The Dead Oaks Series 101

***SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT*** The first three books in The Dead Oaks are now 99 cents each! This sale is good through February 5, 2020. However, I am planning on making this the permanent price for all Dead Oaks books soon.

Hi, friends!

If you're new here or haven't had a chance to check out my YA M/M Paranormal series, The Dead Oaks, then you'll find everything you need to get you started in this post. If you're already current on the series and just waiting for the next book then I have good news for you. The fourth, and final, book in the series will be out sometime at the end of 2020!

The Dead Oaks takes place in small-town Connecticut and follows the ghostly adventures of new friends, Jasper Jelinek and Wesley Shain. As they dive into the dark world of paranormal investigation and begin a friends-to-lovers romance, they befriend snarky skeptic, Liv Robles, and eventually adopt more people into their ragtag monster-hunting crew.

Here's what you can expect from each book:

GHOST STORIES

Jasper Jelinek believes in ghosts. Probably more than he believes in himself. After living a life of relative solitude and misanthropy, he suddenly becomes saddled with some unexpected new friends. Their obsession with the paranormal forces them to face the thing they've been avoiding most: Life. Together they learn that there's more to being haunted than just ghost stories.

MIDNIGHT MONSTERS

The Dead Oaks Paranormal Society finds themselves on their first official case. A haunted house seems like a promising place to capture conclusive evidence that the paranormal is real; but like all plans, nothing goes the way that they intend.

Unwanted tagalongs, misunderstandings, and a malicious not-so-ghostly entity all collide to put the strength of Jasper and Wesley's bond to the test. This monster hunting sleepover could end their team, and possibly their lives, faster than they'd come together.

HAUNTED ROAD TRIP

Wesley Shain is college-bound for a life in the theater, just as everyone always expected. Lately, though, he's been thinking paranormal investigation is a better career path. He just needs one weekend to prove it.

A haunted road trip wasn't exactly the romantic getaway Jasper Jelinek had hoped for but with a few friends, ghostly frights, and one steamy summer night, it might turn out to be precisely what his relationship needed.

Want to know as soon the final book is released? Be sure to join my mailing list at www.dezschwartz.com

Until next time,
♥ Dez 

Haunted Road Trip: Fun Post-Release Things

Well, friends--

Haunted Road Trip has been out in the world for a week now!  You're probably in the midst of reading, already finished, or plan to read it soon.

To celebrate, here's a round-up of Dead Oaks related things:

Tony Sandoval Character Profile
Excerpt From Haunted Road Trip
The Dead Oaks on Pinterest
The Dead Oaks Playlist on Spotify

I've Finished Haunted Road Trip!  

What Should I Read Next?

It's seasonally too early, but according to craft stores--there's no such thing!  If you dig the M/M Paranormal Romance genre then you should give my Yule short story, The Julbock, a read.

So, You've Finished Haunted Road Trip?

I Love Reviews!

If you have some free time and would like to show your support for my work then please consider leaving a review.  Not only will it absolutely make my day but it also helps promote my books to new readers.  They don't have to be articles; you can write anything as short as one sentence to a couple of words.

Haven't read Haunted Road Trip?  No problem!  I have plenty of other books you can leave reviews on.  Seriously, reviews are the greatest gift you can give an author.

IMMENSE GRATITUDE

I want to thank all of you who bought Haunted Road Trip!  This was actually a milestone for my writing career.  I sold more units of a self-published title in one week than I ever have before!!  You all are amazing and it means the world to me that you love my stories.

Gratefully Yours,

Dez

Want to be the first to know things?

Sign up for my newsletter on my website!

OUT NOW

Haunted Road Trip: The third Dead Oaks novella!

Available on Amazon

COMING SOON

DREAM WEAVER: The fourth and final ROAM novel. March 9, 2020.

Haunted Road Trip Release & FAQ

Haunted Road Trip releases tomorrow!


I hope you're excited to rejoin Jasper and Wesley for more haunting adventures with the Dead Oaks Paranormal Society!  There are colonial ghosts, high-stakes auditions, frights, and maybe even a hell hound.

Haunted Road Trip is available in e-book format on Amazon!  You can also add it to your Goodreads reading list.



Here are the answers to some common reader questions so far:

Is this the last book in the Dead Oaks series?

No.  The Dead Oaks will continue with at least one more book after this one!

Will it be available in print?

For now, no.  I have this series enrolled in KDP on Amazon and since they are novellas, I'm planning to wait until the series is complete and then create an omnibus of all of them in print format.  Please don't wait around for that, though.  It will probably be a couple of years before I'm able to put that together.

What are you working on next?

DREAM WEAVER (the final book in the ROAM series) is releasing through NineStar Press on March 9, 2020!  I'm currently in the development process for my next book which I will be referring to as "Secret Novel Project" for the time being.  Be sure to visit my website and sign up for the newsletter to receive updates!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy Haunted Road Trip!

