Charles Sheehan-MilesCharles Sheehan-MilesBlog and website of author and activist Charles Sheehan-Miles. Podcast of his latest book, ruminations on politics, war, autism, publishing and whatever else comes to mind. Articles
Uploaded episode 1
2011-12-19 02:45:00 Episode 1 of Insurgent has been uploaded at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and should be available within 24-48 hours! I’ll post links soon as it appears. More About: Episode
Insurgent Episode 1 back from the editor
2011-12-15 11:26:00 So, Episode 1 of Insurgent is back from the editor, and I’ve received a lot of detailed and excellent feedback from beta readers. Working through the changes now, and I expect to release it for Kindle and other ebook readers by Christmas. A few more people have contacted me about being beta readers, but it was too late to get you in this round, but I’ll be in touch soon about episode 2. More About: Back , Editor
Off to the editor
2011-11-20 11:23:00 Book 1 of Insurgent is off to the editor and a small circle of beta readers. Hoping to swing right into the second episode. I have the second draft of the entire thing written, so now its a matter of polishing and finalizing each episode, getting them to the editor and putting it out. Will go to print when all six episodes are out and finalized. Releasing the book in a serialized format is obviously a bit of an experiment. I’m doing it primarily so I can begin getting content out NOW, rather than waiting another six months while continuing to work through the entire book. Hoping this will develop momentum both for me and the readers. Question for readers (at least those of you who do ebooks): would you likely pick up the 99 cent serialized episodes, knowing that there will be cliffhangers and roughly 1 – 2 month waits between each? Or hold off until the completed edition is available? Why? More About: Editor
Reviving the Bonus March
2011-11-06 01:56:00 With the Occupy everywhere protests going on all across the country, I’ve been seeing a lot of references to the 1932 Bonus March . Made me want to go find my old blog entry I posted a long time ago when republishing W.W. Waters’ book about the march, but apparently I lost it somewhere in moving from one blogging system to another. Luckily, the WayBackMachine archived it. For those who want some of the history… especially of how the marchers were driven out of Washington, DC by the US Army, pick up a copy of the book! Along with the hardcover, it’s also available for Kindle at 2.99 http://web.archive.org/web/20071214001417 /http://www.sheehanmiles.com/blogid/2925 Here’s the text: About ten years ago, I picked up a long out-of-print copy of Walter W. Water’s account of the 1932 Bonus March. Waters was one of the leaders of the original group that travelled from Oregon to Washington, DC. The book had been out of print since before I was born, but is...
Episodes and Beta Readers
2011-10-27 20:02:00 Okay, so it’s finally time. Over the course of the next few months, starting in late November, I’ll be releasing Insurgent as six short episodic ebooks. Once the final episode is released, will be going to print with the dead tree version of the book, as well as a consolidated ebook. I’m excited to finally be moving forward! That said, I’m looking for a small group of volunteers as beta readers. What you get as a beta reader: First, my thanks, both personally, and in the acknowledgements in the book. Second, the beta readers who participate will get a limited edition hardcover of Insurgent. I’ll only be printing 20 or so hardcovers, and one will go to you. What does a beta reader do? In short, you read the unfinished episodes as I prepare them for release. And you give me the unvarnished truth: what page were you on when you put it down? At what point did it put you to sleep? What sentence made you want to vomit because it was so badly written? Beta r... More About: Readers , Episodes
Update on Insurgent
2011-07-07 17:50:00 Just wanted to post a quick update that I’m hard at work on the second draft and expect to have that completed by the end of July or early in August. More About: Update
Insurgent
2011-04-15 15:15:00 First draft is: completed. It’s rough, disorganized, messy, full of typos, unreadable. But finished. This evening I start rewriting.
