The authors of 'Destroyer' and 'The Day After' sign copies of their books. L to R: Timothy Deal, myself, Natasha Hayden. (Not pictured: Nick Hayden).
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 Afterright 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!
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!
Cover Art by Zach Hayden
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 just updated my “Appearances” page with two new book signings.
On Saturday, September 24, 2011, I will return to the former campus of my alma mater, Taylor University Fort Wayne, for the Fort Wayne Celebrates event. This (hopefully) annual event is the replacement for my campus’ homecoming. My friends/fellow authors Nick Hayden, Natasha Hayden, Timothy Deal, and perhaps a few more will be present, signing and selling books at a booth in the event’s marketplace from 12PM-5PM. We’ll be there off and on while enjoying the many events going on that day, but please come see us. I will be selling and signing copies of Pandora’s Box, Destroyer, and the forthcoming The Day After.
Then Saturday, October 15, 2011, I will be signing copies of Destroyer at the North Webster Community Public Library from 10AM-12PM. I may also bring a few copies of the other aforementioned books.
Remember that podcast I was on this week? Well, the hosts of the podcast, my amazing friends Nick Hayden and Tim Deal, surprised me today by posting a recording of Nick’s wife, Natasha (who, by the way, was the winner of the tagline contest I had a few months back), reading the prologue of Pandora’s Box!
In my excitement, I posted this comment on their website:
“Oh. My. Gosh! I can’t begin to tell you how excited this makes me! Heck, my hands are trembling with excitement as I type this. This is an absolutely wonderful surprise. In fact, it reminds me of an idea I had for an audiobook version of my novel. It would require two readers, one as the narrator (I had imagined I would read for that), and one as [Pvt. Brewer’s] journal, which would be read by a woman.
“I had actually thought about recording a recitation of the prologue myself, but you’ve beaten me to it, and I thank you.”
What makes it perfect is that Natasha is a redhead, just like Pvt. Brewer.
Last night, I went to the home of my friend and fellow writer Nick Hayden to record an interview for the third episode of his podcast, Derailed Trains of Thought, which he hosts with our mutual friend, Tim Deal. The interview was mostly about the process of writing my novel. Not only do you get to hear some insider info about my book, but the podcast is excellent and well worth your time. I highly recommend it. The podcast with my interview will be posted next week.
Also, thanks to FeedBurner, you can now subscribe to my website via e-mail. That’ll make it much easier to keep up with my updates, news, and stories. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Today I talked Summer Moser, the owner and manager of Summer’s Stories in Kendallville, Indiana, and now have my first book signing for Pandora’s Box–and my first book signing ever–scheduled. It will held November 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Summer’s Stories is a small, independent bookstore nestled in old downtown Kendallville, a small town in my home county of Noble in northeastern Indiana. Summer is one of my friend Nick’s younger sisters. Two years ago when Nick held a signing for his second novel, The Echo of Dreams, at her store, she promised to have a signing for me there when I published my first novel. Now I’m taking her up on her offer.
You can learn more about Summer’s Stories on its Facebook page.
I also have a tentative date for another book signing on November 13 at the North Webster Community Public Library in North Webster, Indiana. More on that later.
It wasn’t easy picking a winner for the Tagline Contest. I received many creative, funny, and downright cool entries. I had to pick the one that best described me and my website. But after careful consideration, I have made up my mind.
And the winner is…
::drum roll::
Natasha Hayden with, “A Man from Another Time Exploring Another Universe.”
Her tagline will be added to my site, and she will receive a free autographed copy of my first novel, “Pandora’s Box,” when it is published.
But since many of the entries were so good, I have decided to list the “Honorable Mentions,” all of which I will use on the pages of my website, so be sure to go back and explore the site to find them.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Nick Hayden: “Down the wormhole…”
Keith Osmun: “Author, world-builder, and available bachelor.”
Amanda Luedeke: “Let there be legends.” (This sounds so awesome, I may use it as a title for a story).
Jeremy Sheer: “Where every entrance is a new destination.”
Sean Smuts: “Here there be stories.”
Now I will give out some Stan Lee-style “No-Prize” awards for the remaining entries.
MOST LIKELY TO APPEAR ON MY BUSINESS CARD
Bridgette Oakes: “Author, world-builder, pioneer.” (And I promise it will be on my business cards).
THE “WHAT-THE-HECK?!” AWARD
Christopher Michael Carson: ” The world is better without war and destruction in our lives.” (Seriously, dude, what does that have to do with my website?)
NERDIEST TAGLINE
A tie between…
Van Tilburg: “Bazinga!” (a line from CBS’s “Big Bang Theory”)
Sean Smuts: “Never tell me the odds…I already beat them.” (Funny, though you apparently missed the rule that said there was limit one entry per person. Were you submitting one for your wife, Becky?)
THE “COULD-HAVE-BEEN-HONORABLE-MENTIONS-IF-I-HAD-MORE-ROOM” AWARD (These may be used on my website, too)
A tie between…
Zach VanHuisen: “A plethora of galaxies beyond mere imagining.”
Laura Brooks: “Dive into the unexplainable, indescribable, world of Nate.”
Sarah Marchand: “A man with a pen and the heart to back it up.”
Thank you all so much for your participation! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
I will be posting a new short story on the website in the next day or two. I just need my friend Nick Hayden to look it over first. Be sure to check back!
A Man from Another Time Exploring Another Universe
