Shadowrun
Catalyst Game Labs => Catalyst's Shadowrun Products => Topic started by: Critias on <11-11-12/0133:42>
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I can finally jabber-jaw about it, after biting my tongue for a hojillion years. :D
A new Shadowrun novella just went live, "Neat," featuring Jimmy Kincaid (a PI who has made appearances in the intro fic of Twilight Horizon and more recently Dirty Tricks).
You can find it on drivethrurpg: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/107953/Shadowrun%3A-Neat (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/107953/Shadowrun%3A-Neat)
Or battleshop: http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3066 (http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3066)
And it should be available on Kindle and Nook before too long, if those float your boat.
You should totally go buy it! Honest! I say so as someone who is completely unbiased and neutral about the whole project! And who is a compulsive liar about the things he is unbiased and neutral about!
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Woot!!!
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Woot!!!
So this is what happiness feels like ;D
Thanks Critias!
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And here I am going on a road trip in 20 minutes. Woot!
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I know what I'm asking for Christmas!
We going to see this in DTF ever?
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We going to see this in DTF ever?
That's up to the esteemed Mr. Hardy and the other Powers That Be.
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I am reading it using the Kindle app, which I should have had already except I forgot I have it. It's been so long since I've used mine.
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Don't forget to leave reviews and ratings and junk! Feedback is, as always, appreciated. I write this stuff so that folks will read it and tell me what they thought (one way or another). I dig hearing what folks thinks!
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Working on it.
It's hard to be objective. I've been waiting for this for a long time.
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As mentioned earlier, here is the Amazon option (for folks who'd rather use that account): http://www.amazon.com/Shadowrun-Neat-ebook/dp/B00A5GSSLC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352662845&sr=8-1&keywords=shadowrun+neat (http://www.amazon.com/Shadowrun-Neat-ebook/dp/B00A5GSSLC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352662845&sr=8-1&keywords=shadowrun+neat)
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My totally impartial review.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1EJTMC9XRYN5C
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My totally impartial review.
Totally impartial except for the "been waiting to rave about it for like half a year," you mean. ;D
But it's appreciated -- so far all the feedback (even excluding that, which I kind of knew was coming) has been really positive. I'm about two steps past thrilled, right now.
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True. It's not like I wrote it or anything. I just read the drafts and added ... virtually nothing of value.
I'm a horrible proofreader for Critias and Patrick Goodman because my first response is generally, "Wow. Um ... I can't think of anything else."
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I have to say James, that was a nice review. It was always a given that I was going to buy the book, but now its jumped to the top of my reading list (and its a long list...)
Thanks!
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Hey Critias, you've been rocking a new icon, wouldn't be related to a character in your new book, would it?
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Will be picking this up later today - very much looking forward to it!
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Hey Critias, you've been rocking a new icon, wouldn't be related to a character in your new book, would it?
It's a snippet of the cover artwork (which blew me away), yup.
And the character in question is the scruffy, lantern-jawed, Jimmy Kincaid, Paranormal Investigator. Hovering protectively behind him, as he looms protectively over his city, is his ally spirit, Ariana.
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Does the happy snoopy dance for new fiction release.
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After reading the preview for this novel I bought it pretty quickly. I'll post a review here when I'm done but I'm excited to read it :)
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It's a snippet of the cover artwork (which blew me away), yup.
Who did the cover?
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Victor Manuel Leza Moreno did the cover, and it's gorgeous! I know he's done some other art for SR recently, but can't remember which book(s) at the moment, with the exception of the Elven Blood cover. That one I can recall. I think he's got stuff in Clutch of Dragons and 2050 as well.
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Hello all, hope life is great for all the runners out there.
So I picked up Neat Sat night with Dirty tricks. My lady was in town watching wicked with some friends and I had just put my little boy down for the night. I had a few thing planned for the evening while I was running solo, and all that went right to the dump when I started reading the book. Read it straight through over two hours, then reread it Monday.
To say I loved it would be an understatement. This little book has about everything I could hope for in a SR novel. Critics first pull's an archetype from the original SR (burntout Mage) and gives Him so much depth. Kincaid is the exact Charecter I didn't know I wanted to read about. Street level story, integrating Seattle 2070 perfectly, great plot line, amazing depth of characters, Cammeo appearance from a NPC from street legend suplamental.
This book also honored me far more then I could ever relate in words. Critias sent me a msg to keep my eye open while reading it for a reference. When I read it I was overwhelmed. To say I have a deep love for this game, it's setting and the people that support it rather as freelancers or fans would be an understatement. Yet to see my forum name appear in a story is an honor I would never had thought of. From the bottom of my heart thank you Critias, to read this story was reward enough, but to take part in the story is somthing I will always honor.
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This book also honored me far more then I could ever relate in words. Critias sent me a msg to keep my eye open while reading it for a reference. When I read it I was overwhelmed. To say I have a deep love for this game, it's setting and the people that support it rather as freelancers or fans would be an understatement. Yet to see my forum name appear in a story is an honor I would never had thought of. From the bottom of my heart thank you Critias, to read this story was reward enough, but to take part in the story is somthing I will always honor.
I'm just glad you didn't mind me swipin' your name! ;)
My thought process was that I wanted to give the Spirit Focus a little more character than the Nikko (to show which bar/club Kincaid cared about and spent time in), the thought of a dwarf/troll duo of bartenders struck me as kind of funny, and I thought about making 'em vets (to cater to the Fort Lewis crowd). Then I just needed a name, happened to see a post or something of yours...and I figured "Why not? Frankie's always been a nice guy. I bet he'll get a kick out of it!"
A few tweaks later, and suddenly I had bartenders with some real character to 'em, I figured I made a fan happy, and I went back to writing and rewriting elsewhere in the story. I just do what I can to keep this game fun, is all. If I can make a fan's day, kind of reward someone who's always so dang positive on the forums, and flesh out a minor character a little bit, all at once? Well, heck. Why NOT give it a shot, y'know?
I'm glad you dug it, man (and I'm glad you got to read it so close to Veteran's Day, too, buddy)! Thanks again for the kind words.
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I'm looking forward to reading it as I enjoyed Elven Blood immensely. There's a couple of books I need to finish first and I have to figure out how to handle the zip format on my tablet too.
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You have to open it with an unzip program/app, and then open it with a reader program/app.
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Thanks Patrick.
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It's currently sitting at #25 for the Kindle store/high tech sci-fi, and #27 for books (not just ebooks) in the same category...at, y'know, Amazon.com. I'm used to our books doing pretty well at drivethru and other niche shops, but Amazon? The Amazon? To call this sort of reception "awesome" is an understatement. I'm fighting the urge to stand on the roof and shout about it to pedestrians strolling by, right now.
So, pick it up if you haven't yet, and leave a review or rating! And a huge "thank you" to those of you that have! Let's make a statement with this Shadowrun fiction, and see how high we can get it on that chart of theirs! :)
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Really nice work, Critias. I've read about a quarter of it so far. It's inspiring and gives me motivation to write my own novels some day. For now I will just say that it definitely has my interest piqued and I look forward to reading more soon :)
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I'm fighting the urge to stand on the roof and shout about it to pedestrians strolling by, right now.
Consider this: You're in Texas. Someone'd shoot you.
However, I would like to see some more reviews on Amazon besides mine. Not that it isn't an awesome review or anything, but it's a little lonely.
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I'm fighting the urge to stand on the roof and shout about it to pedestrians strolling by, right now.
Consider this: You're in Texas. Someone'd shoot you.
You obviously have the same view of Texas as the sourcebook writers.
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Easy, fellas. If we have to continue it, let's at least move that particular disagreement to the appropriate thread, hmm?
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I guess jokes are forbidden here now.
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I guess jokes are forbidden here now.
I haven't been banned yet, so not quite.
And, let's face it, who isn't a bigger joke here then me? :P
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Just finsihed it, Crit.
That. Was. Fun!
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Just finsihed it, Crit.
That. Was. Fun!
Glad you enjoyed it, Patrick! I told'ja I really liked writing Kincaid.
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Great read! How long till we get another? ;D
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I will join in with hopes of more to come. A great blend of characters. Two 'known' ones (Turbo and Hard Exit) that are used in grounding ways (Turbo especially). Kincaid has that pleasant blend of functionally flawed.
It short, but it doesn't feel brief. Something I admire about <i>Neat</i> and really the SR4 writers in general is the 'getting a lot across in little space.' <i>Neat</i> sells the setting without going nuts with verbose descriptions. The barrens felt 'the same' as squalor level SR Packed urban life while having the unique traits of it (the ash in particular) reinforced in both Kincaid's descriptions and referencing how other characters (almost called them NPCs) dressed or behaved (His view of the Mafia assault squad being a solid reference point).
I tend to gravitate towards street level stories as I find them more immersive and character driven. "Mundane" concerns like blankets and bottle water get mentioned and hit home the point of sometimes those little things are truly the best that can come of a cruddy situation. I look forward to more novella and novels.
And as an aside question, did Kincaid or any of the other referenced character spring from table top game play?
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Awesome, I'm glad you guys liked it. Now don't forget to spread the word, and post reviews (or at least ratings) where ever you bought it! ;D
How soon we get more is up to The Powers That Be, not us lowly writer-types. Trust me, if it was up to me you guys would be drowning in fiction by now. ;)
And as an aside question, did Kincaid or any of the other referenced character spring from table top game play?
Nope, not a one of 'em. I've got stats for just about everyone involved (tucked away in my head), and I try to keep the game-reality in mind while I'm writing (so that no one's doing impossible stuff), but none of them are from actual gameplay, or started as player characters I wrote up once-upon-a-time, or anything like that.
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Okay, so i went and bought this last night, and it was amazing. I love the reference to Lizzie being a supporting character considering i read Angels on here a year ago and i loved it, and i really wish i could get stats on Kincaid. He's a brilliant character and i love how Ariana works as the deuteragonist in this story. She's just lovely. All in all, the best purchase i've made in a while.
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If it's doing well on the Amazon lists, I hope that's incentive for the Powers that Be to green light more :)
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I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. Vajra, did you spot Lizzie on your own or did you see my little hint over in the fanfic thread? ;)
Anyone got any comments/questions/anything? There's a couple other little easter eggs in there (some Shadowrun, some pop culture, some private eye stuff). Anyone spotted any?
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Just read it and i have to say its nice to see that the Shadowrun novels are getting the love and attention they deserve. Makes me think of good ole Nigel D. and that is as good of a review a SR novel ever is gonna get out of me. Please keep publishing these.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Hi, Critias.
Neat will have a printed version?
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Just finished this at work today and wow. I have read all the preceeding fiction from day 1 and I have to say this is up there with Findly's works and the origional triligy. I hope you keep giving us great stuff to read and play through.
Travis
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Go post your reviews on the sites where you bought it! Spread the word!
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I appreciate it, fellas. Hearing stuff like that (especially the comparisons to Mr. Findley's work) is just awesome. It's really great to see that folks are enjoying it (same as when I write an adventure or something).
On the print run front: that's outta my hands (as is any sequels). We're officially at the "wait and see what The Powers That Be decide" stage of things, in a holding pattern to see if I can get a green light on any follow-up pieces, seeing what the potential might be for any sort of print options, etc, etc. Personally -- and extra serious disclaimer time, for reals, this is just my opinion/daydream, nothing official -- I'd love to get to write a couple more e-books about this length, then bundle them up with an all-new one for a print release, somewhere down the line. But, again, that's just my own, personal, ideal scenario type thing.
At the end of the day, CGL's a game company first and foremost, and the bulk of their logistics (editors, layout, artwork, etc), has to go to game books. That's just the nature of the business, y'know? So it all just depends on how well this one does, if we'll be able to get the go-ahead on any more, if they'll have the time and money to invest in print runs somewhere down the line, etc, etc.
And, again, I'll echo James' post -- by all means, feel free to Facebook-post or Tweet about it, tell your geek buddies, tell your reading buddies, and go post reviews and/or just a numerical rating, at whatever e-shop you got it. Every little plug like that helps us out, especially when it comes to convincing the grown-ups to let us write more. ;)
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Crit needs more five-star reviews on Amazon, especially.
Just cut & paste mine if you have to. ;D
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Crit needs more five-star reviews on Amazon, especially.
Just cut & paste mine if you have to. ;D
:P
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I would definitely recommend this novel to any Shadowrun fan. I went through it pretty quickly and really enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed the many references to items found within the core books, such as various guns, but I also liked the mention of brand name cigarettes and things like that, it really helped bring the world to life a little more for me. The main character is just awesome and really fits into the Shadowrun universe perfectly. I don't want to spoil anything with too many specifics but there were definitely some memorable lines :) The ending surprised me, too, and in a good way. Some parts of the book I found quite inspirational and immediately made me want to do more writing.
All in all, awesome job, Critias! I'd personally buy a ton of books like this, especially at such a reasonable cost. I liked the format of the book, too, especially the back and forth buttons. It really didn't have that difficult to read pdf style that many books have. Being able to click back and forth was very convenient and it made it easy to keep track of where I left off. Once again, great job! :)
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I would definitely recommend this novel to any Shadowrun fan. I went through it pretty quickly and really enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed the many references to items found within the core books, such as various guns, but I also liked the mention of brand name cigarettes and things like that, it really helped bring the world to life a little more for me.
"Target" was a cigarette brand I started using in some fanfic years ago it kind of stuck with me, so I figured using it as a name brand in here would work, too; adds a little to the character to have an established favorite brand, brings back some of that classic film feel to have brand loyalty, and showcases just how long he's been smoking, I think.
WhiteBrite is just my own homebrewed name brand of Betel/CorpCandy/Jaw, that's also got some tooth whitening junk in it (the Betel part is why he chews it so damned much, for those familiar with the addiction rules).
The main character is just awesome and really fits into the Shadowrun universe perfectly. I don't want to spoil anything with too many specifics but there were definitely some memorable lines :) The ending surprised me, too, and in a good way. Some parts of the book I found quite inspirational and immediately made me want to do more writing.
Well, that's great to hear. I know as full-on mysteries go this one wasn't terribly complicated or anything, but I'm glad to hear it had a few twists and some lines you liked. And I figure just about the best thing anyone can say about "Neat" is either "it made me want to play Shadowrun" or "it made me want to do more writing," so that's much appreciated to hear.
All in all, awesome job, Critias! I'd personally buy a ton of books like this, especially at such a reasonable cost. I liked the format of the book, too, especially the back and forth buttons. It really didn't have that difficult to read pdf style that many books have. Being able to click back and forth was very convenient and it made it easy to keep track of where I left off. Once again, great job! :)
Cool, thanks! The layout guy was our usual guy (who does all our sourcebooks and stuff, too), but I agree, it was nice to use a "real" ebook format instead of just a pdf. I've tried reading both on my Kindle, and there's a big difference in interface and readability.
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It's nice to hear what you thought about my review. I like to see things from your perspective, it adds more dimension to the experience as the reader. I forgot to mention, the cover art is great :)
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I bought it from DriveThru, and really want to read it, but have no idea what programs or devices are needed. What I have is my PC and my iPod touch w/ iBooks (that I almost exclusively use to house my SR .pdfs). Is there something I can buy and/or download, either program or app, to view the file types used for the book?
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Once you unzip it, you should have two files. One is a .mobi, which the Kindle uses. You can download the Kindle app from Amazon without any problems; it's how I read my copy on my Windows laptop.
I'm told by others that the .epub file should be readable in iBooks.
The first key, though, is unzipping the archive and getting those bad boys free.
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I couldn't open mine at first so I tried using Sumatra pdf reader and it worked perfectly.
http://download.cnet.com/Sumatra-PDF/3000-18497_4-10698785.html
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I just finished up with this after getting it on Drivethrurpg (I had a book on the go that I wanted to finish first). I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. The comparisons to Nigel Findlay's work are fair and not only is it a really fun, well-written story, there are enough game references to make it fun for Shadowrun RPG players. Being in the finance field, I couldn't help but laugh and applaud the street names for Jimmy's support players.
Catalyst should definitely publish more material of this nature and they should let you write something a little longer too because this has only whet my appetite for Shadowrun fiction again. Fantastic job.
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Thanks, Justice, it's great to keep hearing that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Being in the finance field, I couldn't help but laugh and applaud the street names for Jimmy's support players.
Glad someone caught the little joke there. :)
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There is something I'm curious about Critias. Did you actually play or observe any of these characters in a tabletop game or are they completely fictional creations for the novella? If you did play then in a tabletop game, did that help you with the writing process in any way?
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Really enjoyed that read.
Incredible attention to details and Kincaid is a wonderful belivable character with lots of flaws and personality.
Well it could have been longer and more importantly there could be a sequel; several sequels actually. And a DTF would look really cool on my shelf :P
Crit needs more five-star reviews on Amazon, especially.
Made one on rpg.drivethrough.com where I bought it.
Rasmus
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Really enjoyed that read.
Incredible attention to details and Kincaid is a wonderful belivable character with lots of flaws and personality.
Well it could have been longer and more importantly there could be a sequel; several sequels actually. And a DTF would look really cool on my shelf :P
Made one on rpg.drivethrough.com where I bought it.
Thanks for all that, Rasmus. I'm really glad the character's going over so well with the fans, Kincaid's a lot of fun to write. And don't forget, if you like him, I've snuck him into a few pieces of intro fic (Twilight Horizon and Dirty Tricks both have him, TH moreso). So you can hunt him up in a few other places, too.
And I appreciate the review, even if I grinned a little when you called me "Critias" in it. ;D
There is something I'm curious about Critias. Did you actually play or observe any of these characters in a tabletop game or are they completely fictional creations for the novella? If you did play then in a tabletop game, did that help you with the writing process in any way?
Nope, I haven't played anything with any of 'em. They're all just from/for the fiction. I do have some pretty solid stats in mind for Kincaid, I know what abilities Ariana the ally spirit has, etc, etc. I always keep the rules in mind when I'm writing, I know what magic can (and can't) do in the game world, and that sort of thing...so I do my best to make sure to keep things "real" for how it all works in the universe.
Now, all that said (about not playing them, or anything)...I am thinking about picking up a fedora and a cheap trenchcoat, and looking into tossing Kincaid into the Shadowrun Scramble at GenCon next year. ;)
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Once you unzip it, you should have two files. One is a .mobi, which the Kindle uses. You can download the Kindle app from Amazon without any problems; it's how I read my copy on my Windows laptop.
I'm told by others that the .epub file should be readable in iBooks.
The first key, though, is unzipping the archive and getting those bad boys free.
Much thanks. Can confirm that the .epub opens in iBooks, and Neat is now to be sapping my productivity between customers. ::)
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And I appreciate the review, even if I grinned a little when you called me "Critias" in it. ;D
Your welcome. Love your work so just keep it comming ;D
I have always believed you to be a certain vampire from Chicago and just assumed that Russell was a pseudonym you used to hide your true identity from the ignorant masses 8)
Rasmus
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And I appreciate the review, even if I grinned a little when you called me "Critias" in it. ;D
Your welcome. Love your work so just keep it comming ;D
I'm eager to write more Kincaid in particular, trust me. I'm just waiting for the Powers That Be to give me the go-ahead.
I have always believed you to be a certain vampire from Chicago and just assumed that Russell was a pseudonym you used to hide your true identity from the ignorant masses 8)
I do traditionally play Brujah, and I am a history professor, now, so that kind of falls into place...hrm...
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I wrote a review of Neat on my SR website (http://fondationdraco.free.fr/?p=817). It's in French, but here's the big picture:
- Compares to Nigel Findley's word in a good way
- Great characters, especially Kincaid
- Efficient plot, with some "neat" twists ;)
- Obviously a bit short due to the format
- Very enjoyable read, want more :)
- A cross-over tale where Kincaid has to work with Dirk Montgomery would be awesome ;D
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I wrote a review of Neat on my SR website (http://fondationdraco.free.fr/?p=817). It's in French, but here's the big picture:
- Compares to Nigel Findley's word in a good way
- Great characters, especially Kincaid
- Efficient plot, with some "neat" twists ;)
- Obviously a bit short due to the format
- Very enjoyable read, want more :)
- A cross-over tale where Kincaid has to work with Dirk Montgomery would be awesome ;D
Sorry I missed this post, Marzhin -- I ran across your review a few weeks ago (I ran it through Google translate, is that cheating?), and I appreciate it very much. Just the other day I got someone else making a Nigel Findley comparison (over on DriveThru, this time), and I've got to say, that sort of thing...it really hits me. Anyone who knows what Mr. Findley wrote on, and who knows what I always love about the Sixth World, can tell just how much his work influenced me and my ideas of what the game world is like, what's awesome about it, etc, etc. So being compared to him is pretty mind blowing.
I really appreciate the feedback!
And, while I'm here, fellas? Check out http://criticalglitch.com/?p=113 (http://criticalglitch.com/?p=113) if you've got a little time to kill; the Critical Glitch guys sat me down for a fun little Skype interview, and we had a good time chatting about how I got into gaming, how I got into Shadowrun in particular, what influenced me when I was working on Neat, all kinds of fun stuff like that.
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I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. Vajra, did you spot Lizzie on your own or did you see my little hint over in the fanfic thread? ;)
Anyone got any comments/questions/anything? There's a couple other little easter eggs in there (some Shadowrun, some pop culture, some private eye stuff). Anyone spotted any?
First I read the book, then I noticed your hint. I enjoy how Lizzie has grown as a person in your story, though honestly her having a girlfriend threw me for a loop(Then again, only guy she ever seemed to crush on was Deke, and that was probably a savior thing that fueled it rather any actual feelings).
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Sorry I missed this post, Marzhin -- I ran across your review a few weeks ago (I ran it through Google translate, is that cheating?), and I appreciate it very much. Just the other day I got someone else making a Nigel Findley comparison (over on DriveThru, this time), and I've got to say, that sort of thing...it really hits me. Anyone who knows what Mr. Findley wrote on, and who knows what I always love about the Sixth World, can tell just how much his work influenced me and my ideas of what the game world is like, what's awesome about it, etc, etc. So being compared to him is pretty mind blowing.
I really appreciate the feedback!
No problem, glad you enjoyed the review :)
And using Google Translate is fine, even if I'm sure the translation didn't catch all the (*cough, cough*) panache of my (*cough, cough*) writing :P
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You should translate it yourself, then, and provide a link for us monolinguals. ;)
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Step one for a Monolingual Anglophone looking for a job in Quebec: "Move to Toronto."
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It took me way too long to get around to reading Neat, but very glad I did. Fantastic stuff - great characters, great story and great fun. Shoved a review up on UK Amazon (I'm TK) - hope it helps sell a few more copies!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A5GSSLC/ref=cm_cr_thx_view (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A5GSSLC/ref=cm_cr_thx_view)
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It's appreciated, Ace! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
As always, if folks have questions or comments or thoughts or whatnot, feel free to holler 'em at me. I'm always willing to ramble about Kincaid, he's a fun dude to write.
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My face lit up when I saw the words "new Fiction"
I was like "New start to the Shadowrun book fictions?!"
And then I saw that Crit's icon is the main character/cover art.
And I was like "Okay. Gotta read it now."
....I just have to wait for payday :<