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"Personal Effects: Dark Art" Video Trailer #9 - Mike Monello /  by J.C. Hutchins

I've had the great fortune of meeting Mike Monello, a person I consider one of the most brilliant marketers on the planet. Why? Because he understands the most critical component of all evangelism: storytelling.

He was a co-producer on The Blair Witch Project -- and equally significant, produced and edited the legendary quasi-documentary Curse of the Blair Witch, which was released on the Sci-Fi Channel 10 years ago. That short film -- and the (mostly) online-fueled word of mouth campaign that followed -- helped make Blair Witch a bona-fide cultural phenomenon.

It was the unconventional, immersive, fiction-meets-reality narrative of Blair Witch and Curse of the Blair Witch that moved viewers, and compelled them to share that story with friends and family. Mike played a critical role in that. With the company he co-founded, Campfire, he's gone on to create and/or supervise transmedia campaigns for True Blood, F.E.A.R. 2, Terminator: Salvation, and other brands.

And now he's here, to tell you what he thought about Personal Effects: Dark Art. We are days away from the book's release in bookstores everywhere. Pre-order the novel, or visit your favorite bookstore on June 9 to purchase a copy.

As always, co-producer/editor Michael Bekemeyer gets a big salute for his editing skills. Find the first eight trailers here.

Word of mouth is the key to Personal Effects: Dark Art's success. Spread the word about this awesome video promotion by embedding the video on your blog. Email this page to friends. Tweet it. Facebook it. If you think this video is worthy of sharing, please do what you can to spread the word.

More videos are coming. Personal Effects: Dark Art. In bookstores everywhere this June. Pre-order now.

--J.C.

Personal Effects: Sword of Blood episode 4 /  by J.C. Hutchins

The countdown has begun! Less than a week remains before the bookstore release of Personal Effects: Dark Art. J.C. chat about this critical moment in the episode, offers advice on how and when (and where!) to order the novel ... and then we're off to the races with another installment of Sword of Blood.

SYNOPSIS: Zach and Rachael have a heart to heart ... and then Zach takes an unexpected road trip.

NEW TO J.C.'s FICTION, OR PODCASTING? I've been releasing free audiobooks since 2006, and am gearing up for the June 9 release of Personal Effects: Dark Art, a novel that combines the traditional novel experience with a multimedia-fueled "out of book" narrative that unfolds via phone, email and websites. Pre-order a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art today.

Listen to the episode by clicking the "play" button below. Catch up with the story by visiting the Sword of Blood synopsis page. Learn how to subscribe this podcast here.

HEY, EVERYBODY #010 /  by J.C. Hutchins

The "Hey, Everybody!" train keeps on a-chuggin' with a second episode this week. Hutch serves up reports of Personal Effects: Dark Art being spotted in the wild (before street date! how simultaneously cool and scandalous!), teases on the killer content that's rolling down the feed this week ... and then fillmmaker Michael Bekemeyer takes center stage in an interview. Bekemeyer is the mad genius behind the "vlurb" (video blurb) trailers. Check 'em out here!

Cool things/links mentioned in this episode:

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is "Chip Away" by Jane's Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

Personal Effects Avatars /  by J.C. Hutchins

Spread the word via your favorite social media service (such as Twitter, Facebook and more) by proudly displaying these Personal Effects: Dark Art-themed avatars in your profile! And remember: If anyone asks what's up with your avvie, send them to DarkArtNovel.com -- it'll send them to this website. Do YOU have a fan-created avatar you'd like to share? Send it to me., saved as a 200x200 JPG, and I'll get it on the site!

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"Barcode" avatar by Gabe Reed; "Killer Art" avatars by jannypie

HEY, EVERYBODY #009 /  by J.C. Hutchins

Hot damn, it's another "Hey, Everybody!"-packed week -- this is the first of two episodes to drop this week. It's a big-big debrief on J.C.'s recent adventures at Balticon 43, which was held Memorial Day weekend. There are muchly ruminations, including recaps on J.C.'s first public reading, the Stranger Things SINGULARITY event, the Personal Effects: Dark Art launch party, his impressions about the PE:DA novel itself, and some philosophical ramblings here and there. Someone get this guy a frickin' script!

