Michael Bray's Blog
May 28, 2025
Back after a long break!
Figuring i’d just take a few weeks off, then get back to it, i downed tools and did some work on getting myself well. I had no idea it would take until july of 2025 to be in the position to put out a new book.
In hindsight, i had gone beyond burnout, and was starting to resent writing. ideas dried up, and there were other issues in my life away from the page that meant i had to go through a full reboot of sorts, which brings us to today, where, at the time of writing, we are less than 2 months away from the release of my first full length Fiction novel since then, titled, THE SINNER
.The weird thing about this book, is that i actually started writing it way back in 2016, when it was tentitively titled THE WITCH, and, aside from the two protagonists (boy & girl twins) was completely different. I had chipped away at it during that burn out phase, never quite able to muster up the enthusiasm to push on. In early 2017, i scrapped the concept (initially a creepy supernatural story) and morphed it into something else, the story that would become THE SINNER.
I pushed on and got a draft more or less finished by mid 2017, then it just... it sat there untouched until 2019 when i picked it up again and had another surge, finishing the story and doing a quick partial edit. it was complete, but only as a draft. It remained that way until 2020, when again, i tried to pick up again and get it finished, the book at this point feeling like a bit of a weight around my neck.
Fast forward to 2025, and things are in a much better place. i feel good, and have banished a lot of that negativity from my life. I also got this book finished, doing what was, essentially a full rewrite from page one, leading us here, to the finished product, just weeks away from release.
Aware how long i’ve been away, i would be lying if i said i wasn’t nervous about the release window hitting. I’ve been out of the game for a few years now, and despite starting this writing journey back in 2012, i feel like a newbie again. I hope the book does well. i like the story and think people who enjoy my writing will get a kick out of it too.
Now comes the nervous wait for release day and the reaction to the book. i hope people like it, and it was worth the wait!
August 29, 2018
FROM FICTION TO REALITY. A YEAR SPENT WITH A PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION TEAM
I’ve been writing now since 2012. Just to think about that passage of time is pretty scary. Since then I’ve turned out lots of books, one of which has been adapted into a film for which I also co-wrote the screenplay. Other titles have since been translated into multiple languages all over the world which gave me the ability to write full time for the last four years. Writing, it’s fair to say, has been kind to me.
Today, I want to talk a little about…..
Ghosts.
Spirits.
The paranormal.
Not, as you might expect, in the realm of fiction where I have built my career, but in the real world. It is, after all, the great unanswered question. Do we carry on after death in some way? Is there something after when our mortal bodies fail?
The irony of both of those questions is that one day, we will all find out the answer. In the meantime, as our human-machine ticks on, wouldn’t it be good to know the answers to those questions before our time, however long it may be, is up?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a deep interest in the paranormal. My father was the same way, and I remember when I was a boy picking through his countless books on the subject and finding my interest grew more and more. Remember, this was a time before the internet and google, so books were the best way to learn. My dad encouraged this interest. We talked about ghosts, Cryptids, UFO’s. I remember a discussion we had about a new series of books covering the unexplained. As a child they were mesmerising. Huge black covered titles covering all manner of weird and wonderful mysteries. My dad, ever supportive said he would buy them for me as long as I looked after them. They were on a mail order type system and once a month, a new book would arrive about a different subject. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on those books. Every new volume was devoured, the contents inside committed to memory. Because he knew I loved them, my dad bought the whole series, something like 30 plus books. I still have a few of them here, and they are amongst my most treasured possessions. My sister has the rest of the series at her house. When I visit, I look at them on the bookshelf and I’m filled with great memories of waiting for each to arrive. One day, I’m going to visit and look through them again just for nostalgia’s sake.
I mention this because it ties into a new project I started in February 2018 and is still ongoing which I’d like to talk a little about. As you can see from the above post, the paranormal world has always been one I have been hugely interested in. It shaped my writing career and many of the books with a supernatural twist have their roots in those early years. Still, there was a desire within me, an itch that had been there in some way since I first started writing. Fiction was all well and good, but I was interested in exploring the truth about the phenomena.
As 2017 neared its end, this idea of doing some kind of nonfiction title about the paranormal world grew and wouldn’t leave me alone. The idea was, in principle, simple. What if I, as a sceptic (just because I’m interested in the subject doesn’t make me a believer) was able to shadow a real paranormal investigation team for a full year as they travelled the country visiting various locations. I would independently log each investigation and gather my own evidence which would be presented without any preconceptions. It would be a book about the truth, even if that meant saying there was little to no activity to write about or, on the opposite side of the scale, showing as much potential evidence as possible that a location actually is the source of real paranormal activity.
Even at this stage, I didn’t think it would be possible. Most paranormal investigation teams are fiercely guarded and would likely not be interested in having an independent person watching their every move and forming their worn conclusions, which, for me, was key for this project if I was to do it. Unless it was with complete honesty and without interference, I just wouldn’t go ahead.
