Broken Keys Publishing's Blog, page 40

Fear the Future. Flee the Past

The Hunt: SymbiosysISBN - 978-0-9948189-3-5 (print)ISBN - 978-0-9948189-2-8 (digital)A clandestine branch of the United Nations,the UNCGSC is aware of the events inThe Symbiot.Operation Foxhunt, a joint militarytask-force, is commissioned to hunt down and terminate the Gibbons family.Meanwhile, numerous unconnected individuals dream of an impending doom; an apocalyptic city of the dead. But are they prophetic dreams, simple nightmares, or the future itself?Fear the Future. Flee the Past.The Rising is Coming.Pick up an autographed copy atThe Celtic Yule Craft & Psychic Fair!As a promotion,Nylarlathotettewill be accompanying me to this event!Take a selfie with me &Nyarlathotette(a 6'1" statue) and post it on Facebook & Twitter (#nyarlathotette) for a FREE download ofThe Symbiot-Series'next novelette!

Tree of Life Celtic Yule Psychic & Craft Fair

A modern take on an eldritch horror."Lovecraftian horror at its best!The Symbiot-Series is Lovecraft with teeth and bullets"Seph Sayers.Pick up your signed copy ofThe SymbiotatThe Tree of Life Celtic Yule Psychic & Craft Fair!

Music in Literature: From Mozart to Metallica

Music - in my humble opinion - is part of the human condition. It inundates everything.So why is music so sadly devoid in the written medium? Yes, there are inherent challenges, but I don't believe it needs to be.To those familiar withThe Symbiot-Serieswill know music features throughout.From Mozart to Metallica.Musical pieces and performers includeCreeping Death, Scheonberg, Megadeth, Mozart, Wagner's opera,Das Rheingold, Beethoven, and Chopin.Other eldritch compositions are also featured in this series of novels, but – unfortunately (or maybe,fortunately) - are works of fiction, includingThe Music of Erich Zannas well asThe Music of the Spheres.For the music aficionados out there, these various pieces of music can be listened to at a new page on my website entitledThe Audient Void.Check it out!

Phoenix-Effect

A long time ago, in the mystical city of Ottawa......there was a great disturbance; a colossal shift; a Phoenix-effect!A great icon died, and a greater one rose from its ashes - a Phoenix-Effect.The Death of The Silver SnailMarch 9, 1990 – September 13, 2015The Birth of Comet ComicsNovember , 2015 – nowIt's been a year... and now's the time!Now thatHeather MacDonald'sComet Comicshas cut its teeth, it's more than ready to host itsfirst local author's event!And what an event it promises to be!From contemplative thoughts to screaming Lovecraftian madness,local literarybehemothsLiam GibbsandMichel Weatherallbring it all!These two Ottawan Literary behemoths will be atComet Comics1167 Bank Street,Saturday, Dec. 17th,between 11 am - 4 pm

Kanata's Morning Owl Coffeehouse

I never am quite sure how to gage the success of these kinds of events.I said this to my fellow author and friend, Liam Gibbs today.Sure, one could  measure it by how many physical hard copy books one sold. (And by this standard, this wasn't a bad event!) You could wait and see if your sales in ebooks within the next few days spikes.Another avenue is exposure... but I'm not convinced this is the proper measurement.I think, ultimately, my truest gage is the people you meet and the conversations you find yourself in.I was honoured to have our very ownKanata North Councillor, Marianne Wilkinson make an appearance and show her support for our local literary talent, but even moreso, the great conversation and chit-chat we shared over coffee.Even better news,Morning Owl'sowner - Nancy - isputting a collection of books together atKanata's Morning Owl Coffeehousebeginning with bothLiam Gibbs'andmy books!I am proud (and ironically both honoured and humbled!) to be the first authors to grace this extraordinary coffeehouse's book shelves!Thanks again to Nancy to letting us put this event together here!Looks like Liam and I will be returning for a repeat performance at this awesome coffeeshop!Look forward to moreCosmic Coffee in Kanata!And is always a pleasure meeting and chit-chatting withmy friend Nancy Laflamme Cooney!I don't think fan's realize how much of a positive influence they can have on use creative-types!Don't forget, post a selfie with Nyarlathotette and get free ebookdownloads!I'm pretty sure Liam and I will be returning to Kanata's Morning Owl Coffeehouse. Look for us in the new year!(And don't forget to check out Morning Owl's new library section! Sit down - relax - get yourself a warm cup of joe - and read some great literature!)

