Hello, and welcome to another edition of 3Q’s. I’m your host, Steve Stred. How lame did that sound! Ha! Well, then, back to the regular enthusiasm, yeah!?

Up today is the awesome, Craig DiLouie! Craig actually lives about three hours south of where I currently reside but we’ve not yet had a chance to catch up and meet in person! He’s written a ton of books, including the phenomenal ‘Suffer the Children’ and the recent cult based-thriller ‘The Children of Red Peak.’

Welcome Craig!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Craig: A novel is like climbing a mountain. It looks real daunting when you look at what you want to accomplish. Then you take a step, then another, and when you look back, you see how far you’ve come. Once you reach the peak, it’s all downhill from there. At that point, I’m writing so fast my fingers can barely keep up with my brain—and I’m a fast typist. That final phase is the golden time, the writing-is-a-drug time, when I’ve internalized the characters and plot so well I’m practically dreaming the story while awake. Once the novel is done, I get the hangover—elation, exhaustion, the sense of something missing, the itch to do it all over again, but god, look at that next mountain, it’s huge.

Obviously, anybody who aims at mental mountain climbing—a huge investment of hours into an uncertain outcome—does it out of love. For me, the story always begins with passion. Here’s an idea; I can see the book in my hands, it’s good, it must be done. And then I do it.

This always begins with research and note taking. For weeks, months even, I “dream” the story, playing out little scenes in my head while driving or in the shower that end up in my notebook, researching anything needing research, and building the character arcs and basic plot structure. By the end of this phase, I pretty much have the story not only known as in plotted but internalized so that it can flow out of me. The rest is discovery, where the story begins and the characters and their impact on the plot take on a life of their own. It sounds pretty Zen, but when you’re building a novel, you can plot it, but then it writes itself.

After that phase, we get to the main answer to your question, which is the average writing day. If I can sustain love mode—a state of passion about the story where I believe in it and I’m practically living and breathing it—I can tear through anywhere from a thousand to three thousand words a day, every day, until it’s finished. I could write more, but I’m a bit of a perfectionist, rereading and editing the preceding chapter before I begin, and making sure every sentence advances the story without filler stuff. As I work at home and have contract clients, the answer of when I write and for how long is it depends on what else is going on. When I’m deep into a novel I’m loving, it’s hard to pry myself out of my chair to use the bathroom, much less do anything else.

As for what the actual writing looks like, it’s, well, typing. I’d love to say I’m one of those writers like Stephen King sitting there while classic rock blasts out of speakers, cranking away with a manic grin like I’m some kind of mad god of the reality I’m creating on the page. But nope—watching me write would be like watching paint dry. I write in near total silence, a gaping fugue state involving absolute focus. While nothing seems to be happening, inside my head, though, all hell is breaking loose.

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a favorite character you’ve written?

Craig: The short and sweet answer is I do not. I love all my characters, just for different reasons. In One of Us, a Southern Gothic about misunderstood monsters, I have a small town sheriff conflict because his son is a monster but he defines himself as a defender of the natural order where monsters and humanity cannot mix. In Suffer the Children, a novel in which children die only to return with a need to consume blood to go on normally living a few hours, the kids are vampires but the parents are the monsters, including Joan, who will do anything to keep her kids alive even as she comes to realize they’re not quite her kids anymore. In Our War, Hannah loses everything in a second American civil war and becomes a child soldier, growing up way too fast until she receives the chance to become a child again. In The Children of Red Peak, the survivors of a mass suicide by an apocalyptic cult try to make sense of it all as they become adults, including Deacon, who relives his pain to keep it alive every time he performs on stage as a singer in a goth band. In my next novel with Hachette, Episode 13, ghost hunters discover that ghosts are real but not what they imagined, producing a mystery that drives them to something like madness.

