What helps you concentrate? Do you need absolute silence? Do you prefer the soft buzz of static and other white noise? Do you like being in a crowded coffee shop or tavern? Or do you need some kind of music to tickle the ears while you write, study, or tackle a work project?
For me, it depends. When I’m writing, I prefer video game music that easily loops and becomes background noise. If it’s an action sequence, I almost always fall back on a ten-hour loop of the battle theme from the Final Fantasy VII Remake. If it’s a slower-paced scene or one where the characters are on the move (but not fighting), I’ll pick town or field music that’s appropriate to the setting and let it play on repeat. I’ll only allow vocals into the writing mix if I’m actively brainstorming a scene or a character concept. Otherwise I end up focusing too much on the lyrics rather than the writing itself.
For the day job, I prefer the kind of video game streams my daughter loves (Noticing a trend here?) and spends a lot of time listening to throughout the day. And again, it’s the kind of stuff that helps me focus. I spent countless hours as a kid playing through role-playing games filled with seamlessly looping background music. Some of it great, some of it not-so-great. But it all played enough that it would just become noise after a point.
As for reading… Hmm. I don’t think I tend to listen to music while reading. I get too absorbed into the story, so much that I don’t hear much going on around me at all, music or otherwise. If it’s a good enough tale, very little’s going to distract me from it.
And speaking of reading, we hope you have an appetite for short stories. Because that’s what’s on the menu for the coming weeks!
Thirteen Stories of Horror is available for pre-order!
We’re proud to publish an anthology edited by Nick Steverson and Marisa Wolf. Titled Thirteen Stories of Horror, it’s what you expect from the title: tales of darkness and mayhem, the kind of stuff that tingles the spine, chills you to the bone, and has to reaching for the nearest pistol or Crucifix (or both!) with the next creak or groan of the house. Featuring stories by Steve Diamond, D.J. Butler, Kacey Ezell, Mark Wandrey, Christopher Woods, and Kevin Ikenberry!
Thirteen tales of Horror, perfect for a dark and stormy Friday the 13th…or a sunny Tuesday afternoon.
From science fiction to classic European horror, interwoven with layers of creep factor, gore, and mystery that will keep you turning the page…while looking over your shoulder.
So, light the candles, stir the cauldron, and check your ammo count, because things are about to get dark!
Available for pre-order on Amazon! Purchase now and be ready when it drops October 13th!
It Came From the Trailer Park Volume 3 is on the way!
The final selections have been made, the cover art is ready, and the contracts have been sent out! In just a few short weeks, you’ll have this in your hands in time for Halloween. Got to have something to read while you’re waiting for the trick or treaters, right? Then look no further than It Came From the Trailer Park 3!
And if that isn’t enough, Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available right now on Amazon!
Tales of the Apocalypse is coming soon!
The next in the William Joseph Roberts Presents line of anthologies is almost here! Tales of the Apocalypse promises post-apocalyptic tales of adventure, and it delivers! Edited by Alyssa Casto and featuring a story from Robert Silverberg, you won’t want to miss this when it drops!
Something for the Mil Sci-Fi fans out there!
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: Tales of Future Combat and Mechanized Warfare is almost complete. Edited by Mark Greene, with an opening essay by David Drake, there’s something for everyone who loves military-themed adventures in the far-flung reaches of the universe. Featuring stories J.F. Holmes, Rick Partlow, Kevin Ikenberry, and more!
L.N. Hunter featured on the Blasters and Blades Podcast!
Last but certainly not least, L.N. Hunter was on the latest episode of the Blasters and Blades Podcast! Come and meet the writer of The Feather and the Lamp and see what the magic is all about!
And check out the novel here, available on Amazon!
