Tuesday, December 2, 2014

To Love is to Die - The Last Reapers in Heels Book

I think a lot about endings. The tv shows we watch, the movies we see, the books we read. With each one I always find myself wondering how it's going to end, or, even more appropriately these days, if it's going to end.

Comic books go on ad nauseam. For decades Superman has been fighting Lex Luther, over the same issues, too. Sure, it's a "never ending battle" but really? Some times there are tweaks, minor differences: for the longest time Clark and Lois were married. Now it's Superman and Wonder Woman who are romantically linked.

TV shows aren't much better. Sometimes you get a Lost or a Battlestar Galactica. And there's a little trickery there, trying to make you believe they had a plan along, that the show always had a ending. But more often than not, you get the X-Files, or The Big Bang Theory, where the premise is just run into the ground. And you're sitting there, watching the actors grow old and age right past the ages they're supposed to be playing. And you wonder why isn't this show canceled? Why aren't we trying something new? Why aren't we looking for the next big thing, rather than grinding the current big thing down until there's nothing left?

And movies? We just reboot. How many more times are we going to see Superman’s origin? How many different versions of James Bond are there going to be?
In today's market, I wonder if it isn't so much stories we're being sold, as it is commodities.

And books aren't exempt from this. Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series? It got so bad that I knew exactly what to expect before I even cracked open the book.

I think a lot about endings.

Of course, then there's the question of what we want vs. what we need. There are some characters who are so well defined and developed that we want to spend as much time with them as we can. We don't care if their story never ends, because they've become our friends and who wants their friends to leave? But unless our friends leave, how will we ever have the opportunity to make new friends? Most of us are creatures of habit. Many of us need to be given a kick, a push, to try something new. But if we've got something that's already scratching a particular itch, why try anything new? I have Superman, what do I need another messianic-style superhero for? I have Star Trek, what do I need Star Wars, or Battlestar Galactica or Farscape for? I have Steven King, what do I need Joe Hill for?
I think it’s important for us to embrace endings in our stories. Nothing should go on forever. And can you really appreciate something until it’s over? In endings we have the opportunity to make a clean break and try something new.

Right now it’s definitely time to call it a day for Reapers in Heels. This is the first series I’ve brought to a close. It was born out of an experiment to do something a little more mainstream. I don’t think it quite worked as well as I hoped it would have. But in the end, I think it worked out perfectly for me.

I think that in order for me to be able to try new things, experiment some more, I had to bring Reapers to a proper ending. After Death, Debutantes, and Diamonds, I had no intention of writing anymore Reapers in Heels. But that book wasn’t really an ending. Sure, it ended, but it didn’t really close out the story of Avery and Brooke.

So here we have it, The End of Reapers in Heels. Is it any good? I sure hope so. I mean, I think it is. Right now, at least. I’m writing this blog post only a few hours after finishing the book. In the next day or so I’ll start editing it and I’ll think it’s the biggest pile of crap ever. But then I’ll get to the end and I’ll realize that it wasn’t so bad after all. Happens every time. With every single book. Just ask my wife, she’ll tell you.

But the real question is whether you, dear readers, like it? I really hope you do. I put a lot of work into these stories and I hope you guys enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Now that I’ve closed the book on Avery and Brooke, I’m going to try a few new things in the coming months. I’ve got a couple of ideas, stuff that’ll hopefully appeal to you guys and new readers. At least one series, a proper full length book, and maybe series of books that aren’t really connected. And, hey, if nothing else, I’ve got Alex Cheradon Volume 4 coming.

Thanks for reading, guys. Without any further ado, I give you the final Reapers in Heels book:





This is the end. 

Stanley Morris is a loan shark. A low life. A thief. A con man. A man of questionable ethics and morality. He is also a lover. He is a fighter. He is from London, England and he is an only child. 

Up until six months ago he was Brooke Graves’ boyfriend. Most of the time. 

However, for the last six months, Stanley Morris has been in a coma and Brooke has been wracked with confusion and guilt. She didn’t know what to do with her life. She didn’t know how she felt. All she knew was that Stanley Morris was in a coma and it was her fault. 

