Search
Bryan W. Alaspa
- May 18, 2019
- 4 min
GUEST POST - Ron Gavalik: The Eternal Search for Truth
I could just tell you about how Ron Gavalik is a poet, but that would not come anywhere close to being the actual truth. As a writer, I respect other writers and always sort of respected poets. In general, though, I always kept poets at arm's length. Until I met Ron. Ron's poetry hits me in the gut the way other poets don't. I envision whiskey/bourbon-soaked bars in the mean streets of Pittsburgh when I read his work. I envision a steel town with large men in hard hats, drink
23 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- May 5, 2019
- 2 min
The Wraith - available for pre-order: companion novel to The Man From Taured
Proud to announce that you can now pre-order my new novel The Wraith from Amazon. Coming this July, The Wraith is a companion novel to the bestselling The Man From Taured. It is not a sequel, but deals with alternate realities and features the Agents of IDEA first appearing in TMFT. Some of your favorite characters from that novel show up here again. The Wraith is also set in my fictional town of Knorr, which has been the site of other novels like The Dead Phone and Sapphire.
0 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Apr 22, 2019
- 7 min
An interview with author TJ Martinson about his debut novel Reign of the Kingfisher
I love when I get to meet and chat with a new writer. I had the great fortune of being told about this new novel The Reign of the Kingfisher by a gentleman named T.J. Martinson. It sounded so interesting, I had to get it. I did get it for my Kindle and when I realized it was set in Chicago and Mr. Martinson was from the Chicago area, I had to reach out. Turns out T.J. Martinson is an awesome guy in general. He was willing to stop by this little blog and I sent him some questi
52 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Feb 26, 2019
- 4 min
Where the stories come from - a look at my writing process
I've talked about this before, but it comes up time and again. People always want to know where the stories I write come from. What's interesting is the people you meet who try to tell you they have a great idea for a story. Hey, you should write about - XYZ. That would be a great book! I always appreciate that. My own father was a consistent source. In fact, from time to time, those suggestions are good enough to get stored away in my brain somewhere or a notebook. But for t
8 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Feb 24, 2019
- 3 min
Guest Post: Poet Scott Norman
Scott Norman is the kind of a guy you often see called a "bear of a man." Hes tall. He's big. Everything about him is bigger than life. He has a loud laugh, loud way of speaking, and is a kind of force of nature when you meet him. When I first met him, it was my freshman year in college at Webster University in St. Louis. One of the first people I met and he and I became fast friends. Scott had ambitions to direct movies and I got to star in at least two of them. One of the f
10 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Feb 14, 2019
- 1 min
Happy Valentines Day - here's some gifts
Hey, so, it's Valentine's Day and I have a couple of little gifts for you. First - I dropped a new short story for you Kindle folks and those who don't like to pay more than 99 cents for things. It's a nasty little horror shocker called The Orchid Man. You can find it at Amazon by clicking on the text link or the image below: You can also find some things for FREE in my Amazon store. For example, the Kindle edition of my horror short story collection When the Night Comes Out
1 view0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Aug 31, 2018
- 1 min
Hosting an AMA (ask me anything) even Sunday, September 2, 2018.
Yeah, so, with the three-day holiday weekend, I figured I'd host an Ask Me Anything event at AMAFeed.com. You can follow the LINK HERE and check out the details and even start leaving questions or just drop by at 11:15 am, Eastern time this Sunday! Stop by. It'll be fun. I'll bring coffee. #askmeanything #event #interview #AMA #writing #writer #writingquestions #writingadvice
1 view0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- May 1, 2018
- 2 min
New Audiobook Thriller! After the Snowfall
I am very proud to say that a new audiobook of one of my favorite books I have written is now out. My thriller book After the Snowfall is now available as an audiobook and read by the amazing Scott Servheen who has been just the most amazing voice talent to work with. I am so excited to bring this one to you. This is a book that has a truly special place in my heart. I wrote this book as my book for the one and only time I participated in NaNoWriMo. I wrote this book within 2
0 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Apr 19, 2018
- 4 min
RIP: Art Bell - For Making Radio Weird
Take a look at that photo there. Look at that guy who sort of looks like Gomez Addams there, right? That guy matches a voice that, in turn, matched a weird nighttime radio show that, for a brief and glorious time, dominated overnights in this country. That is Art Bell and for a time in the late 90s, he was there for me in ways others in my life were not. I had an obsession with radio for years. I got involved in it myself when the college I attended started a radio station. I
23 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Apr 16, 2018
- 5 min
Why the horror of "Jaws" still works on me (part three: the movie)
SPOILERS: I cannot believe I have to write this about a movie that came out in the 70s, but if you haven't seen the movie Jaws (what is your problem?) then there are spoilers ahead. Like, big ones. The movie rights to the novel Jaws were sold very quickly. The publishers knew they had a hit on their hands even before it shot up the bestseller list. The question was, who the heck was going to direct it? How would it be filmed? Also, how did you translate this novel that had so
5 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Mar 17, 2018
- 3 min
Upcoming books and freelance writing
Hello everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for coming with me on the journey. The release of SPIDAR has been a major milestone for me. My first published work of fiction by a larger-sized publisher than I have ever worked with before. I am now on an author page on their website alongside true heroes of mine like Clive Barker and Brian Keene. A publisher who put out, all at once, a paperback, ebook and audiobook edition and who has a significant audiobook
2 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Mar 2, 2018
- 1 min
Reminder: Audiobooks and reviews
Just a quick update folks! I am busy working on a freelance gig and the third Elementals novel - as well as trying to promote my new novel S.P.I.D.A.R. That one is available as an ebook, in print and audiobook version. So, you can get S.P.I.D.A.R. as an audiobook as Audible, but I also have seven other works there available for you to listen to from a variety of voice talents. They were all amazing to work with and if you just never have the time to read, listening to a book
2 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Dec 19, 2017
- 1 min
Annual Christmas Sale & Giveaway: Dec 24 & 25
Every year to help people who get new Kindles or tablets or phones and want to get some ebooks - I do a Christmas sale & giveaway. You just need to head over to my AMAZON STORE on December 24 & 25. This is for readers in the US and UK. Lots of stuff is free, but a lot more is just 99 cents (or the British equivalent). So, you can use your new device or gift certificate and get some great horror and thrillers! #Christmas #sale #giveaway #horror #book #books #novels #writer #su
2 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Dec 14, 2017
- 1 min
Blog Tour Stop 4: SunShineSarahXO Guest Post
Stop number 4 on the Storyland blog tour is up and ready for you to read. SunShineSarahXO was kind enough to let me do a guest post and blather on about why I wrote Storyland and why I am so demented I tend to like writing about horror and psychological horror. READ IT HERE! #blogtour #Storyalnd #guestpost #thriller #horror #writing #suspense #psychologicalthriller #psychologicalhorror #writer
5 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Sep 7, 2017
- 4 min
Where do stories come from?
The main theme of my new novel Storyland is discussing where stories come from. Of course, as a writer, I wonder where the "stories" come from. However, I think this is a question that can be extended into other creative pursuits. Where do paintings come from? Where do songs come from? Where do [fill in the blank] come from? We creative types have brains that I feel work differently from others and I love watching the creative process in someone composing a song, poem, or pai
1 view0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Sep 2, 2017
- 5 min
OK - So what the hell is Storyland?
You may have seen the announcement that my new novel, Storyland, is available for Kindle pre-order as well as in print. Both of them are at a special price for you early-birds. Technically, the official publication date is Halloween 2017 (October 31), but through various means, even you print folks can get early copies at a low, low price. OK - sales pitch is over... What is Storyland? Storyland isn't quite like anything I have written before. It's my first real attempt to wr
18 views0 comments
Bryan W. Alaspa
- Aug 31, 2017
- 2 min
Suspense author Bryan Alaspa releases novel “too dark” for traditional publishers
Chicago suspense writer Bryan Alaspa continues to do things the hard way, announcing via his website and social media that he will be publishing his new psychological thriller novel Storyland under his own publishing label on Halloween, 2017. The reason? The feedback he got from publishing agents and traditional publishers said the novel was “too dark”, “disturbing” and “gritty” for them. “It was weird,” says the author, “several of them got back to me and the ones who provid
1 view0 comments
Bryan Alaspa
- Mar 4, 2016
- 2 min
Why This Writer Writes
It is one of the questions I get asked: Why do you write? This is especially true when people find out that my books, novels and stories do not fund me enough so that I can do it full time. They wonder what the hell I'm doing writing blog posts about mice, rats and bugs or writing website content for a pest control company. They thinkt that having 30 books out there should be enough for me to live on. That's cute, but you can't do that in a city like Chicago. I have had frien
0 views0 comments
{"items":["5deeb16cfa3b1f00180726b7","5deeb16c3fb3ff0017af5ae9","5deeb16c41f99c0017d6e87e","5deeb16c2c735100174a0f23","5deeb16cf4b6e200173152c8","5deeb16c8b49fe001894cd6f","5deeb16c333b440017e984c8","5deeb16ba16531001742259b","5deeb16bb8ec9800172eefb9","5deeb16b333b440017e984c3","5deeb16caad2700017f18374","5deeb16daf552b0017d04daf","5deeb16baf552b0017d04da2","5deeb16ab8ec9800172eefb7","5deeb16ac2f1090017a4dfb3","5deeb169ed13e00017c96a09","5deeb16ab8ec9800172eefb5","5deeb169ff16ee0017d2f658","5deeb169ed13e00017c96a05","5deeb1653fb3ff0017af5acf"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":32,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":true,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":1,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":940,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"value":"#A40606"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"targetItemSize":940,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":940,"galleryWidth":972,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}