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Three weeks until Christmas!

THE 4TH DEMON: THE TRIAL OF THE 3RD DEMON

First, there was some delay in the availability of my newest book on Amazon and other portals. The books are now available and if you cannot find them by doing a search for “The 4th Demon: The Trial of the 3rd Demon” then search under my name. Also, you can go to hopeagainbooks.com for links to the book. And you can go to my Author Central Page on Amazon to find the books, https://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Hennigan/e/B0055JCM3O/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk .

THE 13TH DEMON AND THE 12TH DEMON

So here’s the deal. Charisma Media has ended their Realms imprint and returned the bulk of printed copies of “The 13th Demon” and “The 12th Demon” to me. Right now you can only buy used copies on Amazon so don’t do that! They will charge too much. And the ebooks are not available. I am working on combining these two books into the first volume of “The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel” with new, additional material I was forced to eliminate by Charisma’s draconian editorial process. But that will be after the first of the year.

So I am giving away the first two books for free! That’s right! I have about 40 copies of each and I am bundling them together and will ship you both books for free. All you have to do is pay for shipping and handling fee of $10! This is a good way to introduce others to the world of Jonathan Steel. And, you can start ordering right now. Just go to this PayPal link and place your order. Note that I will be shipping BOTH books, not one or the other. If you already have a book, just give the other away. Again, I only have about 40 copies of each book so don’t delay. Note that the price will be listed as $1 because I have to put a price on the invoice and the shipping will be listed as $9

https://py.pl/m555K — link for purchasing the two books.

CASEY’S SPARROW TEE SHIRT FOR EPILEPSY AWARENESS 

Now, to the other issue, my daughter’s tee shirts. If you have read my blog posts in the past, you are familiar with Casey and her life long battle with epilepsy. She has designed an “Epilepsy Warrior” tee shirt to raise money for epilepsy awareness and she will give the proceeds to the Epilepsy Foundation. We have sold about half of the minimal 50 shirts so far and have eight days left in the campaign. Go to https://www.bonfire.com/caseys-sparrow/ and order a tee shirt, a hoodie, or a long sleeve tee shirt.

Thank you for supporting my writing and thank especially for supporting Casey’s efforts to raise epilepsy awareness!

Weigh Your Heart!

I was very depressed trying to watch a Hulu show, “The Patient”. If you made it through the entire series you know why. Dark, depressing, hopeless, filled with despair and the most subtly violent murders I’ve ever witnessed. I wanted to chain myself to a dark, basement bedroom floor by the end of the thing!

And watching the first part of that series changed my approach to writing. I’ve been working on the next two demons in my Chronicles of Jonathan Steel trying my best to keep them in separate books. That didn’t happen. The story of the 4th demon is so intertwined with the 3rd demon I had to combine the books for one LONG book. It will cost a bit more but that is because of the added cost of printing and producing the book by my distributor, Ingram.

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Demoneyes!

As promised, the next book will be out on Monday, November 22nd.

Can Jonathan Steel complete all three tasks demanded of him by the “unholy triad” of the 7th, 6th, and 5th demons in time to save Joshua Knight’s life? Can Joshua Knight keep the mysterious Pandora from taking over his mind while he is fighting for his life? To save Joshua Knight, Jonathan Steel must become an ally of a serial killer and locate the arcane Ark of the Demon Rose. In the process, his past comes back to haunt him. Was he once an assassin? What price is he willing to pay to save his son? With time running out, Jonathan Steel betrays all that he has come to represent and must walk on the side of the demons!

At the end of “The 7th Demon: The Pandora Stone” I left my readers in a bit of a cliffhanger and I promised I would have the next book by December 1. Well, it is here! “The 5th Demon: Demoneyes” will be available on Monday, November 22nd! Print and ebook versions will be available.

This book takes the reader deeper into the mind of Josh Knight and his battle with Pandora. The battle for Joshua Knight’s life continues as Jonathan Steel tries to complete the three tasks given to him by the unholy triad. Jonathan Steel must break down the barriers of time and space itself to achieve his goals. And, all the while, he must walk a thin line between betraying his allegiance to God and walking on the side of the demons!

