Evan Bond's Blog, page 9

A THANK YOU

At the end of this year, I wanted to take a moment to send some thank you's out into the wild. First of all, I want to thank anyone who has read my books this year or at all. Without readers, I'm a crazy person typing words on a page. I'm still a crazy person who types words on a page but at least people read those words. 
Next, I want to thank everyone who follows me on social media or has signed up for my newsletter. Each and every one of you has made a statement by following me. You like what I have to say, one way or another. 
A big thank you to everyone who has helped me in any way shape or form. Whether that be bouncing story ideas off of you, showing up to my events to say hi, providing feedback on my writing, etc. Every single person who has had to listen to me talk about my books and my writing deserves a huge thank you!
Lastly, a special thank you to anyone who has left a review on any of my books. For you amazing people, I can't say thank you enough. Reviews seem like such a simple thing but they're actually quite important. Each review pushes the visibility of the book upwards on Amazon. Without reviews, books are hardly seen. Besides that, a positive review can really make an author's day. You may not see the full effect of kind words when you leave a review but I can promise you it has one. You can turn an author's entire bad day around with just a simple positive review! 

Thank you to everyone reading this blog and everyone who has supported me this far. I look forward to many more adventures in writing next year and beyond. Have a happy new year, everyone!

BOOK YEAR IN REVIEW

It's the end of 2019, which means it's time for me to look back on all the books I read this year and pick my 5 top favorites. This year, I managed to exceed my Goodreads goal by 1 book. I read a total of 25 books and I'm happy with that. But picking only 5 out of those will be incredibly hard. I read a lot of great books this year. I also started reading the Harry Potter books for the first time. However, none of them will make this list because I have a post planned for all the books together. So look forward to that. But here are my top 5 favorite books that I read in 2019.

5. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark By Campbell Black
I may be biased here because I love Indiana Jones so much but this book was so much fun to read. And for any fan of the movie, it helped to get inside the character's head and learn a little bit more about the things that happened off screen. It was the first book I read in 2019 and it helped to kick off the new year in a good way. 

4. Bang! Vol II By Roxie Prince 
Roxie Prince has become one of my favorite authors of all time and a good friend. Yes, that's right, I'm friends with the author! How cool is that? Prince has 3 volumes of flash fiction horror pieces out and Vol II was amazing. One of her flash fiction pieces was featured on the popular No Sleep Podcast, so you know it's creepy and good! If you haven't read a book by Prince, you need to go read one right now! Especially her flash fiction books. They're quick stories you can read on the go. Perfect for anyone who doesn't have a lot of time to read. 

3. Hangman by JC Gatlin
I should start off by saying this book was incredible. And yes, the author is also a good friend of mine. And I'm not just trying to promote my friends here. They happen to be friends and amazing authors. Besides, these are my top 5. So I can pick whichever I want! Hangman was such a fun read and I literally couldn't put it down. I had to know who the killer was. I thought I had it all figured out right up until the very end. Turns out I was completely wrong. If you love a good murder mystery, suspense novel then you'll love this book. Definitely should be added to your reading list!

2. Thanos: Titan Consumed by Barry Lyga
I listened to this audiobook while on the road to book events and conventions. It was so cool hearing more of Thanos' back story and learning more about him. While reading the book, you completely forget about the monstrous villain he becomes in Infinity War and you actually grow to like him. If you're a huge Marvel movie fan, like me, then you'll love this book!

Honorable mentions
Before we get to number 1, I'd like to shout out a couple of honorable mentions. These would be books I really enjoyed but couldn't fit them in my top 5. Nether Isle by Nicoline Evans . A fun story about ghosts and the island they try to control! Awakened by James Murray from Impractical Jokers. An exciting sci-fi read that makes you want more. Last we have, Supernatural Nevermore by Keith R.A. DeCandido . If you love Sam and Dean Winchester, you'll love this book. 

1. Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker
I wasn't a huge fan of Dacre Stoker's Dracula sequel so I was a little apprehensive to read his prequel novel. However, I was not disappointed. This was such a great book that really kept the style from the original alive with a new twist. I loved the characters and learning more about Bram Stoker's life, even if it was between fictional story telling of his mixing with vampires and Dracula. If you're a Dracula fan, you're going to like this book. 

So, those were my top picks of the books I read in 2019. I'm looking to reading even more books in 2020. Did you read any of the same books as me this year? If so, let me know in the comments below. And if you plan to pick any of these titles up because of my reviews, let me know that too! I'd love to talk with you about any of these amazing books!

ABANDONED PLACES

Hello there! 

Happy holidays to you all. Today is Christmas Eve, for those who celebrate, and I thought it would be nice to give you a short break. You're probably hard at work cleaning the house before guests arrive. Or maybe you're wrapping last minute presents. Whatever you're doing, take a short break and take a short read. I've got something fun for you today. 

As you may know, my upcoming novel Deserted is about a group of urban explorers who get trapped in an evil, abandoned town. They don't know what, or whom, to trust as they look for a way to escape. But what you might not know is, the book was inspired by a real trip to some abandoned places with my good friend, Josh. 

Pictured below is the actual abandoned neighborhood we were visiting when the idea sprouted. It was an eerie and interesting place to be. A whole neighborhood had simply up and left. It was like something straight out of The Walking Dead . Every minute we spent there, I thought I might see a zombie shamble around the corner.  As we explored, which you can find video of over on his YouTube channel here, we started talking about how creepy it would be if something terrible happened. We joked how crazy it would be if we left the neighborhood and went to lunch, only to find ourselves magically back at the neighborhood and unable to leave, much like the movie 1408 . And the idea was planted in my mind.  As you can see above, we found a door riddled with bullet holes. Nothing more than bored gun owners out for target practice. But our imaginations turned it into what if questions. What if something was loose in the neighborhood? What if they were trying to keep something out? What if there was some creature stalking the place? We had a lot of fun with that. 

But that wasn't the only abandoned place Josh and I explored which helped fuel the fire for this book. Possibly my favorite place was an abandoned apartment building on the water. It was beautiful and relaxing. Not good material for a suspense novel, I know. But it did help me get into the mindset of urban explorers and, in fact, inspired the opening scene.  Without giving too much away, in the first couple chapters of my book the urban explorers are on the roof of an abandoned hospital. The roof is crumbling and dangerous. However, the two carry forward. One of them falls through the roof and nearly to their death but manage to climb back up. 

Now, neither of us fell through the floor at the above location. However, Josh did make it to the roof while I stayed on the ground and I started to wonder what would happen if he fell through the roof or the floor? How would I get to him to help? What would I do? And thus, the scene was born. If you want to see more footage of the abandoned apartment building, check that out here.  Both days were amazing adventures and I was so glad to be a part of them. I can't thank Josh enough for allowing me to tag along and helping to inspire the idea that is becoming Deserted. I'm still writing the book but it will be available to read next year. I promise you that. If you want to be informed on its progress and when it will be available, consider signing up for my newsletter here. 

I'll let you get back to your preparations for Christmas now. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the journey. Because that's what life is, a journey. And sometimes you have to explore a little and move out of your comfort zone in order to make something special. Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

2020 APPEARANCES (SO FAR)

Hey there! I have a few updates on my appearances for next year already. There's more coming soon so I'll be sure to update as they come in. For right now, I will be attending the events listed above. Hope to see you there!

NAME A CHARACTER

How would you like to name a character in one of my upcoming books? Or, at least, half of a name? You see, I need a last name for a character and I figured I could ask you guys for help. In the comments, shout out some ideas for last names and I'll pick my favorite. And to make it extra special, whoever has the winning last name will get their name mentioned in the acknowledgment section of said book. Also, I'll send you a free copy when the book publishes. But that could be a while from now so don't forget! 

Here's a little insight on the character, or as much as I can give right now. He's a man named Jeffrey and he's from the Southern United States. He comes from a sketchy past and kills for a living. That's as much as I can give you. Have fun and good luck. 

FREE EBOOK WITH NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

If you've been on the fence about signing up for my newsletter, now is the time! From now until 2020, new subscribers will receive a free ebook copy of my latest novel Echoes of the Past. It couldn't be easier. Don't wait around because this opportunity will only last until January 1st! Click here to sign up. 

