Well, it’s been somewhat interesting trying new things the last few months, but as of next week I’m officially back blogging at Sidedown.org rather than having the WordPress blogs. It just didn’t work for me the way I wanted.

I’ve never been a break up/make up person, but I guess I just needed some time off from ORG, to get my head together, to figure out what I really wanted from that online relationship. Ultimately, I enjoy the custom interface that Pete and I built for Sidedown, it is my blog backend of choice, plain and simple.

So, no more WordPress, no more Blindsided News at WordPress… just back to regular ol’ Sidedown.

To the few people who checked in on the publishing work while I was here, thanks! I hope you head over to Sidedown.org and reconnect with me there.

See you at ORG!~Jw

Today marks the opening of preorders for Jared Cohee’s travelogue, Calm of the Niger: A Peaceful River Winding Through the Storm of Africa. You can pick it up at a discounded, limited time rate of six dollars right here.

Jared recounts an eight week trip through Senegal and Mali, the people he met and the adventures he undertook. His story is a mix of heartwarming human encounters and trials of endurance.

Go check it out, and pick up a copy for yourself! Of course, since this is a Sidedown product, the book comes with extra surprises and goodies. You can’t lose!

We are about a week out from pre-orders for Jared Cohee’s travel book! It’s getting very exciting here at BSB HQ, what with all the final edits and cover design and music composition and all. There’s still time to become a patron of the book if you want to support independent artists, authors, and teeny tiny publishers like us. If you become a patron, you get an autographed, advanced copy of the book, a whole bunch of extras plus a mention in the book, so how can you go wrong?

We’ll be back in a few days to show you the cover!

ITEM! The new issue of HEY Quarterly is now available for preview and purchase! HEY is a creative zine full of art, photos, design, stories, reviews, and more. It’s fun, ad-free, and open to one and all.

To preview: CLICK HERE

To purchase: CLICK HERE

Each issue is $12, but if you subscribe, you get 4 issues for $38. That’s ten bucks off.

Take a look. Give it a shot. Support independents!

Borders Books has just launched a new sci-fi lit blog called Babel Clash. Will it be interesting? Helpful to people wanting to learn more about current releases in science fiction? Only time will tell…

I can say one thing right away, though… what’s with the kerning on the post titles!? Can we get a little space in there, please?

The posts are sort of short, so I’m not really sure where this is all going. But I love me some sci-fi, so I’m willing to check in on it for a while and see if it helps me find new books to read.

We’d like to congratulate Blindsided author Jeff LaSala on his new engagement as a New York Speculative Fiction correspondent for The Examiner.

Be sure to check out his page right here and subscribe via email to his posts.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what Jeff comes up with. More LaSala writing in the world is always a good thing.

And of course, you can always find out more about Jeff on his own site, Ashlock.org.

You know I’m a fan of zines, and while I prefer them in print, I’ll take a web-zine over your traditional nothing-but-ads-and-garbage newsstand magazine any day of the week.

A guy I know pointed me toward Jettison Quarterly on Friday, and after taking a look today, I think you should too!

Jettison is brand new. It’s a “quarterly exhibition of Chicago and world culture”, and the first issue is full of interesting city commentary, fashion, food, music, art, and more. And hey, it’s FREE, so you’re getting way more than you pay for with this one.

Go take a look, I’m sure you’ll find something interesting! And if you want to know when the next one hits, subscribe (also free)!
Jettison Quarterly

Jared has posted a preview of his forthcoming book from Blindsided on his travel blog.  If you want to get a feel for his writing style and the type of thoughts you may find in his book, then I highly suggest you read it now. There are also plenty of stunning pictures to check out too.

We just finished the new design for our website, and just in time. A new project is on the horizon, a collection of thoughts from near-constant traveler Jared Cohee.

Jared’s tale recounts an eight-week journey through Senegal and Mali. During these two months, the amazing lives of kind people throughout these two West African countries is interspersed with the demanding bureaucracies and tyrant-like behaviors of those with power. The Niger River itself is a perfect metaphor for this contrast, as it flows through the region in an almost boring manner, perfectly ignorant of all the troubles and hardships that flank both its banks. The author’s journey starts and ends in Dakar, the westernmost city of mainland Africa, a turbulent crashing of poverty and riches. From here he works his way over potholed roads and what used to be roads, through Senegal’s center and east, and most of Mali, both by boat down the Niger and buses through the desert and sahel. The hardships that follow are at times enough to cause hallucination, but the positive memories of the people of both countries will always surpass any trouble.

For more on the project, visit the project page over at Blindsided.

Blindsided Books author Jeff LaSala posted a review of The Strain, the upcoming vampire novel by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. If you’re interested, you can read it right here.