Mill Avenue Vexations

For Sale: Hell and Step On It by Kyt Dotson

Vex Harrow — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:19:37 -0700

You can own a copy of Hell and Step On It right now for just $1.00.

This story originally published in the Twilight and Thorns horror anthology by Circle Dark Press—an anthology that has gone out of print—is not available again in e-book format. Instead of trying to find something that is no longer in print, you can buy it here.

Here’s a piece of Mill Ave Vexations canon and you will also be helping continue the writing tradition of these stories.

Formats exist for the Amazon Kindle and others that can be read in Stanza on the Apple iPhone!

Tags: smashwords pdf sale story fiction

Announcing a comic book: The Deal

Vex Harrow — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:04:27 -0700

I am so glad that I can finally announce this. It’s been a long, long time in coming but the Vexations comic book has finally finished the editing stages and proofing so now I can show off a few things about it!

Mill Avenue Vexations: The Deal

Twelve pages of beautifully rendered artwork by Sanjana Baijnath, with story by Kyt Dotson. They will probably sell around $3 and I’m going to try to get them into some comic book stores around Tempe, we’ll see how that goes. If anyone knows a place that might be interested, contact me and I’ll try to get it figured out.

The story is short, but it revolves around Vex’s usual sleuthing, hunting down a demon, and then taking over a deal—hence the name of the story. As usual, things never go entirely as planned, when dealing with demons, but especially when dealing with Vex Harrow.

Copies will also be available for purchase from this website for a very similar price, and if anyone would like to pay extra to help out with future releases of Vexations I am willing to part with signed copies as usual.

Look forward to this coming out next month if all goes well.

Tags: comic book vex harrow demon graphic novel

Mill Ave bars lowering prices due to economy

Vex Harrow — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:00:56 -0700

I must admit, when I originally reviewed this article it was because the title had the word “creativity” in it—Bars respond to downturn with creativity, lower prices—needless to say, indeed some of the ideas are creative, and poor customers can certainly drive that. While bars are feeling the heat, at least Downtown Tempe Corporation is thinking on its feet with the recent development of MADCAP Theaters but there’s still a long way to go.

"My events haven't really lost any steam," he said. "But I've noticed I've had to work a little bit harder and be a little bit more personable."

It's not that people aren't going out, said nightlife-event producer Steve LeVine of Scottsdale's Steve LeVine Entertainment. It's that they're being more selective about where they go.

"People are being cautious with their money," he said. "But they want to spend their money for a great time. It's time to be innovative. It's time to be creative."

Alyssa Schultz, 26, of Scottsdale, said price and atmosphere are what matter most to her.

She tends to go to more low-key spots like Dos Gringos Trailer Park and Casey Moore's Oyster House in Tempe than upscale nightclubs.

Mill can certainly be an excellent destination for people who want to slum it. Instead of upscaling the place (which is how DTC and Tempe City were pressuring before with condos and raising prices) why not let it act like the Bohemian college atmosphere that it’s always been? Obviously the attempts to gentrify Mill Avenue weren’t even a good idea before the real estate market bubble began to deflate. In fact, it would have seemed extremely obvious those giant construction projects were seriously bad ideas long, long ago. Nobody needed a crystal ball to anticipate that.

So now everybody scrambles with these derelicts hovering in our skyline.

I for one am extremely happy about the MADCAP Theaters venture. With those condos dead in the water, and the closed-up Harkins theater wallowing in shadows, it’s a brilliant thing to get some action out of them.

Lights. Camera. Well, you know the rest.

Tags: bar economy madcap theater

A quick update, Black Hat Magick and Elaine Mercer

Vex Harrow — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:48:51 -0700

I would just like to introduce everyone to a currently posting serialized novel called Black Hat Magick: Dread Vote by Kyt Dotson. For those who are jonesing for updates about Vex Harrow and the rest of Vexations this might help tide everyone over while the next publishing season is slowly written and edited for autumn and winter.

Black Hat Magick focuses on seldom-seen side character, Elaine Mercer, from Vexations and her life at Arizona State University. It even has a short webcomic miniseries to warm everyone up to the story, Do AIs Dream?

Or you can just jump directly into the story instead.

Feedback is welcome. Also, the characters have accounts and reply directly to questions, if you want to talk to one, just address one in the comments to a chapter!

Tags: black hat magick do ais dream webcomic novel story elaine mercer

Volume 12 Waking the Stones released to the web!

Vex Harrow — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:01:35 -0700

Mill Avenue Vexations Volume 12: Waking the Stones by Kyt Dotson is available online go check it out, let me know if you like the introduction of some actual Arizona native mythology.

Be sure also to take a look at the two different covers released for this volume and let me know which one you like the best.

Here it is, long time awaited, the finale before the summer months. Waking the Stones plays on Vex’s memories of childhood and various Hopi ruins around the Valley of the Sun. I finally get to bring out some of the legends of the ancient migratory peoples, the Anasazi, and the Hohokam who have long been part of our land.

Phoenix itself is named because it rises from the strange ruin of the irrigation system used by the Hohokam so that they could make fertile the dry land and subsist upon it. The city since then has grown to tremendous heights and girth, we have dammed our river—even as Lake Mead dries—we have the giant fake Tempe Town Lake. Hopefully Phoenix will stop pretending to be a northern city and learn to be a desert city.

The temperature continues to rise in Vexations as their own drought continues unabated and some hints as to why that’s happening come to light. As well as those wonderful elements of mythology. Patrick and Vex run off together. Tiffany and Megan are still talking. And Nathan gets to be the odd man out.

Don’t miss out on Volume 12: Waking the Stones.

Tags: kyt dotson mill ave volume kachina hohokam publish tempe arizona

Vex Harrow Cosplay Pictures

Vex Harrow — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:11:11 -0700

This thumbnail is from a photograph of a totally amazing, wonderful friend of mine who decided to show up at Anizona 2009 cosplaying as Vex Harrow.

You'll notice that she's dressed like Vex from the cover of Something Funny Happened at Matsuri.

If you click on the link to read more into this thread, you can see the photos that I have. Which there are only two -- too distracted by the con.

The amazing parts about this are that she has the kimono, she actually ordered blue contacts (to make for Vex's midnight blue eyes), and she even found some rubber brass-knuckles to round out the effect.

Tags: cosplay anizona

Volume 12 cover design released

Vex Harrow — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:43:14 -0700

(c) 2009 Zak Hennessey http://lrcommissions.deviantart.com/

(c) 2009 Lise-Lotte Tjernstrom http://tjernstrom.deviantart.com/

Mill Avenue Vexations Volume 12: Waking the Stones

Release Date: Friday April 17th, 2009
Online Release: Sunday April 19th, 2009 (I hope.)

Seeing as how I've been having a lot of my own exhaustion/energy-crisis going on with the hectic publishing cycle, getting this one out to the web on time may be difficult; but the publication deadline for print is definitely on. Welcome to the first volume ever to have two different covers! As seen above.

The cover represents a dichotomy between worlds, which is readily explained in the volume, as we get to know our enemy better. Vex has gone looking for Darlene—the mysterious violin player who vanished early in Volume 3—and for further clues on what's slowly eating her city from inside out, the sinister appearance of the centipede monster, and possibly the answer to the disappearances. Drought and heat have begun to strangle Phoenix as she treks out into the wilderness on hunches and hints, and the advice of her mother's shade.

Is that a mouthful or what?

I apologize if this one comes across as rushed. It is. I have had so little time and little sleep to work on this final installment for this publishing cycle (see everyone next October!) It's been a wonderful ride and I am so grateful to all of my fans. It's also been a learning experience trying to stay on top of everything, trying to keep the graphics in sync, and the editing done, and ...

You can see where I might be worn out.

Time for some shout-outs.

Jasper, thanks for sticking with me for this story. Thy aid and reading have actually come in extremely handy, it's been a bit bumpy, but for nothing else—you’ve made it a lot smoother and no small lasting impression thereby. Also, I just like having other writers around to keep me company, so I wouldn't trade you in for anything.

Kelwyn, the little bits of copy and beta reading you’ve done for me over the past six months and more have been extremely welcome. Also, having the commentary and the general presence have done great help to my somewhat weary ego.

