Chet Baker Writes

Welcome Welcome Welcome

This is a Newsletter. Mine. And it’s FREE.

Glad to see you here.

You’ve found a way to jump onto a newsletter about the writing life of a dark fiction author. This is new for me also. I’ve written two novels (working on the third) and lots of short stories and other blathering nonsense. I’ve decided instead of having all that just sit around and gather dust, maybe it might be a good idea to share the best of it with you and other interested readers. And best of all, make it FREE. Why not?

So, what’re you gonna find when you open this once-a-month piece? Here’s what.

• Updates on my current novel and new books in the making. Even though I’ve said I’m a dark fiction writer, I admit I can write stuff more upbeat, gentle, refined. Not all my creations are good vs evil crime fiction plots, psychological thrillers, sci-fi mysteries, or dystopian head-scratchers.

• I’ll include one short story. FREE. These may come to you in the form of a short story or a Micro Short (also known as flash fiction or sudden fiction). These little gems contain no more than 300 words. One famous example is Ernest Hemingway's six-word story: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." The art of writing good Micro Fiction is a challenge not everyone can pull off. I’ll try.

• I' may include a juicy scene that didn’t make it into the final pub. (Just too cringy) I’ve always been interested in scenes that don’t make the cut. A well-known phrase of writers is— KILL YOUR DARLINGS. I have many bodies lying around you might find entertaining.

• Characters. This should be fun. A behind-the-scenes sketch of colorful supporting cast members in my novels. Here’s an example of one.

  

I’ll write a conversation with Barlow as if he’s real to get his motivations, fears, crimes or mischiefs he’s responsible for in NATALIE’S WAY. Don’t worry, no plot spoilers. I’m looking forward to it myself.

• And I’ll give insight into what I’ve learned about how to and (not to) write a book. Ugh! It’s never-ending, the how-to of writing.

• I’ll highlight of other ‘successful’ authors, their books and their writings.

Don't worry. I’ll say it again. The newsletters are completely FREE, and you can opt-out at any time if I’ve pissed you off. But I promise to deliver engaging content that goes beyond the melancholy of boring exposition. And, oh! I'll probably add a little color to what runs through my mind or day when I'm not writing: golf, pickleball, fishing, cooking, book reviews… blah, blah, blah.

Here’s My Website if interested.

NATALIE’S WAY. My new exciting novel will go live on Amazon on July 23.

SUMMARY: Natalie Grace, the young precocious protagonist— a heroine for our troubled times — is a traumatized yet tenacious soul navigating a blighted moral landscape with grit and fleeting morbid humor. Shattering events push every character to the brink in this fast-paced story. Their true natures are revealed under pressure. Raw settings, bold character moments, and haunting reflections on guilt and destiny push the novel's final stretch, certainly not a clean arc of redemption, but rather a jagged path of survival and self-knowledge. The story's parting shot is an ambiguous look at an uncertain future. A dark gem of psychological fiction.

And here's my first novel, published in late 2022 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/BLOODLINE-RUN-Chet-Baker/dp/1734129824/

In this gripping psychological thriller, Pete Longer battles against a dark family legacy and his own fractured psyche. As he navigates a labyrinthine web of trauma, violence, and betrayal, he must confront the duality of his nature—the gentle, loving side and the monstrous "Jason" persona.

This novel dives deep into themes of identity, redemption, and the transformative power of human connection. With complex characterization and nuanced psychological depth, "BLOODLINE RUN" takes readers on a haunting journey through the shadows of one man's mind.

**Brace yourself for an intense, unputdownable read that will keep you turning pages late into the night." - Kirkus Reviews says: A reading experience that's chock full of reversals and complications. Gripping, fast-paced with delusion, fear, and desperation. The descendant of a brutal ancient bloodline, the son of a fraudulent preacher and a prostitute mother. Murder and violence follow Pete Longer, still running from the mental institution he escaped thirty years past. A hunt for redemption. The faint of heart should probably stay away, but fans of dark, cerebral horror tales will likely enjoy unraveling this one. A devious, if occasionally melodramatic, psychological thriller."

**Content Warning: This book delves into graphic and disturbing content, including detailed scenes of sex, cruelty, and psychological manipulation. Content may be triggering for some individuals." Intended for mature audiences only."

I hope you enjoy the Newsletter enough to share it with your friends. It will be sent out abou the first week of each month.

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