<![CDATA[Wormwood: A Post-apocalyptic Novel by D.H. Nevins - D.H. NEVINS' BLOG]]>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:35:57 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Until Jan 12, Download Wormwood for Free]]>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:13:46 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/12/until-jan-12-download-wormwood-for-free.htmlIt's that time again.  As 2011 draws to a close, I find that I'm examining my goals for 2012.  What do I want for this coming year?  I thought about it for quite some time.  What I realized was this: if it came down to WORMWOOD either a) making money, or b) getting read by people, I would choose option "b" every time.

So to celebrate the coming New Year, what would be more appropriate than to offer WORMWOOD to anyone that wants it?  From now (Dec 29) until January 12, 2012, WORMWOOD can be downloaded for free from Smashwords.  Anyone is most welcome to use the code, share it, forget it, whatever.  I'm just thankful to have people read my book!

Code: DF77W
Smashwords link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/91587

It isn't a requirement, of course, but if you find WORMWOOD to be worthy, a recommendation to a friend or a review of the book (either on Goodreads, Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble or your blog) would really mean the world to me.  If you don’t, then that’s fine too.  I’m honestly just happy to have people reading it!  

Have a very safe and happy New Year, everyone!

]]><![CDATA[Wormwood has been released!]]>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:47:40 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/09/wormwood-has-been-released.htmlI know, you've been dying to read a story about a tormented angel who destroys the world, right?  Well, if that piques your interest, then I have great news for you:

The post-apocalyptic thriller, WORMWOOD, has been released!

Personally, I've been waiting for this moment for years, so I'm a little excited.  So, you know, bear with me while I pretend that everyone is excited along with me.  It's a fragile bubble of reality that I live in.

 "Seriously glued to my computer till the last word!  Was blown away by how intelligent and beautifully descriptive your writing is."  - Anthony Concannon, Dreaming in Waves Picture

About the book:
For those of you that don't know, Wormwood  is a post-apocalyptic thriller that  actually begins  just a few moments before the apocalypse.  It has angels (well, half angels to be exact), that are known as the Nephilim, and they are hell bent on destruction and death.  

But while most of these creatures are determined to send all humans to their final resting place, one, Tiamat, is tormented by the tasks he is called upon to carry out. When he rescues a woman named Kali, both their lives change forever. Tough and resourceful, Kali must struggle to find a way to survive in the Earth’s vast, devastated landscape, while outsmarting the half-angels driven to destroy her.  Forced to trust Tiamat, the one being who could prove to be her greatest enemy, she walks a thin line between life and death.

  " Wow. I actually thought I was out of breath."  - R.W. Goodship, author of The Camera Guy 

Prepare yourself for plenty of twists and cliff hangers, and for those that love it enough to do so, it's written to provide multiple 'ah-ah!' moments during a second reading.

  "...this is post-apocalyptic fiction at its finest..."   - Steven Montano, author of Blood Skies
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If Wormwood sounds like your kind of book, you can always check out the sample chapters before you decide to buy.  I have the first 5 chapters posted on this site (click on the tab for Chapter 1, at the top of this page, to download the PDF).  Alternately, you can also download sample chapters from Smashwords.
For purchase information and prices, please click a link below:
Amazon.com (paperback only):  Click here
CreateSpace (Ships internationally; paperback only): Click here
Smashwords (all ebook versions: Kindle, Kobo, ibooks, Sony readers, etc.): Click here

"...not since I picked up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, have I been so enraptured by what I was reading! Ms. Nevins writing is sheer genius, well thought out, extremely well written, and polished to perfection.  Wormwood is a book I want on my shelf, in my collection, to be able to pick up and return to on a whim..!"     - Christine M. Butler, author of Birthrights

"This is the most intense read ever! It's a must." - Orca Flights
]]><![CDATA[A Flurry of Interviews, Coming Your Way!]]>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:53:03 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/09/a-flurry-of-interviews-coming-your-way.htmlThis is a very exciting time for me... so much so that I sometimes feel like I'm going to be sick.  Really.  My nerves are going wild here.  In two and a half days, my book WORMWOOD  will finally be released for all to see.  And now, to make things even more exciting, I've jumped into a big interview tour.  Now this is really cool.  Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be swapping interviews with a whole pile of incredibly talented authors. 

And why am I doing this, you ask?  Well, you'll all get the opportunity to hear a lot more about me (not sure if this is a good thing...), the story behind Wormwood and my upcoming projects.  At the same time, it's a great way to get the scoop about a number of fabulous new books and authors.  The genres of these authors include post-apocalyptic, paranormal, YA, dark urban science fiction and speculative fiction.

Here are some links to the sites where I'm the one being interviewed:
September 20, 2011   Heather Cashman, author of Perception  (active)
September 23, 2011   Craig Hallam, author of Not Before Bed - and other stories (active)
September 29, 2011   Carlyle Labuschagne, author of The Broken series
September 28, 2011   C.B. Logan, author of The Awakening
October 3, 2011         Steven Montano, author of Blood Skies
October 5, 2011         Mike Berry, author of Xenoform
October 6, 2011        The Four Horsemen and their book, MYRRH

On those same dates, I'll also be hosting the above authors right here on this site.  So far, I have interviewed the very creative Heather Cashman and the wonderfully talented Craig Hallam.  You can view their interviews through the task bar at the top (click on "MORE") or simply click on the links below:
D.H. Nevins interviews Heather Cashman, author of Perception
D.H. Nevins interviews Craig Hallam, author of Not Before Bed - and other stories

I sincerely hope everyone enjoys this interview tour.  It promises to be quite the experience (and one that I'm dreading and loving at the same time)! ]]><![CDATA[The #100 Blogfest has Arrived!]]>Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:26:08 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/08/the-100-blogfest-has-arrived.htmlI'm thrilled to be a part of the #100blogfest!

Martin King, author of Jack Hunter - Secret of the King, had a cool idea.  For the month of August, authors from around the world are participating in his #100blogfest (which you can follow on Twitter).  The idea is simple: Martin will visit the sites of 100 authors to post 100 different blogs, all in 31 days!  No kidding!  Join hordes of international readers and authors on this fun blog hop.

All of the 100 posts are based on childhood memories.  Martin King has been very busy writing these many blog posts, but quite a few authors volunteered to help lighten Martin's load by writing a post of their own childhood memory.  Lucky you (or perhaps not...), I will be one such author.

The childhood memory I chose to share?

The Dreaded Bowl Cut

Ah, the bowl cut.  For any of you that don't know, a bowl cut was a style of hair cut in the 1970's.  The idea was this: mothers would first take a bowl, turn it upside-down and fit it onto their child's head.  Then they would cut off any and all hair they could see sticking out beyond the rim of the bowl.  And that was it.  Lift off the bowl and behold: the most horrendous haircut imaginable had been obtained in record time.

Yes, I was a recipient of the dreaded bowl cut.

When I was in first grade, my mother, with her eye on efficiency, economy and--she believed--fashion, called me into the kitchen.  In my youth and innocence, I trotted to her side immediately.  Ah, I was so naïve.  When her dirty deed was done, I skipped to the bathroom to have a look at my newly trimmed locks.  I was crackling with excitement.

The image that gaped back at me, however, was nothing like what I had expected.  I resembled--and not in a good way--a runt member of the Brady Bunch.  My eyes, beneath a bulbously round bob of hair, filled with tears.  My mother, I figured, had tricked me, and I vowed never to speak to her again.

Of course, the vow of silence didn't last too long.  Once dinner rolled around and I accidently asked her to pass the mashed potatoes, I realized the gig was up.  Grudgingly, I resumed speaking to her once more.  It reminds me a little of the time when I was about the same age; I was again furious with her (almost certainly over nothing), and I ran away.  I packed my bag and headed out into the world.  The only catch was that I was never allowed to stray too far from home, so I simply walked round and round the block, unable to go any further.  Then when dinner time rolled around, I hopped inside at the promise of good food; another mission forgotten.  But I digress...

"Don't worry," my mother assured me when she saw my distress over the new haircut.  "The other kids will love it.  It's fine."  But was it, Mother?  Was it fine?  I would sometimes imagine that my mother used me for conducting sick little sociological experiments.  It seemed the only feasible explanation.

At recess the next day, I was approached by two boys.  They were both a few grades older than me, and even though they were icky, dirty boys, they were both pretty cute.  Maybe my mom was right, I thought, my heart racing.  Maybe this really is a fine haircut.  I had lost my shiny, long hair for a shorter, more masculine bob--but she did say the cut framed my face nicely.

"Hey Kid," the taller one said.  "We were just wondering.  Are you a boy or a girl?"

I was mortified.  I couldn't help the tears that flowed.

As I turned to flee, I could hear the second boy speak behind me.  "Uh-huh," he drawled, noting my reaction.  "That's definitely a girl."


