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

Gremlins Commentary Part 1

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The next several months will bring author commentaries on all six stories contained within the Tales from Portents collection. My hope is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.) So, SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the duration.

Starting point

starting pointAs I pieced together the lineup for the collection, I realized I was missing something. I had solo stories with the main leads, a focus on our main supporting cast member in Ruiz and another with Vlad. There was Resurrectionists at the heart of it all but I needed more.

I needed another Loren and Soriya adventure.

It is the central dynamic to the series and without it, the collection felt incomplete.

But where to take it? Since I was in prequel territory I could have chosen any moment to explore their relationship. I knew I wanted something different than that seen in both Resurrectionists and Signs of Portents but not exactly sure what that meant.

Then I remembered the cut dynamic of Ruiz and Mentor, the much more aggressive point/counterpoint to Loren and Soriya’s relationship. That was the starting point.

Why this moment exactly?

starting pointAt six months into the start of their partnership both characters are still feeling each other out. On Loren’s side it is much worse, his anger clouding any sense of trust in the pairing. That level of tension, that lack of comfort between the two leads compared to where they are presently in Signs was very interesting to me and something I wanted to explore fully.

It offered a natural conflict, instead of a manufactured device filtered through the narrative.

Why not their first case?

This came up early when I was plotting out Gremlins. If I had the opportunity why not start from the beginning? Why not turn the clock back completely?

Honestly? I’m saving that one. Their first case, their first chance to pair up after the arrest of the Kindly Killer, is a bigger story than I could fit into the collection. Not only that but it serves as the perfect bridge into the second half of the series. Might be years away from telling it but it’s coming and it is going to be great.

The Ronnie Phillips Factor

I had this glaring plot point when working on the draft for Gremlins. Loren is hunting down another potential criminal that he believes may have had a hand in Beth’s fall. But then I did nothing with it. He gets the call to head to the Second Precinct for the main thrust of our adventure and nothing is ever mentioned about Ronnie Phillips again.

Not cool.

Changing the original ending with Soriya and Loren to help resolve this omission is one of the best changes I made during the editing process. It fit perfectly with Soriya’s attempt to bridge the gap between the pair and really sell the point of their trust for one another. Or more trust than had been there at the beginning, I suppose.

Next time

More about the threat of the Gremlins tale. Psst, it’s in the title.

Thanks for reading.

The Great Divide Commentary Part 3

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The next several months will bring author commentaries on all six stories contained within the Tales from Portents collection. My hope is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.) So, SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the duration.

The importance of minor characters

Protagonists stand or fall by the world around them. Depth comes from interactions with other characters. Perspectives comes from this interplay and each piece, each character, adds a little more to the overall feel of the work.

Minor characters bolster the leads. Each, with their own unique flair, offer new insights and perspectives into the drama unfolding both physically and emotionally for the leads.

The Great Divide, and Tales from Portents in general, was designed not only to inspire more depth in the backstories of the principle players of Greystone, but also introduce new minor characters to the mix or flesh out the smaller roles from Signs of Portents.

minor characters
Tales from Portents is only 99-cents right now!

Edgar Rusch

I know, I know, this seems like a cheat. Edgar Rusch isn’t even in the story! True, but by offering that small glimpse at Ruiz’s relationships including the unseen Mr. Rusch we learn how connected Ruiz is to his world. That short exchange with his wife ABOUT his friend, gave more insight into Ruiz than a 2,000 word scene WITH his old friend.

The bonus of introducing Edgar here is that it left less to be explained when he pops up in The Medusa Coin. Again, planning ahead helps incredibly when putting together a series. I cannot emphasize that enough!

Julian Harvey

I wrote about Harvey last time and the luck at his introduction to the series. With a tale like The Great Divide, I was able to have a situation where Ruiz wasn’t the elder statesman in the room. He’s the newbie, the immature member of the duo. Who would he turn to for help?

Enter Julian Harvey, old curmudgeon. (and how I see myself turning VERY soon…) If I could have fit in one more rant of his about young people and the lack of ambition or the dangers of acid reflux! (Maybe I’ll start a whole new series of him hating on millennials…)

Harvey, while lost in his own opinions, played a crucial role in ushering Ruiz into the world of Portents. The true city. How did he come by the knowledge? Oh, wouldn’t that be a fun story to tell. Hmmm….

Honestly though, Harvey is the most important first appearance in Tales. Keep a lookout for when he pops up again.

