Penslinger

The Time Out! Podcast #17 - Ebook Extravanganza

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:41:00 +0000

In this episode I cover:

Podioracket's anthology Glimpses is now available as an ebook on Amazon and Smashwords! This includes my short story Fleeting Time. And exclusively for Time Out! listeners promo code AW36V can be used on the Smashwords site to get this excellent collection of kick-butt stories for FREE. All I ask is that if you use this code that you take a few minutes and leave a review for the book on Amazon and Smashwords.

In more ebook news the price of Borrowed Time has now been reduced to a measly 99 cents! Head to Amazon or Smashwords today to get your copy so you'll be ready for the advent of Stolen Time. Also please leave me a review on Amazon so we can build the buzz for this series.

Principle recording of for the Stolen Time podcast has been completed! Editing of the audio will take place during the rest of November and into December. Currently a January release is planned. Stay tuned for more details!

I also play the promo for Glimpses.

Run time: 10:35

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The Time Out! Podcast #16 - Stolen Time Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:13:00 +0000

In this episode I cover:

The latest Penslinger news
My voice work on Flying Island Press' Treasure Island
NaPodEdMo
and a sneak peek at Chapter 1 of Stolen Time!

I also play the promo for Scott Sigler's GFL Series, an awesome YA sci-fi / football mash-up.

Run time: 16:13

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Talk Like A Pirate Day 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:45:00 +0000

If you've been following me for a while you'll know one of my favorite days is September 19, which has been designated Talk Like A Pirate Day. Over the last few years I've taken this an excuse to come up with some bit of audio silliness, and this year is no exception! Click on the player or link below to hear me do a little Lady Gaga, pirate style in honor of the day. Enjoy!

Use the player below or download it here.

Run time: 6:30

Yo ho ho ho
Yo ho ho ho

I am a pirate like they do on seven seas
Raid and pillage every village till me hold is full (I love it)
I wear me patch and pegleg and I really look the part
Best give me what I want or feel me cutlass though yer heart

Yo, ho ho, Yo, ho ho-O-o-o-o-o
I got a scar, brow to me chin
Yo, ho ho, Yo, ho ho-O-o-o-o-o
I got two legs, but only one shin

Can’t beat my
Can’t beat my
No, you can’t beat me pirate face
(He’s gonna get yer booty)
Can’t beat my
Can’t beat my
No you can’t beat me pirate face
(He’s gonna get yer booty)

P-p-p-pirate face, p-p-pirate face,
(Yo, ho, ho, ho)
P-p-p-pirate face, p-p-pirate face,
(Yo, ho, ho, ho)

I wanna drink some rum and sail the tranquil seas (Arr!)
A little pirating is fun when done with glee (I love it)
A pirate ship is not the same without yer chums
And when we raid your ship if it's not rough it isn't fun, fun

Yo, ho ho, Yo, ho ho-O-o-o-o-o
I got a scar, brow to me chin
Yo, ho ho, Yo, ho ho-O-o-o-o-o
I got two legs, but only one shin

Can’t beat my
Can’t beat my
No you can’t beat me pirate face
(He’s gonna get yer booty)
Can’t beat my
Can’t beat my
No you can’t beat me pirate face
(He’s gonna get yer booty)

P-p-p-pirate face, p-p-pirate face,
(Yo, ho, ho, ho)
P-p-p-pirate face, p-p-pirate face,
(Yo, ho, ho, ho)

When my ship’s on the horizon
Hear me cannon
Take yer plunder with the thunder
I’m not askin’ I’m just takin’ with my musket gunnin’
I’m a pirate and won’t deny it
I like to party with the wenches
I promise this, promise this
I’m a pirate and I’m made for this

Can’t beat my
Can’t beat my
No you can’t beat me pirate face
(He’s gonna get yer booty)
Can’t beat my
Can’t beat my
No you can’t beat me pirate face
(He’s gonna get yer booty)

<Repeat>

P-p-p-pirate face, p-p-pirate face,
(Yo, ho, ho, ho)

<Repeat>

A Word From You Means A Lot

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:40:00 +0000

A word from you means a lot... and I'm not just sucking up. Well, maybe a little bit. Because I'm standing here with my digital hat in hand, asking plaintively for your help. I'm working hard to transition my writing from a hobby to a revenue-generating venture, and in order for that to happen YOU are a vital ingredient.

