Tag: sci fi

Important Updates!

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Hello Everyone!

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve used this website, or really done any marketing whatsoever. That’s my fault. I’ve been so consumed with publishing The Blood of Before and finishing The Cults of the Worm that, unfortunately, I’ve neglected my marketing duties.

But no longer!

Firstly, on the books:

THE BLOOD OF BEFORE, book .1 in The Bones of the Earth series, is now available to purchase from your favorite online retailer.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31363809-the-blood-of-before

THE CULTS OF THE WORM, book 3 in The Bones of the Earth series, is now finished and in its first draft. I will be sending it off to beta readers soon, and then to the editor. I aim to have Book 3 released this fall.

As for the marketing:

I am going to take the next month off from writing to focus solely on marketing. I finally feel that I have a large enough body of work to instill confidence in newer readers. Here are my goals for the month:

  • Update website with new designs, content, and blog entries.
  • Finish and post my Kickstarter page.
  • Look into the possibility of setting up a Patreon.
  • Look into more paid advertising.
  • Make connections with bloggers for guest spots, reviews, etc.
  • More giveaways.
  • Visit local bookstores and see about having them stock my book.
  • Work with Hannah in creating an online store for Bones of the Earth memorabilia.
  • Do more live, as well as pre-recorded readings, to post on Facebook and Youtube.

Those are the goals. I think they’ll keep me busy well into the next month. As for the book release schedule, it is the following:

Book 3: The Cults of the Worm.

Book .2: The Agony of After (second anthology).

Book 4: Untitled final book in this Bones of the Earth series.

Standalone Horror Novels #1 and #2.

Sci-fi/horror series.

Hope to have some new content for everyone in the next few days!

Thanks, everyone, for your continued support.

Scott

 

“The Three Heretics” is Now Available for Purchase

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front-cover

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

I quietly published The Three Heretics last week, but I held off from making an announcement because I wanted to wait for the book to populate to all the major online retailers. Everything looks good now, so…

I am happy to announce that The Three Heretics is now available for purchase in paperback or eBook from most major online retailers!! And what better a time than on the best holiday of the year?

It took a little longer than I anticipated to get it out, but hey, that’s just how this game goes sometimes.

If you get a chance to read the book, I’d love to hear what you think! Your feedback is crucial in making sure the next book in the series is even better than the last. You can contact me at my website, Goodreads, or Facebook. Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Also, The Bones of the Earth should be available as an eBook in most online retailers now. It was locked to Amazon for awhile because of their KDP program, but I’ve decided to take it out of that.

(Not sure why the books aren’t available in iTunes yet, but maybe that’s because iTunes blows big ones.)

Stay tuned for another really big announcement in the next few days. What we’re working on is almost finished; just need to put the finishing touches on it.

As for a status update, The Cult of the Worm, Book Three in the series, is 41k words in. The Blood of Before, the horror anthology takes place before Bones, is finished and currently being torn apart by my lovely beta readers. I expect to have it sent off to the editor in the next month.

That’s it for now! I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks about this next entry into the Bones series.

Here is the full cover by Hannah Graff. Amazing, as always.

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“The Three Heretics” is Done!

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I have some really great news to share!

The Three Heretics has been completely edited and formatted. The cover is also finished. I submitted it last night to Createspace for review, and I expect to hear back from them today. As soon as I do, I’ll order a proof copy with the fastest shipping so that I can read it one more time in person.

If all goes well, The Three Heretics should be available to purchase on paperback and eBook by 10/7/1. For now, check it out here on Goodreads.

Until then, here is the final full cover and synopsis. It does contain some spoilers for those who haven’t reading The Bones of the Earth. Within the book itself, you’ll find a letter of appreciation from me, a map of the world, and the often-requested glossary.

(In the mean time, I’d like to update this site so that it matches the new book)

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000040_00020]

THE THREE HERETICS

Through hell,

we find heaven.

Vrana, now a grotesque shadow of her former self, has been enslaved by the Witch and forced into the Void. Meanwhile, the Corrupted involved in the genocide of Geharra and the birth of the Red Worm have begun to impose their worldviews on others.

King Edgar is abandoned in the Nameless Forest and forced into a murderous mission that not only reveals the origins of the vermillion veins, but the unholy events that have led to his rule of Eldrus.

