“In Bloom” Now Available for Purchase

I have been out of the self-publishing game for a while now for many reasons, but I did publish a new back in October of 2021 with minimal promotion.  Hopefully it’s not too little too late now.  In any case, I released the second book in the Bardsworth University series, titled “In Bloom”.  It continues the story told in my discontinued webcomic, but with more detail and some story changes.  Here’s the description:

College is a magical time.

Mike Cosley never imagined that he would be studying magic in college. He also never imagined that he’d have to put up with a pranking prestidigitator, being magically bonded with his best friend, or his final exams literally blowing up in his face. And amidst the sorcerous shenanigans, he still has to deal with schoolwork, friendships, and his baggage from high school.

Around him, conversations take place about his power and his future.

Part coming of age story, part light-hearted romp, Mike’s journey leads him towards a surprise blossoming.

As with the first book, it’s a fun, lighthearted read for all ages.  You can download it from Smashwords; or from Amazon, where you can also get a paperback copy as well.

And please, spread the word!  If it sounds like a book that someone you know might enjoy, send the link their way.  Or gift it to someone!

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Cyber Monday Special

So, I figured I’d jump on the bandwagon with a Cyber Monday special on my favorite book, Fantasy Noir.  If you use the coupon code “JU59Q” at Smashwords, you can get the ebook, normally priced at $3.99, for a crazy low price of $0.99.  If that doesn’t tempt you, I’m not sure what will.

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General Life Update

Well, sales for Starting Over have been pretty dismal. Of course, I missed a week or two of pushing it because of circumstances, but still. This is one of those tough cases where it’s a book a I really believe in and enjoyed writing, but doesn’t seem to be gathering any steam. I guess I’m just going to have to knuckle down and get in peoples’ faces…

In other news, I’ve started working on my next novel, Blood of the Father. It’s the sequel to Blood of the Mother (obviously), and it’ll be an interesting book to write because it sort of subverts some of the ideas I built up in the first book. I don’t like “black and white” stories; I like… well, I was going to say “shades of gray”, but someone sort of tainted that phrase. So I’ll say I like more three-dimensional stories.

Also, as I mentioned below, if you’re interested in being on a mailing list to receive updates, promotions/discounts, and whatever else I feel like telling you, please contact me about getting your email added.

Now, back to writing.

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“Starting Over” Now Available for Download

I soft launched the release of my new ebook at the beginning of this week, trailing after the end of the preorders for the paperback, so I figured it was time for an actual blog post about it.  “Starting Over” is now available for download in a number of formats from several retailers.  But before you consider it, what’s it about?

It took four years, but Mike Cosley finally managed to get through the nightmare of high school. But then he was faced with the decision of what to do with the rest of his life. Lucky for him, the answer was at the back of his closet.

Stepping through a mysterious doorway, Mike finds himself in the midst of a wizard, a demon, and all sorts of wonderous things – including a school that teaches magic. Through the help of the professor Fitzpot Fizzlebottom, Mike enrolls in the Wizardly Studies program and sets off to begin his new life in a strange world.

Meanwhile, a mysterious figure has set his sights on Mike…

Based on the long-running webcomic Bardsworth.

It’s a fun, lighthearted read for all ages.  You can download it at Amazon, Smashwords, or Google Play. Or, if you want the paperback and missed the preorder, you can purchase it at CreateSpace.

And please, spread the word!  If it sounds like a book that someone you know might enjoy, send the link their way.  Or gift it to someone!

Now it’s on to my next book…

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“Dark City, Dark Magic” is Now Free

A couple of weeks ago I made a decision that I had been waffling on for a while. I decided to make my first novella, Dark City, Dark Magic, free for downloading. I had left it at $0.99 for a long time because it was my best seller, and I had no proof that anyone who bought it ever actually went on to buy the other books. However, after quite a bit of deliberation, I decided to say, “What the heck.”

The following stories, Dames and Diviners and Angel in the Shadows, are still at their original price points in the hopes that if someone downloads and reads Dark City, Dark Magic they’ll want to spend the money on the next two. Or, better yet, they’ll drop a little more on Fantasy Noir to get the polished version of Dark City, Dark Magic as well as the other two.

I think some of my hesitation stemmed from the fact that I was so proud of Dark City, Dark Magic that I didn’t want to just give it away. I earned the right to ask for mony for it. Plus, I had the – admittedly prejudiced – view that a lot of ebook stories being given away for free were not very good. A pompous way to look at things, I know, but I’m only human. At least until I get those microchip implants. But I digress.

My decision is partially a marketing decision, an effort to get my work in front of someone to tantalize them into buying the rest of my stories. And the other part of the decision is purely ego driven. I’m so proud of the story that I feel it’s in everyone’s best interest to get their hands on it. Again, I’m only human.

So, in summary, Dark City, Dark Magic is now available for free through Smashwords. If my sources are correct, eventually Amazon will catch on and lower the price (they don’t allow you to manually set something as free), but until then Smashwords is your go-to source. Enjoy!

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A Little Holiday Marketing

Please pardon the language, as there is really no other way to put this, but I’ve done a piss-poor job of marketing my books this past year. With the exception of the book fair I went to in April and smattering of online sales that I could count on one hand, I have not sold much at all. And that’s my fault; with all the things going on in my life and all the other creative projects I’ve been attending to, I haven’t been able to put a marketing plan into action. (And for all you potential spammers out there who want to push their marketing services on me – I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT. So siddown and shaddup.)

I hope to have my next book out by April or May 2015, and that’ll help give me a little bit of a push. I could use the momentum of a new release to sell my previous stuff. But, in the meantime, I was hoping maybe some of you might be able to help out. With the holiday season coming, I know people are always looking for creative gift ideas. So how about suggesting a barely-known fantasy author’s works for said gifts?

All it takes is a few moments to share the link to one of my books or even to this website with someone who enjoys reading fantasy novels. Heck, you could even use the “Gift” options at Smashwords or Amazon to send someone the ebook files. And don’t forget that both Blood of the Mother and Fantasy Noir are available in paperback version through CreateSpace!

So consider this my last-ditch attempt at a marketing push for this year, and next year I will be working my butt off to do much better about it. And if you take the time to share my works with someone else, I’ll consider it your Christmas gift to me!

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The Return of the Author

If anyone still reads this blog, or even remembers it, I’ll be very surprised. So for those of you who do remember it and have been patiently waiting for news or a blog post or whatever, let me apologize for the long delay. After my last post I ended up taking on a temporary day job, which screwed up my routine and left me with little time to do some of the things that I had been doing, like blogging regularly.

In that span of time, I soft-launched my latest book (more on that in a moment) and promoted it at the Buffalo Small Press Expo back in April. It met with a some mild, but strong, interest from people. I’m hoping now that I’m getting back on track with things that I can promote it even more online.

So, I guess this is the hard-launch of Fantasy Noir! In case you’ve forgotten, or if you’re new, Fantasy Noir is the collection of all three of my Mystery, Murder, and Magic novellas. But not only does it collect all three stories, it was an excuse for me to polish and fix them up. So I guess you could say it’s the new and improved Mystery, Murder, and Magic. Check out the cover and description below, and please stay tuned for more blog updates (I promise I’ll be better)!

Step into the hardboiled world of Rick Walker, a private investigator with a penchant for scotch, dames, and magic. With reluctant help from a foul-mouthed demon, a nervous young diviner, and a fiery ex-girlfriend, Rick navigates his way through several cases, only to discover that they are all connected in some way.

In “Dark City, Dark Magic”, brother of millionaire Frederick Billingsly is found dead, but was it suicide or magic-assisted murder? Frederick hires private eye Rick Walker to answer the question. With the help of the foul-mouthed demon, Beluosis, Rick takes the case. The question is – will he be able to solve the case and pay his rent on time?

In “Dames and Diviners”, Walter Prescott is told that it was heart attack that killed his roommate, Jack Carradine, but he thinks otherwise. So Walter seeks outside help – and ends up with the magic-using, scotch-loving private investigator Rick Walker. The two embark on a journey for answers that leads them to a discovery that could mean the end of both of them.

Finally, in “Angel in the Shadows”, life has gotten complicated for Rick Walker. Hiding from it all behind bottles of scotch, he finally emerges to take on a case for an old acquaintance. But the case may turn out to be his deadliest yet. With the help of an odd assortment of companions, Rick confronts his demons, both figurative and literal. With surprises around every corner and danger lurking in the shadows, Rick might need more than his charm to get out of this one alive.

Fantasy Noir collects the “Mystery, Murder, and Magic” series together. So grab a glass of scotch (neat, with just a splash of water) and follow Rick through all three cases.

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Who Wants a Free Ebook?

In the spirit of the holidays, from now until the end of December my first novella, Dark City, Dark Magic, is free on Smashwords! You can download it in multiple file formats, including Kindle, Epub, PDF, and even plain text (or you can read it at the site itself)!

If you haven’t read this first book in my Mystery, Murder, and Magic series, jump on board now!

Here’s the description:

Henry Billingsly, brother of millionaire Frederick Billingsly, is found dead with a gun in his hand. The police are convinced it was suicide, but Frederick is unconvinced and has evidence that points to magic-assisted murder. Desperate for help, he turns to someone who specializes in cases involving magic – private investigator Rick Walker.

An indulging lover of Scotch and women, the smooth-talking Rick is also a darn good private eye. With the reluctant help of the foul-mouthed demon Beluosis, Rick searches for the pieces of the puzzle regarding Henry’s death. Was it murder? Is Rick’s life now at stake? And will he solve the case in time to pay his overdue rent?

The novella Dark City, Dark Magic is the first installment of Mystery, Murder, and Magic, a three-part story chronicling the continuing adventures of Rick Walker.

You can download it here!

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Now Available!

Now available for purchase!

Angel in the Shadows (book three of Mystery, Murder, and Magic)

The life of magic-using gumshoe Rick Walker has gotten a lot more complicated than usual. Unhappy with where his life is headed, and with a potential killer on a revenge trip lurking in the shadows, Rick finds solace at the bottom of a Scotch bottle. But when an old acquaintance hires him for a dangerous but well-paying job, Rick pulls himself up by his bootstraps and, with the encouragement of his good-natured assistant, decides to get his life in order.

When Rick receives a warning from the very person he’s supposed to be gathering information on, however, he soon finds himself between a rock and hard place.

With the help of an odd assortment of companions, Rick confronts his demons, both figurative and literal. Will he have the chance to redeem himself before his time runs out?

Available for purchase at Amazon and in multiple formats at Smashwords.

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