Better Never Than Late

Two months without an update?  We suck; sorry.

There is some good news:  I’ve completed the sequel to “The Fourth Law.”  I’m in the midst of editing and such right now.  A bit longer than the first book; understandable as the focus has gone from two main characters to…well… several more.

Besides putting in chapter breaks and other coding matters, I’ve the little issue of thinking up a name for the thing.  “The Fourther Law” sounds stupid, and I didn’t come up with a Fifth Law (although ‘remember to tip your bartenders and waitresses’ is a sensible one).  Maybe a free copy for whomever comes up with a good title?

My objective was to have at least a Kindle version released by Easter, two weeks from today.  I’m much older at formatting that I was back in December, so I just might make that.

I’ve put an excerpt below the fold.  No spoiler warnings, per se, but if you’ve not read my first book, there are a few things revealed.  Cheerio!

Direxions 2 – Rod & Vanessa

[We originally conceived of “Hot Rod” as a one-off hentai (or, 18+) manga for release on something like the Fakku website. Then, of course, I started writing…and writing.  Suddenly,  I’d enough material for at least three volumes; as is my wont, I just kept finding out more interesting things about these new characters!  About this time, I attended a couple of panels about ‘Webcomics’ at a local animecon.  If we released two pages a week…well, then I’ve already enough material for months!  I can stop now!

Of course, I didn’t. I wanted to know more about Rod Blaine, 19-years old, seven months away from getting his welding certificate from a local vo-tech at a little city in the US Midwest.  He lives with his step-mother and step-sister…how’d that come about?  I wondered how an 18-year old girl like Vanessa Holt developed such an aggressive personality…because she’s only 4’10”?  Able to swing from a punching-rage to cuddly in seconds…why?

Mr. Deonne is preoccupied with some other projects right now, so I see this as an exercise for me to re-learn how to write in a non-visual novel style.

The excerpt below the fold takes place in the Spring on a late Saturday morning. After their karate class, Vanessa wanted to see Rod’s place, so she followed him home.  Note that this is likely PG…although I’d no problems if one of my kids read it]

Writer’s Corner – Introduction

As always, my esteemed colleague has done yeoman’s work in getting this WordPress site up and running.  I, honestly, wasn’t quite sure where I’d fit in:  everyone likes to look at pictures…does anyone want to read story excerpts?  Chat about what little RenPy coding I can manage?  Such doubts assailed me.

Then, yesterday evening, assisted by the bourbon in my coffee, Mr. Deonne (he changes given names as often as I change my car’s oil) and I had a chat via email that has given me a better grounding for where I may go with this site.

Having said all that to say this:  I look forward to greater interaction with our readers!  Now, off for more coffee…and bourbon.

~Clayton Barnett