Lou Paduano | Urban Fantasy Novels | Sci-Fi Crime Series

Coventry arrives next month!

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There’s a lot going on lately. There’s new Greystone coming your way. The season finale of DSA arrives in a few weeks. But that’s not all that’s been cooking lately in the writing cave. Two short stories are heading to Patreon next month that open the door to a new world of adventure. It’s called Coventry, an urban fantasy series that I can’t wait for you to read.

Coventry

I knew I wasn’t quite finished with urban fantasy after all the fun I’ve had building Greystone. There is something wonderful in pairing the fantastical with the modern world. Greystone barely scratched the itch for me, so when it came time to explore new worlds, Coventry was one of the first that popped up for me.

So what is it? Better still, who is Coventry?

Warren Coventry is an adventurer akin to Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. He is a treasure hunter, one who is skilled at finding buried and forgotten treasures, lost to the world. When he goes too far on a dig, he is cursed with a terrible power–a gift to see beyond the world around us into every other that connects to our reality. With it comes a new responsibility to safeguard not only the treasures he’s blindly surrendered to the worst of the worst, but also our world as a whole.

Two short stories arrive next month.

I knew I wasn’t ready to dive into the novels yet. Exploring Coventry’s world from the fringes with some short stories was the best way to figure out who these characters are and what their stories will be like. Coming to Patreon next month will be two short stories to introduce you to Warren’s story.

The first is called Nachtfey. It’s my first try at a Christmas-themed adventure. I’m hoping to make an annual tradition out of it for Warren, much to his chagrin.

The second is called Legends. It is an abbreviated version of Warren’s origin story, but one that also ties to a larger thread (that’s a delicious pun you won’t understand until after the story comes out) that will spin through the main series.

Where do we go from here?

Like I said, for the moment the annual Christmas tale is probably all I will have time for when it comes to Coventry. But–BUT–the plan is to release FIVE novels starring Warren. I know what the overall arc is for the series, as well as what each threat will be for the novels. Time is my only opponent, and holy hell, is it winning at the moment.

I’m excited to explore this world with these characters. Please check out the stories on Patreon next month. (December 11th and 18th, respectably.) Let me know what you think or what you would like to see Warren tackle in the future.

The Last King Cover Reveal

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Back in May, a new Greystone adventure was included in a cool anthology called Fates of Magic and Myth. The Last King brought Soriya and Loren face to face with Ur, a god of darkness in his quest to overtake the light of the world. It might be my favorite Greystone story to date.

With the anthology in the rearview, I wanted a place for people to find the story. It’s a true standalone and a great entry point to the series. So, coming January 29th, The Last King will be available digitally, in paperback, and in hardcover!

Feast your eyes on the cover from Getcovers.com.

What a beaut, right? The designers did an amazing job with this one.

What is The Last King all about?

A dying king, a guardian lion, and a shadowy demon spell disaster for Portents.

The skandola—an ancient talisman with the power to ward off evil—is in danger. When its protection fails, one of the great demons from the underworld escapes to walk the Earth once more.

Ur has returned and with him comes eternal darkness.

Greg Loren, reassigned from the Central Precinct to a cold case warehouse, finds himself pulled into the conflict when a Shishi lion—a guardian to the last king of men—dies in front of him. Unsure how to proceed, Loren turns to the only person he trusts when the city turns bizarre: Soriya Greystone.

Together, with the help of the king’s final guardian, Idris, Loren and Soriya must keep the king safe long enough to banish Ur’s evil from the city of Portents forever.

You can pre-order your digital copy today!

The pre-order is live for The Last King on Amazon. More links are coming together and should be live any day now.

Physical copies will arrive in early January through the online store.

You can also read the story through the Patreon page this January. 

I hope you enjoy this one. The way the whole project came together was a dream for me. I even dedicated the book to Soriya and Loren for making the story so much fun to write.

The Year of the Greystone starts early!

