I know it’s been a year and that certainly wasn’t the plan when I began the Poltergeist Files. I should’ve been done with the series by now but at some personal things that happened within the past year and I wasn’t able to really get full steam going until around August. I could bore you with the details of that but it’s a little too personal. So, suffice to say that the schedule I announced earlier is now full swing. That means that — God willing (have to put that caveat in there) — the next book in the series, Blackson’s Redemption, will be released in December.
That said, the release of the next book in the series, Blackson’s Repentance, comes out November 4, 2019. Those who are RIU Elites will be getting the book ahead of time. It’s actually available right now. If you’re part of the RIU Elites and you haven’t seen my email alerting you to the fact then pause reading this blog post and go check your email. You’ll thank me later.
I can honestly say that this has been an unexpected journey. I feel a little bit like Bilbo in the places that I’ve gone within the last year. It certainly has been an adventure. I don’t believe this grand enterprise I’m embarking on was something I foresaw going in the way that it has. By the grace of God, it hasn’t deterred me. I’m still on this journey. I haven’t given up.
Even the Poltergeist Files hasn’t gone exactly as I expected as far as the character himself. Adlai Blackson has become this complex, poignant, tragic figure. I’m more attached to him than I thought I would be. The series has been bandying about in my head for over a decade and now that it’s come to fruition, I’m finding the depth of this character and the things I put him through have made me form a strong empathic connection with him. You would think as the writer you’d already have that. But normally we just have a skeleton in a character’s inception. The story is where they grow sinew and skin.
The series is a saga I need to get out of my system. For my sanity. I want it to be successful, of course, but there’s always the possibility many people won’t like the stories. Fans of the Dark Corner, which is supernatural suspense, may not be gung ho about this one. I understand that. However, I still need to write it. I’m invested and I need to see the place Adlai ends up. In other words, I’m officially a fan. I’m not ashamed to say that. I don’t see the point in writing the story if I wasn’t.
Blackson’s Repentance is a longer book then Blackson’s Revenge. That wasn’t a conscious decision. It just happened. Blackson’s Repentance comes in a little over 100,000 words. Blackson’s Revenge is over a little over 72,000 words. So, there’s more meat on the bone in the second book. I felt I needed to explore the character more along with the many others. It has made me excited to begin the outline for the next book and get started on it for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). There’s a strong possibility I may finish that novel before November and work on the first book in the Makarios Cadre series.
The first three books are a trilogy but I can now see how this series can become longer. Very much like Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series. The first three are a trilogy but then it goes further with a whole string of books he creates from that trilogy. There’s a strong possibility that may happen with Adlai Blackson. I’m not sure if it will but the option is there as ideas have made their way into my brain.
In trying to peg the genre for this series, I’ve had a difficult time. Though I find it leans in the soft science fiction genre, primarily of a superheroic vein, there are strong elements of suspense and action. It fits into the category of comic book characters like Daredevil or the Punisher. More down to earth and gritty. Even Capt. America to a certain extent in terms of the science fiction and fantasy aspects of it. But it’s not hard-core science fiction. If you’ve read the books, let me know what genre you think it is in the comments below. However, in my estimation, if you like books by Dean Koontz, Ted Dekker, or Stephen King, this series will appeal to you.
Of course, all of my books are connected in some way. Characters who show up in one book can show up in another. Characters who were supporting characters in one book may be the main character in another. Easter eggs are all over the place in my books because of those strands in the Tapestry. That’s the beauty of the RIU. Those little innocuous things you don’t think are important just might be.
Keeping track of all of that is why I created the Veiled Athenaeum. It allows me to go places and to create this rich world with depth. I get a kick out of that. That comes primarily from my background in comics and being a comic fan. It’s all a part of the plan.
This is a milestone for me as it is my third novel. It’s where I’m starting to get traction in my writing and in my publishing business. Exciting times. In the past when I would tell people I am a writer, I spoke in terms of all the ideas and stories I had written but not published. With Blackson’s Repentance, there’s a certain level of additional validation and legitimacy. I have not one, not two, but three books (four if you count my nonfiction work). It’s official. I’m a writer.
For those of you who have hung in there with me, thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much that means to me. My hope is that the stories will bring some light into your life, provoking you to think and grow as a human being. It’s the impetus that keeps me tapping away on the keyboard.
God bless and I will see you in the Tapestry!
