Lou Paduano | Urban Fantasy Novels | Sci-Fi Crime Series

Are Shorter Novels the Future?

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This is a debate I hear quite a bit. Most of which occurs in my own head but let’s pretend it also relates to the wide world of book trends. Are shorter novels the way of the future? Is it a cheat for modern day writers to get their books out there faster and with more frequency? Or does the book buying public want shorter works with their attention so divided in a media enriched world?

Check out Amazon…

Do you ever look at the page count before clicking purchase on a book? I do. I don’t know why. If the book sounds great and has terrific reviews I’m going to buy it anyway. But I like to know how long it is.

There is a trend lately for shorter novels. Instead of seeing 300 pages or more for each book published, take a closer look and you’ll see the average book on the digital stands falls much shorter. Does this invalidate the author in any way? No. Of course not. The story takes what the story takes.

However, the better question becomes — what does the reader want from their story?

Less time available to read?

My wife reads for 15 minutes every night before bed. That’s on a good day. It takes her months to read a full-length novel. When asked how her reading experience is going there is little to discuss, because the intake is hampered by the lack of time available.

I did notice, though, that when she reads on her Kindle there tended to be a shorter reading span for books. She found a series of assassin books she absolutely loved and pounded through in a matter of weeks instead of the typical months long endeavor.

Their page length? About 200 pages per book.

Is this the future of reading for the public? Maybe. And maybe it’s a good thing.

Shorter book = less investment

With as much media overflowing from every corner of the world, with streaming services cropping up daily, books have to fight for time. A shorter book, one that sounds entertaining or enthralls a potential reader might pull that person in easier than a book clocking in at 400 to 600 pages. A nice, light weekend read might be just what someone needs to unwind rather than War and Peace or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire…

The argument doesn’t take away from longer works. Stories dictate their length, not artificial page counts decided prior to writing.

Is this the future for books? That’s the great thing about books. It takes all kinds to make a readership. Long, short, series or standalone, all have merit and all are deserving of our attention.

Right now, though, the shorter works seem to be in demand and I find that fascinating…

What do you think? Do you prefer a shorter read to entertain you for a couple hours or do you want to fall into a world for days on end?

Reading Update

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I promised to get back to my reading pile and I’ve been doing just that! Check out some of my recent reads below…

Rustkiller by Dean F. Wilson

I love sci-fi westerns or steampunk novels. LOVE THEM. Throw in the mash up of technology with the attitude of the Old West and you’ve pretty much hooked me from page one. Dean Wilson goes further. He builds the world so deftly, layering the pieces behind the scenes you can’t help but feel it is a real place.

Nox is absolutely my favorite new character of the last year. No hyperbole here. He’s broken as a man yet can’t turn away from humanity. Not while there are bounties to collect and bad guys to put in the ground. Rustkiller cemented my love for the series and I highly recommend you check it out now. Book Three – Dustrunner was just released yesterday!

 

 

 

Helix Episode One by Nathan Farrugia

Genetically engineered killer kids? Super powers mixed with high octane espionage? Again, hooked from page one.

From there though things went a little dicey. Nathan Farrugia is a talented writer, applying fact paced kinetic action where necessary and dropping clues as to the overall story throughout. But the structure of the narrative is what kept me from loving this one. Episode One as it implies is merely a taste of the larger story to be told. There is no firm plot to distinguish this chapter with the others as it appears to be one long form novel broken up into smaller sections.

Not for me. I needed a little more meat in the story, a little more skin in the game before I reached the end of this one and it didn’t happen for me. I don’t like to poop on a storyteller’s choice. Not my place and the episodic structure definitely works for some readers. (I talk about it more next week…) My hope was simply to become more attached to the characters before being asked to commit to another episode.

Still, fans of action packed genetically altered humans kicking ass will definitely find something to enjoy here.

Infinity Lost by S. Harrison

The first book in the Infinity Trilogy, S. Harrison does a great job at opening up the world for the reader. A first person narrative, we follow Finn Blackstone as she uncovers secrets from her past while also unlocking doors to her present. It’s a great back and forth that kept me moving from chapter to chapter waiting for what comes next.

Some of the set up  is cliched and pulled me from the story. The love triangle element introduced as well as the mundane high school antics of some of the supporting cast grated me at times. I will say I am curious to see how things play out though after the reveal at the end of this book.

While it almost suffers from the same episodic nature of the previous book discussed, Harrison manages to keep the story focused on Finn and her search for the truth. Some great set up and cool visuals in this opening chapter.

Back to work!

Time to get some writing done! Happy Reading!

Winter Reading List – 2018

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One of my many, many, many goals this year is to really dig into some reading. Like most of you I have been slowly filling my Kindle with unbelievable books for the past few years with little to no time to actually sit down and enjoy them. To hold myself accountable to this goal, every quarter I will post a little reading list.

If you have any recommendations shoot them over to lou@loupaduano.com. Or if you feel like joining the fun, let me know! The more the merrier!

Winter Reading List!

Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden has had worse assignments than going undercover on the set of an adult film. Like fleeing a burning building full of enraged demon-monkeys, for instance. Or going toe-to-leaf with a walking plant monster. Still, there’s something more troubling than usual about his newest case. The film’s producer believes he’s the target of a sinister curse—but it’s the women around him who are dying, in increasingly spectacular ways.

Harry’s doubly frustrated because he only got involved with this bizarre mystery as a favor to Thomas—his flirtatious, self-absorbed vampire acquaintance of dubious integrity. Thomas has a personal stake in the case Harry can’t quite figure out, until his investigation leads him straight to the vampire’s oversexed, bite-happy family. Now, Harry’s about to discover that Thomas’ family tree has been hiding a shocking secret: a revelation that will change Harry’s life forever.

Duel in the Dark by Jay Allan

War is coming.

The Confederation battleship Dauntless has spent ten months patrolling the border, alone, watching for an attack from the enemy Union. Her crew is exhausted and the aging vessel needs repairs.With the fleet mobilized, and the forward bases overloaded beyond capacity, she is sent clear across the Confederation, to a base along the peaceful and sleepy sector known as the Rim.

But the quiet frontier isn’t what it seems, and when a distress call is received from a mining colony at the edge of Confederation space, Captain Tyler Barron must take Dauntless forward into the unknown.

Barron and his crew have their ship–and each other–but they can expect no reinforcements. His superiors believe that Union deceit is at play, that the attack is merely a diversion,intended to draw Confederation forces from the disputed border. Their orders are clear: no ships will be transferred from the front. Stopping whatever is happening on the rim is Barron’s responsibility, and his alone.

Barron’s grandfather was the Confederation’s greatest hero, the father of the modern navy. His name has always carried great privilege, and crushing responsibility. Now he must prove that he has inherited more than just a name. He must face the enemy, and win the victory.

Before the Confederation is caught between two enemies and destroyed.

Helix Episode 1 by Nathan Farrugia

A spy hunter. A rogue operative.

A secret war that could destroy them both.

Olesya hunts the operatives she was trained to become. But when a clandestine mission takes her from the illegal bio-clinics of Brazil to the icy borderlands of Kaliningrad, she encounters a terrorist with a dangerous secret. As operatives and hunters start vanishing, one thing becomes clear…They aren’t the only players in this deadly game.

The Black Book by Ian Rankin

When the Central Hotel, a place of decidedly unsavory reputation, burned to the ground in a mysterious fire, the Edinburgh police were unable to disguise their delight. That is, until a body was found in the still-smoldering ashes, charred beyond all identification but with a bullet lodged in its skull. Now it’s five years later and Inspector John Rebus is following any leads in a vicious off-duty ambush that has put one of his favorite junior officers into a coma.

A cheap black notebook belonging to the wounded policeman contains a cryptic allusion to the almost-forgotten blaze, but crucial pieces of the puzzle obstinately refuse to fall into place. What could young Detective Sergeant Brian Holmes have learned to render him such a threat that he must be silenced at all costs? “The past is important,” Rebus hardly needs to remind himself, yet the secrets he persists in uncovering are buried in layer upon layer of sordid and evil lies.

Infinity Lost by S. Harrison

In the near future, one corporation, Blackstone Technologies, has changed the world: no disasters, no poverty, and life-altering technology. Blackstone has the impunity to destroy—or create—as it sees fit.

Infinity “Finn” Blackstone is the seventeen-year-old daughter of Blackstone’s reclusive CEO—but she’s never even met him. When disturbing dreams about a past she doesn’t remember begin to torment her, Finn knows there’s only one person who can provide answers: her father.

After Finn and an elite group of peers are invited to Blackstone’s top-secret HQ, Finn realizes she may have a chance to confront her father. But when a highly sophisticated company AI morphs into a killing machine, the trip descends into chaos. Trapped inside shape-shifting walls, Finn and her friends are at the mercy of an all-seeing intelligence that will destroy everything to get to her.

With no hope of help, Finn’s dream-memories may be the only chance of survival. But will she remember in time to save her own life and the lives of those around her?

What are you reading this winter?

Can’t wait to hear from you. Happy Reading!

Fall Reading List 2017

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This was meant to be a summer reading list. Shows what I know. I figured I would put the finishing touches on The Medusa Coin and Pathways in the Dark and take some much needed time off – for the family, for myself. It didn’t happen. So what was once a summer list has now turned into a insanely desired fall reading list.

Will I read them all? That is my vow and I stand by it – at least until it completely falls apart…

Fall Reading List 2017

Stephen King – Duma Key

From the back cover – Edgar leaves Minnesota for a rented house on Duma Key, a stunningly beautiful, eerily undeveloped splinter of the Florida coast. The sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico and the tidal rattling of shells on the beach call out to him, and Edgar draws. A visit from Ilse, the daughter he dotes on, starts his movement out of solitude. He meets a kindred spirit in Wireman, a man reluctant to reveal his own wounds, and then Elizabeth Eastlake, a sick old woman whose roots are tangled deep in Duma Key. Now Edgar paints, sometimes feverishly, his exploding talent both a wonder and a weapon. Many of his paintings have a power that cannot be controlled. When Elizabeth’s past unfolds and the ghosts of her childhood begin to appear, the damage of which they are capable is truly devastating.

Why it made the list – Some of these are going to be easy answers. I’ve had this particular King novel on my shelf since 2008. Time to see if it deserved prime placement for the last decade…

Greg Rucka – A Fistful of Rain

From the back cover – Mim Bracca is riding the fast lane straight off the end of the world. Now she’s coming home without a job, without a future, and without a prayer—and only one last chance to get her feet under her, or go down forever. But home has its own terrors, including a past Mim has done everything possible to leave behind.

Now that past is coming back with the shocking speed and deadly intent of a sniper’s bullet, aimed to destroy her once and for all. When Mim suffers her first blackout, waking up dazed and bloodied, she’s certain she’s hit rock bottom.

She’s wrong. She’s only just begun to fall.

The photos are invasive, obscene, and all over the Internet for anyone to see. How they got there, where and when they were shot, and by whom, Mim has no idea. And before the investigation into the matter even begins, a brutal murder makes it clear that whatever Mim thinks her life has been up to now, she’s about to learn it’s all a lie.

The kind of lie that will kill.

Why it made the list – I love Greg Rucka novels. He has an affinity for a strong female lead and writes the hell out of each and every one of them. This is one of the few he’s written that stands alone so I am looking forward to it.

Stuart Jaffe – Southern Bound

From the back cover – When Max Porter discovers his office is haunted by the ghost of a 1940s detective, he does the only sensible thing … he starts a detective agency!

Thrust neck-deep into a world of old mysteries and dangerous enemies, he will face ghosts, witches, and curses. He will discover a world in which survival might be the easiest challenge. And he will do anything necessary to keep his wife and his life from falling away.

Why it made the list – This one comes from one of my readers and it definitely jumped out at me as something I would enjoy. The right mix of detective story and freaky supernatural elements.

Special thanks to Debbie for the recommendation!

Dean Wilson – Coilhunter

From the back cover – Welcome to the Wild North, a desolate wasteland where criminals go to hide—if they can outlast the drought and the dangers of the desert. Or the dangers of something else.

Meet Nox, the Coilhunter. A mechanic and toymaker by trade, a bounty hunter by circumstance. He isn’t in it for the money. He’s in it for justice, and there’s a lot of justice that needs to be paid.

Between each kill, he’s looking for someone who has kept out of his crosshairs for quite a while—the person who murdered his wife and children. The trail has long gone cold, but there are changes happening, the kind of changes that uncover footprints and spent bullet casings.

Plagued by nightmares, he’s made himself into a living one, the kind the criminals and conmen fear.

So, welcome, fair folk, to the Wild North. If the land doesn’t get you, the Coilhunter will.

Why it made the list – Dean Wilson is a stand up guy that does a ton of outreach on behalf of other authors. That alone deserves the recommendation but here’s the thing – the guy can write. A LOT. His back catalog is extensive. Why this one for me? A sci-fi western? Pretty much had me there.

L.A. Frederick – The Rain

From the back cover – New Hampton is bloodthirsty. The streets are a cesspool. Greed and corporate necessity rule the overcrowded city.

A mysterious doctor, his young protégé and a monstrous enforcer are playing gods, their wanton destruction going unchecked. The city’s Mayor seeks vengeance and believes the doctor’s work is the key to achieving redemption. These men will change the city forever, for better or worse remains to be seen. 

Crime is rife on the streets and only a few brave, have-a-go heroes, seem willing to plunge themselves into the depths of depravity to intervene and, ultimately, save the city from forces it is seemingly oblivious to. 

A handful of extraordinary individuals must decide where they fit in within the changing landscape of the indomitable city of New Hampton. Run? Hide? Fight? The ramifications of their decisions will echo throughout the city.

New Hamptoners look out for number one, slaves to the omnipresent man. Can the city survive this maelstrom or will the meddling powers-that-be doom everyone…

Why it made the list – L.A. reached out to me a few weeks back to cross-promote our work and I fell for the concept of the Government Rain Mysteries immediately. I can’t wait to see where this one goes.

Ian Rankin – Strip Jack

From the back cover – Gregor Jack has it all: young, wealthy, and charming, he’s a highly respected member of Parliament, with a beautiful wife–and a closet bursting with skeletons. When he’s caught in a police raid on an Edinburgh brothel, his house of cards begins to topple. Enter Detective John Rebus: he smells a set-up. When Jack’s flamboyant wife Elizabeth disappears, Rebus uncovers a full-house of orgies, drunken parties, an incestuous “Pack” of deceitful chums…and ultimately Elizabeth’s badly beaten body. Now Rebus is on a new quest–to find a killer who holds all the cards.

Why it made the list – In 2016, I told myself it was time to binge on the Inspector Rebus series. I love the character and it is definitely reflected in Greg Loren’s sarcasm and natural ability to piss off his superiors. As you can tell I didn’t get too far – this is only book 4. At least I can get one more off the list this autumn.

What’s on your list? Ever read any of the above?

I have a few others I’m hoping to add so there may be an addendum to this list. Some other great reader recommendations as well as some books that have been hanging around my Kindle since 2011.

Time to get reading!

Writing Update – May 25, 2017

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I have to be honest with you. I’ve been distracted lately. With so much going on writing-wise it’s been happening more and more. That and a constant cold that has slowly turned my brain to mush this month. But there has been writing going on so let’s catch you up on what I’m currently brewing in the writing cauldron.

Currently Writing

Pathways in the Dark self-editing has been a slog. I might be pushing too hard, too quickly so I’m taking this week off to focus on a few other things. This collection means a lot to me and I think it came together nicely but it’s not where it needs to be yet. A couple months of tinkering will do it. I just need to sit down and solve this thing like every other project.

So what have I been distracting myself with lately?

Would you believe Book Five’s outline?

currently writing

(I even upgraded from the pink and purple index cards used for The Medusa Coin…)

Yeah, I did mention possibly moving too quickly for my own good. Looking ahead, though, has already helped refocus some of the plot points in Pathways. I’m still refining the outline and will be for the next few weeks as I put the script together. And then again when drafting takes over this summer.