These blogs are all about fun and sharing.  Thank you for reading a '#100blogfest' blog.  Please follow this link to find the next blog in the series:  http://martinkingauthor.com/blog/7094550076
  ]]><![CDATA[The Silver Lining: from resenting my own book to making new connections]]>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:15:11 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/07/the-silver-lining-from-resenting-my-own-book-to-making-new-connections.htmlShortly after completing my manuscript for Wormwood, I had a rude awakening.  Being an author, I realized, involved so much more work than simply crafting a story—that is, if said author intends to sell any books.  As I slowly started to scrounge up a minor internet presence, I saw myself shift through a variety of emotions.  Time that I would have spent writing, revising or sleeping was now being consumed by my work on the internet.  And because much of my time was spent learning the ropes, I made very little progress at first.  In those first few months, as so many things in my life sat neglected, I began to resent the need to market my book.  I even—I hate to admit it—considered shelving my manuscript permanently, just so I could walk away from it all. 
 
Then, slowly, things began to change.  There was a growing number of people that showed an honest appreciation for Wormwood, and my “Publish Wormwood” Facebook group eventually grew to over 700 members.  I started to get followers on Twitter, too.  But one of the biggest benefits of this time spent on the internet became clear to me a few months ago.  The greatest advantage, I noticed, is that social media has connected me to people that I never would have met otherwise—wonderful, interesting human beings that frequently bring a smile to my face, teach me, mentor me and humble me.  From the beautiful music of Dreaming in Waves to the wisdom shared by Les Floyd, I count myself fortunate to have connected with so many incredible, talented people.  When measured against the people with whom I’ve connected, none of my time on the internet has been in vain.

Recently, I had the privilege of connecting with a very gifted author.  Kelly R. Martin, of Myth/Logic Press, has granted me the great honour of reading a section of his latest book, THOMAS THE POISONER.  I took him up on his offer and I’m not sorry I did so.  I enjoyed it so much; it prompted the writing of this post.  
 
To quickly sum up what I’ve read (and not do it justice at all, I’m afraid), this creative fantasy is complete with elves, dwarves and spirit-spawned beasts, delivered in a style that makes the reader feel like they’re listening to a storyteller share an old tale.   Mr. Martin’s confident writing style immediately drew me into his vivid, fantastical world.  His characters are not only well-rounded and likeable, they are also believable.  For those reading this post, I highly recommend you check out his website or Barnes & Noble listing, if Thomas the Poisoner sounds like your kind of book.  

As for other people I’ve been lucky enough to connect to, I wanted to say this: if you are a Twitter follower, member of my Facebook group or an internet friend of any type, I wish to thank you.  You have been the silver lining that I’ve previously failed to see.  Thank you for sharing your friendship, your artistic gifts, your knowledge and your wisdom with me. ]]><![CDATA[HOW TO START WRITING THAT STORY]]>Sun, 08 May 2011 20:17:44 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/05/how-to-start-writing-that-story.htmlOne of my readers asked me an awesome question.  How do you start writing a story?

I love that he asked me that!  I thought I would post my response to him here, so others could see it too.  Also, I’m hopeful that some of my author friends would be kind enough to add their ideas here as well.  There are so many different approaches, I’d be interested to see some more perspectives than just my own (and hopefully your thoughts will somehow augment my paltry observations).

Here is the response I sent him.  Please help me improve it!


I'm happy to give you advice, but I feel the need for this caveat: everyone's different.  What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.

Now, that being said, let's get down to business...  :)

If you seriously want to get a book written, I suggest blocking some time off for yourself every day for your writing.  It sounds pretty basic, but you'd be surprised by how many people don't do this.  Then, by late evening, they still haven't written a thing, and lament the loss of time in the day.  Block off your time and treat it like an unbreakable appointment.

Now, about getting started... Man, I wish I had an easy answer for you.  Really, this totally depends on your personal style. 

·         Some people roughly sketch out a plot and decide on a few important characters before they write.  Then, they figure it out as they go.

·         Others, like myself, plan and map out the entire story, including important events, character traits, complications and even some dialogue.  I try to have ideas and elements link and weave throughout the story, and I'm worried that details won't align if I don't plan for it first.  Mind you, I'm a little obsessive about it, so I wouldn't actually suggest that you do as I do - I planned and scribbled for three months straight before typing a single word.  And some authors may plan for years before they write (especially if their book requires a lot of research).

·         Most authors, I believe, find a balance between the two extremes.  Get a feel for your story and characters and know generally what you want to have happen.  Then, simply start writing and see where the story takes you.  Many writers, despite laying the most detailed plans, find that mid-story, their writing takes them in a completely different direction.  And it's funny but that often makes for the best story.  Just go with it!

Anyway, I hope these ideas help you to get started.  Just see which approach appeals to you the most and jump in.

I wish you the very best of luck.  It is always so exciting to watch your ideas take shape.  Enjoy the process, my friend. ]]><![CDATA[HELP JAPAN: MAKE YOUR DONATION COUNT]]>Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:14:49 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/03/help-japan-make-your-donation-count.htmlRare is the person who is unaware of the dire situation in Japan.  Heartbreaking footage has been everywhere since the devastating 8.9 quake hit on March 11.  Images of the tsunami that followed swiftly on the quake’s heels struck a stunned silence around the world.  Collectively, we shook our heads; the destruction left it its wake seemed insurmountable.  Many still believe that any donation they send would be a negligible drop in vast, leaky bucket.  These notions, however, are simply not true.

Even the smallest donation could be used right away.  Please consider it.  Imagine the current state of one of the hundreds of thousands of people that lost absolutely everything; what would even a single one of your dollars mean to that person?  It could become a bottle of some clean drinking water, or some much-needed food.  You can easily provide this.  

Of course, you want to know that the money you send will be used immediately, and not hindered by the inevitable red tape, right?

Might I suggest, then, that you donate directly to a Japanese emergency NGO?  They will receive your money immediately, and you can rest assured that your dollars will be available to them when their need is greatest: right now. If you donate to a non-Japanese organization (or have already donated to an agency that’s based outside of Japan), keep in mind that it may take a little longer to process and send out your donations, so although your money WILL get to the victims in Japan, it could take weeks or months before your donation actually gets there.  It’s not that it isn’t worthwhile to donate to these organizations; it’s just that the help sometimes takes a little longer to arrive.

Remember, to make your money count right away, donate directly to a NGO in Japan.  You’ll be sending your money straight to the heart of the relief effort, and not through any outside, circuitous routes.  The following Japanese organization, JEN (Japan Emergency NGOs), has recently set their website up in English, and accepts credit card donations in increments of 1,000 Japanese Yen (1000 Yen is equivalent to about $12 Canadian).  Go to: http://www.jen-npo.org/en/involved/donate1.php

For a listing of more agencies that can utilize your funds right away, visit http://japanvolunteers.wordpress.com/overseas/

Please give what you can, and in the meantime, let’s not forget how fortunate we are when we lay down to sleep tonight; there’s food in our stomachs, a roof over our heads, and our loved ones are safe. ]]><![CDATA[SOCIAL MEDIA SUCKS THE LIFE FROM MY WRITING]]>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:47:05 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/03/social-media-sucks-the-life-from-my-writing.htmlEveryone, through their own experiences and within their own lives, acutely knows that time is a limited commodity.    There’s a finite amount within each given day, which we all balance, manage, juggle and shuffle as we work to accomplish the many tasks that tend to fill a busy life.  Enter social media, and the remaining time in a person’s day tends to be sucked away into a pervasive blogging, tweeting, Facebooking vacuum.

Now don’t get me wrong, I quite enjoy many aspects of Social Media.  It connects me with my friends and raises social and business networking to a whole new level.  Above that, this series of tools has a scope of influence that, 30 years ago, would have been like the Holy Grail to anyone wishing to increase their visibility or market a product.  And now it’s at my fingertips.  So I use it.  A lot.

But there is a conflict.  Like a good number of writers (and most other people on the planet), I have a day job.  Yet what is unique to many artists, our true calling takes hold of us in the evening hours, once we have attended to the necessity of earning a living during the day.  So this is the time that I use to write, revise, research, compose queries, and jot notes.  It is a time that I look forward to, and which is absolutely essential if I am expecting to get anywhere at all with my writing.

However, something else has now eaten up that precious evening time.  Social media.  I understand the necessities of the thing; after all, a writer without readers is like an actor without an audience.  I need to market my name as much as I need to market my writing.  I know that social media, if utilized properly, can make this possible.  But I also know that it demands much of my time if it is to be at all effective.  And herein lies the conflict.

Social media has become like a needy child, constantly needing to be fed and attended to.  It will not lie quietly.  If I neglect it for a day, the messages pile up, demanding my attention.  If I leave it for a longer time period, its effectiveness wanes, and I risk losing some of that visibility that I had been working so hard to establish. 

So even though social media does help me, it also sucks the life from the very thing I am using it to promote.  My writing.  My evenings, which were once the domain of my writing hours, are now filled with responding to messages, blogging, tweeting and other forms of networking.  When I finally finish with these tools, I find that I have no time left.  My writing lays neglected.

The irony of this has not been lost on me.

I am sure that there is something I can do.  There are any number of experts out there that can take over certain aspects of promotion for me.  But there is a cost, of course, and I’m not certain I can afford it at this juncture.  Additionally, I can look at how I manage my time, scheduling out my evening hours to ensure I always have time set aside for my writing.  Naturally, that would require me actually sticking to the plan, and would necessitate letting some of my social media routines slip.  Although it’ll mean that I’ll lose some visibility on the web, this plan seems like my most viable option.

In any case, it’s an interesting problem, and one that I’m certain is not unique to my situation.  I often wonder how pervasive this is, and what other writers do to work around the time demands of social media. 

But as for myself, I continue to compose just one more message or respond to just one more tweet, as I watch the last minutes of my evenings silently drain away.  Then when I sleep, I dream of writing, and it’s always with the knowledge that one day soon, we will be reunited.  I just have to make the choice.

In the meantime, I must remind myself that social media is my tool and writing is my passion; not the other way around. ]]><![CDATA[AN EDITOR SHOWS INTEREST]]>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:00:11 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/03/the-interest-of-an-editor.htmlI haven’t been focusing on editors.  In fact, I haven’t sent query letters to any editors at all.  The way I figured it, if I focused my energy on securing a decent, well-known agent, then, TA-DAA!  Job done.  My newly acquired super-agent could approach some of the bigger publishing houses on my behalf.  I wouldn’t need to query a single editor.  It seemed like a decent plan, and was one I had been sticking to.

So imagine my surprise when I recently opened my email account, and there, staring back at me, was an email from an editor asking to see WORMWOOD’s first 100 pages.  Wow.  I read it calmly.  Finished it.  Stood up, walked to the kitchen.  Stopped.  I turned and strolled to the back deck, closed the door behind me and whooped for joy.

I met this editor at the NY Writer’s Pitch Perfect Conference (http://newyorkwritersworkshop.com/) nearly a full year ago.  I had pitched my book to her there, even though WORMWOOD was incomplete at the time, and she had shown some interest.  I was thrilled that she had asked to see the first three chapters (approximately 30 pages), which I sent to her in eager haste.  Now, this was way back in the spring of last year, and in all that time, I had heard nothing back from her.  Not a peep.  So naturally, I assumed she wasn’t interested, and continued on with my life. 

Without looking back, I finished the manuscript for WORMWOOD, created a website, started the PUBLISH WORMWOOD FACEBOOK GROUP (link on sidebar to your left), revised and re-worked the manuscript, started a blog, and even queried a few agents too.  I worked hard to get the word out about my story and establish myself through social media, and almost forgot all about that key editor.  After all, why dwell on something over which I have no control?

And that’s when it happened.  It wasn’t long after I received that rejection from a rather important and established agent (in fact, I had just finished blogging about the rejection) when I heard from that elusive editor.  What incredible timing!  Now, she’s not even asking to see the full manuscript, so I’m staying cautiously optimistic about this whole thing, and trying to remain grounded.  But really, what a surprise!  Even if her answer is ‘no’, I still believe this bodes well for WORMWOOD.  I’ll take it as a sign of things to come! ]]><![CDATA[REJECTION IS SUCH AN UGLY WORD]]>Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:58:37 -0800http://www.dhnevins.com/1/post/2011/02/rejection-is-such-an-ugly-word.htmlI heard back from that big agent in New York, and unfortunately, he passed.  But to be completely honest, this ‘rejection’ didn’t bother me.  Of course, it would have been absolutely amazing if he wanted to represent me, but he was such a big-time agent that my chances were incredibly slim to begin with.  I went for it, though, and I’m still smiling at the fact that he chose to give up his valuable time to read Wormwood’s entire manuscript.  What an incredible compliment!

And it gets better.  Although he told me that all in all, the book wasn’t really for him, he had nothing but nice things to say about the story and my writing.  And I’ll always remember that he called me “an energetic and creative writer.” 

So should I call this a ‘rejection’?  Alright, it still is.  But honestly, I really think I could do a whole lot worse.

And by the way, I’m only getting started here, so don’t think that one nice rejection will set me back in the slightest.  Agents, prepare to meet Wormwood! ]]>