A Teenage Suicide’s cover is here!

Hey everyone, here’s the first of four covers for my upcoming novel, A Teenage Suicide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Mary Lee Maynard, I ended up being the model because the previous shoot with Vincent Harnois didn’t turn out fit for print (not enough sun). The layout is by me.

The launch so far is planned for September, with a “paper” launch in Montreal and ebooks worldwide.

I still got two more photo shoots to do plus one cover to edit, I’ll keep you posted.

take care,

Ian

Five Shit You Don’t See in Montreal Anymore

I feel the city I grew up in doesn’t exist anymore.

the plateau is completely gentrified, so is Rosemont. South-central is ridden with condos even though it’s still the poorest place in Canada. There was an article a few days ago about how 36% of Montreal’s population was deemed “at risk” by social services. That means the rest of us are getting squeezed while the rest of them (mainly, the 1%) buys larger apartments or drains us as much as they can until we fall off the island.

but I’m not bitter (never!!!) so let me take a moment to express what I miss about the city.

 

1) all age venues : l’x is dead, so is the black dot, l’inco, even that church basement in pointo doesn’t hold shows anymore. Sure, if you’re 18 you can go to foufs or katacombes (the last two punk places in town) but WTF are my kids gonna do when they grow up?

2) mini-puts. You can’t find a mini-put ANYWHERE! within an hour of Montreal. There are rumours that there’s still one in Longueuil, I visited it a few years ago, but it might be gone by now. Good clean fun is gone, man, it’s just fucking gone!

3) batting cages: speaking of good clean fun, NO BATTING CAGES anywhere! Baseball is as dead as CD’s and cassettes. Ok! it’s a boring sport to watch and a boring sport to plan, BUT, going to the batting cage was a lot of fun. The last one I knew of was in the suburbs and it got razed to build a new arena (god damn you hockey!)

4)independent stores: Ok! there are STILL some around, but if you look, it’s all mostly Dollaramas and Jean Coutu everywhere. St-Denis, a place where I used to purchase all my used album and foreign films, is now filled with GAP, MAC, Renaud-Bray and Brulerie St-Denis. Speaking of which, where have all the coffee shops gone on the stretch between Sherbrooke and Mont-Royal? There’s like two left and they’re yuppy-expensive (I’m talking $6 for orange juice).

5)interesting people: OK! we’re still supposedly a creative city but shit, my commute doesn’t feel like it. Maybe it’s because I live in the (now) gentrified “old rosemont” where I escaped from yuppies years ago (they keep following me!) and, well, I don’t know if it’s a trend, but the strange looks I get for being the only guy in the extended bus to have tattoos are getting to me. Also pointing out the fact that today in the metro, there were THREE unrelated women reading 50 shades at the same time – creepy – also, the middle-aged man next to me was playing SMURFS on his phone – see what I mean?

 

Runner ups : skateboarding, graffiti, fights and working-class-people

 

That’s it for now, I’m not as pissed as I used to be. Might be moving either to the south-west or back east, where people are still fucking crazy!

 

take care,

 

Ian

Soundtrack to “Kilo”

Hey everyone!

 I’ve been planning out (one of) my next projects, Kilo.

 It’ll be a five-part series of futuristic, realistically dystopian fiction (I know, I’m such a geek) for which my lovely spouse, Mary, plan to draw the graphic novel versions already.

 The story so far is about the second “Underground Railroad,” in a not so distant future where land, water and resources have become scarce due to global warming and a lot of people are headed north, hoping to find a better life in the (newly) colonizable plains of the Hudson bay. The story takes place in and around Detroit, Mi and Windsor, Ont. If you didn’t know, that’s the only are in the entire us/Canada border where a major city “collides” with the border, the only other place would have been Buffalo, and well, Detroit felt more interesting.

 I’m still at the VERY first stages of the damn thing, (I still have A Teenage Suicide to put out , then will have to complete my current neo-noir project “Grand Trunk and Shearer” which has been hovering at around 40k words for too long now!)

 But expect something along the lines of DMZ meets Tekkonkinkreet and maybe the last deus-ex (without the whole implant thing) I do expect to fully use my love for nihilism, anarchism (and that whole minor in Political science I did back in college)

 ANYWAYS! As always, when I’m planning a project, I make a playlist that is suitable for that project,

 While Marylin manson, sage francis, mogwai and neurosis were the basis for “tales” and the gaslight anthem, mogwai and the briggs covered a lot of ground in “A Teenage Suicide” (plus a fuckload of hardcore bands you’ve never heard about)

 Here’s the list for “kilo”

Nine inch nails

Lamb of God

Tool

Wu-tang

Sneaker pimps

Lamb of god

Atari teenage riot

Deftones

Onyx

Massive Attack

Tekkonkinkreet soundtrack

Matrix soundtrack

Spawn soundtrack

The crow soundtrack

SLAYER!

