Category: News of Note

New Garrison Gage book published: A Shroud of Tattered Sails

shroud_mediumresThe fourth Garrison Gage book, A Shroud of Tattered Sails, is now out in the world. I shared the cover and book description a month ago on this blog, so rather than repeat myself, I’ll just link to the book’s page, where you can follow the links to various retailers and also read the first chapter online if you are so inclined. While the paperback, Kindle, Nook, and Kobo versions are currently available, the iBooks version should be available within a week or so. A few people have asked about the audio book, and yes, I plan to have that produced as well, but it will be a few months yet. Check out the series page if you think you might have missed one of his adventures.

It was great fun returning to Gage’s world, and I feel so grateful that he’s picked up so many fans the last few years. After four books, it really does feel like visiting with family you don’t get to see all that often — the good kind of family, of course! Judging by some of the emails readers have sent me, it seems quite a few people feel the same way about him. It warms my heart, which, with the cold and rainy weather we’ve been having in Oregon lately, is definitely a good thing.

I’m knee deep into the third Myron Vale novel and hope to keep up the steady pace going into the new year. Oh, and Happy Holidays!

Postcards from the Garage: Coos Bay, Oregon (and a bit of an update)

coosbay

The shot above was taken during a little getaway I took with the family during the July 4th weekend a couple months back. We stayed in the Charleston part of town, over on the southwest side, and that picture was taken when we stopped to rest during a short hike of the South Slough Estuary — a beautiful area. In fact, our house was minutes from three state parks, including the spectacular Cape Arago. A great trip.

It was a fun summer, even if was a bit on the hot side (an early June heat wave set the tone for the rest of the season). The kids stayed busy as usual, with various camps and activities, though we did manage a nice trip to Seattle, riding the Amtrak up there and spending a week bumming around the city doing different things. Kids are now back in school, the university is in full swing with fall term, and after some ups and downs this year that I won’t go into here, I’m back to getting up early and getting two hours in with the writing before heading off to the university. It’s a great balance, as the morning hours feed my need for solitary creative time while the job at the university forces me to engage with the world in ways that serve a completely different part of my personality. Could I write more books if I spent all of my time doing it?  Maybe, but I may not write at all if my mental health takes a turn for the worse. It’s a mistake that I’ve seen a lot of writers make, assuming that just because they have more hours in the day that they’re actually going to produce a lot more quality material.

I’ve also drastically cut down how much time I was spending online. It’s amazing how well-informed you can be even with twenty minutes a day if you really cut out what’s extraneous. I’ve also become pretty convinced, partly by reading  Dennis Palumbo’s excellent book, Writing from the Inside Out, that consumption/production of information or entertainment is something of a binary state. What I mean is, just as there is huge value in feeding our minds with information, there is just as much value in shutting off the information flow and letting our creativity fill the vacuum. In other words, as strange as this sounds, reading more is not always better. Disengaging, and disconnecting, can have tremendous value to both our productivity and our peace of mind — not just for writers, or artists, but for all human beings.

Anyway, it’s certainly done wonders for my own creativity and productivity. It’s not a new idea for me (heck, the name of this blog is Plugged/Unplugged, exactly because I’ve always believed there’s value in being disconnected from the Digital Hive Mind), but it is an idea that’s become more woven into my daily life.

The next Garrison Gage book is about 80% done.  Hopefully I’ll be back with more news regarding the book before too long.

Update on the Mailing List Contest and Progress on the Next Gage Book

hamiltonmountain

That shot is from a hike I took not too long ago on Hamilton Mountain, up in the Columbia Gorge area. A great day hike on a great day. Click the image for a larger version that does it a bit more justice.

For those of you who signed up for my mailing list before now, and are eligible for the contest, I will be sending out the prize-winning emails over the next week or so. I just download the list and will be doing some random drawings in the next few days. And if you haven’t signed up, please do so. I’ll be doing another round of prizes before too long, so it’s worth being on there.  I only email a handful of times a year and I will never share your email with others. Of course, the best reason is so you’re the first to know when my next book is released.

Speaking of that, I’m hard at work on the next Garrison Gage book (#4 for those of you counting at home), and my productivity is really ramping up, so the book is coming along nicely. With grad school in the rear view mirror, and the WR 450 course also finished (always hard to teach something for the first time, so I was working a lot of evenings and weekends), I have a bit more energy and time to devote to writing, and I intend to take full advantage of it. I usually get up early and write for two hours before coming into the university, but the work load finally reached a point where that was getting tough to do. As I’ve mentioned a number of times, I’m one of those rare writers that really does like his day job, more so each year as my career with the university has evolved, but on rare occasions the balance can get out of wack. I’ve got a better balance now.

It also shouldn’t be too long before I have a title and a cover to share for the next Gage book, but I’ll keep you all in suspense for now. That’s part of my job as a writer, you know. Keeping you in suspense.

1000 Email Subscribers Reached – Summer Mailing List Giveaways – Sign Up Today!

Just last week, my mailing list crossed over 1000 subscribers. It’s a neat milestone, and a nice reminder of how many new readers I’ve picked up lately. Thank you! To show my appreciation, I’ve decided to do some giveaways for my fans. If you sign up before Sunday, June 21 (the first day of summer), you’ll be eligible for all the following FREE prizes:

#1 . . . 3 people will receive one FREE ebook of the next Garrison Gage mystery at least twenty-four hours before it has been published, as well as a signed paperback edition of that book to be mailed a few weeks after publication to a United States address. Right now, this book is scheduled for a Fall 2015 release.

#2 . . . 5 people will receive a FREE signed trade paperback copy of one of my already published Garrison Gage books or one of my Myron Vale books, mailed at my expense within the United States, whichever book the winner chooses.

#3 . . . 20 people will receive coupon codes for FREE copies of the audio edition (via Audible.com) of all three Garrison Gage books

#4 . . . Everyone on my mailing list will receive a coupon code for 50% off the print edition for all the Garrison Gage books and all the Myron Vale books, good for one month. You can use it on one book or all of them. Shipping not included. That’s right. Everyone.

You can keep the prizes for yourself or give them to others. Remember, to be eligible all you have to do is sign up for my mailing list. Crazy? Well, I’ve had a good year as a writer, and this is the least I can do to show how grateful I am. Your email will never be shared with others, and I only email a handful of times a year.  All the prizes will be selected randomly. And no, I’m not running this giveaway on any of the popular contest sites.  This is just for my readers.

And if you’re on the list?  Don’t sweat it.  You’re already eligible.

I hope it’s worth five seconds of your time. Feel free to tell others, so long as you think they’d be interested in my books. Sign up here:

http://scottwilliamcarter.com/newsletter/new-releases/

The fine print:  No purchase necessary to enter or win. To be eligible for the giveaway, you must be on Scott William Carter’s email list before June 21, 2015. You must be over 18 years of age and, alas, a resident of the United States. (Blame Canadian and European laws, folks; I love my international readers.) Odds of winning any prize are approximately 1 in 1000, except for #4, which will be awarded to all people on the mailing list before June 21, 2015. Winners will be notified via email.