Showing posts with label Readers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Readers. Show all posts

REVIEWS, NEWS & VIEWS

Some days, you wake up thinking the day will be much the same as the previous one  . . . and then you see that someone has liked one of your books enough to leave a positive review on Amazon or Goodreads et al. These days I live for. Not so much for the kudos and a back-pat (although, undeniably, an ego massage never goes amiss, when you're wondering if anyone is actually reading the stuff you've slaved over) but for the fact that someone has read something you wrote and enjoyed it. Bringing pleasure to my readers, even if it is a macabre fear-filled type of pleasure, is why I continue to write and I thank you for it. Yes, you - the reader. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patronage and time and I hope that I can continue to surprise and satisfy you with my words.

Here is the review in question that I woke up to today:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Thanatos-Collected-Macabre-Collection-ebook/dp/B00IINDTVI/ref=la_B003PA513I_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421710458&sr=1-4
 
"5.0 out of 5 stars A Book You'll Read More Than Once!  
January 18, 2015 by Mary Genevieve Fortier
Format:Paperback
 
Dreams of Thanatos: Before we open the cover let us explore the title and the origin of the name. In Greek mythology Thanatos was the demon personification of death. Latin translates the name simply as Thanatos. In Greek mythological poetry, Thanatos is the son of Night and Darkness, and had a twin- Sleep.

Interesting, huh? Well, my dear readers the title of this book is not all that defines a creative mind at work.

William Cook is an author and poet. At times, his stories however dark they may appear, are quite poetic in flow and form. The words are collected and assembled to create beauty. Cook does so masterfully. As a poet, he produces horror fiction with the finely tuned eloquence of words. His plan appears, to draw you in and do more than scare the hell out of you. No, Cook wants you to sit back and think. With great success, he achieves just that.

So, now that you have an idea of what lives beyond the simple words etched upon the face of this uniquely, artistic book; a glimpse into this superbly imaginative mind, let us delve in. Fifteen stories house this collection of terror; giving you a whole new perspective on death, or shall we say, Thanatos. Each tale reaches the recess of the creative mind, painting a picture of death in ways the average reader couldn’t possibly, ever imagine.

“The Reader”- The story of a man with an insatiable desire to read. We witness as he neglects life, his family and all else, to quench his uncontrollable obsession for the written word. This unreasonable fixation grows without conscious thought. The voracity, as a deep seeded hunger, plagues the character relentlessly. Dare you find yourself engrossed in a great book again, once you discover the horror that awaits, “The Reader.”?

Another tale to lure you beyond the fine line between reality and a waking nightmare;

“The Night Terror”- This story glides as a poetic piece of literature with a horrific twist. An elderly scholar witnesses a nightmarish creature destroy the world around him. Helpless, despite his vast emporium of knowledge, the scholar can only bear witness to the senseless destruction and its terrifying genesis. What do you fear within the dark? This reviewer is certain, the terror that lurks here, is beyond your worst nightmare.

“Dead Memories”- a man’s descent into madness is given rise by the apparition of his former girlfriend. Cook takes us through the glass of time in this disturbing and heart wrenching chronicle of the sour taste of love, when it compels the human psyche to refuse release. Oh, love and madness… the symbiosis created here is unforeseen and startling!

These are but a few spine chilling treats awaiting your final nerve. Each story will draw you deeper- deeper into the creatively, creepy mind of William Cook and Death far more disturbing than your nightmares. “Dreams of Thanatos” is one you’ll read more than once. You’ll have to - it keeps calling…"


This review is from my first collection of horror stories - I have nearly completed the first draft of my second (print) collection which should be ready by late March (this year). If any of you are interested in reading the book mentioned above or any of my other titles, please visit my Amazon Author Page. Also, if you'd like a freebie - my short story 'One Way Ticket' is free on Smashwords in any ebook format you desire.

Anyway, back to the keyboard for me. Once again, if any of you would like to comment or contact me I'd love to hear from you. What's your favorite horror story? What kind of books do you read?  What's your favorite genre? What kind of story would you like me to write next? Always love to chat about books and writing.


Take care.




Call for nominations for the SFFANZ Sir Julius Vogel Awards.

Nominations are now being accepted for the SFFANZ 2015 Sir Julius Vogel Awards (see below for link/details) and I have two books that are eligible for the ballot this year: Dreams of Thanatos: Collected Macabre Tales and Corpus Delicti: Selected Poetry.




The nomination period will close at 8.00pm on 31st January 2015. The awards recognize excellence in science fiction, fantasy, or horror works created by New Zealanders and New Zealand residents, and first published or released in the 2014 calendar year.

Anyone can make a nomination and it is free! To make a nomination please email sjv_awards@sffanz.org.nz

Just copy and paste the following info (for one or both) into the body of your email:

WHAT to Put On the Nomination

For Dreams of Thanatos: Collected Macabre Tales

ESSENTIAL Information
This is to enable SFFANZ to verify and process the nomination.
  1. Name / Title of work - Dreams of Thanatos: Collected Macabre Tales
  2. Name of Producer / Author / Creator - William Cook
  3. What the work is i.e. - Collection (Short Fiction)
  4. Year of First Release - 2014
  5. What category you think the nomination belongs to - Professional Awards - Best Collected Work
  6. GENRE - Horror
  7. Contact details of the person making the nomination e.g. email or/and phone number
NOTE : If the only contact details you have are the publisher's contact information on the book you are nominating, that should be sufficient.

HELPFUL Information But NOT Essential
  1. Publisher / Production company name - King Billy Publications
  2. How to contact the producer / author - williamcookauthor@gmail.com, 64 4 385 2456
  3. Other details about the work, that might be relevant - Print, Mobi, Epub
  4. Where to get a copy of the work - Amazon, Kobo, Author
  5. Any other comments you wish to add
 ****************************************************************

For Corpus Delicti: Selected Poetry

ESSENTIAL Information
This is to enable SFFANZ to verify and process the nomination.
  1. Name / Title of work - Corpus Delicti: Selected Poetry
  2. Name of Producer / Author / Creator - William Cook
  3. What the work is i.e. - Collection (Poetry)
  4. Year of First Release - 2014
  5. What category you think the nomination belongs to - Professional Awards - Best Collected Work
  6. GENRE - Horror
  7. Contact details of the person making the nomination e.g. email or/and phone number
NOTE : If the only contact details you have are the publisher's contact information on the book you are nominating, that should be sufficient.

HELPFUL Information But NOT Essential
  1. Publisher / Production company name - James Ward Kirk Fiction (U.S.)
  2. How to contact the producer / author - williamcookauthor@gmail.com, 64 4 385 2456
  3. Other details about the work, that might be relevant - Print, Mobi, Epub
  4. Where to get a copy of the work - Amazon, Kobo, Author
  5. Any other comments you wish to add
 ********************************************************************************

HOW Many Times May You Nominate?


  1. You may nominate as many works as you feel is appropriate.
  2. You may nominate more than one eligible work in the same category. This would suit people who are major fans of one media in particular e.g. people who read a lot of books or short stories.
  3. You may nominate the same work in multiple categories if it fits the criteria of those categories.
  4. You MAY NOT nominate a work more than once in any given category.

The rules, criteria and categories for the awards can be found by clicking this link. Guidelines for nominations can be found by clicking this link.

*Remember - You don’t need to be a member of any group or organization to vote/nominate, so if you've read my eligible work, why not show your appreciation and support by taking a moment to cast a nomination? I'd really appreciate a nomination as it would be a massive boost to my career as a writer if I won an award like this, or even if my work reached the final ballot.

The categories are (my *books are eligible in the underlined categories):

Professional Categories:
Best Novel
Best Youth Novel
Best Novella or Novelette
Best Short Story
 

*Best Collected Work
Best Artwork
Dramatic Presentation
Best Production/Publication

*Best New Talent 
Fan Categories:
Best Fan Writing
Best Fan Artwork
Best Fan Production/Publication 

Special Awards:
Services to Fandom
Services to Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror

 
Once again, the two books I have that are eligible this year are:
Dreams of Thanatos: Collected Macabre Tales and Corpus Delicti: Selected Poetry

Of course, these two titles are just a few of the works eligible for nominations, so have a read, take a look and cast away, me hearties.

Thanks for reading and voting (hopefully).



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