R.A. Evans's Blog, page 25

Join me at Schuler's

I'll be signing copies of my debut thriller Asylum Lake at Schuler Books & Music on 28th Street SE in Grand Rapids this weekend. Stop by between 11am – 1pm on Saturday, December 18th. Remember – scary reads make great stocking stuffers!

The PR Machine Rolls On

It was a good day for team Asylum Lake.  Orders for my debut thriller are rolling in (a fact that always makes me smile and wonder if access to other, better books has been cut off) and the hard work I have undertaken in promotion of the novel is paying off in other ways, too.

I spent a fair amount of time on the phone today with a reporter from The Grand Rapids Press discussing Asylum Lake, self-publishing, and my creative marketing strategies.  You see, people are taking notice. Despite the 138 rejection letters I have received from literary agents and publishers about Asylum Lake (yes, I count them!), it appears as though readers are connecting with my warped, twisted, and darkly humorous tale.  Although this pleases me to no end, I take equal satisfaction in the kudos I am receiving for the marketing and publicity work I am doing. Hell, writing has been my hobby – I pay the bills with my marketing genius!

Over the weekend a very nice piece will appear in the Grand Rapids Press – accompanied by photos of some of my digital billboards and maybe even a shot of me signing a few books (consider this fair warning).

So why am I telling you this? Hmm…good question. I swear I had a point when I sat down to write this post.  To be honest, I am still trying to wrap my head around all of this and I do some of my best thinking behind a keyboard.  I wanted to share the news and thought who better to be on the receiving end than the dozen or so random people who actually take the time to follow this blog.

Prepare for a major announcement in the very near future.

Thanks for listening!

Opportunity Knocks!

I am doing my best to finally be what I always wanted to be when I grew up and it appears as though I may just have a future with this whole writing thing. It's too early to give specifics, but a small yet respected publisher has offered me a two-book contract.

"But Parting The Veil is a three book series," you proclaim!

Yes, it is – in its current form.  But the plan would be to re-release Asylum Lake with content from its sequel Grave Undertakings included. The three book series would be a two-book extravaganza with Asylum Lake the  extended undertow version and Grave Undertakings being the titles.

It's not an easy decision. I have taken great pride in being a self-published author; I appreciate things a bit more, plus my TYPE A personality lets me control everything! A contract changes things to some extent.

What does it mean for you — the reader of my dark tales. Well, if you've purchased Asylum Lake it might just mean you will have a collector's item in your possession. If my writing career does anything that first edition may one day net you an extra quarter or two at a garage sale. Honestly, it would put you in a small circle of people who believed in me before I believed in myself – and I think that's pretty cool!

No decisions have been made – and any announcements would be made here. If a contract is signed then all sales of Asylum lake in its current form will cease (so if that's not an incentive to order a copy now I don't know what is). Regardless of what happens – whether I continue on this path alone or with a publisher behind me – you can expect the next installment of the Parting The Veil story to arrive before the warm summer temps!

 

 

 

 

Inspiration Via Reality TV

It wasn't pretty – me sitting on a beanbag in my basement watching Pawn Stars and eating a turkey sandwich, but lightning struck and I have a great idea for a future project.  What if the devil opened a pawn shop? How many unfortunate souls could he collect for a stack of crisp twenties?

Grand Rapids Press adds Asylum Lake to its 2010 Best Books by Michigan Authors List

Accolades are always appreciated and this one even drew me from my dark thoughts long enough to smile, pause in reflection, and then go back to writing about things with sharp claws, horrendous appetites, and ill intentions. You can check out the entire list here.

I wonder what the neighbor just had delivered?

Yeah, my mind is working overtime again.  The UPS truck is driving circles through my neighborhood delivering holiday packages and it started me to thinking, "could I ship a body via UPS?"  If the answer to this question is "yes" (which for the sake of this post I am going with) then would it be best to piece-meal that body out or send it in one big package?

Why would someone want to ship a body via the brown truck? Good question.  I've come up with a couple scenarios – really just spit-ballin'  things here.

She's gonna complain about the gift anyway – that special person in your life is never happy. Maybe a body part or two delivered to her door will make her realize just how lucky she really is.
Grandma always wanted to travel – It's like hot potato with your relatives. Grandma always wanted to travel but could never afford it. Now, thanks to UPS, you can send her anywhere your heart desires. Christmas with your cousins in Arizona? No problem, UPS has logistics, baby!
New friend online – So you've finally met a new friend online who shares similar interests but wouldn't you know it – he lives clear across the country in a desolate shack deep in the mountains of Montana where he is working on his Manifesto.  He has some crazy ideas about the current state of our country but seems like a nice enough guy. Maybe he just needs a special lady in his life – pickings must be awful thin with no neighbors for 100 miles. No worries, you have a few stuffed into the crawl space downstairs (see a previous post on You might be a serial killer).  UPS helps you spread the joy!
Everybody loves jewelry – Have a collection of necklaces made from human teeth and not sure what to do with them? UPS can help. Pick some random names out of the phone book and give them a Christmas they will never forget!

