Indie April Reading Suggestions - Part 2

 Richard Schwindt

Welcome again to Indie April!

This month I’m promoting the work of 13 authors who have impressed me over the years with writing that lingers in my memory. Lingers in a good way, that is.

Last Friday, I presented to you Crispian Thurlborn. Today, Richard Schwindt, who is no stranger to this blog. He is an accomplished writer, who produces non-fiction, fiction, and humor. In this post, I’m focusing on his fiction.

My first foray into his oeuvre, was the book Herkimer’s Nose. And I immediately fell in love with the book. It remains among my favorites.

Herkimer’s Nose has everything: well-drawn characters, an imaginative and creative story, sea monsters, ghosts, spies, monster hunters, and, of course, humor. What’s not to like?

I read first and foremost for the characters. And Richard is a master craftsman when it comes to creating characters that come across as real people. And even if they are somewhat over the top, they are believably so.

Humor is another thing I enjoy in a good book, and Richard Schwindt doesn’t let you down in the humor department. He’s a funny guy and will tickle your funny bone with his dialogue, character interactions, and sometimes the scene itself. He’s given me plenty of hearty laughs, and who doesn’t need that?

Aside from his extensive output of therapy and self-help books, Richard writes mysteries, occult detective, humor, horror, fantasy, and literary fiction. All are excellent reads that do not disappoint.

The Death in Sioux Lookout Trilogy

Chris Allard is a worthy addition to the ranks of the amateur detective. He’s a disgraced social worker, who finally finds work in the remote town of Sioux Lookout. He also finds murder.

The three short novels that make up the trilogy are

Death in Sioux Lookout

Minnitaki Lake Mystery

The Vermilion River Murder

Filled with richly drawn characters. These books are not only murder mysteries, they are a look into what it means to live, and also to die.

They are mysteries done right. There’s also a one volume edition.

Tony Price: Confidential

I love the occult detective genre, and Tony Price is a super occult detective. The three novellas that comprise this trilogy are just the right length to tell the story and maintain the creepiness factor.

Tony Price is a burnt-out social worker who sees monsters. In fact, he might even be a monster magnet. He also knows how to deal with monsters, as any occult detective worth his salt does.

Get the anthology volume - Tony Price: Confidential - because you will want to read these back to back. They’re that good. There’s also a prequel novella: Ottawa: Confidential. And you don’t want to miss Tony’s first monster hunt, so get this one, too.

Dreams and Sioux Nights

There’s one other book I’d like to highlight. Not only because it shows a more serious side of Richard Schwindt, but because it is just doggone good.

That book is: Dreams and Sioux Nights.

The book is a collection of short stories. But don’t be put off by that. Because the 5 stories comprising the collection are amongst the best you will ever read. Yes, they are that good. I kid you not. This is top drawer literary fiction.

Dreams and Sioux Nights concerns people and people are what Schwindt does best. Within the pages of Dreams, you will encounter people who are very real. With issues that you yourself may have had to deal with. They are moving, touching, thought-provoking. This book may just be Richard Schwindt at his best.

Richard Schwindt has something for everybody. He’s one of the foremost indie writers today. His writing is of such a high caliber that he truly deserves to be a bestseller. That he’s not reflects on the state of the marketplace and not his quality as a writer.

Take a look at his Amazon page, and treat yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Richard’s Amazon pages

US

Canada

UK

Australia

Germany

And here is a recent interview with Richard by Rox Burkey, who is one-half of the team that writes The Enigma TechnoThriller series: https://roxburkey.com/the-real-richard-schwindt/

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

Indie April Reading Suggestions — Part 1

Crispian Thurlborn

Welcome to Indie April!

Every year, I solicit independent authors/publishers (aka “indies”) to recommend books for me to read, and if I like them, to promote.

My caveat is that I don’t want bestsellers. Nor any book ranked in the top 300,000 on Amazon. And they must be self-published. Small press does not count, as that is just downsized traditional publishing.

If you have any suggestions, please put them in the comments.

This month, I’m adding blog posts promoting 13 authors who have impressed me over the years with writing that lingers in my memory. Lingers in a good way, that is.

These writers are not bestsellers. Although they should be, and would be if we lived in a fair world. But, alas, we don’t. Their writing, though, is top-notch and will entertain you. That much I can guarantee.

Crispian Thurlborn

First up is Crispian Thurlborn, who is truly an author par excellence. He is a master craftsman. A meticulous craftsman. He does magic with words.

He writes stories that will chill you and impart a subtle terror that lingers long after the story has ended. He also writes stories filled with whimsy and humor.

All of his published work is top drawer.

Today I’d like to focus on his short novel, A Bump in the Night. It’s a ghost story, of sorts. It’s a philosophical story, of sorts. It’s sad, yet ends well. It’s filled with humor. And the prose would make Dickens envious.

It’s a tale of two ghosts who try to stop their friend, Mr Bump, from fading away. But the best laid plans of mice, men, and ghosts… Well, you know, Mr Murphy and his law even transcend the grave.

