Andy Peloquin's Blog, page 21

Guest Post: Looking Up

Today, I have the pleasure of posting not my own thoughts, but someone else’s. The post below is written by Michael Bolan, the author of The Devil’s Bible series. I thought it was quite an intriguing one, and definitely worth sharing:

Looking Up:

When I was seventeen, I crashed my car. I had passed my driving test a few months before and I lost control, and pretty much destroyed the car. Luckily, I walked away, physically unscathed, but with the most vivid memories of the experience: the fencepost stabbing through the roof beside me; the windscreen frosting with cracks but never quite shattering; the seatbelt-defined bruise on my chest that made breathing an agonising ecstasy. People talk about hyperawareness in times of stress: it’s true.

Since that day, I have often thought about how much information the human brain can (and does) process on a daily basis. The internet suggests we have up to 600,000 thoughts per day, but we give no conscious attention to over 98% of them. Imagine what we are missing. We tune out so many stimuli to prevent our minds from being overloaded that the world’s beauty often goes unnoticed. Being able to focus and concentrate on one thought, one idea, at a time, without being distracted by outside influences, is something which takes patience and focus.

My wife is always espousing the benefits of mindfulness, not just in her yoga practice, but in her day-to-day life. Mindfullness can be noticing and experiencing each footfall as you walk down the street, hearing a lone bird singing over the noise of the traffic, or simply being aware of the individual elements of your environment, and the way they interact.  The more you pay attention, using each sense to listen, feel, see and experience your surroundings, the more you can understand and, ultimately, describe it to your readers.

I always found it hard to really come to grips with the concept, but a friend explained it to me in a way that I could understand. She recently spent some time in London, and on her return asked my opinion of the city. When I explained my dislike, she asked if I had remembered to look up.

Try it the next time you are in London. Above the neon hoardings and household brands there are a thousand stories told in the buildings’ facades: the gung-ho adventurous beginnings of the insurance industry; the international traders circumnavigating the globe hundreds of years ago; or the families where generation after generation carried their company through good times and bad.

But the principle isn’t just valid in Piccadilly Circus. And it has a lot (everything?) to do with being an author. Most authors write from their own experiences; their stories are shaped by what they have gone through, who they have met, etc. The gift is to process and record those experiences such that they can be used at a later date. But they also need to describe things that they haven’t experienced, that can only be learned through close, careful and undistracted observation. A storyteller must connect deeply with his characters, must stand in their shoes and experience their lives for himself, even if it is within the confines of his own mind.

When I was researching The Devil’s Bible, I had to stand on the Charles Bridge, imagining what it would have been to hold the bridge against an enemy, muskets firing, fires burning, men and horses screaming. That was the easy part. To ponder the quiet chill of the air or the stiffness of leather armour; to remember that smoke stinks and blood smells sweet and metallic at the same time, that’s what brings prose to life.

So here are my five tips for bringing mindfulness into your practice as an author. But before paying attention to the outside world, it is important first to turn your attention inwards and observe what is happening within yourself. Simply finding a quiet moment to close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, calm the mind, balance emotions and encourage rational, clear thinking, whether you’re facing a blank page or an unsympathetic audience.

Feel

Watch how a child experiences the world and try to copy that. Feeling is both physical and emotional, be it the rough surface of a freshly-cut log or the harshness of a parent’s words. It can be a joyous or an uncomfortable experience, but the key is to keep an open and inquisitive mind at all times, and a rich vocabulary to describe it.

Think/ Don’t think.

Sometimes you need to think, to focus on a problem and grind out a solution. But creativity often calls for people to let go. Think of that cool moment just before you go to sleep when your frontal cortex slows down and stops trying to process all of the day’s stimuli and other parts of the brain run amok. Some writers use alcohol or narcotics to reproduce this effect, but you can do the same through mindfulness. Which is guaranteed hangover-free.

3. Listen

It’s amazing how often we fill in people’s sentences before they have finished speaking, hearing what we want to hear, not what is actually being said. Actively listening means that you hear and process what is being said, and what it means. And don’t just listen to people’s words – hear the timbre and inflections of their voice, notice their gestures and expressions. After all, words make up less than 10% of communication.

Don’t rush.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and even God took a rest on Sunday. Learning to become mindful takes time. Removing distractions, being aware of our surroundings, filtering out background noise, experiencing completely – these things are tiring and take time to master. Be patient and practice a little every day, and soon the art of clear observation will become habit.

5. Begin

Try this now. Put down your laptop or smartphone. Close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths. Slowly open your eyes and spend one minute fully experiencing your immediate environment. What can you hear, see, feel, taste, smell? Try to put your experiences into words. Write them down if it helps. Then take your new sense of connection to your environment into the world, and reflect that in your writing.

I first realised that something had changed in my thinking process when one of my lead characters surprised me by plucking his own eyes out. I had been purposely thinking about other things to clear my mind, when he upped and mutilated himself. When I complained to fellow authors, they pointed out that the author’s role is not to force characters to do what he or she wants them to; it’s to record the story that is happening.

So the next time you find a character not playing ball, or a storyline trailing off into nowhere, stop, listen and observe. The answer is there, you just have to find it. And hopefully it won’t take a car crash to shift your thinking.

