Jon Dobbin's Blog

This isn’t why we did this by a long shot, but From the Rock Stars just became a Amazon Bestseller on the Amazon CA free titles list.

With COVID-19 in full swing and the world in isolation, we thought of no better time and way to show our thanks than to offer this collection of short fiction for free during the course of the crisis, and at no more than cost for the print book. Please enjoy these stories at no cost, and we hope that the worlds they bring you to are brighter ones.

For years, Engen Books has produced an annual collection of the best genre fiction that Atlantic Canada has to offer: the From the Rock series. It has seen tremendous commercial and critical success and we couldn’t have done that without two groups: our spectacular writers, and our amazing readers. We’ve been looking to find a way to thank both for years.

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From the Rock collections alternate between three main genres: Science-Fiction, Fantasy, and Chillers. This collection contains the best examples of all three, in roughly equal measure. All stories are kept to a PG-13 standard to be as widely accessible as possible.

Those who read the series regularly will notice that there are some names that show up again and again. These individuals are known as Rockers: authors who have been included in at least three different collections, and who have proven themselves excellent at each of the main three genres we’ve challenged them with. They are Ali House, Chantal Boudreau, Jeff Slade, Jon Dobbin, Matthew Daniels, Nicole Little, Paul Carberry, Peter J Foote, Sam Bauer, and Shannon K Green. Collectively known as the best in genre fiction storytelling in Atlantic Canada.

Or, colloquially, as the Rock Stars.

Engen Books would like to that its board and these fine authors for bringing this book together so quickly. Free eBook copies and at-cost print copies are available HERE.

[image error]Pulp Science-Fiction from the Rock, the sixth volume in the modern From the Rock series, hit #1 Bestseller on March 31, 2020 at 1:14 PM Newfoundland Standard Time.

The eBook is being released ahead of schedule due to shifts in schedule surrounding COVID-19. Purchasers will have it delivered on April 3, 2020.

It reached #1 in the category of ‘Science Fiction Short Stories (Books). As of this writing it has held that #1 spot for nearly 24 hours, and topped out at #522 on the overall paid Amazon ca charts.

A century ago, pulp magazines brought the fresh ideas of science-fiction and exploration to the masses with its rough, inexpensive format, and lit the imaginations of a generation on fire. Those inspired became the greatest storytellers of their time, producing stories that would shock, awe, and inspire. That legacy of the new, the different, and the strange lives on today in the minds and pens of genre writers all over the world.

Pulp Science-Fiction from the Rock seeks to honour that legacy with twenty-two short stories highlighting the best of the modern interpretations of Pulp Science-Fiction, from minds like Ali House (The Segment Delta Archives), Jon Dobbin (The Starving), and Sherry D. Ramsey (Beyond the Sentinel Stars)! With introduction from sci-fi legend Kenneth Tam!

Engen Books would like to congratulate editors Ellen Curtis, & Erin Vance on this achievement, and thank its fans and peers who helps make this possible. We also extend gratitude an congratulations to authors and contributors: Peter Foote, Ali House, Matthew Daniels, Nicole Little, Sherry D. Ramsey, Jeff Slade, Chantal Boudreau, Shannon Green, Jennifer Shelby, Jon Dobbin, Melissa Bishop, Brad Dunne, Corinne Lewandowski, JRH Lawless, Lisa Daly, Andrew Pike, Julie Aubut Gaudet, Daniel Windeler, Alissa Hickox, Andrew McDonald, CS Woodburn and Steve Power!

Engen Books is proud to announce one of the authors that will be returning in 2020’s Pulp Sci-Fi from the Rock collection: Jon Dobbin!

A native to the St. John’s metro region, Dobbin tied for first place in the 2017 48-Hour Writing Marathon, sponsored by THE Creative Learning, Thrive, and Engen Books. He placed second during the WANL Nightmare on Water Street event in October 2018. He describes himself as “the father of three, the husband to an amazing wife, an educator, and a tattoo and beard enthusiast.”

