I finally feel like writing again. Still pretty busy, but it feels like a fog has lifted from my mind.

See, my grandmother died over a week ago - just before Mother's Day, no less. I hadn't visited her for ages and I couldn't make it to the funeral because my research was at a critical juncture; I could not spare a single day, not to mention the fact I couldn't afford the hideously inflated airfare.  This, in addition to the stress of lab work, finding a postdoc position, and many, many other concerns did not leave me in a writing mood.

I didn't post anything until now because, frankly, it's a private matter. Now that I've had time I'm more comfortable discussing it. Her death was apparently quite peaceful and she was well into her eighties, so all-in-all, it could have been much worse. I haven't entirely gotten over her passing, but these things take time.

In any case, I am feeling much better now. I've also made a major breakthrough in my research, one which will likely provide all the material I'll need to finish my thesis. With that uncertainty out of the way I have a bit more energy to spare for other pursuits. Like, say, The Lycanthrope Club Book II, a few lycanthrope club vignettes, and even a original story idea I've been mulling over.

Still can't give an ETA on anything, but for the first time in quite a while, I feel momentum.

One quick thing: If you've purchased The Lycanthrope Club: Book I on Amazon or Lulu.com, black and white or full color, please rate and/or review it! Neither version has received any feedback on either distributor.

...Are pretty much to blame for my near complete lack of progress. Sorry for not posting an update, but honestly there hasn't been much to say. I suppose I could regale you with my research regarding sequential and structural specificity of ADAR2, since that's the only thing I've been able to write about lately, but I doubt you come here to learn about RNA editing.

I've gotten SOME LC writing done, but it's sporadic and difficult. I'm not going to say WHAT I've been writing, but there's a small chance you'll see something new uploaded in the next month or so.

Here's hoping for a breakthrough soon.

Nothing new to report story-wise, but I had to upload this. My university recently released a new emergency response guide for laboratories. The last section was - and this is the honest-to-gawd truth - a zombie preparedness guide, right alongside fire and chemical spills. I apologize for the image quality, but all I have is an old Blackberry camera.



Hilarity aside, it does have some practical information on how to prepare for any emergency situation; the zombie angle is just there to get your attention. Then again, this is a world class biology research facility...

Bit of good news. It cost me a pretty penny, but I managed to rescue the data on my PC's hard drive, including the latest draft of The Lycanthrope Club: Book II. New laptop's working nicely as well. That is all.

The good news is that I picked up a new laptop and it's working great (so far). The bad news...I try not to use my dA to vent since it's a platform for my writing, not a personal journal, but things have not been going well for me lately.

First, my old desktop PC died on me. Not terribly surprising since I've had it for five or six years now and I knew the hard drive was deteriorating, but it was the computer I was writing the Lycanthrope Club: Book II on. I regularly back up all my files, but I still lost a couple days of work on the revision. Disheartening, particularly given how slow it's going. I'm also having trouble with my research, and since I only have just over four months to go I'm starting to worry I won't have enough material to finish my dissertation on time. This is in addition to the stress of finding post doc positions, finding a place to live if and when I move, a virtually nonexistent social life, and a general feeling of directionless and depression that has enveloped me lately. Feh.

All I can really do is push on, but it's looking less and less likely I'm going to be able to finish the revision of the second book by June as I hoped. Sorry everyone.

So...first news update of the new year.

Not much to say at the moment. The revision of LC II is going very, very slowly. First, I'm busy with many other concerns, primarily finishing graduate school and finding a postdoctoral position. Second, and it pains me to say this, but I'm not getting the same joy out of writing/rewriting the story that I usually do. It feels more like work. I'm NOT going to drop this project, but it's going to take a lot more effort to push through.

I'm shopping around for a new laptop to replace my current horrible one, but finding a decent laptop a) with a graphics card* b) NOT Windows 8 and c) isn't ridiculously overpriced is proving difficult. I've visited CostCo, BestBuy, Fry's Electronics, TigerDirect, manufacturer's websites, even Target - nothing. According to some of my more computer savvy friends, both the new generation and current generation of hardware are overvalued right now, leaving only crappy, older generation machines not even worth acquiring. Frustration over this endeavor isn't helping my creative juices, particularly since I have the feeling the laptop I have right now could go any day.

</me whining>

Maybe I should start working on another, unrelated project, even a short one, to break out of my funk.

*Believe it or not, I need this more for molecular modeling than games.

Happy New Year everyone!

