Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve posted last. Things are crazy, but I don’t need to tell you that. I’ve been busy, and haven’t able to think anything up, because there have been few new developments on the old writing front here. I am still serializing my work over at Wattpad (https://www.wattpad.com/) and have been working off-and-on on other writing projects. Perhaps I will take this time to inventory my work and where I’m at with various projects. I’ll go back to the start:
- Suburban Vampire: A Tale of the Human Condition — With Vampires. This was my first novel. The feeling I had upon completion was amazing. I didn’t think I could; well, I did. It is not my best work, admittedly, but it laid the groundwork for everything I did since. I think, with some judicious editing, it could be even better; as it is, it marks a milestone for me. Even though it has been (self) published (in print and e-form and on Wattpad), I still believe in this story and its potential.
- Suburban Vampire: Ragnarok. The sequel to my first novel, and a far stronger effort (it did win an award, so there). This novel was the confirmation to me that I was really an author. It is still one my strongest efforts, and is probably my favorite of all the stories I’ve written. It is available in paperback and electronic formats, and at Wattpad.
- Suburban Vampire: Reckoning. The third in the Suburban Vampire series. It has a bit of a darker tone than the first two SV novels, especially considering it takes on a real-world issue (that of human trafficking). There is also a twist in the story line that really forced me, as an author, to earn my story-telling chops (and I think I succeeded in pulling this twist off). I had intended on self-publishing this novel; alas, it was not to be — well, except that I have put it up on Wattpad! So, it is published, in a manner of speaking.
- The Holy Death. Fourth in the Suburban Vampire series, it returns to the lighter style of Ragnarok while also delving into the backstory of one of my favorite characters, Jeremiah. This was another one that was fun to write and fun to read. I am currently serializing this one at Wattpad.
- Suburban Vampire: Redemption. This is the fifth and most epic in the Suburban Vampire series, featuring the baddest bad guy I’ve come up with yet and a massive battle scene set in the high desert of Central Oregon. This project was so large that I’ve split it up into two books, titled Book I: The Scourge of God, and Book II: Leviathan. It is also darker in tone (darker even than Reckoning) and was, at times, very difficult for me to write (I’ve discussed that in some previous blog entries). I plan on serializing this work at Wattpad, as well.
- The Book of Origins. I’ve mentioned this before on this blog; it’s the collection of backstories of some of the main vampire characters from the Suburban Vampire series. It’s of a different form than my other work; for one, there are no chapters, but “books”. This work is epic, perhaps even more so than Redemption, for it spans several thousand years of history (I want to call it SV’s version of The Silmarillion, but that’s overly pretentious). I plan on posting this at Wattpad.
- Thorn. Set in the same universe as the Suburban Vampire series, but in a different city and with different characters. This novel is set around the character of Cooper Thorn, a hard-boiled burned-out alcoholic ex-Seattle cop and new agent of Ministry. This was my first expedition into a more noirish style of story, complete with first-person narrative. It was also an experiment in writing a main character who is not easy likeable and not “politically correct”, who prefers to settle disputes with his fists and his guns, a throwback to the old hard-boiled detective noir of writers like Mickey Spillane, Raymond Chandler, or Dashiell Hammett, but in a paranormal/supernatural milieu. I do not plan on posting this one on Wattpad, nor do I ever see myself self-publishing it. In fact, I doubt that this one will ever see publication in any form.
- Boston Betty. Also previously mentioned here, this was my second foray into noir territory with this SV spinoff following part of the backstory of the character of Elizabeth. I really feel that this is one of my strongest efforts, and quite possibly the best thing I’ve written yet. I do not plan on putting it on Wattpad or self-publishing; I am shopping it out to agents and publishers (two-hundredth time is a charm, right?). I have high hopes for this one, and hope it eventually makes it out there.
- Short stories: I am amassing a series of short stories set in the SV universe; who knows, maybe I’ll eventually put together an anthology (one of those stories was posted right here, on this blog: Merry Christmas, Grace Montoya). This is a continuing project.
- The Unaware Ones. A thriller/horror/suspense story about unaware angels and the demons who are out to get them. Unfinished at this time, and I have no timetable for completion.
- Good Dog. Another SV spin-off, this time following Zed Mitsubishi. Just started on this, so obviously, there’s no timetable for completion.
- Untitled High Fantasy project. I am getting out of the paranormal/supernatural/urban fantasy genre for this and diving into the realm of swords and sorcery. Think of this as a much more light-hearted version of Game of Thrones. Sure, there will be action, as befits a story with swords and warriors, but overall it will be fun and not at all serious. Just started, and again, no timetable for completion.
And that’s it, I think. This is where I’ve been and where I’m going. I hope something in this pile eventually catches on somewhere!
Franklin Posner 