Hello friends

It has been a while, I know!

Here is a recent picture of me so you know I’m still alive.

There is a lot going on but let’s start with what you signed up for, The Catcher’s Trap. This week we are putting the final touches on the cover so the book can, finally, go to the printer on August 30th. Just writing that gives me chills.

You will receive an e-mail with access to the e-version of The Catcher’s Trap on October 8th and the actual book around November 8th. Then we’ll embark on a new quest: reaching 100 reviews on Amazon! (I’ll let you know more about that when the time comes)

On other equally fun fronts. This weekend I’ll be at the Connecticut HorrorFest, so if you are in the area come and visit me. The legendary George Romero will be there, plus many other horror icons. And… talking about horror. I’m writing a campy horror novel called Bad Medicine: Slay it Queen.

Bad Medicine is the story of an up-and-coming New York drag-queen faced with a poorly timed zombie apocalypse. If the idea of a zombie-slaying-machete-wielding drag queen sounds interesting to you, please check out here. You can read the funny and scary first chapter. You can also follow the project for updates.

Finally, I want to bring your attention to another author’s project. Through the video game writing contest that just ended I made a new friend, the talented Jamison Stone. Jamison not only have given me great advice to promote my book, but he also wrote a very kind blurb that will go on the back cover of  The Catcher’s Trap.

“I don’t normally read horror, but could not resist Henriquez’s debut novel. Upon reading, I was reminded why I normally shy away from this genre—The Catchers Trap is truly terrifying. However, what kept me coming back, despite my palpable fear, was the profoundly deep inner journey of Andres, the main character, and his personal transformation during the course of the novel. I have to admit, however, that in-between reading sessions I did have to hide The Catchers Trap in the freezer. So, my one suggestion, before you start reading, make sure you have plenty of room in YOUR freezer. While I cannot promise this will keep you safe from Henriquez’s truly terrifying writing when it is time to close your eyes and go to sleep—you will at least be safer.” —Jamison Stone, author of Rune of the Apprentice

Don’t we all love the Friends reference?

I was lucky enough to read his book Rune of The Apprentice, and I can tell you that if epic fantasy is your thing, this is a must read. The book is available on Amazon so go and get your copy.

That’s it for now, folks. Have a fantastic week and remember:

“The universe is big. It’s vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen, and we call them miracles.” The Doctor.

Beautiful Readers,

I have good news, and I have... regular news.

For those of you just tuning in, Devil’s Call began its life as a novella, meaning it clocked in at fewer than 40,000 words and the ending was ambiguous and the antagonist, George Dalton, barely appeared in the story at all.

After some behind the scenes occurrences which I’m not at liberty to discuss yet, I decided to expand the story, flesh out the Dalton character, and make it a full-length novel, meaning its word count would double and I would have to, you know, actually do work.

The good news is, after a month or so of bitching and gnashing my teeth and Adam Gomolin yelling at me to not quit on him, I have finished a scene outline and a synopsis of what the completed novel will look like, so it has a proper ending and character arcs and themes and so on and so forth.

The regular news is, I now have to rewrite the hundred-something pages I’d already decided were the entirety of the original novella, and then actually write the rest of the draft, which won’t be as difficult as I’m making it sound. I made my bed today. I can do anything.

Within the next few weeks, y’all can expect a rewritten first chapter, which I’m about 90% sure will be about 30% different from the one that’s up now, and if I really throttle my keyboard I will have a completed draft by the end of September.

(And I shall throttle my keyboard. One thing this process has solidified for me is the fact that I produce pages, pardon my French, like a fucking maniac.)

That’s it. That’s the news. Expect the new Chapter 1 by the end of this upcoming week.

Smoke ’em if you got ’em,
J.