This is a little out of the ordinary, I know, but what are your thoughts on the Book of Revelation?

I'll get to my motivation for the question shortly--and the next paragraph in our collaborative story is at the end of the newsletter, after the links to free books.

Crisis in Fire and Snow--Book 6 in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series--is only days away from publication. I'm down to the final chapter of editing. The Skirmish team has already digested it and pronounced it good, with anticipation for the next installment in the series. The cover should be completed shortly.

My next book will be a stand-alone novel; it may be called Trailer Park Dreams--sort of a Smoke for the 90s. I also have some short stories to carve from the ether. You can find my recent noir short story in this anthology, and another story will be published in Cirsova Magazine. I'll try to remember to link the latter when it comes out.

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I'm just finishing DJ Butler's City of The Saints. It's the most fun book I've read in a long time, a wild and crazy steam punk ride. I picked it up for two bucks on some kind of special I saw last month. It was money well spent. Of course, I still have a tiny bit more to read, so it's possible the final pages could ruin the story for me--but I doubt it. I've not been a steam punk reader, so I don't know how well it follows the tropes of the genre. However, for mechanical adventures in the Victorian Era with famous writers, adventurers, and religious leaders embroiled in a tangled tale of intrigue and treachery, I highly recommend it.

I've also started Colleen McCollough's Morgan's Run, based on a friend's recommendation. It's on special for two greenbacks.

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So what about the Book of Revelation? I have to admit that on this reading I'm only up to chapter 8. I've been reading it in French -- so it's Apocalypse rather than Revelation -- and then reading the same chapters in English. John, or Jean, repeats bold themes that resonate throughout his writings, and in Revelation he leverages the symbolism to paint a mysterious and forbidding picture -- or so it might seem at first glance. There's no avoiding that fact that there's a lot of terrible stuff described of the sort that one might reasonably say, "None for me, please," but there's also loads of good stuff that can't be ignored. Anyway, I'm not in the habit of making my newsletter a religious tract, so I'll not go on, but I would be interested in your thoughts about it.

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Check out these Free Fantastic Fantasy Books - I may get one or two myself.

If your bone-chilling horror itch is acting up, Mitchel Luthi's Pilgrim: A Medieval Horror has your scratch.

If occupied Paris in 1943 and the perils of timid British woman caught between a French resistance fighter and a German officer intrigue you, Marina Koulouri's Winter Pale is free for review.

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Paragraph 6 of our collaborative story comes from Rob G. Check out the full story so far here (and send me your proposal for the next paragraph with some action. I'm ready to see things happen):

Among the seven riders entering the slumbering village rode one whose clever mind inspired the others to follow. They admired his marksmanship with rifle and pistol, but they weren't blind to the rage and hate emanating like hot vapor from his soul. He instilled fear even in the hearts of these men who enjoyed ambush and plunder without remorse--for he seemed to commune with the devil himself. As the horses' hooves clopped over the cobbles down the dark thoroughfare, each of them understood that tonight they would ambush an old gunman.

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I'm also itching to add some of you to the honor roll. Get those reviews posted.

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Honor Roll with special thanks to these subscribers:

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

JBudd for reviews of Threading the Rude Eye, In Death Bedrenched, Power to Hurt, The Shrinking Zone, Clamorous Harbingers, Promise of Carnage and Flame, and Truth in Flames

Colleen for leaving ratings for several of my books on Amazon

Rob for leaving a review of Threading the Rude Eye

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

Mayra for a review of Threading the Rude Eye

Gloria for a review of Threading the Rude Eye

ShannonC for a review of In Death Bedrenched

Jan for reviews of Threading the Rude Eye, Power to Hurt, Clamorous Harbingers, Promise of Carnage and Flame, In Death Bedrenched, The Shrinking Zone, Truth in Flames, Justice in Season, and Justice Resurgent.

Bonnie for a review of In Death Bedrenched.

PAR for a review of Threading the Rude Eye

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