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Tales From The Grim Reader, Vol. 1 – Dry Spell

I’m excited for Scott, and a little envious. He’s an author and podcaster (sound familiar?) who today released Dry Spell, a short story from his horror anthology, Tales From The Grim Reader, Volume 1, as part of his Omniverse podcast. I was fortunate enough to read for Scott, which is why I’m bringing it up now; shameless self-promotion.

I’ve done readings previously and found out that I enjoy the work … a lot. It’s times like these when I begin to wonder why I left radio in the first place. Then I remember the paychecks and my recollection kicks right back in – I had to eat.

Don’t get me wrong, voice work is a lot of fun. Full blown audio productions even more so! They also take significantly more work. So, unless you are Peter Cullen, Kevin Conroy, James Earl Jones, or Michael Dorn, you aren’t going to make a great deal of money doing this; you do it because you love it. (Yes, I know I left out scads of great voice talent. Chalk it up to the limitations of my incredibly bald head.)

“Paul,” you may be asking (actually, since this is my blog, you are asking – just thought you should know). “Why should I listen to this story, Dry Spell?” I’m glad you asked! If you are a fan of EC Comics or if you enjoy creepy (as opposed to “gory”) horror, you will love the entire anthology.

I did Scott a bit of a disservice in the opening paragraph. Yes, I am shameless self promoting, however, I am just a enthusiastic about the other stories in the anthology as I am about Dry Spell

Scott ties all three stories together at “The Grim Reader” bookstore. The name should take it from there. I do want to stress, these stories required a certain level of maturity to enjoy. It isn’t pounds of entrails and gallons of blood; the stories are more Hitchcockian than that. The thrill come from the reader’s realizations at the end of the tale, rather than a half naked co-ed getting beheaded by a machete-wielding ghoul during the story.

Having read “Dry Spell” and listened to the finished copy, I am not satisfied with my work. Scott did a great job producing the podcast, I just think I could have done better. My gain is choppy and my edits are rough in places. After umpteen years in radio, I believe I could have done a better job. Fortunately for me, Scott is forgiving and his story really tells itself.

Give “Dry Spell” a listen at Scott’s Omniverse Podcast and pick up a copy of the anthology at Smashwords.  Be sure and leave Scott a comment or two. Writers crave feedback.

Who am I?

Robert Lee Brewer’s April Platform Challenge for writers has kicked off. I’m a little late to the fray and I’m actually having a hard time with the first challenge:  define yourself. I’m not sure why it’s so difficult. Perhaps I don’t want to feel constricted or confined by definition.  It’s more likely that I’m not a here-and-now kinda guy; I’d rather talk about what I’d like to do.

No dice, the instructions for this challenge are clear. I’m not to worry about where I’d like to be or anything in the future. I’m to take a look at who I am, what I’ve done and what I’m currently doing. Surprisingly enough, once I got started, I realized that I’m not nearly as lame as my children make me out to be.

Name (as used in byline): Paul K. Ellis

Position(s): Web/Infrastructure Engineer, Application Developer, Writer, Podcaster, Blogger, Martial Artist, Instructor, Teacher, Speaker, Audio Engineer, Reality Crafter, Storyteller, Modeler, Rocketeer, Deacon

Skill(s): Diagnostic troubleshooting, technical writing, creative writing, research, information retrieval, copywriting, model building, programming, audio production, public speaking, blogging, tweeting, procrastinating

Social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Goodreads, Blogger

URLs: Linked above.

Accomplishments: I’ve got a BS in Mass Communications: Broadcasting from Virginia Commonwealth University and an AS in Computer Programming from ECPI. I have a Red Belt in Shotokan Karate, four years of instruction in Iaido, about that many with a Bo and some passing familiarity with Judo. I’ve twice been the USF-NKF Virginia State Champion in Kata (Grumpy Old Men Division — canes and walkers optional) and placed 3rd at the 2008 Nationals in Houston in both Kata and Kumite (again, Grumpy Old Men division). I’ve started writing again (which is a Big Deal). I’ve done voice work for A Christmas Carol with The Podcast Community on Facebook and I’ve got more lined up. Most importantly, I talked an amazing woman into marrying me and am helping her raise three smart, sassy, gorgeous, strong-willed, and independent-minded daughters.

Interests: Being a better husband and father, faith, karate, fitness, reading, learning to critique better, building models, rocketry, podcasting, writing, and learning about new things.

In one sentence, who am I? Paul K. Ellis is a married father of three daughters (which explains the lack of hair) who, by day, is a web and infrastructure engineer and, by night, is a professional dilettante, dabbling in martial arts, podcasting, writing, creating unholy messes with polystyrene, and whose life, much like this sentence, is run on.

Ninja Elves, the Ghost of Christmas Past and Nutcrackers

Click for larger card! Joyeux Noël, Bonne Christmeusse, Fröhliche Weihnachten, God Jul, Feliz Navidad, Maligayamg Pasko, Merry Christmas! It has been a fun filled couple of weeks at the Ellis household. Click the card for a full blown visit from the Ninja Elves! After many years of planning to send Christmas cards, this year we managed.