Fortunately, my brother in law had been dabbling in paranormal investigation over the years and had recently co-founded a new group called Gatekeepers Paranormal (www.gatekeepersparanormal.com) and they were about to embark on a tour of the UK to some of the world’s most notorious paranormal hot spots in order to raise money for charity. This was potentially perfect as long as I could get over the stumbling block of needed complete and independent access to essentially conduct my own investigation. I knew this was a professional outfit and even though it was co-owned by a family member, I knew I was asking a lot of them. To my surprise, they loved the idea and agreed that not only could I shadow them, but I would have the complete and unrestricted freedom and access to draw my own conclusions from every event attended. I told them I would be doing this straight down the middle with no bias to either the believer camp or the sceptical view (which as I mentioned was where I personally sit).
With everything agreed, it was done, and starting in February 2018 I would attend the first of 11 investigations with GKP, culminating in February 2019 after which I would draw my own conclusions on the world of the paranormal and, hopefully, have a compelling book to show at the end of it.
Fast forward to August 2018, and I write this on the eve of investigation nine of eleven that I have attended and the journey has definitely been crazy! They even responded in kind to a further request a couple of investigations in when, after a particularly memorable event, I approached them with the idea of doing an accompanying web series alongside the books o curious readers could go and actually see and hear the evidence captured. I assured them I would assume full responsibility for this as far as production and editing goes, and again, GKP agreed which I remain incredibly grateful for.
Close to 300 pages written, the book is shaping up to be pretty special, with lots of incredibly strange events which even challenge my sceptical viewpoint. Along the way, I have followed the team into locations which have a rich history of activity such as the home of Europe’s most violent poltergeist, 30 East Drive for a two-night sleepover, to the foreboding Bodmin Jail and everywhere in-between as the team and I cover the entire country to investigate these locations. True to their word, GKP have allowed me the complete unrestricted access I needed to make this book work the way I wanted it to, and to boot, they have raised a significant amount of money for various worthwhile charities, giving all proceeds from their events to whichever charity has been chosen taking none for themselves. GKP also have a very active Facebook page where members can attend the investigations themselves with the team and discover first hand the world of paranormal investigation.
As for how the project is shaping up eight months in? It’s going well, much better than I could have imagined. There has even been a lot of strong interest from a few leading literary agencies in potentially representing the project which is incredibly exciting.
As far as if my sceptical point of view has been changed by what I’ve seen to date?
Well, for that, you’ll have to wait for the book to release some time in 2019. All I can say is it’s been a rollercoaster of a journey and one which is still going. Currently, the book is under consideration from a few leading literary agencies which is all very exciting. Hopefully, you will enjoy the little look behind the curtain at the paranormal world and I hope what you find there might just surprise you.
To keep up to date on all news relating to this and other projects, you can sign up to my monthly newsletter on my official website and claim a free 4 book kindle box set at the same time: https://www.michaelbrayauthor.com/
You can also check out GKP at their website linked above or on their Facebook group where they share evidence, upcoming events and chat about the paranormal: www.facebook.com/groups/gkparanormalgroup/
Finally, you can view the accompanying GKP web series which will form a companion piece for the book on the GKP YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/channel/UC8a2fsnurJgGLM6sy0Qo-7A/
August 17, 2018
THE MEG: Movie Review
I still have my first ever copy of Steve Alten’s novel, Meg.
[image error]My original copy of Steve Alten’s novel, MEG
I also own all the subsequent sequels and the limited special edition re-release of the original book. Ever since I first read that now grubby, well-thumbed paperback back in 2001, I always thought it would make an amazing film, and hoped one day, the people with the cash in Hollywood would see fit to make it happen. Hell, the Meg books even influenced my own giant monster novels FEED and the From the Deep trilogy. Fast forward to 2018, and that long-term hope has become a reality and the film (re titled as The Meg) has just hit cinemas worldwide. Finally, I thought, I get to see it, the film adaptation of one of my favourite books. Sure enough, the trailers had made me wary. Jason Statham, for me, appeared badly miscast as Jonas Taylor, but my love for the books compelled me to set these worries aside and give it a fair chance to impress. After all, the book was great, surely they couldn’t possibly mess it up….
A couple of hours later I sat for a moment in quiet reflection at what I had just watched and realised two things.
1: Jaws is still the greatest shark film of all time.
2: They completely screwed this up.
[image error]
JAWS: Still the greatest shark movie of all time. Seriously, just buy this instead. You’ll thank me later!
There were so many scenes in the book I had been looking forward to seeing on the big screen. Scenes that, even from that first read through, played on the big screen in my imagination. The opening prologue set in prehistoric times when a T-Rex, chasing prey, rushes into the ocean and gets stuck, itself becoming food for the Megalodon.
There was the superb dynamic between Jonas and his estranged wife, Maggie. Hell, even Jonas himself was a deep and troubled character, displaying an intelligence and superior knowledge about the Megalodon he was so sure he had seen and had cost the lives of his work colleagues, leaving the man in the opening chapters of the book broken and filled with doubt.
