Michael Loring's Blog, page 2
March 10, 2015
Top 5 Questions I Get Asked When I Introduce Myself As An Author
Top 5 Questions I Get Asked When I Introduce Myself As An Author
So, I’ve been trying to get myself “out there” more often lately, and not just as an author but as a person. I worry I am a little too anti-social at times, so I made the effort to try to be out in the world more often than not. I got a day job (joy), I’ve made a few acquaintances, and actually had a few outings with new friends. And during these excursions, the topic of my books will sometimes come up. When someone new overhears that I actually have published books, they usually have questions. Some are simple, like “how’d you do it?” and “what do you write about?” while others are a bit more complicated.
I’ve been “interviewed” by quite a few people now about what it’s like doing what I do. And I’ve noticed a few certain questions pop up more than once or twice by different people.
I felt kind of funny having to answer these questions, since I worry about seeming obnoxious and arrogant sounding. I always feel snooty whenever I talk about what I do, mainly because they make fun of artists on TV who like to talk about their art. “Wow, Jim won’t shut up about his drawings. What an obnoxious douche.” I don’t want to be that guy, so I try to be as humble as possible whenever the topic comes up. But, as I said, these questions come up a lot and I thought it’d be fun to put them up here, along with my personal answers.
If you’re an author as well, feel free to comment your own answers to these questions!
Here are the top five questions I get asked as an author by non-writers (in no particular order):
1. How do you come up with ideas for stories?
My answer: You know when you get bored and start daydreaming about random stuff? Pretty much like that.
2. If you’re a published author, why are you working a day job?
My answer: Well, just because I’m published doesn’t mean anything. I have bills to pay, food to buy just like everyone else. Unless you’re selling a hundred or so copies a day you’re going to be struggling without one.
3. How do you get yourself to sit down and just start writing?
My answer: Geez, I don’t know. It just sort of… happens, ya know? I sit down at the computer, and the next thing I know I’ve got Microsoft Word open and I’m going at it.
4. If you’re self-published how do you get paperbacks?
My answer: An awesome site called CreateSpace.
And finally…
5. Have you ever tried to get your book turned into a movie?
My answer: I don’t really have any connections in that industry, so there’s nothing I can really do to make it happen. All I can do is pray the right person reads and likes my book and pushes for it.
Have a different answer to these questions, or have a question of your own you’d like to ask? Leave a comment below, and I’ll reply the best I can!
-Michael
February 18, 2015
Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi
Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi
Synopsis:
After Maddy’s parents divorce, she’s stuck starting over at a new high school. Friendless and nicknamed Freak Girl, Manga-loving artist Maddy finds refuge in the interactive online game Fields of Fantasy. In that virtual world, she reinvents herself as Allora, a gorgeous elfin alter ego, and meets a true friend in Sir Leo. Maddy can’t hide behind Allora forever, especially as a real-life crush begins edging in on her budding virtual romance. But would anyone pick the real Maddy, gamer girl and Manga freak, over the fantasy?
Review:
Gamer Girl is a young adult novel by Author Mari Mancusi with video game/virtual reality themes interwoven with the intricacies and drama of high school life.
Maddy has just moved in with her grandmother after her parents divorce. She misses her friends, her old school, her old life. Depressed and angry at the world, things are only made worse on her first day of school when her grandmother manages to embarrass her in front of the entire school – the popular kids in school, the “Haters” as she calls them, painting a target on her back.
Labeled as Freak Girl, Maddy attempts to escape her horrible new life by submerging herself into the online MMO Fields of Fantasy. Reminiscent of World of Warcraft, the game is the perfect place for Maddy to become something else – Allora, an elfin princess with magical powers. While playing online, she meets another player named SirLeo. She and SirLeo quickly become close, even closer than she could have ever expected. When the online crush starts to affect her real life, Maddy scrambles to keep things from falling apart around her.
As a male gamer, it was interesting to read a novel that details what it’s like from the other perspective. To see through this girl’s eyes was a fascinating experience for me. I greatly enjoyed the humor throughout the novel, and the various references to comic and manga books – of which I am a huge fan of.
The only downside of this novel is that I felt Maddy’s character was, at times, very selfish and shallow. When she thinks she’s figured out who SirLeo really is, she gets sad that he isn’t some handsome knight. It’s a little vain, in my opinion. Especially since it was based solely on how he looked rather than his personality. She constantly says how nice the boy is, but that she doesn’t feel the spark with him. It was a little maddening.
