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by | May 31, 2017 · 2:51 am

Episode #75: Recorded LIVE from the 2017 SFWA Nebula Awards Conference

photo from Heidi Ruby-Miller

Tee and Pip make to Steel City for the 2017 Nebula Awards, and at the en masse signing, the pace for them slowed down. That tends to happen when the SFWA bookstore doesn’t stock your books. Fortunately, Tee stocked his satchel with the iPad and a Shure MV51. Five minutes later, Tee and Pip are bringing the 2017 Nebula Awards Book Signing and passer’s-by to you! Welcome to a moment at The Nebula Awards Conference where Katie, Tee, Pip, Lauren, Piper, and Matt — the Smoky Writers Mafia — gathered amongst the best in science fiction. Give them a call at 703-791-1701, and ask about anything concerning this conference. It was quite the education!

00:00 —  Episode #75: The 2017 SFWA Nebula Awards Conference 

  • Promo: The Nerd Out App
  • LIVE from Pittsburgh!!!
  • Pip thinks she has a “radio voice” but it’s not really
  • Looks who dropped by! It’s Mel!!! And Heather is here as well!
  • What brings Mel and Heather to The Nebula Awards? Well, this is Mel’s hometown!
  • Notes from The Nebula Conference, Confluence, and Pittsburgh on a whole
    • Beer tastings happen, especially when K.T. Bryski is around!
    • Avoid food served in a bucket.
    • Pip might get in some sight-seeing…
  • Tee’s asked to sign a program. As he looks for a place to sign, have a listen to the Programming of the conference.
  • Pip recalls her panel of awesome with Mary Robinette Kowall.
  • Escape Artists, Inc. shows up in force at the Nebulas.
  • A few words on audio rights, and how important they are…
  • Tee reflects on his first panel: Other Day Jobs for Writers…
  • …then came Podcasting 101 with Piper J Drake and Pip in the Moderator’s Seat.
  • What happens when you sit down with Apple iBooks…
    • Want to visit the Mother Ship in Cuppertino? (YES!!!)
    • Changing travel plans for December.
    • Apple wants to talk to authors, and be more author friendly.
  • We get a visit from Heidi Ruby Miller (right) who is rocking this cool retro sci-fi pattern…
  • And just like that Heidi’s on the podcast.
  • Yes, there is a ball app and Tee travels with one.
  • Heidi has snuck away from the Penn Writers Conference to hang with science fiction authors.
  • What was Heidi up to at the Penn Writers Conference?
  • What Heidi and her husband, Jack, are up to on social media?
    • Check out Small Space, Big Life on YouTube
    • And Jack is shaking his backsides at the Nebulas.
    • And as Larry Connelly passes by, Tee recognizes him from Podcasting 101!
    • Larry, it turns out, is a podcasting veteran.
  • No books to sign, but we do have autograph cards!
  • Grabbing Jennifer Dawson, a Stonecoaster alongside K.T. Bryski, to clock in some time on the mic…
    • A quick opinion on Stonecoast
    • And what does Jenn write? Well now…
    • The support of a community matters.
    • Tee tells Jenn about the James River Writers, and how he found out about them.
    • Turns out Omaha has a LOT going on for writers!
    • Jenn’s favorite panels from the conference.
  • The power of podcasting: Keeping ourselves entertained when books are not around.
  • Signing off…

34:59 — The Loot Crate Lookie-Loo (with The Kelly Family!)

  • Nick, Stacia, and Brandon wanted to be around when we opened up this Loot Crate…
  • May’s Theme: Guardians
    • Q-Fig of Rocket and Groot! How about those Q-Fig creations?
    • The tee shirt is Goonies-riffic!
    • A Star Wars Coloring Book?! Tee is 7 again!
    • The Loot Crate pin is Avatar: The Last Airbender. Not his fandom, but it’s pretty sweet.
    • A Character Class Patch Set from Destiny…
    • …and the box becomes your Ghost, as we talk about in Happy Hour from the Tower.
    • Here’s what it looks like when it’s done…
  • NICE HAUL!!!

45:45 — The Wrap-Up

  • Pip needs some Stark-splaining!
  • WE GOT TICKETS FOR WONDER WOMAN!!!
  • The Nebula Conference was fun! So was our visit to Balticon 51!
  • Where are we going to be?
    • 16-18 June, AwesomeCon in Washington D.C. (No, we’re not going to get that photo with Stan Lee…)
    • 30 June-July 2, BlerDCon in Washington D.C. (Wait, hold on, what’s BlerDCon? And what are Nick and Tee up to?)
    • A quick tangent on Star Trek: Discovery...
    • 14-16 July, Motor City Steam Con in Detroit, MI
  • This ain’t Tee’s first rodeo. Obviously.

