Never Not A Good Time...To Read "Haunted Yuletide"

 Earlier today, I was doing some web surfing when I came across an Instagram post. It was from a fellow author doing a little self-promotion. All authors know, there's nothing wrong with that. Then I remembered, I have a story in that book.

There's never not a good time to read Haunted Yuletide.

Anthologies are interesting. A few writers can get together, come up with a topic, send out request for submissions, and the stories come in. I've been part of those conversations, at symposiums, at comic cons, at literary conferences. "You know what would be great?" one of us would ask. "We should do an anthology about such and such."

"Yeah," another author always chimes in. "That sounds like a great idea!" Many times, the idea dies there, but every once in a while, it has legs and becomes an actual book that people can read, put on their nightstands and ignore, or use as a social media self-promotion topic (which is exactly what I'm doing...).

My story, All Through The House, is, I believe, the last story I had published. It came out almost two years ago. I have been derelict in my writing duties. For an author, that's unacceptable. I need to do better.

But, forget all that--I think you should pick up our little collection. You can find/buy it by clicking: HERE. Since it's a haunted anthology, it's perfect for Halloween, Christmas, and every day in between. Buy it, tell your friends to buy it, and read the crap out of it. If you like spookiness and Christmas, well...like I said... 

There's never not a good time to read Haunted Yuletide.

"Haunted Yuletide" Is Available TODAY...Come On--You Know You Want To Read It!

 Dickens isn't the only one writing about ghosts at Christmas.

I heard once of a tradition, a tradition long gone, a tradition that sounds like a blast. It seems, back in the day, telling ghost stories at Christmas was a thing. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Christmas is a time of magic, of mystical happenings, of wonder. Ghost stories are kind of like that, too (except with jump scares...).What a perfect time to tell a ghost story--you've got family and loved ones gathered to celebrate the good things of life...why not mingle in some of the spooky?

If you're a fan of holiday horror tales, or if you're just mildly curious, a book released today sounds like just your thing. Haunted Yuletide from Immortal Works is now available. Fifteen stories in one collection, and all you have to do to order it is click: HERE and pick it up.

Not to toot my own horn (too loudly...), but if you notice, the second-to-last story is written by yours truly. A little known fact about anthologies, the second-to-last story is traditionally one of the strongest stories in any anthology. Don't think so? Pick up the book and prove me wrong. All right--I know that's not necessarily true...

But, it could be.

There are so many amazing writers in this collection, people I've known for years whose works I have read--not just the authors, but the editors as well. Even though I haven't read their stories yet, I can say with confidence, whatever they wrote will be great.

I've been so fortunate with the stories I've submitted. This is no exception. I'm proud to have my name included on the Table of Contents and on the Back Cover. And if you do pick it up, I'd LOVE to hear what you think of it, not just my story, but all of them. If you're looking for a great gift for someone--or yourself--pick up a copy of Haunted Yuletide today. Remember, ghost stories aren't just for Halloween or Groundhog Day. Maybe out little book can re-ignite that old tradition and everyone will be telling ghost stories at Christmas again.

The Perfect Christmas/Halloween Gift..."Haunted Yuletide"

 

It's never too early to find that perfect Christmas present. OR, if you failed to get your loved ones that all-important Halloween gift, on December 1 you'll have a chance to do both--

That's when Haunted Yuletide is available!

I am excited, not only for all those lucky people who will receive this amazing book as a Christmas or post-Halloween gift, but because I was fortunate enough to have a story chosen for the Immortal Works anthology. It's called, All Through the House and I can't wait for people to read it.

Another reason I'm excited for this book's release is because I have so many friends with stories in the book as well. One thing I've learned about the writing community--it is a family.

Remember, for all those hard-to-buy-for people on your list, there's nothing better than giving the gift of spooky Christmas stories. You can pre-order the book by clicking: HERE. 

Haunted Yuletide...something for everyone!

Announcing Eight Internships At Immortal Works...Learn About The Publishing World

 When I first got into this world of writing and publishing, I attended several writing conventions and symposiums. Whenever a person "in the industry" opened it up for questions, almost inevitably someone asked the same question that raged in my heart.

"How do I get published?"

