Tag Archives: Nick Kelly

by | January 14, 2018 · 2:30 am

Episode #86: Looking Ahead to 2018

This is a super-sized episode featuring the Geek Wolfpack Podcast crew in studio and recording a 2018 episode for their own feed, so have fun as two podcasts join forces to kick off 2018 with style!

00:00 —  Introduction

  • Wait a minute…this isn’t your podcast!
  • We have a lot of people in studio!
  • Big Love to Doctor Who’s Christmas Special!
    • And here’s where the show falls off the rails.
    • Hey, let’s start a rumor…
    • You need to watch the Christmas Special with perhaps the most epic “Previously on…” introduction.
    • Nice end to 2017!
  • Hold back your enthusiasm on being here!
  • Best way to start 2018 — killing Christmas trees!
  • What is Battlefield: Earth doing on the Hallmark Channel?

07:00 —  Episode #86: Looking Ahead to 2018

  • Looking back to Christmas…
    • Brandon refuses to let up on the snark for the New Year.
    • Teenagers love socks.
    • Serena’s rocking electronics while Brandon has got hockey skates for the ice!
    • The Canadian shakes her head at the oddities of Americans.
    • Penguin Trivia
    • Katie reflects on her Canadian Christmas
    • Butt Jokes
  • What are we planning for 2018?
  • Serena and Brandon, the youngsters, are making plans…
    • Serena now decides to clam up.
    • Brandon can control celebrity deaths? What?!
    • Serena is planning to study “creative stuff.“
    • TALKING SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD.
    • Holy cow, we’re talking a dark turn!
    • Brandon looks into Colgan, as well, for their Music Tech program.
  • Pip plans for the upcoming year!
    • Lots and lots and lots of audio production.
    • FOUR. BOOKS.
    • And four books may not be
  • Nick’s 2018 Plans
  • Looking ahead to the conventions we want to attend…
  • What about our Canuck? What is she planning and plotting for 2018?
  • The return of the novella
  • Curling is a thing in Virginia, eh?
  • Tee’s turn. What is waiting for him in 2018?
    • A solo novel, but he’s torn between two projects…
    • You can do both, sure, but focus is somewhat split. Pip’s got an idea…
    • Twitch for Dummies…and Brandon calls Tee out.
    • Tee answers Brandon’s callout.
    • Katie now calls out Tee on a completely different issue, and it’s a good call out.
    • Tee’s hesitancy with the Twitch for Dummies pitch
  • The Adpocalypse on YouTube. This is a thing!
  • Our Personal Focus point for 2018
    • Brandon: Landing a spot in Colgan High School’s Music Tech Program
    • Nick: Writing more. Meeting people.
    • Katie: Writing with joy and kindness.
    • Serena:  Landing a spot in Colgan High School’s Creative Writing Program
    • Pip: (amidst the heckling) Her word for the year — “Build”
    • Tee: His word for the year — “Complete”

45:13 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo

  • The last box of 2017 — the December Loot Crate: EXPLORE!
  • Tee speculates very little from this Loot Crate will make it to the Giveaway Box.
  • Welcome to the EXPLORE Loot Crate! 

    • A miniature from Mobile Suit Gundam! Classic anime FTW!
    • A Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2 calendar
    • From IDW Comics — Star Wars: Destroyer Down, a prequel story concerning our girl, Rei
    • A sweet Destiny 2 tee-shirt, featuring the Wanderwing, your first in-game ship
    • The Loot Crate pin — a classic rocket ship
  • Loot Crate is holding back on a booklet this go round. Nothing wrong with that.
  • Tee, are you ever going to make that Ghost?
  • Serena calls dibs on the comic book!

49:38 — The Wrap-Up

  • Shout-out to Rob Aldrich who also attended MAGFest!
  • Katie is heading back to Canada, but she will be planning to hit…
  • Tee and Pip will be heading to RavenCon…and that is when the madness begins for them!
  • Writing Advice for 2018
    • Nick: Invest into an “Accountability Partner.”
    • Katie: It’s okay to do your own thing. (Echoing something Tee said here.)
    • Pip: Keep flying.
    • Tee: Avoid excuses. (Another huge shout-out to Piper J Drake for this.)
  • Serena’s listening…we think.
  • More butt jokes.
  • If you have an event and want The Shared Desk to appear there, or if you just want to share an opinion about the show, here’s where to find us…
    • 703.791.1701
    • pip@pjballantine.com
    • tee@teemorris.com
    • …and social media, of course.
  • Pip’s Patreon will feature the first episode of her ALL-NEW PODCAST!
  • Here we come, 2018!

