Category vampires | JON F. MERZ • Official • Author / Actor / Producer

February 8, 2010 by Jon F. Merz

What's Coming Up This Week…

I’ve been toying with this idea for a while and finally decided to just go for it, especially in the wake of my new publishing deal. Look for something coming at you in the next few days. And no, I’m not telling just yet, heh heh…stay tuned!

Reminders…

THE FIXER graphic novel is coming out in October of this year. Cost is $15.95 for the trade paperback plus $4.00 shipping to anywhere in the world. Be sure to get your order in now so we can determine how many copies we’ll be printing.
If you’d like to be entered into the drawing to win an autographed cover art flat from the 5th Lawson novel, make sure you send an email to I Want To Win a Jon F. Merz Cover Flat for your chance to win!

February 5, 2010 by Jon F. Merz

NYC Debrief

I was awake at 4:30am yesterday morning for a quick trip to New York City to meet with my agent and my new editor over at St. Martin’s Press. I caught the 7:30 Bolt Bus out of South Station and arrived at about 11:30. Joe, my agent, met me at the bus stop and we proceeded to catch the train to Union Square and then walk over to where we were due to meet my new editor from St. Martin’s Press, Daniela. We hit Sushi Samba on Park Avenue South and had a fantastic lunch getting to know Daniela and her goals for the book and beyond. I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with her and I think she’s fantastic, so there is definitely good stuff ahead.

Now, obviously, I can’t reveal everything we talked about yesterday, but there’s a lot of very cool things afoot. You’re definitely going to want to stay tuned!

After Joe and I said said good-bye to Daniela, we headed out for a late afternoon hot chocolate (which was more like chocolate soup than what I’m jused to, but amazingly rich and good) and then I was back on the 4pm bus home. A whirlwind trip, but oh-so-worth it.

Which brings me to my first “fun thing” to announce: the 5th Lawson Vampire book will NOT be a mass market paperback, but will be released as a trade paperback. This is very much a step up the ladder, so I’m thrilled. We’ll be brainstorming cover art very soon, and I want some of you loyal fans to be able to get a signed cover flat from me. I don’t know how many extra cover flats St. Martin’s does for their authors, but Daniela is checking into it. So I don’t know if everyone who wants one will be able to get one. It’s vital, therefore, that you get your name in as soon as possible to be considered for one. With that said: send an email to I Want To Win A Jon F. Merz Cover Flat with your Name, email address, AND snail mail address (so I can actually send it to you). The packaging on this book is going to be spectacular, and these will no doubt be collector’s items, so get your name & info to me ASAP!

This is going to be a very fun journey and I’m thrilled you’ll all be coming along with me!

in how I write / lawson / novels / publishing / THE FIXER TV series / vampires / writing 1 comments

February 3, 2010 by Jon F. Merz

THE MADAGASCAR MATTER – Chapter Five

If you missed Chapter One, you can read it here right now! Chapter Two snippet here! Chapter Three snippet here! Chapter Four snippet here!

Chapter Five

I froze and prayed that Zero would do the same. If he was just regaining
consciousness, he might not know where he was. And having a massive tree trunk laying
on top of him probably wouldn’t do much for his composure.

But if he made noise, I was certain we’d be discovered and our lives would go
from really bad to craptastic.

I hadn’t noticed the third bad guy until he spoke. That wasn’t a good move on my
part. I’d have to assume there were always more enemy than I could se or hear. It was a
rookie mistake and I’d committed it.

But I couldn’t dwell on it just then. I had to make sure I made it out of there
alive. I’d have plenty of time to berate myself later over a nice drink.

“I’m sure I heard something over here.”

Number three sounded like he was the most switched on of the bunch. That
concerned me. A lot.

I watched the boots he wore come toward the log and then stop. He bent down
and ran his hand through the leaf litter as if studying the ground in some way.

“What the hell are you doing, man? It’s hot out here. The sooner we get this
done the sooner we can get back to town.”

Number two chimed in. “He wants to impress Joobah with his attentiveness and
skill in the hunt. Pretty soon he will replace us all and only trust his most important tasks
to this one. We will be replaced.”

Number three wasn’t having it. “You are both lazy. Joobah knows this. He will
punish you when he sees fit. In the meantime, I will be alert for any signs of our enemy.”

Swell. I was still breathing very shallow, trying to make sure I made absolutely
no noise. For his part, Zero seemed motionless again. I had no way of knowing if he’d
become fully conscious or if he was just shifting wile still out cold. And I wouldn’t be
able to check him out until the three idiots got their crap in gear and left us alone.

Number one seemed upset with number three. “Young boys always think they
know how the world works. They think they always know better. But the truth is they
know very little and must be taught manners.”

