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Tag: The Wanderer and the New West

My Dystopian Bookshelf at ALA 2023

Libraries are an important place for book discovery. As an indie author, it’s even more important that I find ways to reach a critical audience of curators: the librarians!

This year I was excited to have an entire shelf to myself featuring my four dystopian novels at the American Library Association’s 2023 conference in Chicago. The event ran from June 22-27. My books appeared in a booth managed by the Independent Book Publishers Association. I’m a proud IBPA member.

Novels by Adam Bender on a shelf at the ALA 2023 conference on a stand for independent publishers. Also displayed are bookmarks for Utopia PR and postcards for The Wanderer and the New West.
Utopia PR bookmark with a quote: "Maybe you see a vicious killing machine that got loose and went on a rampage, but I sure don't ... Why, that there is a hero pup!"
Utopia PR bookmark

I made some really fun Utopia PR bookmarks specifically for the event! I’ve got extras and will try to find a way to make these available in the future. Let me know if you’re interested by tagging me on social media.

I had previously displayed and signed copies of The Wanderer and the New West at a pre-pandemic ALA conference in Washington, DC. I was unable to attend this year’s show in person, but I hope to get out to this excellent conference again in the future.

I love finding out that my books are available in libraries, whatever the format. All four eBook editions of my novels, plus the audiobook editions of my last two books, were accepted into the Indie Author Project and available to participating libraries. Books in physical and digital formats can also be acquired separately through distributors including Ingram and Smashwords. Please contact me if you need help finding my books.

Here are few more photos from ALA 2023. Here’s a fun idea: Try to find my novels in each picture like it’s a Where’s Waldo book!

Thanks to IBPA for taking all of the photos in this post!

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Audiobook Sale: More Than 50% Off Bender’s Novels

Celebrate the New Year by grabbing the headphone editions of my dystopian novels at a more than 50% discount in my audiobook sale!

I’m running an audiobook sale for the first three months of 2023 on my political satire UTOPIA PR (Now $3.99) and near-future western THE WANDERER AND THE NEW WEST (Now $5.99) audiobooks at Apple, Google, Chirp, B&N, and Spotify! Click the store links below to access the audiobook sale!

Audiobook cover for The Wanderer and the New West by Adam Bender
The Wanderer and the New West for just $5.99!

The Wanderer and the New West was one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2018. A rogue vigilante known only as the Wanderer seeks redemption in a lawless, near-future America that fully protects the rights of armed citizens to stand their ground against mass shooters and motorcycle gangs. $5.99 ($12.50) for a limited time only!

Utopia PR audiobook cover
Adam’s latest novel Utopia PR for just $3.99!

Utopia PR is a sci-fi satire about seeking work-life balance while doing public relations for an authoritarian president. PR extraordinaire Blake Hamner (the n is silent) put off his honeymoon for his big break: joining a major political campaign for president. Now, the “Hammer” struggles to make time for his marriage as Crisis Communications Manager for Our Leader, who since taking power has become increasingly mad and totalitarian. $3.99 ($8.99) for a limited time only!

This deal ends March 31, 2023, so makes sure to act fast!

Happy New Year! May 2023 be ever less dystopian.

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Utopia PR audiobook released! Plus, summer sales a plenty!

It’s finally here! The audiobook edition of my dystopian satire Utopia PR!

Utopia PR audiobook
Written by Adam Bender. Narrated by Tristan Wright

You can buy it now directly from me or from your favorite audiobook retailer, including Audible, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google Play and Chirp!

I am so happy with how the audiobook came out. Tristan Wright put all his comedy chops into the reading of the wild PR team that has to spin for the President, who is known by the people as Our Leader. We received a ton of great reviews on NetGalley before today’s publication (Blake “The Hammer” Hamner him(n)self writes about them here). After 40 honest reviews there, it has an average score of four stars! I’m so very proud of that. Thank you to everyone who downloaded the book early and wrote a review.

Nice!

All that great feedback follows the original written version winning an award for best humor in last year’s IndieReader Discovery Awards.

Listen to an excerpt from the Utopia PR audiobook!

Skip this paragraph if you’ve already read my elevator pitch, but Utopia PR is a sci-fi satire about a public relations rep seeking work-life balance while managing crisis after crisis for a dystopian president. PR extraordinaire Blake Hamner (the n is silent) put off his honeymoon for his big break: joining a major political campaign for president. Now, the “Hammer” struggles to make time for his marriage as Crisis Communications Manager for Our Leader, who since taking power has become increasingly mad and totalitarian.

Buy the audiobook today!

Deals a plenty! Wanderer audiobook and Smashwords Sale!

If you’re really on an audiobook binge, I’m also excited to share that the spoken version of my previous novel, The Wanderer and the New West, will be part of a Findaway Voices sale from July 1 until September 30, 2022! You’ll be able to get my dystopian western at a steep discount from Barnes & Noble, Chirp, Apple and Google Play.

In addition, you can find free or discounted eBooks of all four of my novels during the Smashwords Summer sale (or Winter sale if you’re in Australia)! The sale runs from July 1 until July 31, 2022. We, The Watched is free, while Divided We Fall, The Wanderer and the New West and Utopia PR will all be 50% off!

Thanks to all my readers for your continuing support. I hope to share more news soon on my next project.

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Maybe the Present is Dystopian Enough

People keep asking me if I’m going to write about the pandemic — I guess because I write dystopian fiction? The short answer is … no.

First and foremost, I don’t think I’m ready to process all that just yet. Things are better than last fall, though it still feels like we’ve got a long way to go. And, like, what is there to add at this point?

It was a huge relief, actually, writing a silly comedy like Utopia PR. Things have been been dark enough the past few years, and I just wanted to have a little fun! I was thrilled to learn recently that my novel was accepted into Wool author Hugh Howey’s sci-fi contest, the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC). Book review blog Fantasy-Faction has Utopia PR in round one. I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, but I also know my little comedy is going up against a bunch of hard sci-fi books and the competition will be stiff. It’s been nice getting a little buzz around the book just from being accepted into the contest. Honestly, I’m just hoping to get a review or two before it’s all over.

I’ve already had some good luck in competitions. Utopia PR recently got an honorable mention from IndieReader for its cool cover design by Bailey McGinn! That’s after the words won a humor award in IndieReader’s annual Discovery Awards. That cover definitely makes the book stand out at Barnes & Noble:

When I said it was nice to write a comedy for a change, I didn’t mean to imply I’m done with drama. In fact, lately my brain has been buzzing with ideas for another book set in the New West. It’s very early days — basically, I’m writing down a bunch of notes, rereading the first novel, and outlining character arcs at this point. But what I have so far does feel promising.

One thing that’s helped get the creative juices flowing (so to speak) again is taking a writing course by Batman writer Scott Snyder. His technical knowledge and obvious enthusiasm for writing and teaching has been inspiring. I’m not writing a comic book (though I certainly would if I could find the right artist!), but a lot of the lessons apply to any type of story. And superhero storytelling has always been a big influence on my non-graphic work. It’s not too late to join the course, by the way! Look for me in the course’s official Discord.

By the way, what do you think of the new design for my website? Don’t forget to visit the homepage for adambenderwrites.com before you say. If you want to skip straight to the blog, you can also use the address watchadam.blog for a nifty shortcut.

Nifty? How old am I?

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The Wanderer and the New West is on sale for Audiobook Month

June is Audiobook Month! I’m thrilled to announce that you can lasso the sound version of my Dystopian Western novel The Wanderer and the New West on sale for just $4.99!

That’s a 60% savings from the following audiobook stores:

Actor James Sasser provides the stellar narration for the audiobook edition. See below and here for a synopsis and more information about my third novel.

Audiobook cover for The Wanderer and the New West by Adam Bender

A rogue vigilante known only as the Wanderer seeks redemption in a lawless, near-future America that fully protects the rights of armed citizens to stand their groundagainst mass shooters and motorcycle gangs.

When the Wanderer opens war against injustice in the state of Arizona, his violent yet principled actions attract the attention of journalist Rosa Veras, writer of a subversive blog about America’s return to the Wild West. Rosa’s investigation into gun corporation Breck Ammunition awakens the ire of CEO Gerard Breck … and brings the Wanderer to her door.

Meanwhile in Liberty, ex-Sheriff Ben Martin attempts to return lawless to Rosa’s hometown by forming a ragtag militia of ex-cops. Things start to unravel as Martin loses track of the difference between criminals and anyone who gets in his way.

Named to Kirkus Reviews‘ Best Books of 2018The Wanderer and the New West won gold for Dystopia in the 2018 Readers’ Favorite Awards and best Western Fiction in the 2018 National Indie Excellence Awards.

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