Urban Fantasy Author Update for Fall 2024

Hey folks, it’s time for another urban fantasy author update, so here goes…

What I’ve Been Watching

This being the Halloween season, I’ve been digging up all my seasonal faves. Before the month ends, I’ll have watched 30 Days of Night (the best vampire horror film of all time), Blade (the best vampire action film of all time), Monster House (because you should never grow up completely), Sleepy Hollow, Constantine, The Craft (the original), The Covenant (featuring Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, & Taylor Kitsch before they made it big), and so on.

But what I’ve really been enjoying is revisiting the original Penny Dreadful series, which featured Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, Josh Hartnett, and Reeve Carney, among others. I’d forgotten just how good this series was. Dark and atmospheric, it captures Victorian-era gothic horror like no other series before or since.

Those who haven’t seen the series can find it on Amazon Prime and Paramount+.

What I’ve Been Reading

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of research for some upcoming Druidverse novels, mostly by reading texts on criminal psychology and criminal behavior. It’s not like this is unfamiliar territory for me, as I’ve had a keen interest in the characteristics and patterns of violent criminals since my days of teaching assault prevention classes in the mid to late 90s.

However, my current TBR list isn’t all crazy people and mayhem. I’m also giving Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art another read. For anyone who struggles with so-called writer’s block, it’s worth picking up.

Finally, I’ve been plowing through some classic pulp fiction novels, partially for fun and relaxation, but also to get a feel for the rhythm and flow of that era of fiction. Modern writers can learn a lot from the likes of Burroughs, Howard, and Dent, especially in the way of plot pacing and maintaining the reader’s interest.

What I’ve Been Playing

Honestly, I haven’t been playing any games recently. For one, no recent releases have sparked a desire to play in me.

But also, lately, I find myself feeling guilty for playing video games when I could be working. That’s simply my natural workaholic tendencies creeping back in, despite that I had resolved to take time to smell the roses, back when I was recovering from my extended illness.

The only cure for that disease is to take a vacation. For me, it’s the best way to reset the old “work, play, rest” setting in the brain.

Considering that I haven’t had a real vacation since I was diagnosed with cancer in early 2022, I’m probably overdue. Laziness is bad for the muse, but burnout will kill it.

What I’ve Been Writing

I’ve been working on the second Superhero World novel, but it’s been slow going due to some health issues I’ve been dealing with recently. Thankfully, I got the “all clear” stamp during my most recent visit to my oncologist, but I’ve developed some related issues that are interfering with my ability to work.

The bottom line is that I’m still writing and working, just at a slower pace. I plan to wrap this novel up and release it sometime in November. Then I’ll start working on the next Colin McCool novel. Stay tuned!