I know I didn’t send a notice about Tipping Point: Escalation being published. Perhaps a bit of laziness on my part, so I apologize for that.  However, the second book of the Tipping Point series is now also out as an audiobook on Audible and Apple.  Mark Gagliardi again did a wonderful job of narrating and I’m thankful he remains available to narrate the books.

Now, as to what the future holds.  Sounds ominous, eh?  It’s not.  This series is definitely stretching to a third book and now it’s looking like a fourth may be necessary in order to finish the story.  My mind is pushing to expand the story beyond its original intent and I honestly can’t say just how many books will be in the series.  I’m not sure at this point whether I want to expand this story and put my ideas in another set of books, or to just make this series a larger one.  Right now, I’m leaning toward expanding Tipping Point.

I will say that branching out into another genre has been interesting to say the least.  In the realm of horror, apocalypse, or even science fiction, I’m able to just make stuff up to fill certain gaps or create an alternate reality.  This is not the case with military/political thrillers.  I swear there’s at least an hour of research for every hour of writing.  At one point, I almost gave up as I spent days looking up one thing or another without a single word being written down.  I did learn that military technology has not only dramatically advanced since I was in, but has come to the point that it’s almost a completely foreign environment for me.  There are still carriers, still fighters, still missiles and radar and everything I knew. But the way the integration and technology seems like a foreign language to me.  So, I had to catch up on all of the fun gadgets they get to play with nowadays.  In a way, it kind of made me feel a little nostalgic for the way things were done in my day.

So, I won’t keep you much longer.  At the moment, I feel like I might remain in the military thriller world, but there are unwritten parts of previous stories that need to be finished.  Red Team hasn’t come close to a conclusion and then there’s A New World which I’ve promised I’ll direct some attention toward.  So, I guess that’s a long, convoluted way of saying that I have no idea what I’ll do once I finish with Tipping Point.  I may toss a coin, read some tea leaves, consult the Oracle.

I want to thank you for the support you’ve given this new venture.  Tipping Point has exceeded all of my expectations and it wouldn’t happen without you.  So, although I’d love to shower you all with bills raining from the sky, I have these pesky bills to pay.  That means you’ll have to settle for my thanks.  I hope your year treats you well!

John

I haven’t updated much of anything in some time, so I figure it’s about time.  I have decided to venture off from my usual apocalypse genre and into the military/political thriller realm.  I’ve had the story in mind for quite some time, but the Covid pandemic provided the right catalyst to cement the tale in my head into action.  It was a daunting project to say the least as I haven’t been in the military for some time and technology has long-passed the knowledge I had.  Of course, a lot of things have pushed my knowledge out.  I swear some days that I’m only a step away from fading into a complete loss of memory.  But, that’s for another day…maybe.

So, this new writing is going to be a two-book series. The first one is already out in eBook and print editions with the narration nearly completed.  It’s been a fun ride so far, but the days of research have been long.  I hope those who have already read the first book are enjoying the story so far.  As with many of the other stories I’ve told, I was quite worried how this one would be received.  Especially as there are certain insinuations which some may not appreciate.  But, this is just a fictional tale without inclusion of any personal agenda or beliefs.  For me, it’s just a fun tale to write and my wish is that it’s taken in that context.  So far, the reviews have been favorable, so thank you for that.  If you’re on the fence about reading it, let me give you that little nudge to tip toward the side to go get a copy.

With regards to my writing world, I’m nearly two-thirds of the way through writing the rough draft of the second book in the series.  Once that is off into editing, providing the tale doesn’t take a third book to tell, then I’ll be getting back into the world of Jack and company.  Now, I don’t know yet whether that will take the form of Red Team or whether I’ll finally dive back into A New World.  I’m kind of feeling the characters in that universe pulling at me as they’ve been stuck in limbo for some time.  And, with the conclusion of A Shrouded World, I can entertain the thought of A New World once again.

Well, that’s about it for now.  I hope you all remain safe and healthy and thank you all for your tremendous support.

John

Red Team: Cartel Part Two is the fourth book in the series and was released on 11 December, 2020.  The audiobook process has begun but I don’t have a publication date as yet.  Look for it toward the middle to end of January, 2021.

Red Team continues their search for the two kidnapped DEA agents, systematically attempting to dismantle the cartel responsible. The agent’s location remains elusive, but Red Team continues the fight to force their release. The cartel digs in, but will they be able to halt the Red Team incursions?

While heading to a cartel location hidden in the mountains, Red Team runs into Strigoi of a different nature. The subsequent fight forces the team away and leaves Jack bleeding in the dirt with death hovering nearby. Will the team be able to extricate him in time?

I hope you enjoy the continuation of the series and that you’re having a wonderful end of 2020.  May you all have a wonderful holiday season!

