First Post on Patreon

First post on Patreon is up, it's a Billion Dollar Fairytale. So, now you're missing out. Run over and check it out. Support me to get more content. https://www.patreon.com/patrickelliottwrites

Next week I'll be posting again, the first story from Winter Knights in the Age of Carbon. Through the rest of the month I'll be posting early access to a serial novel. We, the Occupied. Tons of good stuff. My brain is full and I'm trying to empty it.

I'm also working on a novel, but for that you have to wait. You can't have it all in early access.

#author #amwriting #Patreon #shortstory #fairytale #shamelessselfpromotion

Obey My Nephew

I believe you should all obey my nephew and pick up some books. I mean, we all know that you resolved to read more this year anyway. Right?

How can you resist that face?

#shamelessselfpromotion

My Dinner with The Son

I was just having dinner with Jesus. Yeah, since it's not football season he has some spare time to hang out with writers. It's a thing he does, hanging out with the little people, chilling with indies. I guess we're the modern day pariahs.

Anyway... you know when you're out with your friend and you start telling jokes? We get to that point. And Jesus is a funny guy. We're laughing, and he tells a real knee slapper. He says to me, "Patrick," He says, because Patrick is what he calls me. I mean I could insist on formality, but him being who he is I'm okay with informality. Anyway. "Patrick," He says, "Have you noticed how the people telling Christians to pay attention to Leviticus when it comes to immigrants are the same ones who were telling Christians to ignore Leviticus when it came to homosexuals a couple of months ago? Have you also noticed that nobody seems to notice that I undid all the laws in Leviticus and said the new law is don't be a dick?"

We laughed, and laughed, and laughed. Eventually a couple of old ladies shushed us and called him a long hair. He turned their coffee into whiskey and they were much more pleasant after that. I'm going to miss him when the damn quarterbacks start taking up all of his time again.

Until then, for more more insights from the mind of the Messiah, look here. http://hyperurl.co/duudrb

#satire #blasphemoushumor #writing #novel #shamlessselfpromotion #buymybooks

Check This Out

So, not much to say. I got myself interviewed by a magazine all about indie authors. Go and check it out. I even teach you how to cook Irish peasant children.

Maybe this will get me off my ass again.

http://online.fliphtml5.com/ohxp/efhm/

#aboutme #author #Awethors #commentary #indies #interviews #shamelessselfpromotion #writer

Writing Sample - Long Time No Anything

So, I have been posting this around and realized that I haven't posted here in forever. Work has eaten my writing! I think this belongs in my current work in progress, or one of them.

I know you want me to shut up. I know how much you want me to stop talking about how we have lost our freedom, how our government has been stolen, about our murdered liberty, and our violated and beaten rights. I know you want me to stop telling you about the corporations and men in power raped Lady Liberty then left her discarded, like a Muslim immigrant, on the Boston shore amongst the refuse, contaminated syringes, discarded condoms, and used packets of lightly sweetened, freedom flavored tea her only company. You're not alone.

Everyone wants to silence me, begs me to put the gag in. You scream in a voice that echoes with their's. The two groups scramble over each other to burn the first amendment. I don't know who's worse, the ones telling me to shut up and check my privilege. Screaming at me to be silent, to let the victims speak. To stay out of the conversation and just let it play out, to nod along encouragingly while others write the world, to watch without condemning or condoning. On the other side stand those that shout in my ear that it is in my best interest to be still. They want me to just watch as others are oppressed and enslaved. Just keep calm and let us put them back in check. It's not your concern, after all, they tell me. You're nothing like them. Just hush, go back to sleep and let us do our work. Stay where you are and you'll be safe.

What nobody wants, is for me to speak. No. None of you want me to talk about the truth I see. You don't want the uncomfortable visions of a freed mind. No matter what side they're on, hell, no matter what side you're on, there is one thing you want. You want me to sit on the couch, staring into the television. You want me to watch the stars and wait for the end of the world, with a Xanax smile, just like everyone else.

I just can't do it. I'm too busy weeping for all of you that can.

