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

Founder’s Day Commentary – The New Dynamic Duo

By

The Founder’s Day author commentary continues with a look at the new dynamic duo of the series: Loren and Myers! SPOILER WARNING ahead.

Meet the new team

One of my favorite elements of Founder’s Day, and one of my main reasons for writing the story, was the chance to see Loren and Myers working together.

It’s the first chance we have to see them as partners. How they interact, how they bounce off each other, and grate each other, were all pieces I wanted to fit into the story.

Samantha Myers versus Soriya Greystone

I didn’t want the debate. There didn’t need to be a who is better as Loren’s partner fight. We already know the answer to that. It’s why the series opens with Soriya and Loren. This is their story and always will be.

So how to make it different with Myers on the team?

This is why I included the opening with them looking for Bartleby Kindt. I wanted to show Loren as the senior member of the team and the mistakes made due to the new dynamic of working with Myers.

He is hesitant to bring her fully into the fold, using what he’s learned from Soriya. He doesn’t want the same fights he used to cause as the grounded character and it ends up leading to trouble.

It’s a playful moment in a pretty dark story.

The strength in the procedural…

This was the other element I was happy to be able to explore with Founder’s Day. The procedural has always been fascinating to me. I love the structure of it and the way it feeds from exposition to action or character piece.

Watch an episode of Bones and you’ll see this worked seamlessly into every lab scene. It either opens with the character piece and then dives into the exposition to advance the case or the other way around. Every single time. (My wife thinks it is hilarious that I watch for the character and not the technical aspects of the case.)

That’s what I wanted to showcase here. How these two operate in comparison to Soriya, how they take apart a case and how they use each other’s foibles to play off each other.

The honest truth

I love Myers. I find writing her a treat and wish I could squeeze her into every scene. Having this small moment in time, this incredibly critical moment in the series to put the spotlight on her dynamic with Loren was an absolute blast.

How things go from here will have to wait until A Circle of Shadows arrives on September 11th…

Founder’s Day Commentary – Challenges Part 2

By

Welcome back to the Founder’s Day author commentary! SPOILER WARNING for those just joining in.

As I mentioned last time, there were a number of challenges in putting together this tale. Not only was Founder’s Day meant to the centerpiece of the collection, it also set up events in A Circle of Shadows, served as a sequel to Resurrectionists AND had to play as an entry point into the series.

(It failed on the last point…)

Part of that failure came because of an integral part of the series was not present in the story.

Where the hell was Soriya Greystone?

One of the main characters was missing? Not my brightest idea, to be sure.

There were many reasons behind her absence. Collateral set up their separation. This tale was an extension of that divide, one put in place by Loren.

That is the story level reason. My own reason was to keep the interplay locked on Loren and Myers. To keep the story grounded in the detective side of things for a change and see how the plot developed.

It was meant to offer a different view of Portents, one where the crazy isn’t so obvious or easily explained thanks to having Soriya right there with an answer.

Coming from a narrative standpoint, for where the story falls in the series, this choice made complete sense.

From an entry point perspective? Not at all. Again, this is one of the many challenges I had in putting together the story. While I eventually let Founder’s Day out into the wilds of publication as its own entity, I struggled with the decision for months because of questions like these.

Would Soriya have strengthened the narrative? Not in this case. Not with where the character’s are in their story. Loren’s made the choice to avoid her until he can figure out the meaning behind the photo given to him by Myers. If Soriya entered into the story thanks to the high profile murders it would have derailed Loren’s story and even his growing relationship with Myers.

Something I will talk about next time…

The title debacle…

Founder’s Day isn’t grammatically correct. So not only was I dealing with my own qualms about the narrative I had to deal with the title as well.

I should have been fine changing it to Founders’ Day. It’s fine but that damn apostrophe bothered me. I spent an entire day figuring out how to keep the title as Founder’s Day and eventually realized that because of the multiple founders involved, because of the parade in honor of the day it works as Founder’s Day.

It’s things like this that make it impossible to sleep sometimes!

Griping done!

That’s never the intention behind the author commentary. I did want to showcase the challenges in this tale, however. It’s important, especially for any writers out there, to realize that not every story comes together without some real difficulties. Not always in the telling but in how it is packaged, how it is released into the world.

