Chapter One

Saturday, June 24

       The beginning was the end. Of all the stupid things I could have thought at the end of my life, that was it. I felt the clay Lucifuge amulet I wore press hard against my left breast, reminding me that it was because of those damn amulets I was in this mess to begin with. Beneath me the unyielding rocky ground dug into my flesh. Above me, the psychopath who’d murdered Mike loaded the gun.

But I digress. How I ended up the victim of another murderer in the short span of a few months is a longer story.

My name is Elizabeth Tanner and I’m a magician. The story I’m about to tell you is true.

Only a few short weeks ago I sat at my dining room table carving sigils into clay amulets. It’s a little tradition of mine; something I do around every summer solstice. Michael, Mike, my sexy detective boyfriend who I’d hooked up with after my last entanglement with a killer, was working that Saturday on a theft case, so I was home alone. Like usual I had CNN on in the background.

The clay I was using had a faux metallic sheen to it, giving the clay disks I was working on the illusion of metal. As I carved I mused at how, for centuries, humans had believed in the power of magickal talismans to do everything from repel evil to bring good health. I’ve always thought there’s something comforting in a talisman. For me, there’s something even more comforting in the act of constructing them. I enjoy feeling them between my palms as I imbue them with the essence of their design. Every year I make about fifty or so to give to friends. This often satiates my talisman making lust until the next summer solstice comes around. The most interesting thing about talismans, however, is sometimes they’re not always what they seem to be.

When I’d finished carving the last one I got up and went into the kitchen to pre-heat the oven. I’ve often thought whoever invented oven-bake clay was a genius. It made a magician’s work that much easier when it came to creating certain tools.

It was directly after I’d turned on the oven that my cell phone rang. I didn’t bother looking at the caller ID even though the ring tone suggested it wasn’t anyone I knew. Probably a wrong number. I was feeling cavalier so I answered anyway. ”Hello!”

“Ms. Elizabeth Tanner?” an older woman’s voice asked.

For a second she almost sounded like my mother. “Speaking.”

“My name is Marjorie Ellis and I need your help,” the woman started.

“May I ask how you got my name and number?” I didn’t want to be rude, but it wasn’t the habit of strangers to call my cell phone and ask me for help.

“Oh, of course, I’m sorry,” the woman apologized as if giving me that background information hadn’t occurred to her. “Mel Davis gave me your number. I’m a solitary Daemonolatress in Fort Collins and I need someone to dispose of some unique Daemonolatry items for me. Things I no longer want. Mel said you could help me with that.”

“Oh!” I said, finally realizing who Mel was. Mel was one of many solitary Daemonolaters along the front-range who weren’t regularly involved with any of the established groups. We called them solitaries or solitary practitioners. There were many solitaries who were still members of The Order. “Okay, I didn’t mean to sound so confused. I just haven’t talked to Mel since last Yule,” I explained clumsily, then got to the point. ”What kind of items?”

“Well,” the woman started. I could sense some uncertainty in her voice. “I was with a man for a few years and we practiced together. He gave me a few things very Daemonolatry specific. A mantel clock engraved with the sigil of Lucifer, a few talismans, a lap board he made me and a really beautiful old altar. We split up recently and I really don’t want them anymore. Too many painful memories attached if you know what I mean. Would you come get them?”

I thought about telling her to just put up an advertisement on one of the online message boards because I knew she could easily get rid of the stuff herself, but I had to admit I was interested in the altar, the lap board, and the clock. The altar because mine was getting a bit rickety, the spirit board because I collected them, and the clock because I didn’t have a mantel clock and quite frankly, my mantel was bare except for some family and friend photos in mismatched frames.  Not to mention that if they turned out to be items I didn’t want, I certainly had the connections to get rid of the stuff quickly. “Well,” I started.

“I know I could just advertise them online myself, but I really just want this stuff out of my house because I’m moving and you’re more centrally located. I don’t even want money for them,” she said quickly.

A little too quickly. “What’s the catch?” I asked carefully.

