Novel series are all the rage. Some authors spend their entire careers writing about the same character, or team of characters, getting into and out of one predicament or another. Why? Because it sells. When walking into a bookstore, or browsing online, familiarity sells. Because consumers are risk adverse. We want to know that what we’re spending money on is exactly what we’re looking for. That’s why there are twenty-five Jack Reacher novels and nine Fast and Furious movies.
But there’s a new kid on the block, and I’m not talking about Donnie Wahlberg.
A few years years ago, after writing several series, including the five-book Nemesis Saga, the five-book Last Hunter saga, and the Jack Sigler thrillers, which are composed of ten novels and eleven novellas, I publicly declared that I was done writing series. Mostly because I get bored writing about the same characters over and over, and if I’m bored, you’re bored. It was at this time that I adopted a new (to novels) theory of long-term storytelling: Worlds, not series.
I’ve been a comic book guy most of my life, and I started my creative career as a comic book artist/writer who shifted to screenwriting and then to novel writing. Most comic book series inhabit the same universe under the umbrella of whoever publishes them (Marvel, D.C., etc.), allowing for crossovers and massive comic book events like The Infinity Gauntlet and Secret Wars. If you’re not a comic book reader, but this sounds familiar, it’s probably because over the past decade, Marvel has brought this method of epic storytelling to movies as well. They started with solo characters (Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America), and then they brought those characters together with others in The Avengers movies while, on the side, they introduced audiences to even more characters (Spider-Man, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange,and Ant-Man) all of whom came together for the two-movie Infinity War/Endgame event.
If you’re like me, you’ve wondered what it would be like to kill a yak, from 200 yards away, with Mind Bullets (‘That’s telekinesis, Kyle’), ever since Tenacious D released their song, Wonderboy in 2001. Well, now its time to find out! *No yak’s were harmed in the writing of this book.
It was just four months ago that The Dark was released. That’s not a ton of time, but I used to release a book a month, so the current three books a year feels slow to me…but also a nice change of pace. Means I get to work on screenplays, and relax a bit.
The Dark was a Top 20 release on Audible, and it stayed in the Top 100 for more than a month. Since then it’s sold amazingly well. It was one of my best sellers out of the gate, and I’m thrilled to be revisiting the characters in Khaos, a 2022 release. BUT, before we can do that, we need to talk about…
MIND BULLET!
MIND BULLET is the final standalone book in the Infinite Timeline. Not sure what that is? Basically, it’s a massive event bringing nine standalone novels together for three epic crossover novels featuring favorite characters from the past five years. Read about it here!
Mind Bullet lays the groundwork for the novel, Khaos (coming in 2022), which will feature main characters from Mind Bullet, The Dark, and Tribe. It’s going to be nuts, and I think you’ll find Mind Bullet‘s main character, Jonas, and his BFF, an AI named Bubbles, to be the perfect cohorts for Miah, Bree, Henry, and Sarah. But that’s not all! Mind Bullet also provides a solid link to Exo-Hunter, set to merge with The Others and Flux in the novel I’m currently writing–The Order (also coming in 2022)–which is crazy fun and cosmic in scope.
And all of that leads to Singularity (probably also coming in 2022), bringing everyone together in the world of Infinite and NPC.
For now, let’s just focus on Mind Bullet, which is…
Long, long ago, back in 2005, I started my career by self-publishing The Didymus Contingency, Raising the Past, Antarktos Rising, Beneath, and Kronos. A few years into this endeavor I caught wind of something called podcast novels–serialized audiobooks–and found the concept fascinating. Unlike some lucky authors (I’m looking at you, Scott), I am a horrendous narrator. I lacked the equipment, the finances to get the equipment, and the voice to pull it off. So when I was contacted by Jeffrey Kafer, who had done voiceover work and was looking to get into narrating, I jumped at the chance to work with him. The result was the original Kronos and Beneath audiobooks, released for free as podcast novels. Not only were these my first audio books, but they were also Jeff’s. Both books received great reviews and were downloaded…a LOT. I don’t have the stats any more, but if they were sales, I’d have been Scrooge McDucking into a vault of gold coins.
Time passed and thanks to a company called ACX, Jeff and I were able to record and release many more novels via Audible, most notably the Jack Sigler series and the Nemesis Saga. During these years, Kronos and Beneath were available for free, and also somehow ended up for sale on Audible, where they sold, unbeknownst to me, for many years. Also during that time, Jeff recorded 800 more novels, improving his skills, his equipment, and his ear for what works and what doesn’t. With Kronos and Beneath no longer available for free, and no longer on Audible, Jeff and I were excited to re-record and re-release totally new versions of both books, worth paying for, even if you heard the originals for free–or bought the mysterious Audible versions.
So, it is with great excitement that Kronos and Beneath, two of my first five self-published novels, rise again like the fiery Phoenix to… Well, you get the point. If you haven’t given them a listen before, now is the time! If you had the old versions and want to re-listen to the new and improved editions, it’s go time! Details and buy links for both books below.
Last September, with the pandemic raging, protests around the country, and an impending election, I received a video from a fan who felt compelled by God to warn me, Kane Gilmour, and R.C. Bray of future turmoil. He spoke earnestly of many things, including preparing for the coming disaster, and he was very compelling. There was a lot to absorb, but four words stood out to me. “Three Days of Darkness”. Something about that phrase felt…important.
So I googled those four words and discovered an ancient prophecy that the fan was either unaware of, or had forgotten he’d heard about. But his prophecy and this ancient prophecy were a match–even details like burning special candles for light. I admit, I did not prepare for the impending calamity. I’m a skeptic at heart. But I was INSPIRED by the very convincing warning. And now, the three people warned by this fan (myself as the author, Kane Gilmour as the editor, and R.C. Bray as the narrator) have put together a work of fiction inspired by this prophecy… Perhaps this was the point all along? Maybe you are meant to read this novel and be warned? So light a blessed candle, settle in, and prepare to discover what awaits you in THE DARK.
