WELCOME

to the virtual home of James Callan, a writer and artist based on the Kapiti Coast, New Zealand

Writing is a ghost that enters a room we sit idle within. It haunts us, not by showing itself in the mirror over our shoulder. It haunts us, not by hovering or dropping china teacups, but by making us tell its story. Through us, the ghost expresses. Writing… call it a possession. To exorcise the ghost, we must tell the tale.

My favorite times in life are when I am possessed. The exorcism… that final moment… It is bittersweet.

I’m a little afraid of ghosts. But I am far more afraid of no ghosts.

A TRANSCENDENTAL HABIT

Palindrome is a sprawling, sordid, mega-metropolis populated by roborgs, shapeshifers, holographic kids, and rats the size of Labradors. Among its myriad of destitute city-dwellers is Jarred, a down-and-out nobody whose tedious existence amplifies into an ultra-bizarre escapade after meeting Bee, an alluring enigma loaded with bionic upgrades and brimming with Squidge, a coveted drug new to the black market that enhances anything it touches. With Bee by his side and Squidge in his system, Jarred savors a newfound zest for life. But when the founder of Squidge, an unhinged zealot corporate mogul, becomes the target of Bee’s obsessive need for revenge, Jarred finds himself immersed in a violent feud between ex-lovers who have the power to save or destroy the world.

Review Excerpt by Jerry L. Wheeler

‘As I’ve often said, one of my favorite things about doing this blog is running into new books, especially the odd one I can’t classify or stick into a convenient box for labeling. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s sublime when it does. Such is the case with James Callan’s A Transcendental Habit, which is part quest, part buddy/caper novel, part romance, and part urban fantasy. But its congealed whole is a fascinating, wild ride you’ll heartily enjoy.’

‘A Transcendental Habit, then, is a terrific read. It’s funny, it’s fast, it’s unusual, and it’s totally absorbing. I finished it in a couple of sittings and found myself wanting more. Highly recommended!’

NEON DREAMS

Out now at multiple online book stores

Go on. Take the ride.

Riding coattails to a notorious street racer investigating the disappearance of her brother, Zap’s humdrum existence is galvanized into a weird and wild ride of high-octane racing that leads him out of his home town, the megatropolis Troubadour, and into the unknown. On this journey Zap will encounter all manner of exotic places and outlandish people, including a vampyre television heartthrob, an A.I. housekeeper with a fetish for romcoms, dangerous assassins, and the ruler of the galaxy. Yet perhaps more intriguing than the rest…the androgynous girl (or boy?) that he so strongly gravitates to, and who jump-starts the chaos that lead to it all in the first place.
James Callan’s Neon Dreams is a narrative with an adrenaline surge, pedal to the metal from first page to last. Unapologetic and stimulant-riddled, it’s a live wire on hot sauce.

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