Posts
I’ve never professed to be the best writer in the world but I enjoy making stuff up. Of course I hope other people like it too (the stuff I make up that is), because if you’re spending money on what I’ve written, I don’t want you, the reader to be disappointed. But you’re never going to please everyone, and people will find fault somewhere, whether it’s the prose, punctuation, grammar, spelling, characters, dialogue etc, but I try to write engaging fiction that I hope makes people keep turning the pages. It’s even more important to please people with a digital book as when you have a paperback, you can at least sell it on or use it to wipe your arse or stick it under a wobbly table leg, but in the digital age you can’t even say it’s worth the paper it’s written on. That’s why I appreciate it when anyone takes a chance on me and purchases something I’ve written. With so much choice out there it’s hard to sort the wheat from the chaff and as a reader myself, I know what it’s like to take a chance and buy something from an author you’ve never read before, so in alphabetical order I’m going to give a shout out to some of the perhaps less well known authors I’ve recently read whose work I've enjoyed in the hope you find something you might like too:
Kealan Patrick Burke http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com/
Garry Charles http://www.garrycharles.co.uk/
Rick Chesler http://rickchesler.com/
JG Faherty http://www.jgfaherty.com/
Guido Henkel http://guidohenkel.com/
Dave Jeffery http://davejeffery.webs.com/
Gary McMahon http://www.garymcmahon.com/
Scott Nicholson http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/
Rod Rees http://www.thedemi-monde.com/
Simon Royle http://www.simon-royle.com/
Daniel I Russell http://www.danielirussell.com/
Jeff Strand http://jeffstrand.wordpress.com/
Lee Thompson http://alongthispathsodarkly.blogspot.com/
Vicki Tyley http://www.vickityley.com/
Zoe Winters http://www.zoewinters.org/
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Monday, May 02, 2011
The many masks we wear
I’ve been thinking about masks. The masks we all wear to be precise. You see, we all wear different masks around different people. Take for example a character I shall call Derek Macmillan.
Derek is married with two children. He works in a factory.
His parents call him Derek, using the name often when addressing him. Derek never swears around his parents and even though he is in his late thirties, he would probably get a clip around the ear if he did so.
His wife on the other hand rarely calls him by any name as she has no need of such appellations, although she sometimes calls him Del when needing to speak to him directly (when she’s angry she calls him by his full name). Derek only swears in front of his wife when he is really, really pissed off, which gives the profanity more significance.
Derek’s son calls him Dad. Before he turned eight, he called him Daddy. His daughter calls him Dad too. Derek has never sworn within earshot of his children as he doesn’t want to set a bad example.
At work, they call him Del. He swears like a trooper at work, mainly using the cussing in the form of light hearted banter. He also says things at work that he would never tell his wife.
Derek also has a close circle of friends that he grew up with. To them he is known as Mac, an abbreviation of his surname. He has no problem swearing while around his closest friends, but he doesn’t overdo it.
To those who address him formally, he is called Mr. Macmillan. He never swears around people he doesn’t know very well as he doesn’t want them to judge him by his use of bad language. He also adopts certain airs and graces with people he doesn’t know, trying to make himself sound more eloquent.
So here we have one man with five masks in the forms of Derek, Dad, Del, Mac and Mr. Macmillan. Each name gives Derek a different personality, although at heart he is one and the same.
I guess this is why authors should explore every facet of their fictional characters, and take into account what mannerism they adopt when wearing each mask.
Derek is married with two children. He works in a factory.
His parents call him Derek, using the name often when addressing him. Derek never swears around his parents and even though he is in his late thirties, he would probably get a clip around the ear if he did so.
His wife on the other hand rarely calls him by any name as she has no need of such appellations, although she sometimes calls him Del when needing to speak to him directly (when she’s angry she calls him by his full name). Derek only swears in front of his wife when he is really, really pissed off, which gives the profanity more significance.
Derek’s son calls him Dad. Before he turned eight, he called him Daddy. His daughter calls him Dad too. Derek has never sworn within earshot of his children as he doesn’t want to set a bad example.
At work, they call him Del. He swears like a trooper at work, mainly using the cussing in the form of light hearted banter. He also says things at work that he would never tell his wife.
Derek also has a close circle of friends that he grew up with. To them he is known as Mac, an abbreviation of his surname. He has no problem swearing while around his closest friends, but he doesn’t overdo it.
