Kindle Scout Campaign
I’ve decided to try something different for my next novel. I’ve launched a Kindle Scout campaign for SUBTERRESTRIAL. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the process, readers have the opportunity to determine what Kindle Press publishes. Authors upload their covers, the first 5,000 words of their book, and a little about themselves. Scouts (readers) then vote for the books they believe to be worthy of publication. If their chosen book is selected, then Scouts get a free copy of the eBook prior to publication so they can read it before anyone else. Authors, in turn, gain increased visibility and access to the Amazon marketing machine. I would appreciate it if you would swing by the Kindle Scout site and register as a Scout. Read the first chapter of SUBTERRESTRIAL and, if you enjoy it, cast your vote. Thank you, as always, for your enthusiasm and support. Each of you means the world to me. Oh, and rest assured, regardless of the outcome of the campaign, there will be a limited edition hardcover.
2015 Kindle Book Awards
I’m proud to announce that ANCIENT ENEMY is a semifinalist for the 2015 Kindle Book Awards in the Suspense/Horror category. I’m tremendously proud of this book, so it’s cool to see it get a little extra play. You can check out the competition HERE.
2014 DarkFuse Readers’ Choice Award for Best Novel
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my friends and readers for voting SUNBLIND the best novel of 2014. Words can’t express my gratitude. I hope you all understand how very much each and every one of you means to me. It’s an honor to even be nominated, and to take home my second RCA? Man, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Congratulations to the other nominees: Tim Curran, Greg F. Gifune (congrats on taking home the RCA for Best Novella!), and Ed Kurtz. To stand beside such talent is humbling.
You can read the press release HERE!
And the Winners are…
First off, thanks to all who participated. It was a pleasure meeting all of you and seeing the faces on the other side of the books. I truly mean it when I say that without you, they wouldn’t exist.
And now, without further ado…
Most Creative, as judged by J.G. Faherty, finalist for the Bram Stoker and International Thriller Awards:
Andi will receive a signed, limited-edition hardcover of CONDEMNED. Since Andi already has this book, she and I can figure out an alternate prize.
Most humorous, as judged by Jeff Strand, multiple Bram Stoker Award nominated author of books you really should read:
Jason won a copy of the book in the Joker’s hands, so he and I will have to work out a substitution.
Most serious, as judged by William C. Rasmussen, author of THE SILENT PASSENGER and coauthor of INFINITY TWICE REMOVED:
Bruce won a copy of a VECTOR BORNE, which he already has, so he and I will have to work out a substitution, as well.
Andi, Jason, and Bruce…please email me so we can work out shipping and prizes.
Thanks to MommaCat for helping to make this contest possible. Remember to check out her book review blog CAT AFTER DARK!
And if you’re looking for some fantastic fiction, please try something by my celebrity judges, who were kind enough to select the winners:
Coming Down to the Wire
Here’s another batch of entries for the contest. Check them out HERE!
Thanks to all who’ve sent in pictures so far. It’s been great to actually get to see you all!
More Contest Entries!
I’ve updated the contest page to include new entries from Bruce and Kimmy! Check them out HERE!
We’re down to two weeks left to enter and the odds are definitely in your favor! Enter now for your chance to win!
There are still a few copies of CONDEMNED in limited-edition hardcover at Thunderstorm Books! And the eBook is coming! T-minus three days and counting!
First Contest Entries are Live!
Keep’em coming, folks! It’s great to see you (and your pets)!
CONDEMNED is Now Available!
The signed, limited-edition hardcover of CONDEMNED is now available at Thunderstorm Books! They’re nearly gone already, so if you’re on the fence, don’t wait too long. The book not only features Thunderstorm’s stunning production values, but, like FEARFUL SYMMETRY and THE COYOTE, includes an insight into my process. While an original, handwritten manuscript page was tipped into those two, CONDEMNED features a red-line proof, which is the third phase of the writing process for me. This ought to show you how much changes from one version to the next. I hope you enjoy it the behind-the-curtain view.
As far as the story, several early readers have said it’s my best work yet. I would say it’s my most “human” story, and for that reason, one that will always be special to me. I hope I’m able to bring Detroit and its colorful history to life for you.
And there’s still time to enter the contest for your chance to win a free copy of this lavish deluxe edition!
CONDEMNED Contest
To celebrate the impending release of CONDEMNED, available in limited-edition hardcover this weekend and eBook a week later, may I present a contest for the ages:
An author is nothing without his readers. As I’ve said on countless occasions, my writing career wouldn’t be possible without all of you. I consider each and every one of you an extended member of my family. So here’s the thing…I want to see you! I’ve read your names on emails, reviews, and posts, but now I want to put faces to those names and hopefully “meet” those of you who’ve chosen to lurk in the shadows.
The contest is simple:
- Send a picture of yourself with one of my books or the cover of one of my books on your e-reader to Momkitty@gmail.comby midnight EST on January 30th, 2015. Send as many entries as you want!
- Your picture will be uploaded to both michaelmcbride.netand catafterdark.WordPress.com. Each picture counts as an entry into the contest.
