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

Writing Update – March 24, 2020

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The world came crashing down on everyone this month. I’ve never been good at tuning things out, but the current pandemic has really dampened my productivity of late. I hope everyone is being safe and staying healthy through this crisis.

Now onto the writing update.

Writing Update

The Final Gauntlet

I’m finishing the first draft this week!!! It’s taken far longer than I would have liked, but I’m generally pleased with the results. A lot of cleaning up to do next month, but then the Greystone-in-Training trilogy is complete.

This endeavor has been so rewarding to me as a writer. It was originally meant to be three very short tales (and a proposed fourth that I think is going to work out perfectly somewhere else…). The idea was that these 10,000 word stories would be the perfect bridge between Book 5 and 6 of the main series.

But the way they grew, the way they continue to evolve even in the drafting stage, has been truly astonishing. I absolutely love the way the trilogy has turned out. Hope you feel the same.

Greystone Serial

I was supposed to announce more details for this. Then the world imploded. So I’m giving myself more time to line up the specifics for this project. You’ll hear them soon, I promise.

Sales

Like I said, not much in the way of productivity. (I guess a draft is nothing to sneeze at, but still…) What I have done over the last week is lower the prices of most of my books.

We all need to escape the news every once in a while. Yes, it is great to stay informed. If it comes at the cost of our sanity, though, it really isn’t doing us any good. So let’s unplug and enjoy some fiction, folks!

 

 

Hammer and Anvil is also FREE right now!

Greystone: The Complete First Cycle is on sale for only $6.99!

Be smart out there. Be safe.

And happy reading!

Writing Update – February 25, 2020

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Don’t mind the dust over here. I’ve been away for a week and am just now starting to pull myself back together. Let’s get on with the writing update, shall we?!

Writing Update

Greystone

This week I am starting the draft for The Final Gauntlet. It is the last book in the Greystone-in-Training trilogy and one that sets the stage for everything to follow in the main series. There is a little bit of pressure to make sure it does everything I want it to, but the pieces are coming together nicely. Any chance I get to spend in Portents is always like coming home.

Greystone Serial

This last month I’ve been developing a new Greystone adventure set between the stories in Tales from Portents. When I conceive a new project, I try to find some new challenge, something to sink my creative teeth into so I can test my craft or push myself in new ways. This serial is a perfect example of that. I so want to share more, but I’ll wait until next month as the details come to light.

I will say it is the most pure Soriya/Loren story since Signs of Portents. I really wanted to return to those roots and explore their dynamic as I did during those early adventures. Finding some quirky monsters to tie into it was just a bonus.

DSA Season One

Dark Impulses is now available in paperback! This was the book that sold me on the Morgan/Ben dynamic. It solidifies them as the core of the series and I love every moment with them.

You can order your signed paperback now.

DSA Season Two

The first book of Season Two is with some alpha readers. I’m anxious for their feedback. This book closes out the threads of the first season, while setting the stage for the next. My plan is to draft the second book after The Final Gauntlet, but we’ll see what happens.

Season Two is a much different animal in a lot of ways. There is a tighter narrative connecting the six books. There is definitely more answers and insights along the way as well. I think it’s much stronger and shows the potential offered by the format. I’m looking forward to sharing more in the coming months.

Reading

Last week’s road trip with family and friends afforded me some much needed reading time. I might actually complete one of my seasonal reading lists for a change!

Artemis by Andy Weir

The Martian is one of my favorite books of all time. I loved the narrative and the narration offered by Weir. Most of those qualities carried over to Artemis. It’s a much different novel, about a city on the moon, but the storytelling was phenomenal. Sure, there were moments where the science went right over my head – I’m not that smart – but Weir immediately brings it down to a human level. I can’t recommend Weir enough. Check it out.

Stone of Fire by J.F. Penn

Joanna Penn’s ARKANE series has been on my reading pile for years. It hits all my sweet spots as a reader. Indiana Jones meets The X-Files as the ARKANE group tracks down powerful religious artifacts. What’s not to love?

I thought this opening installment did a nice job of introducing the agency and the main players. I wasn’t sold on the inclusion of the evil syndicate, Thanatos. I would have preferred the main thrust of the action to be focused on the villainous Everett. Thanatos seemed more thrown in to foreshadow future books than to play a role in this one.

I’m still excited to read the next one. I think Morgan Sierra is the perfect lead for this series and am looking forward to seeing her story progress.

Writing Update – January 28, 2020

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Winter is not my best time of year. Like a number of other people on this planet, I kinda like to see the sun every few days. (Weird, I know.) To counteract my annual bout of seasonal depression, I’ve tried to keep myself busy. So let’s get to the writing update!

Writing Update

DSA Season Two

That’s right. I’ve been closing out edits on Book One of DSA Season Two. I obviously can’t share much, but I’m excited about where things are headed. There is a clear path started with this book that will take the cast of characters at the DSA right on through to the season finale. Questions are answered. New ones crop up.

