Today, I received yet another mysterious package in the mail … and it might be the coolest one yet. Check out the video for all the details, and be sure to visit FrenziedWaters.com to follow up on the mystery.

This is a must-see, folks. It’s so awesome.

–J.C.

SYNOPSIS:
Zach Taylor meets Martin Grace, a blind serial killer.

• Promo: Seth Harwood’s Jack Wakes Up
• Promo: Unconventional
• Promo: Predestination and Other Games Of Chance

NEW TO J.C.’s FICTION, OR PODCASTING?
I’ve been releasing free audiobooks since 2006; my print novel debut is Personal Effects: Dark Art, in stores now. It’s a novel that combines the traditional novel experience with a multimedia-fueled “out of book” narrative that unfolds via phone, email and websites. Order a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art today.

Listen to the episode by clicking the “play” button below. Catch up with the story by visiting the Sword of Blood prequel synopsis page. Learn how to subscribe this podcast here.

Victor has generously provided me the audio from that interview, and I’m delighted to share it with you. I also heartily endorse Victor’s world-class show, and hope that you — regardless of if you’re an Apple fanboy or a hard-core PC user — check it out. And for the photographers in my audience, check out Victor’s stellar Typical Shutterbug Podcast, too!

–J.C.

J.C. Hutchins and award-winning horror/thriller writer Matt Wallace have teamed up to unleash the coolest promotion in the history of the mothereffin’ multiverse. By evangelizing J.C.’s new novel Personal Effects: Dark Art, you have a shot at winning a unique, priceless sword … THE Sword of Blood.

This is a BATTLE READY, real-deal, no-messing-around REAL sword, from Matt Wallace’s private collection. It is a replica of the sword wielded by Charles V of Spain. In 1519, Charles V was crowned “Roman Emperor”; at that time, no other leader had ruled such an inmense kingdom in human history. The sword’s blade is forged in high carbon stainless steel, and is 40 inches long. It was crafted by Marto, the same company that created swords for the Highlander television series.

But it gets so much cooler. J.C. and Matt will write a flash fiction story, focused on the Sword of Blood … and that story will be written on the blade of the weapon. This story will not appear anywhere else on the planet; it is written for an audience of one — the person who wins the Sword of Blood. And to make this a true Sword of Blood, both J.C. and Matt will sign their names upon the sword in their own blood.

This sword originally cost hundreds of dollars, and is now truly priceless. Only one will be worthy to wield it.

How can you win THE Sword of Blood? Simple.

• You must have a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art on hand. (Borrow one from a friend. Order a copy here. If you can’t obtain a copy, play them the videos at my homepage.)
  
• You must conduct a “show and tell” of the novel and its transmedia items (IDs, biz cards, documents, etc.) to several family members or co-workers.
• Simply show off the book, and tell your pals about the novel and its “out of book” transmedia experience.
• You must pass out copies of the Order Form PDF (found below) to each person you chat with.
• You can do this in your home, at a friend’s house, or at your workplace.
• You must document this Show And Tell session with at least one photograph.
• Email that photo to J.C. at 7thSonNovel.com by July 31.

One worthy participant will be selected at random, and will receive THE Sword of Blood, featuring a flash fiction story written upon its blade and signed by its authors in their blood. This sword ruled the Roman Empire. It is more than worthy of your effort. In fact, the real question is: Are you worthy to possess it?

The contest ends July 31, 2009, so there’s no time to waste. Print out the Order Form PDF for your peeps (found below), and get showing and telling. Be sure to document your efforts, and send at least one photo to J.C. at 7thSonNovel@gmail.com.

• Purchase Personal Effects: Dark Art
• PHASE TWO: Madness In The Streets
• The Sword of Motherf***ing Blood Giveaway (Scroll to the bottom of the page for all the details.)
• Phil Rossi’s website

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is “Chip Away” by Jane’s Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

Download this sonuvagun, like, now.

• Purchase Personal Effects: Dark Art
• PHASE TWO: Madness In The Streets
• The Sword of Motherf***ing Blood Giveaway (Scroll to the bottom of the page for all the details.)
• Matt Wallace’s website

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is “Chip Away” by Jane’s Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

Get ready to say, “Oh, shit.”

• Purchase Personal Effects: Dark Art
• PHASE TWO: Madness In The Streets
• The Sword of Motherf***ing Blood Giveaway (Scroll to the bottom of the page for all the details.)
• Matt Wallace’s website
• Jonathan Maberry’s website

Click to download the PDF

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is “Chip Away” by Jane’s Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

SYNOPSIS:
Zach Taylor strides into Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital, and is presented with his strangest case to date: Martin Grace, a blind serial killer.

• Promo: Seth Harwood’s Jack Wakes Up
• Promo: Squint Squad

NEW TO J.C.’s FICTION, OR PODCASTING?
I’ve been releasing free audiobooks since 2006; my print novel debut is Personal Effects: Dark Art, in stores now. It’s a novel that combines the traditional novel experience with a multimedia-fueled “out of book” narrative that unfolds via phone, email and websites. Order a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art today.

Listen to the episode by clicking the “play” button below. Catch up with the story by visiting the Sword of Blood prequel synopsis page. Learn how to subscribe this podcast here.

• Purchase Personal Effects: Dark Art
• PHASE TWO: Madness In The Streets
  

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is “Chip Away” by Jane’s Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

You are in a position to make a positive impact on the fate of Personal Effects: Dark Art. It’s time to shout the news from the rooftops … and I’m giving you some tips and tools to help. Here’s one; find more at the PHASE TWO: Madness In The Streets page.

Bring J.C. To Work Day!

Here’s a crazy cool idea: Host a quick “show and tell” event at your workplace or home, in which you show off Personal Effects and its awesome transmedia items. Tell your pals about the book, some of the plot, whatever you like … and then get me on the phone to talk about it!

I’ll spend some time with you and your friends/colleagues, chatting about the novel, or whatever they’d like to talk about. This could be particularly useful for businesses, as we can discuss topics well beyond Personal Effects, such as internet marketing, building communities, social media tools, the works! It’s free advice and insight, and helps you show off the book to peeps. And if you do this at work, you’ll be on the clock, which means you’re getting paid to evangelize the book! Everybody wins!

Use the contact form below to give me a shout, and we’ll get the ball rolling. I’m looking forward to personally chatting with you and your friends/colleagues!

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Cool links/mentions in the episode:

• Purchase Personal Effects: Dark Art
• Jeremy Robinson’s website
• Purchase Pulse
• The Pulse viral video contest
• J.C.’s review of Kronos
• Promo: Phil Rossi’s Crescent print debut
• Promo: Podioracket
• Promo: MetaMediocrity
• Promo: Guardians

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is “Chip Away” by Jane’s Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

You are in a position to make a positive impact on the fate of Personal Effects: Dark Art. It’s time to shout the news from the rooftops … and I’m giving you some tips and tools to help. Here’s one; find more at the PHASE TWO: Madness In The Streets page.

Print Some Posters

What’s this? Five gorgeous, full-color 8.5″ x 11″ posters that you can print and post on community bulletin boards, at your school, workplace, favorite local business, or comic book shop? Damn, Hutch, you’re thinking, you make it so easy for me to spread the word about Personal Effects: Dark Art’s awesomeness! It’s what I do, champ. Click, print, post. Boom goes the dynamite.

Document your poster evangelism, send me email ( 7thSonNovel@gmail.com ), and you’ll be in the running for a signed copy of the book, or other PE:DA swag.

Click to download the PDF

You are in a position to make a positive impact on the fate of Personal Effects: Dark Art. It’s time to shout the news from the rooftops … and I’m giving you some tips and tools to help. Here’s one; find more at the PHASE TWO: Madness In The Streets page.

Give Away The First Four Chapters

Wanna give your pals a sneak peek of Personal Effects: Dark Art? I’m here with the hookup. The first taste is free, and it’s a doozy. Your friends will be drooling for more.

Download the PDF below. Email it to peeps. The file is less than 2MB, so it won’t choke their email service. CC me on your email ( 7thSonNovel@gmail.com ), and you’ll be in the running for a signed copy of the book, or other PE:DA swag. Spread the insanity.

You are in a position to make a positive impact on the fate of Personal Effects: Dark Art. It’s time to shout the news from the rooftops … and I’m giving you some tips and tools to help. Here’s one; find more at the PHASE TWO: Madness In The Streets page.

Purchase A Copy

If you haven’t acquired a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art, I (predictably) urge you to do so. While you can order online, I encourage you to visit your local bookstore and buy it there. This sends a strong transmission to booksellers to stock the book, and illustrates demand for this bad puppy.

Be sure to print out the smokin’ hot PDF found below, fill it out and take it to the bookstore, in case the store doesn’t have Personal Effects in stock. Your special order is another way to showcase demand for the book.

Click to download the PDF

The show is fresh from the idea factory; I appear in episode two. But based on past interviews, and Mark’s presence and expertise in storytelling and the social media space, I imagine Bibliotech will have long legs indeed. It was an honor to appear on the show. Learn more about Bibliotech here.

• Order Personal Effects: Dark Art
• Personal Effects: Dark Art Party Pack PDF
• Stranger Things
• Earl Newton’s blog

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is “Chip Away” by Jane’s Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

Head over to The Creative Penn for more creative inspiration regarding publishing and promotion!

–J.C.

Order the novel. Visit Suicide Girls, become a member, and check out the adults-only Personal Effects-themed pin-up photo set. (PG-13 PDF of the set can be found here.) You’ll thank me later.

As always, co-producer/editor Michael Bekemeyer gets a big salute for his editing skills. Find other trailers here.

Word of mouth is the key to Personal Effects: Dark Art’s success. Spread the word about this awesome video promotion by embedding the video on your blog. Email this page to friends. Tweet it. Facebook it. If you think this video is worthy of sharing, please do what you can to spread the word.

Personal Effects: Dark Art is in bookstores everywhere NOW. Purchase a copy at your local store, or online now.

–J.C.

• Order Personal Effects: Dark Art
• Personal Effects: Dark Art Party Pack PDF

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is “Chip Away” by Jane’s Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

Using this Party Pack PDF, you can proudly show off your new copy of Personal Effects (and the awesome transmedia ID cards and documents that come with the book), and introduce your friends to the mad world of Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital with themed party games, music playlists and cocktail recipes. There’s even printable party favors!

Better still, if you host and document a Personal Effects party, you’ll be put in the running to win one of 20 signed copies of the book. You’ll truly be the host with the most! Some highlights:

• A printable invitation flyer to post at work
• Printable party favors, including Brinkvale commitment papers, hospital wristbands, and patient ID badges
• Five pages of Personal Effects-themed cocktail recipes
• An insanely fun, themed songlist
• Coloring pages, with certificates for your party’s “most scary” and “most creative” artwork
• Personal Effects-themed games, including a Clue-like original game “A Night At The Brink” — and the classic-in-the-making, “Pin the Shades On Martin Grace”
• Printable Brinkvale release papers, which guests receive as they leave the party
• And more!

If you’re like me, you’re strapped for cash. So I made certain that — excluding any booze or music you might purchase — the activities in the Party Pack PDF can be executed on a total budget of $10 or less. Hell, if you’ve got paper, crayons and playing cards on-hand, you won’t spend a dime! How’s that for easy?

Click to download the PDF

This is a delightful way to introduce Personal Effects to your pals, and evangelize the book. And your evangelism is critical. It’s been a week since Personal Effects: Dark Art debuted in bookstores, and became available for immediate purchase online. Pre-orders and Week One sales were solid … but it’s time to take the message beyond the ones and zeros of the blog- and podospheres, and into the all-important world of Real Life.

Download the Personal Effects Party Pack PDF by clicking the cover image above.

Take it to The Brink … and host a helluva party in the process. I’m looking forward to seeing photos and video from your party, and putting you in the running for a signed copy of the book!

–J.C.

So when he recently sent me a proclamation that I was was one of the 18 “Hottest Men” on Twitter, I perked right up. (Dave is obviously a maestro when it comes to wooing.)

The gig: A very tongue-in-cheek calendar titled “Twitter’s Hottest Men” — the sales of which benefit the awesome charty DonorsChoose.org, which assists needy schools in obtaining equipment for their classrooms. A stellarly worthy cause. I was in.

And now I’m Mr. March 2010.

Check out some of the other awesome Twitterfolk who’ve participated for this truly worthwhile cause. Photos are below.

PLEASE purchase a copy of the calendar, so that kids in need can receive the education they deserve. The calendar is on sale until the end of July … and then it’s gone. Buy now, and make a difference in the classroom.

–J.C. (aka Mr. March)

J.C.’s photo by J.R. Blackwell

• Michelle Wolverton
• Daniel Rodriguez
• Jeffrey Conolly
• Donna Phillips
• David Taylor
• Doug from Geek Acres

Thanks to the more than 100 folks who participated in last Tuesday’s giveaway! More ways to evangelize the novel (and score free books) are on the way…

–J.C.

This week’s Sword of Blood episode is a short one, but it’s packed with some exciting and disturbing sequences. This will be the last Sword of Blood episode for the next two weeks. On Friday, June 26 and Friday, July 3, you will experience audio excerpts from Personal Effects: Dark Art. You’ll learn why in J.C.’s chatter after the episode.

SYNOPSIS:
Zach takes a call. Hen reveals her knowledge of The Charred.

NEW TO J.C.’s FICTION, OR PODCASTING?
I’ve been releasing free audiobooks since 2006, and am gearing up for the June 9 release of Personal Effects: Dark Art, a novel that combines the traditional novel experience with a multimedia-fueled “out of book” narrative that unfolds via phone, email and websites. Pre-order a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art today.

Listen to the episode by clicking the “play” button below. Catch up with the story by visiting the Sword of Blood synopsis page. Learn how to subscribe this podcast here.

–J.C.

• To hear him tell the tale, I kinda freaked out New York Magazine book editor Boris Kachka. Which is awesome.
• Win a signed copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art over at Geekadelphia.
• Check out my awesome interview with the folks over at Podioracket.
• Be a part of the LIVE Podioracket show TONIGHT, and win a copy of PE:DA! I’ll be appearing on the show at 9pm EST.
• My interview with Drew Beatty over at PopSyndicate.com
• My exclusive interview with David Letterman. (Not really. It’s a link to order Personal Effects: Dark Art.)

–J.C.

Links/stuff mentioned in this epsiode:

• Order Personal Effects: Dark Art
• The SUPERVLURB
• SuicideGirls.com/Personal Effects PG-13-rated PDF
• SuicideGirls.com’s “Personal Effects” photo set (membership required)
• It’s $4/month. Do it. You know you wanna.
• Liveblog post #1
• Liveblog post #2

You’ll hear more from J.C. in just a few hours. Now, he shall sleep.

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is “Chip Away” by Jane’s Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

You were born to hit play.

This is so cool. This is sooooo cool.

Click the play button.

Here are some in-depth notes from the email I received yesterday, from Brandon (Warning: There are Book One spoilers):

7th Son, Movement 1: Decent had its world premiere on November 9th, 2008. Before the first rehearsal, I played [Descent's] prologue for everyone … to set the mood, and hopefully get some of them interested in the novel. …

7th Son, Movement 1: Descent is comprised of eight sections:

• “The President of the United States is Dead.  He was murdered in the morning sunlight by a four year old boy.” [0:14]
• A Former Life [0:49]
• Send in the Clones [1:38]
• Descent / The Womb [2:23]
• Contacting the Outside [3:28]
• Following Alpha’s Trail / “I Comply” / Hacking the CDC [4:13]
• Showdown at Folie à Deux [5:28]
• “It’s Never Over” [6:11]

The piece begins with “the chord,” that musical interlude that can be heard between sections of the novel.  I asked a friend to help me figure it out, and its essentially a Gb Major chord, possibly with some added tones.

“The President of the United States is Dead” acts as a mourning funeral song for President Griffin.  The Trumpet plays a modified version of the beginning of “Purple” (the song by Ethic that served as the anthem for Book One), as church bells chime in the background.

While slightly out of order from the novel, musically it made more sense to put this section here.  “A Former Life” portrays the early life of John Michael Smith, before the car crash that brought him to the 7th Son facility.

“Send In The Clones” is a march-like section, depicting the Beta Clones being rounded up and taken to the 7th Son facility, as heard in the first chapter.  The melody that the trumpet is playing was created by assigning a note from an A harmonic minor scale to each Beta, based on their number and order of appearance (7, 1, 6, 5, 2, 3, 4; or John,  Michael, Kilroy 2.0, Father Thomas, Jonathan, Dr. Mike, and Jack).

“Descent” refers to the elevator plunge down, represented by a chaotic chromatic 7/8 measure as the Beta Clones plummet down towards “The Womb.”  One of the concepts behind cloning is about breaking the rules.  So, in this section, I decided to break the rules of typical classical music.  The melodies have a constantly shifting tonal center, and feature many parallel fifths (which are usually frowned upon).

“Contacting the Outside” refers to the events of chapter 14/15, when the Betas are allowed brief phone called to the people they were dragged away from.  It’s a happier moment (in the Lydian mode), almost the calm before the storm, which transitions to…

“Following Alpha’s Trail” depicts the efforts of the Jonathan, Jack, Kilroy 2.0, and John, as they work to find out what John Alpha is up to.  A literal chase is depicted between the 4-bar trombone melody, and the trumpet with a truncated 3-bar version of the same melody, the two instruments getting closer with each repetition.  Kilroy 2.0 calls upon his flock for assistance, and they respond with “I Comply” (represented by a 3 note repeated ostinato played by the xylophone).  Having caught up with Alpha’s clues, Kilroy 2.0 hacks the CDC database.…

“Showdown at Folie à Deux” is certainly one of the most exciting things in Book One, and I tried to depict that in the music.  With a tempo of 150, this is the fastest section of the piece.  The meter occasionally changes from 3 to 4, as the trumpet plays an augmented version of the melody from “Send In the Clones” against a trombone ostinato.  The tempo slows down slightly and the music gets softer, now with the upper woodwinds playing chords, depicting Father Thomas’ leap of faith (this subsection even ends with a plagal cadence, which is also called the ‘amen cadence’ due to its association with religious hymns).  The tempo quickly picks back up, modulates up a half step to add excitement, and briefly revisits the theme from the beginning of the section as the Beta Clones gain the upper hand…

“It’s Never Over” serves almost as a coda to the movement, a slow finale after all of the excitement.  Mourning the loss of one of their own, the Betas realize that even though John Alpha may be dead, the adventures are just beginning.  The piece ends with a deceptive cadence (possible foreshadowing for Movement 2: Deceit, perhaps?), ending on “the chord” that we started with.

Credits:

• Geri Muller: Flute
• Theresa Procopio: Oboe
• Brandon Winrich: Clarinet
• Peter Gilli: Alto Saxophone
• Joshua Sayer: Trumpet
• Scott W. Benson II and Michael Ottaviano: Trombone
• Charles Kalajian, Bobby Cavallaro, and Zach Friedland: Percussion
• Stephen M. Grueb: Conductor

Back to J.C.

I nearly wept when I heard Brandon’s piece; my arms were covered in goosebumps. The time he invested not only in researching my book (his synopsis is better than anything I could’ve written!), but also composing, organizing and preparing the piece for public performance must have been staggering. To me, this is nothing less than awesome. I am humbled, and starstruck, by Brandon’s creation.

Thank you, Brandon, and to the team of talented performers you assembled to play 7th Son, Movement 1: Descent. If you choose to compose Movement 2: Deceit, it will most certainly have a home here.

–J.C.

If you’re new to JCHutchins.net and want to learn more about Personal Effects, please visit this page. There, you’ll get the full skinny on this groundbreaking novel (which I co-authored with game designer Jordan Weisman). Be sure to check out the sidebar on that page for even more goodies and information about the book.

New fans and old can feast thier peepers and ears on these really cool blogs/projects/podcasts that rolled out recently, all covering PE:DA:

• Dan Tabor’s text interview with me for Geekadelphia
• Jay Hathaway’s text interview with me for SuicideGirls
• Her Side, a groundbreaking multimedia fiction project, created by J.R. Blackwell and Mur Lafferty, which helps support Personal Effects
• My audio interview with the BBC’s Pods and Blogs program
• My interview with Grammar Girl for her new Behind the Grammar podcast
• Author Matthew Wayne Selznick’s review of PE:DA

If you enjoy this content, and are persuaded to purchase a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art, the book is now available in North American bookstores, and for immediate purchase online.

Jetpack on! Higher! Higher!

–J.C.

Welcome to the Personal Effects: Dark Art LIVEBLOG experiment! Today is the release date for Personal Effects in North American bookstores, and I’ll be documenting the entire experience — from sales rankings, to giveaways, to content YOU send me — here throughout the day. Be a part of the celebration and ORDER THE BOOK HERE.

Most-recent updates will be near the top of the page; all updates will be timestamped U.S. East Coast time. Let’s have some fun! Be sure to sound off in the comments along the way!

Note that links to any online retailer do not imply my endorsement of one retailer over another. Updates are provided for informational and update purposes.

—- BEGIN UPDATES —-

12:55 AM

I’ve been liveblogging straight since 7:45 AM. I am, as they say, beat to shit.

But I am smiling, and soaring. And that’s thanks to you.

You made this happen — and I’m not just talking about today’s debut of Personal Effects: Dark Art. When I say “this,” I mean all of it: the success of the 7th Son podcast novel trilogy (which helped me score the PE:DA gig), overcoming the crushing deadline to deliver this project, the faith to keep writing, the friendships that have blossomed during the past three years, the crazy unconventional stuff that I do …

… you did it. You fueled it. You inspired me.

You will always inspire me.

The words “thank you” are absolutely inadequate to describe my gratitude to you. They’ll never do justice to — I’ll never be able to do justice to — the pride and honor I feel to know you, and to know that I am supported by you. The success of all those yesterdays, and today, and beyond have hinged on you. You’ve never disappointed me, and you certainly didn’t today.

I try my best to dazzle you with my stories, and my crazy promotions, and my tweets, and my podcasts. Know that you always dazzle me.

This isn’t the end of the Personal Effects run. It’s the beginning. Consistency and longevity on sales charts, and in bookstores, will ensure this novel’s success. I’ll need your continued help in the weeks ahead. I’ll be asking for that help sooner than you might think. We need to knock this sucker out of the ballpark … and with you by my side, I know we can do just that.

But that comes tomorrow. Right now, know that I am humbled by your generosity and kind words, and you outstanding display of support. You did it. You made this happen.

FINAL tally for our Personal Effects: Dark Art launch celebration:

• #8 in sci-fi (the record)
• #20 in fantasy (down from 19, which was the record)
• #60 in mystery & thrillers (down from 59, which was the record)
• #280 overall (up from 282, the previous record)
• #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction (the record)
  
• #6 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (the record)
• #42 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (the record)

You … rock.

–J.C.

MIDNIGHT

Current sales rank online: 8 in sci-fi (holding strong), 20 in fantasy (down from 19, the record), 59 in mystery & thrillers (holding strong), 282 overall (up from 290, a record)!

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, #6 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (holding strong, the record), and #42 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (holding strong, the record).

You guys are KILLING IT! Time for late-night brick-and-mortar purchases on the West Coast, or a midnight “snack” at your favorite online retailer!

11:55 PM

So cool. Pix are still rolling in. Meet your fellow PE:DA superfans! I’m honored to have so many generous people in my life…

Rani Bush

Rich Ragan

Dave Fisk

Tony Artym

11:37 PM

A reminder about the three Personal Effects: Dark Art giveaways that end at MIDNIGHT EAST COAST TIME. (That’s in about 20 minutes!)

Here are the deets about the THREE giveaways currently underway for today:

1) Call 206-984-2992, follow the instructions in the message, and then send me an email (7thSonNovel@gmail.com) telling me what you said.

2) Visit the Trailers page, and post one of the vlurbs on your site, tweet it, or email FIVE friends, and then send me an email (7thSonNovel@gmail.com) stating your mission compliance.

3) This one’s sinfully easy, but critically important. The gig:

• This is about personal word of mouth
• Email TEN FRIENDS / FAMILY MEMBERS who you dig most dearly
• Direct them to http://jchutchins.net
• Tell them all about Personal Effects: Dark Art, and ask them to watch the main video on the home page
• CC me — 7thSonNovel@gmail.com — on your email
• That’s it.

I’ll randomly select two winners from each bunch. The prizes: signed copies of Personal Effects: Dark Art. That’s SIX FREE BOOKS up for grabs! If you wanna play, now’s the time. The clock’s ticking!

11:25 PM

I posted one of these videos already, but I love Lynette Radio so much, I thought I’d post both of her awesome vids! Check out her shopping/unboxing experience!

11:10 PM

Current sales rank online: 8 in sci-fi (holding strong), 19 in fantasy (up from 21!), 59 in mystery & thrillers (up from from 66!), 290 overall (up from 330)!

WE HAVE CRACKED 300, PEOPLE.

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, #6 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (up from #7 — it’s me vs. Laurell K. Hamilton ), and #42 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (up from 46!).

Keep bringing it, peeps! You rule!

11:05 PM

Even MORE images are rolling in from happy Personal Effects: Dark Art owners! I’m reeling from your generosity and enthusiasm! If YOU have a pic of you with your copy of PE:DA, email it to me: 7thSonNovel@gmail.com!

Amy Bowen

C.C. Chapman

Dan Paddock

David's Daughter

David Taylor

Doug's Boy!

Jason Penney

Kevin

KittyPick

Laura Burns

Lisa T

Luis (devouring his copy)

Megan

Slamo

WifePick and DaughterPick

zackdman

Whew!

Welcome to the Personal Effects: Dark Art LIVEBLOG experiment! Today is the release date for Personal Effects in North American bookstores, and I’ll be documenting the entire experience — from sales rankings, to giveaways, to content YOU send me — here throughout the day. Be a part of the celebration and ORDER THE BOOK HERE.

Most-recent updates will be near the top of the page; all updates will be timestamped U.S. East Coast time. Let’s have some fun! Be sure to sound off in the comments along the way!

Note that links to any online retailer do not imply my endorsement of one retailer over another. Updates are provided for informational and update purposes.

—- BEGIN UPDATES —-

10:48 PM

The LIVEBLOG post has gotten too big for its britches! Standby as I create a new post to accommodate new content!

–J.C.

10:26 PM

Technology conspired against the Hutch! Lost an entire (and awesome) update here, but will try to post pics a bit later. Update time!

Current sales rank online: 8 in sci-fi (holding strong), 21 in fantasy (holding strong), 66 in mystery & thrillers (up from from 70!), 330 overall (up from 371)!

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, #7 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (holding strong), and #46 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (up from 48!).

It’s time to bring some West Coast muscle to this endeavor. Check out my shout-out to my PST friends!

9:20 PM

Giveaway #3!

As you know, there are TWO giveaways currently underway for today:

1) Call 206-984-2992, follow the instructions in the message, and then send me an email (7thSonNovel@gmail.com) telling me what you said.

2) Visit the Trailers page, and post one of the vlurbs on your site, tweet it, or email FIVE friends, and then send me an email (7thSonNovel@gmail.com) stating your mission compliance.

And now … a THIRD GIVEAWAY opportunity!

3) This one’s sinfully easy, but critically important. The gig:

• This is about personal word of mouth
• Email TEN FRIENDS / FAMILY MEMBERS who you dig most dearly
• Direct them to http://jchutchins.net
• Tell them all about Personal Effects: Dark Art, and ask them to watch the main video on the home page
• CC me — 7thSonNovel@gmail.com — on your email
• That’s it.

Can you do that? Sure you can. Ping ten pals, direct them to my site, and ask them to watch a video. Easy peasy. All giveaways end at midnight EST.

I’ll randomly select two winners from the bunch. Your prize: signed copies of Personal Effects: Dark Art. You can’t beat that with a stick! Get emailin’!

