Day three of Stokercon was a little more relaxed. I went to a couple of panels, but the highlight of the day was the interview session with George R.R. Martin. During his interview, he said a few things that really stuck out. One, was fortune is great! Fortune improves your quality of life. However, he said fame was a double-edged sword. Before his Song of Ice and Fire series really took off and became a television show, he said he could go to a convention, put on his name tag, and people would recognize his name. But after the convention he could take off the name tag and go across the street to McDonald's and eat his Big Mac in peace. He said nowadays, he can't eat out in public in peace or go anywhere without being bothered (price to pay for all the fortune I suppose). Another interesting thing he said, was that he doesn't outline. That kind of blew my mind given out large and complex his Song of Ice and Fire series is. His advice to aspiring writers was, if you find yourself stuck on a scene, just push forward, or skip it and save it for later. He mentioned he couldn't write the Red Wedding scene, so he skipped it and finished the book. Then he was like, well I finished this damn thing, now I guess I have to go back and kill everyone.

Other highlights of the day included meeting Chuck Wendig who seemed super nice, and seeing S.T. Joshi give a talk. Joshi is considered one of the leading academics with regards to Lovecraft and Weird Fiction. I also sat on a panel to offer insight on how to form a regional HWA chapter (learned some great things to bring back to the Utah Chapter as well), and had a book signing. The signing was kind of a bust, but you can't win them all. Finally, I got to watch my good friend K. Scott Forman read his short story, "Lost at Sea."

Overall, Stokercon was a great experience. Next year they plan on having it in Providence, RI and I hope I can make it. I might even get banquet tickets to the Stoker awards. I wasn't able to attend this time around, and I feel like perhaps I missed out. Next time for sure. Here's to new friends made at Stokercon, and to old friends reacquainted. 

 My second day at Stokercon was even better than the first. I attended a few panels, one by Michelle Belanger on the Occult in Writing was fan-freakin-tastic. She's appeared on numerous television shows, including Paranormal State, but what was even more impressive, was the the extensive knowledge into ancient religions, the occult, and the paranormal. It was more than obvious that she has studied up on all those things, and had a detailed, well-educated answer for any question that arose. 

Another highlight of the day, was ghost tours. I took a one-hour tour during the day that explored some of the history of the ship, as well as some of the urban legends surrounding the hauntings. The tour guide was amazing and I learned a lot. I'm ashamed to say I didn't know much about the Queen Mary before coming here. During its heyday, it was the largest fastest ship of its time. It carried English Royalty as well as many celebrities before being converted into a troop transport during the war. During normal operation, it carried 2000 passengers and 1200 crew members; however, during its military service, it carried many more, and at one point it carried over 16k troops in preparation for D-Day.

It was so infamous and fast, that Hitler had put out a 250k bounty for any submarine captain that could sink her. The Queen Mary was under orders to not stop for anything, and that was put to the test when it collided with the HMS Curacoa in 1942. The Queen Mary cut the other ship in half and didn't stop due to fears of German ships in the area. 337 crew members of the Curacoa died while only 101 survived. During the ghost tour, the tour guide stated sometimes people could see ghosts of Curacoa crew members walking around the bow area and the propeller area. 

I didn't get to see the propeller area during the day tour, but I did get to see it when I took the two-hour long night tour, which was just as awesome. Below you'll see the bow area that still shows damage from the collision as well as the massive propeller. Didn't see any ghosts on my tour though.

Another story brought up during both tours, was the crew member who was crushed to death when when of the water tight seals closed. Throughout the ship, they had a series of doors that were steam operated and meant to close and seal off sections of the ship. Apparently during one of the closings, a young man got trapped in the doorway and was killed. His ghost is said to roam the area from time to time. Here is a picture of the door that killed him.

Finally, what's a ghost tour without some creepy hallway shots?

I have to say, so far, Stokercon 2017 has been great. For those of you who don’t know what Stokercon is, it’s the annual convention of the Horror Writers Association. This year, it’s located in Long Beach, CA at the historic Queen Mary.

The trip out wasn’t too great. My flight was in the afternoon, and security at the airport was sloooooow. I gave myself plenty of time, so there wasn’t a rush, but it’s never fun to stand in line for a long time. Plus, and I knew this was coming, they had to inspect my bag. I suppose when you have 30 books in your bag and it goes through the scanner, it looks a little weird.

The plane was packed as well; however, Jet Blue Airlines is great. Even the cheap seats had enough room to make them comfortable, plus they had free WiFi.

The real horror began with the cab ride from the airport to the Queen Mary itself. The ride gave me flashbacks of public transportation in Ecuador, the only difference being the car was nicer. The cabbie pushed that Prius as fast as it would go, but was constantly hitting the brakes, then speeding back up, weaving in and out of traffic. We about hit another Prius in front of us that was almost hit by a truck (California is the land of the Prius by the way). Yet, I survived!

After checking in and getting my books to the vendor here for consignment, I finally got to wander around. Meeting up with old friends from Seton Hill, and friends from my local HWA chapter was great. Socializing and networking is really what these conventions are about in my mind. The panels and other activities are secondary. I’ve already made some new friends and I’m sure before the convention is over, I’ll have made some more contacts.
​
The ship is great as well. There is so much history packed into these walls. I’m going to go on a haunted ghost tour of the ship, but check out some of these pics. 

​The opening ceremonies were fun. Mainly because I got to hang out with friends and meet this dude! George R.R. Martin! He’s such a nice guy too. I went up there to get my picture taken with him and he engaged me in conversation and seemed genuinely interested in who I was and what I do. 

​I haven’t seen any ghosts yet, but I plan on delving into that aspect a little more seriously tonight or tomorrow. Now it’s time to finish my overpriced (but delicious) breakfast, and get back to stoking the Stokercon fires. 

My newest short story, "All Aboard" is available now on Amazon Kindle. It's the second installment in the Tales from the Storm series. The story originally debuted in Horror the Odd and Bizarre published by Sirens Call.

"All Aboard" takes place in a sleepy Utah town where the residents wake one day to find a set of railroad tracks have appeared out of nowhere. Some townsfolk mysteriously begin to disappear while others find themselves unable to leave the town at all. To make matters worse, those left behind start to receive tickets to a train that is scheduled to depart soon. 

​You can get your copy of "All Aboard" here.

Time for a little cross-promotion for friends and fellow Seton Hill alumni. Check it out!

CRAZY LITTLE SPRING CALLED LOVE
Eight Magical Stories of Fantasy Romance
Stars and Stone Books
 
Featuring: Heather Bythesea, Elsa Carruthers, M.T. DeSantis, Traci Douglass, L.J. Longo, Cara McKinnon, Sheri Queen, and Mary Rogers

Traci Douglass - "When Hermes Met Eos"
One night. Two star-crossed immortals. Will their vibrant connection survive beyond sunrise?
 
Sheri Queen - "The Girl with a Broken Wing"
A story of courage and sacrifice--and finding love where you never thought to look.
 
Cara McKinnon - "Love at Dawn"
Sometimes mortals need a little push from a god and goddess to fall in love…
 
M.T. DeSantis - "A Hunt for Love"
Can a djinn and a clueless guy beat the clock, avoid the curse, and maybe even find true love?
 
L.J. Longo – “Seaweed and Silk”
A mermaid: hundreds of miles from her home on the ice, on a ship with a troll, a goblin wizard, and a pack of wolves. What else can go wrong? Oh, right. A flippin’ sea monster.
 
Mary Rogers – “Spring Fling”
A druid’s bargain gives Carson revenge against his former lover Carrie–at the price of her memories of them together. But did she truly steal his magic all those years ago? Or was the real theft his heart?
 
