# FREE for Kindle: Thanatos Rising



## Guest (Aug 14, 2010)

"...but some secrets refuse to stay buried..."

"Thanatos Rising (The Memoirs of Harry Chesterton: Part I)" is now live on Smashwords for $0.99. The Kindle version will be ready in a few more days and the DTB is following close behind.

This is material I was working on in the late 90s after finishing my degree and starting postdraduate research. I recently read it in one sitting afte rnot having looked at it for years. I enjoyed it so much that I made lots of editorial changes and prepared it for publication as a novella -- the first of a series.

It's a sort of fusion of Gothic horrow and dark science with alternate worlds. The main influences were John Fowles's "The Magus" and Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series.

I hope you get a chance to check it out. I've included an email address in the book in case anyone wants to send me feedback, and (as usual) reviews on Amazon and Smashwords are very much appreciated.

There are some related photos and questions with prizes over at the Thanatos Rising Facebook page.

The Smashword link is:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/21578


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hi Derek; congrats on the new title!

Just as a matter of housekeeping, we put a copy of the "welcome letter" in each book thread. It doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, just helps us know that you know the rules. So here it is!

We ask that authors have only one thread per Book, rather than start a new thread each time, it helps members who may be following you. Please bookmark this thread so that you may find it again to update.

We also have a seven day rule, and ask that you bump (make back-to-back posts) no less than seven days apart. You may, of course, respond to member posts at any time. Once you do, it resets the clock and you must wait seven days...

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

Finally, a link to Forum Decorum: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

Title of this thread is a great selling point . Best of luck with the new book!

Sandy


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2010)

Thanks Sandy.

It's already off to a good start on Kindle and the preview copies were well received.


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2010)

"Thanatos Rising" got off to a good start last week with 10 sales and 14 downloads in the first 4 days.

There's a great interview re "Thanatos" by Noah Mullette-Gillman at:

https://sites.google.com/site/noahkmullettegillman/home/noahan-author/noahan-author-issue-3

Thanks Noah! great questions and a lot of fun to answer.


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## Guest (Aug 29, 2010)

Is how "Thanatos Rising" was described by a correspondent today. 

I agree with the first two - I met Andrew Collins, author of "The Black Alchemist" back in the 80s and there is a bit of a tribute to him in the book. I was also influenced by the "voice" of John Fowles's "The Magus", which I read sometime in the 90s. 

Whilst I'm a huge fan of Donaldson, I don't see the Covenant reference, apart from the translation to another world (which I owe more to Edgar Rice Burroughs).


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Gee, I was already to give you a gentle reminder about premature bumping when I used our new "location feature" and saw you were in Blitey....several time zones ahead.  Darn! <sulks>  Sounds interesting, off to sample!

Betsy


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## Guest (Aug 30, 2010)

Looks like I got back to Blitey in the nick of time Betsy. I might scoot back off to Oz next...



Betsy the Quilter said:


> Gee, I was already to give you a gentle reminder about premature bumping when I used our new "location feature" and saw you were in Blitey....several time zones ahead.  Darn! <sulks>  Sounds interesting, off to sample!
> 
> Betsy


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2010)

I'm on Thanatos time right now but I think it's posting time again.

I've been preparing "Thanatos Rising" for the Smashwords premium catalogue this week and I think it's just about there now. I'm hoping the extra exposure will do some good although it's made absolutely no difference to my other books.

"Thanatos Rising" will be part of the Pandora's Box promotion and will be excerpted on Kindle Nation Daily during November.


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2010)

At last Thanatos Rising has been approved for the Smashwords premium catalogue (after about the fifth submission!) Each time I got a different list of things to correct. I'd correct them only to have another thing to rectify. Finally it's been accepted - just before I gave up on Smashwords altogether.

My other book, The Resurrection of Deacon Shader, was accepted months ago (I think almost a year ago) and it's still not been shipped to the Apple store. I'm starting to work out why that might be (ISBN issues) but SW invovles a heck of a lot of work.

The Thanatos Rising book trailer has been all over Facebook, Youtube and the Indie Fantasy Review. It's also started receiving some nice feedback locally (from the paperback edition).


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

Get 25% off the paperback of "Thanatos Rising" if you buy direct from the publisher, Create Space. Just enter the code: 6N6E8YN6 at the checkout.

https://www.createspace.com/3477008

The Kindle version remains at $2.99


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm looking forward to this one Derek!


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## Guest (Sep 29, 2010)

M.R. Mathias said:


> I'm looking forward to this one Derek!


Thanks Michael -- it's a bit unusual for me but I enjoyed the first person writing.

There's a new review by Noah Mullette-Gillman up on Amazon. So far it's got three 5 star reviews.

The second book in the Thanatos series is provisionally titles "Thanatos Unveiled" and is set to be more of a heroic fantasy adventure, crossing genres from dark fantasy/horror in keeping with the changes Chesterton undergoes.

"Thanatos Rising" should now be live in the Apple Store but I can't find it! Do you need an ipad for browsing? All I ever find is David Dalglish.


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## Michael Crane (Jul 22, 2010)

Just bought a copy.  I love, love, LOVE stories that are told in First Person.  That's my favorite POV to write from.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

derekprior said:


> "Thanatos Rising" should now be live in the Apple Store but I can't find it! Do you need an ipad for browsing? All I ever find is David Dalglish.


Just spotted this. And searching the iBookstore can be a real pain. You can, however, check a vague description and list of reviews and averages on the web by doing this, trick courtesy of Smashwords (pasting here in case others still don't know about this method):



> Take a look at this (study the URL before you click):
> http://itunes.apple.com/fr/book/isbn9781452300030
> 
> It's the hyperlink to the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide in the France iBookstore. Let's deconstruct the URL.
> ...


If it tries to open iTunes, then it isn't up yet. Hopefully it is. Now finding ways to get noticed on the iBookstore..that's a tough. At least Thanatos Rising has an interesting (almost j-horror) cover to it.


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## Guest (Sep 30, 2010)

Michael Crane said:


> Just bought a copy. I love, love, LOVE stories that are told in First Person. That's my favorite POV to write from.


Thanks Michael. Much appreciated.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2010)

Plans are coming together for the second book in the series (working title: Thanatos Unveiled).

Chesterton shifts from cynical and rather melancholy postgraduate student mode into Sword & Sorcery hero mode as he explores the world of Thanatos. Terrible secrets are revealed about the inhabitants of the mysterious planet; secrets that will turn Chesterton's world view on its head.

"Thanatos Rising" is still only $0.99 on Kindle (72p in the UK)


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## NoahMullette-Gillman (Jul 29, 2010)

I really enjoyed this book.

Derek, you should write to amazon customer support. Get them to link the paperback and kindle editions of the book, and then those to the rest of your work. They seem to be missing from your author's page....


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2010)

NoahMullette-Gillman said:


> I really enjoyed this book.
> 
> Derek, you should write to amazon customer support. Get them to link the paperback and kindle editions of the book, and then those to the rest of your work. They seem to be missing from your author's page....


Thanks Noah - that's a good point. The reviews tend to merge over time but I will contact them re linking the books sooner.


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## Guest (Oct 18, 2010)

Sales of "Thanatos Rising" tripled this month. Thanks to all for the reviews.

Still only $0.99 and now available in all formats (even the Apple store, at last).


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## Guest (Oct 28, 2010)

The Halloween season has been kind to "Thanatos Rising". Good sales in the US and the UK (plus 5 paperback sales).

You can jump into the series for only $0.99 (72p)


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## Guest (Nov 11, 2010)

UK sales of Thanatos Rising keep ....uhm... rising:

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,536 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) 
#99 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Go, Derek, Go! (Keep on Risin'!)


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## Guest (Nov 21, 2010)

"Thanatos Rising" is featured on Kindle Nation Daily today, along with a 3 chapter excerpt.

Within the first couple of hours of the KND feature it's sold more copies than it usually does in a month. Currently the rankings on Amazon are:

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #3,697 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) 
#52 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction > Adventure 
#83 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Adventure

http://kindlehomepage.blogspot.com/


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## Guest (Dec 10, 2010)

Following the KND excerpt, "Thanatos Rising" has outsold all my other books put together. It's still only $0.99 from Amazon and Smashwords.


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2010)

Why not grab a copy of "Thanatos Rising" for all those Christmas Kindles! 

It's a novella written in the first person, a dark tale of alternate worlds, weird science and dark fantasy. Probably the most unusual book I've written, but the reviews, so far, have been amazing.


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2011)

"Thanatos Rising" has just been reduced to $1.99.


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2011)

"Thanatos Rising" introduces Harry Chesterton, postgraduate student of post-mortem conssciousness. But that's not all Harry is - he's about to discover another world, a world with unfathomable origins; a world in which he will find himself.

"Thanatos Rising" is the first instalment of "The Memoirs of Harry Chesterton", a first-person novella of brooding urban fantasy that's about to open up onto something new...

Only $1.99 on Kindle.


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2011)

Amazon appear to have discounted "Thanatos Rising" to $0.99 (usual price is $1.99)

"Thanatos Rising" is a dark urban fantasy steeped in atmosphere. It is the first part of The Memoirs of Harry Chesterton, written from his POV, which is at times melancholic.

There's a surprising shift of gear at the end as "Thanatos Rising" opens up onto a new world for Chesterton.


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## Guest (Feb 5, 2011)

_Thanatos Rising_, a dark urban fantasy that begins in the Welsh university town of Aberystwyth and leads to the world of death, Thanatos.

There are living corpses beneath the dirty little cafe in Pier Street. A drunken prophet mutters dark warnings; and something sinister has moved into the old monastery on the hill.

No only $0.99 for Kindle.


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanatos Rising is a first person mystery set in the Welsh university town of Aberystwyth.

Harry Chesterton mingles with the postgraduate community in the town's cafes as he searches for word of the subject of his own research, Dr Otto Blightey, the disgraced academic who was ostracised by the scientific world for his work on post-mortem consciousness.

Students are going missing and unspeakable horrors awaken in the tunnels beneath the Aberystwyth; tunnels that lead to the old monastery looming over the town.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Welcome to Thanatos Rising as our KB Book of the Day!


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2011)

Thanks, Harvey.

Thanatos Rising is a dark urban fantasy set in the Welsh university town of Aberystwyth. 

Postgraduate student, Harry Chesterton, enters the claustrophobic underworld of Aberystwyth as he pursues the notorious Dr Otto Blightey as part of his research into post-mortem consciousness.

Please click on the cover picture in my signature to find out more.


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## Julia444 (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks!  What a great feature and a great source of recommendations.  

Julia


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

I finished this novella about a week ago. I've always been a fan of HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, and Derek Prior's style and imagination in this work is is highly reminiscent of these two great storytellers. Thanatos Rising is an extremely well put-together novella. The crisp, clean prose is punctuated by efficient - and effective - dialog. I have no problem recommending this to anyone who is a fan of a macabre mystery.


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2011)

Thank you, Valmore.


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## Guest (Sep 11, 2011)

Soon be Halloween! Time to read Thanatos Rising ...


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2011)

Zombies in Wales...if you know where to look.


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2011)

Now FREE at Apple store and Smashwords.


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2011)

Thanatos Rising is now FREE on Amazon. Over 4,500 downloads in the last two days. 

Currently number 1 in SF/Adventure and number 54 in the Kindle (FREE) store.


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## Guest (Nov 10, 2011)

Thanatos Rising is still FREE on Amazon (US and UK).


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2011)

Thanatos Rising is now FREE from Amazon.com and UK.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Looks very Lovecraftian... yay!
Got my copy.  Thank you!


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2011)

Steverino said:


> Looks very Lovecraftian... yay!
> Got my copy. Thank you!


Great. Thanks for posting. Hope you enjoy the book!


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