Michael K. Rose's Blog, page 13
December 26, 2012
CHRYSOPTERON Blog Tour Day 4: Mythology, Hosted by Craig McGray
Today's Chrysopteron blog tour host is horror/paranormal author
Craig McGray
. Craig is the author of
The Somnibus series
. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of the first book, and it is definitely a creepy, haunting thriller with a good dose of mystery. I'm eagerly awaiting the next in the series!
The topic I wrote on for Craig's blog is "The Role of Mythology in Chrysopteron." The novel is filled with references to Greek myth and I wanted to explain a few of those references. You can read the article here .
Also remember that my Christmas sale runs through the 31st. Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents each. Info about that can be found here . And if you like free stuff, all you have to do is like my Facebook page and you'll be entered to win all of my books. This contest also ends on the 31st, so see the details here .
Best,
Michael K. Rose
The topic I wrote on for Craig's blog is "The Role of Mythology in Chrysopteron." The novel is filled with references to Greek myth and I wanted to explain a few of those references. You can read the article here .
Also remember that my Christmas sale runs through the 31st. Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents each. Info about that can be found here . And if you like free stuff, all you have to do is like my Facebook page and you'll be entered to win all of my books. This contest also ends on the 31st, so see the details here .
Best,
Michael K. Rose
December 24, 2012
CHRYSOPTERON Blog Tour, Day 3 Host G.D. Tinnams
G.D. Tinnams is the author of the science fiction novel Threshold Shift and the short story collection Five Byte Stories. Today, he's hosting an interview with me on
his blog
as part of my Chrysopteron blog tour. Read it
here
.
I had the pleasure of interviewing G.D. Tinnams back in August, which you can read here . Also be sure to check out his work on Amazon US and Amazon UK .
I still have my Christmas sale going. Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents each until the end of the month. Info about that can be found here . And if you like free stuff, all you have to do is like my Facebook page and you'll be entered to win all my books. Details here .
Merry Christmas!Michael K. Rose
I had the pleasure of interviewing G.D. Tinnams back in August, which you can read here . Also be sure to check out his work on Amazon US and Amazon UK .
I still have my Christmas sale going. Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents each until the end of the month. Info about that can be found here . And if you like free stuff, all you have to do is like my Facebook page and you'll be entered to win all my books. Details here .
Merry Christmas!Michael K. Rose
December 23, 2012
CHRYSOPTERON Blog Tour, Day 2 Host Leigh M. Lane
Today, I have a guest post over on the blog of author
Leigh M. Lane
entitled "Religion: Touching on a Touchy Subject in Fiction." Chrysopteron deals rather prominently with religion, and I wrote this because I wanted to share my thoughts on how one writes about such a controversial topic without--hopefully--alienating readers. Read it
here
.
Leigh M. Lane has ten published novels and twelve published short stories divided among different genre-specific pseudonyms. Check out her work here .
In other news, I still have my Christmas sale going. Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents each until the end of the month. Info about that can be found here . I also have a contest running. All you have to do is like my Facebook page and you'll be entered to win all my books. Details here . And, finally, Sergeant Riley's Account, the prologue to Sullivan's War, is free at Amazon today (Dec. 23). Click here to download it for your Kindle.
Leigh M. Lane has ten published novels and twelve published short stories divided among different genre-specific pseudonyms. Check out her work here .
In other news, I still have my Christmas sale going. Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents each until the end of the month. Info about that can be found here . I also have a contest running. All you have to do is like my Facebook page and you'll be entered to win all my books. Details here . And, finally, Sergeant Riley's Account, the prologue to Sullivan's War, is free at Amazon today (Dec. 23). Click here to download it for your Kindle.
December 22, 2012
CHRYSOPTERON Blog Tour, Day 1 Host: David Bain
Today officially kicks off the blog tour for my new science fiction novel Chrysopteron! I'm very excited about this, and I have lots of great interviews and guest posts to share with you over the next couple of weeks.
Everything kicks off with David Bain , horror author of the novels Gray Lake and Death Sight - A Will Castleton Novel, as well as fun novellas like The Cowboys of Cthulhu. He interviewed me over on his blog and you can read it here .
If Chrysopteron sounds like something you'd enjoy, you can get it as an eBook from Amazon's Kindle stores as well as Barnes & Noble's Nook store. Click here for links and more information.
Also remember that Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents each until the end of the month. Info about that can be found here .
Best,Michael K. Rose
Everything kicks off with David Bain , horror author of the novels Gray Lake and Death Sight - A Will Castleton Novel, as well as fun novellas like The Cowboys of Cthulhu. He interviewed me over on his blog and you can read it here .
If Chrysopteron sounds like something you'd enjoy, you can get it as an eBook from Amazon's Kindle stores as well as Barnes & Noble's Nook store. Click here for links and more information.