Other than that, the novel was written expertly, painting a terrific picture of Maddy’s life and all the hardships she faces. I’d recommend this to any fellow gamers looking for a good read about online gaming romance and how it can seep into real life.
Four out of Five stars!
February 16, 2015
ISAAC: A Futuristic Romance Short Story Release!
ISAAC: A Futuristic Romance Short Story Release!
Synopsis:
Previously Published in the STARDUST Anthology by Cynthia Shepp.
Isaac, a Mark 3 Android, has one purpose after his creation—to make the lives of those he’s assigned to easier. Shortly after being “woken up,” he’s presented to Mrs. Nelson—a frail, old woman who treats him like a son. He easily settles into life as a helper, just as he was programmed to do, until the doctors deem Mrs. Nelson in need of a second android companion.
That’s when Isaac meets Sonya, and his life, artificial or not, becomes much brighter.
ISAAC is an 8,600 word futuristic romance short story by Michael Loring, author of Dehumanized and Unnatural: A Collection of Supernatural Short Stories.
Add ISAAC to your TBR list on Goodreads here!
***Editing done by Cynthia Shepp at Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp and cover art done by Rene Folsom at Phycel Designs***
February 14, 2015
ISAAC: A Futuristic Romance Short Story Cover Reveal
ISAAC: A Futuristic Romance Short Story Cover Reveal
Synopsis:
Previously Published in the STARDUST Anthology by Cynthia Shepp.
Isaac, a Mark 3 Android, has one purpose after his creation—to make the lives of those he’s assigned to easier. Shortly after being “woken up,” he’s presented to Mrs. Nelson—a frail, old woman who treats him like a son. He easily settles into life as a helper, just as he was programmed to do, until the doctors deem Mrs. Nelson in need of a second android companion.
That’s when Isaac meets Sonya, and his life, artificial or not, becomes much brighter.
ISAAC is an 8,600 word futuristic romance short story by Michael Loring, author of Dehumanized and Unnatural: A Collection of Supernatural Short Stories.
—
A special Valentine’s Day surprise for all of my favorite readers! My short story, ISAAC: A Futuristic Romance Short Story, previously published in Cynthia Shepp’s STARDUST Anthology, will become available as an independently published story!
I’ll give you a minute to compose yourself.
Good? Okay, let’s continue.
And, as an added bonus, I am going to make ISAAC available as a paperback! A rather small one, I suppose, but hey… who can resist holding a tangible book in their hands? I certainly can’t.
The planned release date is Tuesday, February 17th for the ebook, with the paperback’s release currently pending. GASP! That’s only three days away!
All kidding aside, I am very proud of this short story. It’s without a doubt one of my favorites so far, and I hope you guys will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Stay tuned for the release, my wolves!
A special thanks to Cynthia Shepp of Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp for making sure this story didn’t suck, and to Rene Folsom of Phycel Designs for the absolutely AMAZING cover!
-Michael
P.S. If you want to read the story early, AND get the chance to read a slew of other amazing stories by very talented writers, you can buy STARDUST right now for only 2.99 on Amazon Kindle! Here are the details…
STARDUST: A Futuristic Romance Collection
Synopsis:
Welcome to a world where space travel by the common man is as normal as getting on a plane, life has been discovered on other planets, humans travel light-years to find their soul mates, technology exists along the lines that we have only imagined, and a passport will take you anywhere.
Stardust… where love has no boundaries and worlds are just waiting to be discovered.
Ten different authors. Ten tales of fantastical love. Ten different ways to discover the stars.
Zero by Rene Folsom
ISAAC by Michael Loring
World Wide Gone by Bart Hopkins
Life Companion by M.L. Ryan
Born Ready by Katheryn Van Pelt
Show Me by Magen McMinimy
New Eden by Eaton Thomas Palmer
Love Forgotten by Stephanie Summers
What Happens on Destiny 2… by Tara Moeller
Brandy by Carrie Avery Moriarty
Edited by: Cynthia Shepp
Cover & Interior Designer: Rene Folsom
You can buy the book right here!
February 6, 2015
Catalyst (Insignia #3) by S.J. Kincaid
Catalyst (Insignia #3) by S.J. Kincaid
Synopsis:
The explosive conclusion to the series reviewers have likened to Ender’s Game and “Hogwarts-in-Space”
This exhilarating, explosive, and heartrending conclusion to the Insignia trilogy brings Tom and his intelligent, passionate, and brave young friends stunning tests and dangerous confrontations and through to an impossible future they could never have predicted.
