Monday, January 25, 2016

THE UNDEAD ROAD Tour: Paperback Release Party, Guest Posts, and .99 Cents Kindle Sale All Week Long!




It's the official release week of The Undead Road paperback! This is a very exciting time for me, finally sharing my version of zombies in a world of twisted dark humor, starring coming-of-age survivors.

To celebrate, the ebook is available for .99 cents this week only! The paperback is also available for a cool $10.99 (it looks really cool!).

I'd like to thank so many of you who made this book possible. To Steven Novak for creating the cool cover, Reece Hanzon for editing your heart out of this, and to my readers who have already left some fantastic reviews. If you are willing to read and review this book too, I would greatly appreciate it.

I'm also holding a small contest. By commenting on this post (which will be up all this week) and/or tweeting about this book with the provided text below, you will be eligible for a free ebook. One out of every 10 participates will win!

Here's the text for the tweet. Be sure to include my handle so I can see it and record your entry:

"Nothing brings the family together like a  ..."    99 cent @DavidPowersKing

Winners will be announced on Feb 3rd (may get the book sooner).

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

You can enter for an additional chance over at Book Geek Reviews! Read the awesome review they wrote and enter the rafflecopter.

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Who's on the tour? Below is the schedule. I will leave guest posts, interviews, and interesting factoids you won't find anywhere else. Be sure to visit each of the host's websites on their respective days:

January 26th - Chemist Ken - Elana Johnson - Nick Wilford 

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On a slightly more serious note, it would mean the world to me if you would share his book with all you know, especially if they are zombie fans. Some of you know I lost my job recently. While I am searching for a new situation and drafting Part Two of this adventure, I'm very reliant on this book to support my family for the time being. Read. Enjoy. Share. Review. Every little bit helps. Thank you so much!

Sound good? Ready to go? Then let's hit the road! Thanks for stopping by, and have a fantastic week. Don't get bit, now.

I'm David, and "did somebody order a pizza?"

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Life Is Strange Enough Without The Power To Rewind Time, But I Would Surely Love To Give It A Try!

 
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Strange-Limited-PlayStation-4/dp/B017AGIDT6/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1453256509&sr=1-1&keywords=life+is+strange#customerReviewsIt's been a while since I last did a game review. I had just finished this one before I heard the news of my job going away. Until I find a new one, I may not have the time or resources to review things like I used to. At least I have a killer game to talk about, one that deserves all the awards getting thrown at it.

In Life is Strange, you take control of Max Caulfield, a photography student at the prestigious art school of Blackwell Academy, in a small town along the Oregon coast. But things get interesting when Max saves her childhood friend by going back a few minutes in time. Since this is an adventure/choice game where the decisions you make causes a butterfly effect to the story, the idea of raising your hand to go back a brief moment in time is brilliant. Don't like the decision you made or the line of dialogue you used? You can go back and change it. This presents a whole new way of thinking about problem solving. Sure, you troubleshooted through a situation, but really, is what you ultimately decide on really the right choice?

Kinda messes with your head if you really think about it.

A major draw for me as I was playing this game was the sheer atmospheric tone, and also the excellent choice of indie music. Having lived a year along the Oregon coast, this game sure brought me back.

The glue to this story falls on Max's friend Chloe, who became a rebellious teenager when Max moved away. Their chemistry is very strong and well played out, not to mention believable.


But then things start to happen after Max tells Chloe what she can do with time, which then gives Chloe the idea to use these powers to investigate the disappearance of her other friend Rachel, who was a former Blackwell student before Max returned to Arcadia Bay. What unfolds is an enduring story of rekindled friendship and many difficult choices, with bullies, boys, and suicidal classmates through into the mix. And did I mention the impending anomaly of warped space time that grows stronger the more Max uses her special power?

Many reoccurring themes are expertly layered throughout this game. A pure and emotional ride from start to finish. Everyone swears like a sailor, perfect for a coastal town!



I'd be crossing into spoiler territory if I say much more, but I will say this: Life is Strange is one of those rare journeys you take where you don't know what's in front of you and the past is likely to haunt you, and its conclusion rests on, what I think, is the most difficult choice I've ever had to make in a game like this. Because you care about the characters, and this game is not afraid to kill its darlings. Max gets my "favorite original character" award for 2015.

Final verdict: 5 out of 5 Crullers

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In other news, next week is the Undead Road Tour! There will be a special promotion all week long on Amazon to celebrate the release of the paperback, including a dozen tour stops and a free ebook to one of every 10 commenters on this blog all next week. Come for the party and stick around to get infected by the hordes of Vectors!

If you could rewind time for a little bit, what would you do? Ever been to Oregon? Have you ever rekindled an old friendship?

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Get Your Flashlights! It's Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson's The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow!


We're turning the Middle Grade side of the universe this week, and I'd like to show you this awesome book from authors Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson - it's The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow! I could use a good mystery right now, and I invite you to check it out too.

Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, Connecticut, where she’s absolutely certain she’ll die of boredom.

As if leaving New York City and her best friend, Lizzy, the only other member of the elite Detective Mystery Squad (DMS), weren’t bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, a creepy old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic dead willow tree, and a mysterious past.

Before she can even unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where an ancient mirror, a brass key, and a strange picture of a red-haired lady are the first in a series of clues that takes the members of the Detective Mystery Squad on an amazing adventure. - (From Goodreads)

Find this on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and where books sell!

I'm David, and I'll sleep in a creepy house for five bucks!

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

IWSG: Launching The New Year With My First Self-Published Book and Unemployment Pizza!

Happy New Year, fellow cosmonauts! I trust you had a great holiday? The bridge is up and running, and it's that time again! Special thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating and hosting the Insecure Writer's Support Group, a monthly forum for writers to share insecurities without fear of reprisal. Let's get insecure!

Considering my best efforts, I was unable to find new employment before 2015 ended. However, 2016 is off to a few leads, which I hope will bear some awesome fruit in the coming weeks. It's also the year that I put out a self-published novel. In case you missed it, THE UNDEAD ROAD is up for Kindle, NOW, on Amazon! And if you have Kindle Unlimited, it's free! If you like zombie stories, or if you have friends who like zombie stories (heck, readers who don't like zombie stories are leaving awesome reviews for it), I ask that you check it out and spread the word. Until I find a new job, this book will be my sole source of income. That's crazy intense!

As of last night, the paperback proof is ordered and pre-orders will go up when approved. Still looking at a Jan 26th release. This is where I need your help. If anyone is interested in letting me share some space on your blog for a week long promotional tour, that would be amazing. Please contact me here if you'd like the book information, an interview, guest post, the whole nine yards.

Or maybe that's six feet under ... because zombies ...

Time to get back to work. Who knows where 2016 will take us, but I intend to make this a great year. And you'd be surprised how cheap it is to make your own pizza (Pizza the Hutt has nothing on my 14 inch recipe). Speaking of Hutts, The Force Awakens was awesome!

How did the holidays treat you? What's your plan for the new year? What did you guys think of the new Star Wars movie?

I'm David, and you can find my Star Wars review here (37:00)