Introducing Colin Gale Images

Who and what is Colin Gale Images, you may ask, and why should you care? Well, the answer's pretty straight forward.

First of, who is Colin.

He's one of my best friends, we've known each other for the better part of a decade and first met at university. He is of Ulster heritage and proud of the fact, and the only person whom I lost to a drinking game over six years ago now. Tell you what, instead of me telling you who he is, let him introduce himself and his work.

I am a New Zealander based in the beautiful South Island City of Dunedin.

My approach to photography is improvisation, using 'the rules' only when they make the shot, and having a DIY attitude. It will come as no surprise that I am self taught.

I don't have the latest gear, and I don't have endless dollars to spend on gadgets, courses, and HDR.

I strive to bring you the an image that is recognizable at the image I saw at the moment I pressed the shutter.

I believe that good photography should connect you to the place and time of the capture. It shouldn't look like something removed from reality and overly produced.

My Passion is in capturing Nature and Scenery, from Macro Shot to Wide Angle Landscapes, Innovative Urban Highlights, and honest portraits of people. I love to celebrate the amazing City in which I live.

Check him out.

Bob Mayer says it best

One of the joys of working from home is the many distractions available to me. Just as equally, another joy is being told by the boss to take the day as it comes and just relax (until January 5, 2015 that is). So, distraction it is.

As we all know, I am writer. Or more accurately, I see myself as a writer, and follow the blogs of various authors and experts to do with writing and publishing. It's what I do. It's how I roll, literally. See . . .?

That is why I don't drive a big truck...

Okay, getting off topic here.

I follow stuff to do with writing. If I am lucky, I even chat with one or two of my writing idols about such things. Anyways, one of these authors I follow is Bob Mayer and I would to link you to his latest article on his sixteen thoughts for authors in regards to publishing next year.

The thing that stands out in Bob Mayer's article is this; continue producing material that readers would love. So, excuse me while I go and do just that.

Unveiling Cover Up

Two posts in one day?

Awesome.

Following on from my last post, let me introduce to you Cover Up.

The story follows Thaddeus Akers and the crew of the GCGS Eastwind, which is part of the Colonial Guard Programme ran by the United Colonies Commission, as they unwittingly stumble into a potential discover that would alter life in the Solar System and Alpha Centauri forever.

Just to let you know, the story was written back in late 2012; about the time Nigel stopped blogging. So the writing is a little off, but I have edited it with a fine toothcomb. Really, I have. 

It's also live on Amazon, for 99 cents. 

Nameless story titled

So, not only is Nigel back posting again, but we talked for a little bit. Admittedly, it's one of those things I actually missed doing with him. We had both encouraged one another to write something more original than a character's post in a play-by-email roleplaying game. Anyway, we talked about our upcoming projects and I showed him my four drafts that I wanted to get done in 2015.

One of them was a novella, a nameless story featuring a quick romp-who-knows-what action and so forth. Well, he read it. And, he liked it. Nigel was also was nice enough to suggest that I stop polish and repolishing, and reediting the story too (and a couple of others too, but that's for another post) and just put it up on Amazon or Smashwords.

I said that I'll think about it.

So please excuse me while I stop polishing and reworking this novella.

A new update soon.

Upcoming Projects for 2015

Christmas and New Years are fast approaching, and I am grateful for that. Other than spending time with family and loved ones, next week will give me a chance to go over my writing projects I want to get stuck into in 2015 (which is about time, this year feels like I've done nothing in regards to creative writing). The most obvious are the two primary titles in my A Puppet on a String series; Enemy Within and Collateral.

Both stories are in the process of being edited and written, and am rather excited. The main character in the series, Jack Crowley, is going to be thrown into the proverbial deep end in my stories, and am looking forward if he will survive. Both stories in the series are set in and around South Africa for reasons that I will explore in another post next year.

Then there is Oranges. I must confess that Oranges is a hard one for me. It was wrtten a long time ago and yet it is a solid story, one I firmly believe you would enjoy, but it is a story that needs lots of tender loving care. Right now the story is a stand alone thing, set on Mars more or less. The final version may be different. My hopes had been to put it up on Amazon before Christmas, but that will not be doable.

Then there is another, a novella roughly 20,000 words long. I can't say anything more about the as yet untitled novella, largely because I need to go over a fine tooth comb and see where it leads. All I will say is that it was written a couple of years back and had been largely forgotten.

Until next update.

Stories for ebook lovers this coming Christmas

Would you believe that Christmas is roughly ten days from now?
Pretty scary that, wouldn't you think? Especially if no one had time to purchase presents for family and friends. Fortunately for you, I may have a solution; ebooks. They are awesome, mostly because they don't require trees being cut down. 

Here is my list, just click on the headings:

Black Donald, by Nigel Gillson

Being forced to leave your teaching job and move to a remote part of Scotland, was not Michael Cameron's ideal choice, but when his wife, Mary, was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity for success, he didn't have the heart to say no.

Then he witnesses the murder of a first year student during a satanic ritual, thrusting him into a world he does not understand or believe, ultimately culminating in his wife's disappearance.

Wracked with guilt and despair, Cameron charges to her rescue only to discover he has a much larger part to play in the colossal battle between the spiritual forces of good and evil.

Callisto Collection, by Erica Conroy

Includes the novellas, novelettes and all character interviews from this fun Science Fiction Romance series and contains science fiction, romance, aliens, blood and guts, humor, time travel, a cheeky (slutty) Duarr and genetically engineered telepathic (killer) children! No, I'm serious, Killer children.


The stories included are . . .

Adrift

Hearts will ache and heads will roll!

Stealing damning evidence from a covert ops section of Space Corps makes Jasmine a target. So what does she do? What any good undercover investigative journalist would do, she runs. Hops the first civilian
transport ship off the planet, but with the bad guys on her heels who knows how long she’ll live. A vacationing half-alien colonel who is a deft hand with a sword might just increase her odds of survival, but helping this woman could be hazardous to his health!

Taken


Respect the enemy, fear his daughter...

Peace negotiations are easy right? Not when you're learning a language composed of hisses, growls and other guttural sounds. And that's not even the tough part for recently divorced diplomat Viktor Jacobs. No, that would be matching wits with the fiercely intelligent daughter of the opposing side. Between dodging her claws, avoiding a myriad of cultural taboos, and not accidentally getting married or killed, he has to somehow make the Lyrissians see that joining the Alliance of Worlds is the best choice for all of their futures.

United

She just can't get him out of her head--literally!

The exciting conclusion to the Callisto trilogy! The mastermind behind the genetically engineered children is revealed, mothers are kidnapped, feelings are felt and shockingly Xon grows up–just a little. The only question that matters is: does the Duarr finally get the girl? You’ll have to read United to find out!

Plus: Nancy and the Caveman ~ Anari and the Future ~ Norik and His Daughter

Bonus material: All four interviews ~ Species list ~ Introduction to The Feisty Princess - Episode 1

*

Wait?

What?!

Since when did I promote romantic science fiction? Since now really, and mostly because Erica is a good writer.

Allusions of Innocence, edited by Jax Goss

Allusions of Innocence, edited by Jax Goss, is an anthology of short stories aimed at adults containing smart, precocious child protagonists. Many of the stories in the book are very dark and twisted, though they run the gamut from horror to comedy. The world of a child is not all innocence and sweetness. Children see the world differently to adults, slightly askew, somewhat less preconceived. They see the things adults have trained ourselves to miss. Their world is less explicable, more wondrous, more frightening. Here we have 18 such worlds, some funny, most dark, many creepy. Innocence has a dark side, and many of these stories will introduce you to it, sideways, sidelong, from the corner of your eye. Remember how strange the world was when you were a child? Welcome back to that world. The book contains 18 stories from 18 excellent writers.

The Number of Characters in Oranges

I posted earlier about my novelette, titled Oranges. Today is no exception, and I wanted to talk to you about

the number of characters one needs in a story.

For starters, let me be the first to admit that the original manuscript of Oranges had way too many characters to begin with.

For a story that was just on 10,000 words one requires no more than one main character, not a dozen. The more you have the problematic it gets, especially if you want to include all of them. In the first A Puppet on a String novella, I actually have one main character and a primary opposing character. But the difference is that the word count is much higher.

As I did an edit run and slight rewrite, I decided to put a focus on the senior non-commissioned officer and build up his relationship with the officer in command of the main character's unit. Jax did indicate that the reporter, seen in the original version, was also interesting. But . . . well . . . I am unsure.