Some people out in the world wide web may have noticed some new clothes on old books, including a name change for my novel, Loathsome, Dark, and Deep. Yes, I took it to the courthouse, filled out the appropriate paperwork, and now it has a new name: The Forest of Ruined Men. Why? It's a bit more marketable. I think.
Okay. I'm not a marketing genius. I'm not even a writing genius, but I write. And revise. And write some more. And re--well, you gather the general idea. What I know is this: since coming back to writing, all my earnings are going to charity. I used to drop a fair bit in the community pot before, but now all of it--all my sales, Smashwords earnings, KDP sales, etc., goes to help the uninsured of Douglas County receive health care.
This reluctant salesman finds it a whole helluva lot easier to ask folks to spend money if I know that money is going to do something positive. The nickels and dimes for which I begged before mean little to me, but my chosen beneficiary,
Health Care Access, can do so much good with my money. Why
Health Care Access? Why health care for the uninsured? I thought everyone had insurance now?
No.
Health Care Access does good work here at home. It's a cause in which I believe--and it makes it so much easier to spend time and energy selling books. My nickels and dimes can become diabetes treatment for someone without insurance or the resources to purchase it. My nickels and dimes mean early cancer detection so someone can qualify for state aid and treatment. I believe we have a duty to help everyone access quality health care, and I'm starting in my hometown.
So yes. This is what I'm doing.
And here's more of what I've done to help what I'm doing:
It's like they're a happy family now... a series even... and guess what? I'm laying groundwork for a third "Sons of Chaos" novella. It's going to be a cold one.
And you know what? I'd love it if you bought an ebook or read anything I've written--but sending some love to
Health Care Access is beautiful, too, and you don't even need an e-reader.
So it's read an ebook week over at Smashwords, and Belfire Press has offered some nice discounts to celebrate. My novel of ruined men and spooky forests, Loathsome, Dark and Deep is available (along with several other titles) for 50% with the following code: REW50
Check out Belfire's list of other discounted titles, or head over to Smashwords for your own very Loathsome copy.
Happy reading.
I don't think I do, at least. Maybe "campfire reads" at times, but not "beach reads".
Anyway, the family went to the swimming pool last night. As will happen when I guy has been teaching for twelve years, I heard the tell-tale "Mr. Polson" from a former student (now a lifeguard at the pool).
"I'm reading your book," he said.
"Really? Which one?"
"Loathsome something. It's really good. Really good."
"Thanks," I said.
My former student moved on to his next station, and we proceed to do the "pool" thing--which means Max runs around in the shallow pool, Owen ditched us for some soccer camp friends, and I just let the cool water soothe my aching muscles. When my former student went on break (the lifeguards rotate every 10-15 minutes), I saw him walking to the break table with Loathsome, Dark and Deep under his arm.
Talk about a somewhat surreal moment. I think it was my first spotting of a book in the wild--at least outside of a bookstore. And at the swimming pool no less...
Awesome. Bizarre. A little bit of both.
Our home remodeling project has required a new wall.
While this sounds daunting, building a wall has been one of the easier tasks in which I've engaged. Nail a few studs (2" x 4" wood boards) together and you have a wall. Make sure they're level and square, of course. Hang the Sheetrock (or other wall covering) and no one can tell the difference between your wall and the pro's.
I hope.
Before I hung Sheetrock (gypsum board panels--it's what most interior walls are covered with rather than wood paneling anymore), I wrapped a signed copy of Loathsome, Dark and Deep in a plastic bag and stuffed it between two studs. Maybe in another fifty years someone will tear down my wall and wonder at the little book. Maybe they'll read it. Maybe they'll simply dynamite the place and never find it. My wife thought I was crazy.
I thought the idea was kind of fun. Besides... I've been a little disappointed at not finding any treasure as I've demolished our house. I wouldn't want to rob a future home re-modeler of the joy.
Cheers.
An old high school buddy sent an email the other day. He'd just read Loathsome, Dark and Deep and told me "[I'm] Still reading two to three books a week and just wanted to tell you how impressed I was by yours."
This guy used to read about a book a day. No shit. He'd read all day at school, and then, in the evening, tell me everything he read. A true speed-reader. We haven't seen each other in years, part of the tragedy of adulthood, but used to hang every day. A note like that means more than a professional review.
Speaking of Loathsome, I went to the Lawrence Public Library last night to pick up a copy of Roald Dahl's Dirty Beasts for a forensics kid, and found Loathsome, Dark and Deep on the "new fiction" shelf. Pretty cool. Now someone please check it out so it doesn't have to sit there and let all the bigger books bully it.
Speaking of books, I'm running a Goodreads giveaway for The House Eaters. I've noticed The House Eaters has landed on a number of "to be read" shelves, more than my other books, so there must be something to this giveaway thing. Will all of those translate into sales or even reads? I don't know...but it is worth noting. If you're interested, you can sign up below:
I'm feeling like I need to give away some more money and a couple of books. Here's the details (scroll to the bottom for the holiday book giveaway):
Loathsome Reviews Contest (12/9/10 - 1/31/11)
Like to win a $25 gift certificate to an online bookseller of your choice?
1. Write a review of Loathsome, Dark and Deep and/or The Bottom Feeders and post to a blog, Goodreads, or Amazon.com. Better yet, post to all three for triple entries. Each post earns one point (or your name in the "hat" one time).
2. Email me: aaron.polson(at)gmail.com (replacing the (at) with @ of course), letting me know where you posted a review.You can use the subject line "contest" if you wish.
3. Additional points can be earned for buying either book (just email a copy of the receipt), tweeting about the contest (make sure to reference my twitter handle @aaronpolson), or tagging the book on Amazon (just email me at the above addy and let me know).
All entries must be in by January 31st, 2010. Plenty of time to enter this one, folks. I'll send out periodic reminders. If I have enough entries, I just might give away two gift certificates.
Hey...and you're entered even if you give Loathsome a loathsome one star. Be honest!...and the
Holiday Book Giveaway:I'm shamelessly "borrowing" the idea from the legendary Kim Paffenroth.
Check out the Zombie Christmas Contest at his blog.In the spirit of giving, you enter this giveaway for someone else. Email me (aaron.polson(at)gmail.com) with the name of someone you'd like to give a copy of
Loathsome, Dark and Deep along with a sentence (or two) explaining why. Entries for this one are due Sunday, December 12th by midnight (CST). I'll choose two winners at random to receive a free, signed copy of
Loathsome.
Fun? Spread the
horror joy!
My second official Loathsome, Dark and Deep contest starts tomorrow (at least I'll post the "rules"). I'm also going to give away a book, or better, having you help me give away a book. Make sense? Er...okay.
I'll explain...promise.
Today, I want to introduce you to Ron's Bait and Tackle:
Ron’s Bait and Tackle was a bent-backed grey mule of a shack at the corner of State Highway 15 and Old Miller’s Road, the later of which ran over a few hills and swooped around a curve until it ran into Lake Lotawana. It was the special hub of fishing action for Boone County, far enough outside of Boone’s Hollow to be free of the town’s more stringent laws regarding the sale and consumption of alcohol. The poor taste of the citizens of Boone County insured all the beer sold at Ron’s was domestic, in a can, and sold from an iced-down stock tank in Ron’s back room.
First things first...
Thanks to our good friends at Random.org, Alan W. Davidson has won the grand prize in the Very Loathsome Contest ($25 bucks to spend at an online bookstore of his choice, Heart of Darkness, and Robert Frost's poems) and Gef Fox has landed second prize (Heart of Darkness and a copy of 52 Stitches 2010). I'll be in touch soon, gentlemen. And as a big thank your to anyone who played along, I'll send those singed bookmarks soon (I just placed the order yesterday). If you entered the contest and I don't have your mailing address, please drop me a line at aaron.polson(at)gmail.com.
Wait...did the Canadians just sweep the prizes? I think they did. I'll post rules for another opportunity to line your pockets with cash next week. Until then, thanks for playing along and getting the word out about Loathsome, Dark and Deep.
