Ryan Hartung's Blog, page 2

Review of Kerry Alan Denny's JAGANNATH

QUIZZICALLY INTERESTING TITLE - FANTASTIC READ!

Below is my review of Jagannath, followed by a few questions and answers from the author himself!

First I have to say the title drew me in right away. Jagannath, although seemingly a made-up word is actually from the Hindu religion, but I'll let you find out more about this yourself.

When the Reaper first appears from the ocean's depths no one is concerned at the amorphous oddity. Once the viscous slime develops a taste for human flesh, everything changes. Cities are destroyed and humankind is taken to the brink of destruction. Only a few remain.

I began reading Jagannath only a few days ago and was barely able to put it down. When it comes to Thriller writing, Kerry Alan Denny is excellent.  Not only is the story exhilarating, starting with fantastic action at it's very beginning, but his use of the of the English language is unparalleled. I don't believe that "passive phrases" are in Mr. Denny's vocabulary, as every single sentence contains action. So, without further ado, into the book.

There are of course many characters center this story, the Reaper (which Jagannath is somewhat in reference to), Kimi the heroine of the story and Lilly the co-heroine. Although not in the mind of the Reaper early on, we see more about how this nasty pile of slime exists later on and what it lusts for and why.

Again, the main character though is Kimi. Losing her family to the Reaper when she was younger, she joins the Enclave, fighting to rid the planet of Reaper's existence. Through losing friends and family to the disgusting, morphing blob, Kimi puts all of her hope in Lilly, a small girl that for some unknown reason is immune to the Reaper's dissolving ways. From fantastic descriptions of the new technology humans have invented to the superb dialog, Kerry Alan Denny paints a very real post-apocalyptic world in which the reader will feel fully immersed, loosing touch with reality.

In conclusion, I would absolutely recommend Jagannath for anyone who loves a good Sci-Fi Thriller. It's a fun read, one that you won't want to put down.

I reviewed an ARC generously provided by the author for review purposes; no fees were exchanged and this did not have an impact on my opinion of the work.

Ryan Hartung interview questions for Kerry Alan Denney (for posted review of Jagannath)

For Readers:

The title you chose is very interesting. Is there a story behind your choosing of the Hindu god Jagannath?

Yes, thanks for asking. The literal translation for Jagannath is “lord and master of the world and universe.” It’s also the origin of the word “juggernaut” (one of my favorite nouns), which is a relentlessly destructive, crushing, and pitiless force.

I did quite a bit of research when deciding what title to give this novel. I wanted to find a one-word title that would define and encompass the Reaper, the monster in Jagannath. The Reaper is an amorphous creature – basically viscous slime – that absorbs flesh and blood in order to feed. It formerly lived in the ocean depths, feeding off marine life. When it depletes that resource, it rises to land and develops a ravenous appetite for human flesh and blood. The catch is, the Reaper also absorbs our minds when it consumes us, and grows larger as well as smarter the more it feeds on us.

The worst parts are that it has no conscience or morals, and loves tormenting its prey, and because it absorbs our minds, it can transform into any creature we’ve ever even conceived of – including combinations of monsters and demons it plucks out of our darkest nightmares. Soon it starts destroying civilization, and is nearly indestructible, spreading terror as it wreaks destruction on its global rampage.

“Juggernaut” fit my creature the Reaper perfectly, but I wanted a cooler title that wasn’t so common. When I discovered the Hindu god Jagannath was the origin of juggernaut, I thought, “Eureka and voila! That’s it! The perfect title.” Serendipity: It could be no other.

Which character in the book most resembles you and how so?

Tough question. I believe I have a natural tendency to incorporate some of my personality traits into lots of my characters, but understand the need to make them all different and diverse so they don’t all blend into one type of character. And I have enough good and bad traits to create an infinite number of different characters, lol.

Corporal Kimi Jayden has certain of my headstrong and even stubborn qualities, including steadfast determination and stoic perseverance, and Lily has some of my innocent wide-eyed wonder at the world and belief in the goodness in others. But I believe Jason Riley most closely resembles me, because he has a lot of the smartass “defy authority at any cost” traits that I had when I was his age (15). Plus, as a teenage boy, he is a natural master of the crude insult.

For Writers:

You obviously write extremely well, what tips would you give burgeoning writers?

Thank you, sir! My best tip is one given to me by a favorite author many years ago, the famous Mr. Robert R. McCammon, when I asked him for advice on getting my work published: keep writing, keep submitting your material no matter how often you’re rejected, and always keep honing your craft, i.e. learn as much about good writing as you can.

With self-publishing becoming more popular than ever before – and easier to do nowadays with all the Internet resources available – the competition is more fierce than it’s ever been. For that reason alone, your work must excel, and be as original as possible. The best way to make this happen is to constantly develop your writing skills to a higher, more professional level. Be demanding of yourself and your work! Don’t accept mediocre, and don’t make the mistake of believing your first draft is going to get published and go viral. You have to learn how to be an excellent editor as well, and achieve an objective perspective when you’re editing your work.

Basically, I recommend subscribing to what I call my “Triple P Philosophy”: Patience, Persistence, and Perseverance.

