CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

In 2022, I published a total of 14 titles. The break-down of those is as follows: 4 new and updated versions of existing titles, 3 novels published for the first time, 5 collections set on a theme that drew from existing collections or out-of-print short stories previously published as stand-alones, but which also consisted of a significant amount of fresh materials written for the theme, 1 novel started, and finished, this year, and 1 new collection, the majority of which was completed this year.  In addition, I ghost-wrote a couple of novels...I forget how many. The books are, as follows: January The Unwilling: in which a werewolf who chooses to bite his friend to save his life, finds himself running from not only Lunar One law, but two angry mega-corps, and a slew of bounty hunters, as he tries to find them refuge. This is the first book in the Strays of Lunar One series. February The Unwanted: in which the two werewolves are forced to leave their sanctuary and find a way to ...

I write flash fiction and poetry to help me hone my craft...and as part of my story discovery process, and I'll be returning to a regular flash fiction posting as part of my accountability process. Don't let the name fool you. The flash fiction will be shared on Friday, but it won't necessarily be written then. Today's piece, for instance, was part of Wednesday's writing session, and was another attempt at writing a half-drabble, or a piece of 25-word flash...which is a little harder than it sounds. It will appear in the upcoming collection, Another 366 Days of Flash Fiction , which will be published in late 2023. Without further ado, here is today's Friday's Flash offering: An Unexpected Intervention The horsemen rode into the apocalypse, four hundred strong…against four thousand. They did not mean to win, only to delay—and then the dragons intervened.   Cover art and design seen below is by Jake at JCaleb Design.

In December 2022, I took delivery of three covers - yes, my cover artist outdid himself, and turned in a couple of covers early, and one very early. The first one, I'd like to keep under wraps a little longer, but the other two are for my next poetry and flash fiction collection, and as I'll be sharing snippets from them, I thought I'd introduce them properly. The first is for Another 366 Days of Flash Fiction , which will be released in December 2023. The images are drawn from some of the stories already written and pulled together into a whole. The second is for Another 366 Days of Poetry , which will release in January 2024, and was inspired by the character from one of the samples I gave as a sample for the work I'd be including.   Cover art and design is by Jake at JCaleb Design.        

As I slowly bring my writing back on line, I'm reintroducing a regular weekly segment to the blog: Wednesday's Verse. These posts will consist of the first poem written on a Wednesday of any given week. They will be first drafts of verses written for one of the collections in progress.. Today's piece came out of nowhere, and is the second piece of the morning - the first piece, being the first piece of the week, has been shared with my patreons. These verses have been written for Another 366 Days of Poetry, which will be available for sale in January 2024. Inspiration was drawn from stories of hunting parties of elves, riding out of the Scottish hills, and was written from the perspective of someone caught unawares.     The Hunted   I did not hear the horns cry Their hunting lilt that echoes Through the dells and hills and vales Like a desert wind sirocco   If I had I would have sheltered Somewhere hidden, somewhere quiet And watched the hunters passing...

This month, I nearly didn't make it. I'd gotten sick, gotten distracted by changes in other things I was doing, gotten a little depressed because things weren't actually working, and was in a bit of an overall funk as I worked out how to change direction and get moving again. At the beginning of November I guesstimated I had around 20,000 words to go on it in the 100 or so pieces of flash I needed to write to finish the book...and then the forward and the author's notes on top of that. I just wanted to give it up...but I didn't. I got to work to see if I really could manage not to fail, this time, and still do a good job. This is the result: Great Publishing Challenge : Milestone 6 Book 6: Another 365 Days of Flash Fiction Due: November 20, 2022 Uploaded On: November 18, 2022 Due for Release On: November 18, 2022 Type: A collection of mixed-genre and cross-genre flash fiction of varying lengths between 6-1000 words Content Breakdown:   total pieces-365: Flash...

 It's been a long road to getting this one complete and ready to publish, but I'm in the last stages, now. 365 pieces of flash, one author forward and some author notes, later, and it's over 120,000 words long, and traveling the spectrum of science fiction to fantasy to a few variations in between. The piece I started the day formatting is this one: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alien Invasion (II)   Joseph wanted the world. He’d seen it from the liner as it docked at the orbital and fallen in love with it straight away. “How much?” he demanded from its representatives, but they’d shaken their heads. “Our home is not for sale,” they told him. “It is the only one we’ve got.” “But I want to own it,” Joseph protested, but they’d stood firm. “No.” And he’d thrown a fit, storming from the room like the spoilt brat he was—and then calling in the fleet. What he could not buy, he took. The planet’s inhabitants came for him in ...

I'm on the last stretch of writing Another 365 Days of Flash Fiction - and aiming to finish it either late today, or mid-tomorrow. I don't know which of those it'll be, but I have 46 pieces of flash to go, which is anywhere between 2,000 and 20,000 words, depending on how short and flashy I keep it.  Today's first piece is a little on the long side, coming in at 331 words. Enjoy...but, now, I'm off to write some more. Making it Right   Time flew, swirling around us in a myriad of silvers and grays, beyond which dwelt a solid wall of black. Time… I gripped Chagrek’s hands tightly and hoped the wizard had it right. “Tell me why we’re doing this, again?” was a question born of nerves. “Fame, money, glory?” I quipped. He snorted, and I changed my tune. “Because, ten days ago, some asshole opened a portal to the Nethers, and if we don’t stop him then, we don’t get to stop him at all.” Chagrek sighed. “It sounds so much more serious when you say it…” M...