My Mind on My Money and My Money on My Mind*

I'm not poor. I'm not rich. I'm squarely in the American middle class, when it comes to my day-job income. For many years, though, we were living super-tight on our budget. Filling the tank with gas was a necessity, but it bordered on a luxury. We rarely went out for entertainment and we often had to tell the kids "no" when they asked for stuff that their friends might have just taken for granted. 

As a result, I get skittish about spending large amounts of money. I have an allowance each month that I can spend on whatever I like (a luxury, I know) that falls in the middle of the two-digit range. If I want to buy something for myself that costs $100, I'm going to have to wait a couple of months, maybe a little more. I'm not bitter about it, in fact, I think it's a very good practice (obviously, I've been living it for many years now), but when it comes to a big personal purchase, I have to bide my time and *really* discipline myself not to spend that money, but, rather, save it up for the big purchase. I can supplement that allowance with sales of my RPG materials, and I've buckled and started a ko-fi. Occasionally, I will sell stuff on Ebay or sell a short story to help with funding, or even sell some of my books direct to readers (which I actually love to do . . . until I run out of sellable copies!) but when I want to buy something significant, I really have to think about it and I really have to choose wisely. 

Often my money goes, as you can imagine, into books, whether fiction or roleplaying books. I'm pretty picky about both. And, lately, I've bought more music in physical formats. Again, though, I am very finicky about my purchases. I really don't make "impulse" buys. I just don't operate that way. This is one reason I love Goodreads so much: when I see a cover I love or hear about a potentially cool book, I go to Goodreads and try to read a few reviews from people whose opinions I respect. This hasn't always saved me from unfortunate purchases, but it's done a pretty good job of making me think through by book-buying choices. 

Not long ago, I wrote a post about downsizing and upscaling my collection of . . ., well, stuff. My sentiments then still apply now, and probably even more so.

I've decided what I want from this.

Well, at least a few things:

1. A typewriter. An honest to goodness old-fashioned non-electric manual typewriter. Why? Maybe I hate myself, I don't know. Seriously, I am a kinesthetic and visual learner and writer. I always hand-write my first drafts. I can be as sloppy as I need to or want to, with no regard to anything except my ability to spew forth thoughts on paper. Then I edit as I'm typing into the computer. But what if I wanted to do a more careful edit? I think that typing on a typewriter will cause me to actually physically stop and think more, to focus. At least that's what I remember from typing as a kid (before home PCs were readily available). If you made a mistake, you had to get out corrector tape and fix it, which was a royal pain in the butt. Just like Goodreads reviews cause me to stop and think about what I'm buying, this should help me to stop and think about what I'm writing. I have several typewriters that I could live with , but there's one in particular that is *VERY* expensive and that I am absolutely lusting after. I'm not going to jinx things by linking to it, or even to the site it's being sold at because, like Highlander, there can be only one. Well, there really is only one. It will cost more than my computer. A lot more, in fact. There's only one out there (I think it's a custom job), but I really, really want that typewriter. I need to save up for this one first, which is going to mean no buying new books or LPs for a year or more. I'm hoping that no one else snatches it up in the meantime. And, no, I'm not interested in using credit to buy it. I've been in credit trouble before and, never again. This one I'll just have to scrimp and save for, and I'm willing to do it. Besides, this dovetails nicely with my desire to have more analog in my life and my desire to re-read many of the books I already own (c.f., my post on downsizing and upscaling - link above). Again, if you want to help, here's my ko-fi link, or if you want to buy a copy of my novel Heraclix and Pomp, comment below.

2. A new LP player. I love my old record player, the one I rediscovered after my parents died. But this old machine is about to give up the ghost itself. I'll probably buy something in the cheap range, so far as stereo systems go, but something that I can trust to play well and last, as well. Probably something along the lines of the 1 by one stereo system. Simple, but elegant, and hopefully built to last. 

3. This one might just seem silly, but I have an antiqued mirror that I love. By antiqued, I mean burned, abused, acid-etched, artificially aged. I love it. I want another. maybe two more. This will be the least expensive of my buys and also the most frivolous. But I just love the one I have and want to surround myself with more of them. There's something darkly beautiful about the odd distortion they give to everything caught in their reflective rays. Logically speaking, I should buy these first because they are the cheapest of the three things I am saving for, but who said I play by logic? No, really, I need to discipline myself to get that typewriter (presuming it doesn't sell to someone with similar tastes and more money than me).

And there you have it, all my most recent money-grubbing desires. Now that I've committed this on the blog, I feel a stronger resolve to carry through with it (barring some financial emergency, of course). 

