Category: Reader Group Archive

James McGowan Reader Group- The New Music Binge-o-rama

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Happy New Year, everyone.

Winter is here.  Lots of snow.  Lots of fear and anger.  Show someone that you care about them however you can. Perform a little act to kindness. If Gandalf says it keeps the darkness at bay, then I think it’s worth a try.

I’ve been trying out other new inputs as well.  I go through phases where I listen to music while I’m writing.  Other times I need it quiet.  Right now is definitely a music kinda mood for me. 

The big trends for me right now are epic sounding instrumental stuff like the Mad Max Fury Road soundtrack, Archangel by Two Steps from Hell, the Darkest Dungeon soundtrack, and many others.  I will also admit that I’m fond of some non-screamy metal these days.  I’ve been digging some classic Iron Maiden and another band I’ll specifically call out in recommendation corner below.

If you have any epic instrumental music that you like and want to recommend, feel free to let me know.
New Players of the Game Release
The Brigands: The Favor is now available on Kindle for just 99 cents.  The novella focuses on ViRauni.   You can’t go home again, especially when it’s infested by a brain-hacked horde. Get it now.
Recommendation Corner
Theater of Dimensions by Xandria

I’ll preface this with the admission that metal is not for everyone.  This German group transcends the genre in my reckoning.  The leader singer channels powerful operatic melodies akin to Tarja, with a lot of cool riffs and drums from the rest of the band.  Wikipedia says that the band is inactive after the lead singer left the group.  If the band is done, then they left on literal and figurative a high note.

Thin Air by Richard K Morgan

I do enjoy dystopian cyber punk when it’s done right.  This novel definitely falls in that category.  Hakan Veil is an enhanced human enforcer called an Over Rider who is stuck in the urban sprawl of the Mars colony.  He gets drafted by a local cop to babysit a colonial auditor, and conflicting agendas from multiple sources quickly raise the stakes.  Colin Mace reads the audio book version with world-weary grit.  Very compelling stuff.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- A Season of Better Inputs

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Howdy, Party People.

As we stare back at the sucknado that was March through December of 2020, I think it’s a good idea to keep a few things in mind.  Just as 2020 did not immediately start as a rancid dumpster fire (at least in the US), it will not stop burning just because paper calendars have been replaced and electronic ones tick forward to 2021. 

Still, there is something to be said for the symbolic turning turning of the calendar page. And that is better than nothing.  Let us hope the vaccines help get us out of the “gap” and into the new and improved normal.

As part of this, I personally am going to try striving for a season of better inputs. 

For me, here’s what that means: Keeping most news at arms length and averting my attention from the anger and fear like they’re part of a horrible traffic accident.  The truly important stuff will find its way to me in one way or another.  Wasting less time on social media and more time reading the books and comics in my backlog.  Consuming only compelling video content, not filler.  While I do a halfway decent job of eating healthy, I could be better, and I’ll aim to do just that. 

Will I stumble?  Definitely.  Will I keep on trying?  That’s the theme for the year.  Get better inputs in my life.  An off day does not mean the season is ruined.  It’s just an off day.

As a side note, I totally stole this idea from a CGP Grey Youtube video I saw earlier this year.  Type in “CGP Grey Themes” and you’ll find it.

Perhaps you can think of a personal theme of the season as well.
Players of the Game Updates
I plan to release The Brigands: The Favor novella sometime soon.  It will be for a buck on Amazon in Kindle form only.  It focuses on ViRauni as she returns someplace she long ago abandoned.

I’m finished up with the latest draft of the Breakers.  I have it sent out to beta readers and will soon send it off to my editor.  I’m still pretty happy with how it turned out.  And the preliminary cover is quite neat too.  I’ll share that down the road.

Currently, I’m working on the next “.5” novella, “The Breakers: Jagged Pieces”.  It’s an extended epilogue and bridge between Book 4 and Book 5.  I’m enjoying it so far.

Here’s an image of Nirva Iniv, one of the main villains from the series.  She is Avril’s sadistic mother.  She wanted to save the world once upon a time.  Now, she wants it under her heel.
December Recommendations
Pearl Harbor Minute By Minute by Time Ghost

Time Ghost’s World War II channel put together one of their best real time documentaries yet with this five-hour recounting of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  As a History major, it’s right in my wheel house, or at least my home office.  It was really well done and did an excellent job of remaining objective, while showing the darkness of modern war.  It also presented FDR’s “Day of Infamy” speech in its entirety.  Say what you will about the man, he could orate with the best of them.  A very well done series.  As the hosts like to say: “Never Forget!”

Gideon Falls by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino

This comic series is almost over with an issue to go, so it might be worth waiting for various collected editions.  I’ll avoid spoiling too much.  It starts with a focus on two main characters.  A seemingly-unstable person named Norton wears a surgical mask (this comic was made pre-Covid) and searches through garbage heaps for splinters of a dire black barn in the city of Gideon Falls.  An alcoholic priest named Wilfred is assigned to a small town, also named Gideon Falls, and has to team up with a local sheriff when bad stuff involving a black barn also starts creeping into town.  If you like mind-bendy sci-fi horror, this series is for you.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe. 

And Happy New Year!

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- Tales from LitCon

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Hi, all.

This past weekend I virtually attended LitCon.  It was a gathering of indie authors that had several interesting panels, and break out discussions.  I attended a world building panel moderated by AF Stewart where we talked about social structures, classes, and other fun stuff.  CL Gaber was also part of the discussion, which was a treat.

I also chatted with several other very engaging authors like Richard White, Joe Compton, and Karina Kantas.  It was an invigorating experience.

Lots of the panel content and discussions are posted on the LitCon Facebook Page.  Feel free to give them a watch.
November Recommendations
Mandalorian Season 2.

I’m current up through episode 4.  This is the best Star Wars iteration of the Disney Era.  Hands down.  They do a fantastic job with the western in space vibe.  I loved seeing Timothy Oliphant in it.  And Baby Yoda (aka The Child) remains very cute and continues to eat all kinds of… well, basically anything that moves that is smaller than him.  I gotta wonder if the Yoda race is some kind of group of apex predators.  The effects are also very close to movie quality.  I enjoy it.

Interrogation.

This is a game on Steam.  It’s a visual novel that takes place in a city that’s under threat from a domestic terrorist organization.  You play a cop who’s the head of the task force that’s trying to stop them from blowing up buildings.  The writing is very tight, and you get in some very morally grey situations in your drive to try to zero in on the terrorists.  A compelling game for those who liked Choose Your Own Adventure novels back in the late 20th century.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- A Boy Named Sous Vide

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Hey there.

The slog through the 2020 year of clarity continues.  In addition to work and novel writing, I’ve started dabbling in Sous Vide cooking.  It’s pretty idiot proof.  You buy a device that looks like an oversized curling iron, put in in a big pot, have it heat up the water via a smart phone interface, let the water to warm up to sub boiling temperatures, then put in whatever you’re wanting to cook in a freezer bag, and let the heat do the rest. 

I’ve made some fantastic chicken and some decent New York Strip steaks.  Pair it with some baked sweet potato wedges, and you got yourself a tasty meal.  I’m going to try making hamburgers with it at some point, though I remain skeptical on how those will turn out.
Players of the Game Updates
Repenter: The Hidden Chapters is also re-released on Kindle.  And it is permanently zero dollars.  Get it now.
Grab Repenter: The Hidden Chapters
Other Players of the Game Updates:

I’ve just received the edits back for bonus content books: The Brigands: The Favor and The New Players: Origins. I’ll be releasing them both in the coming months on Kindle.

I’m also about two thirds of the way through the revision of Players of the Game Book 4: The Breakers. I’m adding details and fixing logic problems. Here’s a fun little dialogue excerpt:

Xax released his friend’s shoulder. “Vance, meet Smiley and Tammy.”

“Tamona,” the Chan’la said.

“Ashe,” the masked man said.

Vance gave them a weary nod. “Vanzvulkous.”

Tamona let out a chuckle that sounded more like weak coughs. “Good to know that you’re consistent, Xax.”

Tamona, Xax, and Vance are newer characters that are introduced in New Players and Breakers.

The Prairies Book Review also gave Brigands a good review. You can read it here.
October Recommendations
The Man Who Effed Up Time: 

This is a fun mini series from Aftershock Comics by John Layman and Karl Mostert.  The premise is that a lowly technician uses a time machine to try and make his lot in life better, and well, effs up time.  The first page had me with a crossbow-wielding samurai constable riding a dinosaur chasing the main character.  That’s a pretty quick indicator on whether you will like this series or not.  I fall under the “likey” column.

Network Effect by Martha Wells: 

Murderbot is back!  This introverted anti-Terminator is the hero we both deserve and need.  This time around, it has to help its friend, an intelligent ship it calls ART (Asshole Research Transport).  ART has run afoul of contaminated alien tech and cult-like followers that Murderbot only refers to as “Targets”.  The introverted android may want to just watch entertainment media, but on more than one occasion it demands, “Don’t hurt my humans.”  Its inner conflict as it gets embroiled in the fight against the Targets is both fun and compelling.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- September Stuff

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Hi, folks.

The Brigands is re-released this month with this great new cover. 

Grab it on Amazon if you haven’t already done so.
Grab The Brigands on Amazon
Other Players of the Game Updates
Repenter received a good review from The Prairies Book Review.  Check it out.

I have also been commissioning more portraits of characters from the Players of the Game Series.  I’ll be sharing them in the months to come.  Here’s a preview of one for ViRauni, the haunted woman in red armor.
This fantastic image from Mikhail Palamarchuk will be getting adapted to a bonus content book called The Brigands: The Favor in the near future.

I am currently working on an updated draft for the 4th book in the series, The Breakers.  I think it’s shaping up well.  Its epic with bunches of characters, conflicts, and interactions.  I’m having fun writing it.
September Recommendations
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey.

I’m not usually one for zombie books, but this one grabbed me.  These are the sprinting variety with minds taken over by a fungus.  A little girl named Melanie is one of them, but she doesn’t know it, and she still has her mind.  In fact, she’s a genius.  And kindhearted.  She goes to school in shackles.  With unethical and conflicted people studying her.  Fantastic writing.  And the Audible reader, Finty Williams, gives a performance that’s both fragile and harsh. 

If you have any other good zombie reads, please feel free to let me know.

Parks and Recreation

My wife and I are making our way through the series before it leaves Netflix at the end of September.  Every character on the show is great.  We’re about halfway through the second-to-last season.  I haven’t read spoilers, but I have to wonder if Gary (aka Jerry and Larry) will have some kind of vindication.  I kinda doubt it. 

My favorite line so far is of course one from Ron Swanson: “Not only should this not exist, but you have denied us all cake.”

Followed closely by one from Ben Wyatt: “Does she think he’s some kind of friendly hat?”

What are some of your favorite Parks lines?
That’s all for this month.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim
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James McGowan Reader Group- Doctor Who Online Sponsorship

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Hi, everybody!

Cool news to lead this month.  So I shall jump right into it.
Doctor Who Online Sponsorship
The folks at Doctor Who Online reached out to me when they saw one of my Twitter blasts for a Bookfunnel promotion.  They liked my new cover and my updated summary blurb. 

Repenter and my other to-be-released books will be sponsoring the fan website for the next year.  The books should be showing up soon on the website.

Feel free to give it a visit at www.drwho-online.co.uk.

Doctor Who is a bit of a blind spot for me.  If you have a recommendation for the best place to start and the best Doctor, I’d love to hear it.
Players of the Game Series Updates
Repenter is re-released this month with a fantastic new cover.

I have finished the latest draft of The New Players: Origins bonus content anthology.

Right now, I’m going through the rewriting process on Book 4: The Breakers.  I have a decent rough draft, but it still has miles to go.

The Brigands will be getting it’s re-release in September.  And many bonus content books shall follow.
In the meantime, if you haven’t grabbed the main Repenter book yet, you can grab it with the button below in Kindle or Paperback format.

Repenter is re-released this month with a fantastic new cover.

I have finished the latest draft of The New Players: Origins bonus content anthology. Right now, I’m going through the rewriting process on Book 4: The Breakers.  I have a decent rough draft, but it still has miles to go. The Brigands will be getting it’s re-release in September.  And many bonus content books shall follow.

In the meantime, if you haven’t grabbed the main Repenter book yet, you can grab it with the button below in Kindle or Paperback format.
Grab Repenter on Amazon
August Recommendations
Palm Springs on Hulu

This movie is fantastic.  It’s a time loop movie where Andy Samberg is already in the time loop when the story begins.  He’s stuck at a wedding in Palm Springs.  Cristin Milioti (aka the Mother from How I Met Your Mother) plays a self-destructive sister of the bride.  They are hilarious together.  JK Simmons is fantastic as another time loop victim.  I do believe this is as good a Groundhog Day.  That’s right.  As.  Good.  Give it a watch.  It’s a great date movie too.

The Old Man’s War Series by John Scalzi

I’m working on The End of All Things currently.  A very compelling read throughout the whole thing.  Humanity makes use of elderly volunteers to fight in colonial wars against other aliens in exchange for extending their life span.  Captain Perry and Lt. Wilson are fun POV characters.
Be smart. Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- July Stuff

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Howdy, all.

I’m writing this on Independence Day, one that has little of the usual stuff, and plenty of the atypical.

It will be interesting to see what changes stick around and which ones are fleeting.

Let us hope the rough road behind and ahead of us leads to better days for all, not just some.
July Recommendations
The Dispatcher by John Scalzi:

This is a very intriguing high concept short story read by Zachary Quinto on Audible. 

Anyone who dies through violence, disease, or accident, disappears and “respawns” naked in their bedroom.  People only have a 1 in 1000 chance of actually dying permanently.  The main character is someone who “dispatches” patients when risky surgical procedures or other high risk events go wrong in order to save them.

Intrigue ensues from there.  Good stuff.

Westworld Season 3:

They had me at Aaron Paul.

I liked this season much more that season 2.  They gave up on trying to be cute with non-linear chronology.  It still had plenty of twists.

And again, Aaron Paul’s character was a nice addition of a human who is actually likeable.
Players of the Game Series Updates
The New Players: Origins bonus content anthology is nearly completed.

Following that, I’ll be re-releasing Repenter and Brigands with their new covers sometime in next few months.  The main New Players third book in the series will follow sometime after that.

Here is the new Brigands cover without the logo.  I love Avril and Nirva’s redesigns. 

To use some dated lingo:

It looks rad!
Be smart. Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- June Stuff

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Hi, folks.

Summer is a comin’. I hope all of you can have some kind of fun in the socially-distanced sun as the weather warms up.  It’s been a pretty chilly May in my neck of the woods, so I’ll be happy for the warmth that will likely progress to sweltering a day later.

In addition to writing, I spent much of the last week doing some much needed spring cleaning, mostly involving organizing several years worth of comic books into long boxes, and getting about six of the heavy behemoths out of the house.  I still have plenty more.  I love physical comics, but I HATE dealing with storing them.  I get some on Comixology, but it’s not the same as a physical copy, especially splash pages.  So, it shall continue to be a little from column A and a little from column B.
June Recommendations
A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie:  

This is a sequel series to the events in the First Law Series.  All the characters from the other books have aged, and new characters including many of their children now take the center stage.  Good intentions gone bad and wry gallows humor abound throughout the book.  The series has veered slightly into steam punk territory with a burgeoning industrial revolution. The audio book version has fantastic narration by Steven Pacey.  Good stuff.

Middleditch and Schwartz on Netflix: 

This is somewhat akin to an R-rated version of Who’s Line Is It Anyway?  The two title comedians ask the audience for topics, pick one, and chat through some details with the audience member. They then make up everything on the spot.  It is hilarious.  “I AM LOOSE” is one of my favorite quotes.  It’s just fun.
Players of the Game Series Updates
I’m currently working on a bonus content anthology, The New Players: Origins.  It’s a companion to the main New Players novel that’s third in the series.  It contains a lot of interconnected short stories with new characters: Gath, Xax, Joe Wrenrot, Harry Mang, Vick Burnhelt, and Ed Burnhelt.

I’m also removing Repenter: The Hidden Chapters from Kindle Unlimited and will offer it for free on Amazon and other venues as an ebook only.  It didn’t really work as a physical book, as it was too thin.

Oh, and here is the finished version of Repenter’s updated cover.  I’ll release it sometime this summer with a new version of The Brigands’s cover as well.  I plan to show that on next month’s email.  I might post it on James McGowan, Author Facebook page in advance of that.  Feel free to become a fan of that page if you’re so inclined.
It’s just awesome looking.

That’s all for now. 

Keep on keepin’ on.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- May Items

  By
Hi, folks. Summer is a comin’. 

I hope all of you can have some kind of fun in the socially-distanced sun as the weather warms up.  It’s been a pretty chilly May in my neck of the woods, so I’ll be happy for the warmth that will likely progress to sweltering a day later.

In additional to writing, I spent much of the last week doing some much needed spring cleaning, mostly involving organizing several years worth of comic books into long boxes, and getting about six of the heavy behemoths out of the house.  I still have plenty more.  I love physical comics, but I HATE dealing with storing them.  I get some on Comixology, but it’s not the same as a physical copy, especially splash pages. 

So, it shall continue to be a little from column A and a little from column B.
June Recommendations
A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie:  

This is a sequel series to the events in the First Law Series.  All the characters from the other books have aged, and new characters including many of their children now take the center stage. 

Good intentions gone bad and wry gallows humor abound throughout the book.  The series has veered slightly into steam punk territory with a burgeoning industrial revolution.

The audio book version has fantastic narration by Steven Pacey. 

Good stuff.

Middleditch and Schwartz on Netflix: 

This is somewhat akin to an R-rated version of Who’s Line Is It Anyway? 

The two title comedians ask the audience for topics, pick one, and chat through some details with the audience member. They then make up everything on the spot.  It is hilarious. 

“I AM LOOSE” is one of my favorite quotes.

It’s just fun.
Players of the Game Series Updates
I’m currently working on a bonus content anthology, The New Players: Origins.  It’s a companion to the main New Players novel that’s third in the series.  It contains a lot of interconnected short stories with new characters: Gath, Xax, Joe Wrenrot, Harry Mang, Vick Burnhelt, and Ed Burnhelt.

I’m also removing Repenter: The Hidden Chapters from Kindle Unlimited and will offer it for free on Amazon and other venues as an ebook only.  It didn’t really work as a physical book, as it was too thin. Oh, and here is the finished version of Repenter’s updated cover. 

I’ll release it sometime this summer with a new version of The Brigands’s cover as well.  I plan to show that on next month’s email.  I might post it on James McGowan, Author Facebook page in advance of that. 

Feel free to become a fan of that page if you’re so inclined.
It’s just awesome looking.

That’s all for now. 

Keep on keepin’ on.

Jim

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