Author Interview with 

Isra Sravenheart 

Author of The Dark Spell Series

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I am currently working on a spin off to my up and coming Dark Spell series that will be completed in Feb/ March 2022. I won’t be revealing too much just yet but it does feature some of our main characters and some of the more unknown ones that have played a part in the prequels respectively when we do a time jump to when Isra was aged 17 onwards.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I didn’t specifically get it from any particular place or outlet but at the time I was in a bit of rut with my own life having been ghosted by a former partner and having already been interested in fairytales that type of genre for many years, I just started typing one September evening and that was the beginning fragments of what is now “Her Dark Soul”

Do you write in more than one genre?

Yes but mainly dark fantasy. However my first PNR “Forbidden Rendezvous with the Devil “ comes out in May 2022

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I’ve written a very prolific series with characters that readers love and are invested in where it’s been taken to all kinds of extremes. Themes include: Dark versus light, the darkness within oneself, own personal demons, forbidden love, tragic loss, heartbreak and has still remained popular.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

Probably my own self-reliance. 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I like coffee and cats. A lot. I also have a sense of humor. I don’t talk book land shop all day either. I am very partial to a good fantasy film or even a binge-worthy series on Netflix. 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

My publicist Michael Evan is extremely prolific and churns out a lot of great work. He does more writing than me and is very disciplined while still producing quality. 

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Kissing Darkness. Dark Spell #5, it’s the climatic novel out of the prequels and I would say the most deep one in terms of our four main characters, Isra, Astrid, Everilda and Samuel.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

The best decision I made that has benefited my writing was self publishing via a vanity publisher the first time around because I learned so much about the industry that I may not have done without doing that. 

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

Why aren’t there enough cats in the world? Cats are cool.

Do you have a catchphrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

It is what it is. Simple but punchy. Let things go, move on. Don’t allow yourself to be dragged down by negativity. Sometimes we have things happen that aren’t so great but we can choose not to be dragged down by those circumstances to a point whereby we may not be happy at all and constantly stewing in that mindset. And another I like, if it’s meant to be it will be. Don’t sweat it.

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Thanks to Isra for participating.

Before I go any further, here's where you can get a free copy of In Death Bedrenched, the prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series -- On StoryOrigin.

Or, if you prefer--On BookCave.

This wasn't a week for an author interview. That was supposed to be next week, but I forgot--and I wasn't prepared to churn out a witty or thought-provoking piece.

With In Death Bedrenched launched--and one of my advance readers has already posted a review on Amazon--I've been free to resume writing book 5 of the series. It's a pleasure to get back to my friends in the series. Charles and Antonio are in adventures on land and sea; Alex and Lucette face serious difficulties and intrigue on multiple fronts; Atu and Iago have sought out former acquaintances which bring them new complications; and the dragon hunters must grapple with the corrupting influence of unbridled power in their midst.

Author Interview 

with Frederick Key 

Author of: McMann & Duck: Private Investigators, 

Larry and the Mascots, Cobalt Agonistes, and more

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

Last year I completed a mystery novel entitled McMann & Duck: Private Investigators. It takes place in 1951 in a small Texas town. As I write this I am polishing up the outline for a sequel that takes place eight years later. I became so interested in the main character, a World War II army vet, that I envisioned a series of mystery novels about him because I enjoyed his company so much, and much about him remains secret. We don’t have much in common, however, although we are both usually polite.

As to whether he will survive these books, well, that remains to be seen.

 

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

A boring meeting. I am an inveterate doodler. I doodled my way through school. I had college notebooks that looked like the walls of pyramid chamber. One day I was in a dull meeting and I started to sketch, and a man in a suit and fedora looked back at me, smoking a cigarette. By his side was a duck. I wondered who they were, and off I went. C. S. Lewis famously started Narnia with a vision of the lamppost and a faun under it in the snow, and this kind of struck me the same way.

 

Do you write in more than one genre?

