Tell Me About Your Odyssey (and get Lucifer's)

With the release of Lucifer's Odyssey, readers get a chance to follow the Crown Prince of Chaos across the multiverse--from Earth to Chaos, the Goblin Realm, and even part of a primal pattern (a projector of universes). His journey may cover trillions of light years and hundreds of pages, but he's also a fictional character. Let's get real for a minute.

I want to hear more about your life journey. Make me laugh. Make me cry. Make me want to reach out and give you a hug or a high five. And feel free to embellish if you like (i.e. make it all up if you want to spin a thick yarn on us!)

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Contest

Top 5 odysseys get signed paperback copies of Lucifer's Odyssey (U.S. mailing addresses only) or an eBook version in the format of your choice (MOBI, EPUB, or PDF). Additionally, I'm throwing in Pink Snowbunnies Ski in Hell, a charity anthology that features one of my flash fictions.

No purchase of any kind is necessary. Here's all you need to do:

1.) Reply to this post with a comment detailing your odyssey. It can be two sentences. It can be hundreds.
2.) Indicate in your post what your email address is so I can contact you in case you are a winner. You can also send me an email at rexjameson@gmail.com, if you would rather not leave your email address on this public website.
3.) Your odyssey must be less than or equal to 1,000 words. This is how much space we had available to tell our story in the Pink Snowbunnies Ski in Hell anthology and is about 4 pages worth of possibilities. Good luck!

Like one of the odysseys posted here? Then leave a comment and vote for it! Have fun, be creative, and win yourself a copy of my book and a great anthology for charity!

Contest ends September 10th!!

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Embellished Example:

I was born in Alabama. I didn't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of, but my mom Francis, brother Steve, sister Jackie and I had each other. We vagabonded around the Huntsville area, moving from home-to-home until I was eleven years old. That's when my mother formed a plan--not a particularly bright plan but a framework to temporary riches nonetheless.

She and my step father robbed five banks in the family van and clown suits, and they might have gotten away with it if they had been remarkably smarter. When the cops showed up at our door, Steve, Jackie, and I had no idea what was going on, but we were pretty sure it wasn't good. My younger siblings and I ogled Huntsville through the striped back window of a cop car as we were carried north to our father's house in Tennessee.

Somewhere along the way, we were told what our mother had done, but we didn't dwell on it. I dove into my books and theories, and my brother and sister started building friendships in elementary school. We adjusted well, all things considered, and I graduated in the top 25 of my class. I packed up my belongings and got ready to enroll in college, but I soon got a surprise from the financial aid office. Apparently, according to the IRS, I was a female.

At first blush, the perks seemed overwhelming. I was rooming with a hot, smart girl and the dorm featured community showers. Unfortunately, it also meant that I was being audited and ineligible for financial aid, and my girlfriend was absolutely livid about the possibility of me rooming with a hot, smart girl.

I convinced the ladies in administration that I wasn't a female but was never issued a male parking pass, which resulted in some amusing traffic court cases. After a year of trying to pay for college with a full time job waiting tables, I decided to take up an offer that some researchers had presented me with through college channels and dropped out of school.

The new job was located in the tropical paradise of St. Cloud, MN. 9 months of winter and wind chills frequenting the negative thirty range. Oh, and the Fargo accents that they swore they didn't have!

The terrorist attacks happened shortly after we started our company, and the market for our research was practically obliterated. We stumbled along for another three years, I got married, and then I got out of the four digit salary (you read that correctly).

We moved back to Tennessee, I went back to college as a card-carrying man this time and actually received financial aid. Woo hoo! It's like Christmas! Then I got divorced, earned three degrees, and met my fiancee at a charity strip poker game for graduate students and senior citizens on Halloween.

So, my Odyssey took me from Alabama to Tennessee, Minnesota, and back to Tennessee. Where has your journey taken you?

P.S. Remember, embellished.

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Release Date Set

My editor and I are in the final stages of our substantive edit, and we've managed to set a date for the release of my debut novel Lucifer's Odyssey on September 1, 2011. We hope to have advanced copies sent to book reviewers on August 14th at the latest. If you are a book reviewer for speculative fiction or independent authors, please send me an email at rexjameson@gmail.com, and we will add you to the reviewer list for the early copies.

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Title: Lucifer's Odyssey
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Series: Primal Patterns
Release: 09/01/2011
Word count: 84,000
Cover:

Abstract:

Lucifer languishes in an earthly prison, awaiting the apocalypse that will finally free him after 200,000 years. Before breaking loose, he discovers that the armageddom he set in motion will destroy the capital of Chaos, his home universe.

He travels back to Chaos and stumbles upon a bloody civil war devastating his homeland. The realm’s magic wielders are firmly under the control of a rival clan, and without their protection, Lucifer's family is in mortal peril. As old demon clan rivalries blossom and a new hostile universe expands across the known multiverse, Lucifer is faced with not only protecting Chaos from annihilation but also saving his rightful place on the throne.

Chapters (1-3): MOBI | EPUB | PDF

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This is an extremely exciting time, and I couldn't have gotten here without the support of so many great friends, family, and the great folks at the Kindleboards. Be sure to check back here every week or so, as I plan on having contests for autographed paperbacks. Also, be sure to check out the Pink Snowbunnies in Hell anthology, which should be coming out August 15, 2011, and features one of my flash fictions Don't Mess with the Meadow.

I got in!

So, my flash fiction "Don't Mess with the Meadow" made it into the Pink Snowbunnies in Hell Flash Fiction Anthology, and I'm totally stoked at my very first publication anywhere! What you may not have known was that Jeanne Miller and I also worked on a flash fiction together and it unfortunately did not make it in.

Thanks so much for working with me, Jeanne. It was a pleasure talking and working with you, and I hope we can figure out a way to collaborate on something again in the future. I've included our rejected flash fiction below, along with Jeanne Miller's website.

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Always Bring References

Jeanne Miller (Web: http://www.thepetmedium.com) and Rex Jameson

“A snowbunny that is afraid of the cold and wants to ski in hell? You can’t be serious… Mr. Snuggles, we don’t give job openings to just anyone…”

Alex fumed at the devil’s disciple across a vast expanse of desk between them, but his interviewer was implacable and unyielding.  There were a lot of choice curse words that fought against his lips, but Alex breathed deeply, closed his eyes, and pressed harder. This wasn’t the time to blow up. He had waited for this interview his whole life.

“You think I like these long ears, man? This fluffy tail? No, they’re ridiculous. Was it my fault I was born pink, cute, and fuzzy? No, Derrick, it’s not.  I’ve tried hair coloring and tattoos, but people just think I’m even more adorable. And why would I make up that I suffer from frigophobia? It’s in my file.”

Alex readjusted himself and moved his white tail through a slit in the back of his cushioned chair. “I have always belonged here, but I know how this looks. I understand there are no free lunches in Hell, and I have to pull my weight. That’s why I’ve brought references!”

He slammed three newspapers down and slid them across the long desk.

The disciple pulled the stack of papers slowly across the remainder of the glossed surface and read them aloud.

“Las Vegas Chronicle:  Three people were killed today as they stumbled through traffic to rescue a rabbit stranded on the highway.  Onlookers reported that the pink bunny looked frightened and frozen in shock.  At least one mammal expert contends that the hare may have been a rare breed.  Consequently, some local residents are praising the deceased as martyrs for endangered animals.  Others are calling the loss of life a terrible waste.”

Derrick looked up at Alex, but he didn’t make any remarks about the article. Alex nervously thumped his paw against the floor but stopped after Derrick raised his black eyebrows and chuckled.

“Sorry.”

“Houston Journal:  Was a crazed, suicidal bunny really the cause of a freak accident today on Highway 36?  Two SUVs slammed head first into each other, and eight people lost their lives after a pink animal ran in front of a vehicle, causing the driver to swerve into oncoming traffic.  Experts believe the events leading up to this head-on collision may be the first example of video evidence showing a rare snowbunny grabbing onto an automobile’s windshield wipers with its teeth and screaming obscenities into the cab of the car. Not everyone is impressed with the Youtube video, however. Representatives on both sides of the aisle are calling for an early opening to rabbit season this year.”

The disciple soberly gazed up at Alex. He didn’t seem impressed.

“There’s more,” Alex promised. “Keep reading!”

Derrick unfolded the next paper.

“Bangor Maine Today:  Terrible news today for friends and loved ones flying American Airlines. Flight 733 crashed today while making an emergency landing in Bangor.  Of the 156 passengers onboard, 155 died on impact.  The lone survivor, copilot John Metzger, is listed in critical condition.  Police are still questioning the man concerning the conditions of the plane before the accident occurred, but he appears to have suffered severe brain trauma. An unidentified source inside the TSA has disclosed to Bangor Maine Today that Mr. Metzger adamantly claims a pink rabbit leapt into the cockpit and bit both pilots in the neck.”

Alex leaned forward on the table and hoped against hope. His big brown eyes pleaded with his interviewer. If this didn’t qualify him, then what would? Derrick put down the paper, smiled and wiped a tear from his eye. 

“My boss and I are very familiar with your work, Alex. We’ve actually been watching you for quite some time.  You’ll be happy to know that we preapproved all of your requests months ago.  Special accommodations for frigophobia issues? Not a problem. It’s always warm here.  A ski slope? We’ve never approved something like that, but we purchased the snow machines from a local rental company three weeks ago in anticipation of your application.”

“Since my Las Vegas killing spree?”

Derrick nodded. “Welcome to Hell.  You’ve earned it.”

Alex’s mouth quivered as he stood up and hopped around the table. “You won’t regret this, sir. You won’t regret this.”

Derrick grabbed two pairs of ski goggles, pulled the straps of one of them around his head, and passed the other to Alex, who was in tears.

“Alex, you know there is no crying in Hell—not for employees, anyway.”

“I’m just so happy…” Alex said laughing and rubbing his eyes.

“Well, you’re in for another treat, my friend. We’ve lined the ski course with new arrivals from PETA and some improvised explosive devices. You think you’re up for it?”

“Derrick, I was born for this…”

Progress Updates

We're wrapping up the 12th chapter soon for Lucifer's Odyssey in the redraft, and the story is looking great. I have put the first three chapters up on the Novels page, so if you are wanting a sneak peak at what is in store, feel free to check it out. We're thinking this first book will be out by September, now, instead of my initial projected dates. Sorry for the delay.

I did a collaboration on a flash fiction with Jeanne Miller for a second entry into the Pink Snowbunnies in Hell Flash Fiction anthology. We'll see if either of my two submissions make it into the collection. If not, I'll be sure to link them on the blog so others can read them.

No changes have been made to Dead Winter, and that one will need redrafting as well. Depending on reader wishes, I may push that one back quite a bit and focus on a 2nd Primal Patterns book instead.