 

 

 

 

 

The post Guest Post: Looking Up appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

Book Review: The Stone Bridge by Michael Bolan

It’s Book Review Wednesday, and today I have a book I’m very excited about. I read the first two books in this series—Book 1: Sons of Brabant and Book 2: Hidden Elements—so I was very happy to finally close off the trilogy. And what a way to go!

The Stone Bridge

The Rapture continues to wreak havoc across Europe in its quest to acquire the elemental Seals, the only thing preventing the Devil’s Bible from purging the world in fire. Brought to Prague by the Fianna, the Seals’ only protection lies in the secrecy that shrouds them.

Reinald, leader of the Rapture, enlists the world’s greatest minds to free the Devil’s Bible from the depths of Prague Castle, where it has languished under lock and key for centuries. Meanwhile, the plans of the Four Horsemen unfold, wreaking havoc and misery across the entire continent.

Not content with forcing his siblings from their ancestral home, Reinald sends a vast army to harry and persecute them, forcing them to flee ever eastwards. Taking shelter with their friends, Willem, Leo and Isabella commit to one last act of bravery, making a final stand to defend the city of Prague.

As each nation commits its final resources into the conflict, all roads lead to the Stone Bridge that divides Prague, where the Sons of Brabant and their Fianna allies will face the ultimate test of their strength.

My Review: 4 Stars

I’ve been waiting for the end of the series for long enough, so was VERY glad to get the final book to find out what happens to Willem, Leo, and Isabella.

I thought the story with the “mundane” foes—Reinald and the Rapture—was excellent. The battle scenes were well-written, the narrative smooth and intriguing, and the characters gripping. Each character had something unique to keep me interested. Heck, even the villain had something that made him relatable. A well-done book overall!

The part about the Devil’s Bible and the seals was a bit “meh”. While the seals were the most important part of Book 2, they lost my interest beneath the physical confrontation between Reinald and his minions and the main characters. In fact, I could have done without that entire part of the story and still LOVED reading about the war and politics of the timeframe in the book.

All in all, not as good as Book 1, but a fitting end to the trilogy!

About the Author:

Michael Bolan: nomadic Irish storyteller

It took Michael Bolan over two decades of running in the corporate ratrace to realise that all he actually did was tell stories.

There was no Damascene revelation for Bolan which caused him to pen his first work of fiction, “The Sons of Brabant”. An avid reader, he simply felt that he could do as good a job as many of the authors he read and decided to put his money where his mouth was.

Living and working in many countries left him with smatterings of a dozen languages and their stories, and his love for history focused his ideas on the Thirty Years War, the most destructive conflict that the continent has ever seen.

Now living in Prague (again), Michael brings alive the twisted alleys of the 17th century and recreates the brooding darkness of a fractured Europe, where no-one was entirely sure who was fighting whom.

Michael writes while liberally soused in gin, a testament to Franz de le Boë, who was mixing oil of juniper with neat spirit while the thirty Years War raged around him.

Find the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stone-Bridge-B...

Read his thoughts on his website: http://www.michaelbolan.org

Tweet at him: https://twitter.com/michaelbolan225

Connect with him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelbolan225

 

The post Book Review: The Stone Bridge by Michael Bolan appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

The Signs of a Psychopath in the Making

As I started writing Child of the Night Guild, I knew I wanted to take my character along a journey from innocent child to cold, hard criminal. The things she will end up doing in Books 2 and 3 are definitely not the sort of thing a well-adjusted person does—makes sense, given all the things she endures.

I considered whether or not to make her a sociopath or psychopath. In a way, that would almost give her an excuse for doing what she does, and would add an interesting new dimension to the character. In the end, I didn’t go down that route, but I learned a lot of fascinating things about psychopaths.

For example, did you know that you can often spot a psychopath from a pretty young age? In doing my research, I came across this article on Psychology Today that pointed to some interesting signs:

Bullying other children
Abuse of pets (family and otherwise)
Engaging in petty thievery and criminal acts
Lack of empathy
Superficial charm
Shallow and short-lived emotions
Manipulativeness and tendency to lie
Selfishness
Punishment doesn’t affect their behavior
Inability to show remorse
Impulsiveness

Of course, these things aren’t the only indicators of psychopathy from a young age. And parents DEFINITELY can’t look at these signs and think, “Oh god, my child is a psychopath!”

However, it’s interesting to note that though behavior and personality isn’t usually cemented until a much later age (30, according to psychologists like William James), there are these signs that can be seen at an age as young as two years old. They’re more than just the “Terrible Twos”—they may actually become serious social disorders if the child doesn’t outgrow them.

I found this fascinating because it goes to show that “nature” and “nurture” are equally important for personality and character development. Children can show psychopathic traits from a young age, but parents can help to nurture them out of it.

As a writer, I’ve come to understand that MOST of my characters’ issues come from their childhood. If I’m going to write a psychopath, I have to start developing the character (in my mind, if not on paper) from a very young age. All these traits are perfect signs to show readers that the character is a psychopath even at the tender age of two. If the parents took steps to correct their child’s behavior, his/her psychopathic tendencies can be thwarted. But the real psychopaths (the ones who become anti-heroes and villains) are the ones whose parents didn’t nurture them out of it, but instead did things (violence, verbal abuse, subjection to over-strict discipline, sending them off to harsh martial/magical training, etc.) that encouraged them to continue down the road to becoming a full-blown psychopath.

