I love writing characters with eye patches, don’t ask me why. If you read any of my other books you’ll notice a trend. They just look cool in my opinion. Vet’s character came from a story I heard of someone who actually wears diapers on road trips. I won’t say more. It’s either genius or disturbing, maybe a bit of both.
Rizzo was cool to write. I read an article that twenty percent of the population is handicapped in some way and so I wanted to bring that into our story. I took sign language in junior college and found it really interesting.
Wang started as my typical smart doctor but I wanted to add different dimensions to his character. When I think doctor I think clean cut, definitely not tattoos or Mohawk haircut. Then I really ran with the idea and added in his throwing knives, love for science fiction books, and the shady drug issue. As much as we’d all like to look away from the idea, we all have issues and do or have struggled with something. Wang’s no different.
Ketrick was like my Drax the destroyer. I love that guy and knew my werewolf like Viking hybrid would be similar. My very first series ever have Elite humans with red eyes and I threw in this as an Easter egg to those fans who have been with me since the beginning.
Finally, Doctor Deborah Miller. She’s the straight edged must be done by the book type. I can’t wait for you to see how her character changes. She’s the polar opposite of Riot and, while all the characters in the trilogy evolve over the course of the three books, you’ll see her and Riot change the most.
Well that’s a little insider information on the series. For those of you who want to know more about this guy penning crazy stories about the unknown universe, I’m thirty-two, married, we have one child and my wife and I are in negotiations for a second. Josephine, we just call her Jo, is a year and a half and already training to be a force in this world. As soon as she’s up it’s a cardio routine running around the house, and she takes her lifting seriously as she empties every drawer she can open.
We also have a husky named Daphne, an Alaskan Malamute named Atlas and a white cat named Helen with two different colored eyes.
I’m able to spend my days at home with Jo because of readers like you supporting my work. I wake up early to write in the morning before her reign of terror descends on the day. I get more time to work when she takes her afternoon nap and then again when she goes down for the night. It’s exhausting, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love that crazy kid.
In addition to all of that I try to hit the gym four days a week to try and fend off the dad bod that so many of my friends have fallen victim to.
Another question I get a lot is what my background was in before I started writing. Are you ready for this one? I worked as a used car salesman. Not even a legit used car sales place. I worked for a rental company for five years in California. Yeah, I did that.
I finally reached a point where I was miserable and knew I had to quit. After that, I worked part time as a personal trainer while my writing career took off. I’ve been writing fulltime now for about four years.
Anyway enough about my own origin story. It’s Saturday morning and I can hear Jo in the other room with her mom. Poop may or may not be everywhere by the sounds of it. I’m going to go lend a hand with the fallout. Those of you who have kids understand things like these need to be contained ASAP.
Thanks again for your support,
Jonathan
Justin Sloan
Jonathan has created an awesome story here, one that I am extremely glad to be involved with and have in our universe. For those of you who don't know, yes, this is part of the Seppukarian Universe, which is a series of stories that will all take place in the same universe, but mostly be their own thing. To a degree. They're actually all fighting the same enemy, just different facets of that enemy, different enemy allies, etc. I think it will be a lot of fun for you readers, and I am loving it from a creative standpoint.
We started by having each of the writers do a short in our Shifting Dimensions anthology, where we used this as the backstory and starting point for those stories:
In the not too distant future, an alien empire called the Syndicate has invaded Earth. After the armies of the world are quickly destroyed, a ragtag resistance comprised of Marines and insurgents rises up to overthrow the invaders and save humanity.
With their superior technology and ability to manipulate time, the Syndicate has so far been able to keep the resistance in check, but the stakes are raised when the insurgents hijack an alien time ship.
When the mechanism that allows for time travel is triggered, however, the resistance fighters find themselves thrust into a maelstrom of infinite time loops and possibilities.
The stories that follow are what they experience when the fabric of time is ripped wide open.
And you can see that those came out of the Syndicate Wars series, five books that serve as a bit of a prequel to these other books. You don't have to read those, but if you want to get more of what happened before all of this, the books are there for you to do so.
Jonathan is the first of the collaborators to get his series going, and it's an amazing start, as you have just seen! (Assuming you read the book and didn't just skip to the notes). When I first started discussing this idea with authors, I was a bit nervous. It's always nerve-racking to start writing with someone, because you never know how it will turn out.
I was more than pleasantly surprised. Jonathan's War Wolves books have blown me away, and I'm so excited to bring you this series. He did most of the work, so credit should largely go to him. I've helped with world creation, editing, and little things like that.
If you have followed my author career at all, you know that I did something similar with Michael Anderle, but I was in the position Jonathan is now with this universe. Michael invited me to write with him, and within a year I had twelve books in his series and had been able to go full time as a six-figure author. It's an amazing experience, and one I want to be able to replicate with people like Jonathan. That said, we're taking a much more slow-burn approach to this series, so don't expect me to try and compete with Michael or anything. That's not my goal. My goal is to create another awesome universe that can follow its own rules and bring in a unique set of authors to tell amazing stories about Space Marines and the like.
Have you read my Shadow Corps books yet? They are in the same universe as well, and are my solo spinoffs. I've seen a great launch and amazing feedback, and hope to replicate that or do better with this series.
So once again, thank you so much for reading War Wolves, and please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads. We couldn't do it without you amazing readers, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support!
Justin
What Next?
For the Seppukarian Universe newsletter, join here or head over to www.JustinSloanAuthor.com/Seppukarian and join there.
Thank you for reading Bring the Thunder! Please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads.
Don’t forget to pick up book 2! You’ll be able to find it on our author pages when it’s available.
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This book is part of the Seppukarian Universe, though it stands on its own. If you would like to check out the other spinoff series, as listed in the SHIFTING DIMENSIONS anthology.
Marines think outside the box, but what happens when they think outside the known universe and time itself?
Whisked away through time loops that distort reality, a group of Space Marines explore different worlds and shifting dimensions as they combat an alien invasion. The edge-of-your-seat adventures in these alternative realities form the backbone of this anthology, which is full of exciting stories from debut and best-selling authors in the science fiction genre. Come aboard and experience exhilarating battles against mechs, drones, alien warriors with biotech armor, and tales of future combat that will blow your mind.
Featuring a Foreword by Nick Cole
Featured Authors:
L.O. A
ddison
George S. Mahaffey Jr.
Kyle Noe
Gentry Race
Justin Sloan
Jonathan Yanez
Grab it on Amazon
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You can check out the Syndicate Wars books, if you want the backstory for these spinoffs and this anthology. They are like the prequels—you don’t have to read them, but might have fun if you do.
Grab it on Amazon
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Justin Sloan released his first spinoff in the series as well! You can find Shadow Corps available online today:
Death isn’t so bad if it means saving the universe.
Samantha was badass even before she learned magic. Fending for herself in the cauldron of a planet torn apart by an alien invasion taught Samantha how to kill. Ruthlessly efficient, her abilities have caught the attention of the Shadow Corps.
A group comprised of deadly warriors who focus on galactic safety, using any means necessary.
A battle-hardened warlord causing you trouble? The Shadow Corps will ruin their day.
Her first mission puts her team up against a space dragon, death reapers, and the ultimate sorcerer.
Samantha had better learn to master her alien magic, or be forced to watch her world, and many others, burn.
Grab it on Amazon
Bring the Thunder (War Wolves Book 1) Page 19