Progress Report: Writing

It’s been a busy week for everything but writing, but things are moving along steadily.

First a reminder that you can get all three issues of Werewolves: Call of the Wild for only $6.99. Just pop in to a comics shop and order it with Previews order code MAR07 3598 and your copies will arrive in May.

Austrian publisher Otherworld Verlag has posted a bio and announcement about the German-language edition of Deadliest of the Species. I find it funny that the new-and-improved version of Deadliest will see print in German before English, especially given all the false starts I’ve had with US publishers, but such is life.

Character sketches for the (so far) untitled horror comic I’m working on with Bryan Baugh have been rolling in, and they’re looking good. He’s been slowed down by other projects (you know, the ones that actually pay the bills) but we’re both excited about the project and I’m looking forward to being able to share some things with you.

Wounded Gods is still sitting on one publisher’s desk as a pitch, and I’ve got another interested. I expect I’ll have news about its placement with one or the other publisher soon.  Meanwhile I’m writing the script for issue 2 and artist Pat Hoover is working on the first few pages.

I still need to write the third portion of the “To Fight With Monsters” cycle, and hopefully before Troy and Tod, who will be my prereaders, track me down and kill me. I had made a football bet about it back in the ‘05 season with Tod, so that show you how long I’ve had my thumb in my ass on this one. I’d like to say something pretentious like “the characters just aren’t ready” or “I want to make sure I really get the right feel,” but truth is I’ve been distracted by other work and I’m a slacker.

I just accepted an invitation for a zombie anthology, and I’ve got a spot in a comic book-related prose anthology. Both of short stories will likely be due this summer. More on those when the stories are accepted.  Also, it would appear The Phantom Chronicles, with my short story “The Servants of Set”, is still on track for early summer. I turned in my bio for that last week and was told it’s due to press very soon.

There will be a new Mike & Mike Show newsletter this week. We’re slackers, we know, but there hasn’t been a lot of big news to announce on either side.

I’ve still got Powerless and The Malice Engine. I’m thinking about sending the first couple chapters of Powerless to a certain publisher this week. It’s also just hit me that my collaborator, Clark Reamer, and I ironed out the outline for The Malice Engine on a train to Chicago two years ago this summer. Ouch. There are a few changes I need to make in the first couple chapters of each book, so I’ll have to see what I can salvage and get pumped up to continue.

Last but not least we have Muy Mal. New Down Vendetta Road this week. Promise.