Michael C. Bailey's Blog, page 97

Want A Free Signed Copy Of Book Three?

Thought that might get your attention.

Here’s the deal: the big push leading up to the release of Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect begins this week, starting with tomorrow’s three-day $1.99 sale on the Kindle edition of Action Figures – Issue One: Secret Origins. Next week Action Figures – Issue Two: Black Magic Women will go on-sale, and then book three hits Kindle on September 27 (and you can pre-order that right now).

I’ve decided to further goose the offerings with a special giveaway offer. Now, read the following bit closely, because there are conditions…

This contest is open to people who:

Read Secret Origins and/or Black Magic Women;
Liked the book(s); and
Has not yet left a review on Amazon.com or Goodreads

Here’s all you have to do: leave a review, and e-mail the link to your review to mikeatinnsmouthlook@gmail.com (or use the contact form on this site to send the link). The prize is a signed copy of book three!

I’m not going to give away just one signed copy, however; I plan to give away one signed copy for every ten reviews I receive. Winners will be chosen at random from the entries received. I’d love to have at least 100 entries so I can roll my ridiculous d100 to pick winners, because I’m a dork like that.

I suppose some of you have some questions. I’ll answer them here.

What if I’ve already left a review?

Then share this blog post via your favorite social media outlet and help spread the word. Share it, get a screencap of your share, and e-mail that to me as a JPEG. I’ll consider that one entry, as if it were a review, for calculating the number of books I give away.

Why is it only open to people who liked the books?

Well, I don’t understand why someone who didn’t like them would want the next book, but frankly, part of the goal here is to encourage people to leave positive reviews — honestly positive reviews. I’ve sold a lot of copies, but only a tiny percentage of buyers have bothered to leave a review, and reviews are important to independent authors, hence this little incentive. If you didn’t like the books, please don’t bother to enter the contest.

What if I’m not comfortable writing reviews?

Got you covered. Go read this post, which provides some handy hints for writing reviews, then go give it a try. The quality of the review does NOT affect your chances of winning a copy. A star rating and a sincere sentence or two is good enough for me.

Playwright Interview – Scott Kegler

Something a little different today! Instead of a fellow independent author, I present to you an interview with an independent playwright, my friend Scott Kegler, who recently realized a career dream and had his play WHACKED! published by JAC Publishing & Promotions. WHACKED! is also available on Amazon.com.

A bit of background: Scott and I met in 2007, when I was on the writing staff for the Connecticut Renaissance Faire and Scott was portraying the Green Knight in that year’s production (you can check out a key scene featuring the Green Knight here). We didn’t really connect as friends until a few years later, when we were both performing in the New England Pirate Faire, and we bonded over our respective statuses as happily married men (which I say without any irony or sarcasm. We both have awesome wives).

Okay, Scott, introduce yourself to the readers, and tell them what else have you done outside of writing this particular play.

I began writing when I was in high school and found that my stories were best told through dialogue. I wrote screenplays and by the time I was through college had almost a hundred different shorts, with only a couple of full length scripts.

I have had the advantage of being able to have performed on the stage and directing for the stage. These opportunities have really helped me have a larger understanding of theater, and how to pace a script.

What are your professional influences? 

My writing style is definitely fast paced and almost always plays within the absurd. I think a lot of this comes from my childhood, and what I watched. While my friends were usually watching Saturday morning cartoons, I was filling my mind with rerun episodes of Whose Line is it Anyway?, MST3K, and Blackadder.

I do enjoy however the styles of comedies from the 30’s and 40’s, where you see these very straight laced protagonists thrown into settings filled with insane, broad characters.

Now, onto WHACKED! What inspired you – or perhaps I should say, what possessed you to write a sex farce?

Poster by Amanda Marie.

Ha. Well, I was actually in rehearsals for the Scottish Play. Yes, Macbeth. I was backstage with one of my cast members sitting on a couch, and we were talking about comedies. We were talking about the classic sex farce and how they are usually all over the place, and the sex is just a general theme. I commented how it would be interesting to focus on one sex act, and more importantly a socially taboo one. When I made the claim that an entire play about masturbation could be interesting. My friend stated it couldn’t be done. So, I opened my laptop and started while waiting for my cue. The first draft was done in 6 days.

You’ve  mentioned that there are some elements in the show that were inspired by real-life people or events. What were those real-life inspirations (feel free to change any names to protect the not-so-innocent)? 