For these and all my other characters, I’ve grown to love character arcs as a tool in which a character is granted a misbelief or flaw, a want and driving need sometimes in conflict, and some type of change occurring due to what happens in the story’s central conflict. For example, in The Children of Red Peak, these flaws are different stages of grief that must be addressed by the main characters by returning to the mountain where their families took their own lives and discovering whether the entity they believe they saw that night was real. This is essential for good horror, as to quote a writing book I read once, plot is what happens but character is why it happens. If the reader cares about the characters, becomes invested to the point of active empathy, then the story really comes alive. And as a writer, if I understand the character’s internal conflict, I know them fairly inside and out, their point of view and even how they take their coffee, before I start breathing life into them on the page. Writing to an extent is acting, where you inhabit the characters while giving them parts of you. For me, character arcs are kind of like the Stanislavsky method of writing.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Craig: I write military/WW2, zombie/apocalyptic, and spec fiction as an indie writer and generally horror as a writer working with big traditional publishers like Simon & Schuster and Hachette. My latest indie release is Strike, a novel about a young, green dive bomber pilot who survives the Pearl Harbor attack and boards the Enterprise aircraft carrier to fight from the Marshall Islands to the Doolittle Raid to the decisive historic Battle of Midway. It’s a simple, fun, action-packed adventure story about a young man finding himself in the challenge and horror of modern warfare. On the trad side, my latest horror release was The Children of Red Peak, which I think someone should read if they’re interested in a more literary, emotional, and challenging horror story that goes all the way with its premise while incorporating challenging ideas about spiritual belief.

My next release is Episode 13, which will be available in bookstores, libraries, and online retailers in paperback, eBook, and audio in January 2023. In this epistolary novel, while investigating a haunting, a ghost-hunting reality TV crew discovers a mysterious door promising a ground-breaking episode, one they may not survive. I’d never written an epistolary novel before and found it a lot of fun, offering the reader a variety of formats to engage the reader with the stimulation and mystery of found footage movies combined with the depth and more character-driven enjoyment of fiction. Readers will get an insider’s look at how reality TV shows work, the techniques and technology of ghost hunting, and what scientists say about ghosts, while coming along with standout characters on a roller skate ride of discovery in a house that is very much haunted.

Steve: Bonus question time! What is your favorite album?

Craig: Again, I must hedge. No favorite here, or rather that spot in my heart is a revolving door. I tend to love songs more than albums and love albums that either deliver an incredible experience across the board or show a striking evolutionary progression from a band’s earlier work. Off the top of my head, examples include Boston (Boston), Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd), Nevermind (Nirvana), Abbey Road (The Beatles), and so on. But again, I haven’t fallen in love with a band since Nirvana, and I’m much more likely to fall for a song than its creator, and even that’s changing as I get older. While I still periodically fixate on a new song and give it repeat listening until my family hates me, these days, I’m more into general eclectic listening. I’ll throw on a local college station or public arts station and check out whatever’s on.

Thanks for having me as a guest, Steve!

Fantastic! Thank you, Craig!

If you want to discover more of Craig’s work;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Craig-DiLouie/e/B001JS1SCQ/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/682045.Craig_DiLouie

Website: http://craigdilouie.com/

Here we are! The second 3Q’s feature and the second day in a row! Look, the reality is – I had an amazing response, so expect one a day during the week. I might as well get this promo out for all of these amazing authors!

I’m posting these with no rhyme or reason, literally I’m looking at the list of folks and whichever catches my eye, BAM – uploaded! Today’s is a golden one. Currently crushing it over in Brooklyn, New York, you may know her from her own writing, or from her amazing anthologies through Kandisha Press! That’s right, please welcome (drum roll….)

Jill Girardi!

(PS I stole this from Goodreads!)

Welcome, Jill! And thanks for doing this!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Jill: Hi Steve! Thanks so much for doing this interview with me. My writing time usually starts with me going over what I’ve written the day before and gutting it. I know they say you’re not supposed to edit as you go, but I find having loose ends disturbs my ability to move forward with the story. I like to have everything “acceptable” before I continue writing. I do try to write at the same time each day but I also try to have all my other work done and out of the way. That way I can focus on writing without worrying about everything else I need to do. I try to get at least 500 solid words down per day. That sounds like such a small amount but when you consider how many words I type and delete, then type and delete again during the process, the word count is a lot higher. (I just realized how neurotic this whole paragraph sounds. Haha!)

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a favorite character you’ve written?

