That’s right!
Just like Wal-Mart, Target, Pennys and any other retailer you could name, I’m starting Christmas in early November.
While it might be annoying, let’s just remember this: I’m going to give you a present!

It’s time again for me to mail out my Old Time Radio Christmas CD.
Some of you may be familiar with it, and even own it, but we’ve had a lot of new people reading the blog and subscribing to the feeds, so please bear with me while I explain to the new folks.

One of my geekier hobbies is that I love listening to Old Time Radio shows.
I love the nostalgia, the story telling, the hearkening to an earlier day when times were maybe not simpler, but different.

One year, I decided to collect some of the best Christmas and Holiday themed Old Time Radio shows and put them on a data cd and send them out for free to anyone who asks.

The collection is pretty varied. Right now, we got:

Christmas Music: Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis and many others.

Old Time Radio Shows: Usually a half an hour in length (including commercials), we’ve got a little bit of something for everyone: comedies, suspense, horror, science fiction and variety. Shows such as Dragnet, Duffy’s Tavern, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, Amos and Andy, X Minus One, Nero Wolfe, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Gunsmoke and The Shadow, to name a few.

Dramas: I’ve included two complete dramatizations for you to listen to: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and the radio version of Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life”.

Comedy: If you’ve seen the movie “A Christmas Story”, then you know all about Ralphie and the Red Ryder BB Gun, the Leg Lamp marked “Fragile” and the giant pink bunny rabbit suit. But did you know that the movie was based on the writings of Jean Shepherd? I’ve got several Jean Shepherds shows, including the one used as a basis for “A Christmas Story”.

The Complete Cinnamon Bear: That’s right. Every Cinnamon Bear episode, in its entirety. The Cinnamon Bear is a holiday adventure for kids of all ages. If you have nieces, nephews, sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, the will love the story of the Cinnamon Bear. You start listening to the first episode on Thanksgiving, and every night after that, you can listen to a new episode, with the adventure ending on Christmas Day. I’ve even included extras that you can print out, such a map, that your child can follow along with. Here’s a page that explains and has some history about The Cinnamon Bear series.

This CD, this collection of over 90 files, if played continuously, would add up to over 24 hours of listening enjoyment.

And it’s yours for free, if you’re a reader of this blog. All you gotta do is send me an email with your name and mailing address and it’s yours.

It’s my small, nerdy way of saying thank you to each and every one of you for supporting me and my writing.

Photo Credit: Zenith_10_S_443, originally uploaded by tmikeb22.

Ever since I can remember, ever since I’ve been on the tubes and wires that are the Internet, I have had a Yahoo! email address.
That’s about ten years.
One email address.
It’s the longest relationship I’ve ever had!

For the past several years, I’ve had Yahoo! branded Verizon DSL at home. It’s about $20 bucks a month. Because I pay, I get no ads in my email.

Until now.
Now Yahoo!, because their financials are in the crapper, has decided that even people paying to use their email service are going to get ads in their email.

We’re not talking minimalistic ads, like in gmail.
We’re talking ads all over the fucking place.
We’re talking above your folders, below your folders, to the right of your email when you’re trying to read it, to the right of your email when you’re trying to type it.

It’s just too ugly, too much wasted real estate and frankly, I’m paying for the fucker to begin with, why do you feel the need to make even more money off me with your ridiculous ads?

Oh. Yeah.
Because you’re finances are for shit.
I forgot about that.

Well, guess who’s going over to gmail?
I figure that gmail, along with the BetterGmail firefox extension, and my OSX Mail application, will be a fine, fine replacement for the crap-weasels at Yahoo.

So for everyone out there, please do me a solid and change my email address from willmize at yahoo dot com to willmize at gmail dot com.

Should you forget, you’ll get an automatically generated reminder, so no worries there.

Oh man. I just realized I need to get new business cards too.
Dammit!

So today, at about 4am, I started running again.
It was nice and cool, dark, silent, and felt wonderful.

Back when I was much younger and much healthier and much skinnier, I used to run about 10 miles a week (3 miles x 3 days), and I’d like to get back to that.

