Writing as self-expression … and release.

Archive for July, 2013

Best Wishes, Jonathan!

Remember that “someone” who told you about the greatest vacation spot, the best eye cream, or the book you must read this summer? Can’t remember who that someone is? Yup, like me, you have CRS. We all get it at our age. 

Well, someone told me about the “Doylestown Coffeehouse” a few years back and I took a chance and attended a no-obligation session because it was being held in Willow Grove. I learned more about the craft of writing in those three hours from Jonathan Maberry than I learned in years before that. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to attend most of the monthly sessions since then. 

I want to give a fond farewell and deserving tribute to Jonathan Maberry. Despite being a New York Times best-selling author and multiple Bram Stoker Award winner, there is no one who is more down-to-earth and eager to share his excitement and knowledge with the writing community. Every person who attends the Coffeehouses, and those who read his Facebook page and his comments on writerscoffeehouseonline@yahoogroups.com, benefit. He is generous to a fault, encouraging all of us not only to write, but to share our victories, our disappointments and the lessons we’ve learned along the way. We’ve grown individually and collectively as a result.

Yes, I’m saddened that we won’t have your presence in our midst, at the Coffeehouses or at Wegman’s. But yes, I’m truly delighted that you and our Sara Jo will be closer to everything that will move you forward in your skyrocketing career.

Looking forward to more Coffeehouses led by other Liars such as Janice Gable Bashman, Jon McGoran, Marie Lamba, Dennis Tafoya, Don Lafferty, Merry Jones, Solomon Jones, Kathryn Craft, Keith DeCandido, Kelly Simmons, Greg Frost, Keith Strunk, Ed Pettit, and the other Liars who give so much of themselves.

Thanks, Jonathan, and best wishes. See you at the “Later, Dude!” party. (I’m NOT saying “good bye.”)

And thank you so much, someone.  🙂

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KEITH!

KEITH!

Keith R.A. DeCandido

My absolute favorite buncha writers are the members of the Liars’ Club of Philadelphia. Simply nice, incredibly talented, and super funny, these men and women do what’s most important in my life — they make me laugh. Out loud. No easy task.

So when one of the Liars, Keith R.A. DeCandido made a request, it’s my, well, obligation to support him. It also happens to be my pleasure to do so.  He’s on a Kickstarter kind of campaign, and with good reason. He is producing a graphic novel, which is quite costly. If you’re related in any way to anything literary, please join me in supporting his campaign. Yup, $5 will do. Yup, tweeting or promoting his stuff will also do!

Why do I want to support him, other than the writing group connection? Well, Keith and I have some stuff in common. For starters, he’s from the Bronx. I’m from Riverdale. He’s got an R.A. in his name. My name is Ruth Ann, technically R.A. And finally, he needs money. Need I finish? 😀

Anyway, since he’s just about as funny as I am, I’m going to let HIM to do the talking … er, writing … as below. If you can, please chuck in any amount, or, as he puts it, mention the project “on your blog or other social media or what-have-you.” Thank you, fellow writers.

Greetings, fellow writery types. I come to you this evening with a plea.

Late last year, an old friend of mine approached me with the notion of doing
DRAGON PRECINCT as a comic book. (For those of you who don’t know, DRAGON
PRECINCT is my fantasy/police procedural series of novels and short stories —
think LAW & ORDER meets LORD OF THE RINGS, or, as one reviewer put it, “Dungeons
& Dragnet.”) That friend’s nascent comic company never actually came together,
but I’d already come up with a plot, and had an artist lined up in my buddy JK
Woodward (with whom I did two STAR TREK comics for IDW, and who also did the art
for the recent IDW TREK/WHO crossover comic).

So I’ve decided to go the crowdfunding route. JK and I want to do a new DRAGON
PRECINCT story as a 100-page graphic novel, which will be produced and published
with the assistance of the good folks at ComicMix. But producing a graphic novel
is expensive stuff, so the goal is a horse-choking $40,000 in order to make this
happen (this includes things like paying me and JK for our work, plus setting up
distribution through Ingram and Diamond and Comixology, and so on).

I’m therefore asking for your help, whether monetary or promotional (or both).
Any support you guys can provide, whether it’s pledging or mentioning the
project on your blog or other social media or what-have-you would be
tremendously appreciated.

The project URL is:

http://kck.st/14Uzedc

Thanks all!

—Keith

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