My favorite release is my novel, Hantu Macabre. It was the first thing I ever really wrote, and though I made every rookie mistake in the book (I’m currently rewriting it for a new publisher, to edit out all the CRINGE.) I really love the characters I created–a punk rock detective and her supernatural creature/demon baby partner. It was a best seller for an international publisher, shortlisted for a readers’ choice award, and a film is being made based on the book and a short story I wrote featuring the characters. The director is Aaron Cowan, a special FX artist who has worked on many Hollywood films such as Avatar, Iron Man, The Avengers.. you name it. So if nothing else, I expect the FX in the movie to be pretty awesome! Not bad for a first novel where I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. (I still don’t know what I’m doing, but I like to think my writing has developed in the years since the book came out.)

Steve: That is so amazing! Huge Congrats! Switching gears, tell me about your newest release(novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

I’m working on a collection of (most of) my published short stories, a couple of new stories, and perhaps a republication of the short story that’s being filmed (featuring the characters from my novel.) I think people should read it because the stories are heavily influenced by 80’s creature movies, EC Comics, Tales from the Crypt, and Malaysian folklore (I lived there for many years, and there’s also a special person who collects creepy local tales for me, and always inspires me with new ideas.) In essence, the stories are a lot of fun to read, written with dark humor and a lot of heart. Or at least, I think they are!

Steve: Bonus question time! What is your favorite album?

Jill: Ok, this is really hard because I go through phases where I’m obsessed with a band or album for awhile, and there are many years worth of those. So, an album I’ve been listening to my whole life and have never gotten tired of? Hmmm.. maybe Iron Maiden’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.”

Thank you so much, Jill!

If you want to check out more of Jill’s work or follow her journey you can do so below;

Website: https://kandishapress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jill_girardi

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15971044.Jill_Girardi

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jill-Girardi/e/B07JJQZSSK/

Title: Territory

Author: Dan Howarth

Release date: May 11th, 2022

Huge thanks to Dan for sending me a digital copy of this one!

I gotta say, when Dan announced this and I saw the cover I was really intrigued. I mean, this is right up my alley. Then when Kev Harrison raved about it on Twitter, I was hooked and couldn’t wait for release date! Imagine my surprise and gratitude when Dan reached out to see if I wanted an early copy! Heck yeah!

In truth, if it wasn’t for a migraine headache the other night, I would’ve read this in a single sitting. Instead, I started it and had to stop, going to bed for the first time in a few years after only reading for about fifteen minutes. Even my wife couldn’t believe it.

When I dove back in, I was so excited to see just what Howarth would do in this small hunting village in the remote Finnish wilds.

What I liked: The story follows Jari, a once-respected hunter who has lived in the village his whole life. Over the last few years, his wife has died and then his trusted hunting dog was attacked and killed by wolves. This led him to spiral, drinking excessively and coming close to being ostracized by the community. His friend Astro, who has moved back from Helsinki, has helped him regain his footing. But now, the wolves have returned and this time, Howarth has them growing bolder, moving in closer and killing more ravenously.

I loved the characters and the setting. Other than something I’ll discuss in a moment, this novella hums along closer to the movie ‘The Grey’ with Liam Neeson (which FYI is one of my all-time fav movies and a huge influence on my writing aesthetic) than anything approaching supernatural or paranormal. I’d even say this has a similar feeling to Adam Nevill’s ‘The Ritual’ without any of the otherworldly influence. The crack of branches will have readers hyperventilating in places and a scene involving a bus stop is practically anxiety inducing.

I also really loved the inter-community dynamics at play. We see the relationships pushed back and forth over what to do and how to do it. The argument for preservation versus community protection. Having grown up myself, in a very small hunting town, this brought me back to some townhall meetings decades ago.

The ending of this is quick, violent and unexpected. If my son hadn’t been asleep beside me while reading this, I would’ve loudly cursed Dan’s name.

What I didn’t like: I mentioned it before, and I’ll do my best to stay spoiler free, but the reason behind what happens at the end, and the pseudo-epilogue that occurs after felt a bit unnecessary to me. I loved how it remained far away from a supernatural based novella and was firmly planted in a real, living and breathing moment in the world and I know when the “reveal” occurred my face scrunched up.

Why you should buy this: It was so refreshing to read a novella that embraces the cold and the small town aspects and elements and really pushed forward with suspense, thrills and dynamics of life. Howarth does a splendid job of making this location come to life and feel like a place the reader has lived their entire life, even in a page count just hovering North of 100. The storytelling is fast-paced, but succinct and the plot is solid and tangible.

This was really outstanding and will make many, many readers happy.

