Things Falling Apart

Things Falling Apart headed to Five Rivers Publishing for 2nd Edition!

2012-01-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Five Rivers to re-issue Schnarr’s horror collection

For Immediate Release

In an agreement reached this week between J.W. Schnarr and Lorina Stephens, publisher at Five Rivers, the emerging indie press based in Neustadt, Ontario, has acquired the publishing rights to Schnarr’s collection of 22 horror short stories, entitled Things Falling Apart.

Although Schnarr originally self-published the collection under his imprint, Northern Frights Publishing, work commitments became such that he was pulled in too many directions. “It's really all about time and fatigue,” he says. “I've been finding there really isn't time enough in the day to handle all the extra work publishers put in sending off emails, review copies, promoting multiple books at once, etc. I finally decided enough is enough.”

Schnarr and Stephens were introduced through Five Rivers’ Editor in Chief, Dr. Robert Runté, when Schnarr and Runté met at When Words Collide 2011.

“Having J.W. Schnarr join Five Rivers’ authors is very exciting,” says Lorina Stephens. “His work deserves an audience. He writes very much in the tradition of classic greats such as Edgar Allan Poe and Guy de Maupassant, but of course with a completely modern, fresh voice. With Schnarr it’s not so much about gore and splatter, as it is about sliding like a scalpel inside your head and lodging there. His characters are very believable, ordinary people who are hurtled into horrific situations, sometimes of their own making whether through love or stupidity, sometimes not.”

Cover art has been assigned to Schnarr’s long-time artist colleague, Gavro Krackovic, who lives and works in Podgorica, Montenegro.

Things Falling Apart is scheduled for release August 1, 2012 in both print and digital formats.

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For further information contact:

Lorina Stephens, publisher: lorina@5rivers.org

J.W. Schnarr, author: jwschnarr@hotmail.com

Regards,

Kelly Stephens, Public Relations Director

519-799-5577 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 519-799-5577 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

http://www.5rivers.org

No THTR over at the Black Glove this month; now for the weather.

2012-01-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

So there wasn't a The Hand That Reads over at black glove by yours truly this month given the apocalyptic nature of this past Xmas season around here, but I DID manage to get my 10 films in for this Black Glove special article. 10 films that influenced my life the most, along with 10 films from most of the other staff as well! And yes, Conan the Barbarian was on my list. So was the Karate Kid. Good Will Hunting was just one more Saturday afternoon A&E viewing from being on it I believe. http://the-black-glove.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-10-films-which-have-influenced-my.html

READ THIS: The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle

2011-12-20T09:54:00.002-07:00

The Poison Belt: Being an Account of Another Amazing Adventure of Professor Challenger by Arthur Conan Doyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Apocalyptic fiction with early 1900s sensibilities. Generally this stuff is a little too flowery for my taste, but the characters are always interesting. Professor Challenger is a dick, but it's hard to argue with his brain. Quaint, antique science runs the plot of the tale, which can be entertaining in itself. Doyle's work is in the Public Domain, so pick it up for free for your eReader (I'm sure you know where) and take a step back to a time when scientists were men, women were meek and fragile things, and driving an automobile was something best left to professionals.

View all my reviews

New Story set to appear in charity antho

2011-12-08T23:59:00.001-07:00

I just received word this morning that my story "Love Disappears" has been accepted by Dark Moon Books for their Slices of Flesh charity anthology.

I'll be appearing alongside folks like Ramsey Campbell, Jonathan Maberry, and Jack Ketchum. Cover art will be provided by Mike Mignola (Hellboy). The book will debut at the World Horror Convention next year in Salt Lake City, and proceeds will be headed to a variety of charities. You can check out the book here:

http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Slices_of_Flesh.htm.

New installment of The Hand that Reads

2011-11-07T16:26:00.001-07:00

The latest installment of The Hand That Reads is up at The Black Glove. My title this month is "I Am What I Write", and covers how I, as a horror writer, am more the one creeped-out than the creep. I have a feeling the same is true for a lot of us dabbling in the black ink.

