AMOK News & Updates

AMOK THE POWERFUL has been out for over ten days now and a couple of cool things have happened since. I did some author interviews, two of which have been published over at Awesome Gang and their sister site, Book Reader Magazine. The interview questions are similar but there are some different questions/answers between the two, so check them out. I had a lot of fun doing them!

My book promoter made a book trailer for me so if you haven’t seen it yet, have a look-see on YouTube. Speaking of YouTube, last weekend I decided to resurrect my YouTube channel which had been dormant for over six years. I’ve created a playlist of all my book-related media including previous book trailers going as far back as 2008 for the gothic anthology Sinister Landscapes, which I edited. You’ll also find the virtual book launch for my thriller Oblique from 2018 as well as other vintage stuff like my very first public reading of my short story “The Rattling Man” done for Dread Central’s Dreadtime Stories back in October of 2007. It was recorded over the phone so the sound quality isn’t optimal, but it was fun to revisit it to see how far I’ve come as a narrator since then. It was first published in 2010 in the very first Horror Zine anthology, And Now the Nightmare Begins, and reprinted in my second short story collection, Spooky Showcase, in 2012. You can also download it as a free PDF right here to read along. I’d be very grateful if you subscribed to my channel as I’ll be uploading readings of the first Amok tale and some other stories of mine in the weeks and months to come as well as readings of public domain tales from famous authors. I’m looking to grow my channel in a major way in 2025 and will need an audience for that.

Last but not least, I’ve removed the PDF titled “Amok - Two Tales” from the available downloads of my previous blog posts dating back to the spring of 2023. Since those tales have been revised/edited since, I now give you the final version of the first tale found in AMOK THE POWERFUL, “Evil Soul, Evil Deed”, as a preview of the book. You can download the 30-page PDF right here and if you like what you read, you can show some love by purchasing a copy of the book on Kindle or as a beautiful 6” X 9” paperback.

Here are the links to purchase the book from the three main Amazon sites:

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.com

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.ca

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.co.uk

If you pick up AMOK THE POWERFUL and enjoy it, I’d very much appreciate if you could take the time to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads to help me spread the word to potential readers. Word of mouth is the best way to sell books, so tell your friends, family, and work colleagues about this book that is very near and dear to me. Stay tuned in the weeks to come for many more updates. Until next time, happy reading and Long Live Amok! 

AMOK THE POWERFUL Pub Day is Here!

Greetings dear readers! The big day has finally arrived: Amok has been unleashed as a 6”X9” trade paperback and digitally on Kindle! Visit your country’s Amazon to purchase a copy of the book. Some Amazon sites may have a few days delay for the paperback to appear but I’m told it should show up on the entire Amazon network very soon. The reference price is $15.99 US for the paperback and $4.99 US for the Kindle. All other sites will adjust their price based on the exchange rate on the day of purchase in your respective country.

Here’s the book’s synopsis:

From the Author of BITTERNEST and NOCTURNAL OFFERINGS Comes a Collection of Eight Connected Sword & Sorcery Tales

Armed with his mystical sword, a young barbarian named Amok and his friend Goyiir the sorceress embark on a quest to seek answers about his forgotten past. As they head west toward the mythical province of Atlantia, the road is long and fraught with peril.

They’ll battle a wide variety of foes ranging from ninjas, spectres, and even aliens as they carve their way through the cycle of seasons. Will Amok and his friends survive to face the nearly-indomitable evil of Atlantia's tyrannical ruler, the Harbinger of Doom?

*** This book is for mature audiences only. It contains explicit adult situations. Discretion is advised. ***

Here are the three main Amazon sites’ Kindle links:

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.com

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.ca

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.co.uk

And for the trade paperback:

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.com

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.ca

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.co.uk

In closing, the book received its first early review a few days ago and it’s a 5-star review! Check it out over at Goodreads. Hopefully many more reviews will follow soon. I’ll keep you updated whenever there are mentions or reviews that pop-up about the red-maned barbarian’s book. I’ll also post a sample of the book in the days to come. If you pick up AMOK THE POWERFUL and enjoy it, I’d be very grateful if you took the time to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads to help me spread the word to other potential readers. Word of mouth is what works best to sell books, so tell your friends, family, and work colleagues about this book that is very dear to me. Until next time, happy reading and Long Live Amok! 