- Dez

Exclusive Excerpt from Haunted Road Trip

The Dead Oaks returns in less than two weeks!  Here's an exclusive excerpt from the first chapter of the new book, Haunted Road Trip:

“It's always so loud in here!”

Jasper wasn't opposed to live music. Not at all. He loved that he'd reached a point where his nights could be spent hanging out with friends at Neon Flux instead of just binge eating junk food and streaming movies online; not that he was opposed to that either. It was just nice to finally have friends.

But at the moment, Wes attempted to shout at him from across the table. They were crowded into a corner booth with Liv Robles, Caroline Strathers, Pheobe Tống, and Martin Chopra. Between the din of guitars and drums pounding out an obscure sub-genre of heavy metal that reminded Jasper of his cat, Zener, screaming for canned whitefish, and the cheers of the crowd, Jasper had no idea what on earth Wes was trying to say.

Exasperated, Wes kicked Jasper's foot underneath the table and motioned for them to leave.

Jasper nudged Pheobe and Martin who had no qualms letting him out of the booth. They took the opportunity to hit the dance floor and bust some seriously embarrassing moves which Jasper was thankful he wouldn't have to witness.

Wes grabbed his energy drink off the table in one hand and took Jasper's in the other. As soon as he was in earshot, he shouted, “Let's go outside!”

Jasper didn't want to blow out his vocal chords so he simply nodded and followed behind Wes as they pushed their way through the crowd and out the front door.

Even though the night air was warm, it still provided a nice reprieve from the heat of bodies building up inside of Neon Flux.

They walked to the side of the building where broken bricks jutted out and Wes hopped onto them like a makeshift bench. Jasper opted to lean against the building so they were eye level with one another.

Wes swept his loose black hair back out of his face and let the night breeze cool him off.

“Remember when I suggested we should go on a trip together this summer?” Wes took a sip from the can and provided Jasper time to recall the event as though it was on offer he'd easily forget.

Jasper's heart leaped but he didn't want to seem too overzealous. He tried his best to mask his excitement. “Are you finally ready?”

“More than ready!” Wes grinned so big his smile practically filled his entire face. “I've got it all planned out. All you have to do is pack your things.”

Jasper relaxed and let himself be thrilled. “Awesome! Where are we going?”

He had daydreamed a few times about where they'd take their first romantic getaway. He often pictured them on a beach; which was definitely a fantasy because he'd never actually been to the ocean before. He wondered how soon he'd need to be ready because he still needed to buy some new swim trunks.

“On a haunted road trip!” Wes proclaimed. His eyes lit up at the exact same moment Jasper's clouded with confusion.

“What is it, JJ? Not what you expected?” As always, Wes could see right through him.

“I maybe imagined something with a little more sand and sunsets.”

“Sex on the beach?” Wes raised an inquisitive eyebrow and offered a wicked smirk.

Heat immediately rose to Jasper's cheeks, “Or, you know...swimming.”

Wes shrugged it off. “We have all summer to swim. I've already booked our stops. We're taking a little tour of our home-state and hitting up every haunted dive within driving distance this weekend! So you'd better run it by your parents ASAP.”

Jasper was definitely surprised but nothing about Wes' idea sounded the least bit romantic. “Let me re-frame this for you. We're finally getting a weekend alone together and every night we'll be focusing on ghosts?”

“I love ghosts. You love ghosts. What could be more perfect?” Wes looked at Jasper as though he'd traded bodies with someone else.

Dreams of underwater sexy-times and sandy beach bums immediately dissipated from Jasper's mind. They were now replaced by cheesy tourist attractions and haunted hotel rooms. At least there would still be a hotel room involved. Maybe. Hopefully. Perhaps Wes had planned for something romantic in there after all.

“It sounds perfect. I'll run it by them first thing in the morning,” Jasper agreed.

Sucked in by Wes' enthusiasm, Jasper leaned over to steal a kiss.

Triumphant, Wes hopped off the bricks. “We'd better head back inside before the others ask too many questions and find a way to turn this into a packed Mystery Machine adventure.”

Join Wes and Jasper on their next adventure September 9th!  Pre-orders are available now!

New Book + New Character

Don't worry.  This post is spoiler-free!

The Dead Oaks: Haunted Road Trip introduces a new character to the group of small town ghost-hunters: Tony Sandoval!

 “He's my dad's personal assistant.”

“And an intern at the local news station, HWCT. Wes says you're going to be investigating paranormal activity? Well, now you've got a professional cameraman to capture it all.” Tony patted a black nylon camera bag that hung off his shoulder.

“You look more like a bodyguard than a cameraman.” Jasper couldn't help but glance at the outlines of muscles that contoured Tony's skintight black athletic shirt.

Tony kept grinning. “Maybe that's why Mayor Shain hired me to protect his son.”

“Don't listen to him, JJ.” Wes leaned on the open passenger door. “Tony's sixty percent talk and forty percent hair gel.”

As stated, Tony Sandoval is an intern at Hazelwood's local news station and also works as Mayor Shain's (Wesley's father) personal assistant.  Upon the Mayor's insistence, he's delegated to chaperon the D.O.P.S. team on their haunted road trip.  While Wes, Jasper, and Liv are less than thrilled about the supervision, Tony may end up proving himself to be a valuable addition to the group.

 Wes quickly turned to Liv. She nodded and squinted at whatever came through for her on the screen. “There's an anomaly. I'd say it's about the height of a child.”

“You want to play?” Wes coaxed the spirit.

Tony interjected, “Please stop saying that.”

“Play...” the voice came through again.

Wes grinned.

“Hangman.” the voice said next.

Wes frowned.

“Maybe you should've listened to Tony,” Jasper said.

I can't wait for you to meet Tony and explore haunted Connecticut with D.O.P.S. when The Dead Oaks: Haunted Road Trip releases on September 9th, 2019!

PRE-ORDERS NOW AVAILABLE

ADD ON GOODREADS

Haunted Road Trip Cover Reveal + Release Date Announcement

Cover Reveal

THE DEAD OAKS

Book Three: Haunted Road Trip

Wesley Shain is college-bound for a life in the theater, just as everyone always expected. Lately, though, he's been thinking paranormal investigation is a better career path. He just needs one weekend to prove it.

A haunted road trip wasn't exactly the romantic getaway Jasper Jelinek had hoped for but with a few friends, ghostly frights, and one steamy summer night, it might turn out to be precisely what his relationship needed.

Available

September 9, 2019

Pre-Order Now

Add on Goodreads

The Dead Oaks Revisited + Info On Haunted Road Trip

On the edge of the quaint, historic town of Hazelwood, Connecticut lies a sprawling relic of dead trees that surround the woods.  A playground for wildlife, hikers, and--most recently--ghost hunters.  And it's basically Jasper Jelinek's backyard...

Welcome to The Dead Oaks!

We're hitching a ride on a haunted road trip with Jasper Jelinek and Wesley Shain!  I'll be revealing the cover for The Dead Oaks: Haunted Road Trip and announcing a release date sometime next week so keep an eye out!  Be sure to sign up for the newsletter on my website to see it before anyone else.

If you're already a fan of the series, you can look forward to:

💀 Haunted Inns
💀 Spooky Cemeteries
💀 Steamy Summer Nights
💀 Fights & Frights

If you're new to the series and curious to know what it's all about then here's a quick overview!

The Dead Oaks is a YA LGBTQ Paranormal novella series about a group of teenage ghost hunters.

Book One: Ghost Stories

Blurb:

Jasper Jelinek believes in ghosts. Probably more than he believes in himself. After living a life of relative solitude and misanthropy, he suddenly becomes saddled with some unexpected new friends. Their obsession with the paranormal forces them to face the thing they've been avoiding most: Life. Together they learn that there's more to being haunted than just ghost stories.

Where To Get It: Amazon

Book Two: Midnight Monsters

Blurb:

The Dead Oaks Paranormal Society finds themselves on their first official case. A haunted house seems like a promising place to capture conclusive evidence that the paranormal is real; but like all plans, nothing goes the way that they intend.

Unwanted tagalongs, misunderstandings, and a malicious not-so-ghostly entity all collide to put the strength of Jasper and Wesley's bond to the test. This monster hunting sleepover could end their team, and possibly their lives, faster than they'd come together.

Where To Get It: Amazon

Book Three: Haunted Road Trip will be dropping soon!  I'll post more sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes tidbits leading up to the release.

Until then, Happy Haunting and remember that it's always more fun if you bring a friend!

- Dez -

OUT NOW

HUNTER (ROAM, Book Two)

AMAZON | B&N | NSP

Signed Copies

LGBTQ Dreampunk series about a gay Sandman, his dapper bisexual occultist boyfriend, and scheming supernaturals determined to turn existence on its head.