I also couldn’t wait to see the spectacular Tanaka Lagoon, a key location and plot device for both the first book and the subsequent sequels. And who wouldn’t want to see an eighty-foot Megalodon leap out of the water towards a hovering helicopter where our lead and his friend, Mac (another deep and interesting character) narrowly avoid death.
I mention these scenes because the film I just watched has none of this. In fact, aside from character names and the fact it features a Megalodon, you could be mistaken for thinking the two have nothing in common whatsoever. Watching Jason Statham ‘act’ his way through the film as a one-dimensional emotionless action hero is painful. Still, even the likes of De Caprio would struggle to make the writing for this sound good or even remotely entertaining. As I watched, I knew which lines of dialogue would be coming next as it was just so predictable.
[image error]Even the CGI shark seems embarrassed to be involved in this car crash of a film.
In fact, the entire cast seemed to just be going through the motions on autopilot and at times appeared embarrassed to be involved.
What follows is nothing more than a badly acted, cheesy, predictable dumbed down action film which is probably about as far away from the book and what made it good as it is possible to get. Also, people fall off boats A LOT. When you come out of the film and your favourite character is a dog who is a potential victim of the Meg, then you know it hasn’t been an entertaining watch. If you enjoyed the book and are yet to see this, my advice is to give it a miss and just watch Jaws again. It is still the perfect shark film and puts dumbed down dross like The Meg to shame.
This is no better than Sharknado with a budget, but at least Sharknado knows what it is and plays it with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
[image error]
Left: Sharknado. a dumbed down shark film done right and still more entertaining than The Meg.
If you are yet to watch and unsure if you should, consider buying the book instead and make sure the author, Steve Alten gets paid instead of the film studio who were willing to turn out such utter drivel and expect people to enjoy it.
This was a huge opportunity to make an intelligent giant shark film which has been badly missed in favour of dumbed down Hollywood action.
My score: 3 / 10: Awful and predictable. Huge missed opportunity which neglects all the best points of the book it was adapted from.
August 10, 2018
Back with news
It’s been a while since i posted on this blog, but that’s not to say i haven’t been busy. Since January i have been working on a new non fiction book about the world of Paranormal Investigation in which i shadow a team all over the UK on their investigations and report on their findings.
As a self confessed sceptic, this has proved to be incredibly interesting and some eight months later, i have seen some strange and unusual things. This project is at the stage now where i feel comfortable shopping it around to various leading literary agencies and there has already been some interest shown. Of course, this is no guarantee it will be picked up, but i really think this would be a unique product on the market. I’ll keep you posted on developments as always.
On the fiction side, my new psychological crime thriller, titled THE SINNER is progressing really well. Told across three distinct timelines, i’m really excited for how this one is coming together and, again, i hope to shop this one to agents as soon as it is complete.
More regular posts will be coming here soon, i just wanted to break the ice after a while away and say hello!
December 11, 2017
The hard truth about a tough 2017 and what comes next.
I’ve been putting off writing this post for the best part of this last year. One reason is that I tend to keep things to myself for the most part, and second because I was embarrassed to admit that despite on the surface coming towards the end of what looked like a good year, if anything this has been possibly the toughest year I’ve had on both a personal and professional level since I started writing. Of course, you don’t have to read it, but its here if you want to! With that out of the way, let’s get to it.
2017 has been the year I almost quit writing.
Not for a while, but for good. Done. Finished.
The reasons for this have been many, all of which I was looking to blame on other situations until I realised they all stemmed from me and how I was trying to run my career. As a result of this (which I will go into in just second) my mental health has also suffered, leading to a big melting pot of self-doubt and negativity culminating just a couple of weeks ago with the decision that I was going to quit because, frankly, I had become utterly miserable in every aspect of my life. Allow me to explain.
As with the independent publishing business as a whole, this year has been tough for most independent authors. Lots of brilliant small presses have sadly folded this last year due to this difficult period, and I myself have been affected by this too. Call it an oversaturated market or changes to various distribution outlets and their policies, but whatever the reason, sales have dropped since 2016.
If I was a hobbyist author this wouldn’t be so bad, but as a full-time writer who relies on my book income to make a living, it has been a much bigger problem. I tried various things, of course, to find a way to get back to the level I was at before. Everything from promotion tools, following the example of other successful authors, and towards the end even burying my head in the sand and convincing myself there was nothing wrong and that things would just ‘pick up’ eventually.
With each passing month, I desperately tried something different, jumping from idea to idea, changing my book covers, obsessing over every detail, checking sales every half hour then fretting when the numbers were low. This led to self-doubt as it seemed everything I tried had little to no effect. As you can imagine, this led me to question if it was possible to sustain writing as a career. This also had an effect on my personal life. I stopped wanting to leave the house, I cancelled several convention appearances all because I felt like a fraud and couldn’t risk facing people for fear they would see straight through me as someone who didn’t deserve to be there. For most of the last year, I have barely left the house, becoming a virtual recluse I gained weight and stopped interacting with anyone outside of my immediate household. I don’t blame anyone for this, incidentally. Everything I am saying is all my fault entirely, I just want to be upfront and honest with you my readers about how the year has gone.
