The Periodic Update Post

Hey, again, my fellow travelers!  Sorry for the radio silence.  Here's what's going down....

First off, I want to thank everyone who picked up New Roads To Hell.  The first adventure of The Shadow Legion spent the entire month on Barry Reese’s New Pulp Best Seller list, and contributed to one of the best months in the history of Airship 27!  If you’ve already read the novel, why don’t you take the time to leave a brief review on Amazon to help other people find the book.  Hell--over the next two weeks, I’ll randomly choose a reader who places a review on the Amazon page and gift them with a sampler that contains excerpts from three of the four novellas that will make up The Shadow Legion Casebook!  Just be sure to leave a link to your review in the comments below.

As for The Shadow Legion Casebook itself....a few weeks ago, my present laptop had a bit of a coma (the Best Buy Geek Squad member who helped me called it ‘the Blue Screen of Death’), and had to have its entire hard drive replaced.  This resulted in my losing a slew of data, including 6000 words of ‘The Ascension Of Indio Blaque,’ the Black Talon novella.  I’m presently doing a rewrite of the 9000 words I still have in anticipation of trying to recreate the rest of the story.  Finishing up this book so that it can be released sometime late in 2014 is one of my primary goals.

Remember--members of The Shadow Legion will be appearing in Mystery Men and Women 4 and 5, so if you’re still hungering for more Ferryman, Dreamcatcher and Nightbreaker, be sure to pick those books up.

Then it’ll be time to gear up for writing the next full length Shadow Legion adventure, Machina Ex Deus.  What’s it about?  Maybe knowing a little something about Greek Theater may give you a hint!

I’m presently at the end of my publicity podcast tour.  If you’re not tired of hearing me talk about the novel, you can hear me on The Gentleman’s Guide To Midnite Cinema, Earth Station One  and Dread Media!

There are, of course, other things I’ve been hard at work on.  My new Don Cuevo story, ‘Sit By The Fire,’ will be featured in the third volume of How The West Was Weird, available in 2014.  I also just submitted the first draft of ‘Giants of Industry,’ my contribution to Monster Earth 2, forthcoming from Mechanoids Press.  And I’m going to begin doing research for a novella that will witness my return to writing a blonde daredevil doll I had so much fun writing before!  And that’s just the most immediate stuff.

I hope you’ll keep following the Travel Agency to learn when these and other projects come out.

ALL STAR PULP COMICS #2 Is Here!

AIRSHIP‭ ‬27‭ ‬presensts

ALL STAR PULP COMICS‭ ‬#‭ ‬2

‭(‬Portion of Profits Goes to‭ ‬Boston Red Cross‭)

Airship‭ ‬27‭ ‬Productions has once again teamed with Redbud Studio comics to release the second in their on-going pulp comics anthology.‭  ‬The first giant issue in this series won the coveted Pulp Ark Award for Best Pulp Comic of‭ ‬2010.

Volume two of the series,‭ ‬co-edited by creators Ron Fortier and Rob Davis,‭ ‬is even bigger than that stellar premier issue.‭  ‬Contained here are eight stories featuring both modern and classic pulp heroes‭; ‬Ki-Gor the Jungle Lord,‭ ‬the Black Bat,‭ ‬Cain,‭ ‬Robin Hood,‭ ‬Lance Star,‭ ‬Brothers Bones,‭ ‬Dillon and Domino Lady.‭

The cover is by Will Meugniot and features Ki-Gor’s lovely mate,‭ ‬Helene,‭ ‬battling back to back with Derrick Ferguson’s modern day adventurer,‭ ‬Dillon.‭  ‬Other creators represented are Russ Anderson,‭ ‬Fortier,‭ ‬Davis,‭ ‬Ian Watson,‭ ‬Thomas Deja,‭ ‬Michelle Sciuto,‭ ‬Sean Taylor,‭ ‬Aaron Meade,‭ ‬Todd Jones,‭ ‬Lee Oaks,‭ ‬James Gaubatz,‭ ‬Van Plexico,
Andrew Salmon and Kelly Everaert.‭

The book is available from Indy Planet.com and part of the proceeds are being donated to the Boston Red Cross.‭  “‬We were the last stages of assembling the book,‭” ‬explains Editor Foriter,‭ “‬when the Patriots‭’ ‬Day bombings occurred in‭ ‬Boston.‭  ‬All of us,‭ ‬like the rest of the country,‭ ‬were in shock and felt helpless to do anything.‭”  ‬It was writer Van Plexico who contacted Fortier about possibly offering some of the sales proceeds to help those injured in the terror attack.‭  “‬The second Van brought up,‭ ‬I knew it was something we had to do,‭” ‬Fortier continues.‭  ‬He contacted Davis and all the creators and the decision was made to take all the profits earned by the book during its first six months in print and donate them to the Boston Red Cross.

‭“‬We truly hope our fans,‭ ‬when they learn of this idea,‭ ‬will want to rally around a truly good cause and help us put sales over the top,‭” ‬adds co-editor Rob Davis.‭  “‬We really want this to be the best selling title Redbud Studio has ever produced.‭”


The issue is now on sale at‭ –(http://www.indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id‭=‬8450‭)

The Cover For All-Star Pulp 2

Hey, gang--you remember me talking in the past about a Domino Lady comic book story I collaborated on with the awesome and amazing Michelle Scuito, right?  Well, the All Pulp blog released an image that showed the progression cover artist Will Meugnoit (perhaps best known for co-creating The DNAgents back in the 80's) did to come up with the cover for All-Star Pulp #2, which will feature that story, 'Bad Faith Healer.'  It depicts Dillon, the New Pulp character created by my friend Derrick Ferguson, battling alongside Helene, the ginger-haired mate of classic pulp hero Ki-Gor.

Pretty neat, huh?

Watch this space for more info as All-Star Pulp #2 nears release.

The Periodic Update Post

Sorry for the delay, guys. I know I've been away for a while. One of the things I did was take a quick trip to Philadelphia to meet with Michelle Scuito and look at the layouts for 'Bad Faith Healer,' the eight page Domino Lady comic story we've done for All Star Pulp Comics. They look fantastic, and they'll be speeding Airship 27's way by the end of the month for publication! When we get closer to release, I'll maybe tease you with a page or two!

I've been told that the release of New Roads To Hell, the first Shadow Legion novel, will occur most likely early next year.

Right now, my focus has been fully on writing the stories for what I've been tentatively been calling The Shadow Legion Casebook Volume One: Four For Danger. This will be four 15,000 word solo stories for the quartet of heroes you'll be meeting in the first novel, all taking place in the twenty-five years between the first novel and the second, The Devil's Toybox. I can reveal the names of two of them--and the first person to connect the name with the hero will get a special mention in an upcoming post--'A Waltz In Scarlet' and 'The Ascension of Indio Blaque.'

You'll notice, incidentally, that 'The Tick Tock Men' is not up there. I've decided there's a more immediate story for the Nightbreaker that needs to be told. That doesn't mean you won't see that story; I fully intend to write it, and it will see light of day. It's just that the story I realize I need to tell with our Man Who Wasn't There is an integral one that I wanted to touch on in New Roads To Hell, but didn't get a chance to!

(And yes, I promise that there will be a Shadow Legion story in an upcoming volume of Mystery Men and Women...I just won't tell you which one...yet.)

The Sinbad story is in slow mode; I want to watch some more Harryhausen and see what other people have done with the set-up before I get deep into it--but 'Sinbad And The Frozen City of Shazarehbad' should be a kick!

And there's a new thing I'm developing on the back burner...something connected to the next guest in my 'Elsewhere In The Multiverse' series....but you might learn more about that when I sit down with the writer of Yesteryear, a great story about super-heroes, legacies and conspiracies that's available right now through Pro Se Press  and one of the architects of one of New Pulp's most exciting new setting, Tommy Hancock! Check out the cover art for Yesteryear, and join me here soon for my conversation with Tommy and what he's got cooking...and I'll keep you up to date on more New Pulp goodness in the coming weeks!

Michelle Scuito's New Site!

My partner in the Shadow Legion, Michelle Scuito, just opened up a site to sell prints of her artwork.  Just go to her Big Cartel Store and check out what she has to offer!  It's beautiful stuff.

And incidentally, I just received the page layouts for 'Bad Faith Healer,' our upcoming Domino Lady story...and may I say that boy, are you guys going to enjoy this lil' ditty.

More soon....

Some Updates

Since my planned update this weekend for The Agency--another 'Elsewhere In The Multiverse' where I talk Jack Kirby, world building and writing the opposite sex with Ian A. Watson--is going to be delayed until Monday for reasons that will become apparant when you read it, I wanted to update you on the progress of The Shadow Legion and other things.

The manuscript for New Roads To Hell has been delivered and edited, and it's now being enhanced with ten new illustration by my partner on this journey, Michelle Scuito. A new teaser for the book has started to surface on blogs around the internet....to wit:

There has always been something strange about Nocturne, Florida.

Built over some of the most dangerous swamp land in the 18th century, Nocturne has become known as The City That Lives By Night due to its multitude of night clubs, music venues and other sources of entertainment. But it has another reputation, one spoke of whispers in places the revelers and tourists don't go. That reputation is one of dark doings, of violence and hate and eldritch evil.

Luckily, The City That Lives By Night....has a darker shade of protector.

Nightbreaker

He spent his life hiding who he was...and now he fights to prove that he exists!

Dreamcatcher

There is magic all around us....and she can bend it all to her will!

Ferryman

He's the conduit to the other side...and its instrument of revenge!

Black Talon

He is the embodiment of the unfettered fury of the African Veldt...stalking a jungle of concrete and glass!

Together they are The Shadow Legion, a secret alliance of mystery men who battle the fantastic threats that can tear apart the metropolis they call home--and beyond!

The saga of The Shadow Legion begins with New Roads To Hell, which reveals the secret origins of Nightbreaker and Ferrymen, and features the menace of Rose Red, the crimson tressed devil with a magical talent for murder--available soon from Airship 27 (airship27.com) and the mind of Thomas Deja!

For further information, including exclusive artwork from Michelle Scuito (character designer for the series) please visit the Nocturne Travel Agency at welcometonocturne.blogspot.com.

Now New Roads is not the end of The Shadow Legion's story. I'm already over a third of the way done with "The Tick Tock Men," a Nightbreaker story that will appear in a future volume of Airship 27's Mystery Men And Women. The present plan is for this story to act as one fourth of a collection I'm working on. Each story will showcase each of our initial quartet of Legionnaires, helping to fill in more about each character and serve as the bridge between New Roads and Book Two, The Devil's Toybox.

In addition to the Shadow Legion stuff, there are two other items I'm involved with for Airship 27. The script for Bad Faith Healer, the Domino Lady comic book adventure destined for All Star Pulp Comics #2, has been turned in...and I've been asked to work on a new adventure for the Greatest Sailor Of All--no, not Popeye, but Sinbad--for an upcoming volume of Sinbad: The New Voyages.

As all these projects continue to progress, I will let you know. Until then, join me in a few days for my talk with Ian Watson!

　

Meet The Domino Lady

Hey, gang...this week I figured I'd like to share another piece of great Michelle Scuito artwork from another project we're doing for Airship 27.

Based on Michelle's amazing sketches, we were asked to contribute an eight page Domino Lady adventure, "Bad Faith Healer," for Airship 27's All Star Pulp Comics. The Domino Lady was a masked crimefighter created by someone writing under the pseudonym of Lars Anderson--the big mystery as to who Lars Anderson was remains unsolved--who fought corruption and evil in pre World War II Los Angeles with a gun, a vial of knockout drops and a slinky evening gown.

The Domino Lady is not part of the Chimera Falls Universe...although if you read some of the Shadow Legion stories you will see a little nod of the cap to this great character.

Here's Michelle character sketches for The Domino Lady. Be sure to visit her deviant art page and check out her wonderful work!

And join me in the coming weeks as I have some conversations with other writers working in super-hero prose fiction, beginning with the creator of The Sentinels series of novels, Van Allen Plaxico!