Red Team: Strigoi published

Those monsters that kept you up at night as a child, the ones that made you pull the covers up to your chin while you stared into the dark corners and saw shadows move. Or pulled the blankets over your head and imagined creatures inching across your bedroom. Well, they’re real.

The Organization, as it’s called, is tasked with keeping the nightmares of myth and legend from invading the public eye. The group must be kept a secret along with the fact that the creatures exist. As civilization expands its boundaries, that undertaking becomes more difficult. A very few are selected to stand on the lines between humankind and the horrors lurking in the dark recesses of the world.

Follow Jack Walker and Red Team as they’re pulled into the shadows to combat creatures that once kept them awake at night.

Jack is back at long last. Granted, in a different story and situation, but he and the Red Team members are coming together for another series.  I missed writing about him and he’s never left my mind since finished A New World, coming back strongly since picking A Shrouded World up with Mark Tufo again.  Although I enjoy writing the other characters I have, especially Emily and Erin, Jack settles in perfectly.  I don’t have to fold into character per se when writing about him, he’s just there.  So, I hope you enjoy the first book in this new series.

In addition, I’m writing on a new book that kept me awake all night one evening as it flooded into and filled my few brain cells.  I am really enjoying writing this new story, which will probably be another stand-alone novel.  It all depends on where the story develops.  I will say that I’m a little worried about this next one as it may be a touch controversial to some, but it’s merely a story that came in one evening on the winds of summer filtering through my window.

The third book in the Shrouded World series is off being recorded for audio as I type this, the goal to release all versions of the book at the same time.  It’s expected to be completed toward the end of September or early October.  I have also written about a quarter of the fourth book in the same series and sent that off to Mark for him to do his parts to pass back this way.

ARES Virus: White Horse is in the final stages of audio production and should be finished by the end of the month.  Audible will take their two weeks for quality control and publish.

That’s about it.  I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

John

Before We Die

With the eclipse upon us and this one surely to kill us all, I thought I’d better send an update out. I guess so my mind isn’t full of rumblings when the wave of fire sweeps across the globe.  Now with that, there has been a little bit going on with more to come.  ARES Virus: Arctic Storm has been released on audio and is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.  Red Team: Strigoi, the first book in a new Jack series, is at the editor and should be back in my hands by the end of the month.  Then, it’s a read through and off for a short pre-order scheduling.  It should be published sometime in mid-September.  The third book of A Shrouded World should be ready somewhere toward the end of September, in all versions.   I’ll be pushing ahead with the recording of ARES Virus; White Horse here shortly and continuing down the line.

Of course, all of this is moot as we won’t be around to enjoy the stories, but there’s my update anyway.  I hope you’re having a great weekend and if you’re long the path of the eclipse, take care of your eyes.

John

The state of things

It’s been a busy time of late and I’m excited for the upcoming books.  A Shrouded World: Convergence, the third book in the series with Mark Tufo, is going through its final read through on both our parts and should be finished soon.  From there, it will go into audio production and be released in all versions sometime in September.  I’ve enjoyed writing on these books and we’re wanting to keep the series alive in some fashion.

Red Team: Strigoi is now at the editor where it will undergo a month-long transition into something readable.  The book should be back in my hands toward the end of the month where it will go through a final reading before slapping that publish button.  With this one, I’m going to create a pre-order which seems to be all the rave.  That will happen is September.  I really like this book, which should send shivers of doubt coursing down my back.  With each book so far, I’ve been worried, but with this one, I like how it turned out.  So, that is worrying me.

I’ve finally started turning the other titles into audio books.  ARES Virus: Arctic Storm is approximately 75% finished with the recording and mastering, so I anticipate the full book uploaded to Audible here very soon.  I’ll listen to it and then audible has to go through their testing.  I’m guessing that it will be available by the end of the month.  Once that has been completed, I’ll continue with the others in the series and then tackle The Third Wave: Eidolon.

So, there should be a few new titles and editions soon.  I want to thank you for all of your support as I’ve slowly crept back into the writing world.  If you’ve read through any of the latest releases and enjoyed them, would you mind heading over and dropping off a review for each one.  I’d greatly appreciate it and hope your week is treating you well.

John

Red Team Series

Well, Jack is back. Ever since picking up A Shrouded World and writing the third novel in that series, he’s been clamoring in my head. And, honestly, I miss writing him. Jack has more tales to be told, and Red Team is along with him. The Shrouded World series has opened the avenue for those stories to be told. As much as I enjoyed the characters of Sergeants Brown Jennings and Emily in ARES Virus, Sam and Erin and the others in Eidolon, Jack just resides deep within me. He’s a part of me, my brother, my uncle, my twin. He’s Jack and I’m able to connect with him, to know and understand him.

Now, with that said, it’s not easy to start a completely new world. Red Team is also back, but in a different light. They don’t share the warmth of close bonds as they’re meeting for the first time. Their relationships cannot be contrived, but slowly developed and nurtured over time. The bonds and trust have to be fashioned. So, don’t expect a plunge back into the middle of A New World. Jack and Lynn are also meeting for the first time, so what they had in the other series isn’t to be found in these initial pages. All of these relationships will develop as they walk along the razor’s edge of the world. And, as such, Robert, Nicole, and Brianna aren’t suddenly thrust into the sudden demise of the world, along with the turmoils and dangers the end brings. This won’t be a repeat of A New World – this will be a new tale.

The rough draft of the first book, Red Team: Strigoi, has been completed and is undergoing the first round of edits. I cannot even begin to explain how much I enjoy writing about Jack. He’s ingrained into my psyche and we know each other. I know his thoughts and he relates to mine. There is no character to develop as with the others, he’s just there. So, as such, when the book is out, I ask that you go into it with an open mind and not one with the idea of Red Team that was in the other series.

John

Red Team: Strigoi

Well, this new series is slowly progressing, mostly because I’ve created a creature that is damn hard to kill. The hard thing with this first book is bringing Red Team together for the first time and making it seem that way. The camaraderie they enjoyed in A New World has to slowly evolve. And, Lynn and Jack aren’t together…yet. 🙂 This will all mesh in later books. Also, Jack’s kids are just that, his kids while he heads off on assignments. So, who are the Red Team members you ask? Gonzalez, McCafferty, Henderson, Denton, Greg, and of course Jack. But…but Lynn? Don’t worry, she’s there as well.
 
At the moment, I’m sitting at nearly 74k words and only slowly progressing as I don’t know exactly how this ending is going to go. Normally, I have that in mind at this point in a book and the writing flows quickly to an ending. However, with that said, I’m actually hoping to wrap the rough draft up this coming week. And the book title will most likely be Red Team: Strigoi, so that should be a clue as to what lies inside the pages.
 
In other news, A Shrouded World should be back from the editor in about 2 1/2 weeks. Then, we go through the editing recommendations, finalize the cover, and go through it a final time. Expected completion and publication will be sometime around September, but that is dependent on a couple of other aspects.
I hope everyone is having an awesome weekend!
John

Time for Another Update

Well, Mark Tufo sent his part from the third book in the Shrouded World series back and I’ve been working on the final touches of the story this past week.  I absolutely enjoy writing in this world as there are few limits and our writing styles, although different, just mesh well together. I sent my copy back to Mark today for his final read through.  It will then be sent to me for my final read through and the editing phase will begin.  That will take about a month or so and the cover is being designed.  So, by all expectations, this should be ready for the electronic shelves by the end of July.

This has been an exceptional ride and I want to thank everyone for their support.  Mike, Trip and Jack were pulled into this strange world overwhelmed by creatures of all varieties.  While battling for their existence, they attempted to figure out how they could return to their home worlds and family.  Around every corner was a new obstacle and information fleeting about what transpired.  Things went south so quickly, no one sat down to write notes.  They had to figure things out as they went along, and still tromped across the landscape mostly clueless.  The third book, A Shrouded World: Convergence, works its way to a conclusion…kind of.  I won’t say anymore, but let you find out for yourselves.

