waiting for the blog of sound and vision

Sunday catchup is late, I know, but that's because...we have first draft sign! The first draft of Copper Cove is done! Review and rewriting will come shortly, but before long, the book should be ready to go!

So, things are a bit short this week, but I wanted to mention that the people of Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast could use your help after Hurricane Harvey. The crowdfunding website Global Giving has set up a donation page to collect funds to assist area charities with both short-term and long-term needs. Please donate here, or to your other charity of choice. Thanks.

someone has to see a blog for him and me

Sunday catchup! Work is going mostly smoothly on Skyblade's Claim, and I'm hoping to have a completed first draft by this time next week. I don't want to commit to a release date yet, but feel free to mark your calendars for June 27. Just do it in pencil. More after the cut!

blog you till Tuesday

Sunday catchup is back! One of the reasons that I skipped last week's, besides the complete lack of news, was that it was the Sunday I finally replaced the old Windows 7 laptop that no longer wanted to download updates or display web pages properly. Oh, and the "5" and "6" keys no longer worked. I'm still getting this new laptop up to speed - for one thing, half my music files need to be moved over - but it's a vest improvement and will hopefully speed up all the aspects of the writing game that don't involve the actual writing. More after the cut!

The Crown Of Kylthena: Sunday Update

We're taking another break from our usual Sunday catchup format (though a few things may slip in) to keep you posted on doings with The Crown Of Kylthena, the new Monkey Queen book! If you missed the news from earlier this week, Michiko and Beth's new adventure is out now! The post with buying links has been updated with links for Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Indigo / Chapters, Fnac and Angus and Robertson; click here, or search your favorite ebook retailer for "Robert Dahlen"! More after the cut!

Amber

I'm going to take a moment away from all the prep I'm doing for the next Monkey Queen book to talk to you about something important. A friend of mine needs your help.
I first met Amber Goss when she wrote me fan mail about one of my short stories. She went on to read the Monkey Queen books, and has become a big supporter of Michiko and Beth.

Amber is a college student in Arizona, majoring in linguistics. Health issues have caused her to miss several semesters, and as a result, she's in real danger of missing her deadline to graduate. She can make it up, though, by taking a class during the December Winter term...

A class that her financial aid plan won't cover.

Amber's started a GoFundMe page to help raise money to cover the costs of tuition and books for the December class, plus her application fees for graduate school. She's looking to raise $2300 by December 1; any extra money raised will help cover her living expenses. She goes into detail there about her situation and what the funds will be used for.

$2300 is a big amount. Money's tight for everyone. People are nervous about the election and so many other things...but I'm not hesitating to pitch in. Amber's not just a fan, but a true friend; she's smart and sharp, she knows her geek stuff, she makes me laugh early and often, and she's there with words of support and encouragement on the bad days.

And this is Amber's chance. A chance to graduate, to go to grad school to pursue her dream career, to make a living instead of struggling to get by, to make a difference in the world. But to do it, Amber needs your help. And I'm asking, imploring, all of you to pitch in.

Please head to her GoFundMe page and donate. Even the smallest donation helps get her closer to her goal. And spread the word that a fellow Monkey Queen fan needs our help.

Thanks for reading, and if you're donating, a million thanks more.

(She's going to kill me when she reads this. I know it.)

it's that time again...

First, Francophone Fridays will return next week. Things have been crazy at my day job lately, and I haven't been able to put in the time to get the next post done as it should be. I think it's going to be a good one, so stay tuned!

But we have something else to discuss.

Every year, John Kovalic - the cartoonist behind the great gaming webcomic Dork Tower, and the gaming illustrator best known for his work on Munchkin - takes part in a bike ride to help a charity in his home of Madison, WI. Bike The Barns raises funds to help bring locally-grown organic food from farmers to needy families. That is one heck of a win-win.

And every year, John sets a fundraising goal, reaches it, and bikes the entire 60 miles...with a duck on his head.

This year, the goal is $7500. If he hits $10,000, he'll also wear tentacles.

You get all sorts of goodies for backing him, even if you don't live anywhere near Wisconsin. A $20 donation will get you a Munchkin postcard, a "Army of Dorkness" button, two coloring book PDFs, and a PDF of a print with a duck limerick illustrated by John...and written by Patrick Rothfuss.

And if you up the donation to $50, you get the art as an actual mini-print...signed by both John and Patrick.

So, get your browsers over to the Bike The Barns page and donate already! The fundraising started late this year, but there's still time to help a good cause...

And even better, make a grown man wear a duck on his head. Again.

Francophone Fridays: Enalizarine

Welcome to a new feature here: Francophone Fridays! Every week, I'll feature artwork by one of many French (and French-speaking) artists I follow, on Facebook and elsewhere. I'm astonished by how much talent is coming from that part of the world, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with everyone.

After the cut: Suddenly, a savage French comic artist appears!

where the blogs of society howl

On this sad day, my thoughts are with the survivors of this morning's tragedy in Orlando, the families and friends and loved ones of the victims, and the good people there, especially in their LGBT community. I hold out hope that someday, we can finally fully accept each other's differences and move beyond hate and fear and violence.

Happier topics after the cut.

Geeks Doing Good!

Want some cool stuff? Want to help a good cause? Time to do both! Worldbuilders, the organization that harnesses geek energy and good vibes to help great charities, has launched their annual Geeks Doing Good campaign on Indiegogo! Head over there to get lots of cool swag, with the proceeds going to charity! (I've got my eyes on that sweet Karen Hallion calendar, and OMG that coffee...) This campaign closes on June 13, though, so get over there now!

Happy World Penguin Day!

Celebrate that most amazing of days...after the cut!

It's World Penguin Day, and there are reasons to mark it. It's not just that penguins are remarkable and funny and cute, as you can see here.

It's also that penguins are in trouble. Climate change is real, and it will affect animals and plants worldwide, including penguins. Many of the world's species of penguins (12 of 17, by one count) are experiencing population decline, due partially to habitat loss caused by climate change.

Want to help? Learn more about penguins and how climate change affects them. Support organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and Defenders of Wildlife that work to raise awareness, and work to protect penguin habitats. One group that I've mentioned earlier is Penguin Watch, where you can help researchers and look at cute penguin photos. Win-win!

Also, if you're on Twitter, follow BioTweeps. This week, their Twitter account is being curated by Dr. Michelle LaRue, who brings awesome science when it comes to penguins! Cute stories, photos, penguin facts and ways to help!

And have a happy World Penguin Day!

Worthy Cause: Help the Grall family

Regular visitors to this blog know that I love webcomics. One of my favorites is Max Overacts, about an aspiring child actor with an overactive imagination, written and drawn by ace cartoonist Canaan Grall. It's been on hiatus recently due to his health issues. He's been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and will undergo surgery next month.

He won't be able to work for several months after the surgery, and his family's finances will be taking a major hit. A relative has started a GoFundMe page to help cover their expenses. I know money is tight all around, but if you can spare anything, please drop by the page and donate. I've never met or contacted the Gralls, but Canaan seems like a good guy, and his family could use a hand or two right now. Thanks.