This dark period has also affected those around me which is the thing I am most sorry for. Allowing this self-doubt to grow and spiral out of control has been completely unfair to those around me. And so with this came missed deadlines, missed opportunities with some superb anthologies which I couldn’t raise my game to submit work to as I had already convinced myself it would be no good. My output suffered, slowing to at best a crawl, at its worst, a complete stop. I took every opportunity to do anything but write as I was convinced everything I committed to paper was worthless.
As you can see, I was in a frankly shitty place where I felt I had let everyone in my life down and had made the decision in early December to quit and try to find a way to get myself back on track before it had too drastic an effect on my health.
The saving grace and the reason this didn’t happen is because of my family and my readers.
After spending most of the year pushing on in silence and struggling to control what I felt was a life rapidly spiralling out of control, I sat down and talked to my wife, Vikki (This is a big deal for me as I’m not much of a talker) and explained everything I was feeling. We talked it out and realised that things needed to change but quitting wasn’t the answer. I needed to change the way I do things and break the routine that had (by my own design) led to a life of almost total isolation.
It was pointed out that I have some amazing readers. Nothing picks up the spirits like a review from someone saying they loved a specific book or story, or a message on social media saying the same. Those seem like minor things, but you have no idea how much they have helped me and picked up my spirits during those particularly dark times.
I also talked to other family members, getting everything out in the open and feeling immediately better for it. I never believed that talking about problems helped but I’m glad to have been proven wrong. The support and help I have been given has been truly amazing which is why this is a looking forward to 2018 post and not a goodbye I quit post.
So, what does this mean going forward?
In truth, lots of changes. It’s clear to me that I can no longer sustain my current lifestyle. It is affecting both my mental and physical health. In order to fix this, a healthy diet along with exercise is going into immediate action in order to get myself healthy and shed some of this excess weight I have gained. I will be making a point of getting out of the house and making an effort to overcome my social anxiety and get out into the world rather than watch it passing by.
From a work point of view, this also means massive changes. It seems over the last couple of years I have lost track of my goals. I always wanted to go down the traditional publishing route. However after getting caught up in the self-publishing boom of a few years ago perused that instead. The problem now is, that self-publishing just isn’t bringing me any kind of satisfaction or if I’m being honest (and that is the entire purpose of this post) the income it used to.
So, the decision has been made that 2017 has been my final year both as a self-published author and also as primarily a horror author. My future works will first be submitted to agents in the first instance and from there we will see what happens. I have actually been working on a novel between projects this last few months which is a really dark thriller which I am really excited about and hope to get out to agents in the first quarter of 2018. I also have other tentative novel outlines all outside of the horror genre which will follow the same route to hopeful publication. I will still submit to anthologies etc., but there will be no more titles that I release myself apart from the exclusive content I will be posting to Patreon. I’ll also be scaling back my social media presence in generalas I focus entirely on getting myself into a better place from a personal point of view and hitting the reset button on my career and getting back to basics. I figure now is the time to really take the big test and see if my work is good enough to make it in the wider world or if this career just wasn’t meant to be. Either way, I figure I’ll have the answer by roughly this time next year, whatever it may be which both excites and terrifies me in equal measure.
I just want to end by saying a massive thank you to my family and my readers for their continued support. Each and every person who has supported me by buying a book, leaving a review, supporting me on Patreon or even recommending one of my titles to a friend or even listening to me vent and moan about various things has been key in my decision not to quit when I felt at my lowest point but to instead fight on. This is a hard business to crack and the kind of support I have from you all means the world to me.
Thank you so much for being there and here’s to the future! It won’t be easy and I may not succeed but I’m prepared to give it my all and see what happens. Hopefully, you’ll stick with me for the duration and we can see what happens together.
Michael.
January 10, 2017
Dark Corners Redux – How it all connects
I recently re released my first book – Dark Corners. The book is a non chronological collection of stories each interconnected and linked. Since release, people have been asking for a guide as to how each story is linked to the next to make sure they found all the connections. Finally, i have put together a little article about each story and how it connects to the others in the book. Obviously, there are spoilers here so don’t read this if you haven’t already read the book and don’t want to have it spoiled for you! The article picks up after the cover art image so you have been warned.
November 3, 2016
New Free to download anthology released.
Happy to announce that Burger Van, the free to download anthology in support of International Animal Rescue is available now. The idea is that if you download it, you donate the money you would have paid directly to the charity via the just giving page instead. I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated their work to this project and hope it raises a ton of cash for a much needed charity. Download and donation links are below. Enjoy and spread the word!
Download at Smashwords (EPUB, MOBI, PDF): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/678390
Other Retailers: (Barnes & Noble, Nook, Scribd etc): https://books2read.com/u/bw819O
And most importantly, the link to the fundraising page. Let’s see how much we can raise!