Review: Tommy Nightmare by JL Bryan
2011-04-14 16:18:00 Not long ago I read J.L. Bryan’s Dominion, which for quite a long time had been paired with one of my books on Amazon. Overall I loved the book, and went on to read Jenny Pox, a sort of paranormal fantasy. The premise of Jenny Pox is simple: teenage girl whose touch causes people to break out in plague. Despite the simple premise, the author develops believable and likable characters and made for a very good read. Tommy Nightmare is very much a worthy sequel to Jenny Pox. The book opens with a new character, Tommy, who suffered from a childhood so ghastly you can’t help but like him. Soon, however, the story picks up immediately after the end if the first book, returning to main characters Jenny and Seth. I can’t get much into the details of their situation at the beginning of the story without giving up major spoilers from the first book, and in order to get this book and enjoy it, you really need to read Jenny Pox first. That said, the stage Bryan sets in book ... More About: Review
What’s up with Insurgent?
2011-04-14 14:27:00 Just wanted to post a quick update to let folks know what is happening with progress on Insurgent. As of this week, I’m about 70,000 words into the first draft, and the basic framework for the novel is complete. I’ve got quite a few gaps to go back and fill in, and some changes to make, but as long as I continue at the same pace, I expect to have the first draft completed within another 60 days or so. I get 10 days vacation at the beginning of June, and will likely wrap it up while on that vacation. The next step, of course, is NOT to publish. It’s to rewrite. I hope to send the book to the editor (I’m hoping to use the amazing Shakirah Dawud again) right after that, and with luck and some good timing will have the book ready to go to print by the end of summer. As a number of folks have requested, I do plan to podcast the entire book. If you’d like to keep updated on progress and to receive an announcement when the book goes to print, please sign up ...
Insurgent Chapter 6.1
2011-03-30 19:35:00 The razor didn’t precisely shake in Jim Turville’s hands as he carefully shaved in the small mess-kit mirror. Nonetheless, Turville paused, took a steadying breath, then quickly finished. He packed away his kit, placed a soft-cap on his head instead of the more familiar helmet, and walked to the front door of the home the Army was renting. Outside, the crickets and other insects made a roar, the sound resembling a jungle. Turville approached the humvee, where Lieutenant Blake stood next to Sergeant Nguyen. Both of them darted their eyes to Turville when he walked into view. Blake had a frown on his face; Nguyen a resigned stare into the distance. “Corporal Turville,” the Lieutenant said. Turville straightened his posture, replied, “Sir?” “For the record, your sergeant disapproves of this little outing. I’m pretty close to that myself, but I recognize the fact that some good might possibly come of it. You are on notice: don’t fuck up our relationship with th...
Republic Podcast conclusion
2008-03-10 00:33:00 Hi folks, it's finally done. I uploaded the final episode of Republic a few minutes ago.I have to say, I'm kind of sad it's finished. I've spent more than nine months recording it, and along the way I've learned a lot -- enough that I'd really like to find the time to go back and remaster the first few episodes to improve the audio quality.In the meantime, you can check it out, and also consider subscribing to the sequel, Insurgent.Republic: Episode 24Insurgent on iTuneshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/Insur gent More About: Podcast
Why does Dell suck so much?
