It's the end of May? Already? Sheesh!

• S.C.E. #64: Distant Early Warning - Received galley proofs from ditor Keith DeCandido on May 4th, and we returned our final corrections to him on May 8th. This was originally scheduled to be a May publication in e-Book format, but it's looking more like early to mid June. Stay tuned for updates!
  
  
• Summon the Thunder - Book is due to hit stores around the last two weeks in June, depending on your local bookstore.
  
  Two different excerpts are available: the first appears in the back of Dave Mack's new DS9 novel Warpath; a second one is also available at the Simonsays.com Star Trek books site.
  
  
• "First, Do No Harm" - for the Constellations anthology. Returned galley corrections to the editor on May 12th. This one is a done deal until it shows up in stores!
  
  
• Things Fall Apart - Mere Anarchy: Book 1 - Received word just last night that CBS Licensing has approved our manuscript. We're now awaiting any other editor comments and galley proofs so we can put this one to bed.
  
  The second and third books in the series, written respectively by Mike W. Barr and Dave Galanter, are finished and everyone involved in the series has had a chance to read them. The series is shaping up very, very nicely, if I do say so myself.
  
  
• Corps of Engineers #1: Turn the Page - Due date for turning in the manuscript is June 15th. Kevin and I are hard at work on it. Honest.
  
  
• Enterprise: Mirror Universe project - a novel of approximately 50,000 words or so, with Kevin and I assisting former Enterprise staff writer/producer Mike Sussman with the writing. Manuscript is due August 1st. More on this as details firm up and it's appropriate to share info.
  
  
• 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 SF short story - For an open-call anthology. Story is about half-done. Deadline for submissions is July 31st, so I have time, but it's competing for my attention with Turn the Page and the Mirror Universe book, and it's losing that fight at the moment.
  
  
• 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 are still taking priority.
  
  
• Original SF short story - I've outlined the first short story based in the "universe" of The Last World War. This one's on the back burner as I take care of projects with deadlines. More info to come as I move forward on it.
  
  
• Counterstrike: The Last World War, Book II - Proposal is still in limbo.
  
  
• Trek novel solo project - Awaiting editor feedback on proposal.
  
  
• Trek novel project with Kevin - Awaiting editor feedback on proposal.
  
  
• Tie-in project with Kevin - Kevin has created a third version of this proposal, and is still waiting on me to get off my ass and work on it myself.
  
  
• Trek tie-in project - Nothing much more than a hare-brained idea at this point, I've nevertheless written a five-page proposal for it. Not sure if it ever will see the light of day, but I figure it's good for giving the editor a laugh.
  
  
• 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, once I get some breathing room....

Spent a good portion of Saturday and Sunday moving my home office from its room on the house's main floor to the basement, which until now has served as the "TV room." Since the basement was already finished when we bought the house, complete with fireplace, half bath and an additional room which I've used from the beginning as a library, it made for a nice family room. Now its contents have been rearranged somewhat and augmented with those from my office, which actually works out as I've developed the habit of doing most of my writing down here, anyway.

As for my old office? Why, that's to be the nursery, of course.

It's starting to get real now, folks. The Mrs. is showing very nicely. I can feel the little tyke moving around and she gives me the finger when we go for the sonograms. We picked up the crib on Friday, and once the room itself is painted during the next weekend we'll set to assembling that beast. I swear, the instructions that came with this thing make the handbook for flying the space shuttle look like a nugget of wisdom you might find on a fortune cookie.

In related news, Michi has a list of stuff -- either to buy or which has already been purchased -- that may well place us on the list of shareholders for Babies R Us. I'm trying to figure out how I survived babyhood without all of this stuff. The car seat alone looks like something a pilot might want when ejecting from an F-14. She also bought a combo playpen/crib/solitary confinement cell that has all the comforts of home, including a collapsible changing table and -- I think -- hookups for HDTV and the Internet. All it needs is a beer cooler and I can move in today.

It's gonna look great in my new office, in that space next to my desk.

Ugh.

Let's just say that the last week has been one of those years, and call it done, all right?

Anyway, I've been remiss in my updates. First and foremost, I'd like to report that Kevin and I had a fun time at the Region 12 Summit. It was a small but enthusiastic crowd, and we enjoyed hanging out with guest of honor Robin Curtis. We thank Wade, Jen, Mysteri, Chris, and everyone else for inviting us and showing us a great time!



