Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Posted on by joepowersauthor

Today I wanted to refresh a message I share with you from time to time. It never gets old, because it never goes away. And each time I put it out there, my hope is that one more person sees and absorbs the message. Today, I want to talk about vanity publishers.

Let me put this as plainly as possible: vanity publishing is a scam. Anyone who asks you for money to publish your work is not a legit publisher. Money flows from the publisher to the author, not the other way around. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it very likely is. Legitimate publishers rarely contact writers unprompted with contract offers. Before you sign any kind of contract, make absolutely sure you know what you’re getting into.

Last night my friend @luisaraegan posted a wonderful breakdown of some of the pitfalls of vanity publishing. You can read her article here, and I definitely recommend it – and not just because she quoted me throughout! I love that she’s helping to spread the word about this scam, and when she asked for my input I was happy to oblige.

In my writing class, Crafting the Short Story, I spend some time discussing the things to watch for when choosing a publisher. I put a lot of emphasis on avoiding these types of publishers because many of the participants are relatively new to the publishing world and have no idea this sort of thing even exists.

Again, if we can reach even one person and save them a lot of headache and heartache, mission accomplished. I’m always happy to do my part to put a dent in the potential pool of scam victims.

Thanks as always for reading. If you’d like to receive updates delivered right to your inbox, you can pop over to my contact page and sign up to be among the first to see all new posts. Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

April News and Notes

Posted on by joepowersauthor

It’s Easter weekend, so happy Easter for those of you who celebrate! Today’s post is just a quick little update to stay in touch and chat about a few recent highlights.

First, a reminder that Old Bones is now available on most major online platforms in both hard cover and ebook editions. Following the release of two full-length novels, we’ve gathered some of my favorite short stories from over the years into one convenient collection. I’m proud of the stories between these covers, and of the fact it’s the first ever of its kind from World Castle Publishing. That’s a pretty big deal, and I’d love it if those of you that read it could pop over to Amazon, or Goodreads (or both) and leave an honest review. It doesn’t have to be elaborate (though I do enjoy those!), and every one of them makes a world of difference.

Also, for those who live or travel in the area, I’m happy to report that Old Bones and all of my titles are available at Dog Eared Books in Oromocto. There’s just something about walking into a store and seeing your books on their shelves that never gets old, and Dog Eared Books does a lot to support not only local authors but other small businesses as well. As I mentioned, my books are there, as well as Sheryl’s and a host of others from here and around the province. Check them out!

For the writers, new to the craft and a little more experienced alike, a reminder that the summer sessions of Crafting the Short Story (May 14th) and Writing Horror: The Dark Side (May 9th) are starting soon. If you or someone you know is interested in honing your craft in an interactive setting, why not check out the links above and see if one or both might be a good fit for you?

Lastly, thanks to all for your continued support. All the messages, comments, book purchases, ratings and reviews are so important and appreciated. For updates delivered immediately to your inbox, feel free to pop on over to my contact page and sign up. It only takes a few seconds, and the added site hits and traffic make a huge difference.

Stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Old Bones Goes Live!

Posted on by joepowersauthor

I’m thrilled to announce the imminent release of Old Bones, my first short story collection.

From the cover:

“Gather round, my friends. Get comfortable, dim the lights, and settle in for a terrifying journey where each stop along the way is creepier than the last.

A themed corporate gathering…children with very special, very disturbing powers…a well-meaning criminal who can’t quite manage to stay on the straight and narrow…filmmakers chasing an old legend that’s more than just a story… a spectral visitor returns with stories from the past…

These stories reveal the evils of humanity at its worst, and the nightmarish things that lurk just around the corner from reality. Deceit, jealousy, temptation, danger, evil. Twelve tales of horror that delve into the dark recesses of your worst nightmares and lay them bare upon the page.“

The release date for the ebook is April 11th, but it’s available now in paperback and hard cover editions. Also, for those who enjoy free stuff, Old Bones is available on Booksprout. If you’re not familiar with Booksprout, it’s a free signup site that allows you to read books at no cost in exchange for leaving a review. Read great books, and pay nothing aside from the time it takes to leave a review, which authors love and appreciate? It’s a win-win!

I hope you enjoy Old Bones as much as I loved creating the stories within its pages. If you pick up a copy I’d love to know what you thought of it. Thanks as always for the support and feedback, it’s greatly appreciated. If you haven’t already, take a moment to sign up over at my contact page for all the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Spotlight on Short Stories

Posted on by joepowersauthor

Winter hasn’t passed us by just yet, but here in my region of the world we’re getting a bit of a reprieve – sort of. There’s been snow and/or freezing rain nearly every night, but daytime temperatures have been on the happy side of freezing for a couple of days and several more just like it in the forecast. It might be a tiny oasis in the middle of the freezin’ season, but at this point we’ll take it!

This week I’m getting back to my roots a little bit with a focus on short stories. A while back I did a sort of miniseries where I took a look behind the scenes of some of the stories in Old Bones, my forthcoming collection. I took a break from doing that to promote Seventeen Skulls, and never got around to picking up where I’d left off. Fast forward to now, which finds me happy to report the edits have been completed and the release date of Old Bones is approaching.

as a reminder, here’s a look at the cover art and blurb:

Gather round, my friends. Get comfortable, dim the lights, and settle in for a terrifying journey where each stop along the way is creepier than the last.

A themed corporate gathering…children with very special, very disturbing powers…a well-meaning criminal who can’t quite manage to stay on the straight and narrow…filmmakers chasing an old legend that’s more than just a story… a spectral visitor returns with stories from the past…

These stories reveal the evils of humanity at its worst, and the nightmarish things that lurk just around the corner from reality. Deceit, jealousy, temptation, danger, evil. Twelve tales of horror that delve into the dark recesses of your worst nightmares and lay them bare upon the page.

I’ll keep you in the loop as the release date draws nearer. As an added bonus I’m very pleased to announce one of the stories from Old Bones will appear in audio form on the Creepy Podcast. I find this pretty cool, as it marks another first for me along my chosen path. I’ve listened to a few horror podcasts, with mixed results. Some, obviously, are better than others. Creepy does a nice job with production, and the actors enhance rather than detract from the story. As with all things, I’ll keep you posted when it’s finished and goes live. In the meantime, if you’re a fan of audio books or are familiar with and enjoy the podcast experience, why don’t you pop on over to Creepy and give them a try.

It’s been a productive week, for sure. Additionally, the winter session of Crafting the Short Story is in full swing with a a fun and creative group of writers. As I posted this link I was reminded of a short promotional video we put together, which now appears at the bottom of the registration page. I believe they’re planning to add more of these by other instructors but for now mine is, as far as I know, the only one. Just a little something fun for those who might be considering one of my classes. It looks like it’s on the page for Writing Horror: The Dark Side too.

That’s all for now. As always, thanks for reading and dropping by. Feel free to pop over to my contact page to sign up for updates sent directly to your inbox. Leave reviews for authors you enjoy, help spread the word and shine light on books that deserve to be noticed. Not just mine, but anyone whose work you’ve read and enjoyed. It makes a difference, I guarantee it!

Be safe, talk soon!

-JP

Picking Up Where We Left Off

Posted on by joepowersauthor

“Where the hell have you been, Joe? We haven’t heard from you in months!”

Oh, how the time does fly by. It’s been a long and harsh winter here on the east coast, and it’s really only getting started. To pass the time until spring arrives I’ve been holed up here, doing my level best to stay warm as well as clear of the Omicron-riddled masses. Imagine my surprise, then, when I noticed just how long it had been since I last posted anything here! Far too long, my friends. So today, we take the first step toward righting the ship and getting back out there.

First things first: it’s that time of year again, we’re back in the classroom! Well, not really. I’m in the office down the hall and you’re in your homes, but we’ll be together again nonetheless. Crafting the Short Story and Writing Horror: The Dark Side both kick off the 2022 winter sessions next week, and as luck would have it there’s still room in both classes for a few more last-minute additions to the roster.

Speaking of writing tips and advice, I received a nice shout out from my friend (and Crafting the Short Story alumnus) on her blog. She’s just finished her first novel, in fact – I’m so proud! – and has a lot of fun and cool stuff on her author page. You can check out her entry which features some of our conversation here, but feel free to browse around the rest of the site, too!

On the book front, I’m happy to report that quite a lot of people picked up copies of Seventeen Skulls and, to a lesser extent, Terror in High Water over the holidays. I’m grateful for that, and would like to take a moment to remind those of you who have read either or both that leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads (or both) only takes a few minutes and really helps a lot. So if you can, please take the time to leave a review – not just for me, but for any other authors whose books you’ve read and enjoyed. It means the world to them, I promise.

As always, feel free to pop over to my contact page and sign up to have updates sent directly to your inbox, hot off the presses, the moment they’re published here. Until next time,

Stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Seventeen Skulls Virtual Book Tour, Day 32

Posted on by joepowersauthor

Well, this is it. The last day of the Seventeen Skulls virtual book tour. It’s been quite a wild ride, from day one all the way to this final post. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ll have a retrospective look back on the tour at a future time. As for today, we’ll wrap things up, put a bow on it, and call it a tour.

Today’s lone stop sees us venturing over to Teatime and Books, where the tagline reads ‘all you need are books and tea.’ I don’t know about that, but I’m pleased and grateful to be featured on their pages.

Yes, I know I teased a week of double features. Yes, I know that hasn’t been the case on most of this week’s days. It’s one of those unfortunate “the best laid plans” things where not everything always unfolds the way we would like (or had been led to believe). Nonetheless, I hope it’s been an enjoyable experience for those of you who have followed along here. We’ve visited a ton of places I, quite frankly, never would have ventured otherwise, so my horizons have officially been expanded. Once or twice along the way it’s been a challenge to get the day’s post up in a timely fashion, but the streak held intact right to the final guns. I’ll talk more about it when I devote a post to looking back on the journey.

On the eve of the last weekend before classes resume for the fall, let me offer a gentle reminder that both Crafting the Short Story and Writing Horror: the Dark Side are both set to kick off once again. If you or someone you know is interested in one or both of these courses, registration is still open – just click the links above for more information. Hope to see some of you there!

This will be my last daily post for a while as I take some time to recover, reset, and digest the past month’s events. I’ll be back at it soon though, so don’t forget to subscribe at my contact page for updates and news sent directly to your inbox. Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Seventeen Skulls Virtual Book Tour, Day 31

Posted on by joepowersauthor

We can now measure the time left on the Seventeen Skulls book tour in hours rather than days – right around 30 of them at this point. Just today’s post and tomorrow’s, and this whirlwind ride is over.

It’s still going on, so it’s too early to take a retrospective look back at the past month, but I will do that in the near future. As for today, to make up for a lack of tour stops yesterday, we’ve got three of them right here, right now.

Up first we have I Read What You Write, which in addition to the normal fare features a Q & A with yours truly. This is one of the scheduled stops from yesterday, and unfortunately the only one we’ll be making today as the other one is still MIA.

Moving right along to Nana’s Book Reviews – the first stop on the tour which, at first glance, does not appear to be an English-first website. That first glance was accurate, as it turns out: our host hails from Greece.

An interesting third stop today, as we’re visiting the site of Valerie Ullmer, Romance Author. I don’t know that Seventeen Skulls is her normal fare, but I’m certain there are romance readers who enjoy romance novels, and vice versa.

Big thanks to our gracious hosts for today, always fun and exciting to break new ground. Thanks as well to those of you following along with the tour, daily or otherwise. You’re always welcome here.

So, this is it, guys. Tomorrow is the final tour day. Come on back over for the grand finale, we’ll wrap up with our last two stops, and call it a tour. In the meantime, don’t forget to head over to my contact page and subscribe to have posts, news and updates sent directly to your inbox. Until then, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Seventeen Skulls Virtual Book Tour, Day 30

Posted on by joepowersauthor

It’s drifting into evening here in Eastern Canada, and I realize I’m a bit late getting today’s blog tour post out there. Unfortunately, it’s by design that I haven’t posted already; due to a scheduling snafu, it seems both of our tour stops for today have experienced technical difficulties. As a result, well… I haven’t got much of anything for you today. I’m not thrilled about it, and I guess it’s possible we can get back on track by the end of the night, but I didn’t want to drag it out that long.

I did spend a little time today drifting back through the tour dates, popping in on some of our previous hosts and responding to a few commenters there. It’s nice to see the reach continues beyond our featured day at some of these sites, and that readers still manage to stumble upon my daily features well after the original date.

Here’s what I will do: I’ll continue to monitor the situation, and if things get sorted by the end of the day I’ll add a second post. If not, we’ll have one of two scenarios tomorrow – either today’s posts just fade into the sunset, never to be seen again; or today’s stops go live tomorrow and, with yet another two posts already scheduled for tomorrow, we’ll have a massive quadruple tour day.

Either way, thanks as always for dropping by. I love seeing all the visitors old and new alike each day. Also, a reminder that my writing course, Writing Horror: the Dark Side, kicks off with the fall semester on Monday, September 27th. Then on October 7th we’re back with another round of Crafting the Short Story. Due to the current restrictions, both courses are still being offered online while we look forward to being able to return to the classroom.

Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Seventeen Skulls Virtual Book Tour, Day 29

Posted on by joepowersauthor

It’s the beginning of a brand new week. Here in Canada, we collectively wait with bated breath for the federal election results. The polls close in a couple of hours, and then we see what shakes out. In book tour news, we’re down to just four days remaining and it’s back to business with not one, but two tour stops today.

First on the docket we’ve got the appropriately-named Insane Books, a busy little site that features a ton of books. Next we move on to The Book Dragon, which has given us a nice feature spot as well. Many thanks to our gracious hosts today, your interest and exposure are greatly appreciated.

Check back tomorrow when we’ll have two more tour stops, including two guest posts as well as a review of Seventeen Skulls. Good stuff!

That’s all for today, make sure you head over to my contact page and subscribe to have these posts delivered right to your inbox. Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Seventeen Skulls Virtual Book Tour, Day 28

Posted on by joepowersauthor

It’s Election Day eve here in Canada, which means tomorrow, for the third time in six years, we head out en masse and flip the two-headed coin once again. Who knows, maybe one of these times the coin will land on its edge.

As promised, we’re going right back to tour dates as of tomorrow, right through the end of the tour on Thursday. Four more days, eight more stops, and then it’s over. I’ve never done anything like this tour before, and I’m not sure I would again, at least not in this way. I think it could have been a lot more impactful with a couple of tweaks to both the approach and execution. Even still, I have to admit the number of people who have dropped in to visit along the way has been pleasantly surprising. If nothing else I’ve learned a little about the process, what does and doesn’t work.

Thanks to everyone who’s followed along here with me; or has stopped by once, on purpose or accidentally; or anything in between. It’s all very much appreciated. thanks also to those who have subscribed to my website and are now receiving all of these posts right to their inboxes. The more the merrier, I say! Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP