And Now For Something Slightly Different
I'm trying a new format for these, so they're more like an actual newsletter (rather than a series of ads).
At the moment I'm doing research and plotting for the next installment of The Casefile of Jay Moriarty. Research topics so far include the Costa del Sol, Silk Road, and organized crime.
New on Ko-fi: "Jay Moriarty Ruins Everybody's Childhood," Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of "Jay Moriarty Ruins Everybody's Childhood" is now on Ko-fi and free for anyone to read. Subsequent chapters will be posted every Tuesday as supporter-only posts. You can also get the entire novelette as an ebook.
Recommendation: After the Storm
After four years of hell serving aboard the Sympatico, a dysfunctional ship with a deadly crew, all Rich wants is to prove himself worthy of an unexpected second chance. Get some sun, make some friends, maybe hook up with a cute guy and even learn to relax. But old scars, bad habits, and an insane AI aren’t going to make it easy...
After the Storm is a science fiction/erotica novel set post-climate apocalypse within a nautical commune that sails the waters of Lake Michigan. Manages to portray trauma recovery in an honest, sincere way that doesn't devolve into artificial therapy-speak, and has just enough worldbuilding to make the setting compelling without overwhelming the story. If you enjoy the more character-focused installments of Iain M. Banks' Culture series, you might like this.
This Week's Links
‘A united nations of crime’: how Marbella became a magnet for gangsters
"This was the Francoist agreement," said Antonio Romero, an author and former politician who is one of the most outspoken voices against organised crime in the region. "You, the criminals, come here to relax, don’t commit any crimes, and bring your money." And so, as the authorities turned a blind eye, Marbella became a premier destination for the global criminal elite.
Narrat: The game engine for narrative games
This bills itself as a "beginner-friendly" engine for narrative games, but I'd hesitate to call it that since easily 75% of the experienced narrative designers I know have a panic attack any time you ask them to open the command prompt. Still, it looks like something a reasonably tech-savvy designer could have some fun with.
Bad Romance: The unbearable timidity of erotic fiction
Where do these books draw their sexual charge from? I know the characters are fucking, but how? What’s their bread and butter? What’s their source of escalation? Where won’t they go? ... It’s been twelve years since Fifty Shades of Grey hit shelves, a book that at least hints at wax play and fisting: has the ascendance of 'dark romance' brought us somewhere new?
And that's all for this week. Next week: another thing like this, maybe.
-K
