M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 97

Book Review: How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn

[image error]Book Cover for Review purposes under Fair Use Doctrine. Also, I want you to know what this book looks like because you need to buy it and read it

I never made it a secret that marketing is far more of a mystery to me than writing or producing a book (and I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes in those areas).

A few weeks ago, I bought one of those “marketing for dummies” books. I got one chapter in before I wanted to know if anyone had something for someone even less educated.

I read J.R. Handley’s blog a few weeks ago.  That blog led me to Joanna’s website. The website led me to her book, “How to Market a Book.”

What this book does for me is speak to me in a manner that makes sense. It’s not just a book on marketing, it’s a book about how to market my product.

At first, I started reading it like a manual. Basically, I thought, “Do all of these .things in this order.”

I don’t know why I thought this as she says one shouldn’t try all of these things at once. What I realize this does now is give several things to try at various times until I find what works for me.

Things that really worked:

There’s a segment about Twitter that I found very helpful.

[image error]There are some tools here to use now and then. So this is more of a reference book than a text book. To explain: I can come back to this and study up, and then get more information when I’m ready to try something.

She gives a ton of follow-on sites, blogs, podcasts, interviews, and books that I plan on using here and there as I try different things.

The only thing I wish I could find is what I call more actionable information. I’m intuitive in my craft, but literal in my thinking. I’d kill for more specific step-by-step instructions. Like I really feel that changing keywords on Amazon might help me, but HOW do I do that?  How do I change my categories? I did a search on Author Central, but all I could find basically amounted to “send us an email.” Even then they swear we can only have “two” categories (a main and a sub) when I know for a fact that some books go four levels deep. So how to I get into THOSE categories?  With Caught coming out, I took a LOT of time finding the right book. Joanna DID give some great advice that I followed. It has to do  with looking at books you think are similar and seeing what categories they fall under.

[image error]This book gave me something I desperately needed. An idea on where to step. I want more steps. I want small, baby steps, but this is a fantastic overview book with critical follow-on material. Seriously, if you’re about to publish your first book, if your book is nearly ready to come out, if your looking at releasing anytime soon, buy this book. The worst mistake I made in releasing a book was releasing a book without knowing remotely how to market a book. I truly wish I’d read this about two years ago. Even better, two years ago. I can’t stress enough how important it is to start building your platform. I’m on the right track now, but I’d be farther ahead if I gave this aspect of this business more attention.

Thanks for reading,

V/R

Matt

 

State of the Weech: What’s This Guy Up To?

I’d mentioned earlier this week that I had intended to do a post going over my schemes for the next little while.  I wanted to do that today because there’s a lot happening.

First, I’m happy to announce the discovery draft of my short(ish) story, Sojourn In Despair, is finished! I wrapped that up Dec. 22. So I’ll wait about a week before I try to revise that into a first draft that Alphas wouldn’t want to throw out of a window.

[image error]I’ve learned a lot this past year. I wanted Caught out in March of 2016, and I couldn’t make it happen until 2017. This is because it’s not about releasing a book for me, it’s about releasing a GOOD book readers will enjoy.

Revising always takes me an extremely long time, and I wasn’t anticipating a fifth and sixth draft. I want to say this because writers are in love with their work, and they’re either in too much of a hurry to get it out (normally me) or too afraid to put it out there. There’s a balance to this I hope everyone finds. You have to be willing to stand behind it.

When I sent Caught to Marco for an edit, he gave me a lot of information that I think made this book that much better. But it meant taking time to apply that feedback. This is part of the art. This process also taught me a lot about how to look at work. I’ll be using this process again in the future.

I want to help other authors avoid mistakes I make. I want each project I release to be more successful than the last. So I hope this information helps those who are afraid to show their work to many people. Get lots of feedback. Hire. Professional. Editors.

I feel far more confident about Caught than I did about Bob. I also feel more realistically optimistic (not an oxymoron I promise).  But, now that Caught is scheduled to hit the digital bookshelves, I have time to do more stuff.  So here’s a list of my projects in order of priority:

Sojourn in Despair: Elele’s story is drafted, and now I have to do the work that takes a solid [image error]idea into a well-told story. I’ll take a week off (maybe accidentally write a short story and submit it, Hi J.R.).  But once that week is over, I’ll do another draft of Sojourn. This one will still go by quickly, but each draft will take exponentially longer than the last.

Re-release of The Journals of Bob Drifter: I’ve been quiet about this, but it’s time I start talking about it. I feel this was a great story, but I made a lot of mistakes in how I published it. There are also some glaring typos I want to fix. The story will not change. The main priority of this effort is to bring the cover price down and gain more control over pricing. I want Bob to be more affordable to my readers. I’ll chip away on this in between drafts of Sojourn.

Images of Truth: This book is going to be wonderful. I was about halfway done when Caught revisions became my soul purpose in life.  Elele (from Sojourn) is in this book. She’s one of four primary characters, but this book focuses on Jammin, a young aspiring photojournalist who finds himself a stowaway on a special forces spacecraft in the middle of a secret war effort.  Sojourn is the story of how Elele came to be where we find her in Images. I want to finish this discovery draft quickly. The release of this book is a long way off. But I like having a draft done.

