Category: Jason Cosmo (Series)

Jason Cosmo fantasy adventure series.

Categories
Boltblaster Deepfire Dirty Deeds Fiction Glass Darkly Jack Scarlet (Series) Jason Cosmo (Series) Novels Short Fiction Writing

Deepfire and Other Stories

Dan McGirt holds a copy of his book Hero WantedGreetings, Loyal Readers!

Oh, and Happy New Year! We’re well into 2017. I have not posted in a while. I thought I’d give you a quick update on what I’m up to. I have been plugging away on various projects, which I will bullet below.

New Year’s Resolutions

  • In 2016 I resolved write 7 novels, 3 novellas, and 1 short story, doubling my lifetime output. It was a grand goal, and one I fell far short of. Some of that was due to unforeseen personal matters – life keeps happening. Some was due to travel and other distractions. But I like the goal, so I’m renewing it for 2017! Because I’m crazy like that.

Short Story Review

  • One resolution I did achieve was writing a short story in 2016. In fact, I wrote two. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, neither story was published last year.
  • ‘The Red Hook Incident’, written for the Strange Arcana: The Stars Are Right anthology, sits in limbo, as the anthology was delayed until further notice. See my September 2016 post for more on that.
  • ‘Glass Darkly and the Skull in the Box’, also written for an anthology, is also in limbo. The anthology has seen production delays. Again, no firm publication date has been set.
  • You can see why I don’t usually write short stories.
  • I hope both these stories will be released at some point this year.
  • Meanwhile, I have a 2017 short story to write! Thinking ahead, I’ve already arranged to not get paid for it…

Novel Matters

  • The goal is again to write seven new books this year. Fortunately, I have several books already in progress. (It’s not that I didn’t write anything last year. I just didn’t finish any books.)
  • Jack Scarlet: Deepfire – my first full-length 21st century technopulp adventure thriller! I this very day finished a round of revisions on the manuscript. It will go into editing later this month, targeted for a Spring release.
  • Boltblaster – Long awaited, long delayed. The tale of Mercury Boltblaster’s early adventures, before he teamed up with Jason Cosmo to save the Eleven Kingdoms.  The story is plotted. The first few chapters are written. Lots of magic and mayhem to come! This should be the next book release.
  • Saving Max – This is a book I chip away at every so often between working on other things. I’ve got more than ten chapters written. You can read the first nine chapters of Saving Max at Wattpad. I don’t want to say much about this one yet – except to say things are not always as they seem!
  • Dirty Deeds – #4 in the Jason Cosmo fantasy adventure series. This will be the (fairly substantial) revision of the classic Jason Cosmo title Dirty Work. Aiming for a Fall release.
  • Threat of the Talon – A Rex Carson adventure. This is a revision and expansion of a six page handwritten story I wrote when I was 13. I dug it out of the Story Vault and it wasn’t bad! Rex Carson was my juvenile self’s Indiana Jones rip-off (with a swordcane, not a whip!) who had a harrowing adventure in the jungles of Peru (running from Hovaras, not Hovitos). Obviously, the story needed a little work. I’m treating my youthful effort as the first draft and have been quietly plugging away at a new treatment, while keeping as much of the original settings and characters as I can. It will be a fun story – again, no definite release date.
  • Two Books TBD – I’ve got a few other books in various stages of completion: A paranormal chick lit spoof. An Arthurian comedy. Another Jack Scarlet adventure. An adventure involving a group of 80s kids investigating supernatural doings that I swear I started before the producers of Stranger Things started high school! A few more. If I meet my goal, I’ll finish two of them this year, in addition to the titles listed above.

Novella Matters

  • Somewhere in there, I have to write three novellas too! We’ll talk about those later.

That’s what I’m up to right now, and my road map for the year on the writing front. Thanks for reading!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

 

Categories
Boltblaster Deepfire Jason Cosmo (Series) Jason Cosmo Non-Trilogy Magicka: The Ninth Element Novels Short Fiction Uncategorized Writing

Happy Spring! What I’m working on this season.

Greetings, Loyal Readers!

We’re well into 2016 and I’ve yet to post here, so it’s well past time to give you a peek at my writing plans for 2016. Back in January I made two writing-related new year’s resolutions, which I’ll share below.

My 2016 Writer Resolutions:

1: Double my career output (which would require I publish a minimum of 7 novels, 3 novellas, and 1 short story this year)

2: Be meaner to my protagonists. I admit it – I’m a big softie when it comes to my characters. I hate to do anything too terrible to them … I hate to see them suffer, I always give them an out from impossible situations, the good guys always win in the end with only cosmetic consequences. But this year, no more Mr. Niceguy…

I actually think the second resolution will be harder to keep! I freely admit I prefer stories with happy endings, the good guys winning, evil-doers being punished, and all that hokey stuff. That probably won’t change, barring some radical shift in my world view.

