Writers | CW Hawes

One Bullet At A Time

Writing one bullet at a time.
—Caleb Pirtle III

In this age of hyper-narcissism, Caleb Pirtle was that most rare of human beings: a selfless man.

His passing has left a huge hole in the writing community. Yet, he continues to speak to us. He does so through his books.

And what you find in his books is a man with an incredibly deep well.

He knew life. He knew people. He knew the nastiness and he knew the sublime. His years of talking to people and observing them comes through when he tells his stories. They are always about people and what they do and don’t do. The lies they tell and don’t tell.

Caleb’s writing was always centered around the human factor. Fiction, or non-fiction. Didn’t matter. People were at the center.

He used to say he was writing one bullet at a time. That bullet could be literal or metaphorical. And its impact depended on where it hit. And how hard. Literally or metaphorically.

He was an incredibly optimistic man. If you talked with him, as the song goes, never was heard a discouraging word, and the skies were not cloudy all day.

Yet, Caleb was no Pollyanna. There is a darkness to his Magnolia Bluff books that is not present in any of the other books I’ve read. And that might be due to the Magnolia Bluff stories being told in the first person. They are told by a person who has seen a lot of life. And a lot of it wasn’t good. Or especially nice.

I have found that third person puts distance between writer and reader. First person erases that distance. The first person story is intensely intimate.

And it is that intimacy that gives his Magnolia Bluff books such incredibly deep insights into human nature.

I find the last five lines of Death in the Absence of Rain enigmatic. I’m not sure what they mean, and I didn’t get a chance to ask Caleb.

Graham Huston, the narrator of the story, says:

We as a people are what we bury inside of us.
I believe it with all my heart.
Don’t know about you.
But, frankly, I’ve buried about all I can bury.
I’m running out of room.

There’s an observation about people in general. Then there is the application by Graham to himself.

That is one doggone penetrating bullet.

We are what we bury inside of us.

Death in the Absence of Rain is a book about lies. Lies we tell others and lies we tell ourselves.

It’s a theme Caleb explored in Last Deadly Lie.

There is a darkness that surrounds us. All of us. Even so, Caleb chose to see what was good and positive — even if he had to rummage around in that darkness for a while to find it.

Caleb was a pantser. Pull up a blank Word doc — and start typing. The story will flow from the subconscience, through the fingers, and onto the page.

The downside to being a pantser is that there are usually no notes or outlines lying around. Which means we will never know if Graham found a way to make more room, or somehow stopped burying.

We are what we bury inside of us.

Graham was burying a lot of crap. Most of us are.

I don’t think Caleb was.

Just a day or two before he went into the hospital, I spoke with him on the phone. He was optimistic as ever, even though he was in great pain. He was looking forward to conquering whatever the heck was the problem and getting back into the saddle.

We are what we bury inside of us.

Unlike Graham Huston, but very much like Caleb Pirtle, I hope I’m burying good stuff.

I want to end my days looking to get back into the saddle.

If you missed the Underground Authors tribute to Caleb, take a watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trjgrs0Qkwk

May we all take a life lesson from Caleb Pirtle. Write one bullet at a time. And do our darnedest to get back into the saddle.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Caleb Pirtle III — Writer Extraordinaire

Caleb Pirtle III is one of the most successful writers who is not a household name.

Award Winner

Yet, he came out of the gate with a William Randolph Hearst award in his pocket for excellent collegiate journalistic writing. The first University of Texas-Austin journalism student to win the award.

And he hasn’t looked back. In the six decades since receiving that award, Caleb has been a reporter for numerous newspapers, travel editor for Southern Living, and editorial director for a Dallas-based custom publisher.

He’s won national awards and regional awards for his writing.

To date, he’s written somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 books, and several screenplays for television. And that doesn’t include the innumerable newspaper stories and magazine pieces he’s written. Caleb is one prolific writer.

All in all, he has had, and continues to have a successful writing career. And which one of us wouldn’t love to swap places with him?

Supports Writers

I met Caleb at that social media party known as Twitter, and soon to be called X, back in 2019. He gave me an award.

He named me as “One of the Top 25 Mystery Writers You Need to be Reading”. (Here is the link to the article: https://www.calebandlindapirtle.com/c-w-hawes-one-top-25-mystery-writers-need-reading/)

Needless to say, I was tickled pink to have achieved notice by an experienced, accomplished, and award winning writer. And thus began an acquaintance, which has since turned into friendship.