#writingsample #amwriting #politicalcommentary #socialcommentary #author #writer #writing #shamelessselfpromotion

While You're Here

While you're here, looking at free stories, do me a favor and check out these two links. The first is a cooking site that is a business my father is trying out in his golden years, though they might be rust years for him. You never know these days. The second is a site featuring yours truly, because I'm God Damned Awesome!

https://cookingmadeeasyforeveryonecom.wordpress.com/2016/03/11/cooking-made-easy-for-everyone/

http://thewritersemporium.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/meet-out-featured-author-patrick-elliott.html






#shamelessselfpromotion

A Transcendental Mediation

This week's prompt. Write a story beginning with the title of the book you most recently read and ending with the name of your favorite character you have written. Of course it's one with my story in it.

The Awethology Dark... I held it in my hands, hushed reverence issued from my body until it surrounded me. In the placid plasma of my nether universe I allowed my mind to focus on things left unsaid and words undone. This book was a wonder, in more than one sense of the word.

One wondered why this, of all books, survived the culling. The answer was the same as always. A dedicated fan base who squirreled it away. With other non-precious valuables. So it survived when the great works fed the flames.

Despite all that, these stories gave me hope in my darkest hours.

 It is difficult to say if the book had any cultural value in the old world. In this new desolation, a place where people no longer had to desperately seek battles to fight, it was as good as the bible. Freedom, equality, thought and creativity. All these things echoed from the book.

Perhaps that could be said of all tomes. I am sure everyone with a bit of tattooed, dead tree felt the same about theirs. It was, after all, why we hid them from the reclaimers. Those charged by our so called government with collecting all art of "worth" for homes of those with power and influence, and destruction of all the others. The subversive works were sought even harder than those most desired.

We risked death, and worse, to keep our prizes safe. They could never undo the damage. Hell, they could not even act as a panacea for the plague of those ruling us. They were like Ritalin for our troubled minds though. They were all the same.

But this one was mine.

During the day it eased my fears. It reminded me that there were worse worlds, many of them in the past, even if only in the imaginations of others. It quelled the terror of the men and women seeking the very thing itself. In the darkened hours it cloaked me from the consuming silence. When evil edged into my mind and I waited for the sounds of more bombs dropping it stilled the voices inside. With louder voices and worse violence.

I knew. I knew beyond a doubt. I must take this to him. It could help him even more than me. I must risk it all, as these writer's had, and travel roads unknown. The man who might lead us out of darkness. The one who could teach us to overthrow those keeping us in cuffs and ignorance. I would take the first steps tomorrow and bring my book to him.

Swift.

#shortstory #Awethors #authors #shamelessselfpromotion #writer #writing #writingprompt

Online Radio Interview

1/1/2016, my first radio interview on the Speculative Fiction Cantina. I'll be talking about Greycoat Blueback, and other things. Mostly that book though, since it is the only one I have in the right genre. Check it out at 3PM Pacific time. I'm expecting you to translate that in to your timezone, because you're smart and I'm lazy. Come support the awesomeness that is me. If you tune in early the channel will be silent until the show starts. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/writestream/2016/01/01/the-speculative-fiction-cantina-with-gordon-bonnet-and-patrick-elliott

Be there or be slain in an upcoming novel.

This is now archived for any who missed it. I met two amazing authors, the host, Evan, is phenomenal. Gordon Bonnet made me want to read everything he has written as well. The link is the same for the archived version, for you podcast addicts out there.

#shamelesselfpromotion

New Release: A Brief and Literal History of the World

Have lunch with gods and prophets. See the words of the Lord in new and interesting ways. See, for the first time ever, the world through the eyes of the most complicated and enigmatic prophet to ever (maybe really) live. Narrated in his own words and voice.
Sit down with Jesus and hear him recount how his father created the worlds, including where he got the idea and sections missing from all other known holy texts, even the made up ones. Listen to a harrowing tale of addiction and redemption as he recounts the missing years of his life, on record for the first time in all time.
Walk the dark streets of the youth of the first child star. Learn of the first band of apostles and their inevitable break up. Is there a woman who drives a wedge between Jesus and his first favorite? Perhaps a greedy record executive who convinces Jesus to dump the boy band lifestyle and venture out on his own? Most likely none of that happens as this is back cover material, which never really has anything to do with what's inside the book.
So what does happen? Pick up this brilliantly faux-faux-leather clad tome and find out. Jesus will tell you in his own time and his own way. You are the priest to the Lord's confession, but only for a Brief and Literal History of the World.

