Cover Reveal: The Witness

I am pleased to reveal the cover of my upcoming book, The Witness. I’ve been sitting on this cover for weeks now, and I’ve really been looking forward to sharing it with everyone.

Like with Empty Bodies, the artwork was once again provided by Johnny Digges, who you can check out over at www.diggescreative.com.

The Witness is a dark suspenseful horror story with a campy slasher vibe. It is my tribute to classic slasher films such as Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and House of 1,000 Corpses. From a writing standpoint, fans of Jack Ketchum or Blake Crouch’s Desert Places will also enjoy it.

I’ll have more details on the book shortly. For now, I just wanted to tease you with the gorgeous cover.

I don’t have an official release date yet, but the book is currently in the editing phase, and I am aiming for an early to mid-March release.

Stop Remaking Films! Adapt These Books to Movies Instead…

With the recent announcements of the Ghostbusters “sequel”/reboot and the new trailer for the remake of Poltergeist, I’ve seen a lot of people outraged. While I’m not outraged, I simply wish that Hollywood would bring out more original ideas. And yes, I know it’s about money and producing ideas that are guaranteed to sell. But there are TONS of great books out there, especially with the rise of independent publishing.

Here is a list of 5 books that I’d love to see made into movies:

This one has actually been rumored for years and I find myself searching on Google every few days for news as these are my favorite books of all time. Ron Howard has the movie rights, and it’s been very close to production several times. Many actors have been tied to it, and Howard has an awesome idea of wanting to film the series over 3-4 movies with a television series in between the release of each movie. 
Rumors of Netflix and HBO being interested in the show have popped up, but Howard hasn’t been able to get a studio to produce the movies.
These books would translate so well to movies! And with Matthew McConaughey already casted as Randall Flagg in The Stand (Flagg is also the primary villain throughout The Dark Tower series), he’d be perfect for these movies!
Get it done, Ron Howard! Please! 
With the rise in popularity for zombie films, Slow Burn would be perfect!
Author Bobby Adair takes a slightly different take on zombies in this book series, and it would make for a great, fast paced adaptation. And the lead character, Zed, would be a lot of fun to watch on screen! Plus, I’m Texan and would just love to see a zombie movie in Texas. Just sayin’…
While Run comes up as my third favorite Crouch book behind Wayward Pines and Abandon, those two books are already being adapted to television. And I think Run would make a GREAT movie!
The book follows a family after a supernatural event has cause half of the world’s population to start stalking and killing everyone else. I don’t want to ruin the book, but it is amazing! It’s extremely thrilling and would adapt so well to the big screen.
Another smart and thrilling dark fantasy that would translate so well to the big screen. The big opens with the main character in the middle of the woods hanging from a noose, before he is chased down by wolves and a mysterious cloud. I mean, how awesome would the opening scene in this book look in a movie? Pretty bad ass if you ask me. Even if just the first book was done, it would be a great movie!
Like the aforementioned The Dark Tower, Wool actually has movie rights already sold. Hugh Howey made big news as an independent author when he sold the right to this post-apoclyptic epic thriller to Alien and Gladiator director Ridley Scott. Now, I am a HUGE Ridley Scott fan. I thought Wool was a very good book, but Ridley Scott could make it an amazing movie!
Hopefully, he decides to exercise the rights…
So that’s my list! You have any awesome books you’d like to see made into a movie? Comment below!

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‘Empty Bodies’ Is Out Today!

Today is the day!

Book one of my post-apocalyptic series Empty Bodies is available now! The first book shares the same name as the series and is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

It’s on sale for a limited time for only $0.99!

Click here to purchase Empty Bodies

The novel is available on both Kindle and in paperback. Remember, if you don’t have a Kindle, you can read the book on any mobile device using the free Kindle app! And if you do purchase the paperback, you’ll be able to instantly download the Kindle version at no additional cost.

Overview:

In a single moment, everything changes…

Hundreds of thousands of people suddenly collapse, leaving their friends and loved one behind, terrified and confused.

Moments later, the fallen rise, and the survivors become the hunted.

“Zach comes out swinging with suspense that will haunt you, and you won’t be able to look away.” – J. Thorn, Amazon Top 100 Horror Author

“Empty Bodies”

Book One of the ‘Empty Bodies’ Series


The end is coming February 3rd, 2015!*


Horror author Zach Bohannon brings you book one of the Empty Bodies series, a suspenseful page-turner that pits the survivors of the new world against both a supernatural horde, rising from the dead to hunt them, and against each other.

Follow three people from different walks of life as they fight through the fallout of the rapture and adapt to the new world.

A warehouse forklift operator who wakes up from a lunchtime nap to find his co-workers killing each other…

A traveling sales representative who boards a plane from hell…

And a front desk clerk who fights to escape a hotel tucked away in the Smoky Mountains when the vacant bodies begin to rise…

Perfect for any fan of post-apocalyptic horror, dystopian science fiction, and zombies!

Do you like The Walking Dead, The Stand, I Am Legend, Dawn of the Dead, or World War Z?

Then you’ll love Empty Bodies!

*Date subject to change

The Power of Planning

I’ve spent some time over the last few days working on my production schedule for 2015. I’m through the first part of June and, I must say, I am excited for what 2015 has to offer.

My time losing over 100 pounds and working as a personal trainer taught me a lot. Many people want to do things, but fail to set goals and plan. They say things like “I want to lose weight” or “I want to save more money”.  While it’s great to want to do these things, you need something tangible to aim at.

Instead of saying something like “I want to run more”, a more tangible goal would be “I want to run 10 miles a week” and then mark 3 days on your weekly calendar that you will commit to running 4 miles. Make yourself accountable and stick to it!

I am going into this year knowing that I want to release 5 books that will each be around 50,000 words. Using a production template for each book, I calculate that I can release a book that size about every 65 days. So I have every day until June scheduled out so that I can hit those targets.

Will I hit every deadline? Probably not. But that’s okay. A lot of this is a learning process for me. I am still finding my stride and what works best for me as an author-entrepreneur.

The important thing is that I have something to aim at. And like the great Zig Ziglar said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”

So what do you have planned for 2015? I’d love to hear your comments below.

Also, if you want to be the first person to know when my books are being released, please join my mailing list. You’ll get a FREE book right now just for signing up and also be eligible for exclusive contests and giveaways.

  

“Dark Reveries” Signed Paperback Giveaway!

In the root of the Christmas spirit, I figured…what would be better than giving away some free horror??

Between now and Tuesday, December 16th, any U.S. resident (sorry worldly folks) who is signed up for my mailing list will be automatically entered to win a free, signed copy of the paperback version of “Dark Reveries: Volume One”.

I will announce the winner on Wednesday, December 17th.

In addition, just for signing up, you will receive a free digital copy of “Heritage”, one of the stories from “Dark Reveries: Volume One”.

Not already signed up for the mailing list? You can do so below. In addition to receiving the free ebook and being entered into the giveaway, you will receive an occasional e-mail from me with updates on new releases, news, and more giveaways.

Good luck!

Dark Reveries: Volume One is now available for Kindle ($1.99) and Paperback ($5.99)

Subscribe to my mailing list to enter the contest and receive a free ebook!

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Dark Reveries – Volume One is Available Now!

Greetings!

My debut fiction publication is now available!

Dark Reveries (Volume One) features four short stories with, what I believe, features something for every fan of horror.

It is currently available exclusively as an eBook for the Amazon Kindle.  If you do not have a Kindle, you can read it on any of the free Kindle apps for your mobile device or computer.

A paperback version will be available soon.

Purchase Dark Reveries (Volume One) on Amazon

And thank you to Ian White for the amazing painting on the cover!


“Intense, well-written, and creative!” – Jessica Hatton, New York (reader) 

“I couldn’t put my iPad down. The ending to ‘Inked’ was KILLER!” – Sarah Siepen, Australia (reader)


“I loved it! It was dark and something completely new!” – Jayme Baldwin, Tennessee (reader)


FEATURING:

Inked – Terry Russell is a tattoo artist struggling just to make a living. But when one of his clients turns up dead in a gruesome murder, things begin to go south for Terry…

Heritage – After a successful bank robbery, a trio of notorious outlaws arrive in Blackwater: an abandoned Colorado mining town. They stay the night at the local, vacant inn, only to have the mystery of the town’s emptiness revealed to them…

Training Games – A serial killer with an interesting taste in victims puts his captives through a series of challenges with one simple goal: Survive. For fans of “Saw”

The Flesh on the Note – A disturbing 1500 word confession…

***WARNING*** Dark Reveries is a work of horror. While there is not a lot of descriptive gore, there is cursing, violence, and suggestive situations. Please use discretion when purchasing.

Thinking Long-Term As a Writer

Epic bro…

It’s basically impossible for me to do anything half-ass.  I was overweight most my life.  And I didn’t decide to make a change about it until I knew with 100% certainty that I was ready to make it my #1 focus in my life and that I would not fail.  Before that, I wasn’t ready and I wasn’t going to start then fail.  When I decided it was time, I put everything I had into it and I lost 115 lbs. in 15 months (95 in the 2012 calendar year).
With that, I made sure that I did things that would sustain my  health long term.  I didn’t do any fad diets.  I developed new habits and a new lifestyle that has stuck with me and I have been able to keep most of the weight off and I am a much healthier person now than I was 3 years ago.
Now that I have decided to write fiction, I am taking a similar approach.  
I understand that the novel that I am working on is not going to make me a lot of money.  It is probably not going to be read by a lot of people.  
The chances of hitting it big on the first swing is almost non-existent.
And I love that.
Because I am thinking long-term.  I would much rather my 5th or 8th or 10th book take off and kick start my writing career.
But why?
  • I believe that, over time, I will become a much better writer
  • I want my brand to have an inventory.  If people read and love Abiding Harvest, the novel I am currently working on, then what?  I have nothing else for them to read after that
  • I will make mistakes along the way.  I understand that I need to be patient and learn from them whether they be in my stories, my marketing, or any other aspect of my writing business
I love writing.  I always have.  And I want other people to love my writing.  The great thing is that I have the rest of my life to work toward that.  
I want to lose the weight and keep it off.  To me, there is no appeal in dieting down to go look awesome at the beach and then go back to my old ways.
Write and keep writing.  Over time, you will gain sustainability with discipline.  

Book Review – The Wayward Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch


Click above to see these books on Amazon

I cruise around on Amazon quite a bit looking for new books and new authors.  I read 3-4 books at a time so I am always kind of on the lookout.  I like to spend time looking in the pages of the genres that I like.
While searching through horror and thrillers, I kept coming across an author named Blake Crouch.  Particularly, I kept seeing his series Wayward Pines.  Finally, I decided to check them out.
And I’m real glad that I did.
It’s hard to talk about the whole series too much without giving away the end of the first book, so this may be brief and I’ll be real careful.
The story follows Ethan Burke, a secret service agent who goes to a town called Wayward Pines, ID to search for his missing former partner.  When he gets there, he realizes that something isn’t right.  The people in the town are very strange.  He can’t get in touch with his wife.  And he can’t leave.  
Once the story gets going, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.  I couldn’t put it down.  I pretty much put the other books aside that I was reading and finished these in about 2-3 weeks.
I read and listened to the books using Amazon Whispersync which is a really cool feature.  
From a writing standpoint, I really like Blake Crouch.  One of the things I like that he does is that he uses sentence fragments in a very smart way to show you what characters are doing.  For example, instead of saying something like:  “She went to the kitchen, made herself some scrambled eggs, then sat down for a glass of wine.”,  He would write it like: “She went to the kitchen.  Made some eggs.  Enjoyed a glass of wine.”  I really like this and have started using it in my writing some.  
One thing I don’t like, and I have noticed it while reading one of his other books, is that his dialogue can be kind of weak.  His story telling is so good and flows so well, but sometimes I think the dialogue can be a little unrealistic.  In specific with female characters.  One particular problem I had was that I thought Teresa, Ethan’s wife in the books, came off very weak in the last book.  She came off like a scared teenager when I feel like a mother would be a little stronger in the situations she was in.  I thought that he also made his son come off a little too ignorant.  In Crouch’s defense, I did listen almost exclusively to the last book and I may have had more of an issue with how the narrator portrayed the two characters.  But again, I have noticed this in other works.
That being said, the series is incredible.  I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves heavily character driven horror, suspense thrillers.  The end of the first book will throw you for a loop and you’ll want to jump right to the second book.
Oh, and if you read the book before the first of the year, you can be ahead of the curve once the mini series based on the book comes out!  See the trailer below.  It has a very good cast.
Rating – 8/10