Tag Archives: Authors after Dark

by | July 17, 2013 · 3:11 am

Episode #23: A Writer’s Kit and Giveaway Swag

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Newly acquired drop-in’s. A flashback to the days of The Survival Guide. A movie review, and Pip’s bunk moment with Idris Elba. Get ready for another episode of The Shared Desk where Tee and Pip go into convention and book signing preparation. What do you carry with you from appearance to appearance?

00:00 — Introduction

  • Holy Moses, two episodes in one month?!
  • Pip’s having a ‘Driis Moment….
  • Three weeks have gone by…
    • Katie and Heather have come and gone…
    • Pip’s on a blog tour…
    • Book release on book release from Fort Kickass!
    • Tee’s switching gears with Kindle Worlds and writing for Bloodshot.
    • Kickstarter anthology is now in layout phase…
    • …and we’d better get the look of the eBook right, otherwise we bring the wrath of Lou Anders!
  • Busy, busy three weeks!

8:20 — The Writer’s Kit and Freebies for Fans

  • Stepping back into the (too-loud) T.A.R.D.I.S. to journey back to the days of The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy
  • How do we pack for a trip? (Following the advice of Chuck Wendig…)
  • A quick tangent for Johnny Depp and his focused crazy in Bat Country.
  • What are you keeping your kit in? Here’s ours…
    photo
  • What is in our Kit?
    • The Square (Oh how Tee loves the Square…)
    • Starting cash and change (roughly $30)
    • Pens, pens, and pens…and a Sharpie.
    • A stylus for the Square
    • Lucky Charms (not the cereal, but the mascots that travel with you…)
    • Lanyard 101
    • Hand sanitizer
    • Carmex. Best — lip balm — EVAR!
    • Wisps. Just in case you indulge in the garlic hummus in the Green Room right before your signing…
  • What’s your giveaway swag?
    • Your swag may vary, but put some thought into your giveaway items.
    • Book cover buttons
    • Bookmarks
    • Business cards, and making the most of the design
    • Post It notes
    • Postcards for friends of the Ministry
  • Where and when do you take your kit?
  • Prioritizing your freebies (with approval from the kitteh) — What do you get first, and how much do you invest?
  • Clever swag vs. bad swag vs. “You spent how much on that?!”

31:44 — Writers Off the Clock

  • Pip needs to remember what our bumpers sound like…
  • Here comes the spoilers and the geekgasm that is…
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  • Tee demanded giant robots kicking the crap out of robots, and del Toro delivers.
  • Kick back for some love from us for the ‘Dris.
  • Why IMAX 3-D really works for Pacific Rim
  • The plot summary…
  • PIP RAGE: Mako is a STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER…and enjoying a memory of ‘Dris.
  • Chuck Wendig’s review of Pacific Rim — a nice sum-up.
  • Comparing Armageddon and the redeux of Godzilla against Pacific Rim
  • Applying attention to the details
  • del Toro made this film a fun homage to Godzilla and anime.
  • Jack Mangan: Best Pacific Rim review EVAR!

46:22 — The Wrap-Up

RELATED LINKS
[display_podcast]
Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or question for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

 

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by | November 28, 2012 · 2:47 am

The Shared Desk — Episode #19: Catching Up with Tee & Pip

Mic check. Hello? How does this thing work again?

Yes, we have returned to the mics (finally); and for this show, we are putting segments and subjects on hold to take some time to get you all caught up on what we have been doing since (ouch!) August when we last recorded. This is a catch-up show where you might not learn anything about the writing process but you’ll get a look inside the writer’s lifestyle.

00:00 — Introduction

  • I hope we remember how to do this!
  • Pip mocks the opening drop-in’s.
  • O hai! We’re back!!!
  • Welcome to the Catch-Up episode of The Shared Desk

01:39 — Life Happens…even around Dragon*Con

  • Tee gets laid off again the day Tee & Pip get back from Authors After Dark.
  • The good news: I saw the writing on the wall this time, and now I’m working with the American Public University System.
  • The new job pulls me away a day early from Dragon*Con 2013.
  • It was a neat orientation…what I remember of it…
  • Good times at the W Atlanta and at Dragon*Con.
  • Didn’t think D*C could get any bigger, could you? Guess what…
  • Some lovely perks of staying at the W
  • Could D*C be getting too big?
  • Special props to Doc Quartermain for running a killer Steampunk/Alternative Track!
  • Some stargazing at D*C…and Pip fangrrls again.
  • THE GEM FROM PIP: When do you know you’re done? (And here’s Pip’s answer…at 16:22…)

13:24 — Baltimore Book Festival

  • A terrific experience from SFWA, but not as enriching as our journey there…
  • Some terrific panels and great people to enjoy time with like…
    • Lianna Heiber
    • P.J. Schnyder
    • Rich White
    • Ellen Datlow
  • Getting cozy with the Nissan LEAF
  • Winding down from the day, and we find a new love that is the music of Joe Bonamassa

17:40 — Emerald City Steampunk Expo (Wichita, KS)

  • Pip adds a new state to her “Places I Have Visited”
  • Abney Park and Unwoman — show-stoppers of the ECSE
  • Pip wants to user her Rafflecopter to give away some steampunk music swag!
  • Other cool stuff in Wichita
    • Giant steam engines!
    • Melissa Conroy
    • Our First Ministry Cosplayer!