That's right. The newest one is out and it is a bit of a departure for me. Jumping into the realms of satire and, probably, offensive humor. A Brief and Literal History of the World has something to amuse and horrify just about everyone. If you've wondered when I'm going to write some lighter stuff, give it a try. If you're easily offended... give it a pass. As in buy it and pass it on to someone else. Someone with a broader sense of humor or that you hate but still need to buy a nondenominationwinterholiday gift for.

Up on Kindle, Kobo, Googleplay (search my name not the title), and physical copy. Nook is taking its sweet time, as usual.

If you're on Google or Kobo, you know how to search. For Kindle you can look here http://hyperurl.co/duudrb and Amazon will have the physical copy in a few days.

Why wait though? Like all my books this makes the perfect gift for everyone on your naughty list. You can skip the wait and those horrible lines at Amazon's physical book stores and order your copy here.https://www.createspace.com/5823165 As a matter of fact, you should just go buy it directly anyway!

You can also pick up a copy of the new December Awethology Dark while you're looking around as well. Just in case you can't get enough of me this year. Well, pick up light too, but Dark first.

And so ends this week's #shamelessselfpromotion.

#novel

Now, Presented for the Safety of the Public

Imagine the future, during the impending zombie apocalypse. You are, of course, fighting on the side of humanity. You have risen in the ranks and are leading a small but scrappy band of resistance fighters. For time frame we must qualify, this is before humanities semi-surprising defeat, but after the completely expected point where I betrayed humanity and joined with the zombie horde.

As twilight descends you are facing me and my throng of necromantic minions across a bloody, smokey field of battle. Standing next to you is your second in command, let's call him John because names are hard and this is, after all, just an advertisement. No use spending brain power on the secondary characters.

As we stare at each other and work up our bloodlust you raise your voice and shout. "Patrick... you sick bastard! I read your book!" With the education system being what it is we will ignore for now whether or not you know that you're plagiarizing Patton. John, you remember John? Not to be outdone, raises his own voice and screams. "Me too, and I paid full price!"

So the battle ensues, and inevitably my zombies overrun you. All of your soldiers (who did not buy Old Odd Ends) are dead. You and John lay wounded in the dirt. You can survive if we leave you alone, and the zombies are milling but not attacking. You hear the squelch of my boots as I approach through the mud caused by the death of your followers. You look into my eyes and gasp out...

"I... even left... a review... on... Amazon!"

I smile at you, it's an evil thing, but it's something. I turn. Yes! I am going to let you live! I look at your old friend John and you hear my soulless voice slither through the deepening night. "Did you review it?" The bottom drops out of your stomach. You know the answer to that and you're about to be alone on this field.

We all know you have until April 21st, 2019 (the day astrologically determined as the one when patient zero has turned enough people into zombies for the war to be inevitable) to avoid being one of those silly soldiers. You even have that long to avoid part of John's fate.

However!

You only have the rest of today to avoid paying for the book like he did. Free through today, full price tomorrow. hyperurl.co/9a1fe9

Go get it now!

#novel #shamelessselfpromotion

Why I Published on Kobo

So, I recently put out my two newest books on Kobo. This is in part an experiment with other sales channels but I added Kobo in. I did this in spite of the fact that I don't really expect to see any sales on this platform. So why did I do it?

