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Thursday, July 10, 2014

Sequels



One of my novel MONSTER’s fans chimed in on the Amazon discussion board a fan started. It is a terrific compliment I am very appreciative of:

Benny D says:
Mr. DeLeo - I am a big big fan of your work. Practicing law keeps me from being able to read them every night (although when I do 2:00 AM bed times are very common). Quick question sir, do you think we will see a sequel to Monster anytime soon? That book has got to be one of the best books written in the genre. I'm a big fan of Clancy, Thor, Flynn, Jack Murphy, etc. but I must say, you are a master at creating such fantastic dialogue!! Just wanted to let you know I would be one of many to jump on purchasing a sequel to Monster - I would hit the "Purchase" button no matter what the release date was! Thank you for the entertainment - simply fantastic!

His comment is only one of many advocating a sequel for some of my stand alone novels I receive, like The Protectors, PEACE, MONSTER, SOTELLO, and ARCHANGEL. I wrote them some time ago, but more than a few events in reality have come to pass resembling many of the plot threads in those novels. They also strike a chord with readers who enjoy the violent justice dispensed in them. When I read a comment like Benny’s, it fires me up to launch into whatever is suggested. At sixty-four, I keep getting the feeling I’m running out of time. Last year RJ and I published six of my novels, none less than 90,000 words. When we publish the third book in my Rick Cantelli, P.I. series in August, it will mark the third new novel of mine published this year, none under a 100,000 words. I’m also committed to a third book in my COLDBLOODED series right after with Nick McCarty, Gus, Rachel, Jean, and Deke the dog returning in early December. Also very soon I will have to produce the fifth novel in my HARD CASE series, or risk disappointing readers who have made it my bestselling set.

No… I’m not complaining or whining because I have a marketplace like Amazon, who provided a venue where my partner RJ Parker and I can bypass the mainstream publishing barriers to market our wares. I’m a storyteller, and when I read something like Benny D wrote, I wish I could write a 100,000 words a week. At some point next year, I am going to pick out one of my popular standalone novels, and write a sequel to it. I wish I could write sequels to all of them, but by the time I finished, I’d probably fall off the radar of readers following my more recent novels. I don’t want this wild streak to end, and I plan to ride the wave all the way into the rocks.

In new writing news, I reached 62,000 words in my third Rick Cantelli, P.I. series: Into The Darkness. I introduce a new young character, and the novel brings back Rick’s first high school love, Stacy Alden. Yep… it’s pulp fiction all the way, with violence, humor, and over the top heroes. I’m sure I’ll be receiving a review stating it’s not believable. In response I would point out the novel takes place in Cantelli-land, not reality land. :)

4 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Train DeLeo keeps on rolling!

BernardL said...

Thanks, my friend. It's been a wonderful experience being able to reach so many readers this past year for the first time, Charles. If not for Amazon, and my partner RJ Parker, I'd still have about as many readers as I could fit in my closet. :)

RJ Parker Publishing said...

Nice blog brother and yes that wave has been amazing and still is. It's also great that since we re-released Sotello, Peace, American Mutant, American Survival and Casserine just in mid-June, all 5 of them are hitting in the Top 100 paid list in their categories. It sure makes a difference when books are placed in their proper genres as opposed to Fiction/Adventure.

The nice thing as well is that we are sharing many of the same readers and fans. We both write crime, cold blooded killers, assassins etc., except yours is fiction and mine real. Although I can't get our account manager at Amazon to read my books lol however she LOVES Nick McCarty and really enjoyed The Protectors.

Between the two of us, we will put out nine new books this year and revamped five of the backlist. Not a bad year :)

BernardL said...

That, my brother, is what makes this venture so exciting. We're too old to care about consequences, and you're the best marketing agent I've ever seen, RJ. Every month into this excursion into the unknown has been an eye opening experience. Even mighty Amazon has taken notice of your marketing prowess, partner. :)