Since I recently posted a review that dealt with several of my friend Wm Michael Mott’s books earlier this week, I have gotten a lot of response from the paranormal community about his unique, insightful work. Therefore, after talking with Mike about it, I thought I’d provide a little more information about ways you can access his work and art (that’s right… in addition to writing and compiling vast tomes of knowledge and adventure, Mike illustrates his own work like the best of ‘em!).

First, for those of you who use Facebook, I recently joined my friend Mike Mott’s group Mottimorphic Musings: The Writing and Art of Wm. Michael Mott. Here, you can learn a good bit about more of Mike’s writing, that not only delves into hollow-earth mysteries and folklore the likes of Shaver’s Deros and Teros (discussed recently in the reviews I’ve written for this blog), but also content for which the Lovecraft fans out there will find a certain appeal also, much as I did, particularly in the Pulp Winds compilation (which apropriately features a slimy, writhing creature on the cover engaged in mortal combat with a sword-wielding adventurer).

Since it is obvious I receive a lot of personal enjoyment from Mike’s work, the spinner of great fascinating yarns himself took notice during our many recent correspondences, and this led to an offer from the man himself: “Micah, why don’t you judge a contest where folks submit essays about paranormal (also fun and hilarious) topics, and the winner(s) will receive free copies of my books?” In the past, subterranean mysteries and commentary I’ve provided on books and films that deal with this subject matter (namely The Descent) have evoked a strong response from readers, much like Mike’s work (what is it about underground mysteries that fascinates us so much?). Since Mike’s idea would allow a few of you to enjoy his work as I have, I thought Mike’s idea would be a great time had by all, especially since the topics for the essays we have cooked up are fun all by themselves. But before I get to that, let me turn it over to Mike Mott himself, just so you get it from the Horse’s Mouth:

Are you a Fortean, who’s been wanting to check out the legendary pages of Caverns, Cauldrons, and Concealed Creatures for some time?

Are you interested in the “Shaver Mystery,” and the strange claims of Richard S. Shaver, who believed he had evidence of not just ancient, pre-human civilizations, but of the surviving descendants of those civilizations, living in caverns beneath the earth?

Or do your interests run to pulp-style adventure, with the flavor of the works of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, and… Richard S. Shaver?

Perhaps you’re interested in complex yet fast-paced fantasy fiction, which is both satirical and ribald, and which will have you laughing out loud?

And are you just too cheap to buy a bunch of books all at once? After all, there’s so much free stuff to read on the web, who buys books anymore anyway, right?

Well, here’s your chance to make a haul, if you’re a budding, aspiring, or professional writer!

We’re giving away the following, to three lucky winners:

First Prize: One copy each of Caverns, Cauldrons, and Concealed Creatures; This Tragic Earth: the Art & World of Richard Sharpe Shaver; PULP WINDS: Pulse-Pounding Adventures in Fiction and Verse; and The Pulsifer Saga Omnibus Edition, comprised of two complete, and completely hilarious, fast-paced fantasy novels.

Second Prize: One copy each of any TWO of the above books, winner’s selection.

Third Prize: One copy of any ONE of the afore-mentioned tomes, winner’s selection.

So what do you have to do to score this motherload of prose, fiction and non-fiction, and/or verse? Well, show us your chops. Crank up your creativity!

Winners will be selected from essays written on the following topics, judged by none other than Micah Hanks, proprietor of The Gralien Report website and author of the new book, Magic, Mysticism, and the Molecule!

Essays must be 100 words or less, on one of the following topics:

1) Do you think UFO disclosure will occur in the US while Obama is in office? Why or why not, and do you believe that if it does occur it will represent a legitimate revelation, or a false-flag scenario?

2) Who are the top five celebrities or politicians you think are MOST LIKELY to be aliens, non-human imposters, or demonic spawn from the halls of Hades? Explain your rationale and your findings in great detail, but don’t step on David Icke’s toes as you don’t want to have to pay him royalties!

3) What is the best film that portrays Fortean or paranormal elements on the silver screen? (Be descriptive with your answers!) Explain why and in detail.

4) In your opinion, what cryptozoological creature is most likely to actually exist? Explain why you think this, and what you think is the best methodology to prove such existence.

5) Fiction writers often stumble into rather strange and supernatural circumstances, sometimes even predicting actual events in real life… BEFORE they occur! Give the best example of a novelist or literary icon whose work bears supernatural elements, whose written words predicted things to come, or who seemed to display some sort of uncanny insight into the unseen workings of our world or reality. Leave off Verne, Wells, and Orwell though–after all, we all know they were right!

6) Which genre of fiction has exhibited the greatest mutual exchange with Forteanism? Again be specific and detailed in presenting your hypothesis.

Essays should be sent to Micah Hanks at info@gralienreport.com, no later than Saturday, February 20th. He will then perform the august duty of Grand Poobah Judge and Dignitary of which essays are the best. Winners will also find their works posted on his website, gralienreport.com, and linked to or posted on mottimorphic.com, as well as on the Facebook group, Mottimorphic Musings. There may very well be honorable mentions as well, which might also find their works published online for the world to appreciate and admire. Participants must be 18 years old, and winners outside of the continental United States, if this occurs, will have to pay their own shipping and insurance costs for book delivery.

Thanks, and happy writing! We know that there are some really creative minds out there, and many writers waiting to show their stuff to the world, so here’s your chance!

So there you have it: winner takes all (and second and third place won’t do too badly, either)! Send in you submissions via email to info@gralienreport.com by one week from today (due by Saturday Feb 20th)… we’re looking forward to hearing from you!