Life, the Universe and NaNoWriMo.....

Been a while, hasn't it?

Not much of an excuse, been plotting and working on some things. A short story I wrote for the Battletech: Legend anthology was in print at Gencon back in August, but right now, that line of storytelling is on hold until a few thing above my level get worked out.

So, what have I been doing with myself? Well, I and Rick have been working on the next Outcast Ops novel. We started putting it to outline a couple of months back and we started on it ---- only to have a small problem.....

Called Hurricane Irma.

Having been through Hurricane Charlie back in '04, and not wanting to repeat that experience,  and realizing we were in the cone, we got out of Dodge and headed up to my sister's place in Virginia. A trip that normally takes us 17-18 hours took us 26 hours (Mostly getting out of the state --- it took us twice as long as it usually does.) So, we spent a week imposing on my dear sweet sister, watching the coverage and wondering if we had a home to go back to.

The good news is we did. By the time Irma blew though Marco Island, Naples and Ft Myers, Irma was maybe a Cat 1 storm by the time it reach out area, and after Charlie, most of the area laughed at what Irma brought in the way of rain and wind. We didn't even lose power this time (We lost it for 13 days after Charlie because they had to rebuild the power grid before restoring power.)

And Rick? Well he lives in the Keys...... On the plus side, his still has an intact home, but there was some damage to his property.

But the hurricane disrupted both our writing schedules and it took us a while to get back to work, The New Outcast Ops novel, called Shadow Government has been meandering along to about 25K to this point. it's taken a while to get back into the groove.

Then we decided that the best way to get this puppy really rolling was to use NaNoWriMo to push the story onto a fast track 50K in 30 days? Why not? I have an account and away we go!

As of this moment, 2,115 words have been written since NaNoWriMo started --- that's only 47,885 words to go! so buckle up and get ready for a speed run!

******

The writing update:

The Assassin Prince (Fantasy) --- Outline (through Chapter 34) *ON HOLD*
The Darkness of Shadows (Science Fiction) --- Outline (through Chapter 16) *ON HOLD*
Operation: Broken Chains (Thriller) --- Outline (through Chapter 20) *ON HOLD!*

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

All the Outcast Ops novels I co-authored with Rick Chesler are on Amazon and are part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! Red Ice is here: Outcast ops: Red Ice on Amazon! Watchlist is here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist on Amazon. In addition, there is a physical version of Watchlist here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist Paperback

For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! And the new novel is here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist on Amazon UK!

For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one).

Also, check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones by Rick Jones and Rick Chesler and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative by Rick Chesler.

In addition, Watchlist, Red Ice and African Firestorm are audiobooks! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible) Watchlist is the newest and is here: Watchlist (Audible)

The audios for Game of Drones Games of Drones (Audible) and The Poseidon Initiative The Poseidon Initiative are also up on Audible, or though Amazon!

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Craig

OUTCAST Ops: Watchlist is out!

In Kindle format, at any rate....... It went live today, so you can buy it in Kindle format right now!

But we're doing more than that. Sometime soon (with the next could of weeks, I think), you will be able to buy Watchlist in an physical book form! What you see above is the cover for the paperback book version of the cover. Yes!

I've leaned something from each one of these novels I've co-authored, and Watchlist is no different. There's a lot more action and cutting-edge technology in this novel. It's also the longest of the three I've co-authored, a tale that spans two continents and several countries.

Here is the black cover blurb:

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY...BLEEDING EDGE TERROR

A biotechnology conference in Prague is the target of a terrorist attack, and in its aftermath a renowned geneticist lay dying. His last act is to inject a man he has never before met with an experimental substance--artificial DNA that has been encoded with the details of a plot to unleash mass terror on the United States.

Enter OUTCAST (Operational Undertaking To Counteract Active Stateside Threats)--six ex-operatives from six of America’s most powerful organizations. Each has been unceremoniously released by their respective former employer for alleged misdoings that leave their pride wounded but their essential skill-sets untouched. After uniting over their shared bond of dismissal from the nation’s most elite outfits, the disgruntled spooks realize they can work together like never before to take down threats to their beloved country, a country that branded them as outcasts but needs them now more than ever.

As international authorities hunt for the fugitive whose blood carries some of the most sensitive intelligence data on the planet, they get close enough to learn his identity, but the truth rocks the White House to its core. The most wanted individual in the world is none other than OUTCAST leader, Tanner Wilson. One of the only people capable of stopping the looming threat to millions of innocent Americans, Wilson is placed on the terror watchlist, and once again, OUTCAST is hell-bent on showing America that their way isn't the best way--it's the only way.