Yes. I’ve written mostly mysteries, but also contemporary fantasy novels. Larry and the Mascots, where a college student meets a crew of living advertising mascots, and I’ve Got This, a middle-grade book about a boy with an unusual superpower, fall into that category.  Cobalt Agonistes, which is half-drama, half-comic book story, runs along those lines as well.

My two MacFinster books are comedies, but they have elements of crime fiction because crime is a great plot driver. It’s why so many of Wodehouse’s stories have (usually comical) felons about.

 

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

To my personal credit and professional detriment, I have never been able to go along with the zeitgeist. Often it’s just my own orneriness; the music I hated in college, for example, I like now, because now it is painted it over with nostalgia. On the other hand, it has saved me from following more people off intellectual and artistic cliffs. A thousand people doing a stupid thing doesn’t make it a smart thing. Doing something of worth (as I hope readers will find in my work) means I didn’t go off a cliff following the fads and formulas I see elsewhere.

 

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I struggled with a lot of things in my early adulthood that had to be discarded down the line—paganism, atheism, alcohol abuse. I can’t say I was born again in the common sense, only because to me that always meant a lightning-bolt like experience—if only! I still struggle with faith, because I was not raised in a religious home and it’s always a second language to me. I also think that like all Christians, the faith itself is like a second language—who wants to be humble, who wants to forgive those who hate you? I hope that my actions and thoughts are informed by my faith today.

Of course my personal experience features in one way or another in all my writing, but in a practical sense, I think my attempts at humility get me to try to be more concise. Brevity is the soul of wit, after all, and I never want to be a dull writer. The reader’s interest is paramount.

You wouldn’t know concision was important to me based on my answers to your questions, however.

 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

Like most writers, I became a dedicated reader from childhood—big fan of comic books and the Hardy Boys mysteries, later classic pulp fiction characters like the Shadow and the Avenger—and my entire professional career came from that. I’ve worked behind the scenes for decades at book and magazine publishers. I grew up in the friendly confines of New York City—from my bedroom window I could see cars go by on the highway all day and all night. I have two enormously hairy dogs who have confounded the best vacuum cleaners money can buy. And I blog daily at vitaminfred.blogspot.com.

While I hope readers will visit my blog, I mention it here because it began as a discipline, to make sure I wrote or drew something creative every day. As they say, writers write; they don’t sit around talking about writing. Putting the onus on myself to produce something I hope people will enjoy every day, be it writing or a cartoon, is a great motivator.

 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

In high school I discovered a huge book of the short stories of Henry Kuttner, a science fiction writer in the 1950s who died much too young. Kuttner was incredibly inventive and prolific. There are few books I have ever enjoyed as much as that one. Science fiction dates terribly, and its stars fade quickly, which is a shame.

 

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Like most authors, the book I think is my best is whatever I just finished. So as of today it would be McMann & Duck.

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

I mentioned earlier that I was a fan of the Hardy Boys books when I was a child. The first one I got was in a Christmas grab bag event, and I was hugely disappointed. Tried to swap it with something else, anything else—a Slinky, a pack of gum, whatever—but there were no takers. So one day I just sat down and read the damn thing.

It sounds stupid, but my whole love of reading, and thus wanting to write, came from that incident—that some parent was boring enough to put a book in a school gift grab bag. Go figure.

 

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

“May I pay you fifty million dollars for the rights to make your book into a movie?” would be a pretty good one. Failing that, I would like to be asked, “How much of what you write comes from reality?” because I would like to say “None of it, and all of it,” because it sounds pithy and Wildean. So no one ever asks me that.

 

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

Today it is “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C. S. Lewis again.

It reminds me that pride is the king of the sins, and most to be avoided. All the other sins come from telling myself that I Know Best and I Deserve More.

If you ask me that question tomorrow, I would probably have a different quote. This is why I can never get a tattoo.

Thank you for asking me to participate in your authors’ profile series! 

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You're Welcome Fred.

