C.E. Martin's Blog, page 3
April 5, 2018
Book of Stone: Equus
A prehistoric man in ancient Greece, Equus was cursed by Zeus and transformed into a Centaur. He roamed the Earth, immortal, for centuries, until he finally challenged the riverman, Charon, in hopes of dying. Instead, Charon possessed Equus and used his body until the modern era, killing innocents to reap their souls, which were imprisoned in his dark weapon, a dark object that could assume multiple shapes. Equus was finally put to rest in 2014, SS09: Pale Horseman .
NOTES:
Equus-Charon marks the first instance where a true Centaur appeared in the Stone Soldiers universe. In Greek mythology, Centaurus was the father of all centaurs (also called Ixionidae). Half-man, half horse, with the torso of a man extending where the neck of a horse should be, Centaurs were said to be wild, savage, and lustful. But the man who would become Centaurus was not born a hybrid--he was cursed by the First Born Fell, Zeus.
Centaurus himself was the son of the cloud-being Nephele and the cursed Greek man Ixion--a hideous being who fled from humanity and allegedly mated with the horses of Mount Pelion.
Most historians believe that the mythology of Centaurs actually arises from the advent of horsemen in ancient times--that those who hadn't learned to master riding equines were terrified to see their new enemy approach and created the myth.
For Stone Soldiers, the Pale Horseman is a blending of the Grim Reaper and Centaur myths with the Horsemen prophecy of the Book of Revelations.
The nephilim/demon Charon further allowed for the final step in the Josie Winters story arc of the Stone Soldiers series. Possessing Josie, Charon used her body, unlocking her full psychic abilities to reap more souls--which, stored in his dark weapon, provided him a nearly limitless power source. After defeating Charon, Winters retained the memory of how to use all her psychic powers. This was foreshadowed in Stone Soldiers #5, Black Knight Down, when Jimmy Kane was also possessed by a witch who inadvertently showed him how to trigger, and control, the werewolf curse he carried, allowing Kane to become werewolf whenever he chooses.
April 4, 2018
Book of Stone: Draco Sapiens
Designated Species 6 by the U.S. Military, draco sapiens are a Fellish subspecies of man, not native to the planet Earth, and more commonly called "reptilians" by members of the civilian populace.
In 2018, it was discovered that Dracos originate from an alternate reality Earth ruled by the Fallen Angel Long-El. This alternate Earth, dubbed Lóng shìjiè ("Long Shi") by the enslaved humans lured there, is connected to Earth by means of a wyrmhole portal in Nevada. However, Dracos utilize thaumatological technology to travel back and forth between the two worlds at will, at any point on the two globes.
Dracos are bipedal beings, with to arms and legs, covered with a greenish-tinged, scaly skin that is theorized to be an advanced mutation of icthyosis all are born with. Dracos have wide set eyes and sunken nasal passages, creating the reptile-like appearance of their faces. Dracos file their teeth at puberty, similar to the tradition of African tribes.
Dracos worship and served the Fallen Angel Longshi, serving as masters, and in some cases the abductors of the slave population of humans on Perdition.
In addition to their uses of thaumatological devices, Dracos possesses advanced psychokinetic and extrasensory abilities and are capable of projecting mental images into the minds of targets. This allows the to alter the perception of humans, creating illusions or masking their appearance or presence. This ability has been used for many centuries in the abduction of humans to add to the slave population of Perdition.
(Read more about he Dracos and the world of Lóng shìjiè in Perdition's Shadow, coming Winter 2018)
In 2018, it was discovered that Dracos originate from an alternate reality Earth ruled by the Fallen Angel Long-El. This alternate Earth, dubbed Lóng shìjiè ("Long Shi") by the enslaved humans lured there, is connected to Earth by means of a wyrmhole portal in Nevada. However, Dracos utilize thaumatological technology to travel back and forth between the two worlds at will, at any point on the two globes.
Dracos are bipedal beings, with to arms and legs, covered with a greenish-tinged, scaly skin that is theorized to be an advanced mutation of icthyosis all are born with. Dracos have wide set eyes and sunken nasal passages, creating the reptile-like appearance of their faces. Dracos file their teeth at puberty, similar to the tradition of African tribes.
Dracos worship and served the Fallen Angel Longshi, serving as masters, and in some cases the abductors of the slave population of humans on Perdition.
