The Mad Scientist now has a bitchin' cover!
Apr 5th
I paid my friend Jason Nelson to draw me an awesome cover for my short story, The Mad Scientist. And he did.
Look for it on Books To Go Now in the coming weeks.
It's like having a second job that pays you nothing!
Apr 4th
Ah, the life of the writer: Endless editing, drawing for hours on end, shelling out money for artwork for covers, appeasing publishers and agents alike... all without seeing a dime!
I suppose I ought to get used to it. And it could be worse. It's not like I'm still making payments on my hat.
Under Pressure
Mar 29th
Wow. So this is what it feels like to actually have writing obligations.
I've been dealing with a very nice lady named Amy, who's the acquisitions director for Linn Prentis Literary. Linn Prentis is one of the heavy hitters in the publishing world. When she picks something up, it gets published, end of story.
And I've been keeping her waiting.
I am not without my reasons. The first time she gave me a partial manuscript request, I was acting in a play that was eating up enormous amounts of my time despite the fact that it was a bit role that most people forgot I was in (including the audience).
Now, she's just asked for the full manuscript, and it seems that, just now, I'm noticing that my novel's got some problems. Okay, so my friend Valerie Robin might've helped.
It's old writing. Probably my oldest "presentable" work. I've got writing that's four years old mixed in with writing that's two months old. And my four-year-younger self doesn't agree heavily with my two-month-younger self.
It will still be good once I spiff it up and polish it. Heck, The Mad Scientist, the short story I got published recently, is not much younger than Mister Mercury. But it's also not nearly as long.
And then there's Eat Your Serial.
They've graced me with their good words. They are willing to run my novel. I thought I'd be running, oh, fifth, sixth, in the lineup. That'll get me some time to hammer out a decent draft for them, right?
Nope. Second.
At least that's what I'm told is possible. Not sure if I'm allowed to reveal that information to anyone, but any news is good news for a dot-com startup.
Lastly, it doesn't help that my All Time Favorite Author, Whose Work has Influenced Me Tremendously More Than Any Other Human Being Ever to Grace the Earth with Their Presence, is Douglas Adams.
A Douglas Adams noteable quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
That should reassure everyone!
The Reading was all right...
Mar 27th
Oh, those wacky coffee shops...
Anyway, so i'm putting up the poem that I read at Kickstand both here and on the wiki. It's a horrible bastardization of a certain Rudyard Kipling poem (called Danny Deever).
Danny Dizzle
By Giando Sigurani
Based on “Danny Deever” by Rudyard Kipling
With Apologies to that same Rudyard Kipling.
“Why's that bass beat playin' so loud?” said Posse-On-Patrol.
“To get your asses to show up,” the Shot-Calla said.
“What makes you looks so pissed, so mad?” said Posse-On-Patrol.
“I don't wanna watch, he was my boy,” the Shot-Calla said.
“They're killin' Danny Dizzle, son, they're layin' his ass down.
“They're pourin' out his forty an’ he ain't gonna make it out.
“They're celebratin' his demise with a bullet to the brain.
“They're wastin' Danny Dizzle, son. I told you they weren't playin'.”
“Why the ones in the back all pantin' and sweatin'?” said Posse-On-Patrol.
“It's cold outside, it’s cold as ice,” the Shot-Calla said.
“That mutha in the front just fell down,” said Posse-On-Patrol.
“It's just the sun, it's still real bright,” the Shot-Calla said.
“They're pastin' Danny Dizzle, son, they're laughin' in my face.
“They're putting him in a fuckin’ pine box, buryin' him without a trace.
“He gots no service, he gots no priest, no fuckin' eulogy.
“They're killin' Danny Dizzle, son, just to fuck wit' me.”
"His hangout pad was next to mine,” said Posse-On-Patrol.
“He's sleepin' in the ground tonight,” the Shot-Calla said.
“I liked to drink his fuckin' beer,” said Posse-On-Patrol.
“Danny's drinking alone tonight,” the Shot-Calla said.
“They're cappin' Danny Dizzle, son, remember where you at.
“He killed a homey in his sleep, 'stead of shooting him in the back.
“He dead as saints and all because he broke some fuckin' code.
“They're icin' Danny Dizzle, son, t'make sure all y'all get told.”
“Why do I here gunshots now?” said Posse-On-Patrol.
“Danny's making one last stand,” the Shot-Calla Said.
“What was all that screamin', loud?” said Posse-On-Patrol.
“That's Danny gettin' what he earned,” the Shot-Calla said.
“They've gotten Danny Dizzle, son, they shot him in the head.
“He killed a rival homey, and they made sure he got dead.
“They hunted him, an' flushed him out, like a cock'roach in the sink.
“Danny Dizzle's dead now, son--
“Now let's go get some drink.”
-END-
Eat Your Serial is about to launch....
Mar 25th
Eat Your Serial is about to launch, hypothetical people who don't know I exist or don't know why I'm here!
My novel is not going to go on it yet, but the potential exists that it'll be up there soon.
Be sure to check it out when it launches on April 6th.
Do you...
Mar 24th
Do you want to hear me do a reading?
Are you in Flagstaff?
Do you know who I am?
Do you even care?
Also, do you like coffee?
Great! Then come hear me do a reading at Kickstand Kafe on Humphreys St on Saturday at 7:00 PM. I will be reading a certain bastardization of a certain Rudyard Kipling poem. And also one or two other pieces of Flash Fiction.
See you there. But probably not.
The Blog is Up!
Mar 24th
The public is ready for this!
Here's the blog for me, Giando Sigurani, a science fiction author. I'll talk about personal observations, appearances, and other interesting tidbits.
I am not, like most bloggers, and attention-seeking whore. I don't expect anyone to pay extra special close attention to what I put here. I'm not here for that. I just want to maintain some kind of non-Facebook online presence in case my published works somehow take off and people start plugging my name into search engines. I also didn't want to use Wordpress or Blogger because I wanted more control over things.
Be sure to check out the wiki for more specific info about current and upcoming projects (In case you give a fart, of course). There's not a lot of content there at the moment.
Oh, and: Welcome! I guess.