20:01 — Facebook Pages and Deadlines

  • Pip kicks off a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Facebook page
  • Pip’s Deadlines
    • First edits for Harbinger are off.
    • Pyr Books gets their Kindred & Wings
  • Other cool stuff
    • The Omnibus of The Books of the Order is coming from the Science Fiction Book Club.
    • Pip is pretty stoked about the new K&W cover art.
  • Oh yeah…and we not only turned in the third Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel but signed a new contract!

22:29 — The Future of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences (Part I)

  • What is going to happen in 2013, either with Ace or with Kickstarter…
  • The Anthology to Be Named
    • Authors are signed on. Well, two are signed on.
    • We have a wish list of writers.
    • Two stories are ready and complete.
    • The question is how, with who, and when.
    • There goes December…
  • The anthology is our bridge between books, depending on the timing of Dawn’s Early Light.
  • How about this? A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences of RPG!!!
    • Produced by Galileo Games
    • Designed by J.R. (MF) Blackwell!
    • Written by P.J. (MF) Schnyder!

27:49 — What Is Tee Working on?

  • The steampunk reboot of MOREVI — Codename: Darkwater — is now underway.
  • What is different between MOREVI and Codename: Darkwater
    • This is not me pulling a Lucas. This is a whole new universe.
    • My characters are present, Lisa Lee’s characters are not as omnipresent.
    • No elves. Period.
    • Smaller (much smaller) word count, and tighter plotlines.
    • No Defiant.
    • No parallel universe. Working in historical China with some help from Aleen the Peacemaker.
  • The difference between a rewrite and a reboot
  • Taking MOREVI and making it my own.
  • Rafe Rafton…a character born for steampunk.

33:42 — More deadlines and Projects from Pip 

  • Clockwork Fairy Tales is coming in 2013
  • Pip is on the “tail end” of her steampunk novella based on “The Little Mermaid”
  • A new project in the works: The Touchstone Empire.
  • This year, it is Pip’s turn to write the Tales from the Archives Christmas Special.

35:23 — The Future of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences (Part II)

  • Tales from the Archives has jumped the rails…but coming soon….
  • Shame on us…we jump the shark after winning twoParsec Awards!
    • P.C. Haring brings home the gold for “The Seven”
    • Pip Ballantine also scores a win with “The Precarious Child.”
  • The Bookie Awards in Savannah, Georgia give a nomination to The Janus Affair for Best Steampunk of 2012.
  • Then there is Goodreads and we are in the running again for The Janus Affair!
  • Tee makes a prediction as to who will take the Goodreads title for Best Science Fiction of 2012…

40:22 — And Here’s What Happens when Real Life Comes a-Callin’….

  • Tee throws a political gauntlet down as he talks up the new car….
  • The 2013 Nissan LEAF from Sheehey Nissan Manassas.
    • It is an incredibly cool drive…
    • …until someone doesn’t do a head check before bolting out of a parking spot.
  • Want to know what NOT to say at the sight of an accident? It’s in this podcast.
  • Another story that tops Tee’s 24 hours with a new LEAF.
  • Fortunately, our iPod with wheels is in the body shop, and it’s covered. Then Pip gets the car for one week. ONE.

45:10 — The Wrap-Up

  • Congratulations! You are now up to speed with Tee & Pip!
  • Pip now wants to talk about books we haven’t event started.
  • Pip and Tee pursue the Medifast Plan to get back into shape.
    • Pip wants to reward her goal weight with a kickin’ new steampunk ensemble.
    • Tee just wants to fit in his pants again.
  • Tee & Pip promise to return in two weeks! No, seriously….
  • Defying the odds, Tee nails the Creative Commons tag, Pip is stunned! (And so am I!)
RELATED LINKS
[display_podcast]
Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or question for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

 

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by | August 22, 2012 · 2:04 am

The Shared Desk — Episode #18: Authors After Dark (recorded LIVE in New Orleans!)

photo credit: TwiMom 227 (Thanks!)

Yes, this is completely unhinged, completely off-the-cuff, completely EXPLICIT, but it is what it is — Authors After Dark! the event that you have heard Pip and I blog about is now coming to you raw, uncut, uncensored, and absolutely off-the-wall. With special guest, AAD founder Stella Price goes into the why’s behind this incredible event, what it takes to succeed at Authors after Dark, and who is going to be attending Authors After Dark in 2013…

…and yes, Crazy Uncle Charlie even makes an appearance, much to the alarm of Stella!

