Reminder…

It’s always a good idea to remind readers that they can order or get a lot of my stuff still at various venues (my website is actually being moved to a new platform & once it’s done this will all be streamlined much better than this, but for now…)

Let’s start with the Lawson Vampire stuff:

THE FIXER graphic novel debuts in October, but it’s very VERY important to get pre-orders in now. Use the button below to order it: Cost for this gorgeous trade paperback is $15.95 + $4.00 shipping anywhere in the world. Estimated publication date is October 2010.





THE MADAGASCAR MATTER is an on-going e-serial spanning all of 2010 (although this week we went on hiatus because I’m haulin’ butt to finish the first draft of a new novel) $7.95 for the entire year, delivered each week to your email. Order below:

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Amazon Stuff

PARALLAX – my first psychic thriller which has consistently garnered amazing reviews. Click here to buy it for the Kindle!

VICARIOUS – supernatural thriller that people love. Click here to buy it for the Kindle!

Prisoner 392 – my short story originally featured in FROM THE BORDERLANDS. You’ll love it. CLick here to buy it for the Kindle

The Brank of Khosadam – another old-timey short guaranteed to thrill. Click here to buy it for the Kindle

You can also order any of the above as an ebook if you don’t have a Kindle. Drop me a line by emailing jonfmerz AT verizon DOT net and I’ll be happy to tell you how to order.

So, go on and have some fun this weekend – grab some of my stuff! 🙂

Don't Sacrifice Safety For Convenience

I just returned from dropping my son off at preschool. Today is much like yesterday in that the weather is abysmal. Rain is coming down in sheets; it’s cold; windy. In short, not a nice morning to be out if you don’t have to be.

I happen to live in a town where everyone feels safe. We have a very, very low crime rate. In fact, most of the time the police stay busy by doing community events or responding to medical emergencies. And because the town I live in is one of the more affluent in the area, the population here feels as though crime is something that happens everywhere else except for here. If you scooped up everyone who has that mentality of, “well that sucks, but something like that will never happen to me” and dropped them somewhere, you’d probably have my town. Minus the one dude whose family has a much more real-world pragmatism about personal safety, ha ha…

I’ve tweeted about the encounters I’ve had before with mothers who think nothing of leaving their kids alone in the car (sometimes with the engine running) while they drop another child off. In all of these instances, I’ve spoken to them about how careless that type of behavior is. Within a mile radius of the elementary school, there is both a Level 2 and a Level 3 sex offender living. This comes as a wake-up call to some of the mothers I’ve spoken to. To others, they simply bury their head even deeper in the sand and scream “nyah nyah nyah” as their way of dealing with the reality that Yes, Virginia, even a wealthy town has sex offenders.

This morning, one of the mothers that I’ve come to know and like over the past few years came rushing in and then said to the child she was dropping off, “I’ve got to go now, honey. Meghan and Ken are still in the car.” Meghan is this woman’s brand-new newborn baby girl. Ken is a few years older. I groaned inside because here again was yet another person who has forsaken the safety of her children for the convenience of not having to drag them all inside with her. What made it even worse is the fact that she acknowledged that she was a bad mother for doing such a thing to another mother. But then she started a new conversation with that mother and promptly forgot all about her urgent need to return to the car.

Here’s the thing: I understand that it’s a pain in the ass to drag three kids out of a car and hustle them inside, especially on a crappy day like today. I get it. You’re just going to be a few minutes. You don’t want to deal with the hassle of it. “I’m just going to have to put them all back in their car seats again.” Or “I don’t want to expose them to the rain.” These are all the excuses I’ve heard before and then some.

But you know what? It takes literally seconds for someone to come into the parking lot (which isn’t large at all) cruise around, see a target of opportunity, and nab that child and then be gone.

SECONDS.

I’ve known plenty of people who have willfully chosen to remain ignorant of their personal safety over the years. Trying to explain to nouveau riche mutual fund managers that a threat against them is, in fact, serious and no, his protection escorts will not be carrying his luggage is an experience in and of itself. And my attitude toward people like this and others (say, those who go jogging at 3 o’clock in the morning through a shadowy urban area with their iPod headphones blasting) is one of acceptance. If they want to be that stupid, then so be it. More oxygen for me and my loved ones.