 

The post The Signs of a Psychopath in the Making appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

Interview with E.M. Whittaker

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing a good friend of mine and fellow writer E.M. Whittaker. EM and I both started our writing journey around the same time. She’s been a huge encouragement to me throughout the process. We’ve learned a lot of the same lessons, and I can’t wait to see where her writing takes her.

Hey, EM, tell us a little about yourself and your background?

My name is E.M. Whittaker and I write urban fantasy/paranormal mystery with different elements, such as dark fantasy, horror and crime. Some of this stems from going to school for criminal justice – other elements are taken from real life experiences, which make the characters more realistic about their decisions and backgrounds.

I started writing back in middle school with fanfiction stories, but transitioned into writing fiction in 2012. After five drafts and several short story acceptances, my first book will release on December 3, 2016.

What genre are your books?

Urban fantasy/paranormal. Depending on the material, it can contain elements of dark fantasy, horror, crime, suspense and romance.

My first series will not focus on romance, simply because the main characters are finding closure about their spouses. My second series definitely has this factor incorporated, but it won’t be X-rated or erotica proportions.

So, what have you written?

Right now, I only have Turbulence, and it’s releasing on December 3rd, 2016.

Drift is pending release between late March and early April of 2017, after editing is complete. However, Holly Heisey’s done some amazing stuff with my covers, and you can see the comparison for branding. Both covers received excellent feedback from readers.

In addition to my two book releases between December and March of 2017, I’m also involved in several anthologies. An NDA prevents me from promoting some projects, but I can show you ones I’ve been given permission to advertise and discuss.

The first one is called Black Magic Massacre. Cover art drawn by Stephen Cooney, and edited by John Ledger.

The story is about 10,000 words, but this focuses on another character who’s featured in her own series after The Renegades Saga ends called The Soulstealer Chronicles.

Soulstealer: The Dark Mistresses’ Enigma, features a hybrid mage/shifter named Eileen Fraser and her demonic symbiote, Ilda Lovox. They are Keith Travis’ antagonists in Injustice, his prequel story releasing sometime in 2017. Known as Soulstealer, Eileen’s backstory begins after her memories and identity were wiped and sealed away to serve the Sect’s needs. After a chance encounter in her previous kingdom, one entity reminds her of her purpose and her quest for redemption begins.

(This story does not have zombies, I promise.)

Eileen becomes a support character in book three, but the short story ends as Travis is spying on Aviere in Chapter Ten of Turbulence. So it’s a tie-in for the series, but it worked out well.

The other anthology is also with JEA Press called Nocturnal Nightmares.

The story featured is called Phantasm, which also ties directly into my first series, The Renegades Saga.

Phantasm features Keith Travis, the male protagonist assigned with a female mafia mistress to stop their rivals from destroying Charm City. However, this anthology focused on nightmares, and it was more horror based. So I took from an instance inside Travis’ backstory, which was shorter than I intended.

Since this short was accepted, I’ve decided to feature a standalone based on this character at the request of beta readers from my first book. If you want to hear an excerpt, I did a reading for Wicked Little Things: Nocturnal Nightmares Before Christmas, which you can listen to on the computer.

If this book is part of a series, tell us a little about it.

Turbulence is book one of five in The Renegades Saga, featuring Aviere Mye, a previous donna of the mafia looking for closure about her loved one’s disappearances after losing her own territory. When she starts her own investigation, she is a capodecina – a person who runs a unit of ten or less and can be specialized in performing assassinations. She’s also the famous Poisoner of Charm City, which earned her a less than favorable reputation, despite being the best at her profession.

Her dream is to become a professional street racer like her mother and leave the life of crime behind her; but when a copycat murders her bosses using her methods, Aviere’s forced to work for her hated nemesis for protection.

This single action begins her journey into finding answers into her loved one’s disappearances while trying to balance her family life, her dreams, aspirations and keeping her enemies at bay—including her new partners, Keith Travis and Shawn Peters.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

In this series, I have two main characters, because their stories tie close together.

Aviere Mye’s special because she’s a catgirl with a genetic mutation and no hope of a cure, yet continuously struggles to live life to the fullest. Her plate’s pretty full, considering she’s constantly a target for everyone she encounters. But she’s managed so much in a short span of time, despite the hardships she and her family endure, such as perfecting her craft, pulling people together and accepting everyone despite their racial and cultural differences.

Oh, and her night job – racing the streets for money so she can make expensive medicine for herself and others in need.

She becomes the “unofficial” leader in her three-man cell, comprising of a mage, a shifter and a human – three factions constantly at war within Baltimore City (or Charm City, if you prefer).

Keith Travis became a main character by accident, because he was Aviere’s antagonist. He still is, but it depends on the situation. As someone working on the opposite side of the law, his boss forces him with Aviere for protection, but his experiences with shifters remains jaded after a series of bad events. Because he’s the mage in this situation, he’s required to balance the use of his powers with the skills from his job in law enforcement.

