A 5-Star Review for Caught!

Greetings all,

I wanted to share this wonderful five-star review for Caught.

I met Cathey at AwesomeCon a few years ago (probably my first year as an official author), and she’s been one of my most stalwart supporters since.

This review actually has some opportunity, as Cathey asked a few questions (not bluntly, but the questions were implied, so I felt the need to answer.)

Was I/am I influenced by Matrix, Edge of Tomorrow, The Sixth Sense, Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb, and/or Metallica’s Enter Sandman.

The short answer is no, none of those stories directly influenced (at least not consciously) any of those stories, but I am a fan of many, so I’d like to take the time to speak about them.

The Matrix: This movie was one I went to see because I had already developed a habit of seeing movies every weekend. Honestly, by that point, it was the only movie I hadn’t seen. I was one of ten or so people in the theater, and by the third time I saw it, the line was enormous.  This original movie (I have entirely different opinions on the sequels), struck me because of it’s visual breakthroughs and clever concept. It took the hero’s origin story to a new place. While The Matrix didn’t directly influence Caught, it did teach me that great stories are often re-imaginings of old concepts.

The Edge of Tomorrow and Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb: I must admit I’ve never seen the movie, and I’ve never been a huge fan of Pink Floyd.  I don’t hate them or anything, they just never make it into my playlists.

The Sixth Sense: The plot twist for Caught is something I felt particularly happy with, and the responses from readers validate that feeling. To have someone mention Caught with a story with that great a plot twist is simply humbling. The trick, however, was what The Sixth Sense taught me in instinct, and Brandon Sanderson explained in a simple phrase: “I want my readers to realize what’s happening just before they turn the page to read what’s happening.”

The biggest payoff for me when watching The Sixth Sense was as the big reveal was coming, and I realized it just as it happened.  I call this the, “I should have known!” moment. Whenever I have a plot twist, I aspire to create that feeling.  Honestly, I think Cathey gives me too much credit here.  This implied comparison is probably the highest compliment I’ve gotten for Caught since it’s been published.

Metallica’s Enter Sandman: The nightmare sequences are what I imagine brought this comparison.  When the song first came out, I didn’t like it. It was a bit dark for me.  As I grew, I gained appreciation for the band and that song in particular. The visuals in the video and driving beat of the song would, in my opinion, make a great edition to a soundtrack if Caught were ever made into a movie. (Netflix, I’m waiting for your call!) I honestly hadn’t given the song much thought, but once I saw it in this review, I realized how fair the comparison is.  Alas, if the question was did I consider this song while writing Caught, I’m afraid not.

I loved having a review this complete and thought provoking. I’d love to respond to more musings and theories about Caught or other stories in the Oneiros Log. (Remember Repressed goes live Jan. 1!)

Cathey was honestly so kind in her review, and I can’t thank her enough.

Thank you all for support like this. It makes the tough times something I can endure.

V/R
Matt

 

Bob Gets Another 5-Star Review! Sale! Animorecon begins!

Greetings all,

I had a great day today. A class of my BMCSC students graduated (that’s always fun to see)! Then I came home to get ready for Animorecon, and while I’m setting up, I see The Journals of Bob Drifter got a 5-star review on Goodreads!  Now that’s just about an amazing day! You can read that very kind review here.

That review comes with great timing since both e-versions of Bob and Caught are only 99 cents during the convention. So if you haven’t had a chance to pick up either of my books, this is a great opportunity!

I’ll be at the convention pretty much all weekend, so I might be a bit it or miss with the blog and social media. I’ll try to post pics of what I’m up to and all the great cosplay I see. I’m excited to start my tour, and I hope it goes well for me.  I’d be very happy to see any of you there.  If you can’t make it, this sale I’m having is just my way to try and make sure everyone can save on my work.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Writing Update: I’ve Just Finished the Developmental Draft of Repressed! A Call for Beta Readers

Happy Day, everyone!

Just a few moments ago, I finished the developmental draft of Repressed, my Novella featuring Kaitlyn from Caught. If you’re curious, a developmental draft is when Sara (my editor) makes her comments and I apply them during revision. This is more about plot wholes and character, structure, and arc.  I’m proud to say Sara was pretty happy with this one.  She did give me some insight about procedural things and the workings of a teenage girl’s mind.  This draft felt like it went quickly for me, but I’m still proud of how the story turned out.

Now I need opinions of those who read the genre, so I’m calling out for Beta Readers. What I look for from Beta Readers are responses to surveys I send them.  This is really me measuring the progression of character, description, dialogue, exposition, and world building. If that looks familiar, it’s because it’s how I review books. They can feel free to add whatever they want, but I’m most invested in what they think of those aspects of the book. I also need Betas to tell me how they like the story.  So, if you’re a fan of YA paranormal dramas, I’d appreciate it if you took the time to read the story and tell me what you think.  Here’s a summary:

BEGIN SUMMARY

My name is Kaitlyn, and I have superpowers. No really, I’m an empath. About three years ago, I met some people, and well all have powers now. The five of us who survived the day we met, not all of us made it, live together. The thing is, they think that because I’m a teenager, I’m not ready to help them save the world.