She let out a nervous laugh. “You’d have to drive up to Fort Collins and pick it up. If you do that, all of it’s yours to get rid of however you see fit!”

“Fair enough.” I smiled, kind of excited at the prospect of a new altar. I took down her address and phone number and told her Mike and I would drive out the following day.

“You won’t change your mind will you?” she asked before we hung up.

“I’ll be there,” I assured her. We said our goodbyes and I hung up, all the while shrugging off the familiar tugging sensation that twisted in my gut.

I wandered into the bathroom of my small, three bedroom ranch-style house that I’d bought with money my grandfather left me. Flipping on the light, I looked at myself in the mirror. I felt the tug again.

There was a brief flash of light.  I had the sensation I was being sucked out of my body only to find myself standing in darkness, surrounded by swirling gray smoke. I heard strange noises in the dark around me and to my right a hiss emerged from the blackness.

Turning toward it I stopped short when I spotted two red eyes looking at me. “You really are a masochist, aren’t you?” She said.

I couldn’t really see the Daemon, just the faint outline of a humanoid-like creature. “I, I don’t know what you m-mean,” I stammered like an idiot.

“You know exactly what I mean, Elizabeth. You never listen to me,” the Daemon chastised. “You deal with this now or you will suffer for it.”

And just like that, with a dizzying jolt, I found myself falling backward onto my bathroom floor. I hit with a thud, catching myself with my hands and my right hip. When I realized I was okay and not in severe pain I looked up. The first thing I saw was the painting of Levi’s Baphomet one of my friends had done for me. It hung over the towel rack. Done in black, gray, and red, it matched the rest of the dark art hanging throughout the house. See, I’m somewhat a collector of dark art being that I’m a Daemonolatress, so finding myself in a trance and speaking to Daemons isn’t abnormal for me. Not by a longshot. The Daemonic speaks to me on a regular basis, in fact.

I hoisted myself to my feet, splashed some cold water on my face and wandered back into the kitchen, noting the house probably needed a good sprucing up. Maybe that’s what the Daemon meant when she said I needed to deal with it? After all, I’m certainly not the domestic type. I’m not super messy, but my house is never really tidy either. Letting out a deep sigh, I shook my head.

Of course that wasn’t what the Daemon meant and I knew it. What was I supposed to deal with? I hated how cryptic the Daemons often were. Usually they’d give me messages and if it wasn’t apparent what they were trying to say, it became apparent in hindsight. Needless to say, being a medium isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If the Daemons weren’t stepping in with something to say, the dead were. I could usually tune the dead out, and often did, but if the Daemons wanted your attention – they got it.

The TV was still blaring CNN. It was the only thing I ever watched. After getting myself another cup of coffee and putting the talismans in the oven,  I settled on the couch and waited for the oven timer to go off.  Eventually the Daemons would reveal to me what I needed to know, so I decided not to worry about it.

There was a Greek philosopher who once said something akin to “This younger generation will be the death of us all!”  May have been Socrates. Maybe Plato. I don’t remember.

But guess what? We’re all still here. The world is vastly different, yes, but we survived the past. We can surely survive the present and the future if we’re adaptable to it.

Sadly the generation of writers, publishers, agents, and editors who liked how things were and are fighting our advancement into the future really do think the ship is sinking.

You can see it in their reaction to ePublishing. There are hundreds of articles condemning the self-published as writers who couldn’t make the cut. Publishers and agents are opening arms of their business dedicated to helping self-published authors clean up their manuscripts and publish them as eBooks. All because sales are down and from my understanding, indie authors are giving the big publishers a run for their money.  Much like Henny Penny, the old-school thinks the sky is falling and they’re running amock shouting it to whoever will listen.

I have expressed my opinion of independent (of a publisher) authors, the rise is self-publishing and ebooks in this blog time and time again. I see no reason to really repeat myself. However, I do have a few things I’d like say in response to all of the panic and mayhem I keep reading.

