New Release Day! Social Vampire: A Novel

I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to tell you, and the world at large, about this book.

Although I have seven published books, Social Vampire is technically my debut novel. The other titles are better classified as gamebooks, or interactive fiction (I’m talking about my Click Your Poison series here).

But unlike my other books, the only choice here, is whether or not to give it a try.

No flowchart necessary, though the story is full of twists and turns!

The novel is meant to be humorous, heartfelt, and to resonate with both teens and adults. Coming-of-age is a genre of fiction for general audiences, but my protagonist is a teenager; does that make the book YA?

There are romantic elements to the story — should I highlight those, like in this promotional graphic?

Not Romance with a capital R, but it is a story of young love.

In a perfect world, I’d like you to hear about this book through word of mouth. It might not look like something you’d normally read. It might not even sound like what you’d normally read, but if a trusted friend recommended it, I’d hope you would give it a try.

So let me start: read this book.

You’ll find heart and soul, clever turns of phrase, genuine laugh-out-loud moments throughout, and probably a chapter or two threatening to be a tearjerker.

After that, it’s your turn. If you read the book and love it, tell the world!

Reviews are appreciated, and crucial to a book launch.

As you can see above, the early reviews are flowing in. Here are some more testimonials:

“It’s like Mean Girls flavored with Teen Wolf”
(for my film & TV followers)

“In the vein of John Green”
(for my literary lovers)

“Mmm…veins”
(for the humor fans)

And, of course, I hope to see your thoughts on the book as well. But you’ve got to get it first… Fortunately, the day has finally arrived! Social Vampire is now widely available in both print and ebook. Here’s a list of just some of the retailers that carry the book:

https://books2read.com/b/socialvampire

Want to know more?

Head over to the Social Vampire page for more information, as well as instructions on how to order the book to your local library or favorite brick-and-mortar bookstore:

https://jamesschannep.com/fiction/socialvampire/

Are you excited? Are you willing to give it a try? Let me know in the comments below.

Get HAUNTED!

3 Unique Storylines. Over 50 Possible Endings. Just one question… 
Can YOU be Scared… to Death?

You have been invited to join us in Tansky House:

Today’s the big day! HAUNTED is currently available to purchase in all formats.

Still need convincing? Check out this trailer on YouTube:

The most frightening day of the year isn’t Halloween. It isn’t Friday the 13th. The scariest day of the year, in fact, is today–because today is the day you enter… The House.

PS — There are soon to be other launch events, promos, and prizes. Make sure you join up on Facebook and Twitter so you don’t miss out.

Are you still here? What are you waiting for, the afterlife? Get HAUNTED today!

Operation: Get SPIED!

Today’s the big day! SPIED is currently available to purchase in all formats.

3 Unique Storylines. Over 50 Possible Endings. Just one question… Can YOU Crack the Code as a Secret Agent? #GetSPIED now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MYDZ37B/

SPIED is a suspense thriller unlike any other — YOU are the main character. Recruited from the lower-levels of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to become a field agent (finally!), it’s up to you to break into secure facilities, solve cryptic puzzles, expose potential moles, and suavely talk your way out of any situation before shadowy forces [REDACTED] the world!

As a special launch event, the book trailer will premier live in one hour at 12pm PST/8pm GMT. Join in and comment in real time with the author and other fans on YouTube:

Do you think you can escape the traps I’ve devised for you, agent? Can you crack the cryptic codes or read-through my riddles? I’ll be here, twirling my moustache and/or stroking my cat (or dog) while you try! Muahahahaha

PS — There are soon to be other launch events, promos, and prizes. Make sure you join up on Facebook and/or Twitter so you don’t miss out.

Are you still here? What are you waiting for, a martini? Get SPIED today!

It’s almost time…to get SPIED!

That’s right, it’s almost time… one week from today, in fact. It is time, however, right at this very moment even, for another sporadic blog update!

The SPIED subpage now exists on my website. SPIED–Click Your Poison #6–releases next week! As always, this is a standalone interactive story. If you’re unfamiliar with Click Your Poison gamebooks, now is the perfect spot to dive right in.

The book exists, and will be available for sale on 2/2/2021 (the Kindle edition is currently on pre-order). The book trailer will launch as a live premier at 12pm PST/8pm GMT. Join in the fun at this YouTube link:

There will of course be other launch events, promos, and prizes. Make sure you join up on Facebook and/or Twitter as well.

Exciting times! Do YOU have what it takes to be a spy?

MAROONED Book Trailer

MAROONED launched quite some time ago, so why a trailer now? Well, because I’m making progress on SPIED and realized I never got around to making a book trailer for my interactive seafaring adventure!

What do you think? Public domain images, creative commons sounds, VO narration performed by a friend, and edited by yours truly. Considering it was all free, do you think this book trailer was worth the price I paid for it?

Have you had a chance to get MAROONED yet?  Click here to get your copy today.


Thanks for watching! What do YOU think?  Ready to dive into the book world yourself?

Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to share and subscribe!

Get MAROONED!

Praise for MAROONED: 

“More thrilling than fifteen men on a dead man’s chest–more fun than a bottle of rum!”
-Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island 

“If I could only bring one book to a desert island, that book would be MAROONED.”
-Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe 

“I wish I’d thought to make mine interactive…”
-Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick 

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3 Unique Storylines. Over 50 Possible Endings. Just one question… Will YOU Endure Treachery and Survival on the High Seas? 

Here’s how it works: You, Dear Reader, are the main character of this story, a youth born to prosperity in the English countryside. Now it’s up to you to sail atop the vast oceans or be swallowed into their murky depths. Each link represents a choice, and there’s no going back, so choose wisely.

Whether you’re a fan of classic books series like Horatio Hornblower and Aubrey/Maturin, or more modern films and shows like Pirates of the Caribbean or Black Sails, you can now live your own high seas adventure! Like the gamebooks popular in the 1980s-90s (Choose Your Own Adventure, Give Yourself Goosebumps, etc), this is a series where you choose how to progress through the book. Unlike any others, this is the first novel-length interactive book series for adults. And as an ebook, you simply click your choice and the story flows forward for you. No flipping pages.

Prefer a paperback? Make your choice:

You’re captive on a pirate ship, but the Royal Navy is giving chase. What do YOU do?

-Find a weapon. Time to fight off these pirates and help your liberators! Go to page 106
-Sabotage the ship. Drop the anchor and strike the sails! Go to page 259

Get MAROONED today!

Message in a Bottle (MAROONED Update!)

Wow, I haven’t blogged since November. That makes this my first blog post of 2018! Yikes! It’s almost like I’ve been stranded on a deserted island, only to finally be rescued….

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I’m sorry I’ve been silent these last months, but the silver lining is that I’ve been toiling away during this period of obscurity. For those of you who’ve been eagerly awaiting my next book, the wait is nearly finished!

That’s right, the first draft of MAROONED is complete and I’ve moved onto editing. This means I’m going to need Beta Readers! (see below).

First edit: it’s no longer going to be called “Classically MAROONED.” Why? As previously mentioned, when I originally came upon the age of sail/pirate adventure idea, I had envisioned a retelling of classics like Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, or Moby Dick. But as I started researching, I kept coming up with ideas on how I would have done those stories myself.

So, nothing classic here. Just my own original ideas. It’s still set in that classic age of seafaring where you can dash into the role of dashing naval officer, cut to the quick as a cutthroat pirate, or cast your lot as a castaway. No need for a modifier, just an opportunity to get MAROONED!

I’ve had a blast writing and researching this book, and the result is a (mostly) historically accurate look into this seafaring world of adventure and a realistic test of survival skills needed on a deserted isle. Interested in an early read?

A Call for Beta Readers

I need your feedback to really make this book shine. Like someone beta-testing a game, you’ll playtest this gamebook, giving it a few read-throughs and let me know your thoughts. This isn’t to make sure my grammar and spelling are publication ready (that comes later), but rather to ensure the story is as compelling as can be.

The call for Beta Readers will come exclusively through my mailing list (which I’ve also neglected of late). So…if you want in, or at least want to hear the latest, sign up now.

From here, progress should move very quickly. Once I receive notes, make another round of edits, and send the book off to be proofread and formatted, MAROONED should come to you sometime this summer! I’m hoping for July/August.


Thanks for reading! What do YOU think? 

Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to share and subscribe!

PATHOGENS Book Trailer

The PATHOGENS book launch is off to a great start, with a fantastic amount of fan support over on Facebook. The awesome contest prizes being offered over there probably don’t hurt, either! If you haven’t joined in the fun yet, it’s not too late. Click here to check it out.

Now then, as is my custom, I have created a book trailer to help spread the word on my new releases. Without further ado…

Intrigued? PATHOGENS has a special reduced price during its status as a new release. Don’t miss out! Click here to get your copy today.


Thanks for watching! What do YOU think?  Ready to dive into the book world yourself?

Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to share and subscribe!

Hazmat Team Inbound!

men-in-hazmat-suits_100435

Please excuse the mess! PATHOGENS will be published later this month, and in the meantime you’ll see me building the relevant pages on this website to coincide with launch.

Speaking of which, if you don’t want to miss out on the exact moment the book is available (along with some details on how to get the book for FREE), I highly recommend you sign up for my mailing list, which you may do here.

Other than that…move along. Nothing to see here, people. Just a routine posting. Nothing nefarious.


Thanks for reading! Now do us all a favor and scream with giddy excitement.

Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to share and subscribe!

Up, up, and away! SUPERPOWERED release!

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SUPERPOWERED has been live in both Kindle edition and paperback for four days now, and I just realized that in all my social media blitzing and marketing, I somehow forgot to mention it on my blog!

My bad. But I’ll redeem myself by saying, “It’s only $0.99 during the special release period!” so that should help, right?

So, grab a copy, tell a friend, and please leave a review. Many promo sites have a minimum number before a feature, so it would really help me out to keep the momentum going.

And look! It’s doing great so far!

Not sure how I'll ever compete with the lady-porn titles, but being the only actual superhero book in the top 5 ain't half bad!
[Click to expand] Not sure how I’ll ever compete with the lady-porn titles, but being the only actual superhero book in the top 5 superhero books ain’t half bad! 
That’s it for now. I’m working on the next book in the series, but more about that later. Make sure you sign up for my new release mailing list so you don’t miss out.

PS — MURDERED is on sale for $0.99 right now as well, so if you haven’t tried to solve the mystery, I suggest that you….

Murdered (0-00-34-20)


Add your opinion in the comments below. And don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!