Michael Whetzel's Blog, page 2

Sam....

My son, Sam Whetzel, passed away after a long battle with leukemia. He was 12 years old. We have just finished a weekend of funeral/memorial and celebrating his life. 

I miss him dearly. 

We are back home and trying to become acquainted with life after Sam. 

I will be back to work soon on delayed projects. 

Thanks to all of you for your support and understanding. It has been a difficult year. 

Stay tuned for future announcements regarding Pied Piper of the Undead 2, Black Rain 3, and Providence 2. 

peace to you, 

Mike

Sabbatical....

Because my son, Sam, is undergoing cancer treatment and has reached a critical point in that treatment, I will be taking a long sabbatical from work for the unforeseen future.

Thanks for your patience, understanding, and support. All of you are very appreciated.

If you would like to follow Sam's progress or show him some love and support, we have set up a Facebook page detailing his situation.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/WeSupportSam

peace,
Mike

Worldbreaker update!

Episode 3 of Worldbreaker is up. 

Head to www.flashserials.blogspot.com to read the FREE all-ages fantasy serial. 

Really like working in this format. After Worldbreaker ends, may still continue to do a story this way. 

My son is still undergoing treatment for cancer. He has been feeling better lately. 

I am still finishing Pied Piper of the Undead 2. I am hoping for a August release. 

Thanks for your support. I have been active on my Facebook page a lot, sharing favorite books and such. Hit the link above to like it and join the discussion. Congratulations to Trish Wrobel and John Fulk for winning free BOOM audiobooks. There are still 3 copies to give away. I am doing trivia on the Facebook page so join up for a chance to win one. 

peace, 

Mike

Summer Promo: Get them while you can!

First, if you missed the last post, we are in Maryland where my son is undergoing a new kind of cancer treatment. Current projects are on hold i.e. Pied Piper 2 and Black Rain 3 for now.

I am still writing and releasing Worldbreaker episodes. Head here for the free serial. Episode 3 should be finished soon.

I should also have my entry into the Wartooth Arena contest done soon. I actually changed my mind midway through and started something new.

With my agreement to stay with Amazon exclusively, I am allotted a certain number of free days to use every few months. And they've been piling up. So to make up for the delay, here's some FREE FREE FREE titles. Grab them while you can.

This whole week (June 17th thru June 22nd), these select titles will be free.

Here's the schedule:

CUBE  June 20 - June 22

Bandwidth  June 17 - June 21

BOOM    June 17 - June 21

Blood Will Run  June 20 - June 21

The Pied Piper of the Undead   June 20 - June 22

That's 5 FREE books available this week. Hit the Amazon page here and grab yours on the set day.

New episode...

Just a quick note letting everyone know that episode 2 of Worldbreaker is up. Head here to check it out. 

My son is moving to the National Cancer Institute in Maryland to undergo experimental treatment for his leukemia. He is not responding to chemo anymore. My schedule is a mess and will be for a bit. 

I will continue working on projects as they come. Pied Piper will be delayed. Black Rain 3 will be delayed. The shorter works are working better right now. Worldbreaker and my entry into the Wartooth Arena should not be affected at this time. I will announce any updates and release dates through here. 

Thanks for your support and understanding.

Mike

iFiction! announcement...

Quick post to update on some things.

First, the BOOM audiobook is here!!!! Nic Frantela has delivered a hell of a performance and I urge you to pick up a copy, even if you have already read the story. It is a great way to pass a couple of hours. The voice acting is top notch and yes, there is a ticking sound effect. Awesome job, Nic. I look forward to working with you again soon.

WORLDBREAKER is a FREE all ages fantasy serial I've started and episode 1 is up and ready. Episode 2 hits later this week and things become even more intriguing in the world of Shade. Check it out here.

Good friend Everette Bell has started a writing contest over on the Wartooth Arena Facebook page. If you are an indy author or aspiring author, check it out. Great way to go head to head with your peers and get some great promo for your work.

The main news with this post is to inform everyone that I am dis-banding the iFiction! brand. iFiction! was an experimental process I was trying with fellow author, Everette Bell. With the situation with my son, I felt it best to step away for now. I was not able to focus on building the imprint and was having to spend most of my time working on the larger projects. I hope to one day come back to it and recruit even more writers to the project. As for now, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Everette Bell, aka Christopher Byrd, for being such a supporter of the imprint and great partner. I will continue to work/support Chris in every way possible and wish big things his way. Just not bigger than me. :)

I continue to work on Pied Piper of the Undead 2. It will be take some more time. One reason is this one is going to be way longer than the first book. Which I believe to be a good thing and worth the wait. I hope anyways. Shooting for a late June release. And if you have not read the first one, well, why not? Head over and download a copy, and also read the latest reviews from MJ Evans and Trish Wrobel. I am grateful to them, and to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review on any of my books. It really helps inform other readers of the quality of the story.

