Navel-gazing – Informed by Failure

A Treacherous Man is on the 2022 3-Day Novel Shortlist

A Treacherous Man is on the 2022 3-Day Novel Shortlist

Published by Todd Besant on May 24, 2023

One of six finalists

Anvil Press has announced the long-list for the 2022 3-Day Novel Contest. My entry, A Treacherous Man, is a finalist!

The winner will be announced in June.

You can see all the finalists here and learn more about the contest.

A Treacherous Man synopsis

Raymond Stride believes he provides a noble service — renting sex dolls to lonely, shy, and curious people. He goes about his work as discreetly as possible, but it doesn’t come without unwanted attention. For instance, Vanessa Vandal is discomfited by Raymond’s business location, too close, she believes, to her micro-brewery. They do battle on social media and the arcane sub-committees of the city business licensing bureau. But of late, Vanessa’s righteous onslaught is the least of Raymond’s worries. One of his dolls, Mustang, has been kidnapped and held for reasons unknown. Another, Anastasia, well, as insane as it sounds, has mysteriously animated and she now roams the city attacking and sometimes killing men who have wronged women. And he’s been presented with a petition for better working conditions signed by Min, his most in-demand poppet. Given these events, Raymond is spiralling into paranoia. Are his dolls unionizing? Is he liable for Anastasia’s vengeful spree? Is Mustang getting enough to eat?

A Treacherous Man is novel of ill-manners: satirical, absurd, violent, and over the top. It is the story of a city and its media and government, businesses and law enforcement. It a melange of picaresque, detective, and gothic themes with a healthy dollop of ~~pornography~~ the erotic.

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Photo credit: jean louis mazieres on Visualhunt.com

A Brief Introduction

Published by Todd Besant on March 10, 2023

“All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
Samuel Beckett

Hello. I’m Todd Besant and I’m a book publisher, editor, reader, writer, occasional author, introvert, stargazer, freethinker, kitchen dancer, podcast enthusiast, and car singer.

I write fiction, or, rather, attempt to write, micro-fictions, short stories, novellas, novels. I’ve had some stories published and won some reputable contests. But I’m fairly dissatisfied with my progress.

So I’m working to reboot my creative engine, and this site is part of that experiment. It features my published stories as well as the occasional rejection letter.

I’m the descendant of colonialist settlers and live on Turtle Island on Treaty 1 Land that is the territories of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Lakota, Inuit, and Dene Peoples, and on the Traditional Homeland of the Métis Nation, in Winnipeg, MB, an inflexible colonial city mired in the still damp clay bed of a proglacial lake created during the Holocene Glacial Retreat.

I’m taller online, inordinately puzzled, comprehensively skeptical, increasingly alarmed, and as analogue as possible under the circumstances.

A more in-depth bio can be read here. If you wish to comment on any content, please read the site rules.

And you can email me.

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Featured image photo credit: Roober67 reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Career & Accomplishments, Navel-gazing, Personal News

Author, Editor, Publishing, Reader, Writer

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The Ravishing Corpse on 2020 3-Day Novel Long-list

The Ravishing Corpse on 2020 3-Day Novel Long-list

Published by Todd Besant on March 14, 2021

One of thirteen long-listed entries

This week Anvil Press announced the long-list for the 2020 3-Day Novel Contest.

There were over two hundred entries and my novel The Ravishing Corpse made the cut along with twelve other novels.

You can see the complete long-list here and learn what happens next.

The Ravishing Corpse synopsis:

Nikki only wants what’s best for Jason. She’s a domestic goddess. She earns. And she’s helping him finish a “true crime novel” based on a local unsolved murder. She’s sacrificed so much for Jason. But he’s killed her. He’s certain he did. But soon they’re living in a fieldstone house on the acreage where his grandfather murdered a man. In addition to adding new tricks to their already vigorous sex life, Nikki starts sending Jason on late-night “missions” to forewarn women who are soon to be killed by their partners, women who are indiscernible from Jason’s past lovers.

As Jason comes to grips with his romantic and sexual past, seeks out women in danger, and works to outwit the Vampires investigating Nikki’s murder, he discovers ex-dead Nikki has been enacting her own agenda for revenge.

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Photo credit: dMadPhoto on VisualHunt

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Disagree, but do it politely

Nels Bohr and Albert Einstein sitting and showing how to disagree

Disagree, but do it politely

Published by Todd Besant on November 24, 2020

Rules are important, but they’re temporary and they’re always supposed to be changed.
John Lydon

These rules are as much for me as for you

This blog is my online patio. You’re invited, but if you want to stay, please obey the rules. My replies to comments will be infrequent, but vigorous.

I moderate comments.
When you comment, don’t be simply contrary, boring, or a cheerleader—add something to the conversation.
Feel free to disagree, but stay near the top of Paul Graham’s Hierarchy of Disagreement.
I don’t coddle, chide, or caution. Threats, trolling, and racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic comments, crap ideas, ad hominem arguments, flaming, doxing, and general asshattery will be immediately immured.
Further attempts to comment are auto-flagged and deleted.
You misapprehend the right to free expression/free speech, so no, rules four and five don’t impinge on those rights.
Links to, or promotion of, goods or services I didn’t create or don’t use are forbidden without pre-approval.
Religion is a good or service.
You are taking offence where none is given.
Sincere suggestions that don’t violate rules 1 to 9 on ways to improve this site are welcome.

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Image by janeb13 from Pixabay

Comments, Navel-gazing, Opinion

Albert Einstein, Civility, Disagreement, Free Expression, Free Speech, Freethinking, Govern Yourself, Hierarchy of Disagreement, Moderation, Niels Bohr, Paul Graham, Responsible Speech, Rules

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Category: Navel-gazing

A Treacherous Man is on the 2022 3-Day Novel Shortlist

One of six finalists

A Brief Introduction

The Ravishing Corpse on 2020 3-Day Novel Long-list

One of thirteen long-listed entries

Disagree, but do it politely

These rules are as much for me as for you

Category Cloud

Community

Copyright pays creators. Please respect copyright.

Category: Navel-gazing

A Treacherous Man is on the 2022 3-Day Novel Shortlist

One of six finalists

A Brief Introduction

The Ravishing Corpse on 2020 3-Day Novel Long-list

One of thirteen long-listed entries

Disagree, but do it politely

These rules are as much for me as for you

Category Cloud

Tags

Community

Copyright pays creators. Please respect copyright.