So, while waiting for a final read through and while it’s then sent to the editors, I’ll be diving back into another world with Jack.  At the moment, I’m a little over 52k words into that story and have absolutely no idea where it’s going to go.  I have a long scene which I’ll be doing, but then, well, I suppose Jack will tell me what’s going to happen.  I’m kind of eager and worried about what that might be.   Now, you all know Red Team and Lynn from A New World, and they’re back in this one, but there are a few differences.  Jack is now a Somalian pirate with a kangaroo side kick….wait, wrong story.  The first book is Red Team coming together, so there isn’t the comraderie built up like in the series…just yet.  Oh, and Greg is there as part of Red Team, sooo, there’s that fun to look forward to.  There are several larger story arcs that will be a part of this series of books which will each culminate in their own way.

That’s about it for now.  I know there are some who are now saying, but what about book 11 in A New World.  I haven’t forgotten, and I will get back to that here soon.  But, these stories need to be told first so that my head isn’t crammed with all of this dialogue from characters shouting to be heard.  I want to also thank everyone for their support with the ARES Virus series and The Third Wave: Eidolon.  I’m more than thrilled with the responses from Eidolon.  It was a different kind of story that had me a bit worried, so I’m happy that it’s enjoyed so much.  If you wouldn’t mind taking the time to leave a review for each of the books, I’d be so grateful.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

John

The Third Wave: Eidolon Release

Well, the stand-alone book, The Third Wave: Eidolon, was released yesterday.  As much as I fought with the story, I very much enjoyed writing it.

In 2003, the largest recorded solar flare collided with Earth. The sensors measuring the solar storm were destroyed at an X28 rating, but it was determined later to be an X45 class flare. A satellite monitoring solar activity picks up something far surpassing that classification and on a collision course.

A solar storm, so strong that X classifications no longer apply, hits the CERN large hadron collider at the moment of particle collision, sending a quantum wave around the world. Souls are ripped from the over 7 billion people that are in its path, many immediately succumbing. Those remaining either feel nothing or are tormented by endless agony. Only a few escape its path.

Sam and his teenage daughter Erin return to the surface to find a very different world from the one they left. Stranded, they must adapt quickly or become one of the creatures that now roam the earth.

In the Middle East, a small team of soldiers may be the only ones left in a harsh environment overrun by creatures. With very few options and far from any refuge, they set out on a quest for help. Will the reapers hunt them down before they make it to the coast?

Commander Lawrence resurfaces after a successful deep dive test of the Navy’s new toy, only to find a transformed world. The floating derelicts of his escort vessels don’t begin to show the horrors of what he’ll find ashore.

I hope everyone is having an awesome weekend and thank you for all of your support!

John

The Third Wave: Eidolon

The manuscript is back from the editor and in the final reading.  The overall plan is to have it ready to go by this weekend, but it depends on how quickly I can get it done.  I really like the premise for this book’s beginning and the creatures that are created on account of it.  I have to admit that this was a difficult book to write.  Not so much because it didn’t flow, but I actually had to fight the story as it wanted to take off into a series and I didn’t want to go in that direction.  I think this is the first time that I’ve shut down that kind of thing.  The reason for doing so is that the direction it wanted to take was beginning to sound very much like another’s story and that just wasn’t going to do.  That’s one reason that I don’t generally read in the same genre.  I don’t want to subconsciously project someone else’s ideas into mine.

The overarching story is from three different perspectives during the downfall – battling creatures and surviving in three differing arenas of the world.  In the pages when its published, you’ll meet Sam and his daughter Erin, Sgt. Reynolds, and Commander Lawrence.