My son continues to fight his cancer. Some days are good, some days are not. The road is still long and hard, but this kid has spirit and we continue to support him in every way. If you want to follow his progress, we have set up a Facebook page here. We update it frequently. We appreciate everyone's support.

If you live in the nothern Virginia area and are an MMA fan like me, check out the event coming up in August from the Victorium. A portion of the ticket sales go to help support Sam in his fight. Entitled Fight for Victory, big thanks to Jessica Hise and everyone else who is working to put this together. I will post more as we get closer but spread the world. Head here to order tickets or for more info.

That's it for now.

Mike.

Hospital time = Writing time

I am now splitting most of my week between home with my two kids and the hospital with my other son, Sam, who is fighting leukemia. This in turn has led to a split in my writing schedule/musing/energy. When I am at home, I've been working on the Pied Piper sequel, which if the current schedule holds will hit end of May/early June. Which is good, as there will not be much of a delay in the initial release date. 

At the hospital, things are a bit different. I think about different things, become inspired by different things, and have found it hard to focus on my more "normal" projects. And so on my down time, I found I was wanting to write something different. It's become what I call the Side Project. 

My iFiction! alum, Everette Bell, has released 3 episodes (so far) of a zombie serial on his blog to be read for absolutely FREE. I was supposed to follow suit after the Piper sequel and during the production of Black Rain 3. But I couldn't wait. This story had been brewing for quite a while and I decided if I wasn't going to write the "normal" stuff while at the hospital, or not sleeping, or just being antsy, I would just write this as my entry into the serial format. 

Welcome to WORLDBREAKER. It is a fantasy epic. I am trying to keep it all ages. And it is inspired by my son and what he is going through. Maybe I shouldn't write something so close to home, but c'mon, I'm a writer. I write what I know. 

Read the first episode for FREE here. 
I am shooting for releasing one episode a month, but I'm sure with our busy schedule it will be up and down. I could very well get 2 episodes out in a month, or no episodes in a month. But it will remain FREE for the duration, and then I will delete the site and release a collection on Amazon. So get it while the getting's good. It's an experiment as much as anything. I am finding it very easy to write. Fantasy is where my true inspiration lies. I hope you enjoy it. 


BLOOD WILL RUN had a nice debut. Make sure to grab a copy if you haven't yet. 

If you want to keep up to date with new releases and WORLDBREAKER episodes, join the mailing list above or like me on FACEBOOK. Also above.


I hope to have good news on the Pied Piper 2 release as we get closer. And then it's Black Rain 3 for the summer. (I have a feeling Duke will be a nice place to write a huge novel.)


peace,
Mike

Blood Will Run release!

BLOOD WILL RUN has hit the feed! The first story arc in the thrilling crime series, PROVIDENCE TALES, marks my first extended foray into the genre. You could argue that BOOM or Punchy were the first real explorations of crime/thriller, especially the latter.


Here's the blurb and the link. Oh, and it's FREE FREE FREE until Wednesday.



After years at war, a truce has finally been negotiated between rival crime organizations, the Fanellis and the East Side Regulars.

Drew is the Cleaner, one of the East Side's best contract killers. But when he botches a job for Ricky Fanelli, the young hothead and future heir to the Fanelli empire, Ricky wants retribution and Drew dead.

East Side has no choice but to let Drew go or end the truce. Trying to escape the city, Drew is forced back into a deadly showdown with Ricky.

Two men. One city.

Welcome to Providence. The city where money is king and blood will run.

Michael Whetzel (Pied Piper of the Undead, The Black Rain Journals) brings his unique vision to the crime genre. BLOOD WILL RUN is the first story arc in the series, Providence Tales.

Rated R for graphic language, graphic violence, guns, booze and broads.


BLOOD WILL RUN

Sam started chemo on Saturday. He has a new drug that he is taking that has some serious risk and side effects. It was a but rough but we got through it and he was feeling WAY better Saturday night. Today, the rest of the family gets tested to see if we are viable candidates to donate marrow.

If you want to follow Sam's progress and leave him some encouraging words, we started a Facebook page here. Already in one day, he is on his way to 400 likes.


The Pied Piper of the Undead sequel is next on the horizon. I am staying on top of writing as it really helps point my mind in other directions instead of on What ifs and Whys. Plus, we need the added income. I've had mild to moderate success with the books, averaging 100+ books sold a month. It's a nice number but not enough to really pay any bills. The more books I have out, the more income I can bring in and maybe something gets that lucky break.

I never want it to be about money. However, it is pretty important right now.

The other small thing that is in development is another serial. I am following Everette Bell's example in CORA and will be offering a serial for free on the website. It is fantasy and will be all ages. I needed something to fill in the time at night when sleep eludes and thoughts are racing. Pied Piper 2 isn't enough. So WORLDBREAKER will be here soon.

That's it for now. Thank you for your kind words and p

BAD NEWS....