Not much to report. Just plugging away at the second book. I'm hoping to get this thing out before I graduate around June, as my life will likely get very complicated afterwards. I'm going try to work on LC II at least once every day from this point on - I'd call it my New Year's Resolution, but I never keep the damn things

First of all, 40,000 page views! <fluttershy>Yay!</fluttershy>

Second, the greyscale edition of The Lycanthrope Club: Book I is now available for purchase through Amazon!

[link]

The full-color version should be available on Amazon soon as well. However, I would really prefer people to purchase the full-color edition through Lulu unless they absolutely cannot do so. You see, Lulu and Paypal take a cut whenever I make a sale. But when a book is sold through Amazon the distributor (Amazon) also takes a cut. Normally that's fine because Amazon is much more accessible and has a bigger customer base. However, the printing costs of the full-color edition are ridiculously high. That's why it costs 30.00 USD yet I still make less on each sale than the greyscale edition. When Amazon takes its cut  I only make 0.08 USD per book. I sell 10 book, I make less than a dollar. But I don't want to raise the price any higher because 30.00 USD for a ~100 page book is already high.

Some of you may be crying foul since I've already said this project isn't about the money. Well, it's still true. I don't care about making a profit, but I WOULD like to at least break even, particularly since it will make book II easier to finish. And since I'm ~500.00 USD in the hole right now (commissioning art is expensive)...it's going to be a while.

Sorry to bore you with that financial crap. Back to writing Book II!

If you were debating whether or not to pick up a copy of The Lycanthrope Club: Book I, this may help you decide.

Until the 14th of December all Daemoneye Publishing products - including the color and grayscale editions of The Lycanthrope Club: Book I - are 10% off when purchased through Lulu! Head on over to [link] and order your copy today!

Again, this includes all Daemoneye Products, so take a look at our tabletop roleplaying products while you're there. More than a decade of development has gone into most of our RPGs so I think they're worth your time.

Progress is slow on what will be The Lycanthrope Club: Book II. I haven't done a lot of creative writing lately so it's going to take time for me to get back in my groove. That said, the biggest obstacle is going to be the artwork.

For one thing, I still haven't broken even on the first book (especially with the added expense of the cover-art). I need to save up enough capital to commission another series of illustrations (assuming I can actually save money next year). This still isn't about the money, but as a starving student I really can't afford to do it unless I get most, if not all, of what I spend back. I may try funding it through Kickstarter, but let's see how things go.  

Second, I need to find a replacement for Lobo Leo, which is going to be very, very difficult. Not only was his art high-quality but his rates were low. I have a few artists in mind already, but it's going to be hard to find one with a style and quality comparable to Leo's who can commit to a long-term project.

Now for the good news. I feel like the first book's extra material was a bit sparse. To reward people who buy the print version or full color pdf, book II is going to include two original short stories that have been requested many times before: Phillip's first full moon as a werewolf with Melinda and *sigh* a sequel to A Nurse in Wolf's Clothing (I still have no idea what's going to happen in it).

Here's hoping Book II will be done before the end of 2013!

Whew. It took forever to get this finalized but here it is. I've uploaded the edited, fixed, and revised copy of The Lycanthrope Club: Book I with the brand new cover to Lulu, assigned it an ISBN and registered it. I still need the modified cover from ashkey (the cover artist - [link] for the full-color edition. The full color version will be temporarily unavailable for print purchase while I get this sorted out. Once that's done all that's left to do is set-up the distribution channels with Lulu and Amazon and the book could technically be sold at Barnes and Noble! (you'll still probably have to buy it from Lulu or Amazon).

In the end I couldn't really add much to the book beyond the new cover and fixing a lot of annoying typos. I was hoping to throw another short story in there, but I really, REALLY wanted to put this thing to bed for good so I can focus all the creative energies I haven't reserved for my labwork to Book II.

Anyhoo, even if you already have a copy of the book, why not buy one for your friends and family? [link] It'll make a great holiday gift. I will be offering a special discount for the month of December from the 1st to the 25th. And as usual, those who contribute at least 2.00 USD to the project will receive a full-color pdf of the book.

Peace out!

EDIT: The full color version is now available for purchase as well - [link]

Good news! I've found another artist to do the cover of the second edition of The Lycanthrope Club: Book I and I've officially started work on the revision of book II.

The new artist is ashkey. You can check out her art at [link] . If everything goes according to plan the second edition should be ready just before the end of November. It'll make a great Christmas/X-mas/Saturnalia/Annual Gift-giving day gift.

And now for some other, unrelated, random stuff.

