HOUR OF THE ROBOT, reviews, requests, and discussion

 

If you've purchased HOUR OF THE ROBOT, I thank you. If you've read it and left an online review, I also thank you. I know, the 'new' paradigm of reviewing books can be tedious at times. Sometimes it burns me out, too. But, if you've read HOUR OF THE ROBOT and enjoyed it, please consider dropping a quick review on Amazon or goodreads. Just a rating and a few sentences or a paragraph would be great. (I think long reviews on blogs are fine but I don't think they help when combined with other reviews on shopping/rating sites.)

Speaking of reviews, I received a truly wonderful and inspiring review from Ron Fortier, over at Pulp Fiction Reviews. In part;

McNamee clearly spins his tale from the iconic comic book mythos of the twentieth century. ...

“Hour of the Robot” is a terrific first novel and a fun read.  McNamee’s prose is succinct in its brevity detailing the action clearly throughout without wasting so much as a single word. He tells you his story without fancy trappings while at the same time drawing forth really wonderful personalities from his cast of characters. Though based on all too familiar themes, “Hour of the Robot” is really something fresh and exciting and a bravo first novel of a very skillful storyteller.  Honestly, we want more. Lots more.

As part of HOUR OF THE ROBOT promotion, I've been invited by author Dana Cameron to join her and other writers (John Goodrich, Errick Nunnally, and Zin E. Rocklyn) to discuss writing and our recent books. You can view the interview live on Dana's Author Facebook page, Wednesday, July 28th, at 7:30PM EST.

Join us!

If you can't watch live, it will be recorded and posted out to YouTube later.

We happy writing few

This one is for all the writers:

There are times when I walk into Barnes & Noble, and I am equally inspired to write and daunted, as well. It's exciting to think you might one day see your book(s) on that shelf. It's also an overwhelming moment when you think, "How will I ever make a noticeable splash against this tide of books already in the world?"

A friend sent me a kind note regarding the release of HOUR OF THE ROBOT. It served as a good reminder for those moments.

In our writing world, we see it, read it, breathe it. It is not easy to step out and look from a wider perspective. But if you've driven a book to completion, got it out there, put it out there, had people buy it, read it, enjoy it - then remember that you are among a select few. Despite the number of books in the world, if you take a look at the populace of the world, there are few of us who have managed that achievement.

Yes, lots of sales, big sales, tons of favorable reviews would be nice.

But, just start with the kernel of the fact that you've done something many people never will.

Be proud of that for a start.

HOUR OF THE ROBOT release day is here!

The HOUR OF THE ROBOT is upon us! If you already pre-ordered, I thank you!

From their nerve center penthouse lair, the Robot supports the extraterrestrial superhero of the shining city of Pallas, the Alien. When a train disaster reveals an arms-smuggling operation, the Alien decides it is time for the Robot to join him in the field.

On the other end of the pipeline, in the city of Crowsport, resident vigilante crimefighters, the Protector and his sidekick, the Understudy, are closing in on a local gang boss.

Following the leads of their separate investigations, the Alien and the Protector—with the Robot and the Understudy in tow—serendipitously meet. But when their joint operation is broken, the Robot must step out into the world and work with the crimefighters to bring the suspects to justice.

But are there more dangerous forces at work than they realize?

Amazon https://amazon.com/dp/B08ZK6DJYJ 

B&N https://barnesandnoble.com/w/hour-of-the-robot-paul-r-mcnamee/1139078420

Smashwords https://smashwords.com/books/view/1075507

Kobo https://kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hour-of-the-robot

Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=p8skEAAAQBAJ

The HOUR OF THE ROBOT is nearly here! (and t.v. interview)

In another week, HOUR OF THE ROBOT will be released! If you've pre-ordered, I thank you. If you're waiting for the official release, that's fine, too!

As a promotional kickoff (beyond social media,) I was interviewed on a local cable access television show. We discuss the book, as well as the writing, editing, and publishing process. (Disclaimer: My wife was my interviewer. It's her local town talk show!) You can watch the episode here:

Thanks for all the support so far! Feel free to share and retweet and email and get the word out. (Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to the same audience, which is great, but selling books means spreading out beyond the usual circles. THANK YOU!)
 

links;

Amazon (US) (Kindle & Print) https://amazon.com/dp/B08ZK6DJYJ 

B&N (Nook & Print) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hour-of-the-robot-paul-r-mcnamee/1139078420

Smashwords https://smashwords.com/books/view/1075507

Kobo https://kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hour-of-the-robot

Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=p8skEAAAQBAJ

Awaiting THE HOUR OF THE ROBOT

The NetGalley window for early review of HOUR OF THE ROBOT has passed. Now we wait until July 6th! Reminder that you can pre-order, and pre-orders help books. The print edition will be available via Amazon, but there are many ebook format options if you prefer them.

Amazon https://amazon.com/dp/B08ZK6DJYJ 

Print: https://www.amazon.com/Hour-Robot-Paul-R-McNamee/dp/1637899750

B&N https://barnesandnoble.com/w/hour-of-the-robot-paul-r-mcnamee/1139078420

Smashwords https://smashwords.com/books/view/1075507

Kobo https://kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hour-of-the-robot

Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/de

I did garner one favorable 4 star (out of 5) review. (also cross-posted to goodreads)

"If someone plundered my brain for ideas, randomly lifting a bunch of favorites and then mixed it all together, they might have come up with this book. I mean, you got superheroes, aliens and robots in one city, duking it out. That’s pretty freaking epic. If you don’t think that combination is epic, you probably won’t like this book. Also, what’s the matter with you…seriously?
...
it took me about a chapter to get into, at first the writing came through kind of stilted and mechanical, but then the novel kicked into a higher gear and none of that mattered anymore. In fact, the writing style turned out to be quite suited for a robot story.
...
Overall, pure fun. Lots of fun. Oodles of action, terrific characters. Short dynamic entertaining read.
...
Recommended"

Sound like something you'd like to read? I hope so! #HouroftheRobot

recent read; MARK OF THE WITCHWYRM by Steve Van Samson

MARK OF THE WITCHWYRM by Steven Van Samson 

Rander Belmorn is far from home. He searches tirelessly for the one man who might be able to cure his dying son, but time is running out. The road has led to a frozen waste at the very edge of the world. But what this simple river man never learned on that long, lonely road was the answer to the last question. The only question.

How do you kill a witch?

The cover declares this story to be "a monstrous tale of Axes & Alchemy"--and that is exactly what Samson delivers. Belmorn is a different character than usually thrust into such tales. He's a blackfoot--a fisherman whose occupation involves harpooning giant eels and other beasts from a river so wide, none are sure what exists on the other side. Out in a world that becomes more alien to him the farther he travels, he encounters characters and places that are presented in ever-intriguing layers. A wandering alchemist, a bandit chief, a corrupt city guardsman, and a homeless waif. The "witch" in question is no old hag but a dragon who has laid waste a countryside. The world building is excellent and efficient. The reader is never bogged down by info dumps.

This story has a bit more optimism than I expected. I went in thinking it was 'grimdark'  but I would  declare it to be sword-&-sorcery. Though novel length, it hits all the notes; high personal stakes, and a fairly small cast of characters. Robert E. Howard with a bit more heart than darkness. Highly recommended!

If you feel like digging deeper in your wallet, you can order hardback edition(s) direct from Rough House Publishing.

The passing of a giant. RIP Derrick Ferguson

Derrick Ferguson passed away on April 4th 2021. I cannot claim to be anywhere near as close to him as his many friends and writing collaborators over the years but I felt like I should add to the tributes. And there are many. Just take a look at his Facebook page (unfortunately, many of them are set at 'friend' viewing only but there are still a lot of public posts and links to blog posts.)

I'd only gotten to know Derrick in the past few years. He was a huge mover, motivator, and founder of the New Pulp movement. I read a Dillon short story in BLACK PULP and then read THE VRIL AGENDA and friended him on Facebook. He wasn't just a giant of New Pulp, he was a gregarious giant of a man.

His 100 NEW PULP BOOKS TO GET YOU STARTED is an invaluable resource to help a newbie get their feet wet in the New Pulp movement. When I came in, the list was 50. Then in just the past few years, he bumped it from 50 to 75 to 100, often by going on recommendations from others, not just himself. I was honored he took my suggested additions on faith.

He read a short story of mine in STORYHACK #5 and lauded it. That meant a lot, as I was shifting into New Pulp writing, a new thing for me, having dabbled in some horror and weird up until then.

My favorite, and sadly only, collaboration story; Derrick put out a call for stories for DILLON: THE ODD JOBS 2. The concept being that Derrick would take contributions from other authors to write tales of Dillon or other Dillon-verse characters. I'd missed out on the first ODD JOBS. I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass.

I'd been trying to write a novella featuring my jungle hero, the Puma. I kept getting stuck on plotting. When the ODD JOBS 2 chance came, I asked Derrick if it would be all right if I tried a crossover, using Dillon. I wasn't sure two alpha males in the jungle pulp story would work but I wanted to try. Derrick gave me the go ahead.

I took a little longer than I wanted, but I sent him the novella in January. His first reply to me was that he had more to say, but upfront, he liked it and it reminded him of the Mike Henry Tarzan movies. I replied that was exactly what I'd been aiming for.

Imagine my surprise when next I heard about my story, Derrick was lauding it as a preview on his Facebook Dillon discussion group. Not only that, but he said,

I've just finished reading Paul McNamee's story for DILLON: THE ODD JOBS II and it was even more fun reading it the second time around as the first time I read it I had a feeling about what Paul was doing in this story and was delighted when he confirmed my hunch.
I'm not going to say much more about his story--which not only has the expected non-stop action a Dillon story is expected to have, but [also] some interesting observations about the deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon rain forest--except for this:
If you're as much of a fan of the Mike Henry Tarzan movies as I am (especially "Tarzan and The Valley of Gold") then you're going to totally love Paul's story because that's exactly what he's done: dropped Dillon right into the action-packed middle of a Mike Henry Tarzan movie

Later, I revealed to Derrick an Easter egg joke I'd really wanted to include in the story but never found the right spot. He replied, "LMAO! I would have fallen out of my chair if that had been in there!"

If there's one thing I take away from Derrick's writing presence it is that sense of absolute fun he was having. He reminded us all that you should have as much fun writing it as reading it--at least when it comes to pulp action adventure.

I wish I'd gotten to know him sooner and better. Life is too short. Time passes much too quickly these days.

Grab some of his books, read in his honor. I guarantee you will have fun and you won't be bored.

RIP, you giant of a wonderful human being. You are and will be sorely missed, Derrick Ferguson.