His first novel, The Starving, was released to rave reviews in May 2019, and constantly sits in the top list of novels in its genre.

“Dobbin’s debut novel is a great one. Predator meets Hell on Wheels. Classic western with a touch of King and Lovecraft… A smashing debut. I am hungry (pun intended) for Dobbin’s next work!”

— BC Laybolt, author of To Drown in Sand

“Take a little Zane Grey. Add a little Penny Dreadful. Read with Sam Elliot’s voice. Discover Jon Dobbin’s masterful The Starving.”

— Darrell Power, Great Big Sea

“Dobbin’s debut full length is a chilling trek through a wintery wild west Colorado. The Starving combines the pulp swagger and splatter of Robert E. Howard with the atmospheric otherworldly chills of Stephen King in a suspenseful, tight read that moves like lightning.“

— Amazon Customer, June 1 2019

Dobbin made his publishing debut in Chillers from the Rock with two entries: Man of Fire and The Chosen. His Flash Fiction was featured in Kit Sora: The Artobiography. Two of his stories were featured in Dystopia from the Rock: Blood Red Horizon and The Other.

Dobbin brings with him his short story ‘On Mission.’

Nine other authors will be joining Jon Dobbin, Melissa Bishop, Brad Dunne, Corinne Lewandowski, JRH Lawless, Lisa Daly, Andrew Pike, Julie Aubut Gaudet, Daniel Windeler, Alissa Hickox, Andrew McDonald, CS Woodburn and Steve Power for the 2020 Pulp Sci-Fi on the Rock collection! We have established authors, award-winners, bestsellers, and returning From the Rock alumni left to announce! Who will join them? Stay tuned and Never Look Back!

For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.

2019 was an amazing year with a plethora of new titles from Newfoundland’s fastest growing publisher, culminating in the release of our first Young Readers book, The Last Tree. It’s been an incredible year, but we’re here to let you know: 2020 is going to be even crazier.

We have a metric ton of titles coming out, a great deal of which we can’t even tell you about yet. But there are 15 that we can tell you about, and they’re gonna be nuts.

For the Love of Summer

Author: Sarah Thompson

Genre: LGBTQ+ Romance

Our first book of 2020 is a bold new romance from Sarah Thompson, following Summer and her journey through young adulthood to find herself, and realize that the person she’s been searching for has been her best friend all along. Check it out in January 2020!

[image error]The Lightbulb Forest

Author: Ali House

Genre: Short Fiction

Ali House is one of the top minds in short fiction to come out of Atlantic Canada in the last ten years, and finally her work has been collected into one spectacular volume of short fiction. Collecting 40 tales, this book covers science-fiction, fantasy, dystopia, comedy, horror, and lit fiction stories. Something for everyone in this spectacular volume. Coming February 2020!

Pulp Sci-Fi from the Rock

Authors: Top Secret!

Genre: Science-Fiction, Short Fiction

Our yearly From The Rock series continues with its sixth straight volume, focusing on tales inspired by the Pulp Sci-Fi era of storytelling! Featuring 22 amazing authors from Atlantic Canada, this collection is sure to add to the growing list of bestsellers on the From the Rock list! Not to be missed! Edited by Ellen Curtis and Erin Vance, coming April 2020!

Fate’s Shadow

Author: Matthew LeDrew

Genre: Crime Thriller

The follow-up to the explosive Family Values finds Xander Drew in a state of obsessed depression, as he attempts to find the villainous Celena. He is pulled out of his quest though when one old friend returns from the past — and another meets an untimely fate. Can Xander figure out the truth behind this mystery before its too late? Find out in April 2020!

Pedestal

Author: Gareth Mitton

Genre: Hard Science-Fiction

Answering the call for more science fiction comes Gareth Mitton, a prominent and cerebral author from the United Kingdom! Gareth brings with him an incredible story that questions our very view of reality in this incredible instant classic! Not to be missed by fans of Arthur C Clarke, Robert Heinlein, and Scott Bartlett! Coming May 2020!

