Gunpowder and Ink!

Not much. Just writing. Trying frantically to get this WWII book written.

For the last four years, I’ve written a book a year. (Which is pretty awesome for a part time writer!) And with the temporary shelving of half-completed Conquering Prehistoric, I don’t yet have anything to release late winter/early Spring 2024.

Which stinks.

I’m trying really hard to not stress it. I’ve a full time job, full time family, and full time life… writing is just a hobby that pays… But I can’t help but feel like I’m letting readers down by not publishing anything in a timely manner.

Thus, this WWII book is going to get a lot of ‘butt in seat, hands on keyboard’ time.

Although… I did write a few thousands words in the Artifacts of Christ series (working title) just to get it going, and about a thousand words in Conquering Prehistoric. (Shh, don’t tell anyone. I’m having a hard time leaving that book behind. It may be shelved for now, but it will certainly see the light of day…. one day….)

I think that’s kind of how it’s going to go. I’m going to focus mainly on Operation Crimson Sun (working title) like a madman, but still write a bit here and there in the other series as I get the urge.

I’ve no idea how authors work on multiple series at the same time. I can’t. I can focus on one and think a little about the others, but I can’t keep it all straight in my head to actually write in two worlds full on.

Not yet anyways.

Maybe once I leave the larva stage of being an author. 🙂

And now, because this is a pretty boring update… I’ll leave you with this video of my parents new mini-dachshund puppy, ‘Zeb’.

Bad news first.

Conquering Prehistoric has been shelved for the time being. The publisher wanted me to wrap the series up with Book 5 and diversify my writing portfolio by doing some other books/series. But, unfortunately, I can’t wrap it up on Conquering Prehistoric… because this book sets up a lot of possibilities for future books. And I’m not going to write/publish the book and then leave readers hanging indefinitely as I work on some other stuff.

Which sucks. I know. I’ve spent 8 months working on it and it was turning out really cool.

And I’ve nothing else on the horizon with my current publisher. No contracts or anything as we were going one book at a time.

Good news now.

Last night I signed a five book, two series deal with a new publisher.

The first series/two books will be the WWII/Pacific Island/US Marines/Sea Monsters that I’ve been wanting to write about since forever. The first book outline is done and I’ve about 10,000 words already on it. This was picked up on the condition that it not be a stand alone book, so it’s being extended into a minimum of two books. I’ve already got some good notes on what I want to do with the second book in that series.

The second series, I’m keeping the more intimate details under my hat for now. But basically, imagine the Indiana Jones and the Expendables movies having a baby. A violent, archeological, adventurous baby seeking out holy relics of Christ. This is a minimum three book series, with a LOT of possibility.

TL;DR..

I’m temporarily hanging up my spurs and picking up my flame thrower.

Yes, follow me on Amazon and/or Facebook/Instagram for new updates….

Just search for Author Erik Testerman.

In the meantime, check out Conundrum Publishing’s website. It’s pretty neato and has a lot of great reads on it!

Home

Not bad for a book that’s only about 265 pages long.

-puts feather in cap-

The work continues on the still unnamed book 5, which is about Cato in the aftermath of the events from Raiding Prehistoric.

It’s going well, I’ve hit a nice groove (finally) with the book and it’s coming along nicely. It’s certainly been a struggle at times to keep this one afloat with the premise of a new main character, new secondary characters, new villains, and even a new part of Prehistoria… It’s been more difficult than continuing a well established character’s story.

But it’s good practice for the series and more of what’s to come from my brain to the page.

Thank you all for holding onto this series and staying with me as I work on book five.

I promise one day I’ll get better than one book a year.

It may be once I retire though… which is in 25 years or when I get a big movie deal.

And just for kicks, here’s the opening chapter to Book Five.

***

“Take it,” the man squatted down to look me in the eye and held out his pistol.

I stared at the revolver. It looked like the gun that Father had taken with him when he left for the war so long ago.

“You know that I will not repeat myself,” the man said with some measure of annoyance in his voice.

He wouldn’t repeat himself. That was a fact. A painful one I’d learned with a little help from the back of his hand over the past two days since he’d taken me along with them.

Reaching forward, I took the gun. It was nickel plated, with ivory grips. I bet it was expensive.

It felt good in my small hand though.

“Shoot him,” he ordered, pointing a thick finger at the gaunt gray uniformed man kneeling before us.

The man sobbed; his rope bound hands raised in front of him as though in prayer.

I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know what he’d done. As far as I could tell, nothing. But he was here now. We’d chased him down on the horses until his legs gave out and he lay gasping in a ditch alongside a field of unpicked cotton.

I blinked.                                                   

“We don’t have all day,” the officer warned as his horse stamped its hooves. The men and horses behind the Captain were growing restless and impatient. I knew that I had to do what I was told or face their wrath. And I’d seen their wrath. It scared me.

Raising the gun, I pointed it at the top of the stranger’s head. He was starting to go bald. There was a patch in his thin scalp that was already missing hair. I aligned the front sight of the pistol there.

The man looked up, tears streaking down his gaunt and unshaven cheeks.

The front sight was now between his eyes.

He trembled, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out in an attempt to calm himself.

“Child… please don’t-”

The pistol bucked in my hand as I squeezed the trigger.

A large hand landed firmly on my small shoulder as the red-bearded Captain smiled down at me, flashing bright white teeth. “We’ll make a man of you yet, Cato.”

***

And remember folks,

If you like my books – Please leave a review and spread the word. It helps immensely. Below is the Amazon link to them.

https://amzn.to/3QzjMDF

Thanks,

Erik T.

WOOP.

So the stars aligned, and I’m proud to say Chris Flippin’ Lyell (Not his real middle name) is going to have his first voice work gig at narrating Raiding Prehistoric.

He’s a great guy, I’ve known him for longer than I can count on fingers and toes and done more stupid things with him than I can recollect over the past couple of decades. And of course, he has a great voice.

I’m very excited.

Here’s the sample he submitted to the publisher.

No ETA yet, but stay tuned in….

The writing continues.

But I’ve slowed down a bit to renew a focus on my health. Prior to my Post Concussive Syndrome of 2019, I was running half marathons and Spartan races and lifting lots of weights.

Fast forward four years… and I’ve turned into a slug. I’ve gained 70 lbs, I’m out of breath from climbing the stairs in my house, and I’m certainly well on my way to having a professional author body. 🙂

So, enough of that. I’m back in the saddle of regaining my health. There’s a half marathon in two months that I’m eyeballing, and at the end of the year, there’s a Spartan Ultra which is 50 Kilometers and 60 some obstacles. That one has been a dream of mine since I was doing them last decade. That’s Nov 18th. So I’ve got to bust a move to get fit again.

But fear not.

I’m still writing.

And I still plan on finishing the yet untitled ‘Cato Book’ by the end of the year and in print around January. With any luck, shortly after the WWII/Sea Monster book will be done June-2024. (See? I’m still planning on lots of writing…)

Other things worth mentioning, Audible Book for Raiding Prehistoric.

I’ll just be blunt, the last narrator dropped out of doing the fourth book due to sales not being large enough. He gets paid a percentage of royalties, so it’s a time versus rewards thing. He can spend 20 hours narrating my book and get X amount in return, or he can spend 20 hours on another book and get Y. He’s weighing his options and there are no hard feelings. This is a business and we’re all adults.

That being said, I’m pretty excited about who the new possible narrator will be.

I don’t want to say anything else until the Publisher signs off on it. Cause the idea might crash and burn…

But, he’s got a great voice and I expect good things.

-Erik