9:05 PM

Personal Effects: Dark Art maintains momentum!

Current sales rank online: 8 in sci-fi (holding strong), 21 in fantasy (holding strong), 70 in mystery & thrillers (down from 68), 371 overall (up from 373).

Where are my West Coast peeps? Time for you to crack some knuckles, hit the streets (or sites) and purchase a copy of the book…

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, #7 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (holding strong), and #48 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (down from 47).

Do I feel a sales rally coming on from my PST friends?

8:56 PM

More unboxing video awesomeness, this time from Steve Saylor! (I love his J.C. impersonation in the beginning!)

8:45 PM

Have you checked out the red-hot (yet PG-13 rated) PDF featuring Suicide Girls Annika and Lumi … and the “personal effects” from PE:DA? Click here to get the full story, or click the image below to download the PDF. If the photos leave you salivating for more, check out SuicideGirls.com to become a member (a mere $4/month) and view the full adults-only set titled, “Personal Effects.”

Books just got a whole helluva lot sexier.

Click to download the PDF

8:23 PM

Here are some fun unboxing photos from Brian Webber!

7:59 PM

You. Continue. To. Bring. It. Check out this AMAZING update!

Current sales rank online: 8 in sci-fi (up from 10!), 21 in fantasy (up from 24!), 68 in mystery & thrillers (up from 71!), 373 overall (up from 408). We’ve cracked 400! Can we hit Top 5 in sci-fi and Top 20 in fantasy? It’s up to you!

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, #7 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (holding strong), and #47 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (up from 48)!

It’s time to bring up the reserves, my peeps. If you’ve been holding out, head to your local bookstore or order online tonight!

Let’s blow the roof off this sumbitch.

7:27 PM

Another photo update! I want YOUR photo here on the site today … but the only way to do that is to hit your local bookstore and snag a copy. Can you do that? Are you willing to become one of the stellar folk below who’ve documented their awesomeness? I surely hope so. (Of course, if you’d rather order online, I can oblige.) Snap a pic, send it to 7thSonNovel@gmail.com, bask in the glory of your peers!

On with the superstars!

Bruce Lerner

daecabhir

David Perry's Spock and Chekhov

EdGizmo

Eric J. Frank

FancyFembot

frankstendal

gravityquest

Jack Staples

Luis

Pavlina

Podcast Junky

Stewart Boyles

zahooee

syntheticjesso

Wired Pig

7:05 PM

I have PUNISHED the dishes! And what’s this? A new chart update! Ever higher!

Current sales rank online: 10 in sci-fi (slipped a notch here), 24 in fantasy (up from 27!), 71 in mystery & thrillers (up from 79!), 408 overall (up from 452). We’re gunning for 400 now, peeps!

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, #7 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (holding strong), and #48 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (up from 49)!

6:32 PM

I must wash dishes. Will return soon…

6:20 PM

MORE photos from Personal Effects fans! Can you feel the love? I can. It’s warm and fuzzy. (Or is that my Brinkvale straightjacket?) Email me YOUR PE:DA pic at 7thSonNovel@gmail.com!

Brandon

CrazzyWarrior

Michael Ward

Randy Hinkley

silent_e

Tiggr

6:00 PM

ASCENSION CONTINUES!!

Current sales rank online: 9 in sci-fi, 27 in fantasy, 79 in mystery & thrillers, 452 overall. JETPACK ON!

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, #7 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (hopped back up a notch here!), and #49 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (up two more notches)!

Will continue adding Brick-And-Mortar Hollas in the update slot below! Keep the support coming!

5:20 PM

Let’s have some fun for the rest of this hour. I’ve been leaning on those online sales ranks all day … but let’s show some love for the folks who bought copies in real-life brick-and-mortar stores. Did YOU buy your book in-store? Shoot me a quick email — 7thSonNovel@gmail.com — or an @ reply on Twitter (I’m @jchutchins), telling me where you snagged your copy, and we’ll give the store mad props here in this update section!

Email me! @ me! Give me a BRICK-AND-MORTAR HOLLA!

@frankstendal sez: “Borders in PDX did not fail me…”

@silent_e sez: “Got my copy at Books Inc., independent brick-n-mortar bookseller!! http://www.booksinc.net“

@Ropecast sez: “Mine was a brick-&-mortar Barnes & Noble in Madison, WI (east side). One of your wild, premature copies.”

@Desdemina sez: “Barnes & Noble”

@trreed sez: “Borders, Quarry Market, San Antonio, TEXAS“

@JMCampbell sez: “I bought my copy at the Barnes & Noble at the Wellington Green mall in Wellington, FL”

@Mainframe sez: “I bought my copy today at the Barnes & Noble in Macon, GA”

@Br4indead sez: “Barnes & Noble, Lake Grove, NY.. Three on the shelf, now there are two “

slamo via email sez: “Hey Hutch, Got my copy at the B & N in Palm Beach Gardens..shiny and new!!!”

@A_Rae sez: “I just bought my bookstore’s last copy of Personal Effects. That makes me giddy.”

@cmdln sez: “Borders in downtown Silver Spring, MD. And it was face out when I found it!”

@Barely sez: “I got mine at Barnes & Noble in Oak Brook Illinois. They had 3 copies left after I got mine.”

@bknudtson sez: “Reserved my copy of #PEDA at Borders. Heading that way to pick it up on the way home”

@RandyNBL sez: “Just picked up one copy at B&N in Kennesaw, GA. Amazon copy en route.”

@rgoshko sez: “none at my local store, but over 60 in my town”

@dcperry sez: “Got mine at the Barnes & Noble in Merrillville, IN after a swing and a miss at the local Borders.”

@arkle sez: “My #PEDA came from beautiful Westminster, CO, on Sheridan Blvd. How B5. “

@PodcastJunky sez: “I got the last copy at the Borders books in Tustin, CA”

@monkeyluis sez: “Barnes & Noble!”

@Sparkly_Aria sez: “I reserved my copy at the local BN in Arlington, TX. Headed there shortly to pick it up.”

@macfoo sez: “Borders in Newark, DE – was able to pick up my pre-order yesterday”

5:01 PM

BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE: Current sales rank online: 10 in sci-fi, 29 in fantasy, 84 in mystery & thrillers, 475 overall.

That’s top 10 status in SF, top 20’s in fantasy, top 80’s in ultra-competitive mystery/thriller … and TOP 500 overall!

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, #8 in “Hot New Releases” for sci-fi & fantasy (slipped a notch here!), and #51 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers (up two notches)!

4:30 PM

Check out these AMAZING Personal Effects-related videos from folks who’ve purchased a copy: Mataxes, violetrogue and Karl Schild. Astoundingly awesome!

4:22 PM

More pics from the wild! This is amazing! Send me YOUR pic with Personal Effects: Dark Art at 7thSonNovel@gmail.com!

BenPick

Dr. Duran aka Zed

Pavlina

Steve Saylor

Thomas Reed

3:25 PM

Another GIVEAWAY CONTEST! If you’ve been following the live updates here, you know that two lucky folks will snag a signed copy of PE:DA by calling…

206-984-2992

…following the instructions in the message, and then sending me an email (7thSonNovel@gmail.com) telling me what you said. But let’s have some more fun, and give away TWO MORE copies!