Crystal method

Sepultura

Marylin manson

And of course, The Prodigy

 I’m a guy who likes to have three projects going at the same time, so don’t expect this shit for a while…but it’s coming your way! It’s coming your way!

Take care,

Ian

Self-Publishing: Smashwords and Writing Life

So,

I’ve just opted out of Kobo distribution from Smashwords. I’ll take the links down for now and put up the new one as soon as I’ve set up the Kobo version directly with their “writing life” self-publishing platform.

It’s not a move against Smashwords, hell I love the company and the fact that they allow me to sell on so many platforms. The issue is that Smashwords is an American company and I’m Canadian…so technicall, my files cross the border twice in order to be sold on kobo, and so does the money.

I mean, I’ll gladly take any sales I wouldn’t have had and give 30% to governments around the world for the opportunity to do so, but I’m Canadian and opening an account with Kobo directly just makes sense.

Also, they have really cool data sheets with graphics that leaves KDP’s poor old fucking excel charts  in the dust (sorry Amazon, a little graphics design goes a long way.)

That’s pretty much it for now,

Also in the news, my daughter’s awesome, The Canadiens had a well deserved loss yesterday (I do hate professional hockey that much!) and I’m having lunch with my proof-reader today for my upcoming novel, “A Teenage Suicide.”

take care,

Ian

 

Northern Gothic is now Available

Hi Everyone,

So, I’ve finally released my first collection of poetry titled Northern Gothic.

It was a project that I’ve been putting aside for too long and now that A Teenage Suicide (my next full lenght novel) is in the hands of my proof-reader I finally had time to work on some side projects.

So here it is, available as an ebook through Kindle or in print at Lulu.com

(Northern Gothic on Kindle

Northern Gothic on Lulu

Thank you,

Ian

*****

Northern Gothic is a collection of poetry in four parts.

I didn’t try to reinvent language. I have little use for new ways to twist your tongue and play with words.This is not that kind of book, these are not those kinds of poems. Most of them do not follow any specific form and it wasn’t even intentional.

Most of them just got out that way and I decided to remain as truthful to the original feeling of the poem as possible. In all things of life, I am a pretty straight forward man. Northern Gothic is a collection of tall tales, slices of life, changes of heart struggles, hopes and contradictions.

It’s about real life,  about living in the East end of Montreal, dreaming about the north, working in warehouses and factories, trying to go to back to school or founding a family.

It ain’t always pretty and it ain’t always bad. One thing is for sure, these poems are always honest and that’s one thing we could all use a bit more of these days.

Take care, Ian.

Born Free

 

Done!

 

(also, listening to Dropkick Murphys’ makes your day better!)

10 Things You Need to Know About Tattoos

So,

I’m getting my knuckles done this friday (you’ll get pictures in time) and so, I expect to be stuck answering the typical “tattoos” questions even more often. (If you have a lot of tattoos, you know what I’m talking about.)

1- “Wow, they’re really nice. How did you get them so nice?” – First of all, I didn’t tattoo my own skin, and second, it’s called talent. If your tattoos are shitty, you should have looked for a better artist.

2- “Can your guy/gal tattoo me as well?” – There’s usually 1 to 3 months waiting period for an appointment. Yes, they are that good. If not, well look for a better artist.

3- “Does it hurt?” – The fuck you think? It’s a needle hitting your skin 600 times a minute.

4- ”Won’t you like, have a hard time getting a job?” – doesn’t everybody? I don’t fit the corporate profile to start with, so why bother anyways?

5- “How about loans and shit?” – Realized recently that you can apply for mortgages and loans online. The bank don’t want to see your ugly face unless they absolutely have too, cuts down on their costs as well.

6- speaking of costs. “Are they expensive?” – yes. “But like, how expensive?” – My tattoos are worth more than the car I currently own.

7 – “How did your parents take it?” – Mom cried for three hours the first time I got half my arm done. I wore long sleeves for days when I’d meet her. A few weeks later she was proud to show me off to friends, relative and co-worker.

8- “Aren’t the cops/border patrol/judges going to target you?” If you don’t know that law enforcement officers have tattoos too, you haven’t been arrested often enough in your lifetime.

9- ”How are you going to get them removed?” – It took 30 hours per arm to do them, I ain’t removing the damn things.

10 – “But someday you will, right?” – You’re a fucking idiot.

take care,

Ian

Writing News

So… summer won’t show up, we might still get snow tomorrow… it’s time to sit down, shut up, edit and design.

In the news.

I don’t get enough sleep and am more bitter than I should be. Most of my projects are very well on their way, so me being sour and pissed has to do with both my bad character and sleep deprivation.

As for the aforementioned projects, well “A Teenage Suicide” is currently being edited by Benoit Lelievre from Dead End Follies.