Not All Truths Will Set You Free

The SymbiotISBN - 978-0-9948189-0-4 (print)ISBN - 978-0-9948189-1-1 (digital)After lengthy research, an ancient and esoteric musical composition is discovered.Not lost or forgotten, butremovedfrom history, its performance unleashes an eldritch entity that promises humanity's extinction!Not all truths will set you free.Pick up an autographed copy atThe Celtic Yule Craft & Psychic Fair!As a promotion,Nylarlathotettewill be accompanying me to this event!Take a selfie with me &Nyarlathotette(a 6'1" statue) and post it on Facebook & Twitter (#nyarlathotette) for a FREE download ofThe Symbiot-Series'next novelette!Saturday, Nov. 19th (today!)Morning Owl Coffeehouse11 am - 3 pmSaturday, Dec. 10thCeltic Yule Psychic & Craft Fair2 pm - 6 pmSaturday, Dec. 17thComet Comics11 am - 4 pm

The Symbiot: Not All Truths Will Set You Free!

The originalSymbiot! Get it while you can atThe Celtic Yule Craft & Psychic Fair!Now in its 3rd printing, there won't be a 4th!The Symbiot: Not All Truths Will Set You Free.With the approach of the relase ofThe Refuse Chronicles, the first two books (The SymbiotandThe Hunt: Symbiosys) will be released alongside theThe Refuse Chronicles, in a new print edition:The Symbiot: Not All Truths Will Set You FreeWhat doesThe Symbiothave to do with Christimas?Well, the story ends of Christmas Eve!Post a selfie withNyarlathotetteand win FREE download of the next book in the Symbiot-Series! Details coming soon!Accompanying me toThe Celtic Yule Craft & Psychic Fairwill be my girl,Nyarlathotette.Take a selfie withNyarlathotetteand post it on social media (FB or Twitter) and win a FREE Download of the preview opening novelette of the uncomingThe Refuse Chronicles!UNCGSC: The Facilityfrom Smashwords!(As well as the sci-fi "Escape Hatch" and the non-traditional gothic horror, "Mother-Machine")Following the theme of hybrid-genres (Lovecraftian Horror (The Symbiot),  Horror-Action (The Hunt: Symbiosys), and even Weird Fiction (Necropolis)), this novelette doesn't neatly fit into any genre, carrying elements of both Sci-Fi and Theology.Currently the 1st novelette of the upcoming The Refuse Chronicles.UNCGSC: The Facility will take us to the most  extremely remote facility on the planet, where experimentations into Artificial Intelligence, Turing Tests, and Sentience are carried out!​This novelette fleshes out the backstory of a character fromNecropolis, although it may still be enjoyed as a stand-alone.​Set in a mysterious 'Dead Zone' of  Antarctica,UNCGSC: The Facilitycouldn't be more isolated.​Like all vignettes ofThe Refuse Chronicles, this links itself into The Symbiot Series.It is awakening. The question is, what is awakening?

Live Interviews

Local authorMichel Weatherallwill be appearing at Kanata's ownMorning Owl Coffeehouse,Saturday, Nov. 19th,between 11 am - 3 pmWant to know more?Check out my prevous interviews!June 17th, 20161310 News,The Carol Anne Meehan Show, with host, Ottawa's sweetheart, Carol Anne Meehan!Live Radio interview!July 19th, 2016Rogers Channel 22,Daytime Ottawa, Live TV appearance, with host Dylan Black and co-host Sid Cratzbarg.July 26th, 2016CKCU FM-93.1,Tuesday Special Blend, with host Adam Coombs(I'm on at about 29:00)July 21st, 2016CKCU FM-93.1,Literary Landscapes, with host Kate Hunt(I'm the guest for the whole 24 minute segment)July 13th, 2016CKCU FM-93.1,Wednesday Special Blend, with host 'tic'(I'm on at about 67:20 - 119:11)(Wow! That's over 50 minutes of me!)Nov. 20th, 2015Rogers Channel 22,Daytime Ottawa, Live TV interviewwith host Derick Fage and co-host Danielle Allard(I'm on at about 2:07)

