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Saturday, April 23, 2011

TITLED-- :)

It's time to finally reveal the title of the first novella section of my empath storyline:

Transfigured!

The title comes from the term I use to describe when people are fully healed on the brink of death by a person with empathic powers- transfiguring.  Our main character, a girl named Martina, allows our audience to discover what becoming transfigured it all about, thusly, I felt it a fitting beginning to the story as a title.

In other news, editing and rewriting is in the finalization steps, and the last chapter (or two) are being finished.  Definitely on track for a mid-May (or earlier, Lord willing and the creek doesn't rise) release to Kindle, Nook, iBookstore, Sony eReader, and all other available electronic formats.  So that's a good thing, definitely!

Enjoy the ride!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Ultimate Editing, part 2, Editing Boogaloo!

I am proud to announce that after sixteen long hours of sweat, tears, blood, and several other bodily fluids that the editing/rewriting phase of the book is complete... :)  My butt hurts, but words, phrases, and sentences are much more polished now, which makes me happy.  Time to go find some aspirin for my rear end.  Sitting on a couch with a laptop in your hands balancing a manuscript isn't much fun for your back and legs, either!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Ultimate editing, part 1

I spent an entire workday's worth of time, eight full hours, editing words, commas, semicolons, dashes, etc. and rewriting words, phrases, adding in new text and dialogue...and wow.  Just wow.  It was intense.  The saddest part of all that wonderful work, as much as it strengthened the prose, is that I'm merely halfway.

The true work comes now, as I have an entire other half of a manuscript to edit now, as well as format for eBook (which means coding each paragraph, page break, chapter break, and italics in HTML so that it works happily with eReaders).

A wonderful, positive note: still on board for the mid-May release of the first novella (one of three comprising the empath trilogy)!  So hooray for deadlines!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

FB update...

The race to Facebook address-dom has ended with a fantastic outcome.  Users can now go to www.facebook.com/thechriswestblog to view other news and information!  Yay for social networking!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day...

Ladies and gentlemen, it's a wonderfully clear crisp morning here in White Pine, with the lovely Great Smoky Mountains in full view of their splendor.

Upon returning home this afternoon from visiting in Lenoir City, we'll be working furiously around the West homestead, attempting to put into words the fantastic visions I want to share with the world.  Some brief notes for you about the novels on which I'm working:

1) The aforementioned "Empathy Project."  I was tired of vampires and vampires and werewolves, none of which ever seem to be able to keep a shirt on themselves.  So, after lengthy discussion with my beautiful wife, I have created a race of humans with the ability to heal physical wounds and sickness, among other things.  This novel is the most researched and "complete"at this point.  The "Empathy Project" (unnamed, as of yet) is on track for a mid-May release.  I will be self-publishing to Amazon's Kindle store, Barnes and Noble's Nook store, and distributing through Smashwords to Sony eReader, the Apple iBookstore, and several other major eReader formats.

2) A second project, involving the previously scorned witches, warlocks, vampires, and werewolves.  In realizing I actually DO enjoy stories revolving around these fantasy tropes, I wanted to put my own spin on these creatures.  This novel, in it's infancy (currently still written out on legal pads in longhand), involves a near-future society where witches, warlocks, vamps, and wolvies have always existed and lived around and with human society.  The currents of racism, which we humans can't seem to escape, are focused on a hatred and scorn for the 'supernatural,' leading up to a boiling point of explosive emotions when humans and preternaturals collide!  Currently looking at an August release date, to be published to same eReader formats.

So, there's a taste to whet your senses before some possible excerpts, which will be coming soon!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Oh, Facebook! (woaa woaaaah)

In creating a multimedia social publishing platform in advance of my novel's completion dates (mid-May and August, 2011, respectively), I've created this handy-dandy blog.  Additionally, I've jumped into the world of Twitter, which I am learning, and created a Facebook Author page.

Some thoughts:

1) I have everything linked together, but not ALL together.  A good metaphor is how Nintendo could link to Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64, all through the same RF adapter, though the systems could not interact.  (Old school nerds will understand.)  I'm not much on the whole 'website building,' and although I can GET HTML to insert into a site, good ol' Blogger.com isn't user friendly with inserting HTML text.  And I'm kind of a dummy like that, too.

2) In order to get an actual username for my Facebook Author page, rather than the inconspicuous address:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chris-West/160540734005886 (rolls off the tongue, eh?), I need 25 "likes."  So, until then, I'll need to have business cards printed on scrolls to fit the entire FB page address on them.  SCROLLS!  LIKE THE BIBLE, when it was originally written!

In conclusion, three places to keep up with my authorly pursuits:
HERE, at The Chris West Blog!  http://thechriswestblog.blogspot.com,
on TWITTER, @C_A_West, and,
on FACEBOOK, at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chris-West/160540734005886.

Enjoy the ride!

The Empathy Project, Update 1

After approximately 25,000 words, 14 chapters, and hours of work, I've outlined the next four "Acts" to take place, still trying to decide on a firm title, also...  Postmodern 'preternatural' paranormal story is in the works as well, up to 28 pages longhand, and enjoying both projects.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Abandon all hope, ye who enter within...

Follow me, Chris West, of The Chris West Blog, on Twitter @C_A_West

As Stormclouds Threaten

Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we stand on the precipice of a new dawn...The Chris West Blog.

Currently torrential storms have invaded (previously this afternoon) beautiful East Tennessee, leaving the wife and I trapped inside for the evening, enjoying movies and Dixie, our puppy.

Yes, tomorrow will be a new day, for The Chris West Blog has come at last!