tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70225121669909978562024-03-19T00:34:21.948-07:00Sgt. Janus, Spirit-BreakerJim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-72348450506127377992015-05-19T13:22:00.000-07:002015-05-19T13:22:07.493-07:00AIRSHIP HUNTERS Launches Pre-OrdersBefore Mulder and Scully, before Steed and Mrs. Peel, two government agents risked all to discover the truth: AIRSHIP HUNTERS.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEAfHlbjsoI8Dws-wowalEURLB2wUn87O57asFpy6BF7_8Hqp6Nq1VG0gUJaZCfl0jTnV7gpObJ6ZpyuPk9YcNrUVtbibnfMhOn5nhIYNNdpqZSJf-lMDxfwtXtVdIqLVaannVLBLhuzG/s1600/cover-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEAfHlbjsoI8Dws-wowalEURLB2wUn87O57asFpy6BF7_8Hqp6Nq1VG0gUJaZCfl0jTnV7gpObJ6ZpyuPk9YcNrUVtbibnfMhOn5nhIYNNdpqZSJf-lMDxfwtXtVdIqLVaannVLBLhuzG/s320/cover-small.jpg" /></a></div><P>My new book, co-authored with the talented Duane Spurlock, launches from a real-life event, the Great Airship Mystery of the 1890s. Duane and I have gone beyond the mystery to ferret out the truth behind the strange phenomena and the result is an exciting series of adventures that spreads out across the Eastern United States in 1897.
<P>Please take a look at the pre-order information. We hope you like what you see and are intrigued enough to take this unique fictional journey with us and our two agents, Valiantine and Cabot.
<P><a href="http://meteorhousepress.com/2015/05/19/announcing-airship-hunters-by-jim-beard-duane-spurlock/">PRE-ORDER AIRSHIP HUNTERS!</a>
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-86988386119354661552015-03-25T10:42:00.000-07:002015-03-25T10:42:08.325-07:00A CORPUS VILE PrimerCORPUS VILE is my ode to the "weird menace" and "shudder" pulps of the Classic Pulp era, made popular in such publications as THE OCTOPUS and THE SCORPION, and through the prolific writing of such pulp authors as Norvell Page and Hugh B. Cave.
<P>My serialized CORPUS VILE saga centers around a great metropolis sometime in the late 1930s, a city awakening to a growing horror in its midst, one that will bring its citizens to their knees in terror and pain. Presiding over the city is a blind mayor who seems to be the focus of the mysterious evil that comes in like the fog, a man beloved by the city's inhabitants, but hamstrung by his inability to see through to the truth of the matter. Another man tries to help him, the city's ex-District Attorney, once a trusted servant of the people, but now fallen due to corruption and vice. Together, these two characters will attempt to stave off the creeping horror that infiltrates their home by degrees, and uncover the mystery of two words scrawled in blood at each scene of the evil's progress: CORPUS VILE.
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<P>The series begins with a Prelude, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Corpus-Vile-Broadstreet-Jim-Beard-ebook/dp/B00HLP8QYO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MX6SQG9S7H339H8V1MC">CORPUS VILE: DEATH ON BROADSTREET</a>, which introduces not only the story's main characters, but details the first assault on the city by the mystery villain behind the lurking evil.
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<P>The serialized novel itself kicks off with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Corpus-Vile-Death-Chapter-Judge-ebook/dp/B00P37KHK8/ref=pd_sim_kstore_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=04KESA5A0T7VY0TEB6C2">CORPUS VILE: DEATH IN THE CITY, CHAPTER ONE: THE RED JUDGE</a>, in which the city awakens from the horror of the Prelude a few months later, only to find it never truly ended. A vigilante also begins his crusade to root out the festering evil, but discovers only more questions, not answers, to the baffling mystery of Corpus Vile.
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<P>The story continues in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Corpus-Vile-Death-Chapter-Walls-ebook/dp/B00TEU4D9G/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1H85HJ6S4XRVGFM5N96Y">CORPUS VILE; DEATH IN THE CITY, CHAPTER TWO: RATS IN THE WALLS</a>, in which an attack on City Hall sends the city's blind mayor down a path to terror as his friends and associates begin to die around him. The new Chief of Police also fends off his own personal attack, and in doing so unearths a horrifying secret, one which may shed some scant light on the mystery of Corpus Vile.
<P>CORPUS VILE is published quarterly by <a href="http://prose-press.com/">Pros Se Productions</a>, and available on Amazon as part of Pro Se's Single Shot e-book publishing initiative. As always, please leave me a review!
<P>CORPUS VILE (c)2015 Jim BeardJim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-37828218594105953492015-03-07T06:24:00.000-08:002015-03-07T09:40:12.423-08:00An Adventure Team Fiction PrimerIt's come to my attention that there may be some small confusion about who's who in my Adventure Team fiction on Kindle Worlds, so I've prepared this Primer to illustrate my cast.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5nUTXbStJlldoYu-yAUUXsdpm8dn4pCbhWlDB8OSrehmlWKcsjn0ToJIEoqJ9QQidGt_KuCtqShIq-ZSdODGn3hBHLtH5PHq8Et-rz36wLs8TfyA6HaBWgG0yVIZjD4dToWYUzRSYZV-/s1600/HQ+Door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5nUTXbStJlldoYu-yAUUXsdpm8dn4pCbhWlDB8OSrehmlWKcsjn0ToJIEoqJ9QQidGt_KuCtqShIq-ZSdODGn3hBHLtH5PHq8Et-rz36wLs8TfyA6HaBWgG0yVIZjD4dToWYUzRSYZV-/s200/HQ+Door.jpg" /></a></div>
