And now for something completely different...

All right, I've been doing a lot of writing and a lot of Entropy Gate related art so I'm going to use this space for something a bit off the norm...the other day I was watching TNN and I noticed that they were changing the name to SPIKE TV...no big deal...or is it? Spike Lee has decided that he might sue them because they are using his name. WHAT?!?!?! I guess being a mediocre film maker doesn't pay what it used to. Now get real, Mr. Lee...Spike is not yours alone any more than I could sue Allen county for the unauthorized use of my name or Allen Dairy products...But if Spike Lee is going to sue TNN (he must need the money since he hasn't had a 'hit' in who knows how long) he should concider suing some others as well...for instance...

1.Tom Petty for his song "Hey Spike what do you like"

2.The railroad co. for using railroad spikes

3.High school kids for spiking the punch at the prom

4.The director of Spy Kids because it sounds like SPIKE ids.

5.Hanna Barbara for Spike the bulldog in the Tom and Jerry Cartoons

6.Anyone who plays volley ball and SPIKES the ball.

7.Me because I sometimes call my kid Spike

Spike Lee is an idiot. This has nothing to do with Entropy Gate, or does it...perhaps it has something to do with Entropy and chaos and the fact that society is wildly spinning out of control when we have someone like Spike Lee trying to make money off of a TV station for TAKING his name!!!!! Okay...that's a stretch. I just had to vent. Now back to things that truely matter...

TWO WINNERS SO FAR

the contest is still open...

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (as in I've finished editing the rough cut of part two of Entropy Gate - Beyond)

Okay now, here's what's up...if you have part one of book two, (and the only way is if you won the last contest) then answer this question in a private reply.

Who is the name of the EHC representative who appears at the hearing in chapter one of BEYOND?

Now, if you haven't a copy of part one, try this question and get a chance for Part one and Part two of BEYOND...remember this is edited stuff, but not the final version...

What does Don Mui give Derek as a gift for assuring his daughter's safety?

Let the contest begin...only five winners for each question.

Yikes...

Well it's been a while since I posted anything...I have been rather busy writing and painting...now I know that I promised some of you the opportunity to get a copy of part 2, but I have been making so many changes that I've had to dely that for now...I'm still only ten pages from the end of poart two, but every time I start writing I go back and make massive changes...hang in there...I am getting close to the end.

MATRIX 2 - REVIEW

Four out of four stars for the MATRIX! Great movie with great plot twists, some fine acting and (of course) great special effects. I have heard so many critics say that movies these days rely too much on special effects and not enough on story...well that is not true with this movie. If you eliminated the SPFX and CGI from this movie (or eve removed just a few of the scenes) it would be akin to removing horses from a western. They are part of the film and not just eye candy! However...I do have one minor complaint...don't worry, I won't spoil anything...at one point there is this huge festival in ZION and everyone is dancing to a "stomp" like percussion group in a very MTV-1990s-sort-of-dance-club-way complete with slow-mo dolly shots of young, wet-shirted men and women...it seemed so out of place...but hey, that only lasts a few minutes and then it's back to the story with a great bit of dialog between Neo and one of the Elders. The only other complaint is the music during the end credits...normally I always stay for credits...however, the garbage that was exploding from the speakers would have been enough to drive me from the theater except for the fact that I knew that there were previews to Matrix 3 after the credits finished. I'm ready for REVOLUTIONS.

FEEDBACKKKKK

Just got back from Scribes (the local writer's guild) where I read a bit of Chapter one of the first book...got a lot of positive feedback. In fact, one of the people who is reading my book and is herself published, said that i should clean it up a bit (the same old thing I have mentioned many times) and then try to get it published in some mainstream publishing house! Now that's encouraging.

Now that was a bit of a surprise...

A while ago I listed things that inspired me when working on the Entropy Gate series...I just finished watching the 1979 (would you believe it?) Walt Disney movie THE BLACK HOLE. It's on DVD and it's available here. Is it great? No...is it worth watching? YES!!! Great ideas, incredible effects (Star Wars had 13 matte paintings, BH had 150...for those who are interested in that sort of thing). Frankly, I like Star Wars a lot better...but...BH inspired me in ways that I had not realized until I sat down tonight and watched it. There are some images that were key in BH that have shown up in either EG writing or art work. It really is interesting what we put in our blenders that eventually float to the top and "seem" original. Now, there are few web sites for BH...in fact, I did a quick google search and the best one was here. The author of this site clearly hated the movie and has spent a a bit of energy slamming it...I don't know where people find the time to create web site with the singular intent of critisizing something that most people aren't even aware of...oh well...back to writing.

hey...how do i put links on my blog to others bloggers...anyone?

