Tag: Western Horror

Seventeen Skulls Virtual Book Tour, Day 27

Posted on 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

Seventeen Skulls Virtual Book Tour, Day 15

Posted on by joepowersauthor

I have returned – more or less unscathed – from the wilds to bring another update, and not a moment too soon! It’s down to the wire, but we’ve managed to keep the streak alive at fifteen days of non-stop touring.

Today we visit The Scratching Post, where we find a lovely section on Seventeen Skulls and a note that the giveaway counter has topped 1,800. I should point out, by the way, that this giveaway includes an Amazon gift card and an ebook version of my first novel, Terror in High Water. My thanks to our gracious and hospitable host for the day.

We had a second tour stop scheduled for today, but based on my experience with their website it appears they may be experiencing some technical difficulties. Hopefully we can reconnect with them later in the tour.

As always, a hearty thank you to everyone who takes the time to follow along here, to those who pop in from time to time to keep up to date, and for those who discover us along the way. I always enjoy seeing both new and familiar faces around here and on my other social media platforms. Your support and interest are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to pop over to my contact page and subscribe for news and updates delivered directly to your inbox in a most timely fashion.

That’s all for today, but tomorrow we’re right back here with more book tour action and another stop as we dive headlong into the back half of this awesome journey. Until next time, stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

The End of a Long Week

Posted on by joepowersauthor

My writing output this week, I’m sorry to say, was curtailed by a nasty dose of food poisoning. It was unfortunate (aside from the obvious reason) because of my recent novel progress, which is thanks in part to my recent posts here in this space. What does one have to do with the other? Well, it’s no secret that writers will occasionally procrastinate, and I’m not exempt from this. I’ve found, however, that discussing my progress in this space pushes me along to keep my nose to the grindstone. And so earlier today, despite my less than peak condition, I did manage to hammer out roughly a thousand words toward the cause.

Today, however, I wanted to take a brief detour from this little online diary of sorts in favor of a friendly mention of my previous novel, Terror in High Water. Another trait I share with many writers is reluctance to self-promote. I’m always hesitant to push my own work too hard or too often, even though it’s in my best interests to do so. With that said, I’m very proud of High Water and want to see it enjoyed by as many readers as possible. It’s been just under seven months since its release, and so far the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, some of which can be seen in my dedicated page.

I’m thrilled with the response it’s received, so like I said, I thought I’d take this chance to give it another quick mention. I’ve gotten quite a lot of attention from new folks recently – which is awesome – some of whom may only know of me through other outlets or “friend of a friend” connections. All good – the more the merrier around here, I always say. And if someone stumbles upon this space and is curious, either about High Water or some of my earlier work, I’m happy to point you in the right direction.

I know I throw this into the conversation frequently, but as a final note, let me repeat the mantra: book reviews are a wonderful and inexpensive way to really brighten a writer’s day. Word of mouth means so much in terms of a writer’s credibility, more so than virtually any form of marketing. Reviews have such an impact in terms of exposure and future sales, and are invaluable to those of us who haven’t quite gotten the attention of the masses yet.

Again, thanks for your interest in me and my contributions to the world of fiction writing. Feel free to spread the word and mention me to any of your friends or acquaintances who might also enjoy what I do. If you’ve read this far and I’ve piqued your interest, there’s an option to sign up to receive updates directly via email. Whatever the method of delivery, however you may have learned of me and choose to spend your time here in this space with me, thank you. It’s all very much appreciated.

Stay safe, talk soon!

-JP

The Year That Was

Posted on 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 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.

Little Ones

Fun stuff. Looking forward to this cool project.

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

– JP