Wish me luck! Or, better yet, buy me a ko-fi!

*Apologies to Snoop D-o-g-g, but the song I'm referring to in the title of this post is this version (which I'm guessing Snoop appreciates in his own smoove way). 

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If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Books and Possibilities: Opening Salvo

I'm not here to share wisdom. This entry is simply me processing possibilities.

After purchasing a few Egaeus Press Titles (namely: A Twist in the Eye, The Tainted Earth, and In Delirium's Circle), along with examining Ezra Claverie's outstanding The Shadow Out of Providence and the Tartarus Press edition of Gustav Meyrink's The Golem, I got to thinking. Why haven't I ever made a book like this? Okay: Money. Sure. But now there's Kickstarter, which can go horribly wrong, if not managed correctly. But, hey, I manage projects all day every day at my day job and have done so for years. Besides, I've brought out my own little chapbook Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure, Beyond the Silver Scream (physical copies are still available, by the way), and what is a very expensive, very fancy, professionally-produced book but . . . a very expensive, very fancy, professionally-produced, significantly larger chapbook with a whole lot more risk involved, right?

So I've watched and re-watched Joseph Goodman's seminar on Book Making 101 and have identified some potential printers, including a storied bindery that is, apparently, about a ten minute walk (literally) from my house.

I think I can do this.

The problem is, deciding what it is, exactly, I want to do. Because I can't do everything at once. Yes, I have almost made my money back on my investment for Beyond the Silver Scream, but here, we're talking a much bigger investment with a much bigger risk. One step at a time.

I do know that whatever I choose as a first, trial-run project will have the following characteristics: 1) Cloth-bound cover, 2) marbled end-papers, 3) foil-stamped spine, 4) silk placeholder ribbon, 5) internal illustrations (the number dependent on the chosen project).

So, project options:

1. Short fiction collection. Yes, this one appeals to my vanity the most. I have a short fiction collection published by Raw Dog Screaming press many years ago. And I've done a short self-published e-book of some of my other stuff. But it's time to do this again. And, as most publishers will tell you, their economies of scale vis-a-vis potential sales do not normally justify producing single-author short story collections. The exception here is the "bespoke" collections like those done by Egaeus Press, Tartarus Press, and Zagava. These are very expensive, limited-edition collector pieces. I know some readers who will snatch up almost everything done by these publishers because of the publisher's strong reputation. Problem is, I don't have that strong reputation. Nor do I have a huge audience of readers, despite what I will call the relative success of my novel Heraclix and Pomp. Given time, I might just make my advance. Maybe. In any case, I think I could probably sell, say 100 copies of a very fancy short fiction collection. Maybe 250 if the dominoes fall just right. 500 if I catch lightning in a bottle. The reason these numbers matter is economies of scale. The price-per book on printing and binding a print run of 500 is significantly lower than a run of 250; 250 is better than 100; etc. In any case, I am way overdue for another fiction collection. I don't say that in a prideful way - I have just written a lot of short fiction and it needs to get collected again.
2. Novel(la). I have a novella under consideration at a publisher I won't reveal. My agent has shopped this thing around to a number of publishers, one of whom told him "it's too well-written". That's an actual quote. I would have to take a look at my contract in order to produce this thing on my own, but it's tempting. I'm guessing I could push the same numbers as a short fiction collection, with a stronger possibility of a 500-book run because things that are in the novel-ish range tend to sell better than short story collections. Or so I am told.
3. As you might know, I won a World Fantasy Award and was nominated for a Philip K. Dick Award a long time ago for editing the Leviathan 3 anthology with Jeff VanderMeer. After that, I edited Leviathan 4, Text:UR - The New Book of Masks, and The Nine Muses (with Deborah Layne). It has been many years since I've edited an anthology, however. Yes, I know how to do it, but I have not kept super up-to-date on my ties with people in the industry. Some have washed out, some have passed away. I think I could get a few "big" names, but I would have to pay top-dollar to get some of them, and rightfully so - they are great authors who deserve to be paid well for their work! I'm not certain about numbers here, but again, I would think that 250 would be reasonable. Possibly 500, if I had the right names and the right theme at the right time. Lots of variables there. But given the seeming dearth of really good short fiction anthologies at the moment, maybe it's time to make a go of it again?
4. Role-playing Supplements. I am working right now on a project for a publisher, a super-secret project I can't let out of the bag yet, which will get my name in front of a fairly large contingent (a couple thousand) of role-playing gamers who like to spend money on very nice RPG projects based on certain game systems. Yeah, I should probably be working on that right now, but . . . In any case, I'm finding that many of the nerds I grew up playing D&D with are now programmers with lots of spare cash. Have you looked at the returns on RPG Kickstarter projects? Holy cow. Gamers will spend when they want something! I know - I'm one of them (not a programmer, just a gamer who will drop some cash on the "right" kickstarter). I have several ideas for RPG books, but I'm loathe to talk about them because a) they are my ideas and I don't want to give them away just yet, b) to talk about them too much would spoil them, and that kind of destroys the whole idea of a game, and c) some of these ideas still need to be playtested, which takes a long time. Still, I think this option might have the most likelihood of getting a return on investment if it isn't too fancy for the system with which it is associated. There's this funny aesthetic in gaming where we still value books with crappy blue maps that fall apart in your hands. Then again, take a look at what Lamentations of the Flame Princess is doing with their books, or Goodman Games, and you'll see some select pieces that belie the "scratched on a pad of graph paper" model.

Now I have the sneaking suspicion that those who read my blog tend to skew to the RPG side. But I really, REALLY want to know what people think. I'm just in the thinking stages at this point (though I am about to send off an email to that local bookbinder to get a quote for an imaginary book run, so I can start thinking about costs vs price, profit margins and such). I need to talk Kickstarter with more people who have experience with it (though I've gotten a bit from people here and there). And, most of all, I have to decide just what the heck I want to do.

Your opinions might just help me decide. Feel free to comment below or E-mail me at forrestjaguirre at gmail dot com with your thoughts, suggestions, or wish-lists. As with any project, I can't do this on my own. And while I think I know who I want to tap for design work and internal art, the rest, including the decision on which project to start with, can be influenced by your opinions. 

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If you like my writing and want to help out, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

OSR Christmas, 2015

Greetings and Happy Holidays! Once again, +Erik Tenkar is graciously coordinating the annual 12 days of OSR Christmas, in which various generous people give away RPG-related items. I'm giving away 3 signed hardcover copies of my novel, Heraclix and Pomp. How is this related to tabletop role-playing? Well, the impetus for the novel came out of a conversation I had in a hallway with members of my gaming group as we were talking about "next steps". I mentioned my desire to write an adventure for two characters and we discussed various options for a pair of heroes that could viably make it through a dungeon crawl on their own. This conversation stuck in my mind, and I finally settled on the idea of a flesh golem and a pixie as an adventuring party. They'd have all the muscle, magic, and sneaking skills any low-level party would need. So I set about writing a short story, which eventually morphed into the novel, Heraclix and Pomp.

To enter, please enter your favorite heroic duo and why they are your favorite in the comments section below before 12 AM, 12/23 (that's 6 AM GMT 12/23). I will randomly choose the winners using a d20. First three to crit win! And thanks for entering!

Entries are open to residents of US and Canada.

PS: Still need convincing? Read these reviews!

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If you like my writing and want to help out, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Heraclix and Pomp Trade Paperback

As an FYI my 18th-Century fantasy about a flesh golem and fairy who fight an evil necromancer, Heraclix and Pomp, will be released as a trade paperback by Resurrection House/Underland Press on August 11th, 2015. The hardcover is, however, still available and at a ridiculously low price at Amazon. Of course, I'd prefer that you support your local bookstore and buy it through them, but who am I to tell you how to spend your money? I have a few copies myself that I am willing to sign and sell direct at a discounted price, as well. Just email me at forrestjaguirre at gmail dot com, if you're interested (you will need to cover postage, though). Here's the blurb, which I've modified slightly for table-top RPG-speak, since so many of my G+ friends are gamers:

Heraclix was dead and Pomp was an immortal fairy. That was before Heraclix’s reanimation as a flesh golem (along with the sewn-together pieces and parts of many other dead people) and Pomp’s near murder at the hands of an evil necromancer. As they travel from Vienna to Prague to Istanbul and back again (with a side-trip to Hell), they struggle to understand who and what they are: Heraclix seeks to know the life he had before his death and rebirth, and Pomp wrestles with the language and meaning of mortality. As they journey across a land rife with revolution and unrest, they discover the evil necromancer they thought dead might not be so dead after all. In fact, he might be making a pact to ensure his own immortality . . . 

Heraclix and Pomp is a richly textured and decadent read, filled with Baroque ideology and Byzantine political intrigue. Fans of fantasy and historical fiction alike will revel in Aguirre's layered prose and vivid characterizations. Heraclix and Pomp brings the surreal and the macabre to one of history's most violent eras.