Amok is live on Goodreads and Amazon!

Greetings dear readers! My upcoming Sword & Sorcery book Amok the Powerful is now live on Goodreads and Amazon. It’s currently only listed on Kindle at the moment, but I’m told the paperback listing will go live on pub day, which is November 26^th so be on the lookout for that. You can find links to it below for the Amazon US, Canada, and UK sites but it’s also available across all Amazon sites. To give you an idea, the Kindle version is priced at $4.99 US and the paperback at $15.99 US. All other countries’ currencies will reflect that price point according to the exchange rate of the day when you purchase the book. You can click on the wraparound cover art below to enlarge it and read the synopsis of the book. I got my proof copy in the mail this week and it’s absolutely gorgeous! I can’t wait for this book to be unleashed upon the world! I’ll have some more news before pub day, so stay tuned and happy reading!

Amok the Powerful on Goodreads

Pre-order your Kindle copy today:

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.com

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.ca

Amok the Powerful on Amazon.co.uk 

Amok the Powerful: Back Cover & Synopsis Reveal!!

Happy Friday! Another piece for my upcoming book, Amok the Powerful; this time around focusing on the back cover art and synopsis. I kept the synopsis short and sweet: it goes straight to the point. I left an empty spot for the UPC bar code on the bottom right. If you love Conan and Dungeons & Dragons with a weird twist, I’m pretty sure you’ll dig the adventures of my red-maned barbarian Amok. The book will be published on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 and will be available in print as a paperback and electronically on Kindle. Edits are going really well and I should be done by Halloween and ready to send out review copies into your realm. Stay tuned and long live Amok!

Amok the Powerful: Cover Reveal!!!

Happy October! At long last, I present to you the cover artwork for my upcoming Sword & Sorcery book, Amok the Powerful, to be published on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 if all goes according to plan. It’s a lovely oil painting by my girlfriend, 4IN. 

The manuscript revisions are going well; I’m almost at the halfway mark. The book will be available in print as a paperback and electronically on Kindle. I’ll have a synopsis up and more details in the weeks to come as we get closer to pub date. Stay tuned! 

Update on Amok's Eighth Tale...

Greetings, dear readers! So, a year and eight months in the making, twelve days ago, I finished writing the 8^th and final tale in Amok's saga, titled "Revelations." It’s the culmination of a journey fraught with peril that leads to a duel for the ages between Amok and the Harbinger of Doom. It's now on the editor's desk and I’ll be tackling the revisions of the complete manuscript, tale by tale, over the next several weeks. The final book will read like a novel, featuring eight connected episodes spanning a year in the life of Amok. The eight stories as a whole tell the grand tale of Amok’s quest to find answers about his origins.

It’ll be a long process that will lead to the publication of Amok the Powerful on the tentative date of Tuesday, November 26th, 2024. It’ll be available in print as a paperback and electronically on Kindle. Cover art for the book is being painted as I’m typing this. There’ll be a cover reveal in a few weeks. I’m very excited for this book to see the light of day and to finally be able to share my red-maned barbarian’s full adventure with you. In the meantime, if you haven’t already done so, you can check out the first two tales as a FREE downloadable PDF right here. The published versions will be slightly different as I’ll tweak a few things here and there in the narrative during the revision stages to match the full finished story. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to pub date!

Short Story Time: The Paradigm

The first Saturday of August is here, so it’s Short Story Time! We’ve also arrived at my last novella/short story after fifteen months! And we’re ending on a strong note as this month’s feature is titled The Paradigm, my personal favourite of the novellas I’ve written. It's a noir mystery with a hint of supernatural and it stars my favourite character, Jim Coffin. Here's the nitty-gritty on The Paradigm:

“First published as part of Alan Draven's 2012 collection Spooky Showcase, now a stand-alone novella: The Paradigm.

In the tradition of Mickey Spillane and Donald E. Westlake comes a noir mystery set in 1984 with a hint of supernatural. Upon investigating Detective Harry Graves’ disappearance, private eye Jim Coffin finds himself on the trail of an odd bunch of characters, including a drop-dead gorgeous dame, a mad scientist, and a man who claims to be immortal. Along the way, Coffin begins having bizarre dreams about his own demise—could they be a foreboding of something sinister?”

You can download it as a free PDF right here. If you’ve missed the previous installments of Short Story Time, you can download each tale at the links below. Next month I’ll start talking about my upcoming Sword & Sorcery book, Amok the Powerful, which will be published in October.

“Vengeance Is Mine” is a novella about the Jack the Ripper murders—with a twist! London 1888. Jack the Ripper leaves a trail of mutilated bodies as he terrorizes the district of Whitechapel and baffles the authorities. From beyond death, one of his victims returns to haunt him and shows him the meaning of living in fear.

“The Dark Emissaries” is a novella about a girl named Harmony who returns to Bitternest for a friend’s funeral. She encounters a strange man who only goes out at night that tells her there are dark beings sucking the life out of Bitternest’s inhabitants and turning them into stone. They are called the Dark Emissaries and a sign that they are but a taste of much worse things to come. Harmony will learn that she has a bigger role to play in the fight against the Dark Emissaries.

“Cellar Door” is a novella about a court proofreader who picks up white noise on the recording of a transcript: A girl says ‘Help’ and ‘Find Cellar Door’ on it. He begins to dig deeper and discovers troubling details about a little girl that went missing in Bitternest. He embarks on an investigation to uncover the truth and answer the ultimate question: ‘What is Cellar Door?’”

“A Madman’s Atonement” is a story about a serial killer in Bitternest. That’s all I’ll say about it. It’s become a fan-favourite over the years and I’m damn proud of this one.

"Beyond the Doomed Cave", is a Bradburyesque Gothic coming-of-age tale about a witch in a churchyard.

“Silently It Creeps” is a short and nasty, creepy little tale about the monster under the bed.

“The Chilling Hour” is a tale about Nick Kubrick, a horror DJ who investigates and debunks supernatural myths in his spare time in the foggy city of Bitternest, Louisiana. He would go on to star in his own novel, Nocturnal Offerings, a few years later.

“The Errand” is a tale about a man who goes through the woods of Bitternest to run an errand and will see the course of his life altered forever.

“Hershell’s Motel” is a strange tale about an unusual motel where, you guessed it, bizarre things happen.

“The Rattling Man” is a coming of age Halloween tale. Do you believe in the bogeyman? Do you believe in the Rattling Man? Find out who or what he is!

“Crimson Nightmares” is my take on the “Halloween” movie series. Written and initially published digitally back in 2011, this 106-page novella picks up 33 years after the events of the second "Halloween" film from 1981, the night when Michael Myers terrorized Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and the residents of Haddonfield, Illinois. It follows little Lindsey Wallace, the little girl Laurie Strode babysat in the first “Halloween” (1978) film, who is all grown-up now and bears the scars of that terrible night to this day. She has moved to my fictitious town of Bitternest, Louisiana to get away from her past and has been leading a quiet life, that is until something inside Michael Myers snaps and he comes looking for her on Halloween. Add to that a killer clown with an agenda of his own and it’s a Halloween you won’t soon forget. It’ll be a showdown for the ages when Michael Myers comes to the eerie city of Bitternest.

“The Bypassed Mind”, a romantic suspense/fantasy story with some hypnosis thrown in for good measure that was directly inspired by the late, great Richard Matheson's novel Bid Time Return also adapted as the film "Somewhere in Time".

“Breaking and Entering”, the story of a man who enters people’s homes just for kicks, never stealing anything, just to see what goes on behind close doors. One day he’ll stumble upon something that will change his life forever…

“Scapegoat”, a tale about the Curse of the Cubs, the love of baseball, some time travel, and a whole lot of nostalgia. Even if you're not into baseball, this fantasy tale filled with mystery is sure to entertain you.

Last but not least, fans of Conan and Dungeons & Dragons can also download a PDF of the first two tales of the ongoing adventures of my Sword & Sorcery character AMOK right here. 

Short Story Time: Vengeance Is Mine

It’s the first Saturday of July, so it’s Short Story Time! This month’s novella is widely considered to be my very best one: Vengeance Is Mine. I spent a couple months researching everything about Jack the Ripper prior to writing it and my attention to details, times, locations, and names of the victims make this one historical fiction. Here's the lowdown on it:

“First published as part of the multi-author novella collection Creeping Shadows in 2009 and reprinted in Alan Draven’s 2012 collection Spooky Showcase, now a stand-alone novella: Vengeance Is Mine.

Alan Draven’s classic re-telling of the Jack the Ripper murders—with a twist! London 1888. Jack the Ripper leaves a trail of mutilated bodies as he terrorizes the district of Whitechapel and baffles the authorities. From beyond death, one of his victims returns to haunt him and shows him the meaning of living in fear.”

You can download it as a free PDF right here. If you’ve missed the previous installments of Short Story Time, you can download each tale at the links below. Until next month, stay scared!

“The Dark Emissaries” is a novella about a girl named Harmony who returns to Bitternest for a friend’s funeral. She encounters a strange man who only goes out at night that tells her there are dark beings sucking the life out of Bitternest’s inhabitants and turning them into stone. They are called the Dark Emissaries and a sign that they are but a taste of much worse things to come. Harmony will learn that she has a bigger role to play in the fight against the Dark Emissaries.

“Cellar Door” is a novella about a court proofreader who picks up white noise on the recording of a transcript: A girl says ‘Help’ and ‘Find Cellar Door’ on it. He begins to dig deeper and discovers troubling details about a little girl that went missing in Bitternest. He embarks on an investigation to uncover the truth and answer the ultimate question: ‘What is Cellar Door?’”

“A Madman’s Atonement” is a story about a serial killer in Bitternest. That’s all I’ll say about it. It’s become a fan-favourite over the years and I’m damn proud of this one.

"Beyond the Doomed Cave", is a Bradburyesque Gothic coming-of-age tale about a witch in a churchyard.

“Silently It Creeps” is a short and nasty, creepy little tale about the monster under the bed.

“The Chilling Hour” is a tale about Nick Kubrick, a horror DJ who investigates and debunks supernatural myths in his spare time in the foggy city of Bitternest, Louisiana. He would go on to star in his own novel, Nocturnal Offerings, a few years later.

“The Errand” is a tale about a man who goes through the woods of Bitternest to run an errand and will see the course of his life altered forever.

“Hershell’s Motel” is a strange tale about an unusual motel where, you guessed it, bizarre things happen.

“The Rattling Man” is a coming of age Halloween tale. Do you believe in the bogeyman? Do you believe in the Rattling Man? Find out who or what he is!

“Crimson Nightmares” is my take on the “Halloween” movie series. Written and initially published digitally back in 2011, this 106-page novella picks up 33 years after the events of the second "Halloween" film from 1981, the night when Michael Myers terrorized Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and the residents of Haddonfield, Illinois. It follows little Lindsey Wallace, the little girl Laurie Strode babysat in the first “Halloween” (1978) film, who is all grown-up now and bears the scars of that terrible night to this day. She has moved to my fictitious town of Bitternest, Louisiana to get away from her past and has been leading a quiet life, that is until something inside Michael Myers snaps and he comes looking for her on Halloween. Add to that a killer clown with an agenda of his own and it’s a Halloween you won’t soon forget. It’ll be a showdown for the ages when Michael Myers comes to the eerie city of Bitternest.

“The Bypassed Mind”, a romantic suspense/fantasy story with some hypnosis thrown in for good measure that was directly inspired by the late, great Richard Matheson's novel Bid Time Return also adapted as the film "Somewhere in Time".

“Breaking and Entering”, the story of a man who enters people’s homes just for kicks, never stealing anything, just to see what goes on behind close doors. One day he’ll stumble upon something that will change his life forever…

“Scapegoat”, a tale about the Curse of the Cubs, the love of baseball, some time travel, and a whole lot of nostalgia. Even if you're not into baseball, this fantasy tale filled with mystery is sure to entertain you.

Last but not least, fans of Conan and Dungeons & Dragons can also download a PDF of the first two tales of the ongoing adventures of my Sword & Sorcery character AMOK right here. 

Update on Amok's Seventh Tale...

Greetings, dear readers! It was my week off work last week and I completely forgot to post about this when I sent it out to my editor two weeks ago: Tale #7 is in the books! The penultimate tale in my Amok saga is all done. It’s titled "Blood, Death, and Tears" and picks up where Tale #6 left off. Amok and his companions have finally made their way to the Harbinger of Doom's Citadel. I can't divulge any more than that not to spoil anything. You'll be able to read the complete saga of all eight Amok tales by the end of October in print and eBook (and maybe even on Audiobook in the near future). Until then, if you haven't already downloaded/read Amok's first two tales, they’re available as a free PDF right here, so get reading!

