Hello everyone!

It’s been a busy (and slightly frozen) few months, but I’m excited to catch you up on what’s happening in my writing world.

Just Completed: GRAVE MARKER.  I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve finished GRAVE MARKER, the latest thriller in the Lt. Eve Sharpe series! This one took me on a darker, more intense ride than usual, and I’m really proud of how it turned out. Lt. Sharpe is pushed to her limits both personally and professionally in this installment, and the case… well, let’s just say it hits close to home. The manuscript is now polished and out on submission. I’m actively querying literary agents with GRAVE MARKER, so fingers crossed that Eve finds the right champion soon. If you’ve been enjoying the series, this one delivers everything you’ve come to expect—tight suspense, sharp twists, and a protagonist who refuses to stay down.

Currently in Progress. While querying, I’m refusing to sit still. I’ve already dived back into BODY BAG, the seventh book in the Lt. Eve Sharpe series. This one is shaping up to be particularly gritty and emotionally charged. Without giving too much away, Eve finds herself dealing with a disturbing pattern of cases that no one else seems willing to connect… until the body count forces everyone’s hand. At the same time, I’m continuing to make steady progress on FRAGILE DAWN, the fourth book in my Hostile Earth post-apocalyptic series. The world is getting harsher, the stakes are rising, and the survivors are being tested in ways they never imagined. If you love gritty, realistic survival stories with complex characters and moral dilemmas, this series keeps delivering. Multitasking between a high-octane thriller and a brutal post-apocalyptic tale keeps me on my toes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What’s Coming Next The immediate focus is finishing BODY BAG. Once that’s complete, I’ll decide whether to send it straight to agents or release it independently, depending on how things develop with the series. I know many of you are eagerly waiting for the next Eve Sharpe adventure, and I’m working hard to bring it to you as soon as possible.

Author Update: Surviving the Blizzard. On a more personal note, we finally dug ourselves out from under the five feet of snow that the latest storm dumped on us. It was quite the event! Our generator got a serious workout and performed like a champ, keeping the lights on and the heat running while the world outside disappeared under a thick white blanket. There’s something strangely fitting about surviving a real-world battering while writing stories about resilience and crisis—whether it’s crime scenes or collapsed civilizations.

Thank you, as always, for your incredible support. Whether you’ve been with Eve Sharpe since the beginning or you’re just discovering the Hostile Earth series, I’m grateful for every reader who comes along for the ride. I’ll be sharing more updates soon—possibly even a small teaser from BODY BAG once it’s further along. In the meantime, stay safe, stay curious, and keep turning those pages.

Happy reading,

A Thrilling Update: New Releases and Exciting Developments

 

It’s been a whirlwind of a journey, and I’m beyond excited to share some big updates with you! I’m nearly finished with Doomsday, the second book in the Hostile Earth series, and it’s shaping up to be an intense ride. If all goes according to plan, you’ll be able to get your hands on it by the end of April. The story continues to unfold in a world teetering on the edge, and I can’t wait for you to dive back into the chaos and resilience of these characters.

But that’s not all—there’s more on the horizon. Book three of the Hostile Earth series, titled Fragile Dawn, is already in the works and slated for release in July. It’s a story that’s been simmering in my mind for a while, and I’m thrilled to bring this next chapter to life. The title alone hints at the delicate balance between hope and despair that I’m exploring in this installment.

Meanwhile, fans of Lt. Eve Sharpe have something to look forward to as well. The second book in her thriller series, Back Burner, is set to drop in June. Eve’s back with her sharp instincts and relentless drive, tackling a case that’s as personal as it is dangerous. Writing her adventures continues to be a blast, and I’m eager to see how readers respond to this latest twist in her story.

The past few months have been a whirlwind of activity. Between editing drafts, finalizing manuscripts, and approving cover art, my days have been packed. Each step brings these books closer to your shelves, and I’m pouring everything I’ve got into making them worth the wait. The covers, in particular, are coming together beautifully—I can’t wait to reveal them soon!

It’s a busy season, no doubt about it, but I’m loving every minute of it. These stories have been my companions for months, and soon they’ll be yours too. Mark your calendars—April, June, and July are going to be big months! Thanks for sticking with me on this wild ride. I’d love to hear what you’re most excited about in the comments below. Until then, happy reading!

A Day In The Life with orchestra - The Beatles (arr. Sam Haug)

 

As we dive into the early months of 2025, I’m deep in rewrites on three different novels. Here's a sneak peek into the worlds of "Doomsday," the second installment in the Hostile Earth series, "Back Burner," the latest addition to the Lt. Eve Sharpe thrillers, and Final Epoch the third volume of the Hostile Earth series

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DOOMSDAY - Hostile Earth Series, Book Two

Coming: March 2025

In "Doomsday," we return to the tumultuous world of Aurora where Terra Vonn has recently been elected governor. Her leadership is immediately tested by unforeseen catastrophes, the undercurrents of treachery, and deceit within her administration. The stakes are raised when Aurora faces an unprecedented threat from the Ghóraz, the progeny of escaped prison gangs. Terra must navigate through political sabotage and external dangers, trying to keep her community safe while uncovering who among her circle can be trusted.