And now an update from the studio...

The artwork is just exploding! I am compiling a "sketchbook" of ideas and images. I am also working on many new works...some have electronics and moving parts in them...it is all very exciting! I hope to have some images soon to post on the web site...

been very busy...but wait...

Thursday is looking great to get editing done as is Friday! I should then beable to print it out, do a read through and edit and then, by late next week, hold a new contest for a free look at part 2 of Beyond. Also, it looks like there is a very good chance for a one-man-show at a local gallery to exhibit a multimedia art show of EG stuff.

As the great Pirate Bear says, "Rarrrggg!"

I can't believe it...today I had every writer's perfect day...from 3:00-7:00, no one at home...just me and the computer. So what did I do? I wrote and I edited and I wrote and I wrote edited and the words were just flowing out like crazy!!!! One slight problem...they were some of the WORST WORDS I'VE EVER WRITTEN!!!!!! After I finished writing I realized that I had maybe one or two good paragraphs and maybe a few good lines of dialog...well...it happens...hopefully I'll get it together and get part 2 of BEYOND done this week...by next weekend there will be another contest...

That's gross...

I can still remember the first time that I saw images from the movie ALIEN. There was an article in our local news paper that said something like "is it too scary?" Well, for a young kind in his early teens, the answer was YES!!! To this day, it has been the only movie that ever gave me bad dreams...well, that and the WIzard of Oz. I know, most people love that movie, but Dorthy is the scariest thing on film...far scarier than the green witch. But I ramble...ALIEN! Yes...it was scary and it was very gross...just the other day I saw something far more disgusting than the chest-busting H.R. Giger creatures. I saw a TICK! So what, big deal...you might say. But let's think about it for a moment...here is a creature that burries it's head inside of another organism and breaths out of it's tail pipe (or so I've heard). There it was, imbedded in someone's head and it fell on me to remove the nasty little bugger. I won't go into details...

So...what does THIS have to do with Entropy Gate? Well, right now, as I edit, I have been reworking several key portions of the story that involve EVIL characters...(possible minor spoiler ahead)...the second book deals a lot with EVIL (not just badness, but raw, pure, uncooked, caffine free EVIL). Well...where does evil originate? Could it be...satan? Yeah...I think so. Now words like "demonic possession" conjur up all sorts of images from good and bad movies...but I wanted BEYOND to take the matter seriously...the villains (though I don't ever actually use the word Villain to describe anyone) are under demonic influence and are EVIL.

So...uh...what does all of THAT have to do with the earlier paragraph where I wrote about ticks and aliens? Glad you asked. As I watched this horrid little thing with its squirming legs and its head burried inside of it's host's scalp, it reminded me of the idea that the "spirits" of DARKNESS are parasitic in nature and that they inhabit bodily forms much like the alien in ALIEN and the tick...

Ohhhh...I still don't see why this was a blog entry...

Because! Okay, I'll 'splain a little better than that. This entry was posted as a WARNING to those who plan to continue reading the Entropy Gate saga (love that word). In BEYOND, things get ugly, scary and...ugly. EVIL ain't a pretty thang, kids.

nuff said.

Ahhh...I get it now...the Alien 4 connection...

I was curious as to why the idea of Winnona Ryder as Silla seemed to make so much sense to me...then Kase reminded me of the character that W.R. played in ALIEN 4. I like the idea...now if she can just stay out of trouble long enough...

Updated wallpaper

Special thanks to Ken (bro) for all he has done to maintain my web page...I have changed the WALLPAPER gallery and deleted some of the desktop images that were...well...not so cool looking. I kept two and included the peice by Kase (a contributing artist). Kase used images of Winnona Ryder (intersting choice Kase) for a collage of Sillas...Post your opinions as Kase is a frequent reader of the EGblog.