Also remember that Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents each until the end of the month. Info about that can be found here .
Best,Michael K. Rose
December 21, 2012
12/21/12: Why Nothing Happened Today
Nothing has happened today so far. And nothing will happen today. Big surprise, right? Of course, I doubt there ever were very many who really believed the world was going to come to an end. But there are many, many more who believe there occurred today some sort of spiritual event. Some sort of cosmic realignment. Some sort of grand awakening.
Well, it didn't. People are going to be just as selfish, greedy and craven as they were before today. People will also be just as kind, generous and caring. Because here's the truth about December 21, 2012: it's just another day. People did good today. People did bad. There was plenty of both love and hate to go around.
I think that if a person needs to believe something happened today in order to feel fulfilled in his or her life, then that person has been cheating themselves out of the ability to enjoy and appreciate what they had before today. Your life is not any more special or meaningful now that it was yesterday. If you think it is, I'm sorry for all the lost meaningful days you've let slip by.
Why didn't anything happen? Well, it's because all the beliefs surrounding this date have no basis in fact or history. The Mayans, or any other ancient culture, did not have the ability to predict the future. A belief that their calendar means something significant is no more reasonable than a belief in the predictions of Nostradamus or Edgar Cayce.
Isn't it time that rational, intelligent human beings stop believing in such nonsense? Isn't it time that we create a culture in which people must require something beyond a "feeling" before they wrap their lives up in a falsity? And the way we do that is by making it unacceptable for charlatans to ply their trades. Anyone who claims to predict one's future, or put one in contact with dead relatives or spirits, or tell who you were in a past life, should be able to demonstrably prove that they can do the things they claim. If they can't, they should be charged with defrauding the public.
But here's the worst part about it: many of the psychics/spiritualists/whatever-they-call-themselves believe they really can and are doing these things! How dangerous is it to have a person who believes their own claims telling others what they should and shouldn't do? It could easily lead to financial ruin or worse. And I, for one, am tired of seeing earnest people, people who are hurting or desperate, people who are trying to find direction in their lives, buy into it.
I do not claim that some people don't have clairvoyant powers. But if you do, how base is it to use such powers for financial gain? And I would bet money that 99% of the people offering up such services for a fee cannot offer any proof that their claims have veracity. As I said before, this if fraud, plain and simple.
So nothing happened today, no matter what charlatans the world over would have the willing believe. Today wasn't special. But it was, in the sense that every day is special. Every day is a gift. Don't spend your life waiting for some future event that may never come. Don't spend it searching for answers that aren't there. If you want the meaning of life, here it is: be good, be kind, and try to live a life that is meaningful. Interpret that how you will. But whatever you do, live for the here. Live for the now. Spend time with those you love. Try not to add any misery to the world and, if you can, add some joy. I'll end with one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite authors:
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” - Henry James
Well, it didn't. People are going to be just as selfish, greedy and craven as they were before today. People will also be just as kind, generous and caring. Because here's the truth about December 21, 2012: it's just another day. People did good today. People did bad. There was plenty of both love and hate to go around.
I think that if a person needs to believe something happened today in order to feel fulfilled in his or her life, then that person has been cheating themselves out of the ability to enjoy and appreciate what they had before today. Your life is not any more special or meaningful now that it was yesterday. If you think it is, I'm sorry for all the lost meaningful days you've let slip by.
Why didn't anything happen? Well, it's because all the beliefs surrounding this date have no basis in fact or history. The Mayans, or any other ancient culture, did not have the ability to predict the future. A belief that their calendar means something significant is no more reasonable than a belief in the predictions of Nostradamus or Edgar Cayce.
Isn't it time that rational, intelligent human beings stop believing in such nonsense? Isn't it time that we create a culture in which people must require something beyond a "feeling" before they wrap their lives up in a falsity? And the way we do that is by making it unacceptable for charlatans to ply their trades. Anyone who claims to predict one's future, or put one in contact with dead relatives or spirits, or tell who you were in a past life, should be able to demonstrably prove that they can do the things they claim. If they can't, they should be charged with defrauding the public.
But here's the worst part about it: many of the psychics/spiritualists/whatever-they-call-themselves believe they really can and are doing these things! How dangerous is it to have a person who believes their own claims telling others what they should and shouldn't do? It could easily lead to financial ruin or worse. And I, for one, am tired of seeing earnest people, people who are hurting or desperate, people who are trying to find direction in their lives, buy into it.
I do not claim that some people don't have clairvoyant powers. But if you do, how base is it to use such powers for financial gain? And I would bet money that 99% of the people offering up such services for a fee cannot offer any proof that their claims have veracity. As I said before, this if fraud, plain and simple.
