Time to Come Clean…

I think it’s time I cleared the air here and let all of you know why things have been so silent on my end from a podcasting perspective. It’s the least I can do for those of you who’ve taken the time out of your lives to give my stuff a listen and ask for more. More is coming, but it may take a bit more time.

Here’s why: I’m getting a divorce.

For the past two months, my wife and I have been separated. I’ve been living at my sister’s place, trying to cope with the sudden downward spiral my life has taken. It’s worked to some extent, but I still sleep alone, in a strange bed on the other side of the city from what I’m used to.

We had talked about couple’s counseling, and I was more than willing to give it a shot. However, she wants no part of it and no part of me anymore. So, I guess it’s all over now except to start the paperwork, make arrangements for the common debt payments we need to make, and move on in life.

About the only wrinkle is my sister need the room I’m staying in for July, so I’m basically homeless. The wife’s offered to let me stay at our place until I can find somewhere, and I probably will for a few weeks until I can find a place I can afford. I was barely scraping by before; wherever I end up, it ain’t gonna be that big.

I’m also looking for work so I can afford to live alone a bit more comfortably. I’ve got a few leads out there, as well as some part-time stuff lined up. It might not be much to start with, but it’s a start.

We both want a clean break from each other. No drama, no arguments, and thankfully no kids. When I have a place of my own I’ll just grab what’s mine, what of ours I wish to take, and leave her behind. It’ll be hard to say good-bye after so long together, but being stuck in a loveless marriage is harder, I think.

So, like I’ve always said, thank you for your continued support and your well-wishes. If/When this thing ever gets done I’ll have to find some way to express my eternal gratitude for your patience and understanding through what’s quickly becoming the most painful time of my life.

Until next time…

A Profound Moment…

Outcasts, fans, and any others who may be reading this…I’d just like to take a moment and try to come to terms with what happened to me today.

It’s ok, it’s nothing bad.  In fact, I think this is probably the single greatest thing that’s ever happened to me since I started writing/podcasting.  I mean, I never set out on this journey to be anyone’s hero, and certainly not a role model.  Believe me, the Chris Hvidsten guidebook for a successful life is a one-way ticket straight to stressville, believe me.

The past couple of weeks have been nothing short of Hell for me.  The weather, finances, and the constant exhaustion I’m feeling from the newspaper routes all caught up to me early last week, and I felt myself falling into that pit.  You know the one I mean: The one where you turn into an overly irritable bitch of a person who’s about as friendly as the outgoing Republican regime.  I was certainly not in a good place.

Things are getting better, however.  The weather’s improving, and my mood is on a definite upswing.  Add to that my feedburner stats are climing almost steadily, and I’m getting the feeling that I”m actually doing something right…something good, y’know?

Then, this morning I get this little nugget in my inbox.  This shocked the living hell out of me:

it was the night i had it with the world i was going to leave this earth.
yes i said it but your podcast changed me.
what i didn’t know it but it was dalan.
his push forward attitude did it to me.
i was listening and said to my self wow wow this is art a great story.
i decide to give my self another chance yes you saved my life and thank you very much.
i was feed up with all this furry sex shit. but you have a different story now i am hook and i got a job too. wow my life went 360.
i have to tell you my dad was head to war to he going back to iraq i was so depressed i gave up. but you guy dalan his never quitting attitude lifted me up.

thank you
my hero

my little true story of what you podcast did for me.

by life saver
–
form: bluehusky20

I’d love to actually quote this one in my next episode, but I’m not sure I can without getting overly emotional.  I mean…wow…just…wow.

I twittered a bit about this whole thing not long after I read it, and this comment came from one of my heroes, Tee Morris:

you have done what writers everywhere want to do. well done!

It’s really hard to describe how I feel about this.  Of course I’m grateful that this guy didn’t off himself, but to think I had something to do with such a monumentous decision…it’s just overwhelming.

I think I’m gonna trip off this feeling for a day or so to let it sink in, then I’m gonna hit the word processor like a man possessed.

Until next time…

Is Anyone…Itchy?

Ok, time to show some love to everyone’s favourite megalomaniac:  The One, The Only…The General…The Pope…The Father of Siglerism…

That’s right, Outcasts.  Before the Outcasts, there were the Junkies, and I’m one of them.  ALL HAIL THE FDO!

The above poster is a promo for Scott Sigler’s new novel ‘Contagious, which is scheduled to release at the end of this month.   This is the sequel to his horrifying biological thriller ‘Infected,’ which actually won me a contest a couple of years back and got me into podcasting.

What’s that?  Are some of my Outcasts actually Junkies?  Really?  And…you want your fix now…like…right now?  Well guess what.  Our FDO has been gracious enough to give us our fix.  YES…that’s right, Outcasts and Junkies.  ‘Contagious’ is currently being podcasted at scottsigler.com, so you can get your fix and be fully committed by the time the book comes out.

Ok, bad attempt at Sigler-esque humour.  Anyway, just thought I’d send some love the FDO’s way, since it’s HIS FAULT I’m doing this in the first place. 

So…what are you waiting for?  Shouldn’t you be subscribing…like…now?

One-Two Punch

o here I am, working busily away on the next installment of ‘Outcast,’ namely the feedback show, whilst listening to the as-always-awesome podcast novel Morevi: Remastered by Tee Morris.

Anywho, while getting caught up on it, I stumbled across a couple of interesting links that came down in the feed…namely these:

Both of these fine books were inserted into the MOREVI feed as FULL NOVELS!  I mean holy crap!  Two books I’ve been itching to get into, and here they are for free.

It’s all part of an upcoming event, which if you’re reading this you probably already know about.  On August 8 of this year, Tee Morris and his partner in podcast crime, Phillipa Ballentyne, are both releasing their latest literary works.  They plan to do to Amazon’s ratings what Scott Sigler did with his novel, Ancestor.

Originally called ‘Billi’s Crazy 8’s,’ the event has now been changed to ‘Double Trouble,’ which promises to shake up the mainstream once again.  I wish them all the best, and hope to be in there like a dirty shirt with the best of them, adding my orders to all the others.

Where Were You…

when the lights went out?  Such is the question before the loyal listeners to JC Hutchins’ insanely popular podcast trilogy, 7th Son.

While the clones battled with their progenitor, John Alpha, much of America was left powerless after a series of nuclear strikes against the country’s major power stations.  The result:  Total and utter chaos.

In this time of anarchy, sides will be taken, heroes and villains alike will rise and do battle.  From democracy to dystopia, the common American now faces an all-too-uncommon challenge:  Survival on a primal level.

Welcome…to 7th Son…OBSIDIAN

Call it the ultimate fanfic project if you want, but as far as I’m concerned I can’t WAIT until this drops.  Basically, OBISIDIAN is a series of short stories set in the 7th Son universe, right at the time when America goes dark.  I’m assuming a lot of the stories will deal with ordinary people suddenly thrust into a nightmarish world where everyone’s out for themselves and to hell with anyone who stands in their way.

Kinda like the corporate culture, but with guns and chainsaws and the like…I hope.

I’m not sure what to expect, but given the list of people who’ve already submitted stuff for it, OBSIDIAN’s looking to be just golden.  Hmmm…I wonder if a wannabe like me could get in on it…

I mean, how can you go wrong?  Check out this rogue’s gallery of participants:

• Michael A. Stackpole
• Scott Sigler
• Tee Morris
• Mur Lafferty
• Matt Wallace
• Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
• Christiana Ellis
• Evo Terra
• Dan Klass
• Wichita Rutherford
• TD-0013
• Soccergirl
• The cast of The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
• George Hrab

Need I say more?

You can check out the promo here, and remember on May 31…the lights will go out…

And chaos will reign…

Just a Quick Note

Hey all.

As a lot of you might know, that multimedia giant we call Podshow has changed its name to Mevio.  Odd I had to hear this from one guy on Twitter, and from Adam during his latest Daily Source Code.  Meh; maybe I’ll get the email next week

Now, while a lot of people are looking at this and merely thinking ‘Yeah…and?’  I thought it’d be prudent of me to make a few changes to my feed info over at Feedburner, which is the URL I pimp when I record.

Anyway, while I don’t foresee any major problems with Podshow’s re-branding WRT my feeds, I just thought I’d let all my Outcasts know what’s going on just in case the feed seems to hiccup.

Oh, and also, I’ve got something to show you:

HUGE props to Jason Fredin, who I met on the Word Sushi forums and who offered to help with a cover for the book.  (Note to self: GIVE HIM CREDIT NEXT EPISODE!)  Thanks a bunch, Jason.

I GOT LISTED! WOO HOO!

Ok, so this is another one of those ‘already announced it’ moments, but hey, I’m trying to keep this blog up to date.

Anyway, that master podcaster from Calgary…the aging hipster himself…the podcast bandito, Daryl Cognito, has listed ‘Outcast’ on podCALGARY.org.

This is also the first podcast novel to be listed on that site, so go me! YAY!

Daryl also put together one hell of a blog entry about listing ‘Outcast’ too, and I’m both flattered and honoured by his comments. Check it out here.

Daryl is the host of one of the best podcasts I’ve ever listened to, Atomic Suburbia.