But I can do a better job of putting my characters through the wringer along the way. I have a hard time doing truly awful things to them … but deep down I know that making things tougher for Jason Cosmo and my other protags makes for a wilder, more thrilling, more compelling, more gripping story for you, my Loyal Readers. So I’ll do my best to go full Job on them this year.

Regarding the first resolution, I have to date published seven novels (three in the original Jason Cosmo series, three in the new rebooted series and one media tie-in novel), three novellas (Rainy Daze, Sarah Palin:Vampire Hunter, and One Night in Zanfar) and one short story (Beginner’s Luck). ((I’m not counting the Jason Cosmo Omnibus or a couple of Jack Scarlet mini-tales that are really no more than single scene vignettes.))

As a 2016 writing challenge I want to double my lifetime published output before December 31. That means putting out at least seven novels, three novellas, and one short story. This will require unprecedented focus and dedication to getting the words done (as I am sometimes easily distracted by shiny objects) but I’m up for it!

What will those titles be? I am currently writing Deepfire, the first book-length Jack Scarlet 21st century technopulp adventure tale. Next will be Boltblaster, the long-awaited tale of Jason Cosmo’s wizard friend Mercury Boltblaster. Also on the list is Dirty Deeds, book 4 of the Jason Cosmo fantasy adventure series. That accounts for three of seven novels. I’ve not yet decided what the other four will be.

On the novella side, I’ll write another Jason Cosmo Tale, similar to Rainy Daze. The other two novellas are TBD.

I already have the short story covered – I submitted a story to a forthcoming anthology. If it is accepted, it will be published as part of the collection later this year. If not, I’ll release it myself. Either way, I can check off the short story category!

That’s the plan. Stay tuned for updates!

What are your reading or writing or other creative resolutions for 2016 – and how is it coming along so far?

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

 

Categories
Boltblaster Fiction Games Jason Cosmo (Series) Knights of Pen & Paper 2 Royal Crush

Knights of Pen and Paper 2 is ready to play

Knights of Pen & Paper 2 logoGreetings, Loyal Reader!

It has been a while since I have posted and I have been up to many things. Today I want to mention my most recent project that you can get your hands on: the Paradox Interactive game Knights of Pen & Paper 2. Per the publisher, “Knights of Pen & Paper 2 is a turn-based, retro style, pixel-art adventure full of danger, intrigue, death, and saving throws!”

Knights of Pen & Paper 2 — or KoPP2 to friends — is part tongue-in-cheek parody of tabletop fantasy role-playing games and part interactive simulation game simulating tabletop RPGs. You, the player, control a group of in-game RPG players and the player characters they are playing as they go on an epic quest to save the world of Paperos from disaster.

It’s all very meta, but all you really need to know is that it is a funny and fun game you can play on your smartphone or tablet, or via Steam. And that there are flying monkeys.

I had the opportunity to be a story editor and additional writer on this project. To be clear, my role in the overall making of the game was fairly limited. I worked with the smart, talented and very creative team at Kyy Games to help them kick around story ideas and I also got to suggest a few jokes and script a few of the smaller episodes (or “quests” in the lingo of the game) myself. I won’t say which ones, because that would not at all be in the spirit of a collaborative project. The final game is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people, most of whom were not me.

This was my first experience working in the realm of “interactive games” (or what I still tend to call “video games” because I am older than Pong). I learned a lot about the game-making process…and learned there is a lot I don’t know. It is always fun to get a glimpse “behind the scenes”.

I especially enjoyed the collaborative aspect, kicking ideas back and forth with the writers and producers and Kyy and Paradox, and riffing off of each other to tell the story and combining our imaginations to create an entertaining experience for the players. Being part of a creative team is a very different experience than writing a novel, where it is all on me. It was also different trying to think in terms of an interactive story, where player choices affect what happens next, and within the confines of a game environment where visuals are a big part of the player experience and text/dialogue is in many ways secondary. I had to stretch a little and it was fun!

That said, I’m not giving up on novels. I have one completed book floating around in editorial limbo right now, I am currently getting the next Jason Cosmo novel, Royal Crush, ready to release this summer and I’m gearing up to write the long-awaited Boltblaster after that. More on all that soon. For now … take a look at Knight of Pen & Paper 2 and let me know what you think! Available in your favorite app store now.

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

Categories
Andrea Parnell Audiodrama Dark Prelude Dark Splendor Delilah's Flame Devil Moon Fiction Jason Cosmo (Series) Novels Royal Crush Trove Books Whispers at Midnight Writing

What I’m Up To

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

I’ve had a busy summer and fall and I thought I’d bring you up to speed on what I’ve been doing, what I’m working on, and what’s ahead.

[SECRET PROJECT]

  • The makers of a fun, crazy, tongue-in-cheek fantasy-themed computer game approached me a while back about writing a short tie-in novel set in the world of their game. It sounded fun, so I said sure! I can’t tell you the name of the game quite yet, because they haven’t officially announced the book.
  • I can tell you I turned in the manuscript last week and the target release date is in early November.
  • I have also seen draft cover art, which looks amazing — and which I will share as soon as I get the all clear to do so.
  • As I understand it, the book will be available in the Amazon Kindle Store only. I know! I know! That is not how I would do it, but I’m only the hired gun on this one, not the publisher.
  • More details to come!

New books from Andrea Parnell

  • The star author of my publishing company Trove Books is not me, but my mother Andrea Parnell.
  • Over the last few years Trove has released Mom’s gothic romance novels Dark Splendor and Whispers at Midnight, the novella Dark Prelude, and the Western romance Delilah’s Flame.
  • This fall she has three new titles coming out, including two more Western romance novels — Devil Moon and My Only Desire and a Western novella. All are in the final stages of editing and production — which means I am doing a good bit of editing and producing lately!

Jason Cosmo in Audio

Royal Crush

  • Last, but not least, with the soon-to-be-formally-announced Secret Project written, I am back to writing the next Jason Cosmo book, Royal Crush. Which, at this point, looks like an early 2014 release.

Whew! I’m tired. Are you tired? But I think we’re all caught up! I will try to post more often, and with greater brevity!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

Categories
Appearances Dragon*Con Noble Cause

Dan McGirt at Dragon*Con 2013

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction & fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film in the universe. It will be Aug 30-Sept 2 in Atlanta, Georgia. Naturally, I’ll be there!

dragoncon logoIf you’ll be there too, here is my schedule. Please come and say hello!

FRIDAY, AUG 30

Reading and Q&A
Time: 4:00-5:00 pm (1 hr)
Location: University – Hyatt

At this session I will read a selection from Noble Cause and answer questions about my work.

SATURDAY, SEP 1

SFWA Table
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (1 hr)
Location: Not sure.

In an astonishing lapse of judgment, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) is leaving me in charge of their table during this period. Location unknown, but I’ll find it!

Autograph Session
Time: Sat 4:00-5:00 pm (1 hr)
Location: International Hall South – Marriott

I share this session with several other writers: Jane Espenson, Brad Bell (TV writers, I think), S.M. Stirling (Dies the Fire, Island in the Sea of Time, etc) Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (the Saint-Germain Cycle and much more).

Laws and the Writer
Time: Sat 7:00-8:00 pm (1 hr)
Location: Embassy D-F – Hyatt

The official description is: “How the law affects you as a writer, what protections it offers, and how to seek the help
of a professional.” I think that means the help of a legal professional. I will discuss copyright, defamation, plagiarism, contracts and other legal issues relating to writers. Lots of time for audience questions. I am a lawyer, but (as I will repeat several times) anything I say in this session is not legal advice, but is for informational purposes only. Every situation is unique and if you need legal advice you should retain an attorney of your own.

SUNDAY – MONDAY

On these days, and when I am not at the above sessions on Friday and Saturday, I will be wandering around Dragon*Con. I look forward to seeing you there!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

Categories
Boltblaster Fiction Jason Cosmo (Series) Writing

My Really Big Announcement

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

Dan McGirt holds a copy of his book Hero WantedI’ll get right to it: by the end of June I will leave my current job and will be, henceforth, a full-time author and publisher.

This is a momentous move I have long wanted to make, long planned for, and which is long overdue.

For me, the implications are many (including a possible increase in my consumption of ramen noodles ((Or maybe not!))) but I want to discuss what it means for you, Loyal Reader!

The short version is this: barring some tragic reversal of Greek myth proportions, I will soon be writing more stories, writing them faster, and getting them out to Loyal Readers sooner.

For fans of Jason Cosmo, this means no more multi-year waits between books. It means I also can write the various short stories and mini-novels I have sketched out that will expand the Cosmoverse and explore the characters who inhabit it.

It means, at long last … BOLTBLASTER!

Beyond Jason Cosmo, there are other books that have been bubbling in my head for many a year, such as my Jack Scarlet series of modern technopulp adventures, a comical series focused on supernatural investigations, an over-the-top space opera (with ray guns!), and more. Much more.

I aim to write them all!

Not all at once, mind you! But I’ve got so many projects on the back burner it’s a fire hazard. I need to write these stories just to free up some space in my brain, if nothing else. (It beats trepanation. ((I need that like I need another hole in my head.)))

You know how frustrating it is waiting for a story to continue … be it waiting for the next issue of a comic, the next book in a series, or next week’s episode of your favorite show. It is just as frustrating having an imagination full of tales to tell, and no time to tell them. So I very much look forward to publishing more stories more often for more readers to enjoy.

There you have it — my Really Big Announcement! (Sure, it may be bigger for me than for you …) I’m excited to take this leap. You don’t have to jump off the cliff with me — but I hope you will pull up a chair and enjoy the show. Whether I fly high or crash and burn, it’s sure to be entertaining!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

PS: I discuss in more detail what this means for the Jason Cosmo series at JasonCosmo.com.

Categories
Andrea Parnell Devil Moon Media Novels Royal Chaos Royal Crush Writing

New Projects

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

Time to check in with you again. A few things to mention. First, my mom and I were in the paper recently. We were interviewed for an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called “e-Books getting the words out”. The able reporter did a good job of reporting on how ebook publishing empower authors to take charge of their writing careers and connect directly with readers in ways that were not possible (or at least much more difficult) in the pre-ebook era. Whether it is re-releasing previously published books or publishing all-new works without having to wait around for Big Publishing to get a clue, this is a great time to be an author. The tools are there for those who learn how to use them–as more and more authors are each day.

As for my own authoring, my summer projects are writing a new book, Dash: Into Space! and the next Jason Cosmo book, Royal Crush (a revision of the classic Royal Chaos). I’m also editing my mother’s novel Devil Moon for reissue as an ebook. Enough to keep me busy!

I was also thrilled to be contacted by REDACTED to inquire about my interest in writing REDACTED for REDACTED. Yeah, can’t say much about it, but there may be a fun side project in the offing.

One more thing — my ebook titles are on sale at Smashwords through July 31.

Hope you’re enjoying your summer! (Or winter, south of the equator.)

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

Categories
Andrea Parnell Dark Prelude Dark Splendor Delilah's Flame Dirty Work Fiction Hero Wanted Jason Cosmo (Book) Jason Cosmo (Series) Jason Cosmo Non-Trilogy Jason Cosmo Omnibus Noble Cause Novels Royal Chaos Trove Books Whispers at Midnight

Hello (again) world!

Greetings!

So…yeah, this has been a very slow-moving project, launching DanMcGirt.com.  Slower even than I expected. Glacial?

Slower than that. Geologic is more like it.

Even so, I still have the grandest of intentions to make DanMcGirt.com my online home base and secret headquarters. But it will be a bit by bit process, as I’ve simply had to put this effort near the bottom of the priority list so far.

What have I been doing instead? Glad you asked! Here is an update:

  • The rebooted Jason Cosmo fantasy adventure series from Trove Books is at Book Two now, available as ebooks around the world. Book One, Hero Wanted, is also available as a print edition.
  • All of my fantasy novels originally published as Signet/Roc paperbacks are now available as ebooks at Amazon and elsewhere. To wit,  the classic Jason Cosmo Non-Trilogy of Jason Cosmo, Royal Chaos, and Dirty Work.  You can get them singly, or as an all-in-one omnibus ebook.
  • I’ve been working with my mother, Andrea Parnell, to publish her out-of-print romance novels as ebooks. We’ve produced three so far, plus a free novella, with more on the way. You can learn more at Mom’s website: AndreaParnell.com.

A lot of work behind writing, preparing, and publishing these titles! I’ll keep adding to this site. In the meantime, please visit my Jason Cosmo Update site or join my Facebook page.  You can also follow me on Twitter: @jasoncosmo

Thanks for reading!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

Categories
Dark Splendor Noble Cause Uncategorized Whispers at Midnight

Hello world!

Updated: May 19, 2011

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

I am doing a bit by bit launch of DanMcGirt.com as my new home page. I have a lot of work to do on the site.  It will be a process of constant small improvements. I have lately been busy getting the original versions of my comical fantasy adventure novels Jason Cosmo, Royal Chaos, and Dirty Work formatted as ebooks. All are currently available at Smashwords and will soon debut in the Amazon Kindle Store.

I’m also working to finish writing Noble Cause, the sequel to Hero Wanted. Hero Wanted was book 1 of the relaunched Jason Cosmo series making Noble Cause … wait for it! … book 2.

And … I’m also editing several romance novels by my mother, award-winning author Andrea Parnell. We’re reviving her out-of-print romanc novels as ebooks. The first two, Dark Splendor and Whispers at Midnight, are now available as ebooks at Smashwords, the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, and will soon come to the Amazon Kindle Store.

Along the way, I’ll continue to add content to this website, as it becomes my online headquarters. For now, you’ll find much more information about my books at the Jason Cosmo Update site or my Facebook page.

You can also follow me on Twitter: @jasoncosmo

My (very) occasional newsletter/mailing list is at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JasonCosmoUpdate/

Thanks for reading!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt