The desire was (and is) still there... but for a publisher I'd relied on to just vanish right out from under me meant I'd gotten a lot of cold water thrown in my face.
I tell you all of that because the first of my out-of-print novels, Old Soldiers is back! It went live on August 7th, and just seeing this book is going a long way toward getting my creative pilot light lit, I'm not gonna lie.
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| Serious, LOOK at this thing! |
Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!
Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more!
Old Soldiers Never Die!
For folks who want a deep dive on this novel, consider checking out the entry I wrote when it was originally published, Defunct Supersoldiers, Dystopian Hellscapes, and More in My Latest Novel "Old Soldiers". For those who want a quick snapshot, though, the story follows Pollux, one of the genetically-engineered shock troops who survived the war with an alien species called the Hyperion. Massive creatures, myrmidon are decidedly alien in appearance (ranging from 8 to 13 feet tall, with eyes so blue they nearly glow, a noted lack of hair, and no melanin whatsoever), and the society of earth wasn't made with them in mind. Pollux is just trying to find a place where he belongs, and seems to finally be making some kind of progress when he becomes the target of a shadowy conspiracy. So together with his partner Medea, he calls on the last remaining members of his old squad to root out the truth, and drag it kicking and screaming into the light.
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| At which point, an application of force will likely be administered. |
While I feel the novel is pretty strong on its own, there's more to this re-release than a facelift and a new company name on the cover. In addition to the novel itself, the re-released version contains the original short story "Heart of The Myrmidon," where I first created Pollux, his ruined world, and the bizarre, underground city of New Liberty. So if you picked up a copy during the book's initial run, there's now some bonus content in the new version for you to sink your teeth into (especially as the short story acts as a kind of prequel to the novel). So grab your new and improved copy of Old Soldiers today!
What About My Cat Books, You Ask?
Though some folks have peeked their heads in on this re-release so far (not as many as I'd like, but I'll take what attention I can grab), most readers have all been asking the same question... when are my hard-boiled cat books coming back into print?
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| Don't think I don't know who you are. |
For those who are wondering, yes, both Marked Territory and Painted Cats are slated for a re-release in the near future. The wheels turn slow, but they are turning! I'll be giving you all word on those books as soon as I know about them, and it's okay for me to share.
As to whether I'll be penning additional adventures for Leo, I'd like to. I have several ideas that I was toying around with when Ring of Fire shuttered its doors, taking my books out of print, and taking my last royalty check with it. However, needs be when the devil drives, and that's going to come down to whether I have the time in my schedule, and the gas in my tank, to get back to novels once they start bringing in sales again.
So, while I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen, I wanted to take a moment to ask my readers to help me spread the word. Because with social media getting more restrictive by the day, I'm going to need all the help I can get to make this happen!
EDIT: Both books are now out, and you can follow the links above to get your copies if you wish!
One, Last Thing...
While we're on the subject of new books of mine, my first tabletop RPG "Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic" is now available for preorder on BackerKit as well!
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| Don't miss out on this one! |
If you enjoy the kind of played-straight silliness of my noir cat, the raccoon mafia, etc., then Army Men is going to be right up your alley. And as with anything else I write, the more interest something generates, and the more sales it brings in, the more likely it is that I'll be devoting more time, energy, and wordcount to expanding that thing!
Support The Literary Mercenary
For folks who just want to do their part to help keep me making more content, please subscribe/follow me in these locations:
- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)
- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)
And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!
Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!
That's all for this week's Business of Writing!
If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects! You can also check out my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary for free audio dramas!
If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!
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