I can't let this pass without mention: As I write this I am polishing up the outline for a sequel that takes place eight years later. I became so interested in the main character, a World War II army vet, that I envisioned a series of mystery novels about him because I enjoyed his company so much, and much about him remains secret.

Bizarre coincidence, the protagonist in my noir detective novel SMOKE is a WWII veteran. I enjoyed writing the book because I enjoyed the character. My wife and other readers want another book featuring him and his assistant Pip. In the last few weeks I came up with scraps of his backstory about what he was doing in the war. Naturally, the character and I have some common interests, so I'll include at least one in his story -- I included this about the matter in my most recent newsletter: If the path I'm following works out, I should be able to do a series of stories about his war experiences. I'll try to outline a few different stories before I step into that harness and begin plowing lines of text.

In other writing news, I've completed In Death Bedrenched, the prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series. A free ecopy is available here simply for signing up for my newsletter.

And also here if you prefer to checkout BookCave.

I should have the paperback available on Amazon by the end of the week.

My advance readers gave me great feedback. They really contributed to making it a better novella, and have taken it upon themselves to read on in the series. Here's what they've shared with me:

"I'm currently reading 'Threading the Rude Eye' and thoroughly enjoying it...I'm glad you chose to write 'In Death Bedrenched' as I now see how it sets the scene for the rest of your series by introducing and providing background for certain characters... I'm so loving Threading the Rude Eye that I'll have to get straight into the next one as soon as this is finished ! (How quickly can you write as once I latch on to a series I will read it all..."

"Love the Gryphon Jousting in "Power To Hurt" - fantastic!"

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I had been getting the run-around on a new clutch cable for the f650. The cable was supposed to be here 2 weeks ago, allegedly coming out of California. Fortunately, the local motorcycle repair guy knew another local guy with a couple f650s who was willing to let me borrow a cable until the new one arrives. I did the temporary replacement yesterday and made a quick test drive. SWEET!

Happy Father's Day!

 A picture is worth a thousand words, so here's a picture:

It may have nothing to do with what I'm about to write, but at least you've got the thousand words you came for.  Then again, it could have everything to do with the where this post is going. I don't know.

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“When a population is dependent on a machine, they are hostages of the men who tend the machines." -- Heinlein

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I'm pleased to announce that In Death Bedrenched has been thoroughly slashed, hammered, bent, welded, and formed into a presentable novella. A crack team of readers has completed the attack upon the early iteration, and it has come away stronger, faster, better than before--and it didn't cost six million dollars. I still have a cover to complete and some minor interior matters to address before it becomes available in paperback for the general public, and as a free ebook for my newsletter subscribers. The time draws near. 

I'm particularly pleased with the way some of the back story developed. I wrote this prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series primarily to address how the commander acquired his mysterious power and how Lucette came to possess the map to Cartier's cache. I got to delve into the commander's history and the native legends concerning the dragon stones. Lucette's background included more information about her father and what she did before coming to America. I enjoyed her story more, even though it's a terribly sad affair with a high body count. Of course, with a title like In Death Bedrenched, one must expect a casualty or twelve.

Lucette's method of obtaining the map challenged me. I think readers will enjoy the puzzle and chase aspect of her story. Her intelligence and courage prevail in ways that add to and are consistent with the character as she develops in the rest of the series.

The final chapter of the novella is unrelated to the immediate story of Lucette and the commander, and introduces two exciting characters of critical importance to the story. It's a teaser for the exhilarating adventure to come.

I had wanted to call the prequel "Crimson Tempest" based on a line from Shakespeare's Richard II. At least one other book had already taken that title, so I took "bedrenched" from the same line, and added the less poetic "In Death." Astute readers may note that the commander quotes other parts of that line at different times in the novella. One of my advance readers wanted to correct Shakespeare's line, but I decided to let the bard's words remain in all their iambic glory.  Another reader offered special kudos for one of the usages.

