Michael Whetzel, author

2014 is over with and I actually have a bit of time to go back and look over some of the things I really enjoyed from a writer's POV. This is not a top 10 list but a summary of all my favorites from the past year:


MOVIES


The Lego Movie - It's easy to forget that this was released in 2014, especially with all the great movies that came after it. But in March we were treated to an all-ages delight in the Lego Movie. Great animation and entertainment are all wrapped up in a movie that everyone can enjoy.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Marvel had an amazing year and it started with the sequel to The First Avenger. Using the Winter Soldier as the main protagonist, Cap dropped some of the superhero fare for some down and dirty secret ops conspiracies. Falcon and Widow were both great and with the announcement of Civil War coming next, Captain America fans should be happy for a long time.

X-Men: Days of Future Past - I love the first 2 XMen movies and the last marks the return of director Bryan Singer to the franchise. And what a return it was. After the messes of The Last Stand and the first Wolverine, Fox managed to capitalize on the success of First Class and unite the two casts into an amazing reboot/not reboot of  what has come before. One of the best in the series. Blink is my new favorite XMan.

Edge of Tomorrow - Many of you skipped this because of the Groundhog Day theme and Tom Cruise. If you did, you missed a great scifi movie. It is a scifi Groundhog Day but the film is loads of fun and tons of high action. Cruise is good. He's always good and Emily Blunt is awesome. Highly recommend checking this out. 

Snowpiercer - I was a big fan of this director but forgot all about this movie when it was released. Finally caught it on Netflix and loved it. Chris Evans is great and the premise (post apoc survivors on a train) is original. The plot has some weak points but the look and feel of the movie make up for it. 

Interstellar - Chris Nolan is simply the best director working in Hollywood today. Everything he does is gold and Interstellar is no exception. A huge science fiction epic wrapped around the story of the broken relationship between father and daughter, Interstellar is grand moviemaking in the tradition of Kubrick's 2001.

But my favorite movie of 2014 came near the end of the summer and is the best thing I believe Marvel Studios has done yet. That is hard for me to say because I love, love, love The Avengers. But the best movie I saw in 2014 was:

Guardians of the Galaxy - James Gunn took a relative unknown property and showed what made it so great. I have never quite experienced a scifi, superhero, comedy action movie all rolled up like this. The effects are tremendous. The cast is perfect. And the music, oh the music. It's a scifi movie with Hooked on a Feeling as one of its signature songs. Rocket and Groot, despite so many misgivings, work. And really make the heart of film. Bring on the sequel and please cross over with some Avengers. I want to see Starlord give Stark some sass.

There were a lot of other good flicks but these were the ones that stood out to me this year. Godzilla almost made it but weak acting took down a notch. The big lizard looked tremendous in his return though. And the Apes sequel helps build what could be a solid franchise. 2015 should be huge with Avengers 2 and Star Wars both dropping. And Mad Max. I want some Mad Max!

Television


There was only one thing on television that got my blood pumping this year. But let me preface this by saying I have not seen Game of Thrones. Big fan of the books but not ready to undertake the show yet. My best show this year:

True Detective is a slow burn of a series. The storyline is intense and the acting is unbelievable. The whole feel of the show radiates a surreal noir-like bad dream. And all you want is more and more. I cannot wait for Season 2. 

Books


Southern Reach Trilogy - Jeff Vandemeer 
I have not read the third one yet but if it is anything like the first two, it will be awesome. A chthulu-like series with heavy doses of science fiction and mystery, each book comes from a different perspective, pushing the story along and tying up everything but not giving you anything. 5 stars for this series. 

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage - Haruki Murakami
The book that sold a million copies on its first day of release in Japan, Murakami is up to his old tricks by exploring the fallout of young Tsukuru's childhood relationships. The symbolism is deep but not enough to lose you. Heck, even the design of the book represents something.

Trees - Warren Ellis and Jason Howard
I will read anything Ellis writes and Trees is pure Ellis at his best. Jason Howard's art is fresh and the story reminds of just how small really are in the world.

And those are some of the things 2014 let me enjoy. Drop me a line with what you liked. 

I'm shopping book covers for ELDER and will have release info real soon. 

For now...

Peace,
Mike

Holy crap! Has it been that long since a blog update. Yeesh! That's embarrassing. So let's get on with it, right?

