Saludos!
Well, Solstice has just gotten another review! Woohoo!! This one is by Lisa Alvarado, a noted Chicana author (Sister Chicas), poet, and performance artist, and regular contributor to La Bloga! And it’s a good one ^^; In fact, Ms. Alvarado has this to say about the book:
"It's a clever spin and a birthing of a universe equal to Dick's replicants and humans in Blade Runner, or Marv Wolfman's skinwalkers and vampires in Blade…While Dick's influence is clear, Silva's terrain is a unique one, his style noirish, his female characters strong and tender, ruthless and unstoppable."
…....wow ^___^; I highly encourage you to stop by La Bloga and read the rest. La Bloga is a site run by a group of prominent Chicano authors and writers, and dedicated to the reviews, discussion, and exposure of new Latino/a creative voices. Needless to say, I consider it an absolute honor to be mentioned on their site. So Lisa, muchas gracias!!! ^__^
Some other stuff has been going on as of late. Let’s see…
Well, as I mentioned the last time I wrote in this thing, I finished my first draft of my new novel, a comedic satire I’ve entitled Inventing Vazquez. I’ve decided to put the book away for a month before starting on the rewrite, to kind of clear my head and approach the book in January with fresh eyes. But I’m excited about having finished the draft all the same, especially because now I can start thinking in terms of ‘when will this be published?’ In fact, assuming I’m going the self-publishing route again (and given the unexpected success of Solstice, it’s not an idea I’m adverse to), I think I’m going to shoot for an early 2009 release ^^;; Hey, I’m crazy, I know.
Of course, in the meantime, with a month to spare before picking up Inventing Vazquez again, I’ve decided to start working on my new novel. Only problem is…transitioning from Inventing Vazquez’ light-hearted, mirthful tone, to The Mourning Syndrome’s dreary, depressing, and apocalyptic tone, is proving more of a challenge than I thought. I hope to start writing soon, because I really want to get going on it. Just have to finish outlining the plot, the main characters, and a single plot-related question that has, so far, been unanswerable. I guess I have to keep brainstorming. And watching Kairo 15 more times ^^;;;
It’s funny, too. I know some people have expressed concern over my schizophrenic writing projects (i.e., end of the world story, happy story, back to end of the world story, next one probably happy again). And I know that, given the fact that I’m trying to establish myself as a speculative fiction writer, Inventing Vazquez could be a problem to market. Still, I haven’t let that stop me. Not only was the new book a lot of fun to write, but the truth is…it tells a story that I think needs to be told. That’s to say, I have some thoughts on Hollywood and its portrayal of Latino/as and people of color, and Inventing Vazquez gives voice to those thoughts. So I’m not really worrying about whether it’s wise, career-wise, to publish it. I’ll do so regardless, and let the chips fall where they may.
Oh, I’m starting to take up some other projects as well. In fact, I just wrote a review of a Japanese movie called Dragon Head for Quiet Earth, and you can read it here. It’s given me the idea that, considering how much I LOVE Japanese and Asian horror movies, I might start a review blog for them. So there’s that. Also, I’m meeting with Christopher from Urban Molecule next week in NYC, and there’s a chance I might be able to contribute something to them, which would be really exciting. I guess I had to come out of my writing shell at some point, huh? ^^;
Okay, I’ve babbled long enough. And don’t forget to buy your copy of Solstice at our site or anywhere where books are sold! After all, nothing says, “happy holidays, I really love/like/marginally tolerate you, so here’s a joyous gift for you” than a book about the end of the world ^^;;
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
So very close…
Saludos!
Well, things are a bit quiet for now. And they might be even quieter in a few days. That’s because I’m a chapter and a half away from finishing the first draft of my new novel ^^;; Total madness, I tells ya… Even my girlfriend is stunned at the insane pace I’ve been able to keep up. Although I keep telling her, it’s like this novel is writing itself. Since it’s a much more lighthearted subject matter than Solstice, it was more fun to write, and hence, easier to do so. Of course, it’s only the first draft. And I already have a laundry list of changes in mind. To say nothing of the changes that will have to be made once my editor takes a first hack at it *wink wink*.
At the rate I’m going, it’s conceivable that I’ll actually finish the novel tonight. But, for the sake of playing it safe, I’m going to say that I expect to finish it tomorrow night ^^; Maybe then I’ll share with you all the title I’ve given it ^^;
What’s funny about the whole thing is that, in a way, I’ve caught myself unprepared for the next step: starting the next novel. Yes, the next novel.