So nothing happened today, no matter what charlatans the world over would have the willing believe. Today wasn't special. But it was, in the sense that every day is special. Every day is a gift. Don't spend your life waiting for some future event that may never come. Don't spend it searching for answers that aren't there. If you want the meaning of life, here it is: be good, be kind, and try to live a life that is meaningful. Interpret that how you will. But whatever you do, live for the here. Live for the now. Spend time with those you love. Try not to add any misery to the world and, if you can, add some joy. I'll end with one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite authors:
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” - Henry James
December 20, 2012
CONTEST: Win ALL My Books!
Hello, all! I've decided to run a little Christmas contest. The winners will receive eBook copies of all the books I've published to date, which includes Sullivan's War,
Short Stories
and the brand-new
Chrysopteron
.
To enter, all you have to do is like my Facebook page ( click here ). On December 31, 2012, I'll select three winners among those who like the page, and they will each receive the three books. In addition, there will be one grand prize winner who, in addition to the eBooks, will receive signed postcards featuring the covers of Sullivan's War and Short Stories as well as bookmarks.
So click here to like my page and enter. You don't need to do anything else; I'll contact the winners on the 31st. Good luck!
Michael K. Rose
The Small Print1. To win, you must be "liking" the page when the selection of winners is made.2. Even though I have several other eBooks for sale, mainly short stories, they are all included in three books listed above.3. eBooks will be delivered via email in either mobi or epub format.
To enter, all you have to do is like my Facebook page ( click here ). On December 31, 2012, I'll select three winners among those who like the page, and they will each receive the three books. In addition, there will be one grand prize winner who, in addition to the eBooks, will receive signed postcards featuring the covers of Sullivan's War and Short Stories as well as bookmarks.
So click here to like my page and enter. You don't need to do anything else; I'll contact the winners on the 31st. Good luck!
Michael K. Rose
The Small Print1. To win, you must be "liking" the page when the selection of winners is made.2. Even though I have several other eBooks for sale, mainly short stories, they are all included in three books listed above.3. eBooks will be delivered via email in either mobi or epub format.
December 19, 2012
New Release: Chrysopteron
Now that it has finally been published at B&N's Nook store, I can make the announcement that Chrysopteron is now officially released!Captain John Hayden, haunted by memories of war and still grieving the death of his wife, is about to embark on the most important mission of his career: to discover the fate of the Chrysopteron, one of five generation ships which left the Earth centuries earlier. The descendants of the Chrysopteron’s original crew had successfully colonized their planet, but less than a hundred years later, all contact was lost. Hayden knows that a mysterious new religion which was formed aboard the ship may have played a role in determining the fate of the colonists, but there is no way to know what he and his crew will find when they finally arrive.
In a story that touches on issues of faith and self-determination, Chrysopteron explores the fundamental elements that define our species. Even though we may leave the Earth, we cannot leave behind that which makes us human.
Available at: Amazon.com Amazon UK Barnes & Noble
Praise for Chrysopteron
"Rose delivers not only a story with rapid-fire action but a story of hope, a story of discovery and a story of journeys. These journeys are not simply vehicles for the plot to move but plots in and of themselves. Chrysopteron is a "golden-winged" gem of a novel and one that cements worlds imagined into the conscious dream of worlds yet seen." - Benjamin X. Wretlind , author of Sketches from the Spanish Mustang
"This novel starts with a mystery: what happened to the colonists on the Chrysopteron, a generational space ship? In answering this question, Mr. Rose has distilled larger society into a microcosm. This is fiction at its best. Not only is Chrysopteron a serious study of humanity’s quest for divinity, but it’s also a compelling story that explores the birth of a new religion and its impact, sometimes catastrophic, on believers and nonbelievers alike." - K. Wodke , co-author of Betrayed and Tangerine
"A masterpiece." - Amazon Review
#12NovelsIn12Months Update: That Happens This Time of Year
Well, I'm about a month behind on my project to write 12 novels in 12 months. As the title says, that sort of thing happens this time of year. Revising and editing Chrysopteron took quite a bit more of my time than I anticipated, plus I was out of commission for about a week at the end of November due to a nasty cold.
But I'm not too worried. I have one more novel to revise and edit in the next few weeks (Sullivan's Wrath, the sequel to Sullivan's War ) then I can devote my time solely to writing for a couple of months. I plan on doubling down in March, and will attempt to write two books during that month.
On the positive side of things, I am very pleased with how Chrysopteron has turned out. All my advance readers loved it and have used phrases like "A masterpiece" and a "...gem of a novel..." in their reviews of the book. I also got it released a few days ahead of schedule, so if you hurry, you can read it before the end of the world.
I've also come up with an idea for a horror/paranormal trilogy which has filled in the rest of my #12NovelsIn12Months calendar. So I now know exactly what I'll be working on over the next ten months. That's a reassuring feeling, knowing I'll never reach the point during this project at which I'm sitting in front of a blank screen, not knowing what to do.