1. I don’t believe the sky is falling. Relax. The world hasn’t ended and nobody is dead. Now that’s not to say publishing is going to stay the same as we know it, but there’s no point freaking out. Change is inevitable. An industry without change is stagnant.

2. I don’t believe all the crappy self-published authors will deter readers from reading or keep good authors from finding and attracting readers. People will eventually learn how to use the “preview” function on their e-Readers to attempt to weed out the dreck.  I am tired of hearing how publishers and agents were the gatekeepers. Bullshit. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve read a big-six published book and wondered, “How the hell did this get published? It’s shit!”  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — THE READERS are the gatekeepers. They always have been. Guess what happens to traditionally published authors who can’t sell enough books to cover their advance? Yep, you guessed it — they don’t get another book contract and their career is dead.  Why? Because obviously readers didn’t like it. We write for readers. Without readers there would be no Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, or Nora Roberts. It’s the readers who helped make them. It’s the readers who could potentially break them.

3. While I agree a lot of self-published stuff could use a good editor, I’ve said the same thing about a few big-six books in recent years. No book is immune from a typo or two. I’ve also seen traditionally published books with poorly executed plots and gaping plot holes. Mind you I’m not making excuses for books that badly need editing, but using the preview function will usually highlight said books so you can steer clear of the really bad ones.

4. I’m tired of hearing how indie-authors aren’t taken seriously. Sure – some aren’t. If they can’t write their way out of a box then no one will take them seriously and they probably won’t sell many books. Really, the only people I see not taking indie-authors seriously are writers, publishers and agents who think self-publishing and ebooks are destroying the industry. My readers take my self-published work as seriously as they take my traditionally published work. ::shrug::

5.  Ebooks are NOT the death of print books. Sure, ebook sales are up, but that’s because people have now found a way to read more and not clutter their bookshelves with books they may not have room for. That can be a huge issue for some readers (especially fiction readers). I know it was for me. The fact is that some people still love printed books and they’re very likely to buy a physical copy of books they love for the keeper shelf. I know I do.  There will always be a market for printed books, especially for collectors. Printed books still account for between 3%-10% of my book sales depending on the month.

6. Not all indie-authors are people who couldn’t make it through the slush pile. Some of us have been traditionally published. For whatever reason we’ve decided to strike out on our own.

7. I don’t think there’s going to be an ebook bubble that will explode. Sure, I do think a lot of people who think writing is a get-rich-quick scheme are going to fall to the wayside, but I think authors who genuinely have an audience will persevere and keep writing books. I’ve heard that 80% of all people think they have a book in them. But how many of that 80% will finish that first book and how many of percentage will really go on to write more than 2-3 books? Only the genuine writers will stick around; those who having been writing and telling stories forever. I’ve written over 10 books, numerous articles and tons of short fiction and guess what? I have more where that came from.  I’ve got stories for years.

I guess this is really all I have to say about this right now.  Stay tuned for more posts of a bizarre and unique nature here at The Quadrant, where writing, some witchcraft, gardening, politics and whatever else my brain dredges up meet.

From Seed:

• Belladonna (this year hydro start)
• Nightshade (this year hydro start)
• Calamus (this year hydro start)
• Lemon Balm (this year hydro start)
• Mandrake (smaller pots + grow lamp)
• Tomatoes (hydro start)
• Beans
• Peas
• Peppers (hydro start)
• Cukes (possible hydro start)
• Beets

From Roots, Cuttings and Starts

• Mandrake (already started)
• Potatoes (try, try again)
• Garlic (two experimental cloves started)
• Asparagus (bought 3 experimental plants)
• Hops (bought one experimental vine)
• Onions (debating this…)
• Hostas (going to try them under the tree out front)

Plants That Survived 2011:

• Lemon Tree
• 4 Cherry tomato plants (currently in the hydroponic gardens) that have already produced about a cup of tomatoes.
• Bamboo (should have gotten one of these earlier on – it’s doing great in the family room)
• Small household evergreen bush
• Spider plant (I usually kill these things)

