Anywhere in the world, you can win an autographed copy of INFECTED. Check out the giveaway on Goodreads using the links below! Why now? Well, with SUPERPOWEREDon its way, I’m trying to breathe new life into the series. So tell your friends!
And speaking of new life for INFECTED, even though it’s been almost 3 years, I can’t stop thinking about the characters and the story world. There’s just so much left to tell. In that vein, I’m thinking of an INFECTED prequel. A book where you play as other characters you meet in the book, and choose how to survive the inital outbreak from their perspective. This would be the first Click Your Poison book where you wouldn’t play as “you” but instead would enter the mindset of several different characters.
What do you think? Interested? And which character’s perspective would you most like to enter? Do me a favor and VOTE below (you may select multiple characters):
Don’t forget to comment, like, share, and subscribe!
It took a year, literally. The document creation time-stamp shows 16 January 2014. Almost poetic if I hadn’t originally planned on finishing last summer, but this book has taken on a life of its own. I’ve lived in Mercury City for a year! And I can’t wait to share that place with you.
Here’s the setup: You’re in an experiment with two other volunteers, and you get one of three superpowers. That means the three paths are the powers (you “play” each one). You can be a hero or you can be villain, and you can win each way with each power. That means SUPERPOWERED will be the first Click Your Poison book to have six “Good Endings” (in quotes because half of those are, you know, Evil Endings).
What’s next? Editing. The first draft came in at 138,000 words, and I’d like to trim that down to under 120k. Sheesh. Drinking before noon is rarely acceptable, but when you’re editing, it’s required! Kidding. Mostly.
After that, it’ll go off to my trusted Beta Readers (other writers and friends well-versed in story). Then my professional editor, my formatting team, and finally on sale. I’m also working on a book trailer.
Plenty to keep me busy, but the end is in sight! After beta, I’ll have a release date. Stay tuned!
So, what do YOU think? About damn time?
Feel free to comment, like, share, and subscribe (top right)!
None of these books are Christmas themed, but they all make great gifts.
No, SUPERPOWERED won’t be out in time for the Holiday Season. So I figured I’d do the next best thing and recommend the best books I’ve read this year (even though Click Your Poison Books make great stocking stuffers… /end_shameless.plug)
Here they are, the five books I absolutely could not put down in 2014. I’ve given a brief explanation why you should read each, but hopefully not enough to ruin your chances of a Monet Experience.
1) First up is The Martian by Andy Weir. This book is probably the year’s biggest self-publishing success story. From obscure indie, to bestseller with movie rights optioned by 20th Century Fox, Mr. Weir’s ride is enviable to any author. But I didn’t know any of this when I picked it up, and that’s not the reason you should. You should read it because it’s a great book! Fast-paced, believable near-future science fiction at its best. In fact, once you’ve read this one yourself, check out my Martian Theory.
2) Next is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, a non-fiction book that bills itself as “The Story of Success.” This is a book that will change the way you look at the world. Do you really need more of a recommendation than that? I listened to the audiobook here and it’s one of the few author-narrated books that doesn’t suffer from the lack of a professional voice actor. Good luck reading this one and not telling everyone you know about what you learn from it.
3) As part of my superhero research, I picked up Watchmenfor the first time. Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, this graphic novel redefined comic books. All the dark and gritty superhero movies we love so much owe their existence to Watchmen. I learned much about writing a compelling superhero tale from the pages within, and though I didn’t really enjoy the movie when it came out, I had a newfound respect for the film after reading the book. Isn’t that always the way?
4) After thoroughly enjoying The Edge of Tomorrow with Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise (you can read my blog on the ending if you’ve seen it), I sought out the script and novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. And while they don’t line up with the movie much at all, I enjoyed the novel in its own right. It’s a much more philosophical and romantic journey, clearly inspired by videogames, but still kicks ass and takes names with buckets of sci fi action.
5) Rounding out the list as my anchor is the Ex series by Peter Clines. Start with Ex-Heroes and go from there. The book is heralded as The Walking Dead meets The Avengers, but for my money, it surpasses both. As someone who writes zombies and superheroes myself, this series is right up my alley and highly recommended as worthy of your time.
Honorable Mentions
First we haveWearing the Cape by Marrion Harmon. Another self-published gem, Mr. Harmon has some extremely creative ideas in here. I enjoyed the read overall, but it didn’t quite make my list because of the simplistic characters. Caveat: I don’t read much Young Adult, so I wasn’t the target audience, but if you’ve got a youngster on your list–go ahead and pick this one up.
Next isThe Boys written by Garth Ennis and iillustrated by Darick Robertson. Another superhero tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s dark, twisted, and rounds out with a great surprise. The only reason it doesn’t make my list is that it’s too gratuitous. If you’ve read my books and chosen some of the more sinister options, you know that’s saying something. I don’t mind dark and gritty, but this graphic novel went over the top IMO.
My other favorite non-fiction read in 2014 was Why Evolution is True by Jerry Coyne. I had no idea just how far science has come since Darwin first published his theory, and this book does a great job presenting those proofs. Want to know how new species come about? This book will explain it. My only complaint is that the author spends a bit too much time battling his religious opposition in these pages, to the point that it might turn off some readers who would otherwise give the book a read with a more open mind.
Rounding out the honorable mentions isSuicide Squad written by Adam Glass and illustrated by Federico Dallocchio. I only read a few issues of this bad-guys-are-the-good-guys graphic novel, and while I initially enjoyed the story, it didn’t manage to hold my attention. That said, I am really looking forward to the movie!
So, what do YOU think? Have you read any of the titles listed? Any suggestions for me?
Feel free to comment below, like, share, and subscribe (top left)!
As some of you consider braving the crowds for a 75% off Blu-ray player, or perhaps the most ticklish Elmo ever designed by man, let this excerpt from INFECTED serve to remind you of the depths of depravity that awaits you. Comparable to looting at the start of the zombie apocalypse….
Time to fight the crowds for Blackest Friday, the biggest looting day of the year. Guns, batteries, powdered water; you’ll take it all!
On a Spree
Have you ever seen the YouTube videos about Black Friday sales? It looks like a zombie invasion—and that’s just for videogame consoles and designer kitchenware. Today, people are looting for their lives, and the chaos in the streets makes post-hurricane Katrina scavenging look like a sleepy Borders bookstore on a Wednesday afternoon. You know, the ones that closed due to lack of business.
Cars are crashing into anything and everything in an effort to get whatever as fast as possible. People are smashing windows just because the world’s ending. This is going to be bad.
You head straight for the sporting goods megastore in search of a gun. You’re not sure if there’s a waiting period, but you’re thinking it’ll be waived today. Besides, you’ve only got a hammer and a steak knife; not ideal for home defense.
From the looks of the parking lot, the insanity has already begun to make its way here: people pay no mind to parking spaces or any other laws designed to keep order. It’s total Lord of the Flies madness.
Inside, the crowds seem to be cooperating. The employees are still taking payments, and people are happy to charge it, knowing the credit card bill collectors will have a hell of a time in the upcoming months. Some sprint down the aisles with their arms loaded to capacity; others use shopping carts as battering rams. Polite society hasn’t crumbled yet, but it’s certainly strained.
It looks like the rifle racks were the first to go. Disappointed, and about to turn and look for other supplies, you see a handgun on the ground resting under one of the shelves, just barely in view. You pick it up. There’s a lock on the trigger—to keep people from using it in the store—and evidently it was abandoned by a frustrated shopper. Time to see if you can find the keys.
“Give me that piece,” a voice from behind commands. You turn to see who is speaking. The man in question looks polite enough in his business suit, but the baseball bat he’s carrying (and the manner in which he holds it) tells another story. “I’m not asking.”
“Go fuck yourself.” Go to page 124
Give it to him. You can get some other supplies, then hole up back home. As long as you properly barricade yourself, you shouldn’t need a gun. Go to page 138
This week I cracked the 100k word milestone on the third Click Your Poison book, SUPERPOWERED. It’s happening, and soon, but every book needs a cover first.
I’m happy to announce a partnership with Brian Silveira. He’s an extremely talented comic artist, and he’s gracious enough to take a break from working on an original graphic novel to jump in and work for me. I’m crazy excited. Care to see why?
Check out our current development
Welcome to Mercury City, the metropolis where you live and work. Your home.
Here you’ll get 1 of 3 superpowers when you’re in an experiment gone awry. The other two test-subjects — will they be your allies or your sworn enemies?
Brian and I decided to give the cover a comic-book feel, even though it’s an illustration-free interactive novel.
How about some character detail?
Diamond — One of the other test subjects, Catherine Woodall, once she receives miraculous super-strength and near-indestructible levels of damage resistance.
She wears a tight, midriff-exposing black t-shirt emblazoned with a playing-card-suit red diamond logo, fingerless gloves, and black yoga pants tucked into crimson-red boots. Her face is concealed behind a red domino mask, but as she smashes through the security doors and rushes into the bank, there can be little doubt in your mind as to who this superpowered woman truly is.”
Dorian White — Subject Nick Dorian, imbued with techno-genius, Nick makes his own mechanized armor.
Computer, boot up White Ranger sequence. Prepare for Stark battle-mode.” “Dorian White voice recognition accepted. Beginning Techno-zord protocol,” a disembodied voice with a filtered, British accent replies. A panel behind one of the walls opens to reveal an enormous, ten-foot tall mechanized suit. It’s glittering white, with the sheen of a brand new sports car. Nick climbs inside and the armored computer closes around him, booting up. The limbs move as part of a systems check, and two more arms swing out over the shoulders—though these prove to be more cannons and less appendages. “All systems online,” a flitered, robo-Nick says. “Let’s go kick some ass.”
DinoSkin Mark IV — next generation bodyarmor. When you’re the flying-telekinetic, you can find this suit.
“Too expensive to be put into combat on a mass scale, but nothing else comes close. Lightweight, breathable, and incredibly durable. The scaling provides multilayer protection against gunshots or knife attack. Go ahead, touch it.” The material stretches when you tug at it, but it’s coarse to the touch. Droakam raps his knuckles against the mannequin’s torso. “A reinforced plate on the chest and spine provide added shock protection against explosives. But the best part? You should still be able to fly around in this thing because it’s so lightweight.” “Maybe your superhero name could be Terror-dactyl,” Nick snarks.
What’s next?
There are dozens of variations on costumed characters/personas in the book, so this is just a sampling for the cover. And, as you can see, the cover art is still a work in progress. I’ll definitely post more updates as Brian continues to work, so don’t forget to subscribe! (little box over there on the left, where you’ll never find any spam).
What do YOU think? Are you getting excited? Ready to save the world? Or perhaps enslave it…? Let me know in the comments at the bottom!
In this blog post, I’ll offer an update on CYP#3, SUPERPOWERED, and talk about an exciting new book trailer in development.
But first, how about a click-bait worthy image?
Awesome Image by Jenny Parks. Check out more cat culture at: jennyparks.com/
Okay, onto the awesome on the horizon.
SUPERPOWERED is coming along! Not quite as quickly as I’d have hoped (moving from California to Colorado slowed me quite a bit), but good news for CYP fans! I’ve finished the major storyline, and I’m about 1/3 of the way through each of the other two, so let’s call it 5/9ths done. Soon you’ll get to play around with three different superpowers and be a force of good or an agent of evil in all three! I’m having a helluva lot of fun writing it, which usually means you will too as the reader. Get excited!
As I approach finishing the book, I’ve been thinking about how to market it. The book trailer for INFECTED has proven a very successful means to share the first book in the series, so I figured that might be a good idea here too. What’s that you say? I don’t even have a book trailer for my second book? I thought the same thing! So first I’m making a trailer for MURDERED.
After some research, I recently partnered up with the dynamic duo behind PixelTwister Studio to create a “killer” book trailer (get it?).
They do amazing work with “dynamic typography” (text used in creative ways) and blend that with animation to come up with some rather compelling trailers. After having seen the new teaser for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, I’ve seen firsthand just how successful this technique can be. MURDERED is their first mystery/thriller trailer, so they’re equally excited about the project.
Stay tuned and subscribe (there should be a little box over on the top-left, right?) for updates on the project, and very soon, the trailer itself. I’ve already started working with the team at PixelTwister, but I couldn’t help but give my readers an update! I’d love to hear from any who share our excitement in the comments below. Until next time….
While hauling my earthly goods from California to Colorado, I listened to the audiobook version of The Martian by Andy Weir. I was intrigued by the self-published success story, and decided to give it a go. You should too, it’s a fantastic book. Here’s a blurb, paraphrased from the Amazon product description:
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, [astronaut Mark Watney] finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive…. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?”
My wife and I loved the central character so much, we started saying I was Mark Watney-ing whenever I’d creatively solve a problem around the house. It’s the new MacGyver-ing.