BLACK FRIDAY-CYBER MONDAY SALE

After you've eaten all the turkey and stuffing you can handle and you've listened to Uncle Jimmy's story about how he "used to be a star athlete until the stupid injury" for the millionth time, why not get excited for my sale? This Black Friday through Cyber Monday is going to be great! 

From Friday to Monday, all my eBooks will be .99 cents each! That means, you can get all 5 of my published books for less than $5! Why spend Black Friday rushing around for the deals you don't want when the one you do is right here? 

Also, don't forget about my Black Friday giveaway. You can win autographed paperback copies by simply signing up for my newsletter here. One lucky winner will receive all 5 of my published books, signed, and delivered to their door! It's going to be a great weekend. Don't miss out!

FREE EXCLUSIVE STORY

Hey guys, welcome back to Bond's Blog. 
I have something neat to share with you today. From this point forward, anyone who signs up for my monthly newsletter will get access to an exclusive short story written by me, of course. This story is only available through my newsletter and won't be published anywhere else. So, if you want to read it you have to sign up. And if you're already a subscriber, don't worry. I'll be sending out an email with a link to the story so you can read it as well. I hope you enjoy the story and I look forward to having you on my subscriber list!

You can sign up for my newsletter by clicking here. My monthly newsletter is full of exclusives, giveaways, info, and more. Thanks for signing up!

01/01/2020

Something is coming in 2020. Do you want to know more? I will be hosting a Facebook Virtual Announcement Party on November 25th at 9pm. I will be making my announcement then and there will be games and prizes to giveaway. So, RSVP here. Hope to "see" you there! 

WHAT I LEARNED BY LOSING A SHORT STORY CONTEST

     Failure. It sucks. No one likes to fail. But that's the nature of competing, isn't it? Someone has to win which means someone has to fail. Both teams can't take home the Super Bowl ring and only one candidate gets to be President. Someone always has to fail. 

I recently participated in a short story contest. It was a Halloween themed contest. The stories were supposed to be scary and take a classic story or trope and give it a twist. I had a lot of fun with this idea. Here's what I came up with. A ghostly woman in white hitchhikes on the side of the road, waiting for her next victim. A man pulls over to pick her up, only for her to try and kill him. However, he's not what he appears either and the woman in white ends up becoming the hunted. 

It was a classic story, woman in white, with a neat twist. I spent a lot of time writing, re-writing, editing, re-editing, proof reading, and so on. Finally, I hit submit, crossed my fingers, and hoped to win. The winner would take home $75. Money I would have used towards expensive advertising costs. Of course, if you read the title of this post you already know if I won or not.

When they announced the winners, I was obviously let down. I really loved my idea. The character was awesome. The execution of the story was well received by the few people who proofed it for me. And reading the stories that did win, I felt even worse. None of them encapsulated the nature of the contest. None really followed the guidelines of the contest. I almost felt cheated. But something happened. 

If you're hoping for some twist to this story where the judges changed their mind or announced they made some mistake and I was actually the winner, sorry to disappoint. And to be honest, I'm glad they didn't. Because I learned something more valuable than the minimal prize money. I learned self appreciation. The story and the character might not have been enough for the judges but it was certainly enough for me! I loved my idea so much that I decided to give the character his very own series. And when you break down writing, whether you write for fun, you're a traditionally published author, or self-published, you should write for yourself first and an audience second. If you loved the idea and the story, that's all that matters. Meaning, don't write what you think other people will like if it's not what you like. Don't write YA novels because you think they'll sell better. Don't write non-fiction because you think it'll be easier. Always write what you love, no matter what. You like writing horror? Do it! You love writing fantasy? Do it! Your first book isn't selling well? Write another!

If you would like to read the story that I'm so proud of, there's a couple of options for you. You can head over to Patreon.com/EvanBond and become a patron. It's available exclusively for Patreon supporters for now. Or, you can wait an indeterminate amount of time for my short story collection book to come out. That's right, I will be piecing together some of my favorite short stories that I've written over the years as well as some new ones. I'll slap them together in a book and make it available. However, I don't have a release date for that yet as it's just in the planning stages. I need far more short stories in order to make it. So, you could be waiting a really long time. Why not just head over to Patreon now to read it? But, whatever you end up doing, I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something from it. Until next time, keep wandering. Just not alone.