Broken Keys Publishing's Blog, page 59

Paranormal Horror and Thriller Book Club

Awesome new Facebook Group!

Paranormal Horror and Thriller Book Club



Check it out! I'll be posting events and signing there too!

Free Horror Short Story Download

This 10 page short story is available to read for free, here!You can check out the event on facebook too!
(This story will, in time, play its roll in introducing a character into an upcoming 6th book in The Symbiot Series)

Apt 613: Books Signing January 16th

I'm featured on Apt613Check it out!
Upcoming Book Signing, Saturday, Jan 16th, Chapters, South Keys (11 am - 3 pm)

Also featured on Ottawa Korner
Apt613
Chapters South Keys



Lovecraftian madness has arrived!!!

Book Signing Saturday Jan 16th

Local writer, Michel Weatherall, author of The Symbiot and The Hunt: Symbiosys - two books (horror) set in a Lovecraftian world and based on H. P. Lovecraft's mythos - will be attending a Book Signing at 

Chapters South Keys(2210 Banks St.) on Saturday, January 16th, between 11 am - 3 pm.
The Symbiot

"In the Symbiot, Weatherall has created a spine chilling tale reminiscent of the style of Stephen King"
TDC Book Reviews


"Devoted music enthusiast and accomplished pianist, Lorne S. Gibbons, realizes the grim truth regarding a long lost and forbidden music as an evil entity is unleashed which threatens all existing life of Earth. As a crescendo of unknowable forces prepare to wipe out anyone in their way, Lorne and Veronica begin a race against complete annihilation. With little reinforcements, Lorne and Veronica have to fight against the god-aspiring creature to avoid further bloodshed. However, when godly power collides with humanity, the results are devastating."
Joshua Hubley

"One man's musical passion leads on a temporal hunt through a Lovecraftian world on a collision course with extinction! Reminiscent with Guy de Maupassant's The Horla"
'Seph Sayers, Blogger & Book Reviewer





The Hunt: Symbiosys




Following immediately on the heels of The Symbiot, its events segue directly into "The Hunt: Symbiosys".

Barely eclipsing global extinction, the Gibbons' couple are forced to flee and hide from clandestine forces intent on their eradication.

Centering between Montreal and Tokyo, this sequel introduces an unimaginable new world threat!

A slow burning intercontinental chess match quickly escalates into its fast paced and violent conclusion!

This book drops delicious hints of the advent of Lovecraftian-mythos monsters! Foreshadowing a hidden but impending doom, this entire sequel is haunted by an unnameable undertow which promises to reach fruition in this trilogy's upcoming conclusion, Necropolis





Also from Michel Weatherall


A Dark Corner of My Soul

"An amazing collection of literary prose which Weatherall has kept locked in a desk drawer for two decades is now a short collection of dark and deeply disturbing  poems.
"The reader is transported into the mind of someone suffering and you can see the images of his words as if they were your own.
"As a sufferer myself, I was amazed at just how much he was able to write and convey how mental illness makes a sufferer feel. Those images which are so difficult to explain that haunt the head flow off the page, raw and exposed for all to see.I couldn't possibly choose a favourite in the collection as they were all so powerful and beautifully written. Michel  has a true talent and after reading I felt he was extremely brave to share such wonderful, if dark work."TDC Book Reviews After Dark




And the final installments of The Symbiot series, 

Necropolis


"Woven throughout this entire literary piece are the stories of characters forgotten about from the original novella, The Symbiot. Written as three separate pieces, following 6 story lines set in 3 different ages, Necropolis is intricate storytelling!
"The first piece tells the story of the fall and demise of the ancient Egyptian man-god, Pharaoh Nyarlathotep. 
The second brings us back to the characters we left in the previous book, ten years later. The promises hinted at in TheHunt: Symbiosys, do not disappoint and come to fruition in Necropolis, with full blown Lovecraftian-mythos monsters! 
"It's Modern Tech versus forgotten aeons-old evil, with a reminiscent flavouring similar to Grandma Death's fictitious book (Donnie Darko, 2001)!

"It has been a decade since The Hunt and the Gibbons' children are humanity's last hope!

""The conclusion of The Symbiot Series spans three millennia - from Pharaoh Nyarlathotep's genesis and demise, to the discovery of the derelict Japanese Destroyer, the Yamayuki, to the world shattering rising of R'lyeh!

"The world is at its end!
R'lyeh has risen!
Cthulhu's high priest has awaken!
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fhtagn!"
'Seph Sayers, Blogger & Reviewer

"Sherlock Holmes and the Necronomicon" by Sylvain Cordurié

This book uniquely forces the question of the different criteria with rating a book vs. a graphic novel. You don't read a graphic novel the same way as you read a book. A graphic novel must be rated on a) its story and its tellingb) its artc) use of its art in its story telling.