It's like, once you have a physical copy of a book that you wrote in your hands, a whole new world opens wide and you're escorted in to a secret club, a club of "the published author" and all your writing troubles float away in the ether. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. But, when you're on the outside looking it, it feels that way. I've been associated with Immortal Works publishing almost since its inception. It's a wonderful organization with amazing people all wanting to enrich the world with fantastic stories. This past week Immortal Works announced an opening for interns. If you're interested, PLEASE click: HERE to learn more.

You may be thinking, "But, interns aren't paid." That's fair, but also fair is you can do a ton of work writing a book and not get a lot of money from it, too. 

I'm not going to say that working as an intern for a publishing company will guarantee you a book deal or literary success, but I will say is that learning how the publishing world works, can help you in so many ways. Because if you know how the business works, you can make decisions at every step of the way to help you get noticed, improve your story, and hopefully, sign a contract.

Again, if you're interested in learning about the industry, check out the link above. See if there's a category you'd be good at or like to be good at and go for it. 

So, if I ever go to a literary convention again and have the opportunity to be asked, "How do I get published?" I'll say, "Take advantage of every chance to learn you can." Well this is one of those chances.

Cleaning Up Words...Can Be Exhausting

Back when the Macintosh computer was only four years old, I was hired to work as a computer sound technician. My job was to edit digitized sound bits for a computer program. I enjoyed the job a lot and, truth be told, I think I was pretty good at it.

Unfortunately, the program didn't sell and the company shut down, but I've always remembered that job. Decades have passed and I haven't had the opportunity to edit many things, at least, as far as audio files go.

That changed last month when I was given an assignment to edit an audiobook for my publisher. I was given the audio file and a deadline. I thought it would be tough, but I also thought I could complete the assignment in no time.

Turns out, it's been a lot tougher than I thought it would be. Today I spent several hours editing several chapters of the book. I worked on it off-and-on all day. I'm beat.

I've wondered why it's been so hard. I'm basically doing the same work I did years ago. Then it hit me--back then, I was editing sentences. The entire program maybe had only hundreds of sentences that needed cleaning. With this audiobook, I'm responsible for hundreds, if not thousands of sentences, words, phrases, paragraphs, and chapters.

It's a tad daunting.

But it's also a lot of fun. I love zooming in on a word or phrase and zapping that "click" or "pop" out of existence.

I've got a ways to go yet. Little by little, chapter by chapter, I'm getting it done. There's something wonderful that happens when you listen to an engaging story written by an amazing author and read by a talented voice performer. I'm glad I can be part of that magic. 

Looks Like "Shattered Show" Is In The Forecast...WORLDWIDE...Starting Tomorrow!

Half the world is experiencing winter, but tomorrow, everyone should expect a snowstorm...a literary storm of new words, new sentences, paragraphs and chapters. Tomorrow (in addition to being my wife's birthday...) is also the launch of Immortal Works Press's latest edition, Rachel Huffmire's Shattered Snow.

What a great day for a book launch!

I haven't read the book myself yet, but here's an Amazon review from the book's home page:

Shattered Snow is an engaging story about people who want to do the right thing but end up at odds with each other. Rachel Huffmire has constructed characters of action with depth that kept me glued to the page. I felt their pain when they met misfortune and excitement when they triumphed. That kind of empathy isn't typical for me so this was a refreshing read.

This novel is a retelling of Snow White but it's so subtle at first that I didn't realize what the story was until half way through the novel! Yet, even after I caught on, Shattered Snow told its own narrative and I couldn't predict how it would align with the classic story. Several times while I read, I wouldn't realize events' significance until chapters later when I had an ah-ha moment and things fell into place. Those moments were fun as a reader since it makes me feel like I'm involved and discovering what's going on.

There's nothing quite like having a party for a book that you wrote. It's exciting, a little scary, and exiting. And a release for a debut novel makes it that much more special.

If you'd like to enjoy the Rachel's adventure, you can order it by clicking: HERE. You can also follow along with the release party on Rachel's Facebook page: HERE. At the party free stuff will be handed out! Give Shattered Snow a chance! After all, winter's the perfect time to read all about snow!

A Free "Chaser" Audiobook Giveaway...Hurry And Sign Up!

If you love books with a great message for your kids and your kids love stories about dogs, space, and adventure, now's your chance to sign up for a free audiobook! The incredible author Dave Butler (and he's a better person than author...) is holding a giveaway on his website for a chance to win an audiobook copy of Chaser: an Interplanetary Tale of a Boy and his Dog!

Both the novel and the audiobook were released in 2018 through Immortal Works Press. It's gotten fantastic reviews and is a great book for your reluctant middle-grade reader, or anyone who loves an exciting story.

Here's a taste of what the story's about:

How far would you go to be with your best friend? Would you give up a chance to travel to a new planet? Would you disobey your parent? How important would it be? 

Twelve-year-old Kennedy Barnes and his dad are on an interplanetary mission to transfer Earth’s animals to Planet X489-B, a habitable world without animal life.

But one animal not on their spaceship’s manifest is Kennedy’s dog Chaser. Unable to part with his beloved Chaser, Kennedy smuggles the Labrador Retriever onto his father’s ship.

What follows is a story of strength, deception, harrowing escapes and painful lessons learned.

Join Kennedy, Chaser, and the entire crew of Trinity Base as they travel billions of miles from home on an adventure as big as the universe, and find out just how far one boy will go to save his best friend.

The audiobook is narrated by the über-talented Mark Sanderlin who captures both the fun and the seriousness of the story.

If you'd like a chance to win, go to Dave Butler's website by clicking: HERE or HERE. And while you're at it, please check out any of Dave's amazing books--you can find them by clicking: HERE.

Hurry--this giveaway will only be available until the 6th of January! And if you want to order the audiobook yourself, you can go to the Audible website: HERE and just order it. It's a great book, and you'll be glad you did. Start 2019 with an amazing story! Check out Chaser today!

"All Made Of Hinges"...A New Mormon Steampunk Anthology

A new anthology is now available. It's guaranteed to be like nothing you've read before. It's called All Made of Hinges, and it's an anthology of Latter-Day Saint steampunk stories.

Like I said, it's like nothing you've read before.

There's an interesting story about this collection. The call went out for submissions. Apparently a lot of us wanted to share their Mormon steampunk stories that not only did they gather enough for one volume, they actually filled three. The first edition was released this week. In the coming months the other two books will be available. I submitted a story that was accepted and I believe it will be in the third book.

Because it's so new, I have not read any of the stories, but I do know most of the authors personally and have read other things they have written. I'm especially excited to read Christopher McAfee's The Machinations of Angles. Chris and I met in the mid-1980s when we both lived in Denmark. Over the years we've run into each other occasionally, mostly at Salt Lake's Comic Con and FanX conventions. I introduced Chris to many of my author friends and now he's in an anthology. I am excited for him.

If you are interested in the book, you can order the e-book right now! Just click: HERE to access the Amazon page. When the other editions are available I'll blog about them, too--especially the one that has my little story. For now, though, please order All Made Of Hinges. Those unique stories are just waiting for you to read them!

Happy One-Year Birthday Immortal Works...Here's To Many Many More!

Last Friday night, a few of us involved in Immortal Works Press gathered at a park in Salt Lake City to celebrate a milestone.

It was a birthday party.

Immortal Works Press turned one and we got together to get to know each other better, to talk about books scheduled for release, and to basically have a good time. 

Mission accomplished.

My wife and I went for our Date Night. I think almost every author published, or waiting to be published was there. Better yet, almost all the authors are my friends. Not only am I excited about my own book being released, but also those of my friends. I'm honored to be included among such great writers and great people.

After catching up, running some business past the founder, and enjoying each other's company, my wife and I took off--we couldn't stay the whole time. As we left the park I thought about just what a huge undertaking it was to begin a new publishing company, what an accomplishment this party represented. There's risk, sure, but to have actually done it, that's something. People many times talk about doing something like this. Musician friends talk about starting a band, food lovers talk about opening a restaurant, and writers talk about starting their own publishing company, But they actually did it, not just talk about it.

Happy birthday, Immortal Works Press! I know you're new, but you're growing quickly. I sincerely hope that one day I'll be able to tell my grandchildren that I attended Immortal Works first birthday party and they will be impressed because those birthday parties will still be going on.