Happy May

It’s been several weeks since I last posted anything. I was pretty busy.

As mentioned, we are now in May and boy, is it hot already! I’m not sure if it’s climate change or La Niña, but the weather is baking!

Meteorological shenanigans aside, I hope you all have been purchasing my books, now available on Amazon. They are perfect for a night in or a lazy Sunday on a hammock or poolside chair (if it’s not football season).

I am also working on other literary projects, including a prequel quatrilogy to the Angel of Death series. I know what some of you are saying: “Ugh. I hate prequels. They make the characters act stupid just to advance the story; they will be derailed; there’s always that one annoying character in it that I wanted to die; there’s filler galore; etc., etc.” Well, I’m going to have to ease your worries right there, because it won’t be that kind of prequel. There will be no character derailment, annoying characters, filler or any of that offensive crap. It. Will be. Awesome.

The prequels will feature Kitsune, the blonde who fights with pink flames that you all saw early in the third book. Yes, she had adventures before the main series. There’s no word on when these books will be released, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, stay safe and cool out there.

A Ballad of Gray: Excerpt #7

Happy Weekend, my blogging droogs! We have, once again, reached the end of another gruelling work week.

I shall jump straight into this and show you what is promised in the title: another excerpt from the fifth book in my fledgling literary series, Angel of Death, now available on Amazon:

While in the eastern district, Uzume stopped when she thought she sensed two hostile presences, one of them believing to belong to her target. She spoke into her earpiece when she spotted a man in a yellow suit. His face is shielded with sunglasses, and his hair resembles a broad broom.
The expression on her face showed shock and confusion.
Aluin’s voice continued speaking through the microphone.

“Inoue-san, are you there?” asked Aluin through the intercom.

“Uh…yes,” Uzume said reluctantly. “Again, his current location is before a boutique shop on…” She glimpsed at the street sign, which is in neon, an unusual feature in a street sign, which is in Romanian. “Titov Avenue. Wait, he’s moving.”

She began following the man without his knowledge. He made a turn at the end of the block and passed a film theatre. She hid herself behind any obstacle she came across to keep her presence hidden from him. She resumed pursuit before he vanished from her sight.
The man’s steps became rapid the moment he passed a fifteen-storey building. He ran as fast as he could, but she caught with him. He ducked as she swept her sai across and increased his speed. He ran from her sight and dove into a nearby alley, where he hid inside a seemingly unseen bar. He let out a breath of relief as he slumped into a table in the corner.
However, he’s far from safe.
He shifted his eyes about to see if the woman that was chasing him came alone. He suddenly saw a young man in white with mid-length black hair. His pale face has thin black eyeliner on his eyelids, bringing out more of his purple eyes.
The man scrambled out of his seat and desperately tried to open the door. The young man pulled his katana from its scabbard and sliced through thin air as his target stumbled out the door.
As the man made his way to the other end of the alley, Aluin blocked his way, while Uzume approached him from the opposite direction. The yellow-suited man became frozen with fear.

“You’ve nowhere to run,” said Aluin.

He ignited the silver flames in his left hand and flung them. The man turned and saw Uzume spin her sai around her hands as she closes in on him.

“Wait,” said the man. “I-I-I…”

“Make it quick, bub,” said Uzume, who pointed her weapon at his face.

He began laughing nervously and sweating under pressure.

“Listen, I’m not the one you want. It…it’s someone else!”

Aluin readied a gun he’s been carrying and aimed it at the man. Before he pulled the trigger, Aluin was brutally cut down by the man in white, who went after the man in the yellow suit. The man in white swung his bloodstained blade at the other man. The slash was intense enough to tear the man asunder, turning him in a crimson blast. Blood exploded from the waist, but briefly, with some even going on Uzume. Aluin pushed himself to his elbows, only to behold his now-dead target.

“That wasn’t fair,” Aluin said weakly. “He was our target.”

“Well, apparently, you didn’t act fast enough,” said Xochitl.

Uzume grew slightly frustrated and attacked the man in white without warning. He moved in a blink of an eye to evade the sharp tip of a sai before it struck air. She sensed him from behind and deflected his katana with her sai daggers. She planted her foot in his abdomen and tossed him overhead before slashing him in midair. Despite receiving such a blow, he landed on his feet and pointed his finger at her. A small, red light grew slightly in size before it turned into a beam. She deployed her shield, but the beam pushed her back due to its immense power.

