New Themed Episode!

With all the new series starting this week and next, I've decided to do a special 'themed' episode this week "PrimeTime TV". All the series I keep up on, where to find them, and what I think of the plot-lines, writing, acting and directing. Watch for it this Friday morning! Quick preview of the series I'll be covering, House, Castle, Dollhouse, Warehouse 13, Eureka, Defying Gravity, FlashForward, and if there's time, WipeOut and Crash Course. Don't miss it, it will be great fun!

Anime Addiction

Alas, I'm back. Life has been crazy, work got more crazy the past week, and I never know what day it is anyway, so I totally spaced last weeks episode. I am, truly, sorry. So this week, you have three songs, anime, a game, and more, 30+ minutes. The quality is a little weird this week, I found a way to amp up my mic, but then had to remove noise, and now it sounds like I'm in a tube. I'm still working on getting a good recording on this new computer.

As mentioned in the 'cast, if anyone has contact with Joss Wheedon, let me know. He MUST be persuaded to continue the serenity movies. Anyway, here are the show notes:

Jamendo: Mend
Mend Website
IronRealms
Earth Eternal
Funimation
Negima!
Gunslinger Girl

The Comeback Episode!

Yes, people, your beloved CD has returned to his space. This is the long awaited Comeback Episode!

Firstly, I must apologize for the quality, I recorded this on a new computer, new setup, and have't quite got the kinks worked out of the new machine yet. Secondly, normally I shoot for a 15-20 minute episode. This is my foretold return, with a 40+ minute episode!

In this episode, Rob Costlow, 'The Haunting In Connecticut', Army Of Two for PS3, and 'Personal Effects: Dark Art' by JC Hutchins. Links to all this and more below. Enjoy!

Rob Costlow on jamendo.com
The Haunting In Connecticut
Army Of Two
Personal Effects: Dark Art
Personal Effects: Sword of Blood
pixelvixen707

Promos:
Brian Rathbone

Call this number!
(212) 629-1951

The End is Nigh!

The end of my hiatus, that is.

Stay tuned for the return of theCDspace!

I'm Still Here, Though I Don't Know If Anyone Knows I Am

I'm still here people. I'm calling for comments, good or bad, just let me know you're listening. (Yes, shameless, selfish call for an ego boost.)

In this cast: Accident Hash, Script Frenzy, Twitter, All:My:Faults, and more random rambling by ME! BEWARE: Several mis-speaks (audio typos)! So me esitemated target lengths has been 15-20 minutes. This one is over 30 minutes long. Take this into account if you have a limited time to listen.

My daughter helped to edit and post this!




Links:
Accident Hash
NaNoWriMo
Script Frenzy
Twitter (me on twitter)
All:My:Faults

I'm Back, Keep me here

Finally the beginning of the weekly updates. People, drop comments, keep me committed! I have been committed to The Brink! I am on Jamendo.com UN cdspace




Links
The Brink
JC Hutchins
Brinkvale Psychiatric
Changeling (possible spoilers)\
Jamendo
Heet_Seas

BRB!

Quick drop to let everyone know I will be back! ...soon.




Links:
The Brink

Promo

I'll try recording a new episode tonight, and have it up by Wednesday morning. In the meantime, enjoy some promos for the first podiobook I ever heard. This is what got me thinking about starting this blog, the podcast, and writing fiction again. Included are the promos for all three books in the series.

7thsonnovel.com
jchutchins.net

Technical Difficulties Overcome, Almost

Okay, I sit down this morning to rerecord this cast, and now my mic isn't picking up sound. It's recording really quiet. So, I posted what I had, and added a promo for WriMo Radio at the end. I hope to have all these glitches worked out today, and have a real cast up for you by Tuesday.

In this 'cast: Software for podcasting, blogging, and NaNoWriMo. Update on NaNoWriMo. The 'cast is now searchable in iTunes, haven't heard anything from Zune Marketplace.

Show Links:
FeedBurner
Audacity
yWriter
Q10
Portable Apps

Technical Difficulties

Okay, so I did record the episode this morning. I was going back through it, editing, and about halfway through, the recorded audio is all messed up. It sounds like a very quick echo. I don't know what happened, but I'll finish the editing tonight, probably have to rerecord some parts, and have up as soon as I can. I'm working on it people, just hang in there

Busy Busy Busy

Okay, so i didn't get a 'cast recorded last night. Work was more than I expected. So, I'll record one tonight, and have it up tomorrow morning. To make up for the delay, I'll record a double episode tonight, and have both to you.

