Radio Hope Post-Apocalyptic Novel is a Free Download!

For the next five days, through March 14, my post-apocalyptic science fiction novel Radio Hope is free on Amazon. This is the first of the Toxic World series, which has three books and a spin-off novella. Book Four is coming out in the early summer. Radio Hope, however, can also be read as a standalone novel. I'm not pulling you into some sort of crack dealer arrangement. :-) A blurb is below.

In a world shattered by war, pollution and disease. . .
A gunslinging mother longs to find a safe refuge for her son.
A frustrated revolutionary delivers water to villagers living on a toxic waste dump.
The assistant mayor of humanity's last city hopes he will never have to take command.
One thing gives them the promise of a better future--Radio Hope, a mysterious station that broadcasts vital information about surviving in a blighted world. But when a mad prophet and his army of fanatics march out of the wildlands on a crusade to purify the land with blood and fire, all three will find their lives intertwining, and changing forever.

Radio Hope is available on Amazon, Amazon UK, and all the other Amazons. Enjoy and please spread the word!

Free Post-Apocalyptic Ebook

Hello from Worldcon! I'm in London at the world's largest, and oldest science fiction convention. I'll be turning 45 here on Saturday, surrounded by science fiction fans. There are worse places to to grow old.

In honor of Worldcon and my oncoming decrepitude, I'm running a special promotion for two of my Toxic World titles of post-apocalyptic books. Radio Hope is on a Kindle Countdown deal. It's usually $3.99 but for August 13-14 it will be 99 cents. On August 15-16 it will be $1.99. On August 17-19 it will be $2.99.

Also, my short story The Scavenger will be free August 14-18.

Grab these titles while they're cheap, and tune in next week for a full convention report and plenty of photos!

Refugees from the Righteous Horde out now!

Book Two of my Toxic World post-apocalyptic series is out now! Refugees from the Righteous Horde picks up where Radio Hope left off. Here's the blurb:

When you only have one shot, you better aim true.
In a ravaged world, civilization’s last outpost is reeling after fighting off the fanatical warriors of the Righteous Horde. Sheriff Annette Cruz becomes New City’s long arm of vengeance as she sets off across the wildlands to take out the cult’s leader. All she has is a sniper’s rifle with one bullet and a former cultist with his own agenda.
Meanwhile, one of the cult’s escaped slaves makes a discovery that could tear New City apart. . .

Refugees from the Righteous Horde continues the Toxic World series started in Radio Hope, an ongoing narrative of humanity’s struggle to rebuild the world it ruined.

The book is available on all the Amazons and will soon have a print edition. If you could help me out by tweeting, blogging, and sharing this info, that would be awesome!

The Scavenger cover reveal, plus I need input on my blurb

My brother-in-law Andrés Alonso-Herrero has come up with another fine cover for me. This is for a 10,000-word novelette called The Scavenger. It's going up soon as a promo for my Toxic World series and is set close to the action in Radio Hope. Here's a draft of the blurb below. I'd love your input!

In a world shattered by war, pollution, and disease, a lone scavenger discovers a priceless relic from the Old Times.
The problem is, it's stuck in the middle of a contaminated city inhabited by insane chem addicts and vengeful villagers. Only his wits, his gun, and an unlikely ally can get him out alive.

I'm over at Unicorn Bell today, and a comment on sexism in the writing industry

My virtual book tour for Radio Hope continues with an interview over at Unicorn Bell today. Sales have been steady but not stellar, but hey, it's only been out less than three weeks. Indie publishers have to learn patience as they build up a reputation.

Luckily, some readers are helping with that by giving me very positive reviews. Several have said they've read the book in one or two sittings. The word "inhaled" has been used more than once.

Be careful of inhaling, ladies and gents, there's a lot of nasty stuff in the atmosphere of the Toxic World! This French soldier is well kitted out for reading my novel. Make sure you are too!

Oh, and if you want to breathe some more toxic air, read this Black Gate post about the continuing mudslinging over at the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America because a few female writers dared to point out the rampant sexism in the industry. Guess what happened? Yeah, the usual nonsense.

We like to pretend that the smarter sections of our society are free of sexism and racism, but that just ain't so. Just ask a female scientist, or a female doctor, or a female writer. Will things improve in the future? I hope so. Pushing down half the intellect of the human race is just not the best way forward. Please don't make my novel come true. Respect everyone!