Your mind is a Blender...don't hit the frappe button

I often look at the human mind as a blender of sorts. We constantly dump stuff into it (music, images, conversations, tastes, smells (though not in my case as I have no sense of smell) touch sensations...you name it. It all floats in the brain/blender where it gets mixed up...some stuff floats to the top and spills out of our mouths as things we wish we would not have said, while other stuff drops to the bottom and we have to dig deep into it to discover the tasty morsels. Some artists are content with scooping the stuff off of the top and they have some very "surface" oriented imagery or writings...others dig deep and try to be careful not to engage the blender whilst digging therefore loosing "fingers" in the process. The stuff at the bottom, the deep stuff, is sometimes the best part of the mix. Other times it's the garbage that is so "heavy" (read bogus) that it merely sinks to the bottom. Still, other times it can clog the blades, overheat the engine and poof(!) you're in the loony bin. The stuff in the middle is just random thoughts and ideas that aren't necessarily anything too deep or too light...they are the thoughts and memories and ideas that are constantly swimming about in our mind...they make us what we are and add to (or take away from) our personality. Anyway, that was going through my head and I thought I'd post it before I accidentally hit frappe and lost the whole analogy.

I know...this has nothing to do with Entropy Gate...or does it? Okay...I'll get back to editing...

This just in...

Kase has sent me a wonderful photoshop image for the Wallpaper page...I should have it up by this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Talk about a quick turnaround...

NEW ART...

I have been working on some new desktops but I also wanted to open up the desktop gallery for other artists...I know that Kase has been working on an image that she would like me to post...go ahead and send it in Kase...so...let the influx of art begin.

Some music and scribes...

First the scribes...I went to a meeting yesterday and met a group of local authors (called the SCRIBES). They have invited me to read at their next meeting...I'm trying to decide what part of Entropy Gate - Journey I should read. Any suggestions?

As far as music goes, J has recently expanded my tastes by introducing me to some Jazz and Techno...I finished listening to Verve Remixed (totally cool stuff) and am now (as I write this) listening to Club Nation AMERICA...on the second disc there is a track called Strange World by PUSH. It would fit well with some of the bizzare stuff that happens in BEYOND.

I really want to redo the CD of EG music and have it mixed the right way...

It's newwwwwww...

Heads up. I just updated the web site and I think it looks much better. It also loads a lot faster. I am also updating the links page. That was always my least favorite and it seemed too busy. I've been writing quite a bit lately...In fact, I'm about half way done with part two. Now, any of you (and there are only a few) who have read the rough draft of Entropy Gate - Beyond know that it gets sort of scary at times...well yesterday during my lunch break I had a Signs / sort of scare. I was in the depot (my office at USF) and I was working on a rather intense part of the story. Suddenly there was a loud BANG that seemed to come from inside of the vault that is a mere ten feet from my desk. After recovering, I recalled a simular thing that happened in Signs...just before the hand reaches under the door there is a loud bang that still makes me jump even though I know it's about to happen...needless to say I didn't need any coffee the rest of the afternoon...

just curious...rate the following M. Knight movies from A+ to F

Signs
Unbreakable
Sixth Sense

It's evillll...

I'm reminded of the last scene in "Time Bandits" when the little kid tries to warn his parents not to touch the "evil" remains of the exploded "bad guy"...something to the effect of "don't touch it...it's evil!" But, of course, they touch it and they explode (or something)...forgive me but it's been a while since I've seen the movie. In EG - 1 I explored evil in a very minimal sense. Sure, Senator Monical is bad...the Jade scientists are bad...but that's just it...every one of the "bad guys" in the first book aren't really evil, just...BAD...some are very, very bad. But none are pure evil! That is something that I explored in EG - 2. However, as I rework the rough draft, (and one certain painting...Justin, I think you know what I'm talking about) I am finding that one character is pure EVIL. It is quite interesting seeing this character as EVIL and not just BAD. There is, I feel, a significant difference between the two...and that can be very...scary, dramatic and...well...scary!!! I'll let you in on more later.

Tonight is going to be a great night to paint in the STUDIO...and speaking of art...I've added two character studies to the gallery. MICHAEL (finally) and a mysterious character name the MINISTER. I think Katy, Chrissie and Ken will know who the Minister is, but I can't really say much about him as he plays an important part in EG-3. So, you may ask, what am I painting tonight? Well, it's big (about 4ft x 8ft) and there is part of a detail HERE. The one on the left is a detail, only about a foot square of the entire painting. I'll tell you what you probably already know...it's of Silla...it's from EG-2...it might be sold already!!! How cool is that?!?!? The other drawing on the Art Page that you just viewed, was also sold (sort of) to fro. Actually I gave it to him for all of the work he has done for me with the JESTERS. Fro is a talented artist who should have his own web page up!!! He is also a very talented writer and will be on my edittttttting team for EG-2. Please...as a favor to me...I have my ediTTTTTTTTTTTing team picked out already...thanks for all of the offers but it's all taken care of. have a nice day and if you haven't already bought my book...BUY IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! I HAVE TWO HUNGRY BOYS TO FEED!!!!

