Plaz Seschni Profile

PROFILE: PLAZ SESCHNI

OFFICIAL NAME: Plaz Seschni

LITERAL TRANSLATION: Order of the Red Suns

COMMON NAME: Order Ruby

FOUNDER: Dr. Nestri Vas Juliuan

RESEARCH FUNDING BY: Vas Tiniklin Consortium, Naza Ewalina PPA

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW: Upon our arrival on Terra, third planet in the Sol system and Mars, fourth planet in this system, we discovered remains of settlements and defenses that had been left behind by another space faring race. Our research teams proved via DNA samples that this race was not indigenous to Terra. From what we have surmised, their bases and settlements on Terra were overwhelmed by a suicide attack staged by a ‘defeated’ foe. The assault was so devastating that they abandoned this system within twenty standard years of its occurrence.

In a testament to how well their facilities were constructed, five largely intact research stations were found, by our exploratory teams. This was roughly five thousand Terran years after this race abandoned the system. One was found near Olympus Mons on Mars, two were found on the landmass now commonly referred to as Asia, one in what is now North America and one on the landmass we settled, Khaznotornii, now commonly referred to as Atlantis. [Archival Note: It is still a mystery as to the why of that. It’s certainly not terribly imaginative to name a sunken landmass after an ocean.] The one on Khaznotornii was so intact, when the teams were able to get through the seals the interior was still pristine. This was the facility where we found the ancient revenants that led to the research that brought Plaz Seschni into being.

The discovery of the two revenants was made in rather dramatic fashion. According to Squad Leader Tessina Na Plitkna: “We had been having a rather uneventful walk down a corridor. Doors slid open showing offices and research labs. Air inside was stale but breathable. We reached a door that had a keypad and words that looked like a warning. [Archival Note: It was a warning. After we translated the Muavian script, we learned what it said. Basically, ‘keep out – active revenants inside.’] Point took out the hand held and it figured out the entry code in a couple minutes. Once the door slid open, we heard a sudden moan and a long hiss. Point stepped into the room and then, seconds later, came flying out in pieces. Suddenly these two vaguely humanoid creatures appeared at the door. We opened fire and destroyed them both, determined to not lose additional personnel. We did not know at the time that we had slain the two remaining living Muavian revenants. We didn’t much care either, as it was either us or them.”

Fortunately the facility contained several well preserved deceased revenants. When we deciphered the Muavian language (not difficult as they used an archaic version of what is generally called Galactic Standard) we discovered that their research consisted entirely of trying to find a way to reverse the change. That is, make revenants normal again. In about five standard years, our research teams concluded that the change was irreversible.

Our research scientists sifted through other projects, setting up our own stations and leaving only caretaker crews in the Muavian facilities. This state of affairs continued for seventy standard years until two of the PPA consortiums (the military arm of Fleet) took a renewed interest into the case of the revenants. What they saw was the potential for a very powerful weapon. The records showed that the revenants possessed incredible strength and, in spite of the mindless rage, exhibited interesting psychic potential. Also of note was that they could regenerate limbs and, save for direct sunlight, were very difficult to kill.

Thus our research began. The initial goal was to stop the mindless rage upon transformation. If this could not be done, the revenants would not have practical use. We did not need terror weapons, which is all they would have been. As expected, the first experiments were disastrous. Sadly, to determine the correct chemical matrix, live subjects had to be used. For this, computer simulations were completely worthless. That was because it was not possible to simulate the effects of the chemicals on a human body in a meaningful fashion. The cost of success was a staggering body count, one that made all but two partners pull out. As such, they are the only two that share the credit.

After nearly twenty five standard years of research there was a breakthrough, the one that led to the establishment of Plaz Seschni. Dr. Nestri Vas Juliuan developed what had been called Serum XVF-1065-VB-9099. After a series of near successful experiments, Dr. Vas Juliuan was certain he had the right combination. So certain, in fact, that he made himself the subject for that critical experiment. Suffice it to say it worked, and Order Ruby came into being at that moment.

