Monday, May 23, 2022

It Was Ten Years Ago Today...

And now, one of those quick commemorative posts! Yeah, I know I owe you all a month or so of real posts. I haven't forgotten. Sorry this has continued to be shoved down the priority list.

Did you know it was ten years ago today that Crypticon 2012 opened in Seattle?

Yeah, I know Crypticon 2022 just ended yesterday. Calendars are funny.

Did you also know I also released a new book at said Crypticon?

The year before I‘d pitched my publisher a zombies on the moon story, but he’d just bought a zombies in space book and didn’t want to do two right on top of each other. So I pitched this other half-formed mystery/ sci-fi/ horror idea I’d been kicking around. He said sure, go for it. I wrote it, he read it, told me it was one of his favorite things he ever seen. He absolutely loved it.

He then also warned me that every book he’d ever picked up that he absolutely, completely loved had bombed. Sooooooo... I should be prepared.

It was supposed to come out in June of 2012, but as a surprise the publisher got twenty copies (maaaybe twenty four???) printed up for Crypticon, where a bunch of the press’s authors were going to be (including Craig diLouie, Jessica Meigs, Timothy Long, Eloise Knapp, and more)

I gave one of those first copies to Kelly Young of Strange Aeons Magazine (and podcast) who was also at Crypticon because I was pretty sure he’d like it. Sold all of them that weekend (except for one I kept for myself). And then the book came out on Amazon and Audible (let’s throw some more thanks to Ray Porter) and, much to everyone’s surprise—me more than anyone else—it turned out to be somewhat popular. So in so many ways this is also the ten year anniversary of when my life turned around, I clawed my way out of poverty, and realized I could make a living telling weird little stories.

Happy tenth birthday to ~14~ , my weird little novel that could. And so many, many thanks to all of you who found it, told some friends about it, and wrote kind reviews about it.


11 comments:

  1. 14 was so great! Loved the whole series. I’m hoping Paradox Bound gets more… or fits into the Threshold series! Anyhow, big fan!

    - Kenny Casanova

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  2. Is Dead Moon or Terminus available outside audible / kindle?

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    1. Alas, no, as explained in the FAQ over there on the right (answer #4, in fact)

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  3. Loved 14 -- it hooked me into your writing. I listened to Paradox Bound shortly thereafter (or maybe before). The Threshold series keeps me coming back, tho I'm struggling with The Broken Room and haven't gotten to the point where it fits.

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    1. Thanks for the kind words, and hope THE BROKEN ROOM ends up working for you.

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  4. Ahh 14! Pretty much one of my favourite books. Ray Porter brings it to life and absolutely nails the characters. I’ve probably listened to it about 100 times! No joke! I’d love to see ALL the characters back together in a weird parallel universe. Thanks for the awesome book dude.

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  5. I found you thru the audio version of Paradox Bound. Loved it. Made me want to go back and study american history! I also searched out the Fork in the Road. I was listening to 14 while apartment hunting in San Diego. I fell in love with the characters and wanted to apply for Mrs. Knight's apartment since the building allowed pets! I also have the 14 in paperback. The Fold continued my love of your characters and story telling. Plus I knew where the old Jack in the Box plant was. Terminus brought new characters and another great adventure. I have listened/read the Threshold series books more times than I can count. I'm a solo traveler and your stories have kept me company along the way. I kinda want the back story on those damn roaches! I need to listen to The Broken Room a few more times to let it sink in on its own merits. Thank you for your stories and your characters......they are my friends now.
    -Miss Lee, San Diego

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  6. I just finished 14, loved it. Especially the pacing and the fact that you manage to do enough fake-outs that I'm surprised that it's not a fake-out but *not* so many fake-outs that it doesn't feel like we're playing for real stakes. And then I read the afterword and... 20,000 words cut seems like a lot. I mean, I know usually when something is edited out it should be, but I'm really curious. I went looking over at the FAQs and then some posts that were tagged "cuts" or "14" but didn't see anything and... would you consider maybe letting us in on the twists you wanted to put in and didn't? Or would it be like laws and sausages?

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  7. 14 was the first book of yours I ever read, and I absolutely loved it. Now I'm going through The Broken Room and, man, there's something about the way you write that just makes reading these stories so breezy.
    There are times that I just can't seem to focus on reading anymore, but then I buy one of yours and boom, it does the trick and I'm reading again 😅
    Please never stop doing that! I hope to eneventually catch up to the whole thresholdverse (only got 14 and the fold thus far).

    Cheers from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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  8. 14 holds a special place in my heart. Hands down my favorite book I ever read. The characters were so fleshed out and real, the emotional ending, the threshold, everything about this book warrants a true third book. 14 ...the fold..please give us one more!

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