Founder’s Day was an eye-opener for me. Do I remain proud of the work? Absolutely.

Do I wish I would have done things a little differently when releasing it? Definitely.

And those lessons will be carried over to the DSA series when it comes out.

Founder’s Day Commentary – Challenges Part 1

By

Welcome back to the Founder’s Day author commentary! SPOILER WARNING ahead and some insight into the challenges in putting together a series…

Wearing too many hats.

Writing a series can turn into an enormous mess sometimes. One would imagine when putting events together things would flow in a linear fashion. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. There are greater concerns tucked in the background of the writing process, unseen by the reader.

Which is probably where I should keep this blog but I prefer to share my troubles (and triumphs) when I can.

Founder’s Day had the unfortunate place in the series of wearing too many hats.

Instead of being the centerpiece of Pathways in the Dark, it was also the sequel to Resurrectionists.

Instead of offering a complete narrative, it also had to set up events to come in A Circle of Shadows.

Instead of being contained within Pathways in the Dark solely, it was also a free novella offered to readers and retailers.

And the story had to fill each of these needs; each of these roles.

Did it succeed?

I don’t think it did. I like the story. I enjoy the interplay between the characters and the mystery attempted to be solved. There are, in fact, a number of strong points in the tale:

The opening with the “dragon.”

Samantha Myers standing shoulder to shoulder with Loren.

The murders and subsequent mythology behind their deaths.

I enjoyed all the aspects of the story and putting them together was a treat.

Where did it fail then?

In standing on its own. There is a beginning, middle and end, sure. But when it comes to looking at Founder’s Day, there is no way to read it without some knowledge of the series.

I know that is the point of writing a series. Starting from book one and going, but for this to work as a free novella to draw in new readers Founder’s Day had to be its own thing. And it couldn’t because of the restrictions I had placed on it.

On the hats the tale was forced to wear.

It still works…

Reading through Pathways in the Dark, the tale still offers readers a great little story. It opens the door to A Circle of Shadows and pulls in the history offered by Signs of Portents and Resurrectionists.

On its own? As a free novella? As an entry point to the series?

I blew it on that front. I’ll be the first to admit it. I needed the story to do too much in too limited a space and then added the horrible idea of offering it as an entry point to the series.

Probably my biggest mistake of the series. And the fault is mine, not the narrative.

Lesson learned.

Next time!

Challenges Part 2 – Where the hell was Soriya? And what’s the deal with the title?

Founder’s Day Commentary – Starting Points

By

We’ve arrived at last! The final short story contained within Pathways in the Dark! I’m going to dig deep into this story so SPOILER WARNING ahead for this author commentary…

Founder’s Day

This story was always going to be in Pathways in the Dark. At the end of Resurrectionists I left the door open on a number of threads that eventually had to come to light. Figuring out the narrative, structuring the story of Founder’s Day had to be one of the greatest challenges of the entire series.

Starting Points

The Founder was my way into the story. In the initial draft of Resurrectionists, the Founder was taken into custody. His history came out at the end, his work at the Church of the Second Coming on full display for the public.

It didn’t work.

It sucked the life out of the scene. Instead of the story centering on the shattered life of Loren it became about this cloaked cult-like figure and how he managed to wake the dead.

I scrapped it for the simpler solution. He escaped and was still looming in the background.

How to bring him back?

If the Founder was my starting point, this question was the first of an indescribable amount of challenges in plotting the story. Why would this man come back?

The murders built from this.

I love detective fiction. I love building crime scenes and going through evidence; finding new ways to offer up exposition while also strengthening character moments. Signs of Portents was built from this love and I wanted to circle back to those good old days with some classic detective work on Loren’s part.

Signs of Portents’ influence…

For me, nothing was better than building the history of Portents. From Nathaniel Evans to the ebony tower, from the Corridor to the Courtyard, all had their place in the expansive history of this fictional city.

When developing the murders, when playing with the idea of the return of the Founder, I realized I could play with that concept on multiple fronts.

