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Tag Archives: Return of the Phoenix

Monster Squad Update

16 Mar

I bet you thought I had totally abandoned the series, didn’t you? I mean, I did run away and pen the Hunter trilogy and readdress Caldera and I’m almost finished penning my first attempt at a political thriller with Flags of the Forgotten. I’ve also been working on some side projects that I wish I could share, but this isn’t the format for that.

But I DID go back and look at what I had started for MS9. I really didn’t like what I read and it wasn’t following my vision for the story.

Recruitment poster

Unfortunately, where I see things going involved almost a complete re-write. But rather than getting angry, I look at what happened with MS5. I inadvertently deleted nearly 40K words (almost half the book) and couldn’t recover it. The resultant rewrite was much better and fit the narrative better. So it really wasn’t a loss. I have to force myself to look at this rewrite the same way. In the end, it will fit better and the end story will be much more complete.

So, for those few of you who are still fans of the stories, rest assured, I will be finishing off the series. I can’t tell you if it will take another four book saga to do it or if it can be done with a final novel, but it will be done.

Thanks for listening and stayed tuned for more information.

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2018 in Uncategorized

 

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Plea For Help!

06 Jan

I hate begging. I really do. I always swore I wouldn’t be that guy who blows up the feed of every group I belonged to with ‘buy my book’ ads. You know the people I’m talking about. You see their name in your notifications and you just know that if you go to whatever group it is, they’ll be pimping their work.

I don’t ever want to be that guy.

But here I am…hat in hand and kicking myself for doing this…but I need your help.

If you follow any of my stuff on social media, you know that Trident Comics has begun a Kickstarter to fund the conversion of the Monster Squad into a graphic novel. And you know that I am overly excited about this because both TWD and Preacher started life as graphic novels and it is my hope that eventually a copy of Monster Squad will end up in the right hands…however slight that chance may be. But, in order for any of that to happen, we have to get it funded first.

Please…if you can’t support the project, spread the word. Copy the link and plaster it anywhere you can think of to bring attention to it. The only way this will happen is with your help.

Thank you in advance to all of you willing to wave this banner!

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2017 in Uncategorized

 

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Carte Blanche

06 Jun

With so many of my fellow storytellers stepping into the world of film or TV, I can’t help but daydream what it would be like. If I was given carte blanche and allowed to bring my creation to the silver screen, who would I choose?

Throughout the writing process, my characters have taken on a life of their own. To say that I didn’t envision them a certain way would be a lie. Although they have developed more over time, I still picture them a certain way as I write about their adventures. Seeing them in my mind helps me to keep their characteristics separate and their personalities in order.

A lot of people don’t realize this, but most of my characters are based loosely on real people. Not the actors that I would have portray them, but people I knew in the past. And yes, a lot of their personalities was woven into the complex tapestry that is my characters. Let’s pretend for a moment that the squads would be portrayed in film…who would I choose if I could? Well, let’s see.

Colonel Matt Mitchell could only be played by:

Stephen-Lang-300x300

Stephen Lang.
Yes, he’s a badass, but so is Mitchell. And it’s his gravelly voice I hear when Mitchell speaks, so the fit is nearly perfect. It’s only a bonus that he’s played military men before.

Laura Youngblood

alex rice

Alex Rice could pull this one off without a hitch. She’s Native American and fits the bill nicely. Since Lisa Vasquez isn’t an actor…Alex will be a great second choice!

Jack Thompson aka Phoenix

jason-patric-1

Jason Patric. He may not be everybody else’ first choice as lead operator, but this is who I think of when I think of Jack. I’ve been a fan of his since The Lost Boys.

Nadia

sarah-gadon-nadia

Sarah Gadon is nearly spot on who I think of when I think of Nadia. Sarah has the chops to pull off the role quite easily.

Apollo Creed Williams

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LL Cool J. He may not be a walking monster as Apollo is depicted, but Hollywood has a way of making people appear larger than they are and this guy is a bonafide badass.

Maria Sanchez

michelle_rodriguez-wide

Could ONLY be played by Michelle Rodriquez. In fact, it was her role in SWAT that I used as inspiration for Maria. I plucked her from the movie and stuck her into the story. This role was not just created FOR her, it was created BY her.

Rufus Thorn

Adam-Brody-thorn

Adam Brody could pull off the ‘good guy’ vampire nicely. He has an innocent appearance to him and I think he could pull off a 450 year old 20-something.

Viktor

kim coates viktor

Kim Coates. Need I say more? This picture LOOKS like Viktor and Coates is such a versatile actor, I think he could bring the character to life.

