Flagstaff Gives You A Werewolf Sherlock [Book]
If you, like me, are already sick of waiting for more of the BBC’s Sherlock, may I suggest a local online read to help fill the void?
Up in Flagstaff, a writer is posting chapters of his book, which is a sort-of southwest werewolf-(werecoyote?)-meets-Sherlock-Holmes paranormal mystery. It’s called Little Lost Dogs and it’s been described as “a younger, hipper Sherlock Holmes … investigating local ghost stories.”
It’s written by William Soland, the writer for Green Bandit Press (I love their logo, by the way), who describes his work as:
“The story of a retired attorney in the midst of a midlife crisis. He meets a reformed con-artist who happens to turn into a coyote under the full moon. Together, they attempt to solve a kidnapping while avoiding murderous secret societies and eating a lot of Mexican food.”
I asked William a couple of questions about Little Lost Dogs:
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So where did the idea come from?
The idea for the book came to me in the summer between college and law school, when I should have been studying. It was frustrating, throughout school, having ideas for creative projects, but feeling like pursuing them was a form of procrastination. I used to feel a twinge of guilt if I tried to develop a story beyond the initial idea.
After graduating and finding employment, I realized my free time actually was free, so I drug out a few of the ideas that still seemed like good ones and tried working on them. Little Lost Dogs was the one that got me the furthest.
The idea for posting it on the web, in a serialized format, for free, came from two places: my love of webcomics, and my love of Sherlock Holmes. I get most of my entertainment from the internet, and wanted to do something like a webcomic. But I can’t draw. I suppose the question of whether I can write is a matter of opinion, but my lack of artistic skill is a more objective issue. I thought about the old Sherlock Holmes stories, which were originally printed in serialized format, and thought I could make a go of a web novel.
Of course, web content almost demands illustration (your own blog is a good example of this). Which left me with the same problem of having no artistic ability. That’s why I started looking for illustrators, and thankfully I found Adriel Begay.
And how do you know the illustrator?
Believe it or not, Adriel Begay answered an ad I posted on Craigslist. I know he does graphic design work for Flagstaff Live! and Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine.
He’s a great guy, a total professional, and he’s helped me think of my work in a whole new light.
What are your plans for Little Lost Dogs?
For now, until the entire novel is up online, I’ll be posting one chapter a week, every Friday.
Once that’s finished, I’m planning on releasing it as an eBook, for sale. I’d like to do a dead-tree edition some day, but the up-front costs are a bit prohibitive (that’s why sane authors find publishers to deal with all of that for them).
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Give the first chapter of Little Lost Dogs a shot and meet the protagonist.
If you dig it, keep on reading! And you can follow William on Twitter too.
A Local RPG Project With A Twist [Souljack]
If you’re looking for a refreshing shake up in your RPG experience, a local gamer may be creating just the game for you.
Stephen Carpenter (of the Gamers’ Inn) is spearheading a new RPG world and system that trades dice for playing cards, and it sounds pretty intruiging.
Check out Stephen’s post on Nevermet Press for details.
The Faustian themes in his upcoming game Souljack appear to be implemented into the way you play the game. Instead of rolling dice based on character attributes, a very quick game of cards is played with outcomes affected by your attributes. So instead of rolling the dice and crossing your fingers, you get to mix a little strategy and luck together.
It sounds like you’ll have to make choices during your actions, leading to failure or success.
(Plus there are secret societies and the supernatural.)
His own description of the project:
In the game, the players act as characters in a Faustian tale of consequence, redemption, and conspiracy. These characters, referred to as the Soulless, have made a deal with a supernatural force known as the Adversaries. The bargain has been completed and the character got what he wished for. Now cursed, they have to experience life without a “soul” and struggle to get back what they foolishly wished away.
Large groups of Soulless have formed organizations throughout the world with the intent of helping out their brethren. The Illuminati is the largest of them. The Illuminati employs Soulless to locate new and lost Soulless, document new contracts, keeping information on summoning Adversaries out of human hands, and prevent those who have gained their deepest desire from making a dramatic shift in the world.
If you’re interested in the game, let Stephen know by commenting on his original post on Nevermet Press or on here.
He’s looking for playtesters and feedback and might take a question or two.
Game on!
How To Spot A Phoenix Comicon Blogger & More [Comicon Field Guides]
Your typical Phoenix Comicon Blogger is far from elusive, but can sometimes blend into a crowd.
Known for its heightened interest in meeting fellow Arizona nerds, the Lightning Octopus breed is particularly outgoing in geek settings and can usually be lured in close enough to pet on the head before it scampers off.
Snickers bars work best as a lure, but free swag and shallow compliments on his looks qualify as exceptional substitutes.
Please refer to the above picture for easy to identify markings and common awkward poses the blogger will most likely exhibit.
This breed is known for showering and changing its clothes every day (unusual for a blogger) and the following are alternative looks it may be sporting:
If you spot one this weekend at comicon, DO NOT RUN AWAY.
Sudden bolts away from him may send the blogger into a crippling depression for up to three minutes as it contemplates how it may have offended you. Instead, smile and extend your hand (or Snickers Bar, or swag, or flattering compliments) and shout something like “Hey, it’s Jonathan! What’s up?”
This simple method has an incredible 100% success rate in befriending said blogger and usually leads to generally enjoyable and nerdy small talk. Do not be alarmed if the blogger pesters you with questions as it is its natural defense against talking about himself too much.
Lightning Octopus bloggers tend to avoid big name interviews and focus mostly on the local geek scene, so he may be spotted casually chatting up people behind booths and sitting quietly in panel audiences.
It should also be noted that the blogger will be at as many events as possible, and staying up as late as possible as it has taken up a nest downtown for the weekend. Knowing this, he may be spotted at the Hyatt to check out some gaming, etc.
Need some more field guides? Check these fellow local bloggers out and their posts about Comicon:
- I Heart Monster’s 9 Reasons Everyone Can Enjoy Phoenix Comicon
- Increase Blue’s Guide To The Comicon Gaming Scene
- And check out Nerdvana’s Interview with Tron Himself!
Have your own blog/facebook/twitter that will be covering the scene? Share!
Will I see you this weekend? Is it obvious that I’m excited?