Well....it is pretty amazing how everything can change in a span of a few hours.

Last July, I announced a suspension of projects as we learned my 12 year old son, Sam, was diagnosed with Leukemia. He underwent treatment and was in remission. He started the last stage of of his treatment a month ago. We were smooth sailing.

Yesterday, I got a call from his doctor with his latest blood tests. Sam has relapsed. His cancer is back and he will have to start treatment again.

The kicker is once returned to remission, he will need a bone marrow transplant.

We are shocked by this. Here we are, smooth sailing, end in sight, and now.....

Suffice it to say, writing takes a back seat again.

BLOOD WILL RUN is pretty much complete. It will hit within the next week. After that, I will be on a "soft" schedule, which means, basically new stuff comes out when it comes out. I can only let you know what I am working on next.

I do not see myself abandoning writing completely right now as it does serve as an emotional outlet and brings additional income to our family. (And I have a feeling I'll have some anger to work out.) 

Taking care of my family will always be my #1 priority. I know all of you understand that. We have a long, hard road ahead of us.

Pied Piper of the Undead 2 is the next project on the board. If you want to know for sure when it goes live, please join the mailing list by hitting the link above. I will inform everyone with each new release using the email as I do not know when I will be back on here.

I feel so grateful for all of you who have bought and enjoyed my books. I've made connections with many of you. Thank you so much for your support.

If you have a little time sometime today, please just say a small prayer for my son.

His name is Sam. He is 12 years old. He has an identical twin brother named Joe and an older sister named Claire. He loves Legos, reading, Star Wars, and animals. He is the strongest person I have ever known.

Take care of yourselves,

Mike

Updates galore!

Hello all!


First and foremost I want to send my thoughts and prayers to the victims and families affected by the tragedies in both Boston and Texas. What a horrible time the past week has been. Please keep these people in your thoughts. And remember....be good to each other. 


I am still waiting on several things to come back before announcing release date for Providence:Blood Will Run. But it looks like it will be the last weekend of this month. 


I have also decided, after thinking/studying over marketing strategy, that Blood Will Run will be released as one whole complete work instead of the 3-episode miniseries as originally planned. The Providence stories will be told in novella form, with intermittent short stories set between them. Blood Will Run will be Book 1 of the Providence series. It will be followed by a short tentatively called Red Riding, and later this year by Book 2, Slade & McCovey. It will also be the first foray for me into crime fiction, but not iFiction!'s first. Bell got that distinction with NO QUARTER.


Once April is up, focus turns to the sequel to the Pied Piper of the Undead. It will be released the last week of May, barring any set backs with the cover. 


BOOM audiobook is in the last stage of approval and I have to say, Nic Frantela has delivered a hell of a performance. I am very proud of it. As soon as it makes its way through the channels, I will let you all know here. And if you are interested in Craig Jessen's awesome narration of Pied Piper of the Undead, click here. You can use the Whispersync function with your Kindle and switch between listening and reading the story. Very cool!


If you have not had a chance to check it out, Everette Bell has delivered the first serialized story for iFiction! on his webpage at Wartooth Ebooks. And you can read it for FREE!!!! Head over and start reading CORA. It's pretty awesome. So far after 2 episodes we have zombies, a love story, a strange dystopian society, and a strong female protagonist. For FREE!!!!


If you missed it, I also have a work available for FREE at both Smashwords and Wattpad. It is called BLISS and is written stream-of-consciousness style. It details the breakdown of a marriage after the death of a child and is a twisted homage to Hemingway's short story Hills Like White Elephants. Hit the links and check it out. It's very different. I have written stream-of-consciousness before and it is a very liberating format. To see a master use it, read William Faulkner's amazing novel, As I Lay Dying.


I have also started a mailing list to let all readers know exactly when a new book is available. You can sign up here or hit the link at the top of the page. I will only use it to give you a heads up on a new book. All other news and such will come through here on the blog. 


That's the plan for April and May. Two new works hitting the stores, audiobooks from both me and Everette Bell, Bell's CORA episodes continue, and lots more writing and writing and writing. 


And then it's my favorite time of the year: Summer. Which means blockbuster movie season and working on BLACK RAIN 3. I don't know which one I am more excited about. For BLACK RAIN fans, a lot of you have been clamoring for the next book. We know we are heading to Hudson Hill to find out what happens with Paul and Steve and the rest of the survivors. But that is not all. We will get our first look at the mysterious "City in the Dark," and some answers to some of the questions everybody is asking. I promise it will be worth the wait!


And as for the movies? Where to start? Star Trek, Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel are all my must sees. But there's also Pacific Rim, This is the End, Wolverine, After Earth, and so much more. It's going to be a great summer. Maybe I'll see you at the theatre. 


Next blog is Blood Will Run cover art and official release announcement. The Providence page will also be updated this week with book titles and more info. And hopefully I will have some interviews to announce too. 


Peace. 


Mike