The "voice" of the apocalypse.

I have been telling you all that the audiobook version of Zomblog was coming. Well...it has landed (just click on the link)! I am blessed to have found not just a person to narrate my work, but a team that went in and made the story come to life. The wonderful and talented folks at Puretalon have brought my story to life. So, meet Erik Bryon, the voice behind Sam...and return tomorrow for Emily Dane who takes on the role of the controversial Meredith Gainey. (And yes...you will all meet Snoe VERY soon...so just keep coming back!)

Meet Samuel Todd...he sees dead people.

The indie community (writing, music, acting) can be its own worst enemy at times. What are some of the issues you see cropping up? Solutions?

EB: I have dove into the world of self-publishing writers over the last year and have seen some really great works, I have also seen some weekend novelists who crank out pages of unedited text and call themselves the next great thing. Similar to indie music, this is the difference of a truly outstanding band producing an album and a guy peddling burned "demo cds" in a grocery store parking lot.

The social media is…

  

EB: Social Media is like a children's story book. There are trolls who eat spam, robots who attack, and angry, bitter people locked away in towers. However, with a true adventuring spirit, we brave the jungle of text and filth and try to find the most powerful tool to achieve fame and wealth.

Share some information about your production company with us: 

EB: Puretalon Productions is a company I founded last December. I hope to expand to a wide range of audio productions services, but initially we are focusing on audiobook recording and editing. We specialize in working with independent authors bridging the gap between text and multimedia.

  

What is one question you are sick of being asked—not in interviews, but by individuals who know you are in the entertainment industry?

EB: "You work on a radio/tv show? What channel are you on?" Trying to explain that you work "online" to somebody not familiar with that world usually devolves to pointing at a computer and saying, "YES" and then pointing at the TV/Stereo and saying, "NO." Then I will eventually just tell my grandma not to worry about it.

So, let’s talk a little about Zomblog. What are your thoughts on the project, and do you or any of your crew have an interest in the zombie genre?

EB: I put the Puretalon Productions name online and almost exactly three days later I received an email for a title called "Zomblog." I was ecstatic. I am a huge zombie genre fan. I have a top secret "Zombocalypse Escape Plan" which a select few have been briefed on in event of a disaster. I am very glad that the first official series with Puretalon's name is a Zombie tale.

  

What led you to audio book narration?

 EB:  I had been involved in podcasting since 2005. It started as a hobby and eventually I had one of those "light-bulb" moments and realized that this weekend hobby could very easily become a full-time career.

 

Zomblog for the commute? Sure just get it here!

How would you describe Zomblog to friends?

EB: Not just a zombie book, but a first-person description of humanity's descent into the Zombocalypse.

What other projects are you currently working on?

EB: As my time in the Zomblog universe has ended, I am pleased to move right into the DEAD series. I am working on re-launching an entertainment site: "Original Media for Geeks" or OMfG. The website http://omfggeeks.com has a lot of history coming from the original WoW Radio (World of Warcraft) Gaming Podcast network and the various spin-offs from that network. OMfG plans on offering original content as well as news and convention coverage from around the world. Puretalon Productions is also gearing up to create original audio dramatizations which will hopefully debut Q4 2013.

(Blogger's note to Erik: If you are looking for writers...I know a few!)

  

What is one thing about you that would surprise individuals who do not know you personally?

EB: I am an ordained minister and a registered Jedi Knight. No joke.

What do you look for when choosing to narrate an audio book? Or are they simply acting jobs that you simply take as they come along?

EB: I really enjoy reading sci-fi and fantasy novels. I really enjoy narrating the books that I would most likely read anyway. That's why this job is great, you get paid to read. Who wouldn't love that?

One of the biggest criticisms regarding Zomblog is that it paints humanity in a negative light? Did you get that vibe? How did you see it?

EB: I can see where it would be criticized for this. However, I praise it for that. Humanity is a terrible group of primal beings at our core. There are those "heroes" that rise to the top and save the universe, but the majority of us live our lives in a moral grey area of regretful choices and terrible deeds of necessity. But I guess I am a bit of an optmist, sooo...

How do you see humanity dealing with a scenario such as this? (Removing the idea of how unlikely it is, of course.)