Here’s what you do: visit the Trailers page and pick your favorite video blurb from the ones found there. EMBED THE VIDEO at your site/blog, or post it to your Facebook page. If you don’t have a site/FB, post a link to your favorite vlurb on Twitter. If you don’t have a Twitter account, EMAIL FIVE FRIENDS a link to your favorite video, or to the Trailers page.

That’s it. Either 1) post a vlurb on your site … 2) tweet it … or 3) email five friends a link to the vlurb/Trailers page.

Once you’ve done that, EMAIL ME at 7thSonNovel@gmail.com and I’ll randomly select two vlurb evangelists from the bunch. They’ll win signed copies of Personal Effects: Dark Art!

Both giveaways are running until the end of June 9. Get crackin’!

3:00 PM

Ascension continues! Current sales rank online: 11 in sci-fi, 34 in fantasy, 89 in mystery & thrillers, 557 overall. Eking closer to the top 500! Rock on!

Also, check out the brilliant Jared Axelrod’s post about his wife J.R. Blackwell’s project HER STORY — details of which can be found below. Support experimental fiction (J.R. and Mur Lafferty are co-creators) and Personal Effects at the same time! Thanks for spreading the word, Jared!

2:37 PM

The ever-awesome C.C. Chapman has posted an UNBOXING VIDEO of his copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art! Check it out!  Thanks, C.C.!

Can YOU share your unboxing video? Please do! Upload your vid to a video sharing site like YouTube, email me the link at 7thSonNovel@gmail.com, and I’ll post it here! So cool!

2:28 PM

MORE awesome pics from Personal Effects fans! Check ‘em out … and if YOU have a copy on-hand, send it my way. I’ll get it here on the page! 7thSonNovel@gmail.com

Barely

Beth Case

Keith Burtis

Paulette Jaxton

And standby for more awesomeness! Rumors suggest an UNBOXING VIDEO is on the way!

1:56 PM

Current sales rank online: 12 in sci-fi, 34 in fantasy, 93 in mystery & thrillers, 581 overall. We just might crack 500, folks! Keep the support coming!

Also, the book is currently #1 in the “Hot New Releases” for science-fiction, and #53 in the “Hot New Releases” section for mysteries & thrillers!

Also: Incredible! Twitter is overflowing with positive comments, public sightings and more, re: PE:DA. Check out the stream here.

And also: I’m stunned and flattered by Matthew Wayne Selznick’s 1,000+ word review of Personal Effects. If you’re on the fence about the book, check out his thorough review for more information.

And another also: Escape Pod founder Stephen Eley also has some kind things to say about PE:DA … and my interview (along with Jordan Weisman) with the BBC is now online and available for download!

1:20 PM

Some recordings I’ve received so far for the Celebration Line giveaway! Scroll down to get all the deets!

Click here to hear the calls!

1:00 PM

Sweet Christmas! More photos rolling in from you generous folk! Behold the amazing pics of fans like YOU who’ve picked up a copy of the book. It’s good to see Scott Sigler represented here (those books class up his pasty mug), and check the hilarious pic by Stephanie, which proves that you need more than one copy of PE:DA in the house to keep folks civil!

Remember: Win a signed copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art! Call the Brinkvale Personal Effects Launch Celebration Line, leave a celebratory message, and then send me an email (7thSonNovel@gmail.com) telling me what you said. The two callers with the most creative and fun message wins a copy of PE:DA! You have all day, June 9, to participate. The number:

206-984-2992

Chart update coming soon, peeps.

David Perry

Richard Green

Scott Sigler

Stephanie Harvey

Vlad

12:15 PM

Holy smokes, stellar news abounds! Check this:

Current sales rank online: 16 in sci-fi, 50 in fantasy, 774 overall. Heading toward the stratosphere, peeps!

PLUS — CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT: Win a signed copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art! Call the Brinkvale Personal Effects Launch Celebration Line, leave your craziest, coolest celebratory message, and then send me an email (7thSonNovel@gmail.com) telling me what you said. The two callers with the most creative and fun message wins a copy of PE:DA! The number:

206-984-2992

Get creative! Get crazy! Get committed! (You have all day today, June 9, to participate.)

PLUS — ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! Check out “Her Side,” a multimedia experiment created by Mur Lafferty and J.R. Blackwell! This is a STELLARLY awesome experiment in fiction, and it supports Personal Effects! Visit the site for details, and support this brilliant new way of telling stories from Mur and J.R.! I have the coolest pals on the planet.

PLUS! Another thank you video from J.C. … you guys are rocking my socks!

11:30 AM

MORE Personal Effects: Dark Art photos are rolling in. So awesome. Check ‘em … and check this fancy news: the book is #2 in the Sci-Fi “Hot New Releases” section. Keep spreading the word!

LUNCHTIME for East Coasters is fast-approaching. Will you pick up your copy of PE:DA during the break? Contribute to the cause, and be sure to take a pic of you with your book! Send it to 7thSonNovel@gmail.com, and I’ll post it here!

Thomas "cmdln" Gideon

JP Harvey

11:00 AM

Current sales rank online: 16 in sci-fi, 56 in fantasy, 819 overall. Higher! Higher!

SuicideGirls.com has unleashed its “Personal Effects” photo set on the site. Check it out here. Membership is required to view the adults-only set; it’s $4/month. (Money well-spent, if you ask me.)

I also serves up a video shout of muchly gratitude for YOUR help in making Personal Effects: Dark Art a hit-in-the-making. Thank you!

Contest announcement coming soon…

10:45 AM

Holy moley, check out these AWESOME colored pages from Anthony Epp! He printed out the fun (and funny!) Personal Effects: Dark Art coloring book, and did some art therapy of his own! How cool! Send me YOUR colored pages, and I’ll post them here at the site! Email them to 7thSonNovel@gmail.com !

From Anthony Epp

From Anthony Epp

From Anthony Epp

10:00 AM: Stores now open on the East Coast

Current sales rank online: 29 in sci-fi, 90 in fantasy, 1,063 overall. Onward and upward!

EEE! UPDATE: Current sales rank online: 17 in sci-fi, 62 in fantasy, 867 overall. Highest ranking yet!

Muchly superfandom is being displayed in the Tweetspace and on blogs. Check out some of the kindness being displayed over at Twitter … and be sure to check out the kind comments of Jason Penney, DC Perry and James Durham at their sites — and at the Masks of Eris blog, too. Too cool for school!

Giveaways are coming: Signed copies of Personal Effects: Dark Art … and signed copies of super-rare Advanced Reader Copies of the novel, too! Let’s wait for the West Coast to wake up first, and then we’ll unleash some evangelical badassery upon the Web!

8:40 AM

Current sales rank online: 24 in sci-fi, 75 in fantasy, 1,264 overall.

Even MORE photos of you awesome folks with your copies of Personal Effects are rolling in! Hot damn, check out these supercool pics of these PE:DA superfans!