Christmas is upon us and this book will make a good gift along with the accompanying “The 7th Demon” book. My readers may notice there is no “The 6th Demon” book. There are three demons featured in two books. This will also be true in the coming final two books. Each will feature two demons. That’s right! I will finish the Chronicles of Jonathan Steel in two more books. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Because, Jonathan Steel will not!

Book Event, Mark Sutton’s Demon Undertow

First off, request for prayer for Mark Sutton who is receiving treatment for a viral infection. Not COVID! Since he has had a lung transplant, he is immunosuppressed. He and Donna are still planning to be in Shreveport this weekend (they live in Florida) for his book launch of “Demon Undertow”.

We will be in the Well, the coffee shop of Brookwood Baptist Church (at the corner of I49 and Bert Kouns) this coming Saturday, May 15th from 5 to 7 PM. Free coffee and snacks. And, FREE books.

That’s right. Charisma Media, the publisher of my two books, “The 13th Demon” and “The 12th Demon” have returned all rights to me along with remaining inventory. So, this coming Saturday you can come by and pick up a FREE copy of “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” as long as supply lasts. And, in addition to that, I will be offering the second book, “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” and the third book, “The 1tth Demon: The Ark of Chaos” for only $2.50 each. This gives you a chance to sample the Chronicles of Jonathan Steel and see if you would like to continue reading the entire series so far.

But, the feature of our Book Event is Mark Sutton’s newest book: “Demon Undertow”. The cover alone has caused a bit of a stir, but the book is riveting and redemptive in its ultimate message.

Here is a synopsis:

The ocean-side community of Hidden Beach, Florida, is under attack. A series of murders has the police scrambling to find the killer, and as the body count rises, they narrow their search to Henry Watchman, pastor of Hidden Beach Community Church. Though the pastor denies having any part in the murders, he and his wife, Jenna, are hiding a terrible secret.

Vincent Anderson, a young detective on the force, is bending his time and effort to catching the pastor –but the murders continue. And behind it all, a shadowy force rises from the ocean’s depths. Though unseen, it pushes men and women to the brink of ruin. If not stopped, the sinister force will swamp many of Hidden Beach’s citizens in a Demon Undertow.

In addition to this book, Mark’s other fiction book, “Pitfall” about the war in heaven will also be offered. Also, our book, “Hope Again: A Lifetime Plan for Conquering Depression” along with a set of LifeFilters will be offered.

Come on by Saturday evening and have a cup of coffee. Meet and greet Mark and Donna Sutton (we will be using social distancing because of Mark’s illness). Hope to see you there!

The 8th Demon is Here!

While on a flight to meet with the mysterious “Max”, Jonathan Steel is the only survivor when his passenger airplane crashes in the Swiss Alps. He is accused of being a terrorist and is placed under house arrest. Meanwhile, Josh’s new friend Olivia possesses a set of virtual reality goggles called the “Third Eye Interface”. Soon, they are pursued by assassins bent on obtaining the goggles and have to flee the country. Their plans are interrupted when they are both abducted by a dangerous person from Josh’s past. Max helps Jonathan escape house arrest and sends him on a mission to London to rescue Josh and Olivia. Once there, Jonathan learns he must enter the virtual world of “Numinocity” created by Dr. Sultana Thakkar, a renowned neuroscientist who is also in league with the eighth demon. Her plan is to use the Third Eye Interface to enslave millions in Europe with her virtual world. Josh and his friends must enter Numinocity and stop the eighth demon before she enslaves millions in demonic possession.

Today, the ebook version is available at most book sellers. The print version will be available on May 20th and you can preorder it now. Above is the cover of the book. I hope my readers enjoy this journey into the unknown. Thanks for following me. More to come in the near future about “The 8th Demon”. You can visit my author page on Amazon here.

Still Writing?!?

I have been lost in my day job.

The past six months have been rather immersive for me. Due to changes in my medical practice, I have been unable to work on my upcoming books, social media, publishing, etc. It’s been tough.

I have received some very encouraging emails from those of you who have purchased “The 10th Demon: Children of the Bloodstone”. I am working on expanding my publishing offerings. And, I hope to have an official book launch here in Shreveport for “The 10th Demon” sometime in June — only six months late!

Just to give you an update on my writing. I am half way through “The 9th Demon: A Wicked Numinosity” and, honestly, the story I had planned for this book would not have worked without recent advances in nanotechnology and virtual reality. I started the book about seven years ago but only in recent months has new technology allowed me to make the story believable and possible in our world.

I am also revising a new project. “Death By Darwyn” (There’s a reason Darwyn has a “y”) was a book I originally presented to Realms way back in 2009. They optioned a first refusal and it has been sitting on the shelf. This past November, I finished the rough draft as part of NanoWriMo. I recently had another inspiration that allowed me to finish the story. It is a legal thriller and here is the synopsis:

Ruth Branson is a junior partner in a major law firm in Dallas, Texas. Bryan Nicholas and Ruth are up for the same position as full partner. When a prominent scientist is brutally murdered, Ruth is given the impossible task of defending the murderer, Dr. Frank Miller. Nicholas must prosecute. Whoever wins the case becomes the next partner. The problem is Dr. Miller was caught red handed holding the claw of a recreation of the dinosaur “Annieraptor” after ripping the heart out of his boss, Dr. Wallace Darwyn. As the trial unfolds, the issues of God versus evolution surface as Nicholas tries to depict Miller as a religious fanatic. Joining the legal team is the mysterious Jonathan Steel in the capacity of lead investigator. Can Ruth find the real killer before Miller is convicted of first degree murder? Can she resolve her own confusion about the existence of God?

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I wrote the book to give Jonathan Steel a minor role in hopes that readers who like legal thrillers might read the book and then want to learn more about Steel in my “Chronicles of Jonathan Steel” series.

So, keep in touch. I hope both books will be available by late summer, early fall. Thank you again for your support.

The 10th Demon is Close By!

10th Demon Book Cover5

I just approved the final proof for “The 10th Demon: Children of the Bloodstone”. I am so excited to announce the fourth book in the “Chronicles of Jonathan Steel”. My tentative plan is to have a book launch at Brookwood Baptist Church on Friday, November 13th from 630 to 8 PM pending the arrival of my books! So, keep in touch and I’ll keep you posted for details. In the meantime, look up for EVIL REIGNS FROM THE SKIES!

The Shreveport Times Article

I met author Judy Christie a few years back at our “Author! Author!” event here in Shreveport. Judy writes excellent novels with a “Louisiana flair” and her books are delightful. Check them out. Well, not too long ago, Judy and I reconnected and she has written an article for the Shreveport Times about little old me! I am humbled and honored by her article you can read at this link.

Now, for an update to the fourth book in the Chronicles of Jonathan Steel. I am finishing up the final edit this week. After being released from a very restrictive book contract and whittling down the story from 120000 words to 75000 words it is a pleasure to completely redo the novel. I was forced to cut so much of the story in order to meet these word count restrictions. Now, I have written the book I want to read. And, hopefully, my writing has improved thanks to editorial input from fiction editors I worked with while at Charisma.

My plan now is to publish the book under my own imprint and I am shooting for August or September so I will keep you posted.

Thanks again to Judy for a wonderful article.

Writing Tip #1: Yes, Say “NO”!

9781490813882_COVER.inddIt’s been a while since I posted on my own website. I’ve been busy over at that other site, www.conqueringdepression.com  promoting our new book, “Hope Again: A 30 Day Plan for Conquering Depression”. I just received a letter from my warehouse and I need to move many more of my copies of “The 11th Demon: The Ark of Chaos” if I want to put out the next book by the spring. So, here is the deal. I’ve now officially published four books since 2011 and for the next few posts I want to share with my readers some tips I learned about the process of finally getting that book on the shelves. These tips came to me over the past 20 years and they apply not only to publishing but to any creative endeavor.

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An Old god . . .

