Award season is upon us!

It’s an exciting time as writers come out of the woodwork at the end of the year to list their completed works for consideration, and celebrate everything they accomplished. It’s also a time to reflect on everything that’s happened this year, before the demands of the new one take hold.

For me, it’s been a crazy year. The first two books of the Glitch Logs series are out in the world. I tabled at conventions, sat on panels, and learned a lot about AMS ads. I started reviewing for Dread Central, gave talks on writing, and played an unprecedented number of tabletop RPGs. I made so many new friends.

I learned a lot this year: about writing, about marketing, about people. As I was pulling together this post, one lesson stuck out to me. I met a lot of creators this year – artists, game designers, writers. For those at the beginning of their journey, there’s sometimes a lot of fear there. Will people like it? Will they judge me for it? Will anyone even know it exists? That fear is often paralyzing. It stops good creators from hitting the “publish” button, or telling people that their work exists. What I learned this year though is this: if you are too afraid to try for your own sake, then try for the sake of those around you.

Statistically, 81 percent of Americans say they want to write a book someday. Only a comparatively tiny number of them ever see that dream through. But if someone close to you publishes a work, you are much more likely to finish one yourself. Basically, if you prove it is possible for yourself, you’ve proved it’s possible to someone else too. It could be the nudge that other person needs to finally sit down and write someone’s favorite story.

What I’m saying is this: if you published something this year, and told someone about it, you’re a damn hero. I’m proud of you. I wish you many more victories in the coming year.

Speaking of victories, here are my award-eligible publications for this year. I hope you enjoy them. They were certainly a lot of fun to write. Enjoy!

Defrag

Genre: Science Fiction > Cyberpunk

Word Count: 20,730 words

Blurb: There are two kinds of Runners in Neosaka – those who believe in luck, and those who survive. Glitch, a hacker with more talent for computers than people, is one of the latter but when she is hired for a simple data-grab from the 189th floor of the Eyes in the Sky corporation, all her preparation can’t avert disaster. Caught between a deadly security force and a rival team of Runners, Glitch’s loyalty to her own puts her survival in jeopardy. Forced to ally with her enemies, she struggles to pull together the fragmented pieces of the job and make it out alive.

Hard Copy: http://www.glitchlogs.com/product/defrag/

Digital Copy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C8GGG3G/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_

Overclocked

Genre: Science Fiction > Cyberpunk

Word Count: 32,225 words

Blurb: Glitch escaped from Eyes in the Sky with blood on her shoes and a broken watch. It should have ended there, but mere hours later the faceless corporation that hired her is suddenly, inexplicably out for her blood. Driven deep into the underbelly of Neosaka, Glitch is caught up in a fight between the city’s gangs and a Runner relentlessly searching for answers. Haunted by the deaths of her crew and dogged by her past, Glitch will have to push her already-exhausted body and mind past their limits to survive and pay off her debts to the dead.

Hard Copy: http://www.glitchlogs.com/product/overclocked/

Digital Copy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C8FWFM2/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_2

Happy reading, everyone!