Michael K. Rose's Blog, page 7

Win a Signed Copy of A DIFFICULT MIRROR

My friend  Benjamin X. Wretlind 's new novel, A Difficult Mirror, comes out on September 23rd, but you can enter now to win a signed copy via Goodreads! I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of the book, and this is definitely one you won't want to miss. Check out my review here, and click below to enter the giveaway.

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Goodreads Book Giveaway


A Difficult Mirror
by Benjamin X. Wretlind

Giveaway ends September 23, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win

DARKRIDGE HALL is Now Available!

My new young adult paranormal novel Darkridge Hall is now available as an eBook from Amazon or Barnes & Noble! Just click on the appropriate link below to get your copy.
Amazon's US Kindle Store Amazon's UK Kindle Store B&N's Nook Store
You can also read an excerpt from the novel here and read about the inspiration behind it here .
Best!Michael K. Rose
***
An evil lurks in the depths of Darkridge Hall, and Andy, a new student at Kransten Academy, is about to meet it face to face.
When threatening, shadowy figures appear outside his dorm room window, Andy decides to solve the mystery of just who or what they are. But those same shadows may be responsible for the strange deaths that have been occurring in the town of Bethlehem, Maine over the past several decades.
As Andy, his teacher Mark Harris and police chief Charles Buck struggle to put the pieces together, they soon realize that the answer may come too late for them to stop the malevolent power behind it all.

My Time in Stephen King's Maine

When I was writing my new novel Darkridge Hall , I had a bit of a strange thought. It's a paranormal novel set in rural Maine, and my thought was this: What if people think I'm just ripping off Stephen King? Many of his novels are set in Maine, and it's become somewhat of a trademark of his.
But I feel I have a legitimate right to set my story there. For three years during high school, I attended a small boarding school in rural Western Maine. As with many things in life, my memories of my time there are probably a bit sweeter than reality. I did go through a lot of difficult times during my teenage years, and I have not forgotten them, but while it was going on, the bad seemed so much more immediate than the good.
It was only with time and distance that I was able to truly appreciate how my years at that school shaped me and, for the most part, I feel that the overall influence was a positive one. I was introduced to and became interested in things that have stayed with me over the years. Would I have developed those same interests had I attended a different school? How different a person would I be today? How better--or worse--of a person would I be?
It's difficult to answer these kinds of questions, and in some cases, it's difficult to even ask them. We all have regrets. We all wish we had done something different. And sometimes those regrets are so deep as to cause real pain when we think about what could or should have been.
When I moved back to my home state of Arizona for college, I missed Maine. My fondness for it only grew stronger through the years, and when I attended my 10-year reunion several years ago, being back there, now as an adult, was an almost surreal experience. Many things were as I remembered them, but there were details I had completely forgotten. And the most stirring details were not visual, not something I could recreate by looking at photographs. They revolved around scents and sounds and the general atmosphere of the places I had once known so well: the way the stairs in the classroom building sounded as you walked down them; the scent of the library; the way the light filtered through hallways.
The school and the town in Darkridge Hall were modeled on that school and that town in Maine, and writing it brought back a lot of those memories for me. As I wrote the scenes between Andy and his roommate Dave, I remembered meeting my roommates for the first time. When I wrote about Andy and Dave sitting in Mark Harris's classroom, there is a very particular classroom that I saw in my mind where I had spent some of my happiest hours. And the very feel of the town, the streets that the characters walk and drive along, the trails winding through the woods, the houses... all these things came from my experiences there.
Of course, many details have been changed for the sake of the story, but this is my first major work where "write what you know" has had any real meaning. Because of this, it's also the first novel that I have a deep emotional connection to. Because my connection to that school is firmly rooted in my adolescence, I made another choice regarding Darkridge Hall: I decided that it would be a young adult novel. I wanted to write for an audience who could understand the school the way I understood it. I wanted to preserve the way I felt about it.
If you know Maine at all, Stephen King's Maine, you could probably guess that the school I attended is called Gould Academy and that the town is called Bethel. But if you don't know the school or the town, I hope that in reading Darkridge Hall, though dramatization it may be, you will find that the spirit of those places will be present. I hope my fondness for those memories will come through.
All the Best,Michael K. Rose

***
DARKRIDGE HALL IS NOW AVAILABLE!

Purchase from:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble


An evil lurks in the depths of Darkridge Hall, and Andy, a new student at Kransten Academy, is about to meet it face to face.