In general, I always have some actor’s voice in mind when I write anything. But with WHACKED, I had one character in particular that was if at the very least a parody of my father. The character David in the play is a combination of both my father, and how I see my own voice in a few decades. The biggest influence for the show being my father’s ability to speak primarily in factoids. I can’t argue with the results.

Most of the show is pretty grounded in reality, but there are bits in the show that are completely over-the-top (Jesus Bill comes to mind). In retrospect, do you wish you’d pulled those wilder moments back a little? Or made the rest of the show crazier? Or are you happy with the balance?

A lot of my comedies depend on the absurd and often the fantastic. So, it was fun to tease the idea of the show going for a “fantastic” ending, only to end up being just another ludicrous turn. Jesus Bill was never an intended part of the show when I set out. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but I remember just snapping at one point and saying, “The hell with it. Jesus appears in the door way.” Since I am a recovering Catholic, I couldn’t resist bringing Him into this show.

What made you decide to submit this particular play for publication? Did you ever worry it was too risqué or weird to be accepted for publication? 

I think it was the response. I have written a lot of the years, but this show just seemed rocket propelled. At the first table read I had at a local pub, the actors were practically demanding I get this produced. The rest happened pretty quickly.

Chances are some people reading this are familiar with the process of submitting a novel for publication, but what is the process for submitting a play?

The process is similar once the show is a proven commodity. The biggest difference is that almost any publisher/agent would like to see that the show/script has been performed in front of a paying audience.

If you have a script with which you are looking to move forward. I would recommend getting some actors together for a table read, and then getting a location for a stage reading. See what sort of response you get and then pursue a production. Once you have been able to that, you should be able to write your query letters and proceed.

What’s up next for you, writing-wise?

I am putting the queries together for two shows that were produced earlier this year. A full length show and a one act, which are about ready for that next step. I am working with a group on a web series currently as well, which I have gotten through about 3 episodes. I would like to find the time to finish two new works that are written, but needing some edits and reading, but there is this thing I have been involved with since the beginning of July. New baby or something? The wife says he is mine, and she is usually on the up and up. I figure I should raise him either way. You know…for appearances.

From Hell’s Heart – An Action Figures Short Story

It’s here! The new AF short featuring Dr. Enigma, From Hell’s Heart, is up! You can go read it right now on this page.

EDIT: The broken link is now fixed. Sorry about that!

Remember, next week the Kindle edition of Action Figures – Issue One: Secret Origins goes on sale for 99 cents for three days only, September 9 through 11. Grab it for yourself if you haven’t checked it out, or buy a copy for a friend. The week after that Action Figures – Issue Two: Black Magic Women goes on-sale for three days only, then after that, Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect makes its debut!

Pasts Imperfect – Cover Reveal!

First, a quick reminder that an all-new AF short, From Hell’s Heart, featuring Dr. Enigma, will debut tomorrow! The story will be up at 10 AM EST, and hopefully that will tide everyone over nicely until Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect  (now available for pre-order at Amazon) becomes available later this month.

Now onto the big item today, the full, finished front and back covers for AF3, courtesy of my ever-reliable cover artist Patricia Lupien. And check it out: I have my first-ever reviewer blurb on the cover!

SCIENCE!

A quick post today to share the finished artwork for the back cover of Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect — now available for pre-order at Amazon! — featuring Concorde.

I asked my crack cover artist Tricia Lupien to create something that looked like a house ad for Bose Industries, the company that created the Concorde suit. Her first pass at Concorde wasn’t quite what I’d envisioned, so Tricia went back to the literal drawing board, refined his look and this is what I saw sitting in my inbox this morning.

 

This made me ridiculously happy.

Book Three – Pre-Order Now!

Check it out!

 

Okay, the image is too small to make anything out, but this is the pre-order page for the Kindle edition of Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect! That’s right, you can line up your Kindle edition now and it’ll automatically pop up on your e-reader on September 27. The future is amazing!

For a little while I thought I might not be able to set this up due to my regular editor’s unexpected unavailability (until January!), but the Internet is a mighty resource, and I was able to pin down a replacement in short order.

Depending on how things play out, the print edition should be available around the same time as the Kindle edition.

From Hell’s Heart – Sneak Peek!

Next week the official ramp-up to the release of Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect beings in earnest with the release of From Hell’s Heart, a new short story that takes place immediately following the events of Action Figures – Issue Two: Black Magic Women. Dr. Enigma takes center stage for this one, and here’s the illustration of the good doctor that will accompany the short, courtesy of my cover artist Tricia Lupien, who once again took my boring idea and turned it into something awesome.

From Hell’s Heart debuts on Wednesday, September 3.

Can’t wait that long for some new reading material? Then click the link above and check out the first two chapters of book three!

More Announcements Than Humans Should Be Allowed To Have!

September is Action Figures month! I declare now, so mote it be.

Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect is in its final stages of preparation and is now slated for a September 26 release — which happens to mark one year since Action Figures – Issue One: Secret Origins debuted! This is still a bit of a tentative date because things can always still go wrong, but that’s what I’m gunning for.

Once I nail the date down a little better, I’ll be taking advantage of Amazon’s new pre-sale feature for indie authors, which means when book three is officially available, it’ll be automatically delivered to your Kindle!

To build up excitement for the release, I’ve got several things planned for the weeks preceding book three’s release…

Wednesday, September 3: Action Figures – From Hell’s Heart, a brand new AF short story starring Dr. Enigma, will be posted on this website.
Tuesday, September 9 through Thursday, September 11: the Kindle edition of Action Figures – Issue One: Secret Origins will be on sale for 99 cents!
Tuesday, September 16 through Thursday, September 18: the Kindle edition of Action Figures – Issue Two: Black Magic Women will be on sale for 99 cents!

This is a perfect time for new readers to jump on-board. If you’re already a fan of the series, let your friends know about these upcoming sales, or maybe drop a buck or two yourself and get them as gifts.

I’ll post updates as these benchmarks arrive, so stay tuned!

An Adventure In Babysitting 2.0

If you pop on over to the page featuring Action Figures – An Adventure in Babysitting, the short story that takes place after Action Figures – Issue Two: Black Magic Women, you’ll notice a new little touch:

I was looking at the page one day and realized how dull it looked, so I gave my ever-reliable cover artists Tricia Lupien a shout and asked her to whip up a spot illustration to add to the short. Since this story features Farley Quentin (a.k.a. Final Boss of the Quantum Quintet), I asked her to use him for the image. As usual, I gave her a general description and she perfectly interpreted what I’d envisioned.

Now I’m chomping at the bit to see what she comes up with to go along with the upcoming second AF short, From Hell’s Heart featuring Dr. Enigma. That will be be out as soon as Tricia finished working her magic. Consider that something to keep you all occupied until Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect drops — which will be next month!

Boston ComicCon!

I spent my weekend working Boston ComicCon with my wife, and as always, the cosplay watching was one of my favorite parts.

My now-autographed copy of Solo Avengers #12, featuring Amanda Conner’s first published work.

 

Before I get to that, I have to share my happy fanboy moment. Writer/artist Amanda Conner, one of my favorite comic artists, was at the con, so I dug out my copy of Solo Avengers #12, which features her very first published work. This is an original copy, which I’ve held on to throughout the years (and through several comic collection purges) because I really liked her art — so much so that I wrote to Marvel and praised her work. Marvel ran the letter three issues later.

I have no idea why her artwork struck me like it did, I just knew Amanda would one day be big in the industry, and that I had to keep that comic no matter what.

I brought both to the con for Amanda to sign, and when I presented her with the issue with my letter, she exclaimed, “I remember that letter!” Apparently, I had authored her very first fan letter. She signed that issue too, adding a very nice inscription. I guess this stands as an object lesson to people trying to make a career of their art: a few sincere words of encouragement from a complete stranger can be very powerful.

Amanda Conner’s note to me. You can see my name at the top edge of the photo.

Now, onto the cosplayers. BCC wasn’t quite as cosplayer-heavy as some other shows, but they were out in force. Here are some of my favorites…

My favorite costumes of the show. The really cool part? They were two individual cosplayers who just happened to bump into each other.

My friend Laura as Pepper Potts (on the right, obviously).

My friends Lara (who, cheap plug, runs Black Cat Tours in Salem) and Kate as two iterations of Captain Marvel.

Kate again as Black Widow (bonus fun fact: she is Russian, and she can kick your ass), my buddy Justin (the Jake Hawking series) in his award-winning Assassin’s Creed outfit, and some guy who shouted “Geronimo!” a lot. Weirdo.

Arya Stark, complete with Needle and Nymeria.

A very cool and subtle Kamala “Ms. Marvel” Khan.

My favorite part of Mad Magazine!

Usagi Yojimbo. Please note the raised eyebrow. I love little touches like that.

My wife with one of the many Deadpools. Head to storiedthreads.tumblr.com for the full story on their meeting.