Guest Post - Michael G. Munz - Zeus is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure
Today, author Michael G. Munz is stopping by on his book tour...
...so, without further ado, heeeeeeeeere's Michael!!
Hi everyone! It's great to be here on 1000 Trillion Suns! In honor of the release of my new comedic fantasy novel Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure, the powers-that-be have tasked me with giving you a list of five things you absolutely cannot leave home without when embarking on an adventure (monstrously inconvenient or otherwise). And so, in no particular order, because that's the kind of indecisive guy I am…
...so, without further ado, heeeeeeeeere's Michael!!
Hi everyone! It's great to be here on 1000 Trillion Suns! In honor of the release of my new comedic fantasy novel Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure, the powers-that-be have tasked me with giving you a list of five things you absolutely cannot leave home without when embarking on an adventure (monstrously inconvenient or otherwise). And so, in no particular order, because that's the kind of indecisive guy I am…
Some Manner of Companion-beast
What kind? It really depends on your particular needs. A
dog, a dragon, a robot, a gardener, etc. Each has its uses. They can get you
out of a jam (locked cell, socially awkward situation, Death Star trash
compactor), they can carry your stuff, and the right ones can even go berserk
at a comically appropriate time and kick three times as much ass as you ever
could. Just make sure you treat 'em well.
Rope
Being a card-carrying geek (or I would be, if I could find
where I'm supposed to get those cards), I've played my share of Dungeons &
Dragons. If there's one thing D&D has taught me, it's this. In my groups,
everyone always carried, especially
after one DM showed us how much of a stickler he was regarding MUCH rope we had
when we were needing to do things with it. (It's the only instance I know of a
"rope lawyer.")
For extra utility, get a rope that can turn invisible! You
can use it to trip pursuers or simply tie up any prisoners without anyone
noticing they're bound!
A Seemingly Worthless Item™
It is guaranteed that a seemingly worthless item will turn
out to be the precise thing for the most dangerous situation you will ever get
into. Just—and I cannot emphasize this enough*—do NOT forget to show someone
that you have it when you start so as to properly establish its existence.
Also, if someone asks you WHY you're carrying it, be evasive. You'll cultivate
more mystery that way: "Why are you carrying that Elvis Presley
bobblehead?" "Why NOT carry an Elvis Presley bobblehead?"
*Seriously, I CAN'T emphasize it enough; this is a guest
blog post and I have no control over font.
A Nice Set of Clothes
You never know when you'll have to clean up and have dinner
with the king, president, or PTA-head whose kingdom/palace/high school gym
you've accidentally stumbled into. Indiana Jones knew it. Thalia the Muse of
Comedy & Science Fiction knows it. Now you know it, too.
Bonus points if they're made of some stretchy, fireproof
material that repels stains. Because you never know.
A Laser Pointer
Use this to make people think you've got snipers covering
you, shine a light to distant stars in order to call for help (please allow
4.367 to 2 million years for delivery), and keep yourself entertained (lasers
are just neat). You can kill two birds with one stone here if you make this
your Seemingly Worthless Item™, too!
Special bonus
Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure uses: Laser pointers can also be used to
deal with swarms of razorwings, the playfully feral, poisonous, bat-winged
kittens that plague the American southwest.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
A trusty weapon – the
more unique, the better: Lightsabers are good, but hard to come by. A big
ol' magical hammer that returns when you throw it is great, but usually
requires a background check. Don't use a whip – it's been done, and you'll just
hurt yourself. My recommendation? Some sort of bazooka that fires angry
badgers.
A towel: Anyone
who's ever read Douglas Adams knows this one. (Really, it's already such a
given that you should bring along a towel that I didn't even think I had to
mention it.) He said it far better than I, so I'll just quote him here:
"A
towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag:
non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will
automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face
flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat
spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then
happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch
hiker might accidentally have 'lost.' What the strag will think is that any man
who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle
against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is
clearly a man to be reckoned with."
BOOK DETAILS:
Title: Zeus is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure
Author: Michael G. Munz
Genre: Contemporary Mythological Fantasy
Release date: July 21st, 2014
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing
Length: 446 pages (paperback)
Synopsis:
The gods are
back. Did you myth them?
You
probably saw the press conference. Nine months ago, Zeus's murder catapulted
the Greek gods back into our world. Now they revel in their new temples,
casinos, and media empires—well, all except Apollo. A compulsive overachiever
with a bursting portfolio of godly duties, the amount of email alone that he
receives from rapacious mortals turns each of his days into a living hell.
Yet
there may be hope, if only he can return Zeus to life! With the aid of Thalia,
the muse of comedy and science fiction, Apollo will risk his very godhood to
help sarcastic TV producer Tracy Wallace and a gamer-geek named Leif—two
mortals who hold the key to Zeus's resurrection. (Well, probably. Prophecies
are tricky buggers.)
Soon
an overflowing inbox will be the least of Apollo’s troubles. Whoever murdered
Zeus will certainly kill again to prevent his return, and avoiding them would
be far easier if Apollo could possibly figure out who they are.