Donna Phillips

From Eddie Haynes

Laura

The Encaffienated ONE

8:05 AM

You guys have sent me some AWESOME photos of you with your copies of Personal Effects: Dark Art! Here are a few that have rolled in so far; I’ll post more throughout the day. Be sure to send me your pics at 7thSonNovel@gmail.com , and I’ll get them on the site today!

MA in PA

Brian Saxon

Icepick

Drew Beatty

7:39 AM

Just posted the PG-13-rated, stellarly sexy PDF excerpt of SucideGirls’ “Personal Effects” photo set. Find it here. The full, adults-only nude photo set will be available at SuicideGirls.com later today. SuicideGirls used the out-of-book artifacts as props in an in-world story told in the Personal Effects universe.

Also, the SUPERVLURB is now live, featuring 12 of the most influential names in podcast fiction. Too awesome for words. Check it here.

I’m guzzling the nectar of the gods — Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee — and prepping some fun content to post here later in the day, including photos of YOU with your copies of Personal Effects: Dark Art. Have a pic of you with your copy? Email it to me: 7thSonNovel@gmail.com…

Click to download the PDF

PERSONAL EFFECTS

A Suicide Girls photo story featuring Annika and Lumi,
 and transmedia items from the novel Personal Effects: Dark Art

From the journal of Suicide Girl Annika…

My pal Rachael Webster (a.k.a. PixelVixen707, SuicideGirls’ Hit Play columnist) asked me to take a look at the personal effects of Martin Grace, a patient and possible serial killer, who resides at Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital where her boyfriend, art therapist Zach Taylor works. Rachael’s been worried about Zach ever since he started working with Martin at the behest of his Brinkvale boss, who needs to know if Martin is fit to stand trial.

Zach has been wondering about Martin’s innocence, but Zach’s dad, the District Attorney, is convinced he’s a stone-cold killer. Guilty or innocent, Martin has really got under Zach’s skin and in his mind in a very disturbing way, so Rachael wanted a fresh set of eyes to sort through the evidence she, Zach and his brother Lucas have found so far. Is this guy really a deadly psychopath? Could he be a danger to Zach — or even Rachael? I called in my buddies Lumi (such a scintillating beauty) and Zoetica (a photographer with an eye for erotic detail) to help solve the mystery. Everywhere around us were personal effects; traces of a veiled injustice perhaps? A mystery.

Perhaps, by solving it with me, Lumi will reveal secrets of her own. Unfortunately we got a little distracted, and didn’t pay as much attention to the clues as perhaps we should have (who knew playing detective could be so hot?). Can you help solve this mystery?

12►

PERSONAL EFFECTS

Photography by Zoetica Ebb, featuring Annika and Lumi,
 and transmedia items from the groundbreaking thriller novel
 Personal Effects: Dark Art by J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman.

• See the complete, unedited, nude pin-up “Personal Effects” photo set at SuicideGirls.com.
• Learn more about Personal Effects: Dark Art and the multimedia-fueled
 “out of book” experience that accompanies the story at JCHutchins.net.
• Order the book online, or purchase a copy at your favorite bookstore.

Muchly thanks go out to these incredible, generous storytellers. Without their years of support for my work, I dare say Personal Effects: Dark Art would never have happened to me. They are all ultracreative people, and worthy of your time and attention. Visit their sites. Listen to their work. You won’t be disappointed.

• Philippa Ballantine
  Author of: Chasing the Bard, Digital Magic, Weather Child
• Scott Sigler
  New York Times bestselling author of: Infected, Contagious, Ancestor
• Seth Harwood
  Author of: Jack Wakes Up, Jack Palms 2 & 3, Young Junius
• Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
  Author of: Number One with a Bullet, Shadow Falls, Diary of a Madman
• Christiana Ellis
  Author of: Nina Kimberly the Merciless, Space Casey
• Matt Wallace
  Parsec Award-winning author of The Next Fix, The Failed Cities Monologues
• James Melzer
  Author of: The Zombie Chronicles – Escape
• Stephen Eley
  Editor of Escape Pod, and publisher of the horror fiction podcast Pseudopod
• Mark Jeffrey
  Author of: The Pocket and the Pendant, The Two Travelers
• Mur Lafferty
• Author of: Playing for Keeps, the Heaven series, co-founder of Pseudopod
• Phil Rossi
  Author of: Crescent, Tales from the Vault, Eden
• Matthew Wayne Selznick
  Author of: Brave Men Run, Hazy Days and Cloudy Nights

As always, co-producer/editor Michael Bekemeyer gets a big salute for his editing skills. Find the first 10 trailers here.

Personal Effects: Dark Art is available in bookstores TODAY. Purchase a copy at your favorite store, or order a copy online.

–J.C.

The video was created to be embedded on the homepage here at JCHutchins.net, but helpful links in the video will point you to more information while viewing on your iPod.

Personal Effects: Dark Art is in bookstores everywhere TOMORROW. Hit your local bookstore, or order online now.

June 8, 2009
For immediate release
Press contact: J.C. Hutchins — 7thSonNovel@gmail.com
For high-resolution photos: Nicole Powers — nicole@suicidegirls.com

In an innovative cross-promotion never seen in publishing, alternative pin-up website SuicideGirls.com has partnered with St. Martin’s Press and thriller novelists J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman to prove that paper and ink can transcend the two dimensional printed page in surprising and sexy ways.

To celebrate the June 9 release of Hutchins’ and Weisman’s groundbreaking supernatural thriller novel Personal Effects: Dark Art, SuicideGirls will debut several multimedia-fueled experiences on its popular site, including videos, an interactive scavenger hunt for readers, and a steamy Personal Effects-themed pin-up photo set featuring Suicide Girls Annika and Lumi. Hutchins will release and/or link to this content at his website, JCHutchins.net.

It’s a saucy, unconventional way to promote an equally unconventional book. Personal Effects: Dark Art chronicles the life of Zach Taylor, an enthusiastic art therapist who uses patients’ personal effects to treat their psychoses. In a thrilling twist, these personal effects actually come with the book, propelling readers into novel-enhancing narratives told via email, phone, and on the Web. Readers can investigate the novel’s dangerous mystery, and discover plot twists that hero Zach Taylor may never experience.

Further blurring the lines between reality and fiction, Personal Effects character Rachael Webster is now guest blogging at SuicideGirls, writing its “Hit Play” gaming column, which has garnered a loyal following.  Rachael also has her own blog at PixelVixen707.com.

“Personal Effects blurs the lines between reality and fiction in an interesting way. It’s a compulsive, page-turning mystery with characters that leap off the page and  compel the reader to seek answers beyond the confines of the book’s covers. We’re very excited to be a part of J.C.’s paper and pixilated vision, which is unique, smart, sexy, geeky and creative — like those in our community,” says SuicideGirls’ co-founder, Missy.

Hutchins agrees. “It’s a perfect match, from an audience perspective,” he says. “SuicideGirls’ readership is edgy, well-educated, progressive and online-savvy. Further, SuicideGirls has a lot to offer my current fans — killer interviews, exceptionally-crafted columns on culture and Internet life.”

