Month: November 2012

Kirkus Indie Review For Upload Is Live

“McClelland’s ambitious debut novel envisions a future in which the vanishing line between virtual reality and “organic life” causes an antisocial genius to conduct the ultimate evolutionary experiment… The author has a particular gift for describing the technological advances, brand names, pop-cultural references and unique detritus of a society dependent on machines for survival and ravaged by virtual-reality addiction… McClelland’s slick imagination remains in full gear until the novel’s unpredictable conclusion. A thoughtful tale resembling a sci-fi video game viewed in a funhouse mirror.” –Kirkus Indie

Check out the entire review.

The best part: the Kirkus reviews for “Ready Player One“, by Ernest Cline, and “Mona Lisa Overdrive“, by William Gibson, now list “Upload” as a suggested similar book.  While I don’t feel the folks at Kirkus Indie really “got” my book, it’s great to see it listed alongside such well regarded titles.

Double-Whammy At Century Guild Chicago: 40th Birthday + Book Release Party

I’m so excited for my 40th birthday party at the Century Guild Chicago pop-up gallery, TOMORROW, which my wife and I decided to make a double whammy: 40th Birthday + Book Release Party.  Thanks in advance to Nancy, for making it happen and being relentlessly awesome, to Jerry Suqi, for graciously offering his beautiful gallery space, to Tracy Kellner and Provenance Food & Wine for what will no doubt be a fabulous spread of wine and nummies, to Teresa Kirschbraun and City Lit Books for being on-hand to sell “Upload” (and for being the first brick-and-mortar store to carry my book!), and to all my friends who will be helping me celebrate two major life landmarks.

It’s no coincidence that the two events are being celebrated together.  It was the fact that Forty was looming so near that inspired me to make the final push to publish.  In a sense, I’m celebrating mortality’s success in forcing me to outwit trepidation.

Stellar Review from Jim Grisham

“Not only did I finish Upload, I read it during nearly every free moment during less than thirty hours. As the hundreds of unfinished novels on my shelves will jealously attest, such a feat is quite extraordinary for me and is perhaps the greatest endorsement that I have to give.”

A huge thank-you to Jim Grisham for his carefully considered, well written response to “Upload”. The full review can be found on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes &Noble, and iTunes.

Another Great Customer Support Experience With Lulu

So far, I’ve had really great experiences with the customer support folks at Lulu.  In this particular case — and this is one to watch out for, Lulu authors — I discovered that the first forty-or-so pages of “Upload” were repeated.

Title page of "Upload" on what should have been page 41
Title page of “Upload” on what should have been page 41

I ordered it as a sample copy, and just happened to be flipping through it when I noticed that the page numbering seemed odd.  I discovered the title page… on what should have been page 41.

I filled out the complaint form on Lulu’s website, and they responded immediately, requesting that I send photos of the error.  I snapped a picture with my phone.  Within a couple of days, they got back to me asking whether I would prefer a refund or a replacement copy.  All rather painless.  Thanks, Lulu!

First Full-Length Review!

“Like Neil Stephenson’s Snow Crash and Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon, Upload is fast paced and full of action, a story-noire set in a not too distant dystopian society; and the characters and worlds are well developed and very believable.”

My first full-length review comes from fellow Lulu author, Hazen Wardle: http://smallmarkbooks.yolasite.com/bookreviews.php

Thank you so much, Hazen, for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and well-structured review!