Category Archives: Shadowed
The Early 2022 Post, or Man, I Really Need to Step Things Up
Happy New Year! We made it through 2021 and that’s probably as positive as I can be about that experience! I mean, I guess it wasn’t worse than 2019 or 2020, but it wasn’t great. Teaching during the 2021-2022 school year has so far been the most difficult I’ve experienced. We here at casa de Gauthier are still somewhat hunkered down. I haven’t been to the movies since January 2020, for instance, and only go to stores when absolutely needed. Yeah, I’ve gotten my haircut and we’re a little more willing to some things, but we’re still being pretty careful. My nine-year-old, Genevieve, is being homeschooled until the Massachusetts DESE gets their heads out of their asses and do what’s really right for the protection of students (and teachers, but who cares about them!). Still, 2021 saw some exciting things.
In January, I sent a query/proposal to an agent for my middle grade space adventure novel. Having not heard anything for months, I queried other agents, who promptly said, “Thanks but no thanks.” In the last week of December, the agent from January got back to me. While they passed on the novel, they told me that they’d had it on their “maybe” list. So I came thiiiiiiiis close! It’s much-needed validation for the book, so I’m looking forward to looking into more agents and querying.
In February, I went on a limb and emailed Crossroad Press to ask if they’d be interested in bringing out my backlist and maybe a new novel, and they were interested! So that’s the beginning of the journey of the rereleases of Catalysts, Alice on the Shelf, and Shadowed. Alice on the Shelf has been in ebook pretty much since it came out in 2011, but the new versions of Catalysts and Shadowed are currently available, and the new print edition of Catalysts is, too, which is really exciting.
I started editing the new adult horror novel in August and am almost done with the line-edits. December became the month of the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar and the new novel took a backseat while I wrote mini-stories and photos, which I did minor editing to in Procreate, spending from 20 minutes to 2 hours working on the stories. Mostly, they were about an hour or 90 minutes, which is the time I’d usually work on editing the novel. Now that the advent calendar story is over, I’m back on novel duty. I have about 25 pages to edit, and hope to get it done in the next few days. As far as the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar story, that can be seen on my Instagram. If there’s interest, maybe I’ll collect the stories on a page here or on my Patreon.
I’m looking forward to what 2022 has in store and hope I can up things a bit—getting more Patrons, selling more work, and generally getting more stuff done. Echoes on the Pond will be released this year, which is exciting. I look forward to holding my first published novel in hands. I’m hoping to get more things going on my platforms. Part of that is health, too. I need to work on exercising and eating better, so that’ll be on the agenda.
If you’re so inclined, becoming a Patron of my Patreon page will help. I’ve been posting more there than on here, and Patrons get the inside scoop on things, including the titles of the works, occasional previews, excerpts, and perhaps more this year, especially if I get more Patrons.
It’s been a rough few years and I’m hoping 2022 will begin alleviating our pains. Thanks for reading, and I hope we’ll continue this journey for a long time to come. Again, happy New Year.
Revisionary Attitude
My feelings on revising my work are the same feelings I have for cooking: I hate the idea of it, leading up to it, and actually beginning it, but once I start it I love it. When it’s my night to cook I loathe the idea of it. I’ll be here at my desk, or on the couch reading, or doing somedamnthing or another and want to do just about anything but cook. That involves planning, and messes, and work. But once I’ve set up my mise en place, once I have the ingredients in my hands and I’ve begun, I have a real enjoyable time. And when my wife and I (or my wife, my daughter, and I) sit down to eat, the enjoyment that is had from my cooking is like a drug, addicting. (Don’t tell my wife any of the stuff I just wrote, she’ll want me to cook all the time).
Revising my writing is the same thing. The novel that I’ve been working on for four years now has taken four years because it took me nearly a year-and-a-half to begin the revising process. Now, that will probably make you believe I am not acting professionally, but I wasn’t just sitting around watching dust gather on my 158,300 word (763 ms pages, Courier New font) manuscript. I was also:
- Getting used to being a teacher.
- Having to relocate abruptly thanks to the economy.
- Working on the pre-publication revisions for Alice on the Shelf.
- Writing, revising, and working on the pre-publication revisions of Shadowed.
- Writing and revising the novella I wrote that was spawned on by Shadowed.
- Going through time-consuming classes to renew my teaching license.
You get the idea. Maybe those are excuses, but they don’t feel like it to me. That explains the (so far) four-year process on this novel. But about a year-and-a-half of it was…well…I’d rather work on a novella than revise that monster, or I’d rather (fill in the blank) than revise that big fuckin’ novel. But alas, the time came and I began and…well…I love working on it.
It’s a monumental task. I decided that a semi-major character was going to be edited out. I decided that two minor characters would pick up some of the slack. I decided that certain plot points were really lame and the new ideas that came from nowhere seemed so much better. It’s like discovering a new spice that really makes the food taste that much better.