First off, The Pied Piper of the Undead 2 had a solid release and feedback was great. Reviews started coming in immediately and everyone seemed to like where the story of Peter was heading. If you still have yet to pick up a copy, just click here. I want to talk a little about some of the things I struggled with when writing it so if you have not read it yet, skip this next spoiler section. 




















**SPOILERS**




When I first looked at the sequel to Piper, I knew right off that Peter would not be leaving the town quite yet. Even with the strength he showed starting the theater fire and killing numerous zombies, it would be a huge leap for him to leave his home. I mean, he's still a kid. Hell, he couldn't even leave the tower yet. But he was close. Very close to making that jump into adulthood. 

Enter: Debbie and her kids. 

Right away here is an adult who immediately takes up that role that Peter was fighting so hard against. This takes a lot of pressure off him, especially when he has to deal with the pressure of not being alone anymore and with the young girl who is stirring up all kinds of feelings and desires he never really had to face. 

I knew he would end up killing Kelly. It would be the big tragedy of the story. Peter would have to destroy something he loved. And I wanted this to be the moment he really moves into adulthood. 

Which is why he makes the sacrifice in the end and accepts that he will never leave Rockville. 


***END SPOILERS****





















Now I am going to warn you: Part 3 is nothing like the first two. But I think (and hope) it will work. And it is definitely the last book about Peter. I will have said all I have to say about this character and will move on. Not that I do not like the Pied Piper series. It is far and away my most successful work to date, but I feel with the third book, Peter's journey will have come to its end. 

November saw me undertake NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, with the goal of completing 50,000 words towards a novel in the month's 30 days. This marked the first time I had ever competed, and what a challenge. I was set to finish WORLDBREAKER and release my 1st full stand-alone novel. But a few things happened to get in the way. 

I decided to bring together some of the students at the school I work at to complete their own small NaNo competition. The response was great, and coupled with another student I was tutoring at the time, was a huge time sink. But we have a few middle school minds with completed 10,000 word stories that we will begin workshopping together. The finale: We will compile the finished stories into an anthology and produce an ebook and paperback that can be used for fundraising.

I also agreed to write my own short for the anthology, another time sink, which took away from the main competition some more. 

Whew!!!!

But I am pleasantly happy with this story and will probably release it as a stand-alone too, or have it exclusively in the anthology to help boost some sales for the kiddos. It's called Belle is Dying and is very different from anything else I have released to date. Details on when the anthology will hit, but look for it 1Q 2015.

I also spent a lot of the month hammering at ELDER, my chtulhu inspired homage to all things Lovecraftian. It is almost done and should see release by the end of December/beginning of January. This was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy it too. 

Where does that leave WORLDBREAKER? Well for one, as I worked on it, I realized it was going to be a lot bigger than I initially thought. We're talking in the 100,000 word count or somewhere around it. It is also a very difficult thing to write since it is about the passing of my son, Sam. I have reached a scene in which he makes a cameo and kind of just stopped there. I'm still thinking about how it will go, just not ready to put the words down yet. But I am still working on it and really like what we have so far. 

So the new year approaches and the goals for 2015 are:

-Black Rain 3- I know where it goes, I know what happens, I know how it ends. Just have to clear the schedule to begin work.

-Providence 2 and 3- Both are shorter than the first, but will continue the storylines introduced in book 1. These will be filler on the writing schedule as they are pretty easy to write.

-WORLDBREAKER- keep writing, keep working, until we type the last sentence. 

-The Pied Piper of the Undead 3- Will hit around the same time of the year as 2 did this year. And then will be followed up with a collected version, containing all 3 parts and a bonus story, in a nice paperback edition just in time for the holidays. 

One other thing about NaNoWriMo, I was pleasantly surprised by the support shown by the large group of writers in the Shenandoah Valley. Had no clue there were this many annual participants. Big ups to my pal, Chris Dawson, for finishing his novel and working on the editing process as we speak. Cannot wait to see what he has come up. 

Go see Interstellar. What a great movie.

Go read Murakami's two new books. Good stuff as always.

I'll be back in a few with the cover reveal for ELDER and story synopsis and maybe some news on where the BANDWIDTH audiobook stands.

Peace and Merry Christmas,

Mike

There is supposed to be a photo right here where these words are depicting a giant hole in the roof of my study.

A large rainstorm hit our area, causing the roof to leak, causing the insulation to collect water and break through the ceiling. Narrowly missing my computer. All and all, I was very lucky. The only huge loss was damage to a special book that belonged to Sam. Also some other books and comics.  