My friend K sent me a bare root mandrake (I think it’s a white mandrake) which I received on the 20th of January.  I immediately unwrapped him and put him in a pot with already damp soil. Then I mixed a little 15-30-15 plant food with water and injected it into the soil around the root using an eye dropper (to give the root some stimulation – that was the hope).  I set him in the indirect light a grow lamp.  Within 15 days the mandrake (which only had two tiny leaves when I planted it) now has four leaves and is 2.25″ tall.  I removed the first big leaf (which had a chunk out of it and it was yellowing) just in case that leaf had the potential to kill the entire plant. I also think the plant needs more direct light since it seems to be getting a bit leggy, suggesting a struggle for light. One of the new grow lamps will be exclusively used for this plant.

So whenever I check on my mandrake my husband does the Hermes voice from Futurama and cries out, “My Mandrake!” like Hermes does when he cries out “My Manwich!” For Futurama fans you’ll find this particularly amusing. So we were going to name my mandrake Hermes. The only problem being my friend Wheezy has a “sock monster” we call Hermes. So my husband pointed out that Hermes son, on Futurama, is Dwight. As a result I decided to name the mandrake Dwight. Yes, my husband participated in naming the mandrake over dinner.  So there you are. That’s how he got his name.

I think next time I fertilize I will use fish emulsion (based on the advice of several seasoned mandrake growers). I am hoping to get a big enough root for propagation. Growing from root cuttings seems a whole lot easier than growing from seed even though I still have a few seed experiments I want to try.

Dwight the Mandrake 15 days after the 1 year old root was transplanted from the nursery to a pot, below.

This is probably one of the most difficult decisions of any writer’s career. When we all start out we sometimes give our work away for free in order to gain exposure and new readers. Hell, I still give away certain books, essays, stories etc…  as a promotion of my own writing. But when does it actually hurt you as a writer?

See, the perpetuating myth is that all writers, regardless how published, are so desperate to get published that they’ll do anything to see their name in print. While that may be the truth for someone just starting out, for those of us who have been around the block a few times we’ve learned that where we get published is just as important as the quality of what we publish. This isn’t even a money issue just in case you were wondering.  It’s the difference between playing with the big dogs or sitting on the porch.

Not to mention I’m not desperate to see my name in print like I may have been when I was nineteen and unpublished. I can afford to have standards now. As a result of these standards I have certain guidelines when it comes to deciding where I publish and whether or not I should give my work away for free.

1. Will I gain new readers by writing for free? Or is it completely one-sided where someone else (i.e. the website owner, publication, etc…)  is just capitalizing on my reputation as an author or occultist? Don’t get me wrong – sometimes it’s mutually beneficial. My name brings readers to their website and their website introduces new readers to my work. If that’s the case – I might just consider doing an unpaid gig.

2. Is the publication respectable? Or is it some no-name website ran by “some guy”?  Sure, some guy may have a neat website, but if no one knows it’s there you could just be wasting your time.

3. Does the publication put me alongside other writers as seasoned as me (or much better than me)? Or is my work being showcased amidst rank amateurs who, quite frankly, don’t write very well? Most people assume ‘birds of a feather flock together’. If none of the other writers are very good, they’re going to make me look bad. Sure, maybe I’ll make them look good. However, it’s more likely readers will think, “Sheesh. She can’t even get published by a quality mag so clearly she’s not that good.”

4. Will I look back six years from now and cringe? Nothing is worse than looking back and knowing you could have easily published that article or story in a bigger magazine or webzine and gotten paid for it. Or gotten paid more for it. Or that you could have published somewhere else and gotten more exposure! Yes, I speak from experience!

5. Does the website look like a professional designed it? Or does it look like my fourteen-year-old neighbor designed it? (Likewise with print publications.) If you’re going to spend the time writing it, the least the webmaster (or publisher) can do is spend the time to showcase your work in a way to where it looks like a professional had something to do with it.