00:00 — Introduction

  • In a moment of late night punchiness, Pip breaks the Prime Directive of this Parsec-Nominated podcasta Parsec Finalist .
  • What a slap-dash opening…and we blame the previous week of Tee’s life…
  • Unless Texas wants to sponsor a trip for us, were backing out of FenCon this year.
  • Tee goes there concerning the Revealing Eden author, setting the tone for this madcap and HIGHLY EXPLICIT episode of The Shared Desk.

03:28 — Authors After Dark with Stella Price (and a Rogues Gallery of authors, bloggers, and good people)

  • Straight from the Big Easy…
  • Who is in Pip and Tee’s Suite for this Shared Desk?
  • The inspiration behind Authors After Dark: Providing a playing field that is fair.
  • No, seriously, Stella’s got a bone to pick with RT…
  • Who made P.J. a host?!
  • Everyone is on equal ground at Authors After Dark, and Stella does this because she believes in the industry.
  • And a real, honest moment is shattered…
  • Pip and Tee give their feelings on the intensity of Authors After Dark.
  • What makes Authors After Dark so different…
  • Authors chime in on the AAD Atmosphere (Part One)
  • 16:35 — First Dakota Cassidy mention (and she’s an awesome bitch!)
  • Authors chime in on the AAD Atmosphere (Part Two)
  • TwiMom think she’s stalking us…but little did she know……
  • Stella makes it clear that the super-fans find themselves in a different world at Authors After Dark.
  • Dragging a slightly-tipsy Sidney on to the mic, here’s a new author’s perspective.
  • 25:35 — Another Dakota Cassidy mention… (Why isn’t this woman on our show?!)
  • Suzan looks at the AADNOLA experience as both an author and as a reader.
  • Turning the mic over to Tee Tate who only swung by for the public signing event — what did Tee Tate and Lit Stack think of the event?
  • Tee and Tee…but which Tee did Tee meet first?! And then there is Lia Habel’s doppelganger around AAD…
  • TwiMom covers the process in becoming a Featured Blogger at AAD.
  • “ARCs Up the Ass” — the new slogan for AAD
  • It’s over….but it’s not over yet…but Stella calls the 2012 event “the best one yet” on all levels!

37:13 — Writers Off the Clock

  • For many of us, this is our first time in “Nawlans” and so we came up with a way to describe the Big Easy.
  • The things you see when walking down Bourbon Street…
  • You know you’re in New Orleans when strip clubs are used as landmarks.
  • According to Stella, there is no truth in advertising of the “Little Darlings” nightclub.
  • If the Zombie Apocalypse breaks out, blame Lia Habel’s mom…
  • Hey, wait a minute — what flavor are those Slurpee machines?!
  • The things you see…in red dresses…for charity… (What IS this charity, after all?!)
  • The 2013 Savanna event takes inspiration from New Orleans — take a shot, buy a book, HAVE A BALL!!!
  • Pip’s perspective of her first adventure in the Big Easy — “I see dead cross dressers.”
  • I like the way Stella says “cockroaches” — don’t you?
  • No, seriously, there are some beautiful things to see in New Orleans. Ask TwiMom.
  • Once again, Pip — there is no one in Louisiana that looks like the cast of True Blood.

53:28 — Writing Advice from Crazy Uncle Charlie

  • And the reactions to Crazy Uncle Charlie begin, almost as if they know him….intimately…
  • Crazy Uncle Charlie goes for broke with Stella Price…
  • From Lia — What P.O.V works best — First Person or Third Person?
    • Someone didn’t circulate the memo to P.J. that this segment is NOT to be taken seriously!
  • From P.J. — How do you get a feel for a city or setting you want to incorporate into a new work?
    • Wow…people are taking this segment SO SERIOUSLY!!!
  • Turns out that Crazy Uncle Charlie digs the moms, too…..
  • From TwiMom — What if your work-in-progress’ setting is a Fantasy or Science Fiction? How do your travels and life experiences translate into that work?
  • From Sidney — With multiple-partner-group-sex scenes, how do you handle pronoun usage?
  • Sadly, Sidney walks away with an unexpected truth — never trifle with Crazy Uncle Charlie.

1:03:38 — The Wrap-Up

  • Looking ahead to 2013 with Authors After Dark
    • Stella is planning more mischief and mayhem in Savannah, Georgia!
      •  An exclusive event for Young Adult authors, sponsored by four of the Big Six.
      • A Riverboat Dinner
      • Taking over a hotel. (No kidding…the entire hotel!)
      • …and much, much more. (So long as you don’t feed the alligators.)
    • August 15-18. Mark your calendars.
  • Giving a bit more love to my name twin and her kick-ass blog…and to all the book bloggers out there…
  • Once more, Pip and Tee give their love for Authors After Dark.
  • If you want to come, you’re going to want to register and book. Soon!
  • A quick push on where to find all of us online…
  • And while we didn’t mention it in the show, here’s what’s coming up with the two of us in August and September?
RELATED LINKS
[display_podcast]
Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or question for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

 

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