I think the reason he’s special is because he offsets everything Aviere’s cast aside as she became cold and reckless. He’s the type of person who’s willing to accept changes as necessary and finds that she becomes a beacon of hope in his dark-infested world. Over time, he shifts from wanting to use her to helping her – despite history repeating itself at the last book. Just as Aviere forces Travis to hone on his weaknesses he fears and to embrace his strengths, he does the same for her. It takes a special person to allow someone to fall and constantly pull them up, allowing them to draw strength when they have none left to give and learn from their mistakes.

The two share a bond laced with tragedy and turned it into something important – one where romantic bonds aren’t necessary. Good stories don’t need romance to draw readers in and make them care about their blight. With the loss of their spouses comes the need to survive, and that’s what I wanted to show. Character development is important, not just romance at the first man who passes, even if the protagonist and antagonist hate their guts.

To read more about Aviere Mye and her talents, please reference the Duel to the Death post Andy made on his website.

 

What’s more important: characters or plot?

I find the best stories contain both of these elements. A perfect story contains these in an equal balance. Without one, there cannot be an epic story.

If you have too much characterization, you may risk info dumping a backstory and readers will grow bored. If you have too much plot, the reader can’t get to know the characters for themselves or associate with them. Sure, you can have a plot driven book, but I’m reading it because I CARE about the characters, not to just see the plot end. A good book will have you emotional and attached to the characters at the end of the story, leaving you with either satisfaction or demanding more.

So in essence, my goal is to achieve this balance and have readers enjoy my work, which is why my answer remains as such.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Since this was a first book, I have quite a few things I surprised myself with. I’m talking mistakes, because everyone messes up their first book.



I found I write sentences backwards and don’t notice typos that aren’t highlighted. I mean, I replaced shut the door with sh*t so many times, someone joked about it while reading it once. I was mortified, but it’s stuck with me and one reason I decided to hire an editor and proofreader.

I also found that some topics are not worth researching, and others you need specific key words for. Don’t ever look up crotch rocket on Google for motorcycles unless you’re prepared for some racy pictures. True story.

Last, I blew my first cover and it was a flop. Lighting issues made it impossible to read as an ebook cover, so I had to commission someone else to redo the entire thing. Holly Heisey was the best investment I’ve made, and she’s agreed to do the covers for the rest of my series and standalones. I’m impressed with the detailed covers and how she also managed to work in awesome page break illustrations to fit the theme for my series.

We’re also planning to overhaul the cast page sometime next year when she has openings, since she books quickly.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I use a working outline, meaning I write my major plot points (about 2-3 per chapter) and then write the first draft. Sometimes, the actions may not work while others fit like a puzzle. When this happens, I can step back and use what’s working to incorporate more of those elements into those that don’t mesh together.

However, the characters don’t always behave. This depends on if they evolved throughout other chapters or not. I found that my second draft of Drift, several characters started showing themselves more, which means the book will be longer than the first. Some evolutions stay while others go, such as if the humor fits the dynamic or if the action fits that character’s reaction. This might change a chapter or two, but changing stuff works if it moves the story and motivates your readers.

What are you working on right now?

I’m in the process of editing Drift, which is book two. Hopefully I won’t need five drafts this time, but I only anticipate two. I’ve got a deadline to hand this in by January for a March/April release. I learned with Turbulence that rushing editing’s a bad idea, so I’m giving myself more time to perfect this story. I used this for NaNoWriMo instead of my original idea.

In January, I’m planning on drafting Break (book three) while I’m waiting for edits. From there, it’s a matter of picking which standalone novel I want to work on, since I can’t work on just one series of characters for a certain amount of time. Basically, I sprinkle it out a little so I don’t burn myself out.

The standalone I wanted to write for NaNo isn’t ready, because I have to go back five years before the series begins, where a character’s mindset is completely different than portrayed inside The Renegades Saga. Once I’m past Drift, I should be able to write Travis’ story effectively, since it’s a subplot in the second book and the two characters involved are almost opposite personalities verses where they stand in the current universe.

I anticipate a 2017 release for Injustice – just not sure when, because this was the question posed the most by beta readers.

Also, I’d like to release a personalized collection of short stories in an anthology within the universe, because there were some ideas that didn’t make it into the book. Readers love learning information about characters, especially ones they can associate with, so it’s really a treat for them.

For other projects, check out my status page – I’m updating it as projects are completed.

On top of my workload, I’m still continuing to write short story submissions and query around to build up my portfolio. So I’m always busy with a project – there’s never a real day off in my home.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read, of course. What writer doesn’t like reading? I tend to read paranormal, urban fantasy, sci-fi, fantasy and dark fantasy. I’m also into intellectual stuff, so every once in a while, I read psychological books and self-help.

Drawing’s another. In fact, you can check out my doodles. It’s one way I conceptualize characters.

I found I like cooking, too. Since learning about gluten/dairy intolerance, I’ve learned to make my own food and lost weight doing it. It wasn’t always fun, but it’s a great way to let out anxiety when I’m having a bad day.