I’ve been fighting a sinus infection off and on for several weeks. As a result, I haven’t done a lot of posting. Time to remedy that. I’ve got several irons in the fire and a fairly busy holiday season planned. Aside from the holiday cheer on the left, I’ve also participated in a group reading of A Christmas Carol with The Podcast Community on Facebook.

My part starts about 10:29 in and you can tell from the outset that I’m the neophyte. The audio is low and a little muddy. I’m still working out the kinks with my audio setup. Still, I had a lot of fun so hopefully the enthusiasm will shine through if nothing else does. You can listen to it below or download it from here. For whatever reason, I fail at embedding the player. I’ll do some more research and try again later.

Between now and Christmas, I’m working on a very short story for the weekly challenge at 100 Word Stories involving a Nutcracker, tinsel and three blind mice. I’ll let you know when I’ve submitted it. I’ve also signed up for Starship Modeler’s Seeds contest. I don’t know that I’ll have the gas to get that one completed by January 2nd. We’ll have to see. Plus, I’ve got another project simmering on the back burner that I’ve been playing with for a for a while. More on that later; later being another post.

Progress on Project Mjölnir proceeds apace and I’ve had the opportunity to clean up the blog a bit. The Hierarchy of Dominance is coming together nicely with the help of my good friends at The Midlothian Writers’ Workshop. They have had to plow through an enormous amount of deathless prose so you won’t have to. Thanks Jarod, Anita, Gail, Pat, Blaine and Louis! (Mel, where are you?) One of my questions was featured at I’ve become my parents. And, I’m sure there will be cookies, joyous Christmas cookies, to eat along the way.

Of course, all these plans presuppose that the offspring are willing to allow it.

There are also Legos to build, models to complete, school work to grade (ah, home schooling), hallways to paint, offices to clean and year end paper work to complete. Good thing I took a week off.

Yes, my sick days do roll over into the next year. Why do you ask?

Twitter Addiction, Podcastitis & NaNoWriMo in 5

image You really don’t know what effect you have on people, especially people you barely know.

Let me get this out in the open; I have a compulsive personality. It’s a quirk, to be sure, but it’s one I fully embrace and own. So, when presented a new and shiny toy, there is a great likelihood that I will wear it out; for instance, my current infatuation with Twitter. That’s really a half truth, I’ve become somewhat enamored with all social media, from the cotton candy favored confection that is Facebook to the more sophisticated and professional LinkedIn.

Competing with this overwhelming need to comment on everything is a secret love that I have hidden away, lo these many years. That love is air-time. I’m not talking grabbing some sky on a half-pipe. No, I’m talking about talking; platters spinning, cans on and mic hot. You see, for the first thirteen years of my professional career, I was a broadcaster.

I did voice work at many of the radio and television stations in and around the Richmond area. To be honest, I’d forgotten how much fun it was. That is, until I met (virtually) these four guys: Tee Morris, Odin1Eye, Richard Green & Jeff Hite. To be fair, they probably had no idea what was about to happen … probably.

Jeff is likely wondering how he wound up on the list. Well, it’s Odin’s fault. Wait for it, we’ll get there. Jeff put out a call, on Twitter, for bit parts in the Pirate’s Cove rendition of Treasure Island. I sent him a quick read of the first couple of paragraphs of Little Fuzzy. He replied “with a voice like that there are going to be a lot of people after you.” Yes, I know he could have meant that in many ways. Hopefully, DHS will not come knocking. It was a little compliment, but it meant a lot to me, having not stood in front of a microphone for any extended time in over a decade. Thanks, Jeff!

Nice as it was, that alone wasn’t enough to get me motivated. Cue Odin1Eye, who put out a call for promos for his podcast, View from Valhalla. It got me to thinking (never a good sign, especially when breakables are around). I was going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year anyway and I had been toying with the idea of podcasting for a while (due in large part to Tee; yes details  later), so why not promote my idea as a Project! A Project that had thought and stuff behind it! I cut Odin a promo and he used it in VfV Episode 93. That gave me the courage to try out for the bit parts in Treasure Island. See, told you I’d wrap it back.

Okay, so I’m going to do this podcast thing. I thought I’d lost my stealth-like, ninja assassin voice. Evidently not. And the project, the carefully considered, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants project; I’ll be doing that too. Again, I’m sure that Jeff  and Odin had no idea that just encouraging me would provoke this kind of response. So don’t blame them … entirely.

Richard’s contribution was even more innocuous; he listed me as a source in The “Geek Out!” Daily for the Japan’s Defense Ministry Would Like to Introduce You To Their Little Friend story. I had no idea anyone was taking me all that seriously on Twitter. He probably didn’t intend for me to feel so validated, yet I was and fired up enough to take completing the NaNo challenge seriously.

