All right, I’m posting this video out of obligation. Why? Because I’m obligated to do whatever small things I personally can to ensure the success of one of my absolute favorite authors, J.C. Hutchins.

If you’re into podcasts or podiobooks, odds are you’ve heard of him. His podiobook novel, 7th Son, was one of the hottest sensations in weekly serialized podcast fiction ever, reaching massive numbers of listeners, rave reviews, amazing guest voices for “The Story So Far,” events that stretched across unusual boundaries such as Second Life and street teams of dedicated fans promoting the book AFK, and that doesn’t even get into how damn good the novel (well, novels, as it was divided into three, driving his signature habit of making his fans feel “cliffhangered” to the extreme) really was. And damn was it good.

I have no interest here in recapping the novel for you, as I feel like anything I say about it will ruin each of the amazing surprises. I managed to go in late, yet still blind, so even the main plot was a surprise for me, making the reactions of the characters to the first big twist just as exciting for me. And every step after that was clever, drove me to the edge of my seat (which, btw, was dangerous since I was usually listening while commuting), and kept me listening for more. It just about took over my life for the couple of months I was listening to it, pushing all my other favorite podcasts to the side, and forcing me to sit in various parking lots after having reached my destination just so I could reach the end of the episode. It took me through a wide range of emotions, and I had to sit in my car long past the ending of the final novel to dry my eyes and regain my composure. Very few novelists have ever grabbed me that hard.

One thing that always had me sad, though, was that I didn’t get to be part of that phenomenon while it was fresh and ongoing. I came in after it had completed. I didn’t get the cliffhangering experience others did, and I didn’t get to join in the fun of promoting the novel with all the other fans (or Beta Clones). That always disappointed me.

But here we are with a new experience from Mr. Hutchins, and I think it’s something truly groundbreaking and exciting. And since I missed out on the last round, I feel obligated to be involved this time.

So, without further ado, I present the trailer for the new experience from J.C. Hutchins, Personal Effectis: Dark Art.

In a nutshell, if you didn’t piece it together, it’s a horror novel combined with an alternate reality game. The book includes various physical objects that go along with the story, such as files, ID cards, evidence, etc. These objects work as clues and contain information that not only goes along with the story, but more importantly, goes along with the game that plays out online, over the phone, etc. Now I’ve been assured by J.C. that this ARG is perfect for those of us who are either new to, or rusty at, ARGs (I haven’t played one since Majestic), as it’s an effort by the co-creator to bring new people into the genre with a more approachable concept.

So please, pre-order the book from Amazon (link is to J.C’.’s site so every penny goes to him), and start checking out the elements that are already in the wild. There’s a genuinely great blog from girl gamer PixelVixen707 that’s worth reading anyway for her great insights into gaming, completely ignoring the fact that her boyfriend (who she talks about on rare occasions) is one of the main characters in the novel. Or how about the site for the Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital, where said boyfriend works? And let’s not forget the kind, helpful people at the support forums, Back from the Brink, which accepted me as a registered member not too long ago…

Whatever you do, don’t miss out on this killer experience from one of the truly great minds in internet fiction. I can guarantee this will be one hell of a ride.