2008-03-08 22:46:00 Ok, this is a bit of a rant. But I deserve a rant, because of the WEEKS I've been dealing with Dell 's fucking technical lack of support.As most of you probably aren't aware, I make my actual living not selling books (funny) but doing technical work. I started out about 13 years ago, working help-desk in the basement of the U.S. Department of State. Later I moved on to Teligent, which was briefly an awesome company at the height of the tech boom. At Teligent, I went from help desk, to Microsoft Exchange team leader, to DBA, to Application Support Manager, to Data Center Manager, to IT Operations Manager. Today I'm still doing technical work, as IT DIrector for VFA. That said, in all those years I've bought and recommended Dell equipment. We had thousands of Dell desktops and laptops at Teligent, at hundreds of Dell servers distributed throughout the country (alongside HP-UX, AS400, and a big monster Sun E10K).Why did I like Dell? &nb... More About: Suck
No podcast this week
2008-03-05 15:16:00 Just a quick update -- I'm sick, and extremely busy at work, so no podcast this week. I'm all to aware that the next episode is the LAST of Republic, but, we'll just have to wait another week. With luck I can record it Friday night or Saturday. More About: Podcast , Week
Insurgent Podcast
2008-02-25 19:18:00 Now that I'm editing and wrapping up the next to the last episode of the Republic Podcast , I wanted to go ahead and get a link up for those of you interested in subscribing to the Insurgent Podcast, which will begin in just a couple of weeks. It's not up on iTunes yet, but you can subscribe at Feedburner: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Insurgent&nbs p;
Wrong Door Drug Raid
2008-02-01 15:58:00 Wyoming police busted down the door of the wrong apartment when serving another no-knock search warrant. The good news is, nobody got hurt -- unlike the incident a couple weeks ago, where raiding drug task force members killed 26-year old Tarika Wilson and shot baby.I don't want to get into a knee-jerk discussion here. In the Wilson case, the police did not get the wrong address--they were there to arrest her drug dealing boyfriend or husband, or whatever he was. But I can't help but question the wisdom of a swat team assault on a house with six children inside, unless they are in immediate danger.But what about the danger to the cops? If this guy was a drug dealer, he could have shot at them?I get that. But the job of the cops is to protect children, not the other way around. Why didn't they take this guy down when he was walking down the street? Then they could knock on the door and serve the warrant without killing any mothers or shooting their child... More About: Drug , Wrong , Door , Raid
Insurgent update
2008-02-01 15:14:00 Just a quick update on progress on Insurgent, the sequel to Republic. I've posted the very rough, not edited first draft of 3 chapters, but then I got sidetracked, writing some chapters in the middle of the book. So, it may be a week or two before I get back to chapter 4.Sometimes that's just the way I work. With Republic, I wrote the first three chapters, then the last three, then the middle. Crazy maybe, but whatever.If you enjoyed the first book, you'll be happy to hear that a number of characters are returning -- Jim Turville has a much larger role in the story, Valerie Murphy and Al Clark are both back and trying to keep things sane. Joe Blankenship, a secondary character in the first book, is a major player now. I'm writing a lot of his backstory at the moment, because it's going to take a considerable amount of work to make him a sympathetic character in this book--especially given some of the hideous things he's goi... More About: Update
Time running out on the so-called Protect America Act
2008-01-24 02:47:00 You know what they say: you don't have anything to worry about if you don't have anything to hide. Yeah, right. The question: should the federal government be able to listen in on mine and your telephone conversations without a warrant? Did I miss the part of the constitution that protects us from search and seizure except when the government feels otherwise?Anyway. The so-called "Protect America Act" is running out, and Congress seems poised to renew the unconstitutional ability to wiretap all of us without judicial oversight. Weaklings. Panderers.Are you willing to give up your freedom for an illusion of security? If so, as the saying goes, you should consider a move to a country where big daddy tells you what to do and what to think. That isn't America. More facts and less ranting at Threat Level. More About: Running , Time , Protect America Act
Whatever you are doing, stop and read this
2008-01-24 01:51:00 Mark Benjamin is my favorite reporter. He's been digging for years into all the crap that surrounds veterans issues and, in the end, has done a tremendous amount of good for the military and veterans. They ought to give him a medal. In any event, you need to read his latest article in Salon, which says almost nothing about veterans, but everything about the plight of investigative journalists.Here's the article. Trust me: you'll laugh. More About: Read , Stop
Words still make one hell of a difference
2008-01-22 15:15:00 In the category of books that are making a difference comes Kancha Ilaiah, whose children's book Turning the Pot, Tilling the Land takes aim at India's thousands of years old caste system. From the Washington Post: Books about caste come at a critical juncture for this developing country, analysts say. Instead of dissolving caste, India's rising prosperity is driving an economic wedge between the higher castes, who work in gleaming skyscrapers, and the lower castes, who build them. "There has actually never been a more important time to teach to the next generation that dignity for all labor is a human right," Ilaiah said. It will be interesting to see how this book and others impact India in the long run. Don't forget that it was books that ignited movements here to end slavery. Given that I live in a county where, 150 years ago, it was illegal to teach a black man or woman to read, one can only imagine the impact. More About: Words , Hell , Make , Difference
Speaking of changes in publishing....
