On December 9th, here in Chico, CA, I will be participating in a Holiday Open House at Lyon Books. (If you are local or regional, stop by and see me.) For the event, I was supposed to have at least ten copies of my novel. Me being such an enthused optimist, I ordered at least ten of each of my novels.
Now, I have far too many.
So, to honor the madness that is Black Friday, I am offering autographed copies of my novels to anyone looking for a gift that works twofold. You give the gift of reading and visiting a new and fascinating world, and you make my day and season by purchasing one of my novels. If you look in the right sidebar of the blog, you will see a Paypal button with a drop-down menu. I have a limited number of autographed copies, so get them while they last. If you are local and order one from me and I run out, then I will meet you and sign it before the holidays if you are giving it as a gift.
To help you make an educated choice, I have provided blurbs, reviews, cover images, and links to sample chapters to better help you make a decision. Even if you don't want the novel for yourself, they would make wonderful gifts.
Cerulean Dreams: Orion, the last city of men. Deep within the desert, a secret lay waiting. Young women found dead in the street. A corporation that controls the sleep of a populace that never sees the light of day. Alexander Marlowe seeks to unravel the mysteries of Orion as he helps a young girl, Dana, flee the city. The closer they come to the truth, the greater the danger that hunts them. Follow them as they search beyond the boundaries of everything they have ever known for answers.
What Other Readers Are Saying
"This is a futuristic novel about a walled-in society where "Orion" (Big Brother) controls every aspect of all the citizens' lives. The protagonist is an "ex-cop" who is investigating why young girls are turning up dead. When he comes across one of these girls alive, everything changes. He and the girl, Dana, now become the hunted. As he and the girl evade capture and certain death, they search for answers which go beyond their individual situation and directly into the core of how this society is structured and controlled - things Orion does not want disclosed. The book gets into core issues of society and how they can be controlled by the over-reach of government. Fear can literally create monsters. The author keeps the story moving at a fast pace, and the protagonist, Marlowe, has a dry James Bond style wit, even in dangerous situations. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book; it was hard to put down. Great read."
The Path of the Fallen: Set against the backdrop of the tundra and a world desperate for hope, the journey of a young man, E'Malkai, will come to define a realm that has been broken by an evil that does not sleep. A bitter betrayal, and the inception of a war that will consume the world, forces E'Malkai to confront the past and undertake a pilgrimage that is his birthright. Follow him on his journey and be transformed.
"There are stories that resonate across the boundaries of the written word. Stories that come off of the page and become a part of the reader. The Path of the Fallen is the best part of such a story, the beginning. From the first sentence, O'Brien draws the reader into a universe of awe inspiring wonders, both technological and otherwise, that does not stop impressing until the end. An absolute must for any fan not just of science fiction, but of good storytelling."
Bitten: A predator stalks a cold northern Minnesotan town. There is talk of wolves walking on two legs and attacking people in the deep woods. Lauren Westlake, resourceful and determined F.B.I Agent, has found a connection between the strange murders in the north and a case file almost a hundred years old. Traveling to the cold north, she begins an investigation that spirals deep into the darkness of mythology and nightmares. Filled with creatures of the night and an ancient romance, the revelation of who hunts beneath the moon is more grisly than anyone could have imagined.
"For some there will always be a fascination with discovering answers. Even if the questions that are raised are not always as cut and dry as we might think or be led to believe. For Lauren Westlake there is something about being "the one" to come to answer that not only intrigues her but drives her as well.
In BITTEN she gets a chance to not only find an answer to some mysterious murders that have been taking place over quite some time in a town much like the one you grew up in. Along the way, however, she stumbles upon more than she might have bargained for, and that is when things really get interesting.
What a great things about the way Dan O'Brien rolls out BITTEN is that you are not only able to see the world through the eyes of the humans involved but the very creature they are pursuing as well. This adds a connection to the "bad guy" that reminds us that no one is COMPLETELY bad. Then there is the almost obsession that Lauren has for the case that not only threatens to destroy her but also change the way she looks at the world and those in it.
Then there is Dominic. What a fascinating creature he turns out to be! Trapped between two worlds, fighting again his nature and wanting to do something to right what he see as the wrongs in his life. When Lauren and Dominic come together there is something between them that can not be denied, and it give us some of the best dialogue of the book.
I've now read three books by O'Brien but BITTEN is by far my favorite. It not only showcases his literary skills but leaves the reader wanting more. What else could an avid reader ask for?"
The End of the World Playlist: The world as we knew it had ended. Deep in the mountains of the west coast, six men survived. In the town of River’s Bend, these six friends continued on with their lives as zombies inherited the Earth. As they navigated the world that had been left behind, the soundtrack of life played on.
What Other Readers Are Saying
"The End of the World Playlist is a whiplash look at Zombie land at an Apocalyptic moment...and MUCH MORE! Finessed by O'Brien's stylized, clean, well-edited writing `The End' becomes a dystopian Tarrantino automatic rifle shoot 'em up! And I mean that as a compliment! You'll cringe, You'll squeal like a little girl, You'll laugh. Good Characters will die...and that's just the Beginning ... of `The End'.
Speaking of the beginning of `The End of the World Playlist' I was hooked on page two by O'Brien's eloquent prose, "The streets were empty, but a dull rumbling in the distance electrified the air. Tall, ugly buildings - built [years ago] and never repaired - waited patiently as the sun passed overhead, straining through cloud cover..." Paired with the flawless editing and I realized that I was in for a Box Office thrill ride.
The Zombies are crashing the gates of small town River's Bend and the most well-defined characters of losers (or ARE they?) are trying to save themselves. Through car chases in Ford Broncos and Econoline vans, and as bullets fly, you get an inside look at the Gen X cast of superb survivors played by Wills, Allen, Jesse, Kenny, Dan, Crazy Mike, and Brandon. Think that's too huge a cast to keep track of? With the author's deft pen each character comes into sharp definition - even the female character(s) Dee and Dumb. And that's only the humans!
On the Zombie side of the ledger we have, The Liquor Store Zombie, the Gun Store Zombie, the action-packed plot plays out in front of The Sports Authority and every other USA outlet imaginable bringing this little tale of horror HOME...Right where it belongs! Small Town USA! A must read for Zombie Action enthusiasts...Gosh! I might even be hooked by Dan O'Brien.."
The Journey: The Frozen Man, the Translucent Man, the Burning Man, the Wicker Man, the guide known only as the Crossroads: together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed by philosophical inquiry and adventure. Filled with exotic places and age-old questions, The Journey is a book that seeks to merge the fantastical and real. Join the Lonely as he seeks out answers to his own existence and perhaps the meaning for us all.
"This book was somehow able to merge reality and fantasy. The Lonely, seeks out answers of his existence. The Lonely inhabits the Crossroads, the fantasy filled world that Dan O'Brien created here. I followed The Lonely on his journey and felt what he felt and saw in mind every detail he saw. To walk wandering questioning your own existence even for someone like Lonely, makes you feel like a lost soul in the darkness. This book brings up age old questions even about our own existence and as a psychology major as well as a writer, I believed even Freud would have loved this book."
Juxtaposition: This collection includes Cerulean Dreams, The Path of the Fallen, Bitten, The End of the World Playlist, and The Journey. A paperweight or the best possible gift for the holidays.
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