Michael David Matula's Blog: Author Michael Matula

I've been woefully out of the loop lately.  We're already halfway through the month, and I only just found out my first novel is on sale for 99 cents on Amazon this October.  Turns out, it helps to check your email once in a while.  Who knew?  Sometimes email isn't just spam and soul-crushing rejection letters.  There can actually be some useful info every once in a while.

But it's not just my own novel that's 99 cents.  No, sir-ee.  There's a whole bunch of books available for purchase at this sub-buck price, thanks to your friends at Post Mortem Press, who have discounted a healthy chunk of their catalog this month. 

Here's a handy-dandy link, just in case you're itching to check it out and get in on some sweet, sweet discount action before Halloween strikes, and my book turns into a pumpkin.  Or something. 

I wear a lot of my influences on my sleeve.  As a child of the 80s (the 1980s, I should probably specify.  I'm not from the future.  At least not yet.  I am, however, working tirelessly to turn my Hyundai into a time machine), I was raised on a diet of Jim Cameron movies, He-Man cartoons, permed hair and big, puffy shoulder pads.  Good times, right? 

In terms of books, I've been influenced by the works of Clive Barker, Robert Jordan, and countless others. 
But there are times when I track down a film I've mostly forgotten—when I revisit a movie or TV show or a book that lives only in the comforting embrace of nostalgia—that I realize I have influences I didn't even know I had. 
Take RoboCop, for example.  I liked it well enough when I caught it on tape as a kid.  I barely remembered it as an adult, though.  I knew a guy got turned into a Creature From the Black Lagoon by toxic waste (toxic waste was huge in the 80s, btw).  I knew a guy got blowed up real good after snorting coke out of a chick's cleavage (cocain was also huge in the 80s, btw).   And I knew there was a giant, hulking cop who did super bad-ass stuff like punching terrorists through drywall. 
What I didn't realize, however, was how much this movie got into my head.  How much it stuck with me.  And I might never have realized this, had I not rewatched the film after picking up the original RoboCop trilogy the other day (the less said about the cringe-inducing second and third films, the better). 
My first novel features a man named Brandon Morales—a cop, no less—who dies at the start of the book, gunned down in the line of duty.  Sound familiar yet?
Okay, so that's pretty much where the similarities end between my book and RoboCop (Brandon doesn't become a giant, hulking robot who does bad-ass stuff like punching terrorists through drywall.  Instead, he gets sent to Hell, meets a chick who's far more bad-ass than he is, and together they try to escape the afterlife), but still... 
Reviewers have compared the novel to everything from “The Matrix” to “Dante's Inferno."  But RoboCop?  Yeah, that was unexpected.

This last weekend, I got the opportunity to hang out with my publishers and five of my fellow Post Mortem Press authors at the PMP table at Printer's Row in downtown Chicago.  I'd already had the pleasure to meet Cynthia Pelayo (author of Young Adult award-winning novel Santa Muerte), Christian Larsen (author of the urban fantasy Losing Touch), and Brian Dobbins (author of the witch/detective historical fiction novel, Jasmine's Tale), but this year I got to meet Max Booth III (author of the darkly comedic Toxicity) and Josef Matulich (author of the newly released Camp Arcanum, which I heard him describe as a novel about “magic, sex, and power tools.”)   Oh, and I was also there selling copies of Try Not to Burn, a supernatural thriller which has been called "The Matrix meets Dante's Inferno."

From left, Josef Matulich, Cynthia Pelayo, Christian Larsen, Max Booth III, Yours Truly, and Brian Dobbins
Alcohol may have been consumed during the event, as Brian smuggled in bourbon, and Christian has recently taken to hazing his fellow authors with a beverage called “Malort.”  Apparently, only 1 in 49 people like the taste of it.  I was warned to step away from the table when I drank it, just in case I had a negative reaction.  After drinking it, though, I wasn't sure what all the fuss was about.  Perhaps I'm one of the 49, or perhaps it's because most hard liquor tastes the same to me (I'm more of a vodka man, myself), but I thought it tasted fine.  

This was my second year at Printer's Row, and each time I've gone, my publisher has sold out of the copies they brought of Try Not to Burn.  Thankfully, I always bring some copies of my own to events like this, just in case.  By the time I rode the train back home on Sunday, I only had 2 copies of my book left in the box.  