Make the murders about the Founders of the city. Make the city in the midst of celebrating a Founder’s Day celebration. All little tidbits to hint at the mysterious figure in the background. All feeding into the main threat, while also returning to the roots of the series and the history tucked behind the narrative.

The Evans line, Patrick Hennessey, Wilbur Caldwell, William Rath. Some fictional, some real to the people of Portents. All important to the past, the beginning of Portents. History matters in this world and that was what I wanted to touch on here in Founder’s Day.

Next time:

Challenges Part 1 – The many roles this story was forced to play…

Connections Commentary – Hints for the Future

By

One final look at Connections! SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the Pathways in the Dark author commentary! Beware!

I mentioned 2 goals, didn’t I?

It’s been a bit since our last look at this tale but I mentioned having two goals with Connections. The first, and foremost, was the give Gilgamesh the boot from the series (for now). It was a necessary evil, but there was no way to make his presence work with where things are heading in A Circle of Shadows and set up Soriya’s growing isolation nicely.

The second goal, and the enjoyable one for me, was in laying out hints of things to come.

The good and the bad part of hints…

There are two sides to this coin and it is one of the points of my writing I work very hard at when outlining. Hints come at a cost. You are committing the narrative to an event of some kind that can’t be forgotten.

There has to be a payoff.

But it can be fun to create those moments. Connections is FILLED with them. Go on and read it again.

I’ll wait…

Done, yet? Good.

Every aspect of Connections is a hint for what is to come. Gilgamesh’s abduction by Ishtar and the forces of Anubis comes about because someone knows he is in Portents and working with Soriya.

Who? Who could be working in the shadows and manipulating events like that?

Then, of course, there is the big climax of the tale where Gilgamesh reveals his connection with Death and how it keeps an eye into the future…

The original ending of The Medusa Coin…

Yeah, I tend to keep my favorite bits even after they’ve been sent to the cutting room floor. In the original draft of The Medusa Coin, Gilgamesh meets Soriya in the Bypass chamber and offers hints of the future. He talks about events down the line and choices to be made that will impact everyone.

It didn’t work. It was forced and held no place for the narrative.

This later became the coffee house scene and the small tidbit about the Bypass falling if Soriya isn’t careful. Much clearer and it fit the moment.

Connections allowed me to revisit the original ending to The Medusa Coin, but use it in a fun, foreshadowing way for readers with a keen eye on what is happening in Greystone.

I don’t want to get into specifics. That spoils the game. And while I haven’t heard from many on the subject, I hope it managed to spark some ideas in your heads about what is on the horizon. That’s why I like playing with the notion of the future, of hinting at longer stories tucked into the background.

To spur imagination. To enrage readers (to some degree) and get them ready for what is coming down the line.

July 2018 Promotions

By

FREE BOOK ALERT!!! FREE BOOK ALERT!!!

That’s right! For two days only, Signs of Portents is FREE on Amazon!!!!

Portents is a city like no other—and one that Detective Greg Loren can’t wait to escape. Since his wife’s death years earlier, Loren has looked forward to the moment he can leave the city of Portents for good—and never look back.

But fate has another plan for Loren. Called back to duty, Loren finds himself embroiled in a series of murders that has shaken the city. Together with Soriya Greystone, a young woman with unearthly powers, Loren must work quickly to find the otherworldly being that is killing citizens of Portents one at a time. Loren is tasked with deciphering the mysterious signs left at each of the crime scenes…even if it means traveling to worlds not his own to do so.

Download your FREE copy now!

Kindle Unlimited

The Greystone series is now part of the Kindle Unlimited Program. Don’t feel like buying the books? Borrow them for free through your Kindle Unlimited membership and enjoy them today!

I love being able to provide these books for you in this fashion and can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the series.

To find out more about the program, head over to Amazon now!

The countdown to A Circle of Shadows…

There are lots more cool promotions coming down the pike to celebrate the finale to the series. Be sure to get caught up before the ending is spoiled for you!

A Circle of Shadows ties together the threads from the last two years. Beth’s murderer is revealed. The Luminary rises from the shadows. The Circle comes to light. Heroes fall…

The epic conclusion arrives on September 11th!!!

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