EB: We are going to fail. Mother Nature has a way of compensating for an upset in the food chain. I'm not saying she's going to unleash a wave of zombies at us, but as we scientifically adapt beyond sickness and death, nature will find new ways to kill us off.

Did anything stand out for you?

EB: The passing of the "Zomblog" journal from Sam to Meredith was a very unique idea. I don't feel switching the narrators mid-book is something that happens very often. It gives us a broader outlook of what's happening as Sam and Meredith are very night and day on their personal views on what decisions must be made.

Links:

Original Media for Geeks

Puretalon Productions

Here's to 100 more!

First, I want to thank every single non-web bot that came here and visited my little corner of the blog world. So many of you have been beyond kind. I have to admit, when I get comments, or see a new review on Amazon, or get a fan letter/email out of the blue (that still blows my mind every single time), or--and this is my evil addiction--I check my sales numbers on Amazon and see that I have sold over 1,000 books in a single month (almost equaling the TOTAL from last year in 30 days!), I am just overwhelmed. What each of you who have taken the time to read one  (or several) of my books do not realize, is that by doing so, YOU have made a person's dream come true. I get to WRITE FOR A LIVING. I may not be raking in the big bucks, but just the difference from last year to this year is so dramatic that I simply can not get over it. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

So how can I show you individually that I do actually mean what I say? I figure the best way I know is to offer you FREE STUFF! So, you heard it here first...September 18th (my 47th birthday...yikes), I will be offering up ALL THREE of my Zomblog (Zomblog, Zomblog II, and Zomblog: The Final Entry) books for one day on KDP. But that's not all, I will also put up Dakota, That Ghoul Ava, AND Dead: The Ugly Beginning. "But wait!" you may be saying. "Everybody gets that...I thought I was special." You are, and that is why I have RIGHT here for you my special offer. I will give you DEAD: The Special Edition Compendium free from Smashwords. The code is: LH93Y. Also, how about our newest anthology...Spiders. Again, here is the free code: PX29Q  . These are good until Monday, September 10th.

Not good enough? Okay. You send me an email and I will send you the MP3 file of your choice...in fact, you can have them ALL if you like! You can choose from "Should I Stay or Should I Go(The Clash)", "Santeria(Sublime)", "Tomorrow(by Silver Chair)", "Stranger Things Have Happened(Foo Fighters)" or "Summer Melt(the first song I ever wrote, an all instrumental piece)". I do vocals and lead guitar on all the tracks; the first 3 are live concert recordings. (Stranger Things I actually do 3 of the 4 guitar parts, it is a studio piece). Those are just for you. And finally...because some of you refused to allow Zomblog to end, this Halloween is the release for the fourth book, Zomblog: Snoe. Since there was such a great demand from many of you to have "guest appearances" in the DEAD series, I have decided to choose one of you to be Snoe's "companion" in Book 5. (Kind of like travelling with the Doctor in the Tardis...but no space and time travel...oh yeah...and zombies.) How do you win? Simple. In 50 words, tell me why you think you would survive the zombie apocalypse. The winner will be chosen at random and all entrants will ALSO be put in a drawing for a signed copy of Zomblog: Snoe.

So, while I may not have any movie offers yet, and I still can't quite crack the Top 100 in SALES in Amazon Horror (I do it in the freebies all the time, just not when it comes to folks shelling the bucks...but soon, I believe 2013 will be the year I break into that list), I am doing well enough that it just feels right to give some of that to YOU. After all, if you weren't here...I would still be doing a early morning paper route and spending half my pay just on gas and vehicle maintenance...or bar tending(God forbid...never good to have a person with a drinking problem serving booze). But you have given me a gift I will never be able to thank you enough for...so if you are ever in the Portland area...give me a holler. I'll fire up the BBQ.

So, on behalf of my family(that includes my Border Collie, Aoife), thanks so very much for being a part of my dream come true. Now, go get your presents!

Don't ask for what you don't want!

To keep this from seeming overly heavy, I will intersperse this offering with pictures of puppies and flowers. This is the best I can do to lighten the mood, because I have a few things I want to (in golf lingo) grip and rip. So with no further delays...a cute puppy and a guitar signed by George Romero.

Some of you reading this might post reviews from time to time. Many of you WAIT for reviews to be posted about your work. (I know I check EVERY MORNING!) So, this one might sting a bit. If you are feeling a bit cranky after reading this and think that perhaps I am a giant ass hat, then you are probably one of the offenders. So here it is...we all love to read reviews about our stuff provided that the review is good, glowing, and says we are absolutely the most talented-yet-sadly-undiscovered writer in existence. I have spoken ad nauseum when it comes to complaining about reviews. Sadly, some still miss the point, or get it and choose to ignore it. A bad review stings. I would be a big fat liar if I said I haven't read a negative review of my work and wanted to just drop my head and weep. (Time for pretty flowers.)

But get past the haters and trolls and maybe focus on a few strangers out there who don't know you from Bupkiss. This is a 2 Star review from my book Dakota: "I don't often write a review that is less than complimentary as I know I could not do well writing. However, this was a disappointing read to me. Beginning with two Seattle cops and ending up in the "War of Northern Agression" is a stretch; one I did not particularly enjoy. The characters are well developed, the story is well told, but I just could not wrap my mind around traveling back in time! What's the point? And what did that have to do with the drug war in Seattle? Though I did finish the book, I don't think I will be seeking this author out again. I gave the book two stars simply because the prose is beautifully put together; but the story line is disappointing." 

Now here is the product description from Amazon.com:"Dakota Riley is a member of the Seattle Drug Task Force. During an investigation into an international drug smuggling ring, he loses his best friend and partner. To add insult to injury, he is assigned an African-American rookie, Marc Bradley.Seeking revenge rather than justice, Dakota ditches the rookie…and almost gets himself killed. After leaving the hospital for a ‘forced’ vacation, Dakota and Marc head to Marc’s hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.A day out on a fishing boat goes wrong when a mysterious storm arrives. The boat is destroyed, and the two men wash ashore…in 1861, just prior to the start of the American Civil War." This is now my favorite "negative" review of all time. Good character development...well told story...beautifully put together prose.

Now, of course not all negative" reviews are that glowing, but if you read between the lines on some, you may find points brought up that are actually helpful. And if edits are repeatedly mentioned...FIX IT! I had a person take an ax to Zomblog...she didn't think that the story went anywhere, and I had too many characters who muddled up the story because they were mentioned in one page and killed in the next. SHE WAS RIGHT! But I learned from that BEFORE her review, so I thanked her and asked if she would read Zomblog II. She loved it, gave it 4 stars and asked for more of my stuff. Which brings me to this next point...after more puppies...

So, you have a book written and you want it reviewed. You want to ask people...maybe even beg your readers to provide that little kindness that means more to us than they realize. You ask a few of your peers if they will take the time to read your baby and pen a review. Great. I do that (but I gotta say, writers are some of THE WORST when it comes to reviews...an issue that I still do not understand). But here is what I DON'T do. I refuse to write some flowery drivel if I read the story and think it is rubbish. Kind of hard to be the man with the "Brutally Honest Review" policy and then I spew a bunch of phony drivel about how everything is wonderful and every book I read is the next "must read" title in the literary scene. If your book reads like a bad high school theater production, I am gonna say so. BUT...and here is where it gets tricky...IT IS JUST ONE OPINION. (Hold on...time for flowers again.)

If you want a bunch of 5 star reviews from people, stick to friends and family. Or...as has been the hot topic lately...buy them. However, that means you don't get to go on some tirade when a total stranger who reads your book and thinks it is simply terrible. And here is the funny thing...no matter how good your book is, some people WILL hate your stuff. They just will. It does not mean you are a bad writer (sometimes). So, if you want me to review your book...you best be able to handle the truth. If I like it...trust that I will say so, but if I don't...well I'm not gonna write some hate-filled rant about your work, but I will say what I didn't like and why. And if the story didn't "do it" for me...I'm gonna say so. So don't ask if you don't want me to be honest, and don't get twisted if you ask anyways and I don't rant and rave. I've had friends tell me ahead of time "I'm so sorry, but I didn't like your book. Should I skip the review?" Easy answer: NO! It's okay, people. It just wasn't your cup of tea. Maybe next time. Besides, I think it looks more genuine if there is a voice of dissent amidst the praise.

As Indies, we must all suffer the slings and arrows of our brethren (and sistren). Our niche is famous for poorly edited work and sloppy production. We are also famous for going on social media jihads when we get negative reviews. It just needs to change, and WE can do better. So I challenge you all to start holding yourself to a higher standard. If we want to be taken seriously, then it is all up to us. Start with dialogue. There are some rules to writing it that A LOT of people just have never taken the time to learn. So ask, read, look it up, read...

Stuff about what I do every day...

Every morning at around five, I wake up to my Border Collie wriggling up my chest and licking my face. That is Aoife's way of letting me know that it is time to get my butt out of bed. So, after watering my tomato plants and feeding my fish, and taking the dogs out with Denise, I settle in at my desk. April of this year (2012) I left my "day" job to devote my full attention to writing and editing. I found out just how far behind I had fallen these past few months as I can not seem to dig out from under all of the editing projects and get in some quality writing time. I am pleased to say that I am almost at a point where I can breathe. 

Next month, I will be immersed in the August edition of Camp NaNoWriMo. For those not familiar, that is where you set out to write 50,000 words in a month (or 1,666 words a day). I will be using this time to get deep into the fifth book in the DEAD series, titled Dead: Siege & Survival. I looked at my writing calendar and decided that was my priority. Oh yeah...I got a few other stories in the pipeline. "Such as?" Thanks for asking. I am cleaning up Zomblog: Snoe for the October release. (That is book four of the Zomblog series for those keeping track.) I have the second Gruesomely Grimm Zombie Tales book where I will take on the next 20-30 of the 200+ stories attributed to the Brothers Grimm. I am committing to the second book in my non-horror Dakota series. Last, but not least, I will be making a go at writing a full-length offering for my That Ghoul Ava horror/comedy. All the while, I am dipping my toe in the blogosphere (thanks for visiting by the way). All that and I haven't even mentioned my editing jobs or my quest to reach the top 1,000 as an Amazon reviewer (as of July 19, 2012 I am ranked 3,233) and make regular posts on Brutally Honest Reviews. Yep...I am a busy guy.

Some might say I have too much on my plate. Others may worry that I may get sloppy. THAT is the problem. What you are not seeing on my list is spending hours each day skulking around Facebook. It's not that I don't think there is a certain degree of necessity when it comes to the social media, but hanging around in a bunch of rooms TALKING about all the work I have to do is not GETTING any of my actual work done. Thank goodness I have a wife who is very supportive and helpful. She reads various posts to me throughout the day. If I have an opinion that has not been hashed and re-hashed over and over again, I offer my two cents. Sometimes I just say hello to a few people that I really like. (If I try to list you all, I will leave somebody out, so...you know who you are.) I just don't have time to relive high school.

Yep. There went a few ruffled feathers. but seriously...take a step back. Pluck you feelings off your shoulder and put them in your pocket. Pop in to some of these rooms lately and tell me I am wrong. Gossip. Name-calling...and cliques! Don't even get me started on that topic. Too late! Room after room it is the same thing. "He said this" and "She said that". Honestly, I just got tired of hearing who pissed who off. Everybody is an expert, nobody can take criticism, and the "I got a bad review...WAAAAAAA!" I started getting numb. One day, I just said "I'm done." Did anybody notice? Not likely. Why? Because I still say hi to my friends. I still support writers I enjoy, I read and review several books a month. I just cut out the garbage. It was a waste of time. Now I work 12-15 hours a day and I have never been happier. I still have a few problems to iron out...and I have yet to crack the top 100 in SALES in the Kindle Horror market. I flirted with it early this month...but ran out of gas. But I know I will get there one day and see my name up there with some pretty cool names. (I'm looking at you Mark Tufo...you are my benchmark.)

I am not doing anything special. I am just not wasting time with things that are meaningless. And if you think I am coming off snobbish, then you aren't paying attention. I still like all the people I liked before. I just don't get into the drama. And you KNOW there is a lot of drama lately. I don't need to name names...each of you can probably think of a half dozen on your own...some will be the same for many of you...others not. Instead, I have committed myself to READING. I decided it was time to support all these people I have cultivated relations with. And my TBR list is epic: Armand, Billie Sue, (the aforementioned) Mark Tufo, Jeff Dawson (thanks for the tee-shirt, Jeff!) and too many others to list. THAT is my new social media. Book reviews. Next, I will talk about how book reviews are way better than LOLing. Tune in.

