Bitten by Books has posted a great new four star…er, tombstone review of my latest Harmony, Indiana novel, Spook House.  Here’s an excerpt:

“Spook House gets four tombstones for its familiar landmarks: urban legends, Old Ones, obsessive Celts and the wise old man who turns the hunter into the hunted, a la Captain Quint. These tried-and-true horror elements are tied together with unrelenting action and flowing exposition. Realistic dialogue is a common problem in horror fiction, but West makes his characters’ speech believable, relying on neither strings of curse words nor hokey expressions. While Spook House is certainly a stand-alone story, I will definitely check out West’s Wide Game; I desperately need to know what happened in the corn.”

Read the full review here!

And get your very own copy of Spook House here!

MikesFilmTalk just posted a wonderful new review for my first Harmony, Indiana novel, The Wide Game.   Here’s an excerpt:

“There is not a doubt in my mind that Michael West will become as popular and as renown as Stephen King…He definitely has that same ‘cinematic’ touch that KIng has perfected over the years and Michael is the only other writer who can startle me so much.  He is that good…Michael West has once again taken us to Harmony, Indiana and scared the bejeezus out of his faithful readers. The action moves with all the deadly purpose of a runaway steam train. A train that is full of menace, death, demons, and fear. Like his other books, I could not stop reading this tale and at times I gripped the edges of the book with white knuckles while my eyes raced down the page. I can also attest to the fact that this book actually instigated a nightmare while I was reading about Paul and his classmates.  If you have not encountered Mr West’s superior horror fiction, I implore you to do so. Right now.  This is a full 5 star stunner of a book.”

Read the full review here!

Mike at MikesFilmTalk has become my newest faithful reader, burning through all my novels at a break-neck speed, and according to him, that’s just the way it feels to read my latest Harmony, Indiana novel, Spook House.  He gives the novel 5 Stars (and wishes he could give it a 6th)!  Here’s an excerpt:

“Spook House reached a G-force of speed that took me right back to that white-knuckled runaway train in the (Six Flags) park of my youth…The action was so fast paced that I felt like my hair was going to fly back from my e-book (similar to the old Memorex commercial with the stereo speakers) and that if I didn’t hold tightly to the arms of my chair, I would be flung off.  By the time I’d reached the story’s climax, I felt almost as weak and wobbly as I did all those years ago at the end of that runaway mine train ride.  A full 5 star book that I’d give a 6th star to just for the neck and neck race between good and evil.  Brilliant.”

Read the full review here!

And get your very own copy of Spook House here!

Mike’s Film Talk just posted a glowing new review of my Harmony, Indiana novel, Cinema of Shadows, giving it 5 Stars!  Here is an excerpt:

“Stephen King, James Herbert, Richard Laymon, Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub, and maybe one or two more make up my ‘horror stable.’ I’ve now added Michael West to this small very talented group of writers who have the ability to entertain the hell out of me…The book is fast paced and the story made me think of Straub’s ‘possessed’ movie theatre in Ghost Story but more in-depth and a damn sight scarier…With a minimum of muss and fuss West has come up with characters that I liked.  More importantly, I believed their assorted back stories and I could empathise with all of them.  He also does a brilliant job with the dialogue of each character.  Very few authors have the knack for making the people in their stories sound real.  Michael West has a ‘good ear’ and he has the knack of making their speeches and conversation sound natural and real.  Cinema of Shadows was an excellent introduction to a new author and he is now a member of my small stable of writers who can deliver not only scares but stories that carry you away.”

Read the full review here!

And get your very own copy of Cinema of Shadows here!

It’s Halloween!   Today’s horrific stop on the big Spook House Blog Tour is…a great review on Ginger Nuts of Horror!  Here’s an excerpt:

“First off Michael is a great writer, one I have been following for a long time, and Spook House is another fine addition to his canon of work.  I am always on the look out for books that make an ideal read at Halloween, and Spook House has now found a permanent home in my must read books for Halloween.   This is a punchy, fast-paced story that layers on the thrills, chills, and scares in an almost perfect fashion.  Full of wonderfully creepy descriptive passages, that are only matched by some of the wonderfully creepy creatures that stalk the corridors of this excellent book.  This is a great addition to the Haunted House genre, and by the time you finish reading this you will be jumping at all the strange noises, and shadows that have somehow taken root in your home.  Dare you enter the Spook House, yes you should, but make sure you bring something to hide behind.”

Read the full review here!

And today and tomorrow only, you can download the previous Harmony, Indiana novel Cinema of Shadows for FREE, and Spook House for just $3.99!  That’s right…BOTH Harmony novels for only $3.99!  Happy Halloween, faithful readers!

Next stop on the big blog tour… WTF Are You Reading?  (You should be reading Spook House!)

For Immediate Release

October 8, 2012

Cover Art Reveal, Limited Hardcover Offer, and Blog Tour Announcement for Michael West’s Spook House!

Seventh Star Press is proud to unveil the cover art and illustrations created by Matthew Perry for Spook House by Michael West, as well as announce sites and dates for the book’s upcoming blog tour.  A pre-order window for a limited edition hardcover is also open in advance of the book’s official release.

The latest Harmony, Indiana novel following 2011’s Cinema of Shadows arrives just in time for Halloween, exploring the places in this world that go far beyond any normal definition of “haunted.” These places are so evil, so diabolical, that they become gateways to Hell itself. The Fuller Farm is one such place.

It is said that old man Fuller conducted unspeakable acts, blood rituals and human sacrifices, all in an attempt to gain the ultimate knowledge, the ultimate power. And then, he was killed–horribly murdered on his own lands, leaving the house to stand as a vacant monument to his wickedness. But once a door is opened, it can never really be closed.

Now, the stars are right. The gateway is ready to once more unleash unspeakable horror upon the town of Harmony, Indiana. And this will be one Halloween that they will never forget!

The softcover and eBook versions will be released following the launch event for the novel at That Book Place in Madison, Indiana on October 27th. 

Spook House is now available for pre-order in a beautiful hardcover edition that is strictly limited to 75 copies.  The limited hardcover edition will be signed and numbered by Michael West and includes a bonus illustration from Matthew Perry not included in other editions. It will be accompanied by an assortment of collectibles, including a set of glossy art cards and bookmarks. Those interested in securing one of the 75 copies can place a pre-order now at: http://www.seventhstarpress.com/pre-orders/

The Spook House Blog Tour will feature 33 events, beginning October 25th and running through November 27th. The tour will feature a number of activities, including reviews, interviews, podcasts, guest blog posts, and contests/giveaways.

The dates and sites for the Spook House Blog Tour are as follows:

10/25     Great Minds Think Aloud

10/26     Bookishly Me

10/27     Red Headed Bookworm

10/28     Book and Movie Dimension

10/29     Azure Dwarf Horde of Science Fiction & Fantasy

10/30     Reading Aways the Days

10/31     Ginger Nuts of Horror

11/1       WTF Are You Reading?

11/2       Darlenes Book Nook

11/3       JeanzBookReadNReview

11/4       The Independent Review

11/5       Fictional Candy

11/6       Book Den

11/7       Vilutheril Reviews

11/8       Beauty in Ruins

11/9       Beagle Book Space

11/10     Bunny’s Review

11/11     Splash of Our Worlds

11/12     A Book Vacation

11/13     A Daydreamer’s Thoughts

11/14     Crossroads Reviews

11/15     Bee’s Knees Reviews

11/16     From the Bootheel Cotton Patch

11/17     Sheila Deeth

11/18     Kayla’s Reads and Reviews

11/19     The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia

11/20     I Smell Sheep

11/21     Ali’s Bookshelf

11/22     Full Moon Bites

11/23     The Cabin Goddess

11/24     Stuck in Books

11/26     The Rabid Fox

11/27     Jess Resides Here

For further information on Michael West, Seventh Star Press, and its titles, please visit www.seventhstarpress.com, or the author’s site at www.bymichaelwest.com

Contact: C.C. James

Public Relations, Seventh Star Press

ccjames@seventhstarpress.com

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher of speculative fiction located in Lexington Kentucky

I’ve just confirmed that I will be doing a book signing at That Book Place in Madison, Indiana on Saturday, October 27th…just in time for Halloween!  I will have copies of all my novels, including the new edition to my Harmony, Indiana series, Spook House!    Now, while I hope to have copies of Spook House in time for September’s HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis, this will be the first time that we will have a proper launch for the novel.   What better way to kick off Halloween week?

The information for the book store is below, along with all the info we currently have for the signing, but things do change, so please check the Schedule section of the website for more information as the date approaches.  Hope to see you all there!

That Book Place    337 Clifty Drive, Madison IN 47250 / Store telephone: (812)574-4113 /  Date: October 27/ Time: TBA / Book Launch for Spook House!

My Harmony, Indiana novel Cinema of Shadows just became the most downloaded Horror title for Amazon’s Kindle (Yes, it takes more units to top the free charts).

As someone who has loved Horror for as long as they can remember, I must admit that this took my breath away.  When I was in the 8th grade, I read my first Stephen King novel: The Shining.  If you had told me back then that I would one day go on to write about a haunting of my own, and that said novel would then go on to top the charts, I would have said that you were crazy.  But here it is, a reality.

I want to thank all my faithful readers, and my publisher, Seventh Star Press, for making this a reality.  Your support means the world to me!

Now, off to make myself some coffee to celebrate, and then right back to work on more horrific tales!

Darlene’s Book Nook just posted a wonderful review of my last Harmony, Indiana novel, Cinema of Shadows.  Here’s an excerpt:

“4 stars! Cinema of Shadows is delightfully creepy, and West has a way of writing that makes the hair stand up at the back of your neck. At a particularly eerie part in the story, I flipped the page and was faced with a ghastly illustration (courtesy of Matthew Perry) that startled me into dropping the book! Some horror books are pretty gruesome and gory, but this book falls more into the ‘scary’ category. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a book that gives you the creeps while reading!” 

Read the full review here!

For Immediate Release
February 15, 2012

Illustrations and Limited Hardcover/eBook Pre-Order Offer Unveiled for Michael West’s Urban Fantasy Novel Poseidon’s Children.

Seventh Star Press is proud to unveil 2 new Matthew Perry illustrations and the start of pre-orders for Michael West’s Urban Fantasy novel Poseidon’s Children, Book One of The Legacy of the Gods series.

The new Urban Fantasy series is Michael’s second with Seventh Star Press, following the extremely successful release of Cinema of Shadows, his latest Harmony, Indiana novel, in 2011. The Legacy of the Gods series is set to build rapidly upon Michael’s horror readership, introducing his well-crafted storytelling to Urban Fantasy audiences everywhere.

Increasingly recognized for the high quality of its limited hardcover editions, Seventh Star Press is making available a new pre-order offer that allows readers and collectors to secure both a collectible, signed hardcover of Poseidon’s Children (out of a run of just 75 copies), as well as an eBook version suited for their particular eReaders (Kindle or Nook editions will be “gifted” by Seventh Star Press on the day of release).

The bundle of a hardcover and eBook edition is accompanied by a sharp set of glossy 5X7 art cards, featuring the interior illustrations found in Poseidon’s Children, as well as bookmarks from the novel and a set of thee collectible magnets. The price for the hardcover/eBook bundle andexrras is one readers will find very attractive at just $32.95. The hardcovers (and pre-ordered softcovers) will be signed and numbered by Michael on Saturday, March 17 and shipped out on the 19th.

The illustrations for Poseidon’s Children were created by highly acclaimed fantasy/horror artist Matthew Perry, who also does the artwork for Michael’s Harmony Indiana Novels with Seventh Star Press. The Poseidon’s Children project also reunited Michael with his Cinema of Shadows editor, Amanda DeBord.

In Poseidon’s Children, man no longer worships the old gods; forgotten and forsaken, they have become nothing more than myth and legend. But all that is about to change. After the ruins of a vast, ancient civilization are discovered on the ocean floor, Coast Guard officers find a series of derelict ships drifting in the current–high-priced yachts and leaking fishing boats, all ransacked, splattered in blood, their crews missing and presumed dead.

And that’s just the beginning.

Vacationing artist Larry Neuhaus has just witnessed a gruesome shark attack, a young couple torn apart right before his eyes … at least, he thinks it was a shark. And when one of these victims turns out to be the only son of Roger Hays, the most powerful man in the country, things go from bad to worse. Now, to stop the carnage,Larry and his new-found friends must work together to unravel a mystery as old as time, and face an enemy as dark as the ocean depths.

Michael West is fresh from a great reception of his first Seventh Star Press release, the Harmony, Indiana novel Cinema of Shadows. His other works include novels such as The Wide Game (Graveside Tales) and a single author collection, Skull Full of Kisses (Graveside Tales). He also has an array of short fiction published, spanning many magazines and anthologies, including appearances in Shroud Magazine, and the Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest.

Poseidon’s Children will be released in limited hardcover, trade paperback, and several eBook formats, such Kindle, iPad, the Nook, and Sony/Sony compatible eBookreading devices. The second novel in the series is slated for the spring of 2013, with the other two planned titles to follow on an annual basis.

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site for Seventh Star Press, at www.seventhstarpress.com, or at the author’s site, www.bymichaelwest.com

Contact: C.C. James
Public Relations, Seventh Star Press
ccjames@seventhstarpress.com

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher of speculative fiction located in Lexington Kentucky.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!