That's right, kids! You too can keep up to date on the movements of the one and only Jack Bauer, Bad Ass Counterterrorist Agent. Check out one of the coolest uses for Internet mapping:

Jack Tracker.

Updated each week after the latest installment of 24: Day 5.

Damn. All we need now is a map showing all those swank houses where they shoot porn flicks.

The first update for 2006. What's the happs?

• The Genesis Protocol - Scheduled for publication on or about February 27th.
  
  
• Summon the Thunder - Kevin and I returned copyedit revisions to the editor on January 30th. Awaiting feedback.
  
  
• Untitled project - Turned first draft of manuscript in to the editor on January 9th. Awaiting editor feedback; will offer more details when the editor gives the go-ahead.
  
  
• S.C.E. #64: Distant Early Warning - Turned first draft of manuscript in to editor on January 18th. Heard back from editor Keith DeCandido just this morning that he's cool with it and that he's sending it on to Paramount for approval. Sweet!
  
  
• Mere Anarchy: Book 1 - Currently writing this with Kevin. Manuscript due April 1st.
  
  
• Corps of Engineers #1: Turn the Page - Proposal accepted by the editor November 20th (or so). Kevin and I are awaiting licensor approval. Not sure what the manuscript due date will be, but I'm guessing some time around the 1st week of June or so.
  
  
• Original nonSF short story - Sent to market editor on September 17th. Waiting to see if it's accepted or rejected.
  
  
• Original SF short story - For an open-call anthology. Story sent to editor January 23rd. Waiting to see if it's accepted or rejected.
  
  
• Original short story - Outlined and a partial draft is complete. I've found a market for it, so I've got reason to get it done and out the door. Yee-haw! Other stuff with deadlines still take priority, though :)
  
  
• Original SF short story - Inspired by Keith DeCandido, who's written a few short stories based in the world of his Dragon Precinct novel, I had an idea to write a story or two based in the "universe" of The Last World War. Not sure what the heck I'll do with this first one once I get it completed, as I've done no research into potential markets. Glancing back through the book over the weekend, I made a few notes about events discussed or referenced that occurred "off-camera" and which might make good fodder for a couple of stories (It's a global war, right? ). Right now the idea's nothing more than a page or so of notes, and stuff with deadlines is taking priority, but I've got a hankering to play in this world again, if only for a little bit, while the future of the second book hangs in limbo. More info as I work things out.
  
  
• Counterstrike: The Last World War, Book II - Proposal still being shopped to publishers. A couple of encouraging conversations, but nothing definitive, and certainly not anything I can share at this time. Keep 'dem fingahs crossed!
  
  
• Trek novel solo project - Awaiting editor feedback on proposal.
  
  
• Trek novel project with Kevin - Awaiting editor feedback on proposal.
  
  
• Tie-in project with Kevin - Polishing proposal with Kevin now. Hope to have it in the editor's hands within the week or so.
  
  
• Two articles for Star Trek Communicator magazine with Kevin - These are still on hold pending word on direction of the magazine.
  
  
• Non-fiction/non-genre article (or series of articles) for local/regional magazine or newspaper - Got some research done on it, but I still need a market. Might have found one...still need to write that query letter....
  

As posted to TrekBBS by fellow Trek writer TG Theodore, I present:

The Geek Hierarchy

No further explanation seems to be required.

I can relax - ever so briefly - this evening now that the latest set of revisions are turned in for Summon the Thunder. In addition to reviewing the copy editor's marks and notes, there were also some editor's notes that needed to be addressed. I was pretty happy with the first go-around of this book, but I'm even happier after these revisions. I know it's pretty bold to say stuff like this, but I think this book kicks ass.

For our next trick, we're on to writing our installment of the Mere Anarchy TOS e-Book mini-series.

This writing thing is fun.

Last night, Kevin and I were guests at the Louisburg Library, which you may have guessed was in the small town of Louisburg, Kansas, about twenty-five miles or so south of the KC metro area. A longtime friend of Kevin's is the library director, and asked if we'd be up for coming down and talking about our writing, Trek and otherwise, as part of their "Sci-Fi Nite" activities. The idea was that we'd spend an hour talking and answering questions, and maybe selling and signing a few books, followed by the viewing of a Trek episode in honor of our various Trek fiction offerings.

The programming morphed into us talking with the audience for the full two hours, as the small yet lively audience of people who took the time to attend seemed to be more interested in us than in watching the TV (Mrs. Ward, I hope you're reading this). Needless to say, we were thrilled and continued on. Hopefully, we didn't embarrass ourselves too much. We also sold and signed several books, far more than I had anticipated. All in all, it was a fun way to spend an evening.