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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 17, 2016 · 10:28 am

Episode 50: A Look Ahead to 2016

The Shared Desk episode 49

We are back. ALL OF US! We had such a blast talking about 2015, we decided to keep the mics hot and talk a bit about 2016, so let’s not keep you waiting!

And hey— this is Episode 50!!!
TSD-NewYear2016

00:00 — Introduction

  • The Mid-Life Crisis Episode….well, no not really…
  • Did we just drop a teaser for Episode #51?
  • Guests—SOUND OFF!!!
  • A liver joke…that K.T. doesn’t get?
  • So we were planning to talk about 2015 and 2016 all in  one show, but we all talk a lot….
  • When you have houseguests, get some mileage out of them.
  • Sonic Boom’s epic mic drop during her bedtime prayer. More like an audition for Trinity Episcopal.
  • What we’ve been doing during this wild weekend with houseguests…which includes getting in word count…
  • Drawing a parallel between Ex Machina and The Force Awakens

07:17 — Looking Ahead to 2016

  • To hear about what we accomplished last year, listen to this show.
  • K.T. Bryski is graduating from Stonecoast!
    • While waiting for her graduation, K.T.’s starting a novel
    • Tee blacks out on a really cool show done back in September where K.T. is working on a one-act play.
    • K.T. wants to work on other ideas germinating and gestating in her head.
  • Lauren “Scribe” Harris, has a multi-pronged plan for 2016
    • Obtaining her license
    • Completing second drafts on two novels
    • Completing audiobook projects
    • Writing a musical with K.T.
  • K.T. and Lauren share a moment of cuteness with just a touch of Jack Bauer
  • Lauren also has a cover shoot coming up
  • Matthew J. Drake
    • Piper is having a happy anime girl moment.
    • Matt is grasping the hard reality about the best laid plans.
    • Matt Drake, the Unexpected Author
    • Still pursuing advanced degrees and opportunities
    • Matt is still in video games, but not so much with Twitch.
    • Audio is drawing Matt into the flame….
  • Piper J. Drake kicks off 2016 with a BRAND NEW BOOK! 
    • Big step for PJD who is coming out of a box swinging HARD.
    • Hardcore promotion lies ahead.
    • With five books coming in 2016, she’s already lining up future projects!
    • Piper cracks the whip on Tee, and conspires with Pip…
  • Tee and Pip are also hitting 2016’s ground running
    • Complete The Ghost Rebellion
    • Complete Countless Hues of Crimson
    • Begin work on Operation: Endgame
    • Pip looks to complete The Silver Pharoh
    • Tee looks at Wolf in the Fold…again.
    • The Kickstarter has committed Tee to writing and recording Little Red Flying Hood
    • And with lessons learned in all our Kickstarter, Tee wants to pitch Crowdfunding for Writers to Writers’ Digest
  • …provided there are no surprise home D.I.Y. Projects.

27:41 — How do we make all this happen in 2016?

  • Piper J. prioritizes the projects by contracts, money value, and Any.do, day planners with neat-o re-stickable stickers, and Scrivener as a series bible!
  • A few thoughts about Evernote, something Tee needs to explore.
  • Matt just needs to narrow down his goals, and he’s planing a new website.
  • Technology is Matt’s jam, particularly a smartphone that does what it wants you to to do and has a LOT of space.
  • Lauren loves paper, by the way. That, and Angry Canadians.
  • An analog girl, Lauren works with old school day planners that are associated with their own unique projects.
  • Lauren’s secret for beautiful skin? A sound booth.
  • Lauren needs to get that license…then the creative endeavors take off.
  • How will K.T. make her 2016 happen? COFFEE. 
  • K.T. also has to schedule her creativity around Black Creek Brewery.
  • The struggle is real between creativity and exhaustion.
  •  How do you fit in time (and energy) for writing?
  • A discussion on Write or Die.
  • Another discussion on writing with music in the background.

56:13 Wrapping up

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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 | December 31, 2015 · 12:57 pm

Episode 48: A Writer’s Look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens (with Dr. Stacia and Nick Kelly)

TSD-back2back_NKSK

We managed to get into the studio and we’re letting colorful language and personal opinions fly as we welcome back to the Shared Desk Dr. Stacia Kelly and Nick Kelly into the new studio with a spoilerific episode at what all the nerdy kids are all running to the theatres to see…

00:00 Introduction

  • We’re back, and Tee still remembers how everything works!
  • Stacia’s lifting weights, and Nick is taking to edits on their works-in-progress.
  • Nick is refusing to look at the White Board Wall as The Ghost Rebellion is completely mapped out.

03:55  IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FORCE AWAKENS, STOP LISTENING NOW!!!

We kick back and talk all about….

star-wars-force-awakens-official-poster

1:07:18 Some After-Force, Slightly-Spoilery Banter

  • We talk a bit about what upcoming plans for travel, book events, and the like.
  • What to see in London.
  • Don’t be in London in case of any natural disasters…but if aliens show up, keep an eye out for a madman in a box…
  • Pip encourages a fantasy of Tee’s at the Globe Theatre.
  • No more Crazy Uncle Charlie.
  • A tangent on William Hootkins
  • What we are watching on television. MORE SPOILERS AHEAD!
  • Wrapping it all up…

 

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Find us on Twitter at either Tee’s or Pip’s account,
on Tee, or Tee’s Periscope Channel 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 | 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
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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 9, 2011 · 1:30 am

The Shared Desk — Episode #007: NaNoWriMo (or The “I Hate Nathan Lowell!” Show)


With the 2011 Con Season behind them and friends jumping into the writerly madness of November, Pip and Tee spend the show looking at NaNoWriMo or the National Novel Writing Month. They got rants, they got opinions, and they got their own bits of advice for those brave enough to jump into the competition.

To all those taking the NaNoWriMo challenge — good luck!

00:00 — Introduction

  • Hold on…it’s November?!
  • Quick — Get to the topic!

00:51 — NaNoWriMo

  • What exactly is NaNoWriMo?
  • 1:53 — FIRST MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL
  • The Two Camps of NaNoWriMo…and the camp that Evo Terra rules over.
  • Drawing a line between a Writer and an Author
  • Why November?!
  • 5:41 — SECOND MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL
  • Just because you win NaNoWriMo doesn’t mean you’re ready for publishing. (Shame on you, Smashwords!)
  • A few words of love (both tender and tough) for NaNoEdMo.
    • February? The shortest month of the year?! Seriously?!
  • Tee & Pip find out why NaNoWriMo is in November…and Tee goes on a rant…
  • Why NaNoEdMo is so important
  • What we truly love about NaNoWriMo
    • It’s a fantastic way to get into the regiment of writing.
    • 13:22 — THIRD MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL
    • An inside look at putting together a novel, from soup to nuts
    • If you’re going to do NaNoWriMo, you should commit to NaNoEdMo.
    • 15:01 — FOURTH MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL (and some pining from Tee…)
  • Pip is derailed by Tee…
  • Advice in approaching NaNoWriMo…before, during, and after November…

19:50  — Writers Off the Clock

  • Unplugging in Autumn…a beautiful time to do so
  • Pip is digging the change of seasons.
  • A quick photo break…

  • Showing some love to the vineyards, especially to Corcoran’s Vineyard and Brewery
  • Take the Doctor’s advice: “A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting.”

26:21 — Seriously? Seriously.

  • And here we are with yet ANOTHER rant…
  • Pip adopts Wil Wheaton’s philosophy concerning panelists that don’t play well with others.
  • Some advice for being a good panelist.
  • Some advice for being a good moderator…and how to be a good panelist when you got a qualified moderator.
  • As a moderator and a panelist, read your audience. (If you don’t know how, learn.)
  • When panels work, it’s like a fine-tuned symphony. Cue Pip at New York Comic Con.
  • As a panelist or moderator, DON’T BE THAT GUY!

37:06 — The Wrap-Up

  • After all this ranting, Pip and Tee are exhausted!
  • Ending our 2011 con season with the badasses of steampunk, The League of S.T.E.A.M.
  • What’s coming in 2012
    • The Janus Affair: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel— May
    • Hunter & Fox — July
    • Wrayth: A Book of the Order — September
    • 40:03 — FINAL MENTION OF NATHAN LOWELL
    • Pip, stop with the whining.
    • And there’s even more stuff coming from the Ministry…
  • Working on the 2012 Con Schedule
  • Where to find us online
  • And check us out on Goodreads AND VOTE!!!

Drop-Ins: The Silence of the Lambs, Battlestar Galactica, Sideways

More Shout-Out’s During the Show…

[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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