“Get outta here, Aluin-kun!” shouted Uzume. “Hurry!”

“Not without you!” shouted Aluin.

He fired a silver sphere of fire at Xochitl, resulting in a direct hit that disoriented the latter. She threw one of her sai at Xochitl, who caught it within two inches of his face and redirected it at her. She grabbed it while dodging it, making sure it doesn’t get away from her. She barely evaded the sweep of his katana and countered with a slash across his face. Blood streaked from the cut on his cheek.
He knocked her out of the alley with a powerful kick. She tumbled against the asphalt, nearly causing traffic to halt, but she got back up. He came walking toward her calmly with his left hand in his pocket, as if that fight didn’t happen.

“He’s right,” said Xochitl. “You’re a superb fighter.”

“Who’s this ‘he’ to which you’re referring?” asked Uzume.

“You’ll see soon enough…Uzume Inoue.”

Her green eyes widened in absolute shock. “What the- -how did you know my name?!”

He looked over his left shoulder and at her, his purple eyes expressing the same frigidity as before. “If you really want to know…meet me at Osaka Castle one week from today…alone.”

“Me, come alone? What happens if I don’t?”

“Then my associates and I will hunt down all of you and kill you one by one.”

She gasped and took a few steps back, believing his threat to be true. The expression on her face changed to anger. Even the few spectators are surprised, as if they’re watching a live taping of a popular tokusatsu show. 

“Y…you wouldn’t dare!” she said in shock.

To prove his words to be true, Xochitl fired his beam at Aluin, blowing the latter young man far from where he stood. Although Xochitl only used his attack at minimum power, it’s still fairly strong.

He fluidly turned his back. “I’ll be waiting…”

He walked into a strange portal, which closed behind him. She went to check on Aluin and cast a healing light on him. Fortunately, the attack didn’t have a serious effect on him.

“You OK?” asked Uzume.

“I’ll live,” said Aluin.

He noticed the solemn expression of concern on her face, but didn’t ask her about what had transpired because he heard- -and felt- -Xochitl’s threat for himself.

–A Ballad of Gray, Ch. 12, Act I

What you all just read was a flashback scene from the book, specifically of an event that concerns Uzume. Why was she asked by Xochitl to meet him at Osaka Castle? And what plans does his boss have for her, especially regarding her combat skills? The important answers to those questions cannot be displayed here for fear of spoilers.

This arc, for lack of a better word, was written way back in the late Noughties, roughly fifteen years ago. I wrote it because I thought a certain female character from a certain anime I saw on late night TV at the time- -here named Orihime, on whom Uzume was based- -wasn’t kidnapped. Based on my logic, I theorised that she chose to leave instead of what the narrative stated, which set the stage for all sorts of tragedy, as I had seen it before. Naturally, because my suspension of disbelief was already broken at that point, I thought of punishing the character for what appeared to be a betrayal or some sort of foolish abandonment. That is all I can say here.

Now, for those of you joining in today, Angel of Death is a book series written by yours truly. It follows the gory adventures of Akiko, the eponymous assassin herself, as she strikes down anyone who was stupid enough to incur her wrath or not face karma, starting with the man who attacked her family when she was little. Armed with her katana, flames and martial arts training, she slashes her way though civilisation. Accompanying her is her personal army, the Killer Doll Posse. (Fun fact: the name of Akiko’s personal army is a reference to the Tori Amos album, ‘American Doll Posse’).

The following books are available on Amazon, in paperback and ebook:

Child of Samael

Killer Doll Posse

Sinners and Saints

An Anthem of Evil

A Ballad of Gray

I’m also working on a prequel series, which focuses on a different set of characters, two of who appeared in the third book. Half of it is completed so far.

Some of you are likely wondering, ‘when is Akiko gonna fight the Sabiile?’ Even I don’t know when.

Well, that does it for this post. I’ll return soon with another excerpt from the book. If you want more, check out the first four books. I promised you, you won’t be disappointed.

Stay safe out there, and happy reading!

A Ballad of Gray: Excerpt #6

It’s yours truly again. And now, without further ado, here’s what it’s advertised in the title:

The Killer Doll Posse finally reached the chambers of their target, Lucius Raregrave. The room they’re in is similar to the royal chamber of a European king, but with floating pillars. Their footsteps echoed in the distance.