Now that I am much older, less healthier and have a bit of a Buddha belly, I’m starting from scratch. An absolute beginner.

And I’m using a plan called appropriately, The Couch to 5k Running Plan.
This is very appropriate, considering I spend a great deal of my spare time either at a desk, behind a monitor, or on a couch, in front of a television.

I like this plan because it’s a proven healthy and smart way to get started in running or get back into running. In the past, I’ve tried to start running again in the stupidest way possible:

• Put on running shoes.
• Walk out door.
• Start running.
• Get injured.
• Spend several weeks healing.
• Get distracted during healing, forget about running.

Repeat the above steps a few times and you have an entire year wasted.

Not again, say I!

The good thing about the Couch To 5k Plan is that you don’t start out running, you start out walking a bit, then running a bit, then walking a bit, then running a bit.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

You only run three days a week, with a rest day between.
This means you could do the traditional Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Or the more rare Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
Me, I’m a traditionalist, so I ran and walked this morning.

To give you an idea, here’s how this morning went:

• Stretch for 3 to 5 minutes (this is the smart way to prevent injury, and I’m very susceptible to plantar fasciitis.
• Brisk 5 minute warm-up walk, to get the arms and legs and breathing all working together and your muscles warmed up.
• Run for 60 seconds.
• Walk for 90 seconds.
• Run for 60 seconds.
• Walk for 90 seconds.
• Repeat the above walking/running pattern until you reach 20 minutes.
• 5 minute cool down walk.
• Done!

Now, if you’re like me, and you’re a little fuzzy on details, it can be hard to keep track of the timing, no matter how fancy your digital watch is. This needs to be easy and convenient for me to do it, so I found some folks who created podcasts to go along with the Couch to 5k Plan.

You load the MP3 for the appropriate week onto your MP3 player, hit PLAY and off you go!
During the podcast, you get someone telling you, in your ear, when to walk and when to run.
Now that’s a great use for technology!

I was going to hunt down and post all these links, but thankfully, someone has already gathered the best links associated with the Couch To 5k Plan for me. Sweet!

Couch To 5k Page.

For the record, I’m using Robert Ullrey’s podcast, as I like the verbal cue in my ear, as opposed to the musical ones used by DJ Beatsmith.

I hope that you’ll join me on this journey.
We can all get moving, get fit, get healthy, burn off that fat, get rid of the Buddha belly and just feel better.

Let me know how you’re doing in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

Usually I’m secretly into Halloween.
I love wearing costumes and going out and being someone else for an entire evening, but my history recently has been spending the evening alone, watching Horrorfest on AMC or plunking in one of the Halloween movies.

But not this year!
This year, I decided to be a brave little buckaroo.
Or rather, a brave and Crazy 88.

While I mourn the death of my employer, the powerful and feared O-Ren Ishii and my comrades in arms at the hands of The Bride, I did manage to go out last night and have one hell of a great time at The Venue at their Vampires and Vixens ball.

Even though only one person (possibly two) knew who the hell I was. I give one guy half credit for thinking I was either The Green Hornet, or maybe even Kato.

What the hell - they were drunk and I look freakin’ awesome.

This question is going out to everyone; all the foot soldiers in the Denton and Monty army.

Since Oprah came out, waved her magical marketing wand of Goodness and gave amazon’s e-reader, the Kindle, her blessing as the gadget of the year, or the best gadget EVAR, or whatever the hell - I’ve been thinking about expanding the Denton and Monty brand into the e-book arena, specifically, the Kindle.

Here’s the questions, feel free to answer in the comments or drop me an email.

1) Kindle editions of “Resurrection Angel”, “Everlasting Life” and all future books? Yes or no.
2) If you answered “yes” to the above, how much would you pay for it?

I’m personally still fence sitting on the whole e-book phenomenon.
Until they can come up with a reader that either reads all existing formats, or come up with a universal format, and lower the price a hell of a lot more, I can’t see it becoming the indispensable, must-have that Oprah thinks it is.

I don’t know who her audience is, or what daydream she’s having (considering the current economy), but I think it’s a very, very small percentage of her viewers who are going to run out and plunk down $300 to $350 for one of these things.