In addition to Rachael Webster’s “Hit Play” column, SuicideGirls and Hutchins have several special Personal Effects-themed promotions planned for release at their sites, including:

• An innovative, sexy photo shoot featuring Suicide Girls Annika and Lumi, and the trailblazing personal effects that accompany the novel, such as business and ID cards, photographs and legal documents. Several clues are also embedded in the photoset.
• SG will release video blog posts, mentioning its friend Rachael Webster (who is also tattooed, pierced and geeky), and her “Hit Play” column
• SG personalities will be “committed” to Brinkvale Psychiatric (the spooky setting for Personal Effects), and share their authentic-looking patient paperwork with SG readers…
• …they will blog about their stay at “The Brink”…
• …clues in their blog posts and patient paperwork will propel SG readers to Brinkvale’s website (BrinkvalePsychiatric.com)…
• …and there, fans can “hack” into a doctor’s profile page, and learn more about the staffers’ incarceration via additional SG-exclusive content.
• SG Managing Editor Nicole Powers will provide a video testimonial, endorsing the novel

“SuicideGirls truly ‘gets’ the reality-blurring intent powering the Personal Effects experience, and is fully embracing it,” Hutchins says. “The staff loves the book, and wants to integrate that ‘out of book’ experience into the website for their readers. I think SuicideGirls fans, and fans of my work, will get a kick out of this cross-promotion.”

# # #

About J.C. Hutchins – JCHutchins.net
Since 2006, J.C. Hutchins has released free serialized audiobook thrillers, using the Internet and unique “zero budget” promotions to build his audience, reaching nearly 4 million episode downloads to date. The first of these novels (titled 7th Son: Descent) will be published this fall; the series has been optioned by Warner Bros.  Hutchins’ work has been covered in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time.com, Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine, and on the BBC. Personal Effects: Dark Art is his print novel debut.

About SuicideGirls – SuicideGirls.com
With a vibrant, sex positive community of women (and men), SuicideGirls was founded on the belief that creativity, personality and intelligence are not incompatible with sexy, compelling entertainment, and millions of people agree. The site mixes the smarts, enthusiasm and DIY attitude of the best music and alternative culture sites with an unapologetic, grassroots approach to sexuality. In the same way Playboy Magazine became a beacon and guide to the swinging bachelor of the 1960s, SuicideGirls is at the forefront of a generation of young women and men whose ideals about sexuality do not conform with what mainstream media is reporting.

SuicideGirls features the hottest modern pin-up pictures of tattooed and pierced women who challenge and redefine notions of beauty. Similarly, SuicideGuirls champions freethinkers and those with an alternative perspective. Featured interviews include Leonard Nimoy, Larry Charles, Sofia Coppola, Chuck Palahniuk, Dennis Hopper, Marilyn Manson, Joan Jett, and Twitter CEO Evan Willaims, to name but a few. Celebrity and guest columnists include Steal Back Your Vote’s Greg Palast, Star Trek’s Wil Wheaton (who writes a monthly Geek In Review column), Anthrax’s Scott Ian (Food Coma), Rob Corddry and Margaret Cho.

Although started as a two person operation out of a loft in downtown Portland, OR in 2001, in five short years SuicideGirls grew its audience to over 5 million unique visitors a month, becoming a cultural phenomenon along the way. Today, SuicideGirls has hundreds of thousands of subscribers, over a thousand models, a successful book, several TV specials, a clothing line and two DVDs in stores (with a third on its way). SuicideGirls has also just released Flip Strip, which became the fourth most popular free iPhone App at the iTunes store, garnering more than 1 million downloads in a matter of days following its release.

About St. Martin’s Press – StMartins.com
St. Martin’s Press is a book publisher headquartered in the iconic Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin’s Press is one of the United States’ largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin’s Press (mainstream and bestseller books), St. Martin’s Griffin (mainstream paperback books, including science fiction and romance), St. Martin’s Minotaur (mystery, suspense, and thrillers), Picador (specialty books), Thomas Dunne Books (suspense and mainstream), and Truman Talley Books (business and specialty books).

Somewhere along the way, she became a legend in podcasting.

Mur Lafferty is an ever-experimenting icon in the space, representing the fleet-footed creativity and potential of this emerging method of releasing stories. She’s a helluva tale-teller to boot, and I’m honored to present her video endorsement of Personal Effects: Dark Art here.

Pre-order the novel. Toss a copy of Mur’s Playing for Keeps in that online shopping cart while you’re at it. You’ll thank me later.

As always, co-producer/editor Michael Bekemeyer gets a big salute for his editing skills. Find the first nine trailers here.

Word of mouth is the key to Personal Effects: Dark Art’s success. Spread the word about this awesome video promotion by embedding the video on your blog. Email this page to friends. Tweet it. Facebook it. If you think this video is worthy of sharing, please do what you can to spread the word.

More videos are coming. Personal Effects: Dark Art. In bookstores everywhere TUESDAY. Pre-order now.

–J.C.

–J.C.

Click to download the PDF

Personal Effects: Dark Art is about an art therapist … so it only makes sense to celebrate its June 9 release with art! Download this very tongue-in-cheek Personal Effects coloring book, featuring artwork from the novel. Print it out, make copies, and have a Personal Effects release party — with coloring! — in your home on Tuesday! It’s bloody fun for the whole family!

Feel free to send J.C. a photo or scan of your coloring pages. He just might post them here on the site.

Personal Effects: Dark Art. It’s more than a (coloring) book. It’s an experience. If you haven’t already, order it here and support J.C.’s print novel debut.

It was the unconventional, immersive, fiction-meets-reality narrative of Blair Witch and Curse of the Blair Witch that moved viewers, and compelled them to share that story with friends and family. Mike played a critical role in that. With the company he co-founded, Campfire, he’s gone on to create and/or supervise transmedia campaigns for True Blood, F.E.A.R. 2, Terminator: Salvation, and other brands.

And now he’s here, to tell you what he thought about Personal Effects: Dark Art. We are days away from the book’s release in bookstores everywhere. Pre-order the novel, or visit your favorite bookstore on June 9 to purchase a copy.

As always, co-producer/editor Michael Bekemeyer gets a big salute for his editing skills. Find the first eight trailers here.

Word of mouth is the key to Personal Effects: Dark Art’s success. Spread the word about this awesome video promotion by embedding the video on your blog. Email this page to friends. Tweet it. Facebook it. If you think this video is worthy of sharing, please do what you can to spread the word.

More videos are coming. Personal Effects: Dark Art. In bookstores everywhere this June. Pre-order now.

–J.C.

SYNOPSIS:
Zach and Rachael have a heart to heart … and then Zach takes an unexpected road trip.

NEW TO J.C.’s FICTION, OR PODCASTING?
I’ve been releasing free audiobooks since 2006, and am gearing up for the June 9 release of Personal Effects: Dark Art, a novel that combines the traditional novel experience with a multimedia-fueled “out of book” narrative that unfolds via phone, email and websites. Pre-order a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art today.

Listen to the episode by clicking the “play” button below. Catch up with the story by visiting the Sword of Blood synopsis page. Learn how to subscribe this podcast here.