If you missed Chapter One, you can read it here right now! Chapter Two The brilliant supernova incinerating my eyesight didn’t allow me to see much more than the pistol. It was enough that I knew I was in danger, but not nearly enough to get to grips with the rest of the situation. Before [...]
The brilliant supernova incinerating my eyesight didn’t allow me to see much more than the pistol. It was enough that I knew I was in danger, but not nearly enough to get to grips with the rest of the situation. Before I could even think about reacting to the threat, I needed to know who else was in the room, where they were, what they had for weapons, that sort of thing. If I moved too soon, the only person who was going to get killed was me. And frankly, I kinda liked me the way I was.
Alive.
“You guys really take room service seriously, huh?”
There was a pause and then the briefest chuckle that spilled over into a hearty laugh. The light switched off and I blinked a few times.
In front of me sat a huge man the color of deepest night. He looked like a living shadow with only a swath of brilliant white teeth breaking the smooth, gleaming skin of his face.
More importantly than his smile was the fact that the Colt 1911 lowered. “I was told you have a decent sense of humor.”
“Glad to know my reputation precedes me.” I frowned. “I guess.” I hadn’t been active all that long. But then again, on my first trip overseas when I apprenticed under Zero, I had my mug shot snapped five times by the East German Stasi before I even left the airport. Apparently, someone was compiling a dossier on me. Swell.
“I expected you to be a little bit more aware, however. The fact I was able to break into your room, take a seat, and catch you sleeping has me a bit concerned about your future.”
I nodded in the direction of the door. “Have you seen those locks? They wouldn’t stop a feather from breaking in.”
“Even still, for a Fixer, I must say I’m somewhat disappointed.”
His English was tinged with a British accent, but that wasn’t surprising in this part of the world. I started to say something about expectations when a new voice cut through the air…
Due to the launch of THE MADAGASCAR MATTER in serial format (and my thanks to those of you who have subscribed – you’re awesome, every last one of ya!) there’s been interest in reading the entire series by those who haven’t yet done so. As you know, I released a compilation ebook containing all FIVE [...]
Due to the launch of THE MADAGASCAR MATTER in serial format (and my thanks to those of you who have subscribed – you’re awesome, every last one of ya!) there’s been interest in reading the entire series by those who haven’t yet done so. As you know, I released a compilation ebook containing all FIVE Lawson Vampire novels, plus the novella I wrote for Myspace.com in 2006 and two additional short stories. To feed the need, I’m making the collection available again for a LIMITED TIME ONLY. If you’d like to grab the collection, please do so now, because this will not last long at all! Here’s the info you need:
THE FIXER
THE INVOKER
THE DESTRUCTOR
THE SYNDICATE
THE COURIER (novella)
THE KENSEI
RED TIDE (short story)
THE PRICE OF A GOOD DRINK (short story)
All for just $9.99.
THE EBOOK IS NOW SHIPPING – YOU WILL GET AN EMAIL WITH THE EBOOK AS AN ATTACHMENT ONCE YOUR ORDER IS PROCESSED! Only two formats will be made available: .pdf and .prc (which works with Amazon Kindle) – be sure to specify when you place your order.
Chapter One I flew into Antananarivo at 9pm on Tuesday night after having bounced my way across half the world from where I’d been previously in Edmonton, Alberta. When I left, the cold weather of the Canadian winter saw me off in temperatures of twenty below. Landing, the pilot informed us that the current temperature [...]
Chapter One
I flew into Antananarivo at 9pm on Tuesday night after having bounced my way across half the world from where I’d been previously in Edmonton, Alberta. When I left, the cold weather of the Canadian winter saw me off in temperatures of twenty below. Landing, the pilot informed us that the current temperature in the capital city of Madagascar was a balmy eighty-five and humid.
I traveled light. It was a habit drilled into us back in the Academy. Less baggage means you can move quicker, skirt customs lines, and get out of the airport as fast as possible. My instructors always harped on the fact that airports were too confining. If shit went down, the last thing you wanted was a gun battle between you and your target amid a hundred security types all looking for an excuse to finally fire their issue sidearm.
My passport was French and the official who glanced at it and broke into a toothy grin. “Bon soir, M’sieur.”
I smiled back. “Bon soir.”
He glanced through the passport, but I didn’t worry. The Council wouldn’t dream of supplying their active Fixers with anything but a legitimate passport. Mine came right from the central passport office in Paris, crafted with care by a French vampire who then forwarded it on to the Council, knowing very little of who would be using it and why, only that for all intents and purposes of this assignment, my home residence was in St. Germain-des-Pres, which worked out well since the place was filled with jazz clubs and I was on a major Dexter Gordon kick anyway.
The customs official stamped my passport and handed it back to me. I smiled. “Merci.”
“De rien.”
I walked out of the airport and into the thick soup of humid night air. I took a breath and glanced around. Zero had mentioned there would be a contact by the taxi stand. I made my way over and watched a line of beat up Datsuns undulate like an inchworm as each segment scooped up a passenger and then disengaged from the rest of the line.
“You’re late.”
I knew the voice and couldn’t help the smile that broke out over my face. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Didn’t I tell you there’d be a contact?”
I nodded. Zero looked relaxed, his bald head gleamed in the glow of the yellow light bulbs overhead. “Yeah, but I thought you were in London.”
“I was. Now I’m here.” He led me away from the taxi line by my arm and we walked toward the parking lot. “We’ve got plenty to discuss.”
“Like why there are two of us on this op.”
Zero nodded. “This one goes back, my friend. Back a lot longer than anything in recent memory.”
“How far?”
Zero pointed up ahead at a Range Rover. Whenever you had to drive in a third world country, there was nothing better. “We can talk inside. Too many ears in these parts.”
I glanced around but couldn’t make out anything despite my excellent night vision. But I trusted Zero with my life and if he said there were listeners out there, that meant we stayed mum until it was safe to do otherwise.
Zero approached the Range Rover and reached up into the wheel well. His hand came out a moment later with the magnetic case. He took the key out, unlocked the door and slid inside, reaching over to unlock my door. The interior of the car was humid and hot. “How’d you wrangle this?”
He shrugged. “Council set it up. Had someone swing by earlier and park it here.”
“I’m already impressed with the level of involvement here. What the hell’s going on?”
Zero started the engine and turned on the radio. A nightly news program in Malagasy, one of the official languages in Madagascar, poured out of the speakers. “We ride into town tonight and first thing in the morning, we have our first meeting.”
“With who?”
Zero placed his hands on the steering wheel. “Guy who knows how to find the man we’re looking for.”
The way Zero’s forehead creased concerned me. I’d been on my own now for almost ten years. Zero’s sudden reappearance on a mission had me wondering what was going on.
He glanced over and grinned. “You haven’t screwed up, if that’s what you’re thinking, Lawson.”
“I’m not sure what to think.”
“Been a while since we last worked together, hasn’t it?”
“I thought I was through with the apprentice thing.”
He nodded. “You are. This has nothing to do with your proficiency at completing assignments. It has everything to do with the rather unorthodox nature of this assignment.”
We drove down the winding streets that led into the capital. A lot of the homes were still built out of wood that had been yanked out of the forests to the northwest of the city. At one time, the ruling class even had a palace built out of wood. It had been replaced with one made of brick and stone.
Zero kept the gas on and we sped down the narrow lanes. Around us, the squat buildings seemed to lean in. Lights flickered in windows. Electricity might be a rarity in some parts, it seemed.
“You ever heard of the Madagascar Plan?”
I glanced back at Zero. The crease in his forehead looked deeper now. He was deep in thought. “No.” I shrugged. “Should I have?”
“Not necessarily. It was before your centennial, anyway. I’d be surprised if you knew about it at all.”
“So, tell me.”
“When the Nazis came to power in the mid-1930s, one of their designs on the European Jews was to ship them all off to this island. Basically, they wanted them out of fortress Europe and somewhere far away. Madagascar was considered ideal for the purpose.”
“What-they would have simply imprisoned them here?”
Zero shrugged. “I think the full details of the plan involved some sort of mass extermination once the captives were here. But no one really knows because the plan never got much beyond being just that.”
“So, why are we here now? The second world war was a long time ago. Thirty-two years to be exact.”
Zero eyed me in the darkness. “We’re here because the person who formulated the Madagascar Plan was one of us.”
