Cold Iron: Now Available

Cold Iron Cover

They found him wandering around Mount Grace Cemetery at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday.

Detective Morgan Everson has gotten pretty acquainted with death. She sees it all the time, especially working the Special Homicide division in Philadelphia. But this case is new. In this case, the victim of the murder is also a potential eye-witness. His name is Seth, and he was dead for thirty-five years before they found him wandering around a cemetery.

A detective himself in the 1980s, Seth sets about putting together the pieces of the former life he can barely remember. In his wake, however, people who knew him start dying, and in particularly violent ways that put them squarely in Morgan’s lap. She must discover the connection between Seth and the murders, even as Seth works to understand the whys and wherefores of his resurrection. The connection between the two may be the bullet found among Seth’s belongings. It is not jacketed in steel or made with silver, but instead has a core of cold iron. What it means, and the intent behind its creation, will change the lives of both detectives forever.

What is the secret of Seth’s resurrection?

Why are his old friends and acquaintances getting killed?

And what is Morgan not telling him about this new world into which he’s awakened?

To find out, consider one of these fine options:

Amazon (US): Buy Here

Amazon (UK): Buy Here

Barnes & Noble: Buy Here

Smashwords: Buy Here

Author’s Notes

Here it is, my first published work of fiction. I hope you all enjoy it!

I’ve conceived Cold Iron as the first in a series. I didn’t want to mention that, though, in the actual novella. Given that this is my first work for sale ever, I feared coming across as pretentious. “Of COURSE this will sell! It will sell a million copies! And when the next one comes out, it will sell TEN million!” Just felt… wrong, somehow. Maybe I’m wrong.

I did, however, include a preview of the next novella, Cold Streets. It should be out before the end of the year.

The third one, Cold Light, will likely wrap up early in 2013. Provided these things actually sell.

Inspiration for this series has come from a variety of places. Thematically it most closely resembles Law & Order set in the World of Darkness. I wasn’t sure about the length of it until I started reading novellas on my Kindle. The writing is succinct and punchy, the overall story tight due to length restrictions, and I was almost always left wanting more. If you’ve read Shotgun Gravy you probably know what I’m talking about.

The cover came from one of a slew of fantastic photos taken by the inimitable J.R. Blackwell. Not wanting to mess things up by using my own meager Photoshop skills, I asked J.R. for a designer she trusted. That’s how I met Nicola Black, who graciously and enthusiastically turned some already breathtaking photos into truly awesome cover concepts. As great as it was to work with such talented ladies, I’m not sure if future covers will also be photograph-based or if they’ll be illustrated. I wanted Cold Iron to have a sense of weight, a touch of realism, right off the bat. I felt a photograph would do that better than an illustration. Again, could be wrong.

So here’s me crossing fingers and gritting teeth. Thanks in advance if you decide Cold Iron‘s worth your time to read, and if you’d like to tell your friends or leave a review, I’d be deeply grateful. It’s my hope this is the first of many such announcements you’ll see in this space.

1 Comment

  1. Congratulations on the novella’s release, Josh! It was a lot of fun working with you and J.R. Blackwell’s photos. If you do decide to go the illustration / graphic cover route next time, let me know — I also offer illustration and would be happy to help!

Leave a Reply

© 2024 Blue Ink Alchemy

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑

%d bloggers like this: