Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Indie writers ROCK!

Check out my review of Arthur M. Doweyko's new book 'As Wings Unfurl' in the 'Review' tab. I devoured the story over the weekend. Great concepts and well thought out plot. I'll be reading more of his books!

I've made it a habit to find and read mostly indie books in the past few years. I still read main stream books, but the ratio is probably 5 to 1 in favor of the indie side. 

Indie writers tend to be grittier and far less flowery than main stream 'successes'. Too many times I've picked up a 'best seller' and found that half the book is fluff that adds nothing to the story. James Michner was the worst but there are plenty of others.

To be clear, I like some of Mr. Michner's works. I just find it tedious to scan through another description of a flower or analyze another character's inner angst when I just want to find out what happens next. I've read that publishers will prod writers to add more 'flavor' to their stories to boost the word count and justify a higher book price. I'm sure that happens but I think sometimes that authors just like to hear their own voices in print. ;-)

Indie writers haven't been tainted yet. We're still babes in the woods, trying to find our writing style and 'voice'. And I really like that. We want the story to unfold at a good, measured pace. Keep the reader's interest on every page, not just every chapter.

I know that many people like the more eloquent depictions and long flowing story arcs.  That's great. Glad there are writers that address your needs. 

Me? I'd rather read a short gripper than a long-winded tomb. 

What do you like?

Be Cool!

Monday, July 11, 2016

Something for everyone!

When I released 'Walk with Me' in May I hit an amazing milestone:

Six books on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 

Six!

When I launched 'Genome' in 2006 I never thought I'd see more than 1 or 2 books out there. It took so much time and karma to produce that story. I had so much to learn. It took everything I had at the time, I never considered I'd have enough gas left to make more!

Then I decided that I really wanted to write the kind of stories I like to read and watch in the movies. Fun. Adventurous. Exciting. Just a little warped with maybe just a little naughtiness thrown in.

That's when the 'Arlo and Jake' series was conceived! I've never had so much fun. Coming up with new civilizations, wacky creatures, truly evil bad guys and noble heroes. Now on that noble hero concept, I decided that sometimes, clueless worked better than self assured. Why? Because that's me. Clueless, but somehow making it through life without too many major scars. ;-)

'Arlo and Jake Enlist' is the first book in the series. I introduce you to Jake Jasper and his pet chameleon, Arlo. Jake has a lot of my history behind him. Retired software nerd. Submariner in the nuclear navy. Wise ass with a warped sense of humor. What's not to like?

'Arlo and Jake Galactic Boot Camp' continues the adventure, putting my guys through a grueling Federation of Thirteen Galaxies training camp. But I can't just have you follow them through that, oh no. I've got some very nasty surprises waiting for them.

'Arlo and Jake Lost Partner' is Arlo's first solo adventure. Jake's little buddy goes missing and Jake cannot go after him because the Squids are at it again, trying to Aquaform an entire system! Jake has to suck it up and go help save the Universe, leaving his buddy and hoping he's OK. Arlo finds he's more than just a little lizard with a knack for spatial mechanics. He's got a little of the hero inside, just waiting to get out.

'Etchings' is my first real ghost story, from start to finish. It's based on some real locations in the mountains of Colorado. I've been fascinated with stories of ghost towns and spooky cemeteries all life. This one gave me nightmares and I wrote it!

There are more stories coming, including the next 'Arlo and Jake' adventure, and a series based on the AI in Genome, for kids. That one is rattling around in my imagination, trying to kick it's way out. ;-)

I hope you'll use the links above or head over to Amazon and type 'gary henson' to find my books. I write to please our need for adventure and fun!

Enjoy!

Be Cool
Be Happy
Just Be!