Trey Stone's Blog, page 13

I’m On A Podcast!

Want to hear all about my new book, why I love horror stories, and how I won a quiz game?

Then you should check out the podcast I was on a few weeks ago! Best-selling author Dzintra Sullivan hosts the weekly What The Book podcast where she and her two co-hosts, Sean Frazier and Peyton Storm sit down to talk with indie authors about their books, and recently that was me!

We talked about my latest psychological thriller, At The Gate, of course, about how I had promised Dzintra I’d write her some Viking erotica, about why I love all things horror, and we’ve played Booker Feud (I won!)

It was an hilarious time, and you can listen to it all over here: Listen to the podcast.

Unrelated to this, I also wrote a guest blog post for Gillian Barnes recently. Barnes has been doing this thing for a couple of years now, where she invites authors and other creatives to take part in a Write With Others project, and this is my third year participating. This year I wrote about how I worry too damn much, and you can find my latest entry here.

And if you’re interested in hearing me on other podcasts, read interviews or see more of the things I’ve written for others, you can find a complete list of my appearances right here. Enjoy!

I’m Exhausted

The last few weeks have been chaotic.

In the span of three weeks I moved back home from the Arctic, published my third book, bought a new house, began the process of selling our apartment, went away for a weekend to volunteer at a sports event, and spent another emptying our flat in an attempt to make it marketable. All of this while also living away from Monday to Friday every week, for work.

At the same time, my wife’s been working two jobs, planning two very important talks she’s going to present (which just happen to be days apart), helped host a martial arts tournament, while also being the person who had to take care of the practical side of selling our apartment because she’s the one who’s home.

I’m not saying this to brag about how much we have going on, or to say that it’s been unbearable because after all, we’ve managed. I guess I’m just trying to illustrate that we’ve been very, very busy.

At the same time, I try to get up early every morning and write. Last week though, I woke up Tuesday morning and felt absolutely terrible. My body ached and burned, and no matter what I did I couldn’t stay awake. I went back to bed, barely managed to get to work, and had one of the worst days in ages.

I couldn’t figure it out. What did I do? I didn’t train excessively, didn’t eat too little, hadn’t hurt myself that I could remember, so where did all this pain and discomfort come from?

From life, that’s where.

From all of those things we were trying to do all the time, all the stuff we were trying to stay on top of and get done, all at the same time.

As it turns out, my wife was also a wreck that day. Both of our bodies just said no that day, and gave us no option. We had to rest up, make sure to get enough food and sleep, or we would suffer the consequences, consequences which were quite obvious: pain.

Sure, I’ve been exhausted before. After a workout or a hiking trip. It’s a term most of us throw around loosely, whenever we’re tired and… Well, exhausted.

But this was something else. This was proper, physical exertion. It was actually physically painful and it was new to both of us.

Of course we both tried to take it seriously, but at the same time, many of those things I mentioned at the beginning of this post weren’t over. We still had tons of things to do. We’ve managed to rest up some the following week, but I know I’m still drained.

It’s weird that one of the places in my life that suffer most when I’m like this is my creative side. It’s not that I don’t want to write or play music – in one sense I feel almost more motivated now than when I have time for it – but it becomes so much more draining to do. Sitting down to write on a story, even when I know what I want to write and have the motivation to do the work, becomes a chore. The mental effort it takes to be creative is just too much when I’m like this.

So what’s the solution and why am I telling you all of this? The first part of that is easy: rest. More sleep, more downtime, less stress. It’s not always easy to do, because busy times don’t just go away by themselves, but it’s technically simple. When it comes to why I’m telling you this, I think maybe I’m mostly telling myself this. To remind myself that it’s okay to take breaks, that it’s important to take care of oneself. And maybe, if you’re in a similar boat, if you recognize parts of what I’m telling you here, you can take it to heart and give yourself a much deserved break. Because you might need it.

How are you doing these days? Creating amazing stories and producing wonderful art? Or are you a bit worn out, like me? Let me know in the comments.

I’m still flying high on the release of my third book, the psychological thriller At The Gate, which is a dark and twisted book about a man trying to escape his inner demons. It has wonderful interior illustrations and a mental health perspective that I’m very proud of. You can check it out here.

Book Review: Frozen in Time – The Fate of The Franklin Expedition by Owen Beattie

The horrifying truth about a most terrifying historical event – the loss of the 129 men of the Franklin Expedition who perished in the Canadian Arctic in 1848.

I don’t read enough non-fiction, unfortunately. I always end up loving it when I do, and I try to always intersperse my reading with a few books here and there, but I think it’s a problem of there just being too many fiction books I want to read all the time. When I pick up something, I feel like I’m setting aside something else, and I hate that feeling.

I’m so glad I sat down with this book though. I’m an archaeologist by trade, and I’ve worked a few years in the Arctic myself (not Canada though), and before I left to go back to Europe the last time, a friend stopped me and gave me this. “You’ll enjoy this,” they said. “Promise you’ll read it cover to cover.”

Of course, I did. Both read it, and enjoyed it.

The book is part historical account of the Franklin Expedition itself, and part scientific discovery of the remains, as forensic anthropologist Dr. Owen Beattie attempts to uncover the truth about what happened to the 129 men. The expedition spent three years in the Canadian Arctic from 1845-48, before they all perished, and in 1981, Dr. Beattie set out to figure out how. Was it scurvy? Starvation? Disease? Or something… worse?

The historical account goes into a lot of elaborate details, starting all the way over in London with how the expedition itself was set in motion, planned, and manned. By the time we get stuck up in the Canadian Arctic we’re already heavily invested in this trip , and it’s almost twice as depressing knowing how fatally it is going to end.

Dr. Owen Beattie’s discovery of the remains of the men is a fascinating expedition in and of itself, because before the forensic anthropology can get started the remains have to be found. That’s not such a simple task – even with all the modern technology we have today (and the one Beattie had in ’81).

The forensic anthropology is perhaps the most exciting. Reading about how Beattie’s team had to dig through the permafrost, thaw the 130-year-old remains of British soldiers, and find ways to take samples and notes is awesome. I know how it feels on the body knowing that the largest extant land predator can show up any minute – and… Well, I won’t spoil anything.

The most fascinating thing however, was perhaps the discovery that Beattie wasn’t the first to perform forensic investigations on one of the bodies they dug up.

Of course, if you prefer the mystery of the expedition without all that archaeology and anthropology – and maybe you’re more of a fiction reader like myself, half of the time – there’s always The Terror by Dan Simmons, which I reviewed a while back. An incredibly detailed and haunting story about the Franklin Expedition – with a few artistic freedoms.

What’s your most recent non-fiction read? Do you have any favorites? Let me know in the comments!

Get A Free Book!

The third book in my crime thriller series, The Columbus Archives is on the horizon – and to celebrate that, I’m giving everyone a chance to catch up with my second book, A State of Despair!

A State of Despair is a fast-paced, high-octane crime thriller about a drug raid that goes horribly wrong and an FBI agent who disappears in the aftermath. Agent Jordan Greer has to push aside everything and bend all the rules to figure out where his best friend and coworker is – and how he is going to save her.

If you sign up for my newsletter today, I’ll send you an ebook copy of it – free for you to keep for ever! Isn’t that great? Of course, you’ll also be the first to learn about new releases and project, get a chance to receive Advanced Review copies, learn the dark and terrifying secrets of the universe – and more!

Click here to sign up for the newsletter, and enjoy your free book!

Book Review: The Reckoning by John Grisham

Pete Banning wakes up one day, eats his breakfast, get his affairs in order, and decides to shoot his pastor. He then goes straight to the sheriff.

What follows is an elaborate court case, a family drama, and a story of the terrible conditions of war. A truly fascinating tale.

I hadn’t read any John Grisham before this, though I felt like I had. It’s one of those names, one of those authors who’s so famous that you swear you’ve read something of them, even if you can’t think of what that might be or name any of their books. So it was entirely random that I picked up The Reckoning. I recognized Grisham’s name, thought the book sounded interesting, and figured I’d give it a shot.

The first thing that struck me is Grisham’s particular writing style. It’s all telling, with hardly any showing. Instead of having characters interact with each other, through actions and dialogue, Grisham kind of just… tells you. He tells you what was said and done, how people react and counter-react, and what the outcome is. Grisham doesn’t tell you a story – he just shows you how it all played out. It’s a different kind of storytelling, a relaxed, almost soothing kind, but it works. I like it, and it’s a good way of telling a lot without bogging the reader down with too many chapters.

It probably helps that the story is good. The initial murder is quickly over, and it’s the court case and Pete’s motives that become the center of attention. It had me hooked from the start. All the little details in the preparation for the trial, the elaborate nuances in picking out the jury, deciding on a defense, consulting with Banning in his cell – it’s fascinating.

Then, as we move onto the second half of the book, we jump back in time to when Pete was younger, when he fought in World War II, and we learn who this man really is and how he became the man who committed the crime. It’s a very well executed story, if you can get past the way it’s told.

Then, the third and last part of the book focuses on what happens after the trial – how Pete’s friends and family all react to what he’s done and what’s going to happen to him. His children come home from big cities far away, and they try to accept what their father has done. And maybe, just maybe, we figure out the truth? *cue intriguing stare*

What was perhaps most surprising to me, is that I myself have written a very similar book, without ever hearing about The Reckoning before. In my first novel, The Consequence of Loyalty, we follow an FBI agent who one day wakes up and decides to shoot his boss, in cold blood, only to surrender immediately. The comparisons stop there however, and I don’t mean to turn this review onto myself, but I was naturally very intrigued by the almost identical plot. Having never even heard about this book or even remotely been aware of the plot, it’s weird – but maybe not surprising? – that I’ve come up with such a similar thing myself.