A Bump in the Night is not a tale of terror. Yet, in a subtle sort of way, the story confronts us with death, that thing which terrifies us all.

The book is one of my favorites. But then all of Mr Thurlborn’s work can be listed amongst my favorites. He’s that good.

So this Indie April, do yourself and Mr Thurlborn a favor: buy his books, enjoy them, and review them. Both you and he will be very happy.

Here are links to his Amazon pages:

US

Canada

UK

Australia

Germany

And if you subscribe to his mailing list, you’ll get the chilling story “Wednesday Girl” for free! It is very good.

Watch for Part 2, which comes out Tuesday.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

The Pierce Mostyn Paranormal Investigations

 

Four years ago, back in 2017, I started writing the Pierce Mostyn Paranormal Investigations series. The first book, Nightmare in Agate Bay, was published in January 2018.

I’d been watching the first season of The X-Files, and thought how cool it would be to mash-up the Cthulhu Mythos with The X-Files. And just like that, Pierce Mostyn and the Office of Unidentified Phenomena was born.

The Pierce Mostyn series was an immediate hit, and it’s been my annual top seller since its introduction.

What is it about Pierce Mostyn and his cohorts that readers like?

I’m not big on surveys, questionnaires, and the like. To tell the truth, I’m just not big into data. But to answer the question, I took a look at what readers put in the reviews.

Here are some of the things that stuck out:

“entertaining and action packed”

“a charming, easy to read, creep-fest”

“contemporary and action-packed”

“keeps the reader on the edge”

“fun and exciting”

“non-stop action”

“tautly paced and elegantly plotted”

“The character development is detailed”

“fast-paced and the tension is great”

“all kinds of scary fun”

From those snippets, what stands out is the action, the suspense, and the fun factor. Those are what make Pierce Mostyn a top seller.

The fun factor kind of surprised me, but then I asked, Why?

The books are doggone fun to write. Apparently, my having all that fun writing comes right through the page and grabs the reader. Which is what we writers and readers want, isn’t it?

Well, the eighth Pierce Mostyn Paranormal Investigation is live — and only 99¢ through the end of March. Now it’s your turn to get in on the fun, if you haven’t already.

In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness

Only 99¢ on Amazon!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

Pierce Mostyn and Antarctica

I’ve been in love with Antarctica since I was a kid. It all started when I got a National Geographic map of the ice-covered continent.

Shackleton’s failed 1914 Antarctic expedition is one of the most thrilling tales of endurance and heroism ever.

Vaughan Williams’ Sinfonia Antarctica is one of my favorite symphonies.

I even collect pictures of the place!

Why I didn’t pursue getting a job at McMurdo Station when I was young is beyond me. Now I’m too old.

So is it any wonder that Pierce Mostyn finds himself on the icy continent in his latest investigation? Maybe some vicarious experience going on.

HP Lovecraft’s short novel, At the Mountains of Madness, takes place in Antarctica. At the time HPL wrote the story in 1931, not much was known about the continent. Much of it hadn’t even been explored. That was certainly the case with the interior.

So it is very surprising that Lovecraft was so accurate in his description of the place. Of course, a lot was made up. That is what writers do: make things up. But much of what HPL described is quite accurate.

The location he chose for the Mountains of Madness is almost identical to that of the sub-glacial Gamburtsev Mountains. Coincidence?

And the lake HPL describes? Well, Lake Vostok is also close by. Another coincidence?

I’ve read and written enough mysteries to know that coincidences don’t happen all that often. So how did Lovecraft know all this stuff? Did he have special access to information that others didn’t?

I have my own theory as to how he knew what things were like, and you can read all about it in the latest Pierce Mostyn Paranormal Investigation: In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness. Which goes on sale Thursday, March 25th.

Until then, if you have any theories as to how HPL was so spot on, drop them in the comments. And until next time, happy reading!

In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness

 

Pierce Mostyn is back in an all new adventure! A creature feature extraordinaire: In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness.

I’ve been sharing snippets with the folk on my mailing list. If you want to get in on sneak peeks and exclusive never-before-published content, sign up for my VIP Horror Readers Club. Plus, you’ll get the exclusive novella, “The Feeder” — which is not available in stores.

And if you haven’t yet discovered Pierce Mostyn, take a look at the books and pick your monster!

This time around, Mostyn and his team are sent to Antarctica to investigate why a Russian base has suddenly gone silent. Once they find out why, Dr Rafe Bardon, the director of the Office of Unidentified Phenomena, sends them off to the subglacial Gamburtsev Mountains, also known as The Ghost Mountains. Because Dr Bardon thinks they fit the coordinates of the infamous Mountains of Madness.

Those familiar with the stories of HP Lovecraft will immediately recognize where the inspiration came for my story.

Lovecraft welcomed other writers to write in his Cthulhu Mythos universe. And many took him up on the invite, and many more continue to do so today.

I enjoy working in the Mythos. It’s a walk in a world where we are not at the top of the food chain. It’s a world where there are forces at work much bigger than we are. Beings to whom we are not unlike the ants on a sidewalk. Blithely stepped on without a second thought.