Check it out!

http://the-black-glove.blogspot.com/2011/10/hand-that-reads-02-i-am-what-i-write.html

READ THIS: The City Dwellers by Charles Platt

2011-11-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

The City Dwellers by Charles Platt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The title is a bit misleading, and the back text gives you the assumption that this book will be about characters...it's really about the city itself, seen through the eyes of different people at different stages of the city's life. It's only about 155 pages long, and I got it for $.50 at a library sale. The cover alone is worth more than that just sitting on your shelf. Looks great, the story is alright, gives you a dated, 70s dystopia feel I can really get behind. Some of the scenes in the book are hundreds of years apart, so don't expect any real threads to carry you from start to finish.

Still, a pretty good way to spend an afternoon.

View all my reviews

READ THIS: The Best of Ray Bradbury: The Graphic Novel

2011-10-21T13:06:00.000-06:00

The Best of Ray Bradbury: The Graphic Novel by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ray Bradbury is a master of the short form in fiction, there's no question. Pairing him up with artists to create stunning new visions of his masterpieces is a no-brainer for a great graphic novel. A lot of my favourite stories are in here, and a few of my less-favourites, but overall well worth the read and definitely recommended.

View all my reviews

My Big Fat Blog Updates

2011-10-19T18:11:00.001-06:00

The Hand that Reads

I've taken a spot over at Black Glove Magazine for anyone in reading a monthly editorial on...well, whatever I damned well feel like. Last month was my first appearance with Nick Cook and the gang, including indie darlings like Brian Sammons and Lisa Morton. In the words of those wacky Jersey Shore kids, "It's been a good time." The first THTR is called "Real Life Horror" and is about one of the more unpleasant aspects of my job as a reporter: covering Motor Vehicle Collisions. October's fare is called "I am What I Write" and is about the misconception that horror writers are by and large their own stories made flesh. I present an opposite viewpoint: Horror writers write horror because they're mostly skittish and uncertain about the world they live in.

NFP Presents: Pandora

Vince Churchill's stunning conclusion to The Blackest Heart, which was Northern Frights Publishing's first foray into publishing other people's novels, is at the printer as we speak and just about ready to hit the shelves. We were really pushing for a Halloween release, but a few delays are making that look like it might not be possible. The book is absolutely beautiful, with more art by the very talented Gavro Krackovic, and I should have a few copies ready for purchase when I head to the last convention of the year for me, Pure Speculation in Edmonton on November 18. We're looking forward to it!

Here is the back text to Pandora:

It’s been two years since legendary Star Marshal Thane Bishop’s resurrection by the Nii, a mysterious entity from an existence between life and death. The search for Espinoza, the assassin that killed the Marshal’s family, has taken Bishop back to Pandora, the newly-colonized Star Corporation world inhabited by a vast array of monstrous genetic experimentations.

But Pandora’s dangers go far beyond hellish creatures, and even the all-powerful Star Corp has dark plans for the undead gunslinger.

Nothing will stop the Star Marshal from having his revenge on Espinoza, but will the empowering darkness keep him from regaining his humanity?

Doesn't that sound fucking awesome????

Author Reading

There's a possibility I'll be doing an author reading at the Claresholm Library the week after Pure Spec, probably the last week of November. Details haven't been hammered out yet, but the good folks at the library have been asking me to come in and have a chat, and I am going to do it. On the menu, I imagine, will be a short chat about some of my work, and horror writing in Southern Alberta (believe me, there ain't many of us around up here). I'll read a couple short -short stories, a chapter or two from Alice & Dorothy, and finally finish off with a special preview chapter of my next novel, Big Pig. Hopefully there will be coffee and donuts, and a table to sell some books. Now, doesn't that sound like a good time? Which brings me to my next update...

