Ronin Writer

This week, I want to talk about Watchmen, the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and carried on in the stunningly good HBO series of the same name, helmed by Game of Thrones showrunner Damon Lindelof. When the TV series debuted last fall, many of my friends talked about how good it was, but as usual, I’m a little slow to get around to things. I started watching the HBO series a couple of nights ago…and binged the first three episodes. They knocked my socks off. The wild thing is how incredibly relevant it is now, in the midst ofContinue readingWho’s Watching the Watchmen?

**Waves a sniffly good-bye at the month of June…** How about an update of everything I’ve been working on? On the fiction side, I’ve started outlining the second book of my Shinjuku Shadows Trilogy. Book 1, Tokyo Blood Magic is at the publisher, Shadow Alley Press, churning through the editing process. Another smaller, but no less important, project is the next book in the Adventure Kids series, Blackbelt Chloe and the Birthday Cake Catastrophe. I typically write short stories in the cracks between major projects as a kind of brain cleanser. It gives the creative brain cells a fresh flavor, andContinue readingWhat I’m up to…

I’m excited to present to my newest middle-grade story, They Call Me…Wyatt Lee. This one is by far the longest of my Adventure Kids series, reaching true novella length. Nevertheless, it’s as long as it needed to be, with all the jokes, action, and weird aliens I could cram into it. I call it The Last Starfighter meets Galaxy Quest and Super Mario Kart. The Adventure Kids books are perfect for kids 9-12, and each paperback includes some pages for kids to personalize their book with drawings, perhaps inspired by the story. And the ebooks are only $1.99. Just two bucks! Vrooom-a-zoom-zoom~! Get yours now!

Several years ago, I had the idea that wanted to do a kind of neo-pulp character, like the Shadow, or Doc Savage, or Conan, somebody larger than life. I wanted to tell pulpy stories, but with a more modern sensibility. What came out of that brainstorming was a phrase that I couldn’t get out of my head, and I don’t know where it came from, Black Rose in the Garden of Eden. From that phrase came the character Black Rose, a nineteenth century sorceress who wears a tricorne hat and carries a bullwhip. One of the hallmarks of larger-than-life characters isContinue readingWhere the Devil Resides – Now in Trade Paperback!

I’m super-excited to show you the new cover for my steampunk horror novella, Where the Devil Resides. The previous version was something I put together on InDesign, and it wasn’t terrible, but I do not possess this kind of stellar illustration skill. The artist here is Vincent Sammy, an illustrator from South Africa. I hired him when I discovered that he was the artist who the cover for the issue of Apex Magazine where my story “Screaming Without a Mouth” appeared in March 2016. He calls this one, however, his “favorite cover ever.” He really knocked it out of the park. CheckContinue readingCover Reveal!

Up until now, the ebook edition of The Hammer Falls has been available only on Amazon. I get it. Lots of people would rather not give any money to the Eight Hundred Pound Gorilla Monopoly. Believe me, this author gets it. Now you can get my dystopian cyberpunk gladiator novel from a wide variety of ebook outlets. Kobo Apple Nook And more… Just click the cover and the subsequent page will take you to your favorite ebook dealer.Spoiler alert: the Good Guys win.

In a normal year, I would have an author table at various conventions. I love connecting personally to potential new readers, but all those plans have been nixed for 2020. This leaves me with a pile of books that have nowhere to go. Until the end of June, you can use the coupon code MEMORIAL50 to get 50% off everything in my online store. Yup. 50% off everything. Signed copies of art prints, trade paperbacks, collectors edition hardcovers, novels, anthologies, and comics.Just click here and apply the coupon code at checkout.

I attended my first ever Nebula Awards Conference this weekend, virtually, of course. What should have been a joyous occasion, sharing a weekend of camaraderie with science-fiction- and fantasy-writing colleagues, celebrating the nominees and winners of the best speculative fiction of the past year, was overshadowed by the ongoing horrors and injustices taking place all across U.S. soil. It cast a pall over every panel discussion, every conversation. We all felt it. We all talked about it. So, I feel like I would be remiss with you if I didn’t at least address the fact that we are living through anContinue readingThe World Burns

Last week was rough, what with the pandemic everywhere, but this week I’m hanging in there, thanks to some little boosts that add up. Dawn of the Deadly Fang is getting some great reviews. One of my stories is in an anthology up for a major award. I had a super-fun interview. And I had a surprising number of creative folks come out of the woodwork when I asked for a little help on the screenplay for a TV pilot I’m developing. Several people sent me incredibly useful notes, and I managed to organize a virtual table read on Saturday night viaContinue readingBooks and Interviews!

A Snazzy New Cover for The Hammer Falls! The ebook is still on sale for only 99 cents! And just $9.99 for the trade paperback! Get it now!

When StoryBundle owner Jason approached me a couple weeks ago about putting together a YA MegaBundle for a super-low price, I jumped at the opportunity. I love connecting authors with one another, and with readers. This huge multi-genre project is a perfect chance to benefit a good cause (children’s literacy) and bring a little brightness into the world—for parents and teens alike—during this difficult time. Get it now! We’ve gathered a truly exceptional collection of YA books for you in a range of SF/F genres. Whether you’re looking for a pulse-pounding action in space, a witchy urban fantasy mystery, orContinue readingAnnouncing the YA Charity Megabundle!

A few years ago when I was writing The Hammer Falls, I put together a playlist that could get me in the head space of the world and the characters, particularly Horace “The Hammer” Harkness’s life and emotional landscape. I pulled that out of my hard drive and dusted off the byte-bunnies and now present it to you in the form of a Spotify playlist. This is completely unofficial and unlicensed, just a list of amazing music. Check it out. Listen before, during, or after reading. 🙂