For those that prefer Amazon, you can buy the book here.

Or, for those who prefer to buy local, look up your nearest independent bookseller here.

And if you're interested at all in the creative process behind the writing of this novel, I give a little peek into that right here.

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If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Wisconsin Library Association Recognition for Outstanding Achievement: Heraclix & Pomp

Holy cow. My publisher just forwarded me the email below: Subject: Wisconsin Library Association Recognition for Forrest Aguirre Dear Mr. Forrest Aguirre: It is my pleasant task to inform you that your book Heraclix & Pomp has been selected for Outstanding Achievement recognition for a 2014 publication by the Wisconsin Library Association Literary Awards Committee. Every year the Committee reviews over 200 books written by Wisconsin authors which were published during the previous calendar year and selects ten to be recognized as outstanding books. The books are  judged on their literary merit as well as the quality of the writing, editing, printing, and publishing. WLA will issue a press release to state newspapers naming all the award winners, and I  will be sending you a certificate for Outstanding Achievement. Sincerely, Kate Hull Chair, Literary Awards Committee 2015 Kate Hull Adult and Technical Services Manager Fitchburg Public Library To say that I'm humbled and honored is an understatement. Wow! Work's going to be rough tomorrow - I don't know if I can sleep now . . . PS: Sorry for the crappy formatting. It's seriously way past my bedtime and I don't have time to properly fix it. Here is the announcement! ________________________ If you like my writing and want to help out, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Locus Needs HERACLIX AND POMP, Heraclix and Pomp needs your vote!

If you are inclined to participate in semi-juried partially-masked as legitimate popularity contests, please go to Locus Online and vote for Heraclix and Pomp as Best Fantasy Novel (it will have to be as a write-in candidate - take this as your opportunity to "Mickey Mouse" the voting, but with something worthwhile. You know you've wanted to do this for a long time. Give in to the temptation)!

Oh, and please share and invite your friends to do the same.

Vote early, vote often . . .

Thanks for your support.

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If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Forrest Aguirre's Writing Goals, 2015 Edition

It was a good year that saw the publication of Heraclix and Pomp and a couple of short stories. I was also able to finish my draft version of my space opera novel, Solistalgia, which is in Agent Kris's hands at the moment. I was able to attend Wiscon, the Heartland Fall Forum, and the World Fantasy Convention, as well as participate in a couple of readings/events to publicize H&P. All-in-all, a successful, productive year.

So what's ahead for this year? Heraclix and Pomp will come out in trade paperback sometime this Spring or Summer. I will, as always, be in attendance at Wiscon, as well. I'm certain that there will be more readings and events associated with H&P once we are out of our Wisconsin deep-freeze and the release of the paperback is closer. Unless H&P is considered for a World Fantasy Award (I would like another statue like the one in the corner of my writing area so I can use them as bookends) I am unlikely to attend WFC. But on that same weekend is the RPG convention that is becoming a rather big deal in the Midwest, Gameholecon, which is held about a half hour walk from my house. Being an old-school gamer, I'd be crazy not to attend.

As far as writing and promotion and such, my goals are pretty simple:

1. Successfully launch the TPB version of H&P.
2. Finish my current WIP novel, tentatively entitled The Simulacra. Incidentally, I am enjoying the heck out of writing this.
3. Finish my top secret RPG supplement and find a market for it or publish it myself. This has been a fun pet project of mine. Time to finish it and find it a home.
4. Have a few short stories published (there are two on the docket to be published this Spring already, so that's mostly done).
5. Nudge, annoy, or stab Agent Kris enough that he sells either Panoptica or Solistalgia or both.
6. Continue to blog, tweet, etc, and share "stuff" with the online community.

Now, if Agent Kris sells one or the other of the novels that are in the wings, all bets are off. That whole editing thing is a lot like real work. It sucks the very lifeblood from my soul. Hopefully, I'll be able to at least see to H&P's trade paperback inauguration before everything goes crazy all at once. I've been thinking, too - it's been a few years since I've sold a short story collection . . . 

So here's hoping to a productive new year. The fun has just begun. :)

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If you like my writing and want to help out, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Here We Go Again!

My publisher is giving away 10 signed hardcover copies of my novel Heraclix and Pomp at Goodreads. Perhaps you'd like to enter? Of course you'd like to enter. Go enter! Now! Where?

Right here.