Check this out!

This is an ad that will appear in the June 29th print edition of -- wait for it -- the Weekly World News.

It's the first of several ads that Phobos Books is running in the popular tabloid for their various titles. I think it's a hoot, and it fits in perfectly with the mag's motif quite nicely, if I do say so myself. If you dig the text of the "article," then give Kevin a shout, as he provided that as well as similar material for forthcoming Phobos ads in this vein.

Besides, you know you need to get the latest alien intel from the hot sheets, anyway, so do yourself a favor and check out the issue when it hits stands next week. Be sure to read Bob Greenberger's stuff in there, while you're at it. Why? Because he's Bob, and he's cool. What other reason do you need?

Kevin and I are off to our second Region 12 Summit, the annual gathering of regional chapters of Starfleet, the International Star Trek Fan Association. We had a lot of fun with these folks last year, and are excited about being invited back for a second go-around. Their special guest this year is Robin Curtis (Lieutenant Saavik from Star Trek III), and I know from past experience that she's a very warm and gracious con guest. Should make for a fun weekend.

So, off we go, on the road again!

The good folks over at Pocket Books have posted an excerpt for Summon the Thunder. You can read it by clicking here.

For those who may be wondering, this is not the same excerpt that appears in the back of the most recent DS9 novel, Warpath.

Enjoy!

Okay, I guess I spoke too soon the last time I brought this one up.

Last week, we received galleys for our story, "First, Do No Harm," which we wrote for the Star Trek: Constellations anthology. I'm happy to say that we've completed giving those the once-over and making our final fix requests, which we sent on to editor Marco Palmieri on Friday.

We're done with this one until it's a real book. Honest.

At any rate, it gave me a reason to show off that nifty cover again. Still sweet, eh?

Snurched from Keith DeCandido:

I have lived through 105 of these 158 things.

1. Put numbers in the boxes instead of x's (example: 1, 2, 3, 4, ...)
2. Repost as "I have lived through ___ of these 158 things.

(Some of this stuff is in the category of "Who hasn't?" or "I was a dumb kid, so obviously," but you go with the cards you're dealt when you take one of these quizzes.)

