C.B. McCullough's Blog, page 5
March 25, 2014
The Enrichment of Creation
“So great is the bounty with which (man) has been treated that he may now, perhaps, fairly dare to guess that in Fantasy he may actually assist in the effoliation and multiple enrichment of creation. All tales may come true .”
- J.R.R. Tolkien, On Fairy-Stories, 1947
March 24, 2014
Download A Free Novel by C.B. McCullough
Available for free download: C.B. McCullough’s debut novel, The Fallen Odyssey (2013). Read this epic fantasy adventure on your Kindle for free.
The Fallen Odyssey
From C.B. MCCULLOUGH comes a thrilling adventure for young adults and experienced readers alike.
From Amazon.com:
When seventeen-year-old Justin Holmes wakes from a strange, amnesic slumber, he finds himself in an unknown land, far from his rural Pennsylvania hometown. With no memory of how he came to be in this world of vast grasslands, sky-scraping mountains and double moons, his only choice is to cling for dear life to some unlikely allies: an eccentric old hermit, and a cold-blooded, duplicitous mercenary.
When unwillingly recruited to help rescue a kidnapped young woman, Justin is swept off into the wild on a dangerous mission, all while struggling to learn what twist of fate has landed him in this bizarre alternate dimension.
Questions and mysteries abound as Justin is pulled deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. But lurking in the shadows of this fantasy realm is something darker and far more sinister than kidnappers; an ancient, demonic evil, that while threatening the peace of an entire world, may also hold the secret of Justin’s destiny, the key to his gateway home, and the end of his Fallen Odyssey…
A thrilling, epic fantasy adventure suitable for young adults and experienced readers alike
165,000 words (about 525 printed, paperback pages)
Buy it (and I use that term loosely) from Amazon for $0.00!
Coming Soon – THE FALLEN AENEID (Book 2 of the Fallen Odyssey Series)
Available March 26th, 2014: The Fallen Aeneid by C.B. McCullough. As a special, celebratory promotion, download Book 1: The Fallen Odyssey, for FREE. Check it out on Amazon.com today. – CB
Praise for The Fallen Odyssey
“Epic! Unquestionably the best (and most original) independent fantasy novel I’ve read. Easily 5 Stars. Now very much looking forward to the next book!” “Great Read! Awesome book, I couldn’t put it down when I was reading it. The battle scenes are by far my favorite part! Highly recommended! ‘Through wind and tide and squall and foe, you shall ever journey on!’” “Addictive… Genius… I’ve never been a very avid reader, and especially not of the fantasy genre. The Fallen Odyssey grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Even when I put it down, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. As an example, on my way to work the other day, I saw a strange shaped bush or shrub or something in a field… My first thought was of a Coblyn. The detail is tremendous, vivid and exciting. I’m looking forward to the sequel! “One of the best books I’ve ever read… A beautiful balance between reality and fantasy, this book delivers the unexpected with original characters, epic battles and scenery that comes alive! Incorporates elements of the classic ‘hero’s journey’ in a new and original story that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Stupendous!” You stay classy, internet. – CB
March 20, 2014
On Writing
“This isn’t the Ouija board or the spirit-world we’re talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks.”
- Stephen King
March 6, 2014
Coming Soon – The Fallen Aeneid
On 3/26/14, the odyssey continues in The Fallen Aeneid, the sequel to the epic fantasy adventure novel The Fallen Odyssey by C.B. McCullough.
Justin returns to the Oikoumene only to discover that something unexplainable has happened in his absence. Will he take up his sword again in the fight against evil, or has the enemy already won?
A shadowed past life. An ancient secret. A new enemy. And a horrifying betrayal.
A new journey begins.
More from C.B. McCullough
Read The Fallen Odyssey
February 24, 2014
JUST RELEASED – Sing Oh Muse (The Fallen Aeneid, Part 1)
We’re just a month away from the release of The Fallen Aeneid, but starting today, you can read the first six chapters on the house.
On March 25th, The Fallen Aeneid, the epic fantasy sequel to C.B. McCullough’s debut novel The Fallen Odyssey, will be available for purchase in Kindle and paperback formats. Until then, enjoy a free sample in advance!
Visit the Smashwords site or select from the links below to read Sing Oh Muse (The Fallen Aeneid, Part 1) for free.
Read Online
Download Kindle Format (.mobi)
Download iPad Format (.epub)
Download PDF Format
Also available in Plain Text, RTF, LRF and PDB through the Smashwords link above.
“One year after the car accident that killed his mother and crippled his father, teenager Justin Holmes was transported from Earth to an alternate world known as the Oikoumene, home of a mystical energy force called aurym. Now the boy from Earth now returns to the Oikoumene to begin anew the battle against evil…”
Missed it the first time around? Check out The Fallen Odyssey, the book that started it all.