Be sure to answer J.C.'s call to action regarding the Personal Effects "Swag Bag." Send him an email with your thoughts! And do please consider pre-ordering a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art.

Links/awesome folk mentioned in this epsiode:

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is "Chip Away" by Jane's Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

"The Big Thrill" features Personal Effects: Dark Art /  by J.C. Hutchins

I'm particularly tickled about this announcement: my debut thriller, Personal Effects: Dark Art, was recently covered as a feature story in the June issue of "The Big Thrill," the official newsletter of the International Thriller Writers association. Despite the fact that I'm not hob-knobbing with superauthors such as Jeffrey Deaver (one of my favorite writers in the multiverse), I kinda feel like I am, which is a hoot.

A snippet from the Q&A feature:

What kind of research did you do for Personal Effects? Any adventures in research?

The greatest challenge I faced during the pre-writing process was wrapping my head around the potential and nuances of transmedia storytelling. ... I was a newcomer to this trailblazing way to tell stories, but was keen to learn everything I could.

One of the most important things (co-author Jordan Weisman) expressed to me in those early weeks of the project was that the portals to our "out of book" experiences could never feel forced, cheesy or gimmicky. The edict: each item that came with the novel must have a narrative or resonantly emotional effect on the story and reader. Putting narratively-hollow "bling" in that envelope was verboten; instead, we wanted to craft a lean-and-mean tale that moved people. I admired that creative commitment, as it served the reader above all. It's ethical storytelling, if that makes sense. No sizzle. All steak. Once I understood that, the story practically wrote itself.

Read the rest of the feature here. I'll soon post an unedited version of the Q&A feature here on the site.

If you're a first-time visitor to my site thanks to the story, welcome! Personal Effects: Dark Art has been praised as "a stellar first" by Publisher's Weekly (starred review), and called "cutting-edge experimental fiction ... that may herald the future of modern fiction" by Library Journal. Permit me to give you a tour of the Personal Effects-related content here at JCHutchins.net:

  • More info on Personal Effects: Dark Art, and reviews from novelists and filmmakers such as Gore Verbinski, director of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Ring
  • Personal Effects: Sword of Blood, the free groundbreaking podcast-exclusive audionovella prequel to Dark Art
  • Commit Yourself To The Brink, a community-fueled art experiment where fans can become patients in the asylum seen in Personal Effects: Dark Art
  • The groundbreaking "vlurb" video blurb trailers, feauring video endorsements from celeb storytellers such as the creators of Friday the 13th, Final Destination and The Blair Witch Project

Even more killer content is coming as we near Personal Effects: Dark Art's June 9 release date, so please keep returning to the site, or subscribe to the blog. Thanks so much for your interest ... and if you'd like to support this trailblazing new breed of storytelling, consider pre-ordering a copy of the book.

Welcome to The Brink,

--J.C.

Personal Effects reviewed at the "A Life In The Day" blog /  by J.C. Hutchins

Make no mistake: As an author, I'm tremendously grateful for the positive reviews that industry publications such as Publishers Weekly and The Library Journal have recently given my debut thriller, Personal Effects: Dark Art. Those publications' comments represent invaluable validation of my skills, and bring credibility to the story I've told. But nothing beats the comments of a "real" reader (like this one) -- someone like you and me, an in-the-trenches lover of books who's far removed from the publishing biz. That's why I was delighted to read Greg's comments over at his A Life In The Day blog, in which he reviewed Dark Art. A snippet:

(P)eppered throughout the book and the included papers are websites to visit with background on the characters and on The Brink, phone numbers and voicemail codes .... All these enhance the total experience, and I found myself more invested in how the novel played out. ...

As for the story itself, J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman have crafted a fine horror/thriller that can stand on its own, without the "out of book" experience. Incredibly well-drawn characters ... and an involving story made this a novel that I didn't want to put down. I had to know what happened next to the characters, and some nights begrudgingly set aside the book so I could get some sleep.

You can't beat that review with a stick, peeps. Many thanks to Greg for the killer review. Check it out here -- and if you’d like to support this trailblazing new breed of storytelling, consider pre-ordering a copy of the book.

Welcome to The Brink,

–J.C.

And Now, A Word From An Expert... /  by J.C. Hutchins

I am proud to present this video endoresement from podcasting legend Stephen Eley, creator and editor of the stellarly awesome Escape Pod podcast. Steve has been piping out excellent weekly science-fiction short stories without fail for four years. He's an incredible talent, and an equally incredible human being.

But did you know that our dear Eley was also an expert in ... well ... EVERYTHING? Behold, as we break from the traditional vlurb format and get a little giddy. I hope you enjoy it!

(Note: The YouTube version below "bleeps" out the dirty words -- but the version available in the podcast feed is uncensored.)

--J.C.

Soundtrack music for this video is generously provided by Position Music. The song, "Shotgun," is by Magnus Christensen and Ryan Franks, and can be found on the Position Music "Orchestral Series Vol. 3" album.

Personal Effects covered in The Washington Post /  by J.C. Hutchins

I'm very proud to report that my debut supernatural thriller Personal Effects: Dark Art was recently covered in The Washington Post by "@Play" columnist Mike Musgrove. Mike's article is a perfect introduction to the novel, and the "out of book" experience that accompanies it. Check it out here, and if you're feeling generous, leave a comment and share it on Facebook. If you're a first-time visitor to my site thanks to the story, welcome! Personal Effects: Dark Art has been praised as "a stellar first" by Publisher's Weekly (starred review), and called "cutting-edge experimental fiction ... that may herald the future of modern fiction" by Library Journal. Permit me to give you a tour of the Personal Effects-related content here at JCHutchins.net:

  • More info on Personal Effects: Dark Art, and reviews from novelists and filmmakers such as Gore Verbinski, director of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Ring
  • Personal Effects: Sword of Blood, the free groundbreaking podcast-exclusive audionovella prequel to Dark Art
  • Commit Yourself To The Brink, a community-fueled art experiment where fans can become patients in the asylum seen in Personal Effects: Dark Art
  • The groundbreaking "vlurb" video blurb trailers, feauring video endorsements from celeb storytellers such as the creators of Friday the 13th, Final Destination and The Blair Witch Project

Even more killer content is coming as we near Personal Effects: Dark Art's June 9 release date, so please keep returning to the site, or subscribe to the blog. Thanks so much for your interest ... and if you'd like to support this trailblazing new breed of storytelling, consider pre-ordering a copy of the book.

Welcome to The Brink,

--J.C.

Stranger Things: "Disconnect" -- Story by J.C. Hutchins and Earl Newton /  by J.C. Hutchins

DISCONNECT

When its prize reality star goes missing, a monolithic network enlists the aid of the entire world to find him.

Written and Directed by Earl Newton

Story by J.C. Hutchins and Earl Newton

Produced by Earl Newton and Juan A. Baez III

Starring Jonathan MacQueen, James Donadio, and Rachel Whit

Personal Effects: Sword of Blood episode 3 /  by J.C. Hutchins

It's another promo-less episode (bad Hutch! no biscuit!), and J.C. seems to be saving all of his Personal Effects: Dark Art news for the next episode of "Hey, Everybody!", which will drop this weekend. This, of course, means less talk ... and more action!

SYNOPSIS: Zach meets up with his "tribe" -- girlfriend Rachael, brother Lucas, longtime friend Ida "Eye" -- and receives a strange phone call.

NEW TO J.C.'s FICTION, OR PODCASTING? I've been releasing free audiobooks since 2006, and am gearing up for the June 9 release of Personal Effects: Dark Art, a novel that combines the traditional novel experience with a multimedia-fueled "out of book" narrative that unfolds via phone, email and websites. Pre-order a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art today.

Listen to the episode by clicking the "play" button below. Catch up with the story by visiting the Sword of Blood synopsis page. Learn how to subscribe this podcast here.

"Personal Effects: Dark Art" Video Trailer #8 - Dee Wallace /  by J.C. Hutchins

I am beyond flattered and honored to present the latest vlurb for Personal Effects: Dark Art, featuring actress Dee Wallace, star of The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, The Frighteners and Halloween (2007).

I am a superfan of her work -- I believe Cujo is one of the most terrifying movies ever filmed; Dee's performance is stellar -- and I'm thrilled to present her video blurb here. I'm proud to report that Dee loved the novel. Behold, as she endorses Personal Effects: Dark Art.

Pre-order the novel. Toss a few films from Dee's career in that online shopping cart while you're at it. I recommend Cujo.

As always, co-producer/editor Michael Bekemeyer gets a big salute for his editing skills. Find the first seven trailers here.

Word of mouth is the key to Personal Effects: Dark Art's success. Spread the word about this awesome video promotion by embedding the video on your blog. Email this page to friends. Tweet it. Facebook it. If you think this video is worthy of sharing, please do what you can to spread the word.

More videos are coming. Personal Effects: Dark Art. In bookstores everywhere this June. Pre-order now.

--J.C.

J.C. appears on "Geeks With Issues" TV show! /  by J.C. Hutchins

I was delighted to recently appear on the awesome public access television program Geeks With Issues to talk about Personal Effects: Dark Art, 7th Son, and other sundry geek topics. I had a blast appearing live via Skype video, and hanging with the Geeks With Issues crew. Check it out!

--J.C

http://blip.tv/geeks-with-issues/geeks-with-issues-episode-112-who-is-geek-alpha-2132098

VIDEO: J.C. unveils Dark Art on "I Should Be Writing" podcast /  by J.C. Hutchins

Mur Lafferty for her excellent I Should Be Writing podcast. During our chat about Personal Effects: Dark Art, I showcased some of the incredible "out of book" transmedia items that accompany the novel. If you're interested in Dark Art, this is a must-watch.

From Mur's site: I got to get an exclusive sneak peek at the awesomeness that is Personal Effects: Dark Art this past weekend at Balticon! I talk to author JC Hutchins about his ground-breaking book, and we try not to get distracted by passers-by. Camera work by John Cmar, Additional Direction by David Moldawer

The book is available for pre-order now. Please considering pre-ordering a copy today, and learn why your pre-release purchases provide critcal support to Personal Effects: Dark Art by clicking here.

Personal Effects: Sword of Blood episode 2 /  by J.C. Hutchins

Welcome to Episode 2 of Personal Effects: Sword of Blood. I'm light on the chatter in this ep, and there are no promos -- but expect more of both in future episodes.

SYNOPSIS: Zach encounters a stranger ... and meets Hen, a relative of his patient, Gertrude "Spindle" Spindler.

NEW TO J.C.'s FICTION, OR PODCASTING? I've been releasing free audiobooks since 2006, and am gearing up for the June 9 release of Personal Effects: Dark Art, a novel that combines the traditional novel experience with a multimedia-fueled "out of book" narrative that unfolds via phone, email and websites. Pre-order a copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art today.

Listen to the episode by clicking the "play" button below. Catch up with the story by visiting the Sword of Blood synopsis page. Learn how to subscribe this podcast here.

"Personal Effects: Dark Art" Video Trailer #7 - Patrick Lussier /  by J.C. Hutchins

Longtime Wes Craven collaborator and 7th Son fan Patrick Lussier creates masterfully-paced works of cinema. In addition to editing the Scream trilogy, Red Eye and other great Craven thrillers, Lussier is the director of the superb horror thrillers My Bloody Valentine 3D and White Noise 2. The man knows good stories. Behold, as the man endorses Personal Effects: Dark Art. I'm stone-cold flattered by his vlurb.

Watch his testimony. Pre-order the novel. Toss a copy of Lussier's My Bloody Valentine 3D and White Noise 2 in that online shopping cart while you're at it.

As always, co-producer/editor Michael Bekemeyer gets a big salute for his editing skills. Find the first six trailers here.

Word of mouth is the key to Personal Effects: Dark Art's success. Spread the word about this awesome video promotion by embedding the video on your blog. Email this page to friends. Tweet it. Facebook it. If you think this video is worthy of sharing, please do what you can to spread the word.

More videos are coming. Personal Effects: Dark Art. In bookstores everywhere this June. Pre-order now.

--J.C.

Media maven C.C. Chapman reviews Personal Effects /  by J.C. Hutchins

As I've galivanted around the New Media space for the past three years, I've made some tremendously talented and kind-hearted friends. One of the most talented and kind-hearted is C.C. Chapman, host of the Accident Hash and Managing the Gray podcasts, and co-founder of The Advance Guard, a trailblazing social media marketing company. The man has a heart of gold, but holds no punches when it comes to critiquing ideas or fiction. Which is why I am stoked beyond words when he called me "one twisted, demented and talented writer" in his review of my debut thriller, Personal Effects: Dark Art.

You gotta read his review, as it sums up much of the vibe I was gunning for while writing the novel. Some highlights:

  • "One part CSI, two parts Fringe, a dash of X-Files with a healthy dose of Sneakers and a dash of Suicide Girls thrown in for good measure..."
  • "As with most good books, it was over far too fast..."
  • "Hutch has a way of giving you just enough back story and little details about every character that you crave more, while you fall in love with them..."
  • "If you’ve ever enjoyed something by Steven King or James Patterson, then you are definitely going to dig this book..."

I'm honored and flattered that C.C. enjoyed the book so much. So, go. Read his review, and check out his own killer content. And take his advice: "Trust me, and order a copy today." :)

--J.C.

Sci Fi Wire covers Personal Effects: Dark Art! /  by J.C. Hutchins

I'm a heeeuge fan of Sci Fi Wire, the Sci Fi Channel-fueled online portal for stellar sci-fi/fantasy news ... so it was an honor to be recently interviewed by Mike Szymanski for the publication. The story, found here, introduces readers to Personal Effects: Dark Art, and the innovative "out of book" experience that accompanies it. A killer intro to the novel. This is a big deal, as Sci Fi Wire has a dedicated, progessive and curious readership -- the very people I hope to entertain with Personal Effects. If you're a newcomer to the site from Sci Fi Wire, welcome! You can learn more about Personal Effects by visiting these pages at my site:

  • More info on Personal Effects: Dark Art, and reviews from novelists and filmmakers such as Gore Verbinski, director of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Ring
  • Personal Effects: Sword of Blood, the free groundbreaking podcast-exclusive audionovella prequel to Dark Art
  • Commit Yourself To The Brink, a community-fueled art experiment where fans can become patients in the asylum seen in Personal Effects: Dark Art
  • The groundbreaking "vlurb" video blurb trailers, feauring video endorsements from celeb storytellers such as the creators of Friday the 13th, Final Destination and The Blair Witch Project

Even more killer content is coming as we near Personal Effects: Dark Art's June 9 release date, so please keep returning to the site, or subscribe to the blog. Thanks so much for your interest ... and if you'd like to support this trailblazing new breed of storytelling, consider pre-ordering a copy of the book.

Welcome to The Brink,

--J.C.

HEY, EVERYBODY #008 /  by J.C. Hutchins

This is the second of two Hey Everybody! episodes this week (episode 2 of Personal Effects: Sword of Blood drops Friday), featuring an interview with the incomparable Mur Lafferty. Hutch rants and raves about recent raves for Personal Effects: Dark Art, giggles with glee at the debut of Personal Effects: Sword of Blood, and channels his inner monster truck race announcer by dishing about what's coming this Sunday-Sunday-Sunday at Balticon.

Then we're deep-sea diving into awesomeness with author Mur Lafferty, as she tells us about her latest fiction project -- Heaven, Season 5: WAR -- and the trailblazing bonus material she's releasing in her "The Inside Story" experience. Very cool.

Links mentioned in this episode:

The anthem for Hey, Everybody! is "Chip Away" by Jane's Addition, distributed freely via BitTorrent and the Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction tour site, Ninja2009.com.

Like what you hear? Please leave a comment, and tell a friend about the show, and about Personal Effects: Dark Art!

A challenge from Shawn Bishop, Sword of Blood's producer! /  by J.C. Hutchins

Yo, peeps! You're gonna love this killer challenge put forth by Shawn Bishop, the brilliant audio producer of Personal Effects: Sword of Blood. The man wants YOU to get crazy and promote the print release of Personal Effects: Dark Art in public!

Listen to this mad genius throw it down, Bishie-style, for ya. Your mission: Promote the book, document your insanely cool public promotion, and send your evidence to me at 7thSonNovel@gmail.com. The three most-clever promoters snag free signed copies of Personal Effects: Dark Art!

Shawn's got all the details, so dig the audio, and participate!