As for the cover, obviously, I’ve decided to go simple and do FOUR different covers to present the novel.  Again, although I’m trying to do most of the work myself this time, I know I’m just not that talented in graphics design so I’ve enlisted Olivier Carpentier once more.

In lesser projects, but equally interesting (to me). I’m getting “Born Free” tattooed on my knuckles on the 19th. This time, my skin will get punctured at the very,very nice shop, Tatouage Royal.

That’ll get some new material out there and maybe get the attention of a few people for A Teenage Suicide.

That’s pretty much it for now,

take care,

Ian

Printed editions are now available

Hi everyone,

So, I’ve made printed editions available through Lulu.com

They can pretty much ship and sell anywhere in the world, just make sure you select the right “country” store so you don’t pay customs and all.

The Factory Line is set at 10.99 (can)

http://www.lulu.com/shop/ian-truman/the-factory-line/paperback/product-20951722.html

Tales of Lust, Hate and Despair is set at 14.00 (can)

http://www.lulu.com/shop/ian-truman/tales-of-lust-hate-and-despair/paperback/product-20950980.html

So, if you hate e-books and you’d like to support a DIY artist, you can now go ahead.

Also, the books are not on Createspace for two reasons, A) I’m still waiting for my ITIN number from the US-IRS in order to set up my createspace account (for those of you who don’t know, I’m Canadian, Duh!) and B) well, let’s not all put our eggs in the “amazon” basket just yet.

 

take care everyone,

 

Ian

Geeks of the world, behold your own magnificence!

Why do geeks have it so good in their 30’s?

Of course, there is noting scientific to back up what I am about to write. But since it is my blog and I have a developed taste for dark satire, I’ll allow myself a bit of social commentary right now.

Why DO geeks have it so good once they hit 30? It’s a real question with real consequences. I’m serious.

I am just starting to learn this myself. A) I was (am) a geek and B) since I’ve turned 30, things have never been better.

What the fuck happened all of a sudden? It took some reflection but I figured out.

Geeks, in high school… have a shitty time. (Duh!) And this applies to computer geeks, science geeks, literary geeks, polisci geeks, punk geeks, cosplay fanatics, chest club enthusiasts and other types of A/V club members… we all have a shitty time in high school. (Except maybe the music geeks, they could pretend they were in a rock band and still get a pass from the cool crowd.)

We all got beat up, insulted, dragged down, singled out…for being either different or involved in something greater than drinking and (only) trying to fuck.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVED the time I spent in the library while I was in high school. There were plenty of good and interesting books and documentaries. The place was calm and silent. It was also (mostly) one of the rare places where the jocks wouldn’t find me.

Geeks reading this know what I’m talking about.

The reality is that, without us knowing it, this loathsome treatment we receive in high school is actually beneficiary to our social development later in life. Because let’s face it. We were granted a head start-reality-check. We get to know from the very beginning that there is nearly no one (NO ONE!) in life who will respect you, give you a shot, lend you a hand or support you in any shape, way or form. No one out there’s looking out for you and those that really do are few and far between.

You learn from the start that you are not special. You’re NOT. We are not special. Not from the start anyways. Now! The rest of the cool crowd still drinks the cool aid and believes that the world (and by world, I mean job market) will welcome them in open arms as soon as they are ready – and only when they are ready- to jump in. Now that is some bullshit!

We (geeks) are made ready by high school to have more interesting jobs where you need not only intelligence, wits and creativity, but – mostly – tough skin and resilience. What you learn from the start is this: If you want to be special, you gotta fucking earn that shit!

But when you think about it, it’s really not fair to the rest of the non-geeks. They learn that the hard way when they reach 30. They really do. They go to school. Everybody fills their head with how special and unique they really are. Then maybe college for a few years and it’s the same freaking tape. They expect to be treated as an individual, treated with respect…then comes “real life” – CRASH! That whole fantasy went out the window now, didn’t it?

But you knew that already, geeks of the world? By the time the rest of the high school drunks and football jocks are getting fat and too tired to get out of their cubicle jobs and adapt to this (harsh) reality, the rest of us are just hitting out stride.

We realize that all those hours spent disassembling and re-assembling various electronic components was not wasted. Learning 20 new words a day actually had its use somewhere down the line. Spending countless hours online, looking into the history of obscure musical ensembles will give you a different perspective on the creative industries. Watching Kari Byron again and again and again (ok, maybe a bit of mythbusting as well – for the explosions) was, in fact, really – well – inspiring!

Because when we hit 30, we become the empowered, self-reliant artists, designers, painters, photographers, film makers, models, artists, programmers, game designers, musicians, studio executives, writers, politicians, lawyers or even maverick investors, upstart businessmen and women of the world.

When we hit 30, we are in our own, interesting-and-always-changing jobs/projects while the rest of them are watching re-runs of Hell’s Kitchen, not even wondering what the fuck went wrong.

Take care,

Ian