It's over...the contest, that is...

If you won...and you know who you are...then you should be recieving your copy of Beyond (part 1).

Now, on to other things...part two is being editted and is looking good...much better than the original that K. and Bro read already...in fact...it should be quite a bit longer with all of the extra stuff I'm adding. Mitchum has a lot more to do in this version...oops...maybe said too much there.

How about some input on this one...I'm looking to find other ways to MARKET my book(s) and web page. Feel free to give me ideas...(that goes double for you John!).

IT'S A CONTEST PEOPLE

this is for those of you who bought book one...the first PART of EG-BEYOND is in the can and is going to be editted soon...however...you have the opportunity to read the uncut version. Simply respond with the name of the guy who wrote the "introduction" to EG - JOURNEY and you too can have a copy of EG - BEYOND part one sent to you!!!! But you must act now...only the first five to respond will get this limitted offer.

GALLERY!!!

The new gallery is up and it will have more new stuff by the weekend!

gallery?

okay...so the gallery isn't up yet...not sure what's cookin' there. Should know soon...

A couple of things happened recently that prompted me to post this...

First of all a couple of people had interesting choices for Captain Derek Shelby...here is a line from Entropy Gate - Journey that might clear a few things up.

part one page 64..."This is Captain Derek Shelby, he'll be the flight controller," Joshua said and the dark skinned captain stood...

so that mean that Ray Liotta is out and so is Hugh Jackman...though Hugh does rock!

Also...I saw an interview with Leonard Nimoy the other day and thought he'd be a great face for Artimus...though Artimus is Japanese.

part one page 7...The man removed his glasses and Father Michael could see the ancient eyes of an Asian man.

Which drops Rutger Hauer...though Rutger would be good as Captain Peter Tambov (see the post below).

so...that should clear a few things up...I should also have the new and improved gallery up and running by tonight.

So what's been happening, eh?

Here is a small section of dialog from ENTROPY GATE - BEYOND. It takes place on board one of the R.C.C. ships - the Gray Shadow.



Captain Peter Tambov hated the ship he was ordered to command. He had spent a month on board the R.C.C. Gray Shadow learning its systems and working closely with the scientists from Tranquility base as they prepared it for the voyage to the Entropy Sphere. There were ten Gray Shadow ships all equipped with the much-talked about, closely-guarded, artificial gravity. When Peter boarded the small craft and learned the truth of the new system he was ready to resign his commission. As feared by most scientists, an artificial gravity system was still a thing of the future to be dreamed about and theorized about. The Gray Shadow vessels had no rotating section and therefore were much smaller than the average S.E.R.F. exploration vessel. What passed as gravity and enabled the crew to walk on the floor was a series of very complicated electromagnetic coils in the floor boards and ceiling and body suits that were created out of a thin metal mesh encased in an artificial cotton material. The suit Tambov was required to wear was tight, awkward and restricted movement. He had the feeling of gravity, as his feet and body were pulled by the floor coils and pushed downwards by the oppositely charged ceiling coils, but he still felt that his insides were weightless.

Tambov, along with the rest of the crew, all shaved their heads, men and women alike, to keep their hair from drifting about.

"It's a rather ugly looking crew," Peter's first mate Alexander had said. "The women look like men now. The only thing uglier than a Russian woman with out hair is a Chinese woman without hair."

"You sound like a racist," Peter said as he ate his processed meal. The plates were magnetic and the food had a sticky consistency that kept it adhered to the dish. Drinks were still kept in bottles.

"I think the Chinese women look rather pretty without their hair," the doctor replied. He was an older gentleman and had served on several rotation ships. He too did not care for the Gray Shadow.

"You think all women are pretty," said Alexander.

"All women are," Dr. Mehov Logashkkino.

At that moment Dr. Lucy Williams-Matsushibishi entered with her colleague Yun Sing. Though most of the crew were Russian and spoke Russian, there were a few Chinese and they, along with expatriate Lucy Williams-Matsushibishi, could speak Russian as well as Chinese. Only the crew of scientists, referred to as the phase three team, spoke English and they kept to themselves most of the time.

"See," said Mehov, "two women, both beautiful."

"But Dr. Matsu isn't Russian or Chinese," said Alexander.

"I have an idea," said Lucy sarcastically to Alexander, "let's act like Yun and I are actually in the room."

"Apologies, Doctor," Mehov said. "I'm afraid that our first officer is still stuck in the twenty first century."

"I was just saying that we all look ugly with our heads shaved," Alexander said. "I meant no offense to either of you. I, for instance, had a great head of hair."

"So today we're complaining about hair," said Yun. "Yesterday it was the food, today it's no hair. Why must you always be so depressing at dinner?"

"We aren't depressing at dinner," said Alexander, "we're depressing all the time."

There was a light chuckle in the small room.

"As you all know," Captain Tambov said, "we are with in one day of the Venus Orb. S.E.R.F. will have several satellites and probes orbiting the small planetoid. It will give us the perfect opportunity to test the long range weapons of the Gray Shadow."

The Embassy performance is over...time to write!

What to expect in book two

So what happens? I'm not gonna tell you...But, I will let you know a few things. First, if you have not read all of JOURNEY, stop reading this and come back when you're done...there a re a few spoilers ahead...there...you've been warned. So..let's get into it. BEYOND is a three part book, like the first one, but it moves a lot faster. Part one "Reunions and Conflicts" covers a lot of the political fall out of Chen Mui's mission to Venus. It takes place roughly about the three months after Chen and the Orca returned home to Earth. Pkus we get to see what the Russian/China government is up to... Part two "Past and Present" starts from the moment that Michael comes to the bridge of the Orca and tells Derek that he and Silla are coming with them. Things get rather intense after they pass through the Gate. There is more of a dark, scary, feeling to the second part that was very fun to write. Part three "Faith and Revelations" is probably the most action packed story I have ever written. The last thirty pages of JOURNEY move rather quickly, but they are nothing compared to the two hundred or so pages of non stop action in BEYOND. I can't wait to edit them! Hang in there...October isn't too far away!...okay...actually it is...but hang in there any way!

Time warp...I guess

It's been a while since i posted anything and that is due mainly to the fact that this weekend I am having one of my plays performed at the Fort Wayne, Indiana Theater House, the EMBASSY. It's the same show as last month "Dr. Watson's Amazing Detective School"...but in a much larger, more professional venue. I am both excited and nervous. So what's new? Well, one of my students (Fro) lent me the six volume set of AKIRA. I'm on vol. 4, which has 394 pages of black and white illustrations, and I am totally into it!!!! The link above will take you to the movie site...but the six volume set of graphic novels is just incredible. Every award that it was nominated for, it won. Katsuhiro Otomo is a master story teller and the movie (though incredible) is like a spec compared to the world of AKIRA in print. I first saw the movie back in grad school at an animation fest. I was blown away. It totally changed my line of thinking re: story telling. I feel a rebirth of sorts now that I am reading the graphic novel. It is just amazing. But I ramble. Aside from the reading, the EMBASSY (and all that goes into that) I have also been editting and creating new artwork. I just reworked the Senator Monical painting and a rendition of Silla that I am very pleased with. So I've been busy. And another thing...I mentioned before (and someone asked) about Allesandro Bavari...the Italian CG master who had a one man show at the University I teach at...well...he wanted a copy of my book and yet he had no American dollars...so he just offered a trade...he is sending me a box set of his art work in post card form in exchange for my book...we did the dollar to euro exchange and I am getting the better end of the deal...I've decided to include a copy of my music as well...okay...time to make artwork...

more art

I finished a drawing of Grace Monical last night around 11:00...very happy with it. As soon as I can get the camera I'll post it in the "new and improved" gallery that I've been working on.

Been writing...a lot!

I have been editting Book Two now for some time and had something exciting happen yesterday...there was a part of the story that never quite flowed right for me...but then yesterday I recalled something that I had written in Book Three and I realized that it could bridge the gap...so now book two is going to be ten pages longer than it was intended...in fact...if this keeps happening book two could be a lot longer than book one. Looks like I have more time tomorrow to edit and write...

as my four year old says...I got good news and I got bad news...

Good news...I had a lot of fun at the book signing at the Mocha Room and made a few connections.
Bad news...I didn't sell or sign nearly as much as I'd hoped to. Oh well, I will post some pictures soon. Also, as stated earlier, I am updating the "gallery" page with some of the latest works.

This has been fun...however, as I was discussing "fantasy casting" with a friend, I was altering an image of Bijou Philips (who John thought would be good as Silla) and it occured to me that one of the things I wanted on the main site was a "fan" gallery...yes, yes, I know, Jakes graphic novel isn't even up yet. I'M WORKING ON IT!!! sorry...long day at work...haven't been writing...must write...must make art...must breath...must stop writing as if intending...William...Shater...reading...my blog to a...host of...eager...young...trekkers. Okay...so I'm accepting images from you people of original drawings, painting, etc... (yes, altered photoshop images are okay as long as you reference your sources!)...when I recieve enough I'll make a gallery to display them. Also, the gallery of my art will be undergoing some changes as I have added several images to the "world of Entropy Gate". I will also have images of the book signing that I'll post after this weekend. Look for them on Monday!

Later...time to paint!

Movie time

Some one asked me once..."who would play your characters if ENTROPY GATE was made into a movie?" I'm not sure...If you've read the book, you may have an idea...

Copy and paste with your input.

Chen Mui
Michael Conelly
David Franke
Senator Grace Monical
Don Mui
Will Kensel
Artimus
Abigail
Scrap
Silla
Derek Shelby
Jorgen Rousen

others?

God and Science Fiction part two

In one of my favorite episodes of Babylon 5, a Monk is asked by the Mimbari Ambassador what is the most important part of his religion. The Monk thinks it over briefly and then replies that it is the point in time where Jesus is in the garden of Gesthemene and he hears the men approaching to take him away to be brutally tortured and killed. The Monk goes on to speak of temptation and faith and courage...it's an amazing speech that he gives, but what is even more amazing is that the story was written by J. Michael Straczynski...an atheist!

I had become so sick and tired of "Christians" being the bad guys on TV and movies that it came as a bit of a shock when I saw that episode and realized that Christianity was not being lampooned, distorted or put down. I can think of several movies, and I bet you can too, where the villain is a "Christian". The real shame is that some of the movies are really entertaining...or at least they could be if it wasn't for the fact that my beliefs are the driving force behind the villain's insanity, his killing sprees or his megalomania.

So here's the way I look at it. I very easily could have written a novel that had no mention of God or any of my beliefs. I could have had the heroes be brave men and women who continually beat the odds and the bad guys because they are resilient and strong and powerful and...well, you get the idea. But that's not me. That's not the way I try to live my life. If JMS can write such an honest and insightful story about my beliefs, can't I at least attempt to do the same?

Signing on Saturday

It looks like everything is set for Saturday's book signing at the Mocha Room. I'll be there from 2:00 - 4:00 on the 8th but the books will be there the entire month of March. If all goes as planned I'll post "God and Science Fiction part two" this afternoon.

I have assembled the work for the Mocha Room show and it goes as follows...

1. Abigail (as seen at the gallery section of the web page)
2. la Mort de la Lumier (a poster for the ballet that David Franke’s wife performed in New Orleans)
3. Michael Connelly (finally)
4. Artimus (as seen at the gallery section of the web page)
5. Will Kensel (as seen at the gallery section of the web page)
6. Abigail in Rain (just finished it tonight)
7. Chen Mui 1 (as seen at the gallery section of the web page)
8. Chen Mui 2 (as seen at the gallery section of the web page)
9. Silla (as seen at the gallery section of the web page)
10. Sister (from a story told by Silla in EG2)
11. Jerrod (the leader of a group of renegade hyclones in EG3)
12. The Minister (a mysterious “preacher-man” who appears in EG3)

I'M STILL WRITING!!

I had a few people get concerned when they heard about the CD and the broken finger and the artwork and my job...don't worry, I'm still working furiously on Entropy Gate - Beyond. The music was created last year...I didn't spend that much time putting it together. The finger is doing much better (a finger brace and vicadin seems to be doing the trick...in fact I've gone two days without the brace) The artwork I usually do between 11:00 pm and 1:00 am (most of my writing is during lunch or early in the morning) and my job...well...pressure is easing up and spring break is nearing!

God and Science Fiction part one

Katy asked why I didn’t include Star Trek in my top 10 items that inspired me with my book…I was already planning on giving a detailed post as to why Star Wars and not Star Trek, but her question has caused me to post now instead of this weekend as intended.