2008-01-19 19:56:00 Every once in a while I'll write here about changes in the publishing industry. I haven't really gone in depth about my thoughts on print-on-demand, new media, podcsting, etc., probably because my own thoughts are still somewhat fuzzy on this topic. However, the rise of the "cell-phone" novel in Japan definitely provides some serious food for thought.According to the New York Times, in Japan:Of last year’s 10 best-selling novels, five were originally cellphone novels, mostly love stories written in the short sentences characteristic of text messaging but containing little of the plotting or character development found in traditional novels. What is more, the top three spots were occupied by first-time cellphone novelists, touching off debates in the news media and blogosphere. If an 18 year old can sell 400,000 copies of the print novel originally tapped out on her cell-phone and posted on the web, I think that without a doubt, we're all in fo... More About: Publishing , Speaking
Times Under Fire for Vets article
2008-01-17 15:59:00 On Sunday, the New York Times ran a lengthy article chronicling a series of homicides committed by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans over the last several years—more than 120 killings here in the United States. Now, the Times is under fire, according to some articles and bloggers, for perpetuating “The Killer Vet lie” and “Vet-Bashing.” Not surprisingly, the culture warriors who are still intent on perpetuating the Vietnam era hawk vs. dove debate have jumped in feet first, specially after the Weekly Standard ran an analysis by John J. Dilulio which attempts to debunk the conclusions of the times by pointing out that the murder rate among same-age Americans is much higher than among returning veterans. The terms of the debate are the usual: · The article is “presumably an attempt at making another case for ending the war, if we know anything about the Times's editors.”· Mike Burleson writes: Just throw out a few... More About: Article , Fire
Insurgent: Chapter Three
2008-01-16 14:54:00 The story begins three months after the close of Republic. SPOILER ALERT -- If you haven't read Republic yet, you might want to wait before reading these entries. A number of events that wrapped up the conclusion of the book are referenced in the early chapters of this one. If you want to read Republic now, you can pick it up at Amazon, download the ebook or listen to the podcast.The draft versions of this story as posted here on the site are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Please let folks know about it, and feel free to send people the link, but I'll be changing/editing/correcting here as I go along and therefore it's best not to actually forward the text. Again, this is first draft stuff: if you read it, please drop me a line with feedback. Thanks. Send feedback to charles [at] sheehanmiles.netPrevious chapters: Chapter One. Chapter Two Brigadier General Tom Murphy stood in the sunlight near the helicopter pad on the roof of the Governor’s m...
Republic Podcast updated
2008-01-12 16:13:00 Just a quick note to let folks know that the latest episode of Republic (episode 20) is now online. You can check it out at feedburner. More About: Podcast
Insurgent: Chapter Two
2008-01-11 11:44:00 The story begins three months after the close of Republic. SPOILER ALERT -- If you haven't read Republic yet, you might want to wait before reading these entries. A number of events that wrapped up the conclusion of the book are referenced in the early chapters of this one. If you want to read Republic now, you can pick it up at Amazon, download the ebook or listen to the podcast.The draft versions of this story as posted here on the site are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Please let folks know about it, and feel free to send people the link, but I'll be changing/editing/correcting here as I go along and therefore it's best not to actually forward the text. Again, this is first draft stuff: if you read it, please drop me a line with feedback. Thanks. Send feedback to charles [at] sheehanmiles.netClick here to read Chapter One. Chapter TwoShe no longer knew how long she had been in the cell.It was a tiny cage, not much bigger than the bathroom she’d had ...
Will Chelsea Clinton end up as dictator of the United States
2008-01-10 15:13:00 Ok, bear with me. In 1988, George H.W. Bush was elected President of the United States . 20 years later, and we’ve had either a Bush or a Clinton in office. What happens if Hilary Clinton gets elected following her victory in the New Hampshire primary?Imagine 28 years. An entire generation, with nothing but Clintons and Bush’s as President. If Jeb Bush became President after that, they’ve have it clinched. America’s two royal families.36 years later, Dictator for Life Chelsea would waft into office.
