March 21st. I’ll have an artist that I work with in attendance. His name is Mario Diaz, and this will be his first show selling art, so be sure to show up and buy something from him. You can get one of my books too, I guess. My friends, L. Fergus and Meg Mac Donald gave me some of their books to sell, and of course, I’ll have Erika’s children’s books on hand to sell. You know, the ones illustrated by the amazingly talented Alex Rudolph. Oh, and Alyssa will be there a actually selling her art. It’ll be a busy table!
Check out Mario’s Instagram and Facebook. (He says he’s more active on Insta.) You might recognize the rain/city/woman with umbrella painting from the Spanish-language collection of my stories.
Author Archives: Mark Gardner
Verde Valley Comic Expo
Hiatus and Other Hspprnings
Hey, everyone! I’ve already mentioned my 2020 hiatus on Twitter, and an interview back in November, but I didn’t post about it here. So, here it is: I’m working on my Master’s degree this year, and it’s back-to-back-to-back studying, essays, meetings, etc. I’ve only got two appearances this year: Fandomania in August, and The Verde Expo in March.
Now, The Verde Expo has been traditionally when my next murder mystery would release, but the series contract with Amber Cove wasn’t renewed, so there won’t be a new book for 2020. I have rough drafts of two more novels, and a mental outline of a third. I expect to have the next adventure of Caroline Collins and Tupper Jones out in 2021, most likely at the Verde Expo. I’ll do some shopping of the series, but if I get no takers, I’ll self-publish.
Mental State is still in rough draft, and that could see a fall release in 2021. The next War of the Worlds novel is still looking like a 2023 release after contracts expire. Other things on my “future” plate are another Clockwork Tales with D. Paul Angel. That project is something that I can work on between semesters, so as soon as DPA and I get more going, I’ll let you all know.
Musing from the dead
It certainly has been a while since I posted.
A lot happened in 2019. I got laid off from my long-time broadcasting job in April. (I started that job in November 2007!) Life was difficult this year. I suffered from bouts of apathy, no doubt, depression from my life situation. My writing career seems to have stalled, and I went from getting invited to everything to no one wanting me. (I know it’s not true, but depression has a nasty way of making you believe things…) Of course, I haven’t written a damned thing since April. I’ve kept reading, but Amazon’s odd policies on writers reviewing other works of fiction resulted in no reviews. I’m not sure that anyone read my reviews, but I’m probably not going to do those anymore. Goodreads will be my primary reading portal reporting thing, since I can still leave starred ratings.
I started a new career in September. (I know, broadcasting was my new career.) So education is my new new career. I took a job as a Data Operations Specialist at a local liberal arts college. I didn’t realize how much I hated my broadcasting job until I got the college job, to contrast how much fun this new job is. I’m also going to start my graduate program in January 2020. I received my undergraduate degree in 2017 after five years of NAU, so getting an accelerated graduate degree in a year will be a challenge that I look forward to completing. The educational future for my family and me is looking good.
As for writing, I just got back from an educational training event in Portland, OR. I spent my evenings with fellow writer D. Paul Angel. We ate food and saw the sights in Weird Portland. Yes, I know that “Keep Portland Weird” is an unofficial slogan, but I don’t care. Anyway, with the beginning of NaNoWriMo, I’m going to be writing the next Tupper Jones mystery, and have already written 1500 words of Brass Queen. I’m not sure of the timetable for the Brass Automaton sequel, but it’s revived. (Can you believe that it’s been since 2016 since we wrote in this universe?)
Anyway, I hope to blog more now that I’m feeling better with life. November may be light, since I want to focus on writing two stories for NaNoWriMo. Twitter will be the best place to follow that. So, in closing, it’s good to be back, and I look forward to the challenges of the future.
What Dawn Demands, by Clara Coulson
This fourth book in the series had a slightly different feel to it. Vince seems to have matured between the events of books three and four. I think I like this confident Vince better than the “hidden” one. I will say, that this is the first book in the series to have a cliffhanger ending, and it felt longer than any of the previous books. I’m not usually a fan of the cliffhanger, but Coulson pulls it off without book four feeling incomplete. It’s been fun reading Vince grow as a character, and we learned a lot about the past histories of the world, Vince, and the fae. If I had to find fault, it’s that the recurring villains are getting a little stale. I realize that Abarta is the big bad, and his defeat would likely mean the end of the series, but he seems like doctor claw from inspector gadget. I still love the snark between Vince and Saoirse, and between Vince and everyone who shunned him before his lineage was revealed. Everybody cheers for the underdog, and Vincent Whelan is an underdog I can really get behind. Five stars like the rest of the series, and I can’t wait to read the next book.