“Looking for someone?” asked a man’s voice.

Akiko reached for her katana while facing a bearded man. His silver hair is short, and he’s wearing a black cape over his outfit.

“I was,” said Akiko. “It’s your son, Lucius.”

She caught a glimpse of a young man behind the older one, dressed the same way as him, but with longer hair. She hurled a spiral fireball at the young man, but it was dispersed by a transparent shield. He calmly walked away.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

She ran past the older man and jumped with Ankoku above her head. Lucius suddenly turned around while pulling out his broadsword and halter her weapon. She was violently pushed back, but recovered and held her left hand steadily. She eventually hurled another fireball, which is stronger, and it broke through Lucius’ shield and smashed him against the wall.

“You’re one powerful angel, indeed,” said Lucius. “Sadly…I must be going. Until next time.”

He blew her away with a strong gust of wind, then took his leave. She looked around for him, but it appears he actually is gone. Only the older caped man remained in the room.

“I’ll fight you in his place,” said the older man.

He pulled his sword from its scabbard. It is twice Ankoku’s size, and yet he can wield it so easily like it’s a walking cane.

“Before we start, I haven’t the chance to introduce myself.” Akiko smirked. “There’s no need for an intro…Gale Raregrave, or shall I say, King Zephyr. As a matter of fact, I used to know another man named Gale, ‘cept I hafta kill him.”

She brandished her weapon. Cygnus, who is standing by helplessly as he watched his mistress began fighting her opponent, was approached by another one of Zephyr’s henchmen, a purple-haired, pointy-eared woman in black named Mayu.

“Don’t worry about your mistress,” said Mayu. “She’ll be fine.” She emerged from the shadows tugging her weapon, which is a black leather whip. “I’ll keep you busy.”

She laughed as she cracked her whip, which became entwined around his wrist. He tugged it, but her feet remained firmly planted to the floor. He severed it with his own whip and struck her with it. She jumped over the next strike and sent him to the ground with a firm kick. He suddenly halted her with a reflective shield, sending her flying through a pillar. She darted toward him and thrust forward her fist but missed. He grabbed her and flung her overhead.
Meanwhile, Akiko is busy dealing with King Zephyr. She ran to evade the gust of wind created by the swing of his gargantuan broadsword and fired a bullet from her gun. He deflected it and slammed his weapon against hers. She launched him to midair with her Iron Fist, then jumped to meet up with him to slash him. His body thudded to the ground, leaving a large crater. He rose from the rubble, grinning.

“You are indeed Ichiro Iijima’s apprentice,” said King Zephyr.

“I’m more than just his apprentice,” said Akiko. “And how in the hell did you know about him?” 

“Let’s say you’ve quite a reputation.”

“If you’re done discussing me, I’d like to continue our battle.”

She rapidly dragged the tip of her blade against the stone floor, creating a spark of black flame. Being temporarily blinded, he was unable to see the thick blanket of black fireballs raining down on him. He was able to escape before she swung Ankoku to the floor and knocked her back with a strong kick. She rolled from the broadsword’s violent impact and formed a fiery crescent between them.

“Too slow!”

Her smile quickly faded when King Zephyr grabbed her wrist and hurled her to the other side of the room.

“Milady!” Cygnus yelled.

He shielded himself against Mayu’s attack, which resembles a tiger’s claw, and surprised her with an upward kick. She spun to recovery and pulled another whip from her utility belt.

“You should pay more attention to your opponent than your mistress,” said Mayu. 

She ran toward him with the sharp end of her whip facing him. After evading the attack, he blasted her with multiple bursts of white light that formed around his arms. The blast crushed her against the wall behind her.

“You hardly know the meaning of true loyalty,” said Cygnus.

He ran off, or more likely, flew away, to assist his mistress.
Akiko fended off King Zephyr’s strikes with her katana and jumped over him before he was able to swing his large sword. She quickly swiped her blade while jumping overhead, causing blood to squirt and his arm to go limp.

“Where’s your intense power, Zephyr Raregrave?” asked Akiko. 

Her wicked smile disappeared when she noticed the look in his eyes and his aura intensifying. Cygnus came just in time to grab and shield her from the violent attack King Zephyr delivered.