Good luck! And here's the cover image to whet your appetite:

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If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Creativity Games at Mystery to Me Books

Joanne Berg, owner of Mystery to Me books in Madison, was so kind as to host an event with me as reader, game master, and general entertainer. After a very short introductory reading of three of the main characters in Heraclix and Pomp, we all took part in a series of creativity games including the surrealist game Exquisite Cadaver, the Oulipo game N+7, an Aguirre exclusive inspired by Michael Moorcock's outstanding book Death is No Obstacle, and a whodunit game with a super-secret source that I cannot reveal unless I immediately kill you. And no one wants that!

What people do want, however, is pictures. So here's a picture taken after the games were all through:

We had a great time and laughed the cold away. If you felt a pulse of warmth in Madison last Friday night, you're welcome. We hope to melt all the snow and drive Winter away for good next time, but we'll need your help! Thanks to Joanne and to our dedicated little crowd. I can't wait to do this again!

PS: For you author and bookstore owner types, yes, Joanne sold several books that night and a few more the next day. You see? Fun does pay!

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If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

World Fantasy, How Do I Love You? Let Me Count the Ways

1. Finishing the draft of Solistalgia the day before I left for DC.
2. I don't live in Illinois, Indiana, or Ohio, I only have to drive through them to get to you.
3. I used to live in Pennsylvania. It is still beautiful, especially this time of year. Hail, Pitt!
4. NPR had a bit on a magicians' library that I listened to on part of my drive. It was fascinating and gave me grist for the next novel.
5. The Educated Goldfish.
6. I don't have to live with DC traffic.
7. There was a biker-veteran convention (Rolling Thunder) at the same time. How cool is that?
8. Lots of books in the book bag. One of which I actually wanted!
9. The World Fantasy Convention passport, which shrunk down what is usually an excessively-oversized program booklet into something literally the size of a passport. Well-played, WFC committee, well-played. 
10. Ghost Stories Without Ghosts panel with Patty Templeton, et al.
11. Patty signed my copy of her book with a ghost!
12. Scribe Agency authors going to dinner after flashing devil signs, a-like so: 
    
13. Many good foods. Indian, Thai, Fillipino, Japanese. Thanks for the weight-gain, WFC.
14. Jeffrey Ford's reading. Wow.
15. Watching the Badgers beat Purdue with Jim Minz. Go Bucky!
16. Having some stranger at the Thai restaurant see my Badgers sweatshirt and say (with a smile) "Your team just got lucky". My response: "Oh, you're a Purdon't fan?" It's all in good fun, but seriously, they let these people into our nation's capital?
17. Author signing, where I sold a few copies of Heraclix and Pomp and learned (directly from the reviewer) about this very, very positive review.
18. Reconnecting with old friends whom I haven't seen for years, such as: Jeffrey Ford, Jeff and Ann VanderMeer, John Picacio, Jim Minz, Paula Guran, John Lawson, and a bevy of others. So many that I'm sure I've missed a dozen of you (for which I profusely apologize).
19. Reconnecting with those I've seen not so long ago: John Klima, John O'Neill, Patty Templeton, Mark Teppo, Darin Bradley, Agent Kris, Jenn Brissett, Becky Johnson, etc.
20. Meeting those with whom I've had virtual relationships, but only now met in person; mostly editors who have published my work but whom I hadn't had the pleasure to meet in person until now: Mike Allen, Matthew Kressel, Sheila Williams, and others.
21. Meeting new-to-me and very talented people like Matt Wuertz, Russ Linton, Jeremy Zerfoss, and so on. Special props to dinner with Matt and regaling each other with old D&D stories, laughing our fool heads off the whole time. The waitresses didn't quite know what to do with us, I don't think.
22. Selling some books.
23. Drooling over more rare books than I will ever be able to afford in my lifetime, viz., everything Arkham House ever published and every hardcover put out by Tartarus Press.
24. Very, very late nights where I was the only sober person within a three mile radius (I don't drink, but people I hang out with drink quite a bit).
25. My sister-in-law and her husband, who let me crash at their place and come in at very odd hours of the morning.
26. Everyone in attendance at WFC, except for that douchebag who thought it was okay to conduct a live interview in the freaking writer's retreat room that was reserved as a quiet space specifically to allow writers to WRITE. Some of us were actually in there to write, not to here your condescending drivel about how badly-behaved con-goers have become. Puke.
27. Notre Dame, for losing their game. Jim and I high-fived each other more for that than for the Badgers' winning. I love WFC: I hate the golden domers. No, seriously, I do.
    