City Before Sunrise out now!
When an old friend comes calling, Caroline finds herself embroiled in a case involving clandestine meetings, bank robberies, a shady import-export business, and the murder of an FBI agent. And where this fearless female sleuth goes, Tupper Jones is sure to follow–only this time, following could mean a long walk off a short pier into Lake Michigan.
Hot on the heels of the events in SCORE OF SILENCE, CITY BEFORE SUNRISE explodes with action, danger, and a touch of snark. The band is back together and Team Collins won’t stop until false allegations against their friend are laid to rest and the Chicago mob is in need of a new boss.
City Before Sunrise
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q131CHX/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43471669/
Score of Silence:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B4F7ZD3/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39405579/
Release Party This Saturday!
Private Investigator Caroline Collins just can’t catch a break.
When an old friend comes calling, Caroline finds herself embroiled in a case involving clandestine meetings, bank robberies, a shady import-export business, and the murder of an FBI agent. And where this fearless female sleuth goes, Tupper Jones is sure to follow—only this time, following could mean a long walk off a short pier into Lake Michigan.
Hot on the heels of the events in SCORE OF SILENCE, CITY BEFORE SUNRISE explodes with action, danger, and a touch of snark. The band is back together and Team Collins won’t stop until false allegations against their friend are laid to rest and the Chicago mob is in need of a new boss.
Here are some links:
VVCE2019 website
VVCE2019 facebook
Cottonwood Public Library
Prescott Valley Public Library
City Before Sunrise Amazon page
Amber Cove Publishing
Bards and Sages Publishing
Tales of the Con podcast
Everybody’s Hometown Geek
Arizona Ghostbusters
Hello Protocol For Dead Girls, by Zen DiPietro
This is a fun read, which is to be expected from Zen DiPietro. I’ve yet to read a story from her that I haven’t liked. Billed as a technothriller, I think that Hello Protocol for Dead Girlswill also appeal to fans of LitRPGs. With a Ghost in the Machinevibe, we see technology through the view of a disembodied programmer. Reminiscent of Tron, Jennika interacts with other programs, and tries to not only let people know that she’s trapped in the server, but to solve her own murder. That particular nugget came out of nowhere, and I didn’t know who done it until the reveal. The story also explores themes like identity, and what it is that makes us human. Zen is no stranger to thinking outside of the box, and Hello Protocol for Dead Girlsis a short, easy read. It’s a welcome edition to Zen’s backlist, and worth the read. Four and a half stars!
Oath Sworn, by Meg MacDonald
Oath Sworn starts a bit slow, but this is a necessity to lay the foundation on which an epic noblebright series is built. From flying ships to crystal swords that sing with sorrow and jubilation, the world of Aralt and Lian is a masterpiece that yearns to be told again and again.
A richly woven tapestry of history, religion, and good old fashioned gas lamp fantasy, Oath Sworn is a tale of tales for athe ages. Exciting chapters flow with a beautiful prose that is accessible to readers young and old alike. New readers will marvel at the mastery and majesty of the author, and seasoned readers will find that they’ve reunited with a tale that is familiar, but told in a way that only Meg Mac Donald could tell.
I long for the continuation of the Wolf’s Oath series, and know that new installments will be as riveting as this introduction. Five out of five stars is an easy rating to grant, and I have no doubt that more tales from the author will quickly become a reader’s favorite.
The Harpy, by Julie Hutchings
The Harpy, by Julie Hutchings is dark. Characters deal with abuse, violence, and a touch of gore when they deserve it. Charity is a flawed protagonist, but who wouldn’t be with the same backstory? Always snarky, with a brutally honest look at humanity’s underbelly, The Harpy is an excellent voyage into darkness. Characters are not who and what they claim to be, and everything’s fair game. If you like your stories dark, and your protagonists covered in blood, then this is the book for you.
Spell Caster, by Clara Coulson
I continue to enjoy Clara Coulson’s “City of Crows” series. After the events in Day Killer, Cal has to be careful. Revelations could mean the end of the line for Cal Kinsey. Zombies are just the start of Spell Caster. Cal reunites with an old friend, but in a world subject to Fae whim and politics, who can be trusted?
Can Cal stay out of the Emberverse for once? The Methuselah Group, The Black Knights, and the High Fae Court continue to be the bane of Cal’s existence. You start to feel sorry for the guy. When will Cal get a break?
Spell Casteris another action-packed tale with twisty turns and mysterious magician machinations. Just like the five books before it, Spell Casteris fast-paced with realistic characters with a diverse cast that lifts the veil to our own world. I look forward to Dawn Slayernext year. Five stars for Spell Caster.