Ashes

Author: Lauralana Dunne

Genre: YA Fantasy

A YA Fantasy perfect for fans of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials! The story follows Phoenix, a young girl acclimating to life in a strange fantasy world embroiled in a decades-long conflict between men and gargoyles. She must discover who she is and who she can trust if she hopes to unravel the schemes and machinations that threaten to take down her kingdom. Sure to be one of the top books of 2020, don’t miss this debut from our next superstar author Lauralana Dunne in June 2020!

Return to the Depths

Author: Amanda Labonté

Genre: YA Fantasy

The thrilling conclusion to the story of the Newfoundland merrow started in Call of the Sea and Drawn to the Tides! July 2020!

Garden of the 8th Circle

Authors: Ellen Curtis & Matthew LeDrew

Genre: Sci-Fi Crime Thriller

The long-awaited fourth volume in the Infinity series from Curtis and LeDrew sees the team deal with the unexpected loss of a teammate at the end of Exodus of Angels, as a new threat from Victor’s past rears its ugly head: a cult of sick youth that may have formed as a result of one of his terrible, terrible mistakes. Includes massive hints to the larger epic story of the Engen Universe, this one is a must-read for fans! August 2020!

The Gut

Author: Brad Dunne

Genre: Noir Thriller

The second novel from the acclaimed author of After Dark Vapours follows a new hero through a dark fantasy noir tale. Details are slim, but mark your calendars for September 2020!

Crachodon

Author: Paul Carberry

Genre: Horror

The fourth novel from bestseller Paul Carberry takes us away from the zombies on the land and brings us to threats in the ocean’s depths, and the incredibly massive sharks named Crachodon! Coming October 2020!

Exposure

Author: Erin Vance

Genre: Action Comedy

The first novel from Engen’s editor-in-chief, following a pair of new unlikely heroes through the Engen Universe as they learn the ins and outs of this strange world! Celebrate the amazing editor behind the From the Rock series bringing her story to fruition! Coming October 2020!

Terror Nova

Authors: Top Secret!

Genre: Horror Short Fiction

Helmed by Newfoundland’s preeminent horror showman Mike Hickey (Filmmaker, Designer, Host of Fright Hype) and horror master Matthew LeDrew. It will feature new stories by Newfoundland’s most promising talent, curated specifically for the task of bringing Newfoundland’s terrifying mythology to life! Coming October 2020!

Diary of Knives

Author: Matthew Daniels

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

Nick, Kelly, and Tash — first introduced in The Tourniquet Reprisal — must navigate their way through incredible danger as they are discovered by an evil organization conducting tests on powered people! The first full length novel from one of the stars of every From the Rock novel, Matthew Daniels! Not to be missed in November 2020!

The Broken Spire

Author: Jon Dobbin

Genre: Fantasy

An amazing fantasy novel featuring an adventurer who thinks he’s seen it all: until the day a he’s hired to find a mystical floating castle and — to his amazement — discovers that it is real. Filled with wit and amazing prose, this book continues the tradition of Dobbin’s incredible writing and is not to be missed! Coming December 2020!

The most ridiculous thing: that’s not even all of it! Stay tuned for more giant 2020 announcements!

This is dread, man. Truly dread

I was asked recently, “what was the first book to scare you?”

I didn’t have an answer, because I don’t think I’ve been scared by a book. Still, it made me wonder: what scares people? What makes people cast worried looks into shadowy corners and run up their stairs once the lights are out?

Dread is Anxiety on Steroids
Emily Nagoski

In a day-and-age where horror movies are deemed successfully scary by the amount of jump scares that they have, is becoming scared by a slowly developing image you create with your own mind losing its luster?  Maybe. Maybe the visual media is desensitizing readers to the images sewn into print, but I doubt it.  People still get scared, people still seek that exhilaration, and people still read scary books. Maybe the question should be why do people get scared?

It’s all about fear and apprehension.  That feeling of dread as you read is what makes something scary. Whether it is a jump scare riddled movie or a creepy book, dread is what sends a chill up your spine and gets your heart beatin’. So, how do you build dread into your writing?