I think you’ll find this novel to be a rollercoaster of survival, strategy, and suspense. Fans of dystopian thrillers will find "Doomsday" to be a compelling continuation of Terra's journey, filled with twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

 

BACK BURNER - A Lt. Eve Sharpe Thriller

Coming: April 2025

"Back Burner" introduces a younger, less jaded Eve Sharpe, back when she was a rookie patrol cop on the brink of abandoning her badge for a life in insurance sales. Paired with the enigmatic Clark Griffin—a partner who's as morally ambiguous as he is loyal—Eve's already dim view of her career dims further.

However, when a close friend falls victim to a brutal murder, Eve's sense of duty and justice reignites. With the case relegated to Homicide's proverbial "back burner," Eve takes it upon herself to delve into the investigation. As she digs deeper, the trail leads her to an unthinkable suspect, challenging her beliefs about justice, betrayal, and the lengths one might go to uncover the truth.

 

FINAL EPOCH – Hostile Earth book three

Coming: May 2025

Book three of the Hostile Earth series, Final Epoch, follows Terra’s daughter Willow and her best friend Kelly as they navigate growing up in post-apocalyptic earth. Fun until catastrophe strikes and Willow and Kelly are thrust into a disastrous war that could end humanity’s fragile hold on life.

 

I’ll give a heads up as we get closer.

More in due course.

As promised, and in no particular order, are some of the books I’ve read and reread. All of these have inspired me in one way or another.

Dracula                                                           Bram Stoker

The Hound of the Baskervilles                      Arthur Conan Doyle

A Princess of Mars/Tarzan of the Apes         Edgar Rice Burroughs

Hunchback of Notre Dame                            Victor Hugo

Interpretation of Dreams                                Sigmund Freud          

The Big Sleep                                                 Raymond Chandler

The Martian Chronicles                                 Ray Bradbury

Psycho                                                            Robert Bloch

The Lord of the Rings                                    J.R.R. Tolkien

The Grapes of Wrath/Cannery Row              John Steinbeck

For Whom the Bell Tolls                               Ernest Hemingway

Nineteen Eight-Four                                      George Orwell

Frankenstein                                                  Mary Shelly

Slaughterhouse-Five                                      Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 

In Cold Blood                                                Truman Capote

Atlas Shrugged                                              Ayn Rand

Flowers for Algernon                                    Daniel Keyes

The Godfather                                               Mario Puzo

 Lolita                                                            Vladimir Nabokov

Catch-22                                                        Joseph Heller

The Road                                                       Cormac McCarthy

The Call of the Wild                                      Jack London

Jurassic Park                                                  Michael Crichton

Trainspotting                                                  Irvine Welsh

What are some of your favorite books?

Some of my favorite films

Here’s a short list of few movies that have entertained and inspired me over the years (the complete list would be huge). If you want to add some of your favorites to my list, hit the comments. I’ll add books and music, soon.

Alien, Psycho, King Kong the original, Pulp Fiction, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Casablanca, The Godfather, Goodfellas, Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars: A New Hope, Silence of the Lambs, Dr. Strangelove, The Pink Panther, Some Like It Hot, Lord of the Rings, Unforgiven, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Fargo, North by Northwest.

What I would do in a zombie Apocalypse?

I've thought a lot about the looming zombie apocalypse. Really. When half-rotten (or in some cases, fully rotten) corpses reanimate and feast on the living, what the hell would I do? How would I defend our home? More importantly, how would I defend my family?

I've recently concluded a very thorough analysis of my current planning, and it seems my defensive strategies aren't very good. To be a little more precise, they stink on ice.

So I decided that I needed advice. Then it dawned on me. Who would know more about killing zombies than screenwriters? With that in mind, I popped some popcorn and downloaded several of the best zombie movies of all time.

Sadly, the results were not very encouraging.

SPOILER ALERT – If you haven't seen these movies I sort of give away the endings.

I could stay and defend my family like in Night of the Living Dead (1968) – Unfortunately, the movie ends with photos of the hero being dumped on a pile of burning bodies.

Okay, maybe holing up in a shopping mall would work. After all, it was more or less successful in Dawn of the Dead (2004). At least for a while. And it all worked out in the end by sailing to a remote, uncorrupted island. Right? Wrong. Instead, you get bitten, and you have to kill yourself while your friends sail away to uncorrupted island. Except . . . not. They run out of food and land on an island swarming with—zombies. Crap.

How about flying to another continent? One that's zombie free? In 28 weeks later (2007) our heroes fly across the English Channel to France only to find zombies pouring out of the Paris Métro.