Here's the description of In Death Bedrenched:

Ulf Thorsen and Lucette Lagardere are set upon a collision course. The descendant of Viking settlers in the New World, Ulf has grasped unfettered power and found that he likes the feel of bending men to his will. His path to preeminence takes him to France in search of Cartier's map to a secret cache of power -- of magic. Lucette is a girl whose land is under attack from all sides. Her family may possess one part of a secret that could be the key to her country's deliverance. Driven from her home, she struggles to solve the mystery while fighting the English invaders. Can she find the map before the dark commander seizes it? Their journeys will leave a crimson trail across the green fields of France, and lead them in death bedrenched to the opening pages of the exciting Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series.

It is such crimson tempest should bedrehe fresh green lap of fair King Richard’s land,
My stooping duty tenderly shall show.
Go signify as much while here we march
Upon the grassy carpet of this plain.There were other books that had already taken that title, so 

 

Author Interview with 

Tahani Nelson 

Author of The Faoii Chronicles 

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I’m currently working on polishing an omnibus for the Faoii Chronicles. It’ll be really nice to finally provide the entire series in a single ebook file for readers!

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

The Faoii Chronicles originally started out as a dream. I woke up one night at 2 a.m., wrote what has since become the first three chapters of book 1, and went back to sleep. The next day, the story still called to me, so I kept going. I never would have guessed in those early days how far it would go, or how many people would love it. It’s been an amazing journey.

Do you write in more than one genre?

So far I’ve mostly stuck to fantasy, but I have a science fiction short story called “Honeysuckle Sky” available that’s won several accolades. Now that the Faoii Chronicles are finished, I have a lot of freedom. I think I’ll try my hand at horror in the future.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I started out writing all the heroines that young me searched for and couldn’t find. I wanted women leading armies and wearing armor that covered all of their body parts and whose entire identity or aspirations didn’t change when they met a guy halfway through act two. And, as it turns out, I wasn’t the only person looking for that. The Faoii Chronicles offer a lot to the fantasy genre, and I’ve built an entire army of people who were looking for something worthy.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

While never intentional, my readers have pointed out many times that politics and societal issues make their ways into my novels, and that the things I stand for in real life are often things that my protagonists stand for in their respective worlds. It’s never the main part of the story, and like I said, it’s never intentional, but I think the things that are important to us always bleed into the things we create, as well.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I wear armor to all of my signings, readings, and events. So even if you never read my books, chances are you’re going to remember seeing me.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

Kaytalin Platt is a phenomenal fantasy author who I respect greatly. Definitely check out her series The Equitas if you haven’t already.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

While all of the books can technically be read as standalones, I think The Last Faoii does a wonderful job of introducing the world and people of Imeriel, and the war fought there affects every other story. Also, I’ll always be a fan of reading series in order.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

There have been several. I had a 1-star review go viral in a way that I never would have expected and that really put me in the front of a lot of readers. I also had an armor photoshoot go viral under similar circumstances and that gave me a chance to stand unapologetically in front of the entire world, which became the cornerstone of the Faoii brand. Also, having Sara Morsey as my audiobook narrator has opened so many doors in the audiobook community. I can’t really point to one single thing that led to my success. I’m incredibly lucky and grateful for every person or falling puzzle piece that got me this far.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

I created an entire language for the Faoii Chronicles and then only ended up using 6 words in the books themselves. I don’t regret making that decision, because it’s better for my readers overall, but sometime I wish that other language nerds would sit down with me so we can really talk about how much fun that entire project was.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

I end all of my messages or posts to the Faoii Army with “Shields Up!” I don’t even really know where it started, but it’s become our battle cry. Everyone in my circles uses it now, and it really makes us feel like something real. Nothing is more inspiring than when you’re having a bad day and someone ends their message with that little “Shields Up!” we all use to support each other now.

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Thanks to Tahani for participating in the interview. You can find her books on Amazon.