28. Seeing Vincent Villafranca's amazing sculptures in person, along with the other amazing art on display at the art show. Lust, lust, lust.
29. Hearing that Sofia Samatar's outstanding novel, A Stranger in Olondria won the World Fantasy Award.
30. Heard another great story on NPR which will also feed into my next novel, at least thematically. Maybe I should just entitle this one "Thanks, NPR"!
31. Seeing a billboard as I entered Indiana that said "Remember: Always Wear Your Life Vest" and thinking "Right now? While I'm driving?"
32. Speeding, a lot, and not getting caught, which shaved about an hour off my travel time home.
33. Listening to the radio as the Packers dismantled Da Bears.
34. Avoiding Illinois drivers, who were on the other side of the road, coming back from pillaging my beloved Wisconsin one last time before winter sets in.
35. Seeing home all safe and sound.
36. Only one regret: Having missed the Demystifying Crowd Funding panel, because I had overslept that morning.
37. Slowly remembering all the great things that I've forgotten that didn't make this list. Best World Fantasy Convention so far. Well done, WFC committee!

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If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Playing Surreal Games at Mystery to Me Books

I love to write, I love Madison, and I love games! I'll be combining these three loves of mine at Mystery to Me books in Madison on Friday, December 5th, from 7-9 PM. The clientele there likes audience participation, and audience participation they shall have! We will be playing several surrealist games, all meant to expand creativity and foster strangeness and fun, using the text of Heraclix and Pomp as a jumping-off point. If you're in the area, stop in, warm up, buy a few books, and have a great time! I look forward to seeing you there!

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If you like my writing and want to help out, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Win a Free Audiobook of HERACLIX AND POMP! Express yourself!

Heraclix and Pomp is now available in audiobook format at Audible.com right here. The narrator, Brandon Massey, is a gentleman and a scholar. I had very pleasant interactions with him as we worked together on pronunciations of the many foreign and downright fantastical words in the book. He is an interesting fellow, as his bio indicates:

Brandon Massey comes from a classic theatrical background, having performed in many Shakespeare plays and having studied the classics in Greece. The long hours of meticulous study necessary for such endeavors is similar to the precision required in recording audiobooks. In addition to audiobooks, Brandon has narrated several documentaries and short films, along with performing in regional theatre. Most of the activities he does in his spare time have something to do with Shakespeare, Bob Dylan, and/or Carl Sagan.

In celebration of the release of the Heraclix and Pomp audiobook, I will be giving away a free copy of the audiobook. But "free" doesn't always mean "without effort". So here's the rub: I love art. I studied humanities as an undergraduate, which meant a lot of time getting very up close and personal to paintings, sculptures, and other forms of representation. I almost kissed a painting in a museum once (and had to explain myself to museum security, as a result - *blush*), not because I loved it, but because I got a little too close trying to see the brushstrokes in an effort to understand the artists technique. That's how much I love art. I get in trouble for art because I love it so much.

That said, there's no accounting for taste. And my taste might vary wildly from yours. But someone has to judge this thing, right? So I'll take the fall and be that guy. Here are the rules:

1. Your artwork can be of any medium except dead humans . . . or dead animals, for that matter, unless they were already dead when you found them. Seriously, use pencil, paintbrush, clay, porcelain, digital, photography, macrame, WHATEVER . . . just be creative.
2. The artwork must represent something to do directly with the novel. If you want to show your interpretation of Heraclix or Mowler or Von Graeb or whomever, that's fine. Maybe you're a wood carver and would rather do a representation of Pomp's bow and arrow. Perhaps you're a costume designer and want to cosplay a fly-devil. Or you're really into architecture and want to create a scale model of the Shadow Divan. Draw a cartoon of a scene from the book, sew Beelzebub's infernal apron, henna tattoo your hand to match Porchenskivik's own, whatever you like, so long as you can tie it directly to the book. Performance art and cinema is also encouraged, so long as it doesn't get you or me arrested. And if you want to venture into the musical arts or poetics, by all means, let's hear it!
3. Tell me what it is. There are a lot of potential images in that book. They've already spilled from my brain on to the page, and middle age prevents me from remembering everything.
4. Keep it PG-13 or cleaner, please. I'd like younger readers to enjoy this, as well.
5. Submit your artwork to *forrestjaguirre*@*gmail.com* (remove the asterisks) or, if you're feeling particularly brave, paste a link to your art into the comments below.
6. Remember that you keep all rights to your art. If I want to use it, I might ask to pay for the privilege, but otherwise, it is yours, not mine. Only mine to judge and enjoy. I do reserve the right to send out tweets and make a blog post about the winning art, because I'm certain your art will deserve some wide exposure!
7. You will need an audible.com account to retrieve your prize. And I will need your email address, as well. I won't sell it, give it to anyone, or use it in any way outside of contacting you to let you know how to get your free audiobook.
8. I will be taking entries until December 15th. This deadline is so that I can decide and notify the winner by Christmas day.

