Today I just want to let you know about a great new release from Chrys Fey and Dancing Lemur Press! Chrys is a friend of the blog (and a fellow member of IWSG) so please take a moment to check out her new book!
Keep Writing With Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer's Block, Depression, and Burnout By Chrys Fey
Catch the sparks you need to conquer writer’s block, depression, and burnout!
When Chrys Fey shared her story about depression and burnout, it struck a chord with other writers. That put into perspective for her how desperate writers are to hear they aren’t alone. Many creative types experience these challenges, battling to recover. Let Keep Writing with Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer's Block, Depression, and Burnout guide you through:
· Writer's block
· Depression
· Writer's burnout
· What a writer doesn’t need to succeed
· Finding creativity boosts
With these sparks, you can begin your journey of rediscovering your creativity and get back to what you love - writing.
Release date – July 14, 2020
$17.95, 6x9 trade paperback, 256 pages Print ISBN 9781939844729 / EBook ISBN 9781939844736 Writing / Self-Help: Depression – Stress Management
Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series and an editor for Dancing Lemur Press. She started her blog, Write with Fey, to offer aspiring writers inspiration, advice, and hope. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, and since then she has been a dedicated citizen in the writing world.
Okay, so I revealed the cover when I announced the book last week. But I've been having second thoughts. About the cover, anyway.
The cover image I revealed to the world last week was, to be frank, not great. I mean, I've certainly seen worse covers, but I was never really happy with it, and I've since had some pretty negative feedback. Yeah, I get it, it's shitty, I know. But I had also kinda embraced it's shittiness. Which I recognize is not a very good way to do business.
So I went back to the drawing board, and came up with a slightly different version. Check this out:
The original cover was kinda busy, and a bit too literal. Not to mention the images were not quite right. The kids in the silhouette were obviously too old (they're 12-years-old in the book) and the picture of the monster was super cheesy. Still, I liked that it sort of looked like the poster for a cheesy slasher movie, which is what I was going for, but it just didn't look quite right.
The new poster, on the other hand has a few more things going for it. The single image is stronger, and the book literally does start with the discovery of a dead body in a lake. It's also quirky and odd, which matches my writing well. I always have trouble merging horror with comedy on my covers. Most importantly, the overall composition of the image is inspired by a certain album cover, released in 1992 (the same year the story is set):
I'm leaning deep into 90s nostalgia in this book, and music is a big part of it. Music actually figures into the plot in several important ways. To use a cover reminiscent of such an important album of that time period actually seems kinda perfect to me, even if my mediocre design skills can't quite capture what I'm going for exactly.
So what am I doing here? I guess I'm asking for your feedback? Of the two, which cover do you like better? Is the new one better enough to bother changing it? Should I go back to the drawing board and hold out for something even better? Or is the original cover good enough and I should go back to more important stuff? I actually had a couple of people say they liked it, but there was one very vocal detractor who made some excellent points.
To my American readers: I bet you wish you lived in Canada. It's not perfect, but compared to... well, you know.
It's also Insecure Writers Support Group Day, and I've got a lot to feel insecure about, but first the big news:
I'VE GOT A NEW BOOK UP FOR PRE-ORDER!
Newfoundland, Canada, 1992.
Gale Harbour hasn’t seen any excitement since the military abandoned the base there thirty years ago. So when Fisheries and Wildlife Officer Dick Jeddore discovers a dead body floating in the town water supply, all evidence seems to point to an accident. But something doesn’t sit right with Jeddore, and he sets out to do some investigating of his own against the wishes of the local police.
Niall and Pius are just a couple of regular boys growing up in Gale Harbour: they like video games and comic books, and are trying to wrap their heads around girls, especially Harper, the tomboyish daughter of Officer Jeddore. When the three of them witness unusual lights in the sky on the same night Harper’s dad finds the body, it sets off a series of events that will change their lives, and the sleepy town of Gale Harbour, forever.
There is an evil older than time hidden deep beneath the waters of the North Atlantic. It is hungry, and vengeful, and a recent storm appears to have released it from its watery prison. Officer Jeddore and the kids are now in a race not only to save themselves, but to find a way to send the monster back before it consumes the town and possibly the entire world...
PSYCHO HOSE BEAST FROM OUTER SPACE is available for pre-order now, exclusively on Amazon Kindle. It's a horror-comedy adventure story in the vein of Stranger Things, and much less obscene than my previous book (I can't really all it "Young Adult," but it's firmly PG-13). The official release date is September 28, 2020. The special pre-order price is only $0.99, too, so grab it early if you can!
Yes, I've finally finished and released a new book into the wild. So why am I feeling insecure? Probably because I'm worried it sucks and no one will like it/buy it. But we all go through those fears, right?
My even bigger fear is due to those four little words at the bottom of that ridiculous cover up there. Did you notice that? It says "Gale Harbour Book One." Book ONE. That means I'm committing to writing more of these, preferably in a timely manner. I'm not a good enough writer for people to wait patiently for years for me to write sequels. I tried to write a sequel to Hell Comes to Hogtown for ages, but it never worked out and I've pretty much given up on it. The Werebear vs Landopus stories come out 12-18 months apart, and they're only 10-20K words apiece. But committing to at least two more full length novels? Hopefully within the next year or two? I'm terrified. And I feel like an idiot for even suggesting it. It's already been four years since I released my last novel. Who the hell do I think I am that I can write two more in less than two years?
The only good news is that I have pretty solid ideas for both book 2 and 3, and I have the first draft of book 2 about half-finished. It helps that I have tons of ideas. The town where the books are based, Gale Harbour, Newfoundland, is basically a fictionalized version of the town I grew up in. The kids in the story are twelve-years-old in 1992. I was twelve-years-old in 1992. While the characters are not based on myself or anyone I knew, most of the settings and situations are ripped right out of my own memories, so it's pretty easy to fill up the pages. I actually had a video call the other day with some of my school friends, and we chatted for three hours about old friends and stories from growing up back home. That call alone gives me material to fill up at least two books (and reminded me of some things I wish I'd included in this one!)
Anyway, yeah, so I hope it doesn't suck. I hope you read it and like it. And maybe leave a review? :-)
How's your day going?
Hugs and kisses,
-CDGK
I haven't had a haircut in a long time...
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The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Writers post their thoughts on their blogs, talking about their doubts and the fears they have conquered. It's a chance for writers to commiserate and offer a word of encouragement to each other. Check out the group at http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/.
Today I turn the blog over to another Dancing Lemur Press author for an exciting new Sci-Fi release!
Lost Helix is the key…
Stuck on an asteroid mining facility, DJ dreams of writing music. His dad is a corporate hacker and his best friend Paul intends to escape to become a settler in a planet-wide land rush, but neither interests DJ.
When his dad goes missing, DJ finds a file containing evidence of a secret war of industrial sabotage, a file encrypted by his dad using DJ's song Lost Helix. Caught in a crossfire of lies, DJ must find his father and the mother he never knew.
When the mining company sends Agent Coreman after DJ and his guitar, DJ and Paul escape the facility and make a run for civilization. Will DJ discover the truth before Coreman catches him?
Release date – June 2, 2020
$17.95, 6x9 trade paperback, 268 pages
Print ISBN 9781939844682 / EBook ISBN 9781939844699
Scott Coon has enjoyed success as a science fiction short story writer, winning accolades and publishing over a dozen works in various magazines. Formally a U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst and currently a software developer, Scott brings his technical experience into his work, along with a sense of spectacle.
The latest collection of hilarious horror stories from Mystery & Horror is coming in just a few short weeks! And, for the fourth time in four years, the Strangely Funny collection will feature a brand new spine-tingling and funny-bone-tickling tale by yours truly!
I'll have more details to share as we get closer to the release, but in the meantime, please allow me to reveal the wacky cover for the new edition:
I've already given away two copies of my debut novel, Ten Thousand Days, but I've got one more that's itching to get on your shelf. If you want a chance to get a paperback copy of Ten Thousand Days (the revised 2017 version!) all you have to do is sign up for my mailing list, below.
I will choose a lucky winner on May 31, so your time to sign-up is running out. Plus, by joining the list you'll be among the first to know when my fun new books and projects will be coming out. You know you want to be one of the cool kids. Sign up now!
Today is the five-year anniversary of the release of my first novel, Ten Thousand Days. (It's also my 40th birthday, but that's neither here nor there).
We live in a strange world right now (apologies for the weirdness of my post last month). We need to celebrate every little thing we can. So, in honour of my book's birthday, I'm giving it away.
