M.D. Massey's Blog, page 7
May 16, 2020
May Author Update from The World Beneath
Hey folks, its time for another author update from The World Beneath
What Im WritingAt the moment, Im knee-deep into writing Book 11 in the Colin McCool series. This book required a bit more setting research than usual (those of you whove read Book 10 know why), so it took me a few weeks to get the details hammered out.
I like to have my research done before I start writing because stopping every five minutes to look up facts (like the average temperature in January in Reykjavik or the...
April 28, 2020
Urban Fantasy Tropes, How They Define Genres, And Why All Genre Fiction Is Derivative
The Colin McCool series (a.k.a., the Junkyard Druid series) is becoming ever more popular as time goes on, and for that I am very, very grateful. However, lately Ive been running a lot of ads on Facebook and Instagram, and of course that brings with it the odd comment trolling the series.
Invariably, when trolls comment on my ads and posts, its something to the effect of this series is a rip-off of (insert their favorite author/series here). Usually either Jim Butcher or Kevin Hearne are...
March 20, 2020
Cheap and Free Urban Fantasy Books To Get You Through The COVID-19 Lockdown!
Need some cheap and free urban fantasy books to read while youre on lockdown? Heres a list of all the books Im giving away for free right now, and what I have on sale
Blood Scent This is the prequel to Junkyard Druid. You can grab it for free here:
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/q32676fi05
Druid Blood Another prequel to Junkyard Druid. Snag it free at my site here:
https://mdmassey.com/newsletter/
Druid Mystic The latest book in the Junkyard Druid series (10 of 10). I extended the introductory...
March 10, 2020
News & Updates From the Junkyard for March 2020
Here’s a little update regarding what I’ve been up to, the book launch, and upcoming spin-offs in the Colin McCool urban fantasy universe…
1. Druid Mystic Book Launch
So far, everything is going right on schedule. The ebook is set to drop on Friday, and the paperback version of Druid Mystic should be live on Amazon by tomorrow.
As for the audiobook version of Druid Mystic, see the next item…
2. Blood Bound Audiobook
Audiobook listeners, be advised: Audible is now taking weeks instead of days...
February 20, 2020
Why Writing Fiction Is Harder Than People Think
I like to write in empty fields and abandoned buildings, so people don’t interrupt me with stupid questions.
Every author has heard this line at least once:
“I’ve got this great idea for a book.”
Whenever we hear those words, we paste on a polite smile while slowly dying inside, because we know what’s coming next.
“And if I could just find someone to write it, it’d be a guaranteed bestseller.”
Um, no. If ideas and concepts were what made books sell, thenMake Your Own Sex Toysshould’ve hit the...
January 16, 2020
The Witcher Review: Not Exactly What Fans Expected, But I’ll Take It!
I had a chance to watch the entire first season of Netflix’s The Witcher over the holidays, and I have to say—it wasn’t exactly what most fans expected, but personally I enjoyed the hell out of it.
Now, I know there are some Andrzej Sapkowski purists out there who wish they’d have followed his books as closely as HBO followed GRRM’s tomes. However, when evaluating book to film adaptations, you must consider the studio’s financial concerns and the impact that will have on the final product.
...
November 30, 2019
No, I Haven’t Been Goofing Off…
That’s me, teaching a krav maga gun disarm.
It’s time for another of my very infrequent blog posts, which I usually write so my readers don’t think I’m just goofing off and ignoring them. Or ignoring the next novel, short story collection, audiobook, or whatever else I have on my production schedule.
And while I do love nothing more than playing video games all day, going to the movie theater at 11 am (and enjoying a beer, while I’m at it—or even better, a nip of whiskey snuck in via pocket...
June 30, 2019
Suggested Reading Order For The Colin McCool Series, The Junkyard Druid Novellas, And My THEM Post-Apocalyptic Series
Readers often ask, “What do I read first?” or “Did I miss something? These characters are referencing an event that wasn’t in the main series!”
In the latter case, they’re usually referring to something that happened in one of the short stories or novellas. I know some readers feel those additional books and stories are unnecessary, and I get that. However, the short story collections and novellas are intended to provide back story on supporting characters, and to flesh out details that I mig...
December 12, 2018
How To Deal With Criticism As A Writer
Welcome to the Mid-December update from The World Beneath! I have a ton of writing to do before this weekend, so let’s jump right in…
A couple of things, actually. For one, the audiobook for Blood Circus was released last week. And, Blood Scent and Blood Circus are (finally) available in paperback format.
Also, I’m working hard on Book 8 in the Colin McCool series, in the hopes I can finish it by the end of the year. No promises, but that’s my current plan.
Now, onto a topic that...
December 1, 2018
Happy December!
December is here and the Massey family is well into celebrating the holiday season. It’s been nothing but lights and trees and decorations around here for a week straight:
But that’s not all that’s been going on around here… I’ve also been hard at work on Book 8 of the Colin McCool/Junkyard Druid series.
The book is coming along nicely, although as usual it took me a week to hammer out the opening scenes. I always find the opening scenes to be the most difficult to write, because I am of the...
