Barely Pre-Holiday Updates
Okay, I’ve got a bunch of different things to tell you about this month, so this one’s going to be a bit longer than usual. Might be the longest one I’ve sent out. But I think you’ll find one or two interesting things in here.
Anyway, let’s dive into it...
First off, I’m still working on GJD. About halfway through at this point. Still planning to have this done before Christmas. Very happy with the changes. A few darlings have been killed, but that’s the way of this.
Darlings? Hell, I’ve deleted three whole chapters at this point. Seriously. But I also know I need to add some new chapters that should’ve been there before. And I know some of you are saying “Pete, you can’t just add and delete chapters at random! That’s not how structure works!” And you’re right, it isn’t. But there’s more to what I’m doing than just adding and deleting.
Trust me, I’m a professional.
Second, some downer news. Sorry. For the past two years I’ve bit my tongue about what was supposed to be some amazing film news. Mostly because I know how fragile Hollywood things are up to a certain point, and I don’t like to talk about anything that might end up being nothing. Which is, y’know, what happened here...
Long story short, James Wan and Blumhouse were going to partner to do -14- and The Fold as a streaming series. And they were really excited about doing it. Yeah, I know. Like I said, biting my tongue. I think I told a total of maybe twelve people about it. And two of them were my parents, who immediately asked “Who’s James Wan? Is he an actor?”
And then the strikes happened. WGA and SAG together. Which—to be very, very clear—I 100% supported then and now. But the strikes meant a lot of projects were put on indefinite hold and this was one of them. Which meant a lot of studio folks had time to sit and think and rethink and overthink. And about a week after the WGA strike ended, my film agent got a short email saying (paraphrased) “Yeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh... we’ve decided no.”
So there’s that. Raise a glass to the cool series that could’ve been.
In happier news...
The Reinvented Detective anthology is going to be out in about a month. Really, it’s coming out just before the next newsletter. But you can head down to your friendly local bookstore and order a copy now. I have a story in it called “The Unassembled Victims” which is a loose tie in to GJD (see above) but also just a fun story about two mismatched detectives hunting a serial killer.
Joe Ledger: Unbreakable is out now! Right now! Like, you could go down to that bookstore we were just talking about and it’d be right there on the shelf. Or you could ask them to get it for you and you’d have it in a couple days. I’ve got a story in it that’s called, well, “Crossover Story” and like every title I’ve ever done you can read it a few different ways. It’s also me finally saying out loud something Jonathan Maberry and I have both made sly winks to in the past. I think you’ll like it a lot.
And speaking of which...
On Saturday December 9th, Jonathan, a bunch of other authors and I will be at Dark Delicacies in Burbank signing copies of Joe Ledger: Unbreakable. So if you’d like a signed copy, please stop by or get in touch with the store ahead of time (they ship!).
Also, since this is the only official signing I’m doing before Christmas, I’ll be signing and personalizing anything you want for the holidays that you order through Dark Delicacies. You want a signed copy of The Broken Room for that special someone? One of the Ex books? Paradox Bound? The Fold? Give them a call and talk to them. Just remember to do it soon, because if you want something they don’t have in stock, they need to order it in time for it to be there on the 9th (for me to sign).
And, yes, if you’re in the LA area on the 9th you can just stop by with something you already own. But please remember bookstore signing etiquette! Buy a book there if you want a book signed there.
Also, speaking of etiquette, next week I’ll be making my seasonal Black Friday offer over on the ranty writing blog if that’s something you might need this year. Probably looking at the same time frame for shipping, so I’ll probably have to cut that off on the 11th or so.
What else can I tell you about...?
Cool Stuff I’ve Been Watching-- Tron: Uprising. Holy crap. I know this is like ten years old but I hadn’t seen it until now and holy crap! I'm 2/3 through, don't blow anything for me. Also, Bob’s Burgers continues to be amazing. No Hard Feelings was surprisingly deep for such a shallow, sexploitation premise.
Cool Stuff I’ve Been Reading
Currently in the middle of Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian and really liking it. Next up is Democritus Brand and the Endless Machine by Cullen Bunn, JimmyZ Johnston, and Federico DeLuca.
Cool New Toys – Picked up Monica Rambeau from The Marvels. A trip downtown just before Halloween let me grab a Megalon ReAction figure from the Super 7 store. Maybe a week after that I lucked into a Transformers Legacy Evolution Snarl (seriously, why are some of these names so long?)and the Target exclusive retro Spider-Man. They're technically the last two things I'm allowed to get for myself before Christmas, but I also kickstarted Combat Creatures from Morphonauts, which I recommend if you like action figures or the idea of Battle Beasts crossed with Warhammer 40K.