Well done.

5/5

Title: The Pain Eater

Author: Kyle Muntz

Release date: July 5th, 2022

Big thanks to Kyle for sending me a digital ARC of this book!

I went into this book pretty blind. I’d read the synopsis when he first offered it, but I read a dozen or so books in between and didn’t reread the blurb before diving in when it arrived at the top of my TBR list.

All I can say, is I suggest maybe you do the same thing?! As this one rockets out of the starting blocks and doesn’t hold back from the word go.

I’ll be straight up here – there’s a few things in here that may require some trigger warnings. I received an ARC and didn’t notice any warnings, but that may change for the release of the book. But be aware – a cat dies and characters purposefully hurt themselves and cut themselves (there is a reason for it).

Saying all of that, this book seemingly walks the tightrope wire of straight ahead bleak story and Bizarro story.

What I liked: The story follows two brothers, both who detest their mother, who reconnect/begin to live together after their father dies. The oldest, Steven, moves back into his dad’s house after his death, so that he can take care of and watch over his younger brother, Michael. Additionally, Michaels female friend spends a lot of time at the house. When a stray cat that has been around for some time, dies, it vomits forth a strange little creature, one that seems to eat their grief and pain.

The storytelling in this is both metaphorical but also surface level-straight forward. I think the reader will decide this. They can either take it as a deeper philosophical look at pain and grief and loss, or they can simply read a book about a creature that sucks on people and takes their pain away. It’s a really intriguing way to tell the story.

Additionally, I really liked when we get an unexpected visitor who shares something in common with the brothers and we get a really great lead up to the ending, which worked for me. It was violent and visceral and ultimately telling of how the characters had evolved.

What I didn’t like: I actually hated every character. I know hate is a strong word, but I found nothing redeeming about them and if it wasn’t for the intrigue of the creature, I would’ve dnf’d the book. The way they spoke to each other and interacted was frustrating, as was every interaction with the mother. The one sex scene that takes place became a thorn in my side as then the character believed she was immediately pregnant and it steered away from how the characters normally were.

Why you should buy this: I think if the synopsis grabs you and you’re looking for a story that’ll push you to work to see the layers that need to be unraveled, then definitely dive into this. This was one that I think the Bizarro crowd will definitely dive into and devour, but for the more straightforward horror readers, this may not be a great fit.

3/5

Title: Dust of the Dead

Author: John Palisano

Release date: Originally released June 2nd, 2015, Re-released May 30th, 2022

Huge thanks to Marco from Seildelman & Company for sending me a digital copy to read!

‘Dust of the Dead’ is my third or fourth release from John that I’ve read and it’s been great to see just how wide and varied his storytelling scope is.

With this one, Palisano gives us his take on the zombie trope, and while I’m the first to admit I’ve struggled to enjoy much zombie literature (or screen based stuff) over the last number of years, I’m always up to give something a go if they’re trying something new or something I find exciting.

That is the case here.

What I liked: The story follows Mike, a member of the Reclamation Crew, a team sent in to dispatch those who’ve crossed over and come back to life. At first, Mike is a nervous wreck, unsure of where he fits in with the more experienced team members, but as his time with them increases, he becomes ‘one of the boys’ and Palisano makes sure to keep the mood light and banter-filled.

But, this is a horror book and things take a turn. This comes in the form of the dead drying out and turning to dust and much to the dismay of those living, the dust can now infect and transform you.

The first few transformations were great, giving the readers some startling moments and John doesn’t hold back with the gore and brutality. We get to connect with the crew and as they begin to die off, you do feel a sense of loss and sadness over characters who you’ve come to root for.

The ending does a worthy job of acting as an ending, but also keeping things open for a sequel and that is something John discusses in the foreword of this new edition.

What I didn’t like: The biggest issue here for readers will be how well your shelf life for zombie based fiction is. If you’re completely off the enjoyment train of the undead, you’ll most likely not be jumping on this one, but if you still love zombie stuff or are even on the fence, I’d suggest you give this one a go.

Why you should buy this: Palisano is an easy writer for readers. I don’t mean that in a bad way, what I mean is that he tells a story with a capable and friendly writing voice, one that sucks you in quick and makes you feel familiar. It’s like snuggling up with a warm blanket and knowing you have no distractions for hours ahead. ‘Dust of the Dead’ is a really engaging reimagining of a familiar narrative and John does a great job of making this one his own.

