Announcing a month of book giveaways! Day 23

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Game of Cages will be coming out on the last day of the month, so I’ve decided to hold a special month of book giveaways. Every day (unless I screw up, which I probably will) I’ll give away a book or themed set of books to someone who asks for it. To enter, you have to comment on this blog or on my LiveJournal–email, Facebook, and Twitter won’t count, and if more than one person speaks up, I’ll roll a die to determine the recipient. U.S. residents only, please.

You get a new book every day, and on the last day of the month I’ll give away my own.

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It’s an eye-witness history of WWII, as written by AP correspondents. Want it?

Update: This book has been won.

Game of Cages Chapter Two

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If you haven’t read any of Game of Cages yet, Chapter One is here. If you have read it, read on:

Game of Cages
Chapter Two

“Oh, shit,” Catherine said as she backed away. I moved toward the dead men, more out of a sense of duty than common sense. Apparently, searching the dead wasn’t part of an investigator’s job. Continue reading

Announcing a month of book giveaways! Day 22

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Game of Cages will be coming out on the last day of the month, so I’ve decided to hold a special month of book giveaways. Every day (unless I screw up, which I probably will) I’ll give away a book or themed set of books to someone who asks for it. To enter, you have to comment on this blog or on my LiveJournal–email, Facebook, and Twitter won’t count, and if more than one person speaks up, I’ll roll a die to determine the recipient. U.S. residents only, please.

You get a new book every day, and on the last day of the month I’ll give away my own.

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A Patricia Cornwell giftpack. Want to read some works by this bestselling author?

Update: These books have been won.

I need a to-do list

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If only I had time to create one.

Update: Time!

    Email promo essay 1 to recipient
    Email promo essay 2 to recipient
    Email promo essay 3 to recipient
    Format and schedule sample chapter 2 of Game of Cages.
    Format and schedule sample chapter 3 of Game of Cages.
    Mail off giveaway books to folks who’ve claimed them
    Buy more brown mailing paper
    Revamp website home page to be less artsy
    Revamp blog sidebar to include cover image for Game of Cages
    Revamp “buy” links in sidebar to simplify them.
    Give Game of Cages its own “book” post.
    Write blog post about writers, job lock, and HCR
    Mail off copies of Game of Cages to the winner of the school benefit tuckerization auction.
    Ditto for John Scalzi for my Big Idea essay.
    Email [writer] regarding review/interview for [name] Magazine.
    Talk to my agent about my next project.
    Change my sig lines at the various msg boards and forums I visit.

Announcing a month of book giveaways! Day 21

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Game of Cages will be coming out on the last day of the month, so I’ve decided to hold a special month of book giveaways. Every day (unless I screw up, which I probably will) I’ll give away a book or themed set of books to someone who asks for it. To enter, you have to comment on this blog or on my LiveJournal–email, Facebook, and Twitter won’t count, and if more than one person speaks up, I’ll roll a die to determine the recipient. U.S. residents only, please.

You get a new book every day, and on the last day of the month I’ll give away my own.

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That’s one old-fashioned Advertising Novel (MAD MEN w/out the ironic distance) and three dumb humor books. And yes, that middle one is full of ethnic jokes with blanks where you can add whatever ethnicity you want to offend. I’m sure it seemed like progress at the time. Want these? Leave a comment to let me know.

Update: These books have been won.

Randomness for 8/20

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1) This is one excellent ad for a pen. Large images, but no video. I’d show these to my son, but then I’d have to buy him a couple. I especially love the UF heroine.

2) Have a spare million dollars? Maybe you can come up with story ideas as good as J.D. Salinger’s if you sit where he sat.

3) Have you been seeing computer folks talking about “P=NP” lately? Have you wondered what it is? Here’s your explanation.

4) An article featuring several writers who are also parents, and how they manage it. One of them happens to be me. Give it a read if you like.

5) INCEPTION… starring Dora the Explorer. Video.

6) “Can you tell me who the author of Shakespeare is?” and “What kind of bookstore doesn’t have anything on BAYWATCH?”

7) Better book titles.

When I want to feel virtuous, I think about my backup system

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Yeah, I’m a computer backer upper, and I’m damn happy, too. The first few times I lost files–always a few day’s work, never an entire project, thank Pikachu–I thought “I should back up more in the future.”

And I would be diligent about it… for a while. But I’m a lazy bastard, so what I really needed was an automated system. Which I did. (Ask me about my backup protocol!)

First, I do my writing on my laptop. There’s an 8GB travel drive on a lanyard around my neck, so whenever I finish a day’s work I copy the changed files to there. Those files (plus a number of family/kiddie pics) are as safe as I am.

I also copy the files to my dropbox folder. Dropbox is not only an online backup service, it syncs files with my home computer. As soon as I have a wifi connection, Dropbox copies the updated file to their server, then downloads it to my desktop computer at home.

Copying the files to those two places is the only part of this I have to remember to do. It takes less than 20 seconds, which is apparently just on the correct side of onerous for my lazy self.

Dropbox gives me 2GB for free (plus a little extra I get for referrals–anyone want a free backup and sync service? Lemme know)

Once the file is on my desktop, Time Machine automatically backs it up to the 2TB external hard drive on my desk. I also have Mozy, which, for five bucks a month, backs up everything in my dropbox folder plus all our family photos and home movies.

That’s two external hard drives, two online servers, and two computers. Excessive? Maybe. But to me it feels like virtue.

Announcing a month of book giveaways! Day 20

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Game of Cages will be coming out on the last day of the month, so I’ve decided to hold a special month of book giveaways. Every day (unless I screw up, which I probably will) I’ll give away a book or themed set of books to someone who asks for it. To enter, you have to comment on this blog or on my LiveJournal–email, Facebook, and Twitter won’t count, and if more than one person speaks up, I’ll roll a die to determine the recipient. U.S. residents only, please.

You get a new book every day, and on the last day of the month I’ll give away my own.

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Thinking of making an independent film? Want to learn more about making that art form you love? Don’t understand who those people onstage receiving the Best Picture Oscar did to deserve it? Leave a comment and let me know you want this book.

Update: This item has been won.

Announcing a month of book giveaways! Day 19

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Game of Cages will be coming out on the last day of the month, so I’ve decided to hold a special month of book giveaways. Every day (unless I screw up, which I probably will) I’ll give away a book or themed set of books to someone who asks for it. To enter, you have to comment on this blog or on my LiveJournal–email, Facebook, and Twitter won’t count, and if more than one person speaks up, I’ll roll a die to determine the recipient. U.S. residents only, please.

You get a new book every day, and on the last day of the month I’ll give away my own.

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Pretty self-explanatory. Want it? Let me know.

Update: This book has been won.

Randomness for 8/18

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1) Everything is better in France. Even muggings.

2) Trends in fantasy cover art for 2009.

3) Your monster instructional video for the day.

4) James Bond, Indian comic book style: “You hide identity for good. But there are Super Dupers who never reveal themselves at the worst.”

5) Seven scientific reasons the zombie apocalypse will not be an extinction event.

6) Rope gymnastics in India. Video. Honestly amazing.

7) Fifty-five incredible manipulated photos.