When I began my first novel, The Best Dark Rain, it was meant to be a stand-alone tale. The story begins in situ; the world has died, and Seattle has died along with it. The novel dives right into the lives of our protagonists, picking up the tale without any omniscient narration. There are no carefully inserted explanations; no second-rate scientist in a white lab coat, appearing from nowhere. The Best Dark Rain is still a stand-alone novel, but now it has company.
Readers, bless them each and every one, are stubborn creatures. And in this post-modern age, where we are all connected in a great tangle of social media, readers can ask authors questions. And they do; over and over again. What readers ask for, in general, is more background, more details. (Sometimes the ask for naked photos of the characters, but I gently ignore those requests.)
First there were reader questions, then some badgering, and finally my own need for a shorter writing project. That project became the novella Clouds Before Rain. As my friend Roberto says: “Ta-Daa!”
Clouds Before Rain: A Prequel to The Best Dark Rain (Full title) is the tale of a world dying, and dying quickly. But the real story revolves around the choices that the survivors are forced to make. It was fascinating to imagine how different groups of folks would react, and then try to set that down in a shorter format. For better or worse, this novella is the beginning of The Best Dark Rain Series. I am sure there will be a sequel. If I’ve learned anything from the marvel Universe, there is always a sequel. But I’m not promising it will be tomorrow.
Both volumes in The Best Dark Rain series are available as eBooks or paperbacks. The eBook version is available over a wide platform of online booksellers, including Amazon, iBooks, Nook, Kobo, and more. Just click the appropriate link (below) to find your favorite vendor.
Clouds Before Rain can be found at:
The Best Dark Rain can be found at:
Thank you so much for reading, and for being readers. Readers rock my world!! There are more projects in the works, more updates, more book deals. Check out my website for all of the news.
Very best regards,
Marco