February 23, 2014
The View From the Old Lunch Line – An Author Revisits His Alma Mater
Those of you who have been reading “McCullough Writes” for a while may remember my tale of guest-speaking at a local high school. Well, I recently had the privilege of embarking on yet another adventure as visiting author; this time, at Cranberry Junior-Senior High School–my old Alma Mater!
With a visitor’s badge and a briefcase full of notes, I took the scenic route to Room 201, amazed at all that had changed–and enjoying all that had not. The library computers may no longer take floppy disks, but the prerecorded bell still cuts off inexplicably one-third of the way through its fourth electronic chime. Ah, memories.
Though I may spend my days surrounded by words, rare is the occasion that those words need be spoken aloud. Fortunately, any anxiety I may have felt about being in front of an audience was promptly alleviated by a very warm welcome from teacher and students alike. A printed sign hung outside the door announcing my arrival, and Mrs. Motter–my former seventh-grade English teacher, now instructing all seniors–made me feel right at home. From there, the journey commenced.
Through four class periods, I discussed writing, storytelling and personal passion with Academic and AP senior students. Each class had brainstormed questions ahead of time, in preparation for my visit. By fielding a few of these right from the start, I was able to feel out where the interests of each class lay, leading to experiences that were more organic discussions than rigid lectures. Topics of conversation included who would play the movie versions of the characters in The Fallen Odyssey, whether my younger brother (currently a senior at Cranberry and one of my audience members) was the secret inspiration behind any events in the story, and the techniques writers use to find new ideas when the well runs dry. I was also sure to pass around a few of my rejection letters and discuss the various gatekeepers and harsh realities of the publishing industry.
Upon learning a bit about my background, a common question the students had was why someone so interested in writing would decide to major in Anthropology in college. I explained that a degree in English can offer many rewarding careers, but at the time, my vocational interests had centered around Anthropology. I mentioned how studying real-world cultures later influenced the development of fictional cultures and themes, and I was sure to mention how many long hours were later spent hammering away at a laptop in a hotel room, while on the road as an archaeological field technician. l also cited instances where random bits of knowledge retained from school lessons have been used as elements in my stories, making the point that the melding of ideas from seemingly unrelated fields can pay off in unexpected ways.
Another point of interest was how growing up in a small town affected my journey as a writer. This led to certain parallels between the main character of The Fallen Odyssey, Justin Holmes, and myself. Several had already caught references to familiar place-names in the above-mentioned book, and many were quite interested to hear about the origins of Justin: a not-very-brave 17-year-old high school student with a part-time job living in Venango County, Pennsylvania; who was breathed into life while I was a not-very-brave 17-year-old high school student with a part-time job living in Venango County, Pennsylvania.
(And as a side-note, I got to relive those days at lunchtime, when I traveled the old lunch line and joyously partook of possibly the school-lunchiest of all school lunches known to man: grilled cheese and tomato soup!)
But most of all, class conversations gravitated toward the idea of following your own passions. We discussed how, in this changing world, there are no ‘sure things’; how the only way to really do yourself justice is to find what you love to do and do it. How the most successful and personally fulfilled individuals aren’t those who choose a track and stay on it, but those who forge their own trails. And how the availability of services on the internet–the majority of them completely free–make it possible not to simply find a job that fits your talents and interests, but to invent one. Before I knew it, my throat was sore from an uncharacteristically vocal day, and the experience was all over.
I could not have been more impressed with the attentiveness of my audiences and their participation. It was encouraging to see genuine interest in the subjects of story and writing, and to see how alive and well creativity truly is. Equally encouraging was to learn of the new and innovative programs being pursued and utilized by Cranberry’s teachers and staff, in spite of Pennsylvania’s ongoing public education crisis.
My thanks go out to all the students at Cranberry, and an extra special thanks to my readers. You guys rock.
Also, a special thanks to Mrs. Heather Motter, and, of course, the cafeteria staff. That grilled cheese takes me back.
Connect with C.B. McCullough on Google Plus, Twitter or Facebook.
February 11, 2014
The Fallen Aeneid, Part I – Free, Just For You
Okay. It’s time to announce a special offer from C.B. McCullough. The Fallen Aeneid (the sequel to The Fallen Odyssey) is coming out on March 25th.
Want to read it early?
A full month ahead of time– Monday, February 24th– you’ll be able to get your own copy of Part 1 of The Fallen Aeneid, absolutely free. “Sing Oh Muse” is the first 6 chapters of The Fallen Aeneid, and for a limited time it will be available for free from a number of sites. You could buy it for $.99 on Amazon, but why pay for something when you don’t have to? Only you, as a follower of C.B. McCullough, will have the inside scoop on where you can find it free. So don’t forget to check back for the links and updates, or sign up for my new email newsletter for notifications of upcoming titles, deals and a look inside the writing world of C.B. McCullough.
