DEADLY GAMES! STAND-ALONE OR SERIES?

Robert McIntyre @qualityrob asked a question on Twitter that I thought was a good one and worth sharing. I’m sharing Rob’s question here with his permission. Rob’s blog, A Bit Too Old For Comics can be found at http://toooldforcomics.blogspot.com/.
Rob asks, “Is Deadly Games a stand alone book or part of a serial, do I need to read anything else before it?”

This is a great question and I’m sure one that others have asked, especially if you’ve noticed that there will be a Deadly Games! 2 coming in 2013. That’s just a placeholder title, by the way. The book will have the word “Deadly” in the title, but I have not firmed up the title at this point.

Deadly Games! is a stand-alone novel. You get a complete story in one volume. At the same time, my plan is to have the “Deadly” books continue as we follow Detective John Bartlett and journalist Benjamin West into new thrilling adventures. While sub-plots and other bits will play in the background of each book, the plan is to also make each book a stand-alone thriller in its own right. I do not want to write the words “to be continued” at the end of any of my novels.

That said, the novels I write do take place in a shared universe, more or less. To that end there is the occasional crossover of characters between books. In Deadly Games!, we see Sheriff Tom Myers, Deputy Benjamin Dooley, and Deputy Chris Jackson. Those three characters had fairly sizeable roles in my first novel, Evil Ways (which is being re-released this year from New Babel Books so stay tuned for those announcements). A large part of Deadly Games! takes place in the fictional town of Sommersville, GA, a town we first see in Evil Ways. Both Evil Ways and Deadly Games! are stand-alone adventures, but for those who have read them both you get a little extra from seeing these characters return in Deadly Games! than those who meet them in that novel for the first time.

I love adding these little Easter Egg bits to my stories. It’s a bit of fun for me as a writer and hopefully fun for you as a reader as well. Here’s another one for you. Evil Ways featured the characters of FBI Agent Harold Palmer and his brother, newspaper editor/reporter Franklin Palmer (who does get a mention in Deadly Games! though he is not seen). The Palmer boys’ grandfather worked for the government in the 1930’s through the 1960’s. Although he doesn’t appear in Evil Ways, we do meet that Agent Palmer in a Lance Star: Sky Ranger adventure as well as in the upcoming Pulp Obscura collection, The New Adventures of The Eagle. Like I said, it’s fun for me.

So, in my usual long-winded way, I think I’ve answered Rob’s question. Deadly Games! is part of a series, but each book in that series will be a stand-alone thriller. The “Evil” novels will follow a similar pattern. Evil Ways and the upcoming Evil Intent are both billed as a Harold Palmer thriller, but each can be read on their own, although I would hope fans of one would want to read the others.

At least that’s the plan.

Bobby

About Deadly Games!:
They played the most dangerous game of all and death was only the beginning...

Six years ago, Police Detective John Bartlett and journalist Benjamin West were instrumental in the capture of notorious master criminal Darrin Morehouse. Their story played out in the media, rocketing both Bartlett and West into local celebrity status.

Today, Morehouse, still a master game player and manipulator, commits suicide while in prison. His death initiates one final game of survival for the people Morehouse felt wronged him the most. At that top of the list are Bartlett and West, who must set aside their differences to save the lives of Morehouse's other victims and solve one last game before a dead man’s hired killers catch them and his other enemies.

Deadly Games! is a fast-paced action/thriller featuring action, suspense, murder, and the occasional gunfire from Author Bobby Nash, the writer of Evil Ways, Domino Lady, Lance Star: Sky Ranger, and more.

Deadly Games! is available in print and digital editions at the following:
Print at Amazon - www.amazon.com/Deadly-Games-1-Bobby-Nash/dp/0615553435/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319831122&sr=1-17
Kindle ebook - www.amazon.com/Deadly-Games-ebook/dp/B005ZN8VPS/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319820451&sr=1-3

Smashwords ebook (Kindle, Nook, PDf, etc.) - www.smashwords.com/books/view/101814
Barnes & Noble Nook Book - www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107149904?ean=2940013554849&itm=2&usri=bobby%252bnash
KOBO ebook - www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Deadly-Games/book-W_eBpFLF5kqUOBjsV3H8Gw/page1.html

Bobby recently visited The Book Cave podcast to talk about Deadly Games! You can listen to that episode now at http://thebookcave.libsyn.com/webpage/the-book-cave-episode-172-bobby-nash-s-deadly-games

Visit BEN Books at http://ben-books.blogspot.com/.