If you’ve already been introduced to the Gunship series, it’s safe to say that you’re either team #loveit(if you’re team love it, please take a moment to say so through an Amazon review so I can buy a Harley) or team #hateit. Some people go out of their way to let me know how much they truly love the series, while others go out of their way to trash it. And I get both sides of the argument. In fact, it’s actually written for that very reason. To find my niche. You see, the truth is I am just a guy. I’ve read science fiction for years and wanted to create a series that avoided little green men at all costs, while bringing a bit of realistic-grit to the table.
For the Gunship series fans out there, I decided to post a blog about the beginning. The original story, characters and where the inspiration came from. So buckle up(unless you ride a Harley)!
Yep, I realize that’s a Farscape scene. And it’s also the very photo I sent to my cover designer in the beginning. I had two models ready to shoot the original cover, and planned on that very pose(Gunship is a love story). But then I hit a snag, the couple in question split up. Any hope of them together on a cover faded away like parachute pants and I was left with a book and no cover.
Then, less than a week later, I had a chance encounter with an old friend. Amanda Elizabeth. She’d been modeling for a while, so I(very humbly) asked if she’d like to be on the cover of Gunship. I totally expected to be laughed at, but instead she jumped at the chance, giving me this rockstar cover.
Sarah Blaine was originally a brunette(yes, I had to re-write all of her spots in the book), and the original story was strictly one of love. There were no Hunters(Vampires for the Gunship newbie), no Roman Raines and no Husk. Instead, it was a story about Adam proving himself to Sarah’s father while finding himself competing for Sarah’s affections with her former lover Draco. Draco, remember him(Gunship II)?
I eventually decided I needed some baddies, and threw Hunters into the mix. Then, after a couple of reads, I decided to turn Adam into a smuggler, something I have gotten a lot of hate reviews for, while gaining the respect of browncoats everywhere.
Sadly, I had never seen the show Firefly at this point, though it gained a lot of comparisons. Adam was actually modeled to be, for lack of better terms, Han Solo with a lot of Joe Flanigan. And Dalton? He was pretty much a compilation of an entire weekend of watching old westerns with my grandfather. A young Sam Elliot, if you will. But after hearing about the phenomenon known as Firefly, I bought the series. Immediately I saw the comparisons, though I think much of Joss’ world was simply rehashed from other science fiction.
Ultimately, I decided to dive back into Gunship and specifically add a lot of Firefly-like flair that browncoats would enjoy. Then, after carefully looking into publishing(who am I kidding), decided to self-publish it as a single story before moving on. Again, who was I kidding? I began to get stacks of emails wanting more, asking when the second book would be available and so on.
It was exactly what every author dreams of, at least the ones who walk around in a coffee-induced haze of science fiction like I do. So I began to ink the second book, and the third, and ultimately realized that I couldn’t write it fast enough!
So here we are. I’m knee-deep into the writing of Gunship VI, and have decided to turn the story into a brand. A setting if you will. Book six will see the end of the original crew’s journey, but will open the door for many more stories to follow. I’ll continue to write as fast as these Warlock hands will allow, and have recruited Gene Yohannan as a second author for the series!
So, to those who have supported this series, THANK YOU. And if you’re brand new to my style of science fiction, I personally invite you to give it a try!
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