Daniel Cotton's Blog
September 11, 2016
New covers
Some news: A few of my books can now be found on many new platforms from Kobo to the apple store; Life Among the Dead 4, Fortune Cookie, and Never Say No (written under my pen name F. Bomb Fitzgerald)
You will also notice if you look through my site new covers for many of my old books. My wife found a YouTube video that taught me how to make pretty decent covers using Microsoft Word. I'm hoping they will be more appealing to readers and soon folks will actually stop judging the books before giving them a try. I'll keep you posted on how that works.
You will also notice if you look through my site new covers for many of my old books. My wife found a YouTube video that taught me how to make pretty decent covers using Microsoft Word. I'm hoping they will be more appealing to readers and soon folks will actually stop judging the books before giving them a try. I'll keep you posted on how that works.
June 5, 2016
The evolution of a cover
Putting book 4 of the Life Among the Dead series out as an independent release meant I would have to make the cover myself. I tried to make it fit in with the other three put out by Permuted Press. Back when book 1 was a free agent I was very happy with my design, I fought the publisher a bit when they decided to change it. The bloody handprint wasn't exactly original, they certainly didn't want to use my cover since they had another title coming out with a similar idea. They sent me a cover to consider that was awful, it featured a quartet of zombies that I just didn't like.
In my opinion, using actual photos of people with crisp clear resolution makes a book look cheap, like a movie shot with a camcorder rather than on film. I much prefer abstract covers, or covers that contain an object of significance. Permuted showed me the red cover for book 1 and I accepted it. I still would have liked to have had my original but I had to compromise, take the one we know now over the awful one. I actually shouldn't refer to it as 'the awful one', someone worked hard to make it and a Permuted writer did use a modified version of that exact image for one of their books. It just wasn't this book.
The books that followed matched the first, abstract smudges on canvas. But, they too were not what I had intended. My cover for book 2 when I had released it indy wasn't the best. I'll admit I now do prefer what the series looks like. The sandcastle idea was the best I could do at the time and I liked. I never released book three, but had an idea. Those of you that have read it can weigh in on how good this concept was. Picture a black background, from the bottom of the cover up, a large pile of spent brass casings.
So, this bring us to book 4. I made it myself. It matches, perhaps not perfectly, but it's mine and I get my bloody handprint. I had to search for a font that looked similar to the Permuted release. You will understand my original concept for this book once you read it, I wanted it to look like a two-toned flyer, more than likely black and green. It would have had a roller derby girl, instead of the text saying where and when the event is would be the title and my name of course. This will make sense once you read the book and meet Rocky Roadkill of Man's Ruin.
Get it on Kindle: http://getbook.at/LATD4
In my opinion, using actual photos of people with crisp clear resolution makes a book look cheap, like a movie shot with a camcorder rather than on film. I much prefer abstract covers, or covers that contain an object of significance. Permuted showed me the red cover for book 1 and I accepted it. I still would have liked to have had my original but I had to compromise, take the one we know now over the awful one. I actually shouldn't refer to it as 'the awful one', someone worked hard to make it and a Permuted writer did use a modified version of that exact image for one of their books. It just wasn't this book.
The books that followed matched the first, abstract smudges on canvas. But, they too were not what I had intended. My cover for book 2 when I had released it indy wasn't the best. I'll admit I now do prefer what the series looks like. The sandcastle idea was the best I could do at the time and I liked. I never released book three, but had an idea. Those of you that have read it can weigh in on how good this concept was. Picture a black background, from the bottom of the cover up, a large pile of spent brass casings.
So, this bring us to book 4. I made it myself. It matches, perhaps not perfectly, but it's mine and I get my bloody handprint. I had to search for a font that looked similar to the Permuted release. You will understand my original concept for this book once you read it, I wanted it to look like a two-toned flyer, more than likely black and green. It would have had a roller derby girl, instead of the text saying where and when the event is would be the title and my name of course. This will make sense once you read the book and meet Rocky Roadkill of Man's Ruin.
Get it on Kindle: http://getbook.at/LATD4
August 16, 2015
More skull art
A while back I made a paper skull out of old editions of my book, Life Among the Dead. It went to a very nice home when a fan contacted me and claimed it. I have similar skulls that I made out of comic strips, and another out of Wolverine comics. I also constructed a plaster skull candle holder that turned out awesome, a fortunate artistic accident caused cracks while it dried. These cracks hardened and make the skull look fossilized after coloring it. These are up for grabs, let’s start the bidding for the paper skulls at $25 and the plaster one at $35. Let me know if you’re interested and get me your address. As far as shipping just figure an extra $3 on top of whatever we agree upon.
More skull art
A while back I made a paper skull out of old editions of my book, Life Among the Dead. It went to a very nice home when a fan contacted me and claimed it. I have similar skulls that I made out of comic strips, and another out of Wolverine comics. I also constructed a plaster skull candle holder that turned out awesome, a fortunate artistic accident caused cracks while it dried. These cracks hardened and make the skull look fossilized after coloring it. These are up for grabs, let’s start the bidding for the paper skulls at $25 and the plaster one at $35. Let me know if you’re interested and get me your address. As far as shipping just figure an extra $3 on top of whatever we agree upon.
January 4, 2015
A Piece of Life Among the Dead art
When I first published Life Among the Dead I had many copies of it printed in paperback... only to find they were severely flawed. In my excitement I had rushed the process and spent a lot of money on these editions that needed many more proof readings. Until now these volumes have been collecting dust in my attic, a reminder and cautionary tale not to jump the gun, now I am turning them into art.Stress induced writer's block has me searching for ways to relax so I can complete book 4, this is one of my most recent projects, a paper mache skull made out of one of my editorially substandard first editions. It's signed, dated, and finished with a bloody print of my hand. I have lacquered this skull to protect it for years of enjoyment. And this skull can be yours.
Anyone interested in this just has to let me know, contact me through this site or e-mail me at cottonthezombie@gmail.com How does $20 sound? we can work out payment via Paypal or a check, I'll e-mail you my address then send you the piece. The first person to call dibs gets the very first LATD skull. Although I have only the one, I can make more if more interested parties come forward.
This will look great on your bookshelf, right next to copies of my book. (Copies of my book are not included)
August 9, 2014
The New Castle Picture Contest
Ready to vie for signed copies of Life Among the Dead 1, 2, & 3 by Daniel Cotton (Permuted Press)? Great! If you need a little inspiration check out my Pinterest profile.
E-mail me a JPEG of your art or photo to cottonthezombie@gmail.com with picture contest in the subject line. It will also help to let me know where you discovered my contest and give me a link to your profile. Include your name as you would like it shown when I post your entry and where you are from if you want that included. Also, include a link to your work if you want some free promotion.
Enter as many times as you wish but each contestant can receive only one set of books.
Fair warning, I will be sharing submissions on; Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and here on my website before and after the contest for promotional reasons.
I want to give everyone plenty of time to work on their submissions so let’s say September 1st will be the deadline and the winner, or winners, will be announced a week or two later. I have three sets to give out, but it will depend on the number of entrants of course.
All I ask is that after you receive your books send me a few pics of you enjoying them. You could become the official spokes model for my apocalypse!
E-mail me a JPEG of your art or photo to cottonthezombie@gmail.com with picture contest in the subject line. It will also help to let me know where you discovered my contest and give me a link to your profile. Include your name as you would like it shown when I post your entry and where you are from if you want that included. Also, include a link to your work if you want some free promotion.
Enter as many times as you wish but each contestant can receive only one set of books.
Fair warning, I will be sharing submissions on; Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and here on my website before and after the contest for promotional reasons.
I want to give everyone plenty of time to work on their submissions so let’s say September 1st will be the deadline and the winner, or winners, will be announced a week or two later. I have three sets to give out, but it will depend on the number of entrants of course.
All I ask is that after you receive your books send me a few pics of you enjoying them. You could become the official spokes model for my apocalypse!
June 30, 2014
May 13, 2014
My First Interview
Permuted Press editor Felicia A. Sullivan asks me a few questions.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Permuted Press Author Daniel Cotton has a sit down with me:
1. The first question is, are you tired of answering the same old questions in interviews?
This is my first interview.
2. Have you always wanted to be a writer, or did you just kind of fall into it?
I wouldn’t say I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I’ve always been interested in finding new creative outlets.
3. What’s your process? Do you have a set writing schedule, or do you wing it?
Everything I have written begins as notes and a rough draft, mostly done at work. I am a CNC operator in a factory, it doesn’t lend much time so this phase takes a while, scribbling between machine cycles, but I’m able to daydream. Pen doesn’t touch paper until I’ve worked out the story start to finish in my head and played it like a movie only I can see, over and over. Then, once I feel ready, I start waking even earlier so I can type the rough draft before work. This gets printed and brought back to the factory with a red pen so I can read through it and edit. I don’t have a lot of time after work to do much, I have two energetic boys keeping me busy, but I do what I can during the weekends when I have them off.
4. What is your favorite genre to read? To write?
I don’t have a favorite genre for either. I love end of the world stories, dystopias, science fiction, dark humor, anything unconventional with unique characters.
5. What was the first book you wrote, and how successful was it?
Life Among the Dead is the first book I have ever written. It wasn’t originally intended to be a book. LATD is actually based on a screenplay I wrote that I had signed an option with a producer but ultimately it went nowhere. I took some of the principal characters and scenes and turned it into my book. After that it took on a life of its own and continued to grow in my head leading into the sequels.
Life Among the Dead was released independently and I’d say it was pretty successful, there were months where it was earning me more than my day job.
6. How do you spend your time when you are not writing? Do you have any interesting hobbies?
Writing is my hobby, and most of it is done while at work. I try to fill what limited downtime I have with my wife and kids.
7. Does your family support your writing dreams/career/goals?
They are very supportive. If not for them I would have given up by now.
8. How many books have you written, and which one is your absolute favorite?
Eight official books. The three Life Among the Deads and 5 indies. My self released books are admittedly in rough shape editorially speaking but I love them all the same. They have simple, handmade covers that probably deter most readers but I feel if someone judges my book by their covers they are the ones missing out. I don’t have one particular favorite, each is special to me. My most recent is Fortune Cookie. It’s a coming of age, devilishly funny tale about a kid and Chinese vampires known as jiang-shi.
9. Do you read reviews of your books? How do they affect you, whether positive or negative?
A good review will have me walking on air for days. The bad ones pull the rug out from under me.
10. You know the last question always is: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? So yeah, answer that, but then tell us (whether you write in the genre or not) your plan for riding out the zombie apocalypse.
Anyone wanting to write should just do it. All you need is a pen and some paper to get started and the world is yours.
As far as the zom-poc I have no real plan other than getting to my wife and kids. This question reminds me of a guy I had to train at work once who asked “if you could have three items in the event of a zombie apocalypse what would they be?” I instantly looked around me since a wish list can’t help anyone, I decided step one would be to use items at hand. “All I need are my car keys, that hammer, and that roll of duct tape.” I told him.
He understood the need for the keys and the hammer, but why the duct tape?
“Body armor” I said simply. “Applied properly, and liberally, it’ll protect my exposed forearms.” Some may debate the truth behind whether a zombie can bite through thick layers of duct tape or not, I stand behind it since I wouldn’t plan on letting one use me as a rawhide bone.
Point is, plan all you want, you have to be able to get to those bunkers and bug-out bags. What you really need is to know how to handle yourself where ever you are. In Life Among the Dead I have a character that uses the tape trick, and my main character is always having to improvise in order to survive. I found myself writing him into a corner just to see how he’d get out of a sticky situation.
--Check out Life Among the Dead on Kindle--
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Permuted Press Author Daniel Cotton has a sit down with me:
1. The first question is, are you tired of answering the same old questions in interviews?
This is my first interview.
2. Have you always wanted to be a writer, or did you just kind of fall into it?
I wouldn’t say I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I’ve always been interested in finding new creative outlets.
3. What’s your process? Do you have a set writing schedule, or do you wing it?
Everything I have written begins as notes and a rough draft, mostly done at work. I am a CNC operator in a factory, it doesn’t lend much time so this phase takes a while, scribbling between machine cycles, but I’m able to daydream. Pen doesn’t touch paper until I’ve worked out the story start to finish in my head and played it like a movie only I can see, over and over. Then, once I feel ready, I start waking even earlier so I can type the rough draft before work. This gets printed and brought back to the factory with a red pen so I can read through it and edit. I don’t have a lot of time after work to do much, I have two energetic boys keeping me busy, but I do what I can during the weekends when I have them off.
4. What is your favorite genre to read? To write?
I don’t have a favorite genre for either. I love end of the world stories, dystopias, science fiction, dark humor, anything unconventional with unique characters.
5. What was the first book you wrote, and how successful was it?
Life Among the Dead is the first book I have ever written. It wasn’t originally intended to be a book. LATD is actually based on a screenplay I wrote that I had signed an option with a producer but ultimately it went nowhere. I took some of the principal characters and scenes and turned it into my book. After that it took on a life of its own and continued to grow in my head leading into the sequels.
Life Among the Dead was released independently and I’d say it was pretty successful, there were months where it was earning me more than my day job.
6. How do you spend your time when you are not writing? Do you have any interesting hobbies?
Writing is my hobby, and most of it is done while at work. I try to fill what limited downtime I have with my wife and kids.
7. Does your family support your writing dreams/career/goals?
They are very supportive. If not for them I would have given up by now.
8. How many books have you written, and which one is your absolute favorite?
Eight official books. The three Life Among the Deads and 5 indies. My self released books are admittedly in rough shape editorially speaking but I love them all the same. They have simple, handmade covers that probably deter most readers but I feel if someone judges my book by their covers they are the ones missing out. I don’t have one particular favorite, each is special to me. My most recent is Fortune Cookie. It’s a coming of age, devilishly funny tale about a kid and Chinese vampires known as jiang-shi.
9. Do you read reviews of your books? How do they affect you, whether positive or negative?
A good review will have me walking on air for days. The bad ones pull the rug out from under me.
10. You know the last question always is: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? So yeah, answer that, but then tell us (whether you write in the genre or not) your plan for riding out the zombie apocalypse.
Anyone wanting to write should just do it. All you need is a pen and some paper to get started and the world is yours.
As far as the zom-poc I have no real plan other than getting to my wife and kids. This question reminds me of a guy I had to train at work once who asked “if you could have three items in the event of a zombie apocalypse what would they be?” I instantly looked around me since a wish list can’t help anyone, I decided step one would be to use items at hand. “All I need are my car keys, that hammer, and that roll of duct tape.” I told him.
He understood the need for the keys and the hammer, but why the duct tape?
“Body armor” I said simply. “Applied properly, and liberally, it’ll protect my exposed forearms.” Some may debate the truth behind whether a zombie can bite through thick layers of duct tape or not, I stand behind it since I wouldn’t plan on letting one use me as a rawhide bone.
Point is, plan all you want, you have to be able to get to those bunkers and bug-out bags. What you really need is to know how to handle yourself where ever you are. In Life Among the Dead I have a character that uses the tape trick, and my main character is always having to improvise in order to survive. I found myself writing him into a corner just to see how he’d get out of a sticky situation.
--Check out Life Among the Dead on Kindle--
April 8, 2014
Free Read
Follow this link to my site to read a funny low-tech sci-fi story. http://danielcotton.weebly.com/from-t...