To those who address him formally, he is called Mr. Macmillan. He never swears around people he doesn’t know very well as he doesn’t want them to judge him by his use of bad language. He also adopts certain airs and graces with people he doesn’t know, trying to make himself sound more eloquent.
So here we have one man with five masks in the forms of Derek, Dad, Del, Mac and Mr. Macmillan. Each name gives Derek a different personality, although at heart he is one and the same.
I guess this is why authors should explore every facet of their fictional characters, and take into account what mannerism they adopt when wearing each mask.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Kult
Now that the film of The Kult is just about complete, I've reduced the eBook price by a whopping 50% to celebrate:
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/h0KuGw
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/h9sj9R
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934
It's hard work getting word out about the book, so please feel free to help me spread the word by reposting the link or telling anyone you think might be interested. And if you've read the book and would consider writing a review on Amazon, however brief, that would be awesome. Thank you.
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/h0KuGw
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/h9sj9R
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934
It's hard work getting word out about the book, so please feel free to help me spread the word by reposting the link or telling anyone you think might be interested. And if you've read the book and would consider writing a review on Amazon, however brief, that would be awesome. Thank you.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Nurturing a love of books
I can’t resist keep buying books. I was in Rhyl yesterday and popped into The Works (which is a discount bookshop) and picked up Stephen King’s Duma Key, Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold and Andrew Davidson’s The Gargoyle in a £5 for 3 books deal. I don’t know when I’ll have chance to read them, but they’ll be added to my ever growing ‘to be read’ pile.
But that’s the thing. I love books. Ebooks, printed books, it doesn’t matter. I love reading - always have - and I’ve instilled that love in my son, who at 8 years of age will stop awake late at night reading to himself (which is something that I can't tell him off for) He’s already far advanced in terms of his reading ability and was above the reading age that he should be years ago (I also bought him another book yesterday. I think his book collection will be competing with mine soon). Although he reads to himself, Deb and I still read to him every night too, so even though I don’t always get time to read my own books, I read lots of children’s books. We take him to the library every month and he takes out about 6 books at a time.
Recently The Education Secretary, Michael Gove said that children as young as 11 should be expected to read 50 books a year as part of a national drive to improve literacy standards, because the academic demands placed on English schoolchildren have been “too low for too long”.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he said the vast majority of teenagers read just one or two books as part of their GCSEs, normally including John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
Mr Gove said all schools should “raise the bar” by requiring pupils to read large numbers of whole books at the end of primary school and throughout secondary education.
It follows the publication of a report in December showing that reading standards among British teenagers had slumped from 17th to 25th in a major international league table.
***
One of the most important things you can teach your children is to love reading and it needn’t cost anything but time to do. Find a subject they are interested in and then nurture it. Above all, make it fun.
And for something completely different to read, here’s an interview where I talk about serial killers: http://readhorror.wordpress.com/interviews/shaun_jeffrey_on_serial_killers/
But that’s the thing. I love books. Ebooks, printed books, it doesn’t matter. I love reading - always have - and I’ve instilled that love in my son, who at 8 years of age will stop awake late at night reading to himself (which is something that I can't tell him off for) He’s already far advanced in terms of his reading ability and was above the reading age that he should be years ago (I also bought him another book yesterday. I think his book collection will be competing with mine soon). Although he reads to himself, Deb and I still read to him every night too, so even though I don’t always get time to read my own books, I read lots of children’s books. We take him to the library every month and he takes out about 6 books at a time.
Recently The Education Secretary, Michael Gove said that children as young as 11 should be expected to read 50 books a year as part of a national drive to improve literacy standards, because the academic demands placed on English schoolchildren have been “too low for too long”.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he said the vast majority of teenagers read just one or two books as part of their GCSEs, normally including John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
Mr Gove said all schools should “raise the bar” by requiring pupils to read large numbers of whole books at the end of primary school and throughout secondary education.
It follows the publication of a report in December showing that reading standards among British teenagers had slumped from 17th to 25th in a major international league table.
***
One of the most important things you can teach your children is to love reading and it needn’t cost anything but time to do. Find a subject they are interested in and then nurture it. Above all, make it fun.
And for something completely different to read, here’s an interview where I talk about serial killers: http://readhorror.wordpress.com/interviews/shaun_jeffrey_on_serial_killers/
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Monsters, Winter's Bone and book discounts
Watched two films over the weekend, both of which were quite cheaply shot, but both of which showed that you don't need giant budgets to make decent films, especially if there's a good script and actors that can do their job well. First up was Monsters: 
“Six years after Earth has suffered an alien invasion a cynical journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.”
Now reading that you’d think this would be an action packed, monster laden movie, much like District 9, but in fact the action is in short supply and the ‘monsters’ hardly feature at all. The film is more a character study and revolves around Samantha Wynden, played by Whitney Able and Andrew Kaulder played by Scoot McNairy and their interaction together as they try to get across the Mexican border back to the US. Both actors play their parts pretty well, but Whitney was the better of the two. Essentially it was about the human side of the story, but I felt that a few action scenes would have helped raise the bar for what is otherwise not a bad film, but one that could have been far better. 7/10
The second film was Winter’s Bone:
This was another film that forsakes action for character, but in this case it worked really well: “An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.”
Lead character, Ree Dolly played by Jennifer Lawrence was superb in her role as the 17 year old responsible for raising her younger brother and sister and coping with her withdrawn mother. When a local Sheriff tells her that her father, who manufactures crystal meth, has put up their house as collateral for his bail and unless he shows up for his trial in a week's time, they will lose it all, she sets out to find him, but the community of mountain people are staying tight lipped, forcing Ree to delve deeper if she’s to get to the truth and save her family home. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance was strong enough to carry this film on her own, but the other characters, many who had never acted before, gave a real sense of place and added to the feeling of mistrust that bubbled beneath the surface. 8.5/10
Finally, if you haven’t heard, Dark Regions Press, publisher of my collection Voyeurs of Death and the upcoming Fangtooth have been awarded the Horror Writer Association’s Speciality Award, and to celebrate they are offering 25% of everything for a very limited time using the coupon code: HWA2010. So what are you waiting for?
http://www.darkregions.com/
“Six years after Earth has suffered an alien invasion a cynical journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.”
Now reading that you’d think this would be an action packed, monster laden movie, much like District 9, but in fact the action is in short supply and the ‘monsters’ hardly feature at all. The film is more a character study and revolves around Samantha Wynden, played by Whitney Able and Andrew Kaulder played by Scoot McNairy and their interaction together as they try to get across the Mexican border back to the US. Both actors play their parts pretty well, but Whitney was the better of the two. Essentially it was about the human side of the story, but I felt that a few action scenes would have helped raise the bar for what is otherwise not a bad film, but one that could have been far better. 7/10
The second film was Winter’s Bone:
This was another film that forsakes action for character, but in this case it worked really well: “An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.”
Lead character, Ree Dolly played by Jennifer Lawrence was superb in her role as the 17 year old responsible for raising her younger brother and sister and coping with her withdrawn mother. When a local Sheriff tells her that her father, who manufactures crystal meth, has put up their house as collateral for his bail and unless he shows up for his trial in a week's time, they will lose it all, she sets out to find him, but the community of mountain people are staying tight lipped, forcing Ree to delve deeper if she’s to get to the truth and save her family home. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance was strong enough to carry this film on her own, but the other characters, many who had never acted before, gave a real sense of place and added to the feeling of mistrust that bubbled beneath the surface. 8.5/10
Finally, if you haven’t heard, Dark Regions Press, publisher of my collection Voyeurs of Death and the upcoming Fangtooth have been awarded the Horror Writer Association’s Speciality Award, and to celebrate they are offering 25% of everything for a very limited time using the coupon code: HWA2010. So what are you waiting for?
http://www.darkregions.com/
Friday, April 01, 2011
Book better than film?
The book is always better than the film. Isn't that what they say? You can't judge The Kult yet as the film hasn't been released, but you could always check out the book first, just like these other people have:
"Jeffrey, one of horror's rising young stars, has really hit his stride with THE KULT. Part mystery, part police procedural, part horror story, it's one thrilling ride. Jeffrey had me guessing at the killer's identity half a dozen times, and the reveal, when it finally came, knocked me over. You don't want to miss this one!" --Nate Kenyon, author of THE REACH and THE BONE FACTORY
"The Kult is a satisfying read that digs its bloody hooks in from the first sentence and drags the reader through its pages at a velocity far exceeding that of lesser novels." -- Dark Scribe Magazine
"The tension in this story is beyond anything I’ve read before, really intense and edge-of-your seat reading with the plot seeming to turn with every page." -- Book Chick City
"Shaun Jeffrey has written a cracking good story that I really enjoyed reading and I highly recommend it to other crime thriller fans." -- Booklore
"If you decide to read The Kult (which you should!), make sure you block out an entire weekend strictly for reading because you won’t be able to put it down once you’ve started!" -- Fatally Yours
"The Kult is a gripping read that’s part horror, part mystery, part police procedural, and completely in-your-face." -- Musings of an All Purpose Monkey
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/h0KuGw
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/h9sj9R
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934
"Jeffrey, one of horror's rising young stars, has really hit his stride with THE KULT. Part mystery, part police procedural, part horror story, it's one thrilling ride. Jeffrey had me guessing at the killer's identity half a dozen times, and the reveal, when it finally came, knocked me over. You don't want to miss this one!" --Nate Kenyon, author of THE REACH and THE BONE FACTORY
"The Kult is a satisfying read that digs its bloody hooks in from the first sentence and drags the reader through its pages at a velocity far exceeding that of lesser novels." -- Dark Scribe Magazine
"The tension in this story is beyond anything I’ve read before, really intense and edge-of-your seat reading with the plot seeming to turn with every page." -- Book Chick City
"Shaun Jeffrey has written a cracking good story that I really enjoyed reading and I highly recommend it to other crime thriller fans." -- Booklore
"If you decide to read The Kult (which you should!), make sure you block out an entire weekend strictly for reading because you won’t be able to put it down once you’ve started!" -- Fatally Yours
"The Kult is a gripping read that’s part horror, part mystery, part police procedural, and completely in-your-face." -- Musings of an All Purpose Monkey
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/h0KuGw
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/h9sj9R
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934
Monday, March 28, 2011
Fangtooth
Okay, I hinted yesterday that there might be word about my next book that would be up for pre-order, well here it is (I feel like a proper writer me what with all this book news!) Cover art by Frank Walls www.frankwalls.net:
First there was the Creature From The Black Lagoon
Then there was Jaws
Prepare yourself for Fangtooth: http://www.darkregions.com/products/Fangtooth-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html
After the death of his wife, Bruce Holden moves to the quaint coastal fishing village of Mulberry with his son, Jack. He is hoping for a fresh start, but the locals greet their arrival with mixed reactions, from friendliness to open hostility. Bruce puts it down to them being outsiders, but when a tourist is killed while swimming, the real horror is unleashed. There's something ravenous in the sea. Something that's coming ashore in search of prey. Now Bruce and Jack find themselves embroiled in a nightmare where humankind is no longer at the top of the food chain.
First there was the Creature From The Black Lagoon
Then there was Jaws
Prepare yourself for Fangtooth: http://www.darkregions.com/products/Fangtooth-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html
After the death of his wife, Bruce Holden moves to the quaint coastal fishing village of Mulberry with his son, Jack. He is hoping for a fresh start, but the locals greet their arrival with mixed reactions, from friendliness to open hostility. Bruce puts it down to them being outsiders, but when a tourist is killed while swimming, the real horror is unleashed. There's something ravenous in the sea. Something that's coming ashore in search of prey. Now Bruce and Jack find themselves embroiled in a nightmare where humankind is no longer at the top of the food chain.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Ups and downs of publishing
As some people might already know, sadly Leucrota Press is no more. As I didn’t want my books, The Kult and Deadfall left in limbo, I’ve re-released them in eBook format. Both have new covers. While The Kult remains the same, Deadfall is a revised edition that I call the ‘Author’s cut’. This edition also features a bonus alternative ending, which was actually the original ending before I had a change of heart and altered it. Both books are available via Amazon and Smashwords and I’d appreciate any help spreading the word that they are available.
