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

A Circle of Shadows – Early Reviews

By

A Circle of Shadows hits the digital stands next week, though I’m sure you’ve already snagged your paperback copy of the incredible finale to the opening arc of the Greystone Saga, am I right?

And now a word from you, the reader:

You’ve listened to be gab about A Circle of Shadows enough. Early reviews are coming in so let’s turn it over to you to share your thoughts about the book.

“The best one yet!” – Louise

“What an amazing book. This author just keeps on writing these superb fantasy stories that have you gripped from the start into a different world. You only come out at the end and wish there was more.” – Jackie

“Loads of action and some new twists in this new book.” – Ken

“Highly recommended must read.” – Silver Surfer

“The best of the Portents stories! Lots of action, emotion and my favorite, the banter!” – Vicki

“It was tremendous, even epic. Awe-inspiring, Jaw-dropping. Gut-wrenching and stomach-lurching. It knocked my socks off!” – Debbi

Heard enough? Pre-order your e-book today!

The war for Portents has begun. 

The mayor is dead, his cause of death: a Greystone. Soriya flees into the shadows of the night, accused of a heinous murder. She is alone; those who trusted her, including Greg Loren, now stand against her. But even Detective Loren doesn’t see what this truly is: a distraction. 

From the shadows rises a new threat, one that has lain in wait from the beginning. She ushers in the return of the Heads of Cerberus—and with it, the promise of Portents’ last sunrise. Meanwhile, Loren inches closer to finding the truth about Beth’s murder. But can his shattered heart face the truth of his late wife’s killer—or about the secrets she harbored from him in the months before her death? 

The climactic finale of the Greystone Saga’s first massive storyline will leave readers breathless and stunned, desolately questioning the motives of once-trusted characters.

Paperback available now!

Digital e-book available September 11th!

Pathways in the Dark Sale Begins Today!

By

The build up to the final Greystone book continues this week with a sale on the penultimate chapter!

Pathways in the Dark is only $0.99 right now!

Grab your copy on Amazon today!

The dark pathways of Portents tell of frightful demons and characters’ surprising histories.

Detective Loren and Soriya Greystone’s journeys continue in the next series of tales in the Greystone Collection, Pathways in the Dark. Discover new monsters in Portents, including a phoenix, an onna-bugeisha, and the cult of Anubis. Delve deeper into Detective Samantha Myers’ secretive past, and follow Captain Ruiz as he continues to be plagued by the demons of Portents, even during his leave of absence. As Loren and Soriya battle the city’s monsters and their fractured relationship alike, they come to realize that everyone has two stories…and that nobody can be trusted, no matter how well you think you know them.

The next anthology of the Greystone Collection further casts the city of Portents in the shadows, showing that no one is safe.

The shadows are growing…

See where the seeds for A Circle of Shadows are planted in this thrilling collection of tales that push Soriya and Loren into the darkest corners of Portents.

Some of my favorite moments with these characters are included in this book. Check it out today!

Sale ends September 6th!

Buffalo Comicon is in two weeks!!!

That’s right! The fall convention in the Queen City is here with guests galore and thousands of free books!

September 15 and 16th at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center!

Stop by my table and say hello. Grab your tickets now!

A Circle of Shadows – Pre-Order the Final Chapter Now!

By

We’re only two weeks away from the release of the final chapter of the Greystone series! Everything has built to this moment. From the opening of Signs of Portents when Beth fell there has been a larger story tucked in the background of each installment.

It’s been an absolute pleasure to build this story, brick by brick, and I can’t wait for you to see what happens to your favorite characters.

You can pre-order your copy now on Amazon.

Looking for a paperback?

You are in luck. The paperback is available NOW! Order your copy today!

Final chapter? I thought there was more coming?

There is. I promise you that. I know exactly what the second half of the series will be when I finally sit down to write it. More myths and some incredible discoveries, all centered on the purpose of the stone and what role in plays for the future of Portents and the world.

There are hints in Pathways in the Dark as to what I’m talking about, so be sure to check it out.

But for now, this will be the final chapter. It closes out a big chunk of Loren’s story and puts the characters in a nice place to walk away for a bit. My hope is to get back to this world as soon as possible. I’m fighting the urge right now, in fact, I love working in Portents so much. For now, however, I hope to build some new worlds and look forward to sharing new mysteries with you.

Writing Update – August 23, 2018

By

Welcome, welcome! Let’s get to the writing update, shall we?

