I’m excited to share that my novel Upload has been included in a new book bundle from Fanatical, the Cyberpunk Dystopia Novels Collective Bundle, alongside books by authors such as John Shirley, Joe Hurtgen, Matt Goodwin, and Dr. Ren Warom.
Check it out. It’s an insane deal. A huge thank-you to Mark Everglade for putting it together, and to Fanatical for making it possible.
A couple of days ago (May 1, 2020), a new Amazon TV series premiered, called Upload. With all the promotion of this new series, which not only has the same title as my sci-fi novel but also centers on the concept of uploading a human mind into virtual reality, I’ve been getting a lot of questions from friends — “Hey, is there any connection to your book?”
There is no connection — except that if you enjoy science fiction that explores the very likely future technology of hosting a human mind and body simulation on a computer, then you might enjoy both the TV series and my book, which you can learn more about on Goodreads, on Amazon, right here on my author website, or on uploadthenovel.com.
Congratulations to the 100 people who won copies of Curse of the Healing Kiss last night. Enjoy!
If you liked the book and want to help others find it, here’s a page with links to all the places where you can rate and review it.
Readers of fiction typically see only the finished product. Literature scholars sometimes have access to an author’s notes, but most early drafts of a work end up in the trash or the bit bucket. In the case of Curse of the Healing Kiss, I published the narrative seed the same day I wrote it, on a flash-fiction website called burrst. This was on February 18, 2013 — nearly seven years before I published the novella. I already had the bigger story in mind, and wanted to write an experiment, to see if I could establish a lyrical voice for the story. I’m sharing it here mostly so I don’t lose it — in case the original website shuts down — but I thought some folks might also be intrigued to have a glimpse into how a longer work of fiction was started from a 950-word “burst”.
This is a handy way to get started on a major work without feeling like you’re strapping yourself to the mast. It’s a sketch, a quick way to experiment with ideas and aesthetics that will shape the longer work — or help you decide to bail early and work on something that clicks better for you.
If you have not yet read Curse of the Healing Kiss, a SPOILER ALERT is called for. This all happens within the first chapter, but you might prefer to read it in its final form first.
Enter by January 29, 2020 for a chance to win one of a hundred free copies of Curse of the Healing Kiss for Amazon Kindle. If you enjoy the book, return the favor by rating or reviewing it.
Giveaway ends January 29, 2020.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Amazing and suspenseful read for lovers of fantasy, allegory and human psychology. Curse of the Healing Kiss gives you enough cloaks, princes, carriage rides, dramatic declarations and curses to satisfy lovers of magic and fantasy, but unlike many centuries-old fairy tales, it is grounded in a very real psychological dialogue that the struggling lovers engage in with each other and themselves. It’s also filled with breathtaking turns of phrase that echo the poetry that plays such a major role in the plot.
Jennifer Boeder, Content Specialist & Editor
Mark McClelland’s novella-length story of love, trust, and jealousy, Curse of the Healing Kiss, is now available on NOOK and Kobo — and every other ebook platform I’m aware of.
It’s exciting to see feedback starting to come in from readers! “Engaging, well told story“, writes Fred Gorrell. “Amazing and suspenseful read for lovers of fantasy, allegory and human psychology“, says writer/editor Jennifer Boeder, in the first major review the book has thus far received.
Mark McClelland’s new novella, Curse of the Healing Kiss, is now available on Apple Books.
Curse of the Healing Kiss — Mark McClelland’s new novella — is now available in print edition on Lulu! Click below to buy the book. Read more about it here or on Goodreads.
Paperback, 114 pages, $10.00 (plus tax & shipping).
Act fast if you would like to receive the book in time for Christmas. Because this book is print-on-demand, it typically takes a few days before the book ships, and then you have to wait for delivery.
A little over seven years ago, when I published Upload, I wrote a blog post titled “It’s Alive” — a reference to Young Frankenstein.
Today, after a lot of pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth dealing with Lulu’s EPUB upload process, I officially flipped the switch. Curse of the Healing Kiss is now available in ebook form on Lulu, Google, and Amazon. Yay!
Print edition is soon to follow. And then my promotion efforts will swing into full force.
Now that I have a new novella — Curse of the Healing Kiss — due out very soon, it’s time for an author website. This will be the new home for info on my writing projects, as well as a place to publish the occasional poem or short story that would otherwise never see the light of day.
While you’re waiting for Curse of the Healing Kiss, perhaps you’d enjoy passing the time reading my science-fiction novel, Upload.