One final note: I am running a Christmas sale! My novel Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents apiece until the end of the month (or your country's equivalent). Sullivan's Wrath is coming soon, so it's a good opportunity to pick of Sullivan's War and get caught up on the story. Click below to be taken directly to the product pages on Amazon:
Sullivan's War, just 99 cents - Amazon US, Amazon UK Short Stories , just 99 cents- Amazon US, Amazon UKChrysopteron, $4.99- Amazon US, Amazon UK
All the Best!Michael K. Rose
But I'm not too worried. I have one more novel to revise and edit in the next few weeks (Sullivan's Wrath, the sequel to Sullivan's War ) then I can devote my time solely to writing for a couple of months. I plan on doubling down in March, and will attempt to write two books during that month.
On the positive side of things, I am very pleased with how Chrysopteron has turned out. All my advance readers loved it and have used phrases like "A masterpiece" and a "...gem of a novel..." in their reviews of the book. I also got it released a few days ahead of schedule, so if you hurry, you can read it before the end of the world.
I've also come up with an idea for a horror/paranormal trilogy which has filled in the rest of my #12NovelsIn12Months calendar. So I now know exactly what I'll be working on over the next ten months. That's a reassuring feeling, knowing I'll never reach the point during this project at which I'm sitting in front of a blank screen, not knowing what to do.
One final note: I am running a Christmas sale! My novel Sullivan's War and my collection Short Stories are just 99 cents apiece until the end of the month (or your country's equivalent). Sullivan's Wrath is coming soon, so it's a good opportunity to pick of Sullivan's War and get caught up on the story. Click below to be taken directly to the product pages on Amazon:
Sullivan's War, just 99 cents - Amazon US, Amazon UK Short Stories , just 99 cents- Amazon US, Amazon UKChrysopteron, $4.99- Amazon US, Amazon UK
All the Best!Michael K. Rose
December 18, 2012
Christmas Sale: 99-Cent Science Fiction & A New Release!
Hello, all! Today begins my Christmas sale! My novel
Sullivan's War
(normally $4.99) and my collection
Short Stories
(normally $3.99) are each only 99 cents through the end of December. Click on each title for a direct link to the eBooks at Amazon.com's Kindle store or visit
my website
for additional links.
I am also pleased to announce that although the 21st is the official release date, my new novel Chrysopteron is now available as an eBook on Amazon! You can link directly to your store of choice below.
Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon.de Barnes & Noble (Coming Soon!)
For those who celebrate, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Best,Michael K. Rose
Note: You can also click the covers below for a direct link to each book's Amazon page.
I am also pleased to announce that although the 21st is the official release date, my new novel Chrysopteron is now available as an eBook on Amazon! You can link directly to your store of choice below.
Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon.de Barnes & Noble (Coming Soon!)
For those who celebrate, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Best,Michael K. Rose
Note: You can also click the covers below for a direct link to each book's Amazon page.
December 13, 2012
Pre-Order My New Novel CHRYSOPTERON Today!
My new science fiction novel Chrysopteron officially arrives on December 21. But if you pre-order the eBook today, you'll receive it before everyone else! It'll also give you a chance to read it before the apocalypse!Click here to pre-order now and be among the first to read Chrysopteron! Available in both mobi (Kindle) and epub (Nook) formats.
Description:
Captain John Hayden, haunted by memories of war and still grieving the death of his wife, is about to embark on the most important mission of his career: to discover the fate of the Chrysopteron, one of five generation ships which left the Earth centuries earlier. The descendants of the Chrysopteron’s original crew had successfully colonized their planet, but less than a hundred years later, all contact was lost. Hayden knows that a mysterious new religion which was formed aboard the ship may have played a role in determining the fate of the colonists, but there is no way to know what he and his crew will find when they finally arrive.
In a story that touches on issues of faith and self-determination, Chrysopteron explores the fundamental elements that define our species. Even though we may leave the Earth, we cannot leave behind that which makes us human.
Praise for Chrysopteron:
"Rose delivers not only a story with rapid-fire action but a story of hope, a story of discovery and a story of journeys. These journeys are not simply vehicles for the plot to move but plots in and of themselves. Chysopteron is a "golden-winged" gem of a novel and one that cements worlds imagined into the conscious dream of worlds yet seen." - Benjamin X. Wretlind , author of Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors and Sketches from the Spanish Mustang
"This novel starts with a mystery: what happened to the colonists on the Chrysopteron, a generational space ship? In answering this question, Mr. Rose has distilled larger society into a microcosm. This is fiction at its best. Not only is Chrysopteron a serious study of humanity’s quest for divinity, but it’s also a compelling story that explores the birth of a new religion and its impact, sometimes catastrophic, on believers and nonbelievers alike." - K. Wodke , co-author of Betrayed, Zeke and Tangerine