Castalia, I know that it embarrasses me terribly every time you find a funny little error in my work, but every single catch makes everything better. Without a copy/editor helping me out I'd be doomed to horrible grammar and weird/bizzaro prose. So I'm glad that I've got thee to help me out.

Mark, without people on Mill Ave who come out to see me and get new volumes, I would not have much of a reason to keep writing. I know you haven't been able to come out recently, but you're always a welcome sight. I will keep extra copies of anything that you've missed on hand in case you want to come and get them. Don't worry. Thanks for being a commenter too—it’s good to know people out there notice and speak up.

Djenna, HEY YOU! I'd be lost without you. Although it's hard to keep in touch over the winter months because you're really busy and I'm way out in the dry-distance, you've been a great help in assisting me to become a better writer by aiding me in all the ways that editors do. I know you don't always think very highly of your own prose—but I really wish I could write like you do.

RyAnne, thanks for being my beta reader and putting up with me talking about the plot until 3am. It's the sort of strange cognition that I need to actually develop characters and occurrences. But then again, who else can I drag around until hell-o’clock on the phone and can keep going along with me. Also, the color volumes, and the bookmarks, and everything else you’ve done has not gone unnoticed (I'm sure I don't need to say that.) Thanks so much.

And many more who've seen me through along the way like Nutmeg, wildfire67, Sorena (my favorite pirate faerie), Spyral, Kim, and friends of Vexations who I only hear about through my fans... Heh.

Faretheewell until next year.

Tags: lise lotte tjernstrom zak hennessey kyt dotson vex harrow

Volume 11 The Shattered Violin released to the web!

Vex Harrow — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:15:19 -0700

Mill Avenue Vexations Volume 11: The Shattered Violin by Kyt Dotson is available online go check it out, tell me what you think!

This one has been long in coming. And look at the absolutely gorgeous cover by Candra—such an awesome artist she is. I recently posted about the full cover, so you should check that out as well. I will really look forward to putting this together as a color version. Just delicious.

I am trying to heat things up with this one. Everyone who remembers Vex Harrow from her early appearance in Tales from an Uncertain World way back in 1998 will enjoy this booklet particularly. Trying to get back to some basics, putting the fun back in … violence. (Okay, that made no sense, but you’ll understand.)

Getting this one done took a bit out of me. Once-a-month for booklets has been trying, but I’m keeping it up! This is the second to last. Look forward to Volume 12 coming up mid-month.

Thanks for being fans, everyone.

Don’t miss out on Volume 11: The Shattered Violin.

Tags: kyt dotson mill ave volume violin publish tempe arizona

The upcoming end of the publishing year

Vex Harrow — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:44:16 -0700

That’s it. This next month is going to be the last volume until next October begins the publishing cycle again.

It’s been a solid run, and I apologize for not having the newest installment up yet (it’s almost two weeks late to the web.) I’ve been overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to keep this running on my own and illness has been getting in the way. Needless to say, the volume is in physical print, and it’s done editing so it should go up soon.

Volume 12 has most of its artwork ready; it’s almost done editing, so it’ll be going to the printers very soon.

It’s been a lovely year so far and I hope to have everyone’s support as we move into the next publication cycle. Over the dead time of the summer I do have two long first-person stories to release in serial to keep everyone’s appetites whet for the last season—that’s next year—and I also have a spin-off story which I will begin releasing in May.

There may be a contest or two as well for readers, so keep watching this space.

Tags: publish black hat magick elaine mercer year 2009

Brother Jed at ASU (Again)

Vex Harrow — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:29:28 -0700

Once again, my favorite college in Tempe is being visited by Brother Jed—a particularly irrational and unacceptable campus preacher who makes a business of fanatical circus behavior and verbal abuse.

The big deal this time is that the Mill Avenue Resistance and the Secular Free Thought Society of ASU have invited Normal Bob Smith of normalbobsmith.com to the festivities to make grave, Satanic additions to the carnival atmosphere. Especially because tomorrow, Normal Bob Smith is going to be dressed up as a very red painted devil.

Keep in mind, everyone, that the mascot of Arizona University is the Sun Devil. That makes his presence particularly amusing.

We will be out there on campus for three days. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. And there will be books. Oh yes, there will be books.

Tags: brother jed asu tempe arizona preachers stupid