Enjoy your day, friends... blessings to you and yours. No matter what, treat yourself well!

Mood: Restful
Listening to: Wynona's Big Brown Beaver... Don't ask XD
Reading: All You Need is Kill Hiroshi Sakurazaka
Watching: Nightflyers
Playing: Monster Hunter World
Eating: Cookie the size of a dinner plate
Drinking: Diet Cherry 7-Up

Happy holidays, everyone. Blessings to you and yours. I hope you get some peace and solace, and many successes in the new year. I'm pretty much eager to see the end of 2018 - it's been a rough one. But there's been successes as well, so that's what I'm going to focus on and hope for in 2019.

I've apparently fallen down a rabbit hole of anime and manga, though. Unfortunately, already ripped through most of them and now waiting for their sequels in February. Anyone got any good suggestions for me to curl up with over the brief days I actually get off?

Miss and love you all.

Happy Annual Turkey Slaughter Day, everyone. Remember to do your part for the cause and keep these foul fowl in check

Blessings to you and yours.

Mood: Encouraged
Listening to: I'm Yours Forever
Reading: The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars
Watching: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime ... Embrace the WTFness
Playing: Yomawari: Midnight Shadows... 'cause I apparently long for a cardiac arrest
Eating: Big ass bowl o'pho soup
Drinking: Coffee duh!

Hey everyone,

Hope you're doing well. It's November (holy crap) and I'm embarking on another National Novel Writing Month - 'cause, I'm stupid and that's how I roll. Tonight will be spent playing around with which idea I'm going to chase to its conclusion, be it dieselpunk, steammechs, dragonsouls, werewolves, or cosmic horrors. Or maybe all of the above. With any luck, my editing/writing jobs won't rear their ugly heads, as my clients are off at gaming conventions.

I'm in a weird headspace, though. Been reading and watching a boatload of mangas and anime of late, including Though You May Burn to Ash by Katashi Oniyazu. Do not allow the half-naked angel with the out-thrust bum on the cover fool you, however. This book is some serious psychological nightmare fuel... and I'm desperately waiting until February for the next release. But it got me thinking about flipping standard conventions on their head and wanting to go back to my horror roots. Add to that, my horror projects got published and getting some solid reviews. Even did an interview! O.O Maybe the blood and screams and shadows is where I belong LOL

Anyway, hope at least some of you are doing NaNoWriMo! Good luck to you. And to those who aren't, much love and inspiration as well. I think our world needs some inspiring these days.

Thanks to everyone who sent well-wishes and concerns to me and mine. I deeply appreciate it. Things are on the mend here. It'll be rough going, but we'll pull through. Just going to take time and a lot of work, I'm sure. I deleted the last journal just to not worry more people.

Been out of work for nearly a week, so going be playing catch up (plus I'm behind on a writing project). So, give me some time to write back

Do me a favor and hug your loved ones and yourself!

Cheers,

Mood: Exhausted
Listening to: 24/7 Lofi Hip/Hop Radio
Reading: The Ancient Magus' Bride by Kore Yamazaki
Watching: In Another World With My Smartphone ... don't judge me!
Playing: Valkyria Chronicles 4 demo
Eating: Big E's Deli Burger
Drinking: Coffee.... so much coffee

So, I've been asked by a couple of people if I'm alright, so thought I'd do an update. Yes, I'm doing okay I've just been wrapped up in several projects for role-playing games, as well as beginning to study for my management certification at work. I'm also spending this brief lull around GenCon to begin working on my own anime-inspired RPG, as well as hone a few short stories for publication. Oh... and taking care of family. I'm not joking when I say I get maaaaaybe three hours of sleep a night? XD So, sorry that I've been quiet of late.

I'm supposed to take at least 35+ hours of vacation before the end of August or I lose them - you can't have more than 350 hours where I work. So, I'll try to say hello more! May even try to draw Quill myself, as I'm currently entering a deep-state of otaku frenzy... Valkyria Chronicles 4 is coming. The first game is still (and probably always will be) in my top three games of ALL time. So, I've been tempted to start drawing my characters in full Gallian Militia uniforms. This could go very, very badly XD

I hope you're all well and surviving the heat. Blessing to all of you. I'm rushing home to play the VC4 demo.. and stock up on tissues, 'cause I'm already tearing up from the flippin' music.