Short Story Time: The Dark Emissaries

June is here! It’s the first Saturday of the month, so that must mean that it’s Short Story Time! I’ve moved on from short stories to novellas starting last month and it continues in June. This one stars one of the characters from my first novel, Bitternest (2007), and my last novel, Once Upon a Time in Bitternest (2022), as well as the Dark Emissaries, those dark shadow beings who first made their appearance in my short story "The Chilling Hour." Here's the official synopsis:

“First published as part of Alan Draven's 2010 collection The Bitternest Chronicles, now a stand-alone novella: The Dark Emissaries.

Harmony Evans returns to her hometown of Bitternest for a friend’s funeral. She begins to suspect that he was murdered by something unnatural. A strange and charismatic man who only goes out at night confirms her fears and tells her there are dark beings sucking the life out of Bitternest’s inhabitants and turning them into stone. They are called the Dark Emissaries and a sign that they are but a taste of much worse things to come. Harmony will learn that she has a bigger role to play in the fight against the Dark Emissaries. Will she and her mysterious new friend find a way to defeat them before the irreparable happens?”

You can download it as a free PDF right here. If you’ve missed the previous installments of Short Story Time, you can download each tale at the links below. Until next month, keep it spooky!

“Cellar Door” is a novella about a court proofreader who picks up white noise on the recording of a transcript: A girl says ‘Help’ and ‘Find Cellar Door’ on it. He begins to dig deeper and discovers troubling details about a little girl that went missing in Bitternest. He embarks on an investigation to uncover the truth and answer the ultimate question: ‘What is Cellar Door?’”

“A Madman’s Atonement” is a story about a serial killer in Bitternest. That’s all I’ll say about it. It’s become a fan-favourite over the years and I’m damn proud of this one.

"Beyond the Doomed Cave", is a Bradburyesque Gothic coming-of-age tale about a witch in a churchyard.

“Silently It Creeps” is a short and nasty, creepy little tale about the monster under the bed.

“The Chilling Hour” is a tale about Nick Kubrick, a horror DJ who investigates and debunks supernatural myths in his spare time in the foggy city of Bitternest, Louisiana. He would go on to star in his own novel, Nocturnal Offerings, a few years later.

“The Errand” is a tale about a man who goes through the woods of Bitternest to run an errand and will see the course of his life altered forever.

“Hershell’s Motel” is a strange tale about an unusual motel where, you guessed it, bizarre things happen.

“The Rattling Man” is a coming of age Halloween tale. Do you believe in the bogeyman? Do you believe in the Rattling Man? Find out who or what he is!

“Crimson Nightmares” is my take on the “Halloween” movie series. Written and initially published digitally back in 2011, this 106-page novella picks up 33 years after the events of the second "Halloween" film from 1981, the night when Michael Myers terrorized Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and the residents of Haddonfield, Illinois. It follows little Lindsey Wallace, the little girl Laurie Strode babysat in the first “Halloween” (1978) film, who is all grown-up now and bears the scars of that terrible night to this day. She has moved to my fictitious town of Bitternest, Louisiana to get away from her past and has been leading a quiet life, that is until something inside Michael Myers snaps and he comes looking for her on Halloween. Add to that a killer clown with an agenda of his own and it’s a Halloween you won’t soon forget. It’ll be a showdown for the ages when Michael Myers comes to the eerie city of Bitternest.

“The Bypassed Mind”, a romantic suspense/fantasy story with some hypnosis thrown in for good measure that was directly inspired by the late, great Richard Matheson's novel Bid Time Return also adapted as the film "Somewhere in Time".

“Breaking and Entering”, the story of a man who enters people’s homes just for kicks, never stealing anything, just to see what goes on behind closed doors. One day he’ll stumble upon something that will change his life forever…

“Scapegoat”, a tale about the Curse of the Cubs, the love of baseball, some time travel, and a whole lot of nostalgia. Even if you're not into baseball, this fantasy tale filled with mystery is sure to entertain you.

Last but not least, fans of Conan and Dungeons & Dragons can also download a PDF of the first two tales of the ongoing adventures of my Sword & Sorcery character AMOK right here.