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

The Medusa Coin is now in audiobook!

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What? A new Greystone novel available in audiobook? YES!!! The Medusa Coin is out now for your listening pleasure.

Another J.S. Arquin masterpiece

I swear the man just gets better and better. J.S. nails every nuance of the story. Every choice he makes, be it voice, accent, or inflection is absolutely spot on. Give the book a listen now through Amazon or through Audible and you’ll see what I mean.

Head over to Amazon and start listening.

Or visit Audible today.

The Medusa Coin

Death has come to the city of Portents.

Dozens have fallen before a mysterious menace hiding among them. Their only connection is the grisly condition of their bodies — hollowed-out chasms where their eyes used to be.

Setting aside the aging case on his wife’s murder, Detective Greg Loren has returned to the city with the task of stopping the bearer of the Medusa coin — an artifact with power over Death himself — from continuing to slaughter the people of Portents.

Soriya, no longer able to control the enigmatic Greystone, grapples with the decision to forge ahead in the case on her own, leaving Loren behind. But without the two counterbalancing each other, Death may be the force that levels them both.

Lou Paduano’s The Medusa Coin, the third exciting installment in the Greystone series, promises to raise the stakes to even greater heights, offering glimpses of a darker side to Portents listeners never imagined.

Still one of my favorite books.

Listening to this one brought me back to those early days in 2016. (Soooooo long ago.) This was the book where I finally realized I knew what I was doing. It was the moment I figured out the end of the first cycle, and had my roadmap for the series.

To hear it come to life is a dream come true. I hope you enjoy it.

Happy listening!

A Circle of Shadows Commentary – Return of the Sirens

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The author commentary on A Circle of Shadows continues! SPOILER WARNING ahead!

Loose Threads…

The Night of the Lights described in Signs of Portents was a defining moment in the novel. It was meant to be this door-opening experience where not everything that came out was immediately shoved back into the box, or in this case, the floating green orb of light.

The Sirens were always supposed to play a greater role in the series.

No one questioned their arrival in Signs. No one questioned why they were mentioned.

They should have. If Signs is the only book you read, there should be an answer within its pages to some degree.

When I closed that initial book, I knew I had to address them. The Sirens were now roaming the streets and had to be dealt with. I knew this.

I just didn’t know how to hand this loose thread.

The Medusa Coin

I tried to squeeze it into The Medusa Coin. The Sirens were supposed to show up at the beginning or the end in a very Blade 2 moment, where Soriya jumps them and tells them they were foolish to think she forgot about them or some other nonsense. (You know what I’m talking about… if not, see the film. It’s fantastic.)

It didn’t fit. The narrative was tight, focused on Erikson and the Charon. Even if it hadn’t been, the conceit that the Greystone was out of control took another threat off the table. At least until Soriya solved that piece of the puzzle.

Pathways in the Dark

A seventh short story almost made its way into the collection. It revolved around a conspiracy created by the Sirens, who were manipulating principal players in the city.

I couldn’t get it to work. And Pathways had a full line-up I wasn’t willing to cut to make room.

I needed the Sirens resolved. I needed an answer to this situation I created with my genius planning of loose threads.

loose threads

A Circle of Shadows opens the door…

Then came book 5. I had a slot to fill in the opening chapters where members of the circle converge on a supernatural threat. I had no threat.

A small problem to be sure.

The Sirens filled the role perfectly.

Then I took it further. The original outline had the two sisters taken down by the circle and the third, Thel, given a second chance at life by the Greystone. That was the end of the story for the Sirens. Originally…

It didn’t close the loop on the character.

And I didn’t want another dangling thread.

Thel’s involvement in the climax of the novel came as a direct result of this need to close their story. It tied into Soriya’s need to be a force of good instead of destruction. It tied into the theme of second chances seen throughout the narrative.

I was so excited when it worked out. When she is struck in the back and begs Ruiz and Myers to let the Greystone know she made good; that gut punch to Myers for the way she treated Soriya? That was why that scene exists. That is why the Sirens made the cut for this book.

So glad they did.

The epilogue scene.

It wasn’t in the original outline. Hell, it wasn’t even in the original draft. Or the first revision.

When Thel shows up as Myers’ new partner, setting up a brand new dynamic for the police force going forward, it was brand new for me as well.

Unplanned. Off the cuff. Completely out of nowhere writing.

Wish I could take credit for it. Truth be told, in the original draft, Thel died in Heaven’s Gate Park. Shocker, right? With the amount of bodies dropping who would have noticed?

Exactly why I changed it. I needed survivors. I needed characters that had depth and foibles to carry on for the next five books. Thel proved herself to me over the course of the writing she had that in her.

All because of that damn loose thread in Signs of Portents.

Thanks for reading.

Greystone Weekend Sale!

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In preparation for the release of Pathways in the Dark next week, the entire Greystone library is on sale right now through Tuesday!

Now is the time to catch up on the thrilling adventures of Soriya Greystone and Detective Greg Loren as they wade through monsters, myths and murder in the hidden shadows of Portents.

Every book in the series is only $0.99 this weekend!

Pick up your copies today!

Signs of Portents

Portents is a city like no other—and one that Detective Greg Loren can’t wait to escape. Since his wife’s death years earlier, Loren has looked forward to the moment he can leave the city of Portents for good—and never look back.

But fate has another plan for Loren. Called back to duty, Loren finds himself embroiled in a series of murders that has shaken the city. Together with Soriya Greystone, a young woman with unearthly powers, Loren must work quickly to find the otherworldly being that is killing citizens of Portents one at a time. Loren is tasked with deciphering the mysterious signs left at each of the crime scenes…even if it means traveling to worlds not his own to do so.

 

 

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Tales from Portents

Six tales of monsters, the dead rising, and the terrors of Portents.

The beasts Detective Loren and Soriya Greystone battled in Lou Paduano’s debut book Signs of Portents were just a hint of what lurks in the city. Tales from Portents explores the city’s immersive history, including stories of Loren’s descent after his wife’s death—and his opportunity to have her rise from the grave. Among the pages, Soriya battles gremlins, navigates lessons with Mentor, and meets the werewolf Luchik. Follow new characters with expansive histories as they come face to face with the horrors of Portents—both human and otherwise.

From the Greystone Collection, Tales from Portents navigates the cases that make even Detective Loren lie awake at night.

 

           

 

The Medusa Coin

Death has come to the city of Portents.

Dozens have fallen before a mysterious menace hiding among them. Their only connection is the grisly condition of their bodies—hollowed-out chasms where their eyes used to be.

Setting aside the aging case on his wife’s murder, Detective Greg Loren has returned to the city with the task of stopping the bearer of the Medusa coin—an artifact with power over Death himself—from continuing to slaughter the people of Portents.

Soriya, no longer able to control the enigmatic Greystone, grapples with the decision to forge ahead in the case on her own, leaving Loren behind. But without the two counterbalancing each other, Death may be the force that levels them both.

 

Amazon  Nook   Kobo   iBooks   Smashwords

 

Pathways in the Dark arrives Tuesday!

The dark pathways of Portents tell of frightful demons and characters’ surprising histories.

Detective Loren and Soriya Greystone’s journeys continue in the next series of tales in the Greystone Collection, Pathways in the Dark. Discover new monsters in Portents, including a phoenix, an onna-bugeisha, and the cult of Anubis. Delve deeper into Detective Samantha Myers’ secretive past, and follow Captain Ruiz as he continues to be plagued by the demons of Portents, even during his leave of absence. As Loren and Soriya battle the city’s monsters and their fractured relationship alike, they come to realize that everyone has two stories…and that nobody can be trusted, no matter how well you think you know them.

The next anthology of the Greystone Collection further casts the city of Portents in the shadows, showing that no one is safe.

Limited time launch offer of $0.99 still available!

          

 

 

The Medusa Coin Commentary – Hady Ronne

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Almost at the end! The Medusa Coin author commentary continues!! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Coroner Hady Ronne

If you remember from my discussion of the long road to publication for The Medusa Coin, I mentioned how I wrote the book before I wrote Signs of Portents. Because of that act there were certain elements put into place that I then had to seed in the first two books.

The main one was Coroner Hady Ronne.

She didn’t exist in Signs. Not at that point. There was no coroner mentioned. Loren still took Soriya and Mentor to the morgue but there was no talk with Hady over procedure.

With the revelation of Hady as the Charon I realized I had a rare opportunity: to lay the groundwork for that change.

Smart writers would have known from the first book and put it in place. I had to write the damn thing backwards to figure it out. Oh well…

hady ronne

Laying the foundation…

I think I did all right with this one. Hady comes off as decidedly creepy in Signs. Even to the point of Soriya mentioning how something is off about her.

Tales from Portents really brought it home and not many called me on it even though they had every right at the time.

In The Great Divide, a younger Ruiz remembers the sudden change in Hady during their teenage years. From outgoing to introvert. From pretty young girl to wiry, straggly hair always covering her sunken eyes.

The Consultant, however, took the prize in terms of clues as to what was going on with Hady. In the fourth chapter of the tale, Soriya watches Russell Kerr approach the precinct just as Hady Ronne is leaving. He stops at her arrival and growls at her.

GROWLS AT HER.

No one yelled at me for that? COME ON!

Why is that significant? Cerberus (Russell Kerr) hates the Charon for sneaking living people into the underworld and then allowing them to depart for a price. A little mythology lesson for you there!

What’s in a name?

I thought I was being clever with this one. I wanted a clue right there in plain sight for all to see when I came up with Hady’s name.

Coroner HAdy RONne.

CHARON.

