A long time ago in a galaxy far… no, scratch that. Definitely happened in this galaxy. But it was a long time ago that I started a “Use Your Name in My Next Novel” contest. People signed up at book signings and through my Website via an e-mail link. Unfortunately, the local signups were lost or misplaced when my family moved into a new house. But I do have all of the e-mail entries and I used this list to pick names for random/incidental/mentioned characters in my new/current novel, Shimmer.
If you read my other entry about the delays associated with Shimmer, you’ll understand how long it has been since I started the Use Your Name contest. So, to make amends, I’m using several of the submitted names in Shimmer and I may use some of the others in my next next novel, if you know what I mean. I apologize for those whose names I lost in transit and I hope to have more sign-up opportunities at my future signings for Kindred Spirit.
I’ll announce the preliminary winners in my next newsletter, which I hope to send out sometime soon, especially now with KINDRED SPIRIT moving crisply along the book production rails. Why “preliminary” winners? Well, for several reasons, the main one is that I have to sell this book. The next book sale isn’t guaranteed, of course. But let’s assume I do sell the book. Okay, the next step is for the characters bearing the names (though not the descriptions, occupations, or personalities) of the preliminary winners to make it through revisions and edits and page cuts, etc. (I still remember I lost one of my characters in WITHER before that book reached the publication stage. I mentioned him in WITHER’S RAIN or maybe it was WITHER’S LEGACY even though he wasn’t named after any particular person.
I’ll let the prelim winners know they’ve made it past the first stage and I’ll update them along the way.
Also, before I forget, the zombie story I wrote for the Modern Magic anthology should be coming out soon. No firm date yet, but soon I’m told. I had fun writing this gonzo story which featured two real life Philly DJs (Preston & Steve from WMMR 93.3FM) in fictional battle against a horde of bloodthirsty zombies. Are there any other kind of zombies?
Until the next one,
-Jack