Which brings us to Tee. Frankly, the more I find out about his accomplishments, the more intimidated I am. He’s an award-winning author and podcaster. He is also a really smart guy when it comes to operating in the social media arena. (No, I don’t call anyone a guru, but if I were to call anyone a social media expert, Tee would be the guru to see.) In fact, it was his Podcasting for Dummies books that I used as a foundation to build my studio. He is one of the most effective communicators I’ve ever had the pleasure to listen to and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. In short, he’s doing many of the things I want to be doing, except he’s doing them well. And younger. I’d like to say we’re of an age. I’d like to say it, but it wouldn’t be true.

Naturally, in what should come as no shock to those that know me, I got competitive. Perhaps I should have said, inspired. Clearly, I’m behind the curve. Audio has changed a lot in the past ten years. All the editing is done digitally now; no more adhesive tape, grease pencils and razor blades. No more open reel tape recorders or having to hand wind your cartridges. No more dinosaurs roaming the Earth. Time for me to study up, buttercup.

Not content to just do NaNoWriMo, I’ve obligated myself to podcasting the finished product. No, I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into; but I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m about to find out.

I’m still working on the back story, history and story outline together. I’ll update the Project Mjölnir page as I get the tasks completed. This Project and all the shenanigans associated with it are due, in large part, to the encouragement from these kind people, who (whom? gets me every time) I’ve never met IRL. All they did was take a little time and acknowledge my interest. Many thanks to you four, whether you realize it or not, you’ve given me a great deal of motivation. As it turns out, that’s exactly what I needed.


With all the excitement of NaNoWriMo, it’s easy to forget what this is all about; raising money to benefit writing programs for children and adults. NaNoWriteMo is a marathon and like a marathon runner, I am seeking sponsors to help me raise $2500 dollars.

With massive cutbacks in liberal arts funding to public and private schools, now is the time for organizations like The Office of Letters and Light, creators of the National Novel Writer’s Month, to step up and bridge the gap. A $10 donation, the price of a single lunch, can help provide needed instruction and foster a life long love of writing in a child. This donation is fully tax deductible.

I’m also giving a private reading of selections from the novel in January for those who donation here. (If you can’t attend, I’ll be recording it and I’ll be happy to send you a link to a downloadable copy.) There will also be a Q & A session after the reading where you can find out about my creative process.

Thank you for your support!

Phase 1 of Project Mjölnir Underway

Mjollnir - You know, Thor's hammer

I continue to gear up for NaNoWriMo. Looks to be an exciting time. Be sure to check out the Project Mjölnir tab above for schedule and progress updates. Be warned, it’s liable to change frequently.

I have started Phase 1 of the project, busily filling in the outline for the story, working on the characterizations of the races and people we’ll meet. I’m also pulling together my world building notes to draft some of the back stories and history. These are incredibly raw and subject to massive change and revision, but if there’s enough interest, I’ll post some of these for feedback.

Speaking of posting for feedback, here is the promised synopsis. Let me know if this sounds like something you would read.

Technology from the lost Mnoren Empire could save a race, or destroy it!

Twenty-five years ago, Captain Thomas Swift of the Strategic Space Command witnessed the aftermath of Epsilon Eridani Massacre; Terran Sphere colonists slaughtered by the rabidly xenophobic Scorpio Tetrarchy. The planet was scorched and the atmosphere burned off in order to claim a Mnoren technology cache that was not there.

Two weeks later, the infuriated Terran Sphere responded by literally battering a Scorpio-held planet to pieces. But, the intelligence was incomplete, for that planet had been the Scorpio homeworld, the only place in the known universe where the hivemind could reproduce. The Tetrarchy’s death throes wound up costing Swift his wife and only child.

Now, humanity chafes under the supervision of the Orr, the self-appointed inheritors of the Mnoren Empire and chief among the Known Races. The Orr limit the Sphere’s access to advanced technologies for the rash humans “own good”. The SSC views the Orr as weak and indecisive. They order Swift to procure advanced tech, regardless of cost and create a new type of weapon; one to throw off the yoke of the Orr.

As he completes the weapon, Swift uncovers something unexpected and profoundly unsettling: there is a new player in the great black of space. One that is cunning, elusive, better armed and armored. One that appears to violently detest humanity. One that has proven it knows the location of Earth and is unafraid to destroy humanity’s cradle.

One that he cannot stop.


With all the excitement of NaNoWriMo, it’s easy to forget what this is all about; raising money to benefit writing programs for children and adults. NaNoWriteMo is a marathon and like a marathon runner, I am seeking sponsors to help me raise $2500 dollars.

With massive cutbacks in liberal arts funding to public and private schools, now is the time for organizations like The Office of Letters and Light, creators of the National Novel Writer’s Month, to step up and bridge the gap. A $10 donation, the price of a single lunch, can help provide needed instruction and foster a life long love of writing in a child. This donation is fully tax deductible.

I’m also giving a private reading of selections from the novel in January for those who donation here. (If you can’t attend, I’ll be recording it and I’ll be happy to send you a link to a downloadable copy.) There will also be a Q & A session after the reading where you can find out about my creative process.

Thank you for your support!

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