When threatening, shadowy figures appear outside his dorm room window, Andy decides to solve the mystery of just who or what they are. But those same shadows may be responsible for the strange deaths that have been occurring in the town of Bethlehem, Maine over the past several decades.

As Andy, his teacher Mark Harris and police chief Charles Buck struggle to put the pieces together, they soon realize that the answer may come too late for them to stop the malevolent power behind it all.

To read an excerpt from Darkridge Hall, please click here .

A Preview of DARKRIDGE HALL

Hello, all! My young adult paranormal novel Darkridge Hall will be officially released this Friday, August 9th, but here's a sneak peek from chapter five. Enjoy!
***
ANDY STARED AT the pounded tin ceiling two feet above him. The light from the moon illuminated the room enough so that he could just see the pattern. It was a pleasant night, and he and Dave had decided to leave the window open. Below him, his roommate was snoring lightly.
Andy reached his hand up and touched the ceiling. Intricate scrollwork bordered each tile. It was rendered in the Egyptianesque motif popular during the Art Deco movement of the 1920s. Andy recognized it because after reading The Great Gatsby over the summer, he had embarked on a month-long study of the period. As was usually the case for him, the reality of the period had turned out to be more interesting than the fiction.
Inside the borders of each tile were symbols which Andy recognized as Egyptian hieroglyphs. Andy had a general understanding of Ancient Egyptian history and culture, but he didn’t know enough about it to recognize what the symbols stood for. He decided then and there that he would rectify that. He did, however, recognize the djed pillar on some of the tiles.
There was a definite Egyptian theme to the entire building, but again, it could have just been because of the popularity of Egyptian Revival architecture during the twenties, mostly spurred on by the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb and the treasures that it had held.
As Andy lay quietly pondering the ceiling, he began to get the sensation that he was being watched. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at Dave. He was still asleep. Andy then turned his head and looked out the window. Just at the edge of the light being cast by the streetlamp was a figure, standing very still. It looked as though it was peering up at the second story of Darkridge Hall. In fact, it looked as though it was peering up at the very window out of which Andy was looking.
Andy suppressed a shudder. In one fluid movement, he jumped down off his bunk and dashed to the window to get a better look. The figure sprinted away into the darkness before Andy could see any detail.
Behind him, he heard confused muttering. Dave had been disturbed by the thump as Andy had hit the floor. Andy glanced in Dave’s direction but saw that his roommate was only stirring and not waking.
He turned back to the window. Just as his eyes refocused on the scene outside, a flash of movement caught his eye. It had been near the same spot where he’d seen the first figure. It had retreated quickly, as soon as Andy had turned back.
A sense of dread passed over him. He felt as though whoever—whatever—it was, it was stalking him. If he turned away from the window again, would it return? Would it move closer?
Andy backed away from the window and hunched down. From his position, he could just see the spot where the figure had vanished. He hoped it couldn’t see him.
After about a minute, something crept back into Andy’s field of vision. It appeared to be the same dark figure. Andy held his breath as he watched it. The head—or what seemed to be the head; the outline of the figure was indistinct—was scanning the windows of Darkridge Hall. Andy knew it had seen him before. Its reactions had coincided precisely with Andy’s movements. But what was it doing now? If it could still see Andy, it wasn’t making any indication.
Andy realized that his lungs were beginning to protest, so he took a deep breath. Another flash of movement caught his eye. The first figure had been joined by another. No, several others. There had to be a dozen of them. Andy could see them creeping around the edge of the streetlamp. They skirted the aura of the light as though they were unable or unwilling to let it cast its full glare upon them.
Unfortunately, that glare did not extend to the edge of Darkridge Hall. They could come right up to the building without entering the light.
Andy tried to reconstruct the building in his mind. The front entrance of the dorm looked out over the main lawn and had lights on either side of the door. There was also a back entrance that was illuminated. The side opposite Andy’s window faced the road that passed by the school. But on this side of the building there were no doors and no lights, and the streetlamp that illuminated the road on the other side of the field was too far away. Immediately, Andy understood that for anything that shunned the light, this was the only approachable side of the building.
But what were they? Were they local kids—townies, the seniors had called them—trying to scare the prep school kids? It didn’t matter now. They were approaching Darkridge Hall, and even though he was on the second floor, Andy felt vulnerable. Anyone athletic enough would be able to scale the side of the building if they wanted to.
He began to panic as they moved closer. They moved too strangely to be anyone walking normally. They crept. Andy watched as they came closer and began to zero in on his window. They got close enough to disappear from Andy’s sight. He’d have to lean out the window to see them now.
Andy glanced around the room for anything he could use to protect himself. He noticed Dave’s camera sitting on his desk and snatched it up. He turned it on, blindly pointed it out the window and pushed the shutter button, hoping the flash would go off and scare them away.
It did. A second later, he saw the figures retreat into the darkness. Andy stood, pulled the window closed and latched it. With shaking hands, he fumbled with the camera, trying to figure out how to review the photos. He found the correct button, and, as he squinted at the small screen, a chill ran down his spine. Whatever the figures were, they definitely weren’t townies.
***
DARKRIDGE HALL ARRIVES AUGUST 9, 2013!
An evil lurks in the depths of Darkridge Hall, and Andy, a new student at Kransten Academy, is about to meet it face to face.
When threatening, shadowy figures appear outside his dorm room window, Andy decides to solve the mystery of just who or what they are. But those same shadows may be responsible for the strange deaths that have been occurring in the town of Bethlehem, Maine over the past several decades.
As Andy, his teacher Mark Harris and police chief Charles Buck struggle to put the pieces together, they soon realize that the answer may come too late for them to stop the malevolent power behind it all.

