Happy Friday the 13th! THE DARK MOUNTAIN releases today!!
That’s right! After working on-and-off for over 7 years, my life’s work is finally available for actual purchase and reading (no more unfulfilled pre-orders!!) I spared no expense in hiring a great team of reviewers, editors, and proof-readers to ensure an optimal and enjoyable reading experience. Ignore the "Draft" status on Inkshares because this novel is self-published. However, I must thank Inkshares and its community of readers and writers who helped out and supported me over the years. I would not have stayed focused and inspired to make the novel better and better if it weren’t for fellow reviews, comments, and multiple failings at securing an Inkshares publishing deal.
The Dark Mountain is a psychological, horror/fantasy novel aimed at young adults+. If you’ve been at all curious of how the the book would turn out, please support and purchase a copy at either Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or various other online retailers throughout the globe to discover the journey of Michael Conall and the crazy cast of characters for yourself. And yes, there’s a happy ending. And no, it is not meant to be a series. All of the story is included in one release. Enjoy!
I contacted Inkshares today and let them know the refunds were not going out on schedule, but I’m getting word that they are now being received. If you have not yet received a refund, please contact hello@inkshares.com to clear up any issues.
My book did not win any deals, which is probably a good thing since I will have more creative control by self-publishing the novel once it’s complete. I’m aiming for next year sometime so hopefully it won’t be too much longer.
A Quick Update For Followers of “The Dark Mountain”
Massive Rewrites in Progress
After receiving my 30+ pages of feedback from CritiqueMyNovel.com, I have been hard at work raising the level of my story. If you haven’t checked it out lately, I’ve updated all of the posted chapters and touched up some of the excerpts as well. I’m not posting anymore for now, but know that every chapter is being redone. I’m even adding an entire new character, introduced in Chapter 10, that fills in much of the lore and also a gaping plot hole.
There are several ideas I’ve had for world building that I’ve been holding back on to save for the sequel. But let’s be real…I’ll probably never write the sequel. So many of the ideas/revelations I was saving are now going to be in this book instead.
Where’s My Book?
So, as you see the book isn’t finished yet. I thought it was, but it’s not.
If you have placed an order, you will only receive a copy IF the book wins a publishing deal. And then only WHEN it is completed, edited, and printed.
If it does not win then you will receive a refund via Inkshares. Contact hello@inkshares.com if you have any issues/concerns.
About the Contest
It ends Oct 31st. So only 1 month to go.
I’m planning one last push for orders this month. I have been writing instead of campaigning because I needed to.
I know it’s cliché to say, but: If every follower ordered now, we would be in the Top 3!
The Dark Mountain has broken into double-digits in the Horror Novel contest! Thanks to all who have placed pre-orders and to all those who said they would but haven’t yet but I’m sure will get to it real soon because you are awesome!
To celebrate, I’m doing a raffle!
$40 Amazon Gift Card @ 25 Readers
Everyone who has already ordered is eligible. All readers’ names will be placed into a randomizer online and one person will win the gift card. But the drawing won’t begin until The Dark Mountain reaches 25 readers. That’s only 15 more!
Promo Trailer
I’ve uploaded a cool, corny trailer to my project page. I figured I licensed the stock footage and music a while back so why not get some use out of it. Check it out!
A Brand-New Chapter 1
I’ve struggled for a while how to make my opening more mature and in line with the rest of the book. I finally figured out a compromise between Chapters 1 and 2, and combined them into a new opening. I deleted the awesome action-figure franchise I created, which was going to spin-off as a Saturday Morning cartoon, but oh, well. Must stay true to the story.
The offer still stands for other Inkshares writers: Post your first 3 chapters, give appro, and I’ll read/review them, and send you feedback via email, but only after you pre-order The Dark Mountain.
I’m officially launching my campaign today in hopes to reach the top 3 in the 2017 Inkshares Horror Contest.
Pre-order Incentive for Writers:
For every pre-order, I will be offering a free beta-read / critique of any author’s first 3 chapters. That is at least a $50 value for a minimum of $10. Just post your chapters on Inkshares and provide me with your approval to add thoughts and comments to your project page. (Or if it’s better for you, please send me a MS Word file and I’ll update it with comments and red-lines).
I am also an amateur, so take my critique however you like. No one way is the right or wrong way, but having others’ insight can help jog your brain to come up with new and interesting ways to get your story across.
My schedule for the campaign:
I have a day job from 9am-5pm so will be busy most of the day. However, every night I plan to send out x5 Personal Messages to friends and family for support. I will also allocate time to read and critique x1 Inkshares Project every night, in the order which pre-orders are received. Every weekend, I will plan to post updates with my novel’s status and interesting stories behind what inspired the tale. I’ll also reach out to online communities (subreddits, etc.) who may be interested as well.
