Leap The Dead will be finished by the end of next week. That’s book… -counts fingers- seven.
Not bad.
I started it May of 2025. So, 9 months. That’s the shortest time it’s taken me to write a book yet.
My favorite cover artist, fellow author Matt James, is working on that part. Also, my favorite narrator, Christopher Lyell, is going to be dragged back in to do the audio on this one as well. (After three weeks so far of dealing with Amazon ACX/Audible trying to get the cover art uploaded – we finally wrapped that up Trample the Weak last week. Now it’s around ten days of waiting for approval…) And as for myself, I’ve an idea for a third book to continue the Beau Henry series. Which will likely be titled, ‘Eat the Survivors‘.
I also have ‘Settling Prehistoric‘ on the brain. I miss Jedidiah Huckleberry Smith, his horse Carbine, his love Skyla, and all that chaos of fun western characters in the lost world of Prehistoria…
Conquering Prehistoric, the 5th book in the series, was a blast to write from a new perspective. Cato ‘The Black Plague’ Landry was a cool character who needed his story to be told. And bringing a lost Roman Legion into the story was fun as well. I mean, c’mon… Roman’s vs Cowboys. Heck yeah.
But ultimately, while the reviews are at an awesome average of 4.7/5 stars, it wasn’t as popular as the Jedidiah books. And Settling Prehistoric would be going back to Jed as the main character, with his ‘family’ intact, and a dangerous new threat that was hinted at in the end of Conquering Prehistoric. (So I reckon you ought to read that one even if you wanted more Jed… just for the reveal at the end.)
After almost two years away from Prehistoria, I feel like I need to re-read the books first while I work on an outline. I’ve been so glued into WWII and the Pacific Theater, that it’s going to take some work to recall all the details of the West of Prehistoric series.
That may give me time to figure out the next series I’d like to work on. And also give another book to the fans of WoP before 2026 is over…
But expect a cover reveal post and pre-order option soon for Leap the Dead. Which will hopefully coincide with a ‘Audible Release!’ announcement for Trample the Weak.
Things are a moving.
Cheers to 2026.
May we make all things better than they were before.
Erik.
Gunpowder and Ink! 