It's a $21.83 value, so I'm hoping to see that much value worth of art, at least. And, yes, I know how much original art goes for, so I'm not expecting a masterpiece. But if you insist . . .

I think that's it. If any of you legal watchdogs see something missing in the above rules, let me know and I'll fix it forthwith. Other than that, good luck and enjoy creating!

best,

Forrest

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If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Crazy Forrest is Giving Away More Books!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Heraclix & Pomp

by Forrest Aguirre

Giveaway ends October 03, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Heraclix & Pomp Hardcover Photos

Here is the physical artifact of Heraclix & Pomp. It's beautiful. Unfortunately my photographic skills could make Helen of Troy look average. Having the camera face the user on the Google Nexus doesn't help, so I apologize for all the weird angles. Don't get lost!

Front Cover

Front Cover in the nude

Naked binding, with glare for decency's sake

End papers. Darin told me they were gorgeous. He was right. The camera does not do the deep, rich color justice.

Title page. Those metal dice holding the page down were part of my oldest son's birthday present this year. He knows me too well.

A quote by Hermes Trismegistus. If you can't read it, you'll need to turn up your scrying stone. Or have a familiar read it for you.

My favorite picture of the book, for reasons that will only become apparent when you read the book. Note the numbers on the dice. Note them well. They're important!

With huge thanks to my friend +Daniel Nicholson for taking the author photo. Dan, you rock!

Again, note the numbers on the dice . . .

Finally, the back cover. A work of art in and of itself.

There you have it. The nickel tour through the book. Now, if you want your own copy of the hardcover, you can preorder it from your local independent bookstore, Powells.com, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon. 

Special thanks to Claudia Noble and Mark Teppo for creating this thing of beauty.

If you'd like to "try before you buy," you can listen to the first chapter for free! Enjoy!

____________________

If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

Heraclix & Pomp free Audiobook sample

Please enjoy this free Audiobook sample of Heraclix & Pomp! You can pre-order the full audiobook here. Or, if you prefer E-book format, you can pre-order either the Nook or Kindle version. Finally, for those who, like me, love the heft of a genuine paper book, you can pre-order the hardcover at your favorite local bookseller, Powells.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or Amazon.com.
  

____________________

If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

 

Last Day to Enter to Win a Signed ARC of Heraclix & Pomp!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Heraclix & Pomp

by Forrest Aguirre

Giveaway ends September 01, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

I'm Giving Away Heraclix & Pomp Again!!! Come and Get It!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Heraclix & Pomp

by Forrest Aguirre

Giveaway ends September 01, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Goodreads Book Giveaway, Heraclix & Pomp!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Heraclix & Pomp

by Forrest Aguirre

Giveaway ends July 28, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Noble Knight Games

Sometimes coolness is right under your nose and you don't even know it. Noble Knight Games, in Janesville, WI, is about a half hour south of me. Since I had a fairly lengthy hiatus from gaming right after graduate school, I didn't learn about the shop until a few years ago. I've been meaning to get down there forever, but, you know, it's really easy to just order stuff online.

Mea Culpa.

This is the end of my summer vacation. After traveling out west for a week, I had one extra day in case we ran into any difficulties on the way back. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened, and so I thought to myself: "Self: You need to get down to Noble Knight Games and check it out." And I did.

Great decision.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I had business to attend to down there. My novel, Heraclix & Pomp, will be released in October, and I wanted to get down there to give them an Advanced Reading Copy of the book to see if they'd be interested in carrying it. I spoke on the phone with the manager, Rick, who said, essentially, "no promises, but sure, bring it on down". Now I had the impetus and an excuse.

So I drove down, got lost (yeah, in Janesville, I know - I have a penchant for getting lost. It's a gift.), and finally found myself there. Seemed like a pretty big building for a gaming store, compared to other gaming stores I've been in.

As I walked in I stood face-to-face with a suit of platemail which was, thankfully, empty. He had a longsword, I had my keychain pocketknife. Not fair!

After recovering from the shock of seeing a full suit of armor in the entryway, I had two doors to choose from, one right, one left. Like the bungling adventurer I am, I chose the right door, which ended up being the wrong door. If I would have looked, I would have seen cardboard boxes piled up against the right door. I'll never be a good rogue walking into traps like that, I thought. Must be their storeroom.

