Books, books everywhere, but not a drop to drink!

      

The books are finally arriving. Again, I’d like to thank everyone who bought a copy for their support. What you are holding/will hold in your hands would not exist without your help. I hope you enjoy it.

Still, even with the release of physical books to backers, there’s still plenty to do. The actual release date is March 15th (no Caesars were stabbed during the making of this novel.) And naturally, we need as many people as possible to be aware of An Unattractive Vampire by then. So, if you like the book, tell a friend or two or seventy. Rate and review it on Goodreads. Amazon won’t let you review it until the actual publishing date, but prepare a review for them too. Seriously, reviews on Amazon are apparently super important for sales of a book as they determine how visible your book is on their website. 

(Oh and if you don’t like the book, tell someone you don’t like very much to read the book. Ruin their day. I’m not picky.)

On March 15th (release day), I will be interviewed on the podcast that started it all, The Sword and Laser. Kind of a dream come true for me. I’ll try to keep it together. Anyway, I only mention it because they are currently taking questions on Goodreads, so if you’re one of the 20,000 or so members of the Sword and Laser and you’d like to ask me a question regardings writing, monsters, audio drama, places to dispose of bodies, etc, head over there and ask it. Otherwise, people will just spend thirty minutes of me squeeing.

Also for anyone who is in or around Chicago remember that March 18th, we will be having a launch party at Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records (appropriate, no?) at 7 PM. Come say hi on your way to green beer. 

Anyway, before I let you go, I thought I should remind everyone that the Nerdist Space Opera contest is still going on. There are plenty of good books still in the running to be published including:

The Madness of Mr. Butler by Michael Haase: a tale of a crazy old man desperately trying to prove to everyone that their world is round.

Lucky by RH Webster: the story of a space trucker who finds herself caught in middle of an interstellar conspiracy.

The Life Interstellar by Zach Jordan: a novel the most dangerous and terrifying creature of all time: the galaxies last human.  

Space Tripping by Patrick Edwards: a Hitchhiker’s Guide like story of outer space hijinks as human and alien delivery men try to avoid being killed by marauders and space criminals on the way to their next drink.

BEHOLD! TECHNOLOGY!

If you are like me, that is to say, a denizen of the FUTURE, than you are capable of teleportation, have a robot butler, and read books via brain implants. For those of you hipsters who still use handheld computers for nostalgia purposes (there is nothing quite like the smell of fresh downloads), well, I have some exciting news...

 
RELEASE THE E-BOOK!

That’s right. If you ordered the e-book version of An Unattractive Vampire (or both e-book and print option) than it is on its way to you in a series of 1s and 0s via outer space satellites (uphill both ways). 

Hooray! I hope you enjoy this silly monster book I thought up almost a decade ago.

Now comes the important part: once you’ve read the entire thing (which for those of you without brain implants may take at least a day of binge reading), it would be great if you could rate and review it on Amazon and Goodreads, but especially Amazon. The more love I can get for the book on Amazon, the more Amazon’s algorithms will push my book, the more people will see my book, the more people will buy my book, the more successful the book will be, the more likely it will be that I’ll be allowed to write more books. Or...to simplify that rambling run-on, Amazon reviews = Good. 

Thanks everyone for buying a book and I hope you have fun reading it.

Jim

CONTINUING COVERAGE OF EVENTS

Hey folks,

So, it happened. I received the final e-mail from Girl Friday, the production company that has been handling all things editorial and the final version has been sent to the printers! It’s done! We did it! (Well not quite yet. I’ll get to that.) Thank you to everyone at Girl Friday for being great and pushing me to make my book the best it could possibly be. 

So from here on out, it’s all about pushing the book for me! To that end, there are some pretty big deal happenings that you should be aware of starting with...

A LAUNCH PARTY! Yep. It’s been confirmed. An Unattractive Vampire will be coming out in style here in Chicago with an official launch party at Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records. So in the midst of your St. Patty’s Day stupor come out (please come out) and buy a book or get your book signed and say hi and then go back to green beer and vomiting on sidewalks, a Chicago tradition. For more information about Bucket O’ Blood you can visit their website or Facebook page.

Also...THE SWORD AND LASER! In very much another "crossing off a life goal" moment, I will be appearing on The Sword and Laser podcast on March 15 (PUBLISHING DAY). So you’ll be able to listen to me stumble through a haze of glee and make a fool of myself very soon. Also, if you have any questions for me (looking at you other authors) head over here and ask them. I have wisdom dammit! Let me share it!

Finally, the Nerdist space opera contest is still going strong with a just under a month to go. If you happen to like starships battles and alien wars, you might want to head over there and check it out. Here are a few suggestions:

The Madness of Mr. Butler by Michael Haase: The tale of an eccentric old man on a far away planet desperately trying to prove that his world is a sphere circling a star. Also, God talks to him through an astronauts helmet.

Aurora by Taylor Hopkins: A bounty hunter faces off against a criminal mastermind in a planet-hopping adventure. The sample chapter reads like a combination of Alien and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Lucky by RH Webster about a woman hitching a ride back to earth from the dusty end of space. I’ll be honest, there aren’t a lot of details about the plot for this one, but the writing is REALLY good.

Anyway, until next time everyone.

Behold! The very rare, snowy update!

Hey everyone. Sorry to be so quiet as of late. There’s been a lot going on between grad school and...well mostly grad school. But I’ve spent the last two days in the library preparing presentations (and writing a short story) so hey, let’s have some news.

An Unattractive Vampire Update:
This week I gave final notes on the e-book version of the book. So everything is on schedule for people getting their books on time. (I know because lots of you keep asking me about that.) Additionally, Inkshares is in talks to throw a launch party here in Chicago. I won’t put out too many details until things are finalized, but keep the evening of Friday March 18 free or rather, come do your St. Patrick’s Day weekend drinking with me at soon-to-be-disclosed location (well probably before and/or after soon-to-be-disclosed location. I doubt the bookstore actually serves booze.) There are also other things in the works that I probably can talk about, but hey let’s be mysterious and pretend I can’t. So yes, hush, hush, secret, secret, upcoming podcast appearances. Shhh....you read nothing.

Also I have five hundred shiny new postcards that will be finding their way into every coffee shop I can find. 

Inkshares:
There’s a new contest! The Nerdist and Geek and Sundry are holding a series of themed contests to publish more books. (Swoon.) The first one runs from now until March 15 and is all about Space Opera. Now, I’ll be honest with all the work I’ve been doing writing stories about Nikola Tesla and ghosts and reading Arthurian legends (you know, like you do in grad school) I haven’t had a chance to check out what’s out there. But I will (soon) and you should. So visit the contest page here and see what’s what.

Other News:
On February 5th, it was announced that for the second year in a row, I was a winner of the Midnight Audio Theatre Scriptwriting Competition. What does this mean? Well, it means that Midnight Audio Theatre will be producing my piece "The Fairie Wood"--a tale of an arrogant lord who learns it does not pay to run afoul of fairies--will be produced sometime this year. So yay! More good news. (For those who might be interested, I will you link you to my arctic horror piece from last year, "Last Transmission."

I feel like there’s more to tell. There probably is and I’m forgetting it (or maybe that’s my homework. AAAAAH!) Anyway, I hope you all are well and I promise you will get your books soon. This isn’t just all an elaborate scheme to steal tens of dollars from you. (Or is it? MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

Hey Wonderful, possibly blizzardful people,

The Sword and Laser Contest: The Sequel has ended and there are three new soon-to-be published authors in the world. Congratulations to The Last Machine in the Solar System by Matthew Isaac Sobin, Bones of the Past by Craig Munro, and officially joining us in The Sword and Laser Collection, The Animal in Man by Joseph Asphahani.

Remember just because the contest is over doesn't mean there aren't plenty of deserving books trying to get published, so head over to the submission page and support an aspiring author before it was cool, like the hipster that you are.

As for An Unattractive Vampire, it moves on. I have made final approvals to both the cover and interior, so it is off to the printers. Soon, oh so soon, you will each receive your warm, pulpy copy that you can touch and smell and lick...and...uh...read...because, haha, who does those other things? Am I right? Haha. Anyway, the publishing date is March 15, less than two months away and believe me, there will be publicity. I will update you as I start showing up on podcasts and news sites near you. Until then, enjoy this relative calm before the storm. Unless you're on the East Coast, in which case, just enjoy the storm.

Greetings Readers, Followers, Human Beings, and Advertising Algorithms,

I promised you this day would come. You didn't believe me. I didn't believe me. But it's here at last...

 

That's right! I finally figured out how to work the internet. No more free AOL homepages and half-hearted Tumblrs for me. www.jimmcdoniel.com is a thing. A thing that both exists and works. Go there now and behold the wonder and glory of me copy and pasting pictures onto Squarespace. Marvel at my ability to link you back here to Inkshares. Thrill as you view my Twitter account while not on Twitter. Ooooo. Aaaaah.

In other news, the Sword and Laser contest two is wrapping up this week. On Friday at noon (West Coast time, two o'clock here) three more authors will receive the full publishing treatment and one will join G. Derek Adams, J.F. Dubeau, and myself in the Sword and Laser collection. There are plenty of good books in the mix with plenty of time to make the jump so please, consider visiting the contest page and checking a few out like:

For dystopic cyberpunk, click Deus Hex Machina.
For epic demonic fantasy, click Bones of the Past.
For sci-fi action/adventure, click The Amaranth Chronicles: Deviant Rising.

Hey everybody,

So it's been a big week. First and foremost, last Saturday was the first ever Inkshares Review-A-Thon. I wrote a couple of reviews for the interplanetary adventure Dax Harrison and the fairly self-explanatory Dracula V. Hitler (books you should check out if you have the chance) and then talked about writing and the publishing experiences with other Inkshares writers in a google hangout. That's right, you too can see my compete ineptitude with technology and hear me heavily breathing into a microphone by following this lovely little link:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pSOpnFYGMM&feature=youtu.be.

Big thank yous to JF Dubeau, Paul Inman, and Cara Weston (whose idea this was) for allowing me to participate in such a huge way. You should definitely check out their books as well--The Life Engineered, Ageless, and She Is The End--all soon to be published on Inkshares.

Now I know many of us are or will be traveling over the next few days and those long car rides can be killer. Well, nothing passes the time quite like some good old-fashioned...er...new-fashioned audio drama. First of all, there is a little horror number I did for the 2014-15 Midnight Audio Theatre Scriptwriting Competition that went up this week. Listen to "Last Transmission" here:

http://midnightaudiotheatre.com/mat-features-2015/

Then there's the season six finale of the audio drama series I write for, Our Fair City. The episode is called Uninsurable Risk and not only does it close out another spectacular year of work on our part, but features none other than Welcome to Night Vale's Cecil Baldwin! Don't believe me? Here's my proof: 

http://www.ourfaircity.com/2015/12/uninsurable-risk/

So yes, lot's of exciting things happening with more on the horizon. Until then thank you all and Happy Holidays.

Good morning all (he says at midnight, assuming you'll be reading this when you wake)

Lots of news and good things to go over. First and foremost, the Sword and Laser, the reason yours truly is still talking to you about this dandy little fiction he's concocted (I've spent a good portion of today writing. Does it show?) has returned with another book contest! More authors are being given the same opportunity to get their book published and distributed just as I have. Books like:

The Darkest Places by Byron Gillan
The discovery of an ancient artifact, buried deep below Cairo, brings three individuals together in a race against an ever-ticking clock to stop an ancient and eldritch evil.  

You had me at eldritch Byron. Go here to check it out this tale of 1920s adventurous Lovecraftian horror:
https://www.inkshares.com/projects/the-darkest-places?recommended=true

I also would like to recommend a book that is not actually in the Sword and Laser contest, but looks immensely fun.

Dax Harrison by Tony Valdez
In a space-faring future, an alien war criminal seeks vengeance on humanity, and a celebrated-but-bumbling hero is forced back into action... whether he likes it or not.  

It looks like a great, golden-age style space adventure with plenty of humor to go around. You can read excerpts here. Just remember to do so soon, it only has 15 days to meet its Quill publishing goal:
https://www.inkshares.com/projects/dax-harrison-2276

There will be more recommendations to come I promise.

Meanwhile, because of the new contest, people have been asking me and the winners of last Sword and Laser contest J.F. Dubeau and G. Derek Adams lots of fun questions about our books and our experience with Inkshares. First, Alicia Smock from the Examiner wrote this wonderful article highlighting each of us:

http://www.examiner.com/article/inkshares-and-sword-laser-team-up-for-new-publishing-contest

And the Inkshares team asked us to contribute our insights for their blog on the new contest here:

http://blog.inkshares.com/post/134876312095/insights-from-the-winners-of-the-first-sword

AND I know many of you have been asking when your books will be arriving. Well, the release date is March 15. But if you'd like to see what they look like ahead of time, you can see an advanced galley being unboxed by Tom Merritt of the Sword and Laser by following this link here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0RmQf9h5oM&feature=youtu.be&a

Anyway, that's all for now. I hope to have more good news to tell you soon. Until then, dear readers...

Hey all,

There's so much happening so it's time for another update.

News:

THE SWORD AND LASER is back!
The contest that got us all here is back to give more aspiring authors the opportunity to be published. Right now only three books have been submitted and I haven't had time to check them out, but, much like blood, there will recommendations. If any of you have a sci-fi or fantasy manuscript rattling in the back of a drawer somewhere, throw it and yourself into the ring. Go on! You can do it! 

https://www.inkshares.com/contests/the-sword-laser-collection-contest-the-sequel

More News:

If anyone is in or around Chicago this week, I highly recommend you check out the 2015 Deathscribe Festival of horror-filled radio plays. It's this coming Monday the 7th at 8PM at the Mayne Stage Theatre. For more information, visit: http://www.wildclawtheatre.com/deathscribe-2015/

And finally, look what arrived at Inkshares today:

  

GALLEYS! I have galleys! My book is a real life thing and not just a collection of electrons blinking across a circuit board. Oh and for those of you too impatient to wait, I should warn you, these promotional copies come with their own theft deterent system.

  

More news to come. Until then, thank you all and beware of dog.


Dave Barrett · Author · added over 8 years ago
Hot Damn!  Congratulations on the pick! :D
More Comments