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.
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.
It’s no secret. Writing a sequel to Infinite, my best selling and most reviewed novel ever (by a lot), has intimidated me for years. But fans have been wonderfully persistent, asking for the story to continue, and, well, sales justify it. But sequels are tricky, especially for a twisty novel like Infinite. In the long history of sequels, writers attempted to recreate the magic of the first book or movie, repeating a similar story, following the same beats, and hoping to strike gold twice. But most of the time, they fail. And not because they’re bad stories on their own, but because the very act of trying to recreate something—a little bit different—robs it of the magic that made it wonderful in the first place.
So, I went a different route, deciding that Infinite2 should be its own creature. It didn’t need to feel like the first book or have the same kind of surprises. Instead, it follows its own path, has its own vibe, and has very different kinds of surprises. The result is that Infinite2 is one of my personal favorite novels (of mine) that many advance readers are saying is better than the original.
If that’s not enough to convince you, here’s the summary!
William Chanokh is immortal…and he’s trapped on the Galahad, an interstellar starship on a never-ending journey through open space.
His only companions are Capria—mortal and in cryo-sleep—and Gal, an artificial intelligence, and the love of his life, with whom he spends every waking moment in the ‘Great Escape,’ a virtual paradise. After untold years living countless lives, Gal begins acting strange. Possessive. Violent. Paranoid.
Positive that something in the real world is causing her to malfunction, Will attempts to leave the Great Escape, but he finds himself a prisoner. Guided by a voice from reality, he is thrust into a series of torturous narratives, each one designed to break his will and keep him trapped in virtual reality.
Betrayed by his digital love, his long-term memory overwritten, and enduring violent manipulation, Will painfully peels back layers of simulation, fighting to reach reality 1.0—where the nightmares are real.
2020 has been a slow year for Robinson releases. So far, just NPC. I’d like to say that’s all part of the grand scheme, but it’s really just part of me working through personal/health struggles that have slowed me down from a “Is Jeremy Robinson actually Lt. Commander Data in disguise?” level to a “Stephen King” pace (2 – 3 novels a year). It’s still a fast pace, but it’s indicative of my state of mind.
Also indicative of my state of mind is the content of my novels, which have shifted over the past few years from being primarily nutso, light-hearted action to more serious, character driven, introspective action. My novels are mental ping-pong matches between dark and painful themes (me working through personal demons) and crazy funny stories (me taking a vacation from my problems). NPC was dark, serious, and mind-bendy. So it’s time for some light-hearted action right?
Hell to the yes!
BUT, there is a catch. EXO-HUNTER turned out to be strangely timely and possibly controversial/political because of events that happened after I was mostly done writing it (George Floyd’s tragic death and the resulting protests). EXO-HUNTER‘s main character is a black man fighting against a white supremacist future government. That simple description, shared earlier in the year, immediately resulted in some negative comments. Which blows my mind. If a black hero fighting against future Nazis offends you, it’s time to take a looong look in the mirror. White Supremacy in the U.S. is as vile as it was in Nazi Germany. They are real life bad guys. They need to be defeated wherever, and whenever they are. Hopefully, that’s not a problem for you.
On to the book!
EXO-HUNTER is very light-hearted and funny, featuring Dark Horse, a sarcastic main character a la Jon Hudson and Jane Harper. The novel also pays homage to the 1980s (which is always fun), inspired by a slew of my favorite 80s movies (Aliens, Predator, Total Recall, etc…) and 80s New Wave music. In fact, EXO-HUNTER is the first novel of mine that comes with a playlist featuring the 17 songs that are mentioned in the novel. If you want a sneak peek, you can listen to the “soundtrack” on YouTube by clicking here.
Before we get to the story, a note for audiobook listeners. Due to unforeseen circumstances (a la 2020), the audiobook has been delayed. It IS in the works, and will hopefully be out sooner than later, but forces beyond my control conspired against it. I will send out a second newsletter the moment it becomes available.
Now, on to the story!
Callsign: Dark Horse and his Marine Rapid Reaction Force team have been sent to recover a strange artifact near Antarctica’s Soviet-controlled Vostok Station. Confronted by a team of Ruskie Spetsnaz, a battle for control of the strange device, frozen in the ice, breaks out. But before anyone can claim victory, or the prize, an explosion of white light knocks the combatants unconscious and whisks them away to…
2989
One thousand years later. Dark Horse, along with his teammate, Chuy, and one of the Soviets, Drago, finds himself in a future that is both impressive and horrifying. Humanity has left Earth behind and is rapidly expanding throughout the galaxy under the banner of The Union, a white supremacist government who racially ‘purified’ the human race hundreds of years in the past.
Living on the fringe of this twisted Fourth Reich society, Dark Horse-the only Black man in the Union-commandeers a vessel and scours the galaxy for his missing teammates under the guise of an Exo-Hunter, seeking out exo-planets to satiate the Union’s need for colonization. His search takes him beyond the edge of the known universe and into an interplanetary war, guided by a vast intelligence that’s been waiting for Dark Horse’s arrival-for a thousand years.
New York Times and #1 Audible.com bestselling author Jeremy Robinson takes readers on a journey to a dark and twisted future…and makes them laugh. EXO-HUNTER is a light-hearted homage to 1980s science fiction movies that also looks at the dangers of white supremacy and the core values that makes it dangerous, and the butt of the joke. In the audiobook edition, he is joined by #1 Audible bestselling narrator, R.C. Bray, giving readers the most compelling-and most fun-thing to come out of 2020.
PRINT EDITIONS are available everywhere, but the e-book is Kindle only, and available for free via Kindle Unlimited. Go ahead and snag it!
And for those who, like me, enjoy moving pictures, music, and voiceovers, here is the trailer!
It’s no secret. Writing a sequel to Infinite, my best selling and most reviewed novel ever (by a lot), has intimidated me for years. But fans have been wonderfully persistent, asking for the story to continue, and, well, sales justify it. But sequels are tricky, especially for a twisty novel like Infinite. In the long history of sequels, writers attempted to recreate the magic of the first book or movie, repeating a similar story, following the same beats, and hoping to strike gold twice. But most of the time, they fail. And not because they’re bad stories on their own, but because the very act of trying to recreate something—a little bit different—robs it of the magic that made it wonderful in the first place.
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