John

Well, the first part of this year couldn’t have gone by much slower.  I think March had upward of three hundred days in that one month alone.  But now, it seems to have gained momentum and we’re rolling right along.  I’m afraid the next months will only have anywhere from ten to twelve days apiece. However, this is about where the books stand and not a discussion on time.  With that said, there’s not a whole lot of progress to reveal.  Book 8 of A Shrouded World has been finished and off to the editor.  This is the last book in that series, but perhaps not the last you’ll see of Jack and Mike.  We’ll see what the future holds.  All of the books in A Shrouded World that aren’t currently published are available for pre-order in all formats.

With A Shrouded World off my plate, I’ll be heading back to Red Team to finish Cartel Part Two.  I’m nearly ninety percent finished with completing that one and should have it ready for the editor here soon.  I’ll keep you updated on that progress.

Now, for upcoming projects. Once Red Team: Cartel Part Two is completed, I have another ambitious project I’ll be pursuing.  I’m not going to give out too much on that one at the moment, but it’s been crowding my limited brain space for some time now and I’m eager to get to it.  This will more than likely take me through the rest of the year depending on how fast my fingers can respond to the signals from my brain.  I may leak hints here and there, but it will be fun to write…at least, I hope so.  I have the same eager feeling as I had with Lifting the Veil.  There may also be a surprise regarding A New World once I’ve completed this upcoming project.

That’s about it for now.  Stay safe, healthy, and be kind to one another.

John

As the title says, Red Team: Cartel Part One has been released in audiobook form. At this time, it should be available on Audible and iTunes. Mark Gagliardi did yet another amazing job on the book, bringing the characters alive.

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Red-Team-Cartel-Part-One-Audiobook/B085ZP86VB

In other news, A Shrouded World: Bitfrost was released in all versions on 16 March. Hopefully those might tide you over while you’re stuck at home.

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3d65BiV
Nook: http://bit.ly/3d6TGle
iBooks: https://apple.co/2UeOCT1
KOBO: http://bit.ly/33uhydV
Audible: https://adbl.co/38USZrS

I’m currently working on book 8 of A Shrouded World and about ready to pass this one back to Mark. In addition, I’m about 90% of the way finished with Red Team: Cartel Part Two, which I’ll be working on again once I finish with this part of ASW 8. I’m going to keep all of this brief so that I can put words down on the stories.

One brief not on the current pandemic. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it into existence. Okay, I’m kidding, but the parallels with A New World are uncanny. I just hope we don’t end up with night runners on the back end of this. Stay safe!

John

The third book in the Red Team series, Red Team: Cartel Part One, has been released. It’s a continuation of the Red Team story which is an alternate timeline for the characters set in A New World.  The original thought was for the team to combat monsters so they didn’t enter the boundary of everyday lives.  That still holds true, but the tale has diverged to a degree.  In this, several smaller story arcs have materialized in the world that require Red Team’s attention.  These don’t exactly pertain to chasing down creatures, but the characters wanted them included.  So, this third book and the next one are partially dedicated to these story threads.  Sorry about them not being entirely focused on monsters.  But, there is a method to my madness and the team will get neck deep in them again. Not to give out spoilers, but this whole thing is leading down a slippery path, with clues here and there in the books which might allude to something more drastic occurring.

At the moment, the eBook is the only version out with the print book coming very soon.  For you audiophiles, it became a little delayed as Mark Gagliardi was busy with his acting career.  But, he’s on a break and currently narrating.  I expect for him to be finished toward the end of January for a mid-February release date.  Stay tuned for that.

In other news, A Shrouded World: Asabron, the fifth book in that series, was released on 24 December, 2019 in all versions.  The sixth book, A Shrouded World: Bitfrost, is completed and is out on pre-order for a 17 March, 2020 release date.  The seventh book, A Shrouded World: Hvelgermir, is half way finished – I just received it back from Mark Tufo – and is also available for pre-order.

That’s about it for news.  I hope you enjoy the new Red Team and that your New Year is starting off well.  Please leave a review if you’ve finished any of the books.  They’re important, not so much for the rankings, but so that I can grow as an author as well.

Kindle: Red Team: Cartel Part One
Kindle: A Shrouded World: Asabron

John

As the title indicates, there’s a lot going on in the world of writing. For starters, 5th book of A Shrouded World, A Shrouded World: Asabron, is out for pre-order and set to drop on 24 December, 2019. So, after shredding paper, getting too full, and the family settles down for a winter’s nap – or in the case of those south of the equator, a summer’s nap – you can kick back and take in the continued adventure of Mike Talbot and Jack Walker. And yes, Trip.

That’s not all, books 6 and 7, A Shrouded World: Bitfrost and A Shrouded World: Hvergelmir, are also out for pre-order. Bitfrost on 17 March and Hvergelmir on 16 June. The electronic, print, and audio versions of all three will drop on the same date. I’ll place the links at the bottom of this post.

Now, you’d think that would be it, right? No. I also have the 3rd book of Red Team, Red Team: Cartel Part One, out for pre-order. This one will drop 2 January, 2020. So, if you’re recovering from the New Year’s festivities, you can relax and catch up with Jack, Gonzalez, Lynn, Greg, McCafferty, Denton, and Henderson. The electronic and print version will be available on that date with the audio book following at an as yet undetermined time. I’ve contacted Mark Gagliardi and will have a more firm date for you soon.

I won’t give out any spoilers, but books 3 and 4 of Red Team are primarily focused on the Cartel. Yes, there are still creatures involved in the story, but I’ve taken these more along the lines of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six. As with many of the books, there are parts and people that crop up that weren’t part of the original concept. The story just took off in that direction and there’s not a thing I can do to stop it when it happens. After all, the characters write the story. I merely just put there thoughts and actions down and bring their tales of adventure into words.

Speaking of book 4, I’m nearing the halfway point through the rough draft of Red Team: Cartel Part Two. This one will wrap up the mini-story of the team’s involvement down south. In addition, it brings more to the front a different story arc I’ve only partially alluded to. That will be another mini-story within the entire arc of the tale. Not to worry, though. There will be monsters to chase down. I know where the characters are heading at the end of it all, but I can’t rush them to it.

Now, on Facebook, I’m in the midst of switching to an author page. I’ll still use my personal one, but I’m looking to transition to the page as it allows for a more immersive experience in my opinion. There are also two fan pages if you’d like to join them.

Facebook Author Page
Facebook Fan Page
Facebook Fan Spoiler Page

Pre-order links:
Red Team: Cartel Part One
On pre-order for 2 January, 2020
Kindle

A Shrouded World: Asabron
On pre-order for 24 December, 2019
Kindle
Audible

A Shrouded World: Bitfrost
On pre-order for 17 March, 2020
Kindle
Audible

A Shrouded World: Hvergelmire
On pre-order for 16 June, 2020
Kindle
Audible

So, that all makes for a busy holiday season.  I’ll be mostly buried down at my keyboard during the holidays, but if you celebrate them, I hope they’re a time of fun and family for you. I’ll see you on the other side. As always, thank you so much for all of the support you’ve given through they years.

John

So, I’m not very good at keeping things up to date and you have my apologies.  After working out, I’m usually right at the keyboard and all else goes to the wayside.  So, here’s where my writing world currently stands.

Yesterday, I sent the third book of Red Team off to the editor.  That will return to my mitts toward the end of November and will be published sometime in December.  ASW 5, A Shrouded World: Asabron has returned from the editor and handed over to be narrated.  That will take some time and I don’t have a publication date as yet.  ASW 6 is nearing completion.  It’s currently with Mark Tufo and he’ll be handing that back shortly for me to finish. Then, it’s off to the editor.  I’m hoping that will be back to us toward the end of November, but that’s just a guesstimate.

My next project will be to finish ASW 6 and then start on ASW 7.  When I hand that off to Mark, I’ll begin on the fourth Red Team book.  So, the end of the year promises to be busy.  Oh, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare comes out on the evening of the 24th, so that may occupy some of my time.

I want to thank you for all of your support through the years. If you’ve read through the books, I’d greatly appreciate it if you would go back and leave a review.  That’s about it and I hope your weekend treats you well!

John

At long last, the audio book for Red Team: Lycan has finally been released to audible.  It should also be in iTunes within the next day or two if it isn’t already there.  I do hope you enjoy the continuation of Red Team’s adventures and please leave a review when you finish.

I’ll provide an update on all of my other writing endeavors here soon.  I hope that you’re week is treating you well and that the upcoming weekend is an enjoyable one!

John

Red Team: Lycan on Audible

I’m a little late publishing this news, but the audiobook of Lifting the Veil: Risen is now available on audible and iTunes.  This is the fourth and concluding chapter in the series.

Following their emergence into a foreign and hostile land, survivors strive to cross the barren country, many intercepted by the darkness which has thundered out of the gates. Those who make it arrive either at the budding city striving to erect their once great nation or to the protected lands in the north.
Those in the valley are struck by the demonic riders which now roam the land. Will they survive this assault into their lands? Will they be able to halt the deadly invasions?
Those captured are taken to the gates of hell which have opened up, there to fuel the fires. Lucifer plans on opening the final gate, giving him the power to break through heaven’s gate. Alone on Earth while his brothers and sisters fight at their very gates, can Michael do anything to alter the outcome? And, what is it that Elohim has planned?

I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I liked writing it and I also hope that you’re having a wonderful weekend!

Lifting the Veil: Risen

John