Closeup of my book at the PMP table at Printer's Row, right next to Cynthia's Santa Muerte
 Last year went so well I wasn't sure it could be topped, but somehow, this year was even wilder, with more authors, more books sold, and some wonderful people in the crowd.  The authors came from as far as San Antonio, Texas (where Max is located) to attend the event, Josef showed off his juggling skills at one point, and I lost count of the number of people who stopped for a photo opp with Max and Christian as they held up their...um...well, let's just say they put together some “eccentric” signs that drew a few crowds.  A photographer from the Chicago Tribune even stopped by to snap their picture.  

Christian and Max doing their best hobo impressions...If anyone asks, I don't know them.
I also lost track of the number of fire trucks that raced by throughout the weekend, but I'm hoping the event is just located close to a fire station, and that the apocalypse wasn't actually happening somewhere in the city, because it almost seemed like it at some points.  

The weather managed to behave itself this year, which I was thankful for.  Last year, there was a bit of a drizzle on Sunday, and this year, rain was threatening to fall on Saturday, but we had clear skies all the way through.  

If you were at the event, thank you so much for stopping by for a chat and/or to buy a book, and for making the weekend such a wonderful and unforgettable time. 

Here is the list I was just sent of the authors who will be appearing at the Barnes & Noble in Racine, Wisconsin on August 16th, 2014.  (Schedules permitting, of course.)

My fellow Post Mortem Press author, Christian Larsen, will be there as well.  (He's the one who gave me the heads up about the event.  Thanks again, Chris!)



Adult Authors:        
1 - Michael Matula (author of Try Not to Burn )
2 - Richard Thomas (author of The New Black )   
3 - Anita Meyer (author of The Primordial Language—Confirmation of the Divine Creator)    
4 - Carol Schaufel (author of By the Grace of God and You: An Autobiography)   
5 - Christian Larsen (author of Losing Touch )    
6 - Diana Kanecki (author of Summer Love)    
7 - George Fennell (author of Racine, Wisconsin: Drum and Bugle Corps Capital of the World)    
8 - Michael Major (author of One Man’s Castle)
9 - JoBe Cerny (author of Red Cin)   
10 - Marcie Eanes (author of Passion’s Zest)    

Children’s book authors:        
1 - Sandra Nowicki (author of Sparkles the Rainbow Pony)     
2 - Karen Franco (author of Just Hold My Hand)    
3 - Linda Hocutt (author of Where’s Charlie?)

Picture book authors will take over the event from 10 am to 11:30 am (I think I'll be sitting that one out), then there will be a Panel of Authors from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, moderated by the B&N community manager and featuring the Adult Authors listed above.  A writing workshop is scheduled for 1 to 2 pm, and then audience members will be able to stretch their legs and mix and mingle with the authors from 2 to 3, during the "Open House" portion of the event. 

I'm very much looking forward to it.  Hope to see you there, if you're in the area. 

My contributor copy for Sekhmet Press' recent anthology, Wrapped in White, arrived in the mail just the other day.  I took a couple of snapshots of it (as one does), but when I was developing the film, I noticed a rather odd image superimposed on the photo.  Some people have told me it might be a spirit trying to communicate with me from beyond the grave.  I tend to believe it's a small hunk of plastic that caught the light a certain way, simply making it look like an otherworldly presence. 

In either case, I thought I'd share the image, so you can see this mysterious and rather baffling presence for yourself. (Cue X-Files theme music.)

This latest review is the 2nd time my work's been compared to Groundhog Dag in the last month.  Hmm...I'm starting to feel like I'm stuck in some sort of loop, with no means of escape...

Anyway, here's a snippet of that review, which I recently received on Amazon for my supernatural thriller, Try Not to Burn: 

"The setting and tone is wonderful. I pictured an urban setting of metallic run down apartment buildings, with tunnels underneath. It was vivid as a scene from the movie Sin City. The Gral are like policeman of the state, and straight out of a Halo Xbox game. Along with some big slippery snakes and demons in disguise, they make wonderful monsters. It seemed a melding of the earthy caverns of hell with a sci-fi like metallic science fiction, and an almost steampunk technology.
World-building ruled the day, and it is an awesome world with wonderful implications. For example, if you live and make it to the night time bell, you wake up the next day 'reset' with your original belongings. Groundhog Day meets the Matrix."