So, Quill survived into the final round of the Battle Royale. I rather like the result (and still hilarious seeing the Gas-Masked Quill XD )

The final battle has commenced, so feel free to check it out and lend your support! I have sink suspicion no matter the result, Quill's still going to end up as Chess' new toy :lol:

In other news, I'm pretty much going from writing project to writing project. Cosmic horror to steampunk heists. It's fun, but sleep is officially long forgotten :P Wish I could take Golden Week off and just veg out with some Ni No Kuni or the like. Ah well, no rest for the wicked.

Hugs and snugs to you all!

Mood: Crushed
Listening to: Resurrection AKA FU - Daria Cohen
Watching: The Terror (Holy crap is this good!)
Playing: Nin No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom
Eating: Breakfast burrito
Drinking: Cheetah Butt coffee

...but I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine XD Or, at least, steampunk chic. (Gas-mask Quill is sorta hot <3)

So, Round Two of the Battle Royale ended in a tie. Thanks for your votes Fun was had by all. And I have a pillow girl! So, yay...

Round Three has begun, so feel free to check it out. Things are getting down to the wire.

On a personal note, I'm pretty much the walking dead... busy with more RPG writing, including a full-length book. Love the work, but it's seriously cutting into my Ni No Kuni 2 time :( ;) But did see the layout for one of my projects in Europe... holy crap! The art is sooooo gorgeous (and deliciously grotesque). Amazing to seeing someone take your words and turn them into something beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful, I saw Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset. That is one pretty game. And heartbreaking, 'cause I cannot (must not) play it. Something like that would consume my life :P Anyone else play it?

Anyway, back to the grind... and the battle XD

YAY! So I won my first round in  chesshire88's Battle Royale... and gotten a new pair of stockings to boot

On to Round 2. Hopefully, I won't be pressing my luck this time. There's some pretty serious competition

Hope everyone is well.

Yep, I'm packing my bags today...

Goldpaw is one of the many locations in the new game, Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom. And any furry worth their salt should be playing this magnificent game, if only for the glorious NPCs - seriously, I've spent far too much time simply chatting with and photographing all the 'dog' people in Goldpaw XD The kids are the cutest thing EVAR *sigh* I wish I could draw, because I'd be doing so much fan-art it'd be ridiculous.

In other news, I'm involved in the Transformation Battle Royale... so hopefully I won't end up as something horribly embarrassing. XD

Anyway, need to get back to the grind (ghosts and steampunk cannibals tonight). Need to pay for the obscene amount of Ni No Kuni 2 swag I'm going to end up buying

Loves ya all!

Mood: Inspired
Listening to: Monster - Starset
Reading: by Alex Wells
Watching: Channel Zero- Butcher's Block
Playing: Grand Kingdom
Eating: Breakfast burrito
Drinking: Butter scotch latte

~emerges from her hole of freelance... and promptly gets dragged back into the darkness~ Actually, it's not that bad... just finishing up edits on a beta and then finally freedom!!! :lol:

And what shall I do with that freedom? Well, here's my current inspiration... Been looping this for way too long Seriously, it's like someone plucked images right out of my head and put them to kickass music If that's not a sign to get off my tail and start working on MY stuff, I don't know what is lol

But in the meantime, I need a favor from you guys - especially you roleplayers out there. What sort of RPGs are you looking for these days? Any themes/settings/etc you'd like to see? Do you prefer complex systems or rules-lite? Campaigns or one-shots?

... they drag me back in.

It's like a trifecta of awesome: Cat-girl, Mech, and Lolita.

Well played, Blizzard. Well played.

How the $#%^ am I supposed to get any work done when my Main now has cat ears... seriously, HOW?!