But eventually Brooke came to terms with her decisions, with her life. 

Then three weeks ago Stanley Morris woke up from his coma. When he woke, though, he wasn’t Stanley Morris anymore. The man he is now is a monster. 

Stanley Morris was many things. But he wasn’t a monster. 

The monster is in control now and he’s on a collision course with everyone. Including the Graves’ sisters. 

This is the end.



Monday, December 1, 2014

Black Friday (Now Cyber Monday) - Everything Else!

Rupert & Me

Rupert & Me is a webcomic that I used to write and draw. The first two books are collections of that comic. The third book, Seeking a Few Good Minions, is an original work geared towards an all-ages audience.

WARNING: 
Reading these books while consuming beverages may result in said beverage going up and coming out your nose. 

WARNING 2: 
Also, if you don't spit up your beverage and you may laugh so hard you'll wet your pants. 

"Where did you get that idea?" Ever asked an author that? Now, for the first time, one author is brave enough to step forward and reveal the source of creative inspiration! He has a little green man that lives under his desk and gives him all his ideas. TRUE STORY! Get ready for a hilarious ride through the mind of a little green man and some guy that sits at a desk!



11am - 11pm EST
Each book $0.99

11pm - 11am EST
Each book $1.99






And last, but certainly not least, two standalone books that I've written.

(Suggested for Mature Readers)

Kate Sharpe, US Marshal, is a woman on a mission with no time for love or romance. Her prisoner, the handcuffed hottie, Kyle Archer, just turned State’s evidence on notorious mobster Jonathon Bragan. Kate’s responsible for getting him from the courthouse to the jailhouse, but can she do it without losing her heart?

11am - 11pm EST
Only $0.99

11pm - 11am EST
Only $2.99



Family can be rough sometimes. It can be even worse when you work together.

Brothers Matt and Nathan Roman are the crack creative team behind the comic book sensation: Explorers of the Unknown. Matthew writes the words. Nathan draws the pictures. It was the perfect combination, until Matt came back from his honeymoon to find Nathan transformed into a comic book creator diva and sleeping with half the town's female population.

Filled with crackling dialogue, memorable characters and heartfelt moments, this is a story that will leave you laughing, smiling and wishing that it didn’t end.

11am - 11pm EST
Only $0.99

11pm - 11am EST
Only $2.99

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Black Friday (Now Sunday) - The Castle Sisters

The Castle Sisters
(This is an All-Ages series)

Faith and Summer Castle are the ultimate crime fighting duo. 
And they're not even old enough to drive. 
Faith has the super smarts and Summer brings the super brawn. 

The forces of darkness are gathering and the battle between good and evil has reached a pivotal turning point. 

When their Uncle gets kidnapped by the evil Agent Dark and the mysterious organization known only as the Tancredi Group, the Castle Sisters find themselves in the middle of that very battle. 

It’s an adventure that will take the sisters from the concrete jungles of New York, to the frozen wastelands of the arctic, and to dimensions beyond our own. 

The fate of the world may hang in the balance, but it’s just another day for the Castle Sisters.

11am - 11pm EST
Each book $0.99

11pm - 11am EST
Each book $1.99






Saturday, November 29, 2014

Black Friday(But Now Saturday) - Alex Cheradon

Alex Cheradon

Alex Cheradon is a private investigator. He has a partner, Devon Christian who's a little crazy. 

Since his first day on the job, Alex has found himself at the center of some very unusual cases: 

-Vampires. 
-Clones. 
-Missing daughters. 
-Time travel. 
-Crazy ex-partners who find themselves plagued with voices inside his head telling him to kill people. 
-Cults bent on bringing demons to Earth. 
-Cults bent on controlling the planet through advance scientific means. 
-Husbands who are cheating on their wives with alternate reality versions of their wives. 
-Explosions. 
-Lots of explosions. 
-We’re really not kidding about the explosions. It’s kind of ridiculous how many there are. 
-Gunfights. 
-Honestly, the gunfight situation is just as bad as the explosion situation.

Yes. Is is that kind of series.


What Readers Are Saying:


"Quirky and fun!"



"Kept me laughing from beginning to end!"

"Alex is one of my favorites!"

