Look what popped into my spam folder (addressed to “undisclosed-recipients”):
Looking for a break from studying, research, work, the whole bit?
Would you like to read a book that is as good as – or better than – Harry Potter? Eragon? Twilight? Fablehaven?
How about if it is GUARANTEED… you don’t like it, you don’t pay.
At www.whoisbillyjones.com, that is EXACTLY what you get. BILLY: MESSENGER OF POWERS is the story of a high school student thrust into the world of the Powers – you or I would call them witches – when he discovers that he may be the key to victory in the upcoming war between Dawnwalkers and Darksiders.
I’ve just started listening to this audiobook. So far it is both well narrated and well written! A reference to “patriot missles” in the first chapter makes me think it was written about twenty years ago but that’s not the only thing that’s retro. Sadly, to make the site the Billy-crew seems to have used a frightful mid-1990s website template. The only thing missing from the site is a spinning GIF. It’s got music, sparkly purple mouse trails, a whimsical EULA and a color scheme right out of the heyday of GeoCities. But nowhere amongst all of the goo-gaws can you find the most important feature for a self published audiobook … a podcast feed!
So in the interest of usability I’ve made one (two actually because HuffDuffer has a 20 file max per feed). Here’s the skinny…
Billy: Messenger Of Powers
By Michaelbrent Collings; Read by Andy Bowyer
32 MP3 Files or HuffDuffer Podcasts – Approx. 16 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: WhoIsBillyJones.com
Published: 2009
Billy: Messenger Of Powers is the story of a high school student thrust into the world of the Powers – you or I would call them witches – when he discovers that he may be the key to victory in the upcoming war between Dawnwalkers and Darksiders.
HuffDuffer podcast feed (Part I):
http://huffduffer.com/tags/billy%3A_messenger_of_powers_parti/rss
HuffDuffer iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE| (Part I)
HuffDuffer podcast feed (Part II):
http://huffduffer.com/tags/billy%3A_messenger_of_powers_partii/rss
HuffDuffer iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE| (Part II):
Posted by Jesse Willis
I’d maybe have given this guy’s work a shot if he weren’t such a douchebag spammer in his advertising. The sock-puppet “reviews” he has littered around the web under verifiably fake identities don’t do much to endear him either. Pass.
Hi, it’s Michaelbrent Collings, writer of Billy: Messenger of Powers.
First of all, sorry to ask this, but would you please remove these files from your system? They are scheduled to be released as audio narratives by an audiobooks distributor later this year and reproduction of them without express written consent is a copyright infringement.
Second (and perhaps just as important), please not that “DocTruthyness” is someone who is actively searching for anything related to Billy (and me) on the web. He/she posted vile and libelous “reviews” of all my work on amazon due to some personal vendetta, and even said nasty things to another writer on amazon named Michael Robert Collings (not MichaelBRENT Collings – I doubt there are many Michaelbrents out there ) based solely on the assumption that Michael Robert is me. Which he’s not. Because I’m me. And “Michaelbrent” is a heckuva lot different (and harder to deal with in high school) than “Michael Robert.”
[BTW I WISH I was Michael Robert…he has published (according to amazon) something like 100 books, which beats out my three books and a few essays.]
At any rate, apparently Doc (who has never provided a real name – character assassination is so much easier when you are hiding in the shadows) has a vendetta against me for some reason. Possibly because I have a face made for radio (bag over my head – a “must have” fashion accessory), perhaps because of a problem with my religious beliefs (yes, I do go out clubbing baby harp seals at the winter solstice…wait…I go out clubBING WITH baby harp seals…sorry, my bad), or maybe it’s because Doc is just an angry person who is off his or her meds.
As for the allegation of “sock puppets,” amazon checked it out and guess what? There really ARE a bunch of people who like BILLY (which would account for its sales…get yours today, haha!). So the “sock puppets” (aka real people who have, unlike Doc, actually read the book) remain listed on amazon as reviewers. Additionally, Billy: Messenger of Powers, has been the Number One best-reviewed book on smashwords.com for over a solid month now, as well as being one of its top sellers in both the Young Adult and Children’s books categories. And Smashwords, BTW, requires that you actually BUY the book before writing about it. So those reviews have quite a bit of clout as being “real” reviews.
Regardless, long story short (too late!!) almost all of the Doc’s nasty words were removed by amazon as a blatant misuse of the forum. And Billy continues to get good reviews, and a few not-so-good ones. Which is fine, as long as the people reviewing the book are reviewing THE BOOK, and not using the review as some weird soap box.
Thanks for letting this air. I expect people will make up their own minds, but I do think it sad when someone hides from the shadows and can’t review the book, but only has nasty (and untrue) things to say about the person.
My name is Michaelbrent Collings.
I have no sock puppets.
The only person who has consistently hidden…is Doc.
Oh, and BTW: since Doc started his/her little vendetta, sales have been good as always, if not better! So thanks for the publicity, Doc! But really, if you want to say nasty things, at least have the self-respect to do it with your real name.
Until the next time you say something nasty about me (and bump my sales)…cheers!
P.S. Sorry for not mentioning it, I forgot (scatter-brained writer type). But a) thanks for the kind words about Billy. It was fun to write and Andy Bowyer (abvoices.com) did a great job narrating it. And you should check out the new website at http://www.whoisbillyjones.com. We’ve upgraded following the success of the series, and I think you might find it a bit slicker than its “beta” opening. ;o)
Best wishes!
– Mb