 
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR AUTHORS
 
STARS AND STONE BOOKS: http://starsandstonebooks.com/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34686292-crazy-little-spring-called-love
FACEBOOK RELEASE PARTY: https://www.facebook.com/events/2062183134008615/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/starsstonebooks
ANTHOLOGY WEBSITE: http://starsandstonebooks.com/crazy-little-spring-called-love

I've decided to try something new. Instead of creating an anthology of my past short stories, I want to release them via Amazon Kindle as singles for a low price. I'll be subtitling all of them as Tales from the Storm because many of them tie into my world that I created for my Dark Tyrant series. Here's the first one, "Horishi Tom" which first appeared in Fictionvale magazine. 

The story is set in the Utah Territories in the late 1800's and follows Jeremiah Redford, a man whose family was brutally murdered. Vengeance didn't fill the void of his dead family, so he journeys through the wilds searching for a way to bring his family back from the dead. His quest brings him to the abandoned mining town of Angus, Utah where he finds more than he bargained for.

"Horishi Tom" is a classic tale of loss and being careful what you wish for...you might just find it.

Buy it here on Amazon for only .99 cents.

Stay tuned for more Tales from the Storm coming soon. 

From the author that brought you Consequence comes the next book in the Dark Tyrant Series.
 
Imprisoned since the creation of the world, an ancient cosmic being waits deep in the mountains near Canyon Shadows, Utah. He searches for the proper host in order to break free from his chains. That host draws near.
 
Sheriff Dan Blackwood is hiding a mysterious secret and even darker past. However, his deception could be the only thing that stands between the mountain and the world’s destruction.
 
Garrett Porter is an antiques dealer suffering from the recent loss of his wife and daughter. He travels to Canyon Shadows on the trail of a unique artifact but finds more than expected it the sleepy town.
 
Troy Grimes searches for answers regarding his father’s recent yet mysterious suicide. As his investigation brings him closer to Canyon Shadows, he begins to question what’s real and what’s not.
 
Templars, Anasazi, as well as Christian and Native American legends come together in this fast-paced novel of good, evil, and everything in-between.

​
It's alive! The next book of my Dark Tyrant Series hit the streets on the 13th of December. I've added purchase links below. 

Click here to purchase:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gC0wkd 
Barnes & Noble: ​http://bit.ly/2hxDY6h

Here's the cover for my newest novel, Canyon Shadows: A Novel in the Dark Tyrant Series. It's the second book in the series. 

So you've written a book, revised the living shit out of it, done the whole Beta Reader deal, and you're about to send it off to the publisher. But wait! What about the back cover blurb? Shouldn't be too hard right? It's only a couple hundred words explaining the meat and potatoes of your story.

I've done a back cover blurb before for, Consequence but must have blocked the stress of it from my mind. Because, OH MY EFFIN' LORD!!! Back cover blurb must be perfect. Back cover blurb must get what it wants. There is no Zuul, there is only back cover blurb!

You might be asking, hey, why is it so stressful? Well let me answer that question for you. You have to shorten your novel into a small chunk and convey the main idea of the story. Oh, and it will probably be the first thing any reader really reads of the book, so it has to be good enough to hook them. No pressure.

I went through about five iterations before finding one that didn't make me want to slam my head into my keyboard. I'm sure I could have kept going too, cutting, revising, rewording...but at some point you just have to say, nope! I'm done. 

Anyway, here's the version that made it to the publisher. Enjoy the back cover blurb for Canyon Shadows: A Novel in the Dark Tyrant Series.

From the author that brought you, Consequence comes the next book in the dark urban fantasy/horror line of The Dark Tyrant Series. Set just before the events, in Consequence, find out what caused the supernatural storm.
 
Imprisoned since the creation of the world, an ancient cosmic being waits deep in the mountain near Canyon Shadows, Utah. He waits deep in the mountain for the proper host in order to break free from his chains. That host draws near.

Sheriff Dan Blackwood is hiding a dark secret and an even darker past. However, his secret could be the only thing that stands between the mountain and the world’s destruction
.
Garrett Porter is an antiques dealer suffering from the recent loss of his wife and daughter. He travels to Canyon Shadows on the trail of a unique artifact but finds more than expected in the sleepy town.