Well, I don’t know if I’m the best to answer this question. Instead, let’s look at some books that I found particularly creepy and see how they did it.

What’s Behind the Door or Lurking at the Top of the Stairs is Never as Frightening as the Door or the Staircase Itself
Stephen King

 

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

A Head Full of Ghosts is about a teenage girl who is believed to be possessed by a demon and the life of her family as efforts are made to exploit and heal her. Tremblay weaves an entertaining tale that touches on mental illness, religious beliefs, and the reality of reality t.v.

This was the book that came closest to freaking me out.  Tremblay really creates a slow and building sense of fear as the book goes on, tossing out little hints of what’s to come like breadcrumbs down a dark and twisted path.  It’s not so much the unknown that causes the sense of dread in this one, as much as it is the ambiguity between what we are shown or told and what the reality is.

Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

Lauren Beukes plays with a small cast of characters to make a truly captivating piece of fiction. Taking place in a rundown Detroit, there is a killer about who has made his victims into something non-human.

Like Tremblay, Beukes works with the ambiguity between mental health issues and supernatural. The scariest thing about this novel is the modifications done to the victims after they’re killed. The apprehension of coming to understand the motivations behind those actions plays two roles: It keeps the reader interested, but also scares the heck out of them; you’re not sure that you want to know.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

The only book listed here without reference to the supernatural, Finn creates a suspenseful thriller with a focus on mental health, domestic abuse, and infidelity.

The main character is a woman who suffers from agoraphobia but finds joy in studying people’s lives whether it’s through her window or her computer screen. When Someone is murdered in her neighborhood, someone who was kind to her, she thinks she knows who did it and means to find out. Finn makes this book frightening by placing the readers in the shoes of the main character so that you experience all the anxieties and upset set as she feels them.  While it may not sound scary, it certainly keeps you reading and gets your heart pumping.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I only recently read this novel and really enjoyed it.  Nothing like the recent Netflix adaption, The Haunting of Hill House follows the exploits of 4 people who have decided to stay in a haunted house for the summer to study the paranormal. Though it is written in third person, we primarily hear the voice of Eleanor Vance.

Jackson does a tremendous job of building the supernatural elements slowly, while developing the house as a character that we come to loathe.  There is a building dread from the characters towards the house that the reader truly feels right up until the very end.

The Dread had not Left my Soul
Neil Gaiman

That’s the difference between the moment of fear that comes with a jump-scare and true dread: dread endures.  It sticks with you. So, if you want to write a book that will scare the pants off your readers, invest in dread. Build a long game with slowly increasing suspense and tidbits of foreshadowing. And, finally, make it something believable.

Looking for some more scary stories? Check out the following:

Jacobi Street by Matthew LeDrew

After Dark Vapours by Brad Dunne

The Starving by Jon Dobbin (me)

Zombies on the Rock by Paul Carberry

Chillers from the Rock Edited by Erin Vance and Ellen Curtis.

Happy Halloween!

For a lot of us writers working a “real job”, finding the time (and motivation) to sit down to write is a chore. Real jobs are exhausting. If you’re anything like me, coming home from a day at the office leaves you wanting two things: food and sleep. That’s right, I just want to eat and go to bed. Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of leisure time. When I come home I have three kids, a wife, a dog, and my wife’s cat. Napping has become impossible, and I’d be lucky if there was any food left in the house by the time I got home from work. Of course then there is supper time, bath time, and bed time routines. Hanging out, homework, and, if we’re lucky, a few minutes to catch up with my wife before sleep drags me down into its sweet, sweet depths. Did you notice I didn’t work in any writing time in there? Yeah, about that…

So, finding time to write is hard. Finding time to read is hard. Finding time to work out is hard. Finding time to anything is hard. I hate finding time. Time is like the hide-n-seek world champion. No one has ever found him and they never will. The only reason we think we can find time is because some old man told us he found time to clean his attic that one time. Remember that old man? Yeah, he was a character. Seriously, stop trying to find time. It can’t be done. If you spend all of your time trying to find it, you will only waste the precious little time you already have. How about, instead of finding time, you make time.

