G. Michael Vasey's Blog: The Wacky World of Dr. Vasey, page 37

The War Wolf – Review

It isn’t often that I rave about a book or anything to be honest. Perhaps I need to do it more often? However, I recently took advantage of a Free Kindle offer to download a book called The War Wolf: The Sorrow Song Trilogy Part One (Volume 1)

by Peter C. Whitaker. Peter is a fellow Hull man that I somehow met on Facebook in the last year or so who writes too and very well. The book is part one of a trilogy of books called The Sorrow Song Trilogy and all three books cover just a few days and weeks in 1066. I have always enjoyed good historical fiction or perhaps faction especially if the author can really talk the period and Peter can do just that. He has obviously researched the remarkable events of 1066 and all of the main antagonists like William of Normandy, King Harold and his family and King Harold Hardrada of Norway. These characters are well developed and one really feels particularly for the tragic King Harold. The story centers around a set of mostly fictional characters however and as these develop, they suck you into the drama and events of late summer 1066.

At the center of the story is Coenred the huscarl, a fighting man and an upright saxon proud of his heritage. There is love interest for Coenred too in the form of a widow and a cut throat antagonist who fancies his chances of bettering himself via the same widow. I found the characters compelling and the historical detail interesting throughout.

This first book features the largely forgotten stand of the northern Saxon army against the Norwegian invasion at Fulford Gate. A battle lost by the Saxons but by a Norwegian King who for some reason didn’t take full advantage of that fact and faced another saxon army led by King Harold at Stamford Bridge losing his life in the process. Peter’s battle descriptions are incredible as well and one can almost hear and smell the sweat, blood and guts of it all.

I really loved the book and immediately bought the second – The Rapture of Ravens and am finding it equally enjoyable. I cannot wait for the third book to come out and yet I can as I know that Harold was defeated at Hastings and the Saxon dream was smothered at that point. It’s a strange dichotomy of wanting to know what happens to the characters and yet knowing the final outcome!

One last thought. I have always sided with the Normans. My family name – Vasey – is a derivation of de Vescy, William’s cousins family that held Northumbria for a hundred years or so before dying out so I have always sympathized with Williams claim to the English throne. This book however, managed to get me to change my mind and side with the Saxons – thats how powerful it is.

I can’t recommend this book more highly to those who enjoy a good historical story.

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Seeking Support

Crowd funding is all the rage these days it seems. So why not seek some crowd funding for my activities I thought and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. So here it is…

Why not support me and my writing and blogging activities with a small monthly donation to the cause? Just $1 , $5 or $10 a mont is all it takes and you can sign up here.

So what do you get for your hard earned cash????

For $1 per month – If you support my activities for $1 per month, I will invite you to my private FB page at The Haunted world of G. Michael Vasey. Here you will get previews, free stories from my books, discussion and a true scary time…..

I will also add you to the My Haunted Life Supporters page and thank you there for your support.

I will also hold a FREE drawing each month with the prize being a copy in ebook or audiobook format of one of my books…

For $5 per month At this level of funding, I will not only add you to the private Facebook group, but I will gift you a copy of every scary book I write in ebook format…. I turn out 4-8 books a year so that should be a lot of scary reading! I will also add you to the private discussion part of the my haunted life too website where you can join in discussions on all sorts of supernatural chat and add you to the supporters page.

At $10 per month At this level of funding, You will get all the benefits above, gift you a copy of every ebook I produce and also send you a free copy of every audiobook that I produce. I will also gift you a free copy of every ebook put out by my small publishing company – Asteroth’s Books.

I will continue to think about what I can do for the donations and probably change and add to those promises above as I get more into the idea. For now, I thought I’d give it a go. I mean, if I got 30 or so people at $5 per month, that would be a great distribution for my books as I write them…. eventually, I would be able to afford a make over at the My Haunted Life Too website as well with these donations.

So, give it some though ghostluvvers and support my scary stories…..here

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Exciting News!

Yes, I am excited to announce the audio book version of Your Haunted Lives will shortly be out. I reviewed the sound files this morning submitted by Darren Marlar and it sounds simply awesome thanks to Darren. Your Haunted Lives is now available in Kindle, paperback and audiobook formats and continues to storm the supernatural Amazon charts. It is fast becoming my best selling book of all time and is currently second only to My Haunted Life Too, having been in the top 20 for more than 3-months and in the top 3 much of that time. Thanks to all who have purchased it.

The Your Haunted Lives audiobooks is almost 2.5 hours long and is read in masterful fashion by Weird Darkness creator and host – Darren Marlar. The sample can be found here.

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Review, reviews, reviews

I am always grateful for a review. They are the life blood of writing and writers.

However (Yes, gripe following….)

Could someone tell me why people request free books – any free book it seems, and then write a 1-star review saying “This was not my cup of tea”. To me, this is like kicking a gift horse well and truly smack in the mouth! You asked, you got, it turns out it wasn’t what you expected or it’s not the genre for you – so don’t leave a shitty review!

