S.P.E.C.T.R.U.M. Case Files: Daedalus & Icarus

Case # 03-302149875-01-23

Lead Investigator: Agent Saffron

Supervisor: Agent Lemon (01-45)

Abstract: A hacker going by the net alias of Icarus took control of various S.P.E.C.T.R.U.M.-controlled programs (transportation, food and medical ration delivery, sewage treatment, etc) resulting in a significant threat to the citizens of Haven. Icarus used modified programs of the infamous hacker known as Daedalus in order to infiltrate the system. 

Status: Closed 

S.P.E.C.T.R.U.M. Case Files, Justice & Vengeance and the Continuing Saga of SY-1

Like the great Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci, I have a helluva time finishing the myriad of projects I start. (Did he just compare himself to da Vinci? Why, yes he did!) I have no shortage of ideas or ambition to follow up on them. I can't even honestly protest that I simply "don't have the time" anymore. The only excuse I have left is that, since my job requires me to write/type on my computer for 7-8 hours a day, the very last thing I want to do in the time on either side of that daily grind is hop back on the laptop and continue writing. However, an excuse - not a reason - is exactly what that is.

So to get back into the swing of things, I'm going to embark on a number of short pieces that I should be able to draft up in less than a day and feel some sense of accomplishment once I post it here. They'll be a mix of revisits to familiar projects and totally new installments. What are they exactly? Crawl on to find out!

A Quick Note Before Skynet Shuts Me Down

Skynet is live. Computers are aware. For some reason, they're after me.



Personally, it's been an odd day as far as technology goes: my phone refuses to do what I tell it and responds with snarky "error" messages, my computer fails to load webpages while my co-workers zip through Facebook and kitten videos unperturbed and a query email to a literary agent may have gotten lost in the ever-confusing series of internet tubes. There are some bright spots, however!

When I finally DID get my computer to work, I was able to get details on two anthologies I'd like to submit to. One is "World's Collider" (which you can read up on here). The other is through BlackSails Press and is featuring a mash-up of vampires and steampunk. The category was unexpected, but it will add a nice little twist that I can feature in my story.

One other bit of good news from Skynet is that Lulu.com sent me a promo code for people to use if they'd like a copy of "Crawl" or "Indigo," both of which can be found here. Use promo code AWESOME305 to get an additional 15% off until September 30th! Tell your friends!

Have a happy (and safe) Labor Day Weekend! It may be the last one we have before the robot overlords take over, so enjoy it!

~VK

An INDIGO Review for You to Peru...se!

(Picture courtesy of the awesome reviewer mentioned below.)

It's always nice to hear from people who read my stories. Whether they're blog posts, short stories, serials or novel-length fiction, I love hearing people's reactions. In all honesty, it's a dream of mine to be able to sit in a room with a handful of die-hard fans who just want to discuss a particular story/character/scene. So getting this type of feedback in my early days really lets me know how my writing is being translated in the heads of readers. It tells me what I'm doing right and what I still need to work on and, because of that, it's invaluable.

Comments from other readers also help me to convince the uninitiated that, "Hey! These stories ain't half bad!" Let's face it, I could sit here all day and tell you how great I am at putting words in order. But to expect people to put their hard earned cash down on the counter for those words, it helps to have some (more or less) impartial reviews.

Case in point: here's a review of "Indigo" by Nancy at her blog, A Cut Above...Something. As a bonus, her review features a DOUBLE RAINBOW!!! If that's not enough to get you over there, I dunno what is...unless you hate rainbows, in which case you might be more interested in reading "Crawl."

(Disclaimer: "Indigo" has little to do with rainbows and more to do with corporate corruption, a hard-boiled detective with a cybernetic arm and a group of kidnapped children with devastating psychic powers. Take that, rainbows!)

If Nancy's review has piqued your interest, you can buy your very own copy through Lulu.com! Paperback and/or eVersion(pdf) available!

For the record, my real favorite color has always been varying shades of green, but as for the book...definitely Umber! :)

~VK

INDIGO Now Available!

As I mentioned earlier this week, I've been working on getting my adult sci-fi novel INDIGO available for purchase. Well, wait no longer! It's now ready for you to buy through Lulu.com and in only a few short days (or seconds if you buy the eBook version!) it'll be in your hands! Here's a short book description to peak your interest:

In a future where waters have reclaimed much of the land and radiation has soured the rest, humanity exists in massive domed megacities. The richest people live in the shining metropolis of Haven, supported by the smog-choked laborers eking out an existence in the bones of the old city below.

Agent Umber is a man trapped between worlds. Having spent his life protecting and serving the people of Foundation City, he knows how to make sacrifices: the same fire that took his right hand also took the lives of his wife and son. So when the top agents of SPECTRUM recruit him for a special case involving the kidnapping of 12 kids, Umber sees his chance for redemption.

Umber soon discovers that not all agents are allies, not all strangers are enemies and the missing kids might just possess the most powerful weapons he's ever faced. To solve the case, he'll have to cut ties with his old life. To survive, he'll have to uncover the secrets of Project: INDIGO.