“A vampire?” I smirked. “You’re joking, of course. How in the hell would Hitler have allowed such a thing?”
“Don’t be naïve, Lawson. You’re too good for that. You know as well as I do that the Council has members of our race embedded in every powerful organization in the world.”
“Sure, but the Nazis?”
“They were another political party like all of the rest we’ve ever infiltrated. No one knew what their potential was until it was too late. And during that time, there weren’t as many active Fixers as there are now. It blew up before we could step in.”
“And our man on the inside? He was swayed?”
“He became a sympathizer to the maniacal plans of Hitler. We’ve always worked hard to coexist with other races. But who knows what happened? Could be the stress of working undercover too long. You know the risks. What can happen.”
“You forget who you are. Only what you’re trying to be.”
“The lies become the truth,” said Zero. “This guy became what he supposedly hated.”
“You say supposedly.”
“There’s some evidence now that he might have duped the Council.”
“He was in league with the Nazis the entire time?”
Zero nodded. “It’s possible. Some of our kind over the years haven’t always accepted the idea that we should be in the shadows. They claim the birthright that humans have always owned. That puts us in a delicate position.”
“And this guy-“
“Probably wanted nothing more than to see the Jews exterminated as a means of setting other genocides in motion.”
“Today the Jews, tomorrow the Chinese, and so on…”
“Sure. With all of that going on, who would ever assume that there was an unknown race working behind the scenes to position themselves?”
“That kind of plan would take a helluva long time.”
Zero smiled. “Well, we do have that benefit of a longer lifespan. He might well have been very patient.”
Zero rolled to a stop in front of a rundown hotel. “Home for the night.”
I looked at the four-story structure and winced. I’d been in a lot of crappy joints in my relatively short time in the field, but this was pretty awful. The balconies sagged and the wood supporting the structure looked like it was ready to cave in at any moment. “This place safe?”
Zero shrugged. “By safe, I assume you mean it will keep us protected in the event our presence here hasn’t gone unnoticed. You’re not commenting on the overall structural integrity.”
“Actually, that’s exactly what I’m asking.”
“Oh, well, in that case, no. It’s not safe at all.” He peered out of the windshield. “If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say a good rain will bring it down.” He grinned. “Lucky for us, rain’s not in the forecast.” He pulled the Range Rover around the backside of the building and parked it.
“One more thing.”
I looked at him as he reached under the driver’s seat and came up with a pair of pistols. He handed me one. The Browning 9mm felt heavier than I remembered, but I’d been using the Beretta lately. I popped the magazine out, checked the top round and then topped it off before sliding the magazine back into the pistol. Zero racked his slide and glanced at me.
“We’ve got access to other weapons if we need them.”
“Will we?”
Zero’s smile flashed in the darkness. “They don’t ask stallions to haul hayseed, Lawson.”
We slid out into the humid night and Zero led us inside.
I stopped him. “So wait – which one of us is the stallion?”
Zero shook his head and wandered inside. I stayed on the front stoop in the shadows a few minutes longer, watching for any traffic that might have coasted in after us. A good surveillance team would know how to approach without showing their hand.
But the night didn’t reveal anything. Only a few scattered souls loitered in this part of town. I could smell the desperation in the air, though, and that’s never a good thing. Desperate people are likely to try anything. I didn’t want any of them coming up on me while I tried to get some sleep.
“Lawson.”
I glanced up. Zero waved me inside. We walked past the front desk where the clerk had already gone back to reading a newspaper. The stairs leading up to the third floor might have been made out of toothpicks.
“Don’t say it,” said Zero as we crested another floor.
“Just happy we haven’t plummeted to our deaths yet.”
We stopped outside a door and Zero handed me a key. “You’re next door.”
“Usual wake up?”
“Yeah.”
I hefted my bag and nodded. “See you then.”
I entered and tossed my bag on the bed. The springs groaned as the bag landed. I checked the room quickly, noting that it was clear of anyone waiting to kill me. At least for now.
A small door led to the balcony overlooking the street and I opened the windows up as well. A breeze blew in and cooled the interior down, but it was still hot. The room felt like an oven and I wondered how Zero was faring. The heat never bothered him as much as it did me, but he hated the cold.
