Any of you who’ve been following me for any length of time understands that the RIU is my universe (Reality Imagination Universe). Because it is a universe, it means when I write stories or novels, they’re not always going to be in the same genre. But they are always going to be in the same world.
It’s similar to what J.R.R. Tolkien calls Arda (not the same as Middle-Earth which is in Arda), but would be more accurate to compare it to Marvel and DC Comics (comics, not the movies). There you have many different titles, but everything transpires in the same universe, so there is a familiarity even if you don’t collect other titles. The difference in the RIU is that I purposely place several Easter eggs in each book that will (or eventually) connect to some other book in the RIU that’s of a different genre. I’ve already done it in all of my releases. As the universe expands, you will have the opportunity to go back and see all of them to connect the dots.
This does not mean you need to buy those books in order to understand the series you are interested in (something both DC and Marvel are notorious for doing to get you to spend more money, which I think is lame). It simply means you won’t get the bigger picture of the Tapestry of the RIU, and you may not understand some details that seem strange and unexplained. But the stories in a series are all self-contained and you won’t need to go outside of the series to understand what’s going on.
At the moment, I have two separate genres I’ve written in. One is what I consider a lightweight military/action/sci-fi series which is The Poltergeist Files. The other is a supernatural suspense/paranormal series to which the prequel novel is The Dark Corner. I’m working on that series now which features the Makarios Cadre now in the first novel Pandilla. I have other ideas further on down the line that will take me all the way into fantasy/historical fantasy.
What you’ll often find in the publishing industry are authors who will create a separate pen name for each genre they write in. I’m not doing that by design. When I first started, it was all meant to be in one universe. Like Stephen King, except I’m more deliberate in the universe creation and connection aspect of things.
The reason I’m explaining all of this is that I know there may be some of you who only like genres like The Poltergeist Files and others who only like genres like The Dark Corner. I’m sure there will be a separate group later on when I begin writing the historical fantasy side of the RIU. I want to assure you that all of this leads somewhere because it’s all a part of the larger Tapestry of the RIU (hence my sign of phrase which refers to the Tapestry).
Keep that in mind no matter what nexus point you enter into the RIU. I don’t want you to be surprised or disappointed if you begin reading one of my series and then all of a sudden I flip the switch on you by writing in another genre. Like the Joker said in The Dark Knight, “It’s all part of the plan.”
For the time being, I’ll be focused on writing the supernatural suspense series The Neipos Conspiracy. Yes, it will have Easter eggs within it as well tying it to other series. I have a large plan of books to write, God willing, and the universe will be massive if the good Lord blesses me with the wherewithal to get finished what He’s tasked me to do. And folks…it’s a LOT (I’ll talk about this in another post where I will outline just how many books I have planned on the horizon). I pray you’ll join hands with me as we go through this expanding world as it evolves and grows. I, for one, am excited about the prospect.