My son, Sean, recently shared with me some thoughts on content and media in the wake of the introduction of a new game console. His insight into story and creating content are very interesting from the point of view of the twenty something generation. Here it is:

 “every great thing that ever was, was small on the day before it became great” Michael Hyatt

The biggest problem we’re facing in the modern world is not hunger or disease, government overreach or corporate ownership, shifting global industries or climate change (though believe me, all those issues are important and vital to address in one way or another.) No, the biggest problem facing our generation is this: what do we do with the time we’re given?

HappyAlarmClock

We live in an unprecedented season of human history where technology, social development and worldwide prosperity gives an increasingly large portion of the world more free time than they know what to do with. Access to tools for information technologies and public information create a world where secrets can’t hide, and if they can, they can’t hide for long. Information access is the great socially destabilizing force of our time. When combined with the reshaping of world socio-economic systems, a larger population of the world’s population has access to a larger pool of comfortable free time than at any other point in human history.

 

Like Clay Shirkey points out in Cognitive Surplus, we’ve spent the last 50 years trying to reckon with this enormous shift in social and cultural life around the globe. Shirkey asserts that like the gin craze of industrialized London, society has coped with our influx of free time by investing in something easy and palatable (though by no means healthy): the television. We befriend characters (fictional and “real”) and we live vicariously through them, letting producers and writers take our nigh-genetically-encoded hunger for story and shared experience and transform it into a multimedia, multi-national conglomerate entertainment complex. For many years, television viewership was like a national religion – the shared set of stories and cultural understandings that grounded us in modern life.

 

But (and this is a really, truly crucial but): the world is changed. Ironically, the information access that created this coping mechanism’s key systems is also slowly dismantling it. With the advent of personal computing, interactive entertainment and affordable mobile electronic devices, people have more opportunity than ever to actively participate in and sometimes even co-create the media they consume. Smartphones enable users to photograph or record any event they choose; games like Minecraft and even Mass Effect allow users the opportunity to custom-tailor their story experience and tell stories of their own; and digital hosting like Youtube or Instagram allow for easy and free distribution of created material. We have participated in stories because we must be involved in shaping our understanding of our world; we have consumed them passively through commercial media production because previously we have had no choice.

 We have participated in stories because we must be involved in shaping our understanding of our world

That has changed. Reality has shifted, and media creation (and participatory media consumption) is now within reach of (if not already a reality for) a vast majority of people in the developed  world (and a good portion of the developing world too.) Humans have always had a nigh-infinite capacity for creation and self-realization; technology now allows our created works to finally catch up with our imaginations.

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Most people realize that this change has come about on an instinctive level. They share photos and videos of their lives on Facebook; they post pictures to Instagram and keep up with far-flung acquaintances through digital audio and text. The capacity for deliberation and deep, honest engagement with people of like mind has never been greater. Therefore, for most people the television has become the new household god, a marker of cultural identity maybe, and a presence to which people feel great affection or deference, but not the overwhelming, monolithic driver of human existence and identity that it once was.

It’s an old god in a new world, having the appearance of power but slowly losing any of that power’s realities, not by outright defeat, but by a slow fade into irrelevance.

 

There’s a secret to that god, one that its fondest worshippers diligently spend millions of dollars a day to obfuscate and disguise. The secret is this: the god was never real, and was of our own making from the beginning. Before television, before commercial radio, we created: we told stories, we laughed at bars, we wrote songs on our porches. Sure, there were always consumptive media (and interactive experiences like games, incidentally), but we have always actively engaged them: we have gone to the theater, we have cheered at games, we have sung together in church. One of our human prerogatives is to create, and no amount of media consumption has ever fully suppressed that compulsion. We’ve consumed because we’ve been trained to; we create because we have no other choice.

Hayballs_Landscape

So that’s my invitation to you: create. Make something. Do something; do anything. There is no amount of cultural gatekeeping that can keep you from creating. The tools are there; the desire is there. You need only to act. Michael Hyatt says every great thing that ever was, was small on the day before it became great. You have no idea how important your stories are: to you, to your loved ones, to me, to the world. You just have to tell them. If you do, if we create and share, then the world will never look the same again.

Summer is coming and you an find supernatural thrillers to read at the beach. Check out The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel and my newest book, “The 11th Demon: The Ark of Chaos” at the ORDER tab on this website.

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