As I mentioned, I originally came across the Three Days of Darkness prophecy when it was sent to me as a video warning, but it has been around a lot longer than that. Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, who died in 1837, first foretold this future event, speaking of intense darkness for three days, blessed candles, and air infected by demons in all sorts of hideous forms. Terrifying stuff, and exactly the kind of thing that lights my imagination on fire. This is a literal ‘Hell on Earth’ prophecy and interestingly…people believe it. Not only that, they’re preparing for it!
Taigi was dubbed a ‘Servant of God’ by Pope Pius IX and later beatified by Pope Benedict XV, making her a trusted prophetic source. While her prophecy is not cannon, that doesn’t stop people from believing it will come to pass…and doing their best to prep for the worst. You can buy blessed candles. There are YouTube videos teaching how to cover windows with trash bags and duct tape. Search for yourself and journey down the rabbit hole in which I found myself last September. OR, read THE DARK for my twisted take on the prophecy, and then go check out the other theories. I promise, my version is the most entertaining!
The audiobook for THE DARK is narrated by the unfathomable R.C. Bray, which is fitting, as the prophecy sent to me was also intended for him. You might think I’m a good writer, but Bray’s narration elevates my storytelling to the next level. If you’re not an audiobook listener, check out the sample and judge for yourself!
From New York Times and number-one Audible best-selling duo Jeremy Robinson and R.C. Bray comes a horrifying revelation about the centuries old Three Days of Darkness prophecy, during which the legions of Hell will be unleashed on Earth…
THERE SHALL COME OVER THE WHOLE EARTH, AN INTENSE DARKNESS LASTING THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS.
Miah Gray is a 27-year-old former Army soldier living in rural New Hampshire with his sister, mother, and her boyfriend. He is plagued by PTSD, finding solace, but not redemption, with the aid of prescribed cannabis. All he wants to do is get high, relax with a good sandwich, and watch a meteor shower with his neighborhood crush, Jen.
HE WHO OPENS HIS WINDOW OR DOOR OUT OF CURIOSITY, OR LEAVES HIS HOME, WILL FALL DEAD ON THE SPOT.
When the sun’s light is blotted out the following morning, and the world is plunged into darkness, Miah finds himself locked down with his family, covering windows with trash bags, lighting candles, and following the arcane rules of an ancient prophecy. But there is no escaping what comes next.
THE AIR WILL BE INFECTED BY DEMONS, APPEARING IN ALL SORTS OF HIDEOUS FORMS.
A brilliant flash of light fills the sky, leaving Miah changed, and an Old Norse death rune etched onto his forehead. He fears he has been marked for death until the neighborhood’s parents start disappearing, and he’s left behind. Leading Jen and a ragtag group of parentless kids, Miah hunts for answers and for their parents, while trying to keep his sister safe. He charges headlong down a path that will take him to the gates of Hell…and then straight through.
ALL OF HELL WILL BE LET LOOSE.
THE DARK is a mind-bending, character-driven, sci-fi-infused horror novel like no other!
THE DARK has been dubbed a new fan favorite by many advance readers, and Miah, the main character, has been called one of my most relatable heroes to date. All of that is high praise, and I hope the story lives up to the hype I had nothing to do with.
As an author, it’s my job to sell books, and project unwavering confidence. But sometimes I write something different and strange, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m the only one who will like it. The last time I felt this strongly was with INFINITE…which went on to become my best selling novel ever, so hopefully THE DARK will follow suit.
And you can help make that happen! If you enjoy the story, please consider posting reviews for it on Audible or Amazon (or both). Every single one helps spread the word. And if you want to discuss the books with other Robinsonverse fans (and with me) click on that Facebook button below and join the Tribe. Hope to see you there, and I hope you enjoy THE DARK!
From a reader’s point of view, the benefit of pre-ordering is generally that you receive the book to read on day one, without having to remember to go get it. Even books pre-ordered on Amazon are shipped so that you receive them on release day. That’s all fantastic, but from an author’s point of view, things are a little more complicated…and the long-term effects can make it back to the reader. I’m going to explain how this works for both audiobooks ordered via Audible, and e-books/print books pre-ordered via Amazon. Despite both companies being owned by Amazon, the answers are polar opposites. Here’s why.
AUDIBLE – When you place a pre-order on Audible, it doesn’t affect the sales rank right away. All of those orders stack up and “go live” on day one of a book’s release. If you sell 1000 copies in the months before release, and another three hundred on day one, Audible’s algorithms sees your day one sales as 1300, which can propel you onto the bestseller lists, can help you get a lot more exposure, increases sales, and kick things off in a big way. This is ideal.
Should I pre-order audiobooks? YES!
Your pre-order helps our release day efforts in a big way, and even a brief stint in the top 100, or at #1 can alter the trajectory of a novel’s success in positive ways.
Jeremy Robinson is the #1 Audible.com and New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy novels and novellas spanning multiple genres, best known for Infinite, The Others, Project Nemesis, Alter and Space Force. He also writes comic books including: Project Nemesis, Island 731 and Godzilla - Rage Across Time, and several of his project have been optioned for film and TV.
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Jeremy Robinson is the #1 Audible.com and New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy novels and novellas spanning multiple genres, best known for Infinite, The Others, Project Nemesis, Alter and Space Force. He also writes comic books including: Project Nemesis, Island 731 and Godzilla - Rage Across Time, and several of his project have been optioned for film and TV.