Greystone

Lots of cool things going on with the Greystone Saga right now. A Circle of Shadows drops on September 11th for all you digital readers out there. Interested in a paperback of the climactic finale to the series?

You can order one NOW!

The Medusa Coin Sale! – The third novel of the series is currently only $0.99! Interested in seeing where Samantha Myers comes into play? Want to know what divided Soriya and Loren to the breaking point? Look no further than this incredible tale of immortality and sacrifice.

Sale ends August 28th, just in time for…

Pathways in the Dark Sale! – That’s right. The road to A Circle of Shadows is becoming clear for you, isn’t it? Starting August 29th and running through September 4th, Pathways in the Dark will only be $0.99 digitally!

Know the whole story before grabbing the finale on September 11th. From the final tear in Soriya and Loren’s partnership to the secrets behind Samantha Myers’ arrival in Portents and more. Every story, every character explored is important to where the story is going.

The D.S.A.

From now until the end of the month I am putting the finishing touches on Book Three of the first season, with a novel called The Bridge. I really like how much of the original version held up and can’t wait for you to see where the series is headed. This installment is the crux for the season in my opinion.

A smaller story in scope, The Bridge allows the reader to step back from the main plot and explore the pasts of each of these characters.

My main focus has been to ramp up the action in a few spots and keep the story consistent with the previous two books already completed.

Season Two – Yeah, I know. Season one isn’t due for another year. Yet here I am, unable to turn off my brain. I outlined the first book of season two this week and even have the first five chapters of book two outlined and ready for dialogue.

Why am I jumping the gun when I know I should be focused on the current project? Mostly it’s about finding answers to questions raised in season one. Having those in my back pocket, including a character who turns from foe to friend, means I can go back and seed those shifts, those slight details and make the whole reading experience all the better. (I hope…)

I intended to spend the autumn working on a separate project before returning to the back half of season one but right now I’m having such a blast I might just keep going.

Founder’s Day Commentary – Lessons from the Dead

By

This is it! The final author commentary for Pathways in the Dark! One last look at Founder’s Day. SPOILER WARNING is in effect!

Lessons from the dead

This is an important theme for the series. It is best exemplified by Loren’s dreams. In them, Beth provides a story for Loren – offering him a choice. These are lessons being imparted to him and what they mean are coming to light in a few weeks with A Circle of Shadows.

What I failed to realize is that the dead hold lessons for more players in the series. What our main characters learn from them puts them on a path to the next novel, to the next moment in time.

It is a tried and true theme throughout the series. One never intended, but a vital one to the cast.

It started with Mentor…

As you’ll come to learn, pretty much everything starts with Mentor. His lessons, the small flashbacks imparted on Soriya allow her to realize her shortcomings and see where she needs to improve.

There is more to it, I promise. There are secrets coming to light down the line that show in greater detail the impact this fallen teacher on the lives of our cast.

But it started with his lessons. His tutelage. When he died he set her on a certain path, one she believes is built on disappointment and failure at not being able to save him. On not being able to protect Portents to the best of her ability.

It grows from that and where it ends next month will surprise some of you. Others will understand this is merely a natural progression of what Mentor taught her for so many years in the Bypass Chamber.

Ruiz and Edgar

I never made the connection until putting together this blog. Edgar Rusch fulfills this role for Ruiz in The Medusa Coin. He plays the role of mentor for one chapter and it is all it takes to push Ruiz forward in his arc.

Edgar badgers his old friend about coming clean with Michelle about things. Ruiz brushes it off but then Edgar dies and he is left with that lesson.

Those dying words of his best friend.

The lessons of the dead end up being vital to our present course. They propel this cast to make heavy decisions that impact the narrative on a fundamental level.

Ruiz takes a leave of absence because of his friend’s words. Because of the lesson imparted before his demise.

Loren and Crowne

I wanted that moment for these two players as well. Where the others have positive experiences to draw upon (debatable with Soriya, I know, but there were plenty of good memories mixed with the disappointment) I wanted to show Loren and Crowne as the opposite of this dynamic.

Crowne shows Loren the downside of obsession, of living in the past. Loren tries to pull him out, to force him to look forward, but can’t because of his own failings. They can’t lift each other up.

They can only fall into darkness.

That final conversation with Crowne, the anger behind his every word, mirrors Loren’s from stories like Resurrectionists and Gremlins.  At this moment, after Crowne falls, Loren can’t help but feel responsible. He can’t help but see the failure in trying to help and not being able to because of his own inadequacy.