[display_podcast]

Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or questions for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
We’ll talk about it!
And remember, you can find the show on iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.

Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

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by | August 3, 2017 · 7:25 am

The Dog Days of Podcasting: The Value of a Routine

Special thanks to Corbin J Drake for the photo.

Has the 2017 Dog Days of Podcasting challenge become a routine yet? Tee hopes so. See, a routine for a writer is a good thing. Routines help you get things done, and there’s real value in having routines for the day. Does this mean that routines go missed? Well, yeah, that happens. Life is not set in its patterns, and routines are sometimes disrupted. This is why they are so valuable to you as a writer.

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Find Tee on Twitter here,
leave a voicemail or questions for the Dog Days of Podcasting at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
I’ll talk about it!
And remember, you can find this show on iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.

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by | May 17, 2017 · 2:00 am

Episode #74: Your Voicemails!

It’s so nice to breathe again, and because we got over the bug that we’ve passed back and forth to one another, we are back with a brand new Shared Desk! We have The Nebula Awards Conference this weekend, so as we are prepping for that, we’re turning to our voicemails and spending some time with you this go-round! (See—when you leave us Voicemail, we put you on the show!) We are also debuting a new segment for the show. Make sure to let us know what you think at 703-791-1701, and we may feature you in a segment or a special show just like this one.

Well, not just like this one as we are not going to get the exact feedback.

You know what we mean!

00:00 —  Introduction

  • No longer shouting into the mic. See, Pip can be taught!
  • Thanks, Billy, for the sweet drop-in!
  • Big shout out for all this great geekery on the television. Well, not all of it…
  • Anyone else excited about The Defenders?
  • Finally over the sniffles, the coughing, and the congestion…

03:54 — Episode 74: Your Voicemails!

  • Some Voicemail love
    • We’ve been letting the voicemails stack up, so we’re giving the whole show to them.
    • Some cross-promotion for Happy Hour from the Tower
    • Upcoming Podcasting for Dummies shenanigans
    • …and yeah, a lot of podcasting in the works for the both of us!
  • First Voicemail: Brian Webber & Episode 69
  • Second Voicemail: Chris Lester & Episode 71
    • Chris knows how to plug!
    • The theory of what brings on The Impostor Syndrome
    • Chris’ introduction to Hamilton parallels Tee’s
    • Some Hamilton trivia, especially Lin-Manuel Miranda at the White House
    • Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Creative Process
    • A discussion about being a “Genius”
  • Third Voicemail: Nobilis Reed & Episode 73
    • When authors don’t want to move forward, why does that mean readers can’t?
    • The end can be the beginning, whether it is a role-playing game (like ours!) or writing fan fiction.
    • Fan fiction is a healthy extension of where an author’s work ends.
    • Mike Rigg launched the Steam Rollers Adventure Podcast as an extension of his own world (and Tee loves to listen).
  • Fourth Voicemail: Steve Pritchard & Episode 73
    • More reminiscing over Billi Baddings
    • Passing along notes to other writers and passing the torch…
    • Looking back on Iron Fist
  • Yes, we love Listener Feedback so drop us a line…
    • 703.791.1701
    • tee (at) teemorris (dot) com
    • pip (at) pjballantine (dot) com
    • ….or leave us a comment right here in the show’s post! 
  • Pip gets all foreign on Tee again.

28:07 — What’s Cookin’, Writers? 

  • And now, the Spirit Animal of Tee and Pip’s Kitchen
  • How did this segment come about? It all started with a Facebook exchange from Tommy Garza…
  • If you think we cook like crazy, how about that Piper J Drake?
  • Smoking Meats: The Basics
    • Step 1: Get Yourself a Smoker

    • Be careful—you may get so attached to your smoker, you may put your life before this appliance.
    • Char-Broil Electric Smoker. Great device, dodgy app.
  • The Zen of Smoked Meats
    • This is not an impulse thing. You plan for smoking meats.
    • Smoking meats is great for writers!
    • You want wood? We got wood!
  • Char Broil has a great website for tips on smoking meats.
  • Try different flavors with your wood. Find out what works for you.
  • Whatever the cooking time, add one hour.
  • Smoking Ribs: The 3-2-1 Method
    • Enjoy your double innuendos.
    • The Tea & Spice Exchange is great for rubs!
    • Farmers’ Markets also carry terrific rubs.
    • Apply rub to your meat, smoke that for three hours.
    • Then baste your meat, smoke for two hours. (We love using cider from Cobbler Mountain Cellars.)
    • Cover in a sauce of your liking, smoke for an hour.
    • Serve, eat, and you’re welcome.
  • And now, since we’re talking about poultry, let’s talk about spatchcocking.
  • Shout out to Scott Sigler!
  • Closing with brisket
  • Want to try Blue Apron? Reach out to us. Let us know…

45:45 — The Wrap-Up

[display_podcast]

Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or questions for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
We’ll talk about it!
And remember, you can find the show on iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.

Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

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by | February 13, 2017 · 3:51 am

SPECIAL EPISODE: The Geek Wolfpack Podcast and a Review of MAGFest

A SYNDICATED SPECIAL
with the Geek Wolfpack Podcast!

A special episode (dropped into the Shared Desk feed via the Geek Wolfpack Podcast feed) where Papa Wolf  (Nick Kelly) and his special guest (Tee, first time in studio!)  recap the events of MAGFest 2017. Hear these two discuss the unique vibe of this festival, cosplay, retro gaming, our panels, and all sorts of insanity from this incredible Washington, DC music and gaming festival over fine, malted beverages…

MAGFest Recap Notes

0:00 – Intro
1:07 – Fanboyglass – Destiny glasses
2:02 – MAGFest

2:16 – Brie gets her cameo
2:35 – Momma Wolf gets her cameo
3:08 – Rob Aldrich at www.teachthesky.com
3:49 – Rob’s panel on the Top Ten Episodes of the Transformers

Rob Aldrich presents on the Top Ten Transformers Episodes

4:11 – What is MAGFest?
4:50 – Tee’s intro to MAGFest
5:41 – Awesomecon
6:45 – The attendees are as diverse as it gets, and we love it
8:04 – Our friends at the Geektitude podcast and State of the Geek
8:14 – Locked, Loaded and Liberal
8:54 – MAGFest did a great video of our panel, Storytelling in Video Games
9:03 – Tee’s podcast, The Shared Desk
9:37 – There might be Time Travel
10:03 – Last year, Tee did “The Big Score: The History of Soundtracks in Movies and Video Games”
10:22 – Major kudos to all of the staff. The A/V crew was amazing.
11:10 – Always give thank you’s in the most public way to sound, A/V and lighting people
11:45 – Thursday’s arrival
12:20 – eBro-la is now a thing
13:08 – 4 day cons are actually 6 days long
14:14 – Battletech: Fire Storm
17:04 – The end of a con is not unlike Fat Tuesday

Squirrel Girl!

17:31 – Comics & Gaming
17:51 – Thermal’s new Assassin’s Creed jacket

18:18 – Ashamei got new earrings
18:50 – Sonic Boom gets Overwatch ears
20:16 – How Tee and Rob Aldrich met (in 2003)
21:51 – Hingle McCringleberry
22:10 – Pre-Order Rob Aldrich’s “Rockaiju”
22:55 – Rob mentioned Final Fantasy VI
23:35 – Rob also mentioned Ratchet and Clank
23:38 – Nick talked about Asheron’s Call
24:04 – Xenoblade Chronicles
24:31 – Tee talked Myst
24:45 – Tee also talked Destiny
25:28 – Get a gaming crate from Lootcrate
25:35 – Smuggler’s Bounty – Star Wars themed crates
26:14 – When is the story too much?
26:36 – Overwatch needs a story mode
27:27 – Matthew J Drake
28:25 – Overwatch was the predominant cosplay
28:55 – Rayden from Mortal Kombat
29:40 – The giant Team Skull contingent was outrageous
31:40 – Garrison Tyranus from the 501st Legion
32:35 – The Wolfpack did Friday
33:10 – The Voice Acting Panel
34:57 – Say “good-bye” like this…

Thermal Wolff’s Assassin’s Creed jacket

36:14 – Rail Theory Kickstarter in February
36:36 – 2064 Read Only Memories
37:44 – Shout out to Machinae Supremacy!
38:11 – Old Town Man Cave – Manassas, VA
38:26 – IT WAS COLD!
39:12 – Buy an electric vehicle
39:20 – The Blink charging app
40:12 – Aldrich is reviewing every episode of Transformers ever

43:42 – Do not Chipotle at MAGFest
44:03 – Redstone American Grill
45:27 – We love Luke Cage. Congrats to their stunt crew!
46:18 – We played Joust!
47:55 – The sound that ties MAGFest together, the Colossus roar!
49:00 – Some of the pinball machines (There’s a Big Lebowski game!)
50:28 – Our late night panel, “Slightly Off-Key: Great Soundtracks to Truly Terrible Films”
52:35 – A little Billy Idol history
54:02 – Steve Stevens has a grammy for flamenco