I've recently discovered a punk band called Pain. Despite the grim moniker Pain has produced some of the catchiest, most gloriously upbeat songs I have ever heard. I try to avoid plugging anything in my journal, but I had to give them a shout-out. They're that good. The group is on an indefinite (and in all likelihood permanent) hiatus, but you can easily find their music on YouTube and iTunes.

Suckerpunch - [link]
Gavin - [link]
Easy Out - [link]
The Bottlerocket War - [link]

Second, please caption this image:

I'm sorry to say that Lobo Leo [link] probably won't be doing the cover art for the long-delayed second edition of The Lycanthrope Club: Book I and will not be taking part in any of the upcoming LC books (II and III). Lobo Leo is one of the best (if not the best) werewolf artist out there, but his unpredictable, prolonged absences mean I can no longer maintain a professional relationship with him as artist/commissioner.

I've been struggling with this decision for over a week, and it wasn't easy to make. Leo's art was one of the early inspirations of The Lycanthrope Club and having him work on the project was a dream come true. He's also a really nice guy. However, I need artists who are more reliable. It is NOT personal.

I've started looking for new artists for the cover and future books. My first choice is Dirk Tiede [link], who has recently returned to his webcomic after a taking a break for health reasons. Hopefully he'll be still available for commissions. Otherwise, if you know any artist who might fit the bill let me know.

Happy Halloween

I was hoping to have a vignette out for the occasion...but to tell the truth, my heart just hasn't been in it over the last two weeks. Sorry.

Not much going on. Still waiting for the cover art, and I have this weird mental block regarding The Lycanthrope Club: Book II - I want to get the second edition of book I out before I start revising book II. It doesn't help that my finances were stretched pretty tight this month (no, this isn't an request for donations; I'm getting by) and that things have been pretty hectic in the lab recently. Also been trying to get Universal Decay: Dead Stars Rule Book (i.e. the sci-fi horror RPG) ready for distribution.

In other, more interesting news, Dirk Tiede's webcomic Paradigm Shift has returned after a long hiatus so the artist could recover from an injury [link] Check it out.

Woah, guess it's been a while. Sorry 'bout that compy...

Outdated references aside, there hasn't been much to report. I've done some preliminary work on The Lycanthrope Club: Book II, but most of my energy has been focused on labwork, Daemoneye Publishing's RPG products, and getting the second edition of The Lycanthrope Club: Book I out. Actually, the second edition is more or less complete. The final editing is done, the file has been reformatted; all that remains is the cover. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for the final cover art. Not much I can do until it's finished. On the plus side, the new edition should eventually be available on Amazon.com, so those of you for whatever reason can't or don't wish to buy a print copy through Lulu will have another option.

In the meantime, I may write another Lycanthrope Club vignette to keep you tied over. No promises, but if I do, it will be a story has been requested many times before by readers.

Now, if I may digress momentarily from the mainstream of this evening's symposium...

In addition to writing fiction, I also write, design, and playtest table-top roleplaying games with a friend of mine. We (well, mostly him) have been working on a particular project for well over a decade - a science fiction game called Universal Decay: Dead Stars - and now it's finally complete. It's a fantastic system and setting that actually employs real physics; a high school teacher once used its solar system generator to help teach his class the basics of astronomy. That said, the rules are modular, so you don't have to employ the really complex stuff unless you want to. There are also rules supporting alternate settings, such as steampunk, fantasy, superheroes, etc.



Now that the shameless self-promotion is out of the way, if you're a fan of table-top roleplaying games or just curious you can check it out here: [link] You can download the Game basics and Setting chapters for free at [link]

The Universal Decay: Dead Stars Rulebook features illustrations by a dA artist named Shinkei [link] as well as Kurt Dinse [link] and Manic!, whom some of you might recognize as, among other things, the artist behind the adult webcomic STELLAR from WLPComics [link] - warning, NSFW!

On more werewolf-related news, Lobo Leo has agreed to do the cover art for the second edition of The Lycanthrope Club: Book I Yay!

Remember how I said there might be a LC short story coming up? Here it is! It seems that Cynthia lost a bet with Melinda and now has to do something...horrifying.

I hope everyone is satisfied with The Lycanthrope Club: Book I. Some people are still waiting for their books, but I really can't do anything about it. It takes Lulu a few business days to print them and it can take as long as two weeks to ship it if you go with standard shipping (longer if you're outside the United States). If it takes longer than a month, however, contact Lulu immediately. Anyways, I haven't broken even on the book yet (I'm down about 15-20 USD), but hopefully a couple more orders/contributions will trickle in. It's going to be tight this month, but thanks to your support I don't have to dip into my savings.

