Should You Shamelessly Self-Promote?

Yeah, Why Not? You have to spread the word to the masses don't you? And to help teach you how to do it I'll give the following examples of Enticement, Humour, Description and Recommendation below, and because this is a Family Man blog, I'll leave out the gratuitous sex and violence. (And NO Dan, don't mention any of that sounds like what Satan would say.)

Remember you have to be willing to alienate your/my 4 other co-authors and talk about your/my almost 2 year old book instead of their new releases, because there comes a time for all of us where 'we' as men & writers need to shamelessly self-promote, so here goes...
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For the next 5 days Heroes of the Fallen is a free e-book.

Well, whats it about?

A great civilization teeters on the brink of devastating war. Amaron of the elite guardsmen must embark on a quest to protect the fate of two nations. Nations whose destruction is being orchestrated by the greatest evil the land has ever known. Who will rise to become the heroes of the fallen?

OK, but is it free?

Yes, it is.
And for how long?
Five days.
And it is free?
Yes, it is.
Is this one of those indie books you're just giving away because no one ever read it?
No, people have read it and here's what they had to say-ever so briefly.

"brutal, gory, and depressing---But make no mistake, West is a talented writer, and whether a reader ordinarily picks up fictionalized scripture novels or science fiction once embarked on this novel readers will find it nearly impossible to put down." Jennie Hansen reviewer for Meridian Magazine

"Heroes of the Fallen is a Book of Mormon historical that reads like an epic fantasy. It's not often that the LDS market sees something truly new, but West's debut novel really is different. It was refreshing. A breath of fresh air--and a lot of fun."  Rob Wells, author of Variant

"it’s very nice when you find an original vision at work. I’ve found one of those in David J. West, whose Heroes of the Fallen has imagination in spades. The world created by West is fully realized and backed up by both firm historical knowledge and a good feel for mythology. If imagination is the engine for Heroic Fantasy, fine prose is the fuel. Here, too, West achieves--" Charles Gramlich, author of Bitter Steel, Cold in the Light, and the Talera Cycle trilogy

"its a great read..." Wayne May publisher of Ancient American magazine

"Heroes of the Fallen is well researched, with an extensive cast of characters and lots of political intrigue. This is the first in a series. The sequel, Blood of our Fathers, arrives next year. Recommended." Bruce Durham author of The Marsh God

“David J. West has created a story line filled with excitement, archaeology, treasure and real history. This is a must-read not only for entertainment but also to open new doors and vistas of possibility for the mind." Bruce H. Porter Ph.D. Brigham Young University religion professor

 "When I first learned that someone was writing a book based on the last events of the Book of Mormon. I thought, "Good. It's good to read those types of books." No, no, no! It is not simply good! And good is the wrong word! It is intrigue, fascination. Power. Obsession." - M. Gray

So do yourself a favor and check it out ~ and Thank You

Writing Role Models & Influences

I have written action stories since I was a kid. Back in grade school, most of the stuff was what could fairly be termed fan-fic (I wrote a lot of G.I. JOE adventures) I also began my own "secondary world" epic fantasy. I'd like to think that for someone supremely influenced by J.R.R.Tolkien, I had some pretty cool original ideas.

Twenty five years down the road and a lot more reading under my belt, seems like a lot of other writers have already developed some of those very same ideas. I was going to have a young man be the veritable saviour of an epic worldwide struggle, I came to find that was very similar to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I was going to have a militaristic city state of werewolves in the mix, similar now to James Enge's The Wolf Age. I had big plans for a cursed warlord/sorcerer to stalk the land waiting for the endtime so incredibly akin to Karl Edward Wagner's Kane (I even wrote a short prequel on how he became cursed for his hubris).

SO

As much as I loved those ideas, I don't know if or when I will ever work on them...

But then again...

We all have our influences, the same as anyone else. I have read Scott Oden, Lion of Cairo, say that his three biggest influences are Tolkien, Robert E. Howard and Karl Edward Wagner.

Guess what = they are mine too.

But is there any real danger of us writing close to the same thing? No, there is isn't.
Why?
Because we all draw on our own experiences in life, our own worldview, our own strengths and weakness's. We are all different.
If any two of us set out to write the exact same story it would still turn out quite different and likewise appeal to different readers. I read a recent post of Dean Wesley Smith where he said, (and I'm somewhat paraphrasin') - "We are not in competition with other writers-but with ourselves to write better stories."

I like that a lot-it makes me not compare myself to my influences and the seeming impossibility of catching up, recreating the foundation they have already lain, but of just learning what I can from them and improving my own craft and writing the best stories I possibly can.

Lately, I am stressing/working on my sequel to Heroes of the Fallen - Blood of Our Fathers and working at making it the best book it can possibly be-that means writing the most awesome book that I would want to read again and again.
On other fronts I have a lot of speculative short stories getting published this year - 9 so far are forthcoming and I have another 4 submitted already, saturating the spec-fic market just like my writing role model, Robert E. Howard.
I'm kinda treating the present day anthology and e-markets like the depression era markets of the pulps. Gotta get my own weird brand out there and be read.

Stay hungry my friends.

David

Paranormal Romance: Lets take it Back

Hey, it's February, that month of love and what says love more than Paranormal Romance?

Wait a minute, David you say, this is the Man Cave Authors Blog-has some feminist group hijacked the blog?

No, I assure you such is not the case. I think Paranormal Romance is great...not the new stuff so much - but the classics.

Dracula? Frankenstein? Medea? Gilgamesh?

No, dear readers.

I am talking about what makes Paranormal Romance click-what it has that makes it appeal to people-that one member of the couple has powers. Lately that has been the boy-vampire, werewolf, fallen angel, and other such nonsense-NO!

We need to get back to when men were men and women were witches or genies and whatever Mortica Adams was.

I'm talking 'Bewitched', 'I Dream of Jeannie', 'Adams Family', 'The Munsters', and those three cute witches on 'Petticoat Junction'.

Back in the 60's (before I was born) those TV shows had it right, with the women having the powers-it helped them gain their independence and get the house clean.

We need more stories like that these days. So rather than another insipid tale about a wallflower with no personality or powers---I invite---Nay I CALL for everyone to write empowered female characters who can wiggle their noses, or blink or wave and magically do the dishes or laundry-you make that choice-mix it up a little.

Because that's love.

In the Beginning

I have written stories for about as long as I can remember, at least the last few months.

When I was a kid, I started out doing G.I. JOE fan-fic, Indiana Jones type treasure hunting yarns and some pseudo-Tolkien inspired fantasy outlines.

In a lot of ways, that's still what I do-very action oriented yet indomitable character driven tales. It has to have punch and bring the blood and thunder as it were-I cannot be bored. I write the stories that I want to read. Quite often I catch myself wanting to watch a movie that doesn't exist or read a book on a certain time period and subject and 'Lo and Behold' that book doesn't exist either. What do I do? I write it. I'd like to think the whole reason I have a novel published, Heroes of the Fallen (with more on the way) and a half dozen short stories coming soon is because there is a passionate fire behind them. You have to want these stories to be told...and it does take skill, talent and TIME, but there has to be a fire burning, you have to sit down and WRITE.

That's was the biggest obstacle for me in my 20's. I always knew I would write books, I had a drive to tell the stories I wanted to read-BUT-I kept making excuses and saying I would write when I had time, when I was older and was just sitting around.

How foolish of me-when am I ever just gonna be sitting around?

Throughout my 20's I had a lot of adventures, but my point is, that IF you really want to write you have to sit down and do it.

I didn't really get after it until I was 28. I would go into my favorite local restaurant in the evenings, order a drink and usually something simple like soup and pie-I got everything for free because the waitress's liked me (Yes, I was that guy-the one who gets free pie) and I would tune out the world and write.

Now the stuff I wrote back then will never see the light of day-but the point is even back then I was learning-voice, pacing and characterization and perhaps most important of all I was forming a habit of discipline when it came to writing.

My hope for here at the Man Cave Author blog is that we can all share some writerly wisdom and reap what we sow. Keep your sword sharp and your pen handy.