Continuing on my theme of randomly-generated magic spells items, let’s look at wizards and magic users in fantasy fiction. There are many memorable characters that come to mind, and if there’s one thing they have in common, it’s an unforgettable name. For example, Gandalf the Gray. Short and to the point; and more importantly, much …
Category Archive: Fresh News
What's been going on lately
Jun 17
Worldbuilding Wednesday, 6/14/17… wait, there’s more!
Because it was just too much damn fun to come up with these. Another selection of free spells to add to your campaign, story, novel, game, comic, whatever. Chantsuma’s Wondrous Cacophony: Creates a mosaic of noise around the target, a mix of music, voices, animal cries, thunder, chants, roaring waves, bird calls, crashing objects, etc. …
May 10
The Lonely Apollo Pioneers
Returning last week from a trip to Florida, I have to say the highlight of my trip was seeing, at last, Kennedy Space Center. For a child of my generation this was a place that gained its initial familiarity on B&W TV screens (or color, in wooden consoles, if you were well-off or indulgent) with …
Apr 18
Storyboarding Dystopia, Part II
Now where were we? Ah yes, superhero comics and dystopias. No one expects a lot of logic from these. For example, Wolverine’s claws magically suck up into his forearms when they are not needed, somehow without damaging the muscles in his wrists. That’s cool, and it’s a comic book where graphic departures from reality are …
Apr 14
Storyboarding Dystopia, Part I
I am fascinated by YA Dystopias, even though a lot of them are execrably written. Somehow, though, they always manage to sucker me in, giving me the come-on with cryptic, pretty covers and high what-if concepts: What if all young people had a disease that caused them to die before age 25? What if society …
Apr 12
MASHED Pre-order
You may now pre-order MASHED, the anthology I am featured in, on Amazon. Click, click, click on this link…. You can can also enter this book giveaway contest to get it for free! It includes a bunch of other horror books as well. Here’s a short excerpt of my story, “Arabica,” to get you in …
Mar 13
Medusa Revealed
I have a long-running fascination with Medusa the Gorgon. I’ve often wondered about this and was glad someone had the balls to draw it.
Mar 10
Immigration and Easter Animals
As a writer of the profane and fantastic (erotica, horror, fantasy, science fiction) I often take inspiration from the world around me and from the amazing city I live in. But there is no way I can turn the following news into a story, because it’s just so indicative of the current regime’s vile policies. …
Mar 04
Cobalt Jade’s Tax Tips: Lifetime Learning Credit
I am starting a series today dealing with federal tax tips for freelance writers and artists. Many times those working independently aren’t aware of the deductions and tax breaks they may be able to receive in a complicated and overwhelming, but surprisingly fair, system. In this post I will look at the Lifetime Learning Credit, …
Feb 23
Reading Challenge 2017
Inspired by the fine folks at the Writers Water Cooler forums, I have taken on a reading challenge for this year, my first ever. As a writer, I tend to not read a lot of fiction when I’m working, but of course as writers we must read, just to see how other writers do things, …
