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

First Look at Tales from Portents

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You’ve been waiting patiently for this, I know. You’ve finished Signs of Portents and have been sitting silently in the corner for word one on the next book, hoping, begging, pleading for some direction on your next favorite book.

Who says I don’t deliver the goods?

Welcome to the next chapter and the first (in some ways). A collection of six short stories taking the threads left dangling throughout Signs of Portents. From characters mentioned to events relating to our main cast, such as Loren’s first “tour of duty” with the Portents PD.

Welcome to Tales from Portents.

Tales from Portents BannerI know we’re a few months from delivery on this project but I’m chomping at the bit to share some details as to why I chose to write this book instead of the actual sequel to Signs of Portents. Wait. What? This isn’t the sequel? What gives?

Relax. I’m getting there. Promise.

 

This book wasn’t supposed to exist.

I have a pretty clear roadmap for what I call the first “Cycle” of Greystone. Three full length novels, each building up to something huge for the characters. All of them. While I was putting together the overall story bible I thought about Portents on a smaller scale, on a more monster of the week level than the grand scope of things. These stories were meant to fill in the gap between books two and three.

Four books. Total.

So where did this entire project come from?

I wanted to promote Signs of Portents, as well as draw in other readers and thank the ones I already have by providing them with a free story in the Greystone universe. People love free. I know I do. So I set to work on coming up with something perfect to give away.

I came back with a notebook full of ideas. Each with their own merit, stemming from some line of text within the confines of Signs of Portents that needed fleshing out. That demanded more.

Giving birth to Tales from Portents.

What will you will find inside?

  • Ruiz’s first encounter with Mentor – including some slight nods to what is coming up for the character in next summer’s release.
  • Soriya’s first meeting with Vlad. There was always more about the kid (besides playing a great corpse in Signs) and this gave me the perfect opportunity to explore that.
  • Loren’s time in Chicago. Did Loren even try to find a life there? Or did Portents refuse to let him?
  • An early case with Soriya and Loren. How do you build trust between these two people? That was the question I asked when putting together this story.
  • A hint at a larger threat to come. For Soriya. And for Portents.
  • And finally, because it was too glaring to ignore: the history between Loren and Standish – the dirty cop that sent Loren over the edge and packing for Chicago in the first place. This is the one that had to be in the collection and really is the crux of the overall story being told throughout all six tales.

But I hate prequels. Why should I bother?

Don’t be a hater. Tales from Portents has a huge payoff to the overall story in the first cycle of the Greystone series and beyond.

There are threads weaving through each tale that connect to next full length novel. There are threats introduced that play a part in the next short story collection. And everything comes together in the third full length novel in a big way. Every story told is important, be it through character development, the ever growing threats to our heroes and their city, and everything in between.

Plus, I had a blast writing it.

Tales from Portents comes out in February 2017. Mark your calendars.

You’ll be hearing much more about Tales over the next few months including when the freebie that kicked off the project will be available. It is an incredibly important story that I am very excited to share with you and really bridges Signs of Portents with the next novel. It is called Resurrectionists.

More details coming soon.

Thanks for reading.

The Power of a Book Review

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A short and sweet visit today to celebrate Labor Day. I thought this was the perfect time to send a reminder to everyone already enjoying Signs of Portents or those that have finished to leave a book review on your favorite site.

A book review gives you a voice.

Consumers have more power in the retailer market than ever before. Is this a good thing? Most of the time. I know some people that tend to skew negative because they can. Others tend to go the other way and stay positive as often as possible. I tend to fall in the latter category. The old adage – “If you have nothing good to say about someone, keep your trap shut.” (That was it, wasn’t it?)

It was a lesson I learned trolling on eBay for comic books. A retailer sent me the wrong book by mistake and failed to rectify the situation or even answer my e-mails to work out some compromise. I left a negative review. Suddenly my inbox was flush with panicked protests over my review, a full refund and an apology. This poor retailer feared the reprisal associated with a negative review. I have never posted a negative review since.

Does this mean you should lie?

