Amazon – Joe Powers, Author

Welcome… For Real This Time

Posted on July 1, 2025 by joepowersauthor

Well, this is embarassing.

For some of you – a great number of you, in fact – this will be the first emailed notification from me. Some of you subscribed recently; others, a… little longer ago.

I end nearly every post with a version of ‘like and subscribe’, and quite a few of you actually did do that. But here’s the thing: a lot of you never heard from me again. And I blame WordPress entirely for this travesty!

As it turns out, somewhere along the way this particular platform chose to alter the settings to me having to manually accept and input new subscribers. I was unaware of this, obviously. But I was recently perusing my stats and wondering why there were fewer of you than I thought there should be. And then a few days ago someone I know very well signed on, but didn’t show up in my subscription list. So, I did a little digging, and to my dismay, discovered what the problem was.

All of this to say, I have figured out the system (this part of it, at least) and will be much more dilligent moving forward. You know… now that I know it’s required of me. So, thank you to all who have subscribed. Welcome, to those of you who are now officially on the list as of a few minutes ago. I don’t have a lot of actual news, notes or updates, mostly because I added a post with all of that just prior to this one. You can find that here, if you’re so inclined. This is more or less just a test to see if a bunch of people are suddenly discovering me in their inboxes. If you do, whether you’re new to the list or have been receiving them all along, it would be great if you could leave a comment or something on this post, just to let me know my efforts have actually succeeded.

Oh, and I should mention that some of the names I added were very likely marketing spam or other such accounts that probably aren’t interested in what I have going on at any given time. For those who came here looking to sell me stuff and don’t want unwanted emails in your inobx, I guess the best I can tell you is now we’re even.

That’s all for today. As always, thanks for dropping by. I hope you enjoyed your stay, and if you want to receive news and updates delivered right to your inbox, you can sign up at my contact page here. The irony of adding this to the end of this particular post is not lost on me! Until next time,

Stay safe, talk soon.

-JP

Dark Canadiana, and Other News

Posted on July 1, 2025 by joepowersauthor

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks! And happy Tuesday to all of you from elsewhere! Just a few quick notes and updates today, since it’s been a few days since I last dropped in with any sort of news.

First off, in honour of Canada Day, allow me to introduce you to Dark Canadiana. Brought to you by Iron Fang Press, it’s a horror anthology (naturally), written about Canada, by Canadians. It’s loaded with great stories, by a wide array of authors spanning the nation – including yours truly.

Check out this cover art!

From the back cover:

Canada.
A land packed full of beautiful landscapes, wildlife, diverse people, and poutine.
A land overflowing with a dark history, local legends, cryptids, serial killers, and so much more.
Explore the dark side of Canada in this anthology of short stories by these truly Canadian authors:
John Adam Gosham, Steve Stred, Joe Powers, K.A. Mielke, Konn Lavery, Leonard George, Dana Gricken, Anthony Michael Murphy, Stephen Coghlan, Robert Dawson, Kristal Stittle, Jon Gauthier, Alix Kampen, Debbie Powers, Dwain Campbell, Eva Roslin, Daniel Fox, Dean Italiano, Angelique Fawns, Spencer Keene, Carson Fredriksen, C. K. DeLeskie, Justin Allec, Nadia Steven Rysing, Kevin Cull, James Seamone, and a special Foreword by MJ Preston

Also, a reminder that my new novel, Putting Down Roots, is available on Amazon and KDP. Despite no reviews and little promo, it’s holding its own in the sales rankings a month after release. Thank you to all who have picked up a copy already, it means a lot. And thanks in advance to those who plan to get a copy but haven’t yet. Looking forward to your feedback!

And speaking of Putting Down Roots: for those in the area, we’re having the official launch party in a couple of weeks. The Write Cup Bookstore Cafe is a wonderful place that offers a ton of excellent books with a focus on Atlantic Canadian authors, and they have graciously agreed to host this event. There’ll be drinks and snacks, I’ll be signing copies and telling stories, a good time will be had by all! So, on Saturday, July 12th, come on down and help celebrate with us.

That’s enough for one day, I guess. Thank you for taking the time to drop in and visit my little corner of the online world, and for your continued support. As always, if you’d like to have updates and info delivered right to your inbox, click over to my contact page and sign up there. Which reminds me, I’ll have another post in the next couple of days regarding my contacts… but I won’t get into that just now. Until next time,

Stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

An Ancient Evil is Coming…

Posted on May 28, 2025 by joepowersauthor

Just four short days until Putting Down Roots goes live!

As a reminder to those who haven’t heard, here’s what’s coming this way:

“Matt and Rachel Bailey have uprooted their family and moved across the country to a quiet college town in New Brunswick. Their new house is a beautiful old Victorian with a sprawling yard on a corner lot in a nice suburban neighbourhood. Rachel’s got a great job at the university, the kids are making new friends, and everything’s coming together.

There’s just one problem.

Huddled in the far corner of the lot, just inside the high board fence that surrounds the yard, stands an old, massive tree. The moss-covered branches hang low to the ground, like skeletal hands reaching for those who wander too close. The thick, gnarled roots ripple just below the surface of the ground like probing tentacles. Matt finds it creepy and unsettling and plans to remove it as soon as possible. But it won’t be that easy.

Before long, unease turns to terror as the true nature of the tree slowly begins to unravel. This is no mere tree, but an ancient evil presence that has preyed on unsuspecting animals and people for centuries.

And getting rid of it won’t be as easy as he thinks.

With the safety of his wife, two curious children, and the family dog at risk, Matt does everything he can to protect his family from the rooted predator that lurks mere feet away from their back door. One false move, a step too close, is all it takes for tragedy to strike. And just how close to the house do the roots reach? Is anywhere safe?

After a close call that he narrowly escapes, and with the number of victims on the rise, Matt must devise a plan to destroy the menacing evil before it destroys everything he loves.“

This book has been a very long time coming, has gone through a long and winding evolution, and there was a time when I wasn’t sure it would ever see the light of day. But like the horrifying menace that threatens the Bailey family, this story just woudn’t be held back or pushed aside. It’s almost as if it willed itself into existence while I watched, powerless to resist.

So now, this Sunday it will be available on Amazon in paperback and ebook, and Kindle Unlimited. I’m very excited about this book, and I can’t wait for everyone to check it out.

But wait… for those in my region, I have a special announcement: we’ll be having an official launch party for Putting Down Roots! I’ll fill you in on all the details very soon, but I can confidently say it’s going to be an awesome event with all the bells and whistles, and of course I’ll be there signing books and telling stories. More to come soon!

In addition, as a reminder: all my previous titles – Seventeen Skulls, Terror in High Water, and Old Bones – have been re-issued with all new cover art, and are now available in paperback and ebook on Amazon, and also on Kindle Unlimited. I’m proud of these books, so when I re-acquired the publishing rights and re-issued them under my own banner, I felt a new look was in order. I think they turned out exceptionally well, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with them.

That’s all I’ve got for now, you’re all up to date. Thanks as always for your continued support. If you’re here for the first time, welcome to my little slice of the writing world. I hope you enjoy your stay, and you’ll come back to visit soon. If you haven’t already, you can sign up at my contact page to have news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. More to come soon. Until then,

Stay safe, talk soon.

-JP

Old is New Again

Posted on May 19, 2025 by joepowersauthor

With the long weekend almost behind us, I have returned from the deep, dark woodlands once again. Back to civilization, now it’s time for me to get back to some promotional work!

As I mentioned last week, my new novel, Putting Down Roots, is set to release on June 1st. Kindle pre-orders can be placed here, as a reminder). But while this whole process has been going on, I have also re-issued my back catalogue, complete with new cover art. I’m pleased and proud to share them with you. Clicking on the images will take you to the Amazon page. Presenting my debut novel, Terror in High Water:

My second novel, Seventeen Skulls:

And my short story collection, Old Bones:

These titles are all available through Amazon and Kindle Unlimited, in both in paperback and Kindle formats. If you own or have read any of these books, I would love it if you’d consider leaving a review on the new versions, even if you’ve already done so on the previous releases.

As always, thank you for your continued interest and support. Be sure to check back often for news and updates on these and other items of interest. Please sign up on my contact page for all the latest news delivered to your inbox. Until next time,

Stay safe, talk soon.

-JP

Countdown to Launch Day

Posted on May 13, 2025 by joepowersauthor

There’s an imminent long weekend here in my part of the world – anyone else remember when the May 2-4 weekend actually landed on or around the 24th? Anyway, lots going on around here lately, not the least of which being the upcoming book launch! We’re now just nineteen days away from the release of my new novel, Putting Down Roots. The ebook is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Kindle, ahead of the paperback version which should follow soon.

From the back cover:

There’s just one problem.

And getting rid of it won’t be as easy as he thinks.

After a close call that he narrowly escapes, and with the number of victims on the rise, Matt must devise a plan to destroy the menacing evil before it destroys everything he loves.“

Follow this link for Kindle pre-orders. I’ll let you know when the paperback is ready, probably next week. Follow me here for news and updates delivered right to your inbox. I’ve got plenty more coming in the days and weeks ahead, including re-launches and more cover reveals, so stay tuned! Until next time,

Stay safe, talk soon.

-JP

I’m a Free Agent

Posted on May 10, 2025 by joepowersauthor

Today marks a fairly significant change in my little corner of the publishing world. As of today, my previous publisher and I have mutually agreed to terminate our working relationship. Which is a fancy way of saying I asked to be released from my contract, and they obliged. But it amounts to the same thing – an amicable parting of ways. For better or worse I am officially a free agent, unattached and unbeholden.

What does this mean for me? Well, the process began last night, and continues today, as my novels begin to be delisted from all major platforms. By day’s end or shortly thereafter, none of my three titles originally released under that publisher’s umbrella will be commercially available.

But… that doesn’t mean they’re gone forever. On the contrary, I have decided to re-issue all three under my own banner. Over the coming days each will be relaunched, complete with amazing new cover art, on Kindle and Amazon. While I did retain the rights to the original covers, in the spirit of a fresh start I decided to give them a new and improved look moving forward.

But why, you might ask, would you do such a thing? You had a publisher, a good setup, everything taken care of, and you made the conscious decision to pull the plug. All reasonable points. There’s a method to my madness, I assure you.

I’ll post updates as the process unfolds, including sneak peeks at the new covers. I’ve got a few other items to touch on at the same time, so the activity around here might be a little more extensive than you’re used to. If you haven’t already, make sure you pop over to the contact page on my website and sign up to receive all the latest news and updates from my little corner of the writing world. As always, thank you for stopping by and for all your support. It means a lot. Until next time,

Stay safe, talk soon.

-JP

Seventeen Skulls Virtual Book Tour, Day 27

Posted on September 18, 2021 by joepowersauthor

Just a quick post today, with no tour stops until Monday and a couple of needed days off to recharge for the final push. Seventeen Skulls is still forging ahead and holding strong, and there’s actually been a bit of an uptick in interest in Terror in High Water, too.

In other news, Crafting the Short Story and Writing Horror: The Dark Side are both set to kick off for the fall semester. Hope to see some of you there.

The Nixies of McGillivray Lake, the debut novel from Sheryl Doiron-Powers, is available on Amazon and many other quality outlets. It’s also up on Booksprout, for any of you who have a membership and might be interested in checking out a high quality YA dark fantasy novel. As an aside, Seventeen Skulls is available there as well.

Enjoy your Saturday, thanks for dropping by to visit . It’s appreciated as always. Don’t forget to head on over to my contact page and subscribe to have these posts sent directly to your inbox. Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

Mid-Winter Notes

Posted on February 16, 2020 by joepowersauthor

We’ve got January behind us, which for the optimistic among us means the worst of winter is now behind us. It’s not gone of course, not by any means. But now that we’re half way through February I for one am starting to let myself feel a bit optimistic.

We’re back into the swing of things with the winter 202 0 edition of Crafting the Short Story. It’s a fun and creative group that I’m enjoying as we pass the halfway point of our session together. I’ll be following this up with another round of Introduction to Publishing on March 21st, then a short break before diving right back into Crafting the Short Story on April 20th.

In case you missed it, here’s the link to my interview with Allan Hudson of the South Branch Scribbler from earlier this month. Allan does a lot to promote the industry and those of us that toil within it. I know he’d appreciate it if you dropped in at the Scribbler’s website and had a look around. Odds are good you’ll discover something there that catches your eye – maybe even a new author to add to your list of favorites.

Elsewhere, last summer I cobbled together a collection of my short stories which I submitted to an open call for consideration. Still awaiting word on that. I think it’s a solid collection, so we’ll see how that goes. Additionally my second novel, Seventeen Skulls, has been sent to my publisher. I’ll keep you posted on what’s going on with that as things progress.

Speaking of updates and news, if you click here and enter your name and email address you”ll get updates right to your inbox hot off the presses. Feel free to invite your friends to sign up, too. The more the merrier, I say! And who knows, maybe you know someone who would find my stuff is right up their alley.

One final note for the day: my usual plea for reviews. I appreciate all the support for Terror in High Water. Lots of you have written or spoken to me about how much you enjoyed it, for which I’m very pleased and grateful. It would really make my day if those of you who did read and enjoy the book could take a few minutes to pop over to Amazon or Goodreads (or both, if you’re feeling motivated) and leave a short review to let others know what you thought of it. It can be as long or as short as you want – they all help increase exposure and get it in front of a wider audience.

As always, thanks for reading. Until next time!

-JP

The Year That Was

Posted on December 31, 2019 by joepowersauthor

The year is winding down rapidly – time for one last post before we roll over into the 2020s. As a sort of recap I thought I’d take a look back at 2019 as it unfolded from my perspective. As it turns out there’s quite a lot to review!

The biggest news, for me at least, was the release of Terror in High Water. I can’t say enough how pleased I am with how it turned out, and the kind words and support I’ve received. It’s widely available on numerous platforms in paperback and ebook.

My story, The Grand Finale, appeared in the Deadly Bargain anthology. It too was well received, and I’m proud of my inclusion in its pages.

The Canadian Dreadful anthology was next. This was a learning experience that contains a version of my story, The Sound of Passing Traffic.

Speaking of learning experiences, this fall saw the debut of my new course, An Introduction to Publishing. It’s a one-day seminar that’s a sort of companion piece to my Crafting the Short Story course. Both are offered through UNB’s College of Extended Learning and will continue into 2020 and beyond.

High Water has drawn interest locally in a few ways. A signed copy was included as part of a prize package offered by Fred-E-Scene, which is a showcase of local news, business, arts and leisure, and more. It’s a great resource that I highly recommend for anyone in or around the area.

I recently did an interview with Allan Hudson, founder and driving force behind the South Branch Scribbler. It was a cool experience in which we discussed a variety of topics. You’ll be able to check out in the coming weeks – I’ll keep you posted there.

Another “I’ll keep you posted” item is my first foray into children’s horror. Mother Ghost’s Grimm is a multi-part series focused on horror (age appropriate, obviously) for young children. Volume One, which includes a number of my friends, released earlier this month. I’ve got a story called The Little Ones in the forthcoming Volume Two, in which I’ll share pages with many other friends and my better half, Sheryl. She’s got a new release as well, an all-Canadian anthology called Creatures in Canada. It’s got a great author list and lots of cool stories. Worth a look!

Lastly, even though it won’t see the light of day until well into the new year: I’ve sent my second novel, Seventeen Skulls, to my publisher just before Christmas. It’s far too early in the process to divulge any more than that, but as with everything else on the horizon, I’ll keep you posted.

Have a safe and Happy New Year. Thank you for your support and all the cool experiences. See you on the other side!

-JP

Winter All-Purpose Post

Posted on December 8, 2019 by joepowersauthor

Today’s post is a bit of a catch-all, as I bring you up to speed on some of the things going on in my chilly little piece of the world.

First, Terror in High Water is rolling along and getting some positive feedback. I’m grateful for the kind words and all the attention it’s been getting. Watch for reviews, spotlights and interviews, and more in the New Year.

As an aside, books make great Christmas gifts. For those unable to flee south and escape Old Man Winter, well… it’s always hot in the little Texas town of High Water.

Speaking of Terror in High Water, it recently received its first five-star review. You can read it here. I’ve also added a page on my site dedicated solely to High Water, which you can check out here.

The Fred-E-Scene holiday wishbook was released right on schedule and received with much enthusiasm. Thanks to the management and staff for being so cool to work with.

Also – and I’m sorry I didn’t know about this earlier – 13 Horror Street made High Water their Scream of the Day on release day.

Another first for me: I get to share a table of contents with my better half! I mentioned this briefly before, but I figure it bears repeating as we creep closer to the launch date. To recap: it’s a slight departure for me, but we’ve delved into the world of children’s literature: horror edition. Presenting the Mother Ghost’s Grimm anthology. Here’s a little peek at the cover art. Sheryl and I will appear in volume 2.

Fun stuff. Looking forward to this cool project.

More to come later. Stay warm, stay safe. Talk to you soon!

– JP