THE CONQUEROR WORM

Saturday, October 15, 2016

WILLIE AND THE POE BOYS


     Actually, Poe did not come from a "Poe family." He came from an Allan family. He was an orphan. (Yes, I'm THAT guy. Just call me Senor Buzzkill.) And, even though Bohemian Rhapsody was awesome and everything, Poe himself was a still a little more eloquent:

"Come! let the burial rite be read -the funeral song be sung! -
An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young -
A dirge for her, the doubly dead in that she died so young."
     Have a happy Halloqueen!

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

THE WORM TURNS

     Book 2 of the "Poe Files Mysteries," A Midnight Dreary, came out in 2012. Having published novels written in each of the previous 3 years (2009-2011), it had become painfully obvious by early 2013 that I just did not know how to reach an audience on my own. Amazon launched some marvelous promotional tools for indie writers in 2011, and I was able to sell several thousand of my first novels, The War God's Men and The Blood Gate. For a few minutes at least, The Blood Gate was the #1 best-selling fantasy novel on Amazon, outselling even The Game of Thrones (I shit you not).
     I think a lot of writers had the "queen for a day" experience back then, but by the time My Clockwork Muse was released in October of 2011, Amazon had pretty much pulled the rug from under us indies. Amazon giveth, and Amazon taketh away. Anyway, "The Poe Files," despite being my best books, never enjoyed the limelight the way my previous work had. By 2013, I realized that any further work -- and, for me, it is very hard work -- was pretty much wasted effort. In February 2013, I stopped work on the third installment of Poe, tentatively entitled The Conqueror Worm, not so much because I did not want to write it. It's just that I simply could not get myself to devote so much effort for so little payoff.
     I was happy with what I had done, though, and I always thought it was a shame to waste it.
     So I've gone ahead and published the Prologue here on my blog. If you're interested click on the button above.
    I've always been a big fan of Gothic horror and I think this Prologue to THE CONQUEROR WORM is a pretty classic example of Gothic horror.
     So take a look. Give me some feedback, if you like.
     I have to warn you, though. It's VERY SCARY! HOW-WOOOOOOO!!