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Thursday, December 31, 2015

"The Harbinger of Vengeance" and "The Black Lake" are coming soon!

Hello! 2016 has finally arrived and I'm ready to announce the first wave of books. I usually don't announce more than one book per month, but the schedule of announcements is changing, so this month will be an exception. In 2016, I hope to have a new book available to pre-order at all times. With this new schedule, you will always have something to look forward to. I hope it works out for both of us.

Anyway, The Black Lake: Tales of Melancholic Horror will release on January 13, 2016. This anthology features a set of stories blending horror and drama to create a truly terrifying experience. These haunting stories feature vengeful ghosts, immortal beings, psychopaths, a telekinetic child and much more. As of now, this is my final anthology. If you've enjoyed my short story collections and would like to see more, please leave an honest review and let me know - your words influence my writing!
Available January 13, 2016. Pre-order now for $2.99!
The Harbinger of Vengeance: A Revenge Thriller will release on February 12, 2016. This will be my first novel. The Harbinger of Vengeance is a disturbing tale of bullying and revenge. The story follows a Shawn, an arrogant man, as his life spirals out of control when a peer emerges with a lust for vengeance. In order to free himself from his past, Shawn must complete five challenges reflecting the teenage bullying he inflicted. This is an intense thriller with twists and turns you'll never see coming.
Available February 12, 2016. Pre-order now for $2.99!
Anyway, thanks for reading. I sincerely appreciate your support. You, the reader, have kept me going through my most pessimistic times. I hope I can continue to write and entertain through 2016. Thank you.

Until our next venture into horror,
Jon Athan
@Jonny_Athan

Happy New Year's (Eve)! Here's another free book!

Hello! The new year is rapidly approaching and I thought we could celebrate with another free book. Over the past few days, you were able to download Enter The Vortex Vol. 3: Surreal Tales of Horror and Fantasy for free. To continue the tradition, you'll be able to download Restless Nightmares Vol. 3: A Collection of Petrifying Short stories for free from December 31st to January 4th, 2016. It's a nice gift to fill up your new Kindle. (At least I think so, but I also wrote the book, so...)

Anyway, thank you for supporting me throughout 2015. There have been a few ups and many downs, but I've always been grateful for your readership. I hope to improve my writing over 2016, where I'll begin publishing a slate of jaw-dropping novellas and novels. I look forward to announcing two new books in the very near future. Keep your eyes peeled!

Until our next venture into horror,
Jon Athan
@Jonny_Athan
Free December 31st to January 4th!

Friday, December 25, 2015

Happy Holidays! Enjoy a free book!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! (Whichever you prefer, I don't really care for the whole debate thing.) I hope your Christmas weekend is splendid. If not, I hope this little gift will cheer you up, especially if you received a Kindle as a gift. From December 26th to December 30th, you'll be able to download Enter The Vortex Vol. 3: Surreal Tales of Horror and Fantasy for free across all available Amazon marketplaces. You can read the book on all of your Kindle apps and devices.

Thank you for the continuous support. If you enjoy this book, please leave an honest review on Amazon.com - it's the best gift you can give me! Enjoy your day!

Until our next venture into horror,
Jon Athan
@Jonny_Athan
Free December 26-30!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Writing Updates for December 2015: Melancholy, Vengeance, and 2016

It's already December... Wow! Time flies when you're doing something you love, so I'm very grateful for my readers this year. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write, thank you for giving me the energy to pursue my dreams. Enough of the sappiness, though. You came here for writing updates, so that's what I'm going to deliver.

Shattering Skies: The 10-Day Invasion released this week and it is my final book of 2015. So, even with the festivities around the corner, it's time to focus on 2016. Next year will begin with Project: Melancholy, which should be officially announced by the end of this month or early January. Nothing has changed since the last update. It is still a collection of short scary stories using drama to amplify the horror. I will say: it is my longest, most refined work yet. Although I love all of my work (not in a pretentious way), this one holds a more special place in my heart since it helped me trudge through a depressing bout.

Starting February 2016, I will be transitioning from short stories to novellas/novels. Project: Vengeance will kick off this transition with a bang. I decided to shrug off the 'content guidelines' for this book. In other words, this is an extreme vision of horror and thrills. This revenge-thriller aims to rattle you with dark characters, shocking violence, and a jaw-dropping finale - you will not see it coming. I am very excited to officially announce this book, but I'm still working out some minor details. I intend on announcing this book with Project: Melancholy, though, so keep your eyes peeled.

March 2016 will continue the trend with Project: Possession. This book is, well, about possession. It is inspired by The Exorcist (not in terms of writing, but instead inspired by the plot). However, I didn't want to lean on the iconic novel/film for this book. To be more blunt, I wanted to drift away from the recent string of disappointing possession-horror films released nowadays, I wanted to pull away from (most of) the cliches - especially the excessive bone-popping we've seen in these films. I also wanted to push the boundaries - I have a feeling I might be pushing too far, though. I'm very excited to finally share this book in the near future. Expect an announcement in February.

I have a slate of novels planned for 2016. Aside from the aforementioned projects, I'm also working on a serial killer thriller. And, yes, I hope to push the boundaries with this one, too. This project is still early in development, though. I'm also planning more daring and uncompromising thrillers. I've really enjoyed delving into this style of writing. It makes me feel free and honest. Some stories may make you uncomfortable, but it's something that makes you feel alive - at least that's how I feel.

Anyway, thanks for reading! As you can see (or read), I'm very excited for 2016. If all goes as planned, it's going to be an incredibly disturbing journey. I hope you stick with me through this trek.

Until our next venture into horror,
Jon Athan
@Jonny_Athan
Buy it now for $2.99!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

How To Choose An Amazon Author Central Profile Picture (Maybe)

I usually don't write these types of blog posts since I'm not the most experienced in the field, but I figured it would be good for both my readers and my fellow writers. I think discussion is great for growth and perception. So, my fellow authors, how do you choose a great Author Central profile picture? Where's the checklist? Where are the guidelines?

Well, in most cases, I'd say it's best to play it safe. After all, safe works, right? So, you take a glance at what the established authors are doing. With a simple glimpse at the Amazon Author Rank (Beta), you'll see a large set of examples ranging from simple to professional, and even professionally simple. You can take a photo of yourself with an insouciant glance at the camera while you sit in a elegant environment; take a nonchalant photo with a library background, a backdrop brimming with hundreds of books; or, stick to the classics with the black-and-white filter.

Now, I don't mean to sound smug or pretentious. I'm not trying to mock those using black-and-white photos or anything like that. To be frank, I'm rather jealous. You see, I'm a hideous person and I've come to terms with that. At the same time, I fear my atrocious (I might be exaggerating) mug might scare away potential readers in its raw form. In turn, showing my face is out of the question. So, what does an ugly fella like myself do to add some pizzazz to his profile? Well, I've opted for a highly-modified image of myself. Take a gander below:
Hey! That's me!
That's my profile picture. A good example of an effective image? Probably not. It's far from a traditional profile picture. Some would argue it's better to have a simple image of one of my books or nothing at all. However, since many authors opt for the more traditional routes, I think this gives me an opportunity to experiment, which is extremely important for independent authors. We need to constantly test our methods, including our writing, our marketing, and, yes, even our selfies.

I'm not saying I'm the first to break ground, but this is my first time trying something more unconventional. For so long, I've felt like I've been following a set of rules. I felt like I was forced to stick to the guidelines and stay away from the taboo. It's even restricted some of my writing, making me change certain scenes so I don't 'offend' people. I don't want to do that anymore. With this image, I feel liberated.

Besides, I honestly don't think it's that bad. I am a horror writer, I've dabbled in surreal themes, and I'm delving into some very dark thrillers during 2016 — I think this image accurately portrays that madness. It also represents the frustration of failure — I've experienced plenty of that over the past few years. I think it represents me. Isn't that what's most important? I suppose that's what I'm trying to say: choose a profile picture that represents you. If it's a traditional portrait, then so be it. If it's something more unconventional, go for it! Forget about the guidelines and trust your heart.

Anyway, thank you for reading! I hope I didn't ramble too much. I don't write these types of blog posts often... Wait, I already wrote that. Oh, and once again, I just want to make it clear: I love your profile pictures! If I were more handsome, I'd probably have a picture of myself in front of my collection of movies.

Until next time,
Jon Athan
@Jonny_Athan

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Shattering Skies: The 10-Day Invasion is now available for pre-order!

Hello! Shattering Skies: The 10-Day Invasion is now available for pre-order on Amazon and set to release on December 14th, 2015! I've been teasing this book for the past few months in my writing updates and I'm very excited to finally reveal it. Like all of my writing, Shattering Skies is a product of my genuine passion for horror and storytelling.

So, what is Shattering Skies? Shattering Skies is an interconnected horror/sci-fi anthology. The book tells ten stories that connect to tell the tale of one large invasion. You can expect horrifying abductions, sly body snatchings, vicious battles, and much more. As usual, you can also expect dark and unexpected endings - no one is safe!

With this new book, I aimed to make aliens frightening again. While searching for alien horror books to read a few months back, I was flabbergasted when I found more erotic-romance than horror. There were a few alien books, many based on Ridley Scott's Alien, but most featured men with rippling muscles on the cover. There's none of that in Shattering Skies - that's a completely different genre. This is a thrilling horror adventure.

Anyway, I hope you support and enjoy the book. If you don't want to pre-order, you can also read the book through the Kindle Unlimited program when it officially releases. Thanks for reading!

Until our next venture into horror,
Jon Athan
@Jonny_Athan
Pre-order now for $2.99

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Holiday Season Price Drops!

Hello! To celebrate the holiday season and over one year of publishing books, I've decided to drop the price of my original series, Tales From Under The Bed. Starting today, you can purchase each installment, Volumes 1 through 4, for $0.99 each. The price has been lowered across all Amazon marketplaces, dropping to the lowest possible price in each respective shop.

Thank you for your support over the past 12 or so months. It has been a long and strenuous trek, but I've enjoyed every second of it thanks to you. If you haven't read these books yet, I hope you enjoy them. Although I believe I have improved as a writer over the past year, these stories still hold a special place in my heart — and many are inspired by classic urban legends! Anyway, thanks again! Enjoy the holiday season and read plenty of books!

Until our next venture into horror,
Jon Athan
@Jonny_Athan