Okay…so this is just a handful of the characters from the MS series, but they’re the ones that I would choose if I could.

How about you? Any actors stand out in your mind? Who did you picture when you read the stories? Feel free to share. Who knows…you might win me over and make me change my mind.

Now…to convince Hollywood that this story needs to be retold…

 
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Posted by on June 6, 2016 in Uncategorized

 

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Gearing Up for Candy Extortion

22 Oct

It’s almost time for the annual Adolescent Candy Extortion Day!

Trick or Treat? To most kids those are simply the magic words to get free candy. They don’t realize what it boils down to. I will play a trick on you and possibly damage your property OR give me a treat and I’ll go away. As a grumpy old fart, I could easily choose to see this holiday as nothing more than a shakedown. And that’s my costume this year, BTW. I’m going to be that old guy who sits on his porch and yells at kids to ‘stay off my lawn’! The only difference between Halloween and any other day is, I’ll be throwing candy at them as they run off!

But…now I have grandkids who are old enough to Tick or Treat. To see their joy as they go house to house, dragging their little plastic pumpkin with them in their loose fitting costume brings a smile to my face and stirs old memories. The joys of being old and having a bad memory allows me to believe that I was a good kid and never got into trouble. It’s those inconvenient times that an old school chum reminds me of things I did that makes me question that belief. (I choose to believe that I was mostly good.)

Stampa

But Halloween is the time of change. Seasons transition from hot and dry to cool and wet to bone chilling cold. The leaves, the smells, the cooking, the cooling weather…it all brings a smile to my face as we slide into what is easily my favorite season of the year. Seeing how other people celebrate it is almost as fun as candy extortion used to be. From the goofy to the macabre to the questionable, Halloween is celebrated in so many ways that one questions the origins of the day. Whether dressed as a cartoon character or elaborately made up victim to those who barely wear anything at all and still call it a costume, everybody puts their own flair into it. It is, after all, a celebration and people will find a way to put their own personal and unique stamp on it.

halloween-wallpaper-large006

Personally, I prefer the scary stuff. Sure, the cute and cuddly is nice for the wee ones, and the younger generations can have the ‘sexy’ stuff, but the realistic and frightening is what it’s all about for me. Give me a haunted house that causes people to wet themselves a little and that’s a house I’d stand in line to go through. Of course, my wife will go in ahead of me to keep me safe. She’s a lot tougher than I am…and I hate wetting myself.

And let me add this, I’m joining with my fellow Addictive Reads‘ Authors for our annual Halloween Blog Hop and Giveaway. This year, we’re talking about our favorite parts of Halloween. We’re having a giveaway over at the Addictive Reads site ($50, $25, & $10 gift cards) so be sure and take part in the festivities!

Also, I’m taking part in the WINTER OF ZOMBIE 2015 EVENT on Facebook. I hope you’ll join me and a whole gob of other fantastic zombie authors. There will be fun and prizes and some of my favorite authors will be participating. Just click here to join the FREE event now so you don’t miss out!

 
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Posted by on October 22, 2015 in Uncategorized

 

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More Freebie Stuff

20 Jun

Just a quick announcement to let folks know that the first of the Monster Squad series, Return of the Phoenix, is now FREE in all electronic markets.

I made the adjustment the other day through Smashwords and waited for it to populate through to iBooks and Kobo and whatever other major channels they feed before I approached Amazon to ask that they price match it. Apparently somebody beat me to it. Someone requested it, Amazon did it and on the 19th over 500 copies were given away. I nearly fell over when I read that.

No fanfare, no announcement, no warning…no telling anybody. Somehow, word spread and electronic copies flew off the virtual shelves.

MS1

And, as always, I have a standing offer at my Facebook author page for anybody who leaves a review…good, bad or indifferent, as long as it’s honest. Contact me with an address and I’ll send them their choice of a Monster Squad bumper sticker or wrist band!

Bumper Sticker

wrist bands

 
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Posted by on June 20, 2015 in Uncategorized

 

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Saguaro Moon Reviews Does Phoenix!

06 May

Yeah.

I’m stoked.

Check out Saguaro Moon Reviews write up on Return of the Phoenix!

http://saguaromoonreviews.com/return-of-the-phoenix-monster-squad-book-1-by-heath-stallcup-review/

 
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Posted by on May 6, 2015 in Uncategorized

 

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Phoenix on sale this March

28 Feb

I just wanted to take a moment and spread the word.  Return of the Phoenix will be going on sale in March for only 99 cents.