... now to save money for Quill/Dva cosplay art... like TONS of art :P

Mood: Toe-tappin'
Listening to: Fire by Barns Countney... truly flawless
Reading: Kwaidan: Japanese Ghost Stories
Watching: Happy! I didn't know I needed this glorious WTFness in my life
Playing: Dark Souls 3
Eating: Pork Ramen
Drinking: Bailey's coffee

Merry Xmas! Hope you all have a lovely holiday! I'll be spending most of it watching K-Horror, playing Amnesia, and writing about undead ballet dancers. Yeah... my Xmas traditions are a little different than most. But, I will have turkey, so I guess that counts?

Blessings to you and yours... and see you in the New Year!

Mood: Woozy
Listening to: The Tea Party - Sister Awake
Reading: Hunger Makes The Wolf by Alex Wells
Watching: Preacher
Playing: Dying Light
Eating: Pretzels
Drinking: Tanzanian coffee

I've been trying to keep up with video games of late, as I want to start writing about them. Interestingly, I've noticed a growing number of games with furry-characters. I think Armello may have started a new tend because I keep seeing main characters with fluffy ears. The obvious (and my most anticipated) is Ni No Kuni 2 - which continues to blow me out of my shoes with its awesomeness.

Today, they've announced Biomutant, which looks quite interesting... I mean, seriously, that's a sword-wielding furry driving a 'mech! With zeppelins. And mechanical crickets. Sold!

Then you have the Russian Revolution... with furries AKA Tooth and Tail I suck horribly at RTS games, but this classic-style game has caught my attention.

Last year, we had Stories: Path of Destiny... which I really need to try (got it for free as a PS Plus subscriber).

There's a couple more I'm missing, but dang... tons of furry ears to be had! I like this trend, and wholheartedly support it Gives me inspiration to finally write and publish my tabletop furry game.

Now just to finish my editing... so close, yet so far.

Anyway, hope you all are doing well... and look for me on Absolver next week, 'cause that's where I'll be when I'm not sleeping and working XD I'll be the green-haired one kickin' your butt


EDIT: So, Biomutant pretty much blew up the Internet at Gamecon with Gun-fu, ninja rabbits, mutant fungus, and WTF-is-Thats? Let the fan-art deluge begin XD

..But I can sure see it from here.

Sorry for the quiet, but I've been dealing with some serious issues this last week. The new handicap shower for my spouse flooded the house. So, while this would be something horrific under normal circumstances, it has been downright hellish for us.

Fortunately, (I use the term lightly), I had to go get water for my SO at 1AM, and walked into the pool that was my kitchen... so caught the leak within 30 minutes of its arrival. Was able to save most of my things, so now just dealing with the fallout.. and still down one shower :P

Yeah... so if you don't hear from me for awhile, that's why... I have over a week of work to catch up on AND freelance (200K+ words of editing). At least I ate for the first time yesterday. Count your blessings, sought XD

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

*cough, cough* Uhhh... sorry about that Sooooo, I'll be booking off November, I think XD

And here was another little treat from E3. Seriously... Mouse Guard meets Studio Ghibli and her name is QUILL! How can I not buy that?

... well, back to work on editing RPGs

Mood: Relieved
Listening to: Persona 5 OST... Can't stop listening!
Reading: Hunger Makes The Wolf by Alex Wells
Watching: Attack on Titan (2nd season)
Playing: The Witcher 3
Eating: Noodles with roast beef
Drinking: Hazelnut coffee

Good lord, what a month! After 140,000+ words of editing, traveling for 19-hour days, work, and more work at home, I think I can breath a little. Sorry that I've been so quiet, but...see above XD Hoping to respond to notes/emails/etc over the next few days. Also may get some new art - or do some of my own (not likely, heh). Otherwise, I need sleep lol

Hope you are all well. I suspect some of you are on summer vacation (lucky buggers), so enjoy yourselves!

So, after ten years of waiting, Persona 5 is finally here. And good lord... was it totally worth the wait.

I've been playing video games since the late '70s (yes, we had electronics back then :P ), and already P5 will forever rank in my Top Five favorites. And I've barely played it!

It's slick, it's gorgeous, it's deep, it's dark, it's hilarious, and most of all - the writing is off the flippin' charts. The characters are amazing and real - and I've only encountered the first few. Plus, how can you go wrong with a gender-confused cat-thing/mentor? I haven't spent this much time laughing, squeeeing, and gasping in awe at a tv-screen in forever - not to mention screaming strings of obscenities (seriously, the first villain needs to DIE-DIE-DIE!)

If you can, go get this immediately! If you've never played a Persona game, don't worry - there's no need to know the series. You. Will. Love. This. Game! Did I mention there's a gender-confused cat? XD

Anyway, I hope you're all well. I'm slogging through work and freelance, desperately yearning for some free time (for obvious reasons). Now to go back and bang my head again the dull reality of work... WAH!

Sayōnara!

Mood: Groovy
Listening to: Caravan Palace... Electronic Swing? Where have you been all my life?!
Reading: The Complaints Ian Rankin
Watching: The Expanse
Playing: Overwatch... WAY too much, thereof
Eating: Chicken soup
Drinking: Hazelnut coffee

So, saw the new teaser trailer. Personally, I like the new...umm... tone

Okay, maybe it's wishful thinking on my part. But damn, I can't stop playing that video heh heh Probably driving the office crazy.

So, happy Single's Awareness Day everyone! Hope you're all well. I'm in a good mood. Finished most of my projects - effectively - and trying to drum up new ones. Spending ~way~ too much time playing Overwatch, though. Mastering Mei... 'cause chubby heroes rule. And Fallout 4. Man, that's one slice of awesome. Mostly, I'm trying to focus on the positive and push through 2017.

Hugs to all!

Mood: Mildly optimistic
Listening to: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided OST
Reading: Metro 2033
Watching: Not a hell of alot :P
Playing: Fallout 4
Eating: Chocolate truffles
Drinking: Hazelnut coffee

It's a new year... although it feels much like the last one, thus far. Finished most of my writing assignments, so will try to be around more. I've got plenty o'messages to respond to. So, I'll get to those shortly <3

Otherwise, I'm hoping to spend the year working on new projects...maybe even something here, if given the chance. I'm missing my fuzzy/scaly/feathery friends :(

Hope you're all doing well and blessings to you and yours!

Mood: Soul-crushingly exhausted
Listening to: Fields of the Nephilim Sumerland
Reading: The Constantine Affliction... Steampunk murder, clockwork prostitutes, and transgender plagues? Yes, please XD
Watching: Dr. Who Marathon
Playing: Rogue Legacy... 'cause who doesn't want to play a paladin with vertigo and irritable bowel syndrome?
Eating: Ramen noodles
Drinking: Cherry coke zero

Well, another year done and gone - thank god. Hopefully, all of you will be settling down over the next week... gorging on the holiday Meat-beast, opening presents, and reuniting with family you can't stand. Me? I'll be working through the entire holiday and well into the next year. Absolutely floored by how much writing and editing I need to do. But hey, it's a semi-living, right? Plus ninjas... everything is better with ninjas.

At least, I got to see Rogue One in the theatre. If you haven't done so already (and even if you have), go and see it... now. I still remember the magic I felt watching Star Wars opening day, back in '77 (yep, I'm that old). Rogue One filled me with the same elation and wonderment. Plus, I was probably the only one in the theatre laughing my ass off at all the Easter Eggs. If I have one complaint it's that it ended too soon - which is shocking for a movie over 2 hours long. I wanted to hang out with those characters more.

Anyway, blessing to you and yours. I'll be in and out when I can. I owe some writing critiques and emails, so will try to get those done when I'm not up to my eyeballs in editing

I'll see in the New Year... 2017... gods, 2017, please don't be the barbed-wire enema that 2016 was.

Love you all!

~ EN

So, Quill is in a commercial for a child-friendly, evil corporation XD

Definitely better than when she actually was the 'product'

Totally wasn't expecting to be a guest star, but loving it... Little Quill is a cutey XD did a fantastic job.

Mood: Vaguely sophistic, teetering on optimistic
Listening to: Enjoy The Silence by KI Theory
Reading: The Hearts Filthy Lesson by David Bowie
Watching: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Playing: Don't Starve... 'cause I may need the skills soon
Eating: Oreo thins
Drinking: Rum & ginger

As the Great Turkey Slaughter approaches, I've been preparing by drinking, writing, and listening to the Seven OST pretty much nonstop. I'm truly done with 2016 - the historical equivalent to anal warts. Twenty-seventeen can't get here fast enough. Even so, things continue to look up, as more writing and editing jobs begin to surface. Looking forward to sinking my teeth into them. I'm also play-testing again - which is fun in its own agonizing way.

The one interesting benefit of doing research into RPG-companies, especially in Europe, is witnessing how the field has changed. No longer are tabletop games something thrown together with twigs and twine, but seriously high-class productions. Ran across DEGENESIS yesterday, for example. It has a trailer... a %#^&ing TRAILER! And not just one, but two. For the record, the game itself is beautiful in its grotesquerie (although, we'll have to see if the rules work). So, I'm truly excited to be working in the field again over the next year - and beyond.

One thing I'm definitely learning though is the Time is finite. And, damn, there is so little of it. Between work, freelance, reading, researching, and building my business (not to mention full-time care-taking), I am strapped XD I'd love to relax more, but honestly... playing Dark Souls and mucking about isn't gonna help me reach my deadlines. Great rewards come to those who make great sacrifices. And it's never too late to make your dreams happen. Take it from this grizzled, old kirin XD

So, what dreams do you have for 2017? And what sacrifices are you planning to make to achieve them - if any?

Sidenote: I've been into cyberpunk since the early 80s, so I've been skeptical about the upcoming Ghost in the Shell. But, holy crap, the trailer definitely instilled me with some hope. Definitely inspired me to go back through my embarrassingly huge slushpile of awful cyberpunk and see if something could be revived XD

Mood: Smothered in creepypasta
Listening to: Nightmare Music
Reading: Coldest Girl in Cold Town by Holly Black
Watching: Channel Zero
Playing: Elder Scrolls: Skyrim... when will this thing END?!
Eating: Cheese plate w/chips
Drinking: Coffee... For your protection

Update: So, another good news/bad news. The publisher loved my sample article so much that they want me to expand it (and will pay money for it)... YAY! But that means between work, life, and writing, I'm going back into the dark hole for awhile... Boo! I'll try to reply to +notes and the like as soon as I can. I swear, when it rains, it pours.

In the meantime, enjoy this high quality programming Seriously though...Bad Japan, BAD! You should be ashamed of yourself. *munches on popcorn*

Actually, what I'm really watching is too much Channel Zero and listening to far too much NoSleep for inspiration. So wonderful to be back in the horror genre. Looks like this month and those to follow will be filled with screams and shadows WOOT! Fingers crossed that I'll be working on some Cthulhu-based material next SQUEEEEEEEE! Wish me luck!

If you don't see me over the next while, don't worry... I'm watching you from inside your closet

Mood: Coffee Buzz
Listening to: Every Silent Hill Song
Reading: The Monstrous
Watching: The Strain (season 3)
Playing: This War of Mine... because apparently, I wasn't depressed enough :P
Eating: ~Real~ Ramen... not the packaged crap
Drinking: Coffee... Duh!

October is here! My favorite month, finally. Fall temperatures, salted caramel frappuccinos, and horror movies all day/every day. I already have my Halloween stuff up in my office XD It's also my New Year - those of you in the know understand - so time to make new resolutions. And the office will just need to deal with me playing the NoSleep Podcast and my All-Hallow's Mix every minute of the workday (...Must be the season of the witch...).

My articles are out, game books are coming shortly, and more work on the horizon. Editing a full book, writing another, and hopefully a few more articles. I may even throw my lot into the Dungeon Masters Guild - which seems to be taking off like gangbusters. So, I'll be a busy, little kirin tail deep in grotesqueries and night-terrors. But I loves you all, no matter how flaky and quiet I am. It's wonderful actually ~wanting~ to work until I drop, rather than dreading it.

Tonight, I think I'll be watching a few horror movies... need to finally see Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.

You have any plans for this delicious month? Any favorite horror movies or books?