Predator: If It Bleeds…the Hold-It-in-Your hands edition audiobook!

An unexpected treat in today’s mail.

Those of you who know who might not know (and, really…what’s that about?), If It Bleeds, the anthology of all-new Predator short stories that came out last fall, was graced with an audiobook edition back in February.

In addition to the digital audio download edition which is all the rage-these days, Blackstone Audio also saw fit to take pity on us hold-outs for old-school physical media by issuing both an MP3 CD version of the audiobook as well as an older-still-school version on regular CD.

Hey. I like my CDs. That’s right, I said it.

Moving on…

Anyway, back to today’s mail treat:

That’s right, pursuers of elusive electrons. Bask in the glory that is physical media. This’ll look way better on the brag shelf than an index card with a link to my iTunes or Audible account, amirite?

I’d been looking forward to listening to this during my work commute. Looks like I can get started on it tomorrow morning. Awwwwwwwwwwwww, yeah.

So, you know….get to da bookstoah!

 

Stick this in your ears! Predator: If It Bleeds….the audiobook!

Even though it’s apparently been available as an mp3 CD for a short while, today is the “official” release date for the audio edition of Predator: If It Bleeds, the anthology of all-original tales featuring everyone’s favorite intergalactic hunters and general ugly muthas, as edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt.

Produced by Blackstone Audio, this unabridged adaptation of the anthology (which was published in trade paperback format last October) features all sixteen stories, and each tale has been given its own narrator!

(story author in parentheses)

Introduction (Bryan) – Tom Taylorson
Devil Dogs (Tim Lebbon) – Nicol Zanzarella
Stonewall’s Last Stand (Jeremy Robinson) – Tom Taylorson
Rematch (Steve Perry) – Traber Burns
May Blood Pave My Way Home (Weston Ochse) – Bradford Hastings
Storm Blood (Peter J. Wacks and David Boop) – Bahni Turpin
Last Report from the KSS Psychopomp (Jennifer Brozek) – Emily Sutton-Smith
Skeld’s Keep (S.D. Perry) – Ulf Bjorklund
Indigenous Species (Kevin J. Anderson) – James Patrick Cronin
Blood and Sand (Mira Grant) – Andre Eiden
Tin Warrior (John Shirley) – Scott Brick
Three Sparks (Larry Correia) – Feodor Chin
The Pilot (Andrew Mayne) – John Pruden
Buffalo Jump (Wendy N. Wagner) – Mark Bramhall
Drug War (Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Holly Roberds) – Dan John Miller
Recon (me) – Peter Berkrot
Gameworld (Jonathan Maberry) – John McLain

That’s some kind of lineup, authors and voice actors alike, amirite?

Predator: If It Bleeds is available in both mp3 CD and digital audio download formats, in addition to the aforementioned trade paperback.

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble.com
Books-A-Million

Go on, you know you want to. I mean, if it bleeds, you can hear it…or, something.

 

 

More stuff for your ears: the audiobook for Predator: If It Bleeds!

Get to da headphones!

The audiobook train seems to just keep on rolling. This time, we’re talking about an audio adaptation of If It Bleeds, the Predator anthology which was published by Titan Books back in October. Edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt, the collection features a seriously bad-ass author lineup.

Oh, and me.

Blackstone Audio is producing the adaptation, and they’re making things more interesting by giving each story its own narrator, which I think is pretty cool. Check it out:

(story author in parentheses)

Introduction (Bryan) – Tom Taylorson
Devil Dogs (Tim Lebbon) – Nicol Zanzarella
Stonewall’s Last Stand (Jeremy Robinson) – Tom Taylorson
Rematch (Steve Perry) – Traber Burns
May Blood Pave My Way Home (Weston Ochse) – Bradford Hastings
Storm Blood (Peter J. Wacks and David Boop) – Bahni Turpin
Last Report from the KSS Psychopomp (Jennifer Brozek) – Emily Sutton-Smith
Skeld’s Keep (S.D. Perry) – Ulf Bjorklund
Indigenous Species (Kevin J. Anderson) – James Patrick Cronin
Blood and Sand (Mira Grant) – Andre Eiden
Tin Warrior (John Shirley) – Scott Brick
Three Sparks (Larry Correia) – Feodor Chin
The Pilot (Andrew Mayne) – John Pruden
Buffalo Jump (Wendy N. Wagner) – Mark Bramhall
Drug War (Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Holly Roberds) – Dan John Miller
Recon (me) – Peter Berkrot
Gameworld (Jonathan Maberry) – John McLain