Book Review of "The Lovecraft Anthology, Volume 1", edited by Dan Lockwood

Graphic novels like this one are a special treat. Each story (there are 7 in total) are done in varying artstyles, all of which capture the bleak, isolated hopelessness so common to this literary master; many, disturbingly creepy (Mark Stafford).This graphic novel succeeds where"Sherlock Holmes and the Necronomicon"failed.  Lovecraft's horrific imagination is simply ripe for artists' interpretation of some of his most memorable monsters and atrocities!The written adaptations for this graphic medium are done well, allowing the art to fill in the necessarily omitted void of description with visual elements.Of particular noteworthiness to me was the book's interpretation of "The Colour Out of Space" (Adapted by David Hine and Illustration by Mark Stafford).Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" has always been one of the trickiest - if not outright impossible! - stories to translate into any visual medium. Several movie adaptations have attempted to interpret this story and failed miserably. (Although possibly entertaining in their own right, they failed as an interpretation of "The Colour Out of Space")."The Curse" (1987) and "Creepshow's" (1982)episode starring Stephen King, "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" come to mind with the latter portraying the 'extraterrestial' colour as a bright, near unnatural, green.This graphic novel version (still a visual medium) sidesteps this issue, focusing on what horror it does to the plants, animals and, especially, people. (I am challenged to imagine how one represents a new colour while limited to the colours of our visual spectrum?"I was also especially pleased (or unpleased as we shall soon see) with its rendition of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" (Adapted by Leah Moore & John Reppion and Illustrated by Leigh Gallagher). It succeeded in relaying the town's sense of isolation, destitution and, ultimately, emptiness.It was unpleasently soul emptying and I didn't want to continue reading at times! Well done!In "The Call of Cthulhu" (Adapted by Ian Edginton and Illustrated by D'Israeli), depicting the corpse-city R'lyeh's strange angles is a difficult endeavor even for the most imaginative minds.I believe it's no accident that Lovecraft himself never directly takes us to R'lyeh, instead ingeniously relying upon his fictitious character Johansen's testimony. (I know I myself am facing this particular challenge. I am currently working on finishing thethird bookofThe Symbiot Serieswhere I take the main characters directly into (read in, first person) the risen city of R'lyeh.)This graphic novel's version of "The Call of Cthulhu" can be forgiven to rely on a variation of M.C. Escher's stairs. to represent R'lyeh's odd angles. The only other medium I can recall that was bold enough to attempt a direct first person perspective of R'lyeh's outré angles was the2005 film "The Call of Cthulhu", and did the job well. (I only hope I can pull off writting a journey into R'lyeh myself!)The Lovecraft Anthology Volume 1 should please the well read H.P. Lovecraft fan as well as serve as an appetite wetting introduction to the Lovecraftian world of the Cthulhu-mythos (or, more accurately, Yog-Sothothery!)What a brave and bold endeavor!Four stars! I look forward to Volume 2!

Morning Owl Coffeehouse Book Extravaganza!

Cosmic Coffee!From Cosmic Horror to Cosmic Comedy!local authors Liam Gibbs and Michel Weatherallbring it all!Join us at one of the hottest new coffee shops in Kanata!The awesomeMorning Owl Coffeehouse,1047 Canadian Shield Ave.Kanata, OntarioNov. 19th, between 11 am - 3 pmfor a book signing extravaganza!You'll be able to pick up Gibbs'"In A Galaxy Far, Far Awry"- a space-opera/comedy series.Also available will be Weatherall's Lovecraftian-horror"The Symbiot-Series"!Join us for coffee!Sit down and talk with these two local authors!Chit-chat! Sit-back! Enjoy great drinks and fine food!Get your Christmas shopping started!Get your books signed by the authors!Liam Gibbs'In a Galaxy Far, Far AwryWebsite-Facebook-TwitterMichel Weatherall - authorWebsite-Facebook-TwitterMorning Own CoffeehouseWebsite-Facebook-TwitterUpcoming Events: The Celtic Yule Fundraiser Psychic & Craft FairDecember 10thComet ComicsDecember 17th