No. Never. Honest reviews are appreciated and can add to a reader’s search for their next favorite book. What I mention above is that instead of posting a negative review and hurting a person’s potential livelihood, maybe focus on something you actually enjoyed reading and leave a review for that instead. If the book, or the film, or anything else, is of subpar quality the lack of reviews will confirm this for potential buyers.

I would never say give a product five stars or walk away. I would say to weigh leaving a negative review heavily before posting. Not everyone is Amazon. Or Google. Or Microsoft. A negative review for them is a drop in the bucket. For the independents in the world, there is considerable pressure to be great. And we should be great, or as close to greatness as possible.

Again, the lack of reviews will reflect this as well. Without skewing negative.

Turning the tide.

I received an e-mail from Steve Windsor last year. Someone left a negative review on one of his books in the Nine Day Novel series – an interesting approach to writing a book when you have nothing else on your plate and impractical goals, such as myself. The negative reviewer felt the same and rather than dismiss the theory and walk away they left a blistering book review attacking Steve, even though he has proven it to work (at least with his own writing).

Steve sent out a plea to his subscribers for reviews to counteract the negative addition to his page on Amazon. When an author is J.K. Rowling with thousands upon thousands of reviews the negative never slow down the positive. They never gain a foothold. With a small press like Steve? He needed help.

He got it. In spades. That’s the power of a great e-mail list and something I hope to improve upon in the coming year. Until then, however, I want to reach out and ask each and every one of you that has enjoyed Signs of Portents to utilize your power of words and leave a book review.

A big thank you to everyone whose been able to leave a review so far. Keep them coming and I’ll keep writing.

Thanks.

P.S. I am looking into creating some Advance Reader Copies of my next book to front load some reviews on Amazon prior to book launch in February. If anyone is interested in doing this please contact me here.

Writing Update – September 1, 2016

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I like to take stock on where I am with my work and I feel it’s important to share that with you here. Every two weeks you can find out what I’m currently writing, what I’ve been reading and other interesting factoids I have found on the interwebs instead of doing my work.

Currently Writing:

This week is the end of the self-editing phase for Tales from Portents. (Hooray!) It’s been a blast trying to add some layers to Signs of Portents while also acting as a bridge to the next full length novel. The plan was to take some of the threads and tie them up or explain them more. However, when creating this project I ended up with even more questions, characters, and plot lines which you will encounter in future novels. I can’t wait to see where all these threads lead.

Speaking of new novels, I finished writing the plot breakdown for my next project. (Double Hooray!) Typically when I start plotting I try to keep a list of connecting scenes in a notebook then pull them together at the end. For shorter projects this works great. It has been awhile since I plotted a novel this large so I thought visualizing the arc might work a little better for me.

whiteboard writing

Unfortunately, my whiteboard had been taken over by every color marker in the place. So I thought… INDEX CARDS.

index card writing

Yes. We only had hot pink and purple index cards. (The ladies own this house.)

BUT, the cards worked out and the plot for next summer’s release is rocking and rolling. September is all about scripting the scenes laid out in colorful style. I will be talking about both pieces of my process throughout the month.

On the Signs of Portents front, things are doing well after launch week. Thank you to everyone for spreading the word which is definitely getting around on the book. Now that more distribution channels are open, I am looking into a few new marketing avenues to promote it further.

What I’ve Been Reading

Ian Rankin’s A Good Hanging – I am only a hundred pages into this short story collection from the early days in the Inspector Rebus series. I love how Rankin writes the titular character and how Edinburgh plays a crucial role in every tale. Being Frank and Concrete Evidence are two of the stronger pieces so far in the collection. It is interesting how he finds a creative way to look at the solving of a crime in each story. Especially Concrete Evidence, where the killer is pretty obvious from the beginning and the struggle becomes how Rebus goes about tracking down an air tight piece of evidence for the conviction. Great stuff. Can’t wait to finish the rest.

Mark Waid’s Daredevil – I was an avid Daredevil fan up until this run. Andy Diggle’s run, while crucial to hitting the reset button on a character that had become so dark and depressed that a demon actually took over his body, pretty much gave me a place to jump off. BIG MISTAKE. (As usual.) Mark Waid’s Daredevil is FUN. There is drama. There is darkness. Waid pushes Daredevil’s buttons as well as the great Frank Miller ever did but he keeps Matt Murdock in the light. And some of it is truly brutal. Waid always nails the super-heroics of his funny-books, but what he is able to hit on (repeatedly and with great effect) is the humanity of the Daredevil cast. Foggy Nelson, in particular, with his battle with cancer was such a touchstone of his run. Absolutely a must read. Great stuff.

Have a great book recommendation? Want to tell me why Ben Affleck’s Daredevil is the greatest super-hero film of all time? Shoot me a message.

The Web

Joanna Penn talks about Ad-Stacking to get on the USA Today Bestseller List – A great lesson for beginners and veterans alike. How to pull all your resources into the mix for a huge promotion with a very targeted goal. Getting on the USA Bestseller list as a single author. Joanna Penn breaks down the costs involved, the pieces in play and the results. A perfect case study in how losing money in the short term to achieve a goal can end up paying dividends in the long run.

Thanks for reading.

Signs of Portents – On Sale Everywhere!

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It is official – Signs of Portents is now on sale through finer bookstores and e-retailers around the globe!!

Pay a visit to your local shop and order your copy now!

Signs of Portents Banner

Feel like spreading the love? Head to your library and ask them to add Signs of Portents to their collection! Share a post on social media! Leave a fantastic review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and more!

Let people know the book is out there. Shout it from the rooftops. Scream it in the grocery store. Make a new friend at the bus stop with a friendly chat about your recently discovered favorite book. Hassle your pastor to slip it in the homily this week. (You get the idea…)

Where can I find the book already, Lou?!

Why, thank you for asking, Senor Heading Tag. You can find Signs of Portents at the following locations and more. Please shoot me an e-mail if there is a problem locating the book at any of these sites. I am doing my best to make the rounds to each for quality control purposes due to my extreme paranoia that no one is as perfect as I am (cue maniacal laughter here) but I can always use a hand.

Without further adieu – LINKS!!!

Print and Digital:

Print Only:

Digital Only:

Other sites will become live over the next few weeks. There is also your local bookstore which may not have a web presence but will still be able to order Signs of Portents for your reading convenience.

If you happen to notice another site with Signs of Portents listed please send me the link and I will make it available for everyone.

Thank you again for your continued support, both with the book and on this site. This would not be possible without you.

Thanks for reading.

Signs of Portents – On Sale NOW

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Signs of Portents is on sale now!

Today is the day!!

Wait. Didn’t I say this book was coming out on the 30th? It’s only the 22nd. Did I lose my calendar? Or my mind? (Probably the latter…)

There’s a story in there…

It’s a learning game with certain things. I have complete control over my schedule, writing, blogging, editing, etc. When it comes to distributors and how they handle things? Let’s just say I’m still figuring all that out.

I clicked a button. Createspace, an incredibly user-friendly service that I will be using in abundance for as long as I write, doesn’t do pre-orders when ready to publish. As far as I’ve seen anyway. Maybe there is a trick I am missing, some link embedded in a secret html code to be deciphered by Robert Langdon. (I don’t have Tom Hanks’ talent to find it.) I went through the proof process until the book looked perfect and I hit the approve button.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

All of a sudden my book was on Amazon and ready to go. Not the worst news ever EXCEPT…

The Kindle version wasn’t uploaded yet. I had set that for pre-order (because you can for some reason) so it wasn’t going to ready until the 30th. Thankfully I could change it and the 22nd became THE DAY of choice for both.

For Amazon.

Everything else? I needed a little more lead time than I gave myself. Another lesson definitely learned for the next book. (coming February 2017, hint hint) For the Nook readers, the Barnes and Noble shoppers, iBooks, Kobo, local bookstores, libraries and everything else in the world? Signs of Portents is coming. SOON.