So the work continues. I’ve got a 39,000 word second draft (140 pages, Times New Roman font) and growing. And that’s where I am at this moment.
Oh, and those links to Alice on the Shelf and Shadowed above? Both of those books are available and have links on their respective pages for where you can buy them. Those sales make the revisions so much sweeter.
This Ain’t No Year In Review
Everybody’s doin’ ’em. I’m not. I’ve had ups, I’ve had downs. You’ve had ups, you’ve had downs. If you’re visiting this site, you that I had two novellas published this year: Alice on the Shelf by Bad Moon Books in January, and Shadowed by Delirium Books in March. You’ve bought them and read them and enjoyed them, that’s why you’re here.
Unless that’s not why you’re here.
Maybe you found me via WordPress or another link and you liked it here, in which case, I urge you to click on those links I just provided and pick up a copy of my books. They’re available in that old tree pulp stuff–whatsitcalled?–paper, or as ebooks. Further links are provided to places where you can give your hard-earned money to this working writer.
Either way, I’m glad you’re here and reading this. Instead of looking back and all that, I want to say thank you. Thank you for reading and for responding. It’s been a strange, wonderful, frustrating year.
2012 will hopefully bring you and I together even more. I submitted a novella yesterday and we’ll see where that goes. If the publisher decides it’s not a right fit, then I’ll go elsewhere. Word is that some of my past will be coming back to light this year, more on that when I know more and the ink is dried.
In terms of writing, I have the novel Echoes on the Pond to finally finish up and submit, as well as another that I started writing a few months ago to also work on. I have a few novella ideas, and one that needs to be overhauled that I hope to finally get to. I’d like to write some more short fiction that is actually good, since that’s been a while. My wife and I have been talking about doing a blog together for a while and I think we finally found the right way to do it, so stay tuned for that. I also have some ideas for some nonfiction I’d like to do, though we’ll see. Perhaps a screenplay or comic script might actually be done this year. I promise, if you’re reading this and looking for more work from me, I’m doing my best. I have a lot of work to do for the day job, but with your support the writing work has an easier time getting done.
I’m hoping to attend NECON this year and actually stay, not let my social anxiety get the better of me like it did last time. I may try to do more of that sort of thing in general, if possible.
So basically, that’s that. Happy New Year, and I’ll see you around.
New Shadowed Review
Just dropping in to say that my book Shadowed has gotten a great review over at Horrorphilia.com. Thanks to Gabino Iglesias for the kind words!
Summertime Chills & FAQs
Bad blogger!
I know, I know. My day job is done until late August and my class ended the other night so I am in full-time writing mode, which includes coming here and pontificating a bit.
The novella that I finished the first draft of back in February just had its second draft completed. My goal is to have the next (and final) draft done in two weeks and begin the process of marketing it. We’ll see how that goes. Now I’m jumping into editing/revising the novel, Echoes on the Pond, which has taken far too much time. I may also work on something new. I haven’t written many short stories for a while and I have several first drafts sitting here, so I may go into short story mode for a bit, while I work on Echoes on the Pond.
Now, I’ve never needed a FAQ section because, to be honest, I really haven’t heard much from readers. However, this spring I received two emails from two different readers who read and enjoyed Shadowed. that led me to decide to do a little FAQ here. Since this has a minor spoiler for Shadowed, I’ll place it behind a cut. Read the rest of this entry
Bookselling News & Radio Addendum
In my last post, I talked about doing the radio show Spooky Southcoast and how much fun it was, etc. & so on, (haven’t seen the video yet? Check it out, or listen to the broadcast by searching my name on iTunes). What I forgot to mention was how dumb I felt toward the end of the show.
The show broadcasts from 10 PM to midnight, Eastern, and I was very tired before going in. Toward the end of the show, I began to truly feel tired and was losing my train of thought. So when host Tim Weisberg asked me if there was anyone new out there in the world of horror, I couldn’t think of anything. I mentioned Joe Hill, who is great, and then I mumbled something about how more people should read Harlan Ellison, a classic but a great, and that was about it. I had wanted to mention John R. Little.
John has supported me a lot and I even looked down at my to-be-read pile and saw his collection Little Things before leaving for the show and made a mental note to mention him. Unfortunately, the mental note got lost amongst the other stuff tumbling around my brain. So, that said, check out John R. Little, a writer who I admire.
I’m sure there are others I’m forgetting even now, but….
Okay, so now the bookselling news. Yesterday, Horror Mall announced that they are no longer selling Bad Moon Books publications. Both companies have posts concerning the abrupt end but I choose not to talk about it here. Both companies are responsible for my two current novellas, so it would behoove me to not say a damn thing. Besides, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on and, as long as the checks for both novellas keep coming, I’m good.