March 9, 2014
Dammit!
It never fails, no matter what genre you work in you'll watch or read something similar to one of your ideas that will make you scream "Dammit!" With the zombie milieu so jammed packed, and my books taking so long to come out, I can't watch the Walking Dead without saying it myself, or reading my fellow Permuted Press author's works. The fear is that folks will accuse one of stealing or copying though you may have written yours first. For this inevitable situation you just have to go with it, more than likely you'll feel you did it better anyway. We writers are all traipsing down well-traveled roads, we can't help stepping on one another's footprints.
I often like to reflect on what got me interested in the whole Apocalyptic/zombie subject in the first place. As a reclusive, I'll admit schizotypal, person, the idea of the end of the world as we know it really appeals to me. Non-people persons like myself are tailor made to thrive since we don't require human interaction all the time.
At an early age I saw movies on the subject; the original Dawn of the Dead, Damnation Alley, and read books; I am Legend, '48, and Swan Song. I became fascinated. My imagination took off with the possibilities of the entire world being your playground with no limitations as long as you can survive. Once you add the menace to the paradise the game changes, enter zombies.
There are just a few scenes that hooked me on the walking dead. Certainly the original Night of the Living Dead rubbed off on me, but what really got me was a movie from 1991 called 976-EVIL 2. This wasn't exactly a zombie movie, but in it the villain has dominion over electronics. Two girls are arguing over whether to watch a zombie flick or It's a Wonderful Life and the guy merges the two and pulls them into it. "Every time you hear a bell, a zombie takes a soul to hell."
Another is a movie that I don't know the title to and have been looking for, perhaps you can help me. In this movie the characters tie bells to the trees to hear when the dead are getting close. There's a bride zombie that chases the heroes through the woods. And, when the dead are locked together in a confined space they seem to panic and devour one another. Sound Familiar at all? If so, please tell me what this movie is so I can see it again.
My inspiration to write my post-apocalyptic book Anthills was simply a Beta reader telling me that she'd be interested in reading a PA by me. I took that and ran with it. In Life Among the Dead I wanted to write a great zombie book while trying to avoid the typical clichés of the genre, or use them and just turn them on their head. It doesn't matter where we get our inspiration as long as we make it ours.
I often like to reflect on what got me interested in the whole Apocalyptic/zombie subject in the first place. As a reclusive, I'll admit schizotypal, person, the idea of the end of the world as we know it really appeals to me. Non-people persons like myself are tailor made to thrive since we don't require human interaction all the time.
At an early age I saw movies on the subject; the original Dawn of the Dead, Damnation Alley, and read books; I am Legend, '48, and Swan Song. I became fascinated. My imagination took off with the possibilities of the entire world being your playground with no limitations as long as you can survive. Once you add the menace to the paradise the game changes, enter zombies.
There are just a few scenes that hooked me on the walking dead. Certainly the original Night of the Living Dead rubbed off on me, but what really got me was a movie from 1991 called 976-EVIL 2. This wasn't exactly a zombie movie, but in it the villain has dominion over electronics. Two girls are arguing over whether to watch a zombie flick or It's a Wonderful Life and the guy merges the two and pulls them into it. "Every time you hear a bell, a zombie takes a soul to hell."
Another is a movie that I don't know the title to and have been looking for, perhaps you can help me. In this movie the characters tie bells to the trees to hear when the dead are getting close. There's a bride zombie that chases the heroes through the woods. And, when the dead are locked together in a confined space they seem to panic and devour one another. Sound Familiar at all? If so, please tell me what this movie is so I can see it again.
My inspiration to write my post-apocalyptic book Anthills was simply a Beta reader telling me that she'd be interested in reading a PA by me. I took that and ran with it. In Life Among the Dead I wanted to write a great zombie book while trying to avoid the typical clichés of the genre, or use them and just turn them on their head. It doesn't matter where we get our inspiration as long as we make it ours.
