New Road Ahead
A sneak peak at my 2023 plans
Do you ever make new year’s resolutions? I know it’s a popular thing to do. People vow to do everything from hit the gym and lose a few pounds to check items off the ol’ bucket list. Then, of course, most of us forget about those resolutions by the time the calendar turns to February.
Still, starting a new year is a good time for me to step back as an author and decide what path I want to travel over the next twelve months. 2023 is a unique year for me because it marks the first time in four years that I’m not working on a new installment in my Alien People Chronicles sci-fi series. Finishing that trilogy occupied such a singular focus in my life for so long that it feels strange to no longer be working on it.
I do have an opportunity now to turn my attention to other projects, however, and I wanted to share with the readers of this newsletter what my future plans entail.
Samak Press
I am in the final stages of launching a full-fledged Samak Press website in early 2023. You will be able to purchase my stories directly through this website along with some cool book swag (bookmarks, t-shirts, hats, etc.) emblazoned with the Samak Press logo or cover art from past and future novels.
My Samak Press website will also feature a portal for writing and editing services geared toward indie authors. I will make these services available at affordable, professional rates. With two decades of professional writing and editing experience as a journalist, I am well-versed in storytelling and want to help other authors fully realize their visions.
Eventually, I plan to launch another Substack newsletter connected to Samak Press that will provide talented authors a brand new avenue for publishing stories. It will be a regular magazine or anthology focused around speculative fiction genres and the publication will be available for a low monthly subscription. Funds generated from reader subscriptions will, in turn, be used to pay authors who have stories accepted for publication on the upcoming Samak Press Substack.
A Return to Deer Falls
If you’ve craved more stories set in Deer Falls, the small town I introduced when I published Pandora Reborn in 2018, you’re in luck.
Two direct sequels to my debut novel are in the planning stages. I’ve completed an outline and have begun writing the rough draft for the first sequel novel. It picks up five years after the events of Pandora Reborn and will feature Eric Olson, Ron’s younger brother, battling his new high school principal, who is set on acquiring god-like magical powers through committing a series of ritualistic slayings. I’ve also sketched out some scenes for the second Pandora Reborn sequel novel, also set five years later, which involves Ron and Christina battling a group of energy healers turned dark witches who plan to conquer and rule over both the physical world and the spiritual realm.
My initial goal is to release the first sequel in late 2023/early 2024 and release the second sequel in late 2024.
I also plan to write and publish other smaller horror stories tied into the Deer Falls universe in some fashion. This plan includes making my serialized story Hiding From Shadows available in eBook and paperback formats before the end of January.
Journeying into the Alien People Universe
Even though the Alien People Chronicles have concluded, I am far from finished with the worlds I introduced in those stories. Many characters from that trilogy still have stories left to tell — including Calandra and Xttra.
My immediate plan is to publish a bridge novel serving as a lead-in to a future series. I have this pegged for a mid-2024 release. This novel-in-progress will focus on Kevin Riley, an Earthian ally of Calandra and Xttra, after he crash lands while flying an experimental spaceship. Kevin is stranded on the other side of the Land of the Three Suns (aka the planet Colonia) among a pre-industrial humanoid race. Cut off from his family and friends, Kevin soon finds himself battling a local warlord determined to expand their rule over the entire planet.
I also have a pair of novelette/novella length stories nearing completion. Both tales are set within the Alien People universe. One story chronicles Earthians making first contact with aliens on Proxima Centauri B. The other story follows a paralyzed Earthian who receives the world’s first artificial spinal cord. I plan to publish both stories in 2023 — one in the spring and the other in the fall.
Charting a path
My goals for the next two years are admittedly ambitious. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love storytelling and it is a passion I want to pursue for as long as I have enough physical strength and mental awareness to write.
The road less traveled is the one that offers a more rewarding journey. I invite you all to join me and support me on this journey. I thank you for the loyal support you have all shown me to this point. It keeps me going on tough days when I need an extra boost. Please continue to share my Strange New Worlds newsletter with your friends, family, and neighbors. Please continue to also get the word out about all my novels and stories.
Help me make these fictional worlds become a treasured part of the real world.
John this is so exciting! I am looking forward to watching your new publishing business grow. It sounds like a fantastic idea.
Awesome news, John!! Can’t wait to support you and your company. It’s such a great idea. This is the future of publishing. I look forward to reading more of your work.