UPDATE: No 'cast this morning. I got caught up working on my NaNo novel, and didn't have time to record one. I'll try tonight again to record, and might have to do it while my daughter is still awake, so, it might be...interesting.

I was right

So I was right. All these projects, work, home, blog, podcast and NaNo is killing me.

Sorry about the delay on the podcast, this weekend was pure hell. Plus my internet was on the fritz. I've got a new modem, and i'net has been stable so far. I'll hopefully get an update recorded tomorrow night, and have it up by Wednesday morning. I'm going to move the weekly updates to Tuesdays. That should give me all weekend to record and update, and Monday to edit and upload. Other than that, know that I'm still here, still trying.

Go Vote!

Debut Podcast

Yes, a day late, but, hey, it's here.

First, I apologize for the quality. I'll get better equipment eventually.
Second, I apologize for the content. This is really the first recording I've ever made of myself. Talking to a machine, hoping someone out there will hear me is kinda...weird.

This episode is an intro to who I am, what I'm doing, and the general outline of the podcast content and format.

Music is Electronaut, by VNV Nation.

'Cast Links:
nanowrimo.org

I'll be back soon

Hey everyone. Sorry about the lack of updates the past month. I've had some hard times lately, but working through them, slowly but surely. I've lost my center, I have nothing to keep me going, nothing to care about. So, I'm going to pick this back up, and hope it will become the fun project it was designed to be.

Some new updates on the format. I will continue to keep the blog running, as it has been, with podcast reviews of whatever I happen to be listening to at the time. But for the future it will include all types of podcasts, music, movies, and other entertainment media.

Alongside this blog, I will be starting my podcast soon. The podcast, eventually, will become the main format of theCDspace, and when that happens, the blog will become supplemental and supporting material, containing links to things talked about in the podcast, extra special features hinted at in the podcast, and additional material I may have forgotten when recording the 'cast.

Now, while the blog will continue as it was, with weekly updates, the podcast will begin in a different form than it will eventually be. Starting next Monday, if everything goes according to plan, the podcast will debut. Each episode will be about 15-20 minutes long, and new episodes will be released at least weekly, possibly every few days.

The podcast, through November, will be about my experiences, trials, and sucesses in NaNoWriMo. After November, the podcast will likely move into talking about my further experiences as an amateur writer, more reviews, and possibly some surprises.

I'm going to ask anyone who sees this to post a comment, and make a commitment to subscribe to the blog and 'cast. I'm going to need all the support I can get to keep these things up and running, the blog, the 'cast, and getting through NaNoWriMo. Knowing that there are at least a few people out there waiting for updates will help push me to provide them. Otherwise, it's just me, talking to the aether, and that's not very fun.

Anyway, next week Ancestor, Persepolis, and Shadowmagic.

And again, I disappear

I'm still here people! It's been hell at work, and I've got 4 freelance programming jobs I've been working on in my spare time. So I haven't had much time to listen to anything. I will soon have a new day job, hopefully, which will pay more, and I will cut back on the freelance jobs, and have more time to listen, and provide reviews.

On other news, I think I've got a basic plot for my NANOWRIMO novel. Something I've wanted to write for a while now, but never thought it would be worth it. If i can work out the details, it will be my NANOWRIMO project.

One last update, I might be moving the blog to another hosting. I've got Wordpress set up there, and if I like it, I might move everything over there. I'll keep you updated on that.

More Than Just Podcasts

So I'd like to take a moment and say that this blog is more than reviews of podcast novels. From time to time, I'll review a short story podcast like Escape Pod (next week maybe), and even some non-fiction podcasts. This will at least give me time to catch up on my listening, and be able to provide better reviews.

That said, the past week and a half or so, I've been listening to Mur Lafferty's podcast "I Should Be Writing". I started at the beginning of the 'cast, at which time she had not yet published her novel, or even finished it for that matter. (A side note, "Playing for Keeps" did wonderfully on the amazon charts, being released this past Monday.) In Mur's own words, ISBW is a "podcast for wannabe writer, by a wannabe writer." In the 'cast, Mur lays it down, and tells it like it is. Almost harsh at times, she removes excuses, provides helpful tips, and tells the listener to just start writing. There are no secrets, no magic potion that "great" writers have found (aside from maybe coffee?). All it takes to write, is to write. The episodes are rather short, on the order of 15-20 minutes, but it's long enough for Mur to cover one small topic in the process of getting started in writing. Instead of feeling like a writing seminar or workshop, it's got the feeling of sitting down over a warm beverage, and just talking about writing with a soon-to-be new friend. Casual, easy to listen to, and as such hits you smack in the face with the truth, "Just do it."

In my listening, I'm moving forward into the processes, and Mur's experiences, with trying to get published. The rejections, the rewrites, the re-rewrites, etc. and I might give updates on how the 'cast progresses. Each episode, Mur also gives updates on her own personal writing projects and progress. The 'cast has been running since late 2005, so it might take me a while to catch up, but it has been fun listening to the contrast between her talk about her hard work then, and hear her podcast novel, "Playing for Keeps", just recently published.

Moving on to my own projects, at some point, about 4 years ago, I fancied myself a Sci-Fi writer. I had written about 6 short stories, none of which were published, before finding my time for writing had run off somewhere to hide for a while. In listening to ISBW, I have regained my desire to write, and will be searching for the runaway time. I'll keep everyone updated here on what projects I'm working on, and how far along they might be.

You also may have noticed the new picture on the right. Yes, I have joined NANOWRIMO. The National Novel Writing Month, which is a frenzied outpouring of words in the month of November. The goal is 50,000 words from November 1 to November 31. No edits or rewrites, just writing as much and as fast as possible. I don't have any ideas for it yet, but will be working on it, outlining it, and possibly give some character interviews here and on the NANOWRIMO forums. If interested, my UN is CDspace, and my profile page is here.

I suppose that's all for now. Next week, nothing planned, but I'll find something to talk about.

A small update, I've got the internet at home now, although it's not exactly reliable. So, totally unrelated to the blog, my Zune card at the top will be updating now. It's been stuck for about a month. Also, due to my frelance programming work, I've got myself a 22" LCD monitor. I'll be getting another LCD monitor, and then a high quality headset/microphone. At that point, I'll begin looking into making this an actual podcast. Also at that point, project Cast-A-Line will begin taking shape. So things are rolling people. Slowly, but at least moving.

I Should Be Writing
NANOWRIMO
Escape Pod

I'm Back!

Okay, so the move is complete, and I have internet at home all hooked up now. I'm still in the process of unpacking, but the majority of it is done. Now I think I can have the time, or make the time, to start this blog back up. I know it's been longer than I said it would be, and I apologize for that, but I'm here again now. I'll post some pictures of the new apartment later, I'm really loving it. And the neighbors at the new place are the coolest people I've met in a long time.

But enough about me, let's get the the podcasts! Currently, I'm listening to "Playing for Keeps", by Mur Lafferty, and I'm still listening to "Ancestor" by Scott Sigler. Those are all I've had time for lately, and both have already been reviewed here before.

The other night I got myself up to date on Stranger Things. Right now, they're taking a short hiatus, as they gear up for even bigger events. Before we get to those, first my thoughts on this 'cast. After the first few episodes I thought the directing and acting could use some work. Perhaps the ST crew thought so too, because each episode just kept getting better. both in terms of the acting and directing, but also the stories they were presenting. Aside from the premier and the most recent episode, "Latchkeepers", they've been pretty short. (Aside, "Latchkeepers" is actually a long episode, but it was broken up into three parts, about 10 minutes each. It seemed rather strange to do that {no pun intended} but the breaks were chosen well, and kept my interest until the next episode. The entire presentation was release as one afterwards, for those who want the entire cake at once.) Despite their brevity, each one leave me with the feeling of "Hmm, that was interesting.... I've never thought about it that way." As with most good stories, Stranger Things likes to give a seemingly predictable story, and then throw in a twist at the end which can sometimes take the brain for a ride. All in all, this is definately a podcast worth checking out.

Now, originally Stranger Things was an internet only 'cast, albeit the first video podcast shot and released in HD. They have gained popularity lately, and have a deal in progress with Illusion On-Demand. Yes, Stranger Things will be on TV. The internet podcast will still be around, but being on TV will increase their audience dramatically. This increased audience will hopefully catch the attention of advertisers, which will lead to more money for the show. This in turn leads to a bigger budget, and a bigger budget means better production, and ultimately, better episodes. The hiatus I mentioned above is needed for them to organize the start on TV, but they will be back up and running again soon. Another possibility is a DVD of Season One. All of which is big news, and Stranger things had over 1500 subscribers before they even premiered. Once these things start going down, who knows how big they could get.

That's all for today, and again, I'm sorry for taking so long to get back to this. Below are some links to the 'casts mentioned. I'm also going to keep the links from the most recent post in the sidebar, for a quick overview of what was covered last.

Next time, a non-fiction podcast, "I Should Be Writing", by Mur Lafferty, updates on my own projects, and some plans for the future.

Playing for Keeps
Ancestor
Stranger Things
Illusion On-Demand

I'll Be Back Soon

Okay, so quick update on the status of this blog. First, over the past week I've been in the process of moving. It's amazing how much stuff fits in a two bedroom apartment. The next week will be spent unpacking and setting up the new place. The computers are already set up, of course, but at the moment I have no internet connection at home. That will be set up soon.

Second, I've gotten a few freelance programming jobs. It's been fun, give me a little spending money, but takes up alot of time. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed it, but it's still been a major factor to my lack of free time. Lack of free time limits how much I can listen to these podiobooks I'm supposed to be reviewing.

Third, I've been in the search for a new, better paying, hopefully less stressful job. Several opportunities have arisen, and look promising.

I can, however, give a quick review of the podiobook "Playing for Keeps", by Mur Lafferty. I've only gotten to the third episode, but it quickly grabbed my interest. As a summary, Seventh City is the home of the Academy, a school for superheroes. The city is full of people with superpowers, which some use for good, some for 'evil', and some, the 'Third-Wavers', have powers that aren't exactly useful for either side. Now, just from that, it almost sounds like this a cheesy rip-off of X-Men. But, even after the first chapter, the protagonist, Keepsie, and her cynical view on the Academy, the superheroes and supervillains, and her 'unique' power make this a podiobook worth following. The listener is drawn into life with Keepsie and her friends. From the pointof view of those rejected from the Academy, the line between hero and villain becomes blurred, as does the role of the Third-Wave power wielding citizens of Seventh City. Like I said, I'm only into the third episode, but I'm greatly looking forward to where this book is going.

Finally a quick plug for Mur. Playing for Keeps is coming out in print on August 25. Mur and her fans are calling to everyone to purchase the book on Amazon.com on that day. Since it's coming out from a small publisher, it isn't going to get much press or attention. If everyone goes to Amazon.com, and gets the book on release day, we can push it up the charts and then everyone can see it, buy it, and Mur and the book will be noticed by those outside the podiobook world. Check out www.playingforkeepsnovel.com for more info, and to subscribe and download this great podiobook.

Finally, thanks to anyone who has read this blog at all, and especially to those who are watching to see when I come back. Previous plans have not been canceled, just postponed. Hoefully, within 2 weeks or less, I'll be back to weekly postings reviewing great podiobooks, and the surprises mentioned before will come. I promise.

I'm sorry, I have to take a break...for now

Alas, just when it seems to be working, it all comes crashing down. I've gotten some more hits on here, had some fun surprises planned, and got started on the actual review posts. It all seemed to be going so well, and then I picked up a project, not realizing how much time it would take up. Then I'm moving, and don't have the internet for a few weeks. Then more turmoil in my personal life, and I haven't had time to listen to the podcasts I'd said I'd review this week. For now, I'm going to put this blog on the back burner. No it won't disappear, it just won't be like last week. It will probably go back to how it was before that, just reviewing when I can, and what I can. By the end of the month, I should have the internet back at the new place, and the project will be finished, and I'll pick back up on the format podcast reviewing. Until then, keep me in your list, I'll still put up quick reviews of whatever I find the time to listen to. I apologize for taking so long to get this up and running, but it was a spur of the moment project, and not entirely thought out.

GOAL: have a plan for this blog by the end of the month, and stick to it. (Re)start the Monday posts

Again, I'm sorry if you were looking forward to this blog getting started, but just a few weeks, and I'll be ready to keep this blog running reliably.