"Krumbine puts more fun, action, and mayhem in a short novel than you’re likely to find in longer works, and he leaves you panting for more. "



Volume 1
11am - 11pm EST
Each book $0.99

11pm - 11am EST
Each book $2.99



Volumes 2 &3
11am - 11pm EST
Each book $0.99

11pm - 11am EST
Each book $1.99








Friday, November 28, 2014

Black Friday - Reapers in Heels

Reapers in Heels
(This series is recommended for Mature Readers)

When a dead soul goes renegade you call a grim reaper. And when you’re in Century City, you call the Graves sisters.

Avery and Brooke Graves are two of the best reapers in town. For them, hunting down a renegade dead soul is easy, hunting for a good man, however, is a whole ‘nother challenge.

What Readers Are Saying:

"...wise cracking, butt kicking, fun mystery that is a great read!"

"...great chemistry between the two (sisters) and I found myself laughing and smiling at their conversations throughout the entire book."

"True characters with relatable personalities. I'm hooked on the whole series."


11am - 11pm EST
Each book $0.99

11pm - 11am EST
Each book $1.99


 






Monday, November 24, 2014

Black Friday - All Weekend Long

I'm running a Black Friday Weekend Sale on everything I've published through Amazon. If you've been waiting to get caught up on a particular series, this would be the time to do it. I'm spreading it out so that every day will be a different series (see the line up below) and I'll also have a reminder here the site the day of each sale.

Like all good Black Friday deals, the best ones are early on. So, for the first twelve hours (8am to 8pm PST or 11am to 11pm EST) everything is at $0.99. For the second twelve hours the price goes up to either $1.99 or $2.99, depending on which series it is. And then, at the twenty-four mark, each series returns to it's normal pricing.

Friday - Reapers in Heels -  $0.99 - $1.99

(excludes the newest one, Love is Wasted on the Dead)

Saturday - Alex Cheradon -$0.99 - $2.99/$1.99


Sunday - The Castle Sisters - $0.99 - $1.99


Monday - Everything Else

Rupert & Me

Outlawed Love

Explorers of the Unknown

Monday, October 27, 2014

Reapers in Heels Volume 3

In case you missed it (and if you're subscribed to my newsletter or my Facebook page I don't see how you could) Reapers in Heels Volume 3 officially launched Oct 1st with:



When a dead soul goes renegade, you call in a grim reaper to hunt them down. But sometimes, when a dead soul goes renegade, it's not just about running away from that white light. And a grim reaper can help with that, too.

It's been 6 months since Yvette Spencer and Dicky Ramburg upended the lives of Avery and Brooke Graves.

It's been six months since anyone's heard from Thane Grym.

It's been six months since the Alpha Reapers assumed control of Messor & Decessus.

Time has not been kind to everyone.

And now, at the home of Harriet Paddington, those six months are about to catch up with Avery and Brooke.

Volume 3 of Reapers in Heels starts here.

Kindle UK

Right now I'm hard at work on the third and final installment of Volume 3. The next two books should be arriving mid-November and December. And these are, of course, the last two Reapers in Heels books ever.

To get you appropriately excited, I now present the covers for the final two Reapers in Heels books.



Hope you didn't have your heart set on a happy ending for everybody....

Friday, August 15, 2014

What I'm Working On Right Now

So I wanted to wait until I had a decent amount typed up and locked in place before I officially announced what my next project was. And with almost a third-ish of the book done, I feel comfortable doing that now.

After writing 8 Alex Cheradon books back-to-back, I wanted to step away from his wacky world for a little bit and take a break. I've had this idea for sci-fi series that I've been trying to get around to for the last year and a half and I thought this was going to be the perfect time to dig into it. Unfortunately, after breaking a loose outline and starting work on, the series still wasn't coming together. So it got pushed back. Again. I'm starting to feel a little bad for the characters.

But. Now I had some time on my hands. I still wasn't ready to get back into Alex. Although, I am hoping to get the next volume of AC out around January-ish. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

Instead, after listening to my wife and a couple of readers, I decided to revisit Reapers in Heels.

That's right. I'm doing a third volume of Reapers in Heels!