Grisham writes a very satisfactory kind of book. It’s instantly intriguing, and the mystery keeps evolving at a steady, unwavering pace. If you’re also interested in the historical aspects of World War II – which are incredibly detailed and well-written I might add – then this book is definitely for you.

Oh, and if you do love this book, please check out The Consequence of Loyalty. They are eerily similar.

At The Gate Is Here!

It’s been a long wait, but my psychological thriller At The Gate is finally here!

At The Gate is a dark and captivating story that’s sure to thrill and terrify you, while making sure you’re constantly hovering at the absolute edge of your seat. It’s raw and mysterious, and it’s my greatest pleasure to finally share it with all of you.

Joseph can’t live with the fact that he’s responsible for his daughter’s death. He checks into The Gate as his final destination, but after the disappearance of a guest everything begins to unravel. Days go missing, people are acting strange, and nothing is what it should be. At every turn, he’s reminded of this most painful mistake.

Joseph disappears down a rabbit hole of mysterious events, all the while keeping up the battle against his own inner demons. Now he is trapped inside a haunted hotel trying to find a guest that may not even exist.

Checking out is not an option

You can get At The Gate right now by heading over to Inked In Gray’s website. It’s available in both ebook and paperback.

Check out my interview with Kriti at Armed With A Book, where you can learn more about me, read an excerpt from the book, and figure out what in the world inspired this terrifying madness.

I want to take this opportunity to say a massive thanks to everyone who’s helped me make this book what it is. Thanks to Maria, Ben, David, and Cole. Thanks to Dakota and everyone at Inked In Gray. Thanks to everyone’s who’s read early drafts, asked for ARCs, and shared reviews. And more than anything – thanks to all my readers. You’re wonderful.

Book Review: Shepherd’s Call by Counios & Gane

Shepherd and Wolfe are beginning to grow up – and their adventures are more dangerous than ever!

This is the fourth book in the series and it picks up directly after the end of the last one. Tony Shepherd is just about to go enjoy prom night, when Charlie Wolfe send him a message. He needs help.

The only problem?

Charlie is nowhere to be found when Tony comes looking. All he can find is Charlie’s phone.

Counios & Gane have a very unique writing style – one which I absolutely love. Their books are fast-paced, with multiple POVs, most of which are first-person from Shepherd’s perspective, and they write hundreds of chapters. To me it enhances the urgency in the mystery and helps keep me on edge as I follow Shepherd and Wolfe’s adventure. At the same time, it makes the book easy and fun to read. Have five minutes in a doctors office? I’ll just read a chapter or two on my phone.

And the story is great too. The overarching plot of the whole series is coming together now, and I’ve been waiting years to figure out some of this stuff. Wolfe is the mysterious wildcard rascal to Shepherd’s habitual, law-abiding son of two (relatively) strict parents, and while it’s fun to watch them clash, it’s also exciting to see them learn things about each other. Especially when it’s about Charlie Wolfe’s past – and when it’s his past that get them into trouble.

This book in particular had a True Detective vibe over it. We have to follow along as Shepherd tries to not only find out what happened to Wolfe, but also tie together an old mystery that might be the key to everything. It’s an exciting game of cat and mouse, but of course it leaves us wanting more – and now I find myself waiting for the fifth book!

I’d recommend this to any lover of mystery thrillers, but if you on top of that like fast-paced YA stories, and maybe also are a fan of The Hardy Boys, then you’re going to really enjoy this. Maybe the teenage rascal in your house is looking for a new book to read? Then there’s four books in this series for them!

You can check out the books here: www.couniosandgane.com

At The Gate Is Going On Tour

There’s less than a week left until At The Gate is released and to get everyone in the mood for the scariest book they’ll read all fall, R&R Book Tours is taking my book on a tour!

Head over to R&R Book Tours (http://rrbooktours.com) to get the full overview, see the official blurb, and get a snippet of the start of the book! If you’re still in the fence about this one, you’re not going to be for long, I promise! Then, make sure to follow along the tour, check out the all the wonderful reviews, and pre-order your copy today!

Pre-order At The Gate here

Checking out isn’t an option

Book Tour Schedule

August 29th

@itsabookthing2021 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/itsabookthing2021/

Bunny’s Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/

August 30th

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/

@gryffindorbookishnerd (Review) https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd/

August 31st

@bookqueenbee (Review) https://www.instagram.com/bookqueenbee

Cocktails & Fairytales (Review) https://www.facebook.com/CocktailsFairytales

September 1st

@saddlestitches.n.foldedcorners (Review) https://www.instagram.com/saddlestitches.n.foldedcorners/

Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com

September 2nd

@leirajadewrites (Review) https://www.instagram.com/leirajadewrites/

Misty’s Book Space (Review) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com

I want to say a big thanks to my publisher, Inked In Gray for taking so good care of me and At The Gate, to R&R Book Tours for putting this all together, to all the brilliant reviewers who are enjoying my book, and most of all to you – my reader – for being just that. Thank you.