Monty Python’s Spanish Inquisition showed up at MAGFest

54:55 – Why Nick is pissed about Heavy Metal 2000
56:42 – Brian May’s involvement in the New Horizons project
57:45 – We gush over Highlander
58:20 – We talked a ton about Jim Steinman on the panel
59:02 – Nick loves Meatloaf
59:55 – The types of movies we cover: “If they weren’t absolute stinkers, they were train wrecks.” – Tee
60:30 – Where the video game based movies rank on RottenTomatoes.com
62:03 – Shout out to our friends at Horrorview
63:57 – The Batman vs Superman movie themes – fortissimo or djent, however you want to put it…
65:34 – We sold books!
66:16 – We agree to disagree on Van Helsing
66:56 – The different scores of Legend
69:33 – So, Nick, how did you feel after the panel?
71:29 – There’s a lot of Jim Steinman to the Protomen

View from the stage during the Thursday panel

74:22 – MAGFest is a two-way communication at all times
75:44 – Tee had fans of the Ministry in attendance
76:34 – The vibe at MAGFest is contagious
78:44 – Reciprocity!
80:34 – Shout out to Tyler Waldman
81:05 – Shout out to Pip Ballantine!
81:30 – Countless Hues of Crimson
81:38 – Pip Ballantine’s “Immortal Progeny”
81:45 – The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh
81:56 – Shout out to the staff!
82:06 – MAGFest
82:29 – Happy Birthday David Bowie and Elvis Presley. Bowie released an EP on 1/8/17
83:18 – All MAGFest all the time!
83:38 – Outro

Finally….The Colossus Roar!

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by | December 17, 2016 · 8:43 pm

SPECIAL EPISODE: The Geek Wolfpack Podcast and the Nerd Out App Kickstarter

Hey, everyone!

No…this is NOT Episode 69, dudes.

We have a lot happening this month. We’re working on our final season (and yes we admit to be using the term “final” liberally…) of Tales from the Archives, work to do on Operation: Endgame, and planning a special two-part head-to-head episode here on the Shared Desk with in-studio guest Nick Kelly over a science fiction epic, and how it ended. However, we wanted to take some time and share with you this episode of the Geek Wolfpack Podcast, Nick Kelly’s premiere podcast featuring the entire Kelly family. (Give it a listen. It’s a hoot!) This particular episode features the Wolfpack Podcast’s first interview, their guest professional nerd and entertainment professional Elle Jensen, founder of the Nerd Out App.

Elle sits down with Nick, Tee, and Pip to talk about the app’s Kickstarter campaign and how geeks of all backgrounds should be taking advantage of this wonder of technology!

Episode 16 (Show notes by Nick Kelly)

