I downloaded an album last week that my parents used to have. I listened to it one time. One time. The songs are still bouncing around inside my head like chimps on speed. They signal the band when put my head on the pillow. Obviously I like the album--but I'm worried about what might happen if I listen to it again. Any guesses as to the band/artist on the album?

In Death Bedrenched will soon be available--before my next letter goes out--for real this time. I'll link to it in the next letter. I'm doing a final buff and polish before I send it into traffic.The advance readers, my Skirmish Team, did a fabulous job.

I'm hoping that those of you who have read or may read the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series can answer a question for me. I've taken the American War for Independence and splashed it with some fantasy elements. The stone cats, which appear in book 3, are based on a couple of native legends, and you're also familiar with the dragons and the gryphons. Although I've added fantasy, I want to retain certain historical aspects of the conflict and the founding, but I'm curious about your thoughts on the matter. I have some crucial decisions to make for book 5 (and the rest of the series). If you've read the series or think you might eventually try reading the series, I would appreciate your feedback.

My question is: How much fantasy is desirable? Let me make this a multiple choice question, and you can provide a supporting explanation beyond that provided in these choices if you're so inclined:

A. A little bit of fantasy spices up the history and keeps it interesting, but you've already taken it too far for my tastes.

B. Some fantasy is fine, like the magic, dragons, gryphons, and stone cats, but they must remain secondary to the historical events. Any more fantasy elements or creatures would cause my interest to wane. I prefer more history and historical figures with less fantasy.

C. Keep the strange beasts and new powers coming. I love the blend of fantasy and familiar history. I don't care whether fantasy or history prevails, and it's makes for a wild ride not knowing how the historical events may be changed.

D. I demand more fantasy and expect to discover at least one new creature in each book of the series. Give me more fantasy. The history is tolerable as long as I can get my fantasy fix. Surprise me. Go big. Really big.

If you like fantasy:

Check out these fantasy books currently on sale from a plethora of authors.

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Author feature:

Have you checked out any books by Jonathan Fesmire? He's featuring one now that isn't merely a western, or a zombie western -- it's a steampunk zombie western. That alone deserves at least a curiosity click.

U.S. Marshal James Creed has known loss, starting from the untimely death of his wife and daughter in a sudden fire. His work, chasing down and arresting outlaws across the Wild West, is all he has left to live for. Then one day, in 1876, the infamous killer Corwin Blake catches Creed by surprise and guns him down.Creed awakes after a mysterious young woman resurrects him in a basement laboratory beneath a brothel. Half alive, Creed feels torn between his need for justice and his desire to fall back into the peace of death. Creed's instincts drive him to protect the city of Santa Cruz, California, from the outlaws it harbors while searching for Blake. He uncovers a secret criminal organization, likely protecting Blake, determined to use resurrection technology for its own ends. The former marshal, now faster, stronger, and a more deadly shot than ever before, must work with a brothel madam, a bounty hunter, and the remaining marshals to uncover the criminal syndicate before they can misuse the machines of rebirth and create more mindless zombies. Meanwhile, he must also stop Blake, before the outlaw kills the only people he cares about. His own death can wait.

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For those of you who have read Smoke, my 1940's noir detective novel and which is my personal favorite--and also my wife's favorite--you might be pleased to know that I've been thinking about Noah Vale/Duncan Kane and what he did during the war. If the path I'm following works out, I should be able to do a series of stories about his war experiences. I'll try to outline a few different stories before I step into that harness and begin plowing lines of text.

My major project for now is book 5 in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series It will be available in time for Christmas--I hope. Let me know if you're interested in looking at rough hunks this one and providing feedback.

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Honor Roll with special thanks to these subscribers:

Lois for her stunning review and heroic defense of The Shrinking Zone

Budd for reviews for a couple of my books, as well as his expression of how much he is enjoying reading the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series.

Colleen for leaving ratings for several of my books on Amazon.

Rob for leaving a review of Threading the Rude Eye

Michael for leaving a review of Threading the Rude Eye, and The Shrinking Zone

Mayra for a review of Threading the Rude Eye

JBudd for a review of Threading the Rude Eye

Gloria for a review of Threading the Rude Eye

There are other reviews of my books, but I don't know whether those reviews are also subscribers to this newsletter.

If you have posted a review anywhere of any of my books, let me know so that I can include you in the Honor Roll.