It is a herculean undertaking and challenge to write a story in the shadows of two literary giants: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H. P. Lovecraft. But also is the interesting characters and universes these two 'mythos' potentially bring to the table.
However, there was no unsolvable Sherlock-Holmes-like mystery to unravel. There was no 'pulling back the veil', revealing the cosmic horror of a truly Lovecraftian reality. Unfortunately this story fails both its titanic influences.
The Necronomicon was misused (abused?) as an entity in itself. Its origin and its obscure and brief 3-page flashback to what I can only assume to be the Mad Arab, Abdul Alhazred, was a missed opportunity in both story telling and graphic art medium. Assuming this graphic novel is a complete and self-contained story, it left something to be desired.
Which brings us to a point worth making note of. Unlike traditional books or literary pieces, graphic novels need special consideration with a few extra criteria. Like traditional books, the graphic novel's story itself is important as is its telling. I would give this story only one star. (*)
However, the graphic novel has access to a completely different medium in both art and story telling! The art in and of itself was disciplined, clean, and accurate! (Pay close attention to the backgrounds, buildings, details, and architecture!) The art is worthy of 4 stars! (****)
However, the use of a graphic medium to tell this story (especially with the potential of Lovecraft's plethora of Great Old Ones and monsters) was a painfully missed opportunity.Graphic medium to tell a story: One star (*)

Sadly, I would have to rate “Sherlock Holmes and the Necronomicon” overall as only two stars (**).

Book Tour 2015

With 2015 coming to an end, at this Christmas season it's nice to recap the past year and the beginning of my journey into becoming an author!











~ Feburary 12th, 2015 ~
The Symbiot found its first home at Kobold's Corner! (430 Hazeldean Road, Kanata).
~ March 26th, 2015 ~ ,The Symbiot available on both Amazon and Kobo (ebooks)!



~ June 28th, 2015 ~ A Dark Corner of My Soul available on both Amazon and Kobo (ebooks)!

~ July 25, 2015 ~ Book Signing at Chapters, Kanata (Centrum)



A nice surprise with having Kanata South Councillor, Allan Hubley visit! (Interesting fact: Hubley's son, Joshua, wrote the synopsis on the back cover of The Symbiot).

My friends Matt and Sara of The Dancing Twig make an appearance! 




~ August 1st, 2015 ~
Book Signing at Indigo-Chapters, Barrhaven.







~ September 5th, 2015 ~
The Hunt: Symbiosys available on both Amazon and Kobo (ebooks)!

~ October 3-4, 2015 ~








The Ottawa Geek Market


~ October 24, 2015 ~ Book Signing at Chapters Kanata (Centrum)




Yet another nice surprise, retired NHL player Doug Smith makes an appearance!


~ November 3, 2015 ~
My books find yet another store to call home!
Comet Comics


~ November 20th, 2015 ~ TV Interview at Rogers Channel 22 with Derick Fage and co-host Danielle Allard



 


~ November 21st - 22nd, 2015 ~
Ottawa Pop Expo



~ December 8th, 2015 ~




Mother-Machine published and available on both Amazon and Kobo (ebooks)!
(and available for free to Goodreads members)










Special thanks need to be extended to John Houston (owner of Kobold's Corner), Allan Hubley (Kanata South Councillor) and his son, Joshua Hubley, Sara Scally, Matt Lalonde and Samantha Perez of Dancing Twig (for helping me get my foot into Comic Expo events), Shelly Goulden (Indigo), Gosia Strzelrcka (Chapters), Heather MacDonald (owner of Comet Comics), Doug Smith, Chris Barnett (for his technical layout and support), Derick Fage and Daniella Allard (host and co-host of Daytime Ottawa), and many of my friends and family for being supportive (and forgiving and understanding for my bouts of obsession!), and of course to fans of my work!

It's been a fun year! Let hope with the release of the three books of Necropolis, the series' finale, early-mid next year, 2016 will be just as much fun!


~  ~  ~
This upcoming new year is looking promising!
Beginning with a book signing in Chapters (South Keys), other locations are in the works!


Prospero the Book Company (128 Bank Street)Second Cup (300 Eagleson Rd.)Coles Books (Carlingwood Mall)Coles Books (100 Bayshore Dr.)Coles Books (Billings Bridge Plaza)
Chapters Kanata (400 Earl Grey Dr.)
Chapters (Rideau Center)Timothy's Coffee (5547 Hazeldean Rd)Prose in the Park (Parkdale Park, Armstrong & Hamilton) - June (?) 2016
and working on a few banks and LCBO locations.

"Future Lovecraft" edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia & Paula R. Stiles

Future Lovecraft is a collection of numerous (38 to be exact) various authors' work based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.







I think this book is quite the challenge to successfully and accurately rate. For starters, the very premise of book reviews on Goodreads, I question. 

There is a difference between one's likes, biases, and opinions and actually critiquing a book. A true (book) critic is looking for certain criteria to be met. Although there is always a degree of subjective opinion in any true critique, in theory, it shouldn't be based on whether its reader liked the genre or book. When we (at Goodreads) rate a book, ultimately we are commenting on our personal tastes and enjoyment.

This book - Future Lovecraft - further compounds this challenge as being numerous short stories, poems, and authors. To be fair, this should have 38 different ratings.

Of the 8 poems, none particularily stood out to me. I found most of the poems were a bit too abstract and convoluted for my tastes.

As for the short stories, I especially enjoyed "Dolly in the Window" by Robyn Seale, "A Welcome Sestina fron Cruise Director Isabeau Molyneux" by Mae Empson and "The Comet Called Ithaqua" by Don Webb.

Three out of 5 stars!

Necropolis Cover Art for ebooks!

Exciting cover art ready for two of three ebooks of Necropolis!

All three ebook editions will be available in a single bound book printed edition,Necropolis!

Mother-Machine Available at Kobo & Amazon

Horror Short Story, 
Mother-Machine.
A dreaming ghoul's nightmare. Dream or reality?







Now available at Kobo, Amazon and Goodreads!

Mother-Machine

A new short story in the fiction/horror genre.

Mother-Machine.

Available for free download on Goodreads!









Just go to Goodreads and click the "Preview" button under the title "Mother-Machine"