<P><b>NOTE:</b> <i>This is for my AT fiction only. This does not represent Hasbro's intentions or those of any other writer. This is purely to show with pictures which of the characters in my stories represent the different GI Joe AT action figures.</i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvPwsYnrayYV-0ybQrzaaxQyxljdjwxDxGdOTNoFvZrU0Lgje8c47FdNsTVwJPW3G5zVaNa3DPlG3phzDRILjjC5Z7Pxws-rzqzYYajNx086ZUmdisj5brZU3_ihvKrjcQ5u7e_ysC22e/s1600/Joe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvPwsYnrayYV-0ybQrzaaxQyxljdjwxDxGdOTNoFvZrU0Lgje8c47FdNsTVwJPW3G5zVaNa3DPlG3phzDRILjjC5Z7Pxws-rzqzYYajNx086ZUmdisj5brZU3_ihvKrjcQ5u7e_ysC22e/s320/Joe.jpg" /></a></div><b>GI Joe:</b> Ex-soldier, now Adventure Team Commander. Smart, strong, capable, but a lot of heart, too.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pyeHYQLpC5336QywQOvxhCX05VetN00X8vgbThZ-hMrCl8SwGw7Of5D0_YL5P-pcRSzRKSJb2wpi8TLCPzWCSx_8kUWDsVL3VttFa1F2DvRPO36th_fxZduYDlqgvE1yDv0L1zqthKP2/s1600/Marcus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pyeHYQLpC5336QywQOvxhCX05VetN00X8vgbThZ-hMrCl8SwGw7Of5D0_YL5P-pcRSzRKSJb2wpi8TLCPzWCSx_8kUWDsVL3VttFa1F2DvRPO36th_fxZduYDlqgvE1yDv0L1zqthKP2/s320/Marcus.jpg" /></a></div><b>Marcus:</b> Joe's right-hand man, been with him the longest. He's the soul of the Adventure Team, cool and composed, a steady hand in times of turmoil.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1i7ylXRUcwHLYlFf_tUZkiUurajRHMTnkSDR8Cs28de8AeFobjUzP5sSm_UkUsNXZKNxw_RhVmvEApedSylj8UfxMLw6OJAGa6-2xonYPwfb903WG-9P5lC4ZDKWdufKkec5t3MatdME/s1600/Sarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1i7ylXRUcwHLYlFf_tUZkiUurajRHMTnkSDR8Cs28de8AeFobjUzP5sSm_UkUsNXZKNxw_RhVmvEApedSylj8UfxMLw6OJAGa6-2xonYPwfb903WG-9P5lC4ZDKWdufKkec5t3MatdME/s320/Sarge.jpg" /></a></div><b>Sarge:</b> The team's expert pilot. Strong and silent type, but someone you'd want at your side heading into danger.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTxaGyiuHcEw4bOfvxHfKD4U2BE1Hm8nBVaHEy6a4JsvFibM2sYIJHPvAGjhOWDlPWmS6I5jy_qe2MbMPADbFYkKBOy2BKLanD0JIfvDDfWFES5eEnPyBLsj5AFX8BbEX6tz2zfCGlxIr/s1600/Red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTxaGyiuHcEw4bOfvxHfKD4U2BE1Hm8nBVaHEy6a4JsvFibM2sYIJHPvAGjhOWDlPWmS6I5jy_qe2MbMPADbFYkKBOy2BKLanD0JIfvDDfWFES5eEnPyBLsj5AFX8BbEX6tz2zfCGlxIr/s320/Red.jpg" /></a></div><b>Red:</b> The salty sailor, mouthy and opinionated, but deep as the ocean.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LL_Ar8fxglBus_Fo1hmrn-sj6Itat0BYnziWhBfMB0v2HQAnWp1PxZObpCSCtJJuq2sj9Ic-apHxqxvh8g7dozzdiPZqIpzgKhoj0HuGdmuKtwTv324KfGRA7wcjkMg6OFEj5y4oQHFG/s1600/Greg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LL_Ar8fxglBus_Fo1hmrn-sj6Itat0BYnziWhBfMB0v2HQAnWp1PxZObpCSCtJJuq2sj9Ic-apHxqxvh8g7dozzdiPZqIpzgKhoj0HuGdmuKtwTv324KfGRA7wcjkMg6OFEj5y4oQHFG/s320/Greg.jpg" /></a></div><b>Greg:</b> Young and resourceful, the archaeology expert who's taken recruits under his wing the same as Marcus did for him.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNpFVVzFuQp8RfBJ5W5ORroQn4XwaOFhVw61_TNFJfRQ-9uyQouzRZgggtn__UDpX9IVS8LBXBnQz2nFRK934jPiSOXBLcoHAbawgaY0tOaWDiVg-SSr2rgBBoz5-PXIFGtqolYzYKega/s1600/Kent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNpFVVzFuQp8RfBJ5W5ORroQn4XwaOFhVw61_TNFJfRQ-9uyQouzRZgggtn__UDpX9IVS8LBXBnQz2nFRK934jPiSOXBLcoHAbawgaY0tOaWDiVg-SSr2rgBBoz5-PXIFGtqolYzYKega/s320/Kent.jpg" /></a></div><b>Kent:</b> One of the team's "beardless wonders" along with Greg. A wizard with the AT equipment, and a mechanical marvel.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwsw7lGe7ei1gK6G0kqgjDnHU1xH26SNz-2Zfm8SaHdFlYFE1at7PsYQp_nSzIFUEjlzwAmDmIk5EEctcv8h75vyWr0lHxBRbEhAhcJFzqhnSye-LFySREktzNOMAmrQQAx_gBN50ZsEZ/s1600/Glenn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwsw7lGe7ei1gK6G0kqgjDnHU1xH26SNz-2Zfm8SaHdFlYFE1at7PsYQp_nSzIFUEjlzwAmDmIk5EEctcv8h75vyWr0lHxBRbEhAhcJFzqhnSye-LFySREktzNOMAmrQQAx_gBN50ZsEZ/s320/Glenn.jpg" /></a></div><b>Glenn:</b> The astronaut, light-hearted and a music-lover, but always with an eye on the big picture.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukMESoxKkvImHBgrI-KGKy_Sj4-e06HoL7KVSF-7Wj5YD51mYRzMKbsiQrbzj5ZNacmOUeMuPQMFPIU1ZptWLThxxrK6i1HYdWhDaVngFx560fSSL6hhQGxGZgyWxd7POCscChimNtLEE/s1600/Mike1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukMESoxKkvImHBgrI-KGKy_Sj4-e06HoL7KVSF-7Wj5YD51mYRzMKbsiQrbzj5ZNacmOUeMuPQMFPIU1ZptWLThxxrK6i1HYdWhDaVngFx560fSSL6hhQGxGZgyWxd7POCscChimNtLEE/s320/Mike1.gif" /></a></div><b>Mike:</b> The young recruit with the record collection...
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuR6GWtd3L_W-1c5plb4KemNCMxUiCoaorvh-YR3MPoiAC8Gd4czN0E9pBAyAoTi_A9MzkvYCX5aThRF96GMPvln2N3UA_3UQrFE7dTksWq4Dc6BGVXK_EHBk47dMW7szGUBEWAzhswLhO/s1600/Mike2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuR6GWtd3L_W-1c5plb4KemNCMxUiCoaorvh-YR3MPoiAC8Gd4czN0E9pBAyAoTi_A9MzkvYCX5aThRF96GMPvln2N3UA_3UQrFE7dTksWq4Dc6BGVXK_EHBk47dMW7szGUBEWAzhswLhO/s320/Mike2.jpg" /></a></div>Or is <i>this</i> <b>Mike</b>? Hmm...
