Date Published: 3/1/2021
Retired special-forces commander Jacobi Slate is drawn into a downward-spiraling vortex of fear and doubt while investigating a brutal murder committed by an old friend. As evidence mounts that someone else might be pulling strings from the shadows, Jacobi struggles to understand a developing connection to his own past, which is quickly catching up to him.
Near-future cyberpunk collides with gritty detective noir in this fast-paced thriller that shines a light on both the vast shortcomings and the noble heroism of the human condition. To unravel the mystery, Jacobi will pull on every thread while chasing leads from the squalor of the most dangerous streets to the high-tech towers of the wealthy elite on his quest to understand a truth he might not be ready to face.
What is the hardest part
of writing your books?
Certainly,
for me, it’s letting them go. As I believe is the case with many artists, we
are often highly critical of our own endeavors. I could probably look at any
single page in the completed manuscript and find at least two or three things
I’d like to improve upon. At a certain point, artists have to let the art be as
it is, and it’s never been easy for me to recognize when that time has come.
But although I could continually comb over the words and make endless
improvements, no one would ever end up reading it because it would never be
complete.
What songs are most
played on your iPod?
Well, I’m
actually an electronic music producer as well as an aspiring author – under the
moniker Om Frequency, as well as a DJ who gravitates towards gritty
music with heavy bass. I put together a playlist for writing to that felt very
Cyberpunk oriented, and that’s been on a lot lately. Some of my favorite music
producers are Simon Green, who produces under the name Bonobo and an artist
called Feverkin. If I had one song to recommend to readers to give them
something to associate to the feel I was trying to inspire in my novel, it
would have to be Blade Runner Blues by Vangelis.
Do you have critique
partners or beta readers?
I used the
BookSprout service for ARC readers, which was great. As far as beta readers go,
I sent the book out to family and friends who wanted to help, but only a couple
actually finished the book in time to give feedback. Hopefully that’s more of a
testament to their busy lifestyles than it is to the book.
What book are you
reading now?
I’m actually
in the middle of the Witcher series at the moment. I was in love with the games
and I’ve always heard really good things about the translated books, so I
decided to give them a shot. The book I’m most anxiously awaiting is the third
book in Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles, but I’ve stopped holding my
breath. My favorite author in my own genre is Richard Morgan, the author of Altered Carbon.
How did you start your
writing career?
It’s
beginning as we “speak”. I began
writing when I was a kid, but never really committed to it until this past
year. I was able to get my debut novel done within a few months by having a
really dedicated routine of writing at least 1,500 words per day, exercising
regularly to keep my spirits up, and getting a lot of support and encouragement
from my wife.
Tell us about your next
release.
If I’m being
honest, I’m really going back and forth about whether or not I want to do
something else in the science-fiction genre immediately. The alternative is to
try my hand at fantasy, which is another huge inspiration for me. I’m not sure
how it could impact people who become fans of my writing to cross genres in
that way, but most of the ideas that have been coming to me have been a bit
more magical and epic in nature than what I did with technology in The Devil Whispered. I’ll probably wait
for some feedback from people to decide, but one way or another the next book
will try to go a bit deeper below the surface I scratched with this one. I love
metaphysics, alternate universes, time theory, quantum mechanics, and all sorts
of concepts that weren’t tackled with my first novel and I’m excited to delve
into those ideas.
About the Author
As a novelist, musician, graphic designer, and a purveyor of fine games, Shawn is often confused about exactly who he is when he wakes up in the morning. It’s been said (by him) that perhaps he embodies all of these things so equally that a singular definition could not comprehensively impart a satisfactory description. With your support, and a sufficient demand for more novels, he secretly hopes that he’ll have no choice but to formally acknowledge the prevailing label of ‘author’ and spend the rest of his days providing a sense of wonder and adventure to everyone who helped him solidify his nebulous identity.
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