Journal

So my grandpa was a self-publishing fool. He signed his books up with two companies and refused to believe they might be shady or anything. Now I have to get his books off their lists, re-edit and reformat everything, and republish them.

He died several years ago and it’s just one of those things – I really don’t want to see his stuff being maintained by a group of people that really don’t care about him or his writings, just the money he paid them (thousands and thousands of dollars. Enough money to just make you sick.) At the time he published his stuff, there wasn’t a whole lot of self-publishing options, so he went with the old-fashioned pay some company to do nothing approach. They got thousands of dollars from him, but he was happy as long as he had a couple copies of his books.

I told the family that I would take over his stuff though. I mean, he put so much of himself into his books, and the sad thing is that they would have been pretty good if he would just have listened to anyone about a few changes. He simply got bogged down by the details – like 1000 words right in the middle of the action about shoeing a horse or loading a wagon,

He tried so hard to be Louis L’Amour, and he simply would not listen about just writing his own stuff. He was such a stubborn, frustrating old man. It’s no wonder he lived to be 97 – he was just too ornery to quit.

And I’ll always remember the time he used “he ejaculated” instead of “he yelled,” then refused to change it even though I kept telling him he should. Then, when I went and changed it for him… he waited until I was gone and put it back. He finally changed it for real when the self-publishing company told him he should. Right up until then, he kept insisting I didn’t know what I was talking about.

Crazy old man.

Witch King at Amazon

I really like going to the movies. There’s something kind of awesome about finding a seat in the darkness and watching a movie with a bunch of strangers WHILE munching on popcorn and slurping down the biggest Coke ever made.

The fun part about going to the movies is the decadence, I think. Because, come on, you might occasionally gorge yourself at home, but it’s only at the movie theater that you buy that gigantic popcorn and the largest drink. Your self-motivator? The thought that you might finish your popcorn or your drink and need to get up to get more, thereby missing a portion of the movie and not being able to rewind. Why is that great? Because when you’re at home there’s no way you’d eat that much popcorn or drink that much soda. So you’ve basically talked yourself into being a pig, and there’s some secret part of you that loves that.

Sure, it would be bad if you practiced those kinds of eating habits all the time, but to do it just every once and a while gives it that much more purpose and meaning. It also makes the memories of those trips more precious to both adults and children.

And that strange mix of nostalgia and euphoria makes whatever movie you’re watching ten times better. So even if you were watching what should have been just an “okay movie,” that euphoria makes it into something so fantabulous you have to gush about it later. It just blows up and you’re totally in that moment.

Sitting in a movie theater is one of those great experiences that simply should not be missed. Yet the prices are so prohibitive that more and more people aren’t going to the movies anymore. And so people get mad at movie theater owners for being greedy and charging so much money.

But it’s not the movie theaters’ fault.

The whole reason why movies are so expensive is because movie studios are charging so much. Because when’s the time a movie mostly seen? In its first week. And that’s when the studios expect to be paid the most money. Each time the movie is shown, they get up to 90% of the ticket price, if not more, leaving the theaters to try and get the most money out of concessions. Which is why so many theaters are disappearing.

People do not want to pay so much money for snack foods. “$5 for popcorn? I wouldn’t pay that much for a gallon of gas, yet I’m expected to pay it for frakking popcorn? Are you insane?” is the first response most people have. “$10 for a matinee ticket, $5 for popcorn, $5 for a drink? I’m not going to pay that much just for me to see a movie by myself! And if I brought someone else, that would be $40 if she didn’t want anything more. We could go out to dinner and watch a movie at home for less than that. And I’d be more likely to score… hm.” And thus, another theater goer is gone.

Which is why I think the future of theaters is going to see more success in showing Independent films. Because making a movie yourself is a lot easier to do now, and with theaters being unable to stay in business on studio movies, there will be more of them willing to show independent movies “just until I stay afloat.” Especially if they’re the ones being paid to show the movie – or at least, if that’s how they perceive the situation.

Theaters could be showing different homegrown movies every week and making money while doing it. So if you’re making tons of money showing some high school kids’ sci-fi movie, but you’re losing money on studio movies, then why not just go completely independent? Only show good movies chosen from those submitted by their makers, and basically be your own small distributor.

Besides, MOVIE MAKERS, going independent could actually see you making much more money. Amazon lets you make your own DVDs and sell them at their store through their subsidy, CreateSpace. Which is cool, because nowadays, everyone knows DVDs and digital content is where all the money is.

Witch King at Amazon

“Tomahawk” is my het novella-thing. Basically, two people meet online and find love. One is American, and one is British, so theirs is a long-distance affair.

Somehow, though, in my head I picture Toma as Arthur and Hawk as Eames when I’m writing their online chats. So confusing!

There’s just something so awful about not being able to differentiate between real fic and fanfic. Lol.

Anyways, at some point I’m going to have to find someone that can speak “real” Britspeak to go over this story and point out all the weirdness. I’m just so completely American that it’s not even funny. It’s like being diagnosed with an inoperable tumor– “Oh no, I have an American! In my brain!”

HAWK: what u wearing?

TOMA: Anything u want, baby.

HAWK: okay, so a raincoat and wellies.

TOMA: Wellies? What’s that?

HAWK: u know, rubber boots u wear in the rain

TOMA: Ah, sexy.

HAWK: well, u need to wear something, seeing as ur so wet.

TOMA: Rrowr

TOMA: What are U wearing?

HAWK: seeing as it’s past two here, I’m in just my pants.

TOMA: And that’s hot how? I’m wearing a tank top and boxer shorts, while ur fully dressed? How sexy can that be?

HAWK: no, love, pants is like ur American underpants.

TOMA: Ohhh. So why don’t u touch yourself?

HAWK: I thought u were going to be the one doing the touching?

TOMA: Don’t be a sexist tool.

TOMA: Now get ur hand in ur pants and start fondling.

TOMA: I wish I could see ur cock.

HAWK: it’s gigantic!

TOMA: Heh.

Allies & Enemies at Amazon

Dragon Knight–the Emperor’s Hand. At 12 years old he binds himself in service to the then 16 year old Crown Prince Vedran Malvorta. An orphan of good birth, he gives up his family name and becomes the Empire’s sharpest blade. His love for Vedran is the driving force of his life and there is no one he won’t kill and nothing he won’t do for Vedran.
Through great daring and risk to his soul, he wields the demon sword Silva Morta. It must taste lifeblood each time it is drawn or he will lose control of it and he will be the one wielded.

Emperor Vedran Malvorta–son of an aging tyrannical madman, as a child he watched as war broke out around him as loyalists executed his father and put him on the throne. Bearing the mental stain left behind by the things he’s witnessed, he has vowed that his rule will be just and fair and that he will win the love of his people. To that end, he has angered his Imperial Advisors by using funds from the Imperial Treasury to pay for public works, but he is firm in his desire to ensure his country’s prosperity.

Kameris Teloran–childhood friend of Vedran and Dragon Knight. He is loyal to the core.

Princess Emera Malvorta–the Emperor’s younger sister, she is a sweet and trusting girl. She has no memories of her parents and Vedran is the only family she has ever known. He has been more father than brother to her, and she is certain he won’t mind the feelings she’s developed for Dragon Knight. What brother wouldn’t want his sister and his best friend to fall in love with each other?

Empress Selesta Demarran Malvorta–mother to the Crown Prince, she was raised above the other Imperial wives. Born of the politically powerful Demarran family, she will do anything to ensure her son’s ascension to the throne.

Crown Prince Lulius Demarran Malvorta–Emperor Vedran’s oldest child and heir to the throne. He is a rather quiet boy that would do anything to make his father proud.