Speaking of winners, Erin Cole is a big winner with her Holiday Book Blog Catalog. Check it out and support some small press folks. I'm thinking about putting one together...suggestions from the cryptkeeper and all that. Extra signal boost never hurts a small press author (or any author). The time frame is short as I'll post my holiday buying suggestions on Monday, December 6th. (I don't have a snappy name yet) Interested? Drop an email to aaron.polson(at)gmail.com with a cover art jpg, blurb, and buying info. Deadline is Friday, December 3rd.
Yes, and I have a real WIP, too. I hope to wrap up How We Die in a Hungry Town by the end of December. Astute visitors will note the title is a wee bit longer now.
Just a little way to the river. A short drop.
[Mike] climbed on the edge of the railing. His sister smiled in the darkness and held out her hand.
“It’s easy,” she said. “Just a little jump and we’re both free.”
“Free?”
“Out of here at least.” She smiled.
Did I mention Mike's sister is dead?
I don't know who invented the term Cyber Monday, but I'm happy to say Loathsome, Dark, & Deep made it to Amazon just in time. Even though pre-orders are finished, you can still enter the "Very Loathsome Contest" until midnight (CST) tomorrow.
(or you could just
buy five or six copies...that'd be a good idea, right?)
If you do shop online this Cyber Monday, make sure to grab wonderful books published by your favorite small presses, many of which almost exclusively sell online via Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc. Keep supporting the small press to make this a better world.
Loathsome, Dark and Deep is almost upon us...
Help me give away some prizes...
1st Prize: $25 gift certificate to an online bookstore of your choice (Amazon, Barnes & Noble...), a copy of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (inspiration for Loathsome, Dark & Deep), and a copy of Robert Frost's Poems (the source of the title of my novel).
2nd Prize: a copy of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and a copy of this year's print edition of 52 Stitches.
All entrants with at least five "points" will receive a Loathsome, Dark and Deep bookmark signed by the author...er, me.
Here's how you rack up the points (and the rest of the rules):
- Post a link to the trailer or embed the trailer online (here's the YouTube link). You get a new entry (point) in the contest every time you post at a different place. Some spots you can post: your blog, Twitter, Facebook, LJ, Myspace... wherever you like! If you tweet about it, please use the hashtag #loathsomenovel.
and/or post a link to the contest page (here)
and/or post a link to the pre-order page at Belfire Press
and/or post a link to the Loathsome, Dark and Deep official site.
- Comment below telling me where you linked. Please include a link to each post.
- Pre-orders receive a five point bonus (for each copy purchased...wink, wink), just forward the pre-order confirmation to aaron.polson(at)gmail.com with the subject line "pre-order".
- Your name gets put in a virtual "hat" for each point. On the book's release date (11/30/10), I'll use a random number generator to pick two winners.
Any questions? Drop me a line: aaron.polson(at)gmail.com.
No major injuries this year during our Fourth of July festivities. (Long time readers will remember several burns sustained last year.) So whew. I'm thankful for that.
After a slew of rejections this weekend (and a few from short-listed stories), I've put the old editing nose to the grindstone, hoping to find my stride in this "summer of slack". Unfortunately, I sort of feel like this guy...
...when I'm trying to write. There are some ideas in my head, I'm sure. Now to tease them out.
Speaking of the cuter-than-a-puppy Lego zombie, I'll have one to give away with other magnificent prizes when Loathsome, Dark, and Deep is released later this year (or early next). Good times, folks. Good times.
I've started hammering together a site for Loathsome, Dark, and Deep--www.loathsomenovel.com. Yes, I'm hosting at Blogger. Yes, I'm doing it because it's easy. I hope to have sites for my other forthcoming books soon, but these things always take more time than they should, especially for a slacker like me.
Speaking of slack, I knocked out the end of my novella/novelette project yesterday, and feel the need for a writing vacation.
...
Okay, the vacation's over. I have a few short stories I want to chisel out before heading into the revision forest.
Have a lovely weekend.
.jpeg?picon=3626)
That's all the excuse I need.