0:00 – Intro
1:18 – Our Interview with Elle Jensen of the Nerd Out App!
1:42 – Pip Ballantine!
1:55 – Tee Morris!
2:31 – Elle Jensen, Founder of the Nerd Out App
2:48 – The plug bell
3:06 – What exactly is the Kickstarter for?
3:45 – App development is like LEGO bricks
5:05 – Nick starts counting cities where he’s used the app
5:13 – What exactly is the Nerd Out App? Elle’s Comic Con story
6:00 – Nerdy Burlesque!
6:33 – The growth numbers on Nerd Out App 1.0
6:44 – The Average Geek Show
7:15 – Where does the App team get their events?
8:04 – The Chicago crew needs to get on the Nerd Squad
8:22 – A Klingon Christmas Carol
8:39 – DreamstoBecome.com
10:12 – Currently, events get added via a manual process. It’s going to be way easier in 2.0
10:53 – #furriesruineverything
11:12 – How are events vetted?
12:31 – Nerding responsibly
12:57 – The coolest events ever hosted in the app
13:24 – Poltergeist as a burlesque
13:55 – Nick’s list of cities, and the count is…
14:08 – Shout out to Geektitude.com
14:30 – Nerdcon!
14:36- Dumbells and Dragons and the Wekk podcast
15:06 – Other features in 2.0 – Geolocation, additional locations
15:45 – NEW ZEALAND!
15:53 – EpicCon – V’s Cosplay will be there as Agents Books & Braun
16:35 – Overseas requests come in bursts, but 2.0 will be able to expand more
17:15 – What is the financial goal of the Kickstarter campaign?
17:54 – If you do a Kickstarter campaign, factor in taxes
18:15 – What questions does Elle have for Tee and Pip?
19:45 – What’s the frequency of posts?
20:15 – How many posts are we boosting?
21:00 – What was Pip’s strategy in boosting posts?
21:33 – The West Coast Steampunk folks need to get posting more!
22:08 – What are the incentives?
23:02 – Audiobook giveaways are popular
23:22 – Other authors are happy to provide eBooks
23:50 – Additional feature – filtering so you can keep it kid friendly
24:28 – Stickers! Game of Thrones! Harry Potter! Deadpool! The Flash! Stranger Things!
25:02 – The Con Survival Pack – Everything you need to survive a con
25:45 – Sponsorship levels
26:12 – Tee explains the uber level
27:32 – Personalization is a big, big thing
27:47 – Friday the 13th: The Video Game
28:28 – Mystery Science Theater 3000
28:50 – Habitica gets a mention
29:20 – What are some personalization options for Nerd Out 2.0?
29:49 – King or Queen Nerd of your town
30:50 – You could be the nerd in the logo!
31:50 – A launch party, with the nerdy burlesque people and Geeky Tees
32:38 – Do you have a plan b?
33:40 – The timing of the kickstarter
35:40 – Nick’s experience from the field – www.starwarsdays.com
36:00 – Garrison Tyranus of the 501st Legion
36:19 – +2 Charisma
37:06 – Tee foreshadows the Nick vs. Tee Westworld episode
38:30 – Here we go. Elle’s street cred…
39:02 – Agent Carter
39:35 – Riverdale
39:55 – The CW Alien Crossover event
41:44 – I know my value
42:32 – Where can we find Elle and the Nerd Out App
42:55 – Thanks from the Wolfpack to Elle, Tee and Pip!
43:50 – ADHD D&D
44:31 – We continue to search Vrath Keep, after a PSA about flammable oven mitts
45:03 – NO DEMIGORGONS!
45:50 – Comfy chair
47:16 – It’s a conference room
48:21 – We all react to the ridiculous goblin map
49:13 – Turgen wants halflings to eat
49:55 – Do not spill ranch dressing on yourself
51:45 – Young Shecky Greene
54:03 – Battle of Lexington and Concord
54:30 – Hey, Pharaxes, go set everything on fire!
55:39 – You want an arcana check?
57:20 – Take an automatic 20 (why not?)
58:58 – The nightmare refugee scenario
59:50 – Outro

[display_podcast]

Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
leave us a voicemail or questions for the show at 703.791.1701,
or leave us a comment here at the blog.
We’ll talk about it!
And remember, you can find the show on iTunes or Stitcher!
Subscribe, listen, and review.

Enjoy the ride
and we’ll catch you later.

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by | March 17, 2016 · 10:08 am

Episode 52: Kill Your Darlings — On Developmental Editing

 

Nope, no special guests. This time, you’re stuck with us. Fair warning about that — we may be a touch slaphappy, too….

00:00 —  Introduction

03:45 — Killing Your Darlings

  • Developmental editing — a lot like spending a weekend in either Midsomer County or Cabot Cove
  • We took a hatchet to our latest book, The Ghost Rebellion…but no worries, Verena & Christina, Eliza still gets to do the thing.
  • Starting at 120K, down-up-down-down-up….
  • Blah-blah-blah? Seriously?
  • The difference between developmental edits and line edits 
  • During these edits, our Kickstarter popped its head up to offer unexpected challenges.
  • I think Pip needs a nap…
  • The evolution of a character, thanks to SCIENCE! 
  • Oh, did you see what Pip did there with pushing our Ministry newsletter?
  • Cutting chapters is not the same as deleting characters!
  • Matt Drake is a bad influence on Tee.
  • Suna Dasi and Sarah Daniels are stepping in to help us out when we are culturally challenged. Maybe J.K. Rowling should have made a few calls…
  • What happens after the first round of developmental edits?
  • How Destiny comes into play with this show…
  • Want to make an author cry? Change a project’s parameters.
  • Walking the line between the integrity of your work and being a professional.
  • Tee’s Editing Patronus, Miss Sarah Hunter…
    editing
  • Courtesy. It’s not all bad, you know?
  • Knowing the word count for your project is always a good thing.
  • Another problem with the developmental edits—making really hard calls when it comes to character’s individual fates.
  • Don’t be afraid to cut.

