Greetings Readers…
It’s hard to believe we are almost a month and a half into the year 2012. The last year of human existence if you believe the Mayans. Personally, I think they just ran out of space on the rock.
I see it sort of like this. Two Mayans carving the calendar into a rock…
Carver 1: “2010…2011…2012…uh, dude we’re out of space. Bigger rock?”
Carver 2: “No. I’m good.”
So just in case, and because this blog is mostly about me, I’m giving myself a reverse promotional calendar! Luckily all my new books this year will be out before the world ends in December. So in reverse order, here is what readers have to ‘luck’ forward too in 2012.
The way the publication has aligned for Blood Riders my first adult novel almost makes me believe in stuff like the Mayan calendar. Blood Riders will go on sale on September 25, 2012 which also happens to be my 30th wedding anniversary. It’s a fitting day for my venture into the world of writing for grownups for there is no one who has helped me become a better adult than my loving, lovely and gracious wife of thirty years. What can I say? I married up. And I’m the luckiest man in the world.
Blood Riders is what we call in the writing game a ‘mash-up.’ It takes several genre conventions and mixes them together for what I hope will be a fast-paced, action packed thrill ride. It starts on the plains of the Eastern Wyoming Territory in the 1870’s. Captain Jonas Hollister leads a platoon of troopers on a search party for a missing group of settlers. He finds their camp, with the settlers apparently murdered by Lakota raiders. His instincts warn him that something is wrong and when he and his men enter the camp, they are set upon by the settlers who have come to life. Only they are no longer human. His men are killed, and only the rising sun saves Hollister from death.
Of course the army doesn’t believe his wild tales of strange creatures. He is court-martialed and cashiered from the Army and thrown into Leavenworth prison. There he spends his days digging wells, until one day the famous detective Allan Pinkerton shows up with an offer for Hollister. These creatures have been killing again. There is a survivor and this time, as the son of a famous politician, he is believed. Pinkerton offers Hollister a chance at redemption. Find these creatures kill them. And you’ll be pardoned.
Hollister knows what he is up against. He has seen what these creatures can do. With a few conditions, Hollister sets off with Pinkerton and another inmate from Leavenworth, a young man named Chee. With the help of Pinkerton and some of his associates Dr. Abraham van Helsing and Oliver Winchester among others. In a specially outfitted train he follows the trail until it leads him to these creatures who have grown in strength and numbers. And he and Chee encounter a mysterious woman named Shaniah who is also tracking the creatures for her own reasons.
As I said, there is action, adventure, steam-punk, the supernatural and as with all of my books, lots of stuff blows up.
You can read more about the book on my Coming Soon page. And it’s now available for pre-order at all of your favorite booksellers. Think of it as The Wild, Wild West meets The X-Files.
August 17th is the publication date for The Monster Alphabet my newest picture book for young readers. With the most delightful illustrations by artist Jeff Weigel, readers can follow Morgan Marvin Marshall the world’s best monster hunter as he travels the world looking to find a monster for every letter of the alphabet. In full color and priced at only $7.99 you won’t want to miss this one. It’s also available for pre-order and you can see more of the illustrations on my Coming Soon page.
This summer (date to come) will see the publication of my very first short story Running With Geronimo in Boy’s Life Magazine. It’s a thrill for me to be published in Boy’s Life, which has published authors like Jack London, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. It’s a thrill and an honor to be published there.
So there you have it! The entire year in reverse chronological order. While you look for these books, I’ll be busy storing up on canned goods and bottled water. You know. Just in case the Mayans are right. So I hope you’ll stock up on these books and get copies for your and your friends. I mean if the apocalypse actually happens, you’re going to need something to read!
Your authorness
Michael P. Spradlin
