I’ve Written Lots of Books
When I think of an exact number, I don’t even know. And if I put a number here, I would have to update this post constantly, and that would clash with my laziness.
Let’s say I’ve written a couple dozen books. At least twenty-five, and probably more than that. Some I’ve written with other authors like Nick Thacker, so not all of those words have come from my pen. When you mix in short stories and novellas and things written for other people, it gets tricky to add up…
Here’s why I write so much…
Because I Love Stories
I love to tell stories, as long as they’re ripe. I’ve loved to read since a young age, and I’ve wanted to tell stories for just as long. When I was fourteen years old I hijacked my father’s expensive word processor to write eighty pages of a horror novel I never finished.
While I made a few detours along the way, like working day jobs that never gave me that sense of fulfillment I wanted, I’ve always yearned to tell stories.
And I have plenty left in the tank, I think, so why not? As long as I can put out book people enjoy without repeating myself too often (hopefully), I don’t see any reason not to put out as many stories as I can.
Being Indie Means Freedom
As an indie, I’m not hampered by trad pub rules. I signed with a traditional publisher for my spy thriller Shadow Soldiers, but it was an Amazon imprint and so it all worked very differently. From signing my contract to the book’s publication date took about three months. Most traditional publishers work quite a bit slower than that.
I know trad pub authors who get around this by having multiple pen names (and publishers) so they can release more than one book per year. As the sole owner of a one-author press, I’m only limited by my own output.
When I started the Micah Reed series, I wrote them at a blistering pace. I wrote the first six in about a year, I think. I’m not sure what inspired me to crank them out so quickly.
Maybe I was simply excited about those stories and wanted to get them out into the world as fast as possible…
Quantity Breeds Variety
With so many books, I’m able to stretch. Fifty years ago, an author would be lucky to have a career long enough to create more than one series. Now, the publishing world works very differently.
Because I have so many works, I’m able to branch into little sub-genres in different series. The Whistleblower Trilogy is a action thriller that doesn’t let up once it gets going.
Micah Reed is a crime series, that occasionally veers between amateur detective and hardcore action thriller.
Layne Parrish is a spy thriller series, and Six Assassins is crime thriller. My point is, because I know I can produce four books a year, I’m able to create an entire series in only a couple years. There’s a lot of freedom in knowing I have room to grow.
Museum Attack
Layne Parrish gets more than he can handle when an army with an agenda attacks a peaceful gathering...
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Shadow Soldiers
He’s deadly and dangerous. A quick and clean assassin. But he’s burned out and ready to quit.
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Snow Blind
Humans sold into slavery. A mysterious puppet-master pulling the strings. Can Layne foil those plans?
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Snake Bite
Retired assassin Layne Parrish wants to be left alone to raise his daughter. The enemies he’s created over his career have other plans.
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Shotgun Mine
In this sleepy mountain community, a shocking secret lurks beneath the surface. Can an aging spy expose the truth before an avalanche of violence swallows the valley?
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Clockwork Soldiers
Layne Parrish traded a life of espionage for quiet refuge in the mountains. But when his former boss shows up with a desperate plea for help, he leaps into action. And before he can even catch his breath, a new clue points to a double agent on his tail…
Wary of all sides, Layne hunts for a long-lost piece of crucial evidence. Because if he doesn’t find it first, everyone he cares about will fall under the assassin’s crosshairs.
Can this rusty spy bring down a conspiracy before it consumes those he loves the most?
Clockwork Soldiers is the seventh and final pulse-pounding thriller in the Layne Parrish series. If you like shocking twists, relentless villains, and learning the true cost of loyalty, you’ll love Jim Heskett’s high-octane finale.
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The Lethal Bones
A drifter looking for direction. A beautiful temptress with an offer. Will lady luck bring Ben fortune, or a bullet to the back of the head?
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The Legend of Kareem
Candle must rush to Texas to save the life of a man he doesn't know, or his family will become targets.
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Both Ends Burning
If Candle doesn't expose the company by uncovering their secret, no one will make it out alive.
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Nailgun Killer
After Micah has a falling out with a band of noxious criminals, he flees to bucolic Nederland, determined to find his sister, Magda, and live off the grid. But Magda’s involved with a disturbing cult, and it will put them both in grave danger…
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Stone Deep
A lethal biological weapon. A cunning hero. Only a lie can save thousands of lives.
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Paper Tiger
A desperate plan to recover the past. A race against a ticking clock. Micah's life hangs in the balance.
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Among Thieves: The Final Micah Reed Thriller
He wants to be free of the cartel. They’ll scorch the earth to kill him.
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Reagan’s Ashes
A key left by a dead man. Ruthless people scheming to steal it from her. Reagan will stop at nothing to find the answer.
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Micah Reed Box Set 1
Nailgun Killer, Casino Cartel, and Blood Thief, all in one discounted box set!
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