Some of you might be giving your computer screen the middle finger right now. Some of you might even be cursing my name, casting it to the bones, readying a voodoo doll. “But,” you may be saying, “Making time and finding time are the same thing.” Well, I respectfully disagree, and who’s writing this blog post anyway?

Listen, no one has time. Everyone is busy with their day-to-day crapola, and it’s just a lot easier to deal with that than it is to add one more thing to the agenda. So, make the time. Make the time is an act of will. It’s a struggle, a challenge; something that you have to wrestle into submission. It’s as much of an accomplishment as the act of writing. But, how is it done?

There are a lot of ways to make time, it’s just about finding the method that works for you. Stephen King, in his seminal On Writing, talks about how he treats writing as a 9-5 job. He goes on to say that he sets himself up to write as if he were going to work for the day. Taking breaks and lunches as if he were in an office setting. It’s his way of getting the work done. Obviously most people are not at Stephen King’s level, but it gives you an idea of how people schedule their writing time. I’m not a successful writer like Stephen King, but I manage.

I didn’t come up with my strategy overnight, I had to figure it out as I went; I had to put in the work. My strategy is built around goals. I set a word count and try to meet that word count each day. Either that or I set a word count that I want to meet by the end of the month. I like goals; assignments. They give me something to strive and work towards. Sure, it’s not actually making time, but it helps to do that. For instance, I regularly set my daily word count at 1000 words. I want to meet that goal, it motivates me. As I said above, I don’t have a lot of time to spare, so how do I get 1000 words a day? I get creative. If I have to put my kids to bed, I’ll load my WIP on Google Docs and type on my phone while they fade off to dreamland. If I work all day, I’ll try to write on my breaks/ lunch. If I have to pick up the kids at school, I try to bolster my word count while I’m waiting in the car. I do what I have to do to get my words down, and get that story on paper.

Writing is hard work. You don’t believe that when you grow up dreaming to be the next J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, or Tom Clancy, but that doesn’t make it any less true. A huge chunk of that hard work is dedicated to finding the time. When you can’t find the time, you gotta make the time. Professional writers work their butts off. I’d bet my bottom dollar that they made the time, and so can you. Tackle that schedule, elbow drop that calendar, and give an atomic wedgie to that bloated agenda. Make an effort. Write.

Let’s talk about writing advice. Nowadays, telling someone not to follow writing advice is as cliché as the writing advice in question. Write what you know – but you can also write what you don’t know (it’s called imagination). Don’t use adverbs – unless they work for the story you’re telling.  To make things worse, there are literally millions of “How-To” books out there (okay, not a million, but it feels that way) espousing the best way to write, most of which promise to help you write the next bestseller or be the next Stephen King. It’s all really very confusing.

It certainly doesn’t help that writers are a nervous bunch. Some might say that we lack self-esteem. Maybe we even lack basic confidence in our work. As such, we often just want someone to tell us that what we are writing is okay, that we meet the standard, that we’re not wasting our time and effort.  We want someone to tell us how to be successful. So, we search for the writing advice, but we see the contradictions. Does writing advice work or doesn’t it?

Listen, I’m right there with you.  I love a good How-To-Write book.  I devour those little so-and-sos. I’ve read them all: Stephen King’s “On Writing”, Chuck Wendig’s ‘Damn Fine Story”, John Truby’s “The Anatomy of Story”. All great books, all with different takes on the craft of writing.  When I first started writing, I read those books looking for the quick fix; the one miracle answer to how to write well. The thing is, there’s no book out there that has the easy answer. Why? Because there isn’t an easy answer. Writing is work. It’s hard work that involves constant growth and improvement. So, I didn’t find the answer I was looking for, but I wrote anyway. I wrote to make myself better, but through that I found a few chinks in my armour; some things I could work on.  I’m a pantser at heart. I come up with an idea and I write it, no preparation just writing. This has served me well… to an extent.  To this day I can write a decent short story without an outline or guide, novels on the other hand…. Well, my first novel, The Starving, was written mostly by the seat of my pants. I had an idea, I had characters, and I knew where I wanted my story to begin and end.  All I needed to do was make those two things meet.  That’s easier said than done, however. After that book, I started to look specifically for books that could tell me how to plot, how to structure. I took a writing class that focused on a few different things, but included a trick to structuring a story. I focused on the advice that I wanted and sought it out.  Was everything I found good? Nope. Did I apply some of what I read to my writing? Yup. Boom, just like that, I went in, found what I wanted, and was out again. Like a thief in the night.