The universe of the Cthulhu Mythos puts humans in a place where we are not only not equal with nature, we are less than nature. It’s a universe that makes me stop and think about all of our petty squabbles. It makes me realize how, in the big picture, our troubles and problems are truly insignificant.

I’m looking at the 25th of March as the launch date of In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness. Stay tuned!

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

Wyldwood Books

 

In the 6 years I’ve been an independent author-publisher, I’ve met a good number of very talented indies. Sad to say, most are little known.

I’ve also seen a fair number of these very talented folks move on to other things. And we readers are the poorer.

One such little known writer is Crispian Thurlborn. He’s an incredibly talented and mature writer. I love his books and promote them often.

But he’s also a very talented and accomplished graphic artist. And that’s what I’d like to showcase in this post.

Wyldwood Books

Bespoke Book Designs and Services

Wyldwood Books is his graphic design website. And quite frankly, he can handle what you need for your book covers, promotional materials, book trailers, wallpapers, you name it. And the work is done speedily and at an affordable price. The latter is very important for me as I’m retired and on a fixed income.

And since a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ll let his art do the talking. Here are some examples of the quality work that Wyldwood Books does.

Interested in a trailer? Check out mine: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2cjTgIpddk

Need a book cover? Here’s the cover for the prequel volume in my Justinia Wright mystery series:

Branding? This cameo was made for my Justinia Wright series:

In need of mockups? Here are 2 from the Pierce Mostyn series:

And if I ever get my act together and make The Rocheport Saga boxed sets, I have these fabulous promo images:

I’m one happy customer. You can be too.

Wyldwood Books

Bespoke Book Designs and Services

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy marketing!

The Best Literature

 A couple weeks ago, I was talking with a friend and he mentioned that now that he was retired, he wanted to read the classics. His reason was he wanted to experience the great literature before he died.

I’ve been giving that conversation a think, mostly because I love to read and I too see the Grim Reaper lurking up ahead.

However, when I think about the classics of literature, one word comes to mind: boring. But perhaps that is unfair. After all, what classics are we talking about?

Are we referencing Shakespeare and Milton? The Divine Comedy and Le Morte d’Arthur? War and Peace? Faust? Trollope? Thackeray?

Or are we talking about Riders of the Purple Sage? Dracula? Carmilla? Sherlock Holmes? Poe?

But before we go further, just what is a classic anyway?

Merriam-Webster defines a classic as: “serving as a standard of excellence: of recognized value”. However, that definition begs the questions: Who’s setting the standard? What is the standard they’ve set? And to whom is it of value?

In other words, at the end of the day, classic literature is merely the result of someone’s opinion.

The classics are usually defined as those books generally considered to be great literature. Works by Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Proust, Conrad, and the like. Books that academia has decreed to be great literature. And books that, generally speaking, few people today have read outside of professors making them read them.

And while a bunch of dry and dusty academics are certainly entitled to their opinions, I’m rather fond of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s position:

No fiction is worth reading except for entertainment. If it entertains and is clean, it is good literature, or its kind. If it forms the habit of reading, in people who might not read otherwise, it is the best literature.

Notice Burroughs’s first point: no fiction is worth reading except for entertainment. I like to think Shakespeare would agree with him. After all, Bill wasn’t writing great literature, he was writing to make a buck. And to do so, his plays had to entertain.

The point of any story is entertainment. Sure there may be a moral or lesson. But if the story doesn’t entertain — it’s an essay, not a story.

Burroughs goes on to note that if the story does in fact entertain and is clean, then it can be called good literature. Good literature is any story that entertains the reader and contains positive values.

To my mind, though, Burroughs’s most valuable point is the final sentence: The best literature is that which can form the habit of reading — in those who might not otherwise read anything.

That is a very powerful statement. The best literature is that which can turn non-readers into readers.

Quite honestly, I think reading Tarzan can make a reader out of a non-reader faster than can War and Peace.

For myself, I read fiction to be entertained. I read philosophy if I want great thoughts. And sad to say, I find the so called great classics boring. They don’t, in fact, entertain. Perhaps they did at one time, but for the most part they don’t today. IMO.

Burroughs valued reading over great literature. It was important to him that people read. That they wanted to read, hence his valuing of entertainment over greatness. And his valuing a book that turned a non-reader into a reader, over one that didn’t.

And being a reader, I think Burroughs was right in his valuation.

I’d much rather read a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs over anything by Thackeray, Dreiser, Tolstoy, or Dickens. They’re boring. Burroughs is exciting.

If you want to read the so called classics, go ahead. As for me, I’ll take the likes of Robert E Howard, Seabury Quinn, H. Rider Haggard, and Cordwainer Smith. Or the works of small press and indie authors such as William Meikle, RH Hale, Richard Schwindt, Andy Graham, Brian Fatah Steele, Caleb Pirtle III, or Crispian Thurlborn. They write the best literature.

Good literature is fiction that entertains. The best literature is that which turns a non-reader into a reader. And for any author to pen a book or story that can so move a non-reader to become a reader, that author has done a great thing to improve all of humanity.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!