In The Golden Shade
Lots of photos taken this month, starting with another photo walk put together by Pro Photo Supply. We visited the PSU Farmer’s Market and got our street photography on. I’m pretty happy with what I captured. First time taking out the Viltrox 35mm/F1.8 EVO. May have overdone it with shooting at F1.8, but isn’t that what everyone does the first time they use a lens with a wide aperture?
Later in the month my wife and I rode the Willamette Shore Trolley. It runs along a section of previously abandoned railway that cuts through old Portland neighborhoods, along the side of a cliff, and through a tunnel. It’s a fun little 45min jaunt in a restored streetcar.
Our trip to the Woodenshoe Tulip Farm’s summer sunflower showcase coincided with smoke returning to the valley. So the photos have a very hazy, flat sky, look to them. My wife and I realized about twenty minutes into our photo walk that maybe we didn’t really like sunflowers. Some interesting flowers. Some interesting photos. But, not sure we’ll go back again next year.
Putting Words Onto Paper
It took the better part of an afternoon, but I got the paperback and ebook versions of Vampire Detective Agency: Double Date ready. This is the fifth book I’ve self-published, and it doesn’t really get easier. I’ve just made enough mistakes to know what to do differently. There’s also the advantage of being able to reuse assets to speed the process up. I’m glad I took the time to figure out how the covers of this series would look before I published the first book. Now they’ll sit nicely on the same shelf with matching spines. A test print of the paperback should be here for me to review before the end of the week.
Calling All Blood Thirsty Readers
Later this week I’m going to put up a post calling for ARC readers for my upcoming supernatural romance/mystery-thriller: Vampire Detective Agency: Double Date. But, if you want to get in on the action early, here’s the link.
Finishing That Other Trilogy
If vampires aren’t your thing, you’ve probably been waiting impatiently for me to come back to a certain battered FBI agent. I’m about 15k words into what will easily be a 100k total when the last sentence is hammered in. All my writing energies from here forward will be directed at finishing Shepherds of Timeworn Dreams. It’ll need vetting by my closest test readers, but I’m thinking of putting a few work-in-progress chapters up as a Christmas gift to fans. I’ll have more on this idea next month.
A Long Nightmare Should End
It looks like in the next week or so I should finally get my office back. A simple paint, flooring, and light fixture revision ended up taking all spring and summer. But, on the flip side, when I move back into my space I’ll have a bigger desk. That means more space for my book notes. Which means bigger & better books for readers.
Recommendation Corner
I read a couple books this month, but honestly they didn’t really resonate with me. My personal benchmark is that if I can’t give a book at least 4 stars, then I don’t post a review or share it.
I’ve started watching REACHER (season 4) and Lanterns, but as only a few episodes are out I can’t yet recommend them. I only recommend shows where I can safely say the season is worth investing in. However… these two shows seem likely to stick their respective landings.