Number three laughed. “And who will teach me, you? You can hardly walk
without taking a break every five minutes.”

“I may need a break, but there is still plenty of fight left in this old body.”

“Is there?”

I heard the knife sliding out of its sheath a second before the area around the log
exploded into a melee…

Get the rest of Chapter 5 RIGHT NOW – sign up below!

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in ebooks / graphic novels / lawson / ninjutsu / novels / short stories / THE FIXER TV series / Uncategorized / vampires / writing 0 comments

January 28, 2010 by Jon F. Merz

Jon's New Publishing Home

Official announcements will go out next week, but in the meantime (since I’m chomping at the bit to release this news)…

I have signed a great deal with St. Martin’s Press to release THE KENSEI (book 5 of the Lawson Vampire series) in the Spring of 2011 (exact date to be forthcoming). The deal was spearheaded by my amazing agent Joe Monti at Barry Goldblatt Literary with editor extraordinaire Daniela Rapp. Plans are underway for a LOT of great stuff for the series as a whole and I’m off to New York City next week for lunch and meetings with my agent and new editor. Right now, THE KENSEI is slated for a trade paperback release, although this may change if there’s enough buzz and interest in the series (so tell everyone you know to clamor for more!)

Needless to say, this is probably the most excited I have been in years. I have a team (at last) that believes in Lawson as much as I do and it’s extremely gratifying to moving ahead after so many years slogging away.

This is the start of a whole host of awesomeness coming in 2010. So strap in, double-check your gear, and get ready for one helluva trip!

By the way, don’t forget to sign up for the on-going Lawson Vampire e-serial THE MADAGASCAR MATTER by clicking the order form below:

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Also, you can now pre-order the Lawson Vampire graphic novel coming in October 2010, so grab that as well!

in ebooks / general / how I write / novels / publishing / THE FIXER TV series / vampires / writing 7 comments

January 25, 2010 by Jon F. Merz

Lifetime Subscription Opportunity

So here’s a crazy little idea I’ve been sitting on for a while. I know of one other author who has done this and he seemed to have a good time with it, so I thought I’d offer it as well. So here’s the poop: I’m offering my readers 25 lifetime subscriptions. For a one-time fee of $500, you will receive 1 (one) copy of each and every mass market paperback, trade paperback, trade hardcover, cover flat, comic book or graphic novel that I publish – under my own name or any pseudonym – beginning with March’s publication of ROGUE ANGEL: Sacred Ground and continuing until the time I die or you die (whichever happens first). Copies will come flat-signed or personalized to you (whichever you prefer). Shipping costs are covered in the one-time fee.

This offer DOES NOT include limited edition hardcovers, lettered editions, foreign editions, DVDs, audio-books or other miscellany. It is applicable only to US trade editions.

There are no international restrictions. Offer is open to anyone.

These lifetime subscriptions are limited to 25 people only, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment must be rendered in full for the agreement to apply. In the interest of fairness to all, payment installments cannot be accepted. I have no way of knowing if this will work, but I like the idea and thought it would be good to see if anyone else thinks it is also. Only 25 lifetime subscriptions to my work from now until the time I shuffle off this mortal coil. You can use the Paypal button below to order or if you’d prefer to send a money order, email me at jonfmerz AT verizon DOT net and I’ll pass along mailing instructions.

Update: Here are a partial list of just some of the books that will be coming out over the next year…

THE FIXER: My Soul to Keep (working title) – Graphic Novel
THE KENSEI: Book 5 of the Lawson Vampire Series – Trade Paperback
ROGUE ANGEL: Sacred Ground – Mass Market Paperback
THE FIXER: Book 1 of the Lawson Vampire Series – Trade Paperback
THE INVOKER: Book 2 of the Lawson Vampire Series – Trade Paperback
THE DESTRUCTOR: Book 3 of the Lawson Vampire Series – Trade Paperback
THE SYNDICATE: Book 4 of the Lawson Vampire Series – Trade Paperback
ROGUE ANGEL: Megaladon – Mass Market Paperback
ROGUE ANGEL: Shangri-La – Mass Market Paperback
THE MADAGASCAR MATTER: A Lawson Vampire E-Serial
MISSION: MALTA: A Lawson Vampire Mini-Mission Collection

Beyond that, there are a several other series due out, as well as more story collections and a variety of other cool stuff. Don’t wait – we’re already selling subscriptions and once the 25 are gone, I may not offer this again!

in comics / ebooks / film/TV / graphic novels / Hollywood / how I write / lawson / novels / short stories / THE FIXER TV series / vampires / writing 4 comments