M.H. David's Blog, page 2

BIG NEWS! THE GOUGE AUDIOBOOK IS HERE!

The Gouge is now available in Audio Book Format!

I want to thank Raymond Holdridge II for lending his voice to my story.  When he auditioned for the reading, I knew right away he was perfect for the job.  I have a feeling you will all agree!  You can find more about Raymond and his directorial and voice over work on his Instagram page right HERE!  Also, check out Smoking Polar Bear Productions 

The Gouge is my debut novel, and for it to final be available in such a fun format is a real dream come true.

If you already own the Kindle edition of The Gouge, that means you can download the audio book version at a huge discount!  Just visit the book's Amazon page here:  THE GOUGE on AMAZON

ABOUT THE GOUGE:

Carson ran away from Cypress Creek to escape his dark past—his father was the serial killer dubbed, “The Man in the Woods”. Twenty-two years have passed, and a simple text message threatens to bring all of his secrets out into the open.

The freshly slain bodies of two teenage girls have been discovered in the woods of Cypress Creek, and the methods by which the girls were killed are identical to those found nearly twenty-two years earlier on his father's victims. The now retired detective who worked the first case has long suspected Carson Bates knew more than what he revealed during interrogations; now is his chance to prove it.

Carson returns to Cypress Creek to finally face his past, but it is soon clear that Carson isn’t the only person in that small-town harboring dark secrets about that fateful night in the woods.

THE GOUGE on AUDIBLE

BOOK REVIEW: The Manic Mission: Children of the Mob, BY: C.J. Simone

 

This was a wild ride right from the beginning.  In the first pages there’s action, mystery,thrills, and suspense, and it doesn’t let up from there.  Gabe is a very complex, and talented characterwith bipolar disorder.  He’s also the sonof a mobster, and he has a noble mission. Gabe’s disorder plays a key part in his actions, and the way the rest ofthe cast interacts with him. 

The story is told from many different points of view, andthis really helped pronounce the empathy for some of the characters.  I felt like there was a lot of dialogue, but that’snot a bad thing.  In fact, all thedialogue felt passionate, and their voices were authentic in tone.  It was easy to hear the voices saying thewords written, and that of course assisted in drawing me into the story.

This was a fun first installment to what I’m assuming willbe a continuing series.  Recommended to people who enjoy mob style stories like The Sopranos .  Looking forward tothe next installment!    

The Manic Mission can be purchase on Amazon HERE!

Thinking Cookies!

I've decided my first post of the year is going to be a sweet one!  

This definitely is not the healthiest of posts, but I’mgoing to level with the both of you on how I keep my focus.  WhenI sit down to write, I tend to have a package of a certain sweet snack by myside.  I call them, “Thinking Cookies.”  Don’t laugh. We all have that snack that we really believe helps up think and work,mine just happens to be a cookie.  Why isthis I wonder?  Why do we tend to thinkbetter while we are nibbling (or sometimes scarfing) away on a treat?  Maybe it’s a comfort thing.  Luckily, science has shown us that it’sreally just the sugars and fats increasing the dopamine levels in my brain,thus making it easier for me to focus on the characters in my stories, and allof their secrets.  So, do I really likecookies, or do I just like the dopamine? It’s probably not worth thinking about—Nah, I like cookies, and theymake me happy.  I function better, and Iwrite better, when I’m happy.  Simple asthat!    

And bythe way, it really doesn’t matter what kind cookie.  My go-to is usually the Oreo, but I can getby with just about any kind of cookie—chocolate chip, no-bake, peanut butter,sugar, or those butter cookies that come in the tin can—the list goes on andon.  As I’m writing this post, the thinkingcookie of choice happens to be my wife’s homemade oatmeal cookie.

So, as I said at the beginning, I know this isn't the healthiest of tips, so please save any shame you might want to throw my way.  I know this is not a great habit, and I promise it is not a regular habit either.  Either way, I face the consequences of it often and have to work hard to burn off all the extra calories I put into my body, and even then it still doesn't feel like enough.  

Do you have a favorite snack when you’re trying to concentrate?  I’d love to hear all about it, as well aswhat you do to cut yourself off when you know you’re about to over do it. 

KeepReading!

2023, That's A Wrap!

Well, that’s another year in the books.  Another twelve months have come andgone.  Where did it go so fast, and whathave we to show for it? 