Atticus, the undying gravedigger, seeks revenge against the king for the death of those he loves, while finding a way through the Black Hour itself to resurrect the dead.

Felix, the Holy Child, plagued by visions of Vrana in his sleep, tries to find a way to liberate her from her torment. Unsure who he can trust, he is pulled further into the darkness and treason all around him.

Taking place before, during, and after Vrana’s journey, The Three Heretics explores those three Corrupted who have, through subterfuge and slaughter, righteousness and reluctance, manipulated the world to their liking, while inadvertently bringing it closer to another Trauma.

 

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Updates!

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Hello everyone!

First off. I have some awesome images to share with you. All three of these come from Jacquelyn Graff, who is Hannah’s sister (Hannah is the illustrator for the novels, also, as of a few weeks ago, my fiance. Snap!)

 

crossbreed new vains map

Also, my brother and I have been practicing our movie making skills. Check out this masterpiece HERE (very rough. just trying to figure out the basics. goal is to one day film the first chapter of “The Bones of the Earth.”)

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done any sort of update on the status of “The Three Heretics.” Everything is going very well so far, but there were a few things I wanted to wait on being finished before making this post.

“The Three Heretics” is being edited. It has been with the editor for a few weeks now. I can’t give an exact release date, because these processes can take a lot of time, but from the feedback I’ve received from my beta readers, it looks like people are really enjoying the novel. You can check out their reviews HERE

With the help of some friends, I’ve reconsidered what exactly I want to do with the horror anthology. Instead of being advertised as a standalone release that just so happens to have a connection to the “Bones” series, I’m going to make it part of the “Bones” series completely. So “The Bones of the Earth #.01”

The name of the horror anthology of pre-Trauma stories is called “The Blood of Before.” It contains five short stories and one novella, which I literally just finished a few minutes ago. I wrote about 5.5k words today, so I’m a little tuckered. The stories that will be in this anthology are: House of a Thousand Hearts, That Which Walks Behind the Graves, The Easiest Job in the World, Black Occult Macabre Vol. 1 Issue 7, Nights in White Satin, and The Black Hours.

Now that I’ve finished the novella (the Black Hours), I can get cracking on Book 3 in the “Bones” series, which is entitled, “The Cult of the Worm.” Probably need a day or two off to recover from writing, though. Need to refuel!

As for the awesome images from Jacquelyn, she’s expressed an interest in illustrating a lot of the plant life from the universe. She has an awesome talent for that kind of artwork. We’ve been kicking around the idea of creating a botanical guide written by Vrana’s mother, Adelyn, that we could sell as something cheap and fun for the fans.

I’ve been thinking about starting a Kickstarter for the universe. Not necessarily to fund Book 3, but to fund promoting the novel, going to conventions, buying supplies, and getting the word out there. I think the fact that there is already a product available to judge will make people a little more interested in backing the project.

That’s it for now! I’ll begin working on Book 3 soon. I have a couple of ideas for the next horror anthology, but that’s a release that will probably happen between Book 3 and 4. If anyone ever wants to ask me questions, interview me, whatever the hell ever, please, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m pretty much an open book, and I’d love to have any opportunity to be able to communicate with the community.

“The Three Heretics” Cover is Coming Along Nicely

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A work in progress. A not-so-great picture of a screen, just to make the full reveal that much more fun.

To give each book in the series an identity that tells the readers “this is a Bones’ book,” commonalities will be shared between them. The front cover and back cover will generally mirror one another, with the protagonist being on the front and the antagonist on the back. However, in this case, an awfully familiar skeleton dude is chilling on the front. I don’t remember him being too nice. So who could possibly be on the back?

Dun-dun-dun!

Come and Meet Your Three Heretics!

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Hannah and I have been working on the cover for “Three Heretics,” Book Two in “The Bones of the Earth” series. Here are some sketches for our three heretics, the main characters of the novel. Just like “Bones,” there will be characters mirroring them on the back cover, but you’ll have to wait a little longer before I reveal them.

(If you’re reading this on Goodreads, apologies for the wacky-ass formatting.)

edgar promo

Atticus Promo

Holy Child Promo

To Celebrate the release of the AUDIOBOOK for “The Bones of the Earth” on Amazon and Audible

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ad sale scott (1)

That’s right! I’ll be bombarding people more tomorrow, but until then, save this page and these links.

Amazon

Audible

 

My Favorite Movies of 2015

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Oh.

Hello there. Been awhile. “Three Heretics” has been keeping me pretty busy lately, and I figured it more productive to plug away at that than on here. But it’s good to keep things balanced, so here’s a list of some of my favorite movies from 2015, in no particular order, because that’s just how I roll.

THE HATEFUL EIGHT

I saw this movie last night and loved every single moment of it. I’ve always enjoyed all of Tarantino’s work, but prior to watching it, I did have some worries about its length and limited locations. I’m happy to report those worries were not realized.

The cinematography was beautiful, the writing was sharp, the acting was on point, and the plot itself was extremely captivating. The music, oh the music, was a lot of the unused music from “The Thing” soundtrack, and it fit the movie perfectly. At times, given what was happening on screen, I felt as though I were watching a horror movie.

I loved it. The movie is populated by terrible people doing terrible things, and the tone changes wildly, but I like things like that … things that cannot be pinned down, that make you laugh one moment and cringe the other. If you like Tarantino’s other movies, in particular slower ones like “Jackie Brown,” it’s definitely worth checking this one out.

SICARIO

I became a huge fan of this director’s work after watching “Prisoners.” And while “Sicario” isn’t on the same level as that movie, it’s pretty close. Like “The Hateful Eight,” the cinematography is disgustingly good, as well as most everything else. It’s an incredibly intense movie, too, with some absolutely awesome build-up before all hell breaks loose.

The plot is very interesting, not necessarily the content of it, but how it is executed. This is a movie determined to keep the audience at arm’s length, just like Emily Blunt’s character. In a way, it’s frustrating, because there isn’t necessarily a huge pay-off (there is and there isn’t), but at the same time, I liked it.

CREED

I didn’t know much about this movie other than it sounded like a really bad idea. Apollo Creed has a son and Rocky is going to train him? It seemed as though they were trying to cash in one last time on a franchise that had, more or less, ended well.

Good thing I didn’t know what the fuck I was talking about!

“Creed” was so good. Like, one of the best in the “Rocky” franchise good. It was so well made, with such passion. The audience I saw it with was absolutely captivated and invested into Creed’s journey. Whether you like the “Rocky” movies or not, you owe to yourself to check this one out.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

Star Wars, doe. A little too similar to “A New Hope,” but other than that …

Star Wars, doe.

BONE TOMAHAWK

Okay, if I had to pick a best movie of the year, this may be one of them. I’d heard about this movie off and on. It had Kurt Russel (beautiful man), and it was a western horror, so I knew I had to see it. And I did. And I loved it.

It’s wonderfully well-written. The actors kill it. The direction is just right. And their journey is simultaneously beautiful and disgusting. I hope to see more of Zahler’s works. In fact, he’s a self-published author (or maybe not self-published?), and I’m thinking about picking up some of his books.

It also features one of the most fucked-up kills in a movie in a long time. See it, and add that notch to your gore belt.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

I’m going to be lazy on this one. It’s insanely good, and praised so highly for a reason. This is a movie almost anyone can appreciate it. Watch it.

CRIMSON PEAK

Okay, so, Guillermo del Toro is the man. I want him to be my friend, and I want him to work with me and direct my series. His vision, his passion. His desire. His most intimates of intimates …

“Crimson Peak” is a gorgeous movie. Probably one of the best looking movies to come out this year. It’s a movie I could probably thrown on at anytime and never tire of. The story is familiar and not terribly surprising, and most of the time such a thing would piss me off, but … the atmosphere and everything more than makes up for it. I can live with the familiarity if it means I get to enjoy all the other aspects of this delicious, gothic horror/romance tale.

 

I really enjoyed a lot of these movies as well, but I’m I’ve got dishes to do and books to write, so let me just list them instead. I’ll make a note for movies I haven’t seen but expect to be awesome.

KRAMPUS

EX MACHINA

GOOSEBUMPS (YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT)

BEASTS OF NO NATION (NEED TO SEE IT)

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (NEED TO SEE IT; SORRY ABOUT CAPS)

THE REVENANT  (^)

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART II: XKATNISSSUPERMEGAULTRALIZARDEDITIONX (REALLY LIKED THIS MOVIE A LOT. MAYBE MORE THAN MOST OF THE SERIES. AMG, THE CAPS)

WE ARE STILL HERE

INFINI