Big Pig

My second novel, Big Pig, continues to hammer itself out, although these past few months have been HORRID for my poor novel. After virtually sprinting out of the gates, my work stalled, and then I got very busy with my new job, and well, you know how it is. The book is mapped out though, so I know where everyone is going, I just need to get some time to sit down and write. I added about 10k words last week, so that's something, and I'm still thinking about a Christmas release, although granted we ARE getting toward Christmas season (already, I know, I'm sad too). I've also decided that I'm going to let Gavro handle the cover for Big Pig. My mock up was fun, but I don't think it has the flash that Mr. Krackovic is able to bring to the table.

Things Falling Apart

After a long delay, TFA is finally coming to print. I was hoping to have some ready for Pure Speculation but that may or may not be happening. I don't know yet. The files are done though, and everything is all ready to go. I just need to upload it and...piaooow! Magic happens. I'm pretty stoked to see this book in print as it represents the most frustrating part of my writing career, a time when I was still learning how to write while trying to run the gamut of the small press. A few of the stories in there were ones I gave away when I honestly felt that I was paying dues by subbing to 4TL markets. I'm looking forward to reselling them and making a few bucks after all these years, lol. The book also contains a novella of mine titled "Children of the Golden Day", which marks a conscious effort on my part to begin writing more stories set in around my home base of southern Alberta. After all, I'm a Canadian. What the hell am I doing writing about Americans???

ALICE & DOROTHY EARNS A 5 STAR REVIEW!!!

2011-10-19T18:08:00.001-06:00

Sleepless eReader gives Alice & Dorothy a 5 star review!!!

"I worked with homeless people for several years, many with mental illness and drug addictions. Schnarr's depictions of that kind of life mixed with a mental illness ranks amongst the most realistic and visceral that I've come across in fiction..."

http://sleeplessereader.blogspot.com/2011/10/alice-and-dorothy-by-jw-schnarr.html?zx=33553efaf1b0dd3

READ THIS: Ghost Story by Peter Straub

2011-10-13T17:21:00.002-06:00

Ghost Story by Peter Straub
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Calling this Salem's Lot with ghosts really isn't doing the book justice, but I really wanted to say it anyway just to be clever. In a way it IS kind of like Salem's Lot by Mr King, in that after the monsters get the run of the town there is a long degradation to the point where the town is barely functioning anymore.

This movie scared me as a kid, and I realize now the movie really had very little to do with the book. READ THIS BOOK. The characters are interesting, the story is long and winding, much like a good ghost story should be. And thanks to Mr King, there's nothing more I love than watching a small town turn black from its rotten core.

View all my reviews

READ THIS: The Last Victim by Jason Moss

2011-09-17T11:42:00.000-06:00

The Last Victim: A True-Life Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killer by Jason Moss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first person POV and YA-esque prose was kind of annoying, but this book offers some fantastic insight into the minds and behaviour of some of the sickest assholes America has ever produced. I'd put this book on your shelf to keep as resource material once you're done reading it.

The book is also very telling about the mind of the writer himself, as you begin to see the walls break down as Moss is assaulted time and again by guys like John Wayne Gacy. You can see for yourself how effective an emotional attack on one's psyche can cause people to break down. As the relationships continue to grow and take over Moss' life, you can see his real life suffering under the stress of so many psychos...eventually turning Moss into an isolated and depressed loner, exactly the right form to make him susceptible to these kind of people in the first place.

Moss killed himself in 2006, on 6/6/06. As heavy satanic studies were part of his strategy to get into the mind of Richard Ramirez, it makes me wonder if he ever really recovered from his relationships with these men. Maybe these people are like slime on rotting meat, and long after you scrub your hands clean from touching it the vague, uneasy feeling of corruption persists on the edge of your nerves, just tickling enough to let you know they are still there.

