Book Signing At The Library

Posted on November 2, 2017October 16, 2019 by michaelcsahd

Not all of you may know this, but I have a manager. My wife not only edits my work, but she has also been marketing for me like a beast. Hence, we have scheduled a book signing at our public library — the Brownwood Public Library, located at 600 Carnegie St. in Brownwood, TX to be precise. I plan to be there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 18th of November, and you can bring a book to be signed. If you don’t have a book yet, there will be plenty there for sale that I will also sign.

When I first discussed the book signing with the library, we had planned for the 11th of November; but alas, today we received an email stating that the library director had just learned that the library will be closed that day due to Veteran’s Day. Of course, my wife had already advertised for the 11th on several websites. Rather humorous.

Amazon Hot New Releases

At this time, Assassin Marked is #10 on the Amazon Hot New Releases list in the 45-Minute Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Short Reads category.

Future book signing events are planned, and, if you are unable to make it to these book signing, you can also purchase a signed book from the Signed Bookstore on Authors Den.

If you haven’t read Assassin Marked yet, you’re missing out. Check it out on Amazon. There, you can buy the paperback or ebook version. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free.

~ Michael C. Sahd

Photos & A Teaser

Posted on November 1, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

Standing by the Railroad Tracks . . .

And Looking Into the Sun!

Here are some new photos of me, contributed from a friend.

Also, it is Tuesday, which I hereby dub a “Teaser Tuesday”:

Pulling his heavy denim jacket closer around his lithe body, Damian let out a puff of cold mist, and shivered from more than just the cold.

Being stuck in North America for two years had been the most unpleasant time of his life. He had spent these years living off mice half the time, sometimes fighting wolves for his claim to the tiny rodents. The other half of that time, he had spent starving.

Briefly, toward the end of this stint, some crazy cult of religious people who avoided technology like the devil had taken him in, until he left to find a more civilized settlement. The settlement he found was deserted. He fell asleep in a shack and woke up unable to open the snow-packed door or windows. This memory, more even than the cold, elicited his shiver.

Feel free to let me know what you think of this teaser and/or these pictures in the comments below.

~ Michael C. Sahd

The Liars’ Asylum By Jacob M. Appel Book Review

Posted on October 27, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

The Liars' Asylum by Jacob M. Appel Book Cover

The Liars’ Asylum by Jacob M. Appel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Liars’ Asylum offers a brief glimpse into the characters’ lives, often leaving the reader with many questions unanswered. I assume that this is the purpose of the writer, encouraging the reader to think about the stories and their potential endings long after the story itself is over; however, I believe that some of them could easily be expanded into a longer work. On the other hand, perhaps some, if not all, of the stories are exactly what they appear — a moment in time, just one sample of one character’s life, but which changes the course of his or her life forever.

Jacob M. Appel’s writing is consistently clear and interesting. Each story flows seamlessly until its end, which sometimes comes with little warning. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for short, entertaining stories to read.

***I received a review copy of this book; however, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

View all my reviews

~ Michael C. Sahd

Assassin Marked Amazon Giveaway (Ends by 10/27/17)

Posted on October 26, 2017October 17, 2019 by michaelcsahd

I have decided to host a one-day only Amazon giveaway for one e-book copy of Assassin Marked. This book will be given to the 250th entry, so hurry!

Enter now!

Michael C. Sahd

Wedding Wipeout By Jacob M. Appel Book Review

Posted on October 25, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

Wedding Wipeout by Jacob M. Appel
My rating (on Goodreads): 4 out of 5 stars

The old rabbi who leads us by the hand through Wedding Wipeout wears many hats, posing at various times as an FBI agent (impersonating a federal agent much?), a police detective, and more. In this interesting religious twist on the classic mystery story, Jacob M. Appel takes a cue from both Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring an unusual detective (a rabbi, in this case), his somehow-less-worldly protégé, a complicated plot line, and alternating periods of action and reflection.

The story and characters in this book will keep you interested until the end (as long as you don’t mind familiarizing yourself with a bit of Jewish vocabulary/culture). If you enjoy a good mystery, give this book a read. Be sure to let me know what you think!

*** I received a review copy of this book; however, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

View all my reviews

~ Michael C. Sahd

Beloved by Toni Morrison Book Review

Posted on October 23, 2017October 17, 2019 by michaelcsahd

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Beloved by Toni Morrison
My rating (on Goodreads): 4 out of 5 stars

They say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and that definitely applies to Beloved! When I first saw the book, I thought, “Oh crap! A romance novel.” I was way off. In spite of its ambiguous cover, Beloved is actually a ghost story, resulting from the desperate actions of Sethe, an escaped female slave.

Readers may debate whether Sethe makes good decisions; however, regardless of right or wrong, her actions come back to haunt her, literally. I don’t want to give away the story to prospective readers, but I will say that this book isn’t for everyone. Filled with dream sequences, flashbacks, and memories Beloved flip flops through time in a manner reminiscent of William Faulkner or Virginia Woolf. Love it or hate it, don’t skip reading it.

On a side note: the movie is horrible. No Hollywood flick could ever encompass the grittiness and raw emotion captured by the book. But don’t take my word for it: Read it, watch it, rate it! Let me know what you think.

View all my reviews

~ Michael C. Sahd

Some Little Tidbits Of Knowledge

Posted on October 21, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

Today, 24 copies of “Assassin Marked” arrived in the mail. The paper copy turned out very nice. Looking the book over, my wife and I discussed the idea of turning the story into a graphic novel. I think it would be a very cool graphic novel; unfortunately, I am definitely not capable of illustrating anything myself. Finding someone to do the cover was well-nigh impossible. So maybe someday.

In “Assassin Marked, ” the locations are backdrops and not fully elaborated on in the story; however, in the DuFonte Chronicles setting, Arbona and Penelope are advanced O’Neill Cylinders. Gerard K. O’Neill, an American physicist, proposed the design of these Cylinders, as conceptualized below.

Image by Rick Guidice NASA Ames Research Center — http://lifesci3.arc.nasa.gov/SpaceSettlement/70sArt/art.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=617874

If you’ve read “Assassin Marked,” would you be interested in seeing it in a graphic novel form? If so, let me know in the comments below. As always, your input is appreciated!

~ Michael C. Sahd

Unsolved Mystery: A Day In The Woods

Posted on October 20, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

Rearing up like a gnarled gargoyle, the trunk leaned over the forest path, moss blanketing its northern side. Vegetation crept up to the path, creating a wall of leaves, branches, and thorns. A light mist filled the woods, casting the forest in a light shroud.

Despite the nature all around, not a single bird could be heard; if not for the insects, the forest would have been eerily quiet.

And if only you had known . . . if you had any inkling . . . then we would have avoided these woods . . . . But now it’s too late. I will miss you . . . .

~ Michael C. Sahd

Tennis Tuesday / Teaser Tuesday

Posted on October 18, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

Today is Tennis Tuesday, so we went to the park to play some tennis. Today also seemed to be a productive day on the writing front. Because I’m in a good mood, I’ve decided to share a preview of what I’m writing for the sequel to “Assassin Marked,” which I may or may not use.

The restaurant had alternating yellow, blue, and green tablecloths, except for the booths that lined the walls of the diner. These booths had no tablecloths, but what they did have was occupants. It was as if the gaudy tablecloths repelled customers, except for two unfortunate families who could not find an available booth.
Noise from the chattering patrons and the clattering kitchen, created an incoherent babbling with the occasional shout of a child carried above the rest.
The walls were decorated with paintings of flamenco dancers, mariachi players, and old Mexico streets from the 20th century on earth. Ponchos and garish sombreros also squeezed into this decor, between the paintings.
The smells of tacos and chili made Lavender’s mouth water. She and Damian sat across from each other in a corner and at one of the booths. They had been waiting for awhile, and in a low intestinal groan, Lavender felt her stomach begging for food.
Damian leaned forward, “I don’t like this place. If there’s trouble, then we’re boxed in . . . .”

That’s all you get for now! What do you think?

~ Michael C. Sahd

It’s That Day Again. . . .

Posted on October 17, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

I hear that today is supposed to be Motivation Monday. Bleh! Mondays are rarely motivational. However, my Monday has D&D evenings, so I am psyched about that.

Promoting my book is going exceptionally well. I have gained, from the day of publishing, 650+ Twitter followers.

My wonderful wife, aside from squeezing my stuff into her piles of things to be edited, has also been acting as an agent for me — advertising, signing me up for interviews, and getting my book highlighted on big name blogs.

This week looks to be another busy one.

I had two coworkers read my book this past weekend, and they really want me to write more. One of them sent me a text with a string of links connecting to some books she thought I would like based on my writing. I hope to look into them at some point.

I have also won a huge number of books to read and review on LibraryThing. I’m currently reading one called The Everett Exorcism. So far, it is turning out to be a promising read. I’ll let you know how it goes.

What is your Monday motivation? Read any good books lately?

~ Michael C. Sahd