Valkyrie Flightsuit

  I never cosplay anymore because all the cons I go to now requirement me to be in author mode, not fan mode. Trust me, it's a bit hard to sell books, meet fans, and be taken seriously while dressed up as my favorite Final Fantasy character. So, I needed a work around. How can I be in author mode and still play dress up? Solution: commission a Vladia cosplay from The Valkyrie Profiles! The only problem with that is, unlike a movie, anime, or video game, there are no visual references.

I'm not the best artist, but I did my best (meaning a I traced a body form then added on the details I imagined) and here is the first attempt. I'm actually pretty happy with it, but what do you folks think?

 This is Vladia's Valkyrie flightsuit. All the pilots have this standard design; the only variations are by position and rank. Vladia is in a Defender unit, so her colors are black and maroon. The Gunslinger units are black and emerald. Last, the Captain of the squad, Tolen Malthus, has a uniform of black and blue. Rehel, of course, doesn't get a flightsuit, so he is in all black with an off-centered red stripe down the front to denote his status as the Valkyrie squad's robot.

I've got a girl in New Orleans all set to create whatever I send her way. So, perhaps the next con you see me at, I'll be sporting this baby! You my address me as Lt. Robespierre. =D

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award: Round 1 has been pwned!!!!

So excited that I have made it through the next round of Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award. I beat out 1,500 other entries to get this far! Next round will take us down to only 25 entries. I honestly never expected to make it this far. I am competing not just against other SF novels, but fantasy and horror as well. I feel a SF novel in this market really has no change against the current popularity of the other two genres. Two of the biggest franchises of the last 10 years came from fantasy and horror (Harry Potter and Twilight). Sure, The Hunger Games was sort of SF, but let's be honest, no one is really willing to label it as SF.

Despite my pessimism, I am super excited and honored to make it this far. You can check out my ABNA entry page HERE to read the sample that got me to the next round. You can also leave a review for the excerpt as well (do that, you will).

Though the quarter-finalists were announced on the 12th, it wasn't until a few minutes ago that I noticed the judges actually put two editorial reviews for the excerpt on the ABNA page. And guess what: They are awesome!!!! I'll post them below, though you can also find them by clicking the link to the entry page. Wish me luck guys! I'm gonna need it!


Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Review
The author has imagined an intriguing scenario, and adeptly placed the reader into it. A changing culture of robots is interesting and piques curiosity. Vladia is a sympathetic protagonist, one is cheering for her already, and in these opening pages, the writer has placed her in a precarious situation after the death of her mother. With a title hinting at Vladia’s future as a strong participant in coming war, opening pages that introduce a character worthy of rooting for, and very good writing skills, this author has created a world the reader wants to enter. This excerpt has a strong hook and is a great start to an absorbing read.

Amazon.com Review
Overall, the excerpt gives us a plucky and resourceful heroine who is brave but still understandably childish in her response to her plight. The robot plot sounds familiar, but with such a short beginning, it remains to be seen what twists the author comes up with.

Science Fiction Convention Time!!!!!!

Hey Guys!

 So this weekend is Con Nooga in Chattanooga, TN. and I'll be there doing my thing. Con Nooga is Chattanooga's Only Multiple Genre Convention spanning: Sci-Fi, Horror, Anime, Paranormal, Fantasy, Literature, Comics, Gaming, Bands (music), Movies, etc. They've got me on six panels this year. In between panels, I'll be at my booth selling copies of The Valkyrie Profiles. Also, when you buy a copy of the book at Con Nooga (or if you buy an ebook copy and bring in the email receipt), you'll be entered in a raffle for a super awesome Geek Basket (see what I did there??) that is chock full of cool merchandise from Star Trek: TNG, Star Wars, Super Mario Bros, World of Warcraft, Dr. Who, and more. Just talking about it kinda makes me not want to give it to one of you guys... Anyway, here's my schedule so if you are in the area come see me!


Friday
5:00PM Author Meet and Greet

Saturday
10:00AM Building and Breaking Classic Story Structure

NOON Plotter or Pantser? Using Outlines - Pros and Cons

2:00PM Writing Scenes - The Building Blocks of Story - workshop/discussion

8:00 PM What's My Plot? A No Holds-Barrd Plot off! Challenge our authors with an idea and see who comes up with the best plot!

Sunday
12:00 PM Writing Believable Dialogue

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

Finally over the dreaded flu! It was a tough 10 days or so, but I am finally back at 100%. Despite the flu eating into my writing time, I received wonderful news today! The Valkyrie Profiles has made it to the second round selections for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award *Squeal* This has totally got me pumped. There are four rounds total so I still have a long way to go. Either way, I'm honored and excited and ready to get back to work at full throttle. Here's a link to the contest page if you'd like to check out the details: http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011

Not much else to report on today so I'll leave you with this:

Sneak Peek of Book 2?! Is This Madness?!

I know book 1 of the Valkyrie Trilogy, The Valkyrie Profiles, has not even been out a month yet, and I know posting a sneak peak at book 2 already is nuts, right? Well, I'm kinda nuts and I'm doing it anyway! It's short, but I think it will give you a good feel for where book 2 will be going. Enjoy!

*   *   *

     Still, she was being watched; she’d felt a pair of eyes on her ever since she had disembarked. And then there was this other ship. The closer she grew, the more she began to think it was, in fact, operational.
     “Something’s not right,” she whispered, clenching her jaw.
     “Very perceptive! I expected nothing less,” a disembodied voice boomed.
     Vladia reached for her weapon, only to remember that she hadn't been armed since her encounter with Malthus on the Dragoon.
     In her peripheral, a nearby viewscreen flickered on. There, a man with stark white hair and a wide, toothy smile spoke: “Nice to finally meet you, daughter of Robespierre.”

*   *   *

Doing Some Good

Want to make the most of something you were thinking about buying anyway? Well, this is your chance. From now until February 10th (yes, that is the day The Walking Dead returns), 20% of proceeds from sales of The Valkyrie Profiles on any format will be donated to The S.H.A.C.K Safe Haven Animal Care Kennels. The SHACK is one of Mobile, Alabama's newest animal rescues and they are in need of funding to keep doing the good they do. You can check out their Facebook page here: SHACK to see photos and stories of past and current rescues, as well as pups up for adoption. There's also a petition going around right now in protest of the recent conduct and polices of the Mobile County 'shealter'. Read more and sigh the petition here.

Already have your copy but still want to help out? Write a review to increase interest and spread the word to all your animal loving, book reading friends!. Purchase links can be found below:

Amazon paperback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615751199

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B07BWFE

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-valkyrie-profiles-k-s-daniels/1114126790?ean=2940015980417


Or, you can donate directly to the SHACK or SouthBark (the other local rescue in Mobile, AL)

SouthBark Chip-in: http://animalholicsanonymous.chipin.com/keep-southbark-going
                  Paypal: donate@saveasoutherndog.com
The SHACK paypal : theshackrescue@gmail.com

Why I hate the term "Genre Fiction"

     I already know this post is going to be much more akin to a rant than an essay. I ask you to bear with me, please.

     People in the literary scene like to throw around the phrase "Genre Fiction". When they do this, its usually in the context of "Oh, but that's genre fiction" (you'll have to imagine the condescending tone for yourself). You see, the term is an insult. Any novel that isn't, according to some literary or academic snob, high-art (definition in a bit) is garbage or smut. Its genre fiction. High-art is something that is not just for entertainment (again according to some literary or academic snob), as it adds to the world, usually by some form of convoluted social or political (or both) commentary. An example of high-art would be a novel by Jonathan Franzen. This is not in any way an attack on him. I am not saying I don't enjoy his work. What I am saying is that his work should not necessarily be held so high above others under the dubious label of it being high-art while the rest is genre fiction. There are many genre fiction novels that I find are just as well-written and offer just as much social commentary as his, but are ignored to a degree because of these labels.

     But an even greater issue I take with this requires us to examine what the term genre actually means. A genre can be defined as a set of stylistic criteria a work of art can be put in. For example, for a book to be a gothic romance, it would have to have some of these elements: love, terror, tragedy, sex, death, the supernatural, etc. By this definition, everything can have a genre or a combination of genres. In fact, a book that is considered high-art also has a genre-the genre would be that of high-art. So, to label a novel in a negative way by calling it genre fiction is ridiculous. It is a misuse of the word by snobs. I often throw the term around in relation to my own work, really just to make a point and highlight the stupidity of the idea. The simple truth is this: every book is genre fiction because every book has a genre. I write genre fiction; so, too, does  Jonathan Franzen.