In writing a novel, my first priority is to weave a compelling story with interesting characters with fun twists and solid jokes amid the action. The theme emerges eventually, it does not come first. Now that I’ve written several apocalyptic books, here’s what came out of the subtext of the following works:
This Plague of Days: The right person in the right place at the right time can make all the difference in the world and the two most powerful words are “Begin again.”
Life’s not fair. It’s our job to make it that way.Â
In an eerily familiar near-future, America has fallen to fascism. Citizenship is attainable only through military service or immense wealth. The Resistance is broke and broken. Amid this dystopian landscape, New Atlanta has become a fortress reserved for the billionaire elite.Â
Hopes to save the nation have faded but Kismet Beatriz remains defiant. The intrepid young survivor embarks on a desperate mission to storm the castle of the Select Few. To win, she must face the future without flinching.
Don’t hope. Do.
CITIZEN SECOND CLASSÂ WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER.
As I prepare Citizen Second Class for publication, one of the themes that emerged was: Life’s not fair. It’s up to us to make it that way.Here’s our chance.
Ryder is the grandchild of one of my most cherished readers, a fan who supported my work from early on. This sweet little girl lent her name to a character in Fierce Lessons. She’s eight years old and she’s been diagnosed with cancer. Needless to say, we are in shock. This sucks. Let’s ease some stress and help Ryder kick cancer’s ass.
Whether your love is crime thrillers or doomsday sci-fi, I have something to entertain you.
Sometime Soon Somewhere Close allows you to enter the minds of several criminals in this collection of dark crimes. Some will succeed. Some will fail. They’re all interesting, though I have a special affinity for the tales of revenge. Free now!
Explore several compelling doomsday scenarios in All Empires Fall. How do you think the end of the world will come? Meteor strike? Pandemic? Check out these possibilities, choose your hero, and see if your avatar survives.
Both these books are free for you right now (but the giveaway won’t last long). Grab your ebooks now!
The Night Man is on sale now for just 99¢ (briefly, so hurry.)
Easy thought his war was over. When his father is kidnapped, a dirty cop pulls Easy back into what he does best. Sometimes vengeance is justice.He is the Night Man.
And one more thing you didn’t know:
Bigger Than Jesus is free today and tomorrow.
Jesus Diaz wants to escape New York with stolen mob money and the lovely Lily Vasquez. He’ll be lucky to escape with his life.
The storytelling is unconventional. The pain feels real. The story is unforgettable. The jokes are pretty good.
There is something about a wounded warrior that is appealing in fiction. Anti-heroes who have dark pasts, who know disappointment and failure, are much more interesting to me than the uncomplicated square-jawed hero.
I relate more to failure than anyone who has it too easy. Batman’s billionaire life would fall apart if someone pulled off his mask just once. To me, Superman’s personal stakes aren’t high enough. Superman’s basically a god. Batman is a rich guy who spent years training his body and mind to be the world’s greatest detective (or a fairly psychotic badass, depending on which vintage of the comics you favor.)
We love a main character with a mysterious past
On my very first night away at university, I found myself in Frosh Week activities. It wasn’t my scene but that first night was special because we watched Casablanca. (No, I’m not that old. It was a retro movie night.) Fun fact: The movie’s original title was Everybody Comes to Rick’s.
There’s a great moment in that movie. Someone asks Rick how he came to find himself in Casablanca. Rick replies, “My health. I came for the waters.”
“The waters? What waters? We’re in the desert.”
“I was misinformed.”
Isn’t that a great bit of dialogue? And Bogart delivered the lines so laconically, it’s hilarious. My other favorite exchange is:
“You despise me, don’t you?”
“If I gave you any thought, I suppose I would,”
Ha!
Anyway, we find out about Rick’s romance in Paris in a flashback but he’s kind of a blank slate at first. He’s not going to tell you what you don’t need to know. He’s damaged and flawed but somewhere underneath all that baggage, there’s a person trying to do the right thing. That’s why I love Easy Jack in The Night Man.
Ernest “Easy” Jack has been estranged from his father and he’s a pariah in his home town of Orion, Michigan. On a medical discharge from the army, Easy really just wants to be left alone to train German Shepherds and recover. His eyes are sensitive to sunlight. He’s got a bum knee. He’s weary but when he comes home, he finds his war is not over. An ex-girlfriend in trouble shows up. His dad is a smuggler who gets mixed up with a dirty cop’s dirty business. Complications ensue.
Easy could walk away from trouble but trouble keeps finding him. The truth is, Easy can’t bring himself to walk away. Deep down, he’s not a bad guy but he has to deal with a lot of really bad guys. Dealing with evil on its own terms, you might end up doing things that are beyond the law.Easy doesn’t have a lot of money or resources. He’s got a lot of experience, some cleverness, and a German Shepherd. That’s all he brings to battle. Gotta love an underdog paired up with a dog named Sophie.
That’s why I love The Night Man. I hope you will, too.
You can pick it up in ebook and paperback on Amazon. Please do and if you dig it, please review it.
AFTER Life: Through adversity, we evolve.
