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Heavy Oceans
Group Reads: Guest Author Invite
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January 2024 Group Read #1 with Guest Author, Tyler Jones
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I finished this late last night and genuinely enjoyed it so much! Loved all the oceanic horror, characters, and yeah, LoL I will never look at fish the same again. This was such a fun read and was a 4/5 for me!My full review is below...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rex wrote: "Hi Tyler!I just have to say first off that your scene with Kelly in Chapter 2, and I guess I can say the broader interaction between A.J. & Eric in Chapter 1 as a whole was, in my opinion, very a..."
First of all, thanks so much for reading the book, Rex!
I'm glad those scenes landed with some realism for you. I live in Portland, Oregon, and those kinds of events are frequent. You can't walk around downtown without seeing it. I also work in healthcare, so I see the other side of it as well. And it's not just the addicts or the homeless who come into the hospital after overdosing. It's people you'd never expect. For some reason, it's always been important to me to depict the reality of an addiction driven culture. This was the entire basis of my book, CRITERIUM, and it's follow up novella ENTER SOFTLY. Those two stories are opposite sides of the same coin.
What a great question about the boat! And yes, it is based on a real fishing vessel. A family member used to be a commercial fisherman back in the 80s, and he helped walk me through the layout of a boat like that.
I've always been a huge fan of stage plays, and it wasn't until after I finished writing HEAVY OCEANS that it occurred to me the book functions very much like a play. Limited locations, and every scene of consequence takes place in, and continues, in a single location.
In fact, this story could make a really cool play.
Thanks again, Rex!
LTJ wrote: "I finished this late last night and genuinely enjoyed it so much! Loved all the oceanic horror, characters, and yeah, LoL I will never look at fish the same again. This was such a fun read and was ..."Amazing! Thanks so much for reading it, and man, I am thrilled you enjoyed. We should all keep a much closer eye on our oceanic friends from now on. I have a feeling they're up to something.
And thank you for the review! Much appreciated.
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That was my favorite--all the "different" things we saw.....
Alan wrote: "A little late to the party, but I read this in one sitting tonight. Was not expecting most of what happened (except for the end with Eric, totally saw that coming....mostly). All the stuff that hap..."Alan, better late than never! Thanks a ton for reading for the book, and I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it.
The fact that you weren't expecting most of what happened, is great to hear. Thanks again!
Kimberly wrote: "Alan wrote: "A little late to the party, but I read this in one sitting tonight. Was not expecting most of what happened (except for the end with Eric, totally saw that coming....mostly). All the s..."Awesome, Kimberly! Thank you.
If any of you are interested, Thunderstorm Books just announced the limited, deluxe edition of HEAVY OCEANS with cover art by the incredible Ben Baldwin. This edition will also include an introduction by Nat Cassidy (MARY and NESTLINGS) and will be signed by me and Nat.
If you want to see the cover, head over to my Substack and give it a peek.
TJ Substack: https://tylerjoneswriter.substack.com...
@Tyler: Anytime! It was my pleasure and you're very welcome for the review! LOL yeah, it'll be a while before I'm anywhere near an ocean thanks to this book :-)
Tyler wrote: "If any of you are interested, Thunderstorm Books just announced the limited, deluxe edition of HEAVY OCEANS with cover art by the incredible Ben Baldwin. This edition will also include an introduc..."
That is one sweet, sweet cover! Very nice!
Mr. Jones: I finished your book and I was very impressed with how you were able to create an environment that felt both vast and claustrophobic at the same time. Because the characters were surrounded by ocean and sky, there was that feeling of expanse, but because the majority of the action was focused on the deck of the boat there was a feeling of being trapped in a situation the characters could not escape from. That is a very fine line to walk and you did it with aplomb! The ending was just spectacular! The sense of dread and dismay I felt at the end was deliciously cruel on your part. What a great read.
Netanella wrote: "Tyler wrote: "If any of you are interested, Thunderstorm Books just announced the limited, deluxe edition of HEAVY OCEANS with cover art by the incredible Ben Baldwin. This edition will also inclu..."
Awesome! So glad you like it!
Badseedgirl wrote: "Mr. Jones: I finished your book and I was very impressed with how you were able to create an environment that felt both vast and claustrophobic at the same time. Because the characters were surroun..."Thank you so much for reading it, and what a thrill that you enjoyed it!
I love that you felt the tension between vast expanses (ocean and sky) and the claustrophobic nature of the boat.
I've always been drawn to stage plays that take place in a single location. Hitchcock famously filmed Rope in a single apartment. If the characters are confined to a particular space, I think it naturally lends itself to conflict. Add some cosmic spice and you've got HEAVY OCEANS.
Thanks again for reading, and for the feedback. Much appreciated!
Hi Tyler!I actually have CRITERIUM’s Extended Edition, which includes ENTER SOFTLY and now I have to read it. Nervous about the personal nature the stories may hold, but during the height of COVID, and while we were leaving the pandemic, it seemed the worst of the addiction driven culture you mentioned was on full display in the Toronto area where I live. It might sound terrible to say, but what happens to Kelly in HEAVY OCEANS is probably a small sample of a much more terrifying truth…
Now I have to ask because you mentioned your profession in healthcare: did any of that experience play into Chapters 4-7, with how our group of four handled AJ’s body? I did like the realism of the guys fumbling around with the corpse, you could feel the heaviness of a dead body, dangling hands, etc. I hope you know what I mean!
In a podcast interview, you mentioned as well how you liked the dynamic between Jamie and Eric, how two brothers, raised together, can end up being two polar opposites, or something along those lines. Was that the same thinking with Matty and Ed, how the father and son can be completely opposite as well? That was my first thought after hearing the conversation and while reading HEAVY OCEANS, was how very apparent it was that Matty was completely different from his father, and yet I liked how Ed did not stop being a parent. One could say Ed took in Eric because it was easier to be a father figure to him than his own son.
Anyway, thanks for letting me rant!
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I just have to say first off that your scene with Kelly in Chapter 2, and I guess I can say the broader interaction between A.J. & Eric in Chapter 1 as a whole was, in my opinion, very accurate and well done. I really think you did some homework there. I actually had to put the book down and just confirm on socials if Heavy Oceans was going to deal with at some point, you know, oceans, lol, because it did get heavy fast as it struck a personal chord.
Before any deeper questions, one thing niggling at my thoughts: was Full Speed Ed based on a real boat? Your description as Jamie, Eric, Matty & Ed scramble around and the attacks happening throughout the story, I as a reader was able to see the boat and follow the characters clearly and I was impressed with that detail.
Thanks for your time!