In Zombieland (2009) (full disclosure, one of my favorite movies) their great idea is going to an amusement park in California where they believe there are no zombies. Except when our heroes get there, the place is not only loaded with zombies, there's a zombie clown. A ZOMBIE CLOWN!! What the hell???

There are more movies. Many more. But it seems that in each, no matter what you do, you're going to die.

My conclusion, based on this exhaustive research, is that when the zombie apocalypse comes, we're all thoroughly and completely screwed.

The Book Quarry: H.L. LeRoy's Pooled Blood ☆Review☆

The Book Quarry: H.L. LeRoy's Pooled Blood ☆Review☆:     Pooled Blood Series: A LT. Jack Daniels/Jillian Varela Mystery  ( A loosely tied together series. But any of the stories ...

Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf: One Eight Seven by: H.L. LeRoy w/ Review

Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf: One Eight Seven by: H.L. LeRoy w/ Review: Title: One Eight Seven Author: H.L. LeRoy Series: A LT. Jack Daniels/Jillian Varela Mystery ( A loosely tied together series. But...

Waceland - a review

WACELAND

Coyote, a teenage girl in a post-apocalyptic landscape, must save her little sister by crossing a desert to reach the fabled town of Midian, all while being hunted by a pack of bloodthirsty mercenaries and outlaws.

But is Midian harbouring even darker secrets than the moonlit dunes of the Akchain Territory? Through her barbaric journey, Coyote must find the strength within to keep her humanity without losing her life.

It's violent. It's mad. It's Waceland.

-Blurb from Amazon.com

 

Review:

Coyote Singh has a knack. In the post-apocalyptic ruins of Waceland, she can find the artifacts and weapons that bring a little money and a certain measure of respect. All that's fine, but her mind is focused on getting out of Bone Town and to the mythical city of Midian where they might be able to heal her dying sister, Anika.

That is, if Midian exists.

But Coyote Singh has a knack and with it, she'd find the city or die trying.

Waceland is a tightly written, imaginative novel with well-developed characters and a story that hums along at high speed. Better yet, the world Ashlock has created draws you in with a gritty reality that you don't often find in sci-fi books.

A terrific story! Don’t miss!

http://www.amazon.com/Waceland-Brad-Ashlock-ebook/dp/B00TQUXXL8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426866103&sr=8-1&keywords=waceland

When the opportunity to write in Jack Daniels’ world presented itself, I jumped at the chance. Since my other works are in the mystery/thriller/action/adventure genres and tell the stories of strong female protagonists confronting impossible situations, I knew it was a perfect fit.

I decided that to begin with I would write three novellas, To that end, I have published the first two (ONE EIGHT SEVEN, REMEMBER THE DEAD) through Amazon’s Kindle World’s platform, and the third, POOLED BLOOD, should be ready in the next few weeks. These are licensed tie-ins with J. A. Konrath’s serial killer hunter par excellence, Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels, and I hope people enjoy reading these as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Although loosely tied together, the stories are stand-alone reads and fit into the 2005-2006 timeframe. Longtime fans as well as first time readers will be able to drop right in and not miss a beat.

ONE EIGHT SEVEN

Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels’ mom doesn’t just enjoy guilt trips she buys your ticket, packs your bag, and stamps your passport. Now she has Jack reluctantly heading to San Francisco in an effort to solve the murder of a drag queen superstar.

Teamed up with a tough-as-nails local P.I., Jillian Varela, Jack figures it will be an easy case. But what her mom didn’t tell her was that she would be helping a Mafia don with a long list of enemies.

As the bodies begin to stack up, it becomes obvious that Mom’s “simple job” has turned into something both dangerous and deadly.

REMEMBER THE DEAD

In the world of serial killer hunters, Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is a legend and well known in every cop shop in America. But when one gruesomely posed body after another are discovered in the middle of Chicago, ambitious politicians and an aggressive press are threatening to derail Jack’s investigation.

And with her partner Herb on an extended second honeymoon in Mexico, it doesn’t look like help is on the horizon.

Then a friend from California, P.I. Jillian Varela, shows up on a job that parallels Jack’s case. Together they pursue the killer into a nightmare world of obsession, torture, and murder where no one may survive.

Joe’s Jack Daniels franchise is sharp, witty, suspenseful, and scary, and I’m privileged to be able to write in her world. She’s a once in a lifetime character. If you have a Jack Daniels story you’ve been dying to write, check out Joe’s Kindle Worlds page. It couldn’t be easier.

REMEMBER THE DEAD

http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Daniels-Associates-Remember-Novella-ebook/dp/B00U7TTMYE/ref=sr_1_25?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1425476607&sr=1-25

 

ONE EIGHT SEVEN

http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Daniels-Associates-Kindle-Novella-ebook/dp/B00U7TWEGM/ref=sr_1_22?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1425476486&sr=1-22