Yeah – it may seem snooty of me to say this, but if writing is your career - where you’re published is just as important as what you publish.  So for me, unless someone is a very close friend or the project is something I really believe in, or unless it promises to give me excellent exposure — I won’t jump at just any “opportunity” to write something for a free e-zine, newsletter, or amateur publication. Especially on someone’s personal occult website or a website I don’t personally endorse.  It’s not that I don’t think new writers shouldn’t look at these opportunities, or that no one should write for said zines, I’m just saying that at this point in my professional career I can afford to be picky.

And yes, I suppose in a small way this is a gentle reminder to my friends that they don’t need to send me “calls for writers”.  While I appreciate the thought, I know where to find opportunities for myself that are likely a better fit and more apt to give me better exposure.

It used to be that I fantasized my ideal reader was someone who read the likes of David Eddings (whose books I greatly admire). With the non-fiction I imagined my ideal readers were serious students of the occult. Now that I’ve added more genres and pen-names, and now after I’ve met my readers my entire viewpoint is a bit different. See, there are some of my readers who read everything I pen. I have a group of die-hard fans out there that, believe it or not, does not consist entirely of family members or close friends. That’s what most writers strive for — an appreciative audience who enjoys their work.

Sure, I target each book and each pen-name to a select group of people. For example, my erotica stories are geared toward women who enjoy erotic romances with bdsm.  My fantasy novels have a much broader audience.  There, anyone aged 11+ who loves swords, sorcery, and the struggle between good and evil is a potential reader.  With my mysteries I am looking for a very specific reader in someone who loves a good paranormal mystery heavy with occult themes. Finally, with my non-fiction my target audience is practicing magicians and those who either practice or are interested in practicing Daemonolatry.

While I know who I target when I advertise or announce my books, the audiences my books actually attract is much wider. It turns out my ideal reader doesn’t come from any particular socio-economic background. My readers have a wide variety of interests and favorite authors. My readers range from age 11 to over 90.  Ultimately I suppose my ideal reader is someone who enjoys my stories or finds my non-fiction enlightening or inspiring.

As writers, that’s the best any of us can hope for. I am grateful for each and every reader I have because ultimately it’s because of them I am able to write full time. Not to mention it’s highly motivating knowing there are people out there who have found joy and inspiration in your work and who appreciate what you do, and that they’re waiting for your next book with anticipation. There’s no high like that. So to my readers, I love you guys! I hope I continue writing books and stories you love to read for many years to come!

About The FM Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour

Today’s post was inspired by the topic Your Ideal Reader this month’s topic in the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour, an ongoing tour where you, the reader, travel around the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. We have all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

If you want to get to know nearly twenty other writers and read their thoughts on their ideal reader, check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.  I blog with this tour the 25th of every month.  Up next on the tour: Becky Pratt!

I used to smoke. I used to smoke almost two packs a day! This coming March 27 it will be my fifth anniversary of being smoke free. And to be honest – I have almost gone back to smoking a few times in the past five years. Usually during high stress periods. Back when I smoked I’d convinced myself that smoking somehow relaxed me.  It didn’t. I was still high strung as ever.

Back then, smoking, chocolate and coffee were my only three vices. Sure, I drink alcohol in moderation. That is if you count 1-5 times a year moderate drinking. I don’t necessarily like the taste of alcohol and really have to be in the mood for it.  Since I kicked the cigarettes and I don’t drink, that leaves me with my last two vices. Coffee and chocolate. I did attempt giving up the chocolate when I was erroneously diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I found that I can do without chocolate. However, I can’t do without the coffee. I’ve tried.

I went to decaf for a month when my doctor suggested it was the coffee causing my persistent heartburn. Turned out my heartburn was caused by the foods I was eating. I changed my diet and the heartburn went away.  Imagine that. It wasn’t the coffee and so I went back to drinking it.

I read an article recently that said coffee, due to climate change, could very well become extinct in our lifetime. Naturally I panicked. Why? Because if for some reason I do become pre-diabetic (or diabetic as it runs in my family) and coffee becomes extinct — I have no vices left!

And a woman left without any vices to her own devices is a scary thing. So it appears I need to start considering new vices to replace the last two I have just in case they need replacing. After all, everyone should have at least one vice, right?

So I’m open to suggestions. What should my new replacement vice(s) be?

See, not very long ago that’s how Demonolaters learned Daemonic Magick and the practice of Demonolatry. It was a one-on-one experience. It wasn’t necessarily a group thing. It was one teacher who had one student and they worked together much like an intern might work at a company specializing in the line of work he wants to go into. Or how an electrician takes on a student and teaches him his trade.

In general – we (and by we I’m talking about Daemonolatry specifically) don’t do that anymore. Either you’re in a group or you’re solitary. Some people say solitary is the way to go because of group drama. Others swear by groups. Others still learn from people over the Internet. There are merits to all these methods, but there are missing pieces, too.

Back when I was just starting out we didn’t have books about Demonolatry to learn from so you almost couldn’t do it solitary.  Sure, you could have had a Daemonic guide and been solitary, but if you wanted the experience of an actual methodology of learning Daemonic magick or Daemonolatry you became an apprentice who studied underneath someone more experienced than you. You were given assignments, as with school, you did said assignments, and you were given verbal or hands on tests. You were also watched over by your teacher as you physically performed the magical exercises.  This, of course, required you to be in the same city.

My teacher ran small study groups once a month and I was also at her house every weekend. She was constantly quizzing me and teaching me things just in the conversations we had. She would ask if I’d tried this or that and I would say, “I”ve never tried that!” Her passion for the subject ignited my own and I happily ran home and tried what she suggested and when we got together for coffee a few days later – we would talk about my work and its results.  You really did the work and got your hands dirty because if you didn’t – your teacher would likely drop you in favor of a more worthy apprentice.  My teacher actually abandoned a lazy apprentice in favor of me, citing that I was more worth her time because I appeared (in my behavior and actions) to really want to learn, whereas the young man I replaced just wanted to sit around and talk about magick – not actually do it. To make sure I was actually doing the work, my teacher, unbeknownst to me, would give me little tests by asking me pointed questions or inviting me over for ritual and asking me to construct the ritual space with no forewarning or invoke the Daemonic force we were working with that night. She was there to correct me if I made a mistake and guide me when I was uncertain. And like I said earlier – she and I did energy work, meditations, and other magickal exercises together. Sometimes it was just us, sometimes it was in a small study group with others.

I think if you talk to anyone who has had the benefit of having face-to-face conversations with elders or more experienced peers, they’ll tell you just how much you learn from that. What you get from that experience can’t be gotten by books or even internet conversations.  Sure, some of it could come from solitary work, but sometimes to come to things on our own it would take a great deal longer. With teachers as guides, we sometimes come to realizations faster.

Now don’t take it as I’m down on solitaries. I’m not. The most spiritual growth you’ll likely ever experience will be due to solitary work. I’m also not saying the Daemons themselves aren’t good teachers – they are. But it’s still not the same thing.  I’ve been an apprentice, I’ve been in a group, I’ve been solitary (I am most of the time even now), I’ve been the student of a Daemonic mentor/teacher,  I’ve had online teachers, so I can attest to the fact that there really is no comparison as all of these methods of learning are distinctly different. I’ve also been the teacher both in person and online.  A magician can get a great deal of experience and education from serving as an apprentice – even for a short time. It often makes for a more well rounded, interesting magus (imho).

Of course I also realize the sad reality that pairing students and teachers is another ball of wax as it actually requires teachers who are willing to take on apprentices and perhaps that’s part of the problem. Not to mention it requires being in the same city.

I have very fond memories of my days as an apprentice. It makes me sad to know how few modern Demonolatry students will ever have that opportunity.