More reviews, the importance of minor characters, and indie publishing news

Things are busy here. Sales for Radio Hope are steady but not stellar, but it's only been out two weeks so word is still spreading. Please help with that if you can!

I've received two new reviews. One on Goodreads, by a member of my writers group in Madrid saying, "I liked it, so much so that--faced with all those empty days until the next installment arrives--to satisfy my craving for radioactive scavenging and crumbling pockets of civilisation I've started playing Fallout: New Vegas again, after several years of twitchy abstinence. So thanks a lot, Sean: Radio Hope kicked me off the wagon."

The other is on Amazon and is titled: "It's a hard life if you don't weaken. If you do, you're dead." Gotta love a reviewer who paraphrases Sillitoe. From there she compares it with The Postman (I have a better ending, thank you for noticing) and to Stephen King.

I'm over at Amlokiblogs today talking about the importance of minor characters in writing.

Far more important than all this is that indie bestselling author Hugh Howey has teamed up with a statistician to analyze how well indie authors are doing compared with traditionally published authors. The data will surprise you. If you're a writer, or a reader interested in the future of books, check out his report.

A history post tomorrow. I'm getting bored with all this self-promotion!

Radio Hope gets its first review, and it's five stars!

Less that two weeks after its release, Radio Hope has received its first review! The reviewer, blogger Sioux Roslawski, says:

The author has painted a picture of a world that we might end up with--if we keep abusing our environment and we if keep being devisive about people, keeping the "have-nots" separated from the "haves." Although this story takes place in the future, it's easy to envision it being not too far into the future...which is the terrifying part.

I appreciate that the author has given his readers some credit. Too often, books like this are full of chunks of background information. Different terms and backstories are explained at the very beginning, which slows down the story. Sean McLachlan trusts that his readers have brains and he has ensured that things are revealed in a logical, natural way...as the story evolves. (He even made us wait until the last page for a tidbit I was wondering about throughout the entire novel. I was worried I'd never find out the answer, that it would be just a forgotten detail, but McLachlan did not disappoint...)

I gave this novel 5 stars because it is normally not the kind of book I would read. However, despite it being outside of my reading box, I inhaled it. I read it in two nights, anxious to get to the end.
Sioux isn't the only person who said they've read it in two days. I take that as a good sign!

My virtual book tour is continuing. Today I'm being interviewed by Paris-based blogger D.G. Hudson.

Sins after the Apocalypse

My virtual book tour for Radio Hope continues with a stop at a fellow author of post-apocalyptic books--Hart Johnson. This time I'm talking about how none of our sins will go away with the fall of civilization (except texting).

This old movie poster from 1917 has nothing to do with anything. I just love the look at that woman's face. What's he asking her to do?

More guest posts coming up! And no, I haven't forgotten this blog either. Some new posts are on the way.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Writing Post-Apocalyptic Fiction

Sorry I missed posting yesterday, but I was down in Madrid catching up with old friends and enjoying the cafe culture. Now I'm back in Santander awaiting the next ocean gale while my virtual book tour continues. I've had two more stops and both focus on writing post-apocalyptic fiction.

First up is Constructing A Destroyed World at the Post-Modern Pulps page. I've also done a post on Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: What it is and What it Isn't over at The Five Year Project. Head on over and check them out, and feel free to leave a comment. I'll be lurking there, ready to bushwhack you and steal your food and gear. All's fair in the apocalypse. . .

Image courtesy NASA.

People won't be naked in the apocalypse

That caught your attention, didn't it? I'm kicking off my virtual book tour for Radio Hope with a guest post over at Alex Cavanaugh's blog, where I'm tackling the tricky question of why in all those post-apocalyptic books and movies people won't actually be dressed in rags. In fact, the apocalypse will mean we all get to dress better.

Head on over and say hi! I'll be doing several guest posts for blogs over the month of February. Stay tuned.

This shot of the lovely "Monster Guards" hanging out at Bulgaria's Extreme Film Fest 2011 courtesy podoboq.

Radio Hope out now!