In addition to their uses of thaumatological devices, Dracos possesses advanced psychokinetic and extrasensory abilities and are capable of projecting mental images into the minds of targets. This allows the to alter the perception of humans, creating illusions or masking their appearance or presence. This ability has been used for many centuries in the abduction of humans to add to the slave population of Perdition.
(Read more about he Dracos and the world of Lóng shìjiè in Perdition's Shadow, coming Winter 2018)
April 3, 2018
Book of Stone: Charon
CHARON
A demon (First Born Fell, or nephilim) from prehistoric times, Charon roamed the Earth for millennia, killing innocents and imprisoning their spirits in his enchanted/dark weapon. Charon moved from the body of champion to champion, always looking for new abilities and powers. As such, he could shapechange into any previous form at will. In 2014, Charon was using the body of the centaur Equus and came to America (SS09: Pale Horseman). He eventually, briefly, possessed Josie Winters before being pulled from her body and bound to his staff once more without a host.
For ages, Charon's staff-weapon was his prison. He is anchored to it, and never able to move more than a few feet away from it. In a mortal body--gained when someone touches the staff--Charon had the full range of his powers. Without a body, he is limited and ethereal--tied to the staff and only able to move, as an non-corporeal being, a short distance from it. Charon was able to break free of his staff weapon when it was broken by Mark Kenslir, who misunderstood the weapons purpose and used his own powers to negate the binding magic of the staff. Charon was eventually rebound to the staff by Detachment 1039, and the ancient, arcane artifact was buried in the Inferno vault in Nevada.
April 2, 2018
Book of Stone: KJ Bowling
Mentioned by several characters in Detachment 1039, Mary Cobbler and the Secret of Frogwartsis a popular middle-grade children's book about a twelve year old witch-in-training who solves mysteries while attending a prestigious wizarding school in England. What most of the Stone Soldiers world doesn’t know is that Kristina “KJ” Bowling actually based the stories in her books on her own experiences as a child—something that very nearly cost her life in the year 2000.
Not long after Mary Cobbler was released in print, the coven of witches running the Blackmoor Academy discovered that the book contained a number of their secrets—all thinly veiled under pseudonyms and parodies. A check of their records revealed that Bowling had herself been a student at Blackmoor, until she was expelled. The coven and their allies set out to immediately quiet Bowling, attempting to assassinate her on multiple occasions until they themselves were eliminated by Detachment 1039 (see Magician of Interest, Shadow Detachment #11, coming Fall of 2018).
Today, Bowling lives in extreme seclusion, carefully watched by the United States military, to whom she continues to feed secrets about Blackmoor and the circle of covens that established it—while also continuing the adventures of her beloved characters in a series of novels that continue to sell around the world.
April 1, 2018
Book of Stone: Acre
The tiny rainforest nation of Acre lies in the center of South America, bordered by Brazil to the east, Peru to the west, and Bolivia to the southeast. Since the nineteenth century, the small nation has been the territory of all three larger nations and is today still unrecognized by its neighbors.
After decades of conflict, in 1909, a treaty was signed and the territory was made part of the nation of Brazil. In 1980, Acre declared its independence and successfully repelled Brazilian armed forces sent to quell the latest uprising. Today, Acre remains a contested region, but somehow manages to avoid being invaded by occupational forces from any other nation. The borders of the tiny country are heavily patrolled and despite its small size, Acre’s semi-organized militia forces have eliminated all smuggling into or out of the country.
Rumors from the Amazon region abound that Acre is controlled by shamans given power by a supernatural entity that claim is none other than the Incan god Inti. Successful drug and rubber plantations within the borders of Acre have secured significant financial reserves for the country and it is generally accepted the tiny nation preserves its unrecognized-yet-sovereign status through bribes and financial manipulation of its surrounding nations.
Several financial and economic experts in academia have pointed out the drug and rubber trade of the late 20th Century—the former eradicated by combined United States and Bolivian armed forces—could not account for the tremendous wealth of the tiny nation. This has led to further speculation that the long-lost treasure of the Incan Empire was hidden in Acre and is now used by the rebel government there to preserve the peace. As virtually no outsider journeying into Acre ever returns, the true nature of the country officially remains a mystery.
Look for Acre in Dark Powder, Shadow Detachment #9, releasing the Summer of 2018.