I also like gaming. RPGs and hack/slash are my thing, but I hang out on Final Fantasy 14, too. My current guilty pleasure is Hyrule Warriors.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Readers can read some of my stuff on my website, Amazon, and my bio on J Ellington Ashton Presses’ website.

https://www.amazon.com/E.M.-Whittaker/e/B01NABA6X9

 

 

The post Interview with E.M. Whittaker appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

How to Write Awesome Action Scenes

Action plays a very important role in every one of my books. Hard to avoid it, given that my main character is a half-demon assassin, right?

I love a good action scene. There’s nothing that gets the blood pumping like a duel—sword, magic, gun, or spaceship—and it can be a lot of fun to read. But a lot of hard work goes into making that action scene work.

There are so many components to action scenes:

The actual movements and action
The tightness of the sentences to keep the action moving
The important details of the surroundings and environment
The characters’ reactions, emotions, and thoughts

Writing a good action scene is actually a lot harder than you’d think!

Thankfully, I had a chance to talk with some fellow authors about how they put together awesome action scenes. I was also fortunate enough to sit down with a real-life professional long swordsman and get some behind-the-scenes details on how to do sword fights (I write fantasy, remember?) the right way.

Check out the AMAZING video below, and hold onto your sword belts for a whole lot of fascinating information on writing quality action scenes:

Some Resources Mentioned:

www.wiktenauer.com  — great place to find historical information on swordplay

Holmgang YouTube Channel — crazy German warriors

The Panelists

Nathan Grepares

Nathan Grepares is quite probably the feistiest longsword fencer from Texas! Since 2010, he has competed professionally against some of the top European and American fencers. He is an instructor for a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) club. On a weekly basis, he leads students through training exercises and fitness routines to help empower them and instill confidence, as well as engender a knowledge and appreciation for history and martial culture.

His experience frequently causes him to be invited to events across the globe to share his knowledge and skills with other practitioners.

Watch him fight (guy on the left): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1-f53EMlF0

For more information: http://mindhost.tumblr.com/post/143575963597/nathan-grepares-quite-probably-the-feistiest

Agnes Jankiewicz

A.A. Jankiewicz (known to most as Agnes) hails from the city of Pickering, Ontario. Her debut novel ‘Q-16 and the Eye to All Worlds’ was published as part of her thesis project at Durham College as part of the Contemporary Media Design Program. Prior to that, she graduated from York University with a BFA in Film Theory, Historiography and Criticism. When she’s not busy plotting the next great adventure, writing, doodling, tinkering in the Adobe suite programs or mellowing out with her friends, she enjoys walks with her four-legged companion Meesha. She is currently working on the next instalment in the Q-16 series.

Website: www.aajankiewicz.com

Matt Posner

Matt Posner is a writer and teacher from Queens, New York. He is the author of the multi-volume School of the Ages series, about America’s greatest magic school; of How to Write Dialogue, a manual for writers; and the co-author of advice manual Teen Guide to Sex and Relationships. Matt’s new novel is Squared Circle Blues, about the rough and rugged lives of professional wrestlers in the 1980s.

Website: http://schooloftheages.webs.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/schooloftheages , http://www.facebook.com/squaredcircleblues

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/schooloftheages, http://www.twitter.com/SquaredCircleB

 

 

The post How to Write Awesome Action Scenes appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

Book Review: DCs Dead by Michael Fisher

It’s Book Review Wednesday, and I’m going to stray a bit from my usual haunt (fantasy) to head way out into the left field of horror. This isn’t your typical zombie book, but it’s well worth the read.

DC’s Dead

A small cabin in the mountains of Virginia, once a refuge from the hectic rush of city life, may now be the only refuge for life for these self-labeled DC Freaks.

Not your mama’s Cabin in the Woods.

My Review: 4.5 Stars

A group of six DC locals finds themselves in a zombie apocalypse, but how many of them can survive long enough to reach safety? Is there such a thing? The undead cannot be stopped, cannot be avoided. But zombies are not the only threats to survive!

The fast-paced story will have you on the edge of your seat. Prepare to devour this book in a single sitting—you will not want to put it down!

A zombie horror story that will sink its undead fangs into your imagination!

Here’s a Taste:

The reporter continued to speak for a bit about the fallen soldiers buried in Arlington when the camera picked up some activity near the graves.

“The President is due to speak in a few moments.  Wait a minute!  There appears to be some sort of commotion going on down there, some sort of a fight.”   The microphone was picking up the sounds of people screaming while it appeared that the mourners were being attacked.

“Who the fuck would attack a Memorial Day celebration?”  Fish asked, looking confused as he took another drag from his menthol.

“I have no idea,” Bobby said, as he popped the top on yet another Mountain Dew and drank deeply, wiping any stray droplets from his dark goatee with the back of his hand.

The chaos at Arlington continued to escalate, while the reporter was trying to encourage the cameraman to get the best shots possible without putting himself in any danger.  A hero without concern for himself, he was not.  The mic started picking up an arrhythmic slapping sound, like someone beating a tenderloin chop against a sidewalk.

“What is that?  No, it can ’ t be.”

Carl Mackenzie, the reporter, looks around confusedly, a look of denial mixed with absolute horror as realization hit.  Pointing behind the camera, the reporter started visibly shivering.  The cameraman rapidly panned around, focusing the camera and microphone on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  It sounded like the slapping noise was coming from inside the Tomb, the sound of many hands beating on stone.  The camera turned back to the running crowd, zooming in on the details, FCC be damned.