Why would you want to write? (part 5)

Sitting at my desk with my Border Collie demanding my attention (she grabs her toy of choice, slips under my desk and shoves it in my lap so I will toss it across the living room...she can do this for hours!), sipping coffee, and glancing at my aquariums (my NEWEST hobby) while eating fresh berries and yogurt. I have steaks marinading for the barbecue tonight. On my KDP sales page, I am having my BEST MONTH EVER! All of this might seem trivial...but considering where I was a mere 14 months ago...where I spent 13 years of my life...this is HEAVEN. Less than a year after my return to society, I am able to quit my day job and focus on my dream job of being a writer. That is just one of the things that makes this country great...if your work hard and put all your heart into following your dreams...you CAN succeed. But it ain't easy.

After the first few months of Zomblog being available, the reviews started coming in and they were surprisingly favorable. I say surprisingly because I had never intended it to be read as an actual novel. It was a warm-up exercise. Also, I started getting asked by a couple of friends who read it, "When are you gonna write the next part?" I was currently up to my eyes in Dead: The Ugly Beginning. It was going well and I was actually a bit excited because I had decided to "borrow" from George R.R. Martin and his Game of Thrones book. I was going to write my zombie book in rotating chapters. I had Steve, The Geeks, and Vignettes. That last chapter would just be snapshots of what was happening around the world. However, I started discovering that a few of those vignettes would have to carry over beyond just one chapter. Also, I was in the process of compiling and editing May December Publications' first anthology: Eye Witness: Zombie.

Let me take an aside moment to mention that compiling an anthology is A LOT of work. And even offering up "just" a contributor's copy is an expensive undertaking. The best parts were reading a story and feeling so blown away that somebody would send such a great story to ME! After all, we were just getting started and had not even started to gain a name for ourselves. Yet, some of those submissions for Eye Witness: Zombie really floored me. (Childish Things by William Wood and Baby Killer by Ron Harris are still two of my favorites--for very different reasons. I still giggle when I think of a man trapped inside a killer whale outfit and hopping down a hallway to try and escape zombies.) After almost three years, we are just now starting to be able to offer little stipends to some of our wonderful anthology contributors.

I decided that I would write two more books in the Zomblog series (that has since changed and I have just finished the fourth book because fans of the series have asked for it...and the readers are who I consider to be my boss). The Zomblog books would give me a break between the DEAD books. However, I was really focused on Dead: The Ugly Beginning. I completed it and decided that I wanted to release it on my son Cody's birthday. I don't know what I expected. I had sold close to a hundred copies of Zomblog by the time it came out. Yep...a hundred. Not great...but I just knew that Dead: The Ugly Beginning was going to change things. It was out for three days before it finally sold its first copy. I was beyond discouraged. How was it that nobody else was seeing my genius? Or...maybe I'm not that good. Those were the thoughts I did battle with. 

I shook off those feelings and went right to work on Zomblog II. I believed That I learned a great deal since the first one and actually had an endgame in mind for this installment. I tried to ignore the fairly abysmal sales of my first two books. Dammit! I was a good writer. I knew it. It would just take time. Folks would start coming around. It was not too long after the release of Dead: The Ugly Beginning that a group of people took it upon themselves to decide that I should not be writing. How could anybody read my work? After all, I was in prison. I should not have a life...I should not be allowed to prove to society that I am worthy of reintegration. I should be judged solely on past deeds. Even better...people with no actual knowledge decided to simply fabricate what they knew nothing about. Again...this is not a place for me to debate my criminal record, the fact that people do time and may not actually be guilty--unless you think the criminal justice system is perfect and NEVER makes a mistake--to defend myself or anything else of the sort is just pointless. However, I will say that very few publishers, editors, or writers have provided as much detail about their private life as I have. How do you know what sort of person each writer that submits to your anthology is in real life? What do you really know about that editor or publisher you work with? Everybody has skeletons in their closet...but the difference between them and me is that I keep my closet door open. I wasn't "discovered"...I put my stuff out there on my own.

