Advance Reviewers Needed

In the coming months, my newest novel, Pennyweight, will be released and I’m looking for some volunteers to receive advance copies of the book in exchange for honest reviews posted to Amazon and/or Goodreads on publication day.

Set in a world powered by the souls of the dead, Pennyweight is the story of Lucretia Bonnecourt, a uniquely-deformed girl who embarks upon a harrowing journey that takes her from a life of imposed solitude to the depths of human depravity. Combining elements of horror, dark fantasy, and neo-Victorian sci-fi, Pennyweight is perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton.

If interested in being an advanced reviewer, please private message me with your email address for more details.

Lost in the Amazon

Shut the Fuck up and Die! by William Todd Rose

Shut the Fuck Up and Die! used to be my best-selling title. At one point, I had more sales of this particular book than all of my other works combined, which I always found kind of amazing. I didn't do anything to promote this book; people just found it and were apparently intrigued enough to buy a copy.

Then, one day, sales tanked. At first, I thought it was just a slump; but after months of not selling a single copy, I decided to do a little market research to see what had changed. After searching my own name on Amazon, I was dismayed to find that Shut the Fuck Up and Die! wasn't listed among the search results. I knew the book was still actively published, but couldn't understand why it wasn't listed.

An Amazon search just for the book's title brought up albums with the same (or similar) titles by bands like Sub Dub Micromachine, Marasmus, and Death In Custody...but no book.

Finally, I got extremely specific and searched for the book title only within the Kindle store category. That was when I saw what had happened. At the top of my search results was the following link: "Your search contains adult items which have been hidden. If you wish to see them, show all results". Only upon clicking the link, did my book appear...which explains why sales had tanked. At one time, readers had discovered this book in their search results; now, however, they have to be specifically searching for it. They not only have to know it exists, but also know that they need to refine their search only to the Kindle Store and not All Items.

But hey...at least I can find "Oh! Shut up! Fuck Off! I Love You!" by The Callas. 

Do You Have What It Takes To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse?

A rag-tag group of survivors is huddled within the crumbling ruins of a burnt-out building. Outside, hordes of the walking dead shamble through the streets in their relentless pursuit of human flesh, drawn by the slightest sound.  From the safety of neighboring rooftops, unknown snipers take potshots at your crew every time someone hazards a peek through a window.  Return fire might thin out the snipers’ ranks, but would also draw the undead’s attention away from the roofs and lead them directly to you. Yet something has to be done…and soon. One of your companions caught a bullet in the leg and is bleeding out through the femoral artery.  Time is of the essence.  What do you do?

This is the type of situation players in The Wolf Pack face on a regular basis.  Falling under the banner of online roleplaying, The Wolf Pack might be more aptly described as “collaborative storytelling”.  There are no complex rules to memorize, no dice rolls or stats to keep track of; those who immerse themselves into this alternate universe move the plot along in short, first-person posts told from their own characters’ perspectives.  Typical updates usually consist of a four to five sentence paragraph, meaning that the time investment to play along is minimal; yet the twists presented in these posts often send the game into unexpected areas, keeping the action fresh and interesting.

The brevity of the updates also means that players aren’t required to be eloquent writers whose prose borders on literary greatness. In short, anyone who can imagine themselves struggling to survive in a hostile wasteland has what it takes to play. Even better, for those who join and find that it isn’t quite their cup of tea or that even the minuscule time investment is too much for their hectic schedules, dropping out of the game is easy. It is, after all, a zombie apocalypse; and—like in the movies and novels which inspired The Wolf Pack—characters die.

The Wolf Pack is hosted by Zombiefiend.com—an alternative social media site for horror, survival, and apocalypse enthusiasts—and free registration with the site is required to play. The registration process, however, is quick and easy, allowing new players to join in on the mayhem within moments. Interested parties can also click the following link to be taken directly to The Wolf Pack page; the current and previous “chapters” of the ongoing story can be read without registering by visiting the Forum section of the group. The Wolf Pack