The screen filled with the decomposing features of a large man in a rotten US Marine Corps dress uniform, taking a large bite from a matronly woman’s throat. Bright red arterial blood sprayed across his worm-eaten features.  The camera hit the ground, skidding until it stopped at a skewed angle and pointing at the fleeing cameraman.  He had only gotten a few yards when he was taken down by a group of what appeared to be Green Berets, their ragged dress uniforms hanging from their emaciated frames, the berets staying in place, stitched on by the undertaker.  The Presidential motorcade could be seen speeding off in the distance. The audio switched back to the anchor in the studio.

“ Let’s see if Bob Thompson at the Kennedy Memorial can shed any more light on the situation.  Bob, what’s going on over at there?”

The picture changed to yet another skewed view, this time of the memorial built to honor the nation’s youngest President who was struck down in his prime.  The screen picked up shuffling figures in uniforms and formal wear alike, slouching along but paying the camera no mind.  A zombie clothed in the dress uniform of the US Air Force stumbled over the uneven stonework around the Eternal Flame at the center of the Memorial.  It fell face first onto the metal gas jet that was the Eternal Flame. The rotting flesh extinguished the fire.

About the Author:

Michael Fisher, Fish to his friends and family, has worn many hats in his long life. He’s done a little of everything, including US Navy Hospital Corpsman, club DJ, security specialist, psychiatric technician, painter, and currently, father, Mason, author and tattooer, not necessarily in that order. He has a love of ugly Hawaian shirts. He also bears a passing resemblance to Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski.

Michael is on staff at J. Ellington Ashton Press as an author, editor and also designs book covers under the name Meister Arthur Dunkel. He is also a member of the Horror Writers Association.

Find the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/DCs-Dead-Michael-Fisher-ebook/dp/B00N738A68/

Read Fish’s thoughts on his website: epicfishtales.com,

Connect with him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelFisherAuthor/

 

The post Book Review: DCs Dead by Michael Fisher appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

The Danger of Stock Images for Book Covers

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but that’s not entirely true! A book cover gives you an idea of what’s inside the book, what the overall feel is, and even what to expect. After all, it’s rare to find a high quality book cover on a poorly-written book, and I’ve found very few books with crappy covers but amazing stories inside. (I’ve been wrong perhaps once or twice…)

A lot of cover artists use stock images to create beautiful covers. While using stock images is a good way to find a wide assortment of graphics, it’s important to be sure the image isn’t being used by another cover. It makes the covers look (dare I say?) “tacky”.

I’m going to bring out an example I ran across a few months ago while writing book reviews. Two authors (both of whom have excellent novels) sent me their books to review, and as I was posting the covers, I noticed something in common:

 

Can you spot the ways these covers are the same? Whoever designed these covers used the EXACT same image of the same model!

For most people, this wouldn’t be an issue, as the two books are only barely in similar genres (fantasy). But for some readers, it is actually a bit irksome to find details like this.

My advice: be careful if your cover artist uses stock images. It’s nearly impossible to do a Google Search to see if other covers use the same image, so you have no way of knowing until it’s too late. Original art is always the better option, even if it means you end up spending a bit more.

 

The post The Danger of Stock Images for Book Covers appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

9 Tips for Email Marketing

Marketing is all about creating a message that will resonate with people, and finding the most effective methods to spread that message. For some, social media presents a way to connect and communicate with people on a personal level, while others prefer the mass approach of TV ads and billboards.

Of all the marketing methods, email marketing has proven to be the most effective. Email marketing gives you direct access to your customers via their email inbox. If you want to increase engagement with their clients, I can’t recommend email marketing enough. It cuts through all the noise of social media and is far more targeted than mass advertising.

If you’ve got a book launch, freebie, or giveaway on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about using your email list to spread the word. Below are a few tips to help you to make the most of your email subscribers and reach them with the message as effectively as possible:

Plan it Well

Before you open that “Compose Email” window, think about what you want to say. What is the most effective way to tell your email list what you want them to know? How can you say it in as few words as possible, but make those words count?

You might consider sitting down with a professional copywriter (freelance) and working together to draft a well-written, cohesive email. The more you can say in fewer words, the better! It takes time to plan what you’re going to send out in each email, but I believe it’s worth the investment.

Focus on One Thing

If there’s one thing guaranteed to make people click away from your email, it’s an overload of information!

When we open emails, we want to get to the meat of the content as quickly as possible. We don’t want to have to read through paragraphs, skip past links, wait for pictures to load, etc.

When you write emails, focus on ONE thing: update, information, link, subscribe button, etc. The whole email should revolve around a single bit of information you want to share. You can send out multiple emails to give your customers more information on your event, but make sure that each email focuses on just one thing. It will increase the chance people will actually open and read those emails!

Bonus: Keep it short and sweet! 2-5 paragraphs, an image, and a link. That’s all you need!

Make it Personal

Who wants to read an email addressed to “To Whom it May Concern”? Not me, that’s for sure!