But when it comes to children -little children, especially – I have no such acceptance or tolerance. It’s fine to forsake your own safety, but kids have nowhere else to turn to. They look to their parents as their source of safety, not knowing how to protect themselves. And a parent’s first priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of their children. It is NOT to see how easy they can make their own lives.

I’m the first one to admit that parenting and convenience do not go hand-in-hand. But that’s the deal you strike with the universe when you make the conscious decision to bring another human being into this world. You are saying, “yes, I know this isn’t going to be easy, but the joy of raising a new soul is worth whatever challenges and heartache I might face. I want this.” If you’re not comfortable with giving up your streamlined schedule, your 3 martini lunch, or your two o’clock massage with Diego then DON’T BECOME A PARENT.

If there’s one thing that my background has taught me it’s that bad things can happen ANYWHERE. It doesn’t matter how rich your town is or how gosh-darn-comfy-safe you feel in your McMansion – all it takes is for you to open yourself up and give the wrong person the opportunity they need and everything changes in a heartbeat. And suddenly, all those martinis, tennis lessons, and massages don’t mean shit. Because you just fucked up and now you’ve got to live with the consequences of that stupid decision.

Don’t force your children to deal with the consequences of your stupidity.

Don’t sacrifice safety for convenience.

A Storm Rose In The East…

I’m very pleased to announce the first chapbook in what I hope is a fun series – NINJA (yeah, not exactly a big surprise given the martial art I study, lol) from UK publisher Ghostwriter Publications. This is going to be a crazy fun series, mixing authentic ninjutsu with swords & sorcery like you’d find in the works of Robert E. Howard (if you like his Conan The Barbarian and Solomon Kane adventures, you’ll love this) with an Eastern flair.

Ran, the hero, is a recent graduate of the Komugakure-ryu Ninjutsu training school hidden deep in the fog-enshrouded mountains of a land to the Far East. As a newly-minted genin field operative, he must travel the wilds of the world and test his skills against the harsh realities of life. Encountering a wide variety of races, cultures, and bizarre creatures, Ran will pursue perfection of his mind, body, and spirit while battling evil in every form.

This chapbook series will hopefully lead to larger works, so early interest is obviously very important. News on the publication date will be released soon. Retail price is 1.99 GBP or about $3.07 US – you can’t beat the price for a high-quality chapbook filled with a extraordinary amount of fun. I hope you’ll come along and keep Ran company on his many wild journeys!

First Look: THE FIXER Graphic Novel (Cover)

I’m very happy to release this preliminary sketch of THE FIXER graphic novel cover. It’s going to be an amazing cover, painted by artist Brian McCulloch. Interior art glimpses coming soon. Remember, this may well be your only chance to own this incredible book, so please get your orders in now by using the convenient button below. Cost for this gorgeous trade paperback is $15.95 + $4.00 shipping anywhere in the world. Estimated publication date is October 2010.





Recent Events Round-Up…

So, to recap for the new folks following me on Twitter and Facebook:

1. I have a new deal with St. Martin’s Press for the Lawson Vampire series. Book 5 comes out in Spring 2011 and I’m thrilled to be with a major publisher and awesome editor.
2. A special 3-chapbook series of Lawson missions called DARK OPS will see print in April 2010 from UK publisher Ghostwriter Publications. Pre-orders should be up soon.
3. A Lawson graphic novel is coming in October. Cover art and interiors are being sketched right now. Details when I have ’em…
4. The Lawson e-serial THE MADAGASCAR MATTER is on-going. If you haven’t subscribed yet, use the form below to get in on the fun:

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5. BOSTON NOCTURNE has been redesigned as a 10-page monthly magazine featuring free fiction, non-fiction, reviews, etc. but you need to subscribe by Emailing Me to get your copies.
6. THE FIXER TV series is moving ahead, albeit slowly. More news on the next release date of teaser #2 as soon as I have it.
7. More ROGUE ANGEL novels written by me will be coming out over the next few years.
8. My website is being redesigned again and will debut fairly soon.
9. The first installment from HELLtalkers (co-written with Joe Nassise) is available by going HERE!.
10. Be sure to check out my PublishersMarketplace Page for some exclusive video clips.

Thanks for catching up with me!