-Ch. 10, Act II, A Ballad of Gray

Wow. That was intense. Some of you are likely wondering how are Cygnus and Akiko going to get out of this mess.

The fifth book, whose teaser you just read, is now available on Amazon. That site has a lot of books. No word on its and preceding books on other literary sites, though.

That’s it for this post. Stay safe out there!

A Ballad of Gray: Excerpt #5

Happy April, blogging droogs!

Short Anecdote: Things have gotten crazy since I last posted, around the world at least. I haven’t checked the news in years, and that is because I got really sick of them sensationalizing all of humanity’s worst every five seconds on average. And that’s just from the U.S.; the world is likely slightly better off, but we don’t hear it.

Speaking of the world, its current state is likely the reason why Akiko, my antiheroine from ‘Angel of Death’, is an assassin. So without further ado, here is another excerpt from my current book, available now:

The trees on a street in Shibuya danced in the strong gust blowing through on a cloudy day, the leaves on the branches appearing to stretch as if they’re reaching out for something. While the wind blew, the first drops of rain fell and struck the pavement; more fell upon the city a few short seconds later. Those very branches are now bouncing under the tremendous weight and numbers of the raindrops, with the wind carrying them and battering the street.
In his Shibuya apartment, Antares watched the rain fall from the dreary grey sky. The weather he is experiencing is currently reminding him of the night he, while searching for Xochitl and Uzume for the act of slaying a singer, saw them engage in sexual activity in the cargo shipyard, unashamed of what they were doing. Since that day, whenever he recalls his time with his ex-girlfriend, Antares will sometimes picture her with that dashing Sabie, who replaced him. Antares sighed and buried his head in his left hand, feeling the pain. In the face of the truth he learned for himself- -and from Chi Mizuki- -he has been betrayed by the girl he loved, in more ways than one.

-Chapter IX, Act I, A Ballad of Gray

Poor Antares. His girl stabbed him in the back, figuratively. And she’s so cold, too.

I’d explain more of how Antares and Uzume’s relationship fell on the wayside, but that would be spoilerrific. If you want to see how that happened, it’s in the third book, ‘Sinners and Saints’, available on Amazon.

As mentioned in earlier posts, ‘Angel of Death’ is an action/soft sci-fi series with bits of drama in it. It follows the bloody exploits of Akiko Tanaka, the eponymous assassin with blue hair. She is accompanied by her personal army, the Killer Doll Posse. Their mission? Pay back the world for screwing up royally when she was small. It sounds like a tall order for a protagonist, but bear in mind I began writing this series back in the late 2000s, when almost everyone in the world thought the U.S. was a joke, to put mildly. I saw it differently due to my anger. And I wanted to see more badass heroes, but couldn’t (More of that on one of my earlier blogs, ‘5th Blog: My Inspiration’).

I’ll return next time with a new blog, likely another excerpt. Until then, stay safe out there.

P.S.: There is going to be a solar eclipse in North America today at around 1 pm, so be sure to check it out. Wear some special eclipse sunglasses, as the sun can hurt your eyes. Happy Eclipsing!

What Can I Read Over and Over Again?

Daily writing prompt

What book could you read over and over again?

View all responses

I have read so many good books, but if I were to choose one to read again, it would be ‘Neuromancer’. The plot and characters pull you in, despite the former being straightforward. I like straightforwardness sometimes. It’s also a classic example of cyberpunk literature and literature in general.

A Ballad of Gray: Excerpt #4

Hello, blogging world. Here is another excerpt from my currently available book:

In downtown Ciudad del Suroeste, a young woman entered a bar downtown and ordered a drink at the counter. Her long hair is honey blonde and flowing, and her eyes are green. She’s wearing a sleeveless burgundy T-shirt under a black denim jacket and black shorts. The bartender serving her is a tomboy named Sabien. Her brunette hair is short, completing her tomboyish look.

“You don’t look like a local,” said Sabien.

“Nope,” said the woman in a slight French accent. “I’m looking for someone, a nobleman from northern France.”

“You mean Lord Hunky over there?”

Sabien pointed at Rosiel, who is sitting at the corner table drinking what looks like red wine. The woman stared at him in surprise.

“Oh, my god,” said the woman. “That’s…” She got up and walked over to him calmly, but stopped a foot from his table before speaking to him. “Um, excuse me…”

He rested his glass on the table and faced the woman.

“Are you, by any chance…Rosiel Sorel?”

He continued to look at her with his piercing red eyes.

“I’m…Jolie Sorel…your sister.”

Upon hearing those words, he rose to his feet and faced her in shock. “How…how did you find me?” asked Rosiel.

“I heard you were in Rouen a while back. I found some bloodstains on the floor and, unable to find you, thought you were dead.”

“I survived.”

Jolie noticed his eyes. “You’re…different.”

“It is a long story, and a rather long one.”

He turned his attention to the gem hanging from her neck. It is resonating strongly with a faint purple glow, making the light as strong as a flashlight. The aura is currently making him ill at ease.

“What is that dangling from your neck?” he asked.

She lifted the gem by the chain. “You mean this?”

“Yes, that. Be a dear and let me examine it more closely.”

“I’m not sure if that’s- -”

He reached for it and grabbed it, but suddenly released it when he felt a searing sensation and dropped to his knees in pain. He looked at his right hand, which is burnt due to the necklace’s strange effects.

“What the hell is that thing?!”

“It’s something someone gave me before I left for Japan. It’s called a ’Blessed Stone’.”

He rose from his knees and calmly left the bar while holding his burnt hand. She called out his name, but he kept walking.

“What happened, and what’s with him?” asked Sabien.

“If only I knew,” said Jolie.

-Ch. 8, Act II, A Ballad of Gray

Many of you are wondering about the Blessed Stone. Funny story…

The short version: the Blessed Stone was inspired by an insignificant element in a video game I played long ago that has similar effects (the element in this case purifies the victim of demonization, especially vampirism). As you saw, it burned Rosiel’s hand when he touched it, yet he is fine walking around in the day…

The reason Rosiel can easily walk is because I based his vampirism on the original myths. Vampires, first of all, are seldom affected by sunlight; that came about thanks to ‘Nosferatu’, the German adaptation of ‘Dracula’, as it was a deus ex machina in that film. That weakness stuck around since. I originally left in the ‘walking around in daytime’ thing because I originally read up on those old myths. Curious about how be turned? I can’t explain it here. You’ll have to read the earlier books to find out.

‘A Ballad of Gray’, the 5th book in the Angel of Death series, is now available on amazon.com, everyone’s favorite one-stop shop for all of one’s literary needs. No word on its availability on other literary sites…yet.

That’ll be all for now. I’ll see you all next time. Stay safe out there.

A Ballad of Gray: Excerpt #3

Welcome back, blogging droogs. And a brand new welcome to newcomers.

I have a new book out now, and it’s part of a series. Here’s a scene from it:

Screaming and gunfire filled the moonless night with dread and destruction. The inside of an abandoned building lit up due to the burning sable flames inside, illuminating it. Other sounds coming from within are those of sharp metal cutting through raw flesh. One by one, each of the men inside fell at the hands of the bloodthirsty intruders, the Killer Doll Posse. They are after a group of paramilitary militias in Jordan; At the moment, they’re slaying the first group. 
One of the people watching, a girl of ten, saw in shocked horror the way the militia is being eliminated. She saw one man become literally split in half by Kokaviel’s scythe. At that point, the man turned into a fountain of gore and organs, the fluid spilling near her feet. Not too far away, Melina turned another man into an explosion of meat and gore between her orange chakrams, then turned around to the two fleeing and sliced them up with red ones. The girl covered her mouth to stay quiet, as she feared they’ll come for her, too.
Akiko and Siegfried are wiping out the remaining militia while the building burned around them. One man fired at Akiko wildly while stepping back. She kept blocking the bullets with her katana as she got closer to him. He kept pulling the trigger, only for the gun to click. She grabbed the man’s throat and pinned him to the nearest wall, then took his hunting knife out of its holster and held it above his face.

“Any last words?” asked Akiko.

All the man could do was whimper. He also soiled his pants from fear.  

“I thought so.”

She drove the huge knife through his throat, permanently sticking him to the wall. She watched the blood flow from the body and to the ground.

“Milady, we shouldn’t overstay our welcome,” said Siegfried.

Akiko looked around the building. “You’re right. We’ll find the rest later in the week.”

The Killer Doll Posse made their way out, with Kokaviel and Melina teleporting and Siegfried and Akiko running through the door unobstructed by fire and debris. After Akiko and Siegfried evacuated the building, the roof collapsed in a fiery heap. Smoke and sable fire erupted from the open roof. She looked back at the roofless building, glad to have escaped in time.
Also outside, the girl who was in the doomed building barely made it. She watched the one-storey building vanish under the strangely hued flames. She finally turned around and fled the premises.

-Ch. VII, Act I, A Ballad of Gray

What were the Killer Doll Posse doing to those paramilitary guys, and what have they done to make them decimate said guys like that? I cannot explain it here; you’ll have to check out the book personally.

‘A Ballad of Gray’ is the fifth book in the Angel of Death series, with the first book released all the way in September 2019. I spent a good chunk of the late 2000s to mid 2010s writing this series, but I kind of slowed down. That’s how much story I had in my head back then. As I explained in my recent blogs, especially ‘5th Blog: My Inspiration’, the 2000s were a hard time for everyone, including me. I was becoming an adult, but thinks looked bleak for me. Even attempts at vicarious escapism failed, as the networks back then thought audiences would tune in to stories with sad, disturbing or unsatisfying endings or methods of plot execution. To say I was upset would be an understatement. So I, totally unsatisfied with what I was given, took it upon myself to ‘fix’ these stories, whether they were fictional or real. Looks like I did a pretty good job, but I don’t want to jinx it or get a swelled head over it.

To reiterate, ‘Angel of Death’ is a series of the action/adventure/drama/soft sci-fi series about a dark antihero named Akiko who is feared the world over due to her reputation as the eponymous assassin. The reason for this? Vengeance, plain and simple, whether it’s for her family or her innocence. Fighting by her side is the Killer Doll Posse, her personal army and close companions. The action is intense, the pace is brisk, and the characters are well-rounded. The best parts? No unnecessary bleakness. No plot-advancing idiocy. No filibusters. No sad endings. No naive, feeble protagonists letting down audiences. No dragged-on arcs that’ll have you, the reader, tearing out your hair in frustration. And most of all, no bad guy gets away with anything, not even a stink eye. As of late, they are five books; more are on the way:

Child of Samael

Killer Doll Posse

Sinners and Saints

An Anthem of Evil

A Ballad of Gray

I’m also working on a prequel saga that follows a different set of protagonists in the same universe, but I won’t tell you until close to publication.

Well, that wraps it for now. I’ll return with another blog in either a few days or next week. In the meantime, stay safe out there.

5th Blog: My Inspiration

Without hesitation, it’s time to continue.

Last time, I mentioned the reason I began writing ‘Angel of Death’ because I was, to put it mildly, disappointed with some of the young heroes I saw on TV back in the 2000s. I wasn’t sure if it was because of how things were back then (what with occurred after 9/11 and all), but it’s still inexcusable for what I perceived as the main characters’ ineptitude. This somewhat brings up my next point, as I’ll explain below.

During those years, I had little interest in regular (that is to say, American) TV, barring a few exceptions. The primary reason for that was because I hated what was on at the time, mainly for the content coming off as stupid to me. And if I do come across it in some fashion, whether it’s during a commercial break or when the TV in the living room was left on the news, a crime documentary or a daytime talk show, it would show mostly bleak or disturbing stuff; any attempt at balancing that with something positive came off as artificial to me. And to make matters worse, I saw the U.S. as an enemy of the world (the sensible parts of it, anyway). I felt this was mostly due to the war and the news media. I felt betrayed. So much, in fact, that I wanted…revenge.

Enter the Angel of Death.

Like me, Akiko was hurt by the world at the time. She lost her family to a violent assassin, leaving her alone in a cruel world twisted by corruption, abuse, pointless wars, and blatant human idiocy and deviance. Informative media became a geyser of lies. Karma no longer exists. Idealism is a stopgap solution to it all, only for those who protest on behalf of good to be arrested, forced to betray themselves, or worse, shot. The lucky ones became jaded and didn’t want to help. This is the world that existed when she was little.

Fortunately, she had a kindly mentor to raise her during this turbulent time.

Determined to avenge her fallen family, Akiko trained under his tutelage and care, growing stronger as she aged. Her wings slowly bled to black. When it was time to hunt down the man who attacked her family and wiped them out, she assembled a team she would call her own companions, treating them less like soldiers and more like people for whom she cares.