It’s beena challenging year.  And judging by the numberof posts I’ve made to this blog this year (only 11), it doesn’t look like I’vebeen very productive either.  Well, Ipromise you, I’ve been doing my best. The year started off very positive. The Blue Hole had been out for a month or so, and it was gainingtraction.  The promotions I had chosen torun were working well, and the few reviews that were trickling in were just thekind of positive reinforcement I needed to push forward on my third book.  All was looking very good.  Then I got the urge to throw the book away my work in progress and start over, and about mid-year, that’s exactly what I did.  Trying to sort out if this book was evenworth taking a second stab distracted me from continuing to promote The BlueHole and The Gouge.  It also kept me fromchecking in on my social media accounts, and so they too seemed to loserelevance too—add to that the fact that social media went through a few changesthis year too.  Nevertheless, slowly, andsurely, I am trying to regain my footing and training myself to post daily justlike I did when I started this writing venture. 

Now,about that third book—it’s coming!  I’mgoing to keep “quiet” on most of the details right now, but I will let you knowthat I’m much happier with the characters and the story this time around. I’m really looking forward to a title and bookcover reveal in the first quarter of 2024 and a release date in the summer.  So, keep your eyes open for that!

 

2023 hasnot been bad but I am really looking forward to 2024 as yet another page in myjourney!  I hope that your 2024 will beamazing as well!  See you there!

BOOK REVIEW: Abandoned, By Vicky Ball

Vicky Ball’s second book, much like her first, tackles somechallenging and unfortunate situations that we tend to overlook, or ignore.  

Using her main character,Maddie, as a vessel, the author masterfully captured the feeling of growing upin an alcoholic home and feeling like there is nowhere turn and nowhere to run.  Then, a small glimmer of hope, something tograsp onto and fight for is dropped into Maddie’s life in the form of a familyshe never knew she had.  But when Maddie goes in search for this hope, she doesn't find exactly what she expected.  

I really enjoyed the way the story moved fastand the way that the characters spoke with one another in a very real way.  I did have some trouble resonating with thecharacters at the beginning, but I attribute that mostly to the fact that thetarget audience is more teen/young adult, which I am not.  However, once the majority of introductionswere completed, I was completely drawn in and could not put it down.  Well done!

Abandoned is available in paperback and ebook format, and it is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, so if you are a subscriber, you can download it for Free right HERE!

Exciting News!

Well, it is officially happening!  You will soon be able to enjoy The Gouge in audio book format!  I just finished a zoom meeting with a wonderful audio book producer, Raymond Holdridge II, and we've worked out all the expected kinks, as well as a plan to work with unforeseen circumstances.  Right now, our plan is to have to file available on Amazon and Audible by the end of the year, shortly followed by availability on I-tunes!

Obviously, I am completely stoked about this news and that this step is finally being taken.  If you follow me at all, you probably know I've been looking into ways to convert my book into audio for some time, but I have been running into one road block after another.  I feel truly blessed to have been able to fall into contact with great people with similar goals!  

I'll share more information about the progression, and availability of this product as I have it!  Just wanted to share the news!  Have a great day!  Keep reading...and listening!

Book Review: The Perfect Kill Club, By: Martin McGregor

The Perfect Kill Club, By:  Martin McGregor

This was an interesting short read with a greatpremise.  In my opinion, time travel is atricky topic to write since it’s almost always going to have at least one plothole, but McGregor did a stand-up job. My only complaint would be that the ending felt a little rushed, and Iwasn’t convinced of some of the characters motives.  Still a fun read with a good mix of sciencefiction and slasher/gore based horror.

The Perfect Kill Club is enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited Program, so you can download it and read it for free if you have subscription.  Check it out here:  The Perfect Kill Club on Amazon.

Happy reading!

An Unfortunate Situation...

Well, I’m not really sure how it happened, but regret to saythat my current work in progress has lost its drive with me.  I can’t keep writing scenes that don’t havethe impact I’m reaching for.  I believethe story still has merit, and the twist is still going to be great, butsomething is not meshing well with me, and it just may not be the right time.  I’ve tried everything I can to salvage this thing,but it just isn’t coming together.  It’s shameto come to this conclusion after nearly twenty thousand words are already onthe page, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to scratch this project and startnew.  Maybe I’ll rewrite this entire bookwith a different approach, or maybe I’ll start something new, I haven’t decidedyet.  One thing is for sure, even thoughthis is a crappy situation for a writer to come into (and often all too common),I’m happy to have made the decision and to be moving on instead trying to forcesomething from a story that would only later disappoint me.  Chin up. Moving on.  Keep reading!

A Writer is Born...

My oldest son and I recently attended a Writer’s Workshop together.  We’d never attended one before, so we weren't exactly sure what to expect.  It turned out to be a small gathering in a local library.  During the workshop, we were asked to write a few things, one of which being what our expectations for our writing were.  Was it for fame?  Was it for fortune?  Why do we write?  The following is what I came up with.  I'm not sure I stayed on topic, but it’s what I felt!  Keep writing everyone!

A Writer Is Born

He grew up on a farm in a small insignificant town that would be lost on any map.  His life felt misplaced from the beginning—constantly caught up in expectations that were not his own—there was no space for him to have dreams of his own.  He was always tied down with chores and what was expected of him.  With no stars to reach for, there were few opportunities for him to prove himself.  

He read books and watched movies.  He listened to people talk but kept quiet—because that’s how he was raised to behave.  Soon, he was eighteen.  One day, after suffering another day of feeling as if he didn’t reach what was expected of him, he felt lost, and hopeless.  Somewhere inside those tears, lighting struck.  A story—a character—a plot—it was all laid out in his mind.  Inspiration from something he read, or seen, or heard?  Maybe, but it felt real.  It felt original.  A beginning, middle and end were all there.  He didn’t know where it came from, but it meant something to him.  It was something to reach for.  It was his.

Outside of school essays and short stories in a high school creative writing class, the task was nothing he had ever attempted.  He grabbed some sheets of paper and a pen and he began the harrowing task of writing the story down.  The ink scratched across the page, and the story was scribbling to life.  Suddenly, the idea inside his mind grew to be a much larger story on the page—it was a whole world.  As the world grew, he grew a voice—one that would put his misplaced life on hold, at least for a little while.  He wrote and wrote and wrote, blacking out the world with his ink.  He felt free in the words he wrote.

Finally, he had finished the story.  Now, what to do?  As nerve racking as it was, he needed to share his work with others—he needed to show his value, and why he had scathed off from what was expected of him.  There were some who said the story needed work, and there were still others who said it was good, but no one saw what the freedom he saw in those words.  How could he make them see it?  How could he introduce them to the world he had created the same way he had been introduced?  How else, but to write another story?  Learn from what he had heard.  Would anyone continue to read?  After careful consideration, he realized it didn’t matter to him.  The writer had found the joy he was looking for.  He had found his freedom, and he wasn’t going to let it go no matter the nay-sayers.  A writer was born, and he was ready to grow.

Book Review: Volta By: Nikki Dudley

I really loved this book! 

I purchased Volta in paperback several months ago by recommendation from a friend.  It unfortunately sat far too long in my TBR stack.  Admittedly, it was skipped in line more than once, and I’m not sure why, but I wish I had not let that happen.

Volta had me completely gripped from the first page.  The eerie descriptions of the crime scenes, and the heart that poured out from each character’s troublesome situations was amazing and kept the plot moving in a steady fashion.  I found the characters to be perfectly flawed.  SJ’s life was riddled with secrets, and it fascinated me that his current case seemed to mirror his own past situation as well as force him to face the demons he’d buried for good.  His “will they/won’t they” relationship with Mari was the perfect catalyst to balance the troublesome issues.  While Briony was an interesting victim turned burden, she was also a bit frightening to imagine.  About a third of the way into the book, I was able to figure out where the plot was heading, and I don't think it was hidden very well on purpose.  Maybe that seems a little premature to put all the cards on the table, but the cast made it completely worth finishing the ride. 

I’m very happy to have found Volta and Nikki Dudley, and I am looking forward to reading more of her work!  I highly recommend Volta to anyone wanting a thrilling murder mystery with a cast of outstanding characters who are easy to root for and easy to care about.

As I said, I picked up the paperback of Volta, but it is also available for E-readers.  It does not appear to be enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program at this time, but I wouldn't hesitate to say it's worth the $4.99.  Check out VOLTA here!