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Greystone is coming back in a big way for 2025. Multiple releases are heading your way. I’m beyond excited to head back to Portents and close out Soriya and Loren’s journey, one that has been living in my head in one form or another since 2007.

While we’re a couple months away from a fresh year, I just couldn’t wait. I’ve spent the last few months working on the details, tweaking the previous novels, and paving the way for some really cool stuff.

Greystone: The Complete First Cycle

To celebrate the return of Greystone, I’m putting the first half of the series on sale this week. The box set containing all five books in the main series is now only $4.99! That’s over 1,500 pages of myths, legends, and monsters to sink your teeth into. This is the time to binge the series.

 

Army in the Obelisk

The penultimate part of the serial wraps up today over on the Patreon. That leaves only 8 chapters left to share over the next four weeks. Army in the Obelisk was an incredible challenge to put together. There were so many little pieces to track, to seed, and then grow to fruition, while also keeping the story as a whole more or less self-contained.

I did try to keep from connecting too overtly to the rest of the series, but some connections still exist. That’s half the fun for me, to find these small threads that tie to larger events or make sense of backstory you didn’t even know you wanted to learn about.

Army is something I will also be proud of. The project was all-consuming (even this week as I’m reading through the printed proof) but I wouldn’t have traded this journey for anything. It was a treat to bring this story to life. The research alone made the entire endeavor worthwhile. Studying Egyptian lore and history brought a richer tapestry to the serial, one I hoped you enjoyed as well.

I mentioned the printed proof before. The original plan was to keep this a digital exclusive to the Patreon page. Limiting the project to that venue, however, would have been a shame to everyone else who wanted to enjoy the book. So, I’ve gone ahead and ordered a batch of paperbacks to share at local events or through my website for those wanting to read Army in the Obelisk.

I didn’t stop at paperbacks, though. Hardcovers are coming for the book as well! My first hardcover. I’m over the moon about the idea and can’t wait to see how they turn out.

Army in the Obelisk ends December 4th on the Patreon. Supporters can enjoy the entire serial.

Paperback and hardcovers will be available at the same time. I’ll be sure to send a link here and everywhere.

Thank you to everyone who joined the Patreon for this project. I hope you’ve enjoyed every second of it. I know I have.

More Greystone news is coming!

When? How’s next week sound? Talk to you then!

Writing Update – October 30, 2024

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This writing update is brought to you the letter W, for What the hell happened to this year? Well, here we go again, I guess.

Writing Update

Greystone

I’ve been in the middle of a massive overhaul of the Greystone series. What does this mean exactly? Well, for starters, I took a deep dive into Signs of Portents. Some people–friends and family–think I’m insane for doing so. They love the book as it stands.

But it isn’t universally praised. Those critical of the book aren’t wrong. I would never write Signs the same way if I were to tackle it from scratch. I’ve changed over the years and my sensibilities have shifted. I wouldn’t say for the better, but I would like to think I’ve grown into the role of novelist respectably.

Anyway, I retooled the whole book. The narrative is the same. The mystery at the heart of the book remains intact. There are slight additions for pacing purposes. The most jarring changes are with POV. I switched POVs mid-chapter A LOT in Signs. I found ways around doing that for the revision, building up images in some cases and switching events around in others.

The book is vastly improved. VASTLY.

writing update
Look, Ma, the book number!

New covers!

The overhaul also entails new covers for the series. I tried–really, I did–to get on-brand, genre covers for the series. I hated every design sent my way. The characters models looked weird and the edge was lost on the monster angle. None of them felt right to me.

The original covers always made the series for me. So, I went back to the well and found someone able to update the original covers to include… THE BOOK NUMBER ON THE SPINE! (WOOHOO!)

Not only that, but hardcover editions are coming your way next year!

The Signs edit has been my life for the last two months. Now, it is time to turn my attention to Tales and the rest of the Greystone series to get the books prepped for a huge push in 2025.