We all like to see our names at the top of the email, so we know for sure the email is actually directed to us and not some random name on a list.

Your email service (like MailChimp) will automatically input the customer’s name into the heading of the email, but you should take steps to personalize it more. Send out your event marketing email only to the people who would want to attend, and track your customer data so you can know who responds to which emails. It takes a lot of work, but it’s 100% worth it!

One Call to Action

Just as your email should focus on a single piece of information, so you should only include ONE call to action!

A “call to action” refers to the thing you want people to do when they read your email. If you have a handful of links in your email (“Click here to find out more”, “Sign up now”, “Register in advance for a discount”, etc.), it’s far less likely that your readers will do even ONE of those things. But if your entire email is structured around that single call to action, you have a better chance your readers will actually click on that link or sign up for that event.

Make it Mobile-Friendly

Did you know a staggering 67.2% of people use their mobile phone to check their email? Add to that the 42.3% who use a tablet, and you have A LOT of people using the mobile version of their email provider (Gmail, Apple Mail, etc.).

The display of your email will look different on your customers’ mobile phone than it will on their PC. For this reason, you need to use a template that automatically scales for mobile devices. No one wants to move their screen side to side or zoom in and out to read your email! A mobile-friendly template and email layout will be much more appealing, not to mention easier to read.

 

Keep it Simple

This goes hand in hand with the “focus on one thing” point, but I believe it bears repeating!

The simpler you make your email, the easier it will be for your readers to get what you’re trying to tell them. Make sure the content is concise, clear, and easily understood, with something to “hook” the reader and get them interested in what you’re saying. Tell them what you want them to know, add the call to action, and END THE EMAIL!

Test it Out

One big mistake many email marketers make is failing to test their marketing campaigns. A/B testing is a good way to find out what your customers respond to, and it can give you invaluable data on the best way to use your marketing list.

How can testing help you? You may find that your readers respond to certain email subject lines more effectively than others, or that they preferred a certain email layout. Some calls to action will work better than others, or readers may respond better to a certain type of content.

The more you test and analyze your emails, the more effective you can be the next time you send out an email. Test, track, and analyze: it’s the key to success!

Send it at the Right Time

The timing of your email can make a huge difference! Send an email too soon, and your event will slip your clients’ minds. Send it too late, and they may not be able to shuffle their schedule to attend.

Send the first email a month or two in advance. Giving people advanced warning will get them thinking about the launch/giveaway/event to incorporate it into their schedule. The closer you get to the date of the event, the more emails you can send—each one focusing on a different aspect of the event, of course.

Resend to Unopened

Sometimes people fail to open your email not because they dislike your content, but because they get too busy, forget that they want to read your email, and delete it. You can use your mailer service (Aweber or Mailchimp) to find out who didn’t open the email, then re-send the email (if it’s very important). They may just need a reminder!

 

Yes, email marketing can be the most effective way to reach clients, but only if you use it right. The advice above can help you to take your event marketing strategy to the next level and give you a better chance of spreading the word of your event the RIGHT way.

 

The post 9 Tips for Email Marketing appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

How to Write a Good Book Review

Book reviews are an author’s lifeblood! They tell people what to expect when reading your book, and gives them an idea of just how much/little other readers enjoyed the story. They may not “make or break” your success, but they certainly play a vital role in it.

Which means people who write reviews have a lot more “power” than they’d expect. Your feedback could enhance the author’s sales, warn potential readers to stay away from a bad product, or share something in the book that spoke to you. If you’re going to write a review, write it right!

I sat down with a couple of my fellow authors and book reviewers to discuss the art of writing a good book review. I asked questions like:

What do you include in a good book review?
How much detail is too much?
How can you give enough detail while avoiding spoilers?
Can you review as JUST a reader, or does your author side come out?

Here is what we discovered:

The Panelists

Arial Burnz – Arial Burnz is the USA Today bestselling author of HOT Scottish Vampires. She has been both traditionally and self-published, a cover designer and an editor, so she’s a real geek about the publishing industry! As an avid reader herself, she has left many reviews of the books she’s read over the last 40 years.

To join Arial VIP Club and get weekly book-related freebies, visit http://arialburnz.com/vipclub.

Wendy Van Camp — Wendy Van Camp is the author and poet behind No Wasted Ink (http://nowastedink.com), a blog about the craft of writing that features author interviews, sci-fi and fantasy book reviews and scifaiku poetry. Wendy’s short stories and poems have appeared in literary and science fiction magazines such as “Shadows Express”, “Luna Station Quarterly”, “Altered Reality Magazine”, and “Far Horizons”. Her first Amazon ebook is a regency romance entitled, “The Curate’s Brother: A Jane Austen Variation of Persuasion”. (https://www.amazon.com/author/wendyvancamp)

Blog: http://nowastedink.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wvancamp

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/indigoskye

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nowastedink

Google+: google.com/+WendyVanCamp

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/wendyvancamp

 

The post How to Write a Good Book Review appeared first on Andy Peloquin.

Book Review: Life is a Roller Derby Run by a Sphinx by Allison Hawn

Today I have a real treat for you, a book I found to be ABSOLUTELY hilarious! It’s a collection of real life stories that will have you thinking, “How the hell does so many weird things happen to one person?”

Life is a Roller Derby Run by a Sphinx

Some people refurbish classic cars, others make quaint quilts, and a few still gather together to play Dungeons and Dragons in basements.

Author Allison Hawn doesn’t have time for these pursuits. Instead, she spends her days dodging every weird, dangerous and surreal happening that the universe can fling in her direction. Follow Allison on her “bizarre magnet” life as she narrowly escapes the clutches of a giant territorial raccoon, barely avoids death by “burrito bomb” and pulls off the chocolate heist of the century. Find a hilarious escape from your reality by stepping into hers.

My Review: 5 Stars

OH MY GOD!! I haven’t laughed this hard since the last time I read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or Terry Pratchett. Who knew non-fiction stories could be so hilarious.

With every new story, I found myself wondering what the author had done in a former life to deserve so much random weirdness around her. I blasted through this entire book in one sitting—and was incredibly sad to reach the end of the collection of stories. SO MUCH FUN!

Here’s a Taste:

Some children are lovely little gifts from heaven. Other kids are more like trials sent to test parents’ perseverance, cunning and ability to get crayon off of a variety of surfaces.

I was more of the latter; I pretended to be a dinosaur during church, thought I was a Power Ranger and World Wrestling Federation wrestler all rolled into one (that poor furniture) and built very elaborate spaceships from everyday items and sometimes essential machine parts.

Not only was I handful, I was a rather clever one. I had learned to read at an early age and by the time I turned four I already had most of the Nancy Drew, The Boxcar Children and The Hardy Boys under my literary belt. Add in the fact that I watched as many episodes of Murder, She Wroteand Matlock as I could find, and I was a regular criminal mastermind in the making. I gobbled up mystery stories faster than the newest Lone Ranger movie bombed and was forgotten.

Of course, with my rambunctious little brain, I began to wonder if I could pull of a caper that not even Nancy Drew or Jessica Fletcher could solve!

I plotted, I planned, I drew schematics, I built models of vaults and banks out of Legos.

Now keep in mind, at four years old you really don’t have to have an exact goal in mind. I wasn’t out to steal the Hope Diamond or ransack a museum for priceless art. I was just plotting crime in general.

My parents, knowing I lacked the income and resources to pull off a liquor store robbery, much less a fantastical heist, weren’t too concerned about my little ‘flights of fancy’ into the heinous world of crime.

I knew that my plans could succeed, as a Brain without a Pinky could, if only I had a goal to focus them on.

Then came the day my mother made her wonderfully delicious peanut-butter-chocolate-chip cookies. These cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good. If we could give these cookies out to every world leader simultaneously, there would be World Peace, because it’s impossible to feel aggressive or angry while eating one.

She baked an entire batch in the afternoon, and I had been granted one cookie. The rest, she informed me, would have to wait until after dinner. I tried to reason with her, dinner was a full two hours away. My pleas went unanswered. I watched sorrowfully as my mom put every remaining cookie into the giant strawberry shaped cookie jar far back on the kitchen counter and wandered off to do something else.

I stood in the kitchen staring daggers at that cookie jar, reveling in how unfair the situation was. I could still smell the cookies, and still had the taste of peanut butter and chocolate in my mouth.

Suddenly, it hit me like a Mac truck hits a sleeping armadillo, this is what I had been scheming for! This was my crime of the century! Well… at least crime of the day… let’s be real here.

I ran back to my room digging through my catapult designs, ideas for a mind-control laser and blueprints of someone else’s house that I had found while playing outside one day. None of it seemed to help my cookie situation.

I snuck back towards the kitchen to do some reconnaissance. Crawling, army-style on my belly, I crept down the hallway, listening intently for any adults. No one was about. I stood up and wandered towards the kitchen counter, realizing that I was far shorter than it was and the cookie jar was all the way back on the counter near the wall.nMy thoughts turned to the kitchen chairs, which could be drug over, but I needed to determine where my mom was first, in case the noise would alert her.

I found my mom in the living room folding clothing. I nonchalantly wandered in, “Hi mom, you don’t have any reason to go to the kitchen anytime soon do you?”

My mother’s eyes narrowed, “Why?”

“No reason,” I said as I darted away, congratulating myself on not making her suspicious at all.

About the Author:

Allison Hawn was born in Idaho and has spent her life obtaining adventures. The daughter of a musician, she was

brought up all over the United States with occasional dalliances into foreign lands. She holds a degree in psychology from Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, where she also had a weekly humor column with a small time newspaper “The Crusader.” She is also the author of two collections of short, bizarre, humorous stories titled “Life is a

Circus Run by a Platypus” and “Life is a Pirate Ship Run by a Velociraptor.” She currently resides in Spokane, Washington, where she works with the homeless, domestic violence victims, and other disenfranchised populations as a case manager, but calls a myriad of locations home.

Read her thoughts on her website: http://circusplatypus.blogspot.com/

Find the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Roller-Derby-Run-Sphinx-ebook/dp/B01KYZNDHC

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/platypusringmaster

Tweet at her: https://twitter.com/AllisonHawn

The post Book Review: Life is a Roller Derby Run by a Sphinx by Allison Hawn appeared first on Andy Peloquin.