- A winner will be selected for each of the following categories by guest judges (to be identified after the fact, so there can be no bribery or coercion):
- Most Creative
- Most Humorous
- Most Serious
- (All decisions are final.)
- Here’s what the winners in each category will receive:
- Most Creative: a deluxe, oversized copy of Condemned, limited to 72 signed hardcovers (from Thunderstorm Books)
- Most Humorous: a deluxe, oversized, signed limited-edition hardcover of The Coyote (from Thunderstorm Books)
- Most Serious: a signed, limited-edition hardcover of Vector Borne (from Bad Moon Books)
- And because I love you all, every participant will receive a free copy of my newest eBook, Firebug. We’ll send it in an email confirming receipt of your photo.
What I need from you:
In addition to your photo, please include a brief statement permitting the usage of your unaltered photo and likeness on both michaelmcbride.net and the Cat After Dark blog, and their respective social media pages. Send your photo to Momkitty@gmail.com or post the image onto your own social media page and send a link to this address.
Check back frequently to see the new faces uploaded to the gallery. Winners will be posted at both michaelmcbride.net and Cat After Dark on Monday February 2nd, 2015.
Thanks and good luck to all of you!
Contest
To celebrate the release of CONDEMNED later this month, I’ve teamed up with Cat After Dark to bring you a chance to win a special prize package. Check back here or swing by the Cat After Dark blog. More details coming soon!
Happy New Year and Free Audiobooks!
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your continued friendship and support. It’s because of you that I’m able to do what I love. I’m forever in your debt. Thanks to you, 2014 saw the successful release of ANCIENT ENEMY, FEARFUL SYMMETRY, THE NARRATOR, and SUNBLIND, and the creation of FEARFUL SYMMETRY, CONDEMNED, SNOWBLIND: THE KILLING GROUNDS, and “Tears of the Dragon” for the LIBRARY OF THE DEAD anthology. I hope 2015 surpasses your expectations!
May the coming year bring you much happiness and good health. I hope you, too, have the chance to live your dreams.
Now, to celebrate the New Year, how about some free audiobooks? I have codes to download free audiobooks from Audible for the following titles:
Bloodletting
Innocents Lost
The Coyote
Vector Borne
All you need to do to get one is reply to this post in the comments here or on Facebook, PM me through various means, or email me at michael(at)michaelmcbride.net with your name and email address and I’ll send you the download code and instructions. If you have a preference, let me know. If you want more than one, I’ll do my best to accommodate you. (I have a limited supply, so once they’re gone, they’re gone.)
Thank you all for a magical year! Bring on ’15!
Merry Christmas!
I hope all of you who celebrate the holiday have a Merry Christmas! May Santa bring you everything you deserve! And for those of you who’ve repeatedly requested the return of 2008’s God’s End Trilogy in eBook form, your pleas/demands/death threats have been heard. The first book in the series, THE FALL, will be available exclusively at Amazon later today. Expect the following books–BLIZZARD OF SOULS and TRAIL OF BLOOD–to be released in February and March, respectively.
*For those of you unfamiliar with my earlier, pre-BLOODLETTING books, please be advised that the style and subject matter are vastly different from my current work.
May your holidays be filled with happiness and love. Thank you all for being such an integral part of my life.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
May the holidays bring you all happiness and good health. My thanks go out to all of you for a wonderful year and the chance to once again spend this Christmas at home with my family, of which I consider each and every one of you a part. And thanks to Bruce for the hand-carved ornament. As you can see from the Santa ornament below, this guy has skill. (Santa’s not actually wearing the jersey; that’s just a curious consequence of the angle from which I took the photo.)
Oh yeah, and the eBook version of CONDEMNED is now available for preorder. The signed, limited-edition hardcover from Thunderstorm Books ought to ship well before e-release day.
CONDEMNED
It’s my pleasure to announce that my new novel, CONDEMNED, will be released in January 2015. Thunderstorm Books is releasing the deluxe hardcover edition, limited to just 72 copies. An eBook will follow.
More details coming soon…
John Connolly
For those of you who don’t know, I’m a huge fan of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series and will tell anyone who’ll listen that he’s the best writer in the business. What few of you know, however, is the profound impact he’s had on my work. There was a point in 2006 or so when I was on top of the world. I’d sold the GOD’S END trilogy to Delirium in limited edition, Snowbooks in the UK, and Random House in Germany. I was feeling invincible. And then I read Connolly’s EVERY DEAD THING and realized just how far I had to go in every respect. My prose. My characterization. My plot lines. Everything. So I found myself faced with a dilemma…Either I continued to attack the market and struck while the metaphorical iron was hot, or I took a step back and risked losing my career momentum in order to better myself as a writer.
Don’t let anyone tell you I’ve done anything in life the easy way.
So I took six months off from writing and did nothing but read. I identified my weaknesses and attempted to strengthen them by learning from the modern masters. I devoured the Parker mysteries (five books at the time). I caught up with Dave Robicheaux. I studied Aloysius Pendergast and Harry Bosch and Jack Reacher and Sigma Force. I committed myself to becoming the author I knew I could be.