I think I was brought up a certain way and I would NEVER accept a gift and then criticize it if it was say, women’s shoes! I would simply find them a more suitable home and be grateful someone gave me something.

Now, if you get a free gift for a review and you read it and genuinely don’t like it – fair do’s. I can accept that. But to say, I didn’t read it because it’s not my cup of tea – 1-star? That really is the action of an ungrateful SOB. Don’t you agree? I mean, if you don’t read the thing, don’t review it!

I usually don’t read reviews. In the early days I did read them avidly expecting to learn from them and sometimes having my ego stroked or destroyed. These days, I want people to review – say what you will if you read the book, I don’t read them. Here is why. Everyone has different tastes and likes/dislikes. What for one person is the best thing since sliced bread, for another is trash. You can’t please everyone but simply hope to find an audience that likes what you do.

However, reviews remain important – its actually not what they say, it is the volume of them that counts.

So, please, do leave reviews. I likely won’t read them but please do….

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Pills

I don’t know whether it is because I am a closet hypochondriac or just 20-years under the US health system but I realized this week I drop an awful lot of pills.Now, I will hasten to add, many are vitamins and supplements but still. In hospital this week I realized that the doctors there have a system and it goes like this. Side effect? Ah, take this. After a while, you are taking pills for a side effect of the pills you took for a side effect of the antibiotics! We have become a society who simply believes that there is a pill for everything haven’t we?

When you have time on your hands and nothing to do but browse the net, you start looking at things. For example, I have been taking a pill to reduce stomach acid for years now everyday. It’s called a proton pump inhibitor. It struck me, should I be taking such a thing for years? Apparently not! Despite the doc happily writing the prescription every 90-days,from what I can see, these are pills for short-term use only and no one knows the long term effects. One thing that is worried about is the role that stomach acid plays in stopping digestive tract infections! This is just one example. I could go on.

So, once I am well, I have decided to try to eliminate all the pills. Well, all the chemicals. My probiotics will stay. I shall try to do this by adjusting my diet and I’m going to give the paleo diet a shot. I can’t start for a while but I will keep you all posted on how it goes. Meanwhile, think about the pills you take everyday. We are what we eat they say…..

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What A Week= A Clash of Systems

Last Thursday all was well. Then Thursday night, I had a feeling that something wasn’t right. By Friday, I was so weak I more or less spent the entire day sleeping and my stomach was on fire. By that evening, I was spending more time in the bathroom than I would usually like and it went downhill from there. Saturday, we went to the hospital. I was shivering one minute and sweating like crazy the next.

The funny thing was, we couldn’t seem to find the emergency room. Walking all around this huge rambling hospital was not something I really wanted to do. There were a few choice remarks about how well signposted it was and that you could die trying to be saved. We later discovered that there really isn’t an emergency facility at this hospital!

Eventually, we were pointed to the surgical unit that served as an emergency service of sorts at weekends. After waiting an hour, I was prodded, poked and interrogated. Blood was taken and an ultrasound exam. Then wait. By the time we were called back, it was a different doctor who wrote me a prescription for antibiotics and sent us off saying come back if it gets worse. It got worse. So same procedure on Sunday. The blood tests indicated inflammation or infection. They offered to admit me – I said No. Once you get admitted to a Czech hospital – it’s hard to get out again. However, by Monday, I was forced to concede my hand and that night I was admitted.

The Czech medicine system is social medicine of course and by and large, it truly is excellent.Yes, you have to follow the protocols and so on but the treatment is second to none and I would include my 20-years experience of over-priced, hyper-cautious US medicine in that.

I was immediately put on three different antibiotics and infusions for dehydration, pain and so on. I even got a private room at a small daily fee. But I knew what to expect and I was not wrong. Is it the 5-years of communism I wonder that has the medical staff in a hospital here do everything right except remember that you are a person? By day 2, I was already feeling better and plotting my escape strategy!

You see, most Czechs just take it. They were brought up to accept the silent treatment of the nurses, the visits by pompous heads of departments surrounded by sycophantic junior Doctors who barely look at you and talk in front of you as if you actually did not exist. There is a formula I was told. It works and we follow it. You do as you are told, we treat you per the formula and you get well.

Hmmmm?

On my last day, they moved an older gentleman in next to me. He spoke some English. 30-days I have been locked in this hell hole he told me. 30-days? I asked why he didn’t demand to be allowed home and he looked at me and after a short think said – communism. I knew exactly what he meant. He had been trained his entire life to do not think. It’s difficult to let that go I suppose. I on the other hand, have been trained to think, analyze, compete, speak my mind and get ahead. A clash of systems was about to occur.