Writing, although hard, is not nearly as difficult as the bane of any author: marketing. What have you found to be some of the most successful marketing strategies that worked for you?

Effective marketing is always an ongoing learning process, with success achieved through trial and error. What works well for some authors (or genres) may not work so well for others. Here are a few marketing strategies and tactics that have worked well for me.

1) Instead of posting an excerpt of the first chapter (or few chapters) of my novel on my website, I post a link to the “Look Inside!” free sneak preview on the Amazon product sales page (or Goodreads’ “Open Preview” feature). This link will take prospective readers and buyers to the sneak preview page, which is superimposed directly over the product sales page. If your work is compelling, tight, and entertaining, readers will want and even need to keep reading once they’ve come to the end of the sneak preview, and when they click it off, looky there: Voila! There’s the product sales page with that “Buy now” button right in front of you. This is a great tactic to impel readers to click that “buy” button after they finish reading your sneak preview. Also, share your sneak preview link regularly on all your social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, whatever sites you frequent and on which you’ve developed a following.

2) I do Facebook online Book Release Parties. Invite all your friends, ask them to invite their friends, and share the event in your Facebook Reader and Writer Groups. Offer giveaways during the party: You can get with a swag maker to create key chains, jewelry, etc. with images of your book’s cover on them, or offer contests with giveaways of your previous books. Use e-books! They’re cheaper, don’t have a mailing cost, and are more popular than printed books nowadays anyway. I also have “Caption This” photo contests, which are always wacky, fun, and funny, and I offer a number of Amazon Gift Cards as the prizes for the winners. The gift cards are easy to email to the winners, and also don’t cost postage. Make the party fun! Hire a successful Facebook party host to handle the events for your party if you’re not comfortable hosting it yourself. This will actually give you more time to interact with your readers and party participants anyway, and let them get to know you while your host or hostess is working the contests and other various party posts.

3) Launch a Virtual Book Tour. I was inexperienced at this, so I shopped around for the best deal on a company that handles virtual book tours, picked what I thought was the best deal, and hired them. They were reasonably priced, and I’m about to find out how well that works. My “JAGANNATH 2015 Virtual Book Blog Tour Extravaganza” starts on Monday February 9 and runs through Monday March 9, with one and sometimes two tour stops every weekday. All slots have already been filled by bloggers. Come join me on the tour! We’re having numerous giveaways: Five $10 Amazon Gift Cards, five e-book copies of my paranormal thriller SOULSNATCHER, and one e-book copy each of my colleague and fellow published author Deborah D. Moore’s THE JOURNAL: CRACKED EARTH and the sequel THE JOURNAL: ASH FALL. The tour will also feature bloggers interviewing me as well as numerous of my guest blog posts, including exclusive “interviews” I conducted with several of the characters from JAGANNATH.

4) Write a Press Release and hire a professional company to distribute it. Make sure you compare what they offer versus price. If you don’t know how to write a good, irresistible press release, there are plenty of free resources on the web providing excellent instructions on the right and wrong way. Don’t skimp on writing your press release! Spend the time and effort to make it authoritative and compelling.

The company I hired sent out my Press Release the day before JAGANNATH’s release, and in just five days I received over 30 requests for e-book review copies, many from prominent bloggers and reviewers in my genre(s). In fact, a few of the solicitations were from bloggers whom I’d solicited in advance with offers of Advance Review Copies and had turned me down before. A professional Press Release sent out by a reputable distributor earns you status and a form of accreditation among experienced bloggers and reviewers. Of course, I’m still waiting for David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel to call me for a guest spot on their shows.

Probably My Most Favorite Commercial of All Time

This was a commercial that aired in England but never made it to the U.S. This was like 7 years ago before people were really getting into the small cars in the States.  Below is the BIRD and CAT commercials. Just know that this doesn't end well for either animals, of course this is all done with computers - not real animals.

Leadership Lessons from the Dancing Guy

Here's an interesting instructional video (only 2 minutes long) about how to become a leader and gain followers. Kind of dorky, but you'll get the idea.  

Don't forget to read my World's Divide Series of Novelas available on Amazon

NFL Pro Bowl 2015 in Phoenix! ...

NFL Pro Bowl 2015 in Phoenix!

So, for as long as the Pro Bowl has been in existence, except for two times, its first year and in 2010 in Miami, it is always in Hawaii. Not this year!!! A couple of buddies and I made the drive from Tucson to Phoenix and took part in the festivities. Unlike Hawaii, by the time the game started the stadium was completely full, a sellout crowd. Plus, not only was this the first time the Pro Bowl was in Phoenix, but it was also the first sporting even the F 35A joint strike fighter flew over. Pretty cool! Although the game wasn't as hard hitting as usual, it was fun to watch!

World's Divide Collection: Books 1-4 Now Available! Book 1: Lightning is FREE!

I'm happy to announce that the World's Divide collection of Novellas 1 - 4 is now available. This is again available on every e-reader, but this time, as the combined stories are over 100,000 words, the collection is also available in paperback through amazon.