See, the thing is, my current novel is a comedic satire about a mousy, soft-spoken protagonist who, literally and figuratively, has to find her voice in order to deal with the film industry. Her character is funny, witty, conversational, and very friendly. For this past year, I’ve forced myself to see the world through her eyes to write her story. And I’ve been saying all along that this novel is a FAR cry from Solstice. Whereas Solstice is about…well…the end of the world ^^;, the new one is more about films and their portrayal of race relations in the U.S. It’s about the things we see, and don’t see, in Hollywood. And it’s supposed to be comedic ^^;
So why is all this a problem for the next one? Possibly because I’m reverting back to my doom-and-gloom style of writing ^^;; The next novel, which I’ve tentatively titled The Mourning Syndrome, is going to be another heartwarming tale about…the end of the world ^^;; Eep. And it’s going to be very eerie, very dreary, and very…um…dark (sorry, couldn’t think of another word that rhymed). In other words, it’s going to be another COMPLETE departure from my current novel.
I plan to put away my current novel for a month once I complete it. That will give me time to forget about it, and then come back to it fresh next year to start working on editing and rewriting it. In that time, I’m certain to start work on The Mourning Syndrome. Which is why I think I’ve caught myself unprepared for it given the frantic pace that I maintained writing this last one. I feel like I’m going to have to switch gears in mid-stride, and start writing a very dark, very creepy story right on the heels of something that was lighthearted and comedic.
I told my girlfriend that, in order to prep myself for it, I might just have to watch Kairo (the original Japanese version of The Pulse) 17 times just to put myself in the mood, although hopefully I Am Legend will work too (I am GEEKED about seeing that one! You know me and my love of all things apocalyptic ^^). So who knows how the transition into The Mourning Syndrome will work out. Hopefully I won’t break something ^^;;
I wonder if I should even start working on that one at all. See, one of the things I’ve also realized as I stand a chapter and a half away from finishing my next novel, is that I have quite a few options open to me. There’s The Mourning Syndrome of course. And there’s the sequel to Solstice that I have planned. And there’s another project I have in mind, a comedy about…the end of the world ^^; That one, in particular, is only on the drawing board, but I think it’ll be a great opportunity to write another apocalyptic novel, but in a way that allows me to use the writing style I used and loved with my new novel. But like I said, that idea is the least developed of all, and my girlfriend really thinks I should work on The Mourning Syndrome first. Especially since its message is more relevant to our current socio-political climate. And, well, I think it’s too soon still for the sequel to Solstice ^^; We’ll see, I guess. It’s nice to have choices, though.
So this week should be interesting. If I can finish my novel, I’m going to throw a party (well, not really), watch a movie…and then get right back to work ^^;
Oh, one more thing. There’s a chance Solstice will receive another review from Horrorwatch.com. I got in touch with one of their staff members, who kindly agreed to read and maybe review the book on their site. That would be huge, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed hard ^^;
Okay, I’ll shut up now ^^;
Well, things are a bit quiet for now. And they might be even quieter in a few days. That’s because I’m a chapter and a half away from finishing the first draft of my new novel ^^;; Total madness, I tells ya… Even my girlfriend is stunned at the insane pace I’ve been able to keep up. Although I keep telling her, it’s like this novel is writing itself. Since it’s a much more lighthearted subject matter than Solstice, it was more fun to write, and hence, easier to do so. Of course, it’s only the first draft. And I already have a laundry list of changes in mind. To say nothing of the changes that will have to be made once my editor takes a first hack at it *wink wink*.
At the rate I’m going, it’s conceivable that I’ll actually finish the novel tonight. But, for the sake of playing it safe, I’m going to say that I expect to finish it tomorrow night ^^; Maybe then I’ll share with you all the title I’ve given it ^^;
What’s funny about the whole thing is that, in a way, I’ve caught myself unprepared for the next step: starting the next novel. Yes, the next novel.
See, the thing is, my current novel is a comedic satire about a mousy, soft-spoken protagonist who, literally and figuratively, has to find her voice in order to deal with the film industry. Her character is funny, witty, conversational, and very friendly. For this past year, I’ve forced myself to see the world through her eyes to write her story. And I’ve been saying all along that this novel is a FAR cry from Solstice. Whereas Solstice is about…well…the end of the world ^^;, the new one is more about films and their portrayal of race relations in the U.S. It’s about the things we see, and don’t see, in Hollywood. And it’s supposed to be comedic ^^;
So why is all this a problem for the next one? Possibly because I’m reverting back to my doom-and-gloom style of writing ^^;; The next novel, which I’ve tentatively titled The Mourning Syndrome, is going to be another heartwarming tale about…the end of the world ^^;; Eep. And it’s going to be very eerie, very dreary, and very…um…dark (sorry, couldn’t think of another word that rhymed). In other words, it’s going to be another COMPLETE departure from my current novel.