Do other names have hidden meanings or messages in the series? I’m not telling!

Next time!

The big finale for the commentary! (Unless there is something out there you’d like to know about the book…)

Thanks for reading!

The Medusa Coin Commentary – Gilgamesh

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The Medusa Coin commentary continues with insight into the character of Gilgamesh! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh, the Suited Man within the context of The Medusa Coin, was one of the elements taken from the very first draft. My reason was simple. I wanted an immortal but not an obvious one. No Lazarus allowed.

During my searching I stumbled on The Epic of Gilgamesh and fell in love with the idea of using the legendary figure in the Greystone world. In the epic he never attained immortality, so it was also fun to play on this untold part of his journey.

And why not right?

Opening up Portents to literary figures as well as myths and monsters seemed pretty in tune with the nature of the world. It fit in a creepy, supernatural way.

Plus, having that basis of a backstory made it that much more interesting to have his presence in the narrative.

Taking some facts, omitting others…

That becomes the problem with lifting from other texts. Staying true to them sometimes means compromising your own story. To use Gilgamesh as a figure of immortality – and the cost of such a gift – meant adding to his narrative, not taking away from it.

Because so much is unknown it is simple to say the legendary figure never died – stories of his demise were simply fictional for the sake of the epic.

There is more coming for the character in Pathways in the Dark, including more tidbits from The Epic of Gilgamesh. It’s been fun, like doing a research paper, and then blowing it all to hell with crazy action and modern twists. Very glad he’s been added to the world of Greystone.

Evolution of the damn hat

Yes. There were arguments – SO MANY ARGUMENTS – about Gilgamesh’s hat. I wanted it to mean something, to have this deep insight into his character.

At one point it was a fedora but that seemed played. In another draft it was a Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers cap. Yes, I am a Dodgers fan – blame my grandmother for whom the book is dedicated to so it would have fit perfectly… But the real reason was for how the game of baseball changed because of this singular individual.

Unfortunately, everything became all about the damn hat. How to explain it to the reader and every freaking character that interacted with Gilgamesh. It took over the scene so I ditched the Dodgers cap.

Why a bowler hat then? In truth, I was making a statement about Charlie Chaplin’s signature chapeau. Seriously. I was trying to say – “This guy changed the movie industry without saying a damn word.” The power of his silence, the influence over the course of history.

That was how I saw Gilgamesh as the Suited Man. This man, this figure of Death, with the ability to tip the scales without having to say a word. Just a single action.

And he does that. When he reaches for Jeremy Bennett’s hand before the van plows through the home he makes a choice that changes EVERYTHING.

So now you know the secret of the hat! (These are the things that keep me up at night, if you can believe that…)

Next time

Hady Ronne – the secret behind her name revealed at last…

Thanks for reading.

The Medusa Coin Commentary – The Courtyard

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SPOILERS AHEAD as the commentary of The Medusa Coin continues!!

Scenes that don’t work…

Sometimes it happens. You outline a movement that makes complete sense when you start and when you get there it feels off.

Something is out of place. A character is doing or saying something that doesn’t sound right for the moment. Or you don’t have a reason for them to be there in the first place.

That scene came in the form of The Courtyard for The Medusa Coin.

The Courtyard scene…

the courtyardThe Courtyard was a setting established in the first novel. A place of commerce and commiseration by the strange denizens of Portents and a link to dozens of worlds – a damn cool place and I wanted to revisit it.

I wanted to show it empty.

It was meant to prove a point, that Loren and Soriya were on their own. It was meant to be this powerful beat for them that they have no choice but to face this threat together.

Only Soriya already knew it would be empty. Kok’Kol said as much in the previous chapter. So rather than move forward, rather than take Loren somewhere to find answers she took him to this empty haven.

WRONG.

Oh, and in the original draft, Loren DROVE to the Courtyard. Does Loren drive? NEVER. Oy, this scene…

Filling the moment

Removing the Courtyard scene meant having a beat put in place to move Soriya and Loren from the rooftop of the Central Precinct to the Library of the Luminaries. It needed to push the mystery forward as well as exemplify Soriya’s fear over the situation.

Enter the Cobbler’s Den.

I know. Another immortal. But this one made sense. The myth of the Wandering Jew is about a man who was present at the crucifixion and did nothing that day. He was cursed to live forever to atone for that inaction.

I liked the story. I really liked how it played off Henry Erikson’s own desire to live forever and the cost of such an act. The jokes about Loren’s footwear were just a bonus in my humble opinion.

While it would have been nice to SEE the Courtyard empty, mentioning it was sufficient for the moment. By changing their pitstop on the way to the library a new opportunity and a unique player entered the world of Portents.

And no huge continuity error of Loren DRIVING to the Courtyard. What the hell was I thinking?!

Next time

A break from the commentary. Lots of Founder’s Day info coming your way!!!

Thanks for reading.

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