View all my reviews

READ THIS: Horns by Joe Hill

2011-09-13T08:55:00.002-06:00

Horns by Joe Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Joe Hill continues to impress me with his style. This is the second novel I've read by him and I thought it was a great mix of fantasy and reality.

The absurdity is that Iggy, the main character, grows a set of horn and is slowly becoming a devil. But it seemed to me to be more of a caricature, like everything you'd think of from a children's hallowe'en costume: horns, burning red skin, a slick goatee, and a pitchfork. Insert this absurd character into a story revolving around an unsolved rape and murder, how the filters for our thoughts protect the relationships around us, and how sociopaths cut a swath of destruction through everything they pass...kind of getting it?

One thing I love about Joe Hill is his sense of humour, and reading him has made me realize that a character's sense of humour will go a long way with how much sympathy I have for that character. Horns has some really funny interactions with the characters that always seems natural to the conversations, although some of his intentional setups fell a little flat this time around.

Another thing Mr Hill can do as good as anyone is make you fall in love with his romantic interests. He writes scenes of real feeling between men and women that always remind me of some of the great loves in my own life. He captures the essence of those early moments together perfectly.

View all my reviews

READ THIS: A Matrix of Angels by Christopher Conlon

2011-09-08T08:42:00.000-06:00

A Matrix of Angels by Christopher Conlon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the things I REALLY LOVE about being a member of the Horror Writer's Association is the access to free books from other members when Stoker considerations are being thrown about. This is how a copy of A Matrix of Angels by Chris Conlon ended up on my eReader.

A coming of age tale in the vein of "The Body" by Stephen King, I was hooked from page one. Conlon creates two of the most delicate, heartfelt characters I've read in a long time and the book flew by before I knew it. There is a sense of dooming hanging over these girls as one will ultimately be murdered by a serial killer in bloom. In an effort to diminish the impact of the outside world on the lives of these girls, Conlon notes several times that the serial killer wasn't even all that successful, having been caught after just three women. It is these kind of statements that form a little bubble around the story, and showing how the main character diminishes everything in her life until they are important to no one but herself.

I'm not really giving anything away here because the death hangs over the book like a dark cloud from beginning to end, and as the main character looks back on her time with this girl the story becomes a sort of eulogy even as she's using it to draw strength to repair the current dysfunctional relationships in her life.

Honestly, this book makes me want to be a better writer.

View all my reviews

READ THIS: Zombie-Killer Bill by E.M. MacCallum

2011-09-07T12:57:00.000-06:00

Zombie-Killer Bill by E.M. MacCallum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

E.M. MacCallum's debut has a little something for zombie fans and a little something for western fans. Being a novella it's a fast read, but the storyline is developed enough that you can still sink your teeth into it. It's a light meal, but it's still a meal.

The writing is a little rough in patches but there's a lot of promise here, and the publishers have done an amazing job packaging the book. I own a paper copy and it's gorgeous. Looks fantastic on my bookshelf.

One of the things MacCallum did really well was the world building that takes place over a relatively short word count. This is a world you know, but it's been twisted to the point where it's new and interesting. She's also opened the door for what could be a lot of sequels in the future.

This book should have been a novel because it's a novel idea: Zombies as slaves, and mercs who hunt them down when they go rogue and begin chewing everything in their path. But there are also some classic, archetypal villains in the world of Zombie-Killer Bill, creating a sense of place where the forces of good and evil are clearly defined, and anyone can be a hero no matter what undead whorehouse or long range grassland you've crawled out of. It's exactly what you love in a good western, and it's all in here.

View all my reviews

READ THIS: The Doll Who Ate His Mother by Ramsey Campbell

2011-09-06T10:09:00.001-06:00

The Doll Who Ate His Mother by Ramsey Campbell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Slow burner, and the ending seemed like it didn't really fit the story, but Ramsey Campbell can put words to paper in a way few others can. Beautifully written, so much so you may not care as much about the ending or the fact that he gives away the mystery in the last 50 pages or so...

View all my reviews

READ THIS: The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

2011-09-03T18:07:00.001-06:00

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was only about 40 pages into this book when I realized that I had Jack Ketchum all wrong. His reputation for graphic violence (this book especially) had me thinking I was in for a mindless slasher film knock-off in book form, and I was in the mood for a little blood.

Turns out I was way off. And I think anyone who focuses on the violence of this book as either praise or criticism is completely missing the point.

This novel contains a brilliant dissection of an unstable mind, and how the poison of mental illness can infect those around you. It's a brilliant piece of work, really, masterfully paced. Ruth's corruption isn't completely obvious at first...but having known people like this in my own life I can tell you it never is. And the sickness leaks out of them slow, like oil seeping from loose rivets on the side of a tanker. You start down their path holding hands and laughing and you're completely lost before you even realize what's going on.

The book is also about power, and how Ruth uses the promise of it as bait for her children. She holds it over their heads like a carrot on a stick, tempting and prodding them into one horrible situation after another.

And they go willingly.

Reading this book, I was reminded again and again of the mob mentality I've witnessed in groups of people. Sometimes all it takes is one person with the balls to go first and a bunch of other people standing around waiting for someone to show them what to do. Wars are fought like this. They're won like this.

There is a lot of psychology at play in this novel, and you really need to read around the violence to see it. Reading The Girl Next Door was like sticking my hand inside a dead cat and pulling out a handful of gold coins. There's brilliance in there. Wipe away the gore and see for yourself.

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READ THIS: Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk

2011-09-02T08:57:00.001-06:00

Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What if you could sing a song to someone and they'd fall over dead? What if you could think it and they'd die?

The real question is how long you could control every random, murderous impulse that creeps into your head during the course of the day? Some people could do it longer than others. None of us would be able to do it all the time.

As befitting a transgressive/horror story, the book is filled with some of the most effed up characters you'll ever meet. Try Oyster, a new age hippy/terrorist who carries his cell phone in an Indian medicine bag. Or try Mona, who collects spells like they are crushed flowers in her magic book, and whose views on religion are so convoluted even she gets confused at times. Or Helen, a Realtor/assassin/witch who has cornered the market on reselling haunted houses. The really great thing is as effed up as these characters are, you will see bits and pieces of all kinds of people from your real life in them. And that's the beauty of the work.

Along the way, expect biting social commentary as Palahniuk adds everything from dead babies to necrophilia...and count yourself lucky the two never mix.

This is another excellent Chuck Palahniuk offering, and anybody who has been putting off reading this man's work (or hasn't been exposed to it) needs to get their shit together. There is some damned fine writing in these pages and Palahniuk's wit is as sharp as ever.

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READ THIS: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

2011-09-01T08:52:00.002-06:00

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having finally gotten around to reading this, all I can say is this is another one of those books I should have read years ago. I sense the long fingers of Thompson's writing in a lot of the authors I love today. Read this book if you haven't. It scared me how many times I sat back and thought...yep, I know what you mean...lol.

View all my reviews

2011-08-27T14:11:00.001-06:00

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A bit messy at times, but continues with some of the storylines that interested me the most (Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister in particular). Martin seems to be slowly moving away from the character-based intrigue driving the series and stepping more into world building as he expands the series universe once again...and adds a host of new characters.

Don't get me wrong, I love some of the new characters. But Martin has a habit of building storylines across huge stretches of novel (sometimes multiple novels) and then killing the characters off without any real resolution. At the end of the fifth novel there are few of the original characters left and fewer still of ones I cared about in the first place. There is a deep cynical streak that runs through Martin's novels as people of stature and quality are hammered again and again by sniveling, weak minded back stabbers. What he seems to be saying is that only by cutting off the legs of your enemies while they sleep will you ever get anywhere in life.

The characters are also frustratingly pigheaded at times, marching forth to certain doom over principles, and this seems to be another message Martin likes to revisit.

There's still lots of stuff here to keep me going, and I'm looking forward to the next one when it comes out (hopefully not in 5 years). I pray that the few remaining characters I'm interested in will stay alive to the end of the book...and who knows, maybe even have a bit of resolution.

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Interested in reviewing Alice & Dorothy? I'm interested in giving it to you for FREE!

2011-08-18T09:14:00.001-06:00

Alice & Dorothy by J.W. Schnarr

Interested in reading Alice & Dorothy or Things Falling Apart FOR FREE? Well, it just so happens that I'm interested in making that happen for anyone who would like to post a review of these books on their blog or web site. Help me spread the word, and get some free reads out of the deal! Send me a message through FB or you can email me at northernfrights@gmail.com.

Thanks!

http://andjws.blogspot.com/

"I just now started reading Alice and Dorothy and I must say that you've successfully transposed Alice into the bleak, dismal world of drugs, sex and violence. As a fan of American Psycho, the blend of explicit sex, trashy whores, and ultra-violent deaths work well for me."

--Jesse Dedman, Deadman's Tome

View all my reviews

When Words Collide...This weekend!

2011-08-11T21:48:00.001-06:00

August 12-14, I'll be there signing copies of ALICE & DOROTHY at the NFP table. The awesome Erin M. MacCallum will also be signing copies of her new book ZOMBIE KILLER BILL. PLUS we're gonna have some copies of Vince Churchill's THE BLACKEST HEART for sale. Oh, and did I mention Rachel Caine and Robert J. Sawyer will be floating around too?

So much going on your effing HEAD WILL EXPLODE.

www.whenwordscollide.org

A New Chapter

2011-07-25T16:11:00.003-06:00

I started my new job today at the Claresholm Local Press. I've got an office! Boy, if my friends could see me now, lol. It's a pretty sparse place, actually, but it DOES have a tree. How awesome is that? No window, but a tree. It's probably good I don't have a window...Everyone knows how much I hate being outside. But the tree is cool. Actually, looking at it now, I'm not sure if it's actually a real tree or not. I think it isn't. But it looks real enough, and I get to pretend it's creating oxygen to feed my brain cells while I hammer away on the loudest keyboard ever...

I know some of you are saying to yourselves that it's not the keyboard at all, I'm just a grand hammer when it comes to typing (I'm very loud, and I make no excuses. If you're going to hit the board, HIT THE BOARD!). But this is a puffy Mac keyboard, and it makes as much noise on it's own as I will ever make. I'm actually getting a little self conscious about the amount of noise, now that I've been talking about it. Not enough to try and type quieter...maybe slower, so that...they...won't...notice...

So what have I been up to today?

Well, I read the last 5 copies of the paper to get myself oriented with the style of the writing and some of the topics that have been covered the last month or so. I have a feeling the learning curve is going to be pretty steep when it comes down to actually digging up stories and fitting myself into the machine. Like I told them at the interview, I don't know anything about this town other than it has a Tim Horton's and a 7-11. But after 5 copies of the paper under my belt, I can say with finality I've learned everything there is to know about this town and from here on in will be classified as an expert on all things Claresholm. Wait...did I spell Claresholm right? Maybe downloading all the information at once was'nt such a great idea...

I also had a chance to edit all the stories for this week's issue, which was a bit of a trip. I mean, I was basically going over my boss's work looking for mistakes. Ever been in a position like that? I stopped for a moment and thought..."How much should I dig into this..." Not wanting to look like a jerk on my first day was a consideration. I decided to just plunge in and do my thing, and if there were issues I'd deal with it.

As it turns out, I didn't have to worry at all. For one thing, there were only small cosmetic things I found, and hey, I'm dealing with professional writers here. He thanked me for going over it and actually finding some things to correct. All you Indie writer's out there bumping heads with your editors, take note: THIS is how writers behave.