Darkness, embryos, and a big bug?

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up, work gets in the way sometimes. In this episode, JC Hutchins' Obsidian, Scott Sigler's Ancestor, and Scott Sigler's Bloodcast, Season 1. Links to all these at the end of the post.

An update on Cast-A-Line, all is going well. There is so much more interest that I could have hoped. It will still be a little while before this really begins to take shape. The project was really about finding out if there was any interest in this in the first place. Since it seems there is tremendous interest, I have to start thinking about the next step. While I won't say what the project is, I will say it is the first step towards making this a real podcast, and will hopefully get the word out more, and drive traffic this way. The next step is figuring out how I want to record a podcast, getting the headset for it, and finding time to do this. I'm in the middle of a move right now, so it probably will be about a month before anything tangible shows up.

Yesterday I heard the first of JC Hutchins' "Voices from the Darkness" Obsidian episodes. If you recall, Obsidian is an anthology of stories from a variety of authors, including listeners. The listeners were invited to record their own voicemails, "cloverfield style", and let JC know what it is/was like to live through the chaos after the nationwide blackout. These voicemails, MP3s, and videos were put into the "Voices from the Darkness" episodes. Let me just say, that was creepy. And amazing, but creepy. I heard the first one on the bus yesterday, and listening to those calls, I started looking at the others on the bus, wondering if they were going to start looting or rioting, and if I was going to have to make one of those calls myself (which I can't, the deadline for Obsidian submissions was yesterday, I think).

Another anthology I've started listening to is Scott Sigler's Bloodcast, Season 1. Now, let's make a note here, Season 2 has been tentatively scheduled for 09, and Season 1 is dated back in 04-05. Maybe Sigler just got busy, what with book deals, movie talks, a trilogy to finish, etc. (way to go Sigler, on a roll, don't stop now). I can't go into a summary of all the stories in this series, but I can say, the stories all seem to start out innocently enough. But soon, they get their first, seemingly unbelievable, twist. Further on, the twist, which you couldn't believe was true, was too outrageous to be true, turns out to be just that, true. From there, in true Sigler style, the action ensues. Then, before it can really hit you that it all really did just happen, he throws another twist at you to wrap things up nice and neat. Sigler is an awesome writer, with some incredible ideas. I'd like to recommend at least Episode 4 of Bloodcast, and you'll hear why in the next episode.

Over the past week, while waiting for the next episode of Infected to come out (note to Sigler, I'm still waiting), I've started listening to Ancestor, again by the Future Dark Overlord Scott Sigler. (Is there too much Sigler this week, I don't know. If I start chanting for Pope Siglericus XXX, take cover, hide your children, and ... paint lambs blood on your door frame)

Ancestor, at it's core, is about the quest for growing human transplantable organs in animals. Some companies are trying to grow these organs in existing animals, pigs, monkeys. The risk with that is the possibility of a transgenetic virus. A virus that existed in the animal, and with the introduction of human DNA, mutated to a form that could infect humans...humans with no natural defense. Result, epidemic and death. This is how the book starts out, and the outbreak is contained and destroyed quickly. The CIA begins trying to shut down other companies doing the same sort of research. One company, however, is trying to build a new animal, combining DNA from mammals all over the world in an attempt to build the great-granddaddy of all mammals, with human organ traits. They succeed, and the new animal, aptly named the Ancestor, is born.

This book is peppered with Sigler's great ideas, the suspense we've grown to love from him, and, of course, his horrific style. Between the genetics company, the CIA tying to stop them, and trying to keep knowledge from the general public, this book has enough sci-fi, politics, black-ops, and intrigue to keep most readers happy. I should note here, that even Sigler adds a warning that this podiobook might not be suitable for youngsters, with all the violence, language, and blood. My only vice with this book, from what I've heard so far (I'm only a quarter of the way through it), is that it almost seems predictable. Almost. But I trust Sigler to come to these points with his usual twists and turns, throwing anything I think might happen out the window on the lawn.
Update on Ancestor, The Truth

Click the links below to check out these podiobooks.
Obsidian
Bloodcast, Season 1
"Pick-of-the-Week" Ancestor

Next week, Stranger Things, TD-0013, and, hopefully, a new Infected episode.