When we meet our antiheroine in the first book, she had already formed not only the skills she needs to hunt down the truly guilty, but also her infamous reputation. She is already feared by the world itself, leaving dead bodies and shaken survivors in her wake. In the second book, seasoned Interpol agents were sent after her and her personal army at one point. The third book, we were shown…I don’t want to give too much away at this point, but it’s safe to say that Akiko has eliminated one obstacle and she has a few more to go. And there is a twist a little past the halfway point that will surprise you so much, you’ll never think of or see that particular character the same way again.

The fourth book has some more awesome moments for our blue-haired antiheroine, including an arc with a treasure hunt, another one where a grieving mother gets her revenge, and an investigation into a singer’s assassination that revealed more than what a secondary character bargained for.

Now we’re on the fifth book, and as I mentioned, it was the second part of a whole book. What awaits the Angel of Death and her Killer Doll Posse? What awaits the other characters? All of these books are available for purchase at amazon.com. They have a whole smattering of literature for reading, including this series. I am excited!

It’s now hard to imagine that this entire series was created simply because I felt the writers, their bosses, and the real world back then were such sadists and fools, that even I could cook up better stuff than what I, and to an extent everyone else, was given. Considering my emotional state, this was pretty good therapy. Why wait for karma to dish out retribution when I can just do it myself in my works? We are all burnt out anyway.

I’ll be back with another blog soon. In the meantime, stay safe out there!

4th Blog

I told you I’d be back.

Last time, I showed you all an excerpt from my new book, ‘A Ballad of Gray’. Along with that, I mentioned that it was part of a longer book. Here’s the story behind it.

I originally began writing ‘Angel of Death’ WAY back in 2008, before the Great Recession or when it was starting. The books were originally a bunch of short stories in their first draft, then I suggested to myself to turn those stories into chapters. That’s why all those chapters have an episodic format of storytelling. Then there’s ‘An Anthem of Evil’. It was, as last mentioned, a book clocking in at 900 pages. That would’ve been far too big for bookbinding! (although fantasy novels do tend to be that big, but A.O.D. is no fantasy series) Plus, it originally had filler chapters, which made up about half of the book’s first draft. So when the time finally came to publish these books independently, I rationally fine-tuned it, removing the fluff in the process, and split it into two books.

Another thing that became the inspiration for the series: At the time I began writing, I was getting sick of some of the young heroes in shounen anime from the late 90s-mid 2000s being too weak, naive and ineffective whenever they were up against powerful enemies (usually the arc villains). It became irksome when those very heroes would allow a character you really like to die, despite having the power to prevent such a tragedy from happening. Or they do something stupid that allows the plot to advance instead of a smarter alternative. Or when an arc takes too long to move forward or resolve itself (and when it does, it’s either a letdown or not worth the hassle to reach the end), because only new episodes were on Saturdays, etc., etc. And these were examples that I saw on TV (it was basically the best and only way to see an anime show in its entirety outside the U.S. in the pre-YouTube/Crunchyroll years, especially after I moved from the States). Another pet peeve I had was how in some of the shows on TV, the main female lead has to be defined by her relationship with the young male (and dare I say, sometimes clueless) lead, even if she has merits that could make her stand on her own. And those were my main complaints.

Now, the reason for my grievances was because I didn’t start out watching these shounen shows; I began with the likes of, say, ‘Project A-ko’, ‘Iria’, ‘Akira’, and the like, and was expecting more of the same. So you can imagine my disappointment (keep in mind that most shounen anime from the 2000s are more…for younger audiences, based on my experiences). So I told myself, why wait for the characters to wise up and straighten up when I could write something less frustrating?

Enter the Angel of Death.

I thought, if the villains are succeeding in advancing their plans, why not make the main character a villain, and make them a badass girl to boot? And besides, no one wants to follow the adventures of a teen boy who lets your waifu or other favorite character die, or inadvertently doom the world. Akiko…doesn’t make those mistakes, nor would she make or allow them. The same goes with her personal army; she would keep them in line if she has to. She is, unlike those one-dimensional bimbos we’re forced to spend time with, defined by her merits and personality, as you saw for yourselves.

