Omachuck: Blog

On March 13, 2016 I posted the first fiction I had ever written - I was sixty-nine. If history proves to be a predictor, on my 10th anniversary, my 19 stories will have been downloaded 900,000 times. Holy moley! More relevant, almost 18,500 of you folks have taken the time to rate them. I'm not entirely sure what the statistics really mean, but you have made me proud.

I do have a Damsels in Distress tale in the works - but it has been and continues to be slow going. My characters keep telling me 'stuff'. I don't work from an outline, and I seldom know what is going to pop out as I write. I can tell you that the story spends a lot of time with the main character, the 'Damsel', and her acquired companions. Her 'Hero' is a matador.

In a few hours, my wife of over 50 years and I will fly out for a cruise beginning in Tahiti - a place I've wanted to see since reading Michener's Tales of the South Pacific and Hawaii back in the summer months when I was a college student working as a lifeguard. When I return home, I'll let you if reality matches my imagination.

So my thanks to you all who have made my typing worth the time.

Many early Swarm Cycle stories disappeared when ASSTR went down. It appears someone is trying to restore the site. At least some of the database is still there - but it isn't easily searchable. I'd like to see the remainder of the Cycle's early stories ported here, much like Laz is doing from Gina Marie Wylie's now defunct Far Horizons site.

BUT - until that happens, for a time, you can read or download Thinking Horndog's ASSTR Swarm Cycle page and read all the old stories at: https://www.asstr at org/~Thinkers_tales/Stories/The_Swarm/Swarm_main.html Hurry, this is like a mirage that comes and goes.

On another note, the long awaited revival of the Swarm Author Group mailing list is now in progress via Google Groups. Over 20 authors, editors, and interested observers have joined and more to come. The invites-by-mail isn't working for us and neither is our ability to add someone unless they request it.

If you are interested in joining the group, even as a lurker, please go to https://groups.google.com/g/swarm-authors and ask to join. Either Quantum Mechanic or I will approve the request. Frankly, I like this method, as it keeps the group SPAM free and pretty much on topic.

Cheers!

Quantum Mechanic has triggered 49 invitations to the mailing list. If you did not receive an invitation and want to join, let him (or me) know. You can set the list to forward each email as it occurs or to send you a daily digest.

Wishing you all a very happy, productive, and successful New Year.

AND some very good news: Quantum Mechanic volunteered to manage the Swarm authors’ discussion list – a project I never got going. Those of you who let me know you’d like to be included, those we still have addresses from the old list, and new authors of Swarm stories – will soon receive an invite to the new Swarm Google Groups. If you don’t get an invite within a few days, or are new to the idea and want to be included, let me or QM know.

Again my best wishes to you.

Oh, woe is me! My weekly downloads dropped below 400...

Normally I average 500/week, even when I'm not currently writing/posting. Indulge me while I whimper a little and assure you that there really is a DiD story in the works. A glass of VSOP brandy might soothe the pain. We'll see...