That’s right, you read correctly.  Less than a buck gets the first in the series.  For those who follow my blog, please feel free to reblog it, tweet it, Facebook it, Tumblr it, spread the word on LinkedIn or Instagram or whatever social media you may use. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family and maybe they’ll help spread the word.

MS1

Also, I wanted to invite anybody and everybody who is within traveling distance to come out to the Underground Monster Carnival in Oklahoma City on March 7th. We plan to be there and will have a wide array of Monster Squad stuff. Coffee mugs, wrist bands, bumper stickers, posters, even silver bullet necklaces custom made by Jay Wolf of Elite Ammunition. Yes, the very same Jay Wolf from the stories.

Recruitment poster

The recruiting posters really turned out well and I wish now that I had ordered a lot more of them. I only got a small handful of each cover and after Jess saw this one…she knew they wouldn’t last long.

Of course, we’ll have books there and I’ll be available to sign anything you want signed. It sure sounds like it’s going to be a fun time, so if there is anyway you can make it to the fairgrounds in OKC on the 7th, we’d love to see ya!

 
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Posted by on February 28, 2015 in Uncategorized

 

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Monster Squad Emporium is Now OPEN!

13 Oct

Sounds kind of official, doesn’t it?  Well, it sort of is.  As most of you know, I’ve been on a constant search for a supplier of wholesale t-shirts, coffee mugs, pens…well, most anything that sounds ‘fun’ and can be used as a promotional item.  Since my brain is stuck in the 80’s and today’s prices just seem outrageous, I’ve only ordered what you might call samples.  A few shirts here and there.  A couple dozen coffee cups.  A few custom made pens, notebooks, etc.  Everything has either fallen short of what I was looking for or was too cost prohibitive.

Enter cafepress.  A friend turned me on to them and while they may not be the end-all answer I was searching for, they create on demand AND they offer shirt sizes above and beyond what most other online shirt places offer.  Yes, I can even find some in MY size. I’ve ordered a couple of t-shirts and a couple of travel mugs just to check out the quality.  They offer discount codes at checkout and it makes it just a wee bit more affordable.

I still intend to keep my eyes open for better deals so that I can offer them to my readers as either prizes or as a ‘thank you’ for all that they do to help keep my name in front of new readers.  Until something more solid comes along though, this sounded like a good idea. I know that I’ve gotten emails and PMs from people asking if items like this were available. Until now, they simply weren’t…and while this might not be my preferred way to go, at least it gives readers a chance to pick up their style of clothing or gift items with the logo they love emblazoned across the front of it.

So, just in time for the holidays (I’ve always hated it when people said that…) here’s the link to the new Monster Squad Emporium!
http://www.cafepress.com/MonsterSquadEmporium

 
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Posted by on October 13, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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D-Day, T-Minus 24 Hours and Counting

02 Oct

So here I sit.  It is now officially October 2nd.  Softball playoffs are in full swing.  My twin girls are in Regionals and it’s raining cats and dogs. I tell ya, it’s a welcome distraction. Right now I have many irons in the fire and the first installment of the new Monster Squad saga is just a day away. To say that I’m a bit nervous would be an understatement. I can’t help but wonder if the new storyline will hold to people’s expectations. I’m hoping that they’ll exceed them, but you never really can tell.

Things have evolved a bit for the squads.  Unlike the previous saga that takes place back to back, this new story takes place six months down the road.  The dust has settled, things have calmed down and of course, things happened during that time that set the tone for this new storyline.

Homecoming - Heath Stallcup

Questions that went unanswered in MS4 will slowly start being addressed. People have asked what happened with Mitchell and the blonde haired girl?  Why would Laura so suddenly act like she can’t wait to get away? Why…well…you know what?  Not everything will get answered in MS5, so I’m not going to start here.  Some won’t be addressed until 6.  Or 7.  Or…at all? Yes, I read a lot of the reviews and the constructive criticisms I took to heart and have tried to apply to my writing.  I’ve also tried to apply all of the lessons that my editor has taught me.  I know I have a lot more to learn. Heck, I still consider myself ‘the new guy’ so I am always looking to learn.  Anything that can help me hone my craft and provide you, the reader, with a better experience, I intend to employ.

This last quarter will be a hectic one. MS3 coming out on the 3rd.  Whispers being repackaged and coming out in an exciting new box set in time for Halloween. Forneus Corson coming out in November.