<P>You can find the entire Adventure Team in my new novella, available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/G-I-JOE-Adventure-MYSTERY-Novella-ebook/dp/B00U9S7QQE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1425738050&sr=1-1">Kindle Worlds</a> for just $1.99
<P>GI Joe and Adventure Team (c)Hasbro. All else (c)Jim BeardJim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-38991188139659366062015-03-05T09:33:00.000-08:002015-03-05T09:39:44.866-08:00GI Joe Adventure Team HeadquartersFor Immediate Release:
<P><b>First G.I. Joe Adventure Team Novella Released on Kindle Worlds</b>
<P>MYSTERY OF THE SUNKEN TOMB is the first long-form G.I. Joe Adventure Team prose fiction novella released on the Kindle Worlds licensed publication platform. It is currently available in e-format only, and sells for just $1.99.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-rqc1WoMKa_bEN8WH1w7iqAl4goixlCffmKYOEfruUh6ftau1XCkIqz9N2jNUMV3Qn9EY83u9rA2qcuwSMGbU7nxUg3gH6FxLGTQe4rT7vAzEPqsQO0SyNBOeLvYuKmyMTVUN98crLbx/s1600/Beard_GIJoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-rqc1WoMKa_bEN8WH1w7iqAl4goixlCffmKYOEfruUh6ftau1XCkIqz9N2jNUMV3Qn9EY83u9rA2qcuwSMGbU7nxUg3gH6FxLGTQe4rT7vAzEPqsQO0SyNBOeLvYuKmyMTVUN98crLbx/s320/Beard_GIJoe.jpg" /></a></div>
<P>Set in 1973 at the height of the Adventure Team toy era, MYSTERY OF THE SUNKEN TOMB is jam-packed with all the fan-favorite Adventure Team equipment, vehicles, and mission themes of Hasbro’s 1970-73 releases. If that isn’t cool enough, each of the G.I. Joe Adventure Team action figures of the era have been fleshed out as individual characters in the story, each with their own unique personalities, skills, and specialties. Overall, MYSTERY OF THE SUNKEN TOMB offers all the Adventure team action, danger, and excitement G.I. Joe fans crave.
<P><a href="http://tinyurl.com/p9ugray">CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK ON AMAZOM.COM</a>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2BufhjsPzINLV6VMrxIlyvDGsgEBhNNbT1K2nlWLc2rpfObtaFscmgBqMrlRei1a5UK5OqUhbcV_Dk07kwxOgJ1cW1b0VkaJqtvVee9HsMb-u6bQMYF0AirColKIb-aEUs97fVdzNjFu/s1600/Jim+and+Joes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2BufhjsPzINLV6VMrxIlyvDGsgEBhNNbT1K2nlWLc2rpfObtaFscmgBqMrlRei1a5UK5OqUhbcV_Dk07kwxOgJ1cW1b0VkaJqtvVee9HsMb-u6bQMYF0AirColKIb-aEUs97fVdzNjFu/s320/Jim+and+Joes.jpg" /></a></div>
<P>Jim Beard writes adventure fiction in a classic pulp style. A native of Toledo, Ohio, he was introduced to comic books at an early age by his father, who passed on to him a love for the medium and the pulp characters who preceded it. After decades of reading, collecting and dissecting comics, Jim became a published writer when he sold a story to DC Comics in 2002. Since that time he's written official Star Wars and Ghostbusters comic stories and contributed articles and essays to several volumes of comic book history.
<P>His prose work includes GOTHAM CITY 14 MILES, a book of essays on the 1966 Batman TV series; SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER, a collection of pulp ghost stories featuring an Edwardian occult detective; MONSTER EARTH, a shared-world giant monster anthology; and CAPTAIN ACTION: RIDDLE OF THE GLOWING MEN, the first pulp prose novel based on the classic 1960s action figure.
<P>Jim also currently provides regular content for Marvel.com, the official Marvel Comics website, and is a regular columnist for Toledo Free Press.
<P>Please email jsajim@yahoo.com to schedule an interview with Jim, or for more information on MYSTERY OF THE SUNKEN TOMB.Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-70039720832040792362014-05-06T13:13:00.000-07:002014-06-15T19:32:13.289-07:00A Sgt. Janus PrimerJUST outside the small city of Mount Airy sits a sprawling, patchwork mansion, the home and business office of Sgt. Janus, Spirit-Breaker…
<P>With great and terrible risk to his person and soul, Janus seeks to break the para-physical ties that inexplicably bind the spirits of the dead to the Earth - for an inordinate amount of these wayward phantasms in turn serve to vex the living and make their still-warm existence a living hell.
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<P>The sergeant’s strange and oft-times mystifying career keeps him quite busy, so much so that he requires his clients themselves to write their own accounts of his struggles to aid them. SGT. JANUS SPIRIT-BREAKER chronicles eights such stories, including the most difficult challenge yet to Janus’ abilities and fortitude.
<P>Here’s what readers are saying about SGT. JANUS SPIRIT-BREAKER on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Spirit-Breaker-Jim-Beard-ebook/dp/B00GM6HTM8/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=04S9QE5ZR9QFDM7J2C0S">Amazon</a>:
<P> <i>“While he may deliberately conjure the spirits of authors of Victorian and Edwardian occult fiction before him, Beard's prose is fresh and entirely modern in his, at times, frank and unsettling tales of the wages of his characters' past sins. Each story breezes by and like the best tales told round the campfire, it leaves the reader hungry for more.”</i>
<P> <i>“…an ingenious and inventive romp full of striking images, subtle horrors, and moments of real shock.”</i>
<P> <i>“I felt transported in time, into another era and there were no breaks in the constructed reality. This is a nicely crafted book…”</i>
<P> <i>“I do have one tidbit of advice concerning this tome. DO NOT read it at night before bed…you may be in for one very long, and frightening evening.”</i>
<P> <i>“I found I enjoyed each story more than the one previous…”</i>
<P> <i>“Great atmosphere, spooky hauntings, superior storytelling. Highly recommended.”</i>
<P> <i>“…a very different and inventive approach to storytelling which succeeded well beyond my original expectations.”
</i>
<P><b>AFTER</b> the tumultuous events of the first volume of Sgt. Janus’ adventures, the world discovers what it is like to be without a Spirit-Breaker. Then, one year later, an amnesiac appears in a sleepy little town’s center square, a beautiful and serene woman who is drawn to spirits and sworn to help those who are troubled by them…
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<P>SGT. JANUS RETURNS follows the dark and mysterious path of the woman to discover herself and come into an enigmatic inheritance. Her frequently brutal confrontations with the spirit-world are chronicled by a young layabout who swiftly learns that by following the dark lady, he may be in far over his head.
<P>Here’s what readers are saying about SGT. JANUS RETURNS on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Returns-Jim-Beard-ebook/dp/B00HTA9YQ0/ref=la_B004UWVOPE_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399406712&sr=1-12">Amazon</a>:
<P> <i>“Superior supernatural fiction, and one of the most fascinating female characters in the genre.”
</i>
<P> <i>“Hang on for the ride, dear reader, through investigations and battles, with the spirit world and the physical, through tribulation and trial. Some questions are answered, some remain mystery, but it all adds up to a great book.”
</i>
<P> <i>“…a brilliant follow-up to the previous volume.”</i>
<P> <i>“There is much going on beneath the surface in Beard’s fiction, but that only helps whet the reader’s appetite for more.”</i>
<P> <i>“This book is one of the best New Pulp adventures I have ever read. High praise? It's well deserved. I've enjoyed the author's past works but I really feel that he's elevated his game with this one. I simply can't recommend it high enough!”
</i>
<P> As always, please consider leaving a review of either book at Amazon, or even on a blog or other site. It's always appreciated and very helpful.
<P>Jim
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-32874456579786913082014-03-09T07:58:00.001-07:002014-03-09T07:58:57.993-07:00Brunner For SaleI've been informed that Zach Brunner, multi-talented artist on SGT. JANUS RETURNS, is offering prints of all the interior illustrations for sale.
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<P>Prints are black and white, 11x17, and you may choose from any of the eight pieces from the book. Cost is $50 US each, and that includes shipping.
<P>Drop Zach an email here: zbrunn89@gmail.com
<P>I have one myself and its GORGEOUS at that large size!
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-83668009569236372312014-03-01T15:40:00.000-08:002014-03-01T15:40:26.310-08:00A Spirit-Breaker (or Three) in Your FutureMore than a month after its release, SGT JANUS RETURNS seems to be going over well with readers, which please me to no end and turns my thoughts to the good sergeant’s future. Here’s a little about what Spirit-Breaker fans can expect from the next few Janus projects.
<P>Following SGT. JANUS SPIRIT-BREAKER and SGT. JANUS RETURNS, the third volume will be entitled SGT. JANUS ON THE DARK TRACK. With Roman Janus back in the saddle again, he’s eager to get back out in the world and revive his chosen profession: eliminating ghosts. But, in the middle of a long journey, he gets a bit more than he bargained for when a cunning, willful spirit materializes and forces the sergeant to seek a path that will surprise and shock even him. The third book will return to the multiple-narrator style of the first volume, but with its own twist. If all goes well, SGT. JANUS ON THE DARK TRACK may be out by the end of 2014.
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<P>Because the future is always in motion and no one, not even myself, can be assured that Janus will survive that adventure, the fourth volume will take a look back into the sergeant’s formative days. SGT. JANUS: THE GHOST OF A YEAR follows a young Roman Janus over the course of twelve months, at a time in his development when he was at his most spiritually vulnerable and gathering the experiences he’d need to become a worthy Spirit-Breaker. SGT. JANUS: THE GHOST OF A YEAR will also utilize the multiple-narrator format, but again with a flavor all its own. Expect the fourth book some time in 2015.
<P>In addition to the next two full Sgt. Janus books, I will also be supplying a Janus tale to an upcoming Airship 27 anthology called THE OCCULT DETECTIVES. I was honored and thrilled to be invited to contribute to the collection, and decided to re-visit the online Sgt. Janus tale “The Lost Wife of Thomas Tan” and expand it to twice its original length - in effect, it will be almost a new story. If you’ve read it here in its serialized form on the Spirit-Blog, you’ll find that the longer version will be enhanced with new characters and new situations. There is no set publication date for THE OCCULT DETECTIVES, but I’ll give a shout when it arrives.
<P>One more thing while we’re here: it seems that the narrator of SGT. JANUS RETURNS, Mr. Joshua Hargreaves, has been receiving good marks from readers and a small interest has begun to grow to perhaps see him in his own adventures. As I said before, the future is always in motion, but if this idea intrigues you, well, let me know somehow, either here or on Facebook. I have a few thoughts on how to pull it off, but I must be assured that further tales of Joshua would be welcome.
<P><i>All content © 2014 Jim Beard</i>
<P><b>You may find the first two Sgt. Janus books and all my other literary projects on my</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Beard/e/B004UWVOPE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1393716903&sr=1-2-ent">AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE</a>.Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-39682729468159426012014-02-01T06:21:00.002-08:002014-02-01T06:21:49.419-08:00Reviews Ahoy!William Patrick Maynard, author of the new, authorized FU MANCHU novels, says of SGT. JANUS RETURNS, “I’m delighted to see the return of… Sgt. Janus. There is much going on beneath the surface in Beard’s fiction, but that only helps whet the reader’s appetite for more.”
<P>You can read his full review <a href="http://www.blackgate.com/2014/01/31/sgt-janus-returns/">HERE.</a>Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-17716113672962336272014-01-18T20:52:00.001-08:002014-01-19T05:38:23.902-08:00The Sgt. Janus Review Recruitment Drive ContestSgt. Janus wants <i>YOU</i>…for reviews!
<P>You can win your very own Sgt. Janus story by posting a review on Amazon.com. How? It’s simple:
<P><b>The Rules:</b> Just post a review of either <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Spirit-Breaker-Jim-Beard/dp/0615645607/ref=la_B004UWVOPE_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390106756&sr=1-7"><b>SGT. JANUS: SPIRIT-BREAKER</b></a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Returns-Volume-2/dp/0615951988/ref=sr_tc_2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390106751&sr=1-2-ent"><b>SGT. JANUS RETURNS</b></a> on Amazon by February 16th, 2014, and you’ll be automatically entered into the Sgt. Janus Review Recruitment Contest. Only one entry per reviewer will be accepted. Reviews must be new as of today, January 19th, 2014 – reviews posted previous to that date will not be eligible to win. Reviews may be of any length <i>and of any opinion on the work, positive or critical</i>, but any review that seems to signify that the reviewer did not actually read the book will be ineligible. After February 16th, one entry will be chosen randomly from a pool of all entries as the winner.