Watchlist is Book 5 in the OUTCAST Ops series. They can be read in any order. Game of Drones is Book 1. The Poseidon Initiative is Book 2. African Firestorm is Book 3. Red Ice is book 4.

It's $3.99 for the Kindle version, and as soon as we have more news on the paperback, we'll let you know all the details!

As for my other writing, I'm working on another project for the Battletech universe, which has slowed up my work on my novels. I just have to find the right balance, and it helps that Watchlist is now out in the world, so that's one less thing I need to worry about. Managed to get a couple of more chapters outlined on The Assassin Prince before the Battletech project came up.

******

The writing update:

The Assassin Prince (Fantasy) --- Outline (through Chapter 34)
The Darkness of Shadows (Science Fiction) --- Outline (through Chapter 16) *ON HOLD*
Operation: Broken Chains (Thriller) --- Outline (through Chapter 20) *ON HOLD!*

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

All the Outcast Ops novels I co-authored with Rick Chesler are on Amazon and are part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! Red Ice is here: Outcast ops: Red Ice on Amazon! And for the new novel you can find it here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist on Amazon

For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! And the new novel is here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist on Amazon UK!

For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one).

Also, check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative.

In addition, Both Red Ice and African Firestorm are audiobooks! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible)  Watchlist is not yet available in an audiobook format, but we hope to start moving in that direction soon.

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Craig

Back to Work!

Yep....

I know two post within a few days isn't normal for me, but it's back to working on my own novels while waiting for Outcast Ops: Watchlist to get through the editing pass. I spent the weekend preparing and pitching for a project related to a gaming company. (My other blog covers that side of my writing). So, I'm back to working on outlining my stories....

... If I can find where I stored them.....

I found the outline for The Assassin Prince, but the other two are eluding me at the moment. I'll find them, but for the time being, I'm back to outlining The Assassin Prince.

Its odd, rereading your outline and seeing what threads you need to pick back up and get back into the flow of the story you were telling. I find it gratifying that after not looking at the outline in a few months, how well the story still holds together. In rereading it, I've only had to make a few spelling corrections so far and starting a new chapter to outline. We'll see how it goes....

As I sit here, I'm going to propose a question: what do you want to know about my writing? Comment below and let me know someone is reading this blog! 

******

The writing update

The Assassin Prince (Fantasy) --- Outline (through Chapter 32)
The Darkness of Shadows (Science Fiction) --- Outline (through Chapter 16) *ON HOLD*
Operation: Broken Chains (Thriller) --- Outline (through Chapter 20) *ON HOLD!*

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored with Rick Chesler are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one). Also check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative. Watchlist should be up soon!

In addition, Both Red Ice and African Firestorm are audiobooks! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here:Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible)

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Unwilful Neglect

That's the best way to describe it --- It's not that I have been ignoring this on purpose, it's that I really haven't nothing to really say in the last four months.....

What I can say now is the first draft of Outcast Ops: Watchlist has been completed and we (Rick Chesler and myself) are into the editing stage, taking the first draft and making it better. This is the most ambitious one that I've co-written to day --- the action take place across a large section of Europe and the US, as our heroes have to dodge not only the Bad Guys, but the Authorities of several nations.

I finished my part over the past weekend, and have spent the week doing one last polish of that novella and pitching for a couple of gaming projects while I ease my back into outlining those novels.. I haven't looked at them in a while, so, I need to let myself flow back into the swing of things.

Still, it's great that the newest Outcast Ops novel is moving along and should be up on Amazon soon. In fact, here's the cover:

So, what do you think? It's a little different than the others, to see if it's more appealing. Why don't you let us know either way?

Well, back to the grindstone.....

******

The writing update (Unchanged from the last time, but I'd thought I'd post them so everyone [including me] will be reminded of where I am). In addition, starting with this update, I'm included the genre of each novel:

The Assassin Prince (Fantasy) --- Outline (through Chapter 32)
The Darkness of Shadows (Science Fiction) --- Outline (through Chapter 16)
Operation: Broken Chains (Thriller) --- Outline (through Chapter 20)

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored with Rick Chesler are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one). Also check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative. Watchlist should be up soon!

In addition, Both Red Ice and African Firestorm are audiobooks! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here:Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible)

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Craig