I plan to put away my current novel for a month once I complete it. That will give me time to forget about it, and then come back to it fresh next year to start working on editing and rewriting it. In that time, I’m certain to start work on The Mourning Syndrome. Which is why I think I’ve caught myself unprepared for it given the frantic pace that I maintained writing this last one. I feel like I’m going to have to switch gears in mid-stride, and start writing a very dark, very creepy story right on the heels of something that was lighthearted and comedic.
I told my girlfriend that, in order to prep myself for it, I might just have to watch Kairo (the original Japanese version of The Pulse) 17 times just to put myself in the mood, although hopefully I Am Legend will work too (I am GEEKED about seeing that one! You know me and my love of all things apocalyptic ^^). So who knows how the transition into The Mourning Syndrome will work out. Hopefully I won’t break something ^^;;
I wonder if I should even start working on that one at all. See, one of the things I’ve also realized as I stand a chapter and a half away from finishing my next novel, is that I have quite a few options open to me. There’s The Mourning Syndrome of course. And there’s the sequel to Solstice that I have planned. And there’s another project I have in mind, a comedy about…the end of the world ^^; That one, in particular, is only on the drawing board, but I think it’ll be a great opportunity to write another apocalyptic novel, but in a way that allows me to use the writing style I used and loved with my new novel. But like I said, that idea is the least developed of all, and my girlfriend really thinks I should work on The Mourning Syndrome first. Especially since its message is more relevant to our current socio-political climate. And, well, I think it’s too soon still for the sequel to Solstice ^^; We’ll see, I guess. It’s nice to have choices, though.
So this week should be interesting. If I can finish my novel, I’m going to throw a party (well, not really), watch a movie…and then get right back to work ^^;
Oh, one more thing. There’s a chance Solstice will receive another review from Horrorwatch.com. I got in touch with one of their staff members, who kindly agreed to read and maybe review the book on their site. That would be huge, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed hard ^^;
Okay, I’ll shut up now ^^;
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
What a ride!
I got back from NYC yesterday after taking part in this year's 20th Annual Independent and Small Press Book Fair in New York City. What a crazy few weeks these past ones have been! Between two book signings at local Barnes and Nobles and now the book fair, it seemed that November (and early December) were all about getting the word out. Which is good, because that’s the only way people are going to know about Solstice ^^;
The book fair was pretty good. Though none of the big industry names that were supposed to be there showed up, it was still a good chance to promote the book with readers, and to get to meet some very cool people. I ended up selling 10 copies of Solstice, too ^__^
I got to chat with some fellow self-publishers and authors, including Marc L. Abbott who wrote The Hooky Party, and with Polly Frost, an author of erotica who gave me a copy of her book, Deep Inside. Very cool people who were great to talk to and get to know! Did a book exchange with them, so I’m looking forward to reading their work.
Also got to meet and chat with a lot of up-and-coming authors. Two of my customers, in fact—Lauren Small and Fayomi—are writers looking to publish (actually, Lauren is already published) and are considering the self-publishing route for their future works. It was fun to be able to talk with them about the long, but rewarding, process of self-publishing a book. Another future writer, a young man named David, bought two copies ^^; It was great to be able to talk to him about the writing process, and to hear about his great ideas for his first novel. If you’re reading this, David, remember: write, write, write! Some stories have to be told ^_^ Another of my customers was the actual Assistant Director of the whole book fair, Christopher de la Torre, who himself is a speculative fiction writer and member of a coming e-zine, Urban Molecule. Also got to chat with a fellow Latina writer, Jaqueline Donado of NY Book Expo. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to you, but thank you for the copy of your book! I hope you also enjoy Solstice!
Overall, I’d say it was just a rewarding experience because of the many interactions I was able to have with customers and non-customers alike. Since I only sold 10 copies, you can say that I took a big loss on the whole thing (when factoring registration and transportation costs). But I actually see the experience as a complete success. It was invigorating and rewarding just to be there, talking to people about Solstice, watching them take an interest in the story, taking the bookmarks I printed out for the fair. It’s a thrill unlike many others to have others express an interest in your work, even if they don’t buy a copy. And when they do, it’s an amazing experience to think that they’re going to read your words, and hopefully enjoy them.
Being there, I felt part of a writer’s community for the first time. Because, surrounded by writers and publishers like myself, I realized that we are a community, and it’s one that’s always inviting new members. I guess that’s why I love talking to people about writing—I always want others to discover this incredible joy that is writing, publishing, and promoting your work. That’s why I’m always badgering my friends Dan and James into writing. I guess I just want others to be able to share in this incredible experience.
So, thanks to all of you who bought a copy of Solstice at the fair, or who took the time to chat with me, or who just passed by and said hello! Thanks to all of you, including Christopher, David, Jacqueline, Polly, Lauren, Fayomi, and Marc, who shared your works and your ideas with me! Now I gotta get to work and follow up with you!
I’m excited to mention a couple of other things. I’ve now passed the 1300 book sales mark, and my distributor is now recommending I send over another 850 copies even though they still have 355 in stock. I am looking into just sending them my remaining stock (about 1500 copies). And if they sell those…are we looking at a reprint of Solstice??? @___@ Wow…
And the first draft of my next novel is almost done! I’ve mapped out the rest of the story, and I have exactly nine chapters and the epilogue to go! But considering that two weeks ago I was punching out a chapter a day, it’s now conceivable that I can meet my goal of finishing the first draft before the end of the year. The projected page total? A whopping 800-900 pages! ^^;; Eep… I really want to push myself and finish it; my mom really wants to read it, and I’d like to have it to her by the time I go back home for the New Year’s celebration in three weeks.
Okay, I’ve babbled too much again, as usual ^^;;
The book fair was pretty good. Though none of the big industry names that were supposed to be there showed up, it was still a good chance to promote the book with readers, and to get to meet some very cool people. I ended up selling 10 copies of Solstice, too ^__^
I got to chat with some fellow self-publishers and authors, including Marc L. Abbott who wrote The Hooky Party, and with Polly Frost, an author of erotica who gave me a copy of her book, Deep Inside. Very cool people who were great to talk to and get to know! Did a book exchange with them, so I’m looking forward to reading their work.
Also got to meet and chat with a lot of up-and-coming authors. Two of my customers, in fact—Lauren Small and Fayomi—are writers looking to publish (actually, Lauren is already published) and are considering the self-publishing route for their future works. It was fun to be able to talk with them about the long, but rewarding, process of self-publishing a book. Another future writer, a young man named David, bought two copies ^^; It was great to be able to talk to him about the writing process, and to hear about his great ideas for his first novel. If you’re reading this, David, remember: write, write, write! Some stories have to be told ^_^ Another of my customers was the actual Assistant Director of the whole book fair, Christopher de la Torre, who himself is a speculative fiction writer and member of a coming e-zine, Urban Molecule. Also got to chat with a fellow Latina writer, Jaqueline Donado of NY Book Expo. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to you, but thank you for the copy of your book! I hope you also enjoy Solstice!
Overall, I’d say it was just a rewarding experience because of the many interactions I was able to have with customers and non-customers alike. Since I only sold 10 copies, you can say that I took a big loss on the whole thing (when factoring registration and transportation costs). But I actually see the experience as a complete success. It was invigorating and rewarding just to be there, talking to people about Solstice, watching them take an interest in the story, taking the bookmarks I printed out for the fair. It’s a thrill unlike many others to have others express an interest in your work, even if they don’t buy a copy. And when they do, it’s an amazing experience to think that they’re going to read your words, and hopefully enjoy them.
Being there, I felt part of a writer’s community for the first time. Because, surrounded by writers and publishers like myself, I realized that we are a community, and it’s one that’s always inviting new members. I guess that’s why I love talking to people about writing—I always want others to discover this incredible joy that is writing, publishing, and promoting your work. That’s why I’m always badgering my friends Dan and James into writing. I guess I just want others to be able to share in this incredible experience.
So, thanks to all of you who bought a copy of Solstice at the fair, or who took the time to chat with me, or who just passed by and said hello! Thanks to all of you, including Christopher, David, Jacqueline, Polly, Lauren, Fayomi, and Marc, who shared your works and your ideas with me! Now I gotta get to work and follow up with you!
I’m excited to mention a couple of other things. I’ve now passed the 1300 book sales mark, and my distributor is now recommending I send over another 850 copies even though they still have 355 in stock. I am looking into just sending them my remaining stock (about 1500 copies). And if they sell those…are we looking at a reprint of Solstice??? @___@ Wow…
And the first draft of my next novel is almost done! I’ve mapped out the rest of the story, and I have exactly nine chapters and the epilogue to go! But considering that two weeks ago I was punching out a chapter a day, it’s now conceivable that I can meet my goal of finishing the first draft before the end of the year. The projected page total? A whopping 800-900 pages! ^^;; Eep… I really want to push myself and finish it; my mom really wants to read it, and I’d like to have it to her by the time I go back home for the New Year’s celebration in three weeks.
Okay, I’ve babbled too much again, as usual ^^;;
Friday, November 9, 2007
Milestones, reflections…and another review!
Well, we’ve reached a milestone…one I wasn’t always sure we’d reach at the start of this long, crazy process. We’ve sold our first 1000 copies of Solstice. In fact, we’re officially on backorder with my distributor as I race to supply more copies of the book. I found out earlier this week. It was a shocking revelation to see that, not only had they gone through my original stock and the replacement stock I’d sent them barely two weeks ago: now they were on backorder for more than 300 copies, and were recommending that I send about 800 copies (more than the amount I originally sent them) in anticipation of upcoming sales. Wow…
I hadn’t expected to reach the 1000-book mark so soon. I mean, sure, the optimistic hope was that, at some point, we’d sell 1000 copies through Biblio and break even on this self-publishing venture. Well, barely a month into the official sale, and we’ve broken even. Money was never an issue; I didn’t go into this expecting to make anything, and I willingly put myself into debt in order to be able to pull this off. My only real goal was to publish the book, and give it to my family. But it just amazes me to think that, already, we’ve achieved a level of unexpected commercial success.
Reviews from Booklist and Library Journal have certainly helped! And, now, we’ve got a new review! A while ago, a user named jimm left a comment on this blog that the book would be reviewed in an upcoming issue of SciFiNow magazine. Well, yesterday, issue 7 appeared at the local Borders…and true enough, there was a review of Solstice. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed. I mean, to be mentioned in the same magazine where things like Star Wars and Star Trek are mentioned, and to be placed alongside Terry Pratchett on the book review page!! WOW! ^^;;; Jimm had some really kind things to say about the book, including the fact that the book is self-published. While I can’t reprint the review here for copyrighting reasons, here’s a blurb:
“Silva spends much of his time investing in characterisation, bringing the players to life in front of the reader’s eyes…a very impressive launch for an exciting new author.”
Take a look, if you can, at the new issue of SciFiNow for the rest of the review! It should be at your local bookstores now ^_^ And Jimm, thank you! I will be sending you a thank you card, so please keep an eye out for it ^_^
I guess I just feel very grateful right now. Not only to jimm and the folks who’ve reviewed Solstice thus far, but to everyone who’s been with me throughout this process, to everyone who’s bought a copy, and to those of you who’ve taken the time to contact me and share your thoughts about the book (including you, Tsubashi-san! ^^). So, thanks to all of you for making this happen.
So what else has been going on? My brother was in town earlier this week, and we ended up having a blast (and by that, I mean we watched a lot of Anime, did a lot of nerdy computer stuff, and generally acted like the total nerds that we are ^^). My brother is like my best friend, so anytime he comes over, it’s just a lot of fun.
What else…oh, my new novel is coming along (page 562 when last I checked). I didn’t do a lot of writing this past week since my bro was in town, but I want to get back into it now, with a (perhaps unrealistic) goal of finishing the first draft before the end of the year. Eep…
Oh, and musically speaking, I’ve started recording songs. I actually recorded three songs (including bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and drums) over the past couple of weeks, so I’m kind of geeked about that. I guess, the more I listen to my favorite bands (Dirt Bike Annie, The Snow Fairies, GO!GO!7188, Deerhoof), the more I want to make music like them. Being able to play and record my own songs is kind of like a long belated dream come true. Silly, I know.
Well, enough babbling. Oh, tomorrow is the first book signing, at the Barnes and Noble in Ann Arbor, MI, at 1:00 p.m. And next Saturday, November 17, I’ll be at the Barnes and Noble in Troy, from 2-4 p.m. Hopefully I’ll have some pictures to post soon.
Thanks for reading!
I hadn’t expected to reach the 1000-book mark so soon. I mean, sure, the optimistic hope was that, at some point, we’d sell 1000 copies through Biblio and break even on this self-publishing venture. Well, barely a month into the official sale, and we’ve broken even. Money was never an issue; I didn’t go into this expecting to make anything, and I willingly put myself into debt in order to be able to pull this off. My only real goal was to publish the book, and give it to my family. But it just amazes me to think that, already, we’ve achieved a level of unexpected commercial success.
Reviews from Booklist and Library Journal have certainly helped! And, now, we’ve got a new review! A while ago, a user named jimm left a comment on this blog that the book would be reviewed in an upcoming issue of SciFiNow magazine. Well, yesterday, issue 7 appeared at the local Borders…and true enough, there was a review of Solstice. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed. I mean, to be mentioned in the same magazine where things like Star Wars and Star Trek are mentioned, and to be placed alongside Terry Pratchett on the book review page!! WOW! ^^;;; Jimm had some really kind things to say about the book, including the fact that the book is self-published. While I can’t reprint the review here for copyrighting reasons, here’s a blurb:
“Silva spends much of his time investing in characterisation, bringing the players to life in front of the reader’s eyes…a very impressive launch for an exciting new author.”
Take a look, if you can, at the new issue of SciFiNow for the rest of the review! It should be at your local bookstores now ^_^ And Jimm, thank you! I will be sending you a thank you card, so please keep an eye out for it ^_^
I guess I just feel very grateful right now. Not only to jimm and the folks who’ve reviewed Solstice thus far, but to everyone who’s been with me throughout this process, to everyone who’s bought a copy, and to those of you who’ve taken the time to contact me and share your thoughts about the book (including you, Tsubashi-san! ^^). So, thanks to all of you for making this happen.
So what else has been going on? My brother was in town earlier this week, and we ended up having a blast (and by that, I mean we watched a lot of Anime, did a lot of nerdy computer stuff, and generally acted like the total nerds that we are ^^). My brother is like my best friend, so anytime he comes over, it’s just a lot of fun.
What else…oh, my new novel is coming along (page 562 when last I checked). I didn’t do a lot of writing this past week since my bro was in town, but I want to get back into it now, with a (perhaps unrealistic) goal of finishing the first draft before the end of the year. Eep…
Oh, and musically speaking, I’ve started recording songs. I actually recorded three songs (including bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and drums) over the past couple of weeks, so I’m kind of geeked about that. I guess, the more I listen to my favorite bands (Dirt Bike Annie, The Snow Fairies, GO!GO!7188, Deerhoof), the more I want to make music like them. Being able to play and record my own songs is kind of like a long belated dream come true. Silly, I know.
Well, enough babbling. Oh, tomorrow is the first book signing, at the Barnes and Noble in Ann Arbor, MI, at 1:00 p.m. And next Saturday, November 17, I’ll be at the Barnes and Noble in Troy, from 2-4 p.m. Hopefully I’ll have some pictures to post soon.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Radio Daze ^^;
Well, as promised, Don and Wilcoy were kind enough to have me on their weekly radio show on Quiet Earth. It was a fun and unique experience, and a total blast to be able to discuss Solstice and apocalyptic fiction/movies in general with two guys who clearly know and love the genre. Seriously, how cool is it to be able to talk about Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days/Weeks Later, and heartwarming end-of-the-world stories with someone? ^^; If you missed the interview, you can still hear it on their archives! Just look for the October 28 show ^_^
Anywayz, this is a short post...thankfully ^^;
Oh, and Solstice is available bla bla bla bla bla ^^;
Anywayz, this is a short post...thankfully ^^;
Oh, and Solstice is available bla bla bla bla bla ^^;
Friday, October 26, 2007
So I get to write about something other than writing for a change! ^_^
Last night, my good friend Dan and I went to see Polysics here at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit. For those of you who don’t know Polysics, they’re essentially known as a Japanese Devo. They’re a four-piece Japanese band with a sort of surf/techno rock to them. Very quirky, very wild, but very good!
It was, unfortunately, a very short set, with Polysics having to share the stage with three other bands that, in my own humble opinion, weren’t that good. So much so, Dan and I shrugged off the second band, and then left the show two songs into the third band ^^; Polysics were tagged as the opening act, even though they probably should be headlining. But, they didn’t disappoint, even if they only played for about 30-35 minutes.
Their onstage presence was amazing. They channeled so much enthusiasm, so much energy, and so much power into their performance, it made me forget all sense of inhibition. I was jumping up and down, singing along, headbanging, and all the while not worrying that, as a 34-year-old grandpa lost amidst the gaggle of 19 year olds around me, I probably looked silly ^^; Hiro, the lead singer/guitarist, was his usual madman self, thrashing about the stage, screaming out to the audience, jumping up and down, and working magic on his guitar. No one seems to enjoy the music he plays as much as he does. Fumi, the bassist, was her usual rocking self. In fact, I consider her my sensei ^^, because I base my own bass playing style off her. Her fretwork is blinding, and her bass notes are deep and crunchy. Oh, and she’s cute as hell ^^;. So much so, I had to yell out, “Fumi-chan! I love you!” just cos I was being a total doofus at that point, and because, well, Fumi is on my List ^^;. Kayo, the keyboardist/singer, was her usual quirky self. She’s the serious one, the one who maintains a perfectly stoic demeanor throughout the performance, even when she’s jumping up and down waving pom poms or making funny little hand motions to the audience. She’s the perfect contrast and complement to Hiro’s antics.
Polysics is the reason why I wanted to play live. I was reminded of this yesterday, because the first time I saw them was in September of 2004. I remember the day well. Why? Because the day of the show was the day after I completed the first draft of Solstice! How’s that for crazy cosmic coincidences? I only found out about the show the day of, but when I did, I figured it was the perfect way to celebrate the completion of the first draft. And that show went down in my memory as the best show I’d ever seen, ever. It was a show that made me feel like a teenager again. And it was the show that really made me want to renew my pursuit of music, and renew my goal of playing in a band.
I’m grateful that it did happen, and that I did play in a band this year. More so because, believe it or not, our first gig was in that same bar where Dan and I first saw Polysics! I guess it was meant to happen. I couldn’t have scripted it better. It was an amazing experience to know that I was standing on the same stage where Polysics had been. I even went over to the spot where Fumi had stood and touched it. For good luck ^__^;
Wow, I’m babbling again… Anyway, after last night’s show, I guess I want to re-renew my musical pursuits again. My friend Brian is going to loan me some recording gear tonight, so hopefully I can start recording these songs that I’ve written. And while I don’t expect to follow the trend and one day play on the stage of the Fillmore, I do hope to hit the stage again some day, and play with the same passion and energy that Polysics plays with. They are, after all, my musical inspiration ^_^
Oh, *ahem* Solstice is now available wherever books are sold. Or you can order direct from Tragical Mirth Publishing and get an autographed copy ^^;;
P.S.: Tsubashi-san?! Four times????!!! Sugoi!!
P.S.S.: Razorsmile, I passed that message on to the artist! And you're right, I probably didn't! ^^;
It was, unfortunately, a very short set, with Polysics having to share the stage with three other bands that, in my own humble opinion, weren’t that good. So much so, Dan and I shrugged off the second band, and then left the show two songs into the third band ^^; Polysics were tagged as the opening act, even though they probably should be headlining. But, they didn’t disappoint, even if they only played for about 30-35 minutes.
Their onstage presence was amazing. They channeled so much enthusiasm, so much energy, and so much power into their performance, it made me forget all sense of inhibition. I was jumping up and down, singing along, headbanging, and all the while not worrying that, as a 34-year-old grandpa lost amidst the gaggle of 19 year olds around me, I probably looked silly ^^; Hiro, the lead singer/guitarist, was his usual madman self, thrashing about the stage, screaming out to the audience, jumping up and down, and working magic on his guitar. No one seems to enjoy the music he plays as much as he does. Fumi, the bassist, was her usual rocking self. In fact, I consider her my sensei ^^, because I base my own bass playing style off her. Her fretwork is blinding, and her bass notes are deep and crunchy. Oh, and she’s cute as hell ^^;. So much so, I had to yell out, “Fumi-chan! I love you!” just cos I was being a total doofus at that point, and because, well, Fumi is on my List ^^;. Kayo, the keyboardist/singer, was her usual quirky self. She’s the serious one, the one who maintains a perfectly stoic demeanor throughout the performance, even when she’s jumping up and down waving pom poms or making funny little hand motions to the audience. She’s the perfect contrast and complement to Hiro’s antics.
Polysics is the reason why I wanted to play live. I was reminded of this yesterday, because the first time I saw them was in September of 2004. I remember the day well. Why? Because the day of the show was the day after I completed the first draft of Solstice! How’s that for crazy cosmic coincidences? I only found out about the show the day of, but when I did, I figured it was the perfect way to celebrate the completion of the first draft. And that show went down in my memory as the best show I’d ever seen, ever. It was a show that made me feel like a teenager again. And it was the show that really made me want to renew my pursuit of music, and renew my goal of playing in a band.
I’m grateful that it did happen, and that I did play in a band this year. More so because, believe it or not, our first gig was in that same bar where Dan and I first saw Polysics! I guess it was meant to happen. I couldn’t have scripted it better. It was an amazing experience to know that I was standing on the same stage where Polysics had been. I even went over to the spot where Fumi had stood and touched it. For good luck ^__^;
Wow, I’m babbling again… Anyway, after last night’s show, I guess I want to re-renew my musical pursuits again. My friend Brian is going to loan me some recording gear tonight, so hopefully I can start recording these songs that I’ve written. And while I don’t expect to follow the trend and one day play on the stage of the Fillmore, I do hope to hit the stage again some day, and play with the same passion and energy that Polysics plays with. They are, after all, my musical inspiration ^_^
Oh, *ahem* Solstice is now available wherever books are sold. Or you can order direct from Tragical Mirth Publishing and get an autographed copy ^^;;
P.S.: Tsubashi-san?! Four times????!!! Sugoi!!
P.S.S.: Razorsmile, I passed that message on to the artist! And you're right, I probably didn't! ^^;
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The reviews are in! And a radio interview this Sunday!
Wow. So it turns out there were some reviews coming after all, from places I hadn’t expected ^_^ No wonder my distributor has been making some sales. Turns out libraries have been picking the book up thanks to a couple of library-friendly reviews that hit!
So, what are they saying?
Booklist Reviews says “This debut speculative fiction/horror novel is reminiscent of The Matrix and John Twelve Hawks’ The Traveler (2005). Although a little drawn out in the middle and preachy near the end, it indicates that Silva has promise.”
Library Journal says, “Latino author Silva brings a fresh new voice to the genre in this debut featuring a Latino-Asian hero and expanding the demographic appeal of sf. A good selection for most sf collections.”
Wow ^^;; And we’re still anxiously waiting for the next edition of SciFiNow to reach US shores; I believe there’s a review in there as well. So all of a sudden, Solstice is getting some publicity, and some sales. Wow…
It was a shock, for sure, to see those reviews. In fact, I just kind of stumbled into them, so you can imagine how speechless I was once I realized they were reviews. What’s most stunning about it is that, based on what everyone says in the industry, this was not supposed to happen! Reviewers, especially noted reviewers like Library Journal (affiliated with Publishers Weekly, so you know they’re not messing around), have a major bias against independently published works. I knew that going in, which is why I assumed they wouldn’t even look at Solstice. But obviously, something about our media kits and the book itself caught their eye and made them look past the stigma.
So far, from the little that I’ve heard from users, the book is going over well. One person even wrote about it in their livejournal (thank you, razorsmile!). So who knows, maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Oh, and if you’re not doing anything on Sunday night (October 28) at 9:30 p.m., check out quietearth.us. Why? I’ll be on their weekly radio show ^^; Site co-hosts Don and Wilcoy have graciously offered to have me on to discuss the book. If you miss the show, you can always download a copy of it later on. This should be fun ^^;;
Of course, I still worry about how my readers (all 16 of them) will react to the seismic change in writing style once my new novel is completed and published. Moving right along past page 530 (meaning it's now officially longer than Solstice), I guess I’m already looking ahead, trying to figure out how to market it to the same people who thought Solstice—and its heartwarming story about the end of the world—was a good read. Like I’ve said, the new novel is a comedic satire, and although it bears some similarities to Solstice (namely in that Liliana has one vomit scene, reminiscent of Io’s 49 vomit scenes ^^), it goes without saying that the two books are completely different genres. Oh well, I guess I’ll worry about that once I get to that point. Right now, it’s just first draft stage.
Anyway, Solstice is now available wherever books are sold. You may have to ask for it at your bookstore, but rest assured, it can be ordered. Or you can do the easy thing and order direct from me (and get an autographed copy in the process, which will one day be worth…um…56 cents on ebay ^^)! Thanks!
So, what are they saying?
Booklist Reviews says “This debut speculative fiction/horror novel is reminiscent of The Matrix and John Twelve Hawks’ The Traveler (2005). Although a little drawn out in the middle and preachy near the end, it indicates that Silva has promise.”
Library Journal says, “Latino author Silva brings a fresh new voice to the genre in this debut featuring a Latino-Asian hero and expanding the demographic appeal of sf. A good selection for most sf collections.”
Wow ^^;; And we’re still anxiously waiting for the next edition of SciFiNow to reach US shores; I believe there’s a review in there as well. So all of a sudden, Solstice is getting some publicity, and some sales. Wow…
It was a shock, for sure, to see those reviews. In fact, I just kind of stumbled into them, so you can imagine how speechless I was once I realized they were reviews. What’s most stunning about it is that, based on what everyone says in the industry, this was not supposed to happen! Reviewers, especially noted reviewers like Library Journal (affiliated with Publishers Weekly, so you know they’re not messing around), have a major bias against independently published works. I knew that going in, which is why I assumed they wouldn’t even look at Solstice. But obviously, something about our media kits and the book itself caught their eye and made them look past the stigma.
So far, from the little that I’ve heard from users, the book is going over well. One person even wrote about it in their livejournal (thank you, razorsmile!). So who knows, maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Oh, and if you’re not doing anything on Sunday night (October 28) at 9:30 p.m., check out quietearth.us. Why? I’ll be on their weekly radio show ^^; Site co-hosts Don and Wilcoy have graciously offered to have me on to discuss the book. If you miss the show, you can always download a copy of it later on. This should be fun ^^;;
Of course, I still worry about how my readers (all 16 of them) will react to the seismic change in writing style once my new novel is completed and published. Moving right along past page 530 (meaning it's now officially longer than Solstice), I guess I’m already looking ahead, trying to figure out how to market it to the same people who thought Solstice—and its heartwarming story about the end of the world—was a good read. Like I’ve said, the new novel is a comedic satire, and although it bears some similarities to Solstice (namely in that Liliana has one vomit scene, reminiscent of Io’s 49 vomit scenes ^^), it goes without saying that the two books are completely different genres. Oh well, I guess I’ll worry about that once I get to that point. Right now, it’s just first draft stage.
Anyway, Solstice is now available wherever books are sold. You may have to ask for it at your bookstore, but rest assured, it can be ordered. Or you can do the easy thing and order direct from me (and get an autographed copy in the process, which will one day be worth…um…56 cents on ebay ^^)! Thanks!
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