Your thoughts? Let me has them.

After listening, if you have any comments or questions, drop it in the Comments section below, and I’ll be glad to help.

This past weekend was my first weekend after NecronomiCon, and I was looking to get a fresh start, using the momentum and excitement from the convention as impetus.

Besides working on marketing materials that I’ll need for after the first of the year, I also took a good hard look at the current project, the third book in the series, Spear of Destiny.

After reading through it, I came to a cold, hard decision: It was good, but it wasn’t good enough.

So I threw it away.

Complete reboot.

Starting over.

From scratch.

Page one.

Trust me, this one hurt me just as much as it might be hurting you True Fans who have been patiently waiting for this book for quite some time.

I’ve put a lot of work, a lot of research into this book, but it just always seemed “off”, for lack of a better word. It was always just out of focus, just a bit off pace, just a hair crooked.

Something was missing, and I couldn’t put my finger on it until this weekend.

But, after about two hours of furious journal writing, brainstorming and daydreaming, I figured out what was wrong and also figured out how to “fix it”, make it an even better book than it was ever going to be a few days before.

Jesus, is this thing going to be good.
Scary good.
Breakthrough good.

Think about how much of a leap “Everlasting Life” was from “Resurrection Angel”.
Now think about how much of a leap “Spear of Destiny” can be from “Everlasting Life”.

I know you’ve been patient, and you’ve been supportive and kind, and I truly appreciate it, and I hope and pray that you’ll continue to do so.

I tell these stories for myself, of course, but I also tell them for you; those of you who have really embraced this series and these two characters. I only want to do my best work for you. Realistically, I could crank out half-assed stories and novels at a pretty break-neck pace, but I don’t want those to be my legacy, after I shake off this mortal coil.

As an artist, and a creator, I really do think about my legacy - what I’m leaving behind. I often wonder if other musicians, writers, poets, filmmakers, think about these things, or if they just live here, in the now, for the next paycheck or royalty check or whatever.

I want to leave 12 books (or more) behind that really reflect what I was like, what these times we are going through are like. I want my work to be genuine. I want that reader, when they look at my books on their bookshelf, to do so with a sense of pride. I would hope that I am leaving behind books that draw a reader back for a second, third or fourth reading.

Books that will last.

That’s what I want to write.

That’s right. One of the big things to come out of NecronomiCon was my decision to again offer, straight from my office to your mailbox, autographed copies of Resurrection Angel and Everlasting Life.

Yes, I take PayPal.
Yes, you can buy gifts for others.
Yes, I give you a discount if you get both books.

All the relevant information is here, but if there’s something that’s unclear, just drop me an email and we can discuss.

Just a quick note to say hello to all the new folks who have joined us.
Just as the Republicans, the Democrats and the Libertarians can have a post-Convention jump, so can us mystery novelists.

The dust has barely settled on NecronomiCon, and the response has been amazing. Feed subscriptions are up, page views are up, social networking adds are up, and it’s just a great place for me right now, and hopefully I can make this a great place for you.

Here’s quick reminder that you’ve got 6 different ways to keep informed on me, the series, Denton and Monty, and future signings, speaking engagements, seminars and convention appearances:

Your Inbox: That’s right. The easiest way is to just open your email reader, and there I am! Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook Express, whatever the heck you’re using, I can come visit. Click here to get started.

Your RSS Feed Reader: Feeds are addictive. The ease and convenience of having all your favorite blogs and website feeds in one place can be yours with a Feed Reader. I’m a Google Reader kind of boy, but there are others out there. If you’re not sure what RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is, then here’s a helpful little video. And when you’re ready to subscribe to my feed, make with the clicky here.

Facebook: Yes, even I am not immune to Facebook. I bet you’re already on it, too. Seems like the entire planet is. The easy peasy way to get my blog entries on Facebook is to just add me as a Friend, and you’ll see the “William has posted a new blog entry” on your home page when you log in. Here’s my profile. Add away! Oh, but no vampire battles, because those are just annoying. Everyone knows that zombies are the cool thing now.