This whole time, every instance where I was considering whether or not to just walk away, there was Denise telling me, "You can't quit your dream. It will happen if you just give it time." There were so many opportunities to give up. "Why would you want to write?" "Why subject yourself to this frustration?" Those questions bounced around inside my brain almost daily. The answer was simple: It's what I do. It's what I love. I don't feel whole if I am not creating something with words. I picked up my pen and dove into Zomblog II. My brain was in overdrive and I already felt story lines forming for the second book in the DEAD series. I even had a working title: Dead: Revelations. Dammit...I didn't just WANT to write. I NEEDED to write...

Why would you want to write for a living? (Part 4)

I've met and spoken with a number of writers who mourn the lack of family support. I hear them vent in frustration about how nobody--neither friends nor family--has so much as cracked a cover of even one of their stories. I can certainly understand their frustration and even hurt feelings. However, let me just take one moment to remind you that your family is NOT your target audience! I understand that you want those close to you to see just how amazingly talented you happen to be...but they are not ever going to BUY one of your books. 

Now that I have spewed my hypocritical line of drivel...let me remind you that it was lack of support that drove me away from my dream time and again. The real truth is that we (referring to us writing types) are a very selfish bunch. Our pursuit of being a writer takes up far more time than most people realize (unless they are married to or in a relationship with a writer). It is not something that can normally be considered a couples, team. or group effort. It is a solitary effort that demands ALL of our focus. We shut out those same friends and family members who we later ask to read our latest piece. That is sorta like bringing home a girlfriend (or boyfriend) and asking your wife (or husband) to fix dinner for the three of you.

Our job requires that we try to find ways to make strangers interested in our wares. While we may make claims like "I don't write for the money." If you are trying to make a living at being a writer...that is a HUGE contradiction. I will admit here to all who care to read this that I am absolutely in this to make a living. I will sell out in a Florida Flash. I have a family to support. Last I checked, the electric company does not accept a pat on the back in lieu of payment. They want cash. Therefore...I need my books to sell.

This brings me back to where I left off yesterday: Zomblog. I finally had somebody who supported me once again. This time, she was willing to do more than just give me the green light. I need to make it clear that I NEVER intended for Zomblog to see print. It was a warm-up exercise as I got in shape to write my DEAD series. I actually wrote it day-by-day. When I felt I was ready to move on to my "real" novel, I wrapped it up. All the while, Denise was posting it in daily installments. It gained a bit of a following, including a small press. An offer was made to me to compile the entries and release it as a novel. I was blown away. I may have sprained my tongue saying "Yes!" so fast. Just before it was due to be released, the publisher wanted to change the contract. In short....more money for them and less for me. My response is not suitable for family viewing, but you get the point. I said "No thanks."

Just as fast as it had begun, the ride was coming to an end. kinda like an amusement park. You stand in line for three hours to ride a seventy second roller coaster. I was disappointed, but not devastated. After all, the DEAD series was my focus. However, Denise was not satisfied with that outcome. My wife (who happens to hold a Masters in accounting and business) filed all the paperwork and created a company using the copyright tag I used for my writing--May December Publications. I have used that dating back to when I wrote Dakota. My daughter Ronni was born on December 15th, my son Cody was born on May 30th, and my son Alexander was born on December 13th...hence, May December Publications, LLC. It was under that label that Denise had Zomblog printed. I received it for Christmas 2009. When you get a book sent in to you in prison, it is always neat...when it is YOUR book...it is inexplicably cool.

Having somebody in your life who not only understands, but actively supports your dream of being a writer is a treat. It is a luxury that I do not take for granted. My first several books, (the first two DEAD books, the first two Zomblog books, and Gruesomely Grimm Zombie Tales Volume 1) were handwritten by me, then sent home and typed by Denise. After several back and forth mailings and numerous edits over the phone, those books saw daylight. So...the truth is that none of that would have happened when it did had it not been for such amazing support.

So, the books started becoming available. The first month of release, I think Zomblog sold six copies. Disappointed does not quite cover it. The rush and the thrill of holding a physical copy of my book was quickly deflated by the reality of next to no sales. It was time to delve into the seedy underbelly of the writing world--the part none of us likes to talk about. Promotion. There is a fine line between promoting and being a nuisance. Also, just as I sat down to start on Dead: The Ugly Beginning, a letter came in and asked when the next book in the Zomblog series was going to be released. What next book? Crap...this was gonna be a bit harder than I thought.