EASTER EGG – Did you catch who Harvey is related to at the Central Precinct? Check out the little snippet from Chapter 3 below:

“…Most of the grunts here remind me of my good-for-nothing nephew. Happy to sit and zone than think for himself. He’s actually thinking about applying to the academy but I’ll be damned if I see a Pratchett in this department in my lifetime.”

It was just a throwaway line I had tossed in there. I figured it would be fun to make a small connection to our favorite giant of an officer, John Pratchett. Little did I realize where we were headed….

Michelle Ruiz

When I was making my list for this entry, I almost forgot Ruiz’s wife. Shame on me. I forgot The Great Divide served as her first appearance. It took a long time to piece together who Michelle was as a person. Her role in The Medusa Coin helped (again!) and offered a vision for this strong-willed woman that basically became a single mother of three daughters since her husband is never home.

Here, she has a little more innocence, a little more joy, as the divide comes after. Another crucial player filling out the world and playing off Ruiz to create tension and support with each interaction.

minor charactersHady Ronne

Another vital component in The Medusa Coin, which is actually why she shows up here. How Ruiz sees her at this moment in their relationship is crucial to what happens down the line.

Hady also gives this creepy vibe every time she shows up. She’s so off-putting to be around the only way Loren can handle it is with sarcasm bordering on meanness. I wanted to see how Ruiz acted in Loren’s place.

EASTER EGG – There is a reason behind Hady Ronne’s name. You’ll find out why in September.

What’s next?

Next week I’ll be taking a closer look at Gremlins. Be sure to stop by on Thursday for some awesome FREE BOOKS!

Thanks for reading.

The Great Divide Commentary Part 2

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The next several months will bring author commentaries on all six stories contained within the Tales from Portents collection. My hope is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.) So, SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the duration.

Mentor’s Role

The initial thought when constructing The Great Divide was a buddy cop story between Ruiz and Mentor. Ruiz’s introduction to the world of Portents came during his first encounter with the enigmatic Mentor. The two would then, reluctantly, join forces to battle the big bad of the tale with resounding success.

Why did it fail to take off from the initial notes phase? Simple. Loren and Soriya already have that relationship. The similarities between the two dynamics cropped up early and often, which immediately turned me away from the concept. If I can’t show something new, some new wrinkle in the way Portents works, or how characters interact then there is no point in moving forward.

I did like the animosity between the two players. Think Lethal Weapon to the extreme. I didn’t want to lose that concept so I tucked it away for a rainy day, one that came sooner than I thought in the form of Gremlins. Using the angry buddy cop motif there fit much better with the story I wanted to tell and left The Great Divide open for something new.

Mentor
Tales from Portents is only 99-cents!

How Mentor’s presence evolved

Once I knew I didn’t want Mentor to be the driving force of the narrative things progressed rapidly. Ruiz became the central figure of the story so it became about finding a way to add Mentor into the mix more than anything else.

That was the basis for how the story fleshed out. Mentor was the ghost in the machine, acting from the shadows.

Why it worked?

It ratcheted up the tension. Instead of getting bogged in exposition with Mentor explaining everything to Ruiz with each step, Ruiz is thrown in the deep end without help. His life is in jeopardy. There is a chance he won’t make it out, until Mentor steps in from the shadows.

There is also their actual meeting at the end. I wanted Ruiz scared, on edge, and unsure which way to turn. Putting the two at odds was always the goal but this added to the tension that would serve as the basis of not only their relationship but Ruiz’s time with Soriya as well.

Having the truth of the city thrust upon him in a dramatic display instead of calmly explained at the beginning added more to Ruiz’s anger at the truth than anything else. His decision to not only hate the truth but refuse to accept it or publicly acknowledge it lined up more smoothly with what we knew about the character.

The final reason, and I am so happy it came together this way, was that by not having Mentor as a central player in the story it opened the door for someone new to enter the stage. Julian Harvey filled that role, a default mentor to Ruiz. Harvey’s role allowed for a new dynamic to be introduced and showcased Ruiz’s immaturity with the city.

Harvey’s role has become critical to the overall story being told in Greystone and it almost never came about. That little shift with Mentor, turning him to almost a wraith in the background, ended up being one of the most important in the series.

Very glad it happened that way.

Next time

Introducing minor characters to the world of Portents and their importance to the series. Why Edgar Rusch, Julian Harvey, Michelle Ruiz and Hady Ronne are crucial to the success of Greystone.

Thanks for reading.

The Great Divide Commentary Part 1

By

The next several months will bring author commentaries on all six stories contained within the Tales from Portents collection. My hope is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.) So, SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the duration.

The rise of Alejo Ruiz

Alejo RuizThere were a number of initial notes made when putting this project together. If you’ve read my previous posts on Tales from Portents you know the idea was to create a prequel for Signs to offer readers as an added incentive to bring them into the Greystone fold. One story and only one.

It kinda blew up from there. It happens.

From those initial notes I realized the chance to add depth to the major and minor players that exist within the city of Portents. The Great Divide served as a vehicle to showcase one of my favorite characters in the series; Alejo Ruiz.

The focus for Signs of Portents was strictly on the journey of Greg Loren and Soriya Greystone. Ruiz was involved, for sure, but kept to the side for a large chunk of the narrative. I wanted to give him some space to shine.

Why?

Two reasons (and very important ones at that).

  1. Building up the cast – Supporting characters should be strong and layered. They bolster the main leads and the world around them, so by offering some time to Ruiz I hoped to make him more integral to the story as a whole.
  2. The Medusa Coin – Plotting ahead is SO helpful sometimes. Ruiz plays a huge role in The Medusa Coin. Knowing the events coming up, his inclusion as the lead for The Great Divide was a no-brainer as well as some of the story beats that ended up in the final draft of the tale. EVERYTHING has a payoff down the line. That is the fun of writing a series.

A thematic bridge

There were a number of places this story could have gone. As a prequel the door was open for a tale from any time Alejo Ruizbefore Signs of Portents. No other restriction. I settled on two notions that get right to the heart of the character, both creating a thematic bridge between novels.

The first, and the initial thread, I wanted to pull was Ruiz’s hatred of the world Soriya represents. He is one of the few people that knows about the true city and what is out there in the darkness of Portents. That is a heavy load to carry and I wanted to play with that responsibility.

More than that, I wanted to play with his anger toward it. His reaction is so different than that of Soriya and Loren when it comes to the monsters lurking around every corner. He hates it and wants nothing to do with it.

Why? That was my jumping off point and how I landed at the beginning of his journey with The Great Divide.

The second thematic element ran in line with the title of the piece. The great divide is about Ruiz and his wife. Ruiz’s childhood is hinted at several times, including the trouble between his parents. He has done everything possible to avoid those missteps, but in learning the truth ends up falling into the same trap.

The great divide started in this tale plays out fully in The Medusa Coin. Knowing that blowup was coming and seeding it here, allows the end of his arc to be that much more powerful.

Tidbits

The monkey decoration adorning the nursery at the Ruiz home is taken from the nursery for my children – who might actually be monkeys the way they bounce through the house.

The story of the yellow eyed bird monster is not over. There is something coming I am very excited to share about this menacing figure and his relationship with Alejo Ruiz.

Next time

Mentor’s presence in The Great Divide. How it evolved as the story came together.

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.

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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.

Author Commentaries

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I don’t know about you but after I read something and thoroughly enjoy it I like to know as much about the project as possible. What choices were made in the background? How was the initial concept conceived? Thoughts about specific moments and the level of difficulty in pulling it together. I find author commentaries fascinating in this regard.

Tales from Portents Author Commentaries

The second installment of the Greystone series has been out for a little over a month now. You’ve read it and loved every freaking second of it, I am sure.

If not – for shame – some handy dandy links will take you to your favorite retailer to procure a copy.

               

Why should you snag it now and devour it eagerly? Besides the fact that it is currently only 99-cents digitally right this very minute????

Author commentaries are on the way next week!

I did this with Signs of Portents and really enjoyed digging into the process and where things changed from draft to final manuscript. Being the forward thinker I am – HA – I took some time during the editing process and the many readings therein to mark down what I thought were interesting nuggets about each and every entry in the Tales from Portents collection.

author commentaries

Every story had its trials, its changes and I wanted to share them with you. Like I said, I find author commentaries fascinating because they inform the writing process. Understanding how to think around obstacles in order to create a more satisfying reading experience.

Spoiler Warning

I will be talking about what happens in each story and I don’t want the experience ruined for you. You have been warned!

If there is a specific topic (plot point, scene, character, etc.) you would like mentioned please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to share. Unless it spoils future novels. If you want me to tell you how everyone dies in a fiery crash, I’m not going to do it. Oh, wait… Forget I wrote that.

Reviews

If you’ve read Tales from Portents and haven’t been able to write a review yet, they would be greatly appreciated. Reviews really are the only social proof authors have that they’ve written something halfway decent that people will enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to help spread the word about Tales and all the Greystone novels.

           

   

And thanks for reading!

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