Jake Fisher is back, alive and kicking–and he is working in Hunter’s Run High School again– but this time as its security officer. Along with help from SRO Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Miller, Jake takes on his first case–a hit and run car accident in Thurmont that has resulted in the tragic death of a local family. At first it seems like a simple case for the rookie sleuth, but the deeper Jake digs into the identity of the murderous driver and his motivation, the more convoluted the mystery becomes. Jake must dodge hired killers bent on hiding long-held secrets by an all-too-familiar nemesis. The Badger must enlist the help of old alliances to protect his client and himself from a well-armed enemy with deep pockets. Looking for a November release date!

September, 2023— I’d like to give a big thanks to fans and friends who came out on a hot Sunday over Labor Day Weekend to visit the Rudolph Girls & Birdie’s Cafe Local Author book signing event! Nearly a dozen local authors graced a warm, shady patio behind Birdie’s Cafe in Westminster, Maryland this past weekend to meet and greet with fans, sign books, and celebrate the merging of two great local businesses, as Rudolph Girls Book Store partners up with Birdie’s Cafe in Westminster. It was truly a wonderful experience. I got to meet and chat with my fellow authors, learn their back stories, and even buy a few of their books. But far and away the highlight of the weekend was seeing how many turned out to have copies of the Cataclysm Series signed. Book 1–First Days After sold out, and numerous copies of the most recent finale (Book 6– First Life After: Resurrection) also were popular choices this weekend.

It’s no secret I like to make characters out of my friends–sometimes changing their names, backgrounds, and occupations just a tad. Many of those characters new and old were present on Sunday, including Wendy Yubashiri, Maureen Kelly, Emily Avila, and Daniela Harper. Also stopping by was my super-talented cover artist and longtime compatriot, Tom Walker of http://www.thomaswalkerphotography.com

Wrestling families and Winters Mill families stopped by as well. But perhaps my favorite was someone who claims to be my biggest fan (and I’m not inclined to doubt her)–Maureen’s Mom, Lorraine Rooney, who traveled from the Eastern Shore (by way of Long Island) to pay her respects. Wendy and Emily kindly posted some great photos on their Facebook pages. All in all, I felt very humbled by the affection sent my way this weekend. Thanks so much to everyone for being a part of it!

Daniela “Harper” getting a copy signed Sunday on Birdie’s patio.

FIRST LIFE AFTER: RESURRECTION-– BOOK 6 (and the final piece) in the Cataclysm Series has just been released on Amazon. (See below for link). As of this post it is available in Kindle and paperback formats, with hardback coming soon–once I’ve worked through some formatting details. Book 6 finds us in the post-war period. World War III is over, and the world is trying to get itself back to normal. Hunter’s Run High School is working to reopen soon, and teachers and staff are headed back to try and put the pieces back together–but they’re doing so without the help of Jake Fisher, whom they believe was killed in a flash flood in Zion Canyon months ago. But somewhere out in the Arizona desert, an old Aztec shaman has run across an unidentified body of a middle-aged man, whom he will attempt to resurrect both physically and spiritually. That man will have to undergo rigorous physical and spiritual changes in order to make it back to life and re-enter a world where he believes everyone he loves has perished. Meanwhile, the sinister Church of Many Blessings is licking its wounds after losing ground on a multitude of fronts. Their drive to rise again to power will take a different twist this time, and their mysterious true source will be revealed. The ending to this one will take us into a whole new genre and set of stories in the mystery category–one where you’ll see our characters in a whole new light. Don’t miss it! (link below)

BOOK 6 IN THE CATACLYSM SERIES– “FIRST LIFE AFTER: RESURRECTION” is finished in draft form and is undergoing edits as we speak! When we left Zion National Park in Book 5, Jake Fisher was standing in the Virgin River in Utah, fighting Chinese commandos hand-to-hand while trying to protect his family, friends, and lady-love. [Spoiler Alert for Book 5– The Army and a giant flash flood were both looking to decimate the valley, and things were not looking good for Jake and company.] As you can probably tell from the title, Jake Fisher may just not be completely dead.

BOOK 6 opens up in Northern Arizona, where an old Native American hermit spies dead bodies along the riverside and decides to investigate. Meanwhile, back on the East Coast, the war is over and the world is beginning to return to normal. Hunter’s Run High School is gearing up to have students next Fall, and they will face some challenges filling positions and dealing with the down–but not completely defeated–Church of Many Blessings, whose members have new goals and new methods for trying to advance their agenda.

BOOK 6 will be the last in the series. After this, we will be staying with our characters, but moving them into a new genre–mysteries! I’ve always wanted to write mysteries with a tough old private eye working his way through dangerous cases. Why not let that private eye be Jake Fisher? How he comes back from death and somehow arrives at this new situation, however, is what you’ll be reading about in Book 6– First Life After: Resurrection. Looking for a Spring 2023 release on Amazon– looking like late April / early May. I also hope to pick up again this Spring with more YouTube interviews with the real people who inspired the characters. Updates are coming–stay tuned!