What I ask is simple: if you have listened to the Borrowed Time podcast, or if you have read the ebook, please take a couple of minutes and leave me a review on Amazon. Even if you bought the ebook from some other store, a review on the Kindle store will attract the most attention. I'll even make it easy for you by providing the link to the book here.

Every review helps get the book get noticed, and a solid base of reviews on Borrowed Time will really help when Stolen Time hits the streets. Not only that, but you'll have my undying gratitude and respect. And you know you want that!

Glimpses of the Past and Future

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:06:00 +0000

I am very pleased to be able to finally announce from the roof tops that I am part of the Podioracket Presents: Glimpses anthology that launches today on Podiobooks.com as a free podcast!

Authors were invited to write an short story set in the world of one of their titles on the Podiobooks site. I wrote Fleeting Time, which is a between-the-cracks story set in the world of my time travel novel Borrowed Time. Those who have experienced Borrowed Time will recognize where the this tale fits in with the larger story. And if you haven't heard the novel, Fleeting Time is a great introduction to the world and conflicts of the longer work..

I don't know which episode will feature Fleeting Time, so go to Podiobooks.com and subscribe today. And if you need to bone up on Borrowed Time you can subscribe to the podcast here, or if you prefer it in text get the ebook here.

Video: I Lost Ebook Death Match

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:25:00 +0000

Here is my losers video from Ebook Death Match, sung to the tune of Don't Stand So Close to Me by The Police. Enjoy!

Lyrics:
Two authors, come fighting
To sell the other's work.
Scott Roche thinks he's mighty
I'm sure I'll move his book
But then there's disaster
When all the sales are done
We counted -- it's official
No doubt that Scott has won

I lost, I lost it
I lost Ebook Death Match

I lost, I lost it
I lost Ebook Death Match

I came out, hard hitting
He'd get his just dessert
Scott bribed with his short stories
A jab that really hurt
We circled, we grappled
On Amazon we fought
But when the... dust settled
Scott raised the victor's belt

I lost, I lost it
I lost Ebook Death Match

I lost, I lost it
I lost Ebook Death Match

I made a... great promo
To sell I try and try
"Do it for... the puppies!"
Became my battle cry
Trreed made us a bit strip
That made me laugh and smile
I thought I would win this
But-Scott pwned me all the while

I lost, I lost it
I lost Ebook Death Match

I lost, I lost it
I lost Ebook Death Match

Harry Potter

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:05:00 +0000

This weekend the wife and I went to see the final installment of the movie version of Harry Potter. We had worked up to this by re-watching all of the movies in the couple of week prior to Deathly Hallows, Part 2 coming out. Now that I've seen this film, which was simply marvelous by the way, I've found myself reliving many of the memories surrounding Harry Potter.

For one thing, it is really due to Harry Potter that I am a podcaster today. The first podcast I ever listened to was a Harry Potter-themed show called Mugglecast. This was followed shortly thereafter by Pottercast, which I still listen to today. Once I was hooked on the medium, a little searching for other podcasts led me to Scott Sigler, podcast author extraordinaire.

The success of Harry is also an inspiration to me as an author. It is the dream of every one of us that work on our fiction that the world we create so captures the imaginations of our readers that it comes alive for them. Who wouldn't want to become household names and become fabulously wealthy based on our writing alone? The unbelievable success of these books is something I'd like to experience with my own fiction, and I'm sure most of my fellow authors feel the same.

I have fond memories of the excitement we would have when a new Harry Potter book came out. It was an electric thing. A couple of the installments were released while we were on vacation, and we'd stop at a local Wal-Mart and buy a copy. While we were driving my daughter would be in the back seat with her nose in the book, and when we reached the hotel that night she'd have to give up the book so Mom and Dad could get a little reading time in.

When Deathly Hallows came out we were home, and we had a copy bought early in the day. However one copy of this tome for the three of us was not cutting it, so we checked with the local library. They had a pile of copies, many of which were not spoken for yet. The wife and I went directly there and we soon had copies of our own. The rest of the morning the three of us sat quietly experiencing the last of Harry's adventures. The wife and I had a wedding that weekend that necessitated getting a hotel room in mid-Michigan. We drove there in the afternoon, and once we'd checked in we spent an hour or two sitting in our room reading until it was time to go. When we returned from the wedding and reception, it was back to the book until bedtime. As nice as the ceremony and celebration was, the entire time a small part of me kept thinking that I should be reading.

In a real sense the Harry Potter phenomenon has run its course. There are no new books forthcoming; the movies are now done. Of course we always have them to go back to, and I'm sure I'll be re-reading the series many more times in the future. But there won't be that thrill of a new book, that keen desire to find out what comes next, and that is what I miss most about Harry Potter.

The Winner and Champeen is...

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:40:00 +0000

The bout is over and the judges' decisions have come in: Scott Roche has won Ebook Death Match! That means I have to get busy on the loser's consequence of "Write a song a sing it." Stay tuned for a video of my special song, coming soon!

Run time: 3:20

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It's the 15th and Final Round....

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:29:00 +0000

And there's the bell for the start of round 15, by rule the final round of this epic bout.

Both fighters come out of thier corners. They're a bit tired. Keith "Penslinger" Hughes lets his guard drop a bit, and Scott "Spiritualtramp" Roche moves in. Oh! Hughes is rocked by a nasty jab to the face! He stumbles back, but manages to shake off the blow.

Now he's back in it. A roundhouse punch is barely blocked by Roche, but he didn't see Hughes' left coming in for a body blow. Roche staggers, then falls to a knee. The referee has to keep Hughes back while Roche struggles to stand again.

I don't know how much more these two can take, they've been hard at it in this bout and it's nearly over.

OK, Scott is on his feet, but is swaying dangerously. The referee releases Keith, and he storms in with a flurry of fists. This could be all she wrote, folks. Roche can hardly bring his fists up. He's taking a beating, and yes! He's going down....

It's the final few hours of Ebook Death Match, that contest of titans between Scott Roche and me. It's been a good bout, with solid punches thrown by either side.

In case you've missed any of the content we've put out or inspired over the last two weeks here's a brief recap:

The Facebook event that served as repository for all EDM content
The promo that launched Ebook Death Match into the annals of history!
The awesome bitstrip put together by @trreed
The pre-bout interview with Zach Ricks
Scott's video review of Borrowed Time
My Amazon review of Through a Glass, Darkly
My readings from Fetch and Power in the Blood
And of course the epic poll that will determine the fate of the loser!

I want to thank everyone who participated in Ebook Death Match, especially if you bought Scott's book and helped push me towards victory! But if you bought my book I want to thank you as well. I'd also like to thank all those who played our promo on their podcasts, retweeted my many EDM posts, or did anything to spread the word about Ebook Death Match.

But the bout isn't over yet! Scott and I fight until 11:59:59 tonight, so if you haven't bought Scott's unsettling, enthralling, exciting, and yes, KICK-ASS horror anthology Through a Glass, Darkly then please do so now. You can purchase it on Amazon for the Kindle/Kindle App, or on Smashwords for any other ereader/ereader app.

Please support me by buying Scott's book if you haven't already done so. And make sure you cast your vote in the poll to determine what Scott gets to perform when he loses. Don't do it just for me. Do it... for the puppies!

Power In the Blood (NSFW) - The Video

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:27:00 +0000

WARNING: This video contains violence, swearing, and gore. Listener discretion is advised.

I read an excerpt from Fetch, one of the short stories in Scott Roche's horror anthology, Through A Glass, Darkly.

Check out the Ebook Death Match event on Facebook. It's a great place to find all of the great content Scott and I are producing for Ebook Death Match.

Also don't forget to pick up your copy of Through a Glass, Darkly from either Amazon (http://amzn.to/iHrjMF) or Smashwords (http://bit.ly/mzyIqy) today!

Power in the Blood (NSFW)

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:07:00 +0000

Warning: This story contains compromising situations, foul language, and graphic violence.

This episode is my reading of an excerpt from the short story Power in the Blood, part of the horror anthology Through a Glass, Darkly by Scott Roche.

Support me in Ebook Death Match by picking up your copy today from Amazon or Smashwords.

Run time: 8:32

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Time Out! Podcast #15 - Ebook Death Match and Beyond...

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:15:00 +0000

In this episode I cover:

Initial edits are completed for Stolen Time, and it has been turned over to the Pianoeditor and her fourteen-inch Pencil of Doom©.

Borrowed Time is on the Amazon Kindle Store! I also go over listener stats for the BT podcast.

I play the promo for Ebook Death Match and talk a bit about the marketing contest where I am competing against fellow Scott Roche. I am trying to sell his horror anthology Through a Glass, Darkly, while he is trying to sell Borrowed Time. Support me by buying a copy of Scott's book from Kindle or Smashwords before June 20!

Visit the Facebook event page for EDM to see all the great content Scott and I have produced. Also be sure to vote for what the loser (Scott, of course) get to perform on video.

Watch out! I have a blog and I'm not afraid to use it. I announced that I am now occasionally providing blog-only content on a variety of topics. Subscribe to the blog feed or sign up to receive posts via e-mail to make sure you don't miss a thing!

Run time: 16:13

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It's VOTING Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:31:00 +0000

Cast your vote for what the loser of Ebook Death Match should do as a consequence. And remember that if there is a tie that both Scott and I will perform do whatever is chosen.

survey hosting

"Fetch"

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:36:00 +0000

I read an excerpt from Fetch, one of the short stories in Scott Roche's horror anthology, Through A Glass, Darkly. You can listen to the audio version, or watch the video I created with a real spooky pic of me!

Check out the Ebook Deatch Match event on Facebook. It's a great place to find all of the great content Scott and I are producing for Ebook Death Match.

Also don't forget to pick up your copy of Through a Glass, Darkly from either Amazon or Smashwords today!

Run time: 7:10

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WFIP Interview for Ebook Death Match

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:20:00 +0000

Zach Ricks from Flying Island Press Interviews Keith Hughes and Scott Roche about Ebook Death Match.

Run time: 7:10

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Ebook Death Match: the Video

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:18:00 +0000

Through A Glass, Darkly: A 5-Star Review

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:11:00 +0000

Momentum for Ebook Death Match is growing! The Movie Mantras podcast is the first to play the promo, but keep your ears peeled as it will be popping up in other places as well.

I added a review for Scott Roche's ebook Through a Glass, Darkly to GoodReads and Amazon, the text of which is below:

This anthology is a collection of four horror stories that in some way always defy your expectations. Scott presents vivid characters that are instantly interesting, allowing is to have a vested interest in their welfare as the tale unfolds.

Scott merges the context of faith into his horror in a way that is unique and non-threatening. The priest in "Fetch" may or may not have what he needs to save himself and a friend from the evil that would claim their souls. Can the nun in "Power In The Blood" survive her encounter with a burgeoning horror through the power of God?

Scott also does an excellent job taking his stories in unexpected directions that can be quite chilling. In "The Good Samaritan" a pair of women learn that the best way to provide roadside aid can sometimes be by delivering a good old-fashioned ass-whippin'. And "The Good Doctor" learns that making a living on the edge of the supernatural holds more danger than he counted upon.

All in all Through A Glass, Darkly is an an enjoyable read that will resonate in your mind long after the book is done.

I rated the book at five stars. so if you're looking for a little horror to spice up your day, and want to help me win Ebook Death Match, then pick up your copy of Through a Glass, Darkly from either Amazon or Smashwords today!

Oh, and if you don't have a Kindle or other ereader you can still experience the goodness. Just visit here for free Kindle reader apps for PC, Mac, or any smartphone known to man.

Ebook Death Match: Bitstripped

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:27:00 +0000

Bitstripper extraordinaire Thomas Reed (@trreed on Twitter) created this EPIC and AWESOME cartoon to commemorate EDM 2011. Check it out:

Ebook Death Match

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:01:00 +0000

Starting today I am embarking on an ebook selling competition against Scott Roche, a fellow author who also podcasts his work. This competition has a twist, however: I'm selling his ebook and he's selling mine! We're in an all-out sprint to see who can sell more of the other's book by June 20th.

So while Scott is busily hawking the ebook for Borrowed Time, I am asking that you buy Scott's horror anthology Through A Glass, Darkly. I have read it and found it enjoyable with enticing characters and unexpected twists (Check out GoodReads or Amazon for a more detailed review). The ebook is available on the Amazon Kindle Store and on Smashwords. At the low, low price of $2.99 you can't lose, and you'll be helping me win this pivotal bout!

But there's more! Scott and I have agreed that the loser will have to perform some sort of activity, and we want your suggestions for what that might be. Send me your ideas by June 13th, and we'll create a poll where everyone can vote for their favorite. Then when Scott loses we'll all get to see him perform the highest-ranked idea.

Check out the promo below, and if you know any podcasters please send this to them and ask that they play this before June 20th.

So thanks in advance for supporting me in this competition, and stayed tuned for more in the days ahead!

Run time: 1:51

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The Arachnid Seal of Approval

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Thu, 05 May 2011 07:44:00 +0000

My prime editing time is the wee hours of the morning. I get up around 3:15am, brew some green tea, and get to work. It's a quiet time and I can get a lot done. But the strangest thing has happened to me recently while ediitng Stolen Time.

A few weeks ago I was working when a rather large and ugly spider (really, they're all ugly) spider ran right across my manuscript. I about jumped out of my skin and uttered some un-ladylike words before consigning my visitor to a watery death in the Commode of Doom^TM.

Then yesterday I was once again editing away when the brother to the previous spider dropped from the heavens onto my manuscript. After more jumping and uttering on my part my visitor joined his brother in the CoD.

Then I realized that all of this arachnid activity could hardly be a coincidence. After all, I'm sitting in a relatively large house, they could go anywhere but choose to run across or jump on my work. In a flash of logic that I'm sure Mr. Spock* would agree with, I can only draw one conclusion.

Get ready for Stolen Time, it's gonna knock your socks off. How do I know?

'Cause spiders dig it!

* Mr. Spock could not be reached for comment, nonetheless all comments or opinions attributed to him in this post should be believed implicitly.

I Hate Editing

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

It's one of the prevailing truths of the universe: the toilet paper will always run out when you need it most, the phone will always ring when you settle in to watch a movie, and writers hate editing. I am a writer, therefore I hate editing, right?

Writers are put on this planet to create in an inspired frenzy that leads to a completed work where every word is a work of art, and each plot point is a sublime delight. Changing even the smallest phrase would diminish the whole. It is perfect as it flows from our fingers!

Of course after we walk away from a project for a while we find these small things that need... repairing. Does Frank have three or four fingers on his right hand? Is Sally's husband named Larry or Leroy? Did they really have cell phones and Facebook in the 1700's? As welcome as a fly in the pudding, we find that our mortal flesh has interrupted the flow of the perfect story that lived in our brains and inserted all this... wrong... stuff in our work. Like fishing the invading insect from my dessert, removing such detritus is a manual effort. And so with a heavy heart we writers begin on that horrid progress called editing.

This is what much of my time is involved in right now. Just yesterday I finished the first pass edits for Stolen Time, the sequel to Borrowed Time. It's a great feeling to get that done, but the reality is I plan to do two more passes before I turn it over to the Pianoeditor and her dreaded fourteen-inch long Pencil of Doom. Then there will be at least a couple of passes out of that. Oh woe is me! Will this torture never end?

For a while there I would have that same lament when I sat in the dentist chair. Having a dentist in my formative years who went to the Josef Mengele School of Dentistry gave me a rather negative view of the profession as a whole. So for a while I just didn't go. Then after I got married I started going to a new dentist, and hating every minute of it. I would sit there with my white-knuckled hands in my lap and endure. As the years passed I found my time in the chair got easier and easier, although I would always anticipate a visit with fear and trepidation. After a while I began to notice that my time at the dentist wasn't unpleasant, and that the men and women who worked on me were competent professionals who were concerned about my comfort. I finally realized that the reluctance and fear I felt about a visit to my dentist were not based on my recent experiences. I was able to put aside that angst and the whole process became much more pleasant.

I recently made a similar mental breakthrough in regards to editing. Ignoring my writer's mantra of "I hate editing," I realized I enjoyed getting back into Ness Relevant's world. Even though I was fixing, trimming, and sometime adding to my story as opposed to downright creating, the emotions I had wrapped around the process did not match up with what I felt while doing it.

Now I am not going to strike up the violin music and proudly proclaim "I LOVE EDITING!" While I've realized that I enjoy the process of making my novel better, it is a different feeling from outright creation. Also, there still are some things that I downright dislike, such as:

Time - This is probably the biggest complaint I have against editing. It took me just 30 days, and probably a minimum of 60 hours, to write Stolen Time as part of NaNoWriMo 2009. It will take much longer than that to get through this editing process. Since I will be podcasting this novel, which is a whole other time-sink, I just wanna get this done so I can move on to the recording!
Repetition - Being someone who writes time travel stories where my characters might experience the same events from different vantage points, the repetition can be mind boggling. Did he bite the apple the first time through this scene, or the second time? Both times? After a while it all seems to blend together.
Killing My Babies - Without a doubt Pianoeditor will find some stuff to cut in this book, and as sure as God made baby poop stink she will inevitably pick my favorite scene or a section that contains my favorite line.Then begins the subtle dance of whining and pleading before I finally give in and do what she recommends.

So I will do my best to stay away from the blanket statement "I hate editing" in the future. Just as I don't appreciate the needle when the dentist needs to numb me up, I shouldn't let the aspects of the "E-word" I don't like color the entire experience.

And now, I think it time to begin round two of my editing merry-go-round. Back to the chair I go...

Am I a Writer?

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:12:00 +0000

Am I a writer?

I know, that seems like a stupid question. After all I have written four novels since 2008. I have two novels released as podcasts, and another is planned for release this year. I have an ebook for sale that can be read on any ereader or computer that exists. So what am I doing asking if I'm a writer here on the website I use to promote my work?

The reason I'm pondering this question comes from a number of podcasts I've listened to recently. I have a few writing shows that are staples on my Zune, but I also subscribe to the meta feeds of most of the major podcast novelists out there. You know: Sigler, Lafferty, Sawyer, Lester, and a few others. Sometimes they release interviews and discussions about the craft of writing, and I find them all interesting.

Yet one concept that has crept up a time or two is the question: Who is a writer? Or rather, what is a writer? I have heard it said by some (and I'm not naming names here) that in order to truthfully wear the moniker of "writer," a person must be working toward a publishing contract and a full time writing career.

Thus is my conundrum born. To date I have been writing and podcasting mainly because I enjoy it, and to see what others think of my work. I've not done much of anything to find a contract with a publisher of any size. As I mentioned I do have Borrowed Time for sale as an ebook, but I'm not going to be replacing my day job income with that any time soon. So while my status may change in the future, up until now I've treated my writing as more of a hobby than a career. That being the case, do I deserve to call myself a writer? Does the term inherently include the connotation of a full-time career?

If I accept the judgement that if I'm not trying to achieve financial success through my writing I am not a writer, what should I call myself? A hack, scribbler, or word-slinger? If the W-word is off limits, am I allowed to use titles such as author or novelist? My head swimmeth!