First – I do not support either bill as they’re written.  I’ve signed petitions and written to my congressmen with my objections to the proposed bills because I feel both SOPA and PIPA as they’re written go TOO FAR. Instead of merely eliminating piracy and protecting the rights of authors, artists, film makers and musicians, these bills as they’re written would severely censor the Internet (including social networking sites, blogs etc…) and innocent websites could end up being censored just because someone on that site links to a torrent or mentions it or whatever. Not to mention this does open the web for serious censorship. Don’t like a site’s content? Report it to the ISP or government as a site that violates SOPA or PIPA. I can see Christian groups trying this.  There’s room for abuse here (not to mention the waste of taxpayer dollars). Then there are questions. What happens if I decide to freely release my OWN copywritten work? Will my site be tagged for shutdown because my site has free downloads? Just some questions worth asking.

However — I don’t support torrent sites or piracy either.

I would rather educate people about how e-Piracy hurts writers like me who depend on our writing income to survive.

I suggest musicians, film-makers and artists (and other creative folks) do the same thing. I also think writing your congressmen to protest SOPA and PIPA, but telling them you’d like them to find an alternative way to stop piracy (or signing petitions like THIS ONE) are the way to effectively stop bad legislation. Me blacking out my website will likely do very little in the grand scheme of things.

I also feel that I would be supporting piracy by blacking out my site completely.

At the same time I don’t want anyone to think I support SOPA or PIPA (as written) by not blacking out my site.

I have mixed feelings.

Don’t get me wrong – I would like legislation that addresses illegal torrents and piracy specifically. I just think they need to go back to the drawing board and find a better way that will punish the people who are abusing the system – not the innocent websites that can’t control what every person on their website is saying or doing. Go after the interface sites and those running those interface sites specifically — not necessarily the sites that may inadvertantly link to them. If the torrent sites don’t exist – no one can link to them, can they?

Yeah – I realize torrents are usually hard to shut down because the files jump from server to server or whatever and it’s hard to find out who’s behind them, but there has to be a better way of dealing with this. Maybe impose huge fines on any ISP that knowingly harbors a torrent? Maybe block URL’s that are known torrent interfaces? (I know of a couple – by name.) Maybe find a way to encrypt file tags into files to alert publishers to piracy (something stronger than the silly DRM tech that’s easily hacked like we have now?)?  I don’t know what the answer is. All I know is making sites like Facebook and Google (or other user content generated sites) responsible for their user’s links is ridiculous and you can’t police everyone. It just doesn’t work.

This is my opinion as someone who loses about $400 a month due to piracy.

That is all.

It appears that going part time at the day job was the right thing to do. In one Thursday, despite the cat getting sick and having to go in for emergency dental surgery and a biopsy (for possible mouth cancer), I did manage to make a great deal of headway on Into Darkness. I am happy to report that I’m at the end of the end, and tomorrow my editor and I are going to be exchanging work. She’s getting the end of ID, and I’m getting back edits on the first 3/4 of the book. I know it seemed like Into Darkness would never get done. Not only did my publisher end up changing editors on me midway through the book, but working 50+ hours a week at the day job was kicking my arse. Not to mention I was having some difficulty resolving my ending. All it took, however, was a day where I could sit down and concentrate fully on Into Darkness. When you can give a story your undivided attention it’s amazing how it flows.

I’ve also been writing on Switched. The book has been plotted for months and I’ve written scenes here and there, but now I’m actually going to be getting into the book more. My goal is to have the book to my editor no later than the end of February, and with it looking like ID may be finished in the next few weeks and into copy editing and proofing (and out in February!) that means I can give my full attention to Switched. On the non-fiction front I am going to be working on editing My Name is Legion, which is slated for release at the end of the month.

Finally, Infernal Colopatiron is on the presses as we speak. I proofed the galley last Friday. I’ve been told that by the end of the week it should be at the bindery. So Hail the gods of productivity!  There’s no better way to start a new year than with a rush of energy to complete some projects!

Thanks for reading and I hope your January promises to be as productive as mine!