C.B. McCullough's Blog, page 8
July 25, 2013
July 22, 2013
Judging A Book By Its Cover – The Night Also Rises back cover
The full back cover for The Night Also Rises (minus the barcode). What do you think? Check out a special sneak peek of The Night Also Rises, listen to the Spotify soundtrack for free, or pick up your copy today.
July 17, 2013
Will You Ever Be A Novelist?
Photo courtesy of Zoltan Hawryluk
“If you only write when you’re inspired, you may be a fairly decent poet, but you will never be a novelist.”
- Neil Gaiman
July 15, 2013
The Awakening- Now Available!
Reblogged from Justin Sargeant:
Be the first to experience The Awakening!
When Landon receives an inheritance ring engraved with a cryptic riddle from his deceased father, he must set out on a journey to unlock the ring’s secrets that could bring about the end of the world.
The Awakening, the first book in the The Stones of Revenge Series is now available!
Check out The Awakening, a new fantasy novel by writer-buddy Justin Sargeant. Available, now!
July 11, 2013
The Night Also Rises – Science-Fiction/Noir Mystery, Available in Paperback
Now available in paperback: a new Science-Fiction/Noir Mystery novella by C.B. McCullough. Described by readers as The Maltese Falcon meets Star Wars, and Blade Runner meets Casablanca, The Night Also Rises is an exciting new take on the hardboiled detective novel and a murder mystery like you’ve never seen before.
A unique blend of mystery and science fiction, The Night Also Rises follows private investigator Jack Tarelli on a chase through the shadowy underbelly of a city that never wakes, tracking down a heinous killer whose motives are shrouded in corruption, betrayal and deceit. But as connections to Jack’s own dark and mysterious past arise, it becomes clear that this is more than a search for the truth; it’s a race against time…
“Everyone who has ever lived has died, and yet we all still think ourselves immortal,” says Harland. ”We always think we are the exception. These days, every time that sun sets, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever see it again.”
I slurp down the rest of my drink, leaning against the balcony railing and looking out at the city… Harland’s not alone in his anxieties. Night falls hard on Jannix. With a synodic day of sixteen standard days, night lasts one hundred and forty-five hours here; almost an entire week without sunlight. It’s enough to make any man wonder if he’ll see another dawn…
Shadows call over Amber City. Another long night has begun.
- from The Night Also Rises
Pick up your paperback copy of The Night Also Rises from Amazon.com or the Createspace eStore for just $9.99, or download the ebook for $2.99. As always, signed copies are available by Contacting Me personally.
The Knife…
The Night Also Rises – Science-Fiction/Noir Mystery, Now Available in Paperback
Now available in paperback: a new Science-Fiction/Noir Mystery novella by C.B. McCullough. Described by readers as The Maltese Falcon meets Star Wars, and Blade Runner meets Casablanca, The Night Also Rises is an exciting new take on the hardboiled detective novel and a murder mystery like you’ve never seen before.
A unique blend of mystery and science fiction, The Night Also Rises follows private investigator Jack Tarelli on a chase through the shadowy underbelly of a city that never wakes, tracking down a heinous killer whose motives are shrouded in corruption, betrayal and deceit. But as connections to Jack’s own dark and mysterious past arise, it becomes clear that this is more than a search for the truth; it’s a race against time…
“Everyone who has ever lived has died, and yet we all still think ourselves immortal,” says Harland. ”We always think we are the exception. These days, every time that sun sets, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever see it again.”
I slurp down the rest of my drink, leaning against the balcony railing and looking out at the city… Harland’s not alone in his anxieties. Night falls hard on Jannix. With a synodic day of sixteen standard days, night lasts one hundred and forty-five hours here; almost an entire week without sunlight. It’s enough to make any man wonder if he’ll see another dawn…
Shadows call over Amber City. Another long night has begun.
- from The Night Also Rises
Pick up your paperback copy of The Night Also Rises from Amazon.com or the Createspace eStore for just $9.99, or download the ebook for $2.99. As always, signed copies are available by Contacting Me personally.
The Knife…
July 5, 2013
Nerds Do It Better: Why Nerd Culture Cultivates a Better Understanding of Story
What does the phrase “great storytelling” mean to you?
For many, it evokes names like Hemingway, Austen, Steinbeck and Joyce. What probably doesn’t come to mind are titles like Star Wars, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Sherlock or The Dark Knight. Literary classics, these titles are not, but I’m here to reveal a dirty little secret about all the stuff your mom and your teachers told you was ‘trash’.
Deep within their nerdy exteriors, these video games, movies and TV titles contain brilliant storytelling. Nerds around the world, rejoice! But before we go any further, some quick definitions.
Trash: media you want to read/watch/experience.
Classics: media you’re supposed to want to read/watch/experience.
Now, at first glance, this post might seem to be nothing more than an unsolicited advocacy for nerd culture. After all, nerds sit around playing video games and watching movies all day. What could they really be learning about story structure? Wouldn’t story be better learned by studying the classics?
Well, the fact is, we nerds do one better than study stories. We are constantly immersed in them.
Photo Courtesy of Fat Les (bellaphon) from London, UK
I’m a writer. I wasn’t an English Major, and I never liked diagramming sentences. All I ever really knew was that I liked stories. All those years of watching Star Wars: A New Hope, I had no idea I was secretly learning the classic Hero’s Journey. And as for video games, playing Mass Effect is a lesson in character development if ever there was one, and I dare you to play Final Fantasy X without developing deep, personal connections with every one of the characters– not to mention learning a thing or two about foreshadowing. Three episodes of the BBC series Sherlock, and you’ll never look at the concept of suspense the same way again. And don’t even get me started on The Dark Knight. That movie will teach aspiring storytellers everything they need to know about pacing, and the use of the archetypical Shadow Character is nothing short of eloquent.
I’ll be the first to admit: there are plenty of nerd-centric titles out there whose merits have everything to do with fun and little to do with story. (So maybe your mom wasn’t wrong about everything…) But my point is, when it comes to experiencing great creative material, reading the “right books” is overrated.
I can’t tell you how upset it makes me to see miserable kids in Junior High forced to read classics– and don’t get me wrong! The classics are great. The works of Steinbeck and Hemingway rank among some of my very favorite books. They’re just not for everybody.
Here’s the take-away: If you like something, odds are, you like it for a reason. Being a nerd is all about finding what you like and being passionate about it, whatever that may be. I write the kind of stories I like, and I hope you like them too.
Stay passionate, planet Earth.
- CB
July 3, 2013
Inspiration
“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” - Jack London
July 1, 2013
The Night Also Rises Soundtrack
Introducing: the unofficial soundtrack to the new C.B. McCullough science-fiction/mystery novella, The Night Also Rises. Enhance your reading experience with this free Spotify playlist, inspired by the book! (Playlist also available here: The Night Also Rises.)
Don’t forget to download your copy of The Night Also Rises by C.B. McCullough, available on Amazon. Paperback editions, coming soon.