In an attempt to answer this, let's look at what I do with my little hobby here. In the last three years I've written three NaNoWriMo novels of 60-70k each. Last year I wrote another novel in addition to that. That alone is a labor of hours. The NaNo novels alone probably take around 60 hours each just to write. I'm sure I probably spent at least twice that editing The Guerrilla Poet, and am well on my way to doing the same thing for Stolen Time.

I've put in the long hours writing and editing my work, just like any professional writer. I work on plot, characters, and theme. I try to improve what I create to make my stories constantly better. I have a backlog of novels to edit and to write. I'm starting to think about November and doing another NaNo novel this year. Even though I was considering sitting it out to get some editing done, I can hear it calling to me. Holy typewriters, Batman! I sound like a writer!

And a writer is what I consider myself. In my opinion there is no connotation in the W-word of professional status. While it might be tempting for some to try to draw a distinction between those who get paid to put words on a page, and those of us who don't, there really isn't that much to separate us. If I'm sitting next to a bestselling author at Starbucks and we're both writing, we won't look much different in what we are doing (except he'll have the expensive drink, and I'll just be downing the plain-Jane coffee!)

So I'm standing up for all of the unpublished, unsigned hacks everywhere. The scribblers and bibblers who spend countless hours hunched over a keyboard or notebook and laying down phrase after phrase. Word-slingers who anonymously frequent coffee shops and libraries to inspire their muse. Take up your mantle and be proud! You are writers!

As am I.

I am a writer.

Kindle-ing

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:59:00 +0000

As you can probably guess in this post I am going to be talking about my new Kindle and the expierence I've had so far. But first a word from our sponsor...

I am very happy to announce that Borrowed Time is now available on the Amazon Kindle store. Revisit the adventures of Ness and Dr. Bertrand as they struggle to keep the world's first time machine from those who want use it to twist the future to their own ends. You can make this exciting adventure part of you own collection HERE if you're in the United States, and HERE if you're in the UK.

Now back to the post....

I have been thinking about getting an ebook reader for the last couple of years. I've looked over the Kindle, Nook, and Sony readers most of the times I've roamed though my favorite store, Best Buy. Part of my hesitancy was the cost of the unit, not to mention the cost of the ebooks themselves. But as the years passed the price has dropped on both to the point where they began to get attractive to me.

This year I found myself with a Best Buy gift card for Christmas, along with some other BB money, so I thought the time was probably right to make the leap into an ebook reader. I had several reasons for doing so. First of all I am involved in the creation of digital content, and have had an ebook for sale for over a year, so it made sense for me to experience first-hand this method of consuming content. Second, it's a gadget, and I loves me a new gadget! It has been a while since I've bought one, and I was feeling the itch. Finally, since I probably spend more time doing recreational reading than pretty much anything else, it made more sense to buy an ebook reader, then, say, a new gaming console.

I did have a tiny qualm in that I hate doing any long-term reading on a computer screen. That's why I always print out my novels to edit them. So I wasn't sure if I was going to like reading off of a display as opposed to paper. This was one reasons I wanted to stay away from the back-lit, Nook Color kind of screen.

So after the first of the year I began to look seriously at ebook readers. It quickly came down to the Kindle or the Nook. The other models either seemed too slow, or I didn't like the button placement, or had a backlit screen. Now I do have this predisposition to not get the big kahuna of a gadget just because they're the biggest. I tend to be sympathetic to the seller with less market share but who has a great product. This is what drove me to the Microsoft Zune instead of buying an iPod (this was also helped by the fact that I don't like Apple's business model, but that's another post.) So right out of the gate the Nook had an advantage over the Kindle.

But if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you know that the Kindle won out. The Nook and the Kindle seemed to be pretty equivalent, but the speed of the Kindle seemed a bit better, as was the rated battery life. Those two factors swung it for me, along with the fact that Amazon, while an 800-pound gorilla, is not Apple and I really have no issues with the company.

So I bought it at lunch last week, went to an nearby McDonald's for a quarter-pounder and the free wi-fi, and five minutes later I was reading my first purchased ebook, Half Share by Nathan Lowell. I have since finished that book and another. I've downloaded several free ebooks and bought a couple more. I love the reading experience, and am officially hooked.