Revisions of 1,200:  1,200 is the story of a homeless veteran who is secretly using his recently-discovered magic to help the rest of his fellow homeless veterans. I want to revise this sooner rather than later, but if Caught does well, this will be the project that falls father in the back burner.

[image error]The sequels to Caught: I have a confession to make: I accidentally outlined a short story about Kaityln.  Not outlined exactly, but she’s such a wonderful character. She whispered in my ear (I’m not crazy; I promise) the whole flight to Arizona, and I got off the plane with a great little story just for her. This isn’t part of the trilogy, but her short story will be released in 2018. When in 2018 is something else entirely, but it’ll be out. Books Two and Three of the Oneiros Log will be revised and drafted accordingly. It may be ambitious, but I want all three projects AND Images drafted by the end of 2017.  I don’t know when I’ll publish them. So much depends on releasing a book, and I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep. Once Images is drafted, these will be the books I outline and draft. What I will promise is that as soon as these books are ready, I’ll get them to you.

[image error]The plan is to rotate edits between Sojourn, Kaitlyn’s story, Oneiros 2 and 3 until all of them are ready. 1,200 isn’t the biggest priority right now, but it’s a great project to step away to when I’m feeling bogged down. I may also decide other characters from Caught need their own stories. This depends on how loud they get in my imagination and how successful Caught and Kaitlyn’s story are. I do intend to release short fiction (novellas 40K or less) more regularly. This is so you all have stuff from me to read while I work on the larger books. For other young authors out there, this also helps me keep product hitting the shelves and earning income which will fund edits, covers and revisions for the larger products. I feel this was a solid idea on my part, and it keeps me writing.

I’ve been writing since I was 7 or 8. It’s been my dream to be an author since I was 17. Even now, what I’m doing is a dream come true. However, I’m never one to settle. I don’t just want to be a published author. I want to be successful. I want one day for this to be my primary source of income. That said, in a way, you all are so amazingly important to me. You’re here now, in the beginning, when it’s hard. You’re here for me when I’m up at midnight writing a blog or drafting a story. I can’t tell you what you mean to me. I can’t tell you how amazed I am that you’ve shown an interest in my dream. I hope you’re as excited about these projects as I am about getting to work on them.

So, I’ve been particularly blessed this Christmas, because every single time one of you shows interest in my work, that’s a gift you give me. Aside from the love of my friends and family, that’s truly the greatest gift I could ask for. I hope you all have the happiest of holidays and New Years. Thank you!

For today, and the days that follow, thank you for reading,

Matt

The Symbiotic Relationship Between Heroes and Villains

Adam over at Write Thoughts commented on my blog about “traditional” vs “Flawed” heroes, and he got me thinking about one of the more traditional relationships in stories that are dwindling these days (but still out there).

[image error]All images copyright free and available on Pixabay.

Do stories need good villains? What makes a good villain? This is something I’m actually pondering as I start thinking about other projects (a post which you’ll all see on Saturday).

The first thing I thought of, however, was the relationship that heroes and villains have in stories. I think there are a lot of stories in which the relationship becomes a plot in itself, and that inspired this post.  So let’s talk about a few of the more historic relationships:

Batman and The Joker: Batman is a hero who’s seemingly one bad day away from crossing the line, and The Joker seems to be the man who wants to push him over the edge. One of the things that makes Batman so compelling to me is his refusal to kill, especially in regard to Joker. What fascinates me most in this regard is that by being the man Batman refuses to kill, The Joker then becomes Batman’s very salvation.

I’ve been open about how I’m not a fan of DC, but the character I’ve always had the most interest in is Batman, and his relationship with The Joker is probably the most compelling aspect of the character. This was never more relevant than in The Killing Joke. It’s way darker than I would have liked, but it still shows that endless battle. This relationship is about temptation to me. I honestly think The Joker wants Batman to kill him, if only to show that every man could be brought below his morals.

 

[image error]Superman and Lex Luthor: I’m neither trying to go exclusively DC or comics for that matter, but this relationship is the absolute best example of this very phenomena. They are polar opposites. One has the power to do whatever he wants and doesn’t for the sake of who he wants to be and the people he cares about. The other has no physical power, yet still does whatever he wants because he doesn’t care about anyone. It’s just too perfect to leave out. I’ve had a lot of talks with friends about Smallville. Say what you want about the series as a whole, but I stand behind the first three seasons because that relationship and Lex’s progression into villainy was outstanding. Again, I’m not saying it was a great show for all its seasons, but if you want to study a relationship plot, watch that one.

In terms of comics, this is the most used technique. Xavier and Magneto. Wolverine and Sabertooth. Spider Man and the Green Goblin (or pretty much any of his villains). In terms of this relationship, comics are fish in a barrel.

Yes, I could mention a certain boy who lived, but I’ve seen a lot of people talk about him lately, and I want to give others a different point of view.

[image error]Abraham Setrakian and The Master: Before it was a TV show, the Strain was fascinating trilogy that took a horribly overdone idea and found a twist that I could get behind. This relationship is particularly fascinating because Setrakian is the obsessed killer in this. The Master is the aloof over powerful being. You could call it an inversion of Superman and Lex Luthor, and add a desire to kill, and you wouldn’t be far off. This relationship, however, brings a particular point to my argument.

