Bryan Higby's Blog - Posts Tagged "bryan-higby"
MY ARRIVAL
The title sounds…arrogant? Not sure, honestly, I’m not. The title for this blog simply refers to the idea that I’m new in this world – new to this blog, new to Goodreads. I’m excited because up until about a month ago I had only two books in print, now I have eight titles publishes via eBooks and five in paperbacks. Each are available through Amazon.com.
I knew about the eBook revolution, but it never occurred to me that I could join. How did I join? How did I start? Well it starts with a little article I read about a new television show to air on the FOX Network in 2014 titled Wayward Pines. Why did this article attract my attention? Mostly because I googled Twin Peaks, my favorite TV show ever, and this article appeared. After reading I found out that the series was based on the novel PINES by author Blake Crouch. As I so often do I researched Mr. Crouch and found a new revolution in book publishing.
Through Blake Crouch I read about his experience with traditional book print publishers and the hardships. I read about his co-authors, and friends people like JA Konrath author of the great Jack Daniels series. I started reading these works and became hooked. Not only was it great fiction story telling but their publishing style was amazing too. Full creative freedom, quick turn-around time for publication, and a 70% royalty. Add to this the ability to create your own promotion/marketing approach based off you the author, the one who wrote the novel and knows it best.
Long story short, I started publishing eBooks via Kindle Direct Publishing. The print publishing rights for my traditionally published novellas, The Diary of a Logos and A Logos At Large, reverted back to me in 2012 and 2013. I published The Diary of a Logos via eBook in May 2013 followed by DenMark Lane, Zoey’s World, Reality Reports, Shamrock Cell, Locked Inside The Monkey Room and Tree Hotel. It wasn’t until I started getting email from friends who wanted paperback editions that I contacted Amazon’s partner company Createspace to POD my paperback versions. Now all of my books are available in paperback and eBook forms. I collected my three Logos novellas – Reality Reports, Tree Hotel, and Locked Inside The Monkey Room and published those in a paperback edition, The Logos Omnibus Volume One.
The promotion campaign for my work begins next week with me hosting the IndieReader website with my Horror novel DenMark Lane. If you like modern Horror, ala Stephen King, Dean Koontz etc… you’ll like DenMark Lane. Here’s a big hurray to the new publishing revolution, may you all join!!!
I knew about the eBook revolution, but it never occurred to me that I could join. How did I join? How did I start? Well it starts with a little article I read about a new television show to air on the FOX Network in 2014 titled Wayward Pines. Why did this article attract my attention? Mostly because I googled Twin Peaks, my favorite TV show ever, and this article appeared. After reading I found out that the series was based on the novel PINES by author Blake Crouch. As I so often do I researched Mr. Crouch and found a new revolution in book publishing.
Through Blake Crouch I read about his experience with traditional book print publishers and the hardships. I read about his co-authors, and friends people like JA Konrath author of the great Jack Daniels series. I started reading these works and became hooked. Not only was it great fiction story telling but their publishing style was amazing too. Full creative freedom, quick turn-around time for publication, and a 70% royalty. Add to this the ability to create your own promotion/marketing approach based off you the author, the one who wrote the novel and knows it best.
Long story short, I started publishing eBooks via Kindle Direct Publishing. The print publishing rights for my traditionally published novellas, The Diary of a Logos and A Logos At Large, reverted back to me in 2012 and 2013. I published The Diary of a Logos via eBook in May 2013 followed by DenMark Lane, Zoey’s World, Reality Reports, Shamrock Cell, Locked Inside The Monkey Room and Tree Hotel. It wasn’t until I started getting email from friends who wanted paperback editions that I contacted Amazon’s partner company Createspace to POD my paperback versions. Now all of my books are available in paperback and eBook forms. I collected my three Logos novellas – Reality Reports, Tree Hotel, and Locked Inside The Monkey Room and published those in a paperback edition, The Logos Omnibus Volume One.
The promotion campaign for my work begins next week with me hosting the IndieReader website with my Horror novel DenMark Lane. If you like modern Horror, ala Stephen King, Dean Koontz etc… you’ll like DenMark Lane. Here’s a big hurray to the new publishing revolution, may you all join!!!
Neil Gaiman
My chance came, finally. Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite authors since I was eighteen, arrived on stage in Saratoga Springs NY. It was one of 16 cities throughout the United States that Mr. Gaiman chose for his last US hurray! He announced that he would not be signing formally again in the United States. We all knew that tis was something special. Over 1500 attendees sat spell bound as the M.C. announced the man's name. A name that, I'm sure am not alone, in saying was an inspiration to me and opened the gates to the world of the imagination. How did it begin?
Twenty years ago I wandered into a local comics shop. I was not a regular visitor but I did stop in from time to time in order to purchase my new issue of Sam Keith's brilliant existential comic - The Maxx. On this occasion I noticed this disturbing book with a small insane looking punch doll on the cover. This was of course Neil Gaiman's Mr. Punch. I rifled through the pocket of my jeans to find not enough to buy this creepy book, so I wandered further - with Mr. Gaiman's name itched into my consciousness. I found a comic. Sandman? What was this? I new the old song - "Mr. Sandman bring me a dream…". I have never heard of this comic. I had never seen a cover like this one on a comic. I discovered later the brilliant work of artist Dave McKean. What is my point? Simple. That day when I walked out of the comic shop with my issue of The Maxx it had a companion. After reading Sandman I never looked back.
Speed ahead twenty years. Now I've read almost everything that Neil Gaiman has published. I see on Facebook that Mr. Gaiman is coming to Saratoga Springs for a final book tour. I am thrilled. My wife, who doesn't just indulge my flights of Fantasy, but embraces them, had the tickets purchased. We spent several hours at the theater. We listened to Neil Gaiman speak, what a wonderful. We heard him tell jokes, a joke, a dirty joke. We lined up for two hours to get his signature, and all this time I stood thinking that the man I am about to meet authored my career. Brilliant. Our time came. He signed our books. He drew a small ghost in mine and wished me the best. It was quick, it was formal, but it was Gaiman. Brilliant!!
Twenty years ago I wandered into a local comics shop. I was not a regular visitor but I did stop in from time to time in order to purchase my new issue of Sam Keith's brilliant existential comic - The Maxx. On this occasion I noticed this disturbing book with a small insane looking punch doll on the cover. This was of course Neil Gaiman's Mr. Punch. I rifled through the pocket of my jeans to find not enough to buy this creepy book, so I wandered further - with Mr. Gaiman's name itched into my consciousness. I found a comic. Sandman? What was this? I new the old song - "Mr. Sandman bring me a dream…". I have never heard of this comic. I had never seen a cover like this one on a comic. I discovered later the brilliant work of artist Dave McKean. What is my point? Simple. That day when I walked out of the comic shop with my issue of The Maxx it had a companion. After reading Sandman I never looked back.
Speed ahead twenty years. Now I've read almost everything that Neil Gaiman has published. I see on Facebook that Mr. Gaiman is coming to Saratoga Springs for a final book tour. I am thrilled. My wife, who doesn't just indulge my flights of Fantasy, but embraces them, had the tickets purchased. We spent several hours at the theater. We listened to Neil Gaiman speak, what a wonderful. We heard him tell jokes, a joke, a dirty joke. We lined up for two hours to get his signature, and all this time I stood thinking that the man I am about to meet authored my career. Brilliant. Our time came. He signed our books. He drew a small ghost in mine and wished me the best. It was quick, it was formal, but it was Gaiman. Brilliant!!
MUD STREET
Hello folks. Welcome to the world of OzValt Grant. Who is Oz Grant? Glad you asked. Oz was a former US military sniper in Afghanistan. After leaving the military, decorated, he became a homicide detective specializing in extreme sex crimes. He also helped profile the baby serial killer Martin Tibbs. After killing Tibbs he was fired from the force. Now this once decorated military mans, former homicide detective is thrown scraps from the local PD, thanks in large part from his former partner Jim Conrad. Jim calls Oz in when no one else an solve the crime.
Mud Street is a brutal little story about a case of hyped up rabies that leads to many deaths along a stretch of road in DenMark. DenMark is a small city in the USA, home to our hero.
The story is available for free at smashword.com. I am currently writing the follow up story, SNUFFED, to be followed closely by the gruesome tale, MUTILATED CORPSE. This trilogy of tales all take place around DenMark with our hero OzValt Grant as the focal point. Give it read and shoot me a line at bonsai74@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
Mud Street is a brutal little story about a case of hyped up rabies that leads to many deaths along a stretch of road in DenMark. DenMark is a small city in the USA, home to our hero.
The story is available for free at smashword.com. I am currently writing the follow up story, SNUFFED, to be followed closely by the gruesome tale, MUTILATED CORPSE. This trilogy of tales all take place around DenMark with our hero OzValt Grant as the focal point. Give it read and shoot me a line at bonsai74@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
STUMBLING
Okay so I have read articles and blogs about the great success of self published authors. I'm on my feet cheering for the Howey's and the Konraths of the self publishing world. I love their inspirational stories. Alas I am stumbling. Having written and devloped many manuscripts in the dark Fantasy genre, with just a smidge of Horror, I am still search for a readership. My books are there on-line at Amazon.com in Ebook and paperback form, I even have a short story, Mud Street available for free at Smashword.com. Check it out if you have a few minutes. That is if you like crime fiction with just a smidge of Horror.
Wayward Pines - The American Dream
I just published my first Kindle Worlds novella. It is a 69 page novella titled The American Dream. This novella is based off the wonderful novel, Pines, by Blake Crouch. Blake created a fantastic origins story with his novel Pines. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel that is coming out later this month, Wayward. Fox is producing a limited run series for Fox, Wayward Pines, based off Blake's novel. This series will star Matt Dillon as Secret Service agent Ethan Burke.
I stumbled across this little gem of a novel a few months ago after reading an article about how Fox was working on development for a new Twin Peaks style mystery series. I bought the novel Pines, read it and was particularly interested in the Afterward, where Blake talks about how Twin Peaks inspired the Pines novel.
I have spent twenty years as a fan of the Twin Peaks series and am now a fan of Blake Crouch and his Wayward Pines town. So I put fingers to key board and wrote my own Wayward Pines story, The American Dream. Kindle accepted this novella last night and now it is available to anyone who might have read the original novel, Pines and who are salivating for the sequel Wayward. I think that you'll find my novella a nice take on Blake's original invention. The novella is available thru amazon.com at $1.99.
I stumbled across this little gem of a novel a few months ago after reading an article about how Fox was working on development for a new Twin Peaks style mystery series. I bought the novel Pines, read it and was particularly interested in the Afterward, where Blake talks about how Twin Peaks inspired the Pines novel.
I have spent twenty years as a fan of the Twin Peaks series and am now a fan of Blake Crouch and his Wayward Pines town. So I put fingers to key board and wrote my own Wayward Pines story, The American Dream. Kindle accepted this novella last night and now it is available to anyone who might have read the original novel, Pines and who are salivating for the sequel Wayward. I think that you'll find my novella a nice take on Blake's original invention. The novella is available thru amazon.com at $1.99.
WOW publishing - Life Patterns
Here we are. I've been working on self publishing since late summer of last year. What have I achieved? So far I've self-pubbed 25 works, some eBooks and some paperback editions. I took the advice of Indy great Joe Konrath author of the fantastic Jack Daniels thriller series on his Newbies Blog. I also have been fortunate enough to have had two of my novel submissions to Joe accepted. What does this mean? Joe made an offer on his blog last Aug. to any author who had a character that hasn't found a readership write him a short story with your character and his character, or characters of his Jack Daniels bestselling series, and if he likes it he will publish it for you. Joe takes 100% of the publishing cost (ex. cover art, copy editing, interior eBook layout costs...) My two novels, Cop Killer and Cannibal Cocktail, will be published soon.
Despite this limited success I have found almost no financial success yet. My goal by years end is to become a full time author. To that go I have contacted groups like Book Gorilla, who are an email blast service to thousands of readers. My Dark Fantasy novel, Zoey's World will be displayed via Book Gorilla for the week of April 7th thru 11th. This took some doing. Before getting Zoey's World accepted I had submitted a few other novellas, but was rejected.
Book publishing is not an overnight event. You have to remember that you must write every day. Read relevant blogs. What is relevant for me may not be to you. That is also key to understanding yourself and the patterns in your life. We all have patterns that surface throughout our lives. I'm not speaking in terms of religion, but simply that there comes a point where you begin to notice the curious linkages, happenstance etc... You MUST follow those links otherwise you are doomed to failure. I started recognizing these links in my late teens when my best friend Rick Snyder and I started writing screenplays together. Besides hooking up with bestselling author JA Konrath I also met Marvel/DC comic book artist Jim Webb who created beautiful cover art for Zoey's World, as well as the artwork for my children's picture book - The Suburban Monsters.
Those life patterns led me to where I am today, in a happy life with my wife and three children. I told my wife that the first ten years of our life together was about starting our family the next ten is about launching my writing career. The other thing to remember about life patterns is that the more success you have following them the more you can help others in return. And lets me honest isn't that why we're here?
Despite this limited success I have found almost no financial success yet. My goal by years end is to become a full time author. To that go I have contacted groups like Book Gorilla, who are an email blast service to thousands of readers. My Dark Fantasy novel, Zoey's World will be displayed via Book Gorilla for the week of April 7th thru 11th. This took some doing. Before getting Zoey's World accepted I had submitted a few other novellas, but was rejected.
Book publishing is not an overnight event. You have to remember that you must write every day. Read relevant blogs. What is relevant for me may not be to you. That is also key to understanding yourself and the patterns in your life. We all have patterns that surface throughout our lives. I'm not speaking in terms of religion, but simply that there comes a point where you begin to notice the curious linkages, happenstance etc... You MUST follow those links otherwise you are doomed to failure. I started recognizing these links in my late teens when my best friend Rick Snyder and I started writing screenplays together. Besides hooking up with bestselling author JA Konrath I also met Marvel/DC comic book artist Jim Webb who created beautiful cover art for Zoey's World, as well as the artwork for my children's picture book - The Suburban Monsters.
Those life patterns led me to where I am today, in a happy life with my wife and three children. I told my wife that the first ten years of our life together was about starting our family the next ten is about launching my writing career. The other thing to remember about life patterns is that the more success you have following them the more you can help others in return. And lets me honest isn't that why we're here?
Patience...just a little patience yeah yeah
I've been writing on this blog for some time now and self publishing for a little less than a year. I enjoy self publishing and working with other best selling authors but my experience has forced me to be patient. Since I'll be 40 this Saturday I never thought that I would have the patience to wait as long as I have for my career to take hold. Now things seem to be picking up. 2014 is already a much better year than 2013. I finished my last Kindle Worlds Wayward Pines story titled Torch Song. As happens more than I like a tech snafu has held up the third and final New Dawn trilogy, but trust me readers if you liked my first two Wayward Pines stories - The American Dream, and An American Nightmare than you'll LOVE Torch Song. This story is longer and wilder than the others and worth the $1.99. I keep telling myself patience Bryan, patience but waiting to share this final Wayward Pines story is killing me. For anyone who had read my OzValt Grant Collection Torch Song unites
Grant, Z, and the Mannerbund Group with Blake Crouch's Ethan, Theresa, and Ben Burke, as well as Arnold Pope. Super Cool. Check it out at amazon.com soon!
Grant, Z, and the Mannerbund Group with Blake Crouch's Ethan, Theresa, and Ben Burke, as well as Arnold Pope. Super Cool. Check it out at amazon.com soon!