Wendy Perzynski–the real-life person behind the character of Wendy Yubashiri–is the second in the interview series of “Be Careful Or You’ll End Up In My Novel.” Wendy Yubashiri is one of a half dozen characters who have appeared in all of the first five novels, and figures prominently in Book 5, The Road to Zion.

The real Wendy works at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, MD with me. She runs the Time Out room, subsitute teaches, and does a dozen crucial tasks all during the day at WMHS, making her indispensable there. In Book 5– Jake Fisher risks life and limb to try and save her from what he thinks is a dangerous situation–only to find out that it’s even more dangerous for the Badger himself.

Thanks again to Aloe Vincent for his work!

Hey Cataclysm fans! In what I hope to be the first of a big series of interviews, our first one is up on You Tube. Many thanks to my son, Alex Lowe, whose videography and editing skills made this possible and very cool. His work can be found on https://al0epicturesandvideo.myportfolio.com/

The first interview is for character Boo Andrews, the ex-Marine mercenary and former best friend of Jake Fisher. Boo appears in Books III (First Months After) and IV (First Year After: Enter the Badger). The real guy behind the character is my own best buddy of nearly forty years, Andrew Bouie. Andrew’s real life is a bit different from the fictional Boo, but our smart-ass banter and attempts at one-upsmanship are pretty comparable. Thanks, Andrew, for agreeing to be our first interview. We hope there will be many more to come!

The 8-minute interview can be found below:

Book Five of the Cataclysm Series, First Years After: The Road to Zion, is now published in various formats and available on Amazon! Readers can get it on Kindle, in paperback, and now–a new feature for Amazon KDP– hardback as well!

The premise: Over a year after the first bombs were dropped in World War III, the country finds itself at a stalemate versus enemy forces. With the mastermind of a plot to surrender the country now in prison, the focus now turns to the new mutate Utopia in Zion National Park, where Laura Fisher has created a thriving community with scientific advances that have produced amazing new abilities among her flock. But when enemy forces determine that the community—and Laura—can be used as the ultimate weapon in the war, the government realizes that actions must be taken to protect Zion at all costs. Jake Fisher, Laura’s ex-husband, fears that Laura is keeping the scientists in Utah against their will, and so embarks on a road trip with his friends, Eddie and Maureen, to save them. Jake must face both his superpowered ex as well as a unit of Chinese commandos bent on stealing—or eliminating—the living weapons that can turn the tide in World War III.

Cataclysm fans– get your copy today!

On August 18th, 2022, come out and support local writers and independent bookstores at Rudolph Girls Bookstore at 15 E. Main Street Suite 112, Westminster, MD. Sisters and co-owners Nikki and Ali are hosting a local author event on Thursday, August 18th at 6:30 p.m. Join us for light refreshments as well as author readings and signings. I am very excited to be one of the writers invited to participate. Hope to see everyone there, where I will unveil the very-soon-to-be published Book V in my Cataclysm Series– First Years After: The Road to Zion (Due out any day!)

The first draft of Book V in the six-book Cataclysm series is finished, and we are in the first round of editing–hoping for a June publication on Amazon! First Year After: The Road to Zion, has Jake, Maureen, and Eddie headed out to Utah to rescue Wendy from an untenable position under the control of Laura Fisher. Back in Maryland, the roots of corruption are explored as former Presidential aide Greg Knoll, now in a detention unit, is interrogated for his part in the plot to turn over the U.S. government to the Russians. As Dr. Eric Mazzaros and Laura Fisher continue to experiment with the expansion of Laura’s newfound powers, an unidentified unit of Chinese commandos approaches the compound for reasons unknown. A taskforce of CIA and NSA operatives is formed to discover the origins and the intentions of the Chinese unit. As Chinese commandos, American spies, and Jake & Company all converge on Utah, we begin to find out just why Laura Fisher and her mutates were so easily given the keys to one of the premier national parks to form their new mutate Utopia. By the ending, nothing will ever be the same! Stay tuned for publication information. Don’t miss First Year After: The Road to Zion–coming soon!

Time to join the 21st century, I suppose. At the suggestion of people who know more than I do, I’m going to begin a You Tube channel where I–among other things–will be interviewing real people who inspired many of the characters in the book series. I’m hoping to include the real people who inspired the Colonel, Maureen, Wendy, “Dr. Eric” Mazzaros, Boo Andrews, Josh Rimone, Kristen Faust, Billy James, and others. In some cases my characters are a mashing together of several people I know, and in others they’re straight up inspirations. I’m hoping this new addition will help some folks get in touch with and relate to the characters a little more– so stay tuned for announcements and links as they come to life.

Helping me on this venture is video whiz-kid Aloe Vincent, who himself launched a new You Tube series: “Al & Cal Ask the Question?” Aloe is a longtime filmer, editor, and creative soul who knows his way around a camera, a mic, and an editing room. You can catch Episode 1 of his new series below: