Lizard King Strikes Back

I have 8 copies of I Am The Lizard King left.  

I still owe Laura a copy, she helped edit a few chapters so I feel bad for not getting her one sooner. We just keep missing each other, so I’ll send it by mail just to get the job done. 

That will leave me with 7 copies. 

I owe Rob a copy, (I forgot about that until right now, that should have been mailed out a week ago). 

6 copies remaining. 

I ran into Corb Lund the other night randomly and got chatting. He said he wants a copy. I should probably be proactive about that, southern Alberta respect! 

Books are dwindling, 5 copies in the lonely box. 

I should probably make a social media post right before Christmas (Yes, I still say Christmas) but I’m finding self-promotion harder and harder these days. 

No lawsuits yet, thank God. I’m still concerned about the title being close to copyright infringement. Oh well, at this point I could turn it into positive publicity. (I once saw a band from Calgary called Copyright, they opened for Matthew Good Band, third worst band I’ve ever seen) 

I need to place another order of books but I’m having a mild file management issue. I can’t remember which version is the most current. I can sort this out by emailing the printers, they’ll have it on file. I should have this written down. 

Went down to Owl’s Nest Books and did a reading for their monthly series that’s put on by the Alexandra Writers Centre Society. I read part of the first chapter and it slayed. I was hesitant due to the risky subject matter and the median age of the audience (old). It didn’t matter, they loved it.  

An old man made me cry with his poem he read about his wife. He showed me pictures after and told me stories about her. 

I signed up for the Calgary Public Library’s Author in Residence program. The man of the hour was Bruce Hunter. He was badass and I liked him right away. I wanted feedback on a new chapter but we just ended up having a great conversation. He said I was highly sensitive and empathetic. That’s pretty much exactly what I want to be as a writer and exactly what I don’t want to be as a person. I have viking lineage and I always feel like I should be out busting skulls and conquering, but my soul disagrees. 

I’ll be on the cover of WestWord magazine next month, that was nice of them. That should move some copies and spread the word. I talked way too much about punk rock and Josh Ritter in the article. 

I have a writing To Do List that reads: 
1) Check in with my friend and editor and see how she’s doing. 
2) Email my favourite living writer (Matt Love) and connect. 
3) Officially launch the website for Palooza Press (the micro-publishing press I am co-founding) 
4) Place another book order (this now moves up to priority number 1) 
5) Research arts funding for next book 

I didn’t touch alcohol in November. This saved me some time and money. I used that spare time to finish the first draft on a new novella. It’s mystical and ethereal, it’s like Walden Pond in Taber, Alberta. It’s an agrarian, meditation on life. It’s the best thing I’ve ever written but I don’t see a market for it, and I’m okay with that. I wrote it for me. I’ll shelf it for a few months before I start on the second draft. I’m seriously considering getting sober. My priorities in life have changed. I’m hardly drinking at all anyhow. 

My next order will be my third run of the novel. It’s nice to have a product that people actually want to buy. I’m really happy with this book. I love it. I don’t want it to die. I’m treating it like a living, breathing document. I might turn it into a podcast. The Lizard King won’t end here. I’ve created a myth, a legend, and these 142 pages are just the beginning.