So, for Kiersten Allen, Holly Gillogly, and the staff and friends of the Louisburg Library: Thanks very much for the invitation and the hospitality!

Found out today that The Genesis Protocol has been delayed. It's now scheduled to be out in late February.

Consequently, the book signing I had scheduled for the Barnes & Noble in Leawood, Kansas has been postponed. I'll announce the rescheduled date as soon as I figure it out with the store's community relations manager.

I was checking out an online job search site, just to see what was available when searching by writing-related keywords. While reviewing the search results, one job posting in particular caught my eye, mostly because of this little gem in the "Skills" section of the listing:


"Excellent writing skills is required."


As I often like to say: Sometimes, Life just writes the joke for you.

Managed over the weekend to put the finishing touches on a short story that had been languishing while Kevin and I finished the first draft of Distant Early Warning, and I put it in the mail this morning. It's now on its way to the editor of the open call anthology I decided to try. While the story's not typically something I'd write, I'd gotten a kick (and a few belly laughs) out of the previous anthologies in this series. I probably won't know anything about the editor's decisions until summer at the earliest, but at least I can cross the story off my "To Do List."

Currently, I'm working with Kevin to complete the latest round of revisions on Summon the Thunder, which are due on the 30th. After that, we get started on our installment of Mere Anarchy, the six-part e-Book series that will be part of Pocket's 2006 celebration of the original Star Trek series' 40th anniversary.

Kick ass.

And while I'm working on that, I hope to write two more short stories and an article for a local magazine.

Got word today that Issue #125 of Titan's Star Trek Magazine is available in the UK, featuring an article by BookTrek's Daniel Berry that offers info on the Star Trek: S.C.E. series and the plans for it to be "relaunched" later this year as Corps of Engineers. Included in the article are quotes from series co-creator Keith R.A. DeCandido as well as Kevin and myself. I've not seen the article myself yet, but I've got a copy of the magazine on the way.

For those fans of the Star Trek: Vanguard series, issue #123 features coverage of the series and its first book, Harbinger, written of course by the Mack Daddy himself.

Kinda makes me think we need a Trek mag over here again, eh?

Well, hot diggety-damn!

Keith DeCandido offered news today that Paramount has approved the latest project in which Kevin and I will be taking part. Because I'm a lazy bastard, I'm just pasting his original announcement as posted to various online venues:

---

Pocket Books will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Star Trek in a variety of ways, and I can now announce what the eBook line will be doing:

Mere Anarchy will be a six-eBook miniseries that will cover the entire history of the original series. The non-aligned planet Mestiko suffers a grave disaster, and the Enterprise is brought in to help. But the disaster will continue to have consequences throughout the next two-plus decades, both for the natives of Mestiko and for the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise...

The eBooks will break down as follows:

Book 1 by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore (August 2006). The authors of A Time to Sow, A Time to Harvest, and Vanguard: Summon the Thunder kick off the miniseries with a tale taking place just prior to "Where No Man Has Gone Before."

Book 2 by Mike W. Barr (September 2006). Best known for his stellar run on DC's first Star Trek comic in the 1980s, Mike's story will take place during the historic five-year mission.

Book 3 by Dave Galanter (October 2006). This installment will take place during the so-called "lost years" between the TV show and The Motion Picture, to be authored by the man behind SCE: Bitter Medicine, "Eleven Hours Out" in Tales of the Dominion War, and Maximum Warp.

Book 4 by Christopher L. Bennett (February 2007). Christopher will revisit the post-Motion Picture era that he covered in Ex Machina with this portion of the storyline.

Book 5 by Howard Weinstein (March 2007). Another veteran of DC's Trek comics, Howie's tale will take place in the gap between The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country on the Enterprise-A.

Book 6 by Margaret Wander Bonanno (April 2007). The miniseries will conclude with this post-Generations-prelude story by the author of Strangers from the Sky, Catalyst of Sorrows, and Burning Dreams.

The object will be to cover the breadth of the original series' history, both on the small and big screens, from the days of Gary Mitchell, Dr. Piper, and Lee Kelso, all the way to the aftermath of Jim Kirk being swallowed by the Nexus, with stops everywhere in between.

More details, including the individual eBook titles, some more on the plot, and cover art, will be forthcoming over the next few months.

---

And yes, to say that I'm excited about working with the people on this list is an understatement of galactic proportions. Somebody pinch me, cuz I must be dreamin'!

This just in from the "Better Late Than Never" Department:

Kevin and I handed in our first draft manuscript for Distant Early Warning, otherwise known as #64 of the Star Trek: S.C.E. series. As well as featuring our gang of intrepid engineers from the 23rd century, the story also serves as a prequel to the Star Trek: Vanguard series. If all goes according to plan, it'll be out in May, available in various e-Book formats.