So, for people who may have ordered Alice on the Shelf through Horror Mall, know that those orders will be filled, no sweat. For those who haven’t ordered the novella but are planning to, or if you are planning on ordering Alice on the Shelf for a friend, or if you are simply referring the novella to people, this is the place where you should send them now.
Shadowed is still available here. The ebook for Shadowed is available wherever ebooks are sold, but Darkside Digital is the best place to get it.
The ebook for Alice on the Shelf is also available everywhere ebooks are sold, but is also available through Crossroad Press.
That’s it for now. I have a bunch of editing to do and intend to get into it. Later.
EBooks & Radio Nowhere
EBooks
Spring is here and here in Southeastern Massachusetts, this past week has been a picture of the new season. Temperatures have been in the high 30s and low 40s, and we even had a small snowstorm. Glorious, really. But true sunshine and warmth came this week with the announcement that my novella Shadowed has been released in ebook. It’s available in formats for your Kindle, Nook, iPad, Sony Reader, and many other devices, including your computer. So if you haven’t ordered the signed, limited edition mini-hardcover, or if you’ve ordered the handsome collectible hardcover and don’t want to sully it by actually reading it (which is silly, because it’s, you know, a book and all), you have a nice digitized version to read.
Alice on the Shelf is still available in its trade paperback format as well as an ebook format. I strongly urge you to get the paperback because, truthfully, I think it’s a beautifully laid-out paperback, but if you’re into the book being easy to store and easy to carry, the ebook is fine, too.
Radio Nowhere
So, last Saturday night I was sitting on the couch half-comatose. Read the rest of this entry
Shadowed Shipping, More Alice… Reviews & Ebooks
Things are so busy…
Word is out that Shadowed is shipping and has arrived in some places. I believe the official release of the book is next week, pre-orders have been available since January, so order yours now before it sells out. The ebook will be available around the same time.
Speaking of ebooks, Alice on the Shelf was released as an ebook from Bad Moon Books and Crossroad Press. It’s available at Crossroad Press, in several versions. You can also order it through Barnes & Noble for the Nook and Amazon.com for the Kindle and, and, and…
And speaking of Alice on the Shelf, two new reviews hit the internet this week. A review by Peter Schwotzer has appeared in several different places. Also, Colleen Wanglund wrote a review for The Horror Fiction Review, which is a little more than halfway down the page.
Aside from all that, I finished the novella I was working on and it’s been put aside to rest awhile before reading, editing, rewriting. Right now it weighs in at 28,800 words. Now I’m editing my novel Echoes on the Pond. I’m hoping to be able to begin rewriting within a month. Unfortunately, I’m taking a class right now for the day job, and there’ll only be more of that in the future. Still, work is getting done.
My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing Anthony Bourdain and Chef Eric Ripert in Boston last week. I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel as well as Bpurdain’s book Kitchen Confidential. I haven’t read his book Medium Raw yet, but mean to soon. We truly enjoyed the night.
So, folks, that’s about it right now. I’ll talk to you later.
New Reviews, and Vacation From the Day Job…
…doesn’t mean vacation from work. I think I will be able to finish the novella that I wrote about in my last post this week. Aside from that, I have a bunch of other things to do in general. So it’s a vacation on paper only. Still, it’s much-needed.
All right, now to go along with Sheri White’s positive review of Alice on the Shelf, we have two more positive reviews. One is by Don D’Ammassa and the other is by Trevor Nordgren for Dark Discoveries. There has also been so kind words on a few message board scattered around the internet. Thanks to those who have shown Alice… some love and, please, keep the good word-of-mouth going.
And while I have you here, I wanted to gently remind you that Shadowed is due to be published in a few weeks by Delirium Books. This is a very different kind of story than Alice on the Shelf but I like the story quite a bit. Hopefully, you will, too. Click here to pre-order a copy while there are still some to order.
That’s it for now. Thanks for the continued support!
The Time, How It Flies!
Man, I’m tired. Slept 12 hours the other day. I began a class last week. The day job has been hectic. There’s been more snow than there’s any right to be. And I’m tired. But you’re not here to listen to me kvetch, are you?
Of course not.
What you want to know is about what’s happening right now. Well, luckily, that’s what I’m here for, too. I want to thank those who ordered Alice on the Shelf and pre-ordered Shadowed. According to this post, both are bestsellers at Horror Mall. Still, I think we can do better. So if you’ve already ordered, recommend the books to friends who might like horror/dark fantasy books. If you haven’t ordered them yet, what are you waiting for?
Now that I’m done hawking my goods, let’s talk a bit, you ‘n me. I didn’t work my ass off on this website to only sell my writing but to also have a place to communicate to readers and other people who are interested, so that’s what I’m planning on doing Read the rest of this entry
Gautham: Bill Gauthier.com 