While on one hand I'm sad that they are no longer available in paperback (except second hand copies), I do like the fact that they are now under my control (of course if someone offered me a good enough deal, I'd accept and perhaps if the film is a success, the novel rights to The Kult might be more appealing - not that it's not a fantastic book anyway ;)). But with stories of Leisure Books ripping off their authors and lots of uncertainty in the publishing world, it's strange times that's for sure. I mean apart from a few visionaries, most people never believed that eBooks would ever become popular. They also never believed that people would ever make a success of self publishing, but now you have authors such as Amanda Hocking, JA Konrath and Scott Nicholson making a good living at it. And now Barry Eisler has announced that he is going down the self publishing road. But these are the exceptions. Most people who release their own work are lucky if they sell a copy a week or a month, and they'd be lucky to ever make a living at it. I'm among those, but I still love writing, and I know there are a few people out there who like my work, which makes it all seem worthwhile. So thanks :)
In other news, I’m hoping there will be an announcement tomorrow of my next book that will be up for pre order. Watch this space …
The Kult
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/h0KuGw
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/h9sj9R
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934
Deadfall
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/eqE01J
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/fZIsdO
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48929
While on one hand I'm sad that they are no longer available in paperback (except second hand copies), I do like the fact that they are now under my control (of course if someone offered me a good enough deal, I'd accept and perhaps if the film is a success, the novel rights to The Kult might be more appealing - not that it's not a fantastic book anyway ;)). But with stories of Leisure Books ripping off their authors and lots of uncertainty in the publishing world, it's strange times that's for sure. I mean apart from a few visionaries, most people never believed that eBooks would ever become popular. They also never believed that people would ever make a success of self publishing, but now you have authors such as Amanda Hocking, JA Konrath and Scott Nicholson making a good living at it. And now Barry Eisler has announced that he is going down the self publishing road. But these are the exceptions. Most people who release their own work are lucky if they sell a copy a week or a month, and they'd be lucky to ever make a living at it. I'm among those, but I still love writing, and I know there are a few people out there who like my work, which makes it all seem worthwhile. So thanks :)
In other news, I’m hoping there will be an announcement tomorrow of my next book that will be up for pre order. Watch this space …
The Kult
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/h0KuGw
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/h9sj9R
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934
Deadfall
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/eqE01J
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/fZIsdO
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48929
Saturday, March 26, 2011
I am not a monster ...
At least not all the time.
OK, I was reading a post someone made the other day where they remarked upon meeting one of their idols in the form of a horror writer. They then went on to say how surprised they were that said writer was ‘so normal’, just like everybody else, and it got me to thinking (I know, it’s dangerous thinking) about how we (or namely me) are perceived as writers. Do people really think that because I write about killing people, monsters and suchlike that I am inherently evil? Am I a product of my own imagination? Just because I have a vivid (perhaps sometimes sick) imagination, it doesn’t mean I really go out and do the things I write about. Well, you didn’t think I’d admit to my crimes, did you?
So what do other people think? Do you believe that if someone writes about something evil, that it must mean they are an evil person themselves?
OK, I was reading a post someone made the other day where they remarked upon meeting one of their idols in the form of a horror writer. They then went on to say how surprised they were that said writer was ‘so normal’, just like everybody else, and it got me to thinking (I know, it’s dangerous thinking) about how we (or namely me) are perceived as writers. Do people really think that because I write about killing people, monsters and suchlike that I am inherently evil? Am I a product of my own imagination? Just because I have a vivid (perhaps sometimes sick) imagination, it doesn’t mean I really go out and do the things I write about. Well, you didn’t think I’d admit to my crimes, did you?
So what do other people think? Do you believe that if someone writes about something evil, that it must mean they are an evil person themselves?
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Newsletter
Whenever I can, I'll try to give the members of my newsletter a discount on the books I release. The recent first issue gave readers the chance to get 50% off the cover price of Evilution at Smashwords with a coupon code, bringing the price down to just $0.99. There will be more news soon, and more discounts so if you're interested, please sign up at www.shaunjeffrey.com). And for those who missed it, here's a link to the first issue:
http://p0.vresp.com/OMUvDG
One thing I will announce is that there will soon be a revised edition of Deadfall available. This will also include the bonus of an alternative ending (it was the original ending before I changed it). For now, here's what the new cover will look like:
http://p0.vresp.com/OMUvDG
One thing I will announce is that there will soon be a revised edition of Deadfall available. This will also include the bonus of an alternative ending (it was the original ending before I changed it). For now, here's what the new cover will look like:
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Evilution
My novel Evilution is going out of print, but I’m pleased to announce that it's now available in eBook format. For those who don’t know, Evilution was the first book I had published back in 2003. The synopsis is as follows:
Humankind is about to change ...