Place a pre-order today and receive a free beta-read with comments, feedback, and suggestions on your first 3 chapters on Inkshares.
The Dark Mountain is officially part of the 2017 Inkshares Horror Contest.
I’m currently away in the mountains with spotty wi-fi and didn’t realize the book was in draft mode. Sorry for the confusion. I’m hard at work on a final version of my book. I waited almost 2 years to have my novel reviewed by Catherine York at critiquemynovel.com...and it was worth the wait. I’ve got several new ideas how to streamline and make the book "work" better...which includes a new opening chapter that combines the best parts of chapters 1 and 2.
I will get back to campaigning soon, but for now my abilities are limited. I am working with my company on a feature/interview about the project, which should reach over 200,000 employees worldwide. Bear with me as this feature may not go live until Sept/Oct time-frame. Until then I will ring out as many orders as I can from my limited network.
The good thing is this contest features many professional judges that read the works and have the ability to choose novels even if they don’t reach the goal. So all the support you can give will help: follow, post a review, and place a pre-order if you can. All support is welcome!
I’ve got a new book cover designed by Kaytalin Platt, author of The Living God(buy a copy already!). I laid out my new, basic ideas for the cover and she delivered a great design, one much better that I could have made on my own.
As far as publishing, I’ve been looking into options to self publish. I really want to hold the book in my hands, so I’m going to fork out my own money and get it printed up and everything. Just need to find the right people to handle the task. If anyone has experience or knows someone, I’m open to suggestions. Thanks...oh and here’s the cover:
Thanks to all who supported my project. The campaign has ended and I hope by now you’ve all received your refund.
As you may have noticed my novel is now titled, The Dark Mountain (formerly known as Wings of the Crallow). A few things inspired this name change, including multiple people asking me “What the heck is a crallow?” I think I was going for a unique title that caught people’s attention, but it ended up being more confusing than anything. The new title now allows me to come up with a more 80’s-style, Stephen King-inspired book cover. I threw something together using the Stranger Things logo-creator I found online. You like?
I still plan to get this book published someday. With the new title, horror genre, and my new sum-it-up line: “Stranger Things meets The Neverending Story,” I plan to make one more go at agents/publishers.
Meanwhile, I’ve also entered The Dark Mountain, into the 2016 Launchpad Contest. There’s still a chance my campaign could make the Top 25. If that happens, you may see it again on Inkshares and I will then have to quickly figure out how to campaign for realsies.
Regardless if I make the Top 25, I’m stoked to check out the books that do and will be looking forward to reading, reviewing, and pre-ordering the ones that catch my eye! Good luck to all and thanks again for giving my crazy, unique novel a shot at making it at Inkshares.
Not sure if I ever mentioned this on my project page. Or if it wasn’t obvious or clear. -- The Dark Mountain is actually written much like a trilogy. In fact, I had it separated as a series until I drafted out the "fat" and combined the story into one book. Here’s a basically spoiler-free rundown of how this book is more like 3-books-in-one:
BOOK I: DREAMS
At first glance, this seems to be a Middle Grade story. However, that is not the case. Early on, being eight years old, Michael dreams of finding a new world. And find it he does! But will he be prepared for what is to come? Can he bear the knowledge and carry it like a burden? Or will he turn and run?
BOOK II: WASTELANDS
Here’s the dark middle chapter. Michael is now in high school and now faces the world “alone.” He stumbles upon a drug-of-sorts, and becomes an addict. Can Michael break the cycle and overcome? Will he find meaning in his life? A reason to go on?
BOOK III: AWAKENINGS
The finale. Michael is in college. An adult. He knows there’s more to him than meets the eye. But what exactly? Who was he as a child? Where did he go and why are so many of his memories missing? These and other questions drive Michael to wonder: How can one man possibly gain the strength to move mountains?
I launched my campaign on a day of national tragedy. Had I read the news beforehand I would have postponed (or possibly forgot the whole thing). But now that the Mountain is moving away again (severe depression finally letting up), I’m happy to post an update this morning!
I want to give a shout out to a few authors who showed some early and valuable support.
Stephen Carignan, author of The Sleeping Man. A dreamy, imaginative tale that deserves your attention.
Eric H. Heisner, author of Wings of the Pirate. Yes, I’m a bit bias here. This book has "Wings" in the title. And also, I heard there’s going to be a CGI monkey soon? Count me in!
And special thanks to some early reviews by Stephen Carignan, S.T. Ranscht, and an extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra special thanks to:
Evan Graham, author of Tantalus Depths who wrote a jaw-dropping review of my book. Feedback like this, I believe, is every author’s dream. And I got it.
If you have any CREDITS remaining in your account, please use them to buy one of these great authors’ books. They are much closer to their goals than I am. If you want to support my book, I’m looking only for recommendation bubbles at the top of my page. (Yes, this is opposite of the spam I sent my followers...sorry). I changed my mind. Only bubbles.
Happy Friday the 13th! THE DARK MOUNTAIN releases today!!
Greetings Followers,
I contacted Inkshares today and let them know the refunds were not going out on schedule, but I’m getting word that they are now being received. If you have not yet received a refund, please contact hello@inkshares.com to clear up any issues.
My book did not win any deals, which is probably a good thing since I will have more creative control by self-publishing the novel once it’s complete. I’m aiming for next year sometime so hopefully it won’t be too much longer.
Thanks for the support!
Michael.
A Quick Update For Followers of “The Dark Mountain”
Massive Rewrites in Progress
After receiving my 30+ pages of feedback from CritiqueMyNovel.com, I have been hard at work raising the level of my story. If you haven’t checked it out lately, I’ve updated all of the posted chapters and touched up some of the excerpts as well. I’m not posting anymore for now, but know that every chapter is being redone. I’m even adding an entire new character, introduced in Chapter 10, that fills in much of the lore and also a gaping plot hole.
There are several ideas I’ve had for world building that I’ve been holding back on to save for the sequel. But let’s be real…I’ll probably never write the sequel. So many of the ideas/revelations I was saving are now going to be in this book instead.
Where’s My Book?
So, as you see the book isn’t finished yet. I thought it was, but it’s not.
If you have placed an order, you will only receive a copy IF the book wins a publishing deal. And then only WHEN it is completed, edited, and printed.
If it does not win then you will receive a refund via Inkshares. Contact hello@inkshares.com if you have any issues/concerns.
About the Contest
It ends Oct 31st. So only 1 month to go.
I’m planning one last push for orders this month. I have been writing instead of campaigning because I needed to.
I know it’s cliché to say, but: If every follower ordered now, we would be in the Top 3!
So what are you waiting for?!
P.S. I posted an article on my blog here if you’re interested...
Greetings Followers,
The Dark Mountain has broken into double-digits in the Horror Novel contest! Thanks to all who have placed pre-orders and to all those who said they would but haven’t yet but I’m sure will get to it real soon because you are awesome!
To celebrate, I’m doing a raffle!
$40 Amazon Gift Card @ 25 Readers
Everyone who has already ordered is eligible. All readers’ names will be placed into a randomizer online and one person will win the gift card. But the drawing won’t begin until The Dark Mountain reaches 25 readers. That’s only 15 more!
Promo Trailer
I’ve uploaded a cool, corny trailer to my project page. I figured I licensed the stock footage and music a while back so why not get some use out of it. Check it out!
A Brand-New Chapter 1
I’ve struggled for a while how to make my opening more mature and in line with the rest of the book. I finally figured out a compromise between Chapters 1 and 2, and combined them into a new opening. I deleted the awesome action-figure franchise I created, which was going to spin-off as a Saturday Morning cartoon, but oh, well. Must stay true to the story.
Beta-Reads
I’ve completed only 1 so far.
Battle Flag: The Road to Hell: Great world-building, and lots of imagination at work. Give it a try…
The offer still stands for other Inkshares writers: Post your first 3 chapters, give appro, and I’ll read/review them, and send you feedback via email, but only after you pre-order The Dark Mountain.
Nauselbaum,
M.R.R.
I’m officially launching my campaign today in hopes to reach the top 3 in the 2017 Inkshares Horror Contest.
Pre-order Incentive for Writers:
For every pre-order, I will be offering a free beta-read / critique of any author’s first 3 chapters. That is at least a $50 value for a minimum of $10. Just post your chapters on Inkshares and provide me with your approval to add thoughts and comments to your project page. (Or if it’s better for you, please send me a MS Word file and I’ll update it with comments and red-lines).
I am also an amateur, so take my critique however you like. No one way is the right or wrong way, but having others’ insight can help jog your brain to come up with new and interesting ways to get your story across.
My schedule for the campaign:
I have a day job from 9am-5pm so will be busy most of the day. However, every night I plan to send out x5 Personal Messages to friends and family for support. I will also allocate time to read and critique x1 Inkshares Project every night, in the order which pre-orders are received. Every weekend, I will plan to post updates with my novel’s status and interesting stories behind what inspired the tale. I’ll also reach out to online communities (subreddits, etc.) who may be interested as well.
Place a pre-order today and receive a free beta-read with comments, feedback, and suggestions on your first 3 chapters on Inkshares.
Nauselbaum,
M.R.R.
Hello Followers,
The Dark Mountain is officially part of the 2017 Inkshares Horror Contest.
I’m currently away in the mountains with spotty wi-fi and didn’t realize the book was in draft mode. Sorry for the confusion. I’m hard at work on a final version of my book. I waited almost 2 years to have my novel reviewed by Catherine York at critiquemynovel.com...and it was worth the wait. I’ve got several new ideas how to streamline and make the book "work" better...which includes a new opening chapter that combines the best parts of chapters 1 and 2.
