When Samantha, from JKS Communications, contacted me about the novel written by today’s guest and reading the synopsis, I knew I wanted to share the details with you. So I ask, please help in giving a warm welcome to Mr. Tony Hubbard!
TONY HUBBARD
Tony Hubbard grew up like most boys in Massachusetts during the 1980’s, wanting to emulate basketball star Larry Bird and one day play for the Boston Celtics. Quickly realizing that a future as a professional athlete was something he would not achieve, he did the next best thing – became a sportswriter. As a long-time sportswriter, Tony covered high school, collegiate and professional sports, most notably covering the death of Boston Celtics’ star Reggie Lewis for The Patriot Ledger.
Growing up and reading the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, he one day aspired to publish a novel in the horror genre as his ‘writing heroes’ were famous for. After many years away from writing, leaving his professional writing career behind to make a move into the production and advertising side of the publishing business, Tony makes a return with his debut novel. Eighteen years in the making, A Demon Lies Within, releases November 2012 from Two Harbors Press.
A follower of Greek Mythology, he sees himself in the same vein as the Greek God Dionysus, the Greek God of wine, parties/festivals, madness and merriment. Dionysus not only represents the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. According to Tony, we should strive to be like Dionysus.
Massachusetts born and bred, Tony has lived all across the state throughout his life. Today he is settled in Dracut with his wife and son.
Follow Tony:
@TonyHub A Demon Lies Within Tony Hubbard
GUEST POST
Now that my debut novel A Demon Lies Within is completed, published and reaching the masses, having achieved the goal of publishing a novel I feel is akin to a professional sports team reaching the playoffs. Having your novel published and making the playoffs are HUGE accomplishments in their respective ways and not to be viewed lightly. Though, once that goal has been achieved your focus needs to be towards the next set of goals.
Once a professional sports team reaches their sports’ respective postseason the ultimate goal for them becomes crystal clear – win the championship.
While there isn’t a championship trophy for me to strive for with this book, what then becomes my goal(s) for A Demon Lies Within?
I’ve come up with three goals I am striving for. Reaching any one of them would be like winning a playoff game. Reaching all three would be getting the championship trophy.
The goals are:
- To sell 5,000 (print and eBooks combined) copies of A Demon Lies Within.
- To appear in a segment on the FOX25 morning news in Boston for a 1-on-1 interview to promote my book and discuss the advancement of self publishing as part of the accepted ‘norm’ for the publishing community.
- In writing the lead female character of Katelyn McMurray, I used actress Amy Adams as inspiration and had her in mind the entire time I was writing the novel. This goal would be to have Ms. Adams read a copy of A Demon Lies Within.
While I admit these are lofty goals, are long-shot goals really any different than a team having 20-1 odds of winning a championship? Though a long shot, there’s always a CHANCE it could happen.
There’s an old adage in sports that essentially says, ‘You just have to reach the playoffs because once there anything can happen’. Now that my book is published I’ve gotten to the playoffs and it has afforded me the chance to sell a high number of books, appear on a TV news show, or have a famous Hollywood actress read my novel.
I would be ecstatic if I reached any one of three goals, though I have to admit the one I’m favoring slightly above all others is having Amy Adams read my book
As I sat down to start the letter I would include with the ‘Demon merchandise care package’ I was going to send Ms. Adams (which included an autographed copy of my book, an autographed 12X18 poster of the cover along with bookmarks and business cards) the following thoughts came to mind:
I felt like Linus, the Peanuts character as he was writing his letter to The Great Pumpkin, wanting to have the most sincere pumpkin patch possible so The Great Pumpkin would appear. I wanted to write the most sincere letter possible to Ms. Adams so she would not only read just the letter but read my book as well.
The other thought I had was to include one of Will Ferrell’s lines from the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Ms. Adams was in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with Ferrell and played the role of his assistant so there is a connection there.
Upon meeting Veronica Corningstone for the first time, Burgundy tells her, “I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.” I thought that would be a great line to include in the letter as part of introducing myself, provide a laugh within the context of essentially begging her to read my book and have it fit within the criteria of writing the ‘most sincerest’ letter possible.
Whether or not Ms. Adams reads my book or I am able to reach either one or both of my other goals is unclear at this point. If none of them were to happen, it’s not such a big loss. I’ve already secured a great achievement in my life; I finished writing and published the novel I never thought or imagined would ever be finished. But why couldn’t one, two or all of them happen?
As I hold a printed copy of A Demon Lies Within in my hand it serves as the perfect example for anything’s possible.
I look forward to the day I receive Ms. Adams’ thoughts on A Demon Lies Within. I bet she’ll love it.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The powers of hell that lie within are very real…
Following his murder, Andrew McMurray finds himself transported to the depths of hell. There he is indoctrinated as an apprentice to a demon master, Sonneillon. Exposing Andrew to the dark reaches of his evil powers, Sonneillon demonstrates a demons’ ability to posses, torment and control the thoughts and actions of the living. Andrew’s ultimate goal following his apprenticeship? Revenge on his wife, Katelyn and young son, Joshua, both of whom he holds responsible for his murder.
As Katelyn rebuilds her life, following her husbands’ death, she meets Michael Gordon, a recent escapee from Corporate America, who has his own troubled, tragic past. As their relationship grows, they realize they share something more than their burgeoning love for one another — the powers of hell have deeply impacted their pasts. Evil continues to insinuate itself into the pair’s lives, bringing with it haunting and unspeakable horrors.
Andrew’s plan of revenge begins to materialize once he inhabits Joshua, having him act out in often violent and disturbing ways. With possession of Joshua’s mind and body complete, will hell’s ultimate evil goals come to pass, or can the local priest of a small Maine town exorcize Father from Son? At stake, doom-laden repercussions for all involved…and perhaps the world as a whole.
Book Details:
Paperback, $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-938690-35-8
Horror Fiction, 403 pages
Two Harbors Press, Nov. 13, 2012
THANKS TO JKS COMMUNICATIONS, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.
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DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