Shrouded by fog for nearly two years, the picturesque village of Paradise harbours more than its share of secrets. Having won a cottage in a competition she can’t remember entering, Chase Black moves to Paradise, only to discover that its beauty is skin deep – murder and madness fester in its shadows. When her travelling companion, Jane mysteriously disappears, she starts asking questions. Why are the villagers behaving so oddly? Who are the strange figures she sees lurking in the fog? As Chase becomes afraid that something terrible has happened, events escalate dangerously out of control. A virtual prisoner; too late she discovers the real reason she’s there ...
"A classic chiller from a talented new author." - Guy N. Smith, Author of Writing Horror Fiction and The Dark One
"Shaun Jeffrey's debut novel is haunting, disturbing and spooky as hell." - Tim Lebbon, Stoker Award-winning author of Face
"Jeffrey handles the pace and the mood well in this chiller, and certainly has the skills in shifting expectations as quickly s the gears... You will experience a genuinely creepy story that goes somewhere more sophisticated than schlock-horroville. Just book the cottage at the top of the hill in Paradise with Miss Black - You will find it hard to leave." - Paul Terry, Dreamwatch Magazine
"Evilution is certainly one of the most enjoyable horror debuts that I can remember reading in recent times." - Joe Rattigan, The Alien Online
"A gripping horror story that will have you on the edge of your seat!" - Booklore
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/46855
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/gZzmwI
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/fzqMzw
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Inspiration for a horror writer
Although I’ve been Chester Zoo a few times, I’d never spotted this statue before. It’s called Noah and the Four Seasons by sculptor, Sean Rice (1931-1997) who used an imaginative interpretation of traditional religious and mythic themes. I find the sculpture fascinating, surreal and scary. 
The way the moss is growing on it gives it an even more surreal appearance. It's almost Gigeresque in ways I thought, and the figures at the bottom look like evil sprites. And it’s certainly one of those images that could give a writer inspiration, that’s for sure.
The way the moss is growing on it gives it an even more surreal appearance. It's almost Gigeresque in ways I thought, and the figures at the bottom look like evil sprites. And it’s certainly one of those images that could give a writer inspiration, that’s for sure.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Evilution cover. Please help me choose.
I hope to be releasing Evilution, the first novel I had published, as an ebook in the not too distant future, and I've been playing around with some covers, so as I did with Dead Man's Eye, I'd like to ask which cover people like the most - which cover would make you pick the book up in the first place?
The story is as follows:
Humankind is about to change ...
Shrouded by fog for nearly two years, the picturesque village of Paradise harbours more than its share of secrets. Having won a cottage in a competition she can’t remember entering, Chase Black moves to Paradise, only to discover that its beauty is skin deep – murder and madness fester in its shadows. When her travelling companion, Jane mysteriously disappears, she starts asking questions. Why are the villagers behaving so oddly? Who are the strange figures she sees lurking in the fog? As Chase becomes afraid that something terrible has happened, events escalate dangerously out of control. A virtual prisoner; too late she discovers the real reason she’s there ...
Cover 1
Cover 2
Cover 3
Cover 4
The story is as follows:
Humankind is about to change ...
Shrouded by fog for nearly two years, the picturesque village of Paradise harbours more than its share of secrets. Having won a cottage in a competition she can’t remember entering, Chase Black moves to Paradise, only to discover that its beauty is skin deep – murder and madness fester in its shadows. When her travelling companion, Jane mysteriously disappears, she starts asking questions. Why are the villagers behaving so oddly? Who are the strange figures she sees lurking in the fog? As Chase becomes afraid that something terrible has happened, events escalate dangerously out of control. A virtual prisoner; too late she discovers the real reason she’s there ...
Cover 1
Cover 2
Cover 3
Cover 4
Sunday, February 27, 2011
We're all going to the zoo tomorrow - well, we went last week anyway!
It’s been a strange week book wise, but nothing that I can talk about at the moment. All I can say is that there’s good news and bad news.
One thing that I can announce is that the trade paperback version of the new edition of Voyeurs of Death from Dark Regions Press is now available, and the first 100 copies are signed: http://www.darkregions.com/products/Voyeurs-of-Death-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html
Aside from writing, we had a trip to the zoo last weekend. My feelings towards zoos are torn. On one hand, I don’t like seeing animals in cages, but on the other I know that some of these animals would now be extinct if they weren’t kept this way. Anyway, here are a few photos:
One thing that I can announce is that the trade paperback version of the new edition of Voyeurs of Death from Dark Regions Press is now available, and the first 100 copies are signed: http://www.darkregions.com/products/Voyeurs-of-Death-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html
Aside from writing, we had a trip to the zoo last weekend. My feelings towards zoos are torn. On one hand, I don’t like seeing animals in cages, but on the other I know that some of these animals would now be extinct if they weren’t kept this way. Anyway, here are a few photos:
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The essence of horror?
I was reading this review of my novella, Dead Man’s Eye (http://bookaholicdoesblogging.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-dead-mans-eyes.html) and it started me thinking about what the essence of horror is. Obviously this reviewer was turned off by the fact that people died, and she felt awful for the protagonist being in such dire circumstances. Now it’s not a bad review at all, just not that reader’s cup of tea for the reasons mentioned, but what is horror supposed to do? According to Wikepedia: “Horror fiction is a genre of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror.”
So I guess in that respect the piece has achieved what horror is supposed to do as said reviewer obviously felt something for the protanonist to feel depressed by what happened to her. If the reviewer hadn’t felt anything for the main character, then the story wouldn’t have carried any weight, so in that respect the story has succeeded. But what do you as a reader think of horror fiction? Should stories have happy, upbeat endings? Do you mind seeing characters die?
So I guess in that respect the piece has achieved what horror is supposed to do as said reviewer obviously felt something for the protanonist to feel depressed by what happened to her. If the reviewer hadn’t felt anything for the main character, then the story wouldn’t have carried any weight, so in that respect the story has succeeded. But what do you as a reader think of horror fiction? Should stories have happy, upbeat endings? Do you mind seeing characters die?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Help needed from readers.
As a writer it’s hard to know what does or doesn’t work where trying to promote books is concerned, and so I would really appreciate it if anyone who has bought one of my books could let me know where they heard about it and what made them decide to purchase a copy. If you don’t want to post on a blog, please email me as I’m really interested in knowing what works and what doesn’t where promotion is concerned. Thanks in advance.
thekult_4(at)hotmail.com
thekult_4(at)hotmail.com
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Taekwondo, Dead Man's Eye, concentration and a guest blog
Well my son and I took our latest Taekwondo grading yesterday, for our red stripe belt. Won't know how we did until next Friday, but I think it went well, apart from the aches and sprains I have this morning. I was sweating buckets during the sparring, but as I was the oldest person grading, I have an excuse.
It's great to see that people have been purchasing a copy of my novella, Dead Man's Eye via Amazon. On Amazon.co.uk it even managed to give me a nose bleed when it reached number 10 in the Kindle horror charts, so thanks to everyone who bought a copy. I really appreciate it. By the way, the price on Amazon.com is now only $0.99 (£0.70 on Amazon.co.uk):
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
On the writing front I've been making progress with my latest novel, even though there are a few sticky patches (and no, that's not a sexual innuendo). One problem I have is concentration, as I'm easily distracted by wanting to surf the net, check emails etc, so something that's helped in this respect is a free app called Focus Booster, which is basically just a countdown clock that you have to work to: http://www.focusboosterapp.com/
And lastly, for anyone interested I have a guest post up at the following blog. Hope you check it out: http://darlynandbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/guest-post-author-shaun-jeffrey.html
It's great to see that people have been purchasing a copy of my novella, Dead Man's Eye via Amazon. On Amazon.co.uk it even managed to give me a nose bleed when it reached number 10 in the Kindle horror charts, so thanks to everyone who bought a copy. I really appreciate it. By the way, the price on Amazon.com is now only $0.99 (£0.70 on Amazon.co.uk):
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
On the writing front I've been making progress with my latest novel, even though there are a few sticky patches (and no, that's not a sexual innuendo). One problem I have is concentration, as I'm easily distracted by wanting to surf the net, check emails etc, so something that's helped in this respect is a free app called Focus Booster, which is basically just a countdown clock that you have to work to: http://www.focusboosterapp.com/
And lastly, for anyone interested I have a guest post up at the following blog. Hope you check it out: http://darlynandbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/guest-post-author-shaun-jeffrey.html
Saturday, February 05, 2011
New Dead Man's Eye cover. Please help me choose
As I didn't like the Dead Man's Eye cover, I've been playing around with some new ones and would like to hear which one people prefer (if any), and more importantly, which one would make you purchase a copy of the book if you saw it. The basis of the story is that after receiving a corneal transplant, a young woman starts seeing strange shadows around people who have been possessed by demons.
This is the original one:
And the following are the new ones:
This is the original one:
And the following are the new ones:
Monday, January 31, 2011
Promotion
Promotion, or more importantly self-promotion is a very sticky subject. Everywhere that people can post about their books, they do. I don’t have a problem with this. Hell, I do it myself in certain places, so can hardly complain. In their (and my) defence, if people are annoyed by the posts made, they can simply choose to ignore them. I’m not sure how much good posting on message boards does anyway to be honest, because most of the people promoting/reading on these sites are other authors, and other authors are notorious for not actually buying books. I on the other hand buy too many!
But what else is a struggling author supposed to do to promote their work? It’s easy for certain people to say ‘if it’s any good people will find it and buy it.’ To my mind that just doesn’t happen, because ‘how’ do people still find the book? They still need to hear about it. That’s why I appreciate anyone who takes time to review my work, whether they like it or not. I also appreciate anyone who posts anything about my work in messages or on forums etc. It all helps a tremendous amount.
There are lots of other things people can do to help authors too. Click on the ‘tags’ on Amazon which will help get the book higher in the searches for those words. If there’s a Facebook ‘like’ link on a review or on an Amazon page for a book, click on it to share it with your friends. If you post a review because you’ve enjoyed a book, cross post to different book seller sites, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc. If you have friends that read, tell them if you’ve read something great. Believe me, everything, no matter how small, helps.
So are there any other ways to help promote books? How do you help? Do you hate all the self promotion? I would love to hear your views.
But what else is a struggling author supposed to do to promote their work? It’s easy for certain people to say ‘if it’s any good people will find it and buy it.’ To my mind that just doesn’t happen, because ‘how’ do people still find the book? They still need to hear about it. That’s why I appreciate anyone who takes time to review my work, whether they like it or not. I also appreciate anyone who posts anything about my work in messages or on forums etc. It all helps a tremendous amount.
There are lots of other things people can do to help authors too. Click on the ‘tags’ on Amazon which will help get the book higher in the searches for those words. If there’s a Facebook ‘like’ link on a review or on an Amazon page for a book, click on it to share it with your friends. If you post a review because you’ve enjoyed a book, cross post to different book seller sites, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc. If you have friends that read, tell them if you’ve read something great. Believe me, everything, no matter how small, helps.
So are there any other ways to help promote books? How do you help? Do you hate all the self promotion? I would love to hear your views.
Film reviews
I watched a couple of films this weekend, The Last Airbender, Psych 9 and Inception. These are my thoughts:
The Last Airbender follows the adventures of Aang, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must put his childhood ways aside and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. Based on a cartoon, the story line was contrived, and the acting was pretty dire, but the special effects made it watchable and it kept my son entertained. 4/10
Psych 9 was a low budget film about an unstable woman working alone at night in a recently closed hospital, where she witnesses events that may be connected to a string of murders. The actors didn’t bring any real depth to the story, and the relationship between the protagonist and her husband came across that they hated each other, even though they professed their love. Aside from this, the storyline seemed to jump around and there were numerous scenes that didn’t make much sense. 4/10.
Inception also had a storyline that jumped around, but it was undertaken in a much more stylish way. Like an onion, there were many layers to inception, which concerns a world where technology exists to allow people to enter the human mind through dream invasion. Utilising this technology, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception. The film contained some wonderful special effects, but it’s a film you had to watch and listen to very carefully, otherwise you wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. 7.5/10
The Last Airbender follows the adventures of Aang, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must put his childhood ways aside and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. Based on a cartoon, the story line was contrived, and the acting was pretty dire, but the special effects made it watchable and it kept my son entertained. 4/10
Psych 9 was a low budget film about an unstable woman working alone at night in a recently closed hospital, where she witnesses events that may be connected to a string of murders. The actors didn’t bring any real depth to the story, and the relationship between the protagonist and her husband came across that they hated each other, even though they professed their love. Aside from this, the storyline seemed to jump around and there were numerous scenes that didn’t make much sense. 4/10.
Inception also had a storyline that jumped around, but it was undertaken in a much more stylish way. Like an onion, there were many layers to inception, which concerns a world where technology exists to allow people to enter the human mind through dream invasion. Utilising this technology, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception. The film contained some wonderful special effects, but it’s a film you had to watch and listen to very carefully, otherwise you wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. 7.5/10
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