Work is proceeding on the second edition of The Lycanthrope Club: Book. Can't say exactly what the new edition will include, but there's definitely going to be a new kickass cover. Maybe even some new art. Again, those who have already contributed at least 2.00 USD or purchased a hard copy will receive a free pdf of the new edition. The second book is still in the planning stages, though the new plot is coming together. Again, no ETA available, but keep watching my dA account for updates.

Finally, another product will soon be available at my website (Daemoneye Publishing) - Universal Decay: Dead Stars, a gritty, realistic science-fiction/horror table-top RPG run on a d20-based engine. This game has been under development for more than a decade, so if you're into table-top games be sure to give it a look. I'll be uploading the first couple chapters to the website as a preview in a couple of days.

[link]

Download and/or purchase The Lycanthrope Club: Book I at [link]

OK, the first release of The Lycanthrope Club is complete. What's next...

First, I'm probably going to release a second edition of Book I. Mostly to fix some outstanding errors, trim unnecessary dialog, and reposition the images in the book so they better fit the story. I'll get a proper cover this time as well. Those of you who donated +2.00 USD and/or purchased a hard-copy of the book will be able to download a full-color PDF of the second edition at no cost when it's available. Also, does anyone know any website/creator/author that review web novellas? I'd like to submit the story for review.

Annoying, I still can't get a sales count for printed copies. Apparently there's a bug in the Lulu.com software that prevents sales information from being fed into some creators' revenue page, including mine. They claimed the problem would be fixed by today (over a week since they were made aware of it) but I'm still not getting a sales count. Lulu hasn't exactly been communicative about the issue, either. If the bug isn't fixed by the end of the week I'm going to remove The Lycanthrope Club: Book I from Lulu and transfer it to some other POD publisher, which will mean the printed book would be temporarily unavailable. I hope it doesn't come to that, but not being able to know how many books you've sold is ridiculous.

The good news is that I've received over 440.00 USD in contributions to the project, which means I'm very close to my goal of breaking even with the production costs. Thanks everyone!

In the meanwhile I'm going to start outlining the second book. Those of you who have read both the original story and the rewrite know that there was a very significant plot change in the new version that will necessitate changes in the second and third books. While it will make rewriting the next two books a little more labor intensive I think the plot will be much stronger for it. I'm not going to even attempt to give an ETA on either book - real life concerns aside, Dirk Tiede is recovering from a hand injury (give him a shout out and wish him a speedy recovery [link] and Leo has returned to his webcomic [link] so both the artists are kinda preoccupied.

Finally, not making any promises, but I MAY release a LC vignette or two over the next week or so...stay tuned!

Purchase and/or download The Lycanthrope Club: Book I at [link]

EDIT Lulu.com finally fixed the revenue issue. Looks like I've sold 9 b/w and 3 full color books so far for a total revenue of 43.00 USD. Not too shabby

First, welcome visitors from Lobo Leo's page!

Second, there seems to have been some confusion regarding how to purchase/download the Lycanthrope Club: Book I and what versions are available, so let me go over the details.

There are two print versions - one with six colored illustrations and six inked illustrations and one where all the illustrations are grayscale. Both version feature a short essay on the background of the story and four pages of production sketches. Both print versions can be ordered at Lulu.com - a Print-on-Demand (POD) publisher - at [link] (the Daemoneye Publishing website [link] has a link to my lulu pages as well). The print versions must be purchased through Lulu. The full color version costs 30.00 USD (plus shipping) while the greyscale version costs 10.00 USD (plus shipping). They can ship the book to pretty much anywhere in the world, though expect to pay extra for destinations outside the continental United States.

There are two PDF versions - one is 100% free and the other is a gift for contributors to the project. The free version features all twelve illustrations in greyscale but does NOT include the short essay nor does it include the production sketches. It can be downloaded at [link] (click on "DOWNLOAD"). However, if you contribute at least 2.00 USD to the project via PayPal (also at [link] I will send you the contributor gift version PDF by email, which includes the six colored illustrations and the production sketches and background essay (it's basically identical in content to the full-color print version). You can donate more than 2.00 USD, of course, but that's the minimum to get the gift PDF version.

I think that covers it. Let me know if you have any questions. Discuss the book at the Daemoneye Publishing forums [link] and check out our other products [link] (more free stuff).

-Kiojan

After months of waiting and countless delays...

The Lycanthrope Club: Book I 1st edition is now available for download and purchase!

[link]

Be sure to check out Daemoneye Publishing's other stuff and register on the forums to discuss the book.

Now, time to sleep for the next 127 hours.

Zzzzz...