If you complain you get the cold shoulder. But, complain I did. Why was I trapped to the hospital bed I asked with a drip? To go to the bathroom I had to call the nurse who arrived when they felt like, muttered under their breath and unhooked me. I simply pointed out that I could take pills instead right? I was hydrated. I was recovering. I was grateful but…. A doctor arrived. We had a discussion in which I made my case. I was unhooked. The staff wouldn’t talk to me after that. How dare a patient actually complain? How dare a patient actually discuss his health and situation with a doctor?

I wasn’t rude. I just explained and made my case.

Every doctor visit I didn’t lay there while they discussed me like I wasn’t there. I engaged the doctor with questions about my condition, the plan and queried why? This was my escape plan you see. I knew that they don’t like ‘difficult’ patients.

I got out Thursday afternoon. As I dressed to make my final bid for freedom, the man next to me looked on sadly. He was wondering how I had managed to get out so easily while he still lay there with drip not knowing what was next or even why he was still there.

I am recovering now at home. I have a diet and the antibiotics. I am weak. I didn’t eat a thing for four days.

I’m not complaining. The system was there for me when I needed it and it is an effective system. I just wish it recognized that the person being treated is a person.

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Support Me?

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Crowd Funding and Patreon

So, I had heard of crowdfunding of course in which people give a small amount of money towards a venture or a cause with the idea that these donations add up via a crowd of donators. What I had not heard of was using a similar model to support creative people. However, I found one and am giving it a try.

The idea here is that people who write books, blog, make videos, paint and so on are often unable to make sufficient money to make it worth their while. So, why not get that persons ‘fans’ to pay a little money each month or by piece of work to supplement the artists activities? It’s actually a great idea in my opinion and it certainly offers another avenue to make some money doing what I enjoy doing. So, yes, I signed up and am offering three levels of monthly commitment to start off with. I will tweak it as it goes and try to see what is the best approach.

But think about this, I put out 4-6 ebooks a year. Some of them sell and some of them don’t but not in the quantity that it takes to cover my costs. Perhaps, if I got 10 people to sign up at $3 per month and simply gave them the books along with other gifts and pieces of work, I’d actually do better? So that’s what I will try. It still isn’t a lot of money and the day job remains important but it may just make the difference between breaking even and losing money and, I may be able to invest that money in more marketing or indeed, more time to write.

I think this is a great idea. Do you?

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Your Haunted Lives Revisited

Yes, having been kicked in the teeth by the release of The Pink Bus – a set of short stories that I consider to be amongst the best work I have done – I have returned to form. Ghost stories. As the follow up to the (still) best selling Your Haunted Lives, I offer – Your Haunted Lives Revisited. True stories to chill you to the bone, stand the hair on your neck on end and give you the willies…..

Out soon….

Here is the cover.

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I don’t Get It!

There are many things that I simply don’t get. Selling books is one despite trying very hard this last three years or so to figure it out.

Can anyone answer these questions?

1. If you have a hit book why does the next book that you write not sell?

Yes, Your Haunted Lives has been in the top 10 in supernatural in the UK and in the US for around 3-months yet The Pink Bus (a book I think is my best work to date), isn’t selling at all. Is it about title or cover? apparently not, for I also put out the Pink Bus under another name with different title and cover with the same result.

2. Why can I not create a brand?

I have strove to create a brand in my writings – G. Michael Vasey is that brand and yet the only book that sells any real quantity at the moment is Your Haunted Lives. I have an author’s page and a back catalog. In the back of each book is a list of my other books. So why do people not buy them? Why does no one interact with me online in social media? Why is my mailing list only 140 people?

3. Why are my blogs hardly visited?

I have been blogging since 2005. I am a veteran. Yet, my blog receives no more traffic now than it did back then. It’s packed with great articles – as well as some dross!, its promoted in all of my books and much more yet I may as well not bother it seems.

4. Even more perplexing – why do sales of Your Haunted Lives not translate into visits to my ghost site?

This one has me stumped. The book is selling very well – between 5 and 20 copies a day. It quite clearly says it is a collection of edited stories from the site. It asks people to go there and visit explicitly. But based on traffic, it seems they don’t. Stumped, puzzled and amazed.

I have come to a conclusion. Quit moaning. At least I am selling some books – more than average. Why should I complain?

Well, it’s because I cannot get my head around why everything you read and are told to do simply DOES NOT WORK for me. I have no idea why one book takes off and another does not. No idea why people don’t buy the back catalog having read something they enjoyed or visit the website the stories came from…..

On Amazon, it says that I have had hit books and it lists them….

Your Haunted Lives

Ghosts In The Machines

My Haunted Life Too

My Haunted Life

Four hit books on Amazon but what happened to the ones in between?

God’s Pretenders

My Haunted Life Three

The Pink Bus

How To Create Your Own Reality

I guess the lesson is clear – write throw away ghosts story compilations and enjoy some modicum of success – try to actually write and fail.

Oh well….

Suggestions and comments welcome – but then no one ever does.

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