For now, I am happy to say there is a very clear spine for what will be the final novel in the first cycle of the Greystone series.

It is a definite ending.

For now.

As for everything else going on, I am heading back into The Medusa Coin for one last pass. You’ll be hearing more about the next step for September’s release next month.

Reading

Lots of reading going on lately. Loving it.

Mark Dawson – Phoenix

She does Britain’s dirty work, but this time she needs help. Beatrix Rose, meet John Milton…

Beatrix Rose has a knack for making the British government’s problems go away. When the assassin is sent to Venezuela to track down a missing scientist, she meets a contact who knows the lay of the land: none other than John Milton…

As the state-sanctioned assassin and the special forces soldier team up in South America, they’ll do more than capture a missing scientist. They’ll discover a secret that will change Beatrix’s life forever…

Phoenix is a short story that unites two landmark thriller characters in a single tale. If you like ruthless assassins, fast-moving plots, and Jack Reacher-style action, then you’ll love USA Today bestselling author Mark Dawson’s latest short.

Buy Phoenix to witness the thrilling team-up today!

A great novella showcasing the characters from Mr. Dawson’s various series that serves as a nice primer for his genre. Action packed in the vein of Greg Rucka, I enjoyed every second of it and can’t wait to dive in for more.

The proceeds for this book go to a good cause, experimental cancer treatments for a close friend of Mark Dawson. So please consider purchasing a copy to help assist in a small way toward saving a life. You can learn more about it here.

The Blended Ones – Angela J. Ford

Caught in the fate of the Eastern World, the destiny of the Blended Ones, Treasure Hunters, and Horse Lords become twisted together in a frightful quest. In the midst of their whirlwind adventure, they discover love, loss, and uncover the truth about who and what is behind the chaotic, spiraling events in the Eastern World.

The Blended Ones is Book Two in The Four Worlds series but can be read as a stand-alone novel.  I’ve purchased both and can’t wait to dive into them. They look amazing.

From May 25th to May 29th The Blended Ones is FREE!

Grab yours today on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ1D35Q

For those looking to try out a whole slew of the best and brightest authors around in Science Fiction and Fantasy, check out the Dominion Rising box-set.

22 brand new novels are being offered in this set for only $0.99!!

From the back cover:

Find the Science Fiction and Fantasy reads you’ve been craving! Whether it’s alien invasion or dark fairytales, heart-pounding galactic adventures or cyberpunk romance, Dominion Rising will satisfy with a thrilling mix of 22 all-new full-length novels set in fantastical realms.

Sword and sorcery, far-flung galactic empires, alternative history, epic magic, slipstream futures: this collection of carefully selected, exclusive novels is sure to delight readers of speculative fiction.

Over five thousand pages packed with aliens, faeries, vampires, gargoyles, warriors, telepaths, space pirates, starship captains, hapless mercenaries, street urchins, robots, cyber-enhanced humans, badass heroines, and lost princesses.

These award-winning, New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling authors have left no stone unturned in the science fiction and epic fantasy universe to bring you the very best escape from planet Earth.

All the novels are available exclusively in the Dominion Rising collection.

The collection will be released on August 8th but you can pre-order your copy today!

The Greystone Saga Volume One

Don’t forget to pre-order your copy of The Greystone Saga Volume One, collecting Signs of Portents and Tales from Portents. Only $0.99 until June 22nd!!

           

Thanks for reading.

Writing Update – March 30, 2017

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The end of March already?! Unbelievable. A crazy month here in the basement. Lots of fun stuff planned including a big birthday bash for the love of my life today – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELINDA! – so let’s get you a writing update STAT.

Writing Update

Pathways in the Dark is where most of my attention has been the last few weeks. I have three of the seven short stories drafted and hope to knock out the rest over the course of April, possibly dipping into May depending on the other sixteen priorities that seem to crop up every time I turn around.

I had some trouble maneuvering through the last tale I drafted. Part of it is a focus issue for sure. Part is the birthday mania known as March. I am happy to say I have stepped out of the wilderness stronger than ever and looking forward to tackling some really cool shorts about your favorite Greystone characters.