Tell your friends! Shout it from the rooftops!

Okay, maybe it's not that exciting. Or maybe it is. I've gotten a few emails here and there over the last year wondering if there were going to be any more RiH. Well, here you guys go.

So, what are the deets about the new volume?

-It's going to be 3 books.

-I can't announce any titles yet because I haven't settled on a theme. But I'm probably looking towards something involving the word 'Love' or maybe something having to do with shoes again.

-To prepare myself for writing these, I went back and reread the entire series (which, honestly, kind of felt like a narcissistic thing for me to do. Rereading my own work? Really?). It was actually something of a necessity for me, because as I was outlining Volume 3, I had a sneaking suspicion that some of my ideas felt rather familiar. And they were. Because I had already done them. So. Yeah. I definitely had to reread everything. But it's all fresh in my mind now. During the review of the first two volumes I made some corrections, tweaked a few things, nothing too major. Nothing that necessitates a reread. I realized that I don't pay attention to what I'm naming my characters and I had ended up with a lot of Steves and a couple of Lauras in one book. So I tweaked what I could, without making any major waves. Probably the biggest change was changing Alpha Reaper Steve Grant to Alan Grant. I kept Steve the Bartender the same and Steven Russell the same, when I realized that I almost never to referred to Russell beyond just Russell. But, I have learned my lesson and I am taking much better care of naming characters this time around.

-Because of the all rereading and editing I had to do on the first two volumes of RiH, the plan, right now, is to just plow through these 3 books all at once. I'm gonna write them back-to-back, and then edit them back-to-back, and then, probably (maybe), release them all at once, too. Maybe. I don't know. This could change. We'll see. Of course, you guys will be the first to know.

-And here's the part that'll make this announcement a little more bittersweet than you would like: It'll probably be the last 3 Reapers in Heels books. For reals this time. I'm writing these with the intent of bringing a conclusion to Avery and Brooke's character arcs. I'm going to do my best to answer as many questions and solve as many mysteries as I can. But there may be one or two things that slip through the characters. If nothing else, though, these 3 books will definitely serve as a "The End" for the Graves sisters.

(Unless, of course, I end up selling a million copies. In which case, I'm totally up for selling out again. Or, at the very least, creating a spin off.)

Okay. I think that's everything. Unless anybody has any questions? Feel free to ask. You guys are the best so you should definitely keep your eyes peeled next week because I'm pretty sure I'm going to release the first chapter sometime after Monday.

Alright. I need to get back to work now.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Alex Cheradon Volume 3 Concludes NOW!

BOOK #3.3


“A little bit of this town goes a very long way.” 
~ Hunter S. Thompson


The Millennium Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has a problem. Since opening four months ago, nine guests have died and hundreds of employees have simply just…vanished.

Naturally, Alex Cheradon is on the case.

Now it’s six weeks later and things have gotten a little…worse.

Instead of finding out what happened to the guests that got them killed or where the missing employees have gone off to, Alex has been caught up with werewolves, vampires, and a helicopter explosion that took out several rooms on the Millennium’s upper floors.

What simply started out as a publicity nightmare has turned into genuine disaster.

Now the hotel is empty, shut down and unlikely to ever open its doors again.

And, of course, nobody still knows what happened to those nine guests and hundreds of employees, how to fix it, or how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Needless to say, from this point on, it’s only going to get worse.

Alex Cheradon Volume 3 concludes here.

Hopefully he survives long enough to get a fourth volume.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Cover Reveal!

Here's the cover reveal for next Alex Cheradon book, coming June!


If you haven't yet, now's the perfect time to get caught up on everything Alex Cheradon:

VOLUME 1
BOOK #1.1


Steven Raines (you know, the man who made billions making an operating system that out-Microsoft-ed Microsoft?) has hired Alex Cheradon(private investigator) to look for his missing daughter. Good news: It's a million dollar payday. Bad news: she may be a Satanist hell bent on bringing the Devil to Earth.

The dead bodies are piling up. Vampires are crawling out of the woodwork. And there's something named Pookie that's lurking around the corner.

Breathtakingly paced, the jokes and wisecracks fly fast as Alex races against the clock to save the day.