Now then, beyond a simple book recommendation, I have a theory about the book. Very, very minor spoilers follow. As someone who hates spoilers, trust me, you’re fine.
I originally described this book to friends as, “a near-future where we’ve started manned missions to Mars,” but upon further reflection, I’m going to update that stance. It’s not a near-future, it’s an alternate-present. All the technology for these fictional Ares missions currently exists. The only problem is that we haven’t spent billions of dollars on space travel and Mars research.
Here it is, my theory on The Martian: In the story-world, the September 11th attacks never happened. Instead, we spent all of those billions of dollars funding NASA and manned missions to Mars.
Think about it. There’s never a mention of a terrorism. There’s never a mention of 9/11. There’s never a mention of tightened regulations, security, or a slashed NASA budget. The world comes together on a cooperative level with such ease, it fits the political atmosphere of an America that hasn’t been at war for well over a decade.
The Martian takes place in a parallel universe where there is no Global War on Terror.
For those who’ve read the book, I’d love to hear what you think about my theory, or if you have any theories of your own. Do you think it’s an alternate-present where there was no recession either? And if you haven’t read the book yet, don’t forget to check back in once you do!
I’m happy to announce that I’m hard at work on book #3 in the Click Your Poison series, which should be out mid to late summer 2014. I know I said in the past that this would be a time-travel project, but I’m not quite ready to crack that one open. The ideas are still gestating. But, since it’s time-travel, the when is irrelevant, right?
This guy knows what’s up
So what’s CYP#3 all about? Tentatively titled SUPERPOWERED, this book is set to be a superhero adventure. Unless, of course, you choose to play the role of villain.
I’ve always loved the idea of superpowers and as a kid I would create my own costumes (usually out of roller-blade pads, soccer guards, and brightly colored sweats from the 80s) and say things like, “Dad, I need to join karate and gymnastics as soon as possible.”
While I’ve read a few comics, that’s not my main area of expertise. I never missed an episode of the 90s cartoon edition of X-men, Spiderman, or Batman. I’ve seen just about every superhero movie. I’ve read quite a few superhero novelizations.
Hello weekend!
So, I’m not going to provide a lifetime bibliography of all things super, but instead I thought I might share some of what I’ve been absorbing as inspiration for the new book:
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines I Wear the Black Hat by Chuck Klosterman Irredeemable by Mark Waid and Peter Krause Amped by Daniel H. Wilson Wearing the Cape by Marion G. Harmon Masked edited by Lou Anders The Boys by Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson Meta by Tom Reynolds Confessions of a D-List Supervillain by Jim Bernheimer Hancock
Heroes (TV) Necessary Evil: Villains of DC Comics
Super
Wilder Napalm
Arrow (TV) Chronicle
Megamind
More? Maybe. Probably. If I’ve missed something, feel free to let me know in the comments. In the meantime, I’ll be hiding in plain sight as a mild-mannered writer and using my superpower of Rapid Idea Generation to come up with 3 Unique Storylines and Over 50 Possible Endings!
The newest Click Your Poison book, MURDERED, is available now! Check it out on Amazon.
Our Amateur Detective Contest also just kicked off, and the first one to solve the case wins, so jump on in.
3 Unique Storylines. Over 50 Possible Endings. Just one question… Could YOU Solve a Murder?
MURDERED is a mystery novel unlike any other — YOU are the main character. Follow clues, interrogate suspects, and piece together the puzzle before the killer gets away! It’s up to you to solve the case in this action-packed, dark and humorous thriller. Each link represents a choice, and the story evolves based on your decisions.
You’re in a dark alley, a lost tourist in Brazil, when you stumble across a woman’s body and a revolver atop a grisly note which reads, “PICK ME UP.” That’s when you realize you’re not alone….
What starts as an exotic vacation ends up as the opportunity of a lifetime when you inadvertently witness a man fleeing the scene of a murder. Work side-by-side with US Diplomatic Security agents (DSS) and Brazilian Police Officers inside the lawless slums of Rio de Janeiro — but choose wisely, no one is who they truly seem to be.
MURDERED, the second in the Click Your Poison series will be released this Thursday, 5 December 2013.
Could YOU solve a murder? MURDERED is a mystery/thriller unlike any other. As the main character, you must follow clues, interrogate suspects, and piece together the puzzle before the killer gets away. Try a sample here.
For a chance to win a FREE COPY on release day, join and share the following events:
Author James Schannep 