A Teacher

Caleb freely shares his knowledge and expertise. In addition, each of his books is a masterclass on how to use language to achieve the most visual results.

As an example, from his newest book Death in the Absence of Rain, he’s describing a drought:

…the sun just hangs high in the sky the color of dry bones in the field, cracking the ground around us, burning the land that rain hasn’t touched. There’s not enough green grass left to slip between the ribs of a mosquito.

There’s not enough green grass left to slip between the ribs of a mosquito. That, my friends, is poetry masquerading as prose. It is the quintessential Pirtle-ism.

His Fiction

While most of Caleb’s writing has been non-fiction, he has written some spectacular novels and novellas.

My introduction to Caleb’s writing was Lonely Night to Die. Three thriller novellas that, together, read like a novel.

Roland Sand, the Quiet Assassin, has gone rogue from a rogue agency within the CIA. Now he’s wanted by everyone.

The book was so good, I immediately became a Caleb Pirtle fan and have been buying up everything he’s written.

I think Caleb’s finest achievement may be The Boom Town Saga and his two contributions to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. Those five books contain the most fascinating characters and storylines you’ll find anywhere.

But anything by Caleb is good. Checkout his Amazon author page.

Supports the Writing Community

Caleb Pirtle is an amazing writer and a wonderful person. He has given much to the writing community over the years.

His may not be a household name. But the households of many writers know him.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!

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Good Storytelling in 2021

2021 — it was a good year for reading. I got reacquainted with old friends and met a number of new ones.

All told, I read 110 works of fiction and non-fiction. The breakdown is:

44 novels/novellas
54 novelettes/short stories
6 screenplays
6 non-fiction

Of those 110 works, 43 were by indie authors. Which makes for 39%.

Eleven storytellers stood out above the rest. Below is a brief explanation of their outstanding merits.

Matthew Cormack

The Piranha Pandemic: From Small Acorns is Cormack’s third book chronicling the events of the Piranha Pandemic. The first two are Don’t Dream It’s Over and Ganbaru.

Cormack’s strengths as a storyteller are his realistic post-apocalyptic worldbuilding, and his vividly realistic characters.

James Patterson once said about himself that he was a lousy writer, but a good storyteller.

Mr Cormack is both a good writer and a good storyteller. Quite honestly, there are few writers who can touch him. He’s that good.

James Vincett

Vincett is one of the very few writers who can give Matthew Cormack a run for his money.

Vincett’s storytelling transports us to highly imaginative worlds. He puts us into exciting space operas that we don’t want to leave.

As of now, he has 3 series going: the Hominim Union, the Independencies, and the Far Frontiers. The books in all three are fabulous. Take a look at his Amazon page.

Suffice it to say, I’ve bought and read all his books and will buy anything he publishes in the future because he knows how to tell a great story. And I love a great story, with memorable characters.

Neil Mosspark

Mr Mosspark burst on the scene a couple years ago and then vanished. Which is a shame. He’s an engaging writer. An imaginative writer. He has, though, left a number of works on Amazon — which is good for us. I recommend you get them.

His Sand Fall Trilogy is survival science fiction. Crash landed on a desert planet, can a ragtag group of humans survive when everything is against them? Very much worth your money and time to read. Pick it up on Amazon.

John F Leonard

John F Leonard tells horror stories which are subtle in nature. The spookiness and the terror hit you after the fact.

Call Drops involves a phone that works, but shouldn’t. The story is about choices and consequences. The ending will get you.

A Plague of Pages explores ownership and vengeance. Hold onto your socks.

Mr Leonard tells good stories. I look forward to reading more of his work in 2022. Pick up his books on Amazon and let them give you goosebumps.

Andy Graham

Andy Graham writes atmospheric horror. His prose is literary. And his stuff is so scary I have to be in the right frame of mind to read it.

His book A Demon Risen is terrifying. Plain and simple. It’s also the third or fourth book of his that I’ve read. And every one is terrifying. Get them at Amazon.

Just remember: his books are best read while the sun is shining.