Troy Grimes searches for answers regarding his father’s recent, yet mysterious suicide. His investigation brings him closer and closer to Canyon Shadows and his sanity begins to crack as he nears the mountain; however, he’s starting to like it.

Templars, Anasazi, as well as Christian and Native American legends, come together in this fast-paced novel of good, evil, and everything in-between. 
​

You’ve written book…awesome! Not many people can slog their way through the maze of words and creativity to finish such a project. You’ve even gotten it published! Great work and congratulations on that aspect, it was the next big step. Perhaps you’ve had friends or schooling/training on how to write and all that jazz, which is wonderful. I wrote a post about education you can check out here. However, one thing that I found lacking from all the schmoozing and schooling, was marketing and how to handle signings. I’m still trying to crack the nut on marketing and I’ll write up a post on it later once I figure it out. However, I think I have some insight on book signings or convention presence.

I recently had a book signing at a Barnes & Noble which was a first for me. I’ve attended other signings and book events and I think I had an epiphany at this one. Going into it, I knew it was going to be tough. In a short amount of time, I had to try and move X amount of books. In this case, it was 15 books in four hours. Why did I feel the need to move ALL the books? Well because since I’m working with a small press, and the books were marked as returnable, Barnes & Noble had the option to return any unsold books back to the publisher which would, in turn, end up costing the publisher money. So before I even left the house I had it in my mind that I was going to move as many books as possible, which brings me to my first guideline to success: confidence.

You need to be confident in your product. If you don’t believe in what you’ve written, it will show in how you interact with customers. Your book is good. You wrote it well. People will like it. You need to have your elevator pitch down pat so when people ask what the book is about you have a clear and concise answer for them. It’s important that you answer is short and to the point too, narrow your story down to a couple of sentences and use it. This also will show that you are confident in what you’ve done. When people asked me what my book was about, I said the following: It’s about a guy who’s hunting in the Utah wilderness with his friends when the demonic apocalypse happens and he’s trying to get back home to his family. Sure there’s a lot more happening, but that’s the main theme of the story.

The second guideline or rule I made for myself was to only sit when I was actually signing a book. I stood the entire time and was active. I think it made me more visible to people and kept me from getting distracted with my phone which goes right into my next guideline: don’t play on your phone when people are around. You need to be approachable and engaged and tinkering with your phone accomplishes none of those goals. Along the lines of being approachable, I decided to not cross my arms in front of my chest if I could help it. It's an aggressive and off-putting stance so I did everything else I could. Sometimes I would catch myself and have to actively unfold my arms.

The next guideline I made was to actively engage everyone who came near my table. I said hello, how are you doing, or tried to make small talk on anything I could think of. One person was wearing a Star Wars shirt so I asked them what their favorite Star Wars movie was and we talked about that for a minute. Another dude had an awesome beard so I complimented him on it. People like to talk about what they are into and like to be complimented, so it was a way to engage them in conversation and get them talking in the hopes that they would then want to ask me about my book. However, you have to be sincere. People will be able to see through an act, so be genuine and only engage in topics that you’re interested in.

I’m not an extroverted person by any means and I had to push outside my comfort zone to make this happen; however, I sold every book Barnes & Noble had ordered. The staff was very impressed with how aggressive and successful I was, stating that a lot of first-time authors only sell a couple copies because they’ll sit there at their table and wait for people to come to them. If you want to be successful, you need to almost slap people in the face with your book. A lot of times they don’t want to come to you because they are also shy or introverted, so it takes that extra nudge to start the conversation. However, the majority of my sales that day were because I got them talking and had a chance to pitch my novel. It was exhausting and by the end of the day I just wanted to curl up in a ball in a dark room, but it worked and I made a good enough impression that they wanted me to come back and do a launch party for my second book (coming in December). Now the real test will be to see if this works again because I have another book signing at a different Barnes & Noble next Saturday. #writerproblems