But down the line? Will this be a lesson that propels Loren forward or will be wallow in defeat? Will he look forward? Will he follow the lessons offered by the dead and change?

A Circle of Shadows arrives on September 11th. Why not give it a read and find out?

 

Founder’s Day Commentary – Deleted Scene

By

The end is in sight! The author commentary continues for Founder’s Day with a look at a deleted scene left on the cutting room floor. SPOILER WARNING is in effect!

The original ending…

deleted sceneSometimes a tale has a clearly defined ending. There is an arc and everything circles around to its end in an orderly fashion.

Other times? Not so much.

Founder’s Day was the latter. I had the climax of the story in place. Richard Crowne’s fall and the treachery of Samantha Myers. But I went further by circling to the beginning of the story.

The story opens with a baby being left alone by his dragon of a father. Hey, someone has to go out and get diapers and wipes for the kid…

Anyway, the original ending had Loren visit the kid – now in Child Protective Services – to see the impact of his work and the choices made by not only the kid’s father but in effect Crowne as well.

Chapter 24

The Child Services Center was quiet. Loren’s heavy footfalls boomed against the instilled hush and he slowed upon entering. Sleep eluded him, another day lost to a dream that offered no solace.

No answers to the questions plaguing him from all sides. A Circle of Shadows. Soriya. Myers and the secrets he held from her. And now Richard Crowne. His friend for so long, lost to the past. A past he could never escape.

Loren needed to do better. To move forward. To build instead of tear down. There had to be a way but the questions were born of the past and he couldn’t leave them behind without closure.

The nurse at the front desk looked up from her paperwork, a smile greeting his arrival. Monitors kept track of the rooms down the hall, the camera shifting between occupants in regular intervals. The sound kept to a minimum to keep their charges resting.

Loren pointed to the child in question. “Can I see him?”

The baby curled up along the railing of the crib, thumb secure between his lips. The nurse’s persistent smile grew at the sight. “He’s resting.”

“Someone should,” Loren muttered.

“Sir?”

Loren shook his head and showed his badge. “I only need a minute.”

She hesitated then nodded, leading him along the hall. They stopped at the end, the half glass door offering him a view of the temporary nursery of Bartleby Kindt’s son.

His name was Davon.

Eight months old and his life forever changed by the events of the last few days. Forever linked to the past, to the sins of his father. Would he suffer from the same affliction? Would he walk down the same path? Would he never escape the shadows haunting his every step?

Loren worried. Hell, he worried about everything lately. All the choices made, the secrets kept and those kept from him. And everything still to come. Yet looking at the sleeping infant in the crib, Loren hoped.

“He’ll be all right?”

“Sure,” the nurse whispered. “A good home. A good life. All we can ask for, right?”

Loren nodded and the woman moved back to the front desk, giving him a moment with the child. A new home. Family and friends. Dreams and accomplishments that swallowed up the darkness already behind him. A new beginning. Loren hoped for the same, a way to break from the past and start again. Away from the burden of Portents and the darkness of every path forward.

An impossible dream for him but maybe not forever.

Greg Loren hoped the child would find a better way. A way to bring a little light back to the city.

He hoped they both could in the end.

Why remove this deleted scene?

It ended on hope. That was not the message being sent with this story. It’s what we all wish for in the end but here? Loren is in a dark place. Myers even more so.

Ending with this notion of the future doesn’t work, tonally.

Taking out this story beat to keep the focus on Myers and her decision to betray Loren not only sets up events in A Circle of Shadows but nails the tone of the story for the reader. It’s ominous. It’s dark.

And it shows that maybe there isn’t light in the future for everyone. Maybe the choices we make have to be dark at times.

Why write the deleted scene in the first place?

Happy endings are nice. They are clean and leave the reader content that their hero/heroine will come out on top of the problems plaguing them.

Not exactly a spot on description of where Loren is right now in Greystone. And I realized pretty quickly. Just not fast enough to avoid writing this scene.

I thought it would add hope to a hopeless situation; a light at the end of the tunnel.

Not realizing the darkness to come.

Tone trumped all concerns in this case and it won’t be the only time this happens. There is a story you’ll be seeing in a year or two with a similar situation. The tone is key and leaving Myers in the woods, stepping along the darkened path slammed the image home for me.

Disclaimer: Links throughout this site may be affiliate links. All commission earned through these links go to Eleven Ten Publishing to produce more books for your reading pleasure.

You can view our privacy policy here.

Recent Posts