Tom Raines and his friends are eager to return to the Pentagonal Spire to continue training for the elite Intrasolar Forces, but they soon discover troubling changes: strict new regulations and the revelation that the Spire is under new military control. What begins as an irritating adjustment soon reveals a dangerous shift in reality. Those now in control are aligned with corporate sponsors and their ruthless agendas. And when the military academy begins welcoming new cadets with suspicious neural processors, the first step in a plan with horrifying worldwide ramifications, Tom is desperate to stop it, even if that means keeping secrets from his closest allies.
Then a mysterious figure, the other ghost in the machine, begins fighting against the corporations, but with methods even Tom finds shocking. And when the enemy comes for Tom, how much can Tom endure in the battle to save himself? He must decide if he can still fight when the odds of success seem to be sliding from his grip.
Review:
Catalyst is the third and final book in Author S.J. Kincaid’s exceptional YA Sci-Fi series, Insignia.
Everything has changed since the last book. So much has happened, and there are insidious things taking place behind the scenes at the Pentagonal Spire. New regulations have basically put a leash on all the cadets, forcing Tom and his friends to comply. Nothing is fun anymore, especially when Tom is faced with someone stealing his Ghost in the Machine alter ego – someone willing to go to heights he hadn’t even considered.
With no choice but to fight, Tom and his friends band together to grind against the gears of the corporations controlling the world, intent of creating a new society of fairness. But, with great change comes great sacrifice, and therein lies the true challenge for Tom Raines.
I can’t describe how attached I became to these characters. Tom and Yaolan’s relationship was such a gripping plotline, one that I was clinging to like a lifeline. Not to mention Wyatt’s glorious breakthrough as a character in this novel. I felt like this was so character driven, it’s hard to deny S.J. Kincaid’s amazing ability to create relatable protagonists. It was heart wrenching what these characters had to go through, and so, so satisfying by the end. I’m glad I stuck with it all. The good and the bad make up life, and S.J. Kincaid portrays that brilliantly in this amazing series.
In an explosive finale, Author S.J. Kincaid sends off this brilliant science fiction series with a Harry Potter-esque bang.
Five out of Five stars!
Check out S.J. Kincaid’s website here!
Check out my review for book 1 here!
January 22, 2015
Half A Prayer (The Tome of Bill #6) by Rick Gualtieri
Half A Prayer (The Tome of Bill #6) by Rick Gualtieri
Synopsis:
Terror lurks below and it’s about to surface.
The end of the world is rapidly approaching, but Bill Ryder, gamer, geek, and legendary vampire, finds himself with more pressing matters to worry about – the women in his life. Sidelined from action, he’s forced to reevaluate his feelings. Sadly for him, it’s a luxury he can ill afford.
An unstoppable terror from the dawn of time has awoken deep beneath the Earth and is headed his way. To make matter worse, he’s been deemed a traitor by those he thought to be his allies. Now he finds himself fighting off enemies from all sides while warring with his emotions. Talk about sucky timing for introspection.
As the world crumbles to pieces around him, Bill must muster his courage, master his powers, and rise to the destiny he’s been trying so long to deny – because if he doesn’t, his love life will be the least of his worries.
Review:
Half A Prayer is the sixth installment in Author Rick Gualtieri’s The Tome of Bill Comedy/Horror series, once again bringing us into the world of Bill and his vampiric adventures.
In what is, in my opinion, one of the best installments of the series, Bill has relocated to Pandora coven under Sally to train and prepare for the upcoming battle to be had with Vehron The Destroyer. Amidst his training, an enemy not seen since Sunset Strip – the Jahabich – are once again emerging and causing trouble for the surface dwellers. Bill, Sally, and the rest of their ragtag group of supernaturals dive into the sewers to confront this enemy, finding more than they could have bargained for down there amongst the sewage of Las Vegas.
Half A Prayer is, without a doubt, one of the best of the series. It embodies every element that has made all of the previous installments so enjoyable: comedy, horror, action, snarky dialogue, wit, and on top of all that there was an increased dosage of romance – which was a refreshing new take to the series. I was absorbed from page one until the end, devouring every word like a starving vampire.
Still reigning as my current favorite book series, I can’t wait to see what happens next in The Tome of Bill by Author Rick Gualtieri!
P.S. Gan is amazing. We need more of her.
Five out of Five stars!
Check out Rick Gualtieri’s website here!
Check out my review for book 1 here!
Check out my review for book 2 here!
Check out my review for book 3 here!
Check out my review for book 4 here!
Check out my review for book 4.5 here!
