Michael G. Munz

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

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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

A Memory in the Black: Free Oct 23rd and 24th!

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Free 10/23 & 10/24!

The Kindle version of A Memory in the Black is currently free today (October 23rd) and tomorrow on Amazon.com!

Save humanity from itself. It is the goal of the worldwide conspiracy known as the Agents of Aeneas. For months they have struggled to unlock the secrets of an alien spacecraft buried on the Moon. Now word of that craft has leaked, and multiple groups plot to seize it for themselves.

One man has plumbed its depths and returned alive. While Agent Michael Flynn protects him from those who believe that he knows too much, together they must find a demon from Michael’s past: the freelancer Diomedes. Michael’s violent ex-mentor, Diomedes murdered a man at the heart of the spacecraft’s discovery. They must learn why.

Meanwhile the vigilante Gideon, slain by Diomedes six months ago, has been seen alive in the city of Northgate. His baffling return will draw two women into dangers far beyond those that lurk in the city.

Memories that haunt them all will entangle their fates as one in the blackness.

Praise for A Memory in the Black:
“Munz expertly crafts his characters, letting them evolve and react to the events that unfold. It was the characters that really kept me hooked…”

“Munz writes some of the most engaging action sequences of any book I’ve read.”

“Left me wanting more. In the best sort of way.” 

Free for Kindle today and tomorrow! 

Don’t have a Kindle? You can still read Kindle books on your computer, tablet, or smartphone with Amazon’s free Kindle app…

A Shadow in the Flames gets a new cover and goes free!

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A Shadow in the Flames, the first book of the New Aeneid Cycle, is now permanently free from eBook retailers in the U.S.! What’s more, the cover is newly redesigned to match the style of book two, A Memory in the Black. (Both covers were designed by Amalia Chitulescu.)

A Shadow in the Flames
A Shadow in the Flames: Now FREE!

While you can still read Kindle ebooks on a computer, phone, or tablet without a Kindle via Amazon’s free Kindle app, A Shadow in the Flames is also now available from places other than Amazon:

Save for Smashwords, the new cover hasn’t appeared on the non-Amazon sites yet, but they should have it soon after it goes through the regular review process. So pass the word! Have a read! Tell your friends, enemies, and any hyper-intelligent raccoons you may know who speak English!

Praise at Amazon.com for A Shadow in the Flames:
“A great mix of science fiction and thriller…”
~ ~ ~
“I cannot recommend the book enough. It was a pleasure to read, and I hope that soon I will be immersed in this world again.”
~ ~ ~
“Well-written, entertaining, and a great read for anyone who is a fan of the genre.”

Book Review: The Herald of Autumn

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I recently finished reading a novella by J.M. Guillen called The Herald of Autumn. Below is the review I’ve posted on Amazon and Goodreads…

The Herald of AutumnThe Herald of Autumn by J.M. Guillen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Find yourself caught between a centuries-long struggle between spirits of the old world and the new, witness beings of faerie who can make a story real with their powers of Telling, and risk nightmares given form by what lurks in the darkness, just read this book!

This is a fantastic novella. I’m drawn to tales of old-world faeries (the kind of creatures that will steal 2 decades of your life with longing, or strip the flesh from your bones if offended), and The Herald of Autumn doesn’t disappoint. Guillen crafts his writing with an amazing, poetic care that not only makes the world palpable but paints in marvelous fashion the concepts behind it: stones that have never known flight, singing in joy as they’re flung from a sling; the power of a true name; and the titular Herald of Autumn himself. Descriptions of dark things encountered (both real and sent as nightmares into the main character’s mind) are both imaginative and frightening: “I saw a capering, giggling boy in the shadows, with extra joints in his fingers. They bent backwards, serpentine. He would tickle sleeping children until they bled…” Twisted.

Within 5 minutes of finishing it, I had already told three friends to tell them to pick it up as soon as I could, and that’s honestly not something I’ve ever done before. My only complaint–and I mean this in the best way–is that it’s just a novella and not a full-length novel. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the perfect length for the story it tells, I was just sorry to see it end!

View all my reviews