I checked the room for any listening devices, but truth be told, there weren’t a whole lot of place for them to hide. All the usual suspects – behind the mirror, the telephone, the pot of wilting flowers, the overhead light – were clean. It didn’t mean the place was secure, but if there were any electronic bugs, I couldn’t find them.
The shower water ran brown for a bout five minutes before finally turning clear. I got a lukewarm temperature, stripped down and stepped inside. I’m not big on long showers – too much time in a compromising position – so I lathered up and got out, wrapping a towel around me while I dug some fresh clothes out of my bag.
Dressed again, I sat down on the edge of the bed and fished the hairbrush out of my kit. The handle unscrewed and a test tube filled with blood slid out into my hand. I frowned, popped the lid off and downed the contents before I could really taste any of it.
Weird, huh? A vampire who can’t even stand the taste of blood. Well, that’s me. I didn’t ask to be born into this race of living bloodsuckers and given my preference, I’d much rather have been part of the sect of humanity my kind branched off from. The food’s a helluva lot better.
I don’t even call it blood. To me, it’s a lot easier to drink if I call it “juice.” Hey, at least I’m honest about my personal hang-ups.
Revitalized as I was, the journey had me thinking about sleep, especially since Zero had promised one of his famous early-morning wake-up calls. To Zero, four in the morning was a good time to wake up. I much prefer sleeping in when I can. Lately, that hadn’t been often.
I slid the Browning under the pillow and then laid on the bed. I leaned back and found the pillow, despite its threadbare appearance, actually cradled my head nicely. A soft breeze blew in from outside and I let my eyes close, breathing in time to my slowing heartbeat…the rhythm of the heat…
…it invaded my dreams that night. Far off on a high plain where the tall grass whipped to and fro stood a man silhouetted by a blistering sun. I could hear the sound of tribal drums far off. The sun bit into my eyes, making me squint. I tasted the salt of my own sweat, my tongue felt thick and mossy. I craved water. Shade. A cool breeze. The man danced in time to the grass whipping around him. Clouds of dust caked the air. I struggled to breathe. And I could see he held something in his hands. With a sudden thrust, he seemed to stab it right at my heart-
-click.
Some sounds have the power to jerk you right out of a deep sleep. Especially when you’ve been trained to instantly categorize them and realize exactly what they meant.
I snapped my eyes open.
The sun from my dreams was replaced by a brilliant white flashlight burning into my face. But the light didn’t bother me.
The Colt 1911 that had been outfitted with a custom sound suppressor pointing right at my chest with its hammer drawn back, ready to fire bothered me a whole lot more.
Make sure you sign up now for the rest of the adventure! Chapter 2 ships next week, but the only way to keep reading is to subscribe using the form below!
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A full year of Lawson Vampire goodness? Yeah, you know you want it! Sign up right now and spend an entire year with everyone’s favorite Fixer!
I hope you all had a truly wonderful holiday – mine was very nice indeed. It was an official “white” Christmas around here with several inches of the flaky stuff sitting on the ground to add to the festive mood. With the lights on at night, things looked quite nice. Christmas Eve was spent in [...]
I hope you all had a truly wonderful holiday – mine was very nice indeed. It was an official “white” Christmas around here with several inches of the flaky stuff sitting on the ground to add to the festive mood. With the lights on at night, things looked quite nice. Christmas Eve was spent in Lowell at my sister’s house for the traditional Italian feast. This year it was gnocchi and homemade meatballs with the family’s secret sauce recipe. Great stuff. The smell of homemade pasta and sauce is one I never get tired of, since growing up it was omnipresent at my grandmother’s house whenever we would visit. Christmas Day, the family and I flew to Zurich and then drove to our chalet in the Swiss Alps where we overindulged in goose and lots of other goodies. You can see the pictures over on my Facebook Page.
Actually we weren’t in Switzerland; we were in Marshfield, but my sister-in-law’s house looks like a chalet and the backdrop really added to the vibe, lol…
We did have a very nice time, however, and I got to spent more time with my god-daughter Kiley, who is pretty much the most preciously adorable bundle of joy on the planet.
2009 is winding down now, and in its wake the remnants of an up-and-down year disappear slowly under the waves. I don’t ever spend much time looking back and wishing that certain things were different. To me, that’s a bit of a waste of time. I prefer to focus ahead at the prow cutting through the waves, figure out what it is that I want to accomplish in the new year and then steer the ship so that I meet the challenges head-on. I don’t usually indulge in any “best of” lists or spend time thinking of the “top ten things I wish my genitalia had done in 2009″ because I’m too busy looking toward the future I want to create and figuring out how to implement steps necessary NOW to make it happen. So I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t digress and waste your time with yet another list.
So what IS on the horizon for 2010? Lots, baby. Lots.
January kicks off with a bang. The Madagascar Matter, a new serialized Lawson Vampire adventure, debuts in the first week of the new year and delivers a chapter each week over the course of 2010. It’s by subscription only, however, which means you’ll have to sign up in order to travel back in time with Lawson and his former mentor Zero to the early 1980s in Africa. You can do so by clicking the order form below:
Otherwise, there will be much more Lawson Vampire news. THE FIXER is coming, of course, and with it, a lot of other Lawson goodness. HELLstalkers is also finally getting ready to launch, so Joe Nassise and I will have mucho news on that front as well. As usual, I’m extremely optimistic about the coming twelve months. Life is exciting, unpredictable, and glorious. I hope you all take the time to revel in the fact that we’re all hurtling through the universe together and that each of us has the power to make our own lives an example of goodness, generosity, compassion, and bold action. The world has too many lazy, cheap, selfish, negative “people” only out for themselves, forsaking family and stranger alike as they trundle through life never truly experiencing joy, only the illusion of supposed personal gain acquired at the expense of those who used to love them.
Don’t be like that.
Take this time to reflect and imagine how you can turn 2010 into a year of adventure, action, and unbridled enthusiasm for everything that life has to offer. Banish complacency and laziness from your world.
In 2006, I was the first professional author to partner with Myspace.com and write a serialized fiction piece for them over the course of one month. THE COURIER found thousands of readers and new fans for Lawson. Now, I’m extending the excitement from one month to one year! I’ve spoken about this exciting tale for [...]
In 2006, I was the first professional author to partner with Myspace.com and write a serialized fiction piece for them over the course of one month. THE COURIER found thousands of readers and new fans for Lawson. Now, I’m extending the excitement from one month to one year! I’ve spoken about this exciting tale for some time now, and here at last is your chance to get THE MADAGASCAR MATTER, a brand new serialized Lawson Vampire adventure!
A nefarious plan for genocide.
An enemy every bit his equal.
An outcome he could never imagine.
In the dense jungles and high savannahs of the island nation of Madagascar, Lawson and his former mentor Zero must track down a rogue Fixer intent on unleashing a plot that will forever upset the Balance itself between humans and vampires. Amid the sweltering heat and humidity, Lawson and Zero must contend with lethal predators, betrayal, and a sinister evil thought dead for over three decades.
Journey back to the early 1980s with Lawson, on a mission that helped establish his reputation as the ultimate Fixer operative.
The adventure starts in January 2010 – one chapter each week throughout the year – one amazing event. Exclusively from Jon F. Merz, delivered direct to your email, Kindle, or smart phone.
Secure your copy now by ordering below – the adventure begins in a few short weeks!
Been a while since I last posted anything hereabouts, so let’s catch up, shall we? And just to go easy on my somewhat addled brain, we’ll work backward… 1. I had a nice rendezvous with the H1N1 flu and we battled mightily. It came in hard and took me down for about 48 hours before [...]
Been a while since I last posted anything hereabouts, so let’s catch up, shall we? And just to go easy on my somewhat addled brain, we’ll work backward…
1. I had a nice rendezvous with the H1N1 flu and we battled mightily. It came in hard and took me down for about 48 hours before I was able to mount a counter-offensive that has lasted ever since. Nasty wanker of a virus, this thing. Not to be trifled with. Finally got back into some push-ups today and then spent the afternoon raking leaves. Felt good to be active again after two weeks of pretty much doing diddly-squat.