Have any questions?  Ask Dez

The Dead Oaks: Where Jasper And Wes Go From Here

It's been eight months since the release of the second book, Midnight Monsters, in my YA Paranormal series, The Dead Oaks.  I haven't talked much about it over the past few months and I'm sure those of you that read it would like to know more.  So, here's what's happened since then and where it goes from here:

Midnight Monsters was self-published in June 2018 and although I've received a number of positive emails and messages about it, I still didn't see it gain much traction in sales.  I only have myself to blame for this as I was still a novice indie author (to be perfectly honest, I'm still learning so much about book marketing) and I didn't promote it like I should have.  I wasn't aware of possible venues for it at the time or that there are reviewers who will take on sequels without having had read the previous books.  Thankfully, I know of them now and will definitely reach out to them for future releases.  Another mistake that I feel I made was releasing it on Wattpad.  Wattpad is a great platform for YA and I wanted it to be available for readers that might not be in the position to purchase books like this themselves (i.e.- teens) and while I think that's still a great reason, perhaps I shouldn't have put the book in full on both platforms.  

Moving forward, I still have not made an official decision as to whether the rest of the series will strictly be a Wattpad series or if I will only release it on Kindle Unlimited.  There are pros and cons to both and I haven't had time to really weigh those yet.  However, if you personally have a preference then let me know!

As you've seen, I've been swept up in a very exciting time for me in publishing.  The first two novels in my ROAM series were picked up by NineStar Press!  ROAM was re-released this past October and HUNTER will be out in April.  I'm also currently working on the first draft of the third (and final) book in this series.  So, my writing life has mostly been filled with ROAM-related business.  This is why I haven't begun the third Dead Oaks book yet.

That being said, fear not!  I do plan to write it.  I have a general outline ready and as soon as I finish up the third ROAM book then I will begin working on it.  Ideally, I'd like to have it available for you by autumn of this year but if not, then at least by early 2020.  I will definitely keep you updated!  I love these characters so much and they continue to grow on me as they grow together.

As for any teaser bits, I can tell you this much:  
Roadtrip.  Cryptids.  Relationship Leveling-Up.

It will be worth the wait.  :)

Your Writerly Friend,
- Dez -

If you haven't read the first two Dead Oaks books yet, you can find them on Amazon and Wattpad.

- Be sure to stay updated with special announcements and new releases through my newsletter!  You can sign up on the main page of my website.
- If you're interested in my daily life, what I'm reading, and writerly musings, you can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

OUT NOW

Amazon | B&N | NSP

It's time to face your nightmares.

 

COMING SOON

- HUNTER (ROAM: Book Two), coming April 8, 2019 through NineStar Press.

Midnight Monsters & ROAM Meets Dreampunk

As you already know if you subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on social media, The Dead Oaks: Midnight Monsters is now available on both Amazon & Wattpad.  Huge thanks, love, and appreciation to everyone that has gotten a copy!  If you have a chance, please consider leaving a review either on Amazon or Goodreads.  Reviews help authors more than you know!  They increase our chances of reaching new readers and if you enjoy my stories then I hope you'll want to share them with others who might also like them.  :)

The first two chapters are currently available on Wattpad and a new chapter will be uploaded every Friday.  Or you can read the entire thing at once by purchasing on Amazon.  I won't do this with all of my books but it works best for YA titles such as this since some YA readers don't have the ability to purchase books on Amazon.

I hope you all have been doing well!  I've been posting all of my updates through my newsletter which has left this space a little barren.  So, my question is, what sort of content would you like to see here?  Would you like more behind the scenes and extras on my books and characters?  Would you prefer writing tips?  Would you like for me to obsess and rant about the paranormal in general?  All valid options.  Let me know if you have any preferences.

In other news, with the re-release of ROAM coming toward the end of this year, I've begun the process of delving back into the series and refreshing myself on my own dogma and taking many MANY notes.  I'm working on outlining the final book in the trilogy (Don't worry.  I still believe in prequels and spin-offs.) and I hope to begin writing it within the next month.  It's been a lot of fun to revisit these characters and to really sharpen my focus on how I approach the Dreampunk genre.  If you get a chance, I suggest reading this Dreampunk article by Cliff Jones Jr.  He's done an excellent job of documenting this ever-evolving genre; and if you scroll to the bottom, you can find me there with an interview!

Do you have any favorite Dreampunk stories?  

Have a great weekend & Happy Reading!

-Dez-

'The Dead Oaks: Midnight Monsters' Cover Reveal & Release Date

It's coming!  

The Dead Oaks - Book Two: Midnight Monsters will be released on Amazon on June 19th!

The Wattpad release date will be July 7th and it will be released in weekly chapter installments.

"The Dead Oaks Paranormal Society finds themselves on their first official case. A haunted house seems like a promising place to capture conclusive evidence that the paranormal is real; but like all plans, nothing goes the way that they intend.

Unwanted tagalongs, misunderstandings, and a malicious not-so-ghostly entity all collide to put the strength of Jasper and Wesley's bond to the test. This monster hunting sleepover could end their team, and possibly their lives, faster than they'd come together."

I'm thrilled to share the second novella in this YA M/M Paranormal series with you!  Obviously, I recommend reading it at midnight.  ;)