I should be finished editing this one by the end of the week, just in time to start a new project at the start of the month.

Greystone

I’m supposed to be drafting The Final Gauntlet. That’s what I should be spending my days working on. Instead, I’ve outlined a brand-new Greystone project. No details to share yet or where you’ll be able to find it, but I promise more come March. My plan is to script out the entire narrative next month. I will say I’ve been doing a lot of research on Egyptian history and mythology.

That’s it. You’ll get no more out of me!

Online Store!

Square is an amazing service and now offers a free online store for bums like me that can’t afford to upgrade their website to handle ecommerce. It’s taken me a bit to put together, but the store is finally ready.

You can order signed paperbacks directly from me! For US customers, tax and shipping are included in the book price. If you’re outside the US and have questions, feel free to contact me ahead of time and we can work things out.

I love my retailers. I love working with them. This is not to take anything away from them. The books will always be available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many others. This is merely another avenue to put my books out in the world.

Talking about books for sale –

Spectral Advocate is now available in paperback! Book Four of The DSA Season One might be my favorite so far. I love the dynamic between Ben and Cal Cooper in this one. It also has the best movie and comic references to date. (Just saying…)

Check out the store now.

Appearances

You missed a great time at the Wrights Corner Fire Hall last Sunday. I can’t thank them enough for hosting the local Boy Scouts Troop for their annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser and local author book signing. It was an absolute blast to talk with other authors and with the crowd about books.

And, damn, was the meal tasty.

Our Famous Flea Market – February 15th

Janice Misuraca hosts a fantastic monthly flea market in Hamburg at 4737 Lakeshore Road. I will be there from 9 to 3 and so will many other local vendors. There will be homemade jewelry, collectibles, movies, and more. It has been a Buffalo favorite for many years so swing on by and check it out next month.

Broken Loyalties Book Launch Signing – April 4th

I’ve been praising Pulp 716 Comics in North Tonawanda for weeks now. Amy Brent, the owner, has been kind enough to invite me in for a signing in April. I will be there from 12 – 4 on Saturday, April 4th. There will be books and bubble tea. What else could you possibly ask for?

Putting the DSA together was an absolute joy and I’m trying to celebrate the conclusion of Season One with as many fine folks as possible. I hope you’ll be able to attend.

2020 Release Schedule

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Welcome back! A happy new year to you and yours.

I always enjoy taking the last two weeks of the year to recharge and refocus on doing what I love. It’s a moment to reflect on what worked during the past year and what areas I can improve upon over the next twelve months.

It also allows me to plan ahead, one of my favorite things to do.

2020 Book Releases

Five new books are coming your way this year. (My biggest year yet as an author.) Four of which are set, so that’s pretty cool, and the fifth is ready to be drafted next week.

Without further ado…

February 11th – Spectral Advocate

Abigail Winslow, the DSA’s latest recruit, is dead.

Unsure of who to trust anymore after learning the truth behind Agent Jacob Grissom’s death, Ben Riley attempts to track down Winslow’s killer without the use of the agency’s resources.  Facing a locked room murder, Ben turns to his only suspect for assistance—Cal Cooper, an attorney with a secret.

He sees ghosts—everywhere.

Thrust into a world he refuses to believe in, Ben must evade the danger posed by those beyond the veil and put his faith in a stranger to discover the murderer in their midst.

Unfortunately, Ben’s line of inquiry may have made him the next target…

March 9th – Dark Impulses

A deadly virus is turning average people into killers.

Caught in the middle of the growing power struggle of the DSA, Ben Riley and Morgan Dunleavy are dispatched to solve the case in Buffalo—Ben’s hometown and the place he was framed for murder.

Split between a need for answers to his past and an obligation to justice in the present, Ben winds up in the crosshairs of the madman behind the virus.

A madman everyone thought was dead.

Now Morgan must discover a cure to save Ben’s life before it’s too late.

April 8th – Broken Loyalties

It is the DSA’s darkest hour.

Branded as traitors, the field team lies in ruins. Ben Riley and Morgan Dunleavy are alone and on the run. Hunted on all sides, each must sacrifice everything to learn the truth about what’s happened—not only to their own lives but to those they call friend and ally.

Old foes and familiar faces return to take advantage of the chaos—twisting the knife further with each betrayal.

In the midst of tragedy, answers come to light. The Wellspring stands revealed and nothing will be the same again.

Not everyone makes it out alive in this thrilling final chapter of the DSA’s first season.

July 7th – The Gifts of Kali

The world will be wiped clean of sin.

Shiva has returned and every life in Portents is at risk. His goal is simple—to purify humanity and transform the world.

Soriya Greystone faces a threat she can’t defeat: a monster bent on destruction with the power to back it up. All hope for survival lies with Kali, Goddess of Death.

The only problem is Kali doesn’t care whether or not the world burns.

Soriya must find a way to convince the reluctant goddess to stand with her before Portents is swallowed up by Shiva’s growing darkness.

