Announcements

Killer Content: "Morning Call Time" podcast /  by J.C. Hutchins

(Full disclosure: J.C. and the creators of the "Morning Call Time" podcast are cross-promoting each other's work; this post is one way J.C. is helping spread the word.)

The thing I miss most about being a journalist is knowing "the news" before anyone else. Working at a news outlet is like riding shotgun in the DeLorean from Back to the Future -- in a way, you can see a few days into the future, and know what's happening in the world before anyone else.

That's one of the main reasons why I dig the "Morning Call Time" entertainment news podcast. This show, hosted by industry vet Chad Gervich, is all about delivering entertainment news from leading trade publications (read: Daily Variety and others) before the mainstream press does.

Chad and his team cull the trades for the best stories, post them on mediabistro's "Fishbowl LA" blog, and create the Morning Call Time 'cast for people who work in the industry — producers, execs, agents, writers, etc. The goal: to deliver each day's headlines in a portable audio format before they get to the office. These pros have a huge leg up on the day ahead, since they've already "read" their industry's headlines.

What does this mean to folks who aren't in the biz? You're getting the news that's most important to the actual insiders of Hollywood ... and that's as cool as having your own time machine, I think. So if you love being ahead of the curve when it comes to entertainment news, Morning Call Time is killer content for your ears.

Check out the Fishbowl LA blog here, or subscribe to the Morning Call Time podcast here. Great stuff.

--J.C.

Continuing The Conversation /  by J.C. Hutchins

If you've ever:

  • visited a blog and left a comment ...
  • listened to a podcast and emailed its host ...
  • wrote on someone's Facebook wall, "friended" someone on MySpace, or posted an update on Twitter or Pownce ...
  • sent an email, SMS, or instant message to your friends about darned-near anything ...

... then you've participating in what social media leaders call "the conversation." "The conversation" is this, this here, the wild frontier where community transcends geography, and ideas are exchanged at the speed of a mouse-click. Life-changing stuff.

I'll be writing about my experiences in this world in the 2008 edition of The Age of Conversation, a book whose creative philosophy can be likened to the Open Media movement. It's a brilliant concept. There is no one author. Dozens and dozens of bloggers will participate in its creation.

The best part? You can participate, too. Visit editor Drew McLellan's site to vote on this year's The Age of Conversation book topic ... and if you like, sign up as a contributing author, like I did. It doesn't get more democratic -- or conversational -- than that.

--J.C.

Spreading the White Noise 2 word /  by J.C. Hutchins

Hey everybody -- just wanted to update you on the WHITE NOISE 2 grassroots "new media" push that's currently sweeping the podosphere. As you know, I recently interviewed director Patrick Lussier and screenwriter Matt Venne about their involvement with the film. (For newcomers to the site, you can find the interview here.) What you don't know is that Patrick and Matt are currently on a whirlwind podcasting press junket, chatting with other high-profile podcasters.

The creative duo sat down and had an awesome face-to-face interview with podcasting powerhouse Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff about writing, the entertainment business and more. The conversation (and coffee!) flowed freely, resulting in an amazing interview.

Check out the interview at Mark's Word Sushi podcast, and -- as always -- spread the word about Patrick and Matt's hard work. (Update: Mark's interview is now available the Pacific Coast Hellway and Podshow Press sites, too.)

Your involvement is already making WN2 a rising star in sales: On Monday, WN2 was ranked #1,800 on Amazon.com's sales charts. As of this writing, the film is now ranked as #983. Better still, the movie currently occupies the #18 and #21 slots for DVD sales in the Mystery and Suspense categories, respectively. Not bad for less than a week's worth of pod-promotion, eh? You are making an impact.

Thanks to all of you who have spread the word or purchased a copy of the film. Find WN2 here at Amazon.

--J.C.

The J.C. Hutchins Fan Community is LIVE! /  by J.C. Hutchins

A message from J.C. Hutchins:

For two years, I've directly interacted with 7th Son fans via email, instant messages and more. But I've craved for a way for dialogue to transcend this limiting "two way" street. I've wanted 7S listeners to interact with each other. And now, the wait for me -- and you -- is over. Bebop over to the Community page to join the J.C. Hutchins fan community!

The site and sign-up is completely free; all you need to do is provide a valid email address and answer a few marketing-ish questions (so I can learn a little more about my listeners; your information is private and will never be sold to a third party), and you're off to the races! You'll be armed to the teeth with access to the Community, and are blessed with your own profile page, where you can customize your page theme, post blog entries, add music, photos, videos and more! You can even make it your new Web presence! Who needs MySpace? You've got HutchSpace now. :D

In addition to having your own personalized webspace, you can create Groups and Forums in this new Community space, upload your pics for the world to see, and get gobs of conversations flowing about 7th Son, me, other podcasts -- it's your community, so it's your call! Consider it your home away from home. Enjoy!

Visit the Community page >>

New Site Debut, New Features /  by J.C. Hutchins

Hey everybody -- J.C. Hutchins here. Welcome to the shiny new version of JCHutchins.net. After two years of using the same look/feel for this site (not to mention an inflexible content management system to maintain it), I've taken the plunge and relaunched. The site now has a much "cleaner" appearance, is easier to navigate, and is compatible with more Web browsers. Podcast listeners may have the entire 7th Son podcast experience download to their podcatching programs. I apologize for this inconvenience; it was a necessary side-effect of the site relaunch.

All of the content from the old version of the site is here, including the Listener-Created Content Download Center, the 7th Son Facility Virtual Tour, the Beta Clone Army Gallery, and more. Feel free to explore the site and send me some feedback via blog comment or the spiffy new email form.

Today will also see the debut of a new feature at JCH.net -- the "UltraCreatives" interview series. Throughout 2008, I'll chat with creative folks in the podcasting, publishing, technology and entertainment industries, and posting them in the podcast feed for you to enjoy. The first UltraCreatives interview will be with White Noise 2 director Patrick Lussier and writer Matt Venne. It's a helluva chat, and I hope you enjoy it.

2008 will also see more fiction and special content here at JCH.net. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you, and hope you'll stay subscribed to the feed!

Special thanks to Kreg Steppe, corwin, Jason Penney, Chris Miller and Steve Saylor for their 11th Hour contributions in helping me deploy this new version of the site. Find links to their work in the Trusted Allies section!

PDF Bonus: Matt Wallace's "Hath A Darkness" /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Behold, a holiday gift from author Matt Wallace and Rick Stringer, producer of the Variant Frequencies podcast: The echapbook "Hath A Darkness," set in Wallace's Failed Cities universe.

For the first time since concluding his groundbreaking podcast fiction saga, Wallace returns to the warped twin worlds he created with an all-new Failed Cities story. Featuring the characters that drove the original audio epic, and told, as always, in their own voices, THE FAILED CITIES: HATH A DARKNESS brings this unique storytelling style to the page for the first time, enhanced with original illustrations by Rick Stringer.

Please download, print, enjoy, and pass along this unique piece of the Failed Cities universe as a thank you for your continued support and enthusiastic participation in our podcast. And don't forget to revisit THE FAILED CITIES MONOLOGUES, collected in its entirety on Podiobooks.com...

7th Son scheduled for 2009 print release /  by J.C. Hutchins

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: J.C. Hutchins, 7thSonNovel@gmail.com

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J.C. Hutchins, author of the successful "7th Son" podcast novel trilogy, has accepted a book deal to publish "7th Son: Descent," the series' debut novel. The thriller is scheduled for a 2009 U.S. spring/summer release by St. Martin's Press.

"7th Son" is the story of seven strangers who have been brought together after the recent assassination of the U.S. president. The men discover that they are human clones, with identical childhood memories. These "John Michael Smiths" have been assembled to catch the man who murdered the president. Their target? Their progenitor, the original John Michael Smith, code-named "John Alpha."

Hutchins is widely-known as one of the vanguard authors in a growing genre of free online audiobooks -- also called "podcast novels " or "podiobooks." These novels are often read and recorded by the author, and are promoted online in podcasts and web blogs. "Podnovelists" like Hutchins leverage these new technologies -- and the ubiquity of iPods and other portable devices -- to find audiences for their work.

Hutchins, a South Florida resident, launched the audio version of "7th Son" in early 2006. Since then, "7th Son" has become the most successful podcast novel series in history. The trilogy has more than 30,000 listeners worldwide, and features cameos from sci-fi/horror icons Nathan Fillion, George Romero, Kevin J. Anderson, and others. In February 2007, the trilogy was featured in The New York Times.

"I'm thrilled to work with St. Martin's Press in bringing '7th Son' into the 'real world,' in real bookstores," Hutchins said. "For the past two years, I've released the online audio version of '7th Son' to an ever-growing, very enthusiastic fan base. I don't know who's going to be more excited to see it on bookshelves -- my amazing, supportive listeners, or me."

The online success of "7th Son" has brought Hutchins more than a worldwide audience. Hutchins is currently co-writing the debut novel in a new thriller series, which is slated for a 2009 release, also by St. Martin's Press. Opportunities for "7th Son" are emerging in other media, as well.

Hutchins, who is affectionately chastised by his listeners for his cliffhanger-style chapter endings, remains coy about the other projects.

"There's lots to talk about," Hutchins said, smiling. "But as in '7th Son,' timing and pacing is everything. I guess folks will have to keep listening to learn more."

# # #

Next episode announcement /  by J.C. Hutchins

My dear Beta Clones: A very unexpected monkey wrench has been thrown into the 7th Son production schedule. I'm heading out of town next week to work with the creative force of nature behind the new CODE PHANTOM novel project. It's going to be a hella productive trek, and should be fun. But ... this has forced me to re-schedule next week's episode.

Ah, but fret not! We ain't skipping a week. The episode is rolling out early. Expect it tomorrow (Saturday) or Sunday AM at the latest. It features a killer "The Story So Far" from a podcaster you know and love (or love to hate), and a juicy cliffhanger. This one's truly the beginning of the end ... less than five episodes remain in the 7th Son trilogy!

--J.C.

Begging! Pleading! Apologies! /  by J.C. Hutchins

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To my loving, awesome, ever-diligent, always-vocal, beyond-beautiful Beta Clones.... I come to you tonight, on my knees, pleading for forgiveness.

Yeah. The new episode's gonna post later than I anticipated. CODE PHANTOM is clobbering me this week (I've actually taken the week off from work to write the new novel), and the workload pushed back my writing of the new "The Story So Far" script for this week.

The script was sent to the guest reader this morning, but he'll need free time to record it. If the episode is a no-go by early Friday evening, I'll likely hold off on posting the episode until next Tuesday.

I offer no excuses, and plead for your continued patience and understanding. CODE PHANTOM has an uber-tight deadline, and as much as I want to post 7th Son episodes each week, the paying gig comes first. Please accept my apologies, and look for the new ep next Tuesday at the latest.

Thanks,

--J.C.

Episode 14 delayed /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Sorry, 7th Son fans. I know you're jonesin' for a new episode (particularly after last week's chapter ... lots of info, now let's get back to the action!), but I've been swamped writing my super-secret CODE PHANTOM novel, and am behind in assembling this week's ep. Expect it to drop by Thursday at the very latest.

I've also been receiving some interesting news regarding 7th Son's fate in media other than the podcast. I dare not say more, but know that as soon as I can reveal details about 7th Son, CODE PHANTOM and other projects, you'll be the first to know.

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

--J.C.

BOOK THREE: Promo /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Attention 7S fans and fellow podcasters: Here's the new promo for Book Three: Destruction. Feel free to download and distribute via RSS or podcast, or send it to your friends and family via email. Thanks for the exposure!

And dig the voice in that promo, folks. That's Zeus Legion. Find out more about his work -- and hire him for a voiceover gig -- by visiting his site!

MOP Audio Dispatch: Operation Droplift /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Another ambitious mission awaits you! Natasha, voice of the 7th Son Ministry of Propaganda, commands you to participate in MOP mission #5, code-named "Operation Droplift."

Complete this mission, and you'll land your name on the coveted Agents of the Ministry page. Plus, you may win special GUEST APPEARANCES in 7th Son: Book Three. Five winners will announce "episode IDs" in future episodes. Another five will recite "The Story So Far" episode recaps.

Link to the mission page is here, comrade. Transmission ends.

7th Son Ministry Of Propaganda ~ Domination Through Replication ~

MOP Mission #5: Operation Droplift /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Comrades, the 7th Son Ministry of Propaganda is back from hiatus ... and Natasha (and J.C. Hutchins) requests your help in re-starting the revolution. The prizes this time are most excellent: A Guest appearance on the 7th Son podcast. Your new mission? OPERATION DROPLIFT. You'll be spreading the word about 7th Son by "droplifting" our propaganda in local bookstores. Unlike shoplifting, you won't be secretly taking something. You'll be secretly leaving something.

By clicking the image above or the button at the end of this dispatch (or here), you will be directed to a PDF document. This page features special messages for future 7th Son listeners. Print this at least twice -- more is better, but that's your call -- and cut the pages into eight little cards (each approximately size of Mao's Little Red Book).

Take these cards to a local bookstore or library and insert each into a different book. The goal: To intrigue newcomers to check out 7th Son.

Which books should you choose? Natasha and J.C. have a few recommendations. Place these cards in older titles that still sell: fiction by Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, Tom Clancy, or Robert J. Sawyer. Or non-fiction books on human cloning, conspiracy theories, or the internet. Ultimately, the Ministry of Propaganda trusts its agents: Choose books that you enjoy.

This is not an illegal act ... but it does require subterfuge, as some bookstore employees may not like the competition from our subversive media. Please note: Do not insert cards into children's literature, such as such as Harry Potter or Goodnight Moon.

When you have distributed all eight (or more) cards, e-mail Natasha at 7thsonmop@gmail.com to notify her of mission completion. If she "in good mood," she will give you credit for mission and enter you in an MOP drawing for prizes.

Ten lucky Agents of the Ministry will be rewarded for their loyalty. Five Agents will win opportunities to recite episode intro IDs in future episodes of Book Three ("You're listening to Episode X"). Five others will recite "The Story So Far" recaps in future episodes of Book Three.

Deadline for this mission is one week after launch of Book Three: 7/14/07. Agents not completing mission by this time will be mocked publicly in front of the Kremlin. Now Agents: Go forth, print and spread the 7th Son gospel!

Download the propaganda! (PDF format. Print TWICE and distribute cards.)

Transmission ends.

The 7th Son Ministry of Propaganda ~ Domination Through Replication ~

Beta Clones for Joe /  by J.C. Hutchins

Written by 7th Son listener Carl Angolini

When JC made his call to action about Joe Murphy recently, it challenged me on two levels.

One, I have been listening to Joe for a while now (I started being a loyal listener of Slice of Sci-Fi back around episode 30 or so, in addition to Wingin It and the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas). I've never met Joe, but he seems like he'd be a cool guy to hang out with. Second, cancer has a long history in my family.

A wise man once said that we have to kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight. Can we help do something about cancer? Can we find ways to kick at the darkness?

You may or may not be familiar with grid computing--donating CPU time to causes. One of the most well-known grid projects is SETI@Home, helping to search for extraterrestrial intelligence. But there are grid computing projects that contribute to medical research, including cancer research.

One of these is World Community Grid. This site, as most of the grid sites I've seen, allows you to create teams. I've created a team for anyone that wishes to give CPU time to research cancer (and if you desire, the other projects listed on the site).

Go to worldcommunitygrid.org. In the upper right, click on the link 'become a member'. On the page that follows, fill out the appropriate information. All you need to give out is an email address. The License Agreement says they share the information given with the usual suspects, so if you feel paranoid about that, give it a throwaway email address.

If you want to join the team I created, click on the 'Select...' link by 'Select a Team'. In the 'Keyword Search' field in the window that comes up, enter 'Beta Clone'. There should be one result. That's the team. Click the button to join.

Once you get past that page, you are at the download page. Pick your operating system and “client” (aka computer app that will allow you to participate in this program). Once you have selected your client, the next page has you download the software. It also has links to tell you how to set up the software based on your platform.

Let's see if we can make the darkness bleed daylight! If you have any questions/comments/whatever, please send them to BetaCloneGrid@gmail.com.