January 16, 2015
Vortex (Insignia #2) by S.J. Kincaid
Vortex (Insignia #2) by S.J. Kincaid
Synopsis:
The impossible was just the beginning. Now in their second year as superhuman government weapons-in-training at the Pentagonal Spire, Tom Raines and his friends are mid-level cadets in the elite combat corps known as the Intrasolar Forces. But as training intensifies and a moment arrives that could make or break his entire career, Tom’s loyalties are again put to the test.
Encouraged to betray his ideals and friendships for the sake of his country, Tom is convinced there must be another way. And the more aware he becomes of the corruption surrounding him, the more determined he becomes to fight it, even if he sabotages his own future in the process.
Drawn into a power struggle more dramatic than he has ever faced before, Tom stays a hyperintelligent step ahead of everyone, like the exceptional gamer he is—or so he believes. But when he learns that he and his friends have unwittingly made the most grievous error imaginable, Tom must find a way to outwit an enemy so nefarious that victory seems hopeless. Will his idealism and bravado cost him everything—and everyone that matters to him?
Filled with action and intelligence, camaraderie and humor, the second book in S.J. Kincaid’s futuristic World War III Insignia trilogy continues to explore fascinating and timely questions about power, politics, technology, loyalty, and friendship.
Review:
Vortex is the second in Author S.J. Kincaid’s YA Sci-Fi series, Insignia. The tagline for this book is “beyond the impossible,” and it’s a very apt description of this story.
Tom and his friends are back at the Spire – a sort of school meant to train young men and women with microchips in their heads how to become soldiers in the ongoing battle of World War 3 – and things have changed since their first year. Tom’s relationship with Medusa has crumbled, Blackburn is still a thorn in his side, and everyone seems to be out for his blood. His ability to link with machines is becoming an issue, as certain parties begin to suspect there’s a ghost in the machine. And to top it all off, he’s bunking alone this year.
Throughout it all, Tom remains determined to come out on top. Although he stumbles and falls, he gets right back up and keeps fighting for the win.
Without a doubt, this is a truly remarkable science fiction novels. That goes without saying. It blends in a lot of classic sci-fi elements that every one of us loves: exosuits, space battles/travel, computer hacking, security robots, and of course video gaming. But, with all of these amazing components, the one thing I loved the absolute most was the relationship between Tom and Medusa. It was very well done, with Medusa’s feelings up in the air after the ending of the first novel and Tom trying to rectify it with his awkward sense of romanticism. It was very charming in its own unique way, and I enjoyed reading about it immensely.
By the end of the story, I was aching for more. It left off on such a critical position… I’m dying to know what happens next!
Five out of Five stars!
Check out S.J. Kincaid’s website here!
January 15, 2015
First Post of 2015
First Post of 2015
So, I realize I’m a little late in posting this (15 days to be exact) but I figured… better late than never?
So, I know that 2014 wasn’t too exciting a year for you from me, my dear readers. No full length novels or any huge announcements to be had. I released my collection of supernatural short stories UNNATURAL; my psychological horror short (which reached #14 in the Paid Horror category on its first day, I am proud to say) ; and, as an added bonus, I exclusively released an original short here on my website titled EXTRATERRESTRIAL. But, in overall continuous activity, I have fallen short. Novels are what cuts it in this business, and I have yet to produce anything other than DEHUMANIZED. For that, I am greatly sorry.
But, it’s a new year! As cliché and cheesy as it sounds, I honestly believe that things can be different this time around. A novel is definitely in the works, I promise. And whether it gets done in 2015 is all up to how much determination I have. I promise you I have a helluva lot of it!
I swear to you, my beloved wolves, that I will do my absolute best to make 2015 a terrific year! There’ll more short stories (I know, but I can’t help myself!) and I will bust my ass to get a novel out as soon, and as best I can!
Happy New Year!
-Michael
December 17, 2014
My Girlfriend Bites by Doug Solter
My Girlfriend Bites by Doug Solter
Synopsis:
Sometimes the boy gets the werewolf.
After his “dream” girl rejects him, 16-year-old Aiden tries to commit suicide, yet mysteriously survives. Now he feels like a loser with zero possibility of finding the perfect girlfriend. Enter Bree, the creepy girl with too much hair who’s rumored to be cloned from a frozen pre-historic cave girl that scientists discovered in Canada. But when he accepts a ride from “Cave Girl” during a storm, Aiden discovers this weird girl not only has a kind heart. She’s also cute.
Aiden offers to help Bree in Algebra and the two become friends. When Aiden pushes that friendship into a date, Bree accepts. On a romantic night at the zoo, Bree and Aiden fall in love as the animals watch. Unlike Aiden, they can smell what Bree really is.