Soriya’s training years continue to unfold in this electrifying adventure that puts everything she’s learned to the test.

October 13th – The Final Gauntlet

The conclusion to the Greystone-in-Training trilogy. This one sets the stage for Greystone Book Six and entire second half of the main series.

More details to come soon!

I hope you’re half as excited as I am about what is coming up. The daily grind of putting together these books, to have your mind consistently seeding stories to write, can wear a person down, but when they stand ready to share with others there is no better feeling in the world.

There will be plenty of new announcements this year, lots of new stuff in the works.

Welcome to 2020! Thanks for reading.

End of Year Wrap-Up

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Happy Holidays! We made it. It’s been a whirlwind kind of year, but here we are at last.

A note of gratitude

None of this works without you, gentle reader. Not this blog, not the social media insanity, the newsletter, or the writing itself. None of it matters without you. I cannot thank you enough for being here and supporting my continued efforts to entertain and engage with you.

It means the world, not only to me, but to my family.

A crazy year indeed…

Four book launches in the last three months. Five this year if you count the Greystone box set. It’s so exciting to see The DSA come to life after so many years. It’s even more thrilling to revisit Portents with the Greystone-in-Training trilogy. I’m having more fun creating with each passing month and that is a gift I hope to share with you for many years to come.

The Good

The DSA is out. People are enjoying it. At this month’s Mini-Con, DSA outsold Greystone for the first time. A number of people were immediately pulled in by the premise. Trust me, the best is yet to come with the series.

I hit my sales goal for the year. I didn’t think I would after some very slow months at the start, but I did it. The local shows were the big winners, for sure, and I hope to continue to participate as my schedule allows.

I’m fully mapped out until 2022 now with projects. It’s a crazy feeling to be locked in for the next two years, but definitely helps figure out my schedule on a weekly or monthly basis.

The Less Good

I’m fully mapped out until 2022! I have so much to do!

Seriously though, the only bummer is that I’ve pushed some projects to the back burner to focus on current series. I’m really hoping to be able to put some time into new genres, but we’ll see with everything else going on.

Digital sales. I still haven’t quite mastered this one. Every time I think I’ve figured out a good metric, a decent strategy for people to find my books the game changes and I have to start over again. I was hoping DSA would launch stronger than it has, but the hope is that once Book 6 is out in April that there will be more interest in binging the whole first season. Same with Hammer and Anvil, but that might change next week as the book goes on sale for the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

I’m off for the next few weeks. Will there be any rest for me? Probably not. I’m working on the script for The Final Gauntlet, the last book in the Greystone-in-Training trilogy. (It’s coming together so well! Loving this one.) I’m also finalizing Spectral Advocate so I can order my first proof.

I will be back in January to announce project dates so get ready!

I hope you and your loved ones have an incredibly festive and harmonious holiday season.

Take care.

Writing Update – November 26, 2019

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! What a whirlwind of a year. I can’t believe another month has slipped by. It’s almost as unbelievable as seeing my Christmas tree already up in the living room. Madness, I say, madness! Enough of the intro, how about a writing update?

Writing Update

The Gifts of Kali

Editing is ALMOST complete on this one. I had planned on only working on this book until I had a readable draft and I came close to that goal. Really, all I have left are two readthroughs to button up the language, sentence structure, and some research elements. The story is set and I think you’re going to love it.

I plan to finish it up in two weeks.

Now the reason why I’ve been sidetracked from completing the project is because I’ve started work on DSA Season Two!

DSA Season Two

That’s right. The next six books in the series have been scripted since January. I’ve been reading the season opener over and over all month. I started the draft on the 18th and am now halfway through the book. Everyone gets a moment to shine in this book. (At least, everyone that survives up to this point…)

I have made some changes to my initial outline over the last ten months and it’s required a few structural changes to the narrative. Overall, however, I’m really enjoying digging into the series again. Wish I could tell you more, but I won’t for ruin the reading experience for you.

DSA Season One

Books 4 – 6 are now live and the ebook editions are up for pre-order. Check out the covers below!

Spectral Advocate arrives February 11th.

Dark Impulses hits the shelves on March 9th.

Broken Loyalties closes out season one with a bang on April 8th.

Appearances

November 30th – Buffalo History Museum 11am-2pm

Come visit this FREE event and meet 65 local authors. Buy some books and get them signed by the amazing talent Buffalo has to offer.

December 7-8 – Flower City Mini-Con

Taking place at the Greece Ridge Mall, hundred of vendors will be set up. Authors, artists, and local craftsmen alike will be on hand for all your holiday shopping needs! Stop by and grab your autographed copies of Greystone and DSA for that special someone on your shopping list.

Event is FREE for the public.

December 21 – Words & Wine at Marjim Manor Winery

A few local authors are getting together to read and share from their books at Marjim Manor from 1-4pm. Sip on some delicious wine and take part in the fun. Stock up on last minute holiday gifts!

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Hope to see you there!

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