Keep on truckin’, McReaders.
PS:
Haven’t read The Fallen Odyssey yet? Then check out Chapter One for free, right here.
February 7, 2014
I Quit My Job For This – Lessons Not Learned
1 year ago, I quit my job as a field archaeologist to board the self-publishing bandwagon and pursue my dream of writing stories.
So much has happened in the past year that I can hardly believe it’s only been twelve months since I took the plunge. March 25th, 2013 saw the release of The Fallen Odyssey, an epic fantasy novel and the self-published debut of C.B. McCullough (that’s me, ya dummies). June 28th, I released my second self-published title, a science fiction/mystery novella entitled The Night Also Rises. And now, after months of feverish work, I am somehow still on track to release The Fallen Aeneid, the sequel to The Fallen Odyssey, exactly one year after its predecessor: March 25th, 2014.
Now, this is the point where a person like me lists all of the lessons he or she has learned on their “journey”. This is where I tell you what I did right, what I did wrong, the goals I’ve met, the places where I’ve fallen short, and in general, my all-encompassing takeaway from the whole process thus far.
But today, this blog isn’t about me. It’s about you.
It’s about you, reader. Thank you for skimming through this often pointless, often self-serving blog. Thank you– those of you who have– for reading my books from your Kindles, your computers, or your paperback copies, in your hands.
It’s about you, friends and family. I can’t really explain why, but whether you read one of my books and loved it, read one of my books and hated it, or read one of my books and were indifferent– it hardly even matters. Just the thought of you reading it, no matter what you thought of it, brings a smile to my dumb face. Thank you.
And, most importantly, it’s about you, Vanessa McCullough. I may have done the work, but you’re the one who made this all possible. You’re the one who gave me the courage to strike out on my own and give this thing my best possible effort. You’re the one who reminds me, in the moments when I feel like I’m fooling myself about this crazy idea of writing for a living, that I can’t give up. You’re the one who believes in me when I don’t. You are my inspiration. Thank you.
Clearly I didn’t learn any lessons over the past year. Clearly, I’m still the head-in-the-clouds dreamer I was when I started this– same as I was the first time I ever invented an idea and thought, “I wonder what happens next.”
So thanks, everybody. I hope you’ll continue to join me on my adventures. Now, there’s only one question left to answer.
What happens next?
- C.B.
January 9, 2014
I Was A Weird Kid – Confessions From That Curly-Haired Boy In The Overalls
Now, let me be clear about the above title…
I don’t want anyone thinking for a second that the word ‘weird’ is there just as some pejorative modifier for ‘kid’. It’s just not that simple. I’m not telling you I was a kid who was weird. I’m telling you that I– and many others like me– belonged to a very specific classification. Though it’s known by many names, the universally accepted term for this creature is The Weird Kid (weirdicus kidicus). And I was one of them.
But like many others, I wore that classification– both then and now– with pride. Once, in kindergarten, I spent the better part of the morning with a rubber snake coiled on my head, claiming to have charmed it into a lull. I was the kid with a Darkwing Duck fanny pack full to bursting with rubber bugs, worms and frogs hot and fresh from my Creepy Crawlers oven. I was the kid who, with shoulders squared and head unbent, walked the halls of Cranberry Elementary in an ensemble of OshKosh B’gosh overalls and those disposable sunglasses they give you at the eye doctor, with confidence so uncompromising as to lend them all the gravitas of your big brother’s raddest Oakleys.
Yep. That’s the one.
But maybe my weirdest moment was in the third grade, when I brought my Star Wars fan fiction in for the teacher, Mr. Dixon, to read. Of course, I didn’t know it was “fan fiction” at the time. I just knew I had written my own Star Wars story. From what I can remember, that story involved Han Solo becoming a Jedi and battling the Galactic Emperor’s vengeful, evil brother. I can’t remember exactly what happened to this inexplicable villain at the end of the story, but I do know that at some point Leia kicked him in the crotch.
In all seriousness, I owe a lot to Mr. Dixon of 3B. He not only read my story but actually urged me to continue writing. That encouragement helped spawn multiple galaxy-far-far-away sequels (featuring one harrowing tale where Boba Fett freezes Chewie in carbonite). It also helped give me the courage to keep on writing and to never hide my weirdness.
I may have ditched the overalls, but I’m still writing weird stories. And I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Weird kid 4 life.
A special thanks to William Holt over at the Authonomy forums for inspiring this weirdness introspection.
Got any Weird Kid stories of your own? Drop a comment below. One Weird Kid to another, I’d love to hear them. And did anyone else have that Darkwing Duck fanny pack?! I’m pretty sure it came in a cereal box.
