Vegas Valley Book Fest Promo Card

Attention humans: I've heard reports that some of you are experiencing problems with the download promo cards I was slinging around at Vegas Valley Book Festival.

If so, let me know! I apologize for any inconvenience too.

I've notified my publisher, Samhain Publishing, to see if somewhere on the webstore a checkbox didn't get checked or something. That sort of stuff happens.

Stay tuned.

The mason

I Wonz teh Awkward Author Photo Contest

I can finally tell my mom that I'm a winner.

Wild and crazy novelist, screenwriter, blogger, and game designer, Chuck Wendig http://terribleminds.com/ had a very serious and thoughtful contest to solicit the most awkward author photos of all time (well, of at least those readers of his blog who were silly enough to enter).

Here's where he scientifically tallied the votes (complete with snazzy info-graphic)

And here's my winning entry:

Let that sink in.

...

...

...

And here's my reaction when I found out I'd won this prestigious award:

Hagrid learns he's been accepted to Hogwarts

good times.

Quick Update and some Reviewer Love

Hey kids, just a quick update:

I'll be at the American Library Association Conference this weekend hanging with Stan Lee, Lois Lowry, B.J. Novak and Jane McGonigal. (Not to mention my pal John Palisano, who literally rocks.)

I'm wrapping up the new novel and fielding beta reader notes.

My super secret writer's group, The Illiterati, will be heading out of country for our annual writer's retreat. If I email you requesting bail $, it's a scam. I'd just call you.

Last year my short story "When We Change" was published in the WHISPERS FROM THE ABYSS anthology (01Publishing) Not only has it gotten some great reviews (Take, for example this one from Innsmouth Free Press, and my story in particular gets some love from SFFWorld.Com) but the publishers are coming out with a print edition for Fall 2014. Huzzah. Stay tuned.

CHIRAL MAD 2, which features my story "Another Man's Bones" has been garnering a bunch of awards.

Also: my short novella / long long story PIERCING THE VEIL (Samhain Publishing) has been getting some nice reviews over on Amazon and elsewhere.

Dark Eva has this to say:

"[PIERCING THE VEIL] has a lot of depth and intriguing layers that highlight not only the author’s skill but also a story with substance."

Read the whole review here: http://thedarkeva.com/2014/05/17/book-review-piercing-the-veil-by-mason-bundschuh/

And Horror Novel reviews says:

A genuine story switch here, I have read quite a number of tales but this one most certainly traveled in an atypical direction. And I must say I am quite enthused with the unique qualities offered forth by Mason Ian Bundschuh. 

Read the whole review here: http://horrornovelreviews.com/2014/03/01/mason-ian-bundschuh-piercing-the-veil-review/

I'm tickled that nearly every reviewer loves to hate the protagonist, Simon. My nefarious plans have come to fruition.

And that's all the news I can think of at this moment.

Friday Funny: Best Hamburger On Earth, Evarrrrr

Have you ever asked yourself: "Self, how can I tell the difference between a burger that is weak, and one that has strength?"

Well ask no more, because Daym breaks it down for you.



There is something so magnetic and delightful about this guy's profound enjoyment of his food. I personally think more people should get this excited about what some might call "mundane" and "everyday" things.

But maybe not THIS excited...



(Unless you're also riding a dinosaur while filming this rainbow)

Scheduled Post FAIL!

Somehow I managed to NOT post the last few posts.

i'd scheduled them a few days apart... but somehow they just languished in the "drafts" folder.

Technology is great until it don't werk.

bah!

What ARE You, Strange Thing On My Porch?

I live on a hill far from the ocean in Hawaii (ok, so I live far enough away from the ocean for the purpose of my story).

So when I went outside this morning only to find these little critters in a plastic dish my daughter'd left out...

I can only ask: What ARE they?????

Land Shrimp? Baby aliens? WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

Anyone got any idea?

I Kan Spel Gud

Nothing says “amateur” more than egregious typos in your query letter. (Ok, maybe neon colored fonts and seizure-inducing backgrounds.)

It’s no secret that spelling errors are often seen as indications of a less-than-standard intelligence. There are an incredible amount of people who are too stupid to spell right. They call that texting (ooooh, snap! Just kidding.) However, there are plenty people who are cavalier about spelling.

Then there are those of us who are writers and who love words enough that we don’t want to mangle them. Or we’re doing the query slog and for once we’re paying attention to spelling.

No matter where we are on the spelling adventure (that is an ironic moment fyi) it’s also true that every single one of us has #spellingfail moments.

For some it’s certain words or grammar rules that we just never get right. I mean, I know the “I Before E” rule, but the word piece always causes a near meltdown. If I didn’t have spell check automatically correcting it… well, you’d be reading a lot of peice.

I have a copywriter friend who goes into foaming fits when she sees apostrophe misuse (its vs it’s). Others will tell you the grammar rule or handy mnemonic as if you hadn’t already tried to batter the typos to death with logic.

You can’t escape typos. You won’t remember every grammar rule, keep every homonym straight, you won’t always put hyphens in the right spot. So instead of beating yourself up, just make sure you do due diligence. (I said do due)

The short and skinny is: spell check first, but don’t stop there because spell check is not always trustworthy.

Have a person look it over who can spell (and who likely already corrects your grammar).

Any words or phrases you aren’t entirely ABSOLUTELY certain about check in a dictionary.

I recently learned I was misusing the word prevaricate. (Some of you have never even heard of that word, much less misused it.) I once got the meaning of preclude turned completely around in the crucial argument of a term paper.

And lastly: READ. Read a lot. (not alot, which according to Allie Brosh is a gentle creature who is much maligned by people.)

Immerse yourself in words spelled and used correctly and you’ll start correcting your typos automatically. Except peice. Piece. Crap.