<P><b>The Prize:</b> An original, Sgt. Janus tale of at least 1500 words and written exclusively for the winner.
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<P>The story will be delivered privately by email to the winner and will never be published in any collection by the author or by any other means. The winner may not chose the topic or theme of the story and may also not publish it themselves in any form whatsoever without the express permission of the author. Sgt. Janus and all other characters within the story will remain the exclusive property of the author. The story is meant as a prize only, for the sole entertainment of the winner.
<P>Ladies and gentlemen, <i>start your reviews</i>!
<P><i>All content (c)Jim Beard 2014</i>
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-73556893423397212372014-01-11T15:05:00.000-08:002014-01-11T15:05:16.789-08:00Spirited ReturnSGT. JANUS RETURNS is out!
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<P><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Returns-Jim-Beard/dp/0615951988/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389481015&sr=1-2&keywords=sgt+janus">Print Copy at Amazon</a>
<P><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Returns-Jim-Beard-ebook/dp/B00HTA9YQ0/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389481015&sr=1-3&keywords=sgt+janus">And on Kindle!</a>Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-5575955589796399072013-12-30T09:06:00.000-08:002013-12-30T09:06:14.160-08:00SGT. JANUS RETURNS: Incoming #2From:
<P><i>Herbert Marshman Pettigrew</i>
<P><i>Owner, Reale Pictures Inc.</i>
<P>To:
<P><i>All Departments</i>
<P>It is with great happiness and satisfaction that I am able to announce that we will be re-opening production on <i>A Woman in the City</i>. All departments are to return to work immediately. Please see your supervisors for assignments and our restructured timetable.
<P>We have successfully concluded our dealings with the restaurant and settled on the damages to be paid to the establishment. We regret the unfortunate circumstances that led to this situation, but they were wholly unforeseen by myself and the company’s officers. I wish I could offer a rational explanation as to what was witnessed on that strange and inexplicable day, but I find myself fallen woefully short on that score.
<P>Regardless, Reale Pictures is poised to move forward into a bright future and to put the entire debacle behind us. If anyone in any department is approached by or receives any communication of any sort from the two persons involved in the disruption of filming at the restaurant, please inform myself or Mr. Gayme without delay.
<P>I would also like to express our regret at the loss of Mr. Ashton Clark as Director on <i>A Woman in the City</i>. We have heard that the sanitarium to which he was recently admitted is a pleasant place and we hope that it will serve to soothe his troubled mind and that he will return to us for future productions. We will be announcing his replacement shortly.
<P>Also, I require the Print Department to please forward all existing, developed footage from <i>A Woman in the City</i> to my office, along with a projector.
<P>Yours Truly,
<P><i>H. M. Pettigrew</i>
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<P><i>You may read all about this troubled motion picture company and their encounter with the Unknown in the upcoming SGT. JANUS RETURNS, out soon from Airship 27 Productions. In the meantime, please consider ordering a copy of the first volume in the Janus series, SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER, at</i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Spirit-Breaker-Jim-Beard/dp/0615645607/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388422877&sr=1-1&keywords=sgt+janus">AMAZON.COM</a>.
<P>All content and characters © Jim Beard 2013
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-15126103959554532662013-12-24T11:05:00.000-08:002013-12-24T11:05:02.388-08:00Tip of the Hat: CARNACKI THE NEW ADVENTURESMost everyone who knows of my Sgt. Janus by now knows that he wouldn't exist if not for William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghost-Finder. First published over one-hundred years ago, Carnacki's adventures into the Unknown inspired Janus' own crusade against spirits that vex the living. It's difficult to explain in mere words the debt of gratitude I owe to Mr. Hodgson and his inventive hero.
<P>When earlier this year I saw a call for Carnacki submissions for a new volume of adventures - to be published by "Sargasso Sam" Gafford himself, a Hodgson Scholar - I grew fearful of even attempting such a thing. What thing, you ask? Writing a new story concerning a character on who I'd placed so much weight and importance to my own meager attempts to emulate, a situation that eventually I got over and finally made the plunge into Carnacki's dark world of haunts and the haunted. And I'm pretty happy with the results.
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<P>My story, "The Haunting of Tranquil House," is now ready for consumption, along with several other and potentially better tales, in CARNACKI: THE NEW ADVENTURES. As Michael Nesmith once said, rush out in a buying frenzy and make this new volume a success for Sam.
Here's where you can pick up a copy: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CARNACKI-New-Adventures-Sam-Gafford/dp/0615943004/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387911098&sr=1-6&keywords=carnacki">AMAZON.COM</a>.
<P>And <i>please</i>, gives us review when you've finished, eh? Writers cannot write in a vacuum.
<P>Look for SGT. JANUS RETURNS to join this new book on the shelves very soon, too.
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-87097276896720990912013-12-20T10:03:00.001-08:002013-12-20T10:04:09.882-08:00SGT. JANUS RETURNS: Incoming #1SGT. JANUS RETURNS, the second volume of the adventures of Sgt. Janus Spirit-Breaker, will be arriving <i>soon</i>. It will pick up from the ominous ending of the first volume and detail the long path to recovery for the Spirit-Breaker, featuring all-new cases and new characters that enhance and expand upon Janus' world.
<P>It begins in the small, sleepy town of Canal Chichester. What role does the town and one of its less-than-stellar citizens play in the return of Janus? How are its deeply-buried secrets important to the Spirit-Breaker's newest investigations? And why are the officials of Canal Chichester eager to pass judgment on those persons deemed too strange and alien?
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<P>The answers lie in SGT. JANUS RETURNS, out soon. Keep your spirits up 'til then!
<P>To catch up on the first volume, SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER, please order a copy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Spirit-Breaker-Jim-Beard-ebook/dp/B00GM6HTM8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387562344&sr=1-1&keywords=sgt+janus">AMAZON.COM</a>, in print or Kindle editions.
<P><i>All content (c)2013 Jim Beard</i>Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-87889167859989173682013-12-08T19:50:00.000-08:002013-12-10T05:46:33.306-08:00A Very Janus Christmas CarolThe breakfast table is not the best place to have a discussion about spirits, perhaps, but I’d been perusing the library again and after a pleasant hour or so with a holiday classic, I had a burning question on my mind.
<P>“Did Dickens have it right?” I inquired, stabbing at the air with a glob of preserves on my knife for emphasis.
<P>My companion looked up at me from across the table. “Beg pardon? Did he have what right?”
<P> “The Ghosts, of course. Past, Present, Future, all that. They hardly seem the sort we’ve encountered – was he being fanciful? Or are there such higher forms of spirits?”
<P> “Let’s just say that Mr. Dickens had a way with words and leave it at that.”
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<P>Undeterred, I forged ahead. “No, I mean it: are there spirits like the ones he described? His seem almost a force unto themselves, hardly the type to have had previous mortal lives.”
<P>That one took hold and my companion eyed me with some minor annoyance.
<P> “<i>No</i>, or at least not in my experience. What the man told of in his overly-sentimental bit of tripe were akin to <i>angels</i> or heavenly servants than true ghosts – that is, the spirits of human dead. I wouldn’t trust Dickens for honest reporting; it’s likely there was more absinthe to them than ectoplasm.”
<P>I thought I had already experienced much in my young life, but coming across someone who actually did not care for <i>A Christmas Carol</i> was a startling revelation to me – especially over breakfast.
<P>Glutton for punishment that I am, I pressed on.
<P>“Than we are only to credit Jacob Marley then?”
<P> “Yes, actually,” admitted my companion. “That <i>is</i> a fairly good fictional representation of a true spirit, which you should well know by now. The amount of chains was a bit much, but the suffering appearance and the wailing – not to mention the warning of post-death punishment – are all within reason.”
<P>I smiled. “Then God bless us everyone, Dickens isn’t a complete waste.”
<P> “No, in fact, as a sleeping draught I find him very effective.”
<P>Well, very little can drain me of the Christmas spirit, but my companion gave it the old college try. I sat quietly for a moment or three, rallying my forces and aligning my final salvo.
<P> “If you had to say,” I asked carefully, “whether or not a man like Scrooge could ever do enough in life to save him from the yawning pits of Hell in the afterlife, how might you opine?”
<P>Incredibly enough, I was met with eyes not shooting daggers, but with an odd wistfulness that belied the early part of the conversation.
<P> “There your writer does impart some small, valuable nuggets of wisdom,” came the reply in even tones. “The lesson of Ebenezer Scrooge is that we may indeed atone for much before the grave, and help to insure an eternal rest with the Creator after.”
<P>Satisfied that we had come full circle and that Charles Dickens’ legacy remained intact, I returned to my breakfast with gusto.
<P> “Merry Christmas,” I whispered around bites of biscuit.
<P> “Might I suggest,” offered my companion just then, “that you also pose the same question to our guest?”
<P> “Guest?”
<P> “Yes, the one standing right there at your elbow. Go on, ask him.”
<P> “Oh, come now! <i>I haven’t finished my breakfast</i>!”
<P><b><i>All content (c)Jim Beard 2013.</i>
</b>Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-75279251846825739982013-11-12T14:49:00.002-08:002013-11-12T14:49:59.849-08:00Janus on Kindle!To us old-schoolers, an e-book seems more like a ghost of book than a real book...
<P>...which perhaps makes it appropriate that at long last, SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER is now available for the Kindle at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GM6HTM8">Amazon.com.</a>
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<P>It's also a nice way to celebrate the impending arrival of the second volume, SGT. JANUS RETURNS.
<P>Tell a friend - and keep your spirits up!Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-58980552926322452152013-10-20T07:27:00.001-07:002013-10-20T08:35:44.694-07:00The Spirit is Willing...…but the new Sgt. Janus book isn’t quite ready yet.
<P>Things are proceeding nicely on it, though, with the entire manuscript by Yours Truly done, as well as the interior illustrations by Zach Brunner. Now it’s down to our dear friend artist Jeff Herndon to whip up another winner of a cover and we’re off to the spirit races. Stay tuned, Janus Junkies; as soon as there’s more word of SGT. JANUS RETURN’s imminent arrival, I’ll be passing it along. As I’ve said before, the book is somewhat different from the first volume, and completes the story of what I’ve come to think of “Phase One” of Roman Janus’ strange career. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
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<P>Here’s another cool bit o’ news: I’ve been asked to contribute a Sgt. Janus story to an upcoming collection of “occult detective” tales from Airship 27, publishers of, yes, SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER. I offered to expand and expound upon “The Lost Wife of Thomas Tan,” which I serialized right here on the Spirit-Blog. Now, this is not going to be just a slight revision – basically, the story as you know it will almost double in length and illuminate far more details of Thomas Tan’s plight. Stay tuned for more word on this one, too.
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<P>And…with all this talk of Janus swirling about, I can’t help but start dreaming up the plot of the third full volume of the sergeant’s adventures. It’s tentatively titled SGT. JANUS: ON THE DARK TRACK and it places Our Hero in another new environment, one I’m full steam ahead on with excitement. Look for it sometime in 2014…
<P>That’s all for now, chums – keep your spirits up!
<P>All content © Jim Beard 2014. Order a copy of SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Spirit-Breaker-Jim-Beard/dp/0615645607/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382279052&sr=8-1&keywords=sgt+janus">Amazon.com.</a>
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-72393678433950225702013-09-25T13:48:00.001-07:002013-09-28T18:44:20.734-07:00SARGASSO: A ReviewIf you know of Sgt. Janus then you’re probably aware that he was directly inspired by William Hope Hodgson’s Carnacki stories. That’s why I was thrilled to hear that author/editor Sam Gafford has assembled a tribute to the author, SARGASSO, the first volume in what’s being called “The Journal of William Hope Hodgson Studies.”
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<P>Gafford is to be complimented on what he's crafted here, a professional collection of essays and fiction focused upon furthering the cause of Hodgson illumination. Much of the volume’s entries bemoan the fact that the author is not better known, but I believe that SARGASSO will definitely move us toward that “sweet spot” of wider popularity.
<P>It should be also noted that the book/periodical also highlights H.P. Lovecraft as well as Hodgson, sometimes to the latter’s loss, and that all entries are not equal in readability, but overall I can recommend SARGASSO to anyone who admires either author or simply loves Edwardian fantasy literary criticism.
<P>Being who I am, I gravitated toward the two fiction pieces in the collection first. William Meikle’s Carnacki ode, “The Blue Egg,” deftly combines the Ghost Finder with another of Hodgson’s recurring characters, Captain Gault; the result is mysterious and exotic, everything a tale of the two titans should be. I wasn’t as terribly fond of Pierre Comtois’ “A Question of Meaning,” which seems to be a mash-up between Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos and Hodgson’s Nightland epic; it begins well and involves some interesting characters, but the end came too quickly and left me unsatisfied.
<P>John D, Haeffele’s essay is a good look at Lovecraft’s opinion on Hodgson’s work – he was an admirer – and Mark Valentine’s run-down of the Captain Gault stories was very welcome to me, not having yet read those tales. That essay alone made me want to rush out and correct that error. Leigh Blackmore’s discussion of terms used in two Carnacki stories was also fascinating, but I would have preferred a bit more his own opinions in lieu of the full outlines of the stories themselves. “William Hope Hodgson’s Sales Log” surprised me as to how interesting such a thing could be – here’s hoping Jane Frank can tell us more in the future. As it is, the article was almost a cliff-hanger.
<P>Brett Davidson’s and Neal Ann Spurlock’s works will be of interest to those who want a deeper glimpse into weightier meaning behind Hodgson’s writing, but for me, they kind of made my head hurt in their depth. That’s just me, of course, being the more superficial non-fiction reader that I am. And while I’m sure Phillip Ellis’ treatise on Hodgson’s poetry is superb, poetry itself has always left me cold, no matter the poet. Again, I can’t criticize an essayist for choosing a subject that’s just not my cup of tea – it’s a brew to the liking of many others, assuredly. Emily Alder’s piece on Hodgson’s penchant for the sea was good, drawing similarities between his Nightland work and his sea fiction.
<P>The book’s interior artwork is very nice and appropriately atmospheric – I would have liked to have seen some of them printed larger – and the beautiful swirl of colors that is SARGASSO’s cover is striking and effective. Gafford will be hard-pressed to top that one with subsequent issues.
<P>And that’s the real question here: will there be more of SARGASSO? I certainly hope so. It’s a worthy project to bring greater attention to a worthy author. Lovecraft’s had his time; let W.H. Hodgson step into the limelight for a change.
<P>Please consider ordering a copy of SARGASSO; I think you’ll find it worthwhile for many different reasons. Send an inquiry to sargassomagazine@yahoo.com for more information, and tell them Sgt. Janus sent you.Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-7276531660562470102013-09-23T09:04:00.000-07:002013-09-23T09:04:26.587-07:00A Spirited ReturnIt is with great pride – and great relief – that I can announce that the manuscript for <b>SGT. JANUS RETURNS</b> has been completed and handed in to the fine folks at Airship 27 Productions.
<P>The book is eight stories, as was the first volume, but with more extensive linkage between them, forming what is basically a full novel. As I’ve noted before, <b>SGT. JANUS RETURNS</b> is <i>different</i> in important ways from SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER and I hope you may embrace it as you have the first book. I’m on pins and needles waiting to hear what you think.
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<P>I’m very blessed to once again have the unequaled <b>Jeff Herndon</b> illustrating the cover once more and very pleased to welcome the talented <b>Zach Brunner</b> as our new interior illustrator. I couldn’t ask for a better team of visualizers.
<P>I’ll update as soon as possible as to when the book will be out, but for now I’ll leave you with the full list of story titles:
<P>1. Dig Deep the Well
<P>2. That Man Right There
<P>3. Cutting the Strings
<P>4. The Whispering Wallpaper of Christmas Hall
<P>5. Marching to Perdition
<P>6. <i>Deus Lapidem</i>
<P>7. Just Like Jazz
<P>8. The Room
<P>Until we talk again, keep your spirits up!
<P><i>All content (c)2013 Jim Beard</i>Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-14406154568361820492013-08-08T19:48:00.000-07:002013-08-08T19:48:08.484-07:00Who's That Girl?This mysterious beauty appears in SGT. JANUS RETURNS, out later this year from Airship 27 Productions.
<P>Who is she? Where is she from? And what role will she play in Sgt. Janus' new adventures?
<P>Stay tuned, Spirit-Breaker fans - the best is yet to come!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MOIiag2c-XtX6IhEIdjsJMJ_-r_hOCv-yhEg2qgr0QzqMM0Hf9iWIyv9EYWWTJ7YPxK5MkBTOOUYeT-k68JxsuQy5WY9ogFy34zObduFf9crKXYh_j3v0jIAeIbFZYbJ9sIJndW6A1-d/s1600/lj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MOIiag2c-XtX6IhEIdjsJMJ_-r_hOCv-yhEg2qgr0QzqMM0Hf9iWIyv9EYWWTJ7YPxK5MkBTOOUYeT-k68JxsuQy5WY9ogFy34zObduFf9crKXYh_j3v0jIAeIbFZYbJ9sIJndW6A1-d/s320/lj.jpg" /></a></div>Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-30353973008237113352013-06-01T15:01:00.001-07:002013-06-01T15:04:08.024-07:00Sgt. Janus Wants to Hear from You...with Spirit!So, as SGT. JANUS RETURNS takes shape and some of his dark and mysterious origins begin to crystalize, I have a few questions for all you Junior Spirit-Breakers out there. If you would, either drop me a comment here on the Spirit-Blog or wherever you saw the link to this post.
<P>Deal? I promise that your comments will prove very helpful to me as I move forward with the the new book.
<P>1) <i>What aspects of Janus' past are you most interested in learning about in SGT. JANUS RETURNS and why?</i>
<P>2) <i>Would you say that learning anything at all about his past will make you enjoy his stories more, less, or about the same?</i>
<P>3) <i>Do you enjoy ghost stories with benign spirits? Or do you like your ghosts adversarial?</i>
<P>Okay, that's all I got! Let me know what you think!
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-74579765104766741292013-05-22T09:51:00.002-07:002013-05-22T09:51:57.864-07:00SGT. JANUS RETURNS MaterializingThe new Sgt. Janus collection, SGT. JANUS RETURNS, is really beginning to take shape. I'm in the middle of writing the third of the eight new stories and enjoying the new set-up - this is different in some ways from the first book but still very much in the Janus tradition of ghost tales with a pulpy punch. Though the status quo was most definitely upset by the end of SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER, the new book will follow a path to setting that status to right and opening the door for many more Janus adventures in the years to come.
<P>By the way, the third story is called "Cutting the Strings." It joins "Dig Deep the Well" and "That Man Right There."
<P>Jim!Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-77010485665088318722013-01-12T06:51:00.001-08:002013-01-12T06:53:45.758-08:00SGT. JANUS RETURNS Sneak-PeekA wee tiny excerpt from "Dig Deep the Well," the first story in SGT. JANUS RETURNS, to be published later this year by Airship 27 Productions:
<P>"Across from her, over the hole and suffused with a queer light, was a man.