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/read-then-donate
October 15, 2016
My top 10 films to watch this Halloween
Summer is gone, and that means the beast called winter is fast approaching. First though, Halloween is thrust upon us. Although here in the U.K it’s not as huge as it stateside, we still embrace it, and so i decided to put together a list of my favourite movies to watch this Halloween ranked in reverse order from 10 to 1. This is a list of my personal choices and the reasons why i love them. Disagree or want to list your own top 10? Leave a comment and let me know! So, Let’s kick things off with no 10 on my list of Halloween movies:
10: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
Say what you like about the so so sequels, but for me the first in this franchise was surprisingly effective at using the whole found footage idea. Tense and filled with suspense, it came at a time when found footage films were relatively new and, dare i say, original. If you haven’t seen it already, there was also an alternate ending shot for the film which i think is better than the one used in the theatrical cut, but even now a few years on, this is still well worthy of a watch this Halloween.
BUY PARANORMAL ACTIVITY FROM AMAZON U.S
BUY PARANORMAL ACTIVITY FROM AMAZON U.K
9: SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Cornetto! Shaun of the Dead is still one of my favourite ever movies. If i happen to catch it on TV, I’ll still watch it. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost steal the show as a couple of hapless working class people caught up in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. This is a funny film, and in my opinion the best of the Pegg/Frost Cornetto trilogy of movies (the others being HOT FUZZ and THE WORLD’S END). A great supporting cast help drive the film along as Pegg and Frost go from one blunder to another. It has comedy, zombies, blood and a couple of surprisingly touching moments. If you want something a bit lighter amid the horror this Halloween, this one is for you.
BUY SHAUN OF THE DEAD AT AMAZON U.S
BUY SHAUN OF THE DEAD AT AMAZON U.K
8: CABIN IN THE WOODS
Another one which has more laughs than scares. This film takes every cliché in horror and puts a clever twist on it that makes it an incredibly fun watch. This is mindless fun but fun nonetheless. Another one to disengage the brain and watch without taking it too seriously.
BUY CABIN IN THE WOODS AT AMAZON U.S
BUY CABIN IN THE WOODS AT AMAZON U.K
7: JAWS
Still one my favourite movies of all time, Jaws in a masterclass in building drama and tension. Showing how sometimes less is more, the film still stands up well today, particularly the recent Blu Ray restoration which looks stunning. I’m sure you’ve all seen this one multiple times, and Halloween is as good a time as any to dust off the DVD (or aforementioned Blu Ray) and give it another watch. Also consider checking out the book. there are some key differences between the two versions which give a very different experience.
6: POLTERGEIST
Forget the recent awful remake. I’m talking about the original film which scared me to death as a kid. There is one particular scene with a toy clown which, after seeing as a child scarred me for life and made me afraid of them ever since. If you’ve only seen the recent remake, you NEED to check out this original version. It succeeds everywhere the new one fails and still delivers a creepy experience years later. Perfect Halloween viewing.
5: 28 DAYS LATER
Halfway through the list and we come to one of my favourite zombie films. 28 Days Later was a bit of a sleeper hit when it was released, and with its fast moving zombies and stellar british cast, you won’t go far wrong with this one. not only is this the story of the apocalypse, but also has a lot to say about the brutality of man and how even in the face of disaster there are worse things out there than the undead.
BUY 28 DAYS LATER AT AMAZON U.S
BUY 28 DAYS LATER AT AMAZON U.K
4: THE SHINING
Number four on the list is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. This is another film that i remember watching when i was younger and it scaring me. I recently watched it again when it was remastered for Blu Ray (like Jaws, with breathtaking results) and found it to be just as creepy now as it was then. The sense of foreboding and isolation is captured perfectly as the overlook hotel slowly begins to change Jack Torrance from loving husband and father to something much worse. another perfect Halloween watch.
3: CREEPSHOW
Anyone who knows me knows i LOVE a good horror anthology, both in written form or visual, and Creepshow is one of my favourites. it was a close call between this and the Twilight Zone movie, but i still have a soft spot for this one so it got the nod (just). I remember having a grainy VHS copy of this back in the day and having no clue that Stephen King not only wrote it, but starred in it too. (check out his super hammy performance in The lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill). Every story in this is a hit for fans of the genre.
2: TRICK R TREAT
I couldn’t decide for a long time between the number one and two spot. In the end, i placed Trick R Treat at number two. Another anthology of individual stories told non chronologically (Cheap plug: much like the coming reissue of my story collection, Dark Corners available on Halloween and available now to pre order HERE). Each story is brilliantly clever in their own right. You will see scenes from other tales from different perspectives and angles as we jump around the timeline of Halloween night revealing horror after horror. GO BUY IT!
BUY TRICK R TREAT AT AMAZON U.S
BUY TRICK R TREAT AT AMAZON U.K
1: HALLOWEEN
What else could top the list but the john Carpenter classic? Shot on a miniscule budget, Halloween is a masterclass in horror. The fact that our monster (the iconic Michael Myers) stalks around in daylight instead of solely jumping out of the shadows like many other films of the era gives it an edge. Then of course there is the musical score. Everyone gets goosebumps at that, surely? The sign of a good film is in how well it ages and Halloween is just as frightening today no matter how many times you may have already seen it.