I am currently about a third of the way through, or less, on the final (or nearly final) edit of In Death Bedrenched. My team of Skirmishers has advanced into the fray with suggestions and criticisms that will make the book even better.

 Survival Drinking

I've suffered from a debilitating affliction in recent times, and as a result the time I have spent writing has been limited. I'm not sure as to the cause of this disorder. One theory holds that chemicals may be the cause. Not long ago, I picked up a case of Flamin' Hot Mountain Dew. I remain ignorant of the composition of the substance within the gaudy cans, but I would wager that it consists of some chemical melange. (On a different note, don't you think melange looks like one of those names some parents create by jamming together parts of different names--like they put together Melody and Angie and came away with Melange?)

Anyway, when I cracked open the first can, a peculiar fragrance tickled my nostrils--if tickled is interpreted to include a violent thrashing with a pine bough. Nevertheless, I was intrigued. I knew this drink was not the average soft drink when I took the first mouthful.The taste was not unpleasant. I liked it. First there's the flavor, and then there is the experience. To paraphrase a certain son of Gondor, "One doesn't simply drink Flamin' Hot Mountain Dew," one must experience it.

The flavor is akin to Orange Crush with a vague suggestion of something picante. The experience arrives when the concoction contacts the back of the mouth--as it often does when one attempts to swallow the liquid mystery. The beverage washes back like a gentle, orange-flavored tide--containing a spiny sea urchin and two enraged lionfish. The urchin and lionsfish plunge their deadly weaponry into the soft and tender flesh at the rear of my mouth. The deadly attack--for it can be nothing but a violent, premeditated attack upon the most vulnerable portion of the oral cavity--compels a reaction. My reaction was a violent coughing fit which spewed dew across the expanse of my desk and beyond. 

I must surmise that the chemical compound, the mysterious melange, had become a living substance and sought to escape by murdering the would-be consumer. Notwithstanding the fact that a prudent man would have ceased consumption at that point, I became more determined to prove my mastery over the liquid. The first few trials concluded in the same manner as the first. However, each time, finding that I was still alive, and that more beverage remained, I persevered. By the time the can was half-empty my fortitude began to pay off. My body had become immune to the vociferous attacks. I drank the rest of the contents with pleasure.

I presume that you can guess what I did with the rest of the cans in the case. I drank them--and bought 4 more cases. Any drink that makes me feel like I've just won a fight for survival is a winner for me. Seriously, I did. Flamin' Hot makes a great mixer with pineapple coconut Body Armor and the Exposed Aloe drink. I must admit that the three-beverage mixture lacks the deadly attack of the straight stuff, but I relish it.

So how could this duel with the Dew be the cause of my affliction? I don't know; it's just a theory. Nevertheless, the malady has motivated me to fix the dryer (twice--which is another tale), spray weeds, install a new battery in the motorcycle, change the oil, change the coolant, repair a pipe, and cut my hair--all in a window of a few days, and the account of any one of which would make for an entertaining blog post (except for the hair cut, there's no story there). I guess near-death experiences can change a person.

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I expect to begin the final round of editing on In Death Bedrenched next week. I have a few super, advance readers who are finishing their editorial recommendations.

I've also had an idea that may be another novel or a series of short stories featuring the protagonist from my noir detective novel Smoke. Of course, I still have to finish book 5 in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series before I can start writing that one -- but that doesn't mean I can't do research for it.

 

Author Interview with 

Crystal Cherie 

Author of The Divine Houses series 

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

My current WIP is book 2 of my newest, Modern Fantasy series, The Divine Houses. After everything that’s happened in book 1, Robin thought life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're only half human, your best friend is dead, and you can suddenly control the power of life and death? I’m really excited for this particular book, and I like the series a little more with each book that I write.

(I note that since Crystal responded to this interview in October 2021, she has completed book 2 and is working on book 3)

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I got the idea for the series based on a character I had dreamed up in my head for a while. I also combined a couple of my favorite fiction worlds: Harry Potter and Sailor Moon. I’d always wanted to write a story involving both magical realism and celestial things, because they both felt like good escapes for me.

