I listen to this playlist whenever I’m working on the book, but there is always room for more songs. If you know of any tunes that might fit nicely along with these, feel free to send me some suggestions – my ears and my iPod are hungry for more.

I’ve even added links just in case you want to hear some of the songs below. I’m awesome like that.

Dawn of the Pale Riders Writing Soundtrack:

Pale Rider – The Creepniks

Ain’t No Grave – Johnny Cash

Deadman’s Gun – Ashtar Command

Pale Rider – Nudge

(Ghost) Riders in the Sky – Johnny Cash

Three Stripes on a Cadillac – Otis Taylor

Compass – Jaime Lidell

Gimme Shelter – Rolling Stones

A Country Boy Can Survive – Hank Williams Jr.

Hurt – Johnny Cash

Far Away – Jose Gonzalez

Pale Rider Blues – Arbouretum

Ten Million Slaves- Otis Taylor

God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash

What about you though? What do you like to listen to when you are writing, drawing, painting, or just trying to tune out the world?

*Dawn of the Pale Riders is a novel that takes place right after the events in the titular novella in Meat City and many years before the events of “Ballad of the Pale Riders”, a short story that in the same collection.

• Dawn of the Pale Riders – Post apocalyptic horror/fantasy/western novel - yeah, that’s a mouthful, but I think it should work and be fairly entertaining. I’m finishing up the outline over the next few days.

• Aberrant Nation – Comic book that also has a post apocalyptic vibe. I’m working on the first story arc, as well as completing all of the character descriptions, backgrounds, etc. I want to have the first issue written, along with all of the other background material by early January.

• Promotion for Meat City & Other Stories – This collection of my short fiction should be out sometime in early 2010, and I will be promoting it as much as I can. If anyone has any unique ideas for promotion and exposure feel free to send them along.

• The Killing Box – Horror novel that is still in the research and development stage. It has magicians, ghosts, demons, and other fun stuff. I might even add a sexy librarian . . . I just don’t know yet.

• The World Next Door – Middle grade fantasy novel that is almost complete. The first draft is done, but it needs some major rewrites.

• Custodian serial – This is the urban fantasy serial that I want to add to this site, free of charge. I enjoy the characters and world that I’ve created, and I hope to write a novel with the characters at some point in the future.

• Short stories – Even though short stories don’t pay very much, I like writing them and I know that some people enjoy reading them. I want to write and publish at least 10 short stories this year.

• Untitled horror screenplay – I’ve got the idea, but it still needs work. This is something that I probably won’t even begin until well into the summer.

• Freelancing – I gotta eat and pay bills, you know.

• Find a literary agent – I’ve neglected looking for an agent for years, but I think it’s about time that I try to find one. As soon as I complete a few more manuscripts, I will begin my hunt in earnest – and I’ll let everyone know how it all pans out. It can’t be that hard, right? : )

Well, that’s my list for now (subject to change according to my whims and fears).

What is everyone else working on for 2010?

I’m writing a novel called Dawn of the Pale Riders, which is a zombie western set in the near future. It is a prequel to my story “Ballad of the Pale Riders”, and a sequel to my story “Meat City”. Both of those stories are in my upcoming collection from Black Bed Sheet Books called Meat City & Other Stories.

I’m also writing a proposal for a comic book series (tentatively) titled Aberrant Nation.

In addition, I’m working on an urban fantasy serial novella that I will post on this site. I won’t start posting the chapters until I have the entire story written though. It just seems better that way.

I’ve got a few other projects lined up as well, but I’m currently too tired to mention them all.