First and foremost let me state that I like Star Trek a LOT! With the exception of the latest I have seen every Star Trek movie in the theater with my father. My job got crazy and by the time things mellowed out it was gone…I have high hopes that it will return to one of the dollar cinemas or the Cinema Grill (more on those two places later).

At the heart of the four Entropy Gate books is religion. Not just my own (Christianity) but many religions. In my stories, there are true followers of Christ’s teachings and there are those who distort the teachings. There are atheists and there are fanatics (just wait until book two for some wild ones) that are sprinkled throughout. In fact, one of my favorite characters in the story is David Franke…he just happens to be an atheist. So yeah, I wanted religion to be a strong component in the book…

Which leads me to Star Trek, Star Wars, Dune, etc…In Star Wars, there is a god-like-oversoul-powerthinging-that “surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the galaxy together,” to quote Yoda. And it gets people thinking about good and evil, religion and God. That’s cool! In Dune we see radical fanaticism surrounding the prophecy of a messiah who would lead the Fremen on their Jihad. And boy do things get wacky there…worm worship, Spice parties, death, destruction, religious hysteria, you name it! But in Star Trek we have…what? Man has accomplished so much on his own and is (to quote Patrick Stewart’s Captain quoting Shakespeare) “how like a god!” Trek is all about man’s accomplishments on his own. The only time we see religion is when it is used to control a group or race of naïve people. Star Trek rocks, but there isn’t a spiritual side to it that inspired me like Dune and Star Wars did.

CD cover with song list

Click here for a first look at the CD cover...

I'm working on the CD cover...hopefully I'll have it ready to post on my site by noon.

Comic book stuff...

As a teacher, I always like to see what is inspiring my students. Well this morning one of my students had a comic book called "Alita-Battle Angel - Last Order". The artwork is fantastic and the story is enjoyable. But I was struck by something...one of the characters is named David Frank...and in my book one of the characters is named David Franke...just a curious sort of thing.

DECATUR

It looks like March 8th is the date for the Mocha Room show in Decatur...

CD UPDATE

I reviewed some of my "musical" choices for the CD and have decided on 18 tracks instead of 20...I'll have the info and images of the CD jewel case posted soon...still messing around with a final design.

WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE?

I just finished the last mix of the Entropy Gate CD...it will be on sale (for the first time) at the Mocha Room in Decatur during my show and book signing. So what is the CD? you might ask...it's a collection of songs that I wrote to keep me on track when I was working on the first book. The CDs have 20 songs and will sell for $6.00.

Top 10 things that inspired me (creatively) as I wrote Entropy Gate

1. My wife
2. My father who got me hooked on Science Fiction
3. Babylon 5
4. Music by Christopher Franke
5. Images from the Hubble
6. Those who were reading the manuscript daily and urging me to continue
7. The artwork I was producing based on the story
8. Directors commentaries on DVDs...it's great to hear how other creative minds work
9. Star Wars
10. Dune (the books)

MORE ART

Art page 2 is up and features two works that will be on dislpay in Decatur next month.

DEEP BREATH

Exhale...the performance is over and it was a huge success!

So now it's time to get back to promoting my book and artwork. We are still waiting for the second shipment of books (they are about a week late) and I have already sold 15 from that bunch. We'll be contacting some other publishers in the next week or so to see if we can start getting the book in stores. Tonight seems like a good night to get into the studio and I have some paper all ready to go. And speaking of paper...someone asked me the other day what kind of paper I use. Since I'm using oil pastels with a paint thinner wash, the color soaks into the paper and the only way to erase is with sand paper. I needed something strong and thick and have found that Strathmore 3ply bristol with a vellum surface is about the best. I get my paper and most of my supplies at United Art and Education. More on that later...

Things are a bit crazy right now...

I haven't posted in a while because this weekend is our big performance. What big performance you might ask? The JESTERS performance of "Dr. Watson's Amazing Detective School"...that performance. The JESTERS are a group of children-with-special-needs who perform musicals. This musical is the nineth play that I have written and the eighth one to be performed. The JESTERS are performing this weekend at the University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne, Indiana) to a sold out theater. However, on March 23, they will be performing again at the EMBASSY in downtown Fort Wayne. I will have more updates and links in the following days.

ENTROPY UP DATE

Sunday Feb. 16th I will begin a massive promo campaign for the book as we eagerly await the second run of 100. We already have sold 15 from the second run and that is without any real promoting.

KIND OF CREEPY...ISN'T IT?

My wife was looking at the ART PAGEand stated that Silla looked kind of creepy...like she was sick or something. Well, for those of you who have ready the book you should know why she might look "ill" in EG - Beyond. If you haven't finished reading the first book, read no further...spoiler alert...since Silla, Michael, Derek and Mitchum all have "entropy syndrome" they all experience some sickness, though Silla experiences much more than the others because of who she is...biologically that is. Her biology and origins will play a major part in Beyond.

UH OH

I'm not quite sure how this will affect my artwork, but i just broke my right-hand ring finger at work today...since I teach art, this might pose a problem...

ART PAGE

Okay...I've added to the web page and you can link directly to the new ART PAGE. This will be an ongoing feature that will keep those-of-you-who-want-to-know updated on "Entropy Gate" art work.

NEW ART

I am working on a page that will be devoted to new "Entropy Gate Art". I am also working on a "fan" page as well, though I imagine it will be a while before that takes off. Also, for those of you who have asked, Jake's graphic novel will be posted towards the end of Feb. Go here to check out the title page...

SELF PUBLISHING

This is a great company for self publishing. They are quick, professional and easy to work with. If you have ever thought about selp publishing, give them a look.

OLD ART

There are six paintings in the gallery that will be on display in March at the Mocha Room in Decatur, Indiana. I have a total of 15 in the series and I'll be adding to the gallery shortly. By the way, all of the paintings are for sale.

Well now...that was odd...

I came across the original first few chapters of EG-J...wow-glad I changed everything...Chen was not a member of S.E.R.F., but an explorer who was looking into myths (i.e. lara croft/indiana jones) and was checking out the site of the Ark...Noah's...not the one in "Raiders"...anyhow, she's freezing herself on mount Arat (did I spell that right) when she gets a call that she is needed on the Orca to help solve a mystery on Venus...her second passion is Venus geology...Michael wasn't even a priest and David is actually the captain of the Orca. I think I like the new version much better...but hey, I had to start somewhere...

NEW ART and CHAPTER ONE

For those of you who were asking (through the web site feedback)...there will be some new wall paper designs soon...if all goes as planned. I have a few designs for "Entropy Gate - Beyond", but I think I'll hang on to those a little longer. There is a chance that I might post Chapter One of EG - B very soon just to let you know what direction it takes...remember, I said a "chance"...I'm still not sure if it's a good idea.

Well...We have ordered another 100 copies. The sales are going much better than expected!!! So far, the most interesting (and furthest we'll have to ship a copy) is to the Italian artist Allesandro Bavari...who, well, resides in Italy. He has requested a copy of the novel...anyone know how to convert twelve American dollars into Italian...what, Euros? Anyway, feedback has been positive, sales happenin' and I'm getting the urge to create some more artwork based on the series...I'd better since the show is coming up soon.

Just the other day someone asked how many books we had sold...as of today (1/28/03) we have sold 90 copies. We started selling on 1/15/03! Needless to say I am a little excited...Also...coming in March...I will be having a showing of my "Entropy Gate" inspired art work at the MOCHA ROOM (a very cool coffee shop) in (of all places) Decatur, Indiana. I should have about ten original paintings and some work from the VOW OF THE SWORD artist Jake. I will be signing copies of the book, though I'm not sure of the exact date yet. If all goes as planned I will have some of the "Entropy Gate" inspired music for sale as well.

For those of you who have read through Entropy Gate - Journey...yes, I am aware that there were some spelling errors...I have a great deal of respect for professional editors and now I understand why they charge so much. Well...errors aside, I hope you enjoyed the story. I am currently editting the follow-up ENTROPY GATE - BEYOND. Though my site says the release date is Jan 2004, I have high hopes that it will be out much sooner! Those of you who have asked me about the graphic-novel-web-story-illustrated...uh...story things...(what should I call them?)...well I just got the first part of VOW OF THE SWORD. What a rush. The artist is incredible and by Wed. 29 I hope to have a sample of his work on the site. It should be ready to go by mid Feb. Hang in there Katy!

All right...I had this up before but I accidently erased it. I plan to use this blog as a place to discuss:
1) My novel, Entropy Gate - Journey (for more info on that go to entropygate.com)
2) Art work (based on the novel as well as other works).
3) Selp publishing.
4) Writing in general.
As soon as a figure out how to set up a comment and reply on this blog, I'll do so and we can banter...