This is a much different book than Tales from Portents turned out to be. Where Tales offered background information and some nice asides for the cast of the series, Pathways is about pushing the characters toward their final destination. It really is about finding the light in all the shadows surrounding the city of Portents and working from that point has made it a stronger collection, in my opinion. We’ll see how it all shakes out!

The Medusa Coin is still with my favorite readers but the feedback so far has been very positive. I’ll be diving back into it in a few weeks to give it a once over. I’ve already noted a couple tweaks to tighten up some plot points that I don’t know why I didn’t see months ago.

Closing the circle

The final book in the first half of the Greystone series is starting to take shape. (Another distraction from drafting but a welcome one.) I woke up in the middle of the night last week with the answer to a question plaguing the series from the start.

I know what happened the day Beth died.

There were inklings before, little hints not only for myself but for you. Now I have the story behind the tragic events that opened the series.

It has really caused me to rethink much of my planning with the series but the resolution of the long running plot next year will make the work stronger in the long run.

Made me sad to realize the truth though… Loren is in for some tough days.

Promotion City

As if writing wasn’t enough I have set up quite the April festivity for the Greystone series.

Signs of Portents is currently free through Instafreebie and will be part of the SFF Mega Promo from April 10th – April 16th. The March promo books are still listed until April 1st. If you’re interested in some cool reads, snag them up before they are replaced this weekend. Signs will also be part of a Superhero/Fantasy themed promotion put together by Future House Publishing running the same dates. As soon as I have a link I will make it available through social media.

Very excited to be part of both of these promos. I really hope this builds steam for the series and the upcoming release of The Medusa Coin.

And remember, books listed are FREE!

Tales from Portents, not one to be left out of the fun, will be part of the sister promo to the SFF Mega Promo, this one spotlighting 99-cent releases. The SFF 99c Promo will be running from April 10th through the 16th but you can also snag a discounted copy today at the following:

            

And don’t forget the Goodreads giveaway is still going on. Enter today for a chance at a FREE SIGNED PAPERBACK of Tales from Portents!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Tales from Portents by Lou Paduano

Tales from Portents

by Lou Paduano

Giveaway ends April 20, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Dominion Rising:

Dominion Rising: 22 Brand New Novels from Top Fantasy and Science Fiction Authors by [White, Gwynn, Erin St Pierre, P.K. Tyler, S.M. Blooding, Samuel Peralta, K.J. Colt, Anthea Sharp, Daniel Arthur Smith, Lisa Blackwood, S.M. Schmitz, Melanie Karsak, Dean F. Wilson, Margo Bond Collins, D.K. Holmberg, Felix R. Savage, Tom Shutt, Pippa DaCosta, Timothy C. Ward, Tony Bertauski, Rebecca Rode, Cheri Lasota, Ann Christy, Becca Andre, Logan Thomas Snyder, Erin Hayes]For those looking to try out a whole slew of the best and brightest authors around in Science Fiction and Fantasy, check out the Dominion Rising box-set.

22 brand new novels are being offered in this set for only 99-Cents!!

From the back cover:

Find the Science Fiction and Fantasy reads you’ve been craving! Whether it’s alien invasion or dark fairytales, heart-pounding galactic adventures or cyberpunk romance, Dominion Rising will satisfy with a thrilling mix of 22 all-new full-length novels set in fantastical realms.

Sword and sorcery, far-flung galactic empires, alternative history, epic magic, slipstream futures: this collection of carefully selected, exclusive novels is sure to delight readers of speculative fiction.

Over five thousand pages packed with aliens, faeries, vampires, gargoyles, warriors, telepaths, space pirates, starship captains, hapless mercenaries, street urchins, robots, cyber-enhanced humans, badass heroines, and lost princesses.

These award-winning, New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling authors have left no stone unturned in the science fiction and epic fantasy universe to bring you the very best escape from planet Earth.

All the novels are available exclusively in the Dominion Rising collection.

The collection will be released on August 8th but you can pre-order your copy today!

I already purchased my copy. Can’t wait to dive into it this summer.

More on the promos in two weeks!

Thanks for reading.

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