[1] I have read a lot of books.
[] I have been on some sort of varsity team.
[2] I have run more than 2 miles without stopping.
[3] I have been to Canada.
[] I have been to Europe.
[4] I have watched cartoons for hours.
[5] I have tripped UP the stairs.
[6] I have fallen down an entire flight of stairs.
[] I have been snowboarding/skiing.
[7] I have played ping pong.
[8] I swam in the ocean.
[9] I have been on a whale watch.
[10] I have seen fireworks.
[11] I have seen a shooting star.
[] I have seen a meteor shower.
[12] I have almost drowned.
[13] I have been so embarrassed I wanted to disappear.
[14] I have listened to one CD over and over and over again.
[15] I have had stitches.
[] I have had frostbite.
[] I have licked a frozen pole and got stuck there.
[16] I have stayed up til 2 doing homework/projects.
[17] I currently have a job.
[] I have been ice skating.
[] I have been rollerblading.
[18] I have fallen flat on my face.
[19] I have tripped over my own two feet.
[20] I have been in a fist fight.
[21] I have played videogames for more than 3 hours straight.
[] I have watched the Power Rangers.
[] I attend Church regularly.
[22] I have played truth or dare.
[23] I have already had my 16th birthday.
[24] I have already had my 18th birthday.
[25] I've called someone stupid.
[26] I've been in a verbal argument.
[27] I've cried in school.
[28] I've played basketball on a team.
[] I've played baseball on a team.
[] I've played football on a team.
[] I've played soccer on a team.
[] I've done cheerleading on a team.
[29] I've played softball on a team.
[30] I've played volleyball on a team.
[] I've played tennis on a team.
[] I've been in the marching band.
[31] I've been swimming more than 20 times in my life.
[] I've bungee jumped.
[32] I've climbed a rock wall.
[33] I've lost more than $20.
[34] I've called myself an idiot.
[35] I've called someone else an idiot.
[36] I've cried myself to sleep.
[37] I've had (or have) pets.
[] I've owned a Spice Girls CD.
[] I've owned a Britney Spears CD.
[] I've owned an N*Sync CD.
[] I've owned a Backstreet Boys CD.
[38] I've mooned someone.
[39] I have sworn at someone of authority before.
[40] I've been in the newspaper.
[] I've been on TV.
[41] I've been to Hawaii.
[42] I've eaten sushi.
[43] I've been on the other side of a waterfall.
[] I've watched all of the Lord of the Rings movies.
[] I've watched all the Harry Potter movies.
[] I've watched all of the Rocky movies.
[44] I've watched the Three Stooges.
[] I've watched "Newlyweds" Nick & Jessica.
[45] I've watched Looney Tunes.
[] I've been stuffed into a locker/I have stuffed others into lockers.
[46] I've been called a geek.
[47] I've studied hard for a test and got a bad grade.
[48] I've not studied at all for a test and aced it.
[] I've hugged my mom within the past 24 hours.
[] I've hugged my dad within the past 24 hours.
[49] I've met a celebrity/music artist.
[50] I've written poetry.
[] I've been arrested.
[51] I've been attracted to someone much older than me.
[] I've been tickled till I've cried.
[] I've tickled someone else until they cried.
[52] I've had/have siblings.
[53] I've been to a rock concert.
[54] I've listened to classical music and enjoyed it.
[55] I've been in a play.
[56] I've been picked last in gym class.
[57] I've been picked first in gym class.
[58] I've been picked in that middle-range in gym class.
[59] I've cried in front of my friends.
[60] I've read a book longer than 1,000 pages.
[] I've played Halo 2.
[61] I've freaked out over a sports game.
[62] I've been to Alaska.
[] I've been to China.
[] I've been to Spain.
[63] I've been to Japan.
[64] I've had a fight with someone on AIM.
[65] I've had a fight with someone face-to-face.
[66] I've had serious conversations on any IM.
[67] I've forgiven someone who has done something wrong to me.
[68] I've been forgiven.
[] I've screamed at a scary movie.
[] I've cried at a chick flick.
[69] I've watched a lot of action movies.
[70] I've screamed at the top of my lungs.
[] I've been to a rap concert.
[] I've been to a hip hop concert.
[71] I've lived in more than 2 houses.
[72] I've driven on the highway/been on the highway.
[73] I've driven more than 40 miles in a day/been in a car that went more than 40 miles in a day.
[74] I've been in a car accident.
[] I've done drugs.
[75] I've been homesick.
[76] I've thrown up.
[77] I've puked on someone.
[78] I've been horseback riding.
[] I've filled out more than 10 MySpace surveys.
[79] I've spoken my mind in public.
[80] I've proved someone wrong.
[81] I've been proven wrong by someone.
[] I've broken a leg.
[82] I've broken an arm or a finger.
[83] I've fallen off a swing.
[84] I've swung on a swing for more than 30 minutes straight.
[] I've watched Winnie the Pooh movies.
[85] I've forgotten my backpack when I've gone to school.
[86] I've lost my backpack.
[87] I've come close to dying.
[88] I've seen someone die.
[89] I've known someone who has died.
[] I've wanted to be an actor/actress at some point.
[] I've done modeling.
[90] I've forgotten to brush my teeth some mornings.
[91] I've taken something/someone for granted.
[92] I've realized how good my life is.
[93] I've counted my blessings.
[94] I've made fun of a classmate.
[95] I've been asked out by someone and I said no.
[96] I've slapped someone in the face.
[97] I've been skateboarding.
[98] I've been backstabbed by someone I thought was a friend.
[99] I've lied to someone to their face.
[100] I've told a little white lie.
[101] I've taken a day off from school just so I don't go insane.
[102] I've fainted.
[] I've had an argument with someone about whether cheerleading is a sport or not.
[103] I've pushed someone into a pool.
[104] I've been pushed into a pool.
[105] I've been/am in love.

The galleys for Distant Early Warning arrived Thursday afternoon, so I spent part of that evening and Friday night reading through it and making any changes. Kevin read through it Saturday morning, and we sent off our changes to editor Keith DeCandido on Sunday morning.

Though it's scheduled to be a May release, even with the accelerated pace of e-Book publishing, I'm not sure if they'll make it or not. I'll post more info when I get it.

On the bright side, those of you who are firmly against reading these things in e-Book format probably won't notice a thing, as the 2009 release date for the paperback compilation where this story will appear is almost certainly still on track. Feel free to chat amongst yourselves until then.

Well, it looks like the good folks at Simonsays.com have posted the final cover copy for Summon the Thunder, which means I'm free to add it to the book's page here on the site.

Go forth and be teased.