M.L. Cook's Blog

I've been going through the Felidian Warriors. Mostly I wanted to reacquaint myself with the world so I can get a new book (or books) written.
Wow!
So, yeah. Fixed a lot of stuff! I'm working on the last 2 books (Tomorrows Hope & Captured). Those should be finished soon.
I left Aubree and Brooke pregnant... time to have those babies! Who will have what? Boy or girl? What shall I name them? Did you know readers have named all the children. Oh, and Mungus, that was named by a reader, too.
Will there be more books after this? Probably not.
I'm ready to jump into a new series. Perhaps Dark Star Warriors?

Readers, I do listen to you.
I've pulled Dark Star down. In the very near future, I will be revising the book before putting it back up. Just check with Amazon at that time for the revised edition.
I apologize for the substandard product.

New book coming!
There are quite a few characters floating around out there. Where are they, and what happened to them?
I'm starting with Natalie. She's been a part of the group from the beginning.
For one reason or another, she just can't seem to stay with them. Perhaps after what happens to her, she'll change her mind.
So many things have happened in her absence. Babies born and children found. Felidians have come, while the Terrapians are on the run.
Who would you like to see get their own story?

This month I'll be putting all of my books on sale.
The boxed set of the first three Felidian Warriors goes on sale 5/3-5/10/2022. But the price goes up in increments, so get it fast! It'll only be 99 cents for a few days, then it goes to $2.99, ending the sale at $4.99.
Then starting the sale with books beginning 5/17-5/20/2022, all at .99 for a week.
With the exception of Guilty, which will be free 5/20-5/24/2022.
New Dawn will also be available for free for one day only. I'll post the date when I have it.
Happy reading!

I'm working on a new series. Dark Star Warriors.
It's a spinoff of Felidian Warriors.
What happened to the women kidnapped by the Terrapians?
For the few who survived, their lives are about to change in ways they could never imagine.
Here's a peek at the first book, "Dark Star" (Completely unedited.) Look for it late spring/early summer.

Kate ducked behind a bush and waited. Heart racing, she held her breath and listened. The forest stilled. No insects. No birdsong. Nothing except the sound of the wind rustling leaves. She knew they had to be close. But how close? Closing her eyes, she struggled for calm. A gentle breath in, slow exhalation out.
Her legs ached from crouching. Could she drop to her knees without making a sound? Fingers on the ground, she eased one knee down. Then waited. Cocking her head, she listened. Nothing. She eased her other knee onto the ground. A twig snapped.
“There, did you hear that?”
Eyes wide. Adrenaline spiked. Too close.

I was inspired to write this post after seeing something on social media.
A lot of my characters have past military experience. Personally, I never did. Not from lack of desire. Back in the day, they didn't want a woman with a bunch of kids. I'm not sure how true that is now.
However...
I do have kids who were in the military.
My son, who, along with his wife, have graciously opened their home to me. He then built me an apartment just outside their back door. How awesome is that!
Anyway...
There have been many times while writing, I run into the house and beg for his help. In Relentless Pursuit and Souls United, he was a tremendous help with all things having to do with military... everything. From Jannette in Relentless Pursuit getting hit with an EMF plus the type of vehicle she was riding in. When it came time in Souls United for Corey to set up his weapon, again... thanks for the help my son.
Of course that's not all the help I ask him for. As a woman, I'm not really sure how much of all this male reaction in books is true. So, again I go to him. He especially liked my description of getting hit/kicked in... ahem. But when it came time for Dante and his father to react in the auditorium, I had to get his input. Yeah. It seems that men are far more likely to react more violently than I had supposed.
Just a little FYI and peek into what goes on in my world and where some of my info comes from.
Happy reading!

If you've been thinking about a scary story for Halloween, check out these two.
Tenth Stem 99 cents
Tansy has found freedom after escaping the lab, better described as hell.
But the company isn't about to let an asset like her go. They're looking for her. And they're getting close.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084JH9T3H

Dark Intentions 99 cents
A chilling tale of a man who will stop at nothing to take what he wants.
Even if it means killing everyone who stands between him and his greatest desire.
His Tracy.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ML9X4CB

I have several more books planned out for the Felidian Warriors, plus a spinoff series.
Next book, Souls United.
Ember Blaze crawls out from the wreckage of her house. Along the way she's going to find a new friend. This friend she meets, has another friend. That friend is James. They share a love for ham radios. They've lost touch for several months. But this friend is about to reconnect with his/her old buddy. Who is this friend going to be?
Well it could be you. I'm holding a contest. The winner will have their name memorialized forever in print. Winner will be chosen September 1, 2021. No strings. No purchase necessary. All you have to do is toss in a name. I'll announce the winner sometime after 9/1/2021. The winner's name will also be in the acknowledgements in the begging of the book. Just like baby Celene's name chooser.

Several of the characters in these books are inspired by people I know. That wasn't really my intention when I started writing them, but that's how it turned out.
Jannette is mirrored after two people. One is my own Jannette. When she joined the army, she wanted to blow things up. (btw: that's not how it went.) When I was chatting with a friend, I was trying to describe this character. Then I paused... Wait! It's you! (my friend.)
She's a small woman with a huge personality. Jannette Caldwell is a blend of the two women. Bonfires, army, and weapons, my Jannette. Get in your face, my friend. I love them both.
Brooke is quiet. She's also a leader. Yes, I know someone very much like her. Only this woman was the commander of four small people. She used a lot of "Because I said so."
Aubree is a combination of two people in my life. Both have a pretty hot temper. Both have tragic pasts.
I do want to give a big shout out to my son. I've come to him with some of the most bizarre queries. The current book I'm writing (Souls United), included a lot of coffee and couch time. I'm always picking his brain about a man's perspective, as well as army stuff. Next book includes a sniper. After our conversation, I had to do a little bit of a rewrite.
Off the subject of Felidian Warriors... still on my son. He didn't even blink when I asked if there was a way to kill a man without him knowing it. lol Do your own research on that one.
So... I do have people who've been in the army to bounce ideas off. I may not always get it right, but I'm always willing to learn.