And so that’s my list. Not strictly the best films, but my favourites. Think something is wrong or have a different opinion? Leave a comment and let me know. List your favourites and why, I’d love to see what you recommend.
October 6, 2016
Graphic novel review: Sick B*stards issue #1
Sick B*stards was the first black cover Matt Shaw book I ever read and I always thought it would translate well to other mediums. Now, a couple of years and a ton of success later, we have the graphic novel adaptation just about ready to release and I am excited to say I have read it and want to share my review of it here. As you know, Matt and I have worked together on and off over the years and chat daily about mostly pointless things, I and I know trying to get this off the ground has been both stressful and expensive, so I want to say how happy I am for him that not only has he done it, the results are spectacularly good. So, to the (Spoiler free) review.
First up, as a word of warning, the black cover range of books carry a warning on the front and, as readers of Matt’s work will know, he pushes beyond the boundaries of taste and makes no apologies for it here. The opening pages of Sick B*stards follow that theme and are both graphic and shocking, setting the scene for what is to come. The book has a certain tone. It is dark, claustrophobic, the story essentially a post-apocalyptic tale of survival but grounded in reality a world away from the bigger scale books and movies. Issue one introduces us to a family learning to survive in the aftermath of some global catastrophe, yet there are no wastelands here which helps sell the immersion. Instead, we focus on the family who, as the story progresses reveal that dysfunctional would be too kind a word, especially when we learn how they have learned to exist in a savage new world.
The artwork in this graphic novel is phenomenal, and embodies the bleak nature of the story and is reminiscent of Alan Moore’s sublime From Hell but with use of colour, the world is shown to us in shades of green and brown, the details in the linework subtle and yet intricate at the same time. Long story short, this is a gorgeous looking product and all involved should be incredibly proud of the end result.
As with a lot of Matt Shaw’s works, the story told here jumps to different time periods, giving is a deeper look at the characters before the events set in the modern day. There is a certain sympathy, particularly for the son of the family, as we see his struggles to adapt to the new world and find his place within it amid the backdrop of depravity and horror that is never far away. The fact that we manage to feel sympathy for characters who should disgust us is a real strength of the story and one which I hope carries through into future issues.
All in all, Issue one of Sick B*stards is a triumph. The introduction to the story is paced just so that we learn enough to want to move forward and see what comes next. Matt and his team are currently raising funds to produce issue two, which I sincerely hope happens as it would be a shame to see this project die. If you want to support their efforts, you can do so by clicking HERE.
If you haven’t read the original book, you can pick it up via Amazon by clicking on the links below. Get it. Read it. And revel in the slightly dirty feeling it gives you.We all know you’ll enjoy it.
A rock solid 9/10 score for this one.
GET THE NOVEL THAT STARTED IT ALL, SICK B’STARDS BY MATT SHAW AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS:
AMAZON UK CUSTOMERS CLICK HERE
AMAZON US CUSTOMERS CLICK HERE
September 22, 2016
Why I’m boycotting my own book: A warning tale for all authors.
As the title of this blog suggests, yesterday I took the some might say, crazy step of asking my readers and those who support me NOT to purchase my very first novel, Dark Corners (December 2012) in any format or the audiobook edition of my bestselling book, WHISPER. This isn’t because I don’t want people to read my work. I do, it’s because of a dispute with the publisher of said titles and the rights of them which I have requested back only to be met with a firm and resounding no. The publisher in question posted a link to a blog he had written on my facebook author page about his take on the situation( https://medium.com/@edrenehan/of-literary-licenses-and-copyrights-and-wrongs-86de577461b2#.wmu3kirxq), so i felt it was only right that i should respond and tell mine. Let me explain.
Back in 2011, I finally decided to take the plunge and turn my hand to writing fiction. There was no natural decision to try horror, it was simply that I grew up reading and watching it, and so writing it was the next natural progression. As anyone who has written before knows, there is a very real sense of dread as you take those first steps into the unknown. I wrote a short story or two and tentatively submitted them to a couple of publications. Within a couple of weeks, both had been accepted. Hell, one even paid me! (A whopping $10!). With a spring in my step, I turned to my wife and told her I planned to write a full length book and try to get it published. She admitted later she had reservations about this, but as always gave me her full support at the time. With my newly acquired $10 sitting in my PayPal account waiting to be spent, I started to put the idea I had in mind down on a fresh word document. A few months and lots of frustration and rewrites later, I had a finished product. Just over 104,000 words of a book I titled Dark Corners, which is essence was a collection of short stories which were told in a non-chronological way and all interlinked in some way. As you would expect, I was really proud of it and started my search for publishers who might want to take a chance on my newly crafted work.
Of the half dozen publishers I submitted to, the first to respond was a small company based in Rhode Island called Dark Hall Press, who expressed an interest in taking the book on.
Yes! My first book was going to be published!
