22 awesome people signed up for this newsletter at the Toylanta 2021 show. Here are a bunch of freebies for you!
If you're receiving this e-mail, you signed up for my mailing list at Toylanta 2021 in Marietta, GA. Check out my fiction, the podcasts I'm on, and even a couple of dessert recipes.
Welcome to my mailing list, the 22 people who signed up at Toylanta 2021. Here's your chance to check out all sorts of cool stuff, ranging from my other writings, to podcasts, and even free dessert recipes.
Below are my various writings, broken up by genre:
Horror:The Thingin the Woods(also available in audio), which is the beginning of a new "Long War" series that's my own spin on H.P. Lovecraft's mythology. The Atlanta Incursion, although it's more science fiction with its emphasis on the Gray alien mythology and the Men in Black, likely qualifies as well. Little People, Big Guns(to a large degree also a comedy), "I am the Wendigo" (also available in audio), "Melon Heads" (this is also a rather dark comedy), and "Sam," which I'm sure Doberman enthusiasts everywhere will appreciate.
Alternate History: "Palma" and "Coil Gun" would both fall under this as well, but I included them under SF because in many fields the science of this world has advanced beyond our own. There's kinetic orbital bombardment, solar power stations on the moon, and other technologies we haven't yet deployed.
If you want all my short fiction in one place, check out my collection Flashing Steel, Flashing Fire in e-book and in print.
Free Fiction (And Podcasts) For You
Not everything that I write will require payment, though. I do have some free fiction available online.
Firstly, my short Viking story "Nicor" is available via the webzine Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. However, if you'd like to see my playing in other writers' sandboxes, check out my fanfiction.net page. There you'll find my novel-length HARRY POTTER alternate-universe stories like "The Wrath of the Half-Blood Prince" (the teen Snape makes some better choices about his friends when he still has a realistic shot with Lily) and "Lord of the Werewolves" (Lupin and Tonks take a different, darker path during the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). I also wrote a novel-length TRANSFORMERS story "The Revenge of the Fallen Reboot"--the movie had a good concept, but it was disappointingly executed. I also wrote the canon-compliant BATTLESTAR GALACTICA story "The Death of the Triton" and an alternate Draka timeline "The Dragon and the Bear" that's mostly but not totally finished.
Another thing I do that won't cost you a dime is a film podcast. For the last five-odd years, I've been a regular participant in Myopia: Defend Your Childhood, in which an unruly crew of millennials discusses the films of our childhood and how well they hold up. Here's my interview with the podcast founder Nic back when the podcast was relatively new. The podcast has only grown more popular since then. We've also got a Patreon, whose supporters extra Patrons-only episodes like series dedicated to the Alien and Harry Potter as well as a "Mission Briefings" sub-series focused on James Bond movies and Bond-adjacent content like True Lies or the old-school thriller 39 Steps.
In addition to listening to them online, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes for non-Apple computers, Apple Podcasts on various Apple devices, and other such services to have it download directly. For example, I listen to podcasts on my phone and can use Bluetooth to listen to them while I'm driving.
Finally, here's my DeviantArt page. I mostly post photographs, although I do have some colored-pencil drawings inspired by my own works or (mostly) by the works of others. I also have a huge number of artworks favorited if you're looking for more cool stuff.
Free Dessert Recipe(s) for the Chocoholics
Awhile back I found a really nice recipe online (I think as a Facebook-sponsored post) called "Oreo Delight with Chocolate Pudding." I made that dessert as specified in the recipe (i.e. a giant brownie-sized thing) for a church potluck and for a family gathering, and everybody loved it. Layers of cheesecake, pudding, Cool Whip, and Oreos. What's not to like? :)
However, making the crust can be tricky. I tried putting Oreo cookies in a big plastic bag and smashing them, but the crumbs were too large to make a good solid crust. The second time I ran a whole box of Oreo cookies through my blender, while produced the appropriate results, but kept jamming the machine. I had to take the cup out and excavate the blades a couple times.
So I bought some Oreo pie crusts from the local Publix (Kroger didn't have them for some reason). The recipe above will fill three pie crusts. I've brought them to many different social occasions and all were well-received.
(Also, if you've got guests who have gluten problems, there are now gluten-free Oreos available that according to a family member taste exactly like the standard variety. I don't know about gluten-free Oreo pie crusts at the store, but here's how to make one.)
Also, another dessert recipe I enjoy baking is Toll House Pie. This is something I first learned to appreciate as a student at the University of Georgia and learned how to make myself. For those whose diets require it, making it gluten- and dairy-free isn't that hard--replace the butter with a vegetarian option and use 1:1 gluten-free flour like this. Getting GF flour that's specifically 1:1 is important because many GF flour varieties don't have the right binding agent. I've made the GF variant for family members with gluten and dairy sensitivities and I actually think it's better than the conventional recipe.