Another reason I had for getting an ebook reader is that I've had to start using "reader" glasses. By slightly increasing the font size on the Kindle I am able to comfortably read without having to wear magnifying glasses at all. The screen has great contrast without being shockingly white, and the fonts are crisp, making it very easy to read. The battery life seems to be pretty good. I've only charged it the once and I've been leaving the wi-fi on.

It has a basic browser which is OK. It is not a surfing machine, and I didn't expect it to be. But I've used it to update my books on Goodreads, and to look up actors on IMDB for a movie we were watching last night. Since I've always got it near where I sit, it was convenient to just turn it on and get online.

I'm sure I'll be spending more per year on books than I have in the past, but I can still get some ebooks from my library. I also have access to pretty much all of the classic literary works for free, and I've already downloaded several such as Sense and Sensibility and A Tale of Two Cities. I plan to read several of these that I've skipped over the years. I've made it a point over the years to support the book launches of many of the podcast authors I follow, such as the aforementioned Mr. Lowell, and I will continue to do so via ebooks.

So if you've been thinking about getting an ebook reader I would encourage you to make the plunge. I haven't even tried out all of the bells and whistles on my Kindle and I love it. Oh, and if you already have one, make sure to get your own copy of Borrowed Time, just like I have! If you don't have a Kindle and would rather read it on your PC or Mac, just download the free reader app, buy the book, and you're good to go!

What's that? You have a Nook or some other ebook reader? Not to worry! Borrowed Time is also available in pretty much every format known to man via the Smashwords site. You can also find it as a NOOKbook, and on the Sony, Kobo (with a 5-star rating!), and Diesel ebook stores.

Now if you will excuse me, I've got some reading to do!

A Mind-Blowing Thought...

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:10:00 +0000

I had a mind-blowing thought last week: why not use the Penslinger blog as... wait for it... a blog! I know, radical idea, right? Anyway I'm going to try to post here about once a week with my progress on Stolen Time, thoughts about writing, or whatever else tickles my fancy. I'll still be releasing occasional episodes of The Time Out! Podcast, but I hope to be more frequent with these posts.

Two other things happened last week and they are somewhat related: I finished my second read-through of Stolen Time, and I bought a Kindle. The relationship was that I was not allowing myself to buy my Kindle until I had the read-though done. I'm a carrot-on-a-stick kinda guy, and there is no bigger carrot for me than a new gadget! I will write more about the Kindle in a separate post, but suffice it to say that I love it!

So back to ST. I read through it in January without making any notes. This was just to remind myself of the story. After all, I hadn't been in that world since I finished writing it in November 2009. In February I went back through it doing some initial edits, and also made notes on rewrites and changes needed in order to make it chock full of awesome.

Alas, this week I won't be starting on incorporating those changes. I have something to write for the Podioracket Glimpses anthology, and I'm hoping to get that cranked out this week.

That's all for today, so until next time... be seeing you!

The Time Out! Podcast #14 - Lookin' Back & Movin' Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Hughes) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:48:00 +0000

The Time Out! Podcast is back on the air! So to speak. :-)

In this episode I cover a little feedback for my novels:

A Podiobooks review for The Guerrilla Poet by Chris
A Goodreads review for Borrowed Time by Craig (a.k.a. Meatstack)

I'd like to do a story for PodioRacket's anthology set in the world of Borrowed Time. Please e-mail me any situations or characters you'd like me to explore in a short piece of fiction.

I took a few minutes to review what I accomplished in 2010 with my writing and podcasting, then looked forward to my plans for 2011.

Podcasts or Ebooks? I put a poll up at Penslinger.com asking if you'd rather continue receiving podcasts of my fiction, or receive chapters as a weekly ebook/PDF. Please take a minute and cast your vote for your preference.

Promo: Jake Bible's Dead Mech Kindle rush at Amazon on March 1st.

Run time: 17:25

Press Play on the player above or download the episode here by right clicking and selecting "Save target as..."