Pretty sweet, right? So, I know, you're saying, "Enough talk already! How can I get my very own copy?!" Well, if you'd like a paperback copy, click here! If you can't wait for the postman and you need INDIGO right now, click here for the e-version! As a special bonus, if you buy INDIGO from Lulu.com today and use the promo code SCHOOLED, you'll save 20%!

*Note: The formatting is a little funky in the PDF version. It doesn't interfere with the story but it does tweak my OCD ever so slightly. I plan on fixing this as soon as I find my USB drive (that has, oh I dunno, everything I've ever written on it...)

Feel free to leave your feedback for INDIGO on my blog, Lulu product page, Facebook or Twitter! I'd love to hear what you guys think!

~VK

PS: Stay safe, East Coasters! You should probably curl up with a good eBook while you ride out the storm...

Which is Scariest: Earthquakes, Zombies or Literary Agents?

As summer begins to draw to its inevitable close, I'm already looking forward to my favorite time of year: Autumn. The changing leaves, the cool nights, the monstrous beasts lurking in the lengthening shadows on the eve of Halloween...what's not to love?



But I'm getting ahead of myself. Things have been scary enough around here lately. Why just today I survived a devastating earthquake that caused major damage. If that's not apocalyptically apocryphal enough for you, there is mounting evidence that zombie sightings are more occurring more frequently than ever before. The undead are becoming arrogant, brashly stumbling into the midst of two young lovers trying to commemorate their engagement.

It's like they say: "If you can't beat em, join em!" I've decided that my love of reanimated corpses (that didn't come out right...) and passion for martial arts needed to be combined in some way. "BUT HOW?" I exclaimed to the heavens. Enter "Enter the Zombie 3D!" Thanks to director Ben Mathus and this locally filmed Indie, I not only get to perform some Kung Fu, but I get to become a zombie and wreak destruction upon the unchanged!

Earthquakes and zombies aside, there actually is something I'm a little terrified of: literary agents. They've been known as Gate Keepers and Dream Crushers. They exist simultaneously as Fairy Godmothers or friendly genies who will grant all your wishes, yet may just as easily be the Gmork stalking you in the forest, waiting to destroy you at your weakest moment. But I'm more prepared and more confident than ever before. I have a list of 23 agents specifically tailored to my novel "Crawl," which I hope one of the top 6 will like. (Agents, if you're reading this, I'm sorry I called you a Gmork!) After I put the Crawl-bait out there, "Indigo" and "Blackwatch: The Mainspring" will follow suit.*

I've survived earthquakes and zombie invasions; a little waiting won't kill me.

~VK

*Keep an eye out for a post on how YOU can get your hands on a copy of "Indigo" soon!

"Indigo" Goes to Turks & Caicos! "Crawl" Goes to the Beach (Again)!

You may remember a few short months ago when my friends, who we'll call Mr. and Mrs. Vacation, took a copy of "Crawl" with them to Cancun. Didn't you see this lovely picture?

Well as it turns out, Mr. and Mrs. Vacation are living up to their names! They recently returned from what I'm sure was a stressful and unenjoyable jaunt to Turks and Caicos. Luckily for me, they each took their very own copy of "Indigo" with them. Here's Mr. Vacation with the photographic evidence:



Just to clarify: a) that is NOT me and b) sorry ladies, he is taken.

And, not to be outdone, a copy of "Crawl" went on yet ANOTHER sandy beach vacation without me. This photo comes courtesy of another wonderful friend of mine and her new husband, so I will call them Mr. and Mrs. Honeymoon from here on out. Have a look!

Updates

Hey folks! Welcome back to those of you who took a trip to Crazytown for the Rapture! Don't fret, I hear we have another shot at it on October 21st.
Anyhow, here are a couple quick updates:

Yesterday, I received a copy of Alexander Brown's short story/novella collection, "Traumatized". I'll be posting a review once I'm done reading it, but in the meantime, I'll let the man behind the book explain it! And check out his site here!

Today, I'm finally picking up my copy of "Dog Blood" (which you can buy by doing a clickityclick on that fancy button up there!)! For those not in the know, "Dog Blood" is the sequel to "Hater" by David Moody. I'm very excited to start this book and I'll let you know why in my upcoming review of "Hater." For all things Moody, check out his site!

A beta copy of "Indigo" is once again traveling (much like "Crawl" did) to exotic locales and dream destinations well before its author will (sad face). But, I do love the support and enthusiasm that Mr. and Mrs. Vacation are giving my work and I will continue to force them to read it until they agree to take me with them!

In editing news: I suck at editing. The. End.

But really, I'm struggling with a rewrite of "Blackwatch"
, mostly because I'm being lazy, watching a lot of Dexter and playing a lot of Fallout 3. I know, I know. I'll get back to work soon, I promise!

Which brings me to my 2nd and 3rd phases of 2011: querying and writing NEW STUFF!

Querying agents is a brutal, nerve-wracking and time-consuming task, but I feel I'm much more prepared and competent than I was with my first attempt. Live, learn and query!

Writing new stuff, however, is what I live for. Fans of "Crawl," and even those who've read "Blackwatch" and "Indigo," may be surprised by what I've (probably?) chosen for my next project. More news on that in the coming weeks!

For now, make sure you check out my summery short submission for the "Midnight Society" tomorrow morning and then have yourselves a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

~VK

Casting Call

As my current project “Indigo” is out to beta readers (and one of them is already finished with it!), I need something to occupy my brain as I wait for the criticisms to roll in. For the record, I’m much less neurotic this time around but I always get a little apprehensive when asking for feedback. Last time I got all itchy twitchy when people were giving me their opinions. When my eye starts to develop a nervous tick and a vein in my forehead starts throbbing, that leads to people slowly backing away from me with their hands raised to ward off my impending outburst.

So this time around, I thought it’d be fun to do a little casting assignment for characters from my books. Because obviously my books will be global sensations and obviously they will have to be made into movies with an unlimited budget and access to the uppermost echelon of Hollywood talent!
…

For those who have read “Crawl,” feel free to comment or add your own suggestions below. For those who have read “Indigo” (which is 2 at the current count, including me), well consider this a bit of a teaser.

Cast of “Crawl”

Crawl – Jodelle Ferland (as Crawl’s ‘ideal’ form)
Mother – Summer Glau
Brian McAfee – David Boreanaz
Grace Johnson – Amy Adams
Mark Carson – Joe Manganiello
Ellen Carson – Elizabeth Banks unless Joe's fiancé Audra Marie can act the part
Aidan Carson – Logan Lerman
Mary-Kate Carson – Hailee Steinfeld
Fred “Scoop” Guile – Steve Buscemi
Mr. Fairweather – Richard Dreyfuss

Cast of “Indigo”

Agent Umber – Nathan Fillion
Agent Cerise – Bryce Dallas Howard
Agent Saffron – Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Topher Grace
Agent Evergreen – Alison Brie <3
Agent Slate – Keanu Reeves (because why not? Let him play a bad guy for once)
Agent Ivory – Lance Reddick
Roman – Kodi Smit-McPhee
Iris – Willow Shields
Cherry – Liliana Mumy
Radar – Jaden Smith
Charlie – Morgan Freeman

And of course, everyone who reads the books will be cast as extras. That goes without saying :)

~VK

PS: In the time it took me to write this, a second person (who just so happens to be my #1 fan) finished "Indigo." 2 down, billions to go!

Proof

One of the coolest things about writing a book is being able to see your creation fully realized in the palm of your hands. Before the days of print-on-demand technology, this was probably more of a rare achievement, but no less exciting. Now, thanks to Lulu.com, I can order proofs of my books before I make them available to my adoring fans.

And good thing I did too! Because even though I like this particular cover:



hoo boy did I find a bunch of errors that would scream 'amateur' were this to be available for purchase. Mostly formatting stuff, little things here and there that I have to change for clarification or flow. But the good news is that, not only did I crush half the book in one night (I love this story, if you can't tell yet), I also have four additional copies going out to my dedicated beta-readers. I can only hope they're as excited as I am, before AND after reading it!

In other news, remember to check back on the blog tomorrow morning for this week's installment of the Midnight Society. It's a Lovecraft inspired shorty by yours truly!

Oh and you can save 20% on a purchase of "Crawl" between now and April 26th by entering the code HOP at lulu.com! Just click that brightly colored button over there ^>^>^> or clickity click here!

NaNo Completo

I know it's December 1st and NaNoWriMo 2010 is almost 24 full hours behind us, literally yesterday's news. Rest assured, I completed the 50,000 word goal within the month. The 50,000th-ish word crossed the finish line at approximately 22:29 EST on 11/29. Plenty of time!

It's awesome to know that I accomplished something I'd set out to do. It's even cooler to know that thousands of people out there did the same thing and that some of those novels will be published some day soon! But not too soon...

A common misconception about NaNoWriMo is that once you've hit your 50,000 words, you magically have a complete novel. That couldn't be further from the truth. In some cases, people's stories may in fact be finished. But rushing through 50,000 words in a month means you will have a heap of editing and revising to do. Around the end of NaNoWriMo, agents start adding "Do not submit this year's NaNoWriMo until at least six months from now" clauses for that very reason.

Others, such as myself, might not even be done with their story at 50,000 words. A ballpark figure for fiction novels out on the shelves right now is 70,000-90,000 words. "Indigo" will end up somewhere around there. And for the record, I'm having an awesome time writing it! The characters are almost writing their own back-stories, dialogue and action scenes now. They've gotten a lot more interesting over the past month!

So will I attempt it again next year? I don't know. November happened to be one of the busiest months ever and I don't know where I'll be writing-wise next year. If I have a few projects that are begging to be written and nothing else pressing, then sure!

In the meantime, I have one more novel to finish (Indigo) and two to revise (Crawl, Blackwatch). Maybe early in 2011, one (or both) of them will find their way onto a shelf near you!

Happy belated Thanksgiving and congrats to anyone who attempted NaNoWriMo!

~VK