Ask the Author: Hunter Blain
Answered Questions (33)
Hunter Blain
Yes. Considerably.
But—and this is important—it doesn't stop being funny.
When The Preternatural Chronicles begins, you're meeting John Cook and learning about this ridiculous supernatural world largely through his eyes. There's violence and darkness from the beginning, but there's also a lot of humor, action, banter, and John being an immature asshole.
As the series progresses, the world gets bigger, the enemies become more dangerous, and John's decisions start carrying much heavier consequences.
Characters change. Relationships change. People get hurt. Not everybody is safe simply because readers like them.
Neither are the characters.
I've always believed that consequences are what make victories actually matter. If readers know I'll never let anything truly terrible happen to the characters they love, then eventually the danger stops feeling dangerous.
So yes, the later Preternatural Chronicles books become darker, more emotional, and much larger in scope than I'm Glad You're Dead.
But John doesn't suddenly become a humorless brooding vampire staring pensively out a rain-covered window.
If anything, the worse things get, the more he needs the humor.
The jokes stay. The consequences just get bigger.
But—and this is important—it doesn't stop being funny.
When The Preternatural Chronicles begins, you're meeting John Cook and learning about this ridiculous supernatural world largely through his eyes. There's violence and darkness from the beginning, but there's also a lot of humor, action, banter, and John being an immature asshole.
As the series progresses, the world gets bigger, the enemies become more dangerous, and John's decisions start carrying much heavier consequences.
Characters change. Relationships change. People get hurt. Not everybody is safe simply because readers like them.
Neither are the characters.
I've always believed that consequences are what make victories actually matter. If readers know I'll never let anything truly terrible happen to the characters they love, then eventually the danger stops feeling dangerous.
So yes, the later Preternatural Chronicles books become darker, more emotional, and much larger in scope than I'm Glad You're Dead.
But John doesn't suddenly become a humorless brooding vampire staring pensively out a rain-covered window.
If anything, the worse things get, the more he needs the humor.
The jokes stay. The consequences just get bigger.
Hunter Blain
Absolutely.
In fact, I'd argue that found family becomes one of the most important parts of The Preternatural Chronicles.
John Cook has been alive for a very long time, and when readers first meet him, he isn't exactly auditioning for the position of World's Most Emotionally Available Vampire. But over the course of the series, he surrounds himself with people who become far more than allies.
Vin Diesel might say they're his family.
One of my favorite things about writing this series has been watching these completely different characters—vampires, werewolves, magic users, humans, Fae, angels, demons, and various other beings who sometimes have every historical reason to hate one another—develop friendships, loyalty, and eventually love for each other.
They fight together. They insult each other. They would die for each other.
And sometimes they want to kill each other.
You know. Family.
The ridiculous humor and supernatural action are probably the most immediately obvious parts of the series, but the relationships are what give The Preternatural Chronicles its heart. The deeper you trudge into John's story, the more important that found family becomes.
In fact, I'd argue that found family becomes one of the most important parts of The Preternatural Chronicles.
John Cook has been alive for a very long time, and when readers first meet him, he isn't exactly auditioning for the position of World's Most Emotionally Available Vampire. But over the course of the series, he surrounds himself with people who become far more than allies.
Vin Diesel might say they're his family.
One of my favorite things about writing this series has been watching these completely different characters—vampires, werewolves, magic users, humans, Fae, angels, demons, and various other beings who sometimes have every historical reason to hate one another—develop friendships, loyalty, and eventually love for each other.
They fight together. They insult each other. They would die for each other.
And sometimes they want to kill each other.
You know. Family.
The ridiculous humor and supernatural action are probably the most immediately obvious parts of the series, but the relationships are what give The Preternatural Chronicles its heart. The deeper you trudge into John's story, the more important that found family becomes.
Hunter Blain
The Preternatural Chronicles is written for adults.
That said, there's a pretty important distinction between “written for adults” and “full of explicit sexual content.” The series is very low spice. There are relationships, attraction, romance, and adult situations, but I don't write graphic sex scenes.
The things earning the books their adult designation are much more likely to be language, violence, gore, dark themes, inappropriate humor, and John Cook generally being John Cook.
I've certainly had older teenage readers enjoy the series, but I wrote these books for an adult urban fantasy audience. So if you're deciding whether they're appropriate for a younger reader, I'd be much more concerned about their comfort level with profanity, violence, gore, and dark humor than sexual content.
Ultimately I ask parents of potential younger readers: would you like your offspring watch the Deadpool movies? If so, then read on!
That said, there's a pretty important distinction between “written for adults” and “full of explicit sexual content.” The series is very low spice. There are relationships, attraction, romance, and adult situations, but I don't write graphic sex scenes.
The things earning the books their adult designation are much more likely to be language, violence, gore, dark themes, inappropriate humor, and John Cook generally being John Cook.
I've certainly had older teenage readers enjoy the series, but I wrote these books for an adult urban fantasy audience. So if you're deciding whether they're appropriate for a younger reader, I'd be much more concerned about their comfort level with profanity, violence, gore, and dark humor than sexual content.
Ultimately I ask parents of potential younger readers: would you like your offspring watch the Deadpool movies? If so, then read on!
Hunter Blain
The Preternatural Chronicles begins in Houston, Texas. A place I know very well.
There are plenty of urban fantasy books set in places like Chicago, New York, London, and other cities that already have enormous fictional supernatural histories. I wanted to do something different and build my supernatural world in Texas.
Plus, Houston is perfect for it.
It's enormous, diverse, sprawling, occasionally beautiful, frequently ridiculous, hotter than Satan's taint for a significant portion of the year, and large enough that you could probably hide an entire supernatural society there without anyone noticing.
As the series progresses, however, John's world gets considerably larger. We travel outside Houston, outside Texas, and even outside this world.
But Houston is John's home. No matter how large the mythology and stakes of The Preternatural Chronicles become, that's where his story begins.
There are plenty of urban fantasy books set in places like Chicago, New York, London, and other cities that already have enormous fictional supernatural histories. I wanted to do something different and build my supernatural world in Texas.
Plus, Houston is perfect for it.
It's enormous, diverse, sprawling, occasionally beautiful, frequently ridiculous, hotter than Satan's taint for a significant portion of the year, and large enough that you could probably hide an entire supernatural society there without anyone noticing.
As the series progresses, however, John's world gets considerably larger. We travel outside Houston, outside Texas, and even outside this world.
But Houston is John's home. No matter how large the mythology and stakes of The Preternatural Chronicles become, that's where his story begins.
Hunter Blain
Gee, how much time do you have?
Vampires might be the most obvious part of The Preternatural Chronicles, seeing as our main character John Cook is one, but they're only a small part of the supernatural—or, more accurately, preternatural—world I've built.
Throughout the series you'll encounter werewolves, warlocks, witches, Fae, demons, angels, gods (small g), monsters, and plenty of other creatures pulled from mythology, religion, folklore, and the particularly questionable corners of my imagination.
One of the things I've always enjoyed doing is taking something readers already recognize and asking, "Okay, but how would this actually work in my universe?"
That's how you end up with my vampires using blood as both sustenance and a weapon, and it's the same approach I've taken with many of the creatures throughout the series.
As the books progress, the world also gets much bigger. What begins as an urban fantasy story centered around a vampire in modern-day Houston eventually starts brushing up against the Fae realm, Heaven, Hell, and beyond!
Apparently I have difficulty leaving well enough alone. More like well done enough? I'll see myself out...
Vampires might be the most obvious part of The Preternatural Chronicles, seeing as our main character John Cook is one, but they're only a small part of the supernatural—or, more accurately, preternatural—world I've built.
Throughout the series you'll encounter werewolves, warlocks, witches, Fae, demons, angels, gods (small g), monsters, and plenty of other creatures pulled from mythology, religion, folklore, and the particularly questionable corners of my imagination.
One of the things I've always enjoyed doing is taking something readers already recognize and asking, "Okay, but how would this actually work in my universe?"
That's how you end up with my vampires using blood as both sustenance and a weapon, and it's the same approach I've taken with many of the creatures throughout the series.
As the books progress, the world also gets much bigger. What begins as an urban fantasy story centered around a vampire in modern-day Houston eventually starts brushing up against the Fae realm, Heaven, Hell, and beyond!
Apparently I have difficulty leaving well enough alone. More like well done enough? I'll see myself out...
Hunter Blain
Reviewer's have overwhelmingly described The Preternatural Chronicles as “Deadpool as a vampire” more times than I can count, and that’s probably still the quickest way to explain the flavor of humor.
John Cook is an ancient vampire with the maturity level of a twelve-year-old who just discovered dirty jokes. He’s sarcastic, irreverent, wildly inappropriate, and has an almost supernatural inability to keep his mouth shut--even in the face of death.
The humor ranges from witty banter and pop-culture references to absurd situations, immature jokes, and creative applications of extreme violence. John and his friends might be facing something genuinely horrifying that could kill everyone they love, and John will still find time to make a joke about it.
But the series is definitely not a parody.
The danger is real. The deaths are real. The relationships are real. And there are parts of this series that get very dark. The humor doesn't exist to tell the reader that none of this matters. It's how John deals with a world where all of it matters.
So if you like urban fantasy with dark humor, sarcastic characters, ridiculous banter, brutal supernatural action, and a vampire anti-hero who probably shouldn't be allowed to speak at funerals, you should feel right at home.
John Cook is an ancient vampire with the maturity level of a twelve-year-old who just discovered dirty jokes. He’s sarcastic, irreverent, wildly inappropriate, and has an almost supernatural inability to keep his mouth shut--even in the face of death.
The humor ranges from witty banter and pop-culture references to absurd situations, immature jokes, and creative applications of extreme violence. John and his friends might be facing something genuinely horrifying that could kill everyone they love, and John will still find time to make a joke about it.
But the series is definitely not a parody.
The danger is real. The deaths are real. The relationships are real. And there are parts of this series that get very dark. The humor doesn't exist to tell the reader that none of this matters. It's how John deals with a world where all of it matters.
So if you like urban fantasy with dark humor, sarcastic characters, ridiculous banter, brutal supernatural action, and a vampire anti-hero who probably shouldn't be allowed to speak at funerals, you should feel right at home.
Hunter Blain
When I first set out to write the 13 planned books of *The Preternatural Chronicles*, one of the first things I asked myself was, "How can my vampire, John Cook, be different from what we've already seen a hundred times?"
Not that there's anything wrong with traditional vampire tropes, mind you. I just knew I wanted to do things my way.
The first thing I thought about was how vampires get their blood. I was tired of the standard "hiss hiss, bite bite" we'd seen before. So I stopped and asked myself: **Why do vampires need blood in the first place?**
"Preternatural" essentially means beyond what is considered natural, but still contained within the laws and physics of the universe. "Supernatural," on the other hand, implies something outside those natural laws. So if my characters are *preternatural*, they need some form of sustenance to survive. For vampires like John Cook, that sustenance is the energy contained within the blood of mortals. He isn't drinking blood just because that's what vampires do—he's stealing the energy inside it and adding it to his own.
And that's where I started asking another question: If John can use blood to bring energy **in**, why can't he send blood **out**, infused with the energy he's accumulated over centuries of feeding?
That opened the door to some really fun stuff.
My vampires can use their blood to manifest weapons and armor, empowering those manifestations with the vast wells of energy they've accumulated throughout their lives. An older, well-fed vampire can potentially pour centuries' worth of stored power into something created from their own blood. So if a vampire that is a thousand years old pours all of his energy into a sword, and another vampire that's only a hundred years old does that same, and they swing their blades to clash--who do you think wins that battle 10 out of 10 times?
But, as with all good rules in urban fantasy, for every Pro there needs to be at least one Con.
With blood manifestations, it comes down to risk versus reward. You have to be willing to lose however much energy you pour into your weapon or armor. Use too little and your attack or defense might be useless against a dangerous, deadly foe. Use too much and you risk the manifestation breaking—and losing all of the energy you put into it forever.
And let me tell you, it **HURTS** when that happens.
So that's one way that my vampires are different than what we've seen before. I take the same approach to my werewolves, Fae, and even angels and demons.
Not that there's anything wrong with traditional vampire tropes, mind you. I just knew I wanted to do things my way.
The first thing I thought about was how vampires get their blood. I was tired of the standard "hiss hiss, bite bite" we'd seen before. So I stopped and asked myself: **Why do vampires need blood in the first place?**
"Preternatural" essentially means beyond what is considered natural, but still contained within the laws and physics of the universe. "Supernatural," on the other hand, implies something outside those natural laws. So if my characters are *preternatural*, they need some form of sustenance to survive. For vampires like John Cook, that sustenance is the energy contained within the blood of mortals. He isn't drinking blood just because that's what vampires do—he's stealing the energy inside it and adding it to his own.
And that's where I started asking another question: If John can use blood to bring energy **in**, why can't he send blood **out**, infused with the energy he's accumulated over centuries of feeding?
That opened the door to some really fun stuff.
My vampires can use their blood to manifest weapons and armor, empowering those manifestations with the vast wells of energy they've accumulated throughout their lives. An older, well-fed vampire can potentially pour centuries' worth of stored power into something created from their own blood. So if a vampire that is a thousand years old pours all of his energy into a sword, and another vampire that's only a hundred years old does that same, and they swing their blades to clash--who do you think wins that battle 10 out of 10 times?
But, as with all good rules in urban fantasy, for every Pro there needs to be at least one Con.
With blood manifestations, it comes down to risk versus reward. You have to be willing to lose however much energy you pour into your weapon or armor. Use too little and your attack or defense might be useless against a dangerous, deadly foe. Use too much and you risk the manifestation breaking—and losing all of the energy you put into it forever.
And let me tell you, it **HURTS** when that happens.
So that's one way that my vampires are different than what we've seen before. I take the same approach to my werewolves, Fae, and even angels and demons.
Hunter Blain
If you want to read *The Preternatural Chronicles* in chronological order—including the prequel, short stories, and novella—the complete reading order is:
1. Deliverance — Book 0.5
2. I'm Glad You're Dead — Book 1
3. Dawn and Quartered — Book 2
4. Shadow of a Doubt — Book 3
5. Simple Deeds — Short Stories
6. Moonlight Equilibrium — Book 3.5
7. Mouth of Madness — Book 4
8. What the Hell — Book 5
9. Holy Sheoly — Book 6
10. Those Wonderful Toys — Book 7
11. Crack the Sky — Book 8
12. Fall From Grace — Book 9
13. Memento Mori — Book 10
14. Blood and Thunder — Book 11
15. A Dance with the Devil — Book 12 (coming Q4 2026)
16. In the Pale Moonlight — Coming 2027
Below is a special call out to a few of the books to better help you understand the series.
Deliverance — Book 0.5
*Deliverance* is a 12,000-word prequel novella that I wrote specifically to give away for free on my website. My goal was to give potential readers a taste of *The Preternatural Chronicles*—something that showcases the supernatural world and larger series while also giving you a pretty good idea of my particular brand of silly, immature humor (reviewers overwhelming have dubbed the series "Deadpool as a vampire"). Plus it ends precisely where book 1 begins after showing how a 500 year old anti-hero vampire and Catholic Priest meet.
Think of it as a compatibility test.
If *Deliverance* makes you snort, chortle, howl with laughter, or even just unexpectedly puff air from your nose, there's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy the rest of the series.
If it doesn't? Well...it was free!
You can get *Deliverance* by signing up for my newsletter at hunterblain.com.
I'm Glad You're Dead — Book 1
This is where the main story begins and where you'll meet John Cook, the vampire anti-hero at the center of *The Preternatural Chronicles*.
John is old, powerful, sarcastic, and morally flexible enough that calling him a "hero" sometimes requires a generous interpretation of the word. He's spent centuries surviving the supernatural world, but when events in modern-day Houston drag him into a much larger conflict, he finds himself dealing with monsters, magic, violence, and increasingly dangerous enemies—usually while making inappropriate jokes about all of it.
*I'm Glad You're Dead* establishes the characters, relationships, supernatural rules, and irreverent tone that carry throughout the series. If you like urban fantasy with a snarky vampire protagonist, fast-paced supernatural action, dark humor, colorful characters, and an anti-hero who would probably make the situation worse just to see what happens, this is the proper beginning of John's story.
Moonlight Equilibrium — Book 3.5
*Moonlight Equilibrium* is technically a side story, but I recommend reading it in its proper place between *Shadow of a Doubt* and *Mouth of Madness*. It isn't absolutely crucial to understanding the main storyline, but events and characters from the novel become important later in the series.
It's also intentionally **very different** from the rest of *The Preternatural Chronicles*.
Most of the series is told from the perspective of supernatural characters powerful enough to fight the things that go bump in the night. John and his friends are often the monsters that other monsters should be afraid of. That gives the main series its action-comedy feel: something horrible can be happening while you're still chuckling at the creative—or completely ridiculous—way John and company decide to deal with the bad guy.
*Moonlight Equilibrium* flips that perspective.
It's a horror story told from the point of view of a human being hunted by a terrifying werewolf.
There's no ancient vampire anti-hero cracking jokes while figuring out how violently he can solve the problem. Instead, you get to experience what this supernatural world looks like from the perspective of an ordinary person who suddenly discovers that monsters are real—and that one of them is hunting him.
The result is considerably darker, more serious, and more frightening than the main series. It also gives readers a very different perspective on just how terrifying the creatures inhabiting John's world would actually be if you weren't one of them.
Do you have to read everything?
The numbered novels are the backbone of *The Preternatural Chronicles*, so I strongly recommend reading those in order. *Deliverance*, *Simple Deeds*, and *Moonlight Equilibrium* add additional stories and context to the universe.
If you're completely new to the series and aren't sure whether it's for you, I'd actually recommend starting with the free *Deliverance* novella. That's exactly why I wrote it. If John's world and my sense of humor work for you there, *I'm Glad You're Dead* is where the real journey begins.
1. Deliverance — Book 0.5
2. I'm Glad You're Dead — Book 1
3. Dawn and Quartered — Book 2
4. Shadow of a Doubt — Book 3
5. Simple Deeds — Short Stories
6. Moonlight Equilibrium — Book 3.5
7. Mouth of Madness — Book 4
8. What the Hell — Book 5
9. Holy Sheoly — Book 6
10. Those Wonderful Toys — Book 7
11. Crack the Sky — Book 8
12. Fall From Grace — Book 9
13. Memento Mori — Book 10
14. Blood and Thunder — Book 11
15. A Dance with the Devil — Book 12 (coming Q4 2026)
16. In the Pale Moonlight — Coming 2027
Below is a special call out to a few of the books to better help you understand the series.
Deliverance — Book 0.5
*Deliverance* is a 12,000-word prequel novella that I wrote specifically to give away for free on my website. My goal was to give potential readers a taste of *The Preternatural Chronicles*—something that showcases the supernatural world and larger series while also giving you a pretty good idea of my particular brand of silly, immature humor (reviewers overwhelming have dubbed the series "Deadpool as a vampire"). Plus it ends precisely where book 1 begins after showing how a 500 year old anti-hero vampire and Catholic Priest meet.
Think of it as a compatibility test.
If *Deliverance* makes you snort, chortle, howl with laughter, or even just unexpectedly puff air from your nose, there's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy the rest of the series.
If it doesn't? Well...it was free!
You can get *Deliverance* by signing up for my newsletter at hunterblain.com.
I'm Glad You're Dead — Book 1
This is where the main story begins and where you'll meet John Cook, the vampire anti-hero at the center of *The Preternatural Chronicles*.
John is old, powerful, sarcastic, and morally flexible enough that calling him a "hero" sometimes requires a generous interpretation of the word. He's spent centuries surviving the supernatural world, but when events in modern-day Houston drag him into a much larger conflict, he finds himself dealing with monsters, magic, violence, and increasingly dangerous enemies—usually while making inappropriate jokes about all of it.
*I'm Glad You're Dead* establishes the characters, relationships, supernatural rules, and irreverent tone that carry throughout the series. If you like urban fantasy with a snarky vampire protagonist, fast-paced supernatural action, dark humor, colorful characters, and an anti-hero who would probably make the situation worse just to see what happens, this is the proper beginning of John's story.
Moonlight Equilibrium — Book 3.5
*Moonlight Equilibrium* is technically a side story, but I recommend reading it in its proper place between *Shadow of a Doubt* and *Mouth of Madness*. It isn't absolutely crucial to understanding the main storyline, but events and characters from the novel become important later in the series.
It's also intentionally **very different** from the rest of *The Preternatural Chronicles*.
Most of the series is told from the perspective of supernatural characters powerful enough to fight the things that go bump in the night. John and his friends are often the monsters that other monsters should be afraid of. That gives the main series its action-comedy feel: something horrible can be happening while you're still chuckling at the creative—or completely ridiculous—way John and company decide to deal with the bad guy.
*Moonlight Equilibrium* flips that perspective.
It's a horror story told from the point of view of a human being hunted by a terrifying werewolf.
There's no ancient vampire anti-hero cracking jokes while figuring out how violently he can solve the problem. Instead, you get to experience what this supernatural world looks like from the perspective of an ordinary person who suddenly discovers that monsters are real—and that one of them is hunting him.
The result is considerably darker, more serious, and more frightening than the main series. It also gives readers a very different perspective on just how terrifying the creatures inhabiting John's world would actually be if you weren't one of them.
Do you have to read everything?
The numbered novels are the backbone of *The Preternatural Chronicles*, so I strongly recommend reading those in order. *Deliverance*, *Simple Deeds*, and *Moonlight Equilibrium* add additional stories and context to the universe.
If you're completely new to the series and aren't sure whether it's for you, I'd actually recommend starting with the free *Deliverance* novella. That's exactly why I wrote it. If John's world and my sense of humor work for you there, *I'm Glad You're Dead* is where the real journey begins.
Hunter Blain
I would have to say book 3, "Shadow of a Doubt."
Book 1, "I'm Glad You're Dead" was the first thing I ever wrote in earnest, and never thought anyone, besides me and my group of friends that knew the real John Cook, would ever read. So my references are little obscure, though readers say they don't have a problem deducing the meaning behind them.
In book 2, "Dawn and Quartered" I am very aware that people all over the world will be reading my words. With that in mind, I focused more on smoothing out things like movie references (saying things like "In my best Batman voice, I said--rather than "In my best Kevin Conroy, I said"). And as with all things that are practiced over and over again, my writing prowess grew.
By book 3, "Shadow of a Doubt" readers all seem to concur that I find my voice along with the actual series arc really starting to take off. Realistic consequences from the previous books showcase that no one is safe, and being a powerful vampire with an immature sense of humor has its drawbacks. I also reward my follow through readers, who kept going after the death of a dog in book 1, with a welcomed surprise. Fans have agreed that I more than make up for the taboo death of a dog (you never, NEVER, kill a puppy or kitty in books, movies, or tv shows). So if you get to that point in book 1 and want to stop right there, just know you'll be healed and rewarded in book 3 and on.
Book 1, "I'm Glad You're Dead" was the first thing I ever wrote in earnest, and never thought anyone, besides me and my group of friends that knew the real John Cook, would ever read. So my references are little obscure, though readers say they don't have a problem deducing the meaning behind them.
In book 2, "Dawn and Quartered" I am very aware that people all over the world will be reading my words. With that in mind, I focused more on smoothing out things like movie references (saying things like "In my best Batman voice, I said--rather than "In my best Kevin Conroy, I said"). And as with all things that are practiced over and over again, my writing prowess grew.
By book 3, "Shadow of a Doubt" readers all seem to concur that I find my voice along with the actual series arc really starting to take off. Realistic consequences from the previous books showcase that no one is safe, and being a powerful vampire with an immature sense of humor has its drawbacks. I also reward my follow through readers, who kept going after the death of a dog in book 1, with a welcomed surprise. Fans have agreed that I more than make up for the taboo death of a dog (you never, NEVER, kill a puppy or kitty in books, movies, or tv shows). So if you get to that point in book 1 and want to stop right there, just know you'll be healed and rewarded in book 3 and on.
Hunter Blain
Spice level: mayonnaise. All slaying no laying.
Though there are love interests that quickly grow to be an intricate part of the series, I do not go into explicit detail on the sex scenes.
Though there are love interests that quickly grow to be an intricate part of the series, I do not go into explicit detail on the sex scenes.
Hunter Blain
The Preternatural Chronicles is urban fantasy. The way I like to explain the difference between that and traditional fantasy is like this: In Harry Potter, when they are in the castle (which could be set in any time in history) with zero technology, they wield magic, and interact with magical creatures, that is generally considered fantasy. But when Harry and gang are in modern day London and still wielding magic, etc, that is urban fantasy.
What is the Preternatural Chronicles about? The billboard pitch is "Deadpool as a vampire." It's stuffed with silly humor, copious action, but there's still a story with heart beneath the frosting of fun.
The elevator pitch is an anti-hero vampire realizes that Heaven and Hell are real, and that one day the world will end. When the time comes, he would much prefer to spend an eternity in the place where fire is used to cook your smores, and not your balls. So John Cook forms an alliance with a Catholic Priest to use his preternatural abilities for the light in an effort to bleach the tar from his stained soul. It's just too bad that there's a silly little prophecy that mentions something about the gates of Hell opening when the last vampire walks the Earth. And the last time John counted...there weren't any others...
There are 13 books planned (not counting the novellas and side novels), with 11 currently out as of August 2026. They are on Kindle Unlimited, Kindle, paperback, hardback, and Audible with the Hall of Fame Narrator, Luke Daniels, lending his voice for John and gang.
What is the Preternatural Chronicles about? The billboard pitch is "Deadpool as a vampire." It's stuffed with silly humor, copious action, but there's still a story with heart beneath the frosting of fun.
The elevator pitch is an anti-hero vampire realizes that Heaven and Hell are real, and that one day the world will end. When the time comes, he would much prefer to spend an eternity in the place where fire is used to cook your smores, and not your balls. So John Cook forms an alliance with a Catholic Priest to use his preternatural abilities for the light in an effort to bleach the tar from his stained soul. It's just too bad that there's a silly little prophecy that mentions something about the gates of Hell opening when the last vampire walks the Earth. And the last time John counted...there weren't any others...
There are 13 books planned (not counting the novellas and side novels), with 11 currently out as of August 2026. They are on Kindle Unlimited, Kindle, paperback, hardback, and Audible with the Hall of Fame Narrator, Luke Daniels, lending his voice for John and gang.
Hunter Blain
As of August 2026, I am writing book 12. I anticipate a Q4 release. As for book 13, the end of John the vampire's story, it will be sometime next year!
Hunter Blain
Yes! But I also put my own spin on things so that way the reader isn't just encountering another variation of any particular mythological figure.
Hunter Blain
Oh yes. John's best friend, Depweg, is a werewolf that he met in Germany during WWII where they were both hunting those naughty nazis.
Just like how I made my vampires different (with the ability to create blood weapons and armor), I wanted my werewolves to be free from some of the traditional tropes. Just one example is their ability to transform at will instead of just during the full moon.
But there's not only werewolves in the Preternatural Chronicles. There's also the Fae (goblins, trolls, ogres, dwarves, elves, centaurs, etc), warlocks (magic users who get their powers from Hell), wizards (the good guys...mostly), angels, demons, and many, many more supes.
Just like how I made my vampires different (with the ability to create blood weapons and armor), I wanted my werewolves to be free from some of the traditional tropes. Just one example is their ability to transform at will instead of just during the full moon.
But there's not only werewolves in the Preternatural Chronicles. There's also the Fae (goblins, trolls, ogres, dwarves, elves, centaurs, etc), warlocks (magic users who get their powers from Hell), wizards (the good guys...mostly), angels, demons, and many, many more supes.
Hunter Blain
Out of the 4,000 reviews on Amazon, I'd say somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,999 of them (with a margin of error hovering around 3,980), mention some combination of the words "Deadpool" and "vampire." "Deadpool as a vampire" being the most common. And though I didn't intentionally go with that style of humor, I have to agree with those reviewers. The humor is silly, random, and immature.
When I'm at conventions and someone is on the fence of buying a book, I ask one simple question: "Did the Deadpool movies make you laugh?" If the answer is yes, then you will absolutely dig my style of humor. If the answer is no, then clearly you are a respectable member of society with class and should stay faaaaar away from my books.
When I'm at conventions and someone is on the fence of buying a book, I ask one simple question: "Did the Deadpool movies make you laugh?" If the answer is yes, then you will absolutely dig my style of humor. If the answer is no, then clearly you are a respectable member of society with class and should stay faaaaar away from my books.
Hunter Blain
The real life John Cook and I lived together for many years as roommates. I used to wear a generic grey beanie during the winter. And one day he sent a text with a picture of him wearing said beanie. In it he said "the beanie has a new home. Do not notify the cops." And from then on, he wore it all the time. Well, when he wasn't wearing his hat that said "Meatloaf."
Hunter Blain
John Cook is definitely more of an anti-hero, sort of on the spectrum alongside Sandman Slim. He's an ancient vampire with a love for giving bad guys booboos, a desire to bleach his tar stained soul, and a habit of using sarcasm even when facing monsters that could tear him apart. He does ultimately try to protect people, but he isn't the traditional noble fantasy hero...at all. That mix of dark humor, violence, and reluctant heroism is a major part of the Preternatural Chronicles.
Hunter Blain
Next year! I'm finishing up book 12 in the Preternatural Chronicles, and then wrapping up a LitRPG book that I'm co-authoring with Justin S. Leslie. And I will either write the conclusion to John the vampire's story with book 13, or knock out the third book in the Sol Saga trilogy.
Hunter Blain
Hey there. All my stuff is already on KU, so feel free to read it for free on there! As for ARCs, I already have a team that I use. However you can join my private Facebook group (Hunter Blain's Abattoir of Johniacs), and wait for me to post about an upcoming book.
Hunter Blain
Oh...my...Lilith...how in the heck did I miss this?! I just fixed it. Thank you sooooo much for pointing this out!
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