Because Kobo is the reader most independent stores use. I like indies in general, and even more when it comes to the stores. I want them to be around for a long time. I like the classic feel along with the innovation it takes just for these guys to stay afloat. So I will do what I can to support them. If you have a Kobo and want to read the two books of shorts I would say, please do it. There is a handy link here where you can find them, they are the first two that show up. It's a search though so it might change at some point.Basically, prove me wrong. Show me that you love the independent book stores as much as I do and get them and me some money. I will happily eat these words if you do.

https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=patrick+elliott

So that's it. I put it up there because I love these guys and want to see them thrive. I don't expect to see much from it. Sometimes you just have to take that stance that supports the things you are passionate about though. So I did.

Not that I dislike Barnes & Noble, they just don't need my help. They'll be fine no matter what I do. Honestly, the indies don't need my help either, I'm not that arrogant... yet, but they deserve it. If you're a huge Barnes & Noble fan you can find my books there too. However, due to a technical glitch I can't provide you a link just yet. You can search for Old Odd Ends and get it in paperback there. You can search for Half Flashed and Too Dark for Television and find them on the Nook, and eventually in paperback as well. If you search for my name you will only find Half Flashed and Too Dark for Television currently only shows the names of the artists for the cover. Hopefully that will be fixed soon. Of course there is Amazon but those links are up on the right. They are also up on Googleplay, you can just search for the titles on your phone or tablet, Half Flashed and Too Dark for Television only on Google currently.

Basically, you have options, and I like that. I'm all about your freedom and your choices. If you're completely platform agnostic though? Consider getting books on the Kobo, both mine and those of other authors when available. These guys are doing it right. I always recommend going with the physical copy over everything else. There will always be something special about that experience. If you're using a reader though? You know the one I'm championing for here.

If you really want to support the independents, both the stores and the authors, here's another idea. Go into your local book store. Tell them you want a book by a certain author (let's say Old Odd Ends, Half Flashed, or Too Dark for Television by Patrick Elliott) or all of the works by said author at once. (Okay, you can choose a different author, but for the purposes of this example let's stick with me.) They can order them for you. It's going to take a couple of days but they can do it. They will do it. You may have to tell them it's done on CreateSpace because there are reasons they don't stock but only special order these books unless they know they are going to sell. They can and will provide though. Then everyone gets money and everyone wins. Especially you, because you have some bright, shiny, new books to put on your shelf. You remember that right? It's the thing that is currently housing all of your kids' video games.

Long story short? Support the little guys because they are awesome and need to feed their families. Buy books on the Kobo or in your local mom and pop book store. Buy mine, buy other peoples, buy all of them. Support these guys because they deserve it and I did. I'm awesome, you know you want to be like me.


#commentary #aboutme #author #indies #kobo #nook #novel #shortstory #shamelessselfpromotion #writer #writing

Kindle Madness

Old Odd Ends is currently on a free promotion on Amazon. Go here and and you can get it for free - http://www.amazon.com/Old-Odd-Ends-Patrick-Elliott-ebook/dp/B00NCQ3YFM/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8


For the physical copy or to purchase electronic, or physicals of the two new books go here - http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00NCV8UVK

Some other countries have their own links, but I'm lazy, for those, look on the right side of the page.

Oh yeah! And welcome Japan to the links, since there is now an Amazon Author Central page for you guys. It's not the free one but if you read English, need some shorts for your commute, and have run out of light novels... check out Half Flashed and Too Dark for Television.


#shamelessselfpromotion #kindle #free #somethingfornothing #japan

New Books, Old Books

Alright folks. Two new books are now up on Kindle, but not KDP. They are books of shorts, Half Flashed is longer and lighter, all the dark stuff and things with social and political commentary is in Too Dark for Television. These are mostly flash fiction and short stories but each has some novellas too.

These are lower priced than Old Odd Ends​ and a bit of an experiment for me. The on Kindle is because Amazon is faster than everyone else. Createspace (for the physical copies) is processing and should be up shortly. They are also processing to be available on Kobo, Google Play and Google Books, and the Nook For my friends who only use Apple books, how are we still friends? Seriously, I would put them up there too but they require a publisher or a third party that acts like a publisher with none of the benefits so, no thanks and sorry.

If the shorts get more sales due to the added distribution channels I will be removing Old Odd Ends from its exclusivity in a few months and putting it up in all other methods and then switch to that as my standard. So, if you love KDP go buy Ends on Amazon and pick up the new books too. If you prefer another reader wait a day or two and buy it on Kobo/Nook/Google. One or all three, I prefer all three.

If you want to give Amazon and unfair advantage, I have you covered there too. Old Odd Ends is available on a free promotion from 8/21 through 8/25 as a way of saying thank you. Of course, if you want to thank me for thanking you, you can pick up the new books at the same time. Have a great day!





#author #novel #shamelessselfpromotion #shortstories #thoughts #writer #writing

Check Out Margaret Daly

Check out Margaret Daly. An awesome person, a fellow author and #Awethor. Links to her site are listed below and I will shortly be listing one of them in the links at the right of the page. Check out her blog for inspiration on both life and writing.

What's more? She has links where you can buy many fine books, mine included. These are physical copy books so you have to be old school or hard core, like me, to purchase from this site. Go, check it out, spread the love. Buy some of her books for yourself and do your Christmas shopping very early this year. Do it now!

Margaret's Website and Book Store - http://dusgadh.weebly.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Margaret's Book Blog - http://dusgadh.weebly.com/my-book-blog
Margaret's Blog - http://dusgadh.weebly.com/just-a-blog



#authors #writers #thoughts #novel #shamelessselfpromotion

#Awethors Awareness Day

If you are here please do a search on twitter and/or facebook for #Awethors then follow the people posting it. When you find a link to a book buy it and leave a five star review. Because I said so!

This is a really amazing group of people, all independent authors, and awesome ones at that. If you can't find a book or genre you love amidst us then you are dead inside and the bad guys have already won! If you're not up for buying a book then just send a shout out on twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #Awethors. You are more than welcome to mention me, and my blog and how all around cool I am. Trust me, I won't mind.

Please help us to get this trending! If you are an author and on Facebook then you might consider asking to join the group. If you're an independent, though I would also argue for you with the group owner if you're Stephen King, George RR Martin, or Jim Butcher because you're that cool. Though if you're one of those three and you read my blog why haven't you read and reviewed my book yet? Okay, I'm getting seriously loopy and need sleep.

Again, please help out and get #Awethors trending. This is a group of people who work very hard and do excellent work. If authors going a different route continue to toil in anonymity they may be forced to get day jobs. It's possible they will decide they want yours. Your boss will like them better because I will write it that way. This is bad for everyone! I don't normally soapbox for other people, so you know these guys have impressed me greatly. Thanks for your help.





#shamelessselfpromotion

And a Win

Oh, and on the prompt contest that I mentioned a couple weeks back. I won my second time in. Go check it out, and check out the author lady. She is pretty awesome. If you are a writer you should be entering her contests here.

http://tipsylit.com/2015/08/10/thirteen-stepping/

#author #shamelessselfpromotion

Your Help Appreciated

Hey,

Do you just need, I mean need more flash fiction? Follow this link and like my story. I mean, how often do I ask you for something? Other than to buy my book, which many of you haven't done. So do that first, then go vote for me. You get to read a bunch of other awesome shorts at the same time. I suppose you could vote for one of them, but I'll be watching you.

http://tipsylit.com/2015/07/28/prompted-who-stole-the-pen/





#shamelessselfpromotion #contest #shortstory #aboutme #amwriting #author #writer

It Takes a Plagairist

Okay, from the prompt this week someone suggested I should write something about Mr. Edward. For those who have not read Old Odd Ends, he is the villain in a story with no heroes. The events in this story take place about fifty years before that.




Small town, USA – Summer – 1965

Edward Edwards, Edward to nobody and Mr. Edward to everyone he met, looked up from his desk. At his age he slept about three hours a night. So he sat in the back of The Edge of the Page when he suddenly knew something was wrong. He smelled… mud and cannabis where only the scents of well loved parchment and long faded ink should be. Rising to investigate his weathered hand reached for the nearest weapon, a crudely bound grouping of pages.

