Psychotropic Dragon by Michael Bailey and TBA (meta-novel; illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne, Ty Scheuerman, and Daniele Serra)

[ more information coming soon ]

The goal is to have this book finished before the author dies, but it could be pushed back a bit. This third novel by Michael Bailey was first conceived during the creation process of Palindrome Hannah, and still sat on the back burner throughout Phoenix Rose and the various short story collections.

This meta-novel is composed of a short novel, a novella, a novelette, and some other stuff. The short novel portion is approximately the same length as Of Mice and Men or The Great Gatsby and contains no chapters. The main character is Julie, the tie-in character from the previous two novels. She is the girl with the dragon tattoo.

PRAISE

“Like the drug he’s invented, Michael Bailey’s Psychotropic Dragon is addictive, scary, and at times, mind-blowing.  But it’s the human element that keeps you turning the pages, the wounds to the psyche which we recognize immediately.  The human element… and a fierce narrative style.” – Jack Ketchum

CRITIQUES

In January 2010, the first third of Psychotropic Dragon was placed on the chopping block at the Borderlands Press Boot Camp held in Maryland. The response was positive. Peers included notable authors, such as Tom Monteleone, F. Paul Wilson, Douglas E. Winter, and editor John Douglas, along with nineteen other writers. You can listen to what they had to say about an early draft of Psychotropic Dragon by clicking the links below:

Critique Group 01  |  Critique Group 02

ARTWORK:

Pyschotropic Dragon will have artwork by Daniele Serra, Ty Scheuerman, and Glenn Chardbourne.

Phoenix Rose by Michael Bailey – $14.95 (fiction; 366 pages; cover artwork by Michael Ian Bateson)

The follow-up novel to Palindrome Hannah. It can also be categorized as nonlinear literary horror and follows two separate timelines and five story lines. Memorable characters from the previous novel cross over and intertwine within its pages. It was originally critiqued by the Borderlands Press Boot Camp and was later published by Written Backwards in December of 2009. It runs approximately 95,000 words.In this novel, Michael Bailey returns his readers to the strange town of Brenden, Washington to expand the events of Palindrome Hannah. A family is torn apart after a horse foaling goes terribly wrong; a sickly man recounts getting mauled by his neighbor’s dog; an undead priest is reborn into the world a hundred-fifty years after his untimely death; two brothers run for their lives through a dead field of wheat. Holding all of this together is a young boy named Todd, whose survival pivots on the balance of life and death, and a deranged mental patient with a burnt rose tattoo, whose reality is paradoxical.

CONTENTS

• Prologue
• Part 1:  Life of ‘odd
• Part 2:  Under the Blue Moon
• Part 3:  The Phoenix Rose
• Part 4:  Running in Circles
• Part 5:  Death of ‘odd
• Epilogue

AWARDS

• International Book Awards, Finalist (2011) – Fiction: Horror
• Listed for the National Best Book Awards (2010)
• Kirkus Star, awarded to books of remarkable merit (2012)
• Best Indie Books of 2012: The Complete List (top 100), Kirkus Reviews 

PRAISE

“Poe-like phantasmagoria amid Stephen King-style naturalism.” – Kirkus Brook Reviews; also a recipient of the Kirkus Star.

“This book is indescribable. All you really need to know is that it is phenomenal.” – She Never Slept

ARTWORK

The cover artwork was designed by Michael Ian Bateson, previously responsible for the cover and plate artwork for Palindrome Hannah.

Palindrome Hannah by Michael Bailey – $14.95 (fiction; 318 pages; illustrations by Michael Ian Bateson)

The debut novel by Michael Bailey. It can be categorized as nonlinear literary horror, and is called a meta-novel by some. Enter a cruel “palindrome” world: a symmetric place where disturbing situations displace the common; where good acts transmute to evil ones. Within, characters influence each other through macabre arrangements of involuntary happenstance, and learn the inevitabilities of coincidence. A segmented story of a mother and daughter intertwines the others. This hidden sixth story, told in reverse and assembled from the five separate narratives, uncovers the sad life of a child who carries a palindrome name, and her struggling teenage mother. With five stories heading one direction, and Hannah traveling the opposite, the story unfolds like the meaning hidden in a palindrome.

CONTENTS

• part 1:  reflections
• part 2:  pumpkin carving
• part 3:  the whiteness
• part 4:  finding god
• part 5:  inside / outside

AWARDS

• Independent Publisher Book Awards, Finalist – Fiction: Horror (2006)

PRAISE

“Sick and twisted in a pleasing sort of way… Palindrome Hannah is not for the faint of heart. It’s not only disturbing stuff, it is very entertaining.” – Mountain Democrat

“Palindrome Hannah avoids the polemic and ultimately just tells some damned good stories.” – Necropsy

“A chilling glimpse into madness. Bailey is a unique and fresh voice in the world of horror. His style is sharp and clever as he skillfully guides you down the primrose path into the thicket of thorns.” – F.M.A.M.

“Michael Bailey delivers one of the most clever, well-delivered books I’ve read in a very long time.” – TCM Reviews

“The faint of heart and stomach are cautioned.” – Once Written

ARTWORK

The original cover artwork was designed by Michael Ian Bateson, but was discontinued after the book was removed from the Unlimited Publishing imprint. Interior plates were originally designed for this book, but were never used because of publisher limitations. These plates can now be found in the re-release of Palindrome Hannah under the Written Backwards imprint. The updated cover (shown above) was created by the author.

BOOK TRAILER

Check out the official book trailer for Palindrome Hannah below. At just over four minutes in length, this live-action short film by John Palisano captures some of the most memorable scenes.