They sent me a contract which I saw no issue with. Worst case scenario, according to how I saw the contract, I could revert the rights after a set period of time if I was in anyway unhappy. Fantastic. That gave me a little security, right?
Wrong.
Initially, everything was great. The company were courteous and communicated well. I provided the cover art myself (more on this later) and they tidied up the manuscript and published it.
Boom. It was done. I had been published for the very first time. As per the terms of my contract, I would be paid royalties twice yearly (January and July) and receive semi-annual statements of units sold. I received statements up until january 15, and then nothing. No way of verifying the amounts I was being paid every six months (between $100 and $150) were accurate or correct for the entirety of 2015 and 2016 to date. I had to just assume the funds that were being paid to me were correct. In hindsight, I should have resolved it at the time but I had already moved on to other things and the book that would go on to be my best selling title, WHISPER, was making waves and getting a LOT of sales, so I let it slide. Later, Dark Hall press got in touch again to enquire about the audiobook rights to Whisper. I agreed, not knowing at the time that audiobooks were something I could easily arrange myself via ACX and didn’t see another way of exploiting those markets. The deal was done, and Whisper was going to be an audiobook. The only issue was that a few days later, I was contacted by Horrific Tales publishing. They were a company on the rise and I was (and still am) a huge fan of the owner Graeme Reynolds and his High Moor series of books. (Highly recommended by the way if you love werewolf horror). I explained that I would love to sign with them (it would go on to give me my very first pro paying advance) but the audiobook rights would be unavailable. Like the true professional he is, Graeme had a revised contract with me within the hour with the audiobook provision removed and we did the deal which went on to prove a great call as they pushed the book right to the very summit of the amazon horror charts in both the UK and the US.
A couple of weeks later, Graeme drew my attention to the fact that the whisper audiobook was on sale and using their cover art (which had been commissioned from an external artist) for the audiobook without permission. This was put down to an error or oversight, and after intervention from Graeme, the cover was eventually removed after a lengthy period of stubborn refusal by DHP to change the artwork which was being used illegally, a situation which was only resolved when Graeme threatened legal action (does anyone see a theme here?) if the cover wasn’t removed. I provided an alternative audiobook cover to Whisper at my expense so we could get the audiobook out and in the public domain. Another red flag but I was looking forward to new projects, and so for the second time let things slide.
Fast forward to 2015. I was still receiving my payments from Dark Hall Press every six months but without any statements or proof of how many sales I was making or that the numbers were even correct. However, by this point, I had just quit my day job to write full time and was (and still am) making a good living from my work. As a hybrid of traditional and self-published author, it’s important to make sure all sales are tracked and logged for every title. Of all the publishers I work with this isn’t a problem as I receive regular itemized statements from them. All with the exception of one.
Dark Hall Press.
Knowing I need to file accurate tax and income reports as one of the responsibilities of being self-employed, I knew that remaining with Dark Hall Press was just no longer viable. I had a huge gap in my income reporting which I needed to plug. As the three-year minimum term had long gone to activate my release (the book was published in December 2012), It should be easy to get my rights back, relaunch the book myself (the sales for it under DHP are my far the lowest of any title) and try to give it a new lease of life. I sent an email explaining my position and that I would like my rights back, thinking it would be a swift and easy process and I would be able to plug that sales reporting hole in one swoop.
Not exactly. The email response I got was baffling, to say the least. Here. See for yourself:
Let’s break this down. Time and money for promotion. Where? When? Sharing a link on Facebook is free and was done a couple of times since release then never again. NO other promotion ever took place. As for money, I don’t see where. I paid for and provided the cover art for both Dark Corners and Whisper. The audiobook was likely produced on a profit share scheme with the narrator which means no money is exchanged up front. Other than the edits for the initial book, I see ZERO cost or outlay that wouldn’t have easily being recouped by DHP in the almost 4 years since release. Undeterred, I went back again, bringing up the issue with sales statements (or lack of) and that I wouldn’t change my mind, and, if need be I would be taking legal action via a publishing rights lawyer to enforce the break and raise the issue in the public domain to avoid other authors falling foul of the same situation. Hoping that would do the trick and express how strongly I felt about the situation, I was confident the matter would be resolved with no further drama. After all, who wants an unhappy author on their books who has made it clear he wants out as is his legal right? Right? Right?
Not exactly. This then came back.
Okay, so it seems that in their own words, they are using this situation to set an example to other authors who ‘might have a similar request down the road’ Is that not an admission of deliberately deceiving authors into signing contracts they have no hope of ever getting out of? What kind of professional company would do that? The sad part of this is, that they have a point. The terms of their contract are heavily weighted towards the press and give the author little to no rights. See this clause which I had interpreted at the time (remember I was new) as giving me a get out clause.
See the problem? This is all weighted and leveraged towards the publisher with no provision for the author. Sadly, due to my inexperience, this means that on this technicality I will likely not get my rights back despite having no wish to further deal with a company who have said, in their own words that this clause is there to prevent other authors doing the same.
Wow.
To me, that is awful business practice and I could see why such an email might frighten a less experienced writer into sitting on their hands and allowing themselves to be taken advantage of.
True enough, the version of me who signed this contract might have been frightened into silence by such a strongly worded response. Unfortunately for Dark Hall Press, I am NOT that same wet behind the ears author anymore and as a result, don’t fall for scare tactics. I have been doing this long enough to know how this business works. I have gone on to publish multiple titles with several quality publishers all of which provide both regular statements of sale and fair get out clauses to the author should the relationship not work out. The email above suggests that I am the one at fault for not requesting statements which by the terms of the contract should have been provided to me on the dates agreed! I should not have to chase these up and request them as providing them is the absolute minimum a publisher should do as part of their side of the agreement. (see contract excerpt below)
As these have not been provided for the last year, are they not in breach of their own contract terms? As far as making an example of me goes, I encourage them to try. The truth of the matter is that I can live without the income from Dark Hall Press. I’m not going to lose sleep over a couple of hundred dollars a year, as my other titles more than afford me a decent living. What I REFUSE to accept is to be bullied.
As of the time of writing this, DHP is still digging their heels in and refusing to grant the return of my rights. I have neither faith or trust in the company anymore and do not want my work with them, but the clause in their contract leaves me with little choice. The above email is nothing less than an attempt by the publisher to try and scare me into submission, and the sad thing is that a lot of new authors would have done exactly that. I know the 2011 -2012 version of me would have.
Unfortunately for DHP the 2016 version of me has a thicker skin and knows the business. Despite their claims of time and money spent, I think it’s clear enough that neither has happened. A handful of social media posts and running of Amazon promos does NOT qualify. Covers were also provided by me free of charge so there is no cost there. The only conclusion I can draw is that the reason for refusal to grant rights back comes down to the age-old subject of money. With the claws in, it seems they are reluctant to let go and by the tone of the response I received looks to be their business strategy going forward. (After all, I am an example they are making. It says so in the email). Interestingly, I know of at least a couple of other authors who have or are currently trying to get their rights back from DHP and there has been at least one other grievance filed with the Horror Writers Association (Mine will be going in today) as well as other proposed legal action in relation to their unreasonable stance on rights reversion. I don’t know the ins and outs of those particular cases so I can’t comment. Simply knowing they exist, though, is enough to raise yet another red flag.
I think it is only fair to make people aware of what they will be getting into if they sign the current form of contract with Dark Hall Press. In their own words, they want a backlist and so don’t want you to get out once you are in. According to them, this is the industry standard, but I disagree. My other contracts with professional companies have provision to mutually end the relationship after a set period of time. The days of old fashioned no get out contracts is over and with the rise of self-publishing and the tools it provides there is no place in the horror community for such behavior.
As to what happens next, I really don’t know. If there is any justice, DHP will realise that I’m not a ‘new’ or young writer that is just going to go away. I’ve been doing this for almost six years and have over twenty titles in print with a multitude of publishers. What might wash with others won’t wash with me.
Until my rights are returned I will continue to boycott the books in question (and hope everyone else would do the same). I would also suggest DHP evaluate the terms of their contracts and offer the author a revision or rights clause which is standard in the industry now instead of quietly hoping to snare unwitting authors into a position where they feel they have no options.
For me, life goes on regardless. Sales are good and the future is bright. Until the rights are reverted, please keep boycotting those titles and every other Dark Hall Press release until they give fair terms to the authors they sign. Nobody should be tied into a contract which, by their own admission, is designed so that authors simply cannot leave. No matter how you look at things, that is plain wrong.
The age of old fashioned, old school mentality like that displayed by DHP simply has no place in the modern writing world. With luck, this, and your help to spread the word alongside the various complaints and grievances currently under investigation by the Horror Writers Association in relation to DHP and their business practices will hopefully bring about change so that nobody else falls foul of such a situation.
Fear not, though, as there is a solution. I intend to rewrite the book (the 2011 writer has come a long way since this was first created), rework the stories, add new content and re release under a different title which has nothing to do with the current version of the book.
TO CLARIFY:
I will no longer acknowledge ever writing the DHP edition of Dark Corners. I will not promote it.
I will NOT feature it on my bibliography.
I will remove all mention of it on all my social media profiles and websites.
That book is officially dead to me.
Don’t buy it. Don’t share it. Don’t acknowledge it.
Do, however, look out for something else. DARK CORNERS REDUX, a collection of interlinked horror stories is coming early 2017.
After all, there is always a way to see justice done. It may already be too late for me to do anything about my situation but hopefully, if you are reading this, you will share it far and wide so that nobody else falls foul of the same issues in the future. If you are a writer new or old and are reading this, i can’t stress enough how important it is to read your contract and make sure you understand it. The sad fact of the matter is that there are a lot of presses out there who use these old fashioned contracts, which for me, outside of the big 5, is both unreasonable and unrealistic, and those publishers go on to exploit new writers and get them to sign their rights away with no hope of ever getting them back. I was one of them and paid the price. I just hope you fare better!