Check out my latest story, "You'll Thank Me By Tomorrow," in Sekhmet Press' brand new ghost anthology, Wrapped in White. Other authors featured in the anthology include Allison M. Dickson, Patrick C. Greene, and Bryan W. Alaspa (so if you're a fan of authors with middle initials in their names, then this is the book for you.)

Here's what one reviewer on Amazon said of the story:

"You’ll Thank Me by Tomorrow by Michael D. Matula
Liam and Molly are trying to enjoy a little naughty week away, and the temperature is getting a little hot when the screaming starts.

This story is very much Groundhog Day for horror lovers, as three people and two rooms rotate in varying fashions to kill each other. It’s exhausting reading in a fantastic way.

The ending is amazing and I think this was my favourite story."

The anthology is available in paperback and on Kindle. I believe it's also available on itunes, kobo, and nook.

Mark Cain is a writer and musician living in the Austin, Texas area. His third novel, HELL'S SUPER, a comic fantasy, has been published by Taylor Street Books. It is available as a Kindle eBook or paperback. HELL'S SUPER is volume one of a new series, CIRCLES IN HELL. Volume two, A COLD DAY IN HELL, will be published in the Spring of 2014.



Hi, Mark! I'm so glad you could join us here in the blog studio. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like some cider?  Freshly baked churros?  Help yourself.  And let me know when you're ready to begin. This is a combined interview and game show, where prizes may be awarded for great answers. The grand prize, should you win all of the questions, is a signed copy of my brand new sci-fi epic, “Grover Cleveland: Time Traveler.”

Churros, huh? Yeah, let me have some of those. Yummmm.

When did you start writing fiction? Was there anything in particular that sparked your interest?

I started writing my first book when I was 11, but it was really in my late 20s that I started writing seriously. Stephen Donaldson's LORD FOUL'S BANE, part of the CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT series, was really hot then, and it influenced my choice of genre and, at the time, my writing style. My first book, in fact, was a sword and sorcery epic fantasy called DEMON IN THE FLAMES. It's still in print.

For people who haven't checked it out yet, what's your novel about?  Twenty bonus points if you can fit in the word “turbulent” into the description.

Well, let's give the title out here at the forefront. HELL'S SUPER, the book is called HELL'S SUPER. And, well, it's about Hell. The title is a turbulent play on words. (Ten point penalty for gratuitous use of the word, "turbulent.") Steve, the protagonist, a former economics professor, is consigned to Hell after death, which I suppose is better than being consigned to it before death. His eternal damnation is to be HELL'S SUPERintendent for Plant Maintenance, essentially Mr. Fixit to the Underworld. (I hope all of your readers got this incredibly clever play on words. No? Sigh. Well, it seemed funny when I thought it up.)

Steve's challenge in this book is to fix Hell's Escalator, which carries damned souls from Gates Level (Pearly and Infernal) to the bowels of the Inferno. To do the job, Steve must fly through the turbulent atmosphere of the Nine Circles of Hell in the company of a giant vampire bat, the infamous Bat out of Hell, aka BOOH. Along the way, he spends time with famous historical figures, including Orson Welles, his assistant, and Florence Nightingale, his would-be girlfriend. Oh, and of course, there's more than the occasional devil and demon to make his turbulent afterlife even more turbulent. (turbulenter?)

The whole thing is really very silly, but it has some heart to it.

Which character of yours is the most fun for you to write?

Hmm. Tough one. I really enjoyed writing Flo (Nightingale), but I also liked Satan, Beelzebub, Putty Face (a spoiler, sorry, I can't tell you), and Uphir, who is a creepy little demon running Hell's Hospital.

What's your favorite (or favourite, if you prefer) book of all time?  And if that’s too difficult, then what’s the last book that really stuck a chord with you?  Double points if you have an answer to both.

Another toughie. I have lots of favorite books, though like many fantasy writers (HELL'S SUPER is sort of a comic fantasy, though many consider it a satire), The LORD OF THE RINGS is probably my favorite.

The book that moved me the most? Kurt Vonnegut's SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE. I read it almost every year.

Do you have a preferred genre to write?  If so, what appeals to you most about it?

Epic fantasy. I get to use my very best prose in epic fantasy. HELL'S SUPER was a blast to write, and it probably has more appeal than anything else I've written, but I told it in first person from the prospective of the main character, so my prose is dumbed down.

I sometimes try to sneak in little inside jokes or references into my books which only a few people will actually catch (like the colors or mascot from my high school, or using birthdays in secret codes). Do you do this too, and is there an in-joke or a secret you'd be willing to share with us about your books?

Yes, I do this too, though usually the references are really obscure.

In HELL'S SUPER, there is a character named Tully who was the quarterback at Steve's high school. The quarterback at my high school was also named Tully. I didn't really know him, and he, as far as I know, is nothing like my fictional Tully, but I like the name Tully, almost as much as I like the word "turbulent."

If you could escape to any fictional setting, which one would you choose, and how long would you want to stay there?

I guess it's not fictional. Tahiti/Bora Bora circa Gauguin's time. It might be fictional though. In my mind, I have an image of complete calm for the soul, of cerulean waters, and of impossibly beautiful people who just enjoy this great gift that is life. And, if that's what it is/was really like, I'd want to stay forever.

What’s the dumbest question you’ve ever been asked?  It doesn’t have to be about writing.

Standing at a service counter, ready to help the next person, and that person comes up to me and says, "Are you open?"

Is there any advice you would give to writers who are just starting out?

Write out of love.

Can you tell us a little about your next writing project?

Well, there's the sequel, A COLD DAY IN HELL, about a breakdown of Hell's HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system. There are at least four books envisioned for the CIRCLES IN HELL SERIES, of which HELL'S SUPER is the first volume.

I also have a five volume epic fantasy completed plotted out. It spans over 500 years and deals with magic and immortality. Hey, what's not to like?

And the final question. This one's for one hundred points, and a chance to play for the grand prize. Remember that honesty is the best policy or whatever. On a scale of one to ten, where one is pretty awesome and ten is fully awesome, how awesome is Michael Matula?

Oh, gosh, and I know I'm going to lose the 100 points for this answer, but...11?

And now, please tell the folks at home about when and where they can find your books, and where you'd like them to look on the internet for your stuff.

The book is out there now. It came out in the fall of last year. The Kindle price is only 99 cents, American. My publisher and I did that deliberately, because it's the first in a series, and right now we want to build a readership. Profits are less important. The paperback is about $13. You can get it at some Barnes & Nobles, or you can order it through most major book distributor channels.

On Amazon.com, go to
http://www.amzn.com/B00FNFZ8LS

And on Amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FNFZ8LS


Thanks so much for joining us, Mark.  And congratulations on winning the interview!

Here's the cover for the upcoming ghost anthology from Sekhmet Press, titled Wrapped in White, featuring my newest story.  The collection of 13 stories is set to release March 25, 2014. 

In my story, You'll Thank Me By Tomorrow, a couple vacationing in paradise run afoul of a spirit intent on teaching them a lesson.  Liam will either pass the spirit's test and save his marriage, or he'll die trying. 

The anthology also features stories by Allison Dickson (author of Dust), Patrick Greene (author of Progeny), Bryan Alaspa (author of RIG), Michael Williams (author of The Withrow Chronicles), Cecilia Dockins, Patrick O'Neill, G. Elmer Munson (author of Stripped), Gary Buettner, James Glass (author of The Murdered Metatron), Joshua Rex, Solomon Archer, and Kelli Wilkins (author of Frightmares). 

An average abusive childhood, a tendency towards depression. Annalee's life could be normal. If only she could get rid of the dwarf.
Annalee doesn't mind what people call her. After all, a name's just a name. What she does mind, though, is the dwarf trying to wall her in. Struggling between reality and hallucination, a black cat and a talking skeleton her only companions along the way, Annalee fights for her sanity, and a way out.



Delightfully quirky, funny, & exceedingly original. This novella is a psychedelic journey of discovery through one woman's mind and—quite literally—her soul, as she seeks to repair the damage of a difficult and tumultuous childhood. I really enjoyed this book, and I loved the offbeat cast of characters. Where else will you find a closet skeleton sidekick, or a manipulative dwarf with a skill for psychic masonry? The descriptions are vivid and excellent, and the story kept me hooked straight from the beginning to the satisfying conclusion. It's not always fun and games, as some dark and disturbing events do occur, particularly about midway through, but I thought this was definitely deserving of a full complement of stars.  The novella is available for 99 cents on Amazon. 
Review score: 5 stars.
 


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