Coming August 9: DARKRIDGE HALL!

Hello, all! I am excited to officially announce the release date for Darkridge Hall, my upcoming young adult paranormal adventure! This is my first young adult novel as well as my first major departure from the science fiction genre. Below you'll also find the reveal of the great cover designed by Alexia Purdy.
Look for Darkridge Hall this coming Friday, August 9!
DARKRIDGE HALL
An evil lurks in the depths of Darkridge Hall, and Andy, a new student at Kransten Academy, is about to meet it face to face.
When threatening, shadowy figures appear outside his dorm room window, Andy decides to solve the mystery of just who or what they are. But those same shadows may be responsible for the strange deaths that have been occurring in the town of Bethlehem, Maine over the past several decades.
As Andy, his teacher Mark Harris and police chief Charles Buck struggle to put the pieces together, they soon realize that the answer may come too late for them to stop the malevolent power behind it all.
AVAILABLE FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013!

101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing -- 011: Put It In Print

The eBook revolution really is a wonderful thing. It has not only made self-publishing finally viable for most people, but for readers, it has opened up an entire new world of possibilities. 
But this also means that as eReaders become more popular and affordable, people will buy fewer and fewer print books. I know a lot of people lament this fact and worry about the possible extinction of print, but I don't think that will happen.
Humans will always have a need to surround themselves with things, and for readers, those things will include books. I see eBooks and print books having a relationship similar to the current relationship between hardcovers and mass market paperbacks.
Hardcovers (or nicer, larger-sized trade paperbacks) are the books you buy to keep, the books from your favorite authors, the ones you display on your shelves. The mass market paperbacks are meant to be read then sold, traded, left on airplanes, packed away in boxes, etc. If you're at all like me, you've discovered a favorite book via mass market paperback that you then wanted to buy a nicer copy of, a copy to keep, a copy to admire on the shelf.
I think eBooks will eventually replace the cheap, mass market paperbacks, but not books altogether. Our casual and exploratory reading will happen digitally, and the books we love we will seek out in print.
This is why I think it's a good idea to put your books out in print. If your experience is similar to that of most self-published authors, the lion's share of your sales will be in eBooks. But if you use a service like Amazon's CreateSpace , you will see some sales of your print books. They may be slow, but they'll add up over time. Plus, signed print copies are great gifts for your fans and are a crowd-pleasing prize for contests. You can also sell signed copies from your website and boost profits a bit that way.
Keep in mind that formatting for print can be a bit tricky, but if you don't have the time or patience to learn how to do it yourself, there are people who will provide the service for a fee. You also have to design (or have designed) a wrap for the back cover and spine. I think the time (or money) is worth it, however. In addition to having something available for your die-hard fans, there's really no experience quite like ripping open a box and seeing your book in print. It exciting to see your eBook go live, but it simply cannot compare to holding your work in your own two hands.
Until Next Time!Michael K. Rose
***
If you're enjoying the series so far and would like a single page to bookmark, I'll be adding each of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing  here . Also be sure to subscribe by email (see the box in the sidebar) to be automatically notified about my new posts.

You might also be interested in my new eBook, Building a Promotional Package: How to Prepare for Your Successful Book Launch. Details about it can be found  here .

101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing -- 010: Write Everything Down

The other night, I went to bed and, as usual, lay there thinking for a while. An idea for a story entered my head and, as I was nearly asleep, I didn't really want to get up and write it down. But I did. I forced myself.
The next morning, I saw the piece of paper I'd written on laying by my bed and knew I'd written something on it, but I simply couldn't remember what. If I hadn't written it down, it could have possibly been lost forever.
In retrospect, I don't know if the idea I wrote down will work the way I want it to. But that's not the point. The next one I force myself to get out of bed and jot down could be my next novel. It could become my most successful novel.
I know every writer has experienced this sort of thing. In fact, there are ideas I've lost because I thought I would be able to remember them. Sometimes they'll come back to me later on, but often they won't. I also know that every writer has heard this before and knows they should write things down. But that doesn't stop us from trying to rely on our memories every once in a while, does it?
So here are a few tips so you never get caught trying to remember that brilliant idea you just knew would make for an awesome story.
1. Use your phone/device/etc. If you're out and about and find yourself without a pen and paper, you can use the note-taking program on your mobile device to jot it down. You can also email it to yourself if you want to be sure a copy gets safely to your computer.
2. Keep a pen and loose paper by your bed. I recommend loose paper rather than a journal because it cuts out the step of flipping through the book to find a blank page. At three in the morning, there's a risk of losing that idea-inspiring dream if you have to do too many things before writing it down. I like to use index cards, since their rigidity makes it easier to write on them without a desk or other solid surface present. Make sure the pen and stack of paper or cards are dedicated to your bedside. Don't move them during the day as you might forget to put them back later on.
3. Keep an idea file on your computer. Scraps of paper and napkins can easily get lost. When you get home (or get up, if you've written something during the night) copy your notes into your idea file so they'll all be in one place.
4. Keep your loose notes. Sometimes flipping through pages of physical notes can inspire you in ways reading on a screen can't. You can take them out and rearrange them to see how different ideas will work together. Plus, you'll have your original notes in case your computer crashes and you lose your idea file. But this won't happen, because your regularly back up your files, right? Right?
5. Write more than just story ideas. Sometimes the behavior of a stranger will inspire a character trait you can use. You might also find yourself in an unusual location or hear an amusing snippet of conversation. Write these things down, too. You never know what will inspire you, and anything that you take notice of could also be the sort of thing to make readers take notice and get them more involved in your story.
Do you have any other ways to make sure you never lose your ideas? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!
***
If you're enjoying the series so far and would like a single page to bookmark, I'll be adding each of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing  here . Also be sure to subscribe by email (see the box in the sidebar) to be automatically notified about my new posts.

You might also be interested in my new eBook, Building a Promotional Package: How to Prepare for Your Successful Book Launch. Details about it can be found  here .
Best,Michael K. Rose

101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing -- 009: Don’t Be Political… Unless That’s Your Thing