As I mentioned in the recent past, Akiko began her bloody adventures by hunting down the Bounders (who are based on a group of villains from an anime’s arc that I didn’t know was a filler arc, and that’s because I didn’t anyone explain that to me; I had to find that out myself). I also allowed one member of that group to defect in the undisclosed recent past before said group was decimated. Said member, here named Diwa, was based on a character, named Yoshino Souma, from the aforementioned that was killed off because one of the main characters was literally too powerless to help her (he discarded his powers during the first arc; he got them back, but her unfair death still stung). The Bounders’ leader was responsible for seemingly wiping out Akiko’s family (I still won’t spoil it here for you), and Akiko won’t stop until she has hunted them all to extinction. And that’s from the first two books, excluding all the other standalone chapters occurring in between the hunts…

And that’s how this series came to be.

Five books in the Angel of Death Series are now available on amazon.com, in chronological order:

Child of Samael

Killer Doll Posse

Sinners and Saints

An Anthem of Evil

A Ballad of Gray

In addition to the series, I also designed the covers myself. The minimalism speaks for itself. They are in paperback and ebook. No word on hardback copies, but who knows?

If you wish to know more about this universe, tune in next time for another exciting blog on the topic! And as always, stay safe out there.

A Ballad of Gray: Excerpt #2

I have returned, once again, to deliver another excerpt from the current book, which is now available on amazon.com. Enjoy, my blogging droogs:

Akiko walked through a bustling Namba by herself amidst a busy Friday evening near the end of the third week of August. Urban noise roared around her like incoherent nightclub music, but she ignored it.
After she passed a store on her way from a personal errand, she heard running footsteps coming from behind and turned to the nearby alley. She reached for her katana in case the person running toward her is an enemy. Instead, it’s a young child crying in fear. It’s a little girl, no more than five, with short hair the hue of evergreen and a noh-like mask above her head. She is wearing a yellow jacket and white shorts, and has an innocent-looking, chubby face.
She fell by Akiko’s feet after running out of the alley, begging for the young woman to help her. The child’s pursuers finally came into view, but they had little time to react, as Akiko wasted no time cutting them down. The last one she sliced into was still alive, and she pierced his head and wiped her katana clean.

“I’m sorry you hafta see that, but they deserved it,” said Akiko.

“Huh?” asked the child.

Akiko saw the corpses of the men and women who were after the girl. Their bodies were clothed in white suits, meaning they belonged to Aizawa’s syndicate. She scrambled to her feet and bowed gratefully.

“Thank you.”

“The name’s Akiko Tanaka.”

“OK…Tanaka-san.”

Akiko knelt to the child’s level and patted her cheek.

“Now you head on home; your parents are probably worried about you.”

“Actually…Ming has no parents.”

“Who’s Ming?”

“I am.” Ming pointed at her own tiny nose.

“You’re an orphan?”

Ming nodded. Akiko sighed, looked around and back at Ming, then lifted her up and walked away normally.

-Chapter V, Act I, A Ballad of Gray

I don’t know about you guys, but those Sabiile goons would think twice in the next life before picking on a kid whenever Akiko is around. And some of you thought she is the bad gal…

She is a bad girl, but in an antiheroic sort of way, like Witchblade or Morrigan (the succubus, not the ‘Dragon Age’ character). This also goes for her personal army, the Killer Doll Posse. Compared to the people they target almost every chapter, they are saints.

For those just tuning in, A Ballad of Gray is the fifth volume of the Angel of Death series of books, written by yours truly. Set in the near future, the books follow Akiko Tanaka, a blue-haired hitokiri (old Japanese word for assassin) and her aforementioned personal army. She cuts through anyone who has incurred her wrath, whether that person has committed a heinous crime and didn’t answer for it, is in the slow process of answering for it, or is disliked by the audience. Or if they feel like being villainous that day. There are now five books in the series, including the current one. They are all available for purchase from Amazon, in paperback and ebook formats. No word on any hardback editions…yet.

Here are the available books:

Child of Samael

Killer Doll Posse

Sinners and Saints (This is by far the longest book in the series, clocking in at 38 chapters. That’s about 750+ pages!)

An Anthem of Evil (As many of you may have noticed, this is the most explicit volume in the series, in terms of…mature content. It’s also explicit in terms of some deaths, all of which involve the Posse’s targets.)

A Ballad of Gray

Fun fact: The latter two listed books were one whole book, but it was too big, page-wise. I’ll explain that in my next blog.

Yes, we have reached the end of the blog. Until next time, my blogging droogs. Stay safe out there!