2. HELLstalkers has gotten some nice media mentions of late. While Vodafone will shepherd the launch across most of Europe, Verizon customers will be able to enjoy the adventures in the US & UK (Vodafone owns Verizon, so that works out pretty nicely.) Additionally, both networks are planning a nice bit of publicity and supposedly, co-author Joe Nassise and I will enjoy some exposure to approximately 250-350 million cell phone customers. Pretty nice, indeed.
3. Along those lines, I’ve signed a similar deal with Blackbetty to release Parallax and Vicarious for cell phone users as well. The deal and parameters are the same as the deal for HELLstalkers and you’ll be able to find both books (y’know, in case you haven’t read ‘em yet >gasp!<) on both the Vodafone and Verizon networks.
4. Been working the ol' buttocks off on THE FIXER. We'd initially been slated to shoot the pilot starting November 1st, but due to some legal issues, we've pushed the production back to January 2010 now. No worries – we're still on-track for a 2010 debut of the series. And it's going to be incredible. The principals that have been lined up are stellar – all of them perfectly suited to the roles they'll play. It's incredible to see actual talented professionals playing the characters that I created on the printed page starting to come to life. Can't wait to get them all in front of the camera.
5. We're working right now on bringing out a brand new trailer for the series. This will be the first of several that we release to help build buzz and anticipation for the series. It was shot on our glorious new cameras (3 of 'em) in full 1080p high definition. The footage is absolutely amazing. The days of bloated production budgets and enormous crews may be coming to an end. The equipment and technology have gotten to the point where a tight group of visionaries can get everything done. We expect to release the first trailer next week sometime, the post production crew is tweaking things right now.
6. Speaking of which, if you haven't been over to the Facebook Fan Page for THE FIXER, then you’ve missed a glimpse of the new logo for the show. Or you could just head over to THE FIXER website and see it there. And yes, the website is currently being re-designed. The new design is breathtaking. Just wait…
7. I turned 40 on October 24th and got an iPhone, which is the monkey’s balls as far as I am concerned. How the hell did I function without this thing for so long?
I’m probably forgetting a few other things, but that will do for now. Anyway, I’m stoked to be almost 100% healthy again. Time to get back to training!
So about a month ago, I got an email from a guy saying that he’d just come across PARALLAX on Amazon, loved the concept, and wanted to know if the film rights were available. Now I get these types of emails a few times a year; Hollywood and I have flirted a lot over the [...]
So about a month ago, I got an email from a guy saying that he’d just come across PARALLAX on Amazon, loved the concept, and wanted to know if the film rights were available. Now I get these types of emails a few times a year; Hollywood and I have flirted a lot over the years, but no one’s ever scored a home run. As a result, I was a bit cynical – especially since someone else had written within the hour to ask the same thing. But I wrote back and we started a dialogue. The guy was going on a cruise and intended to read the book while he was. I prepared to wait.
About a week later, I got an email from Mexico from this same guy saying, “It’s good, Jon. Real good.” He went on to say he wanted to pretty much reach everything I’d written, did I have any scripts I could send him, that sort of thing. He also sent along a bio sheet about himself and the company he helped found in Los Angeles. Being the sometimes cynic that I am, I was still finding this all a bit much, but what the hell, it could turn out to be something…
I sent him 30 pages of a script I’ve been tinkering with over the years. It’s not finished by any means, and to be completely honest, it sort of meanders, because I didn’t really have a clear grasp on the story itself. But it’s fun and I like it.
This past Monday, I get a phone call. It’s him.
Without going into too many details, it is exactly the type of phone call a lot of writers dream of getting. And for someone like me, with all sorts of ambitions beyond writing books, it was rather an amazing conversation. Last night, we spoke again – this time he was in Las Vegas where he lives part time due to the fact that he produces one of the most successful shows out there – and finalized things.
I am very happy to announce that I now have myself a manager. Christopher Pratt of Elements Entertainment will be handling my Hollywood career. Christopher and Elements are a young, aggressive talent management agency and I couldn’t be happier. First up is for me to send over an overview of what I’m working on, what I’ve already done, and what I’d like to do. I have a conference call next week with Christopher and another partner as we lay out a game plan for how they’re going to “introduce” me to Hollywood. This not going to be like what happens with 99.99% of authors who get their stuff optioned and then their work lingers in development Hell for years (no offense to those authors, it’s just that I don’t want to earn a few measly grand every so often from options.) Christopher and Elements have a plan and I’m damned excited about the future.
Apparently, I’ll also probably have more “staff” in the near future – including a Hollywood agent and an entertainment attorney to navigate the vast complexity of film & TV contracts (been needing one of those anyway re: THE FIXER). So things are getting interesting, to say the very least. I’m going to be getting a fantastic education and I can’t wait.
Work on THE FIXER TV series continues as we process resumes from cast & crew applicants. We’ve received a lot of them and will be working with a local casting director as well. More details when I have them. Suffice it to say, the pilot shoot is going to be great and we’re looking to [...]
Work on THE FIXER TV series continues as we process resumes from cast & crew applicants. We’ve received a lot of them and will be working with a local casting director as well. More details when I have them. Suffice it to say, the pilot shoot is going to be great and we’re looking to have a start date in late-September if all goes accordingly. I have a conference call with the local SAG/AFTRA office this week so we can determine whether it will be better for the project to be a SAG signatory or an AFTRA one. Should be interesting and educational. Also, THE FIXER fan page at Facebook is almost at 700 fans, which isn’t bad for being open less than a week. We need many, many more fans, though, so if you’ve already invited all of your Facebook friends to become fans, thank you. if not, please do so. And don’t forget to interact with us out there. Ask us questions in the discussion area. Tell us what you like. We love it!
I’ve been hinting a lot at a “big” thing and it is pretty much a done deal. I’ll be co-authoring a new series that I think you’ll all get a huge kick out of. My co-author is a great friend of mine and we watch out for each other in “the biz.” The spectacular things about this deal are the particulars, which I can’t discuss just yet (unfortunately!) as our agent works with the publisher to get some last minute things cleared up. But trust me: you’ll be hearing a lot about this deal because it’s quite…innovative, let’s put it that way. As for what the series is about, let’s just say that it will contain elements of what I already write, so if you’re a fan of my work, you won’t be disappointed.
Received a great phone call from Hollywood last night. I may have mentioned that in the past month there’s been a lot of interest in Parallax for film rights, etc. As so often happens with these things, a lot of it fizzles out. But every once in a while, you get the kind of phone call you really hope to get – something that will help propel your career forward in potential leaps and bounds. Last night’s call was just that. I won’t reveal details on that, either. But should be able to let something loose by the end of the week, perhaps. If everything works out the way it should, you’ll be seeing a lot more of my work coming out of Hollywood. So please keep your fingers crossed.
I’m extremely pleased with this apparent convergence of spectacular energy. I don’t often talk about how I reach my goals, because I don’t feel it’s my place to tell someone else how they should be living their life. Living mine is tough enough, why on earth would I imagine I could advise someone else how to do it? (When you think about it, most of the people who do spend their time making judgments about others, do so because they are probably deeply unhappy with the state of their own existence and simply find it easier to cast dispersions rather than try to dig up the courage to change their own lives.) But I am a big believer in visualization and projecting positive intent.
Many of you know that I study Ninjutsu, and that ninja of legend were supposed to be able to bend the universe to their will using a combination of finger-weaving, thought projection, and a specific series of syllables intoned properly. This system of study is known as “Kuji Kiri” and involves a great deal of work. It’s not something I would ever claim mastery of, either, because at it’s core and in order to actually “work,” the person doing it needs to first understand themselves and their motivations with crystal clarity. But you don’t need to study ninjutsu to use visualization. All you need is the courage to have complete understanding of yourself and who you are. You have to be able to look into the mirror and see the reflection for what it is: a representation of you. If you stand there gazing at the mirror and start making excuses, then excuses are all you will ever have. The ability to see yourself for who you are means embracing the positive aspects of your personality with the faults you have as well. You are the sum total of your parts, not just the shiny surface you hope everyone else sees.
Once you’ve grown somewhat comfortable with this process (because, frankly, it is not a comfortable feeling looking deep inside and examining all of your faults to try to figure out how to move past them) then the method of visualization becomes much easier. You understand why you may desire things, what your motivations are and what their underlying foundations are. With this understanding of yourself, you can project the future you want to happen.
