I’ve just completed the first draft of Outlaw Blues. This book is the second novel in the Infernum series, which began with Love & Bullets. Outlaw Blues features an Infernum assassin named Carl Flint, who characters may remember made a very, very minor but very significant appearance in Love & Bullets. (And if you haven’t read the book, what are you waiting for? Head on over to my store and pick up a copy!)
Outlaw Blues follows the Infernum series modus operandi of lots of action, betrayal and intrigue. It does differ a bit–Love & Bullets probably had more in common with John Woo’s Hong Kong Blood Operas such as Hard Boiled mixed with a healthy dose of James Bond trappings. Outlaw Blues is more akin to a modern-day western, taking inspiration from the films of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood.
Carl Flint is similar to Angela Lockhart in some respects. He’s an assassin but whereas Angela was out for revenge, Flint is looking for redemption wherever he can find it. And his search will bring him on a collision course with a Colombian drug cartel in a small Mexican town.
Some familiar faces from Love & Bullets will make a reprise, particularly Julie Kim. Readers of Love & Bullets will remember her as the partner of Agency operative Christian Pierce. She was originally written in Love & Bullets as something of a background character, but she proved to be a pretty big hit with readers, which has led to her having an elevated role both in Outlaw Blues and in future installments. And, of course, the colorful and mysterious leader of Infernum, Dante, will return (albeit in a bit of a reduced role).
I’m going to begin edits on the manuscript first thing tomorrow. Depending on the Pulpwork Press release schedule, Outlaw Blues will be available for sale either towards the end of 2011 or in early 2012.
But while you may have to wait a while for the second Infernum novel, you’ve still got other opportunities to read my work. The Myth Hunter is due for an early 2011 release. This will be the start of a new series, featuring a character named Elisa Hill, who travels the world exploring various mythologies. I’m really excited about this new series and Elisa’s a character I’ve been living with for several years now. If you enjoy the Indiana Jones films, chances are you’ll get a real kick out of it.
As far as other future projects, my next novel, which I begun while Outlaw Blues was on hiatus due to computer trouble, is back on track. This book, At The Gates of Hell (working title), will feature paranormal investigator Luther Cross and focus almost exclusively on the realm of Christian mythology. I was thirty pages into it before I was able to resolve the computer trouble with Outlaw Blues, and am now prepared to go full-steam ahead.
And, of course, you can check out SoulQuest, my ongoing online serial at the Revenance Original Fiction site. The second chapter has been sent in and should see a release shortly. I’ve also got some other irons in the fire, but it’s premature at the moment to make any official announcements about those.