COVER REVEAL Blue Omnibus


DarkWhimsy Books Presents…

The Complete Adventures of Blue Shaefer
The Entire Blue Shaefer Story Arc in a Single Volume

Coming soon to your favorite online outlet, the R.J. Home Store, and autumn 2021 personal appearances.

Links are already going live on its dedicated order page. UPDATE: AS I WAS WRITING THIS, THE AMAZON PAPERBACK EDITION WENT LIVE.  Click here to see all the order links.

Check out that amazing front cover, a collaborative team image, with my thanks to:

Cover Photo: Paul-Louis Webster Photography and Greg Hernandez.
Cover Model: Jessica Lynn Cannaday.
Cover design: Bryan Donihue and Section 28 Publishing

DarkWhimsy Books 2020 Revised Editions Overview

The work is done! With the release of Virtual Blue, the entirety of my paranormal thriller back titles are again available for purchase from all web-stores, ending a six-month project that was difficult but should be oh-so-worth it. Give me another month and I’ll have my stock replenished with my updated titles, and I will re-open my “order signed books from me” store.  (I ALSO wish my store could have been open in time for Christmas, but the timing did not cooperate).

In the meantime, if you want to grab up any of my back titles for gift-giving, you might just have time. So what’s the breakdown of the titles, what’s different from the previous editions, and what’s coming next? Great questions.

Four of my back titles, primarily those related to my ghost story/paranormal series, were, by mutual agreement, returned to me by my former publisher, allowing me to re-release them on my indie Publishing label, DarkWhimsy Books. In this agreement, I also obtained the original edition cover art.

RJ’s Holiday Paperback Now Live

NEW FOR 2020 For the first time ever (and going into the third Christmas since I conceived this) the author’s preferred edition paperback of the two Holiday short stories is now available to purchase directly from Amazon.

Links

NEW Paperback Now Available on Amazon in the DoubleFront Paperback Format
Or order directly from me.
Kindle (The text of both stories, flip-book not replicated.)

COVER REVEAL: The Beacon

Production is in the final stages of my first-ever self-published endeavor, a pair of Christmas-themed short stories. One story is Blue Christmas, a paranormal thriller in the tradition of A Christmas Carol, and discussed in detail here.

Beacon Cover WebThe other story is a science fiction comedy presented in its play manuscript form; a Christian faith story with a cover that makes this aspect clear, so no potential buyer is blindsided. So without further ado, check out this awesome “Christmas Card with a Spaceship” front cover by Ash Arceneaux! Ash is the cover artist of the original edition of Haunting Blue (long out of print after I yanked the rights back from that disreputable-entity-whose-name-I-do-not- speak-and-not-JUST-because-its-name-is-literally-a-mild-curse-word-though-that-doesn’t-help.). Ash also created the slides for the very ambitious Haunting Blue Book Trailer. Ash is an amazing artist and talent (and truly a good friend). I’m thrilled to have her work represented in my titles once again. Link to the current edition of Haunting Blue.

“The Beacon” follows the three-person crew of the United Galaxy Corps Scoutship Starprobe: brave but hotheaded Captain Remmer, the logical but clueless cyborg engineer Gault, and the frequently panicky pilot Lanson. The ship arrives in orbit around planet Earth to investigate why a bright glowing star-like beacon has lit up the planet’s skyline.

Their ship barely has time to scan the horizon before they’re attacked by a renegade space pirate. Their incompetent captor, Ted the Merciless (because it sounds better than Theodore the Merciless), hoped to steal the treasure that the beacon represents, only to find he’s attacked the Starprobe way too soon. Can this group of misfits find a way to work together long enough to solve the mystery and message of…The Beacon? (Spoiler: It’s baby Jesus).

RJ to be at Imaginarium 2015

E. Chris Garrison, me, John F. Allen
E. Chris Garrison, me, John F. Allen

Next weekend I’ll be attending the Second Annual Imaginarium Convention in Louisville, KY. Last year’s event was, quite simply, the most fun I had last year. With Seventh Star Press as a major organizer and several Speculative Fiction Guild authors well represented, I’m anticipating bigger, better, and more fun than ever.

What is Imaginaruim? Quite simply, If you love books and the people who write them, or you aspire to write and want an inspiring weekend training seminar, Imaginarium will be the place to be.

First of all, let’s get to a huge change over year one. The change that affects each and every one of you. The dealer’s room, crammed full of authors and vendors, will be free and open to the public. To participate in the programming, you need to buy a one-day or weekend pass, but if you just want to shop for yourself or for people on that list that starts to become relevant very soon, you can come and go as you like, free of charge. Click here to see Imaginarium’s website to read all the details about location, passes, hotel, etc.

11403423_1017912164885713_4460008536803645248_nYou’ll find me at a table with good buddies John F. Allen and Chris Garrison in the Seventh Star Press section. You’ll find my full array of books, which you can buy with cash or credit card all weekend. Autographs as always are free and worth every penny you pay. Here’s my price list:

10468076_813484258661839_5960947186833888854_nHaunting Blue $15
Haunting Obsession $10
Virtual Blue $15
Darkness with Chance of Whimsy $10
Lost Sole Ghosties $5 each or free with any purchase
I’ll also have special deals on multiple title purchases.

I’m on three panels this year, my schedule:

Fri, 7 pm in the Madison Room
Comics and the Silver Screen: Also with Glenn Porzig, John F. Allen, S.C. Houff, and T. Lee Harris

Sat, Noon in the Oldham Room
The Great Space Opera Debate: also with Dave Creek, Kathryn Sullivan, and Katina French

Sat, 9 pm in the Shelby Room
Writing a series: Also with Brick Marlin, Melissa Goodman, T. Lee Harris, and Teresa Reasor

Of course, you’re all coming just to see me, but you should know there’s dozens of panels for readers and writers, a movie screening room, a masquerade ball, and two free writer’s workshops. Hope to see you there! And if you can’t make it, follow my updates on Facebook and Instagram throughout the weekend.

Check out my photo album from Imaginarium 2014.

“Magi Mall Sale” on Gifts of the Magi

Gifts of the Magi cover by John F. Allen
Gifts of the Magi cover by John F. Allen

Now thru Friday, you can order the paperback edition of GIFTS OF THE MAGI: A SPECULATIVE FICTION COLLECTION at 15% Off, delivered just in time to fill out your Christmas list! Click here to read all the details on the SFG Website!

New Blue Christmas Art!

Nell Williams has created a new Blue Christmas image for 2014, a (mostly) annual tradition of putting my characters in various holiday scenes for Christmas time, with the tag “Have a Blue Christmas.” This year, she Nell rendered a scene directly from the new short story “Blue Christmas” as featured in GIFTS OF THE MAGI.

Here is the base art:

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Which she cropped to this.

bluechristmascloseupVariations for Facebook memes:

bluechristmas2014
bluechristmasbc2
And I cropped further for this portrait-like view of Blue and Chip.

FullSizeRender
Personally I love this rendition of the characters, particularly Blue. She’s grown a lot and been through a lot in two novels, and Nell captured the growth and maturity of that journey, something I didn’t expect from a fun little marketing piece. It makes me excited to write the next book in her story. Hmmmm…..

Past Nell Williams Blue Christmas images:

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and…

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Gifts of the Magi Book Signing Thursday

Gifts of the Magi cover by John F. Allen
Gifts of the Magi cover by John F. Allen

This Thursday, from 5:30-7 pm, I’ll join seven other authors at Indy Reads Books in downtown Indianapolis in support of Gifts of the Magi: A Speculative Holiday Collection. We’ll each read a excerpt from our short stories and remain available to sign copies and hopefully raise a lot of money for a good cause.

I’ll be reading an excerpt from the my short story in the collection, “Blue Christmas.”

Gifts of the Magi will be offered through Indy Reads Books, while I’ll have copies of Haunting Blue, Haunting Obsession, and Virtual Blue for sale. And of course, you can browse offerings from our other authors. It should be a great time and a fantastic opportunity  to check off a lot of people on your Christmas list.

Click here to join the Facebook event page.
Click here to read all the details.

RJ’s Cyber Monday Sale

RJ AD holidays 2014So today is Cyber Monday and Seventh Star Press is putting two of my titles on sale (plus an anthology in which I can be found) for 99 cents each. Respectively, with page links, they are:

Haunting Blue, the first of the Paranormal Trilogy:
Haunting Obsession, the standalone followup in the Paranormal Trilogy;
Vampires Don’t Sparkle, a short story collection that includes my popular short story Robot Vampire.

I have made three videos promoting the sales, which you can find here.

If you have not read my books before, this is a great opportunity  to jump in at a huge savings. If you have, please consider purchasing an ebook as a gift for a friend.

If you’re wondering how else you can support me, please email, tweet, or share on Facebook the link to this blog on your wall. Post the videos, If you feel inclined to praise the books when you do so, that might also help.

Thanks for your consideration. Whatever happens from this is every bit as much from the efforts of my readers as it is from me.  Have a great Cyber Monday.

Reading from Blue Christmas

As promised, here is the reading of the start of Blue Christmas, as featured in GIFTS OF THE MAGI: A SPECULATIVE FICTION COLLECTION available now.

All proceeds from this collection benefit Indy Reads Books.