Lately, I’ve been focusing on the big ticket items. And, to be fair, they’re all kind of cool. From the never ending journey to get The Brittle Riders on a screen, big or otherwise, to Hadithi Sambamba Comix getting national distribution with a hard copy kick off at the New York Comic Con, to my inclusion in the upcoming Love Books Tour which kicks off next week, there’s been a bunch of stuff to share.
All that being stipulated, I also write short stories and work on projects you might find interesting.
A little later this month you’ll be able to read my story, Miggy, in The Rabbit Hole Volume 6. While Miggy’s a story about a put-upon serf on an alien world, The Rabbit Hole is neither put-upon nor alien. It’s an internationally renowned series that has been polluting minds and corrupting the morally ambiguous since 2018 and shows no signs of slowing down. The broken minds behind the series include many of the staff from Sci-Fi Lampoon. The fact I’ve appeared in a few of those issues, as well, simply proves what good taste the editors have.
Over in the hall of future stuff (say it with reverb) I have been working as part of a testing team for Notion. It’s a versatile tool that can do many things but, at its core, it’s an Artificial Intelligence (AI) designed specifically to assist writers. Think of it as Grammarly on steroids. I’m not demeaning Grammarly. I use, and like, it. My writing would be a jumbled mess, according to my publisher and others who are smarter than me, without it. But, programs like Notion go far beyond grammar and simple suggestions. It offers alternatives in real time. It works off a wealth of donated writing, like mine, to give authors a wider variety of styles to work with. My job, in short, is to break it. I have and probably will again. But, between my interactions with its creators, and its own algorithms, it learns and doesn’t repeat mistakes. Which is better than any claim I can make about myself.
Also, as I’ve noted here and there, I’m slowly coming out after the pandemic. Well, I was bisexual before the pandemic. I’m not sure how much more I can come out. Nevertheless, in October, date TBA, I’ll be sharing a stage with NPR’s favorite son, Steve Silver, at Live Wire Lounge. Steve’s book, This Might Hurt a Bit is a raw look at a life lived hard. But, it’s also a book full of love for the people who saved him, those who trusted him even when they shouldn’t, and the life he has now. Which, by comparison, is gloriously boring.
We did this back in 2016 when The Brittle Riders was first out. Back then I got to tell the fun story of a Russian bootleg site that sold, approximately, 30,000 digital copies without paying me a dime. And, when I mentioned to someone at their embassy that I fond this behavior irksome, I was informed that my use of LGBTQIA+ people, people of color, and others who have empathy, in my book made me a threat to their social order. I never did find out if they actually issued that warrant for my arrest, but nor do I care. Until the crazy people go home there’s no reason for me to go.
In November I’ll be at Windy Con. I was last there in 2019. It was the first time I met multiple fans who had come to a convention to meet me. I’ve had one or two before, but this was different, and welcomed. Hopefully, as publicity ramps up this September, more complete strangers will mark their calendars and come on out to say hi.
Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to my nephew, Danat’e. Since the very beginning, he has come out to Motor City Black Age of Comics, he lives near there, and helped his uncle Brian and I man a booth, sell to attendees, and basically be helpful at every turn. He, his sister, mom and step-dad, are always quick to remind me that I’ll never need a hotel room nor go hungry when I’m in Detroit. That’s some love right there, and that’s his pic below.
That’s enough for now. Thanks for sticking around and have a wonderful week.