Terry Newman

A number of years ago I read Detective Strongoak and the Case of the Dead Elf. It was a magical blend of humor, hardboiled detective fiction, and fantasy. And I loved it.

Nicely Strongoak is a dwarf. He’s also a detective and a shield for hire. And he’s one of the most fascinating characters I’ve come across in a long time. Sam Spade meet Terry Pratchett.

Last year I read The King of Elfland’s Little Sister and Dwarf Girls Don’t Dance, the latest books in the Nicely Strongoak series, and was not disappointed.

The books are hilarious, suspenseful, and engaging murder mysteries. All set in a highly imaginative fantasy world. Get over to Amazon for some super great fun.

Lisette Brodey

I’ve read 3 books by Ms Brodey, the latest being The Waiting House; which is a fine example of literary fiction blended with magical realism, humor, and a bit of fantasy.

Ms Brodey’s storytelling is characterized by the vivid and memorable characters that she tells us about. And it’s what keeps me coming back to her fiction. After all, characters are the thing. Pick up a copy of The Waiting House on Amazon.

Garrett Dennis

Port Starbird is my kind of murder mystery. The book is laid-back, cerebral, touched with humor, transports you to the world of the detective, and introduces you to a whole lot of new friends.

I was only partway through Port Starbird, the first of the Storm Ketchum mysteries, when I fell in love with the world Mr Dennis had created and bought all the books. I’m looking forward to reading more of Storm Ketchum’s world this year. And you can get in on his adventure’s via Amazon.

KD McNiven

Ms McNiven writes fast-paced action adventures. One of her most fascinating characters is Detective Brock Scanlin. He’s a hard as nails police detective, yet he’s human. All too human. And that’s what makes Blood Alley and Blood Pool so good. Climb aboard the Brock Scanlin roller coaster today.

Richard Schwindt

Richard Schwindt is no stranger to this blog. I’d buy his grocery list, his writing is that good.

In The Death of Brenda Martin he has tied together all of his various fictional worlds. Quite a feat.

Schwindt is an artist who gives us a world we can see, touch, smell, taste, and feel. He blends mystery, monsters, and real life problems with panache. Enter his world. You won’t regret it.

Caleb Pirtle III

Caleb Pirtle has been writing and telling stories his entire life — and it shows. His fingers dance across the keyboard with the grace and power of a Baryshnikov.

What is undoubtedly the most powerful novel I read in 2021 came from his genius: Last Deadly Lie. The book is a tale of lies, lust, deceit, power, and destruction.

The setting is a church community. But this is not a religious novel. It’s the story of people. People who crave power and control and what they will do to get it and exercise it — no matter the setting, no matter the cost. It’s a tale of lust and secrets and the lies that are told to mask a person’s true intentions.

Last Deadly Lie. A powerhouse of a novel. One you will not forget. Get it from Amazon if you dare.

That’s my cream of the crop for 2021. I’m eager to see what delights 2022 with reveal.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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Defining Success

In any endeavor, we consciously or unconsciously define what success looks like.

When I was writing poetry, the writing of which is not financially lucrative by any measure, I defined success by such things as name recognition, the ability to get into certain magazines, the ability to write and get published, what was for me, a difficult form to write, and to be considered by my peers as the first amongst equals.

None of those measures of success involved receiving payment for what I’d written. Yet they were all determiners, for me (and most, if not all, of my fellow poets), of being a successful poet.

So how do we define success for ourselves in general and in writing fiction in particular? That question is no different than asking what is the meaning of life?

The answers are personal, and only you can provide the answer for yourself.

Writers, especially fiction writers, seem to think their work only has value if they get paid for it, and such payment that will enable them to quit the day job.

Is money, though, the only measure of fiction writing success? Can we define success some other way?

Of course we can. We can define success anyway we so desire.

Ask yourself this: if I were to never get a dime for any story or novel that I wrote, would I keep on writing? Or ask yourself this: Do I love writing? Or do I love the dream of getting rich from writing?

If most aspiring novelists were honest with themselves, they’d admit that they see writing fiction as being like the gold rush, or the lottery. They just want to get rich in what they think is a very easy way to do so.

What they soon discover is that writing, especially indie writing, is a job — not a get rich quick scheme. Writing is work. Rewarding work, in my opinion. But work, nevertheless. And as with the gold rush and the lottery, the middleman is the one who makes the most coin.