Specifically, I'm giving away THREE honest-to-goodness paperback copies of Ten Thousand Days. (I know, who reads dead tree books anymore, right?) But I'm doing it, and, if the postal service in your area is still operating, you will eventually get it, too!
The first copy is going to a lucky follower of my Facebook page. I wrote about it last week, but here's the short version: To have a chance to win a copy, all you have to do is 1) Like my Facebook Page, and 2) Leave a comment on the post pinned to the top of the page. That's it! Simple, right?
For the second copy, I'm going to do one of those raffle-copter thingies, which I'm sure you've seen before:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Just enter the list above for another chance to win! And the more boxes you complete, the more chances you have to win. You can Tweet about the book every day to maximize your chances.
For the third copy, I'm finally starting a mailing list. If you sign-up for the mailing list, you'll be entered for a chance to win a paperback copy as well. I guarantee you I won't be using this list to send you spam, or random stories or posts (I use this blog and Facebook for that). The main purpose of the mailing list will be to alert you, dear reader of when any new books or stories are coming out.
Which brings me to, I suppose, my main point today. This day is not just about celebrating past books, but about looking forward to new ones. Barring further tragedies, I should have a new book out very soon. Maybe even two this year.
Am I insecure about talking about new books? Hells yes. It seems like every time I start getting excited about something, especially a new book, it just gets delayed or falls apart altogether. I thought I was going to publish Hell Comes to Hogtown nearly a year before it actually came out. A year or so ago I said I was working on a sequel for Hogtown, and then I never finished it. Talking about a book before it's ready seems to be the Touch of Death for me. So why am I doing it now?
Maybe I'm just a sucker for punishment.
Maybe because I'm tired of just talking about old books. Maybe I'm tired of being negative all the time and focusing on failures. Maybe I'm jealous of all the new books I see other writers putting out. I just want to be excited and look forward to something, you know? Trust me, I don't get to do that very often.
So here's to old books and new, here's to turning 40. The world's going to shit anyway, might as well make the most of it.
Hugs & kisses,
-CDGK
The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Writers post their thoughts on their blogs, talking about their doubts and the fears they have conquered. It's a chance for writers to commiserate and offer a word of encouragement to each other. Check out the group at http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/.
May is the 5th anniversary of the release of my first book, TEN THOUSAND DAYS. To celebrate, I'm giving away a free paperback copy! Yes, not just a digital copy, which is also cool, but a dead tree version you can love and cherish and put on your shelf and never read!
All you have to do is "LIKE" my Facebook Page and LEAVE A COMMENT on the post pinned to the top of the page. That's it!
Please enjoy my quarantine hair.
Please note this is the REVISED and EXPANDED edition that came out in 2017. It's 30,000 words longer and MUCH better edited (thanks, Amy!) So even if you read TEN THOUSAND DAYS when it first came out, you may still want to check out the authoritative "author's cut."
Contest is open to readers in Canada, the USA and Europe, and runs until May 10th, 2020. A winner will be chosen randomly on May 11th, 2020.
I've had these glasses for over five years, I think it's time for a new pair.
I'm actually hoping to give away more than one copy, so watch out for more chances to win in the coming weeks!
In case my face isn't enough to sway you, here's the blurb:
They say love hurts and time heals all wounds.
Sometimes the reverse is true.
Isaac was very good at wasting time. Video games, a mindless job, no responsibilities - he had a simple life and few wants. Despite being hopelessly average, unassuming and kind of useless, he had somehow married the most beautiful, wonderful woman in the world.
He had no idea how good he had it - until it was all taken away.
Time does not like being wasted. It is mercurial, inexorable and carries a wicked grudge. And sometimes, just sometimes, it enjoys playing games with people's lives. To be perfectly honest, Time is a bit of a jerk.
Isaac had never learned to appreciate what little time he had, and now he must travel to the ends of the universe and face unspeakable evils in a cat-and-mouse game with Time itself for the slim chance to win back a few fleeting seconds of happiness. The price of failure? Only the end of all existence.
Ten Thousand Days is a fairy tale set in the modern day, a fantastic journey of desperate love and horror with a twisted sense of humour. It's a story of exactly how far a young man will go for love...
Remember, just LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE and comment on the top post for your chance to win. By liking my Facebook page, you also get my semi-regular tid-bits of important Canadian history, like this one:
