MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY READERS!
New short story artwork for ‘The Hammer’
My brother Jarod has contributed yet another piece of excellent artwork for one of my short stories. This time it was for “The Hammer,” a science fiction story you can read here. The artwork portrays the hero, Matthias Maccabeus, punching out a disguised robot assassin. Check it out:
So, if you haven’t read the story yet, I hope you will now. Why would you pass up on excitement like this?
Book signing at Pete & Freddy’s Pages Aplenty
I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, so please forgive me for my delay.
I’m having a book signing this Saturday from 10AM-noon at Pete & Freddy’s Pages Aplenty, a small used bookstore in Mentone, Indiana. I’ll be signing all of my books, including Pandora’s Box, Destroyer, and The Day After. I was referred to this place by a co-worker at my part-time job, who told me his daughter runs the place.
Be there, or be square!
Book signing at NWCPL this Saturday
Hello, readers! I wanted to remind you to come out to the North Webster Community Public Library this Saturday from 10AM-noon because I;ll be having a book signing! The signing is advertised as being for Destroyer, but I will also be signing and selling copies of The Day After and a few leftover copies of Pandora’s Box (since my story in The Day After is a companion piece to my novel, it is only fitting).
Be there, or be square!
Big ‘Pandora’s Box’ announcement on Derailed Trains of Thought!
In celebration of their podcast’s first anniversary, my friends and co-authors Nick Hayden and Timothy Deal invited me to return to “Derailed Trains of Thought.” They review each of the previous 19 episodes in reverse order, having each of their previous guests–including myself, Natasha Hayden, Laura Fischer, and Brian Scherschel–pipe in to give updates on the topics they talked about when they were previously on the show. In my segment, I told everyone about my short story “Suicide Soldier,” a companion piece to my novel, Pandora’s Box, which is included in Novel Concept’s latest publication, The Day After. But the biggest announcement comes during the second half of my segment–I officially announce that I will write a sequel to Pandora’s Box!
Listen to the podcast here for the details, or you can download it on iTunes.
Fort Wayne Celebrates signing a rousing success
This past Saturday, I and my co-authors Timothy Deal and Nick and Natasha Hayden returned to the former campus of our alma mater, Taylor University Fort Wayne. We sold and signed copies of our books in the marketplace during the Fort Wayne Celebrates event, which serves as a replacement for the school’s homecoming.
I arrived at 11:30 AM or so, thinking it started at noon. I quickly learned it didn’t start until 1:00 PM. Timothy arrived around noon, and the Haydens arrived with their toddler son, Fyodor, at 12:30, so all of us were gathered and ready in time. Within minutes, dozens of alumni swarmed the marketplace area and perused our books, which included Pandora’s Box, Destroyer, and The Day After.
The Haydens sold copies of Destroyer and The Day After like hotcakes, probably because we offered to sell them together for $12 when they sell for $7 each. I, on the other hand, practiced well the art of hawking and sold all but two of the seven or eight copies of Pandora’s Box I brought. My favorite customer was Parker, a 14-year-old boy whose mother from the class of 1989 bought him a copy of the novel. He read it intently for the rest of the night, as you see here:
So, overall, it was one of the most fun signings I’ve had so far. I’ll try to post a full gallery of pictures later. (I know, I know. I’m way behind on my photo galleries here).
Next up: The North Webster Community Public Library, October 15.
Summer’s Stories signing successful
If you came to the book signing my partners in crime Tim and Nick and Natasha and I held at Summer’s Stories this past Saturday, thank you for making it a rousing success. If you didn’t come…why?
While the signing was originally just for Destroyer, we received copies of The Day After right before it, so it was included. I sold nearly twice as many books there as I did the first time I had a signing at the store (of course, it helped that I was selling two titles).
Don’t forget that this Saturday I will be at Fort Wayne Celebrates on the former Taylor University Fort Wayne campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from 12pm-5pm!
Be there, or be square!
My 9/11 reflection on Breakthrough’s blog
I wrote about some of my experiences on September 11, 2001, and the lessons it taught us as a nation in the latest blog on Breakthrough Writing Services‘ blog. You can read it here.
After you read it, please be sure to check out what services Breakthrough has to offer. “Don’t worry, we’ve got the words you’re looking for.”
‘The Day After’ now available!
As I mentioned a few months ago, I wrote a short story for a collection I was working on with several friends. Now that collection is finished and is about to be self-published!
Obviously, I’m one of four authors who contributed to this collection. The others are my friends Natasha Hayden, Nick Hayden, and Keith Osmun. We decided a few months ago to pick a theme and each write a short story in a different genre pertaining to that theme. Our theme was simply “the day after,” which is pretty open-ended. I chose science fiction, obviously. My story, “Suicide Soldier,” that takes place in the world of Pandora’s Box and explains a few details of that book’s events that weren’t explored in its narrative.
Here’s the back cover copy:
Natalya is an American mom and wife with a Russian name working as a spy for the Brazilian government in a Midwest American town. Balancing dual identities is dangerous–and sometimes comical–especially when her husband hasn’t a clue.
Morana is on a suicide mission to transmit a bestial virus to her enemies when she encounters a smalltown family with the potential to break through her boundaries of hatred. But in the end, will it make a difference, or is it too late for redemption?
Peter, a photojournalist, returns home late to meet his newborn son…but just in time to rescue his family from a national zombie infestation. As they travel toward safer ground, trying to maintain a modicum of normalcy, Peter has the urge to document the disaster, but at what price?
Jacob is trapped in an endless maze of a house that appears to have no exits to the outside world except for a noose in his bedroom. He meets a mysterious stranger in the darkness and discovers pieces of letters he doesn’t remember writing. Who knows how long he’s been there? The noose is tightening.
Four stories, four writers, four genres…one connecting thread. What happens when the main focus of your life is stripped away and all that’s left is the day after?
So, as you can see, we have quite a variety of stories in this collection. Besides my science fiction tragedy, there’s a spy comedy, a zombie horror story, and a gothic horror story. All of which, if I may say so, are great reads.
UPDATE: The Day After, the latest release from Novel Concept, is now available in paperback (and PDF) from www.Lulu.com and as an e-book from www.Smashwords.com.
I’m returning to Summer’s Stories!
After graciously hosting my first ever book signing for Pandora’s Box last year, I’ll be returning to Summer’s Stories in Kendallville, Indiana, with Natasha Hayden and Timothy Deal to sign and sell copies of Destroyer. The signing will be September 17 from 1PM-3PM. It will be primarily for Destroyer, but I will also bring a few copies of my other book(s) (see my next announcement).
So don’t miss this rare opportunity to get a copy of this new novella from Novel Concept signed by all three authors!