4/5

Title: The Hungry Earth

Author: Nicholas Kaufmann

Release date: October 5th, 2021

Huge shout out to my buddy Shane aka bookzrkool on Instagram for kicking me in the butt about reading this one. It had been on my radar but it was his review and subsequent messages about how awesome it was that had me bump this waaaayyy up my TBR!

Way back in 1995, a movie came out that scared me to my core. ‘Outbreak’ rocketed into our tiny theatre in Nakusp and I watched it with the growing sense that I could never touch the surface of anything ever again. Of course, years went by and now Covid has hit and the same fear I had during that movie permeates my life throughout this pandemic.

But, Kaufmann has decided to up the ante with inducing fear and decided to focus the story on the horrendous reality of what fungus and their spores can do and in short order. I’ve always been weary about fungi and now this novel has taken that worry and ramped it up.

What I liked: The story follows small town doctor Laura, who, after several unexpected deaths, begins to unravel the reality of what is truly happening. Aided by her former significant other, Booker, the two discover that a massive fungus has taken hold in the community garden and begins to control each host body as the spores infect more and more.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this one and Kaufmann does a great job of keeping things concise and to the point, while also painting expansive scenes throughout. This book says its only 186 pages long, but the heft and meat of the story feels like you’ve just read a 1,000 page book stopper.

The characters are great, even the ones purposefully done to annoy you or anger you and the way that the resolution occurs was fantastic. It had me smiling and it didn’t feel forced or too far-fetched.

What I didn’t like: I will say, even though I really enjoyed the characters (even the incredibly annoying one from the development company), I think the post-credit style scene that was included was almost unnecessary. If there is going to be a further entry and this is becoming a series, then fine, necessary, but personally it didn’t to much for me.

Why you should buy this: I personally struggle to want to read zombie books and I’m also staying far away from virus type books, so this was a refreshing take and look at mass infection/people under control and becoming mindless beings. Kaufmann really ramps things up and throughout, even with the idea of hope and potential for success, does a great job of constantly pumping the breaks and making things bleak at all the right moments.

This was a blast!

4/5

Hello and welcome to the very first 3Q’s feature!

Before we dive into it, I just wanted to give you a brief idea on the ‘why’ of 3Q’s.

Last week was vacation time for us. Usually, our vacations revolve around two aspects – either we drive out to BC to see family and do stuff or they drive out here to us and we do stuff. As the world creeps away from complete Covid closures and more travel opens up and becomes an option, things may change for us, but for right now, we stayed in our wheelhouse and for this time – we drove out to BC.

My sister lives in Trail, BC, about two hours from where we grew up. The drive from our place to hers is right around 1000 kms (or 620 miles) and we split it up over two days. While we chat and try our best to reduce travel boredom, there are times when everyone is simply sitting quietly and it was one of these times where my mind wandered about what I could do coming up to continue to support writers.

Two years ago, I did a daily author shout out, where each day I shared three or four books from each author and it seemed to be a fun thing.

While driving out there, I figured, what if I had authors answer a few questions and gave them some support and maybe helped get some new readers eyes on their works. So, I reached out to about thirty authors, hoping to get ten or so to respond. I think right now, 27 have responded haha! So, this will be an ongoing feature. How long? Not sure. But think of it like the ‘Under the Dome’ TV Series for now. Started out as a limited feature, then got a second season, then who knows? Cancelled? I don’t remember. I watched season one then quit when it kept going. We’ll see what happens with this one!

Anyways – without further wait – the first 3Q’s feature is the phenomenal David Sodergren. David has been an instrumental aspect of my writing progression and I’ve even been lucky enough to co-author a novel with him (The Navajo Nightmare). He’s been my editor for five or so years and hopefully, in the near future, a second book from the two of us will see the light of day!

David hails from Scotland and when not writing, we often see him tweeting on Twitter about his best friend, Boris the pug, or his latest movie watched.

So, David – thanks for doing this! Let’s begin!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

David: Generally I get up on my days off from the day job, take the dog out, watch a movie, and then write from about 10 til 4. Having said that, I sometimes do my best writing late at night, though gone are the days when I could stay up until 3 in the morning. I’m too old for that malarkey now! Word counts are of no interest to me. Anyone can hit several thousand words a day, but it doesn’t matter if the words aren’t good. The same applies to the overall word count of a book. I never go in with a preconceived notion of how long a book is gonna be. 25k, 50k, 75k… it’ll be as long as it needs to be to tell the story. 