Pizza Man: or, the pizza that crawled out of my A-Hole
Okay so my good buddy Rick Snyder and myself are pushing toward the third and final act of our mutual horror comic novel - Pizza Man: or, the pizza that crawled out of my A-Hole. That's a working title. This is a fun comic novel with horror eliminates. How would you feel if someone delivered an unmarked delicious smelling pizza at your doorstep for free? Most people would love it especially for those single parents that don't have time to cook dinner for their kids. These humans are the targets for the evil Demon-ness who creates demonic fast food pizza in her underground lair. This marinara and cheese smothered dough is straight from Hell. Only a small band of rebels can save the human race against the enslavement of this other worldly kitchen of pizza makers. Sound cheesy? You have no idea! Keep an eye open for this short novel coming to amazon.com 2014!
PIZZA MAN OR THE PIZZA THAT CRAWLED MY A-HOLE
It’s official, Pizza Man or the pizza that crawled out of my a-hole is published in eBook and paperback formats via Amazon.com. Pizza Man is the first of a series of Fast Food comic horror novella by myself and Rick Snyder. These books were inspired by films like Big Trouble in Little China, John Dies at the End, and Evil Dead. Other influences were splatter punk novels and Grindhouse films.
The first novel, Pizza Man is about a demon (Lilith) who wants to enslave mankind through frozen pizza. The grungy city of DenMark in upstate New York is ground zero for the infestation. Lilith uses ancient demon receipts to concoct a pizza sauce that will devour some of mankind while enslaving others. When some local comic book creators get a whiff of this they team up with Hollywood actor former CIA agent Nicolas Cage. That’s correct you heard right. Actor former CIA agent Nick Cage.
This book is listed under the umbrella title – The DenMark Chronicles. The sequence Taco Bandits about a winged demon who infects taco sauce will be out before the end of the year. Stay tuned for more updates on this series as well as my novels Cop Killer and Cannibal Cocktail to be released soon with JA Konrath!
The first novel, Pizza Man is about a demon (Lilith) who wants to enslave mankind through frozen pizza. The grungy city of DenMark in upstate New York is ground zero for the infestation. Lilith uses ancient demon receipts to concoct a pizza sauce that will devour some of mankind while enslaving others. When some local comic book creators get a whiff of this they team up with Hollywood actor former CIA agent Nicolas Cage. That’s correct you heard right. Actor former CIA agent Nick Cage.
This book is listed under the umbrella title – The DenMark Chronicles. The sequence Taco Bandits about a winged demon who infects taco sauce will be out before the end of the year. Stay tuned for more updates on this series as well as my novels Cop Killer and Cannibal Cocktail to be released soon with JA Konrath!
What's New
It's been a while since I last posted anything. Sorry for that but I've been writing my butt off. Let me get you up to speed on what you might have missed. The DenMark Chronicles, which was started with Pizza Man, has expanded. Now there are a total of six published novels in the series: Pizza Man, Taco Bandits, Chuck A Chik, DenMark, Coffin Kids, and Hatchet Sisters. Coffin Kids and Hatchet Sisters are prequels to the other books. DenMark is the last of the Chronicles so far. Rick Snyder and I are working on Lo Mein Mania, which follows two years after the events of Taco Bandits. That novel will be published later this summer.
If you want to read the books chronologically here's how it plays out:
1) Coffin Kids
2) Hatchet Sisters
3) Pizza Man (takes place five years after Hatchet Sisters)
4) Taco Bandits
5) Chuck A Chik
6) Lo Mein Mania
7) DenMark
There are other Logos books that take place in or around DenMark:
1) The Diary of a Logos
2) A Logos At Large
3) Genetic Tree
4) DenMark Lane
5) Copenhagen
6) The Logos Omnibus Volume One
Most of these books are available as either eBook or paperback originals. We have plenty more on the way.
If you want to read the books chronologically here's how it plays out:
1) Coffin Kids
2) Hatchet Sisters
3) Pizza Man (takes place five years after Hatchet Sisters)
4) Taco Bandits
5) Chuck A Chik
6) Lo Mein Mania
7) DenMark
There are other Logos books that take place in or around DenMark:
1) The Diary of a Logos
2) A Logos At Large
3) Genetic Tree
4) DenMark Lane
5) Copenhagen
6) The Logos Omnibus Volume One
Most of these books are available as either eBook or paperback originals. We have plenty more on the way.