I'm going to be doing some more editing in a bit here, and in the meantime had a chance to do a quick update. I get to go over all the ads and see if everything is where it should be. Admit it, sounds fun, right? I'm having a blast.

Oh, and BTW...I have a POLICE SCANNER ON MY DESK!!! This is actually one of my life goals that I can now cross off the bucket list. I hope that I'll soon get to cross another one off: learning what all the secret code means every time the thing chirps.

Why I'm Glad Borders is Dead.

2011-07-23T03:12:00.003-06:00

There has been a lot of doom and gloom from folks over the loss of Borders down in the states, but every chance I get I've been doing a victory dance. It's not just because I'm a cruel jerk and a shadenfreude addict (I kinda am sometimes)...I actually believe it will ultimately be good for booksellers as a whole.

(This article was pieced together from a FB discussion).

I don't know how it is in the states, but in Canada the rise of Chapters pretty much knocked most of the little bookstores out of business. Also the INSANITY that is the stocking policies for these large bookstores pretty much assure that 90% of Indie publishers will never get into them. It's too much of a risk to sell your books there!

As long as people want to buy paper books, folks will be running small bookstores. Being sad about the loss of a bookstore chain is kind of like being sad that your local wal-mart just went under. I bet you anything there are a bunch of small bookstore owners (and future owners) out there breathing a big sigh of relief at this very moment. Why? because the shipping lanes have suddenly been cleared of ancient hulking deathtraps, and they see clear sailing ahead!

The vacuum created by the loss of chain bookstores will certainly open more opportunities for everyone from readers to authors to publishers. All it's going to take is a little time for small bookstores to come creeping back into the picture.

One of the problems with a giant bookstore is that it needs to move a massive amount of stock to stay afloat. In that way, it's going to only focus on selling stuff that will make lots of money. This is a twisted form of the economy deciding what gets printed; it's twisted in this case because it's actually large chains themselves deciding for the publishers.

A small bookstore can thrive where these behemoths aren't sucking up all the book buyers because it's a different business model, usually favouring local artists and fostering personal relationships with book buyers to ensure repeat business.

Where it interests me most is as an Indie publisher and writer, because I *can* become part of the culture within a small bookstore, but would have a much harder time fostering the same relationships with a bookstore chain.

And some are blaming eReaders on the downfall of these giant bookstores, I simply don't beloieve that's true at all.These bookstores aren't going out of business because of Kindles. They are going out of business because they have TERRIBLE management and are clinging to very outdated ideas of how the publishing world should operate (something large publishers are beginning to realize is a mistake as well). There's still billions of dollars to be made every year in paper books; they aren't going anywhere for a long time to come. They've been calling an end to paper since the '80s, and yet here we are still.

So if you hear a couple voices cheering over all the doom and gloom weeping and gnashing of teeth, you'll know I'm out there somewhere, laughing my ass off. DIE, BOOKSTORE CHAINS!!! DIE!!!!

Calgary Horror Con...I'll be there!

2011-07-20T00:26:00.000-06:00

Calgary's first annual horror con goes October 1-2 2011 and I'll be there signing books, shaking babies, and (probably) handing out candy. Now where the EFF are all my razor blades...

If you're going to be in Calgary that weekend GO TO THIS CON. Movie Screenings, Performance Art, Vendor Tables...More blood and scares than you can shake a machete at!

Check out these posters from the convention:

Seriously, how fucking awesome do these look??? It's going to be a BLAST. Seriously, come by. Say hi. Get something signed.

SHADOWS OF THE EMERALD CITY at Smashwords for just 99 cents!

2011-07-15T21:58:00.001-06:00

SHADOWS OF THE EMERALD CITY is now available this week only for 99 cents from Smashwords! All you need to do is go to the SW site and input this super secret code: LX33A.

Available in all digital formats. CAUTION: This book contains THE SCARIEST WIZARD OF OZ STORIES YOU'VE EVER READ! What are you waiting for? OZ Awaits!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71577