The result was a book called BLOODLETTING, and the real beginning of what I would consider (in the loosest of terms) “my career.” With each subsequent title, I’ve attempted to improve myself in some way. And while nothing I write will ever be good enough for me, I will continue to push myself harder with every book until my scribblings can stand alongside the works of amazing authors like John Connolly, who showed me what the craft was supposed to be.
And this past weekend, I finally got to meet him.
A Quick Update
I just signed the contract for my next DarkFuse novella, coming November/December 2015. The title? SNOWBLIND: THE KILLING GROUNDS. And while it isn’t a sequel in the strictest sense, you can expect more of the same fun with Sasquatch that you enjoyed in the first.
More news coming soon…
SUNBLIND!!!
The limited-edition HC is in hand and it’s a beauty! Excellent work, as always, from my friends at DarkFuse. Thanks to all who ordered it. I hope the story lives up to your expectations!
The Big Thrill, Part II
I’m participating in the weekly Thriller Roundtable in this month’s The Big Thrill, the online publication of the International Thriller Writers. This week I’ll be discussing the topic “How have your readers shaped your books?” with Sharon Linnéa, Arlene Kay, Toni L.P. Kelner, and C.E. Lawrence. Swing on by and have a look around. This topic’s right in my wheelhouse, so it promises to be a lot of fun! You can read it HERE. Oh, yeah…and there’s also an interview with me HERE. Happy reading!
The Big Thrill Interview
Check out an interview with me in this month’s issue of The Big Thrill, the online publication of the International Thriller Writers. And while you’re there, sign up to receive The Big Thrill and keep up with the new releases from some of the best writers in the business.
Read about the inspiration for SUNBLIND, and everything else you could ever want to know about it, before tomorrow’s release. And remember, today’s the last day to save 30%!
Only 1 More Day…
To preorder SUNBLIND at 30% off. After that, the book will return to regular price, over which I have absolutely no control whatsoever. So if you’d rather pay full price, then by all means wait until Tuesday to order what many people are calling my best novel yet.
Here’s a new 5-star review from Frank Michaels Errington, if you’re on the fence.
Sick of Me Yet?
I apologize for inundating you all with news over the past few weeks. I can read your minds, you know. Why don’t you just save it up and give it to us all at once? That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? I wish I could, but some of these tidbits are simply too cool to sit on and I absolutely have to share them with you. Others, like this announcement, are time-sensitive and it’s important to me for you to have the opportunity not to miss out.
So…it’s my pleasure to announce THE NARRATOR, a novella I coauthored with Norman Prentiss, whose mantel sags under the weight of all of his Bram Stoker Awards. Thunderstorm Books has produced limited-edition mini-hardcovers, signed by both authors, in two editions (the leather-bound is already nearly sold out!).
Something is wrong with Julia Linder’s sixth grade class.
One boy’s harmless tendency of getting lost becomes a crippling fog of disorientation. A girl’s mild twitch turns into an obsessive pattern of frightened raps and repetition. The symptoms are spreading and the source seems to be stories that seize upon the children’s deeply seated fears and intensify them exponentially.
But how can mere stories change their behavior?
Abbie is a bright girl at the heart of the mystery. The others are inexplicably drawn to her and become increasingly devoted to her with each passing day. Is it possible that Abbie is manipulating her classmates and using their worst fears against them?
The secrets are locked in tales from the past, where only The Narrator can find them.
Paul Nelson Reviews FS
Thanks to Paul for the excellent review! My favorite line?
“That’s the barest slither of the story, to give more away would be a crime and this without doubt is one of the best I’ve read from Michael McBride, he’s definitely on a roll following the excellent Sunblind and Ancient Enemies, all three highly recommended.”
Totally made my day!
VECTOR BORNE in Audiobook!
To celebrate the release of VECTOR BORNE in audiobook, I’m giving away five free copies to anyone interested in listening and posting a review at any venue of your choice. All you need is an Audible account or a willingness to sign up for one. Just reply in the comments below. First five get download codes. Go for it!
More SUNBLIND Reviews! And an Interview!
First, from Edward Lorn, author of CRUELTY and BAY’S END… “SUNBLIND is a terrifying hike through an unyielding location populated by some of the most believable monsters in recent memory. There’s plenty of viscera for gorehounds, location description that’s far from boring, as well as some of the best character writing I’ve read.”
And from Paul Nelson… “The pace and tension that Michael McBride brings to the table are nail biting at times and this is another thoroughly enjoyable story that puts you right there in the thick of it.”
Drunken Dragon Reviews says: “Sunblind is a tightly paced, mysterious book that not only grips you from the start but ratchets up the tension and fear as the story progresses.”
And you can read a few words with me at the Cat After Dark blog run by my favorite MommaCat HERE, if you’re so inclined.
Remember that the eBook will only be on sale for $4.99 for another ten days!