After becoming a vampire, Dr. Vas Juliuan continued his research for another 1125 Terran years, hoping to perfect the serum and overcome what he regarded as shortcomings of the transformation. Ultimately he despaired of the effort. Never liking the notion of having to drink blood and not being able to walk unprotected in the daylight, he ended his days by walking out of a spaceship airlock without a suit.

So, what was accomplished by this research? A Plaz Seschni vampire has these characteristics:

1)      Approximate strength of ten to fifteen strong men within a week of transformation. This slowly increases over time.

2)      Enhanced psychic abilities. This is not limited to telepathy and telekinesis. Over time, these grow far more powerful. These are considered by many to be the most valuable assets to a vampire. Strength can be negated, but not the mind.

3)      Immunity to disease. This appears universal, on Terra and on other known planets. There has been speculation about a disease vector that could harm a vampire, but if it does exist we have yet to run across it.

4)      End of bodily aging. This has led to speculation that vampires are immortal. It is clear that the span of existence is increased indefinitely by the transformation; however it is clear that vampires are very much living creatures and thus cannot be truly immortal. However, there has not been a recorded case of one dying from natural causes…

5)      Blood thirst. This factor bothered Dr. Vas Juliuan the most. He noted how it lessened over time, but he regarded the matter as somehow ‘shameful.’ For the first few years it is known to take a liter of blood (roughly a bit over two pints) per day to slake the thirst. This swiftly drops off to a half liter a day and slowly continues to decline. It is never necessary to kill to feed. The young are taught to hit two or more marks a night.

6)      Sensitivity to direct sunlight. This, too, gradually tapers off over time, something that Dr. Vas Juliuan did notice but he thought it was too slow. A mere twenty Terran years after his demise, an ointment was developed that gave protection to those wishing to go outside in daylight in an atmosphere. It has to be direct sunlight to be harmful. A few people found that out the hard way when they bounced sunlight off of a mirror.

Thus was the first Plaz of vampires created. Had egos and governments not interfered, Ruby would be the only Order. The military did get their weapon, although many vampires choose scholarly pursuits and find fulfillment in other fields of endeavor. Music appeals to some, as does archaeology, space exploration, even bookkeeping for some unknown reason…

PROFILE COMPLETE – ARCHIVE

[Material Copyright 2012 by Ronald C. Tobin. All Rights Reserved]

Brief History of the Origins of the Plaz Vampires

What follows is an excerpt from the 2nd book in the Plaz  series, tentatively titled DEBTS OF BLOOD.
This is the first installment of background material I was speaking of.

“You, I believe, would find an outline of our history useful. This all started roughly 100,000 Terran years ago. That was when our predecessors came into the Sol System and settled on Terra and Mars. Our best guess is that they came out of a globular cluster about 10,000 light years from the galactic center. Now those who believe they existed tend to call them Mu. I’m quite certain that isn’t what they called themselves. They looked very much like us, doubtless our species would have been genetically compatible. They dwelled here in relative peace for about 10,000 years, at which time they were attacked by a rival species. It appears from the evidence that they technically ‘won’ the war, but a stealth fleet hit Terra and decimated their settlements here. A few apparently stayed behind and eventually interbred with the native Terran population. They shut down their operations on Mars and withdrew from the Sol System.

“What makes them pertinent to the history of the Plaz is because, as a result of that attack by the stealth fleet, some people grew very ill and then began to ravenously attack other people, draining them of their blood. These beings could not stand sunlight and, being essentially mindless, they basically took care of themselves by blowing up. A few were kept in research facilities and studied. This research survived until our race arrived on Terra about 65,000 years ago. Their research was rather brief. They were looking for a way to reverse the process, instead of a way to avoid the onset of mindlessness in the first place. They did not see the potential value in creating such a creature. You see, these revenants also had preternatural strength and, in spite of their general mindless rage, had some noted psychic abilities.

“Once our people arrived in the Sol System, they started looking at what the others had left behind. We essentially revamped their spaceports and mining outposts on Mars. We thickened the atmosphere there and brought back some shallow seas and grasslands. On Terra, we settled in the land mass commonly now referred to as Atlantis, as for some reason none of the natives lived there. We did have research stations in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa, especially where we found the facilities left behind by Mu. As luck would have it, one such station was so intact that they found a couple of those revenants still inside. Those ravenous creatures immediately tried to attack and were summarily destroyed.