Do you write in more than one genre?

I absolutely do, although most of my work falls in either the Fantasy or Paranormal genres.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I think my stories have the added advantage of being written by someone who has been through some pretty uncommon, pretty hard things in real life. Therefore, I’m able to write things from a more realistic perspective that most people haven’t had to see—but can still relate to.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

Lots of things! My writing is cathartic, and I use it to “purge” from the hard things I’ve had to face in life. Most of my readers will see a lot of things about death in my writing, and that’s because I’ve dealt with a lot of death. I don’t tend to write about abuse as often, though—even having been through it. I don’t think I’m to the point where I can write about that just yet.

Still, I do think a lot of my personality shows up in my writing through voice. I tend to do stream of consciousness at times, and that’s more a reflection of how I handle my somewhat neurodivergent thinking.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

Helpful to know about me? I’m not sure. But I’m a thirty-something human being who put a lot of time, energy, and education into doing what I love better. I love sweet tea and cats and dogs. I like niche things that are hard to get just right—like the perfect shade of mint, evenings, and fall. There’s no such thing as a “cookie-cutter” life. Real life has jagged edges, and I like to try and mimic that in my works.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

I’m not sure if she counts as underrated, but I don’t often hear people talking about her. So, I’ll suggest Jude Watson (Judy Blundell). Premonitions was the first novel I ever “binged”. I stayed up reading all night, and it was truly the first time I fell in love with the craft of writing.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

I recommend House of Pluto most, because with it being my newest book, I feel it’s the most well written. I love all of my stories and their characters, but I feel we only grow as time passes. There are techniques I know now that I didn’t know then. It makes for a better story.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

I think getting my publicist, Michael Evan, has helped me tremendously. Investing in my writing has opened new doors for me and pushed me to continue writing things I might never have finished otherwise.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

I wish people would ask more about music and writing. I often put the two hand-in-hand, and I always have something I’m listening to for each book, sometimes for each chapter.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

I’m fond of this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“The gods we worship write their names on our faces; be sure of that. And a man will worship something... That which dominates will determine his life and character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping, we are becoming.”

I pick this one, because out of all the quotes and clever sayings I’ve seen over the years, this one is the most profound to me—the truest to mankind. If we’re claimed by what we worship, then who has us?

Here's a link to Crystal's Website

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Thanks to Crystal for participating.

In my own writing, I have finished In Death Bedrenched -- finished in the sense that I have it out for review and criticism. My active newsletter subscribers have the secret link to access the book for those purposes. Everyone else can checkout the draft of the first chapter at my website here.

In Death Bedrenched is a prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series. Book 5 of that series is currently in progress. What is the series about? Excellent question. Let me ramble. Suppose there were dragons in the new world, but they mysteriously departed to the western mountains in the early 1600s. Much of the settlement of the New World went in the manner of our own history. Add the Vikings who established at least one lasting settlement on the St. Lawrence. The natives remain formidable adversaries but have a history which includes dragons. It's 1775 and the dragons have returned. The American colonists fight for liberty. Opportunists struggle for the power offered by the dragons. The natives are beset on all sides, and some are under the control of dragons. 

A legendary cache of dragon magic and the map to its location is at the center of Threading the Rude Eye, the first book in the series. Alex and Lucette, and the dragon hunters must thread the rude eye of rebellion as their course, or rather flight from the dark commander who already wields a wad of the dragon magic, takes them into the maelstrom of the revolution and the battle of Bunker Hill. 

In Book 2, Power to Hurt, a whole lot of hurting takes place as the setting for some of the heroes has moved into the wilderness where the natives and the dragons serve party invitations--for parties with no survivors (think "Hotel California" meets Last of the Mohicans). Fortunately, Lucette has found allies--or has she? The dark commander may not be the most pressing problem for our heroes. Rip and Antonio have a secret mission to rescue Washington.

In Book 3, Clamorous Harbingers, Alex's decisions take a toll upon him and those he holds dear. An adversary who may prove unstoppable forces Alex to the breaking point. The race for the cache draws villains and heroes alike. The climactic clash could determine the future of the continent. Everyone involved will be forever changed by the result.

In Book 4, Promise of Carnage and Flame, the aftermath of the great clash, and personal secrets divide the adventurers, The tide of war has turned against the patriots. Alex is forced to make unthinkable choices, the consequences of which will burden him like a millstone. The misfits, Iago and Atu, discover a new people--in the same sense that a captive discovers his captors. The diminutive Iago faces dangers of more than one kind on the way to a new destiny. Another hero pays a tremendous price to achieve something that is worth even that great price.

As for Book 5 (in progress and not yet titled), I can only say that this may be the most exciting entry in the series so far.

The series' biggest fan did tell me today that he also wants a sequel to The Shrinking Zone, and of course, he wants Book 5 ready as soon as possible, and he's anxious to get his hands on In Death Bedrenched. I love it when fans want more. It's a win-win.

 

It wasn't 1814, but I took a little trip along with my wife down the mighty freeway.

We didn't take bacon and we didn't take beans, and we caught our daughter in a town that wasn't New Orleans.

We had a delightful time with the daughter as she made an important life-step with the assistance of some awesome folks. On the way home, we almost witnessed a freeway crash. A short distance ahead of our car was a big white truck--like a furniture truck. We were slowly gaining on the truck. A lone male driving an older white car came roaring up on our tail and passed us. Our car was a few seconds away from the point when I would move over to start my own maneuver. 

The old white car, instead of continuing on to pass the truck, jerked back toward the right lane. With two wheels, and half the car over the dotted line, and the odometer on his life expectancy rapidly clicking toward termination, the driver must have looked up or otherwise realized that he was about to adopt the rear end of the truck as his headstone. He swerved back to the left, hit the brakes, and dropped in behind the truck.

I passed both vehicles. The old car took the next exit. I suspect the driver had some clean up to take care of.

Of course we had more nice experiences--like planting peppers and tomatoes with the mighty fisherman of a previous epic entry, moving "organ toppers" with fisherman's spawn, hiking among the red rock, and eating at a variety of places with daughter--but I don't have the inclination to tell about that. So here's a picture of some ornamentation from a park.

On the writing front: I'm still looking for recruits for my Skirmishers. Sign-up by clicking on the Newsletter tab at the top of the page and responding to the call in my newsletter. In Death Bedrenched is about to go out to the Skirmishers, my advance readers, so don't delay. 

I''m pleased to have a couple more book ideas on which I'm anxious to start. One, will be a weekly project about a warrior-king. The other involves the moon, and will have to wait until book 5 in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series is finished later this year. The moon idea will continue to incubate until then--or I'll forget about it. The idea came to me while reading this:

As for the book itself, I think it's standard Heinlein. The heroes are competent (or trying to become so), driven men who will not be dissuaded from their goal. They overcome long odds and the voices of dissent. I was struck by the lack of descriptive detail in both tales. I try to run my descriptions on the lean side so that the movie in the reader's head can color the unimportant and supporting details according to their whim, but in these novels description was almost non-existent. Powerful story-telling eschews descriptions of every blade of grass, every cloud, every dish on the table, every speck on the wall, and, most importantly, every thread of women's clothing. Although I might have preferred more description in these tales, I would rather a piece of fiction suffer from too little rather than too much description. I feel the same way about commas--unless, I've, chosen, to make, a foray, into Shatner land.

Lastly, I've completed my vidangel watch of Outer Range. I started with high hopes. By the end, I was pretty "meh." The main problem with the show is that everyone is insane. There are no normal people in this show. Everyone makes stupid decisions, and compounds the problems with more stupid decisions and rash actions. I don't know if I'll even care by the time another season comes out, if it ever does.