So I went through the left door . . . and was surprised by how small the footprint was. Granted, they had as much or more out as any other gaming store. But there isn't any game space, which I've grown accustomed to with gaming stores. Not that this is a weakness, mind you - I prefer gaming at home over gaming in a shop. But they had a lot packed into a small space. I had explored Noble Knight's online presence and was aware that they had a lot of used games, minis, etc, but I didn't see a lot of that. Most of the games I saw out were new, with a couple of notable exceptions (like the Lamentations of the Flame Princess Grindhouse Edition box set that stared me in the face).

I was introduced into the office of the manager, Rick, who was gracious and professional. He took the proffered copy of Heraclix & Pomp, then asked that I be sure to remind him about it when it is published. We then chatted a bit about business (something I know a little about), ROI, inventory management, that sort of thing. And then he shocked me by taking me behind the scenes to see that what I thought was a storeroom was actually an entire warehouse filled with games.

Holy crap.

You've never seen so many games in one place.

You haven't.

And that was only one of the warehouses. There was another one down the road that was even bigger.

Rick took me on a little tour of the warehouse attached to the brick and mortar store. There were aisles and aisles of games available. I saw a boxed set Azhanti High Lightning right next to a boxed set Fifth Frontier War for Traveller. I can't tell you how many year's it's been since I've seen Azhanti High Lightning. I almost cried. I also spotted a boxed set of Striker, Gamma World modules, and a smattering of other goodies as we quickly passed through. If I were allowed to loiter, you would find me as a skeleton somewhere in the stacks several months from now. But I knew I was on Rick's timeline, and he had a job to do, so I moved through quickly.

After being stunned by this, he then took me into the backroom to the backroom, which is where all the unsorted games were. There has to be thousands, nay, tens of thousands, of books, boxes, and blister packs in there. He frankly doesn't have time to sort it all. In the first aisle, a couple of things popped out at me. Remember Squad Leader? There were at least three copies within five feet of each other. And I saw the excellent Avalon Hill boardgame of Starship Troopers, which I had played with friends around 30 years ago. The memories just started flooding in.

And that was all from just standing at the corner of the unsorted warehouse. The aisles had to go back 60', and I forget how many there were, maybe ten or so? It was immense. No wonder Rick's behind on sorting.

I thanked Rick for the tour and proceeded to their web-kiosk to pick up a couple of figures for a Weird Western thingy I've been thinking about for a while. I picked up a formless Cthulhoid nasty and wanted to get the Boot Hill six-shooter figures they had, but they were at the other warehouse and the other warehouse employees had already left for the day. So the guy at the desk said he'd have them shipped to me . . . at no extra charge.

You're kidding me, right?

Nope.

That is what I call customer service! I'm impressed. I'm hooked. I'm all in. Noble Knight Games absolutely rocked my world.

Kudos, guys. You freaking rock!

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If you like my writing and want to help out, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!

The ARCs Have Landed!

The ARCs for Heraclix & Pomp are here at Casa del Aguirre. Now, fair warning, the cover for the ARC is a little different than the cover for the finished work. It's a hint of things to come. Think of it as readerly foreplay. I've taken some images, which I'll show below, but keep in mind that I'm still working with a dumb-phone with a crappy camera. The central image of the cover is a little faint in the photos, but, hey, it's faint on the real thing, too. Subtle. Dignified. And stuff. You can preorder the book through your local bookstore or, if you don't have a local bookstore, you can preorder the hardcover for 25% off right now at Amazon. Either way, get your copy! Our release date is now October 14, so there's plenty of time, but the book distribution services really like it when people preorder. Still not sure about this whole thing? Go read an early review of the book here and an interview with yours truly here. If historical fiction and fantasy are your thing, and if you like the writing of Gene Wolfe, I am told that you will really like this book.

Here is the cover:

Sorry for the glare. I'm no photographer!

And here I am, ready to have a look inside:

Note the anticipation!

And here is the . . . WHAT THE. . .?!?!?!?

Oh, heck yeah!! I've got me a collector's item! Sorry, folks, but this copy I'm keeping for my grandkids' college funds! 

Alas, only the title pages, acknowledgements, and copyright page are upside down. Seriously, though. This is cool. And there's only the one! The others are all normal . . . well, as normal as you can get with my fiction. Which makes me . . .

Giddy like a schoolgirl! A schoolgirl wearing a Totenkopf who hasn't shaved for days and whose . . . nevermind . . .

____________________

If you like my writing and want to help my creative endeavors, ko-fi me at https://ko-fi.com/forrestaguirre. Every little bit is seen and appreciated! Thank you!