Since I listen to audiobooks on a regular basis – thanks nowadays in no small part to my work commute – I’m familiar with several names on this list, including Peter Berkrot, who’s been tapped to read my story, “Recon.” Mr. Berkrot is a veteran actor as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator, with nearly 200 audiobooks to his credit. Movie nerds may also recognize him as Angie D’Annunzio, one of the golf caddies at the Bushwood Country Club in the comedy cult classic, Caddyshack. D’Annunzio is the one who nearly gets stabbed with a pitchfork by Bill Murray during his story about meeting the Dalai Lama.

And now he’s reading my story. How cool is that?

The unabridged audio adaptation of Predator: If It Bleeds is currently slated for release on February 27, 2018, in digital download, MP3 CD, and regular CD formats. Check out Blackstone’s page for the book to get all the details!

You say you want to buy my books to give as presents? All righty, then!

Holiday shopping is in full swing, and plenty of writerly and other creative folks are advertising their respective wares. I’ve gotten a few emails or other messages from people here and there, asking for suggestions about which of my books might make for good gift-giving and whatnot.

Setting aside my kneejerk initial answer (“Um, all of them? Get one of each, and make a nice gift basket.”), I’ve pondered this a bit over the last couple of days, and settled on a handful of titles I think might have broad(er) appeal to the Trekkie on your shopping list. Also? You’ll be helping me to do things like pay my mortgage and put food in my kids’ faces. Everybody wins!

Here, have a look:

Predator: If It Bleeds

“IF IT BLEEDS, WE CAN KILL IT.”
Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer (from Predator, 1987)

Over the centuries, extraterrestrial hunters of the Yautja race—also known as the Predators—have encountered (and stalked) humans on Earth and in the depths of space. Offered here are sixteen all-new stories of such hunts, written by many of today’s most extraordinary authors:

Kevin J. Anderson
Jennifer Brozek
Larry Correia
Mira Grant
Tim Lebbon
Jonathan Maberry
Andrew Mayne
Weston Ochse
S. D. Perry
Steve Perry
Jeremy Robinson
John Shirley
Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Holly Roberds
Peter J. Wacks and David Boop
Wendy N. Wagner
Dayton Ward

Inspired by the events of the original Predator movies, graphic novels, and novels, these adventures pit hunter against prey in life-and-death struggles where there can be only one victor.

---

Awwwwwwwww, yeah.

I still remember when editor Bryan Thomas Schmidt reached out to me, gauging my interest in contributing a short story to this anthology he was assembling. The invitation came at just the right time, as I was in sore need of a pick-me-up to help combat various personal and family issues during that time. The original Predator is one of my all-time favorite 80s films, and thirty years later I think it still holds its own against most of the action movies which have come along since it was first on theater screens.

As for If It Bleeds? I am thoroughly jazzed to be sharing a table of contents with this roster of word pushers, which includes several people I’m proud to call friend. The stories run the gamut and span centuries from the distant past to the far future. My story, “Recon,” takes place in 1968 and is set in Vietnam.

If you can’t obtain a copy of this bee-yoo-tiful tome via your local independent bookseller, there’s always the online merchant option, so let me hit you with some link action:

Trade Paperback, Kindle e-Book, and Audiobook from Amazon.com
Trade Paperback, Nook e-Book, and Audiobook from Barnes & Noble
Trade Paperback, Various e-Book formats, and Audiobook from Books-A-Million

In addition to providing a permanent home for links to find and order the book, this entry also will serve as our book’s “official” Q&A thread. Those of you who want to chat about the book, feel free to post your questions/etc. to the comments section. For those of you who’ve found this page and perhaps not yet read the book, BEWARE THAT SPOILERS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.

Book Fairy delivery – Predator: If It Bleeds!

Awwwww Yisssss.

What do I find on the front porch this afternoon, but a brand-spankin’ new car-smellin’ copy of If It Bleeds, a collection of all new Predator short stories, coming very soon from Titan Books and editor Bryan Thomas Schmidt.

Take a look at this bad boy. Pretty sweet, amirite?

So, what’s the deal with this thing? Hey! I’m glad you asked. Check it out:

Over the centuries, extraterrestrial hunters of the Yautja race—also known as the Predators—have encountered (and stalked) humans on Earth and in the depths of space. Offered here are sixteen all-new stories of such hunts, written by many of today’s most extraordinary authors:

Kevin J. Anderson
Jennifer Brozek
Larry Correia
Mira Grant
Tim Lebbon
Jonathan Maberry
Andrew Mayne
Weston Ochse
S. D. Perry
Steve Perry
Jeremy Robinson
John Shirley
Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Holly Roberds
Peter J. Wacks and David Boop
Wendy N. Wagner
Dayton Ward

Inspired by the events of the original Predator movies, graphic novels, and novels, these adventures pit hunter against prey in life-and-death struggles where there can be only one victor.

That’s one hell of a line-up I stumbled into. Pretty sweet, eh?

The stories collected here span centuries of time, from ancient history to the far future. For example, my story, “Recon,” is set in Vietnam in 1968.

Predator: If It Bleeds goes on sale on October 17th. It’ll be available in trade paperback and e-Book format, so pick your poison and get to da choppah!

Is this thing on? An overdue update!

Previously, on The Fog of Ward:

Yes, things have been quiet around here, lately. Sorry about that. My last couple of weeks were dominated by finishing up the manuscript for what will be my 25th novel, if the publishing gods are kind.

What can I tell you about the new book?

Um…..it’s about 97,000 words, give or take, and that’s exactly all I can tell you about it at this point. Hopefully I’ll be able to spill at least a few juicy deets soon, but until then, as Sid Hudgens might put it in L.A. Confidential, everything’s “Off the record, on the QT, and very hush–hush.”

So….oh, well. 🙂

With that manuscript delivered, my attention will soon be turning to my next novel, for which an outline has been with my editor the past few weeks. I’m anxious to get started on this one because it promises to be tremendous fun. What’s it about?

Um…..it’s going to be about 50,000 words, give or take, and that’s exactly all I can tell you about it at this point. Hopefully I’ll be able to spill at least a few juicy deets soon, but until then, as Sid Hudgens might put it in L.A. Confidential, everything’s “Off the record, on the QT, and very hush–hush.”

No, that’s not a temporal loop. Just the state of my writing life, at the moment.

What’s that? What can I talk about? I suppose I can give an update on things that are “Coming Soon!”

First up, my Star Trek: The Next Generation novel Hearts and Minds is already starting to pop up in stores, ahead of its “official” publication date of next Tuesday, May 30th. It’s both a (largely) standalone TNG tale for Captain Picard and his merry band aboard the Enterprise-E as well as a loose sequel to my earlier novels From History’s Shadow and Elusive Salvation.

(You’ve all read both of those, right?)

Elsewhere, I was also happy earlier this week to find out the core rulebook and a few other tasty accessories have been finalized and approved for Star Trek Adventures, the new tabletop role-playing game coming at ya later this summer from the good folks at Modiphius. According to the gang putting the game together, the option to pre-order these items will be available in a few weeks, and the stuff will begin shipping in late August to be in stores by September. Those of you who visit this space know I  helped contribute a storyline to drive the game’s initial, “living campaign playtest,” and that “startup” story as well as some scenarios for gaming in that setting are being packaged into the book. I also contributed some other “sidebar” material, but I have no idea what form that stuff will take. I’m as excited to see the finished book as everyone else. 🙂

Currently, I’m tending to a few items on my “To Do List” this week, before I head out with the family for a quick vacation and then come back to get started on the new book. Chief among those To Do Items are reviewing and making any needed fixes to the copyedited manuscript for my short story “Recon,” which will be included in a forthcoming anthology, Predator: If It Bleeds edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and published by Titan Books.

Also, I’m turning some attention and a few brain cells to the outline for an original science fiction novel concept, that I’m hoping to pitch to publishers this summer. It’s been lying dormant for a long while, owing to my focus being elsewhere, but my goal is to have the outline completed by the end of June. Keep those fingers crossed!

There are a few other things percolating, but at present they’re all rather amorphous, so I’m not going to jinx any of them by talking too much.

So, that’s what’s up with me. ‘sup with you?

 

Cover reveal for PREDATOR: IF IT BLEEDS!

“Get to dah book stoah!”

AvPGalaxy.net, the UK-based fan news site that covers any and all things happening within the Alien and Predator franchises, has just revealed the cover and full author roster for Predator: If It Bleeds. Edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt, this anthology of all-new Predator stories is set for publication in October from Titan Books.

Check it out, yo:

(Click to Biggie Size)

From the back cover:

“Seventeen brand new, never before seen stories—exclusive to this collection—featuring the Predators throughout space and time. Based entirely on the original films, novels, and comics, PREDATOR: IF IT BLEEDS (a quote from the original movie) reveals the Predators stalking prey in 12th Century Japan, 9th Century Viking Norway, World War I, Vietnam, the Civil War, Hurricane Katrina, and the modern day, as well as across the far reaches of future space.”

Titan’s held the license to publish Alien and Predator novels for a while now, including tales that further the Alien vs Predator mythos that began waaaaaaaay back when in the pages of various Dark Horse comics (and all of it owing to that one scene in Predator 2 where we see the skull of an Alien xenomorph on the Predator’s trophy wall).

I’ve not yet had a chance to play around in the Alien universe, but that’s definitely on my Bucket List. So, too, was Predator, so many thanks to Bryan for inviting me to contribute a story to this new collection.

Authors contributing to the anthology include Jonathan Maberry, Keven J. Anderson, Tim Lebbon, John Shirley, and Mira Grant along with a whole bunch of top-shelf word pushers. For those wondering, my story, “Recon,” is set during the Vietnam War.

Check out AvPGalaxy’s complete rundown of authors and stories:

AvPGalaxy Exclusive – Predator: If It Bleeds – New Predator Anthology Book!

The book is available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or you could take its ISBN, 978-1785655401, to your local independent bookseller and have them pre-order it for you. Your hometown merchant will really dig that sort of thing.

So, if it bleeds…will you read it?

Announcing PREDATOR: THE HUNTED, a new anthology. Guess who?

Awwwwwwwwwwww, yeah.

Since editor Bryan Thomas Schmidt has made the announcement over on his Facebook page, I’m guessing that means I’m free to announce that I’ve accepted his invitation to contribute a story to Predator: The Hunted, a new short story anthology coming next year from Titan Books, based on the iconic film series.

In addition to my goofy self, Bryan has enlisted these other fine writers to the cause:

Kevin J. Anderson
Jonathan Maberry
Seanan McGuire (writing as Mira Grant)
Larry Correia
Tim Lebbon
Steve Perry
S.D. Perry
Lawrence Watt-Evens (writing as Nathan Archer)
Jeremy Robinson
Weston Ochse
Bryan Thomas Schmidt & Holly Roberds
Jennifer Brozek
Wendy Wagner

Tentatively scheduled to join the lineup are Neo Edmund along with friends David Boop & Peter Wacks.

That’s quite a lineup, including several folks who’ve previously written for this property.

To be perfectly honest–and this is actually a little embarrassing–I’d forgotten about this. Bryan’s invitation came back during the first part of the year when I was dealing with my mother and my wife’s health issues, and he stressed at the time that it was a just a preliminary invite and that I shouldn’t get too worried about it. So, I was excited to see his announcement this afternoon, and that I was still on the roster.

(Of course, this means I actually have to come up with a story idea. Nobody tell him that, though. It’ll just be our little secret, all right?)

Well, all righty then! I’m adding this to the queue of Things to Do. I ain’t got time to bleed, but I’m definitely gonna make time to write!

Many thanks to Bryan for extending the invitation. This is gonna be fun. 😀