When the alien war engulfing the distant planet Jontashreena spilled through a network of interspatial conduits, or “portals,” to Earth, humankind was plunged into the midst of a generations-old conflict between the Plysserians and the Chodrecai. For the first time in their history, humans faced a threat to their very existence and found themselves forced to take up arms in order to resist the global threat.
During those first chaotic days and weeks, uncounted skirmishes broke out across the planet, unfolding in the heart of major population centers as well as regions isolated or all but unknown. Though the Plysserians befriended the people of Earth during the early days of the War, pledging to defend the planet against the oppressive forces of the Chodrecai military machine, it soon became clear that humankind may well have allied itself with the wrong side.
Whereas images from the largest and most decisive of those battles were broadcast around the world to an awestruck and even terrified audience, numerous stories of smaller yet equally important encounters and confrontations remained untold, until now….
The Last World War makes mention of a number of events, skirmishes, and other encounters with the aliens that are not actually depicted within the pages of my original novel, particularly as the story progresses and the war expands its scope across the entire planet. The short story format seemed like the perfect venue for me to explore some of these “untold tales.”
(For those wondering, a reference to alien contact by a Texas militia is mentioned on pages 333-334 of the original novel.)
EDIT: January 4th, 2011
The Amazon Shorts Program consisted of original works delivered via direct digital download, which you could then read on your computer, portable device, or you even print out. I wrote “Texas Pride” specifically to test-drive the program, as well as to see if there still was any interest in further stories that utilize the original novel’s setting. Last year, I took the story and formatted it as a limited-edition “chapbook,” which I made available for sale at conventions and book signings. I may also use this as one of my first forays into self-publishing in e-Book format, such as for Amazon’s Kindle and B&N’s Nook e-Readers.
Now that Counterstrike: The Last World War, Book II has been written and released, it remains to be seen if I’ll have an opportunity to write more tales like “Texas Pride.”
The Fog of Ward. 
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