“Over the space of about fifty years, our researchers reviewed the experiments and the documentation left behind. Then they duplicated some of it, at first, rather predictably with disastrous results. Then, they finally managed to refine the chemicals to stop the mindless rage. This made a transformation useful on several levels. No longer were we dealing with revenants. The Ruby Order vampire thus came into being.

Kristano pauses, collecting his thoughts. “How do I best put this? The Fleet was a consortium of private protection and shipping companies. They invested the most into the research because they saw a military potential in vampires that could retain their wit and personality. The revenant would not be useful even as a shock weapon because they cannot control themselves. So, Reggie, to put it bluntly we were initially conceived of as being a weapon. It does make sense, after a fashion. As it turned out, relatively few of the military types made the grade in those days. Most of them ended up in space exploration and research.”

Reggie nods. “So what became of the founder of Order Ruby? I’ve read the histories online but they don’t say much about him.”

Kristano chuckles. “It’s really somewhat ironic. Dr. Vas Juliuan was only a vampire for about 1200 years. He didn’t really enjoy being one. The blood drinking really bothered him, so he never learned how much the need for that lessens over time. He was upset that he could not get the blood drinking to cease to be and he wanted to be able to day walk without protection. That does occur obviously. It really bothered him that one has to be brought to the brink of death by severe blood loss for a transformation to work. He was gone long before I was born. The few vampires around that did know him never said much about him.”

“What about the other Orders? How and why did they come into being?”

Kristano sighs. “It had to do with people and their agendas. As our settlements on Terra and Luna and Mars became more established, our decentralized, informal governments gave way, in some areas, to very familiar forms. About 45,000 years ago there was a small kingdom in the north, close to what is now Iceland. The King at that time invested a huge sum of money to create, as he put it, a more ‘regal,’ ‘durable’ vampire. They did manage to create the Order of the Emerald, but the King was not to have his desire. The sole advantage that an Emerald vampire has over a Ruby vampire is their keener infrared eyesight. They can see in near absolute darkness. Our orders are closely aligned, as you well know.

“As for Order Sapphire, they came into being just over 21,000 years ago. That was a turbulent time in our history. We were battling a couple other spacefaring races at that time, plus there were rather severe tectonic shifts going on here. Khaznatornii was no longer a continent by then; rather it was six large islands and numerous smaller ones, a few of which still exist today. At any rate, another King funded research by one Dr. Sanctitina Olos Parana. Well, the good doctor, who is still with us, believed in her formula so much that she was the first to use it. In the end she created a vampire that was in all ways inferior to Emerald and Ruby. They have a higher transformation failure rate, tend to be more violent and have a higher tendency to turn psychopathic. This is likely why they are the smallest Order with only ten percent of vampires. Ruby has fifty percent and Emerald has forty percent.

“There actually was a fourth Order for a time, called Order Amethyst. It was founded in Egypt about 7000 years ago after the complete collapse of Khaznatornii and the de facto withdrawal of Fleet from the planet. The vampires of this Order tended to be so violent that they were hard to distinguish from revenants. It was thought that the Order had been exterminated in 1294 CE by a rare combined effort by the three present Orders. However, it turned out that the Sapphire Society of Redemption had kept about ten of them alive intending to use them as focal point assassins. They were only eliminated a few years ago when that Society was eliminated. They tried to assassinate Sancia herself and she was not amused.”

[An excerpt from DEBTS OF BLOOD, Copyright 2011 by Ronald C. Tobin. All Rights Reserved.]

Backstory Material

Over the next few weeks I will be compiling and writing back story material for the novel. I intend to put up the first installments this weekend. This will be a two part process: 1) Information about the three Plaz (Orders) and the differences between them, their histories and how they came to be and 2) Brief biographies of the major characters, setting the stage to where they are at just when the novel opens. This will make the novel an even more interesting read because the reader will be better informed. This is essential moving forward in the series. The world of the Plaz Seschni is very complex, full of tangled webs of intrigue. Further, it isn't just a series of novels about vampires and their 'mortal' cohorts. There is a strong element of science fiction that I will assure you becomes more pronounced as the series goes on. More than that I will not volunteer here, just read the novels and you will see, dear reader, what I am talking about.