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a character you could write about forever?

David: Yes, it’s that pug that appears in all my books (except one!). Whether it’s on a sinister island in Thailand, in the Wild West, or in contemporary Scotland, that goofy little guy gets around. Maybe one day I’ll base a whole book around him, who knows? 

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

David: My newest release is the gore-soaked and romantic folk-horror fairy tale THE HAAR, and you should read it because Steve Stred said it was good. If that’s not enough for you (totally understandable, I wouldn’t trust Steve either), then you should read it because there isn’t enough horror with elderly female protagonists out there, especially ones that feature penis-dissolving sea monsters. I’ve seen it described as ‘The Golden Girls meets Society’ and ‘The Notebook crossed with Basket Case’, and that should tell you all you need to know. 

Steve: Bonus Question! Did you have a favorite wrestler as a kid?

David: I had several favourite wrestlers, but Shawn Michaels was number one. Not so much when he was in The Rockers, but once he threw Marty Jannetty through the Barbershop window and became a heel, he became my favourite. His entrance music was just the best!

Thank you so much David! This was great!

If you want to find more about David or give him a follow;

Twitter: https://twitter.com/paperbacksnpugs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperbacksandpugs/

Website: https://paperbacksandpugs.wordpress.com/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/David-Sodergren/e/B07H1MB4MT/

Title: In Search of the Nobility, TX Wildman

Author: Elford Alley

Release date: June 7, 2016

I’m not sure if I’m on my own here, but one thing I love is when you go into a book thinking one thing and it ends up going somewhere completely different.

There’s a few books that come to mind immediately, but in this case – none of them went as far in the other directions as Elford Alley’s ‘In Search of the Nobility, Tx Wildman.’

Based off the title and the original cover art this book had when I snagged it, I was expecting this to be a straight-up creature feature about people searching for bigfoot and things going south. So much so, that when I came across this book, I DM’s Hunter Shea to see if he’d read it, as I know he loves bigfoot/sasquatch fiction.

It turns out, this book is a much more introspective piece, and in parts incredibly moving, focusing on two men from very different backgrounds, both of whom want to leave this world with some sort of legacy.

What I liked: The story follows James Cushing, Grade-A dill-hole and host of a “monster hunting” show. Of course everything on it is fake and he hates the show and where he’s at in his life. When the show heads to Texas and they encounter Maverick Casey, a lifelong Bigfoot hunter, Cushing sees a bit of himself in the old man and it’s this connection that pushes the narrative from that moment forward.

Alley does a great job of making the reader loathe and connect with both Casey and Cushing, and as things play out and more layers are peeled back and exposed, Alley doesn’t ease up. No, instead he grinds into both characters, making things go from bad to worse.

The biggest aspect here that I ultimately adored, was that the crux of the book is Casey and his final search for the Wildman and we in fact, never actually go searching for him. It was a bold decision and one that works really well. I struggled over whether to include that bit of info in this review, but decided upon doing it, as it really sets this book apart from other stories in this subgenre.

What I didn’t like: I think the only thing that didn’t really click for me was some of Casey’s issues. I won’t share those here, but I think I would’ve had more of a compassionate lens on him if he reached out to those he loved.

Why you should buy this: Alley does a fantastic job of creating an intriguing character based thriller. As each part moves along, the writing succeeds in pulling the reader along and the narrative grows stronger with the story.

This was really well done and a true unexpected gem.

5/5

See this image above? Yeah, those are my Andrew Pyper shelves. And you know what? This photo is already outdated. I’m fast approaching 100 physical copies of Andrew’s work, and in this case – I’m blessed or fortunate that my favorite author happens to have had a significant amount of his work translated and published in foreign languages. This allows me to collect a dozen of a single release or more. I have two books in transit as I write this and only nine editions out there in the world that I haven’t found yet.

That’s great, you may say, but why are you posting this?