<P>"I rubbed at my eyes – you know, like someone who cannot believe their own eyes is supposed to do. I looked again.
<P>"It wasn’t a man, as I first thought. It was more like the…the <i>absence of a man</i>. A man-shaped cut-out through which I was peering. I couldn’t comprehend it; it hurt my eyes. Then, its edges blurred and wavered, like the rays of heat on a blistering day will distort the landscape. It hovered above the area that I had dug up, wafting as if in a breeze that the rest of us could not feel."
<P><i>All content (c)2013 Jim Beard</i>
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-38394373149183084402013-01-01T07:02:00.001-08:002013-01-01T07:05:30.058-08:00First Day: First JanusThe title of the first new Sgt. Janus story for the second book?
<P><i>"Dig Deep the Well"</i>
<P>Stay tuned, Spirit-Breaker Fans - the best is yet to come.
<P>Jim
<P><i>All content (c)Jim Beard 2013. Please pick up a copy of SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER at</i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Spirit-Breaker-Jim-Beard/dp/0615645607/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top"><b>Amazon.com</b></a>.Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-76006663323117875902012-12-24T11:27:00.002-08:002012-12-24T11:29:18.485-08:00Signs of Life at Christmas?<i>Excerpt from a letter by Master James Carlson to his older sister, Perchance:</i>
<P>“…and is my custom, I found myself walking the grounds on Christmas Eve, thinking of Holidays past and the joy that was ours every Christmas morning as children. It seems so long ago, but, of course, it was but a few years ago.
<P>“As I passed by Janus House – you know its deserted, dear Per, don’t you? – I was reminded of a tale that Da once told us on a wintry Christmas Eve, one that concerned the sprawling mansion’s former owner…or does he in fact still own it? Anyway, it went something like this. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<P>“Sgt. Janus was called to the house of an old miser who lived on the outskirts of some little town somewhere, as the skinflint was supposedly troubled with ghosts.
<P>“’You of course remember the story of another, ahh, elderly gentleman visited by spirits at this same time of year?’ he asked the codger.
<P>“The man passed his rheumy eyes over the famous Spirit-Breaker and coughed. ‘Just get on with it, young man,’ he spat. ‘I’m paying you to clear this house of what ails it, not remind me of musty old tales of fiction.’
<P>“Janus smiled and turned to his task. After searching the entire house he came to the conclusion that the man was not being visited by the dead, but rather by a few very living rodents. This he told the gentleman and waited for the explosion of denial that was sure to come. But none did. The old man simply stared at the sergeant and then exhaled slowly.
<P>“’Then what am I to do of it?’ asked the miser.
<P>“’My suggestion would be to bedevil this house’s rats no more and move along to your final destination,’ replied Janus with a twinkle in his eye.
<P>“And with that the old man vanished in a puff of ancient cigar smoke and a jingle of dusty coins. Sgt. Janus made for the door, his work done. Save for paying his clients, of course.
<P>“A piece of cheese, good and stout, left by the wainscoting and he was off. The next day, Christmas, the man’s family found his empty shell of a body in the master bedroom, a few crumbs of cheese littered here and there on the carpet, and, strangely, the clear tracks of hooves on the roof.
<P>“Well, Per, let me burden you no more with old wives’ tales and allow me to wish you the very best of the Season and to your husband and my dear nieces.
<P>“Oh, and by the by, I also saw a light on in a window of Janus House. I wonder what that could possibly mean…?”
<P><i>All content (c)Jim Beard 2012</i> Please read the entire SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER book by picking up a copy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Spirit-Breaker-Jim-Beard/dp/0615645607/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356377133&sr=8-1&keywords=sgt+janus"><b>AMAZON.COM</b></a>Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7022512166990997856.post-807511794320095482012-09-28T08:55:00.000-07:002012-09-29T08:10:54.320-07:00Sgt. Janus Replies #7Caine asks:
<P><i>“What other famous individuals have you come in contact with on your journeys?”</i>
<P>Sgt. Janus replies:
<P><i>“Your question seems to imply that I myself am a ‘famous individual,” but I assure you that I have never sought out nor am interested in fame or notoriety. If anything, I am perhaps infamous in some circles…</i>
<P><i>“Allow me to tell you a brief story, though, to answer your question. A few years ago I was asked to come to the house of a wealthy man who was, among many other things, a collector of art. I was astonished by the length and breadth of his collection and, upon seeing my interest, the man insisted that he give me a tour of the many paintings he owned. We walked past Michelangelos and Van Goghs and Cezannes and even a Degas or two, until we approached a small work at the end of one hallway. Pausing before it, the man indicated the signature on the painting. I looked closely to see that it was a Monet, one of his lesser-known achievements.</i>
<P><i>“The man then looked at me and explained that the work was the only Monet he owned and that he fervently wished to acquire more, but ‘the demmed things are too demmed elusive.” I told him that I was blissfully ignorant of such things and I was more interested in exactly why he had called me to his home – surely it was not to visit his art collection? He harrumphed and explained that he was quite certain that he had somehow acquired a spirit with the painting that hung before us, and that it was the lingering shade of Claude Monet himself. Before I could respond to this claim, the man urged me to contact the spirit and ask if it would not care to produce a fresh work or two for him. In other words, the art collector believed he had a line on wholly new Monets – exclusive to him and potentially worth a neat fortune.</i>
<P><i>“I told him that my profession as a Spirit-Breaker was to rid homes of ghosts, not parlay with them for a continuation of their earthly works, but the man insisted and I conceded that the exercise might prove valuable for future study. I asked to be left alone in the hallway and once my wish was granted, I asked the spirit for guidance on the matter. After several attempts, the spirit informed me that, to the contrary, he was not Claude Monet at all, but a simple painter of moderate skill who produced small works in his spare time. In life he was actually a chimney sweep, but in the afterlife, well, he had found some kind of fame…at least in the art collector’s eyes. Could he possibly go on without my ‘spilling the beans’?</i>
<P><i>“The lesson, here, I believe, is that fame is in the eye of the beholder. We are all giants in our own minds and we are also too often too easily blinded by the reputed fame of others. Still, better a famous artist in death than a simple chimney sweep in life…and my abject apologies to the real Claude Monet - REJ”</i>
<P>All content © Jim Beard 2012. Please consider purchasing a copy of SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sgt-Janus-Spirit-Breaker-Jim-Beard/dp/0615645607/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348847484&sr=8-1&keywords=sgt+janus"><b>AMAZON.COM</b></a>.
Jim Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02402557545413785472noreply@blogger.com2