If you're at all active on social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), you've no doubt encountered people who seemingly use it for the sole purpose of political commentary. And if that's your thing, if you write politically charged books, that's fine. But if that's not your thing, if you don't get into politics in your books or you approach it tangentially, my advice would be to avoid getting political when engaging potential readers.
Why?
I don't mean to imply you shouldn't express your views if you want to. Of course you can. But like with most other things, it's best to take a step back and spend a few minutes in quiet reflection before posting something that is political. Ask yourself a few questions:
1. Is this a point/issue I feel is essential to my online identity and therefore want to express it?2. If I do decide to post, am I phrasing it in the most productive way?3. Is my desire to post a political commentary worth alienating a current or potential reader?
Regarding point one: My online identity is as a speculative fiction writer. I post things relating to science fiction, books, writing, publishing, etc. I will occasionally post things not related to writing, things I find interesting, things that express my other interests, but these are in keeping with my online identity. Personally, I don't post intimate details about my life or my family. It's not part of my public persona, and not the sort of thing people who follow me as a speculative fiction writer are interested in reading about. Point one is really all about creating a line between your public persona and your private persona.
Regarding point two: If you decide to get political, I would encourage you to word your statements positively rather than negatively. Saying something like, "All people who believe this are stupid!" isn't going to win you many fans. Expressing support for something you strongly believe in is a much safer way to approach political commentary. There will still be people who disagree with you, but at least you haven't gone out of your way to antagonize them.
Regarding point three: No matter how carefully you word your statement, there will be people who will unfriend/unfollow you and swear off ever reading your books simply because you expressed an opinion they strongly disagree with. Unfortunately, most of the political discourse in America (I can't speak for other countries) had devolved into this kind of behavior. I don't like it, but I can't see any way to change it.
Now, if you decide you don't want fans like that anyway, go ahead and post. But just remember that such a potential reader could become a devoted fan or friend and be a great person who you have much in common with outside of politics. And by the same token, don't be a reactionary if someone posts something you don't like. People are so much more than their political affiliations, and it would be wise to remember that when dealing with someone who has been vocal about controversial issues.
I will make one final point. You might be familiar with established authors who are highly political and unabashedly so. They have large, built-in fan bases and in many cases have made politics part of their public personas, whether or not their writing has to do with it. As with many things, those who are "established" can get away with breaking or bending the rules a lot more easily than the rest of us. Keep this in mind if you are thinking of modeling yourself on someone who is outspoken in that way. 
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you agree with me that writers are generally better off by keeping their politics private? Are there any other issues you think it is unwise for a writer to be vocal about?
***
If you're enjoying the series so far and would like a single page to bookmark, I'll be adding each of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing  here . Also be sure to subscribe by email (see the box in the sidebar) to be automatically notified about my new posts.

You might also be interested in my new eBook, Building a Promotional Package: How to Prepare for Your Successful Book Launch. Details about it can be found here .
Best,Michael K. Rose

New Release: BUILDING A PROMOTIONAL PACKAGE

I have a new eBook available, my first non-fiction title. It's called Building a Promotional Package: How to Prepare for Your Successful Book Launch . 
It's built off the series or articles I wrote last year but has been updated and expanded. I've also included tasks for you to complete at the end of each chapter to make it easier to get everything together.
Here's the official book description:

New authors often find book promotion to be a confusing and frustrating experience. In this concise step-by-step guide, author Michael K. Rose will walk you through building a comprehensive promotional package. He will show you how to organize all your promotional material in one place where it can then be tailored to your specific needs. 

Whether you've yet to promote an upcoming release or are a planning a promotional push for a published book, Building a Promotional Package will give you the tools necessary to help ensure your success.

The book is available at Amazon for just 99 cents. Check it out!
Purchase Building a Promotional Package from: Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Canada Amazon.de and all other international Kindle stores
Best Wishes!Michael K. Rose

SULLIVAN'S WAR Just 99¢ Through July 20!

My science fiction adventure novel Sullivan's War is currently on sale for just 99¢. This sale will only run through July 20, so be sure to get your Kindle or Nook copy today!
Available at: Amazon's US Kindle Store Amazon's UK Kindle Store B&N's Nook Store and all other international Amazon Kindle stores.
Also be sure to check out the sequel, Sullivan's Wrath !
If you'd like to help spread the word, extra Tweets would be great. Just copy and past the following to your Twitter account:

SULLIVAN'S WAR by @MichaelKRose is just 99¢ through July 20! Get it for the #Kindle or #Nook: http://myriadspheres.blogspot.com/201... #SciFi

Thanks!
Michael K. Rose

Praise for Sullivan's War:
"...a futuristic political thriller with great action, setting, and characters."
"...the narrative in the book is so flawlessly detailed, the reader can visualize the action as clearly as watching it on a screen. Mr. Rose has a big talent and I look forward to his future works."
"My renewed interest to the genre is a credit to the author. I have abandoned the sci-fi genre for awhile, but after having Sullivan's War recommended to me, I am now back in."