Well, let’s be frank – the world isn’t all that great lately. Bad news stacked on bad news. This has been a blog post I’ve been thinking about for a bit and with the culmination of more bad news and my desire to procrastinate on a pending story for an anthology invite – I figured this was the perfect time to devote a blog post to WHY WE NEED TO YELL AND SHOUT ABOUT OUR FAVORITE AUTHORS!

Let’s get straight to it.

Reason #1 – Everyone needs a cheerleader.

FACT.

Look, the reality is, once a book is released there’s nothing an author can do about the reception of that book. You can sit back and hope for great reviews to come rolling in, but it’s a struggle to not go to Goodreads or Amazon or wherever and see how the book is doing – and – inevitably, the time you break and go – you’ll discover a new 1 star review or a DNF telling you to stop pursuing your passion.

That’s where the fans come in. Rave about the book. If you read it and love it let the world know!!

Which leads into;

Reason #2 – It’ll help other readers discover their work.

I’ll admit (and you can ask my wife this) I consider Andrew to be a bonafide celebrity. Like, this is an author whose books are International Bestsellers, who has a publishing deal with a massive publishing house, who probably has the coolest ‘contact list’ on his phone. To me, Andrew is waaaaaayyy up there in my eyes and I’m not afraid to admit it. Saying that (and much to my ABSOLUTE shock – again ask the wife) some folks haven’t heard of Andrew. It happens. There’s a lot of books, a lot of authors and a lot of genres. And, depending on when the book launches, sometimes things can get missed.

Does it annoy you that I post all my Andrew stuff? Too bad is what I say. His work brings me so much joy – and it also allows others to discover his work. Literally, every single time I post any of his books, I’ll get a DM or an IG story reply that looks like this;

Or I’ll get a message asking which book they should start with! As a super fan – this makes me so happy! To have an interaction with someone about these amazing books is always a highlight. And to recommend a book to someone and see them read and enjoy it always makes me smile!

Reason #3 – FREE PROMO!

No matter how big or small of an author someone is, promoting your own work is a necessity and for 99% of us, it always feels icky. But – when someone else RAVES about your book, you can share that review, screenshot it and post it on your stories or personally thank them for taking the time to read your work. And all of that was FREE PROMO for the author. Every little bit helps – each comment, post, picture, review, like, share, IG/Tik Tok story etc etc has the potential to get a new set of eyeballs on your favorite authors work!

Some of us even go a bit more extreme and do month long celebrations of their work, create T-shirts, get ephemera made, do a year-long-monthly giveaway, interview them and make an online archive of their work… but that’s only some of us… lol!

(SEE!)

Reason #4 – Writing can feel very isolating.

It’s true. We often enter into this written world and stay in this singular world until it is done. Then you wrap it up in a pretty cover, format the interior and send it out into the real world, where you’re supposed to not be upset if someone rips it to shreds. It can be very taxing and you often feel like maybe what you’re doing won’t be liked by anybody.

And then… here comes a fan who raves about the book and gushes over it everywhere. And that right there can really lift a writer’s spirits. And that leads me to number 5…

Reason #5 – Authors are humans too!

As I alluded earlier, to me, my favorite author is a celebrity. This is someone I’ve had the fortune to get to know and develop a friendship over the last five years or so, and to this day I get giddy if I see I have a message from Andrew. But, he’s a regular guy, just like all of our fav authors are regular folks. And those regular folks have successes and failures and ups and downs and highs and lows and that’s when us fans can give them a boost.

No matter how successful you are as a writer, there are always those ‘what about me?’ moments. Look, I’m a massive cheerleader and supporter (I’ll discuss that more in a moment), but we all have those moments where someone announces a huge success and we think ‘why isn’t that me?‘ It can be and will be and we gotta work hard to achieve it. But, our fav authors also have those moments. Fans are there to continue to support them and give them a boost, even when us fans don’t realize they need them! Conversely, it can also be a bad review posted everywhere for all to see. The author takes that soul crushing hit but it’s only momentary because here comes SUPERFAN!

Reason #6 – Build people up/Support/Encourage.

Yeah, I know, lame ‘reason’ title, but I couldn’t think of anything else to describe it.

As I said at the top, the world is filled with crap and bad news. But we can make each day a little bit better for those around us. How? By building people up, supporting people and encouraging each other.

Take my Twitter profile as an example. I’ve someone approached having 5900 followers at the time of writing this (How? No clue, truly blows my mind. Also for some perspective – the town I grew up in had like 100 residents. Isn’t that insane? Now, 5900 are following me? Humbling) and not all of those followers follow the same other people. So, that gives me some reach and some scope. And that’s why I employ my build/support/encourage mentality. Somebody has a new book out? Like, retweet, comment etc. A book coming out that looks great? I pre-order those I want to read. I review. I encourage. My DM’s are open for any advice I can give.

But guess what? I employ that same strategy to both my fav author and to all the other people on my Twitter feed. And if that connects others and gets more eyeballs on peoples work – BINGO! Job done!

Reason #7 – Celebrate what brings you joy!

Look, we only have a finite amount of time on this planet and within that finite time we have even less time that we can devote to those hobbies that bring you joy. In my case – reading is one of my biggest loves. I read every night and it’s something I look forward to all day. So, remember, you’re allowed to love whatever author you want to love! If their work brings you joy and helps you get through some rough patches, celebrate it.

The great thing about Social Media, is that it has allowed us to connect in a way we couldn’t before. In the past, maybe I would’ve been able to mail a letter to Andrew and maybe he would’ve replied. Or somehow I managed to get an email in front of him and he might’ve replied and that would’ve been it – I would go about my life with that email/letter framed, sitting by his books (I actually have an email from Andrew framed FYI, lol!) on my shelves and I’d tell all my friends about how awesome his books are. But that’s changed and with Social Media, I get to share my love to the world and the world gets to discover his work. And that can be the same for you and your fav author.

Drawbacks – maybe a bit harsh to call it drawbacks, but calling it ‘negatives’ seemed even worse, ha! But, as with all Social Media, there will be some odd things that will occur when you celebrate your fav author all the time, and I figured I should at least put it out there so nobody is surprised.

People often dislike when others continuously post about something. I see it on the various platforms – for instance a friend of mine from my athlete days gets comments on his lifting videos saying ‘do you post anything else other than lifting.’ Why? He’s a competitive weight lifter. That’s what he loves and does all the time. Of course he’ll post it. My friend and fellow author Dave Jeffery gets frequent heat from his author posts when he celebrates other authors. Why? What does it take away from your life? Build people up, share and encourage and spread joy.

So, it should be no surprise, that I get a few messages a month where people suggest I kindly do obscene stuff to myself and suggest I post about other authors. For the record, I do post about others. All the time. So there. Take your obscene suggestions and obscene yourself.

One of the absolute highlights EVER was the day I got the notification on Twitter that Andrew Pyper was now following me. Like, I screenshot it and sent it to my wife and smiled for the rest of the day. It’s little things in life that can add up. So, if you see someone posting about an author all the time, don’t be annoyed, don’t be rude, because those books and that author have had an impact on that reader. As another example – I LOVE seeing my buddy George’s expanding Paul Tremblay wing. He’s been lucky enough to meet Paul a number of times and I know just how much George loves Paul’s work. Seeing that makes me smile and so very happy for my friend.

Us super fans, we’ll get teased, have memes made about our fandom, and be compared to a certain Stephen King book about a certain character. And that’s fine. I don’t mind any of that. It’s the rudeness that you’ll get that you need to block out and push aside while you continue to share your love of their work!

In closing;

Thank God, right?

Finally, I’m at the end and I’ll shut up about why you should rave about your favorite author?

Kind of.

Let’s recap – in summary – you should ALWAYS rave about books you love, share why people should read your fav author, tag them in your great posts (this will help others see them as well) and, don’t care what others think.

If you shout your love about one book, and someone buys that book, then shouts about that book and someone buys that book… well you get the idea.

The world is complicated, depressing and a tough place to exist in. Why not share some positivity and spread some joy, especially about books that make you happy!

Now, if you’ve read this far (and sorry for some rambling), I hope you’ll take some time to share why you love your fav author. Shout it on your platforms – FB, IG, Twitter, Tik Tok, wherever – share the joy and love of their work! And tell me! Tell me what I should read and why you love them!

Lastly – a meme;

And a recommendation;

My first Andrew Pyper book was The Demonologist. If you’ve not read it before, I highly recommend you give it a go;

The Andrew Pyper Archives Link;

The Demonologist (2013)

AMAZON US LINK:

AMAZON CAN LINK:

AMAZON UK LINK: