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Wicked Ones Released!

McCool Mythos: Wicked Ones is the next tome in the dark multi-verse of the McCool Mythos.

Wicked Ones is the result of a long year of labor and love. It was by far one of the toughest projects I’ve worked on. Me and my wife welcomed our son into the world, as well as purchased our first home. Two massive life altering things happening in the same year, and anyone who has been through either of those knows that they take a TON of mental energy. We did both in one year!

This tome follows two characters forever interwoven within the fabrics of the McCool Mythos. Balamos the Stag Lord weaves his web of deals and corruption through the ranks of mankind, and the story of Peter Anderson continues with insightful looks into his fabled story. The two’s story is just beginning in these epic tales.

These stories are such an awesome addition to the ever expanding multi-verse of the McCool Mythos, and I’m so glad we were able to complete it with so much craziness in our lives. There were a few bumps in the road with our formatter, but as we all know, life happens. It was an incredible journey, and I’m so excited to start putting pen to paper on the next one.

For all of those who have been with us on our writing journey, thank you so much. Your support means more to me than you’ll ever know. To those who are just joining, welcome! Pull up a chair, take a seat, and enjoy the incredible world’s we present to you on paper.

Welcome to the worlds of darkness and mystery.

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Life of an Indie Author

I was asked today on what it was like to be an indie author. I paused, unable to answer. However, now that I have time to reflect on it I believe I have an answer.

Being an indie author is TOUGH. Imagine being thrown out in the middle of the ocean, you don’t know how to swim, and nobody really cares that you’re drowning. That’s kind of like what being an indie author is like. Like crash landing in the Amazon with no provisions, no survival gear, and the rescue helicopter just keeps on flying by. Like being an astronaut landing on the moon, but your ship malfunctions leaving you stranded, and Houston bids you farewell and cuts radio contact.

Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit, but the world of indie authors can feel quite lonely. You put months and months of time into a literary project, and after it’s finished and you’ve created the perfect cover, you then have to go through the real horrors of the writing world.

Marketing.

Gosh, I shutter just thinking about it. Marketing is to authors like swimming is to mountain climbers. They simply don’t go together. However, it’s an issue that can be mitigated with vast amounts of time, and a little money thrown towards some marketers. Being an indie author is like being the captain of the ship, and the first mate, and the engineer, and the helmsman, and the navigator, and the radio operator, and the quartermaster, and the rest of the minor crew positions. You see what I spelling out to you, right?

Being an indie author isn’t just being a writer; it encompasses ALL aspects of the writing industry. You are the author, the editor, the cover designer, and the financer. However, on top of all that, you are your own worst critic which leads to many stories never being told in the first place. It’s super sad to think about, but the thought of indie publishing completely turns off would be authors that have some incredible stories to tell which is very unfortunate.

However, I tend take take another viewpoint on indie publishing. One a bit more optimistic. I see indie publishing as a team sport. As the team captain (AKA the writer), I have the responsibility to build a strategic team to help bring the story to life. Each position on the team I fills with a credible third party. Now does this cost money? Absolutely it does, but the way I see it is if you’re an author to make money then forget it. You have to do it for the art. The best payment I can recieve for my hard work is knowing my books are sitting upon the shelves of people’s home libraries. Just writing that give me chills. I’ve seen some gorgeous hoke libraries, and seeing my book within one of those wooden frames would be incredible.

Being an indie author is tough, but not unobtainable. You have to know your limitations, and understand that to have the best quality you HAVE to build a team on professionals for your project. Fullfil your dreams, and don’t let anything hold you back from telling those stories.

If I can do it, so can you.

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What makes horror so intriguing?



Horror is a genre that has been around for centuries, and it continues to be one of the most popular genres of entertainment. But what makes horror so interesting? Why do people flock to horror films, books, and video games?

One of the main reasons why horror is so interesting is because it allows us to explore our fears in a safe way. Horror films and books allow us to confront our fears in a fictional setting, and video games give us the opportunity to test our courage in a virtual world. Horror can also be used to explore deeper psychological issues, such as the fear of death or the unknown.

Another reason why horror is so popular is because it provides an adrenaline rush. Many horror films and books are designed to make us jump, scream, and feel a rush of excitement. This sense of adrenaline can be addictive, and it is one of the main draws of the horror genre.

Horror also can contain a sense of humor as well. Most lovers of horror come with a slightly darker sense of humor that can be explored a little more within the confines of the page and screen. One of my current works in progress is just such a thing. I’m not quite read to talk too much on it right now, but adding a sense of humor to traditional darker themes is a good way to brighten up stories that most of the time would turn away an audience.

Think of Scream. It’s one of my favorite slasher movies of all time. The writers chose to add a veil of humor over a story that’s actually quite tragic when analyzed. This made the film more approachable and attractive to new comers to the slasher genre that had been previously driven by gore. Now, not saying Scream doesn’t have its fair share of gore, but with the added humor, it diffused the senseless violence.

Finally, horror can be used to explore themes and ideas that are often difficult to discuss in other genres. Horror can be used to explore taboo subjects such as death, violence, and the supernatural. It can also be used to explore the darker side of humanity, such as greed, power, and revenge.

Horror is a genre that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. It allows us to explore our fears in a safe way, provides an adrenaline rush, and can be used to explore complex themes and ideas. It is no wonder why horror continues to be one of the most popular genres of entertainment.

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The Dark and Mysterious

Welcome to the endless worlds of the Dark and Mysterious!

Hello there reader. Since you’re here reading this, I assume you have a distinct interest in the writings of the Dark and Mysterious. But, what alot of people tend to ask me is: what exactly is the dark and mysterious?

It’s something that can difficult to define. Writings of this nature can be any genre, but hold darker than usual tones in its story telling. Its contains gloomy atmosphere and a sense of dread for the characters interacting with their world. It can be categorized as a sub genre as well. Most notably grim dark for fantasy and science fiction, as well as gothic for dark Victorian inspired works. However, it can also be hidden within other genres, lurking in the shadows of each page. Genres like dystopian, thriller, and even romance. Next time you read a good love story, pay attention to the world and events happening around the character. You might be surprised.

The dark and mysterious is hidden everywhere within your favorite literary fiction. I’ve been really into political thrillers lately, and as you could guess, things get pretty gloomy. I was reading Murphy’s Rangers by Eric Meyer recently, which follows a US Army Ranger during the opening of World War Two, and I quickly picked up on the dark tones presented, not only in Meyer’s work, but other authors in the military thriller genre. It made me a believer that dark writing isn’t a genre by itself, but a loving addition to any genre of work. It was an amazing realization for someone like me who tends to bend genres to the darker side by default.

As a writer, adding darker tones to genres have always come naturally to me. Even as a kid writing my silly stories during most lectures in class tended to dip towards the brutal reality of things. My protagonist would accomplish their goals, there would ALWAYS be a negative consequence that would change their lives forever. Pretty macabre for a kid’s writing, but that’s just who I was, and still am to this day.

Now, being a darker writer doesn’t mean everyone dies all the time, and there’s death lurking around every corner. It is as simple as the atmosphere in most cases. Stories that take place over the back drop of severe thunderstorms, mostly at night, or during some kind of low light situation. However, writing on this way could also be more forthcoming such as putting your poor characters in the catacombs beneath the ancient streets of Paris, or lock them in a dilapidated mansion while being hunted by something unseen. The possibilities are endless.

As a writer of the Dark, it’s considered a tool to me. How to best use it is situational, but like all tools, it has its specific use. It’s a tool that I’ve worked hard to master, and now that I have the tool of darkness can now be used to create some of the most delightfully dreadful little worlds.

So, for all my dark and mysterious friends out there, let’s embrace these epic gloomy tales. Writings of the Dark and Mysterious are so much fun to read, and even more fun to pen.

Please, enjoy these beautiful dark worlds of mine friends.