Insurgent -- Chapter One
2008-01-06 03:32:00 Some time ago I blogged that I was planning to blog the sequel to Republic here on the site, as I wrote it. Of course, that means you're getting the ugliness of it all here on the blog -- including the stuff I'll be changing, correcting, whatever. That's okay with me, provided I get feedback. That's the deal -- if you read it, drop me a line.The story begins three months after the close of Republic. SPOILER ALERT -- If you haven't read Republic yet, you might want to wait before reading these entries. A number of events that wrapped up the conclusion of the book are referenced in the early chapters of this one. If you want to read Republic now, you can pick it up at Amazon, download the ebook or listen to the podcast.The draft versions of this story as posted here on the site are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Please let folks know about it, and feel free to send people the link, but I'll be changing/editing/corre... More About: Chapter
Retrospect: New time travel story in this months FSF
2008-01-05 22:40:00 Wanted to post a quick note about an excellent and somewhat haunting story in the February edition of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine. Ann Miller’s Retrospect was a real eye opener, especially for book lovers like me.The story centers around this question:If you could give a book, anybook, to someone who had lived before, what book would youchoose and to whom would you give it?A little bit haunting, and with a surprising (and funny) twist, it is well worth taking a look at. You can pick it up and bookstores now, or get a downloadable version of the magazine at http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/ More About: Travel , Story , Time , Time Travel , Months
Children of Rhatlan
2008-01-03 22:14:00 Fellow Podiobooks author Jonathan Fesmire just sent an email that he is now also offering a free PDF of his novel, Children of Rhatlan.I haven't read it yet, though it is on my "to be listened to" list for when I drive to Washington, DC next week. Here's a good quote about the book:"New concepts are a rare thing in fantasy literature. Settings are created. Characters are wrought from legend or from thin air. New mythologies are conjured up. Genuine inventions, though, are a unique treat. Fesmire's duals is definitely one of those inventions. And all of the previous short stories, and now this full-length novel are certainly a treat." Check it out here: http://jfesmire.livejournal.com/83557.htm l
Will number of downloads translate into books sold?
2008-01-02 17:24:00 Yesterday morning I posted that starting with the first of the year, I’m giving away the ebook of Republic for free. The million dollar question is, will books downloaded translate into a ratio with books sold?Of course, it’s not an academic question. The evidence out there, with Baen publishing being the big example, is that giving away ebooks translates into longer term sales for the author. What’s been particularly interesting about this is that I never expected the response the post has received so far.866 Diggs thus far, and the link is at the top of the Lifestyle section of Digg. Nice. The blog entry got something in excess of 40,000 hits, and the ebook had more than ten thousand downloads by the time the server crashed last night. Chris Anderson over at The Long Tail has blogged about it (which is pretty cool) as have a few others. I’ve since moved the ebooks to Mediafire to relieve some of the bandwidth pressure on my server, w... More About: Downloads , Books , Translate , Sold , Number
New Years action: Giving away my book
More articles from this author:2008-01-01 15:45:00 I've never been one for New Years resolutions. Quit smoking? Yeah, right. However, a New Years action I can deal with. Here's the plan: starting today, I'm going to be giving away the ebook version of Republic for free.No more sample chapters, partial books that end in the middle, none of that. You can download and read the complete book. Share it with your friends, email it, do anything you want with it except sell it. Hope you enjoy the book and tell others. Ebook Links:Adobe Acrobat PDF Mobipocket / Amazon KindleHTML (Read online)RTF (Rich Text Format / MS Word) Podcast Links:Subscribe with iTunesPodiobooks.com Feedburner You can also order from Amazon: $16.95 Okay, so maybe you are wondering why? After all, I'm hoping that within the next few years, I'll be making enough money from book sales that I'll be able to write full time. Isn't giving the book away somewhat counterproductive to that goal?I don't thin... More About: Action , Book , Giving 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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