In other news, I have noticed that Google Books now has a link to my book My publisher, Tate Publishing, has made glimpses of several pages available as a teaser. I think that is a marvelous marketing tool. Google Books also allows for reviews, so those of you who have already read the novel, please go there and write a review. That will be deeply appreciated by yours truly.

Northern Arizona Book Festival is shaping up well. It is on May 19th in Flagstaff Arizona. Should be a very pleasant day. It will get me still more exposure which will be most helpful.

Going Live on Amazon

So another milestone for the novel. It is, as of today, listed for pre-order on Amazon. This is a big step. A great point about Amazon is that they let you set up author's pages and I have done precisely that. The book has been available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble for a couple weeks now.

I am looking forward to attending the Northern Arizona Book Festival on May 19th. That will be my first foray into dealing with the public directly. It should be a good experience. I have no idea how many books I will sell there but the exposure makes it all worthwhile.

I have decided to set up an LLC. I will use it for my books and for my hypnotherapy practice once it gets rolling. I just finished my first 100 hours in courses and, with any luck at all, I will get my certificate at the end of the week. Life is good.

Some More Perspective

Well, this is proving to be quite the adventure. I am learning a lot about myself and about other people. I have been receiving feedback about the book, all of which I appreciate. All will be of use as I move forward on other projects in the future. I would be pushing the novel harder save that I am also going through my courses to learn to be a hypnotherapist. The initial courses will be done in early May. After that I will take a couple months to really concentrate on marketing the novel, at which point I will sign up for the course of study to become a clinical hypnotherapist. Right now I feel like I am juggling.

I am pleased with how things are going. I am looking forward to the first reviews. The first online retailer to be taking advance orders is Barnes and Noble. I know Amazon will be carrying it as well. I'm a first time author so I know it will take time. This book is my stepping stone, how I am starting on this career path. I am still amazed by some of this, other parts I had an idea of but this is all so very different than what I have done.

Now, back to the ever present task of marketing. Comparatively speaking, writing and dealings with editors and such is easier.

Update and Commentary

Sales of the book are off to a solid start. What really got them going was when the hardcovers showed up about a month earlier than my publisher had promised them. Some people have gone to the Tate Publishing website and ordered the e-book. To all who have purchased, my thanks. I still have plenty of copies on hand for those who are interested in obtaining an autographed copy. General release date is June 5, 2012, at which point all the major Internet retailers will have it. Those copies, however, will not be autographed, and the hardcovers are a special press only available directly from me. So keep that in mind.

Recently I have experienced an uptick in junk e-mail. I expected this, but so far one was completely comical. It claimed to be from a woman in Uganda who wrote to 'Dear Writer' seeking contributions so she could pay an alleged 30,000 pound tuition for a Masters in Writing degree. She hoped I could see my way to contribute 'just' 3% of that, or 900 pounds. Well, sorry, but that isn't happening. I'm a writer, not a sucker. Besides, I don't have that kind of spare change burning a hole in my pocket. I blacklisted that person and I expect to have to do it some more. Sadly, I expected this, but I have to have a public e-mail so people can reach me.

Yes, marketing the book is a lot of work and will remain so. However, it does have its rewards. Even when you have to put up with the bots....

How to Order the Book from Me!

As stated a few days ago, the book will be in general release on June 5th. As I also revealed, I have copies available to order direct from me and I will autograph them if desired. Some may not want my scrawly signature on it, fine by me. I am not putting pricing information directly on Facebook because I am not sure if that would violate their rules and turn the page into an ad, or possibly run afoul of some other weird quirk of the trades. However, I see no impediment to mentioning such information here.

So, for those interested: I am selling copies of the trade paperback for US$20 postpaid to addresses in the US and Canada. Additional copies to the same address are US$15 provided they are ordered at the same time. So, if you order one copy and then decide you would like another one 3 weeks later, it will cost US$20. I will autograph them anyway you would like.

For those of you outside the US and Canada it will be a bit more because of the higher postage costs and customs and whatnot. Write to me and we will come to an arrangement.

Anyway, you can send me an e-mail at: ronaldctobin@hotmail.com if you want to pay via Paypal.
Or, for deliveries to the US and Canada, you can send a check to: Ronald Tobin, PO Box 39590, Phoenix, AZ 85069-9590.

Thank you all kindly...

Official Release Date is June 5, 2012

The official release date of my novel has been set by the publisher. It will be June 5, 2012. Before then I will be working on developing my niche market. I will have an order of the books coming by late April. Hardcover copies will only be available directly from me. Also, any copy I sell will be autographed.

For anyone who wants to order a copy now and not go through me directly, here is the link:
http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781618627049 

So now comes the fun part, namely marketing. On that score I have much to learn. However, I'm a quick study.

Release Date

I have been informed that the official release date will be around June 15th. However, I will be able to order books and have them on hand by late April so I can do some niche marketing and promotion. Even better, I will be able to have hardcovers made that will only be available via yours truly. The books that will be sold on Amazon and in stores will strictly be trade paperback. This is certainly not a bad thing. A lot of marketing, especially for a first time author, falls to my efforts. Tate will be of great assistance, especially since they will produce and pay for 15 second television ads for the book. So, there's a lot of work ahead. The book exists now and that is what really matters.

Final Approval Submitted

Yesterday I signed off on the Final Approval on the proof for my book. So now it is on its way to marketing who will advise me of the release date. Said official release date will be three months after printing starts. I am told, and understand, that this is industry normal to get all the store channels set up and get everything squared with the online retailers. However, shortly I will be able to order books for myself and use them to promote it, as well as give some out to a couple good friends who I believe have earned one. Most of them I intend to use to send to some fellow writers and some agents in the hopes of getting some useful reviews and set the stage for the sale of the second book.

While this is certainly an exciting time and an important milestone, I had some issues to deal with as regards what I presently do for a living. I stared at the elephant and I blinked. I have been way too negative in other areas of my life and, really, I know better. You get out of life what you put into it, and I had been sowing some poison in mine. I've put my head back on straight and know the path that I will take. Much will change in my world in the months ahead and they will all be for the better.

At any rate, once I do know what the release date will be, I will share it here and on the Facebook page for the novel.

Proofreading of Final Layout Completed

Tonight I finished the proofreading of the final layout for my book. I found very few errors, and most of them were rather superficial. My book, if it is nothing else, will be very much grammatically correct and free of the jolts that I have seen in some books. I will be sending this PDF file back to them on Friday after I do a final check on the text. The physical proof has not yet arrived in the mail. The gentleman handling the layout work told me that some authors do better finding typos and such in the printed text and then making the change on the PDF. I'm sure for many that is very true. For me, since I published a newsletter for many years, and composed on the computer, I don't need the physical proof first. I only suggested a couple of cosmetic changes that they may decline and if they do that's OK. The others were typos, one was a missing word, so those I am sure they will take care of.

This weekend I will be concentrating on some course work for the hypnotherapy class I am taking. I have also been fleshing out the scenes for my third book. Overall I am pleased.

Final Layout Received

Today via e-mail I received the .PDF version of the final layout for my book from the publisher. They are giving me 30 days to get it back to them with corrections that I find. That is to say, find typos and such. After all, editing is over and I signed the content approval form. I know I will find a few items but I don't expect to find many. As for this task taking 30 days, that isn't happening. I may take 10 days but that would be it.

Yes, I will read it over several times as it does need to be right. No book ends up perfect but I know I can get it pretty close as far as wiping out typos. This one also has the back cover and a picture of me as well. Hopefully that won't scare off too many potential readers. This is a trade paperback so it costs more than a mass market paperback would, but it is printed on quality acid free paper so it is worth it.

Besides, it really is a GREAT story. At least I think so...

Joined Arizona Authors Association

I am branching out and doing more networking as the novel nears its release. I have joined the Arizona Authors Association. Very nice people, my book is now up in their latest releases section. I need to start attending meetings, gatherings and especially book fairs. That will be especially true once the book is out. Tate Publishing is providing me with a publicist, and that will be most helpful I am certain. Even with all that, ultimately my success will depend on what I do. To that end I will be checking out some more writers' groups and likely joining more as well.

Today I was told that the back cover is being finalized. That means my final layout is just days away. Ah, anticipation....

Initial Layout & ISBN

Today my publisher sent me the initial layout for my novel. I was very impressed and I will be giving them the go ahead on it tomorrow as, frankly, I want to keep the process rolling and get that final layout in my hands. Once that is completed I will be advised of the release date.

I also received official confirmation of the ISBN for the book. It is: 978-1-61862-704-9.

This is very exciting. Soon the book will be real, something that people can hold in their hands. That means a lot to me.

Philosophers Guild 27th Anniversary

Though not very active at this point in my life, today does mark the 27th anniversary of the Founding of the Philosophers Guild. I founded this group at 11:05 PM on 19 February 1985. Yes I remember the time because I documented it. The Guild was the fourth, and most successful by far, philosophical/political group that I created. At one time the Guild had members throughout the US and Canada. Our small press newsletter, THE THOUGHT, had circulation even in Europe and occasionally in India and Australia. What made it work was that, while I am a libertarian and thus the group had that focus, we were open to differing viewpoints. Some people found the approach horrible, but I learn quite a bit from people that I don't agree with. I made lasting friendships there and I am in touch with many of those people to this day. Yes, I'd do that again. I learned the fine art of discussion and listening. Sometimes I still need to remind myself of those lessons.

The Guild is its heyday was very eclectic. THE THOUGHT was our primary outreach and project, and it was put out monthly without fail from April of 1985 to June of 1990. Then publication became spotty, going into a three year hiatus after a single issue came out in 1994. In 1997 I revived the Guild and the newsletter, and it came out bimonthly until the summer of 2005. I don't rule out doing something with the newsletter again in the future. We shall all see.

My thanks to all those who were part of it.

Philosophy in the Novel

Some readers of the novel will wonder if the philosophy being expressed by some of the major characters, Victor Trent in particular, mirrors that of my own. To a large degree the answer is yes. I doubt that comes as much of a surprise. A writer has to have a solid familiarity with what he or she is writing about. Victor is, perhaps, more cynical than I am, at least now. When I was the age he is in the book, 28, I was very cynical as well. A lot of the philosophy expressed by some characters is definitely not my own, but it is part and parcel of tenets and beliefs that I have been exposed to.

As was the case during those years that I published THE THOUGHT, I am indeed trying to engage the reader on a level to make them think. Yes, I also hope to tell an engaging story and entertain and create a universe people will want to visit several times. Making people think, consider a different perspective, is part and parcel of what I have done throughout my writing career. Becoming a writer of novels does not change that.

Robert Heinlein wrote novels that had challenging ideas that made his reader think as well as entertain. L.Neil Smith has done likewise. Several others come to mind.

I'm sure some readers will just enjoy the vampire angle of the book. That's fine. However, the readers I will cherish, the ones I look forward to hearing from, are the ones who pay attention to the philosophy and maybe get something to ponder out of it.

How I've Made My Living

I'm 50 years old and I will turn 51 on May 13th. My 50th birthday was on a Friday. I thought that was too cool. I graduated from Canyon High School in Anaheim CA in 1979. My first job was as a night custodian at a convalescent home. That was so depressing I only lasted there about 10 months. Started working for Farmers Insurance in the mail room in 1980. I stayed with them until 1985 in various positions. That was the year I got serious about college so I went to work part time at a video store that went out of business in the Fall of 1987. I graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1989. In 1990 I became an insurance claims adjustor. I stank at it, to be frank. Ended up quitting that in May of 1991. I then did temp work until February of 1993, when I was hired by Loomis Armored. I stayed with them until May of 2006. They even transferred me to Arizona in 1995 when I asked to be. In May of 2006 I started working with Accram Inc., where I am now.

At Loomis and here at Accram I have been employed in Payables, Receivables, and Payroll. These are not creative outlets. The numbers are what they are, like them or not.

Writing gives me the creative outlet I need. I get fulfillment and satisfaction from it. Which is why I intend to keep writing novels!

From Whence the Novel Came

As I stated in my Writing History posting, the novel evolved out of a series of short stories I wrote in 1989-90 and published in The Thought. That series was titled Song of the Vamphyri, which at one time I also considered using as a title for the novel, or the novel series. Many of the same characters that were in the short story series are in the novel, and the broad outline of the initial story arc is the same. As the novels are fuller, richer stories, there are other characters and I go into a lot more depth in creating them.

What isn't the same? Quite a lot. The short stories were set in the late 1980s. The novels are contemporary, set in the world of 2008 on. The short stories were full of angst, as I was at that time. Also, I wrote the short stories as a first person narrative. That is, Victor Trent was telling the story himself. The novel is done in third person which I believe makes the story stronger. In the first short story Victor was reflecting on it all. In the novel, it is 'you are there.'

Most of the ideas I used in the short stories are being incorporated into the novels in some fashion. Others I am leaving behind. I think I have matured as a writer. I certainly have a lot more life experience now than I did then. Some scenes in the short story were just bizarre. I had this scene where a vampire who had been turned as a child decided, after a thousand years in child form, he'd had enough. Victor took him to the shore of Chesapeake Bay and the vampire just asked him to stay a safe distance away and time how long it took before he blew up after sunrise. Victor just did it. Victor in the novel - no way he would do that.

And thus it goes...

Layout Commenced

Once the cover had been approved, layout of the novel began. This is a two step process. Before the end of this month I will be sent the initial layout. I will review it and approve it so long as it looks good. Then, before the end of March I will receive the final layout. That is the one that I will be proofreading to make certain no errors cropped up. If any do, Tate will correct them prior to production commencing. This likely means the book will become available sometime in May. Once I do have the actual release date I will certainly publicize it here.

Yes, this has been a long journey but I know it is worth it!

My Writing History

I took my first steps at writing for possible public distribution in 1974. I made this 'newsletter' called The Alchemist's Gazette. This saw no distribution beyond my immediate family. It contained some short comedy pieces and some cartoons drawn by my brother Steve and me.

About a year later I took my first crack at writing a novel. I still remember the title, December Disaster. It was the tale of the collapse of civilization brought on by a huge solar flare. The next one was a somber tale about fascists taking over the United States. Nothing of these first two works remain. I do, however, still have an over 200 page manuscript for a novel I worked on in high school, titled Like Hell on Earth. It was a tale of a German victory in WW2 with them occupying the United States. I never finished it and, sorry, but I'm not going to try. Just isn't my style anymore and the story is SO disjointed.

In 1980 I put out my first political tract that did see some public circulation. This led to the creation of The Thought, my newsletter that came out in many forms until June of 2005. I am pleased to say that it is in the collection of the New York Public Library and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, among others.

In the summer of 2009 my friend Chris Becker told me that I should revisit a series of short stories about vampires that I wrote and published back in 1989-1990. I looked them over and found the core story to be worth the effort of recasting into a series of novels. My wife strongly encouraged me to take the plunge, and thus the venture began.

For the future I intend to write a series of novels. I have ideas for novels that don't involve my vampires as well, though I will admit to being very partial towards them right now. They seem like more than mere fictional characters. They are people that I know. Products of my imagination, granted.

Hello All

Welcome to my blog. My name is Ronald Tobin. I started my public writing in 1980. In 1981 I started a newsletter called THE THOUGHT, which endured in several forms through 2005. In 2009 I started writing my first novel, A RUBY FOR VICTOR. I finished the initial manuscript in March of 2011 and then started the process of finding a publisher. I did not wish to self publish, which raised the bar for me. I was very pleased to find a publisher after several weeks of effort. That publisher is Tate Publishing. They have been great to me. The editor was outstanding as was the cover artist.

The book will be published this Spring. Once I know the release date I will publish that here. With this blog I will communicate to my readers my thoughts on writing, brief bio sketches of my major characters, insights on my other projects and whatever comes to mind. I will post here frequently and I invite comments.

A RUBY FOR VICTOR is the first in a series. I am planning on several more installments as I enjoy telling the tale of these characters. I intend to entertain readers as well as make them think.

My best to you all.

Ronald Tobin