Forneus Corson

MS6 was originally slated for March, but it looks like it’s being bumped to New Years and Caldera (originally slated for New Years) will most likely come out some time between now and January. Early December maybe? I’ll leave that up to Todd. All in all, very exciting and a very busy time of year.

Wayward Son Cover

For those of you who follow my Facebook page, you noticed we had to rework Caldera’s cover.  Although I really liked the original artwork, while the story was on hold, somebody else came out with another book with an almost identical cover. It happens. Sometimes more often than we’d like. But rather than cause confusion (both authors run in the same circles), I felt it best to just have a new cover created. Enter Jeffrey Kosh to save the day.  I gave him a brief overview of the story and he put his creative genius to work.  I got a brand new cover that captures the story even better than the original.

Cover New No Glare

Now, I’ll admit, at first I was pretty upset and needed to vent.  My inner five-year-old needed to throw a hissy fit. So, I did what any grown man who tends to behave like a toddler does… I went to my room (a Facebook group that I belong to) and threw a tantrum. Once I got it out of my system, I was feeling much better. I actually woke up today intending to delete the thread and call it done.  But who should stumble upon it? Yeah… the other author. He took it all in good fun though. Luckily, he’s a better person than I am and didn’t take offense.

So, there you have it.  What’s been happening lately, what’s in the works and what’s planned for the near future.  For those keeping score, MS7 is nearing the halfway mark and I try to do as much as I can every night.  Whether it’s a single line or a complete chapter.  But, as we all know by now, things in this business can be very fluid and I’ve learned to go with the flow.  Things happen and they can happen quickly. So these plans are all tentative. I still like to share them as we make them to give you something to look forward to.  Meanwhile, I need to get ready to head back to the ballfield…and get back to writing.  As of now…I’ve got little to nothing to fall back on.  All of my reserves will be out there.  Which, in some ways, is  a good thing.  In others…it’s a bit scary.  No time to dilly dally…nose to the grindstone and all that.

Until tomorrow my monsters…until tomorrow. 😉

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on October 2, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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Voices In Your Head?

22 Sep

I dunno if you hear voices in your head.  Some people do.  Some go so far as to argue with those voices. Do they realize they’re arguing with themselves? Or are they?

Here’s your chance to have a whole new voice in your head. The voice of Jack Voorhies from Falcon Sound. He’s the talent behind the audible version of the Monster Squad and if you weren’t aware, Full Moon Rising has been released and is ready to continue the story for all of you audiophiles!

FMR mini

http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Full-Moon-Rising-Audiobook/B00NFVRLQW/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srImg?qid=1411443999&sr=1-1

That’s right, Monster Squad 2, Full Moon Rising is one click away from transporting you back to your favorite characters either through Amazon or Audible…but wait! If you act now, we’ll also include…you may have seen this one coming.  I’m going to offer a lucky few of you a free download of Full Moon Rising. There’s a couple ways you could get these ten luscious hours of full on entertainment.  You could pony up the $19.95 like most folks. You could take Audible up on their trial membership and get it for free. OR, if you would be so kind as to leave an HONEST review, I can give you a download code and you can get it free, no strings attached. And believe me, when I say ‘honest review’, I mean just that. I’m not looking for a string of 5 stars and simple one liners like ‘great story, you’ll love it’. I’d like to hear what you liked and what you didn’t like about the story.  Jack and I are big boys and we have thick skin. Besides, how else can we improve on the product if we can’t get honest feedback?

So there’s the offer folks.  Limited number of these freebies so feel free to hit me up here or on Facebook or email me at heathstallcup@gmail.com. If I don’t respond in a reasonable amount of time, please, hit me up again. There is the odd chance that your message gets sent to spam.

And for those few of you who have never listened to an audio book before and aren’t sure if you want to jump into the middle of a series…hit me up.  I’ll see what I can do about getting you a download code for Phoenix as well.  We may as well start you at the beginning.

ROP mini

http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Return-of-the-Phoenix-Audiobook/B00KXCG068/ref=a_search_c4_1_3_srImg?qid=1411443999&sr=1-3

For those of you who think this is a great deal, but it’s just not your cup of tea, I want to personally ask you a favor.  Please spread the word about this offer.  If you have a friend or relative that you think might enjoy an audio book…someone whose eyesight is failing, someone who drives a lot (like a trucker or someone with a long commute), or maybe someone who just doesn’t read well but loves a good story, pass this offer on to them. You never know who might pick up on it. You may just open up a whole new world to somebody who didn’t realize what was available to them.

Thank you.

 
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Posted by on September 22, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

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