25:4o — Writers Off the Clock

  • What choo wanna do? I wanna shoop, baby…..
  • Talkin’ ’bout Deadpool.
  • Amazing what you can do with a limited budget.
  • What Deadpool and Howard Stern have in common…and then, going just that step further.
  • What Deadpool and The Passion of the Christ have in common…
  • This isn’t Verena’s first time modeling, but she is a little overwhelmed by being on a book cover. (Still, she loves it…a lot!)
  • Favorite one liners.
  • Ah, the joys of improvisation.
  • IKEA was paying attention when this movie was being made.
  • Remember, it’s not Wham……
  • What Deadpool got right, and kept getting right throughout the film…

39:25 — Wrapping up

[display_podcast]

Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
on Tee, or the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences on Periscope
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 | March 2, 2016 · 6:30 am

Episode 51: The ABC’s — Alcohol, Blizzards, and Cosplayers

 

TSD-back2back_cosplayers

 

The snow was falling.

The beer was flowing.

So we got into our pajamas, fired up the mic, and well…this is what happens when cosplayers and writers get together and drink! Christina’s back, Verena’s here, and we’re sharing the desk about cosplaying, Kickstarters, and the search for a craft beer that meets Bavaria’s approval.

00:00 —  Introduction

  • A quick intro from Tee Morris about how we cannot count.
  • Just to warn you, we may be here a while as we have nowhere to go presently…
  • In-Studio Guests
  • This episode brought to you by Hot Topic and Deadpool.

03:00 — Snowed In with Cosplayers

  • Food, Beer, and Toilet Paper…we are ready for the Epic Snowstorm of 2016!
  • The Ghost Rebellion Kickstarter brought the Bavarian and (unexpectedly) the Californian here…
  • Verena did not know us from a bar of soap, but she flew over here anyway.
  • Verena’s new love in America: Hot Topic.
  • Long before cosplay was a thing, little Verena was getting into cosplay for German book festivals!
  • What inspired these two cosplayers to decide on bringing Eliza to life?
  • Cover models at RT are not looking as badass as Verena’s or Christina’s Eliza.
  • Hold on—these two have been BFFs longer than we’ve known Verena!
  • Christina steps back to her first cosplay…and Pip gets a little lost while swimming in Lake Me.
  • The differences between cosplaying as Eliza and cosplaying as Sophia
  • Concerning cosplaying, showing off the goods, and Lauren “Double Pineapple” Harris
  • Recorded for posterity: We <3 Lauren’s boobs!
  • Verena’s philosophy on cosplay vs cleavage.

20:52 — A Day with GoForward Photography 

  • Spending the day with some really talented people at GoForward Photography
  • Shooting on a green screen. Optimal for cover composition.
  • Shooting for cosplay shots against book cover shots.
  • Studio Fotozon approached Verena a little differently from GoForward.
  • Christina is now taking applicants for Wellington cosplayers. Must look like Hiddleston…
  • This isn’t Verena’s first time modeling, but she is a little overwhelmed by being on a book cover. (Still, she loves it…a lot!)
  • Now Tee plays a nice drop-in, but Verena goes Deadpool. What a naughty Bavarian!
  • Pip has to do a double-take as Eliza was standing in front of her once Verena got into costume.
  • Then there is the cover shoot for Countless Hues of Crimson…
    • It starts with a pineapple…
    • We named the pineapple. Mr. Heath Red.
    • Cue the madness. And an inappropriate joke or two. Or more.
    • Once back on topic, we were talking about fruit on a cover, and eventually, we reached the pineapple.
  • Heath Red, Drama Queen
  • Wait-wait-wait…how did David Bowie get into this?!
  • Christina has a lot of fabric…but no idea what to do with it.
  • At this point Deadpool becomes an unofficial fifth guest on the show.
  • What’s next for Verena? Apparently, it’s time for her to boldly go…
  • And at this point, Hot Topic becomes an unofficial sponsor for the show.

And here is the cover…

TheGhostRebellion_ebook

44:10 Writers off the Clock.

  • Sorry about the overmodulation, everyone.
  • Verena is not that impressed with the Craft Beer Movement here in the States.
  • Where we traveled to during Verena’s and Christina’s stay…
    • Old Bust Head Brewery
    • Dogfish Head Brewery and Distillery
    • Pen Druid Brewery
    • Copper Fox Distillery
  • Verena discovers Hot Topic, and we all descend into a Hot Topic tangent.
  • After Hot Topic, the adventure home…
  • And now, weathering the GREAT BLIZZARD OF 2016!!!

55:31 Voicemail!

1:18:48 Wrapping up

  • What the hell is wrong with my board?!
  • Maybe Hot Topic should sponsor The Shared Desk?
  • Your obligatory Idris Elba mention.
  • Tee’s planning to attend MAGFest 2016…which happened last week.
  • Oh, and the fifth book really needs to get done…which is done, and is now in
  • If you are in Germany, find Verena at the Leipzeig Book Fair 2016 and AnimeCon outside of Munich…
  • We need to get Verena set up online. She’s got great cosplay to show off.
  • “It’s not a Man-Purse! IT’S A SATCHEL!!!”
  • What was up with Jack Bauer and his mobile phone?!
  • Verena makes an appeal for patrons to fly Pip and Tee over to Bavaria. So talk to us! PayPal us!!!
  • Massive jelly over Thomas Willeford and his (apparently) rich patrons!
  • Did you hear that? We have voicemail — 703.791.1701
  • Where to find us online…

 

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Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
on Tee, or the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences on Periscope
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 | March 26, 2014 · 12:29 pm

Episode #31: Reflections and Lessons Learned from a Blog Tour (with Nick & Stacia Kelly)

TSD-back2back_NKSK

What a grand time we had in studio! If you remember from a previous Shared Desk, we enjoyed good panel with Stacia Kelly & Nick Kelly, another husband and wife team in the Science Fiction and Fantasy market. We finally got them over at Imagine That! Studios, enjoyed the last of the gas in the grill, and got them on mic. In this first in-studio appearance (and something tells me, far from the last) we talk about the recent Endless Possibilities Book Tour, lessons learned, and where we are going from here.

00:00 — Introduction

  • We’ve got alcohol introduced into the system which means the drops-in’s are leaning towards the ruder side of things. Even with guests in-studio.
  • Welcome for the first time in-studio our special guests, Nick and Stacia Kelly.
  • Bitching about the winter that shows no signing of ending…
  • Good things about Trinity Episcopal: We meet awesome people!
  • What do you do when you’re about to have a book released?
    • Tee — Goes on a CLEANING BINGE!
    • Pip — Drinks. (But Tee has other opinions as to what she does…)
    • Stacia — When she is nervous, she dances! Then cleans up after herself….
    • Nick — Channels his inner-Jaeger pilot. (He tends to cave to peer pressure from the show host, too.)
  • Go out and get Dawn’s Early Light! NOW!!!
    • A lot is riding on this new book.
    • There’s been a lot of hype around the book.
    • Our blog traffic is up by 300% (Now 400%….)
  • No one touches the bell!
  • A lot has been happening across all our blogs… 

08:47 — Reflections and Lessons Learned from a Blog Tour 

  • Blog Tours
    • What did we learn?
    • How do they happen?
    • How do you organize one?
  • Stacia — “This was my idea.”
    • WbtR wanted to try something new with book promotions!
    • First time with the blog tour — Sixteen participants! (Yikes!)
  • Nick admits there was a learning curve, but there were some challenges ahead.
  • Tee had a problem: The traffic during the blog tour dropped. Oooops…
  • Is there a strategy at composing blogposts?
  • What are tips for participants new to blog touring?
    • A “How to Blog 101” blogpost or “class” for those involved
    • Understanding a commitment level
    • Advantages: a new pool of content for my blog
  • Rules for repurposing blogpost and creating content
    • Nick — Ask yourself “What makes you want to read a blogpost?”
    • Tee — Ask your blog host “What would you like?” and pitch ideas.
    • Pip — On evergreen content
    • Stacia — Change more than 20% of a blogpost before you think it is a repurposed blogpost
    • Nick — On a blogpost’s exclusivity
  • Timing on topics does matter.
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)  — does it really work?
  • What Tee has to deal with on a daily basis…
  • So someone is intimated by Tee? For what exactly?!
  • Oh MySpace’s Tom, where are you now?
  • Tee builds up a joke about DC (Comics) but Nick thinks it’s about (Washington) DC…
  • Another resource for blogposts — Writers…who behave like idiots
  • A tangent on SFWA…
  • Another tangent — albeit a much longer one — on Kickstarter…
  • If you are going to blog about something out there or controversial, own it.   
  • Other bits of advice for writers new to a blog tour
    •  Know the works of the authors
    • Look for a sweet spot for blogpost length

35:30 — Seriously? Seriously.

  • So much stuff to choose from for this week’s section…
  • Pip reads the web, and Nick is happy.
  • A threat that that is creeping up on established authors of the Empire: The Loss of their Cushy Offices in London!
  • Are these writers serious?!
  • Nick and Stacia take the blame for what happening to toad’s professional author.
  • Stacia shares an opinion on those who rely solely on traditional house publishing.
  • Your obligatory Doctor Who reference…
  • What you, as an author, need to do to survive in today’s modern publishing world.
  • Do authors really need a downtown metropolitan office?!
  • Nick Kelly steps up and knocks it out of the park!