Bree decides to tell him her deep, dark secret. Her family are werewolves hiding from the Demon Skins, a mysterious new enemy hunting down all the werewolf packs on earth. Aiden struggles with Bree’s revelation, but chooses to stand by the girl he fell in love with. But standing by his new girlfriend will be the biggest test of his life.
Too bad Bree can’t turn a coward into a fearless werewolf. That bite thing is only a myth.
This forces Aiden to do the unthinkable…believe in himself.
Review:
My Girlfriend Bites is a werewolf romance by Author Doug Solter, following the story of depressed human boy Aiden and vivid werewolf girl Bree and their journey towards falling in love.
After being rejected by the girl of his dreams, Aiden tries to commit suicide. After mysteriously failing to do so, he finds himself even more depressed… until he meets Bree Mayflower, the new girl at school who everyone calls Cave Girl for her odd tendencies and long hair. After a chance meeting in the rain, the two begin a hesitant friendship which quickly turns into something more. There’s a spark between them that cannot be explained, and both are over the moon by it.
And then Aiden finds out the truth: Bree is a teenage werewolf on the run from a strange enemy that supposedly can’t be killed.
Being in love with a girl is complicated enough for a teenage boy, but to be in love with a werewolf? Aiden has a lot to deal with.
Throughout this story, themes of suicide and depression are touched upon. A very dark theme to add in a romance book, but I felt Doug Solter did an excellent job portraying these themes and how one deals with them. He plays off the characters’ emotions well, and, through a series of events, details their rise from the darkness into the light. There’s still darkness there, but that’s what sequels are for!
In my honest opinion, this was an exceptional story and I greatly look forward to the next book in Author Doug Solter’s My Girlfriend Bites series!
Five out of Five stars!
December 16, 2014
Game Changer (Playing Games #1) by Rene Folsom
Game Changer (Playing Games #1) by Rene Folsom
Synopsis:
Maci strives for one thing in life—anonymity. With her writing career in full bloom, all she wants is to work in peace while concealing her true identity from the public. Though readers love the science fiction worlds she creates, Maci knows that gender stereotypes could damage her career if she is exposed as a woman.
Liam is the envy of all gamers as the lead developer for nZone Studios. Over time, he builds walls around himself, keeping people at arm’s length who only gravitate to him for his material possessions rather than who he is as a person.
With thick barriers around their hearts and their past looming in the shadows, Liam and Maci challenge each other by slowly peeling away their protective layers and seeing each other for who they really are. It doesn’t take long after their chance meeting at a coffee shop for them to become one another’s game changer.
Note: This contemporary romance novel is the first book in the Playing Games series and contains adult situations meant for ages 18+. The prequel to this novel, The Wager, is an optional novella available at all major retailers and only meant to give a little extra back-story about the characters.
Review:
Game Changer by Author Rene Folsom is the first in her new contemporary gamer romance series, Playing Games. In it, she tells the story of Maci and Liam, two nerds looking for their other half.
Maci has lived as a covert famous science fiction author for quite some time, and fears sharing her secret lest she be treated with prejudice for being a woman in a predominantly male genre. Liam is the lead developer of nZone Games, a video game company, who wishes for someone to love him for who he is on the inside, not for what’s inside his bank account. When these two nerds meet sparks fly and they discover a chemistry they’ve both only felt once before: when they first met at a New Years Eve party long ago. Only they wore masks and never revealed their names back then, so now neither realize who they’re falling in love with until it’s too late.
It’s a rocky romance indeed, but Maci and Liam make it work. Happiness is just around the corner, if only they’d stop stumbling over their own feet to take it.
I’ve said time and time again that I love Rene Folsom and her works, but now I can honestly say I’m IN love with her and her works thanks to this book! A romance about gamers? Exactly what I needed!
The writing is, as always with this authoress, flawless and exhilarating. Although there is sex in this book, the story does not deviate to allow it. It fits in tastefully and flows well with linear progress of the two main characters’ relationship. These aren’t horny people getting their rocks off, these are two genuine people falling in love with one another. I could feel their emotions through the amazing writing talent of Miss Folsom, which is a rare thing for me when it comes to romance novels. She’s done the impossible over and over again: make me enjoy erotica/contemporary romance! And I don’t doubt she’ll continue to do it for a very long time!
I cannot wait for the next book in what’s sure to be an amazing series!
Five out of Five stars!
Check out Rene Folsom’s website here!
Check out my review for The Wager: A Game Changer Prequel here!