I will get back to campaigning soon, but for now my abilities are limited. I am working with my company on a feature/interview about the project, which should reach over 200,000 employees worldwide. Bear with me as this feature may not go live until Sept/Oct time-frame. Until then I will ring out as many orders as I can from my limited network.
The good thing is this contest features many professional judges that read the works and have the ability to choose novels even if they don’t reach the goal. So all the support you can give will help: follow, post a review, and place a pre-order if you can. All support is welcome!
Nauselbaum,
M.R.R.
Just a quick update on The Dark Mountain.
I’ve got a new book cover designed by Kaytalin Platt, author of The Living God (buy a copy already!). I laid out my new, basic ideas for the cover and she delivered a great design, one much better that I could have made on my own.
As far as publishing, I’ve been looking into options to self publish. I really want to hold the book in my hands, so I’m going to fork out my own money and get it printed up and everything. Just need to find the right people to handle the task. If anyone has experience or knows someone, I’m open to suggestions. Thanks...oh and here’s the cover:
Thanks again, Kaytalin!
Nauselbaum,
M.R.R.
Thanks to all who supported my project. The campaign has ended and I hope by now you’ve all received your refund.
As you may have noticed my novel is now titled, The Dark Mountain (formerly known as Wings of the Crallow). A few things inspired this name change, including multiple people asking me “What the heck is a crallow?” I think I was going for a unique title that caught people’s attention, but it ended up being more confusing than anything. The new title now allows me to come up with a more 80’s-style, Stephen King-inspired book cover. I threw something together using the Stranger Things logo-creator I found online. You like?
I still plan to get this book published someday. With the new title, horror genre, and my new sum-it-up line: “Stranger Things meets The Neverending Story,” I plan to make one more go at agents/publishers.
Meanwhile, I’ve also entered The Dark Mountain, into the 2016 Launchpad Contest. There’s still a chance my campaign could make the Top 25. If that happens, you may see it again on Inkshares and I will then have to quickly figure out how to campaign for realsies.
Regardless if I make the Top 25, I’m stoked to check out the books that do and will be looking forward to reading, reviewing, and pre-ordering the ones that catch my eye! Good luck to all and thanks again for giving my crazy, unique novel a shot at making it at Inkshares.
Nauselbaum,
M.R.R.
To the Company:
Not sure if I ever mentioned this on my project page. Or if it wasn’t obvious or clear. -- The Dark Mountain is actually written much like a trilogy. In fact, I had it separated as a series until I drafted out the "fat" and combined the story into one book. Here’s a basically spoiler-free rundown of how this book is more like 3-books-in-one:
BOOK I: DREAMS
At first glance, this seems to be a Middle Grade story. However, that is not the case. Early on, being eight years old, Michael dreams of finding a new world. And find it he does! But will he be prepared for what is to come? Can he bear the knowledge and carry it like a burden? Or will he turn and run?
BOOK II: WASTELANDS
Here’s the dark middle chapter. Michael is now in high school and now faces the world “alone.” He stumbles upon a drug-of-sorts, and becomes an addict. Can Michael break the cycle and overcome? Will he find meaning in his life? A reason to go on?
BOOK III: AWAKENINGS
The finale. Michael is in college. An adult. He knows there’s more to him than meets the eye. But what exactly? Who was he as a child? Where did he go and why are so many of his memories missing? These and other questions drive Michael to wonder: How can one man possibly gain the strength to move mountains?
Nauselbaum
- M.R.R.
I launched my campaign on a day of national tragedy. Had I read the news beforehand I would have postponed (or possibly forgot the whole thing). But now that the Mountain is moving away again (severe depression finally letting up), I’m happy to post an update this morning!
I want to give a shout out to a few authors who showed some early and valuable support.
Stephen Carignan, author of The Sleeping Man. A dreamy, imaginative tale that deserves your attention.
Eric H. Heisner, author of Wings of the Pirate. Yes, I’m a bit bias here. This book has "Wings" in the title. And also, I heard there’s going to be a CGI monkey soon? Count me in!
And special thanks to some early reviews by Stephen Carignan, S.T. Ranscht, and an extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra, extra special thanks to:
Evan Graham, author of Tantalus Depths who wrote a jaw-dropping review of my book. Feedback like this, I believe, is every author’s dream. And I got it.
If you have any CREDITS remaining in your account, please use them to buy one of these great authors’ books. They are much closer to their goals than I am. If you want to support my book, I’m looking only for recommendation bubbles at the top of my page. (Yes, this is opposite of the spam I sent my followers...sorry). I changed my mind. Only bubbles.
Thank you.
M.R.R.