In other writings, I’m a third of the way through with the first book in a new series with Jack Walker, titled Red Team: Strigoi for now. Mark Tufo and I are half way through the third book in A Shrouded World which we are thinking of naming A Shrouded World: Convergence. I’m setting Red Team aside for the moment as I have ASW back from Mark and will be working on that one once The Third Wave is published.  I don’t know when ASW will be finished, but we are shooting for a September time frame.

I hope all is well with everyone and that your week is going well!

John

So, what’s next?

Well, with the three books of ARES Virus completed and my next book The Third Wave: Eidolon at the editor, I had to decide on which direction to go with regards to writing.  I heard whispers of Jack’s voice in my ear, so I began the third episode of his journey through A Shrouded World.  I’m nearing a quarter of the way finished and about ready to turn it over for Talbot’s turn to tell a part.  I have to admit that it’s nice talking with Jack again…I definitely missed him and hear the occasional whisper of Red Team from time to time.

While Mike and Trip are telling their stories, I may start on a short story that’s been threading its way through my head.  I’m not sure what I’ll begin working on once A Shrouded World and the short story are finished.  I may begin a new series with Jack and possibly Red Team or finally begin the 11th book of A New World.  Or, something new may pop up.

I expect The Third Wave: Eidolon to be ready in about a month to five weeks and am hoping to have A Shrouded World ready for the editor by then as well.  I know a few have been patiently waiting for the audio books of ARES Virus to be completed.  I apologize for the length of time that it has taken and hope to get it started soon.

I hope everyone’s week treats them well.

John

Next book is nearly there

Well, the next book has started the lovely editing process.  This one is a standalone book with a new set of creatures and adventure.  And, as with all of the others I’ve written, the story went a complete different direction than I originally intended.  No surprise there.  I wanted to create this world and story similar to the book and movie, The Road, but damn if the tale didn’t have ideas of its own.  I mean, after all, it is the story and therefore in control of what occurs.  I haven’t decided on a title for this one as yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know when I settle on one.  As of yet, I’m contemplating, The Third Wave: Eidolon.

This was an interesting book to write and I struggled with it throughout the writing.  We fought, we argued, we had discussions that left us panting and bleeding on the floor.  As I was drawing to an end, the story wanted an inclusion of an additional character I had been toying with.  Then, there was to be this struggle of light and dark that would go on for at least another book.  I, however, didn’t want that as I felt it would become too similar to The Stand.  I didn’t want the book to turn in that direction so, for one of the first times, I forced my wish into the story and turned it back to somewhat its original course.  Sitting here now with it in editing, I admit it would have been a fun story to go along with.  On the other hand, there was this nagging in my head that just didn’t feel right.  It could also have been a tumor growing, who knows.  Having finished the rough draft and written it the way I did, I’m fairly satisfied with how it came out.  Now, having said that, I’m never satisfied of any book and personally worry over each one, this one included.

With a lot of the books and series, I didn’t have an ending worked out until past the halfway point, then one slowly emerged.  I just sat and typed the story, at times wondering where it was going.  With this one, I had so many endings that I wasn’t sure how to proceed and spent many sleepless nights working through it.  All of a sudden, after one of our many bouts, the ending arrived with the singing of angels, trumpets, and an infusion of white light.  Or, perhaps that was just me coming back to consciousness.  Whatever.

One of the compromises reached during the story and my “conversations” was that the story would be extended, but not become a series.  In that light, the book in editing is a little longer than my usual ones, which means that the editing will take longer.  There’s more blood to bleed out.  I’m not sure when it will be ready to publish, but I’m guessing perhaps a month or so.  So, what’s next?  I currently have the third book of A Shrouded World with the first paragraph and some notes written, so that is in the works.  I’m also contemplating a short story that has been running through my head for some time that I may work on while Mark works on his end.  I know there have been a few calls for an 11th book in A New World, but I want to clear these other stories out before tackling that.

Oh, and here’s a teaser for you.  I have been wanting to bring Jack back in a new series…actually, more of a serial.  And, perhaps with Red Team.  I have to line up a few stories first, but the overall direction is taking shape.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend.  Stay safe.

John