So, we take a short breather, then get on with finishing up revisions for Summon the Thunder. At the same time I'll be working to finish a short story I'm hoping to have in the mail by early next week as well as helping Kevin to finish a proposal we've been kicking around for too long now. After that, I'll get to work on another short story I'm writing that I hope will be of interest to many folks who keep clamoring for a followup to one my books. More details on this as I actually write the bloody thing.

Oh, and Kevin and I will also have to be getting started rather quickly on our next project, which carries an April 1st deadline (no foolin'!).

I could tell you more about that last one, but I'd be getting myself into a heap o' trouble. So...you know...forget I even said anything.

Another fun internet quiz, snurched from BooRaven, a friend linked to Keith DeCandido's LiveJournal:

You scored as SG-1 (from Stargate). You are versatile and diverse in your thinking. You have an open mind to that which seems highly unlikely and accept it with a bit of humor. Now if only aliens would stop trying to take over your body. Coming on December 1, 2005: Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? The Sequel SG-1 (from Stargate) 94% Nebuchadnezzar (from The Matrix) 81% Serenity (from Firefly) 81% Moya (from Farscape) 75% Galactica (from Battlestar: Galactica) 75% Bebop (from Cowboy Bebop) 75% Millennium Falcon (from Star Wars) 69% Enterprise D (from Star Trek) 63% Which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? v1.0 created with QuizFarm.com

Link provided by someone from a mail loop to which I subscribe:

Sad, but true. Sad, but f##king true.

Pilfered from Bill Leisner's Live Journal:

Interesting results. I particularly like the percentage breakdowns. Guess I'm just too damned funny for math.

Well, that's my story, anyway.


the Ham

(38% dark, 53% spontaneous, 21% vulgar)

your humor style: CLEAN | SPONTANEOUS | LIGHT

Your style's goofy, innocent and feel-good. Perfect for parties and for the dads who chaperone them. You can actually get away with corny jokes, and I bet your sense of humor is a guilty pleasure for your friends. People of your type are often the most approachable and popular people in their circle. Your simple & silly good-naturedness is immediately recognizable, and it sets you apart in this sarcastic world.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Will Ferrell - Will Smith



The 3-Variable Funny Test!

- it rules -

If you're interested, try my latest: The Terrorism Test

Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

This morning, Kevin and I sent in our first draft of an "unnamed Trek project" about which we're allowed to say precisely nothing. You'll just have to take our word that it's done.

Of course, we also got back copyedits and some new revision notes on Summon the Thunder, so it's not as though I've made any net progress for the day.

That's okay, though, as I'm actually ahead of pace for where I need to be on my portion of Distant Early Warning.

Little give; a little take. I love being a writer.



Gotta get some good key-pounding down here before the NFL playoffs start this afternoon. Man, what I wouldn't give to be down in Tampa today for the Bucs game.

As part of my New Year's resolution to be more outgoing and not quite so shy, I have to pose the following question:

What is it about the Internet, that it can unleash the uncanny problem-solving skills of even the stupidest people currently drawing oxygen? Further, how is it that the greatest communications and information exchange tool in the history of civilization seems equally incapable of channeling the results of this unprecedented analytical prowess to the very people who can most benefit from such remarkable and yet wholly untapped insight?

I know what you're asking: What the hell is Ward on about now?

This is what I've learned during the years I've spent traversing the Internet: No matter how complex or nuanced the problem -- be it economic issues, political turmoil, and/or societal ills of every color and stripe -- you name it, there's at least one anonymous pezhead posting in some isolated Internet chat room or on some equally far-flung message board who has ALL of the answers. To ask these people, any issue is as simple as sitting down and banging your knuckles against your keyboard for a few minutes, fueled perhaps by too many 12-packs of Mountain Dew, too many bags of Cheetos, and too little time spent bathing or interacting with other denizens of this planet in an honest-to-goodness face-to-face manner.

Never mind that the responsibility a lot of these people hold toward fellow members of their species has never extended beyond offering a courtesy flush while using a public restroom. They've never run a company, commanded troops in battle, held a public office, worked to cure a disease, write a law, treat a severely-injured or chronically-ill person, serve on a police force, or, in short, do anything which requires them to get off their fat asses, go into the world, and contribute to society or render toward their fellow human beings anything of any constructive or lasting value. The only thing such people seem to have going for them is legions of braindead followers sitting at their own keyboards and who shout "FUCK YEAH!" at everything these self-important blowhards say.

You know you're over the line when even Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly calls you out for the idiot you are.