I hope somebody is writing this stuff down!

Add some chills to your holidays!

"A taut tale liable to raise significant goosebumps."

- Ray Walsh, Lansing State Journal

The debut thriller from R. A Evans is available for a limited time with free shipping.  All purchases made between now and the end of the year will be entered into a drawing for free swag.  Simply email the author at raevans@asylumlake.com with proof of your purchase (receipt or photo) and you could win a prize pack including an official Asylum Lake hoodie, bookmark, and autographed poster.

To Order Asylum Lake:

www.schulerbooks.com/product/asylum-lake

 

Departing Soon

U.S. Air Marshal Liz Downie thought she had lucked out with her assignment – a half-empty red eye from London to the states. The passengers – an odd assortment of State Department staffers freshly plucked from the embattled U.S. Embassy in Iraq. This is one Red Eye with a twist, however. Tucked into the passenger jet's shadowy cargo hold hides a secret the U.S. Military will do anything to protect – and Liz Downie will do everything to stop.

Where do you run when you are 33,000 feet in the air?

Flight

The new novel from R. A. Evans

Scheduled for take-off 2012

More Encouraging Words For Asylum lake

No review is ever completely positive – at least in my experience – but I will gladly accept three out of five stars every day of the week!  When I first published Asylum lake I cringed at the thought of people reading it and passing judgment. Now, however, I love it! I know my strengths and weaknesses as a writer but I am thoroughly enjoying hearing what others think.

Would I change anything? Hmm…I would surely  not send out galley copies for review again. But as far as the story, I like it. And by and large most of the readers do, as well.  I'm just glad to have something out there that people are reading…and reviewing! If you haven't picked up a copy of the book yet, check out this review at www.journalstone.com.

Dive into the secrets of Asylum Lake.

Sharpening My Claws

In a previous post I talked about how I keep my claws sharp by working on little side projects in between my work on the rest of the Parting The Veil series.  I've decided to do some of that sharpening here…with you.

I grew up a huge fan of the fantasy genre. When my brother enlisted in the Navy he turned over his LOTR books and I was immediately hooked.  I even dabbled in Dungeons & Dragon (ok – dabble is an understatement).  Regardless, I had always wanted to try my hand at a bit of a sword and sorcery tale and now…here…with you…I am.

It is untitled and could possibly be horrible, as well.  Let me know your thoughts.

He had broken his vow.

Five in all, armed men with ill intentions, lay bleeding and dying, casting pooling crimson shadows across the snow blanketing the King's Road – and he wept. As surely as his hand, and sword, had pierced their flesh, his tears and heart now grieved for their souls.

Once known simply as "Widowmaker", he had sold his sword to those seeking justice, revenge, and in many instances – murder. For lords and ladies, beggars and bandits, coin was coin and a life was an easy thing to buy, and for Widowmaker, an even easier thing to take. But Widowmaker was dead now, or at least buried, and for the first time in nearly a decade the darkness and pain from that life began to bubble to the surface. It burned as he swallowed it down.

His steely-eyed gaze swept the trees, searching for movement – searching for others. Sensing no one, he wiped the flat of his blade across his chest, leaving a smear of blood and gore on his gray traveling cloak and turned his attention to the carriage and the muffled sobs coming from inside. It was the sobbing that had initially drawn his attention, and, in turn, his sword.

He approached slowly, his footsteps soft as the falling snow. Three more bodies, unmoving and bloodied, littered the ground near the carriage. The horses, two if he read the tracks correctly, had bolted in the struggle.

The carriage door was open, nearly ripped from its hinge. Holding the sword loosely at his side, muscles coiled like a spring ready to launch, he peered inside. Lying amongst the cushions, dressed in silks the color of honey, he found the source of the sobbing. And, with tears falling from her eyes, she found his gaze.

"I beg of you, sir – have mercy." The sobs intensified as she clasped her hands at her bosom.

He looked again into the trees, unsure. What had he done? What was he doing? He turned his attention again to the young woman. The sword felt heavy in his hand, like an anchor, and he released his hold on it. It fell to the ground at his feet, and then he fell to his knees.

"Mercy," he whispered as tears came to his eyes.

He had broken his vow.