The series begins with Book 1: Lightning, where archaeologist Colt Andrews is called to Peru to excavate a newly found temple. However, this is not just any temple, it is a shrine dedicated to the Greek god Zeus and in the middle of the Amazon rain forest.

From discovering Zeus' Lightning Staff and learning to control its powers, to escaping the Peruvian and British militaries, Colt and his two assistants must find a way back to the United States.

Books 2 through 4 (Death, Water, and Strength) follow, where the readers are introduced to two new teams of relic hunters, each from different nations and with different motives. Some are good, while others only seek the relics for the power they contain. While the ancient artifacts are being hunted, the international community as a whole is moving ever closer to a third world war. With the United States and its European allies pitted against Russia, Africa, and South America, each nation fully understands the tremendous importance of finding the remaining god-like treasures before the rest. The race is on as each half of the world battles to gain possession of the enormously powerful ancient artifacts. The world’s fate is in their hands.

All books are available on iTunes, nook, Google Play, amazon, goodreads, and Smashwords among others and Book 1: Lightning is FREE!

World's Divide Collection: Books 1-4 Now Available!

I'm happy to announce that the World's Divide collection of Novellas 1 - 4 is now available. This is again available on every e-reader, but this time, as the combined stories are over 100,000 words, the collection is also available in paperback through amazon.

The series begins with Book 1: Lightning, where archaeologist Colt Andrews is called to Peru to excavate a newly found temple. However, this is not just any temple, it is a shrine dedicated to the Greek god Zeus and in the middle of the Amazon rain forest.

From discovering Zeus' Lightning Staff and learning to control its powers, to escaping the Peruvian and British militaries, Colt and his two assistants must find a way back to the United States.

Books 2 through 4 (Death, Water, and Strength) follow, where the readers are introduced to two new teams of relic hunters, each from different nations and with different motives. Some are good, while others only seek the relics for the power they contain. While the ancient artifacts are being hunted, the international community as a whole is moving ever closer to a third world war. With the United States and its European allies pitted against Russia, Africa, and South America, each nation fully understands the tremendous importance of finding the remaining god-like treasures before the rest. The race is on as each half of the world battles to gain possession of the enormously powerful ancient artifacts. The world’s fate is in their hands.

All books are available on iTunes, nook, Google Play, amazon, goodreads, and Smashwords among others.

2014 in Review

Keira and Me - I think I lost more hair again this year.  :(

As I look back on 2014 it was a really nice year. Nothing super awesome happened, although we did get a lot accomplished, but nothing tragic occurred either. Keira and Amber switched to our charter school in Oro Valley in kindergarten and second grade respectively, and except for the hour of homework each night, they love it! Elizabeth continued working three part-time jobs, while also starting a nonprofit organization and going overseas to teach English for a week. On my end, I was able to finish the lion's share of our new china hutch during the Christmas break (pictures to follow soon!), I finished writing the first six World's Divide books (links and pictures of 4-6 coming soon too!) and was able to spend some quality time this Thanksgiving with my 97 year old grandpa, my parents and my brother's family in Tucson. For Christmas we also stayed in Tucson and spent some time with my in-laws and Elizabeth's sister Sarah and her family. Oh, and let's not forget the Huskers hiring a new football coach and Ohio State making it to the first NCAA football championship! I guess I forgot to mention that this summer I began learning the guitar with Amber. With around half an hour of practicing a day, I've gotten to the point where I'm comfortable playing in front of people, although taking piano and trombone lessons as a kid really helped to speed up the learning process. In all, 2014 was just a really nice year and I hope that it carries into 2015. I hope all of you had a great year as well, and here's to looking to 2015!

Pomegranates as big as your head!

So, is this a huge pomegranate or what?  Grown right here in Tucson from our tree we bought two years ago.  Funny thing is World's Divide  Book 5: Life delves into Persephone's treasure, which is an armband covered in decorative pomegranates, not that big though! 

Beginning the Publishing Process

So, it's almost September, my kids have started school again and the temperatures in Tucson are being consistently pushed below the 100 degree mark.  Why do I mention the weather?  Well, I ride my bike 5 miles to and from work almost every day and when it's 105 degrees and humid, with no shade, that makes the ride almost unbearable!  So I'm always pumped when summer starts to come to a close.  But what is also great about right now is I'm putting the finishing touches on the first three World's Divide series of novellas and my novel Spurious.  As of now I'm looking at around the second week in September of having all four uploaded in their eBook formats.  The World's Divide books 1-3 might even be up by the end of this week.  I just wanted to say thank you so much for those of you that have started reading them.  Last I checked in just under a week there were already 200 downloads of Book 1: Lightning!  If you enjoy the books please leave a review on the site you bought it from as that would be very much appreciated.  :)  As always reply to the blog or shoot me an email (contact page) if you want to comment or ask me a question.  Thanks!

Ryan's Daily Blogging's

What a great weekend to spend on top of Tucson's Mount Lemmon.  Nothing's better than having somewhere that's an hour drive from the 100 degree temperatures of the Tucson summer, especially during the more humid monsoon season.   (Yes, Tucson has a monsoon season! - crazy huh?)