In between the constant tirades about how everybody else is doing everything wrong, they boast about their high score on some video game, or how many DVDs they got for Christmas, or how they just got the secret inside scoop for some movie that won't be out for six months, or how they want to sue Burger King because they just busted the ass out of their favorite chair while binging on onion rings and watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the fifty-third consecutive day.

What never fails to make me wonder is: If these morons did in fact have all the answers, and enacting their grand plans was as simple and straightforward as they say it should be, then why the hell aren't they running the damned universe by now, rather than dwelling in the depths of some obscure online domain? Rather than harness their seemingly unparalled intellect for the greater good, they remain ensconced within their virtual, vaporous empire, holding vigil on the off chance one of the very people with whom they take fervent issue might stop by for some advice.

Riddle me that, if you please. I'll wait for the answer, but I suspect I'll have better luck convincing the waitress at my favorite restaurant that a threesome with me, her and her equally hot co-worker is a really, really awesome idea, and that my wife won't care -- not one damned bit.

Don't get me wrong: The list of people who deserve regular and continuous ass-kicking because of their quite-public and costly cock-ups is long and distinguished, be they government officials at any and every level and on either side of the political aisle, CEOs of corrupt corporations who screw their employees out of jobs and pensions, the jack-offs who devised the BCS scoring system, or whoever decided that ABC programs should end a minute later than normal so that they screw with my TiVo.

All I'm saying is that solving the big issues which plague us as a people aren't as easily remedied as a pack of overindulged Internet misfits would have us believe. As was once said in one of my favorite movies: "Serious problems require serious people." Let's put some of that brainpower toward crafting honest, real solutions, and then go out and do something about it, eh? Walk the walk, as they say.

Besides, if life were really that simple, I'd have had that threesome a dozen times over by now.

Shit.

And don't worry: I'm not calling for anyone to be silenced, censored, or even to just shut the hell up, get laid, and move on. The reading is far too amusing for it to end now. Besides, without such constant whining and ranting and sanctimonious bullshit (you know, the kind of stuff you're reading right this very second), the Internet would likely collapse in on itself, leaving us nothing but a tangled string of fiber optics through which we only could check our bank balances, read work-related e-Mail, and download the occasional low-quality and far-too short girl-on-girl porn clip.

Just thought it was worth pondering for a few minutes.

Hey. You. Gonna eat that bagel?

Congratulations to the winners of the 9th annual Star Trek: Strange New Worlds writing contest:

First, the prize-winners:

GRAND PRIZE: "Orphans", by R.S. Belcher (Speculations category)
SECOND PRIZE: "Choices", by Susan S. McCrackin (Voyager)
THIRD PRIZE: "Mestral", by Ben Guilfoy (Enterprise)

And the runners-up:

The Original Series:

"Gone Native", by John Coffren
"A Bad Day for Koloth", by David DeLee
"Book of Fulfillment", by Steven Costa
"The Smallest Choices", by Jeremy Yoder

The Next Generation:

"Staying the Course", by Paul C. Tseng
"Home Soil", by Jim Johnson
"Terra Tonight", by Scott Pearson
"Solace in Bloom", by Jeff D. Jacques

Deep Space Nine:

"Shadowed Allies", by Emily P. Bloch
"Living on the Edge of Existence", by Gerri Leen
"The Last Tree on Ferenginar: A Ferengi Fable From the Future", by Mike McDevitt
"The Tribbles' Pagh", by Ryan M. Williams

Voyager:

"Unconventional Cures", by Russ Crossley
"Maturation", by Catherine E. Pike

Enterprise:

"Rounding a Corner Already Turned", by Allison Cain
"Mother Nature's Little Reminders", by A. Rhea King

Speculations:

"Remembering the Future", by Randy Tatano
"Rocket Man", by Kenneth E. Carper
"The Rules of War", by Kevin Lauderdale
"The Immortality Blues", by Marc Carlson

These stories will appear in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 9, to be published in August 2006.

Also, special shout outs go to Kevin Lauderdale, Susan S. McCrackin, Jeff D. Jacques, Catherine E. Pike, and Russ Crossley for becoming the lastest additions to the Wardy List, so named by SNW alumn TG Theodore.

(Yes, I'll update that page....later!)

Nice job, folks. Can't wait to read the stories!

A new year brings with it a rash of new holiday wishes as the months progress. With that in mind:





There. That should do it.



In other news, Keith DeCandido alerted me to a new review of The Genesis Protocol as posted by reviewer Paul Haggerty at SFRevu. Many thanks to Paul for the review, and to Keith for alerting me to it.




Yes!

Bucs end the year 11-5, winners of the NFC South, and host to a first-round playoff game against Washington next weekend. It's playoff time, baby!