This doesn’t mean you have to sit in a lotus position and ohm your way into tomorrow. It simply mans being able to see in your mind’s eye the future thing you want to have happen. By virtue of being able to clear out the clutter that often disguises our true self, the image you conjure in your head will be that much richer in detail and vitality. Then it’s merely a matter of repeating the visualization hundred or thousands or tens of thousands of times until the universe catches up. I’m fond of saying that the universe doesn’t keep the same timetable that I do and our schedules are often out of whack. But eventually we synchronize and when that happens – pow!
This is an example of positive intent being projected out into the universe, which is always a great thing. And we all know that the opposite is also true. There are people in this world who spend their time projecting hatred and negativity out into the universe as well. And the universe, being what it is, brings that energy into existence just as it does the positive. Interestingly enough, projecting negative energy takes far less work than projecting positive. As a result, we tend to see far more negative realizations than we do positive one. The reason? Discipline.
Remember your biology class when you talked about chaos? I’m paraphrasing but at its essence, chaos simply means that any “system” left on its own will revert to that which requires the least amount of energy to maintain. Being a positive force for good in the universe takes a lot more work than being a negative person. Negative people are often masters of projecting their energy because they do it so often. Some of them wander around grumbling all the time. Others attempt to use subtle snide commentary to conceal their venom. Still others play passive-aggressive and others still are pure hatred.
Positivity means being able to confront our negative aspects – what we might call our faults – and accept the fact that they exist. We work to become better people through effort and positive intent. Just taking the time to do that can be enormous. Add to it the future we want to create for ourselves and our loved ones and you can see why positivity requires a helluva lot more work than negativity does.
“Great, Jon, thanks for the mumbo-jumbo talk – what’s your point?”
My point is this: this thing called Life happens (as far as I can tell) but once. My father died when he was 48 years old. I turn 40 in October. So I know what I want to accomplish just in case my card gets punched at the same age. That means the future I have is a direct result of the work I do now. And when things come to pass, do I want to look back and say, “Well, I played it safe but I wonder what would have happened if…?”
Nope.
I want to look back on my life and say, “Holy shit, that was awesome! I dared greatly, failed often, experienced everything I could, and succeeded when it mattered most.”
I hope those of you reading this embrace the same positivity that I try to every day. I won’t lie and say it’s easy. And you should be able to take a day or two off every once in a while, if for no other reason than to better understand what negativity is like. But don’t stay there. If you’ve got dreams, make them a reality. If someone else doesn’t approve of your life, or how you’re living it, don’t waste your time with them. More often than not, those people are living in a personal Hell they’ll probably never escape.
There are great things out there that you should be experiencing.
So, I’ve been getting a lot of email lately regarding when the Lawson Vampire books will be re-released. The simple answer is: I’m not yet sure. We’re looking for a new house, and these things take time. Some of you have expressed a strong desire (“blood lust” might be a better term) for wanting to [...]
So, I’ve been getting a lot of email lately regarding when the Lawson Vampire books will be re-released. The simple answer is: I’m not yet sure. We’re looking for a new house, and these things take time. Some of you have expressed a strong desire (“blood lust” might be a better term) for wanting to read all the Lawson books RIGHT NOW.
Well, I have heard your pleas, and I respond.
Announcing – and ONLY for a VERY limited time – your chance to read everything Lawson Vampire that I’ve written – TO DATE (meaning there’s still a lot more to come) in a very special ebook compilation, THE FIXER FILES. This is NOT going to be available anywhere, except through me directly. This very special compilation includes:
THE FIXER
THE INVOKER
THE DESTRUCTOR
THE SYNDICATE
THE COURIER (novella)
THE KENSEI
RED TIDE (short story)
THE PRICE OF A GOOD DRINK (short story)
All for just $9.99.
The ONLY way to get this package is to pre-order NOW, direct through me, by clicking the BUY NOW button below. Only two formats will be made available: .pdf and .mobi – be sure to specify when you place your order.
This offer vanishes very soon. I don’t want to sell a ton of these because the books will be coming back out sooner than later. But for those who have been clamoring for all of this, this is your chance to get it and enjoy the coolest vampire around, my man Lawson. 5 novels, a novella, and 2 short stories. Pretty cool.