Terminal Point

I’m doing my final lap on the DSA Season Two finale. I love this book, personally, which is not something I so readily say when it comes to my work. There are some great Ben-Morgan moments in the book as well as a cliffhanger that will have you screaming at me for quite some time.

Be sure to pre-order your copy now for only $0.99!

Coventry

Next month, I’m back to work on Coventry to get the two short stories already written into shape for release in December. I don’t usually like to play it this close, but this year has been a mess all around for me. Don’t worry about the tales, they’re a blast and you’ll enjoy them. I just wish I had more time to play around in the world before the launch.

Is that it? Come on, Lou.

I know, right? Pretty lackluster performance from me this year on the writing side. Next year, the game changes, hopefully. A little less worrying about what’s already out and more focus on building new narratives.

The penultimate chapters of Army in the Obelisk launch today!

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Part Eleven of Army in the Obelisk starts today on the Patreon page! The Army in the Obelisk is the beginning of the end of the story. Djuhuty’s warning to Loren comes to fruition and war arrives in Portents.

Head over to Patreon and start reading Army in the Obelisk today.

We’ve reached the penultimate lap on the twelve-part serial. I hope you’ve been enjoying it half as much as I did in putting the book together. This project was challenging on so many levels, yet I will always look fondly at it.

I can’t thank you enough for being on this journey with me. From the opening gambit with the Nehebkau, to the return of the Cult of Anubis, all the way through Soriya’s struggle with the Baku and Loren’s coffee meeting with Djuhuty, there are so many great moments in this book. I’d love to hear some of your favorites.

Part Eleven Begins.

Thutmose is back. His army approaches. He wants the world to remember him for the great leader he was.

Loren and Soriya must make a final stand against Djuhuty and his forces at the Heliopolis, but first…

Patricia Fleming needs to have her say with Loren.

That’s right, this week is the conclusion of the long-simmering romance between Loren and Patti.

I’m not a romance guy. Ask my wife. She’ll be the first to tell you how heartless I am when it comes to this stuff. But for Army in the Obelisk? To have a character like Fleming in the mix, helping Loren on multiple levels throughout the narrative? This was fun. I loved the tension when Fleming was in the scene, either through Loren’s discomfort in accepting a new love in his life after the loss of his wife, or through Soriya’s amazement that such a love was possible in her friend/partner.

It was a great foil to seed throughout the narrative and helped me stretch my writing skills in a new direction.

The End Approaches.

We’ll talk again when Part Twelve begins in a few weeks!

Terminal Point approaches. Pre-order the season finale today!

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It’s all been building to this moment. Terminal Point has arrived and the world will be forever changed. Pre-order the Season Two finale today!

Terminal Point Description and Cover Reveal

The Wellspring Saga Ends Here.

For the last century, humanity has achieved wonders beyond imagination. Every development, every advancement—be it in medicine or science or war—has come from someone else… something else.

The Wellspring.

This ancient program has guided the world down a singular path toward a future which remains a mystery. At the heart of this program lies a signal, transmitting instructions to chart the course ahead.

Zac Modine has finally found the signal. After weeks on the run, he hopes to save his own life and escape the destiny thrust upon him. Unfortunately, the Trust has followed his every move, and under the leadership of the manipulative David Hollis, they will stop at nothing to secure the future for their own ends.

The DSA is all that stands in the Trust’s way. But will their timely intervention help save the world from the threat of the signal and the dangerous guardian at the gate, or will they merely open the door to a power beyond all comprehension?

The saga of the Wellspring comes to a cataclysmic conclusion in the thrilling season finale of the DSA.

Pre-order your digital copy of Terminal Point today!

This series means so much to me. It is a love letter to every television show and book series that enthralled me in my youth. I’ve put everything I have to make the DSA the best it can be, and I hope it shows in every chapter.

Where the series goes from here will surprise you. Things have been building up for quite some time. Well, the danger is about to get very real for the team. Not everyone will see this through to the end.

Thank you for supporting the series. I could not do this without you.

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