In today’s world of literature, there aren’t many hero-villain relationships that are nearly as co-dependent as those found in comics. Like I said above, it’s fish in a barrel in comic books, but I have 312 books loaded on Goodreads (which is still much lower than the actual number of books I’ve read) and I had trouble finding examples in literature. Where are the man vs man conflicts? There are some subplots (Perrin vs Slayer comes to mind). But in high fantasy, the plots are larger than life.

[image error]I think this observation presents an opportunity for a creative author to bring a comic mainstay into literature. I’m not saying this plot device doesn’t exist at all in literature, but it’s not common in science fiction or fantasy. The plucky hero is always facing something larger than life. If you disagree, feel free to comment below.

One explanation to this might be the scope of the story. Comics can handle that sort of plot because they’re serial by nature. The fans can tune in next week (TV) or month (comics) and see that battle. But I find that odd because those conflicts can (and for me they do) get old. As fascinating as Batman V Joker is for me, I’m just annoyed by now. But imagine a conflict between characters who are complimentary in nature and symbiotic by design? I find that idea fascinating.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Release Day: “When We Go Missing”

Yet another author releases her first book. This is a good week to like reading.

Kristen Twardowski

Today is the day that I can officially say that I published a book. When We GoMissing, my debut novel, is live and available for purchase in print and e-book form on Amazon. (The e-book version is also in Kindle Unlimited, so if you are a member, you can grab it for free!) When We Go Missing is a psychological thriller that explores women who vanish and what society does with those disappearances. If you are traveling in the next few weeks or simply want a fast-paced read, you should check it out.

Thank you all for following along on this journey. I have very much appreciated your support as I have written, edited, and rewritten (and rewritten, and rewritten, and rewritten) this novel.

If any of you end up reading When We Go Missing, feel free to write an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads

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The Legion Awakes

My friend J.R. has just released his first book. I can say from experience that this is the most odd combination of excitement and terror anyone can feel. I’ve already purchased my copy, and I look forward to reading it. Please, read his announcement and see if there isn’t room on your TBR for this book.

J.R. Handley Blog

Hello Space Cadets, how are you today?  I’m doing outstanding, biting my nails as we launch my debut novel The Legion Awakes.  I’m anxiously waiting, hoping everyone loves it, because I’ve poured my soul into it.  Paying back my mom for what we spent in the pre-publication stage wouldn’t hurt either!  It’s officially out in the world, so mosey on over to the Amazon link and take a look! 

 

 

Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!  

JR

 

 –> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are owned by JR Handley.

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The (Hopefully Decreasing) Divide Between Science Fiction and Fantasy

Big Break Studios posted a blog recently about genre busting, and that got me thinking about the interesting divide between science fiction and fantasy.

[image error]Fantasy and science fiction fans have an oddly antagonistic side.  I think part of this is due to what makes fantasy and science fiction fun.  Who was the best Doctor? Which craft would win in a race? Which craft would win in a fight? Which character would win in a fight?

It wasn’t until I really started finding my stride as an author that I noticed this strange habit of fans of one genre not appreciating the other. How big is it? How prevalent? I don’t know, big enough to notice? Anecdotally, for every fan I hear that screams at the other genre, I hear another that just enjoys a good story. The inspiration from this post is that the very fact that these two genres aren’t more closely linked surprises me.

So I thought I’d sit down and talk about the largest areas of contention.  NOTE: All of this is anecdotal, I’m curious if anyone has a more analytical example.

Possible vs Impossible: The Science in Science Fiction.

[image error]Speculative science is the heart of any science fiction novel. A science fiction writer is bound by unwritten contract between himself and his readers (I’m a guy, so I’m using the male personal pronoun). Things have to have rules. There must be an explanation for how, scientifically, this story is plausible.  I actually FIRST encountered this in high school science. The teacher was quite admit about disproving any and every science fiction movie out there. As he continued to dispute each movie, I couldn’t help but realize he must have ACTUALLY watched them. Weather he did that just to disprove it or enjoy it is really more of a personal issue, but the point is he watched them. Brandon Sanderson mentioned a discussion he’d had on a panel regarding magic systems and then released his “Laws” on magic.  This brings me to the point of contention:

Science fiction fans want a plausible, scientific reason to justify the possibility of the story. Fantasy fans want a sense of wonder. Feel free to argue and debate this point, but I’ve already said this evidence is anecdotal and these opinions are mine. It’s also my opinion that the reason science fiction fans demand plausibility is the very fact that they want to believe this story could happen. One (fantasy) is about escape where the other (scifi) is about hope.  (And let the debate on that assertion begin).

I don’t really care about this particular sticking point, as I believe both genres do what matters most: They show readers who they can be, if only…If only we strive to travel the stars, we could learn so much more. If only, to me, means nothing more than, “when we.”

[image error]I know neither of this are either of the ships I mentioned, but I fear copyright in some cases.

Try this experiment:  Go to a convention. Find a pair arguing about weather the Falcon could beat the Enterprise in a space battle.  Go to them and explain it doesn’t matter because a team of dragon riders from Pern could take them both down at the same time. Before they get going. Make sure you specify that these “dragons” are in reality nothing more than genetically enhanced alien lizards that evolved through cloning and gene modifications.  Call this your control group.

Then, go do the same thing with another pair of fans, but don’t explain the genetic modification tools.  Try not to laugh as this pair of individuals debating the military characteristics of non-existent spacecraft looks you in the eyes and says, “it doesn’t matter because dragons aren’t real.”  I’ve done this experiment, but I failed to avoid laughing. I’m sometimes a petty person.

[image error]Most of the derision I see across these genres comes from that particular fissure in the genre planet. A few authors are doing fantastic things, and that’s inspired me. What if fantasy authors worked a little harder to make their magic plausible? What if science fiction authors worried a little less about how possible things are? I have two projects in the works that I think pay tribute to both genres. They’re primarily fantasy in terms of marketing but when I can explain something scientifically, I do. The magic systems in each project (Perception of War, the series Sojourn in Despair comes from, is one of them) is fairly hard (if you subscribe to Sanderson’s First Law).

I think there’s a trick to that though. That trick is commitment to your core genre. You want to avoid Deus Ex Machina whenever possible. A story that ends on an overly convenient plot device, regardless of genre, isn’t going to go over well with the fans.  But this divide I’m discussing, I think, comes more from this assertion:

Fantasy fans are more willing to suspend disbelief than science fiction fans.

So, if you’re writing fantasy, I wouldn’t recommend taking three chapters to dissect your magic system right up front. Fantasy readers usually stop at, “Guy can fly.” It’s wonderful to weave in a few explanations of powers as the story progresses, especially if that ability is going to be the key to saving the universe (see Sanderson’s First Law). Science fiction fans demand more details. They’ll want to understand how things are possible sooner, and are therefore more willing to accept large data chunks in the story early on, (accept and larger are dangerously unspecific terms).

What are your thoughts? Which side of the line do you fall under?  Also, I meant what I said. A wing of dragon riders of Pern, and I’d argue a single dragon like Ruth or Mnementh could take out both starships. Seriously.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

The Line in the Sand: Discussing the “traditional” hero in comparison to the “flawed” hero

[image error]If Quintessential Editor could use a few of those greens he consumes so readily to help apply better terms, that would be amazing, but when discussing the contrast between the traditional hero and the flawed hero, I felt inspired (thanks Rough and Ready Fiction!) to offer a few case studies and offer my thoughts and opinions.

There are a lot of sources that describe a lot of hero archetypes.  The reason I didn’t narrow down to one source is more because I don’t feel there’s a TON of consistency out there, so I’ll use the terms that make the most sense to me and you can decide on what terms you like best.  I’m more interested in discussing my thoughts than I am determining the best terms in this regard.

The Traditional Hero:  He’s the nice guy’s nice guy.  He’s the white knight.  The man of principle.  He’s the example to follow.  If you had a daughter, he’s the man you’d want to date her.

[image error]Case Study:  Odd Thomas.  I won’t lie.  Odd Thomas was a very influential part of my writing The Journals of Bob Drifter.  He’s such a great character.  He’s honest, doesn’t cuss a lot. Heck, he even uses “sir” or “ma’am” when addressing people.  He’s forced to act by circumstances, and sometimes he must do things he doesn’t want to do, but he’s a good guy, and no one can deny that.  Bob is a traditional hero.  He’s honest.  He’s soft spoken.  He’s even a little shy around women.

I’m more drawn to these heroes because a part of me honestly believes that fiction should strive to show humanity what it CAN be.  This doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate flawed heroes, enjoy books about flawed heroes, or write stories about them.  When stretching to find new levels of skill, one must try new things, but my favorite books all have more traditional heroes.

The Flawed Hero:  He’s the rebel.  He’s the hero who’s a drunkard or killer.  He’s the man who’s seen stuff in life and is just trying to get by.  He’s the man you’d shoot if he showed up to ask your daughter out.

[image error]Cover for Perfect Shadow used for review and educational purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Case Study:  Durzo Blint from The Night Angel Trilogy.  I love him.  He’s a great character, but he’s a jerk.  He’s a whore-mongering, drinking killer.   His motives are selfish, and his moral code is just about as messed up as it can be.

These characters (to a degree) feel more real to readers.  They’re more relatable.  So I don’t know how often I’ll try to psychoanalyze humanity as a whole, but I’m going to step out on that limb in this case.  Most people, myself included, feel flawed.  Everyone has “hot buttons” because those issues spark in people that which they most dislike in themselves.  Where a traditional hero provides an example to follow, flawed heroes show readers it’s okay to not be “perfect” because you can still, and always, do something worthy of the term hero.

Let’s look at this in practice (an point out my hypocrisy at the same time):  Superman vs Wolverine.