Even
worse, the muse is starting to get cranky.
Discover a world where reality TV heroes slay
actual monsters and the gods have their own Twitter feeds: Zeus Is Dead: A
Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure!
Find Zeus is Dead on:
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zeus-is-dead-michael-g-munz/1119938863?ean=9781620154267
Or you could try to score a free copy here
ABOUT MICHAEL G. MUNZ
An
award-winning writer of speculative fiction, Michael G. Munz was born in
Pennsylvania but moved to Washington State in 1977 at the age of three. Unable
to escape the state’s gravity, he has spent most of his life there and studied
writing at the University of Washington.
Michael developed his
creative bug in college, writing and filming four exceedingly amateur films
before setting his sights on becoming a novelist. Driving this goal is the
desire to tell entertaining stories that give to others the same pleasure as
other writers have given to him. He enjoys writing tales that combine the
modern world with the futuristic or fantastic.
Michael has traveled to three
continents and has an interest in Celtic and Classical mythology. He also
possesses what most “normal” people would likely deem far too much familiarity
with a wide range of geek culture, though Michael prefers the term geek-bard: a
jack of all geek-trades, but master of none—except possibly Farscape and Twin Peaks.
Michael dwells in Seattle
where he continues his quest to write the most entertaining novel known to
humankind and find a really fantastic clam linguine.
Find out more about him at michaelgmunz.com. While there, it wouldn't hurt to get a
FREE copy of Mythed Connections, the spiritual prequel to Zeus is Dead.
ORDERING INFORMATION
ZEUS IS DEAD: A Monstrously
Inconvenient Adventure
By Michael G. Munz
Paperback price: $20.95
eBook price: $4.99
Paperback: 446 pages
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Publication date: July 21, 2014
Print ISBN: 978-1-62015-426-7
Epub ISBN: 978-1-62015-416-8
• Available on Amazon.com in Kindle
and paperback versions
• Available on BarnesandNoble.com in
Nook and paperback versions
• Title is available internationally
– please contact us directly if you do not see it on your preferred book
purchase website
• Discounts or customized editions
may be available for educational and other groups based on bulk purchase
• For further information please
contact info@booktrope.com
PRAISE FOR ZEUS IS DEAD: A
MONSTROUSLY INCONVENIENT ADVENTURE
“Zeus Is Dead is
full of laugh-out-loud moments, lashings of sly wit, moan-worthy puns, and a
complex, fastpaced storyline. There
aren’t very many humorous fantasy murder mysteries out there, especially not as
intricately constructed as this one. Michael G. Munz takes a ’What if,’ and
runs with it like a toddler with Mom’s smart phone. He evokes a pantheon of
characters including, well, the actual Pantheon, plus modern characters who
will ring the bell of familiarity without being trite or clichéd. Munz knows
his craft as well as his Greek mythology, pop culture, and dysfunctional family
dynamics. The guffaw-worthy throwaway bits (stay tuned for the battle sundae)
will remind you of Douglas Adams. A very enjoyable read.”
—Jody Lynn Nye, author of View from the Imperium and co-author
of the Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve
“Not since the people of Atlantis predicted ‘low
humidity’ has there been such an original twist in Greek Mythology. This book
is also far more amusing.”
—Brian Rathbone, creator of the bestselling Godsland Fantasy Series
“Zeus Is Dead is a
book about the return of old gods, but Cthulhu is not in evidence, and it did
not drive me to the very edge of madness. Instead it
is a hilarious, satirical, page-turning romp through a world beset by plagues
of monsters, egotistical gods, and reality television shows. I highly recommend
this book to those who value both their sanity and a hearty guffaw. ”
—Seamus Cooper, author of The Mall of Cthulhu
“Delivering us from a sea of endlessly morose and
self-important supernatural fiction, Zeus Is
Dead understands that Greek mythology is more
than a little bit insane and—rather than ignore the unseemly aspects—embraces
them with the appropriate level of snark and style. Munz’s tale echoes the
bureaucratic insanity of Douglas Adam’s creations, the banter of Grant and
Naylor’s Red Dwarf, and the cynicism of Ben Croshaw in order to
bring us a clever, hilarious tale of adventure and grudging heroism.
I guess what I’m saying is that unless you really
like your supernatural fiction all mopey and dull, you’ll find
something to love here.”
—Jonathan Charles Bruce, author of Project Northwoods
“A hilarious mythological tale of god-like
proportions. Munz has crafted a tale of bizarro comic fantasy that sits
comfortably among the ilk of Gaiman and Pratchett.”
—Andrew Buckley, author of Death, the Devil, and the Goldfish
Thanks for stopping by, Michael. Good luck on the rest of your tour!
GSY
GSY
Thanks for one of my favorite guest post topics on this tour, Gareth! I left one thing off the list: A medium-sized, fully staffed aircraft carrier.
ReplyDeleteBut those are pretty hard to carry.
Well, I've got lots of seemingly worthless items so now I feel prepared instead of cluttered. My companion beast doubles as a seemingly worthless item as right this minute he's barking his head off at a leaf on the window.
ReplyDelete