2018 A to Z Blogging Challenge Begins!
As in years past, the Stone Soldiers book series is once again represented in the annual A-to-Z Blogging Challenge with 26 letter-themed, daily entries detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe, including the Stone Soldiers, Shadow Detachment, and Spectral Ops series--both past and future.
For 2018, look for entries for the upcoming novellas and novels being released later this year, as well as characters and places added to the relaunched Shadow Detachment series of Cold War novellas.
For 2018, look for entries for the upcoming novellas and novels being released later this year, as well as characters and places added to the relaunched Shadow Detachment series of Cold War novellas.
January 22, 2018
NEWEST RELEASE: Shadow Detachment, Volumes 1-5
A compilation of Books 1-5 in the Shadow Detachment series, available now on Kindle, and coming soon in print!
The forces of darkness conspire to eradicate mankind, even into the modern era. Standing against them are soldiers possessing abilities beyond that of normal men. Follow the adventures of Detachment 1039 through three decades of preternatural combat around the world in this compilation of the first five Shadow Detachment stories. From 1950 Korea to 1974 Morocco, America's best fight fire with fire, as supernatural soldiers cross paths with fearsome beasts.
Includes:
Shadow DetachmentDark InvadersStone SoldierSpellbreakerBlood Traitor
January 10, 2018
COLLABORATION 2018
They say that two heads are better than one, and when it comes to Action and Adventure, that definitely holds true.
The greatest action-adventure series of all time, the Destroyer, was created and written by two amazing authors: Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy. Over the years, these two giants of two-fisted action churned out dozens of novels. Following Mr. Sapir's untimely passing, Warren Murphy continued the series, partnering with ghost writers like Will Murray, Jim Mullaney, and Gerald Welch. Five decades and over one-hundred-and-fifty novels later, the Destroyer keeps on kicking butt and dispensing justice.
For 2018, The Stone Soldiers of Detachment 1039 are doing the same. Starting with the oldest Detachment story, "Shadow Detachment", all the Stone Soldiers series are being combined into one, numbered chronologically, re-edited, revised and re-released with the help of ghost writers under an all new author name: Martin Stryker.
And the revolution has already begun.
Beginning in December 2017, the Shadow Detachment series has begun re-releasing revised editions once a week, revealing the origins of the magic-and-monster-fighting unit in 1950 (Shadow Detachment) and continuing through the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s. By Summer 2018, the Stone Soldiers stories readers have enjoyed will be re-released as well, continuing the decades-long battle against the forces of darkness both on an off-world.
Look for new releases weekly, including compilations of the shorter novellas, in their proper reading order, with a handful of all-new stories added in:
RED MAGIK, a tale of 1980s espionage that sees Mark Kenslir slipping behind the Iron Curtain to steal the head of Medusa from Soviet Sorcerers before they can unlock its ancient secrets
DARK POWDER, a tale of 1990s drug interdiction set in South America as the Detachment fights a Cartel relying on supernatural forces to seize control of not only the drug trade but of the minds and souls of addicts around the world.
MAGICIAN OF INTEREST, an early 2000s adventure that puts Colonel Mark Kenslir on the side of evil, protecting a renegade witch-turned best-selling author as her former peers seek to silence her tell-all books before the world-at-large learns their deepest secrets.
And finally,
ISLAND OF THE DAMNED, the delayed third installment of the Spectral Ops story arc that finds the Detachment fighting armies of the dead being raised around the world. In this installment, a mysterious island in the mid-Pacific is inadvertently discovered when a passenger jet crashes, turning survivors into prisoners in a paranormal penal colony built centuries go and now home to the greatest monsters of the ancient Japanese empire. Can Detachment 1039 rescue the civilians of Flight 618, or will America's greatest supernatural soldiers become the newest inmates of the Island of the Damned?
But just who is the other half of Martin Stryker, willing to join C.E. Martin in 2018? Check back soon for more on the anonymous, mysterious ghost writer-half of the Martin Stryker team....
The greatest action-adventure series of all time, the Destroyer, was created and written by two amazing authors: Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy. Over the years, these two giants of two-fisted action churned out dozens of novels. Following Mr. Sapir's untimely passing, Warren Murphy continued the series, partnering with ghost writers like Will Murray, Jim Mullaney, and Gerald Welch. Five decades and over one-hundred-and-fifty novels later, the Destroyer keeps on kicking butt and dispensing justice.
For 2018, The Stone Soldiers of Detachment 1039 are doing the same. Starting with the oldest Detachment story, "Shadow Detachment", all the Stone Soldiers series are being combined into one, numbered chronologically, re-edited, revised and re-released with the help of ghost writers under an all new author name: Martin Stryker.
And the revolution has already begun.
Beginning in December 2017, the Shadow Detachment series has begun re-releasing revised editions once a week, revealing the origins of the magic-and-monster-fighting unit in 1950 (Shadow Detachment) and continuing through the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s. By Summer 2018, the Stone Soldiers stories readers have enjoyed will be re-released as well, continuing the decades-long battle against the forces of darkness both on an off-world.
Look for new releases weekly, including compilations of the shorter novellas, in their proper reading order, with a handful of all-new stories added in:
RED MAGIK, a tale of 1980s espionage that sees Mark Kenslir slipping behind the Iron Curtain to steal the head of Medusa from Soviet Sorcerers before they can unlock its ancient secrets
DARK POWDER, a tale of 1990s drug interdiction set in South America as the Detachment fights a Cartel relying on supernatural forces to seize control of not only the drug trade but of the minds and souls of addicts around the world.
MAGICIAN OF INTEREST, an early 2000s adventure that puts Colonel Mark Kenslir on the side of evil, protecting a renegade witch-turned best-selling author as her former peers seek to silence her tell-all books before the world-at-large learns their deepest secrets.
And finally,
ISLAND OF THE DAMNED, the delayed third installment of the Spectral Ops story arc that finds the Detachment fighting armies of the dead being raised around the world. In this installment, a mysterious island in the mid-Pacific is inadvertently discovered when a passenger jet crashes, turning survivors into prisoners in a paranormal penal colony built centuries go and now home to the greatest monsters of the ancient Japanese empire. Can Detachment 1039 rescue the civilians of Flight 618, or will America's greatest supernatural soldiers become the newest inmates of the Island of the Damned?
But just who is the other half of Martin Stryker, willing to join C.E. Martin in 2018? Check back soon for more on the anonymous, mysterious ghost writer-half of the Martin Stryker team....
November 26, 2017
Reading Order for the Shadow Detachment
A reader recently asked, "What's the correct reading order for the books that came before Spectral Ops?"
An excellent question...
Originally starting out as Stone Soldiers, the first few books soon sparked a series of prequel short stories revealing the background of the unit and some of its characters. As time passed, a spin off, twice-a-year series as envisioned: Shadow Raiders, where the team would take the fight to evil's doorstep off-world. Then the first 12-part story arc in Stone Soldiers wrapped up, and instead of going with Stone Soldiers #13, the decision was made to rename the series Spectral Ops to reflect the new enemies for the next 12 part story arc.
It's all just too confusing, and 2017 was filled with chaos for the author and very little writing's been done.
To make things easier for the reader, everything's going to be relaunched: into one series, numbered sequentially for easy reference:
#1 Shadow Detachment#2 Dark Invaders#3 Stone Soldier#4 Spellbreaker#5 Blood Traitor#6 Red Magik#7 Infernal Machine#8 Dark Powder#9 X-Ponent#10 Devil’s Network#11 Magician of Interest#12 Paranormal Insurgency#13 Stone Soldiers#14 Sea of Monsters#15 Mythical #16 Brothers in Stone #17 Blood and Stone #18 Shades of War #19 Black Knight Down #20 Armageddon Z #21 Seven Deadly Sons #22 Terrorcota #23 Pale Horseman #24 A Lucky Day to Die #25 One Dark Step #26 Shadow Raiders#27 Winters’ Fury #28 Spectral Ops#29 Ghostwalker #30 Island of the Damned
The sharp-eyed might notice that the list above has new titles in it. Some of those were planned prequel shorts for early 2018, while others are retitled versions of older stories previously released.
And then there's the author name change...
In the coming weeks, you'll start seeing the name Martin Stryker. This nom de plume reflects the revised, re-edited versions of the Shadow Detachment stories, and possibly the inclusion of some collaborative work with a ghost writer or two.
Do you need to read the new versions? That's up to you, but these aren't going to be major changes--just tweaks, with extraneous stuff removed, and maybe a tiny bit added in here and there.
As always, thank you for reading!
An excellent question...
Originally starting out as Stone Soldiers, the first few books soon sparked a series of prequel short stories revealing the background of the unit and some of its characters. As time passed, a spin off, twice-a-year series as envisioned: Shadow Raiders, where the team would take the fight to evil's doorstep off-world. Then the first 12-part story arc in Stone Soldiers wrapped up, and instead of going with Stone Soldiers #13, the decision was made to rename the series Spectral Ops to reflect the new enemies for the next 12 part story arc.
It's all just too confusing, and 2017 was filled with chaos for the author and very little writing's been done.
To make things easier for the reader, everything's going to be relaunched: into one series, numbered sequentially for easy reference:
#1 Shadow Detachment#2 Dark Invaders#3 Stone Soldier#4 Spellbreaker#5 Blood Traitor#6 Red Magik#7 Infernal Machine#8 Dark Powder#9 X-Ponent#10 Devil’s Network#11 Magician of Interest#12 Paranormal Insurgency#13 Stone Soldiers#14 Sea of Monsters#15 Mythical #16 Brothers in Stone #17 Blood and Stone #18 Shades of War #19 Black Knight Down #20 Armageddon Z #21 Seven Deadly Sons #22 Terrorcota #23 Pale Horseman #24 A Lucky Day to Die #25 One Dark Step #26 Shadow Raiders#27 Winters’ Fury #28 Spectral Ops#29 Ghostwalker #30 Island of the Damned
The sharp-eyed might notice that the list above has new titles in it. Some of those were planned prequel shorts for early 2018, while others are retitled versions of older stories previously released.
And then there's the author name change...
In the coming weeks, you'll start seeing the name Martin Stryker. This nom de plume reflects the revised, re-edited versions of the Shadow Detachment stories, and possibly the inclusion of some collaborative work with a ghost writer or two.
Do you need to read the new versions? That's up to you, but these aren't going to be major changes--just tweaks, with extraneous stuff removed, and maybe a tiny bit added in here and there.
As always, thank you for reading!
October 4, 2017
Falling into Fall
“The best laid schemes o'mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.”--Robert Burns, "To a Mouse"
It's October, and Fall is in the air! Or, in my case, I fell through the air...
It was late September and I was working on a project at home when I took a bad step and tumbled down my stairs. While no bones were broken, I did twist and hyperextend one ankle, producing a loud pop and lots of pain. And thus ended my plans for an October release...
You would think that not being able to get around very good, with an immobilizing boot on one's ankle would mean lots of writing time. Alas, that is not the case. Try as I might, the pain from my ankle has become a writer's block of epic proportions. Despite having my evenings free, my wife and kids waiting on me hand and foot, I just can't get thoughts to paper.
This means that in all likelihood, Spectral Ops: Island of the Damned (Book 3), won't be available for sale this month. it also means that Spectral Ops #4 won't be out before the end of the year, the entire schedule being bumped a month or two off.
Work continues on FM 3-10-80, the US Army Preternatural Combat Operations manual---a free bonus encyclopedia of all things Stone Soldiers, and free for mailing list subscribers. This bonus book of content from the blog and new content will be launching on December 25th. Print copies will also be available for purchase and the ebook version will appear sometime in January.
In the meantime, keep spreading the word and enjoy a spooktacular Halloween!
It's October, and Fall is in the air! Or, in my case, I fell through the air...
It was late September and I was working on a project at home when I took a bad step and tumbled down my stairs. While no bones were broken, I did twist and hyperextend one ankle, producing a loud pop and lots of pain. And thus ended my plans for an October release...
You would think that not being able to get around very good, with an immobilizing boot on one's ankle would mean lots of writing time. Alas, that is not the case. Try as I might, the pain from my ankle has become a writer's block of epic proportions. Despite having my evenings free, my wife and kids waiting on me hand and foot, I just can't get thoughts to paper.
This means that in all likelihood, Spectral Ops: Island of the Damned (Book 3), won't be available for sale this month. it also means that Spectral Ops #4 won't be out before the end of the year, the entire schedule being bumped a month or two off.
Work continues on FM 3-10-80, the US Army Preternatural Combat Operations manual---a free bonus encyclopedia of all things Stone Soldiers, and free for mailing list subscribers. This bonus book of content from the blog and new content will be launching on December 25th. Print copies will also be available for purchase and the ebook version will appear sometime in January.
In the meantime, keep spreading the word and enjoy a spooktacular Halloween!