When that day arrives, as soon as word trickles down from my distributor overlords (whom I love and respect greatly) you will be the first to hear it.

So good news, bad news thing but let’s circle back to the good news since I never tire of typing it:

Signs of Portents, the first book in the Greystone series, is on sale NOW.

Get it. Read it. Love it. And REVIEW IT. (Please and thank you.)

Signs of Portents on sale NOW

 

 

BONUS DIGITAL EDITION

Anyone that purchases the paperback of Signs of Portents through Amazon is also eligible for a FREE Kindle version of the novel!! It is through their Kindle Matchbook program. I thought it was a nice bonus and a way to thank you for taking a chance on a new author. Speaking of thanks…

A Word of Thanks

It’s taken quite some time to get here. More than I would have liked and more than certain family members too. (You can read about that nightmare here.) I could not have done it without the love and support of my family and friends, always pushing me to work and to get better at creating, at writing, and everything I do.

The first cycle of the Greystone has just begun. Come along for the ride.

And thanks for reading.

Signs of Portents – The Long Road to Publication

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Signs of Portents took a terribly complex and irrational journey from pen to page and finally to publication. The initial concept came about in 2008. Yeah, I know. Ridiculous. Image Comics’ ShadowLine imprint was looking for a companion book to their Bomb Queen title and were looking for pitches.

Being an overly ambitious fellow, I sent eight. They were horrible. Piddly little paragraphs like an elevator pitch more than a full blown, professionally constructed pitch. I did no research into Bomb Queen or anything else ShadowLine was publishing. Not a single smart move taken. It amounted to bupkus. Shocker.

Greystone, however, was one of the them, but not the same as the book you now have adorning your shelves.

Take a look at the original pitch:

To the outside world Soriya Greystone appears to be the epitome of normality.  Married to a man bringing home a middle class income.  Two kids, the apple of her eye.  And a house in the suburbs.  The typical housewife.

Wrong.

In the city of Portents, darkness lurks around every corner.  Creatures, demons, and more, all wait their turn for a chance at breaking through to our reality.  All that stands in their way is the Greystone, occult detective.

Working with Detective Greg Loren and an unusual arsenal of occult artifacts, Greystone uses her peculiar talents to solve supernatural crimes and keep her family safe and unaware of the true dangers of the city.

Like I said, horrible. No surprise it went into the slush pile we call life. But I came back to it at the end of that year. I was trying to figure things out as a writer and my focus remained comics and script writing. So I pulled out my pitch and wrote a four issue mini-series. I even came up with a title – Signs of Portents. (Progress!) After writing it I searched high and low for an artist but the process quickly fell apart. That’s how my writing was at that point.

So I had a script but no way of producing it. Back to the slush pile.

Getting closer to publication… by inches.

Soriya and Loren refused to leave me alone. They plagued me for years to the point where I wrote the sequel to Signs of Portents just to get some release, some closure on their world. It served to do the opposite.

In 2013, having left the working world to take my role as All-Star Dad, I pulled out my old script and set to work. I wrote the first prose draft of Signs of Portents in six weeks. I was on fire. (Sometimes literally. Raising kids is tough.) Everything I had sat on and shoved away since 2008 came roaring to the surface and the book took over.

Then nothing. Again. (WHAT AN IDIOT.)

I didn’t have a next step. A plan. A goal other than to make it work. Traditional publishing was as much a mystery as taking it all on myself. So it sat. And I wrote other things. New worlds. But Portents called me back.

It always calls me back.

Making 2016 the year for publication.

Eleven Ten Publishing came about in January of this year and I wanted the perfect launch product for it. There was only one choice. So I edited the holy hell out of Signs of Portents. Then a real editor made it readable. Kit Foster Designs added the window dressing to perfection and here we are. Publication of Signs of Portents is only two weeks away.

Easy peasy.

Plans don’t always come together but some deserve the extra time and effort. Some sure as hell demand it. Signs of Portents is definitely one of them.

I hope you agree.

Thanks for reading.

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