Michael G. Munz

The official website of Seattle sci-fi/fantasy author and geek Michael G. Munz

A Dragon at the Gate – RELEASE DAY!

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It’s finally here!

A Dragon at the Gate is now officially available! The saga of my cyberpunk series The New Aeneid Cycle is now complete! You can finally find out what’s going to happen with the timed nanopoison in a certain character’s heart, if another character’s fractured memory can be salvaged, and just what the heck is lurking in the unexplored parts of the crashed alien craft on the moon!

A Dragon at the Gate launch promo

Plus, for a limited time,  you can get the ebook versions of A Shadow in the Flames and A Memory in the Black (books 1 & 2) for just 99 cents!

Reviews from early readers are already starting to come in:

“A Dragon at the Gate was a perfect way to finish a creative and inventive series. If you are into dark, futuristic fiction with a great touch of humor, The New Aeneid Cycle is a fantastic series for you.” —2BookLoversReviews.com

“From the first page to the last, A Dragon At The Gate was packed cover to cover with action, mystery and those nagging little questions that keep you turning pages hours after you should have already been asleep.” —Kelly Upton, Amazon review

“For the first 150 pages, the adventure from the first two books in the series continues. There are some surprises, but I saw the novel as a nice, well-done continuation. And for the record, I was worried about recalling the events of the first two, but I shouldn’t have been. There are subtle reminders to jog your memory without seeming obtrusive or out of place. Then, wow, this goes places I could never have imagined.” —Matt Ward, Goodreads review

“Michael’s narrative style is fast paced, often sliding into a conversational tone, making the book a fun read. He never tells you what happens, he relates it, which is a hallmark of the great writers.” —Cain Latrani, author of Rise

I’m EXCITED!!
(Did I mention that?)

Right now, A Dragon at the Gate is in a limited release, available in both paperback and ebook on Amazon only. In November it will also be available on Nook, iTunes, and Kobo, but for the moment I’m taking advantage of an Amazon advertising program that’s only available if the book is exclusive to them. The better a book does in its first 30 days on Amazon, the more attention it gets for the rest of its life, so I’m doing all I can to boost it there.

So hey, why not grab the book right now? And then have some ice cream! You deserve it!

Zeus Is Dead: Bargain Priced This Week

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Hi everyone! This being Wednesday, you’d normally be seeing a new Guest Geek post up here today. Unfortunately my geek-wrangling has temporarily failed me this week, but there will be more very soon. In the meantime, this gives me the perfect opportunity to let you know that Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure is just 99 cents this week in all ebook formats!
That's over 80% off of the regular ebook price!That's over 55 BILLION TIMES LESS EXPENSIVE than a stealth fighter!

That’s over 80% off of the regular ebook price!
That’s over 55 BILLION TIMES LESS EXPENSIVE than a stealth fighter!

I suppose it’s possible, despite your presence on this website, that you don’t really know much about Zeus Is Dead. Anything’s possible, right? Well, to give you a quick crash course, it’s the third book I’ve written, the first book of mine to be published via an independent publisher (i.e. the first one that wasn’t originally self-published), and my absolute favorite out of all everything I’ve ever written. Also, the back cover blurb goes something like this:

THE GODS ARE BACK. DID YOU MYTH THEM?

You probably saw the press conference. Nine months ago, Zeus’s murder catapulted the Greek gods back into our world. Now they revel in their new temples, casinos, and media empires–well, all except Apollo. A compulsive overachiever with a bursting portfolio of godly duties, the amount of email alone that he receives from rapacious mortals turns each of his days into a living hell.

Yet there may be hope, if only he can return Zeus to life! With the aid of Thalia, the muse of comedy and science fiction, Apollo will risk his very godhood to help sarcastic TV producer Tracy Wallace and a gamer-geek named Leif–two mortals who hold the key to Zeus’s resurrection. (Well, probably. Prophecies are tricky buggers.)

Soon an overflowing inbox will be the least of Apollo’s troubles. Whoever murdered Zeus will certainly kill again to prevent his return, and avoiding them would be far easier if Apollo could possibly figure out who they are.

Even worse, the muse is starting to get cranky.

Discover a world where reality TV heroes slay actual monsters and the gods have their own Twitter feeds: Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure!

zeus-is-dead-ninjas-templar-smallBut it’s not just me shilling for this book. Other people whose brains I don’t even control have had this to say:

“I have not enjoyed a tongue-in-cheek comedy book this much in a long, long time.” —Abyss & Apex Magazine

“Unless you really like your supernatural fiction all mopey and dull, you’ll find something to love here.” —Jonathan Charles Bruce, author of Project Northwoods

And my personal favorite:

“Zeus Is Dead is full of laugh-out-loud moments, lashings of sly wit, moan-worthy puns, and a complex, fast-paced storyline. There aren’t very many humorous fantasy murder mysteries out there, especially not as intricately constructed as this one. Michael G. Munz takes a ‘What if,’ and runs with it like a toddler with Mom’s smart phone. He evokes a pantheon of characters including, well, the actual Pantheon, plus modern characters who will ring the bell of familiarity without being trite or clichéd. Munz knows his craft as well as his Greek mythology, pop culture, and dysfunctional family dynamics. The guffaw-worthy throwaway bits (stay tuned for the battle sundae) will remind you of Douglas Adams. A very enjoyable read.”  —Jody Lynn Nye, author of View from the Imperium and co-author of the Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve

So why not pick up a copy, or gift a copy to a friend or even a random stranger as an April Fool’s Day prank? This promotion is scheduled to end Friday, April 3rd, so grab it while it’s still insultingly cheap!

prophecies

Subscribe to Geek Notes, get free stuff!

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“I saw part of the newsletter he–“
“I seem to have subscribed.”

Perhaps you’ve seen the various boxes around my blog and website inviting you to subscribe or stay informed about geek stuff and my writing.  First of all, thanks to all of you who’ve already subscribed! For those of you who haven’t yet, I’m now pleased to offer this additional incentive:

Subscribe to the website mailing list now and get a FREE copy of my short story collection Mythed Connections: A Short Story Collection of Classical Myth in the Modern World!

Mythed Connections contains three stories written prior to when I began to write the upcoming, full-length novel Zeus is Dead. You might say it’s a spiritual prequel. (Go on, say it. There, wasn’t that fun?) And yeah, I know, the title is long. When I picked it,  being concise was not the foremost thing on my mind. Perhaps the fact that they’re SHORT stories made me want to go with a long title to balance them out?

So subscribe! The form is right below this post. I promise to never use your email address for anything beyond sending an occasional newsletter with updates on my writing and other fun geek-related things, and I’ll especially never give or sell your contact information to any third parties. (And if you ever change your mind, you can always unsubscribe.)

Subscribe to the mailing list and get Mythed Connections FREE!

Subscribe and get it free!

A Memory in the Black now available on Nook, iTunes, and Smashwords

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Book Two of
The New Aeneid Cycle

I’ve received a lot of questions about this, and I’m pleased to announce that A Memory in the Black is now available on Nook, iTunes, and Smashwords! (I expect it to appear on Kobo soon as well, but it’s not there quite yet.)

Special Smashwords offer: Today through February 28th, you can download it (in epub, mobi, or PDF) from Smashwords for half the price with coupon code VG23D!

Want to get a FREE copy? Help me out by sharing this link (http://www.michaelgmunz.com/new_aeneid.html) on Twitter or Facebook by Feb 28th, then either comment on this post or email me that you’ve done so at mike@michaelgmunz.com, and I’ll send you a code to get it from Smashwords free!

“This series so far has me hooked! It’s just really exciting!!! I can’t wait for the third book!!!” –★★★★★ Amazon review

And, of course, A Shadow in the Flames, book one of the series, continues to be free across just as many platforms. If you haven’t read it yet, pick it up today!

A Memory in the Black coming to B&N, Kobi, and iTunes…

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Well, A Memory in the Black was released on Amazon in late August, and ever since I’ve had people asking when it’s going to be available elsewhere. The wait is nearly over. Beginning February 17th you’ll be able to get copies of A Memory in the Black from non-Amazon retailers including Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords!

Expect to see it appear on Smashwords first (in fact, there’s already a pre-order option). It should trickle into other retailers soon afterward. In the meantime, of course, it’s still there at Amazon!

Oh, and I’ll have some even more excellent news on the writing front coming very, very soon… Epic things are afoot, people…

Book Review: On the Matter of the Red Hand

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A few days ago I read a novella by J.M. Guillen called The Herald of Autumn. Below is the review I’ve posted on Amazon and Goodreads…

On the Matter of the Red Hand (Judicar's Oath)On the Matter of the Red Hand by J.M. Guillen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up On the Matter of the Red Hand immediately (and I do mean immediately) after loving another novella by J.M. Guillen called The Herald of Autumn. I was not disappointed.

The novella, written in first person, is narrated by Thom, a detective known as a judicar. Guided by an alchemical serum that gives prophetic visions and waking nightmares, Thom must inject himself into the search for the sister of a dangerous guild master, knowing that he may not emerge alive.

The novella is as much about Thom’s investigation as it is about Thom himself. Time is taken to show the man behind the badge (or the stave, in his case); his thoughts, his means for dealing with the burdens of his position, and his inner conflict with the serum that both aids him and disturbs him. Guillen’s portrayal has a distinctive voice that I found very enjoyable.

The novella paints an intriguing pre-industrial setting filled with alchemy, guilds, and danger. One of the details I enjoyed most about this book was the concept of each judicar having as a partner a trained raven. Guillen hints at a richer background in his setting (such as a rare firearm that seems to be a product of the setting’s past). I wanted to know more.

In fact, wanting more is the main reason I nearly rated this book 4 stars instead of 5; the end left something unresolved that I wanted to know more of. I came to discover that the novella is intended to lead into a larger series, which I’m certainly looking forward to. My only complaint here would be that Thom himself seems to sense that it was time for the novella to end, as he finds a greater sense of closure in certain events than I would have in the same situation. If Goodreads allowed me to rate it 4.5 stars, I would, but as that’s not possible, I’m rounding up.

I look forward to more.

View all my reviews