It's just a big mess. 

So, SIGH, there is a delay on Pied Piper. Looks like a week behind at least while I deal with roofers and insurance. This also dovetails right into my brother's wedding and the last week of school. So things are getting a bit hairy. 

But we are close. Real close.

Add on the fact that for the past week, every computer in the house has gone on the fritz with an insane pop-up virus and the ability to not find a connection and things grind to an even slower halt. 

But again...we are close. Real close. 

And I am very eager to hit the PUBLISH button. Believe me. 

So while you wait (again), seek out some books by this writer I just discovered. His name is Laird Barron. Also try the new books from Jeff Vandermeer.

If you like Lovecraftian style horror, you will dig these two. 

I'm off to Philly this weekend and then back to hopefully hit PUBLISH soon after that.

Mike

I'm Back!

and announcing this......

Yes, it says May. It will hit at the end of the month. As will a new episode of Worldbreaker.

Following that, there will be an announcement regarding a special project (hopefully if everything falls in place) and Providence 2. 

I am teaching right now, which means I'll have most of the Summer off and I plan on dedicating it solely to Black Rain 3. 

There is a lot to catch up on.

And for the first time in a long time, I'm excited. 

Stay tuned.

Mike

My son, Sam Whetzel, passed away after a long battle with leukemia. He was 12 years old. We have just finished a weekend of funeral/memorial and celebrating his life. 

I miss him dearly. 

We are back home and trying to become acquainted with life after Sam. 

I will be back to work soon on delayed projects. 

Thanks to all of you for your support and understanding. It has been a difficult year. 

Stay tuned for future announcements regarding Pied Piper of the Undead 2, Black Rain 3, and Providence 2. 

peace to you, 

Mike

Because my son, Sam, is undergoing cancer treatment and has reached a critical point in that treatment, I will be taking a long sabbatical from work for the unforeseen future.

Thanks for your patience, understanding, and support. All of you are very appreciated.

If you would like to follow Sam's progress or show him some love and support, we have set up a Facebook page detailing his situation.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/WeSupportSam

peace,
Mike

Episode 3 of Worldbreaker is up. 

Head to www.flashserials.blogspot.com to read the FREE all-ages fantasy serial. 

Really like working in this format. After Worldbreaker ends, may still continue to do a story this way. 

My son is still undergoing treatment for cancer. He has been feeling better lately. 

I am still finishing Pied Piper of the Undead 2. I am hoping for a August release. 

Thanks for your support. I have been active on my Facebook page a lot, sharing favorite books and such. Hit the link above to like it and join the discussion. Congratulations to Trish Wrobel and John Fulk for winning free BOOM audiobooks. There are still 3 copies to give away. I am doing trivia on the Facebook page so join up for a chance to win one. 

peace, 

Mike

First, if you missed the last post, we are in Maryland where my son is undergoing a new kind of cancer treatment. Current projects are on hold i.e. Pied Piper 2 and Black Rain 3 for now.

I am still writing and releasing Worldbreaker episodes. Head here for the free serial. Episode 3 should be finished soon.

I should also have my entry into the Wartooth Arena contest done soon. I actually changed my mind midway through and started something new.

With my agreement to stay with Amazon exclusively, I am allotted a certain number of free days to use every few months. And they've been piling up. So to make up for the delay, here's some FREE FREE FREE titles. Grab them while you can.

This whole week (June 17th thru June 22nd), these select titles will be free.

Here's the schedule:

CUBE  June 20 - June 22

Bandwidth  June 17 - June 21

BOOM    June 17 - June 21

Blood Will Run  June 20 - June 21

The Pied Piper of the Undead   June 20 - June 22

That's 5 FREE books available this week. Hit the Amazon page here and grab yours on the set day.

Just a quick note letting everyone know that episode 2 of Worldbreaker is up. Head here to check it out. 

My son is moving to the National Cancer Institute in Maryland to undergo experimental treatment for his leukemia. He is not responding to chemo anymore. My schedule is a mess and will be for a bit. 

I will continue working on projects as they come. Pied Piper will be delayed. Black Rain 3 will be delayed. The shorter works are working better right now. Worldbreaker and my entry into the Wartooth Arena should not be affected at this time. I will announce any updates and release dates through here. 

Thanks for your support and understanding.

Mike