Here’s another question: What do you love to do, even though you get no money for doing it? In fact, you have to pay money to do it. What is that activity? Whatever it is, that’s how you should view writing. You love doing it, even if you have to pay money to get your books into other people’s hands. And in the process, if you’re good enough, or lucky enough, you might make some money at the writing gig.

I’m going to let you in on a secret. Writing fiction — if you want to make serious coin by writing — is a business. And if you aren’t good at business, you won’t be good at making money from your pen.

But if you’re willing to put in the time to educate yourself on the business part of the writing gig, then, like any other self-employed person, you might make a living at writing. Probably won’t get rich, but you might make a decent living. Might. Just keep in mind that most businesses don’t succeed. They fail.

Which brings us back to defining success in writing fiction some other way than monetarily. It might be helpful to see ourselves as entertainers. Entertainers who make people laugh and cry just for the pleasure of giving them a brief respite from their lives.

In the nearly 7 years that I’ve been doing this writing gig, I’ve sold 929 books. It’s not a million, but it is more than none. And to my mind, that is something.

If I add in the 61,291 Kindle Unlimited page reads, and figure them to be equal to at least 300 books, then I’ve had people pay me to read over 1200 copies of my books. Incredible. That is, simply incredible.

I’ve also given away over 3300 books as lead magnets, ARCs, and gifts. Which means even more people have at least one of my books in their hand, and hopefully found the read a pleasurable and entertaining experience.

You see, on July 1st of this year, 2021, I had an epiphany. And it was simply this: focusing on trying to make money was destroying what I love. The pursuit of riches was making me hate writing.

And I truly love writing. I love the very act of holding a pencil or pen in my hand, and putting words on paper. I love the experience of the mystery of the creative process and seeing the results appear on paper. That, in and of itself, defines success for me: getting the story out of my head and onto paper.

Marcus Aurelius, the last of the Five Good Emperors, wrote, Life is opinion; or, Life is what you decide it is. One can define success the same way: success is what you think it is.

If you define success as being the second James Patterson, good luck. You might have a better chance of winning the lottery. Why set yourself up for what is surely to be failure? Then, again, who am I to say you won’t be successful? Because you very well may be.

You see, I’ve never had much interest in being a bestselling author. I simply want to sell books, have people read them, and like them enough to buy more of my books. To me, that is plenty of success. But it might not be for you. On the other hand, I encourage you not to define success in such a way that if you don’t achieve it that lack of achievement destroys your love of writing. Or your love of anything, for that matter.

Nor have I ever had an interest in being an award winning author. That’s just someone’s opinion, and most people’s opinions aren’t worth a tinker’s damn because they are subjective and not based on evidence. Which is certainly true about art, and fiction writing is art. But if awards float your boat, go for them. Just don’t be disappointed if you don’t get one, and quit something you love.

In my own eyes, and I’ve come to realize at the age of 68 years and 9 months that those are the only eyes that matter, I’m a successful writer of fiction.

Have I climbed the highest mountain that’s out there? No, I haven’t. But you don’t have to climb Mount Everest to be a mountain climber.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading (and writing)!

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Indie April Reading Suggestions — Part 1

Crispian Thurlborn

Welcome to Indie April!

Every year, I solicit independent authors/publishers (aka “indies”) to recommend books for me to read, and if I like them, to promote.

My caveat is that I don’t want bestsellers. Nor any book ranked in the top 300,000 on Amazon. And they must be self-published. Small press does not count, as that is just downsized traditional publishing.

If you have any suggestions, please put them in the comments.

This month, I’m adding blog posts promoting 13 authors who have impressed me over the years with writing that lingers in my memory. Lingers in a good way, that is.

These writers are not bestsellers. Although they should be, and would be if we lived in a fair world. But, alas, we don’t. Their writing, though, is top-notch and will entertain you. That much I can guarantee.

Crispian Thurlborn

First up is Crispian Thurlborn, who is truly an author par excellence. He is a master craftsman. A meticulous craftsman. He does magic with words.

He writes stories that will chill you and impart a subtle terror that lingers long after the story has ended. He also writes stories filled with whimsy and humor.

All of his published work is top drawer.

Today I’d like to focus on his short novel, A Bump in the Night. It’s a ghost story, of sorts. It’s a philosophical story, of sorts. It’s sad, yet ends well. It’s filled with humor. And the prose would make Dickens envious.

It’s a tale of two ghosts who try to stop their friend, Mr Bump, from fading away. But the best laid plans of mice, men, and ghosts… Well, you know, Mr Murphy and his law even transcend the grave.

A Bump in the Night is not a tale of terror. Yet, in a subtle sort of way, the story confronts us with death, that thing which terrifies us all.

The book is one of my favorites. But then all of Mr Thurlborn’s work can be listed amongst my favorites. He’s that good.

So this Indie April, do yourself and Mr Thurlborn a favor: buy his books, enjoy them, and review them. Both you and he will be very happy.

Here are links to his Amazon pages:

Canada

Australia

Germany

And if you subscribe to his mailing list, you’ll get the chilling story “Wednesday Girl” for free! It is very good.

Watch for Part 2, which comes out Tuesday.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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For the Weekend 6

Fifty-Seven Years and Fifty-Seven More

From the guy who blew the whistle on the Watercolor-Industrial Complex, and exposed the monsters roaming Canada and the Caribbean, comes Fifty-Seven Years and Fifty-Seven More.

Yes, Richard Schwindt tells us about his travels through time past and time future. For Fifty-Seven Years and Fifty-Seven More is a memoir like no other.

After all, who but Schwindt was given the chance twice to live 57 years, starting at age 20, as a millionaire. And knowing all about his 60-something life, would he be able to do life better starting out as a 20 year old? No spoilers from me. You’ll have to read the book and see for yourself if he was successful or not.

Fifty-Seven Years and Fifty-Seven More will make you laugh, and make you cry. But most of all, the book will make you think about life — your life — and how you can live it better. And that’s very much worth the cost of admission.

But then all of Richard Schwindt’s books are worth the money and the time to read them. His fiction is top drawer entertainment, and his self-help non-fiction is drawn from his many years of experience as a social worker and therapist.

Fifty-Seven Years and Fifty-Seven More is another great addition to his oeuvre. So don’t wait. Spend a few bucks. The price is less than a Starbuck’s.

You won’t regret it! Pick it up at Amazon!

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To Write Is The Thing

This past weekend, I got a big shock, a sad shock: one of my favorite indie writers, Ben Willoughby, is hanging up his pen. He’s taking down his Twitter profile and pulling his books off of Amazon. I encourage you to get his books while you can — you won’t be sorry. He’s a doggone good writer.

Buy Ben’s Books!

For nearly 5 years, I’ve been an independent author/publisher. And I’ve had a blast. I’ve loved every day of the adventure.

However, along the way, I’ve seen writers drop out for sometimes unknown reasons. None of those writers were bestsellers, and perhaps the lack of financial reward convinced them that they had better things to do with their time. And that is a decision only they can make.

In the end, the writer himself or herself has to decide if telling stories is worth the effort or not.

In the case of Mr Willoughby, I’m very sad that there will be no more new books from him. But I have to respect his decision that his time can be spent better in other pursuits. After all it is his time and not mine.

But it is just a tad frustrating for me as a reader, when a good writer, such as Mr Willoughby, quits writing, leaving the field to writers who are much inferior. Writers who are often on the bestseller list. Which completely baffles me, by the way. How does a mediocre at best writer get people to buy his or her books by the truckload? In a world full of unfair things, that is perhaps one of the most unfair. Mr Willoughby should be on the bestseller list, and it is very sad that he is not.

For me, though, writing is the thing. I cannot imagine any other life. And at my age I have lived a life or two. I hope to heaven, I die with a pencil in my hand putting words on paper. And that after I crossover, I pick up that pencil and continue writing.

As I’ve noted before, I don’t make much money at this. Last month was the best month I’ve had in a year. I made 30 bucks and change. And there are better writers than I, who don’t even make that much. Which is a very sad commentary on those of us who are readers.

In some ways, I see myself like the old prospector in the movies panning for gold and hoping to strike it rich. If I don’t keep at it, I definitely won’t get rich.

On the other hand, is such a pittance worth all the effort? I can only answer for myself, and that answer is yes.

From 2001 to about 2013, I actively published my poetry. And I did it the traditional way, submitting to print and online magazines. I was fortunate enough to achieve a bit of renown, and to pick up an award or two, and even pick up a couple bucks.

