First release of 2012 is a short story - clocking at a bit over 9k words.  Did the cover design o this one as usual.

This one's called Primer.

Available in Amazon and Smashwords for a whopping $1.50

Synopsis:
Five years ago, the monsters arrived and decimated the village.

Everyone perished...except the children.

The young band of survivors have had to fend for themselves ever since, keeping a close eye on the nearby forest where the monsters have receded until the time is right.

But children grow up and become adults - and that's when the monsters come out of hiding.

Around here, birthdays are feared, not celebrated.

***
If you're into survivalist, zombie, apocalyptic  type fiction - you're definitely going to want to give this one a read.

More to come shortly.

Site changes: Rearranged this place a bit. There's no way I can keep up with the other sections. You can still sign up for the newsletter for occasional updates. But I wanted to really eliminate the unnecessary and tidy up the place even more in accordance with my current goals. There's still some minor tweaking to do esp. in the books section but as it stands I think it'll stay this way for a bit.

Yours truly,
Your friendly neighborhood letter-puncher

No NaNoWriMo for me this year. I feel like the kid that skipped on prom night - lots of excitement for the annual novel writing madness, and me? Just can't do it.

I was a Nano participant a couple of years back and I got up to the midpoint and just couldn't go anymore. But I've written significantly more since then.






This time around I'm skipping it because:

1) I've got a lot of studying to do for my current coursework.

2) I have a book and a couple of other things I'd like to get out by the end of 2011.

3) I have a handful of sites to run.

Writing schedule:
I'm winging it baby. Anytime, anywhere.

Currently inspired by:
The Black Angels (music)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (music)
Vintage Posters (art)
Survivalism (topic, reading, movement)
Death Note and The Filth (comic books)


Geeking out on:
Matte Painting (art & technique)
The Big Bang Theory (TV show)

On Halloween:
Not enough trick or treaters.
Horror movie marathons never get old.
Ghost story?  I have a few paranormal experiences. You know the cold chill that paranormal investigators talk about? Yeah, that shit is real. Also shadow figures. And those otherworldly entities do drain the power out of electronic devices. That's all I have to say about that. It still gives me the creeps.

Snapped it up for an excellent price, I was looking for something more portable and pocket-sized and I originally thought I'd end up w/ a Flip but I couldn't pass this up. Anyway in the vid I mentioned that there didn't seem to be any ArcSoft software. I was looking for an actual disc but apparently the camera is pre-loaded with it. The first time you plug it into a USB drive the option to install the ArcSoft software pops up. My mistake. Also, there's an update on the software which it will automatically detect and ask you if you'd like to skip on it or proceed. It was painless, no hassle and only took a minute or two.

I've tried the editing software that came with it and it works well, I'll try to do a more in depth review or at least a follow up once I get a little more use out of it.

Let's start with the bad.

1) When you zoom in, the quality of the video file becomes noticeably grainy during playback and the image stabilization won't work that well. It gets a bit shaky.So no extreme close ups taken from all the way at the back of an auditorium or whatever.

2) The camera froze a couple of times since I've had it (maybe a couple of months or so), no biggie, just pop the battery out and pop it right back in. No loss of data.

3) Overall product design is nice except for the USB connector plug that pops off from the side - it's too short and the camera ends up bumping with all the other wires I have plugged in next to the USB input. Minor issue but it gets really annoying when you have to unplug the mouse or the laptop cooler just to make room for the camera. (I'm just being nitpicky I guess)

4) Not for low light settings, it doesn't have an external light source.

5) This is more on Office Max - where I ordered this. The camera came in a large box, just shuffling around inside with no packing peanuts or anything. Could've been packed better I think.


The Good:

An external mic can be plugged in for better audio. As I mentioned in the vid I'll be picking one up and trying it out, will let you know how it goes. Even without it, the audio is sufficient. 

It has a place for a tripod attachment.

Expandable storage.

HDMI cord - most companies don't include this (as I've mentioned in the vid)

Tons of accessories.


What I use it for:

Mainly to capture images of my family and whatever we're up to at the moment.

I also use it to take pix of food - yeah I'm a bit of a foodie. I like cooking when I have time and we enjoy eating out when we can.

Take reference photos for drawings/illustrations as well as images used as photoshop textures (for photomanipulation).


I'm not going to go over specs here but it has a lot going for it.

Overall impression
Great portable and affordable HD camera for casual use. Takes pretty good quality vids (in MOV format), just keep it short (easier to edit). The still camera produces great images (plus there's a macro mode).

Recommended nerd gear to add on to your arsenal.

First things first:

I'm on Kindlegraph - if you want signed and inscribed copies of my eBooks  

A video review of Bad Juju: Vol. 2 - many thanks again to @meandersfit for taking the time do this.

Writing-related stuff I managed to get done in the last week and a half:

• 3 posts for apocalypsehub, minor changes in site
• add Bad Juju vol.  2 in books section, minor changes in this site.
  
• update tumblr page
• started preliminary work on a couple of new projects (keeping it separate from my main sites for now)
• came up with 2 more book ideas and started on 1 of them. I actually outlined the chapters during a break in between classes. 
• reviewed metrics for several sites.
  

This upcoming week's writing-related goals:
1 post  - apocalypsehub.com
1 post - zerotorockstar.com
Finish one of my many WIPs. That's right, finish it.  I'm starting this sucker today - have the outline in front of me. Will let you know next week how it went.

Oh yeah, school started this week so the time management skills is in fuel rocket mode right now. Woo!!! How's your week been?

******
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I'm actually writing this post using the Evernote app. What I love about new media and technology is how it can simplify your workflow. I've used my phone to email myself a quick note about a story idea. Nothing crazy, just a sentence or two while I'm waiting in line or whatever (I hate waiting, I'm impatient).

I always write what exactly the note is for so I'm not completely lost when I get to it at a later date.
i.e.) This sounds like a cool name: Jadzia (Yes, I like Star Trek) or
Possible title: Invading the Shell (actual title of a short story of mine)

I've been an Evernote user for awhile now an it's been a great way to organize and manage individual projects. Not just for writing but also for design gigs.

Another app I use is called the My Writing Nook which is synced with an email account. This is the one I use when I'm in between classes and have nothing but time to kill. I've purhased a portable weather proof keyboard that can be rolled up and stuffed in my back pack for longer entries (tapping the screen can be tiresome).

So these are two of my favorite simple writing apps. If you have any that you use, feel free to share your experience with it here.

Simple apps I use for writing:
www.mywritingnook.com
www.evernote.com

This dark collection includes these stories:

Etiquette - underworld alien sex comes with its own instructions

Static - Reality TV isn't always what it looks like

The dead don't sleep - paranormal investigations as seen through the eyes of the investigated

Strange Hold - A house that holds its owner captive

Sick Day - Calling in sick on Z day

Invading the shell - Second skin. Jilted Lovers. Erotic cupcakes.

Commute - a glimpse into a working-class person's ordeal with traffic in a bizarre (alternate?) future

3 are previously published, and 4 were written specifically for this collection.