My post-apocalyptic novel Radio Hope is out now. No zombies, no aliens, just regular people trying to live with their grandparents' mistakes. It's in the Kindle Select Program so if you're a Prime member, you can borrow my book for free. And if you want to help out a struggling writer, please tweet, share, like, and all the other things people do to get attention on the Internet. As a relative unknown, I can use all the help I can get.
And to all my beta readers--thank you very, very much. You really helped me out! Your contributors copies are coming next week.
Here's the blurb:

In a world shattered by war, pollution and disease. . .
A gunslinging mother longs to find a safe refuge for her son.
A frustrated revolutionary delivers water to villagers living on a toxic waste dump.
The assistant mayor of humanity's last city hopes he will never have to take command.
One thing gives them the promise of a better future--Radio Hope, a mysterious station that broadcasts vital information about surviving in a blighted world. But when a mad prophet and his army of fanatics march out of the wildlands on a crusade to purify the land with blood and fire, all three will find their lives intertwining, and changing forever.

Radio Hope Blurb (Version 3.1)

Three out of three Spanish astronomers enjoyed reading Radio Hope!

OK, I think I got it now, thanks to D.G. Hudson.

In a world shattered by war, pollution and disease. . .

A gunslinging mother longs to find a safe refuge for her son.

A frustrated revolutionary delivers water to villagers living on a toxic waste dump.

In humanity’s last city, the assistant mayor hopes he will never have to take command.

One thing gives them the promise of a better future--Radio Hope, a mysterious station that broadcasts vital information on surviving in a blighted world. But when a mad prophet and his army of fanatics march out of the wildlands on a crusade to purify the land with blood and fire, all three will find their lives intertwining, and changing forever.

Book marketing tips, anyone?

The release of my next novel, Radio Hope, is coming up on February 1 and I've been busy building up a virtual book tour. A big "thank you" to all who have offered to help me out!

By a bit of good timing, there was a blogfest on Monday called the Online Marketing Symposium. Lots of different writers gave their two cents about what works and what doesn't. Although I knew some of these tips already (like Goodreads ads being worthless while being a part of Goodreads itself is valuable) these dedicated bloggers gave me much food for thought.

Roland Yeomans made the good point that you have to identify your audience and target them. Not only does this make for more efficient marketing, but it gives you insights into what your audience wants. I've been hanging around on various post-apocalyptic reading groups, both on Goodreads and other places, and I've noticed there's a hunger for PA books that don't involve zombies or aliens. That might stand me in good stead because in Radio Hope, the survivors are dealing with very human mistakes and consequences.

Master blogger Alex Cavanaugh has some good tips about virtual book tours. He's said it all before, but good advice bears repeating.

Sandra Almazan has an interesting post on price pulsing--temporarily lowering the price of your book and advertising the hell out of it. Her post is well worth reading in its entirety.
The Insecure Writers Support Group was one of the few blogs to mention conventions. In this Internet marketing age many writers forget how valuable face-to-face marketing can be. Luckily for me, Worldcon is in London this year so I'm attending! I'll be on some panels and will be sure to have plenty of my books on hand.


Another important piece of advice that most bloggers gave--write the next novel! If your readers like one of your books, make sure there's something else of yours for them to read.

So, my blogging friends, what do you think I should do to market Radio Hope? I'm participating in a bunch of post-apocalyptic boards, doing a virtual book tour, will do the usual Twitter/Facebook/rally-my-friends stuff, and am busy writing the next in the Toxic World series. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!

My next work in progress: Trench Raiders

Right now I'm busy with preparations for releasing Radio Hope on February 1 and the accompanying virtual book tour. I'm also writing the sequel--Book Two in the Toxic World series, Refugees from the Righteous Horde.

After that, I'll be starting another series, Trench Raiders. These will be action books set in World War One along the lines of Jack Badelaire's excellent Commando series of WWII books. It follows a group of British soldiers as they become a crack trench raiding unit. The first book takes place at the Battle of Aisne in September 1914, the first time that the British Expeditionary Force faced German trenches.

As you might expect, the British got slaughtered, and this is where our heroes come in. They realize that frontal charges across No-Man's Land aren't going to work and so they develop their own techniques. I'm in the midst of researching the battle right now and came across this Wikimedia Commons image of an old German novel titled Hell Fights at the Aisne River. Cool image, but I won't be using it for my own cover. I want a British soldier, not a German one!

The plan is to alternate between my post-apocalyptic Toxic World series and the Trench Raiders series. I also have some stand-alone works simmering in the back of my mind. This year is going to be a busy one!

Radio Hope Blurb Version 2.0

After some input on my blogs and Goodreads, here's the latest version of my Radio Hope blurb. Thanks everyone! Input welcome!

In a world shattered by war, pollution and disease. . .

A gunslinging mother longs to find a safe refuge for her son.

A frustrated revolutionary delivers water to villagers living on a toxic waste dump.

In humanity’s last city, the assistant mayor hopes he will never have to take command.

But when a mad prophet and his army of fanatics march out of the wildlands on a crusade to purify the world through blood and fire, all three will find their lives intertwining, and changing forever.

Possible blurb for Radio Hope. What do you think?

My trip to Tangier is winding down and now I need to think about my tough publishing schedule over the next year. First up is my post-apocalyptic novel Radio Hope! Below is the proposed blurb. I'd love to have your feedback. Blurbs are tough.

In a world shattered by war, disease, and pollution. . .

. . .a female gunslinger longs to find a safe refuge for her son. . .

. . .a frustrated revolutionary delivers water to villagers living on a toxic waste dump. . .

. . .the assistant mayor of humanity’s last city hopes he will never have to take command. . .

. . .only to find their lives changing forever when a mad prophet and his army of fanatics march out of the wildlands on a crusade to purify the world through conquest.

Cover ideas for Radio Hope, what do you think?

My talented brother-in-law, who designed the cover for A Fine Likeness, has done a new cover for me for Radio Hope. It's a work-in-progress. This one is the one he sent.

Here's how it would look at the standard 68 pixel-wide Amazon thumbnail size. This is a post-apocalyptic novel and I want the cover to communicate toxicity and decay. I'm probably going to ask him to move the entire image up a bit so that there will be more room under my name for the words "A Toxic World Novel" or "Toxic World Book One".

If you click on the Radio Hope link above you can get a free download of the first 51,000 words. I'd love to get some feedback and anyone who does gets a free electronic copy when it comes out in February. I'll be taking this preview down in a week so grab it now!

And below the cut are some alternative colors my wife and I came up with. Which do you like best? Any other suggestions? I'm all ears!

Indie Life: Ten things I learned from National Novel Writing Month

Like many fellow indie writers, I participated in National Novel Writing Month. I managed to finish an entire post-apocalyptic novel of 71,000 words in the month of November.

It's called Radio Hope and you can download the first 51,000 words for free from Smashwords. I'd love to get some feedback and as a thank you I'll send a free electronic copy of the final book to you once it's released in February.

OK, enough self-promotion. What did writing a novel in a single month teach me? Here are ten things I learned.

1. If you are mostly unemployed (I recently lost my travel blogging job when Gadling laid off all their regulars) your word count goes way up.

2. Keeping your word count up helps with your self-esteem when you're mostly unemployed.

3. Keeping your word count up after the challenge is over maintains your self-esteem. I'm working on the sequel right now.

4. You'll help your confidence if you get a jump on the game by writing a lot on the first day. November 1 was my most productive day, with 5,300 words.

5. Write every day, even if it's just 500 words (my worst day) because that forward momentum keeps you from getting stuck.

6. It's good to find a group to help you. I was down in Madrid on November 1 and got to hang out with other members of my old writers group. We took over the back room of a cafe and wrote like mad!

7. If you give the project sufficient focus, you will not have a drop in quality as you increase quantity.

8. You will, however, make more typos. A lot more. Really embarrassing ones.

9. The online community at the NaNo website is super supportive, helpful, and friendly, and disappears after November 30.

10. It's really, really fun!

Help me destroy the world, one page at a time!

I'm now 39,000 words into my National Novel writing Month challenge. My dystopian novel Radio Hope is going well. It's sort of Firefly mixed with Mad Max with a bit of pirate radio thrown in.

I've posted this work-in-progress as a free ebook on Smashwords, available in all formats. The reason I’m posting this for free is so that you, the reader, can have input in the creation of this novel. What do you like about it? What do you think needs work? What characters would you like to hear more about in later Toxic World books?

Alerting me to any typos would be much appreciated too. :-)

Drop me a line at seansontheweb (at) yahoo (dot) com with your feedback and I’ll make sure you get a free electronic copy of the final book when it’s released on February 1. And keep an eye on this blog for regular updates!

Please repost and share!

This photo of the Namibian ghost town Kolmanskop is courtesy Harald Süpfle via Wikimedia Commons. To learn more about this eerie ghost town and to see more photos, check out an article I did on Kolmanskop.

Read a free excerpt of Radio Hope online!

As you know, I'm busy with National Novel Writing Month. The current word count for my dystopian novel Radio Hope stands at 24,137. I've posted the first three chapters on my NaNoWriMo homepage and I'd love to get your feedback. Hit the link to read it!


Image courtesy New York Zoological Society.