[image error]Yep…I’m going the comic book route.  Superman fights for truth, justice, and the American way.  Wolverine is a killer.  Now, based on my above comments, you’d think I like Superman, right?  Wrong.  I hate Superman.  But in this we find the complexity of art.  I don’t hate superman because he helps old ladies cross the street or reminds people that “flying is still statistically the safest way to travel.”  I hate Superman because he’s TOO perfect.  He’s (arguably) the most powerful character in comics.  I don’t mind a person who has all these morals.   What I mind about Superman is the fact that I just don’t ever feel he’s in danger.  He’s not one for whom I worry because I don’t think he’ll ever be taken down.  I don’t read the comics too much, but I hear he’s been “flawed” in some regard.  I like Wolverine because (immortal thought he may be), I’ve seen him lose fights.  I’ve seen him fail.  And failure is a key part of gaining sympathy.

It’s the setbacks characters face that create the tension readers feel when they try anything.  These setbacks don’t have to mean failure, but they are important.

[image error]So my problem with what I feel is the overabundance of flawed heroes isn’t people genuinely have flaws.  It’s that some readers argue there aren’t nice guys out there.  I served for 10 years in the Navy.  Some of the kindest, most “Superman” type people I’ve ever met (Quintessential Editor among them) are Sailors.  Corey will give you the shirt off his back while asking if you need a pair of pants.  He’ll give everything he can for people in general.  He’s capable of right and wrong like any human, but if I have a son one day, I’d be pretty proud if he grows up to be like Corey.

I have other friends.  I have friends that my other friends ask why they’re still my friends.  I obviously won’t name one.  But if I were to judge people and withhold my friendship because they’ve done things I don’t like, I’d be pretty short on friends.

So what’s my point?

The most times I hear arguments regarding these two types of heroes, they’re arguing principles when what I think they’re really discussing is the unreal reaction to events.  This was a major point of discussion with my editor about Sal in Caught.  He goes through some seriously bad stuff, and just keeps plugging along heroically.  At least, he did in the last draft of the book.  In this draft, the issues he faces causes him to doubt himself.

I don’t actually care what type of hero anyone writes, but MOST readers want realism.  They want character who reacts to situations.  Let’s do another case study.

(SPOILER ALERT FOR DOCTOR WHO..YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)

[image error]Doctor Who:  In the episode entitled “The Doctor’s Daughter,” the doctor meets, grows to care for and loses a genetic clone of himself that seems like a “daughter.”  The fanboy in me chuckles a bit because I actually remember the doctor’s initial reaction to Jenny (I believe the word “abomination” was used, but I could be wrong).  Tennant is (from my informal, passive observation) commonly regarded as the “best” modern doctor.   He still does the “good guy” thing in the end.  He shows mercy.   He’s still the better man, but the viewers see his temptation.  They see his desire to do wrong, and he chooses to do right.  THIS is what makes characters compelling.  It’s seeing characters tested that make them sympathetic.  But test a character too much, and the reader will become annoyed.   The writers’ skill in having the doctor do “good” and “bad” is what makes him feel real in a lot of cases.  Tennant’s doctor is the greatest example of this.  He’ll be the better man when Jenny dies, but then kill a bunch of people if they don’t heed his warning.

(SPOILER OVER)

[image error]I shifted Sal’s timeline not because he was “too good” a guy, but because he receives a lot of negative stimulation without any of those events affecting his personality.  I still feel strongly it’s okay to have characters who “don’t break.”  Those characters who never shift their morals because those morals define them are important.  Ultimately, Sal’s the same “person” he was in every draft of Caught.  But his responses to what he goes through shifted to account for those events.

I think some people like “flawed” heroes because it’s easier to believe a flawed man can do right on occasion than it is to believe a man can swear never to kill, no matter how many sidekicks, women, friends and associates die because you refuse to kill a man.  (I’m looking at YOU Batman!)

So let’s talk about the caped crusader while we’re at it.  Am I mad at Batman for never killing Joker (at least he didn’t when I last glanced at the DC universe. Again, I’m not a fan of that industry)?  If you want REALISM, how does a mass murderer commit any crime and not inevitably be put to death by the legal system?

(NOTE)  Look, I’m not here to start political debates.  I won’t share my opinion on the death penalty any more than I’ll approve comments which do the same.  This is a writing blog.  The above comment was made because the death penalty exists regardless of the existence or absence of my approval.

What we should strive for as authors are AUTHENTIC characters.  If you want a white hat, help old ladies cross the road, shining smile, never lies character, go for it.  If you want a drinking, abusive, thieving character, go for it!  But when SOMETHING happens to SOMEONE, that person reacts.  I think readers have more problems with authenticity than moral values of characters.

What do you all think?  Which do you all prefer?  Feel free to throw your comments below.  (For the record, Doctor Who is a FLAWED character.  Come on people, even if you know the events of “The Day of the Doctor” he still knowingly killed an entire species.)

Thanks for reading,

Matt

 

Caught is coming soon! Would you like to start reading now?

Well, if I’m being honest, I’m not 100 percent sure this is over just yet. But I’m getting closer.  Right now the issue is getting the cover art within the specifications required by CreateSpace.  Most of this issue is because I haven’t worked with this company before.  Still this is the way the cover will appear.  I’ll know more when I get the actual print here in the next few days.  I’ll keep everyone informed as I learn more. This is a process, and it’s not the writing or talking to people about writing that I enjoy. What I care about though is you all get the product for which you’ve been so patiently waiting.