46:04 — The Wrap-Up

  • Now THAT’S a segue!!!
  • Pip and Tee have an jam packed week this week between…
  • Later on this Spring…
    • RavenCon, April 25-27
    • A quick cameo from Sonic Boom who wants S’mores and feels the need to plug America’s Funniest Home Videos
    • DemiCon 25, May 1-5
  • What Nick and Stacia have on their plates…
    • Finishing and releasing Gian in time for Earth Day
    • “Catwalk: Jericho” coming
    • Catwalk: Lineage coming this Halloween
  • Remember: Always honor Rule #34!
  • Nick Kelly gushes for a moment about James Langton…while explaining the moment he figured out why Pip and Tee call this podcast The Shared Desk…

  50:57 — The Outtake

cover art by J.R. Blackwell 

[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 | July 23, 2013 · 2:28 am

Episode #24: Collaborating Couples (with Nick & Stacia Kelly)

TSD-back2back_Kelly Holy cow! Two in two weeks?! The deuce, you say! We do say! And it’s a special Shared Desk as we’ve recorded our panel at the Write by the Rails meeting that included a panel discussion with couples that collaborated on their writings. Joined by local authors Nick and Stacia Kelly, Tee and Pip share stories and approaches on how they make a collaboration work and also share advice on how to keep collaborations successful.

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00:00 — Introduction

  • Flying solo in the opening…
  • Throwing in a special episode without making it special…
  • Hooking up with Nick and Stacia Kelly (and yeah, Tee trips up on her name a bit in the introduction…)
  • Quick Announcement — Tee & Pip will be working the York County Library on JULY 30!!! 
  • Teasing the next special guest for The Shared Desk…
2:47 — Collaborating Couples (with Nick & Stacia Kelly)
  • Recording LIVE from the Write by the Rails writing group here in Manassas, VA
  • Sadly, we can’t enact the “Bar Panel” rule here…
  • Who’s on the panel tonight?
  • What’s the collaboration process between us?
    • Stacia got an idea, but wanted to write with her husband, Nick.
    • Nick works more with the nitty-gritty, not so well on the romance…
    • Nic and Stacia discover their differences in how they write.
    • The truth of successful collaboration, and how marrying your writing partner is not the sure-fire solution to a great process.
    • Pip and Tee talk a bit about Discovery Writing.
    • When you do the open idea sessions, all four of us need to write it down!
  • Pip & Tee flinch over the “Red Pen” experience with Harper Voyager.
  • How does collaboration go with people outside the writing experience?
    • Editorial pains
    • Working with cover artists
    • Okay, Tee could get behind the “Hot Tub” sessions….
    • Working on the covers of Kindred & Wings and Dawn’s Early Light…
  • When Collaborations go wrong…
    • Stacia stands alone as the writer amongst the experts. Let the madness commence!
    • Tee finally reveals the story behind his first story…and it is as epic as the story itself….
    • Pip’s “bad experience” was actually not that bad.
    • Facing the worst-case scenario as a married couple.
    • The panel goes deep into having an Exit Plan and the importance of communication.
  • Mad props to Delilah S. Dawson for coming through…
  • Unexpected Collaborations
    • Working with book bloggers on blog tours
    • Collaborating with other authors in your worlds
    • Spending some quality time on Jack Mangan and his influence on The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences….
  • What you need for a solid collaboration — Trust, Communications, and an Editorial Timeline

40:45 — Questions from the Audience

  • How do you divide responsibilities between yourselves?
    • Pip and Tee evolve their collaborative process from when they went from a podcast-for-pay to a series from Harper Voyager and Ace.
    • Pip & Tee’s biggest argument
    • Stacia makes Nick put on a “special suit” for working out fight scenes.
    • Nick breaks down their writing process using a musical analogy.
  • How did Pip and Tee first meet?
    • Meeting online
    • Everybody wanted to collaborate with Tee because…
    • The open honesty from New Zealand
  • Do you all do your own editing?
    • Why hiring an editor is so important.
    • Stacia’s editing resource — http://autocrit.com
    • But you should still edit your own drafts before going to an editor.
    • When is the editing done?
    • The little discoveries when you go deep into editing
    • What an editor should never say to a writer…
  • How many Beta Readers do you have?
    • What to expect from Beta Readers
  • What are you doing when you’re not writing?
    • It’s a wide field of expertise.
    • Tee’s suggestion: A social media panel for writers (with a quick tangent on John Scalzi)
    • A quick discussion on Hootsuite and other strategies in social media
  • ….and that’s all from us here at Write By the Rails!
 
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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