The Worlds of Michael J. Parry

Category: Podiobooks

  • An August Update

    It has been a while since I have updated everyone with what is happening in my writing world.

    I have finished writing The Oaks Grove, the second Gurt and Elanore tale. It’s now slated for release as an eBook early next year. This means it probably won’t get looked at properly by the editor until later this year. I had thought of waiting until it had gone through to it’s final draft before podcasting it, as it would then be consistent across versions. Since that would mean it wouldn’t be podcast until next year I have decided to go early. I need to finish a few tweaks over this weekend, and then we shall start recording next week. I hope to be able to squeeze it into the release schedule on podiobooks sometime in late October/early November. Besides which my wife is desperate to be locked in the cupboard again 😆

    This means the podcast version of The Oaks Grove will be a “beta” version like The Spiral Tattoo. I think I will do that with all of the Gurt and Elanore tales.

    After tweaking The Oaks Grove, and while podcasting it, I will set too with writing the third tale in the series.  This was meant to be called The Honey Garden, however I have a much more exciting plotline, which means a change in title. The new title will be The Bluebell, and will revolve around the hunt for demented serial killer amongst the snow laden streets of Delvenport.

    The Bluebell is due for release mid next year in ebook, but I hope to have it finished to a satisfactory level by the end of this year so we can podcast it early next year.

    On the paperback front. My publisher has been finalizing details on that front and hopes to be able to bring out a paperback edition of The Spiral Tattoo early next year. I guess how well that goes will inform on when the other titles will appear in paperback.

  • The Spiral Tattoo Is A Parsec Nominee

    Did I mention that The Spiral Tattoo has been nominated for a Parsec Award?  The category being: Best Speculative Fiction Story (Long Form)

    I had? Well it needs repeating 😆


  • Parsec Nominations – Every Photo Tells

    Every Photo Tells, the short story anthology podcast I have written three stories for, has had some major nominations for the Parsec Awards already.

    As well as being nominated for Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast, it looks as though a large number of the individual stories have been nominated for the Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form) including my three stories. Unfortunately I don’t really think that two of my stories, Dreaming of a different Christmas or One dusty road really qualify, so will have to be withdrawn. Unless you count using snow machines to make snow in summer. The Wayfarers Garden is definitely speculative fiction so I am excited for that one to be staying on the list 🙂

    I still have hope that The Spiral Tattoo will be nominated as well. Hint hint… 😆

  • Parsec Awards – Nominate a Podcast

    It that time of year where speculative fiction podcasters look to see hwo gets a nomination for the Parsec Awards. So if you have a podast novel or show you think is desrving, make sure you nominate them. 

    “What podcasts do you listen to? Are any of them good? I mean really good? If it has to do with Speculative fiction, through original work, commentary about specific vehicles or speculative fiction in general, speculative fiction music, facts that help create the fiction, whether it’s one person or a whole cast of characters. Let that show know you think they are AMAZING.

    We are The Parsec Awards. For over seven years we have been dedicated to rewarding excellence in various aspects of Speculative Fiction podcasting; in it’s finished works, its foundations, and its commentary. Impartial judges review hundreds of podcasts submitted by fans just like you. The winners are announced at Dragon*Con in Atlanta during Labor Day Weekend. Let your voice and your favorite show be heard. Nominate your favorite show today.”

     

  • Every Photo Tells A Story Book Two

    Everyphototells has released their short stories as an anthology on Podiobooks.  You will find two of my stories (episode seven and episode twelve) included. So if you haven’t been listening to the stories as they are relaeased on the home website, subscribe and listen through podiobooks.

  • “The Wayfarers Garden” A Fursk And Gurt Story On Everyphototells

    A new short story featuring Fursk and Gurt is available from Everyphototells for you to download and listen too. You can also read the story here.

    Thanks to Mick for the read. 🙂

    I hope you all enjoy.

  • The Spiral Tattoo Reviewed By Odin On View From Valhalla

    Odin over at View From Valhalla has reviewed The Spiral Tattoo.  Thank you Odin for the review.

    While not a glowing review (everyone wants their book to be given A+ across the board), I am not unhappy, as a good solid B for the first one of the rank is pleasing to me. Odin seemed to have enjoyed it and that is what is important. 🙂

  • Episode Four – Technical Issues [updated]

    I have to apologize as I am having some unusual technical issues with episode 4 which means that for a while longer it will be unavailable for download. Hopefully these will be resolved in the next day.

     

    UPDATE: Everything is now working properly… 🙂

  • Advertising Dead Mech And Broken Links

    A fellow podiobook author Jake Bible is having a Kindle Rush for his novel Dead Mech. For the month of March February his promo for that story will be included in the start of each episode of The Spiral Tattoo. Go check it out 🙂

    Meanwhile episode four of The Spiral Tattoo seems to have dropped from where it is hosted. unfortunately I won’t be home until tonight, which is in about 12 hours from now, and will be unable to reload it until then. I am sorry for the inconvenience.

    [Update: It shows that it is not a good idea to post to early in the morning. The promo starts today running through February]

  • The Writer’s Choices: Reflections On Owner’s Share

    It has been a while since a piece of work has had me thinking so hard about the writing process as Nathan Lowell’s Owners Share. I have lots of thought on the story, and on writing, especially the choices authors make.

    I have to give a lot of props to Nathan for superb delivery, engagement with the fans and support to fellow podiobook authors. As a series comes to an end it is a good time to say thanks for all the effort he has put in. 🙂

    I won’t say too much about Owner’s Share, except I didn’t like the ending. As an ending to a series and a book, I can see why Nathan took it there. But for a number of reasons I feel it was a bad way to end. It is my personal view but I think a series ending should always be upbeat, leaving the audience with a strong feeling of satisfaction, and with the promise that if we never come back to there again, we can be happy with where we leave the story. The ending just didn’t deliver that for me and for a number of other fans. 🙁

    This has led me to reflect on the relationship between authors, readers/listeners and their characters. It is true that in the end the author “owns” the destiny of their characters, but in a series often the readers/listeners will feel a strong level of ownership of the character. They will have an invested interest in where the character ends up.  Where that differs from the authors, how much notice should the author take of the “fans” views? It can be problematic for the author as they risk alienating the fans if they take the story too far from where the fan base wants it. I am now unsure as to how I feel about the Share series as a whole, but I will still listen to my favourite stories again, and again, and agian. And then maybe a few more times. 🙂 So yeah I would recommend the series to anyone!

    As an author I hope to one day have a strong fan base, so how I deal with that is going to be important. In the end I think as an author I need to listen to where my audience wants me to take them. In the writing of my current Fursk and Gurt story I started to take one of the characters down a particular path, and my chief sounding board sat me down and told me in on uncertain terms that as a reader she didn’t want me to go there. That story arch was cancelled and after a while I can see that was the right choice. It is still my story, and the characters destinies are wholly in my hands, but I feel I should  take that into consideration. Next time I come to that point I wonder which will win, the author’s voice or the fan’s. Best two out of three?