Now, that I’ve come to that, here’s the thing about writing and writers.  We’re thieves. We steal what we can and we make it our own.  Think about your first writing project, probably in grade school right? Well, were you like me and ripped off R.L. Stine or Stephen King just to make your Halloween story creepy? Did you steal jokes you heard on the Simpsons and plug them in to a story about vampires just to get a laugh (I didn’t even get a chuckle)? Okay, so maybe not exactly those things, but you get my drift.   We use examples of the writing we enjoy to frame how we will write.  It’s not taboo (unless you blatantly steal sentences and content to make money), it’s just a way to learn.  So yes, we’re thieves, but not horrible thieves. Maybe we’re more akin to Robin Hood: we steal from those rich with experience and supply it to the poor writers who need it (us).

So what does this have to do with writing advice? Well, it’s the same premise.  We take the writing advice that works best for us and leave the rest behind.  It’s as simple as that.  To revisit my earlier question: Does writing advice work? Maybe. It depends on if you need it or not.

What I’m saying is: treat writing advice with a grain of salt, but don’t ignore it. In a wide stream of dos and don’ts there’s bound to be something there that ups your game, or that helps that light bulb go off over your head. Ding!

So, be Robin Hood. Poke around until you find what you want and then make yourself richer (better) because of it.

Jon Dobbin

author, The Starving

Okay, so here’s the thing: I’m kinda, sorta stuck in Editing Hell. Yeah, that’s a thing. Crammed somewhere between the Hell of the Upside Down Sinners and the Hell of Being Skinned Alive, I think. You know what hell is like, right? Have you lived in a prison made of your own existential dread? Sure you have. Welp, that’s what Editing Hell is like. And do you want to know the worst part of Editing Hell? It makes you want to quit. Boy, do I ever want to quit. I just want to slam down my laptop cover, douse it in lighter fluid and toss a lit zippo at it and walk away in slow-mo. I’ve also contemplated biting my laptop. Biting it. Yeah, Editing Hell is a real thing.

So, you say, why not just pack it in? Trunk it, shelf it? Well, I suppose I could. I mean it would save me some heartache, some stress induced fever dreams (stay away from me you weird skinless Platypus). I’d also be able to move on to something else, and what writer doesn’t have other ideas to pursue? Those precious, fresh baubles that hit our eyes and have us screaming “shiny,” as our hands fumble across their nubile surface like some kind of drunk vampire eager on a busty college co-ed. It’s a case of that inner voice that calls out like Smegol crying for his precious just to tell you that there is something better on the horizon, something easier. And really, the endorphin release that comes with a shiny, new project is as real as Editing Hell.  That excitement, that joy which comes with starting a new project may even end up helping you be way more productive. Day after day you churn out words by the bucket. Until you don’t. Aye, there’s the rub.  You see, eventually, a shiny project will become tarnished too.  And what happens then? Trunk another project? Chase something else shiny and new? Maybe, but what does that leave me with? Two projects that aren’t finished, that’s what it leaves me with. That and wasted time.

What’s a poor writer boy to do? Welp, I’ve been giving this a lot of thought and it all comes down to a quote from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (a criminally underrated movie).  In it, old Batman tells new Batman how he fought the Joker in the past, saying: “Joker’s vain and likes to talk. He’ll try to distract you, but don’t listen. Block it out and power on through.” Gold. I encourage you to use that quote in the future. Apply it to everything. Everything.