BOOK #1.2


In this action packed follow up to Fruitbasket from Hell, private investigator Alex Cheradon is faced with a nail biting case.

Reeling from the public relations nightmare that accompanied accidentally tackling a senator's daughter, Alex is approached by man with a lethal case of amnesia. He wants to hire Alex to find out who he is, and since he just happens to have a winning lotto ticket that's worth 10 million dollars, money's no object. But as Alex starts to look into the man's past he finds more questions then answers and a whole lot of people out to kill him.

The clock is officially ticking. The crazies are coming out of the woodwork. And it's down to Alex to save the day.


BOOK #1.3


In his third book, Alex Cheradon, private investigator, wants nothing more to then lay low and ride out the repercussions from his previous time traveling mishaps. Unfortunately, his ex-girlfriend, Angie, has other ideas and drags him into his most bizarre case yet.

Giggles, the town’s most infamous midget, has run off with 10 million dollars. Vincent Jane, a nobody with nothing, is left holding the bill. If he doesn’t get that that 10 million back he’ll be paying for with his life.

Alex and Angie are caught in the middle and headed for a showdown with their toughest opponent yet: the malevolent, malicious Midget Mafia.




Volume 1 of Alex Cheradon is also available in easy to purchase digital collection:

BOOK #2.1


Alex Cheradon is a private investigator. He used to have a partner, Devon Christian, a couple years back, but Christian went insane and Alex really doesn’t work with him anymore. These days Alex mostly works alone. Though, occasionally he'll team up with his ex-girlfriend, Angie, who's a hired gun and bounty hunter.

Since his first day on the job, Alex has found himself at the center of some very unusual cases:

-Vampires.

-Clones.
-Missing daughters.
-Time travel.
-Crazy ex-partners who find themselves plagued with voices inside his head telling him to kill people.
-Cults bent on bringing demons to Earth.

-Cults bent on controlling the planet through advance scientific means.

-Husbands who are cheating on their wives with alternate reality versions of their wives.

-Explosions.

-Lots of explosions.

-We’re really not kidding about the explosions. It’s kind of ridiculous how many there are.

-Gunfights.

-Honestly, the gunfight situation is just as bad as the explosion situation.

Today, however, Alex is going to face something very, very, very different. It will be something he has no point of reference for and no idea how to counter.

Today is going to be the first day of the rest of his life.



BOOK #2.2



Alex Cheradon is a private investigator who’s had a string of bad luck lately, culminating in the absolute destruction of his home and office by his insane ex-partner, Devon Christian. But things are starting to look up now that Jonathon Bragan, the most powerful mobster in Clayton City has taken Alex under his wing.

Wait…WHAT?

Only mere moments after Alex discovers his brand new office/home (complete with a kitchenette and walls), thanks to the questionable generosity of Bragan, Christian blasts back into town again.

Only this time, he’s looking to destroy more than just Alex’s life. This time, Devon Christian’s got his sights set on destroying the whole world.





The Messr Building is located in the heart of downtown Callahan. It’s a building of architectural wonder. It’s visible from almost anywhere in the downtown area. And its home to the Darketo Sanction, a top-secret organization that’s housing the largest collection of mad scientists anywhere in the country.

Two weeks ago, the security system in the Messr Building tried to kill every single human onsite and nobody knows why.

That’s why Alex Cheradon is on the case.

(Although, to be fair, it’s a building filled with a bunch of mad scientists. This one shouldn’t be too hard to figure out, right? Right?)



BOOK #2.4


The Ybor Brothers, Clayton and Callahan, are the founders of the twin cities, Clayton and Callahan. Their legacies are shrouded in legends and mysteries. And more than one person has lost their mind, if not their lives, in pursuit of a mythical Ybor Treasure.

Alex Cheradon finds himself on the wrong end of a helping hand from Jonathon Bragan, Clayton City’s premier crime lord. All good things come with a price and Bragan’s price just may be too high.

The only way to break free from Bragan’s generosity may be for Alex to crack the mystery of the Ybor Brothers.

It shouldn’t be too hard, though. Just because everybody else who’s gone snooping around has ended up dead, doesn’t mean Alex will, too. Right?



BOOK #2.5


There’s a fresh grave dug at the Fairfield Funeral Home and all it’s missing is a tombstone. 

For months Alex Cheradon has been on the receiving end of a helping hand from Jonathon Bragan. But Bragan’s help has been nothing more than a careful manipulation of Alex. Bragan’s reaching the part of his plan where it’s time to make his true intentions known to Alex. Of course, when that happens, the price of Bragan’s help is going to come due as well. 

Devon Christian is on the edge of sanity. The voices in his head get louder every day. At some point, he’s not going to be able to ignore those voices forever. And when he stops, there’s only one person at the top of his hit list. 

And to top it off, there’s a Probability Engine loose in Clayton City. So the odds of everything going to Hell just increased dramatically. 

This is it. 

The big finale. 

Everything’s coming to a head.



VOLUME 3
BOOK #3.1

“For a loser, Vegas is the meanest town on earth”
~Hunter S. Thompson

Peter Perkins was born and raised in Las Vegas. He’s jaded local through and through. So nobody’s more surprised than him when a sleazy street magician cons him out of a priceless family heirloom. So Peter Perkins does the only thing he can think of:

He gets help.

From Alex Cheradon.

Wait a minute.

Alex Cheradon? What’s he doing in Vegas?

It’s a whole new town.
It’s a whole new story.
It’s the same old Alex.


BOOK #3.2


“Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.”
~ Will Rogers

Marko the Magnificent is one of the greatest magicians Las Vegas has seen in the last fifteen years. And now, in the theater of Millennium Hotel and Casino, he’s performed his greatest trick ever:

Marko the Magnificent has disappeared.

And not a single, solitary person knows where he went.

(And, yes, they checked the trap doors under the stage first.)

Since Alex and his crew have so much time on their hands, what with all the people that keep dying at the Millennium, naturally they've taken on this case as well. And where it leads them? Well, *that* may be Marko’s greatest trick.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Everything's Coming Up Aces (Alex Cheradon #3.2)

Okay. So, if you're not subscribed to my newsletter or if you don't follow me on Facebook or Twitter, than you probably haven't heard the news:

There's a new Alex Cheradon book!

Volume 3 reaches it's midpoint in:


“Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.”
~ Will Rogers

Marko the Magnificent is one of the greatest magicians Las Vegas has seen in the last fifteen years. And now, in the theater of Millennium Hotel and Casino, he’s performed his greatest trick ever:

Marko the Magnificent has disappeared.

And not a single, solitary person knows where he went.

(And, yes, they checked the trap doors under the stage first.)

Since Alex and his crew have so much time on their hands, what with all the people that keep dying at the Millennium, naturally they've taken on this case as well. And where it leads them? Well, *that* may be Marko’s greatest trick.


The third and final book book in Volume 3, this Las Vegas arc, if you will, should be released late May. As usual, though, the best way for you to keep track of all the new Alex Cheradon books, and anything else I write, is to sign up for my newsletter. Because as soon as I publish something, my newsletter fans are the first to know about it!



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Thursday, March 20, 2014

It's Here!


“For a loser, Vegas is the meanest town on earth”
~Hunter S. Thompson

Peter Perkins was born and raised in Las Vegas. He’s jaded local through and through. So nobody’s more surprised than him when a sleazy street magician cons him out of a priceless family heirloom. So Peter Perkins does the only thing he can think of:

He gets help.

From Alex Cheradon.

Wait a minute.

Alex Cheradon? What’s he doing in Vegas?

It’s a whole new town.
It’s a whole new story.
It’s the same old Alex.


So this is it, Alex Cheradon Volume 3! I'm so excited to finally be able to share this with you guys. This is a story that I've been itching to tell for about a year now. So, you know, no pressure for you to like it or anything.

(Please like it.)

Okay, well, what are you still doing reading this? Go download the book already. Seriously. I'm not even joking. There's nothing else here to see.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Alex Cheradon Volume 3

It's coming. Volume 3 kicks off March 2014. Get ready.


And if you haven't already, make sure you've subscribed to my newsletter so that you'll be the first to know when it's released!