Live Journal: Admit it, you’re addicted to your Friends Page on Live Journal. You refresh it incessantly, looking to see who’s made a new entry. It’s okay! Admitting you have a problem is the first step in solving it. But you’re not going to get any help from me, because I want you to add me to your Friends List. Each time I post a new blog entry, you’ll see it, all bright and shiny, ready for you to read and comment on. Go here and get to adding!

My Space: MySpace and I had a fight some time ago, but we’ve apologized, had the makeup sex and are now each others BFF. If you love playing around on MySpace, then all you gotta do is add me as a Friend and subscribe to my blog. Anything I post on DentonAndMonty.com automatically gets sent over to MySpace, so you’ll know immediately when I have a new entry full of wisdom and snark ready for you to enjoy. And you don’t even have to leave the comfort of MySpace. Or put on clothes. Bonus! Here you go!

Twitter: For those of you who are really really addicted connected, you can even get notified of a new magnus opus via Twitter. Up to the second! Immediately! Breaking News! Hot off the griddle! I also have been known to be quite entertaining in my Twittering. And by entertaining, I might also mean sometimes annoying or weird. You know the drill, sergeant. Just add me!

Whew.

Again, welcome to all the new folks; I’m very, very happy that you’re here and I am grateful that you’re interested in my writing, my novels and my life.

Yay!

At this year’s NecronomiCon, noted horror writer Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc and I gave a one hour seminar on self-publishing. I had my digital voice recorder in my bag, so I recorded it for posterity, and more importantly, for anyone out there who’s interested in getting started in self-publishing.

There’s an interesting story about how this came about; and it touches on the very definition of synchronicity.

Several weeks before the convention, the staff send out a final schedule of all panels, listing them by name and who was presenting and moderating each panel. One of them was called “So You Want To Self-Publish?” and Andrea was listed as the sole presenter.
I emailed one of the Stonehill members and volunteered my services to participate.
I received a very friendly Thanks, but no thanks; Andrea wants to do it by herself.

I was disappointed, but life, as they say, goes on.

The first day of the convention, Friday, I see Andrea at her table. I march up, introduce myself and we start doing what everyone does at conventions. Talk a lot. We spent a few hours together, hanging out at her table, discussing writing, and what people were wearing, and we finally got around to discussing publishing and our adventures in both the traditional and self-publishing arenas.
We quickly discovered that we both were big fans of Lulu.com. It was then that I mentioned that I’d volunteered to help out on her panel, but was rebuffed.
She quickly unrebuffed me and immediately invited me to teach it with her; as she figured that we both were charming, intelligent, good looking and had a lot to share with other self-publishing beginners or folks who were thinking about it.

Okay, I made up that part about me being charming, good looking and intelligent. Everything else is pretty spot on.

So Saturday, we did our song and dance, and now you can download it and listen to it yourself.

During the hour long seminar, we discuss such things as

- The importance of editing and proofreading and publishing an immaculate manuscript

- The importance of networking with fellow writers, artists and creative types

- The gatekeeper mentality of traditional publishing and how they are more interested in keeping you out than letting you in

- Using Lulu.com as your publisher

- Resources for professional, slick looking covers

- How to focus on building relationships with local bookstores

- Where to get great marketing materials, such as bookmarks, postcards and business cards

A few notes, before I let you go:

- My apologies to the family, fans and friends of Piers Anthony, whom I mistakenly thought deceased. Evidently I was thinking about the late Robert Asprin. I got my Xanth mixed up with my Myth-Adventures. Hey, it happens to the best of us.

- I also apologize for my coughing and sniffling. I cough when I get nervous, and I was sniffing because my anxiety wracked body was also fighting off the ever-present con crud.

- On a personal note, I actually like the way my voice sounds. In my own ears, it’s higher and squeakier. Weird.

And finally, I’d like to thank Andrea for allowing me to sit in, share my knowledge and open up her world to me.
You made it a great convention baby, especially for a first time Guest Author such as myself. Thanks so much.

I truly hope you enjoy it, and if you have any comments or questions, hit me up in the comments area below.
Right click on the link below to download the MP3.

Self-Publishing.mp3 (71MB)