Anyway, the point is, listen to Batman.

Suffering through Editing Hell? “Power on Through”.

Tempted by something shiny and new? “He’ll try to distract you, but don’t listen. Block it out”.

Your buddy, Shaun, wants you to go for a hike? Shaun’s “vain and likes to talk”. Well, maybe not that last one, but c’mon Shaun – we’re trying to write here.

Essentially, don’t give up on your novel.  It’s worth the effort, but boy will it give you a hard time.  Here’s the thing about hard times though, at the end of all those hard times there is usually something good waiting for you.

School is hard, but what’s at the end? A diploma, a degree, and maybe some job opportunities.

Working out is hard, but you end up with a nice toned body and an ass comparable to America’s ass (go see Endgame).

Writing a book is hard, but if you push through the doldrums of it, you get a finished novel full of hopes and dreams, well-developed characters and satisfying story arcs, and maybe even some deep thematic goodness to thrill and impress.

So, what are you going to do the next time you get bogged down in Editing Hell or any of its related devils (Writer’s Block and Plotting Hell)? You’re going to push through and do it anyway.  And hey, don’t want to listen to me? Listen to old Batman. He says to “block it out and power on through.”

Check out the launch of Jon Dobbin’s first novel, The Straving, May 16 at Geeks Public House! All are welcome, Facebook event for the launch is located here. We hope to see you there!

[image error]Save the date for 7pm Thursday May 16 at the newly-established Geeks Public House located at 288 Duckworth Street in historic St. John’s, Newfoundland. That’s where we’ll be having the book launch for The Starving, the newest gem in the crown of excellent Newfoundland-written literature by fresh new author Jon Dobbin.

The Starving tells the western-horror fusion story of Bill Weston, a man from and of the old west, on the hunt for a man named Faraway Sue. That plan changes in Colorado, where Weston comes up against an evil that he can’t explain away by men being the way men are. In Colorado he finds something stranger, something from myth and legend, that if he doesn’t watch out will change him completely.

The Starving comes from talented new author Jon Dobbin, an award-winning author who has been making a steady splash in the Newfoundland genre writing scene for the past three years. He has had multiple stories in each of Chillers from the Rock and Dystopia from the Rock, along with Kit Sora: The Artobiography. His work has awarded him first place in the 2017 48-Hour Novel Writing Contest alongside Writer’s Alliance President Kelley Power.

Ahead of the hype around Dobbin and his novel, helped by a spectacular cover by Jud Haynes, The Starving went Bestseller on Amazon on April 18 2019 from eBook preorders alone, a full month ahead of its scheduled release date,

Engen Books would like to thank Geeks Public House, YYT’s friendliest, geekiest sanctuary to be yourself, be comfortable, play a game, talk nerd things, and get a great beer or drink. Geeks Public House located at 288 Duckworth Street in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The launch will be 19+ and start 7pm. All are welcome, Facebook event for the launch is located here. We hope to see you there!

The Starving, the debut novel from Jon Dobbin, hit #1 on the Amazon.ca in the ‘Westerns’ and ‘Occult Fiction’ categories. The novel hit Bestseller status at 2:35PM Newfoundland Standard time on April 18, 2019, peaking at #95 on the overall Amazon.ca charts.

Dobbin has enjoyed repeated success since his first stories, Man of Fire and The Chosen, were featured in the 2018 Chillers from the Rock anthology.  Since then, every work attached to Dobbin has gone bestseller.

A native to the St. John’s metro region, Dobbin tied for first place in the 2017 48-Hour Writing Marathon, sponsored by THE Creative Learning, Thrive, and Engen Books. He describes himself as “the father of three, the husband to an amazing wife, an educator, and a tattoo and beard enthusiast.”

Dobbin’s work has appeared in Chillers from the Rock, Dystopia from the Rock, and Kit Sora: The Artobiography.

Engen Books would like to congratulate Dobbin on this achievement, and thank his fans and peers who helps make this possible.