He slid like a specter into the tomb silent front of his shop. Eyes still sharp as a hawk's scanned for the invader. There she was, in a small section reserved for local authors, well… author. As he suspected she was a hippie but pretty in her own way. If you did not mind dry, brittle hair and breasts hanging free because of a burned bra. Mr. Edward did not. He did not mind the long flowing peasant skirt that ran to her ankles either. He did mind her bare feet tracking mud through his business. He found her unlaundered clothes and free love scent offensive. He also minded that she was stealing from him. Mr. Edward cleared his throat.

The hippie jerked, spinning to face him. She managed to keep hold of the five books in her arms though. That impressed Mr. Edward, she understood the value of literature. She offered a coquettish smile meant to disarm him. It might have worked if he had use for sex as anything but a tool of control. He stepped forward, speaking in a voice like old paper sliding against itself.

“I see you are a fan of my protégé, Alex Tomlin. You know if you got a job you could pay for those.”

She blinked, tears forming in her eyes but not falling. “I can’t, but I just want to be friends with him.”

Mr. Edward nodded, bringing the manuscript in front of him. “I see you have his latest there, The Word Thief. Have you read it?”

“N… no.” She cast her drug-dulled eyes about for an escape. He could tell she was stupid but like many of her ilk she had an animal cunning about her. She sensed danger.

“Too many people have for it to be valuable. The value in a rare book is how few have read it. Now this first draft? Much changed between it and the end product. Enough that the story is almost completely different. Let me read you the salient points.” He flipped to the section where the monster first appeared, because there was always a monster.

As Mr. Edward read about the bone like hands gripping at upper arms the girl felt them on her own. At the description of the human sized mosquito beak sliding through the spine and piercing the heart her heart was also pierced. He continued to read and the unseen creature sucked words, the very essence of life, from her body.

First she lost love and learned to hate the man she most wanted to adore her. Then feeling went, which was good because pain stopped locking a scream in her chest. Away went each word until last the thief stole life and the girl dropped to the ground.

Setting the valuable manuscript aside, Mr. Edward dismissed the Word Thief, back to the nether. He needed to step up Alex’s program. With so many hippies in love with him the boy was dangerous to have around. But first, he dragged the body back towards his office. Nothing went to waste in his shop.

#novel #shortstory #shamelessselfpromotion #author #horror #monster #writer #writing

Let's Take It Back

So, I have been stewing on this one for a while and just have to get it out there. Mostly this is directed at men, but I hope a broader audience can take something from it too. We have lost something over the last couple of decades guys. We have lost out minds.

I don't mean that we're crazy. I mean that somewhere along the way we lost control of what we are putting in our brains. We used to be proud of what we learned and discerning in our entertainment. Even the guys who picked on nerds would pick up a book once in a while. Where the hell are we now? Not to insult either genre, because there are wonderful works in both that I think everyone should read, but are you really happy reading children's books and young adult novels to your kids or hearing about chicklit plot lines from the women in your life while never filling your head with things that matter to you?

People look at me funny when I say I mostly write for men. Those looks annoy me but they are right to give them. I mean, I have seen it multiple times recently, the studies and surveys. They show how adult males are the least likely to buy a book for themselves, much less read one. Look at the book bloggers, agents and everyone saying they are an avid reader. Their ranks are filled with women and teens because only readers go into that.What happened to us? Boys read, so why do we stop? These studies are used to prove that men don't read, so books aren't published for men.

I think that is false logic. For years the movie studios said people in their late teens through twenties were the ones who watched movies. So, guess what, movies were made only to target that audience, by the major producers anyway. They were wrong. Other demographics wanted to watch movies too. A few years back some movies got released for alternative audience (thank you Sundance for pushing the envelope) and guess what again. They did just fine. The people waiting for their movies went out and saw them and money was made so now you see more experimentation. I think books for men are like this. We don't read because there aren't that many books published for us. How do we fix it? We can't sit back and wait for someone to notice, we have to get noticed.

How are we spending our entertainment time and dollars? Not so long ago it was on magazines targeted at men, and that was fine. At least we had a voice. As more content goes to the internet and becomes free we are losing even that though. So we visit websites, spend annoying amounts of time on social media that usually makes us both depressed and dumber by the second. When we don't? Maybe we watch a movie with almost no plot and lots of special effects. More likely we watch the idiot box.

Even then, do we watch quality programs? Sometimes, maybe, enough of them are surviving that I'm starting to think our tastes are evolving. Mostly though, we watch the most mindless drivel with uninspired plots or no plots at all. When is the last time you made an hour every week to watch a good drama? How much more of your time is spent on mindless sitcoms and programs designed with a a female market in mind because you're watching it with a woman you love and pretending it counts as quality time? Here's a hint, quality time with the TV leads to conversations about the plot and the message, not how cute the stars are or a simple comment of that was good. Even worse, how much time are you spending watching so called reality television? Do we even care that our brains are screaming out in pain and strangling themselves until we can't think anymore? Do we concern ourselves with how little we gain? No, but we have to.

So how do we fix it? Take back your reading! Buy a book for yourself and read it. I don't care if it's in a genre designed for another demographic. I don't care if it's physical or on an e-reader. What I care about is us taking control of our destiny again. Buy some books so those publishing them know we want them again and actually start considering our tastes. Women are such prolific readers they have two fiction genres dedicated to them. It's time we got guy books back. Here's an even better idea than picking up something not published for you though. Pick up a book that matters.

Get something that touches, entertains, and teaches you. Want some suggestions? Sure, I can do that. Pick up a classic and decide for yourself it if's any good. Look in the genres of Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy. There's bound to be something you'll like. If you have older tastes pick up some Bradbury, Orwell, Poe, Shakespeare, Lovecraft or Hemingway. Those men wrote for men. Want something a little more modern? Go check out some Stephen King, George RR Martin, Tom Clancy, Jim Butcher or Clive Barker. Those men do or did write to the male sensibility. I will note, I actually don't like every author I have listed but I respect them and each one appeals to a part of the male mind that wants to be engaged and entertained.

So, go buy a book this week and let them know you're out there.If you don't like any of the authors I've listed find one you do. Better yet, make a difference in someone's life and find and independent or small press author and make the day of a struggling artist a little better. I'm not saying you should buy my book, but you should, (oh come on, you knew I was going there eventually) I am saying to take back your brain. Take back your entertainment. Take back your pride and your power.

As much as I would love your money and your review that is not what this is about. It is about something deeper. I want you to have a voice and to build up synapses that only reading can give you. You know, the ones that are currently firing every once in a while in the dark when you're bored in the seconds before you turn on the television and drown them out? Those ones, they are lonely and abused and they miss their imaginary friends. Even more than that, I want a different reaction next time I query an agent and say my target audience is everyone but mostly men. Instead of the assumed eye roll I want that agent to sit up and take notice. I want them to get excited and think, "Hell yeah! Men read and publishers will be all over this." I want us to be proud again, of being men and of our intellect. I want us to have something to talk about on break beyond which idiot we don't care about got kicked of which show last night.

I want us to make a difference and be proud of it as we rebuild a connected community of readers that we are currently on the outside of. I can't do it alone though. I need your help with this. So, go buy a book this week. Be careful in the choice and buy it only for yourself and the idea of making a difference with your actions. Once you do, don't hide it in the bag like you used to do with your all nude magazines. Walk out or around with it proudly in your hand as you throw away the bag, or better yet go green and tell the attendant you don't need a bag at all. That last assumes you want to make a real difference and went to a real bookstore to make sure they stick around. When someone asks what you're reading, proudly show it to them. When they ask why say it sounded good and suggest they get a copy. Then sit down and read it.

Now, I'm going to go do a little more writing and then read my own current book. Yes, it's by someone on my list above.





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Author Interview

So if you ever think I don't do enough about how and why I write on this blog... Well I did it on someone else's blog I guess. Go check out my author interview with the wonderful and amazing Christie Stratos. You can find it here http://www.proofpositivepro.com/authors-2/author-chat-patrick-elliott/ and if you still haven't, once you're done go buy the book.




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