The truth is there is no money in writing poetry. Yes, there is the exceedingly rare individual who for a short period of time is popular enough to make some money. But that popularity doesn’t last and the person fades away.

Writing poetry is truly a labor of love. You have to find satisfaction in something other than money. And for over 10 years I did. But then I felt I needed a bigger canvas on which to work, and as I was nearing retirement I wanted to live my dream of writing fiction full-time. And I am living my dream. I write full-time. I just don’t make a full-time income.

Once I realized that in order to make money at this writing gig I needed to have money, money for websites, money for bookcovers, money for various services, money for advertising, I realized that unless somebody took me under his or her wing and promoted the heck out of my work I was not ever going to get on the bestseller list. Because I just don’t have money to risk on the business end of self-publishing. I’m retired and on a fixed income.

Reality sucks, but realizing what reality is has helped me to adjust my attitude from fantasy to something more realistic.

And I am content, at least for now, at where I am at. I don’t have money to pour into advertising, I don’t have the money to get fancy-schmansy bookcovers like the bestselling guys have, I don’t have money to pay other people to do all the stuff that I don’t want to do just so I can spend all of my time writing. I am a one man band and I have to live with that reality.

And I am okay with it.

But if other writers do not want to put up with the crap and decide that they have other things they would rather do then spend hours producing work that virtually no one buys — I cannot blame them for leaving writing behind. After all who wants to do a thankless job forever, especially if you have other things on your bucket list that you want to do?

I am just sorry to see the good ones go, because that leaves me just a little bit poorer.

I wish Mr Willoughby well. I am thankful that I got to know him, that I have his books on my Kindle app, and that I can reread them at my leisure.

Now you can do him a favor by buying his books and giving him a nice goodbye present. You won’t be sorry. He’ll be gone and you will still have his wonderful books.

Buy Ben’s Books!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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For the Weekend 2

I’m not a fan of social media. For the most part, IMO, it is a massive, non-productive time suck. Having written that, I want to qualify the statement by saying, every cloud has a silver lining — and that includes social media.

I’ve met some fantastic writers on Facebook and Twitter — people I’d never have otherwise met.

And many, if not most, of those writers are in the same position I am: their book sales are so low they are invisible on Amazon and elsewhere.

So I do my part to help promote my fellow writers. To promote good books that aren’t going to show in the first few pages of Amazon search results. Books that live somewhere below the top 300,000 in the paid Kindle store.

Today, I want to draw your attention to Don’t Dream It’s Over by Matthew Cormack.

If my memory serves me right, I met Matthew on Facebook. He refers to himself as a weekend writer. A hobbyist who is nevertheless serious about crafting a memorable story.

The world of the post-apocalyptic Piranha Pandemic is terrifyingly real. It is exactly how I see the survivors of a worldwide disaster coping — both the positive and negative, the good and the bad. The worldbuilding is stunningly realistic.

Don’t Dream It’s Over is the first book set in the Piranha Pandemic world. I don’t want to gush, so I’ll simply say — I love this book.

Cormack has the ability to create characters so complexly real you think you’ve met them before. They are flesh and bones, meat and potatoes real.

He has uncanny psychological insight into how people act under stress and imparts that realism to his characters.

Don’t Dream It’s Over is told in a diary format that Cormack handles with aplomb. The narrative is natural. The narrator, Peter, draws you into his tale. It’s as if he is writing to you. Telling you his story.

Don’t Dream It’s Over has all the makings of a classic. The writing is better than that found in S. Fowler Wright’s classics Deluge and Dawn. The world is more realistic than that of George R Stewart’s Earth Abides and John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids.

Don’t Dream It’s Over is an amazing book by an amazing storyteller. Take a trip to a world that doesn’t exist, but very well could, all while sitting in your easy chair. And if you do, you’ll be prepared should COVID become truly terrifying.

You can get Don’t Dream It’s Over on Amazon for only 99¢, or for free on KU!

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The Piranha Pandemic

Matthew Cormack is one in a legion of virtually unknown writers who are producing excellent fiction. Much of it better than what the big corporate publishers are giving the public to read.

These independent author/publishers, indies for short, publish some doggone good stuff. Fiction that truly deserves a much wider audience. Fiction that is frequently far better than the best selling drivel being forced upon readers’s eyeballs.

Last week I introduced you to one such writer: Matthew Cormack. This week, I’d like to tell you a bit about two of his three books. Only two, because I haven’t read the third one yet.

The Piranha Pandemic Universe

Mr. Cormack has created a fictional universe that is incredibly believable. Starting with a mysterious and fast-acting virus that eventually wipes out most of humanity, Cormack then extrapolates what the world would be like for those who survived the pandemic — and, more importantly, how they would deal with being a survivor.

This form of the post-apocalyptic sub-genre is called a cozy catastrophe.

The term was coined by Brian Aldiss as a pejorative to describe the plot of Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids.

In spite of Aldiss, the point of the cozy catastrophe is not a celebration of bourgeois values — it’s a celebration of hope in the indomitable human spirit.

Not dystopian in tone, the cozy catastrophe is utopian. Given the chance, we can indeed fix the mess we ourselves made of society and culture. At last, at long last, a broken world gets to be fixed.

The “fix”, of course, depends on the worldview of the writer of the story.

In my own cozy catastrophe, The Rocheport Saga, the protagonist, Bill Arthur, pursues his anarcho-capitalist libertarian dream. Very utopian indeed!

On the other hand, Matthew Cormack takes a much more realistic view of things: nothing will change, because people are people.

Don’t Dream It’s Over

The first novel set in the Piranha Pandemic universe is Don’t Dream It’s Over. It’s the story of Peter, who is not the most savory of protagonists. He’s pretty much like everyone we know: he has good points and bad points and sometimes the bad points do outnumber the good points. Although, through the course of the story, we see the dross slowly burned away to reveal a pretty doggone good guy. A good guy who’d been corrupted by modern society.

Peter decides to leave London, leave England. At first, his only goal is to reach the Mediterranean. However, as he meets other survivors along the way, and sees how they are coping or not coping with the aftermath of the plague, his own goal begins to change. And by the end of the book, Peter truly is the hero of the story.

Cormack is a cracker jack writer. He makes the epistolary novel form come alive. And he does this by giving us real people in very lifelike situations. That is Cormack’s gift: an eye for people. He’s a canny observer of life and puts those observations into his books.

Don’t Dream It’s Over is a long book: over 250,000 words. Long books aren’t my cup of tea. Yet once I started Don’t Dream, I was hooked. The story was compelling and the book didn’t lag as so many long novels do.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most about Don’t Dream was the realism. No dystopia or utopia here. Although there are dystopian and utopian groups encountered by Peter on his journey to find himself. Which is just another way of saying that we find here real people in real situations.

As one reviewer wrote: “…boy does this book stay with you long after you have finally put it down.” And it does.

Ganbaru

Ganbaru is the second book set in the Piranha Pandemic universe. The story revolves around a completely different set of characters then we encountered in Don’t Dream.

The setting is England. Rural England. And here we have utopia meets dystopia. A small group of survivors intent on making the world a better place, collide with a much larger group led by a real bad egg named Baz. The story line revolves around how the small group can become free from the large group, after Baz’s group takes them over.

I don’t want to spoil the story. You’ll have to read it on your own — and I definitely encourage you to do so.

Once again, Cormack gives us real people in realistic settings which results in a very believable story. A story so believable you tend to forget you’re reading a novel.

Ganbaru is a cozy catastrophe that is largely a thriller laced with a heaping helping of suspense. In my opinion, Cormack has taken the cozy catastrophe and made it a genre for today, yet keeping true to the sub-genre’s roots.

Here’s my review from Amazon:

Matthew Cormack’s Piranha Pandemic Universe is a scary place. The survivors are fighting nature, dwindling resources, and themselves.

Don’t Dream It’s Over is the first book set in this universe. The story is superbly told, for Mr Cormack is a superb storyteller.

Ganbaru gives us a look at a different part of the Piranha Pandemic Universe. A small group of survivors, who are principled persons, want to start rebuilding a better world, and have begun their project in an old abandoned priory.

As fate would have it, they meet a larger group that is pragmatically ruthless. The clash of civilizations, as it were, makes for exciting reading.

Ganbaru is a realistic post-apocalyptic tale. There are no zombies or aliens or monsters — unless we, ourselves, qualify as the monsters.

The story is told well and peopled with real-life characters in real-life situations who must make difficult decisions.

A fabulous story by a fabulous writer.

A fabulous writer indeed.

In these days of pandemic, I encourage you to read Matthew Cormack’s books. Because, at the end of the day, he’ll give you hope — and that’s exactly what we need.

Don’t Dream It’s Over is available from Amazon US and UK.

Ganbaru is available from Amazon US and UK.

The Piranha Pandemic: From Small Acorns… is available from Amazon US and UK.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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Why I Write

Almost all of us, at least at one time or another, have the desire to live forever.

It’s why we procreate, and make things. It’s why we strive to make a difference: we want to be remembered. It’s why we believe in an afterlife, and why we’re fascinated with spirits and ghosts, vampires and werewolves.

It’s also why many, if not most, writers write. We have the hope that our books will give us a measure of immortality.

Of course, achieving immortality by means of the written word isn’t a whole lot different than one’s chances of becoming rich by winning the lottery. Just count how many perennial bestselling authors there are versus the number of new authors published each year, and the number of authors who never reach bestseller status but continue to write books. We’re talking thimbles to boxcars here.

And that doesn’t count the number of bestselling authors who pass into oblivion once they die. Their names are legion.

The number of writers who achieve immortality is indeed tiny.

One has a better chance of achieving immortality by becoming a mass murderer than by becoming an author — NOT that I recommend one should do so. Just sayin’.

When it comes to the desire to live forever, I’m like everyone else: bring it on! Or at least let me live for six, eight centuries. There are so many things I want to explore and do, and one lifetime hasn’t been enough.

Writing is a relatively easy avenue whereby one can hope to achieve immortality. After all, books last a very long time. Paper books, that is. Not sure how long these ebooks will last. Software and formats, tend to become obsolete. Remember floppy discs, Beta and VHS tapes, cassettes?

Ebooks are in the same category as those acid-laden wood pulp magazines that are self-destructing because of the cheap paper they were printed on. As the pulp magazines crumble into dust, so too do media vehicles become useless junk. Something to think about.

Nevertheless, by means of stories, I can tell whoever will listen to me what I think about life, who I am as a person, what my dreams and hopes are (or were). And if my stories become popular enough, then they will make the transition to each new storage medium that comes along. After all, I can read Shakespeare and Euripides on my ereader.

My desire to live a very long life, if not forever, and to write lots of books crystalized in the wake of close encounters of the near death kind.

About a dozen years ago I came close to death due to misdiagnosed appendicitis and consequently a ruptured appendix. The doctor told me I was a lucky man. The rupture created quite a mess. Then a couple years later, I had a heart attack. The left anterior descending artery was blocked. Colloquially called “The Widowmaker” because of its high percentage of fatalities. Again, the doctor told me I was a lucky man.

Now I have been told I have kidney disease. For which there is no cure. The only treatment is to follow good health practices in an attempt to slow the progress.

Death is my friend. My mortality has been made very clear to me. It is why I write and why I have such a feeling of urgency about writing. If it weren’t for the Grim Reaper standing in the corner of my room, I’d probably get lazy and slack off.

Of course, we don’t live forever, at least in this life, and it is the only one I care about at the moment, and this life is short. Although I always keep in mind Seneca’s words, “Life is long enough if you know how to use it.” That last clause is of course the rub: we usually learn too late how to use it well. We squander the most precious and rare gift doing and pursuing what is ultimately not of much value.

Writing brings me great joy. It also helps me to become a better person. Through my characters I hone what is important in my own life and discard what is not.

Around 40 to 45 percent of us are kinesthetic/tactile learners. These folk learn by acting and playing and touching. Through my characters, I live many lives and face many dilemmas and learn many things about myself, because they are after all the people I have made in my image.

I know writing brings me great joy and that I do it mostly for the sake of writing, because I make darn little money at it. The pot of gold continues to elude me. Yet, maybe my heirs will hit on the right marketing strategy and my books will sell and I will achieve that immortality we all desire. After all, my books will be in copyright for 70 years after I pass on. That’s more or less another lifetime. That too is something to think about.

Life is long enough if we know how to use it. I may at last be getting the knack of it. We’ll see. I’ll keep you posted.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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