* * *

When Kaitlyn decides to protect a new girl from bullies, she gets a taste for using her abilities and secret training like the heroes of the comics that she loves to read. But as she starts to do more, she learns her powers don’t work exactly the way she thought they did.  Things get even worse when she learns that hero work isn’t as easy as the comics make it seem. When hatred and ignorance come to a boil, Kaitlyn has to decide what it really means to be a hero, and her decision puts the lives of three other classmates at risk.

END SUMMARY

I’d appreciate it if Betas could commit to getting their comments back to me by Feb. 12. Email me if you’re interested. This will be the last draft where I look for issues and development. Essentially, it’s this next draft (what I call the Beta Draft) and the Proofreading Draft. Then, It’ll go onto the release calendar for early (I’m hoping for January) 2019.

What’s next for me? Well, I owe T.W. Iain one more pass on his story for The Power of Words anthology, and I also have to apply the feedback Alpha Readers gave me for that. So I hope to do both before Beta Readers get feedback on Repressed back to me.

There’s a lot of news fixing to come down the pipe. I’m going to be busy! First up, I have Animorecon! I’ll be there selling and signing books, and it’d be great to see you all there. However, I meant what I said about lots of news coming. Stay tuned, and, as always…

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Brain to Books Cyber Convention and Book Expo 2017

So today kicks off a fantastic online event. Brain to Books is hosting it’s 2017 cyber convention, and I’m lucky enough to be a part of it.  The event goes from today until the 9th. So it’s pretty much a weekend of online frivolity.

What’s going on? Pretty much everything. I mean, I have to line everything up so I don’t miss JUST the things I’m participating in.  This virtual convention is pretty much a book convention without the costumes. (Actually, I’m probably wearing a costume, you just can’t see it).

At any rate, I’d like you all to take a look at the events I’m involved in. Please feel free to participate and share whatever you see.  I’m personally most excited about the panels (See below).

So, what am I up to this 3rd annual Cycon?

Author Showcase: This is where you can see all the authors involved.  There are a BUNCH of talented authors participating, including most of (if not all of) my beloved friends aboard the Slush Brain. You can click the above link for the entire list. If you’re looking for yours truly, I’m located in the 2017 Horror Showcase. This is because I think Caught fits best in that section. You’ll see Bob around there, too.

Book Expo: Letting people know what books are out there is important. This breaks the books down by genre.  You can see book blurbs and covers for all those books (and mine).

Character Tournaments: Sal, the main character from Caught, has landed himself in a character tournament.  I love these. It’s just natural nerd discussion. Who would win in a fight? You can head over to the link and vote for all the characters.  I don’t know how Sal would do against some of these guys, but I like his odds in Round 1.  Just as with my Book Cover of the Month, I only ask that you vote and vote in every match.

Book Cove Bracket: Speaking of book cover brackets, B2B has one of those as well.  Caught is lined up in the Horror category.  I’ll be paying close attention to the winners from each category.  I love my own project, and this looks to be like a good time.  I’ve seen some of the brackets already, and they look great! So do a guy a favor, and send some votes his way?

Panels: This is just awesome.  So Angela, Captain of the Slush Brain, Mistress of the Web Sea, Queen of Online Conventions (and the brain behind Brain to Books), set up a bunch of panels.  I’m in a fair number of them.  We talk about Anime (Naruto), Book Covers, Fantasy Fiction and Magic Systems, Doctor Who, and a lot more.  Just head over here, to get a look at all the panels.  This was so fun to do, and I hope you all take a minute or two to see some of the topics of conversation.

There’s honestly too much going on to go over in one blog, but there’s so much.  There are giveaways. There are blog hops and genre tours. It’s pretty much endless.

I hope you check out these events and get to know these authors the way I do.

Thanks for reading,

V/R
Matt

Caught is out!

This is truly the best feeling in the world. My second novel is finally live and out in the world.

Most of you who’ve been following me have been so amazingly supportive. Now the book is out and being delivered to all those who have preordered.

You can still purchase the ebook for just 99 cents on Amazon.

You can also purchase the paperpack through Amazon.

If you want a signed copy, you can get one through my online store.

I decided not to go with hard covers this time around. With Bob, hard covers were rarely something readers wanted, and I wanted to give readers what they want.

I also got the first review back for Caught, and it’s so kind.  I want to send a special thank you to Sinisterdarksoul for the kind review!

Thank you all again, and I hope you enjoy the book. Whatever you think, please be kind enough to leave a review as they’re invaluable to authors, especially independent authors like me.

As always, thanks for reading,

Matt