To reward you all, I’m letting you all read the first chapter right here just to let you start the journey.    Please feel free to comment below.  I’ll offer another update as soon as I get the physical copy. If it looks good, we’re off and running.  If it doesn’t (I’m looking at you cursed Photoshop default save settings!) I’ll have to resubmit the cover and go from there. That shouldn’t delay the project too much longer.

Until then, please enjoy the first chapter to Caught:

(NOTE: All images and content are for promotional use. This chapter is a sample chapter and is not intended for redistribution. Feel free to share, tweet, reblog and comment, but all content and images are sole property of M.L.S. Weech Books and redistribution without my consent is prohibited.)

Chapter One

Mother

Caden Carroll watched the blood seep through his fingers. He wanted to memorize every shade and hue of it and feel it cool as it oozed along his knuckles. He turned his hands to see how light and shadow affected the color. It fascinated him almost as much as how the blood got there.

The calico cat lay on the hardwood floor at the foot of his bed. It was a good animal, keeping quiet while Caden experimented.

He was alone, sitting quietly in his room. No, that’s not right.

He hadn’t lived in a room like that for a long time. Come to think of it, he hadn’t thought of his mother in nearly as much time. How long had it been? Not long, or the blood would have dried and flaked away. So why was it so strange to be in his room?

He looked around. Everything seemed in order, except for the blood of course. His bed was neatly made. He could see his scrawny reflection in the polished dark walnut foot-board of his bed. There wasn’t a speck of dust on his small wooden desk. His dresser, also a polished dark walnut, was organized, and the brass nobs of each drawer gleamed even in the soft yellow light of the tall floor lamp in the corner. Mother hated filth and punished it harshly, so Caden kept his room as immaculate as possible. It would take a ton of effort to clean the blood, but feeling it was worth it. He wanted to breathe in its coppery scent a few moments more.

A strange part of Caden remembered breaking free of his mother. The same part that told him there was something wrong with his hands. It wasn’t the blood; it was the size of his hands that bothered Caden. They were a little small for a nine-year-old, but no one ever teased him for being small, not after the last boy had anyway.

He stared at his hands in wonder, watching the blood roll from his fingers, to his wrist and down his arms. I’m not nine!

The thought set off an alarm in his mind. He hadn’t been nine for decades. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. He couldn’t be nine again. I almost died the last time!

The white door banged open. The brass door-stop buzzed for a few moments. The sound caused a chill to run up Caden’s spine. His mother always expected him to be in some sort of trouble. Of course, he usually was. This time was no different. He spun, tucking his hands behind his back. The blood began to soak into the back of his blue pullover pajama top.

Even though she had the correct size and shape of a woman, his mother was a monster at her core. She was a demon wearing a Career Fair and Charmer dress. The black dress was covered in small white polka dots and came down to her tiny ankles, exposing bare feet and neatly manicured toenails polished a vibrant red.

“What have you done now?” she asked stalking up to him. Her jet-black hair bounced in its ponytail as she stomped across the blue throw rug. How could such a small pair of feet sound so thunderous?

Caden’s shoulders were against the wall before he even realized he was backpedaling. “Nothing, I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t mean to get dirty!”

Her hands were cold iron vices that ripped his arms out from behind his back. She stared at his hands. Her nail polish and lipstick were the same loud red as that of her toenails. It always made her look wrong to Caden. A part of him knew this had already happened. Does that mean I won’t die this time? His heart raced. In memory, or at that moment, Caden had only known fear when his mother’s thin lips bent into a frown.

“You’re a wasted birth!” she said in her sharp, nasally voice. “A child I should have known better than to bring into this world.”

Her hand raised to his head, and a small whine escaped Caden’s lips as she used bony fingers to yank him toward her by his mop of red hair. He fought for a moment, but at that time, his mother was much stronger than he was. Fighting only caused him to fall screaming. She simply dragged him by his hair through his door and then down the hall. He slid from the smooth, pine-scented floor onto the white carpet of the hallway. His pajama bottoms rolled down, allowing the carpet to burn into him as he slid along its rough surface. Streaks of blood stained the white fibrous floor.

“I’ll clean you till the filth is gone, or you die from the cleansing.”

“No!” Caden shouted. “No! Mother!” He’d called her Mommy once. She rubbed his mouth with a Brillo pad until his lips bled. She didn’t like being called Mommy. “Mother, I’ll be good. I’ll be clean.”

“If you’d stay clean, you little demon, I wouldn’t have to do this,” she said. Tears ran down her cheeks, but this time, the tears didn’t streak her dark mascara the way they usually did. She wasn’t crying for him. She cried because she had to deal with him.

Caden kicked. He cried out. He held on to everything he could as his mother dragged him, rolling and bumping down the hall. He managed to get a solid grip on a door jamb. She yanked until a handful of fiery hair ripped free. He ignored it. That would be the least of his worries. He had just managed to scramble to his feet when his mother grabbed him by his neck, her long fingernails digging into his flesh. That was far worse. She didn’t concern herself with his choked pleas.

He tried to beg as she pulled him into the blindingly sterile, eggshell-white tiled bathroom. The red-enameled bathtub seemed all the brighter at the center of all that white. The tub’s spotless exterior gleamed beneath the bathroom’s bright lights. He tried to apologize. It never worked, but what could someone do when faced with something stronger than he was? He begged, but it never helped. The part of him who knew this was a memory hated himself for begging.

Just because you did it then doesn’t mean you have to this time! His own voice was a sneer in his mind. However, the part of him that was nine took over as his mother pinned his bony shoulders onto the copper-lined tub. He felt the rubber plug dig into the back of his neck. The water was cool for a few moments. Then it got warm. Then it was hot, so very hot. He jolted up to escape it and smacked his forehead into the spout. A red haze clouded his view of her from the water. His mother turned on the cold water eventually, but not because of his crying. She didn’t want to burn her hands. It was a good thing she didn’t have her gloves handy.

“Mother!” he yelped, dizzy and choking. “Mother, I’m grown now. I’m not dirty.”

She pressed him under the water. Bubbles of precious air floated to the surface. He fought. His lungs wanted to burst. He gripped the edge of the red, oval tub so tightly it felt like his knuckles would break, but she held him down. He gasped and got a lung full of water for his effort.

“Mo…” he gasped. He managed to poke his head above water for a moment. Talking was meaningless now. She meant to kill him. Getting as much air in his lungs as possible was all that mattered. Even knowing that, he couldn’t get enough air.

He kicked and thrashed. He was very careful not to hit her. He’d done that once, and never thought to do it again. Mother liked getting hit less than she liked being called Mommy. He tried to knock the plug loose. He tried to slip away from her grip. He caught another gulp of air when he rolled to his side, but his mother’s long nails left a nasty scratch on his neck. That was okay in his mind. He’d take a thousand scars for a single breath of air.

She gripped his face with the palm of her hand and plunged him down into the water. Panic surged as his lungs gave up. Black specks floated along his vision until his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He was going to die. I didn’t die! I didn’t! This isn’t right!

*  *  *

“Mother!” Caden sat up screaming. A dim part of his mind wanted to look around, but he focused on taking deep, slow breaths. He felt like he had just been drowning. He was covered in sweat. His breathing slowed after a moment, but he couldn’t make himself recall what he had just been dreaming about.

I must have gone away, he told himself. Sometimes, his mind left his body. He knew he’d gone away to someplace bad. He could hardly remember where. He hated the dreams. Dreams were where he was not himself, and nightmares wore his face. I hate it when I go somewhere without telling myself to.  

He looked at his arms and hands. For some reason, he was afraid he’d turned back into a small child. But his wrinkled hands were as old and warped as they were supposed to be. His face felt as weathered as it had when he went to bed. Something tugged at his mind as his fingers grated along the rough stubble of hair atop his head. Did I shave my head? When did I do that?  Why did I do that? Whatever the dream was, it must have been terrible, but it was over. Then he looked around.

His small cot was the only piece of actual furniture in the tiny room. A few machines made a cacophony. He followed a plastic tube from a bag of clear liquid to his arm. He felt his heart thunder in his chest. There’s a needle in me!

“I don’t belong here,” he whispered, trying to remain calm. He was in the hospital. He was where they told him his thoughts were wrong and his eyes saw only lies. Just as he moved to get out, to run away, the white door banged open.

Three men in police or correctional officer uniforms entered on the heels of the door as it slammed against the wall. The light streaming in through the doorway behind them cast their faces in deep shadows, yet he could make out a bronze badge on the left breast of their dark-blue uniforms. Polished ebony shoes clicked on the black-and-white checkerboard tile floor as they swept toward him.

“I’m not supposed to be here,” he told the officers. I got out!

The three men said nothing. He kicked one away, only to receive a punch in the face from one of the others. The third gripped his arm. His partners held him down as the cop with Caden’s arm ripped off the paper-thin gray blanket and slapped cold handcuffs around Caden’s wrist.

“You can’t do this to me,” Caden shouted. “They told me I wouldn’t have to sleep if I didn’t want to! They said I’d get better!”

Caden wasn’t sure if they couldn’t hear him or if they were simply ignoring him. With their faces masked in shadows, it was impossible to tell. As two of them continued to cuff Caden to the bed, the third pulled out a thin, rectangular, brown box.

“No!” Caden shouted. He pulled so hard at his bonds he felt the metal cuffs rip open flesh. He squirmed, careless about what parts of his naked old body may be revealed with him kicking about. “You can’t do this. You can’t kill me.”

Reality was no friend to Caden. He lived most of his life trying to remake the world, but nothing about what happened to him made sense. He had to be dreaming. He’d never told anyone how terrified he was that men with needles would come to kill him.

As if reading his mind, the officer with the box opened it to reveal three long-needled syringes. “Please,” Caden whimpered. He immediately hated himself. He hadn’t begged since he was a child, back when his mother—he hadn’t thought of his mother in more than half a century. The vague feeling of being held under water only stoked the flames of his fear. His whimpers turned into screams.

Slowly, the men passed syringes to each other. One needle grazed Caden’s eyelashes as it passed from one officer’s hand to the next. Caden pressed himself into the thin mattress to get some distance. Neither threats nor pleas for mercy had any affect on the attackers. They pushed the needles into his arms. Caden’s heart raced so quickly his chest hurt. He hoped he would pass out before they injected him. The burn of the poison flowing into him seemed to mock even that silent prayer for mercy.

This can’t be the real, real, Caden thought to himself. He wasn’t supposed to be at the hospital anymore. He wasn’t supposed to be dying. He faded, wondering if the dead had nightmares. He really hated going away.

 

Sleeping Legion Update

J.R. is someone I consider a friend, and he’s a huge supporter. I’m personally excited for him and this accomplishment. Please share in this moment that’s huge for any author.

J.R. Handley Blog

Hello Space Cadets, I’m trying not to float away as I write this!  It’s finally here!!  The big day, the day I get to tell you about the release date of my first novel, The Legion Awakes!!  It will be the first in a series of military science fiction novels set in Tim C. Taylor’s Human Legion Universe.  This debut novel will be released on December 19th, 2016 amid much celebrating in the Handley Household.  Hey, if it goes well I might just buy back that family castle! 

Book Review: The Horned Gate by Jenn Moss

Images of Jenn Moss and her book are used solely for review purposes under Fair Use Doctrine

I’ve been following Jenn’s Blog for about as long as I’ve had a blog myself. So once I had some room on my TBR, I decided to give her work a read.

Spolier Free Summary: The Horned Gate is about a man named Jake who must use his ability to walk through dreams to help a friend trapped in a nightmare. That seems like a very short summary, but the plot is fairly interconnected, and any other information may spoil something for the reader.

Character:  Jake is the main character. The other characters we see plenty of are Conner, Lev, Gus, Tara, and Shay. The book is in first-person narrative though, so we really only see Jake’s point of view. Jake is strong enough to hold up that sort of narrative. He’s proactive and sympathetic.  The strength in this book is that Jake is a father trying to prove he’s a good father. I’ll be honest here and tell you that holds a lot of resonance with me. One reason why I connect so well to Jake is I have my own sorted history with my biological father, and this book struck that chord. I think my biggest issue with this book is that the relationship Jake has with another character relies on “off camera” information. It’s hard to buy into the relationship (especially the strength of that connection) because the reader never saw it develop. It’s something I noticed, and it’s honestly something that bothered me. However, it didn’t detract from Jake’s compelling character and the conflicts he faces. Also, some of the characters are very accepting of circumstances without much conflict or debate. This might be a problem for some to suspend disbelief. It wasn’t enough to turn me away from the book though.

Speaking of first-person. There’s a lot of inner monologue and questioning that I’m not familiar with. I noticed it, and I don’t know that it was completely necessary. The inner monologue isn’t internal dialogue, but rather the thought process of the character. I didn’t mind, as I feel it was done to make the reader feel they were in Jake’s head even as he experienced the moments in the book, but I’m not sure I’ve seen the technique a lot. DISCLAIMER: I don’t read a ton of first person. This might be something everyone does, and I’m just so unfamiliar with that type of narrative I don’t know.

Exposition: I usually say any time I can’t remember exposition is good balance. I remember a few moments of backstory tucked where they were at least logical, but there weren’t that many, and, again, they were at least logically placed.

Worldbuilding:  This is the strongest area. The magic system isn’t overly complex, but it is well thought out. The world and magic interact together in a way that’s believable. Moss uses a mentor archetype to teach the magic system to the reader. It’s a common tool, as I’ve mentioned, but it’s done well and there’s a few new angles Moss takes to give it a bit of a fresher look.

Dialogue:  This is, in my opinion, the weakest area of the book. That’s a good thing considering the quality of the story. The reason it’s a weak area for the book is it’s inconsistent.  There are areas I feel are forced, this is usually in regard to the relationship I mentioned above, but the conversation between Jake and Tara at the end is powerful. Dialogue is tricky. I think it’s an area I could improve in to some degree (I think I overuse the “wit” now and then).  I wouldn’t go so far as to say there are “bad” segments, just some that are so much stronger than others.

Description: One thing I noticed in this book is something actor Anthony Stewart Head talked about once while working on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He said something to the effect that no one just stands and talks. He got around this by routinely cleaning his glasses on camera, just to give himself something to do while speaking. Moss does this. I didn’t go back and log every conversation, but she did a nice job of avoiding talking heads. Her settings are more visual than anything else. The other senses aren’t activated a ton, but it’s more than enough for me. Again, I’ll freely confess this isn’t an area I care about at all as a reader.

Overall: This book is powerful because of it’s character and the conflicts he faces. A man has to do right by his family and an old friend who’s misguided (he said nimbly avoiding a spoiler). That sort of story alone is worth a read. It has a fast pace with a magic system that is easy to understand without being too simple. I won’t say it’s as good as, but this book reminded me of early Dresden. The tone, and development are the areas I think are most comparable. I don’t know that readers of Dresden will like this book (Dresden, especially early Dresden, is more mystery than thriller).  But if you’re like me, and you read to learn about the craft of writing, there is some similarity in style. This sort of book would be great for one of those flights home for Christmas. It’s a quick, pleasant read with charming characters.

Thanks for reading

Matt