Book Review: The Sunbird by Wilbur Smith

I loved this! Like reading an Indiana Jones movie (one of the good ones).

Being an archaeologist myself I’m immediately on board whenever there’s a story about an amazing discovery, hidden for thousands of years, waiting to be unearthed. Usually I dig into (pun very much intended) stuff like this with a big flashing neon sign of a reminder above my head, that a lot of things will probably not be quite right, but I tell myself it doesn’t have to be – I’m quite good at suspending belief and getting caught up in the story, so I don’t mind minor inaccuracies and artistic freedoms.

But Wilbur Smith isn’t the case of any of that. This is excellently researched and written, to the point where some of it is almost boring.

The plot of The Sunbird is simple: Archaeologist Ben Kazin is approached by his extraordinarily rich friend, Louren Sturvesant, who is claiming to have made a discovery. With him he has aerial photographs depicting the lost city of Opet. Louren sees the opportunity to make money out of an amazing discovery – and he wants to give Ben all the honor.

Of course, it’s not going to be as easy as they think. The African jungle can be a treacherous place, if they can even find the place where the city is supposed to be? And who can they really trust out there, after weeks of searching for ancient civilizations and treasure? Are they going to find what they’re looking for? Will Louren get his money’s worth for funding the expeditions? And will Ben make the discoveries he so desperately wants to be real?

And what really happened, to the lost city of Opet?

In a sense, this book is five different books at the same time. A gripping thriller, an action-filled adventure, a beautiful romance, a haunting mystery, and a fantasy epic. I felt like the story would never end, but in a good way, like I’d just started a 6-season mystery TV-show, with every episode being better than the next.

I was truly and well captivated, and I’m kind of surprised that I’ve never heard enough about Wilbur Smith to have read him before. I recognize the name, but had no idea what kind of books he wrote. I was very pleasantly surprised to realize it was this!

What really sold me on the story is the second half of the book, the part that serves a flashback from two thousand years ago, explaining how the city of Opet came to be what it once was, and how and why it disappeared. At first it was a bit jarring, and I thought maybe it was just going to be a short passage. But after a while I was truly lost in the story, and seeing how the pieces began to connect with the archaeological dig was beautiful.

Honestly, if you’re even remotely interested in archaeology, history, or ancient mysteries of any kind, you’re going to love this book. Well-written and engaging throughout.

Book Review: Shiver by Allie Reynolds

Shiver is the kind of mystery thriller that will make it go cold down your back – and not just because it’s set in the French Alps.

The premise is simple: five friends, all former professional snowboarders, are called to a reunion at remote hotel in the French Alps – ten years after the mysterious disappearance of their friend, Saskia, at the exact same spot.

They soon figure out that everyone thinks they were invited by one of the others, and of course everyone denies it. Soon, old secrets start surfacing about the former friends, and it’s clear that someone wants to play a game with them.

The story is told through the perspective of Milla, a kind of outsider compared to the rest of the gang, consisting of Brent, Curtis, Dane and Heather, in addition to the now assumed deceased Saskia. Brent and Curtis were friends, but rivals, and Curtis and Saskia are siblings, and Saskia was a rival to everyone. Dane and Heather are married ten years later, but they weren’t always so involved.

Through flashbacks from ten years ago we learn about the complex romantic and rivaling relationships everyone appeared to have with everyone, and old feuds rise to the surface – feuds they have to try and set aside to be able to solve the mystery of Saskia’s decade old disappearance and find a way down from the mountain.

Shiver is a well-written and fast paced thriller, with a surprisingly interesting backdrop. I know nothing about snowboarding – even though I am Norwegian (yeah, I know, I’m not a good skier either), but the environment and tension around the sport fascinated me. A lot of the time, the flashbacks were more captivating than the present day mystery.

The constant bickering between old flames added fuel to the fire and kept the mystery alive, but at the same time, it almost broke it. Sometimes I just wanted to knock the heads of characters together and tell them to talk to each other, instead of going around in circles like fifteen-year-olds with a crush. But if you’ve read my reviews before, you might have noticed that I’m not a fan of overly on the nose romance. I mean, who has time for that stuff when they’re nearly freezing to death in an abandoned hotel?

But Shiver is a good book – I devoured it surprisingly fast, and I’d recommend it to any thriller fan. If you’re also partial to a bit of romance and snowboarding, this is your dream book, no doubt.