Friday 9 May 2014

   Hi guys,

   Yes, it's been a while, and yes I've been distracted plenty. No, it doesn't help it that I'm either slaying demons in Diablo 3 or stealing dragon's souls in Skyrim (jumping onto Youtube to watch Cops: Skyrim, ERock's cover of Skyrim theme, or the next Epic Trailer and Honest Rap Battle of History... hang on......)

   Anyway, it's been another uneventful Star Wars Day (belated May the Fourth to you all), namely because the darling other half and the little one are all the way over in Texas for a wedding and there's no Culvers, Samuel Adams and decent TexMex herein Oz... and don't even ask about IHOP. So its just me, the laptop, DI's hardstyle channel and nothing else to do but get on with FSJ.

   Seriously, has been a drag lately and I feel like I'm letting myself down a bit, but I'm getting on with Dresden making his way to Caral-Hilde (at last, I hear you say). I will admit it's a struggle to get on with it, what with the story already written and now me ripping out the dross to get to the heart of the story The next big decision is how long until you see the first battle scene, and how swiftly I can bring the narrative to the what I intended.

  On the plus side, its a matter of getting there in fewer books, not adding a second part to book four and book five for the sake of it. Oh well, enough of my ranting (and the Hardstyle channel for a bit), I'm going back into Talbdadas.

  BTW sorry about the ads. Yes, I know I'm selling out, but at least I've cut out the dating sites for you!


   As always, Have a good one!
   T. M. Shannon

Friday 21 February 2014

A competition entry, a couple more chapters, and a bit of a hassle...

   Hi guys,

   It's been a while between blogs. In fact, long enough for me to find my childhood movie memories destroyed by the remake of Robocop, and subsequent longing for the original - and a wanting a 6000 SUX. But enough of that and my YouTube journeys (School of Thrones is AWESOME), I have some news to share.

   Firstly, FSJ is coming along OK, I've fixed up several chapters and have moved onto the second Act. Short of spoiling the story, Dresden is about to leave Kirim and head to Caral-Hilde. While I'm there on the Hero of Talbadas tangent, it is my great pleasure to announce that The Torment, The Shadow, The Heart has been entered in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award!

   That's right afficionados and detractors alike, I've entered my book in a contest! I'm hoping this is a step up in the world, and that TSH will pass the first round! So fingers crossed guys, could be big times ahead for twists in fantasy cliches, great dialogue and epic fight scenes!

   Which brings me to my last point, especially the ideal of fighting all the odds. It's not something I actively broadcast, needless to say there are few health issues that isolate an individual like depressions.

   That's right, I mentioned the D-word.

   I'm not going to sit you through the particulars of the rough ride that has been my life. But when you're deeply sad most mornings, worried about how soon it'll be until people find out I'm nuts, worried I might be demented, and not being able to have a full night's sleep. But if you want a feel for it, its imbedded in my current works.

   I'm not asking for sympathy here, just stating the facts that I fight nearly every day, with only the grim determination to pass every day I come across. That said, I'm looking forward to counting my +1s for my YouTube comments, getting some more writing done again, and possibly fighting dragons in Skyrim (if I can stop driving trucks across Europe!).

  So rather than keeping on a low note, I'll let you go on the same old high note. Thus,

   Have a good one!
   T. M. Shannon

Friday 24 January 2014

From the verge of Australia Day, and greetings from Talbadas

   Hi guys,


  Well, it has been a while, but at long last I've gotten the ball rolling with FSJ, and provided I can keep up momentum (and my ear drums can hold out against the hard style onslaught) hopefully I can be getting Halm Dresden out of Kirim and into the Talbadic Legions.

   This being a public holiday (to commemorate the day the Governor Philip planted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove) and a long weekend, that means an extra day of writing, provided I don't go out and buy Euro Truck Simulator 2 (sad I know, but is one of the most addictive games I've played this side of Skyrim).

   It has been a rough patch since releasing TSH last year, and the issues I had with my previous employment. Lets just say that we all have rough patches, and some have rougher patches than others. But things are slowly coming back together... I even have the urge to blog again, though might be a while before I actually get down with a History of Talbadas blog.

   Anyway, that's it from my end, just a short and sweet one to wish you all a good weekend - be it a long weekend, a normal weekend, or if you should be out earning your living this weekend.


   As always, have a good one!
   T. M.